Female suicide bomber, 5 others killed in Kano

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62196

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

Boko Haram attack Cameroon's Vice-PM •kidnap wife; kill three 8 others

FOOTPRINTS OF A STATESMAN: The Ajaokuta Days; Statesman, Nationalist A book serial...on pages 52-54

Female suicide bomber, 5 others killed in Kano

By Kingsley Omonobi, Ben Agande & Abdulsalam Muhammad

•Police foil bombing of Kano Mosque •Arrest five suspects; Kano Emirate suspends festivities •Buhari's death would have caused trouble — Jonathan K

ANO— ANCIENT city of Kano witnessed fresh bomb attacks, yesterday, as twin explosions targeted at worshippers at Saint

Continues on Page 5

COLUMNISTS:

The strategic blunders of CBN's Monetary Policy Committee P.48

Gunning for •P.59 Buhari

Mr & Mrs EID-EL-FITRI—Cross section of Musilms praying at Ile-Zik, Ikeja, Praying Ground in Lagos to mark Eid-el-Fitri, celebration, yesterday. PHOTO: Joe Akintola, Photo-Editor,.

EBOLA: Arik Air suspends flights to Liberia, Sierra-Leone C M Y K

Confab: Report not 9 ready, as Kutigi shifts resumption date to August 11 7

2 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

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POCKET CARTOON

SALLAH HOMAGE—President Goodluck Jonathan (r) receiving a greeting card from Vice President Namadi Sambo; FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed and the Minister of State FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinnjide during Eid-el-Fitri homage paid the President by residents of the FCT, led

by Sambo at the President's residence, State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Female suicide bomber, five others killed in Kano Continues from page 1 Charles Catholic Church, Sabon Gari, and a police check point in Kano killed six persons.

The dead included a soldier, two women, a man, a child and a female suicide bomber.

Kano State Commissioner of Police, Adelenre Shinaba told reporters in Kano that the attack on the Catholic Church located at Zungeru Road, occurred shortly after the Sunday mass when an object suspected to be Impro-

vised Explosive Device was thrown from opposite the church at a crowd of worshippers, leaving the service.

Mr. Shinaba explained that the explosion left a soldier guarding the church dead, as well as four others. Eight other worshippers sustained various degrees of injury.

He disclosed that three suspects were arrested at the scene of the blast, pointing out that investigation has already commenced to ascertain their level of

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

You never regret kindness. Og Mandino says, ‘treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend all the care, kindness and understanding you can, with no thought of reward, and your life will never be the same.’

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

I find I am much prouder of the victory I obtain over myself, when, in the very ardor of dispute, I make myself submit to my adversary’s force of reason, than I am pleased with the victory I obtain over him through his weakness — Michel de Montaigne

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POINTED fable is told about a young lion and a cougar. Both thirsty, the animals arrived at their usual water hole at the same time.

They immediately began to argue about who should satisfy his thirst first. The argument became heated, and each decided he would rather die than give up the privilege of being first to quench his thirst.

As they stubbornly confronted each other, their emotions turned to rage. Their cruel attacks on each other were suddenly interrupted. They both looked up. Circling overhead was a flock of vultures waiting for the loser to fall. Quietly, the two beasts turned and walked away. The thought of being devoured was all they needed to end their quarrel.

complicity.

According to the police boss, the other bomb attack involved a 15 yearold female suicide bomber who concealed the bomb device on her and walked towards policemen manning a check point.

He explained that the suicide bomber decided to detonate the device on her when the policemen threatened to shoot her if she continued to walk towards them.

Mr. Shinaba said that the incident occurred at Gidan Murtala by Kofar Nassarawa overhead bridge around 1.00pm, adding that five officers were injured in the process while four of them have been treated and discharged.

Major bomb attack averted The Kano State Police Command also said a bloodbath was averted late Saturday at Isyaku Rabiu Eid praying ground in Kano metropolis following the discovery of a primed vehicle abandoned strategically on the expanse field.

Isyaku Rabiu Mosque also served as Eid praying ground and is the second largest in Kano city attracting hundreds of thousands of worshippers across various sects.

The police commissioner, told newsmen in Kano that “the proactive steps initiated by the police in ensuring hitch

free Sallah celebration paid off when a good Samaritan alerted us on the development’.

He said the police received a distress call from some members of the public that a Peugeot 406, white in colour, with Number plate AA 513 ZAK, was abandoned at the gate of Isyaku Rabiu Mosque located at Goron Dutse Qtrs Kano.

“On receipt of the information, our men led by the EOD Personnel were mobilized to the scene and discovered the said vehicle was loaded with IEDs primed to be detonated during today’s (yesterday) Eid el-Fitr ’s prayers. We immediately disconnected and dislodged the EIDs safely without causing any injury or damage,” he said.

In the meantime, the Kano Emirate Council has suspended traditional festivities associated with Eid celebration for security reasons.

Briefing reporters on the development, the District Head of Dale, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero disclosed that the suspension was due to security situation in the country. He called on citizens to intensify prayers for divine intervention.

Police arrest five suspects Meanwhile, the Police headquarters in Abuja declared yesterday that five suspects have been arrested in connection with the bomb attacks in Kano, yesterday.

According to a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Frank Mba, two of the suspects were arrested in connection with the failed attack at the Ishiaku Rabiu Mosque in Kano. The other three were arrested in connection with attack on the St. Charles Catholic Church that resulted in the death of five persons.

The suspects, all of them, male are facing interrogation in different police facilities in the state.

The statement read: “As part of ongoing investigations into the various terror related incidents that occurred in Kano, Police operatives in the ancient city have arrested five suspects in connection with the Saint Charles Church. All suspects are currently undergoing interrogation at different Police facilities. Following the spate of incidents in Kano, the Nigeria Police have

stepped up patrols and surveillance in the ancient city and other major cities across the nation.

Police operatives are carrying out both overt and covert operations nationwide, while special teams are carrying out sweeping raids in suspected terrorist hideouts. Citizens are enjoined to remain vigilant and continue to support the security forces in this trying period”, Mba said.

Earlier, ACP Mba, while confirming the attack, said that an attacker threw a bomb into the church premises immediately after the end of the church service located in Sabon Gari area of Kano which killed five persons. He said two previous attempts on a Mosque and a university were thwarted by the police in the city. He added that there were efforts to secure vulnerable points in Kano, Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Yobe and other areas.

Buhari’s death would have thrown Nigeria into turmoil —Jonathan In a related development, President Goodluck Jonathan said, yesterday, that those who carried out attacks on former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari and renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi were sons of the devil, who planned to throw the country into turmoil.

Speaking when Vice President Namadi Sambo and the Minister of the Federal Capital Teritory, FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed led Abuja residents to pay traditional Sallah homage, President Jonathan thanked God for saving the lives of General Buhari and Sheikh Bauchi from the attack, saying their death would

have been calamitous.

He also condemned the bomb attacks in Kaduna and Kano while extending his condolence and sympathy to the bereaved and those who suffered injuries.

“You can imagine if these two people had died in those attacks.

Shiekh Bauchi is one of our top Islamic preachers, he has millions of followers; Buhari, former Head of State, a leading political figure has massive supporters. On the same day people wanted to kill them. Those who planned the attacks are clearly sons of the devil.

Because if they had killed these two people, we wouldn’t have been here today. This country would have been in turmoil. We couldn’t have gathered here to celebrate.

“We thank Allah for saving their lives and preventing a major calamity that would have befallen our country”, he said.

While calling on clerics to preach peace to their congregation, President Jonathan noted that there can be no development in a situation where there is conflict and bloodshed.

He called on all Nigerians to work with government to see that “collectively we bring to an end the excesses of Boko haram and other terrorist groups. We are doing everything humanly possible to end it”, he said.

The president said the federal government was looking at how to raise funds to take care of the widows, and orphans, as well as to rebuild business premises that have been vandalised and worship places.

He however said that government alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of cushioning the effects of terrorist activities and called on the private sector to assist government in meeting this responsibility.

6—Vanguard , MONDAY MONDAY,, JULY 28, 2014

Ogun police kill 5 robbers, arrest one

By Daud Olatunji

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BEOKUTA — THE Ogun State Police Command said, yesterday, that its anti crime team attached to Agbado Division of the state had engaged a gang of 12 robbers in a gun battle at Oluke, Okugbolu and Onireke areas of Agbado and killed five of the robbers.

The command also disclosed that it had arrested a-26-year-old Oladeinde Rasheed who lived at Ijoko, Otta, Ogun State during the clash and recovered their weapons while others allegedly fled with bullet wounds .

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement that his men responded to a distress call following the attack by the robbers.

According to Adejobi, the robbers had launched attack on the people of these areas when a call was made to the Divisional Police Officer in Agbado Division who then put a call to his men on routine patrol to race down to the area where the robbers were caught in the act.

“In the process of combing the area, members of the Vigilante Service of Ogun State rendered assistance to the police team," he said.

Police nab first class graduate, five others over Internet fraud

By Evelyn Usman

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AGOS— THE Police Special Fraud Unit, PSFU, has smashed a syndicate which speclialises in designing multinational organisations' websites to defraud unsuspecting members of the public, particularly applicants, and arrested six members.

Among the suspects are a first class honours graduate and two final year students of the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA. The suspects' modus oparadi, according to the unit, include using logos of multinational companies to place online advertisements for jobs and scholarships and demanding application fee from interested individuals.

Luck ran out for the suspects after the unit received a petition from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, last August, that a website designed as ‘OFID Scholarship Website’ (OPEC Fund for International Development for World Student Aid Scholarship) with OFID name and logo is being used to defraud unsuspecting Nigerian applicants.

How they were arrested Explaining how they were arrested, spokesperson for the unit, Ngozi Isintume-Agu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said: “The petition dated August 22, 2013, said in the website, applicants were required to pay a fee of N2,500 and over 2,000 applicants responded through FirstBank account number 2020874607 and Access Bank account number 0056941009 with the name, OFID WSAS NG. “The petitioner stated further

The suspects that it was one of the victims that contacted OFID via facebook, accusing it of being an accomplice in the fraud. “ The Cybercrime Section of the unit swung into action and the mastermind of the fraud, one Falade Oluwapelumi Ayotunde, was arrested.

“His arrest led to the arrest of five other syndicate members.

Police investigation so far revealed that over 2,000 applicants paid N2,500 each into the two bank accounts provided by the suspects and the principal suspect is the only signatory to both accounts.

"Twenty-five- year-old Falade Olowapelumi Ayotunde, a 500level Estate Management student of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, in his confessional statement to operatives of the unit, admitted to have designed the website of OFID WSAS in June, 2012.

“He, however, claimed that the idea was sold to him by Fajobi Olalekan and Bolatiri Opemipo.

He also admitted in his statement that he opened an account in both banks with the name OFID WSAS NG for applicants to pay in their application fee which many responded to.

“The suspect who hails from Akure, Ondo state, further stated that he and his cohorts printed a postal for OFIDWAS which was on the website.

I was paid N120,000 for the job On his part, Asaolu Victor, 25, a graduate of Mining Engineering from FUTA, admitted to have assisted to paste the posters on-line.

According to Asaolu, who is from Ilesha, Osun State, he was tempted to assist because of unemployment. “Yes, I assisted to paste it on-line and at the end, I was given the sum of N80,000 and later they added N40,000, totalling N120,000 for the job.”

Another suspect, Awote Temitope Emmanuel, 27, said:

Two AK-47 rifles, live ammunition recovered from NSCDC operative

By Kingsley Omonobi

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BUJA — THE police have arrested Idris Saidu, an operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Niger State over alleged involvement in illegal arms deal.

A statement by the Force spokesman, ACP Frank Mba, yesterday in Abuja, said Saidu was arrested on July 22 by detectives in the state.

The statement said the detectives recovered two AK47 rifles and a large chunk of ammunition from the suspect.

It said the 33-year-old suspect, who was attached to NSCDC headquarters in Minna, was arrested at

Fadikpe in Chachanga Local Government Area of the state following a tip-off.

According to the statement, Saidu confessed that he bought the arms and ammunition as his contribution to assisting his maternal community engaged in communal crisis with herdsmen in Taraba State.

According to the statement: “The suspect, who has given useful information to the police that will lead to the arrest of his accomplices, will be arraigned in court as soon as investigation into the case is completed.

“Meanwhile, the InspectorGeneral of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, while commending member of the public for

“I am a 500 level Estate Management student of FUTA. I assisted Ayotunde (principal suspect ) to guarantee the accounts he opened for the OFID programme and I was paid N70,000."

Asked if he was aware that the scholarship programme was fake, he nodded in affirmative.

I lent Ayotunde N12,000 Also on his part, 27-year-old Fajobi Olalekan, a first class Mechanical Engineering graduate of FUTA and the best graduating student in his department for 2012, told operatives that he only lent the alleged mastermind N12,000 to host the website.

According to him, “while in school, I lived in the same lodge with Ayotunde. He and his friends were always coming to me for educational assistance because of my intelligence. I once fell a victim of a scam scholarship known as EDIADS. “Ayo approached me then and got some information regarding it which I believe gave him an idea on how to design his OFID Scholarship Website.

“I lent Ayotunde N12,000 which he used to host the website but he paid me N20,000 and informed me that the plan was successful.”

Professional advice

Idris Saidu and the recovered arms and ammunition. patriotic act and support the giving the information that security forces with credible led to the arrest of the information in their effort to suspect, enjoined other make Nigeria safer for all.” citizens to emulate this

Adebomi Oluwatosin, who is also a graduate of FUTA, said he only offered the alleged mastermind professional advice and also lent him N100,000 at the initial stage which was paid back with an additional N100,000.

Investigation, according to the Commissioner of Police incharge of the unit, Umar Idris, was on-going, informing that the suspects would be charged to court soon.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014—7

CONFAB: Report not ready as Kutigi shifts resumption date to August 11

By Henry Umoru

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BUJA — H O P E S o f delegates resuming August 4 to consider and approve the final report of the National Conference for presentation to the Federal Government have been shattered.

The leadership of the conference, yesterday, shifted resumption date by one week because the draft final report is not ready.

Following the secretariat’s inability to conclude its work, Chairman of the conference, Justice Idris Kutigi, cancelled the earlier resumption date as delegates are to resume on August 11.

The leadership, in a letter to delegates and signed by the Assistant Secretary, Media and Communications, James Akpandem, said the decision to extend the resumption date by one week is to avoid a situation where delegates would return to Abuja on August 4 and discover that there are no necessary materials to conclude the session within the time frame specified in the work plan.

The letter titled, “Postponement of Resumption Date” read in full: “Distinguished delegates, when the management of the National Conference 2014 adjourned plenary session on Monday, July 14, 2014, delegates were informed that they will reconvene on Monday, August 4, 2014 to certify the draft report of the conference to be assembled by the secretariat. ”Substantial work has been done on the various sections of the report as at now and we were hopeful that the entire draft will be ready by the scheduled date. ”However, because of the

two-day public holidays declared for Monday and Tuesday, July 28 and 29 respectively, and the volume of the report, which various sections have to be integrated and produced at the same time, it is becoming obvious that 500 copies of the draft report in the required volumes may not be ready for distribution to all the delegates on Monday, August 4, 2014. This is because external facilities needed to reproduce the volume required became unavailable beginning this weekend because of the long holiday. ”To avoid a situation where delegates return to Abuja without having the necessary materials to conclude the session within the time frame specified in the work plan, conference management decided to move the return date ahead by one week.

Consequently, delegates are now required to return for certification of the Conference Report on Monday, August 11, 2014. ”This shift may not affect other schedules already set for the eventual winding up of the 2014 National Conference. ”While management appreciates the understanding and seeks further cooperation of distinguished delegates, it deeply regrets any inconvenience the shift is likely to cause them.”

Following some irreconcilable differences between Northern and Southern delegates, the Monday, July 14 plenary session came to a close without any agreement on the controversial issue of resource control and proposed five per cent national intervention fund for insurgency and internal conflicts.

The conference specifically

adopted the report of the Committee on Devolution of Power, but without conclusive decision on the vital issue of derivation principle and what percentage should be paid to mineral producing areas.

As a soft landing for delegates, the conference pushed same problems to President Goodluck Jonathan by taking a position that he should set up a technical committee.

The technical committee, according to the delegates, would advise the Federal Government on the sharing formula of revenue which accrues to the Federal Government, the percentage of derivation to oil producing states, the mineral resources fund as well as the special fund for reconstruction and rehabilitation of areas affected by problems of insurgency and internal conflict.

From left: Mr. Bunmi Onafowokan, Head, Corporate Services, Toyota (Nigeria) Limited (TNL); Mrs. Yetunde Oni, Head, Local Corporates, Standard Chartered Bank (SCB); Mr. Kunle Ade-Ojo, Managing Director, TNL; Mrs. Bola Adesola, Chief Executive Officer, SCB; Mr. Ibude Guobadia, Head of Sales, Transactional Banking, SCB; Mr. David Adepoju, General Manager, Head of Global Markets/Co-Head Wholesale banking, SCB and Mr. Sola Bakare, Senior Accounts Relationships Manager, SCB during a courtsey visit by Chief Executive Officer, SCB, to Toyota Nigeria Limited, in Lagos.

No enforcement date yet for new number plate, drivers’ licence — FRSC

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By Theodore Opara

AGOS — THE Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, has said that it has not fixed any deadline for the enforcement of new number plate and drivers’ licence.

Reacting to media reports that the commission had fixed August 1, 2014, as the deadline for the enforcement of the new number plate and drivers license, the FRSC Public Education Officer, Jonas Agwu, said the corps stands by earlier directive of the Joint Tax Board to suspend the enforcement and court ruling pending the determination of the appeal by FRSC. He, therefore, advised motorists to renew their driver’s and vehicle licences as they expire in line with extant provision of the law.

The statement read: “Contrary to media reports, the Federal Road Safety Commission wishes to reiterate that it has not fixed a deadline for a nationwide enforcement of the new vehicle number plate and driver’s license.

"This is coming on the heels of inundated media reports and on-line publications of a proposed plan by the FRSC to commence a nationwide clamp down on vehicle owners/motorists from August 1, 2014 for non-compliance with the directive on the new vehicle number plate and driver’s licence.

"For avoidance of doubt, the commission wishes to state that it still stands on the earlier resolve to defer enforcement of the new number plate and driver’s licence following the suspension of the June 30 deadline."

Impeachment: Jonathan hasn't asked Nasarawa lawmakers to drop action— Iliya

By JOSEPH ERUNKE

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BUJA — CONTRARY to belief in some quarters that last week’s meeting of President Goodluck Jonathan with the Speaker and four other members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly resolved to drop the ongoing impeachment against the state governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, the meeting was only aimed at giving the president progress report of the impeachment.

Vanguard gathered that Jonathan convened the meeting to hear from the lawmakers following outcry by the All Progressives Congress, APC, faithful and the attendant street

protests by the governor ’s loyalists that the 20 legislators that signed the impeachment notice were being pushed by the leadership of the state's opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to oust the governor because of his party affiliation.

Governor Umaru Tanko AlMakura, had himself, earlier in the week met with the president, ostensibly to intervene in the impeachment threat against him by the legislators.

But the Nasarawa State chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Yunana Iliya, who feigned ignorance of the president’s

meeting with the legislators in a telephone interview with Vanguard, yesterday, said even if any meeting took place, it was not aimed at making the lawmakers to back down in their action.

He said no intervention would save the governor as members of the state House of Assembly had never gone out of the constitutionally required provisions in the discharge of their functions regarding the impeachment.

It was gathered that at the meeting with the president at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, last Thursday, the five members of the state legislature, mandated by

others to meet with the president, presented the 16-count charge that forms the grounds of the impeachment to the president to convince him that they were not on a self-seeking mission.

An aide to one of the legislators that attended the meeting disclosed that the legislators, apart from taking time to brief the president of the alleged impeachable offences the governor has committed, told him (the president) the heart-rending story of how the governor had maltreated them.

“Although, I did not accompany my oga to the meeting, I was privy to hear that at the meeting, they told the president how the governor has

been using thugs to intimidate them at the assembly complex over some of their actions he (governor) perceives to be contrary to his policies,” he said, pleading not to be named.

Jonathan, who was said to have listened to the legislators with rapt attention, was said to have remained speechless for a while before contributing to the meeting.

Iliya, who told Vanguard that he was not averse to any meeting with the president and leader of the party regarding the current ugly political development in the state, noted that there was no reason for such a meeting because the legislators were right in what they were doing.

8—Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

Experts call for intensive awareness campaign on hepatitis

By Sola Ogundipe & Monsuru Olowopejo

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S NIGERIA joins the rest of the world today to mark this year’s World Hepatitis Day, liver cancer experts have called for an effective action towards combating viral Hepatitis through sustained awareness and education as well as support for increased access to treatment for people infected with this disease.

Over 18 million Nigerians are living with Hepatitis B while not less than three million are living with Hepatitis C according to a report by the Federal Ministry of Health.

Making the call in Lagos, two liver cancer experts, Prof. C.N. Obionu and Prof B S.C Uzochukwu said the low awareness about Hepatitis B and C in most parts of the country, was worrisome and argued for reversal of the paucity of information amongst the general population and even healthcare practitioners as there have been vast changes profiling and management of the disease over the past 10 years.

Presenting results of the latest national survey of viral hepatitis B and C infection in Nigeria, Liver cancer has become the second leading cause of cancer-related death and is due largely to hepatitis B and C. According to the World Hepatitis Alliance, Nigeria has the ninth 9th highest mortality due to viral hepatitis worldwide.

SALLAH CELEBRATION: Be security conscious, FG tells Nigerians

By Abdulwahab Abdulah & Caleb Ayansina

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BUJA — FEDERAL Government, weekend, urged its citizens and residents to be security conscious, as Nigerian Muslims joined other faithful around

the world to mark this year's Eidel Fitri.

The Coordinator of National Information Centre, Mike Omeri in a statement signed in Abuja said people should take it as a duty to observe movements in their areas to prevent evil minds from using the celebration to attack them.

PRAYER: Chief Imam of Agege Central Mosque Leading the Prayer, Alhaji Sharif Habibu, and musilm Brothers Having Prayers At Ile-Zik Ikeja, Praying Ground, to mark Eld-elFitri,celebration Yestersday 27-7-2014, PHOTO; Joe Akintola Photo-Editor

Boko Haram attacks Cameroun

By Ndahi Marama with agency reports

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AIDUGURI — NI GERIA'S neighbour, Cameroon, yesterday, came under attack from Boko Haram Islamic sect as the terrorists launched an offensive on the home of Cameroon’s vice Prime Minister, Amadou Ali, abducting his wife and killing three

others in the northern town of Kolofata A local religious leader and mayor, Seini Boukar_Lamine, was also kidnapped in a separate attack on his home.

According to Cameroon=s Information Minister, Issa Tchiroma told Reuters news agency yesterday that, “I can confirm that the home of Vice Prime Minister Amadou_Ali in Kolofata came

APC calls for int'l inquiry into assassination attempt on Buhari

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HE ALL Progressives Con gress (APC) has called for an international inquiry into Wednesday’s assassination attempt on its leader, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to unravel the motive and the perpetrators of the dastardly act that could have plunged the country into a deep turmoil, had it succeeded.

In a statement issued in Benin on Sunday by its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, the party said it does not have the confidence that the Nigerian security agencies can carry out an impartial investigation, because they work for the government instead of the nation.

It said the call has become more urgent because the agents of the Federal Government have started muddling the waters with their sickening statements and actions on the attack.

The statement called on “all citizens and residents to be security conscious and observe movements around their neighbourhood to ensure that no one takes advantage of the celebration to wreak havoc on lives and properties.”

Omeri urged Nigerians to report suspicious persons and

‘’How does one explain a situation in which a man who is nothing but a pervert is now being paraded as the suspected ‘mastermind’ of the attack on Gen. Buhari? At what point was this man, who perhaps is nothing but a transvestite plying his trade, arrested? Is it not clear, from the statement released by Gen. Buhari himself after the attack, that it was clearly the handiwork of a suicide bomber? ‘’Could the person who drove the vehicle that was rammed into the General’s convoy have survived the explosion that was triggered by that action? Could the innocent passers-by who died in the blast not have been arrested and paraded as the ‘suspected masterminds’ if they had survived the blast? Clearly, the arrest of the pervert and his

sickening description as a ‘suspected mastermind’ have kick-started the process of muddling the waters, as is usually the case with such high-profile cases. ‘’This is why an urgent international inquiry into the attack is desirable and imperative, and anyone who is committed to an impartial probe of the attack on the opposition leader should embrace our call,’’ APC said, adding that the insurgency and its spin-offs are now clearly beyond the capability of this Federal Government.

The party also said the call has been further justified by the statements and insinuations emanating from the ruling PDP and the presidency, both of which now seem to be pointing accusing fingers at the same party (APC) that is clearly the target of the failed assassination attempt on one of its top leaders.

under a savage attack from Boko Haram_militants. They unfortunately took away his wife. They also attacked the lamido’s (religious leader’s) residence and he was also kidnapped,” he said, adding that at least three people were killed in the attack.

Boko Haram fighters clashed with the Cameroonian army in cross-border attacks twice since Friday, killing four soldiers.

Cameroon has deployed more than 1,000 soldiers along its border to help combat the Nigerian armed group.

In May, Boko Haram kidnapped 10 Chinese workers from northern Cameroon._ A massive assault last week by Boko Haram in which the group took control of northeast Nigerian town of Damboa displaced more than 15,000 people.

Meanwhile, two persons suspected to be residents of Damboa community taking refuge amongst the over 10,000 displaced persons in Shaffa District of Hawul Local Government Area of Borno state were slaughtered weekend by gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram sect.

Sources in Shaffa explained that the attackers who also went away with two Pickup vans belonging to residents of the area. removed the heads of the deceased and placed them on their chest before fleeing without con-

movements to nearby security agencies, or simply call 112, a security code meant for citizens to pass information to the security forces or any of the help numbers issued by the police, state security and other agencies.

He appealed to Nigerians to continue to support the government and the security forces, especially in the fight to end insurgency in the country, adding that government=s effort is beginning to yield the desired result in all spheres of the operation.

The centre also charged Muslims to remember to pray for members of the armed forces and other security forces in battle in several parts of the world especially those facing the common enemy of the nation in the fight against insurgency.

The statement thanked the Muslim community in Nigeria and around the world for their steadfast supplication to Allah during the month long Ramadan especially in the quest to end insurgency in the country and safely return the girls of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno state abducted by insurgents.

Nigerian Muslims ended a month-long fasting yesterday after the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar Sa=d declared official sighting of the moon.

The Sultan in an announcement disclosed that he declared the termination of the fasting after the moon was sighted in some states, including Kano by Muslims who communicated same to the council.

....Sultan Sa’ad prays for unity, peace in the country

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N HIS message, the Sul tan of Sokoto urged Muslims to pray for peace to reign in the country, asking political leaders in the country to be conscious of their obligations and responsibility to the masses.

He said, “everybody will account for his or her deeds before almighty Allah on the last day@ In his own Sallah message, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II called on Muslims to seek true knowledge to assist them in the practice of the religion as enshrined in Sharia.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014—9

LASG warns against dumping of refuse in drainages

By Monsur Olowoopejo

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AGOS—LAGOS State Government, weekend warned that heavy sanction awaited corporate organisations or individuals whose activities or operations put the lives of citizens at risk.

Speaking through the Special Adviser to the state governor on Environment, Dr. Taofeeq Folami, it decried indiscriminate dumping of refuse and blockage of free flow of drainage, saying anyone caught would be severely dealt with.

Dr. Folami spoke while monitoring July edition of the sanitation exercise in Agege Local Council Area.

Folami lamented that indiscriminate dumping of refuse by residents into drainage channels and canals in the state was impeding the government efforts at achieving free flow of drainage.

According to him, “We noticed that some residents rather than patronize genuine waste collector, dump their refuse into the canals, blocking the flow of water.

We will be focusing on this to ensure that citizens desist from this act and inculcate the habit of disposing their waste through the proper channels”

2015: Dosunmu declares for Lagos guber race

A

HEAD of the 2015 governorship election in Lagos State, the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, during the 2011 Lagos governorship election, Dr. Ade Dosunmu, weekend, declared his interest to contest the polls under platform of the party, saying it was time to liberate the state.

In a statement, said: “I have consulted widely with major stakeholders in the party before finally deciding to re-contest.

My party, the PDP is aware of the yearnings of the good people of Lagos State for positive change, thus, I will work with other wellmeaning members of the party to bring succour to Lagosians.”

EBOLA: Arik Air suspends flights to Liberia, Sierra Leone ...We were under pressure to release victim – Hospital

By Sola Ogundipe, Olasunkanmi Akoni, Lawani Mikairu, Daniel Eteghe & Gabriel Olawale

L

AGOS—ARIK Air yester day said it had suspended flight operations to Liberia and Sierra Leone following the death last week, of a Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, of the dreaded Ebola disease, even as it advised that all inbound flights into Nigeria from any of the Ebola affected countries be immediately suspended by the Federal Government.

Sawyer flew into Nigeria onboard Asky Airline to attend an ECOWAS conference in Calabar, Cross River State.

This came as First Consultants Medical Centre Ltd, Obalende, Lagos, the hospital where the first Ebola victim in Nigeria died, said it was under serious pressure to release the victim.

Confirming the suspension of the flights yesterday, Arik Air Gen-

eral Manager, Public Relations, Mr Ola Adebanji said “As a result of the first Ebola virus death officially confirmed in Lagos, and involving a Liberian national who flew on a foreign (nonNigerian) based airline from Monrovia via Lome (Togo) into the city last week, Arik Air will be suspending operations into Monrovia (Liberia) and Freetown (Sierra Leone) effective July 28, 2014.”

“The suspension will be in force until further notice. This decision is a pre-cautionary measure aimed at safeguarding the precious lives of Nigerians.

Arik Air is taking this important measure as a concerned corporate citizen bearing interest of Nigerians at heart.“ According to him, the airline acknowledged steps the Federal Government of Nigeria was currently taking to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, saying “however, we feel

compelled to take the decision to immediately suspend services into the two Ebola affected countries due to our interest in the well being of Nigerians.”

