PADDED 2016 BUDGET: I'm embarrassed says Buhari

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62701

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N150

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Omokore's N300m Osinbajo, Tinubu, Atiku exotic cars: EFCC Saraki, others meet over detains Secondus, PDP developments in APC 8 Deputy Chairman 51

PADDED 2016 BUDGET:

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

I'm embarrassed, , says Buhari ,

I have been a military governor, petroleum minister, military Head of State and headed the Petroleum Trust Fund. Never had I heard the words “budget padding”

•Vows to punish culprits •Adds we're back to agric, mining to develop economy •Invites Saudi businessmen to invest in Nigeria

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BUJA—For the first time late Tuesday night, President Muhammadu Buhari, broke his silence on padding in the 2016 budget proposal currently before the National Assembly, vowing to deal decisively with the masterminds.

The President also said that with the drastic fall in oil prices in the international market, Nigeria was returning to agriculture and mining development to boost the economy.

President Buhari, who

Continues on Page 5

Anambra PDP crisis: SCourt reject INEC's request to review judgment 46 Banking industry's bad loans to exceed 5 N300bn PRAYING FOR NIGERIA—From right: President Muhammadu Buhari; a Saudi official, Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari; Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun; Amb.Lawal Kazaure.Back row: Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari; National Security Adviser, Maj.Gen. Babagana Monguno(retd) and Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola. praying at the Prophet Muhammad Mosque in Medina, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

Kidnap kingpin directs operations from prison in Rivers•P.10 P.19

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OCHEREOME NNANNA

JOSEF OMOROTIONMWAN

For an emergency national Soyinka's Buhari economic rescue bid conference

The growing corruption industry

MODIBBO

KAWU

COLUMNISTS:

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Eco-fashion: Is Nigeria compliant?

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UNILAG produces first graduate with 5.0 CGPA 6

Mr & Mrs

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POCKET CARTOON

INAUGURATION—From left: The Acting Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission, Mrs Ibim Semenitari; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin; Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, and others at the inauguration of 25 Epenal Security Boats at Nigerian Navy Ship, Pathfinder, in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

Photo: NAN.

Padded budget: I'm embarrassed, says Buhari Continues from Page 1 spoke while addressing the Nigerian community in Saudi Arabia where he is on an official visit, admitted that the budget proposal submitted to the National Assembly late December 2015 had been utterly doctored but condemned the distortion in the document by entrenched interests he vowed to deal with.

He revealed that the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Mr. Udo Udoma, did an excellent job of knitting the budget together, but regretted that the document was distorted by unknown persons.

The President said the

unauthorised alterations had completely changed the document from the one he presented to the National Assembly, vowing to severely punish anyone found culpable.

President Buhari said: “The culprits will not go unpunished. I have been a militar y governor, petroleum minister, military Head of State and headed the Petroleum Trust Fund.

“Never had I heard the words “budget padding”. Our Minister of Budget and National Planning did a great job with his team. The Minister became almost

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO OUR feelings are always subject to your will.

It doesn’t matter how you feel at the moment, if the will and determination is there, you will achieve your goals.

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TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them —Ann Landers

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N an age of rapid change, people who can recognize and leverage new opportunities bring enormous value to their organizations. By practicing the strategies described above, you strengthen this ability and position yourself to advance your own and your company’s success. Carve out time to think about opportunities. It’s hard to recognize new opportunities when you’re constantly immersed in life’s daily chores and details. Designate time to step away from day-to-day pressures so that you can consider larger trends and their implications for your life.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE The cockroach can never be innocent in the court of chickens.

half his size during the time, working night and day to get the budget ready, only for some people to pad it.

“What he gave us was not what was finally being debated. It is very embarrassing and disappointing. We will not allow those who did it to go unpunished.”

The President also assured members of the Nigerian community that his administration was working diligently to fulfil its campaign promises, particularly on security, unemployment and corruption.

Reaffirming his government’s zero tolerance for corruption, President Buhari said the war against graft was a monumental task that he was determined to tackle successfully.

“We have zero tolerance for corruption and other unethical practices. We will deal decisively with anybody found wanting,” he promised members of the Nigerian community.

The President also used the opportunity to brief Nigerians in Saudi Arabia on his administration’s efforts to end the Boko Haram insurgency and terrorism in Nigeria.

“Our armed forces have done a great job of dealing decisively with Boko Haram. We are collaborating with our neighbours in the operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force to handle security threats in the sub-region and we have significantly destroyed

the capacity of the insurgents,” he said.

He also spoke on efforts being made to diversify the Nigerian economy, stressing that more opportunities were now open for local and foreign investors in the country.

On the drastic fall in oil prices in the international market, President Mohammadu Buhari said Nigeria was returning to agriculture and mining to cushion its effect on the economy.

He regretted that the country had largely depended on oil, stressing that current harsh economic realities were an indication that the economy needed to be urgently diversified.

President Buhari, who stated this at a meeting with leading members of the Council of Saudi Arabia’s Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Riyadh also on Tuesday night, said his administration would welcome greater foreign investment in support of its efforts to rapidly diversify the Nigerian economy.

He noted that aside from oil, Nigeria was gifted with arable lands and mineral resources that were waiting to be tapped, and urged the businessmen to take advantage of the opportunity.

“With the downturn in the global prices of oil, we now have to prospect our solid minerals. We have to return to agriculture. Mining and agriculture are our hopes now. ‘’We will welcome investments in these areas. We will appreciate an inflow of more resources and expertise to help us achieve our objective of economic diversification,” the President said.

Similarly, governors of Osun, Ogun, Katsina, Borno, and Zamfara states who were part of the President’s delegation, took turns to address the Saudi Arabian businessmen on investment possibilities in their states, assuring them of good returns.

The Chairman of the Council of Saudi Arabian Chambers of Commerce and Industr y, Dr Abdulrahman Al Zamil, said agriculture was a very important area of investment for its members, adding that they were already in Brazil, the United States of America and Sudan, where they had huge farms.

Declaring that they were willing to invest in Nigeria, Dr. Al Zamil said the Saudis were the leading investors in Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Banking industry's bad loans to exceed N300bn

By Emeka Anaeto, Economy Editor

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AGOS—THERE are now clear evidence that the banking sector is going through tough times as loan impairment charges (loan loss provisions) may hit N346 billion in the financial reports for the period ended December 31, 2015.

Already, profit depression warning has been announced by two major banks, with First Bank of Nigeria Plc, FBN, coming yesterday to declare that there will be a major decline in its earnings in the financial results being finalized for public presentation any moment from now.

First City Monument Bank Plc, FCMB, had led this emerging scenario with a similar warning last month, followed with announcement of its 2015 nine months result showing massive drop in profit.

Vanguard investigations revealed that cumulative industry provision for loan losses had reached over N200 billion by first nine months of the year, with the first nine banks reporting a total of N124.1 billion loan loss provisions.

Industry analysts said that aggregate industry profit would drop by 50 per cent against the 2014 figures, which gives about N346 billion.

The total industry profit in 2014 was N692 billion, which showed a significant rise against the N521 billion declared in 2013.

In a letter to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, yesterday, FBN attributed the development to w o r s e n i n g macroeconomic environment as well as inclement monetary and fiscal policy which prevailed since mid last year.

The letter, signed by the company secretary, Tijani Borodo, stated: “Following the preliminary review of FBN Holdings Plc (“FBNH” “FBN

Holdings” or the “Group”) Management Accounts for the year ended December 31, 2015, it is expected that earnings will be materially below that of the prior year. ‘’The reduction in earnings is as a result of the recognition of impairment charges on some specific accounts resulting from a reassessment of the loan portfolio within our commercial banking business.

“This reassessment was driven by the challenging macroeconomic environment, coupled with fiscal and monetary headwinds which have resulted in marked reduction in domestic output”.

The statement added that further details of the Group’s financial performance will be disclosed when the full year audited financial results were announced and during subsequent results conference call.

The negative development in the industry had seen FBN leading in the size of loan loss provision in the first nine months of the year 2015, with about N46.6 billion, up by 249 per cent from N13.4 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2014.

But in growth rate of the bad books, Stanbic IBTC was leading with 521 per cent rise in loan impairment figures at N12.5 billion as against N2.0 billion in the corresponding nine month period of 2014.

Industry analysts’ comments

Afrinvest Group, a Lagos based investment house, gave a picture of what are some of the challenges the banks were facing since 2015.

According to the group, “despite acclaimed foreign exchange hedging by the banks in terms of lending to the oil and gas space which are mostly dollar denominated, we expect banks’ cost of risk (cost of loans, including losses) to increase in 2015.

6 —Vanguard, THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25 , 2016

Ambode’s wife calls for end to violence against children

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AGOS—THE wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, yesterday said the state government would continue to maintain zero tolerance against any form of abuse, neglect or exploitation of children.

Ambode made the assertion at the launch of the state’s Response Plan of Action to End Violence against Children (VAC) in Lagos.

It was organised by the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in collaboration with the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF).

She, however, urged Nigerians to put all hands on deck to stop all forms of violence against children in the country.

“It is not the job for the government or its regulatory authorities alone.

“Charity must begin at home; redress must start from the way we handle our own children, wards, foster children, house helps and other children over whom we have authority,'' she said.

UNILAG produces first graduate with 5.0 CGPA

By Dayo Adesulu

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AGOS—THE University of Lagos, UNILAG, Akoka, will on Monday graduate a student who has been graded ‘excellent’ in all the courses taken while on campus.

The student, Ayodele Daniel Dada finished from the Department of Psychology with 5.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average,CGPA. The university ’s ViceChancellor, Professor Rahamon Bello, disclosed this yesterday, during a pre-convocation media briefing held at the university’s Senate Chamber disclosed this to newsmen.

According to the VC, the

university was glad to break another academic ground, saying the candidate showed exceptional academic prowess.

He said that this means Ayodele scored As in all courses he took in the programme.

According to him, a total of 10,907 students will graduate with degrees and diplomas during the convocation slated for 1st to 3rd of March, 2016.

In the breakdown, he noted that 5472 students will be awarded with first degree certificates, while 5435 will receive postgraduate degrees.

He said: “Out of the first degree graduating students, a total of 178 passed in the first class division, while 1,617 passed in the second class upper division.

“Also, 2,496 are in second class lower degree, 884 in third class, 274 in unclassified degrees in Medical Sciences and Pharmacy, just as 50 students had pass degree. Besides , the University will graduate a total of 71 students with the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in various disciplines.”

According to the Vice Chancellor, Faculty of Engineering tops with the highest number of first class degrees, having 41 first class graduating students.

The convocation programmes, which has formally kicked off with the media briefing will also feature a convocation lecture to be delivered by the

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IONS Club International is set to triple its output in delivery of service to humanity and restoring dignity, to meet the Club’s centenary goals.

This was disclosed by International President, Dr. Jitsuhiro Yamada at the just concluded 21st All Africa Conference, hosted by Multiple District 404 in Lagos.

He said, “Our 100 year anniversary is approaching.

The centenary service challenge is an ambitious undertaking.

In order to reach our goal of serving 100 million people in the areas of youth, vision, hunger and the environment between now and June 30, 2018, it will be necessary to triple our output of services in these areas. Lions have continually shown willingness and ability to excel in challenges when it means other less fortunate people will benefit.”

PURE GENIUS: Daniel Dada.

Lagos evicts 50 distressed buildings occupants, seals 15 others

By Monsur Olowoopejo

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AGOS—NO fewer than 50 occupants and a family of two distressed buildings in Lagos Mainland Local Government area of Lagos state were yesterday evicted by the state government.

The State government also sealed over 15 buildings for been

distressed and violating the Lagos State Urban and regional planning law 2010.

Vanguard gathered that the occupants had been urged by Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA to vacate the buildings but they failed to yield to the warnings.

The two distressed buildings

were two-storey building under construction at 34D, Abule-Nla road and another two-storey building at 2 Glover Street, Ebutte-Metta West.

Speaking to a member of the Balogun family evicted, Mrs. Julianna Balogun said that they stayed behind because they do not have funds to

Lions Club vows to triple service delivery

By Chris Onuoha & Tare Youdeowei

Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu on Monday, February 28.

ONDO AT 40: From left; Former National Chairman of Labour Party, Chief Dan Nwayanwu; Former Information Minister, Labaran Maku; a panelist, Ndi Kato; Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko; Former Secretary General of Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku; Senator Shehu Sanni; Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, and Yinka Odumakin, at the symposium titled: "Curtailing Nigeria's Centrifugal Forces," in commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of Ondo State and 7th Anniversary of Mimiko's government, at the International Events Centre, Akure, yesterday.

rent another apartment.

Julianna, a 50-year-old house wife, lamented that she and her husband, Sikiru Balogun, 70year-old and their children would have no where to lay their head at night with the evacuation.

Sulaimon Muhammed, one of the occupants of the second buildings, narrated that the distressed building had helped him worry less on monthly rents.

On why the occupants were evicted, General Manager of LASBCA, Engr. Olushola Adeigbe said “We do not want them (occupants) to die when the building collapse.”

He lamented that the State had lost souls in the past to collapsed buildings.

His words, “The families have left the buildings but one family stayed behind. They said that they do not have funds to rent another building.

“But now that the tenant had been evicted and they are about to be relocated elsewhere, we can now ask the owner to demolish the building after sealing.

“And failure to do that, the government will embark on the demolition and reclaim our money from the owners.

FRAUD: Late Ibekwe's accomplice’s trial resumes 13yrs after

By Abdulwahab Abdulah

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AGOS—THE Trial of Augunous Okoro, an alleged accomplice of late House of Representatives member, Maurice Ibekwe continued yesterday before an Ikeja High Court with a forensic expert testifying on some documents.

The duo of Okoro and Ibekwe are charged for allegedly duping a German national, Klaus Munch and his Firm System Organisation of the sum of $30 million in 1992.

Moment the trial commenced in 2003 before the then Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun of an Ikeja High Court, Maurice Ibekwe then a member of the House of Representatives died in prison custody leaving Augunous Okoro

to continue the trial.

Shortly, Okoro also claimed to have developed some ailments and that he could no longer continue with the trial.

However, the trial resumed recently only to suffer several adjournments at the instance of the defendant.

At the resumed trial yesterday, the prosecution brought a forensic expert to analyse some documents already admitted as exhibits.

While being led in evidence by Prosecution Counsel, Mr. Adeniji Adebiyi, the witness, Mr. Rapheal Onwuzurigbo narrated to Justice Oluwatoyin Atinuke Ipaye that he found discrepancies in the documents analysed in May, 2003, alleging forgery of various documents against Mr.

Augunous Okoro.

Onwuzurigbo told the judge that he employed a method of using Video Spectra Comparator

to determine the writing and signatures on documents of subject matter analysed and found out they were not the same.

Ex-NIMASA DG’s alleged N754.7m theft case stalled Jan. 25 alongside six other staff of

By Onozure Dania

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AGOS—AN Igbosere High Court in Lagos on Wednesday adjourned till Feb. 29, the trial of a former DirectorGeneral of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, charged with stealing N754.7 million.

Akpobolokemi was arraigned on

the agency on a 13-count charge bordering on stealing and forgery.

The others standing trial with Akpobolokemi are Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Amechee Juan, Vincent Udoye, Adegboyega Olopoenia and a company, Gama Marine Nigeria Ltd. The accused were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over alleged theft of N754.7 million belonging to NIMASA.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 — 7

Why we sacked, promoted staff — ECOBANK

By Nkirika Nnorom

Rep rejects relocation of tankers

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COBANK Nigeria Plc has said that the alleged 50 per cent of the staff in top management position relieved of their jobs earlier this week failed the performance test conducted by the bank for the purpose of promoting its workforce.

The bank said in a response to Vanguard ’s enquiry yesterday that the same performance test that determined their exit also saw about 10 per cent or 300 top performing staff promoted.

According to the bank; ‘’Few staff that performed below expectation were relieved of their jobs,’’ adding that the promoted staff cut across all cadres of the workforce.

The Deputy Managing Director of the bank, Mr. Anthony Okpanachi, said the bank being committed to rewarding excellence will continue to take appropriate positive action in line with international best practice to sustain excellence in its work force.

“Our people are our precious assets who enable us maintain service quality standards, uphold customer satisfaction and enhance our brand experience.

By Simon Adewale

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QUOTATION: From left: Leke Ogunlewe, CEO, Standard Chartered Capital & Advisory Nigeria Ltd; Bola Onadele Koko, MD/CEO, FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange, and Peter Ndegwa, MD/CEO, Guinness Nigeria Plc, during the quotation of N7.23bn and N2.77bn Guinness Nigeria Plc commercial papers on FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange in Lagos. Photo by Akeem Salau. ‘’The sacked staff were reportedly selected through an appraisal exercise conducted using an in-house developed performance management system which uses both financial and non-financial metrics to categorize staff,” Okpanachi said.

He explained that the same performance parameter used to determine the performance of those promoted, also revealed under-performance of the

disengaged workers, while maintaining that Ecobank is an institution where high professional culture and exceptional performance, innovativeness and professionalism are recognized and rewarded.

A reliable source in the bank told Vanguard that although the issue had been discussed in the past, but its implementation was not expected this soon.

The source said each of the dismissed staff was earning nothing less than N40 million per annum, revealing that they were handed their dismissal letter on Tuesday.

“The sack affected those occupying the position of Assistant General Manager, AGM and above. They were asked to go because the top is heavy and the bank needs to be making good profit,” he said.

A G O S — T H E member of the House of Representative representing Amuwo Odofin federal constituency in the National Assembly, Oghene Egoh, has decried the proposed relocation of the petrol tankers from Apapa to International Trade Fair.

While explaining that the trade fair and its environ is already over-congested, he said relocating the tank farms to the area will compound the traffic situations in the axis.

Egoh noted that Lagos Badagry Express way is the major road that leads to Seme border, Republic of Benin, Togo and Ghana with all the vehicles coming from these countries already, adding to the congestion in the axis.

Egoh added that he has submitted a public petition on behalf of the business residents of Trade Fair Complex and appealed to the government that it has been a great disaster since some of the tankers has relocated to the axis on the ever busy Badagry expressway.

Anyaoku backs Buhari on devaluation of Naira, Odumakin disagrees

By Dayo Johnson

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KURE—IT was a mix of political and economic ideologies at the Ondo State 40th Anniversary Symposium in Akure yesterday, as former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, threw his weight behind President Muhammadu Buhari on his stand not to devalue the nation’s currency.

Anyaoku, however, met an opposition in the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, who argued that the policy of pegging the

value of Naira was breeding corruption.

Anyaoku, who was the chairman of the session, opened the symposium with his opinion on the state of the Naira, a topic he said was

tangential to the theme of the event, “Curtailing Nigeria’s Centrifugal Forces”.

He said devaluing the Naira would worsen the economic situation and cause a severe drain on the nation’s foreign reserves.

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AGOS lawyer, Mr. Rickey Tarfa, SAN, yesterday, withdrew the N5billion fundamental rights suit he filed against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

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ATIONAL leadership of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, yesterday in Lagos, expressed concern over

leadership crisis at the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, which today has two acting Executive Secretaries.

PENGASSAN, in a statement asked the Federal Government to respect its own directive with

EFCC, MTN Nigeria Communications Limited and others.

Tarfa had alleged the violation of his rights to privacy by the respondents.

Other defendants in the suit were EFCC acting Chairman,

Ibrahim Magu, Mrs. Rashidatou Abdou and Femi Falana, SAN. Following the withdrawal of the suit, the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris awarded a punitive cost of N10, 000 against Tarfa in favour of each of the five respondents.

Club, hospital render free medical care

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SUN—TO promote healthy living among pregnant and nursing mothers in Ede community in Osun State, Ede Crystal Club in partnership with Anu Olu Specialist hospital has started rendering a three-day free

economic crisis.

However, Odumakin, who was a discussant at the symposium, disagreed with the seasoned diplomat, saying that the pegging of the Naira at N199 to a dollar was encouraging corruption.

PENGASSAN counsels FG on PPPRA leadership crisis

Rickey Tarfa withdraws N5bn suit

By Innocent Anaba

Anyaoku also urged the president to, as a matter of urgency, convene a meeting of carefully chosen economic experts in the country to discuss the issue, as well as the wider issue of how to deal with the country’s current

medical checks and consultations starting from yesterday.

A statement by the president of the club, Mr Adegoke Wasiu, an engineer, said the gesture which was part of activities to honour late Rasaq Olaide will

hold at Anu Olu Hospital Premises, Agip Area, Ede. The Timi of Ede, Oba Muniru Adeola Lawal will chair the events closing ceremony today at Independence hall, Timi Palace, Oja-Timi.

regards to the handing-over process and request parties involved to revert to status quo pending the final resolution of the matter by the Federal Government.

The statement by the association acting scribe, Lumumba Okugbawa, decried the handling of the succession formalities in some parastatals and agencies of government whose bosses were recently removed.

8—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

MEETING: All Progressives Congress, APC, National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (left) and former National Chirman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, during a meeting of APC leaders at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

TSA: Senate asks FG to terminate CBN, SystemSpecs contracts Urges CBN to ensure total refund of deductions retained by it Reduces collection of TSA charge to N650m Wants 1% collection charge stopped Blackmail'll not distract us —Saraki We've respected terms of agreement with FG —Systemspecs

By Omoh Gabriel, Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

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BUJA— THE Senate, yesterday, passed resolutions asking the Federal Government to urgently terminate the 2013 contract between the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and SystemSpecs.

It also came up with a resolution halting further deductions the Federal Government could have paid of the N25 billion contract sum to the platform provider based on the charge of one per cent transaction fee for all collections.

The Senate also asked the CBN to ensure that the total refund of the portion of the deductions were retained by the CBN and the Deposit Money Banks, DMBs, and present evidence of compliance to the appropriate Senate committee.

It said consequently, the Treasury Single Account, TSA, regime, transaction fee of one per cent for e-collection and transfer for any computation should be disregarded, just as it urged the CBN to carry out an in- house inquiry to sanitise its procedure for award of contracts as well as identify the culprits in the purported contract.

But Systemspecs in a statement signed, yesterday, by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. John Obaro, said his company had been very careful to respect the terms of the contracts it had with the Federal Government, with respect to the TSA.

Blackmail' ll not distract us —Saraki

Senate President, Dr Bukola

Saraki, who again vowed that the Senate would not be distracted by what he described as series of blackmail, however, urged the lawmakers to ensure that they saw the proof that the money had been refunded.

He also implored them to ensure they saw the proof that the contracts had been terminated and proof that the new rate was enforced.

The Senate directed that N656,504,100, instead of the claim of N7,650,925,566.40, be provided as transaction costs for fund transfers and collections for the period ending November, 30, 2015.

“The amount was arrived at using the upper end of the approved band of N700 per transaction for 937,869 transactions for the period between March 1 and November 30,2015," it added.

These resolutions of the Senate were sequel to recommendations of the Senate Joint Committee on Finance; Banking, Insurance, and other Financial Institutions and Public Accounts on the abuse and mismanagement of Treasury Single Account Regime, TSA.

Committee's recommendations

Presenting the report of the Committee, Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance and the Joint Committees, Senator John Enoh, said the committee recommended that the CBN should immediately be directed to open up the space to other ecollection providers for competition, effectiveness, efficiency and greater

robustness.

It also added that the apex bank must take adequate steps to avoid compromising national treasury and security, noting that intending vendors as licensors should be willing to negotiate outright sale of solution or annual license fees.

Other approved recommendations by the Senate include that all agreed fees and payments for e-collection service be borne by Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, but that the money should be provided and disbursed from a central pool.

The lawmakers said the money arrived at should be forwarded to the National Assembly for appropriation and accommodation in the 2016 Appropriation Bill.

The committees were also directed to strengthen their oversight role to ensure a hitchfree and smooth implementation of TSA in order to give strong support to the current anticorruption war and crusade against mismanagement and waste.

The Senate also approved that its Public Accounts should, as a matter of urgency, investigate the sources and utilization of various funds earmarked for implementation of Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, GIFMIS/ TSA platform from its inception in order to determine whether funds had earlier been provided for the various services now being paid for in the CBN Service Agreement.

Earlier in his presentation, Senator Enoh said the committee observed that the full implementation of TSA ecollection kicked off in March 2015 and that all MDAs were required to close all existing accounts, including expenditure, receipt of collections, revenues, projects, etc in Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and entrust their bankers to transfer available balance to CBN using the CBN payment Gateway (Remita).

N30bn saved with discovery

Speaking further, Saraki said: “I commend them because we all know the kind of pressure they must have been through to do the right thing and stand in the interest of Nigerian public.

“I think the message we are sending out today is very clear, that whatever is in the interest of our great country to ensure proper use of funds, this Senate will stand firmly for that and this

goes back to the issues where people wonder the usefulness or value of the parliament. I think this is a good example.

"By this action, this country is saving close to between N22 billion and N30 billion which is higher than the appropriation of a lot of ministries and MDAs today and will go a long way in addressing the problem of education and health.

"I think what we have done today, we will have to ensure that the respective agencies, particularly CBN, must refund this money, complying strictly with these observations and recommendations of the Senate."

We've respected terms of agreement with FG —Systemspecs

But reacting to the Senate position yesterday, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Systemspecs, Mr. John Obaro, said the company had always respected the terms of agreement it had with the Federal Government on TSA. He said: "It is fulfilling to note that the Senate report did not accuse Remita of under-delivering on the substance of the contract and that our efforts are recognised as having played a significant role in the life of the nation when it mattered and that the disagreement has only been on the commercial terms of our contract.

"The Senate Committee further recommended that SystemSpecs’ efforts should be rewarded – albeit on a scale which is quite debatable.

"For emphasis, we wish to state that the TSA project goes beyond revenue collections and extends to payments, accounting information exchange and update, full real-time integration with GIFMIS, integration with the national financial services ecosystem enabling payers across multiple platforms, 24/7 user support for 50,000 FGN TSA users of Remita platform, among others."

Osinbajo, Saraki, Tinubu, Atiku, others meet over developments in APC

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

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BUJA— A high level meeting of public officials belonging to the All Progressives Congress, APC, with senior party officials in the Presidential Villa, yesterday, stoked speculations of a political solution to the proposed trial of Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

The meeting which brought party leaders, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, and Senator Saraki together, however, did not discuss the issue of the envisaged trial of the Senate President at the CCT. Vanguard learned that it was a scheduled meeting of the G19 meant as an interface with the Presidency, governors, National

Assembly leadership and other arms of government controlled by the party.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was said to have presided over the meeting as President Muhammadu Buhari is out of the country.

Party chieftains present at the meeting included Tinubu; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Chief John OdigieOyegun, the party’s National Chairman; Segun Oni, National Vice Chairman, South-West; Senate President Saraki; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun and Senate Leader, Ali Ndume.

Also present were Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; Imo State deputy governor, Prince Eze Madumere; a former interim chairman of the party, Chief Bisi

Akande; Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, among others.

The meeting which took place behind closed doors started at about 11 a.m. in one of the conference rooms in the office of the Vice President.

After the meeting ended at about 3 p.m, journalists who sought comments from participants were kept in the dark as none of those who attended the meeting volunteered information on what they discussed.

However, a source speaking on condition of anonymity, rebuffed insinuations that the meeting was called to discuss Saraki’s imminent trial, saying the agenda of the meeting was devoted to current political developments in the country, state and funding of the party.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016—9

MTN withdraws suit against NCC, pays N50bn ‘in good faith’ We're

still studying situation—Minister

By Emmanuel Elebeke, with agency report

A

BUJA— MTN has withdrawn its suit against the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and paid N50 billion ($250 million) towards an amicable resolution of the fine imposed on the telecoms giant.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government, yesterday, denied knowledge of the development and payment of the money.

NCC had fined MTN N1.04 trillion for failing to deactivate 5.1 million unregistered SIM cards and later reduced the amount to N780 billion after the first round of negotiations.

However, MTN filed a suit as the December 31, 2015 deadline drew nearer, and later requested an out-of-court settlement.

Yesterday, the mobile phone company finally withdrew the case at the Federal High Court in Lagos in response to a request by the Nigerian authorities.

The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Ferdi Moolman, said on the withdrawal: “This is a most encouraging development.

It demonstrates a willingness and sincerity by both parties to work together towards a positive outcome.”

MTN paid N50 billion to the Federal Government “as a gesture of good faith and commitment to continued efforts towards an amicable resolution,”

according to the telecoms company.

