Friday 4th June 2016

Nigeria’s Oil Output Rises to 1.6mbpd, Barkindo Appointed OPEC Secretary-General Again, cartel fails to agree on output policy Ejiofor Alike in Lagos and Chineme Okafor in Abuja with agency reports Nigeria’s crude oil production has climbed to 1.6 million barrels per day (mbpd), following repairs on some of

the oil and gas installations damaged by militant groups in the Niger Delta, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu,

the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) unanimously appointed the former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian

disclosed yesterday.

According to reports from Reuters and Bloomberg, Kachikwu said in Vienna, Austria, where oil ministers of

National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Mohammed Barkindo, as the cartel’s Secretary-General, that the country’s production had

FG to Scrap Post-UTME over Admission Irregularities…Page 10

rebounded to this level after it fell to about 1.4mbpd in May due to a string of militant attacks and an accident on the ExxonMobil Qua Iboe export platform.

Continued on page 8

Friday 3 June, 2016 Vol 21. No 7708. Price: N250

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Militants Kill Two Soldiers, Four Others, Blow up More Pipelines Another group threatens to shut down Nigeria’s airspace, orders troops to vacate N’Delta We will not negotiate with Avengers, CDS Vows House backs military action in oil region

Our Correspondents The constant attacks on oil and gas installations took a turn for the worse

yesterday, when the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) blew up two more pipelines in Bayelsa State and vowed to bring Nigeria’s oil output

to zero.

Yesterday’s attacks by the rampaging militants, who have claimed responsibility for the recent wave of

attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta, came on the heels of another one suspected to have been carried out by the same group

on Wednesday evening on a houseboat stationed at Ijere community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, where the group

engaged Nigerian troops in a gun battle, killing two soldiers and four civilians.

Continued on page 8

Osinbajo Kicks off Clean-up of Ogoniland, Warns Against Oil Theft Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt After years of delay, VicePresident Yemi Osinbajo yesterday launched the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on the clean-up of Ogoniland and impacted areas of the Niger Delta, but warned that the federal government would no longer tolerate oil theft and illegal refineries in the region.

This is just as the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike said the state would provide the required platform for the successful clean-up of the area.

Addressing a mammoth crowd at Bodo Town in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the event, expressed regrets that oil exploration and production in Ogoniland and the Niger

Delta region had negatively affected the ecosystem.

Delivering the president's speech, Osinbajo, said: “I recall Continued on page 8

TOP GAINERS NGN NGN CADBURY 1.84 20.21 UNITEDCAPITAL 0.18 2.30 LAFARGEAFRICA 3.67 77.07 FLOURMILLS 1.02 21.44 NIGBREW 6.41 134.71 TOP LOSERS NGN NGN CCNN 0.76 7.14 AXAMANSARD 0.11 2.10 UNIONDICON 0.62 11.84 UNIONBANK 0.28 5.47 NAHCO 0.25 4.88 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦755.00 Volume: 332.232 million shares Value: N2.161 billion Deals: 4,167 As at 2/06/16 See details on Page 54

% 10 8.4 5.0 5.0 5.0 % 9.6 4.9 4.9 4.8 4.8

RESTITUTION FOR OGONILAND

L-R: Minister of Environment, Ms. Amina Mohammed; Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike; and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, at the kick off of implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on the clean-up of Ogoniland, River State… yesterday

2

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016

3

4

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016

5

6

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016

7

8

FRIDAY, june 3, 2016 • T H I S D AY

PAGE EIGHT OSINBAJO KICKS OFF CLEAN-UP OF OGONILAND, WARNS AGAINST OIL THEFT the time as a military Head of State when I visited Bodo Town in Ogoniland. During that visit, I commissioned a large fishpond and planted a tree as a sign of government’s concern for the environment.

“Unfortunately, since then, the degradation of land, water and air has done huge damage to the fragile ecosystem of the Niger Delta, especially Ogoniland.

“Oil exploration and production have been going on in Nigeria for six decades.

Oil has given a boost to the Nigerian economy, but the ecosystem of the Niger Delta has been severely damaged.

Fishing and agriculture have been badly affected.

“There are Acts, enactment, laws, guidelines and regulations to govern the operators of the oil industry.

However, either because of lack of will or willful noncompliance with environmental laws, the environment has been put in jeopardy.”

Giving an insight into what

gave rise to militancy in the region, Osinbajo on behalf of Buhari said: “The various communities in the Niger Delta region, noting the negative impact of oil production and lack of consideration for best practices, quite rightly commenced the struggle for justice and fair play in the conduct of business by oil industry operators.

“This, unfortunately, led to the loss of lives and property.

International concern was raised while past governments were urged to take decisive steps to address the issue.”

He noted that former President Olusegun Obasanjo engaged UNEP to undertake a mission towards the clean-up of Ogoniland but expressed regrets that the previous administration led by Goodluck Jonathan did not implement the recommendations.

“The report was submitted to my predecessor while still in office in 2011, but the implementation was not accorded the necessary support

it required. The people of Ogoniland continued to suffer from pollution of air, land and water,” he said.

Osinbajo recalled that the president promised the people of Ogoni during the 2015 election campaigns that he would implement the clean-up of the area if elected president, adding that the flag-off of the exercise was a fulfillment of that promise.

“We are determined to right the wrongs of the past, where the people of this land were treated unfairly and their environment unduly degraded,” Osinbajo said.

He reiterated: “Today, we are in Ogoniland, in the heart of the Niger Delta to fulfill our promise to you and to bring justice and succour to our people. The clean-up of this land will require change on the part of all those who deal with the Niger Delta environment, particularly the oil companies and our communities. The tempo of this assignment increased when

my cabinet was constituted.

“The Honourable Minister of Environment consulted all relevant ministries to actualise the UNEP report.

We are therefore laying a solid foundation today for the restoration of the fragile ecosystem of Ogoniland and the rest of the Niger Delta.”

He noted that the UNEP report indicated a timeline of 25 to 30 years to achieve full restoration of the environment of the Niger Delta. “The first step begins with a solid foundation, which would be brought about through consultation, transparency, accountability, investing in the people and the environment,” he said.

He called on all Nigerians irrespective of political affiliation to support the effort of the administration as “our lives to a great extent depend on the quality of our environment”.

He warned: “Let me seize this opportunity to sound a note of warning that the current

MILITANTS KILL TWO SOLDIERS, FOUR OTHERS, BLOW UP MORE PIPELINES The houseboat was operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), the exploration and production subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

This was just as a new militant group, the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, threatened to launch missiles to shut down Nigeria’s airspace and the country’s satellite system by Tuesday next week. It also ordered the Nigerian Armed Forces to vacate the oil-rich region within 48 hours.

Sources, who opened up on the attack on the houseboat at Ijere, said other than the six persons who were killed, some soldiers were also believed to be missing.

Security sources told THISDAY that the militants struck when the soldiers least expected it.

“Some militants suspected

to be the Avengers attacked a houseboat stationed at pipeline junction at the back of Ijere community. The militants came through Omadina creek in the Itsekiri axis. During the exchange of gunfire, the houseboat sank while the army recorded casualties. The militants escaped through the Omadina community axis.

Following the attack, it was gathered that two soldiers and four civilians died instantly.

Sources disclosed that the civilian casualties – two females and two males – included a 26-year-old caterer identified as Tombra Iwoboibi, who were support staff on the houseboat at the time of the incident.

The corpses of the soldiers and civilians were seen at Central Hospital, Warri by THISDAY. The Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Mrs. Success Obere, confirmed that the

bodies were deposited at midnight on Wednesday.

A relation of one of the civilians, Mr. Richard Ebianyaidou, confirmed that his brother, Tombra, was a caterer on the houseboat.

He pleaded with the federal government to wade into the crisis in the riverine areas of the state, lamenting that the innocent people like his brother were losing their lives.

Confirming the Ijere incident later yesterday, the Nigerian Army said the NPDC houseboat stationed at Ijere junction was attacked by suspected armed militants.

According to a statement signed by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Captain Jonah Unuakhalu, the suspected militants approached the houseboat at 5.50 pm in five speedboats mounted with 250 horsepower engines and disguised as normal

commuters.

He said that during the deliberate attack, two soldiers were killed, one wounded, one soldier went missing while four civilian staff attached to the houseboat were shot dead.

The attack, he said, occurred when other members of the troops were on pipeline patrol.

“The brigade condemns the attack on our personnel carrying out their constitutional duties and other innocent staff. The brigade will not be deterred by such dastardly acts, but will remain resolute in discharging its constitutional duties,” he added.

Captain Unuakhalu stated that those who carried out the criminal acts would surely be sought, apprehended and brought to justice, and implored all law abiding citizens to go about their normal business.

Continued on page 9

oil theft and illegal refining will not be tolerated. The regulators of the oil industry must live up to expectations. They must ensure that oil companies carry out their operations in line with universal best practices.”

He said the administration was laying a foundation for change, adding: “The government places a high emphasis on the diversification of our economy. This is to ensure that our economy is strong and capable of supporting our teeming young people through job and wealth creation.”

In his address, Wike said the state would provide the required platform for the successful clean-up of Ogoniland and the implementation of the UNEP report.

He said: “The Rivers State Government will ever be willing to provide the platform for the smooth achievement of this long awaited intervention.

“We acknowledge that this is a federal initiative. The direct impact is borne by our people.

We therefore urge all our stakeholders to embrace and support this federal government gesture and ensure a hitch-free exercise.”

The governor commended Buhari for initiating the cleanup, noting that the presence of top officials of the Rivers State Government indicated that the state would fully support the exercise.

“We therefore welcome this initiative wholeheartedly as shown by our enthusiastic presence, believing that the recommendations of UNEP will be systematically executed. This is because we believe that only environmental justice would restore sustainable peace, stability and socio-economic progress in the Niger Delta.

“We therefore commend Mr. President’s determination to close this ugly chapter in our country’s history. Although this has taken long in coming; it is never too late when it comes to the environment.

Therefore, Mr. President sir, your presence in Ogoniland

today is a testimonial of the long awaited clean-up and remediation exercises of the Niger Delta polluted environment,” the governor stated.

The Minister of Environment, Mrs Amina Muhammed, in her welcome address said the implementation of the UNEP report was a promise that is being kept by Buhari, calling it a collective responsibility.

“It will require the trust that we have lost over the decades; it will require transparency and accountability and it will require proper representation of the people in what we are doing in investing in their future. It will also require that we do things differently. That is why this administration called for change,” she said.

The Executive Director of UNEP, Mr. Achim Steiner, in his remarks, confessed that the task of producing the report was a great risk taken by the UNEP team but thanked the Obasanjo administration for taking the initiative to start the process of cleaning up the devastated Ogoni environment.

He said UNEP was deeply committed to standing by the federal government and the people of Ogoniland to ensure the success of the clean-up process.

The Minister of Transportation Chibuike Amaechi also recalled the efforts he made as the sitting governor in the state, to persuade former President Jonathan to start the process of implementing the UNEP Report, pointing out that the efforts did not yield the desired result.

He however lauded Buhari for taking the bold step to ensure the commencement of the exercise, adding: “He promised and he is keeping with that promise.”

In his address, the President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Mr. Legborsi Pyagbara, thanked Buhari and everybody that has supported “the Ogoni cause for the flag-off”.

which was aimed at stabilising oil markets – in April.

It said then that it would join the deal, which would also have involved non-OPEC Russia, only if Iran agreed to freeze output.

Tehran has been the main stumbling block for OPEC to agree on output policy over the past year as the country boosted supplies despite calls from other members for a production freeze.

Tehran has argued that it should be allowed to raise production to levels seen before the imposition of nowended Western sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme.

Iranian oil minister said Tehran would not support any new collective output ceiling and wanted the debate to focus on individual country production quotas.

“Without country quotas, OPEC cannot control anything,” Zanganeh told reporters.

He insisted Tehran deserved a quota – based on historic output levels – of 14.5 per cent

of OPEC’s overall production OPEC is pumping 32.5mbpd, which would give Iran a quota of 4.7mbpd – well above its current output of 3.8 million, according to Tehran’s estimates, and 3.5 million, based on market estimates.

At its previous meeting in December 2015, OPEC effectively allowed its 13 members to pump at will.

As a result, prices crashed to $27 per barrel in January, their lowest in over a decade, but have since recovered to around $50 due to global supply outages.

Yesterday, Brent prices eased 1.5 per cent to $49 per barrel.

Zanganeh made a few conciliatory remarks, saying he was happy with the meeting and received no signals from other producers that they planned to increase output.

Until December 2015, OPEC had a ceiling of 30mbpd – in place since December 2011, although it effectively abandoned individual production quotas years ago.

NIGERIA’S OIL OUTPUT RISES TO 1.6MBPD, BARKINDO APPOINTED OPEC SECRETARY-GENERAL He also said despite continued attacks by militants in the restive Niger Delta, Nigeria was still on target to produce 2.3mbpd in 2016.

His disclosure also followed reports that OPEC, which appointed Barkindo, has again failed to agree on production cuts or freeze to shore up crude oil prices in the international market as disagreements between two Middle East rivals, Saudi Arabia and Iran, resurfaced.

Barkindo by his appointment becomes the second Nigerian, after former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Rilwanu Lukman, to serve as the oil cartel’s secretary-general.

Kachikwu, in a tweet from his tweeter handle, confirmed Barkindo’s appointment. He also congratulated him on the feat.

“Congratulations to Dr. Barkindo Sanusi Barkindo on your appointment as OPEC Secretary General,” Kachikwu tweeted.

Kachikwu was credited with playing a huge role

in Barkindo’s emergence as the cartel’s secretary-general, as the minister was said to have worked hard behind the scenes at convincing OPEC’s influential members to allow a Nigerian to oversee the administration of OPEC’s headquarters in Vienna.

Similarly, Indonesia's Energy Minister Sudirman Said disclosed in Vienna that Barkindo’s appointment was by consensus.

Barkindo will succeed outgoing Abdalla El-Badri who had been on the job for nine years. Barkindo was also the acting head of OPEC in 2006.

Seventy-six-year-old Libyan El-Badri was originally due to step down in 2012 after serving the maximum two terms but members were unable to agree on a replacement and his tenure was extended at successive meetings.

Barkindo beat rival nominees that included Indonesia’s Mahendra Siregar.

He attended Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria. He is also the Wali of Adamawa.

He spent more than 23 years at NNPC where he served in various capacities including Deputy Managing Director of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and head of the international trading unit. He also served for 15 years as Nigeria’s representative to OPEC. Meanwhile, OPEC yesterday failed to agree on a crude oil output policy, even though Saudi Arabia promised not to flood the oil market with extra oil, while Iran insisted on the right to raise its production steeply.

Reuters reported that tensions between the Sunni-led kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Shi’ite Islamic Iran had been the highlights of several previous OPEC meetings, including in December 2015 when the group failed to agree on a formal output target for the first time in years.

Tensions, however, were doused yesterday as Saudi Arabia’s new Minister of Energy, Khalid al-Falih, showed Riyadh wanted to

be more conciliatory and his Iranian peer Bijan Zanganeh kept his criticism of Riyadh to an unusual minimum.

Despite the setback, Saudi Arabia moved to soothe market fears that failure to reach any deal would prompt OPEC’s largest producer, already pumping near record highs, to raise production further to punish rivals and gain additional market share.

“We will be very gentle in our approach and make sure we don't shock the market in any way,” Falih told reporters after the meeting.

“There is no reason to expect that Saudi Arabia is going to go on a flooding campaign,” Falih said when asked whether Saudi Arabia could add more barrels to the market.

The market has grown increasingly used to OPEC clashes over the past two years as political foes Riyadh and Tehran fight proxy wars in Syria and Yemen.

Saudi Arabia effectively frustrated the plans for a global production freeze –

9

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

PAGE NINE MILITANTS KILL TWO SOLDIERS, FOUR OTHERS, BLOW UP MORE PIPELINES After the attack in Ijere, the NDA laid claim to bombing two oil pipelines in Bayelsa State yesterday.

The group, in two Twitters posts, said the bombing was carried out at about 2am yesterday.

It equally vowed to ensure that the country’s oil production is reduced to zero.

It identified the pipelines blown up as those between Ogboinbiri and Tebidaba and Clough Creek to Tebidaba.

It said: “At about 2.00 am today @ NDAvengers blew up the Ogboinbiri to Tebidaba and Clough Creek to Tebidaba Crude Oil pipelines in Bayelsa State.

“This is inline with our promise to all international oil companies and indigenous oil companies that Nigeria’s oil production will be zero.”

New Group Threatens Mayhem Meanwhile, a new group, the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF), has vowed to launch six missiles, shut down Nigeria’s satellite system and enforce a “no flight” zone within the country’s airspace from Tuesday next week.

The group, which claimed it is working closely with the deadly NDA, also gave the Nigerian military 48 hours to quit the region or face extermination.

The JNDLF made the threat in a statement sent to journalists in Yenagoa, Bayelsa yesterday. The statement was signed by ‘General’ Akotebe Darikoro, Commander, General Duties; ‘General’ Torunnanaowei Latei, Creeks Network Coordinator; ‘General’ Agbakakuro Owei-Tauro, Pipelines Bleeding Expert; and 'General' Pulokiri Ebiladei of its Intelligence Bureau.

THISDAY could neither independently verify the source of the e-mail nor the authenticity of the new group, but several other militant groups in the region have emerged in the same manner in the last few years.

All the missiles it was deploying, the group said, were capable of bringing down any aircraft no matter how big or potent.

While accusing Buhari of deciding to break the country by his actions, the new group noted that its Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC), which it claimed is the highest organ of all the freedom fighting bodies, had endorsed a 15-point agenda.

Many of its fighters who were trained abroad, the group claimed, had already arrived the region from training and are yearning to put their new skills to work.

“After extensive and exhaustive deliberation by all commanders of various groups in Yenagoa, the heart of the Niger Delta struggle met last night, and as part of our mission, we are going to test six of our missiles in the region.

“This is to show the federal government of our readiness for the American prediction.

“There should be no any (sic) form of helicopter to fly around in the region as we will not guarantee the safety of such object.

“The people of the Niger Delta region should not panic in the course of test running the six missiles. We may also decide within the week to shut down the Nigerian satellite orbit, so that there will be no communication in the country if the need arises,” the group threatened.

It warned that within its three days of operations, no airplane should fly out of the country because the missiles could target such objects without warning.

“Our fighter expert teams, which have already arrived the region from training through our country’s porous borders with our foreign partners who are going to showcase what they have learnt in the past one year, shall be positioned in the six Niger Delta states,” it said.

While issuing a stern warning to the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information Jonathan Obuebute to stop threatening militants in his statements, the group noted that its “struggle” was not targeted at shedding human blood.

The group added: “But we have been pushed to the wall for justice because our patience is running out on a daily basis as Nigerian uniformed men kill our innocent people continuously.

“The Nigerian military should as a matter of urgency leave peacefully the Ijaw communities they are presently in, in the next 48 hours under the guise of searching for the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) or else we should not be blamed for whatever catastrophe that may befall such officers “We have consulted our war gods (deities) that enough is enough and that the time has come. Since the present Pharaoh of Nigeria, President Buhari, is to preside over the disintegration of the country, it is a good omen.”

It said henceforth, any attack on Ijaw communities or persons by the military or paramilitary forces in the region, would be met with a shoot-on-sight order of any personnel in uniform in the region.

“We ask all service chiefs, including the Minister of Defence to shamefully resign their positions because Nigeria has no security in whatever form," it said.

The JNDLF also said its foreign marine crack team had shut down Nigeria’s “obsolete” surveillance equipment which the security operatives were using in monitoring activities in the waterways.

“For the record, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) are not in Delta State, we only go there to strike and return back safely to the struggle base, Bayelsa State.

“We further warn especially Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, Information Commissioner in Bayelsa State not to criticise our activities any longer or else he has a choice of leaving the planet earth anytime he makes such statement(s).

“All oil and gas operations should shut down immediately as our missile testing will affect their equipment.

“Note (that) we shall commence missile testing on Tuesday 7, June 2016 which coincides with the date of our training abroad. We promised Nigerians and the entire world that we are going to surprise them,” the group vowed, echoing a warning earlier issued by the NDA.

CDS: No Negotiation with Avengers Despite the threats by the militant groups in the Niger Delta and unending attacks on oil and gas facilities, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel Olonisakin, yesterday said the Nigerian Armed Forces would not negotiate with them.

Olonisakin spoke at the inauguration of 10 highly-militarised Honker Scorpion vehicles, which are to be deployed to bases across the country in line with the Nigerian Air Force’s new Base Defence Concept (BDC).

Olonisakin, who was in the company of the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar and Air Officer Commanding (AOC), Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal Sani Ahmed, said the military's defence architecture was still intact.

Stressing that the military would rather enforce than negotiate with the NDA, he said the military would also not relent on cracking down on members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

On IPOB, he said: “There are better ways to air their grievances than the way they go about it. The right way is to get the necessary permit and protest.

If they are violent, we will not take it lightly with them.”

Speaking on the newly acquired vehicles for base defence, he said: “The vehicles commissioned today were procured specifically for the purpose of enhancing the security of our air assets within the area of their deployment.

“The equipment is certainly geared towards raising and maintaining the capability of the regiment troops as they contribute to our collective efforts to address the various security challenges confronting our nation.

“I must commend the CAS for this strategic initiative of providing troops with adequate equipment and for undertaking numerous other projects which culminated into actualising his vision for the NAF. “I will like to say that I am very impressed with the CAS’ achievements within the short period he has been

in office.

“The procurement of these Honker Airfield Defence vehicles is a testimony of the importance the NAF attaches to protection of its critical assets and force protection.”

Still on the NDA, the air force chief said: “Constitutionally, the NAF was established to provide security for all Nigerians.

“We will operate within that constitution to ensure that all citizens in the Niger Delta region and Nigerians are safe.”

Speaking on the procured vehicles and the Base Defence Concept, he said it was necessitated by the 2013 attack on the air force base in Maiduguri, Borno State.

House Backs Military Action Also wading into the Niger Delta crisis, the House of Representatives has thrown its weight behind the ongoing military action targeted at stopping and apprehending the militants in the region.

The spokesman of the House, Hon Abdulrazak Namdas, briefing newsmen yesterday, commended the military for its role in safeguarding the country from threats of aggression.

He disclosed that the Defence Committee of the House had visited the Niger Delta region to ascertain the extent of vandalism on oil and gas facilities and assess the security situation.

“We are very comfortable with what the federal government is doing, and we would support the government to go ahead with what they are doing. We hope very soon these issues would be addressed,” he said.

He also advocated that multinational oil firms operating in the region should make arrangements to secure their facilities by involving the indigenes.

The House at plenary yesterday also directed its Committees on Human Rights, National Security and Intelligence to investigate the reported extra-judicial killings of unarmed civilians in the Southeast and South-south states by security forces on May 30, 2016.

Security agencies had opened fire on members of IPOB and Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) who held processions to mark Biafra Day in both geopolitical zones.

At least 37 lives were reportedly lost to the clashes between pro-Biafra sypathisers and security forces.

Deputy Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Onyema Chukwuma, in a motion raised as matter of urgent importance, expressed concern at the spate of extrajudicial killings by security agencies in Nigeria.

The trend has continued despite the outcries, investigations and wide condemnation, he said.

Citing the constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of association, expression and peaceful assembly, Onyema stressed that the rule of law and respect for the rights of citizens were cardinal ingredients for the survival and consolidation of democracy.

He listed the consequences of what he described as the high handed engagement to include feelings of alienation, marginalisation and subsequent escalation of confrontational tendencies and resistance to the state.

“Nigeria’s dismal human rights records are largely predicated on unprovoked widespread and forceful engagements of our security agencies on unarmed civilians,” he said.

Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, referred the matter to the committees without debate by the lawmakers. But a minute’s silence was held in honour of those who died.

The decision not to debate the matter may not be unconnected to the sensitive issue of the pro-Biafra rallies.

Interestingly, nowhere in the deputy minority leader’s motion, were the words IPOB, MASSOB or Biafra mentioned.

At the height of the pro-Biafra protests in 2015, a motion on the matter was quietly withdrawn on the floor of the House.

The committees are expected to submit their reports in two weeks.

Two-Minute Briefing NEWS FG to Scrap Post-UTME over

Admission Irregularities Following several irregularities and distortion associated with the conduct of Post UnifiedTertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the federal government yesterday…

Page 10

EDITORIAL Rough Road To September

In Edo As the September 2016 gubernatorial election for Edo State draws nearer, there are telltale signs that it could be marred by violence if the relevant authorities do not move in to restore a measure of order.

Page 15

POLITICS As the Evidence against Saraki Collapses An inconsistent star witness in the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki is a bad case for the CCB, writes Shola Oyeyipo Page 16

WEEKENDFILE A Race for Cycologists

Cycology Riding Club, a foremost recreational cycling club in Nigeria, last Monday held its first Lagos Criterium race at Eko Atlantic City. Peter Uzoho who was there, reports that the event which took place in a convivial atmosphere, also produced champions in different categories Page 27

BUSINESS Report: Nigeria’s Manufacturing

at 10% of GDP is Below Average of sub-Saharan Africa A new report by the Over- seas Development Institutes (ODI), has found that share of manufacturing in Gross domestic product (GDP) in Nigeria at 10%, is below the average of sub-sahara Africa.

Page 19

CITYSTRINGS A Facelift for the Caliphate

Peter Uzoho writes that Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has changed the narrative in Sokoto State since coming on board a year ago Page 42

INTERNATIONAL Bodies of 25 Migrants Washed up in Western Libya The bodies of at least 25 migrants who drowned trying to cross the Mediterranean were found washed up on a beach in western Libya near the city of Zuwara, a Red Crescent official said yesterday.

Page 50

SPORTS Tough Draw Awaits S’Eagles in W’Cup Qualifying Campaign Strong indications emerged last night that the Super Eagles of Nigeria may have to thread on a tough path to reach theWorld Cup final tournament in Russia in 2018 following the position of the…

Page 63

10

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

FG to Scrap Post-UTME over Admission Irregularities JAMB pegs cut-off points for varsities, polytechnics, others at 180

Paul Obi in Abuja Following several irregularities and distortion associated with the conduct of Post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the federal government yesterday

said plans are underway to scrap the examination.

There are strong indications that government would soon issue a directive to that effect to universities to put an end to post UTME. The Minister of Education,

Woman Killed in Kano for Alleged Blasphemy Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano An unidentifiedwoman was yesterday killed at Yan Robobi in Kofar Wambai market inKani by an irate mob, who accused her of blasphemy against Prophet Mohammed.

Sources revealed that the woman did not belong to any association in the market, making it difficult for any of the traders to contact security operatives to avert the disaster before she was eventually hacked to death by the angry mob.

It was also gathered that the woman, who sold plastic wares, was in the company of her husband when she was brutally murdered.

The incident was said to have

occured when the market was preparing to close for the day’s business.

The victim was accused of blasphemy against Prophet Mohammed during a religious argument, which ensued within the market.

An eyewitness who spoke on account of anonymity, said some youths armed with dangerous weapons, attacked and slit the woman’s throat to the chagrin of other traders in the market.

It was also learnt that the remains of the woman had been deposited at the morgue, while investigation is in progress.

The spokesman of the state police command, Musa Magaji Majia, confirmed the incident.

Malam Adamu Adamu, made this known in Abuja when he declared open the 2016 combined policy meeting on admissions to degree, National Certificate in Education, National Diploma and National Innovation Diploma Awarding Institutions.

The Combined Policy Meeting is an annual platform geared towards harmonising cut-off points for tertiary institutions in the education sector.

The forum also provide opportunity for admission officers and stakeholders from universities, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions converge to debate on a common cut-off points for admissions.

Adamu who expressed confidence in the UTME conducted

by JAMB, rather argued that it was unnecessary for individual

institutions to conduct a separate examination to guarantee admissions, given that JAMB already performs such functions.

“As far as I am concerned, JAMB has built a level of confidence in terms of conducting the UTME, a situation where universities go and conduct other examinations is unnecessary.

“If the universities have any complain against JAMB, let them channel their complaints appropriately and we would address it.

“But if JAMB is qualified enough to conduct tests and they have conducted test, then there will be no need to conduct another test for students to gain admission,”Adamu stated.

Adamu who spoke alongside Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Folashade Esan, maintained

that government would soon set in motion the machinery that will bring post UTME to its logical end.

However, the policy meeting agreed that 180 be adopted as general minimum cut-off points for admissions to universities, polytechnics, Colleges of Education and other diploma awarding institutions respectively.

JAMB Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Dibu Ojerinden, who moderated the meeting, explained that the preferences for degree awarding institutions was still on the high side.

“Ojerinde further added that the “first choice preference for degree awarding institutions stood at 97.78 per cent as against 1.1per cent for NCE and National Diploma courses.

“Candidates statistics by faculties while putting in for the examination

revealed that 105.198 per cent preferred science related courses while 66.97per cent were in favour of education courses.

Meanwhile, Adamu directed JAMB to stop extra charges on several categories of admission modifications, especially change of course, change of institutions and others issues.

Though participants debated the cut-off points, some students believed to have been shortchanged through the Post UTME protested at the NUC, venue for the meeting.

The protesters also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) initiate probes into the various university administrators, especially the utilisation of the PostUTME funds generated annually.

Magu: EFCC to Probe Funds, Corruption at IDP Camps Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Mustapha Magu, has vowed to ensure that there is transparency and accountability in the use of the resources meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Maiduguri, Borno State and elsewhere in the country.

Magu made the declaration yesterday in Maiduguri while speaking at the newly reopened zonal office of the commission.

He expressed worry about complaints of corruption in IDP camps, coming from International humanitarian organisations and other civil society organisations (CSOs) that are helping the distressed victims of the Boko Haram insurgency in the city and beyond.

He said: “We want to be sure that there is transparency, accountability and judicious use of the money allocated to internally displaced persons (IPC) in Maiduguri and elsewhere.

“What we are doing is gathering intelligence but the culprits behind the sufferings in the IDP camps will be invited sooner or later by the EFCC.” The EFCC boss further gave indication of plans to mobilise women to buy into the fight against corruption.

“I will bring in civil societies and women groups in Borno State in the fight against corruption and we will equally organise a workshop for them similar to the one we did for children in Abuja, so as to educate them on the ills of corruption,” Magu stated.

NOUN Waives Tuition fees for Prisoners The National Open University (NOUN) has waived tuition fee for inmates of prisons in Nigeria.

The Vice-Chancellor of NOUN Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, said the decision to waive the tuition fees for the prisoners was the university’s quest to fulfill its corporate social responsibility as well as a shortage of sponsorship offers for inmates.

Professor Adamu spoke at a formal presentation of certificate to Mr. Albert Emmanuel Ajogbor, a NOUN student at the Maximum Security Prison, Kirikiri, in Lagos, who earned a B.A. (Hons) in Christian Theology.

Adamu pointed out that the

decision was in line with the university’s vision of providing highly accessible and enhanced education anchored by social justice, equity, equality and national cohesion through comprehensive reach that transcends all barriers.

NOUN had recently offered 100 per cent full scholarship to all prisoners who are undertaking a degree programme in the university.

At the short ceremony held in Kirikiri Prison, the vice-chancellor, who was represented by the Director of NOUN’s Learner Support Services, Prof. Nebath Tanglang, expressed delight over Ajogbor’s feat despite the fact that he is incarcerated.

CONGRATULATIONS, YOU MADE IT

R-L: Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu , congratulating the new OPEC Secretary General, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, after his appointment in Vienna, Austria...yesterday With them is the NigeriaChargeDAffaires,Mr.GazingJessyNapmwang,NigerianEmbassy,Austria

FG, Labour Talks on Minimum Wage, Palliatives Cordial, Says Ngige Olawale Ajimotokan and Paul Obi inAbuja The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has described the parley of the technical committee that was inaugurated yesterday on the national minimum wage, the implementation of N500 billion palliatives and the reconstitution of the board of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) which is to look at the template to determine the fixing of the price of petro as very positive.

The 16-man bilateral committee comprising stakeholders from the side of government and labour and other stakeholders was inaugurated yesterday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal.

Prof. Adamu K. Usman is the Secretary of the committee.

Other members representing the federal government include: Minister of State for Petroleum,

Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of Budget and Planning, Senator Udo Udoma, Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the Chairman of National Salaries and Wages Commission, Chief R.O Egbule and the representative of the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation.

On the other hand, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) would be represented by Peter Adeyemi, C Amaechi Asugwuni, Ibrahim Khaleel, Igwe Achese and Abdullahi Sale, while the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) will be represented by Augustine Etafo, Alade Bashir Lawal and Abdullahi Sale.

The committee is to look at the implementation of the key demands which union put forward to cushion the effect of deregulation of the downstream section on the public.

The technical committee also had in attendance the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC),

Ayuba Wabba.

The third aspect of the work which is the composition of PPPRA, is almost fully constituted and awaiting inauguration.

It is to be chaired by Muhammadu Buba, the former Managing Director of Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC).

Ngige, who is the chairman of the technical committee, addressed journalists after the deliberation, saying they had drawn a frame work on the agreements to be submitted to the general house, otherwise referred to as the committee of the whole, after the committee substantially addressed a lot the issues in its mandate on the first day of its work.

Ngige said the committee would reconvene after June 20 because many members of the committee will be attending the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

“We have set some framework which we soon submit to the

general house. We, as a committee, have started our work and everything is cordial. There was no ruffling of feathers and we are working for the betterment of Nigeria,” he said.

Wabba also echoed Ngige’s line on the progress and confidence building by the committee.

The NLC president said the joint committee between government and organised labour went straight into addressing its mandate and the issues associated with those committee issues.

He said the committee work is a work in progress and would look at the framework fro minimum wage and palliative to lessen the effects deregulation on the people.

“I concur with the minister on what he had told the media.

The labour has committed itself in good faith to driving the process effectively. Labour is participating fully to ensure that this process is driven to a logical conclusions for the benefits of all of us,” Wabba said.

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016 • T H I S D AY

11

NEWS

APC Govs Confident of FG’s Capacity to Weather All Storms Pay condolence visit to Benin Crown Prince Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City State governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress

(APC) yesterday declared that the country has the capability to weather all storms stirred by violent militant groups and their sponsors even in the face of

Again, Court Adjourns Hearing of Saraki’s Appeal Tobi Soniyi in Abuja The Court of Appeal in Abuja has again adjourned hearing of the appeal filed by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, challenging the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal to try him for alleged false asset declaration charges.

The appeal was adjourned to July 18 at the instance of Saraki’s lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), who wrote to the court seeking adjournment on health ground.

Citing health reasons, Agabi said he was unable to attend the court and apologised to the court.

The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, did not object to Agabi’s application.

The tribunal had on May 31 adjourned hearing of the appeal to yesterday after the justices could not form a quorum.

Saraki is challenging a ruling by the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, dismissing his questioning of the jurisdiction of the tribunal to try him.

The Senate President is asking the higher court to set aside the decision of the tribunal and and hold that the tribunal lacks the jurisdiction to try him.

the socio-economic and political turmoil staring the nation in the face.

The governors, who noted that the nation has had worse threats in the past, maintained that if it survived her turbulent pasts, there was no doubt, therefore that it is resolute to deal with present promptings irrespective of the posers from any quarters.

This declaration was made as the four APC governors of Sokoto, Plateau, Osun and Edo States met for at a two-day strategic deliberations in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, ahead of the June 18 primaries election by delegates to select the party’s flag bearer towards the September 10 election fixed by the Independent National

Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state.

The governors said the country’s numerous problems are surmountable and therefore needs the collaboration and sincerity of purpose of all stakeholders to nip the various challenges in the bud.

Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, gave an assurance on behalf of the APC governors while speaking with journalists on behalf of other governors shortly after they paid a condolence visit to the Crown Prince of Benin at the palace in the state capital.

Aregbesola, who spoke against the backdrop of the security challenges posed by the raging onslaughts at the

geo political zones mounted by the deadly Boko Haram group, the destruction of oil installations in the oil rich Niger Delta region by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) and the activities of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign state of Biafra (MASSOB), said: “We are confident that our nation is capable of weathering all storms.”

He said the governors were in Edo State to galvanise the leadership and members of the APC ahead of the forthcoming party primaries and actual governorship contest fixed

by INEC on September 10 this year with a view to making sure that the party maintains its hold on the Heart Beat state.

The governors vowed to “rout once again any opposition or political opponent” during the battle for the soul of Edo State.

According to Aregbesola, “We are in the state to mobilise the party members and to prepare them for the forthcoming gubernatorial election.”

On his part, the Crown Prince of Benin kingdom and Edaike N’Uselu, Prince Eheneden Erediauwa, also yesterday declared the unwavering resolve of the ancient palace not to be partisan in the politics of the nation and the state.

He promised that the revered throne would continue to pray for the peace, unity, growth and development of the polity and her citizenry.

Delta Worst Hit By Niger Delta Avengers’Attacks, Says Okowa Begs militants to cease hostilities Leaders brand group saboteurs Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba and Senator Iroegbu in Abuja Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State yesterday said his state was worst hit by the negative impact of series of oil pipeline bombing by the new militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers.

The governor therefore, appealed to the masterminds of the bombings and destruction of the oil facilities to cease fire and allow the federal government and stakeholders look into their grievances through a civil process.

He noted that those behind the spate of vandalism in the state could make their point without resorting to the present scale of destruction of lives and property.

Okowa made the remarks while inaugurating Jeddo-Ughoton Road in Okpe Local Government Area of the state, on the fourth day of projects launching across the state as part of activities marking his one year in office.

He pointed out that the state, where most of the oil facilities are being destroyed by the militants, was losing on all fronts, from the financial or economic to the environmental effects of the pipeline bombing.

“The pipeline vandalism that is going on is very bad for Delta State,” Okowa said. “We are suffering from pollution, our communities are affected, we are the greatest losers; our communities are impacted negatively.

“I want to appeal to our brothers who are involved in one way or the other in these acts of vandalism to stop,” he pleaded, adding, “We cannot destroy ourselves in order to make a point, there are more civil ways of channeling grievances which

we should apply than vandalising pipelines and endangering our people.”

Okowa, who had inaugurated projects in Ika area on Tuesday with former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, noted that his attention was drawn to the deplorable state of the Jeddo-Ughoton Road by the Orodje of Okpe, Orhue I, commending the contractor for the timely completion of the project.

The Okpe royal father in a brief remark, congratulated the people of state for the emergence of Okowa as governor, who he described as “a listening governor.”

He said he only made a phone call that attracted the governor to direct the construction of the inaugurated road.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the Niger Delta region have branded the resurgent militants, especially the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) as saboteurs who are bent on destroying the region’s common heritage.

The elders who came under the umbrella of Concerned Niger Delta Leaders, deplored the recent attacks on the oil facilities and economic infrastructures, describing it as a criminal act aimed at erasing what binds the people together.

These concerns were being expressed yesterday by the National Coordinator of the group, Chief Mike Loyibo, who said during a press conference in Abuja condemned the ongoing attacks on the oil pipelines by the NDA. Loyibo who spoke alongside a former Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Ebebi Peremobowei, warned that the actions of the militant group were unacceptable to both the federal government and the people of the area.

PROMOTING YORUBA LANGUAGE

L-R Mrs. Falilat Obasa; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; Wife of the Lagos State, Mrs, Abolanle Ambode; Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu; Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule; and Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, at a stakeholders’ forum on making Yoruba language a compulsory subject in public schools held in Lagos...yesterday

Fani-Kayode Accuses EFCC of Demanding $1m for His Release Alex Enumah in Abuja A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, who is currently been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged corruption-related offences has accused the commission of demanding the sum of $1 million for his release.

Fani-Kayode was arrested on May 10 for allegedly diverting the sum of N800million public funds as Director of Media and Publicity for the Jonathan/ Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation in 2015.

While arguing his fundamental rights application before an FCT High Court yesterday, his counsel, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), disclosed that the EFCC asked his client to give them $1 million.

He said his client admitted that he received money from

the Presidential Campaign Organisation in his capacity as Director of Publicity, but that the money was not from a government agency.

Adedipe said: “The truth is that they are keeping him because he has refused to give them $1 million. The law said if you arrest somebody you must release him within a reasonable time of not more than 48 hours or charge him to court. His detention is unconstitutional.”

But EFCC counsel, Salisu Majidadi, asked the court to discountenance the application because Fani-Kayode is being held on remand of the courts pending investigation.

He said the first order by an FCT court has expired on May 24 while a second remand by a Lagos Magistrate Court will expire on June 15.

Justice Olukayode Adeniyi adjourned the suit to June 29 for judgment.

Bill Proposing 2.5% Statutory Allocation to Constituency Projects Passes Second Reading Damilola Oyedele in Abuja

A bill seeking the statutory provision of 2.5 per cent of annual budgets for constituency development projects yesterday passed through second reading in the House of Representatives.

Named ‘Bill for an Act to establish Constituencies Development Funds for the Purposes of even Development of all Constituencies in the Federation and for Other Connected Purposes,” it seeks to enhance provisions for constituency projects which are implemented by members of the National Assembly.

The bill also prescribes a minimum of five-year jail sentence for anyone who embezzles constituency development funds.

Sponsor of the bill, Hon. Solomon Adaelu (Abia PDP) said the bill, if passed into law would guarantee development of the grassroots and stop

the lopsided distribution of constituency development funds.

There would be more tangibles to show our constituents, he argued.

If passed into law, the bill will proscribe the zonal intervention funds, which many lawmakers argued have been difficult to access.

Hon. Tahir Monguno (Borno APC) stated that it has remained almost impossible to access the zonal intervention funds of N100 billion.

Presiding, Speaker Yakubu Dogara warned of the implications of passing the bill.

He explained that the zonal intervention fund is included in the Appropriation Act. The Speaker also noted that the lawmakers currently get more than the proposed with 2.5 per cent for their constituency projects.

The bill was referred to the Committees on Constituencies, Appropriation and Finance for further legislative input.

12

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

FG Confirms Fresh Pest Attack on Maize, Vows to Resolve Grazing Malaise Mulls single digit interest rate for farming Nigeria finds pesticide to crush ‘tomato ebola’ James Emejo inAbuja The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Audu Ogbeh, yesterday confirmed the outbreak of a fresh pest attack on the maize crop, particularly in the South-west and Edo State by a disease identified as ‘Armyworm’ which causes wanton destruction to maize farmlands.

The pest which is known to occur usually in May and early June consumes leaf tissue of corn.

However, the minister was quick to add that the pest invasion appeared to have declined since its outbreak following efforts by the ministry in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions to hunger, malnutrition, and poverty as well as enhancing crop quality and their commercial viability and productivity. He added, however, that the outbreak was being closely monitored.

