Nigeria on the verge of chaos tukur

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62283

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Boko Haram kills 48 Presidency slams Obasanjo, rates fish vendors in Borno Jonathan higher >>9 >>8

Nigeria on the verge of chaos — TUKUR

By Henry Umoru, Abdulsalam Muhammad, Victor Ahiuma-young, Demola Akinyemi, Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Chris Ochayi

•Says nation being gradually pushed to a state of collapse •NUJ, CNPP, others decry police invasion of NASS •As Soyinka said, the man has died in all of us — Akintola, SAN

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BUJA—MORE reactions have continued to trail last Thursday’s invasion of the National Assembly by the police as former Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Adeniyi Akintola and various groups and professional Continues on Page 5

COLUMNISTS:

Is diversification of the economy possible? •P.44

Why Jega must go now (II)

•P.19

Mr & Mrs

CATHOLICS MARK CHRIST THE KING—Christ The King procession at The Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Gwagwalada

in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

Three killed, 200 shops razed as violence escalates in Ibadan >>6 C M Y K

2 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

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4 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

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POCKET CARTOON television stations across the globe gleefully feasted on the incident.

We must all share in the blame — Akintola, SAN

From left: The Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria, Prof.

Abdullahi Mustapha; the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau with the Chancellor of ABU and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar and Engr. Goni Usa Sheik at the 37th Convocation of ABU, weekend.

Photo: Olu Ajayi.

Nigeria on the verge of chaos — TUKUR Continues from page 1 associations have condemned the invasion and called for caution.

While Tukur argued that the foundation of Nigeria’s democracy was shaking, Chief Akintola described the invasion as the height of impunity.

Other groups and associations that condemned it include, Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, PASAN; Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN; Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, and the National President of Nigerian Union of Journalists, Comrade Mohammed Garba.

Tukur in his reaction, yesterday, said he was moved to tears with the way and manner Nigeria was turned into a state of

chaos, warning politicians, especially the lawmakers and security operatives not to derail the nation’s democracy.

Tukur then called for a probe of the incident with a view to making amends and preventing a future occurrence.

According to him, Nigeria’s democracy was presently being rocked to its very foundation which would require all hands to be on deck to ensure that it does not collapse. He added that every Nigerian entrusted with sensitive public positions must learn to place National interest above every other consideration in his or her service to Nigeria.

Nigeria's democracy threatened

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Loneliness and the feeling of being uncared for and unwanted is the most terrible poverty — Mother Teresa of Calcutta. There is someone near you that you could help with a hug.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Do something that’s greater than you, something that helps someone else be happy or suffer less. I promise, it will be an extremely rewarding experience. One you’ll likely remember forever— M & Angel Hack

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T’S been proven that the thoughts we choose have everything to do with our emotions. Any stress signal is a way of alerting you to say the five magic words: ‘I want to feel good.’ This is your intention to be tranquil and stress free—and it’s a way of connecting to divine spirit.

Wayne Dyer surmises: Just watch babies, they’re in a constant state of love. How could they possibly be so joyful? Because they’re in harmony with the source. They have no resistance to being joyful— unlike adults. You didn’t come forth into this world to suffer, to be anxious, fearful or depressed.

Remember, your thoughts, not your world, cause you stress. And you can change your thoughts.

In a statement he personally signed and made available to Journalists yesterday in Abuja, Tukur, who is Nigeria's Ambassador-atLarge, also urged government officials and Nigerians in general to be wary of conducts capable of subverting the nation's hard-earned democracy.

Tukur noted that putting Nigeria first at this critical phase of Nigeria’s history will assist in preventing the perceived drifting of Nigeria towards the edge of a cliffhanger, adding that he has always been “moved to tears with the manner Nigeria is being gradually pushed to a state of chaos amid the crass display of lack of depth, wisdom and the national interest required of public office holders in managing situations in the country.”

The former PDP National Chairman was reacting to the chaos at the National Assembly last week which involved the security operatives as well as breakdown of confidence between political party leaders and members, on electoral matters.

On the face-off between the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Police, Tukur who urged the two parties to be mindful of national interest as they attempt to address their differences, stressed that a pang of depression ran through him, while watching federal legislators as they scaled high barricades to gain access to their offices with video clips of the event going viral in the social media, while many

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Adeniyi Akintola, in his reaction lambasted the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba alleging that the IGP was not acting well as head of the force.

Akintola, who spoke with journalists in Ijagbo, Oyun local government area of Kwara State, yesterday, also blamed the National Council of State for what he referred to as “fire brigade approach” in ratifying the appointment of Abba as substantive IGP. According to him: “The commotion in the National Assembly portends danger. But I will not want to lay the blame at the doorsteps of the government; I want to lay the blame at our doorsteps as Nigerians.

Many of us have been so complacent about the affairs of this country.

Many of us have not been able to subject the issues affecting the country to empirical analysis. Look at the appointment of Inspector of Police. It was rushed.

Our people must appreciate this. So I want to situate the blame at the doorsteps of National Council of State.

"There are certain positions that before you see people there, they must be tested. The National Council of State that confirmed his appointment in a hurry should take the blame.

Anybody can give him instruction from above.

He should be guided by the constitution of the country and the Police Act. Some of us have travelled wide. They (policemen) were teargassing members of the National Assembly, that is an assault on the foundation of democracy itself.

“Section four of the constitution establishes the legislative arm of government, section five establishes the executive and section six establishes the judiciary. So the first arm that was established is the legislative arm of government. It is the constitution that drives the development of the society, not individual. All of us should be blamed for keeping quiet. Like Wole Soyinka said, by keeping quiet in the face of tyranny, the man has died in many of us. It is unfortunate”.

Save Nigeria's Democracy, NUJ president tells Police

The National President of Nigerian Union of Journalists, Comrade Mohammed Garba has also called on the police to reverse their current anti public policing to save Nigerian democracy.

Addressing a press conference in Kano, Comrade Garba stated that ‘visible biases displayed by the police in recent issues of national concerns were direct threat to democracy’.

Garba stated that ‘it’s unfortunate that those who are hired to protect the public have elected to muzzle their interest at the expense of national interest’ The NUJ President, who condemned the police invasion of the National Assembly and the unpleasant intervention in Ekiti political quagmire, further noted that ‘such act of lawlessness on the part of law officers constitutes a national shame.’

Comrade Garba said that the police defence of the National Assembly invasion was a cover up, adding that ‘how on earth you dare stop those out to execute a legitimate mandate conference on them by Nigerian?’

Commenting on the controversy dogging the latest request by Mr. President for extension of emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, Comrade Garba described as unfortunate the decision to politicise important national issue.

"The issue of emergency rule has been politicised and this perhaps explains why the terror war is wobbling and fumbling”, he said.

Parliamentary staff condemn police invasion of NASS

National President of PASAN, Comrade Fatai Jimoh, in a statement, weekend signed by acting SecretaryGeneral, Comrade Ibraheem A.O, said the siege was a result of the inability of the management of the National Assembly to implement its own resolution of 2012.

The statement read in part: “It must be stated

that the prevention of the members of the National Assembly from performing their constitutional legislative duties by the Police is the height of impunity being exhibited by the Nigeria Police in the National Assembly.

The Police in the Assembly seem not to be serving the interest of the Nation for reasons best known to them.

“The symbol of democracy is the Legislature and it must be protected and preserved by all well meaning Nigerians, particularly the Law enforcement agents and all stakeholders in the democratic project of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as we approach another period of political transition."

Others react

Also, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, decried the invasion of the National Assembly by men of the Nigerian Police and other Security Agents to prevent lawmakers from having access to their Chambers.

In a statement by its President, Mr. Bobboi Bala Kaigama and the Secretary-General, Mr. Alade Bashir Lawal, the Union stated that the action of the security agents negated democratic ideals.

Police, DSS threat to democracy, CNPP alleges Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, on its part warned that the manner at which the Department of State Service, DSS, and the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, were violently descending into the political arena was threatening the soul of the nation’s democracy.

The CNPP, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, yesterday regretted that, rather than being impartial in handling matters of national importance, the duo are now becoming partisan.

6—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Rep loses daughter, 14, in Jigawa hostel fire

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By Suzan Edeh

By Tina Akannam

“The village head ordered his subjects who tortured the victim in order to force him confess to the allegation. He eventually died in the process,” the statement said He said three suspects had been arrested by the police for conspiracy and culpable homicide in connection with the crime.

According to DSP Mohammed, the arrested suspects include the village head, Gado Abdulkarim; 33year-old Adamu Hassan and

Ibrahim Musa, 47.

The police spokesman stated that investigation was in progress, adding that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded.

In another development, the PPRO disclosed that a suspected fraudster, one Adamu Mohammed Inuwa, was arrested by the police in Bauchi.

According to the police spokesman, Inuwa, a resident of Bakin Kura Street in Bauchi metropolis, was arrested last

Friday at the Bauchi branch of United Bank for Africa while attempting to withdraw N773,400 he obtained fraudulently from one Yakubu Safiyanu of Lafia, Nasarawa State.

The suspect, DSP Mohammed said, obtained the money under false pretence that he would get employment for his victim with the Nigeria Immigration or Nigerian Prisons Service.

UTSE — DAUGHTER of a member of the House of Representatives, Rukayya Adamu Hassan Abunabo, 14, of May Excellence Private School, located at Gabari Quarters in Hadejia Local Government Area of Jigawa State, has lost her life in a fire that destroyed the school hostel Saturday night.

According the state commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Dr Muhammad Gidado, who spoke to Vanguard on telephone, the inferno started at about 23.30pm Saturday night in one of the female hostels in school.

Gidado said it took the combined efforts of his officers and the state fire service to put out the fire.

He said: “It's sad to inform you that a female student died in the inferno and the hostel was completely destroyed, with property worth millions of naira all destroyed in the inferno."

Dr Gidado said the deceased, daughter of a member of the House of Representatives, was trapped in the hostel, adding that no other student or staff died or sustained injuries in the fire.

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Woman nabbed over alleged theft of 5-day-old baby

3 killed, 200 shops razed as violence escalates in Ibadan

By Austin Ogwuda

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NUGU— MEN of the Enugu State Police Command have arrested a 32-year-old woman for allegedly being in possession of a five-day old baby and was unable to give satisfactory accounts of how she came about the baby.

State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu said in a statement that “operatives of the Strike Force of the No 3 Police Mobile Force of Enugu State police command, while on patrol along Enugu-Onitsha expressway by Trans-Ekulu, Enugu, intercepted a golf 2 car and on a closer look, one Edith (surname withheld), believed to be about 32 years, who claimed to be living at Nnebisi Road, Asaba Delta State, was seen holding a little baby girl.

“The girl is believed to be about five days old and she could not give satisfactory accounts of how she came about the said baby.

C M Y K

Septuagenarian tortured to death for alleged wizardry in Bauchi AUCHI— A 72-YEAROLD MAN, Adamu Muqaddas, was in the early hours of yesterday tortured to death on the instruction of the village head of Larna’a, Gabana ward of Warji Local Government Area of Bauchi State for allegedly being a wizard The 35-year-old village head, Gado Abdulkarim, was said to have ordered his subjects to torture the septuagenarian to force him to confess to witchcraft. The man lost his life in the process.

Confirming the development in a statement in Bauchi, weekend, the Bauchi State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Haruna Mohammed, said the old man was rushed to Warji General Hospital where he was certified dead.

He said: “On November 21, 2014, at about 01:00hrs,one Adamu Muqaddas, male and 72 years, of Larna’a was summoned by the village head of Larna’a, Gabana ward in Warji Local Government Area based on the allegation that he was a wizard

By Ola Ajayi

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BADAN — SOME parts of Ibadan were, yesterday, engulfed in violence which led to the death of three persons.

Also, about 200 shops, 10 houses, trucks and many vehicles were razed during the attack which was triggered by some political thugs in Ibadan South-West.

Vanguard gathered that the violent attacks were carried out in places such as Born Photo, Isale Osi, Idi Arere and Popoyemoja.

Sources said the attackers besieged the areas around 9am. On arrival, the suspected thugs were reportedly shooting indiscriminately and looting at the same time.

At press time, residents of the area had fled to avoid being attacked by the hoodlums.

Though the police reportedly got to the troubled areas some minutes later, the hoodlums had left in their trails sorrow, lamentation and death.

On Friday, some thugs

Police rescue kidnapped 55-yr-old oil mogul

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By Ifeanyi Okolie

AGOS — A 55-year-old oil mogul, Alhaji Hammed Fashola, who was kidnapped penultimate Thursday by a gang of kidnappers at Egbeda area of Lagos State has been rescued by the police in Lagos.

Vanguard gathered, yesterday that the victim, who is said to be a chieftain of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, was abducted at the entrance of his Unity Estate residence around 7p.m.

The kidnappers were said to have escaped with the victim in a blue Toyota Highlander

Sport Utility Vehicle, SUV, to Iseri-Oshun and demanded a N50 million ransom.

Sources at the state Command Headquarters, Ikeja disclosed that SARS operatives led by SP Abba Kyari, trailed the kidnappers to their den at 18, Odeniyi Ishola Street, Off Bola Road, Isheri-Oshun, Lagos, where they rescued the victim and arrested three members of the gang. The victim was said to have been chained in a toilet.

Spokesman of Lagos State Police Command, Ken Nwosu, identified two of the suspects as 39-years-old Kelvin Igah and Victor Igah, 35, both said to be brothers from Kwale in Delta State.

attacked and killed a policeman and left another one unconscious.

that is fast approaching.

Victims recount ordeal

Bisi Shittu said, “Politicians armed with guns released several shots at Born Photo junction. This is madness at a time when we are saying that peace is reigning in the state.

This is a fall-out of the Friday violence at All Progressives Congress, APC, rally where a policeman was shot dead. This may not be over soon because there could be a reprisal attack.”

Speaking on the development, the APC state secretary, Mr. Wale Shadare and the Caretaker Chairman of Ibadan South-West council area, Mr. Taoreed Adeleke, said the violence was triggered by the opposition parties which felt uncomfortable by the growing popularity of Governor Abiola Ajimobi who had been moving from council to council sensitising them on the need to sustain the peace that reigned in the state since he assumed office in 2011.

A woman, who identified herself as Folake, said she lost goods worth over N1 million.

According to her, after receiving a call that her shop was burning, she saw people with guns shooting and burning houses.

She said: “The trouble started since Friday but today’s violence was targeted at people, houses and shops.

They burned my refrigerators, generators and looted everything in the shop. I am devastated.”

Another victim, one Mr. Kolade Asimiyu, told newsmen how his property was razed.

He said: “The fight at OkeAdo three days ago spread to our community. I was locked in the building, while the thugs set the house on fire. I struggled to put it out but it was beyond me so I escaped.”

Several other people who spoke with Vanguard linked the crisis to the 2015 election

2015 elections

Gang-up Also, the APC Chairman in

Nwosu explained further that efforts were in top gear to arrest the remaining members of the gang.

Alhaji Fashola, the victim

the state, Chief Akin Oke, said: “All evidence at our disposal pointed at a highlevel gang-up by some politicians currently at large to embarrass the government and destroy the three-andhalf years of peace that had been reigning in the state.

“We still insist that the persons behind that violence were carrying out a highlevel assignment which has to do with the 2015 elections.

The violence betrays logic.

Why would APC ‘thugs’, if the allegation of the opposition is to be believed, be involved in shooting the police and not their rival groups? Why did the attackers choose the governor’s local government and the last day of his meetthe-people tour, as their target?”

The Police Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Police Command, SP Olabisi Ilobanafor, was reluctant to make comments on the issue but assured that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Kola Sodipo, who had zero tolerance for crisis, would speak on it later.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 —7

Police arrest 10 suspected robbers, recover ammunition, stolen vehicles

By Esther Onyegbula

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AGOS—TEN suspected notorious armed robbers were, weekend, arrested in different parts of Lagos State by the police.

The suspects were said to be involved in different crimes, ranging from robbery, possession of illegal arms, kidnapping to diversion of goods and receiving of stolen goods in Lagos State.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Kenneth Nwosu, the suspects are members of different notorious robbery gangs terrorising the state.

Vanguard gathered that on November 14, four of the suspected armed robbers, who had earlier robbed one Ganiyu Mustapha of his Mark trailer with registration number, LSD 782 XB, loaded with goods valued at N20 million and three handsets at Sarant Steel Company, Kirikiri, Lagos, were apprehended by Police patrol team attached to operations department at Ogudu/Isheri in Lagos.

In the same vein, a Police patrol team attached to Ojokoro Division on November 13, intercepted a Volkswagen Golf with Reg. No. LSD220CP, driven by one

Akeem Shonde.

During a search, the policemen recovered one Russian-made single rifle and 11 rounds of ammunition inside the car.

In a similar development, policemen attached to the Federal Highway patrol deployed to Agbara area in Ogun/Lagos states border, intercepted a Ford saloon car with registration number,

FST598XL, driven by Saheed Oyedare, with two occupants of no fixed address.

The suspects confessed to having stolen the car from where it was parked on Lagos Island on November 5, 2014.

This is just as one Amos Kuesi was arrested along Iju road by Pen-cinema round about, Agege, Lagos, with a bag containing two locally made revolver pistols with four 5.56mm live

ammunition by policemen from Pen Cinema, Agege division on routine patrol.

According to Lagos State Police spokesman, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, two of the cases are currently being investigated at the Special Anti-robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja, while four others are under investigation at the State Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba.

DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN: An over-loaded bus on the highway.

Drama in Ogidi court as widow tackles police

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

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mild drama played out weekend at Ogidi High Court presided over by Justice Ike Ogu as a widow, Mrs. Nwakaego Mgbogo, and the police through their lawyer exchange words on the circumstances that led to the death of her husband, Raymond Mgbogo, in Peoples Club Police Post, Onitsha, Anambra State.

Counsel to the Police, while cross examining Mrs. Mgbogo, told the court that the man died from exhaustion suffered at Taraba State Prison where he was imprisoned before the police brought him to Onitsha but the widow told the court that the police tortured her husband to death in her presence.

Meanwhile, Onitsha branch of Izzi Nnodo Progressive Union, Ebony State, has made an application before an Anambra State High Court, sitting in Ogidi, idemili North Local Government Area for the release of the remains of the deceased, Raymond

Mgbogo, who allegedly died in police detention in 2008.

In the matter of an application for damages for wrongful torture to death of Rayomond Mgbogo and the release of his remains for burial filed by his wife, Mrs. Roseline Mgbogo and leadership of the union against the Inspector General of Police, Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 9 Umuahia, the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, Mr Francis Bisong, Mr Salim, DPO, Peoples Club Police station and Mr. Syriacus Nwozo, sought an order of the court to release the remains of the deceased for burial in his village, Eteh, Ebonyi State.

The plaintiffs also sought an order of the court for payment of N500 million as damages for compensation for

the wrongful torture to death of the deceased.

According to the statement of claim by the plaintiff, the deceased, until his death, was a contractor supplying sand to builders and also supervising building site for the 6th Defendant Mr. Nwozo at Obidiaso/Ntueke Street, Awada, Obosi.

Counsel to the applicant, Anthony Obi, told the court that the deceased travelled to Taraba State in May 2008 and was reportedly caught up in the curfew imposed in the state when the 6th defendant

needed his service to start work on his building at Obidiaso/ Ntueke Street, and when he could not see him and was told he went to Taraba State, he allegedly took policemen at Peoples Club Police, who traveled to Taraba to brought the deceased to Awada.

On arrival from Taraba State to Anambra State, at Peoples Club Police Station, the Defendants was said to have allegedly instructed the police to torture to death the deceased unless he provides some rods which he reportedly kept on the site he was instructed to oversee.

Enugu Judge bemoans inadequate protection at courts

By Austin Ogwuda

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NUGU—JUSTICE D.V. Agishi of the Federal High Court, Enugu has openly cried out over lack of adequate number of police officers to provide protection while conducting the business of the court.

The judge stated in the open court that it was inappropriate to have one or two policemen in the court while handling sensitive criminal matters, while unprecedented number of policemen were provided during the arraignment of eleven members of pro-Biafra group, Biafra Zionists Federation, BZF, led by Barrister Benjamin Onwuka last Thursday for alleged treason.

Also commenting on the issue, a senior member of the Bar and former National Auditor of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Ray Nnaji, said: “I was shocked when I was coming to the court that day I saw a battery of armed policemen, including antikidnapping squad taking over everywhere, led by senior officers with the rank of SP (Superintendent of Police).

“The judge’s remark should be taken seriously because the level of policing in that court is worrisome as sensitive criminal matters are handled there and what do you find, barely two or three policemen on ground.

“With what happened last week, it is clear that police can actually provide enough men to guard the court but I find out that it is only when the case concerns them that they provide such level of policing. Both arraignment of MASSOB suspects and other criminal matters are important,” he added.

8 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

NAFDAC workers vow to continue strike ... as union directs staf f to shun promotion interviews

By Gloria Sunday

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AGOS—ELEVEN days after the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, offices were shut nationwide, workers of the agency under the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, MHWUN, weekend vowed not to return to work until all their internal and external demands are met.

Also, the MHWUN, NAFDAC Branch, has directed all NAFDAC staff invited for the forthcoming promotion interviews billed for December 4 and 8, 2014 not to honour the invitation unless NAFDAC accedes to their demands.

Briefing journalists, weekend in Lagos, Chairman, MHWUN, Federal Area Council, Lagos, Comrade Stephen Ibe, maintained that the agency must solve the internal and external problems before workers will return to work.

The striking NAFDAC workers are demanding implementation of Consolidated Health Salary Structure, CONHESS; payment of productivity allowance known as 13th month salary; payment of promotional arrears of 2012 and 2013; payment of first 28 days to workers employed in 2009; skipping of CONHESS 10 and conversion of Higher National Diploma, HND, holders among others.

Ibe, who condemned the present salary structure (Consolidated Research Institute Salary Structure, CONRISS) used by the agency, explained that NAFDAC was not a research institute and therefore must be returned to CONHESS. He dismissed recent advertisement on promotion by the agency, saying: “NAFDAC only wanted to persuade the workers to suspend their 11day-old indefinite strike by asking them to come for promotion exercise.”

Ibe, who said the union was opened to dialogue, said the Director General of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii, should address the problems in totality than treating them with kid gloves.

He said calling workers on the phone to come for interviews is not the right way to solve the problem.

Boko Haram kills 48 fish vendors in Borno M

AIDUGURI — SUSPECTED Boko Haram terrorists weekend killed 48 fish vendors after setting up a roadblock near Nigeria’s border with Chad, the head of their association said yesterday.

Head of the fish traders association, Abubakar Gamandi, told AFP: “Scores of Boko Haram fighters blocked a route linking Nigeria with Chad near the fishing village of Doron Baga on the shores of Lake Chad on Thursday and killed a group of 48 fish traders on their way to Chad to buy fish.”

Gamandi said the attackers set up a barricade at Dogon Fili, 15 kilometres from Doron Baga in Borno State, and stopped a convoy of fish vendors around midday, slaughtering some of them and drowning others in the lake.

“The Boko Haram gunmen slit the throats of some of the men and tied the hands and legs of the others before throwing them into the lake to drown,” Gamandi told AFP by telephone from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

It was unclear if the motive for the gruesome attack was robbery or if there were other reasons for the killings.

Doron Baga, 180 kilometres from Maiduguri, is the base of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), comprising troops from Nigeria, Chad and Niger fighting the Islamist group.

The MNJTF was formed in 1998 to fight trans-border crime but its mandate was expanded as part of efforts to tame the Boko Haram insurgency in the restive region.

Gamandi claimed the assailants killed all of their victims without using their guns.

“The attackers killed their victims silently without the use of the gun to avoid attracting attention from the multi-national troops,” he said.

Kaloma Zarami, a fish vendor in Maiduguri, said he learned of the killings from other traders in Doron Baga.

According to him, “the news came to us late yesterday through some of our colleagues who came from Doron Baga to inform us of the incident because there is no telephone service in the area. We lost 48 people in the attack.

Some were slaughtered and others were thrown into Lake Chad with their hands and legs tied and left to drown,” A military officer in Maiduguri confirmed the attack but said details were

CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT: From left: Executive Director, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Mr. Clement Nwankwo; Ekiti State Speaker, Hon. Omirin Adewale; Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislature and Speaker, Akwa Ibom State, Hon. Samuel Ikon Okon and Hon.Terile Ayua during interactive section of CSOs and Speakers of State House of Assembly on the Constitution Amendment Bills awaiting passage, in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan. sketchy.

“We heard of the attack near Doron Baga but we don’t have any details because the area

falls under the operational jurisdiction of the MNJTF,” the military officer said.

News of the attack was slow

to emerge due to the destruction of mobile phone towers in the area by Boko Haram in previous attacks.

2015: We've no preferred candidates, PDP NWC tells aspirants

By Henry Umoru

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BUJA— AS the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, commenced the screening of its National Assembly and governoship aspirants nationwide, the national leadership of the party said yesterday that it has no preferred aspirants.

Rejecting claims from some quarters, especially from the aspirants, that the National Working Committee, NWC, had chosen particular aspirants to obtain the party’s tickets for next year ’s National Assembly elections, National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the allegation was untrue against the backdrop that the NWC was too busy to involve itself with individual aspirants.

Metuh said: “We are conducting a free and fair primaries across the nation. It’s only delegates election that is happening. The NWC is too busy to get involved in one out of 109 Senate seats.”

On the use of NWC’s support to campaign for the ticket, Metuh said: “Anybody can use.

Let the others use the United Nations to campaign or use the Presidency. It’s a campaign tool.

But I am assuring you that in the NWC, we are neutral and we don’t have any interest.”

Meanwhile, Wadata Plaza, National Secretariat of PDP once again became a beehive of activities, weekend, as

members of the National Assembly aspiring to contest the 2015 National Assembly elections were screened.

Senate President David Mark; Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba; Senator Philip Aduda; Senator Smart Adeyemi; Senator Aloysius Etok; Senator Emmanuel Bwacha; Senator Margery Okadigbo, among others were screened and cleared to contest the election.

Also yesterday, the PDP presidential campaign office, Legacy House came to life as over 70 gubernatorial aspirants from the North Central appeared before the committee which is headed by the Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Olajumoke Akinjide.

The immediate past Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who was screened and cleared, told journalists that his DNA and blood was fully PDP, just as he vowed to flush out cultists and mercenaries from the state once he becomes the Nasarawa State governor next year, adding that he cannot be seen to be identified with the All Progressives Congress, APC, alleging that the party was too violent.

Maku, who described the last congresses as free, fair and transparent, said as a former Commissioner, former Deputy Governor and minister, he was well equipped to govern the state.

He said as a governor, he

would restore hope to the state as well as unite all warring factions,adding that since 1998, he had remained a loyal party member unlike those he claimed left to seek political positions on the platform of other parties.

Also at Legacy House, yesterday, were Senator Solomon Ewuga, Felix Atume; Samuel Ortom; Mustapha Bello, Senatir Pwajok; Senator Nuhu Aliyu; Col. I. B. Yakubu; Haruna Dabin, among others.

On A-Ibom guber ticket

Metuh’s clarification followed the party’s intervention to get Obong Bassey Albert to abandon his ambition for the Akwa Ibom State gubernatorial ticket in favour of the Senate seat on the ground that the governorship has been zoned to Eket Senatorial District.

The former gubernatorial aspirant, who hails from Uyo Senatorial District, is now bidding to have the senatorial ticket after obtaining the governorship expression of interest and nomination forms for N22 million.

But his rivals for the senatorial ticket are angry that Albert is now claiming the support of the NWC for the senatorial ticket in a way that put other aspirants at a disadvantage, even as stakeholders of the PDP in Akwa Ibom State had last week, threatened to vote against the party over attempts to alter the existing zoning arrangement in Uyo Senatorial District.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014—9

Presidency slams Obasanjo ...Says no administration performed as much as Jonathan

By Henry Umoru

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BUJA—FOR scoring the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan below average, the Presidency yesterday took a swipe at former President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying his comments at an event, weekend, where he rated Jonathan’s performance "below average" were not only untrue, but also misleading.

In a statement, last night in Abuja by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, the Presidency said former President Obasanjo’s comments do not in any way tally with the facts on ground, boasting that President Jonathan had performed more than Obasanjo and other presidents in Nigeria’s history.

Okupe, who chronicled Jonathan’s achievements in all sectors such as aviation, industrialisation, railway, power, transportation and insurgency among others, said: “Our attention has been drawn to comments made by a former President of this country, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, regarding the performance of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. We aver that Chief Obasanjo’s comments are untrue, misleading and clearly do not tally with the facts on the ground.

No administration did as much as Jonathan

“We, therefore, wish to assert without equivocation that in terms of performance and achievements, no administration since 1960 when Nigeria gained independence from Britain, has done as much as that of President Jonathan.

Every discerning and unbiased Nigerian will definitely attest to this fact as the evidence stare all of us in the face.

“Contrary to Chief Obasanjo’s position, the Federal Government under President Jonathan has performed excellently given the prevailing circumstances and resources available. An assessment of key sectors of national life under the Jonathan administration will definitely controvert Chief Obasanjo’s argument that President Jonathan has not performed well.

“While it is true that Nigeria has been faced with incidents of insurgency and terrorism especially in the last few years, it is also true the Jonathan administration has successfully contained the initial widespread and limitless activities of the insurgents which were prevalent in 12 states of the North including the Federal

220 MSMEs to access BoI loans yearly

By Franklin Alli

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From left: Gary Tarrant, Legal Director, British-American Tobacco, BAT West Africa; Andrew Pocock, British High Commissioner to Nigeria and Oluwasoromidayo George, Executive Director, British-American Tobacco Foundation at the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce NBCC/United Kingdom Trade Investment, UKTI centenary celebration, in Lagos.

Capital, Abuja.

"While it is true that the present activities of the terrorists in the three North Eastern states have become more deadly in mindless killings, kidnappings and supposed territorial seizures, government has made giant diplomatic strides with our neighbouring countries in order to checkmate the crisscrossing of the insurgents.

“The military and other security agents which have engaged the insurgents since inception have done a great job in spite of recent challenges. The truth of the matter, which we must know and accept, is that we have an internal enemy supported by internal and external resources waging a major warfare against our nation. We want to state that the government is doing everything possible in every area of engagement of this war and will certainly, sooner than later, Nigeria will overcome and win this war.

Quality leadership

“In spite of this war, however, and in view of the other giant strides and achievements recorded in other sectors, it beats the imagination that anyone would say that President Jonathan has performed below average in office. On the contrary, he has provided quality leadership and exemplary vision in transforming the Nigerian nation and giving hope to Africa’s most populous nation.

“We assert that for a fact a lot has been done. We may not have reached the desired destination yet, but surely we are on the path to getting there. There is no doubt that by the time the Jonathan administration runs its full course, Nigeria would have moved further in its quest to join other world giants and the quality of life of Nigerians would have improved greatly.

We will all have cause to continually give glory to God for bringing the Jonathan administration on board.”

Giant strides in power supply

On power, he said: “Before President Jonathan came on board as President of this country in 2010, Nigeria faced serious challenges with generation, distribution and transmission of power.

Nigeria had challenges with both generation of power and the installed capacity to ensure effective power supply.

As a matter of fact, the total amount of power generated nationwide stood at 2550 megawatts; today it is over 4,000 megawatts.

"In terms of installed capacity, there has been remarkable improvement. In 2011, our installed capacity to generate electricity stood at 5,900 MW. By December 2013 it had increased to 6,953 MW. This impressive achievement was due to the completion of all the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) plants, which for reasons only he can explain, Chief Obasanjo had abandoned during his tenure.

"The moribund state-run

AGOS — THE Bank of Industry, BoI, has floated a scheme that will enable 220 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country to access its loan facility every year.

The scheme, called Business Development Service Providers, BDSPs, requires the service firms to help the MSMEs package their business plans and proposals in a manner that the project can be financed by the bank.

Speaking during the signing ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding between the bank and 22 service providers, weekend in Lagos, Rasheed Olaoluwa, managing director/ chief executive officer, BoI, said the scheme was launched to boost the MSMEs access to finance because of their strategic importance to the economy.

The top five among the 22 firms are: IBFC Alliance Ltd; BoI-ITC; BCG Associate, Fortis Academy Ltd, Nigerian Youth Chambers of Commerce, among others.

“There are over 17 million MSMEs in Nigeria, they account for over 90 per cent of all companies and employ over 30 million people; yet, loans to SMEs accounts for less than 10 percent of BoI’s total loan portfolio."

power corporation was successfully privatised by the Jonathan administration in a process highly rated and commended by the World Bank and other multilateral agencies for its high level of transparency and professionalism.

"This was a very critical programme in solving our power problems which other administrations could not achieve for decades. Today, Nigeria is a recipient of billiondollar foreign investment in the power sector which is the much needed elixir for a stable, sufficient and efficient power system. This feat cannot be an evidence of a below-average performance as painted by Chief Obasanjo.”

IoD inducts new directors, Thursday

Jonathan’s agricultural revolution

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In Agriculture, Okupe said: “Since President Goodluck Jonathan launched his transformation agenda in the agricultural sector, this most important sector which provides employment for over 70 per cent of the population has recorded unprecedented growth resulting from a number of reforms and innovations. The revolution the Jonathan administration has engineered has not only empowered millions of farmers in the country but has equally saved Nigeria billions of naira and dollars, which in times past had been lost to fertilizer racketeers and food importation.

"Nigeria’s food production has expanded by 21 million metric tons; three million farm jobs have been created and more importantly, our import of food has declined by 38 per cent from N1.1 Trillion to N635 billion in 2013."

AGOS — THE Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria will on Thursday induct new members. The event will hold at the Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos.

In a statement, the President/Chairman of Council, Mrs Eniola Fadayomi, said: “Our Board of Trustees has approved new directors from different sectors of the economy who have completed the mandatory company direction course 1 and to be formally inducted into the Institute as Associate, Member and Fellow.

“This is why it is quite mandatory that all inductees must be physically present to receive the certificates as this is the final step towards becoming a bona fide member of the Institute."

10— Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Lagos PDP holds delegates congress today

CRUDE PRICE DECLINE: LCCI calls for economic measures

By Dapo Akinrefon

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AGOS—THE Lagos State Chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has confirmed the rescheduling of its cancelled delegates congress to hold today, 24th November, 2014. The Congress is to take place at all the 245 Wards of the state at the “usual place of their meetings or as confirmed by the State secretariat.”

In a statement by its publicity secretary, Mr Taofik Gani, “The confirmation is to serve as notice to all card-carrying members of the party and to particularly debunk the rumours that the delegates congress has been postponed.”

The party, however, advised members to participate in the process just as it warned “detractors and opposition sponsored thugs to steer clear of the congress venues as any intruder or agent provocateur shall be dealt with in accordance with the laws of the land.”

O b a n i k o r o declares

Meanwhile, former Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana and immediate past Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro is set to officially declare his aspiration for the Lagos State governorship election on Thursday, November 27, 2014 in Lagos.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media Strategy, Ohimai Amaize, “Senator Obanikoro is ready to unveil his plans of a ‘Greater Lagos’ for the people of Lagos State come November 27.”

By Naomi Uzor

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AGOS—THE Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, yesterday, called on the Federal Government to adopt drastic economic measures to help the country cushion the effect of the falling crude oil price.

The LCCI, in a statement by its President, Alhaji Remi Bello, commended the Federal Government for the fiscal and monetary policy measures taken so far, to stabilise the macroeconomic conditions and minimise dislocations, adding however, that additional measures needs to be taken.

According to him, there are several budget heads that need to be further scrutinized to ensure cost effectiveness and better transparency in the management of public finance, such as, consolidated revenue fund charges, service wide votes and presidential amnesty programmes.

Others, he added, are capital supplementation, debt service, refreshments and meals, foodstuffs and catering, honorarium and sitting allowance, welfare packages and repairs and maintenance “All these budget heads have substantial amounts voted for them in the budget annually.

Some of the provisions do not reflect the desired prudence in the management of public funds. Huge savings will be made if a proper scrutiny of these budget heads is made,” he explained.

Bello noted that the changing economic circumstances presents challenges and opportunities, especially as there will be losers and winners, adding that, in the current economic conditions, some segments of the economy will profit.