He explained that at the early stages of the development across West Africa, the Gambian government took the proactive decision to stop airlines, including Arik Air, from bringing inbound passengers from Monrovia, Conakry, Guinea, and Freetown into Banjul.

Adebanji added “Hence, in line with the actions taken by the Gambian Government, we trust, and are confident, that the Federal Government of Nigeria shall take all steps necessary to control and curtail the spread of the virus. We humbly suggest that as a first step, all inbound flights into Nigeria, originating from any of the Ebola-affected countries, be immediately suspended.”

Meanwhile, First Consultants Medical Centre Ltd, Obalende,

LAUNCH: From left; Mr Sudeep Bose, Assistant Vice President, United Spirits Ltd, USL; Mr Philip Edafiogho, National Sales Manager, USL; Mr Ashok Capoor, President, Strategy, USL; Mr Vineet Chhabra, Chief Operation Officer, Emerging Markets, and Mr Amit Ghosal, Managing Director, Bintrop Nigeria Ltd, during the official launch/unveiling of Mcdowell's Platinum Whiskey organised

by United Spirits Ltd, at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Saturday. Photo:Kehinde Gbadamosi.

Bakare wants FG to apologise to Boko Haram over killing of leader during a state of the nation elections, said “but for the timely

By Dapo Akinrefon

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AGOS—CONVENER of the Save Nigeria Group, SNG, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has said one of the ways to end Boko Haram insurgency is for the Federal Government to apologise to members of the sect over the murder of their leader, Mohammed Yusuf, in 2009.

He, however, said last Wednesday’s attack on former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari’s convoy in Kaduna State is an indication that bombing in the country is taking a new dimension.

Bakare, who is the Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, spoke

address at a church service in Lagos.

Proffering ways of ending the Boko Haram insurgency, Bakare said there was need for “updating and strengthening of military capability, creation of jobs and enhanced welfare to discourage recruits of the sect, diplomatic engagement with the international community, creation of an atmosphere of political inclusion rather than exclusion, among others.

We need a strong and well coordinated approach to terrorism.”

Bakare, who was Buhari’s Vice-Presidential running mate in the 2011 presidential

intervention of God, last week’s assassination attempt on General Muhamadu Buhari might have marked the beginning of the end for Nigeria if it had succeeded. We will not also ignore the fact that at the root of the escalation of the Boko Haram crisis was oppression and injustice. ''The summary execution of the Boko Haram’s former leader, Mohammed Yusuf in 2009 provided the soil of martyrdom for the nurture and growth of the sect. Government must declare peace first of all; apologising for the murder of Mohammed Yusuf to the sect members not their sympathisers or bandits.”

Lagos, the hospital where the first Ebola victim in Nigeria died, has spoken out on the circumstances surrounding the incident.

In a statement by the hospital’s Chief Consultant/ Medical Director, Dr B.N. Ohiaeri and the Senior Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist, Dr. A.S. Adadevoh, it said the hospital was under pressure to release the victim.

According to the statement, “He was fully conscious and gave his clinical history and told us he was a senior diplomat from Liberia. We refused to let him out of the hospital in spite of intense pressure as we were told he was a senior ECOWAS official who had an important role to play at the ECOWAS convention in Calabar. The initial test result from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital laboratory indicated a signal of possible Ebola Virus Disease, but required confirmation.

“We then took the further step of reaching out to senior officials in the office of the Secretary of Health of the United States of America, who promptly assisted us with contacts at the Centre for Disease Control and World Health Organisation regional laboratory centre in Senegal. Jointly working with the state, Federal agencies and international agencies, we were able to obtain confirmation of Ebola Virus Disease (Zaire strain). The gentleman subsequently died on Friday at 6.50am (25th July, 2014).”

Following the death of the patient, the duo said there was “orderly temporary shutdown of the hospital with immediate evacuation of in-house patients. This was followed by appropriate professional removal of the body and its incineration under WHO guidelines witnessed by all appropriate agencies,” noting that the reopening of the hospital would also be in accordance with WHO guidelines.

The statement added that in keeping with World Health Organisation guideline, the hospital had been shut down briefly for full decontamination.

Meanwhile, a cross section of Lagos residents has urged the state and federal governments to spread their dragnet nationwide to ensure that all the co- passengers aboard the Asky aircraft that brought the victim to Nigeria are quickly located and screened for the virus.

Speaking to Vanguard at the departure wing of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, a middle-aged man, who identified himself as Olukayode, said it was not good enough for the co-passengers to have been allowed to go away without ensuring their health had not been compromised.

Another passenger who pleaded anonymity said screening of people should have been adopted earlier to stop the spread of the disease.

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

2015: Ogun LP faction settles rift with ...Backs Jonathan’s re-election bid Daniel

By Daud Olatunji

A

BEOKUTA—INDICA TION emerged weekend that the two factions of the Labour Party, LP, in Ogun State had resolved their crisis ahead of the 2015 general elections in the state.

The hint was given when a factional chairman of the party in the state, Olabode Simeon, said the leader, former Governor Gbenga Daniel remained the party leader in the state.

At a briefing in Abeokuta, Simon said his faction had resolved its differences with Daniel’s faction and denied faulting Daniel for speaking on behalf of the leadership of the party over the alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to work for President Goodluck Jonathan.

He also denied having a running control of the party structures, and said the party had accepted the former governor as the leader of LP in the state.

Simeon said, “At no occasion did I make any statement that Otunba Gbenga Daniel cannot speak on behalf of Ogun State Labour Party. At no time had I made such divisible statement that Otunba Gbenga Daniel cannot midwife or arrange an alliance between LP and PDP, Ogun State. There was no statement ever made by me or

By Ola Ajayi & Charles

Kumolu

I

PRESENTATION: From left— Adefioye Temidayo; Oyebisi Jemil; Engr. Iorver Ape, Principal Software Officer, PSO, National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Lagos office; Okafor Chukwuemeka from Director General's office; Faleye Benjamin, and Bello Ibraheem at the weekend in Lagos during the presentation of digital tools to members of Team Nigeria by NITDA for 2014 Microsoft Imagine Cup students software competition kicking off tomorrow in Seattle, Washington, USA. any member of my exco that it is only Dr Olusegun Mimiko that can take action on issue of alliance between LP and PDP Ogun State. I did not make any statement that Otunba Gbenga Daniel did not inform the National Leader before making the said statement.”

Insisting that he remained the first officer with locus standi to

speak on behalf of the state LP, he restated his commitment to the party’s victory in the 2015 elections, saying “Labour Party is supporting Jonathan for re-election; there is no doubt about that. There is no faction in Ogun State Labour Party. We have agreed, we have harmonised and we are moving forward. Otunba Gbenga Daniel is our leader, he is a

Osun guber: Adeleke warns against use of soldiers

By Jimoh Babatunde

E

DE—FORMER governor of Osun State, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, has said there will be no problem if military is brought in for the forthcoming Osun State governorship election to maintain peace.

Speaking at his country home in Ede, weekend, the former governor who is a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, APC in the state, said the people would resist the move, if the military was to harass the electorates.

According to him, “If the military are brought in for security and to maintain peace, there is nothing wrong with that as far as they go about their business of doing just that so far they do not harass or intimidate people, but once they start doing opposite what they were sent to do, that there will be where the problem will start.”

Alhaji Adeleke said the way the country’s polity was being heated by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was frightening and dangerous, nothing that even in the dark days of the military, things were not this bad.

“Now everything is all about muscling up the opposition, you

Forum insists on Ibadan indigene as Oyo PDP guber candidate

militarized the environment, it is dangerous. You want to arrest people without them doing anything, you disfranchise them, because you want to rule at all course. Why don’t you forget about democracy and rule as an emperor or rule by fiat and sack all elected officers?”

Urging the ruling party to have a change of mind, he said they should not forget that the people of the South West were no fools, “if you remember anytime democracy was scuttled in Nigeria, it started from here. The military

intervention in 1966 and 1983 started from what happened in South West and they are in that direction now. Because when the people are push to the wall, they will fight back and doing so, democracy might be truncated.”

He disclosed that there were plans to put him under house arrest before the election in Osun State without any offence, saying “I know what to do to protect my house, I will use Yoruba method, anybody that comes into my house illegally, anything that happens to such a person is his business.''

progressive leader,.”

In a separate interview, the faction loyal to Daniel confirmed that reconciliation was ongoing in the party, noting that members were unanimous in their support for Jonathan’s re-election bid.

The factional chairman, Niyi Osoba said, “We are working for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election because we believe in him as best suitable person to be in that office. His numerous programmes in terms of agriculture, road construction and others have availed him of our support.

“Notwithstanding the security challenges of the country which we know are man-made and politically-motivated, we believe that it’s a facet in life which will soon fade away and so we are giving him all our support to be re-elected.

“We have internal mechanism with which to reconcile our differences. I can confirm to you that the process is on and very soon, we shall inform the world.''

It’s a family affair which we are handling and we will let the

Osun berates DSS over clampdown on research firm

By Gbenga Olarinoye

O

SOGBO—OSUN State Government yesterday condemned the Department of State Service, DSS over the invasion of the corporate head office of its client, TNS-RMS, holding its staff hostage for 7 hours before detaining some of them.

Speaking through the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Sunday Akere, at a briefing, it said the company, a duly-registered research agency, engaged in empirical surveys across the country for govern-

ment agencies and private individuals, and had been conducting Needs Assessment Performance Evaluation Study, NAPES, for the government periodically since the advent of the administration three and half years ago.

Akere said the administration took the periodic survey seriously and as a matter of duty since it served as a feedback mechanism to test the impact of government policy on the populace.

The Commissioner said though the DSS was at liberty to seek inquiry into whatever TNS-RMS

had been doing, but it would not accept any act of infringing on its constitutional right as a registered company in Nigeria.

He said: “What is not acceptable and open to resistance is for the DSS to present itself as an agency in the manipulative control of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and a direct threat to citizens’ liberty and the Nigerian nationhood. The DSS must be wary of returning Nigeria to the inglorious era of General Sani Abacha when might was right and the citizens became serfs in their own Republic.''

BADAN—A forum of Oyo State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial aspirants of Ibadan extraction, has said it will intensify efforts at ensuring that an Ibadan man emerges as the party’s candidate in the 2015 election.

It stated this in a communiqué issued at the end of its second meeting in Ibadan yesterday.

The group's call has generated controversy and criticism by other aspirants and some chieftains of the party, who said it would only fan ember of disunity in the party and could rob the party of victory at the election.

The communiqué was signed by seven out of eleven gubernatorial aspirants vying for the governorship seat.

They are Elder Wole Oyelese, former Minister of Power and Steel, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi, a chieftain of the party, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, former Minister of Sports, Professor Soji Adejumo, former State Chairman, Universal Basic Education Board, Senator Teslim Folarin, former Senate Leader, Engr Seyi Makinde, a business tycoon and Dr. Azeez Adeduntan.

Oyo forum warns against ethnic tension Meanwhile, Oyo State Unity Forum, OSU, has appealed to governorship aspirants in the state on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to avoid behaviours capable of breeding ethnic tension in the build up to the 2015 election.

It also urged aspirants to emulate a former Local Government chairman, Alahji Kehinde Olaosebikan, who had advised that the best PDP could do was to field a viable person.

A statement by its chairman and secretary, Messrs Olusoji Oyelakin and Benjamin Akpan respectively, the forum maintained that parochial methods with potentials of causing disaffection among the people must be avoided.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014—11

Again, Ugborodos frustrate bid to resettle displaced persons

By Egufe Yafugborhi

PRESENTATION: Delta Ijaws' presentation of Elder Godsday Orubebe as Ijaws' sole contender for Delta governorship 2015.

Anioma group lauds Jonathan, Uduaghan

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DELTA North sociopolitical group, Ukpe Anioma, has commended Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State for the social and infrastructure development of the state while applauding President Goodluck Jonathan on the conclusion of the National Conference.

In a statement in Lagos, yesterday, the Light of Anioma (Ukpe Anioma), also commended members of the confab for their wisdom in recommending the creation of new states, especially Anioma State, which they have been clamouring for a very long time.

The statement by its Chairman, Chief Joe Obuseh, expressed gratitude to the delegates to the confab, particularly those who served on the Restructuring Committee.

Eid El Fitri: Glo congratulates Muslims

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lobacom, Nigeria’s National Carrier, has congratulated Nigerian Muslims who celebrated Eid-el-fitri yesterday to mark the end of the Ramadan fasting.

Globacom’s Group Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Mohamed Jameel, encouraged all Muslim faithful to use the opportunity of this year ’s celebration to promote peace and friendship with all Nigerians irrespective of tribe or religion.

“Globacom wishes all our Muslim brethren a very happy Eid El Fitri and pray that the Almighty Allah will grant their prayers for peace and progress,” Jameel said.

Soldiers kill two armed bandits in Edo

by Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN CITY — SOLDIERS, weekend shot dead two suspected armed robbers at the border between Edo and Ondo states, in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.

The suspects identified as Onimisi Adewunmi, a.k.a Ojukwu and Timothy Balogun, were shot dead around Ayegunle-Ugboshi-Aiyeteju area by a detachment of soldiers after a robbery incident.

Another suspect said to be from Ikpeshi near Auchi, Etsako Local Gov-

Rivers APC denies govt's inflation of ARA

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ernment Area of the state, was said to have sustained gunshot injuries and currently with the police.

It was learnt that the robbers met their waterloo during an attempt to rob a popular business premises that deals on frozen foods with cold rooms in Ibillo, Edo State and Idoani in Ondo State.

Vanguard gathered that the robbers had always attacked the owner of the business, popularly known as Biggy, each time he travelled through Ibillo market, which he frequently used and then passed through the AiyegunleUgboshi-Aieyteju axis to Ondo State for his business.

Following the incessant robbery operation on his business premises, he was said to have informed the soldiers who mounted surveillance in the area until the robbers struck again, yesterday.

It was further gathered that the robbers trailed him to Ibillo market, where they were ambushed by soldiers, who opened fire on sighting them. A third member of the gang was said to have

ORT HARCOURT — Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has denied allegation by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP that the cost of the Automated Road Analyser recently acquired by the state government was inflated.

In a statement by the state Chairman, Dr. Ikanya Davies, the party said: “We

By Austin Ogwuda are shocked that instead of SABA — THIRTY-NINE suspects recently arjoining the rest of Rivers rested by the police during a joint raid by the people to celebrate the purchase of this scientific device military in connection with the communal crisis beto be used in monitoring tween two neighbouring towns - Ibabu and Iselgu road quality so as to ensure that led to the beheading of a young man and killing that dubious contractors do of a university lecturer attached to Delta State Uninot rip off the state, PDP versity, DELSU, Abraka campus have been secretly leaders are questioning this charged to court.

However, Delta State Police Public Relations Ofwise investment by the visionary government of Mr. ficer, Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the secret arraignment of the suspects, in a chat with our reporter Rotimi Amaechi.

“Contrary to PDP’s claims, in Asaba, yesterday, explained that the step was taken the purchase of the road because of the security challenge in having too many analyser by the Rivers State suspects in the police cells.

According to her, although the court was on strike Government was done in a transparent manner and fol- “we (police) cannot keep too many suspects in our lowed due process. Each of cells, so we made an arrangement for their immediate the two machines cost N109 arraignment. As we speak, they have been remanded million, making a total of in prison custody while the case comes up by the end of August.”

N218 million."

Ibabu/Iselegu crisis: 39 charged to court, remanded

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WORRIED BY the continued unrest in volatile Ugborodo community, Warri South West Area of Delta State, residents have called for the dissolution of the Ugborodo Export Processing Zone Interface, EPZ committee.

The residents, mostly persons displaced by the leadership crisis in the community made the call, yesterday, as youths of Aruton (Ode-Ugborodo), for the third time, allegedly thwarted the Nigerian Navy’s efforts at resettling them in line with the Federal Government’s peace agreement.

Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS, Delta, Navy Capt Musa Gemu, who led the team’s mission to resettle the displaced persons, expressed frustration at the attitude of Aruton youths and leaders, saying that there was hardly any indication that the people want peace in Ugborodo.

Gemu said: “This is not the first time. I met with leaders of the two sides the day before. They assured of being on ground to talk and lead the displaced persons back home in peace. On the agreed Saturday, only Isaac Botosan and Ayiri Emami of Thomas Ereyitomi group were on hand to lead the displaced persons to Ogidigben and Ajudaibo where they are in control.

“One of the factions, which gave its word never showed up to talk to the boys at Aruton to resettle

displaced persons there.

These same youths at Madangho and Aruton, who refused to allow displaced persons return home also scared people from leaving to Ogidigben and Ajudaibo.

“It is not as if the Aruton youths can withstand the Navy. Applying force now is not in the spirit of the peace process. So, I asked my men to pull back. I went in with just two men and interacted with the community elders and youths. Their feeling is that the said displaced persons committed sacrilege against the community and they need to appease the land and atone for their actions before being allowed back in the community.”

Meanwhile, Isaac Botosan, Vice Chairman to Eyeritomi led Ugborodo Community Trust and member of the EPZ committee, has called “for full militarisation of the community and for the security authorities to bring those still fomenting trouble to book.”

Alex Eyengho, another Ugborodo EPZ committee member, said: “There is now a feeling among some persons in the committee that even the EPZ committee should be dissolved.

They said that the essence of the committee was to bring both warring factions together and usher in peace. So, if after Federal Government brokered peace, the youths are still making trouble, it is a failure of the committee which should, maybe, be reconstituted.”

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

Navy arrests 25, seizes 2 vessels in Bayelsa •Over theft of 300,000 metric tones of crude oil in Bayelsa

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA—THE Nigerian Navy, weekend, confirmed the arrest of 25 persons and seizure of two vessels suspected to have been involved in illegal bunkering and crude oil theft on Brass waterways in Bayelsa State.

According to the Navy, the two seized vessels identified as MV Hanan and MV Alezza Lilah had 14 Nigerians, one Ghanaian and a Cameroonian on board with more than 300,000 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil.

The duo of the Navy Commanding Officer, FOB FORMOSO, Captain Noel Madugu and Assistant Commandant, NSCDC, Anyanwu George, in a statement, during the handing over ceremony, said the MV Hanan had nine crew members on board, all Nigerians, while MV Alezza Lilah had 16 crewmember s comprising 14 Nigerians, one Ghanaian and one Cameroonian.

Navy Capt. Madugu said ,”the MV Alezza Lilah was intercepted by NNS Obula at 23 nautical miles, South West of Pennington when her actions became suspicious. The vessel with her crew of nine persons was arrested owing to the presence of Automotive Gas Oil on board.”

He said the vessel had six tanks fully loaded with AGO, but had no bunkering approval on board as of the time of arrest, adding, “The crew claimed the approval, other documents and other valuables were taken from

the vessel by sea pirates when they were attacked. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the vessel was operating on behalf of Danyomile Marine Services Limited of Suite 1, LSDPC

Shopping Complex, Agege, Lagos State.”

The document claims MV Alezza Lilah was granted approval to load 70 metric tonnes of AGO from

L-r: Aniekan Ukpanah, Secretary, Akwa-Ibom Professionals in Lagos; Mr. Udeme Ufot, President; AkwaIbom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio; Mrs Dorothy Ufot, Member, and Barr Essien Udom, member, during a courtesy visit by the Akwa-Ibom State Professionals in Lagos to the Governor in Akwa-Ibom State.

Sen Abe empowers 60 constituents in Opobo/Nkoro

S

ENATOR Magnus Abe has empowered no fewer than 60 men, women and youths drawn from the 11 wards in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State.

About 1,100 women from the area, particularly widows, also benefitted from the free wrappers scheme of the wife of the senator, Mrs. Bariyaah Abe, bringing the number of bene-

ficiaries of the scheme to 9,000.

Abe, who represents Rivers South-East senatorial district in the National Assembly, arrived Opobo town, headquarters of the council to a reception by a crowd consisting of men, women, and youths of the council .

Speaking at the event, the senator said"that the empowerment programme initiated outside his constituency projects was a direct response to the support from the

NDU VC laments poor funding of institution

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA—THE Vice Chancellor of the Niger Delta University, NDU, Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Professor Humphrey Ogoni, has expressed concern over the poor funding of the institutuon by the donor agencies.

Prof Ogoni spoke at the presentation of a 20,000 litre capacity water reservoir, crested T-shirts and an architectural design of the proposed secretariat site by the 2013/2015 National Executive Committee of the institution's Alumni Association headed by

Petrostar Nigeria Limited storage tank in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, vide NHQ111744.

However, when questioned, the captain of the vessel Bewaji Olayinka said he loaded about 100 metric tonnes of AGO on board.

Mr. Ofongo Samuel.

He said that though individuals and groups including the alumni association had done much in assisting in the development of the institution, the donor agencies including the Education Trust Fund and the Petroleum Technology Development Trust Fund have not done enough in the area of infrastructures.

Ogoni noted that the campus

was in need of senate building and a major hall, adding, “Unfortunately, our donors, agencies, Trust Fund, PTDF, are only concerned with academic activities but they don’t bother about internal roads, major halls and so on and that is why we are speaking out.”

He commended the alumni association, stressing that there would be minimal problem of water at the College of Health Sciences where the project was sited.

people of the senatorial district and follows the resolve of elected representatives in Rivers State to ensure personal contact with the electorate.

Abe said “What is happening in the politics of Nigeria is that there are middle-men, between you and the government. They collect what is meant for you and give you peanuts. I came to tell you that Governor Rotimi Amaechi has eliminated political middle-man in the politics of Rivers State. He has brought dividends of democracy directly to you and your children.

“The middle-men are in Abuja trying to sell your future. They are promising people that if they bring money, they will deliver Rivers State to them. They are not asking you; they are not talking to you; they are not asking you what you think, they are not asking you what you like, they are not coming to look for you, but they are in Abuja collecting money on your behalf."

2015: Group okays ex-Vanguard staff for House of Reps

By Festus Ahon

U

GHELLI—AS the 2015 general election approaches, Nigeria Grass-Root Mobilizers for Jonathan and Sambo, a political pressure group, yesterday, endorsed Mr. Daniel Idonor as its candidate for the Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu federal constituency.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to Idonor at his Ughelli residence, President of the group, Mr. Nathaniel Okoroh, said Idonor's endorsement was necessitated by his commitment to the well being of his people. De-

scribing Idonor as a man with charisma to represent his people, Okoroh explained that his choice to represent the constituency was because of his pedigree and track record in office when he was chairman of state House Correspondents chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Aso Rock, Abuja.

He said having worked under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and the incumbent President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, “Idonor should be trusted with such an elective position to repre-

sent us in Abuja and we have explicit confidence in him to attract dividends of democracy to the area if supported. Ökoroh added,“He has been working within corridor of power and we don’t have any doubt that if he is sent to the House of Representatives to represent Ughelli North/Ughelli South/ Udu constituency, he will deliver because of his potentials.”

In his response, Idonor said he was overwhelmed by the visit and thanked them for their support towards the actualisation of his political aspiration in 2015.

APGA restrategises in Edo

A

HEAD the 2015 gen eral elections, the leadership of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Edo State has said it has strategized towards winning elective seats in the state in a free and fair contest.

Elder Godfrey Ehimhen, state chairman of the party who spoke in Benin City,at Chief Victor Umeh’s 52nd birthday anniversary, said “We have resolved to lay the foundation for the party in Edo State and strategies are being put in place, as APGA is a party to beat come 2015.

“The electorates are now even more decisive to cast their votes for our party’s candidate in the 2015 general elections given the unprecedented accomplishments of APGA in Anambra State under Dr Willie Obiano, who is building solidly on the development strides attained by his predecessor, Chief Peter Obi."

Urhobo entreats Delta South leaders

By Emma Amaize

W

ARRI— POLITI CAL leaders in Delta Central senatorial district have begun lobbying powerful leaders of the senatorial district (Ijaw, Itsekiri and Isoko) to support the plan of the ethnic group to produce the next governor of the state.

The strategy, it was gathered is to counter the Delta North senatorial district (Anioma) agenda to take over power in 2015 under an unwritten zoning arrangement.

Vanguard learnt that top Urhobo politicians had met with influential South South political leaders from Delta South district and others to seek their support.

Already, Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, the apex Urhobo socio-cultural group, led by Major General Patrick Aziza (rtd.) has started working on a consensus gubernatorial candidate for the ethnic group.

It was, however, learnt that political strategists from Delta North were already aware of the move and were also mapping out a counter plan.

“Our people are also reaching out, our governorship aspirants had visited Urhobo, Itsekiri, Ijaw and Isoko leaders, including Chief Clark, Olu of Warri, Orodje of Okpe and others to explain why Delta North should have the 2015 governorship,” a source said."

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014—13

Judiciary workers' strike contributing to Prison congestion — Comptroller

By Wole Mosadomi

M

INNA—AN Assistant Comptroller of Prisons, Mrs. Dorothy Atajiri, has said that the ongoing strike by judiciary workers across the country was compounding congestions in the prisons.

She said since the strike commenced over three weeks ago, taking awaiting trial inmates to courts for dispensation of justice had been rather slowed down or totally made impossible.

Atajiri, who is also Coordinator, Zone D Command of the Nigerian Prisons Services, comprising Kebbi, Kwara, Niger, Sokoto and Zamfara and

Federal Capital Territory, said during the official decoration of 94 newly promoted officers of the state command, that she felt so bad over the ongoing strike due to the negative tendencies on the dispensation of justice on awaiting trial inmates.

She said: ”I feel naturally disturbed about the industrial action by the judiciary workers nationwide particularly coming from the criminal justice administration because we are partners in progress.

"So, when the judiciary workers are on strike, everything is stalled. Prisons are congested because we cannot perform our primary function of taking the inmates to the court in an effort to decongest the prisons. ”My call to the judiciary and government is for them to dialoque and strike a deal towards ending the ongoing strike in the interest of the inmates especially those awaiting trial.”

S h e congratulated those promoted and called on those who could not make it to strive harder next time in order to be elevated also.

Nigeria’s unity not negotiable —Gov Aliyu

By Wole Mosadomi

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INNA—THE Governor of Niger State and Chairman, Northern Governors Forum, Mua'zu Babangida Aliyu, has called on Nigerians to unite and fight terrorism confronting the nation instead of allowing it to divide them, saying Nigeria’s unity was not negotiable.

In his Sallah message to Nigerians on behalf of the forum, Aliyu assured that the ugly trend would soon be brought under control.

He said: “Nigeria is a great country and we must ensure that it continues on the part of greatness by making sure that we all believe and have confidence in ourselves again because like all artificial trends, the insurgency will soon be a thing of the past."

Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Israel Ebije, in a statement, called on all Nigerians to be "more securityconscious, avoid violence because violence is never part of our culture. ”We have seen the direction the security challenges have plunged Nigeria into and it is, therefore, important that we join hands and wage war against these few enemies in order to enjoy the peace and freedom we have been used to.”

While calling on security agencies to continue with their good work, the governor called on Nigerians to be their brothers’ keepers and also join hands with the government and the security agencies by providing useful information that would lead to the defeat of the insurgents.

14 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

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Unpaid salary: Lawmakers may impeach Okorocha

By Chidi Nkwopara

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WERRI—BARRING any unforeseen circumstances, Imo lawmakers may commence impeachment proceedings against Governor Rochas Okorocha next Thursday, if he fails to clear their outstanding salaries and allowances which he had allegedly withheld since 2011, among other grievances.

Vanguard had earlier reported that the lawmakers are particularly irked that despite spirited attempt to make Okorocha clear the bill, he had failed to do the needful.

A close aide of one of the lawmakers confirmed that before the current threat, the lawmakers had been having series of meetings on how to make Okorocha pay them their salary arrears, adding that the build up was concluded Friday, July 25, 2014.

The lawmakers are said to have vowed not to accept any payment which is not inform of cash, adding that “if the speaker stands in the way, he would be bulldozed along with the governor.”

When anxious journalists contacted the Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to the Governor on Media, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, he dismissed the allegation, saying Okorocha had a good relationship with members of the state assembly.

“There is no iota of truth that such a thing was in the offing. You can verify from the assembly members.

“The state government has a good working relationship with them and I don’t think anybody

is plotting any impeachment.

How can they impeach a governor who is performing. It's not true my brother,” he said.

Reacting also, the House Committee Chairman on Information, Mr. Acho Ihim, dismissed the alleged impeachment plot, describing it as “baseless and malicious”.

Ihim, however, confirmed the disparity in the salary of the law-

makers and former ones, adding “during the last administration of Ohakim, the House took a loan and it was deducted monthly from the salary of the lawmakers so when we came in, the Clerk of the House was changed and the new one who was ignorant of any such deductions, started paying with the records he met on ground.

“When it was discovered, we

quickly wrote the governor who promised to reverse to the constitutional rate and he has started doing that.

“For instance, we were paid normal salary for the month of June. The governor is ready to pay, all he is asking for is a little time because the money is much.

It is about N18 million per lawmaker,” Ihim explained.

New aircraft charter firm offers clients business class lounges in 400 cities with your corporate logo (72 hours

By Kenneth Ehigiator

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AGOS — A new aircraft and helicopter charter firm, Maple Aviation Logistics Limited, MALL, has joined the league of business concerns offering such service in Nigeria.

However, the difference between this new addition and existing ones is the fact that the company offers its clientele access to business class lounges in 120 countries and 400 cities across the world.

Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Adefolarin Adesemowo, said the charter service was just an addition to the travel agency service the company had established its mark, spanning a long period.

He said: “The Maple brand has been in the travel business for years and, with continued

drive, provide excellent service and ensure we meet our clients’ needs; we have included in our offerings private charter of airplanes and helicopters.

“M.A.L.L will provide private hire services, offering our clients comfort and convenience of exclusive use of an aircraft or helicopter without the hassles of ownership and maintenance. As with other companies under the Maple brand, we aim not just to please, but to exceed your expectations.

“Our charter packages include dedicated travel consultant during office hours; access to business class lounges in 120 countries and over 400 cities; direct drive access into the aircraft; aircraft branded

notice required) and membership of the Maple Fly Loyalty programme, which gives you access to exclusive discounts on travel related services, hotels, cruise and tours.

