Chibok girls plead for release in new video

...towards a better life for the people

N150VOL. 25: NO. 62156

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014**

Mr & Mrs

•Recount ordeal in terrorists' camp, many ill•40 Boko Haram members killed in Cameroon•Insecurity: Retired generals speak

Chibok girls plead forrelease in new video

So, who is afraid ofa stronger naira?

P.40

COLUMNIST:

•P.46North's loversand deceivers

Continues on Page 8

BY UDUMA KALU,WITH AGENCY RE-

PORT

L AGOS—PRESIDENT Goodluck

Jonathan has reportedlyseen a new video re-leased by Boko Haram,

Emefiele assumes officetoday as CBN Governor

13

Bomb blast kills40 in Adamawa 7

CHIBOK—From left: Methodist Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev Dr. Sunday Joseph Ajayi; Mrs. Florence Uche; Prelate, Meth-odist Church Nigeria, His Eminence Dr. Samuel Chukwuemeka Uche; Bishop of Lagos West Diocese, Rt. Rev. Oluyemisi Ogunlereand Very Rev. Stephen Adegbite, during a peaceful rally in solidarity with the abducted Chibok Girls, yesterday in Lagos.

•PGS.48&49

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2—Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014

V V V V Vanguard, MONDanguard, MONDanguard, MONDanguard, MONDanguard, MONDAAAAAYYYYY, , , , , JUNE 2,JUNE 2,JUNE 2,JUNE 2,JUNE 2, 2014 — 2014 — 2014 — 2014 — 2014 — 33333

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BY EVELYN USMAN &DAYO JOHNSON

AKURE — THE Police inOndo State, weekend,

said six suspected killers ofsome policemen during thevandalisation of Nigerian Na-tional Petroleum Corporation,NNPC, pipelines in Arepo/Abule Oba area of Ogun State,have been arrested.

It would be recalled thatabout 150 pipeline vandals in14 boats engaged the team ofpolicemen attached to the In-spector-General of Police Spe-cial Task Force on Anti Pipe-line Vandalism Unit in ashoot-out in Arepo/Abule Obaarea.

Four policemen and a com-mercial boat paddler, whowas conveying the policemen,were said to have escapedduring the resultant explosionthat led to the inferno.

The survivors were identifiedas Corporal Abu Danmudi,Corporal Usman John, Corpo-ral Rahimi Morufu and Cor-poral Abdullahi Sabo andIbrahim Oguntade (canoepaddler).

The police survivors of theattack told Vanguard that theywere ambushed by the armedvandals in the creeks, addingthat during the shoot-out, theirboats capsized.

Those arrested includedFelix Yayu (40), Austin Ebiwei(35), Tamara Dehigbofa (30);Owei Alimili (30), Ijojai Legbei(29) and Yakubu Ebiwei, (40).

Speaking with newsmen inAkure, the Police spokesman,Mr Wole Ogodo, said the sus-pected killers, after gunningdown nine policemen fled withtheir rifles.

Ogodo said they werepicked up at their hideouts inAjapa and Mile Two Zion inEseodo, Ondo State by a teamof security operatives.

He said N600,000, suspectedto be proceeds of bunkering,was recovered from the suspects.

Vanguard gathered that theguns carted away are with oneof their members yet to be ap-prehended as the police havevowed to fish out the fleeing copkillers and bunkerers.

Our boat capsized duringshoot-out —Survivors

According to Corporal Sabo,“at 9 a.m., on May 25, 2014, weheard gun shots from the campat Elepete, where two of our menwere stationed to guard. We im-mediately mobilised and got apaddler to take us to the spot.But we never knew that therewere many of them in the bush.They opened fire on us . We re-sponded and in the process, ourboats capsized. I was lucky tohave swum to safety amidst theraging fire.”

On his part, Corporal RahimiMorufu, who described the sce-nario as a war zone, said theywere outnumbered.

According to him, “we did notknow they were many. Our in-tention was to save our col-leagues on guard. But immedi-ately the illegal bunkererssighted us, they started shootingsporadically. They were heavilyarmed. I escaped by divine in-tervention because, as you know,the area is very swampy.”

The commercial canoe paddler,Oguntade, who sustained bullet

wounds, said: “The policemenapproached some of us to takethem to the scene when theyheard the gunshots. I almostpassed out immediately Isighted the vandals. They weredressed in military camouflageand were chanting war songs. Itwas like a war zone.

"I can’t tell at what point Ijumped into the swampy water.But I was lucky because I haveexperience in swimming insideswampy water. It was after I swamto safety that I discovered thatsome policemen were missing.It is possible that they killedthose policemen and went awaywith their guns.”

Items recovered atvandals' camp

A search and rescue team, vis-ited the Elepeke scene, weekend,where arms and ammunitionused by the vandals were recov-ered.

A deserted camp believed tohave been erected by the van-dals as well as boats with bloodstains were also recovered. Otheritem recovered from the camp in-cluded military camouflage,phones and makeshift shops lit-tered with different kinds of

drugs.Assistant Inspector-General of

Police in charge of Zone 2,Onikan, Mr Mamman Tsafe,who visited the scene, advisedthe search and rescue team notto be discouraged by the inci-dent, reminding them that thewar against pipeline vandalismwas for the good of the country.

One killed, five arrestedas cult groups clash

Meanwhile, five persons werealso arrested in Ondo town af-ter one person was killed dur-ing a clash by cult groups.

The operation which led to thearrest of cultists in Ondo town,was carried out by men from theanti-crime division of the policestation.

The suspects were picked upfrom their hideouts in the an-cient community.The suspected cult members re-portedly fired several shots intothe air to scare people awaybefore they fought themselveswith various weapons whichincluded gun, axe and knives.

The incident, which reportedlylasted about 30 minutes, led tothe death of one person believedto be member of a rival group.

Oguntade, canoe paddler.Fatola camp

Search and rescue team

WARRI – A MIDDLE agedman, Mr Blessing

Akakporo, is now in police net foralmost plucking out the eyes ofanother man, who reportedlyslept with his wife a month agoin Ekiugbo community, UghelliNorth Area of Delta State.

The suspect, before landing inPolice net, was caught, beatenand stripped by angry communityyouths, who got wind of his al-

leged criminal act.Vanguard gathered that

Akakporo, in April, caught hiswife in bed with the victim andchopped off the wife’s ear inthe spur of the moment, whilethe suspected man escaped.

A community source said: “Amonth later, precisely on May30, Akakporo lured him (yet-to-be-identified victim) to a neigh-bouring community, where heused an unknown object topluck off his two eyes after over-powering him.

“While attempting to escape,the cry from the victim attractedyouths, who chased andcaught him. They stripped andbeat him thoroughly beforehanding him over to the Po-lice.”

Delta State Police Public Re-lations Office, Celestina Kalu,who confirmed the incident,said the suspect almost pluckedout one of the victim’s eyes,adding that he also stabbed thevictim several times all over hisbody.

Man plucks neighbour's eyes for sleeping with wife

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI& AKPOKONA OMAFUAIRE

Suspectedritualistbeheadswidow inLagoscommunity

BY ESTHERONYEGBULA

LAGOS —A WIDOW hasbeen purportedly be-

headed by suspected ritual-ist in Igborosun community,Mowo on the Badagry ex-pressway, Lagos State.

The widow, simply identi-fied as Iya Peter, who soldroasted corn, was allegedlymutilated by unidentifiedperson in a nearby maizefarm.

It was gathered that Iya Pe-ter had earlier received a callfrom a supposedly maizefarmer, who invited her to themaize farm ostensibly to pur-chase corn cobs, a commonpractice in the hinterland.

Vanguard learnt that IyaPeter got more than she bar-gained for, as her lifeless andheadless body was laterfound on the farm route thenext day.

According to eye witness,the last time people saw heralive was on that fatefulmorning when she left herhome for the farm. When shedid not return in theevening, her relations raisedalarm.

The next day, a search partycomprising the victim’s rela-tives and some residents inthe community discoveredher corpse without the headon the road that leads to thefarmlands in the area.

It was said that her privateparts were also missing.

A relation of the victim, toldVanguard: “Only God knowswhat the innocent old womanhad done to deserve this kindof death. She had been strug-gling to make ends meet sinceshe lost her husband only forthem to deceive and kill her.”

A police source, who con-firmed the incident at MowoPolice Division, said the latestincident adds to the severalmutilated corpses found in thecommunity in recent times.

Arepo shoot-out: How we survived pipelinevandals —Policemen, canoe paddler•Say our boat capsized during shoot-out•As Police arrest 6 suspects

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Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014 —7

SUMMIT-AFRICA: From left— Mr. Aloysius Etok, Chairman, Senate Committee on Establishment and PublicService; Mr. Eric Eggink, Co-Chairman, World Pension Summit; Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, Acting Director General,National Pension Commission, and Mr. Harry Smorenberg, Chairman, World Pension Summit, during a press briefing onthe forthcoming World Pension Summit-Africa Special in Abuja, weekend. PHOTO: Gbemiga Olamikan.

YOLA—A bomb attacktargeting fans at a football

match in Mubi, AdamawaState, killed no fewer than 40people yesterday.

“There has been a bomb

Bomb blast kills 40 in AdamawaBY UMARU YUSUF explosion at a football field

this evening (yesterday) andso far more than 40 peoplehave been killed,” said theofficer who requestedanonymity, in Mubi, whichhas seen previous attacks byBoko Haram insurgents.

Adamawa PoliceCommand confirmed thebomb blast, but could notconfirm the casualty figure.

The Command‘sspokesman, MallamOthman Abubakar, said theblast occurred at about 6p.m.

last night.He said the blast occurred

at a popular relaxationcentre, Kabang.

The 23rd ArmouredBrigade of the NigerianArmy, Yola, equallyconfirmed the blast.

OKONJO-IWEALA TO NIGERIANS: Askyour govs what they do with allocations

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

THE Minister ofFinance and Coordinating

Minister of the Economy, Dr.Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,yesterday, tasked Nigerians tochallenge their governors toaccount for the monthlybudgetary allocation they getfrom the federation account.

The minister argued that basicpublic services such aseducation, health andagriculture fall under theconcurrent list, but wonderedwhy citizens always blame theadministration of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan for thefailings of some stategovernments who get monthlyallocation larger than countrieslike Liberia, Gambia and theRepublic of Benin.

Okonjo Iweala spokeyesterday at the 12thconvocation of BabcockUniversity, BU, Ilishan Remo,where over 1,544 studentsgraduated.

The minister, who wasawarded Doctor of Science inGlobal Economic Development,Honoris Causa, urgedNigerians to begin to demandimproved standards of livingfrom their state governments,rather than accusing the

‘Some states get more than budgets of Liberia, Gambia, Benin’

Federal Government ofinsensitivity all the time.

‘We’re all involved’She said: “The

administration of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan alonecannot transform the country.We need the private sector towork with us and we areoptimistic of their immensecollaboration in thetransformation agenda.

“But in addition, thequestion all Nigerians mustask is ‘what is the role of stateand local governments insupporting ourtransformation?’.

“We know in the constitutionthat provision for publicservices such as health,education and agriculture fallson the concurrent list and so itis the joint responsibility offederal, state and localgovernments.

“However, it is not often thatwe hear people asking whattheir state governments havedone? A lot of attention tendsto be on the FederalGovernment. But we have toask what do our state and localgovernments do with theresources they get.

“The states are getting themoney that is available to be

shared each month, and wepublish that in thenewspapers every month sothat people can know what thefederal, state and localgovernments receive.

‘Ask more questions’“We need to ask more

questions because povertyeradication and building ofinfrastructure is not for theFederal Government alone.”

The minister stated that in2013 alone, states like AkwaIbom, Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa,Lagos, Kano, Katsina, Oyo,Kaduna and Borno got thehighest allocation from thefederation account, and thatwhat they got individually ismore than the annualbudgetary allocation ofneighbouring countries such

as Liberia, Gambia andRepublic of Benin.

2013 allocationsThe minister said: “Akwa

Ibom got N260 billion; Rivers,N230 billion; Delta, N209billion; Bayelsa, N173 billion;Lagos, N168 billion; Kano,N140 billion; Katsina, N103billion; Oyo N100 billion;Kaduna, N97 billion andBorno, N94 billion.

“These were the allocationsthese states got last year. Sothe question is what did theydo with it?

“Analysis shows that manyNigerian states receive revenueallocations which are largerthan budgetary allocations ofneighbouring countries suchas Liberia which is $433 millionand Gambia, $210 million.”

Civilservantsthreatenstrike overPCCappointments

BY VICTORAHIUMA-YOUNG

I N D I C A T I O N Semerged weekend of

a looming industrialunrest in the Federal civilservice as Association ofSenior Civil Servants ofNigeria, ASCSN,threatened to callmembers out for anationwide strike overperceived illegalappointment of theSecretary of PublicC o m p l a i n t sCommission, PCC, andother directors.

ASCSN, the umbrellabody for senior civilservants in the country, iscalling specifically on theFederal Government toimmediately reverse theappointment PCCSecretary, Mr. PeterNwakpa Nwafia, or facean industrial crisis.

The union, in astatement by itsSecretary-General, AladeBashir Lawal, in Lagos,claimed that the level ofimpunity in respect ofappointment of officersinto the higher echelon ofthe service was becomingunbearable, intolerable,and embarrassing.

ASCSN said in additionto its planned actions, theassociation would alsopetition the InternationalOmbudsman in Vienna,Austria, and the AfricanOmbudsman in Dar esSalaam, Tanzania, todraw their attention to theabnormalities that weretaking place in the PCC.

The association said itwill also bring pressureto bear on the Nigeria’sombudsman so thatsuccour and relief couldcome the way of senioremployees beingd e h u m a n i s e d ,t r a u m a t i s e d a n dhumiliated by themanagement of thecommission.

Sudan to free woman facing death penalty

REPORTS saySudanese authorities are

planning to free a womanwho was sentenced to deathfor refusing to renounce herChristian faith.

Meriam Ibrahim, who gavebirth earlier this week at theclinic at the Omdurmanwomen’s prison near

Khartoum, will be releasedin a few days.

Ibrahim, 27, had beensentenced to death byhanging for apostasy, or“abandoning her faith.” Shewas given a period of timeto renounce her Christianbeliefs, she refused.

In Sudan, conversion of

Muslims to another religionis punishable by death. Thecourt ruled that it would notcarry out her execution untilshe gave birth and will delayit for two years so she cannurse her child, , accordingto Amnesty International.

Ibrahim was also sentencedto 100 lashes for adultery.

POCKET CARTOON8—Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014

TAKE HEARTBY ELLA RANDLE

Continues from page 1

LIFEWORDSBY PASTOR ITUAH

Chibok girls plead forrelease in new video

‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, prayabout everything.... Then you will experienceGod’s peace, which exceeds anything we canunderstand...’

The majority of men meet with failure becauseof their lack of persistence in creating new plansto take the place of those which fail — NapoleonHill

NAPOLEON Hill, in one of his famous booksmade a distinction between people. And he

said the difference between people who are able tolive a fully functioning life and to attract riches andwellness and happiness and abundance and pros-perity into their lives is that the people who do thathave something that he called a “burning desire.”

And a burning desire is very different than just,“Oh, I’d really like to do well, I’d like to have mybook do well, I’d like to have this music that I’mwriting do well, I’d like people to know about it,”and so on.

A burning desire is much deeper, it’s like havingan inner candle flame that, no matter what goesbefore you, it doesn’t even flicker. And this is some-thing that you can experience if you believe in your-self.

There are so many people, who don’t give enough,and maybe just a little more effort would have madea difference – they have a desire but they don’t havethe willingness and the fearlessness and the deter-mination to follow through with their dreams.

CONVOCATION—Mr Olukunle Iyanda, Vice President, Developmentand Strategy, Babcock University; Dr Ngozi Okojo-Iweala, Minister of Fi-nance and Prof. Kayode Makinde, President/Vice Chancellor BabcockUnversity, after conferment of honourary degree for Vision, Courage andExcellence on the minister during the 12th convocvation of the university, atIlisan, Ogun State, weekend. Photo: Diran Oshe.

where the abductedschool girls of Govern-ment Girls SecondarySchool, Chibok, BornoState, spoke about theirordeal in the hands ofthe insurgents for thefirst time and pleadedwith him to secure theirrelease.

The girls were report-edly ill and are in campslocated in Chad, Nigerand Cameroon, with one

of them nursing a bro-ken wrist.

The footage, not re-leased publicly but seenby the London-basedThe Mail on Sunday wastaken in a jungle clear-ing a month after theirabduction.

More than 250 girlswere taken in a raid ontheir school in Chibokon April 14 by BokoHaram terrorists.

However, Cameroon’s

military reportedly killedabout 40 Boko Harammilitants in the coun-try ’s northwest lastweekend, a governmentradio reported yester-day, a day after Nigerialabelled the Central Af-rican nation the weakestlink in its fight againstthe extremist sect.

The clashes leading tothe killing occurred inthe town of Kouserri,which borders Nigeriaand Chad.

Cameroon, a clogin the wheel

The Federal Govern-ment regards Camerounas not cooperative asNiger and Chad in thefight against BokoHaram.

After a security summitin Paris two weeks ago,Cameroon said it de-ployed 1,000 troops toits border to help containthe increasingly deadlygroup.

A series of suspectedBoko Haram attacks infour villages in Nigeria’srestive North-East killedseveral people, resi-dents said Sunday, inthe latest violenceblamed on the Islamistinsurgents.

The military was notimmediately available tocomment on the raids inBorno State, the hardesthit area during BokoHaram’s five-year ex-tremist uprising, whichhas killed thousands.

All of the targeted vil-

lages are in theGamboru Ngala districtnear the border withCameroon, where BokoHaram killed hundredsin a gruesome attack ear-lier last month.

The video, according toThe Mail of London, in-dicated that the girlslooked healthy, as eightof them, dressed in theirhome-made school uni-forms of pale blue ging-ham, pleaded for re-lease while standingcourageously in front ofthe camera.

They were reportedlyclearly scared, upsetand trying to be brave,with each walking inturn to a spot in front ofa white sheet fixed to acrude frame between thetrees.

According to TheMail, four of the girls canbe heard clearly inHausa language statingthat they were taken byforce and that they werehungry.

The video indicatedthat a tall girl, agedabout 18, said tearfullythat “My family will beso worried”, even as an-other spoke softly, say-ing ‘I never expected tosuffer like this in mylife."

Similarly, a third girlwas captured in thevideo as saying ‘theyhave taken us away byforce’, while the fourthcomplained of not get-ting enough food.

Boko Haram leader,Abubakar Shekau, re-portedly released thenew video of the kid-napped girls praying af-ter their conversion toIslam.

The video, taken by anintermediary on May 19,has been shown to Presi-dent Goodluck Jonathanand was intended toserve as ‘proof of life’ forthe girls and to encour-age the President to ac-cede to the terrorists’demands.

Two earlier videosshowed the girls seatedon the ground, dressedin hijabs, reciting theKoran,with Boko Haramleader, AbubakarShekau, declaring hewould sell them intoslavery, or marry themoff to their kidnappers,if members of his sectwere not released fromprison.

The Mail said pres-sure from the interna-tional community andcriticism of the Presi-dent’s slow response tothe kidnapping have ledto a series of contradic-tory pronouncementsfrom his government.Ministers have declared

they will not negotiatewith Boko Haram, orconsider the release ofprisoners, while officialspokesmen have said‘the window is alwaysopen for dialogue’.

At a Paris peace sum-mit, several West Africancountries neighbouringNigeria vowed to join in‘outright war ’ againstthe terrorists. Britain,France and Americapledged their supportand have sent teams ofmilitary experts and ad-visers to the region. In-telligence sources havetold The Mail of severalrescue attempts, one involving the release ofsuspected low-levelBoko Haram membersdetained withoutcharges or trial.

Two attempts wereaborted at the lastminute when the terror-ists took fright while de-livering a group of girlsto a safe location.

Last week, Chief ofDefence Staff, AlexBadeh said the govern-ment knew the locationof the girls and claimedthat police and militaryhad been ‘followingthem’ since the abduc-tion. He refused to di-vulge details, saying itwould put the girls infurther danger.

The Mail claimed thatBadeh’s announcementmay have been the resultof government officialsseeing the new, unpub-lished video and mayhave been able to per-suade Boko Haram’s in-termediary to providedetails of the location. Itis believed the hostageshave been split into atleast four groups.

The report said one DrStephen Davis, an Aus-tralian who has advisedthree Nigerian presi-dents on how to negoti-ate with the country’smilitant groups, hasspent the past month try-ing to help free the girls.

Most Chibokgirls not held inNigeria

‘The vast majority ofthe Chibok girls are notbeing held in Nigeria,’he said.

‘They are in campsacross the Nigerian bor-der in Cameroon, Chadand Niger. I say the“vast majority ” as Iknow a small group wasconfirmed to me to be inNigeria last week whenwe sought to have themreleased.’

Saying the FederalGovernment has beenengaged in negotiationswith Boko Haram’s spir-itual leader AbubakarShekau in a bid to securethe girls’ release, thereport quoted the Aus-tralian describing howfraught the negotiationprocess has been.

‘One of that smallgroup of girls is ill andwe had hoped we mightconvince the com-mander of the groupholding her that sheshould be released so wecould give her medicaltreatment,’ Dr Davissaid.

‘There are other girlswho are not well and wehave come close to hav-ing them released buttheir captors fear a trapin which they will be cap-tured in the handoverprocess.

‘One girl has what Iassume is a broken wristas they demonstrate tome how she holds herhand. I have been toldthat others are sick andin need of medical atten-tion.’

A military source said:‘This has been a raceagainst time from theminute they were cap-tured. As soon as thegirls left Nigerian soil,it was always going tobe more difficult.

‘The governmentmade no attempt at a res-cue until a month afterthey were taken. Nowthe situation gets moreserious by the day.

‘Any sort of attempt toget to them would haveto be cleared by the governments of the othernations.’

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014 — 9

IPMAN crisis: NUPENG urges CJN to investigate AbujaHigh court ruling

OBSEQUIES FOR SIR MIKE OTEDOLA: Former governor of Anambra State, Mr PeterObi, Senators 'Gbenga Ashafa and Olorunnimbe Mamora, during the Farewell Mass for lateSir Michael Otedola at the Immaculate Conception Church, Ibowon, Epe, on Friday.

Robbery rate:Police beef upsecurityaround Mile 2

LUTH doctors resume strike todayLAGOS—THE Lagos Uni

versity Teaching Hospital,LUTH, Idi-Araba, LagosBranch of the Association ofResident Doctors, ARD, is toresume its strike today, (June2), the association announcedweekend.

The President of the associa-tion, Dr Omojowolo Olubunmi,said in a statement that the res-olution to resume strike wasreached at an emergency gen-eral meeting of the association,held on May 28.

“Rising from the emergencygeneral meeting, the associa-tion unanimously agreed toresume our suspended indus-trial action and embark on anindefinite strike, commencingon Monday, June 2, by 8 a.m.”

lack of progress in negotia-tions and deliberations with thehospital’s management on theissues raised in the three-daywarning strike in April.

The association had embarkedon a three-day warning strike inApril, issuing a 21-day ultimatum

to the management of LUTH.“The ultimatum elapsed on

April 29, without signs of a strikebecause doctors and LUTH man-agement were still in talks whichhave since broken down. Wehave found ourselves left withno other choice.”

Olubunmi said the doctorshad 12-point contention, in-cluding: “the astronomical in-crease inhospital charges, which haveincreased the number of avoid-able deaths and affected the

training of resident doctors.“Lack of basic facilities and

equipments, chronic shortage ofstationeries, epileptic water sup-ply, disorganised and dirty envi-ronment and inadequate man-power have led to poor servicedelivery to Nigerians. ‘Lettersstipulating duration of residencytraining according to the August2013 circular be issued to bothold and new residents individu-ally immediately. The employ-ment list of residents from theoutstanding departments be re-leased immediately,” he said. Olubunmi said that thenumber of residents being em-ployed in each department wasinadequate and that delays in thepayment of update, exam andoutstanding allowances be paidup front.

He said the managementpromised but failed to fix theshortage of materials and con-sumables.

The president said that the hos-pital lacked a good means of com-munication and so doctors in-curred huge amounts daily inmaking patients’ care-relatedphone calls within the hospital.

He said the association wasagainst the fees being chargednew resident and house officersfor training because the residentshad not received any salary.

Olubunmi urged the LUTHmanagement to address the as-sociation’s concerns in order toimprove the lives of both pa-tients and doctors.

NIGERIA Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas

Workers, NUPENG, weekend inLagos called on Chief Justice ofthe Federation and Chairman ofthe National Judicial Commis-sion, NJC, Justice Aloma Mari-am Muktar, to investigate the cir-cumstance that led to an AbujaHigh Court to give a counter rul-ing to a subsisting Port HarcourtHigh ruling on the leadership cri-sis in Independent Petroleum Mar-keters Association of Nigeria,when an appeal was pending at

the Court of Appeal in Port Har-court.

NUPENG contended that theFederal High Court in Port Har-court on March 20, 2014, had de-clared Chief Obasi Lawson as theIPMAN President, which theAminu Abdukadir’s faction waschallenging at the Court of Ap-peal in Port Harcourt, lamentingwhile the Appeal was still pend-ing, the Aminu Abdukadir’s fac-tion, allegedly went to an AbujaHigh court and overturn the rul-ing of the Port Harcourt HighCourton May 28. The union said it was concernedbecause as long as the crisis last-

ed, the welfare of members whoconstituted over 60 percent ofIPMAN would be relegated tothe back ground.

NUPENG said “We condemnthe judgment in its entirety andstill stand by the judgment of theFederal High Court in Port Har-court, which declared Chief Oba-si Lawson as the IPMAN Presi-dent, until a superior court of lawsays otherwise."

NUPENG President, Mr. IgweAchese, warned that after theexpiration of a 14-day ultimatum,if the matter was not resolved, theunion would direct its membersto stop distribution of products.

LAGOS—LAGOSState Commissioner

of Police Lagos State, UmarManko, has ordered a se-curity beef up around Mile2 area, in Amuwo-OdofinLocal Government of La-gos, to stem the growingcases of robbery and violentattacks on motorists andother road users by hood-lums.

Vanguard gathered thatthe police boss gave the di-rective last week, during asecurity briefing with somesenior officers at the StateCommand Headquarters,Ikeja.

It was learnt hat the di-rective, would see an in-crease in the number of po-licemen patrolling the Os-hodi-Apapa Expresswayand the Lagos-BadagryExpressway axis of Mile 2. Sources disclosed thatthe patrol would be a jointexercise involving six PoliceDivisions from three areacommands, while twoteams of policemen attachedto the Rapid ResponseSquad, RRS, would bestrategically stationed at asection of the Mile 2 Bridgeand also at the descendingpart of the bridge to preventany act of criminality.