Also providing update on the recent outbreak of the pest, Tuta absoluta, commonly referred to as ‘Tomato Ebola,’ which had ravaged tomato farmlands and shot up the market price of the produce, the minister said it still relied on international solution to fight the invasion, adding that the local remedy proffered by the Ministry and Science and Technology appeared to be defective following revelation that a major component of the solution-the Neem Tree, popularly known as Dogonyaro had the capacity to harm the bees which pollinate the tomato plant.

It further emerged yesterday that President Muhammadu Buhari may approve a proposal to introduce a single digit credit facility for livestock and other farming activities across the country.

However, the minister said the treatment involving the use

of Dogonyaro, which is no longer fashionable globally, was not even sufficient to cover up to 1,000 hectares of land, adding that the local remedy could even harm human beings and cause stunted growth on tomatoes.

He said: “What they have may not be totally suitable and may have negative effect on the tomatoes they seek to protect.”

Nevertheless, Ogbeh said government would continue to work with local scientists towards addressing the problem as it currently looks overseas for solace.

Meanwhile, the minister also disclosed that 11 states of the federation had altogether made voluntary donations of 55,000 hectares of land-each contributing 5,000 hectares, for grazing activities across the country.

According to Ogbeh, the states include Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Katsina, Taraba, Niger, Adamawa, Jigawa, Sokoto and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Speaking in Abuja at a media briefing on the forthcoming retreat on livestock and dairy development in Nigeria, which is being organised by the ministry in collaboration with the Africa Business Roundtable, he said the federal government was committed to resolving the issues associated with the activities of herdsmen, adding that it also formed one of the cardinal objectives of his ministry.

He, further clarified that the much-talked about grazing bill which is before the National Assembly had no input from the ministry while its content may have been exaggerated by social commentators.

Nonetheless, The minister dismissed suggestions that the grazing bill could allow for land grabbing or outright seizure by government for the purpose of grazing against the wish of their owners as well as bolster moves to Islamise the country.

Troops Kill Three Boko Haram Terrorists, Arrest One in an Ambush The troops of 202 Battalion of 21 Brigade in Operation Lafiya Dole yesterday ambushed Boko Haram elements and killed three and arrested one of the terrorists at Sabsawa-Boarding road and BOCOBS-Ngurusoye.

The captured Boko Haram terrorist, Umar Mustapha, who claimed to have come from Sabsawa, has been handed over to the Brigade Headquarters for further interrogation and processing.

A statement signed by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, said the troops have continued with their clearance operations of the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists within the Sambisa forest.

Usman added that also troops of 112 Battalion on patrol from Mafa to Dikwa were ambushed at Ajiri village, by Boko Haram terrorists.

He said though they successfully cleared the ambush, one soldier

died in the process, while an officer and three soldiers sustained various degrees of injury.

Usman added that one of the civilian JTF accompanying the patrol team was also injured.

He said the team killed eight Boko Haram terrorists and recovered arms and ammunitions at the ambush site.

The recovered items included one rocket propel grenade (RPG), AK-47 rifles, two RPG bomb, three AK-47 rifle magazine and 120 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.

The troops also discovered three Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) concealed by the edge of the road which were safely detonated by the Explosive Ordnance Device (EOD) team.

The body of the late soldier and the injured have since been evacuated to 7 Division Medical Services and Hospital, Maiduguri.

He said government’s current concern was to first, douse the tension on herdsmen activities and subsequently come up with a plan that would standardise the grazing profession in the country.

Ogbe said preliminary investigations into the clashes involving herdsmen revealed community leaders were often times complicit as they collect cash and cows from the herdsmen and give approvals to allow them carry out grazing activities in respective communities.

He added that so far, most of the findings further revealed the attacks were carried out by foreign herdsmen who wandered into the country, as most of them could not speak any Nigerian language.

According to him, by time the grazing practice is stabilised in the country, government may need to pass a law which will restrict foreign cattle rearers from roaming the country, adding that the problem

goes beyond the shores of this country as other countries faced similar issues.

On the planned retreat to reposition the livestock and dairy business in the country, the minister said the country’s impressive livestock population had not bridged the gap between expected and actual animal protein intake and had not contributed meaningfully to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the years.

He said the way forward was to intensify efforts at adding value to the industry along the respective value chains.

Ogbeh said in order to attain self-sufficiency in animal protein provision in the short run, and create jobs for millions of youths in the livestock sector, the present administration has mapped out initiatives to correct perceived anomalies.

These, according to him, include the establishment of ranches to

be planted with high improved tropical grass and legume species; provision of irrigation for all year commercial fodder production to enhance settlement of pastoralists as well as cattle, sheep and goat improvement through an expanded breeding programme that will be aggressively pursued, using artificial insemination.

Meanwhile, the institute’s Public Relations Officer, Bala Aliyu, disclosed this yesterday, saying the end had come for the disease, which have subjected Nigerians to undue hardship in the last two months.

He said the institute worked extensively to provide a solution to the pest, also known as tomato ebola.

“This vaccine has been found to be very effective after undergoing various scientific testing,” he said.

Aliyu said NARICT was partnering with regulatory agencies to certify the vaccine for onward

use by farmers in Nigeria and the world at large.

According to The Cable, Aliyu said all things being equal, the vaccine would be launched soon, adding that it was the responsibility of the federal government to ensure the vaccine gets the end-users, farmers.

“We will work with the state and federal government agencies to carry diffuse this important development to our teeming farmers in the country and beyond,” Aliyu added.

Tuta absoluta is a specie of moth in family Gelechiidae known by the common names tomato leafminer and South American tomato moth.

It is well known as a serious pest of tomato crops in Europe and South America.

The federal government had engaged experts to find solution to the spread of the pest, which has ravaged six states across the country.

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS

L-R: Regional Manager Partner, Johasnnesburg, RSM, International, Brain Eaton; Managing Partner, SIAO, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo; Global CEO, RSM International,Ms.Jean Stephens; andChairman,SIAO,Mr.RobertAde-Odiachi,attheSIAOcorporate roundtableofSIAOinLagos...yesterday SundayAdigun

Marketers Raise the Alarm over Artificial Hike in Price of Cooking Gas Ejiofor Alike Marketers of cooking gas have raised the alarm over the artificial hike in the price of the product from N2.4 million per 20 metric tonnes on Wednesday last week to N3.5 million on Monday.

The Executive Secretary of the marketers under the aegis of the Nigerian Association of LPG Marketers, Mr. Bassey Essien, told journalists in Lagos yesterday that with the artificial hike in the price of 20 Metric tonne cylinder, the price of 12.5kg cylinder had also gone up from N2,700 between N3,500 and N4,000 within one week.

Essien called on the federal government to intervene and stop the hike, adding that unlike the prices of other petroleum products, which are paid in dollars, the price of LPG is not paid in dollars, hence

there is no reason for the price hike.

According to him, the Nigeria LNG Limited, which supplies LPG to the domestic market, collects Naira from the marketers.

He further argued that the current scarcity of foreign exchange in the country has no effect on LPG because the product is produced locally and not imported.

He accused some officials of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the NNPC and one of the LPG marketers, NAVGAS of conniving to hike the price of LPG supplied by NLNG. According to Essien, the PPMC officials diverted the NLNG’s LPG vessel to NAVGAS terminal instead of allowing it to discharge at PPMC jetty for all the marketers to receive supply.

“Gas is supposed to be readily available in all the major terminals in Lagos but today, only one company has gas because some people have hijacked the NLNG domestic supply scheme. On Thursday last week, they increased the price from N2.4 million per 20 MT to N2.6 million. On Friday, it was increased to N3 million and on Monday, it was increased to N3.5 million and if nothing is done, they will increase it to N4 million. The company did the same thing last year to exploit Nigerians when it was the only company that had LPG but when other companies received product, it quickly crashed the price to N1.9 million,” he explained.

He accused the foreign company of exploiting Nigerians with the connivance of PPMC and called

on the federal government to intervene to stop the hardship being experienced by LPG users.

Essien argued that the artificial hike could discourage people from using LPG, thus hampering federal government’s efforts to ensure cleaner environment.

When contacted, the Managing Director of NAVGAS, Mr. Ian Brown told THISDAY that he had explained the cause of the hike to the marketers in a meeting they held on Wednesday.

According to him, the hike was due to the current situation in the country, stressing that the market size of LPG in Nigeria is 300,000MT, while NLNG supplies less than 200,000MT. But Essien insisted that the company wanted to hide under deregulation to create artificial scarcity and hike price to shortchange Nigerians.

T H I S D AY FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016

13

14

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

COMMENT

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

OF SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY AND BUHARI’S MISSION President Buhari many foreign trips were necessary, reckons Akeem Soboyede

M

uch has been made of the more than 22 countries President Muhammadu Buhari has visited since he assumed office one year ago. According to critics, since that day of his inauguration, the president has managed to take in the sights of much of the world outside what Nigeria has to offer, from the proverbial North and South, to the East and West, and all points in between.

As far as the critics are concerned Nigeria’s president has attended more than his fair share of the gatherings that constitute high-wire power meetings around the global stage. Instructive here are the G-7 Summit in Germany, the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, the Climate Change Summit in France and the Commonwealth Heads of State Summit in Malta, among many, many others.

Those who now uncharitably view-and dismiss- the Buhari government as an “Ajala Presidency” are not swayed by narratives contrary to theirs.

They ignore salient facts that the bulk of Buhari’s trips outside the country are working visits, not the state-level functions used by the hosting country to massage the ego of the visiting dignitary amidst an unending supply of diplomatic niceties.

Such nay-sayers thumb their noses at the very persuasive evidence that when this president visits a foreign country, great things tend to flow back to Nigeria. That when the president visited China at the head of the China Investment Forum, his presence and subsequent meeting with the Chinese president enabled both countries to sign six collaboration agreements, including those in such vital areas as agriculture and food production improvement techniques; rail and power infrastructure development and other pacts that would surely enable indigenous Nigerian companies achieve the much-needed economies of scale in areas of vital importance to the Nigerian economy.

Also largely ignored in the diatribes against the president’s foreign trips is the incontrovertible fact that his outreach ---and visits---to leaders of neighbouring countries in the West African sub-region led to actions that have assisted with the maintenance of the country’s territorial integrity in recent months , specifically the diminution of the vexing Boko Haram insurgency. It was in the wake of such “shuttle initiatives”, especially after Buhari assumed the presidency, that the close to 3,000-man anti-Boko Haram military coalition consisting of troops from Nigeria and some of those neighbouring countries actually came into fruition. While the idea was mooted and developed during the immediate past administration, it never gained traction until Buhari took office, largely through recognition by those neighbours that there was a renewed determination on the part of the sub-region’s largest and most influential country to make Boko Haram a spent force wherever it reared its ugly head.

It was also clearly not due to a surfeit of insurgent goodwill that the now-largely ragtag Boko Haram group recently “gave up” one of its captives, Aminat Ali, who was part of the celebrated “Chibok Girls” the insurgents captured more than two years ago. The girl’s escape from

PRESIDENT BUHARI’S MUCH-MALIGNED ‘FOREIGN TRIPS’ CONSTITUTE AN INTEGRAL PART OF HIS APPARENT MISSION TO FINALLY RESTORE NIGERIA TO THE PATH OF GLORY

the infamous Sambisa Forest, and her capture and subsequent joyful release into the happy embrace of her family, friends and the federal government, was largely a direct consequence of Buhari’s much-effective “shuttle diplomacy” on behalf of the Nigerian state and her people.

No other issue brings to the fore the important nexus between President Buhari’s storied foreign trips and the importance of such to the Nigerian state at this time than what this writer has chosen to label “Fantastically Corrupt-Gate”, initiated by none other than British Prime Minister, David Cameron.

Just a few days before hosting the first Anti-Corruption Summit, slated for May 12 earlier this year, Cameron chose the auspicious occasion of a programme in honour of British Queen Elizabeth’s 90th Birthday, to casually remark to the monarch that countries whose leaders would be attending the summit were “fantastically corrupt”! Cameron clearly indicated Nigeria was on his mind for that very wrong reason.

Incidentally, Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual leader of the world’s Anglican faithful just happened to be standing with the Queen and Prime Minister Cameron as the latter made his “foot-in-the-mouth” statement. According to now well-known reports of that encounter, the archbishop quickly reacted to Cameron’s statement by saying “…But this particular president is not corrupt… he’s trying very hard…” The latter was widely and rightly interpreted---and correctly so---as a reference to Buhari and his government’s well-known resolve to take on the corruption menace head-on in the Nigerian polity.

What followed was, to this writer, emblematic of Buhari’s apparent resolve to effectively tackle many of Nigeria’s problems by making his presence felt, literally, in the centres of world power and influence more likely to lend significant helping hands to Nigeria at arguably this very critical moment of her greatest need and vulnerability. In a video that also made the rounds all over the world---and after he had travelled to London for the event!---President Buhari was shown being warmly received by Archbishop Welby, the latter’s staff and other well-wishers at a meeting in the archbishop’s office in London.

Against the backdrop of Prime Minister Cameron’s uncharitable---if painfully true---statement about corruption in Nigeria, the contrast with Buhari’s warm reception at the archbishop’s office was starkly vivid: the Muslim leader of Africa’s most populous country being received with visible sincerity and warmth by the leader of one of the major Christian denominations in the world. It was clearly a gross negative turned into a positive, all facilitated by the presence of President Buhari at the right place, and at the right time.

Let’s face it: President Buhari’s much-maligned “foreign trips” constitute an integral part of his apparent mission to finally restore Nigeria on the path to the glory she has more than deserved since her inception as an independent country close to six decades ago.

Soboyede is a journalist and a US-trained lawyer

LESS TALK, MORE ACTION

H

Akinwunmi Ambode, Lagos State Governor, is a pleasant surprise, writes Taiwo Ogundipe

is emergence on the political scene was a total surprise. His name had never featured among the political elite of the state. He was never known to be a player in the political circles of the progressives from which the All Progressives Congress evolved.

He had been an invisible technocrat almost all his professional life.

When preparations were being put in place to institute a new political dispensation prior to the May 29, 2015 elections across the nation, a number of names were bandied about as the potential candidates of the APC for the governorship seat in Lagos State. Most of the names mentioned were conjectured to be the well-known favourites or mentees of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is generally believed to be the godfather of politics in the state, which he had also governed as an erstwhile pacesetting governor. One or two of the aspirants were also attributed to the camp of the immediate past governor of the state, Babatunda Raji Fashola.

When the name Akinwunmi Ambode began to filter into the consciousness of the people as a likely aspirant, the general question was, Ambode who?

When it was speculated that he was the choice of Tinubu, quite a number of observers believed that Asiwaju was about to commit political suicide if he was indeed rooting for the candidacy of an unknown quantity and untested hand like Ambode. A number of people, however, defended the uncanny ability of the political leader in making succession decisions, pointing out his choice of Fashola to succeed him.

Fashola was generally believed to have performed relatively well as a governor.

A lot of dust thus attended the primaries that eventually threw up Ambode as the candidate of the APC. Most of the other aspirants and their supporters yelled blue murder and threatened not to support his candidacy. The leading opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came up

with a formidable opponent in person of the veteran political warrior, Jimi Agbaje.

Ambode’s chances were also almost marred by a gaffe allegedly made by the Oba of Lagos, Akiolu, who was accused of making unpalatable remarks against the Ibos who are believed to constitute a large population of the state. The APC party machinery had to put out all stops to ensure that Ambode won the coveted seat.

And when there was a seeming lull for a while after Ambode had been sworn in as governor, criticisms began to fly right, left and centre that he, a “political neophyte”, was a dud after all. The PDP gushed and tooted that they had warned Lagosians to be wary of the Ambode choice. Explanations from the Ambode’s camp that what they met in place on assuming office was an almost empty treasury fell on the deaf ears of the critics and the citizens, who were already getting impatient over the seeming inaction of the new governor in a state which had always tagged its premier executives with the sobriquet ‘action governors’.

Eventually, however, Ambode hit the ground running with little or no fanfare. He started rehabilitating dilapidated roads and constructing new ones. These got increasingly uncountable as they began to touch almost every nook and cranny of the state. In addition, most of the roads were lit.

Overhead bridges were built at a number of major intersections in the state to solve long-standing traffic gridlock. The transportation system in the state is also being comprehensively overhauled. Surpassing the feat recorded by his predecessor, Fashola, regarding the perennial Oshodi chaos, the new man in the saddle is working toward transforming the axis to a functional architectural wonder. It is also embarking through public-private partnership on the construction of the 4th Mainland Bridge across Lagos to the hinterlands.

The Ambode administration has also empowered the security organs, especially the police, in the state with unprecedented logistical support. This, along

with the project Light up Lagos, has tremendously improved the security situation of the state. The government is making tremendous impact in the educational sector. It has brought peace and development to the premier institution in the state, the Lagos State University (LASU) by appointing a dynamic vice-chancellor and building new facilities and structures.

The government has shown that it truly cares for its citizens through a number of welfare projects it is instituting. It has recently established a most modern and adequately equipped rescue emergency unit. It is also building a medical park, the first of its kind in the country. While many states are not able to meet up with the wage bills for their employees, Lagos State civil servants are receiving bank alerts well before the end of each month. Its pensioners are not made to stand in long queues like their counterparts from the others states, who even live in forlorn hope of not being able to get their dues before they go to their graves. There are several empowerment and employment schemes being run by the state to get the youth and the unemployed meaningfully engaged.

Ambode has brought his chartered accountant expertise and experience to bear on the prudent management of the resources of the state. He has been able to reduce the cost of governance in the state by about N3 billion monthly. He has also phenomenally increased the internally generated revenue of the state. He is also assiduously working toward making the state to be business-friendly.

Within the short period of his tenure so far, he has a large chunk of investors to the state. The Kano State governor, Ganduje, came calling recently to receive tutelage from Ambode on his blueprint for the feats.

Governor Ambode has been receiving a spate of commendations for his efforts. Former Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, who was one of the aspirants who attempted to contest the governorship seat with Ambode, said of him in an interview, “Governor Akinwunmi’s performance

has been excellent. He has performed creditably to the admiration of Lagosians and his party, the APC. In fact, if I’m to assess him today, I will score him very high. The transformation he has carried out in Lagos has been extraordinary. The reason for this is very clear. It is because he is well prepared for the job. I don’t believe in average performance. I like achieving outstanding results, and the honest truth is that, I personally did not foresee Governor Ambode doing as much as he has done in the last 11 months.

He has really surprised me positively.

“He is going into the nooks and crannies of this state to bring development closer to the people and he is tackling issues headlong like a true leader should do. The most surprising thing is that he is doing all this without making noise. He is not bragging, making empty noise or using the media to bamboozle the people about what what he has done.

Critics may say anything they like, but if you look around, can you count the number of local roads Ambode fixed in the last few months.”

Recently, President Buhari, who was represented in Lagos by his vice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to commission a number of projects, said Lagos under Governor Ambode has continued to maintain its leading role in delivering good governance to the people. Speaking at the launching of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Response Unit in Cappa area of Oshodi, which was his first point of call, Buhari described the facility as not only the first of its kind in Nigeria, but one that would go a long way to improving response time during emergency situations. In his words, “With this special rescue unit, it is evident that we have moved a notch higher. There is no question at all that this facility is a world class facility.”

The president further said the governor was blazing the trail with several commendable projects. He declared, “I want to say that the governor of this state deserves our commendation and all of the praise and support that he is getting.”

15

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

EDITORIAL ROUGH ROAD TO SEPTEMBER IN EDO

A

There is need for all the actors in the forthcoming governorship election to exercise caution

s the September 2016 gubernatorial election for Edo State draws nearer, there are telltale signs that it could be marred by violence if the relevant authorities do not move in to restore a measure of order. A couple of weeks ago, the campaign train of the Deputy Governor, Mr. Pius Odubu was attacked by gunmen at Auchi. Five persons in his convoy, including police personnel and operatives of the Department of State Security attached to him, were injured. Thankfully, no life was lost.

Incidentally, while the deputy governor’s campaign organisation alleged that it was an attempt to assassinate him, the state government had a different story. After condemning the incident, the statement, which could be taken as the position of Governor Adams Oshiomhole on the issue, said it was a clash between the deputy governor’s thugs and some residents of Auchi. That sort of altercation points to the possibility of a breakdown of law and order as it is a defiPOLITICIANS MUST nite manifestation of REALISE THAT VIOLENCE a crack in the govCONSTITUTES A DIRECT ernance structure of HINDRANCE TO THE the All Progressives EXERCISE OF CITIZENS’ Congress-controlled RIGHT TO CHOOSE AND state. Therefore, PARTICIPATE IN THE there is need for all GOVERNANCE OF THEIR the actors to exercise AFFAIRS caution so as not to drag the state into a crisis, especially as they prepare for their party primaries.

We believe that the goal of politics is to organise to secure power to serve the people. That being so, it ought not to be a zero-sum game that would involve violence and needless bloodletting. Close observers cannot but notice that the campaigns in Edo State have witnessed threats of violence and all manner of intimidation. Yet violence and intimidation have no place in civilised society, especially for

Letters to the Editor

M

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

those who seek to serve the people. We therefore enjoin all the APC gubernatorial aspirants and their supporters to conduct their affairs before, during and after the coming primaries in such a manner that there would be no room for coercion and violence.

However, we must also sound a note of caution to all the critical stakeholders in the party that election is a process and not an event. To that extent, the role of the APC leadership both in the state and at the federal level is very crucial. They must not only be neutral and impartial, they must be seen to be so. Both the APC National Chairman, Chief Odigie-Oyegun, a former governor of the state and the incumbent governor must allow the people to make their choice without let or hindrance. The same goes for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) whenever they are ready for their primaries. t is sad that our democracy has today lost its shape essentially because all the political parties want to be democratic in a manner that advances only the personal interests of some leaders and not that of the society. Yet until political leaders imbibe a culture that reflects and promotes good governance, transparency and accountability, our democracy will remain imperilled.

Therefore, as politicians in Edo State prepare for the gubernatorial elections, they must bear in mind the need to conduct themselves peacefully in order not to jeopardise the security of lives and property of the constituents they seek to govern. Politicians must realise that violence constitutes a direct hindrance to the exercise of citizens’ right to choose and participate in the governance of their affairs.

Our electoral laws clearly prohibit this and they must refrain at all times from the breach of the law.

Now that the APC has moved from being the opposition to becoming the ruling party at the centre and in majority of the states, it must demonstrate a commitment to all the ideals it has been preaching in recent years. Edo State provides a good example to begin a demonstration of that resolve.

I

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.

UNEASY CALM IN BAUCHI

y recent statements on the government of Bauchi State was done out of compassion for the people of Bauchi who have the proprietary power to elect their leaders. They are the ones with the say, on who governs them, but their being shortchanged and left to wallow in the pit of the non-fulfillment of electoral promises, leaves much to be desired.

The party faithful’s voted for the governor, legislators at the state and national levels and other elected officials to carry out government business. But so far the desired results are yet to come to fruition. The untold hardship facing the people is the bone of our contention. What I perceive is a pre-emptory motive to douse an already tense atmosphere beset by the non-performance of the leadership in the state.

In my earlier position, I had a clear intention because I was voted like the governor and every other elected official.

Therefore to call the All Progressives Congress to suspend me for my creative criticism, to enable us (the APC in Bauchi State) to be progressive, is a violation of public trust, fairness and equity. This will be the beginning of factionalisation and extinction of our party and we will not let that happen. We worked very hard, to build this party and nurture it to its present status, even before the supposed leadership came on board. Our support for the governor was a prerequisite to his emergence. Only in our climes can someone try to take away what people strategised to build together. He was not

a part of it from the beginning.

The truth has no hiding place, therefore we will take solace in the saying by Al Smith that “All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy”, and William Ewart Gladstone’s, “All the world over, I will back the masses against the classes”. It is not about us, but about the people at the grassroots.

I have been monitoring broadcasts on Globe FM, RayPower FM Bauchi, and Bauchi State Radio, on myself and other supporters of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara. Though I find the comments made distasteful and full of untruths, I will remain adamant and maintain my course. It will not change our determination to ensure the success of APC in Bauchi State.

It is a shame, on the governor’s return from his recent trip to Lebanon, he mobilised over 20 buses with over N2 million each, which is enough to bring water to the rural areas, which I have done in my constituency at about N2.6 million. This basic social need has not been provided for a long time.

The statutory allocation is on the average N120 million for every local government and about N3 billion for the state every month. Bauchi Local Government, with the highest allocation got N170 million in January and shared in February; Bogoro and Dass local governments got N76 million each, in the same period which was the lowest, but what is on ground is not commensurate to these statutory provisions.

The dysfunction of hospitals, water supply and the non-payment of salaries and pensions is certainly breeding discontentment among the people. Hon. Ibrahim Baba from Katagum Federal Constituency, single- handedly spent over N10 million cleaning trash in his constituency and its immediate environs to improve sanitation and good health.

The Local Government Caretaker Committee chairmen are largely sympathisers of the PDP because they were inherited by this administration. Given this scenario, how can the APC win the next local government elections if the caretaker chairmen are not APC members? The local governments are the tier of government closest to the people; therefore having popular policies that improve the lot of people at the grassroots and having APC appointed caretaker chairmen will ensure victory for the APC at the next polls, rather than outright neglect. That election will surely be a test of the governor’s popularity. If he does not have the support of the NASS members and other elected officials, including the grassroots, it will be difficult at the polls.

What I ask of him is to listen and not be a master of all.

Anyone of us can be a governor of the state and perform creditably. I have stated earlier that the governor was an INEC Commissioner in Rivers State during the 2011 elections and providence has it that he is governor today. Other governors have come and gone but the state remains. Ask former Governors Adamu Mua’zu and Mallam Isa Yuguda.

Ahmed Yerima, Bauchi

16

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

POLITICS

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

PERSONALITY FOCUS

As the Evidence against Saraki Collapses An inconsistent star witness in the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki is a bad case for the CCB, writes Shola Oyeyipo

T

he celebrated ongoing trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki over the past months has been a disturbing experience, not only for the former Kwara State governor, who has maintained that the main reason for his ordeal was his becoming the number three citizen without the approval of some interests within the party, but it has also been a source of concern for the politician’s loyalists as well.

As the case lingers, reliable feelers from the Senate President’s camp revealed that some of the lawmaker’s supporters are already heaving sighs of relief, going by some developments that are reassuring them that Saraki would eventually come out of the travail unscathed, justifying their long nursed belief that he was being persecuted.

Right or wrong, listening to those optimistic about Saraki’s anticipated victory, they are always hinging their positive inclinations on some of the things that have transpired during the trial, some of which they consider favourable to him at the long run.

From the outset, Saraki has particularly pointed to a Section of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, which provides that even where a person is found to have committed infractions, irregularities or breaches in the assets declared, such person should first be informed of such anomalies by the CCB and be allowed to admit or deny the irregularities.

But in Saraki’s case, he was not given the opportunity to admit or deny the alleged discrepancies in his asset declaration forms for which he is now being tried at the CCT. He was not even made to write a statement on the issue.

One strong sentiment the Saraki camp has drawn from that debate has been that in 2011, when the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) saw former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a threat, he was made to appear before the CCT for alleged breaches in his asset declaration forms while he was governor, without complying with mandatory procedures for such arraignment and he was summarily released based on that.

The same chairman of the CCT, Justice Danlandi Umar, who is currently sitting over Saraki’s case had declined jurisdiction to try him based on the fact that the “condition precedent” for arraigning a suspect before the tribunal was not met by the CCB. But as the “what is good for Tinubu is good for Saraki” campaign and other legal actions taken to stop the trial failed to yield the desired result of letting the Senate President off the hook, the trial proceeded and in March, the lead prosecution witness, Michael Wetkas, admitted before the tribunal that Saraki was not interrogated by the CCB, in line with the procedures established by the laws that institute the CCB and the tribunal.

During cross-examination by Saraki’s lead counsel, Agabi, Wetkas, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), agreed with the Senate President’s claim that he was never given an opportunity to confirm nor deny the allegations against him by the CCB, because it was the EFCC that had conducted the investigations relating to the claims, not the CCB. This runs contrary to the clause in Section (3d) of the of the CCT Act, which states that all cases at the CCT are dependent on the fact that “the person concerned makes a written admission of such breach or noncompliance, no reference to the tribunal shall be necessary.”

Wetkas told the tribunal that he filed the charge against the Senate President on September 14, 2015, while the witness’ report,

Saraki...the odds in his favour

which forms part of proof of evidence, was filed on October 30, 2015 and that it was the prosecutor that told him to file a summary report of his findings and activities during investigation.

He said he did not mention any petition from Kwara Freedom Network, nor did he investigate the petition from the network by EFCC, adding that his own team’s investigation was based on intelligence report. He also told the tribunal that he did not investigate the pension scheme of Kwara State and neither did he have knowledge of the entitlements of the defendant.

The witness had also told the tribunal that Saraki was receiving monthly salaries from the

But as the “what is good for Tinubu is good for Saraki” campaign and other legal actions taken to stop the trial failed to yield the desired result of letting the Senate President off the hook, the trial proceeded and in March, the lead prosecution witness, Michael Wetkas, admitted before the tribunal that Saraki was not interrogated by the CCB, in line with the procedures established by the laws that institute the CCB and the tribunal

Kwara State Government for four years after the expiration of his tenure as governor of the state and that the Senate President failed to declare his property located at No. 1 and No. 3 Targus Street, Maitama, Abuja, in the assets declaration he made in 2007 and 2011.

On Tuesday, April 19, when the trial continued, the witness again denied knowledge of the contents of a petition he tendered as evidence against the Senate President at the CCT marked as “Exhibit 11 , written by a group known as Kwara Freedom Network, alleging corruption against Saraki.

He said he was not involved in the investigation of the petition he tendered as evidence at the tribunal. Regarding whether he confirmed that local government funds were being illegally deducted as alleged in the petition against Saraki, he said: “Not part of the investigation I carried out.”

When asked if he was aware whether the petition was addressed to the CCB by Agabi, Wetkas said: “I don’t work for the CCB. I wouldn’t know.”

Later on April 20, Wetkas again told the tribunal that some documents relating to the transactions on the foreign bank accounts of the Senate President got burnt. He also made the disclosure during cross-examination by Paul Usoro (SAN), one of Saraki’s counsel.

Asked to clarify some accounting transactions, he said he did not have it. He explained that Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) issued an affidavit for those documents showing that the transactions existed and when Usoro asked him to produce the affidavit, Wetkas looked through his documents and realised it was not there when he said maybe it was part of the documents that got burnt.

However, Wetkas maintained that there was indeed an affidavit but said he had not seen the document. According to him, “Although the affidavit is not here, the bank furnished us with an affidavit. Several telexes from American Express and facts are here

from the American Express Bank. All the transfers request made by the investigating team to provide information was an offshoot of the debit transaction that were already consummated on that account which showed that the bank carried out. There is no doubt that the transaction was actually carried out

by American Express Bank.”

On Monday, April 18, Wetkas claimed Saraki bought a property for N522m, which he failed to declare at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). He claimed the property was bought in the name of Tiny Tee Limited from a Presidential Implementation Committee on landed property between 2006 and 2007. He said the part payment was from GTB account of Carlie Properties and Investment Ltd. As the trial continued to attract the attention of Nigerians and people all over the world, the ownership of one of the properties listed in a false asset declaration charge preferred against Saraki at the tribunal would actually create another legal firework between the defence team and the prosecutor.

This is because THISDAY investigations revealed that the said property, a newly refurbished storey building painted in cream colour, located on 42, Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos and alleged to belong to Saraki may actually be owned by Lagos State Government. THISDAY investigation revealed that some of the houses in the area are properties of the state government and are occupied by staff of the Lagos State Government.

From all said and done, there are obvious inconsistency in the facts being put forward by the prosecution, the methods being employed by the tribunal, and the charges that have been brought against Saraki, particularly as there are indications that the testimonies of the chief witness have not corroborated the allegations.

Aside Tinubu, who benefitted from Section 3, paragraph D of the Act that established the CCB in 2007, the CCT dismissed the charges against former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar based on the non-adherence to the precedent clause. To make matter worse, in self-indictment, the tribunal chairman, Justice Umar said Tinubu’s ruling was simply “made in error.”

The suspicions around the trial heightened with Wetkas’ revelations. For instance, he admitted that neither he nor his team investigated three crucial exhibits (11, 12, and 13) tendered as evidence against Saraki and he also noted that it was the EFCC that investigated him, as opposed to agents from the CCB, which simply translates the case before the CCT to money laundering, as against false asset declaration.

Going by the situation on ground, a political analyst, Mr. Bode Abodurin, expressed doubts about Wetkas’ credibility, saying: “I don’t doubt the credibility of the witness, Mr. Wetkas. He seems like a fine gentleman.

What I do doubt is the fact that given Ibrahim Lamorde’s history with Umar – with Umar’s N10 million bribery case with the EFCC – the documents Wetkas obtained from Lamorde could have been doctored.”

A member of Saraki’s legal team disclosed that with the connection between Lamorde, Wetkas and Umar, the defence would be inviting the former EFCC chairman to the trial to find out his connection to the documents presented in court on Wednesday, April 6.

A representative of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Senator Joseph Waku, also decried the way and manner that the CCT case against Saraki is being handled.

CONT’D ON NEXT PAGE

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

17

POLITICS&ISSUES

Troubled Anambra PDP Heads for Another Election In spite of the resolve of the PDP in Anambra State to close ranks and win back the state in 2017, the party has remained badly factionalised, writes David-Chyddy Eleke

W

eeks back, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State failed in its bid to organise a congress to elect the state leadership of the party. It would not be the first time such would happen. During the congress, the 12-man congress committee drafted to the state by the national leadership of the party split itself into two, with four members moving to the Chris Uba Faction of the party, which was holding its congress at Emmaus house, and had Comrade Ejike Oguebego as its recognised chairman, while the other eight members proceeded to Marble Arch Hotel to supervise that of the Andy Uba Faction, in which Prince Ken Emeakayi is the chairman.

This action by supposed members of the national body, who should rather be working for the resolution of the crisis in the state, further gave credence to the trouble in the party. Attempts by journalists to speak with the members of the congress committee led by Mr Ladi Edun to know why they had to split the committee, despite that one of the factions was seen as illegal was not successful.

While the Chris Uba faction of the party returned Comrade Ejike Oguebego and his executives in a congress that featured no opponents, the Andy Uba faction also returned Prince Ken Emeakayi and his executive, without rivals too.

In an interview with journalists, Oguebego called on members of the other faction to move over to theirs, stating that it was the only authentic faction of the party. On his part, Chief Chris Uba stated that the Supreme Court has settled whatever rift that existed between the factions, and recognised that only the Oguebego faction of the party is the authentic one. This was seen as another action that may further divide the party as another governorship election beckons in the state.

In the 2010 governorship election in Anambra State in which the PDP featured former CBN governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo as its governorship candidate and lost, members of the party blamed the factions in the party as responsible for its fall, saying the state remained a PDP state as it is mostly dominated by the party’s bigwig at the national level.

Members of the party blamed their defeat on the in-fighting in the party as a result of leadership tussle that had torn the party apart, saying APGA’s candidate, Chief Peter Obi leveraged on it to clinch victory from the party.

Some of the elders of the party, who assembled at the Charles Soludo Campaign office along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway in Awka to appraise their performance during the election concluded that the factions in the party, who were not appeased before the national leadership of the party ‘arms twisted’ it to settle for Soludo as the candidate, even without a valid primary election, and this was responsible for their working against the party.

Soludo, while congratulating the party men for their dogged fight to ensure victory stated that even though the election was not lost on a clear ground, there will be an opportunity to fight again, and that his second coming will first tackle internal crisis in the party, as the party can only move forward if its members closed ranks and worked together.

Soludo had been favoured for the ticket against Alex Obiogbolu, Andy Uba and Annie Okonkwo, who were believed to have gone into their trenches to fight him, just as it was

Andy and Chris Uba...can they ever work together

believed that some of them had given tacit support to the then incumbent governor, Obi. The peace in the party was still being sought and remained elusive despite the actions of prominent members of the party when 2013 beckoned. This time, Mr Obi was on his way out of office, and it was believed that with the weight of incumbency out, the PDP will compete with the other parties, and use their might to clinch it. But because of the troubles in the party, the party hardly reached a compromise on who to field for the election as a result of the tussle.

In what looked like a primary election by affirmation, the national leadership of the party settled for Comrade Tony Nwoye, a former state chairman of the party as the governorship candidate, but this was also met with opposition from some other members of the party from other factions, who queried the rationale for picking Nwoye. This had even caused some members of the party who had the intention of running for the governorship position to move to other political parties, using them as instrument to sabotage PDP and its candidate.

Several peace moves from notable party

Members of the party blamed their defeat on the in-fighting in the party as a result of leadership tussle that had torn the party apart, saying APGA’s candidate, Chief Peter Obi leveraged on it to clinch victory from the party

members in the past had hit the rock. At different times, new entrants into the party had worked to resolve the crisis, which centres on the tussle for who controls the party. They had tried to unite the members, using their entrance as a wand, all to no avail.

The late Professor Dora Akunyili, Soludo, Senator Uche Ekwunife and lastly, Chief Peter Obi have all called together members of the party, pleading they sheath their sword, but no sooner than the meeting came to an end, than members realigned to work for their favourite leaders.

The problem is not also about the chairmanship of the party, which Emeakayi and Oguebego are the actors in the ring, but also who plays the godfather and kingmaker role in the state.

This has also been the reason for the unseen hands working from the background to fuel their insistence of each of the factional chairmen to remain in power.

Previously, outgoing National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh was fingered as one of those working with Emeakayi to ensure he retains the chairmanship office, hoping that as a reward for his support, he would get the governorship ticket of the party in 2017.

But following his case with the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government, he seemed to have backed down on the aspiration. But support for Emeakayi is still coming from serving Senators, House of Representatives and assembly members, including some big wigs of the party in the state, amongst whom is Obi. On the other hand, Oguebego is solely funded by the acclaimed godfather of Anambra Politics, Uba, who is seen as a one-man-riot-squad, and backed by parallel candidates to the senate and House of Representative positions.

Thus, as another election beckons in Anambra State, it is expected that if the party cannot close ranks and work together as one, the incumbent

governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano may leverage on the disunity in the party, just as Obi did years back to floor the party.

A political analyst, Comrade Chidi Uchendu in an interaction with THISDAY said PDP was heading for the rocks in the state. He said this is even more pronounced as the action of the congress committee further supports the factionalisation in the party, leading to the delegates from the national body deciding to monitor two congresses in one state, where they are supposed to spite one of the factions and regard it as fake.

Uchendu said failure for the party is imminent in 2017 as the state prepares to go for another governorship election, if it does not put its house in order.

“It will be very disgraceful if they continue to fight themselves, forgetting that they should be able to work together to bring home the meat before fighting on how to share it. Currently, they are the opposing party in the state, and should be united to fight as one to be able to win. Now that they are fighting themselves, even when power is not with them, what can they be fighting for?” he asked.

In previous elections, PDP has always presented two or three candidates for every elective position, with all the factions presenting candidates.

Other political parties have kicked as to why the party should present multiple candidates, thereby causing disturbances to candidates of other political parties, who are uncertain on, who their opponent from the party is.

With the recent litigation by the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for Anambra Central Senatorial seat, Chief Victor Umeh against Senator Mrs Uche Ekwunife, who won the seat on the platform of PDP, and the subsequent nullification of her election for not being validly nominated by the party in a primary election, one would hope that multiple candidature by the PDP would abate, but only time will tell.

AS THE EVIDENCE AGAINST SARAKI COLLAPSES “I have been watching you guys in the television and reading you in the newspapers, and I was mandated by the Arewa Consultative Forum to come here as an observer and watch the procedures and go back to report what I have found. My observations are that there is a premeditated something that is going on in this country. The judiciary is on trial, the country

is on trial, the Justices are on trial and we are watching to see, because similar cases have gone on before and we know how they ended.

“Nigeria is again moving through a trying period of judicial process and I make bold to advise that the prosecution witness does not have prerogative of knowledge but from the look of things, there is already tele-guided

judgment that one expects to see in future and that may not be good for this country.”

The words of public affairs analyst from Anyigba, Kogi State, Mohammed Abdulrazaq, in a published opinion article aptly puts the opinions of Saraki’s supporters in perspective where he said: “Nobody can dictate to the tribunal as to how it must cast its net.

Nobody is asking the tribunal to do anything extraordinary. But Nigerians are waiting to see whether in the instant case, the tribunal will choose to go by the opinion of the vocal minority and political correctness or will serve as a bulwark against powerful forces attempting to trample on the rights of a free citizen of this country.”

18

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

POLITICS

OFF-THE-TURF

Ubah’s Undying Love for Football Watching football matches as well as occasional reading are some of the ways Mr. Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah, a former governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Anambra State, unwinds. Anayo Okolie writes

T

he Chief Executive Officer of Capital Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited, Dr. Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah loves football and this may not surprise many Nigerians. At first, when it was first reported in the national dallies that Ubah was planning to acquire Gabros International Football Club, some saw it as mere speculation that would never happen but today, it’s a reality.

Although before acquiring the club, the Nnewi-born billionaire, according to report was supporting the club financially all along, now renamed after him as FC Ifeanyi Ubah, the club currently plays in the Nigeria Premier League.

According to Ubah, “My ownership of the Ifeanyi Ubah FC is a dream come true. I had longed to own a football club years ago. As a young man, I played the game and at some point, I was involved in the management of club football, so I am not a novice in the running of a football club.

“We seem not to know what we have in this country in terms of football standard. I feel ashamed whenever I see Nigerian young players go to lesser football-playing countries to play professional soccer. I don’t see why our players should run to places like South

Africa, Malta, India, Bangladesh and even Israel to play professional football, when in the actual sense, with proper organisation and planning, the Nigerian league is better.

My dream is to make Nigeria the Mecca of club football in the world,” he said.

Despite Ubah’s tight schedule, it doesn’t stop him from watching matches, something he said he is used to. “I watch football a lot. My best channel is Super Sport.

Another thing I like doing when less busy is reading.”

Ubah does not also joke with family. He spends sufficient time with his wife and children. No doubt, he is among the few Nigerians that are desperate to take the Nigerian football to greater heights, he is currently building a mega games villa. Since he completed the takeover of Nigeria Professional Football League

I watch football a lot. My best channel is Super Sport.

Another thing I like doing when less busy is reading.

(NPFL) side, Gabros and granted approval by the League Management Company (LMC), Ubah has made the Nigerian local football an interesting business and leisure.