Moolman further said: “We are hopeful at this stage. Along with the authorities, it is clear that we are collectively committed to working towards a solution that is of mutual benefit to all parties.

"Our industry in Nigeria is an incredibly important example of the remarkable progress in ICT, particularly as a much needed catalyst for socio-economic growth and development at this

time."

We're still studying situation —FG

Denying government’s knowledge of the development, Special Assistant to the Minister of Communications, Mr. Victor Oluwadamilare, who stated this in an interview with Vanguard, said the development had not been made official as the development was still under Federal Government’s scrutiny.

He said: “That has not been

confirmed and I can confirm to you that the situation is still being studied. To the best of my knowledge, the amount announced is not the fine they are expected to pay. The Federal Government is still studying it.

“They decided to go to court and never wanted an amicable settlement. If they now want settlement, there has to be an official statement on that soon,” he said.

Our investigation showed that the payment was made to pave way for possible settlement out of court with the NCC after all its effort to stop the payment failed.

MEETING: From left: Inuwa Yahaya, Gombe; Peterside Dakuku, Rivers (All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidates in 2015); Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; O'tega Emerhor, Delta and Umana Umana, Akwa Ibom (also APC governorship candidates) at a meeting with VP Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Tuesday.

$2.1bn arms probe: Why Metuh has a case to answer —EFCC

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA — THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has adduced reasons Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja should compel the National Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, to explain the alleged role he played in the illegal diversion of funds meant for the procurement of arms.

The anti-graft agency said it had, by preponderance of evidence, established that of about $2.1billion meant for the procurement of arms, Metuh, through his company, Destra Investment Limited, pocketed N400 million.

It said the fund was electronically wired from an account of the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to Metuh, through account no. 0040437573, which his firm operated with Diamond Bank Plc. Aside the N400 million he got from ONSA, EFCC also alleged that the PDP spokesman received $2 million of $47 million it said

former President Goodluck Jonathan shared to chieftains of the party, prior to the 2015 presidential election.

The commission said its investigations had revealed that the $47 million was a product of N10 billion the former NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), withdrew from the CBN and handed over to ex-President Jonathan on November 27, 2014.

The fund was allegedly shared

by Jonathans Aide-de-Camp, ADC, to PDP members that

attended the party’s convention in Abuja.

EFCC said it had through oral and documentary evidence that was presented by eight witnesses it brought before the high court, established a primafacie criminal case to warrant Metuh to enter his defence to the seven-count criminal charge pending against him.

Consequently, it urged Justice Abang to dismiss the no-casesubmission Metuh filed through a consortium of four Senior

Advocates of Nigeria, led by Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN. Metuh had in his 31-paged no-case-submission, argued that the prosecution, “did not establish the essential elements of the offences charged”, a situation he said rendered the case against him “manifestly unreliable.”

Both Metuh and the EFCC will today adopt their briefs of argument before the high court to enable trial Justice Abang to deliver judgment on the matter.

Nigeria/Cameroon troops kill 23 Boko Haram terrorists, rescue 150 hostages

By Kingsley Omonobi & Ndahi Marama

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BUJA — THE Nigerian Army said, Tuesday night, that troops of 7 Division of Nigerian Army and Cameroonian forces killed 20 Boko Haram terrorists and destroyed four AK-47 rifles.

This came as the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai, commended the troops for their impressive performance thus

far.

The soldiers also captured a gun truck mounted with an AntiAircraft Gun (AA Gun) and two AK-47 rifles, as well as a 60mm mortar and a dane gun.

The troops also rescued no fewer than 150 persons, mainly children, at Kodo, while a house with Boko Haram terrorists’ flag at Fatake caught fire with several ammunition explosions which killed three insurgents.

Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman,

who disclosed these in a statement, said: “The joint operation which was carried out with Cameroonian forces was quite successful as a number of the terrorists were killed, some of their weapons and equipment either destroyed or captured.

“Unfortunately, three soldiers sustained injuries and a vehicle damaged as a result of an Improvised Explosive Device, IED."

Reps probe NAPIMS over alleged $260m illegal contract

A

By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

BUJA — THE House of Representatives, yesterday, directed its Committee on Petroleum Upstream, and Public Procurement to probe an alleged $260 million “illegal” contract by National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. The committee is expected to submit its report on the floor of the House within the next four weeks.

This development was sequel to the passage of a motion, entitled "Need to investigate NAPIMS alleged illegal award of $260 million contract," promoted by Babatunde Gabriel Kolawole, Akoko South East/South West Federal Constituency, Ondo State.

In his submission, the Ondo State lawmaker said there was need to curtail profligate use of the nation’s resources, as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, particularly in the face of dwindling oil revenue.

He said: “There is the need to investigate the report of an alleged $260 million contract given by the National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS, a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in fragrant violation of due process and without approval from both the NNPC’s board and the corporation’s Group Executive Committee (GEC), as required.

"NAPIMS allegedly fraudulently granted approval for ESSO Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, to award four single source contracts for projects in Exxonmobil’s Usan Deepwater Project, at a total value of $260 million without any form of tendering process.”

He explained that NAPIMS had allegedly, through three memos, dated October 13, 2014; February 10, 2015 and April 16, 2015, single handedly nominated four companies to execute the contracts.

The motion was unanimously passed when the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, called for a voice vote.

10—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

ANEEJ demands release of kidnapped wife of activist

A

non-governmental organisation, Africa Network for Environment & Economic Justice, ANEEJ, has called for the release of Mrs. Justinah Ojo, wife of Godwin Ojo, Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action, ERA, kidnapped Monday in Benin.

A statement yesterday by Bob Majirioghene, ANEEJ’s Communications Manager, said it was bewildered by the spate of kidnapping of persons who represent institutions that champion the interests and issues that relate to the uplift of the common man in Benin.

The group said: “We call on the Inspector General of Police, DSS and the Edo State Commissioner of Police to launch a full-scale manhunt for the perpetrators of this very shameful act.”

Kidnap kingpin directs operation from Rivers prison Wife collects share of ransom money I

By Jimitota Onoyume

T sounds strange, but it is real: a prisoner coordinates kidnapping from Port Harcourt Prison.

That was what a 33-year-old suspect, Cyprian Nwanfo, paraded by the Rivers State Police Command, revealed yesterday.

Cyprian Nwanfo disclosed that their kidnap gang activities are controlled from the prison by their leader, one Prosper David.

According to Nwanfo, Prosper would call to give them instruction on who to kidnap, how much should be collected as ransom and how it should be shared among members of the five-man gang.

To convince police he was saying the truth, Nwanfo spoke with Prosper with his phone.

Prosper, who did not know Nwanfo had been arrested, told him to lie low because police were on their trail.

He said their recent kidnap victim was a female, who paid 10 million Naira as ransom, adding that Prosper got three

... as kidnapper of commissioner's mother confesses

The suspects paraded yesterday in Port harcourt, Rivers State. million naira as his share, which they routed through Proper’s wife.

‘We took an oath’

He said: “My name is Cyprian Ifanyi Nwanfo. I am 33 years old and from Abia State.

Our Oga is the man in prison; his name is Prosper David.

“My friend Chuks Okozie, who is also in prison, introduced me into bunkering, before they introduced guns into our business. We took oath

and were told we cannot quit; if we do, we will die.

“Tugo Man is the next to Prosper. He takes order from Prosper. When we kidnap, we share to Oga in prison. I got one million naira from the 10 million a female (names and profession withheld) we kidnapped paid this year.

“We give the share of our Oga to his wife at Abuloma end of Port Harcourt. We do not talk to the woman when she comes.”

Police also paraded Sylvanus

George, who organised the kidnap of 80-year-old mother of Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Patience Tam-George.

George said: “I am 35 years. I do not do anything. I dropped out of University of Port Harcourt. I organised the kidnap of the Commissioner’s mother to make money from the commissioner.

“I could not get anything because Ateke Atom arrested me and handed me over to the Police.”

Meanwhile, Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr. Musa Kimo, said 25 armed robbers were shot dead by police in January, with 92 arrested.

He said police also gun down 21 kidnappers and rescued 17 hostages in same month.

According to him, 555 ammunition, 18 AK-47 rifles and N1,250,000,000 were among items recovered from robbers last month.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016—11

Secondary school student dies during money ritual in Ogun, another hospitalised

By Daud Olatunji

A

BEOKUTA—A 16-year-old secondary school student, Raimi Fatai, reportedly died in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, following alleged administration of a liquid substance on him by three of his classmates during a ritual.

Vanguard gathered that Fatai and his classmates had embarked on alleged moneymaking ritual with one of them, said to be the son of a native doctor, giving the deceased and another the substance.

A source close to the students told our correspondent that they consulted the herbalist to seek protection charms and ‘traditional knowledge enhancer.’

However, Fatai, who later fell ill after taking the substance, was said to have died two days later while the second victim, who was also on the verge of death, was taken to hospital.

Policemen from Adatan Division were said to have taken the corpse to a mortuary and arrested the other students for

questioning. Findings have shown that Fatai’s corpse was later released to his family for burial.

It was further reported that Fatai’s father, who was bothered about the sudden death of his son, approached the father of another student who led them to the herbalist’s den before the case was reported to the police.

Authorities of the school

(name withheld) summoned a meeting with the parents of the entire student populace.

The principal of the school confirmed the incident to our correspondent but stressed that the incident occurred outside the premises of the school during the Valentine period, so there was little the school authorities could do about it.

When contacted, the Ogun

State Police Public Relation Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the command was investigating a sudden and unnatural death involving students of a secondary school in the state.

Adejobi, however, confirmed that the command had received conflicting reports on the case, vowing that the command would do a thorough investigation on the case.

USA reduces aid to 1.9m Nigerians living with HIV over gay support

By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

A

BUJA—ABOUT 1,884,618 Nigerians living with Human Immuno Virus, HIV, risk death if the Federal Government refuses to provide N58 billion for Anti Retroviral Therapy, ART, for their treatment.

About 95 percent of the infected patients largely depend on the ART from the United States, US, government

and Global Fund, which has been drastically scaled down as a result of Nigeria’s refusal to accede to gay union.

This was as revealed, Tuesday,

by Rep Afe Olowookere, who made the revelation in his presentation on behalf of House Committee on HIV/AIDS. Olowookere further disclosed that support from the US government and the Global Fund are massive as both are responsible for about 95 percent of the national HIV/AIDS treatment programme in the country.

He said: “Pr e s e n t l y, the US government has scaled down its scale-up of service in the remaining 737 Local Government areas.

“In addition, the US government has also withdrawn support for laboratory services which the people living with HIV, PLWHIV, on ART requires to conduct periodically to monitor their state of health.”

Also, provision for HIV/AIDS activities to NACA under the 2016 budget proposal is only N1.5 billion, a significant reduction from the N10 billion given to it last year under the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme, SURE-P. He said to achieve the 2030 global target for 90-90-90, the Federal Government must put more money into the national response to AIDS, else the country risks another wave of HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The country has an estimated 3,200,000 PLWHIV, with about 2,592,000 currently on ART. It was also revealed at the budget defence that the actual cost of treatment for a patient is N110,000, but subsidised at N31,243 annually.

The Abdulmumin Jibrin-led

Thug stabs man to death in Lagos

L

By Evelyn Usman

AGOS—TRAGEDY struck Tuesday in Ajao Estate area of Lagos State when a thug to an importer allegedly stabbed a man to death during an argument over goods.

The deceased, identified as Ifeanyi Nwoha, 29, reportedly went to 2nd Francis Warehouse in the company of two of his friends identified as Samuel and Tony, to off-load goods from a container.

However on arrival, they were reportedly accosted by a thug to the importer, one Raphael Nwonye, who chased them away, insisting there were no goods to offload.

The resultant argument made Nwoye to rush inside his apartment, where he brought out a kitchen knife with which he allegedly stabbed Nwoha in the neck and back, abandoning him in

Man, 32, allegedly rapes 6-yr-old girl

By Onozure Dania

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AGOS—A 32-year-old h o r t i c u l t u r e apprentice, Abeng Oji, who was alleged to have raped a six-year-old girl, was yesterday arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court sitting in Lagos.

The defendant, who hails from Obubra area of Cross River State, was however, granted N5 million bail by Magistrate W. B. Balogun, with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case to April 13 for mention.

The defendant is facing a one-count charge bordering on defilement of minor.

The prosecutor, Inspector Feddy Asu, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence on January 30, at 6a.m., at Ologolo community in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of the state.

Asu also alleged that the defendant had access to the girl’s house since he worked as a horticulturist apprentice for the father of the girl.

Police nab robbery suspect in Lagos

By Esther Onyegbula

O

PERATIVES of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of Lagos State Police Command on Monday apprehended Paul Bassey, 25, alleged to be a car snatcher and traffic robber who uses a fake pistol to rob.

Bassey was arrest at 6a.m. around Lekki-Epe Express way.

The suspect, a native of Akwa Ibom, was caught by the policemen who were on patrol after he had successfully dispossessed the owner of a saloon car, with number plates HB 96 AAA, of all his belongings including N8,000.

According to one of the officers, “ we were on routine patrol duty when we suddenly saw a vehicle on speed coming behind us.

“The vehicle overtook us and its driver forcefully opened the door and started shouting for help.”

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Tension in Rivers over shoot-out in P-Harcourt New GRA

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT— THERE was heavy shooting around New GRA, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday, a day after military personnel clashed with militants in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of the state, in which about nine persons were feared killed.

In New GRA, Port Harcourt, it was gathered that the shooting created tension in the area as people ran for safety.

At press time, motorists were trapped in major traffic on adjoining streets in the area.

When contacted, the state Police spokesman, Mr Ahmad Muhammad, said the operation was still on, adding that he could only give a clear picture of what was happening at the end of the operation.

But speculations among motorists in traffic was that a new generation bank in New GRA was attacked by robbers.

Vanguard gathered that policemen were on the trail of the suspected robbers.

Meanwhile, calm has returned to Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area.

Residents who spoke to Vanguard said about nine persons allegedly died during Tuesday's invasion of the area by the military.

According to the residents who did not want their names in print, a 12year-old boy was among those killed. They said the boy was caught in a cross

fire at a spot close to the state-owned Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori.

Another source alleged that soldiers were going round hospitals in search of patients with bullet wounds for arrest in Bori.

A text message from our reporter to the spokesman, 2 Brigade, Port Harcourt Barracks, Captain Lazarus Eli, for comments on the allegation had not been responded to at press time.

Meantime, Chairman of Gokhana Local Government Area of the state, Mr Austin Sor, said it was unfortunate that the military would say there was no casualty on its side and the communities invaded.

He said several deaths were recorded.

Chairman of Khana LGA, Mr Tambari Sydney, who also spoke, condemned the military operation.

Tompolo's lawyers flay media reports on arrest warrant

By Innocent Anaba

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AWYERS to exmilitant leader, Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo), Mr Tayo Otetibo, SAN and EbunOlu Adegborowa, have dismissed media reports casting aspersions on their persons, while going ahead to deal on a matter that is pending in court.

It will be recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had filed a charge against Tompolo before a Federal High Court, Lagos.

Meanwhile, following an application by EFCC, the court issued a bench warrant for Tompolo's arrest.

Otetibo and Adegborowa, in reacting to the report, said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the newspaper did not

hide its knowledge of the fact that Tompolo had appealed the order of the Federal High Court for the issuance of a warrant of arrest against him. If the newspaper believes in the supremacy of the rule of law, it ought to have respected the time tested rule that once a matter is pending before a court of law, all persons are enjoined to refrain from making comments that could prejudice the subject matter of the suit.

“So, in essence, the publication shows disrespect to the court by embarking on the needless exercise of sitting in judgment over the case. Quite apart from this preliminary issue, the publication raised some fundamental issues which, with respect to them, were borne out of ignorance of matters of law and procedure."

Senate calls for urgent decongestion of Apapa gridlock

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA—THE Senate, yesterday, directed relevant government agencies to immediately begin the decongestion of the gridlock in Apapa, Lagos State.

The Senate particularly directed the Federal Ministry of Works and the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, to immediately begin the process of removing structures on rights of way and other locations impeding smooth traffic flow across the country.

It insisted that the Federal Ministry of Works and the Lagos State Government should immediately resume the rehabilitation of the roads leading to the

nation’s main ports in the Apapa area, with a view to tackling the gridlock menace there.

It also said that port concessionaries and tank farm owners should be directed to provide ample parking space for their trucks and carry out development in accordance with their lease agreements.

The directive was the fallout of investigation of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, on Apapa Port gridlock, following the resolution of the Upper Chamber in a motion sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu, APC, Lagos Central, and 106 others on the Apapa Port gridlock, in December last year.

The committee said the

two construction firms handling the rehabilitation of the main road leading to Apapa Port left the site because the Federal Ministry of Works was owing them N11.7 billion.

The committee, in its report also claimed that the contractors handling the construction of the Trunk Holding Bay also left the site because the firm was being owed N1.5 billion despite the fact that the project was about 90 percent completed.

Apart from this, the Upper Chamber directed the tank farm owners to, within the next six months, develop loading bays for trucks while the Lagos State Government, should expedite action on the loading bay being planned for the trade fair complex.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBURARY 25 25,, 2016 – 13

C M Y K

14

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBURARY 25 25,, 2016

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16—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Edo PDP leaders accuse Orbih of receiving N500m for Jonathan's election

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN—THE leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State, led by Chief Dan Orbih, has been accused of allegedly receiving the sum of N500 million for the presidential election of former President Goodluck Jonathan without the knowledge of leaders of the party.

Vanguard gathered that the money which was part of the N2.1 billion allegedly shared by the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), was said to have been paid into the account of the Edo State PDP through one Hartman Company, belonging to a national leader of the party in the state.

Vanguard was informed that the matter which is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, led the commission to contact the Orbih-led executive to confirm if such money was received in the state.

It was learned that in their reply to the commission, the party executive agreed that the said amount was received and

was disbursed to party executives and leaders across the 18 local government areas of the state for the Jonathan campaign.

The revelation, it was gathered angered some members of the state executive and party leaders who expressed shock that

they never knew that such money came in and that was part of the reasons most of the leaders called for the removal of the Orbih-led exco.

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PRESENTATION: From left: Deputy Director, Consumer Protection Council, Lagos Office, Mr. Joshua Yakubu; General Manager, Marketing, PZ Wilmar, Mrs Bukola Bandele; winner of brand new Hyundai Accent Car in the Mamador Cook & Cruise Promo, Mrs Mercy Onuda; Manager, Marketing Services, PZ Wilmar, Funsho Jacob and Manager, SPAR, Lekki Outlet, at prize presentation at Spar Supermarket, Lekki, yesterday.

Reconstitute INEC, Edo political parties urge Buhari

By Gabriel Enogholase

B

ENIN—AHEAD of the governorship elections scheduled to hold in Edo and Ondo States this year, the Forum of Registered Political Parties, FRPP, in Edo State has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately reconstitute the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in view of the recent Supreme Court pronouncement on the use of card readers in the conduct of elections in the country.

The forum also called on the National Assembly to, as a matter of urgency, amend the Electoral Act to ensure that the deployment and use of card readers for elections in the country was inserted in the Act and the Nigerian constitution before the conduct of the Edo and Ondo states governorship elections this year.

Speaking with newsmen in Benin, Edo State, yesterday, chairman of FRPP, Mr Ogba Victor, warned that manually conducted elections, which he said were always characterized by ballot box stuffing and snatching, thuggery, multiple thumb printing, over voting and outright falsification of election results, should be done away with.

FRPP said that the Supreme Court's observation that the card readers were not captured in the Electoral Act and the constitution will create another avenue for

Group faults reports of planned defection

by Ogboru, Ochei to APC

some judgments based on technicalities rather than facts in relation to elections cases.

“We frown seriously at any conscious or unconscious attempt to return Nigeria to years of sorrow, anguish, maiming, arson, killing, impunity and imposition of

political gladiators facilitated by the non-usage of card readers on the citizenry,” the group said.

On the 2016 governorship election in Edo State, the group said that only a development-inclined and politically driven candidate

should be elected to govern the state, adding that such a candidate must go through credible sets of elections conducted at the level of political party primaries and the general election devoid of rancour and electoral fraud.

APC chieftain urges support for Buhari's has respect for human it is the elites that say the fight anti-graft war Buhari rights, adding: “The problem is one sided and if you look

By Daniel Gumm

W

ARRI—A lawyer and chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Wilson Alasha, has enjoined Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari in the fight against corruption and unwholesome activities, saying that the country will bounce back to glory.

According to him, President Buhari inherited a lot of socioeconomic vices that crippled the nation’s economy, insisting that efforts must be geared towards revamping the bastardised economy, including terrorism and political backwardness.

Alasha, who defected to APC with scores of his allies, said that he didn't pitch his tent with the party to seek political office, adding that his action was borne out of the fact that APC has credible men and women that can take the country to the promised land.

He told newsmen in Warri, Delta State, that President

we had initially was that Buhari was a military man, and had no patience for indolence as that was what obtained in the military.”

On the fight against corruption, he said, “Buhari has made up his mind to fight corruption to a standstill but

critically into this issue you find that the elites are the most corrupt.”

On the fall of the Naira, the APC stalwart affirmed that the currency will rise again, stressing that in life, “there are ups and downs and we should not crucify our president over this matter.”

Delta Police nabs attackers of FIRS with the Police Headquarters, staff

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EN of the Delta State Police Command have arrested the Managing Director of an oil servicing company and some police officers, who allegedly assaulted staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, on official duty in Warri, Delta State.

The arrest of the perpetrators of the attack on FIRS officials was sequel to a complaint and appeal by the FIRS State Coordinator for Edo, Delta and Rivers, Chief Joel-Onowakpo Thomas.

He had lodged a complaint

Asaba, urging the state Commissioner of Police, Baba Alkali, to help fish out those behind the dastardly act.

The police apprehended Eric Jemijereye, Managing Director, Jemtech Global Engineering Company Limited, the company’s Secretary and some security men attached to the company.

Reacting to the arrest, JoelOnowakpo commended the police for their prompt response which led to the arrest of those who aborted the tax monitoring work of the staff of the service.

ONCERNED APC members in Delta State have described as false, reports of impending defection of the leaders of Labour Party in the state, Chief Great Ogboru and the former speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei, of Accord Party, Delta State, to All Progressives Congress, APC. The group, in a statement by Alex Eyengho, said: “In the statement, it was falsely reported that Olorogun O'tega Emerhor claimed that the APC state executive council at a meeting in Warri on February 20, 2016 had agreed to welcome these new members to form a formidable opposition towards 2019 election.

“For public information, we wish to enlighten the people of Delta State in particular and Nigeria in general, that there is no such state executive council at present because of a subsisting Delta State High Court, Asabam order of April 30, 2015 declaring the purported state executive council as illegal.

“As of today, there is no court order in Nigeria which has invalidated the subsisting order. We therefore, advise the media to be wary of being used to mis-inform the public on the matter that had been adjudicated on.

“In the circumstances, until the national headquarters of APC organises a fresh state congress in Delta State for the purpose of electing the executive committee of Delta State chapter of APC in accordance with its constitution and approved guidelines as ordered by the High Court on April 30, 2015, those who are parading themselves as state executive members are nothing but people who do not believe in the rule of law,” the statement added.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016— —17

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AST week, Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka was in Abuja. And at a meeting with the Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed, Professor Soyinka called on President Muhammadu Buhari to convene an emergency economic conference, for experts to brainstorm on the way forward for the Nigerian economy. Such a conference of experts was necessary to enable a diagnosis of the problems in order to assist with recommendations to help us out of the woods.

Prof. Soyinka added that: “I agree with those who say the economy is bad. It is obvious and it is so bad…The economic condition of a nation does not deteriorate overnight, something came before the deterioration. A certain prolonged process of attrition that happened in the past is now knocking on the door. The consequence of the past misgovernance is what we are undergoing right now”.

Similarly, Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Muda Yusuf, lamented to THISDAY newspaper, of Saturday, 20 February, 2016, the “total collapse” of the Nigerian economy. He added that: “If there is no confidence in your economy and your currency, then there will be capital flight. If there is no liquidity of the forex market, the volume of forex inflow will be low.

Portfolio investors If portfolio investors do not have confidence that they can seamlessly repatriate the forex they brought in without losing value, then they will hold back their investments”. And at the weekend, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Chairman of the BUA Group also weighed in, arguing that the lack of a transparent exchange rate policy and inequitable distribution of foreign exchange to all key players in the key sectors of the economy is causing serious setback to economic development.

The views of members of the national bourgeoisie corroborate the position of the Nobel Laureate, that “the economy is bad”. The condition of the poor also speaks loudly about the current economic difficulties in the country.

An investigation by THISDAY newspaper at the weekend noted that: “the Nigerian economic crisis is spiraling out of control, with the ordinary man on the street now feeling the pinch more than ever before. The prices of basic food items and other consumables are now shooting beyond their reach”.

Indeed, the situation in Nigeria today, as noted by leading economic players, calls for the type of emergency economic conference that Professor Soyinka advocated.

Over the past couple of months, we have experienced the incredible drop in value of our national currency, against major international currencies. This has triggered panic at all levels of the economy. The main point has been narrowed down to whether

For an emergency national economic conference or not there is a need to devalue the Naira.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who ultimately has to take the decision, has maintained a consistent position, against the devaluation.

As recently as last weekend, he told a presidential round table on Investment and Growth Opportunities at an International Conference in Egypt, that he was opposed to devaluation, because Nigeria cannot compete with developed nations that produce to compete among themselves and thus can afford to devalue their local currencies. Buhari said that Nigeria was neither competing nor exporting, “but importing everything including toothpicks”.

President Buhari’s position against devaluation seems clear enough; and at the Egypt gathering he also stated that the priority of his administration was to ensure national food security as well as the encouragement of local production and efficiency.

Nevertheless, there are also many experts who worry about the lack of clarity in economic policy under the present administration. It is worrisome that the president has no economic adviser and Buhari has not put in place an economic team that will assist in formulating policies as well as engaging with citizens about the economic direction that the government is taking for the overall development of the country.

There is opacity in the economic management process, which is quite troubling, and the administration is not effectively communicating with the constituency of Nigerians that voted it into power in 2015. I think this background makes it imperative to hold the emergency national economic conference that Prof. Soyinka suggested last week.

An emergency national economic conference should bring in the economic experts, representing the different economic persuasions in order for us to distill what will be in the best interest of Nigeria

But while he wanted a conference of experts, I will like to suggest that the base of such a conference be wider, taking in the most representative segments of the Nigerian society, in order to achieve a national consensus on the economic choices that the administration will make into the next couple of years.

A conference of all persuasions An emergency national economic conference should bring in the economic experts, representing the different economic persuasions in order for us to distill what will be in the best interest of Nigeria, in the context of the push and pull of the international capitalist system.

Then we should ensure that representatives of the national

bourgeoisie, in the so-called “Organized Private Sector” are adequately represented, as well as organizations of medium and small-scale entrepreneurs.

Similarly, the Nigerian working class movement and their trade unions as well as peasant and farming groups should be given a major part in this emergency conference. And to ensure that this is a genuine national process, organisations of women and youth as well as the unemployed and civil society organisations should be included. President Buhari should take very personal interest in such a conference, because of the way that its resolutions can impact on the economic programme of his administration into the future. The truth is that Nigeria is at the crossroads that will define its economic health into the future.

The administration in power has inherited a serious economic condition, akin to a poisoned chalice. What we are dealing with is the culmination of the irresponsibility of the past couple of years. President Buhari has been given the mandate to provide the leadership to take us out of this crisis.

That is why he must trust the Nigerian people more; as well as accepting that he can learn a lot from expertise that might not presently reside within his administration. An emergency national economic conference will certainly bring all that expertise under one roof for the betterment of our country. And the fact that such a conference will cut across all classes of society could help to deepen the legitimacy of the choices that the administration might be forced to take, by the economic situation. We can use an emergency national economic conference to create a national consensus. The economic situation is not good and it can get worse; but the patience of citizens can hold for as long as they are sure that things might take a turn for the better.

Otherwise, they could turn anger against the administration. I have no doubts in my mind that President Buhari is committed to turning things around for the better; an emergency national economic conference might just be a very useful instrument in that journey for betterment.

Monthly revenue allocation: The Kwara State checklist

E

ARLY this week, the monthly revenue allocated to each state of the federation, for December 2015, and shared in January 2016, was published by the Federal Government. The regular publication of these allocations is one of the great gains of our democratic experience since 1999.