BY IFEANYI OKOLIE

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

… Union mobilises for strike

LAGOS—A 32-year-old security guard at-

tached to the Lagos Univer-sity Teaching Hospital,LUTH, Idi-Araba branch ofa new generation bankwas, weekend found deadin the bank’s premises.

The cause of the deathcould not be ascertained asat the time of filing in thisreport but sources at LUTHsaid that the lifeless bodywas found about 5.10am,Saturday.

The deceased was iden-tified as Ovate Erimhat.

Sources said: “it was oneof his colleagues thatraised the alarm that at-tracted others, he wasrushed to the emergencyunit of the hospital, wherehe was confirmed dead.

Since non of the bank’smanagement staff wasaround ,other security menon ground requested thatthe body be deposited at themorgue pending when in-vestigations to determinethe actual cause of death isdetermined” he added.

Guard founddead in LagosbankLAGOS—GOVERNOR Ba

batunde Fashola of LagosState yesterday said the state gov-ernment and the students of La-gos state University; LASU wouldsoon reach an agreeable tuitionfor the institution, saying “bothparties have started holding talksto end the issue.”

Following agitations by the stu-dents on the fees increase, the

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

LASU fees: Govt, students to reach agreement soon – FASHOLAState Governor met with leadersof the students severally andagreed that the students shouldmake their independent studyand present to Government a po-sition paper on the way forward.

Fashola who disclosed thiswhile fielding questions at a livetelevision interactive session withmedia executives at the Lagos Tel-evision, Ikeja, weekend, said theseven-man Executive Councilwas currently studying the stu-

dents’ paper to the Governmenton the tuition.

The governor, who promisedthat where there was need foradjustment or amendment itwould be affected accordingly ,said the students had presentedthe paper now before the Exec-utive Council for considerationand approval.

According to him, “I havepassed it out to the Council. Wehave told the students that we

are not inflexible and where wesee the need for adjustment oramendment, we will do it so thatthey might understand it better.From the paper presented by thestudent, they were not againstthe increase but the parametersused in calculating the fees.”

The governor reiterated that theincrease in tuition was one of therecommendations made by aVisitation Panel inaugurated atthe instance of the students in apetition to the House of Assem-bly.

“There were many recommen-dations made by the panel manyof which we accepted. It is theschool fees that have become sovexatious as it were. What wehave done is that we lookedacross schools, Federal and Stateand private schools and tried tostay somewhere in the middle”,the Governor explained.

According to him, governmentalso decided that the new feewas not going to affect return-ing students, but only new in-takes adding that in considera-tion of qualified but indigent stu-dents, Government also in-creased its budget for scholar-ships and bursaries from N700million, to about N1.2 – N1.3 bil-lion “in order to ensure that nochild was left behind”.

CMYK


APC, PDP, LP tango overAmosun’s achievements

Soka ritualists' den: Ajimobi vows to prosecute culprits

Fayose pledges topay pension,gratuities arrearswithin first 3months

THE All Progressive Congress, APC, People’s Dem-

ocratic Party, PDP, and the LabourParty, LP, weekend sang discord-ant tunes over the achievementsof Governor Ibikunle Amosun-ledadministration in Ogun State forthe past three years.

While the APC insisted thatGovernor Amosun had donegreatly, the PDP and LP,scored the administration low ineducation, healthand agriculture among others.

The state PDP and LP, while re-acting to Amosun's third yearanniversary message, describedhis government as deceitful.

Governor Amosun, in his thirdyear anniversary message, hadsaid his administration had keptall promises made while beingsworn in as governor of the statethree years ago.

According to him, “looking backover the last three years, therehas been visible and impactful im-provement in the daily lives of thegood people of Ogun State.

But, in its assessment, the PDPsaid the Amosun administrationfailed in all fronts.

The state Publicity Secretary,Waliu Oladipupo, in a statementsaid ”there is no gainsaying thefact that the Amosun administra-tion has failed in all fronts. It hasdashed the hope of the good peo-ple of Ogun State despite of itspretensions to some achieve-ments. What would have beenthe biggest achievement of theadministration – urban renewal –has been blighted by the untoldhardship, pain and anguish thathave become the lot of the goodpeople of Ogun State whose an-cestral homes, shops and prop-erty are being destroyed in thename of urban renewal withoutcompensation. "

While corroborating the PDP,LP said as far as it was con-cerned, Amosun administration scored zeros ineducation; agriculture andhealth, noting it could onlyscore the administration 25 percent in urban development.

The state Secretary of theparty, Sunday Ogini, in a state-ment said, “in every ramifica-tion and assessment, this is agovernment run by deceit."

But Interim National Public-ity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai

Mohammed, who paid thegovernor visit, weekend insist-ed the Amosun’s governmenthad performed very well andwas very focused and deter-mined to further develop thestate.

The APC spokesman, who inspected various in-frastructural and develop-mental project sites in Abe-okuta, the state capital, sub-mitted that the projects weremassive, rapid and had im-pacted on the populace.

IBADAN—FOLLOWINGinsinuations that some

prominent individuals in OyoState are putting pressure onGovernor Abiola Ajimobi tocover up the atrocities commit-ted by kidnappers at Soka inIbadan, where hundreds ofpeople were believed to havebeen killed, the governor hasdismissed the claim saying allthose behind the criminal actsin the state would be broughtto book. Residents in the state, whospoke with Vanguard allegedthat since the governor gavethe order for the demolition ofthe structures in the den, noth-ing had been done. When told the governor saidthrough his Special Adviseron Media, Dr. Festus Adedayothat he was waiting on the po-lice to conclude investigations,they asked for how long wouldit take the police to investigatethe case. Due to the perceived delay,

some politicians in the statehave are claiming the All Pro-gressive Congress, APC, rul-ing government cannot claimi n n o c e n c e . Though, some of the victimstold Vanguard that they hadbeen kidnapped and held hos-tage for the past ten years, theformer Secretary to the StateGovernment, Mr. Ayodele Adi-gun argued that this could nothave been true “because aGovernment agency could nothave operated a project gen-erating revenue for govern-ment where such a nefariousactivity was going on”. Adigun maintained that“while the government propa-ganda was very active in dis-tancing government from thebizarre issue the mass mediahave been lethargic in un-earthing the facts. "More disturbing is the factthat friends and foes alike allover the world have continuedto pour scorn and denigrateour proud city of Ibadan as acity meant for cave dwellers”.

Claiming he was privy to allfacts relating to the land as theformer SSG, he said, “In 1996,a company awarded the con-tract to construct the OgunpaChannelisation Scheme tookup accommodation at that Sokapremises near Ogunpa Riveras its site office. ”When the company couldnot perform, another companywas brought in to continuewith the project.

However, absolving his ad-ministration over the incident,Governor Ajimobi said duringa chat that Soka had been inexistence before this adminis-tration.

“We never gave anyone con-tract to take destitute to theplace as claimed by the oppo-sition. We only engaged themto clear the roads of mad peo-ple. They engaged three com-panies to take away mad peo-ple and rehabilitate them. La-gos State appreciated what wedid and it wrote thanking usfor bringing to them their in-d i g e n e s .

A D O - E K I T I —FORMER governor of

Ekiti State and Peoples Democrat-ic Party, PDP, governorship can-didate in the June 21 governor-ship election in the state, Mr. Ay-odele Fayose, has promised to set-tle all arrears of pensioners andgratuities within his first threemonths in office. He blamed the governor,Dr Kay-ode Fayemi, who he said hadwaited till three weeks to electionbefore promising to attend to theproblem of the pensioners. In a statement yesterday, Fay-ose said; “when PDP was in gov-ernment in the state, pensionersreceived their gratuity within 60days of retirement while pensionwas paid on the 22nd of themonth. We will restore that whenwe get to government on October16, 2014by the grace of God.

However, the All ProgressiveCongress, APC, Director of Pub-licity, Mr. Segun Dipe, absolvedFayemi of blame over the accu-mulation of the pensions. According to him, “if somepast government has laid pri-ority on the payment of thepension and gratuity the amountwould not have accumulated tothe present proportion.

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

...Fayemi not to blamefor accummulatedarrears — APC

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

BY OLA AJAYI

...Gov denies being under pressure to shield perpetrators

A B E O K U TA —FORMER Presi-

dent Olusegun Obasan-jo yesterday expressedconcern over the in-creasing level of blind-ness among Nigerians.Obasanjo expressed hisfeelings when he ad-dressed hundreds of eyepatients who came forfree eye test/surgery or-ganised by the Oluseg-un Obasanjo Presiden-tial Library (OOPL) inAbeokuta.

The former president,who noted that there hadbeen considerable tech-nological advancementin the area of eye sur-gery, said that “Nigeri-ans should no longer beliving with blindness.While such situation couldbe permissible 50 yearsback, no justifiable reasoncan be adduced to it inthe present day Nigeria.I was once a victim be-cause I once sufferedeye- related ailment andit was the experience thatmoved me to assist peoplepresently going throughsimilar experience. I willcontinue to assist the less-privileged who have eyeproblems because I myselfwas once a victim. I hadto be operated on beforemy eyes were restored”.

The former presidenturged eye patients toabide by whatever in-structions the doctorsgave them.

Obasanjo’s wife, Bola,also, at the programme,called for concerted effortto assist the physicallychallenged in the society.

The Programme Coordi-nator, Dr Lekan Ma-kinde, said that over 1,000 people had beentreated with over 150 cat-aracts infected.

He said that the lowestcost of the kind of eye sur-gery being performed forthe people ranged be-tween N150, 000 andN200, 000.

Makinde said that theformer president insist-ed that the surgery mustbe free of charge, stress-ing that “eye surgery islike a magic or miracle”.

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

Obasanjolamentsrising casesof blindnessin Nigeria

...Ex-Presidentcounsels eyepatients

HOLY MASS: From left—Chairman, Church Council, Blessed Michael Tansi, Catholic Church, Chap-laincy, Dr. Fredrick Isife; Rev. Fr. Charles Ude; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and Rev. Fr.Adolphus Mbaocha; and Church Cathecist, Bro. Thomas Nnabuife, during a Holy Mass, marking thefirst Sunday of the month, ahead of the June 21 governorship election in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.

CMYK

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014—11

A-Ibom to release White Paper on disturbances

Release ofRivers'Bombardieraircraft notsurprising—APC

BY JIMITOTAONOYUME

Edo youthgroup backsJonathan inwar againstterrorism

BY GABRIELENOGHOLASE

2015: Uduaghan warns againstbloodletting

BY FESTUS AHON

Israel pledgessupportagainstinsurgency

UGHELLI—DELTA Stategovernor, Dr. Emmanuel

Uduaghan, weekend, warnedthose aspiring to govern thestate in 2015 against sheddingblood, insisting that no blood-thirsty politician will succeedhim.

Speaking at the 8th convoca-tion of over 4,600 students (firstdegrees, diplomas and post-graduate degrees) of DeltaState University, Abraka, Udu-aghan admonished those vyingfor the state governorship to goabout it peacefully, adding thatit was only God that gives pow-er.

Congratulating the graduandson their convocation and thank-ing God for seeing themthrough their programmes inthe university, he expressed

hope that the graduandswould not have difficultiesin getting job with the ‘Del-ta Beyond Oil’ initiative.

Insisting that oil alonecould not sustain the econ-omy of the state, necessitat-ing the diversification of thestate's economy, he said thatthe government was doingeverything to encourage pri-vate investors to invest inthe state.

Commending Mr. TonyElumelu, who is the pro-chancellor and chairman ofthe university GoverningCouncil for his investmentinitiative in the state, Udu-aghan said Elumelu was do-ing a lot to boost power gen-eration in Ughelli Power Sta-tion since he took over thepower plant.

He assured that the state

government was doing eve-rything possible to deal withthe problem of insecurityplaguing the state, adding“we will not sleep until thechallenges are dealt with.”

Thanking the Vice Chan-cellor for the good manage-ment of the university, heannounced that the stategovernment will disburseN150 million as car loans tothe university workers.

Earlier in his address, theVice Chancellor, Prof. EricArubayi said that the convo-cation ceremony afford allstakeholders, particularly thegraduands, the opportunityof coming together not onlyto celebrate, but also to re-assess the general perform-ance of the university with aview to re-inventing the pol-icies of the institution.

AKWA Ibom State governor, Chief Godswill Akpa-

bio, weekend, said that the stategovernment will soon releaseWhite Papers on the crises anddisturbances that took place insome parts of the state.

Governor Akpabio, who stat-ed this after receiving the re-ports of the Commissions of En-quiry set up by the state gov-ernment, directed the state At-torney-General and Commis-sioner for Justice to issue whitepapers on the various reportswithin three months.

He said: “We will soon issuewhite papers on these reports.This will help us to apportionblame where it is needed andarrest all those who perpetuat-ed or triggered the crises andwe will do our best to bringpeace to those communities.

”Whatever problems occurred,

people should not take thelaw into the hands. The kill-ing of people and the de-struction of property is quiteunfortunate. Some of the cri-ses, I believe, were due toboundary disputes. So, ifthere is no boundary, thereis bound to be a boundaryissue, and we, as a govern-ment, will provide solutionfor that. We call on the Na-tional Boundaries Commis-sion to intervene in the mat-ter, and we believe the so-lution to this issue will bringpeace to the communities.”

Ime Ekam, who was chair-man of the Commission ofEnquiry into Ikot AkpanUdo in Ikot Abasi andAmazaba communities inEastern Obolo Local Gov-ernment Area, attributed thecrisis to land disputes and

boundary issues, among oth-ers.

Ekam said that the commis-sion inaugurated on October9, 2008, interviewed personsfrom the affected communi-ties to determine the remoteand immediate causes of thedisturbance and visited thevillages where it saw mas-sive destruction of lives andproperty, describing such asman’s inhumanity to man.

The Commission of En-quiry into Ukpatak and Afa-ha Eduok, Idua Clan againstEyoAbasi communities ofOron Local GovernmentArea as well as Obufi andUbe villages in Okobo LocalGovernment Area distur-bances was headed by anacting Chairman, Mr. ChrisOkorie.

PORT HAR-COURT—ALL Pro-

gressives Congress, APC,in Rivers State has said itwas not surprised that thestate-owned Bombardieraircraft was finally releasedby the Federal Governmentbecause there was no justi-fiable reason for its seizurein the first place.

A statement by the statePublicity Secretary, MrChris Fineborn, said thatthe issues that would ex-cite people of the state werefor the government to re-turn the Soku oil wells andothers allegedly ceded toother states to Rivers andfor the government to alsoresume work on Train 7 ofthe Nigerian LiquefiedNatural Gas, NLNG, Bon-ny in Rivers State.

The statement read: “APCRivers State Chapter, re-ceived the news of releaseof the Rivers State Govern-ment-owned Bombardieraircraft by the federal au-thorities without any ex-citement whatsoever."

B E N I N — E S A NYouth Council, EYC,

in Edo Central senatorialdistrict of Edo State, has ex-pressed its support for Pres-ident Goodluck Jonathan inthe war against terrorism inthe country, urging him toconsolidate his consulta-tions with the relevantstakeholders with a view tofinding a peaceful resolu-tion to the security chal-lenges facing the country.

EYC, in a statement at theend of its 2nd Annual EsanYouth Economic Summit,weekend in Ekpoma,Esan West Local Govern-ment Area of the state, how-ever, expressed regret overgovernment‘s inadequatemeasures that characterisedthe rescue operations of thesecondary school girls ab-ducted in Chibok, BornoState.

The statement by its Pres-ident, Mr Theophillus Iri-anan and others, urged thegovernment at all levels tounite in the fight against thescourge.

Y E N A G O A — I S -RAELI Ambassador

to Nigeria, Mr. Uriel Palti,weekend, condemned theact of terrorism, especiallythe kidnap of over 200schoolgirls in Borno State.

Palti, in Yenagoa, Bayel-sa State, when he paid acourtesy call on the gover-nor, Mr. Seriake Dickson,called for the release of theabutted girls, assuring thestate government of thesupport of the state of Isra-el at putting to an end theacts of terrorism in thecountry.

The Israeli envoy laudedGovernor Dickson for hisdevelopmental strides inthe state and expressed thewillingness of his homecountry to collaborate withBayelsa in the area of se-curity and other sectors ofthe economy.

He added that the lead-ership of his country waslooking forward to receiv-ing Governor Dickson on astate visit this year.

BY SAMUELOYADONGHA

PDP chieftaintasks EPZc'ttee onpeace building

WARRI—AN envi-ronmentalist and

chieftain of Peoples Demo-cratic Party, PDP, Mr. Dav-id Omaghomi, has taskedmembers of the newly in-augurated Export Process-ing Zone, EPZ, InterfaceCommittee to consolidateon the peace buildingprocess facilitated by theFederal and Delta StateGovernments, to ensurethe actualisation of theproject in Ogidigben, War-ri South-West Local Gov-ernment, Delta State.

The PDP chieftain, who isalso the Principal Consult-ant to Environmental Res-toration Foundation of Ni-geria, ERFON, said thatfollowing the successful in-auguration of the 21-mem-ber EPZ Interface Commit-tee, comprising of hithertofeuding factions of Ugboro-do Community Trust, mem-bers should now redirecttheir energies toward theground breaking ceremonyof the EPZ as well as en-sure that their loyalists re-frain from publications andcomments that will dent thepeace process.

CONVOCATION: From left: Visitor to Delta State University, Governor Emmanuel Udua-ghan of Delta State; Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu, and Vice Chancellor,Delta State University, Professor Eric Arubayi, at the convocation ceremony for graduatingstudents of Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, weekend.

CMYK

12 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014

Amaechidissolves 21local govts

Delta monarch laudsOrubebe

Uduaghan meets Ijaw stakeholderson EPZ project

BY EMMA AMAZIE

BY JIMITOTAONOYUME

PORT HAR-COURT—GOV-

ERNOR Rotimi Amaechiof Rivers State has dis-solved executives of 21out of the 23 local gov-ernment areas in thestate and has sworn incaretaker committees forthe councils.

He said that the tenureof the affected councilexecutives expired onSaturday, adding thatsince elections were re-cently conducted inOgba Egbema Ndoniand Degema Local Gov-ernment Areas, theywere not affected by thedissolution.

Meanwhile, the stateHouse of Assembly alsosat on Saturday and ap-proved the list of nomi-nees for the caretakercommittee expected toremain in office for threemonths.

THE Ovie of AbrakaOruarivie, in Ethi-

ope East Local Govern-ment Area of Delta State,HRM AkpomeyomaOjeta II, has describedthe immediate past NigerDelta Affairs Minister,Elder Godsday Orubebe,as a reliable, courageousand experienced man.

He said his assertionwas informed by his pre-vious contact and rela-tionship with the formerminister.

He spoke when Oru-bebe visited his palace toconsult with him andpeople of the communi-ty in furtherance of hisstatewide tour.

He thanked Orubebefor his contributions tothe development of theNiger Delta region, par-

ticularly the constructionof the East-West Road,which he described asthe live wire of theUrhobo nation.

Earlier, Elder Orubebesaid he was at the pal-ace to inform the mon-arch and his people thathe desires to become thenext governor of DeltaState and that his aspi-ration was anchored onhis conviction that onlya competent and experi-enced person can leadDelta State to the nextlevel.

He urged Deltans to re-alise that it was notwhere a candidate hailsfrom that mattered, butthe quality of service hecan provide to take thestate to the next level.

A S A B A — D E LTAState governor, Dr.

Emmanuel Uduaghan,has met with Ijaw stake-holders, who are allegingneglect in the ExportProcessing Zone, EPZ,project in Warri South-West Local Government ofthe state to defuse ten-sion.

It was learnt that he heldtalks with the protestingIjaw communities, led bythe president of the Fed-erated Niger Delta IjawCommunities, FNDIC,Chief Bello Oboko, in Asa-ba.

Ijaw communities inBurutu and Warri South-West Local GovernmentAreas had threatenedfresh crisis in the state ifPresident GoodluckJonathan performed theground-breaking ceremo-ny of the EPZ projectwithout addressing theirgrievances.

A source told Vanguardthat the governor was dis-turbed by the mountingcomplaints of Ijaw com-munities on the projectand appealed to theirleaders to let peace reign.

He was said to have di-rected the Commissionerfor Lands, Survey and

Urban Development, Mr.Patrick Ferife, to engagethe Ijaw team on the claimthat Kpokpo/Okpeleamaland was revoked by thestate government for theEPZ/NPA project basedon new facts made avail-able to him.

It was gathered that incompliance with the gov-ernor ’s directive, Mr.Ferife held a meeting withthe people of Ogulaghaon the involvement ofSokebuoulou and Yokiricommunities in the EPZproject site.

BURIAL: Sir Mike Okiro, former Inspector-General of Police and Chairman, Police Serv-ice Commission, flanked by his sisters, during the burial of their mother, Mrs. Bessy Okiro,in Egbema, Rivers State, weekend.

Rivers alleges plot by NJC to appoint Okochaas state Chief Judge

RIVERS State Govern-ment, yesterday, raised

alarm over what it said was asurreptitious move by the Na-tional Judicial Council, NJC, toprivately appoint, through theback door, Justice Daisy Oko-cha as the Chief Judge of thestate and then direct judges inthe state to accept directivesand instructions from the saidjudge in that capacity.

Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, RiversState Commissioner for Infor-mation and Communications ina statement, yesterday, said:“This is clearly against thejudgment of the Federal HighCourt which voided NJC’s rec-ommendation of this samejudge.

“The NJC, to disguise its dis-respect for the law and give theimpression that it is acting with-in the law, has planned tochristen the said Justice Oko-cha as an ‘AdministrativeJudge’ with powers to performthe functions of the ChiefJudge, especially the assign-ment of cases.

“Rivers State Government

wonders what special interestthe Chief Justice in person, andNJC, in general, have in RiversState and its judiciary as to con-template such obviously uncon-stitutional and illegal act againstthe state judiciary which act isalso contemptuous of a Federal

High Court’s judgment,which has voided NJC’s rec-ommendation of Justice Oko-cha for appointment as ChiefJudge of Rivers State.

“The Rivers State Govern-ment wishes to state that bythe state’s High Court Law, it

is the Chief Judge that haspowers to distribute the busi-ness of courts, otherwise pop-ularly known as assignmentof cases, to judges and notany other person whetherknown as administrative ormost senior judge as the NJCwishes to contrive."

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

CMYK

Vanguard, MONDAY,JUNE 2, 2014 — 13

RECEPTION: Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, receiving an award as ''The Most Dis-tinguished Alumnus' of Santa Crux Secondary School, Olokoro Umuahia, from Hon. Jus-tice Okey Nwamuoh, National President, Old Boys Association, during a reception organ-ised in honour of the governor by the old boys of the school, in Umuahia.

OWERRI — THE Catho-lic Archbishop of Owerri

Ecclesiastical Province, HisGrace, Dr. Anthony J. V. Obin-na, has expressed serious con-cern over the growing tension,strife, war, bloodshed and ab-ductions going on in the coun-try today.

Archbishop Obinna, whomade his feelings known, whileaddressing the press in Ower-ri, also blamed the sad happen-ings on mistrust, mutual sus-picion, lack of friendship andgood neighbourliness.

“The walls which divide uscan be broken down only if weare prepared to listen and learnfrom one another, Obinna rea-soned."

He expressed regret that Ni-gerians have failed to recogn-ise and treat one another as fel-low sons and daughters of God.

“The consequence is contin-uous tension, strife, war, abduc-tions, bloodshed. God is defi-nitely not happy about this andwe must learn to love and ap-preciate ourselves in all circum-stances,” Obinna pleaded.

He urged Nigerians to riseabove primordial, ethnic, reli-gious, political, cult and class

divides that sow and whip upunnecessary hatred and vio-lence.

Addressing the just celebrat-ed Democracy Day, Archbish-

op Obinna urged Nigerians tore-evaluate the type of democ-racy the nation celebrates, giv-en the current state of the na-tion.

The cleric noted that BokoHaram menace and the con-tinued captivity of youngschool children, the Chibokgirls, directly held Nigeria

and its DemocracyDay in captivity.

“What kind ofpeople are we Ni-gerians? Are weenemies or fellowhumans and fellowcitizens? Whatkind of democracyis ours, demonic ord e m o p h i l i c ? ”Obinna queried.

Ohanaeze youths condemnabduction of Chibok school girls

BY ANAYO OKOLI

UMUAHIA — THE leadership ofOhanaeze Youth Council, OYC,

has condemned the abduction of over200 Chibok school girls and called forintensified effort to ensure their saferelease to re-unite with their families.

The group also expressed worry overthe escalating heinous activities of theBoko Haram Islamist sect and urgedthem to embrace the option of dialogueextended to them by the Federal Gov-ernment.

However, the group warned BokoHaram to take any fate that would be-fall them, if they refused to accept thedialogue option offered them by thegovernment.

Meanwhile, worried by the rising cri-sis in the North, the group said it hadcommenced a tour of the troubled North-ern states, with a view to assessing theextent of destruction of lives and prop-erty and feel the pulse of victims, espe-cially affected Ndigbo.

The group said its leaders would vis-

it Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Jos, Maid-uguri, Yobe and Chibok, where 200school girls were abducted.

The tour would enable the group toassess how the crisis was affecting Ndigbo in the North and also offer themopportunity to interact with the youthleaders in the area.

The President of OYC, Mazi Oke-chukwu Isiguzoro, said the tours be-came necessary because of the largenumber of Ndigbo residing in all partsof the North and the need to brokerpeace among the people.

Isiguzoro said the tour would affordOYC opportunity to assess the situa-tion in the North, especially as it affect-ed the Igbo.

“We will commence the tour from Jos,Plateau State from where we will pro-ceed to Mubi Adamawa State, then toMaidugri and Chibok, both in BornoState.

“From Chibok, we will go to Damatu-ru Yobe State, from where we visit Tara-ba and then connect North-Westernstates of Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto, be-fore concluding with Benue, he said."

Umeh urgeswealthyNigerians toinvest ineducation

ENUGU — FactionalNational Chairman

of All Progressives GrandAlliance, Chief VictorUmeh, has urged wealthyindividuals to invest in ed-ucation and human devel-opment.

Umeh spoke during thecommissioning of a multi-million naira building do-nated to the General Stud-ies Department of EnuguState University of Scienceand Technology by a re-nowned industrialist, ChiefInnocent Chukwuma, theChairman/Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Innoson Group ofCompanies.

BY TONY EDIKE

12 indigentstudents getRotaryscholarshipin Enugu

ENUGU—REPRIEVEhas come the way of

12 indigent students ofEnugu State as the RotaryClub has awarded themscholarship to completetheir secondary school ed-ucation.

To these students whohad had difficulties fund-ing their education, the gesture by the Rotary Clubwas like a dream come trueas many of them had losttheir parents and on theverge of dropping out ofschool.