He said, “It is expected that fuel imports cost will drop. This should reduce the pressure of fuel subsidy payment on

Reps crisis: Muslim group warns Mark against partisanship

By Monsuru Olowoopejo & Aderonke Adeyeri

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S Nigerians await the reopening of the National Assembly, Muslim Group has warned the Senate President, Mr. David Mark not to be partisan in handling the crisis rocking the House of Representatives.

This came barely four days after the Senate president summoned the Inspector General of Police,

Sulaimon Abba over the attack on members of the House of Representatives by the officers of the Nigerian Police.

The Amir of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Nigeria, Dr. Mashhud Fashola, who gave the warning at the group’s secretariat, Ojokoro, Lagos, weekend, described the attack on the lawmakers, which forced them to scale the fence, as “indefensible and a shame on the country.”

government. It is also expected that cost of diesel imports would reduce, depending on the degree of impact of the

exchange rate on the imports.

“Nigeria is one of the biggest destinations for Diaspora remittances in the world. In

2013 total remittances was $20.7 billion. As at first half of 2014 the sum of $10.4 billion had been remitted.’’

SWEARING-IN: From left; Former Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Adeyoola Phillips; Chief Judge, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; and the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, during the swearing-in ceremony of four new Judges of the High Court of Lagos State, at Alausa, Ikeja, on Friday.

Lagos Speaker condemns invasion of APC office in Lagos

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AGOS—MR Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Speaker, Lagos State Assembly, has condemned the invasion of the state office of the All Progressives Congress,, APC, by operatives of the Department of State Services.

Ikuforiji made the condemnation in a statement made available yesterday in Lagos by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Rotimi Adebayo.

The APC state secretariat was allegedly ransacked on Saturday by people suspected to be security agents.

“The unprovoked and needless forceful invasion of the IT Centre of the APC in Lagos State by men suspected to be agents of the DSS has come to my notice and the entire members of the Assembly with total shock and disbelief.

“While this unwarranted invasion should never have been allowed to happen, it should however be condemned by all right thinking Nigerians as it portends grave dangers for our tottering democracy.

“It is even the more worrisome and depressing that this invasion is coming barely three days after the police sealed off the Federal House of Representatives,” he said.

Ikuforiji said the duty of security agents was to protect lives and property in the country.

“It is very sad and unfortunate in the overall interest of our nation’s democracy for the security forces to act in such a way. It may portend grave danger for our fledgling democracy,” he added.

The Department of State Services, DSS, yesterday, said it has arrested some suspects in Lagos, allegedly cloning INEC’s Permanent Voters Card, PVC. A statement issued by the spokeswoman of the service, Ms Marilyn Ogar in Abuja said that it raided a building located at No.10, Bola Ajibola street, Allen

Avenue, following a petition it received alleging “unwholesome activities” there.

“The petition alleged that those behind the activities were cloning INEC Permanent Voters Card with the intention of hacking into INEC data base, corrupting it and replacing them with their own data.

“Based on this information, the service placed the building under surveillance and having been convinced that some unwholesome activities were going on in the building, it undertook a raid of the premises.

APC clears 207 aspirants for Lagos Assembly various constituencies were

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

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AGOS—AHEAD of the Lagos All Progressives Congress, APC primaries, the party has cleared 207 of the 315 aspirants who obtained nomination forms to contest for the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Deputy Publicity Secretary, Mr. Abiodun Salami, who disclosed this yesterday in an interview with Vanguard, said that the aspirants who chose to be the party standard bearers in their

cleared after fulfilling the basic requirements.

He noted that 95 of the nomination forms were not certified by the party for various reasons.

Salam disclosed further that ten aspirants were absent during the screening exercise while three withdrew for reasons best known to them.

He said any aspirant who feels dissatisfied could appeal the decision of the party, adding that the party is set to conduct credible and transparent primaries next month.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 —11

PDP, APC war in Ekiti deepens

By Gbenga Ariyibi &

Ikenna Asomba

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HE muscle-flexing between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, rocking Ekiti State, has taken a new twist, following a request by the state’s Ministry of Justice, asking the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu, to re-arrest and prosecute some APC chieftains for their alleged involvement in some crimes in the state.

In the request, dated October 24, 2014, with reference no: MJAD-792-54 and signed by the Director in the Department of Public Prosecutions, Mr. A. O Familoni, the ministry requested for the re-arrest and prosecution of the state Chairman, APC, Chief Jide Awe; two members of the state’s House of Assembly, Hon. Kehinde Boluwade and Sehinde Ogunrinde, and the former coordinator of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in the state, Prince Adeniyi Adedipe among others.

In its own counter move, Ekiti APC, in a statement, by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, said the party is shocked by the police undisguised support for Governor Ayodele Fayose so far in the crisis rocking Ekiti State House of Assembly.

Similarly, the embattled Speaker of State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, has debunked reports that the 19 APC members, led by him (Omirin) currently in Lagos, are planning to storm Ekiti State, today, with thugs from neighbouring states to cause mayhem, saying any break-down of law and order is orchestrated

by Governor Ayo Fayose to implicate him.

Recall that the former Attorney General in the state, Mr Wale Fapohunda had in pursuant to powers vested by Section 211 (1) (C) of the 1999 Constitution entered Nolle prosequi to most

As Speaker alleges looting of his valuables of the criminally related cases involving members of the APC in the state.

According to the charge paper No HCE-IC-2013, in the case of State Vs. Hon. Boluwaji Kehinde and others, it was a case of alleged conspiracy to kill ,attempted murder and murder at Emure Ekiti on November 3, 2013.

Ogunrinde on the other hand, was arrested over alleged arson and assault at Isinbode Ekiti in the wake of election. The lawmaker was subsequently arrested, charged to court but was equally discharged based on the notice of discontinuance entered by the AG. Awe’s case had to do with alleged malicious damage to properties, conspiracy to kill and attempted murder and murder which occurred at Erinjiyan Ekiti on March 30, 2013, when a gang of armed men invaded the residences of one Chief Boluwaji

that valuables in his house were looted following invasion of his official apartment by Mr. Dele Olugbemi, the purported Speaker installed by seven PDP members last Monday.

Omirin said Olugbemi led thugs and the Clerk of the House of Assembly to the Speaker’s Lodge, forced the doors open and looted his valuables, including money and household material and soup in the deep freezer.

The Speaker scoffed at alleged looting of the Lodge by Governor Ayodele Fayose, saying that as the time he was living the house for Lagos, he left with a briefcase containing few cloths and shoes, adding that he never knew that he Omirin alleges looting of would not be allowed to return to the house after arriving his valuables Meanwhile, the Speaker of Lagos and so there was nothing Ekiti State House of Assembly, to give him a sign to leave the Dr Adewale Omirin, has alleged house with any loot.

Adewumi and Gabriel Ojo. The gang fired gunshots which resulted in death of one Ayodeji Jeje and Madam Juliana Adewumi.

The attack according to the petition was allegedly in a bid to stop the defection of one Segun Adewumi of the ACN to PDP which was to take place the following day, March 31, 2013 Meanwhile, others requested to be arrested include Faboro John Ojo, Aniramu Bashiru, Falayi Busuyi, Owonifari Sefiu, Babalola Olomi, Olawumi Victor Fagboriola, Apolola Richard, Owoju Dele, Adeniyi Adedipe, Adesokan Adedeji (alias-Jaruu) among others.

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K U R E — A leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo, High Chief Agboola Akintan and other leaders have met with Governor Olusegun Mimiko and business mogul, Jimoh Ibrahim in a bid to resolve the furore over the governor’s defection to the party.

The over seven hour meeting was held at the country home of the elderly politician.

Governor Mimiko and Ibrahim have been at ‘war’ over the control of the party since the defection.

By Daud Olatunji

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BEOKUTA – AHEAD of the 2015 general election, a presidential aspirant of All Progressives Congress, Rabiu K w a n k w a s o , weekend, held a close door meeting with former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta.

Kwankwaso, who arrived Obasanjo's residence located along Presidential Boulevard, Abeokuta was accompanied by his associates.

The meeting, which lasted for 30 minutes was in connection with the choice of presidential candidate of the APC.

Aregbesola plans to bribe witnesses with N1.2bn – PDP ...It’s a blatant lie — APC

By Gbenga Olarinoye

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IBADAN WEEK: Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State (middle), wife of Lagos State governor, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola (left) and Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Mr. Olalekan Ali at the grand finale of the Ibadan Week organized by the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) on Saturday in Ibadan.

MIMIKO: PDP elders wade into defection crisis

By Dayo Johnson

2015: OBJ, Kwankwaso in close-door meeting

Ibrahim has been the sponsor and arrow head of those who instituted a suit an Abuja High Court to stop the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party to dissolve the State Working Committee to give way for the governor's total take-over of the party.

The suit is also to prevent the governor from hijacking the process of electing delegates and picking the candidates for the party.

President Goodluck Jonathan and other NWC members have intervened in the party crisis to no avail.

The disagreement between the old members and the new entrants over the control of the party structure has been the crux of the matter.

The weekend meeting, which started about 2.30 p.m had in attendance former Nigerian Ambassador to Greece and Australia, Professor Olu Agbi, Chief Segun Adegoke, Mr Olusola Agbesua, the governor’s Chief of Staff, Dr Kola Ademujimi amongst other leaders.

It was gathered that both gladiators spoke their minds and the octogenarian politician and

others leaders pleaded with them to agree on a common ground that would be beneficial to the old and new members.

Sources said while Mimiko requested that the court case, which was instituted by state EXCO led by Ebebezer Alabi and believed to have the support of Ibrahim, be withdrawn and consensus be adopted to pick candidates. Jimoh is in support of open primaries.

Vanguard was also told that Jimoh insisted that the case in court would not be withdrawn until some outstanding issues are resolved.

SOGBO—OSUN state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has alleged that Governor Rauf Aregbesola plans to use N1.2 billion from the N2 billion loan he seeks to process from Central Bank of Nigeria to pay his witnesses lined up to testify at the ongoing trial against his declaration as the winner of August 9 governorship poll in the state.

The party said information at its disposal indicates that APC’s witnesses are already demanding for N1m each before they will appear to testify, just as the PDP maintained that the “ usage of state funds to defend Aregbesola is part of the reasons why September worker’s salary have not been paid till date.

But the APC in a swift reaction by its Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Mr Kunle Oyatomi described the allegation as a blatant lie.

“It is not our style and has never been our intention to add dignity to lies and nonsense.''

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Oil spill: Shell ordered to pay N75m compensation to impacted communities

By Samuel Oyadongha

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E N AG OA — B AY E L S A State Government and National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, have ordered Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, to pay N75 million compensation to Biseni communities in Yenagoa Local Government Area impacted by the Adibawa North East 6" Test Line oil spill.

The government and the regulatory agency threatened more severe sanction should the company fail to pay up before November 30 and also engage an independent team of experts to undertake a comprehensive technical assessment of the impacted area.

It was learnt that the government's tough posture followed Shell's alleged refusal to attend a meeting summoned to resolve the protracted issue of the spill.

The state government, through the Environment Commissioner, Mr. Inuiro Wills, accused Shell of impunity and refusal to attend series of meetings scheduled to resolve the contentious issues bordering on oil spillages and community protests that had shut down oil exploration activities in the area.

Wills, in a statement in Yenagoa, said the refusal by Shell's management to send a

delegation to the series of peace meetings on the oil spillage had heightened tension in the area and was capable of threatening peace and security of the area.

According to him, the state government had resolved that a thorough clean-up of the impacted area, in line with international best practices, be conducted immediately by a competent firm approved and accredited by the state government and NOSDRA. Also resolved against Shell, was the payment of N75 million compensation to the

impacted communities as earlier decided not later than November 30, 2014 and should Shell fail to meet the deadline, a comprehensive technical assessment of the impacted area would be undertaken by an independent team of experts.

“After a joint pre-assessment visit conducted on October 34, 2014, a meeting was proposed for October 30, 2014. In response to the letter, Shell requested for the rescheduling of the proposed meeting of October 30, on the ground of non-availability of key

personnel required for the discussion. As a show of respect, we obliged by rescheduling the meeting to November 18, 2014, about three weeks from the earlier date.

“To our dismay, Shell was the only party that did not turn up for the meeting, with convincing reason for the failure to attend a meeting that was rescheduled at their instance. The team from NOSDRA and various communities representatives all travelled in for the meeting.”

WORKSHOP: From left: Clinic Governance Lead, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Dr. Rita Akintola; Communications Manager West Africa, SPDC, Dr. Philip Mshelbila; Zonal Commander, FRSC, Lagos, Mr. Godwin Ogagaoghene; Nigerian Red Cross Society Trainer, Mr. Simeon Nwaubani and official of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Gbadebo Kazeem, at the NNPC-SNEPCO National Post-Crash Care workshop for rescue and emergency personnel in Lagos.

Oshiomhole warns APC leaders against extortion of aspirants

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has warned leaders of All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state against extorting aspirants, saying: “I will not be involved if your houses are burnt down as a result of extortion.”

Meantime, leaders of the APC in Ward 7, Egor Local Government Area, have donated to a charity home, cash and gift items which were given to them by a House of Representatives aspirant and a member of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Paul Ohonbanmu, following the fracas that broke out between supporters of the lawmaker and the leaders of the ward when he visited the leaders to solicit for their support.

Oshiomhole, who met with

APC aspirants, weekend, urged them to eschew violence and campaign of calumny ahead of the party's primaries, warning them to avoid extorting aspirants so as to ensure that credible people emerged as the party's flag bearers.

“I will not listen to any body when angry aspirants burn

down your houses because you collected money from them. So please, our party leaders must avoid such temptation. Let us see ourselves as brothers and sisters. It must not be a do or die affair,” he said.

Informing the aspirants that his only sympathy goes to the current APC House of Assembly members due to the

sacrifice they have made so far, he said: “I will not impose any body. The primaries will be free and fair. But for the House of Assembly members, those of them who have done well and are going for a second term, they have my sympathy because they did not collect N50million their other colleagues collected from PDP.”

Ijaw leader faults Uduaghan on handling of EPZ affair

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N Ijaw leader, Chief Bare Etolor, has accused the Delta State Government of not handling the Export Processing Zone, EPZ, project agitations well, noting that same could ignite another bloody crisis in the Niger Delta.

Etolor, who was the first Vice Chairman of the Ijaw, Isoko and Itsekiri Leadership Forum, (3I’s) in Delta State,

said though Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan adopted an effective method of handling genuine agitations and conflicts in the state in the last seven years, the handling of the EPZ affair was faulty.

Speaking in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, he urged President Goodluck Jonathan to be wary of the handling of the EPZ affair and set up an

independent committee on the issue.

“While Itsekiri killed themselves, Ijaw's clamour for recognition/participation in the ongoing contracts as stakeholders was ignored.

“In the face of the unfinished business by the panel which he set up, it was disdain for Ijaw that could have made the state governor push for the ground-breaking ceremony without resolution of issues."

I'm the right aspirant for Delta Central —Edojah

By Perez Brisibe

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G H E L L I — P E O P L E S Democratic Party, PDP, aspirant for Delta Central senatorial district, Mr. Solomon Edojah, has described himself as the best aspirant to represent the district in the Senate owing to his experience in executive, legislative and party administration.

Edojah, a former member of the House of Representatives representing Ethiope constituency, also applauded the National Assembly Screening Committee of the party, led by Alhaji Mohammed Babangida, for the way they handled the screening exercise.

Edojah, who spoke to Vanguard in Ughelli on his programme for the people, promised to set a standard for the people of the district using the Senate as a platform to create wealth and strategically place them where they ought to be on national issues.

Delta sanitation marshals told to be above board

By Festus Ahon

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S A B A — D E LT A S t a t e Commissioner for Environment, Chief Frank Omare, has urged the newly recruited 1,200 Environmental Sanitation Marshals to be diligent in their duties to avert sanctions.

Omare, who made the call at a training and orientation workshop for the marshals by the state government, charged them to live above board in the discharge of their official assignments.

According to him, over 42,000 persons, including masters degree holders, applied for the job, but only 1,200 were lucky to secure employment, adding that the marshals would be deployed to 10 local government areas selected for the pilot scheme of the project ‘Clean Delta’ to assist other stakeholders.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014—13

FG’s threat to relocate $16bn Delta Gas City, blackmail —Itsekiri leaders

By Emma Amaize

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ARRI—ITSEKIRI Leaders of Thought, ILT, in Delta State, yesterday, described as blackmail, the recent warning by Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, that the Federal Government may relocate the $16 billion Export Processing Zone, EPZ, if the opposing Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups fail to come to a compromise.

Secretary of the group, Mr. Edward Ekpoko, also told Vanguard on phone that the Itsekiri ethnic group had no apology to render to the minister or any other person for expressing its mind on the EPZ project.

He said: “It is a blackmail to say that if the Itsekiri and Ijaw people do not come to agreement, the project would be moved to another place. What agreement does she want us to reach with the Ijaw? Is Ogidigben, where the project is sited not owned by UgborodoItsekiri people?”

On the one week ultimatum given to the two ethnic groups to resolve their disagreements over the project, the Commissioner representing Ijaw on the board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Mr. Kingsley, Otuaro, urged Mrs. AlisonMadueke to give them more time, as one week was not enough to iron out the issues.

Ekpoko, who was furious over the minister’s threat, insisted that the Itsekiri would not

mortgage their land to satisfy the interest of Ijaw.

He said: “If she is looking for a ploy to take the project to Bayelsa State where she hails from, that is another thing all together. Government knows who they acquired the EPZ land from. It is not from the Ijaw, so what are we agreeing on? Are you saying that we should let Ijaw claim our land when they have no right of ownership over the land?”

On the apology, which the minister was said to have demanded from the Itsekiri, he

said: “We, ILT, have no apology to render to her or to any other person. To say the least, it is insulting to ask the Itsekiri people to apologize to her.”

On whether Ijaw and Itsekiri leaders had opened communication in respect of the one-week ultimatum given them by government to resolve their differences, he said: “Itsekiri and Ijaw leaders can meet, but that does not mean that the land belongs to them or that we are going to share our land with them.”

Otuaro, chairman of Warri-

Ijaw, Itsekiri Youth Peace Forum which brokered the peace between youths of the two ethnic groups during the unfortunate Warri crisis, said: “One week ultimatum is too short against the backdrop of the issues that the community leaders have to look into.

“What I am saying is that should they fail to resolve the matter within the one week that the minister gave, government should give more time for the leaders to establish the needed peace. Both the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups appreciate the value of this project and would not want it to be relocated to any place.”

S

ENATE Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, has withdrawn from today ’s rescheduled ward congress of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, saying that the decision to hold the congress in the face of

T

HE people of Gbaramatu, Ogulagha and Ogidigben, Delta State, have been assured that President Goodluck Jonathan was doing everything possible to resolve the lingering land dispute over the Export Processing Zone, EPZ, location.

Mrs. Etimiordimene Hitler, a native of Gbaramatu Kingdom, in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, gave the assurance yesterday in Warri.

She said: “The postponement of the ground breaking ceremony of the multibillion naira Gas Revolution Industrial Park, GRIP, by the President was to allow the Federal Government resolve the dispute amicably for the benefit all aggrieved stakeholders.”

Group backs Alimikhena for Edo North senatorial seat SCREENING: From left: Mr. Fred Majemite, Director-General, Obuh campaign organization; Sir Tony Chuks Obuh, gubanitorial aspirant, Delta State and Mr. Ambby Okuhor, after Delta PDP screening in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

Ndoma-Egba pulls out of C-River PDP ward congress

By Emmanuel Aziken

EPZ: ‘Jonathan'll resolve Ijaw, Itsekiri dispute'

pending litigations was subjudice.

Ndoma-Egba’s withdrawal followed the decision of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the PDP to repeat the congress despite claims by the senator and his associates that the congresses held on

November 1, 2014 were properly conducted.

Their position had been disputed by associates of Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State.

Senator Ndoma-Egba, in a statement yesterday, said he would not breach the integrity of the judiciary by participating in the planned repeated congress.

He said: “I will not be participating in the rescheduled Ward Congresses for Cross River State by the PDP

scheduled to hold on Monday (today). I know, of a fact, that the issue of the November 1,2014 Ward Congresses in Cross River State is sub judice as it is the subject of pending litigations before a Federal High Court in Abuja and the Cross River State High Court. I also know that the court had, before the congresses were rescheduled to November 24, issued hearing notices to the parties to the suit that judgment will be delivered on November 24.

“I am a lawyer of 36 years standing, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Leader of the Senate, Nigeria’s highest law making body. I, therefore, will not do anything to undermine the sanctity of our judicial process and the judiciary."

A

coalition of progressive groups under the aegis of Edo Progressive Movement, has urged Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and leaders of All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, to base their choice of the next senator on the core attributes of competence, integrity, courage, initiative and focus.

At a meeting in AkokoEdo, home town of the incumbent, Senator Domingo Obende, to discuss the political future of Edo North, the group promised to enthrone only God fearing and people oriented politicians in leadership positions in the state.

“Chief Charles Alimikhena is suitable for the senatorial job. He has devoted his life and time to humanitarian and philanthropic services.

He has empowered youths and has given us reason to have faith in government,” spokeman of the movement, Mr. Andre Aigbe, said.

14—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

BIRTHDAY: From left: Olufisayo Olaleye, Olumide Gbenle, Mrs. Catherine Ibironke Gbaenle, Folayemi Aganga Wlliams and Folake Odunga, during the 70th birthday of Mrs. Catherine Ibironke Gbaenle, in Ikoyi Lagos.

From left: Prof. and Mrs. John Amoda; Mrs. Ibim Hailsham, Mrs. Nyingi Hailsham Allison, during Mrs Gbaenle's 70th birthday, in Lagos. Photos: Diran Ose.

APC govs condemn police siege on National Assembly

By Chidi Nkwopara

O

W E R R I — A L L Progressives Congress, APC, governors, weekend, described the police siege on the National Assembly last Thursday, as “an ugly development, unfortunate and disgraceful.”

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and some other members were not only prevented from gaining access to the chambers, but were also tear-gassed by the police.

Chairman of the APC Governors Forum, who also doubles as the Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, said: “The incident was a disgrace to the country’s growing democracy, and the worst known incident in the history of the country ’s National Assembly.”

Governor Okorocha stated that with all that happened at the National Assembly, the

second arm of the country’s government had been made an object of caricature.

“The police should have been conscious of the institution in question and the personalities concerned in handling

whatever was their reason for being there”, Okorocha said.

The APC Governors’ Forum Chairman said: “What happened at the National Assembly on Thursday was condemnable by all lovers of

democracy. It was not a good thing to the image of the nation. It was a slap on the face of our democracy. The National Assembly of every nation is seen as a very powerful propeller in its

All set for PDP ward congresses in C-River

A

LL is set for the conduct of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ward congresses in Cross River State today.

The earlier congresses held on November 1, were cancelled by the national leadership of the party following allegations that the result of that exercise was doctored by members of the electoral panel.

The party subsequently directed that the exercise be re-conducted today.

At a meeting with the stakeholders of the party, yesterday, Chairman of the new electoral panel, Chief

Chidi Egiogu, assured that the exercise would be transparent, free and fair.

Egiogu urged politicians to exhibit high level of discipline during the exercise.

“We are going to conduct this exercise in line with the electoral guidelines and following due process. I expect you to handle this election in the spirit of sportsmanship by accepting whatever will be the outcome in the interest of this great party,” he said.

Refuting insinuations that the outcome of the exercise had been pre-determined, he

showed the stakeholders the electoral materials contained in a bag he hung on his neck, adding, “We will conduct this exercise with utmost transparency and give everybody a level playing field.”

In his remark, the state Chairman of the party, Mr. Ntufam John Okon, assured the panel that as one big family in Nigeria’s most hospitable and preferred destination, the state executive committee would give them the necessary cooperation to ensure a hitch free exercise.

Enugu PDP crisis: Asogwa-led faction petitions nat'l leadership

By Francis Igata

E

NUGU—THE Ikeje Asogwa faction of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Enugu State, has petitioned the national leadership of the party, accusing the acting chairman of the party recognised by the national leadership, Elder David Ajah, of activities that could undermine and bring the party to disrepute.

In the petition by 12 members of the 14-man State Working Committee, SWC, the faction,

addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, said: “No ward congress of the party took place in Enugu State, November 1, 2014 as scheduled in the party’s time-table of activities leading to the primaries due to nonarrival of the electoral materials and members of the National Ward Electoral Committee to the State Party Secretariat at No. 1 Chime Lane, G.R.A, Enugu, for the coordination and commencement of the exercise. The State Working Committee of the

party informed the national leadership of that all the members of the committee, except Elder David Ajah, were present at the state party secretariat for the coordination of the exercise, which did not take place.

“That Ajah, to the chagrin of the members of the SWC and other members of the party, unilaterally addressed the press and made radio announcements to the effect that he purportedly led the state PDP executives to what he called ‘successful Ward

Congresses in 266 Wards of Enugu State’, when in fact there are only 260 Electoral Wards in the State, without any approval or deliberation on the matter by the State Working Committee of the Party.”

They also revealed in the letter that “the PDP registers fundamentally needed for the ward congresses, were under the custody of our ward chairmen in all the 260 electoral wards in the State throughout Saturday, the 1st day of November, 2014, as they waited in vain for the congresses that never took place.”

democracy, and ours won’t be an exception. So, our democracy was disgraced.

Our National Assembly members were disgraced and invariably Nigerians, who they represent, were also disgraced by the singular action of the police.”

Okorocha was not only of the view that using the police to intimidate the members of the National Assembly was unacceptable, he also insisted that using tear-gas on the legislators was equally despicable.

“It was an insult to all Nigerians of goodwill, and all lovers of democratic ideals in the country. The police officers are also Nigerians who should in no small measure help the country’s democracy to grow from strength to strength because at the end of the day, all Nigerians will be beneficiaries of a strong, united and democratic nation,” Okorocha said.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 — 15

Nigeria's battling with guerrillas — Olukolade

FG bans telephones, indecent dressing in prisons

...says Boko Haram'll soon be defeated

By Kingsley Omonobi

A

BUJA — DEFENCE headquarters, yesterday, appealed to the international community to be more objective by showing understanding for the peculiarity of Nigeria’s current security situation.

Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, who made the appeal, particularly criticized the hard stance of some Western countries over perceived negative human rights record of Nigerian military, saying it was illinformed and based on wrong mind-set.

Olukolade, who spoke while receiving the prestigious Alfred Daniel King Foundation award as a distinguished military information expert, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America, noted that the Nigerian Armed Forces had always striven to operate in line with global professional best practices.

According to him, it is important for critics to realize that the war against the terrorists is not conventional, but purely a guerrilla warfare where terrorists fight sporadically and melt back into the social system.

Olukolade said: said “If, with the sophistication of global coalition, money and military resources so far deployed to fighting the

Islamic State, IS, Western powers are yet to dislodge ISIS from Iraq and Syria, then it is imperative they should show more understanding in respect of Boko Haram war in Nigeria.”

He emphasized that the insurgency was a passing phase in the history of Nigeria, adding that very soon, with the concerted efforts of the Nigerian military, the support from the

Nigerian government, more understanding from the international community and more important, with the support of the Nigerian people, Boko Haram would be defeated.

CONFERENCE: From left, wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Ebelechukwu Obiano; former President, Grand Order of Knights, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Engr. Chief Okeke Eruba, and former Governor of Anambra State, Dame Virgy Etiaba, at the Delegates Conference of the Joint Council of Knights, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, in Onitsha, yesterday.

Reps shif tion indefinit ely shiftt resump resumption indefinitely

By Emman Ovuakporie

A

BUJA — FROM all indications, the House of Representatives may have decided to shift its resumption date from December3 until all party primaries are completed.

A top ranking member of the

House gave this revelation, yesterday, saying the postponement was to enable members gunning for various positions to effectively participate in their primaries.

He said: “For example, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has scheduled its gubernatorial

primaries for December 4, a day after the House is expected to resume.

“Also, Speaker Tambuwal and some of our colleagues are contesting for governorship on the platform of APC and the primaries are to hold on December 4. So, how can they

BOKO HARAM: GSS Chibok Chibok,,

Gw oza, o ther e Gwoza, other therss ge gett saf safe school kits

By Laide Akinbiade

A

BUJA — IN order to ensure general safety and effective training on security in basic education in Nigeria, Government Secondary Schools Chibok and Gwoza in Borno State, and 98 others in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states have received safe school kits.

The 1,350 kits were donated by United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, and distributed at the safe school capacity training by Exams Ethics Marshal in Abuja, weekend.

About 100 schools in the North East, as well as the State Emergency

Management Agencies, SEMA, Universal Basic Education Boards, UBEC, Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, and Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, got the kits, containing hand sanitizers, a safe school video DVD and audio CD, and safe school manual promoting best practices in education.

UNESCO Director, Professor Hassana Alidou, lamented the insecurity situation in the North East that had affected academics.

He said: “The prevailing security situation in the North Eastern part of Nigeria has disrupted academic life in that zone.

“Nigerian educational institutions, teachers and students have become endangered due to attacks."

come here and start going back to their states?

“Mind you, they have to campaign and that period is the height of campaign activities so we may not resume till late December.”

Asked whether the p l a n n e d postponement was not out of the fear of possible arrest of the speaker by the police, the member said “Tambuwal has told the whole world that he is ready for arrest so that can’t be an issue at all.”

He said apart from Speaker Tambuwal’s readiness to submit to any summons from a legal authority, members of the House had resolved to “play by the rules and not take the laws into their hands.”

By Victoria Ojeme

A

BUJA — THE F e d e r a l Government, weekend, gave Nigeria Prison Service 30 days ultimatum to withdraw all telephones from inmates and prisons officials in prisons nationwide.

Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, gave this ultimatum during an interactive meeting with senior officers of the Nigerian Prisons Service in Abuja.

The minister said the order also included indecent dressing by inmates, adding henceforth, no inmate should be allowed to wear their choice of clothes or shoes, no matter how highly placed.

He said: “I have visited some prisons in other countries as the Minister of Nigeria, nobody, no matter highly placed, you don’t come to prison with your phones, not even the Minister of Interior or the supervising minister over the prisons. So, why are you an exception?

“Henceforth, no matter who you are, including myself, nobody goes into prison with telephones.

And so, there should be a platform where all the officers submit their phones on arrival at work and collect them when they close.

CIPM holds 18th annual public lecture

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HE CHARTERED Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, CIPM, holds its 18th annual public lecture , entitled, ‘Restoration of Family Values as Pre-requisite to National Development,’ on Thursday, at Agip Recital Hall, Muson Centre, in Lagos.

A statement from the institute said Mrs. Oluseyi Williams, Head of Service, Lagos State will be the guest speaker, while discussants include Alhaji Ahmad Olanrewaju, Ansar-UdDeen Society of Nigeria, among others.

16—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Go am accuses Govv Susw Suswam senatorial opponent of o -heating polity ovver er-heating

By Peter Duru

M

PROJECT: Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Lady Nwanneka Ekweremadu, reassuring people with serious sight challenges, at the grand finale of the annual constituency-wide Four-Day Ikeoha Free Eye Treatment Project, in Mpu, Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State.

AKURDI — Governor Gabriel Suswam's senatorial campaign organization, has accused Senator Barnabas Gemade of reneging on the single term agreement he entered with constituents of Benue North East senatorial district thereby over-heating the polity by

Sur Survveyor orss laud Dango Dangotte over cement price slash

By Naomi Uzor

N

IGERIAN INSTITUTE of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS, yesterday, called on all stakeholders in the building and construction industry to sustain the slash in the prices of cement as announced by the management of Dangote Cement Plc. NIQS made the call when its Lagos State Chapter led by its Chairman, Mr. Olayemi Shonubio visited the Group Managing Director of Dangote Cement, Mr. Devakumar Edwin.

A statement by Dangote group Media Relations Manager, Mr. Francis Awowole-Browne, quoted NIQS as saying that what the management of Dangote Cement did was unprecedented in the history of pricing and adjustment and that behooved on all to ensure the price slash succeeded.

Mr. Shonubi said his institute had always been concerned about the hitherto skyrocketing price of cement and other building materials and heaved a sigh of relief when the Dangote Cement came up with the new price regime.

However, Shonubi expressed regret that some stakeholders including those who should be at the vanguard of price cut had doubted the ability to sustain the slash, saying it would be a matter of time before the price moved up again.

The Lagos Chairman insisted that the management of that company had done what it should do in the interest of the

Nigeria and her citizen and that all hands must be on deck to ensure the new price was not hijacked by profiteers and other undesirable elements who did not mean well for Nigerians.

According to him, “We are here to thank the management of Dangote Cement Plc for the good gesture to bring down the price of cement. We hold Dangote cement in high esteem and the price slash has further portrayed you as a truly indigenous company. The price reduction will no doubt help the federal government in the transformation agenda especially in the area of provision of affordable housing. More Nigerians can now have hope of owning a house.

“We also know that some spoilers would have gone to work to ensure the new price regime does not succeed. This is where we want to employ all stakeholders to help and ensure that the new price is maintained. We all have a role to play to sustain the new price regime of cement as announced by Dangote. We are ready to partner with you in any way you think we can be useful.

Nigerians have suffered too much because of the high cost of building materials.”

On his part, Mr Edwin thanked the Institute for supporting the new price regime and urged members to educate Nigerians on the different grades of cement available and their applications so that new price cut would achieve the desired objectives.

Christian gr oup's e x-president urges group's ex-president politicians tto o end crisis in Nasara wa Nasaraw

By Caleb Ayansina

A

BUJA – FORMER President of the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria, YOWICAN, Ambassador Simon Dolly, weekend, called on politicians in Nasarawa State, to end the ongoing crisis in the state, by calling their supporters to order.

Dolly, who is also the founder of Youth for Peace and Good Leadership Initiative International, YPGLII, said the crisis was a potential threat to the economy of the state, as people were fleeing the state on daily basis to save their lives.

Describing the crisis as political, he said “the situation is getting out of hands, and if our political elites will not direct their followers to behave well, it will cause a lot of havoc to the entire state.

The economy of the state capital, Lafia, is gone, because, most of the nonindigenes, who are doing buying and selling in the state are running away.

"The only way out of the problem is for political leaders to play the game of politics according to the rules. I'm calling on government to come up with a strong legislation, and ensure that, any group or person found wanting is dealt with to serve as deterrent to others.”

his 2015 re-election bid.

However, Senator Gemade, has denied entering into a single term agreement with the constituents, advising anyone with any written proof to that effect to make it public.

Secretary General of the organization, Mr. Terfa Abuur, in a statement, yesterday, in Makurdi, the state capital, said the people of the district in agreement with all major political stakeholders supported and voted senator Gemade in 2011 on the premise of that agreement.

According to Abuur, “when in 2007, the senate position was zoned to Jerchira, where Chief Gemade comes from; Senator Joseph Akaagerger won it and did the first term while Senator Gemade took over in 2011 to complete their turn in 2015. I vividly recall that in 2010, while literally begging round the seven Local Governments that make up the NorthEast senatorial district, and especially, in Kwande Local Government, Senator Gemade promised to do only a term at the National Assembly in order to complete their turn."

Don wants NJC ref ormed reformed

By Demola Akinyemi

I

LORIN — A professor of Political Science in the University of Ilorin, Professor Mojeed Alabi, has called for the reform of the National Judicial Council, NJC, to ensure checks and balances in government.

Professor Alabi said: “The creation of the NJC was an attempt to turn separation of powers on its head.

"Separation of powers imports checks and balances. Thus, an institution composed wholly of members of the bar and bench, whose membership is controlled overwhelmingly by a single individual (the Chief Justice of Nigeria) who also wields considerable influence in the legal practitioners’ privileges committee and the body of the Benchers, cannot be an instrument for promoting checks and balances in government.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 — 17

C M Y K

18 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 UNLESS we do more than we are doing now, the 2015 elections would produce the same unsatisfying outcomes we have had since 1999. We complain loudly without addressing our concerns. The lengthening complaints about politicians have little to do with political parties.

Almost everything boils down to quality of candidates – the quality, in sufficient numbers, is regrettably low.

Across the parties, candidates who offer themselves for elections, those who are mostly pressed to run for office, and their supporters within the system, have cast methods that leave voters with minimal knowledge of candidates.