His $300m mega Ifeanyi Ubah Games Village located at Ozubulu/Nnewi, Anambra State, when completed will have a double football stadia, hospital, industrial Park, sport academy, training Pitch, technology hub, hotel and conference centre, indoor sports hall, shopping centre, women and youth development centre, fire service station, filling station, police station, residential houses, linguistic schools and corporate office complex.

Already, over 500 workers are at the ongoing construction site of the game village. His commitment to promoting the local football recently paved way for him to emerge the Chairman of the Anambra State Football Association (ASFA). He was elected with 24 votes to zero against Olisa Aniuno at a 26-member delegate congress in Awka.

According to him, “I accept the post with a deep sense of responsibility and commitment to the development of the game of football in Anambra State in particular, and Nigeria as a whole.”

Ubah also pledged to serve with genuine commitment, integrity, honesty and transpar-

ency. “I will do my best to turn around football in Anambra and Nigeria and make it a big industry and a major tourist attraction. It is a new dawn for football development in Anambra State.

“I urge every stakeholder to eschew rancour and collaborate with this new board as we aim to foster the massive development of football in Anambra State. I will deploy my vast network and goodwill to attract private investment as well as improved government participation in football in the state. It is also to use this opportunity to make sports, particularly football a tourist attraction to the state.

“The football industry will not only be an entertainment outfit for our people but will also afford them an opportunity to fraternize, unite and strengthen peaceful co-existence amongst all communities and associations irrespective of their religious, cultural, professional and geographical divide. We will also make football a revenue spinner for Anambra State and Nigeria.

“I intend to use this opportunity as Chairman of Anambra State Football Association to provide employment for our teeming unemployed youths in our proposed Football Academy,” Ubah added.

19

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S NIBOR OVERNIGHT 1-MONTH

3-MONTH 6-MONTH

4.4583 9.1071

A S

11.0102 12.3790

A T

NITTY 1-MONTH 2-MONTH 3-MONTH

Group Business Editor Chika Amanze-Nwachuku Email chika.amanzenwachukwu@thisdaylive.com 08033294157

M A Y 2 7 , 2 0 1 6 6.9949 7.2368 8.0819

6-MONTH 9-MONTH 12-MONTH

9.2061 9.5872 10.5042

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

Quick Takes STOAN Backs Port Operations’ Regulation

CONGRATULATIONS

L-R: Immediate past President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria ( CIBN), Mrs. ‘Debola Osibogun; President/Chairman of Council, CIBN, Prof. Segun Ajibola; his wife, Mrs. Florence Ajibola; Justice Adesola Oguntade (rtd); and past President, CIBN, Dr. Segun Aina, during the CIBN 2016 AGM/Investiture of Ajibola as the 19th President of the Institute in Lagos … recently

Report: Nigeria’s Manufacturing at 10% of GDP is Below Average of sub-Saharan Africa Kasim Sumaina in Abuja A new report by the Overseas Development Institutes (ODI), has found that share of manufacturing in Gross domestic product (GDP) in Nigeria at 10%, is below the average of sub-sahara Africa.

The report also revealed that investment rates at 15% of GDP are well below any reasonable comparators.

The report stressed that the business -as-usual attitude of government and private individuals will not Safeguard productive jobs for the future and will not in addition reduce poverty significantly, adding that efforts to achieve economic

ECONOMY transformation in Nigeria require a completely different approach.

In a paper presentation, titled: ‘Supporting Economic Transformation in Nigeria’, held in Abuja on Tuesday, the report found that the promotion of quality growth, economic transformation, enabling business environment and trust, remains the crucial vehicle in tackling the recurrent unemployment and economic woes of the country.

According to one of the Director/Authors, SET (ODI), Dirk Willem te Velde, while presenting the report, the current economic conditions force, said Nigeria

needs to double its efforts at economic transformation.

“Business as usual is not going to generate the large increase in productive employment that the country needs.”

The analysis, drawing from the works of economic experts including David Booth, Danny Leipziger and Ebere Uneze indicates that when compared with other countries experience, successful transformation has been supported by a co -ordinated push through a central agency or ministry pursuing a path of change based on competitiveness and openness.

Willem said: “Nigeria has the opportunity to show it is serious about economic transformation

and promote a number of carefully selected projects which will demonstrate that progress in export -oriented transformation can be made, contributing to a shared vision of change.”

“The new government plans could deliver change if they are designed and implemented with a new orientation in mind.

But, Weak oil prices and low economic growth have made economic development in Nigeria the key priority area for national policy, only a significant shift from focusing on the domestic economy alone and better coordination of national development Continued on page 20

Foreign Airlines Lose Nigeria’s High Yield Market to Economic Downturn Chinedu Eze THISDAY investigations have revealed that foreign airlines lose about $200 million monthly to the present economic crunch in Nigeria, which has forced potential travellers to defer their trips due to lack of disposable income.

Also, there is reduction in passenger traffic as cash squeeze has impacted negatively on the purchasing power of the citizens, forcing million to spend money on essential items and limiting the money in circulation.

Nigeria was reputed to be one of the highest yielding market in the world, coming second to the Middle East as

AVIATION there is obsessive preference for premium class seats at outrageous fares peculiarly arranged for Nigerian travellers.

THISDAY learnt that although British Airways have to seven flights from London to New York daily, its two flights from London to Lagos and Abuja daily yields more dividends for the airline than the London-New York flights.

So besides South Africa, Nigeria is the biggest aviation market in the region and it is described as the largest indigenous air travel market in Africa, where the citizens

themselves travel and have the resources and willingness to pay for premium and other classes.

However, the economic downturn has forced foreign airlines to lose 45 per cent of their market in Nigeria especially with the increase in fares by the international carriers as strategy to combat the losses incurred revenues earned from ticket sales by foreign carriers.

The market has become very tight, forcing airlines that cannot cope to stop their operations as they continue to record lower load factor as explained by Iberia and United Airlines which have left the Nigerian air travel market.

THISDAY also learnt that even the major airlines that are still operating are finding it difficult to cope with the shrinking market and some of them are considering temporary suspension of their flights, but some airlines that have provided service on the Nigerian route and even emerging ones that have found their niche in the market are not considering to quit the country.

British Airways last week debunked the report that it was planning to quit the Nigerian market, saying that it has been operating in Nigeria for over seven decades and would Continued on page 20

The Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) has announced its full supports for the regulation of port operations by the federal government.

Legal Counsel to STOAN, Mr. Femi Atoyebi (SAN) said that the association is only concerned that regulation should be done by the appropriate government agency within the ambit of the law and in line with the port concession agreement between government and terminal operators.

Atoyebi also condemned a recent publication that terminal operators were suing the federal government to stop it from regulating activities at the seaports.

He said: “The basis of the action by the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) is that under their separate Concession Agreements with the federal government (which agreements were signed on government’s behalf by NPA and BPE), only the NPA is recognised as the Port Regulator and if that has to change, both the law creating the NPA and the Concession Agreements will have to be amended, the former of which has to follow Constitutional process of amending the Act and the latter of which cannot be done without the concurrence of STOAN.

UAE Sees Oil Market Correcting Itself

The global crude oversupply that has caused prices to slump since 2014 is correcting itself, the oil minister of the United Arab Emirates has said on arrival in Vienna ahead of an OPEC meeting this week.

“From the beginning of the year until now, the market has been correcting itself upward,” U.A.E. Oil Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei told reporters in Vienna on Tuesday. “The market will fix itself to a price that is fair to the consumers and to the producers.”

Mazrouei’s comments -- the first by an OPEC minister this week ahead of their meeting on Thursday -- suggest renewed optimism among producers as oil prices rose more than 85 percent since touching a 12-year low in February on the back of supply outages, lower production outside OPEC and stronger-than-expected demand. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries is unlikely to reach an agreement limiting production this week as the group sticks with Saudi Arabia’s strategy of squeezing out rivals, according to analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

OPEC’s policy of giving the market time to balance itself has proven to work but it still needs some time for proper balance, Mazrouei said on Twitter after his arrival in Vienna.

“The market is still in correction mode and the signs are positive.”

The oil market is “doing good,” Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, Nigeria’s minister of state for petroleum resources, said on arrival in Vienna on Tuesday. However, it is “too early” to say whether oil prices are recovering.

Iran Plans Oilfield Tenders in June

Iran plans to invite international companies to bid for oilfield development rights in June, a government official said, as the Persian Gulf country seeks to revive its energy industry after years of crippling sanctions.

The Oil Ministry will solicit bids in a tender round starting June 21 and running for a month, state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported Tuesday, citing Mehdi Hosseini, chairman of the ministry’s oil contracts revision committee. National Iranian Oil Co. is working on a model investment contract for any development agreements, he said.

Iran is rebuilding its oil and natural gas industries and restoring sales of crude after international sanctions were lifted in January. The country, which will meet other OPEC members this week in Vienna, is targeting an increase in production and exports to pre-sanctions levels. It refused to join other producers in a push to freeze output at a meeting in Doha in April.

“Aviation is pivotal to growth of key economic sectors and certainly not limited to travel and tourism” Minister of State for Aviation,

Senator Hadi Sirika

20

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD REPORT: NIGERIA’S MANUFACTURING AT 10% OF GDP IS BELOW AVERAGE OF SUBSAHARAN AFRICA towards nation-building around competitiveness and openness has any chance of realising this opportunity, says the report.

In her earlier remarks, Minister of State, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Aisha Abubakar said, the economic growth rate and ultimate development of nations are determined by a number of factors that range from sound policies, effective and efficient public and private investments and strong institutions.

According to her, “One key variable that determines how fast a nation outgrows each other is the speed of accumulation of human capital, especially through sound formal and informal science and technology education.”

She explained that the present Change government of President Muhammadu Buhari, has since its inception provided additional interventions to support specific private sectors. Adding that the non-oil sector and youth entrepreneurship amongst others has been a point of interest and that the President has remained focused on the diversification of the economy despite the myriad of problems in the process.

FOREIGN AIRLINES LOSE NIGERIA’S HIGH YIELD MARKET TO ECONOMIC DOWNTURN continue to operate in Nigeria, no matter the challenges.

However, THISDAY learnt that BA has reduced the size of its operating aircraft from Boeing B747 to B777 on its London-Lagos route; Air France, a major operator in Nigeria has also reduced its aircraft from Airbus A340 to A330.

“But it is very likely that these airlines would return the bigger aircraft in the Summer but this cannot be like last year summer because there is general erosion of purchasing power and instead of Europe, people now go to African countries, which is cheaper,” a source added.

Group Business Editor

Chika Amanze-Nwachuku 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 (Maritime)

NEWS

Buhari Urges NSC to Develop Maritime Sector Nosa Alekhuogie with Agency Report

President Muhammed Buhari has called on the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to strategise on how to develop the economic capacity of the sector.

He made the call at the just concluded 14th edition of the Maritime seminar for judges, which held in Abuja.

Buhari, who was represented by the Solicitor General of the Federation, Justice Taiwo Abiboki noted that the appointment of an economic regulator at the ports was based on the need to boost port operations and to transform the maritime sector.

He also expressed faith in the capacity of the nation’s maritime sector as the best economic alternative especially in the face of the downturn occasioned by the tragic fall in oil price.

The President noted that as an economic regulator, the NSC has the capacity to drive growth, enhance revenue generation and encourage transparency in the industry. He therefore urged the judicial and legislative arm of government to support efforts by the Council at restructuring the sector as they would attract huge investments.

He said: “I must mention the efforts of the government towards achieving far- reaching reforms in the maritime sector.

One of the planks of the reform is the appointment of an economic regulator of the Ports to enhance the efficiency, competitiveness and economic viability of the sector. Having an economic regulator at this critical time of economic downturn is impera-

tive to encourage transparency in economic activities, enhance revenue generation, and boost patronage of our sea ports, for import and export trade.

May I call on both the Judiciary and the Legislature to lend their support to the reform of this critical sector of our economy. May I also call on the economic regulator to come up with viable blue prints for achieving maximum exploitation of economic potentials of the maritime industry.”

According to the Nigerian Maritime News, the president also stressed that in order to

achieve maximum productivity and efficiency in the maritime industry, corruption must be tackled. He moved for the adoption of automation of processes by all government parastatals as it would reduce corrupt practices.

Pledging the support of his administration to genuine efforts at growing the sector, he revealed that directives had been given to necessary national authorities to ensure that Nigeria’s waterways remain safe and conducive for international and domestic trade and commerce.

He, however, commended

the efforts of the NSC and the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in organising the event, which he described as being of “utmost relevance” if the “Judicial system is to develop the requisite training and capacity to understand maritime issues, articulate improvements to existing principles and templates in the sector and resolve disputes brought before them in a fair and effective manner.”

Also, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi emphasised the need for quick and efficient handling of maritime matters by Nigerian courts.

He implored the Chief Judge to “consider the creation of a maritime or admiralty division in the Federal High Court” specially equipped to handle such cases expeditiously in view of the economic sensitivity of such cases.

Amaechi further called for the support of NSC as it discharges its duty as economic activities at the ports stating that those efforts are geared at ensuring fair trade practices, providing guidelines for tariff-setting as well as making Nigeria a hub for international trade in West and Central Africa.

LUCKY WINNER

L-R: Relationship Officer, Adeniran Ogunsanya Branch, Skye Bank Plc; Uchechukwu Okereke; winner of the N1, 000, 000 Category (Mechanical Engineer), Mr. Daniel Edem Umoh and Group Head, Retail Banking, Skye Bank Plc, Nkolika Okoli at the eleventh cheque presentation to winners in the ongoing Skye Bank’s “Reach for the Skye” Millionaire Reward Scheme held in Lagos…recently

NCS Takes Delivery of Two Boats Laden Contraband The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Eastern Marine Command (EMC) has taken delivery of two boats laden with contraband.

The two boats, which were with foreign rice, were handed over to EMC by the Nigerian Navy that assisted in intercepting them.

The NCS said in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer (PRO) in EMC, Mr. Julius Uzowuru that the synergy and inter-agency collaboration between the command and the Eastern Naval Command of the Nigeria Navy was responsible for the success the men and officers of the service recorded in the

operation against the smugglers of the contraband.

Apparently elated by the development, the Comptroller General of Customs, Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retired) expressed his gratitude to the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, for the operational commitment and inter-agency co-operation exhibited by his officers in the arrest of the two boats laden with rice.

“The seizure of rice which was intercepted made recently on the high sea by the captain of a naval ship, Navy Commander Abiodun Ojebode of the Eastern

Naval Command between Cameroon and Nigerian border, was carefully concealed in two boats conveying 30 passengers among who were eight Cameroonians and 13 Nigerians,” Ali said.

According to the statement, the seizure has since been handed over to the Nigeria Customs Service in Calabar, while the passengers of the boats were in same vein handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for further investigation.

The Customs Area Controller (CAC), EMC, Comptroller Usman Bello, had recently solicited for the support and

co-operation of the Nigerian Navy to ensure that NCS succeed in the seizures of contraband on the high seas.

The CAC, who stated this during the 2016 Obangame Exercise organised in Calabar by the Nigerian Navy, which comprised other law enforcement agencies and the media, expressed delight at the seizures.He commended Nigerian Navy for a successful synergy and co-operation so far, even as he decried the inability of his command to patrol the high seas due to lack of sea-going vessel at the moment.

The Customs Chief appealed

for continued assistance from the Navy in the collaboration exercise and reiterated the need to reduce smuggling to the barest minimum especially on the high seas within the EMC. He also expressed gratitude to the outgoing Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) the Eastern Naval Command, Calabar, Rear Admiral Atiku Abdulkadir for the sustained co-operation and synergy between the Navy and NCS just as he welcomed the new FOC and urged him to sustain the co-operation and collaboration gesture of his predecessor and wished him a successful tenure in office.

Pensioners Demand Reinstatement of Suspended PTAD DG Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Pensioners across the country have attributed the deterioration in the quality of verification exercise and payment to the recent suspension of the Executive Secretary and Director General of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Mrs. Nellie Mayshak, by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun.

They have therefore called for her immediate reinstatement.

The pensioners expressed disappointment over the agency’

s inability to follow the blue print of Mayshak, whom they described as an “outstanding public sector reform expert”.

They have made series of complaints about the agency losing the glory and values it was known for while Mayshak was in charge.

To this end, the pensioners have called for her reinstatement, insisting that her suspension must have been done in error.

Though, the minister had said the suspension was effected to give room for investigations of alleged corruption in

PTAD under her watch; the pensioners, who took to the agency’s facebook page and other conventional forum to register their complaints, insisted that the numerous contributions of Mayshak to PTAD should not be swept under the carpet over unproven allegations.

The pensioners therefore expressed their displeasure over the ill treatment meted out to them since Mayshak left office, even as they expressed the fear that the management of pensions under the defined benefit scheme, which Mayshak

upheld may not live up to its mandate.

They recalled that while the embattled DG served as PTAD boss, the policies she introduced put an end to their gory tales.

In a letter, a pensioner, Mr. Samuel Ajunwa lauded Mayshak’s prompt payment of pensions, and also commended her conduct of verification exercise and commitment to pensioners’ welfare.

Commending her effort while in office, a retired Commissioner of Police, Chief Samuel Fetipigi had said the Defined Benefit

Pension Scheme being transferred to PTAD and pensioners’ verification exercise under her watch recorded tremendous and commendable successes.

He stated: “All the problems that had beset the payment of police pensioners are being resolved by PTAD. Our pension has been updated to the new rate, while many of the arrears have been paid. I am sure that by the end of this exercise, all police pensioners, including widows and the next of kin would not have problems anymore.”

21

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION

‘Amadeus Has Simplified Air Travel in Nigeria’ Chinedu Eze The Vice-President of Amadeus Africa, Paul de Villiers, has said that the Global Distribution System (GDS) company has simplified air travel in Nigeria by providing the most efficient service to airlines and travel agencies.

De Villiers described Amadeus as a success story and number one IT provider for the travel industry in Nigeria and worldwide.

“Our technology, innovation and people have been the key to our success. We simplify complex processes, bring efficiencies to the travel industry and equip them with the right technology and guidance to succeed in their business and save money,” he said in interview with THISDAY. The company, which has been in Nigeria for years, recently reached a partnership agreement with Nigeria’s indigenous carrier, Medview to enhance the growth of the companies and also facilitate the development of the air transport industry in Nigeria by providing efficient service.

He said that Amadeus is the world’s leading GDS platform

that connects travel providers and travel sellers all over the globe, offering unmatched search, pricing, booking, ticketing, transaction and servicing capabilities.

“In 1987, Amadeus was founded as a GDS for travel agencies. In 2000, it diversified its activity to become the reference technology provider for airlines.

In the past few years Amadeus has expanded its IT portfolio to encompass a variety of other applications, including merchandising, revenue management or travel intelligence,” he said.

De Villiers, who spoke to THISDAY at the opening of its new office in Lagos, said it was a momentous occasion for Amadeus in Africa, and particularly the Nigeria team with the announcement of a partnership with Medview Airline Limited.

He revealed that Amadeus, in its capacity as a GDS, standardised the language and communication processes of the airlines so that they could distribute their seats and fares more efficiently through travel agencies.“Today, we have the most robust platform for travel distribution: a system that sends

thousands of inventory queries to almost every airline in the world, consulting fares for different days and times and returning the best one available; making bookings and ticketing; and then sending this info to the travel agencies back office; and all this in seconds. It is not an exaggeration to say we are the nervous system of the great body that is the travel industry,” the Vice-President said.

He added: “Amadeus has evolved a lot in the last years, from leading the creation of a common travel platform and promoting the adoption of ecommerce, to bringing big data, cloud and mobile technologies to the travel industry, Amadeus remains a consistent innovator.

“After over a quarter of a century of service to the travel industry, we believe that innovation is the key to our growth, as is helping our customers and partners not only to adapt, but also to thrive within the rapidly changing world of travel and technology.

Technology and innovation wouldn’t exist without our people. We are a global company, with more than 14,200 employees all over the world.”

Egypt Loss Strengthens Case for Ejectable Data Recorders The crash of EgyptAir MS804 has strengthened the case for data recorders that can be ejected out of an aircraft before an accident, removing the need for seabed searches, a senior Airbus engineer said.

Reuters reported that investigators are searching in some of the deepest waters of the Mediterranean for flight recorders from the EgyptAir Airbus A320 which crashed on May 19, killing 66 people.

The jet’s flight recorders are designed to emit acoustic signals for 30 days after a crash, giving search teams fewer than three weeks to locate them in waters up to 10,000 feet (3,000 m) deep, which is on the edge of their range.

“If we have a deployable recorder it will be much easier to find,” Airbus Executive Vice

President for Engineering Charles Champion told a media event.

“We have been working on that and this only reinforces our overall approach.”

Ejectable or “deployable” recorders would separate from the tail during a crash and float, emitting a distress signal. Recommended by investigators after an Air France A330 crashed in 2009, the idea came to the fore after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines MH370 in March 2014.

The UN’s ICAO, has called for key data to be recoverable in a “timely manner” on planes delivered after 2021.

But it will be left to airlines and manufacturers to decide how to meet the goal, whether through deployable recorders or other technology such as

new homing methods or data streaming.

Deployable recorders have long been used in the military, but some in the industry have expressed doubts about their safe use on civil airliners, saying they could be deployed accidentally and introduce new risks. Airbus said last year it was talking to regulators about adding deployable devices to its two largest models.

A series of accidents over water including the Egyptair disaster and wider safety issues are likely to be discussed at a meeting of global airlines in Dublin this week.

Teams are racing to find the EgyptAir data recorders, partly because rules that would extend the duration and range of their acoustic pingers do not take effect until 2018.

New Moscow Airport Stalled byVanishing Passengers Moscow’s new international airport is set to open next month with only a handful of airlines and faces a struggle to win passengers from rivals after Russia’s economic crisis.

The Zhukovsky airport terminal was inaugurated

by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Monday, part of a RUB10 billion rouble (USD$152 million) project to redevelop a cargo airfield used for Cold War flight testing 40 km south-east of Moscow, Reuters reported.

The airport, a joint venture between state-run investor Rostec and Lithuania’s Avia Solutions Group, will host routes from Moscow to cities in the former Soviet Union.

It was conceived at a time when the Russian capital’s three biggest airports were regularly operating at maximum capacity

and was meant to tap rising airline traffic, then growing at 10 percent per year.

But a steep economic downturn caused by lower oil prices and Western sanctions over Ukraine has hit the aviation market hard.

The empty terminal, with 18 check-in desks, two cafes and a medium-sized duty free shop, has an operating capacity of 2 million passengers a year.

The airport’s total capacity is set to rise to 12 million passengers by 2020, Rostec said, but so far it has only reached operating agreements with four airlines Just two of those, Air Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines, carry passengers and will operate around 20 flights a week, Rostec said.

Assuming 150 passengers

on each plane, that means Zhukovsky’s traffic could total just 156,000 passengers a year, well below its 2 million capacity.

Passenger numbers in Russia fell 4 percent last year and are seen falling 5 percent in 2016.

“Today the existing airports are sufficiently freed up to be able to provide the required slots,” said Alexander Burtin, commercial director of Russia’s Tez Tour tourism agency.

“A couple of years ago there was more demand when the first stone was laid, (but) now the situation has been complicated by economic conditions.”

More than 20 airlines quit the Russian market in 2015 and traffic at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport, previously the capital’s largest air hub, fell by 3 million to 30.5 million.

AIR WATCH Enugu Airport and Drug TraffickingAirlines

W

hen the first international flight took off at the Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu on August 24, 2013, the people of South East were enthusiastic and felt a sense of belonging after several years of agitation that the zone should have an international airport.

The flight was Ethiopian Airlines from Enugu to Addis Ababa. The load factor was over 90 per cent and people were overtly happy. After one year of operating into the airport, travellers started complaining that they were being subjected to extraordinarily vigorous screening and it has become a torture travelling through the airport.

THISDAY learnt that Nigerian Immigration Service officials and the Customs subject the passengers to rigorous scrutiny and subject their luggage to stressful screening, which was not the case at other airports in the country. Until recently, passengers on international destinations started shunning the airport to avoid what they described as undue stress.

Incidentally, since the airport was designated as international airport, it is only Ethiopian Airlines that operates into it as international carrier.

When THISDAY contacted Immigration and Customs official about the rigorous screening of passengers on international travel, they said that most of the passengers travel to Brazil a hot bed of cocaine trafficking and other destinations known for drugs movement. THISDAY also contacted the spokesman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mitchell Ofoyeju on the frequency of drug arrests on the Enugu airport. Ofoyeju said that international flight at the airport is very low because it is only one international airline that operates.

He said there have not been many arrests of drug traffickers at the airport and that because relatively, few people travel through the airport, the arrests have not been so much as to raise eyebrow. He put the arrests made at only about one per cent of traffickers that are arrested regularly at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Also, the spokesman of Nigerian Immigration Service, Ekpedeme King told THISDAY on Monday that the initial heavy screening and deployment of Immigration officials at the airport have significantly reduced because there is nothing unusual about the passenger movement at the airport.

Industry observers were aghast few days ago, when the former Commandant of the Lagos airport and CEO Centurion Security and Safety Consult, Group Captain John Ojikutu alleged that the airport records the highest drug trafficking in the country. Ojikutu also alleged that most of the airlines that airlift drug traffickers are African airlines, including Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways and others. Ojikutu was reacting to the incident where Emirates flight from Brazil made emergency landing in Lagos because suspected drug traffickers were in serious health distress and were de-boarded and taken to hospital under

the control of NDLEA last weekend.

Reacting to Ojikutu’s piece, travel expert and organiser of Akwaaba African Travel Market, Ikechi Uko said: “The art of propaganda the tactics of switch and spin has been applied in full dose by Captain Ojikutu . Emirate Airlines was the airline in focus but Ojikutu switched the object of attention and directed us to focus on African competitors of Emirates. That is a master class in spin doctoring at play.

“Let’s address the allegations by Capt Ojikutu. They are mostly false and unfounded. He said and I quote “The NDLEA search light on cocaine traffickers should not be on Emirate flights alone or on passengers coming from Brazil; focus should be on all flights from Middle and Far East, East and South Africa, especially, Middle East, Egypt, Ethiopian, Kenyan Airlines, etc. Proper attention must be given to those on Ethiopian Airlines especially the flights to Enugu.”

Uko, who is also the team leader for TeamAfrica, an organisation that promotes African airlines to increase market share in the continent, said that it was wrong for Ojikutu to have said that the NDLEA should focus on African airlines.

“He also gave another wrong expert advice. He claimed that they should focus on African carriers but statistics available to any body shows that these African carriers carry only a small number of passengers out of Nigeria. Most of the passengers are carried by Emirates, Qatar, Turkish, BA, Etihad and other European carriers. So how do you focus on the small carriers and ignore the big players in the market. Outside Ethiopian and South African Airways the other African carriers use Boeing B737 for their flights while the other non-African carriers use huge airplanes. How does one justify his expert advice?

“He also claimed that ‘In Nigerian, it should not be difficult to identify the passengers as the trends has always been from a particular geographical area. I knew this way back in 1987 on my way to Kenya and 1990/94when l was the Military Airport Commandant for MMIA’.

This one is difficult to Justify because in 1987 and 1994 he was quoting as his years of observations none of the African carriers were flying through Nigeria to the Far East. Ethiopian Airlines though have been in Nigeria since 1960 but started the Bangkok route only in the last 20 years, Kenya Airways started flying to Nigeria in 1998, South African Airways was under the Apartheid Regime and started flying to Nigeria after 1999. If one can recall the era he mentioned was the height of the drug trade by Nigerians. These African carriers were not major players at the time of the drug trade,” Uko said.

The travel expert slammed Ojikutu for alleging that Enugu was made international airport so that it would be used for drug trafficking.

Although, Ojikutu’s statement has continued to elicit more reactions from concerned stakeholders and industry expert, the most important thing is that the Enugu airport has been exonerated as drug route by government agencies, who actually have the records of drug trafficking at various airports in Nigeria.

22

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION

Glimmer of Hope for Aviation Chinedu Eze writes that although no meaningful development has taken place in the aviation sector in President Muhammadu Buhari’s first year in office, the federal government has laid out a blueprint on how to transform the sector On December 23, 2015, the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, during their maiden conference at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, unveiled their programmes for the transportation sector, specifically highlighting the various measures that would be put in place to transform the sector.

Amaechi emphatically stated that the government would ensure improvement on safety and more work would be done at the airside than the tendency to concentrate development on airport terminal facilities.

In the last year, it could be said that the aviation agencies have dovetailed their programmes with that of the Buhari mandate and during the period under review, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) completed some of its ongoing projects together with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Also, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) passed the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Audit and Nigeria renewed its Category One safety status with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAAN).

But Buhari’s plan for the aviation sector was recently encapsulated and unveiled by Sirika, who is an aviator and a seasoned pilot, at a recently held stakeholders meeting.

According to FAAN’s spokesman, Yakubu Dati, what was unveiled by the Minister was the blueprint of what the federal government has laid out plans to actualise in the industry.

“The Minister’s wealth of experience and vision come into play here. He wants to align the nation’s aviation industry with modern trends and new developments in the sector.

As an insider I don’t think anyone is more qualified to be in driving seat to actualise these plans,” Dati said.

Sirika said the federal government has recognised that aviation is pivotal to growth of key economic sectors and certainly not limited to travel and tourism; so it contributes in the development of agriculture production and distribution, rural development, trade and commerce, manufacturing, oil and other non-oil sectors.

“It is that critical tool necessary for economic transformation of any nation. Indeed, the value chain creation by aviation is enormous,” the Minister, said.

He said that government also recognised that the Nigerian market is a market servicing a population of 600million people in West and Central Africa and that half of Africa, twice the US and far greater than continental Europe, so government wished to tap into this huge market, considering the fact that 10 percent of the population only, that is 60m passengers within the region could be a huge market for air transport and Nigeria having about 40 percent of the entire population is therefore a good market.

Buhari’s Plan for Aviation Sirika said the present administration is focusing on issues that will rapidly develop the aviation sector within the shortest possible time and these issues include safety, security, infrastructure and others.

Safety and Security According to the minister, the federal government has looked at the safety and security in aviation and the challenges and has decided that these are global safety and security challenges and therefore has responded with comprehensive security threat and vulnerability assessment, certification programme for airports. Besides, he said the government has developed a new security strategy in partnership with the international security organisation and plans to establish Nigeria Transport Security Administration that would be tailored like its counterpart in the US. The Minister also said that this administration would undertake the procurement of modern, state of the art equipment and capacity develop-

for repairs, so for a national carrier that wants to succeed, it must have its own maintenance facility. Chairman of RwandAir and former CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Girma Wake once advised that there should be at least one major national carrier in West Africa for the maintenance of the fleet in that sub region.

The government is determined to create an enabling environment for the setting up of a world class MRO facility that would attract clientele from all over the world especially from Africa.

The Minister said the MRO would further be encouraged to start manufacturing of airplane parts, with intent to go into manufacturing for the long term like Ethiopia and Brazil.

Agro Allied Cargo Infrastructure There is plan by the federal government to build cargo airports that would largely airlift farm produce from source to place of consumption and it will be easier and better to use air to move the farm produce from areas like Kebbi, Bauchi, even Benue and other places to huge markets in Kano, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu and others.

The Minister said presently, there is dearth of infrastructure, and existing cargo market is a billion of dollar market with Nigeria having insignificant share. As a result, government plans to build agro allied and cargo terminals with the objective a 40-percent market share, which means that 40 percent of farm produce would be airlifted. This, Sirika said has socio-economic impact, which would curb rural-urban migration, reduction in crime rate and massive rural development. Some of the produce would even be exported and they attract forex earnings. It would also increase employment and increase aviation activities.

Sirika

ment in its determination to ensure safety of air travelers.

Airport Concession He also said the federal government has chosen to arrest the decay of airport infrastructure through the concession of its facilities. Sirika said among the greatest challenges in the sector are obsolete and dilapidated airport and airspace infrastructure and inadequate capacity, noting that the facilities do not meet the international standards and best practices.

Sirika said the government plans to concession the four major airports located in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano in the first phase.

Besides concession, he said government would also carry out airport infrastructure upgrade, which it has already started doing through FAAN. The government, he further stated, would complete the four new terminals, where work has reached advanced stage.

National Carrier The federal government rekindled the hope of some Nigerians when Sirika announced that government was still interested in establishing a national carrier. He said one of the major reasons why government wished to establish a national carrier was to cut down the huge amount of capital flight that foreign airlines take out of the country.

The Minister also noted that there is absence of national and strong flag carrier and with a strong national carrier, Nigeria could maximise her Bilateral Air Services Agreement, Multilateral Air Services Agreement (MASA) and Open Skies advantages.

Sirika noted also that having a national carrier would boost Nigeria’s image in the comity of nations, adding, depending on the appropriate

business model, it will help solve the inadequate capacity of airport and airspace infrastructure because a national carrier attracts government’s attention to providing the facilities and equipment that would enhance and facilitate the success of the airline.

So the federal government has decided to establish a national in order to gain optimal benefits from the BASA/MASA. In reaction to cynics and others who are pessimistic about having a national carrier because they believe that the Nigerian government cannot effectively and successfully run the business, the Minister said that the national carrier that would be whelped would be owned public.

In other words, there would be institutional investors and public offering.

The airline would also form alliance or joint venture with other airlines to increase reach, connectivity and number of routes. Government is also thinking of engaging transaction adviser to develop appropriate business model and framework for establishing the national carrier, using Public, Private Partnership (PPP).

Government would also provide the required infrastructure to support the expected growth of the airline.

Maintenance Facility Ferrying aircraft overseas for maintenance costs huge amount of money and especially for a national carrier, which ought to have structure for ancillary airline services established; so the Minister said the government would establish a Maintenance, Overhaul and Repair (MRO) facility along with the establishment of a national carrier.

Sirika noted that the absence of a major maintenance facility in West Africa costs airlines much more money taking their aircraft overseas

Establishment of Aerospace University The Minister said over the years there has been inadequate indigenous senior technical personnel in the aviation sector, which has prompted airlines to employ expatriates and pay outrageous remuneration to them; sometimes in hard currency and also reap half year service from them as most of them spend six months in Nigeria and spend another six months on holidays.

Sirika also noted that there is absence of research and development capabilities to evolve long term plans and strategic vision for the industry, so government would establishment of a university that would specifically produce the needed workforce for better efficiency in the sector. According to the minister, the item will require legislation and the government would provide the enabling environment.

Restructuring Aviation Agencies Besides, the Minister noted that there is dearth of professionals in the aviation industry with ageing workforce and unsustainable level of staffing. He said the Buhari’s administration would focus on capacity building, it would carry out staff verification/biometrics, of people, processes and technology; it would drive towards a leaner organisation for the agencies and make them to become self- accounting entities for efficiency. Government would also review the acts setting up the agencies to upscale governance and reduce overlaps in functions. Government said it would also establish an aviation leasing company to alleviate the problem of aircraft leasing and high insurance premium charges Nigerian airlines on aircraft leasing.

Sirika also said government will enforce expatriate quota system and policy review validation of Foreign License (no Aviator left behind policy) to ensure that indigenes, who are qualified for a job would get it; instead of losing such job to expatriates. The Minister also disclosed that the government plans to establish Aviation Development Bank for the Industry in order to provide long term, single digit loans to airlines to support growth and stability in the industry.

23

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

How Govt Can Revitalise the Aviation Sector

A two-day conference organised by the International Air Transport Association highlighted key issues that must be addressed to improve, develop and make aviation a major revenue earner for African nations. ChineduEze examines the issues raised

Three key issues were raised at the just concluded International Air Transport Association (IATA) conference held in Abuja last week. These issues were liberalisation of the airspace for Africa; curbing the high taxes, which stifle air transport growth in the continent and the development of modern and friendly airports in the continent.

The theme, ‘Driving African Economies through the Power of Aviation’ served as the main focus of IATA’s Aviation Day Africa Conference Agenda and industry experts poignantly brought to the fore the challenges facing air transport development in the region.

FG’s Stance For the federal government, it has joined the 22 countries that embraced the liberalisation of Africa’s airspace and by 2017, this commitment is expected to enjoy full implementation. But in addition to that, government has shown readiness for the concession the four leading airports in the country for improved efficiencies after their rehabilitation this year.

Although there were not such deafening but loud voices that insisted that full privatisation was the way to go, the popular consent was that government should concession the facilities in order to bring in the private sector to modernise the airports and run them efficiently.

The Managing Director of Arik Air, Chris Ndulue at one of the panels during the conference insisted that concession or privatisation must be the way to go in order to provide the country befitting airports that could meet the need of over 170 million that have a knack to travel.

The government also said that it realised the importance of aviation industry in the economic national planning policy and so would ensure its growth and viability.

The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator HadiSirika explained that the airports to be concessioned include the MurtalaMuhammed Airport (MMIA), Lagos, the NnamdiAzikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, Aminu Kano Airport, Kano and Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers State.

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, HajiaZainab Ahmed, disclosed that the government had already earmarked some amount of money for the rehabilitation and eventual concession of the airports.

She insisted that the government could no longer handle some of the critical sectors like aviation and it was pertinent for it to handover the running of airports to competent and capable hands. The federal government had earmarked the sum of N1.06 billion for the rehabilitation Abuja Airport alone in the 2016 budget released about three weeks ago.

The sum was part of the N202.43 allocation for transportation industry in 2016 budget, which also included rail and maritime. Government in its breakdown of the spending for the sector in 2016, said that airside rehabilitation of Abuja Airport became necessary in order to upgrade the facilities at the airport, adding that this would also enable the airport, which is the second busiest in Nigeria in terms of passenger traffic after the Lagos Airport to compete favourably with its counterparts anywhere in the world.

The government also noted that the airside’s rehabilitation was a project designed to improve the security of the nation’s airports and airspace and these include the rebuilding of the runway, the review of the landing aids, airfield lighting and others.

Although nothing was said about the building of second runway at the Abuja airport, which President MuhammaduBuhari hinted would be attended to urgently last year, but Ahmed explained that the objective of the aviation master plan and roadmap was to unlock the airports for better performances, stressing that the sector had been underfunded over the years.

“The consideration of the government is to schedule Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt Airports for concessioning after their rehabilitation. The intention of the government is to bring the nation’s aviation industry at par

Buhari

with its counterparts anywhere in the world, but we can’t do this alone.

“So, we want to invite IATA and other critical organisations around the world to be part of the growth in the Nigerian aviation industry.”

Political Interference Also speaking at the occasion, the former Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA and the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Harold Demuren Consulting, Dr. Harold Demuren remarked that airline operators could not be neglected in the economic national planning policy of the government.

He said in addition to giving full support to aviation development, one of the significant roles government could play also was to ensure good corporate governance in the industry and the elimination of government interference in the running of aviation agencies.

Demuren supported government’s plan for the concession of airport facilities, recommending that Private Public Participants (PPP) would be the way to go in the sector in Nigeria, but warned that the controversies surrounding the PPP with Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) should be resolved in order to attract private investors into the system.

“We must think outside the box on how we can benefit from the multiple entries for foreign airlines flying into the country. The domestic airlines must sit down together and see how they can benefit from the system.

“There is need for PPP in aviation in Nigeria, but with the experience of PPP in MMA2, the government has not shown good faith. Such crisis in the MMA2 PPP must be resolved or else investors would not invest their money in such an industry,” he said.

The Vice President, Africa for IATA, Mr. Raphael Kuuchi charged African governments to take a cue from United Arab Emirates UAE) and Singapore that have used aviation industry to develop their economies.

The Managing Director, Aero Contractors, Capt. FolaAkinkuotu, on his part, said that for Nigeria to drive “a go to point,” the government must ensure that the airports are “a go to point” in the areas of infrastructure and policies.

A Call to Action However, IATA has called on African governments to prioritise the development of aviation nationally and at a pan-Africa level to bolster economic growth and development.

Africa is set to be one of the fastest-growing aviation regions over the next 20 years, with annual expansion averaging nearly five percent.

This opens up incredible economic opportunities for the continents 54 nations. By transporting some 70 million passengers annually, aviation already supports some 6.9 million jobs and $80 billion of economic activity on the African continent.

“Aviation has the potential to be a much greater strategic catalyst for growth if governments would stop milking the industry for taxes and enable it with smarter regulations focused on safety and the development of connectivity. The commitments are already there with the Abuja Declaration and the Yamoussoukro Decision. It’s time to achieve them in partnership with industry,” said IATA Regional Vice President Africa and Middle East, Hussein Dabbas.

Sirika also noted: “Enhanced Air Transport Connectivity is unarguably the key condition for any State’s progress and transformation.

Studies have shown that there is clear correlation between connectivity and economic performance. In addition, improved connectivity attracts inward investment, which enables access to export markets and opens countries up to competitive forces. Air transport is a facilitator of international business and trade.

Improved connectivity means more access to cities, markets, business and people as well as the integration into global supply chains, an important factor to attracting inward investment into any country” Connectivity and Infrastructure Development IATA said it welcomed the recent signing of a ‘Solemn Declaration’ by 21 African heads of state re-affirming their commitment to breaking down the artificial barriers obstructing air transport service expansion between African

nations by implementing the Yamoussoukro Decision. IATA urges all African nations to expedite its implementation, which will stimulate economic growth and development with at least 5 million more passenger journeys a year on the continent.

The world body also said cost-effective and appropriate infrastructure development is critical to the sustainability and expansion of African aviation and recommended consultation and collaboration among airlines and their infrastructure partners during planning and development, which it described as crucial. ”No one knows better than the airlines the level of airport charges that enable a route to be viable, and the kind of amenities they need to support their passengers and aircraft efficiently. All too often in Africa there is no real engagement with the airlines prior to development. This leaves airlines burdened with excessive development cost that are not sustainable,” Dabbas said IATA said the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has very clear guidelines on infrastructure funding; that development should be guided by principles of nondiscrimination, consultation, transparency, cost-benefit and no pre-financing.

“IATA is concerned about the viability of some planned airport developments, including Ndjamena in Chad, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and Dakar in Senegal. IATA calls on the governments in these countries to take the lead in consulting the users of the infrastructure to ensure that the end product provides maximise benefits and rationalise costs for all.”

So without government’s commitment and critical decision to move from its old ways and adopt a more dynamic style in attending to aviation issues, the air transport sector cannot grow in Nigeria and in Africa.

So government’s role for the growth of the sector cannot be emphasised. For Nigeria, lack of funds makes it inevitable to bring in the private sector to develop airport infrastructure and fund operations with articulated benefits for government and investors. This may be the time to think out of the box.

24

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION

Olowo: Aviation Security Should Be Part of the National Security Infrastructure President/Chief Executive of Sabre Network West Africa and current President of the Aviation Round Table, Gbenga Olowo is of the opinion that aviation security should become part of the national security infrastructure. He also spoke on other contentious issues in the sector. Chinedu Eze presents the excerpts: as we currently have it at our airports and this is achievable through technology.