The scholarship, courte-sy of the Rotary Club Enu-gu Educational Foundationwas introduced to assistbrilliant, but indigent stu-dents for three years fromsenior secondary schoolone to three, involvingN720,000 per year; witheach of the benefiting stu-dents receiving a sum ofN60,000 a year.

BY TONY EDIKE

Cleric worries over growing strife, war, bloodshed,abductions in Nigeria

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

Godwin Emefiele assumes leadershipof CBN today

BY OMOH GABRIEL

GODWIN Emefieleassumes office today as

the Central Bank of Nigeria,CBN, Governor after the expi-ration of the tenure of LamidoSanusi on May 31. Mr.Emefiele was still on duty at Ze-nith as at last Friday.

A visit to Zenith last Fridayshowed that some of his per-sonal staff were being mobilisedon Friday to leave for Abuja inpreparation for his assumptionof office today.

Mr. Emefiele, during his con-firmation hearing at the Senatesaid CBN, under him shall vig-orously pursue a developmentbanking model, DBM, in addi-tion to working hard to achievethe core mandate of monetaryand price stability.

Emefiele had told the sena-tors that DBM is a model thathas been tried and tested indifferent jurisdictions in theworld.

He had told the senators that“in fact, in some of the frontiersand emerging markets in theworld, we have seen develop-ment banking used as a tool forachieving economic growth,development and industrialisa-tion.”

Until last Friday, Emefiele wasthe Group Managing Director,

Zenith Bank Plc, a position hehas held since August 2010.

He was Deputy ManagingDirector of the bank, havingbeen appointed into that posi-tion in 2001. Emefiele hadbeen on the bank’s manage-ment team since inception andhad held various management

positions in the bank, includ-ing serving as the bank’s Ex-ecutive Director in charge ofCorporate Banking, Treasury,Financial Control and Strate-gic Planning.

Before his appointment asGroup Managing Director,Emefiele was directly respon-

sible for all the group’s localsubsidiaries, treasury and cor-respondent banking and mul-tilateral, conglomerates and pri-vate banking.

He also had responsibilitiesfor direct supervision of major-ity of the bank’s branches inLagos and Northern Nigeria.

CMYK


Alleged N10bn chartered jets scandal:Our mandate was misread — Reps

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

ABUJA — THE House ofRepresentatives, week-

end, said the mandate given toits Committee on Public Accounts,PAC, to investigate the allegedexpenditure of N10 billion onchattered jets by Minister of Pe-troleum Resources, Diezani Ali-son-Madueke, was misread.

Deputy Chairman, HouseCommittee on Media and Pub-licity, Victor Ogene, APGA, An-ambra, disclosed this at a mediabriefing in Abuja.

He said: “We are sorry for thatslip, wherever it came from.”

He said the House was thank-ful to Justice Ahmed Mohammedof the High Court sitting in Abu-ja “for standing on the side of jus-

tice” by clearing the air on aninjunction purportedly issued byhim.

Ogene, however, blamed thoseopposing the proposed probe ofreading some sections of the 1999Constitution in isolation of sec-tion 88 and 89.

He explained: “The House willnot at any time shirk its respon-sibilities. Acting in personal ca-pacity is different from acting asan agent of government, so it isbaffling to attempt to preventagents of government from be-ing answerable to Nigerians.

”Any life not worthy of exami-nation is not worth living, be-cause the essence of democracyis to ensure that we examine our-selves. The position of the law isunchanged, and no man or wom-an is above the law of our land.”

On the Minister’s alleged re-sistance to the effect that only thePresident could endorse her ap-pearance before the probe pan-el, Ogene said the House wouldnot go into issues which the Min-ister was in court for, dismissingthe perceived witch-hunt sugges-tions in the public domain.

”When the current NationalAssembly was inaugurated in2011, I don’t think any memberhad any particular Minister inmind. The House does not pros-ecute anybody because reports ofour investigations are still passedon to the executive arm to imple-ment.

”The tendency in Nigeria is thatwhen people are summoned,they are seen to be guilty abini-tio, which is not correct,” he not-ed

According to Ogene, the man-date of the House to the PublicAccounts Committee over the al-leged expenditure had never atany time been withdrawn.

He added that investigations ofthis nature should not start andend with the physical appearanceof the persons concerned, as Con-stitution permitted either writtenor oral submissions and both, asmight be required to obtain theneeded information.

He said the House commend-ed Nigerians for their steadfast-ness and as important stakehold-ers.

“Yes, we sometimes have ourdifferences but at any time, wemust realise that we are one gov-ernment. So we expect the smoothadministration of the nation,” hesaid.

Vanguard recalls that the trialjudge, Justice Ahmed Moham-med, had, on April 29, directedthe House to appear before himto explain the origin of the re-straining order it said stopped itsPublic Accounts Committee, PAC,from investigating allegation thatthe Minister spent N10 billion onchartered private jets.

Members of the committee, ledby its Chairman, Solomon Ola-milekan, had at a press briefingon April 28, said they wereserved with a restraining orderfrom the court, stopping furtherinvestigation into the allegationagainst the Minister.

They had accused the judiciaryof attempting to usurp their over-sight function, saying they wouldsuspend the investigation to studythe said restraining order, with aview to responding accordingly.

Consequently, Justice Moham-med, on the last adjourned date,summoned the House to “comeand clear the air” on whether itwas actually restrained from go-ing ahead with the probe.

Government should negotiate with Boko Haram— Chief Mike Ozekhome

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHI-OGU

ABUJA — HUMAN rightsactivist, Chief Mike

Ozekhome, SAN, has called onthe Federal Government to imme-diately negotiate with the BokoHaram Islamist sect to bring backthe abducted school girls fromChibok, Borno State.

But the Federal Government ina surprised move on Saturday,said it did not offer amnesty toBoko Haram members.

In a statement made availableto Vanguard, Ozekhome, who isalso a delegate to the ongoingNational Conference in Abuja,said Section 14 of the 1999 Con-stitution mandated the FederalGovernment to ensure the secu-rity and welfare of the citizenry.

He said: “The controversy overwhether or not the Federal Gov-

ernment should negotiate withBoko Haram with a view to re-leasing the abducted Chibok Sec-ondary School girls, is nauseat-ing and demeaning of our hu-manity, to say the least.

"Let it be made clear that thesecurity and welfare of Nigeriansare the primary purpose of gov-ernment (Section 14 of the 1999Constitution).

”It is unthinkable that some peo-ple would want the lives of theseinnocent future leaders of Nige-ria to be wasted on the altar ofgovernment grand-standing andengagement niceties. There aretimes when a government stoopsto conquer.

Recalling that former US Presi-dent, Mr. J.F. Kennedy, once pro-mulgated the concept of negotia-tion, Ozekhome said Nigeriacould not continue to experiencethe orgy of bloodletting which had

claimed over 12, 000 lives amidwanton destruction of schools,churches and mosques.

”It was J.F. Kennedy, formerAmerican President, who oncedeclared that we should never failto negotiate, just as we shouldnever negotiate out of fear. Ne-gotiating with Boko Haram willnot amount to negotiating out offear.

“It is simply an irritating sacri-fice to be made to justify the sanc-tity of the lives of these young,innocent souls. I dare say that theFederal Government should ne-gotiate even with Satan, if thatwould bring back our girls. EvenSatan would be humbled and di-minished by such an unprece-dented strategy.

”Recall that part of the mainbrief of the Turaki Committee wasto negotiate with the Boko Haramgroup, an offer it had imperious-

ly rejected. Now that the sameBoko Haram has thrown up the“Olive branch,” for that is what itclearly is, the Federal Govern-ment should seize it, and makegains out of it.

”It affords a golden opportuni-ty, not only to negotiate the re-lease of the Chibok girls, but toholistically negotiate amnestyand halting of the horrific insur-gency and bloodletting that haveclaimed over 12, 000 lives andwanton destruction of houses,Schools, Churches, Mosques,public buildings, bus stops, etc.

”The Federal Governmentshould, for once, think of the trep-idation, unease, cries, tension,suspense, psychological traumaand mental torture, that the ab-duction of these children is caus-ing their parents, teachers, sib-lings, friends and loved ones."

Vandalism:FG seeksconsumers’support toprotectpowerinfrastructure

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

ABUJA — THE Fed-eral Government has

appealed to electricity con-sumers to assist in protect-ing all power installationsand equipment locatedwithin their domains fromthe activities of unscrupu-lous vandals.

Minister of State for Pow-er, Mohammed Wakil, whomade the appeal after com-missioning three transmis-sion sub-stations complet-ed by the TransmissionCompany of Nigeria, TCN,at Kumbotso, in Kano State,regretted that vandals’ ac-tivities had caused inter-rupted supply of electricityto consumers in the recenttimes.

The Minister had earliercommissioned two othersubstations at Tamburawaand Kwanar Dangora, allin Kano State.

Wakil said: “it is our col-lective responsibility asgood citizens of Nigeria toprotect all key power in-stallations.”

Consultantskick againstJOHESU’s bidto headmedicalcentres

BY VICTORIA OJEME

ABUJA — MEDI-CAL and Dental

Consultants’ Associationof Nigeria, MDCAN, haswarned the Federal Gov-ernment against suc-cumbing to the demandsof members of the JointHealth Sector Union, JO-HESU, to be appointed asmedical directors of Fed-eral Medical Centres asa recipe for chaos in thehealth sector.

Membership of JOHESUcomprises all health sectorworkers, with the exceptionof medical doctors.

It would be recalled thatthere had been supremacybattle between the healthworkers and doctors in thecountry, leading to severalstrikes to press home theirdemands .

The National President ofMDCAN, Steven Oluwale,gave the warning at a me-dia briefing in Abuja, yes-terday.

CONFERENCE: Managing Director/CEO, Abuja Enterprise Agency, Mrs. Aisha Abubakar;Media Relationship Manager, Dana Air, Mr. Samuel Ogbogoro; Sales Manager, AshminaLimited, Mr. Anshuman Bakshi, and Founder, Nisa Premier Hospital, Dr. Ibrahim Wada,during 2nd FCT Entrepreneurship Conference and Merit Awards, in Abuja, co-sponsoredby Dana Air and Aquadana

CMYK


BY SAM EYOBOKA

Christian group faults Sultan on marginalisation

BY EMMA UJAH,ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

CONDOLENCE VISIT: Former Vice President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress,APC, Atiku Abubakar (left), Ciroman Gombe, Abdulkadir Abubakar (right) and others,during a condolence visit to the Government and people of Gombe State over the death ofEmir of Gombe in Gombe, yesterday.

ABUJA—A GROUP ofChristians in the North

under the aegis of TEKAN/ECWA has disagreed with theSultan of Sokoto andPresident-General of theNigerian Supreme Council forIslamic Affairs, NSCIA, AlhajiSa’ad Abubakar III whorecently alleged that Muslimsin the country are beingmarginalised, urgingPresident Goodluck Jonathanto ignore the call which thegroup described asinflammatory.

The Sultan was reported assaying during a nationalprayer session organised bythe NSCIA where eminentIslamic scholars gathered topray for peace and security in

2015:SoutherngroupaccusesNorth of plotto frustrateJonathan

ABUJA—AHEAD ofthe 2015 general

elections, Northernpolitical elite areplanning another round ofviolence, with the sole aimof frustrating PresidentGoodluck Jonathan’ssecond term ambition, theSouthern Mandate, acoalition of socio-politicalgroups alerted, in Abuja,yesterday.

It was reacting to theresolutions at a meeting ofsome northernorganisations including theArewa Consultative Forum,ACF, Northern EldersForum, NEF, NorthernUnion, NU, ArewaReawakening Forum, ARF,and Middle Belt Forum,MBF, held in Kaduna, lastFriday.

Northern political elite atthe meeting had blamedthe current insecurity anddisunity in the region onthe second term ambition ofPresident Jonathan andvowed to ensure that aNortherner must take overthe Aso Rock PresidentialVilla in 2015.

“Our position is very clearon this renewed demand.There was an agreementon rotating the presidencyand now, we want to warnthat if the parties to the pactfail to adhere to it, the Northwill use its numericalstrength to ensure thatpower returns to it in 2015.That is the position arrivedat the meeting”, one of theparticipants was quoted assaying.

However, the NationalCoordinator of the SouthernMandate, Mr. TitoZuokumor, said the Southrejected the renewed moveby the North as it wasaimed at setting the nationon fire and stampedingPresident Jonathan out ofoffice by next year.

According to the group,the division and insecurityin the North, including theBoko Haram insurgencypredated the Jonathanpresidency, and that ratherthan seeking for a culprit,northern leaders shouldbury their heads in shamefor their failure to providepurposeful leadershipwhile they held on topolitical power for overthree decades.

MAIDUGURI—THE fear ofBoko Haram Islamic sect,

which has unleashed a reign ofterror in the north eastern part ofthe country weekend kept awaylawmakers, traditional rulers andother important dignitaries fromthe burial of the Emir of Gwoza,Alhaji Shehu Mustapha IdrisaTimta. The Islamic terrorists havealso attacked four villages inBorno State killing severalpeople.

The late emir in company ofemirs of Askira, Alhaji AbdullahiIbn Muhammed and emir of Uba,Alhaji Ali Ibn Ismaila was killedby Boko Haram terrorists onFriday with two police escortsduring an ambush by the sectmembers.

The burial of late Timta wasconducted amid tight securitywith 150 soldiers and 70policemen on hand. At the burialhowever, no emir or theirrepresentatives were inattendance, even as the House ofAssembly member representingGwoza, Mohammed JahaBabawo and Hon. Peter Biye, aHouse of Representative member,representing Gwoza, Damboaand Chibok were absentthroughout the interment.

Our Correspondent observedthat throughout the ceremonywhich ended at about 2pm onSaturday, military choppers werebusy hovering around Gwozatown, particularly the palace toprevent further attacks and killingby the unrepentant terroristsgroup.

Though the First ClassMonarch was killed while on hisway to attend the burial of theEmir of Gombe, Alhaji ShehuAbubakar, none of his colleaguesfrom within and outside the statewas able attend his interment dueto unpredictable security aroundGwoza town.

Borno State governor, KashimShettima, who was accompaniedby his deputy governor, ZannaMustapha and SenatorMuhammed Ali Ndume who isfrom Gwoza were the highestpublic officers that led other stategovernment functionaries toattend the burial.

Also, the Borno First Lady,Hajiya Nana Kashim Shettimaattended the burial in companyof some women Commissionersincluding Dr. Asabe Vilita Bashirwho hails from Gwoza.

Following the destruction ofLimankara and Pulka bridges thatlink Gwoza with Maiduguri andAdamawa State and the ongoingambush on the highway by BokoHaram almost on daily basis,Alhaji Haruna Idrisa Timta, theformer Head of Service, BornoState, Alhaji Adamu Idrisa Timta,a Permanent Secretary with theBorno State Government who are

Fear of Boko Haram: Eminent personsshun late Gwoza monarch's burial

BY NDAHI MARAMA

As sect attacks 4 villages in Borno, kills 15among the eldest sons of the slainemir, but reside in Maiduguriwith their families had to join theconvoy of Governor KashimShettima to attend their father’sinterment.

Governor Shettima who alsobattled to control his tears as hedelivered his tribute andcondolences described late ShehuIdrissa Timta as “a man who spentbetter part of his reign preachingpeace and tolerance.”

Meanwhile, a series ofsuspected Boko Haram attacks infour villages in Borno State killedseveral people, residents said

Sunday. The military was,however, not immediatelyavailable to comment on theraids.

All of the targeted villages arein the Gamboru Ngala districtnear the border with Cameroon,where Boko Haram killedhundreds in a gruesome attackearlier this month.

The latest unrest hit thevillages of Nuwari, Musari,Walori on Saturday, wheregunmen, some dressed assoldiers and riding in 4x4 trucks,opened fire on civilians andrazed much of the area,

according to multiple witnessaccounts.

“They burnt all the villagesand took away all ourlivestock,” said Nuwariresident, Bunu Kaloma.

He said 15 people werekilled in the spate of attacks butthere were conflicting reportsand it was not possible toestablish a concrete death toll.

“They came in after darkwhile a wedding party wasgoing on and went on shootingand tossing explosives intohomes,” said a resident, BukarMustapha.

the nation that if thegovernment can addressinjustice against Muslims,the seemingly intractablesecurity challenges will besurmounted, adding thatMuslims are not happy, butwilling to support thegovernment in its effortstowards peace and stability.

The Christian group alsodescribed the Sultan’s claimof marginalisation which waswidely reported, as incitingbecause a close look at thestatement could beinterpreted to mean thatunless the perceivedinjustices against Muslimsare addressed there will be noend to the current insecurityin the country.

Reacting to the statement,the national head of TEKAN/

ECWA bloc of the ChristianAssociation of Nigeria, CAN,Rev. Emmanuel Dziggauurged Nigerians to ignore theclaim, arguing that if the headof NSCIA was serious, heshould identify thosemarginalising Muslims in thecountry.

“We are yet to overcomesimilar statements by aneminent Muslim politicianwho vowed to make the nationungovernable if he was notpronounced winner of the2011 presidential election.When the CAN leadershipcalled for his arrest for makingsuch imflammatory statement,many Muslims accused himof heating up the polity, buttoday Nigerians know thosewho are heating up thepolity,” the statement said.

CMYK

OPINION

16— Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014

BY ELIZABETH UWAIFO

*Mrs. Uwaifo, a lawyer, wrote fromLondon.

What does it mean to be Nigerian?WHEN I arrived in London from

Nigeria in 1982, one of themajor challenges I had to deal withwas the feeling of isolation - notseeing people who look like you.While I did not let that feeling derailmy plans to study and pursue mylegal career, I became veryappreciative of the sight of others ofmy colour, I developed a bond withAfricans and a special bond withNigerians, I felt we were kindredspirit. The recent unfortunate eventsin Chibok, Borno State has forced usas Nigerians to hold a mirror toourselves, look in it and decidewhether we like what we see. If we donot like what we see, what do we do?

Stories abound of atrocious killingsinflicted by Nigerians on Nigerians -by Boko Haram, ritual killings andotherwise. Why would we asNigerians inflict such pain andsuffering on other Nigerians? We willnot ordinarily inflict such atrocities onour own children or those we loveand care about. Perhaps arediscovery of our consciousness ofour bond as Nigerians will facilitaterespect and love for one another.

I feel strongly about our finding whatunites us as I believe that this spiritwill help us pull together to greatersuccess as a nation. I wish to hear thethoughts of fellow Nigerians on thissubject and I will start the discourseby sharing my personal perspective.

I really became appreciative of my

Nigerian heritage when I came toEngland. I am Ishan from Edo Stateand left Nigeria for England at the ageof 21. Before leaving Nigeria I was notparticularly conscious of myNigerian heritage. My nationality waswhat it was. I had no reason to thinkabout it whether positively ornegatively. I had issues andchallenges to address and mynationality did not feature among myconcerns.

On getting to England and realisingfor the first time that those in my newcommunity did not look like me orspeak like me, it becameheartwarming to see faces like mineand comforting to hear an accent ora name that I recognised as Nigerian.I came across very few Nigerians -less than five that I was aware of atmy university, none at my block ofresidence and only a handful knownto me socially. I felt a sense ofsolidarity with the Nigerians I got toknow.

In my loneliness I yearned forhome; for the Nigeria I left behind. Ihad a sense of pride about where Iwas from. There were times when Iwould be frustrated by the fact that Iwas not communicating effectivelywith those around me. When othersexpressed difficulty inunderstanding me I would say tomyself - I come from a country where

people all speak like me and they arefine. As I struggled to get through thecold weather, rain and snow to get tomy lectures, I picked up on thenegative images that were portrayedin the Western media about Nigeriaand I felt protective of my country.They did not know Nigeria like I did,I said to myself. They did not knowthe hardworking, resourceful, brilliant,kind-hearted and empatheticNigerians that I knew. I was drivento show that I had received qualityeducation in Nigeria which placed mein a position to compete with the bestin England.

My Nigerian heritage gave me asense of identity, a comfort and afeeling that there was a group ofpeople to whom my successmattered. During that period, Iwould request traditional Nigerianmusic - music by Sir Victor Uwaifo,Osayomore Joseph, Sunny Okosun,Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade, IKDairo, Rex Lawson andOnyekaOwenu, to name a few. Myfriends and siblings in Nigeria wereat the time into Western pop and soulmusic and thought I was crazy. I lovedto collect carved wooden ornamentsand pictures of people in Nigeriantraditional clothes. They not onlyreminded me of home but they alsorepresented my identity which Iguarded jealously.

Would I have felt so passionateabout Nigeria if I had not left Nigeria?Or if my environment in England hadnot included so few Nigerians?Whatever the answer to thosequestions may be, the fact remainsthat my being Nigerian meantsomething to me and was a positiveinfluence on me.

Nigerians have been through adifficult period. Many families haveexperienced worsening economicconditions, poor infrastructure hasmade it difficult for average Nigeriansto work their way out of the povertytrap and poor living conditions makedaily life a constant struggle. Facedwith challenges that compel us tofocus on our needs we risk losingtouch with our common bond asNigerians. Furthermore, does ourfamiliarity with one another put usat risk of losing our appreciation ofone another?

So what is it that connects you withother Nigerians irrespective of theirethnic origin, sex, religion, politicalaffiliation or social status? Yourthoughts are as good as mine.

FOIA: Will The Illegality Stop?

EFFORTS to establishapplicability of the Freedom ofInformation Act nationallyindicate ineptitude of theNational Assembly in stopping theillegalities State Assemblies areperpetrating. They erode powersof the National Assembly.

Cases across the country provethe unwillingness of States toabide by a federal law that theycontested during the legislativeprocess, which was why its passagetook more than 10 years. The sametreatment has been applied to the2003 Child Rights Act.

The National Assembly makeslaws for the entire federation.According to Section 4 (5), “If anylaw enacted by the House ofAssembly of a State is inconsistentwith any law validly made by theNational Assembly, the law madeby the National Assembly shallprevail, and that other law shall,to the extent of the inconsistency,be void".

States do not have Child Rights

and Freedom of Information laws.There is no conflict between stateand federal laws, which theConstitution still resolves infavour of federal laws. We haveStates un-making federal lawswith abandon, calling itdomestication.

Domestication, according toSection 12 (1) of the Constitution,applies to treaties betweenNigeria and other countries. TheStates are desecrating theConstitution, the NationalAssembly watches askance.

Snippets of the FOIA battles:• Justice S. O Itodo of Makurdi

High Court has ruled that theFreedom of Information Act, 2011is applicable to all the States of

the Federation. His decision wason the objection the Benue StateCommissioner of Finance raisedthat the State had notdomesticated the FOIA. Maj-Gen India Garba (rtd) sued afterthe State refused to provide himinformation on federal allocationsto Vandekiya Local GovernmentArea Council.

•Last February, the Lagos StateAttorney-General, Mr. Ade Ipaye,told a Federal High Court theFOIA was a federal law andtherefore not binding on the State.The Socio-Economic Rights andAccountability Project, SERAP,sued after Lagos State did not giveit information on a $90m World

Bank facility the State procuredfor improvement of its schools.

•A Federal High Court in BeninCity awarded N20,000 against theNational Assembly forunnecessary argument and delayof application in a suit betweenthe National Assembly and ChiefPatrick Osagie Eholor, whowanted information onallowances, salaries, emolumentsand constituency allowances oftwo federal legislators from hisconstituency.

It is ironic that the NationalAssembly is among partiesdiminishing the law it made.

Attempts by different States toweaken the FOIA by rejectingaspects they consider unpleasantare unacceptable, illegal andshould stop. The NationalAssembly has a majorresponsibility to protect theConstitution from fragrant abusesof state legislatures that areassuming the place of the NationalAssembly.

CMYK

JUNE 2, 2014

Continues on page 18

Hard times ahead fortobacco industry, smokers•Fines, imprisonment await makers, users of tobacco•We won’t accept gifts from tobacco firms — Minister•BAT, other stakeholders react

HARD times loom ahead for thetobacco industry in Nigeria, includingusers of its products — smokers — asthe Tobacco Control Bill 2014 becomeslaw soon.

When passed, the law comes with

stiff penalties for companies andindividuals who violate theregulations in the country.

In 2004, Nigeria along with othernations of the world signed the WorldHealth Organisation (WHO)Framework Convention on TobaccoControl, FCTC.

The objectives were to ensure tobaccofree environment for their citizens,promote healthy lifestyle andproductivity.

According to WHO, smoking kills sixmillion people globally every year andif this trend persist, by 2030, theannual death toll from smoking will

climb to more than eight million. WHO also predicted that smoking

will have taken 1,000,000,000 lives bythe end of the 21st century.

In order to address this problem,over 190 countries have so fardomesticated the 2004 FCTC andbanned smoking in public places.

Brazil is one of them. Since 15December 2011, Brazil Federal Law12546 (Article 49) forbids smoking inpublic spaces in the entire country,

By FRANKLIN ALLI

FINANCIAL LITERACY: Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Lim-ited, Mr. Ladi Balogun (second left), presenting a computer to the Principal of Community Secondary School, Aka-Offot in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Jones Obobikpe, as part of the bank’s support for financial literacy amongstudents. They are flanked, left, by the Senior Prefect of the school, Master Joshua Tom and another student, Miss.Rachael Dickson.

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING

CBN Exchange rate as at 30/05/2014

109.54 -0.43

102.85 -0.73

177.50 -4.5

3,059.00 +13.00

17.37 0.11

DOLLAR 154.73 155.23 155.73STERLING 259.049 259.8861 260.7232EURO 210.6494 211.3301 212.0108FRANC 172.5357 173.0932 173.6508YEN 1.5219 1.5268 1.5317CFA 0.3021 0.3121 0.3221WAUA 237.6395 238.4074 239.1753RENMINBI 24.7611 24.8415 24.922RIYAL 41.2547 41.388 41.5214KRONA 28.2158 28.307 28.3982SDR 238.3616 239.1318 239.9021

Cover Story


,,

At the administrativelevel, Nigeria needsradical changes in

fiscal, monetary and industrialpolicies to both promote newenterprises and aid existingones. The bulk of the problemis the impaired access for smalland medium enterprises tocapital markets. To improvethis situation, lawmakers havemade it mandatory forcommercial banks operating inNigeria to keep aside 10 percent of pre-tax profits for equityinvestment in small businesses.While it was a reasonablysensible move, it failed to meetavowed targets because therate of actual disbursement wassignificantly lower thanexpected. In the context ofcultivating a wholesomeentrepreneurial spirit, policychanges can often besuperficial unless followedthrough with flexibleimplementation and constantmonitoring. An effectiverevamp of Nigerian financialpolicy initiatives must focus onthree key objectives:

*Enhanced regulatorymechanisms to oversee micro-financing operations.

*Increased capacity andmotivation for financial aid tosmall businesses.

*Improved coordinationbetween various government,private sector and donoragencies.