While we are supposed to vote for candidates with character and credentials, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, through its election time-table has minimal provision for adequate scrutiny of our future leaders.

We have paid dearly for the oversight since 1999. We would pay the same price again, this time, as the parties have pushed their own scrutiny to so late a time, that we can hardly do anything about the process. We can do something in our search for strong voices to represent the voiceless; We want candidates who would tell

Engaging 2015 Candidates us what they would do with Nigeria when elected, and have a history of working for the common good.

It is important to know why anyone would want to lead Nigeria when the predictions are gloomy. We would want to know how candidates intend to govern us, with clear milestones for assessing how they would re-direct us from drifting. Should we not also know what experiences, qualifications, and records of participation in projects for public good, candidates have?

Nigerians’ dissatisfaction with our current political system stems from two points-the near total neglect of the welfare of the people and

the aversion of public office holders to accountability. The joint impact results in frustrations with almost all governments throughout Nigeria.

We can get out of this jam by engaging political aspirants. Our numerous non-governmental organisations and other civil society organisations should commence programmes that would screen candidates on behalf of the public.

They should use town hall meetings and voters’ education to pull the public into processes that would elect candidates. Public involvement should be expanded to counter established indifference of political parties and INEC to voters’ education.

For candidates, it is time they made themselves available. They should sell themselves to the public. People want to know candidates' stand on issues: major, minor.

Most importantly, the public wants to know how their leaders intend to ensure a secure future for Nigerians, beyond current concerns.

Candidates should engage the public with their programmes to test their suitability. The people know what they want. Such interface would deepen our democracy.

OPINION

By Mohammed Abdulkadir

I

T would be in the best interest of Northern political elites to support President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid in 2015 to ensure that the affirmative zoning by the PDP in 2019 is without equivocation. This is to ensure stability in Nigeria by strengthening a tradition of peaceful transition and democratic consolidation. The North cannot be blamed for insisting on central power after eight years of democratic leadership by General Olusegun Obasanjo, a period in which most Northern elites ceded political competition for central power to the South West, and consequently the South.

However, upon retrospection, given the existing constitutional laws of Nigeria and the equity expectations of the PDP zoning guidelines, one cannot also wholly blame the South-South and President Jonathan for insisting upon his right under the Constitution to run for the presidency after the unfortunate demise of President Umaru Yar’Adua. Much has occurred in that time, which given the lengthy political collaborations of the North and the South-South prior to that event, was quite unfortunate. In any event, in 2015, key Northern members of the PDP should mobilise support for President Jonathan for a second term in the presidency because, having served a first term, it will be better for Northern political establishment to allow Jonathan a second term for key reasons that are guided by the enlightened self-interest of the Northern people.

One principal reason, is that given the two

C M Y K

Why North should support Jonathan terms served by General Obasanjo, stopping candidates from the South-South for the presidency at this point will provoke a continuous regional rivalry for the position for another 12 years and possibly beyond.

While the Northern region will ordinarily not shy away from a healthy competition for power, a continuous fractious struggle for central power will be counter-productive for several reasons. First, assuming the North pushes the struggle with extreme vigor and does win, it may win power but lose vital allies required for nation building and sustainable development. The South-South has been a key economic and political ally of the North.

The lesson of ceding power to the South West during the Obasanjo regime has shown that, even at street level, when the two full terms of that regime came to an end, there was general acceptance that the Northern region deserved a power shift and the political ambiance sustained this expectation. Given the developmental aspirations of all Nigerians, it was clearly best to share power affirmatively with the acquiescence of all parties, than from the pyrrhic victory of fractious regional political conquest. In this connection, it will be recalled that despite the resistance of the opposition, the PDP as a party gave full voice to the Yar’Adua presidential bid. Developing a settled norm of affirmative power rotation will serve the sustainable developmental interest of all zones as each zone will protect the zoning to every other zone to guarantee its sustained access to central policy-making.

For the aforestated reasons, the Northern political estabishment particularly the PDP should ensure a clean break from the adversarial competition for power, when it stakes its claim out of affirmative equity for central power once again in 2019. Many within the North do not accept this position, insisting that the North was bypassed, cheated and made to play second fiddle when President Jonathan failed to step aside in 2011. While this position is understandable, it does not wholly address the core issues of 2011 having regard to the Constitution that provided for a Vice President that should step in, in the event of resignation, impeachment or death and the failure of the PDP constitution to align with the constitutional provision of Nigeria. And addressing that core issue must form part of Northern support for Jonathan in 2015.

The core issue of 2010/2011 was that the North, and indeed all zones which hope to benefit from zoning, failed to insist on a cast iron zoning agreement before ceding power affirmatively in 1999. A cast iron zoning agreement will not admit a loophole which does not address what happens to a zone if an incumbent exits power pre-maturely. In preparing the PDP zoning formula, a grave omission was made regarding the mortality and fallibility of incumbents and the institutions they represents. Hence, while the Constitution made allowances for a transitional process in the event of death, incapacitation, impeachment and such uncertain possibilities, the PDP zoning

formula did not, and still does not address this issue with reference to what happens to the zone which loses an incumbent.

In failing to include remedial caveats to the zoning formula on this matter, the PDP has muddled-through this issue with the case of Taraba State still festering. Using President Jonathan’s example and the Kaduna State examples, it can only be stated that currently, a convention exists that in the case of the early exit of an incumbent, the deputy or vice acts in the stead of the incumbent. But such a convention remains fluid and uncertain because nothing stops the situation of 2010 from repeating again even if the North insists on power in 2015 and wins, or if it cedes competing for central power until 2019. This is why in supporting Jonathan in 2015, for a clearer operation of the PDP zoning formula with a reset from 2019, devoid of regional adversarial contestations, the key members of the PDP Northern elites and policy networks could insist upon a caveat that there shall be an unequivocal commitment of all geopolitical zones, by embedding provisos to the zoning formula to address what happens to the equity deficits, if a zone prematurely loses an incumbent. The task of analyzing all such possible scenarios and making effective remedial recommendations by an objective team of legal and administrative experts should be part of the preliminary agreements motivating the current support for Jonathan’s bid in 2015.

*Mr Abdulkadir, a political analyst, wrote from Kano.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014—19

APART from serial demonstrations of gross incompetence by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, under Professor Attahiru Jega, which we analysed in the first part of this article, the nation’s Chief Electoral Officer seems determined to implement a dangerous sectional agenda that will guarantee explosive outcomes starting from 2015. Before I go on, let me reflect on my understanding of the philosophical underpinnings of the creation of the INEC in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

Even though the INEC is one of the Federal Executive Bodies, the word “independent” is meant to depict its non-attachment to any branch of government or alignment to any political interest. A careful examination of the Third Schedule (Part I) of the Constitution which creates the INEC and spells out its functions reveals, in a nutshell, that the INEC is a regulator of elections and political parties, as well as an unbiased umpire moderating relations between the political parties and political interests in the country.

To underscore this, the Constitution empowers the President, subject to the approval of the Senate, to appoint the INEC Chairman and 12 other National Electoral Commissioners, who shall be elderly and experienced people of “unquestionable integrity”.

Political interest In effecting this appointment, our amiable President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, ensured that the 12 National Commissioners were evenly distributed among the six geopolitical zones, with two coming from each. The Chairman, being the 13th person, is expected to be a tie-breaker, and to use that power in the overall interest of the nation. He is not to deploy it to promote the narrow interests of any political party, political interest or sectional interest.

As I noted in the first part of this article, successive INEC Chairmen and Boards before Jega (except Prof Humphrey Nwosu) were always accused of sloppy jobs that tended to benefit the ruling parties and governments. They were accused of dancing to the tune of the piper’s paymaster, and hence the high clamour for people of integrity who would stand firm and assert the Commission’s independence. I have yet to read or hear anyone accusing past Boards of pursuing dangerous ethnic or sectional agenda.

This is the sad aspect that Jega is bringing

Why Jega must go now (II) on board. This much is evident in some of the recent reported activities in the Commission. Of particular reference are the hot-button issues of the suspended 30,000 additional polling units and the posting of certain officers to handle crucial aspects of the Commission’s job in manners suggestive of colluding with external forces to foist an evil, anti-democratic agenda on us.

Less than one year to the 2015 general elections, Jega announced the Commission’s intention to establish additional 30,000 polling units in the country. His reason, on the surface, sounded patriotic. According to him, the idea was to decongest polling units and reduce the stress which voters go through on polling day. If Jega had followed the law and respected the philosophy of being an unbiased umpire, this would have been greatly welcomed as a step forward for our democracy. But the way he distributed the polling units triggered an explosive controversy which forced him to shelve it after realising that insistence would be foolhardy.

Jega reportedly shared the polling units without taking along the National Commissioners and the Resident Electoral Commissioners in the 36 states of the federation as the law expects. Secondly, he did not follow the constitutional prescription of using the Registration Areas. If he had done so, there would have been 8,809 new polling units, as reported inSunday Vanguard penultimate Sunday. The sharing formula between the three geopolitical regions of the North and those of the South would have been 4,611 for the North and 4,198 for the South. Nobody would have complained beyond the old grouse that the North’s numerical advantage over the South is based on mere political favoritism. Life would have moved on.

Jega, instead, shared out the extra polling units in a most provocative and shamelessly skewed manner, giving the North 21,000 and the South 8,000. Had he applied the albeit

criticised existing formula, it should have been North: 15,610; and South: 14, 413. Not only that, Jega’s breakdown of the 30,000 polling units by geopolitical zones went as follows: North – 7,900; North East – 5,291; North Central – 6,318; South West – 4,160; South-South – 3,087; South East – 1,120 and FCT – 1,160. The share of the North West alone rivalled those of the combined three zones of the South, while the South East, core home to the Igbos, one of Nigeria’s three major ethnic groups, got less than the FCT! No explanation that Jega offered made any sense or justified this unbelievable sharing formula.

Perhaps, as part of the hidden plot towards manipulating the 2015 elections to produce a predetermined result, Jega appointed those clearly identified as Northern “hawks” based on their established record of unabashed narrow-minded approach to their job at the

The INEC can announce any figure for the presidential candidate favoured by Jega’s cabal in the Commission and their outside supporters/ sponsors, and dare anyone who disagrees to go to court

Commission, to head departments that will determine the deployment of staff and logistics. While Nuru Yakubu was given charge of Logistics and Operations in recent postings, Hajiya Amina Zakari was posted to take charge of recruitment of new staff.

The overall implication of all these administrative shenanigans by Jega and his closed circuit of ethnic cohorts in the Commission, analysts believe, is part of ongoing plots on several fronts to ensure that a Northerner emerges as president by all possible means in 2015. According to this line of thought, the 30,000 could give the North access to millions of extra votes which could be allocated to a Northern candidate by manipulating figures. Secondly, the nightmare faced

by Nigerians in all parts of the country as a result of shortage of registration materials could be a dress rehearsal for the presidential election, whereby there could be deliberate failure of logistics and operations as well as deployment of staff in certain targeted areas.

The INEC can announce any figure for the presidential candidate favoured by Jega’s cabal in the Commission and their outside supporters/sponsors, and dare anyone who disagrees to go to court. This may seem like a mere wild speculation, but then, it can happen. By then it will be too late. The country could spin out of control, and there may never be a Federal Government for anyone to preside over with ill-gotten electoral mandate.

Apart from this hypothetical scenario, it is also evident that Jega has divided the country with his unpatriotic posturing as a sectional warrior. It is no longer a hidden fact that the National Commissioners are split along the lines of Arewa (North East and North West) versus the rest (South East, South West, South-South and North Central), and he is on the side of Arewa against the rest. This has never happened.

It is a total betrayal of the spirit, letters and philosophy of the INEC. Jega has taken the Electoral Commission from frying pan to fire, and all well-meaning Nigerians should come together and persuade him to step down or be bundled out. Those who are egging him on are enemies of the unity, peace, progress and continued survival of Nigeria. They are a tiny minority among us, yet we know that diseases that eventually kill usually start small and grow big, unless they are squelched early enough.

We want a free, fair and acceptable election in 2015. Whoever wins let him be president of Nigeria. Let Nigerians decide with their votes. Away with sectional demonry!

OPINION

By Liman Abdullahi Usman

F

OR about a decade or two, the rag ing controversy over the issue of marriage as it affects the Nigerian Constitution has been a topic of debate among members of the legislative arm of government as well as the Nigerian masses. This issue has also occupied a prime place in cyber space. Feminist and other activists acting under the guise of protecting the Muslim female child have also exploited the scenario to lampoon Muslims and their institution of marriage.

Islam is a complete way of life and its institutions (marriage inclusive) are based on divinely ordained and well documented rules; for Islam remains the only religion with unadulterated scripture in the world.

As such, whoever wishes to legislate or is given the opportunity to legislate must, while trying to do it, objectively arm himself/herself with adequate knowledge and documentary evidence. Anything short of this will earn lawmakers and commentators disrespect and contempt of Islamdom.

The whole debate in the National Assembly was misunderstood and misrepre-

Nigerian constitution and the girl child marriage sented. It was not about child marriage perse, it was about renunciation of citizenship.

The provision of section 29 of the Nigerian Constitution says “any Nigerian of full age can renounce his or her citizenship” and some conditions were set such as (4a) under section 29 which says 18 years and above (4b) said any married woman. Now, what is the definition of a woman? The Constitution said not child. A woman, according to Wikipedia, and the Dictionary says a woman is an adult female human being. This was the beginning of the issue.

Islamically, there are four pre-requisite for marriage which are as follows; proposal and acceptance (al-ijaab wa alqubuul), approval by both parents (Ridaa alwaalidayn), payment of dowry by the groom (Al-Mihr) and the presence of at least two male witnesses at the ceremony (Shahidayn aadilayn).

Being a complete way of life, Islam has its rigid as well as its flexible parts, depending on the circumstance as the case may be. As explained above, age is there-

fore not part of the conditions which must be met before marriage can be solemnised in Islam. Where the bride is a “Minor” Islam prescribes protective solemnizing of marriage without consummation. This means that the girl who is deemed to be of tender age is left untouched until she attains puberty. Another condition for child marriage is that the girl has the right to repudiate the marriage when she attains maturity and don't like her spouse.

Looking at it from the common sense (logical) perspective, the Constitution says adult woman. As for Nigeria, as far as the rule of law or the constitution is concerned, there is no specific age of consent. The Constitution only says the marriage age is 18. With all due respect to other religions, I don’t know it if they accept pre-marital sex, but in Islam sex is synonymous to marriage and by implication it is abomination and absolutely unacceptable for any Muslim. Going by their (Westerners) definition, at the age of 12 a girl can go to any pharmacy to purchase contraceptives, which implies having sex; what they don’t

accept is child birth.

At this point I will say thumbs up to Senator Ahmad Sani Representing Zamfara West Senatorial District who despite all criticisms and challenges rose to the occasion and with the help of other law makers defended the Deen.

We as Muslims believe that honorable and dignifying child marriage is better than child prostitution which is rampant in our cities and red light zones. In comparison, the globalization and promotion of homosexualism, lesbianism and samesex marriage is a direct challenge of the creators divine order. Whereas child marriage involves two proud legitimate and happy families.

Conclusively, it is paradoxical that some feminist and activist now claim to be defending the rights of the Muslims girl child. These should stop shedding crocodile tears because nobody can love our daughters, our wives, our mothers more than us.

•Mr Usman is the SUG president, Bayero University, Kano.

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20—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

By Eric Teniola

T

HE greatest predicament that this country faces from time to time is the inability of government to listen to itself. A greater percentage of our problems should have been deciphered by now if only government has listened to itself.

Let’s take two issues, the recent National Conference and the sustenance of the oil subsidy which is the greatest conspiracy against Nigeria and the Nigerian people.

Just like the on-going campaign agenda styled Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, the idea of the National Conference was conceived by Oronto Nathan Douglas from Okoroba in Nembe area, Bayelsa State. A man with big ideas but highly elusive,Oronto carries the title of Special Adviser to the President on Research and Documentation.He is more than that. He is the alter-ego of the President. Other alter-egos of the President include Diezani Agama Alison-Madueke, Godknows Boladei-Igali, Ita Ekpeyong, John Olatunde Ayeni, King Amalate Johnie Turner, Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyesegha, Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, Mujahid Dokubo Asari, Senator Emmanuel Izibefien Paulker, Steve Oronsanye, Hassan Tukur,High Chief Government OweizideEkepemupolo alias Tompolo.

Oronto was part of the legal team

A government not listening to itself that represented the Ogoni leader, Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa (19411995).I have not seen Oronto since Saro-Wiwa was executed on November 10, 1995. He later became the Commissioner for Information and Culture in Bayelsa when the state was created on October 1, 1996.

Oronto, a background worker, romanced the Afenifere to come on board for the National Conference and to be sympathetic to Jonathan’s Presidency. The National Conference was inaugurated on March 17 this year with 492 delegates-an assembly of the best brains that we could boast of.

The conference ended on August 14 this year and its report was submitted on August 21 to the President who assured that it “will not be wasted”. On October 5, the President set up a seven-man panel headed by then AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr.Adoke BelloMuhammed fromOkenein Kogi State. That was the last we have heard of the National Conference. With the help of my friend, Senator Musa Adede from Ogoja in Cross Rivers State, who was the Chairman of Committee on Transport, I was able to read the report of the National Conference. I must confess that I commend members of the National Conference for a job well done.

Now party politics is in the air

and with the election fever that has gripped the nation, at best, the report of the National Conference, like the Justice Niki Tobi/Sule Katagun/Bishop Matthew Kukah report of 2005 dialogue conference, the Justice Kutigi/BolajiAkinyemi’s report will end up in the library of the Office to the Secretary to theGovernment of the Federation.

In June 2000, there was a national strike over the hike in prices of petroleum by the Federal Government. President Olusegun Obasanjo then set up a committee of all stakeholders to look at all aspects of problems associated with petroleum product supply and distribution through widespread and genuine consultation with the entire

A greater percentage of our problems should have been deciphered by now if only government has listened to itself

spectrum of the Nigerian society.

The 33-member committee was headed by Chief RasheedAbiodunGbadamosi(70) who is the son of the late industrialist, Chief Sule Oyeshola Gbadamosi, the late Otun of Ikorodu.

Other members of the committee were Chief Rufus Giwa, Mr. S.O. Luwoye, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, Alhaji A. Umaru,Mr. Lucas Damulak, Mr. Joseph Akinlaja, AlhajiUmaru Ndanusa, Dr. Pat Utomi, Alhaji Umar Abba Gana, Chief Nkem A. Ekwechi, Alhaji A. Chachangi, Chief A.E. Ilodibe, Pastor E.A. Ogun, Mrs. Emily Aig-Imokhuede, Chief Richard Uche, Mr.Ray Ekpu, Alhaji G. Hamman, Dr. Imo Itsueli, Prof. E. Edozien, Prof. ‘Dotun Phillips, Chief M.O. Onoja, Dr. S. Usman, Mr. A.S. Okoye, Mr. Sylvester Ejiofor, Funso Kupolokun, Rev.(Dr.) T. Adeboye, Dr.Samaila M. Kewa, Mallam Wada Maida, Mr. G.D. Loma and Mr. C.O. Iwuozor.

The Secretary of the Committee was Chief Olusegun Olujimi Oloogunebi Ogunkua, who is now the Baba Ijo of St. Thomas AnglicanChurch,Isikan, Akure.

He retired as a Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance, August 2006. The committee was inaugurated on August 14, 2000 by my then boss Chief Ufot Ekaette(75) who was then then Secretary to the Government of the Federation at that time.

Nigeria and the tragic case of two cans of Sprite

By Ikenna Agu

A

drama of the absurd is playing out in our country.

At the centre of it is a supposed case of “two half-filled cans of Sprite.”

The dramatis personae in this bizarre drama would want Nigerians to believe that two-halffilled cans of Sprite are responsible for the millions of Naira so far spent on press conferences, media coverage and the hiring of prosecution lawyers. Yet, all of this is happening in a country in which its leaders spend resources going all over the world, calling for investments, calling on corporations to site their factories and manufacturing plants in Nigeria. It would indeed have been laughable, if it were not so tragic!

Before we proceed further, a quick snapshot of the drama: Last February, the Director-General of the Consumer Protection Council, CPC, called a press conference in Lagos in which she announced that a consumer had reported a case of “two half-filled cans of Sprite.” She did not say that a laboratory test had confirmed that the remainder in the cans had become dangerous or poisonous for that reason. She did not adduce any reason why and how two half-filled cans of Sprite constitute a challenge to the quality of products. Rather she proceeded to venomously attack the manufacturing companies, Nigerian Bottling Company and Coca Cola, warning that “Nigeria would not be a dumping ground for sub-standard products.” She proceeded to list out several orders, including asking the C M Y K

manufacturing companies to subject their manufacturing processes to CPC oversight.

A few days ago, the country woke up to hear that apparently on the instigation of the CPC, the Attorney General of the Federation had taken both Coca Cola Nigeria and its bottlers, Nigerian Bottling Company to court. Upon taking both companies to court, the CPC quickly issued a press statement to that effect, even before the court had served notice to the companies. Later in the week, it again issued another press statement stating that November 4 had been fixed for hearing of the suit by the Federal Government against the two companies.

Antics of bureaucracy Investors who are familiar with the antics of the bureaucracy in corruption-ridden Third World countries know and understand the script very well: They are likely to laugh and shake their heads in derision at how far some so-called developing countries can go in order to self destruct.

But the real danger is for those investors in the developed countries who do not understand how things work in poorly organised and corrupt third world countries. Given the sacredness that should be attached to the process of a country supposedly suing a corporation, such investors may indeed be worried about what is going on in Nigeria. It is

important that we do not allow a few government officials driven by ego and their selfish interests to pull the wool over the eyes of such investors and create a negative image for Nigeria.

The major regulators of operatives in the soft drinks industry are the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON. NAFDAC has wellequipped laboratories and trained staff and conducts quality control tests at all phases of the production process.

SON plays a complementary role as well in this regard, all to ensure that production is in line with global best practice, for the good of Nigeria. Does the CPC have the facilities, the staff and the wherewithal to oversee the production process of a manufacturer of soft drinks? Does it have a laboratory to assess quality or standards? Does a halffilled can of Sprite mean that the contents of the can of Sprite have become dangerous or harmful?

The whole world is, today, witness to the news that Toyota is recalling well over a million cars to its factories worldwide.

Thankfully, Toyota’s factories are sited in developed countries of the world. Had the company made the mistake of siting such a factory in Nigeria, perhaps by now, regulators in the ilk of the CPC would have gone to town, maligning the multinational corporation. They may even have taken the company to court and threatened the MD with possible

“several years in prison if found guilty.”

As knowledgeable people around the world – whether developed or developing- know, manufacturing is not an error-free process anywhere in the world. A company churning out millions of cars to the market monthly, can record an error or two in one or two cars. A manufacturing plant churning out a thousand cans of soft drink by the minute can certainly record one can or thereabout being short-filled or even over full. There is no perfect manufacturing process in the world. What every industry strives to achieve is near-zero defect production.

What the government and its agencies should be helping the industry to achieve is near zero

The National Assembly needs to re-look the whole issue of multiple regulation in a rather chaotic operating environment in Nigeria’s private sector

The Committee submitted its report on November 15, 2000. The NLC members of the committee headed by Comrade Oshiomhole wrote a minority report. On November 26, 2000, the government set up a five man panel headed by Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, then Minister of Economic matters, to reconcile the two reports. Other members of the panel were Dr. Hakeem BabaAhmed,Mr. A.O. Adeyemo, Mr. Arubisan Okegbe and Prof. P. T. Akhire.

Chief Gbadamosi’s committee made 47 suggestions and the government accepted 42 of the suggestions, especially on price support and market liberalisation.

Only one of those suggestions has so far been implemented and that is the establishment of Petroleum Pricing Regulatory Agency with the appointment of Dr. Oluwole Oluleye as the pioneer Secretary.

The Gbadamosi committee insisted on the complete deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry so as to resolve most of the issues in cost structure pricing and subsidy of the petroleum industry. The committee also insisted that deregulation of the industry will mean that market forces of demand and supply, will be the determinants of product prices.

Suffice it to note that the four refineries that we had were no longer working.

•Mr. Teniola, a former Director at the Presidency, wrote from Lagos.

defect production. The current resort to name-calling and abuse of multinational companies is a sad and unfortunate commentary on the quality of officers in some of our government agencies.

There are reports that indicate that both multinational companies have since gone to court to seek an injunction to challenge the court case by the Federal Government. This is a good way to go. It is most unfortunate, however, that in the eyes of the unknowing investor out there in the developed world, these developments have taken an unnecessary toll on Nigeria’s image and as well as the credibility of the CPC as a regulator that should be taken seriously.

The National Assembly needs to re-look the whole issue of multiple regulation in what is turning to be a rather chaotic operating environment in Nigeria’s private sector. Specialised regulation should remain the forte of organisations that have the expertise to regulate specialised sectors. The CPC has been known to shut down base stations and offices of telecom companies in the past, forcing the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, to warn in a recent advert, on the dangers of such impunity. If indeed, we are as serious about industrialisation as we proclaim at every opportunity, then we need to imbibe the professionalism of the developed world in managing and overseeing multinational industrial organisations which choose to set up shop in Nigeria.

•Mr Agu, a freelance journalist, wrote from Lagos

Market Data Pg 34

NOVEMBER 24, 2014

‘Blame Okonjo-Iweala, Sanusi for Nigeria’s economic woes’ •$73 crude benchmark too optimistic •Falling oil prices not responsible for deteriorating economy •Expect tough times ahead •Nigeria has done many things wrong in the last four years

MoU SIGNING: From left Mr Rasheed Olaoluwa, MD/CEO, Bank of Industry BOI; Mr Femi Ekundayo, Managing Consultant, Bestdat Consult and Mr Joshua Abiakalam, Head, Synergy and Business Solution at the signing ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding agreement between BOI and Business Development Service Providers (BDSPs) at Protea Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos over the weekend.

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By OMOH GABRIEL with reports from MIKE EBO, JONAH NWOPOKU

E

CONOMISTS, private sector operators and bankers have concluded that the present economic woes bedeviling the country cannot be attributed to the current crash in oil prices but to the lack of monetary and fiscal policy coordination in the last four years. They thus blamed the Minister of Finance, Governors who insist on spending the excess crude savings and the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for not working together with the Ministry of Finance to formulate policies that would have ensured the economy was insulated from external shocks. They equally said that the crude oil budget benchmark of $73 for 2015 budget is too optimistic on the part of government.

Taking a swipe at the Monetary and Fiscal policy authorities in the last four years, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, Mr. Mustafa Chike Obi said that the toughening economic situation in Nigeria is not only as a result of falling crude oil prices but also a combination of factors, especially some misguided monetary and fiscal policies in the last four years.

Chike-Obi who stated this while delivering a keynote address at the 4th Annual CBO Capital Investors Conference in Lagos, noted that there is going to be tough period ahead for Nigerian economy and that both government debt and inflation should be expected to rise in the days ahead.

“There is going to be a tough period for Nigeria going forward. There are a number of things that have led to this point. Clearly, everybody is pointing at oil prices but pointing at the oil prices as the reason for our tough times is probably looking at a small part of the problem. We have done many things wrong in the last four years.

“We have had situations where monetary policy authorities made so much noise on how they want to offset what the fiscal authorities are doing, so you hear the CBN saying the fiscal policies are too loose and they want to tighten; and the fiscal authorities saying that the monetary policy is too tight and there is a need to make it loose.

“I have long maintained that this is Continues on page 22

22 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Cover Story

The Basic Guide to Starting Your Business -Part 5

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COMMISSIONING: From left: Assistant Commissioner of Police, Titi Kayode, Area Commander of Otta Area Command; Mr Doyin Ashiru, Manufacturing Director, Unilever PLC; CP Ikemefuna Okoye, Commissioner of Police, Ogun State and Mr Pinnick Ete, Supply Chain Director, Unilever during the commissioning of a Police post donated by Unilever PLC to Ogun State Police Command at Petedo, Agbara, Ogun State on Thursday.

Blame Okonjo Iweala, Sanusi for Nigeria’s economic woes Continues from page 17 counterproductive and that the fiscal and monetary authorities should work together to achieve the same goal,” he told the investors who gathered to discuss the place of private equity in Nigeria’s economic future.

Economic implication of declining oil prices Commenting on the issue, Director-General of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Mudal Yusuf said: “The current scenario of sliding oil price is significant and scary. It is at its lowest in four years. For an economy that is 95% dependent on oil for its foreign exchange earnings; and 85% dependent for revenue, this development should be a cause for concern.

The single most important vulnerability of the Nigerian economy is its heavy dependence on oil. Crude oil market conditions have profound implications for the Nigerian economy. Current trend with oil price pose major downside risks to some key macroeconomic variables and the general economic conditions. The main impact points include the following: Government Fiscal Operations; Naira Exchange Rate, Capital flow reversals, Stock Market, Foreign Reserves, Inflation, Interest Rate and General operating costs for enterprises.”

According to him: “Declining oil price means reduction in revenue inflows. This has implications for the capacity of government at all levels to meet their statutory obligations. Most states are over 80% dependent on statutory allocations which make the impact of declining oil price very profound. This is even moreso when the culture of big and profligate spending has been entrenched. Already, some states are having issues with the C M Y K

payment of the salaries of their workers. Many have issues with payment to contractors. Major adjustments in government spending (at all levels) is clearly inevitable.

“Exchange rate is a price determined by forces of supply and demand. The strongest factor on the supply side is the forex inflow from crude oil.

Therefore, a downward trend in oil price would naturally result in exchange rate depreciation. Exchange rate depreciation would mean new pressures on production and operating costs in the economy which would generate new inflationary pressures. High importation costs will also come with high import duty payment, port charges, VAT as all of these are computed as percentages of import value.

“Trend of oil prices is a major driver of foreign capital flows, especially portfolio flows. This is because the prosperity of the Nigerian economy is perceived to be inextricably tied to the developments in the oil market, and rightly so. For portfolio investors, oil price and exchange rate conditions are major indicators that drive their investment decisions. The impact of such capital flow reversals is often profound in the

A major factor in this is the profundity of foreign portfolio investors who currently accounts for about 60 per cent of the market

stock market and the foreign exchange market.

“There is a correlation between stock market performance and the fortunes of the oil market. Nigerian Stock market is well known to be more vibrant when oil prices are high. A major factor in this is the profundity of foreign portfolio investors who currently accounts for about 60 per cent of the market. Their sensitivity to oil price and exchange rate movements is very high.

Furthermore, declining oil price scenario would result in further tightening of monetary policy to preserve macroeconomic stability. The result is high interest rates and superior returns on investments in the money market which could have negative impact on the stock market.

“Declining oil price scenario would reduce the accretion to reserves. Therefore, there is a good chance that the reserves will come under pressure. Besides, the customary disposition of the CBN to defend the naira through increased supply of foreign exchange will take its toll on the robustness of the external reserves. This is even moreso when the excess crude account is on the verge of drying up.

“The likely CBN response to the current scenario is to intensify the tightening of monetary policy. This will further push up interest rates, increase cost of funds to investors in the economy and constrain the access of the banks to investible funds. All these would impact negatively on the bottom line of enterprises in the economy.

“The good news in all of these is the likely moderation of cost of fuel importation. This is well known to be a major burden on the finances of the country. The share of the naContinues on page 23

HO IS AN ENTREPRENEUR? There are many differing views on what makes someone an entrepreneur and what an entrepreneurial venture is. The term itself is believed to have originated from French, coined by a French economist, Jean-Baptiste Say, in about 1800, who defined an entrepreneur as “one who undertakes an enterprise , especially a contractor, acting as intermediary between capital and labour”. But it was first defined in English by the Irish economist Richard Cantillon, as” a term applied to the type of personality who is willing to take upon herself or himself a new venture or enterprise and accepts full responsibility for the outcome”. The definition of entrepreneur is not limited, as various writers and world renowned entrepreneurs have given it various meanings. For instance, one of the great motivational speakers and writers of our time Robert Kiyosaki, in his book “Retire Young, Retire Rich” defined an entrepreneur as “someone that sees an opportunity, puts together a team, and builds a business that profit from the opportunity”. As you can already see, the word entrepreneur is inexhaustible. According to the Merriam-Webster online an entrepreneur is “one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise”. A more detailed definition given by Daile Tucker, an entrepreneur herself, who in her own words describes an entrepreneur as “a person who has decided to take control of his future and become self employed whether by creating his own unique business or working as a member of a team”.

Something that keeps coming up about entrepreneurs is their ability to see opportunities and make the most of it, not minding the risks they will undertake. Entrepreneurs are generally in competition with themselves and believe that success or failure lies within their personal control or influence. So it is very important for you, when starting a business, to be sure that you can identify opportunities, make the most of them and have the wherewithal to thrive even in the midst of risks and unforeseen circumstances and that is why carrying out a self analysis cannot be over emphasized.

E ntrepreneurs are leaders, prime movers, authors, pacesetters, investors and risk bearers. They are usually pioneers who strategize and formulate the rules for the general interest of the enterprise for others to follow. An entrepreneur conceives an idea and brings it to life through systematic and well-articulated planning, driven by the passion and the need to achieve uncommon things. An entrepreneur not only assumes responsibility and the risk for a business operation with the expectation of making a profit, the entrepreneur also generally decides on the product, acquires the facilities, and brings together the labour force, the capital and production materials. Simply put entrepreneurs are people who choose to see positivity where negativity abounds. Bear it in mind, however, that if a business succeeds, the entrepreneur reaps the reward of profits; on the other hand, if it fails, he or she takes the loss.

Successful entrepreneurs are not perfect people but are brilliant, productive, and articulate; it takes both the heart and the head to successfully run an entrepreneurship. Also note that an entrepreneur is an inspirer, a motivator, a coach, a great listener, attentive, consistent and enthusiastic.

A lot of people go into business for the sole reason of making money; this is not a good idea. It’s not a good idea because the main ingredient for success is missing. The main ingredient for success is passion, and it’s virtually impossible to maintain high-levels of energy when you’re doing something you don’t love.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 — 23

T

he pressure on the naira at the foreign exchange market might continue to mount and see further depreciation in value of the naira this year. The Naira fell by 200 kobo on Tuesday, as the parallel market exchange rate rose to N180 per dollar from N178 per dollar on Monday.

The depreciation was due to scarcity of dollars in the market. Banks refused selling dollars to Bureaux De Change (BDCs) thus aggravating the scarcity in the market. Parallel market rate rose from N177.3 to N180 per dollar because there was no dollar thebeen market. The depreciation of the naira is not limited to the dollar; it in has depreciating against the Euro and Pound Sterling in recent times too. The exchange rate of the Euro has risen to N220 from N117 last week.

This is the trend that has become the lot of the local currency since the introduction of Structural Adjustment depreciation ever since. As of and in 2004, the rate had Programme by the Babangida today, the demand is high peaked at N133.

The handling of the exchange military junta. The introduction because those who have the of SAP saw the massive resources are buying dollars for rate has been questionable. devaluation of the local currency keeps in anticipation of possible Why will there be two exchange and the enthronement of a free devaluation of the naira as a rates in an economy? Why must there be an inter-bank result of declining oil prices. float for the naira. exchange rate? What makes it In economics, there is what is The mistake made by the monetary authorities since the regarded as shadow price of a so difficult for the foreign deregulation of the economy controlled product. The shadow exchange market to be totally has lingered and the CBN has price usually is the price that is deregulated? If right at the not been able to muster the envisaged if the product were beginning there was one courage to correct the anomaly. allowed to find its true value in exchange rate, the naira may not have suffered the way it has. It At the inception of the famous a free market setting.

As a result of the shadow price definitely would not have been deregulation of the foreign exchange market, the CBN of the naira, the international a whipping currency that it is introduced three tier markets for business community soon began today.