At least citizens can tabulate exactly what accrues to our states on a monthly basis and then match these with development on ground. This issue of allocations, especially their drop in recent months, has been central to the narrative of financial difficulties in Kwara state, for example. The government regularly asserts that allocation has dropped from about N3.5billion per month to about N1.4billion.

Well, there is some good news in respect of the sums shared in January 2016. Kwara state’s 16 LGAs got a total of N1, 627, 118, 514.16, from the Federation Account. As for the Kwara state government, its Gross Total Sum from the Federation Account in the same January distribution of December Allocation was N2, 549, 647, 979. 48 and the Net Total sum was N2, 055, 320, 700. 54. This means that in January 2106, Kwara state has taken the sum of over N3.6billion from the Federation Account.

Of course that is a lot of money!

But the downside to the allocations coming to Kwara state is the pattern of expenditure. Are they patterns that represent the best interests of our people? That

is a question that will generate a lot of heat. But what is not in doubt is that the group in power in Kwara state, since 2003, has consistently taken decisions that served the personal interests of the hegemon and his crowd of hangers-on, than those of our people.

Huge monthly pension For instance, from the allocation we are talking about, the government will still pay the huge sums (allegedly running into millions) as Bukola Saraki’s monthly pension! And despite the huge sums received on behalf of the sixteen local government areas of Kwara state, these local governments are no loci of development today.

Salaries are owed for months, and even within metropolitan areas of Ilorin, Offa, Omu Aran and others, there is an absence of municipal governance: refuse has overtaken many urban areas, including even major streets in Ilorin; while economic activities that used to revolve around local government secretariats in the past have disappeared in Kwara.

What is clear is that the problem sometimes isn’t the absence of money alone, but the deliberate enthronement of a control system which alienates the resources of the state to satisfy the personal ends of a structure of political leadership, such as Kwara has been saddled with since 2003.

Unless and until Kwara state dismantles a political and spoils system that is tied to a suffocating bear hug and personality cult, it will not find the levels of development commensurate with the potentials of our people and state.

The reason is simple; as Kwara state is run today, the most central political project is Bukola Saraki’s personal survival and personal ambitions. Where his ambitions clash with those of the state, then the interests of the state suffer.

This is because at all times, it is what satisfies Bukola Saraki’s interests and ambitions that they prioritise in Kwara state. This is not how a rational community or state ought to be run. Kwarans agonise a lot about this structure, especially the more self-respecting and politically conscious sections of the elite.

The task that faces the bona fide citizens of Kwara state is to organise to uproot this structure of domination; hegemony that has set us back and deepened underdevelopment, since Bukola Saraki’s emergence in 2003.

It is only when we have reclaimed our state, that monthly allocations from the Federation Account can be meaningfully and transparently applied to serve the best interests of the people of Kwara state!

C M Y K

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 WE join other delighted Nigerians in applauding the recent deal between the Nigeria Air Force NAF and the Nnewi, Anambra State-based Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing (IVM) Company Ltd. Under this deal, IVM manufactures spare parts for the Air Force to keep its Alpha Jets platform fully operational in the war against the Boko Haram terrorists in the North East.

According the Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, the Force would have been made to ground the Alpha Jets had it not been for the gallant efforts of the indigenous motor manufacturer “as no help was coming from outside the country”. The IVM, according to the Air Force Spokesman, helps to modify and overhaul the brake assembly of the MB-339 for adoption on the Alpha Jets.

The significance of this collaborative effort is fundamental. It is a wonderful example and prompter on the need

Applauding the NAF, Innoson deal for us as a country to begin to look inwards for solutions to our problems, which we had foolishly depended on external sources to provide for us.

We are particularly cheered by the fact that this collaboration is part of the vision of the current Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, to forge strategic partnerships with both government and public organisation for enhanced research and development.

At a time when the nation’s economy is suffering from foreign exchange

crunch due to worldwide oil glut and the rapidly dwindling value of the Naira against foreign currencies, we must now make self reliance a broadbased national policy. Nigeria has what it takes to produce most of the things we have been importing from other countries. Innoson is just one of the many local resource platforms that have been neglected in preference for foreign suppliers of manufactured goods, some of them as mundane as toothpicks.

This great example demonstrated by

the NAF and IVM, if emulated in other areas, will go a long way in reducing the high level of mass unemployment and the prevalence of violent crimes among the restive youth. It is a wonderful way of keying into President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda of diversifying the economy and creating jobs.

We must seize the opportunity provided by the current economic downturn to explore the vast human and natural resource potentials of this nation and turn them to our advantage.

The authorities of the Nigerian Air Force deserve commendation for leading the way in looking inwards for solutions as opposed to their predecessors who are being accused of misappropriating funds given to them to source for weapons to defend the nation.

No nation ever becomes great by depending on the finished goods of other countries. We must join Innoson and other local manufacturers in saying: “Yes, we can”.

OPINION Going made in Nigeria with Innoson

By Chukwudi Enekwechi

T

ODAY, we are faced with a precarious situation where paucity of dollar and other hard currencies has led to a spiral fall of the naira. The reason is not farfetched, especially as oil prices fell from a high of about $115 to as low as $28. Yet, it is commendable that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has swiftly swung into action by paying attention to local manufacturing and agriculture. Certainly, this policy of diversification has the potential to extricate Nigeria from the vagaries of over dependence on oil as the only source of revenue.

The federal government policy of diversification is intended to reduce our dependence on oil as we are not in control of the oil price dynamics. Even OPEC as a body has not been able to rein in recalcitrant and over producing countries like Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and as a result oil prices continue to fall uncontrollably.

The negative impact of this is today starring us in the face with the price of dollar against the naira riding to astronomical level. Another debilitating factor against our oil dependent economy is the cost of producing one barrel of oil in Nigeria, which is as high as $15, since much of the deposit is offshore, while it costs a country like Saudi Arabia as low as $1 per barrel because their oil is drilled onshore.

There is the need to focus on such local manufacturers like INNOSON vehicle

manufacturing company which has made a mark as the first indigenous vehicles manufacturing firm. With over 10,000 Nigerians in their employ, INNOSON has the potential to fill the yawning gap that scarcity of dollar and other foreign currencies has all ready created in purchasing vehicles and other products from abroad.

Furthermore, if given more support INNOSON will boost Federal government’s effort at job creation and with a population of over 170 million people and youths making up of close to 60%, all hands must be on deck towards ensuring adequate engagement of youths. INNOSON as a company has the capacity to employ many of them and equip them with necessary skills for their sustenance.

Apart from creating jobs for our youths, INNOSON has the capacity to transfer the necessary technology that can position Nigeria as an industrialised economy. Lest we forget, Ford Motors USA owned by the Ford family was in the fore front among other companies that pioneered the American industrial revolution.

Obviously, the oil glut can indeed be turned into a fortune for Nigeria if the Federal government supports such companies like

As a country we must begin to look inwards

INNOSON to reach their fullest potentials.

As a country we must begin to look inwards and tap the numerous potentials inherent in our people.

It is indeed a great feat for an indigenous company to venture into a terrain as automobile manufacturing that many thought was the whiteman’s exclusive reserve. It clearly demonstrates patriotism and faith in Nigeria’s economy. What is remaining is for the various tiers of government to take it a notch higher through a guaranteed patronage.

Moreover, government should avail INNOSON group all the necessary incentives that will enable them sustain their manufacturing activities. INNOSON as a company is already a pride to the country as their vehicles are now sold and driven in some African countries.

Granted that a few components of the vehicles are imported, yet it is common knowledge that this is the practice globally.

No single company is able to produce all the components of any particular brand, but substantially the parent company is responsible for the final output, and this is the case with INNOSON and other brands.

Until we begin to demonstrate our patriotism by patronising locally made vehicles such as INNOSON, we cannot realise the vision of exporting other made in Nigeria products to other countries. As a country, our technological breakthrough will not happen overnight, but through such deliberate and bold efforts being taken by companies like INNOSON. Besides stimulating the economic growth

of a nation, automobile manufacturing also facilitates transfer of necessary technological knowledge that is required for any county to emerge as an industrialised economy.

Similarly, local manufacturing of vehicles helps to conserve the elusive foreign currencies like Dollar, Pounds sterling and Euro. When this is done it enhances our foreign reserve and gives us a mileage in terms of balance of payment with other countries.

Therefore, the need for all government ministries, departments and agencies to look inwards in terms of procuring their operational vehicles cannot be over emphasised. We should therefore adopt INNOSON a Nigerian brand, as ford is to USA and Mercedes to Germany, and considering Nigeria’s population, space and resources, it will be easy to dominate the West Africa market with INNOSON vehicles that are proudly made in Nigeria.

Taking into consideration that the issue of rise in the price of oil is not within the control of Nigeria and indeed OPEC, it makes sense that we concentrate on the areas we can control such as automobile manufacturing.

In this area we have a surfeit of local raw materials and indeed other factors of production like labour and capital.

As it stands today INNOSON has proved that it is possible, and governments at all levels should take it a notch higher by patronising their vehicles and providing them with necessary incentives.

•Mr. Enekwechi, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBURARY 25 25,, 2016 – 19 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com

Soyinka’s Buhari rescue bid L

AST week’s call by Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on President Muhammadu Buhari to summon a conference of eggheads to help him chart ways out of our current economic woes was more loaded than met the ordinary eyes. It was a message garbed with uncaccustomed subtlety from Soyinka, who is usually fingerin-your-eye with words when addressing what he perceives as lapses in a regime he does not fancy.

Yes, indeed, the President Muhammadu Buahri All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government is full of Soyinka’s friends, including a former governor of an oil-rich state whose traducer successor alleged he spent N80 million on the respected professor’s 80th birthday bash (which the former governor pooh-poohed).

We all vividly still remember that Prof Soyinka cheered the then opposition APC federal lawmakers on in 2014 when they climbed the gates of the National Assembly in Abuja to nip the possible impeachment of Speaker Waziri Tambuwal after being locked out by the security agencies. He often engaged former President Goodluck

Jonathan, his wife, Dame Patience, and spokesmen of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Federal Government in open, “kill-andbury” verbal exchanges.

This, indeed, is the very first time in the history of this country that Prof. Soyinka is portraying the sheerest of bonhomie towards a sitting Federal Government. He went to prison for upbraiding the General Yakubu Gowon regime for the atrocities against the ordinary people in the breakaway Republic of Biafra during the civil war. He went on exile as part of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO’s) struggle against the regime of General Sani Abacha, and for the revalidation of the annulled June 12 presidential election of 1993 won by Chief Moshood Abiola. He publicly sparred with General Olusegun Obasanjo in the two periods that Obasanjo, his kinsman from the same Abeokuta, occupied the presidential office. Therefore, this new and strange bedfellowship between Soyinka and a government in power is totally out of kilter with his tradition. Obviously, the Buhari presidential dispensation is

Soyinka’s dream government.

Surely, if the situation were different, rather than this unnerving diplomatese, Soyinka would have poured vitriol. The way I see it, this call for a conference to help Buhari find the antidote for the economic situation after nine months in power simply means he thinks the President has no answers of his own. In fact, people have gone so far as to use the word: “clueless” to describe Buhari’s lack of economic direction. The Economist of London had termed former President Jonathan an “ineffectual buffoon”. The Nigerian writer widely accused of being the brain behind that barefaced insult has just been appointed as Buhari’s fourth media aide.

Now, the shoe is on the other foot. Nine months of rudderless economic floating, the Financial Times of the same London summarised “Buharinomics” as “the height of foolishness”

Financial Times of the same London summarised ‘Buharinomics' as “the height of foolishness” arguing that its plan to raise $25 billion dollars from private and public sources to avoid the looming recession might actually plunge Nigeria into a Venezuela-like economic crisis

The growing corruption industry C

HARLES DICKENS (1812-1870) provides the best guide when it comes to superlative degrees of comparison. In the telling paragraph of his great work, A Tale of Two Cities, his narrative remains intriguing: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…; and for our present purpose, we may also add, it was the best of enforcement, it was the worst of enforcement.

To show how differently people react even to similarly ugly situations, two Case Studies relevant to law enforcement are cited here – one in far-away Germany and the other in Nigeria: CASE STUDY I: In the early 1970s, there was a crave for foreign education among Nigerian youths. That was when Wilson Okoro travelled to West Germany, as it then was.

After procuring the Basic Travel Allowance, BTA, of 48 pounds, Okoro still had some local currency in his possession. He approached a friend, Eddy, who helped him buy three $10 bills from Mallam, at what is today glorified as the parallel market.

On the day Okoro travelled, the Munich-bound Lufthansa flight stopped over in Frankfurt. It was for one hour transit. At Frankfurt airport, Okoro took one of the $10 notes to change at the bank to buy some soft drink.

Rather than change the money for him, Okoro observed some unusual delay.

After a while, the gate was opened for him to come into the exchange bureau.

A few minutes later, two polizei arrived and that was when Okoro was told that the $10 note was a counterfeit.

He was whisked away to an underground cell where he spent the night mainly undergoing interrogation.

Okoro had missed the Munich-bound flight. In his statement, Okoro informed the police that there were two other $10 notes in his luggage that had left for Munich.

C M Y K

Interpol was then alive and active at both ends. Okoro gave them Eddy’s address in Lagos. At the Lagos end, Interpol picked up Eddy who also took them to Mallam.

All the investigations that would ordinarily take months to do were concluded in about 18 hours. The following morning, the $10 note was destroyed. Okoro was released to continue his journey to Munich. This time, Okoro was not alone: the authorities booked a flight for a Security Officer to accompany him to Munich to collect the two $10 bills that Okoro had mentioned in his statement.

CASE STUDY II: 1983 was one Election Year that witnessed real turbulence and massive manipulations. In large measures, it was Cash and Carry and victory belonged to the highest bidder.

In a particular State, the political high command made Samanja who was the State Electoral Officer an offer he couldn’t reject. Samanja was asked to name his price and regard same as a done deal. He asked for N6 million, which was promptly delivered in crisp Naira notes carefully arranged in those Central Bank

No war is ever won with the fighters sleeping. All those involved in the current war against corruption must wake up to their responsibilities

arguing that its plan to raise $25 billion dollars from private and public sources to avoid the looming recession might actually plunge Nigeria into a Venezuela-like economic crisis.

Now, what would the paper say about the oddities in Buhari’s first budget to the National Assembly, which contains so many hilarious items, the most prepostrous of which was the over N22 million set aside for “rent for Aso Villa”!

Former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida built Aso Villa. Is he the “landlord” collecting the “rent” for Aso Villa, our own White House? I am waiting to hear what The Economist of London, which had openly endorsed the Buhari candidacy, will say after Professor Soyinka’s subtle friendly fire.

Even Professor Pat Utomi, who had been an ardent admirer of the President when he assumed power, has now gone red in the face at the total lack of space for economists in the Buhari presidency.

It is now a trite observation to say that Buhari and his party were not ready for governance.

They still are not, even now.

While the President is slurping the splendours of the Presidency junketing from coast to coast, pole to pole, his party men and women are scrambling for posts being vacated by Jonathan’s employees.

Buhari’s idea of running the country has obviously not changed from the template of 32 years ago when he first came: fight corruption and send looters to jail. Unfortunately, he no longer has the benefit of a Deputy he trusts enough to effectively govern while he flies around. In 1984, he had Brigadier Tunde Idiagbon, whom he allowed to run the

successful War Against Indiscipline (WAI).

That appeared to be the only real achievement of that regime in its 20 months lifespan. For some reasons known to Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has not been made the Tunde Idiagbon of our time. We sometimes don’t even remember he is there.

Unfortunately, the man who might have anchored the Buhari Presidency for him (Mallam Nasir El Rufai) is the Governor of Kaduna State, with his hands full after being threatened with witchcraft by beggars he intended to remove from the streets.

Instead, the President has created some super-ministers and given them huge sums of money to go and do their own magic. Mallam Adamu Adamu, who is running the Education Ministry with the N370 billion allocation in the controversial budget, is using APC’s broom to sweep away Vice-chancellors of universities built by Jonathan and loading them with (mainly) people from his section of the country.

Babatunde Fashola, the blueeyed Lagos wonderboy is given N433.4 billion to work miracles in the Power, Works and Hosuing sectors, while Rotimi Amaechi, the President’s Port Harcourt discovery, is given N216 billion to turnaround the Transportation sector.

When will the budget be ready for the spending spree to start?

I don’t agree with Prof. Soyinka that we need an emergency conference. There is nothing about the economic challenge we are facing which a visionary regime cannot tackle if they want to. Buhari should stop chasing shadows abroad and sit down to fix the economy as he promised at the campaigns. We are watching.

metal boxes. The election was signed, sealed and delivered.

First thing M o n d a y m o r n i n g , Samanja rushed to the bank to deposit his plunder, only to be told that they were all fake Naira notes.

The Bank Manager asked Samanja to quickly remove his debris because the same cabal that arranged the deal could also arrange to swoop on everybody. Wealth became waste. That essentially is the price that corruption pays for corruption. That, in fact, was the day that Samanja died before he finally passed on a few years later.

In our twisted system, the same Samanja still had the temerity to proceed to the Election Petitions Tribunal, perhaps with the hope of eating his vomit and asking for “justice”. The Buhari coup finally put paid to all that.

The two Case Studies provide the best of enforcement and the worst of enforcement. And between the two extremes, reside Nigeria’s predicament.

We must insist that our current war against corruption should begin from the beginning. Sadly; corruption is becoming a veritable industry that is growing faster than oil and agriculture, principally because of lack of diligent enforcement against offenders. See how our people have re-looted the Abacha loot with impunity over and over again? The time has come to start asking the supplementary questions: First, who is keeping an inventory of all the recovered assets from looters of our patrimony? It is not enough for us to keep celebrating the seizure of those properties only to find that they remain in firm possession of the looters; Second, to what use are the confiscated assets being put? It is also not enough to seize the assets; put the EFCC stamp on them; and leave them desolate, to the overgrown by weeds.

Incidentally, every corruption case in Nigeria has an expiry date. A few years back, we were entertained with the bribery cases of Halliburton and Siemens; and then came the pension scandals series – running into the highest billions.

At the inception of the current dispensation, we thought the EFCC had woken up when it raised questions on the stupendous wealth accumulation of Mrs. Toyin Saraki, wife of the Senate President, when her husband was the Governor of Kwara State; Senator Godswill Akpabio was questioned over allegation of corruption while he was Governor of Akwa-Ibom State.

And could the corruption allegation against the former EFCC boss, Ibrahim Lamorde, have been a hoax? Today, all these cases have been relegated to the back-burner and no one is being told anything.

Today, the Dasukigate scandal occupies a centre-stage, providing comic relief to Nigerians. Like its fore-runners, the Dasukigate will also soon expire.

No war is ever won with the fighters sleeping. All those involved in the current war against corruption must wake up to their responsibilities. Not many Nigerians are still excited over the theatricals in our media, on the arrest and handcuff of purported corrupt elements.

If the war against corruption is as important as the current administration claims, there must be a change in procedure -- the people must be given a monthly up-date on the progress, prospects and problems on the war!

20—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Mystery death of 8-year-old in septic tank:

Guardian cries out •Decries sloppy investigation

By Bose Adelaja

F

OR eight-year-old Kehinde Toba, coming to Lagos from Ogun State with his twin sister when their parents could no longer afford to feed them, was supposed to be a dream come true. But that dream was shortlived. Few months after their relocation, they lost their father at a relatively unripe age. But their uncle and aunt volunteered to play the role of guardians and to cater for them. They were subsequently enrolled in public schools.

While Kehinde stayed with his uncle Ilias Adeniyi at No 36, Alapere Street, Ketu, AgbonyiKetu Local Council Development, his twin sister, Taiwo, stayed with her aunt in another part of Lagos. It was an acceptable arrangement since they were able to keep in touch as both guardians often exchanged visits.

That was the happy set up until a few days ago when a disheartening incident occurred, throwing the family into confusion and darkness.

Time was 7pm of Wednesday February 17, 2016 when Kehinde mysteriously disappeared from home after dinner. Neighbours and family members combed everywhere in search of him to no avail. It was not until about 3pm of the following day that his lifeless body was found in a septic tank of a neighbouring two-storey building.

The brown painted house is

owned by a Kwara indigene popularly called ‘’Baba Isopako”.

Vanguard Metro was told that he owns five of such buildings, each of which boasts of 60 rooms, all situate within the locality, though he does not reside there but employed the services of a caretaker.

But the one at Akapere Street had its septic tank dislodged about three weeks ago and left open for reasons best known to the occupants.

On the fateful Thursday, Kehinde was said to have completed his home work, had his dinner at about 7pm before his sudden disappearance from home.

Sudden disappearance His guardian, 36-year-old Ilias, said he left the deceased while he was having his dinner and he left a message that he (Kehinde) should tell another boy who also lived with them to fetch water when he returned from evening lesson.

On the boy’s return at about 7.05pm, he did not meet Kehinde at home. So the boy waited for a while. But after a long and futile wait, he raised an alarm which attracted other residents, especially the neighbours. A call was then put across to Ilias who rushed home and the search for Kehinde began and continued till the following day.

*Ilias...Kehinde’s uncle According to Ilias, the matter was incidented at a nearby police station and the complainants were asked to report after 24 hours.

Simultaneously, the residents of the two-storey building employed the services of a bricklayer to cover the septic tank. It was while the bricklayer was thus engaged that he found a pair of Kehinde’s slip-on in the septic tank and he called the attention of people to it.

Kehinde’s family immediately identified the footwear and begged him to further the search inside the tank. To their shock, the missing boy was found dead with his hands clenched.

When the fists were prised open a food source was found inside his palms.

Four persons, including the caretaker, are cooling their heels in Police custody. This is even as the victim’s family has expressed unhappiness at the way the matter was being handled, claiming that the investigation is slow.

In a chat with VM, Ilias said he was confused about the development and want justice

*The late Kehinde

*The septic tank where Kehinde met his tragic end without delay. ‘’I am totally confused. I brought the deceased to Lagos to give him hope but the development is quite saddening. I suspect that he was a victim of ritual killing; I want justice to prevail. Is it because we are not rich that the investigation is being handled in this shoddy manner?”

A resident, Mufutau Amoren,

said the development should be properly investigated to forestall future occurrence. “There are many children in this vicinity. Does that mean they are no longer free and safe to move around?

The government should investigate this matter and expose whosoever has done this,” he said.

Another resident, Madam Esther Aladeloba, said the deceased may have been killed by ritualists. “I suspect foul play here. I believe his assailants want to bring confusion to this area. Everything was arranged to make us believe he slipped into the septic tank. That is the idea behind the food seasoning found inside his palms. And until the truth of what happened comes out, it remains a mystery to all,” she said.

Meantime, all the occupants of the storey building have since fled.

Contacted, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmus, said investigations were ongoing.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

— 21

FBN Holdings issues profit warning to investors

By Peter Egwuatu

F

From left, Leke Ogunlewe, CEO, Standard Chartered Capital & Advisory Nigeria Ltd; Bola Onadele Koko, MD/CEO, FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange, and Peter Ndegwa, MD/CEO, Guinness Nigeria Plc, during the quotation of N7.23 billion and N2.77 billion Guinness Nigeria Plc commercial papers on FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange, in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau

Naira appreciates further to N305/$

By Babajide Komolafe

T

HE naira continued its ap preciation against thedollar in the parallel market yesterday, as the parallel market exchange rate dropped further to N305 per dollar.

Thus the naira has appreciated by N70 against the dollar in three days in the parallel market. The parallel market exchange rate, which rose to N400 per dollar last Thursday, dropped and closed the week at N375.

Bureaux De Change operators who spoke to Vanguard yesterday said that they bought from customers at N270 per dollar but sold at average of N305 per dollar.

An Abuja based BDC who

$114.00

We have instructed our members to buy within the regulated exchange rate in the economy

by combining dollars bought at N270, the average buying rate becomes N320. So at N305, they are still losing about N15 per dollar.”

Also confirming this development to Vanguard, President, Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe said, “We have instructed our members to buy within the regulated exchange rate in the economy.”

ABCON on Tuesday had dissociated itself from the recent depreciation of the naira from N265 per dollar to N400, saying the depreciation was not caused

by BDCs. To address the situation and enhance transparency in the market, the Association said it would introduce a weekly ex-

-3.60

$2,866.00 -6.00 $14. 09

spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity said the wide gap between the buying rate and selling rate was due to attempt by operators to minimise their loss.

He said, “People had bought when the rate was N370, and they are already making loss. But

1. 07

change rate band to guide BDCs and members of the public.

Speaking at the press conference, Gwadabe said, “On the part of ABCON, as a way of enhancing transparency in the BDC subsector, we have decided to introduce weekly foreign exchange rate band.

This will serve as a guide to all BDCs and members of the public on the prevailing exchange rate across the country. The Rate Band will be operated in line with the regulated foreign exchange rate in the economy. This is to forestall exploitation of foreign exchange end users, and also to ensure that end users are informed enough to avoid falling victims of exploitation. The Rate band will be announced via weekly press release that would be circulated to the media for publication.”

NSE Council renews Onyema’s tenure as CEO

By Peter

T

Egwuatu

HE Council of NigerianStockExchange, $32. 59 -0. 68 NSE,has approvedtherenewal ofcontractofemployment $30. 72 -1.15 for Mr. Oscar N. Onyema,foranothertermoffive CURRENCY BUYING SELLING years as Chief Executive Officer,CEO of the exUS DOLLAR 196 196.5 197 change. Mr.Onyemahas 276. 2032 277. 1829 277. 6124 POUNDS served as the CEO of the 215. 4432 215. 9928 216. 5424 EURO 197. 0047 197. 5073 198. 0099 FRANC exchangesinceApril2011 1.748 1.7524 1.7569 YEN and his initial five years 0.3103 0.3203 0. 3303 CFA employment contract ex271. 7955 272. 4888 273. 1822 WAUA pires on March 31, 2016.

30. 0195 30. 0965 30. 1735 RENMINBI 52.2597 52. 393 52. 5263 RIYAL Commenting on the re28.8694 28. 943 29.0167 KRONA newal, President, Nation272. 3616 273.0564 273.7512 SDR al Council of NSE, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede, CBN Exchange rate as at 24/02/2016

said: “Mr.Onyema’stenureasCEO of the NSE is marked by outstanding achievements. The Council is confident that he can continue the exchange’s trajectory of transformation,innovationandmarketplacerecognition by implementing its business strategies which he has been instrumental in developing.

The leadership qualities that he has demonstrated in his first term as CEO, in theface of such intense and challengingoperatingenvironment, have been exemplary. The Council believes that his vision and passion will ensure the exchange remains a force to be reckoned with in Africa andbeyond.”Speaking on his contract renewal, Mr. Onyema said “I am honoured to remain with

the Nigerian Stock Exchange and to continue to lead our dedicated staff as we strive to achieve the exchange’s vision.”

I am grateful to the Council for the opportunity to continue such an important work. While there is still much to be accomplished, the support shown by the capital market community has been inspirational, and I look forward to working with the entire eco-system to meet our objectives. “ On assumption of the role of CEO in April 2011, Mr. Onyema developed the strategic plan to transform the exchange into a globally competitive brand by stabilizing and professionalizing the exchange.

IRST BANK Nigeria, FBN, Holdings Plc, yesterday, issued a profit warning to investors that its earnings for the financial year ended December 31, 2015 is expected to be lower than what it declared the previous year.

According to a statement sent to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE and signed by company secretary, Tijjani M. Borodo, “Following the preliminary review of FBH Holdings Management Accounts for the year ended December 31, 2015, it is expected that earnings will be materially below that of the prior year.

The reduction in earnings is as a result of the recognition of impairment charges on some specific accounts resulting from a reassessment of the loan portfolio within our commercial banking business.”

He explained that that the reassessment was driven by the challenging micro environment, coupled with fiscal and monetary headwinds which had resulted in marked reduction in domestic output.

According to him “This is a prudent measure being taken while the Bank has commenced active remedial action on the specific impaired accounts. Our merchant Banking and Asset Management as well as insurance business remain strong and resilient.

Borodo, in the stament said that further details of the Group’s financial performance will be disclosed when the full year audited financial results are announced and during the subsequent result conference call.

According to him “We reiterate our 2016 focus on restoring shareholder value by driving improvements in underlying asset quality, cost efficiency, enhancing revenue generation and extracting synergies across the Group, as well as growth through innovation C M Y K

22—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

For any organisation to be successful, the role of the foot-soldiers is of utmost importance

,

Firm trains company execs, fresh graduates to bridge capacity gap

By Nkiruka Nnorom

M

OVED by the poor managerial and supervisory skills prevalent among top executives in workplaces, Managerial School of Excellence (MSE) has commenced strategic executive training for people in various management positions with the aim of making them more result-oriented.