“We are happy to offer you access to the some of the most advanced helicopters and private jet aircraft for charter at prices you will be happy to pay.

“When you fly with MALL you only pay for the hours you fly. Our packages are designed with so much simplicity to give you exceptional value. There’s no hidden costs or complicated payment schemes. Our clients have a choice of paying for the block hours they fly. It is entirely up to you.”

APC raps FG over abandonment of Enugu Coal deposit

By Tony Edike

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NUGU—THE All Progressives Congress, APC, has expressed concern over the listing of Enugu among the parasitic states contributing nothing to the Federation Account, in spite of the huge coal deposit worth billions of Dollars in the state yet to be explored.

The party’s spokesman in the South East zone, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, made this known while addressing the Udi Local Government Area Exco of APC, Enugu State, at 9th Mile Corner, near Enugu, yesterday.

He recalled that mid July, a pro-Jonathan group, Committee of Pro-Federal Delegates, National Conference, in an advertorial on how Southern states subsidize Northern states, listed Enugu among the states with zero contribution to the Federation Account.

The party said enough revenue would have been generated from Enugu State had the Federal Government, led by President Goodluck Jonathan, fulfilled his promise to revamp Enugu Coal into Coal-FiredPlant aimed at producing 1000MW of electricity.

Idemili hails Jonathan over Chidoka’s appointment

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HE people of Ide mili North and South in Anambra State have commended President Goodluck Jonathan for appointing their kinsman, Chief Ositadinma Benjamin Chidoka as a minister and assured him of their continued support especially in the politics of 2015.

The President of Nzuko Imeobi Idemili, the sociocultural and political association of the Idemili North and South local councils, Hon. (Sir) Edwin Ekwuno, described the appointment of Chidoka as the minister of Aviation as “a dream come true for our people. We thank the President for this honour and through it, the fresh political hopes he has given us by this appointment.”

16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

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HE Ramadan has ended. Its demands of abstinence from food and water are some of the easily remembered aspects of the month-long observation, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Ramadan is more. It provides an annual period of profound introspection of a believer ’s relationship with the Almighty, his Maker. Major decisions about life and the hereafter are meant to issue from the deeper relations with the Almighty Allah.

The blessings of the month of spiritual elevation are for those who are faithful to its tenets. For the individual, it is a month of re-awakening, a time to reflect on the understanding of the person’s life and its purpose.

Many aspire to improve their spirituality during Ramadan. The tougher challenge is to retain it. A better relationship with the Almighty would translate to a better appreciation of life, care for others, their positions on issues, and even their belief.

Our focus on the beneficence and munificence of the Almighty Allah have no

BY MATTHEW ADEJOH

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HE story of Murtala Nyako, the retired naval officer who was penultimate week removed as Adamawa State governor, will continue to interest analysts. His fall from power is a typical story of the selfish, self-destructing Nigerian politician. For a man who became governor by popular acclaim in 2007, with the backing of the state's political heavyweights like Professor Jibril Aminu, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Mr. Boni Haruna and many others, he had lost their comradeship soon after assumption of office. He had either trampled on them in his senseless accumulation of power or sidelined them effectively in running the affairs of state.

He is also a politician with a queer sense of leadership, one who didn’t bother if anyone was following. Like the dog destined for death, Nyako wasn’t bothered that his ‘followers’ detested his divisive dispositions and cringed at his combustive statements that inflamed passion even beyond Adamawa. Within a seven-year tenure, Baba Mangoro as Nyako is popularly called, squandered all the enormous goodwill he inherited, so much that by the time he was impeached, he was virtually standing alone.

But it is his cat-and-mouse relationship with for mer Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, that showed how naïve he is. Nyako in his drowning days had tried to renew his relationship with Atiku, a fellow

Happy Eid el-Fitri meaning if we do not extend same to others, particularly the down-trodden. There is growing need in our society to care more for others.

African traditions promote caring for others. The society is built on the social safe nets communities provide for themselves in a one for all, all for concept of society. Islam is one of the religions that preaches care, as exhibited in the giving of alms, another pillar of the religion.

Part of the mercies that Nigerians want to see is the extension of benevolence to the search for peace. The campaign to stop the killings in the North is a request that is made with some religious flavour as we appeal for peace in daily encounters with each other.

Islam is a peaceful religion and would not support killings, whether before, during or after Ramadan. Attacks in different parts of the North killed more than 200 people during Ramadan. These attacks negate the peace associated with Islam, especially during Ramadan.

Individual appreciation of Ramadan, across religions, decides convictions, which determine how people act in their relation with the Almighty, and their fellow man.

Ramadan is challenging to all. The poor, whose circumstances are such that daily they are in want and deprivation, must have felt the challenges more. Appeals that the wealthy ones should help the poor – something some governments do – are admissions that we should do more to minimise excruciating poverty among our people, well after Ramadan.

The piety of Ramadan is a reminder of the peaceful relations we should have with each other in obedience to the Almighty Allah, the fountain of peace.

Happy Eid el-Fitri to our readers. May the blessings of Ramadan endure.

OPINION Of Nyako's naivety and Atiku's hypocrisy sojourner from the PDP whom he had long ditched, with a view to dragging him into the peace initiative that was seeking to stave off his impeachment.

It was obvious that Atiku was not sucked into that deal, though he gave Nyako the impression he was fighting on his side. At a stage he had floated in the media, a grand plan to get the House members to cool off when in actual fact, he was quietly encouraging them. It was Atiku at his duplicitous best. So when the impeachment eventually succeeded, as expected, Atiku could not be more excited, though no one really expected him to walk the streets of Yola in open jubilation over Nyako's impeachment. That would have been absurd since both men belong to the same APC; but it was obvious that he was glad to see the man, who was by all standards a political liability, go.

Within the State Chapter of APC, Atiku had watched as the 20 members he helped gain election into the State House of Assembly refused to join him when he crossed from the PDP to the APC out of resentment for Nyako. The five APC members they met in the party had dumped it and joined the rival PDP for the same reasons.

So did Mohammed Buba Marwa, hitherto one of the shining lights in the party. For a man nursing presidential ambition under the APC, Atiku could not have

been in a more awkward position with a governor who was everything but a team-player. He was perhaps the only presidential aspirant in the party without a good hold on the state chapter of the party, no thanks to a governor who divided more than he united his party ’s leadership as well as rank and file.

However, Nyako’s fall presented the former VP an opportunity, as usual, to seek to appropriate political capital.

The public statement issued by his media office in condemnation of the exercise dripped with venom. To him, the President and his party, the PDP, were guilty of “excessive use of power ” which he said was not good for decent democratic practice. According to him, the PDP’s decision to wield the axe of impeachment against an elected public office holder was the government’s way of settling scores.

It was a most puerile argument coming from a man who had openly criticised the breakdown of governance in Adamawa and the reckless rape of her finances by Nyako, his family members and their cronies. It was a most dubious argument from a man who viewed Nyako as a political liability against whom he held grudges for effectively sidelining him in the state APC and for not caring a hoot about his presidential ambition. So a drowning Nyako was

naïve to believe that after all the political wounds he inflicted on Atiku, he could still get the former VP to rescue him from imminent disaster.

In any case, was Atiku's action honourable? Many would say no.

The dummy he sold Nyako was most dishonourable but that’s vintage Atiku, the political opportunist, whose position on any issue is determined by what he stands to gain from it. In that situation, he can run with the hare with as much zeal as he would hunt with the hounds. It is no surprise therefore that he has become notorious for political prostitution and unprincipled inconsistency.

The question many ask is: Does Atiku, whose driving force in politics is the advancement of his personal interests, have the moral credentials to pontificate on democracy? The answer, of course, is no! It is equally dubious for Atiku who deceived Nyako by pretending to fight for his survival while secretly encouraging his impeachment, to turn around to condemn it. The former VP does no justice to his credibility by blaming the PDP federal administration and seeking to benefit from his shameless duplicity. *Mr. Adejoh , a commentator on national issues, wrote from Abuja.

JULY 28, 2014

MODERN RAIL: Nigeria Railways bids to sustain N4bn investment

By JONAH NWOKPOKU

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OLLOWING the rehabilitation of the railway by the Federal Government 30 years after it was abandoned, the Nigerian Railway Corporation resorted to the refurbishment of old rolling stocks to return to tracks.

The locomotives and coaches were vestiges of colonial rail infrastructure. And so, despite their efforts, the rolling stocks simply fell short of the expectations of modern train users. The trains were far behind in terms of technological innovations in modern rail transportation. The implication was that despite the noble efforts, the use of archaic rolling stocks meant that technical hitches became unavoidable, resulting in untold suffering by commuters. A Lagos to Kano journey which ordinarily should last 24 hours, lasts for 35 hours and sometimes, 40 hours. In addition, due to the nature of the trains and overcrowding resulting from limited rolling stocks, the trains could not help but be brazenly unhygienic and so patronage had to be limited to certain class of people.

In a bid to address this challenge, management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, recently acquired two sets of modern trains, Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) and six 68-seater coaches. Vanguard investigations revealed that each set of the DMU is made up of three cars and one motor car at each end. The DMU is powered by two sets of 1200 HP Cummins Diesel Engine and one 166HP Cummins Generator for auxiliary power. The trailer cars are fully

automated with electronic centrally controlled doors, and a passenger information system comprising cameras, LED Information Display and loudspeakers. They are also equipped with roof-top integral air-conditioning system which produces effective cooling in all cabins. They are also designed for a maximum speed of 100km/ hr with an air brake system and carrier-type couplers.

The corporation said it invested

about N4.1 billion in the acquisition of the train sets.

NRC Managing Director, Engr.

Adeseyi Sijuade described the investment as a major milestone in the corporation’s strategic quest for modern rail transportation in the country. He also disclosed that five of such coaches are expected by August this year and would be used to flag off the first segment of the Eastern line, running from Port Harcourt to Enugu.

However, industry analysts fear that at the speed with which events are unfolding, the corporation may soon be overwhelmed and relapse to inefficiency which characterised the railway will become inevitable. Their argument boils down to the fact that without a conscious effort to maintain the infrastructure, the investment would have amounted to Continues on page 19 C M Y K

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Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 — 19

N

IGERIA is a nation where everybody is an expert. Experts in football coaching, experts in financial matters and economy, just name it.

It is a nation of garrulous people. Nigerians talk about everything on mother earth but do nothing about anything. People like to hear themselves talk.

Some months ago, the nation was awash with the fact that about $49.8 billion was not remitted into the federation account. The mere fact that it came from the former CBN governor was enough for it to count as true. Everybody that was

Reconcile, publish go govvernment account regularly meeting. Such inter-agency meeting will allow each arm of the revenue-generating body to table what it earned, what has been remitted and what is outstanding. This will ensure that no agency is having any backlog of receipts unattended.

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he CBN as the banker to the Federal Government is in a good stead to carry out this assignment as it is the body that keeps government fund, local and international.

In the ordinary run of business, account officers on monthly basis undertake bank reconciliation with their bankers to know the true cash position of the company. Bank reconciliation is undertaken because there may have been cheques drawn by the company to its customers that may have not been presented to the bank, cash payments lodged with the company that may not have been presented to the bank or some customers may have paid into the company ’s bank account that are not reflected in the company’s cash ledger among other reasons.

Nigeria as it is today, does not

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anybody in Nigeria wanted to be heard on how to deal with the situation. Months after, the Senate committee that was raised to investigate the matter submitted the report of its findings with the conclusion that no money was missing but that about $20 billion was yet to be reconciled.

Nigerians since the Chibok unfortunate incidence have pretended that the issue of $49.8 billion un-remitted funds

by NNPC has ever occurred.

Why are we a nation of people who take pleasure in talking and not finding a permanent solution to problems before jumping into another?

The Senate committee recommended that there should be a periodic and inter-agency reconciliation of the inflow and outflow from the federation account to avoid the annual bickering over the NNPC not making full disclosures of how much it earned on behalf of the nation and shortchanging Nigerians of their legitimate income.

This column had, before the Senate committee recommendation, asked the new CBN governor to set up a machinery to ensure that all revenuegenerating ministries, departments and agencies of government meet regularly with the CBN to reconcile the federation account before the Federation Account Allocation Committee

Those in position of governance are not the masters; they must regularly give account to ordinary Nigerians. Nigerians must stop talking about everything and doing nothing about anything

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know how much it earns from the various sources of revenue. All the President knows about the nation’s finances is what those handling and manning the various revenue posts want him to know. The process is neither transparent nor open.

This gives room for massive corruption and ripping off of the nation.

But the government in an attempt to safeguard the interest of investors, set up the Financial Reporting Council to monitor and regulate the private sector accounting procedure.

This council recently alleged that the CBN account is in a

shambles and not prepared according to International Financial Reporting Standard.

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hat was what brought trouble to Lamido S a n u s i - l e d management of the CBN. The question is; why are all ministries, departments and agencies of government at federal, state and local government levels made to render account in IFRS? Why are Nigerians not insisting that federal revenue be made known to the public? Why is it that government, every year, states how much it intends to spend but never render full

account of how much it earned and how it is spent? Are Nigerians not entitled to know? If this government is serious about fighting corruption, the first place to start is in rendering account to Nigerians of its income and expenditure. It is in preparing its account in an internationally acceptable format. This government must insist that the Nigerian public have the right to know how much came into the nation’s coffers and how the representatives of the people spend the money.

Just like in a company where the board and management give account to shareholders, the elected and non-elected officers of government must give account to the electorate.

It is the ordinary Nigerians whose voted were sought by the president, governors and local government chairmen to be elected that are the stakeholders and masters, not the other way round. Those in position of governance are not the masters; they must regularly give account to ordinary Nigerians. Nigerians must stop talking about everything and doing nothing about anything. Nigerians must stand up for their rights.

Government must give the nation a detailed audited account published on regular basis.

Cover Story Continues from page 17

nothing; as fleeting investment always meant that little room is left for sustainability. These fears are not unfounded. Over the years, investments in the rail sector have been bereft of any sustainability plans. The implication is the poor technical skills which results in poor maintenance of rolling stocks. These further lead to poor service delivery, leaving a situation that makes it obvious that although the corporation desires huge investments, they are not entirely prepared for the business of rail transportation.

But speaking to Vanguard recently, Sijuade allayed such fears. He argued that strategic initiatives are being adopted by the corporation to ensure sustainability of its

Nigeria Railways bids to sustain N4bn investment current investment especially in the modern rail infrastructure. While acknowledging that no substantial arrangements had been made in the past to sustain investments after cutting the red tape, he said part of the arrangement for the sustainability of its recent investment, is the retention of technical skills needed to maintain the newly acquired trains.

According to him, “We have a two -year maintenance deal with the manufacturers of these DMUs and the six coaches, that is, the China Southern Railways, CSR. We have a two-year deal with them for maintenance of these coaches and the DMUs. What makes this deal unique is that it is a residential deal. This

means that the company has posted six technicians to NRC to live here with us.

“This is very innovative in that I can tell you that one of the major problems that Nigerian Railway, not just Nigerian Railway

but all other sectors that are doing similar things in Nigeria have had, is that in this country, we take delight in celebration of projects. However, we don’t put much emphasis on maintenance. What happens after? So, you

find out that when you move around the various locations of Nigerian Railways all over the country, you see all our rolling stocks littered all over the place. Most of them were purely on two Continues on page 21 C M Y K

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Cover Story

Entrepreneurial Education Revolution:

An Imperative for Sustainable De Devvelopment in Nigeria: Part 1

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*From left; Group Head, Coral Banking, Heritage Bank, George Oko-Oboh; Executive Secretary/ CEO, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr. Femi Thomas and Executive Director, Heritage Bank, Niyi Adeseun during the launch of the NHIS Mobile Health Insurance Scheme in Lagos.

Nigeria Railways bids to sustain N4bn investment factors; inadequate provision of spare parts and inadequate provision for maintenance and that is poor maintenance culture. So we all come, eat and dance and then cut the red tape and the project is not given a thought as to how it could be maintained. It is not just the railways; it applies to roads and other infrastructural projects.

"But we have learnt a lot of lessons from such failures and that is why on this particular occasion, we are engaging the company on two-year deal for those six technicians.

“Their duties are simple, they wake up everyday and go into our carriage and wagon workshop, mix up with our technicians and any issues they may have would be attended to by them while our technicians learn. The bottom line is that it is a day-to-day transfer of technological skills,” he added.

He explained that the corporation is working seriously to establish a maintenance facility by partnering with manufacturers who are willing to establish a base in Nigeria. He said they have been in discussions with General Electric and a number of Chinese firms that are also interested in picking any of their workshops that are underutilized and upgrading them to a standard where they

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Continues from page 19

Things are moving rapidly and we realised that we need to be on top of the game; I say things are moving rapidly in terms of passenger traffic, types of trains and even cash handling and security

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cannot only maintain but also commence assembling of rolling stocks in Nigeria.

He further explained that with the rate at which events are unfolding, the corporation may easily be overwhelmed with challenges but they are adopting an outsourcing strategy that would enable them concentrate on core competencies and leverage expertise outside the corporation to deliver more efficient service.

“Things are moving rapidly and we realised that we need to be on top of the game. I say things are moving rapidly in terms of passenger traffic, types of trains and even cash handling and security. There are so many things, and it is one thing to say we are making progress but that comes with a lot of challenges that need to be addressed and managed. And that is

why we are not resting on our oars and on daily basis, there are strategic meetings where how to cope with these challenges are discussed. We also have tink-tanks who are engaged to conduct some kind of risks analysis and management.

Otherwise we may become overwhelmed.

“One of the strategies we are adopting is outsourcing. Before now, how we handle security and ticket is through raiders who move from coach to coach checking tickets but we have realised that the way things are going, things can no longer be left in the hands of NRC staff because it is not our area of core competence. So what we did was that all the areas that are not our core competence are outsourced,” he said.

He added that the outsourcing strategy is also the corporation’s transitional strategy into concession. “We have constraints with the railway bill that is still in the National Assembly, hindering instant concession but we have realised that railway bill or not, concession or no concession, we can’t just fold our arms, things are unfolding very fast and we need to adopt any strategy that we could to keep delivering better services,” he said.

LBERT Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, while the French classical author, Francois de la Rochefoucauld said ‘ the only thing constant in life is change’.

This paper stresses the importance of entrepreneurship education towards enhancing sustainable development in Nigeria. The problems facing the country ranging from incessant strike action in our academic institutions, high rate of poverty, youth and graduate unemployment; overdependence on foreign goods and technology; Low economic growth and development; among others. This paper therefore argues that entrepreneurship education will equip the students with the skills with which to be self-reliant. The objectives and strategies for re-designing entrepreneurship education are also discussed. The paper also recommended that educational programmes at all levels of education should be made relevant to provide the youth the needed entrepreneurial skills. It is also recommended that the government should give adequate attention to entrepreneurial development in the country through the provision of good economic environment.

So it is on this premise I would like us to see the Nigerian educational system in light of current realities in the 21st century. A careful look of the current state of affairs in Nigeria reveals that we are in a 21st century economy with a 19th century education system.

A system whereby much emphasis is still placed on the conventional classroom environment with much reverence for certificate for graduates who in most cases are trained to be job seekers as evidenced in present high unemployment rate in the land. However, we must accept the fact that times have changed and we must adjust by transiting from the old styled era of Adam Smith inspired concept of the ‘industrialized specialist’ which has outlived its usefulness to a more dynamic, resourceful and I.C.T based model where skills and creativity takes precedence. Without deviating from the topic of my article which is Entrepreneurial Education Revolution in Nigeria, I would like to briefly define some of the concept in the topic.

WHO IS AN ENREPRENEUR? n entrepreneur is a person who is driven to establish a business to take advantage of the financial opportunities and personal fulfilment offered, by pursuing their own dreams and shaping their own destiny in local, national and global economies.

I personally define an entrepreneur as anyone who can convert

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what he loves doing to a moneymaking venture.

Entrepreneurship on the other hand is said to be the process of planning, operating and assuming the risk of a business. It has also been seen as a process of creating a unique value. For the purpose of this speech, I would be limiting education to the activity of teaching about a particular subject.

Revolution on the other hand has been defined by The Macmillan English dictionary as a sudden or major change, especially in ideas or methods. A revolution signifies a drastic turn around, a new way of thinking and acting.

So at this juncture, what then is Entrepreneurial Education?

Entrepreneurial Education is a lifelong learning process, starting as early as elementary school and progressing through all levels of education, including adult education. Entrepreneurial Education focuses on developing understanding and capacity for pursuit, of entrepreneurial behaviours, skills and attributes in widely different contexts. It can be portrayed as open to all and not exclusively the domain of the high-flying growth-seeking business person. The propensity to behave entrepreneurially is not exclusive to certain individuals. Different individuals will have a different mix of capabilities for demonstrating and acquiring entrepreneurial behaviours, skills and attributes. These behaviours can be practiced, developed and learned; hence it is important to expose all students to entrepreneurial education. Therefore, from the above definitions, we can safely deduce that entrepreneurial education revolution is a change in educational system which embraces an all encompassing strategy in introducing and instilling entrepreneurial attitudes into students. Just as we had the G.S.M revolution in Nigeria, an entrepreneurial education revolution is aimed at making entrepreneurial studies readily available anywhere with relative ease. Our educational institutions keep churning out graduates’ year in- year out and close observers have questioned the kind of training and education these young people are receiving in this 21st century. Recent statistics from the Nigerian bureau of statistics shows that the unemployment rate in Nigeria is 23.9%.

22 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

Banking & Finance

Diamond Bank donates office block to Nigerian army

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iamond Bank Plc, has donated a ten-room, fully furnished, office block to the Nigerian Army, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility drive to assist the Army carry out its task of safe guarding the nation.

Speaking during the handover of the Charlie & Support Company building donated by the Bank to the 65 Battalion, Bonny Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in Lagos, Dr. Alex Otti, Group Managing Director and CEO, Diamond Bank, said that the donation was a corporate social responsibility intervention to support the efforts of the Nigerian Army.

According to Otti, “One day, the Commanding Officer of the 65 Battalion showed up at my office with pictures of the structure that used to be here.

My colleagues and I were surprised at the state of the building and decided to help out. I must commend the courage of the Commanding Officer in reaching out because this place is not readily accessible to the public so charitable minded citizens may not readily consider it in their interventions.

Reserve Bank of India fines 12 banks over loan default

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he Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has fined 12 banks, including ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Canara Bank and Corporation Bank, a total of Rs 1.5 crore in relation to the Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd (DCHL) loan default case. This fine has been levied as a result of not following proper procedures while lending to DCHL. “After considering the facts of each case and the individual bank’s reply, as also, personal submissions etc., by some of the banks before its Committee of Executive Directors, the Reserve Bank came to the conclusion that some of the violations were substantiated and warranted imposition of monetary penalty as determined above,” RBI said.

The banks collectively had a total exposure of around Rs 4,000 crore. ICICI Bank, the second largest lender of the country, has been slapped with a fine of Rs 40 lakh, the highest penalty in this case.

*PARLEY: Mr. Philip Ikeazor, Managing Director/CEO, Keystone Bank (middle) flanked by Dr. Shehu Muhammad, Executive Director, North (l) and Mr. Hafiz Bakare, Executive Director, Corporate Bank and Treasury during a press parley held in Lagos.

CBN orders AMCON to conduct fresh bids for Enterprise Bank

By BABJIDE KOMOLAFE

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he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has ordered the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to conduct fresh final bids for the sale of Enterprise Bank.

Investigation revealed the apex bank doubted the integrity of the process that led to the outcome of the final bids submitted by the five shortlisted financial institutions last month. It was gathered that some top CBN officials believe that the result of the final bids submitted by AMCON to the CBN Governor was interrupted to favour a particular local bank with strong ties with a former Governor of a South Eastern state.

This suspicion was aggravated when AMCON suddenly changed one of the rules for the sale of the Bank shortly after the final bids were submitted. It was gathered that the result of the final bid submitted by AMCON was inconclusive, with attempt to focus on criteria that would influence the outcome in favour of the particular bank. This, it was gathered, in addition to earlier changes, tantamount to changing the goalpost in the middle of the game, observed by the management of the apex bank, prompted the CBN Governor to order AMCON to conduct fresh final bids, based on some specific criteria that would be used to adjudge the bids submitted by the contesting

institutions. Investigations revealed that three banks are in top contention for Enterprise Bank. Two of them are local banks with head offices in Victoria Island, Lagos. One of the local banks, it was gathered, had been using its strong connections to the former Governor of a South East State to sway the outcome of the sale in its favour.

Investigation further revealed that the decision of the CBN rattled the board of the bank and this prompted the former governor to visit the CBN

Headquarters last week Thursday to argue the case of the bank as the best for Enterprise Bank. AMCON commenced the sale of Enterprise Bank on September 22nd, 2013 last year when it formally invited interested buyers to express interests in acquiring its 100 per cent stake in the Bank. The audited financial statement of the Enterprise Bank Group as at 31 December 2012, show that the Group’s Total Assets stood at N263.5 billion, Customer Deposits at N208.4 billion and

Total Equity at N31.9 billion The invitation by AMOCN prompted interests from some Nigerian banks namely Diamond Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Standard Chartered Bank, Skye Bank, Heritage Bank Limited and other investment groups.

Others include investors like Taunus Holdings, Sahara Energy, Obat Oil and about 12 private equity firms backed by experienced bankers as well as financial and investment analysts.

Sterling Bank posts N48.7bn half year earnings By

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PETER EGWUATU

terling Bank Plc has recorded gross earnings of N48.7 billion in the half year period ended June 30, 2014, representing a growth of 16.3 per cent over N41.86 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2013.

The interim report and Accounts of the Bank for the six-month period ended June 30, 2014 released at the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE weekend shows that net interest income rose by about 40.2 per cent, underlying significant improvement in its core banking operations. This also impacted on the operating income, which rose by 25.4 per cent. The top-line was driven by interest income, which rose from N31.08 billion in the first half of 2013 to N37.44 billion in half year 2014. Net interest income leapt to N21.28 billion in 2014 as against N15.17 billion in 2013.

Non-interest income also increased to N11.3 billion in first half 2014 compared with N10.8 billion recorded in the comparable period of 2013. Operating income thus rose from N25.95 billion to N32.54 billion. However, the Bank’s

operating expenses increased by 28.5 per cent to N23.8 billion in first half 2014 as against N18.5 billion in first half 2013, driven by on-going investments in branch refits and expansion, and rollout of alternative channels. This moderated the bottom-line.

Profit before tax rose slightly from N6.27 billion in 2013 to N6.34 billion in 2014. With a 131 per cent increase in income tax from N350.15 million to N809.73 million, net profit after tax stood at N5.5 billion.

Commenting on the results, the Managing Director/ CEO of Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Yemi Adeola, said that the performance in the first half of the year further demonstrated the underlying strength of the Bank’s core business.

He noted that in spite of the challenging operating environment, the Bank achieved a 130 basis points improvement in net interest margin to 7.7 per cent resulting from a 60 basis points reduction in cost of funds and a 70 basis points increase in asset yield.

He explained that the increase in cost-toincome ratio by 180 basis points to 73 per cent due to ongoing investments in the upgrade of the bank’s physical infrastructure and the rollout of alternative channels.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 — 23

Banking & Finance

Performance of ECOWAS economies inadequate for single currency, says Emefiele Stories by Babajide Komolafe he economic performance of countries within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is inadequate for the proposed single currency for the region.

Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele disclosed this at the 31 st meeting of the Committee of Governors of the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ). He said a recent study to appraise the preparedness of Member States has revealed lack of performance.

In his keynote address delivered at the meeting Emefiele said, “The results of the state of preparedness study commissioned by the 32nd meeting of the

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Convergence Council showed that the performance of Member States’ on the convergence scale relative to that required for the establishment of a monetary union is still inadequate.

“Also member countries’ business cycle synchronization in terms of real GDP, inflation, broad money and interest rates remained weak, and their level of institutional preparedness for the monetary union remain inadequate.

“The study, noted that member countries continued to make remarkable progress towards the establishment of a common market and the implementation of the ECOWAS Trade Integration Protocols and Convention as well as significant progress towards the reforms of their

financial systems.

“Over the years, our appraisals have continued to show that the level of macroeconomic convergence in the Zone remained inadequate relative to the set targets. Since 2009, no two countries satisfied all the four primary convergence criteria consistently for two consecutive years.

Accordingly, we have missed several launch dates for the monetary union.

“This may have informed the decision of the Heads of State and Government to approve the Modified Gradualist Approach to monetary integration by 2020. Our role, therefore, is to honestly appraise this directive and design strategies to ensure a sustainable monetary union in the zone . In doing this,

we may have to think outside the box realistically assessing and providing innovative options as well as the costs and benefits of Implementing the Modified Gradualist Approach.

“It is important that we remind ourselves of the need for the buy-in of all Member States in the WAMZ Project.

We need to constantly update ourselves with the level of progress made, challenges and level of cooperation required. In this regard, there is need for the intensification of efforts in the area of sensitization of all stakeholders.

"We must individually endeavor to evaluate, sign and ratify the various WAMZ Protocols and strive to implement them accordingly.”

Bank of Russia raises key interest rates

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he Bank of Russia has raised it key interest rate to 8.0 percent annual citing risks arising from aggravation of geopolitical tensions.

A statement issued by the Bank said, “Inflation deceleration in July 2014 has been slower than expected. At the same time, inflation risks have increased due to a combination of factors, including, inter alia, the aggravation of geopolitical tension and its potential impact on the ruble exchange rate dynamics, as well as potential changes in tax and tariff policy. The build-up of these risks will lead to inflation expectations remaining heightened and creates threats of inflation exceeding the target in the coming years. The adopted decision is aimed at slowing the consumer price growth to the 4.0% target level in the medium term. If high inflation risks persist, the Bank of Russia will continue raising the key rate.

Access Bank rewards customers in mobile banking app promo

BY WILLIAM JIMOH LAUNCH: From left: Mr Tola Adeyemi, Partner and Head, Audit Services, KPMG; Dr Babatunde Fowler, Executive Chairman, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service; Madam Onene Obele-Oshoko, Rivers State Internal Revenue Service and Mr Sunday Ogungbesan, Coordinating Director, Standards and Compliance Group, Federal Inland Revenue Service at the KPMG CFO Survey Launch in Lagos. Photo Lamidi Bamidele

CBN slams six-year time bar on consumer complaints T

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is set to impose a six year time bar on customers' complaints.