Engineering a country-wideentrepreneurial spirit also callsfor simultaneous and massivesocial restructuring in a waythat correctly reflects Nigeria’shistorical imperatives and thepoverty that blights both itsurban and rural landscapes.Even though the countryearned an estimated $600billion in oil revenue in the lasthalf century, it’s GDP per capitaof $1,501.72 ranks among thelowest in the world. Added tothat are deep-set symptoms ofrural illiteracy and genderinequality, both of which areproving acutely detrimental tosustainable enterprisedevelopment.

The Nigerian EconomicPolicy for 1999-2003 envisagedfar reaching promises onuniversal basic education,adult literacy and a slew ofrelated programmes aimed atleap-flogging in order to shortcircuit the longer span ofdevelopment. Part of thereason these and otherobjectives have since been

Developing EntrepreneurialSpirit in Nigeria - Part 2

frustrated is the hugedifference between policy andexecution, a problem ofdeveloping nations ingeneral. In Nigeria, it is a keyconcern area because of itsclose relation to anothernational catastrophe: rampantbureaucratic corruption. Thestate of Nigerian corruptionis so insidious that it comeswith its own name –prebendalism, essentiallydefined as massmisappropriation of publicassets by bureaucratic andpolitical agents. Internationalaid agencies owe much of the

failure of Nigeria’s economicand poverty alleviationinitiatives to an intractablebureaucracy that has steadilyresisted efficient and fairpractices.

Creating an aggregatesocio-economic environmentthat is conducive toenterprise development inthe fullest sense, throughfiscal, monetary andindustrial policy changes.

*Removing conditions thatcreate high business costs byaddressing systemicdeficiencies in terms ofinfrastructure, policy andimplementation.

*Attracting local privatesector finance and equity withthe specific objective ofcreating a mass base of viablesmall businesses.

*Revamping the educationsector to provide vocational,administrative and skillsdevelopment training to ruraland urban youths.

*Maintaining politicalstability and building socialconsensus to ensure broad-based success ofmacroeconomic policies.

In the context ofcultivating awholesomeentrepreneurialspirit, policychanges can oftenbe superficialunless followedthrough withflexibleimplementationand constantmonitoring

LAUNCH: From left: Head, Corporate Communications Division, Diamond Bank PLC, Mrs.Ayona Trimnell; Deputy Managing Director, Diamond Bank PLC, Uzoma Dozie; Chief Exec-utive Officer, Wakanow, Obinna Ekezie; and Executive Director, Diamond Bank PLC, VictorEzenwoko at the launch of the Wakanow Prepaid and Corporate card in Lagos.

Continued from page 17

Hard times ahead for tobaccoindustry, smokers

prosecution.”“The Bill also proposes to

ban advertisement andcorporate sponsorship bytobacco companies of anypublic event such as sports,seminar and so on. “We willnot accept gift from anytobacco company. Gifts suchas school building, etc, willnot be accepted. Some stateslike Lagos and Cross Riverhave passed their owntobacco Bill into law. Now wewant to make it national,”said the Minister.

Financial Vanguardinterviewed stakeholders in

Rights Action/ Friends ofthe Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), noted, “We see theExecutive Bill as a welcomedevelopment; it shows thatthe Federal Government isbeginning to take the issueof tobacco in its entirety veryseriously and thatdomesticating the FCTC isnow paramount ongovernment’s agenda.

“Our take is that theNational Assembly shouldfast-track the passage of theBill into law so thatNigerians can have theenabling environment to livea healthy life style.

“We are optimistic that theBill will be passed this year.The Bill had been delayedfor so long. We can’t affordto delay it again. So webelieve that with thecommitment we have beenseeing from the Executivearm of government, the Billwill sail through this timeand that President GoodluckJonathan will also appendhis signature to it since it iscoming from the FederalExecutive Council, FEC.”

Corroborating this,Gbenga Adejuwon,

Alliance Manager, NigeriaTobacco Control Alliance,noted that the law whenpassed will not only reducedemand and supply oftobacco products in theeconomy, it will alsoencourage smokers to quit,”he said.

Philip Jakpor, Head ofMedia, ERA/FoEN, alsopointed out that the law willdrastically reducegovernments’ spending onhealthcare, especiallytobacco related diseases.

“It may interest you toknow that Lagos state alonesaid it was expending overN2billion on tobacco

the industry on the issue.Here are their comments:

Freddy Messanvi (Director,Corporate and RegulatoryAffairs, British AmericanTobacco West Africa), said“We remain committed to thepassage of a tobacco controllaw that is balanced andworkable. We believe thatregulation is key for theindustry and as such wesupport the passage of aworkable bill that will achievethe intended objectives of thehealth advocates and notpromote illegal trade in thesector, to the detriment of thelegal industry.”

Akinbode Oluwafemi,Director, CorporateCampaigns, Environmental

,

,

Continues on page 19

We will notaccept gifts

from anytobacco

company; giftssuch as schoolbuilding, etc,

will not beaccepted

including restaurants andbars.

Similarly in Bulgaria, acomprehensive smoking banhas been introducedprohibiting smoking in allpublic places including bars,restaurants, clubs,workplaces, stadiums, etc. Itcame into effect on 1 June2012.

However, ten years afterNigeria signed the FCTC,government couldn’t pass thelaw due to severalamendments to the Bill byNational Assembly.

The Federal Government ishowever ensuring the Bill ispassed into law.

Investigations conductedby Financial Vanguard,showed that when the Bill iseventually passed into law,the operating environmentmight not be easy for tobaccocompanies in the country, letalone smokers.

Financial Vanguardgathered that for defaultingcompanies, the fine variesfrom N1 million to as muchas N5 million whileimprisonment of the ChiefExecutives of offendingcompanies vary from one yearto two years if they break thelaw.

Whereas for individual, thatis a smoker who goes to aplace clearly designated non-smoking area, the fine is N50,000 or imprisonment of up tosix months.

Addressing newsmen inAbuja, Professor

Onyebuchi Chukwu,Minister of Health, said, “Wewant to produce hundred percent tobacco free environmentfor people who do not wantanything to do with tobacco.So places will be clearlydesignated as non smokingarea. If a smoker breaks thelaw, he will be liable for

CMYK


Re-organising Nigeria'sunorganised private sector

,

,Today, the so-called South-

South Economic CooperationNigerians were told the

council was out to promote,got no where; the bilateral

chambers that the diplomacyencouraged to spring up are

as good as dead

members of Lagos Chamberof Commerce and Industry orMAN? Why in the world dothey need a new platform ifthey have a genuine interestof the private sector at heart?Were these same people notthe promoters of the Nigeri-

an Economic Summit? Arethey tired of the various bod-ies that they are part of?

The proposed council asthey claim will work to arousethe interest of the Nigerianbusiness community towardstaking collective action for asustainable future for socie-ty.

What has been the roleof the various cham-

bers of commerce and indus-try in the country? Will it nothave been better for thesemen to join and strengthenthe existing bodies and re-duce the discordant voices inthe private sector?

In other countries where theprivate sector is taken serious-ly, they have one body thatspeaks for the organised pri-vate sector. These bodies else-where have well funded insti-tutions that provide alterna-tive source of data on the

economy. They can generatereliable data from membersacross board and can authori-tatively challenge governmentdata. This is the situation inthe US where the US Cham-ber of Commerce and Indus-try can authoritatively chal-lenge government on trendsin the economy. It is the samein Britain, Germany and theNetherlands to mention a few.

Why is the Nigerian privatesector so fragmented thatnothing serious can come outof it? The only reason is be-cause almost all the success-ful businesses in Nigeria en-joy government patronage and

the advantages it confers onthem through waivers andconcessions.

The Managing Director ofShell Petroleum DevelopmentCompany of Nigeria Ltd(SPDC) and Country Chair,Shell Companies in Nigeria,Mutiu Sunmonu, had hostedthe roundtable to introducethe idea to the CEOs. He said:

"There is no doubt that Ni-gerian companies support sus-tainability programmes intheir respective areas of influ-ence quite adequately, how-ever, no platform currently ex-ists for businesses across allindustries to share experienc-es, best practices, and advo-cate for business positions thattransform lives and communi-ties from what they are todayto the greatness they can be,tomorrow. If there is one areawe do not need to compete asbusinesses, it is in the good-ness of our heart to our socie-ty and environment."

This coming from Shell executive should be taken

with a pinch of salt. The Ni-gerian private sector operatorsshould hide their faces inshame, come down from theirhigh horses and come undera single private sector umbrel-la that will have the capacityto affect Nigerians positively.This they can do by poolingresources together to set upstructures that can generateaccurate data on the progressmade in the economy.

Cover Story

Hard times ahead for tobaccoindustry, smokersContinued from page 18

patients. The state governmentcarried out the survey in 11state-owned hospitals and thatthere were over 9,000 patientsand each was gulping N222,000 from tax payers’ moneyplus another N70, 000 that thepatients themselves mustexpend. That was 2006 andthat is only Lagos State. If wereplicate this across thefederation then you canimagine the trillions of nairathis country is spending onpatients with tobacco relatedsickness,” he said.

A smoker, Obinna Mbamalu,

however dismissed theproposed Bill. He said he hasbeen smoking two packets ofcigarette daily for ten years andhe will continue to smokebecause, he said “Passing thelaw is not the issue but makingit work.

Since Governor Fasholapassed the law in Lagos, howmany people have beenarrested for violation? Go toOshodi under-bridge, go toOjuelegba or Ojota Garage andsee things for yourself. Howmany of them have beenarrested by government? Thelaw can work in othercountries, but not here.”

DRAW: From left, Kachikwu Kandozie, Principal Accountant Consumer Protection Council(CPC); Tunde Kuponiyi, Head, Cards and E-banking Business, Ecobank Nigeria; MayowaOkuyiga, Senior Executive Officer, Legal, Lagos State Lotteries Board; and Nike Kolawole,Regional Head, Mainland, Ecobank, at the Ecobank Card 4 Prizes Promo Grand Draw held inLagos.

TWO weeks ago, some31 Nigerian companychief executives and

business owners got togetherto form a council that will en-able them jointly promote sus-tainable development acrossthe country. This was the out-come of a round table discus-sion held in Lagos. Ordinari-ly, this would have been awelcome development. How-ever, the claim by membersthat they lack the platformthrough which they could in-tervene in the economy is spu-rious, suspicious and very du-bious. The fact that it waschampioned by Shell Manag-ing Director makes it worse.

Shell operations globally areknown to have adverse spillo-ver effect on the community itoperates and in almost everysituation, it required litigationfor it to respond to the cries ofthose affected adversely by itsoperations.

The leaders of these companies — Accenture,

Coca-Cola, Empretec NigeriaFoundation, Etisalat, FirstBank, Flour Mills of Nigeria,Heirs Holdings, Intel Corpo-ration and Interswitch, Stand-ard Chartered Bank, Unilev-er, the First Bank CSR Cen-tre, BusinessDay Newspa-pers, Emzor PharmaceuticalIndustries Ltd, MTN Nigeria,Guinness, Oando Gas andPower, UBA Group, SeplatPetroleum, Chevron, StanbicIBTC, Afren Nigeria, AccessBank and Nigerian Breweries,are well aware of the existenceof the three arms of the organ-ised private sector. For years,Nigerian organised privatesector had operated throughManufacturers Association ofNigeria, MAN, Nigerian As-sociation of Chambers of Com-merce, Industry, Mines andAgriculture, NACCIMA, andNigerian Employers Consult-ative Assembly, NECA. In re-

cent years, the Nigerian Smalland Medium Enterprise Asso-ciation, NASSI came into ex-istence. This is aside the nu-merous bilateral chambers ofcommerce that dot the nation'seconomic landscape.

The great challenge facingthe Nigerian economy is thediscordant voices coming out ofthe so-called organised privatesector.

Every so often, instead of theoperators in the sector to pooltheir resources together to fos-ter the growth and develop-ment of the sector, sectors thatare looking to government fora particular favour team upunder some name to approachgovernment. Once the need ismet, the leader ditches the or-ganisation.

In the heydays of the Ba-bangida administration, in thename of promoting economicdiplomacy, several private sec-tor organs sprang up. The onethat is worth mentioning is theG15 council. That body was theeyes and ears of the military ad-ministration. Today, the so-called South-South EconomicCooperation Nigerians weretold the council was out to pro-mote, got nowhere. The bilat-eral chambers that the diplo-macy encouraged to spring upare as good as dead.

Nigerians are good at an-swering president and leaderbut not in service delivery.

The 31 business leadersagreed on the establish-

ment of a common platform thatwill enable them to jointly pro-mote sustainable developmentinitiatives and programmesacross the country. At theroundtable in Lagos, the CEOsdecided to set up a council forsustainable development whichwill be affiliated to the Gene-va-based World BusinessCouncil for Sustainable Devel-opment (WBCSD).

Are these 31 leaders not


CMYK

Business & Economy

AWARD: From left: Mr. Joseph Okomah, Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations(NIPR), Lagos Chapter; Chief Keith Richards, Chairman, Promasidor Nigeria Limited; andAmbassador Patrick Dele Cole, Chairman of the Panel of Judges of the Promasidor 2014Quill Awards; at the Promasidor Quill Awards presentation ceremony held in Lagos.

BY PROVIDENCE OBUH

The Organised PrivateSector (OPS) and theUnited Nations Industrial

Development Organisation(UNIDO) have resolved to worktogether to make Nigerianproducts meet domestic, regionaland international standards. Theresolution was reached during ameeting on ‘QualityInfrastructure’ in Lagos organisedby UNIDO.

UNIDO Representative, Dr.Patrick Komawa, said that theprivate sector has recognised theproblems and hasshown willingness to work withUNIDO, EU and the FederalMinistry of Industry Trade andInvestment, so as to increase thecompetitiveness of locally madeproducts in the internationalmarket place.

Komawa said that they haveagreed to use five mechanismswhich are: Quality Policy,establishment of NationalAccreditation Body and NationalMetrology Institute for productscertification which does not existat the moment.

He said that the othermechanisms are to build thecapacity of the ConsumerProtection Council so that it cancreate awareness for theconsumer to ask for qualityproducts.

“It is one thing to producequality product but if theconsumers themselves do notknow the difference between highquality and low quality productsthey will not demand for it.

“The consultation with the OPSwithin the national qualityinfrastructure project is an EUfunded project but implemented

OPS, UNIDO work oncompetitiveness ofNigerian productsby UNIDO with the support of theFMITI. The project has theobjective of improving on thequality of products made inNigeria so that they can be soldinternally and in internationalmarket.

“The time frame for this projectis four years and we have alreadystarted, we are now half a yearinto the programme and a lot ofconsultations have been taking

place both within the public andprivate sector,

“You cannot improve on yourGDP if we do not produceproducts in Nigeria and sell themin the international market. Wealso will not provide the neededjob in this country if we are notable to manufacture productshere and trade them in theinternational or regional market.

“But for us to be able to trade

we need to at least meet basicquality requirement, most of theproducts that are made in thiscountry are rejected because theydo not meet certain basic qualityrequirement,” he said.

Also, Executive Director,Business Development, Bank ofIndustry, Mr. Waheed Olagunju,added,”The markets are used tostandards and there is no wayyou can export in particular, ifyou do not adhere tointernational standards orinternational best practice.

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

Sterling Bank Plc hasunveiled strategic planto deepen its market

penetration and expand its retailfoot print in the remaining part ofthe year.

The bank revealed that it willcommence massive roll out ofconventional and alternative inorder to increase it productsoffering, as well as rolling out ofagency banking model to drivefinancial inclusion.

The Managing Director/CEO,Mr. Yemi Adeola, said effortswould be geared at upgrading thephysical infrastructure of the bankto reflect the retail look and feel,while private banking businesstargeted at the high net worthindividuals will be commencedduring the period.

According to him, Sterling Bank

Sterling Bank unveils plan to deepen market penetrationwill deploy a new core bankingapplication to fully enhanceservice delivery to the bank’scustomers. Already, he said thebank has one million activecustomer base with 168branches, 300 ATMs and 5,000Point of Sales (PoS) machinesspread across its branchesnationwide.

He explained that the bank isin a strong growth phase andcontrols three percent marketshare by assets, adding that it hasbeen delivering shareholders’value having consistently paiddividend since 2011. To improvestaff productivity, Adeola saidthe bank will concentrate onstrengthening its performancemanagement system for salesand back-office workforce.

On the bank’s financialperformance, he explained thatits loan book grew by five percentto N344.785 billion in the firstquarter ended March 31, 2014

driven by growth in lending to thecorporate and commercialsegments of the economy.

Corporate lending, according tohim, accounted for 68.2 percentof total loans, while retail andcommercial lending accountedfor 12.6 percent and 13.1 percentrespectively.

Decline in institutional loans,which accounted for meager 6.1percent as against 8.6 percentwas due to pay-down of existingfacilities,” he said. Sector-by-sector breakdown of the loanstructure showed significantexposure in oil and gas industry,which accounted for N111.119billion of the bank’s total loanand advances for the period, 11.4percent growth over N99.733billion accruing to the sector inthe same period in 2013.

This was followed by real estateand construction, whichaccounted for N79.550 billion ofthe bank’s total loan within the

period. “Gross earnings rose by24 to N24.6 billion in the firstquarter of 2014 from N19.8billion in the first three monthsof 2013, driven by interestincome, which rose by 31 percentand accounted for 76 percent onthe back of increase in lendingactivities.

“Net interest margin improvedby 240 basis points from 5.2 percent in first quarter of 2013 to7.6 per cent driven mainly byincrease yield on earning assets”.Despite a high interest rateenvironment, funding costsmoderated by 30 basis points to5.6 percent,” he said.

He further explained thatdeposits declined marginally byfive percent year-to-date toN540.0 billion reflectingmanagement’s focus on balancesheet efficiency, saying that retaildeposits accounted for 66 percentof deposits, while wholesalefunds accounted for 34 percent.

South-EastMAN lamentspower supplychallenges inNigeria

The ManufacturesAssociation of Nigeria

(MAN) in the South-East zonehas expressed displeasure overthe nation’s increasing electricitygeneration and supplychallenges in spite of the FederalGovernment promises. MANexpressed its displeasure inAwka at its 26th AnnualGeneral Meeting (AGM)attended by Anambra, Enuguand Ebonyi states.

The association also identifiedmultiple taxation and levies bythe Local, States and FederalGovernment as another majorobstacle facing its members.

Earlier, Gov. Willie Obiano ofanambra said that the statewas reviewing its entire revenuebase. Obiano represented bythe Commissioner for Industry,Trade and Commerce, MrIfeatu Onejeme, said trade andcommerce would boom againin the state.

Fitch affirmsAfren at B+,stableoutlook

Fitch Ratings hasaffirmed Afren plc’s Long-

term Issuer Default Rating (IDR)at ‘B+’. The Outlook is Stable.A full list of rating actions is atthe end of this release. Afrencontinues to generate solidoperating cash flows, which aresufficient to finance itsambitious exploration anddevelopment programme.

In the past the company hasdemonstrated its ability to meetambitious production targets asit significantly boosted oil outputin Nigeria in 2012 and 2013.Afren’s profitability is supportedby the tax holiday in place atEbok, its largest producing field.However, Afren’s productionremains highly concentrated,which gives rise to elevatedgeological, country and tax risk,and its scale of operations issmall.

We view the possible oilindustry reform in Nigeria as arisk, as its timing and keyparameters, including taximplications, are unclear. Thesefactors constrain Afren to the‘B’ rating category.


CMY

Business & Economy

Africa must tackle poverty to sharebenefits of strong growth —IMF

Africa is “taking off ”with strong, steadygrowth but poverty is

unacceptably high. As such,governments need to buildinfrastructure and institutionsand educate people to sharethe benefits more widely, sosays the head of theInternational Monetary Fund,IMF.

Sub-Saharan Africa isexpected to grow by around5.5 percent this year - wellabove the global average -with some of its poorestcountries expanding by closerto 7 percent, ChristineLagarde, InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF)managing director, told anIMF conference in theMozambican capital Maputo.

But the IMF chief saidalthough the region hadbecome a growing investmentdestination for both advancedand emerging economies, witha record $80 billion of inflowsexpected this year, theeconomic benefits of thegrowth surge had yet to bewidely distributed across theregion’s population.

“Poverty remains stuck atunacceptably high levels -still afflicting about 45 percentof the region’s households,”Lagarde told the meeting ofAfrican finance ministers anddevelopment experts.

Despite forecasts ofcontinuing strong expansionfor the region, its positiveoutlook has been darkenedthis year with flare-ups ofconflict, insurgency andviolence. This has ranged fromcivil war in the world’s neweststate, South Sudan, aninsurgency waged by radicalIslamist Boko Haram group inAfrica’s largest economyNigeria and attacks byIslamist militants hurtingtourism and business inKenya. As African countriestap new sources of fundsthrough natural resourcediscoveries and internationaldollar bonds, questions havealso arisen about howgovernments are managingthis money in fast-growingeconomies like Ghana andZambia. Lagarde said thatwith the international recoverystill looking weak and uneven,Africa’s positive outlook alsofaced risks from slower growthin the world’s advancedeconomies and in emergingmarkets, which are theregion’s main trade partners.

Other risks included lowerprices for some commodities,tighter external financialconditions and marketvolatility.

The IMF head

recommended three prioritiesto ensure the region’s growthcan be wide, inclusive andsustained: “Buildinfrastructure, buildinstitutions, and buildpeople.”

Infratructure, jobsLagarde said Africa still had

big infrastructure gaps, whichrepresented huge costs tobusinesses and to people.

She cited as an example thefact that over the past threedecades, per capita output ofelectricity in Sub-Saharan Africaremained virtually flat. Only 16percent of all roads were paved,compared with 58 percent inSouth Asia. The investmentneeds to address this in theregion were estimated at about

$93 billion annually, she said.The IMF chief said Africa also

needed to improve governance,transparency and create soundeconomic frameworks for growth- she called this “buildinginstitutions.”

This would ensure thatrevenues and benefits from thecontinent’s mineral riches -Africa has more than 30 percentof the world’s mineral reserves- could be better captured fornational budgets andgenerating more jobs.

Lagarde said Africa needed to“build people” to reap thedividends of its rapidpopulation growth. She citedestimates that a one percentagepoint increase in the workingage population could boost GDP

growth by half a percentagepoint.

“For this to happen, however,‘good’ jobs need to be createdin the private sector. Today, onlyone in five people in Africa findswork in the formal sector,”Lagarde said. “This mustchange. With wider access toquality education, healthcareand infrastructure services, it canchange.”

Technology could extendaccess to financial services tomillions, and this was alreadyhappening in several countries,such as Kenya.

“Africa Rising will benefit thelives of people on the continent.Beyond that, Africa Rising willbenefit the world,” Lagardesaid.

BY JONAH NWOKPOKU Aulic Nigeria Limited, the promoter of

specialised trade fair Fair, has said that itsinternational trade exhibition coming up nextmonth is intended to bring local and foreignbusinesses together and inspire a mutualpartnership that would make for Nigeria’seconomic growth.

The Managing Director of the company, Dr.Chika Eze made this known during a pressbriefing to announce the exhibition in Lagos.

She said that about 148 firms from Europe haveindicated interests in taking part in the thirdspecialised trade exhibitions kicking off by 6th

of June.She said that out of the 148 firms, 129 will be

sending representatives while twenty-nine willbe present on their own.

According to her, “The exhibition is basicallyorganised to match upcoming businesses withsuppliers. It’s an exhibition where we plan tobring into this country, services and products,which have not been here. Some who traveloverseas will know that there are a lot of beautifulproducts and services that we need which are

Aulic drives local, foreign businesspartnerships through trade exhibition

still not here. So we considered how best wecan bring these services and products intothis country, and then we decided that thebest way to do it is to try to match theNigerian business community and theproducers of these products and services.

“I am very happy that when we introducedthis concept to our business partners andassociates overseas, they were very happyabout it. Some of them even went ahead tosource more companies in their variouscountries to come in and pick up partners inNigeria. We have informed the small andmedium scale business people in Nigeriaand they are also excited about the idea andhave indicated interest en masse to attendthe exhibition.”

She further explained that, “It is anopportunity for businesses to meetthemselves and establish partnerships thatwill not only help individuals but will alsoassist Nigeria in her developmentendeavour. It’s an exhibition where we expectto see new products and services. It’s alsoan opportunity for our businesses to learnnew ways of doing important things."

Nigeria endowedto benefit fromglobal economictrends —Institute

The McKinsey GlobalInstitute (MGI), an

international economic andbusiness concern, said thatNigeria was endowed andstrategically positioned tobenefit from global economictrends. The institute madethe disclosure in its reporttitled “Nigeria’s Renewal:Delivering Inclusive Growthin Africa’s Largest Economy”released in Abuja.

The report said Nigeria hadan estimated 17 millioncitizens living overseas,whose remittances backhome accounted for about 10per cent of its Gross DomesticProduct (GDP). It said thatthe country, with an oceanport, had a strategic locationwhich allowed it access otherdeveloping economies of theworld.

TOUR - From left:Danny Gunsham, Operation Manager, Chicken Republic; Mrs SusanRotimi, Head Marketing & PR; Gloria Negbenebor, Head Quality & Central Kitchen; AbiodunAyorinde, Human Resources Manager,Chicken Republic, at the Official tour of CentralKitchen of Food Concept PLC, owner of Chicken Republic in Lagos.

STARTIMES has announced plans to further

deepen the penetration of dig-ital television in Nigeria, mak-ing it affordable to a vast ma-jority of Nigerians within theshortest possible time.

To this end, the company isrewarding customers for theirpatronage, with the Extra TimePromotion, where 50 individu-als won 32 inch LED TV, whileone customer, Mr. David Abay-omi won the star prize of a brandnew Toyota Yaris 2014 car.

Speaking at the May editionof the promotion, Mr. AnetorIrete, Public Relations Manag-er, NTA-Star TV Network Limit-ed, said the decision of the com-pany to deepen digital televisionpenetration in Nigeria is com-ing on the heels of the planneddigital migration which is sched-uled to commence by 2015.

He said the company current-ly has 1.8 million subscribers andis presently in 32 cities acrossthe country, with plans to expandto 16 more cities within the nextcouple of months.

According to him, Startimes isworking to ensure that digitaltelevision is not seen as a luxu-ry item, but as a necessity andfor the pleasure of every one.

Irete noted that the companyis committed to offering the verybest to its customers and is re-warding them with various giftsto make them bond with thecompany.

StarTimes todeepen digitaltelevisionpenetration


Banking & Finance

By NKIRUKANNOROM

UNVEILING - From left: Former Chairman, Skye Bank Plc, Mrs. Morounkeji Onasanya;Chairman, Mr. Tunde Ayeni; Former Chairman, Princess Agnes Adeniran and ManagingDirector/CEO designate, Mr. Timothy Oguntayo, at the unveiling of Skye Plus Software bySkye Bank in Lagos.