Besides, MSE also plans to bridge the knowledge gap among fresh graduates who for lack of experience often find it difficult to secure employment in the country. The training options are in three levels and include workto-school programme, which is targeted at fresh graduates seeking employment to build work place skills; personal development and supervisory skills programme and; executive operation strategy class.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, Mr. Leke Olufade, Coordinator, MSE, remarked that Nigeria’s economy will not improve forward “if we do not build indigenous managerial competence”. He noted that few organisations that have done well are ones that have at one time or other hired consultants to implement their strategies, while they face their core business. “So, we discovered that what is lacking is managerial skills. People say we know what we want to do, but we don’t have time.

If you claim you know what to do and at the same say you don’t have time for it, then you are not a manager. For any organisation to be successful, the role of the foot-soldiers is of utmost importance. The best of this category of staff can only be employed by the organisations where there are competent and skilled individuals in the supervisory role.

,

BUSINESS

Secrets to entrepreneurial success

By Yinka Kolawole, with agency report Most successful entrepreneurs spent years working long hours to reach the success they have today.

Y

OU can succeed as a new entrepreneur by studying best practices, mistakes and key character traits of successful entrepreneurs to emulate them and thus dramatically shorten your own path to success.

Usually, it takes years of trial and error to figure out these secrets. But the only real secret is that it’s action, not knowledge that fosters true accomplishment. Following are some of the secrets that are vital to any entrepreneur’s success: Hire out your weaknesses Everyone has limitations. Maybe you have trouble focusing on one thing at a time, say yes to too many things, have a health condition or don’t know much about technology.

Maybe you’re great at ideas but bad at implementation. It doesn’t matter. You can still succeed by bringing the right people onto your team.

Billionaire founder of Spanx, Sara Blakely, says the best thing you can do is hire to make up for your weaknesses as soon as you can afford to. Jump past barriers and countless years of indecision by hiring a business partner that gives you the kick you need to stay motivated or a sales representative

Fulfilling future The supervisors must therefore be groomed to learn skills that are mostly taken for granted or overlooked. At MSE, our facilitators use the benefit of knowledge and experience to make supervisors the managerial professionals that the organisations need for a better and fulfilling future,” he stated.

Olufade explained that upon successful completion of the programme, participants at management level would be able to manage other employees and team members in order to deliver corporate results, see themselves as leaders accountable for self and others in the team and would be able to develop subordinates through effective mentoring and delegation.

For the fresh graduates, he said the programme would help them develop basic work place orientation and attitudes, inculcate work place etiquettes, acceptable corporate dressing and mannerism, personal effectiveness and communication with superiors and peers among other work place skill requirements. “While there is wide spread unemployment in the polity, 34 per cent of employers could not fill open positions citing lack of experience, skills or knowledge as obstacles.

While the university/college education impart basic knowledge to graduates, the workplace seeks to hire graduates who are proactive, can use higher level skills including analysis, critique, synthesis and multilayer

Tips for naming a new business Naming a new business is a big decision. When naming your business keep in mind that you want the name to be a positive reflection of your business

O

NCE you have chosen a business name you will have to register it with the appropriate government agencies to ensure it is not already taken. Consider the following when you are about to name your new business Short and simple - When naming your business try to keep the name simple and memorable such as Nike, Dangote, Toyota (All short and simple). Your business name should be short enough to fit on marketing materials.

Easy to pronounce – When naming your business be sure you choose a name that is easy to pronounce. Having a name that is difficult to pronounce can be

very destructive to your small business since word-of-mouth is the most effective form of advertising.

Memorable – Having a business name that is easy to remember can come in handy. Just imagine how much word-of-mouth publicity you can lose out on if people don’t remember your business name.

Target market When naming your business, try to avoid those boring, generic names that are not at all memorable.

Reflects your brand – Your business name should match your business brand. It should be

consistent with the overall look and feel of your business.

Appeals to target market When naming a new business, make sure the name is appealing to your target market. For example if you own a store that sells gardening tools and your target market is retired women in their 50s, you wouldn’t want to name your store “Dark side Gardening Weapons”. This will probably scare your target market instead of attracting them.

Growth potential– Think ahead when naming your business.

Your business name should be able to grow with your business.

For example naming a business “Tasty Rice” can prevent your business from selling other types of foods.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 — 23

,

& YOU to get your product out in stores.

Whatever your weakness is, identify it and hire it out as soon as possible.

Raise more money than you need Venture capitalist Sam Hogg suggests every founder should raise twice the money they think they need, and plan on it taking twice as long as they expect.

According to HelloSign founder Joseph Walla, having enough money meant reaching cash flow positive, and it didn’t mean going out and raising another round during development.

The essential lesson is that time spent raising money is time you are not spending growing your company. There’s a tremendous temptation to ask for

A sale without service is like putting money into a pocket with a hole in it

less so that you aren’t disappointed if your bigger ask falls short, but curb the impulse for the good of your company.

Get it done all at once, and in a way that gives you the working capital you actually need — not just what you think will do.

Research the market extensively The number-one reason that start-ups fail is a poor fit in their markets. Identify the value you can provide for your customers and how to reach them fast and effectively.

Do you have a compelling value proposition or short-term event that triggers a customer to make a purchase? Is your market timing finely tuned? Is the group of people whose problem you solve big enough to sustain your success? Forget about success, if you don’t know who you’re trying to reach or if the market is even ready for you.

Use the right tools Successful entrepreneurs know which tools work despite the hundreds available and conflicting reviews circulating online. Don’t succumb to overwhelm by the sheer thought of available options.

Find out what successful business owners have to say. And do your own testing to figure out if the tools you’re using are providing a solid return on your investment.

Prepare for change Business can be unpredictable and throw a serious wrench into your plans. Maybe a competitor just launched a better version of the product you’re currently developing. Maybe your supplier has serious problems fulfilling orders and maintaining quality. Maybe your partner wants out to pursue another idea and wants a buy-out. Whatever the case may be, get ready to pivot and implement change quickly regardless of the challenges you’re facing. Take inventory of issues that could leave your business exposed, then follow suit accordingly, such as putting a shotgun clause in your partnership agreement or investigating new technology.

It is not enough to have a vision. We need to have processes and structures in place that will help us achieve the vision

Whose role is it to run an organisation's vision?

“Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility.”…Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I

T is a big risk when the leaders are the only people that understand the vision of an organisation. There is yet a bigger risk when they chose to run with the vision alone.

Developing the vision is the first step; the second and most important step is running with the vision. Two pertinent questions to ask are: who owns the vision of an organisation, and who runs with the vision?

The CEO (with the board or senior management) is expected to develop the vision of any organisation. The vision helps them to know where they are going to, and what their end state

Focus on the 20 percent Whether in life or business, 80 percent of all results are achieved from 20 percent of efforts put in.

As a result, successful business owners focus on the 20 percent that matters the most, and many outsource the remainder. Be careful however, while outsourcing non-essential tasks.

Don’t outsource sales too soon, be hands-on during the on-boarding of your contractors, and be sure to follow up with all prospects.

results will look like. That does not mean that the CEO or senior management owns the vision. As soon as any vision is being developed, it ceases to be the CEO’s “property”.

Everyone in the organisation now owns the vision.

Provide amazing service

Running with the vision is akin to implementing core strategies that will help organisations achieve their end state. The CEO’s job is not to implement the core strategies, his primary roles are planning and change. Employees implement the change, in order words they run with the vision.

I am disturbed. Why is it that in most organisations, only the senior management sees the organisational “big picture”? These people constitute about 20-30 percent in population. What happens to the other 70 percent who are middle officers? These groups of people in one way or the other are expected to run with the vision. Can you see why I am disturbed? Why is it easier for senior management to see the big picture? The answer is because they have been taken to a “helicopter ride” and from 5000 feet above the ground level they were able to see the big picture.

The CEO must ensure that everyone in the organisation sees and knows where the organisation is going to – this is a critical task.

Whenever I am teaching Strategic Thinking to organisations, I always include a slide titled “Danger”. Why danger? Yes, there is a big danger

Many companies fail to reach their potential because they’re so focused on the sale that they forget to provide a phenomenal customerservice experience. Customer service isn’t just about handling complaints. It also involves loyalty programs, incentives for referrals and other customerfocused activities. A sale without service is like putting money into a pocket with a hole in it.

Don’t just say you need to provide better service - do it. Follow through, and be sure you’re measuring the impact of your actions. If you don’t see a measurable improvement in the key performance indicators you’ve associated with your service metrics, keep iterating your process until you come across the winning combination.

No matter who you are or what you’re trying to do as an entrepreneur, you can find success by emulating the techniques entrepreneurs before you have used and personalising them for your own business. *Culled from Entrepreneur.com

,

Core strategies

when the CEO or S e n i o r Management thinks that his/her idea is best and only idea.

Nobody has the monopoly of best i d e a s .

BY ‘UJU ONWUZULIKE

When the ideas of some group of people (younger officers) are disregarded and slighted, it negates the true fact that “people support what they help create”. When this happens, the people involve might not work with their minds and hearts the way they ought to.

Leaders are to lead and navigate change in a way that will yield sustainable results

Points to ponder: For a CEO to achieve the organisation’s vision, everyone in the organisation must begin to see the “big picture”. Mildly speaking, some employees do not know what their vision statement is. They also do not know what their core values are, so what guides them and what have they been doing?

Leaders and Managers must avoid “DAD” syndrome when

running the affairs of the entire organisation.(“DAD” stands for: Deciding – Announcing – Defending).

But rather must enforce “Parallel Involvement Process”- where the views of employees are valued. Being a leader does not confer us the right to use veto powers on subordinates. Remember people support what they help create.

Final Note: It is not enough to have a vision. We need to have processes and structures in place that will help us achieve the vision.

Remember structures influences behavior. The roles of leaders are to lead and navigate change in a way that will yield sustainable results.

These results are achieved collectively.

Senior management and the collective workforce should not focus on their personal goals but rather on the goals of the organisation. It is much easier to achieve one’s personal goal(s) after helping the organisation’ achieve its goal first.

For your views or perspectives: Email: uju@hainescentre.com Mobile: 09091142093

C M Y K

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016—27

Morenike Taire, Woman Editor

BY JOSEPHINE AGBONKHESE & ANINO AGANBI MORE than ever before, the world is becoming green conscious; even though this seems to be happening more in theory than in practice.

World leaders, with the Vatican Pope in the forefront, spread, at every given opportunity, the gospel of global warming and how mankind can mitigate the phenomenon to which it is becoming a major contributor through its activities and delights.

Designers too have joined in the campaign, with some of them describing and labeling their pieces as “eco-friendly,” “organic” and “sustainable”, claiming to be doing their part to help the planet.

In the lead in Nigeria was ace designer Lexy Mojo Eyes, the helmsman of Legendary Gold International.

Lexy, at the Nigerian Fashion Week 2011, whose theme was ‘Going Green’, presented a ‘Going Green Collection’ of designs made from recycled materials. That made headlines in both local and international media. He did a repeat in 2012. We however have a problem with the wearability of those designs, as most of them appeared like leaves. That’s not supposed to be the whole essence of green fashion, which unknown to some of us, generally refers to something broader than global warming.

Style with responsibility Green or eco-friendly fashion is about reintroducing eco-conscious methods right from the source through the use of environmentally friendly materials such as natural fibers, organic cotton, etc. and socially responsible methods of production that create social change and empower communities.

Meanwhile, going green can be summarized by the mantra “reduce, reuse, recycle”-which means C M Y K

Eco-fashion: Is Nigeria compliant? reduce waste, reuse what you can, and recycle what you can’t.

The business of it But is Nigeria ready or equipped enough for ecofriendly fashion?

How much of fabric production takes place within our shores? Shamefully, not even the Bank of Industry N1.0 billion fashion fund meant to support the fashion value chainincluding but not limited to garments, women’s shoes, handbags and jewelry/accessoriesis talking about placing premium on sustainable fashion Eco-friendly bag and social responsibility. The criteria published on its website for eligibility for (garment factories) can this loan says so- not practice such.

Woman’s Own, because it “You can only talk about puts into consideration eco-friendly materials if we nothing of such. A call to a had a cloth factory where Bank of Industry official clothes are produced with confirms this. Almost every hundreds of workers in the item used for production by factory. Such revolution can our designers, down to the start from manufacturing needle and thread, are hubs such as that, not ours, imported. where every designer operates on their own and Far from eco-friendly depends only on their For Evelyn Okere, CEO, finances.

Rose Di Omimi fashion “The truth of the matter is label, eco-friendly fashion that Nigeria has not gotten remains a distant dream to to the point where we use Nigerian fashion because eco-friendly materials. We’ve only industrialized nations not even gotten to the apex with manufacturing plants of our fashion and designing

Eco-friendly design by Loyal Wear

business. Right now, we are trying to find our feet in the industry with every available material; not screening for eco-friendliness.

Everybody is thinking business,” she said.

“The first question is: what are the recyclable materials available to us when making our

designs, the challenges notwithstanding.

“As a brand, we take pride in being authentically Nigerian and our goal is to produce in Nigeria with 75% Nigerian content -to the world. So, we are strongly committed to imbibing qualitative Nigerian content in our delivery. We are also constantly researching ways we can use products and services with the environment in perspective.

As a matter of fact, the awareness for environmental sustainability must cut across every segment because it is a situation that affects all,” Morin said.

designs? When you talk about the thread, machine and fabrics, you think about how they are made. You talk about energy being usedwhether gas, fuel, solar, etc.” the Rose di Omimi boss said.

Internationally acclaimed bag designer, Morin Obaweya, CEO Morin.O, however says she is on her part imbibing some elements of sustainable fashion in her

Eco design by Tatania Inglis

Eco-friendly fashion and employment Another aspect of sustainable fashion is the ability to empower society and create employment.

“These factories will definitely employ human labour and raw materials will be sourced by from individuals. When such is practiced, automatically, fashion will become the major job and revenue spinner which it actually is in developed countries,” Evelyn said.

For a start towards green fashion, a recycling expert, Matilda Olatundun Taiwo, Managing Director, Goodware Stitches Ltd., however suggested the use of pet bottles for fabrics production.

This, she said, can help in the production of half cotton and half polystyrene.

“Unfortunately, we export all these pet bottles outside Nigeria and there, they are put into better use.

Nigerians do not value available resources. Instead, we specialize in exporting raw materials and indirectly importing unemployment.

“A major challenge though is the unavailability of the required technology, and that’s where government has to come in.

“All used clothes, for example, instead of being burnt, can be recycled if we

Continues on page 28

28—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Fashion and style with responsibility

Being a Nigerian Model - redefined by JUMOKE

Continues from page 27 had the technology. They can be changed into blankets, bedspreads and other fabrics,” Taiwo said.

face that has been etched into the public consciousness- is far more than you can expect to get for simply being yourself.

Modern feminists have also opined she would have been served better if she had been given business skills to turn her business into a billion dollar industry. As the world watches to see what is next, its angst is palpable, with the fear that being a Nigerian model has not exactly what it looks like from the pages of our glossies.

Eco-friendly fashion in practice Designers in developed countries appear to understand and practice the concept better.

St James, for example, uses organic cotton, linen, hand dyed fabrics and recycled materials. Strives for nowaste pattern making and production, and makes everything locally in New York, United States. It is also involved in several mentorship programs for ecominded emerging designers.

For charity purpose, its helmsman is Fashion Director for The Uniform

Olajumoke Being Jumoke…

I

Morin Obaweya Project, a fundraising platform using sustainable design to raise money for underprivileged children.

Tatania Inglis is another designer. This brand ensures every of its garment is sewn in a small factory in New York from sustainably sourced fabrics including Japanese organic cotton, French vegetable-tanned leather, and dead stock wool from New York’s garment industry.

Inglis’ innovative designs mean that many garments can be worn a multitude of ways, reducing the consumer’s need to purchase more (and therefore reducing production).

Evelyn Okere C M Y K

T doesn't get hotter than the Polo club, to make any kind of debut. If it is a fashion debut, it's even better as the Polo Club in Ikoyi, Lagos is the place to catch the eye of the fashionable crowd.

For the latest model in town, Olajumoke Orisaguna, whose grass-to-grace story has inspired Nigerians across the federation and beyond to continue to hope for the best in the face of daunting difficulties; it was a catwalk debut last weekend that will ensure the life of the 27-year-old does not remain the same again.

Swaddling across the makeshift runway in a loose, white catsuit, every doubt in the public mind that the former bread hawker is a natural, was shot to death.

The success of the debut is already bearing fruit. This week Layo G., a luxury brand, has already snapped the new model for their lookbook, and she is looking the part in a flaredcollar jacket and edgy ankle boots.

Why she rocks TY Bello, herself once part of a girl pop group turned successful photographer; agrees with CNN that the reason the story of Jumoke has resonated so well with Nigerians is the virtually miraculous nature of the whole thing. According to TY, "everybody has big dreams".

According to the Layo G brand, "she represents the Layo G woman in so many ways. The strong woman who does not let obstacles thrown her way get her down, but instead hustles to

overcome them. We admire strong women who are grinding everyday in their own way.

Whether you are a breadseller or a supermodel, a CEO or an executive assistant we here at Layo G believe every woman is a boss".

As the Jumoke euphoria reaches its peak and tapers,

stakeholders have been accused of getting more out of the whole thing than Jumoke herself. This, of course, could not be further from the truth. Life scholarship for two children, a luxurious home, several modeling contracts, continued education and a

A Nigerian model Being a model in Nigeria has been different things to different people. Ella is the C.E.O of The Royal Agency, a modeling agency for beauty queens.

Shuttling between running her modeling agency and her television job with Silverbird television, she says her participation at beauty pageants also gave her greater opportunities such that she was able to make something out of her participation "I floated my own modeling agency, specifically set up to groom ex beauty queens.

Queens signed on to my agency have done commercials for different big brands. It has been a bag of mixed feelings."

Model Q&A

with Cynthia Omorodion, Milan-based Nigerian model What does a model's life have to offer?

A model's life is unique, demanding, sometimes fun and sometimes difficult, I think that applies to every kind of job, the mindset is most important in facing most challenges that comes with modeling.

Being a model in Nigeria is quite nice, but there isn't a lot going on in our Nigerian modeling market, the sector isn't growing as I and everyone else who started modeling even before me in Nigeria would have thought it would be, but I believe the industry will grow. South Africa for instance is the hub of African modeling and almost like Europe, Nigeria can get there too, it's just a matter of putting the right hands together and getting into work big time and not being selfish. So, yes, I would say it is worth it being a model in Nigeria, you make lots of friends and get to meet genuine people.

Modelling vs bread selling?

(Laughs) don't want to sound ridiculous, but obviously modeling wins, even though the market is still not where it ought to be, but it surely

is a better option. I read about Jumoke's story and was truly amazed. That, for me, is growth and is highly applauded by me and millions of people across the world, and my respect for TY Bello grew

Cynthia

even stronger, though I ha worked with her before. I w (Jumoke) 'consistency'; tha important.

Yes it gives better satisfac they are two different worl the latter is more rewardin

What do you gain by bei model in Nigeria. Is it wo You can be really lucky if are blessed with a chamele face (a face that can chang diffeent shoots)and land lo of commercial deals,and fo fashion you have to have a good body,the right body measurements and of course a great face,and height at least from 5'9 inches tall.

What does it take to be a Nigeria. Is it difficult?

I wouldn't say being a m difficult in Nigeria or anyw world,but it depends on th they are willing to go and h and sacrifices they are will

Is there a particular stan expected to maintain?

Yes there are some stand where consistency in mode Take Naomi Campbell for e

aven't wish her at is most

ction, lds and ng.

ing a orth it? f you eon ge in ots or a

a model in

model is easy or where in the he model, how far how much efforts ling to put in.

ndard models are

dards and that's elling comes in. example. She's in

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 —29

PROFILE

Stop gas flaring to save 95,000 women lives says Women Minister

By Funmi Olasupo

A

BUJA - The Minister of women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan has called on the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to accelerate plans her forties and still to stop gas rules the fashion flaring so it could Olajumoke world. She's been be conserved for modelling for domestic use. decades. The The women standards to get such minister consistency is by lamented that taking care of your statistics skin, hair, body, watch provided by you eat, exercises, etc. donor parties have shown that Is there any particular about 95,300 weight you should not women die exceed as a model, how annually in do you maintain that Nigeria from weight without bordering smoke alone, on being anorexic? while others We have to be quite specific suffer various here. If we are focusing on health h i g h fashion, then the weight complications. standard is stricter compared to other sectors of Speaking modeling. You have to maintain a particular weight for a long time during a one day as long as you want to be modeling. It's usually 2kgs more or less consultative and it remains like that. forum on gender When we talk about anorexia I see it as a form of weakness or issues in even an act of desperation in the sense that one can only get to that renewable stage because they are weak/desperate, keeping in shape has got energy nothing to do with starving yourself. But it has got everything to do management with the kind of food that you eat, the amount of time you spend on and options, physical activities and knowing the limits of what to eat, eating in Senator Aisha moderation, is quite easy replace your high fattening foods for less Alhassan noted fattening ones, eat more vegetables and fruits and more foods that energy containing fibers, and engage in physical activities. It's not so hard; professionals it's just discipline. should embrace gender analysis

as a tool to gain understanding of energy needs of the entire population.

"Gender analysis is not about looking at women alone, nor is it about complaining about what women are suffering compared to men, but rather gender is about reaching a better understanding of how communities work".

According to her while trying to meet the needs of women inappropriate interventions are made because of false assumptions saying, "analysis of women's workloads often reveals quite different priorities such as health issues associated with cooking methods and loss of Economic production time".

Calling for active involvement of women in decision making and policy designs, the women minister said that women have a lot of offer these professionals

Analysis of women's workloads often reveals quite different priorities such as health issues associated with cooking methods and loss of Economic production time

by way of experience.

The representative of the minister of petroleum, Mr Ademiran Edward Adetunde said that Gas Flaring is critical to Nigeria"s energy option because it could be used for domestic use.

Earlier the Executive Director of International Centre for Energy, Environment and Development, Mr. Ewah Otu Eleri revealed that only 5% of Nigerian household use gas to cook, while 25% use kerosene and the rest of the 70% use firewood.

Highest killer of women He said, "Smoke is the highest killer of women, but unfortunately no one stands and advocate for these rural women, their trials are unreported.

"Presently Nigeria is in a energy crisis, no woman should die cooking, but with only 700 naira this calamity can be avoided" "We are ready to collaborate with federal government to save the lives of women.

Also, the Director, Women Environment Programme, WEP, Priscilla Achakpa pointed out that if government was serious about improving the lives of women then it must increase the budgetary allocation.

She maintained that for a country like Nigerian to have such a small budget for the ministry of women affairs would not do.

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 —31

UTME:Students taking JAMB's CBT-UTME tests. This year, no guesswork as JAMB has a new software in place.

JAMB deploys anti-guess software for CBT, trains 100 staff 1.5m candidates register, to jostle for 800,000 admission slots 500 centres across the country equipped with state-of -the -art facilities

By Dayo Adesulu

C

ANDIDATES of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations, UTME who are experts in guessing answers to questions during examinations, should better study hard to have a mastery of their subjects, as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has acquired a software that reduces the tendency for students to guess accurately during examination.

Speaking exclusively with Vanguard on phone, JAMB’s Public Relations Officer, Dr Fabian Benjamin said JAMB has invested heavily in training and acquisition of some softwares that are specifically

designed for examinations.

Benjamin's words; ‘’Technically, what we were using before to test students was what we called Classical Test Theory, but now we have adopted what we call Item Response Theory. The difference is that the Item Response Theory reduces the percentage of guessing.The tendency for students to guess and guess right is minimal with this software."

With the introduction of CBT and the software in place, Fabian maintained that it will be difficult for candidates to engage in examination malpractice.

Besides, for proper efficiency in service delivery by staff of JAMB, Fabian disclosed that

over one hundred staff were sent abroad for local and international training on computer based test. ‘’This year, we have sent over 100 staff for training abroad for international and local training to make them grounded in the art of computer based test,’’ he said.

Computer based test Dr. Fabian, who disclosed that over 500 centres across the country have been fully equipped with state-of -the -art facilities, pointed out that it is an improvement on the 400 centres of 2015 UTME. According to him, each of the

EDUMOBILE LAUNCH:

From left, Asawo Ibifuro, Managing Director, Cinfores; Julie Eno, ASUS Product Head and Emomine Mukoro, Managing Director, both of Coscharis Technologies at the Coscharis EduMobile launch organized by Coscharies Technologies, in Lagos.

Item Response Theory reduces the percentage of guessing, the tendency for students to guess and guess right is minimal with this software

400 centres used in 2015 UTME had a carrying capacity of 150 candidates, while those for this year have a carrying capacity of 300 candidates.

The protest: Dr. Benjamin, however lamented the situation where some students, who were supposed to have registered and adequately prepared for the examination slated for Monday, were busy protesting for an extension of registration. ‘’Where were they when the portal for registration opened seven months ago? Why are they calling for an extension of registration date when registration has been closed?"

He urged stakeholders not to allow students put pressure on JAMB to extend the time of

registration, adding that if JAMB bends to their demands, it will never have a standard in this country.

Meanwhile, over 1.5million UTME candidates, according to Fabian have registered for the examination slated to commence on Monday.

Unlike last year when many candidates complained of difficulties in registration, transfer of candidates from one state to another, this year, candidates have little or no complain.

Some of the candidates interviewed by Vanguard could not point out any area of difficulty that emanated from JAMB. One of the candidates who claimed JAMB transferred her to Warri instead of Lagos for examination, when properly interrogated, confessed that she picked Warri during registration when it was apparent that Lagos centres were full.

Our findings from candidates further revealed that many of them who were posted to other states other than states of their choice, either caused it by mistakenly clicking on the state during registration or when they discovered that their state of choice was full due to late registration, they had no option than to chose any available state.

Tertiary institutions The examination which will run for 10 days, will leave candidates to jostle for the 800,000 admission slots in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

CBT: While encouraging students to come to the reality of computer-based testing as the most effective way of conducting examination in the 21st century, JAMB registrar, Professor Dibu Ojerinde said: “The idea of the CBT is that after 30 minutes of the examination and the candidate leaves the exam hall, a graphical result of the test will be sent to the candidate’s mobile phone number, while the specific scores will be released within the period of four days.”

Comparing the statistics of early years of UTME candidates’ registration, we discovered a steady decline since 2013 when the CBT was introduced.

In 2013, about 1.7 million people registered for UTME, in 2014, the number fell to 1.6 million, while about 1.4 million registered in 2015 examination.

However, this year the numbers of candidates who registered has increased to over 1.5 million.

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32—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

SUCCESS RECIPE with

Restore teacher training colleges —OKUNEYE

By Ebele Orakpo & Amaka Abayomi

ONE cannot give what he does not have. As the debate on whether Teacher Training Colleges (TTcs) should be restored or not rages, some for, some against and others indifferent, Vanguard Learning sought the views of a veteran, Mr. Sola Okuneye, an educationist with over 30 years experience in the sector.

Okuneye who had passed through three levels of teacher training, from the TTC , to College of Education and then Faculty of Education, believes that TTCs should, as a matter of urgency, be restored if the falling education standard must be arrested.

Excerpts:

The problem

Nigeria’s system of education used to be 6-5-4 (six years primary, five years secondary and four years tertiary education) but then, the 6-3-3-4 system came up.

Then part of the National Policy on Education was that the National Certificate of Education (NCE) should be the minimum qualification for a teacher in primary school. Unfortunately, going through the curriculum of NCE itself, one discovers that it is too high. If indeed they want the NCE to be the minimum qualification, then something has to be done about the curriculum.

The curriculum is not tailored towards the primary school so the NCE holders can only go back to teach in secondary schools and not primary schools.

Curriculum

We used to have Grades III, II and 1 teachers but today, they have been phased out and NCE made the least qualification to teach in a primary school. Now, if you want me to teach in primary school, are you training me to teach at that level? The truth is that most of the teachers cannot cope. Some of them do not have teaching background. Before NCE was made the least qualification for teaching, you could not just go straight to a college of education and obtain the NCE, you must start from the teacher training college.