This was disclosed in circular to banks and other financial institutions on Exposure of Draft on Recommendation for Time Bar on Consumer Complaints issued by the apex bank on Friday.

“Pursuant to the inputs received from stakeholders, study of what obtains in some other jurisdictions, some regulatory agencies in Nigeria and the provisions of relevant Nigerian Legislations in respect of document retention and commencement of legal action, a time bar of six (6) years from date of transaction was recommended, after which complaints against FSPs would not be entertained. The proposed time limit

does not preclude the right of a complainant to seek redress in the court of law”, the CBN said.

According to the circular, “The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in implementing its consumer protection initiatives observed that timely resolution of complaints from consumers against Financial Service Producers (FSPs) within the regulated timeline has been a major challenge for the Bank, FSPs and consumers. Amongst other issues, availability and access to supporting documents were identified by stakeholders as a major setback for the timely resolution of complaints.

The CBN identified the need to have in place, adequate measures to ensure that consumers are diligent in their financial transactions by making\prompt claims on transactions as they occur, to

ensure that FSPs are able to resolve same with the required resources.

Accordingly, vide a letter dated 1 st November, 2013 stakeholders were requested to make submissions on the desirability of placing a time bar for managing complaints in the industry. In line with the tradition of the CBN to carry its stakeholders along as developments evolve, we are exposing the above recommendation for your comments. These can be forwarded in hard or soft copies.

Hard copies should be addressed to the Director, Consumer Protection Department, Central Bank of Nigeria, while soft copies captioned “Comments on the proposed recommendation for time bar on consumer complaints” should be emailed to monwedi@cbn.gov.ng and doakoma@cbn.gov.ng within two (2) weeks of the date of this letter.”

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ccess Bank Plc has rewarded the first set of winners in its mobile banking application promo, in a bid to promote the use of mobile banking applications by its customers. The 18 winners emerged most active users of the platform, form the six geo political zones of the country having performed different activities including money transfer, purchase of air ticket, payment of bills among other transaction between May and June 2014.

Head of Mobile Money Services of the bank, Rita Eromosele who presented the winners with their prizes said the promo was born of a desire to ensure all customers sign up for the mobile banking application, which provide them convenient transactions, once they have Wifi enabled mobile phone.

Her word, “We encourage our customers to download and activate Access Mobile Banking App to win phones and instant airtime.

24 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

Corporate Finance

Diamond Bank to raise N50.4bn rights issue

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iamond Bank Plc has concluded plans to raise N50.4 billion by way of rights issue to boost its working capital and operations.

The Bank released details of its long awaited rights issue on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and subsequently its website.

The bank is looking to issue 8,685,145,863 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at NGN5.80/share.

Qualification date for the rights issue was 13 June. In total, the bank is looking to raise N50.4billion to improve its capital adequacy ratio and support business growth. In its analysis of the offer, Renaissance Capital stated: Factoring in the rights issue we cut our Target Price, TP 9 per cent to N8.24. We view this as a step in the right direction by Diamond, the fastest-growing Nigerian bank over the past three years, and recommend qualifying investors should take up their rights.”

On deal dynamics, Renaissance Capital add “Diamond Bank is in effect looking to issue 60 per cent of current shares (50% if convertibles are included).

Customer service cannot be faked CUSPA

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ustomer Service Practitioners Association,CUSPA, an umbrella body of customer service providers in Nigeria has said that there is no hiding place for any service provider faking customer service.

The association stated that customers' experience is the blueprint to any organisational culture that makes it customer friendly or not.

This was the opinion of stakeholders at a recent forum on Customer Service Experience across industries held in Lagos.

Mr. Nduka Mba-Uzuokwu, Head, Customer Service Management, Enterprise Bank representing the Customer Experience function during the debate stated that not all organizations’ truly understand Customer Service. Most businesses mimic customer service and customer satisfaction, to them Customer Service is just one of those things and not a culture and this reflects in the way they manage the customers and the customer’s complaints. He pointed out that most organizations are driven by profit making and not by creating positive Customer Experiences.

Keyst one Bank tto o div est subsidiaries bef ore ystone divest before sale tto o core in or invvest estor

BY PETER EGWUATU

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EYSTONE Bank Limited has concluded plans to divest its subsidiaries before the sale of the bank to core investor, even as it returns to profitability.

The bank is divesting its subsidiaries in Uganda, Sierra Leone and Liberia because of the bad loans on their books Managing Director, Keystone Bank Limited, Mr. Philip Ikeazor, revealed this

to newsmen in Lagos, saying “ We don’t have N50 billion in the head office to maintain subsidiaries as required by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. So we have to divest to maintain our core business which we have the capital requirement.”

Ikeazor stated that Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON plans to begin the sale of Keystone Bank before the end of the year after new owners take over Mainstreet Bank and

Enterprise Bank. Before the core investor comes in we would be divesting from insurance healthcare unit, and other non-core businesses.

Continuing, the Keystone Bank boss said, “We are targeting an increase of about 15 per cent growth in loan book this year. We intend to achieve this by aggressive customer acquisition and loyalty programme, use of technology via Point of Sale, POS Terminal, Debit and Credit cards, internet banking etc. We already have

ANNIVERSARY - From left: Chairman, Board of Directors, Fidelity Bank Plc, Dr. Christopher Ezeh, former Governor of Anambra State, His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi, former President, Nigeria Stock Exchange, Dr. Raymond Obieri and the MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc. Nnamdi Okonkwo at an event to mark the 53 birthday anniversary of Obi in Lagos.

Briscoe shareholders okay N10bn fresh capital issue

BY PETER EGWUATU

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HAREHOLDERS of R.T. Briscoe (Nigeria) Plc have authorised the board of the company to raise N10 billion fresh capital through debt instruments, preference shares, ordinary shares or a combination of these options by way of rights issue, private placement or offer for subscription.

The shareholders endorsed a special resolution proposed by the board to raise the fresh capital at the 2014 yearly general meeting of the company held last week in Lagos.

In a bid to accommodate the impending fresh capital, the shareholders also increased the authorised share capital of the company to N2 billion divided into four billion shares of 50 kobo each to

N3.250 billion divided into six billion, five hundred thousand shares of 50 kobo each.

Addressing the shareholders at the meeting, the chairman of the company, Mr. Clement Olowokande said, “Rather than dwell on the handicaps that the company had to face in the current difficult business environment, your board has been strategising on how to optimize the use of available resources and opportunities for maximum returns.

“In order to raise the much needed capital for business expansion and working capital, your board is exploring the possibilities of recapitalizing through debt instruments, additional equity or a combination of both,” adding that the board will on behalf of the shareholders, carefully select auspice time and modality for implementing these options.

He enjoined the shareholders to support the resolution empowering the board to implement the initiative which will be tabled before at the meeting.

The chairman also observed that, “the automobile industry in Nigeria, particularly for motor dealers and distributors like us (R.T. Briscoe), is currently in a development phase that requires significant capital outlay for stock, after sales infrastructure and implementation of development phase for the future.”

He said the competition in the market place has become more severe as all major brands in the world are now present in the country.

On the future prospect of the company, the chairman the recent rebasing of Nigeria’s GDP confirmed enormous business opportunities in the

2000 customers, 229 locations and 384 POS. The core bank has returned to profitability, while we are planning to diversify from non banking core and African subsidiaries which is currently impacting negatively on the group performance.”

While commenting on the financials, Ikeazor stated “ The bank’s gross earnings grew by 3 per cent from N40.2 billion in 2012 to N41.5 billion in 2013. A testimonial to the improved operational activities is the increase on risk assets by 28 per cent. The bank’s deposit liabilities increased by 13 per cent from N267 billion in December 2012 to N301billion in December 2013.

This indicates an increased market share and improved customer service. Loans to deposit ratio is 22 per cent while industry average is 65 per cent. “ It will be recalled that the CBN fired the Chief Executives Officers ,CEOs of eight of the country’s lenders and bailed them out with 620 billion naira ($3.8 billion) after a debt crisis caused by loans to stock speculators and fuel importers threatened the industry in 2008 and 2009. The government set up Asset Management Corp. of Nigeria to take over Keystone Bank, Mainstreet Bank, and Enterprise Bank in August 2011 after regulators deemed them unable to meet requirements for banking.

country for a company like R.T. Briscoe.

Olowokande observed that contrary to prior economic data before the rebasing, that the oil and gas sector represented 32 percent of the economy, under the new set of data, that sector only contributed 14 percent while much of the balance came from previously unreported, consumer-driven sectors.

He also said that a report by the World Bank that the Nigerian had expanded by an average of six percent annually since 2006 and which according to IMF data is expected to achieve a rate of seven percent this year, gives much room for optimism and confidence in the business outlook, adding that this is further bolstered by reports that the population is growing by more than two percent per year, indicating a growing market for the company’s goods and services.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 — 25

Corporate Finance

African portfolio investors driving shares of multinationals to undeserving high — Report

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

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FRICAN portfolio investors' patronage of shares of multinational companies trading on African Exchanges has over time aided in driving their share prices to an undeserving high, said Mr. Jude Fejokwu, Principal analyst at Thaddeus African Research.

In a research report titled, “The craze for multinationals by institutional investors in Africa: Lazy or Smart?”, Fejokwu noted that the price surge usually recorded on the shares of the multinational companies rarely reverse, even with their disappointing results in recent years.

Regretting the high demand by portfolio managers for the shares of multinationals despite their poor performances in relation to their PE ratios, he stated that the local stocks get punished more when they disappoint and get rewarded miserly or not at all when they perform creditably.

He argued that local stocks supported by retail investors offer more return than the multinationals, saying, “This is why in Nigeria the companies ranked by market capitalisation from 26 - 50 will generate better price performances on average than companies ranked one - 25 every year barring the negligible anomaly.

Most of the multinationals in Nigeria are in the top 25.”

He said, “Africa and Frontier funds have continually over the years invested their funds in multinational companies operating in Africa and not African companies operating in Africa in comparison. This phenomenon is even more strongly felt once you exclude the banking industry from the equation across the continent.

“By continually purchasing the shares of multinationals over the years because they are familiar with the parent companies, Africa institutional investors have driven up the prices of these stocks to expensive levels.

“Their repetitive and persistent actions over time have led to overly generous and sincerely undeserving stock price increases in these stocks across African stock markets; this further strengthens their desire to continue investing in more multinational companies.”

Accessing the performance of some multinational companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, and Ghana Stock Exchange, GSE, based on their P/E multiple, year-to-

date price performance and year-on-year net income changes for each company’s most recent earnings release as at July 21st, 2014, he stated that Unilever Nigeria and Unilever Ghana, which have PE ratio of 39.5x and 78.2x, are both doing poorly presently.

“Despite this, their price performances are much better than their net income performances. Unilever Ghana has even performed better than the Ghanaian stock market index whose performance is in the red in double digits and has a P/E of 78X and a net income decline of 211 percent.

Its stock price has only declined 2.8 percent as at July 21st, 2014. Unilever Nigeria has declined only seven percent despite its net income declining 47 percent at the half-year mark.”

“In reality, our analyses reveal that Unilever Nigeria should be trading below N33.22 presently for its fair value and at N33.22 during Q1 2014 based on its actual 2013 audited performance,” he stressed.

Continuing, he said, “Flour Mills is not a multinational as we know it and in the context of the others we assessed but, it is majority owned by a Greek

company. Despite this, it still reflects the behaviour of the other multinationals. Net income has declined by 32 percent and its price performance has only declined by 10.5 percent.”

On the contrary, he said that CCNN’s net income rose 87 percent during Q1 2014 (32 percent tax rate) and its stock price has only risen 2.5 percent; Lafarge WAPCO’s net income rose 34 percent (five percent tax rate) and its stock price was still able to rise 3.5 percent. Lafarge WAPCO has still done better than CCNN based on year-to-date price performance despite, CCNN having better net income growth and a lower P/E.

LAUNCH: From left: Kola Oyeyemi, General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN Nigerian Limited, Ernest Ndukwe, Executive Chairman of Salt and Einstein MTS and Kehinde Oyesku, Head, Business Development and Sales, Avon HMO, during the official launch of Nigerian Mobile Health Insurance Scheme in Lagos.

SEC issues new rules on complaints management

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

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HE Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, has issued new rules that will govern complaint management in the Nigerian capital market, mandating all the SEC recognised capital market trade groups and Capital Market Operators (CMOs) including listed public companies to establish a clearly defined complaints management policy to handle and resolve complaints from their clients.

According to the SEC in the rules published weekend, it stated that complaints against unlisted, delisted, wound up, liquidated or ailing companies are not covered by the new rules. The Commission further

stated that complaints that are incomplete or not specific, allegations without supporting documents, disputes arising from private agreement with companies or intermediaries, non-listing of private offers of securities by private companies, as well as complaints seeking explanation for non-trading of shares or illiquidity of shares should not be considered as complaints for deliberation by ‘Competent Authorities’ within the capital market.

Under the proposed complaint management framework, complaints against Competent Authorities, operators by SROs/Regulator and trade manipulation, accounting frauds, Ponzi scheme should be lodged at first instance with the

Commission.

On receipt of complaint from a client, “CMOs and public companies shall have two working days to acknowledge receipt of complaints received by email. Where complaints are received by post, the CMO and public companies shall respond in writing within five working days of the receipt of the complaint. Copies of the complaint and the acknowledgement letter shall be forwarded to the relevant Competent Authority.

“All complaints shall be resolved by the capital market operators within 10 working days from the date the complaint was received. The Competent Authority shall be notified of the resolution of the complaint within two working days,” the Commission said.

Allegations of GSK corruption spread to Syria

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laxoSmithKline (GSK.L) faces new allegations of corruption, this time in Syria, where the drugmaker and its distributor have been accused of paying bribes to secure business, according to a whistleblower ’s email reviewed by Reuters.

Britain’s biggest drugmaker said on Thursday it was investigating the latest claims dating back to 2010, which were laid out in the email received by the company on July 18. The allegations relate to its former consumer healthcare operations in Syria, which were closed down in 2012 due to the worsening civil war in the country.

“We have zero tolerance for any kind of unethical behaviour. We will thoroughly investigate all the claims made in this email,” GSK said in a statement.

GSK has been rocked by corruption allegations since last July, when Chinese authorities accused it of funneling up to three billion yuan ($480 million) to doctors and officials to encourage them to use its medicines.

Unilever Nigeria rewards promo winners

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s a way of expressing gratitude to consumers who are loyal to it, Unilever Nigeria Plc has redeemed its promise to winners in the just concluded ‘Naija Shopper Reward’ activity in collaboration with Shoprite.

At the prize draws and presentation ceremony held at Unilever’s Ikeja Office, Manoj Dadcani, an Indian national based in Lagos, emerged from the South draws (Shoprite Lagos, Ibadan and Enugu Stores) as the winner of a brand new Mitsubishi car. Also, another shopper in Abuja, David Matthew Ochola, a security operative in Abuja emerged from the North draws to win a car too.

Kalpesh Parmar, Customer Marketing Director, said the programme was a way of rewarding loyal customers.

“The shopper reward activity is to celebrate ‘Naija Shoppers’ reward and excite our shoppers and deliver great value for money,” he said.

26 —Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 — 27

E-Commerce

Swatch Group denies working with Apple on smartwatch

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wiss watchmaker Swatch Group has denied a media report saying it was working with technology company Apple on a smartwatch, a wearable device with interactive functions.

Technology website VentureBeat said in a report on Wednesday that Apple was working with “at least one partner, Swatch” on a smartwatch project, citing an unnamed source.

A spokeswoman for Swatch Group said on Thursday the report was unfounded. She said the only business relationship Swatch Group had with mobile phone makers was as a supplier of integrated circuits and other electronic components.

Signs are mounting that Apple, which landed huge successes with its iPhone mobile phones and iPad tablets, is preparing the launch of an iWatch, following the commercialisation of smartwatches by rivals such as Samsung and LG Electronics.

Swatch Group shares rose 2 percent to 510 Swiss francs last week outperforming a 0.2 percent higher European sector index.

Microsoft’s quarterly profit hurt by Nokia acquisition

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icrosoft Corporation reported profit that fell short of estimates in the fiscal fourth quarter, weighed down by the acquisition of Nokia Oyj’s handset unit, where about 12,500 jobs will be cut.

Net income in the period that ended June 30 was $4.61 billion, or 55 cents a share, including adjustments related to Nokia, the company said in a statement today. Analysts were predicting, on average, profit of 60 cents a share, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

Excluding the Nokia-related items and taxes, profit would have been 66 cents a share, beating the average prediction for 64 cents.

Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella, who took over in February, is struggling to cut costs at Nokia after Microsoft completed its 5.44 billion euro ($7.33 billion) acquisition of the mobile-phone operations in April.

Huawei invests N80m to empower African youth in ICT Stories by JONAH NWOKPOKU

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lobal information and communications technology, ICT, solutions provider, Huawei has announced it would invest N80 million to empower young talents in the ICT industry.Huawei made the announcement at an event held in Abuja recently to mark this year ’s Nelson Mandela International Day. Out of this amount, N4 million will be provided to the Nelson

Mandela Institute, NMI which will invest it in its affiliate, the African University of Science and Technology, AUST in Abuja as a scholarship for students who have been admitted.The remaining N76 million will be provided in form of Computer Training equipment. NMI will then put it at the disposal of AUST on the basis of identified needs of the institution.Huawei will also provide access to its Abuja training center to AUST for the computer science students on the basis of proposals to be developed

jointly by AUST computer science faculty and Huawei engineers. AUST will invite Huawei engineers and researchers to organize workshops or specific classes to the students.Speaking on the move, Huawei’s Deputy Managing Director, Abuja office, Mr. Osita Iweze said, “Bridging digital divide is Huawei’s global strategy.

Huawei has set up an ICT scholarship in University of Lagos since 2012. A 1,000 girls training program with Federal Ministry of Communication

RIGHTS ISSUE: From left: Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Alex Otti; Obi of Onitsha and Chairman, Diamond Bank PLC, HRM Nnaemeka Achebe and Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, Ms Nkechi Nwosu at the formal signing ceremony for Diamond Bank’s N8.68 billion rights issue at the Bank’s headoffice in Lagos

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TAKEHOLDERS in the technology sector have called for a stronger collaboration between technological solution providers, the Organised Private Sector, OPS and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to improve the electoral process in Nigeria.

The stakeholders said INEC, Orgnaised Private Sectors and technology solution providers need to collaborate to ensure effective communication between the body and the electorate in order to make for a positive and significant impact in the conduct of the elections.

The stakeholders who included the representatives of INEC, civil society organisations, youths, political parties, traditional and new media and ICT experts made the call during a one-day stakeholder workshop organised by a tech innovation centre, Co-creation Hub, in conjunction with National Democratic Institute in Lagos, to explore technology solutions that will improve electoral processes in Nigeria, with a particular focus on the 2015 general elections.

At the forum, the

Technology was launched in 2013 and until now about 500 girls have finished their training courses. In 2014 Huawei has kept expanding the investment on young ICT talents education and we are glad to work with AUST to ensure the graduates could be ICT industry leader in Nigeria and other Sub-Sahara African countries.”

On his part, NMI’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Bonaventure Mbida-Essama, said, “The African University of Science and Technology is the first of the Nelson Mandela Institutions (NMIs). It was established as a centre of excellence in science and technology with a focus on African development. Since its inception, the AUST has more than 300 of PhD and M. Sc students from 19 African countries in five disciplines (computer science and engineering, pure and applied mathematics, theoretical physics, petroleum engineering, and materials science and engineering).

“NMI is willing to collaborate with Huawei, which is the world leading ICT solutions provider, not just with its affiliate in Nigeria, AUST, but also with the other institutions affiliated to NMI in Africa.

Tech stakeholders advocate increased collaboration to improve electoral process stakeholders reviewed the Nigerian electoral process with a view to identifying concrete technology solutions that can be deployed to identify bottlenecks.

During the boot camp session, the participants were divided into different groups and each assigned to identify problems

with the electoral processes and develop solutions to the problem.

At the end, increased awareness of existing technological solutions being deployed for elections in Nigeria to drive synergy in the deployment was recommended.

At the end of the event, it is expected that some new technology solutions that clearly addressed identified bottlenecks in the electoral process will be built by ICT experts, with civil society organisations stepping forward to champion the deployment of the solutions.

Lamudi’s global property portal now available on iOS I N a bid to capture the rapidly expanding Smartphone market in Nigeria, online real estate firm, Lamudi.com.ng has launched an iOS app for iPhones.

The launch comes after the successful rollout of the company’s Android app last month.

The Lamudi’s Android app is currently accessible on iOS devices in 16 countries – among them in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Speaking at the launch, CEO of Lamudi West and Central Africa, Allie Morse, said she was excited by the prospects of the iOS app, as it would enable property seekers to surf from their mobile devices of over 1000 properties listed by Lamudi.

On his part, Managing Director of Lamudi Nigeria, Sacha Poignonnec said, “Lamudi is

all about constant evolution. Some months back we launched the YouTube channel and Android app and today we are launching the iOS app making certain that we get Lamudi Nigeria in the hands of more than 30 million estimated Smartphone users in Nigeria.”

A fundamental feature of the app is its customized search function that permits users to filter results simply by country. Additionally, the app offers match alerts, with users being notified as soon as a property that matches their needs hits the market. House-hunters can also bookmark their preferred properties to access on any device at any time. The Lamudi iOS app is also available in Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ivory Coast.

Others are Tunisia, Colombia, Mexico, Zimbabwe, the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Peru and Indonesia.

28 —Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

Homes & Housing Finance

Shelter Afrique, REDAN seal N32bn housing deal Stories by YINKA KOLAWOLE & FAVOUR NNABUGWU

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EAL Estate D e v e l o p e r s Association of Nigeria, REDAN, has signed a $200 million (about N32 billion) pact with Pan African housing finance institution, Shelter Afrique, for development of housing units in Nigeria within the next five years.

Director Business Development, Shelter Afrique, Mr. Mouhamadou Gueye, disclosed this when he visited REDAN office in Abuja, following the signing of a Memorandum of

Understanding, MoU, between the two organisations last month in Nairobi, Kenya.

He commended the existing relationship between the company and the association while pleading for a stronger synergy in order to help boost housing delivery in Nigeria.

“We have some strong relationship with REDAN which has been formalised in the MoU signed in Nairobi last month. We will continue to implement the MoU and strengthen our relationship.

Shelter Afrique is spread across 44 countries with a commitment to provide affordable mass housing to middle and low income people.

We are committing $200 million into housing units in

Nigeria within the next five years.

“Also our mission is to actively support Nigeria’s government’s programme of building 10,000 housing units and we cannot do that without the support of REDAN. Shelter Afrique believes that Nigeria is one of the strong markets to help the government in the implementation of the 10,000 housing units. We believe that in this project REDAN is one of our main partner that will help in the implementation of this project in Nigeria and that was why they were in Nairobi last month to sign the MoU. We are focusing on affordable and mass housing development. Those are our two key aspects of our strategy

INTERACTION - From left: Ebi Bozimo, Project Manager, RTDL; Ikechi Odigbo, MD/CEO, DDB Lagos; Chima Ucheya, MD/CEO, Rainbow Town Development Limited (RTDL); Bode Adedeji, Principal Partner, Bode Adedeji & Partners; and Cliff Oparaodu, Company Secretary, RTDL, at a Media Interaction hosted by RTDL in Port Harcourt

in Nigeria,” he stated.

REDAN President, Chief Emmanuel Afolayan, in his remarks, said the association will render the necessary support to the finance institution in housing development in the country. He said it is required for any institution or individual willing to participate actively in housing development in the country to be a member of the association to enjoy all the benefits, support and cooperation that will speed up collective growth “Except you are a member of REDAN, you cannot take Estate Development Loan, EDL, from Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN. We are working with EFCC and the Financial Reporting Standard to make sure that our members abide and comply with rules and regulations of real estate business in Nigeria except you are a member of REDAN. We don’t dabble into individual business operations, but we guide them in such a way that they will not abuse the system and as a member of the association, it is mandatory and obligatory for us to provide our members with all the assistance required of us. We believe that the survival of individual members of the association is paramount and the development of the sector is based on the financial institutions that are providing financial leverage for members in the sector hence it is a collective growth,” he stated.

Afolayan disclosed that REDAN groups its members according to their financial muscle and capability. “The categorisation is basically an appraisal of classifying developers in line with their financial capacity and capability. We have the category A which are the lower cadre class of developers who are just coming on board hence the need to encourage them.

N82bn Rainbow Town: Developer sets 2015 completion date R

AINBOW Town Development Limited, RTDL, developers of the new Rainbow Town in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has set the third quarter of 2015 as the completion time for the first phase of the project.

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Chima Ucheya, disclosed this during the formal unveiling of the project.

In a statement, Ucheya noted that the construction of the first phase commenced in 2009, with an estimated budget of N82 billion. He said the project is already approaching substantial completion with

construction progress at about 60 per cent in the three distinct residential building types, adding that properties around the area are already witnessing rebound and upsurge in value.

Ucheya explained that the project comprises of 1,181 residential units located in terraces, detached houses and 25 high-rise condominium, with recreational, business, educational, security, healthcare and retail facilities.

He said prospective buyers can now approach a consortium of real estate agents and RTDL marketing groups, adding that a mortgage scheme has also been dedicated for access by investors and prospective

purchasers.

He pointed out that the project was anchored on public private partnership aimed at achieving substainable urban renewal, housing and economic development, noting that First Bank Plc, which is a partner in the project, has provided mortgage facilities for access by investors and purchasers.

The developer asserted that the Rainbow Town is creatively positioned to offer a total wellbeing experience compromising of a medical clinic, primary school, outdoor recreational facilities, clubhouse, security post, fire station and shopping arcade.

In addition to these, the Rainbow estate is going to be serviced from Eco-centre, a supply hub of power, water and sewer plant, broadband wireless internet connectivity, phone and data services. According to him, the estate’s master plan reflects some of the livework -play ideals of new urbanism communities worldwide. He noted that the estate has been designed to have lush green vegetation with trees, lawns and shrubbery that addresses the global warming challenges and incidence of high greenhouse gas emissions.

Mortgage bank creates account for Diaspora Nigerians

R

ESORT Savings and Loans (RSL) Plc has unveiled a mortgage account for Nigerians in Diaspora.

Managing Director, RSL, Mr. Abimbola Olayinka, said in a statement that the Resort Mortgage Account for Nigerians in the Diaspora would cater for the needs of citizens who were economically empowered but had no means of accessing mortgages in the country as the information about available mortgage products was not readily available to those abroad. “This product has unique features and affordable interest rates based on the affordability test conducted on Nigerians in the United Kingdom,” he added.

Olayinka said the target was the provision of mortgages for those in the Diaspora to acquire homes either for their parents and loved ones or invest in them for capital appreciation. “The bank is set to make an introductory product presentation during the Nigeria Trade and Investment Summit/Exhibition, which is holding in Reading, UK.

US mortgage rates hold steady

A

verage U.S. long-term mortgage rates were stable to slightly higher this week, remaining near their lows for the year. Mortgage company Freddie Mac said that the nationwide average for a 30-year loan was 4.13 percent, unchanged from last week. The average for the 15year mortgage, a popular choice for people who are refinancing, edged up to 3.26 percent from 3.23 percent last week.

Mortgage rates are below the levels of a year ago, having fallen in recent weeks after climbing last summer when the Federal Reserve began talking about reducing the monthly bond purchases it was making to keep long-term rates low.

The government reported Thursday that sales of new homes in the U.S. plunged by 8.1 percent in June, a sign that real estate continues to be a weak spot in the economy.

Home sales had been improving through mid-2013, only to stumble over the past 12 months due to a mix of rising prices, higher mortgage rates and meager wage growth.

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Company Oil and Gas and Products Petroleum Prod ucts Capital Oil Plc 1st fTier Securities AGRICULTURE Crop Production FTN Cocoa Processors Plc Okomu Oil Palm Plc Presco Plc Livestock/Animal Specialities Livestock Feeds Plc CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries A.G. Levents Nigeria Plc Chellarams Plc John Holt Plc SCOA Nigeria Plc Transnational Corporation UACN Plc CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Construction/Structure ARBICO Plc Constain (WA) Plc CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Non-Building/Heavy Construction Julius Berger Nig Plc Roads Nigeria Plc Real Estate Development UACN Property Development Real Estate Investment Trusts Skye Shelter Funds Union Homes Real Estate Investment CONSUMER GOODS Automobile/Auto Parts DN Tyres & Rubber Plc

Opening Price (N) 0.50

Daily Stock Market Report Closing Price (N) 0.50

Opening Price N

Quantity Traded 2,500

Year High 0.50

Year Low 0.50

E.P.S.