On July 17, 1988, the naira the same commodity, foreign to agitate that the currency was appreciated in value against over valued and that the true exchange. There was the first tier market which was the exchange rate of the naira was other major currencies after the official rate at which the the parallel market rate. Nigeria bidding session at the Foreign government buys foreign then continued to adjust the Exchange Market (FEM). An currency from N2.02 to the exchange rate of N3.50 to $1.00 exchange from the CBN. emerged as the There was the Second tier dollar in 1986 to rate for sale of market where the private sector the N173 today. In foreign exchange. and other individuals were 1987, the Nigerians admit sourcing their foreign exchange exchange rate was that the country’s requirement from. The third N4.02 to the dollar most dominating was the autonomous foreign and in 1988, it had economic problem exchange market where moved along the is the current exporters put the proceeds of parallel market shortage or scarcity their exports and sell same at rate of N4.54. The of foreign their own determined rate. economy was still currency.

However, there existed and on its knees as the still exists a parallel market exchange rate In the where un-licensed individuals moved further in management of hawk foreign exchange along 1989 to N7.39 and the exchange rate, major streets in Nigeria and in in 1993, the two it is the Secondmosques. The rates that ruled markets tier Foreign were these markets were never the merged at N22.05 exchange Market same. In fact, there have been to the dollar. By that has always multiple exchange rates in the the turn of the brought the economy since the century in 2000, Central Bank of deregulation. This gave room for the exchange rate Nigeria (CBN) in foreign exchange speculations was N102.10 to the conflict with the that resulted in excess demand dollar. By 2002, banks. At the for foreign exchange. the exchange rate introduction of the Nigerians, banks and others of the naira to the deregulation of the have been hedging against dollar was N121 foreign exchange

The unending woes of Naira exchange rate

The handling of the exchange rate has been questionable.

Why will there be two exchange rates in an economy?

market, some new generation banks were barred from SFEM bidding sessions for submitting bids that were said to be too high. Last week, the CBN bowed to banks’ demand for the removal of the 10 kobo margin limit imposed on intervention dollars.

At a meeting between the CBN and chief executives of banks, the CBN agreed to remove the 10 kobo margin limit on intervention dollars.

Intervention dollars are dollars sold directly to banks by the CBN to stabilise the exchange rate of the Naira in the interbank market. Three weeks ago, the CBN imposed 10 kobo margin limit on intervention dollars.

“Funds purchased through the CBN interventions should be utilised within two working days of delivery at a rate not more than 10 kobo above purchase rate. Consequently, intervention funds not utilised within two working days of delivery should be returned to CBN at the original purchase rate,” the CBN said in a circular signed by Mr. I.O Gbadamosi, Director, Trade and Exchange Department.

The limit, however, made the intervention dollars unattractive to banks and as a result, they stopped purchasing dollars from the CBN. This frustrated efforts of the apex bank to curtail depreciation of the Naira in the inter-bank foreign exchange market, leading to N7.45 depreciation of the national currency last week. To arrest this development, the apex bank called a meeting of chief executives of banks to

discuss recent developments in the foreign exchange market and its effort to stabilise the exchange rate. The banks’ CEOs made it clear to the apex bank that the 10 kobo margin limit has to be removed for banks to purchase the intervention dollars. As is always the case when there is crash in oil prices, the CBN officially depreciated the naira to N156 to the dollar.

The naira will achieve a realistic exchange rate when the demand for foreign exchange is matched by supply. Nigeria has not worked hard enough to make this happen as the economy continues to depend on oil.

Year

1973 1974 1980 1982 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Rate (N:$)

0.66 0.55 0.55 0.67 0.76 0.89 2.02 4.02 4.54 7.39 8.04 9.91 17.30 22.05 21.89 81.20 81.20 82.00 84.00 93.95 102.10 111.93 121.0 129.3 133.5 131.1 128.5 127.4 117.81 148.20 150.19 154.5

Depre./ Appre. (%)

-20.0 0.0 17.9 11.8 14.6 55.9 49.8 11.5 38.6 9.3 18.9 42.7 21.5 -0.7 73.0 0.00 1.0 2.4 10.6 8.0 8.8 7.5 6.4 3.1 -1.8 -1.98 -0.86 -7.53 +25.8 +1.34 +2.87

Business & Economy Continues from page 22 Blame Okonjo Iweala, Sanusi for Nigeria’s economic woes tion’s resources committed to fuel importation and fuel subsidy is horrendous and perhaps scandalous. It is hoped that declining oil price would moderate this cost.

Looking at the issue, Mr. Egheomhanre Eyieyien, Chief Executive Officer, Pharez Ratings, a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registered credit risk rating agency, commended the response of the Federal Government so far, concerning the falling oil price, saying that the austerity measures just introduced are inevitable and are welcome.

Eyieyien, who is a senatorial

aspirant for Edo Central Senatorial District, however, faulted the proposed crude oil price benchmark of $73 per barrel for 2015, declaring that it is too optimistic. He said: “The challenges we now face on account of the fall in crude oil price in the international market were foreseen as far back as 2003, by no less a person than the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Mrs Ngozi OkonjoIweala, who introduced policies and measures to conserve our foreign exchange earnings and provide a buffer against times such as we are now in.

“Unfortunately, the state governors are still contesting the constitutional propriety, and rightly too, I regret to add, of the Excess Crude Account and the National Sovereign Wealth Fund, which should have been sufficient to weather the crisis.

Even a couple of days ago, there were still calls from the states to disburse $2 billion from the Excess Crude Account so that the governors can ‘fund their projects’ which cannot but be suspicious with the general elections being imminent.

“The austerity measures just introduced are inevitable and

are welcome. But can the Federal Government resist the temptation to continue its expansionary fiscal stance with so many outstanding infrastructure projects especially in the run-up to the presidential election?

“I think the new budget crude oil price benchmark of $73 is rather too optimistic. I think the market price could fall below $70 in the near term. However, with the heavy snow storms hitting the western hemisphere, crude oil prices could rally again between December 2014, and March, 2015. “The bottom

line: Nigeria needs to go beyond mere sloganeering and actually work effectively at diversifying our nation’s foreign exchange sources. It is time to focus on agricultural exports and the commercial exploitation of our vast solid mineral resources.”

The impact of the falling oil prices may not be felt much on the Nigerian economy, if the government imbibed saving culture, said Mr. Bekuochi Nwawudu, the Director of CBO Capital, a Lagos-based investment advisory and project deContinues on page 42

24 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Business & Economy

Shell completes sale of Nigeria's oil field stake for $600m

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oyal Dutch Shell said on Thursday it had completed the sale of its 30 percent stake in Nigeria’s onshore Oil Mining Lease (OML) 24 in the Eastern Niger Delta to Newcross Exploration and Production for $600 million.

French partner Total and Italy ’s Eni also sold their respective 10 percent and 5 percent stakes in OML 24 to Newcross, Shell said in a statement. The Nigeria-based oil and gas exploration and production company will hold a total of 45 percent in the field.

Shell last month said it had signed sales agreements for all the Nigerian oil assets it had put up for sale as part of a broad global cost-cutting drive.

OML 24 produced on average of around 13,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day during the first half of 2014, the Anglo-Dutch oil major said.

Agric revolution: AfDB, AGRA to strengthen cooperation

By JIMOH BABATUNDE

T

he African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) institutions have agreed to strengthen their cooperation to speed up Africa’s agricultural transformation Both institutions met in Abidjan last week to discusse some of the most pressing constraints to the development of African agriculture in the continent like access to inputs and fertilizers; finance and credit; storage, extension, and markets.

They promised to address challenges faced by Africa’s smallholder farmers through improved infrastructure and systems, value addition, market access, institutional capacity and training, public and private investments.

AfDB Vice-President in charge of Agriculture, Water, Human Development, Governance and Natural Resources, Aly Abou-Sabaa

PRESS CONFERENCE - From left: Project Lead, Social Media Awards Africa, Mr. Femi Aderibigbe; Executive Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman and Marketing Consultant, SMAA, Mr. Adebiyi Fashoyin, at a Press Conference to announce the commencement of voting for the social medial Awards Africa in Lagos. said agriculture is at the heart of AfDB’s strategy.

“We consider agriculture as a vehicle for inclusive and sustainable economic transformation, and eradicating poverty and hunger. I am not just speaking about growth, but quality growth, that is inclusive and which leaves no one behind,” he said.

Over the past 50 years of its operation, the Bank has invested close to US $100 billion in development projects in Africa, of which $12 billion is in agriculture.

Through its Strategy for

2013-2022, AfDB is supporting a number of broad interventions to assist in addressing Africa’s agricultural and food security challenges. It is heavily investing in rural infrastructure, and linking farmers to markets.

AfDB is also contributing to the long-term capitalization of the agriculture sector especially benefitting infrastructure development along the value chain for promoting sustainable agricultural production systems. It is also funding agricultural research and technology development.

Agnes Kalibata, the President of AGRA, also recognized the importance of infrastructure development to help millions of people improve their living conditions. “As Rwanda’s former Minister of Agriculture, I can testify to the pivotal role of feeder roads,” she said. “What is the value of surplus if you cannot sell your produce?” she asked.

FG to cut petrol subsidy by half in 2015

T

he Federal Government has said it plans to cut subsidies on petroleum products by half next year after sharp falls in global crude prices, spurred a reversal of its 2015 budget downwards.

President Goodluck Jonathan submitted the revised budget figures to lawmakers last week, proposing to spend 458.68 billion naira ($2.59 bln) on petrol subsidy in 2015, down from 971.14 billion naira presented for 2014.

It also assumed further cuts to petrol subsidies in 2016 to 408.68 billion naira and 371.18 billion naira for 2017.

The Minister of finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has proposed lowering the assumed benchmark oil price for the 2015 budget to $73 per barrel from the $78 proposed in September, after global crude prices collapsed.

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Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told Reuters last week that declines in the price of oil, which has lost almost 30 percent since July, would impact the economy, requiring the government to cut non-essential spending and raise more revenues.

Recall that the FG tried to end subsidy in 2012 in efforts to cut government spending and encourage badly needed investment in local refining, doubling the price of a litre of petrol overnight to about 150 naira ($0.93) from about 65 naira The budget proposals assumed an exchange rate of 162 naira to the U.S. dollar for 2015, weaker than 160 naira assumed for 2014. It expects the naira to weaken further to 163.50 in 2016, reaching 165 in 2017.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 — 25

Business & Economy STORIES BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

F

ederal Government says the country will save a whopping N187 billion annually with the consumption of cassava bread

by Nigerians. The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Arc. Sonny Echono disclosed this at the launching of the Cassava/ Wheat Composite Flour and presentation of baking equipment to master bakers in Abuja.

According to him, the Cassava Bread Intervention Fund was to be managed by the Bank of Industry with the Bank of Agriculture to produce a synergy that will save Nigeria N187 billion on a yearly basis when cassava bread consumption is accepted by everybody.

“So far, the programme is yielding the desired dividends as the BOI delivers equipment worth several millions of naira to master bakers, 2000 master bakers have been trained, the government is looking forward to training about 5000 master bakers,” he said.

In its goodwill message, the Master Bakers Association, commended BOI for effective management of the intervention fund BoI’s Managing Director, Mr Rasheed Olaoluwa, who was represented by the zonal director of the bank, commended the honour accorded the bank to put bakers together, promising that the BOI make a success of the Cassava Bread Intervention Programme.

The Bank of Industry, BoI, delivers equipment worth several millions of naira to 97 master bakers across the country in fulfilment of its part in the N9.9billion Cassava Bread Intervention Fund, The bank, under the programme is expected to deliver equipment to 117master bakers across the country. The association, which disclosed that there were over 450,000 master bakers in Nigeria, implored the bank to extend the equipment gesture to the remaining master bakers under the intervention fund.

Commissioning the baking equipment funded by BOI, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina commended the Transformation Agenda put in place by President Goodluck Jonathan and admonished all Nigerians to patronise the crops grown by Nigerian farmers . Adesina has said that in the last three years, the

Nigeria's ecoystem affects service quality, says NCC

BY NAOMI UZOR

T

CEREMONY - Mr. Olukorede Adenowo, Managing Principal & Head, Financial Institutions, West Africa, Standard Chartered Bank, receiving the awards for Best Emerging Market Banks in Gambia, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Cote d’Ivoire, at Global Finance's Sixteenth Annual Best Bank Awards Ceremony 2014, held recently at the World Press Club in Washington, DC, U.S.A.

FG to save N187bn annually on cassava consumption Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) has added N780 billion in the nation’s economy.

The Minister also said that as a result of the recent drive in the nation’s agriculture, the food import bill have dropped drastically in recent times.

According to him, “The agricultural transformation agenda has added N 780 billion to the economy within the past three years. Our

expanded by an additional 21 national food production million MT within three years - a record in our nation’s history.

“As a result of the agricultural transformation agenda which we started in 2011, Nigeria’s food import bill declined from N1.1 Trillion in 2011 to N 634 billion

by December of 2013 and continues to decline. Our farmers are seeing the benefits

as they are producing more food”. He therefore said that with today ’s events the landscape of cassava in Nigeria will change, he also said that cassava will not be seen as a subsistence crop for household and villagelevel processing. He further said that Cassava has now become the raw material of choice for the burgeoning bread flour, sweetener, starch, and ethanol markets.

MSMEs represent 75% of national employment — AGANGA

T

he Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga has said that the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs contributes 75 per cent to national employment.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Eight Developing Countries, D-8 SME Governmental Bodies meeting in Abuja, Aganga who noted that MSMEs represent 97 per cent of the businesses in Nigeria thus representing one of the most important sectors of the nation’s economy, noted that the sub-sector cannot be ignored.

The D-8 meeting, being hosted by the Small and

Medium Enterprises Development Agency, SMEDAN with the theme: “Promoting Green SMEs or Sustainable Development”, comprise Nigeria, Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan and Iran.

Aganga said, “The growth in this sector is directly correlated with growth in the economy as a whole and in the level of employment throughout Nigeria”.

“To broaden access of finance for SMEs, we are partnering with commercial banks such as stanbic IBTC, first bank, fidelity bank, diamond bank to provide them with a steady pipeline of SME to finance, this process will reduce the search, cost, monitoring and evaluation cost for the SMEs.” “Nigeria has experienced

unprecedented growth in its economy. Nigeria is ranked the top investment destination in Africa, the largest economy on the continent of Africa, amongst the top 10 fastest growing economy in the world and with the highest potential of industrialization in Africa.”

“These achievements has been due to the reasonable level of macro stability that we have achieved in Nigeria in spite of the global recession and also due to the strong policies of the current administration in line with the transformation agenda of his Excellency Mr. President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.”

“Nigeria is a blessed country and has some of the most entrepreneurial people in the world.”

he Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), has disclosed that the ecosystem is a major threat to the quality of the communication network system in Nigeria.

The Director of Public Affairs, NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo, said, power is the major cause affecting the ecosystem and that the government has promised to improve on the power system so as to increase the quality of service.

Ojobo also said that the weather condition affects the network where fiber cables are not enough to go round the country, which is why there is pressure on the network, adding that, currently, Nigeria has 130 million connected lines and this is the reason for congestion.

On the issue of drop calls and unsolicited messages, he disclosed that they held a meeting with the content service providers where issues of all unsolicited messages to customers were discussed.He said the service providers should filter out messages coming out from their platform adding that, the issue of unsolicited messages is a global phenomenon and not peculiar to Nigeria.

Sterling Bank wins ‘Agric Bank of the Year’ award

B

ARELY three months after it was conferred with an Award as the Best Bank in Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS), Sterling Bank last weekend, bagged yet another Award in the Agriculture sector as it received the “Agric Bank of the Year 2014 in Nigeria” Award. The Award which was powered by the Agriculture Policy Research Network (APRNet) and AgroNigeria Limited was presented to the Bank at a Dinner and conferment ceremony where the President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan also received the Award of the Grand Transformer of Nigerian Agriculture.

According to a member of the Organizing Committee for the Awards, Richard-Mark Mbaram Esq, Sterling Bank was conferred with the Award in recognition of its critical role in the dispensing of financial services to actors in the Nigerian agricultural value chain.

26 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Banking & Finance

Professional certification can boost employability in Nigeria – ACCA

BY HOPE OFOBIKE

T

HE Association of Certified and Chartered Accountants (ACCA) has said that additional professional qualifications can help boost graduate employability and thereby reduce unemployment in Nigeria.

Country Director of the Association, Toyin Ademola stated this at the 2014 Lagos submit held at the Muson Center, Lagos.

She said: “Additional Qualification can boost employability, employers get confident when they see a graduate with professional certification; this assures employers that the person in question has been able to fulfill some ethical modules.

“This summit is part of ACCA's attempts at reducing unemployment in Nigeria, we know that unemployment is really high, each year we have about 10,000 graduates coming out from higher institutions and ready to enter the labour market,” she added.

Ademola said the goal of the association is to create opportunity for everyone to become professionals.

She said: “In line with ACCA values which are accessibility, accountability, opportunity, innovation and diversity, we decided to create a platform where graduates can have opportunity to meet with employers of labour, we want to breach the gap between graduates and employers without asking them for development fee.

“Today we have over 20,000 members in Nigeria, about 6,000 people registered to attend this submit and that definitely is a success, we had 2, 000 people Port Harcourt and Abuja respectively, We have achieved about 20percent success in creating employment for graduates.

“At the end of this submit, we hope that some graduates will be employed, we have had testimonies from the past submit, the major challenges is that must graduates are not employable, it is not about sitting before an employer, it is about being able to have a successful interview and writing a proper CV, employers are recruiting talented graduates.

The ACCA boss added that the association is opened to individuals from all background.

CBN to begin comprehensive review of e-payment guidelines Stories by BABABJIDE

KOMOLAFE

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said it would soon commence comprehensive review of electronic payment guidelines in the country.

Deputy Governor, Operations Directorate, Central Bank of Nigeria, Alhaji Suleiman Barau disclosed in Abuja at the 2014 annual retreat of the Committee of eBanking Industry Heads (CeBIH) held in Abuja.

In a keynote address titled, “Payments System Vision 2020

– Creating Enabling Environment through Regulatory Framework”, Barau said that the review of guidelines is to build on the success recorded in the promotion of epayment in the country by enhancing the adoption of electronic payments system in certain sectors of the economy.

Represented by the Director, Banking and Payment System Department, Mr. Dipo Fatokun, he said, “, the Central Bank of Nigeria is poised to stimulate acceptance and usage of the payments system.

Therefore, the Payments System Vision 2020 outlined a

number of initiatives to catalyse the adoption of electronic payments system in certain sectors including, agriculture, transportation, hotels and entertainment, education, health, smart cities, bill payment and government flows. In this regard, the Bank has committed to reviewing the following regulations: Mobile Payments Regulatory Framework, the exposure draft of which was communicated to you about two weeks ago; Guidelines on Stored Value/ Prepaid Cards which was issued during the course of the year as Guidelines for Card Issuance and Usage in Nigeria;

RETREAT - From left: Charles Ifedi, Chief Executive Officer, Verve International; Adeola Oyebola, Business Development Manager, Computer WareHouse Group; Tunde Kuponiyi, Chairman, Committee of e-Banking Industry Heads (CeBIH); Manuel Mendonca, Head, Team Leader, SIBS International; Omokehinde Ojomuyide, Vice President/Area Business Manager, West Africa, MasterCard Worldwide at the CeBIH 2014 annual retreat held in Abuja.

Guidelines for Point-of-Sales (PoS) Card Acceptance Services; Revised Nigeria Bankers Clearing House Rules; Guidelines for Cheque Truncation; Direct Debit Rules; Guidelines on Transaction Switching Services; Operational Rules and Regulations of the Nigeria Central Switch; Guidelines on ATM Operations. In similar vein, we issued earlier in the year, the revised Guidelines on the Electronic Payments of Salaries, Pensions, Suppliers and Taxes in Nigeria; Guidelines on International Remittances Services as well as the Review of the Operations of the NIP.” In his opening address, Chairman of CeBIH and Head, Cards/e-Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Tunde Kuponiyi said that though the industry has recorded tremendous progress in terms of electronic payment system, the benefits are yet to reach every segment of the society. He said, “The payment system today is vibrant, robust and technologically superior with multiple payment instruments, multiple access points and delivery channels to choose from. However, the benefit of modern payment system is yet to fully percolate to all segments of the society.

“As a result, a substantial portion of the population is still outside the realm of the formal and modern payment system.

Thus the stage is set for all of us especially the banks and the Central Bank of Nigeria along with other stakeholders in the industry to collaborate with each other in a co-operative effort to expand the reach of banking sector and modern payment systems by making all efforts towards the realisation of the PSV 2020 20.”

IT experts predict end of traditional banking by 2025 T

ECHNOLOGY experts have predicted that by year 2025 to 2030, a market economy could readily emerge without banks, as we have traditionally known them.

Consequently, they urged banks in the region to embrace technology and redefine their operations models to meet the emerging demographic and social change or lose relevance, as more core banking services would be delivered outside the regulated banking industry.

The experts warned that the current shape and makeup of the banking industry in Africa and particularly in Nigeria is inevitably going to

change. The sheer scope and speed of evolution in customer behaviour, technology, changing market dynamics and aggressive non-bank competitors such as telcos and technology companies mean banking in the future cannot simply be a continuation of banking as it has been.

Scores of industry stakeholders including bankers, financial analysts, media, risks analysts and financial technologists who gathered in Lagos at the eNNovators Breakfast Series (EBS) 10, organised by financialtechnology magazine agreed that for banks to continue to be relevant, management of the banks should invest heavily in technology, rediscover and reassert their roles in society and connect with millennial

generation aspirations.

Experts at the interactive knowledge-sharing EBS, which has as its theme 2025: the End of Banking as We Know IT agreed that Central Banks across Africa require a radical orientation. They informed that Central Banks need to change their mindset and approach, as currently banking regulators appear to be focused on tactical responses and their strategic objectives for the future of banks and banking are clouded by political expediency and the ‘too big to fail’ debate.

CEO of Innovectives, an epayment company, Emmanuel Agha, who presented the lead paper, which is a summary of PricewaterHouseCoopers’ research on “The future shape of banking - time for

reformation of banking institutions”, explained that banks are facing rapid and irreversible changes of which the current models are no longer sustainable into the future.

According to him, while the PwC paper did not looking at the end of banking as a grouping of services focused on meeting financial needs, it is imperative to look at the end of banking and banks as we currently know them. He warned that a failure to adapt could also mean the end of some regulatory bodies and instruments. He explained that the substitution of nonbank providers of banking services is a challenge, which does not reflect in banking regulatory frameworks, or yet – fully at least – in policy and regulatory change agendas.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 — 27

Banking & Finance

Naira: CBN stops update of data on external reserve

By BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

I

N apparent bid to reduce apprehension over the persistent decline in the nation’s external reserve and its ability to defend the naira, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has stopped update of data on the external reserve.

Meanwhile the depreciation of the naira in the interbank market and parallel market persisted till Friday, as the parallel market exchange rate rose to N182.5 per dollar on Friday, while the interbank exchange rate also rose to N177.1.

Vanguard investigation reveals that the CBN has stopped regular update of external reserve date on its website since November 14th.

Prior to November 14th, the data was updated almost on daily basis. For example, since November 2nd the data was updated as on the following days: November 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th. But since November 14th, the apex has not updated the date.

When contacted, CBN Director, Corporate Communication, Ibrahim Muazu said he cannot provide specific reason why the data has not been updated saying he would investigate the matter.

The external reserve has declined by $6.38 billion or 14.5 per cent between December 31st 2013 and November 14th this year. It fell from $43.93 billion at the end of 2013 to $37.55 billion as at November 14th this year. The decline was influenced by increased foreign exchange sales by the CBN in its bid to defend the naira. As at Wednesday last week, it has sold $30.53 billion from January through the bi-weekly RDAS dollar sale. This represents 20 percent increase when compared to $25.37 billion sold last year. This is besides intervention dollar sales to banks to forestall depreciation of the naira in the interbank market.

Recall that the decline in price of crude oil price from $100 per barrel to $78 per barrel has triggered apprehension over the ability of the CBN to continue to use the external reserve to defend the naira, leading to massive exit of foreign investors from the nation’s stock market and FGN Bonds. For example, data released by the Nigeria Stock Exchange last week showed that outflow from foreign investors constituted 57.8 percent total transactions in the exchange in October while inflow from foreign investors constituted 29.73 percent.

Parallel Market Exchange

•Warns against forex sale without documentation •As forex rate N182.5/$ in parallel market •N287bn FAAC allocation deflate cost of funds

GTBank, UBA top social media survey

By Elizabeth Amihor

A

rate hit N182.5/$ in parallel market Meanwhile, the depreciation of the naira worsened on Friday as it recorded its lowest value against the dollar at the parallel market and interbank market on Friday.

The parallel market exchange rate rose to N182.5 per dollar, its highest in recent history, translating to 250 kobo depreciation for the nation’s currency last week. Similarly, the interbank exchange rate rose to N177.1 on Friday, its highest ever in the history of the market.

Earlier on Wednesday, the naira suffered its worst depreciation at the official market, where it lost 182 kobo against the dollar, as the official exchange rate rose to N158.41 per dollar from N156.59 on Monday.

Cumulatively, the naira has lost 202 kobo at the official market last week, and 265 kobo this month. Also the naira lost N5.9 at the interbank market last and N11.45 this month.

Banks driving up parallel market rate Investigations by Vanguard revealed that the depreciation of the naira in the parallel market is being driven by banks, and that it is a reflection of development in the interbank foreign exchange market. It was gathered that the banks have been selling autonomous dollars to BDCs at N180 per dollar. Confirming this development, Acting President of Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Aminu Gwadabe said that since the BDCs depend on banks for foreign exchange supply, the parallel market rate depends on the rate at which banks sell dollars to BDCs. He said that as at Friday some banks sold

between N178 to N180 per dollar, adding that those selling at N175 per dollar are the ones that would be delivered in one week.

CBN warns against forex sale without documentation In another development the CBN on Friday warned banks against selling dollars to end users without adequate documentation.

The warning was contained in a circular issued on Friday

by Director, Trade and Exchange Department, CBN, Olakanmi Gbadamosi. The circular titled, “Re: sales of foreign exchange without adequate documentation particularly shipping documents,” stated, “This is to inform all authorised dealers and the general public that we have observed that some authorised dealers have been indulging in the sale of foreign exchange for items which are not supported with necessary shipping documents,

At the interbank money market, inflow of N287 billion statutory allocation funds halted the sharp rise in cost of funds in the market.

particularly on open account basis.

“It is therefore important to note that only imports which are backed with evidence of shipment and other relevant documents are eligible for foreign exchange. For avoidance of doubt, only transactions for which Letters of Credit are cash backed, or with matured Clean Lines or matured Bills for Collection are eligible for purchase of foreign exchange in the forex market.

For the sake of emphasis, “Front Loading” purchase of foreign exchange in both RDAS and Interbank shall no longer be permitted with effect from date of the circular. Any infraction whatsoever of these requirements by any authorised dealer shall be appropriately sanctioned”.

N287bn FAAC allocation deflate cost of funds At the interbank money market, inflow of N287 billion statutory allocation funds halted the sharp rise in cost of funds in the market.

As a result in short term cost of funds which had risen to 19 percent on Thursday dropped 10.25 percent on Friday. Data from the Financial Market Dealers Quote (FMDQ) show that interest rate on Overnight lending rose which closed the previous week at 10.96 percent rose to 16 percent on last week Wednesday but fell to 10.46 percent on Friday. Similarly, interest rate on Secured lending (OBB) rose from 10.79 percent the previous week, to 15.58 percent on Wednesday, but fell to 10.21 percent on Friday.

The sharp increase in cost of funds was occasioned by huge outflow of cash for investment in treasury bills and for purchase of dollars at the biweekly official dollar sale on Monday and Wednesday.

Vanguard Newspaper survey o f banks’ activities on social media platforms revealed that GTBank has the highest number of followership on Facebook followed by UBA Plc. The Vanguard survey revealed that banks are now use these social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter for various transactions, respond to customers’ complaints, and advertise game/shows as well as disseminate information concerning upcoming events. As a result, the platforms now serve as an extension of banks’ customers’ service desk where customers can make complaints and comment on issues relating to services and products offered by their bank.

In terms of followership on Facebook, GTBank came first with 2,282,214 Likes and 7,448 visits while UBA came a distance second with 830,076 Likes. First Bank came a distance third, with 428,332 likes and 9,089 visits. Others are Skye Bank, 190,669 Likes and 658 visits, Union Bank 44,604 Likes, Access Bank 256,854 likes and 501 visits, Fidelity bank, 122,292 Likes and 25 visits and Zenith Bank, 3,575 likes and 210 visits.

Others are Sterling Bank 349,243 Likes, Diamond Bank 442,886 Likes, 1,830 visits, Ecobank, 11,344 likes, no visit, Fidelity Bank, 122,768 Likes, 32 visits, FCMB, 4,139 Likes, Stanbic IBTC, 173,733 Likes, Wema Bank, 58,794 Likes, 132 visits, Keystone Bank, 8,811 Likes, and Enterprise Bank, 3,661 Likes, 83 visits. Results from Facebook also showed that most bank customers use the platforms to advertise while some comments were made by customers on the ill treatment and services rendered by some banks thereby threatening to stop using the banks.

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Homes & Housing Finance

51% of adult Nigerians live in rented houses — NOI Polls Stories by YINKA KOLAWOLE

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national survey carried out by NOI Polls Limited has revealed that 51 percent of adult Nigerians currently live in rented apartments, while 31 percent claimed they live in their personal houses, which may have been built, bought or even inherited.

The report of the housing snap poll, conducted in the week of November 10th 2014, also showed that vast majority of Nigerians (85 percent) showed keen interest in mortgage financing as an option of owning personal houses. It added that 15 percent would not consider owning a house through mortgage financing mainly due to ‘unstable income’.

According to the survey, the amount paid in rent revealed that irrespective of geopolitical zone, the larger proportion of Nigerians (40 percent) mainly pay between ‘¦ 20,001 (about $1230) – ¦ 100,000 (about $6262) as rent yearly; though a considerable proportion of residents, especially in the NorthCentral zone pay much higher.

Respondents to the poll were asked five specific questions. With the aim of ascertaining the current state of accommodation in Nigeria,

DINNER - From left, Mr. Andrew Okunnuga, former Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Airways; Dr. Wale Babalakin, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bi-Courtney Consortium Ltd; Alhaji Muneer Bankole, Managing Director, Med-View Airline and Dr. Harold Demuren, former D/G, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) at a dinner to mark the 2nd anniversary of Med-View Airline Schedule operations held at Time Square Hall, Ikeja, Lagos at the weekend. Photo Lamidi Bamidele

respondents were required to provide their accommodation status. Findings revealed that slightly more than half (51 percent) of the respondents indicated ‘they currently pay to live in a rented apartment’ while (31 percent) confirmed that ‘they live in their personal house’; respondents in this category may have built or purchased their houses or may have acquired it by inheritance. In addition, (11 percent) claimed they ‘live with family/friend in a personal house’ while (4 percent) reported they ‘live

with family/friend in a rented house’ Analysis by geo-political zone revealed that a higher proportion of residents in the South-East (66 percent), South-South (62 percent), South-West (59 percent) and North-Central (51 percent) currently pay to live in rented apartments. On the other hand, almost an equal proportion of residents in the North-West and North-East zones either own their houses or pay to live in a rented apartment.

To ascertain the amount

Institute earmarks N640bn for 20,000 housing units *As NBRRI moves to boost home-ownership

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he Institute of Empowerment and Strategy (IES) has unveiled plans to commence the construction of 20,000 housing units across the country.

Director-General of IES, Dr Boniface Afifia-Oru, said in a statement in Abuja, that the project which is estimated to cost $4 billion (about N640 billion) would help to bridge the huge housing deficit in the country.

Afifia-Oru said the agency had secured financial partnerships with reputable international organisations that were ready to invest heavily in Nigeria’s critical sectors, including the housing C M Y K

FCT minister signs deal for 40,000 houses for workers

sub-sector. “We will soon commence the building of 20,000 units of affordable mortgage housing estates across the nation. With the support of our international partners, the Institute of Empowerment and Strategy shall key into the implementation of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy,” he said.

In a related development, the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) is collaborating with stakeholders to bring down the price of building materials in a bid to facilitate easy home-ownership for

Nigerians.

Coordinator in North Central Zone, NBRRI, Mr Tyosor Terver, said the move is aimed at easing the housing problem facing many Nigerians, especially the urban dwellers. “Nigeria has a housing deficit of 17 million and therefore requires the engagement of more stakeholders to make housing affordable to the public,” he said.

Terver added that NBRRI’s mandate was to conduct integrated researches toward alternative and affordable building technologies.

paid as rent, respondents who currently live in a rented apartment (51 percent of the total) were further asked: Thinking about the cost of housing, what is the cost of renting your house yearly?

The outcome establishes that the larger proportion (40 percent) of those who live in a rented house pay between ¦ 20,001 – ¦ 100,000 as rent yearly. This is followed by 16 percent of the respondents who affirmed they pay between ¦ 100,001 – ¦ 180,000 and 12 percent who admitted they pay between ¦ 180,001 – ¦ 260,000 as rent yearly. Only 9 percent of the respondents surveyed acknowledged that they pay ¦ 340,000 and above as rent yearly.

Evaluation from the geopolitical zone standpoint shows that the standard range of amount paid on rent across all geopolitical zones is between ¦ 20,001 – ¦ 100,000 yearly, however, the NorthEast zone has the highest proportion (52 percent) of respondents who pay between ¦ 20,001 – ¦ 100,000 as rent yearly. In addition, the South-East zone accounted for the highest proportion (23 percent) of respondents who pay between ¦ 100,001 – ¦ 180,000; the South-South zone has the highest proportion (21 percent) of residents who pay between ¦ 180,001 – ¦ 260,000 while the North-Central zone accounted for the highest proportion (19 percent) of respondents who pay ¦ 340,000 and above as rent yearly.

CT Minister Bala Mohammed has signed agreement for the development of 40,000 housing units for workers in Abuja.

The multi-billion naira housing project is a partnership between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Good Homes Development Company Limited, a consortium of private developers.

Before signing the project documents at a ceremony on the site, the minister said it is government’s way meeting the needs of Nigerian workers who are the engine of the country’s economy. He remarked that the project will contribute greatly to the reduction of the housing deficit in Nigeria, especially in FCT. He said government is making the houses affordable by Nigerian workers through the provision of wavers on premium for the plots.

The workers housing projects are located on 329.93 hectares of land in Lugbe District and 298.59 hectares in Apo Tafiya District of the Federal Capital City.

New winners emerge in Lagos HOMS draw

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he Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMS) has recorded its 500th winner as 25 new property owners emerged in the ninth draw of the monthly exercise.

At the latest edition of the monthly draw, the allotees won in Mushin Scheme, Hon. Olaitan Mustapha Scheme, Ijaiye Ojokoro, Igando Gardens, Alimosho, and Shogunro Schemes 1 and 2, Ogba, Ikeja.

Governor Babatunde Fashola, in his remarks at the event reiterated that draw is a fulfillment of the promises by the present administration in the State.

He recalled his promise nine months ago to put 200 units of houses in the market for the Lagos HOMS Draw adding, “We said you should do certain things like pay your tax; you paid.

We said you should register with LASRRA, you registered. We said you should go to our website and apply and you did so.

That is trust”, he said.

32 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

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34 —Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Corporate Finance Stories By NKIRUKA NNOROM

US stocks rise as economy outweighs overseas concerns

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.S. stocks rose, led by energy companies and small-cap shares, as data showing improvements in the American economy overshadowed concern over weaker growth overseas.

Best Buy (BBY) Co. jumped 6.8 percent as demand for televisions and tablets helped the retailer post a surprise sales gain. Dollar Tree Inc. advanced five percent after reporting third-quarter earnings that beat analysts’ estimates. Energy stocks rose the most of 10 groups in the S&P 500 as crude oil gained for the first time in four days. Intel Corp. led chipmakers higher after raising its dividend.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (SPX) rose 0.1 percent to 2,050.87 in New York, erasing an earlier loss. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 16.12 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,701.85. The Russell 2000 Index of smaller companies climbed 0.9 percent. Trading in S&P 500 companies was 19 percent below the 30-day average for this time of the day.

BoA gets penalty relief after SEC compromise

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he U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has resolved an impasse over punishing Bank of America Corp. in a mortgage case, clearing the way for the lender to complete a $16.7 billion global settlement, people familiar with the matter said.