They gave us the background of how to handle infants. But now, you can hardly see any NCE holder in the primary school; they all want to teach in the secondary school. The major problem is the curriculum — is it tailored towards the primary school or the secondary school?

Remedy

The remedy is to go back to where it used to be, but that is going to be a problem because teaching ought to be made a profession. For example; in the UK, even if you have a Ph.D, you cannot just go into teaching. You C M Y K

have 40-50 students in a classroom and you put them under a n atmosphere that is not conducive for learning and there is n o monitoring group.

I was listening to the news recently and somebody said we have only 7,000 illegal schools in L a g o s .

Recently, I challenged a Okuneye: Make teaching a profession teacher who made the children do still need to go back and do a physical exercise under the hot sun. teaching course because they How will they cope? believe that if you have Ph.D in But if you are a professional physics, for example, you are not teacher, you will not take them out as good as someone with Ph.D in at that time of the day. That is what Physics (Education). we are saying.

It is not just about In Nigeria, if you have a Ph.D in Chemistry, you can teach. No! timing, but the environment also. A It is not done that way there. So person who calls himself a teacher will not ask students to run at we have to look into that.

1.00pm, under the hot sun.

So we have a lot of problems Make teaching a within the system and you cannot profession divorce politics from what is Do we then make teaching a happening. profession or we still continue to make it a dumping ground?

Bring back TTCs Here, people will try banks and We need to bring back the other places and if they don’t TTCs because for now, teaching succeed, they will go into teaching per se, is not a profession. It was as the last resort. So they keep on going towards being a profession dumping people in the sector and then; that was when we had the that is one of the problems that minimum qualification being our youths have because we don’t Grade three, to grade two and know how to handle them. then grade one.

But now, I don’t In the UK, teachers know how to handle the youth; you know think we have any Grade two what they need because of their certificate holder in our schools. training. You need to study the Even if we have, with the type of individual differences of the teachers we are producing now, children; study the background of only God will save our children. each child before admitting them On 500,000 unemployed in school. We don’t take all those graduates as teachers things into consideration here; all Without any background in we are after is the salary at the teaching? We need to help the end of the day.

In the UK also, there is a children. In the UK, teachers are number of students you can cope not super human beings but each with, not a situation where you teacher is given the number of children he/she can handle. Here, a teacher will teach Math, If you want me English, Dictation, Yoruba etc.

No! Over there, if you are very to teach in good in English language, you primary school, will take just one aspect. But here, we want a teacher to do are you training everything. He teaches me to teach at Arithmetic in the morning, English in the afternoon and that level? The Writing when they are about to truth is that close. He keeps pushing the pupils and when they get to most of the secondary school, they become teachers cannot liabilities to the teachers. Again, we have teachers trading during cope schoolhourstomakeendsmeetand so don’t have enough time for the students.

UDEME ARCHIBONG www.worldlightbearersint.com successrecipe2009@gmail.com 08035095243

The power of meditation

H

e was a painter and had never handled clay in his life. He became the newly elected President of the society of Arts and Sciences and they planned to give a medal to Thomas Edison. The artist who was to sculpt the portrait for the medal disappointed them. And the painter decided to do it himself. “It was very unwise for me to do, perhaps, because with such a great man as Edison as my subject, I might not have survived a failure.” He stated. “But I never let the thought of failure enter my mind. My knowledge of my unity with the Universal One and the fact that I must do this thing, and the inspired belief, that I should do it as a demonstration of my belief in man’s unlimited power, made me ignore the difficulties that lay in the way” he revealed.

He headed for Florida with a mass of Clay. On his way, he did not allow his mind to wander off his goal but he took control of his mind and engaged in inspirational meditation with the God Mind in order to be able to draw the unlimited power and wisdom within to produce a masterpiece. He affirmed, “I knew in advance, from long experience in trying to achieve the unachievable, that meditation and communion between me and Universal Self was the only way to achieve that impossibility.” Walter Russel accomplished his extraordinary feat.

Your life will be as grand as the greatness of your inner life or life will be as shallow as the narrowness of the inner life. A great inner life is powered by meditation and it produces outstanding success.

To maximize life, the mind must be exercised. Until the mind is in shape life will be out of shape. A mind left on its own runs wild and it will be the habitation of all kinds of negativity which produces a failure-ridden life. Just as a house will quickly get run-down and deteriorate if left on its own.

However, if you want to have a clean and sharp house you

The practice of meditation is the access route to the treasures of life.

During meditation time life’s purpose is discovered; ideas are birthed; direction is impressed; prayers get answered and your spirit and mind are awakened to receive from the storehouse of Infinite supply. need to work at it consistently to keep it in shape. Therefore, if you want to have a sound mind which leads to maximized living you need to work at it on a consistent basis. Failure to tend the mind is an attraction for trash to enter the mind and settle there. A sound mind is a vital necessity to fulfilling destiny.

When thoughts are polluted destiny stinks. When thoughts get purified destiny soars. What you set your mind on determines the direction of your life.

Meditation means to think on; ponder upon; mutter to oneself or picture in the mind. Meditation is concentrating your thoughts upon a particular subject matter until you become soaked up with insight and revelation and revelation leads to transformation. The peak of meditation is Truth revealed and oneness with Truth. The elimination of error in the mind and the in-filling of truth is the gateway to health, wealth and happiness. A failure-ridden life is a product of error-dominated mindset.

The practice of meditation is the access route to the treasures of life. During meditation time life’s purpose is discovered; ideas are birthed; direction is impressed; prayers get answered and your spirit and mind are awakened to receive from the storehouse of Infinite supply. Personally, I call my meditation time “moment of aloneness”; it is where my mind communes with the Divine Mind where perfect ideas abounds and I tap into the ceaseless flow of unending supplies. Meditation is the way out of pain to peace; it is the way out of error to truth; it is the way out of suffering to bliss.

You can study the life of Jesus; His teachings; His manner and conduct; His attitude and lifestyle and meditate on it, you will be amazed that as you meditate habitually on the person of Jesus you will become more like Him, living the highest kind of life which is superior in quality and superabundant in quantity.

Early in the morning is an ideal meditation time. However, you can choose the time that suit you, the most important thing is that you allocate a specific time period for meditation daily.

Vanguard,THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016—33

Cross River pensioners mourn deaths of 50 colleagues Many hospitalized, can’t pay rents, children school fees etc

By Emma Una aggrieved R ECENTLY, pensioners of Cross River State, took to the streets and stormed the government office, protesting five years unpaid benefits and displaying placards with various inscriptions to drive home their grievances.

Some of the placards read: “Retirees are dying of hunger and neglect’, “Why have we been reduced to beggars and borrowers”, No gratuity for five years, why?” “Pay us our gratuity so we can access medical attention.” among others.

Pastor Joshua Idang, spokesman of the pensioners, lamented that since 2011 till date they had not been paid their gratuities after retirement, complaining that the situation had subjected them to untold hardship.

Speaking with Pension and You, Pastor Idang said while it would was difficult to give the exact number of pensioners that had died in the last five years, he however insisted that over 50 of his colleagues had passed on while waiting for their gratuities.

According to him, “ I retired in June 2013, after 35 years as an Inspector of Schools in the Ministry of Education. Since then I have not been paid my gratuity which was supposed to be paid to me after six months of retirement. They are others who retired since 2012 and they have not been paid their gratuities as well.

Accountant General’s Office When we went to the Accountant General’s Office, we were told that they had paid up to 2012. They claimed those who were not paid in 2012, did not complete their papers on time.

“We are asking the government to combine 2012 to date and pay us because if they are ready to pay us they can do that without stress. If they continue to allow the years to go on they would only be accumulating debt and it is going to continue to affect those who will retire in subsequent years. If those of us who retired five years ago are not paid, what is going to happen to those who are going to retire in subsequent years?

That is why we are pressing that they should pay the money.

Late last year, we heard that there was about N40 billion in the state coffers and we thought that we were going to be paid, but we were not. There was also the bailout fund of about N8

"The pension we collect in a month cannot meet our needs.

Some people collect 30,000 while some 20.000 depending on one’s grade before retirement. You cannot pay house rent, school fees, feeding and all that with the amount given to you as pension. However, if we are paid gratuity, which is a lump sum, we can build or complete our own buildings and meet other needs before coming to rely on the monthly pension.

"We have told them that we need the money this month because next time it won’t be easy like the last time we protested. We have told them that if they push us to the wall again, our protest will take another dimension.

Another dimension

Pensioners of Cross River State protesting

billion and we appealed that we should be paid from part of that money in batches. The governor promised that we were going to be considered, but we were not.

He signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with all the labour unions in the state that he was going to pay the money in December, but we were not paid. Even the Head of Service, when we had our pensioners’ Day in December, assured us that the money was there to pay us, but we were not paid.

Our pains: "Our annoyance is that there is money but they don’t want to pay us. So, we allowed January to pass and now we are in February and nothing has happened. We decided to protest since there is no sign that we are going to be paid in the near future if we keep quiet. They have promised and failed many times. We do

not want to cause disturbances hence our protest was peaceful.

We do not want to cause any problem since this is a tourism state where a lot or people come in everyday. It will not be nice for us to cause any problem to discourage people from coming to the state. So we made it a peaceful protest.

At the governor’s office, we told them that if government cannot pay everyone at the same time, they should make it in batches because they are now complaining that there is no money but we know that there is money in the state that can pay all of us in one batch. About N7 to N8 billion is required. I have made my findings in the Accountant General’s Office and somebody said between 7 and 8 billion can settle all of us.

Living in penury: According to him, "It has been very diffi-

cult for us. Some of our members have waited for this money and died without getting it.

Those who did not suffer for the money will now come to enjoy the money. There are many of them who are very sick and are in the hospital. I just called one of them who was very active in the arrangement for our protest but could not participate in the protest because he is undergoing operation at the Teaching Hospital.

"Some have not been able to pay their children’s school fees.

For instance, I have three sons in the university and paying their fees and meeting their needs have been very difficult.

Some pensioners have been sent out of their apartments because they have not been able to pay their house rents while some have been given quit notices by their landlords.

At the end of this month, if there is no sign that they will pay this money, during our meeting we shall take a decision on what action to take."

NUP letters to govts: Speaking further, he said: "We have gone to the state branch of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, and they showed us some letters they had written to the government without any action taken by the government apart from promises. We told them they have tried their best, the ball is now in our court to do what is needed so that government can go beyond promises and pay us our gratuities.

"It is time for the people to see the child that is crying and find out why he is crying not through another person. We are the ones affected so we are the ones that should do what is needed so that we can get our money. "

NLC to govs: Avoid workers'wrath, pay pensions, gratuities

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

N

It has been very difficult for us. Some of our members have waited for this money and died without getting it.

Those who did not suffer for the money will now come to enjoy the money

IGERIA Labour Congress, NLC, has called on state governors to do all that is necessary to pay salaries and pensions regularly as non-payment pensions and gratuities will be catastrophic not just for workers and their families but the entire country.

At its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Lagos, where labour issues among others, warned that any state governor who violated the sacred duty of regular payment of salaries, gratuities and pensions would incur the wrath of workers.

Congress in a communiqué issued by factional President, Ayuba Wabba and Peter OzoEson, its General Secretary, declared “The incidence of nonregular payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities is acquiring an alarming dimension states increasingly are showing an unwillingness to pay salaries, pensions and gratuities. Congress is worried that governors are singling out workers for punishment in the circumstance of economic downturn while it is rewarding political appointees even when the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission has declared such

payments as illegal.

Accordingly, Congress urges governors and private sector employers to toe the path of honour and not retrench workers. It urged governors to do all that is necessary to pay salaries and pensions regularly as non-payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities will be catastrophic not just for workers and their families but the entire country.

The communiqué added that “Congress resolved that any state governor who violates the sacred duty of regular payment of salaries, gratuities and pensions will incur the wrath of workers.”

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBURARY 25 25,, 2016 – 35

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36 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

SCORPIO; If you wait till tomorrow before you make an important move ,you may be disappointed , because tomorrow’s influence will bring you more challenges than you can rightly anticipate now. But greater success indicated for you today.

SAGITTARIUS; Very soon there’ll be important development along your career line. But today will offer you best of opportunity and good luck to achieve your desired results. Be more ambitious now CAPRICORN; Here is a loving day for those of you willing to give priority attention to matters of the heart. Planning for both immediate and far future’ll not be out of place. And it’s good to think money.

AQUARIUS: This is the wrong time to gamble either with your physical cash or your source of income.

Take nobody for granted. Take love more seriously

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

About History

By Richard Eromosele

H

ISTORY is defined as the study of past events.In order words, history is simply the study of actions and

inactions of some individuals.It is the study of what some men and women do in other to shape the world.It is the

TERROR MUDA

story of men and women who dared.History is the narrative of the exploit and conquest of men

in “Scavenger Elite”

and women who are led by their convic-tions.Some people make history, some write it and some read it.If the history of the world is to be written today,where will you be placed?

By Lanre Kehinde

PISCES; Partnership related issues are becoming more important and if you try to sweep anything under carpet now, it’ll back-fire sooner than expected. Take your love life more seriously than before.

ARIES; Hard work will not go unrewarded if not today very soon. Important development coming through your working arena soonest will place you at advantage position. The more practical you are the better.

TAURUS; Love, romance and sentimental things can not be ignored completely today unless you want your concentration to waver .Be more enterprising in the business world Anyway success indicated for you today..

GEMINI; Happenings within your base of operation (both at home and at work) must be taken more seriously now, more especially as there’ll be Solar eclipse in Virgo tomorrow.

CANCER; Both your mood and element of luck may not be as friendly as you’ll like.. Matters of the heart may top priority lists of some of you. But mind you your mood will change tomorrow.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in “HEY’

By Andy Akman

LEO; If financial success is your priority you’ll need to redouble your efforts today and tomorrow. Be protective of your possessions and personal family.

VIRGO; Placement of the Moon gives you the needed opportunity to assert yourself to the admiration of other people. You can make it a romantic day. Experiment with your personal ideas.

LIBRA; Here is your day when element of luck will work favourably for you. Secret lovers are in for an exciting and memorable day. Keep your secrets please.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat tr ological datee and place of bir th ttoo the As Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

What is my social life?

Dear Joshua, I want your analysis and tell me about my social life, luck and the time I am likely to have my much desired break-through in life; kindly tell me about my social life and luck Jinadu, Ilorin.

Dear Jinadu, What you will find here-under will answer your questions.

Social life will always bring you attention good luck envy opposition and possibly fame. Aquarius and Leo are two most active social Star signs. And you will notice that your natal Venus in Taurus, Moon in Aquarius and Uranus in Leo formed TSquare aspects putting Venus as point-focus, meaning that the best way for you not to be constant loser in the social world is to always study situation practically and know that your finance will not suffer (if it can not be beneficiary) from the setting before taking responsibility.

As for influential friends you will have them but never always take them for granted.

Yes you can be a self made man but it is indicated that there will be times when both human and divine assistance will lift you up. You will have more to gain by your being spiritual .Saturday born people are favoured by BLACK and golden colours.

Sudden SUCCESS will come your way during your 26th year on earth and will serve as a breakthrough year you can build great foundation of endless success on. But the same 36th year will bring love related challenges you must manage with all maturity or else it will linger till after your 38th year on earth.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016—37

Adegoke poetry collection of blazing hope speak for Nigeria

By Prisca Sam-Duru

A

T a time when the coun try is experiencing harsh economic realities, the encouraging words from guests and launchers at the public presentation of The Sun Shall Soon Shine, a collection of poetry written by Offa, Kwara Stateborn Sociology graduate, Adejoke Ajibade-Bakare , were enough to assure Nigerians that in spite of living in one of the most crucial moments in the history of the country, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Soul inspiring words The well attended event held Thursday at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, Conference and Exhibition Centre, Ikeja, Lagos was not just a book launch, but it largely turned out to be an occasion embellished with just what Nigerians needed at the time; soul inspiring words.

The seventy-two page book which contains a total of sixtytwo poems embodies life in its different phases and faces. It is a representation of the

dreams individuals nurse from womb to childhood, as individuals and as a nation while hoping for brighter future.

“The title is a tongue twister and its deliberate.”, the Master’s degree holder in Marketing and Advertising from Coventry University in West Midlands, UK began saying about her book. “In the process of trying to say it you could make mistake and then laugh, its all about bringing happiness and hope for a better tomorrow. If you look around us there’s a lot of negativity and its a reflection of the society and everyday struggles of Nigerians.

It sends the message of hope from the womb to childhood,

The collection was published with the clear and concise vision to positively impact the minds of readers towards becoming the best version of themselves

• From left to right; Mr Sikiru Bakare, Mrs Adejoke Ajibade-Bakare(Author) and Commodore Muftau Ajibade at the event to individuals and the nation as well as the entire world.

Amidst all trials and challenges, there’s hope for our nation,” Adejoke said.

The author further explained that the collection was published with the clear and concise vision to positively impact the minds of readers towards becoming the best version of themselves, appreciating and understanding life for what it truly is. She added that the book needs to get to every youth so as to empower and expose them to the rising realities of everyday life, knowing that in them lie lessons and opportunities.

“Poetry found me as a form

of expression and I found it as a means to let out my emotions.

Poetry has a lot to offer to Nigeria in terms of opinions and I encourage people to support poetry by reading,” she said.

The Chairman of the occasion, Rear Admiral A A Oshinowo, Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), Lagos, said the book is targeted at the youths in order to get them empowered and exposed to opportunities in life.

Oshinowo who was represented by Commodore Nesiama noted that, “In every problem there is a solution and an option. Things have gotten so bad that the youths are derailing, oblivious that they have

Tolu unlocks the secret behind Egypt and English language

By Japhet Alakam PART from the ordinary issues language experts and others know about English, what other thing is the language known for or can be used. This has been the contentious issue until, Toluwalase Oladimeji presents yet another incremental instalment to the corpus of culminated knowledge with his work tagged English, the Language of the Gods. In the well researched paper that took the author to various places, the script writer and researcher took many students and language experts further in their understanding of this global lingua franca as he tries to unlock the secret behind ancient Egypt’s nomenclature, tracing its root to an unexpected linguistic provenance.

English is the language of aviation, commerce, Internet, pop music and sports. But for Toluwalase Oladimeji however, these are certainly not what make the English tick as a linguistic heritage and an ever evolving means of communication. But that English is perhaps the secret code of ancient Egypt’s nomenclature, as he believes, is a plus for a language that many thought had reached its zenith as the single most internation-

A

• Toluwase Oladimeji ally accepted means of communication.

The author, a seasoned researcher bent on proving his worth, by use of different sources presents evidence to shore up his claim of an enduring linguistic handshake across the Mediterranean. Through consultation with ancient Egyptian priest, he

English language is perhaps the secret code of ancient Egypt's nomenclature,

provided a list of the names of Egypt’s ancient rulers, the Pharaohs, which he provides along with their English translation. According to the work, the key to appreciating the relationship between the names and their translation is in the pronunciation and context. For any informed linguist, this is one point that leaves no ground for argument.

Again by virtue of his translation and evident symbolism he makes an interesting find, A Yoruba Queen Tiye (Taiye).

Oladimeji writes “Queen Tiye wore a twin uraei head-dress.

This is a very important symbol as Tiye (Taiye) means the ‘first of twins’ in Yoruba language, Nigeria. The twin head-dress she wore was therefore a symbolic representation of the fact that she was a twin.”

According to Oladimeji’s discovery, it was not just the Pharaohs – or a few of them – alone who shared this English heritage.

Even their gods and the queens did, as, all appear “in spoken or broken English,” including common words, phrases and concepts, which all betray their English root upon translation or repronunciation as they describe the personality and disposition of each of the deities and human

figures. For the author, a few examples will not be enough to suffice: Ahmose-Nefertari (IMust-Never-Tarry), Amenophis (A-Man-of-Peace), Thoth (Thought) and Horus (Horrors).

He did not stop there, he also provided an alphabetically arranged table, decoded that shows the Egyptian, English and its descriptions of 250 translated

a lot of options and solutions to their challenges. The author despite her prowess in the academic field and being gainfully employed is able to find time in another profession- Poetry.

This is a motivation to the youths who are discouraged due to joblessness.”

While reviewing the book, Mr Bambo Oguntoyibo described the book as a classic which encapsulates journey from the womb to the tomb, as well as things that matter to us in Nigeria are all documented in the collection, insisting that the book is not meant for the youths alone but would inspire adults to be optimistic about life.

names.

In the well researched work, Tolu profiles deity after deity and Pharaoh after Pharaoh to drive home his message, and proves and substantiates facts confirmed through empirical findings, discredits others it is convinced stand on feet of clay, while touching even on the subject of the final place of rest of the Bible’s revered apostles of faith.

Sunset for renowned art scholar, Uche Okeke According to a release by

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ll is now set for the burial of Professor Uche Okeke, a great artist who devoted a majority of his lifetime to developing and promoting the arts in his home country Nigeria and globally.

Okeke came into limelight as one of the young students from the then Nigerian College of Art, Science and Technology, (now Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria in the late 1950s through early 1960s, who were later known in the art parlance as ‘Zaria Rebels’ after the formation of Zaria Art Society Professor Uche Okeke died on Tuesday, the 5th of January after a protracted period of illhealth.

Mrs. Kaego Uche-Okeke arrangements for the programme celebrating Uche Okeke’s life work and achievements kicked off last Saturday with a Tribute Service of Songs and will end with a Requiem Mass and interment: at the grave site, Asele Institute premises, IfiteEnu, Nimo.

• Late Uche Okeke

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016—41

Riverine Security, OPC join forces against pipeline vandals As IPDI tasks FG over independent JIV on Forcados Terminal leakage

By Emma Amaize

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ARRI—THE Nigerian Riverine Security (Coast Guard of the Federation), Warri, Delta State and the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, based in the South-West region, have teamed up to check the activities of pipeline vandals, sea pirates and oil thieves in the coastal areas of the country.

Commandant-General of Riverine Security, Coast Guard of the Federation, Bibi Oduku, who spoke after a meeting of the group and OPC leaders, said both groups will collaborate with the Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta to root out criminals destroying oil facilities and terrorizing people on the waterways.

Meanwhile, Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative, IPDI, Delta State, has called on the Federal Government to carry out an independent Joint Investigation Visit, JIV, to ascertain the real cause of the recent crude oil leak from the Forcados Terminal pipeline, a facility of Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, in Burutu Local Government Area of the state.

A militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, had claimed responsibility for blowing up the pipeline and served notice of attacks on more oil installations in the region if the Federal Government did not address its grievances.

IPDI, in a statement by its National President, Austin Ozobo, attributed the leakage to system failure, absolving militants from the incident, stressing that the Federal Government should not rely on hearsay to know who to hold responsible.

He said: “Shell’s pipelines in the Atlantic Ocean are overdue for replacement as they are now malfunctioning due to the long time they have been in use.Claims of sabotage coming

from any quarter should be disregarded.

“We condemn Shell's assumption that saboteurs caused the leakage. This is the injustice we are talking about and Shell knows full well that it was not sabotage, but it kept mute over it to evade paying compensation to impacted communities.”

On protecting oil facilities, Oduku said, “Our security outfit had earlier commenced the recruitment of ex-militant

leaders and former agitators from the Niger Delta, but the recruitment of OPC members will aid the fight against criminality as we will work in collaboration with JTF personnel and other security agencies.

“We are currently working on getting maps of pipelines from different communities. Our men will be stationed in communities where oil and gas installations are located for prompt response and intervention should there be any security breach.”

VISIT: Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State (right) presenting a plaque to Mr Nicolaas Vervelde,MD/CEO, Nigerian Breweries Plc, during a courtesy call on the governor.

Edo, destination for foreign investors —Chinese MD

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—EDO State has been described as a prime destination for foreign investors due to the business friendly environment and basic infrastructure needed by investors.

Managing Director of Yongxing Steel Company Limited, Mr. Zheng Changsheng, made the observation in Benin City when Governor Adams Oshiomhole undertook a facility tour of the company’s foundry at Ogua community in Benin.

Changsheng commended the Edo State Government for providing the enabling environment for them to do business and contribute to the economy of the state.

He said: “We are grateful for this rare opportunity of your visit to our company and most importantly, for providing the enabling environment for our company to do business here. Indeed, your visit is worthwhile and without mincing words, we are happy to associate with you and the good work you are doing in the development of Edo State.”

Responding, Governor Oshiomhole commended the organisation for its industry and

living up to his expectations.

Oshiomhole said: “I recall your visit a few years back. You had some concerns and I told you that we would do everything possible to assist you to address those concerns. We are happy

that you find Edo State as a home because the whole world is open to investors. So, to come to Edo State, it shows, as you said, that we have the right investment environment. We have the land and the people.

They are hard working and industrious. They have a traditional ruler who is helping to maintain the peace, and have all that you need to assist you as foreigners to feel at home anywhere you live in Edo State.”

Edo SDP goes tough on erring members

By Tare Youdeowei

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OLLOWING instances of alleged insubordination and disloyalty to party constitution, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Edo State, has suspended one Mr. Cornelius Oreruan and recommended for ratification by National Executive Council of the party, the expulsion of Abubakar Momoh and Alhaji Usman Shagadi.

In a statement at the State Executive Committee, SEC, meeting attended by members of the state executive and the local government chairmen of the party in Benin City, the state Party Chairman, Prince Frank Ukonga said: “A motion was raised and passed for the dissolution of the interim council and senatorial district structures set up by the party in Edo North

for the purpose of conducting the 2015 general election, which becomes hereby dissolved.

“An ad-hoc committee headed by the state Secretary of SDP has been empowered to reorganise the restive Edo

North district of the party, appoint LG caretaker chairmen and committee, and conduct fresh LG congress to stem the spate of decampment of members to other political parties."

N500m World Bank loan: CGGEJ tasks Delta govt on enlightenment

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By Anozie Egole

OALTION for Good Governance and Economic Justice in Africa, CGGEJ, has urged Delta State Government to embark on a public enlightenment programme on the benefits of securing a World Bank N500 million counterpart funding with a repayment plan of 30 years for ecological degradation.

The utilisation of the loan will

be monitored by the bank.

CGGEJ, in a statement by its Media Coordinator, Mr. Patrick Omene, said: “The state government needs to enlighten the people because there seems to be some misunderstanding and criticisms from some nongovernmental organisations in Delta State who petitioned the World Bank and other relevant authorities to stop the fund, believing it would mortgage the future of the state and its people."

Delta APC congratulates Ubulu-Uku monarch

By Innocent Onoja

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HE leadership of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State has congratulated the newly crowned royal father of Ubulu-Uku Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Obi Chukwuka Akaeze I, who recently ascended the throne of his ancestors.

State party leader and Urukpe of Evwreni Kingdom, Olorogun O'tega Emerhor, in a statement by his Director of Media and Publicity, Dr Fred Oghenesivbe said, that the crowning of the 15 years old monarch was a reflection of the rich culture and tradition of Ubulu-Uku nation.

He said that Delta APC family received the good news with joy, especially at a time when Ubuku-Uku people desired a vibrant Obi to pilot the affairs of the kingdom, adding that Obi Akaezi's ascension to the throne will further enhance peace, progress and unity in the various communities of the kingdom.

Cleric faults moves to scrap NMU

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HE Bishop of Bomadi Vicariate of the Catholic Church, Bishop Hyacinth Egbebo, has condemned the purported plan to scrap the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, in Warri SouthWest Local Government Area of Delta State, saying it was a disservice to the riverine people of the region and urged the Federal Government to rescind the purported decision.

Bishop Egbebo, during an interaction with newsmen, noted that the Maritime University was an institution that will serve as a source of wealth creation to the people of the area, who he said had long been deprived of enjoying their natural heritage due to environmental degradation caused by activities of oil exploration and exploitation in the area.

He urged the Federal Government not to put fingers in the eyes of the riverine people by withholding from them what they have long waited for, saying that rather, government should improve on what had already been put in place by the previous administration for the development of the longdeprived region and people.

42 —Vanguard, THURSDAY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Group wants murder suspect prosecuted

Fuel scarcity worsens in Enugu, as PMS sells for N120 per litre E

By Francis Igata

NUGU—RESIDENTS and motorists in Enugu State are wearing long faces occasioned by the acute scarcity of petrol which has drastically affected prices of staple food items sold across markets in the state.

At filling stations located on Ogui Road, New Haven axis of Enugu metropolis, motorists purchased petrol at N120 per litre against the government approved price of N86.50 per litre.