P.E. Ratio

HEALTHCARE Medical Supplies Morison Industries Plc Healthcare Providers Union Diagnostics & Clinicals Services

0.09

0.50 33.01 37.50

0.50 33.01 38.01

200 130,978 275,470

0.50 24.58 8.30

0.50 14.53 6.40

0.10 7.33 2.75

50.00 2.77 4.37

3.10

3.10

920,371

0.66

0.48

0.11

15.00

1.33 3.95 1.20 4.91 5.18 62.50

1.34 3.95 1.20 4.91 5.51 62.40

193,222 876 43,029 512 48,955,544 277,897

2.54 7.60 8.82 8.28 1.82 42.50

1.45 6.43 5.89 5.52 0.50 28.70

0.16 0.31 0.00 0.35 0.24 6.89

5.18 20.74 0.00 15.77 3.64 4.14

5.30 1.22

65.00 8.46

5.30 1.16

375 862,780

4 2,720,390.38

Sim Capital Alliance Plc Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc UBA Capital Plc

Pharmaceuticals Ekocorp Plc Evans Medical Plc Fidson Healthcare Plc Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig May & Baker Nigeria Plc Neimeth International Pharm Nigeria-German Chemicals Plc Pharma-Deko Plc

63.00 8.46

125,866 200

62.26 8.28

32.96 3.01

4.11 4.73

10.11 2.26

17.90

17.46

549,392

20.15

11.59

1.69

7.33

95.00 47.59

95.00 47.59

93 70

100.00 -

97.00 -

11.75 -

8.51 -

9.31 3.59

3.25 3.25

0.00 0.01

1.43 0.00

50,000

0.50

0.50

4,000

1.47

0.50

0.00

0.00

33.00 9.00 40.10 14.17 240.00 0.50 1.20 119.00 5.40 1.40 10.00

30.27 8.60 41.00 14.17 232.00 0.50 1.20 118.95 5.22 1.47 11.00

832,833 119,231 136,106 2,961,810 87,094,842 5,000 24,369 706,037 428,140 50,000 123,564

30.00 12.57 43.98 15.49 132.51 0.75 3.51 48.05 5.28 3.36 13.40

12.00 8.10 15.16 4.16 95.00 0.50 1.02 36.58 5.11 0.51 10.93

2.14 1.09 2.28 1.47 7.56 0.00 0.00 4.10 0.44 0.23 0.00

7.86 4.97 8.88 2.31 13.17 0.00 0.00 42.86 14.19 2.89 0.00

1.69 2.70

2,811 2,717,101

6.91 3.60

7.46

500

8.69

ICT Telecommunications Starcomms Plc INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials Ashaka Cement Plc Berger Paints Plc CAP Plc Cement Co. of Northern Nig. Plc Dangote Cement Plc First Aluminium Nigeria Plc DN Meyer Plc Lafarge WAPCO Plc Portland Paints & Products Nig Plc Paints & Coatings Manufacturers Premier Paints Plc

62,495

51.49

,39.00

2.69

13.92

Tools and Machinery Nigerian Ropes Plc

4,838,723 2,498,279 217,815 1,607,786 2,038,397 50

19.90 16.20 95.00 6.60 6.70 0.88

4.31 4.02 57.00 2.31 3.80 0.50

0.00 0.91 4.09 0.39 1.01 1.13

16.91 14.38 16.89 16.92 5.75 8.83

NATURAL RESOURCES Chemicals BOC Gases Plc

Food Products-- Diversified Cadbury Nigeria Plc Nestle Nigeria Plc

74.25 1,120.00

74.25 1,120.00

61,473 75,170

37.27 840.10

8.33 400.00

20,356,042 20,382,667 1,692,057 14,784,464 865,336 155,222,147 5,437,327 15,697,526 9,599,673 758,934 814,009 5,942,922 11,081,618

12.39 7.51 14.04 3.47 5.70 26.09 6.50 3.05 7.69 10.60 1.22 1.75 21.49

4.70 1.92 9.90 1.13 2.90 13.02 2.65 0.80 1.64 2.34 0.50 0.52 11.96

1.42 0.90 2.81 0.43 0.00 2.10 0.71 0.54 0.67 0.00 0.00 1.34 2.09

8.73 8.34 5.00 7.93 0.00 12.39 9.15 5.43 11.19 0.00 0.00 0.43 10.24

0.50 0.82 1.12 0.50 0.50 2.00 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 2.56 0.54 0.82 0.50 0.50 0.53 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.89

0.50 0.81 1.13 0.50 0.50 2.06 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 2.54 0.54 0.82 0.50 0.52 0.52 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.90

10 5,043,697 4,907,667 129,035 3,000 9,054,578 40,733 93,000 1,000,000 500 807,433 1,670,890 288,000 500 24,992 1,558,306 1,558,306 3,853,104 1,174,650 3,488,000 221,110 55,000 1,000 1,000 62,337 25,000 100 55,000 13,532,795

0.50 1.11 1.03 0.54 0.50 2.44 0.50 0.68 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.60 0.50 2.59 0.54 0.81 0.61 0.50 1.01 0.50 0.56 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.08

0.50 0.50 0.58 0.50 0.50 1.08 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.06 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

0.00 0.50 0.14 0.02 0.50 0.28 0.01 0.00 0.03 0.01 0.00 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.03 0.16 0.00 0.37 0.02 0.03 0.06 0.04 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.02 0.00 0.07

0.00 22.20 6.79 27.30 10.00 7.43 50.00 0.00 16.67 50.00 0.00 25.00 0.00 0.00 16.67 16.19 0.00 2.19 26.00 16.67 15.50 12.50 5.65 0.00 0.00 0.00 25.00 0.00 15.43

5.96 1.10

5.96 1.00

200 201,500

6.00 1.18

0.00 0.92

0.04 0.92

150.00 10.56

1.30 0.50 0.50 0.50

1.35 0.50 0.50 0.50

80 500 220,000 16,218

1.57 0.50 0.50 0.50

1.37 0.50 0.50 0.50

0.19 0.02 0.00 0.00

47.6 7 25.00 0.00 0.00

Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Sector African Alliance Insurance AIICO Insurance Plc Continental Reinsurance Plc Cornerstone Insurance Company Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Custodian and Allied Insurance Plc Equity Assurance Plc Goldlink Insurance Plc Great (Nig) Insurance Plc Guinea Insurance Plc International Energy Insurance Plc Investment and Allied Assurance LASACO Assurance Plc Law Union & Rock Insurance Plc Linkage Assurance Plc Mansard Insurance Plc Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc NEM Insurance Co. (Nig) Ltd Niger Insurance Co. Plc OASIS Insurance Plc. Prestige Assurance Co. Plc Regency Alliance Insurance Sovereign Trust Insurance Staco Insurance Plc Standard Alliance Insurance UNIC Insurance Plc Unity Kapital Plc Universal Insurance Plc Wapic Insurance Plc Microfinance Banks Fortis Micro-Finance Bank Plc NPF Micro-Finance Bank Plc Mortgage Carrier, Broker and Sector Abbey Building SOC Aso Savings and Loans Plc Resort Savings & Loans Plc Union Homes Savings Plc Other Financial Institutions Africa Prudential Plc Crusader (Nigeria) Plc Deap Capital Management & Trust Plc FBN Holdings Plc Nigeria Energy Sector Fund Royal Exchange Assurance

3.41 0.50 0.91 16.00 552.20 0.53

3.26 0.50 0.91 15.22 552.20 0.52

2,009,573 22,000 20 7,386,805 9,930 600,000

0.75 0.50 2.02 20.00 250 0.78

0.00 0.50 2.02 8.57 552.20 0.50

0.19 0.00 0.00 2.03 12.68 0.13

9.16 0.00 0.00 9.85 43.55 6.00

9.05 14.13 0.00 0.00

3,000

7.61 9.20 73.98 4.25 10.59 0.50

9.92 6.70 16.90 1.98 4.75 31.00 3.20 2.26 7.90 8.91 0.50 1.06 25.23

0.19 0.44 2.62 0.20 0.09 0.00 0.00

0.00 88.50 0.00 3.07

1,850 25,449

100.03

10.00 6.72 17.23 2.04 4.75 30.10 3.20 2.32 7.85 9.01 0.50 1.11 24.95

5.31 0.70 0.83 2.58 3.61 0.95 0.95 4.28

0.50

8.01 9.08 77.87 4.49 10.59 0.50

FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking Access Bank Plc Diamond Bank Nigeria Plc Ecobank Transnational Incorporated Fidelity Bank Plc First City Monument Bank Plc Guaranty Trust Bank Plc Skye Bank Plc Sterling Bank Plc UBA Plc Union Bank Nig. Plc Unity Bank Plc Wema Bank Plc Zenith Bank Plc

5.31 1.45 3.20 23.11 5.61 1.96 12.91 200

15.20 1.97

100.03

4.39 32.91

162 509,212 690,907 99,127 405,241 269,437 17,256 51,000

0.50

Food Products Dangote Flour Mills Plc Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc Flour Mills Nigeria Plc Honeywell Flour Mill Plc National Salt Co. Nig Plc UTC Nigeria Plc

0.82 1.44

3.72 2.06 3.18 68.99 1.70 1.21 7.36 1.72

15.20 1.88

Beverages-Non-Alcoholic 7-UP Bottling Company Plc

21.02 27.60

0.00

0.00

12.50

0.00 19.98 16.29 22.22 0.00

41.02 47.39

0.00

0.50

10.00

0.00 9.95 0.41 5.08 0.00

382,682 304,764

9.52

0.50

0.00

2.23 186.00 5.23 72.50 0.93

39.00 49.00

10.54

40,000

0.10

4.63 255.00 7.10 100.00 1.01

39.00 53.00

100

0.50

0.50

100,599 407,194 313,258 1,911,728 500

Personal/Household Products PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc Unilever Nigeria Plc

1.91

0.50

9.17 197.15 28.05 178.00 0.77

2.44 7.07 0.00

9.71 18.03 6.71

0.50

9.67 197.10 28.05 178.20 0.77

13.89 0.61 0.00

10.56 0.87 0.21

0.52

0.00

33.96 2.91 2.88

103.50 10.64 0.03

200

0.00

36.19 5.54 2.88

103.50 15.69 1.41

708,905

0.50

100, 412,718 100

15,358 11,329,056 5,330,917

0.54

0.50

32.27 4.15 1.44

3.72 2.31 3.01 69.99 1.72 1.24 7.36 1.50

P.E Ratio

0.50

840,712

32.27 4.15 1.44

0.50

E.P.S

0.57

0.50

Household Durables Nigerian Enamelware Plc Vitafoam Nig. Plc Vono Products Plc

1.91

Year Low

0.50

0.50

27.61 32.84

98.33 29.09 2.17

Year High

Computers and Peripherals Omatek Ventures Plc

Beverages-Brewers/Distillers Champion Breweries Plc Guinness Nigeria Plc International Breweries Plc Nigerian Brew Plc Premier Breweries Plc

1.35 25.43

103.50 27.26 2.24

Quantity Traded

ICT Computer Based Systems Courteville Investment Plc

IT Services NCR (Nig) Plc Tripple Gee and Company Plc Processing Systems Chams Plc

20

Closing Price N

as at Friday, July 18, 2014

Packaging/Containers Avon Crowncaps & Container Nigerian Bags Manufacturing Company

1.69 2.74 7.46

5.94 1.47 8.26

0.5 0.25 0.00

0.00

5.76

5.76

10,000

9.20

6.80

10.50

10.50

10

12.39

10.70

Non-Metalic Mineral Mining Multiverse Plc

0.50

0.50

200

0.50

0.50

0.01

0.00

Paper/Forest Products Thomas Wyatt Nig. Plc

0.79

0.79

4,050

1.38

1.38

0.00

0.00

Electronic and Electrical Products Cutix Plc Nigerian Wire & Cable Plc

1.82 0.50

1.90 0.50

446,655 10,000

2.50 2.58

1.62 2.58

0.11 0.00

13.15 0.00

1.44

1.44

2,000

1.51

1.33

Metals Aluminium Extrusion Ind Plc

Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Se Abbey Building Society Plc INDUSTRIAL GOODS Packaging/Containers Abplast Products Plc Beta Glass Co. Plc

0.78

39.60 9.16

0.13

7.37 85.77

0.03

28.80

3.98 16.30

3.98 16.30

6,888 1,361

3.98 15.58

3.98 12.71

0.00 3.90

0.00 3.26

Nampak Nigeria Plc Poly Products (Nig) Plc Studio Press (Nig) Plc W.A. Glass Ind. Plc

4.30 1.05 2.92 0.63

4.30 1.05 2.78 0.66

29,198 200 84,311 2,749,340

4.30 1.86 2.92 0.63

3.60 1.05 2.92 0.63

1.22 0.30 0.07 0.00

3.52 6.18 41.71 0.00

OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services Japaul Oil & Maritime Service

0.58

0.51

9,409,406

0.97

0.87

0.19

6.06

Intergrated Oil and Gas Services Oando Plc

25.65

25.47

17,150,043

78.97

27.99

1.73

4.17

20.50 0.50 65.60 238.00 154.50 62.43 180.20

20.50 0.50 62.32 216.00 161.41 61.99 175.45

82,191 10,000 173,105 95,646 84,543 12,880 93,011

37.10 0.70 5.59

0.50 0.50 3.89

4.93 0.00 0.61

7.40 0.00 6.99

163.50 2,100 240.00

141.00 63.86 195.50

6.11 2.98 14.63

11.11 19.23 17.07

Hospitality Tantalisers Plc

0.50

0.50

100

500

SERVICES Afromedia Plc Automobile/Auto Part Retailers RT Briscoe Plc

0.50

0.50

30

0.72

0.51

0.00

1.00

228,400

3.65

1.30

0.21

2.65 0.25

0.60 11.12

Petroleum and Petroleum Products African Petroleum Plc Beco Petroleum Plc Conoil Forte Oil Nig Plc Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc MRS Oil Nigeria Plc Total Nigeria Plc

Courier/Freight/Delivery Red Star Express Plc Trans-National Employment Solutions C & I LEASING PLC Hotels/Lodging Capital Hotel Ikeja Hotel Plc

1.05 4.67 0.50 4.50 0.75

5.00 2.06

969,710 1.97

3.67 4,000

0.52

6,479,926

1.64

4.50 0.80

100 1,701,300

400 2.07

Media/Entertainment Daar Communications Plc

0.50

0.50

50,000

0.50

Printing & Publishing.

Academy Press Plc Learn Africa Plc Studio Press Nig. Plc University Press

1.71 1.65 2.40 4.40

1.71 1.63 2.40 4.32

500 326,799 20 590,142

3.68 0.00 6.82

0.89

Road Transportation Associated Bus Company Plc

0.01

0.90 3.00 1.33

0.04

12.75 8.19 4.91 11.25

0.34 0.92

34.09 2.12

0.48

0.00

0.00

3.17 0.30 0.00 3.60

0.25

12.19

0.54

27.69

0.00

0.00

0.87

1,255,000

0.80

Speciality Interlinked Technologies Plc

4.90

4.90

6

5.15

4.90

0.50

0.00

0.00

Transport-Related Services Airline Services and Logistics Plc Nigerian Aviation Handling Company

2.23 4.87

2.19 4.90

430,566 947,981

2.78 11.75

1.57 6.50

0.60 12.53

4.22 8.75

38 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

Capital Market

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 — 39

Micro-Finance

Group canvasses ministry for small business

...says BOI, NAFDAC, Police, biggest challenge

Stories by PROVIDENCE OBUH ssociation of Micro Entrepreneurs of Nigeria, AMEN, has called for establishment of Ministry of Small Businesses in the country, decrying unfair treatment meted against it by the Bank of Industry (BOI), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Nigerian Police.

The association has also threatened to withdraw from the market, products manufactured by its members.

President, AMEN, Prince Saviour Iche, made the threat during a media briefing in Lagos. Some of the treatments highlighted by Iche includes; strict requirements from BOI, high cost of registration from NAFDAC, arrest and extortion of money from members by the police.

He said, “We are determined to industrialise Nigeria, but we need somebody with business background in the Ministry of Industry, we need Ministry of Small Business that will understand what we are facing.

“For the police, Nigerian producers cannot carry ordinary plastic along the street without the police harassing them, asking them to go and bring NAFDAC registration number. But our members in Benin Republic will come to Nigeria to source for their materials

A

and when the police arrest them they will show them their resident permit, showing they don’t stay in Nigeria and they will leave them, if the police arrest a Nigerian with the same product, they will take him to their station.

Sometimes they demand for N40 thousand where as the product they are carrying is not up to that amount, as a result, so many have left the business.

“In Lagos alone we have about 300 members, we have spread across other states, if they refuse to listen to us and

by October nothing is done, we will not hesitate to withdraw our members product from the market and we will be forced to respond to foreign invitation.

“NAFDAC is our friend but they are not friendly to us because what multinationals pay for registration is what we pay. The condition of renting four bedrooms flat before product registration is not fair to us because some of us are leaving either in one room or two, we are micro producers not multinationals.

“We are pleading with Agency to be micro entrepreneurs friendly, they should bring down the cost of registration so that we can produce.

He noted that news making the rounds shows that BOI has expended billions on micro entrepreneurs

Foundation trains youths on skill acquisition T

he Ovie Brume Foundation, a N o n - G o v e r n m e n t a l Organisation is set to train young Nigerians on skill acquisition with a view to engaging and improving continued learning during the summer holidays.

In a statement, Executive Director of the Foundation, Mrs. Iwalola AkinJimoh, said that the initiative is part of efforts to help reduce the number of youth involved in social vices, and fight the detrimental effect of learning loss that might arise as a result of a long holiday and subsequent idleness.

“The Ovie Brume Foundation is committed to ensuring that every young person is adequately empowered, exposed and has access to qualitative education to enable them take their rightful place in the society.

“As part of the programme, children will have the opportunity to interact with other young people within a safe and controlled environment, for increased learning and networking.

“The Youth Center ’s Summer Programme will provide a mix of opportunities from closed camps by Hope Youth Corp Camp and YMCA to open camp-based vocational training sessions and excursion all aimed at equipping the youth with practical skills that they can use to express themselves in creative and productive ways that will ultimately bring about transformative change in their communities,” she said.

The summer program is created to keep the youth engaged during the

summer holidays and it is targeted at youths between the ages of 12 and 18, it will run between July 27 and August 31. It is designed to empower the youth to acquire vocational and creative skills for their future.

Capacity building: AMfB partners Frankfurt business school

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s part of capacity building drive, Accion Microfinance Bank, AmfB has entered into partnership with Frankfurt School of Finance & Management (Bankakademie HfB) to train management team on business skills acquisition.

The training is targeted at strengthening and retaining the middle management team and it is made possible through the Regional MSME Investment Fund for SubSaharan Africa (REGMIFA).

The training facilitated by the Frankfurt includes a mini-MBA, business skills acquisition and management training, relevant soft skills such as leadership, management and supervisory skills as well as relevant technical skills that will enable a sustainable growth plan for the participants. The training presently ongoing, is scheduled to hold over a period of three months and participants will receive certificates on completion.

40 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

Aviation

Passengers' demands determine our routes —Dana Air

By LAWANI MIKAIRU

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ana Air has revealed that its route plans are entirely a function of customers’ demand and convenience. The airline's Head of Commercial, Mr. Obialor Mbanuzuo, stated this in an interview with Aviation reporters on the recommencement of the Lagos—Uyo route in a bid to reinforced its domestic flight operations. This is an additional route to its existing route network from its hub at the Lagos Murtala Mohammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2).

Announcing the introduction of the additional routes in Lagos, Mbanuzuo, said “Dana Air route plans are entirely a function of customers’ demand and the airline is consolidating its operations on the Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt axis following extensive market research that has shown strong customer demand for the additional Uyo route recommencement .”

It will be recalled that Dana Air was plying the Uyo route before the unfortunate crash of one of its planes at IjuIshaga on the 3rd of June, 2012. What the airline is doing, according to Mbanuzuo, is to reopen the old routes the airline was flying before the crash . On the in flocks of new airlines into the market, and consequent crash of airfare, he said the new airlines have brought in healthy competition which is good for the industry as the already existing airlines are now forced to sit up He however said the entrance of these new airlines has not affected the passengers volume of Dana Air as the airline has its selling points like prompt departure and good customer relation.

According to Mbanuzuo “ with superior performance, services and creativity, Dana Air is uncompromising in its commitment to excellence and safety as it is currently the only Nigerian carrier to have successfully undergone an operational audit conducted by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority Flight Safety Group in partnership with their foreign counterparts.”

New aviation minister: Stakeholders react

By LAWANI MIKAIRU

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resident Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday swore in and deployed the former Corp Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr Osita Chidoka as the new Minister of Aviation. It will be recalled that the Aviation ministry has been without a substantive minister since February when the former minister, Princess Stella Oduah was removed. A supervising minister, Dr Samuel Ortom has been overseeing the ministry.

The appointment of Chidoka has attracted reactions from aviation stakeholders. The Deputy General Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employee (NUATE), Mr Olayinka Abioye said the union welcomes the newly confirmed Minister for Aviation “ w i t h m i xed feelings”.

Speaking in Lagos, Abioye said it was the prerogative of the President to choose whoever he wants as a minister. He, however, said that the Minister should continue with the transformation project being executed by the former minister. According to him: “ the new minister should complete the ongoing projects started by the former aviation minister. We hope funds will be made available by the

Federal Government for the speedy completion of these projects.”

Abioye also said the sector would have preferred somebody from the aviation industry, adding however that he hoped the new minister would learn quickly from the sector.

“An aviation professional would have quickly adjusted and get on with the work at hand. We hope the new minister will learn fast and get on with the challenges in the industry.”

Reacting also, the former

Lagos Airport Commandant , Retired Group Captain John Ojikutu said the new minister should focus less on constructing or remodeling of airport terminal building which is for private investors.

He said: “ first, he should focus less on constructing or remodeling of airport terminal building which is for private investors like Babalakin did at Murtala Muhammed Airport terminal 2. It is a waste of public funds.” “ He should focus on critical safety and security

infrastructures like airport perimeter and security fences; runway and approach lighting and navigational aids; aeronautical information services communication, fire and rescue equipment and fire personnel , ATC S personnel, NCAA inspectors etc. “ Ojikutu also said the minister should critically look into the exploitation of BASA by ministry officials to benefit foreign airlines and the recent abolishing of royalties and commercial agreement. “ To deprive the country of a revenue of over $200m from foreign airlines that are benefiting more than we do from BASA , are yet, giving them multiple landings thereby depriving our private airlines the benefit of domestic market.

UNVEILING - rom left: Aggreko’s Managing Director, Nigeria, Mr. Alaba Owoyemi ; Regional Managing Director, David Taylor-Smith and Wole Adeleke Non-Executive Chairman Aggreko Nigeria at the unveiling of Agrreko in Lagos.

Peacock wins corporate travels award

By LAWANI MIKAIRU

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eacock Travels and Tours, a subsidiary of Peacock Group of Companies, has won the United Kingdombased Acquisition Magazine’s 2014 edition of ‘Sustained Excellence in Corporate Travel’ award.

According to a statement by the company ’s office in London, the award presentation was done by the Mayor of London Borough of Richmond, Cllr. Jane Boulton.

The Mayor, the firm said, presented the award during the opening of Peacock’s new office complex in King Street, Twickenham in London.

Other senior travel executives and players in the travel industry were in attendance at the special event.

While presenting the award, the statement quoted Boulton as remarking “This award is a result of the hard work of Peacock Travel staff ”. She expressed happiness in having such a forwardlooking establishment in her Borough and pledged her

support at all times.

Commenting on the ward, the Executive Chairman of Peacock Group of Companies, Aare Segun Phillips, said he would like “ to dedicate the award to the glory of God and to the entire customers of the company worldwide”.

He said the gesture was a

testimony of the world- class service that had been the trade mark of Peacock Travels, both within and outside the shores of Nigeria.

Phillips said, “For a subsidiary of the company to win such a reputable award in the United Kingdom, it means the core value of the

company in rendering qualitative and unparallel service will continued to be maintained to the joyous satisfaction of our local and international customers’ Peacock Travel’s offices were formerly in North East London, before it moved to the High Street.

Clearing agents to shut down airports across the country

By DANIEL ETEGHE

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embers of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, on Thursday, declared that the association would shut down business activities across all the international airports in the country following the continuous collection of documentation charges from it’s members.

According to ANCLA, the decision was borne out of the fact that some of the foreign airlines were still collecting documentation charges noting that the association will soon begin another round of protest if the situation was not resolved. The group noted that despite the agreement reached last week between ANLCA, the Association of Foreign Airlines Representatives of Nigeria, AFARN and other

stakeholders in the sector to stop the collection of the charges, some foreign airlines were still collecting the same documentation charges.Vanguard gathered that while other major scheduled international airlines operating into the country have suspended the collection of the charges, Ethiopia Airlines still insists on the collection of N7 per kilogramme as documentation fees, a situation, which did not go down well with ANLCA members at all the international airports across the country.

Based on this, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, was planning to summon the airline and other international carriers who still flout the order in concordant with it’s letter to the foreign carriers in 2011, which nullified the charges was still relevant.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 — 41

42 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

$1b loan to procure weapons: Matters Arising

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lthough the President of Nigeria had pointed out the “urgent need” (underlining mine) to upgrade equipment to fight the Boko Haram insurgency, the Senate President and the National Assembly, controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, still proceeded on their annual leave on schedule. Obviously, Senator David Mark and the National Assembly don’t share the President’s sense of urgency.

They will resume in September and at the rate Boko Haram is slaughtering people in the Northeast, close to 100 per day, about 4,000 Nigerians would have been sent to their graves. That to the NASS is not an urgent matter.

I must state quite clearly that President Jonathan is right to have described the matter as “urgent.” In fact, urgent might be an understatement. The situation is near catastrophic as the Nigerian Armed Forces are being shown to be facing challenges for which they were not fully prepared. When one of the Service Chiefs, on his appointment a few months ago, proclaimed that Boko Haram would be defeated in three months or so, Nigerians knew we have, as our first line defenders, some people who were living in a world of fantasy.

Today, it is over three months since those appointments were made and Boko Haram has become more murderous. The situation had gone from bad to very bad, and now, to desperate.

That explains the sense of urgency the President attaches to the matter. And, if indeed, the President nurses a second term ambition, he is aware that it would be an uphill task if the insurgency in the Northeast is not contained by the

time Nigerians go to the polls next year.

For starters, certainly nobody would represent INEC in those areas controlled by Boko Haram. The Nigerian Armed Forces really need more and better weapons to prosecute this war – for the simple reason that what they have is not turning the tide of conflict in our favour.

But, having agreed that our armed forces need to be better equipped, there is still the need to address the President’s request to borrow $1 billion from abroad. The first and most obvious, of course is: will $1 billion be sufficient, or will it constitute a first installment in a series of loans to fight the war?

Second, the President, one hopes, would have provided the details supporting the $1 billion (N160 billion) loan – including the interests, terms of repayment, sources of the loan, etc.

While on the sources of the loan, it would appear to me to be a cardinal mistake for Nigeria to want to raise a loan for a mere N160 billion and not turn to Nigerian banks, first, to syndicate the loan and benefit from the interest instead of foreigners. Surely, Nigeria’s top 10 banks can each provide N16 billion without going under.

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econd, N160 billion to procure equipment, mostly weapons of destruction, which can and some of which will also be destroyed, is not an investment to promote growth. The returns on investment on this expenditure are totally negative. We are going to repay the loans from funds generated from other sources. That makes it important for us to ensure that the entire $1 billion is needed and there has been no inadvertent or deliberate inflation of the need.

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hird, since some of the equipment would not be things that can be taken off the shelf and installed, one again hopes that our armed forces will

•President Jonathan

,

“For this reason, I seek the concurrence of the National Assembly for external borrowing of not more than $1 billion..” President Jonathan in the letter to the Senate President, David Mark on July 15, 2014.

The fact that a particular surgeon had performed two operations which resulted in death does not mean that he cannot perform the next one – if he is the Chief Surgeon

,

be adequately trained to use them.

Nigeria has for a long time become the graveyard of equipment and machines imported to serve particular needs but which had never been installed or used because nobody was trained to use them and no spare parts to maintain them when they failed. For instance, the Lagos State inherited four giant incinerators from the military in 1979 which the government of Governor Jakande could not operate. They remain

largely useless till today. Yet, a foreign loan was taken to install them. Most of the equipment and systems which Chief M.K.O. Abiola’s ITT imported, in the 1970s, to upgrade Nigeria’s telephone system, were never installed – among other reasons because nobody could operate them.

Perhaps the best argument in support of the request for the $1 billion loan is the cost/benefit analysis.

Unquestionably, the longer the war persists, the more it will hurt the Nigerian economy. And, if Boko Haram succeeds in spreading its influence to other parts of Nigeria, then the damage will be immeasurable. Against such an eventuality, $1 billion appears to me like a small price to pay to prevent further damage to the economy, for the restoration of normalcy to a wide area of Nigerian territory and to bring peace to those directly involved.

In fact, the continuation of the conflict has prevented us from assessing the refugee situation, the damage done to people whose means of livelihood had been impaired or destroyed for ever and families that had been scattered never to re-group again. Everyday the conflict continues represents another day to add to the tragedies which the war has inflicted on millions of our countrymen and women.

I am aware of the crippling and endemic corruption with which our country had become known. Some would assume that the N160 billion constitutes another avenue for selfenrichment, for inflated contracts (over which we will argue later). That may be true. But, as I pointed out to one of my friends who took this position, using analogy borrowed from medicine, “The fact that a particular surgeon had performed two operations which resulted in death does not mean that he cannot perform the next one – if he is the Chief Surgeon.”

Jonathan is our “Chief Surgeon”, at the moment. Let us give him the support and the chance to perform his duty. The NASS should lead by example. They should approve the loan before going on leave.

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Business & Economy

Toy business, an emerging market — Auldon boss

By PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU & RICHARD UDOFIA

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EFORE now, toys were seen as commodities meant for children, appreciation material meant to show love to loved ones, as they were seen as materials meant for children and displaying of aesthetics.

Toy business like in previous centuries did not have any monetary value in the market before now as brands currently play down the aesthetic nature of it and focus more on the business angle to investing capital in this form of business.

At the 2nd Lagos State Enterprise day recently,

organised to send forth graduating technical and vocational students from various Technical Colleges in Lagos state, Chief Executive Officer of Auldon Toys Limited, Mr. Paul Orajiaka, said that as a Toy branding outfit, the brand remains the most respected and innovative toy company in the country.

Orajiaka in one of his messages at the event, advised the graduating students to incorporate their skills in building their own brands while investing also investing in it as a profit yielding ventures.

He said toy business is relatively expensive and advised the graduants to plough their resources towards such an enterprise.

As a brand that has over seventeen years in the creation of innovative and imaginative products, Oriajiaka said that these toys aids and develop children’s IQ in today’s fast changing world.

“Despite the inherent

volatility of the promotional toy industry, Auldon Toys remains a market leader, guided by the operating principles of creativity, flexibility and simplicity, these toys continue to build upon a strong and focused brand

portfolio”, he said. The CEO admitted that by maintaining discipline, exhibiting quality control, product mix, and service delivery, Auldon Toys would successfully navigating the cycles inherent to the promotion of toy industry in Nigeria.

Embattled marketing institutes sign MoU

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ruce has finally come the way of the embattled marketing institutes; Nigeria Institute of Marketing, NIMN and Chartered Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, CIMN, as Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, is signed.