In a private meeting Thursday, SEC commissioners voted to waive most of a set of additional sanctions that would kick in when the settlement is entered into court, according to the people, who asked not to be named because the decision hasn’t been made public. The bank did get hit with a penalty that takes away its ability to issue more shares or bonds without SEC approval each time.

The SEC decision came as Bank of America and the agency were reaching a deadline for having a federal judge in North Carolina sign off on the settlement. The two sides had twice sought more time from the court as negotiations dragged on.

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HE Managing Director of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, FDC, Mr. Bismark Rewane, has projected further decline in year-end financial reports of companies quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, especially those of the banks.

In his monthly economic news and views at Lagos Business School Executive Breakfast Meeting for November 2014, Rewane said corporate earnings in the third quarter were unimpressive and therefore could not lift stocks prices.

He said that only few banks performed credibly in the month of September.

He said that there would be

Expert anticipates fall in full year corporate earnings increased supply of banking stocks in the remaining part of the year, as a result of the Right Issues being undertaken by the banks, adding that since the banking sector is the most liquid at the moment, it is faced with increased risk of volatility.

Consequently, he said that the All Share Index, ASI, shed 8.88 percent to37,550.24 points in the month of October, while it recorded year-to-date loss of 11.09 percent as investors were overtaken by fear.

The report termed ‘October can be Eventful’ has it that the market was in deep correction during the month, but could henceforth descend into a bear market.

Highlighting the performance of the market for the month of October, Rewane said that equities plunged significantly, leading to loss of N1.2 trillion of investors’ wealth as the market capitalization declined by 8.60 percent to N12.44 trillion from N13.61 trillion in the previous month.

Also, market P/E was down to 26.43x from 29.81x, while daily average turnover decreased to N4.38 billion from N11.88 billion in September.

Year-to-date, YTD, return of the index stood at negative 9.14 percent.

Stocks, according to him, will record another five percent

SUMMIT - From left: Director, Africapitalism Institute, Mr. David Rice; Founder/CEO, Dunn Loren Merrifield and Director, Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company Plc, Mr. Sonnie Ayere; Managing Partner, Perchstone and Graeys, Mr. Osaro Eghobamien and Managing Director, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr. Mustapha Chike-Obi, at the Legal Business Summit christened ‘Waking up dead capital,’ held in Lagos

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HAREHOLDERS of Guinness Nigeria Plc have endorsed payment of N4.8 billion dividends earlier recommended by the Board of Directors for the year ended June 30, 2014.

The dividend approved represents N3.20 per ordinary share of 50 kobo.

Addressing shareholders at the 64 th Annual General Meeting, AGM, in Lagos, the chairman, Mr. Babatunde Savage, noted that following the company ’s return to profitability in its first quarter ended September 30, 2014, the growth would be carried into the 2015 full year financials, while thanking the shareholders for their unflinching support for the company even as the brewing giant went through challenges few years back.

He said: “The fundamentals of our company have not changed. We are confident that the growth we have witnessed in the early part of the 2015 financial year will mark a return to growth in spite of the

decline in the remaining part of the year before bottoming out.

He noted that following upcoming 2015 general poll, political tension will heighten the country’s risk, which will result to significant reduction in foreign portfolio investment in the local bourse.

“The slide of the NSE ASI will continue as there is no positive news in the market; political tension will heighten and increase country risk, causing Foreign Portfolio Investors, FPIs, to significantly reduce their exposure to the local bourse.

“This and the decline of crude oil prices will sustain the pressure on the Naira. The Central Bank of Nigeria will offer attractive rate in order to mop up the excess liquidity, driving capital from equities to fixed income securities,” he said in the report.

On the global front, he said that Nigeria lagged behind global peers, underperforming peers with negative peers with return of 8.88 percent in October.

“The US Fed Reserve ends its Quantitative Easing, QE, programme. Emerging markets suffered as China and Russian woes remained; the decline of commodities prices led by oil dampened sentiment towards emerging markets. Nigerian equities were hit the most due to mono-commodity nature of economy,” he added.

Guinness shareholders endorse payment of N4.8bn dividends headwinds of the economic and political environment which affected performance in recent years.”

Shareholders that spoke at the meeting commended the company for the dividends in spite of the tough operating environment.

Speaking on behalf of others, National Coordinator, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, ISAN, Sir Sunny Nwosu, said: “Dividends are due to us shareholders and we are glad that Guinness Nigeria is giving us something this year.

Admittedly, it has dropped from what it has been in other years, but we also have companies paying out five kobo dividends.

So, we are happy to receive this dividend payout from Guinness Nigeria Plc.” Explaining the decision to pay out N3.20k dividends, Mr.

Savage said the company wished to re-invest its profits to ensure long term profitability. “We want to reduce the cost of borrowing and financial charges and instead use our funds to grow the company. We feel this is the best decision to take for our long term growth and I trust that I can rely on our loyal shareholders to continue to support us as they have done all these years.”

The shareholders also approved the appointment of Mr. John O’Keeffe as the new Managing Director/CEO to take over the helm of affairs following the exit of Mr. Seni Adetu, who bowed out to take on other challenges.

Mr. Adetu was regaled by the shareholders, who gave him a standing ovation as they gave their rendition of the congratulatory classic ‘for he’s

a jolly good fellow’. Prior to taking up this assignment, O’Keeffe was the Managing Director of Guinness Ghana Breweries Ltd., based in Accra, Ghana and East African Breweries Ltd., based in Nairobi, Kenya.

John joins the Guinness Nigeria team with over 20 years of Diageo experience having worked in Jamaica and the Nordics amongst others.

John has been a Board Member of Guinness Nigeria Plc for the past two years.

Guinness Nigeria Plc recently released its first quarter results for its period ended September 30, 2014 with a six percent increase in profit before tax.

Guinness Nigeria is a Diageo company and it is the biggest British company by market capitalization listed on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 — 35

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36 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

People in Business determination and the will to succeed always triumphed over everything. I had asked myself how I was going to run my family and meet all my expenses. Having a stable family that believes in you is very vital. Even when you cannot bring in money, people understand and know you are going somewhere. "

BY EBELE ORAKPO

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r. Yinka Olaito is the Chief Executive Officer of Michael Sage Consulting, a brand and digital communication service outfit. In this chat with Financial Vanguard recently, Olaito speaks on digital communication business, challenges of doing business in Nigeria and lots more. Excerpts: Education: After obtaining a degree in Religious Studies in 1997 from Ogun State University, Mr. Yinka Olaito did his one year national service at Lagos State Governor’s office and later proceeded to Delta State University, Abraka for a postgraduate diploma in public administration. He also got certifications in public relations. He is presently working on a master’s degree in communication and media studies.

Advice to entrepreneurs:

Going into business: According to Olaito, he had always wanted to do something on his own but needed to gain some experience so he worked with a few of his mentors for about three years, before starting his own business in 2006.

In the course of getting certifications in public relations, Olaito discovered a gap in the communication industry which is digital communication and he was determined to fill that gap.

Motivation: Olaito said his background, exposure and the kind of people he moved with motivated him to go into entrepreneurship.

Start-up capital: "All I had was the money to register the company, no office, no computer, nothing!

But we had the brains. So to keep money coming from different sources, we were developing corporate profiles for companies, registering companies, doing proposals etc. Along the line, we saw the digital aspect coming up so we began to position ourselves for the future. We couldn’t afford internet at that time but I had friends who had cybercafé so I’d go there to do research on digital communication and how it applies to business and communication."

Breakthrough: "I saw an opportunity in a trade journal. I started writing about the use of digital communication. That gave me a little exposure,” he said and advised entrepreneurs to find ways of creating exposure for themselves. “I created a web site so each time I have an article in the paper, I direct them to the web site and before you know it, people began to see what I was doing locally and internationally. One day, I got an email inviting us to be as part of an international project. That really gave us the exposure we needed within the African continent.

Knowing how to leverage on the internet really helped.

“At that time, people didn’t know the internet will be part of communication process and I said ‘well, it is already happening abroad and it will come to Nigeria in the next five, 10 years.’ Look for what is happening globally in your industry and see how you can

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•Yinka Olaito...whatever business you find yourself in, read as if you are going for Cambridge exam

Start-ups need to have money management skills — YINKA OLAITO domesticate it to suit your environment. Learn globally but think locally. Become a star in your environment.”

Challenges: “The environment has not been what we wish for but I have discovered that staying in Nigeria is good if you are focussed. The first three years were really difficult. We were living from hand to mouth but things are better now as we get better offers and consultancies from within and outside Nigeria which are paying but it can always be better.

“So being an entrepreneur in Nigeria has a whole lot of issues. You may not get income for three months. You need to go out there, plead, develop relationship skills, business development skills and know how to do a lot of things on your own, particularly when you are starting fresh.

"It is easier for those who had worked in multinationals to leverage on the relationships built over the years.

“When we started, we did not have laptops so if we needed to do a proposal, we went to a business centre, typed and printed out the proposal and go and drop it, trusting that somebody there will love what we are doing and call us.

“In the digital communication field, you may

have a client who does not want to understand whether you have light or not, you are doing online reputation, the internet is misbehaving and there is an issue online that affects your client that you need to work on and sometimes you need to stay awake to monitor issues particularly in this area. You need constant light and internet access to be sure that your client does not have issues that you cannot resolve.

Online environment: "Within the technology environment, a crisis in a second or two, can take months to redress unlike the offline environment. Again, crisis

The environment has not been what we wish for but I have discovered that staying in Nigeria is good if you are focused

online is global, so you keep thinking, 'will I get the best internet access provider?' You may be using three or four providers, paying money for nothing. But if you are going to be on top of your job, you need to make sacrifices.

Corruption: "The level of corruption in the society can dampen your morale. Most people want a good job but always want a cut and you are wondering why these middle level managers who are well paid, will encroach on real service? People give bribes to get jobs; the society permits it unfortunately; it’s all about the end justifying the means.

We should begin to raise awareness about the level of integrity that the society needs. We can do our bit in our little corner. So as it is now, the Nigerian economic environment is a bit harsh.

"Entrepreneurs need to know that it is not always going to be rough. There were times I felt like going to pick up a job and then when I have made some money, I could come back and sometimes I feel happy that I have made the best decision especially when money starts coming in.”

Stable family good for business: "Over the years, we discovered that consistency,

“An entrepreneur may have money today, and may not get another breakthrough in the next three months, so money management is really important particularly for a start-up or medium scale organisation. When you have money today and think that is how you are going to have it tomorrow, it may not happen so you need to know how to manage money and how to be law-abiding. Within the industry, you will have offers to do a lot of things. Integrity is important. You need to know the values you hold dear.

You may get a company saying ‘oh, this is how much we are offering but this is how much you must write.’ You must make a decision on what you can and cannot take. If you want to stand for something, you will lose a lot of jobs which is what we have done but we are happy because at the end of the day, we can go home and sleep with two eyes closed even though we did not make all the money.

That peace of mind is priceless.

Nobody is after you because of a bad business deal.

"Entrepreneurs cannot afford not to read, whatever business you find yourself in, read as if you are going for Cambridge exam because trends keep changing.

Internet is there so read. The more you read, the more you see possibilities, build relationships, don’t think about today alone, treat people well no matter what.

The more the relationships you build, the better for your business because people do business with people not with companies."

Outsourcing:

Speaking on the number of employees, Olaito said he relies on outsourcing. “When we have a job, we look at the services we need and bring in the skills we do not have. As soon as the job is done, everyone goes. If somebody gets a job and they need our skills, we partner, do the job and go our separate ways. This is something that people should consider.

"Start a company and do outsourcing. Don’t gather unnecessary number of staff that you cannot pay and they will be shouting on one another. Develop a skill and at the same time, don’t look for N10b to start a business because you may not get that N10b,” he advised.

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38 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

“We have not seen the impact of the falling oil prices in Nigeria; it will start this month [November 2014]. Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Finance Minister, November 13, 2014.

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EVER in the recorded history of the Nigerian economy had the illusions of government officials given way so quickly to reality in the face of unrelenting facts than this admission by the Coordinating Minister on the Economy, CME, than this. Just a month ago, she was assuring Nigerians that declining oil prices posed no threat to the nation’s economy. “We are not broke” she thundered; and for good measure pointed to the mid-month rise of our external reserves to further reassure the nation that she was in control of events. Like a magician, ever afraid that the tricks might be exposed, she had hoped that all will be well by the end of October. Unfortunately, things got worse. The price of crude oil fell below $80 a few days after she spoke and the external reserves went down from the previous month by October 31.

End of illusions should bring about the embrace of reality.

Unfortunately, the CME, whose grip on events is now very shaky, still clings to mirages. When she announced that “We have to drive the nonoil revenue base to be able to weather the storm that is coming”, she sounds to some of us like the drowning man grasping at straws and hoping to ride it to shore. To start with, the storm is not “just coming”; it was here months ago. But, those who have been sharing

How the inevitable economic downturn will affect you (1) Excess Crude Oil Account money, forgetting that any reserves not replenished eventually vanishes, deluded themselves that the gravy will continue to flow forever. But, even school girls know that nothing lasts eternally; not good times; not bad times. Nigeria had just finished its seven fat years – without a Joseph (well there were UniJankara dreamers) to warn us and without a “Pharaoh” ready to listen to somebody not in government.

Furthermore, why have we waited until now to “drive the non-oil revenue base”? More to the point, since “driving the non-oil revenue base” will not immediately yield the desired result, why not try costcutting which can provide some immediate relief?

The Finance Minister would remember, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, Polaroid Corporation, a stone throw from MIT, where she studied.

In 1974, when the Arab Oil embargo sent most of the global economies on a downward spiral, I worked as a Financial Analyst for Polaroid (Ayo Olagunjoye, former National Bank MD is my

witness). When revenue fell staff – which was a last resort. drastically, the company had Even when we eventually came two options. The first was to to that a basic principle was rush some new products to the applied. In less than two market; the second was to months, we had pared our reduce costs. The Marketing, monthly operational costs by Production, Accounting, close to fifteen per cent without Administration staff held a any major lay-off of staff. three-day at what was billed as By contrast, one of my “Corporate Survival Meeting” friends, whose company – which lasted for three days. directed the sales department, At the end, the Financial to come up with a major sales Analysis people were able to and marketing drive, to keep persuade our colleagues that it revenue from falling, was faster and better to cut discovered to its dismay, that costs first. Because the details attempting to get more money are too long to be presented out of increasingly empty here, let me just state that we pockets was like trying to cut back on climb Mount Everest. allowances, Revenue The reason is simple. over-time Revenue generation generation is pay, medical is not totally within not totally expenses, government’s control free lunch within and the mechanisms programme government’s for collection might not etc. Within be in place and control and yet three days might even take time we had (for instance, it might the identified new bills or mechanisms need about nine amendments to percent of for collection existing laws etc). operational might not yet When new laws are costs which required, especially be in place could be with elections coming reduced and might round the corner, any w i t h o u t bill to increase taxes even take retrenching and tariffs, tenement

time

rates, vehicle and driver ’s licences etc will be difficult to get through the legislature. No politician seeking votes in February wants to be accused of adding to the burdens of the people.

Cost cutting, however, is more easily controlled by those in charge. It is easier to send a circular stopping all seminars, overseas travel for meetings on matters which can be settled by e-mail; banning civil servants (including SFG) from attending political rallies at public expense; reduce access to the use of planes in the Presidential fleet; order all public servants below Permanent Secretaries to fly economy; to hold meetings, workshops, seminars at less expensive hotels instead of TRANSCORP etc. And, all these can take effect within two weeks and reduce the outward flow of cash. It is all a variant of the old adage “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush”. Billions would be saved very quickly in a short time. Most importantly, government will have a tighter grip on events.

If all else fails, Jonathan should ask any doctor in Aso Rock. He will confirm that you stand a better chance of saving a patient losing blood by stopping the outflow first than by trying to supply new blood.

V i s i t : www.delesobowale.com or Visit: www.facebook.com/ biolasobowale or Follow on twitter: @DrDeleSobowale

Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 raises bar in Android ecosystem BYEMEKAAGINAM

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XCELLING from a pro ductivity standpoint, offering seamless multitasking and stylus functionality, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is raising the bar in the android phone segment as a result of its intimidating features — elegant design, robust build, capacitive screen, long battery life, sharp camera and many more spell one word: creativity.

Although smart phones with big screens are now common, Samsung had started out with a unique device christened Galaxy Note.

Samsung has set the pace as other original equipment manufacturers in the mobile phone ecosystem are now following Samsung’s footsteps, making phones with larger displays and more ergonomic design.

The unique S Pen stylus advantage which provides additional C M Y K

functionality on almost limitless screen space for a hand-held, the Galaxy Note category has become the toast of smartphone users.

Earlier this year, Samsung broke the all-polycarbonate mould of its Galaxy series backed with metalrimmed Galaxy Alpha, a move replicated in the recently-launched Galaxy Note 4.

The device also features a removable polycarbonate back cover. Even with its large size, Samsung still pulled off the new design of the Galaxy Note 4 without adding extra bulk. The device is 2.3mm taller, 0.6mm narrower and 0.2mm thicker than the Note 3.

Samsung leveraged on its years of experience in the Note category to perfect the one-handed user experience on the Note 4 as the device is easy to hold and sits very well in the palm of one hand.

Protecting the device’s curved Super AMOLED Quad HD display

is Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for extra screen durability.

Performance Powering content creation, sharing and multitasking capabilities, the Galaxy Note 4 comes with the latest hardware technologies.

However, an Octa core processor paired with 3GB of RAM delivers easy multitasking, lightning-fast screen transitions, powerful browser performance, and minimal application loading time.

The device is powered by the latest Android 4.4 KitKat operating system which provides users with stunning graphical capabilities.

With a 3,220mAh battery, users can

Viewing experience enjoy multimedia content, productive on the go, and capture ideas anywhere without suffering power limitation.

Faster charging, high capacity Considering complaints by users of smart mobile devices on charging capacity and extended charging periods, Galaxy Note 4 has adaptive fast charging technology that charge up from zero to 50% capacity in just 30 minutes, instead of an hour. With its ultra power saving modem, last battery power, helps users stay connected for longer periods.

The device features a 5.7" QUAD high-definition display. Users can expect breathtaking visuals and crystal clear detail with this device.

In addition to the stunning content consumption experiences on a large screen, users will also be able to accomplish more tasks efficiently, view multiple apps on the same screen and create content freely onthe-go with the Galaxy Note 4’s Multi Window feature.

Users can choose how they access their applications using the device’s full, split or pop-up screen options.

Camera and video For brighter and clearer images, the device has a 16-megapixel rear camera featuring a Smart Optical Image Stabilizer that counter-balances camera shake and automatically extends exposure time in poor lighting conditions.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 — 39

E- Commerce

How Nigerians can benefit from online Black Friday sales Stories by JONAH NWOKPOKU

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LACK Friday is the most celebrated shopping day in history. Everything and everyone is up for a bargain, it is simply a day when you see the craziest discounts on various products from mobile, electronics, home appliances and fashion to beauty products. For many it has become a day when people save to do all their shopping for the year. For some, it kicks off the Christmas season with a perfect opportunity to get those Christmas gifts for friends and loved ones. For many others it’s a day to get brand new products at incredible prizes. It doesn’t matter what products you are looking for, Black Friday is a day for everyone and anyone who ever has seen a need to shop.

According to statistics, Black Friday sales in 2013 recorded 307 million shoppers worldwide topping $57.4 billion in sales. With the rapid growth of e-commerce, online sales grossed $1.4 billion; an indication of the rapid awareness and improvement in the lifestyle of customers.

Bringing it back home, the Nigerian digital space was abuzz in November 2013 with news of the first Black Friday sale ever to be held in the country. The sale which was organized by Nigeria’s pioneer onoine retailer, Jumia.com

afforded Nigerians the opportunity to experience deals and discounts that even their counterparts in the US and Asia would marvel at.

Jumia reported how powerful the lure of Black Friday was for Nigerians as the online store experienced web traffic that was unprecedented in its history, making their technology team proactively fall back on back up servers that they had not thought they would use so early.

Jumia said this year’s Black Friday is expected to be even bigger with more discounts on

all items, adding that last year on Black Friday, the website saw over a million visitors.

According to Jumia, “This shopping trend has brought growth to the potential and visibility of the e-commerce industry. This has also empowered our customers and suppliers with great savings and avenue for brand awareness/ revenue respectively. It was recorded that retail contributed 17 percent to the nations GDP in 2013, with Black Friday arguably the largest contributor in the sector.”

Nigerians who participated in

the sale in 2013 got deals with sometimes ridiculous discount of up to 70 percent.

Describing her experience, one of the Jumia Black Friday Shopper in 2013 Aminat Abdul said: “It is one of my best shopping experiences ever. When I heard that Jumia was having a black Friday event, I was skeptical but when I viewed the website I couldn’t believe the prices; I bought a lot more than I thought I would and still didn’t go over my budget. I was very impressed. Now for me, Black Friday has become the day I look forward to the most all year round.”

CONFERENCE – From left: Director, CBO Capital Partners, Chuka Mordi, Senior Performance Monitor, Presidential Task Force on Power, Ebipere Clark, and the MD/CEO Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) Mustafa Chike-Obi at the 4th Annual CBO Investors & Private Equity Conference held in Lagos.

Jovago holds focus session to boost service quality N

igeria’s online hotel booker, Jovago.com has held a focus group session in a strategic move that will see it increasing quality of hotel booking service.

The interactive session which held at Jovago headquarters in Lagos had Jovago users and other stakeholders discussing the essential ingredients needed to make Jovago services better and improve the overall online hotel booking ecosystem in Nigeria.

The participants, among other things highlighted the need for improvement in the

hotel booker’s service quality through enhanced review system, improved mobile experience as well as injecting some innovations into the pricing system.

Speaking to Vanguard after the session, Co-CEO of Africa Internet Group, Sacha Poignonec said the focus group session was inspired by the need to ensure relevance in its services.

He said: “There is a need for the service and we knew this but there seems to be more enthusiasm about the service in general. There is still more that needs to be done to better serve the

consumers. One of the most important points that we have noted in this session is the concern with the review system. Since when people look for hotels in Nigeria, they ask friends, families and relatives about hotels, we need to find a way to become this trusted friend and relatives. We will have to give our customers the tips and all other information that they need. So, I think we have a lot of work to do to enhance the way we give information.

We also need to improve the way we communicate with people who are seeking advice.

“The second thing is the

way the consumers are thinking in terms of price and value of what they get. I now understand that our users are concerned about the value of the price they are booking hotels, so we need to find a value for what we are offering and since we are here for the hotels, we must also work together with the hotels.

“We also need to improve the way we place our photographs and locations by making it more appealing and information based. This will affect the way the website is browsed. Also we have to look at how to improve the user interface of the mobile version of the website.”

Konga unveils new engineering centre

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nline mall, Konga.com has announced the opening of its new engineering centre in Yaba, Lagos.

Konga said its expansion to the new office was necessitated by the growth of Konga’s technical needs.

“Today, Konga.com has one of the most remarkable teams of software engineers in Nigeria comprising over 100 engineers. Most of these engineers are now located in the new Lagos office with a smaller hub opening soon in Cape Town, South Africa,” the online retailer said in a statement.

It further noted that, “Konga’s team of engineers work on developing the software and applications which Konga.com runs on today. With a keen focus on innovation, some impressive software developed by the tech team range from the actual Konga.com website, to other platforms such as the ‘SellerHQ’ – a trading Platform which allows sellers all around Nigeria to upload pictures of their merchandise manage stores and actively trade on the Konga.com.”

Amazon plans ad-supported video streaming service

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nline retailer Amazon.com Inc will release a new ad-supported video streaming service early next year, the New York Post reported, citing sources.

The service will be separate from the company’s $99-a-year Prime membership, which includes a video service, the Post reported.

The Post did not say if the new service would be free or chargeable. Amazon’s Prime service costs $99 a year.

Amazon was not immediately available for comment. The new service will compete directly with Hulu and Netflix Inc, whose charges start at $7.99 a month for customers in the United States.

Though the new service will be separate from Prime, ultimately Amazon plans to lure more users and eventually get them to sign up for Prime, the Post said.

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40 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Aviation

By LAWANI MIKAIRU

FAAN assures passengers of seamless travel experience

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he Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria,ATSSSAN, has raised alarm over alleged high powered politics at play over the release of funds for the purchase of critical safety instruments.

A letter to the Aviation Minister, Chief Osita Chidoka and signed by Captain Tamongu ,ATSSSAN Deputy National Secretary said “We cannot continue to toy with the life of innocent Nigerians and the flying public. You will agree with us that these equipment’s are very critical to safe takeoff and landing of aircraft and moreso your avowed commitment to security and safe airspace safe as a priority” According to ATSSSAN contracts for these purchases, according to the information available to the Union, have since been awarded and due process certificate for procurement issued awaiting the release of funds from the BASA Funds.

ATSSSAN reminded the minister that part of the master plan was the purchase and installation of critical safety equipment’s like the Airfield lightening instrument, landing system (ILS) and high tech, bird strike prevention instruments among others for many airports across the country especially those with high frequencies.

“You will recall Honourable

By DANIEL ETEGHE

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VISIT - From right, Dr Joseph Odumodu, Director General, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, showing the certificate of Accredited Laboratory issued SON to Alhaji Muhammed Abubakar, President, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA); Iyalode Alaba Lawson, 2nd Deputy National President and Alhaji Remi Bello, Deputy President during the courtesy visit of Executives of NACCIMA to Standard Organisation of Nigeria in Lagos.

ATSSSAN raises concern over aviation safety Minister that in our presentation to you on assumption of office at the first interactive session with stakeholders, we did emphasize that the Aviation Industry currently have a master plan under the transformation agenda of the Aviation Sector by the

NAHCO mediates Customs, agents face-off

By LAWANI MIKAIRU

T

he Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (nahco aviance) has called for a truce in the face-off between the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and licenced customs clearing agents which led to a fracas at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Wednesday last week.

The Bulk warehouse operated by Nigeria Aviation Handling Company, NAHCO, has been closed since Thursday. Armed customs officials are keeping guard in the warehouse to prevent further break down of law and order. Consequently, there is no clearing of goods at the warehouse.

It will be recalled that there was panic at the cargo section of Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday as clearing agents and Customs officials clash resulted in sporadic gun shots and clients and C M Y K

agents scampering for safety.

A statement by NAHCO Assistant General Manager, Corporate Ser vices, Mr. Ahmed Gulma, explained that the two feuding parties are critical stakeholders of the Company. According to Gulma “NCS regulates the operations of NAHCO Ultramodern Warehouse while on the other hand, clearing agents are nahco aviance clients”.

Saying the incident was unfortunate, Gulma pointed out that both NCS and clearing agents are very important in the Cargo processing system.

It will be recalled that Officers and men of Nigerian Customs Service had reportedly chased the agents out of the area after it was alleged that some agents became unruly and shoved the Customs Area Comptroller, Mr. Tajudeen Olanrewaju. The NCS men who came in patrol vans and Armoured Personnel Carriers reportedly flushed out all

President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, as was vigorously pursued by your predecessor Princess Stella Oduah” They added that they cannot fold their hands and allow the already collapsing domestic airlines incur avoidable expenses on engine

repair and replacement as a result of bird strike.

“As critical stakeholders and pressure group in the Aviation Industry in Nigeria, we are constrained to request further information from your office on the state of these purchases, to enable us direct our agitations appropriately”

he Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, has assured passengers travelling in the Nigerian airspace of seamless travel experience ahead of the yuletide season.Earlier, Vanguard visited the various terminals at the Domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport and the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), Lagos and observed that there has been increase in passengers’ traffic.

Vanguard further observed that there were long queues at the various counters of the airlines as most passengers were seen buying their tickets to get to their various destination.

When contacted, General Manager, Corporate Communications,FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati said that the agency was putting everything in place to ensure that passengers travelling across the various airports do not have any difficulties at the airports.

Chidoka commissions Aviation Digital Centre

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he Minister of A v i a t i o n , Chief Osita Chidoka has commissioned a Digital Service Centre of the ministry in compliance with the directive from the office of the Head of Service of the Federation for Ministries and Agencies to digitise their operations for effective service delivery. This is coming as the ministry gets a new permanent secretary.

Chidoka, while commissioning the centre said the centre will enhance “ delivery of effective and efficient service to the public, enhance prompt implementation of government policies and projects under the transformation agenda, enhance value for money on public expenditure; enhance transparency, accountability, stewardship and professionalism.”

He added that the Digital

Centre will make access to information in line with “Freedom of Information Acts (FOI) easy and faster, facilitate Data archiving and online chat for enquiries, directory, comments, and feedbacks”.

The minister further encouraged the staff of the ministry to tap into the opportunity to improve themselves and put such improvement to practice which will in turn affect the ministry and the aviation sector positively.

Alhaji Yemi Adelakun, the outgoing Permanent Secretary, ministry of Aviation, while welcoming the minister to the commissioning said the Digital Service centre was a brain child of the Head, Civil Service of the Federation and all MDAs mandated to replicate it. He said the state of the art Aviation Digital Centre has 20 computers

which have been programmed to serve the ministry and aviation sector in general.

In a related development, Alhaji Yemi Adelakun, the Permanent Secretary of Aviation Ministry who has be deployed to The Civil Service Commission has handed over to the incoming Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Abbas in his office.

Adelakun, while handing over “enjoined the management and staff of the ministry to cooperate with the incoming Permanent Secretary as they have given to him in his short stay in the ministry.”

“He said he was sure the incoming Permanent Secretary will deliver as he is a great achiever. He prayed that the Permanent Secretary will take the ministry to the next level.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 — 41

Insurance UPMFB disburses N288.6m micro credit in 3 months

Man charged in wife’s death studied her finances

By PROVIDENCE OBUH & JOY UNUANE

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efore Harold Henthorn married his second wife, he told her that he researched the financial statuses of three women and asked his friends whom he should marry.

He settled on Toni, a successful ophthalmologist who also earned money from her family’s oil business.

Court records unsealed recently also cite friends who say Henthorn of suburban Denver became controlling and obsessed with money after the marriage. He took out a $1.5 million life insurance policy on his wife, one of three totaling $4.5 million from which he stood to benefit.

Authorities say for the couple’s 12th anniversary, Henthorn planned a trip to Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park. Investigators say a park map with an X marks the spot where he pushed his wife off a cliff on Sept. 29, 2012.

Evolution of ILS market and collateralized reinsurance set to continue

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he insurance-linked securities (ILS) market, consisting of instruments such as insurance-linked funds, catastrophe bonds, sidecars and other fullycollateralised reinsurance structures, is set to continue to evolve in coming years, according to market participants.

Industry experts and market participants suggested that the rate of evolution will continue, perhaps even accelerate and that innovative new business models and structures will help the market to continue on its growth trajectory.

There was certainly a feeling that the ILS market is maturing rapidly, with a number of new start-up companies looking to establish themselves with ability to source pools of risk, provide structuring services and vehicles and then match that risk in a suitable form to investor capital.

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A winner, Mrs. Abdulwahab Sherifat, of the Independence celebration promo held at Ikeja City Mall felicitating with an operator at Mr. Price store

Experts charge insurers to play up value of insurance Stories By ROSEMARY ONUOHA

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ormer Chairman of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Felix Ohiwerei has charged insurance operators in the country to play up the value of insurance by carrying out regular awareness campaigns.

Ohiwerei who made the charge in Lagos said that the country has underplayed the value of insurance for too long and the onus is on the insurance sector to set the record straight.

According to Ohiwerei, insurance sector is an important part of the economy but the operators have not pushed the industry enough.

He said, “Insurance is a very important sector and I want to see operators carrying out campaigns all over the place. I will like to see the sector more active and visible just like it was in the 80s so that the young ones can take on insurance and understand what it is all about.

Lending his voice to the argument, Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola Daniel said that insurance operators need to wake up to their responsibilities and stop complaining about over regulation by the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, the regulatory body of insurance practice in Nigeria.

According to Daniel, insurers are complaining that NAICOM is operating a regime of fines and penalties and is very vindictive, despite

that some of these insurers have refused to abide by operational guidelines guiding the business of insurance.

Daniel said, “Insurance operators complain that NAICOM is dishing out sanctions, however, somebody has to incur sanction before somebody will dish out.”

Daniel lamented that other sectors of the economy have come out of the financial crisis but insurance companies have not and this is eroding and damaging the confidence and reputation of the insurance sector.

Visibly worried that insurers are not touching the lives of Nigerians, Daniel said that investors in the sector are daily

losing money due to the inactiveness of insurers.

He said that there should be discipline in the sector and insurers should build a new insurance sector that all will be proud of.

According to him, the Nigerian insurance sector is ranked number three in Africa, however, the sector has no business being number three but should be number one and should be moving at geometric progression rather than the arithmetical progression at which it is moving right now.

Daniel therefore charged insurance operators to move the sector to a better level and make it the envy of the financial industry in the country.

MUCHINEMERE Procredit Micro Finance Bank (UPMFB) has disbursed a total of N288, 639,000 micro credit funds to about 1,360 low income earners between July and September 2014.

In a statement, Head of Credit, UPMFB, Mr. Ikechukwu Ngene, said that about 599 female received N157, 955,000, while 474 males received N100, 811,000.

Further breakdown in the statement signed by Head of Public/Media Relations Unit, Sir Abuchi Anueyiagu, showed that the bank granted a total of N29, 873,000 as temporary overdraft to 287 persons during the months under review.

Meanwhile, the bank is actively participating in the disbursement and management of the Federal Government’s N220 billion special funds for promotion of entrepreneurship, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund (MSMEDF).

In partnership with Enugu State SME Centre, the bank already disbursed 5000 business loan forms to applicants for the development fund and it is expected that successful applicants for the fund will use it to enhance their micro, small and medium scale businesses.

“Applicants are already undergoing training by the Enugu State SME Centre, in partnership with UPMFB and other participating financial institutions in the State,” he said.

Insurers struggle with digital change

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nsurers are struggling to seize opportunities arising from the growing digital economy, according to a report by KPMG. Management buy-in, legacy systems, expertise, costs and challenges related to effective data use are among barriers, global research reveals.

“Our research shows the industry recognises the imperative of reinventing operating models to respond to and capitalise on digital technologies,” KPMG Australia Head of Insurance Richard Marrison said.

“But it also shows insurers are struggling to develop digital strategies that align with their business objectives and to resolve legacy business processes and supporting IT infrastructure.”

The report – Transforming Insurance: Securing Competitive Advantage – says 69 per cent of respondents have a digital strategy beyond a website, but only 37 per

cent say digital initiatives are fully aligned to their company’s strategic objectives.

Mr. Marrison says digital advances, social networks and an exponential increase in external data sources are adding complexity while also offering opportunities.

“Many Australian insurers, which have traditionally distributed through intermediaries, are looking for additional and complementary ways to distribute products either directly to consumers or via white-label arrangements,” he said.

They are also focused on using technology and data to produce tailor-made consumer offers, he says.

The KPMG report says 82 per cent of respondents plan to use digital technology to improve customer relationships over the next three years, while 65 per cent will use it to manage risk.

About 61 per cent will use technology to develop new products or services, compared with 43 per cent during the past three years.

C M Y K

C M Y K

42 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Cover

Blame Okonjo-Iweala, Sanusi for Nigeria’s economic woes Continues from page 23 velopment.

Nwawudu, while reacting to worries being expressed by some Nigerians about the continued downward trend of global oil price said that Nigeria should save more now for the rainy days.

“We should save more now.

The Federal Government should save more with the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, while at the state level, there should be matching funds as well as tax breaks,” he said.

This came as the Managing Director of Seplat Petroleum Development Company, Mr. Austin Avuru, said there is no need to panic as oil prices will still go up, “but when? I do not know.” Geographies are shifting, but the energy mix as well as the demand and supply equilibrium has not changed much,” he said.

Avuru explained that technology has made it possible to discover more oil in the world to satisfy the global growing demand. According to him, ‘thanks to technology and pricing; there is still enough oil and gas to satisfy the growing demand through 2040. Wind and renewable have failed to be the solution.”

However, Nwawudu cautioned that given the country’s dependence on oil, the fall in prices will affect the foreign exchange and interest rates. ‘’Given oil’s current share, a significant fall in the price will have an immediate impact.

This would be felt through foreign exchange rates and interest rates, then falling budgets and government spending,’’ he said.