Major filling stations operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, located on Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway witnessed long queues, as motorists slept at the filling station in a desperate bid to buy at the N86.50 A bag of sachet water which sold N80 now sells for N150 even as transport fares have had a marginal forty percent increase.

Mr. Johnson Chukwuobasi, a motorist, regretted that the fuel scarcity had defied all known solutions adopted by the Federal Government to mitigate its effect.

“Since the advent of the All Progressives Congress, APC, led administration at the centre, this situation has gone on unabated. We are buffeted with promisses that the situation will ease but rather, it has worsened till this very week. The last time we experienced this type of acute fuel shortage was during the military era.

“The prevailing situation has increased transport fares, food items, cost of services among others. Is this what we will experience for four years?

“To make matters worse, the

roads in the South-East, now death-traps, are not getting any attention from the Federal

Government. This scarcity is at the very heart of our dayto-day activities. From all

O

By Anozie Egole

WERRI—THE Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo will headline other eminent guests expected to grace a special reception and citizens interface for all National Assembly leaders and Federal Executive Council members from the South East/South South geopolitical zone in Owerri tomorrow.

The milestone reception and dinner being organised by the development agenda setting, South East/South South Professionals of Nigeria, SESSPN, with the Executive Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha as host, will have in attendance for the first time in this dispensation, all National Assembly leaders and Federal

Executive Council members from the eleven states of the zone in one unique cross political civic dialogue on 'their development agenda in our national index.'

In a press statement by the president of the group, Mr Emeka Ugwu-Oju, he said that “the reception is rationally consistent with the group's deliberate advocacy for good governance for superior service mileage by those in leadership for us in followership towards a greater Nigeria.”

He said: “As our front liners in a challenging era, this is more of our citizens interactive with persons who earned the prized confidences of our President to graciously appoint them, and the august members of the National Assembly to proudly elect them,

s this government for the people? They should use the recovered loot to tackle our power/electricity problem before the money will be declared missing again. By the way, do the politicians in Nigeria really want to serve the electorate? Mr Adebayo Ajayi, Worker

I

By Starrys Obazei

AGOS—A rights group, Concerned Human Rights Nigeria, CHRN, led by Mr. Declan Ihekaire, has protested the action of a murder suspect, Aiyenogun Babatunde, a.k.a Holy Michael, Lagos State Chairman of Tricycle Owners Drivers Association, TODA, a splinter group from the original state association of tricycle drivers.

At a press conference on Monday,, the group flayed the ineffectiveness of the bench warrant issued October 13, 2015 on Babatunde, who was arrested over the death of Ademola Yusuf, stabbed fatally during a crisis between TODA and the original state association.

The group said that on February 15,2016, the bench warrant was renewed as canvassed by a state counsel, Mr. Tunde Sunmonu and the case adjourned to March 23, 2016.

“We want the murder suspect, Babatunde, to be arrested and brought to court to prove his innocence or otherwise in the murder charge,” the group said.

Osinbajo, NASS leaders, Anyaoku for S-South, S-East reception in Owerri for our collective interests in the scheme of national governance.

"So having been so rigorously selected, screened, appointed and now settled in their tasks, we believe it's civic wisdom to say well-done together and possibly hear them tell us how far, in a confidence sharing rapport especially at times like this."

The reception which will be chaired by former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku will have celebrated Agriculturist, Fr. Godfrey Nzamujo of Songhai Farms in Republic of Benin as guest speaker.

The leadership of the National Assembly and the Governors of the eleven states involved are believed to have confirmed their attendance.

COSON declares war on unlicensed music users in Imo

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By Anozie Egole

MO—-THE Copyright Society of Nigeria, COSON, has declared a full scale war on unlicensed music users in every state of the South-East and South-South of the country. The organisation made this known in a stakeholders forum held in the capital city of Imo state during the week.

While welcoming participants to the forum, Chairman of the COSON Board, Chief Tony Okoroji thanked the government of Imo State for the warm hospitality it accorded them. He said that the forum had been organized so that participants in the music industry from the

South-East and South-South can have an open discussion on steps to realign the music industry in a digital environment so as to boost income, create employment and contribute meaningfully to national GDP at a time of dwindling revenue from oil.

He told the participants that as the demand for traditional music carriers like music cassettes and CDs goes down, collective management of copyright will play a more significant role in ensuring that the music business continues to be profitable. He called for all hands to be on deck to give full effect to the COSON mantra.

In his welcome address, Imo

State, Governor Rochas Okorocha praised Nigerian musicians for the impact they are making around the world. He singled out the music industry as one of the potential contributors to national wealth as revenue from oil continues to fall.

Okorocha underlined the support of the state for COSON by pledging that his government would not only help in the fight against copyright infringement in the state but would immediately provide land for COSON to build a befitting headquarters in the state because according to him, Imo State has everything necessary to ensure the success of the Nigerian entertainment

industry. The governor also pledged close co-operation with COSON in the organization of important entertainment events in Imo State.

Delivering a keynote address titled Harnessing the Human Resources Component of our Internal Resources: A Challenge for Copyright Protection, the Imo State Commissioner for Internal Resources and Pension Affairs, Dr. Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe said the Okorocha-led administration is prepared to collaborate with COSONtofindwaysandmeansofclosing the gap in the protection of the exclusive rights of its members and ownership of intellectual property and works of talents in the state.

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

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indications, it appears the government is overwhelmed by the challenge.”

On electricity tarif tarifff increment

n my view, I think the proper thing to do is to make available prepaid metres before any tariff increase. All they keep staying is that they have the interest of Nigerians at heart, yet hunger is killing people.

Mr Mohammed Budale, Businessman

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hat I have to say about the electricity tariff increase is that the government or its agencies should not have come up talking about tariff increment at this time, considering the harsh economy we are facing now. Mr Okezie Fortune, Self Employed

A

PC promised Nigerians additional 3000 MW by December 2015. If they can’t make life comfortable for Nigerians, they should not compound it. Nigerians are suffering and enduring the hardship. I have solace that all will be well. Miss Mercy Okoji, Student

W

hat should come first? Is service before increment or increment before service? People are not seeing the light to use and they pay; now you want to add to their pain.

Mrs Morayo Simeon, Trader

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stand to be corrected, if wrong. This increment of electricity tariff, is it the one that will make light stay in Nigeria. I know how much I paid for a prepaid meter, since last year, and till date it is yet to be delivered. Mr Chukwudi Madueke, ICT Consultant

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 — 43

ICAN faults calls for devaluation of Naira ...Says it'll create more problems

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

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OS—INSTITUTE of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, yesterday faulted individuals and groups calling for the devaluation of the nation’s currency, saying they were not sincere as devaluing the Naira would create more problems for the country.

The institute urged Nigerians to show understanding and not to pressurize President Muhammadu Buhari to devalue the Naira because since the country was not an exporting economy, it would be foolhardy to devalue the nation’s currency.

Jos District ICAN Chairman, Mr. Pam Gyang, who spoke with journalists at the “Catch Them Young” programme organized by the District alongside ICAN national body to sensitize school children on the need to have interest in the accounting profession, pleaded with Nigerians to patience until the dollar stabilized.

He commended the federal government on her fight against corruption and insecurity and charged her not to neglect the economy, stressing the need for the diversification of the economy to boost growth.

Gyang said: “Accountants are disciplined people; we abhor corruption so we support the fight against it but the economy is backward. We have been advising government but politics override our advice. What we failed to do in the past is affecting us today. We need to diversify the

economy. No country survives without borrowing. We can borrow but we should not devalue the naira. We should not be in a hurry to devalue the naira because we are not exporting anything. ''Devaluing the naira will create more problems for us. We should be patience and not behave as if without dollars we can’t live, when we have patience, the

dollar will stabilize.”

He added that the 400 students from 26 secondary schools across the state were assembled in Jos and encouraged to aspire to be chartered accountants because of dearth of chartered accountants in the country, saying a situation where there were “only 39, 000 available chartered accountants in the country does not augur well for the country.”

VISIT: From left; Vice President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Deacon Titus Soetan; Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; ICAN President, Chief Samuel Deru; and the institute's 2nd Vice President, Alhaji Razak Jayeola, during a courtesy visit on the governor by members of the institute, at the Governor's Office, Ibadan.

Army deploys new hi-tech mine clearing equipment against Boko Haram

By Ndahi Marama

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AIDUGURI—THE Nigerian Army said yesterday that it had deployed its newly-acquired hi-tech mine clearing equipment in the ongoing military operation against Boko Haram in the North East.

This came as Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, inspected military hardware recently deployed to the Operation Lafiya Dole theatre Command as the military pushes towards final defeat of Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east.

Acting Director Army Public Relation, Col. Sani Usman, in a statement on update of the counter-insurgency, said other supporting weapons and ammunition had also been launched in the ongoing operations across the area.

He said the commissioned equipment were the first mine clearing machine in the inventory of the Nigerian Army and among the best in the world.

The Army spokesman said the introduction of new equipment for the northeast operation had begun to yield results.

Usman disclosed that Nigerian troops in joint operation with their Cameroonian counterparts had destroyed many of the insurgents’ hideouts around Bank-Kumashe axis.

He said several suspected insurgents were killed in the

particular operation while different kinds of items were recovered.

According to him, the joint operation between elements of 7 Division and the Cameroonian forces along Banki-Kumshe axis, led to the killing of 20 Boko Haram

terrorists, destruction of 4 AK 47 rifles and capture of a gun truck mounted with an Anti-Aircraft Gun (AA Gun) and 2 AK 47 rifles, as well as a 60mm mortar and a Dane gun.

He however lamented that three soldiers sustained injuries

and a vehicle damaged as a result of an Improvised Explosive Device, IED. Usman added that 150 persons, mainly children, were rescued at Kodo community in Borno by troops in the ongoing offensive against the insurgents.

ARMY/SHIITE: Again, Inquiry Commission adjourns sitting

By Luka Binniyat & Mayen Etim

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ADUNA—THE alleged inability of the legal counsel to the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, to gain access to its leader, Sheik Ibraheem Zakzaky, yesterday stalled the sitting of the Kaduna State Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the December 2015

clash between the Nigerian Army the IMN. This came as the Spokesman of the IMN, Ibrahim Musa, told Vanguard that IMN would not honour the invitation of the Commission if Zakzaky was not freed to give the brief of the IMN. The Commission had at its inaugural sitting on Monday been unable to proceed with the hearing following complaint from

the IMN counsel, Mr. Maxwel Kyon that he had been unable to meet with the leader of the IMN, Zakzaky, a core character in the conflict. Kyon appeared before the Commission yesterday and told the Commission that he was still unable to meet Zakzaky to prepare for the appearance of the IMN and pleaded for two weeks’ adjournment to enable him get access to his client.

‘Why RTEAN is conducting bio-metric registration for members'

By Funmi Olasupo

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BUJA—ROAD Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, is going through a strategic repositioning to contribute more to economic development.

The association said in Abuja that ongoing National Biometric Registration and Identification Scheme for its members nationwide was part of the

repositioning aimed at proffering solution to the myriads of problem facing the country’s transport sector.

The scheme, launched in partnership with Richfield Technologies Limited and Speed Identity, Sweden, according to the association, would help to maintain reliable, accurate and data base for the organization.

Speaking, National Chairman, RTEAN, Alhaji Musa Isiwele,

said the difference between the data capturing that was done in the past and the new biometric registration was that the former would enable the association to have record of the members, while the latter would be open and accessible to relevant government agencies such as Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Police, Department of State Service, DSS, Ministries etc, where full details of members would also be given.

Indian firm targets 500MW solar electricity for Lagos

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TERLING and Wilson’s Solar division has unfolded plans to set up four offices in Africa by the end of 2016, and generate 500 megawatts of electricity via solar, beginning with Lagos.

It said from Lagos, it will move to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, Kenya and Ghana.

A statement by the company said it had already announced plans to execute EPC works for 500MW of solar photovoltaic plants across different parts of Africa in the next three years.

Speaking on the development, Bikesh Ogra, President, Solar EPC business for Sterling and Wilson said : “We believe Sterling and Wilson is well positioned for expansion as more investors are focusing aggressively on the African Solar Market. The industry is growing rapidly and we will continue to expand strategically to meet demand.”

The company explained that with solar power uptake on the African continent, there would be a surge over the coming years of not less than 100 gigawatts by 2030, saying the the expansion is clearly intended to ride the growing wave of the grid connected solar energy market.

EASTER: Firm plans retreat for Smoking Hills

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N efforts to promote local tourism and save the country the huge foreign exchange spent by Nigerians on overseas tours, one of the nation’s leading tour packaging firm, Maple Travels Limited, is putting together an Easter Family Retreat to Smokin Hills to Ilara Mokin, near Akure, Ondo State.

The company had in 2015, organised a similar trip to Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort in Ekiti State.

CEO/MD of the company, Mr. Folarin Adesemowo, who disclosed this in Lagos yesterday, said the retreat would run for four days, from March 25-28, 2016.

He said: ''We would be taking you to Nigeria’s new premier golf resort – Smokin Hills, located on the outskirt of the quiet town of Ilara Mokin, 15 minutes from Akure, the capital city of Ondo State. ‘’The resort has a golf course of 140 acres carved out of surrounding jungle and rolling hills which emit smoke early in the morning and also at dawn to derive the name of the resort.''

44 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Majority of Nigerian judges are honest, good, learned — Justice Abdullahi Justice Umaru Abdullahi, is former President of the Court of Appeal and member of the National Judicial Council, NJC. He is also Chairman, Board of Trustees, Citizens for Better Justice Initiative (CBJI). In this interview, he spoke on the challenges facing judges and efforts being made to improve their performance through the bar and the bench collaborating with the initiative of CBJI and other issues affecting the judiciary. Excerpts.

By Dayo Benson

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OW do you think capacity of judges can be built to improve their performance?

The bench and the bar are traditionally supposed to work together through the criminal justice system. But that relationship has not been working smoothly. All the innovations that are on going have not been really adopted.

That is why this initiative of Citizens for Better Justice, I think, is the first attempt to bring the two together. Because the more you encourage interaction and understanding, the more you appreciate each other’s problem and the more we sit down and address it.

How will this initiative work?

The initiative is to bring members of the bar as active participants in the moving of the machine of the justice system and how it is rolling.

Perception and appreciation The members of the bar who are going to participate in this have been given opportunity to make available their own perception and appreciation of how judges work, because this initiative will expect some kind of returns from people who are part of the project.

They must have appeared before a judge for two to three years and they must have observed his capability, knowledge of the law, his etiquette and all the good things a judge should have and observe it to know where he is good or weak and how he does it honestly, transparently and without any ill motive.

When we get the survey results, we will process it and C M Y K

use the data to come up with strategies on how to improve the workings of the Judiciary. The survey results will be made available to the Judge and he or she can use it to assess himself or herself whether he or she is working well or not.

But the whole idea is to ensure that both the bar and the bench have come up together to share more ideas.

Lawyers should not say I am a member of the bar I have nothing to do with the judge.

No you have a lot to do.

There is this area of mutual understanding and trust to smoothen the system. And I think it will go a long way.

Because the more members of the bar get involved with this, the better for the judiciary, we just started the Unity Bar Project (UBP) as a starting point in Abuja.

Will the project be only in Abuja?

It will eventually be expanded as we expect the NBA national body to be interested and to recommend it to the states body and those actually practicing are those in the state NBA. When it moves, it will help the judiciary and the bar to sit up and when this happens,things will start working properly.

I am the Chairman of the board of trustees, BOT, and Mr Philip Chukwueke who brought the idea from the American Bar Association (ABA) is the president.

Obviously, this will help to remove some of the bottleneck in the administration of justice in the country.

Good judiciary is a great partner. You cannot have a good justice system if the judiciary is not functioning and this will not attract businesses to the country.

Because if the investors want their money back, how and where do they go. If the system

•Justice Umaru Abdullahi is doggy nobody will invest and the country will suffer economically.

Our criminal justice system is a shame. I am a member of the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Justice (ISFRCJ) and I have been attending their conferences.

There was one I attended in Canada and I learnt that some nations are de-criminalizing offences because they have other system to deal with offenders and not jail.

In Nigeria, for every offence committed, the offender ends up in Kuje Prison or another (Laughter). And you stay there for a number of years even if you have been convicted. That is why I say it is a shame.

What really is the Judges Performance Evaluation Report (JPER) and what does it seek to achieve?

I am a member of the NJC and I am also a member of that committee for assessing judges.

Nigerian judiciary has come a long way, but somehow even some of us within are not happy with what is going on, because of human shortcomings. In a

Lawyers should not say I am a member of the bar I have nothing to do with the judge, no you have a lot to do

society, some people put in their best, some half of their best and some will not put in anything.

When you have a combination like this, you can imagine. In this country, as at August last year, we had a total of 1,020 serving judges at the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court, Federal High Court, FCT, State High Courts, Sharia Court of Appeal and State Customary Courts of Appeal.

Those are the superior courts of records. We now have 1,030 because there were some new appointments to the federal high court and so let us say 1,050 roughly.

Same level of expectations Obviously, out of this, they cannot all be on the same level of expectations really. There are some good ones - corruption is a difficult thing to prove. I am not saying there aren’t any corrupt judges; there are, but majority of Nigerian judges are honest, good and learned.

But the system under which we operate causes a lot of dislocation in the sense that as a judge, you are supposed to have staff, court, chambers, library and clerk.

These are people you cannot do without. Some are efficient, some can even mess you up because the number of cases you have in your court daily is handled by your registrar. He prepares your cause list for the day. If they overload you with cases for the day there is no way you can go through all of them.

You can only do few and what happens to the others? You have to adjourn them.

On the day of the adjournment, there are other cases and they keep on piling and piling till they reach a level

where things will become stagnant. And the performance will be poor because if you have a registrar that puts 10 cases on your cause list, and you are able to call only three if you have to hear evidence and make a list along the line, you cannot make more than three cases per day.

Then you have to reserve judgment and do additional research before you pass judgment.

But people say judges are not working. Of course there are some lazy ones. These lazy ones are the ones that are causing the problem. Maybe they have everything they require to facilitate their efficient work, but they are not the types that are prepared to do the work.

Now this is where the problem comes in. So the judiciary itself is getting worried because there are complaints from everywhere - lawyers, litigants, even people who care about what is happening - that things are not moving, judges are not working so that is how the assessment committee came into being.

The National Judicial Council (NJC) committee felt people have been complaining too much and time has come when something has to be done. They set up that committee.

Proficient stenographers The arrangement initially was that each judge must write four judgments in three months. The chief judges (CJs) who combine court cases with administrative work are supposed to have two judgments even then because you go out to attend conferences and see how other nations are moving very fast.

They no longer write in long hand but have proficient stenographers to take their proceedings and the judge just makes few notes and at the end of the day everything is placed before him.

He has a chart and the computerization has been put in place, which makes things happen very fast. In this country there was a good attempt to computerize and bring in this new innovation, but somehow actually we did not catch up.

Lagos and some few states have adopted the system. Then we felt we have to adjust the number of judgments so we raised it to six judgments in three months. And the chief judges write two or three. Some of them came out complaining that the NJC is pressing them to write more judgments, but what about the quality. A judge complaining that they are being pushed I think something is wrong with the system.

Continues on page 45

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 — 45

NBA 2016 presidency: Arewa lawyers deny Gadzama’s endorsement

By Dayo Benson

A

HEAD of this year ’s Nigerian Bar association NBA, election, lawyers from the three Northern geopolitical zones under the aegis of Arewa Lawyers Forum, has refuted claim that they have endorsed one of the two leading presidential candidates, Mr. J.K. Gadzama, SAN. Lawyers from the northern zone where the NBA presidency has been zoned to in a joint statement signed by Kano Branch Chairman, Dr. Mamman Lawan Yusufari, on behalf of nine other branch chairmen from the area, said the issue of who to endorse was inconclusive.

The statement which affirmed the lawyers position on the issue read: “Our attention has been drawn to publications in various national dailies giving the impression that the Arewa Lawyers Forum, arising from its meeting in Kaduna on 30th January 2016, backs the aspiration of J.K. Gadzama SAN to contest for the office of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in the forthcoming July 2016 NBA elections; while A.B. Mahmoud SAN, who equally eyes the office, kicks against it.

Leadership of the forum We, the undermentioned wish to state categorical that the forum never backed Gadzama. Neither the meeting of 30th January 2016 nor any other meeting of the forum resolved to back him.

Clarifications have been awaited from the leadership of the forum on the publications, but it appears none is forthcoming. While we await, we deem it necessary to make the following clarifications so as to avoid misleading members of the forum and the general public: *The forum at its

EDITORIAL TEAM Innocent Anaba ( Head) Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri Dayo Benson (Supervising Editor) 08056180119 dayobenson@yahoo.com

From left: Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State; NBA President, Augustine Alegeh (SAN); Governor M. A. Abubakar of Bauchi State, and NBA General Secretary, Mazi Afam Osigwe. inappropriately rescheduled meeting in October 2015 in Bauchi constituted a committee to screen members intending to contest for various national offices in the

2016 NBA elections and to submit a report. *The committee’s report (which was not printed and circulated to members prior to th or at the meeting of 30

January) was verbally read out by the committee chairman at the Kaduna meeting and was tabled for discussion and/or approval by the forum. *The report received severe

criticisms and disapproval from majority of members present at the meeting. This therefore, led to calls for caution in treating the report. *Further discussion was suspended, the report was altogether set aside and a committee of seven elders was resolved to be constituted with A.B. Mahmoud SAN and J.K. Gadzama SAN appointing three members each and the leadership of the forum appointing the chairman of the committee. *The Elders Committee was mandated to reconcile between the two aspirants, Gadzama and Mahmoud and to report back at the next meeting for deliberation. *The report of the screening committee was not accepted and therefore no person vying for any office was adopted by the forum.

Majority of Nigerian judges are honest, good, learned — Justice Abdullahi Continues from page 44 You don’t put the whole blame on the judge. From an insider, some of these judges, traditionally members of the bar, are supposed to be officers of the court. They should render their services and their expertise to arrive at fair justice.

Unfortunately we have some problems there. Some of the delays that you see happening are caused by members of the bar.

They come to court unprepared, they don’t care about their clients and all they do is to ask for adjournment. If the judge said he will not grant them, the lawyer will start complaining that he is denied the right of fair hearing.

A lot of things have being brought in by the members of the bar even though there are good ones with conscience that are doing their work properly.

But there are large numbers of them who are really abused.

Most of the blame sometimes is caused by a counsel who will take five briefs in one day in different courts. And when a court has fixed a date for hearing, instead of him to come he will send somebody, maybe a junior who will say he had not been briefed. And you cannot go on with the case. Or he will write a letter asking for adjournment or that he is sick.

What is your impression on the Judges Performance Evaluation Report (JPER) a system for the promotion or punishment of judges. Do you think that there is need for an independent body of lawyers or the users of court for some judges to be given excellent or lower mark?

Initially, it was just for rating as NJC wrote queries to the judges when they found their performance was consistently low. Why is your own not performing? They came up with a lot of things that they have no courts, libraries, they share court

rooms with other judges among others; some of these things are real.

The only judges that have everything in place are federal judges in Federal High Courts, FCT High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and some few states. Most states have problems as one judge sits in the morning and another in the afternoon and he comes out already tired.

Movement or promotion These are some of the things you have to appreciate, some of them may want to do the work, but the constraints and the challenges - like problem with court staff - and in addition to that, they have problem with the lawyers. When NJC issues a judge a query, he answers and when we take it to head of courts that this is what your judge has said, he responds that the government cannot give him

any money and he goes cap-inhand begging for money from the state governor.

That has happened many times, there are so many things that may ground the system if we are not careful.

Once you get the first query and then a second query, of course you can be rest assured if there is going to be movement or promotion from a lower court to a higher court and your name is on the query list, you will find it difficult to pass through. NJC is doing something good but some of the judges say they are being pushed too hard, but I don’t think it is too much.

Do you have any regret as a former president of the Court of Appeal?

I think I have achieved to my satisfaction a lot of things that anybody could hope to achieve in his career. I am a very lucky judge as the longest serving president of the Court of Appeal.

46—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25 , 2016

Okorocha calls for comprehensive list of Imo citizens in US jails

S-Court rejects INEC's request to review judgment ANAMBRA PDP CRISIS:

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA—THE Supreme Court, yesterday, refused application by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, seeking a review of the judgment it delivered on January 29, which resolved the protracted leadership crisis that rocked the Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The apex court had in a unanimous judgment by a fiveman panel of Justices, accorded legal validity to the Hon. Ejike Oguebego-led Executive Committee of the PDP in the state.

Lead verdict

In the lead verdict that was read by Justice Iyang Okoro, the Supreme Court panel, affirmed an earlier judgment that Justice Evoh Chukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered on December 15, 2014, which directed INEC to recognise the Oguebego-led Exco as the authentic leadership of the PDP in Anambra State.

Though the decision of the apex court settled the leadership dispute, it, however, sparked off a fresh row of controversy, as pressure mounted on INEC to withdraw the Certificates of Return it issued to candidates of the party that did not participate in primary election that was sanctioned by the Oguebego-led Exco, but won their seats.

Prominent among the Senators that were at the risk of vacating their seats at the National Assembly were a former presidential aide, Mr. Andy Uba (Anambra South) and former Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Odua (Anambra North).

Faced with the controversy, INEC, through its team of lawyers led by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, reapproached the Supreme Court, seeking for the review, clarification and consequences of the judgment on the status of the lawmakers currently representing the state on the platform of the PDP. In its application dated February 8, INEC urged the Supreme Court to give interpretation and clarify on the implication of the January 29 judgment as it relates to Oduah, Ubah and the others.

Application dismissed

Ruling on the matter yesterday, the apex court, dismissed the application, maintaining that its judgment was clear and unambiguous.

It stressed that the issue that was brought before it for determination specifically bordered on the leadership of the PDP in Anambra state.

Justice Okoro who gave the ruling yesterday, held that the judgment of the court, by its ordinary meaning, does not warrant further clarification.

More so, he noted that what the parties brought before the apex court was the issue of leadership of the party in the state and not on the implications or consequences of elections that was conducted in the state during the last general election.

Justice Okoro held that the issue of whether or not the Certificates of Return earlier issued to the serving lawmakers should be retrieved from them and handed to those that emerged through the Oguebego-led faction of the party, was never part of the issues that was distilled for determination in the substantive suit, saying the apex court never made any pronouncement to that effect.

The apex court said that going by its Order 8, Rule 16, it could not review its own judgment

once delivered, except there is a clerical mistake or slip which in the instant case, never happened.

It said INEC’s application, if acceded to, would amount to rewriting the judgment and giving orders “where nothing has been shown that there was a clerical mistake in the judgment.”

Nevertheless, Justice Okoro said the controversy trailing the status of the lawmakers was unnecessary since their fate was already decided by both the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.

He held that since the Court of Appeal was the final arbiter and had made pronouncement, there was no need to invite the Supreme Court to make any clarification on a concluded matter that was not ambiguous.

Furthermore, Justice Okoro said there was no dispute in the claim of the PDP National Exco that it submitted the list of nominated candidates for

National Assembly election to the INEC, having conducted the primary election in line with the PDP constitution.

He said the same claim was alluded to by INEC that it accepted the list of nominated candidates for National Assembly election from PDP National Secretariat, being the body vested with power to conduct primary election for the nomination.

By Chidi Nkwopara

O

WERRI—APPARENTLY irked by the corporate bad image some Nigerian citizens in foreign lands attract to the country, Governor Rochas Okorocha has called for a comprehensive list of Imo sons and daughters serving various jail terms in the United States of America prisons.

Okorocha, who made the call yesterday, when he played host to the United States of America Consulate General in Lagos, Mr. John Bray, alsoaskedfortheoffenceswhichthey wereaccusedof,triedandconvicted.

“I am appealing to the Government of the United States of America, to furnish Imo State Government the comprehensive list of all our sons and daughters serving various jail termsintheUSA.Wewouldalsolike to know the offences for which they weretriedandconvicted,”Okorocha said.

Lawyers tasked on genuine advice to clients

Justice Okoro therefore advised lawyers especially the senior ones to always give their clients genuine advice, saying they should not turn themselves to slaves for politicians.

Reacting to the ruling yesterday, counsel to the Oguebego-led faction, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, insisted that the decision of the court has cleared the way for his clients to benefit from the judgment the court delivered on January 29.

He said his clients would not relent until the judgment was appropriately executed.