“Every case that we had in2013 was peacefully resolved;that is why we have this typeof result. This shows that themanagement is top of theirgame,” he added.

“Non-payment of dividendnotwithstanding, the goodthing is that the bank has beenturned around. Having donethat, we implore themanagement not to rest on itsoars, but to continue to steerthe bank forward,” said Mr.Odoemena. He added,“Despite the challenges, Wema

Shareholders endorse WemaBank’s fresh capital bid

Shareholders ofWema Bank Plchave approved the

bank’s quest to raise freshcapital to support its growthplan.

The shareholders alsocommended the bank forsteering the bank back toprofitability despite thedifficult operatingenvironment.

At the 2013 AnnualGeneral Meeting, AGM, inLagos, the shareholdersauthorised the Board andmanagement to raise thecapital through the issuanceof tenured bonds, notes,debt instruments or loans inany currency.

They also authorised thebank to raise the money byway of a private placement,bond issuance, notesissuance, or book buildingin one or more tranches,while the pricing andterms of the issuance will bedetermined by the Board.

Speaking on behalf ofother shareholders, the trioof Boniface Okezie,Odoemena Demian andSola Abodurin, commendedthe bank for turning thefortune of the bank around.

Speaking, BonifaceOkezie lauded the bank forescaping nationalistion,saying, ‘I wonder whatwould have been our fate ifthe bank had gone the wayof the other banks that werenationalised.’

Bank has not embarked onshare reconstruction. We enjointhe bank not to consider thatoption because it will dilute ourshareholding.”

Adding his voice, Abodurinsaid, “Our total assets grew by35 percent, deposit grew by 25percent, while our profit beforetax rose by 139 percent. This iscommendable, but I hope thatour ‘Project LEAP’ will movethe bank forward because weneed dividend going forward.”

In his response, themanaging director/CEO, Mr.

Segun Oloketuyi, explainedthat raising fresh capital willhelp the bank to not onlyincrease its lending capacity,but to also pursue its growthplan.

He said, “We are raisingmoney because of our growthplan. Some shareholders areasking for dividend, we canonly do this if we grow and wehave enough capacity.

“Most of the business we dorequires lending and we needmore money to be able to dothis. Also, any asset we acquireor any branch we open takesaway from our capital, so weneed additional capital to beable to do this.”

“To lend, we need capacityand this entails having enoughcapital adequacy ratio. TheCBN also recommends that wehave a buffer; that meanshaving capital adequacy ratioabove the 10 percent industryrequirement.”

On the bank migration tonational bank status, he saidthat application has been madeto the CBN and its approval isbeing awaited.

Speaking earlier, thechairman, Adeyinka Asekun,attributed the 2013performance to the success ofthe management’s turnaroundplan. He added that despitethe challenging operatingenvironment, Wema Bankachieved a significantmilestone as it returned to fullprofitability following concertedeffort at implementing the firstphase of the bank’s turnaroundproject.

Asekun also assured allstakeholders that Wema Bankwas confident of achieving itsgrowth targets whilstremaining nimble, efficientand responsive.

Foreign exchange volatility slowed tothe lowest level in almost seven years

as central-bank polices of monetary stimulusand forward guidance restrain price swings.

The dollar was little changed against theyen after a report showed business activityin the Chicago area unexpectedly increasedto a seven-month high in May. The Japanesecurrency strengthened earlier as agovernment report showed inflationaccelerated to the fastest in more than twodecades in April, reducing the prospect ofadditional stimulus by the Bank of Japan.The krona declined versus most of its 16major peers after Sweden’s economyunexpectedly contracted and amidspeculation the Riksbank will cut rates. TheCanadian dollar fell as first-quarter economicgrowth slowed.

“The forward-guidance policy by thecentral banks is keeping a lid on rateexpectations,” said Peter Kinsella, a seniorforeign-exchange strategist atCommerzbank AG in London. “We’reincreasingly going to see very flat volatility.It doesn’t seem at present that there’s goingto be any catalyst to shake us from themalaise.”

Forex volatility drops to seven year lowJPMorgan Chase & Co.’s volatility index

for the currencies of the Group of Sevennations fell to 5.94 percent at Friday, reachingthe lowest level since June 2007. A separateJPMorgan index measuring global foreignexchange volatility also reached a 2007 low.

The dollar was little changed at 101.77 peryen, after dropping as much as 0.3 percent.The euro gained 0.2 percent to $1.3635. Theshared currency added 0.3 percent to 138.79yen. The Russian ruble and Chile’s peso havegained 2.4 percent against the dollar thismonth, leading winners among 31 majorcurrencies, according to data compiled byBloomberg. The Swedish krona dropped 2.6percent, while the Czech koruna slipped 1.9percent, the biggest losers.

Canada’s dollar dropped 0.2 percent toC$1.0858 against its U.S. counterpart afterdata showed gross domestic product grew ata 1.2 percent annualized pace in Januarythrough March, compared with adownwardly revised 2.7 percent in the priorthree months. Economists surveyed byBloomberg predicted growth would slow toa 1.8 percent pace.The krona slid as muchas 0.6 percent to 9.0894 per euro, the weakestlevel since May 6.

Ecobank rewardscustomers incard promo

The grand draw of theEcobank’s Card 4 Prizes

promo has produced additionalwinners, including threecustomers that went home withthe grand prizes of Honda Cars.

The winners are AwoyeraPeter, Lagos/south-west region,Asoanya Jerry, south-south/south east region, and AliyuYelwa, Federal Capital Territory/North region grand prizewinners. Others won Trip toBrazil, 300 thousand Nairaworth of scholarship, smartphones, LCD TVs, airconditioners, home theatres andgenerators

The Card 4 Prizes Promowhich was based on thecustomers’ use of all theelectronic channels of bankingthat range from the use of:cards, debit cards, credit cards,pre-paid cards, Point of Saletransactions, Online shopping,purchase of recharge cards withthe ATM machine andwithdrawals with the ATMmachine, has made manycustomers of Ecobank to bebeneficiaries of the promo.

One of the grand prizewinners, Asoanya Jerry, fromsouth-south/south east region,said “I used the Point of Salemachines, made onlinepayments of staff salaries.

Committed to provingcutting edge banking

services to its customers, one ofthe leading retail bank,Diamond Bank PLC hasupgraded of its mobile-basedbanking application, theDiamond Mobile app.

With this development,subscribers to the mobile appcan carry out more bankingtransactions beyond fundstransfers and bills payment ina secured environment at anytime of the day.

Some of the unique featuresrecently added to the App,according to the Bank willinclude flight bookings, creditcard repayments, accountstatement generation and debitcard activation or deactivation.

These are in addition topreviously available serviceslike funds transfer to Diamondand non-Diamond Bankaccounts, payment forBlackBerry Internet Services(BIS), bills payment, airtimepurchase, Diamond Bankbranch and ATM locators, etc.

Diamond Bankupgrades mobilebanking application

By EMEKA AGINAM

CMYK


Banking & Finance

CHILDREN'S DAY - Enterprise Bank’s Executive Director, Lagos and South-WestBanks, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, a customer of the bank; Mrs. Nonny Rosemary Nwajeiwith her child, Chukwudiebube Obiora John, and the Divisional Head, E-Business & RetailSegments, Mrs. Ori Ogba, at the annual Children’s Day Party that the bank organised forchildren in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The nation’s externalreserves fell by $995million last month

even as the Central Bank ofNigeria (CBN) sold $2.63billion at the Retail DutchAuction System (RDAS)sessions during the month.

Data from the CBN websiteshowed that the externalreserves fell to $37.147 billionby May 27th from $38.142billion on April 28th. Thisimplies a reversal of themodest increase in externalreserves recorded in April. Itwill be recalled that theexternal reserves fellpersistently from $48.85billion in April 2013 to $37.83billion in March 2014, beforerising to $38.1 billion in April.The persistent decline in thereserves is driven by hugeforeign exchange sales by theCBN in order to defend thenaira.

This is reflected in thedollar sales by the apex bankat the RDAS sessions held inMay, which showed amarginal increase in theamount of dollar sold by theCBN. From $2.62 billion inApril, dollar sales rose to$2.63 billion in May.Cumulatively, the apex banksold $14.83 billion throughthe RDAS sessions from

External reserves fall by $995m•As CBN sells $2.63bn at RDAS

By BABAJIDEKOMOLAFE

January to May. In January,dollar sales rose by 48 percent to $2.94 billion from$1.99 billion in December2013. It rose by another fivepercent in February to $3.1billion, and in March it roseby 14 per cent to $3.54billion.

The amount of dollar sold inthe first five months of this

year represents 58.45 percentof the $25.37 billion sold bythe apex bank in 2013.

Meanwhile the nairadepreciated by 213 kobo at theinterbank foreign exchangemarket in May. Data from theFinancial Market DealersQuote (FMDQ) showed thatthe interbank exchange rateopened the month at N160.67

per dollar, but declined toN162.8 per dollar at theclose of business on May30th.

The naira howeverremained stable at theofficial market with theofficial exchange rateremaining at N155.73throughout the month.

SAP Africa has said that banksneed to embrace real time

reporting in order to become Basel 2complaints.

“As the Nigerian banking sectorraces to become Basel 2 compliant,innovation becomes critical in helpingbanks establish more efficientprocesses, increase transparency andbecome more customer-centric,” thecompany stated in a statement.

SAP Africa strives to provide thebanking sector with agile financialsolutions designed to deliver detailedregulatory reporting on a single dataplatform with the ability to handlemass analysis within seconds.

Countries all over Africa – includingNigeria which is the largest economy- are making every effort to increasetheir levels of regulatory complianceto keep up with legislative andeconomic requirements for analysingfinancial data, including threats andrisks.

“SAP Africa, in partnership with EY(Ernst and Young), are committed totransforming the banking sector inNigeria to become Basel 2 compliant

Banks need real time reporting to complywith Basel 2-SAP Africa

and take advantage of the Big Dataanalytics solution for real-timereporting,” says Darrel Orsmond,Head of Financial Services for SAPAfrica. Through this technology, thebanking sector will be in acompetitive position to provide rapidassessment of capital, reporting tothe Regulator for compliance anddelivering of reports in real time,according to Orsmond.

Orsmond adds, “The averagetimeframe for banks to become Basel2 compliant can be as much as 18months, and banks should startpreparing well in advance for Baselimplementations. Thesepreparations should includetechnology investments in riskmanagement, real-time reporting,data analysis and cleansingcapabilities.”

“By identifying and eliminatingrisks in advance through the use ofreal-time reporting, banks can satisfythe needs and demands ofstakeholders thereby reducing riskand increasing regulatorycompliance.” Orsmond commented,”

Banks that are not Basel 2 compliantcould run the risk of not pricing theirloans correctly, thereby not holdingthe appropriate levels of capital.” Hefurther added that accurate bankdata is vital to reach Basel 2compliance and often the biggestchallenge and cost ofimplementation is not the softwareitself, but rather the time it takes toimplement, caused by inaccuratebank data and a shortage of therequired mathematical andmodelling skills.

Precise records of losses and thelegal processes involved, areessential inputs to ensure theaccurate prediction of potentiallosses. Banks need to hold just theright level of capital, and poor datausually leads to Banks having tocarry excess levels of capital.

Darrel Orsmond addressed theissue of regulatory compliance at theSAP Basel 2 – Regulatory andReporting Demands for Big Dataevent being held in Lagos, Nigeriaon 27 May 2014 and is available forcomment.

US seeks morethan $10bnpenalty from BNPParibas

BNP Paribas SA fell themost in 15 months in Paristrading after a personfamiliar with the matter saidU.S authorities are seekingmore than $10 billion tosettle federal and stateinvestigations into dealingswith sanctioned countriesincluding Sudan and Iran.

BNP Paribas S A (BNP) fellin Paris trading after a personfamiliar with the matter saidU.S. authorities are seekingmore than $10 billion tosettle federal and stateinvestigations into dealingswith sanctioned countries.

The shares declined asmuch as 6.1 percent, thelargest intraday drop sinceFebruary 2013, and closed2.4 percent lower at 51.37euros. BNP Paribas, thelargest French bank, hasfallen 9.3 percent this year,compared with a 3.8 percentincrease in the BloombergEurope Banks and FinancialServices Index.

A final deal between BNPand the U.S. is probablyweeks away, said the person,who asked not to beidentified because the talksaren’t public. The amount tosettle has escalated: the banksaid in April that it mightneed to pay far more than the

Central banksoutline ways toboost ABS market

The European CentralBank and Bank of

England on Friday outlinedoptions to reinvigorate themarket for bundled bankloans, which was “tarnished”by the global financial crisis,saying a better-functioningmarket for asset-backedsecurities can help boostlending to the private sector,particularly small businesses.

Improved harmonization ofthe rules applied to suchpackaged loans, the creationof principles to improvetransparency and enhanceddata on loans would helpdevelop a deeper market forthese types of securities, thebanks said in a joint paper.

“Looking ahead, thebanking system is likely toneed access to a wider rangeof funding sources,” the ECBand BOE said. “The revivalof the ABS market cantherefore play a useful role inensuring that there is not arenewed buildup of systemicrisk, including from excessivereliance upon any singlesource of financing,” theysaid.


CMYK

Corporate Finance

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM& WILLIAM JIMOH

Operators in theNigerian capitalmarket have

identified the relativeabsence and insignificance ofindigenous companies listedon the Nigeria StockExchange, NSE, as a majorthreat to the country ’sattainment of African marketleader status. The operatorssaid this at the 10th AnnualPEARL Awards public lecturefor capital marketdevelopment in Lagos,adding that it is importantNigeria develops the sizeand liquidity of her market byensuring additional domesticparticipation against currentdomination by multinationalcompanies which account formore than 50 percent of themarket capitalisation.

Delivering this year ’slecture, tagged, “ActualisingNigerian Capital MarketQuest for Leadership inAfrica: Issues, Challengesand Options,” Chairman,National Association ofSecurities Dealers (NASD)Limited, Mr. Tola Mobolurin,said the domination of themarket by foreign investorsunderscores the weakness ofthe domestic market, addingthat Nigeria cannot attainleadership without asignificant contribution of thedomestic institutional, highnetworth and retail investors.

He said, “Indeed foreigninvestors have accounted foras high as 70 percent of thetransactions in the marketsince 2009 to date withouthindrance. The significantvolatility that attended thishas been largely looked onbenignly by the regulatorswhose gaze have been fixedon the stability the inflowhave accorded the localcurrency; Naira.

“There is no gainsayingthat Nigeria is far from beingthe African leader. Focusingon the current African leader(South Africa) may notprovide the vision that canpropel the quantum leapneeded to overtake it. It isbest to set the vision againstthe benchmark of the worldleading light while breakingdown the achievement intosteps and milestone tosustain the desire for itsattainment.

“By the world bankbenchmark for a developedmarket, our market needs tohave a minimum of fivecompanies, whose marketcapitalisation is at least $2.065 million each and have

APPRECIATION - From left: Mr. Solomon Oyetunji, Delaer, Total Alapere ServiceStation; Mr. Alex Vovks, Managing Director, Total Nig. Plc; with Mrs. Emilly Shaka-Momodu, Retail Safety and Training Manager attending to a customer at the Total topService Customer appreciation week 2014 at the Ketu Alapere Service station

Low domestic participation threatens Nigeriaemergence as African market leader

a free float in the market of50 percent of itscapitalisation ($ 1.032million) with liquiditymeasurement AnnualizedTraded Value Ration, ATVR,of 20 percent.”

He explained that thequest for leadership cannotbe achieved without activecommitment of thegovernment. “What ishowever expected of thegovernment does not gobeyond the ambit of goodgovernance and soundeconomic management towhich government shouldordinarily be committed,” heenthused.

Speaking further, he saidthe only demand on thegovernment is to pay a little

more attention to the elementthat could accelerate thegrowth of the capital marketbecause the rapid economicgrowth is also hinged onsuch effort.

Also speaking, AlihajiKasimu Garba Kurfi, councilmember, NSE and ManagingDirector, APT Securities &Fund Ltd, noted that for theNigerian capital market toattain leadership position,there is need for everybodyconcerned, includingoperators, regulators and theshareholders to change theirperception towards themarket.

According to him, whileNigeria local investorsholding on to their shares,their foreign counterparts,

who understand the marketwork round the clock and reapall the capital appreciation fromtheir shares.

He lamented that someshares have gained as much as30-35 percent in the fewmonths, but the local investorswere not part of the gain dueto their attitude to the market.

“The government also is nothelping matter. When theylicensed the telecommunicatincompanies, nobody mademention of listing in the stockexchange. When they renewedtheir licences, again, the stockmarket was not mentioned.They have just issued licencesfor private ownership of powerbut nobody mentioned thecapital market.

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

The Chief ExecutiveOfficer of the

Nigerian Stock Exchange,NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema,has said that local investors’participation in the stockmarket year-to-dateoutweighs foreignparticipation.

He said this in hisopening remarks at the2014 ‘Putting InvestorsFirst’ day organised inconjunction with CFASociety in Lagos.

He observed that localinvestors’ participationaccounted for close to 60percent of transactions inthe market as at the end offirst quarter, 2013, while

NSE: Local investors’ participationsatisfactory —Onyema

foreign investors wereresponsible for about 40percent.

“This turn of eventscontrasted sharply with thecircumstances between 2009and the first half of 2012when local investorseschewed the market onaccount of losses theysustained in the aftermath ofthe meltdown of 2008 withtransaction values beingcontrolled by foreigninvestors to the tune of 80percent in certain instances,”he affirmed.

Represented by HarunaJalo-Waziri, ExecutiveDirector, BusinessDevelopment, NSE,Onyema pointed out that theExchange in 2012

commenced financial literacyprogramme as a first step inprotecting investors.

“This programme aims toenhance investors’understanding of the basics ofinvesting around portfolioconstruction, asset allocationand risk diversification. The“Investor Clinic” aspect of theprogram, which is a flag shipproduct for our financialliteracy efforts, has beendelivered in partnership withstellar organisations such asMorgan Stanley, StanbicIBTC, Greenwich Trust andFBN Capital, just to name afew.

“These have primarily beenfocused on particularsegments of the investingcommunity to discuss the finerdetails of investing and toshed more light on the capitalmarket ecosystem,” he said.

Flour MillsinvestsN220b inagro-alliedbusinesses

Flour Mills of NigeriaPlc has emerged as oneof the biggest food

companies in the country withover N220 billion investmentsin agro-allied businesses.

The company has alsorewarded the distributors ofGolden Penny Products, fortheir loyalty to the brands.

Speaking during thecustomers forum in Lagos, Mr.Paul Gbededo, GroupManaging Director, said, “Asone of the largest agro-alliedinitiatives in Nigeria, FlourMills has invested over N220billion in agro-alliedbusinesses which extend tolarge scale cultivation ofsoybean, maize, palm, rice,and cassava.

“From cultivation, we arealso processing these rawmaterials into animal and fishfeed, edible oils, rice, sugarand high quality cassava flourin different parts of thecountry.”

Shares near all-time high; bondyields slip to 11-month lows

Global equity marketshovered just off all-time highs last week

as investors brushed off aweaker-than-expected readingon the U.S. economy, whilebenchmark U.S. Treasuryyields fell to 11-month lows. OnWall Street, the S&P 500 hitanother intraday high early inthe session despite first-quarterGDP data showing the U.S.economy contracted onepercent. Better-than-expectedjobless claims pointing to astrengthening labour marketand merger and acquisitionactivity also boosted sentiment.

The dollar trimmed earlylosses against major currenciesas traders focused on signs ofthe U.S. economy strengthening“Once you get beyond theheadline number and lookunder the hood, things don’treally look so bad,” said BorisSchlossberg, managing directorof FX strategy at BMO CapitalMarkets in New York.“Inventories were to blame fora lot of it and that bodes wellfor the future.”

CMYK


Corporate Finance

LAUNCH - From left: Ms Deola Oyegbade, Divisional Head, SME, Mainland, GTbank;Mr. Ayodele Adewumi, Divisional Head, SME, Lagos Island and Lola Odedina, Head,External Communications and Public Affairs during the GTBank SME Markethub launchin Lagos. Photo Lamidi Bamidele.

The Central SecuritiesClearing System,CSCS Plc, said it is

enhancing its capacity to growits revenue by 15 percent onannual basis.

Consequently, the companysaid it has started investing innew product creation as wellas diversifying into otherbusiness areas, adding that itis positioning itself to sustainthe continuous patronage ofkey stakeholders throughactive engagement with themarket with the aim ofincreasing revenue growth.

Furthermore, CSCS notedthat it will engage inaggressive marketing ofexisting and potential servicesand re-sourcing the businessdevelopment center foreffective customer servicedelivery.

In his address to themembers of the company atthe 38th annual generalmeeting in Lagos, theManaging Director, Mr. KyariBukar, said in order to increaseannual contribution of newand ancillary products, thecompany will embark on hugeinvestment in research anddevelopment to determine themarket needs, saying that thisformed the foundation fordevelopment of new products

CSCS targets 15% annual revenue growth

that offer value added CentralSecurity Depository (CSD) andclearing house services tomarket participants.

On information technologyupgrade, he said, “As a CSD,technology is very instrumentalto the success of our businessas it allows for the securetransmission andmanagement of large amountsof information. It is thereforeimperative that we implement

the best technologies toachieve business growth.” “Ina bid to improve post tradeservices to market participantsand the recent evolving trendsin the Nigerian capital market,CSCS has commissioned the“CSCS new CSD.

Platform Project”. This projectis geared towards providingthe organisation with a worldclass platform that will provideefficient clearing, settlement

and depository services tothe Nigerian capital market.

“To improve our servicesand efficiently manage thepositive growthexperienced by the capitalmarket with theintroduction of newproducts, services andmarket participants, thenew CSD application willprovide seamlesscommunication amongmarket participants. Itwould also have the abilityto support real-timeprocessing, supporte l e c t r o n i cdematerialisation, inter-account transfers, corporateactions and accountclosures. This project hasbeen commissioned with itsestimated completion datescheduled for the thirdquarter of 2015,” he added.

He also pointed out thatthe volume of dematrialisedshares within the yeardropped to 44.3 billion incontrast to 44.5 billionrecorded in the previousyear. In his address, thechairman, Mr. OscarOnyema, said that in termsof expansion of itsoperation, CSCS had in2013 commenced theclearing and settlement oftransactions on the Over-the-Counter platforms tothe NASD and the FinancialMarkets DealersQuotations (FMDQ)platforms, adding that thecompany has beenengaged to provideclearing, settlement andwarehousing services fortransactions that will takeplace on the floor of theNigerian CommodityExchange (NCX).

In a bid to empower small and mediumscale enterprises operating in the

country and improve their visibility in thee-commerce space, Guaranty Trust Bank,weekend launched e-commerce portal forlocal SMEs – The SME Market Hub.

The GTB SME Market Hub, the first ofits kind, is a free, secure e-commerce andbusiness directory platform wherebusinesses can list, promote and sell theirproducts and services online.

On the SME MarketHub platform,customers receive free web page with e-commerce tools, unique SME Market Hubwebsite address, personalised onlinestorefront, shopping cart with noconsignment fee, inventory paymentgateway, as well as order and enquirynotifications.

Addressing the newsmen at the formallaunch in Lagos, Lola Odedina, Head,External Communication and Public Affairs,said the platform is open to small to mediumbusiness owners from every sector of theeconomy that have registered business inNigeria and operate GT Business Account,Corporate Current Account or GT MaxAccount.

She noted that the e-commerce andbusiness directory portal is part of GTBank’sstrategy to empower and support NigerianSMEs and also contribute to the growth and

Stories ByNKIRUKA NNOROM

GTBank empowers SMEs, launchese-commerce portal

development of the Nigerian economy.She said the portal is designed to enable

Nigerian entrepreneurs migrate theirbusinesses online and take advantage ofthe vast international and local salesopportunities within the e-commerce space.

“SME owners will also have access to awide variety of business tools that willenhance profitability as well as acommunity that will allow them forgerelationships with other business owners,”she said. She noted that GTB has registereda total of 5,200 (five thousand, twohundred merchants) todate, saying that theGhana and East African versions will belaunched before the end of the years asboth countries have critical mass of smallbusinesses.

“There is no getting away from the factthat economic conditions remainchallenging for small and medium scaleenterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. It ishowever vital that this integral sector ofthe economy gets all the support it needsto drive growth and development.

“With the introduction of the SMEMarket Hub, GTBank has provided SMEsan e-commerce platform that allows smalland medium business owners create andmaintain an online presence and expandtheir business frontiers to new markets andmillions of buyers that are online.

A United KingdomDepartment for

International Development,DFID, programme - Growthand Employment in States(GEMS3), is working closelywith the states in Nigeria toimprove tax payment optionsand to reduce nuisance taxesto make life easier for allLocal Government Areas,LGAs and taxpayers.

To this end, GEMS3 hasentered into partnership withthe Kogi State government todeploy advanced systems inthe state’s payment system.

According to a statement byVictoria Ndoh, spokespersonfor the programme, theproject, which is funded byUnited Kingdom DepartmentFor InternationalDevelopment, DFID, isaimed at promoting growthand employment as it focuseson areas of tax administrationand harmonisation, landadministration andinvestment promotion at bothstate and local governmentlevels.

DFID partners statesgovernments toboost IGR

By KAYODE AMOLEGBE

‘Fidelity Bankadjudged mostoutstandingFamily Friendlybank

Fidelity Bank has beenadjudged the bank with

the most outstanding familyfriendly policies in Nigeria.

In a survey conductedamongst corporateorganisations in Nigeria bythe Institute for Work andFamily Integration (IWFI) incollaboration with the LagosBusiness School and the GreatPlace to Work Institute, theinstitute said that FidelityBank emerged tops in all themeasuring indices.

Specifically, the IWFI, whichhas consistently promotedwork family balance and goodwork ethics, through policyresearch, seminars,conferences, and training;working with majororganisations and institutionsin the last eight years with itsprincipal objective of buildingbetter family, better businessand better society said thatthey were impressed withFidelity Bank’s efforts atimproving the welfare of itsstaff members.

26 —Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014


CMYK

Commodity index

May 23 -May 29, 2014

Micro-Finance

Honeywell Flour Mills Plc has reiterated itscommitment to positively impacting on

humanity by giving back to the society as part ofCorporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.

The company paid courtesy visit to some orphanagehomes in Lagos, including; SOS Village, Isolo, LittleSaints Orphanage and Bethesda Home for the Blind,where it donated products, equipment, cash, andalso sponsored a jolly train ride with children ofselected schools in Lagos, as part of the Children’sDay celebration. The train ride, took off from EbuteMetta Station went through Oshodi, Ikeja, AbuleEgba to Ijoko and back to Ebute Metta.