Speaking on what is contained in the agreement, Coordinator of the signing programme, Dr. Ify Urai, said that the parties have agreed that in all the committees of

the institute more members will be included to boost and balance the committees, while the institute aims to align itself to the status of other international professional bodies.

According to him, “both parties have agreed to integrate two members of both institute into committees as a new council for the institute will be constituted as a result of the brokered peace between both parties, even as two others will join at the AGM later in the year.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 — 43

Appointment & Promotions vicahiyoung@yahoo.com 08033348923

Alo named Berger Paints board chairman

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erger Paints Nigeria Plc has announced the appointment of renowned Human Resource practitioner, Dr. Oladimeji Alo as Chairman of its Board of Directors.

The appointment was sequel to the retirement of Mr. Clement Olowokande from the Board.

Alo, who holds a PhD degree in Industrial Sociology from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), is a scholar, management consultant and a corporate governance enthusiast.

His career in academics saw him serve as Lecturer/Visiting Lecturer at the University of Ife, Nigeria, the University of Benin, Nigeria, and the University of California, Los Angeles, USA. “I consider it a great honour to have been appointed as the new chairman of this great company. I feel humbled by the appointment considering the great strides the company had recorded under some of the best minds in corporate Nigeria in its 55 years of existence. In accepting the appointment, I commit to working with my colleagues on the Board to give the

corporate governance and human resource management which will be very beneficial to the next phase of growth which the company is currently going through. I have no doubt in his capacity to steer this company in the right direction, especially at this period.

Dr. Alo has had a distinguished career as a University Lecturer, a Management Consultant and a C o r p o r a t e Executive.

He started his consulting career with Price *Dr. Oladimeji Alo Wa t e r h o u s e Associates in 1985, from where he moved on to company the guidance and Coopers & Lybrand the direction it needs to Associates in 1987. regain its leadership position He rose through the ranks in its sector,” Alo said. to become an Executive According to Mr. Director of that firm in 1990.

Olowokande, Dr. Alo had Dr. Alo became the Directorbeen very instrumental to the General of Financial re-engineering of Berger Institutions Training Centre, Paints since he joined the a leading training and Board in 2012. consulting firm owned by He brings to the table, his Nigeria banks in 1996, where wealth of experience in he contributed actively to the

series of reforms in the Nigerian banking sector over a period of thirteen years.

He has had the privilege of directing consulting engagements for a wide range of clients across all sectors of the economy, with particular emphasis on issues of strategy, leadership and governance. It was from the wealth of this experience he authored a book – Human Resource Management in Nigeria (1999) and edited another book - Issues in Corporate Governance in Nigeria (2003).

Alo was a member of the Executive Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, a past President of the West African Bankers Association, WABA, and a Director of the Nigeria Capital Market Institute.

He is a fellow the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM), and served as the President and Chairman of the Council of that Institute for three years.

Presently, he is the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, MD/CEO of Excel Professional Services Ltd, a leading management consulting firm in Nigeria; and a non-Executive Director of ARM Life Plc.

Mordi now member of GACC

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Nigerian and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of the National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria, NCCN, Chika Mordi, has been appointed to the World Economic Forum’s Global Council on Competitiveness, GACC. The GACC is one of the most influential bodies in world business and policy.

The World Economic Foru m Founder and Executive Chairman, Klaus Martin Schwab, noted that Mordi’s invitation/appointment was in the light of his position as one of the world’s most relevant and knowledgeable thought leaders in Competitiveness. Mordi is honoured by the appointment and sees it as “a veritable platform to strengthen the private-public policy nexus and drive African growth. ”The focus of the Global Agenda Council on Competitiveness in the upcoming term will be: “Highlight and help leverage innovative competitiveness practices developed at the city level so decision-makers in other domains can better manage and develop the principal drivers of modern global growth.”

SeaRay appoints Bras luxury boats distributor for West Africa

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ras Marine and Yacht Services has been appointed sole distributor across the West African subregion by SeaRay, the luxury boat builder based in Knoxville, USA. According to a statement by Yomi Sonuga, Chairman, Bras Marine, the appointment will empower the company to market, order and import a range of SeaRay exotic boats on behalf of discerning customers within the West African sub region, with special consideration for Nigeria.

He explained that SeaRay designs, builds, supplies and maintains a range of boats from a host of offices worldwide.

“Chief among which are its Knoxville, USA office, which looks after the US and Canadian markets, the Merritt Island, Florida, and Amsterdam offices which oversee operations in Latin America and Caribbean and Europe, African and Middle East markets, respectively,” he said.

Sonuga assures its customers of flawless after sales services with huge stocks of genuine spare parts.

He noted that with the appointment, SeaRay brand

holds a strong promise in Nigeria and West Africa, adding that the brand will assume a more focused marketing approach and Nigerians will be able to purchase their preferred models hassle-free.

He said, “We are poised to

satisfy the yearnings of all Nigerians who desire the good life, and a life of luxury as provided by SeaRay boats.

Each boat is built with modern technology and parades an array of creature comforts that will delight each customer.

‘Indeed, our boats are a new

breed that breaks the rules especially with our very competitive pricing and standard warranty.

“The burgeoning Nigerian economy has seen more and more Nigerians appreciate leisure provided by boat cruises and voyages in the

pristine waters of Lagos and indeed, the West African Atlantic Ocean open seas.

“Thus, the new emergent Nigerian nouveau riche who desire the good life, acquire boats of all kinds of designs and sizes to complement the eleisure lifestyles they crave.

FG, ASCN reach agreement on appointment of PCC secretary validity of the appointment of Mr. Peter HE Federal Government and Nwakpa as Secretary of Public T Association of Senior Civil Servants of Complaints Commission.”

Nigeria, ASCSN, have reached agreement over the dispute concerning the appointment of Mr. Peter Nwakpa as the Secretary of the Public Complaints Commission, PCC. The umbrella body for senior civil servants in the country had on July 9, commenced an industrial action at the PCC with an intention to extend the strike nationwide if the dispute was not addressed.

After a meeting between the PCC and ASCSN called by the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, it was decided to set up a committee to examine the validity of the appointment of the Commission’s secretary.

According to the communiqué, membership of the committee shall comprise one person each from the Federal Civil Service Commission, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Public Complaints Commission, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, and Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity.

•Chief Emeka Wogu, Minister of Labour and Productivity The committee shall be given 30 days from the day of the commencement of its sitting; the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity shall act as the Secretariat and provide the chairman of the committee; the term of reference of the committee shall be to look at the

While communiqué noted that in view of the development, the ultimatum given by the union is hereby suspended, said: “no worker shall be victimized as a result of the present industrial relations dispute in the Public Complaints Commission.”

Signatories to the communiqué are the Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Clement O. Illoh; Secretary-General of ASCSN, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal; a Commissioner of PCC, Hon. Chijioke Uwa; a Commissioner of FCSC, Rt. Hon. V. A. Olabimtan; and a Deputy Director (IR) from the OHCSF, Mr. Gideon S. Mitu.

Earlier, the ASCN had, by a letter dated July 9, 2014, commenced an industrial action at the PCC with an intention to extend the strike nationwide if the dispute was not addressed.

44 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

Advertising, Media & Marketing

Africa, new pride for marketers — Blyth, TBWA GMD Stories by PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU & RICHARD UDOFIA

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ROUP Managing Director of Yellow Wood company, Mr. David Blyth has said in a programme in Lagos tagged: “The fundamentals of marketing across Africa,” that Africa remains the new promise land for marketers.

Blyth admitted that in Africa, and Nigeria exclusively, over 54 viable markets exist and are driven by three fundamental marketing principles, price, product and people.

He advised Nigerian brands to have a sense of purpose when developing advertising ideas, as consumers are not just members, but have heritage, feelings and believe in a good product. The GMD said that

aside firms building on more innovations and channels to enlighten consumers, Lack of infrastructures in any given society would end up slowing down the rate of product multipliers in markets.

Chief Executive Officer of Magna Carta Reputation Management Agency, Mr. Vincent Magwenya in his presentation, “effective leadership in delivering effective communication in digital era,” maintained that controversies in the line of communication is so important any where in the world.

Carta said that Political leaders in Africa do not communicate well with the people, but business leaders communicate better in all spheres of human Endeavour’s even in the market chain. He said that with the penetration

of Internet facility today, people still prefer face-to- face form of communication as most consumers prefer to see and feel the product they are about consuming.

“However, with communication channels, integrity of information is better enhanced and protected”, he said.

Although he admitted that in Africa, communication is well managed in areas of security challenges, political paradigm and social interaction where audience could be talking about brands differentiation.

Meanwhile, Executive International Strategist, Mrs. Jamieson spoke on “More bang for marketing busk,” in the marketing and advertising world, a situation whereby platforms are created for others to work.

Leader vice Leaderss and Ser Service

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HINK of any organisation that has excelled in serving customers. Wal-Mart. The Container Store.

Southwest Airlines. Guaranty Trust Bank.

Nordstrom. Bergstrom Hotels. Amazon.com. Zenith Bank.

There are many others. Whatever else they may have in common, one point sticks out – service orientation is not a slogan meant to drive the frontline. It flows from the very top and permeates the entire organisation.

At those organisations that have been acknowledged for their focus on service, the top leaders themselves get involved in delivering great service. They create a service-friendly environment. They craft and sustain a service-supporting organisational culture. They show by their own example that customers are very important to the organisation. In fact, the top leaders, including the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), possess a near-fanatical zeal for serving customers.

And how do they do it? In addition to what has been said in the foregoing section, leaders in excellent organisations spend time on the frontline meeting, serving or listening to customers. They often read and respond to customer mail.

They call customers on the phone. They interact regularly with customers, using various communication channels.

Leaders with ire service orientation hire staff whose values and attitude are in sync with those of the organisation; reward them adequately; monitor their performance; train, develop and motivate them, while driving a never-ending continuous improvement programme. Because their companies operate open and flat organisations, the leaders are usually accessible to both customers and frontline staff.

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ENTERPRISE DAY - From left: Deputy Governor of Lagos, Adejoke Orelope Adefulire, Group Managing Director, Ruff “N” Tumble, Nike Ogunlesi, and Chief Executive officer, Auldon Toys Limited, Paul Orajiaka during the 2nd Lagos enterprise day in Lagos.

Chivita Premium now Chivita 100% C

HIVITA premium from the stable of Chi Limited has changed its name to Chivita 100%, a reason the company says is to communicate a clear and effective brand message that will instantly resonate with consumers.

The company in a self-styled name rechristening and repackaging said that a clear brand message is about capturing the right language that embodies a brand so that it distinguishes itself from the pack. For effectiveness, the company noted that for a name to resonate with consumers it must be simple, short and above all memorable, and must also parade instantly attractive packaging.

Speaking with a distributor of product and Managing Director of Global investments Limited in Lagos, while conducting a survey on why brands change their names, Mr. Maxwell Iwunna, said the challenge of communicating a clear and effective brand message that will instantly resonate with consumers has always been an intimidating task for brand managers. “This is because very few brands are able to effectively match the message with each and every component of their brand or product,” said Mr. Iwunna.

According to Immersion Business Concept, Mr. Mike Nze-Opara, said that operating in a challenging economy like Nigeria where marketing a

brand is a complex and highly competitive task, finding a clear message that works with the consumer may be the most difficult part of building a brand identity. But by renaming Chivita to reflect the most crucial idea at the heart of the brand which is the 100% pure fruit juice that contains no added sugar, no preservative and no added colours, Chivita has solidified its market leadership. Continuing, he stated: “truly, in an increasingly health conscious society, consumers are most likely to choose a brand that lays emphasis on natural ingredients instead of products containing synthetic or genetically modified components.

uch leaders take time to listen to the ideas, challenges and complaints of the frontline people. More importantly, they empower their staff to do what seems appropriate for customers at any point. An emasculated team is of no use to anybody – neither to the company nor the customer.

In great organisations, customer service is not run by the use of thick rule books peppered with dos and don’ts.

Although the rules do have their place, people go beyond rules to imbibe values: those lasting guideposts that remain firm after the rule books have been revised. It’s not a question of “you go and do it.” Everybody does it. And service becomes a way of life.

Even leadership mindset is different. The top guys know that to create an effective organisation, management should be focused on service, not just control. They know that external service mirrors internal service. So they pull down the bureaucratic walls that hinder service. Everyone is made to know how their work impacts on service delivery. So the customer takes the centre stage.

In the final analysis, an organisation is a reflection of its leadership. If the leadership is visibly not committed to giving customers a great service experience, it just won’t happen. If, in deed, the key function of an organisation is to create and keep customers (according to Peter Drucker), who is best suited to be at the vanguard of it except the leadership?

Delivering long sermons on service, launching pet improvement programmes or knocking people for not “doing it” will not make a difference. That is mere executive grandstanding. Executives who really want their organisations to deliver great service get out of their cosy offices and lead the charge. They go beyond telling to doing.

They walk the talk. They take responsibility for whatever their organisations become.

Over time, employees begin to pattern their behaviour after their leaders. They begin to see what is really important to their leaders – and do it. If they are convinced that their leaders mean to create a customer-focused organisation, soon enough they will begin to work toward it.

In summary, leaders should •View service as their job.

•Create an environment that supports service.

•Spend a lot of time with customers.

•Model the behaviour they want to see.

•Reward excellent service.

•Empower their teams if they don’t want zombies.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 — 45

C M Y K

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C M Y K

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 — 47

Business & Economy Nigeria seen by McKinsey in World's top 20 economies by 2030

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has the potential to be one of the world's top 20 economies by 2030 with a consumer base exceeding the current populations of France and Germany, according to McKinsey & Co. Africa's biggest economy may expand about 7.1 per cent a year through 2030, boosting gross domestic product to $1.6 trillion, possibly pushing it above Netherlands, Thailand and Malaysia , the New Yorkbased company said in a report weekend.

About 60 percent of Nigeria's estimated population of 273 million by then may live in households earning more than $7,500 a year, fueling a consumer boom, McKinsey said.

"Nigeria has a very positive outlook," Acha Leke, coauthor of the report, said in an interview with BloombergTV Africa in Johannesburg. "The most important thing that needs to be done to get it there is execution of government policies.

As Africa's largest oil producer with a population of about 170 million, Nigeria has consistently posted annual growth rates in excess of 4 percent over the past decade.

That's spurred foreign investors such as Unilever Plc , Nestle SA and Shoprite igeria

to expand operations despite an upsurge in violence by militants in the north.

Based on McKinsey's growth estimates for the economy, annual sales in consumer goods could more than triple to $1.4 trillion by 2030 from $388 billion currently, it said.

The retail and wholesale trade industry will probably become the largest contributer to Nigerian growth by then and 35 million households are expected to earn more than $7,500 a year, according to the report.

While oil accounts for 70 percent of government Holdings Ltd. (SHP)

revenue and most of Nigeria's export earnings, its share of the economy has waned. After the statistics office overhauled its GDP data in April, oil's contribution to economic growth between 2010 and 2013 was 5.1 percent, compared with 14 percent for manufacturing and 20 percent for trade, according to McKinsey.

Nigerian Stock The Exchange All-Share Index

has gained 2.9 percent this year, adding to its 47 percent surge in 2013. The naira has dropped 1.1 percent against the dollar since January.

McKinsey's estimate of Nigeria's growth potential comes with significant caveats. The government needs to address poverty, lower the cost of basic services, such as housing and energy, expand electricity supply and boost productivity in farming, according to the report.

"If execution doesn't happen there's actually a big risk for the country, even from a security stability perspective, to create jobs and lift millions of people out of poverty," Leke said. "That has to be a big focus, to grow in a way that is inclusive."

The most recent poverty survey by Nigeria's statistics agency, published in 2012, showed that 61 percent of Nigerians were living on less than a dollar a day in 2010, up from 52 percent in 2004.

Life expectancy is 54 years, eight years lower than in Ghana and 20 years below Brazil , according to McKinsey.

"In the policy world, economists can build all manner of scenarios," Folarin Gbadebo-Smith, Managing Director for Lagos-based Center for Public Policy Alternatives, said.

BOI rejects funding SMEs cluster

By Franklin Alli

T

he Bank of Industry, has turned down request by the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) to fund its proposed SMEs cluster at Imota in Ikrodu area of Lagos State, saying “it is not part of our core mandates.”

The bank, however, reaffirmed its commitment to increase funding of genuine SMEs, especially those that are adding value to the economy

in terms of jobs creation.

NASME led by its National Deputy President, Prince Orimadegun Agboade, had during a courtesy visit to the newly constituted Board of BOI, requested among other things, funding of its cluster project and assistance to implement its programmes capable of transforming SMEs in the country.

In his response, Rasheed Olaoluwa, Managing Director /CEO, BOI, said, “We will be part of your international conference and

we will see how we can support you.Like I said earlier funding cluster is not what we do; the bank finances long-term plants and machinery while the SMEs friendly banks provide the working capital loans.

“For SMEs, our emphasis is on the genuine SMEs that add value in Nigeria.

Experience has shown us that we have a lot of SMEs that are not really genuine. That is the truth. There are SMEs that just incorporated to chase contracts in various

ministries; there are SMEs incorporated to chase supply contracts, construction contracts, SMEs that are into trading and exporting activity.

“We are very keen to support only SMEs that will add value to the economy by adding value I mean, by going into processing and manufacturing activities. That is how we can really increase the contribution of manufacturing to Nigeria’s GDP.That ration is currently peaking at 6.8 percent in the recently rebased GDP C M Y K

48 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

Email:lesleba@lesleba.com, lesleba@gmail.com Blog page:www.lesleba.com/blog2 Website: www.lesleba.com Tel:0805 220 1997

The strategic blunders of CBN’s Monetary Policy Committee spending within the economy and expectedly trigger inflation as more money becomes available for relatively less goods and services; clearly, unbridled inflation spells doom for all income earners; consequently, the Central Bank would step in to reduce the cash balances with banks so as to constrain their ability to liberally expand credit to their customers.

Thus, the larger the Naira allocations to the three tiers of government, the more buoyant also will be the cash positions and credit capacity of banks and the more urgent will therefore be the need for CBN to subsequently remove the excess cash in order to reduce credit expansion and restrain spending and the threat of inflation. Ironically, part of CBN’s strategy for reducing the systemic surplus cash is to offer to borrow some of the perceived excess Naira by selling treasury bills on which it offers to pay unusually high interest rates, which are considered inappropriate for risk free sovereign debts.

Late in June 2014, the CBN borrowed over N134bn with treasury bills; similarly, the CBN again borrowed N70bn and another tranche of thover N134bn between the 9 and 23rd of July, 2014. It needs emphasizing that the N340bn loans incurred by the CBN within three weeks will not be deployed towards the remediation of our severe infrastructural deprivations nor indeed, can these funds be applied to remediate any shortfall in the recurrent expenditure of government, because such spending would only increase the pressure of already surplus

,

T

he Federation Accounts Allocation Committee last week approved the sum of over N755bn for sharing among the three tiers of government. Ordinarily, the distribution of this relatively sizable revenue would elicit hope that the economy will become positively impacted, as the various tiers of government would be funded to achieve their budget expectations.

In reality, however, Nigerians may not understand why the disbursement of this allocation would bring in its train, a host of adverse consequences to our economic and social welfare.

Indeed, the economic dislocation attributable to such allocations begins with the deposit of the allocated sum of N755bn into the bank accounts of the federal, states and local government including, ministries, departments and other agencies.

Invariably, the government deposits become fresh Naira supply which swells the cash levels in the banking sector; expectedly, the bountiful cash inflow is sweet music to the banks as it enables them to leverage on the fresh Naira inflow to expand their capacity to give loans to their customers. The extent of additional credit expansion will be determined by the prevailing ratio of cash to total assets specified from time to time by the Central Bank in line with its mandate to maintain benignly stable prices and exchange rates in the economy.

Thus, if for example, the mandatory cash reserve ratio specified by CBN is 10%, then every Naira above this limit becomes surplus cash on which a bank could leverage almost tenfold to expand credit to its customers if required. Inevitably, however, such expansion in bank credit would promote increased

The larger the Naira allocations to the three tiers of government, the more buoyant also will be the cash positions and credit capacity of banks and the more urgent will therefore be the need for CBN to subsequently remove the excess cash

,

cash in the money market.

Technically, therefore, the N340bn loan would simply be warehoused as idle funds in the accounting records of CBN, notwithstanding that the banks would still receive an average interest rate of about 10% on the sums borrowed by the CBN. In recognition of this reckless and destructive practice, former CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi, last year, belatedly decried this inexplicable strategy and government’s apparent folly for placing its deposits at zero per cent with banks only for the same government to return thereafter to borrow from the banks and pay oppressively high interest rates.

Ironically, in better managed and more successful economies elsewhere, such practice would be totally condemned; for example, the

Business & Economy Emefiele promises adequate country’s economic and social funding of SMEs pyramid at a maximum of nine per cent interest rate. icro, Small and Medium report by the International He also said 60 per cent of E n t e r p r i s e s Financing Corporation and the funds would be given to M (MSMEs) have the potentials McKinsey indicated that women, adding that they turned to boost production, create jobs, reduce poverty and ensure inclusive economic growth and development in the country.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, said this at the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the 36 State Governments on “MSMEs Development Fund” in Abuja.

The CBN boss said that in spite of global recognition, MSMEs in Nigeria had not received adequate financing needed to play their pivotal roles as development trajectories. He said a joint

C M Y K

financing gap of the critical sector of the Nigerian economy was N9.6 trillion as at 2010.

Emefiele said CBN initiated the funds as an innovative way of improving access to finances at single digit interest rates by MSMEs in order to unlock their potentials.

He said the state governments would be able to access up to N2 billion each for on-lending to eligible beneficiaries through participating financial institutions in their states.

Emefiele said CBN would ensure that the funds got to people at the bottom of the

out better yields than men.

According to him, the CBN will be committing considerable human and material resources to monitoring the disbursement and utilisation of the funds in a robust and verifiable manner.

“Participating financial institutions will be required to submit periodic returns on disbursement as well as analysis of the social impact of these funds on our people”, he said. The CBN boss implored the state Governors to assist the apex bank to achieve its goals by ensuring that the funds were deployed in an efficient manner.

European Central Bank actually charges banks about 0.25% rather than pay interest on any surplus cash held by banks. Conversely, in view of our CBN’s feeding bottle strategy for addressing excess liquidity, it makes eminent business sense therefore for banks to shun lending to the risk prone private sector with its myriad challenges of infrastructure, multiple taxation, constrained consumer demand, etc and for banks to readily embrace the farcical business model where government borrows back its own money at such generous cost.

Incidentally, the CBN’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) recently maintained its monetary policy rates (MPR) at 12% for the umpteenth consecutive time.

The MPR is another major CBN weapon for controlling bank lending so as to curtail spending and also control inflation. The MPR is therefore a ‘punitive’ rate at which banks will be forced to borrow from the Apex bank to cover their occasional cash shortfalls.

Invariably, like Central Banks everywhere, the CBN will set its monetary policy rate at the level that would engender the objective of minimal inflation. Thus, CBN’s MPR will be high if the objective is to make borrowing expensive and reduce spending; conversely, the MPR would be set much lower if CBN decides to encourage banks’ credit expansion in order to induce both capital and consumer spending to stimulate production and increasing job creation in the economy. In successful economies in Europe and America, Central

Bank controls rates are usually less than 2%, so that commercial banks could also lend to their customers at single digit interest rates.

Conversely, if Nigerian banks borrowed from the Central Bank at 12% MPR, they would in turn have little option than to lend to their own customers at the economic destabilizing rate of over 20% as is currently the case.

The question therefore, is why CBN’s MPR is so high, especially when its product of high cost of loans is bad for the growth of all economic subsectors and the attendant need for increasing job opportunities. From the preceding narrative, it is evident that so long as monthly allocations continue to instigate the spectre of surplus Naira, it would be inappropriate for CBN to further stimulate spending with low interest rates or the promotion of liberal expansion of commercial bank credit because of the danger of inflation getting out of hand.

Instructively, however, if CBN restrains itself from creating fresh Naira supply as allocations for the dollar derived portions of monthly distributable revenue, the erstwhile shackles of unyielding excess liquidity will be broken, and a new dawn of rapid and inclusive economic recovery will begin.

If however the Monetary Policy Committee remains in denial of this reality, unfortunately, not even a thousand more of its meetings will burnish their legacy of complicity and failure to do it right for our fatherland!

SAVE THE NAIRA, SAVE NIGERIANS

Omoh Gabriel Babajide Komolafe Clara Nwachukwu Peter Egwuatu Yinka Kolawole Favour Nnabugwu Godwin Oritse Godfrey Bivbere Michael Eboh Franklin Alli Ebele Orakpo Ifeyinwa Obi Rosemary Onuoha

-

Group Business Editor Deputy Business Editor Energy Editor Asst. Business Editor Snr Bus. Correspondent Insurance Correspondent Maritime Correspondent Maritime Correspondent Energy Reporter Industry/Agric. Reporter Energy Reporter Maritime Reporter Insurance Reporter

CONTRIBUTORS Princewill Ekwujuru Nkiruka Nnorom Jonah Nwokpoku Naomi Uzor Providence Obuh LAYOUT

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Media/Marketing Capital Market E-Commerce Industry Micro Finance Graphics Department

V anguard Vanguard anguard,, MONDAY, JULY 28 , 2014 — 49

Leave Libya now, Foreign Office tells Britons

T

Ebola virus spreads to Liberia medical staff A

senior doctor work ing at Liberia’s largest hospital has died of Ebola, becoming the first Liberian doctor to die in an outbreak the World Health Organisation (WHO) says has killed 129 people in the country.

Tolbert Nyenswah, an assistant health minister, said Dr Samuel Brisbane died on Saturday at an Ebola treatment centre on the outskirts of the capital, Monrovia.

The WHO says the outbreak, the largest recorded so far, has also killed 319 people in Guinea and 224 in Sierra Leone.

Health workers are at serious risk of contracting the disease, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids.

Sierra Leone’s top Ebola doctor fell ill with the disease last week, and

the aid group Samaritan’s Purse said on Saturday that an American doctor in Liberia was also sick.

The charity said Dr Kent Brantly had been isolated at the group’s Ebola treatment centre at the ELWA hospital in the Liberian capital Monrovia. “Dr. Brantly is married with two children,” the group said, in a statement posted to its website on Saturday.

“Samaritan’s Purse is committed to doing everything possible to help Dr Brantly during this time of crisis. We ask everyone to please pray for him and his family.”

Brantly is the medical director of the Samaritan’s Purse Ebola case management centre in Liberia, where the agency continues to work with Liberian and inter-

HE British Foreign Office has warned Britons to leave Libya immediately because of growing instability in the country.

This came as a result of “greater intensity of fighting” and the likelihood of attacks on foreigners.

There are believed to be between 100 and 300 Britons in Libya at present.

The warning follows reports at least 36 people have been killed in clashes in the city of Benghazi - and an attempted car-jack on a British embassy convoy.

In that incident, British embassy officials said, shots were fired by unidentified gunmen at the embassy convoy in west Tripoli, but the attempted car-jacking was unsuccessful. No-one was hurt.

Hamas agrees to 24-hour truce in Gaza Health workers transporting a dead Ebola patient to a burial site national health officials to contain the outbreak.

Ebola is an haemorrhagic fever with a very high fatality rate. Liberia,

Sierra Leone and Guinea have borne the brunt of the recent epidemic, and last week Nigeria recorded its first death.

H

AMAS and other Palestinian factions have agreed to a 24-hour humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip, starting at 2pm local time (11:00 GMT) despite Israel accusing Hamas of violating an earlier ceasefire. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, said on Sunday the group took the decision after studying a UN proposal for a ceasefire and taking into consideration the situation of the people of Gaza and the Muslim Eid al-Fitr celebrations expected to start today.

MH17: Dutch experts cancel crash site trip DUTCH experts have cancelled plans to head to the site of the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine, international officials say.

Fighting between pro-

Russia separatists and government troops in the area has prevented access to the site, they add.

Earlier, Malaysia said it had struck a deal with the rebels to allow international police at the

site.

MH17 crashed on 17 July, killing all 298 people on board. The rebels have been accused of shooting it down.

Russia has suggested the plane could have been shot down by the

Ukrainian military - an allegation Ukraine denies.

The investigators, who are currently in Donetsk, have struggled to gain access to the rebel-controlled crash site.

50—MONDAY Vanguard, JULY 28, 2014

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 — 51

C M Y K

52—MONDAY Vanguard, JULY 28, 2014

FOOTPRINTS OF A STATESMAN: The Life And Times Of CHIEF DANIEL OKUMAGBA A biography by Bernard Oboatarhieyeren Okumagba

Lessons In Public Service (2) In all my public and private acts as your President, I intend to follow my instincts of openness and candor with full confidence that honesty is always the best policy in the end —Gerald Ford, US President

Y

ESTERDAY We began the first part of The Lessons In Public Service.

T

ODAY We conclude this serial with the second part; Chief Okumagba's days in Ajaokuta and his activities as Statesman, Nationalist.

M

Y father was bothered that something needed to be done about the palpable ethnic distrust in the country.

He saw a solution to this problem in the NPN’s policy of zoning offices, a policy that assures every defined ethnic grouping that it was sure to get fair representation at the highest levels of government and at all levels. He saw the ethnicization of simple issues as a major problem; yet, he conceptualized the problem within the context of access to power. This was why he campaigned vigorously in the 1979 governorship race for the zoning and rotation of offices. Explaining this position in an interview published by the Nigerian Observer of February 3, 1979, my father said: “Our party (NPN) is a democratic one; what we have is to ensure that important party offices were distributed on an expedient basis to all parts of the country. You will agree with me that if our party is to work effectively it has to take into account the Nigerian situation.”

The NPN had a clearly stated commitment to the rotation of offices. In Article 21 (Zoning) the party states that, “zoning shall be understood by the party as a convention in recognition of the need for adequate geographical spread.