BIAFRA: IPOB commences fasting, prayers for Kanu's

release, actualization of Biafra •FG using Uchenna Madu to destabilize struggle —MASSOB

By Charles Kumolu, Ugochukwu Alaribe & Chimaobi Nwaiwu

marginalized and humiliated sections of Nigerians that are asking for freedom.

“We want Chukwuokike Abiama(God Almighty) to reveal the truth in the next court and to the world, for Mr. Kanu our innocent leader, to disgrace and blind the enemies of Biafra and those who want to use Biafra and Mr. Kanu to gain cheep popularity in their misguided government that is heading for the rocks” he said.

N

NEWI—THE Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, yesterday in Anambra State, embarked on spiritual warfare in its agitation for the release of their incarcerated leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, with a prayer session and fasting in some parts of the state.

The prayer and fasting which started at exactly 7am and ended at about 3pm in some locations of the state where members trooped outen masse without the usual display of IPOB flags and banners, was aimed at God's intervention for the release of Mr. Kanu, actualization of Biafra, and the alleged intimidation, harassment, and killings of the members of the group by military operatives, whom they said will not go free for the innocent blood they are shedding.

In a statement issued after their prayer at a location in Ukpor in Nnewi South Council Area, IPOB Media and Publicity Officer, Mr. Emma Powerful called on the Bishops and priests of the Catholic, Anglican Churches and Pentecostals Pastors to be prayerful for the restoration of Biafra and for the release of Mr. Kanu. " Nigeria is dwindling to irredeemable situation under

Destabilizing the struggle

Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu. the All Progressives Congress, APC, government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Biafra is the only answer to the problem Nigeria is facing now. The APC government is confused and the people who led Nigeria into this mess, the APC henchmen, their so called national leaders who wanted change at all cost, are now all dumb. They have no answer to the problems they have created.

The only answer now is Biafra.

“We are not joking about this spiritual declaration. We have been praying and fasting. No bloodshed of Biafrans will go unpunished. The APC members who are deeply religious should go and ask questions about the consequences of the atrocities they have committed with the killing of innocent youths who were praying at Aba, innocent

youths who were peacefully agitating in Onitsha whom the military killed.

“When we were taking those they shot dead to hospitals, their blood was revolting against the APC government and the party which will never know peace until they leave IPOB and other Biafra agitating groups alone”, he said.

He also urged the churches to pray ceaselessly because the people being killed are their members and children of God who were exercising their constitutional rights of peaceful protest and non violent agitation, adding that they should equally pray for Mr. Kanu who is facing unjust trial. Mr Powerful described Kanu as God sent from United Kingdom, where he has everything going for him but decided to come to Nigeria and suffer and liberate the

Also yesterday, the Movement for the Actualization for the Sovereign States, MASSOB, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike- faction, accused the federal government of using one of its expelled members, Uchenna Madu, to destabilize the struggle for the actualization of an independent state of Biafra.

MASSOB’s National Director of Information, Sunny Okereafor who stated this in an interview with newsmen in Aba, Abia state, said information available to the group revealed that Madu has been working with the federal government to sabotage Biafra.

“There is no doubt that the Federal Government is using Uchenna Madu to ensure that there is crisis in the former Eastern region. He is being used to instigate crisis in Biafran territory.

Uchenna Madu was our member before he was expelled; so we know him and what he can do'."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016—47

Rumours of Governor Udom’s defection are wicked — INYANG-EYEN, WORKS COMMISSIONER AKPARAWA Ephraim Inyang-Eyen is the Commissioner for Works in Akwa Ibom State and a close associate of Governor Udom Emmanuel. Following the Supreme Court ruling affirming the mandate of the governor, Mr. Inyang-Eyen speaks on how the judgment was received, the import of the judgment and how the state would progress from its positive takes.

Excerpts: •Inyang-Eyen

W

By Tom Moses

HAT was your reaction to the apex court judgment?

As a matter of fact, I was excited, elated but then, when the governor came back after the Court of Appeal had given its judgement, that we should go and have a rerun, the governor at the airport said he has taken his case to the Supreme God. So, what happened on Wednesday February 3, 2016, was the Supreme God directing the Supreme Court to give voice to that which heaven had already done.

So, for me, I was expecting it.

But there is something I want to mention here. I hear people making insinuations. Let it be on record today that the Supreme Court Justices took a decision which they followed to the end.

They established the case of Ambode vs Agbaje that the Card Reader was not the only means of accreditation.

Means of accreditation That is why Agbaje lost his case in Lagos State and the APC members were excited. In the case of Ebonyi State, they came up with the same judgment that the Card Reader is strange to our Constitution and could not have been the only means of accreditation. I don’t know why they expected the case of Akwa Ibom to be different and if you had followed the Supreme Court justices well, you will realise that when they set a precedence, they have no reason to go against it and I am sure those men are men of integrity.

If I must say this, the same Judge who gave ruling in the case of Akwa-Ibom rejecting manual accreditation, went to Delta State and gave judgment and accepted manual accreditation. I don’t know whether the world expected a

mix-up from the Supreme Court that said consistently that Card Reader ought not to have been the only means of accreditation or the ones that were mixed up.

But I think that God passed through the Supreme Court and gave the verdict of heaven.

In what way was governance in the state distracted ahead of the judgment?

I will tell you that the government was not affected. I was in the field working. The governor was also doing his job.

However, what you called distraction, I will call it pressure of having to run through Abuja, Lagos and other places to meet this and meet that but in terms of work from my Ministry, I will tell you, it was going on smoothly. I know that the Ministry of Works

had no gaps throughout the period of the court process, we were working.

Given that the APC in the state is yet to congratulate the governor do you think the party is still dissatisfied with the judgment?

Now, my position is going to be very simple on this. When judgment was given in Rivers State in a similar case, Peterside, a good sportsman brought a hand of fellowship to Wike, if that is not done in the case of Akwa Ibom State, I won’t be worried. It can only show the desperation of certain people because naturally, when two persons go for a contest, there must be a winner. In this contest, Udom is the winner and if the other person involved is a good

sportsman, he is supposed to extend a hand of fellowship to him. It was done in Lagos State.

I can tell you authoritatively that Agbaje extended a hand of fellowship to Ambode, Peterside did the same thing to Wike in Rivers State but if that is not done in Akwa Ibom, it shows the quality of those who wanted to govern our state.

How do you react to speculations that Governor Udom Emmanuel may opt for the APC ahead of his second term and how is the party preparing to reclaim four House seats lost at the courts?

No, let me quickly respond to that. They were not lost. That somebody had his case upturned at the Appeal Court does not mean that he lost. When it would

Only the guilty are crying about selective anti-graft war — Agunbiade, LSHA Leader Mr. Sinai Agunbiade is the majority leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly. In this interview, he insists that President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade is not one-sided, noting that the President has done nothing wrong in prosecuting those involved in the Arms Deal probe among other issues. the so-called honourable

By Ebun Sessou Nigerians have lost their dignity O you agree with those who because of money. say the anti-corruption The President vowed to bring crusade of President Buhari is change to the country and part one-sided? of that change is exposing those For me, President who have brought Nigeria into Muhammadu Buhari has serious economic problem. succeeded in putting to a halt the I believe, as Nigerians we are dangerous trend at which the expected to support in the treasury was being looted. If crusade and not frustrate it.

Buhari had not won the elections, There are more revelations yet most of those revelations would to be exposed. So, I want to not have been revealed. believe that those who say the Impunity would have reached crusade is sectional are part of an unbearable degree and those looting and destroying the magnitude in Nigerian. Eminent treasuries of the country.

Nigerians that were highly But do the authorities have to dignified have also soiled their disregard the rule of law to hands in the looting of the achieve the change? country’s treasury. The paltry All I know is that the law is no sum of N100 million allegedly respecter of anybody, and given to one of the dignified nobody is greater than the law of Nigerians showed that most of the land. But no two cases have

D

•Agunbiade: We must not frustrate anti-graft war the same facts. A lot of things go into legal processes, and to this extent, there might be reasons for whatever action the president put’s up. I am sure he would not want to disregard court decisions because he is a man who really symbolises the change we claim and that change is total.

As regards the issue of non compliance with court orders, I want to believe that he is not the

be lost is when APC comes up for us to redo that election. I am guaranteeing you that all four PDP candidates will be returned in the rerun elections. Everybody in APC today in Akwa Ibom became a politician on the platform of PDP. Now, saying that Governor Udom will defect to the APC in his second term, I think is a conjecture and let me sound it very clearly, the governor is a man of character and principle, he is not one of those politicians who would want to jump all over the place because of what they think they could get. The time to have done that could have been when the system was trying to hold him to ransom and not now that he has performed and Akwa Ibom people are happy. A political platform is just a platform but the critical thing is the candidate.

Udom won election beyond political platform and given his performance, platform for his second term will not be too relevant. What will be relevant will be his performance and when that time comes, Akwa Ibom people will rise up and say you continue and if they say so, no platform can stop that. So, the APC issue is a conjecture raised by some people and as I sit here, I can tell you that a lot of people are even angry to have contested under the APC. Governor Udom Emmanuel is a PDP chieftain and will remain a PDP. He has no intension to defect to APC. Men who have character and principles do not jump around.

Well, let’s see how it goes. I pray for our President so that Akwa Ibom people and of course, Nigerians will give them a second term.

chief legal officer of the country, though he is at the helms of affairs. It is those in-charge of our legal system that can address the issue very well.

But the law has to respect itself; no individual is greater than the law, and no individual can override the court. But there could be some legal machinery which are mitigating against our expectations in this regard. I am sure we will see what brought about all these.

As majority leader of the House, some think the opposition is too soft on you?

If the House is in order, there is nothing to condemn. You can only condemn what you feel is not right. Unfortunately, Nigerians expect legislators to be throwing chairs on the floor of the House, so, they can condemn them more. Throwing chairs is not a symbol of a healthy opposition.

A progressive opposition must differentiate between the truth and lies. It is expedient to say that, six months into a-4-year legislative business is too little to judge whether the opposition party is doing its job or not.

48—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Who is ‘killing' the Naira?

By Opeyemi Agbaje

T

HE assumption that Nigeria is divided between those who “want” devaluation and those who oppose it is a false appearance. Any rational Nigerian, especially middle class individuals, who can be assumed to be rationally self-interested “want” a strong currency so that they can maintain real purchasing power and lifestyles in a globalized consumerist economy.

There is no division amongst Nigerians, especially within elite and middle class society on that erroneous basis! The real argument is over economics and its basic principles. Economics is all about how to reconcile “wants” and “needs” with “resources”-the most basic principle in economics is “scarcity” and the imperative of “choice” in a real world in which we can’t have everything we “want”.

According to The Economist’s “Dictionary of Economics”, scarcity refers to “a situation in which the needs and wants of an individual or group…exceed the resources available to satisfy them. In the presence of scarcity, choices HAVE to be made between those wants that can be satisfied and those that cannot be: the available resources must in some way be rationed, either through price or some central distribution system.

Devaluation debate In the absence of scarcity, no difficult choices would need to be made, no prices would need to be attached to anything, and the study of economics would be rendered entirely unnecessary”.

Exchange rates are a “price” with which an economy rations scarce foreign currency and the entire devaluation debate is about whether very scarce dollars should be rationed through the price mechanism or (as the beneficiaries of the current huge N200/$ subsidy argue) should be distributed administratively by the CBN to whomever it pleases!!!

So the question is not whether anyone “wants” devaluation, but whether given our current “economics”, is devaluation an appropriate or optimal policy response? The other question of course is, if you reject devaluation, what alternative AND effective policy response do you recommend to deal with the current policy quagmire? Just saying no and watching helplessly as the currency slides to N400/$ everywhere except in the CBN is NOT a policy response!!! By the way, we should take a step back and restate the facts-I agree entirely with Emir of Kano and former CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido who pointed out, completely correctly that

devaluation of the currency HAS in fact already occurred! The debate is now over the appropriateness or otherwise of CBN using federation account resources (which jointly belong to the federal, states and LGAs) to subsidise foreign currency needs of selected businesses and middle class persons who travel abroad, educate their children overseas or seek medical treatment outside the country. For every other person who needs dollars in Nigeria, devaluation has already happened!

It should be noted that CBN has not provided any objective criteria on the basis of which it is allocating the scarce dollars, and questions may legitimately be raised on some of the published allocations! In effect the CBN is administering a huge subsidy based on unknown and unclear criteria, and without transparency on the basis of the allocations!

The current situation guarantees moral hazard, corruption, subjective considerations, cronyism and crony capitalism, favouritism, influence peddling and administrative abuses. I am willing to bet that central bank officials with the unfettered prerogative to administer this subsidy, not being angels or saints, may already be susceptible to one or more of these challenges!!! I have mentioned earlier in addition that this large subsidy is being shared not from resources that belong to the federal government or CBN, but

For every other person who needs dollars in Nigeria, devaluation has already happened

the federation, including our insolvent states and local governments. While it is apparent that current policy has the concurrence of President Buhari, it is not clear that the states and LGAs if they fully understood what is going on, would endorse the “donation” of approximately half of their legitimate income to some businessmen and middle class families! I cannot think of a worse national subsidy anywhere in the world!!!

With regard to the businesses currently obtaining the tremendous FX subsidy from the national purse, it is evident that they benefit from an anticompetitive and unfair advantage over other businesses who are “less-fortunate” and it is not evident that the Nigerian economy benefits from the dispensing of such subsidies.

Dollars discount One may also ask whether beneficiaries of our subsidized dollars discount their retail prices to fully reflect the public subsidy, relative to their competitors?

There is a fundamental economic illiteracy emanating from some of the contradevaluation sources, including surprisingly from several who hold degrees and advanced degrees in economics-we do not export anything so we wouldn’t benefit from devaluing (so we NEVER want to export anything knowing that prices provide INCENTIVES for future behavior?); people should stop asking for devaluation and instead should start consuming locally produced goods and services (isn’t this argument illogical and contradictory?

If we want to discourage imports and encourage local production, why are we so determined to protect the Naira so that imports remain relatively cheap?); devaluation would lead to inflation (devaluation has ALREADY happened and is already reflected in inflation which is now 9.6% since most

importers and manufacturers now get their FX from non-CBN sources and even those who get CBN FX subsidy know the correct cost of dollars); finally they say devaluation will hurt the poor, which is the biggest lie (the poor have nothing to do with exchange rates; they eat local food; do not send their children to schools abroad; get medical treatment from primary health centres; and get absolutely no benefit from whether you devalue or not!). The truth is that the only beneficiaries of subsidized FX are the few businesses who CBN in its grace “allocates” dollars to, and the segment of the elites who secure PTA, BTA, school fees and medical payments in foreign currency from the central bank!!! As well as those now able to “round-trip” official dollars into autonomous markets at huge profit!!!

The real situation, casting aside Nigeria’s powerful people who seek an unfair advantage through a privileged FX subsidy, is that the country built a defective economy in which 95 percent of exports and 75 percent of government revenue came from oil. That situation is no longer tenable and our monthly FX income has declined precipitously with the current exchange rate simply not sustainable. Worse still the current official exchange rates has resulted in the dry-up of foreign direct and portfolio investments; and even diaspora remittances which are required to be made at official or near-official rates have also dried up. Manufacturers are starved of inputs and our banking system is increasingly not credible in the global financial system and we may soon, if not already, return to cashcollateralized letters of credit and the scarcity of “essential commodities” as in the 1980s and 1990s!!!

Commercial creditors We have seen this movie before, and we know how it would end!!! In 1980, oil prices fell due to a global oil glut. Nigeria had a fixed exchange rate and therefore could not use the pricing mechanism to modulate between demand and supply of dollars.

Our reserves were quickly exhausted and then we started borrowing from the Paris and London Clubs, multilaterals and commercial creditors and soon we were trapped in debt which we could not service. We are already replaying this sequence seeking to borrow N2.2trillion or more to fund the 2016 budget; our debt service ratio is already 25 percent of federal revenue, even before we take the proposed huge loans; we have fixed our exchange rate at N197/$ and our reserves are

Send your reactions to: news@vanguardngr.com

fast declining (now at $27billion).

To deal with the scarcity of dollars in the 1980s, we tried everything except devaluation-austerity and import licensing, which was plagued by corruption and cronyism-we are doing the same today. Then Head of State General Muhammadu Buhari tried countertrade (trade by barter) which also failed miserably.

Nigerians (and evidently President Buhari) learnt the wrong lessons from the 1980s episode-that Babangida “killed” the Naira!!! Former military President Babangida had his problems-a weakness of character that resulted in erosion of societal values and increased corruption; and political gerrymandering resulting in a protracted political transition and the eventual annulment of the June 12, 1993 elections. Babangida and all his military colleagues (Ironsi, Gowon, Murtala/Obasanjo, Buhari, Abacha and Abdulsalam) did one further damage to Nigeria-the subversion and destruction of institutions including federalism, constitutionalism, the universities, civil service, the professional bodies, the media etc.

However in relation to the economic crisis, all of his predecessors merely kicked the problem down the road, with Babangida being the only one with the courage to confront the problem!

Economic dependency He did not create the economic dependency on oil and the policy elements that turned the Nigerian political economy into a prebendal, distributive, imported consumption-based society. In 1986 having exhausted our reserves and become indebted to the international community, devaluation was inevitable and unavoidable!!! Abacha tried the dual exchange rate system we are currently experimenting with, and that also failed!

As for the poor, they are now again the victims-losing their jobs in large numbers; poverty is increasing as output growth and consumption drops, and recession risks rise.

After Nigeria’s unprecedented elections on March 28 2015, exchange rates rallied from N225N235/$ to around N200/$ as markets discounted political risk and imputed optimism into the Nigerian economy.

The current scenario where rates approach N400/$ reflects a gross failure of policy at the CBN, fiscal authorities and the presidency, and cannot be blamed on previous administrations. It is because we have left exchange rate management, and indeed broader economic policy to fear, speculation, drift, myths, superstition, politics and propaganda resulting in acute uncertainty and volatility.

Nigeria’s current imperative is to return to rational economics and the imperative of building a productive, competitive, exportoriented and diversified economy.

Vanguard, THURSDAY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016—49

Matters arising from the Supreme Court judgment in the Saraki case

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By Ben Nwabueze

NTRODUCTION: The Supreme Court, our apex court, has spoken in the Dr Bukola Saraki case, and its judgment, delivered on February 5, 2016 carries an authority that is unchallengeable, except in the court of public opinion, which is a vital bedrock of governance in a democratic society, such as we aspire to become. All of us, as stakeholders in the Nigerian state project, constitute the latter court, and have a duty to contribute to the discussion on the questions provoked by the Supreme Court judgment in the case.

The unchallengeability of the said judgment pre-supposes that it meets the standards of nearinfallibility, conclusiveness and finality expected from a court of last resort, and that it is informed by the compelling need to ensure that decisions of the Court, as a court of last resort, are consistent with each other, and, above all, with the supreme law of the land, the Constitution, as well as with laws validly enacted by the legislature, all in the interest of the need, also imperative, for certainty and symmetry in the law and for its orderly development.

Whether the Supreme Court decision on the issue of the jurisdiction of the CCT is consistent with the constitution.

The judgment in the Saraki

PROF BEN NWABUEZE case will now be critically examined against the standards and requirements stated above, beginning with the issue whether the decision is consistent with the law of the Constitution which, in affirmation of it supremacy, declares null and void, “any law “ that is inconsistent with its provisions: section 1(3). A court decision is indisputably a law within the meaning of section 1(3).

The Supreme Court held, per Onnoghen JSC delivering the lead judgment, that “paragraph 18 of the 5th schedule to the 1999 Constitution as amended is replete with unambiguous terms and expressions indicating that the proceedings before the said Conduct of Tribunal are criminal in nature”, that “the said tribunal has a quasi-criminal jurisdiction designed by the 1999 Constitution”, and that “it is a peculiar tribunal crafted by the Constitution.”

The question arising is whether the Supreme Court is right in

holding that the Constitution itself invests the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) with a quasicriminal jurisdiction. The decision is based partly on inference from the fact that many of the stipulations in the Code of Conduct in the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution are coached in prohibitory terms.

But a close look at the Code shows that, notwithstanding the prohibitory terms of such stipulations, the Code is, in its essential character, simply a body of rules designed to regulate the civil, not criminal, behaviour of public officers, much in the fashion of the Civil Service Rules.

The view that the Fifth Schedule invests the CCT with a quasi-criminal jurisdiction is negated by paragraphs 18(3) & (6) of the said Schedule, especially paragraph 18(3) which says that “the sanctions mentioned in sub-paragraph (2) hereof shall be without prejudice to the penalties that may be imposed by any law where the conduct is also a criminal offence” This suggests that the conduct proscribed by the Code is not thereby made a criminal offence.

In any case, it is not the purpose or role of a constitution anywhere in the world to create criminal offences, that being the function of the statute law.

Conformably with the generally accepted role of a constitution, the Nigerian Constitution 1999 provides in section 36(12) that “a person shall not be convicted of a criminal offence unless that offence is defined and the penalty thereof is prescribed in a written law, and in this subsection, a written law refers to an Act of the National Assembly or a Law of a State, any subsidiary legislation or instrument under the provisions of a law” (emphasis supplied).

Criminal jurisdiction The Constitution is not included. Accordingly, any criminal jurisdiction or “quasicriminal jurisdiction” claimed for the CCT could not have derived from, or been conferred on it by, the Constitution. The Supreme Court’s attribution of a quasicriminal jurisdiction to the CCT is also inconsistent with section 6 of the Constitution, which vests judicial power in nine courts listed by name in subsection (5) and “such other courts as may be authorized by law to exercise jurisdiction on matters with respect to which the National Assembly [or a House of Assembly] may make laws”.

The CCT is not one of the nine courts listed by name in section 6(5). Since it is established by the Constitution, and if it had been

•Senate president, Bukola Saraki

the intention that it should share in the vesting of judicial power, the Constitution should have mentioned it by name like the nine courts so named, instead of leaving it to be included by law made later by the National Assembly under the residual clause. It must be concluded, therefore, that the CCT does not partake in the vesting of judicial power; in other words, it is not one of the courts in which judicial power is vested by section 6(1) of the Constitution – assuming it to be a court in the distinctive sense of section 6 of the Constitution.

Judicial power The implication of this conclusion flows from the nature of judicial power and the incidents that are exclusive to it.

The High Court of Australia (the highest court in that country) has held in Waterside Workers’ Federation of Australia v. J.W. Alexander Ltd (1918) 25 CLR 434 at page 444, per Chief Justice Griffith for the Court: “It is not disputed that convictions for offences and the imposition of penalties and punishments are matter appertaining exclusively to judicial powers.”

The word “exclusively” is underlined for purposes of emphasis. The learned Chief Justice has observed earlier in the judgment at page 442: “It is impossible under the constitution to confer such functions upon any body other than a court, nor can the difficulty be avoided by designating a body, which is not in its essential character a court, by that name, or by calling the function by another name. In short, any attempt to vest any part of the judicial power…….in any body other than a court is entirely

The issue of jurisdiction in the Saraki case cannot be settled aright without reference to section 6 and the decisions based on it

ineffective”. As under the Constitution of Nigeria 1999, judicial power is vested in courts specified in section 6(5), it follows that the courts so listed are the only tribunals that can try and convict a person for a criminal offence under the principle laid down by the High Court of Australia in Waterside Workers’ Federation of Australia v. J.W. Alexander Ltd, supra.

The CCT, not being so listed, has no power or jurisdiction, derived from the Constitution, to try, convict and impose punishment on persons for a criminal offence; the decision of the Supreme Court attributing such jurisdiction to it, as jurisdiction derived from the Constitution, is null and void under section 1(3) of the Constitution; also any law made by the National Assembly that confers such jurisdiction on the CCT is null and void (see further below) The principle of the decision in Waterside Workers’ Federation of Australia v. J.W. Alexander Ltd, supra, as enshrined in sections 6, 35(1)(a) and 36(4) of the Constitution of Nigeria, has been affirmed and re-affirmed by our Supreme Court.

Disciplinary tribunal Thus, in Sofekun v. Akinyemi (1981) 1 NCLR 135 where a public officer in the public service of the then Western Region of Nigeria was dismissed upon a finding of guilt for indecent assault and attempted rape by a disciplinary tribunal constituted and empowered in that behalf under the Public Service Commission Regulations, his dismissal was held null and void by the Supreme Court as a usurpation of judicial power.

In a judgment concurred in by Irikefe, Bello, Idigbe, Obaseki, Eso and Aniagolu JJSC, FatayiWilliams CJN said at page 146: “It seems to me that once a person is accused of a criminal offence, he must be tried in a court of law where the complaints of his accusers can be ventilated in public and where he would be sure of getting a fair hearing…..

No other Tribunal, Investigating Panel or Committee will do…If Regulations such as those under attack in this appeal were valid, the judicial power could be wholly absorbed by the Commission (one of the organs of the Executive branch of the State Government) and taken out of the hand of the magistrates and judges….

If the Commission is allowed

to get away with it, judicial power will certainly be eroded……The jurisdiction and authority of the courts of this country cannot be usurped by either the Executive or the Legislative branch of the Federal or State Government under any guise or pretext whatsoever ”. (emphasis supplied). The decision was reaffirmed by the Court in Garba v.

University of Maiduguri [1986] 1 NWLR (Pt 18) 550 where some students involved in acts of rioting and arson were expelled from the University.

Constitutional requirement The Supreme Court, reversing the Court of Appeal and affirming the trial court, declared the expulsion null and void: first, since the expulsion was based on criminal offences alleged to have been committed by the students, only the court, but not the Visitor, Vice-Chancellor or the investigating panel set up by the University, is, by virtue of sections 6 and 33(1), (4) and (13) of the 1979 Constitution, competent to adjudicate upon the guilt or innocence of the students for the alleged criminal offences; second, whilst the University authorities may expel a student for misconduct not amounting to a criminal offence, yet as a disciplinary body, they are bound to act judicially, comply with the constitutional requirement of fair hearing and observe the other requirement of the rule of natural justice; in this case, the students were not given a fair hearing, and as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, being a victim of the students’ rampage (his house was burnt down), his chairmanship of the investigating panel created a real likelihood of bias in that he was thereby put in a position of being both a witness and a judge all at the same time.

It is remarkable that, in Justice Onnoghen’s 37-page lead judgment, section 6 of the Constitution and the Supreme Court’s previous decisions in Sofekun v. Akinyemi (supra) and Garba v. University of Jos (supra), based on that section were not cited or considered. They were also not cited or considered in any of the other judgments delivered in the case.

The judgments must be taken to have been given per incuriam, with the consequences noted later below. But the public deserves to know why. The issue of jurisdiction in the Saraki case cannot be settled aright without reference to section 6 and the decisions based on it.

To be continued

50—Vanguard, THURSDAY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Kwara: A riposte to Modibbo Kawu's misrepresentation RIGHT OF REPL Y REPLY

By Muyideen Akorede

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SHAQ Modibbo Kawu’s latest diatribe against the government and political leadership of Kwara State, published in the Vanguard of Thursday, February 18, 2016 was, as usual, marked by innuendo, falsehood and disinformation. In the interest of truthloving Kwarans and other right-thinking Nigerians, we are once again compelled to correct the gross misrepresentation that Kawu packaged as commentary on the affairs of Kwara State. This, then, is a factual riposte to his falsehood.

Whether Kawu admits it or not, former Governor of Kwara State and Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki’s strides as architect of modern Kwara and Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed’s upscaling of development, are discernable to all Kwarans, and certainly to other Nigerians that have visited Kwara State and marveled at its relative development. For example, the establishment of Shonga Farms has transformed the local environment besides creating four thousand jobs at peak season annually and transferring knowledge to local farmers. Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre employs hundreds of Kwarans and has saved thousands of lives through early diagnosis. On its part, the International Aviation College (IAC), Ilorin not only has several Kwarans in its employ, it has also boosted development in the state capital.

IAC has also earned the respect of elite organisations such as the Nigeria Air force, Navy and the Police which have trained staff or collaborate with the relatively new college. The college recently made history as the first to provide rotary and fixed wing pilot training in West Africa, demonstrating a huge potential to contribute to IGR. Additionally, it must be pointed out to Kawu that good leaders like Senator Saraki and Governor Ahmed create structures that provide short, medium and long term benefits.

Falsehood, therefore, doesn’t become truth on account of its repetition in certain circles.

For the record, recent laudable measures by the government to insulate the state from the prevailing national economic crisis are aimed at ensuring sustainable e c o n o m i c development amidst declining resources.