Managing Director, Mr. Lanre Jaiyeola, said thatthe company will continue to support good cause inthe society especially those that have direct impacton human development. He added that it willcontinue to seize opportunity to make its impact feltin the society, listing such opportunities to include:support for sporting events, entrepreneurshipprograms, vulnerable groups, and others. Jaiyeolasaid, “It is our own way of adding value to the peoplethat we believe should have needs within the society,and our own way to alleviate poverty, suffering inthe land.”

The Enugu basedU m u c h i n e m e r e

Pro-credit Micro FinanceBank (UPMfB) willcommence Cashlesspolicy initiative asestablished by CentralBank of Nigeria (CBN)on July 1, 2014, whileextending its operation toFederal CapitalTerritory, Abuja.

As a CBN approvedState MFB, the bank isauthorized to have abranch at the capital cityof the country, hence itsdecision to extend itsoperations to Abuja,which is the country’scapital territory.

Speaking at a jointsession of the bank’sInvestors and CustomersForum cum ExtraordinaryGeneral Meeting atEnugu, ManagingDirector, UPMFB, Mrs.Nnenna Ekete, said thatit is not going to be takenunawares by the deadlineof the apex bank, as it isset to implement and

UPMfB kicks off cashless policy,extend operation to AbujaStories byPROVIDENCE OBUH

integrate the newcashless policy into itsbanking operations.

She said, “the bank hasplans to embark on theacquisition, installationand operation of softwareapplication that willenable our customers toaccess their funds easilyand transact otherfinancial businesses withtheir accounts with ourbank at any point in thecountry, through access

to Point of Sale (PoS),ATM, mobile banking,mobile money, e-payments, debit/creditcards and e-bankingservices.”

She assured customersof the bank that thenecessary softwaret e c h n o l o g i c a lapplications for easycashless banking will bein place by the bank atits various branches byJuly.

As part of CorporateS o c i a l

Responsibility (CSR) cumChildren’s Daycelebration, AccionMicrofinance Bank(AMfB) donated writingmaterials, bags, others topupils of AgidingbiPrimary School andOlomu Primary SchoolAjah.

Speaking during thepresentation ceremony,Managing Director/ChiefExecutive of the Bank,Ms Bunmi Lawson, said,

Children's Day: AMfBdonates items to pupils

“We are happy tocelebrate Children’s Daywith the children andmotivate them to bring outtheir best by believing thefuture is bright. We alsouse this opportunity toencourage the authoritiesto bring back our girls aswe believe it is theresponsibility of everyoneto protect children.”

She said that the bankis committed to enrichingthe lives of youngNigerians througheducation focusedcorporate citizeninitiatives and hascontinued to demonstratethis in a variety of projectswhich include thepresentation ofeducational material toschools. “There are alsoplans for employees of thebank to donate their timeand resources to volunteerin their host communities.”

In his remarks,Education Secretary, Eti-Osa Local GovernmentEducation Authority, Mr.Taiwo Lukman, expressedgratitude to the bank,encouraging the childrento focus on their studiesso as to have a brightfuture.

ICAN captures 58 schoolsfrom Lagos Mainland

The Lagos Mainlandand District Society

(LMDS) of Institute ofChartered Accountants ofNigeria (ICAN) hascaptured about 58schools for its annualCatch Them Young andQuiz Competition forstudents of SecondarySchools in its catchmentarea.

Out of the 58 schools,only 15 qualified for thegrand finale competitionand some of the areascovered by the LMDSincludes Apapa,Surulere, Shomolu, Yaba,Ebute-Metta, Ido,Iganmu, Akoka, Fadeyi,Obanikoro, Anthony,Jibowu, Ijora,Palmgrove, Onipanu,Oworoshoki, Bariga,Gbagada, Alagomeji andits environs.

President of ICAN,Alhaji Kabir Mohammed,said that the initiative hastaken place in almost allparts of the country andso far observed in about15 district societies suchas: Abakaliki, Owerri,Port Harcourt, Lagos,Ikorodu, Ijebu Ode,Kanu, Jigawa, Sokoto andKatsina.

Mohammed revealedthat the two bestqualifying students whodid outstandingly inIjebu Ode was givenscholarship to anytertiary institution of theirchoice in Nigeria tostudy accountancy.

“The Lagos MainlandDistrict Society of ICANis following the foot stepof the council to theextent that we need togrow attention ofbearing in mind that wehave in this countryvalues and ethics of ourprofession, integrity andaccuracy and for them tobe able to do that theyneed to be a member,that is why we think thatwe should start from thegrass root and choosethe best minds andencourage them.

Honeywell celebrates with SOSvillage, little saints orphanage,others

capital to productive sectors offersunrivalled economic and socialopportunities. To take full advantage ofthem will require skillful managementand vision.

Technological challenges:Technological innovation offers greatpossibilities. It can help support globalintegration, improve productivity, andfoster inclusion. Harnessing its powereffectively and efficiently is thechallenge.

Environmental challenges: Climatechange and sustained demand growthpress on the sustainability of naturalresources - further exacerbatinginequality and exclusion. The challengeis to implement policies to foster growththat is, in turn, inclusive andenvironmentally sustainable.

28 —Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014

Interview

WHILE Nigeria celebrated the15th anniversary of the return

to civil rule Thursday May 29, orethan 300 leading policymakers fromAfrica converged in Maputo, capitalof Mozambique to take stock of thecontinent’s economic performance.

The two-day meeting, tagged Afri-ca Rising will assess Africa’s in-creased resilience to shocks and on-going economic policy challenges.Managing Director of the Internation-al Monetary Fund, Ms Christine La-garde in a keynote address charted aroadmap for the summit, which, IMF'sSenior Communications Officer incharge of Africa, Ismaila Dieng, saidwill also focus on how best the conti-nent can sustain the current growth.

Excerpts from Lagarde's address:This conference offers a unique

opportunity to reflect—together—on thelessons learned from Africa’s successand the challenges ahead. There is stillmuch to be done. The continent is verydiverse, and some countries risk beingleft behind, especially those faced withrecurring conflict. In others, the rapidgrowth is yet to be widely shared acrossthe population, with many Africansfailing to see the fruits of economicsuccess. In that spirit, I would like toshare with you three perspectives:Where we stand— taking stock ofAfrica’s achievements; What near-termand longer-term challenges areemerging; and What are the key policypriorities to address these challengesand help deliver on the promise ofAfrica’s future.

Where We Stand—Africa’s Take-offLet me start with where we stand. Sub-

Saharan Africa is clearly taking off—growing strongly and steadily for nearlytwo decades and showing a remarkableresilience in the face of the globalfinancial crisis.

Economic stability has paid off. Morethan two-thirds of the countries in theregion have enjoyed 10 or more yearsof uninterrupted growth.

This growth has delivered a moreeducated population, with significantdeclines in infant mortality. In Benin andMadagascar, for example, primary

Africa Rising:Building to the ,By CHRISTINE LARGADE

school enrolment has increased by morethan 50 percentage points. This may befrom low levels, but it is still a hugeimprovement.

And for good reasons, Africa is now agrowing investment destination for bothadvanced and emerging economies—with a record $80 billion inflow expectedthis year. Indeed, it is no surprise that‘frontier economies’ such as Kenya,Uganda, and Botswana are challengingold stereotypes and roaring loud asAfrica’s lions. And yet, the tide of growthhas not lifted all boats. Poverty remainsstuck at unacceptably high levels—stillafflicting about 45 per cent of theregion’s households. Inequality remainshigh. And some countries, still facingrecurring internal conflict, arestruggling to exit from fragility.

Africa’s success journey has beentruly remarkable. But if the global crisishas taught us anything, it is theimportance of making the benefits ofgrowth more broadly shared. Wheneveryone benefits, growth is moredurable. Over the years, the IMF hasbeen a close partner in Africa’sjourney—including during the crisis.We have listened, we have learned, andwe have responded.

We have reformed our lendinginstruments to increase access andflexibility to countries in need; extendedour zero-interest policy; andstreamlined conditionality.

We have tailored our policy advice tobetter address the very specificchallenges facing the region. And wehave supported this advice with five

regional technical assistancecentres—in Gabon, Ghana,Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritius andTanzania. Today, the largestshare of IMF’s capacitydevelopment services isdevoted to Africa. We lookforward to continuing andstrengthening this fruitfulpartnership.

Challenges ahead—Near-term worries and longer-term challenges

Africa’s future lies withitself and its people. True, theoutlook for the region is verypositive. Africa is expected togrow by about 5.5 per centthis year and next, and thepoorest countries evenfaster, close to 7 per cent.

But it must keep a firm eyeon what’s going on beyondits horizons. Globally, evenas the world turns the cornerof the Great Recession, therecovery remains weak anduneven. What does thismean for Africa?

Near- term worriesIn the near term, the region’s outlook

could be clouded by three main worries:slower growth in advanced economies,and in particular emerging marketeconomies which are major tradingpartners for Africa; lower prices forsome commodities; and tighteningexternal financial conditions andpotentially increased market volatilityas monetary policy is normalized.Policymakers will no doubt have theirhands full. But they know what to do.The IMF stands ready to help with itspolicy advice, its technical assistance,and if needed, financial support.

Longer-term challenges

Beyond these more immediateworries, there are a number of

longer-term challenges that candramatically affect the outlook for Africa;some for the better; others not so much. Demographic challenges: Africa is theyoungest continent in the world. By2040, the continent is projected to boastthe largest labour force in the world -one billion workers strong - more thanChina and India combined. Channelingthis increasing reservoir of human

,

,

•Christine Lagarde

Africa mustkeep a firm eyeon what’s goingon beyond its

horizons

Transparency canhelp increase

accountability andhelp ensure that

these resources areharnessed for the

benefit of all


Interview

Future

,

Building to the future—Three policypriorities

So what are the policy priorities toensure that these challenges becomeopportunities? I see three: buildinfrastructure, build institutions, andbuild people.

Build infrastructure

First, build infrastructure—energy,roads, and technology grids.

These are the foundations of any strongand durable edifice. What does thismean in practice? Closing Africa’sinfrastructure gap.

Over the past three decades, percapita output of electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa remained virtually flat.Only 16 per cent of all roads are paved,compared with 58 per cent in South Asia.These shortfalls represent huge coststo businesses - and to people. Manycountries in the region are takingencouraging steps to close thisinfrastructure gap. In Ethiopia andMozambique, for example, investmentsin the energy sector are being scaledup, including through projects thatpromote cross-border trade in electricity.Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire are alsoinitiating regional infrastructureprojects in electricity, and road andrailroad networks.

These investments are critical forgrowth to be sustained and broadened.High quality infrastructure can be amagnet for foreign investment. It canaccelerate diversification andemployment creation, and supportfurther regional integration.

Yet the costs of closing thisinfrastructure gap can be daunting. Theinvestment needs for the region areestimated at about $93 billion annually.In most cases, the investments are largeand upfront. They need to be carefullyselected, managed and implementedwithin a medium- to long-term budgetperspective. Here, the Fund can help.We are working with many of ourmember-countries through our capacitybuilding centres and on-the-groundtechnical assistance to strengthen publicinvestment and debt managementcapacity. This helps to put thesecountries in a much better position totake advantage of increasing financingoptions.

Build institutions

Let me turn to the second policypriority: build institutions. This

means governance, transparency andsound economic frameworks. We talkedabout the foundations for the building;now think of institutions as the systemsthat ensure that the building functionsproperly and lasts a long time - like theheating, cooling and water systems.

We all know that Africa hastremendous potential. It is home tomore than 30 per cent of the world’smineral reserves. Properly managed,these endowments offer unparalleledopportunity for economic growth anddevelopment. Moreover, theseresources can be instrumental inrelieving the large constraints ininfrastructure that I just talked about.

Yet, and let me be frank, in too manycountries, the rents from extractiveindustries are captured by just a few.Mining can account for an importantshare of output and export earnings, butoften contributes relatively little tobudget revenues and job creation. Thiscorrodes the fabric of the economy andits social cohesion.

What can be done? Strengthening theinstitutional and governanceframeworks that manage theseresources is a good place to start.Transparency can help increaseaccountability and help ensure thatthese resources are harnessed for thebenefit of all.

Many countries have taken steps inthis direction. For example, SierraLeone and Uganda are setting newfiscal rules in anticipation of large

resource flows. Côte d’Ivoire has alsoimplemented a new legal framework forthe mining sector that would help attracthigher foreign direct investment.

These are areas where the IMF hashelped bring a wide range of cross-country experience to bear. And we lookforward to helping even more.

Build peopleSo, we have the foundations of our

building (infrastructure); we have setup the systems to ensure that itfunctions effectively and efficiently(institutions); now we need to let thepeople in. This brings me to my thirdpriority: build people - children, youth,workers, and in particular, women.

Let me be clear: Africa’s greatestpotential is its people. They are the keyfor the region to fully capture thedividends from population growth. Bysome estimates, a one percentage pointincrease in the working age populationcan boost GDP growth by 0.5 percentagepoints. This is huge.

For this to happen, however, ‘good’jobs need to be created in the privatesector. Today, only one in five people inAfrica finds work in the formal sector.This must change. With wider accessto quality education, healthcare andinfrastructure services, it change.

Similarly, technology can be tappedto extend the reach and access offinancial services to millions of people.Here, Kenya’s experience offersvaluable lessons to the rest of the worldon how to empower the poor throughfinancial access.

By combining mobile banking withfinancial services provision, 75 per centof Kenya’s population now has accessto financial services. Crucially, it is thepoor that have benefited the most fromthis expansion.

Which brings me to a topic that is closeto my heart: women. I know that mostof the women in Africa cannot afford notto work. But when they do, they aremostly employed in informal activities.We all know what this means: low

productivity, low incomes, lowprospects. We also know the constraints:access to education, credit, and markets.

The gains to be made by overcomingthese constraints are immense—particularly through girls’ education. Bysome estimates, the economic loss indeveloping countries from theeducation gap between girls and boyscould be as high as $90 billion a year -almost as much as the infrastructure gapfor the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa!

As the old African adage goes: “If youeducate a boy, you train a man. If youeducate a girl, you train a village.”

My bottom line: invest in women. Ithas a great rate of return—economicallyand socially for the future.

Let me conclude:

We are all witnessing amomentous transformation in

Africa. Five years ago in Tanzania,Africa’s economies were underchallenge as the global economy facedits most severe crisis since the GreatDepression. We meet now inMozambique with an outlook ofoptimism and high hopes.

The opportunities are vast and thechallenges, while significant, can beovercome through sustained strongpolicies, both economic and social. Nowis the time to go further, to work togethertowards an inclusive, job-rich andsustainable growth strategy. Now is thetime to extend the gains that manycountries have enjoyed to those thathave been left behind by helping themovercome fragility and build stronginstitutions. I want to end by quotingfrom the words of Mozambique’snational anthem: “Pedra a pedraconstruindo um novo dia. “Stone bystone, building a new tomorrow,” thatis what Africa Rising is all about.

Africa Rising will benefit the lives ofpeople on the continent. Beyond that,Africa Rising will benefit the world. AnAfrica ever more integrated in the worldand the world learning from Africa.

,

,

Today, only one infive people in Africa

finds work in theformal sector. Thismust change. With

wider access toquality education,

healthcare andinfrastructure

services, it mustchange


CMYK

Homes & Housing Finance

Stories by YINKAKOLAWOLE, withagency report

Anambra setsup committeeon housing

Anambra Stategovernment has

inaugurated an inter-ministerial committee ondelivery of housing estates inthe state.

Governor Willie Obianoinaugurated the committee tobe chaired by Commissionerfor Housing and UrbanDevelopment, Mr. LawrenceChinwuba, in Akwa, the statecapital. He charged membersto provide first class housingestates, noting that was whypersons with experience inthe delivery of homes wereselected to constitute thecommittee.

The governor listed theterms of reference for thecommittee to include:identifying suitable andstrategic locations for theconstruction of housingestates; to resume theprovision of infrastructure inexisting government landslated for housingconstruction and to enter intopartnership with willingdevelopers on Public-Private-Partnership initiative with aview to providing decent andaffordable houses in well-planned environment.

Ogun to focuson affordablehousing

Ogun State governmentis set to focus more on

affordable housing and urbanrenewal to meet theyearnings of the people.

Governor Ibikunle Amosunstated this at the 2ndOgunState Investors’ Forum heldin Abeokuta recently.According to him, the stategovernment is committed tothe provision of housing forall; hence, it has evolvedcreative and participatoryprocesses between the publicand the private sectors toachieve affordable housingfor the people.

“The ultimate goal is tointervene in the housingdelivery process and ensurethat citizens own and haveaccess to decent, safe andaffordable housing,” Amosundeclared.

The governor said thegovernment had put in placevarieties of two-, three- andfour-bedroom housing unitsat Plainfields Estate; a 170-hectare site-and-servicesresidential scheme at Kobape;and MITROS City and NewTown in Isheri.

How to access theNational Housing Fund

The National HousingFund (NHF) scheme

was established by Act 3 of1992 to enable Nigerians inall sectors of the economy,particularly those within thelow and medium incomelevels who cannot affordcommercial housing loans,such as civil servants,traders, artisans, andcommercial drivers etc., toown houses.

The Act stipulates thatfunding of the scheme willcome from mandatorycontribution of 2.5 percentof monthly income ofNigerians earning N3000and above per annum, inboth public and privatesectors; commercial andmerchant banks to invest 10percent of their loans andadvances portfolio;insurance companies toinvest 20 percent of non-lifeand 40 percent life funds inthe housing sector, with 50percent of these directly inNHF and; financialcontributions of the FederalGovernment. The pool offunds created by thesebecomes available to anycontributor to borrow from,after contributing for aminimum of six months.

PurposeThe aims and objectives of

the fund include:Mobilisation of fund for theprovision of houses forNigerians at affordableprices; Ensuring constantsupply of loan to Nigeriansfor the purpose of building,purchasing and improvingof residential houses;Providing incentives for thecapital market to invest inproperty development and;Encouraging thedevelopment of specificprograms that would ensureeffective financing ofhousing development, inparticular low cost housingfor low income workers.Others are: Providingproper policy control overthe allocation of resourcesand fund between thehousing sector and othersectors of the Nigerianeconomy and; Providinglong term loan to mortgageinstitutions for on-lendingto contributions to the fund.

Any intending beneficiarymust be registeredcontributor and up to datewith his/her contributions.

BenefitsBenefits available to

contributors include:Housing loan of up to 90percent of the cost of thehouse; Interest on loansremains fixed throughoutthe life of the mortgage at 6percent per annum; Longperiod of repayment of upto 30 years; Contributions

can serve as additional oldage security; Refunds with 2percent interest on retirementand; Maximum loan of N15million can be borrowed.

EligibilityTo be eligible for the NHF

loan, a contributor interestedin obtaining NHF loan mustapply through a registeredand duly accredited mortgageloan originator, e.g. a PrimaryMortgage Bank (PMB), whopackages and forwards theapplication to FMBN.Applicants are required toprovide satisfactory evidence

of regular income. Deductedmonthly contributions mustbe remitted to FMBNpromptly, and at least 6months contributions shouldbe made.

Documents required toprocess NHF loan include:Completed application form;Photocopy of title documents;Current valuation report onthe proposed house to buy orbills of quantities (BOQ) forthe house to build and; Threeyears tax clearance certificate.Others are: Evidence of NHFparticipation; Copy of payslips for the previous threemonths and; Equitycontribution or personal stakeof 30 percent, 20 percent or10 percent depending on the

loan amount applied for.NHF loan cannot be used to

purchase piece of land tobuild a house. A prospectiveapplicant who wishes toobtain a loan to build a houseis expected to have his/herland as well as an acceptancetitle to the land prior to theapplication for NHF loan.

Contributors can apply asan individual for NHF loan todevelop a land or buy directlyfrom government consortestate or private estatedeveloper. A contributor canonly obtain NHF loan facilityonce in a life time. The onlycollateral needed for NHFloan is the property inquestion. No other collateralis required to secure the loan.

THE FederalGovernment has

announced the removal ofMr. Terver Gemade as theManaging Director of theFederal Housing Authority(FHA) following thedissolution of its interimmanagement team.

A statement by TundeIpinmisho, Head,C o r p o r a t eCommunications, FHA,said Engr. David Kpue hasbeen appointed as actingManaging Director of theorganisation. He wasdeputy general manager inthe Authority. An AssistantGeneral Manager, Mr.Jonah Saidu, has also been

FG removes Gemade as FHA bossdirected to take charge of theFinance department of theAuthority.

In their letters ofappointment, they weredirected to take chargepending the appointment ofa substantive management.

The statement noted thatGemade became ManagingDirector of FHA in May 1989.After he had completed hisfirst tenure of four years,government last year re-appointed him with a newteam to drive thecommercialization of theAuthority for an interim termof 12 months which wasrenewable subject to goodperformance.

While handing over,Gemade said he did his bestto fulfill the mandate of FHAduring his tenure.

Responding, Kpuethanked him for his serviceto the Authority and wishedhim well in his futureendeavors. Kpue urged himnot to hesitate to make hisexperience availablewhenever it was needed.

He urged the staff of theAuthority to brace up to thechallenge of meeting thehousing needs of Nigerians.He said he was satisfied thatthe Authority’s staff had theexpertise, experience andwill power required to turnthe Authority around.

Easy – to – construct prefabricated housing


CMYK


Insurance

UNVEILING - From left: Acting Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. MatthewWillsher; Etisalat customers, Mr. Soni Irabor, Mr. Obi Somto, Mr. Mai Atafo and Director,Consumer Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Oluwole Rawa, at the unveiling of Etisalat MobileNumber Portability (MNP) Testimonial Campaign, held at Eko Hotel & Suites on 28th May,2014.

The NationalI n s u r a n c eC o m m i s s i o n

(NAICOM) has said thatthe Associated Airlineaircraft that crashed lastOctober was not insured byany insurance company inNigeria.

Commissioner forInsurance, Mr. FolaDaniel, who disclosed this,denied knowledge ofpayment of claims tofamilies of victims ofAssociated Airline.

He refuted claim by thecompany that theCommission was contactedfor the presentation ofcheques to the families ofthe victim.

He insisted that theCommission was notinvited for thepresentation, adding thatthe claim by the airline wasuntrue.

It will be recalled thatearly this month AssociatedAirline said it had paid$480,000 (about N77m) ascompensation to thefamilies of those who diedon October 3, 2013, whenits aircraft crashed.

The aircraft, which wastaking the corpse of aformer Governor of OndoState, Dr. OlusegunAgagu, to Akure for burial,came down shortly aftertake-off and killed 13 out ofthe 20 people on boardinstantly.

Associated Airlines plane notinsured in Nigeria — NAICOMStories byROSEMARY ONUOHA

The airline in a statementsaid that each of the relationsof the 16 victims was paid$30,000 as the first tranche ofcompensation in accordancewith the International CivilAviation Organisationstandards.

International flights aregoverned by the Montreal

Convention, a global aircarrier treaty adopted in 1999by ICAO, a United Nationsagency.

The Montreal Convention of1999 states that airlineswishing to operate ondomestic routes shall adoptthe approved liability limits inline with the requirement of

ICAO, which states that theairline shall paycompensation, in the case ofdeath, or injury ofpassengers, of $100,000 perperson; destruction, loss ordelay of baggage shall be$1,000; and destruction, lossdamage or delay of cargoshall be $20.per kilo.

The carrier said in thestatement that the balance of$70,000 per victim would bepaid as quickly as possiblewhen other matters pertainingto documentation would havebeen resolved. The statementsaid the compensation waspaid to the relatives at theairline’s Lagos office, addingthat they were individuallypresented with a “certificateof release and discharge”.

The Chief OperatingOfficer, Associated Airlines,Mr. Taiwo Raji, stated thatthere had been lots ofinsinuations that the carrierwas shirking its responsibilityto the victims’ families.

He, however, said that theairline had to do a lot ofpaperwork and had beenputting things in place toensure that the relatives weresettled as quickly as possible.

“We have been meeting withour insurers but it has beenvery slow. We are workingwith them to resolve thewhole issue. The insurers andthe airline have resolved topay 30 per cent of what shouldbe paid now, while the 70 percent balance will also be paidas quickly as possible,” hesaid.

The National Pension Commission,PenCom, said a number of measures

have been adopted in the pension industryto improve service delivery.

Acting Director General of PenCom,Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, made the assertionat the 8thannual business law conferencein Lagos while delivering a paper titled“Contributory pension scheme as a catalystfor economic development,” in Lagos lastweek.

Anohu-Amazu said that part of themeasures on the part of PenCom is theestablishment of zonal offices in the sixgeopolitical zones of the country to amongothers attend to complaints, enquiries andthe provision of other customer services toall stakeholders as well as the establishmentof contact centre to centralize, track andresolve stakeholder complaints.

On the part of Pension Fund Administrators(PFAs), Anohu-Amazu said that the measuresadopted include Know Your Customer (KYC)techniques for proper monitoring of clientneeds and client feedback mechanism.

The PFAs also adopted the development offollow-up models for settlement ofoutstanding client issues as well asestablishment of contact centres.

According to the Acting DG, pension assetshave grown to N4.13 trillion while theproportion of the assets to Nigeria’s GDPgrew from 1.4% in 2006 to 9.5% in 2013, whichrepresents an average yearly growth of 30%.

NAICOM targets improved service deliveryShe said that the most significant proportion,

about 63% of the assets (equivalent to N2.64trillion) was invested in FGN securities andthe asset invested in authorized markets withportfolio limits.

On the role of pensions in an emergingeconomy, Anohu-Amazu said that it providessocial security by alleviating old age poverty;ensures that every pensioner receives pensionas and when due; stems further growth ofpension liabilities; fully funded towards futurepension obligations as well as curtailment ofthe burgeoning pension liabilities of federaland state governments.

She said that the Contributory PensionScheme, CPS, supports economicdevelopment; is an efficient avenue forinfrastructure and economic development; aswell as provides availability of investible fundsto support the development of the real sector.

According to her, the CPS stimulates jobcreation through employment generation bothdirectly and through third party serviceproviders to the pension industry.

She said that the number of registeredcontributors is over 5,980,415 as at February2014 even as there are 95,840 retirees currentlyreceiving pensions as and when due underthe CPS as at March 2014.

“Total pension fund assets had grown to overN4.13 trillion as at March 2014. Nigerian CPShas become a model for other African countries:Study visitations from Ghana, Malawi,Uganda, Tanzania,” she said.

China said it will cut thereserve requirement

ratio for some of the nation’sbanks, the government’slatest step to support growthin the world’s second-biggesteconomy.

Policy makers will“appropriately lower thereserve requirement forbanks that have extended acertain amount of loans torural borrowers and smallercompanies, the cabinet saidyesterday after a regularmeeting led by Premier LiKeqiang. It didn’t give moredetails about the reduction.The State Council alsopledged to fine-tune policywhen needed, whilereiterating it will maintain aprudent monetary stance.