Speaking on the impact of the price fall on the budget which benchmark is $78, he noted that although the price is still above the benchmark, it is not going to harm funding; only that less ‘excess’ will go into the excess crude account or the NSIA. He argued that the market view is that the price fall is likely to be short-lived, “so possibly, no cause for alarm.”

“There could be risks to the budget, but at this level, it is more likely that increased borrowing could fill the gap; we have low debt to GDP ratios.

We also have solid reserves and these can be used to defend the currency in the near term.

“The question for us though is – why are we worrying? Why is the whole country watching the oil price? Is this how we should be thinking in 2014 and what Nigerian livelihoods and welfare should be exposed to is the hedging model.

According to Mr. Walker Ogogo, Registrar of the Institute of Capital Market, the best way to cushion the effect of the

•Okonjo Iweala

•Sanusi

falling oil price is for the government to diversify the economy beyond oil. Though he said that something is already being done along that line, he stated that it might take a little longer for Nigerians to start feeling the effect of measures being put in place by the government.

He said: “There is nothing we can do about the falling oil price because there are so many factors that are playing out there, so our economy will continue because already the growth rate of the Nigerian economy is about six to seven per cent annually. That is likely to continue, but what we are now saying is that our economy should no longer be dependent on oilrelated products, we should diversify and I tell you, something is already being done in that direction though we are not feeling the effects perhaps because the cost of operation is very high.”

Continuing Chike-Obi noted that for every economy, there are four things that are very crucial and that Nigeria must pay close attention to those factors if it must make the desired economic progress. “I think that for Nigeria, employment is the most important. We must have a policy that encourages massive employment. A situation where we have 25 per cent of high unemployment and youth unemployment is

over 40 per cent is clearly unsustainable.

“The second is low inflation rate. Inflation being low and managed is important. There is also a need for a stable exchange rate. There ought also to be low interest rate to encourage lending to the economy.”

He further said that the authorities must make the right decision by taking the best strategic path to stabilising the exchange rate, adding that pursuing a stable exchange rate in nominal terms as against real terms will spell doom for the real sector of the economy. ” We in this country seem to have decided that maintaining a stable exchange rate in nominal terms was the most important variable. And the exchange rate that is stable in nominal terms, in Nigeria’s case against the dollar, was actually strengthening in real terms and would, in due course, have made sure that no manufacturing industry in Nigeria was sustainable.

“I will give you a very general example. If you can buy a loaf of bread in the US for $1 and you can buy the same in Nigeria at N160, now that is the true exchange rate based on purchasing power parity.

Now, if a year later, inflation in Nigeria is 10 per cent and that bread is now costing N176 but still costs $1 in the US, then any rational person in the US will buy the bread for $1 in the

We are also going to see inflation increasing. I think we can tolerate inflation of up to 10 to 12 percent.

There is probably going to be more debt

US and then sell it in Nigeria for N176, exchange the dollar at N160 and make N16 profit and if that continues for two or three years, all the bread makers in Nigeria will go out of business and we will resort to importing bread because the exchange rate is encouraging it. ”To offset that, all we need to do is to change the exchange rate to N176 by next year, so that the man who buys the bread in the US and sells in Nigeria and sells at N176 and changes it back to the dollar does not make any profit. That is the difference between managing the exchange rate in real terms versus managing it in nominal terms. So, we must change our perception that because the naira moved from N160 to N165, it weakened, it could actually have strengthened. So if we are interested in employment and maintaining our competitive advantage, we must manage exchange rates based not on nominal but in real terms.”

What is important to the economy at this time: According to the AMCON boss, “The first thing we need is policies that focus on what is most important to us. I believe that given the insecurity and unemployment in Nigeria, we must embrace policies that encourage industrialisation and manufacturing to boost employment generation. That’s the way we can go forward.”

Prediction for the economy Speaking further, he said given the present economic circumstances, especially in the money market, he expects that, “there is going to be a twotiered naira scheme where important things trade at official

exchange rates and let go of some unimportant things. I think the CBN has started doing that. I think we are going to the point where things like school fees, medical bills and air tickets will be exchanging at a higher rate while things like machinery, equipment will be exchanging at the official exchange rate.

“We are also going to see inflation increasing. I think we can tolerate inflation of up to 10 to 12%. There is probably going to be more debt. The Nigerian public debt to GDP is between 10 to 12% and that is too low. The US has a public debt to equity, they say is 60%, but they are not telling the truth.

The guarantees of the US Government to 37 agencies amount to 90% of their GDP, so if you add guarantees and actual debts in the US, the public debt to GDP is about 150%.

“And that is a developed country with roads, power, water, schools, trains, airports in almost every city and still they think they need public debt of 150% but we in our wisdom, we are 12% with very little guarantee from the FG. The FG must engage massively on a guarantee scheme. I suggest that there should be a federal guarantee agency and that when the government decides its priorities, that agency should decide how the guarantee in that sector will work.

“If we want to build roads for example, banks should be able to lend to the roads through a guarantee scheme. The lending should be guaranteed by the Federal Government in some form. I think we must use the Federal Government balance sheet much more efficiently. 12 per cent will not do it.

No country has ever developed with 12 per cent public debt to GDP and no country ever will.”

Access Bank makes case for women entrepreneurs

By PROVIDENCE OBUH & JONAH NWOKPOKU

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CCESS Bank Nigeria Plc has thrown its weight behind women entrepreneurs even as it celebrates Women Entrepreneurship Day (WED) with Women of West Africa Entrepreneurship (WoWe).

Speaking at the occasion marking WED at the Access Bank Head Office in Lagos, GMD of the bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, said that the N10 billion Fund it signed with FMO, Dutch Bank, is targeted at supporting smaller women entrepreneurs so as to ensure ripple effect of the fund.

The bank has evolved from what was the gender empowerment programme to a

new programme which is about empowering, connecting and inspiring women, Wigwe said, “We believe that the female entrepreneur plays a vital role in the development of our country in several ways. It is clear to us from experience that women in terms of payment record, loan repayment capacity are far better risked than the men and if that be the case perhaps we should be lending more money to women.”

He emphasised the need to equip women with all the skill required to keep their businesses moving, adding that it is starting a training scheme where entrepreneurs would be trained from starting a business to the succession stage in the business.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 — 43

Advertising

Between line of Experience Centres and After-Sales service Stories by PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU

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G Electronics has opened an experience centre on the popular Trans Amadi Industrial Layout in Port Harcourt. The showroom is one of the main LG brand stores in the city of Port Harcourt that serve as an allpurpose neighborhood electronics store distinctly designed.

Experiences of customers tell the story more succinctly, hear Mr Bassey, a customer, “shopping here is very convenient as it is quite close to my house. I love the affordability and durability of the products and I recommend them to everyone. I introduced my brother-in-law to this store he has not stopped raving about how wonderful the centre is, while he bought LG Ultra HD TV (4k) and the stunning picture quality.

On the other hand, relating his shopping experience at the Showroom, a shopper, Mr. Amadi said “I have been a loyal costumer to LG for years because they continue to produce long lasting home appliances.

“The customer service here is what I truly love about this store” said Mrs. Ughele, a customer., said. “They are very familiar with the products and are helpful in making good choices. For me as a working mother who does not have time to read through all the features, I have always been grateful for

this and have not had any reason for complaints. They also give great after sales services such as installation and this is free. The product I will be purchasing today is the SolarDOM Light Oven which has three methods of cooking that cooks food three

SESSION - From Left: Marketing Director, Colgate Palmolive Nigeria, Mrs. Hannah Oyebanjo; General Manager, Mr. Davis Kanyama and Colgate Brand Manager, Mr. Gbadesola Adenrele, during a media interactive session to formally announce the entrance of Colgate into the Nigerian Market in Lagos recently.

New ad and Access Bank’s transformation agenda exposing audiences to a others may make you cry.

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elevision advertising has traditionally been seen as an interruptive yet creative means of

Colgate to establish manufacturing plant in Nigeria

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he $18 billion global consumer products company, Colgate Palmolive is to formally establish manufacturing plant in Nigerian. The company made this disclosure at a press parley in Lagos, where the General Manager, Colgate Palmolive Nigeria, Davis Kanyama, said even though some of the company ’s products are already in the Nigerian market, the company is formally coming to establish in the country.

Kanyama who said that the company operates on four core categories in oral, personal, pet and home care, employees 38,000 persons worldwide with its products sold in 223 countries, with an

times faster and is easy to clean. It is exactly what I need”.

Elaborating on the experiences of customers and what prospective consumers can expect from the outlet, Showroom Manager, Mr. Musa Hassan said:

“customers have overtime come around to tell us how durable and efficient the products are; and this stems from the extensive research and development of our products prior to their being churned out.

In a great way, shoppers can expect courteous services from our sales representatives and merchandisers.

expectation of employing 3,000 Nigerians.

The General Manager also stated that the company has good balance in developed markets across the globe with 48 percent presence in products market share.

While noting that the company has 52 percent in emerging markets, including Latin America, Asia, Africa/Eurasia and Central Europe.

He went on to say that the company has the number one market share in 146 countries, even as its Colgate toothpaste brand is the most recommended by dental professionals globally.

brand. There’s no denying the fact that television commands audience, not only in Nigeria, but globally, though it has been said that audiences hate advertisements so much that they created technologies for avoiding them, (censorship).

Many households have switched off their television sets as a show of dislike for some commercials. According to Nielsen global survey, the decline in consumer trust of television ads would push one to wonder how television advertising can or will stay relevant in this postadvertising age.

While some emerging platforms and technologies have made it more difficult for television advertisements to reach an attentive audience, they have also made it easier for the best ads to spread.

One of the common threads of many of the most shared and viewed advertisements is storytelling. Some stories provide a deep history; others make you laugh; and yet

These ads have a second, often more successful with life in digital format, in which mode they are passed from one person to the other.

There are record time of ads that have embraced storytelling, thereby engaging audiences and garnering attention long past their airdate, for instance, comatose Bank PHB’s-Cars will run on water, Sterling Bank’sOne customer bank, Diageo’s Johnnie WalkerThe Man who walked around the world and First bank’s- Do you know.?

And recently Access Bank’s commercial, ‘Take Tomorrow ’ what these adverts share in common are their story telling analogy.

The ad campaign, ‘Take Tomorrow’ shot in Nigeria and South Africa by SO&U in company of some foreign film makers is a call to action to Nigerians and Africans.

Mr. Chef ends reality show

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r Chef, a food seasoning from Baywater Industries Limited has drawn curtain on the first season of its search for the ‘total woman’ at the grand finale of the Mr. Chef First Lady Reality Show.

The reality show is a 3-in-1 project that aims at producing well-rounded home-makers with the right combination of beauty and brains matched with great entrepreneurial spirit.

Managing Director of Bayswater, Mr. Piyush Nair, described the Show as a corporate initiative to nurture women of substance as well as contribute to the sustenance of a familyoriented society and the building of a strong nation: “Mr. Chef took up sponsorship of the innovative women development programme, the First Lady Reality Show, because of our firm belief in women empowerment,” Nair said stressing, “Our goal is to produce ready-to-face-theworld women who are not only beautiful but are brilliant, homely and economically productive.”.

He explained that Mr. Chef First Lady Reality Show is not a conventional beauty pageant because its emphasis is on the totality of womanhood, not physical beauty.

Season of Surprises: MTN fetes NYSC members

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he MTN Season of Surprises train berthed at the National Youth Service Corp, NYSC Camp located in Iyana- Ipaja, Lagos with .

It was an opportune time for the current corps members receiving surprise packages, like mobile phones and electronic gadgets As in several other institutions where the brand has extended its goodwill, the aim of the gifts is to make life better for Nigerians.

One of the beneficiaries, Eze Ezinne Juliet, an Electronic/ Computer Engineering graduate from the Nnamdi Azikwe University, got a power generating set during the raffle draw tagged “Try Your Luck in MTN’s Free Credit Game”, gave an inspiring testimony about the campaign.

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44— Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 Email:lesleba@lesleba.com, lesleba@gmail.com Blog page:www.lesleba.com/blog2 Website: www.lesleba.com Tel:0805 220 1997

Is diversification of the economy possible?

I

n the wake of public concerns on the impact of tumbling oil price on government revenue and expenditure in the 2015 budget, the Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Okonjo Iweala, recently assured a joint Legislative Committee on Finance and National Planning that “we have calculated that in order to help us regain stability, we need a minimum of about $5bn.” Dr Iweala also confirmed that since we currently have about $4.1bn in the Excess Crude Account (ECA), we would simply require the addition of just $1bn to maintain the revenue and expenditure projections in the 2015 – 17 medium term expenditure framework.

Nonetheless, the current 25% drop in oil prices will similarly surely reduce crude oil revenue and make it difficult for us to rely on any surplus from this source to top up the E.C.A; it may be realistic, therefore, under such circumstances to simply transfer the required $1bn from the central bank’s relatively buoyant self-styled own reserves of about $40bn. The alternative would be to borrow $1bn from external source(s); however, one may argue that it does not make sense to incur such debt, at any cost, from possibly the same foreign banks in which CBN’s reserves are currently domiciled with minimal yield!

The Minister also assured that the Economic Management Team was “on top of the situation” to proffer measures that would help to ensure that the

“common man” did not feel the impact of the oil price decline. Some of the measures proposed by the Minister to fund the revenue shortfall include the trimming of trainings and overseas travels and the restriction of expenditure to only critical and essential items.

In addition, the Federal Inland Revenue Service’s (FIRS) oversight by international financial consultants, Mckinsey, should, according to the minister, also increase government tax receipts and boost revenue. However, we must wonder why the finance ministry disapproves of the use of private tax consultants to increase revenue in various states, while the Federal Government freely indulges itself with the Mckinsey engagement to collect tax.

Furthermore, according to the minister, the government would also introduce taxes on luxury items such as private jets, yachts, alcoholic beverages and expensive cars.

Curiously the bloated salaries and allowances attached to political office holders may not be affected by the proposed austerity measures

Conversely, however, Mr. Larry Etta, the president of Nigeria’s Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) observed that the new government policy is a cosmetic approach to the current financial crisis; the NECA president maintained that the only lasting solution should be a major reduction on the overhead expenditure of the three tiers of government as well as other agencies and departments of state.

In the same vein, a former president of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, Dr. Samuel Nzekwe noted in media reports that increasing or taxing more utilities is not the major solution and therefore suggested that “apart from tax on luxuries, government should also look at how to diversify the economy by creating an enabling environment so that industries can thrive; Nigerians must surely be concerned that it took the fall in crude oil prices to jolt the government to recognise the skewed nature of Nigeria’s current tax regime in which the masses bear the greater burden.

Indeed, in spite of Okonjo Iweala’s assurances of best practice management of our public finance, we must wonder why the Honourable Minister still appears incapable of redressing the heavily lopsided current expenditure budget in favour of capital and infrastructural enhancement, which barely accounted for less than 30% of all federal revenue in the last three years; curiously the bloated salaries and allowances attached to political office holders may not be affected by the proposed austerity measures. It is also sad that no serious step has so far been taken to implement the Stephen Oransanye’s report which recommended the

pruning and merger of some government agencies which were found to have duplicated functions or objectives as a cost saving measure.

Nevertheless, the minister rejected the recommendation of some stakeholders that we should refrain from tying our revenue projections strictly to potential crude oil receipts; some stakeholders however advised that government should respond to the decline in revenues by printing more Naira to fund projects.

The Hon. Minister believes that such prescriptions ignored the elementary principles of economics as liberal printing of Naira would spur inflation and victimize the poor and the middle class.

Consequently, Dr Iweala concluded that the best way to protect the interest of the people was to control inflation, expand the economic base, strengthen sectors that drive growth and boost critical infrastructure and create more jobs.

Regrettably, inspite of this recognition, the effort of the Honourable minister to put a shine on real growth and job opportunities have been so far unrewarded after three years.

Incidentally also, despite Okonjo Iweala’s recognition that reckless printing of Naira will spur inflation, the minister obviously does not seem to also consider that the liberal issues of hundreds of billions of Naira every month as substitutes for allocations of dollar derived revenue also pose similar inflationary threats to the economy.

Although our heavy dependence on crude oil revenue is often fingered as

the major cause of our economic challenges, notwithstanding, the economies of several countries have thrived successfully on dependence on just one or two sectors wherever revenue accruals are wisely infused into the economy.

Indeed, Nigeria’s economic and social welfare may still not be different if our relatively bountiful revenue from crude oil is derived from commercial and industrial activities from several sectors, as the dollar export revenue (if any) – from several sectors would buy the same basket of goods that our current crude oil dollars would buy!

This is not to say that there is no gain in pursuing a strategy to diversify the economy, but the truth of course is that economic diversification does not evolve from wishful thinking or the mere mouthing of platitudes.

Successful economic diversification will remain a mirage unless our strategy is underpinned by international best practice which means minimal inflation rate of 1-3% while cost of funds must not exceed 7% across the board to the real sector; additionally special sectors such as agriculture should also attract cost of funds within a range of 0-3%.

It is not as if successive Nigerian governments do not recognise the need to augment government revenue and energize our industrial landscape with increasing job opportunities, but the truth is that all such attempts in sectors such as steel, agriculture wheat farms, Aviation, Shipping etc have so far failed because they are not situated on the requisite platform of price stability that would sustain income values which fuel consumer demand and drive further production.

•Save the Naira, Save Nigerians!!

Business & Economy Dangote Flour Mill records N6.11bn losses

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angote Flour Mills Plc has announced a loss after tax of N6.11billion for the year ended September 30, 2014.

This represents15.3 per cent decrease over N7.22 billion loss recorded in the corresponding period in 2013.

Also, its cost of sales escalated by 32.6 percent to N38.87 billion from N29.32 billion posted in the same period in 2013. However, the company posted a growth a 37.7 per cent growth in revenue to N41.27 billion during the period as against N29.96 billion recorded in the corresponding period in 2013.

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The result released on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, showed that its income tax expense rose to N3.01 billion in comparison to N1.58 billion expended in the same period in 2013, representing 90.5 per cent increase.

The company said in an accompanying note that while the performance for the full year 2014 was disappointing, there was a gradual and sustained improvement quarter by quarter, saying that the business recovered from a poor first quarter and recorded a 15 percent topline growth in the last quarter over

the corresponding period of 2013.

“Procurement efficiencies, improved flour extraction and other cost efficiency measures led to substantially improved margins as compared to 2013.

Whilst these results reflect the difficult and competitive trading environment in which the business operates, many actions have been taken to address the challenges faced by the company.

The actions taken have resulted in a progressive improvement in the trading loss (excluding once-off items and exchange rate gains) over the four quarters from N1.415 billion in Q1.

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

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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

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 — 45

Why Suswam wants to snatch my Senate seat — Gemade •Says NASS fracas very embarrassing SENATOR Barnabas Gemade represents Benue North East in the Senate and is a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. A former national chairman of the PDP, former Secretary of Works in the Ernest Shonekan Interim National Government, ING, he is presently chairman of the Senate Committee on National Planning, Economic Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. In this interview, he reviews the struggle between him and Governor Gabriel Suswam for the Benue North Senate seat and contemporary national issues. Excerpts:

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

H

OW do you see the current state of the nation?

I think it is simply a manifestation of what has become of the Nigerian nation state where greed has overtaken normal reasoning in consideration of people in the face of hard times, those who are working too hard to ensure that they continue to have at the expense of the society, at the expense of every individual who is docile, who is not so vicious and vehement in his fight to control resources in this nation.

I believe that my going to Senate ought to be a concessional issue, having served this nation to the extent that I did in taking just a floor member seat in the Senate is the least that I expect this country to do for me.

serving the people rather than serving themselves.

It is a very big shame. I don’t want to open issues with governors generally because it is not all governors that are trying to push me out, it is only one that is trying to push me out of the Senate for no reason whatsoever because in my constituency, the Senate seat has not been zoned to his area, it has not been zoned to his people, but he wants to grab it by force because he has money and it is not all the time that money can buy everything.

Money can buy some things and it cannot buy others and this is one thing unfortunately that

Extreme happiness And the fact that my people in my constituency are extremely happy with my representation and overwhelmingly voted me, I ought to have simple two terms in that Senate without problem, but greed is what is causing those who are working so hard to throw me out, it is an issue which has become so pervasive in the nation and we must attempt to address it, otherwise, the crop of executives that are being bred in this nation, running government and controlling public funds are developing a tendency which is becoming rather uncontrollable and it is a shame because they are bringing bad names to a few of their colleagues who are still trying very hard to maintain decency in governance and maintain good governance by

But today they are so proud and arrogant about their money. Where did your father produce a farthing for you to come and say that you are a billionaire?

•Gemade: I am not threatened in any way at all money cannot buy.

Is there any zoning arrangement in your state, and if there is, does it favour your area?

Of course yes. We have zoning in my state. By nature, in Tiv land we always have this adage that says you have to eat and give your brother.

For the fact that I have done one term in the Senate is a clear indication that my side ought to have that seat for more than just one term and after which it will go to the other side and at this particular time, anybody who wants it that is not from my side, is doing so because he believes that he has some kind of advantage which he employs, whether such advantage is normal or crooked is the issue that I am referring to.

It is alleged that you had promised to serve for one term.

Is it true?

It is not true at all, it is a blatant lie. In the first place, when you make agreement with people, they are people that have agreed to reason with you, but when people don’t reason with you, how could you have reached agreement with them? The governor’s camp is the one that has accused me of trying to go two times when I said I will go

once! Where did I promise them I will go once because the governor sponsored a candidate against me from my own local government and funded that candidate heavily, used government machinery against my election at the primaries, fought very hard but when I defeated this candidate, he still went ahead and sponsored the candidate in another party which was the ACN (Action Congress of Nigeria) against me in the general election.

General election We fought that vehemently even though I was campaigning for, fighting for him to be elected governor, he was there fighting for an ACN senatorial candidate to be elected.

So how could I ever have entered agreement with that kind of person who is very, very untrustworthy? I looked the other way because I was not working for him, I was working for my party. And as a founding member of this party who also became the national chairman, my allegiance is first to the party and if somebody by the grace of God was able to get a position, which

he has decided to misuse, the repercussions of misuse of such position is on his head and not on my head.

So, the bad governance the governor has exhibited in my state over the period he has been governor, is not my problem. I know nothing about his government, I never played any part in it, I’m excluded in practically every issue, I don’t mind. But as far as the party is concerned, he doesn’t own it, he was not in the position to contribute or invest anything in this party when we formed it in 1998 or 1999.

Beneficiaries of this party by way of appointment as commissioners or council chairmen, or members of assemblies in 1999 were simply very lucky beneficiaries because people did not believe that democracy was really going to thrive because each time there was democracy, it was broken by the military and this time they thought well, let us see whether it is going to work.

So, so many of those who came were emergency politicians that came and took positions. And once they got in, and started to enjoy it and because they have

Continues on page 46

46 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Continues from page 45 this element of greed are able to put their hands in all kinds of monies and amass so much money that they think that nothing will stop them in doing whatever they like to do, these are the issues here. I could never have entered a pact with people who were against me.

Your governor has promised to go to the Senate on the platform of the PDP. Are you not really threatened?

I am not threatened in any way at all. The reason is that, that boast is based on the current situation in this country today where falsehood and impropriety is not being addressed.

You know there are so many things that happen in this nation that are talked about by the public in so many ways and at the end of the day, even when there is an attempt to investigate and know the truth, such things just die a natural death, so it has come to a point where people are not afraid to do wrong, they have no fear especially if you have a good office. There is no difference between personal funds of a governor and his private funds today.

Genuine politicians There are few that are trying to make sure that they rule their states in a very decent manner and especially those who are genuine politicians who suffered along with us when we were forming this party under the military like Sule Lamido of Jigawa State for example, a foundation member and those who were part of G-9 and G-18, they understand what it means to fight for freedom.

But emergency politicians who just joined as Commissioners in 1998, today, have grown to become governors are so proud of buying jets and running up and down and say oh in my state, I can do whatever I like, oh, I am the one that has put this money, it is my money, oh, it is my government.

But today they are so proud and arrogant about their money.

Where did your father produce a farthing for you to come and say that you are a billionaire? You keep saying ‘I run the party’, yes you run the party, but anyone who runs the party with public funds cannot appropriate that party to become his own?

So, today, when the party is deciding that they will go and do delegate election where delegates will be elected, they corner the thing and say, this is my party, it has to be done the way I want, go to Government House and write a list of those who will elect people and after you have written that list, you will be boasting that I will defeat my opponent, like my governor says ‘I will defeat Gemade’, he will not even get up to five votes. Yes,

•Gemade: I'm a foundation member of PDP

I won't allow anyone rig me out — Gemade anybody who wrote the list of delegates in his house will boast that he can defeat you. If they are popular, why don’t they come to the field and meet us there so that we can compete and

There is no difference between personal funds of a governor and his private funds today

have delegates and know who has actually got more delegates than the other, but they will never do that. I challenge such people to come out there to the field and do the election. The bane of this problem is that, the party itself is sometimes being intimidated to a point where they just accept some of these things.

Unfortunately, if a party is intimidated to accept delegates which the governor has made in his house for an election, yes, they will use it to win primaries but they can never win the elections.

In my state for example, when Senator George Akume left the party, our vote dropped by onethird, that is the PDP votes for the state dropped by one-third and it was because primaries were being rigged against him and if primaries are rigged against another Senator, you can imagine the amount of drop that will be.

I don’t want to predict these matters, the party itself knows and the ball is in their court to make decisions, if they decide otherwise, the repercussion will not be on the head of members, it will be on their own heads as leaders of the party.

When Senator Akume was allegedly rigged out of the party, he decided to dump the party,

assuming it happens to you, will you also leave the party?

I will not allow anybody to rig me out because I am a foundation member. Akume also was one of those that we picked as governors in 1999, his stake to this party is not as heavy as mine.

I was one of those who struggled with Solomon Lar and Ekwueme and others right from day one in the national steering committee to form PDP and we funded it with our hard earned resources and today those who are funding the party, feeling proud, are funding it with public funds, they had nothing to invest in the party at that time, we invested, I will not run away from this party on account of someone using public fund to throw me out, he is the one that will be thrown out.

Are your constituents in support of your re-election, how have you been carrying them along?

Absolutely hundred percent!

You needed to follow me in my sensitization tours in my seven local governments including the local government of the governor the number of people that came out and the enthusiasm with which they showed which is the reason why he was afraid to come to the congresses in the

ward because he will be defeated.

That is why he decided that he will use the machinery of his government to snatch and corner and divert all the materials for congresses and go and write delegates in his house.

Today, so many feeble minded people are cowed into joining his list but the real populace who have nothing to lose are calling the bluff, they are going to stand firmly behind me and they will vote for me at the appropriate time.

A former Minister in this country, Chief Don Etiebet recently said that governors have become one of the greatest problems the country is having, what is your take on this?

Well, I don’t want to categorically say that it is all governors that are doing this because there are some states where governors are very decent people and making a sweeping statement that covers all governors is not very fair to that group of people. But certainly, there are few governors that have shown extreme irresponsibility as we can see and the noisiest of them all in this nation. So, Don is right in a way but to generalize completely, may not be appropriate.

The National Assembly was under siege on Thursday last week, do you think that what happened was good for the growth of democracy in the country?

It is very unfortunate. It is very unfortunate that the incident took place, ever took place because watching from television and listening to first account by those who were directly affected because I was in the National Assembly but went in early as I always do and I was already seated in the chamber of the Senate when this commotion took place outside.

Barricading the gate But from what I heard, those who were coming very late, were barricaded by police and not allowed to come in, it is unfortunate.

Whatever reason they give for what they did, the action cannot be justified because it is easy to know who is a member of the National Assembly and who is not. So, if you barricade the gate, you try to protect the National Assembly by invaders, you should be able to know who is a member and allow him to come in, not to let them climb gate as if they are intruders because I saw members of the National Assembly climbing the gate to come in and if they are not barred from coming in, why did they refuse to open the gate, it is very unfortunate, I don’t think this kind of thing will augur well for the polity and anybody who was responsible, should ensure that such a thing did not happen again.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014—47

Why our people are angry with Chris Ngige — Umeh •APGA is better with Peter Obi’s exit NATIONAL chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Sir Victor Umeh is aspiring to represent Anambra Central in senate in 2015. In this interview, Umeh, who was also a member of the recently concluded National Conference says he has no apology to offer those who think that he has domineering Igbo character. He also spoke on why he wants to be a senator. Excerpts

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

H

OW has it been since you declared your intention for the senatorial race?

Since I accepted the call of my people to contest the Senatorial election for Aanmbra Central Senatorial District, a lot of people have been excited by my decision to run for that office.

Unlike what people would trivialise as a political play that nobody asked me to come, I was under immense pressure from the people of my state, my party members, particularly, people from Anambra Central Senatorial zone, that I should contest this election on behalf of our party.

Some of the reasons they gave me included but not limited to the following: that APGA has not produced a Senator from Anambra State since its existence even though the party has been in charge of the government for eight years. Many people considered it not good for the party.

Secondly, they urged me to run because they felt I would present a good face for the party and the Igbo people at the National Assembly, going by what I have represented in my political life over the years.

Championing the cause of Igbo They became more desperate to urge me to run after I participated in the National Constitutional Conference, where I was everywhere, championing the cause of Igbo people and fighting for entire Nigeria in terms of pushing for something that will make Nigeria a more functional nation.

The other reason is that they have not been happy with the way the Anambra Central Senatorial Zone was being represented at the Senate by Dr Chris Ngige. They considered him to be a shadow of himself.

At the National Assembly, they expected a more vibrant representation from him, going by his antecedent but suddenly, he was swallowed at the

it wouldn’t have been nice if we went to the National Conference and kept quiet over these challenges our people have been facing. And we are happy that the contributions we made individually and collectively saw to the important decision being made by way of resolution at the National Conference.

With the defection of the former governor, Mr Peter Obi and some members of the National Assembly from APGA, how strong is APGA platform to carry you through in your senatorial ambition?

APGA is a political party with a difference. APGA is the movement of a people. It is not something that an individual can reduce its potentialities in any contest. For example APGA had been registered before myself dragged Obi into APGA to contest Governorship election. I was the one who dragged him into the party.

Governorship election

•Umeh chamber of the Senate. So they expect that there was need to have somebody who cannot change colour, when the person goes to the National Assembly and they forced me to step in.

So, I accepted to do that and since I accepted to run, it has been endorsement galore from all parts of the state, both youth organizations, children, womenfolk, community leaders and all categories of persons have been rejoicing that am there.

Some people are of the opinion that considering your outspokenness at the national conference, you may also become controversial in the Senate if elected.

No, it cannot be so. First of all, the National Conference was convened on the representative arrangement. People were called from all parts of Nigeria to the National Conference to come and contribute their own ideas in the national dialogue. The essence of National Conference was to fashion out a way of resolving the agitation that had held Nigeria down over the years.

The initiative was to cure Nigeria

of its present structural imbalances and marginalization that some parts of Nigeria have been suffering.

As an Igbo man who arrived at that National Conference, I went there with the mindset that my people have been badly treated in Nigeria over the years.

The structural imbalance that we complained about was mostly suffered by the Igbo people.

We are the only political group that has five states in Nigeria, while others have six states and Northwest has seven states. We have the least number of Local Governments, 95 Local Governments the closest people to us have 123 that is the SouthSouth Zone.

And in Nigeria, number of states, number of Local Government have been the indices for sharing revenue in this country that also applies to the Federal Character principle in recruiting people to national offices.

So, if I was identified as somebody with domineering Igbo character, I have no apology.

The essence of life is for you to

protect the lives of your people.

You get things that accrue to them in a Federation like Nigeria, where we are part of the Federal Republic. What is good for the goose is good for the gander and

They expected a more vibrant representation from him, going by his antecedent but suddenly, he was swallowed at the chamber of the Senate

I use the word dragged because

by October 8, 2002, when I was in charge of his bid to run for the governorship election in Anambra State, which he started in 2001. By 2002, APGA had been registered around June, by June 22 of 2002, by October, Obi had not made up his mind which party he would have governorship election form.

So, I had to drag him because I knew it was only through APGA that he could win that election. I was also aware that as at July 2002, Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu had called on all Igbo people to join APGA. That was at Choice Hotel, Awka, on July 30, 2002 . Ojukwu was also on his way to APGA because at that time, he was the chairman of Board of Trusrees of APP. So I knew that once Ojukwu joined APGA, that it would become a different type of political movement for our people and that was exactly what happened when he declared to run for presidency in APGA in December 2002.

So, you can now see that it was that character that APGA has that was responsible for the followership the party enjoys in the South East mostly and in other places.

Obi did not give APGA its character. Obi was never the face of APGA. The face of APGA has remained Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and the character of the party has remained its strength in Nigeria.

If anything is to be said, I will say that APGA made Peter Obi what he is politically. Instead of APGA diminishing we are receiving people into the party.

48—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

90% of ailments can be reversed by right foods — Experts

By Chioma Obinna

W

ITH growing numbers of prominent Nigerians fallen victims of noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure, alternative health experts have recommended the use of natural foods to put diseases at bay even as they said that 90 per cent of the ailments that have befallen Nigerians could be reversed by proper intake of foods.

Available report has shown that food is the most powerful medicine available to heal chronic disease, which account for over 50 million deaths and cost the global economy $47 trillion by 2030.

The alternative medicine experts who spoke at a press conference in Lagos to announce a two – day health seminar with the theme: “How Diet Choices Affect Health and Productivity”, being organised by the Hayford Alile Foundation, Lagos in collaboration with Good Health Centre, Port Harcourt said it is time Nigerians take responsibility for their health by making a u- turn to the eating habits of their fathers which is the consumption of natural foods.

In his views, Executive Director of Good Health Centre, Rev. Mike Okonkwo who identified eating wrong foods as a major reason why people die from preventable diseases posited that taking balanced diet has a lot to do in preserving life.

This, the alternative medicine practitioner said, was why his organisation, in

• Adequate consumption of natural foods helps prevent diseases. collaboration with Hayford Alile Foundation is organising the ‘Live now’ health seminar for corporate executive and leaders in the country.

According to Okonkwo, the health seminar billed to hold December 3 through 4th, 2014 at the Metropolitan Club; Lagos would tackle and educate the Nigerian leaders on foods and how to overcome common diseases. Explaining further, Okonkwo disclosed that though food can be helpful to the body it can also harm it,

especially if they are unwanted fat or cholesterol.

He said man is plagued with diseases because he departed from what God ordained.

Okonkwo who is also the consultant to Hallelujah Diet advised Nigerians to stop eating meat if they cannot chew it well as swallowing meat without chewing it well may lead to diabetes and other ailments.

“Our goal is to Nigerialise every food we

GSK calls for research proposals on NCDs

By Gabriel Olawale

W

ORRIED about the alarming increase in the prevalence of NonCommunicable Diseases, NCDs, GlaxoSmithKline, GSK, weekend launched the first call for proposals for its Africa NCD Open Lab, to support muchneeded scientific research into NCDs in Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan Africa.

Already, GSK has made available about £4m (N1 billion) for the first funding round to support successful proposals from researchers in Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Ghana, Gambia, Kenya, Uganda and Malawi.

The Africa NCD Open Lab was established by GSK earlier this year, with a commitment of £25m funding over five years, as part of a series of strategic investments in sub-Saharan Africa.

The proposal was launched following alarming prevalent of Non-Communicable Diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, in Nigeria and other African countries.

The Africa NCD Open Lab aims to address how – and why – these diseases manifest differently in these countries.

The innovative research network will see GSK scientists collaborate with researchers across Africa on high quality epidemiological, genetic and interventional research. The aim of the research was also to specifically inform interventions for the prevention and treatment of five priority diseases - cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and chronic respiratory disease – while helping build local expertise and creating a new generation of African NCD experts.

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An independent external advisory group, comprising clinical and scientific experts in the field of NCDs, will review applications to the NCD Open Lab, with recommendations for funding based on scientific merit. The group will consist of a majority of African membership to ensure that only locally-relevant research is funded.

A second call for proposals in South Africa is planned for 2015 which will be launched in collaboration with the Medical Research Councils of South Africa and the UK, with a combined £5m funding.