To start with, any keen observer of public finances in Nigeria knows that almost every state spends up In the to 70 per cent of federal allocation on interest of payment of civil public good, servants’ salaries and we will not pensions. Kawu should, therefore, stop setting know that the bulk of the records the N640b he claims Kwara State straight and Government has disrupting spent from 2003 to date went towards his attempt paying salaries. to mislead Those salaries also formed a similar Nigerians proportion of the on the state Internal Revenue generated within the of Kwara

same period as PAYE. There lies the full disclosure that Kawu seeks.

The writer also struggles to paint the state government as low performing on account of salaries owed some workers in the state.

On the contrary, it is on record that Kwara State is up-to-date with salary payment to core state civil servants and pensioners.

The only workers being owed salaries at most three months are those in revenue generating agencies that are expected to raise revenue to meet their obligations.

Faced with more than 50 percent drop in monthly allocation for almost a year, the Ahmed administration prioritised salary payment in non-revenue generating MDAs. It is, therefore, mischievous for Kawu to create the impression that the salary crises is peculiar to Kwara State.

The truth is Kawu’s script on Kwara is shallow, predictable and clichéd. Recently, he compared governance in Kwara State with that of Kaduna, ignoring to mention that the latter state receives in one month what Kwara receives in three from the Federation Account. Again, any journalist or public commentator worth his salt will have acknowledged the discrepancy in the resources available to both governors in drawing comparisons.

Drawing of comparisons It is also puzzling that Kawu is unhappy with the Ahmed administration for demonstrating the innovativeness and purposeful governance for which he praises other state governors. Take his criticism of Governor Ahmed’s new monthly IGR target of N5b, for instance.

A good leader or manager sets directions and communicates this strongly to followers. In setting that monthly IGR target for KWIRS, the reformed state revenue agency, Governor Ahmed was doing just that, knowing the prospect of achieving that target is high. Yet Kawu dismisses this laudable gesture as grandiose and unrealistic. And in campaigning against the state government’s reform of the revenue collection system which seeks to block leakages and enhance revenue, it seems Kawu supports those responsible for the inefficiencies Governor Ahmed is determined to stamp out.

On Harmony Holdings Limited: On the statement credited to the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad, where he commented on the operations of Harmony Holdings Limited, a holding company for state-owned assets and investments, it is imperative to note that the Speaker was quoted out of context.

Dr. Ahmad only noted that the HHL was not publicising many of its various activities, while encouraging them to increase advocacy. Not surprisingly, Kawu latched onto the Speaker’s innocuous comment as to further attack the Senate President and the Kwara State Governor for their forthright roles in developing Kwara State.

In the interest of public good, we will not stop setting the records straight and disrupting his attempt to mislead Nigerians on the state of Kwara. Clearly, Kawu appears on a mission to malign the Government and the political leadership in Kwara without justification.

•Dr. Akorede, is Senior Special Assistant, Media and Communication to the Kwara State Governor

Migrant crisis: Germany sends home rejected Afghans

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SPECIAL flight from Germany carrying 125 deported Afghans has arrived in Kabul, in a sign that the Berlin government is taking steps to reduce the number of people seeking asylum.

Afghans have become Germany’s second largest group of asylum seekers, after Syrians, with 154,000 arriving in 2015.

Those arriving in Kabul all left voluntarily, German officials said.

Hope of securing asylum in Europe has become increasingly difficult for Afghans in recent days.

Macedonia has stopped allowing Afghans across its border with Greece, giving access to only Syrians and Iraqis, leaving thousands of people stranded since

Burkina Faso’s Blaise Compaore becomes Ivorian

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URKINA Faso’s ousted leader Blaise Compaore has been granted Ivorian citizenship, effectively ending the prospect of his extradition to face murder charges back home.

The order was signed by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara in November 2014, but has only just come to light. Mr Compaore is wanted over his alleged role in the murder of iconic ex-leader Thomas Sankara in 1987. His 27-year rule ended in October 2014 after a wave of popular protests.

Mr Compaore, whose wife is Ivorian, has been in exile in Ivory Coast since his overthrow in October 2014. An international arrest warrant was issued for him in December.

The BBC’s Valerie Bony in Abidjan says Ivory Coast does not extradite its citizens.

Mr Sankara, a left-wing radical seen as “Africa’s Che Guevara”, is considered a hero for many Africans and was succeeded by Mr Compaore, who had served as his deputy.

Syria: Assad confirms readiness for truce

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YRIA’S president has assured Russia of his readiness to respect a ceasefire deal brokered by Moscow and Washington, the Kremlin said.

“A phone call took place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar alAssad,” the Kremlin said in a statement on Wednesday.

“In particular, [Assad] confirmed the readiness of the Syrian government to

facilitate the establishment of a ceasefire.”

Trump wins easily in Nevada

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ONALD Trump has won a third straight victory, the state Republican Party confirmed, with victory in the Nevada caucuses, cementing a lead that could soon be insurmountable in the Republican presidential race.

Early results on

US officials probe whether Zika virus spread through sex

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NITED States health officials are investigatingwhether14new Zika virus infections may been transmitted through sexual contact, raising questionsabouttheroleofsex in spreading a disease that hasbeenlinkedtobirthdefects in Brazil.

Several of the cases involved pregnant women, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned on Tuesday.

In two of the suspected cases, the infection has been confirmed in women whose only known risk factor was sexualcontactwithanillmale partner who had recently travelled to an area where the

Monday.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the return of Afghans was part of its commitment to help rebuild their country. “This is also key to a successful fight against the root cause of people fleeing,” he said.

Almost 102,000 people have arrived on the Greek islands from Turkey since the start of 2016.

According to the UN: Macedonia insists its decision to exclude Afghans was a response to actions taken by other countries.

“Decisions have been made in Croatia and Serbia to let no more Afghans over their borders who cannot prove they come from conflict areas,” Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki told Germany ’s Bild newspaper.

That move appears to have followed a daily limit imposed by Austria last Friday of 80 asylum applications for people arriving on its southern borders. It said it would allow a maximum of 3,200 migrants and refugees to continue their journey across the country.

virus was present, the CDC said. Most experts had believed that sexual transmission of the illness was rare, but the new alert suggestssexualtransmission of Zika may be more of a factor than previously thought. Dr Peter Hotez, endowed chairman of Tropical Pediatrics at Texas Children’s Hospital, told Al Jazeera that it was a significant development for a virus mostly transmitted by mosquitos. “These are all men in the early stages of infection, meaning that they havetheabilitytotransmitthe virus in the first two weeks of it to their wives or partners,” Hotez said.

Wednesday showed Trump, who had been expected to win by a large margin, leading the pack of candidates with about 44 percent of the vote.

“If you listen to the pundits, we weren’t expected to win too much, and now we’re winning, winning, winning the country,” Trump said at a victory rally in Las Vegas.

Marco Rubio was projected by Fox News to come in second with about 30 percent, edging out Ted Cruz who received 16 percent in the Nevada caucuses, according to early results.

Both men, however, were far ahead of John Kasich and Ben Carson, Fox News projected.

The Nevada win is the third in a row for Trump in the state-by-state nominating contest for the November presidential election.

A billionaire businessman and political outsider, Trump’s brash, anti-government talk appealed to Nevada residents, political strategists said before the Tuesday evening caucus.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 — 51

EFCC detains Secondus, PDP deputy chairman OMOKORE'S N300M EXOTIC CARS:

•May be charged with oil mogul •FG targeting our leaders—PDP

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor & Ben Agande

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BUJA—WHERE are the 25 exotic cars which the embattled promoter of Atlantic Energy Concepts Limited, Jide Omokore, allegedly bought for top officials of the Peoples Democratic Party?

This is the question operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission put to the Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Elder Uche Secondus, who allegedly received the vehicles for onward distribution to other beneficiaries.

Operatives of the EFCC on Tuesday night arrested Secondus from his Abuja home and detained him overnight in its facility.

government of huge revenue.

Besides, Omokore is believed to have used fronts in the NNPC to secure controlling shares in an oil block, thus enriching himself and his firm above national interest.

Secondus’ arrest came barely three days after he handed over the leadership of the PDP to the controversial new National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff, in Abuja.

He took over the reins of power from Alhaji Adamu Mua’zu, who resigned shortly after President Jonathan lost the presidential election last year.

Meanwhile, the Peoples

Democratic Party, PDP, lamented oppressive and unfair treatments against its key leaders by the Federal Government.

Targeting PDP leaders

The party, in a statement signed by National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon, alerted the nation that the arrest and detention of its Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was part of the grand script by the APC-led Federal Government to decimate the opposition.

The party said: ‘’We are also

aware that plans have been perfected by the Federal Government to arrest and detain the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and other leaders of the party on imaginary charges. ‘’Indeed, intelligence available to the party shows that the Federal Government, using its various agencies, is bent on destroying any opposition to the ruling party as all indications show that the government is more interested in humiliating the PDP than

PDP laments

But Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in a swift reaction, lamented the oppressive and unfair treatments against its key leaders by the Federal Government.

Secondus was still being interrogated as at the time of filing the story last night.

A top official of the anti-graft agency told Vanguard in confidence that the 25 exotic cars, worth over N300 million, were discovered in the course of interrogating Omokore, who had been in EFCC detention for the second week over bogus oil deals worth billions of Naira.

The source said: “It was Omokore’s probe that exposed Secondus and we had to go after him. It was in the process of trying to trace where Omokore’s money went to that we found that exotic cars worth over N300 million were bought for distribution to PDP top shots.

“Records show that he (Secondus) was the man who received the vehicles and we really want to know why he got the cars, what they were meant for and who the beneficiaries were."

Asked if the deputy chairman was arrested, the source said he honoured invitation and was taken up on the issues but could not say whether he would be granted administrative bail, having made his statement.

Omokore, Jonathan's ally

Omokore, seen in the Nigerian oil industry as a close ally of immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan and former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Madueke, is facing interrogation

by EFCC for grabbing oil deals worth billions of Naira without following due process.

EFCC is trying to unravel how he beat the system to lift millions of barrels of oil without remitting the full amount to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, thereby denying the

UNVEILING: Minister of Power, Works & Housing and chairman of the occasion, Mr Babatunde Fashola, (left), Special Guest of Honour, General Yakubu Gowon, retd, (2nd right), former Governor of Cross River State, Mr Donald Duke (2nd left) and Governor, Rotary International District 9126, Dr. Mike Omotosho, at the unveiling of the 4Way Test Initiative, in Abuja.

Senators, Reps query CBN over utilisation of N1trn revenue in 2015

By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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BUJA—THE joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Banking and Currency yesterday queried the nation’s apex bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for allegedly spending N1.062 trillion revenue above the N482.167 billion proposed income for the year 2015.

The lawmakers, who lamented that the apex bank overshot its spending in the 2014 appropriation by over fifty percent during the 2015 budget performance and 2016 budget defence of budgetary allocation to CBN, noted that the bank had imbibed the habit of spending more than what was budgeted to it.

According to them, “CBN is developing a culture of spend as I earn attitude.”

They added hat the bank

should have remitted N400 billion operating surplus to government’s treasury.

The lawmakers also queried what they described as the astronomical increase in staff cost from N158.134 billion in 2015 to N408.808 billion as proposed in 2016 budget; and non-inclusion of commission for brokers, Dutch income, in its budget proposal.

They wondered why the CBN should spend N780 million on the dealing room, N226 million for recruitment, N1.5 billion on research, N75.980 billion loss incurred from SWAP, N.8 billion on data collection and about N1 billion on Entrepreneurial Development Centre.

The committee demanded for CBN financial statement, nominal roll, details of foreign and domestic investments, among other contentious issues raised at the meeting.

To address some of the

contending issues on the operations and core mandate of the banks, the committee resolved to hold a special session next week with CBN management.

Speaking at the budget defence, representatives of the CBN disclosed that the country’s foreign reserve which stands at $27.66 billion, might decline further to $18 billion for 2016.

On the recent calls for the devaluation of naira, Adebayo Adelabu, CBN Deputy Governor (Corporate Affairs) and Suleiman Barau, CBN Deputy Governor (Operations), while fielding questions from the lawmakers, defended the position of government not to further devalue the Naira.

They, however, noted that the bank did not envisage devaluation of naira and assured of maintaining the $196.97/$1 exchange rate.

Jonathan congratulates Shagari @ 91

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By Emma Ujah

BUJA—FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan has congratulated the nation’s first Executive President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, as he turns 91 today, describing him as an inspiration to many Nigerians.

Jonathan, who made this known in a statement issued yesterday by Ikechukwu Eze, his media adviser, described Shagari as a blessing to the nation.

He added that Shagari’s long-standing commitment to peace and development would continue to inspire many Nigerians to offer their best to their fatherland.

He said: “I am glad the Almighty Allah has blessed you with long life and good health, in line with your selfless dedication to noble causes and human progress.

“You have been of immense blessing to Nigeria while serving her in various capacities as a teacher, nationalist, politician and statesman.

“The nation will continue to be gratefultoyoubecauseofyourvision, wisdom, democratic ideals and outstanding achievements as President."

....As former aide sues EFCC over detention

By Charles Kumolu, with agency report

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AGOS—FORMER Aidede-camp ,ADC, to exPresident Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Adegbe Ojogbane has filed a legal action against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ,EFCC, over his detention.

In the suit filed through Ogwu Onoja, his counsel, Adegbe is claiming N100 million damages for his detention, which “violates his fundamental rights”.

Onoja urged the court to declare that his client’s arrest and continued detention by EFCC since February 11 was unconstitutional and violated his right to personal liberty guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution.

The applicant’s counsel contended that EFCC’s action violated Articles 5,6 and 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The case has been fixed for February 26 for hearing.

When Vanguard contacted the commission’s spokesperson, Mr. Willson Uwujaren, to confirm the story, he said he had contacted the legaldepartmentoftheEFCCinthat regard.

52—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Lagos commits to ending violence against children

By Sola Ogundipe

T

HE Lagos State government has launched a groundbreaking campaign to end violence against children.

Lagos is the first State in Nigeria to respond to the call of President Muhammadu Buhari, for every State in the country to initiate their own campaigns during the National Year of Action to End Violence against Children, launched 15th September 2015.

At the launch - a collaboration with the US Mission in Nigeria, UNICEF and other development partners, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode declared that enough was enough on the issue of violence against children in the state.

Ambode, who was represented by the Deputy Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly, Sanni Eshinlokun said the state and the nation as a whole had a clear moral, legal and economic imperative to end violence against children.

The State announced Priority

Actions to be taken by state and non-state actors in short-term and long-term to effectively prevent and respond to violence against children.

“We cannot allow the findings or the priority actions to remain on paper,” Ambode declared.

Also speaking, US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires, ad interim, Maria E. Brewer, said: “We have made progress in this fight but much still remains to be done. All children must be protected from abuse, violence, exploitation, and neglect.

Violence against children is never justified. Violence is preventable”.

In a comment, UNICEF Representative, Ms Jean Gough, said Lagos has set an example for the rest of Nigeria in the fight against violence against children. “We hope that where you have led the way, other States will follow.”

Millions of children suffer violence every year in Nigeria - approximately six out of every 10 children experience some form of physical, emotional and

LAUNCH: – From right - Deputy Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly, Sanni Eshinlokun; Dr. Howard Kress of the CDC; Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Lola Akande; Special Representative, UN Secretary General on Violence Against Children, Ms. Marta Santos Pais; Chairman National Population Commission, Eze Duruiheoma (SAN) and Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode , during the launch of the Lagos state priority actions on violence against children at the Federal Palace Hotel Lagos, yesterday. sexual violence before the age of 18 years, according to the Nigeria Violence against Children Survey, carried out by the National Population Commission, with support from UNICEF and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The survey, presented to Special Representative, UN Secretary General on Violence

against Children, Ms. Marta Santos Pais, by Chairman, National Population Commission, Eze Duruiheoma, found that: one in two children experience physical violence; one in four girls and one in 10 boys experience sexual violence; and one in six girls and one in five boys experience emotional violence. The

majority of children do not tell anyone what has happened to them and fewer than five per cent receive the help they need to recover.

“The study is a remarkable example of how research can bring to light the hidden face of violence against children,” Santos Pais noted.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

H

ELLO admin. Top of the day to you. Please what will you recommend for a man in his late twenties who wants to increase the size of his penis?

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There is a guy in my Mother’s office who has been begging me to marry him but I feel this is too early.

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So date him. Marriage is a different matter though. Anybody who wants to get married is going to need all the life experience he or she can get because marriage is tough. I am sure you have heard that before. I am not trying to scare you.

But you must be ready. So start dating first and a few years from now, you can talk marriage. There is

no rush. You are young. Good luck – Uche There is an arousal gel for men that I bought from you called Dickalicious. My husband likes it a lot for oral sex and I use it on him every now and then. He tried it on me the other day and I liked it but I just want to confirm if a woman can use it because I know it to be for men. Thanks – Nancy Nancy that is okay. The Dickalicious Arousal Gel is a topical cream that arouses from the outside. Because of the similarities between clitoral tissue and the head of the penis, a lot of topical lotions that work for men also work for women – Uche I never used to enjoy Power Zen that much until I started taking two capsules and now I am obsessed with it. I like it, my wife likes it and my friends can’t stop talking about it. Thanks for helping an old man. You gave me life at 63 – Gbenga Wow! You are welcome. I am glad we can help.

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 — 53

3 Ministers inaugurate NOC’s Women Commission today T

HE international Olympic Committee’s efforts at encouraging many women to partake in the governing and administrative bodies of the Olympic Movement will be at the front burner today when the Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC, inaugurates a powerful 19member team at the Media Conference of the National Stadium, Abu-

ja today.

To underscore the importance of the inauguration and Conventional meeting, three Ministers would be in attendance today to show unwavering support to the women.

The Ministers of Women Affairs and Health will be led by Youth and Sports Minister, Barrister Solomon Dalung.

One of Nigeria’s most

Ganduje splashes N2m on Pillars for beating Rangers

G

OVERNOR Abdulahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State has splashed two million Naira on Kano Pillars following their dramatic comeback win against Enugu Rangers in Kano.

The former champions came from a goal down in their opening Niger-

ia Professional Football League match of the season to beat Rangers 2-1 at the Sani Abacha Stadium on Sunday.

Goals from Gambo Mohammed and late strike from new signing Prince Aggrey cancelled visitors’ lead to put the Sai Masu Gida boys atop of the NPFL log after week one games.

Delighted governor Ganduje further assured the team of his government’s committment to providing moral and financial support to it’s activities.

accomplished former athlete, Mary Onyali Omagbemi who is the Chairperson of the Commission will lead out an equally exciting lists of well accomplished amazons for their inauguration.

Women participation in physical activities and the Olympic Games has increased tremendously, but their percentage in governing and administrative bodies of the Olympic Movement has remained low.

In other to remedy this disparity, the IOC has set out objectives for the NOCs, International and National Federations which are affiliates of the Olympic Movement to reserve at least 25% of decision-making positions for women.

The Nigeria Olympic Committee has complied with these objectives and has set up a 19 member team who will hold her Inauguration / Conventional meeting from 25th-26th February, 2016 at the Media Conference room of the National Stadium, Abuja.

*Chief Frank Chukelu MD/CEO, Cisco Energy Resources Limited, (r) Dr Jonathan Nnaji, President, Modern Pentathlon Federation (l) and Mr. Tunde Popoola, Secretary, Nigeria Olympic Committee (m) at the presentation of office equipment by Cisco Energy Resources to Modern Pentathlon Federation in Lagos, yesterday.

Galadima rallies support for NFF, LMC

T

HE flag-off for the 2015/16 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season was not all about the tackles traded on the pitch as the leadership of the national football that was in Kano for the official kick-off took time out to pay homage to a former President of the

Monimichelle assures on Enyimba stadium *Gov. Ganduje

Ugbade

Continues from B/P

alert was late in coming, “it was not possible that every person would get it the same time.”

The first African to lift a FIFA trophy was thankful to President Mohammadu Buhari for keeping to his promise, the Minister of Sport, Solomon Dalung, the NFF President Amaju Pinnick and others who made the largesse possible. “On behalf of the history-making class of 1985 Eaglets, I want to thank the President, the minister, the NFF President and all those who have worked tirelessly to ensure we got the money. It is an unforgettable gesture and we will all live to cherish this,” Ugbade said.

The recent Nigeria U17s that won the World Cup for a fifth time in Chile late last year were not left out, with some of the players getting credit transaction alerts just before 2000 hours on Tuesday night.

The Dream Team VI will get N500,000 for winning the Africa U23 Cup of Nations while the 2015 Golden Eaglets will receive the sum of N1.2 million.

T

HEcontractor handling Enyimba International stadium, Aba, Monimichelle, has assured that the arena would be ready before the Peoples Elephants play their next continental game after the first round hurdle against Vipers of Uganda.

Enyimba would this weekend host Vipers at the Yakubu Gowon sta-

Oliseh Continues from B/P

The NFF had ordered Oliseh to Abuja on the same day to defend his call-ups for next month’s all-important AFCON qualifiers against Egypt.

However, an official disclosed that the committee are expected to deliberate on CHAN 2016 report, among other pressing technical matters affecting the various national teams.

Both the Nigeria U23 and U20 male teams are expected to shortly begin training camp ahead of major engagements.

The Olympic team are due to play a series of friendlies against Rio Olympics hosts Brazil next month, while the Flying Eagles will begin their qualifying campaign in May for the U20 AFCON in Zambia in 2017.

dium, Port Harcourt with their Aba fortress still undergoing renovation.

Monimichelle’s CEO, Ebi Egbe said yesterday that with the job done so far, the stadium could be ready in one week once the needed materials are imported into the country.

“We have completed the stadium drainage and sub base. All that is left is laying of the grass (natural geo technology pitch) which is to be imported. As things stand now, the job is 90 percent done and laying of the grass by a team of

FIFA certified experts wont take more than a week if the materials arrive the country,” Egbe said.

Egbe commended the Abia state government for the efforts it is making to complete the project in spite of the free fall of the naira.

“When the contract was awarded to us in December, the exchange rate of the naira to euro was 275 to 1, but today the naira has been weakened by almost double that rate. But the government is determined to complete the project.

Conte

age of just 16. In 1991, he was signed by Juventus manager Giovanni Trapattoni.

He spent 13 hugely successful years in Turin, playing alongside magnificent players such as Zinedine Zidane, Alessandro del Piero, Didier Deschamps and Gianluca Vialli.

Conte was integral to a sustained spell of Juventus dominance in the nineties and early noughties and boasts an enviable medal collection.

He won five Serie A titles, the UEFA Cup in 1993 and the Champions League in 1996, when Juve defeated Ajax on penalties in the Rome final.

Continues from B/P

seeking a return to club management, met Roman Abramovich in Monaco earlier this month and is the favourite to become Jose Mourinho’s permanent replacement.

Conte was a combative, energetic and industrious box-to-box central midfielder, who concentrated mainly on shielding the defence but wasn’t afraid to get forward when the situation permitted. Accordingly, he developed a talent for long-range goals.

Conte came through the youth system at Lecce and made his debut in Serie A in 1985, at the

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima.

The soft spoken Galadima of his Fage town of Kano State seized the opportunity to call for cessation of real and imagined crisis in the nation’s football organisation and also commended the improvements in the management of the league.

The season was flagged off with the official star match between Kano Pillars and Rangers International of Enugu which ended 2-1 in favour of the home side with a late winner clinched by newcomer, Prince Aggrey.

The delegation led by NFF President, Amaju

Infantino Continues from B/P

candidate who can offer the genuine reform required to restore world football’s credibility.

As he embarked on the penultimate day of campaigning, the UEFA general secretary told Sky News he is confident he has the support of enough voters to beat his main rival and bookmakers’ favourite, Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahimn Al Khalifa of Bahrain.

Asked if he can win, he said: “I will win. I am very confident because first of all I’m a positive person, but especially because I have spent four months travelling around the world, speaking with presidents and national associations. I know what they need.”

Sheikh Salman has faced persistent questions over his human rights and campaigning record, with allegations of misuse of funds and

Pinnick and included 2nd Vice President and Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC0, Shehu Dikko, General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi and some board members including Ahmed Fresh, Ibrahim Gusau and a former board member Ahmed Kawu.

Galadima and his Fage residents had warmly received their guests and set the tone for Amaju to offer the board’s appreciation for the moral support the board have so far received from their host, mentioning particularly his acceptance to serve on the reconstituted NFF Appeals Committee. cash-for-votes aired by Conservative MP Damian Collins under parliamentary privilege in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

Salman has denied the allegations and Infantino refused to criticise his rival, but did suggest he is the only candidate who can oversee a credible reform process.

“Reforms are important and they have to pass, but the next step is to implement them and, for this reason, it is important to have a FIFA president who knows what these reforms mean and how they can be implemented in real life.

From day one, I will roll up my sleeves and work on them.

“All the federations know what is best for FIFA, they know the situation, that know the reputation of FIFA is at a very, very, very low point, and they know that a vote for me will bring back the reputation of FIFA to govern world football.”

54

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBURARY 25 25,, 2016

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBURARY 25 25,, 2016 – 55

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Infantino: ‘I will win’ FIFA Presidency IANNI Infantino G says he will win Friday’s FIFA election, and that he is the only Continues on page 53

Oliseh shuns NFF technical committee S

UPER Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh will not be meeting with Nigeria Football Federation technical committee, to defend his plans for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Egypt billed for March 25.

Oliseh has said he will be in England this weekend to meet up with some of the country’s top stars in the Premier League like Mikel Obi of Chelsea, Watford striker Odion Ighalo as well as Victor Moses.

*Oliseh

Continues on page 53

PROMISE KEPT: President Buhari in handshake with Ugbade at the Villa.

Conte to step into Chelsea hot seat NPFL RESULTS A

Presidential reward: “I don get alert’’ –Ugbade

BY JACOB AJOM

M

EMBER of the Golden Eaglets class of 1985 that won the inaugural Fifa Under 16 World Cup are all smiles after the Federal Gov-

ernment kept its promise of paying the players their cash rewards.

Captain of the World Cup-winning team, Nduka Ugbade confirmed to Sports Vanguard that he got an

NTONIO Conte looks set to become the next manager of Chelsea when his contract with the Italian national team expires after Euro 2016.

The 46-year-old, who is

alert from his bank to that effect.

“I have just received an alert as we speak,” Ugbade said in a telephone chat yesterday, adding that although his Continues on page 53

*Infantino

*Conte

Continues on page 53

Tornadoes 1 Giwa FC 1 Rangers 3 Plateau 1 Wolves 1 Pillars 0 Lobi 2 Sunshine Stars 1 Abia W 2 El-Kanemi 1 Wikki 0 Heartland 0 MFM 2 Rivers Utd 1

QUICK CROSSWORD

T OD AY'S PUZZLE ODA

FRI DAY'S ANS WERS FRID ANSWERS

DOWN ACROSS 1 Passionate (6) 2 Wireless (5) 5 Scold (6) 3 Flat (4) 4 Test (5) 8 Glue (8) 5 Consecrate (5) 9 Spoken (4) 10 Lettuce (3) 6 Chamber (4) 7 Headdress (5) 12 Mirror (5) 10 Angry (5) 15 Droop (3) 17 Fighting (3) 11 Dulcet (5) 12 Band (5) 18 Employ (3) 13 Pale (5) 19 Poem (3) 20 Alternative (5) 14 Rush (5) 15 Feeling (5) 21 Pinch (3) 16 Yawned (5) 22 Bird (3) 23 Fuel (3) 25 Anaesthetic (5) 27 Follow (5) 24 Fixed (3) 28 Instrument (5) 26 Coins (5) 29 Finish (3) 30 Din (5) 31 Among (4) 33 Bogus (4) 34 Magnificent (8) 32 One (4) 35 Span (6) 36 Vent (6)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Part 4, Hop 6, Pick 8, Former 9, Insane 10, Old 12, Began 14, Below 15, Nudge 18, Scribe 20, Leader 24, Naked 26, Regal 28, Loved 30, Wed 32, Statue 33, Astute 34, Trod 35, Tap 36, Dune.

DOWN: 2, Arose 3, Timpani 4, Hero 5, Paid 6, Paste 7, Console 11, Log 12, Bus 13, Nub 16, Den 17, Elk 19, Creator 21, Eel 22, Adopted 23, Rod 25, Axe 27, Acted 29, Eaten 30, Went 31, Damp.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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