Looking at the controversy that trailed the last concession that was done in the industry, what do you think should be put in place before government embarks on the concession of four major airports in the country, as recently indicated?

Concession is obviously not the answer.

All past experiments have failed with the partners in and out of court frequently and the expected result has not been favorable.

Maevis and Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) are a case in point. One wonders whose interest is being served when government and industry are always at variance and never meet.

Total privatisation of airports is the answer.

There should be three to four Airport Companies of Nigeria (ACN), which is desirable.

Government monopoly called the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is obsolete and should be dismantled. Necessarily the ACN can be fashioned along regional zones with full capacity to operate intercontinental, regional and domestic operations.

Do you support the suggestion that airlines should have at least five aircraft in their fleet before they start off?

Airline operator that has five to 10 aircraft in its fleet cannot be described as a strong global player. Moving from two aircraft airline to five aircraft airline will be scratching the problem on the surface. If Nigeria is serious about redressing negative balance of trade against all partners and to all routes (UK, US, France, Germany, Emirate, Ethiopia, etc.,) the rule that every airline should have up to 20 aircraft should be established.

That is 20 aircraft fleet at start up, grown by 20 every five years for any scheduled Air Operator Certificate (AOC) operator; failure which such operator can either be in charter or ad hoc business and not scheduled.

This regulation will encourage pooling of aircraft and resources, harmonised schedule, eliminate current unhealthy price war, avail more destinations with enhanced schedule and ample down time for maintenance.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) seems unable to explore nonaeronautical revenue sources and therefore burden airlines with huge charges, just as it is in many African countries, do you think that African governments could be made to understand airlines as vehicle for development and not elite business enterprise?

Should government understand and appreciate the importance of airlines to national economic stimuli and growth then the heavy burden of loading the many user charges on tariff should stop immediately. Airlines are not revenue collectors.

Travel agents, banks or appointed agencies should begin to collect Passenger Service Charge (TSC), Ticket Sales Charge (TSC), VAT, Fuel Charges, etc., deduct commission and remit balance through the International Air Transport Association (IATA) clearing house to the agencies.

The airlines will safe 15 percent user charges presently eroding the tariff yield. Collection on tickets as it is done in other economies has proven unworkable in Nigeria.

Airports should also be compelled to source non-aeronautical revenue just like most modern airports in the world Recently the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika gave conditions to any investor or airline that may want to partner government to establish a national carrier and these include technology transfer and establishment of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility. Do you think this is feasible?

Technology transfer and MRO transfer connotes various interpretations.

In todays aviation the need to embrace technology is not negotiable as it determines efficient delivery all the time with bankable results. Prospective investor in airlines and or MRO however, must have a robust business case. Government has no business in business safe for regulation to ensure quality service delivery.

Is there anyway government can establish a national carrier in Nigeria without making huge investment into it?

Which way Nigeria is heading to? Certainly government does not have such funds to float a new airline given our economic status.

However, we need to clearly understand if Nigeria is privatising or revisiting public enterprise. Public enterprise has failed the nation over the years. Nitel, Nipost, Nigeria

How can government step in to help airlines secure long-term, single digit loans from local banks in order to solve the problem of inadequate funding for Nigerian operators?

Single digit interest rate for airlines by Nigerian banks is doubtful under this dispensation given the present economic reality.

Nevertheless, government guarantees for offshore funding, insurance cover etc. could be an option of government support for airlines with proven capacity and integrity.

Olowo

Airways, electricity companies, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), etc.

Historical evidence also has it that the failure of these public enterprises is traceable to its owner (the government and its agencies.)

Arguments for wanting to again tow a failed route remain very unclear. Cloud surrounding the much touted national carrier by government given the poor economic wealth of the state, also require further explanation on ownership and or role of government in initiating the airline for the country?

It is hoped that this will not be hatched in secrecy and fashioned to the detriment of existing flag carriers who have been holding forth.

There are hiccups in aviation fuel supply and distribution. Even when they are available the marketers face challenges in distributing the product. What is the one-off solution to this problem?

Government in its wisdom has privatised the sub-sector. Airlines joint purchase from source to the exclusion of all brokers and middlemen will be the answer. Hopefully competition

will improve supply and consequently drive down price sooner than expected.

Even when the airports are given out in concession, government will still be in charge of security. Now that FAAN is finding it difficult to recruit and train security personnel and to build perimeter fencing at the airports, what will happen when major revenue sources of the agency are given out in concession?

Aviation Security (AVSEC) is a serious business too vital to be handled by FAAN. It should go under National Security as it involves so many agencies wielding various powers.

US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) should be our case study.

Private Airport Companies of Nigeria (as recommended) will be profitable like other world airports if professionally pursued.

What do you think should be done to further secure the airports?

Heavy deployment of technology centrally managed and coordinated will enhance security better than the many checkpoints by various individual agencies presently.

Presence of security need not be as visible

How would the aviation industry contribute more to nation’s GDP? President Muhammad Buhari should task the Ministry of Transportation to deliver at least one percent of the GDP by 2020. It is presently 0.4 percent. A grossly underperforming sector, by implication the sector will be required to grow annually at 25/30 percent and this is achievable.

If we apply 5:20 rule to our airlines requesting them to grow fleet by 20 aircrafts every five years, it means three airlines by 2020 will parade a minimum of 60 operational aircrafts each, provide job for 15,000 workers and 30,000 workers with 120 aircraft by 2025 at the rate of 250 workers per aircraft.

By this rule only Arik can stand alone at the moment.

Airport, airspace and catalytic activities will also grow simultaneously. This is the only way to rescue market share from foreign airlines, which must repatriate up to 95 percent of their income back to their home country in dollars and continued weakening of the Naira. Truth be told, five to10 aircraft airlines as we have it today cannot be described as strong schedule players. All the existing seven operators should pool their resources together, operate under one AOC, harmonise their schedule and stop the stupid on going competition among themselves. Then we will be having two near strong players.

What is your view about the claim that airlines are insolvent?

Insolvency simply put is when an individual or organisation can no longer meet its financial obligations. Do an x-ray of our airlines today; this is precariously what you find. All the airlines owe huge debts to fuellers, workers, government and trade partners. Arik Air / FAAN indebtedness was celebrated this past week in the face of endless reconciliation and dispute of accounts with huge flight disruptions.

25

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION

IATA: Aviation is the Key to Unlocking Economic Devt

Senior executives of the International Air Transport Association Africa and Middle East, Hussein Dabbas, Brian Pearce, Raphael Kuuchi and Samson Fatokun met with journalists in Abuja recently and unveiled the world body’s plan for air transportation in Africa. Chinedu Eze brings the excerpts:

Pearce

Aviation as Pillar for Economic Development Dabbas: I am very happy to be here in Abuja. We have been working for several months to establish and start this Aviation Day here in Nigeria to look at major developments that are required for the aviation industry to prosper.

As you know, aviation is considered a major pillar in all economic activities around the world.

It contributes about three and half percent of the countries worldwide and when countries adopt aviation as pillar of economic activities, the prosperity can go up to 15 to 20 percent of the GDP. We believe that Africa has tremendous potential to be aviation hub of the world. The growth we are witnessing in Africa as presented

by Brian is a huge increase over the years and this can be sustained if the governments really present the proper support to the airlines.

I don’t mean here by financial support, but I mean infrastructure support, the regulatory support that should be given to the industry for it to succeed.

Africa is an emerging economy that is growing at very fast pace and it requires the proper support for it to flourish.

We see that many countries in Africa are doing a great job in that area; yet others are using aviation as a cash cow in terms of high taxes and high charges to the passengers.

We still believe that the charges and taxes in Africa are one of the highest in the world on average. In Dakar, Senegal the average taxes and charges are about $140 per passenger. In Lagos it is about $60 and these are above the world average of about $37.

So we are advocating with governments to make sure that the taxes and charges that are imposed reflect the level of service that is provided to the passenger and to the airlines and to make sure that when such charges are imposed they are done in a very transparent manner; in a very consultative manner. They

Dabbas

should make sure that all the stakeholders are involved in that decision-making.

We are seeing unfortunately also in some countries in Africa and around the world that when some countries want to improve or build new airport or facilities they will start charging taxes before that facility. This is completely against the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and IATA rules. The facility should be provided first before the passengers and airlines are asked to cover the cost.

Diversification of Nigeria’s Economy Pearce: My presentation was really on looking at Nigeria’s current problem, which is still being dependent on commodities; oil in the case of Nigeria and other commodities more widely.

We see the dependency of that commodity on the foreign exchange, which Nigeria is suffering from today. The focus today should be on how to diversify the economy. And air transport is a critical enabler; a critical way of helping to diversify the economy; of helping the Nigerian business to develop. The key thing is to enhance the connections between the cities here in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa and also overseas. That helps businesses do business.

Today if you want to do business between Lagos and Algiers, you may not get direct flight from Lagos to Algiers but connecting them will be good for the continent’s economy. Africa has got fantastic potential for air transport. With fantastic natural resources, Africa has to develop its air transport; government should see air transport as enabler for economic development.

That is the key; not seeing airports as a place to tax foreign tourists. We should be getting the charges cut down and you encourage business travel, tourism to create new businesses and new activities. Here today government is looking at how to improve air transport in Nigeria and that is very optimistic.

Open Sky for Africa Kuuchi: The whole issue of the study we did in 21 African countries is actually intended to address the issue of open sly for Africa. This is because we want to bring to the attention of, not just the operators, but to state governments for them to know that opening up the market has significant benefits, not just for the aviation sector but the entire economy and that was the essence of that.

So we are using that study as a tool to advocate to states to open up their markets.

It is true that some markets are resistance from some operators. An operator is just like any business entity in the country; he is not a policy maker. It is only when the policy maker comes to resist the operator from flying into the market will the idea of opening up the market will be frustrated. But since we have decided to open up the market, then just an operator putting up resistance will not go far and we are very positive that all we want to see is that the 21 or 22 countries that have so far signed the AU solemn declaration, we want to see some traction by way of implementation. We want to see these countries opening up their markets to each other. Once this is done, a country that has not signed this declaration will sooner or later realise that traffic is breaking away from their markets into the markets of the countries that have signed the declaration. Then they will quickly sign that declaration because they don’t want to lose that business.

High Taxes on Airlines, Passengers Dabbas: There is no such parameter about how much a country should charge, but what we see is that people travelling by other means of transport are charges about 10 percent of what they charge passengers travelling by air and that varies from one country to another.

We at IATA are not against charging taxes or any kind of taxes as exchange of service but what we see here in Africa is that government goes to the extreme in terms of charges. If you look at fuel alone, the cost of picking fuel in Africa is 20 percent higher than the world average and there is no reason for such high rate. In some countries even though the price of oil has come down from $120, $130 per barrel; yet there is little, if any refection of the crash in price, in the price of aviation fuel. What we always say in IATA is that there is ICAO resolution, rules and regulations where it basically gives guidance and guidelines for countries as to what and how they can charge.

At the end of the day the member countries can do whatever they want. Neither ICAO nor IATA can tell them what to do.

But what we are telling the countries is that the more taxes and charges the less the passengers that will be attracted to come and fly.

So you can charge $1000 per passenger; that is your right, but will people be willing to pay to come to your country? What we are saying also is, please, please be transparent. You do consultation with the stakeholders and explain why you should charge certain amount on the passengers. So when you are providing a good service then you can charge for it. Sometimes we see that these taxes and charges are done for things that have no relevance or related to aviation. It is a way of raising money for the budget of the country, all what you are doing is basically killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

People will stop coming here if it is so expensive to come via Lagos, for example, Abuja or Dakar.

If you make your airports more attractive and make travel easy in your country the more you will benefit; if you are talking of Continued on page 26

26

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION

IATA: AVIATION IS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING ECONOMIC DEVT

Kuuchi

reducing charges from $60 to $40, passengers will use the balance to shop, buy souvenirs and other things and this adds to the country’s GDP. Government should not be looking at the money it has accumulated from airport charges; rather, it should have long-term vision and see how many people will be attracted if the country is attractive competitively and commercially.

Liberalisation Kuuchi: On the subject of liberalisation you talked about the Yamoussoukro Declaration (YD). The YD was a very good air transport liberalisation programme for the African continent. I think the main limitation is that the expectation from African heads of state was that, one; all the countries in Africa will agree to open up their market.

So they did not envisage element of gradual liberalisation or phased liberalisation, depending on sub-regions or countries that chose to do so.

Unfortunately nothing happened after 30 years, as you said, but last year the Africa heads of state once again came up with solemn declaration, an indication that they realised that there is fundamentally something not workable about the YD; even though it is a good programme.

They have not written it off; the YD is going to be implemented.

This time around they have agreed that countries that are ready and willing to open up their markets immediately signed the solemn declaration and that is why today we are 22. The next phase is for African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) to come up with the process so that, if for instance, an airline in Nigeria want to operate to one of the countries that has signed up to open up its market, what should they do? Do you need notification to the country’s civil aviation? So you need to follow certain steps? That is what AFCAC is working on now. I know the initial effort has been reviewed once and it is going to go through a second phase of review, after which it will then go to the AU for adoption.

Then it will be circulated to all the countries that have signed for effective implementation. As to what will happen, come 2017, AU says by end of 2017 Africa will have a single sky. I am not privy to what will happen if at the end of 2017 the countries still continue to apply restrictions.

I don’t know what the AU will do. But what I do know is that there will be implementation among countries that have signed the solemn declaration. We hope that other countries that have not signed would be inclined to sign after it has taken off.

When EU implemented open sky in Europe, travel exploded. That is the same thing that will happen in Africa. Neighbours will see services and traffic exploding and would want to join.

Fatokun

Safety and Infrastructure Dabbas: Safety is number one for us. There has been huge progress made on safety in Africa but I think there is need to be more improvement.

This is required by governments, civil aviation authorities and bodies that control civil aviation to be more forceful to ensure the adequacy of airlines in meeting their certification process.

We at IATA we have IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and we have 30 members and Allied Air joined us last week or so. We are happy to see that governments are pushing for airlines to meet IOSA certification, according to Abuja Declaration; that AOCs must be given to airlines that passed IOSA audit. We are doing our own share but it depends on governments to enforce the rules themselves.

We have seen countries around the world that did not allow airlines to fly but we will continue to strive to ensure these nations comply. It is important to know that aviation remains the safest means of transport but we must continue to be careful because one accident is always more than we can handle. That is why we work very hard to make sure that safety issues remain the number one priority.

IATA Support for Nigeria Fatokun: To break it down to the Nigerian scene, IATA has been supporting the strengthening of safety in Nigeria. We have taken some airlines, most of the domestic airlines through the IOSA preparatory programme, where each one of them had workshops, funded entirely by IATA and these include First Nation, Medview Airline, Allied Air and Air Peace presently. They have all gone through IOSA preparatory programme and this is a programme that was offered by IATA to help them and it goes straight into helping them to do well at IOSA audit and also improve their level of safety.

IATA did not stop only on the operators, five of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) safety inspectors when through series of training organised by IATA so that the regulator should be strengthened in terms of safety oversight.

That is what IATA has done in the market; since the past two years we have been rolling that programme to improve safety in Nigeria.

We did not only stop at safety, we also improved on security. The main focus today us safety and security. We have had series of workshops that we engaged the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency () NAMA, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the operators on improving security in Nigeria and there were about four workshops that we organised in the past two years. So IATA has really invested in improving safety in Nigeria through the operators and the

agencies.

Nigeria and Open Sky Africa Fatokun: One, we have to understand the position of the Nigeria government and the position of government is that it is for the liberalization of the African market. Nigeria is a signatory to the 22 countries that want liberalised African airspace. So the position of government is that Nigeria is for liberalisation. For those who oppose liberalisation it will be good to show the other side to them. For example, four Nigerian airlines are operating to Ghana and each one records two flights a day. If Ghana is opposed to liberalisation, the Nigerian airlines will not have opportunity to fly to that country. So it is give and take. If you restrict your airspace then the other country will restrict its own.

We have the highest domestic carriers in Africa besides South Africa, so we will be the country that will lose. So that is the perspective. But I think our airlines should think how would they be able to take advantage of the opening of the sky? So they should find out where they fit so that they would be in a better position and take a more viable decision that to oppose the train that has already left the station.

I think governments need to look at the bigger picture and that is the growth of the economy. That is what the airlines can do to make the economy grow and prosper. The role of government is not to protect the airline from providing service to the people. The government role is to provide the infrastructure and to provide services to the travelling public in Nigeria and into and out of Nigeria. I think the interest of the people is far more important than the interest of the company.

Many countries around the world that have open skies agreement have flourishing airlines. This is because they have good business space and they have good business plan and they have good management and they are able to survive.

Open skies makes airlines richer and they flourish more; not on the other way round.

It is unfortunate that we see in Africa, and many parts of the world, that it is not the government that is against liberalisation; it is the weak airlines.

They are afraid of competition; they are afraid of having somebody taking their business away because they are not able to sustain themselves in the market.

Small and Big Markets Kuuchi: If Africa opens its market to each other the ability of airlines to enjoy fifth freedom right will solve the problem of small airlines. This is because if you can mop up traffic from one country to into another you will be able to increase the load factor on flights across countries in Africa,

but today you may not.

Liberalisation cannot be discussed by operators because bilateral is owned by states and not operators. If Ghana and Nigeria have bilateral agreement that only one airline should operate from one country to another. If you want to unlock that agreement so that more airlines from one country can fly to the other and vice versa, you have to go back to government and ask government to relax the bilateral. So instead of restrictive bilateral let us have open market. That is why we are talking to government today. The essence is to get government to liberalise this market. Having said that, we are also working with airlines, trying to encourage airlines to try and cooperate through all the modules of cooperation in the aviation sector to make them more efficient and to increase their load factor.

Airlines’ Trapped Funds Fatokun: On the blocked funds, we are engaging government at all levels. We are working with the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Ministry of Aviation as well as the office of the Vice President.

We have had meetings with the VicePresident about a month ago and the outcome was quite encouraging. Government is giving aviation the highest possible attention as this matter deserves. As you know, the blocked funds is not just the concern of non-Nigerian carriers, it also affects the Nigerian carriers; particularly their ability to bring in spare parts, their ability to send their aircraft for maintenance because it requires foreign currencies. We are addressing this issue and government is listening to us, so we are confident that government will come up with the right support to the airlines.

There are several countries that have blocked fund issues, starting with Venezuela, which has about $3.5 billion and Nigeria has $575 million as at end of March 2016. Egypt has over $216 million; Sudan also has a couple of hundreds and Angola has also a lot of money in the blocked fund. Now, we are dealing with the governments but it is an on-going process.

The biggest blocked funds in Africa are in Nigeria. That is important to know.

IATA and ACI at the global level signed an MOU in 2014 to enable the two associations work closely in infrastructure development and in addressing issues on security and safety as well as taxes and charges at various airports in Africa. Since then we have been working very closely. It will interest you to know that IATA now has a division, which is called airport, passenger, cargo security and this division works hand in hand with ACI in all areas of infrastructure development.

WEEKEND WEEKLY PULLOUT

TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

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

ERAVE | P28

COLLAGE | P32

THISLIFE | P33

FILE

A RACE FOR CYCOLOGISTS ACTING EDITOR CHARLES AJUNWA / charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com

28/COVER

03.06.2016

A Race for Cycologists Cycology Riding Club, a foremost recreational cycling club in Nigeria, last Monday held its first Lagos Criterium race at Eko Atlantic City. Peter Uzoho who was there, reports that the event which took place in a convivial atmosphere, also produced champions in different categories Monday was simply unforgettable! Being a public holiday, many families trooped out in their hundreds to Eko Atlantic City, venue of the first Lagos Criterium race organised by Cycology Riding Club, to relax and have fun with friends. Other people who came from different parts of the country were there to witness it first-hand.

The organisers put in place adequate measures to ensure a smooth outing. Right from the main entrance gate along Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, conventional police and other security outfits were stationed there to ensure that both vehicular and human traffic were orderly; coaster buses were also stationed to convey visitors to the venue.

As visitors arrived the designated car park, another set of well trained security personnel ushered them into the main cycling competition ground. Echoes of songs from popular Nigerian artistes rent the air from inside the massive construction site overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Although it was sunny all day, the air from the beach helped to cushion the effect of the heat.

On arrival on Sunday, participants were given their race packs. There was optional warm up session as they cycled round the circuit in readiness for Monday’sevent. They also used the opportunity to get acclimatised with the environment and make new friends.

The sponsorship Secretary, Cycology Riding Club, Mr. Nike Adeniyi, told THISDAY before the Monday event that they were looking forward to having an extremely competitive cycling event.

“We’re looking at having an extremely contestable cycling event as you can see a magnificent set up here. We’re expecting to have series of competitive events: two professional races, male and female, and recreational rider races. In particular, the professional riders are coming from seven states in the country, namely, Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Ogun, Plateau and Kaduna,” Adeniyi said.

“This is the first ever cycling event that we’ve hosted in this state. We have more than two million naira to grab in prize money for professional riders as well as winners certificate.

The major benefit for the riders beside the prize money is the opportunity to compete. Our riders are professional cyclists who spend all the year training heavily in order to improve on their racing skills and techniques. So they have a very good opportunity to compete in a high level race in Lagos as well as on the world level,” Adeniyi added.

Some of the cyclists who spoke to THISDAY expressed their optimism to emerge victorious at the end of the competition.

Tommy Emmanuel, 28, a professional rider from Cycling Club 12, Lagos, said he hoped to clinch the covetous first prize. “Well, we’re here to compete. By tomorrow we’ll see as everything goes. But I’m hoping to come first by the grace of God.” For Nelson Bassey, 30, Captain of Rivers State Cycling Association, “it will be a great thing because this is the first time to do something like this here. We know that something good will come out of it when the event starts tomorrow (Monday). I’ve been cycling for almost 12 years, so it’s no longer a new thing to me.

They said there is N200, 000 for grabs as first prize and we’re targeting that. We don’t hope to get anything less than that. We’re the giant of Nigeria when it comes to cycling.”

“We expect victory. We want to win the first position, though in cycling you don’t always predict because it’s a highly technical sport. You might be the strongest, but lack of technical issues can make you a loser. To win, you need energy, techniques and your bike must be in good condition,” Abaka Kurotimi, a Delta State cyclist said.

Saviour Udom, 18, a female professional rider

Overall winner men pro celebrating

We’re here to compete in the Lagos State 2016 Cycology Criterium Championship. This is the first edition. Definitely, we are prepared for it; we expect nothing less than a victory. I came with a very competent team, so we’re going home with the coveted trophy

L-R: Tombrapa Grikpa, 2nd Rivers, Rita Aguu, 1st Rivers, Caroline Dung, 3rd Plateau

from Team Rivers said though the competition would be a tough one, she was confident of winning the first position. She however pointed some areas that seemed threatening. ”I’m winning tomorrow. Though, it’s going to be a difficult one. As you can see, the ground is so rough, there is going to be a lot scratches because of the sharp curve here.

And this place is bar beach; the wind itself is a threat to us. So it takes a very strong rider to survive on this kind of track. But we pray that God will help us to ride here without any problem”, she said.

On his part, Mohammed Sule, Chief Coach of Plateau State Cycling Association said, “We’re here to compete in the Lagos State 2016 Cycology Criterium Championship. This is the first edition. Definitely, we are prepared for it; we expect nothing less than a victory. I came with a very competent team, so we’re

going home with the coveted trophy.”

Commenting on the level of organisation of the event, he said, “The organisers have done marvellously well in terms of arrangement put in place, feeding, transportation and accommodation. It has been long that an organisation is doing something like this. So we’re really happy about the event,” Sule noted.

Monday saw the congregation of 13 clubs and state teams from across the country participating in the first Lagos Criterium race. Races were flagged off by important dignitaries such as Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Sports; Mr. Deji Tinubu, CEO Etisalat Nigeria; Mr Mathew Wilsher, and CEO Bridge Clinic, Dr. Richard Ajayi,.

The event, hosted by Mr. Dan Foster, had its share of drama with spectators actively involved by motivating performers with their loud cheers. In the course of the race, some

participants withdrew as they fell and sustained injuries and unavoidable crashes. A quick emergency response team was present attending to the victims, administering first aid treatment to them.

Others were automatically disqualified due to the breakdown of their bikes, a shock they responded to with long weeping. As the race was going on, most children were at the bouncing castle having fun with their peers under the surveillance of their mothers and caretakers. The adults visited sales points around the venue, where all manner of fast foods and drinks were sold. There was musical sound coming from all corners as DJs were on ground to entertain people and put more life to the scenery.

The ladies race saw veteran amateur riders push side by side with their professional counterparts, with Ms Neller Henglster from Austria, being the eventual veteran winner.

In the ladies’ professional category, Rita Aggo from Team Rivers State was the unassailable champion, leaving her team mate, Tombrapa Grikpa to fight for the second position, which she took from Caroline Dung from Plateau State.

The men’s final was not as clear-cut, reminding all spectators that it’s not over until you cross the finish line. Nelson Bassey (aka the cobra)

29/COVER

03.06.2016

Men Veteran set to go

Female Pro

Male pro winners L-R: Henry Chibuzor, 2nd, cc12 Lagos, Nelson Bassey, 1st, Rivers, Innocent Emmanuel, 3rd, Rivers, Female Pro

R-L: Group Head, Strategic Brand Management, Access Bank Plc, Amaechi Okobi_ Special Adviser to Lagos Governor on Sport, Deji Tinubu_ Captain, Cycology Riding Club, Ladipo Soetan_ and Cycologist, Bayo Ogunn

from Team Rivers State showed his ultimate skill as he battled with Henry Chibuzor from CC 12 Lagos right to the finish line. The cobra crossed the finish line a split second ahead of Henry snatching the grand prize of N200, 000. All first place winners received N200, 000 with second place receiving N140, 000 and third place received N100, 000.

Cycology Riding Club, in a bid to reward sportsmanship, provided other prizes for the participants which include; Best All Round Performance award for male and female professionals, won by Team Rivers State; award for the Most Inspiring Performance for the male went to Innocent Emmanuel, CC12 Lagos, while that of female went to Jacinta Okorie of Kaduna State Team and Amina Adegboro of Abuja Wheelers. Award for Fair Play for male professional went to Sunday Musa of Kaduna Team. Award for Team Spirit (male) was won by CC12 Lagos, while female award went to Plateau State Team.

The winner of the male professional category in the competition, Mr. Nelson Bassey, 30, from Team Rivers State who couldn’t hide his joy said “I feel happy, I feel so excited.

This has added to my trophies. I feel really great.” Bassey commended the organisers and sponsors for a job well done.

“Great thanks to them. I give them all the

kudos; they have done a good job. We thank the organisers, the sponsors and everybody.

We wish that this kind of thing continues”.

Speaking at the end of the competition, Chairman, Lagos State Sport Commission, Deji Tinubu said, “The event has been an interesting one. It was all-inclusive, it doesn’t have to be only the enthusiasts that would be coming here; people are coming, families are coming because they are interested in what

The organisers have done marvellously well in terms of arrangement put in place, feeding, transportation and accommodation. It has been long that an organisation is doing something like this. So we’re really happy about the event

Cycologists Dan Ugwuoke of Renaissance Capital (left) and Takeshi Hasegawa at the Criterium race held at Eko Atlantic City… recently

has been happening, they are interested in the scene and the ambience. It’s things like this that Lagos State need.

“With events like this in sports, I believe we’re in the right direction. The organisation has been really good. Because of the weather, we started late. But I thank God that the organisation has been good. It’s been a family day out; families have come here, and there have been food to eat, drink and everything. People are comfortable. So the subsequent ones will be better; we’re going to bring in riders from outside the country to come and compete,” Tinubu added.

Cycology Riding Club which was founded in 2011 by eight founding members, was established to promote cycling both as a healthy lifestyle choice and as a sport.

The club which has about 180 members from over 20 countries including South Africa; Austria; Ghana and Japan, in the last five years has become a recognisable group on the roads of Lagos on Saturday mornings. The members are mainly high-level private and public sector executives and business owners, both male and female, all love the sport of cycling and are keen to encourage more people to take up this healthy lifestyle.

Members of the club have ridden in many parts of the world – riding in neighbouring

Ghana, as well as at the Cape Argus Tour in Cape Town, South Africa. Some of them just finished taking part in the GranFondo in New York last weekend while others are off to Wales next week. A lot of these events were started by local cycling clubs like Cycology to bring the joy of cycling to more people.

Having been exposed to international cycling events, the club decided to establish a professional cycling event in Nigeria which would support our homegrown professional cyclists to continue to excel. When the club approached Lagos State government late last year, Lagos State Sports Commission opted to assist the club in the run up to its maiden event. One thing was certain, both Cycology and the Commission share a common vision of making Lagos State an international sports destination.

Corporate organisations that participated in the just concluded first Lagos Criterium race include: Eko Atlantic, Etisalat, DSTV, SuperSport, Access Bank, PHD Media, Eterna Plc, Cocoon Homes, Homebase Mortgages, Ovaltine, LTCJWT, Valmont Water and Chicken Republic.

Others are: Fig Health Stores, Vitamin Water, U-Loc Storage Central, Ebony Life TV, Beat FM, City FM, Classic FM, Vantage S ports, Cycle Hub Plus, Pathcare, Bridge Clinic, Strategic Education Advisory Services and IL Bagno.

30/ NEWS

03.06.2016

Nigeria’s ‘Wakaa The Musical’Goes to London Stories by Mary Ekah Wakaa The Musical, a proudly Nigerian production, produced and directed by Bolanle Austen-Peters will be showing in London from July 21 to July 25, marking the first time a Nigerian musical will be showing at London’s West End. “This is coming in response to growing interests in productions of African origin across the globe, and various calls for us to take this production to the international community,” Austen-Peter said.

Speaking further, she noted that, “There is a large Nigerian and Afro - Caribbean population in London, who are interested and yearning to see world class productions from Nigeria.”

Wakaa The Musical has the potential to boost cultural diplomacy and promote cultural heritage abroad. A socio cultural and contemporary entertainment production, Wakaa The Musical in London, will celebrate the diverse yet homogeneous people and culture of Nigeria, which has attracted the endorsement and support of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, the National Pension Commission and the Bank of Industry.

It will provide the highly talented and

L-R Ayo Ajayi, Music Director_ Bimbo Manuel, Cast Representative_ Bolanle Austen-Peters, Producer_ Gbenga Yusuf, Dance Director

creative youths involved in the production with opportunities to experience the UK creative space and technology driving the UK creative industry.

The venue for the play is at The Shaw theatre, 100-110 Euston Road London’s West End. The cast members of the production are Bimbo Manuel, Patrick Diabua, Nengi Adoki, Dolapo Oni, Ozzy Agu, Jolomi Amuka, amongst others.

Other events lined up in London as part of the Wakaa The Musical in London activities include: a talk organised and sponsored by the British Council and the UK Department

of Culture facilitated in partnership with Chatham House. The United Kingdom's Minister of Culture and members of parliament will be in attendance and other high profile leaders of the creative industry in UK. This is scheduled to hold on the 20th of July at the Pullman Hotel, London. Another is a cocktail reception sponsored by MIXTA Africa and the Nigerian High Commission in the UK, the UK diplomatic community, business leaders and top UK government officials, The Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed will be in attendance at the event.

AMAA 2016 Holds June 11 Jury announces nominees

Mr. Shaibu Husseini, President of the Jury of the African Movie Academy Awards, the annual pan-African reward system for motion picture practitioners, recently announced nominees in 28 categories.

Husseini who also doubles as the Chairman of the College of Screeners said during a media event in Lagos, that AMAA is a jurybased award and not a voting awards where nominees embark on voting campaigns to win any of the categories.

According to Husseini, the Jury announced nominees into 26 categories while the Board of Jurors is yet to conclude on the remaining two categories. "The remaining categories are special Jury awards and before the awards ceremony we would have decided on the nominees and eventual winners and by that time we would have the full Jury members on ground."

The Board of Jurors of AMAA which has members which include academics, film makers, critics and film festival curators from Nigeria, Germany, United States, Zimbabwe, Jamaica and Burkina Faso will decide on which film and individual talents that will emerge eventual winners at a glamorous awards night which will

Shaibu Husseini, President of Jury AMAA 2016, Biodun Kupoluyi, Publisher E247 Magazine and Tony Anih, Director of Administration AMAA at the unveiling of the nominees at Protea Hotel

take place on Saturday June 11, 2016, at the Garden City, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The Jury President also revealed that the quality of movies that came into the competition have improved greatly adding that more young people across the continent are coming into the industry as film makers with over 150 short film entries.

"Our film makers only need to pay attention to details especially in the technical areas. We have the stories already especially

filmmakers producing films in African languages. Truth is we can only compete at the Oscars with our indigenous language films and to do this we must improve on our photography, sound, editing and other technical areas. Our people need to improve on sub-titling of our films. What we do as sub-titling are jokes and there is no way our films can travel within the international film festival circuits when the people can’t make sense of our films."

Gospel Business Men Seminar to Reveal Secret of Success Rebecca Ejifoma The Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International is spreading its tentacles wide as an avenue to develop, equip and empower Nigerians for more exploits in the market places through its coming seminar in Lagos.

The 2016 Annual Business Seminar runs on the themes, 'Essentials for Modern Enterprise' and 'Non-Oil Options in the Nigerian Economy'. While former will hold on Friday June 10 at the NECA House Event Centre, Alausa Ikeja, the latter will hold on Saturday June 11 at the Lagos Sheraton and Towers at Bank-Anthony Way, Ikeja.

The Friday seminar, billed for 5,000 for entry, is to show people how they can generate business ideas through essential soft skills for modern and business career growth with financial management skills for business management.

According to the District Coordinator, Mr. Fola Aguda, "Small and Medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for over 95 per cent of firms and 60-70 per cent of

employment and generates a large share of new jobs in developing economies. They have specific strengths and weaknesses that may require specific strategic and management responses."

Hence, this seminar will significantly build on local strengths, networks and support systems that can help Nigerian SMEs improve to meet the eminent challenges of globalisation.

The Saturday conference is for those who run companies and have established for years. This will reveal to them how they can expand their businesses.

"This is for us to grow the economy together. This is no more what the government can do but what individuals can do. More important than the money is the business generating ideas, your idea must be Implementable, Marketable and Fundable (IMF)”, Aguda added.

Meanwhile, the Chairman and CEO, TECO Ltd, Mr. Charles Aladewolu, explained that their intention is to tell people who they are, what they do, and share their testimonies.

“We impact the people, we impact the nation everywhere we are. Our contribution is to bring people who have knowledge in various fields together."

Running in the country for 19 years, FGBMFI is a global network of business, career and professional men and women.

There are thousands of chapters in over 160 nations of the world. With over 3000 chapters meeting in most major hotels and restaurants in cities across Nigeria, the Fellowship is a proud organisation with 4,000 members in the country. And it has 500 chapters in Lagos State.

The course content include: Exploring agricultural value chains in the Nigerian economy; managing productivity: the social media effect; accessing sectorial funding for SMEs; exploring opportunities in the solid mineral sector; overcoming current challenges in international business and empowered for exploits in the marketplace.

Others are: starting and managing a successful poultry business, how to generate ideas for business, make profit, financial management skills for small business.

Red Media Africa Wins Facebook PR Account Leading Public Relations and Communication agency, Red Media Africa has been appointed as agency of record for Facebook in Nigeria. With its headquarters at Menlo Park, California, Facebook continues to drive its mission to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected, connecting over 1.04 billion daily active users worldwide and 7.2 million daily visitors from Nigeria.

Chude Jideonwo, Managing Partner Red Media Africa will at Red Media lead on Facebook's communication, relationships and activations across the country with its teams from policy to developer relations and will also provide secondary support in markets across West Africa.

Founded in 2004, Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected. People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what is going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them.

Facebook has 1.04 billion daily active users on average worldwide and 7.2 million daily visitors from Nigeria.

Red Media Africa (www.redmediaafrica.com) is the PR and Empowerment Marketing division under the parent brand, RED. It focuses on using inspiration, empowerment and action to help brands and organisations connect with their audiences, enhance their bottom-lines and lead in their industries. It has six major practice areas: corporate practice, technology practice, SME practice, governance practice, faith practice and the international practice - with work for brands across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. RED owns the continent's largest portfolio of youth media brands. Its Content Division holds brands across TV, radio, online and events including Y! Magazine, YNaija. com, Rubbin' Minds, #YTech100 and The RED Summit.

It also anchors a development firm, The Future Project, which projects include Africa's leading youth platform, The Future Awards Africa, HowCanIGetInvolved.com and Aiki. ng, which is run in conjunction with Microsoft.

'Excellence is Key to Nation Building' Ugo Aliogo The Convener of Excellence In life (EIL) workshop, Dr. Femi Paul, has stated that the culture of excellence should be imbibed by all Nigerians in the task of nation building, adding that it is the main driver for change which the nation needs.

Paul who disclosed this at the weekend in Lagos, during the EIL workshop, stressed that if the country aspires for change in this troubled times, it should begin from within ourselves as individuals, adding that it is the mindset of the people and the culture of mediocrity that has brought the country to where it is.

He also stated that mediocrity is the lifestyle of not doings things properly and accepting things the way they are without effecting necessary changes, noting that the aim of the workshop was to make people abandon the old culture they were born with and replacing it with the supreme culture of excellence.

“It is change on the inside that produces change on the outside because every human has a capacity to do great things either in the wrong or right way depending on their culture,” Paul added that if the government builds the infrastructure, but the people still have the culture of mediocrity, they don’t have value for it. This is why we build bridges people destroy, the government construct road and the people litter it with rubbish.

“Everything we build in this country does not stand, because we have to first change the mindset of people; then they will build what you were trying to build. It is a long journey because culture is hard to change. EIL is taking a step in the right direction to inspire people to have a change of culture. Everyone that comes to this workshop becomes like a seed, so that if they go back they can inspire others to cause a change. Therefore, the nation will see the culture of excellence. I admire what the government is doing, but they need those with the culture of excellence who want to build and take it to another level.”

31/LIVING

03.06.2016

Celebrities Storm Physically Impaired ‘Masked May’ Ball The Federal Nigeria Society for the Blind (FNSB) celebrated its annual fundraiser May Ball last Saturday in Lagos amidst pomp and splendor, with the presence of prominent Nollywood stars. Draped in the red, black and white colour scheme of the event, the Shell Hall of the Muson Centre Onikan, Lagos came alive with star performances from the VTC Choir, a blind dancer and interactions with some of the blind students. Ranti of Iwe Kiko fame also performed. There was a fashion parade of designs made from fabrics designed by VTC students.

And raffle draws and other competitions held where guests won various prizes.

Particularly adding glamour to the event was the presence of influential persons in the society and particularly Nollywood players including Tade Ogidan, Sola Sobowale, Foluke Daramola, Fathia Balogun, Iyabo Ojo, Bimbo Akintola, Ronke Oshodi Oke and Lepa Shandy.

But the glamour was missing to the blind students for which the event was all about.

They sat at specially designated tables decked in their usual black tops and black trousers or skirts for men and women respectively, with white canes, some decked in dark eyeglasses.

They were like other people, except for them, it was dark everywhere.

FNSB Chairman, Asiwaju Fola Osibo, complained of lack of funds to run the organisation’s activities and reiterated an institutional neglect from government saying, “We receive no subvention from the government. We are absolutely a voluntary organization and depend on generous givers to run this organization and we have been doing this since 1955.”

Though an anonymous donation of two

L-r: Former Chairman Executives Council, FNSB, Chief Olu Falomo, Nollywood Actress, Sola Sobowale, Chairman, FNSB, Asiwaju Fola Osibo, Vice Chairman, FNSB, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo and Past Chairman Executives Council, FNSB, Mrs. Biola Agbaje during the Masked May Ball Event in Lagos

million naira amidst other donations was announced, it represented a miniscule sum in the 40 million naira needed to run FNSB’s Vocational Training Centre (VTC) located in Oshodi, Lagos annually.

Actress Iyabo Ojo said the plight of blind people in Nigeria was a major concern to her.

“Going into several homes, I discovered a lot, parents do abandon their children,” said Ojo who thinks parents and other members of the society must care for the blind. “They have

their own special gifts and blessing, that’s what I think. When you care show them love, God in return will shower his own blessing on you” Sola Sobowale, another actress who is seriously spearheading the initiative, said, “In other countries abroad, people with special needs are given optimum attention but back here in Nigeria, they are neglected and treated with disdain. And as a result this set of people do not have confidence in themselves”.

Lamenting further, she said, “We should not

make them feel unwanted. We should not make them live in misery. We should try and support them and make their lives more meaningful and useful to the society. A lot of them have great ideas and untapped talents even though they are physically impaired.”

She also appealed to corporates organisations as well as government agencies to stop discriminating against the physically impaired.

“A lot of organisations out there discriminate against them by not offering them job opportunities even when they know many of the physically impaired are very intelligent and are full of great ideas. So what we are saying is that the physically impaired should be given the attention and opportunity they deserve.”

Speaking further, she said, “That is why I am taking it up as a huge responsibility to ensure that my colleagues in the movie industry join hands with me to ensure that this course is pursued logically. I want people out there to know that it is not the end of the world for them when they go blind. There are a lot of talents in you, which you can use for your good and that of the society at large. I am equally appealing to organisations out there to give them jobs because some of these physically impaired people can do better than those with sight. I am also calling on government to come to their aid by providing all amenities that these special people require to live their lives with as much comfort as they could.”

Established in 1956, the Vocational Training Centre has trained over 2,000 people, empowering them with skills to make them useful to society and themselves.

‘Ghana Must Go’ To Premiere In Lagos The much-anticipated movie ‘Ghana Must Go’ produced by award-winning Ghanaian-Nigerian actress, Yvonne Okoro of Desamour Production Company, will be coming to Nigerian cinemas from June 3.

Directed by multiple award winning filmmaker, Frank Rajah Arase, ‘Ghana Must Go’, stars Yvonne Okoro, Kofi Adjorlolo, Ik Ogbonna, Blossom Chukwujekwu, Helen Paul, Ada Ameh and Nkem Owoh popularly known as Osuofia.

Set in Accra, Ghana, the comedy revolves around two young lovers who are of Nigerian and Ghanaian origin. Yvonne Okoro plays the role of Ama, a London based Ghanaian lady who brings her Nigerian boyfriend, Chuks played by Blossom Chukwujekwu, home to meet her parents resulting in all hell being

let loose.

Ama’s parents especially her father refuses to give their blessings to their relationship, citing historical happenings between both neighbouring nations as reason for not accepting Chuks.

The series of events that play out test the love and marriage of the young couple in the most hilarious and unexpected ways.