China’s economy isforecast to expand 7.3percent this year, whichwould be the weakest pacesince 1990, according to aBloomberg survey ofanalysts this month. PremierLi called last week onregional authorities to helpstabilize expansion as heseeks to ensure that thegovernment meets its goal ofabout 7.5 percent growth for2014.

China to cutreserverequirement rationfor some banks

UBS probed overmoneylaundering,organised crime

UBS AG, Switzerland’sbiggest bank, is being

probed by Belgianauthorities over allegationsof money laundering andorganised crime. JudgeMichel Claise is leading theinvestigation, Anja Bijnens, aspokeswoman for theBrussels prosecutor, said bytelephone yesterday.

UBS employeesapproached wealthy Belgiantaxpayers including chiefexecutive officers andsportsmen over a 10-yearperiod, encouraging them toopen undeclared accounts inSwitzerland, M... Belgiquemagazine reported, withoutsaying where it got theinformation.

UBS Belgium, the bank’slocal arm, helped to organizethe transfer of large amountsof money to Switzerland, themagazine said.

Prosecutors began theprobe at the end of last yearand it is based on “verydetailed testimony, themagazine said.

CMYK


People in Business

C a n a d i a n - b o r nJelena Zivkovic isthe Acting Director,

Academic Advising &Retention at the AmericanUniversity of Nigeria (AUN),Yola, Adamawa State. In thischat with Vanguard, Jelenawhose real interest isentrepreneurship, especiallywomen entrepreneurs, saysnorthern women who werehitherto very conservative,are beginning to enter theworkplace or business placeso she decided to find outwhy.

Excerpts:

What led to the study?We know the northern

region is generallyconservative and there arecertain stereotypes andexpectations on women andwomen in business is not oneof them. It’s more like womenhave their role at home but weare seeing a trend, wheremore and more women areentering the workplace orbusiness place so I was kindof curious why they are doingthat. What is going on in theirlives and family structure thatis supporting them to do thatbecause surely, they cannotjust go on their own, theremust be support from thehusbands. I met with about 60women entrepreneurs inthree states – Abuja,Adamawa and Kano over thelast couple of years and Iwanted to understand and tryto get a better picture of howthey became entrepreneurs.

What do you think couldhave led them into small-scale businesses?

It could be a cultural shift,a mindset or as a result offinancial need. I only have 60women at this stage and I amhoping to get up to 100. I amnoticing that these women areobviously getting supportfrom their family members.They see it as an economicneed and contributing to theirfamilies’ economies.

By EBELE ORAKPO

,

,

More Northernwomen arebecomingentrepreneurs— Jelena Zivkovic

What kindof businessesare they into?

They are intoinformal businesses.Some are hair dressers,tomato sellers, wholesalersfor clothing, baby clothes,retailers, I even met a lawyerwho has her own practice; youknow, going against the norm.All the women I met agreedthat they are seeing morewomen entrepreneurs.

How easy was it gettingthe support of their

husbands?They said they needed the

permission of the menotherwise it would not havebeen possible. I know offamilies with 20 children andnone has the shoes, and theyare not in school but the malefamily members just refusethat their women go to work.This would have beenenough reason for the men toencourage the women to workso they can contribute to theupkeep of the children. So Idon’t know at what point weare going to see what the menreally need to encourage theirsisters, mothers and wives.

Remember that if societyaccepts it, then it is a loteasier but if society does notaccept it, it will be verydifficult. So this is what I amfinding fascinating and tryingto understand. I noticed thatwhen I asked the women why

While women in other partsof the world see it assomething for personaldevelopment; to make thembetter people, something thatwill make them fulfilled, buthere, the women are drivenby external influences –children’s education andprovision for the family.

I asked a woman why sheis selling soft drinks and shesaid: “Because I will haveextra money to make a reallygood meal for my husband.”She said her husbandcompliments her on thewonderful meals withoutasking her where she gets themoney from. Then she saidthat more and more women intheir society now come outwith make-up and dressdifferently so she is worriedthat they may take herhusband away from her soshe has to work to make moremoney to make good foodbecause she feels that willmake the husband stay withher. Meanwhile, she doesn’ttell him where she gets themoney from neither does heask. And I said: “ Wow! That’sa very different perspective.”

they went into business, mostof them said they were doingit to be able to send theirchildren to school - but I rarelyheard any of them saying shedid it for her personaldevelopment or satisfaction.So they don’t see being anentrepreneur or getting intothe business world asfulfilling their own desires.

A f r i c a ' sbiggest fundmanager CEOr e s i g n s

Elias Masilela resigned asthe chief executive

officer of South Africa’sPublic Investment Corp.,Africa’s biggest fundmanager and the largestshareholder on theJohannesburg stockexchange. Masilela, 50, willtake outstanding leaveimmediately and officiallystep down on June 30 aftermore than three years in thejob, the Pretoria-based PIC,which manages 1.6 trillionrand ($153 billion) in assets.Chief Financial OfficerMatshepo More will be actinghead of the manager of thepension funds of SouthAfrican state workers. ThePIC has used itsshareholding to preventforeign takeovers of SouthAfrican companies includingpharmaceuticals makerAdcock Ingram HoldingsLtd. (AIP) and to force thedeparture of the chiefexecutive officer of Togo’sEcobank Transnational Inc.(ETI).

O n l i n eb a n k i n gthefts inJapan promptsc o m p e s a t i o nr e t h i n k

The northernregion isgenerallyconservativeand there arecertainstereotypesandexpectationson women andwomen inbusiness is notone of them

•Jelena Zivkovic

Hackers stole nearly $2million from the online

bank accounts of Japanesebusinesses in April, a surgein theft that has promptedsome banks to curtail onlineservices and rethinkcompensation policies,executives and regulatorssay.

In April there were 50cases of theft from onlineaccounts held by Japanesebusinesses with nearly 200million yen stolen,according to a person withknowledge of the industry-wide tally, which has notbeen made public. That wasmore than the entireprevious year. Japanesebusinesses reported 34 casesof online banking theft forthe year ended March with atotal of 182 million yen ($1.8million) stolen, according todata released by theJapanese BankersAssociation.

Earlier this month, a seniorofficial with Japan’sFinancial Services Agencytold regional bankexecutives that regulatorswere concerned that onlinetheft could cause a chain ofsmall business failures andbankruptcies, according toparticipants who attendedthe closed-door meeting.


CMYK

Aviation

DRAW - From left: Vice President, Flight Operation, Arik Air, Capt Ado Sanusi, Arik AirAmbassador, Tobi Sanni-Daniel (Ice Prince) Senior Vice President, Commercial, Arik Air,Mr. Siva Ramachadran and Director, Consumer Protection, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA), Mr. Adamu Abdullahi, during Arik Air Brazil 2014 promo draw, held at ArikCorporate Headquarters, Ikeja, Lagos.

Chairman of theSenate Committeeon Aviation, Senator

Hope Uzodinma, has said theSenate Committee on Aviationdemanded explanations fromthe supervising Minister ofAviation, Dr. Samuel Ortom,on the N174 billion debtincurred by the ministry since2011 because the expenditurewas not within the ministry’sbudgetary framework. Andthe National Assembly,especially the SenateCommittee on Aviation wasnot informed about the debt.

According to SenatorUzodinma: “When we say weare not carried along it isbecause they didn’t allow theNational Assembly to playtheir own role.” Uzodinmagave this explanation while

Why we queried Aviation Ministry over174bn debt — UZODINMA

By LAWANI MIKAIRU& DANIEL ETEGHE

fielding questions fromAviation reporters at theMurtala MohammedInternational Airport, Lagosafter an oversight visit to theairport by the SenateCommittee on Aviation.

Explaining further, thechairman said: “Yesterday, (Monday), while we were atthe ministry., we discoveredand it was confirmed by the

ministry that under the phasethree remodelling that FAANand the Ministry of Aviationare indebted to the tune ofover N174bn, these are fundsnot within the budget.”

“You will agree with me,they didn’t carry us along andthat is why it is not in thebudget so we now queriedhow they over-committedgovernment without prior

approval. Now the only wayto go because some of thoseprojects are also as critical asimportant, we now said thatthere will be a committee bythe Federal Ministry ofAviation to look at thoseprojects and then reprioritisethem and see what theministry will be able toshoulder given the leanresources under their envelopfor 2014.”

“ And then talk with us andsee how we can work togetherto now look for money to paybecause there is already acommitment on the side ofgovernment. So you see whenwe say we were not carriedalong it is not because wedidn’t share money but it isbecause they didn’t allow thenational assembly to playtheir own role. “

Commenting on the Airfieldlighting hitherto handled byNigerian AirspaceManagement Agency,NAMA, Senator Uzodinmasaid “ now that the air fieldinglight has been transferredback to Federal AirportsAuthority of Nigeria, FAAN,we now know that FAAN hasthe technical and financialcapacity to rise up to thechallenges and ensure thatwe have all the runways lightup for night navigation, it issomething that we must dobecause we must get value toevery expenditure that wehave done.”

Airline Operators ofNigeria, AON, has

condemned the call for theinspection of aircraft by theNigerian Civil AviationAuthority, NCAA, in Nigeriaafter it has been flown into thecountry from abroad.

AON kicks against inspection of aircraft inNigeria

By LAWANI MIKAIRU& DANIEL ETEGHE

The chairman of AON,Captain Nogie Meggisonwho made the condemnationsaid such proposal couldmake Nigeria a dumpingground for bad aircraft if, afterbringing the aircraft into thecountry, it was discovered thatthe aircraft had a major faultwhich could not be repaired.

Captain Meggison stressedthat such proposal may affect

the safety and development ofthe aviation sector as aircraftthat do not fit into theNigerian NCAA’sspecifications in terms ofairworthiness could be flowninto Nigeria.

He said the usual practicewhere, aircraft safetyinspectors from the NCAA,travel to the maintenancefacility or the manufacturersfacility or country of sale tocarry out the necessary checkon the aircraft before beingflown into Nigeria is betterand safer.

He said defects or faultsfound by NCAA inspectors onany aircraft requiringrectification could be carriedout at the seller’s C CheckMaintenance RepairOrganization (MRO), beforesuch planes are flown intoNigeria.

According to him “If you saythe aircraft should be flowninto Nigeria first , beforeNCAA inspectors carry outtechnical checks on arrival inNigeria and it is discoveredthat there is a major defect orthe aircraft does not complywith Nigerian specification,what do you do “?

Members of the Air Transport ServicesSenior Staff Association of Nigeria,

ATSSSAN, have shelved its planned two dayswarning strike to protest the proposed mergerof aviation parastatals as feelers from thePresidency indicate that government hasbacked down on the planned merger.

After a two day National Executive CouncilMeeting at Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, ATSSSANsaid the information at its disposal shows thatthe federal government will not go ahead withthe planned merger. The union said in acommunique that “ the planned strike wassuspended due to the credible and

ATSSSAN shelves warning strike, as Presidencybacks down on merger

By LAWANI MIKAIRU &DANIEL ETEGHE

authoritative overtures from the Presidencywhich indicate that President Good luckJonathan has listened to the cries of the aviationworkers.”

It will be recalled that aviation unions andstakeholders have been kicking against thefederal government acceptance of the ChiefSteve Oronsanye panel which recommendedthe merger of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority,NCAA, who is the regulator of the aviationindustry with service providers like NigerianAirspace Management Agency, NAMA, andNIMET who forecast weather.

ATSSSAN also explained that it consideredthe “ country’s keeping of global standards,procedures and practices in order to sustainsafety and security of the airspace and generaloperations.”

Managing Director ofWakanow Travels and

Tour Agency, Mr. ObinnaOkezie weekend identifiedtechnological problems as oneof the major setbacks in thetravel and tour agenciesstressing that one of itcomponent was transparency.

Disclosing this developmentto newsmen during the officiallaunching of the WakanowCorporate credit card inpartnership with DiamondBank in Lekki, Lagos, Mr.Okezie stressed that thecompany was introducing newtechnology so that they couldimprove on the technologywith the aim of doing well inthe travel market and on theweb.

He said “We are bringing intechnology so that we canimprove in order to be enabledto do well on the web and onthe mobile but like I saidleakages has been one of themajor challenges and MD’s ofmost of these corporations,transparency has been an issueand we have been able to tackleit to some extent, on the retailspace customers can go on ourwebsite and see the priceseven if you don’t book with us,you have an idea what theprices are so that is wheretransparency comes in.”

Technology majorsetback to travelagencies says Okezie

By DANIEL ETEGHE

Chairman of the NationalAviation Handling

Company (NAHCO) PLC,Mallam Suleiman Yahyah,has revealed that theestablishment of Free TradeZone at the MurtalaMuhammed Airport Lagos bythe company would attractnothing less than $500Million investment to thenation’s economy within fiveyears .

Speaking at the nationalexecutive council meeting ofthe Air Transport ServicesSenior Staff Association ofNigeria (ATSSSAN) in IjebuOde, Ogun State, Yahyah saidwhen the Free Trade Zone isfully operational, it wouldcreate employmentopportunities for quite anumber of Nigerians and theeconomy would surely feel theimpact of the operation of theFTZ.

NAHCO FTZ toattract $500Million investment

By LAWANI MIKAIRU


CMYK

Looking from the factthat the funds from theFederation Account

are not judiciously utilised bythe states and they are notaccountable to the people andthe state legislature, ourconcern is that even if they getmoney from bonds and it isnot invested, the state will beleft with a huge debt burdenwhich will hurt in the longterm.” Dr Usman Muttaka,Head of Department ofEconomics, Ahmadu BelloUniversity, Zaria.

That statement credited toDr Muttaka was quoted in thePUNCH of May 25, 2014, ina report titled States raiseN514bn through bonds in fiveyears, written by SimeonEjembi. The report could nothave come at a better time aselections are about to be heldin Osun and Ekiti states in afew weeks; and the rest of thecountry next April. For toolong, elected governors in allthe states of Nigeria had takenit upon themselves to get theirstates into long-term debts,mortgage the future stream ofstate revenue long after theyhave left office – with hardlyanybody asking questions.And all these in a democracy.

League Table of BondDebts by states:

Below are the current levelsof bond debts owed by somestates. Those are not the only

STATE DEBT RANK1. Lagos N187b 5th

2. Bayelsa N50b 4th

3. Delta N50b 3rd

4. Osun* N30b 18th

5. Ondo N27b 11th

6. Edo N25b 23rd

7. Ekiti N25b 34th

8. Gombe N20b 36th

9. Imo N18.5b 13th

10. Kwara N17b 32nd

11. Ebonyi N16.5b 33rd

12. Niger N15.6b 12th

So you want to be governor in 2015?heavily indebted states,however. How much AkwaIbom and Rivers as well asOgun and Oyo states owe isnot included yet. Naturally,the State of Excellence shouldset the pace and Lagos Statehas not disappointed in thisrespect. But, some of the otherstates should give theirpeople a lot to worry aboutgiven their ranking, seebelow, on the revenue fromthe Federation Account –which still constitutes the bulkof their revenue. The figuresand the capacity of some ofthe states to carry the debtburden, in the event of adrastic downturn in crude oilprices, should frighten thosewanting to take over fromoutgoing governors.

· Osun has drawn onlyN30b out of the N60b itplanned to eventually borrowunder the state government’sdebt issuance programme;which means that the figurecould rise any time from now.

The first thing which strikesa casual observer is thepenchant for states with lowrevenue ranking to borrowcomparatively more than thosewith high revenue profile.Lagos is unique among all thestates on account of itsrelatively high InternallyGenerated Revenue, IGR, asa percentage of total revenuecollected. But, most other

states depend almostexclusively on the allocationsfrom the Federation Account.Most spend virtually everykobo collected now and theystill experience difficulties inmeeting their financialobligations. With federallyallocated revenue on thedecline, the states willexperience increasingdifficulties in meeting theirfinancial obligations. Debtdefaults loom as distinctpossibilities.

Ordinarily, there is nothingwrong with governmentsborrowing to finance capitalprojects. But bond financingis supposed to be used forprojects which will generatethe funds with which the loanwill be repaid. That meansthat funds meant for a project

cannot be diverted to anyother purpose –howeverurgent or meritorious. Inmature democracies, thelegislature ensures that this isdone. But, there is probablyno single independent StateHouse of Assembly in Nigeriatoday. All without exceptionhave become appendages orrubber stamps of the stategovernors.

It is, therefore, most likelythat some, if not most of thefunds collected for somespecific projects have beendiverted to other end uses. Itwould have been bad enoughif those projects are alsoyielding revenue to helprepay the debt. It is worsewhen they go into drain pipesleading inexorably to privatepockets.

The lame duck governors,who can keep their lawmakersat bay, have had the benefitof enjoying a free hand todisburse public funds as theychose. They have enjoyed thebenefits of exercising powerunchecked and they candepart while passing the billto their successors to pay.That explains why, with theexception of Osun and Ekiti,as well as Anambra and Edo,whose governors are notdeparting in 2015, everygovernor is eager to select hisown successor. None wants topass the baton of office to ahostile or uncooperative newgovernor who might exposeany shady deals that mighthave been associated withthose projects.

The would-be successorsare warned to be wary of thebooby traps awaiting them inthe Governor’s office. Onceyou have been imposed on thepeople by the outgoinggovernor, you will beexpected to live with theproblems which a mortgagedfuture will mean for the state.And, if it means sacking a lotof state workers, then theburden will be yours not thatof the man who got the stateinto the mess in the first place.

V i s i t :www.delesobowale.com orVisit: www.facebook.com/biolasobowale

Business & Economy

“

The N7 billion green fieldmanufacturing plant

investment of Al Grain FoodsLimited has delivered a newentrant into the noodles marketwith Al Grain noodles.

With the entrant consumersof noodles now have more

Al Grain enters noodles market withN7bn investment

By PRINCEWILLEKWUJURU &NAOMI UZOR

LAUNCH - From left: Managing Director, Nokia West andCentral Africa, Nick Imudia; Marketing Campaign Manager,Nokia West and Central Africa, Yetunde Ogeroju; Director,Consumer Channels Group, Microsoft Nigeria, MarkIhimoyan and Retail Customer Marketing Manager, NokiaWest and Central Africa, Olajide Adeyemi during the launchof the first Windows Dual SIM smartphone, Nokia Lumia 630,held at Protea Hotel, Ikeja.Photo byAkeem Salau.

about 10 years ago where youthslearn various trades such asfashion designing, catering,metal fabrication, welding andcarpentry. Anybody can registerto learn. It is for all categoriesof people. School leavers, dropouts, graduates, schoolcertificate holders andilliterates,” she said.

choices to make with the formalentry of the new product,positioned as a healthy choice.

Al Grain is a whole grainnoodles product manufacturedin the N7b green field plant ofAl Grain Foods Limited, Isolo,Lagos.

Economist and founder of theCentre for Values inLeadership Prof Pat Utomi leda star cast of guests frombanking, industry, government

as well as Nollywood at theunveiling of the product inLagos.

Speaking at the launch,Utomi called for greater focusby both Government andprivate sector players onagriculture and manufacturing,remarking that a synergybetween both sectors would bethe surest route to creating jobsto reduce unemploymentamongst Nigerian youth.

Utomi said he had tasted theproduct before the formalpresentation and confessed hislove for its formulation andpresentation. Professor Utomi

who was the guest of honour,disclosed: “I do not have aparticular food I crave for, butsincerely Al Grain noodle hasbecome part of my menu.”

Utomi confessed that he hasbecome a convert of the noodleand enjoined consumers toenjoy it and make Al Grain partof the items in their hampersalways. “I’m a convert to AlGrain.

Director says skills acquisition will reduceunemployment, security challenges

Director, Jobs Creation,Lagos State Ministry of

Special Duties Mrs BisiOnayemi has urgedgovernment at all levels to useskills-based education tomanage the nation’sunemployment and securitychallenges. Onayemi said inLagos that unemployment was

a major driver of kidnapping,armed robbery and the currentinsurgency. She said the state’s18 skill acquisition centres trained about 18, 000 peopleannually in various needs basedcrafts to make them self-employed and self-sufficient.

“We have skillacquisition centres started

League Table of Bond Debts by states:


Business & Economy

Luxury industry in Lagosworth $3bn — Polo MD

Limited and PoloAvenue.

The Financial TimesBusiness of LuxurySummit this yearattracted seniorexecutives, industryleaders, brand experts,executives and decision

makers of the luxuryindustry. Theses includethe likes of StellaMcCartney; ChristianLouboutin; CarolineBrown; LapoElkann;William Lauder; MarcoBizzarri and VanessaFriedman.

Firm plans sustainablecorporate governancepractice in Nigeria

By NAOMI UZOR

DCSL CorporateServices Limited

said it is set to enthronesustainable corporategovernance practiceswith the establishment ofan academy to properlyequip those who haveresponsibilities withinthe governanceframework.

In a parley withpressmen, the ManagingDirector, DCSLCorporate ServicesLimited, Mrs BisiAdeyemi, said they areof the opinion thatcorporate governanceserves as a tool forensuring accountability,transparency,responsibleand ethicalmanagement ofresources, adding that,good corporategovernance impactspositively on acompany’s operationsand acts as a panacea forcorporate failure.

She disclosed that theacademy is designed tobe a governance andcorporate secretarialtraining & resourcecentre of specializedlearning for companysecretaries, In-Houselegal counsel,compliance officers,interns and all thoseseeking training in theseareas and that theacademy would assistparticipants to have abetter understanding of

the principles of goodcorporate governanceand equip them with theknowledge required toassist their respectiveorganizations to imbibethese principles for theoverall benefit of allstakeholders.

“DCSL is a privatelimited liability companywhich providescompany secretarial,g o v e r n a n c e ,immigration andtraining services todiverse governmental,corporate andindividual clients acrossseveral business sectorsin Nigeria and over thepast few years, hasthrough its corporategovernance series ofopen enrolmentseminars, roundtablesand publicationscontributed to thoughtleadership on the subjectmatter “ she stated.

Furthermore, she saidin continuation of theircorporate governanceseries, they have a fewseminars and trainingprogrammes slated forlater in the year forDirectors, companysecretaries, risk officersand members of theaudit committees and inconjunction with theHawkamah institute ofcorporate governancein Dubai, they are co-hosting a corporategovernance training fordirectors in Dubai in the12th and 13th ofNovember 2014.

SUMMIT - From left, Christian Louboutin, John Obayuwana and Burak Celetduring the Financial Times Business of Luxury Summit in Mexico.

John Obayuwana,the Founder andManaging Director

of Polo Luxury Group,has projected that Lagosalone could generate $2-3billion in luxurysales.

He made thisprojection whileaddressing delegates atthe just concludedFinancial Times Businessof Luxury Summit inMexico.

In a presentation on‘The challenges andopportunities that existfor international luxurybrands in Africaparticularly in Nigeria,’Obayuwana, said that the currentconsumption of luxurygoods by Nigerians inshopping destinationssuch as Paris, Dubai, UKetc. show the spendingpower of Nigerians in theluxury sector.

“Wealthy Nigerianshave a huge appetite forluxury shopping abroad.In Nigeria, customers arenot just looking for logos;they are looking forquality and greatservice.” In addition, hespoke about thechallenges that haveinhibited the luxuryindustry in Nigeria suchas lack of power supply,high cost of operation,lack of human capital,and the lack of retailinfrastructure.”

He stressed theimportance of payingattention to the middleclass in order to ensurethe sustainabledevelopment of theluxury industry.

Mr. Obayuwana hasplayed a significant rolein shaping and definingthe landscape of theluxury industry inAfrica. He continues todo so with his ongoingeffort to ensure theapplication ofinternational standardsin the retail luxuryindustry in Nigeria,which is evident at Polo


Tax Matters

Taxation is arguably as old asmankind. In his book, IncomeTax Law and Practice in

Nigeria, Ola, C. S. said apart fromrevenue to the government, taxation isimportant to everyone and taxescollected come back to the taxpayers inthe form of social amenities.

Almost everything we own and usefor personal or investment purposes isa capital asset. Examples include ahome, personal-use items likehousehold furnishings, and stocks orbonds held as investments. Capitalgains are the profits realized from thesale of assets at a price that is higherthan the purchase price. When a capitalasset is sold, the difference between thecost sale and the sales price is a capitalgain or a capital loss. You have a capitalgain if sales price is higher than cost ofsale. The reverse is the case for a capitalloss.

Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is a type oftax levied on capital gains accruing toindividuals and corporations. TheFederal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)and State Boards of Internal Revenueare responsible for the administrationof the CGT in Nigeria. It is a taxapplicable to capital gains accruing toany person (company or individual) onthe disposal of a chargeable asset.Capital gains taxes are triggered whenan asset is realized, not while it is heldby an investor. An investor can ownshares that appreciate every year, butthe investor does not incur capital gainstax on the shares until they are sold.

Not all disposals are subject to CGT;only chargeable assets are. Chargeableassets are all forms of property,including options, debts and any formof property created or acquired by theperson disposing it, or otherwise comingto be owned without being acquired.Landed properties and buildings arethe main income yielding assets inNigeria.

Most countries’ tax laws provide forsome form of capital gains taxes oninvestors’ and individuals’ capitalgains, although CGT laws vary fromcountry to country. In Nigeria, CGT wasoriginally introduced by the CapitalGains Tax Act of 1967 with a rate of 20%but effective from 1998, the CGT ratewas revised down wards to 10%. Thelegislation currently governing taxationof capital gains is the Capital Gains TaxAct CAP C1 LFN 2004.

Capital gains are excluded fromtaxation under the Companies IncomeTax Act (CITA) to avoid double taxationsince such gains are subject to tax underthe CGT Act. Assets situated outsideNigeria are chargeable to CGT on theamount received in or brought intoNigeria. In the case of a non-resident,CGT is charged on any part of the gainsreceived or brought into Nigeria.

Disposal to a Connected Person

When a taxpayer transfers his capitalasset to say, his wife, this is seen as a

The CGT – An UntappedRevenue Goldmine

By EMBUKA ANNA ,

,transaction between ‘connectedpersons’. In this case, the chargeablegains will be calculated on the basis ofthe market value of the asset at the dateof transfer. Section 24 of the CGT Act,2004 provides that a person is‘connected’ if:

a. That person is the individual’sspouse.

b. A trustee of a settlement with anyindividual who in relation of thesettlement is a settler.

c. A person is connected with anyperson with whom he is in partnershipand with any person the spouse orrelative of any person with whom he isin partnership.

A company is connected with anothercompany if:

a. The same person has control of bothor he and persons connected with himhas control of the other.

b. Where a group of two or moreperson has control of each company andthe group either consists of the samepersons or could be regarded asconsisting of the same persons bytreating a member of either group asreplaced by a person with whom he isconnected.

c. A company is connected withanother person if that person hascontrol of it or if it and that personconnected with it together have controlof it.

d. Any two or more persons actingtogether to secure or exercise control ofa company shall be treated in relationto that company as connected withanother and so will any person on thedirections of any of them to secure orexercise control of the company.