The four zones as understood by the party shall remain. At the national level, the following offices shall be zoned: office of National Chairman, the President, the Vice-President, President and Deputy President of the Senate, National Secretary, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Senate Leader and the Majority Leader in the House of Representatives. At the state level, zoning shall affect the offices of State Chairman, Governor, Deputy Governor, State Secretary, Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Majority or Minority Leader in the State Assembly.”

While my father’s vision for ethnic harmony had a national template, it was clear that the

situation in Bendel State was of concern to him. As a member of the National Movement, he had argued for a fair representation for all ethnic leanings as an avenue to enduring peace. Bendel State was Nigeria’s Nigeria – a multiplicity of tribes, cultures and diverse geography. This immediately presented a challenge on how to weld the cultures together and harmonise the disparate interests of the leaders. While my father situated the problems that confronted the state in the economic arena because he believed that a people who are economically empowered will deliver and stay united, he did not fail to notice the need for ethnic balancing to assuage the fears of people, even if their fears were interpreted as misplaced. When he and his associates went about setting up the party structure in the then Bendel State, my father was conscious of the need for balance, nominating people of diverse ethnic nationalities for party offices.

Drawing on his successful private sector experience as a real estate developer, my father believed that the processes of governance needed retooling, starting from the leadership. His position was that only good leadership based on personal example could guarantee effective governance. In the Nigerian Observer interview of February 3, 1979, my father said: “What is more important as a governor of a state is the type of leadership you offer in the execution of the policies of a party.” He believed that the most effective way to get discipline in government is to run a disciplined government.

One other area that engaged the attention of my father was the right to property. He reasoned that society was best served when people can aspire to own property and manage them, with minimal regulation from the government. His basic view was that by the impersonal nature of government, a feeling of irresponsibility pervades some of those who hold office, such that many assume public property to be nobody’s.

This detachment of the occupier of an office from the duties of that office he considered a great fraud, which encourages insensitivity to the plight of the people.

He was very critical of government’s penchant to raise money without a commensurate delivery of services in the form of social infrastructure.

Government, he argued, should not be a burden to the people, especially the indigent in society, and he viewed government’s negligence as a form of social injustice. If he had his

way, legislations such as the Land Use Decree would have been abolished. He said of the law, which was decreed by the General Olusegun Obasanjo Government in 1978, in an interview published in the Nigerian Observer of February 3, 1979: “I have never considered the Land Use Decree a wise legislation. For one thing, it is not practicable. It has disturbed the economy of the country. I think the government can effect control over the use of the land without necessarily promulgating the Land Use Decree.”

My father ’s observation on the legislation months after it was made has held out several years after. The Land Use Act has become one of the most vexatious laws in Nigeria, limiting private property and wealth creation and, in some cases, totally obstructing it. It has become a recurring decimal in the agitation for constitutional amendment by Nigerians who see it as negative for investment. Some of the critical problems associated with the legislation are the arbitrariness of its application by which communal lands can be acquired at will by government, and the administrative delays in obtaining government title documents to land. What he saw as the unjust nature of the law was amplified with the way the oil industry developed. In

tor. At the time he ran for governor, the state government had taken over schools run by voluntary agencies such as Churches on the pretext that some of the schools had discriminatory policies. But taking over the schools presented an added burden for the government because the government now had more teachers on its payroll, had to take care of more schools and there was a perception that standards were being compromised. Again my father had a clear analysis for this: he reasoned, as he said of the militaristic decisions taken by the government of the day, that the leaders always found a convenient way to sidestep a problem rather than confront it, with negative results in the end. In his view, rather than take over these schools, the logical action is to retool the processes of government to handle the effective supervision of the schools. In taking over the schools, the decision makers were rather shortsighted because, as my father analysed it in an interview published in the Nigerian Observer of April 12, 1979, “Experience has shown that the government cannot alone execute its educational programmes without involving the people.” Some of the key problems he identified included the poor conditions under which some schools operated. He was concerned about the poor conditions in which teachers in private schools worked; they were not allowed to unionize and were badly treated by their

My father believed that an executive position would afford him the opportunity to affect the economic conditions of the people positively his view, oil producing companies over time seized upon the legislation to abdicate their responsibility to the host communities, creating in the process tension and discontent.

My father believed that an executive position would afford him the opportunity to affect the economic conditions of the people positively. The force of his personality was not enough to guarantee an impact as a lawmaker, which he had done at independence. As a member of the Western Region House of Assembly, my father noticed a disconnection between what is desirable, as enacted in laws, and what gets implemented.

His position was that what usually made the difference is the quality of executive leadership.

My father saw Education as a sine qua non for any society that aimed to grow. As a teacher with several years experience, he saw first-hand the conditions of the Education sec-

employers. He said in that same published interview: “While voluntary agencies will be allowed to establish schools under regulations laid down by the legislature, there will be no return to the old system in which voluntary agencies virtually controlled the conditions of service of teachers.”

His argument was for an education programme that was not just free but was qualitative and guaranteed that Nigerian graduates are knowledgeable and confident.

Perhaps it was the nature of the politics of the time, but it was also a measure of the quality of the contestants that violence was not on the cards. My father never supported violence and in fact abhorred it, which is why through all his years as a politician he was not associated with thuggery or violent acts.

My father was not given to recriminations or regrets. The

morning after the 1979 Bendel State governorship elections were won and lost, he got up very early, as he normally did.

After the morning devotion, he took calls and received visitors.

There was no bitterness in his countenance, perhaps a regret that he would not be in the driver’s seat to implement his vision. There was no need to cry over spilt milk; rather, there was work to be done as the presidential election was less than a week away and the party needed the votes to win on the first ballot. Meetings continued and the campaign trail was beaten once more.

It was also a measure of his temperate attitude to politics that despite the political differences with the UPN, when Professor Ambrose Alli became Bendel State governor, my father was constructive in his appraisal of the Alli government when this was necessary. In fact, the victory of Alli and his deputy Chief Demas Akpore, who was a lifelong friend of my father, did not affect the relationship between the Akpores and my family. Deputy Governor Akpore often visited our home at 15 Upper Erejuwa Street, Warri and on more than one occasion I stayed with the Akpores in their official residence in the state capital Benin City. My relationship with the Akpores goes a long way back. As a friend of my father and as my principal at Government College Ughelli, Chief Akpore and his family and ours have been close. His third son, ‘Kevwe, was my classmate at Government College Ughelli, where I also got to know his first son Jomo and others, including Boye and Newman.

Spending time with my father was one of my greatest treasures. I was privileged to encounter him at close quarters while he addressed himself to national issues and I took from that experience valuable lessons in public service. The mix of people from different social classes, religious faiths and tribes with whom he interacted often amazed me as a young child, not just for their ease in his presence but for the manner he engaged them. It taught me lessons in humility, moderation and humanity. All of this is in sharp contrast to the acrimonious politics of contemporary times. These lessons and counsel came into play when I served in government; first between 1994 and 1996 as a member of the Board of Directors of Delta Transport Company, owned by the Delta State Government; and again from 2007 to 2013, first as Delta State Commissioner for Economic Planning from August 2007 to November 2010 and subsequently as Commissioner for Finance from November 2010 to May 2011 and, again, from July 2011 to July 2013.

Continues on page 53

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 —53

FOOTPRINTS OF A STATESMAN: The Life And Times Of CHIEF DANIEL OKUMAGBA A biography by Bernard Oboatarhieyeren Okumagba

The Ajaokuta Days If Nigeria would not become a nation of unemployed people, the government must now reorder its priorities in order to prepare the country for an industrial revolution— Chief Daniel Okumagba, 1979

Continues from page 52

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Y father ’s appoint ment as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ajaokuta Steel Company, Ajaokuta in what was then Kwara State (now Kogi State) in 1980 may have been a surprise to some, and to others a natural outcome of the divvying up of offices in a political era. To my father, it was more than this; it was a task to play a role in the industrialization of Nigeria. My father’s selection may not be unconnected with his advocacy that a focus on industrialization was key to growing the Nigerian economy. He had shown so much passion for developing a clear industrial policy for Bendel State during his campaign for governor that perhaps this had not gone unnoticed at the centre. In articulating his vision for Bendel State, he had emphasized the place of industrialization in creating jobs and stabilizing the national economy. In a report in the Nigerian Observer of May 26, 1979, my father said: “The economy of Nigeria is in danger and may collapse unless steps are taken to diversify the economy through rapid industrialization,” and argued that a dependence on just oil revenue was precarious and presented potential fiscal problems in future: “If Nigeria would not become a nation of unemployed people, the government must now reorder its priorities in order to prepare the country for an industrial revolution.”

His emphasis on growing the industrial sector was borne out of a passion for tackling what was already becoming a national problem, that of youth unemployment. And, the designers of Nigeria’s steel development program reasoned that it was a veritable means to getting the country ’s fledgling industrial economy on a sound footing.

The steel development agenda began with the General Yakubu Gowon Government of the late 1960s to 1975.

Buoyed by the oil boom of that era, when income from crude oil exports reached what then were dizzying heights, the regime embarked on ambitious public sector-led investments in refineries, steel, au-

tomobile assembly plants and a few others. The steel development project as envisioned by successive regimes took off by building two steel-making plants in Aladja, Delta State and Ajaokuta, Kogi State; steel rolling mills in some other parts and an Iron Ore plant close to its source at Itakpe, Kogi State, to feed the Ajaokuta mill.

Steel is the basis of the Industrial Revolution in Europe and America, enabling the making of engines and spawning the creation of new industries. The Steel development plan commenced with the setting up of research studies, which confirmed Nigeria’s huge iron ore deposit in Itakpe. With this on the table, work now moved to setting up the administrative structure for the industry. In 1978 the Federal Military Government of General Obasanjo set up the National Steel Council and approved a new structure under which the two steel plants at Ajaokuta and Aladja will have independent board of directors and separate managements. It was this structure that was presented to the succeeding civilian government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari when it took over on October 1, 1979.

Also important was the structure of the plants and the technology designed for both.

Ajaokuta Steel was USSR (Russian) technology with a huge capacity for expansion but it was technology that would become outdated fast.

The USSR had placed a foot in the door to Nigeria’s Steel ambition when in 1967 they

had worked with Nigerian officials to conduct geophysical surveys on Nigeria’s iron ore deposits and the potential for a Steel plant. The USSR was pre-qualified by a committee after considering proposals from companies in leading Steel-producing countries such as Germany, the U.K., Canada and the United States. At the close of the surveys conducted by the USSR in 1973, the recommendation was for Nigeria to establish its own steel industry.

A player in the Nigerian

About the Book Chief Daniel Okumagba, who lived from 1922 to 2000, was widely acknowledged as a man of truth, courage and discipline. From 1960, when he won election to represent Warri East Constituency at the Western Region House of Assembly in Ibadan, Chief Daniel Okumagba played major roles in Nigeria’s national development.

He was a member of the National Council for Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), a foundation member and foundation national executive committee member of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the Second Republic, governorship candidate of the party in Bendel State (now Edo and Delta states) in the 1979 general elections and pioneer chairman of Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited.

Chief Daniel Okumagba was a teacher, legislator, politician, businessman and frontline Niger Delta leader.

In all, he was a man of peace, who believed in peaceful coexistence among various ethnic groups, a statesman and nationalist.

In this biography of Chief Daniel Okumagba, Bernard Okumagba (former Delta State Commissioner for Finance) tells of a father whose life has not been fully chronicled and of values and circumstances that shaped the public identity of his father.

Bernard’s story of one of the key players of the First and Second Republics in Nigeria is a compelling narrative. Footprints of a Statesman: The life and times of Chief Daniel Okumagba, is a son’s appreciation of his father, and the lessons therefrom. rian civil war of 1967 – 1970.

Perhaps, given that support, attention was not paid to some fundamental flaws in the design and the initial research findings. Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji recalled, “I personally went to Britain and America and they said no, you Nige-

His emphasis on growing the industrial sector was borne out of a passion for tackling what was already becoming a national problem, that of youth unemployment rians don’t need iron and Steel industry and former Finance Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, says Nigeria was caught between a rock and a hard place when setting up the plants. It was widely believed that Western Steel powers were not willing to assist Nigeria with the technology for setting up the plant, leaving the USSR to fill in the gap. The country also had another reason for contracting the Russians for the job. According to Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, in an interview published in the Vanguard newspaper of August 11, 2008, the Russians were rewarded for backing the Federal Government in the Nige-

steel.”

The agreements for Ajaokuta Steel were signed in 1978 and work started on the plant. The Steel plant was one of the key projects inherited by the new NPN government, even though as at the time it took over, real construction works had not begun. In some instances, the projects were at the land preparation stage.

What was certain was that the agreements for the construction and other contract details had been made by the General Olusegun Obasanjo military administration prior to October 1, 1979. The Shagari government carried on from where the Obasanjo regime

trailed off and remarkably forged ahead with the construction.

President Shagari was very keen to get the steel industries completed. After the outgoing Federal Military Government approved the restructuring of the steel companies into separate governing Boards of Directors, it was now left to the new civilian government to implement the new business model. Whatever may have informed the president’s choice of my father to head Ajaokuta Steel’s Board of Directors may not have been clear to all but those familiar with the workings of government within this period say that both men developed a close relationship during the formation of the party and the subsequent elections. Perhaps my father’s capacity for independent thinking and his modest and frank attitude may have caught the attention of President Shagari during the elections and in the months following them.

The President met with my father privately on two occasions before the Board appointments were made. While it may not have been clear what was discussed on both occasions, aside party politics; the fervour my father took to his new job underlined the administration’s commitment to the Steel project.

Continues on page 54

54—Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

FOOTPRINTS OF A STATESMAN: The Life And Times Of CHIEF DANIEL OKUMAGBA A biography by Bernard Oboatarhieyeren Okumagba

Statesman and Nationalist The most important political office is that of the private citizen — Louis D Brandeis, US Supreme Court Justice Continued from page 53 N his 78 years on earth, my father virtually lived in the public space. From a very early age, before he was 30, he was already a community leader and for the next forty years he was a teacher, politician, businessman and activist. His work largely gave expression to the Okumagba persona in the Delta and on the national stage, yet my father was also a private person. He shunned the limelight whenever he could and spent more time studying and reflecting on issues that bothered him. His pattern was not the typical life of the politician, beating the road and looking out to knock out compromises for political gain, so he was not likely to build private armies and he never did. My father cherished the sharing of ideas, stimulating discussions, his quiet time and classical music.

He was a loyal friend and would do everything possible to share good times with his friends. Years after he cultivated his friendship with Mr Joseph Ayomike, his former student at Urhobo College Effurun, my father still found time to honour this bond.

He was at home in Mr Ayomike’s household, stopping by for visits and to listen to the piano. One of my father ’s interests was listening to music, a passion cultivated from his childhood as a Christian of the Catholic faith. In cultivating this friendship, my father and Mr Ayomike shared a passion lasting several years.

Sometimes, while driving past the home of Mr Joseph Ayomike in Warri, he would stop by and ask his former student that the piano be played to his hearing. Every year, Mr Ayomike organized a concert in his home, in an auditorium that could take up to 400 persons and my father never failed to show up, even during the Warri crisis. Mr Ayomike recalls: “He attended every concert that I did here, every one. In the midst of the famous or infamous Warri war that lasted seven years, 1997 to 2003, and involved the Itsekiri, Ijaw and Urhobo, my group was intact and the concerts were not interrupted. My group was intact. During the crisis, when even churches

I

had cracked up into ethnic groups, our multi-cultural group was intact. Chief Okumagba was invited, as usual, and he never missed any. On the day of one of these concerts he dramatized our friendship. He said he had asked his drivers and personal staff to take the day off, forgetting that he had this concert to attend. While resting, he remembered the appointment but he could not recall his staff (mobile telephones were not common in those days and very few people had access to desk phones). He was between coming here and sending an apology. He said if he did not come, he would be sending a wrong signal because everybody knew our closeness to each other and it would be interpreted that it was because of the Warri ethnic crisis, so he chartered a taxi and came here. At that concert my former teachers, Dr Diejomaoh and Professor Tekena Tamuno, were present. It was such joy for them to meet with Chief Okumagba after all these years. It was here that Chief Okumagba told the story of how he came and why he had to come.”

Perhaps it was the education of the time that valued integrity and personal virtue above all else. My father did not crave attention for himself. He was open to ideas and free with them. His exposure to the political process and his stay as a lawmaker in the Western Region House of Assembly, Ibadan, exposed him to new ideas in community management, enabling him to supervise the planning of the Okumagba Layout in Warri.

His ability to bond with people across the age spectrum was outstanding.

While he may have presented a tough visage, my father was excitable. My father would light up when his dividend warrants arrived, doing the arithmetic of his income. He had so much faith in the capital market, with investments in several companies. He saw the capi-

stockbrokers and businessmen. He did not. Could his love for mathematics have been so ingrained in his bones as to produce a genetic effect? This is a puzzle for Science. But he was glad that his children shared an interest in the discipline he took to heart. You knew that even if Papa had little time to look up your school performance, you had no reason to fail; it was ingrained that failure was not an alternative, producing in all of us, his children - Patrick, Patricia, Vera, Albert, Matthew, Francis, Bernard (me), Ejiro, Ekurume, Brume, Veruvwu and Efe - a strict regimen to succeed.

In his last years in retirement, with his sights off political office, my father focused more on contributing to the structuring of the Nigerian federation. He advocated the right of the Niger Delta people to a more equitable share of the wealth from their region, what later became the resource control struggle. His views on national issues were unambiguous.

His work done, my father

He did not,could his love for mathematics have been so ingrained in his bones as to produce a genetic effect?

This is a puzzle for Science.

But he was glad that his children shared an interest in the discipline he took to heart tal market as a safe investment and rather than give monetary rewards to people around him, he preferred to buy them shares in quoted companies, encouraging those around him to invest rather than spend, where possible.

It is difficult to know if there is a correlation between his study of mathematics and his love for investments in the capital market, and many people wonder if my father compelled any of his children to take to the financial sector, given that a good number of us ended up as bankers, chartered accountants, economists,

died peacefully in the early hours of July 27, 2000. His funeral saw a congregation of political heavyweights from the Second Republic.

Second Republic President Shehu Shagari sent a delegation led by his Transport Minister Alhaji Umaru Dikko, as did several other associates of my father through the years.

Teacher, Businessman, Community Leader, Politician, Statesman and advocate for peaceful coexistence amongst ethnic groups, Chief Daniel Okumagba inspired confidence, valour and moral rectitude. He was a mentor to many.

CONCLUDED.

About the Author

B

E R N A R D Oboatarhieyeren Okumagba was born in Warri, Delta State on April 7, 1967 to Chief Daniel Okumagba and Mrs. Dorcas Okumagba of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State.

He attended Government College, Ughelli from 1977 to 1982 and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka from 1983 and 1987 where he bagged a B.sc degree in Accountancy (2nd Class Honours, Upper Division). Subsequently, he undertook the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) professional examinations and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1991. Bernard started his working career at the international financial services firm Arthur Andersen & Co (now KPMG), in 1988. He later worked in several banks from 1991 to 2007. Bernard held various positions at these banks, including Senior Manager, Corporate Banking Division; Head of Internal Control/Audit Division, Bank Chief Inspector and Principal Manager, Consumer and Commercial Banking Division, amongst others. He left United Bank for Africa Plc in August 2007 following his appointment as Delta State Commissioner for Economic Planning.

He served as Delta State Commissioner for Economic Planning from August 2007 to November 2010 and was subsequently appointed Commissioner for Finance and served from November 2010 to May 2011. Bernard was reappointed Delta State Commissioner for Finance in July 2011 and held this position until July 2013. He is presently Chairman of Regents Consults Limited and Noly Insurance Brokers Limited. He is also currently a Director of Abbey Mortgage Bank Plc. Bernard holds the traditional chieftaincy title of Eruvwu R’Ovie of Agbarha Kingdom, Warri, Delta State.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 —55

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56—Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

We were all grandstanding – Prof. ABC Nwosu Confab:

•Says Obasanjo has earned his place in history ERSTWHILE Political Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo, erstwhile Minister of Health, Prof. Alphonsus Nwosu, was one of the principal founders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, joining from the Peoples National Front, PNF where he was national secretary.

In this revealing interview, Nwosu articulates three principal objectives of the PDP in 1998, one of which was to ensure the realisation of a president from Southern Nigeria in 1999 and another being to permanently check the incursion of the military in governance.

Nwosu also reviews the performance of the political class, analyses issues arising from the National Conference and affirms a respectable place in history for President Obasanjo who he affirms was at all times and in all issues a decisive leader. Excerpts:

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

M

ANY believe that it the National Conference was a waste of money. Do you

agree?

People are entitled to their opinion.

Even one of my close friends, Professor Pat Utomi believes that the conference wasted billions and some of us who are his friends in that conference whether Femi Falana, Olisa Agbakoba, ABC Nwosu and the rest, all we can say is if Pat believes that we can be part of any wasted exercise, it is his opinion. May be when we meet, we will explain to him but it remains his opinion and what I take from that opinion is that they have not really bothered to see what we have achieved or read the decisions that have been taken.

The recommendation for the setting up of a Technical Committee by the presidency on the issue of derivation gives the impression of an impasse on the issue. Was that the best you could have done?

I think it was the best way to resolve the matter. I was a member of the committee on devolution of power.

Members of that committee will also tell you that I was also the chairman of the writing subcommittee of that committee that produced the report for the plenary.

And I think that if you see our report, you will see that this issue generated so much contention and we adjourned in the committee about five times before we arrived at a decision in the best interest of the country to maintain the equilibrium and stable state that we have in the country and not compromise on the security.

The decision of the plenary was simple. We agreed that 13 per cent derivation should be reviewed upwards eventually, eventually, it was brought to 18 per cent from 21.1 per cent which a subcommittee had agreed on. I think that 18 per cent would have sailed through the plenary.

It was also agreed that there should be mineral development fund which we agreed should be about 5 per cent

•Prof Nwosu: We must go back to people oriented policies of national revenue to fast track solid mineral development and bring more money into national revenue from all the six geopolitical zones of the country.

Again, that would have sailed through. The trouble came with the 5 per cent national intervention fund because some said that it should be for north east, north central and north west. It didn’t make sense to the others including me. I will give you three reasons. If it is that, then it should not be a national intervention fund. It should be a northern intervention fund

and that was why quickly, people like me said then we must have a southern intervention fund and if we didn’t have that, we will have a Biafara Reparation Fund.

That is just to say that whenever you get unreasonable, you trigger unreasonableness in so many angles you never anticipated. And so, by that thoughtlessness of not agreeing what was on paper that we should have a national intervention fund beginning with the north east, we would not have had a technical committee. But that thoughtlessness produced

thoughtlessness and would have ruined the entire work. So, we decided that the Federal Government should look at this matter in its technicalities instead of closing all the other decisions we took.

Would that not generate more controversies?

I don’t know. I am a member of the National Conference. Our report must go back to Mr. President that set us up. We will make recommendations on what Mr. President should do with this report at the end of it. But we have been taking many decisions and this country has not really broken. What I did say and still maintain is that we are all grandstanding. We are all enjoined by being Nigerians to be reasonable.

Once you have unreasonableness coming in, everybody will show you that it is usually reasonable. In the part I come from, it says, if you want to live together, OK. If you don’t want to live together, so be it. There is nobody who is a second class citizen.

The south cannot put its foot down for the north. The north cannot put its foot down for the south.

The majority ethnic groups cannot put their feet down for the minority ethnic groups and the minority ethnic groups cannot gang up gang up against the majority. We should do what is good because that is what will bring us into mainstream development in 21st century. That is where I agree with my friend, Professor Pat Utomi that many are living in the past and think that they can be unreasonable, filibuster, do this and that. No, no.

That bit of unreasonableness at the end of the conference serves to remind us that we love ourselves. Let’s be fair to ourselves. What happens when a Nigerian tries to cheat another Nigerian? Oil is coming from his soil, you don’t like him to get the benefits of that oil and then there is sharing, you want it to be only for your own section, not for other sections. If flooding, for example, occurs anywhere, you wouldn’t want him to access the fund. No. This fund is only for the north. Who said so?

What should Nigerians expect as the conference reconvenes on August 4?

Our job on August 4 which may take us a week or weeks or less is to say we approve this report and then, we will send this report to Mr. President with our recommendations. Whether it should lead to a new constitution, then we will have draft constitution attached.

It is his duty to get a draft constitution to the National Assembly.

We are not going to review any decision at all. We are going to consider and approve and pass our report and arrange to hand it over to Mr. President and Commander-inChief, period.

Would you say that Nigerians have reaped the dividends of democracy even after 14 years?

Continues on page 57

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014—57

Obasanjo has earned his place in history — Prof Nwosu Continued from page 56 our welfare and well being is good governance. Many of us who were at least in secondary school before 1960 look back with nostalgia to our premiers then. And that’s why many of us are still clamouring for regions and all that.

We remember that the secondary schools we attended were for the rich and the poor. The health facilities were for the rich and the poor.

The teaching hospital, UCH at Ibadan was very highly rated in the commonwealth.

The universities then were highly rated. Our premiers had little in terms of personal wealth. Let me use my own premier, Late Dr. M. I. Okpara for example.

Everybody knew he gave public service. Everybody knew that he denied himself to give the best to the state and that was why Eastern Region prospered. When the military came, no matter how people want to interpret it, the military in my view intervened because they wanted better governance of the people.

When it was misinterpreted and the civil war followed, we still had the military. But some of their actions were good.

National Youth Service Corps scheme was good.

The third mainland bridge was good. The federal unity schools, government colleges were good, etcetera. So, I don’t judge governance

Are you worried by godfatherism in Nigerian politics especially in your home state, Anambra...?

(Cuts in) It’s everywhere. In any state at all where a governor has served for two terms, you can see what happens. It is the duty of the people to protect internal democracy. The people should refuse and say we want somebody to govern us and nobody is good enough to govern us without our consent. That is a basic tenet of democracy.

The pains and preparations in reviving The Punch – By Ogunsola •Prof Nwosu: Obasanjo was committed to good governance Front). I was the secretary and we fused. We met here in Abuja. It was in Professor Jerry Gana’s house. The founding interim chairman was Dr. Alex Ekwueme until he had a presidential

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the national convention of the PDP is not a convention to anoint office holders. We should hold conventions to reaffirm the manifesto and the direction and where we should be leading the people to

based on civilian rule or military rule. I judge it by the policies that are peopleoriented. We must go back to people oriented policies. Any public money you spend must be spent with a consideration as to how many people will benefit from it. You don’t have to go and build specific roads so that people who have Rolls Royce cars and Mercedes Benz cars can pass on them.

That is not people orientated policy and I can go on.

Do you share the opinion of its critics that the People Democratic Party, PDP which has been in power since 1999 is a failed party?

The party has not failed Nigerians. I am a founding member of the PDP. I belonged to one of the five associations that fused to get the PDP in 1998. That association was called PNF (Peoples National

,

ambition and so, Solomom Lar came. Lar was not the first chairman of the PDP and I was in the writing committee with Sule Lamido and the rest.

PDP has not failed. Our

manifesto is clear. It is those who have operated this manifesto at the various states that have failed. Not all of them anyway. Some have succeeded while some have failed.

So, PDP has not failed as a party. For example, many people look at privatization, etcetera. It is there in the manifesto. People don’t read the manifesto. They read the constitution of the PDP in order to see who to expel, who to do this and that. And now, people are meeting in Government Houses instead of political party houses. So, at a stage, we formed the PDP reforms forum. They expelled about 12 of us and recalled 12 of us. But the national

NWOSU ON OBASANJO •Obasanjo appointed him Political Adivser without any prior meeting or conversation •Obasanjo had pity on him when he heard the story of how he was shortchanged in the Anambra PDP gubernatorial primary of 1999.

•Obasanjo had a plan for the Niger Delta and against corruption from his first day in office •You could never count Obasanjo as indecisive when it came to issues concerning Nigeria. He knew what to do at all times and he did all to the best of his ability

convention of the PDP is not a convention to anoint office holders. We should hold conventions to reaffirm the manifesto and the direction and where we should be leading the people to.

These were the things we were thinking of. We were not envisaging a PDP meeting in Government Houses under the directives of governors and then anointing who would be senators and all that. We wanted internal democracy.

Who the people want should go. So, it is those who started it whether it is guardroom or boardroom democracy or whatever that really derailed.

PDP as a political party was formed on 3 main reasons: that all politicians should as much as possible come in and develop an ideology and reaffirm civilian rule so as to ensure there is no military intervention again.

The second one was that there must be a manifesto that is people based. The third is that power must shift from the North to the South and that was why in 1999, the north honoured it. It must shift from the north to the south. So, those of us who were there had clear principle that brought us in. I am not one who derides politics. People say oh, I am a professional in politics. I am a professional politician now but I will not go for an elective office any more.

You were part of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government. What would you remember that government for?

President Obasanjo was a strong president. He was not going to allow any forces that would pull on the unity of Nigeria. He would crush those forces with all that he had. That one I can say for him. He did not want any divisive forces in Nigeria even to take root. He was passionate about good governance to the extent that a human being can be. If you remember, I was substituted as a gubernatorial candidate in Anambra for Dr. Mbadinuju and so, on 29 May, 1999, President Obasanjo without knowing me, without having met me appointed me his political adviser.

I thus became the first Igbo person in the cabinet. I believe we were about five: Joseph Sanusi (Central Bank), Jackson GauisObaseki (NNPC), Musului Smith (IGP), myself and one other.

When I saw him that night, I told him I was Professor ABC Nwosu. He stood back and asked “ you?” And I answered “ yes”, Mr. President. He took me inside a small room. In his right hand pocket, he had a bill for the creation of NNDC. I owe it as a duty to my God to say it.

He had it there that first night. On his left pocket, he had an anti-corruption bill.

These were the two things he told me that I had to help him work on. The NNDC bill and anti-corruption bill and I can go on and on to tell you what we then did when I became Minister of Health. So, in summary, Obasanjo was committed to good governance anchored on delivery of services to the people. Like all human beings, we had our failures and they were many. But we had some successes.