This is the second feature movie from Desamour Company Limited after the 2012 box office success of ‘Contract’. ‘Ghana Must Go’ was released earlier in 2016 and has already enjoyed box office success in Ghana.

The Nigerian Premiere is set for Friday June 3 in Lagos while FilmOne Distribution Company will be taking the movie to cinemas across the country from June 10 2016.

Cast and Crew of Ghana Must Go

‘Just Not Married’ Tops Cinema Ratings Barely weeks after making its way into Nigerian cinemas, one of 2016’s highly rated productions, ‘Just Not Married’ from the stable of Judith Audu Productions, is currently serenading Nigerian cinemas.

According to reports, the movie is currently going toe-to-toe with its foreign counterparts like X-Men Apocalypse, Neighbors 2, The Perfect Match, Angry Birds and a couple of others. Elated at the performance of the movie in the cinemas, producer of the flick, Judith Audu-Foght said that she and her entire team are overwhelmed with all the positive feedback from movie lovers.

"We are very grateful and appreciate all the love Nigerian movies are getting in Cinema, we are happy we took the risk we took and gave movie lovers something to make them proud of Nigerian movies again," she said.

Only recently she held a private screening for the movie at the Lagos Yacht Club on the 13th of April where she received accolades for her effort. This was followed by an exclusive screening of the flick at the Genesis Cinemas, The Palms, Victoria Island on Friday, May 6.

Present at the premiere which preceded the official release of the movie in cinemas across the country were former Presidential Media

Just not married crew, from left- Omowunmi Dada, Morten Foght, Judith Audu-Foght, Kunle Afolayan, Chioma Ude and Ijeoma Agu at the premiere of the movie recently

Adviser, Dr Reuben Abati, Grand Patron on the Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Andy Boyo, President of the Association of Movie Producers(AMP), Ralph Nwadike, President of the Directors Guild of Nigeria(DGN), Fred Amata, veteran filmmaker, Mahmood Ali-Balogun, frontline filmmaker and Director, KunleAfolayan, Founder and Executive Director of the African International Film Festival(AFRIFF),ChiomaUde, Journalist and

culture historians, JahmanAnikulapo, Shaibu Husseini and Head of Communications at ntel, Toni Kan. At the end of the 105-minutes movie, the hall erupted in applause for the classic offering which they described as a very unique debut effort by the actor, blogger OAP and now movie producer. In her vote of thanks, Judith, who was flanked by her husband, Morten Foght, and the cast and crew of the movie,

thanked everyone who made out time to be at the premiere in spite of the fact that other movies premiered that evening. She implored them and all her fans to keep spreading the word so that the movie will be a success. She said: “I thank you all for coming out tonight inspite of the heavy traffic and other premieres that you have to attend. I pray that God will bless and honour you. Please help spread the word out there and let Nigerians know that this is their own story, a story of our lives, one that they will truly enjoy.” ’Just Not Married’, is directed by UduakObong Patrick with Asurf Oluseyi as Assistant Director. It is written by Lani Aisida and has Fayo Festus as Director of Photography.

The movie features Stan Nze, Rotimi Salami, Ijeoma Agu, Obutu Roland, Brutus Richard, Gregory Ojefua, Judith Audu, Sambasa Nzeribe and Perpetua Adefemi. It is the story of two brothers who chose opposite paths. Victor, a recently released ex-convict who is trying to piece his life together while Duke is a brilliant undergraduate determined to see his ailing mother live. Duke enlists the help of his two friends in stealing cars decorating them in presence of a newly consummated marriage.

The movie is produced in association with Blacreek Pictures and Asurf Films effort.

32/XTRA

03.06.2016

Apapa Family Celebrates 25 Years of Touching Lives In a couple of weeks, the Apapa Family of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, will be celebrating its annual event tagged ‘Excel’, a corporate social responsibility initiative of the church. Mary Ekah writes that this year’s edition coincides with the silver jubilee celebration of the Apapa Family, which will feature activities that will re-enact everything family stands for Every year, the Apapa Family of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), holds its annual Excel event, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) scheme, with various activities lined up to excite, inspire, impact and edify its members and particularly, the society at large. However, this year’s Excel, which marks the 25th year of existence of the Apapa Family comes with considerable excitements. The reason being that it will be celebrating its silver jubilee at this year’s even twhich, has the theme, "Sustaining Change”.

Holding between Saturday, June 4 and Sunday 5 at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, this year’s edition will be focusing on harnessing the thrust of change championed by the Apapa Family since its inception 25 years ago. The event which will feature amongst other things, provincial football tournament, musical concert, completion of the book library project, the grand celebration of 2016 Excel and 25th anniversary Thanksgiving service to be presided over by the General Overseer of the RCCG, Pastor E.A Adeboye, which will kick start with gospel musical concert.

Speaking to journalists recently on the 25 years existence of the Apapa Family, the Excel 2016 and the initiatives it has so far embarked on to affect the society and the nation at large, the Pastor-in-charge of Region 20 and Head of the Apapa Family, Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, restated that this year’s Excel celebration is significant in the sense that God has kept the Family, sustained its work and its vision for 25 years.

“This year’s Excel celebration is more special because Apapa, is clocking 25 this year and this year’s celebration of Excel is a lot more bigger and better because it is celebration of God’s instrument for 25 good years”, Iluyomade noted.

On this year’s theme ‘Sustaining Change’, Iluyomade said, “We are celebrating the 25 years of the existence of the Apapa Family with the theme ‘Sustaining Change’ because we believe that one of the things that can best describe Apapa Family is change. We have been talking about change for so long even as we are transforming lives; transforming the society at large and doing things that endure. We are so excited that God has kept us together as a body and that 25 years on, we are still relevant in the scheme of things.”

On the highlights of this year’s event, the cleric said the 25th anniversary celebrations would kick off on Saturday, June 4 at 6pm with a three-hour non-stop musical concert featuring Nathaniel Bassey, Chioma Jesus, Wale Adenuga and Cobhams Asuquo amongst other leading gospel artistes. While on Sunday, June 5, at 7.00am comes the main Excel celebration service, which will be presided over by the General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor E.A Adeboye at TBS, Lagos. Expected at the silver jubilee celebration is the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who is a member of the Apapa Family and Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode amongst other dignitaries coming from all over the globe.

As in past Excel celebrations, Iluyomade hinted that there will be free feeding and medical checkup for all at the service. “During the grand finale celebration of the silver jubille and Excel 2016 celebration, there is going to be free feeding for every one that come as well as free medical care. There is going to be free transportation all over Lagos as well”, he further said.

The celebration will also extend to ensuring that its corporate social responsibility activities

Iluyomade

for this year are adequately put in place. “We are going to continue our signature project because for each year, we have signature projects, which is our corporate social responsibility (CSR). We are so strong on CSR because we believe that churches should be given back to the society and we have institutionalised some of the things that we are doing”, the Head of Apapa Family noted.

The Apapa Family, he explained, is a group of people that gives bountifully to the society, adding, “We are operating under what we call the eight spheres of spiritual governance and so we have impacts in the social, healthcare, education, media, business and economy; art, culture and entertainment; government and politics and sports.

Elaborating on the various projects that the Apapa Family has embarked on so far, he said, “We feed 60,000 people every week in Lagos and we have done that in the past three years and that has cost us well over N3 billion. And that is just an aspect of what we are doing and we have soup kitchen all over Lagos and we just want to ramp up that with a food bank.

We also have rehabilitation centres and over the years we have been doing all kinds of things, we have a Prison Ministry.

“It has equally intervened in the area of entertainment; media and music by producing TV soaps like Heavens Gate, Oasis and at the moment is planning to shot a movie. For the past 12 years we have had Heavens Gate, an evangelical soap, and the latest one we have is Oasis and right now is number one viewers’ choice and the plan now is to shot a movie so that we can have a greater reach. We are working on some movies right and would be unveiled very soon.

“We are changing the culture in record label/artiste relationship. In the past we have situation where the record label makes all the money while the artiste goes home with more or less stipend but with our record label, we want to change that culture though our record label so that all gospel artists that are signed on our label get a better deal than they have

ever done”, the cleric noted.

Iluyomade said the Apapa Family believes the gospel music space needs to be changed so that the kind of lyrics and songs that are out there are those that edify, inspire and encourage.

“We have our own record label, which is called Excel Record Label and it is an offshoot of the talent hunt I mentioned earlier. And right now we are in the sixth edition. Every year we encourage these children from all over globe to come together and express themselves.

As part of the celebration, on May 30th we would be having the grand finale of this talent hunt which, like I said, is called “God’s Children Got Talents” where the first winner will win a prize cash of N5m, he/she will be encouraged and mentored with the musical piece that he does to wax a record carrying the Excel Record label.”

On aspect of educational empowerment, which the church has heavily embarked on, Iluyomade said, “We have various projects like the Leadership Training School, Bible Collage and then we have various programmes that teach people about skills acquisition, right now, we are partnering with Microsoft to give free training to those who are interested in up scaling their skills in IT sector. We are strong on teaching because we believe that through teaching you can transform lives and build leaders for the nation. Virtually all the Apapa churches have skills acquisition improvement schemes under their wings.”

As part of these programmes, he said the church also trains teachers in the public schools so that they can acquire skills, noting, “The way many of us were taught while in school has changed and you need to change with the tide. The attention span of children is shorter now and that is why they use a lot of graphics and music; the teaching skills have changed and these are some of the things we want to deploy to our schools and other schools we are partnering with by providing adequate teaching aids and also exposing students to the latest technology so that teaching and learning will be fun.”

Speaking further, he said, “In the sphere of education, our project is to equip 500 public schools libraries this year. We started last year and we believe God that we are going to complete the plan to equip 500 public schools’ libraries in Lagos State. So far we have done 300 and we believe God that before the celebration, we would have completed the 500.”

Also in the area of enhancing education, the Apapa Family had endowed a chair in the name of its General Overseer, E. A. Adeboye for Mathematics in five Nigerian universities at sum of N50m every year and has done that for five years.

Revealing further the impact of the Apapa Family on the society, Iluyomade said, “It is instructive that we have a professional football club and our women are in the premier league and are playing. We are not only about playing but we are transforming that space.”

The Apapa Family has also impacted tremendously in the health sector as it has saved lives of so many Nigerians. “We realised that about 30 million Nigerians were in need of dialysis intervention and the nation needed about 12,00 dialysis machines but in the country we have less than 200 dialysis machines that are operational and so we established a hospital that has 10 dialysis machines to contribute to our own quota to the improvement of healthcare delivery system in the country and every month, we offer 30 free dialysis

sections and we have partnered with some hospitals and we have done about six kidney transplants in collaboration with our foreign partners. At our hospital we treat people at subsidised rates. We also have a cancer-screening centre in Surulere also to screen people but for those that cannot visit our hospital, we have mobile clinics and s we go to the hinterlands to give the medical attention.”

He said that Apapa Family has in the last 25 years done quite a lot globally but that this year the main focus is finishing the project that it embarked on last year, which is quipping the libraries of 500 public schools in partnership with Lagos State.

He was quick to add that every thing done by the church is for all and sundry without discrimination on religion or tribe while the church financesevery project carried out by the church with supports from various corporate organisations.

“I think the culture is changing in the sense that when the corporate organisations who initially discriminate or do not want to partner with religious organisations like ours, when they saw the transparency in our corporate governance and the impact we have made, were easily convinced to partner with us and this automaticallyincreases the number of people’s lives we can touch. For example, after we have bought our first mobile clinic, we got some organisations that put down their money together to get us another mobile clinic which cost about N28 million”, he added.

Iluyomade also revealed that apart from the education and health sector, the church has also impacted lives in the area of electricity.

“We also provide electricity by providing streets lights powered by solar energy in the areas like Mushin and Kirikiri which has in turn reduced crimes in those areas and then increased and improved night trading thereby enhancing commerce”, he said.

On what the future holds for Apapa Family, the Head of the family said, “We believe that God has helped us a lot and when you say Apapa, some call it an idea, some call it a family, some call a church, some call it a movement while some can not even place, so they call it a spirit while some cannot even explain it but can see. But for us Apapa Family is an ideology; a collection of doctrines and beliefs shared by members of the group. It can be described as a set of conscious and unconscious ideas, which make up one set of belief, motivation and expectation. Now this is something that cannot die but endures.

So it’s an idea and I believe that things can only be better for us in our nation because of the input of the family and we see the Apapa Family and what it stands for as a catalyst of change. We see people studying the family and what we have done in the past 25 years and how we have done it and using them as templates to excel in life. So, I believe that apart from the fact that there is going to be tremendous growth, this is a journey of exceedingly greatness that has no end and that will shine brighter and brighter as we go along and at the end we would see that our lives and that of the entire nation will be transformed. And for this current government that has a member of the Apapa Family, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, you can see that its mantra, what they have been talking about is change, as that story of change is heralded and talked about, there would be a transformation, not only for the churches of the people but for our nation and we can only trace all these to the spirit of the Apapa Family, which started 25 years ago”, he claimed.

33/ XTRA

03.06.2016

The Successes of Buhari Despite facing harsh criticisms in recent times, Godless Eduviere writes that the Muhammadu Buhari administration has several achievements to its credit, after one year In democracies across the world, it is a tradition for elected officers to be evaluated and judged after 365 days, based on their performances, which is set against the promises they made during electioneering and public expectations. The government of President Muhammadu Buhari will not be an exception.

On May 29, 2015, Muhammadu Buhari became the 4th Executive President of Nigeria’s 4th Republic. It was a moment of hope for the millions who had voted out erstwhile Commander-in-Chief, Goodluck Jonathan for the inadequacy of his government to confront Nigeria’s most pressing challenges.

But with great hope came great expectations, and many wondered whether Buhari, the General from Daura, would be able to turn around the nation’s fortunes. 365 days after, the jury is still out.

Recently, Buhari has come under harsh criticism for his failure to halt the fuel crisis that has plagued most parts of the country for months. And the renewed militancy threats in the Niger-Delta are setting another tragic momentum that might derail the country’s gains in the North-east, where territories formerly claimed by terrorist group, Boko Haram, has been reclaimed. But has Buhari’s 365 days been a failure? It might be wiser to measure his successes.

On the Economy, one of the three pillars on which Buhari campaigned, he has implemented the Treasury Single Account (TSA), which has provided greater visibility for government revenues and cash flows. Between June 2015 and April 2016, the Federal Government TSA collection clocked N3 trillion. To further instill fiscal discipline, President Buhari directed the closure of all multiple accounts in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government, thereby plugging loopholes for leakages with new technology. The opaque accounting structure of the NNPC has also been reconstructed to be more transparent with the closure of more than 40 accounts. As a corporate entity, NNPC is now accountable and more transparent in operations, publishing its monthly financial reports.

“For a nimble, measurable and effective entity, the NNPC is undergoing restructuring,” Special Adviser to Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, says. “The restructuring of the NNPC leaves more room for competition, predictable revenue generation and compliance with global best practice of operations.”

Initially grounded before the inauguration, the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries are back in operation with 60 per cent capacity and producing seven million litres of PMS daily. The Kaduna refinery also resumed production at the end of the April, 2016.

Buhari has also resolved the lingering shadowy oil swap deals that had cost the country billions of dollars and left it at the mercy of a few rich Nigerians.

To alleviate the suffering of Nigerians in September 2015, President Buhari directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to disburse N689.5 billion as bailout to 27 states of the federation to pay salaries. Equally, to stimulate the economy and reduce poverty, in April 2016, Buhari approved deferment in the payment of the bailout as states were still reeling under the burden of the fall in commodity prices.

Also, records of more than 34,000 ghost workers draining the nation’s resources were expunged from the Federal Civil Service, saving N2.29 billion monthly. And in 2015, Buhari ruled out the appointment of a government delegation for pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. By this decision, the government saved about one million U.S dollars and N30m of local expenses.

On anti-corruption, another of his campaign pillars, Buhari has created a framework for prosecuting the war against corruption and institutionalise probity by setting up

Buhari

an Advisory Committee on War Against Corruption. On assumption of office, he had

To alleviate the suffering of Nigerians in September 2015, President Buhari directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to disburse N689.5 billion as bailout to 27 states of the federation to pay salaries. Equally, to stimulate the economy and reduce poverty, in April 2016, Buhari approved deferment in the payment of the bailout as states were still reeling under the burden of the fall in commodity prices

cut down the number of ministries from 42 to 25, to reduce the cost of governance, and he directed that all top government officials prioritise on foreign travels and use only business class tickets, instead of the statutory first class tickets “Right from the moment he won the Presidential Election in 2015, the impression of the President as no nonsense and incorruptible leader sent a signal to looters of public funds, with many of them returning funds that had been stolen under previous administration,” Mr. Adesina says.

“The anti-corruption battle is gaining ground with several high profile cases already in the courts. The administration is being guided by the rule of law in the prosecution of corruption cases.”

Buhari has enlisted the support of multilateral institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), security agencies, Western countries and other friendly nations to source, locate and repatriate stolen assets. At a London summit on anti-corruption, Buhari announced that Nigeria will begin the full implementation of the principles of the OPEN contracting data standards.

In the first quarter of 2016, Buhari has embarked on trips to the Middle East to sensitise the governments on the need to

repatriate stolen assets and hand over the looters for trial in Nigeria. In January, Nigeria and United Arab Emirate signed Judicial Agreements on Extradition, Transfer of Sentenced Persons, Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal Matters.

In March 2016, the Federal Government and the Swiss Government signed a Letter of Intent on the Restitution of Illegally-Acquired Assets forfeited in Switzerland. Under the agreement, Switzerland will repatriate $ 321 million USD illicitly acquired by the Gen. Sani Abacha family.

Also in March 2016, the Presidential Committee set up to probe contracts awarded by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) from 2011 to 2015 announced the recovery of over N7 billion from indicted companies and individuals.

On security, the third tripod of Buhari’s campaign, the relocation of the Nigerian Military Command Centre to Maiduguri, since May 2015, has contributed to the success in the fight against insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country. As at February 2016, the total number of persons rescued by the Nigerian troops during the ongoing operations in the North East came to 11,595.

Since December 2015, the well-motivated and rejuvenated Nigerian Military have regained all Nigerian territories previously under Boko Haram control. Nigeria has provided $21million USD to the Task Force since June 2015 and is committed to an additional $79 million USD, bringing the total of Nigeria’s commitment to the Task Force to 100 million USD. There has also been cohesive international support in the fight against terrorism and assistance to victims and communities affected by terrorism, following Buhari’s meeting with G7 leaders and other world powers.

In May 2016, Nigeria hosted a Regional Security Summit to boost military operations against Boko Haram and forge a global support for the rehabilitation of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and rebuilding of the North-east. In June 2015, the United States announced a 5-million-dollar support for the fight against the terrorists in the sub-region. In April 2016, during the visit to Ms. Samantha Power, the U.S Ambassador to the UN to Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, the U.S Government further announced an additional $40 million USD for humanitarian assistance in the sub-region The recruitment of additional 10,000 persons into the Nigeria Police Force is ongoing. The recruitment will address the manpower gap which currently exists in the Nigeria Police On Job Creation, Buhari ordered the release of 10,000 tons of grains from the National Strategic Grains Reserve in April 2016, to cushion the effects of rising food prices and directed the Ministry of Agriculture to provide assistance to able-bodies men and women in IDP camps to return to farming.

“To further demonstrate his penchant for fairness and justice, the President directed the CBN to clear all the outstanding allowances of former militants studying in various institutions across the world,” Buhari’s media chief, Adesina says.

Buhari also salvaged the Amnesty Programme from near collapse by changing the leadership, and giving it a new vision of catering for the weak, the poor and the vulnerable, instead of enriching a few. “The move has been well received by the people in the Niger-Delta,” Adesina notes.

To his credit, Buhari has also ordered a fast-track of the Ogoni clean-up, acting on a United Nations Environmental Project Report that had been long delayed by previous administrations.

Adesina said other sectors touched by Buhari’s administration include in health, solid minerals, power, education, infrastructural development and transportation, environment, sport, national image and many others.

34/ETIQUETTE

03.06.2016

THE ETIQUETTE FORUM ADEKANMI OTEDOLA-OLUSANYA

email mretiquetteonline@yahoo.com

tel. 08112661635, 0809285 4855

The Gentleman and Infidelity (3)

Over the last two weeks, I have taken on the gentleman’s approach to infidelity. This week, I conclude this series as promised last week on the ‘little things’ and tough choices in avoiding infidelity.

Every time I hear of a person who got involved in infidelity and I take a sincere and scrupulous look at the reason behind such act, I discover that it all starts with ‘little things’. Most men never set out to engaging in infidelity. However, their ‘naive’ handling of those little things render them susceptible and vulnerable in the end.

These little things range from what they say to the opposite sex, their proximity to them and their inability to know where to draw the line.

I want to share a story with you of a friend of mine who could have fallen into infidelity but who knew where to draw the line. I hope you draw invaluable lessons from his experience.

He shared his story with me about four years ago. Listen to the intricacies closely. He was working with one of the many banks that folded up before the recapitalisation process. He had a very good client and later met with the daughter of the client and had to deal with her.

Eventually their relationship became equally cordial. But my friend did not know where to draw the line. One Saturday, he at work and she showed up in his office and it was cordial banter as usual. Then they decided to go for lunch and began to perambulate Lagos until they eventually ended up in Apapa. Days later, his wife saw a receipt in his pocket while washing his clothes and was troubled. However, she decided to stomach it. After a while when her worries would not be placated but rater grew worse, she could not contain it anymore.

She eventually quizzed her husband about it in the middle of the night and he immediately denied that the dinner had anything to do with another woman. After lying to his wife, his conscience hit him hard, and it dawned on him that there was already a problem. It was

at this point, that he decided to draw the line and good for him he never had an issue on infidelity with this woman. You see, my friend knew where to draw the line and the problem is most men don’t. With hindsight he even knew that the trip to Apapa for lunch with that woman was unnecessary. He was humble to admit his mistakes. Many who fell to infidelity don’t know when to draw the line.

Most men who fell to infidelity started out by allowing other women sit on their laps as it proved harmless. They cracked careless jokes with them, they sent mischievous text messages, they refused to discuss feeling for other women with their wives (or good people who could help them out) until the feeling became fantasies and the fantasies grew into decisions and the decisions grew into choices and choices became habits.

Avoiding infidelity may necessitate tough choices like putting checks on the kind of conversations, compliments you give and receive from the opposite sex. The kind of physical contact you make with them. I am not trying to impose my choices on people, however, I have taken a firm stand never to be with the opposite sex in uncompromising places and times. I have also decided to restrict body contact with women to handshakes and side hugs only.

You may be a gentleman like my friend who avoided infidelity by knowing where to draw the line. If he avoided it, you too can.

You could purchase a copy of my book on etiquette titled PROPER MANNERS AND ETIQUETTE IN ANYTHING AT ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE at the price of N3,500 at our corporate head office at 340 - 344 Ikorodu Road, by Idi-Iroko Bus Stop, Maryland, Lagos.

Or call 0802 312 6010 or 0811 266 1635 to have a copy sent to you.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE FRIENDS YOU KEEP. Tennis great Boris Becker who admitted to infidelity spoke of how his friend Sean Combs took him to a club in the south coast of the US called The Bed – where women from various nations of the world are served to men on beds.

The friends you keep are very important

PAY ATTENTION TO THE FRIENDS YOU KEEP. Tennis great Boris Becker who admitted to infidelity spoke of how his friend Sean Combs took him to a club in the south coast of the US called The Bed – where women from various nations of the world are served to men on beds.

The friends you keep are very important

PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE YOU GO TO. When Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion, he was invited to be one of the judges at a beauty contest. The whole episode ended in Tyson’s alleged rape of beauty queen Desiree Washington. Tyson was convicted and spent three years in prison. I personally think Tyson had no business at the beauty event

It has been observed that most cases of infidelity were work related. Most of these men who fell to infidelity were people who got into these acts with their secretaries, close female associates or assistants. Let’s not quickly forget that Monica Lewinsky who had an affair with President Bill Clinton was an intern at the White House

35/ENTREPRENUER

03.06.2016

‘Taxi Driver, Cleaner Gave Me My Job Breakthrough’ Bunmi Awoyale, the CEO of 2 Bees Services was a banker turned caterer whose outfit has catered for many prominent citizens in Lagos and across many states. Though she has continued to count many blessings in her endeavours, she has never despised her little beginning as she tells Funke Olaode, how a taxi driver on her street and a cleaner in her former place of work gave her a breakthrough

Awoyale

Can we have an insight into your background?

My name is Bunmi Awoyale. I am from Ogun State but married to a Kwara man. I was born in Isolo, Lagos State. I had my early education at Our Lady’s of Apostle Secondary School, Yaba. I went to Federal Polytechnic, Offa and later Kwara State Polytechnic where I majored in Banking and Finance. I served in a furniture company at Allen Avenue, Ikeja.

While waiting to get a normal job, I dabbled into business of buying and selling. I used to go to Dubai to buy things. I later met a taxi driver who connected me to someone at Trade Bank where I later got a job as a banker. This man was a God-sent because I didn’t know that he lived on my street. You know I travel a lot and most times it was my senior brother that used to come and pick me at the airport. That particular day, my brother didn’t come on time and I had to look for a taxi. I didn’t know this man used to live on my street. While we were going this taxi man just engaged me in conversation and said ‘Madam, you are too young to engage in buying and selling. Why don’t I look for a regular job?’ He said if I don’t mind he has someone at the Trade Bank that would help push it. He collected my CV. I didn’t know that anything would come out of it. I wasn’t at home the day interview letter came. I went for the interview and passed, that was how I got a job at Trade Bank.

a cleaner in my former office. When Trade Bank was defunct in 2005/2006, this girl was one of our cleaners at the Trade Bank and she asked me if I am still into catering business, I said yes. Then an arm of the judiciary on the Island wanted to organise a seminar and they needed a caterer. That was how I was able to penetrate into the place. I am still enjoying the opportunity till today.

that, I was into selling of children and baby which has made life easy for me both at home and at work. wears.

How has it been in the last six years?

We have been busy catering for people all over Lagos and Nigeria as a whole. As I said earlier, our services are not restricted to indoor and outdoor catering alone. We are also do event planning and gift packaging. Without sounding immodest, there has never been a What do you think endears you to people? dull moment in our business as each passing I don’t allow things to weigh me down. I day opens a new vista. We have clients who try as much as possible to look things in a are high and mighty. The arm of judiciary I positive way. I can say what endears me to mentioned earlier, has been our client over the people mostly is that I laugh a lot. I am a years. We have catered for politicians, private very jovial person. I give audience to people individuals (highly placed). We have catered for no matter who you are. You know the kind of 2,000, 3,000 capacity events. We have catered job I do sometimes put you under pressure. for weddings, burials, chieftaincy titles etc.

As you know human beings are complex and We do both continental and intercontinental, it takes patience and understanding to be able Nigerian meals of different cuisines. to handle them. My mantra is that ‘customers are always right’. For me, I hardly shout or Do your clients get satisfaction from what scream. Before I leave home, I would have you do?

Yes. It has been a roller coaster for our prayed. So my composure really helps. company over the years. When our clients get At what stage did you develop passion for satisfaction, they refer us because we go extra mile to live above board in service delivery. catering?

While growing up, I had always been inter- So, apart from this year, when the economy ested in anything that has to do with parties. is a little bit slow, God has been good to us.

If my family wanted to organise something I was always in the forefront giving advice How has it been taking care of the home and all that. I was about 15 years then. If front?

My husband has been helpful. He is a good my brother is organising street carnivals or What lesson has life taught you in this regard? going to the beach I was always there. When man who is passionate about me and what Never to look down on anybody. I have learnt I was working as a banker, I knew within I do. And sometimes when I have multiple that anybody can be your helper and this is me that it was for a while that I was going jobs he helps to oversee them. He is good at what has helped me up till now. I don’t look into anything to do with parties be it event logistics and seeing him around puts everybody down on anybody. People that have helped planning, indoor and outdoor catering, gift (my staff and outsourced staff) on their toes. me so far in life are what people will refer to packaging and so on. When the bank got He has been of tremendous help in terms as ‘Commoners.’ The person that gave me my liquated, I re-awakened my passion and went of finance as well. I am not always at home first breakthrough in my catering business was into catering business fully in 2010. Prior to but he copes well. He is a very nice person,

You have just talked glowingly about your husband. How did you meet?

I met my husband when I am working at Trade Bank. We were on the third floor and he was on the 18th floor. I was looking for where to send an e-mail because our bank wasn’t on-line at that time. I stumbled on him and he assisted me and the rest is history.

Ironically, when I met him I wasn’t interested in relationship but when a man looked at you and had this unusual impression. As time went on, he was of help to me in my job because I had mandate to get money as a marketing officer with the Trade Bank. He was of tremendous support. We got married 13 years ago and it has been good.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

Last six years has been good, the next five will see us expanding. I want to have a catering school whereby I will impact knowledge and empower people. For me, I didn’t go to any training school. I learn on the job, networking and surfing the Internet on catering also helped me. It is not everybody that has that kind of opportunity. So I will be happy to impact people.

Are you fulfilled being your own boss?

Yes, I am. While I was working at the bank I had projected that I was not going to work more than five years. Unfortunately, the bank went down and instead of wallowing in selfpity I saw it as an opportunity to launch out and re-awaken my passion. Today, I have no regrets.

36/COLLAGE

03.06.2016

L-R; Former Executive Director of NNPC,Mr. Joe Iro and his wife Maria celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in Lagos...recently. Behind them is Msgr J.K Aniagwu ETOP UKUTT

L-R; Celebrant, Olori Adedayo Adeolu and her children, Olufunsho Adeolu, Korede Ibitoye and Tolulope Medebem, during the 70th birthday thanksgiving service celebration of Olori Adeolu, at Methodist Church, Ode Remo, Ogun State…… recently

L – R; Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Asiwaju Musilumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Khamis Olatunde Badmus and Deputy Speaker, Federal House of Representative, Hon. Lasun Yussuf, during the 70th Birthday Celebration Alhaji Badmus in Osogbo, Osun State... recently.

L-R; Bento Salami, Tayo Amobi (ARE), Bejiwa Olugbemi and Princess Olawunmi Jedege (OLORI), during the launching of their album entiltled ''Fesologba'' in Lagos... recently

L-R; President, The Light Bearers, Wesley Cathedral Olowogbowo Lagos Brother Tola Noibi; a new Patron of the Society, Bro Evans Bode-Thomas; former Lay president, Archdiocese of Lagos Methodist Church, Nigeria, Elder Ayo Oni and the Secretary of the Society, Bro Prince Adesegun Akitoye during the Silver Jubilee Anniversary celebrations of the society, at the Wesley Cathedral Olowogbowo, Lagos...recently

L-R: Pastor Joseph Oke; Pastor Joy, Mrs Olajide Tola; Mrs Funmilayo Majekodunmi; Celebrant, Olusola Olamide Majekodunmi;and Ademolagun Ayo, during the 40th birthday of Majekodunmi in Ilogbo, Ota Ogun State... recently

Mr. Edafe Great Akponovbe and former Miss Titilope Abisola Okunowo, during their wedding at the Ikeja Registry, Lagos... recently

37/THISLIFE

03.06.2016

Boniface Chibunna Nwakanma: Exit of a Legal Icon

Late Nwakanma

Charles Ajunwa Sir Boniface Chibunna Nwakanma was born on 11th August, 1938 to the family of late Ephraim and Roseline Nwakanma Abajuo in Umunawiri Ife Ezinihitte-Mbaise Local Government of Area of Imo State.

He started his early education at the Ife Primary School. As a student, the young Bon Nwakanma excelled and was consequently awarded the Commonwealth scholarship to study Education at the Stranmills College, Bellfast between 1960 and 1962. He graduated from Stranmills with a diploma in Education.

While at Stranmills, he also enrolled at the Faculty of Law at the University of London to study for their intermediate Law examination. In 1963, in recognition of his academic excellence, he was awarded the University of London’s certificate of merit standards in Criminal Law, Land law, Tort and Law of Trust. He graduated the following year with a second class honours degree in Law from the University of London. He immediately proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in 1965 and after being placed first out of 55 students in his class, he was called to the Nigerian Bar in July of the same year. In 1982, he obtained his Masters degree M.A (Lond.) in Strategic Studies in the United Kingdom.

Nwakanma's public life spanned over four decades. It was a period of many remarkable achievements in his career, the church, the community, the state and the nation as a whole.

As a young lawyer, he was committed to a life of service to his community, his state and his country. He was launched into public service with his election as the Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association between 1972 and 1974. With the creation of Imo State, he became a member of the editorial board of Imo State of Nigeria Law Reports between 1976 and 1980. He was also Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association Owerri.

In 1980, he was appointed a federal commissioner of the Code of Conduct Bureau. While at the Bureau, he designed the asset declaration form (FORM CCB1) for public officers and in 1982, he produced models for transparence in

public life. In 1986, he became the Attorney General and Honorable Commissioner for Justice of the old Imo State between 1986 and 1987.

As a Commissioner, Sir Bon Nwakanma again left his indelible footprints on the sands of time, with the inauguration of the Customary Court in Imo State.

In 1994, Sir Bon Nwakanma was nationally recognised for his legal prowess, as he was conferred with the prestigious position of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He blazed the trail as the second Senior Advocate of Nigeria from Imo State.

In recognition of his commitment to quality education for all Imo indigenes, he was appointed Acting Chairman of the Imo State University Governing Council between 1996 and 1997.

In 2000, he was appointed a member of the Imo State Judicial Service Commission.

He held this position until 2010.

He was a Member representing Imo State at the National Political Reform Conference in 2005. He was chairman/member of several other boards, commissions and panels and he continued to make his mark in his legal practice with various landmark wins under his belt which subsequently led to the publication of his book on Election Petitions in Nigeria.

He was a community leader par excellence. He was the quintessential trail blazer for the young men and women of Mbaise who adored and emulated the extraordinary life he lived.

He contributed in no small measure to the educational and career development of many Mbaise indigenes

He was a man that distinguished himself in various sectors both in federal and state appointments.

In 2008, he was again nationally honoured by the then President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, with the conferment of the national honour of the Federal Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).

Late Nwakanma was a remarkable Church administrator and a committed Christian of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion.

He was knighted by his Lordship, late Arch.

Bishop Benjamin Nwankiti in 1988. He was one of the pillars of the development of the Owerri Diocese and was always at the forefront of the building of the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of our Lord. Sir Bon Nwakanma was one of the people that championed the creation of Mbaise Diocese. He organised his people to come together and transformed the church in Ife into a magnificent Cathedral. He personally funded the building of the vicarage and served in many committees set up to ensure that the new diocese became a reality.

When in 1992, the Mbaise diocese was finally created, Sir Bon Nwakanma became the first and only Chancellor of the diocese till date; he broke another record as the longest serving Chancellor at an Anglican diocese. He was also a member of the Standing Committee Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion (The Governing body of the Church in Nigeria) from 1993 till date. Sir Bon Nwakanma contributed through personal donations and membership of various committees to the development of both the Owerri and Mbaise dioceses and in recognition of his immense contributions to the church, he was honoured severally by both the laity and the clergy of the Church in Imo State.

He was a community leader par excellence.

He was the quintessential trail blazer for the young men and women of Mbaise who adored and emulated the extraordinary life he lived. He contributed in no small measure to the educational and career development of many Mbaise indigenes. He trained and successfully facilitated the employment of many of his people in Imo State and beyond.

His achievements in this regards will keep his memory alive for many years to come. He left a legacy of service to God, to his community and to his family. He was honoured with numerous chieftaincy titles including 'Ugo Mbaise' amongst many others. This was a clear indication of how revered and respected he was at home. For him, charity began at home. It was no surprise then that he was offered the position of traditional ruler of his community. But being a modest man, he graciously declined to accept. His commitment to the development of Mbaise endeared him to all and sundry. As a result, he was voted in as the President General of one of the foremost socio political organisations of the Mbaise nation "Ezuruezu Mbaise". During his tenure he brought stability and unity to his people. His love for his people earned him many awards, including the Leadership and Contribution to the Development of Mbaise Award from Ezerezu Mbaise in 2007. He also received The Senior Citizen Award by the Mbaise Council of Traditional Rulers in 2013 and the Builder Award by Umunawiri Village in 2014, amongst others.

He was also a dedicated family man. He loved his family unconditionally. As a husband he was loving and understanding. His relationship with his wife, late Lady Bridget Nwakanma JP, was a very unique one. He loved her so deeply that even death could not break the love they shared. As a father, he was a source of strength and wisdom for his children. He gave everything to provide for them but yet lived a simple life; meticulously nurturing them into the accomplished adults they are today. His love for family extended far beyond his children. His brothers, sisters, cousins, in-laws, and others, were all beneficiaries of his benevolent disposition. He was indeed a father to many!

The late legal icon, who died at the age of 77, will be laid to rest on Friday, June 3 at Ezinihitte-Mbaise in Imo State. His burial will be preceded by a Christian Wake on Thursday, June 2 and a funeral service at St. Michael All Angels Cathedral Mbaise.

He will be dearly missed by all who encountered him.

38/OPINION

03.06.2016

ADEOLAAKINREMI HOME TRUTHS

P

Email: adeola.akinremi@thisdaylive.com

Tel 08116759785(sms only)

Seeing through Cross River State

olitics is about momentum. For the moment some politicians are rolling downhill. Their current poor showing and rating after one year in the office reflect real disappointments.

For the governors, most of them have been in a pickle for lack of creative ideas to run their states without enough federal allocations to meet their daily financial needs.

Bayelsa and Osun States are basket cases.

Let’s not talk about them.

With so much money it received in the past from federal allocations as an oil producing state, Bayelsa should truly live up to its nickname name—the glory of all lands—but Bayelsa is in a state of obloquy.

The situation of the State of Osun or Osun State, where Rauf Aregbesola became a governor in 2010 with re-election in November 2014, is troubling. The ‘redeemer’ of Osun who came to power on the strength of his slogan, ‘redemption’, is now a man asking for deliverance, both physical and spiritual.

In Osun it’s a broken promise that leaves everyone absolutely cheesed off.

But, why looking at the mirror from the rear, where all you see is nothing. Why? Let’s see through Cross Rivers State, where, the change is tangible. Ben Ayade, a claimant to sewage treatment plant invention that depends on solar energy is the governor of Cross Rivers State.

He’s a former senator. He’s also a professor.

He’s 48. He’s of the Peoples Democratic Party’s stoic. That’s the summary of Ayade’s profile.

With the economy sputtering and lamentation is the lyrics, Ayade is making himself the ‘unusual’ governor. There are three possible explanations for Ayade’s accomplishments in

Ayade

just one year.

First, Ayade appears to be standing on the shoulder of giants. It is a good trick for success according to Sir Isaac Newton, the famous British scientist.

To be sure, the British two pounds coin emphasised it by placing a part of Newton’s famous quote at the edge of the coin—standing on the shoulder of giants. In a correspondence over accusation of plagiarism from Robert Hooke (another British scientist) to Newton, the response of Newton was simple. He described how his work was built on the knowledge of those that had gone before him. "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants," Newton said dismissing the charge of plagiarism brought against him by Hooke.

In Cross Rivers State, Governor Ayade has been able to convince anyone that to succeed, you must put your shoulder to the wheel and do everything possible to stand on the shoulder of giants. The giants in his case are his predecessors, Liyel Imoke and Donald Duke.

While other governors were busy fighting their predecessors, Ayade cleverly considered his options. He must have acted like those in the boardroom who oftentimes busy themselves with SWOT analysis.

It’s debatable, but Ayade made the right decision to concentrate on governance than wasting his time on politics of name and shame without any serious job done.

He simply hits the ground running in his state and started earning the service stripes like an army officer.

The projects started by his predecessor became the launch pad for Ayade. The completion of the monorail linking Tinapa and Calabar International Convention Center—a project initiated by Imoke; the start of the construction of a super highway from Calabar to Obudu Ranch Resort and that of a deep sea port in Bakassi, among other projects, all bear evidence for how standing on the shoulder of giants is a recipe for success. It is what is commonly known as the low-hanging fruits.

Significantly, Ayade became the first governor in Nigeria to bring President Muhammadu Buhari out of Aso Rock on a state visit just four months into his administration, at a time when other governors hadn’t decide the direction of their governments.

Yes, Ayade certainly knows where to strike the right chord.

The second reason I could think of is that Ayade came prepared. He brought new order to governance in Nigeria. Paying workers in the civil service bi-weekly or on the first day of the month is novel on this side of the world. He surely knows how to excite workers and how to attract investors. For instance, by January, Ayade who arrived in the government house

in May last year to be greeted by embarrassing labour issues over unpaid salaries has become a ‘labour-friendly’ governor.

Really, many other governors who met similar situation as Ayade’s couldn’t do anything to remove the jammed cork inside the bottle, even with the federal government bailout funds. They have indeed aggravated it. The best example is Imo State under Governor Rochas Okorocha.

So on a recent week when the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) published a report headlined, ‘civil servants donate four years promotion arrears to Cross Rivers State,’ i didn’t take it for a political spin as I would have done with stories of such nature from the other governors.

According to the report, the civil servants in Cross River State forfeited their promotion arrears amounting to N3.8 billion owed them by the state government for four years.The period covered between 2012 and 2016. If you asked me, I will say that is unusual. But the purpose is worth given a thought. They want the government to use the money for the development of the state.

John Ushie, the Chairman of the state branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress, said during his speech at the 2016 May Day celebration in Calabar that “The labour leaders and workers have observed with keen interest the enormous responsibilities shouldered by Governor Ben Ayade of the state in the area of projects execution.

“Following this development, workers have decided to support this administration by sacrificing all monies accruing from arrears of promotion within 2012-2016 to the tune of about N3.8 billion.

LEKANFATODU HEADS-UP

W

e honestly can’t keep repeating how appalling the economic situation of Nigeria is right now.

Before the shocking fuel price hike that has heightened fears across the country, and spiked the cost of almost everyday goods and services, there had been serious apprehension and groan on how lack of electricity was forcing businesses to shut down and pushing able hands into the overflowing pool of the unemployed in the country.

Along with that came the demon of the dwindling dollar in the foreign exchange (forex) market. This case is quite straightforward.

Nigeria is a petrodollar dependent country.

The oil and gas industry accounts for over 90 per cent of Nigeria’s revenue source. The billons of forex inflow that is moved regularly into the Central Bank of Nigeria’s account and is shared every month by the federal government and the 36 states of the federation, and about $26 billion in our foreign reserve are proceeds from crude sales in the international market.