Interim Head of the Africa NCD Open Lab, Dr. Mike Strange said: “We believe the highly collaborative research network we’re creating through the Africa NCD Open Lab has the potential to dramatically improve understanding of NCDs in Africa – and could ultimately, accelerate the development of new, better medicines to treat these.

“The launch of our first call for proposals is an important milestone for this initiative, and we encourage researchers working in the field of NCDs who are based in the eight eligible countries to consider applying for the funding and expert support available to them through this.”

L-R: Mrs. Joy Ndukwe, Secretary, Hayford Alile Foundation, Rev. Mike Okonkwo, Consultant to Hallelujah Diet , Apostle Hayford Ikponmwosa Alile, Facilitator, Live now health Seminar and Founder, Hayford Alile Foundation, Pastor Victor Mukwuzi, Personal Assistant to Apostle Hayford Alile during a press conference to announce the 2- Day Health Seminar on Diet, Health and Productivity in Lagos last week.

eat. Common illnesses like high blood pressure, stress, cancer, diabetes, bowel health challenges, prostrate health, stroke, infertility, sleeplessness, erectile dysfunction, which destroys many homes.

We shall table the health challenges and create the solutions.

“Sugar is not the cause of diabetes. That you stop taking sugar doesn’t mean you won’t have diabetes. It takes 72 hours for a piece of meat to digest. You must chew every food you eat 50 times before you swallow.

Speaking, the Facilitator of the programme, Apostle Hayford Alile who announced that over 60 participants are expected at the seminar, said the seminar is open to all persons no matter their religious affiliations.

Alile said many people are dying from preventable diseases due to what they eat.

He said the death of some eminent Nigerians informed the seminar in order to reverse the trend.

Alile said he enjoyed good health because he always eats right. “You are a product of what you consume. And this may affect your performance positively or negatively,” he said.

Alile advised Nigerians to make good diet their friend so that they can live in good health.

“The eating lifestyle of the rich, who have been spending so much money travelling outside the country for medical attention, is wrong.

Alile who was former Director General of the Stock Exchange said: “Within the last three years, some of my age groups have been down with cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis and all sorts of ailments.”

Hypertension set to rise in Nigeria — Study

H

IGH blood pressure - already a massive hidden killer in Nigeria - is set to sharply rise as the country adopts western lifestyles, a study published in the Journal of Hypertension suggests.

Researchers who conducted the first upto-date nationwide estimate of the condition in Nigeria warn that this will strain the country’s already-stretched health system. Increased public awareness, lifestyle changes, screening and early detection are vital to tackle the increasing threat of the disease, they say.

High blood pressure - also known as hypertension - is twice as high in Nigeria compared with other East African countries and less than 20 per cent of Nigerians are aware that they have the condition.

Researchers estimated that there were more than 20 million cases of hypertension in Nigeria in 2010, affecting one in-three men and one-in-four women. This is set to rise to 39 million cases by 2030. Data from South Africa suggests that high blood pressure is treated effectively in less than 10 per cent of cases. Scientists at the University of Edinburgh, who carried out the study, say that understanding of hypertension in Nigeria and other African countries has been affected by lack of patient data.

Davies Adeloye, of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Population Health Sciences, said: “We have conducted a systematic search of high quality studies on hypertension across Nigeria and provided estimates of the prevalence and number of cases of hypertension in the country. We hope this will prompt appropriate policy response.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 — 49

50 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

VANGUARD, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 — 51

BRIEFS Obama to visit India next January

Russia accuses West of plotting regime change in Moscow F

OREIGN minister says sanctions imposed over Ukraine conflict aim to destroy Russian economy and cause public unrest.

Russia has accused the West of seeking a regime change in Moscow, once again raising tensions over the conflict in

Ukraine.

The criticism of Western sanctions on Russia

by Sergey Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, came a day after US Vice President Joe Biden hinted at possible further measures over Russia’s “unacceptable” role in the fighting that continues to

plague Ukraine.

“As for the concept behind to the use of coercive measures, the West is making clear it does not want to force Russia to change policy but wants to secure regime change,” Tass news agency quoted Lavrov as telling a

•Russian President, Putin

Mugabe tightens grip on ZANU-PF, to choose successor

Z

IMBABWE’s president Robert Mugabe has changed the constitution of his ruling ZANU-PF party to allow him to directly appoint his deputies, giving the 90-year-old sole power to anoint his successor, party sources said yesterday.

Until now Mugabe and his two ZANU-PF deputies have been elected by members from the country’s 10 regions.

The deputies automatically took up the same posts in government.

The changes to the ZANU-PF charter enacted at an all-night meeting of its politburo give Mugabe an even tighter grip at a time when deputy president Joice Mujuru has been accused of plotting to oust him at a party congress next month.

ZANU-PF’s chairman told reporters that the party had agreed “farreaching amendments” to its constitution.

He declined to give

meeting of the advisory Foreign and Defence Policy Council in Moscow on Saturday.

He said that when international sanctions had been used against other countries such as Iran and North Korea, they had been designed not to harm the national economy.

“Now public figures in Western countries say there is a need to impose sanctions that will destroy the economy and cause public protests,” he said.

Lavrov’s remarks came came on a day Ukraine’s defence minister said there were 7,500 Russian troops in the country’s east.

Russia denies claims that it provides military support to pro-Moscow separatists locked in conflict with government forces in the former Soviet state.

The US and the EU have imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia over Ukraine targeting the key energy, defence and finance sectors.

These have sent the ruble into free fall and inflation soaring.

On a visit to Kiev, Ukraine’s capital, on Friday, Biden accused Russia of failing to honour a peace agreement signed in September, which includes a shaky ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.

U

S President Barack Obama will travel to India in January for its Republic Day celebrations and talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the White House has said.

His trip follows up on Modi’s debut visit to Washington as India’s leader in September.

Modi has been courted by the United States as a key partner in its attempt to rebalance US diplomatic weight towards Asia.

“The president will meet with the prime minister and Indian officials to strengthen and expand the US-India strategic partnership,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said on Friday.

Earnest did not give a precise date for the trip, but Republic Day commemorates the adoption of India’s constitution on January 26, 1950.

The White House said Obama would be the first US president to attend India’s Republic Day celebration.

Tunisian youth prepare for vote

Y

OUNG Tunisians discuss the role they can play in their country’s fledgling democracy ahead of presidential election.

Tunisians prepare to vote Four years since the eruption of the Tunisian revolution, improvements have been made on issues such as human rights and free speech, but ongoing economic, social and security malaise kept the majority of young voters away from polling stations during last month’s legislative elections.

Though voter turnout was generally high, only 29 percent of eligible Tunisian youths cast a ballot, and a certain amount of voter apathy is also expected for the presidential vote on Sunday. The low turnout has been widely blamed on Tunisia’s political parties, which failed to engage the country’s youth.

It is an opportunity that we will not get again. That’s why I am going to vote, even though I still don’t know who I am going to vote for.

Islamists kill, abduct children in Mali

S

Nearly 800 migrants rescued in Mediterranean

USPECTED al-Qaeda-linked rebels have kidnapped 10 children and killed two others who tried to escape near two towns in Mali, capping a week of violence in the West African country’s desert north, a senior Malian military official said.

The rebels seized northern Mali in 2012, forcing a French-led military intervention last year that scattered the fighters across a vast region with porous borders. However, they continue to carry out hit-and-run attacks.

Lieutenant Colonel Diaran Kone, an official at Mali’s defence ministry, said Saturday’s incident occurred in the morning at settlements outside the towns of Aguelhoc and Kidal.

N

Guinean bandits steal suspected Ebola blood

details but two senior ZANU-PF members at the marathon meeting of the party’s top executive body told Reuters

EARLY 800 people have been rescued from boats in distress in the Mediterranean Sea in the last 48 hours, Italian and Libyan officials said.

The Italian coastguard said on Saturday that it rescued at least 520 people from five boats in

Mugabe would now appoint his deputies, giving him unassailable control of a party he has led since 1975.

Libyan waters late on Thursday, in response to distress signals from the boats headed towards Sicily.

An additional 171 people were also rescued during the overnight mission in the waters north of Tripoli.

The ship carrying the rescued immigrants

The Italian navy ’s response comes a day after Libya’s navy announced it rescued 105 migrants from a boat that broke down off the coast of Garabulli, 50km east of the capital.

This brings the total number of reported rescues over the weekend to 796 people. There were no details on their nationalities. Greek port authorities also said that they rescued 16 people when a boat carrying mostly Syrian refugees capsized off Mytilene.

In 2013, almost 8,000 people arrived on European shores in the first six months, and 35,000 in the second half of the year.

I

T was a highway robbery but the bandits got more than they bargained for when they stopped a taxi in Guinea and made off with blood samples that are believed to be infected with the deadly Ebola virus.

Authorities publicly appealed on national radio Friday to the unidentified robbers to hand over the samples that were stolen from the taxi during its 265-kilometer (165-mile) trek on winding rural roads from the central Kankan prefecture to a test site in southern Gueckedou.

The samples, stored in tightly wrapped vials tucked into a cooler bag, were in the care of a Red Cross courier who was among nine passengers sharing a taxi when three bandits on a motorbike led the attack near the town of Kissidougou, a local Red Cross official said.

The robbers forced the passengers out, stole mobile phones, cash and jewelry, and fired into the air as they demanded the handover of the cooler bag, said Saa Mamady Leno of the Red Cross in Gueckedou.

The courier, Abubakar Donzo, was later questioned by police.

52 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

BRIEFS Washington’s fourth term Mayor Marion Barry dies at 78

New Burkina president vows to identify Sankara’s body B

URKINA Faso’s new transitional president has promised to open an investigation to identify remains believed to be those of the West African nation’s murdered revolutionary folk hero Thomas Sankara.

Sankara rose to power in 1983 at the age of 33 after a coup and left a lasting mark during his short presidency, even changing his country’s name from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, meaning “the land of upright people” in local languages.

He was killed during another military putsch four years later led by his friend Blaise Compaore, who was toppled by a popular uprising and he fled the country last month after ruling Burkina Faso for 27 years.

Though Sankara’s body was placed in an unmarked grave, it is believed to be buried in a cemetery in the capital Ouagadougou’s Dagnoen neighbourhood.

“I ... decided that investigations to identify the

•President Michel Kafando body of Thomas Sankara will no longer be subject to a decision of the courts but will be the responsi-

bility of the government,” President Michel Kafando announced late on

Obama urges Congress to pass immigration bill

O

BAMA urged Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform as he used his weekly address Saturday to again defend his unilateral action shielding millions of undocumented

immigrants from deportation. “I still believe that the best way to solve this problem is by working together –- both parties – - to pass that kind of bipartisan law,” Obama said in his weekly radio and television address, referring to a wide-

Iran, world powers miss nuclear talks deadline

I

RAN, the United States and other world powers are all but certain to miss Monday’s deadline for negotiations to resolve a 12year stand-off over Tehran’s atomic ambitions, forcing them to seek an extension, sources say.

The talks in Vienna could lead to a transformation of the Middle East, open the door to ending economic

Friday in his first official speech, prompting loud applause from the audience.

sanctions on Iran and start to bring a nation of 76 million people in from the cold after decades of hostility with the West.

But sources confirmed on Sunday what officials close to the talks have been predicting privately for weeks: that a final deal is still too far off to hammer out by the deadline.

“Considering the short time left until the deadline and number of issues that needed to be discussed and resolved, it is impossible to reach a final and comprehensive deal by November 24,” Iran’s ISNA news agency quoted an unidentified member of the country’s negotiating team in Vienna as saying.

ranging overhaul that had passed the Senate but was blocked in the House of Representatives.

“That bill would have secured our border, while giving undocumented immigrants who already live here a pathway to citizenship if they paid a fine, started paying their taxes, and went to the back of the line,” the president said.

•Obama

Insurgency: security experts, scholars, brainstorm on solution

By Evelyn Usman

W

ORRIED by the in creasing loss of lives and wanton destruction of property by insurgents in the North |Eastern part of Nigeria and other parts of the African continent, international scholars and security experts are set to brainstorm on possible solutions to address the alarming trend.

This is just as the failure of several international fora to address insurgency in the African continent has been blamed on the inabil-

ity of leaders of the affected countries to carry its citizens along.

Addressing newsmen weekend in Lagos, on the 11th Africa Security Watch Awards, Lecture and Exhibition scheduled for November 25th and27th, 2014, at the Al Ghurair Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirate, President of the organisation, Patrick Agbambu , expressed concern over the continued attacks by terrorists , calling on leaders of the affected countries to be more proactive in their approach and also borrow

a leaf from countries who have succeeded .

The lecture with the theme ‘ Developing strategies and best practices for the fight against terrorism and urban crimes in Africa’ according to Agbambu, was aimed among other things at seeking lasting solution to the problems of insecurity bedevilling the continent,” “We are positive that the outcome of this fora will bring a lasting solution because we are sincere in the purpose of why we are bringing these people together. You remember that

there has been several moves made towards finding solution to this problem.

There was one summoned by the United States government with African leaders . There was another hosted by France. There have also been regional meetings held by some countries such as Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Cameroon, which have been affected directed. Just recently there was another meeting initiated by the Economic Community of West African States,ECOWAS , held in Ghana .

D

IVISIVE and flamboyant, maddening and beloved, Marion Barry outshone every politician in the 40-year history of District of Columbia self-rule. But for many, his legacy was not defined by the accomplishments and

• Mayor Marion Barry

failures of his four terms as mayor and long service on the D.C. Council.

Instead, Barry will be remembered for a single night in a downtown Washington hotel room and the grainy video that showed him lighting a crack pipe in the company of a much-younger woman.

“Bitch set me up,” Barry said when FBI agents burst in. Barry died Sunday at 78. His family said in statement that Barry died shortly after midnight at the United Medical Center, after having been released from Howard University Hospital on Saturday. No cause of death was given, but his spokeswoman LaToya Foster said he collapsed outside his home.

US Congress report debunks Benghazi attack claims

A

probe by a Congressional committee into the September 11, 2012 attack on a US compound in Benghazi debunked allegations that President Barack Obama’s administration fell down on the job.

Since the assault on the US mission in the Libyan city, which left the ambassador and three colleagues dead, the White House, CIA and State Department have been accused of mishandling their response.

But the report released Friday by the House intelligence committee, which is led by some of Obama’s fiercest Republican opponents, cleared the administration of all the most serious charges.

One claim investigated was that the Central Intelligence Agency had not provided adequate security for its own agents at an annex near the diplomatic mission, and Washington had failed to send support.

But the report, based on “thousands of hours of detailed investigation” and interviews with both senior officials and agents who had been on the ground found that this had not been the case.

“CIA ensured sufficient security for CIA activities in Benghazi and, without a requirement to do so, ably and bravely assisted the State Department on the night of the attacks,” it said.

“Appropriate US personnel made reasonable tactical decision that night, and the committee found no evidence that there was a stand-down order or a denial of available air support.

“The CIA received all military support that was available,” it added.

Kenya police find explosives in mosque raids

M

ORE than 150 suspected of ties to al-Qaedaaffiliated-al-Shabab arrested as arms and bombs were seized in Mombasa mosques.

Kenyan police have found explosives after a series of raids on three mosques this week in Mombasa and arrested more than 150 people suspected of being supporters of al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab.

Richard Ngatia, a local police chief, said investigators on Wednesday found a grenade and three machetes at Mombasa’s Mina mosque, while two 10-litre petrol bombs and a bomb detonator were uncovered at Swafaa mosque.

Police raided two mosques on Monday, seizing weapons and anti-government literature that they said was evidence of militant activity.

Police had arrested 376 people during the raids, which started on Sunday, but 91 were subsequently released for lack of evidence. Prosecutors said 158 would be charged with being members of alShabaab.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 — 53

L-R: Umar Mohammed Nasko, PDP, governorship aspirant, Niger State; Hon. Sam Ode, PDP governorship aspirant, Benue State, and Hon. Adamu Usman, speaker, Niger State House of Assembly, at the formal declaration ceremony for the 2015 Niger State governorship election by Nasko in Minna, Niger State.

Why I’m gunning for Senate as a first-timer — Bisi Salis

B

Leadership development key to Nigerian future —Okorie

By Emmanuel Elebeke

P

RESIDENT and founder of Guardian of the Nation International, GOTNI, Dr. Linus Okorie, has said that the fastest way Nigeria can make progress is to begin to invest in leadership development in such a way that excellence can become a norm in the country.

Okorie stated this in Abuja, while delivering a lecture entitled: Leadership a Panacea to National Transformation: New approaches and Fresh opportunities at the combined awards ceremony, convocation/matriculation and call to hall of fame of African Business School, said Africa is a great continent bless-

ed with natural resources but couldn’t attain its potentials due to leadership deficit, which had caused her great shame, pain and disgrace.

For the continent to progress, Okorie said, Africans must begin to make excellence become a norm and have a critical mass of people doing excellent things, that will become part of the way of doing things. While insisting that Africans have all it takes to move the continent to place of pride, Okorie, who is also an attitude and leadership development consultant said, ''we need to innovate in our continent so that we can give the world what the world is looking for. The fast-

est way Nigeria can make progress is to begin to invest in leadership development in such a way that excellence can become a norm in our country. For me, it should no longer be a blame game but time has come for this generation to begin the transformation from individuals. ''Africa is a very great continent.

It is a great continent indeed, blessed with natural resources.

Resources that is filled with greatness in it in all ramification. But for five decades, Africa has been challenged by the huge deficit of quality leadership capital. Deficit in leadership capital in our continent has caused us a great shame, pain and disgrace.''

By Starrys Obazei

ISI SALIS of Lagos East senatorial district, weekend, said she is running for Senate as a first timer in politics because “my people and party members believe in me.”

Speaking with journalists, she said: “My party members know this is my first time of gunning for any political position, yet they want nothing less than a senatorial seat for me and I am gunning for it.

As far as I am concerned the voice of the people is the voice of God.” During a campaign tour of Lagos East senatorial district that consists of Epe, Shomolu,

Kosofe, Ikorodu and Ibeju Lekki, she said that opponents who view her as an under-dog would get a shocker. She said, “Call me a political neophyte to your own detriment if you are my competition. I had been living and relating with my people for decades. They know me and I know them. Nobody knows this terrain of relationship with Ikorodu and Ibeju Lekki people more than me.”

Vanguard gathered that Mrs. Bisi Salis, had been ‘watering’ the needy in her community.

“My approach is not to give fish to the needy; I give them hooks to fish for themselves.''

World police chiefs stress need for police community relations

T

HE assembly of chiefs of police serving and retired that converged at the recent 121st Annual International Association Of Chiefs Of Police Conference (IACP) in Orlando, Florida, USA, have stressed the need for re-examination of the important issue of police community relations, drawing instances on what obtains in their various countries.

In his key message at the conference, titled Strengthening

Police – Community Relations, IACP President, Mr. Yousry Zakhary, stated that events have shown a spotlight on law enforcement agencies, officers and the tactics and equipment that are being employed to protect the communities, leading to event whereby many observers and commentators, as well as ordinary citizens have continued to raise important questions about the state of police – community relations.

54— Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

2 APC gov aspirants step down for Solomon •As Ikorodu division adopts him consensus candidate

T

WO governorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, coming out from the Ikorodu Division of Lagos State have voluntarily stepped down for a frontline aspirant from the area, Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, popularly called GOS. As a result, political and eminent leaders in Ikorodu Division have unanimously adopted Solomon as the APC consensus candidate for the Division. Those who stepped down from the race include Architect Taiwo Akintunde Kara and a former Head of Service in the state, Prince Adeseye Ogunlewe.

The decision to step down for Solomon to pave the way for his adoption as the Ikorodu Division consensus candidate was reached at a meeting held at the Ikorodu town hall on November 7 with representatives of the various coalition groups clamouring for ‘Ikorodu Division for Governor 2015.’ The three major APC aspirants from the division are Ogunlewe, Kara and Solomon.

A communiqué endorsed by the three aspirants dated November 17 said the agitation by Ikorodu Division is justified following the zoning of the party’s governorship ticket to Lagos East. According to them, “the indigenes of Ikorodu outvoted their son, Prince Biodun Ogunleye to pave way for an indigene of the Epe/Ibeju-Lekki community to emerge as governorship candidate in 1992. It is expected that the Epe/Ibeju-Lekki community will support ‘Ikorodu Division for Governor agenda’ on APC platform for the 2015 election.“We remain a team and will work together towards ensuring that the Ikorodu Division Agenda becomes a reality.”

Following the withdrawal of the two aspirants, Ikorodu leaders and elders under the auspices of Eminent Persons of Ikorodu Division (EPID) adopted the decision of the three aspirants and thereafter adopted Solomon as the APC governorship consensus candidate for Ikorodu Division.

NASS/APC DATA CENTRE POLICE INVASION: Nda-Isaiah

blasts presidency ••as DSS releases 25 arrested APC staff, three still in detention

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

P

UBLISHER of Leadership Newspapers and All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential aspirant, Dr. Sam Ndah-Isaiah, has condemned last week's invasion of National Assembly complex by the police and Lagos APC data centre by the Department of State Service, DSS, describing it as a deliberate act by the Presidency to collapse democracy in the country.

This came even as DSS released 25 out of 28 arrested persons at the APC data centre in Ikeja.

Ndah-Isaiah who made the remarks, yesterday, in an interview with Vanguard on the state of the nation, noted that the rising impunity and lawlessness on the part of the Federal Government in the country’s body polity was scary.

He said,“I think the President deliberately wanted to collapse the system. I don’t know why the stakeholders in the democracy are trying to pull it down. This is not the kind of democracy we are asking for.

All of us fought the military to have democracy. What is happening in National Assembly, the president is behind it. The talk about the Inspector General of Police, IGP, is not the case. How could IG invade National Assembly, if not ordered directly from the president? not even the vice president can give such an order.

“This is the president using the state institutions for personal attacks, bugging the opposition party offices. The level of lawlessness, the level of impunity and total absence of rule of law in this country is scary. We have to rescue ourselves. I am sure Nigerians are not ready to walk into an open disaster. If he (President) wants to use these tactics to harass the opposition I don’t think it will work.”

DSS invasion of APC data office

Meantime, the Publicity Secretary of Lagos APC, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, yesterday, confirmed the release of 25 out of the 28 arrested staff at party data centre by DSS. Igbokwe said the DSS released the staff after interrogating them adding that they were asked to report back on Monday for further investigation.

Igbokwe, however, said that three were still being held at press time as 28 persons were actually arrested on the day of the invasion by the DSS. while calling for an independent enquiry into the armed invasion, he said that,

“nothing, not even the deployment of illegal brute force, would deter Nigerians from pursuing the truth and setting themselves free from the shackles of oppression by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP led Federal Government.”

Govt raises alarm over scammers impersonating Fashola

The Lagos State Government, weekend, again urged residents to be wary of fraudsters who create fake facebook accounts of Governor Babatunde Fashola to extort money from unsuspecting people. In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Mr. Hakeem Bello, reiterated that the governor does not do business on facebook adding that although he has a facebook and twitter accounts, those are used strictly for communicating government policies and programmes when necessary.

“Governor Fashola SAN, does not do business on facebook. He does not operate a facebook account that asks people to make cash donations in any bank account”.

Bello explained that the caution

was informed when the state government’s attention was drawn to the latest activities of a certain individual who attempted to defraud a popular artiste by demanding that a certain percentage of money be paid into an account to facilitate the processing of a large sum of money in the SURE-P Empowerment Fund for the artiste, stressing that “members of the public should beware of such scammers.”

While warning the people against falling prey to such fraudsters who are impersonating the governor in attempts to swindle innocent residents on the various social media platforms, Bello said that security men were already on the trail of the conman and would leave no stone unturned to ensure that he and his likes are brought to justice.

The Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Hon. Ikuforiji, has, meantime, condemned the attack on one of the offices of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, saying it is a dangerous signal and a threat to the democratic process.

Speaking to reporters in Lagos,

the Speaker said few days after the ugly incidents at the House of Representatives where the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal and most of the APC lawmakers were prevented from gaining access to the House, and Ekiti State where seven lawmakers out of 26 impeached the Speaker, the invasion of the APC office by officials of the Department of State Service and the Police is clear indication that the democratic process was in grave danger.

He said there was no way the DSS and the Police would have acted without order from above, adding that the blatant abuse of power and rule of law was becoming the hallmark of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

Ikuforiji said,“What is really going on in our country? Just few days after the Lagos House condemned in the strongest term the ugly scenario at the National Assembly, the invasion of the APC office is uncalled for and should be condemned by all Nigerians who want a country where the rule of law and due process take precedence over barbarism. This is totally unacceptable.”

L-R: The President of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Alhaji Remi Bello presents a souvenir to Mr. Tony Ojobo, Director, Public Affairs of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, at the just-ended Lagos International Trade Fair in Lagos.

PDP clears Udom Emmanuel for Akwa Ibom gov race

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HE issue of whether or not one of the leading aspirants in the 2015 Akwa Ibom Governorship race in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, is eligible to contest in the 2015 governorship race on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was, weekend, laid to rest as the party confirmed that the aspirant has met all the requirements to contest on its platform.

Speculations were rife that the aspirant did not meet the party’s requirement for the office, a

development powered by those opposed to his candidature; but the party’s Zonal Screening Committee dismissed the speculation in Port Harcourt on Saturday and cleared the former Zenith Bank executive director to contest in the primary elections of the party in Akwa Ibom State.

The party ’s governorship primaries is scheduled for December 8, 2014.

Emmanuel was accompanied to the zonal secretariat by party elders, stakeholders and campaign coordinators. The

immediate past secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government arrived at the party office at about 10.55am and was warmly received by a large crowd of party faithful and supporters.

The immediate past Secretary to Government of the state is from the Eket Senatorial District which is favoured to produce the next governor for the state. Obong Victor Attah, an architect, from Uyo Senatorial District was governor between 1999 and 2007 and was succeeded by Obong Godswill Akpabio.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014—55

LASU to withdraw 19 Ph.D certificates over irregularities —VC L

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

AGOS — The Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University, LASU, Professor Oladapo Obafunwa, has disclosed plans by the institution’s Senate to withdraw some Ph.D certificates awarded by the university following irregularities discovered in the process of verification.

He also vowed to put an end to the culture of impunity and corruption in the university before the end of his tenure.

Obafunwa, who made the remark weekend while speaking with newsmen on the activities of his administration since he assumed office, admitted that though many untoward behaviours and activities had been permitted in the past, the days of sweeping wrongs under the carpet and favoritism are gone for good in the university.

Speaking specifically on the plan to withdraw some Ph.D certificates awarded by the university, the Vice Chancellor said it was a collective decision of the school’s senate.

According to him, “during one of our senate meetings, someone complained that she was given a Ph.D in a programme she did not enrol in. She said she enrolled in M.Phil/Ph.D International

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

BRIEFING: From left: Mr Biola Adebayo, Operations Director, Fidson Healthcare Plc; Mr Okey Akpa, Chairman, Pharmacutical Manufacturers Group Manufaturers Association of Nigeria, (PMGMAN) and Mr Vaekey Verghese, Vice Chairman PMGMAN, and Chief Executive Officer Jawa Group, Jawa International during a press briefing by PMGMAN, in Lagos. PHOTO: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor

Business, and cannot be given a certificate in Business Administration Marketing.

“I didn’t even know anything about it until it came to the fore. The senate directed the Dean of Postgraduate School and Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences to go

and bring all the materials relating to the complaint. We asked them to look at the documents and eventually found that 19 of them were affected.

“Senate spent about three hours debating this issue and eventually were able to categorise everything into three groups. I think about

eight of them or so, have virtually no problems.

“They were given Ph.D in the areas they actually enrolled in. The two other groups, senate considers to have mild problems in one of the groups and another one with very serious problems.”

Stop abusing Jonathan, Edo PDP tells Oshiomhole

By Gabriel Enogholase

B

ENIN CITY— EDO State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has denounced what it termed political calumny and abuse rained on President Goodluck Jonathan by Governor Adams Oshiomhole, citing his recent reference to Federal Government’s intervention on Edo roads as mere resurfacing as not only nonsense but unfortunate.

The party urged the governor to desist from misinforming Edo people on the execution of the Federal Government’s projects in the state, saying the governor ’s misinformation would not save his party from losing the state to the PDP in the forthcoming general elections.

The party noted that the government of Oshiomhole failed to use the auspicious atmosphere of his sixth anniversary celebration to inform the Edo people what he would use his remaining two years to achieve but “decided to throw punches at our amiable President Jonathan.”

State chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, at Ogbona,

Guber aspirants grumble over N2m screening fee

Etsako Central Local Government Area, where over 5000 former All Progressives Congress, APC, members defected to PDP, said Oshiomhole had forgotten so soon his commendation of the contributions of the government of Jonathan to Edo State.

According to him, “He said Jonathan has got nothing to show the Edo

people in his year's in office apart from what he described as the resurfacing of an existing Benin-Ore road. Only few weeks ago, he praised Mr President and the Minister of Works for what he described as the best intervention in any road in Nigeria and described the Benin-Ore Road as the best thing that has ever happened to Edo State.

“Just last year, during the official opening of the Benin

Airport, the governor lamented that the airport was abandoned since 1970 and with the special intervention of Mr President, we now have a model airport in Benin.

The Edo PDP chairman also appealed to Oshiomhole to stop dragging traditional rulers in the state into the political arena through town hall meetings.

2015: Poor governance threatens our democracy —Lori-Ogbebor

By Ikenna Asomba & Ediri Ejoh

L

AGOS— BARELY three months to the 2015 general elections, prominent Itsekiri leader and women activist, Chief Rita LoriOgbebor, has lamented that the country’s leadership has drifted far away from the lofty heights and dreams of its founding fathers, warning that poor governance is threatening the nation’s emerging democracy.

Lori-Ogbebor, who spoke

in Lagos on the sidelines of the Centre for Democratic Governance in Africa, CDGA, 2014 Annual Global Award/ Lecture, expressed disappointment that the children they protested for to acquire the best of education are now today’s leaders, but are governing badly.

The Igba of Warri Kingdom (Irojowo), who bagged the CDG A African Woman of Excellence Awards, said: “In those days when I was younger, we used to protest for our children. We protested

when there was anything like strike in the education sector.

We took it as an onerous responsibility to protest for our children to go to school.

But those children whom we protested for to go to school are now in various offices of leadership. People like me had thought that our children, who had gone to schools for various academic qualifications, will do better than our founding fathers, but unfortunately, they are doing worst than years back. So the question is, where do we go from here?”

ORT HARCOURT— Governorship aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State, weekend, frowned at an alleged N2 million being charged by the South South zonal secretariat of the party before they could be screened.

Some of them who spoke to Vanguard under conditions of anonymity, said the zonal secretariat of the party failed to notify them of the fee ahead of the screening exercise which commenced Saturday in Port Harcourt.

They said that the zonal leadership of the party merely announced the situation to them during the screening exercise, adding that the fee was not in the guidelines of the party for the exercise.

Meantime, screening of aspirants by the South South zonal secretariats of the party commenced Saturday at its secretariats on Aba Road, Port Harcourt.

Vanguard gathered that over 70 aspirants are to participate in the screening exercise which ends today.

Rejoinder

S

ATURDAY Vanguard n e w s p a p e r, weekend, carried a story entitled: Brother of exNSE boss charged for rape.

However, the former NSE Director General, Prof. Ndi OkerekeOnyiuke (OON), has written to state that the alleged culprit is not her brother and that she is highly disappointed with the falsehood.

A statement from Prof.

Okereke-Onyiuke said as an avid reader of Vanguard publications, she believes that the story falls short of the newspaper’s standard.

The error is regretted.

—Editor.

56 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014

St op pla ying Stop playing politics of religions, tribes, aspirant tells politicians

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

J

OS — SENATOR representing Plateau North senatorial zone and governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Gyang Pwajok has urged politicians to be conscious of the nation’s unity and stop playing politics of religions and tribes.

Senator Pwajok noted that bringing religious and tribal differences into politics are cheap things to do and they have the tendency of tearing the respective States and the entire country apart.

He spoke at the weekend in Jos while commissioning the Youth Campaign office as well as inagurating the Central Working Committee of his campaign organization.

The Senator stressed that he is ready to work with the youths as one of them and promised to take the state to a greater height if given the mandates at the primary and general elections.

Similarly, the Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Youth and Student Matters, Jude Imagwe who was the Chairman of the event called on youths in the state to always support the PDP. Imagwe also appealed to all aspirants in the State not to take politics as a do or die affair but play by the rules and bring sanity into the Nigerian politics by doing the right thing.

He added that the 2015 elections would be free and fair as President Goodluck Jonathan is committed to ensuring hitch free elections.

Also speaking, Barr.

Redzie Jugo of the Coalition of Young Redemption Advocates, CYRA said Plateau youths believe in the ability of Sen. Pwajok to lead the state to a promise land.

He noted that Plateau people are yearning for continuity and that they cannot afford to support anyone who does not understand the vision of the redemption government of governor Jonah Jang.

2015: Pat Utomi led-UNDEDSS okays Jonathan second term bid

By Dapo Akinrefon

T

HE PROFESSOR Pat Utomi-led coalition of all Niger Delta ethnic nationalities and civil society, United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy, UNDEDSS, has

thrown its weight behind President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid.

The group also appealed to Nigerians to fully support the Nigerian military in the ongoing war against terrorism in Nigeria.

In a statement by it SecretaryGeneral, Mr. Tony Iprinye Uranta, UNDEDSS noted that the

region’s leaders have “observed with growing apprehension the citizenry’s disconnect from the military even though all of Nigeria depends on the military in the ongoing fight against terror.”

It said “maybe, Nigerians are so carried away with petty partisan political wranglings

DONATION: First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, on behalf of Change and Development Initiative, presents the key to one ambulances she donated to the Federal Medical Centre, Otuoke, Lawrence Iroka, the board chairman; middle is Dr. Ebitimi Etebu, of the centre.

Women for of the two to Chief C. the director

that they seem to be really oblivious to the dangers posed by the increasing levels of terrorism, both global and in Nigeria. If we do not, calculatedly and consciously support our fighting forces, or if we continue to help paint terrorists in positive light, as many politicians and journalists are myopically wont of doing, we will deprive our troops of their most potent weapon, which is disciplined high morale!”

The group further stated that the region supports President Jonathan’s 2015 re-election bid, “but cautions that the President must be seen to be more inclusive in running the affairs of state; be more dependent on merit-biased [instead of merely political! advisers; more ready to call erring public officers to order, publicly, to exhibit transparent commitment to the rule-of-law; and, to generally show to Nigerians, and all the world, that his administration is truly nation-focused, not partisan in leanings.”

While suing for peace, UNDEDSS lamented the recent “brouhaha engulfing the National Assembly”, even as it lauded Senate President David Mark’s timely “troubleshooting efforts, and calls for all parties to respect the rule-of-law; noting that multiple wrongs never make a right.”

dama wa incumbent Adama damaw GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION: A

gets right of first refusal

By Henry Umoru

A

BUJA — STRONG indications have emerged, yesterday, that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP cleared the governor of Adamawa State, Bala James Ngilari to contest the 2015 governorship election, following the intervention of Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, who insisted that he should be given right of first refusal like other serving governors.

It was also gathered that following strong “protests by some traditional rulers, PDP Governors’ Forum, Gen T.Y. Danjuma, PDP jettisoned its earlier endorsed zoning arrangement where the 2015 slot was zoned to Adamawa Central and granted the governor, “Right of First Refusal” that was also accorded governors of Bayelsa, Kaduna, and Gombe.

With yesterday’s develelopent, Bala James Ngilari of Adamawa State who was cleared by former Governor Achike Udenwa led Screening Committee for North East, said that the clearance granted him to contest the 2015 was a sign of confidence in his capacity to lead the party to victory in the 2015 general elections, even as he described it as victory for democracy.

Ngilari, who stated this while reacting to the latest position of the national leadership of the party on Adamawa State chapter of the party, said the development would further assist him to deliver the dividends of democracy to “the long suffering people of the state.”

Speaking with Journalists, the governor who noted that PDP would go into the primaries united and come out stronger as opposed to the earlier position of those who wish the party “ill luck”, said, “If the party had stopped me, there would have

been a backlash that would have affected the fortunes of the party in the 2015 general elections. And that was what has been averted by the party by its matured handling of the issue.”