58 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

L

ONG ago, that relentless nonconformist, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, in one of his many sad songs, Sorrow, Tears and Blood, lamented official brutality in Nigeria. He sang about people running helter skelter and confusion was everywhere because the police and the soldiers were coming. And a short while later, after the police and soldiers have come and gone, and because, in their characteristic violence, they had brutalised, maimed and killed, they, left a trail of sorrow, tears and blood. It was in the days of military rule that Fela sang this threnody. It was not totally inconceivably that military rule can be marked by cruelty and disregard for the fundamental rights of the citizenry.

After all, there is a universal and age long recognition that soldiers, by training and orientation, are ill-equipped for political leadership, and as such, military rule is an aberration.

Centuries earlier, the 18th Century man of letters, Edward Gibeon, in an effusive ridicule of military aptitude for political leadership, wrote: "...the temper of soldiers, habituated at once to violence and (servitude), renders

them very unfit guardians of a legal or civil constitution.

Justice, humanity, or political wisdom, are qualities they are too little acquainted with, in themselves, and cannot appreciate in others”. But then, despite their periodic foray into civilian centres to assault, disfigure and kill and their deployment by the presidency to intimidate political opponents, soldiers are gone from Nigerian politics.

However, official brutality remains a major problem in Nigeria. We still run and scatter because the police and soldiers are coming and they still leave sorrow, tears and blood in their wake. We also run and scatter because officials of other government security and quasisecurity outfits, like Kick against Indiscipline (KAI), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), are coming. And, like the police and soldiers, they, also, leave the people bloodied, effusing tears and sorrowing.

And just as military commanders mouth falsehood and refuse to let facts get in their way in defense of soldiers that are responsible for murder, assault and arson, the hierarchy of these other outfits confect stories and alibis in defense of their men, even,

,

in the face of irrefutable evidence of their culpability .

O

n Wednesday, July 16th, 2014, officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NDCSC) invaded the office of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Lokoja. They beat up JAMB employees, including a married woman because they requested that the NSCDC men move away from JAMB office gate to avoid scaring away those who came to purchase JAMB forms. The NSCDC men, also, assaulted, and threatened to shoot journalists who came to investigate the incident. These actions were inexcusable acts of lawlessness.

But then, in their culture of impunity, government officials with any modicum of power and/ or authority, especially, when augmented with uniforms and guns, think they are above the law.

Between Malala and #BringBackOurGirls franchisers

BY ABBA ADAKOLE

O

BY Ezekwesili and her gang have shouted themselves hoarse, yet have been unable to get anywhere near President Goodluck Jonathan. However, a Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan visited and, within 48 hours, met with the most powerful president in Black Africa. Why should the President ignore the former director of the World Bank, Mrs. Ezekwesili, and meet a teenager from a country in the middle of nowhere but terrorism?

The answer is simple: None of the campaigners has ever received a bullet in the head. Also, in all their noise, none has heard of any meaningful financial assistance they gave, yet the teenager gave $200,000.00.

And over the matter of the parents shunning the President, it is amazing that none has been able to figure out that the pretenders who refused to meet Jonathan were not the original parents, but the "China" versions who did not want to enter the Villa and suffer the humiliation that befell a Chibok "parent" who turned to be an impostor that was dealt with by security agents.

One representative of the parents, however, added a new dimension when he expressed disappointment that a president who ignored the local campaigners agreed to meet the Pakistani.

“It is embarrassing that the President had to wait for Malala to come all the way to Nigeria to convince him to meet with us three months after the attack,” said one Dauda Iliya, a member of the Chibok panel of elders, evidently not a parent.

“We deserve a visit by the president,” he added, saying that if Jonathan cannot go to the remote North Eastern town for security reasons, he can bring “all the 219 mothers to meet with him. This meeting should not be selective.” True, but will the parents agree to this arrangement without the interference of those who want to score cheap political points?

Another, Ayuba Chibok, again, not a parent but an uncle, according to newspaper reports, lamented: “For more than three months, all we are praying for is for Goodluck (Jonathan) to come and see what happened to us and see us crying....If our governor (Kashim Shettima of Borno State) was able to come and go back safely, why can’t the President, with all his helicopters?"

What these pseudo-parents did not tell everyone is that the partisan and nauseating behaviour of the franchisers has made it difficult for them to be trusted by anyone. They have muddied the water and it is difficult for the average Nigerian to see anything good about them any longer over a campaign that started well.

Ezekwesili, the noisy former this and that, knows, like all her cohorts, that when they gave Malala the assignment to broker a meeting with the President, they expected him to say no, so they could up the ante of criticisms against him; but unfortunately, the President obliged the international citizen, just as he did to the United States, United Kingdom in the search for the Chibok girls, and the "parents" took off, claiming, according to their propagandists, they shunned the President.

They did not shun Jonathan; they were just not the real parents. When the Department of State Security, DSS, said the #BringBackOurGirls was a franchise, many thought it was calling a dog a bad name in order to hang it. Now it is obvious they were dead right, and most of those masquerading as Chibok parents are franchisers.

Again, when politicians play certain games to be relevant, they forget that it can backfire. For instance, when Mrs. Maryam Uwais and a gang of busybodies, including Ezekwesili, lamented to Senate President, David Mark, over their harassment as they made to enter the National Assembly, he apologised to those undeserving of it. They had asked: “Why are we being intimidated for standing for the abducted girls? Why are we now being portrayed as the enemies of the state?”

Not surprisingly, members of the Nigerian police are amongst the most lawless and reckless drivers in the country. They zoom through red traffic lights and routinely drive against the traffic. This has, on so many occasions, resulted in fatal accidents that claimed lives of innocent road users. The Nigerian Police Force is globally notorious for its illegal arrests, torture and extra-judicial killings. In Lagos State, officials of LATSMA, which is just a traffic management authority, beat up motorists, including women.

They have, on a number of occasions, beaten drivers black and blue over minor traffic offenses. Officials of another agency of the Lagos State government, KAI, who are ostensibly roving disciplinarians, ignore conspicuous acts of indiscipline that suffuse Lagos, and then, gleefully assault and bloody resourceful and enterprising, but indigent men and women, struggling to earn their living by selling in the streets of Lagos.

The nagging question is, fifteen years into Nigerian democracy, why are the police and other government agencies still as cruel and brutal as in the days of military rule? It is because they are agents of ignoble power elite.

Essentially, it is the power elite, by their own lawlessness, arrogance of power, political intolerance and disdain for the rights and lives of Nigerians, that fuel the culture of impunity of the police and other government agencies.

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BY TOCHUKWU EZUKANMA

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Fueling the culture of impunity

Fifteen years into Nigerian democracy, why are the police and other government agencies still as cruel and brutal as in the days of military rule?

These campaigners should go home also; they have made their points, attracted the needed international attention

B

,

ut the military man in him showed when he told them clearly that they were grandstanding and should avoid working at cross purposes with the government but should rather co-operate with it in the effort to rescue the girls. Mark said: “I am not sure any Nigerian with blood flowing in his vein will be indifferent to the plight of the Chibok girls. Government has not ruled out any option in the quest to free our girls. Let us be on the same wavelength and free the girls alive. I don’t think any group should play politics with this matter.

“The case of the Chibok girls is a sad commentary. Nobody anticipated this ugly trend. We are all under stress locally and internationally. The situation does not call on anybody to grandstand. All hands must be on deck to rescue the girls. We must do everything humanly possible to rescue the girls alive and end insurgency and terrorism in the land.”

Ezekwesili, known for showing disrespect to constituted authority when she is not the authority, accused the Senate President for not providing tangible answers to their questions as she demanded to know what exactly the government was doing, whether it was dialoguing for the release of the girls or not. Her words: “You haven’t given us a very tangible response we can hold unto.

I hope when we come back, we will have a tangible response."

Mark, ruthless for not brooking any challenge from a woman who constantly appears as one who may not be showing

For example, in Imo State, a governor ordered the arrest, detention as well as beat up an elderly priest by his security men because the priest, groggy from an all night church service, did not hurriedly drive off the road for the governor’s siren blaring motorcade. In Kogi State, a visiting governor ordered his security men to shoot at university students on a peaceful protest because they were blocking the route of his motorcade. His security men killed two students and their stray bullets killed four children in a nearby nursery school. As though the office of the governor confers a license to kill, he offered no apology and condoled none of the families of those killed by his security men.

On the same Wednesday, in Lagos State, policemen driving against the traffic caused an accident which killed one person and injured two. The policemen involved in this accident, just like the officials of NDCSC that beat up JAMB employees, will most likely go unpunished.

Official brutality continues in Nigeria because the pseudodemocrats who rule this country, by their own acts of impunity, behave as though their power derives from brute force and not the will of the people.

Mr. Ezukanma, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.

respect as the wife of a pastor, retorted: “Oby, I hope you have not come here to hear from me that Chibok girls will be released tomorrow morning...Let’s not reduce this matter to a classroom discussion. We should be on the same wavelength and not on different wavelengths. They are doing everything possible to bring back the girls.

I don’t know what tangible answer you want to get from me again. I’m not dialoguing with Boko Haram.... What is important to all of us is to work hard to bring our girls alive. Nobody should politicise this. Lives are involved and we are all fathers and mothers here. It is better imagined than witnessed.”

One angry commentator on the internet was less charitable: "I participated in one of the rallies denouncing the terrorists and calling world governments to do more to help. I have gone home, so has Michelle Obama and millions of others around the planet. These campaigners should go home also. They have made their points, attracted the needed international attention, today we have that global assistance and our security forces and Federal Government are doing everything humanly possible to bring back the girls and to bring them back alive.

It's so sad that Oby Ezekwesili doesn't understand this and continues to distract this government and divert needed security resources."

If Mark was a man in his dealings with the women, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, who was less than that, sought to play to the gallery with the women, massaging their punctured egos and egging them on, even though right under his nose, his foot soldiers went to see Jonathan to tell him to continue in office. Tambuwal, who is neither known as a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, nor an All Progressives Congress, APC, stalwart any longer, has been somewhat clueless on the right steps to take in matters of state, preferring to speak from the two sides of his mouth in the hope that it will increase his political relevance.

*Mr. Adakole, a political analyst, wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014—59

T

Gunning for Muhammadu Buhari the 2011 polls, and his tongue-in-cheek attitude to the bloody exploits of Boko Haram (which he only recently changed to active condemnation), all came together to paint a picture of him as a leader who is reluctant to come out against the insurgents.

Personally, I do not believe that Buhari is a supporter of Boko Haram, though he recently declared his readiness to help in spreading Sharia to all parts of Nigeria.

Statements like this are responsible for the widespread misunderstanding that people of Muslim North extraction suffer, especially on the political battlefront among non-Muslims or moderate Muslims. For them, the logic is simple.

Buhari would like to spread Sharia to all corners of Nigeria. Isn’t that same as Islamising Nigeria, the grand agenda of Boko Haram? So, if Buhari and Boko Haram share the same objective, then they must be together.

I

T does not necessarily follow. Buhari, as a military officer, went after insurgents in the same North East. He ignored international diplomatic protocol and chased them across the border deep into a neighbouring foreign country. I have no doubt in my mind that if he has the opportunity of occupying the seat of President of Nigeria again, he will probably be tougher on the insurgents than President Goodluck Jonathan, who is bogged down by his own (uncalledfor) sensitiveness to certain political considerations. He is likely to meet the insurgents with the same viciousness that the late President Umaru Yar’ Adua did, when they reared their ugly heads in 2009.

Here was Umaru Yar’Adua who, as a governor, introduced Sharia in Katsina State in 2002. He later nominated his Attorney General and Commissioner for

Justice, Shehu Shema, to succeed him in office. Between these two, the death sentence passed on a single mother, Amina Lawal, would have been carried out if not for the enormity of pressure piled from around the world. Yet when he became president, Yar ’ Adua crushed Boko Haram.

The truth is that the Islamisation agenda that Boko Haram is gunning for is not the same as the one on the mind of people like Buhari. Buhari is unlikely to kill to carry out his own type. Buhari is a member of an establishment based on Islamic law.

He is a scion of the Sokoto Caliphate currently headed by Sultan Saad Abubakar; an Islamic order running the

,

HE target-bombing of former head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari’s convoy last week in Kaduna left me with mixed feelings. It would have been a very sad day for Nigeria if the bomber had succeeded. It certainly would have resulted in spontaneous bloodshed, especially in the Muslim North, and the usual targets would be Southerners and Igbos in particular. Buhari has a cult image among the youth of the Muslim North.

Coming a couple of days after his latest verbal exchange with the Presidency over the gale of impeachments and reverses suffered by his All Progressives Congress, APC, the Federal Government and ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would also have been blamed and even accused of state-sponsored assassination. Former Governor Murtala Nyako, wherever he is, would have rubbed his palms with pleasure, saying he warned of an antiNorth monster that President Goodluck Jonathan has turned into.

It is very gladdening that Buhari and members of his entourage, as well as renowned Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, miraculously escaped death, even though scores of ordinary citizens were not so lucky after the twin blasts went off.

We do not need the death or destruction of the political ambition of anyone as we sidle towards the great 2015 electoral and transitional season. We want a free, fair and safely conducted election, where losers will congratulate winners and winners will stretch their hands of fellowship to losers. Together we will then join hands to confront our common enemy – the Islamist militants - conquer them and proceed to build a strong, united nation where all Nigerians will be proud to belong.

That attack on Buhari should leave us with food for thought. It was a very bold message from Boko Haram, the obvious culprits and masterminds. Buhari had been seen, rightly or wrongly, by his critics as a hidden supporter of Boko Haram.

They have nominated him twice to head a team to negotiate terms of settlement with the Federal Government. Buhari, on both occasions, turned down the appointment. The mere fact that he was named by the insurgents made Buhari’s critics to feel justified in their claim that he had some link to them. The very fact that the former head of state made very inflammatory statements in the past that seemed to support violence against “election riggers”; his prolonged silence after some youth corps members of Southern extraction were murdered in the North by his sympathisers in the wake of

Government which derives its legitimacy from the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

What happened was that when Boko Haram assumed its current monster dimension, some people in the North and some opposition parties erroneously saw them as the possible distraction that could be used to derail or weaken the Goodluck Jonathan presidency, and thus create an opportunity for them to assume power.

After all, some of these political speculators were actually instrumental to cultivating the initial germs that became Boko Haram.

Some also foolishly saw them as the Islamic army bombing churches and killing Christians and “non-believers” whom they have been brainwashed in their various sects to hate. Some naively saw them as “soldiers of the North” out to help in retrieving power from Jonathan, the man usurping the North’s “turn” after Yar’ Adua died.

The ruling party, PDP, joined in this folly by blaming the opposition APC as the party sponsoring Boko Haram, even though they never offered a shred of evidence or arrested anyone of them to prove their allegation.

The pattern of Boko Haram’s attacks has made it abundantly clear that all these low ball politicking are totally off the mark.

They are targeting everybody, including top political leaders, traditional rulers, churches, mosques, clerics, government establishments, security agencies –

Boko Haram is a revolutionary group; they want to enthrone a new Islamic order based on the Salafist ideals of Al Qaeda worldwide network; Boko Haram is an enemy of the Sokoto Caliphate as much as it is an enemy of the Federal Government which derives its legitimacy from the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999

show in the Muslim North and seeking to maintain dominance all over Nigeria and beyond. Buhari will like to propagate the status quo while implementing his own standards of right and wrong.

On the other hand, Boko Haram is a revolutionary group. They want to overthrow the Sokoto Caliphate and all it stands for and enthrone a new Islamic order based on the Salafist ideals of Al Qaeda worldwide network. Boko Haram is an enemy of the Sokoto Caliphate as much as it is an enemy of the Federal

,

everyone! Boko Haram has declared war on all of us. No one is safe from them.

The earlier we get this message the better. There is no alternative left for us than to close ranks against this enemy.

Boko Haram cannot win this war. It does not have the capacity to carry out its mission of Islamising Nigeria, including my own part of it. It can only spread terror and kill innocent people for a time, pending when we collectively decide enough is enough.

OPINION

BY MOSHOOD ISAH

T

HE appointment of educationist and former Governor of Kano state, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, as the new minister of education has no doubt made immediate impact. Thumbs up should be given to the new minister as his first assignment of meeting the striking Polytechnic lecturers led to the immediate suspension of the 11 months old strike. The new Minister of Education had met with the leadership of the union after which the ASUP national executive committee took the decision to shelve the protracted strike for three months. This major stride by the new minister is an indication that he has hit the ground running on his assumption of office.

The Federal Government has so far met some of the demands, including the inauguration of governing councils and setting up of the needs assessment committees. Thus, the coming couple of weeks will ensure that government proffers a long lasting solution to the crisis in the education sector as a whole. It is not just an assertion but a fact that education remains the bedrock of any society and thus remains a goldmine for any government that is ready to transform its citizens for the better.

In this vein, there is need for not only quality education but also secured academic terrain for all citizens. The idea of safe academic environment is surely not unconnected to the school girls who were reportedly abducted from their schools some months ago.

Education against

initiatives insecurity

The quest for the rescue of the girls led to the recent visit of the Pakistani girl-child education campaigner Malala Yousafzai, who herself survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban. The vision of this young girl-child campaigner remains unambiguous. In her words: "On my 17th birthday my wish is to see every child go to school and I want to see my Nigerian sisters being released from their abduction and I want them to be free to go to school and continue their education".

The education advocate is also ready to share ideas on how to rescue the girls and ultimately how to improve quality and safe education in the country, especially for the female gender. Thus, there is no gainsaying that the money donated by the Malala Foundation will be used judiciously to ensure scholarship for both the escapees and abductees when they are eventually rescued. It is also good to know that the President shares the vision and dream of a quality and unhindered education. The Federal Government says Nigerian children must have an environment in which they could come back to school and not have anyone truncate their education. In this vein,

and

fight

the government can partner with the Malala Foundation to sponsor and thus champion the cause for free and compulsory education for every child around the world.

A quest to ensure the fruition of this actually led to the launch of the Safe School Initiative by President Goodluck Jonathan with a start off fund of N3.2 billion. It would be recalled that after a meeting on the initiative between President Jonathan, former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown and governors from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, told reporters that the fund would help ensure that school children get educated in a safe environment.

It is also not a surprise that the initiative will begin with the three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa who have been worst hit by the ugly trend of insurgency. The project has also garnered financial support from the international community.

These ideas, which include emergency relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation are basically aimed at providing "fortification, telecommunications, security guards, and safety equipment as well as rebuilding vandalised schools". These will also provide

employment for the jobless youths as they will be serving as trained security guards in and around the schools.

Some of the ongoing initiatives which are part of the soft-approach to countering insurgency which was launched early in the year by the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), are geared to addressing major challenges in North-Eastern Nigeria due to the activities of Boko Haram elements.

The most important aspect of the project now is proper monitoring and evaluation. As a matter of fact, critics are already trying to flay the initiative due to the level of corruption in the country. This is a massive challenge to the authorities concerned to ensure that the project yields required dividends.

Finally, this gradual approach, coupled with the North East intervention, will go a long way in rehabilitating the affected states and region. The initiatives would also pave way for immediate economic growth, even as the nation intensifies effort in fighting terrorism to a standstill. This soft approach may seem languid but apparently, its efficacy cannot be underestimated.

*Mr. Isah, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Abuja.

60—Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

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Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 — 61

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62 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

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Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 — 63

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Maigari's group Continues from BP Sports Vanguard over the weekend that it is not yet time for those who want the Bauchi State born administrator out of the Glasshouse to celebrate because the impeachment was not properly carried out in line with the Statutes of the NFF. The Source who pleaded anonymity said the action of the board members ran contrary to the rules which he said demands that there must be a two-third of the board or congress

members before an impeachment could be said to be valid.

He also cited the case of the chairman of the Nigeria Nationwide League, Ahmed Kawu who did a volte- face denying signing the impeachment document arguing that with such development, the required number for the removal of the president was not met.

“Let me tell you that Kawu is strongly insisting that his signature was forged and if that is true, it then

Sweeping Brazil 2014 under the carpet

,

AST week, Thursday to be precise, the demolition process commenced.

Alhaji Aminu Maigari was booted out by his own board. Before now, all arguments that this board was perhaps the most successful in the history of Nigerian football fell on deaf ears. The simplistic answer was that “…..what goes round must come round.”

Last week, the very board that we sought to defend came out to deny their achievements. That Alhaji Maigari went solo, aided by “a cabal”and that for “…eight months, they did not meet” That set me thinking. Could he have achieved more if he carried them along? Besides why did this board wait for this long to do what they did last Thursday?

Not to matter, the handwriting was already on the wall. For engineering the ouster of Sanni Lulu, Alhaji Maigari was doomed to go, so I was told, no matter what. In the process we had to undergo a needless and embarrassing FIFA sanction, become the laughing stock of the world.

A distraction if you ask me. Apart from wishing that we do things right and as prescribed by Statutes guiding football globally, I am of the opinion that we are again chasing shadows and neglecting the essence of our football development.

Already, plans are afoot to start preparations for Nations Cup qualifiers in Morrocco.

Competitions…competitions…competitions. No school boy curricula in our football house. The youth football department is non existent. Academies run wild…… Pray how do we develop our football ?.

Methinks this was the best time to sit down and ask ourselves what really went wrong in Brazil. Records must be set right.

Yes, how come we did not do well in Brazil when we had all the potentials so to do? After identifying our flaws as it were, on and off the field, we will then stand a good position to forge ahead and work against future re-occurrences.

The media blitz that greeted the release of the Super Eagles list before the World Cup was best understood when we struggled in Brazil without quality players on the bench to ring changes in case of injuries and substitutions.

Emenike is an example of a player who would have dropped dead on the field, without anybody good enough to replace him.

World Cup statisticians have it that of the 171 goals that were scored, 52.of them came from players that came off the bench, including the world cup winning goal of German substitute Goetze.

How do we ensure that in future we will guarantee by whatever means the selection of the best legs to represent this country? How do we agree to drop and for good, those players that were exposed at the World Cup, without the odious reference to interference?

I propose a debate on National TV. Let all contenders come and tell us their contributions to Nigeria’s football starting from their states’ schools

,

We heard how players boycotted training in the thick of the World Cup to demand for money, despite assurances by well placed Government officials like the Senate President that their demands will be looked into.

I belong to the camp that would have retired ALL the Eagles that went to Brazil for that singular selfish act that ended up jeopardizing the fortunes of a whole country. I repeat that I am yet to hear of any Nigerian National team, that was shortchanged from its bonuses, appearance fees and allowances in the past that would have necessitated such a crime against this country.

How do we guarantee that we have officials who will be in control, disciplined enough to rein players and sanction them for falling foul of the law? I remember Ghana sending two players home for anti camp activities. How come we are yet to get a concise report of what happened in our camp? I may be wrong, but I believe any coach who fails to stop his players from boycotting training is either not in control or he is in support of such actions.

It happened before the FIFA Confederation Cup, happened again during the World Cup and no one is interested in making sure that it does not happen in Morroco next year. Of course it will.

When Ghana succeeded in flying $3million dollars cash to Brazil, FIFA voiced its displeasure. The world was disappointed, yet we were blackmailed into doing the same thing, necessitating the sharing of money overnight to the detriment of an important match?

How come the coach of the Super Eagles could

means that only seven people carried out the impeachment and that was not enough to impeach the president because it was not up to the required two-third.

According to Article: 37 (4) of the NFF Statutes (2010) which states that a motion for removal must be supported by two-third of the members and I am also aware that there is intensive lobby of the delegates and you will see what will happen at that congress. From what I have gathered, the congress may annul

not get his salary when it was due? Did I hear someone suggesting a wage bill of 10M Naira a month? I laugh! Five million we struggled to pay.

Much has been said about the attitude of NFF officials as regards the non respect of the Sports Minister in terms of protocol and reception. I remember Chief Umeh and Barrister Musa fighting in Abu Dhabi as the NFF Vice President said he was denied a VIP ticket. When we came back we swept it under the carpet. How do we ensure that henceforth, such issues are not repeated?

Perhaps more fundamental to this whole drama is the development of the game in Nigeria. In an earlier charge against the Maigari administration, funding of grassroot football was said to be neglected. State football chairmen should bow their heads in shame. I can count on the fingers of one hand, chairmen who even understand what football management is all about, who are conversant with the rules and regulations governing the sport.

In Congo DR I came across one of our chairmen who was made the leader of delegation of a Nigerian team. He cut a sorry sight as he knew nothing of the rules and regulations of the CAF Confederation Cup. For him, the primary thing was the travelling, the hotel suite, the car and the state box seat reserved for the leader of delegation.

Perhaps I am expecting too much. Back home, how many of them know about the rules and regulations of the various leagues, the Federation Cup…..how many of them have attracted sponsorship to their state football programmes outside the governors cup that they expect funding to come from government house?

This, to me is key. Football must thrive from the states. Perhaps I do not mind returning football to its Association status. The NFF Chairman has no business living in Abuja. He and his board members should operate from the states and only come for meetings.

The NFF Secretariat must be well staffed and well run. League bodies professionalized.

Today, there is a mad rush to become the next NFF President and board members. I propose a debate on National TV. Let all contenders come and tell us their contributions to Nigeria’s football starting from their states’ schools and colleges. I propose that all those who ousted Alhaji Maigari should be barred because if they succeed, in four years we will come back and remind them how they ousted Maigari and demand that they leave ( Laughter ) On a serious note and in summary, we should demand and get a detailed technical (and tactical) report of the World Cup. We must be presented with an Administrative report and most importantly, we must of course demand and get a financial report!

Failure to do this will only postpone the evil day.

See you next week.

Umeh

the impeachment”.

It was further learnt that a substantial amount of money has been set aside to be used in the lobbying to ensure the reversal of the impeachment; and that it is most likely that the State FA chairmen who are equally angling to become board members may jump to the offer which Maigari allegedly made to them in Brazil when he told them that only himself, Chris Green, Emeka Inyama and Ahmed Fresh will return while they were free to vie for the rest seats.

Continues from BP Speaking in a chat with Sports Vanguard yesterday, Umeh promised to usher in a regime of accountability and transparency. “We hope to be different,” he started.

“We will be having regular executive committee meetings, unlike in the past where few people took decisions for the rest of the members.”

Ume said he will not spend a single kobo without due approval. “We cannot spend money that cannot be verified. We can only spend money that would be collectively approved and everybody would be allowed

to carry out his functions.”

The former First Vice President of the federation said that to guard against repeating the lapses that led to the collapse of the Maigari era, “all committees will be allowed to function.”

TheActingPresidentofthe NFF said the Executive Committee expects the three-man committee charged with establishing contact with Coach Stephen Keshi to submit its report soon. “They have less than five days to submit their report. Their job is to sound him out to know whether he is still interested in handling the Super Eagles.”

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

Glassgow 2014 C'wealth Games

Nigeria rakes in 6 medals from weightlifting •As Adesanmi adds another gold

O

L U WAT O Y I N Adesanmi won another gold medal for Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games in the women’s 63kg weight-

Impeachment:

Maigari’s group fights back

BY JUDE OPARA, Abuja

A

•Maigari

•Umeh

HEAD of the emergency congress of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) slated to take place this Thursday in Abuja, there are very clear indications that the camp of the impeached

We ‘ll run an open administration —Umeh •Expects report on Keshi

BY JACOB AJOM

A

CTING President of the Nigeria Football Federation,

Chief Mike Umeh has for the first time opened up on the ousting of his erstwhile boss, Alhaji Aminu Maigari and his

subsequent succession, while stating that his tenure, no matter how short, would be open and all embracing.

Continues on Page 63

president of the federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari has started an intensive lobbying of the delegates to the congress with a view to getting them quash the impeachment.

Eight of the 13 board members last week passed a vote of no confidence on Maigari alleging among other things, secrecy in the management of the federation’s funds failure to call a board meeting in eight months, reign of a cabal within the board , f i n a n c i a l misappropriation, misapplication and maladministration, A source close to the Maigari camp hinted Continues on Page 63

lifting yesterday.

The African championship silver medallist pushed Commonwealth No.1 and compatriot Obioma Okoli into the silver position.

India’s Punam Yadav, the youngest lifter at 19, took bronze.

She followed her compatriot, Chika Analha who won gold Saturday after she recorded a lift of 107 kg in clean and jerk event.

That brought to six the number of medals won by Nigeria in weighlifting, placing her atop the medal table in the event.

GOLDEN GIRL: Oluwatoyin Adesanmi and compatriot Obioma Okoli winner of the silver medal .

Commonwealth Games medal table England Australia Scotland Canada India South Africa New Zealand Wales Nigeria Cyprus

21 21 11 7 5 4 3 2 2 2

16 15 7 3 8 5 3 8 3 1

16 22 9 6 7 6 9 8 2 2

53 58 27 16 20 15 15 18 6 5

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Divide (4) 4 Dog (3) 6 Pace (4) 9 Meadow (3) 10 Compress (8) 11 Curse (4) 14 Summit (3) 16 Intended (5) 19 Debased (8) 21 Cap (5) 23 Decrease (8) 24 Abrupt (5) 27 Circuit (3) 31 Fair (4) 33 Fragrant (8) 34 Expire (3) 35 Nurse (4) 36 Deity (3) 37 Duct (4)

DOWN 2 Soon (4) 3 Neat (4) 4 Forgave (8) 5 Regretted (4) 6 Incline (5) 7 Beverage (3) 8 Consumed (5) 12 Confess (5) 13 Daub (5) 14 Label (3) 15 Danger (5) 17 Pungent (5) 18 Taut (5) 20 Claimed (8) 22 Gratuity (3) 25 Escape (5) 26 Located (5) 28 Boast (4) 29 Applaud (4) 30 Break (4) 32 Transgress (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Stress 5, Assume 9, Pence 10, Cashew 11, Tester 12, Deter 14, Open 17, Rid 18, Clog 20, Rider 22, Lodge 23, Vacated 24, Screw 26, Defer 29, Chair 30, Hip 32, Dude 33, Local 35, Action 36, Rubber 37, Newer 38, Earned 39, Decent.

DOWN: 1, Sector 2, Risked 3, Sped 4, Sewer 5, Acted 6, Seer 7, Untold 8, Enrage 13, Titanic 15, Pitch 16, Never 18, Coded 19, Ogled 21, Raw 22, Led 24, Scrape 25, Rafter 27, Fumble 28, Regret 30, Honed 31, Pared 33, Lone.

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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