Interestingly, experts from the same international market have, for decades, been the individuals and entities mainly behind the processes of exploration and production of the 2.2 million barrels of crude per day sold by Nigeria (though the latest attacks on pipelines and oil infrastructures allegedly by a new militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers, have affected the current daily output), due to little or no capacity by Nigerians to undertake part of the processes and take significant share of the industry spend.

Email lekantodun@yahoo.com

Dakuku’s Content Talk

Peterside

Now that the government has hit the dollar cul de sac due to the decline in the global crude price from which it earned its humongous greenbacks when the price was high, and has made an open declaration on its inability to subsidise petrol because of non-availability of forex for marketers to import which has tipped the price of the product up outrageously, Nigeria has resorted to an aggressive policy action geared towards alternative revenue earners, both in naira and dollars, that are essentially non-oil-dependent.

A painfully good experience, you would say.

After all, necessity, they say, is the mother of innovations. And I’m certain that if Nigeria fails to seize this moment, however difficult, to reposition and reform her oil and gas industry and stimulate the economy through opportunities in other sectors, another suitable time may be too far to come by.

But, in all of this, the government must tidy

up its policy approaches and communication for easy comprehension by the people. I have said that part of the major problems of this administration is lack of effective public communication and policy coordination.

The narrative of economy diversification that is being presented by the government is one that sounds like a total abandonment of the oil and gas industry and other related economic advantages in the sector, for one solely on manufacturing, production and consumption of “Made in Nigeria” goods.

It is therefore imperative to emphasise that greater economic recovery can be better achieved through an extensive touch on all economic variables that can lead to prosperity for all. And it is worth stating that the oil and gas sector already has its form of “Made in Nigeria” policy otherwise known as the Nigerian Content act which seeks to empower and develop ingenious capacities in the sector and is relatively more established and can be made more impactful and beneficial to the economy and many Nigerians.

This, I’m sure, was the thought of the new Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, when he recently described the maritime sector as the soul of Nigeria’s economy, since oil and gas is often referred to as the heart of the economy, when speaking on how Nigeria can derive more gains from the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content (NOGIC) Act, 2010.

Ultimately, Dakuku is making a pragmatic proposition for the overall good of the nation through the proper implementation of NOGIC

act from the perspectives of its connection with the maritime sector; and development of the local content in the maritime industry through the review of the Cabotage Act, 2003.

This is a commendable step, which I believe, if well managed, will improve the forex earnings of Nigeria and put the nation on a stable economic stead.

Prior to now, many Nigerians, particularly stakeholders in the maritime and oil and gas sectors, have expressed frustrationswithgovernment agencies within both sectors working at cross purposes and also with some items of both the NOGIC and Cabotage Acts not broadly fulfilling their objectives of helping to develop indigenous capacities and competencies.

Thus it is expected that with Dakuku’s show of commitment to reviewing the Cabotage act and returning the industry to a path of excellence and profitability there will be improved and mutually beneficial collaboration between the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) International Oil Companies (IOCs) and NIMASA. With this, and by repositioning the intents of the laws and providing necessary incentives and support for Nigerians to acquire vital skills and equipment in accordance with the provisions and desires of the laws, Nigeria can retain the targeted $10 billion from the annual industry spend of $20 billion in the oil and gas sector, a large chunk which continues to benefit different foreign countries.

Certainly, this is the kind of dedicationand political will that is required to stimulate a sector-wide local content policy and approach.

39

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

Children’s Day Celebration: SPAR Fetes Children in Lagos Hypermarket and leading retail store SPAR Nigeria, in line with its child-friendly policy, made the International Children’s day a memorable one for Radiant Achievers School and other children in Lagos state.

The learners, who had recently enjoyed a nutritional surprise from the Hypermarket were elated when SPAR

specially invited them to its special fanfare for children in commemoration of the World Children’s Day. SPAR hosted the children to a day of fun, games and learning at its Lekki Store.

The children were treated to free toys, Mascots, Bouncing Castles, Face paints and other exciting games at the store.

Other children were not left

out as the store played hosts to a number of other schools and children accompanied by parents and guardians.

In appreciation, Radiant Achievers Schools did a short musical presentation in the Store after which the Proprietor Mr. Dennis expressed profound gratitude to the management of SPAR Nigeria for its consistent support to the school and its

learners.

The Brand’s spokesperson, John Goldsmith stated that while the store was opened for business, its primary attention for the day was the children.

He noted that the store warmly welcomed various cadre of shoppers with their children and entertainment points were strategically located around the premises so that any child had

access to play along-side their counterparts irrespective of background or school.

In a similar manner, SPAR Ilupeju played host to a variety of schools both private and public and there were lots to eat, drink and win.

SPAR’s holding Company in Nigeria, Artee group is presently collaborating with its affiliates and partners to

enhance the learning processes of children within its host communities. The initiative, which commences in July this year will involve the distribution of learning aids to schools nationwide.

With over 9 stores in Nigeria and counting SPAR seeks greater involvement in improving lives and institutions within its host communities.

Ikeja Electric Marks Children’s Day in Selected Hospitals Ejiofor Alike Ikeja Electric at the weekend, visited children across selected hospitals located within its network to mark the 2016 Children’s Day. The activity, which was in line with the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility programme, provided an opportunity for employees of the company to donate toiletries, sanitary items and party packs to patients of the Children’s wards in the General Hospitals at Gbagada, Orile-Agege, Ikorodu and Isolo, as well as the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, in Ikeja.

Employees of the power company brought smiles to the faces of visibly elated children, who did not hide their pleasant surprise, as they distributed several gift bags which contained story books and toys, among others.

Head of Corporate Communications, Ikeja Electric, Felix Ofulue, explained that the choice to celebrate this year’s Children’s Day in the hospitals was deliberate because it provided an opportunity to put smiles on the faces of the sick children.

In his words: “Naturally, a sick child will feel unhappy and uncomfortable to be missing out on the celebration, so our goal was to cheer them up and let them know that they are also very precious to us. I am certain that the love and care they experienced from our employees will also aid their fast and full recovery”.

“For a wider impact, we decided to visit the General

Hospitals within our network and of course LASUTH. We do hope and pray that all of the children at will recover fully as soon as possible” he said.

Receiving the IE team at General Hospital, Gbagada, the Deputy Medical Director, Dr. Ajibola Keshinro, expressed delight at the gesture, noting that it was commendable that Ikeja Electric was reaching out to sick and recovering children.

“So many things are involved in a child’s recovery when ill.

While there is the need for proper and adequate healthcare, there is also the power of upliftment which a child feels when a gesture like yours triggers joy, happiness and feelings of gladness in their hearts. It helps us a great deal. Today, you have partnered with us in a unique way and we are truly grateful”, he said.

Ofulue quoted an excited parent, Mrs. Bola Animashaun, as having commended Ikeja Electric for taking out time to visit with the children.

“Managing a sick child is not easy. We have been on admission here now for a few days and truly this was the last thing I expected today. I did not even remember that today was Children’s day. But see my son, at least he is smiling.

God will bless you”, she said.

Ikeja Electric has over time built a reputation as being socially conscious. In April, the company gave out free books to children in primary schools within its network as it marked World Book Day, encouraging the reading of books from an early age.

SECURITY TIPS

L-R: Acting Public Relation Director, Nigerian Army, Col. Sani Usman; President, International Public Relation Association (IPRA), Mr. Bart de Vries; Director, Force Police Public Relations (FPPR), Bisi Kolawole; President, African Public Relations Association (APRA), Peter Mutie and the Secretary General APRA, Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, during a security session on ‘How Not to Communicate during Crisis by Military-Police and Paramilitary Public Relations Officers Forum (MILPOPPROF), at the 2016 APRA Conference, in Calabar... recently

FUG Pension Gets ISO 9001/2008 Certification Ebere Nwoji FUG Pensions, one of the licenced pension Fund Operators, has satisfied the requirements of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) for certification with its quality Management System ISO 9001:2008.

The company said it achieved the feat, after months of undergoing auditing and other processes to achieve the internationally acceptable standard.

The certification, according to the company was aimed at repositioning it for excellent service delivery and customer satisfaction.

In a ceremony at the company’s head office, FUG Pensions

AMJON Inaugurates New EXCO, BoT Chinazor Megbolu In a bid to chart a new course in maritime journalism, Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (AMJON), the new umbrella body of all maritime journalists has inaugurated a new executive body and Board of Trustees (BoT) to take the sector to another level in maritime reportage.

The event held recently in Lagos following the advice of the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi on the need to show example, through conducts that promotes integrity and professionalism. The event had observers drawn from the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council and

National Association of Govt.

Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), the Commissioner of Police, Ports, amongst others were in attendance to witness the elections. At the end of the election, the Editor, The Journal, Mr. Ismail Aniemu emerged President; Mr. Paul Ogbokiri of New Telegraph, Vice President; Mrs. Clementine Okonye of COOL / WAZOBIA FM, Secretary General; and Innocent Orok of This Page Newspaper, Treasurer.

Other winners were; Mr. Femi Orioye of OGBC FM, Financial Secretary; Mr. Kelvin Igho kagbare of Maritime Nigeria, Public Relations Officer; Mr. Uche Usim of Daily Sun Newspapers, Provost 1 and Mr. Stan Okenwa of Champion Newspapers, Assistant Secretary General.The BoT members, are; Mr.

Asu Beks, Chairman, Mr. Ubong Akpan , Mr. Friday Odemena and Mr. Eguono Odjegba are members.

Speaking after the election, Aniemu on behalf of the executive members described the formation of AMJON and the elections as victory for maritime journalism and practitioners and added that AMJON doors are wide open to accommodate all true maritime journalists.

He explained that the exco’s cardinal programme is to grow members reportorial capacity, enhance professional image including building strong bridges of industry relationship aimed at elevating the capacity of AMJON members without compromising the ethics and universal principles of journalism practice.

was formally presented with the Certificate of Compliance with the internationally acceptable minimum standard.

Receiving the certificate, the Managing Director of FUG Pensions, Mr. Usman B. Suleiman, stated that the Company was challenged to achieve the height because of the need to deliver and sustain quality service to its customers and stakeholders.

Also speaking at the event, the acting Chairman of the Company, Barrister Adeyinka Sogunle noted that with the certification, the PFA has an edge over its competitors at the marketplace. He vowed to ensure that the company lived up to its billing in customers’ satisfaction index in the pension

industry in particular and in the finance sub sector in general.

Sogunle noted that the certification has now raised the bar in service delivery in the industry and placed the company on an advantaged position, while marketing its products and services.

“It will go a long way in giving FUG Pensions a marketing advantage. We are the first PFA to be certified by ISO in quality management system; another PFA was certified in data integrity. The word management is all encompassing, it means that in terms of delivery we have demonstrated quality, in our internal audit we have demonstrated quality, in our data, we have demonstrated

quality and in almost everything that the organisation stands for, we have demonstrated quality.”

The FUG Pension Chairman commended the management and staff of the company for their commitment that resulted in achieving the certification and pledged the continued support of the board in ensuring that the standard achieved is sustained.

Director and Chairman of the Board Committee, that oversaw the certification, Alhaji Gambo Shuaibu said the rationale for the certification was to measure how effective and efficient management processes in service delivery were. He added that it took the Company 18 months to achieve and gave the assurance that it would be sustained.

Petrobras CEO Says No More Political Interference in Oil Company Petroleo Brasileiro SA’s new Chief Executive Officer Pedro Parente said political interference has ended in the state-run oil producer and that fuel price decisions will now be made according to the company’s best interests.

A solution to Petrobras’s debt, the largest in the industry, includes selling part of its assets, he was quoted by Bloomberg to have told reporters after his swearing-in ceremony in Brasilia, led by Acting President Michel Temer.

Parente is the best person to lead a recovery at the oil company that is at the center of Brazil’s biggest-ever corruption scandal, Temer said during the

event.

Temer said he supports the two-year graft probe known as Carwash that has led to the arrest of former Petrobras executives, business leaders and politicians.

Under a scheme that lasted about a decade, a group of suppliers bribed former officials to win contracts with the oil producer.

The acting president reiterated Petrobras’s claim that it was a victim of bad practices.

“Everyone expects that you, in some time, will make us proud of our Petrobras again,” Temer said at the ceremony, where heads of state banks were also sworn in. “No one will interfere in Carwash.”

Parente, who has extensive

experience in government and business, was confirmed as CEO by the board of directors on May 30. He will officially assume the post on Thursday in Rio de Janeiro, where Petrobras is based.

Parente was a member of Petrobras’s board for almost four years starting in 1999, and its chairman for nine months, while he was part of former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso’s cabinet. He was also the head of agribusiness giant Bunge Ltd.’s Brazil unit from 2010 to 2014. He is currently the chairman of BM&FBovespa SA, the operator of Latin America’s biggest securities exchange.

40

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

PERSPECTIVE

NLNG Act: The Facts of the Matter Yemie Adeoye “Facts are stubborn things, and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence”. – John Adams (1735-1826).

There have been a number of views expressed recently in the media and elsewhere by persons claiming to be proponents and supporters of the interests of the oil producing Niger Delta region. In the Nigerian environment, such developments where representatives of the numerous interest groups angle for room within which to situate their ideas for a multiplicity of reasons can be considered acceptable and normal. But what is recognised to be one of the rules of engagement within this growing tribe is that the players must abide by truth and must accept that the strength of their positions on issues may be challenged.

I am compelled to challenge attemptswhich have made lots of subjective claims which cannot stand the test of scrutiny on the issue of the Niger Delta Development Commission, an Agency which has been locked in a tussle with the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas company (NLNG) over its perceived right to collect a three percent levy from the company. Let us begin by looking at various claims made in recent paid advertorial: That “the Niger Delta communities which the NLNG project should develop substantially are brazenly disinherited, underdeveloped and marginalized and have remained at the negative receiving end of NLNG’s growth over the years”.

Firstly, it is a known fact that Niger Delta states receive additional 13% derivation from the Federation account to which NLNG accounted for over 10% of the revenues in 2014 and 2015. Aside from this, there are the Niger Delta Ministry and the NDDC to which several billions of dollars had accrued over the last few years. Unfortunately the consensus is that there is sadly very little to show for all these accrued funds to the region, and it is an irony that the proponent has not deemed it appropriate to demand accountability from past and present government officials of the States and Agency for the billions of petro dollars. I find it strange that they consider it appropriate instead, to play to the gallery on the issue.

Secondly, nothing can be farther from the truth, as Bonny Kingdom, the primary

base of NLNG operations is unarguably the most advanced host community in the entire Niger-Delta region. Bonny Island in its entirety enjoys 24 hours uninterrupted power supply courtesy of the Nigeria LNG and its partners, a feat which no town in Nigeria, including our gilded federal capital city, can boast about. Bonny island is even referred to as “small London” in several quarters in Nigeria in apparent reference to the infrastructural endowments which have come to the island kingdom and which would be celebrated with delirium if a portion of it ever found its ways to other oil host communities like Eket in Akwa Ibom state, Oloibiri and Ogoni in Rivers state, or Warri in Delta State just to mention a few.

The Nigeria LNG’s presence in Bonny kingdom may not be unconnected to the major reason the kingdom has never joined other Niger-delta communities in constant anti-economic activities and youth unrest as has been the case in several communities around the region, so the proponent’s submission in this regard can comfortably be deemed to belong in the realm of romanticism than fact as we know it.

I am not of the view that NLNG is a perfect organisation by any stretch of the imagination but as a result of research I have done into CSR models, especially in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, I am able to throw some light on this matter. I will however take the liberty to mention a few strategic interventions that the NLNG has undertaken in its quest to be a corporate, social and responsible organisation not just to its host community, but also to the country at large. Interventions that are of course, public knowledge in their annual “Facts and Figures” and should be acknowledged by anyone who wishes to engage objectively in the subject matter.

The NLNG built, equipped and continues to sponsor the Vocational College on Bonny Island in the Niger Delta. It is noteworthy that the College was accredited by both the City and Guilds Institute of London as well as the Nigeria Board for Technical Education (NBTE) with the support of NLNG; To top the provision of 24hrs electricity, piped water supply and paved roads in Bonny Island in the Niger Delta; NLNG also funded the construction and equipping of a $2million Engineering Laboratory in the University of Port Harcourt; the company generates about N6 billion annually in taxes

to the Rivers State Government and another N140 million annually as rates to Bonny Local Government Council; There are also Construction of roads, schools, town halls and Health Centres in Rumuji, Ubeta and several other communities in the Niger Delta to be factored in; and the well acknowledged provision of Post Primary, Undergraduate and Post graduate scholarships to over 3,000 students from the Niger Delta undertaken by the NLNG. Again, the Proponent observes that “the gestation period (pre and post operational holiday tenure) should have been fixed in that Act to read between 7 to 10 years and therefore supported the amendment of the NLNG Act to incorporate fixed tenure of the tax holiday.”

Nothing could be more confusing and baseless than this uninformed submission.

One would expect that if the proponent took the trouble and expense of publishing his case in three national newspapers, he would have taken similar care to check his facts as an obviously interested stakeholder would.

To aid broader understanding, permit me to attempt a simplification of a matter which in my opinion, has suffered a great deal of deliberate contortion and misinterpretation recently. In reality, there are no ‘hundredpound Gorrillas’ in the picture as some would have us believe. There are a few relatively simple aspects to the NLNG Act. The first aspect is that it grants 10 years tax holiday from Company Income Tax. As has been well publicised, the company has been paying income tax effective upon expiration of the 10 year period. The proponent and their ilk may also wish to be reminded that none of NLNG’s shareholders received a single kobo as dividend during the first five years of this tax holiday, as all incomes were reinvested in the business enabling it to rapidly grow from two to six trains. Without this creative holiday, government would have only received one third of the dividends it has so far received, and gas flaring would still be around 50% today rather than 25%.

Then there is the aspect of exemption from Customs Duties during construction. But Post construction, NLNG has been paying applicable customs duties. The NLNG Act also legally grants the company exemption from any other new taxes or levies that may be imposed, if those taxes do not also apply to all other companies doing business in Nigeria. The last part of the law relates of

course to assurances and guarantees, which is that the country, through that law commits to the investors that it will honour the Act and not change it without recourse to, and agreement by all the shareholders. In a nutshell, it was this agreement structure which enabled the shareholders to grant over $6 billion in investments and it is these same investments which enabled the company to generate over $33 billion that has so far been paid to the government; It is this by extension which has also enabled Nigeria to effectively reduce gas flaring from 65 per cent at the time to 25 per cent today.

Against this background, one wonders, is it even conceivable for any one in good conscience to tag this model as undesirable or a bad deal? I think not.

The reasons for tax holiday have also been similarly distorted and over-emphasised, and anyone as indeed everyone who wishes to contribute or join in this discussion should at least have a working level understanding of the drivers and motivation behind the tax holiday for Nigeria LNG. But for the purpose of those who are not adequately informed on the issues, I shall attempt to add a brief historical fact on the tax holiday issue.

Nigeria LNG Limited was established at a period when the LNG technology was still very new in Africa. Indeed, the establishment of NLNG made Nigeria the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to possess such new technology and the second such country in all of Africa.

Considering the pioneering nature of such a company in Nigeria, as well as the huge investments required, running into several billions of dollars in foreign investments, NLNG was granted a 10-year tax holiday by the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the provisions of the Nigeria LNG (Fiscal Incentives, Guarantees and Assurances) Act, CAP. N87, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (“NLNG Act”).

It should however be noted that the concept of tax holidays are not uncommon in the global business community. Indeed Angola has notably offered as much as 12 years tax holidays to encourage investments in their LNG industry, while other countries like Oman, Malaysia, Qatar and Trinidad Continued on page 41

41

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

PERSPECTIVE

NLNG ACT: THE FACTS OF THE MATTER have offered up to 10 year tax holidays to attract LNG investments.

Outside the LNG or energy industry,I am aware that the United Arab Emirate government set out in 2004 to make Dubai Airport a duty free haven. Today that airport has become one of the busiest in the world with a workforce of more than 6,000 drawn from 47 different nationalities and a 2015 turnover of $2 billion. Additionally, more generous tax incentive schemes currently exist in free trade zones in Nigeria where participants are granted absolute exemption from all forms of taxes and levies chargeable by any level of government, in perpetuity. Several well-known corporations in the country have and are currently investing in these zones (in logistics, infrastructure and refineries, to name a few of such ventures) on the basis of such perpetual and overarching tax incentives. The distinguished Nigerians who conceptualized this bill and worked tirelessly until it became an Act of the National Assembly must have taken a whole lot into consideration, especially as Nigeria was at the time busy flaring away its gas resources rather than harnessing it for economic returns . That was the key issue and it would not be strategic for the government at this time to carry out a review of existing laws that would jeopardize the initial agreement upon which the entire project was conceptualized.

Nigeria LNG has since inception generated over US$ 33 billion in the form of dividends, taxes and feedgas purchases for the country over the past 16 years, with an additional US$ 5 billion accruing through corporate spend on local goods and services during the same period. The company paid nearly $4 billion in Company Income Tax and Education Tax between 2014 and 2015.

Now with these massive yields in terms of income to the Federal Government’s

coffers, this is not the kind of investment agreement that the Nigerian government should be losing sleep about, as there are several government investments that have either failed or refused to bring forth yields.

An example of note is the sprawling and controversial Ajaokuta steel plant. Now these investments are establishments formulated by laws, ones which the federal government should worry about and not one generating substantial profits and taxes and holding up Nigeria’s place on the global LNG map.

It was also the proponent’s observation that gas gathering into the NLNG plant crisscrosses several Niger Delta communities, dislodging their traditional occupational skills of fishing and farming as well as neighbourhood ecological sanctity and general wellbeing. It was therefore his contention that, in the light of contemporary development and ecological problems in Bonny, Soku, Obioafu, Obrikom and other gas supporting communities in Rivers and Niger Delta, the unspecified gestation period tax waiver should no longer be allowed by the National Assembly to remain perpetual.

It is not true that NLNG Plant criss-crosses several Niger-Delta communities as postulated by the proponent. For the purpose of clarity, the NLNG Gas Transmission System transverses about 110 communities which cuts across nine Local Government Areas and nine kingdoms all in Rivers State.

It is also on record that Petroleum and Pipelines Marketing Company (PPMC) pipelines originate from Atlas Cove in Lagos and runs through several states to the Northern part of the country via 5,120 kilometres of lines. Pray, how many of these communities in several states of the federation are being compensated simply because the federal government pipelines passes through their communities?

While remaining centrally focused on the facts of the case, I find it most curious that in laying out his position, he either failed or omitted to add that the NDDC filed a motion before the Federal High Court in July 2007, and pursued same through the entire spectrum of the Nigerian judicial system all the way to the Supreme Court where the case was dismissed in October 2011.

Well, as stated above, facts are not just stubborn but also sacred. The company income tax waiver/ holiday for NLNG was for ten years and not in perpetuity as wrongly stated. It is clear therefore that the proponent’s position was based on faulty information and cannot be viewed with the seriousness it otherwise would have been.

After covering the energy industry for well over a decadeone is aware that the Nigeria LNG spends to date about N516 million on 172 beneficiaries of Post Primary Scholarship scheme, N600 million on about 3,000 beneficiaries under the undergraduate scholarship scheme, while N380 million has so far been spent on post graduate scholarships for 38 young prospects from the region, many of whom are likely to hold a different view from the Professor.

Also, aside from the notable Intervention in several health programmes in the Niger Delta being undertaken by the company, It was recently announced that the NLNG has offered to provide 50% of the value of constructing the Bodo-Bonny Road (N120 billion), a Federal Government project intended to connect several important Niger Delta communities including Ogoni, Andoni and of course Bonny. There is also a 25 year Master Plan for Bonny Kingdom and funding of N3billion yearly for development of the kingdom through the Bonny Kingdom Development Foundation (BKDF), this is corporate social responsibility at its best

and if every oil producing company were to replicate the NLNG model in their host communities there would be much fewer of the notorious fits of restiveness and economic sabotage at the scale we have it today, as there would be very few idle hands to carry out these nefarious acts.

From the transparent financial information in the Company’s Facts and Figures, it is clear that over 70% of profits from NLNG (dividend, taxes, gas purchases, etc) currently goes to the Federation account which is being shared by all States. It would therefore seem that a significantly proportion of what is being proposed to be paid in this levy is already being earned by the country. It is therefore surprising why anyone would want to put the country at risk of investments drought and BIT fines, for monies that already accrues in the main to the Country.

It is even more astounishing that the expansion project of the company which would attract over $25billion foreign investment by the company and its gas suppliers will be put at risk with such an amendment and lead to loss of the opportunity for 30,000 construction jobs majority of who will be from the Niger Delta, as well as lead to the potential loss of opportunity to reduce gas flaring to single digits, all of which would have been of huge benefits to the Niger Delta. In conclusion, one thing which the trends of recent debate about Nigeria or parts thereof has brought strongly to the fore, is the urgent need to suspend all the ongoing quibbling over how to share and apportion today’s wealth, in favour of serious efforts to ensure that we plan, nurture and grow Nigeria’s income and value generating potential to the optimum.

-Adeoye is the producer of Energie Platform

42

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

CITYSTRINGS

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

A Facelift for the Caliphate Peter Uzoho writes that Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has changed the narrative in Sokoto State since coming on board a year ago

S

ince May 29, 2015, when he came on board as the executive governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has vigorously pursued the business of governance with all his God’s given endowment.

This, no doubt, has led to the phenomenal turnaround in all the sectors of the state.

Today, Sokoto State is in the news for the right reasons, not wrong reasons. Tambuwal who has his eyes fixed on the administration’s set out targets, has accelerated the pace of development in the hitherto underdeveloped state.

In the civil service sector, Tambuwal in his effort to provide a conducive working atmosphere for Sokoto State Civil Servants has “provided the home renovation loan to 1,000 civil servants in the state and laid the foundation for Workers’ Estate,” says the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Imam Imam, adding “He has also settled the payment of gratuities for 1,902 retirees.”

According to him, the Governor also recruited 500 unemployed citizens into the state civil service with different qualifications such as BSc, HND, NCE and OND. “They have already been served with offer of appointments, postings and schedule of duties,” Imam noted.

In home affairs, Imam said the governor has earmarked N500 million in the Ministry for Home Affairs in order to purchase fire fighting equipments, to the fire service department, noting “he also approved the creation of training centres for firemen in order to enhance their productivity in the state. The governor as part of job creation agenda established eight additional fire service stations in the state so as to employ youths for effective fire services delivery.

“Women are not left behind in this administration of justice, whereby 200 female are to be employed as environmental marshal, in order to keep household across the state clean and tidy.”

On environment, “Governor Tambuwal since the inception of his administration deemed it imperative to make Sokoto State clean, so that the good people of Sokoto will breathe fresh and healthy air.

He re-introduced the sanitation exercise in the state which gives birth to number of employments to the unemployed youths of the state. The exercise has brought laughter to many people and has helped in keeping Sokoto State clean always.

“Governor Tambuwal also banned the habit of felling trees across the state so as to avoid the occurrence of unusual wind to the state and its environs, since the state neighbours Sahara deserts on so many axis,” the governor’s spokesman noted.

In the area of commerce, Imam enthused that Tambuwal is bent on providing industries in the state “so that our teeming unemployed youths will get job opportunities, thereby curbing restiveness among them.

“In view of the above, Tambuwal has planned to set up a fertiliser plant in the state, with a capacity of producing 100,000 metric tons of fertiliser and creating 5000 job opportunities to the state indigenes.

“Sokoto State under Governor Tambuwal also partnered ERISCO a tomato company that will create number of employments to the teeming youth and good people of Sokoto State, to boost economic standard of the state.

“In his effort, to boost local product in the state, Governor Matawalle has partnered with Italian company through United National Industrial Development Organisation to establish a cluster which will boost the leather works in the state,” he noted.

Speaking on youth development, Imam

Governor Tambuwal laying the foundation for Workers’ Estate...recently

said that “Youths are basics of change, any government that neglects its youths, neglects a strategic institution for rapid development, Tambuwal was sworn-in as Sokoto State Governor on 29th May 2015 amidst cheers by youths across the state.

Since his assumption of office, he embarked on the rehabilitation of youths in so many ways. This is in line with the pledge he made during electioneering that he will appropriately and justifiably ensure that youths in his government would be represented by youths not by others, other than youth and promise to curb restiveness among youths, hence will create job opportunities for them in order to be employed and self reliant.

Governor Aminu Waziri in his effort to empower youths, set out to train 25,000

On environment, Governor Tambuwal since the inception of his administration deemed it imperative to make Sokoto State clean, so that the good people of Sokoto will breathe fresh and healthy air. He re-introduced the sanitation exercise in the state which gives birth to number of employments to the unemployed youths of the state. The exercise has brought laughter to many people and has helped in keeping Sokoto State clean always

youth through skills acquisition scheme within two years.”

In the education sector, Tambuwal has never hidden his love for education as he has variously maintained that education is the key to sustainable development.

“Education is the backbone of any societal economy, no state or nation can experience development with obsolete or non-existent education. Today, education in Sokoto State has been made compulsory from primary to the tertiary levels,” Imam noted.

According to him, “Matawalle having known the value of education to the development of any kind, made him to declare state of emergency on education in Sokoto State.

Governor Tambuwal in his dream come true on education, has set aside 29 per cent allocation from the 2016 budget for education, introduced levy on contractors and other governmental partners in funding education, in order for government to invest well in education by training and re-training of teachers, teachers’ welfare, school welfare as well as students/pupils feeding programme. “in his zeal for improved education, he ordered that they release the sum of N903 million for payment of students tuition fees studying abroad and for registration fees of Sokoto State students studying in various universities across the federation.

He also released the sum of N20 million to Sokoto State University as grants for research and development. He also purchased and distributed 8,000 UTME/JAMB forms to Sokoto State students seeking admission into Nigerian universities. In his effort to provide a conducive teaching atmosphere, he pledged to build houses (teachers villages) across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state. Sokoto State government initiated a programme to enrol 1.2 million kids into schools recently flagged off by Governor Tambuwal.”

Tamburlaine in the area of finance, has showed high level of prudence in managing the resources of the state. “This is the most difficult sector to run, because it comprises

all the finances such as expenditure, revenue of every government. In the midst of this economic hardship across the federation when states run out of cash to run governmental activities as usual. And when governments accounts running in hundreds of number, thereby add burden of other charges to governments by commercial banks.

“The Governor decided to centralise government account in order to cut the charges to the barest minimum. He introduced Treasury Single Account (TSA) in the state, which saved government funds from unnecessary leakages. When the TSA took its effect, over 100 redundant accounts belonging to State Government were discovered with the sum of N1.5 billion in such accounts.

“Governor Tambuwal set to establish three Micro-finance banks in three Senatorial Zones of the state in order to ease access of getting loan by small scale medium entrepreneurs to boost economic activities in the state. The Banks are Giginya Microfinance Bank, Fodio Microfinance Bank, and Gudale Microfinance Bank respectively.”

In housing, Tambuwal knew that shelter is second to food and the backbone of every family and community life. “Knowing the paramount importance of shelter compelled him to ensure 100 per cent completion of all housing units inherited by previous government and pledged to build additional 1,300 houses across the 23 local government areas of the state.”

Imam also said the governor has done well in the area of water. “Water they say is life and it’s the most precious necessity to human life. This has no doubt encouraged the Governor to ensure stable water supply to the good people of Sokoto state both in urban and rural areas.”

In the area of health, Tambuwal has keyed into the saying that “Health is wealth” knowing that without health no human can prosper or do anything in life.

According to Imam, Since the inception of this administration the Governor has focused CONT’D ON NEXT PAGE

43

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

CITYSTRINGS

Celebrating Nigerian Navy’s Diamond Sail In the last one week, the officers and men of the Nigerian Navy have been engaged in activities to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the force, Davidson Iriekpen writes

S

o far, the celebrations have been elaborate. Apart from Lagos where most the activities took place to other parts of the country where naval formations are, the mood is felt – 60 good years of defending Nigeria. From the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, to the lowest rank man in the force, there is every need to celebrate the diamond anniversary. To them, though the force is not where it should, there is every need to appreciate what is on the ground, and look forward to a better future.

Because a huge chunk of Nigeria’s borders are flanked by the open sea, on June 1, 1956, the Nigerian Navy Defence Force (NNDF) commenced operations with 11 assorted ships and craft comprising two survey vessels, two training boats, one patrol craft, three VIP boats, one tug and one general purpose launch. It was the humble beginning of a force that is, today, one of the largest and most sophisticated naval command on the African continent.

In 1963, after Nigeria became a republic, the NNDF metamorphosed into the Nigerian Navy and was tasked with the primary responsibility of keeping the nation’s waters safe and free from illegal and nefarious activities.

So far, the force has recorded huge successes in carrying out this primary responsibility, some of which include its valiant role in keeping the country together during the civil war, one of Nigeria’s darkest moments. It continuously policed Nigerian territorial waters to enforce the Federal Military Government’s order of banning shipping in the Eastern part of the country. This effectively blocked the Atlantic seabed and made it impossible for large-scale importation of much-needed arms and ammunition into eastern Nigeria, which could have prolonged the needless war. There were also the several amphibious landings it carried out that were hailed all over the world.

This June, the Navy clocks 60, and it is stronger than ever. Under its 20th Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibas, who was appointed by the Buhari administration on July13, 2015, the navy has gone from strength to strength.

Since May 29, 2015, the navy has intensified its efforts in countering illegalities, in sustaining surveillance and intelligence for preemptive and proactive actions; 16 piracy attempts have been foiled, a total of 42 vessels were arrested, over 221 illegal refineries were destroyed, 34 barges were destroyed and 167 wooden and Cotonou boats were also destroyed.

Besides its increasing siege on militants in the Niger Delta, the navy is also set to deploy its platform and Special Forces in the fight against insurgency in the North-east, in the Lake Chad region. The exercise is designed to

The navy is a highly technical force that needs to constantly adapt to global changes in technology and bring same to bear on countering challenges in the nation’s maritime environment

Nigerian Navy Ship

Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas

supplement the military operation code-named as Operation Lafia Dole, and it is expected to deploy troops and equipment to Tongeji Island by the Nigeria-Benin maritime border.

During this short period, the navy has equally commenced a choke point control regime, to ensure that no vessel goes in and out of the creeks/channels without being interrogated; two houseboats have already been deployed at Akassa and Ezeotu long Num and Pennington rivers, while another four are at the verge of deployment. This has enabled enhanced presence at the estuaries, where vessels transiting in and out of the country’s backwaters can be interrogated, in order to checkmate illegal oil bunkering, crude oil theft and other forms of maritime crimes.

The Nigerian Navy has also continued to ramp up its ship-building efforts, saving the nation precious foreign exchange which would have been used to acquire the ships from other

countries and improving the technical and technological skills of the force. The construction of the SDBII is currently at an advanced stage.

The main hull is about 95 per cent complete, while painting works are about 90 per cent complete. The Navy has also completed the construction of a tugboat, which is earmarked for the celebration of its 60 years. Another 50 boats, also manufactured locally, are expected to be inaugurated during its Diamond Jubilee celebrations which kicked off in May. Even more, the navy under its current leadership has been involved in the renewal of its fleet with the launching of 30 riverine warfare boats which have been deployed to fight crude oil theft in the creeks of the Niger Delta. Also, as a strategic asset and force multiplier, the Navy is currently upgrading Naval Shipyard Limited at Port Harcourt.

Under the current administration, two mine sweepers, NNS Ohue and NNS Barama, which have not been operational since the mid-nineties, are currently undergoing trials before being re-launched into service.

Under the Buhari administration, the navy has maintained effective maintenance activities leading to availability of ships, boats and helicopters to confront threats to the country’s maritime security. Among the ships are NNS Centenary, NNS Okpabana, NNS Prosperity, NNS Andoni and NNS Obula while helicopters NN08, NN09 and NN10 are operational.

Nevertheless, several challenges continue to haunt the Nigerian Navy. Some of them are inadequate platforms, degraded operational

support infrastructure, low level of Research and Development (R&D) efforts and low national industrial capacity. Others include poor maritime culture, inadequate Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) infrastructure, inadequate facilities for operational training, requirement for improved personnel welfare and inadequate funding.

The source of the constraints that continues to plague the navy is inadequate funding. The navy’s proposed overhead, amount appropriated and released have grossly been inadequate in relation to her needs. In the last four years, the Nigerian Navy had not received up to 25 per cent of her budgetary proposals for overhead.

The capital vote has been far worse, where the Service has not got up to two per cent.

Expectedly, this lack of needed funds creates a lot of gaps in the force’s effectiveness, especially in the area of technology and research. The navy is a highly technical force that needs to constantly adapt to global changes in technology and bring same to bear on countering challenges in the nation’s maritime environment.

However, poor research and development, linked to inadequate funding, has affected development and discovery of new technologies.

This has led to poor adaptation of NN sensors for group integration initiatives.

Also, it would be noted that globally, developed Navies attained their heights through mutual cooperation with their national technological sectors. So, the Nigerian Navy’s progress, in this regard, can be put side by side with the nation’s low industrial and scientific capacity. Hence, a major constraint to the Nigerian Navy has been the low level of technology resources, most especially in terms of maintenance of equipment, fabrication of spares for own platforms and ships’ building efforts.

But these challenges have not stopped Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, from moving the Navy forward. Today, 60 years after it was created, the Nigerian Navy has never been better placed for ultimate greatness.

A FA C E L I F T F O R T H E C A L I P H AT E mainly on healthcare delivery to his people, he left no stone unturned in fighting and kicking out all kind of diseases attacking the people and the environment. He ensures the consistent free medical care to Sokoto State citizenry, fight polio out, attack Lassa fever all of which have been level to zero level.

He provided all equipments, facilities and drugs needed in all the hospitals and Public Health Centres across the state.

“Governor Tambuwal has ordered the purchase of cold chain equipments for immunisation in order to fight polio, meningitis, measles, yellow fever among other diseases bedeviling the good people of Sokoto State at the cost of N297 million. Provision of free drugs to the poor and indigent members of

the society, administered under the auspices of the state Zakat and Endowment Committee.

Every month, the sum of N10m is deposited in hospitals and pharmaceutical stores to provide prescribed drugs free of charge to the poor,” Imam said.

Also not left out is religious affairs, which is among the most influential sectors in the state. According to Imam, “religious activities in the state have been encouraged as all programmes inherited from previous administrations have been funded such as payment of N6,500 monthly to less privileged, Zakat and endowment committee now elevated to commission, Ramadan feeding programme and payment of free medicine for less privileged.

“Governor Tambuwal’s administration earmarked N10 million monthly as relief fund to some selected hospitals and pharmacies in order to help the less privileged in paying their medical treatment across the state. In a nutshell, government of Sokoto State under the distinguished leadership of Governor Tambuwal is spending N31,500 million every month on less privileges in the state.

“These are very few, among the activities duly funded by this administration, and there is no doubt that Governor Matawalle will bring about more developmental programmes in religious sector for the development of Islam.”

In the area of works, Imam said that

“Tambuwal has approved the construction of some rural roads across the state which include a 13 Kilometer road which links: Dabagin Ardo – Illelar Gajara – Dutsin Andi – Hetarete Sidingu – Gi’ere at the cost of over N136 million Naira. Similarly, the construction of Arkilla – Gidan Bawan Allah – Paila junction road has been approved at the cost of over N49 million.

On the Hajj tragedy in Saudi Arabia, Imam said that the state government donated the sum of N500,000 each to the 138 families of the 2015 hajj stampede victims from Sokoto State. A breakdown of the number showed that 114 pilgrims were confirmed dead, 22 missing and two injured but were later treated and discharged.

44

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016

45

46

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016

47

48

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016 T H I S D AY

49

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

WORLD OF ISLAM

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

Ramadan – An Opportunity to Know Your Inner Self Irshaad Hussain-Islam from Inside/ IslamiCity Fasting (Sawm) carries a two-fold meaning – two seemingly opposing definitions combined into a single word. And sawm, as described in the Qur’an and the hadith, simultaneously fulfills both of these definitions. The primary meaning is to hold back, to refrain from, to abstain – the further meaning is to rise beyond, to move past former limits.

The month of Ramadan is a time in which we hold our bodily compulsions and instincts under strict control, together with our thoughts and our mental states, our moods and desires. We submit ourselves and our nafs (spirit, inner self) and our accustomed patterns of life to a higher template, one that fosters a regiment of self-restraint within the body and mind and correspondingly seeks an intensification of the life of the spirit. The body is ordered to fast from what it needs, from what is normally allowed to it, from what it desires, from what it craves, from what it may seek on a whim, and from what it habitually seeks – from all that leads to an intensification of the activities of the nafs.

During the interval of daylight, halal (the allowed) transforms into haram (the forbidden) and whatever nourishes the physical body becomes haram. As for the nafs, it undertakes a fast from anger, backbiting, gossip, harshness towards others, from reaching in any manner through any of the senses towards that which is disallowed. All those inclinations which strengthen the nafs, which allow it to inject itself with vigor and attachment into the flux of worldly life are proscribed and denied expression.

The nafs continuously asserts itself through its ties with the body and according to a complex and ever-shifting world of attraction and desire, knowledge and ignorance that endlessly churns within it. Through its movements and motions, it seeks what it needs and wants and can become, depending on circumstances, complacent or cavalier, disdainful or self-assured, arrogant or fearful, callous or ambitious, lethargic or craving – endlessly acting and reacting within the confines of its limited knowledge. What it does not know it is ignorant of, and what it does not know is infinitely more vast in extent than what it knows. So its knowledge is forever outweighed by its ignorance and its pursuits and actions are indicators of which of these (knowledge or ignorance) it acts upon.

The nafs is in continuous restless motion, but it is a motion that circles around a center of manifold physical and chemical interactions that give rise to need, wants, pleasures, habits, moods, impulses, compulsions, and desires. The complex system of body and mind are in an incessant state of movement (that ceases only with death), switching continually from one mode to the other, pouring forth a torrent of thoughts and internal impulses that turn the mind’s focus endlessly from one locus to another. There is perpetual movement and motion but within tightly constrained boundaries – pivoting around the locus of the nafs and what it seeks.

And so the qur’anic command is issued – “…fast until the night….” (Qur’an 2:187) Fast from what the nafs needs and desires. Let the nafs know that there is a truer aspect of yourself, a center capable of overseeing and stabilizing all the intersecting mental systems of the mind and all the material, chemical, habitual and hormonal systems of the body. Proclaim to it that there is a guardian and owner and ruler over the nafs and over the physical form with which it is integrally co-mingled. Let it know that the form and the stirrings of need and desire within the nafs have to submit to this guardian in seeking their satisfaction.

The wants, needs, and desires that spring from the material form must submit to the governance and tutelage of a higher form – to the spiritual form indicated by the hadith that states: “God created Adam in His own form….” (hadith) This is not the material form driven by chemical interactions but the spiritual

substance which is the subtle, essential form of a human being – one that is masked by the ceaseless activity of an unconstrained nafs (nafs al-amarra).