There were doubts over the screening of Ngilari by the party following the controversial zoning of the governorship position to the Central Senatorial District of the state as it was followed by the sudden sack of the State Executive Committee of the party. The move was believed to be targeted at Governor Ngilari.

Ngilari said the party’s decision is a vindication of his position that a governor must govern with the fear of God and be just to all, stressing that the overwhelming support he has received from people of all walks of life, faith has further confirmed to him that he must continue to govern with fear of a God. He said, “Many Muslims from within and outside the state and

Christians took up my matter because they saw an injustice about being meted out to me.

The only way I can repay everyone is to be fair, and ensure justice to all.”

On his plans for the state if elected, he said his programme of “Restorative” will cover all areas – that would include education, health, infrastructure and security, adding that his administration shall give legal backing to the activities of the vigilantes, adding, “A bill would soon be forwarded to the State House of Assembly. The bill is in the draft stage and it is an issue that is dear to me. So, in the next few days, it will be ready for the consideration of the House. The state working with the military, would soon chase out the insurgents.

“The state and the military working together, have made substantial gains. I appeal to members of the National Assembly to approve the state of emergency extension as requested by President Goodluck Jonathan.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014—57

Akpobolokemi and the uncommon transformation of NIMASA

By Felix Ugbechie

W

HEN Ziakede Akpobolokemi was appointed the DirectorGeneral and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Maritime Administration And Safety Agency, NIMASA, many operators in the sector welcomed him with clenched hands. This was understandable.

Coming from the academia, it was expected that many would see him as a fringe player in the industry. But hardly had he settled down, than he proved the pessimists wrong. Today he has not only sustained the momentum in the agency, but has also transformed it in such a novel and uncommon manner akin only to a creative thinker, an uncommon business mogul, a diligent entrepreneur; a courageous industrialist, an incurable optimist and an ambitious impresario all rolled into one.

Akpobolokemi has defied the odds and is gradually etching his name in golden marble as a turn-around expert and a visionary of astounding proportions. It is often said that if you play an old lady a music she is used to in her dancing days, no matter how frail and weak her waist and legs are, she would always wriggle to the tunes of the music. Such could be said of Akpobolokemi. Coming from a knowledge-based sector, he knew that in future, the dearth of professionals could hamper the operations of the agency. Pragmatic and forward looking, he conceived the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU) which is to provide a solution to the dearth of qualified professionals in the Nigerian Maritime sector.

Laudable initiative This laudable initiative will of course, produce high level manpower for Nigeria’s maritime/ shipping sector on sustainable basis.

It will also provide training for seafarers, master mariners, marine engineers, naval architects, nautical scientists and other specialised maritime/shipping trade skills.

Interestingly, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has performed the ground-breaking ceremony of the university at Okerenkoko and also flagged-off activities at the university ’s temporary site in Kurutie, both in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State. There is an on-going effort to source for technical collaboration with foreign maritime institutions. When this finally takes off the university is envisaged to become a centre of excellence in innovative research for the maritime sector in the West and Central Africa sub-region when it fully evolves.

Today, the noble virtues of Akpobolokemidynamism, innovativeness and creativity have positively rubbed off on the agency, turning it into Africa’s strongest and most innovative maritime agency.

His commitment to excellence is unequaled.

His insistence that second best does not lead to success has led the agency maintaining high standards as well as being proactive in raising the bar in order to achieve excellence in all areas. One of such noticeable landmarks is the NIMASA Shipyard and Dockyard, also located in Okerenkoko. He notes that the vision behind this Map of Nigeria project is to transform the maritime sector into an industry that on resourcefulness and intelligence. will generate capable local This is true when one considers the manpower, which will contribute sustenance and continuous significantly to the nation’s Gross investment in Nigerian Seafarers Domestic Product.

Development Programme “The vision behind the shipyard (NSDP).The emphasis here is on and dockyard project is to have a human capacity development for the world-class building and repair present and the future mindful of its facility that will be commercially viable critical role in exploiting the potential to transform the nation’s economy. of the sector. He notes: “I am glad to The project is being developed in two inform you that under the Nigerian phases. Phase one is the ship Seafarers Development Programme building facility to handle smaller (NSDP), which started five years vessels and maintain ships plying the ago, over 2,500 young Nigerians nation’s inland waterways while the have benefitted or are currently second phase is planned for a facility enjoying various levels of that will handle ocean-going vessels sponsorship in schools in the United and offshore installations which will Kingdom, Egypt, Romania, India serve the oil and gas industry”. This and Philippines. facility would of course, fill the major “The first set of twenty-three (23) infrastructural capacity gap that has qualified seafarers under the scheme negatively affected the sector ’s has already emerged from the Arab performance.

Academy for Science Technology “Another important reason for and Maritime Transport, Egypt undertaking the project is that the having completed their sea time ship and dockyard facility will support training and earned their Certificates the university by providing of Competencies (CoC). opportunity for the practical training Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, of naval architects, marine, 14 of them graduated with first class communication and control Honours, while one of our students engineers. The physical proximity of emerged the best overall graduating the ship and dockyard facility to the student from the Institution this year. university is deliberately conceived From capacity building, to to facilitate adequate practical infrastructural and human capital training of students in requisite development especially in Maritime areas”. Sensitivity is another attribute Labour, he recognizes the fact that he brings on board. He is a good this forms the basic requirement to communicator who genuinely likes grow any sector. One other all kinds of people and is comfortable commendable area being in talking to perfect strangers in all kinds maritime safety, which is an area that of environments. He is also cannot be compromised. To him, for accessible. With all the air of opulence any sustainable and meaningful around him, he is always accessible growth in the maritime sector, a to everybody. robust maritime domain awareness Akpobolokemi places a premium system is inevitable. “NIMASA has therefore entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force to enhance Water patrol and Aerial surveillance of Nigeria’s maritime domain. We identify the fact that a well trained workforce provides the ingredient for a highly productive sector”.

Undoubtedly, Akpobolokemi is leaving an indelible footprint in NIMASA and his administration could be summed up in what, Forbes describes as one the African public leaders, empire builders, moguls Undoubtedly, and high-flying chief executives of Akpobolokemi is multinational corporations who possess continental clout and wield leaving an indelible the most widespread influence in footprint in Africa’s business and economic NIMASA circles”.

NIS intensifies screening of visit or visitor orss at entr entryy points

By Vera Samuel Anyagafu

T

HE Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has reiterated its commitment towards ensuring that Ebola virus never finds its way into the country again, hence the intensified screening of visitors at all entry points in Nigeria.

Speaking on the NIS committed efforts in the fight against the spread of the virus, NIS Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka Obua, said that maintaining strict screening of visitors at airports, seaports and border areas to prevent the spread of Ebola Virus into the country, was helpful.

According to Obua, the Service was engrossingly collaborating with the Port Health Services and Plant Quarantine Services to screen visitors entering the country.

He said that NIS officials must ensure that all immigrants, including plants and animals, entering the country are screened for any form of disease that can cause harm to the health of Nigerian citizens.

Stressing the multiple positive effects of maintaining tightly secured borders, Obua added that NIS collaborated efforts with other sister agencies, assured tight security at the country’s borders entry points.

This, he said, was to ensure that individuals, including goods and animals entering the country are proven safe.

He also intimated that Port Health Services officials were immediately alerted in cases where they encountered travelers with incomplete certificate of vaccination or obvious signs of ill-health.

Responding to the issue of precautionary measures for NIS officials who are positioned at the ports and border areas, Obua said that NIS has effectively equipped officials who monitor the country’s entry and exit points with protective clothing to prevent contact with the virus.

He also said that officers who are deployed to those areas are always in contact with travelers, and it is more than necessary to safe-guard them in all aspect, so as to reduce the risk of contracting the virus as it was easily transmitted through physical contact and air.

UK Court jails 2 Nigerians for traf king trafffic icking

By Prisca Sam-Duru with agency report

T

WO Nigerians, Lizzy Idahosa and Jackson Omoruyi, have been jailed for eight and two years respectively following a UK Home Office investigation into the trafficking of Nigerian women into the UK for sexual exploitation.

Lizzy Idahosa, 24, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court,on Friday, November 7, after being found guilty of trafficking women to and around the UK, inciting prostitution and money laundering. Her partner, Jackson Omoruyi, 41, was jailed after the jury found him guilty of two money laundering offences.

The investigation which began after Home Office Immigration Enforcement officers carried out an operation at the Ambassador Suite Massage Parlour, on City Road, Cardiff, in June 2013, revealed that a Nigerian woman found there told officers she had been trafficked into the UK several years previously by Idahosa and since then had been working in the sex industry.

Also, investigations by the Home Office’s Criminal Investigations officers revealed that a second victim said Idahosa had trafficked her into the UK to work in the sex industry.

“Both victims said that before travelling to London they had been subjected to ‘juju’ rituals in Nigeria in which they ate snails and snakes, had their hair shaved, drank dirty water and were cut with a razor.

On arrival, Idahosa told the women they each owed £50,000 for passage to the UK and they or their families in Nigeria would be harmed if the ‘debt’ was not repaid.

The women told the officers that they worked at brothels around England and Wales including in London, Croydon, Stevenage, Brighton, Swansea and Cardiff, paying their earnings directly to Idahosa or via Omoruyi’s bank account.”

Idahosa and Omoruyi were said to have been arrested by the Officers from the Home Office Criminal Investigation in a property in Dressington Avenue, Lewisham, South London, in April this year.

58 — V anguard, MOND AY, NO VEMBER 24, 2014 Vanguard, MONDA NOVEMBER YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

AQUARIUS; Although friends are willing to assist you circumstances may not allow complete help as expected. 9.46am to 12.43pm can be a bit sensitive.

PISCES; Emphasis will continue to be on career related issues. However you will not be wrong if you take matters-of-the-heart more seriously now.

Be more loving.

ARIES; Mid-morning till early afternoon period may bring more promises than it can actually deliver; your being clever will see you through. Be very practical.

TAURUS; Continue to attach necessary importance to your family values. Here is a day when joint ventures can bring you under pressure between 9.46am and 12.43pm.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

Dressing For The Occasion

T

O dress for the occasion is simply to dress in a way that people don’t need to be told who you are anymore except by your dressing. For example, you can iden-

tify an intending couple through their dressing.

Let your dressing reveal who you are. Every occasion, every

TERROR MUDA

profession has a way of dressing that is generally acceptable. For instance, it is not good dressing to put on an agbada (a local gar-

in “Never say goodbye”

ment) as a motor mechanic and go under the car to carry out some repairs.

Dress to suit the occasion. Dress in accordance with your profession and or your office.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

GEMINI; Other people will continue to feature in your activities; that is to say you will need to be as co-operative as reason permits. Watch it between 9.46am&12.43pm CANCER; You will be in good position to consolidate on progress made yesterday. However you will need to watch your mood from 9.46am to 12.43pm.

LEO; It is important you don’t take things for granted around mid-morning and early afternoon period so that you will not run into avoidable disappointments.

VIRGO; If you are in position to control your actions you would fare better if you can wait till after 12,43pm before you make an important move.

Be family minded.

LIBRA; Your being receptive can enhance your prospects but that is not to say you have to be naïve, especially during mid-morning and early afternoon periods.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

SCORPIO; Success is boldly printed on your cards and like yesterday if priority attention is given to money the scope of your success will be wider.

SGITTARIUS; Although things may be happening around you, you are the right person to make things happen and give others opportunities.. Be wise.

CAPRICORN; Take note that others may break promises made before early afternoon period; that is to say you should not take anybody for granted before 12.43pm.

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

Who is in me ?

Dear Joshua, I don’t want my data published but tell me everything I should know about myself. Sometimes I am confused the type of a person I am, especially when others misunderstand me. Thus I am asking you who is actually in me- Astrologically.

Diran, Abuja.

Dear Diran, At face value one may be tempted to wrongly take you for a very soft person but, with the preponderance of fixed quality and fire element in your Astrological make ups here is a determined and ambitious Soul with stronger will-power (actually once your mind is made up on any important issue you rarely change).

Saturn as the only planet at home when you were born pointed to a person who will always take important decision when and if his career will not be put in danger; meaning my career first.

Although, the Sun is the Centre of the Solar system and wherever is placed in any given horoscope is the heart of that horoscope, by implication placement of the mighty Sun in Cancer here means that you are mainly a Cancer born person, with more than two (there were actually four) heavenly bodies placed in Kingly Leo when you were born, you are equally a Leo born person as Leo was serving as the stellium during your birth hour.

Equally it is important to point out prominence of bold Aries in your chart as it hosted your natal Moon.

Anyway equal distribution of planetary placement in push-full and non-push-full positions will ensure balanced personality with powerful LEADERSHIP skill in you. Your natal Sun, Moon and Stellium in Cancer, Aries and Leo respectively are indications of your being mainly a Cancer born person and partly Aries/Leo; meaning that basic characteristics of the three Star signs mentioned (namely Cancer, Aries and Leo) are highly pronounced in your inner-self.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014—59

Vanguard CLASSIFIED EKWUSI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ekwusi Stella Oluchukwu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ogundimu Stella Oluchukwu. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Confirmation of Name This is to confirm that the name Nwachukwu Chukwubueze and N w a c h u k w u Chukwubueze Rawlings, refer to one and the same person. But now wish to be known and addressed as Nwachukwu Chukwubueze Rawlings.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OBI-OKOYE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Obiananma ObiOkoye, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Obiananma Okafor. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

UGBOMA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Rebecca Nwabuzor Ugboma, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Rebecca Nwabuzor Osaji. All former documents remain valid. The Nigerian Bar Association and general public please take note.

N WA B U W E — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Nwabuwe Ndidi Endurance, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nwaiku Ndidi Regina.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EZE —I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ruth Nneka Onoja Eze, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ruth Nneka Ekiverere Akpotihwe. All former documents remain valid.

Igbo Eze South L G A,Enugu State, High Court of Justice, Lokoja, Govt Day Sec Sch Adankolo, Lokoja and Kogi State College of Education, Ankpa and general public please take note.

ABIAZIEM—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Tina Chiasa Abiaziem, now wish to be known and addressed as Tina Chiasa Udushirinwa.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EJEH—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Roseline Ogbene Ejeh, now wish to be known and addressd as Mrs. Roseline Ogbene Otumala. All former documents remain valid.

UNIJOS, NYSC and general public, please take note.

OFOKAJA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ofokaja Ifeoma Peace, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oweziem Ifeoma Peace. All former documents remain valid.

Federal Polytechnic Nekede and general public please take note.

UDUOBORIE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oghale Stephanie Uduoborie, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oghale Stephanie Orugbo. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OKOH—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Okoh B l e s s e d Oghenekarokome, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Akpojaro Blessed Oghenekarokome. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

MBUKA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Mbuka Iheoma Ezichi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Mbuka-Nwosu Iheoma Ezichi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ERUORE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ikiene Hope Eruore, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olotu Solomon Hope Eruore. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and the general public please take note.

ADAMU—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adamu Blessing Ojonugwa, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Blessing Ojonugwa Omale. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

2015: Screening committee clears Orubebe

By Chris Ochayi

A

BUJA— THE former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe has been cleared by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to contest the party's gubernatorial primaries for Delta State.

The PDP Zonal screening committee for the South-South led by its Chairman, Ambassador Obed Wadzani, Saturday, in Port Harcourt gave Orubebe clean bill to contest the December 7 and 8, 2014 primaries.

A statement confirming the development by Orubebe Governorship Campaign Organisation in Abuja, said, “Amongst more than fifteen aspirants from the three senatorial districts of Delta State, Elder Orubebe is the only governorship hopeful for the party's ticket from the Delta South Senatorial District.

The district incidentally is the home base of incumbent governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. It will be recalled that the former Minister resigned his appointment in February this year to pursue his governorship ambition. Consequent upon this, he formally declared his ambition in Asaba, the Delta State capital on November 6, 2014.

Phone giant launches new products

M

OBILE phone giant, Infinix Mobility has unveiled its latest innovation, the Infinix HOT X507 smartphone to the mobile phone market. The entry is strategic in the sense it is almost the end of the year and the management of the company desires Nigerians to celebrate the yuletide with a brand new device following the success of its Infinix Zero in the market.

Infinix Hot X507 is built for the trendy and colourful people in the society. The device is available in different amazing colours to suit individual taste and class with unique design of luminous covers making its users stand out at nightlife and social gathering.

The smartphone comes with new and exciting features which make it unique.

60—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

The leadership you deserve — Chissano tells Nigerians At the 4th MBA International Literary Colloquium held in Minna, Niger State, last week, chairman of the Forum of Former African Heads of State and Government, and winner of the 2007 Mo Ibrahim African Leadership Award tasked Nigerian and African leaders on what could be described as principles of leadership. Here are excerpts from his keynote entitled, Leadership and National Development and Post Centenary Nigeria

By Uduma Kalu

A

LLOW me now to focus on the subject of leadership and national development from the perspective of the broad and general “ propositions I made earlier and also allow me to share with you some of my own experience as a leader and the leadership I had to provide to the people of Mozambique during my tenure of office. During that time, it was clear to me that the way to a successful leadership was to put the people and the country before me....

Put differently, what the people want is a leader - who is with them, discusses their problems and applies his or her mind to solve their problems. That is what they would call accountability and accessibility.

Additionally, the common people want to see tangible things. After experiencing the horrors “ of war, they want and cherish peace and stability. They want food in their tables and food security. They want to see roads, hospitals and schools being built.

They want to feel respect for their human rights. Their major concerns are basic human needs and they will respect the leader who can deliver such services.

Many leaders remain locked in their offices while leadership is about going to the people to discussing with them and addressing their concerns and demands. Leadership is about delivering on promises made. If you make a promise, you must deliver - and that is what accountability is all about. A leader should not promise what he or she cannot deliver. The challenge of leadership is to anticipate demands and aspirations of the people and design appropriate strategies to address them. Therefore a leader must be a visionary. But the vision of the leader cannot be imposed on the people especially when they were not prepared to understand what it means for their lives.

The use of land, water and other production factors- for instance requires a good

combination of the leader’s vision and the traditional practices of the citizens both in the rural and urban areas.

Land and water sharing is a problem to be solved in a smart way. This is one of those problems which may require a long term exercise of mind-set transformation.

The leader may see a shortcut solution but he has to use his best skills to transform it into a people’s’ solution. Here I would like to bring to our reflection the importance of people’s inclusion in the process of decision making on the main issues affecting the life of the nation.

This is important for development. It is my opinion that people’s participation is the most important part in a country’ democracy. The sense of belonging to the exercise of power is very much reassuring to the citizens.

Gender equality and the empowerment of women, the

Perhaps this is true, if one considers a leader as an individual and leadership as a system. But there is no leader without a system, even informal systems

•Joaquim Alberto Chissano rural women in particular, are of the utmost importance for a country’s development. Women are the majority of the labour force that produces food in Africa. They are the ones who take care of our children particularly during the critical ages from zero to five years.

The good care of the child at this period of life is a guarantee of her or his healthy, strong, intelligent and happy adulthood which enables her or him to fully participate in the development process with high productivity.

We in Mozambique came from a background of a prolonged armed liberation struggle followed by a protracted war of destabilization in which many people were killed and others were massively displaced. The social tissue was disrupted, hatred was built up, and the unity of the country was threatened.

In face of these circumstances, the preoccupation of the leadership was national reconciliation and post-conflict reconstruction and development.

The leadership understood that without peace there could not be development and without development, peace was illusive.

Therefore, national reconciliation was given priority in the name of peace, security and stability. We entered into negotiation with our enemies and adversaries almost against the will of the people but we also recognized that the end product would be a peace dividend. We have a saying that “for the sake of peace, one may even be forced to swallow a live frog”. Otherwise how can we explain the reasons for negotiating for peace with those who committed mayhem?

This requires strong leadership with foresight and the commitment to introduce and sustain durable peace for the sake of the people and the country.

Our decision to engage in negotiations with our adversaries paid off and peace was restored through the Rome Peace Accord, in 4 October 1994.

The experience of the Mozambican leadership may be an exception rather than the rule.

I am neither suggesting that onesize fits all nor trying to sell you magic and infallible formulae.

What I am suggesting here is that leadership, both as an art and a science, requires the full understanding of the existing objective reality in the cause, the circumstances surrounding it and what are the demands and aspirations of the people.

Additionally, it is equally important to select what would be the most appropriate methods of addressing those demands and aspirations of the people.

Visionary leadership would assess the objective reality as it relates to national development and adopt appropriate strategies for addressing the challenges facing the nation.

National development We know that poverty is the single major threat to security, which, in turn, is the precondition for peace that provides the environment for sustainable national development. Therefore, poverty eradication should be at the centre of the policies for social and economic transformation and development.

To this end, leadership must have the requisite capacity to anticipate, or in other words, to read ‘ the minds of the people and address their expectations.

As I said earlier, there are no magic or infallible formulas that will take you to the success. There

is a high element of risk and uncertainty involved, but the best way to manage those risks is to be in constant contact with the people, is to be accessible to them.

When this happens, people will always have opportunities to share with you their views and sentiments about the prevailing situation, even making suggestions and proposals to correct errors and mistakes.

With these working methods, the leader ensures the participation of the people, the common citizens, in addressing the developmental challenges of the country, thus making room for them to complement the work of the elites and technical experts.

These working methods provide a new dimension of accountability, which is peoplecentred, but again, in complement with what experts produce.

In this regard, leadership requires organizational structures and systems focusing on addressing the demands and aspirations of the people.

Aspirations of the people In the current wave of social media, leaders cannot promise and not deliver, for this will, almost certainly invite something like what is now commonly referred to as the Arab Spring.

Discontent and popular uprising may be part of leadership’s failure to deliver or lack of participation and respect for human- rights.

Sometimes, leaders see things but they do not believe what they are seeing. Some people ca1l this cognitive dissonance. Leadership for development is anticipating and addressing potential trouble spots and not waiting until it is too late. Early warning demands early action.

Before concluding my remarks, I should like to suggest that the notion of leadership and I national development is easy to discern in the literary world, but very complicated in the real world, in the world of practical action.

In this case, we make a distinction between leaders and leadership. It is often said that in Africa we have leaders but we do not always have leadership .

Perhaps this is true, if one considers a leader as an individual and leadership as a system. But there is no leader without a system, even informal systems. Put differently, there is no leader without leadership. It may be bad or poor leadership but it is leadership anyway.

However, leadership for national development presupposes a leader with a leadership style that focuses on national development. It would seem to me this is what is needed in Africa. We need thoughtful leaders.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 — 61

Pacquiao floors Algieri

Messi will leave ‘unreachable’ record —Enrique

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ANNY Pacquiao achieved a points victory of extraordinary dimensions in Macau but not the first knock out in six years which he so mightily desired.

The six knock-downs he inflicted on a roadrunner in reverse called Chris Algieri thrilled the packed south-east Asian crowd in the CotaiArena but were not quite enough to finish off the American.

New York’s holder of degrees in medicine and nutrition looked after his health through 12 rounds spent going backwards so fast and so far that if they had taken out the ropes he would have backed himself into the car park of the Venetian casino.

Mere survival is not enough in a world title fight. So perhaps Algieri’s real achievement was that of preventing the PacMan from sending him so far into oblivion that it may have frightened Floyd Mayweather from ever agreeing to the richest fight in ring history.

Team PacMan had considered carrying Algieri a few rounds so as not to look too devastating on television back in Mayweather ’s home town of Las Vegas.

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•Pacquiao pounds Algieri during yesterday's bout.

Garba: Why I’m critical of Keshi F

ORMER Super Eagles midfielder Garba Lawal has said that his criticisms of Stephen Keshi were never personal, but his way of ‘helping’ the embattled Super Ea-

Enyimba Continues from Back Page

Sunday was badly at fault as the winning team benefitted from his mistake and that led to the second goal for Enyimba at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

The introduction of substitutes Rasheed Olabiyi and Nzube Anazaemba also propelled Enyimba to a second Cup title in two consecutive season.

For Dolphins, their season will now be regarded as a relative disappointment after failing to add a trophy to their rich cabinet.

The winning team were on the back foot early on when strings of efforts from Emem Eduok put Femi Thomas in goal for Enyimba under pressure.

Enyimba were coping comfortably as Dolphins left Eduok too isolated at times. Emeka Atuloma was also being forced to drop too deep to offer support to the

beleaguered Victor Alegbe and Ebube Okpokwu rather than add attacking potency to the game.

The quiet Mfon stormed off the blocks in the 55th minute when he profited from a brilliant pass from Markson Ojobo to shoot the ball into the right hand side of Rotimi’s post.

Some minutes later, a rare howler from Rotimi gifted Mfon a sight at goal, but he elected to pass to Chinonso Okonkwo. The striker turned superbly before firing high past the goalkeeper.

At last Enyimba had impetus and were getting the dangerous Mfon into threatening positions, allowing him to force Rotimi to save low to his right with an effort from the edge of the area.

Ten minutes to the end of the match, Eduok reduced the tally from an excellent pass by Victor Alegbe.

gles coach. Garba Lawal has also expressed regret at how Keshi took the criticisms personal.

Speaking in an interview, Lawal also added that he only meant well and was always saying the truth to Keshi, as Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations has proven.

“I wasn’t after his job, but I was helping

him to change but he took it personal and if he took it personal, that’s his own problem but I know the national team is for all of us.

At least I tried to advise from the little knowledge I have in the game.

“I keep telling people that I’m not criticizing Keshi and I don’t have anything against him, but I was just telling him the truth and

Keshi Continues from Back Page

the Africa Cup of Nations, a tournament they won in its most recent edition, 2013.

Keshi, who was relieved of his duties before being recalled for Nigeria’s last two qualifying matches, does not feel that firing him again would be the way to go.

“If a team fails, sacking the coach won’t solve the problem. The authority should look beyond the coach to find solutions to the problem.

“I can’t deny it is a shame that we failed to qualify. On my part, I failed the nation but my players took South Africa for granted, a match they needed to win,” Keshi said.

Keshi’s agent, Emma Addo, also feels that the former Super Eagles AFCON winning captain is not to blame for the team’s current failure.

“No explanation will be acceptable now by Nigerians, but Super Eagles problems go beyond coaching. If some issues are not resolved, no one can succeed for long with the team,” Addo told the sl10.ng website.

“We shouldn’t forget where Keshi picked this team from in 2012, almost same place like they are now, but nobody cared about how they got there, that is why it happened again,” Adoo added.

he refused to listen and at the end of the day, where are we now?

“It’s sad that the African champions will not be at the Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea next year. It’s sad I tell you, it’s sad,” he said regretfully.

IONEL Messi’s Spanish goalscoring record will never be beaten, according to Barcelona coach Luis Enrique.

Telmo Zarra’s 251 goals had been the record since 1955 but Messi, 27, is now up to 253 La Liga strikes following Saturday’s hat-trick in the 5-1 win over Sevilla.

“He’s a unique player - there’ll never be anyone like him and we’re lucky to enjoy his presence here,” Enrique said.

“I think he will leave the record unreachable for anyone else.”

Enrique added: “Zarra beat it in an age when there were more forwards than defenders.”

The next highest La Liga scorer still playing is Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo with 197, although he is two years older than Argentina forward Messi.

•Messi

Please, walk away Continues from Back Page

the NFF and are unwanted by disappointed football fans.”

Keshi endured a turbulent time during the qualification campaign, in which he was sacked by the NFF and only reinstalled after intervention from the presidency.

And the intensity of speculation about his future increased following Nigeria’s 2-2 draw with South Africa in Uyo last week that meant they will not play at next year ’s continental finals in Equatorial Guinea.

Nigeria had gone into the that match knowing a win would earn their place at the tournament, their failure to do so has left NFF president Amaju Pinnick refusing

to name who he believes is “the ideal man to lead the team from the present dark to sunshine”.

Keshi himself has refused to comment on whether it is the end of his time as coach with the team he steered to Nations Cup glory in 2013 and led to the last16 of this summer ’s World Cup in Brazil.

But the NFF official added: “He does not have any contractual obligations with the federation; remember the board also offered to sponsor him and his assistants to managerial courses with good intention.

“He will probably get a job elsewhere before January but the country will not get the opportunity to play at the next Nations Cup.”

62 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Enyeama denies Arsenal N

I G E R I A goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama has denied reports he is being monitored by English Premier League side Arsenal and says it will take ‘something special’ to leave his present club, Lille for any other club.

The 32-year old Lille of France shot-stopper has seen his stock rise over the last year given his impressive displays for club and country – a development which has seen him linked to several clubs across Europe.

But the Nigeria captain has said that he hasn’t heard from Arsene Wenger or anyone at Arsenal, and says it will take something big and special to lure him away from the north of France.

“Something has to happen for me to leave Lille. Lille is such a home for me; it has to take something big for me to leave Lille, something special. I’m

not just going to leave Lille for leaving sake like most players do.

“They take pay cuts to leave their clubs; I’m not going to do that. I have a good offer and I’m happy in Lille and it’s like a home to me.”

“I have not heard of any offers from them (Arsenal), but I only read from the pages of newspapers and I have not spoken to my agent about it, but a few things happen,” he told SL10.ng.

Arsenal are reported to be eyeing a number of goalkeepers to provide stiff competition for Wojciech Szczesny, even though they signed David Ospina last summer, but the Colombian is yet to feature this season.

And the Gunners are reported to be looking at other options, with Chelsea’s Petr Cech also mentioned and could move for the Czech international as early as January.

•Enyeama

NFF want ‘younger Eagles’ in future T

HE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has decided to start building a new senior national team, with the focus on younger players.

A senior official of the NFF hinted that the

LMC delighted by clubs, players’ performances in 2013/14 season

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HE League Management Company (LMC) has commended clubs and their players in the just ended Glo Premier League season for successful participation but tasked them on the need to reach for greater heights as there is still more grounds to be covered to achieve the quality of league that can compete well within Africa and beyond.

Chairman of the LMC, Hon. Nduka Irabor said the LMC, going by the interim report on match statistics, have achieved moderate success with the reforms that were introduced at the start of the season through the R e g i s t r a t i o n Requirements for participating clubs.

“The new regulation on minimum wage may not have been complied with hundred percent but we are gladdened by the figures that has emerged from field stats on goals and goals scoring by the players which is a pointer that with improved welfare,

there will be more delight on the pitch. We have by far enjoyed a more quality season than the last two seasons in almost all indices that can be used in a comparative study of performances in and off the field”, remarked Irabor.

“This season has been remarkable for the strikers in more ways than one. We had a player netting six goals in one game, another two who scored four goals in a match and of course, we had 11 hat tricks, fewer cautions and expulsions that is evidence of the discipline and less rancorous atmosphere on the pitch”, continued the LMC Chairman.

For the LMC, there are certainly more reasons to pop champagne this season than they would have celebrated in the last two seasons. A statistical analysis of the past three seasons shows that a total of 830 goals were scored as compared to 764 goals in 2012/13 and 690 goals in 2011/12.

•Irabor

federation is looking at getting younger players to replace the squad, which failed to qualify for the 2015 African Nations Cup. The official insists that restructuring the team and selecting what would become of the technical crew would form part of the agenda of the board when they meet after Sunday’s Federation Cup final in Lagos.

NFF officials believe that part of the problems in the 2015 AFCON qualifiers is due to the attitude of the players. They are also of the opinion that most of them are no longer fit to be in the national team.

The NFF, who were in a running battle with Stephen Keshi, prompting the intervention of the

President, are of the opinion that Nigeria could have presented better players than some of those that played at the World Cup and featured in the Nations Cup qualifiers.

The younger South African players ran rings around the visibly slower and ponderous Nigerian team in Uyo during the 22 draw.

Odibo commends Pinnick

A

Patron of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club and a Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party in Delta State, Barrister Moses Odibo has commended the Amaju led NFF Board for accepting responsibility for Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the Nation’s Cup and urged Nigerians

Fans rage as Liverpool flop

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•Obi

IVERPOOL had another terrible day at the office after they lost 3-1 to Neil Warnock’s Crystal Palace, in a game which was billed as a chance for revenge.

After Palace broke Liverpool’s title hopes last season, and left Luis Suarez all emotional Rodgers was hoping to get some payback for ruining his season.

Obviously Twitter exploded with furious rants and raves, so here are some of the best: Jay Railey writes, “Brendan Rodgers tactically outwitted by Paul Lambert, Sam Allardyce & now Neil Warnock this season! #Shocking #LFC Another fan, Sam Webb writes, “Wow losing 3-1 to Palace. The owners really need •Yannick Bolasie takes the shot that to look at Rodgers’ position. Doesn’t have a leads to Crystal Palace’s equaliser plan B and is useless in the transfer window”. against Liverpool with Dwight Gayle getting on the rebound.

to put that behind us and fashion a way to move the game forward. Odibo who spoke in Warri immediately after the match said Amaju has behaved like a leader and should now settle down to do real business as Nigerians expect much from him.

According to Odibo, the country’s failure to qualify is very unfortunate but Nigerians can learn from it and move forward.

Odibo also used the opportunity to commend the National Assembly for trying to repeal decree 101 and urged them to do everything to fast track it so that the President can assent to it, noting that this is what Amaju led NFF needed to really do a thorough work to salvage the situation. “ I want to commend the Amaju led NFF for accepting responsibility for our ouster and that is the way to lead by example."

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014 — 63

VANGUARD, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Please, walk away!

•NFF tells Keshi

Pacquiao floors Algieri — Pg 61

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GOING DOWN... Pacquiao (r) sends Algieri to the floor during their bout yesterday.

Enyimba win Federation Cup

UPER Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has been urged not to try to stay in the job after failing to qualify the team for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

Keshi is currently without a contract with the Nigeria Football Federation.

And a top NFF official told BBC Sport: “Walking away honourably would be the smartest thing for Stephen Keshi.

“It’s pointless to hang around when you’ve failed, have been completely rejected by Continues on Page 61

M

FON Udoh capped a brilliant individual season for Enyimba International as they overcame Dolphins FC 2-1 to lift the Men’s Federation Cup trophy.

His goal early in the second half proved decisive as the People’s Elephants were rewarded with a silverware.

Dolphins goalkeeper Rotimi

•Keshi

Keshi: I'm the right man for Eagles

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Continues on Page 61

•Enyimba with the Federation Cup.

TODAY'S

EPL Results Crystal Palace 3 Liverpool Hull 1 Spurs

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

1 2

•Pinnick

IGERIA coach Stephen Keshi is adamant that he is the right man to lead the Super Eagles into the

future.

Disaster struck last week for Nigeria when they failed to qualify for Continues on Page 61

QUICK CROSSWORD Across 2 Founded (5) 7 Footwear (4) 8 Drink (6) 9 Rasp (5) 11 Noise (3) 13 Wand (3) 15 Cupid (4) 16 Breach (3) 18 Present (4) 19 Came (7) 20 Greedy (4) 22 Naked (4) 23 Timid (7) 25 Paradise (4) 27 Sheep (3) 28 Lake (4) 30 Rabbit (3) 31 Performed (3) 33 Assume (5) 36 Universe (6) 37 Frank (4) 38 Passed (5)

Down 1 Seat (5) 2 Plead (3) 3 Ocean (3) 4 Expire (3) 5 Recede (3) 6 Detest (5) 10 Rip (4) 11 Discussed (7) 12 Candidate (7) 13 Diminished (7) 14 Erased (7) 16 Serious (5) 17 Annoyance (5) 18 Chicken (3) 21 Liar (3) 24 Due (4) 26 Giver (5) 29 Jockey (5) 32 Devil (3) 33 Donkey (3) 34 Poem (3) 35 Child (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Clash 5, Report 8, Cache 10, Cinema 11, Eyed 14, Facade 15, Calibre 18, Kit 19, Inn 21, Seat 23, Heron 24, Poor 27, Dot 29, Pet 31, Liberal 32, Ceased 34, Line 35, Emerge 38, Aided 39, Tested 40, Tense.

DOWN: 2, Lei 3, Scenic 4, Ham 5, Reef 6, Precis 7, Threat 9, Carried 12, Yak 13, Date 16, Also 17, Enrol 20, Noticed 22, Area 24, Packet 25, Opal 26, Resist 28, Recede 30, Ten 33, Dead 36, Met 37, Gas.

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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