The material form and its impulses (manifested through the nafs) are reigned in during fasting. All the things which give strength, vigor, and life to the body and nafs are terminated – the attachment is reduced, deprived, weakened. We cease to consume and are no longer able to enjoy what feeds our physical form and with that cessation we begin to unhook the clamps which bind us to the most basic goods of this world. We undo the shackles which tie us through our physicality to the world.

By penetrating to the very root of our attachment, to the most fundamental layer, to the very seat of our creaturely connection to the world – food, water, sex (the three cardinal symbols of life) we overturn their dominion and arrive at a position where we, for a time, subdue them.

We deny creaturely externals, we let the creaturely demands and impulses remain unanswered – over the course of the days of fasting we let them subside and wane.

We let them grow silent so we have a chance to hear what we otherwise would not hear, to perceive what we otherwise could not perceive. We subdue our physical form and when its clamoring grows silent we perhaps become aware of a spiritual form that resides subtly within us.

The vigil of denial and regulation of the physical form and the nafs is maintained until the spirit and mind’s ascendancy becomes clear. “Fast until the night….”

(Qur’an 2:187) The night approaches and the day’s fast ends with the former hierarchy reversed – what was first (physically and psychically generated needs, wants, and desires) comes last and what was last comes first, and with this new ordering of spirit and body in place, the fast is completed.

Over the course of the month of Ramadan, as the days merge into the nights, this drama of reversal is repeated and intensified till the person fasting (the person who undertakes the fast with complete sincerity and profound intensity) approaches a state of spiritual readiness.

Until in the watch (the vigil) of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan, there arrives the possibility of a profound inner remaking, an unfolding of the potential to witness the laylatul qadr. “And what can convey to you what laylatul qadr is? That night is better than a thousand months….”

(Qur’an 97:2-3) During the day we break ourselves down, we fast from what sustains our existence – we submit our clay form to be unmade, to be kneaded and worked over – we remove ourselves from our material subsistence and turn to prayer and spiritual subsistence from God – we prepare ourselves to be reshaped. The onset of the darkness of night is representative of pure potential waiting to emerge into existence – waiting for the command and decree which will give it form. “The angels and the spirit (ruh) descend in it, by the command of their Lord with every decree….” (Qur’an 97:4) We turn ourselves into adaptable clay awaiting the shaping command of that night – anticipating the profound and weighty descents that accompany laylatul qadr. “(That night is) Peace till the breaking of the dawn.” (Qur’an 97:5) So sawm (fasting) fulfills its meanings – to hold back from, to abstain, pertains to the restraint engendered through the fast – to rise beyond pertains to the results that God bestows upon those who seek the fast with sincerity and knowledge. So the fast is at once a holding back and a lifting up. The body and its appetites are held back and through this holding back an elusive and subtle but profound awakening begins. We are provided the means by which to alter our reality, to shape what we ourselves are.

By holding back the nafs from its activity and its sustenance, moments of stillness, of silence, are obtained – moments in which self-perception sharpens and deepens and spirit awakens and the (spiritual) form with which God created man begins to unfold itself. “And in yourselves – what do you not see?” (Qur’an 51:21)

50

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016 • T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Bodies of 25 Migrants Washed up in Western Libya

The bodies of at least 25 migrants who drowned trying to cross the Mediterranean were found washed up on a beach in western Libya near the city of Zuwara, a Red Crescent official said yesterday.

Hundreds of migrants have died in boat accidents this week amid a surge in departures from the North African coast towards Italy. Many of the boats are believed to have left from the shore around Zuwara and Sabratha in Libya’s northwest.

Al-Khamis Al-Bosaifi said aid workers were still recovering the bodies, many of them women,

and that the circumstances in which the migrants died were not clear.

A coastguard spokesman in Tripoli said no migrant boats had been intercepted over the past two days, with rougher seas preventing patrols. So far this year more than 40,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Italy by paying people smugglers for the journey, broadly in line with a steep increase in numbers since 2014.

Smugglers in Libya have exploited political chaos and lawlessness to expand their

Somalia Ends Operation to Secure Hotel Bombed by Al Shabaab Somali security forces have brought to an end a bomb and gun attack by militants on a central Mogadishu hotel that killed at least 16 people and wounded 55, authorities said yesterday.

Islamist militant group al Shabaab, affiliated with al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Hotel Ambassador.

Two lawmakers were among the dead in the attack which ended with police shooting the assailants.

“So far we have confirmed 16 people, mostly civilians, died and 55 others were injured,” Major Nur Mohamed, a police officer, told Reuters on Thursday.

Another police officer, Major Farah Ali, told Reuters the hotel was now secure after the entire building was cleared of militants.

“National security forces are in every floor, the last fighter on the top roof (was) shot,”Ali said.

A Reuters witness saw the last fighter shot dead,his body falling to the ground from the building’s fifth floor. Eight dead people lay in front of the hotel.Al Shabaab was pushed out of Mogadishu by the African Union peacekeeping force AMISOM in 2011. But it has remained a potent threat in Somalia, launching frequent attacks aimed at overthrowing the Western-backed government.

The group has also been behind deadly attacks in Kenya and Uganda. Both contribute troops to an African Union peacekeeping

force in Somalia. Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operations spokesman, told Reuters they had lost three fighters during the hotel attack and killed 30 people.

One of the three dead fighters drove the car that rammed the hotel while the others stormed the hotel, al Shabaab said. Death tolls given by al Shabaab are usually much higher than those given by officials.

activities along routes from sub-Saharan Africa, often working with local militias. The head of the European Union’s Mediterranean naval mission recently

An alliance of U.S.-backed Syrian militias vowed yesterday to drive Islamic State from the city of Manbij and nearby areas in northern Syria, urging civilians there to stay away from Islamic State positions that would be targeted in the campaign.

“We confirm that this campaign will continue until the liberation of the last inch of the land of Manbij and its rural areas,” said a joint statement in the name of the attacking Syria Democratic Forces and allied Manbij Military Council. The statement was read out on the banks of the Euphrates River

by Manbij Military Council commander Adnan Abu Amjad.

“We urge our people in the city of Manbij to stay away from all centres and positions where the Daesh terrorists are present because they will be military targets for our forces.

We call on them to take measures

to ensure their safety,”he said.

“We also call on our people in Manbij to offer support and help to our forces,”said Abu Amjad. He said the Manbij military council represented all the area’s ethnic groups which he listed as Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen and Circassians.

The statement urged civilians in Manbij to cooperate with the attacking forces and said control would be handed to a civilian council after the town was freed.“Oh brave people of Manbij, our forces are coming to liberate our from the shackles of the Daesh terrorist torturers.”

Thousands of U.S.-backed fighters opened a major new front in Syria’s war, launching an offensive to drive Islamic State out of a swathe of northern Syria it uses as a logistics base. The operation, which began on Tuesday after weeks of quiet preparations, aims to choke off the group’s access to Syrian land

Terror Case Opens up Kuwait’s Sectarian Divisions Kuwaiti security service officers raided farmhouses near the Iraqi border late last summer, slicing through carpets and smashing open concrete floors.

Hidden in large plastic containers was a weapons cache, the largest discovered in Kuwait’s history.

State television showed Kuwait’s Interior Minister, a senior ruling family member, solemnly viewing the results of the operation.

Kuwait charged 25 of its nationals – all of them Shi’ites – and an Iranian with spying for Iran and Lebanese Shi’ite Muslim group Hezbollah. The case has opened up sectarian divisions in Kuwait.

While Kuwait’s Sunni majority and Shi’ite minority get on better than in neighboring Saudi Arabia, tensions still exist, and relatives of some of the

had given notice of a June 3-5 strike had agreed to call it off.

Six out of 10 high-speed TGV train connections were operating and other inter-city links were cut to a third of normal, said the state-owned SNCF railway company, a stronghold of the CGT union, which is one of France’s two largest unions. But a smaller union was expected to call off its participation in the strike after securing government assurances of help with the SNCF’s 50 billion euro ($56.04 billion) debt.

President Francois Hollande has rejected CGT demands that he scrap a bill that the union says will undermine labor protection by giving companies more scope to negotiate in-house deals on pay and conditions. His government, which insists the reform is needed to help combat a jobless rate of 10 percent, has been working flat out to defuse sectoral tensions and

smugglers hundreds of dollars for a place on boats, often flimsy inflatable craft that either sink or are picked up by international rescue missions.

US-backed Syrian Force Vows to Take Manbij from Islamic State

charged men say they are innocent victims of regional politics.

It also highlights the delicate position of many of the Gulf’s smaller states, which find themselves caught up in a power struggle between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shi’ite Iran.

One Middle Eastern diplomat said Kuwait, a major OPEC oil producer and home to U.S. military bases, was squeezed between the two regional giants, who have jousted in recent months over everything from Iran’s nuclear program to oil production.

“Kuwait is in a critical situation, a small dot in a very big triangle,”he said.“They are killing themselves to be in the middle.”

Kuwaiti prosecutors said the men intended to carry out“hostile acts” against Kuwait. Members of

French Strikes Disrupt Rail, Air controllers’ Stoppage Averted Strikes disrupted train services yesterday but attempts by the militant CGT union to broaden protests against labor reforms to air traffic control and the Paris underground ahead of a European soccer tournament appeared to have failed. Transport Minister Alain Vidalies said traffic was normal on the Paris Metro, unions other than the CGT had called off an air controllers’ strike and the government hoped to avert disruption of the Euro 2016 soccer championship.

CGT-led stoppages were also disrupting refineries and nuclear power plants but the union looked increasingly isolated in its efforts to force the Socialist government to withdraw a labor law reform that would make hiring and firing easier.

“There’ll be no disruption of the airways this weekend,”said Vidalies, who said four of the five unions who

said that people smuggling was estimated to account for between 30 and 50 percent of the gross domestic product in northwestern Libya. Migrants pay

prevent various grievances coalescing into one big national protest.

An Ifop opinion poll for Le Figaro magazine suggested public sympathy for the strike is ebbing, with 60 percent saying the CGT was abusing the right to strike and trying to blockade the country illegally, while 40 percent think the opposite. Previous polls had shown the strike had majority support.

Earlier this week the government announced pay rises for stateemployed teachers and pledged to restore scrapped public spending for research. It also intervened to force SNCF management go some way toward meeting union demands that rest-time be protected in a reorganization under negotiation ahead of a Europe-wide opening of passenger rail services to private competition from 2020.

the “Abdali cell,” as local officials dubbed the group for the place the weapons were found, were charged with buying, transporting and storing weapons and explosives. Several were also accused of receiving military training in Lebanon from Hezbollah, according to an investigation by Kuwaiti Homeland Security referred to by prosecutors in a Kuwaiti court.

The men denied the charges. In January a Kuwaiti court found 23 of the 26 guilty of various crimes. Two were sentenced to death, including one, the Iranian, in absentia. The others were fined or received jail terms between five years and life. Three were acquitted.

The prosecution is appealing the sentences, saying some of the men should have received tougher punishments.

The men have all appealed their convictions. The charges, the lawyers say, were based on confessions nearly all of the defendants allege were extracted under torture.

Khalid al-Shatti, a defense lawyer for Hassan Hajiya, the Kuwaiti man sentenced to death, said the case was politically motivated.“There is a conflict in the region and those who pay the price of this conflict are the accused.”The Interior Ministry declined to comment for this story, referring queries to the judiciary.The judiciary did not respond to requests for comment.The Information Ministry, which deals with general media enquiries, said it was unable to comment on the topic.

along the Turkish border that the militants have long used to move foreign fighters back and forth to Europe.

A Kurdish source, speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters in Beirut, predicted the Syrian militias would reach Islamic State-held Manbij within days, after advancing to within 10 km (6 miles) of the town.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as TONY KESIENA AKPODUADO, now wish to be known and addressed as TONY MAGEGE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as SULAIMAN A. IBRAHIM, now wish to be known and addressed as USMAN SULAIMAN ABAYOMI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as LUKUMON AYODEJI, now wish to be known and addressed as YAYA LUKUMON AYODEJI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, HARUNA BABANGIDA ABDULAZEEZ, am the same person as HARUNA ABDULA ABDULAZEEZ . All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly known and addressed as JENKINSON HORSFALL, now wish to be known and addressed as BOMA JENKINS HORSFALL. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS GLADYS UCHE OBI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. GLADYS UCHE OBODO. All former documents remain valid. Sigma Pensions and the general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as F/No. 036042,W/Sgt OMOOGUN BLESSING, now wish to be known and addressed as F/No 036042,W/ Sgt ALIU BLESSING.All former documents remain valid and approved by Commissioner of Police and the general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS RAMATU BABA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. RAHMAT YUNUSA AJIBADE. All former documents remain valid. Council of legal education,Nigerian Bar Association and the general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as ANTHONY CHUKWUEMEKA MOKWUNYE, now wish to be known and addressed as AENEKAN ANTHONY CHUKWUEMEKA IWUANI. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as NBAJEKWE INNOCENT CHIOGOZIE, now wish to be known and addressed as MBAJEKWE INNOCENT CHIOGOZIE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as ADAKU EBERECHI OGBONNA, now wish to be known and addressed as GOODNESS EBERECHI OGBONNA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as AISHA TIJJANI MUHAMMAD, now wish to be known and addressed as AISHA TIJJANI BOMAI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as REMI-WILLIAMS OSHUN, now wish to be known and addressed as REMI-WILLIAMS EMMANUEL OSUNWO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as RUTH GOODNESS NDUMELE, now wish to be known and addressed as RUTH OLUCHI NDUMELE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as EZE EMMANUEL INNOCENT, now wish to be known and addressed as NKWOCHA EZE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as CHIMAOBI FELIX IKE, now wish to be known and addressed as CHIMAOBI CHINAZAEKPERE IKE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as AKINSUROJU OMOTOMIKE, now wish to be known and addressed as AENEKAN OMOTOMIKE PRECIOUS. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as JONATHAN ANYANWOGBOR OBODOAJU, now wish to be known and addressed as AENEKAN JONATHAN ANYANWOGBOR OGBONNA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS. TOLANI TEMITOPE MODUPEOLUWA AKINMADE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. TOLANI TEMITOPE MODUPEOLUWA MUDABAI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS. CHIOMA HAPPINESS ENWEREUZO, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. CHIOMA HAPPINESS NWOKO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS AKUNYUN KUDIRAT ADE JUMOKE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS AKUNYUN KUDIRAT JUMOKE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

T H I S D AY FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016

51

52

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3 , 2016

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

‘CBN Declined in Clarifying Currency Plans’ A meeting between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and local currency traders has failed to dispel uncertainty over the implementation of plans to abandon the naira peg and adopt a flexible currency, bankers said on Thursday.

The Financial Market Dealers Association (FMDA), an association made up of local currency dealers, initiated the meeting with the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele on Wednesday to discuss the policy, Reuters quoted the market operators to have said.

The central bank announced last week plans to abandon the naira’s 15-month peg to the dollar, which has overvalued the Nigerian currency, harmed investments and caused the economy to contract.

However, the bank has yet to clarify how the new policy would work, spooking foreign investors, long worried about getting caught in the middle of a currency devaluation.

“We are unlikely to get anything in the next two to three weeks. I don’t think the guidelines are ready. The reality is that he (the governor) does

not understand the meaning of signals,” said one senior banker, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“By not coming out (with details) the governor has shown he doesn’t believe the policy.

There is the risk the policy could be reversed,” the senior banker added. The central bank declined to comment on the meeting. Dollar deals dried up on the interbank market on Thursday as investors stayed on the sidelines, dealers said, in a sign of the continued uncertainty created by the new policy.

The stock market posted its biggest daily decline in 16 months this week as investors waiting for clarity sold shares.

The main index gained 1.02 percent on Thursday, clawing back some losses.

Emefiele has said it will adopt a flexible policy on the interbank market from a de facto peg of around 197 and retain a window for funding critical transactions, creating a dual exchange rate.

Prior to the pegged rate, the interbank traded as a two-way quote market and

banks could place buy and sell orders. But the central bank has since banned banks from re-selling dollars purchased from it among themselves in order to curb speculation.

Analysts at DaMina Advisors say the delay could cause the central bank to backtrack as it tries to reconcile the new policy with the president’s vow not to devalue the naira.

President Muhammadu Buhari for months rejected calls to devalue the naira. During his Democracy Day speech last Sunday he backed the central bank’s flexible policy on the currency but said he was still against a devaluation.

“The bank is internally deadlocked and likely to backtrack on its promised commitment to adopt a flexible regime and will simply tweak the current illiquid managed fixed peg regime in an attempt to narrow the divergence between the official currency rate and the black market currency rate which is over 40 percent and growing,” the chief Africa frontier markets analyst at DaMina Advisors, Sebastian Spio-Garbrah said.

ently however operators of the fund to derive ways of developing products that they invested in the country.

She said that the challenges faced on investments of pension funds were arise from lack of creativity of the operators.

“The PFAs are constrained; they are unable to develop the products they invest which is why we have a preponderance of the pension funds in federal government securities, there are no alternatives “Part of the thing I want to throw out to operators in this room is to work towards developing alternatives and new products,’’ she said. The Director-General said the regulators were doing their bit at ensuring that the PFAs were highly regulated.

She said several regulations had been done and what was left was to ensure the official

issuance of those regulatory actions in the sector.

“Our eyes are on two things; protecting the funds and making sure that its primary mandate as required by law, which is paying retirement benefit as and when due, is not tampered with. “That mandate also extends to making sure that the value is not eroded, and it will be our joy that various institutions are deepened by the pension fund and the capital market is just one of those institution,” she added. She said the issue of channeling the pension fund to the capital market was welcomed as long as the contributor was assured of the channel the fund was taken to and its safety.

She added that this could be achieved through efficient regulation and prudent management of the fund.

Lagos Restates Commitment to SMEs James Emejo in Abuja The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule, has expressed the commitment of the state to promote the growth of small mediums scale enterprises (SMEs).

This, she said,followed the recent inauguration of the N25 billion Employment Trust Fund (ETF) aimed at encouraging; developing artisans and entrepreneurs in the state.

Adebule, who disclosed this yesterday at the LEAP Africa annual 11th Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) Forum with the theme: “Attracting Financing for Your Business: Strategies and Opportunities,” in Lagos, noted that the state was fully committed to encouraging SMEs through deliberate programmes and projects in collaboration with relevant agencies with the hope of generating employment and creating wealth.

According to her, “the state has held a mini-trade fair for locally goods in its bid to commemorate industrialisation day.”

She explained that the administration remains committed to delivering good governance to the people and help businesses grow through the provision of better infrastructure, adding that the state government is ready to build the society of great economic value for everyone.

Adebule who was represented at the forum by the Director, Lagos state Ministry of Education, Mrs. Aniyeloye Omotayo, stated that as part of efforts to support SMEs, the state instituted the micro-finance fund established under the Office of state Micro-Finance Institution.

She noted that the institute is targeted to provide additional funds to interested Micro-banks which in turn would grant loans to entrepreneurs.

She added: “The continued slide of the naira to the dollar,

MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

MARCH 2016

Pension Funds Rise to N5.4tn Director-General, National Pension Commission,(PenCom), Mrs Chinelo Anohu-Amazu has revealed that Nigeria’s pension funds now stand at about N5.4 trillion with approximately seven million contributors.

Anohu –Amazu who spoke Anohu-Amazu said this while speaking on the Role of Regulators in Deepening Capital Market at the 2016 Business Day Capital Market Conference in Abuja added that the Nigeria had the capacity to generate more and her Commission is already trying to do this through micro pension.

The theme of the conference was,“ Deepening Nigeria’s Capital Market through Maximum Utilisation of Pension Funds.’’

The PenCom DG, who added that pension fund was one of the single largest institutional investments in Nigeria operes

MARKET INDICATORS

the falling oil prices, multiple taxations, the drop in interest rates, inadequate power supply, dilapidated infrastructure and others are some of the issues we need to discuss and find lasting solutions to.

There is no doubt that building businesses from the small to the top takes a lot of financial commitment and dedication.

“I believe that for business to grow very well entrepreneurs need to make informed decisions based on prevailing economic conditions, have a good understanding of the finances as well as a strong financial base which is the bedrock of attracting huge investments. In addition, budding entrepreneurs should have a clearly defined value propositions, a strong team and personnel, proper management of account and seek advice from mentors who are experienced in the industry of choice.

Broad Money (M2)

20,470,436.00

-- Narrow Money (M1)

9,040,817.68

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,441,365.03

---- Demand Deposits

7,599,452.65

-- Quasi Money

11,429,618.32

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

5,551,714.27

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

14,918,721.73

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

22,664,815.74

---- Credit to Government (Net)

3,782,578.01

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

4,991,246.39

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

-1,208,668.38

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

18,882,237.73

--Other Assets Net

-7,746,094.02

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,758,634.07

--Currency in Circulation

1,811,090.48

--Banks Reserves

3,947,543.59 • 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 WEDNESDAY 1, JUNE 2016 The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $44.68 a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $45.15 the previous day, 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 Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

53

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

Nigeria’s top 50 stocks based on market fundamentals

2-June-16

1-June-16

% Change

Capitalisation

EPS

P/E

P/S

Div. Yld

Price/ Book Value

Table 1 Market Statistics Mkt Indicators

01 Dangote Cement Plc

170.00

167.00

1.80%

2,896,886,258,850.00

10.64

15.98

5.89

4.71%

4.49

02 Nigerian Brew. Plc.

134.71

128.30

5.00%

1,068,129,180,622.48

5.37

25.09

3.87

2.67%

6.27

03 Nestle Nigeria Plc.

755.00

784.66

-3.78%

598,455,470,260.00

29.95

25.21

3.96

3.84%

15.75

04 Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.

17.75

17.65

0.57%

522,403,431,226.00

3.38

5.25

2.28

9.97%

1.26

05 Zenith Bank Plc

13.91

13.60

2.28%

436,725,228,563.26

3.37

4.13

1.01

12.94%

0.73

06 Lafarge Africa Plc.

77.07

73.40

5.00%

351,046,282,496.70

5.93

13.00

1.31

3.89%

1.99

07 Ecobank Transnational Incorporated

16.32

16.32

0.00%

299,464,675,828.80

1.39

11.72

0.58

3.80%

0.80

08 Forte Oil Plc.

191.10

195.90

-2.45%

248,904,138,783.30

4.45

42.96

2.00

1.81%

5.38

09 Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd.

350.15

360.00

-2.74%

193,741,606,096.95

23.48

14.91

1.71

4.55%

0.69

10 United Bank for Africa Plc

4.29

4.30

-0.23%

155,639,167,921.38

1.64

2.61

0.49

13.99%

0.47

11 Access Bank Plc.

5.29

5.28

0.19%

153,028,969,927.99

2.28

2.32

0.45

10.40%

0.42

12 Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc

15.00

15.18

-1.19%

150,000,000,000.00

2.04

7.37

1.27

0.67%

1.34

13 Guinness Nig Plc

97.65

99.11

-1.47%

147,049,981,558.20

0.78

125.47

2.95

0.00%

3.29

14 FBN Holdings Plc

Table 4 Top 5 Losers

3.90

3.80

2.63%

139,991,641,888.80

0.42

9.24

0.28

3.85%

0.24

Stock

32.00

32.00

0.00%

121,065,480,000.00

0.32

101.53

2.04

0.16%

15.13

16 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc.

138.50

138.50

0.00%

88,721,765,275.50

11.12

12.45

1.14

1.59%

3.70

17 P Z Cussons Nigeria Plc.

21.66

21.66

0.00%

86,000,532,794.70

1.10

19.74

1.19

6.00%

2.04

18 Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc

6.69

6.38

4.86%

80,280,000,000.00

0.96

6.96

0.79

7.47%

1.38

19 Oando Plc

6.30

6.45

-2.33%

75,818,099,032.20

0.50

12.60

0.13

11.90%

0.48

19.79

19.85

-0.30%

65,193,193,251.20

0.64

30.96

3.53

1.26%

5.41

21 Mobil Oil Nig Plc.

166.25

166.25

0.00%

59,948,962,307.50

13.51

12.30

0.93

4.33%

3.90

22 Total Nigeria Plc.

170.00

170.00

0.00%

57,718,712,290.00

11.92

14.26

0.28

8.24%

3.55

23 Julius Berger Nig. Plc.

42.90

45.00

-4.67%

56,628,000,000.00

1.85

23.21

0.42

3.50%

2.33

24 Flour Mills Nig. Plc.

21.44

20.45

4.84%

56,263,645,289.28

1.84

11.64

0.17

9.33%

0.55

25 Diamond Bank Plc

2.20

2.20

0.00%

50,952,855,729.60

0.24

9.01

0.23

0.00%

0.24

26 Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc

1.31

1.25

4.80%

50,724,506,626.75

0.05

24.97

1.24

0.00%

0.58

15 Unilever Nigeria Plc.

20 International Breweries Plc.

27 Sterling Bank Plc.

1.57

1.59

-1.26%

45,200,956,457.82

0.36

4.39

0.41

5.73%

0.47

20.21

18.37

10.02%

37,958,463,228.40

3.21

6.30

1.13

6.43%

3.67

1.30

1.24

4.84%

37,651,361,399.60

0.48

2.71

0.26

12.31%

0.21

30 U A C N Plc.

19.00

19.86

-4.33%

36,496,423,353.00

2.70

7.04

0.50

5.26%

0.49

31 Presco Plc

35.70

36.50

-2.19%

35,700,000,000.00

3.28

10.89

3.14

0.28%

1.59

32 FCMB Group Plc.

1.53

1.55

-1.29%

30,298,147,494.93

0.24

6.36

0.20

6.54%

0.19

33 Wema Bank Plc.

0.77

0.76

1.32%

29,702,338,882.37

0.06

12.76

0.65

0.00%

0.64

34 Okomu Oil Palm Plc.

30.05

30.05

0.00%

28,664,995,500.00

2.76

10.89

2.94

0.33%

2.38

35 Cap Plc

40.00

40.00

0.00%

28,000,000,000.00

2.49

16.10

3.97

2.88%

18.42

36 Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig. Plc.

20.00

20.00

0.00%

23,917,529,760.00

0.81

24.78

0.78

1.50%

1.81

37 Mansard Insurance Plc

2.10

2.21

-4.98%

22,050,000,000.00

0.16

13.27

1.33

2.38%

1.27

38 National Salt Co. Nig. Plc

8.00

7.95

0.63%

21,195,507,024.00

0.79

10.07

1.31

6.88%

2.99

39 Custodian And Allied Insurance Plc

3.42

3.42

0.00%

20,115,975,546.90

0.71

4.79

0.68

4.09%

0.77

40 Skye Bank Plc

1.15

1.20

-4.17%

15,962,346,621.50

0.85

1.35

0.12

26.09%

0.11

41 Honeywell Flour Mill Plc

1.74

1.77

-1.69%

13,798,543,924.92

0.14

12.32

0.28

9.20%

0.64

42 Continental Reinsurance Plc

1.05

1.10

-4.55%

10,891,381,527.60

0.21

5.08

0.55

11.43%

0.70

43 Unity Bank Plc

0.88

0.90

-2.22%

10,286,617,388.96

0.54

1.62

0.16

0.00%

0.12

44 Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc

7.14

7.90

-9.62%

8,972,679,249.24

0.96

7.47

0.69

1.40%

0.88

45 Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc

4.88

5.13

-4.87%

7,926,187,500.00

0.33

14.74

0.93

4.10%

1.30

46 UACN Property Development Co. Limited

4.22

4.22

0.00%

7,253,124,978.90

1.81

2.33

0.65

16.59%

0.22

47 Wapic Insurance Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

6,691,369,126.00

0.10

5.16

0.94

6.00%

0.45

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.

0.73

0.75

-2.67%

5,059,049,270.40

0.28

2.64

0.15

6.85%

0.52

50 Fidson Healthcare Plc

2.00

2.05

-2.44%

3,000,000,000.00

0.50

4.03

0.37

2.50%

0.47

28 Cadbury Nigeria Plc. 29 Fidelity Bank Plc

TOTAL

8,703,239,651,057.13

TOTAL MARKET CAP

9,336,204,806,697.10

% OF MARKET CAP Annotation - MA* = Simple Moving Average

93.22%

Open 1-June-16

Close 2-June-16

Change %

NSE All Share Index NSE Market Cap (N'Trillion)

26,910.23 9.24

27,183.64 9.34

1.02% 1.02%

Thisday BGL 50 Index Thisday BGL 50 Market Cap (N'Trillion) Diamond Bank Plc

110.53 8.61

111.78 8.70

1.13% 1.13%

3.96

4.08

3.03%

Table 3 Top 5 Gainers Stock

Open Close Change % 1-June-16 2-June-16

Cadbury Nigeria Plc. Lafarge Africa Plc. Nigerian Brew. Plc. Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc Flour Mills Nig. Plc.

18.37 73.40 128.30 6.38 20.45

20.21 77.07 134.71 6.69 21.44

10.02% 5.00% 5.00% 4.86% 4.84%

Open Close Change % 1-June-16 2-June-16

Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc Mansard Insurance Plc Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc Julius Berger Nig. Plc. Continental Reinsurance Plc

7.90 2.21 5.13

7.14 2.10 4.88

-9.62% -4.98% -4.87%

45.00 1.10

42.90 1.05

-4.67% -4.55%

NSE ASI appreciates by 1.02% to end in the green zone Market pulse on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) today – Thursday, June 2, 2016 ended on a positive note as the market closed green position taking resumes. This was further highlighted by positive performances from the NSE Sub sectors; Banking, Consumer Goods (Save Insurance and Oil & Gas). However, trading activities decreased in volume as 332.23 million shares worth N2.16 billion in 4,167 deals exchanged hands today.

This indicates a decrease from the 352.30 million shares worth N3.85 billion in 5,024 deals carried out on Wednesday. Topping in volume terms was United Bank for Africa Plc, FCMB Group Plc and Access Bank Plc, while United Bank for Africa Plc and Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd. ended trading as the most active stocks in value terms.

The All Share Index (NSEASI) closed positive with a 1.02% (+273.41) increase to close at 27,183.64 from 26,910.23 the previous trading day. Market Capitalization appreciated in tandem to N9.34 trillion from N9.24 trillion of prior trading day. Similarly, the Thisday BGL 50 Index followed suit with a better increase of 1.13% to close at 110.78 from 110.53 recorded the previous trading day, while its market capitalization stood at N8.70 trillion from N8.61 trillion of the previous trading day.

A total number of 23 stocks gained on the bourse today while 31 stocks declined, leaving 44 stocks unchanged. Cadbury Nigeria Plc emerged the toast of investors as it topped the Thisday BGL 50 Index gainers’ list with a gain of 10.02% to close at N20.21 per share. It was followed by Lafarge Africa Plc with a gain of 5.00% to close at N77.07 per share. Others on the gainers list include; Nigerian Breweries Plc, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc and Flour Mills Nig. Plc, while on the decliners’ list; CCNN Plc led with a loss of 9.65% to close at N7.14 per share. Again, it was followed by Mansard Insurance Plc with a loss of 4.98% to close at N2.10 per share. Others on the losers list include; Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, Julius Berger Nig. Plc and Continental Reinsurance 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

54

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3 , 2016

MARKET NEWS

Union Bank Assures Shareholders Long Term Value Creation Goddy Egene and Eromosele Abiodun The Group Managing Director of Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc, Mr. Emeka Emuwa has said the bank would leverage and foster innovation to drive long term value creation for shareholders and other stakeholders.

Speaking at the 47th annual general meeting (AGM)

in Lagos yesterday, Emuwa said while market conditions in Nigeria, and globally, are expected to remain challenging in 2016, he is confident that the bank is well-positioned to navigate the economic headwinds given its clearly mapped out strategic priorities, energized workforce and commitment to innovation and cost management.

According to him, the bank

T H E MAIN BOARD

DEALS

MARKET PRICE

will continue to drive its business priorities, focusing on growing deposit base, transactional costs, effective utilising capital and managing liquidity.

“From a growth and differentiation perspective, we will focus on trade and retail, growing our public sector business in light of the opportunities created by the new administration,

N I G E R I A N QUANTITY TRADED

as well as drive more value chain synergies across our business in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

We are focused on execution to ensure we accomplish our objectives in the short and long term.

We will leverage and foster innovation to drive long term value creation for the bank by improving customer acquisition, consumer retention and

STO C K

VALUE TRADED ( N )

customer expansion. We are committed to enhancing the bank’s market perception and share of mind with existing and target consumers,” he said.

Reviewing the performance of the bank for the year ended December 31, 2015, the Chairman of UBN, Mr. Cyril Odu said the bank recorded profit before tax of N18.1 billion, while net interest income

grew by 19 per cent. Asset yield improved from 14.9 per cent to 16.4 per cent.

Net loan book increase by 15 per cent from N302 billion to N349 billion, just as customer deposits grew by 12 per cent from N507 billion to N569 billion.

UBN last year launched a new identity to re-energise the brand and renew customer interest.

E XC H A N G E

MAIN BOARD

DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

DAILY STOCK MARKET REPORT

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

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

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

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 FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016

55

56

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Senate Summons Adio, NEITI Boss over Non-remittance of N1tn by NNPC Tinubu’s wife accuses Saraki of demoting her

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The Senate yesterday summoned the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Mr. Waziri Adio, to brief it on all he knows about whopping sum of over N1 trillion oil revenue said to have been remitted between 2005 and 2013 by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Moving a motion on the urgent need to look into the NEITI 2013 oil, gas and solid minerals’ audit report, Senator Tijjani Kaura (Zamfara North), said the money was stolen in NNPC as reflected in the audit report that was presented to Senate President Bukola Saraki last Monday.

The Senate therefore resolved that the NEITI boss must appear before it and brief it on not only the missing funds but also the cause of the leakages.

Giving a breakdown, Kaura said details of the 2013 audit and financial report of activities in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry showed that Nigeria made $58.

07 billion from its hydrocarbon industry that year.

He said while the sum of N33.86

billion was realised from solid minerals’ sector in 2013, the sum of $3.8 billion and N358.3 billion were outstanding revenues from the NNPC and its subsidiaries. “These outstanding payments were dues from unpaid consideration from divested oil mining leases from NNPC to NPDC and cash call refunds by the National Petroleum Investment and Management Services,” he said.

Kaura said it was disturbing that NNPC failed to remit $12.9 billion paid by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) to the federation account between 2005 and 2013, adding that the NEITI report showed that the country lost $5.966billion and N20.4 billion in the oil sector from the operation of Offshore Processing Agreement (OPA) by NNPC in its crude oil swap transaction.

He also said the Senate was disturbed that the sum of $599.98 million was reported in the audit as an underpayment to the Federation Account from petroleum profit taxes and royalties by oil and gas companies by using different pricing methodology.

Kaura said looking into the report very closely had become very imperative because NEITI was

House Committee Seeks Recall of Open Varsity VC Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education and Services have appealed to the federal government to rescind its sack of the Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Vincent Tenebe.

The lawmakers stated that since Tenebe was already midway into his two-year extension granted to him by the Governing Council of the university and approved by the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, government would not lose anything by allowing him to complete the tenure, which remainings one year.

The lawmakers made the appeal last Wednesday during a dialogue session with representatives of the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu, over the sack of 13 vicechancellors of federal universities by the federal government in February.

Tenebe was affected by the sack, but unlike eight of the vice-chancellors whose tenures were remaining just two weeks before the sack, the NOUN VC had slightly more than one year before the expiration of his extended tenure.

The Chairman of the committee, Hon. Aminu Suleiman, who made the appeal on behalf of other members of the committee, stated that: “It is on record that Tenebe worked very meritoriously to turn the National Open University to a world class university. Before him, very little was known about the university, but through his tenacity and hard work, it is to his credit that the university has today become a household name in Nigeria and abroad.”

Continuing, he said: “It is only proper for the regulator to advise the federal government that such person who has sacrificed so much to the growth of the university be

allowed to exhaust his remaining tenure. The system should have a way of encouraging such person who has given so much to the service of the country. Why can’t we allow him since he already knows that in the next one year he will leave office? That way, continuity would be maintained.”

The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie, who led the team from the ministry to the dialogue, while admitting that President Jonathan truly approved the extension of Tenebe’s tenure as vice-chancellor, stated that following the unification of the guidelines and procedures governing all federal universities in the country, the present administration has decided to discontinue to exercise further discretions in the extension of the tenure of any vice-chancellor in the country.

He further explained that the present administration has decided to comply strictly to the provisions of the universities (miscellaneous provisions) (amendment) Act 2012, which provides for five year single non renewable term, for all VCs of federal universities in the country.

While also acknowledging the great contributions of Tenebe in the growth and development of the NOUN Okojie promised that the ministry would recommend to the Federal Government that Tenebe be given more opportunity to serve the country in other capacities.

“If a man is good, it is not only in the university that he can perform. He is a very articulate and hardworking person no doubt, but we are talking about the law here. We have heard what you said and we shall recommend to the government that he be made to serve the country in another capacity,” Okojie pledged.

created by an Act of the National Assembly in 2007 to ensure due process and transparency in the payments made by all extractive industries company to the federal government.

He also said the Act empowered NEITI to monitor and ensure accountability in the revenue receipts of the federal government

from extractive industry companies and as well eliminate all forms of corrupt practices in the determination, payment receipts and posting of revenue accruing to the federal government from extractive industry companies, among other objectives.

Also yesterday, Senator representing Lagos Central

senatorial district, Oluremi Tinubu, accused Saraki of demoting her by assigning her to second the motion for approval of votes of proceedings for June 1, 2016.

She claimed that by being called upon to second the motion moved

by Senator Andy Uba (Anambra South), an opposition senator, she had been demoted as she claimed

that as a member of the ruling party, she was superior to Uba, a minority senator.

Boasting and exalting herself, Tinubu said she should have been the one to move the motion while Uba should have seconded it. But Saraki did not dignify her with a response as he watched motion as it was moved haphazardly.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

L-R: Managing Director/CEO, JNC International, Clare Omotseye; Founder/CEO, Bella Niger, Uche Pedro; Founder, LEAP Africa, Ndidi Nwuneli; Board Chairman, LEAP Africa, Dr. Nadu Denloye; and Country Manager, Google Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, at LEAP Africa’s 11th CEO Forum, held in Lagos ....yesterday Sunday Adigun

Fashola Denies Saying PHCN Privatisation was Illegitimate Chineme Okafor in Abuja The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, yesterday said it was untrue he described the 2013 privatisation process for successor generation and distribution companies of defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) as been illegal, saying the newspaper report which attributed it to him was not factual.

Fashola said in an emailed statement from his senior aide on communications, Mr. Hakeem Bello, in Abuja that he did not make such remarks at a Senate public hearing on electricity tariff.

The minister in the statement distanced himself from the alleged pronouncement.

He said in the presentations he made before the Senate Committee, he never used the word ‘illegally’ to refer to the privatisation of the PHCN by the federal government.

Fashola said rather, a verified playback of a video recording of the session showed he said: “...

As minister, I inherited a power sector where government interests had been legally sold…”

The minister’s clarification of what he said at the session with the Senate has however coincided with reactions from operators of electricity generation companies (Gencos) and distribution companies (Discos) on the report, with some of them expressing their willingness to give up their assets and claim compensation from the

government if it decides to reverse the transaction.

According to the statement, Fashola is tracing how the country got to this point in her power sector, referred to the privatisation law made in 2005.

He was quoted as saying: “The people of this country through their parliamentarians made a verdict in 2005 when you passed that law that things must change, the law was passed in 2005 and the process was completed in 2013, I wasn’t here, some of you were here, if the process is bad, where was the oversight?”

He also reportedly said to the Senate: “I will commend to this committee the report of the House of Representatives that investigated the matter. I will also commend to you sirs, some of the reports that have been made by the Senate committee on privatisation. The basic reason for the passage of the power sector reforms bill that was passed in 2005 is that we all know that the government was not doing its business well.”

Fashola, it said defended the reform law when he reportedly said the Senate: “These decisions were taken before any of us was here. If it was working why change it, who were the people that were employed to make it work, it was our employers in the TUC and other unions, and if they complain that the dam was not working and the power plant was not working, that was why they were hired.”

Pure Water, Frozen Chicken, Fertilizer Application Killing Nigerians, Says Ogbeh Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, yesterday told the Senate Committee on Agriculture that the health of many Nigerians is threatened by the daily consumption of items such as pure water and smuggled frozen chicken which he said contained poison that is detrimental to their health.

Ogbeh who made this disclosure at a one-day public hearing in National Assembly on bills bothering on food security by the committee, said the consumption of poison from some food items everyday arose from wrong habit of processing and preserving such items.

The bills are Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service Bill 2016, Food Security Bill 2016 and Nigerian Institute of Soil Science Bill 2016 He cited the example of the preparation of food called “moinmoin” in cellophane, otherwise known as nylon, as poisonous because nylon contains a large dosage of dioxins which he said are naturally inactive in leaves when used to package such food.

According to him, the consumption of sachet water commonly known as pure water usually exposed to sun at over 28 degree centigrade, is poisonous and thus resulting in many cases of kidney and liver failure among Nigerians.

Ogbeh also said but for the attitude of over boiling meat by many Nigerians, many of them would have

been infected by tuberculosis from consumption of cow meat. “Many of the cows being moved from one place to the other by herdsmen are already infected with tuberculosis but our practice of boiling meat very well here has been the saving grace from people being infected with the deadly disease,” he said.

The minister added that frozen chicken preserved with formalin which he said was also used for the preservation of corpses and commonly consumed by Nigerians had been the reason many experience serious health challenges in the land.

He also cited the instance of beans and grains preservation with over dosage of pesticides by farmers and sellers as another dangerous food poison which he said had killed many Nigerians and still killing a number of unsuspecting buyers and consumers.

He further disclosed that wrong application of fertilizer by farmers on their farmland, had also led to poisonous consumption of affected food items. “Unknowingly to many of the farmers, there is specific fertilizer for specific crops in specific state in line with soil texture,” he explained.

He, however, commended the committee for working on the bills, pointing out that they would help to guarantee food security in the country and simultaneously curb the production and preparation of poisonous foods, noting that the “rejection of Nigerian farm produce abroad is embarrassing.”

57

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Darkness Looms as Militant Attacks Cut Power Nigerians may have to get used to living in the dark Unless President Muhammadu Buhari, 73, can subdue armed militants attacking gas facilities that supply the nation’s power plants, his plans to remedy an electricity shortage he called a “national shame” in his inauguration speech a year ago will be stillborn. In March, Buhari said he would increase power generation by 2,000 megawatts this year and raise it by 2019 to 10,000 megawatts, double this year’s peak in early February.

Then militants in the oil-rich Niger River delta started repeatedly blowing up gas pipelines, lowering electricity output to 1,000 megawatts on May 23. The scarcity has battered an economy already in crisis because of falling prices for its main export, oil, threatening a recession. As it is, Africa’s largest economy currently generates about a 30th of South Africa’s electricity production, for a population more than three times its size.

“For all the plants, there’s no gas,” said Dallas Peavey Jr, chief executive officer of Nigeria’s largest power facility, Egbin, whose output has fallen to less than 10 per cent of its 1,320-megawatt capacity. “We’re sitting idle here.”

With Africa’s biggest gas reserves of more than 180 trillion cubic feet, gas-generated power was touted as the obvious solution by a succession of governments to end daily blackouts that cost the economy at least two per cent of gross domestic product growth annually, according to the Ministry of Finance. Gas-fired power plants provide about 80 per cent of Nigeria’s electricity supply, according to Pabina Yinkere, head of research at Lagos-based Vetiva

Capital Management Ltd. With current power output the lowest in a decade, millions of Nigerians either do without electricity or are forced to buy fuel for their own generators. Even when output reached its 5,000-megawatt peak, most of the country was in darkness, Yinkere said.

“Nigeria’s electricity consumption per capita is 142 kilowatt hours compared to 4,328 KWH in South Africa,” Yinkere said.

The partial sale of 17 former state-owned power utilities three years ago was meant to attract investment needed to expand the grid. Yet, private investors have been hampered by increasing debt owed by government, an inability to obtain foreign exchange to import equipment and, now, militant attacks on key installations.

“If the vandalism is not addressed urgently and comprehensively, electricity will continue to deteriorate and the government’s aspiration to significantly increase power generation by 2019 would be a mirage,” Desmond Ogba, managing counsel and head of energy projects at Lagos-based law firm Templars, said in a phone interview.

All but four of the country’s 23 gas-powered generators have been shut down after militants calling themselves the Niger Delta Avengers knocked out the Forcados export pipeline in February, and the Escravos-Lagos link early May. A Royal Dutch Shell plc spokesman, Precious Okolobo, said Wednesday repairs were continuing on Forcados. The link will reopen in July, Emmanuel Kachikwu, minister of state for petroleum, told reporters Thursday

Faleke Leads Dignitaries to Ogidi Day Festival The Kogi State governorship contender and the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, Mr. James Abiodun Faleke, will lead dignitaries from various walks of life to grace this year’s Ogidi Day Festival in Ogidi-Ijumu, Kogi State.

The festival comes up at the Community Hall Grounds, Agegbe, Ogidi, Ijumu Local Government Area on Saturday, June 18, 2016 at 10a.m.

Ahead of the festival, Faleke, who is billed to be the Chairman of the day, has embarked on the palliative repair of the 16 kilometre Kabba-Ogidi-Ayere Road.

Also expected at the event are the former Deputy Chief of Staff in the Obasanjo Presidency, Prince Olusola Akanmode, father of the day; Chief Gani Adams of the O’odua Peoples Congress (OPC); Ms. Diana Chen, Chief Executive Officer, CIG Motors, Lagos; Mr. Eniola Bello, Managing Director, THISDAY Newspapers, Lagos and Mr. Tajudeen Ayo Yusuf, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on the Capital Market.

The occasion which marks the official presentation of the new yam is also used by the community to raise funds for various development projects in the ancient community.

The National Publicity Secretary

of the Ogidi Development Union, organisers of the programme, Chief Shuaib Ipinmisho, in a statement in Lokoja said cultural troupes from Lagos, Edo, Ekiti and Osun States will join their local counterparts to thrill the audience at what he termed the nation’s biggest culture event in June.

Prominent indigenes of the community and organisations deemed to have contributed to its development in the course of the year would be honoured with various awards while the Ologidi of Ogidi, Oba Rabiu Oladimeji Sule will also present honourary chieftaincy title to various dignitaries on the occasion.

The yearly Ogidi Day Medical Outreach organised by the ODU and Ripples Foundation, a United Kingdom-based charity will be held to conduct tests and give free medicine to the people of the community.

This year’s event will also feature a Youth Connect Night at which the popular hip-hop artiste, 9nice, will entertain guests at an all night show and a mountain climbing expedition to the famous Oroke Oda which offered refuge to the people of the community during the Nupe raids of the late 19th century.

in Vienna. Government officials say Escravos may not open until September, according to Peavey.

“When people break the gas line it’s like breaking the diesel tank or your petrol tank that supplies your generator at home and that’s why the power situation is currently this bad,” Babatunde Fashola, the minister of power, works and housing, said in a statement on May 21. “As soon as we restore those gas pipelines, power will improve.”

Buhari has vowed to deal with the militants in the delta in a similar way he has handled Boko Haram’s deadly campaign in northeastern

Nigeria. The army has fought the Islamist group for years and appears to have succeeded in weakening it in recent months.

Rebels in the delta say they are fighting for a greater share of the region’s oil resources and to protest poverty, unemployment and environmental pollution from decades of hydrocarbon exploration and production. A previous militant campaign abated in 2009 when the government offered the fighters an amnesty and payments to disarm.

Insurgent leaders also received contracts worth millions of dollars to protect the oil facilities.

The violence resumed when

Buhari, a former army general, ended the security contracts and reduced the monthly stipends.

In a speech marking his first year in office on May 29, Buhari signaled he may reconsider the termination of stipends for the ex-fighters and said he would curb violence through steps including talks with regional leaders and “re-engineering” the amnesty program.

While authorities have stepped up security in the area, Kachikwu said talks with militant representatives began a few days ago. “We’re going to get it to be more inclusive,” he said. “We’ll

talk with those who are aggrieved, we’ll talk to our brothers who feel pain and are unhappy.”

“There are no quick fixes to the challenges,” Yinkere said.

“The only way out I see is for the government to negotiate with the militants. The government needs to dialogue. Using force will not bring a solution to the challenge.”

Until the violence ends and the gas supplies resume, Peavey has shelved plans to double Egbin’s output.

“We can’t double the capacity if we can’t find the fuel,” he said.

•Culled from Bloomberg

RENDERING ACCOUNTS TO SHAREHOLDERS

L-R: Managing Director/CEO, Union Bank Plc, Mr. Emeka Emuwa; Chairman, Cyril Odu; and Company Secretary, Mr. Somuyiwa Adedeji, at the 47th annual general meeting of the bank in Lagos....yesterday Sunday Adigun

Grazing Reserves: JODER Writes National Assembly, Calls for National Dialogue The National Assembly has been urged to initiate a national dialogue on grazing reserves being proposed by the federal government.

In a letter delivered to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, yesterday, JODER said the proposed grazing reserves in indigenous territories have the potential throwing the country into turmoil by flaming up anger and outcries in affected communities.

“We observe that in all this, discussions about the grazing reserves have been on-going among Nigerian top policy makers including members of the National Assembly. The disturbing aspect is that nothing suggests that the communities that own the land matter.”

JODER stated that most of the recent conflicts across the country are fuelled by dispute over land and natural resources.

The proposed grazing reserve will do nothing except to compound the already tempestuous situation.

“We urge the Nigerian national assembly to see itself as being in the best possible position to initiate

a national consultative dialogue on grazing reserves being proposed by some government officials and members of parliament. The idea of a grazing reserve in Nigeria needs deep reflection and wide consultation with communities that own the land. It is one of the most sensitive issues being proposed by some lawmakers with the potential of inflaming bigger conflict and rage across the country,” JODER said in the letter sent to the Senate President and signed by its Programme Officer, Mr. Obafemi Kasali.

The media group said most comments on the Fulani herdsmen and land owners often fail to appreciate the root cause of the widespread conflict that has been associated with grazing in Nigeria, the latest being the killing of scores of indigenous people in Nimbo, Enugu State and Oke-Ako, Ekiti State.

The media group listed some of the major causes of the raging conflict as climate change leading to dwindling forests, plants and natural spring water, mass

migration of nomads towards the South, many of them from outside the country, crisis in the Maghreb region which has led to displacement of indigenous communities, deep feeling of insecurity by the herdsmen which prompt them to look for arms, free access to arms and a geometric increase in the number of arms in the hands of non-state actors owing to the armed conflict in the Magreb.

JODER said the Fulani nomads which population is about 20 million across the world, seven million of which are in Nigeria, represents the biggest nomadic group in the world and that the pastoral Fulani see grazing as both a cultural heritage, a sense of preservation of ancient civilisation and an economic art. “The truth also is that many non-Nigerian nomads, especially from Mali and Niger Republics, have no respect for international borders owing to their close affinity with their fellow nationalities in Nigeria.

Long before the debate on the grazing reserves was mooted,

in some communities, there have been arbitrary invasion by armed nomads. “In some cases the invaders take over the land by force while in many cases grazing routes have long been held by share force of arms by many nomads leading perpetual conflict in many parts of the country.”

JODER said senators have been issuing conflicting signals on the grazing bill with some of them denying its outright existence even though the content of the bill has become a subject of comments and open debate by many federal lawmakers.

“This only shows the lack of transparency and openness on the part of the National Assembly in the approach to the subject matter.

“The solution to grazing needs is not arbitrary seizure of land and converting them to grazing reserves.

“The authorities need a middle alternative that will allay the fears and aspirations of the parties which revolves around the critical issue of the emotional attachment to land ownership on the one hand and cattle grazing on the other.

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016 • T H I S D AY

58

CRIME&PUNISHMENT

Police Arrest Couple for Abducting Two Kids, 70-year-old Man for Defiling Minor Chiemelie Ezeobi in Lagos and Ademola Babalola inIbadan The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a couple, one Saheed Akinwale and Hajia Zainab Salisu, who abducted two kids, 12-months-old Feyitola Lawal and seven-months-old Philip Salisu.

Despite the fact that they were in a relationship but not yet married, Zainab had convinced Saheed that she was pregnant for him and needed money to travel to the United States to deliver the baby.

After collecting N250, 000 from him, she disappeared only to appear months later with two babies, whom she claimed were their babies.

However, it was later discovered that she stole the baby from two different families, and passed them off as twins to families and friends.

While she renamed Feyitola as Kehinde, she gave Philip the name Taiwo, and she remained under that cover till she was arrested by the police and the real parents of Feyitola were notified.

Unknown to her, the police were tracking her using the Close Circuit Television (CCTV) of Justrite Stores, where she was last seen in the company of Mrs. Lawal and her baby, Feyitola.

The suspect, Salisu, said, “I did not steal the baby. Feyisola’s mother is my friend. I went to their house on May 14 and when she left to get something, I carried her baby and left.

“Since I switched off that SIM card, they couldn’t reach me. The other baby (Philip whom she had baptised as Taiwo) belongs to my uncle.

“The wife died and he wanted to give away the baby and I told him to give him to me so that I can raise him as my own. I was arrested when the police picked Saheed.”

Also speaking, Akinwale said:“I

met her last year. After she told me that she was pregnant for me and that she wants to travel to the United States to give birth. I gave her N250, 000.

“Sometime in October, she called me that she was back and that she had delivered a set of twins for me. She told me she landed in Abuja and that she would bring them to Lagos to see me.

“Although I am married with kids, I kept Zainab as my other family. I never knew they were not our kids until the police arrested us yesterday.”

Speaking with THISDAY after her daughter, Feyitonla, was reunited with the family, Mrs. Damilola Lawal debunked claims that she was a friends of the suspect.

She said, “I don’t know her from anywhere, rather she came to my shop claiming to be a supplier of eggs and would love to supply us with some. I agreed.

“Later, she claimed she was new in the area and thus needed a new place of worship and my mother-in-law took her to our church (Christ Apostolic Church).

“After service she followed us home to use the convenience.

She later stayed for lunch and then she said she wanted to buy some souvenoirs.

“I took her to Justrite Stores at Agege but she ended up not buying. When we were leaving, she offered to assist in carrying my daughter. We boarded a bus and got to Abule Egba.

“We entered a bike and when we got to out bus stop, her bike carried her down further. By the time I walked down to that place she had disappeared.”

Speaking to THISDAY, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police, said the arrest was based solely on intelligence-driven investigation.

The hope of a review of Yunusa Dahiru’s bail conditions which would have given him temporary relief was thwarted yesterday following the absence of Justice Aliya Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Dahiru who was accused of criminal abduction, illicit sex, sexual exploitation and unlawful carnal knowledge of a minor, Miss Ese Oruru, was granted bail by the court over two months ago. He not been able to perfect the strict conditions.

Apart from a N3million surety, the court had ruled that a traditional title holder and a level 12 civil servant from the state axis must sign on the young man’s behalf.

Justice Nganjiwa had adjourned the matter to June 2 (yesterday) for hearing on the substantive suit,

The victim, while explaining her ordeal in the hand of the 70-year-old man, said she was kidnapped by the septuagenarian when she was coming from a vigil about three weeks back.

She stated that the man harboured her in his place of work and daily defiled her.

The little girl, who is a primary two pupil in one of the governmentowned school, added that the man was the first person to have carnal

knowledge of her.

Mother of the victim, Mrs. Modinat Oladejo, explained that she had taken several measures to search for her daughter without any result.

The girl’s grandmother, Mrs. Falilat Oladejo, who also joined in the search team, noted that the young girl was not wayward in any way.

Reacting, the suspect, Akinlolu Ogunlade, an indigene of Akure,

Ondo State initially denied having sex with the minor but later explained that he was not the first man to sleep with her and that he only harboured her 21days when she said her parents had travelled.

Speaking on the development, a former Chief Judge of the state, Mrs Badejoko Adeniji, who is also an expert in child protection, explained that it was high time government rose to the protection of the girl child.

FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE LAW

Suspected cultists who allegedly beheaded two students of Abia State University, Uturu, being paraded by officials of the Department of State Services (DSS)inUmuahia....yesterday Govt.HousePress

How Benin National, Three Others Abducted Chinese Expatriate

DSS Nabs Deadly Cult Gang Involved in Beheading ABSU Students

Chiemelie Ezeobi

Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia

they arrested me as a suspect. It was during interrogation that I The trio of Adebowale Johson, confessed to the police.”

However, the trio of Johnson, Oluwadara Segun, Amos Loko, all Nigerians and a national of Segun and Taiye, who maintained the Republic of Benin, Vidiyong their innocence, claimed that although Taiye, yesterday revealed how they Loko contacted them for the job, they hatched and kidnapped a Chinese didn’t actually participate.

The expatriate, who works for expatriate, Kumming Hyang.

According to the suspects, they GMC Construction Company, in had over the course of a year Lekki was abducted by the four-man planned on how to abduct a group on Sunday, May 29, after they victim for ransom but their had ambushed him at Igando Oloja plans were aborted due to Elemoro in Ajah. having granted the prosecution some unforeseen circumstances.

As soon as the information filtered request to take the evidence of They however re-strategised in to the police, a crack team Oruru in private. recently and picked a new victim, from the the Elemoro Police Journalists and child rights this time the Chinese expatriate, Division were put together activists who had gathered in following information from Loko, and deployed to comb the the courtroom as early as 9a.m. who also worked with the victim. area for possible location of were disappointed to learn that According to Loko, he had the criminals. the court would not sit.

Soon after the manhunt zeroed in on the Chinese in a Counsel to Dahiru, Kayode bid to ensure a handsome ransom, launched by the state Commissioner Olaosebekan, said he was not but their plans were foiled when of Police, Fatai Owoseni, the suspects aware that the court would not they were arrested before they could were arrested four days later and sit until he got to the court premises. demand for ransom. the victim rescued hale and hearty.

“We are here in the court for The 26-year-old said: “After our the hearing but unfortunately, the plans failed last year, I continued presiding judge is absent, and from my job as a driver. It was recently I what we have been told, he is out called back my gang and told them of the state to attend a meeting. that we would pick up my boss.

Emmanuel Addeh in ‘’According to the information “The plan was that as soon as Yenagoa before us, a new date on the I resume work by 5a.m, they will matter will be fixed on June 6,” use advantage of the open gate to An armed gang suspected to Olaosebekan said. come in and pick up my boss. be kidnappers has abducted The victim, Oruru, gave birth Our plans worked and we took the younger sister of a to a baby girl last week and has him to a forest behind our house member of the House of remained in the custody of the at Igando, Ibeju, Lekki.

Representatives, representing police in the state since her return “I was arrested after one Ken, Southern Ijaw federal from Kano, where she was taken who is a contractor with my constituency, Bayelsa State, by the accused. company, called in the police and Mr. Henry Offongo.

Ese:Yunusa’s Hopes for Revised Bail Terms Dashed as Judge Fails to Sit Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa

In a related development, the Oyo State Police Command has arrested a 70-year-old man, Akinlolu Ogunlade, for allegedly kidnapping and turning an eight-year-old girl to a sex slave.

The police spokesman SP Kunle Ajisebutu who confirmed the story, said investigation had commenced on the matter.

THISDAY gathered that the incident happened at Abidi Odan area of Akobo in Ibadan.

Nemesis has finally caught up with members of a deadly cult gang that killed three students of the Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU) with two of the victims beheaded on March 12, 2016. Four cultmembersthatparticipatedintheevil mission were yesterday paraded by the Department of State Services (DSS) after twomonthsof“painstakinginvestigation” that led to their arrest.

ThestateDirectorofDSS,Mr.Korede Kamoju, who paraded the suspects at government house Umuahia, said the suspects were members of the Burkina Faso cult group, who “planned and executed the deadly operation” at Chido Lodge, an off campus hostel where their victims resided.

The paraded suspects included Chikezie MacDonald (a.k.a Walking Dutch), 22; Chidozie Obi (a.k.a

Small Boy), 21; Chukwuemeka Awom (a.k.a Archangel), 25; and Chigozie Francis Eberendu (a.k.a Star Boy), 23.

In the deadly attack on the victims, who were members of the Maphite cult group, the suspects killed Ebuka Nwaigbo and Samuel Ethelbert Chuka and beheaded them, took the severed heads and used them to mount goal posts in the lawn outside the university gate.

Thethirdvictim and member of the Vikings cult group, Isaac Chigozirim, who was shot and wounded in the operation, later died in the hospital on March 18.

“The suspects who confessed to the crime, narrated how the attack was planned and hatched,” said the DSS state director, adding that MacDonald who is the current capon of Burkina Faso cult group in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU) supplied the gun used in the operation.

Lawmaker’s Sister Kidnapped in Bayelsa Mrs. Seighe Samson, the victim, it was learnt yesterday, was abducted at about 11 p.m. yesterday night from her home in Igbomotoru area of the local council.

A mother of six, Seighe, said to be in her late 30s, was forcibly taken away by her abductors after beating up her husband, who attempted to stop the hoodlums from taking his

wife away.

The bandits, numbering about six, were said to have stormed the coastal community in a speedboat and made straight to the house of their target.

After beating Samson, the victim’s husband, the gunmen reportedly grabbed their victim and took her away to a yet unknown destination.

T H I S D AY FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016

59

60

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016

61

62

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Airlines to Earn $39.4bn in 2016, Africa Carriers to Lose $0.5bn Chinedu Eze in Dublin The outgoing Director General and Chief Executive Officer of

the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Tony Tyler, has announced that member airlines would earn about $39.4

Police Recruitment: PSC Shortlists 338,227 Applicants The Police Service Commission (PSC) on Thursday said it shortlisted 338,227 applicants out of the 911,438 that applied for recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force.

The Chairman of the commission, Mike Okiro, who disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja, said screening of successful applicants would begin on June 6 in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

Okiro explained that 44,661 were shortlisted for cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), 87,736 for cadet Inspector and 205,830 for police constables.

He said: “I would like to emphasise that the initial shortlisting of applicants was done electronically.

“Invitation letters were also sent to successful applicants through SMS and to their personal email addresses.”

He warned applicants against fake letters from criminal elements, stressing that “the invitation states the date for each person’s screening and venue of the screening.

“Applicants will be grouped according to their local government areas and a date fixed for their screening.”

The chairman said this was to avoid overcrowding the venue and also for meticulous exercise.

He warned that no applicant

would be admitted into any venue or appear on any date other than those allocated to him or her.

Okiro added that after the screening, successful candidates would be invited to a zonal screening to be held in the 12 police zonal headquarters in the country. He said the national interview would be held in Abuja, where those who were successful at the zonal screening would be interviewed. He noted that the commission had been transparent since the filling and submission of forms started, saying “I want to re-emphasis that the commission will be guided by the rules and will be fair, transparent and ensure that the process is merit-driven.

“As a commission, we have collectively and individually swore to make this project a huge success.

“The Nigeria Police needs the best, especially now that the nation is engaged in several battles.”

Femi Adenaike, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of training, said all training schools and colleges were rehabilitated.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that 262,426 applicants applied for cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), 211,832 applied for Cadet Inspector and 437,144 for Police Constables.

billion this year.

Speaking at the opening of the 72nd IATAAnnual General Meeting in Dublin yesterday, Tyler explained that airlines would earn more this year than initially projected.

In December 2015, the forecast was that airlines would earn $36.3 billion in 2016 but indication showed that the earnings would increase to the aforementioned which is expected to be generated on revenues of $709 billion for an aggregate net profit margin of 5.6 per cent.

2016 is expected to be the fifth consecutive year of improving aggregate industry profits; however, African airlines would lose $0.5 billion during the period.

Tyler said in 2015, airlines generated a global aggregate profit of $35.3 billion (re-stated from $33.0 billion estimated in December 2015), noting that all regions are making a contribution to the $4.1 billion boost over 2015

profits with improved results, but there are stark regional differences in performance.

He said over half of the industry profits would be generated in North America ($22.9 billion) while African carriers are forecast to continue generating an overall loss (-$0.5 billion), adding that lower oil prices spurred the profit.

“Lower oil prices are certainly helping—though tempered by hedging and exchange rates. In fact, we are probably nearing the peak of the positive stimulus from lower prices. Performance, however, is being bolstered by the hard work of airlines. Load factors are at record levels.

“New value streams are increasing ancillary revenues. And joint ventures and other forms of cooperation are improving efficiency and increasing consumer choice while fostering robust competition. The result: consumers are getting a great

deal and investors are finally beginning to see the rewards they deserve,” Tyler said.

He said on the average, airlines would make $10.42 for each passenger carried.

“In Dublin, that’s enough to buy four double-espressos at Starbucks. Looked at from a different angle, Starbucks will earn about $11 for every $100 in sales while airlines will make $5.60.

We don’t begrudge Starbucks’ profitability. But there is clearly still upside for airline profits,” Tyler stated.

The CEO disclosed that for the second year in a row and only the second time in the airline industry’s history, the return on invested capital (9.8 per cent) would exceed the cost of capital (estimated to be 6.8 per cent). This is the minimum expectation level for investors, adding that the airline industry was beginning to generate profits that would be expected of

any normal business.

“The job of shoring up resilience by repairing balance sheets is under way. We have had a few years of good profits and some airlines have started to pay down debt. It will, however, take a longer run of profits before balance sheets are returned to full health,” he explained.

Tyler however observed that repaying accumulated debt will take several years of profitability to achieve. Airlines in North America and in some parts of Europe have seen the gearing of their balance sheets fall towards investment grade levels. But for much of the rest of the industry, it is a continuing challenge.

“Airlines are producing solid results even with some strong economic headwinds. It’s an impressive performance and the mood of the industry is generally optimistic,” Tyler stated.

Nigeria Needs Leaders Like Ambode, Says Fasehun The founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr. Frederick Fasehun, has described Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, as a true leader and politician who identifies with the needs of people and delights in finding solutions to problems.

Speaking with journalists on the backdrop of the inauguration of the Ago- Palace way, in Okota Isolo, Fasehun, who is also the National Chairman of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) said the road has been in a bad shape since the military administration of Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa.

He said Ambode promised to construct the road during his electioneering and has delivered on his promise in less than a year in office.

Fasehun, who said Ambode has no shortcomings in all areas, however urged the governor to keep up the good work by improving on his style of governance.

He said: “Ambode has done extremely well judging by the nature of Nigerians when they first come to office. You wouldn’t know he is a Nigerian. He is out to serve the people; he identifies the need of the people and go out to solve such needs. If we have six of Ambode’s out of 36 state governors, Nigerians would be smiling. He has done very and I wish him well.

“He should improve on the

style of governance, you know me very well that I don’t fear to speak. I don’t think he has any shortcomings in any areas. He can look to do better because there is always room for improvement in all areas of human endeavour.

“Ambode in all modesty, has introduced a new style in serving the people. He gave a promise and he has kept the promise. That is why people are praying for him, nobody jeers at Ambode.

He moves with the people, he identifies with the need of the people and he is finding solutions to the problem.

Fasehun said the Ago Palace Way-Okota Road had not been motorable since the era of Col Buba Marwa as governor of the state, adding that promises by successive governors to fix the road did not yield much result.

“They could not do that until when Ambode came in last year and promised the people that he would rebuild Ago-Okota road and just in less than a year, you can see what Ago- Okota road is looking like.

“Should we not praise him for the good job done and urge him to continue? I know people who would hear me talking glowingly of him would say I have been given money. I have not met Ambode face to face like this. God admires those who tell the truth, Ambode has been serving the people very well,” the OPC boss said.

COURTESYVISIT

L-R: Pastor of Chapel ofTransfiguration, Ikorodu, Biodun Durowoju; Mr. Amokomowo; Paramount ruler of Ikorodu land, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi and GeneralOverseerofChapelofTransfiguration,Ikorodu,PastorFemiOgunsanya,PastorAyoolaOladiipo,whenofficialsofthechurchpaidacourtesyvisiton theparamountrulerathispalaceinIkorodu,Lagos...recently

Orubebe Says He’s Being Prosecuted for No Offence Tribunal reserves judgment for June 30

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, yesterday told the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCB) sitting in Abuja that he regretted serving Nigeria in the ministerial capacity because he was dragged before the tribunal for just cause.

The federal government had last year October filed a four-count charge, bordering on false assets declaration and demanding and collection of bribe of about N70 million against the former minister.

Led in evidence yesterday by his counsel, Mr. Selekowoi Larry (SAN), Orubebe who testified in his own defence, told the tribunal that the charges against him were unfounded and uncalled for because the property for which he was arraigned did not belong to him.

He made it clear that he was merely being persecuted because

he had not breached the Code of Conduct for Public Officer.

In an emotionally laden remark while giving evidence, Orubebe said he served Nigeria diligently and with energy at his disposal for six years and four months and that his major gain of the service was the criminal charges brought against him.

“Let me make this point now here before this tribunal that the only regret I have for serving this country is this trial. It is very unfortunate, it is regrettable, it is shameful. I am sad and my heart is heavy because I am put on trial on mere empty land in the bush officially given to me by the same government I served.

“Nigerians may not know this and I wish to say it out that during the peak of the militancy in the Niger Delta, I slept with the militants in the Creek for two weeks, negotiating with them on how to adopt peaceful approach for their demands, and in the end, my efforts brought peace to

this country and our oil companies have their peace and Nigeria was better of in the area of security and economy because of my efforts, only to be compensated with this trial that has destabilised me.

“I still love this country but I have a pain in my neck. I have respect for government and its policies. If the Code of Conduct Bureau had invited me for clarifications on my asset forms, I would have honoured them because it is a simple thing to do and because my conscience is clear.”

He said the CCB never asked him for any clarification before he was charged with the offence of failing to declare a property.

The ex-minister had in his evidence claimed that he did not declare Plot 2057 in Asokoro District of Abuja because as at the time he was leaving government in 2011, he had sold off the land which was allocated to him by the government to pay for his

house rent of two years.

Orubebe told the tribunal that the land in dispute was allocated to him by government but he sold it to his lañdlord, Barrister Akinwumi Ajibola for N10 million to offset the two-year house rent debt owed the landlord.

The former minister said it would have been criminal for him to have claimed ownership of the property he had sold and the Certificate of Occupancy handed over to the buyer before he left office.

He asked the tribunal to dismiss the charge against him because he did not breach any law as far as the property in dispute was concerned.

Another witness of the minister, Mr. Akinwumi Ajibola, confirmed that Orubebe was his tenant at Drive 2, House 3, Ministers Quarters, Mabushi, Abuja, and that the tenant was indebted to him to the tune of N10 million for two-year house rent.

63

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016

FRIDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

AFTERMATH OF FIFA RANKING

Tough Draw Awaits S’Eagles in W’Cup Qualifying Campaign Femi Solaja Strong indications emerged last night that the Super Eagles of Nigeria may have to thread on a tough path to reach the World Cup final tournament in Russia in 2018 following the position of the country in the latest ranking released by the World football body, FIFA. Although the three-African champions had an improved six spots movement upward in the new ranking, the inability to be among the top five on the continent means Nigeria may likely not be in pot one during the draw ceremony later in the year.

Nigeria are now 61st in the world, but still very much outside the top five in Africa and number 12 on the continent.

The current top five on the continental ratings namely; Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal and Egypt are likely to will enjoy a better chance of making Pot A of the draw on June 24 in Cairo, Egypt.

Meanwhile FIFA will next week announce the lucky five top seeds and it is unlikely that any of the current top five nations will lose out.

The climb up the FIFA rankings was as a result of the two wins the Super Eagles achieved against Mali and

Luxembourg in the last one week ensured they amassed 559 points.

In Africa, they are placed behind Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Egypt, Tunisia, Cape Verde, Congo DR, Guinea, Cameroon and Congo.

After crashing out of AFCON 2017, Nigeria will be seeking to qualify for a sixth World Cup finals when the qualifying series for Russia 2018 begin in October.

The 20-teams still in the competition will be drawn into five groups of four teams each with the five overall group winners qualifying to represent Africa at the Mundial in the Siberian nation.

Meanwhile, Argentina and Belgium held firm to the first and second spot in the world while Austria returned to the top 10 with Euro 2016 hosts, France moving up four places to 17th in the world.

Slovakia and Madagascar were top movers. The Europeans climbed eight steps to the 24th place, while the Africans rose 29 places into the top 108.

The next world ranking will be published on 14 July 2016 with COPA America and EURO 2016 tournaments expected to play a prominent role in the next ranking list.

ACCESS BANK/UNICEF POLO

MRS in Narrow Win over Keffi Ponys MRS defeated Keffi Ponys 9-8 yesterday enhance their push for the Charity Shield title in the 2016 Access Bank-UNICEF Charity Shield Polo tournament holding at the Fifth Chukker Polo and Country Club, Kaduna.

Ponys, which paraded Ahmed Wadada (0), Babangida Hassan (+)3), Diego White (+6) and Santiago Cernadas (+6), started the game on a two-goal handicap lead and they added to their advantage through Santi Cernadas’ 30 yarder.

White, one of the Argentine quartet on the field, threatened to respond for MRS formed

by Bashir Dantata (+3), Idris Badamasi (+2), Leroux Hendrix (+5) and Tom De Bruin. (+7), but was ride off by DeBruin as the opening chukka begins to intensify but they eventually got off the mark via a 60 yarder from De Bruin bringing the first chukka to a close at 3-1.

South African De Bruin scored another goal at the start of the second chukka but he soon fluffed the chance to level the tie sending his 60yarder

off target.

Hassan made his presence felt in the early part of the third chukka scoring a fantastic goal with a diagonal mid-air shot from 25 yards after Cernadas was beaten by the bounce to make scores 5-2.

However, Hendrix, another South African in the MRS team, got on the scoresheet but Cernadas hits back to end the chukka 6-3. De Bruin mande good use of the closing minute to score twice to keep the MRS deficit at just a goals but a goal

by Cernadasas made scores to 7-5 as it starts to rain.

Badamasi and Cernadas, in order, scored for both sides as scores stood at 8-6 at the end of the fourth chukka while De Bruin,........got two goals of the fifth chukka taking scores to 8-8.

De Bruin shot MRS in the lead for the very first tie the final chukka and it proved the winning goal.

Today’s game will see Lagos side, Caverton/Sao Polo taking on Kashton in the Access Bank Cup Charity while Keffi Ponys confront Access Bank/Fifth Chukker in the Charity Shield.

Super Eagles in training session before the match against Luxembourg

House Sports Committee in Crucial Meeting With Pinnick, Giwa Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The House of Representatives Committee on Sports yesterday in Abuja met President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick and club proprietor, Chris Giwa, on the lingering crisis over the leadership of the federation.

The lawmakers who have vowed to find a lasting solution to the festering crisis, did not

allow other parties to enter the meeting venue, as only Pinnick and Giwa were allowed to ventilate their thoughts on the matter.

After over close to three hours of meeting, both parties, Pinnick told reporters that another meeting has been scheduled for next week Tuesday to close the matter.

He was however happy that the talks were leading to an

amicable resolution of the NFF leadership crisis without incurring van from FIFA Giwa on his part said he was excited at the intervention of the House of Reps members adding that the meeting was very fruitful.

“We had a very fruitful meeting on the way forward and as I will always say we must try and mend fences and I think that is the way we

are looking at the matter. The media will be duely informed of developments in the coming days as another meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday next week”, he declared.

Giwa further alluded to the fact that he was not a desperado for the job of the NFF President but merely want to enforce his fundamental human rights as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.”

Injury Knocks Ekundayo Out of Title Defence Nigeria’s African Boxing Union Champion, Larry Ekundayo, has pulled out of his scheduled title defence fight because of injury.

The ABU Champion injured his hands during training in preparation for his scheduled titled defence in London.

Undefeated Ekundayo, who won the belt in October 2015, was scheduled to defend it against the Tanzanian boxing

star Saidi Mundi on June 4, in London.

Speaking from his base in London Larry said: “I am bitterly disappointed not to be fighting at the weekend after all the training I’ve gone through. I was looking forward to bringing sporting success to Nigeria and continue to climb up the world rankings, but my team decided that I couldn’t take

the risk to fight with such an injury.”

Larry’s manager, Ben Gray also said: “Larry is a great boxer, but even he can’t fight a man with only one hand!

Larry carries the hopes of a nation on his back and it would not be right to send him into battle without giving him the best opportunity of victory”.

Ekundayo will be out of

action for 6-8 weeks whilst his hand heals, once this is done the bout will be rescheduled for later in the year.

Speaking further, the boxer’s Special Adviser, Bimbo Folayan said “this is a very big loss to Larry considering the amount of time and effort he has put in, but I know Nigerians will support their man and join me in cheering him on when he returns”.

SuperSport’s Never-ending Season Continues with AFCON Qualifiers It may officially be the offseason, but football continues on the World of Champions with nine 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

With the Gabon 2017 qualifiers two matches from being concluded, it’s now a matter of win or bust for former champions

South Africa and Zambia.

In the same predicament are Botswana, Angola and Mauritius.

All five nations lie in third place in their respective groups and must win this weekend to keep alive the faint hopes of progressing to the finals as the two best

overall runners-up.

The countdown to Euro 2016 also continues on SuperSport with high profile warm-up matches featuring a Germany in need of regaining winning momentum ahead of the June 10 – July 10spectacle.

Broadcast details includes

the Botswana match against Uganda on SS4HD, SS4 and SS9E. While Guinea-Bissau and Zambia would be shown on SS9 just as Gambia’s tie against South Africa will come up on SS4HD and Côte D Ivoire will tackle Gabon with all the matches coming up tomorrow.

Friday, June 3, 2016

TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Price: N250

MISSILE IPOB to IG

“How can the police disarm people who are not armed in the first place? We challenge the IG to provide any proof that Biafrans attacked police personnel and at what point in time did this happen? We think he is probably trying to make the job easier for the Department of State Services (DSS) which has been looking for the smoking gun with which they will convince the trial judge, Hon. John Tsoho, that IPOB is a violent organisation so that the Judge will uphold charge number two in the case against the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.” – The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) accusing the Inspector General of Police (IG) Solomon Arase of lying that it was an arms-bearing organisation.

SHAKAMOMODU THIS REPUBLIC

shaka.momodu@thisdaylive.com

0811 266 1654

Are You Better off Than You Were a Year Ago?

F

ellow Nigerians, it is 12 months since President Muhammadu Buhari took over the reins of power. It is a short time in four-year tenure to draw conclusive verdict on the administration, but time enough to do a preliminary appraisal of the government and see if it is leading us in the direction that inspires hope. In this expedition, let me adopt the memorable question asked by the then candidate Ronald Regan in the 1980 US presidential election debate. It was a question put to the American people one week to the presidential election. Today, I put that same question to the Nigerian people to earnestly answer to mark Buhari’s one year in office: Are you better off now than you were a year ago?

Let me break it down into several units for ease of understanding. Is it more difficult for you to go to the market or the mall to buy foodstuffs than it was one year ago? Is the level of unemployment in the country higher than there was 12 months ago? Is the country’s economy in decline? Are you paying more for each litre of petrol? Is the electricity situation worse than it was a year ago? Is the industrial capacity utilisation lower? Is the country’s GDP shrinking? Is the standard of living lower? Is the country less secure? Is the country more fractured? If you answer these questions in the affirmative, it means the change we were sold has not materialised. Before I forget, has the party in power fulfilled any of the electoral promises it made to the public during the campaigns?

What about the misery index and poverty ratio?

On all these, I do not pretend to expect a unanimity of opinion devoid of emotive impulses that have defined public debate in recent times.

But I will deal with some of the issues with facts and figures to tell the story of where we are because numbers don’t lie.

There is no doubt at all that the Nigerian economy is in crisis; it’s spiralling rapidly out of Buhari’s control. If you don’t believe it, then you probably are one of those who can’t discern the forest from the trees. A fortnight ago, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released damning figures on Nigeria’s dire economic situation. It revealed that the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had plunged to a historic low, -0.36 per cent from 2.11 per cent in the last quarter of 2015. As a matter of fact, Nigeria is technically in a recession right now.

I had raised the alarm month after month that Buhari was not paying attention to the economy, and that at the rate things were deteriorating under his watch, the country risked falling off the clifftop. It was a warning that was consistently booed by Buhari’s mob supporters who have since the campaigns lost their marbles and embraced hysterical propaganda as an article of faith. This has shown clearly how easily emotions blind us to the danger ahead - when you see an otherwise well-educated individual displaying crass illogicality in his arguments just to excuse evidence of a massive leadership failure, you begin to wonder whether there is a virtue in stupidity. It doesn’t bear thinking how depraved the excuses have become, it is simply grotesque to force-feed a people unrelenting propaganda, untruths and excuses for a debilitating non-performance. The arguments have been as

Buhari ambivalent as they came; despite an iron-clad determination to hide the truth, it just would not go away. Stripped of the glossy world of make-believe is a dysfunctional, clueless and dithering government totally bereft of modern ideas about the economy. The All Progressives Congress (APC) clearly campaigned in poetry but is now governing in prose. After winning the election, it started repudiating all the promises it made with such self-assuredness. It dissected all the problems of Nigeria and eagerly offered curative solutions with a messianic fervour. It promised everything under the sun just to get power; of course some discerning minds knew it was all lies, but it nonetheless fired up the imaginations of many who started visualising paradise from the party. Roused to action, they came up with the rallying cry: “Anyone but Jonathan.” The sermon, “Be careful what you wish for,” was lost on all, as endorsement after endorsement tumbled in both from within and outside the country for the general who could hardly believe his fortune.

A week after the NBS’s report, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) declared that the Nigerian economy suffered severe decline in the past one year. The LCCI report titled, “The Economy After One Year of Buhari’s Administration” is a depressing confirmation of what I have long feared. While reviewing the various declining indices that left the overall economy in a shambles since Buhari assumed office, the organised private sector body made a graphic comparison between where the country was on May 29, 2015 and where it is now. According to the LCCI, the GDP of the country which stood at 2.35 per cent in May 2015 when the current administration took office, has now crashed to -0.4 per cent (negative growth).

As for the official exchange rate of the dollar to the naira, in May 2015, $1 exchanged for N197.9, while in 2016, $1 exchanges for N199. But in the parallel market, according to the LCCI, $1 exchanged for N219 in May 2015 but depreciated to about N350 in May 2016.

Other indices analysed were the rate of inflation which according to the LCCI, jumped from 8.7 per cent in May 2015 to 13.7 per cent in May 2016. The crude oil output of the country has dipped significantly, owing to renewed militancy in Niger Delta. In Buhari’s one year, the nation’s external reserves also

declined from $29.1 billion to $26.42billion.

The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) also had its revenue markedly depleted from N409 billion in May 2015, to N288 billion in May 2016. Unemployment figures soared higher during the period, rising from 24.1 per cent in 2015, to 29.2 per cent in 2016.

Other figures analysed by the LCCI included the Business Confidence Index which tumbled from 7.3 per cent to -8.0 per cent (negative); Industrial Capacity Utilisation and Ease of Doing Business both fell sharply; agricultural sector growth fell from 4.7 per cent to 3.09 per cent; industrial sector growth fell from -2.53 per cent to -5.4 per cent; services sector growth fell from 7.04 per cent to 0.80 per cent; aviation passenger traffic dropped from 4.2 million to 3.8 million people; Real Estate Vacancies Index rose from 100 units to 143 units; power output dropped from 3,205 MW to 2,500 MW; power available per day dropped from 13 hours to 5 hours.

The picture is so grim that one is surprised how quickly things have deteriorated under Buhari in just one year in office.

In March this year, in my article titled, “Paradox of the Poor”, I borrowed the words of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who in an open letter to the then president, Shehu Shagari, in 1982 warned that the nation’s economy was in dire straits - to raise the alarm about the massive drift of the ship of state under President Buhari.

It went thus: “The ship of state is heading inexorably towards the rock and you as the chief helmsman owe it a duty to steer the ship away from it.” I was called all sorts of names by the

mob supporters who have come to believe they have a greater stake in our dear country and are more patriotic than some of us. They attacked anyone who criticised the president no matter how justified, and defended all his actions no matter how indefensible, including his long silence on the Fulani herdsmen’s unprovoked massacre of communities. It is the same people who urged Buhari to take his time in constituting a cabinet so he would pick saints and angels to serve Nigeria. It took him nearly six months to finally constitute one. And what did the list contain?

Some dreadful characters forever blemished with pillaging the commonwealth. If the truth be told; that cabinet delay, coupled with the fact that many investors were not impressed by the low calibre of some of the nominees that eventually made it, seriously eroded confidence in the president and his handling of the economy. Every subsequent misstep only worsened the state of the economy.

I don’t know if we have survived the worst of the economic crisis but the various reports on the economic outlook are dreadfully gloomy on all fronts and forecasts for the future depressingly frightening. According to the data released by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), the equities market lost N1.733 trillion in the last one year.

For the first time in seven years, Nigeria recorded its first trade deficit. All the reviews of Buhari’s one year in office — local and foreign — have minced no words in condemning his handling of the economy.

NOTE: The rest of this article continues in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

Printed and Published in Lagos 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