Capital gains is the net considerationaccruing to a person on the disposal ofcapital assets after the sum of the totalconsideration and expenses foracquiring the asset has been deducted.It is arrived at by deducting from theproceeds accruing to any person ondisposal the following:

a) The amount or value of theconsideration (in money or money’sworth) given wholly, exclusively andnecessarily incurred in providing theasset.

b) Expenses wholly, exclusively andnecessarily incurred on the asset for thepurposes of enhancing its value beingexpenditure reflected in the state ornature of the asset at the time ofdisposal.

c) Expenses wholly, exclusivelyand necessarily incurred on the asset

in establishing,preserving ordefending the titleor right over theasset.

d) T h eincidental cost ofmaking thed i s p o s a l ,incidental costs ofthe acquisition ofthe asset or of itsdisposal includes

fees, commissions or remuneration paidfor professional services of any surveyoror valuer or auctioneer or accountant oragent or legal adviser and cost oftransfer or conveyance including costof advertising.

Expenses Allowable andComputation of CGT

Expenses allowable as a deduction incomputing the gains or losses of a trade,business, profession or vocation forincome tax purposes are not to bededucted in the course of determiningthe applicable CGT. So also arepremiums or other payments madeunder a policy of insurance against therisk of any kind of damage or injury tolose or depreciation of any asset. Thisdoes not prevent the deduction ofexpenses allowable in the computationof capital gains under the CGT if theassets have qualified for capitalallowances.

According to Ayua, I. A. in his book,The Nigerian Tax Law, the aboveposition on deductions is to the effectthat capital gains are liberallycalculated for the purpose of the CGTlaw. In practice, capital gains arecalculated by deducting the total costof acquisition from net sales proceeds.

Example: Ola sold his property forN150,000 on the 2nd of June, 2005. Heincurred the following expenses in thecourse of the sale:

Adverts (online and print):N

8,000Legal service charge:

N15,000

He bought the property on 13th

December, 1981 at N60,000 andincurred the following expenses:

Agency: N10,000

Renovation : N 10, 000

Here is a computation of the amountof CGT due from Ola:

N N

Proceeds from sale: 150,000

Less expense:Adverts: 8,000Legal service charge: 15,000Agency:

10,000Renovation: 10,000

(43,000)

Net sales proceeds:

107,000Less cost of acquisition:

(60,000)

Gains 47,000

Capital Gains Tax = 10% of N 47,000 = N 4,700

ExemptionsThe CGT Act exempts gains accruing

to the following:a) Ecclesiastical, charitable or

educational institutions of publiccharacter.

b) Any statutory or registered friendlysociety.

c) Any co-operative society registeredunder the Trade Union Act, in so far asthe gain is not derived from any disposalof any asset acquired in connection withany trade or business carried on by theinstitution or society and the gain isapplied purely for the purpose of theinstitution or society as the case maybe.

d) Gains accruing from any localgovernment council.

e) Companies being purchasingauthorities established under any lawin Nigeria empowered to acquire anycommodity in Nigeria for export.

f) Superannuation funds (pensionprovident or other retirement benefitsfund, society or scheme approved by theJoint Tax Board under Section 20 (1)(f) of the Personal Income Tax).

g) Decorations, stocks and shares (theAct provides that where a persondisposes a decoration awarded forvalour or gallant conduct which heacquires otherwise than forconsideration in money or money’sworth, such is not a chargeable gain.The Act also recognizes disposal ofNigerian government securities, stocksand shares as non-chargeable gains).

ReliefsTo prevent double tax relief on

disposed assets, the Act provides thatrelief would be given in respect ofreplacement of business assets,compensation for assets lost anddestroyed and in respect of delayedremittances from abroad. The reliefwould be in the form of tax deferred.

Offences and PenaltiesWith regards to the FIRS’ jurisdiction,

offences and penalties under CGT is asprovided for by Part VI of the FIRSEstablishment Act 2007. On failure todeduct or remit taxes, Section 40 of theFIRSEA 2007 provides that “any personwho being obliged to deduct any taxunder this Act or the laws listed in theFirst Schedule of this Act but fails todeduct or having deducted fails to payto the Service within 30 days from thedate the amount was deducted or thetime the duty to pay arose, commits anoffence and shall upon conviction beliable to pay the tax withheld or notremitted in addition to a penalty of 10%of the tax deducted or not remitted perannum and interest at the prevailingCentral Bank of Nigeria minimum re-discount rate and imprisonment for aperiod not more than three years”.

On general penalty, Section 49 (1)

Capital Gains Tax(CGT) is a type of taxlevied on capital gainsaccruing to individualsand corporations


E-Commerce

Offline retail is e-commerce’s greatestcompetition - Fashpa CEO

Stories By JONAHNWOKPOKU

THE founder/Chief Executive Officer of

Fashpa.com, an exclusive on-line fashion merchant, HoneyOgundeyi has said that onlineretailers’ greatest competitionis the offline market.

She stated this during anexclusively interview with Van-guard on the operations ofFashpa.com and the state andfuture of e-commerce in Niger-ia.

“In terms of competition thereis lot of sites still coming uponline, offering fashion but ourreal competition is in the of-fline market where we see a lotof people going to buy from.So offline market can be con-sidered a strong competition,”she said.

She noted that forFashpa.com, as far as compe-tition is concerned, “We basi-cally benchmark ourselvesagainst what our customerswant. And I think the oppor-tunity lies in serving real fash-ion conscious customers; andwe are lucky that we are thefirst to offer fashion, the waythat we do and mix both fash-ion e-commerce and fashioncontent.”

Explaining the offerings ofFashpa.com, she said: “Fash-pa is an online fashion retail-er. We are one of the leadingfashion retailers in Nigeriaand Africa. And basically, weare dedicated to providing ourusers with access to fashionand lifestyle brands. If youknow Nigerians, and Africansin general, we love fashion,and lifestyle and what we aretrying to do at Fashpa is give

people better access to that.“Our online platform sells

clothes, footwear, and otheraccessories. We ship to allstates in Nigeria. We also shipworldwide. What we do is welook at fashion trends, and wesell international high streetbrands that people are look-ing for. We also sell Africanbrands. We also have our la-bels which is Fashpa.com.Apart from that, we also knowthat our customers are also in-terested in fashion contents,so we also give them fashionand lifestyle tips.”

She explained that Fashpahas been making significant

efforts to blend the offline andonline experiences just to serveand adapt the online shoppingculture to the Nigerian market,through unique paymentchannels and prompt deliverysystems.

“People still like the feelingof seeing and touching goodsbefore purchase. So what wedo is we try to understand andwe allow our customers to getthe item and we offer them cashon delivery. So you can sendyou up to three items in differ-ent sizes and you try them onand we will wait for you to tryit on and then take it. So whatwe are trying to do is to bring

a lot of things that people likefrom shopping offline to theonline experience,” she said.

“And I think what is interest-ing about developing onlineplatform is that you can’t justapply what happens in Eu-rope and America to this mar-ket. So, you have to adapt itand make it relevant to ourNigerian and African custom-er,” she added.

Ogundeyi further explainedthat Fashpa’s idea of world-wide delivery was inspired bythe need to get Nigerians andother Africans in the Diaspo-ra, to stay connected withtheir culture through fashion.

Kaymu empowers youths with entrepreneurshiptraining

TO celebrate this year ’sChildren’s Day, Ni-

geria’s online marketplaceKaymu.com.ng treated stu-dents of Kiddie Quest Mon-tessori to a workshop titledKaymu Future Entrepre-neurs Training.

The company said it un-veiled the initiative becauseit is committed to drivingthe development of entre-preneurship, especiallysmall and medium enter-prises in the country.

This,it said, has led to the

brand putting strategic meas-ures in place to drive entre-preneurship in youths, likethe Kaymu EntrepreneurialWorkshop conducted in uni-versities and the KaymuVar-sity initiative for SMEs.

” We believe that childrenare future leaders, withunique passions and aspira-tions and will like to give en-trepreneurial children theability to observe first-handthe work space and engagethem in practical activitiesthat the work environment

presents,” stated Massimil-iano Spalazzi, Managing Di-rector of Kaymu.com.ng

To this end, Kaymu hostedten children from KiddieQuest Montessori School towork a half day in Kaymu of-fice on Tuesday, May 27th foran educative, interactive andengaging training and prac-tical session.

Speaking on the opportuni-ty, the Deputy Head Girl ofthe school, Olubukola Fa-layajo expressed her grati-tude at the opportunity pre-

AIRTEL Nigeria has partnered with the Wikime-

dia Foundation to launchWikipedia Zero to its subscrib-ers in a move that will see 21million users access freeknowledge and informationvia their mobile phones minusdata charges.

Airtel Nigeria’s Chief Com-mercial Officer, MauriceNewa, said the new servicewill empower Nigerians withrelevant knowledge and infor-mation so that they succeedin their daily personal andprofessional endeavors.

“We are excited with ourpartnership with the Wikime-dia Foundation and we willcontinue to provide innovativesolutions that will uplift Ni-gerians in line with our brandpromise of becoming the mostloved brand in the daily livesof Nigerians,” he said.

Newa added that Airtel ispassionate and committed tocreating solid educational andyouth empowerment plat-forms that will enrich andtransform the lives of telecomsconsumers across the country.

IN a move to show renewed focus on entrepre-

neurship, federal governmenthas rolled out ‘Mara Mentor’a mentoring technology ap-plication designed to ‘enable,empower and inspire’ youngbusiness leaders across thecountry.

The app, launched in part-nership with the Mara Foun-dation, a social enterprise setup to support budding youngentrepreneurs in Africa, isused by the government tobolster the SME sector andboost job creation and furtherdevelop and diversify the re-gion’s economy.

President Jonathan madethe announcement the De-mocracy Day celebrations inAbuja last week.

President Jonathan said: “Iam a firm believer in youthempowerment and supportany efforts to drive our youthagenda forwards. The MaraMentor app is a fantastic ini-tiative, and I would like toexpress my sincere apprecia-tion to Mara Foundation andits Founder, Ashish J Thakkar,for choosing Nigeria for thepilot launch in Africa.”

FG unveils ‘MaraMentor’ to supportyoungentreprenuers

Airtel Nigeriaintroduces freeaccess toWikipedia

sented through the KaymuFuture Entreprenueur Train-ing.

“It was a great experienceand we learned a lot aboutbeing an entrepreneur andthe qualities of a successfulentrepreneur,” she said.

Also speaking, Head Teach-er of the school, Rotimi Aka-po said,”It is an insightful in-itiative by Kaymu and a veryeducative and captivatingexperience for primaryschool children.”

AGM: From left; Chief Emmanuel Ukpabi, former president; Mr. Sunil Sawhney, immediatePast Vice President; Mr. Paul Gbededo, newly elected President and Mr. AderemiAdegboyega, Executive Secretary at the 35th Annual General Meeting of the Association ofFood, Beverage and Tobacco Employers.

CMYK


Advertising, Media& Marketing

Stories ByPRINCEWILLEKWUJURU

Three historical eventshave hindered Nigeria’s

brand building effort, said Mr.Ben Bruce, Chairman ofSilverbird Group. Hehighlighted the NigerianCivil War, the 2001 Miss WorldBeauty Pageants and thecurrent Boko Haraminsurgency as bane topositioning Nigeria as aglobal brand.

Bruce disclosed this duringthe second edition ofMarketer’s Evening organisedby the Advertisers Associationof Nigeria (ADVAN) whiledelivering a speech titled,“From local to global, Buildingthe Nigerian Brand.

He stated that these eventsbecame a point of bad globalreputation for Nigeria as aresult of the government’sinability to effectively use themedia to manage some of thesecrises.

He said that over the yearsthe Nigerian state has madeeffort to become a globalbrand, but such effort had metbrick walls due to governmentsinability to explore the mediato win some of the wars thatrattled its global brandvaluation, hence the eventsturned out to be a bad pressthat undermined Nigeria’scrave for a global brand status.

According to him, “What ishappening today in Nigeria onthe Boko Haram and the

Three events hinder Nigeria’s brand buildingefforts — Bruce

negative publicity itgenerated for us hashappened three times inNigeria without appropriateway to manage the crisisthrough the media,” he said.

According to him, the threeevents denied Nigeria theopportunity to market itspotential to the world. Henarrated that the civil warwhich was the first of thethree events showed howNigeria failed in the use ofthe media to douse the effectof propaganda on itsreputation.

He said the Biafra warlord,Late Gen. Odimegwu Ojukwuused the media effectively as

a propaganda tool to dent Nigeria’simage and got the FrenchGovernment backing.

“Nigerian won the war but Biafranwon the battle using the media, theRadio Biafra. The attack on Nigeriaby the French and those who believewhat Nigerian did against Igbos wasgenocide really prevented thecountry from being accepted acrossthe world. Ojukwu used the mediavery well and Nigeria image wasdented. That prolonged war got himsupport from Ivory Coast, Mali,Gabon and others who suppliedweapons for the Biafra,” he said.

Bruce also cited the Miss WorldBeauty Pageant in 2001 which wasstopped when the whole world hadgathered to experience Nigeria as adestination brand, that event

In recognition of its abilityto deliver authentic

consumer experience, ChivitaPremium Fruit juice, hasemerged as Africa’s BestQuality Juice Brand at the2014 Africa QualityAchievement Award.

The Award initiated by theAfrica Quality Institute, AQI incollaboration with IBMNIntegrated Services, the AfricaQuality Achievement Award isorganised with the support ofSouth Africa Quality Institute(SAQI) and the CharteredQuality Institute (UK).

Chivita Premium Fruit juicewith 100 percent fruit juicecontent from the stable of ChiLimited was adjudged thewinner because of itsconsistency in the market,creativity and value as well asthe bespoke packaging of thejuice that allows for the bestdelivery. Speaking afterreceiving the award in Lagosrecently, Managing Director ofChi Limited, Mr. RoyDeepanjan, said the award didnot come to him as a surprise.

Chivita bags Africa’s Best Quality Juice Award 2014“We are happy to receive thisaccolade for Chivita Premiumfrom Africa Quality Institute(AQI), as it validates ourcore values as a responsibleand ethical organisation.”

The award not onlyunderscores Chi Limited’s

commitment to and passion forcreating the highest quality juiceavailable on the market today, butalso to successfully growing anethical business dedicated to helpingpeople live longer, healthier livesthrough the consumption of natural,organic fruits.

Euro Global introduces 25cl red wine pack

Euro Global Foods and Distilleries Limited, maker of SabrinaGin has expanded the Amphora wine range with the 25cl

Amphora Tempranillo wine pack. The wine was originally available in 75cl and 35clbottles, the new

product will allow Euro Global the opportunity to reach masses whohas the desire to consume wine.

Speaking on the new wine, Mr. Felix Aighobahi, Sales Director,Euro Global Foods and Distilleries Limited said,“AmphoraTempranillo wine is a beautiful wine that pairs well withall kind of foods. It is produced to emphasize the vintage lifestyle.Thenew 25cl packaging makes it lightweight, easy-to-use wine that alsotravels easily and doesn’t require a corkscrew. It will definitely makea hit with party-goers and picnickers want to avoid the hassles ofusing a corkscrew.

Amphora Tempranillo is a full bodied Spanish red wine with theflavor of leather along with cherries, the finish is mild, smooth andlingers with tannin on both side of the mouth. Its taste is quite closeto Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Amphora range comes in red and white wine. Red winesvariants are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Tempranillowhile the white wine is Chardonnay from France.

PARTY - From Left: Beat FM On-Air Personality, Olisa Adibua;Marketing Director, Sola Oke and Brand Manager, Absolut Vodka,Akintayo Akinseloyin, both of Pernod Ricard Nigeria, during theAbsolut Art Party 2014 at the Lagoon Crest in Lekki, Lagosrecently.

If we go on discussing those things customers hate,we would have enough material for one whole year,

and we would still not be done. What’s more? Going bythe feedback I have received, many readers areinterested in this topic. It appears that there are, indeed,many things that irritate customers. Today, we will discussa few more customer peeves and rest the series for now.

Appearing busy but unhelpfulFor some unknown reasons, some people look

perpetually busy, doing nothing. At least, that’s the waythey appear to customers. And as a customer, I see quitea lot of such people in our banking halls. Some tellersleave their seats (ostensibly) to attend to the needs ofsome customers, but they never seem in a hurry to getback to their seat to conclude the service process. Theirslow, slouching movement says it all. In situations likethis, customers make some snide comments: Where ishe going again? Wetin she dey do sef?

Rushing customers on the phoneThis may not always be the fault of the service

employee. It happens often in organisations that cherishunhelpful data such as the length of time spent on thephone with a customer. In such situations, the customerfeels rushed. Some poorly trained employees may evensuggest that the customer hang up as they have othercustomers waiting on the line. Now the question arises:how long should a customer spend with a frontlineemployee, considering that some customers are rathergarrulous? I’d say: as long as is necessary to resolve thecustomer ’s issues and leave them with a goodimpression about the company.

Outdated website informationSome organisations see having a corporate website as

an end on its own. Once the website is up and running,(they believe) their job is done. The product of such amindset is that the website is never updated with currentinformation. Examples of outdated information thatfeatures on some company websites: phone numbers thatdon’t work or that belong to former employees, officeaddresses that have changed, products that have beenphased out, etc. Customers are never happy when theycome up with outdated information on a companywebsite.

Dead website linksFor more information, please click here. To download

the catalogue, please click here. You click. But nothinghappens! The links are simply dead! And you wonderwhether the company is dead as well. The company maybe healthy. It’s just that the people who run it don’t careenough to check these little details. I think it’s betternot to have a website than to have one that doesn’t work.

“No warranty”Why would anybody sell products that have no

warranty of any sort? Insisting that there is no warrantyon your products is another way of saying “buyerbeware” or “goods bought at buyer’s risk.” If you haveever bought electronic products from Alaba InternationalMarket or computer products from the Computer Villagein Ikeja, you’ll understand what we are talking about.Of course, there are many professional business peoplein those markets who give customers warranty on theirproducts, which builds trust and gives assurance. Ifyou’re sure of the quality of your products, why not offersome form of warranty or even money-back guarantee?

•CONCLUDED

Things CustomersHate – Part 5

Continued from last week

CMYK


Email:[email protected], [email protected] page:www.lesleba.com/blog2Website: www.lesleba.comTel:0805 220 1997

Omoh Gabriel - Group Business EditorBabajide Komolafe - Deputy Business EditorClara Nwachukwu - Energy EditorPeter Egwuatu - Asst. Business EditorYinka Kolawole - Snr Bus. CorrespondentFavour Nnabugwu - Insurance CorrespondentGodwin Oritse - Maritime CorrespondentGodfrey Bivbere - Maritime CorrespondentMichael Eboh - Energy ReporterFranklin Alli - Industry/Agric. ReporterEbele Orakpo - Energy ReporterIfeyinwa Obi - Maritime ReporterRosemary Onuoha - Insurance Reporter

CONTRIBUTORSPrincewill Ekwujuru - Media/MarketingNkiruka Nnorom - Capital MarketJonah Nwokpoku - E-CommerceNaomi Uzor - IndustryProvidence Obuh - Micro FinanceLAYOUT - Graphics Department

In last week’s article, weidentified the advantages ofa stronger naira exchange rate

to include much lower inflationand interest rates, increasingindustrial expansion, with rapidlyrising employment opportunities. We also explained how a strongernaira will eliminate fuel subsidyand also reduce the size and costof our national debt. (See“Advantages of a Stronger Naira”at www.lesleba.com).

This week, we will examine whythe Central Bank of Nigeria stillconsciously promotes a monetarystrategy that deliberately weakensthe naira; we will also, in thefollowing interrogative narrative,identify the major beneficiaries ofa weak naira exchange rate.

Why does CBN consciouslypromote a weaker naira with itssubstitution of naira allocations fordollar-derived revenue?

The CBN hinges its defence ofthis economic buccaneering onSection 162(1) of the Constitution,which stipulates that all financialaccruals must be consolidated ina federation account beforesharing, in line with currentprovisions on revenue allocation. Unfortunately, the CBN haswrongly interpreted Section 162 toalso imply that all non-naira-denominated revenue must first beconverted to naira before sharing. Nonetheless, it is evident thatCBN’s substitution of nairaallocations for dollar-derivedrevenue instigates the unyieldingdark clouds of excess naira, andthe collateral burden of a weakerexchange rate, with its diabolicaltrain of economic distortions.

If the CBN does not substitutenaira for dollar revenue, how canbeneficiaries spend theirallocations, since dollar is not legaltender in Nigeria?

The constitutional beneficiariesof dollar revenue would receive

Cover Story

So, who is afraid of astronger naira?,

,

dollar certificates for theirallocations of dollar-derivedrevenue; however, these certificatesmust first be converted to naira ata properly designated commercialbank, before spending.

What is the difference betweennaira substituted by the CentralBank and naira exchanged fordollar certificates from the banks?

The naira substituted by CBN isactually additional fresh nairasupply, which the banks mayleverage on to instigate over tenfoldincrease in money supply. Thus,the process of substitutioncontinuously promotes thepresence of surplus naira andinduces the disenablingenvironment of high inflation andinterest rates, weaker exchangerate, increasing national debt,severely constrained industrialsubsector, high rate ofunemployment, increasing fuelsubsidy, and widening gap betweenthe rich and poor.

Conversely, the exchange ofdollar certificates directly throughcommercials banks bybeneficiaries will not increasemoney supply to induce thedisenabling encumbrances listedabove. In fact, the banks willbecome more protective of theirnaira stock, so that their cashpositions are not undulyjeopardized, whenever depositorswant access to their funds. Ultimately, in such ambience, thenaira exchange rate will becomestronger, as more dollar certificateschase the relatively stable existingstock of naira in the system.

What will be the economic

implication of a stronger nairaexchange rate?

Quite simply, the result will bethe direct opposite of the adverseconsequences listed above, for aweaker naira. Thus, perceivedsystemic surplus naira will beexorcised from our monetarysystem, with the welcomedevelopment of sustainable single-digit cost of funds across the boardto the real sector, with inflation rate(closer to best practice inflationrates elsewhere), at well below4%.

Consequently, with subsisting lowcost of funds and the absence ofexcess liquidity, the size and costof servicing our national debt willalso fall remarkably.

Such an enabling environmentwith a stronger naira purchasingpower will rapidly create millionsof jobs nationwide, while theincrease in the number of paidworkers would further stimulateconsumer demand, which will inturn, instigate further industrial

expansion, with still more jobopportunities. Ultimately, with amuch stronger naira belowN80:$1, fuel prices will fall belowN97/litre, and we will save theprincely sum of about $12bn(N2tn) annually from the totalelimination of fuel subsidy; fuelsmuggling into neighbouringcountries will also becomeunprofitable.

So, if it’s all so simple, who arethose afraid of dollar certificatesand a stronger naira, and why?

Those who are fervently patrioticabout the sovereignty of thenational currency, but are ignorantof the process, which determinesthe naira/dollar exchange rate aremisguidedly opposed to a strongernaira. The other bastion ofopposition expectedly comes fromthe major beneficiaries of thecurrent economically poisoningprocess of CBN’s substitution ofnaira for dollar revenue.

For example, CBN’s recentunbridled unconstitutionalinterventions and the recklessspending, which characterizedLamido Sanusi’s term as governor,were funded from the apex bank’sself-styled buoyant ‘own’ forexreserves, which were ironicallyconsolidated simultaneously withdeepening poverty induced byCBN’s substitution of nairaallocations for dollar revenue.

How does CBN’s substitution ofnaira for dollar-derived revenuefund corruption?

The liberal latitude for corruptionin public service is facilitated bythe ‘eternal’ presence of surplusnaira in an economy, withoutrequisite accountability; for

example, the church rat willexpectedly be lean and trimmedof excess fat, when compared toits close cousins, who live in holesand crevices in an active bakery,replete with surplus food.

Is the public sector the onlybeneficiary of the substitution ofnaira allocations for dollar-derivedrevenue?

No, the banks are also majorbeneficiaries of this skewedsystem. For example, the banksearn over N300bn annually fromthe simple business of receivinggovernment deposits at zero percent and lending such funds backto government at double-digitinterest rates. Indeed, with suchhigh returns, it is not surprising thatbanks show little interest insupporting the real sector. Curiously, government hasbecome heavy debtor to the samebanks that have custody of its freefunds. Furthermore, banks alsopromote capital flight, and makehuge gains from round tripping andspeculative consolidation of foreignexchange, despite the adverseconsequences on the economy.

The Bureaux De Change (BDCs)are also proxy beneficiaries of thecurrent system, and theynonchalantly fund the millions ofdollars couriered across ourborders daily. The BDCsevidently also fund the activitiesof smugglers who do considerabledamage to our local industries, andconstrain employmentopportunities.

It is curious that CBN is reluctantto relinquish dollar revenue toconstitutional beneficiaries, but theapex bank willfully allocates dollarsto BDC operators, who may, inturn sell at a profit to any customer,including the original owners of thedollars; i.e. government and MDAs.

SAVE THE NAIRA, SAVENIGERIANS

The Executive Director,Oxfam International, a

n o n - g o v e r n m e n t a lorganisation (NGO) MsWinnie Byanyima says Africaloses $242 billion to corporateincome tax exemption andunpaid taxes by companiesannually. Byanyima disclosedthis at the Africa RisingConference in Maputo.

She said about $138 billionwere lost to corporate incometax exemption while $104billion was lost to unpaidtaxes by companies operatingin the continent yearly.

“This is double what Africaneeds to meet the MilleniumDevelopment Goals (MDG)

Africa loses $242bn to tax exemption yearly — Oxfamneeds on Health and Educationput together. It will equallysolve the $93 billionrequirement to closeinfrastructure gap,” the officialsaid.

According to her, a balanceof $30 billion will still remainout of the money to be usedfor other development issues.Byanyima attributed the lossof the revenue to absence oflegal framework in financialsystem in Africa, and called fora change of policy. She saidsome of the gaps whichallowed tax exemption indoing business in Africashould be removed and madeillegal.

“This will help Africa to getadequate revenue througheffective tax system,” the NGOofficial said. She said additionaltax officials would be neededin the region in order to haveeffective tax collection, andefforts must be geared towardscapacity building.

Byanyima called forcompanies which are willing todo the right things to invest inthe growth and development ofthe region.

Mr Bob Collymore, ChiefExecutive Officer of Safricom,also urged government to putthe right policies in place totackle the corporate income taxexemption.

The process ofs u b s t i t u t i o nc o n t i n u o u s l ypromotes thepresence of surplusnaira and inducesthe disenablingenvironment ofhigh inflation andinterest rates,weaker exchangerate

CMYK

Vanguard, MONDAY, Vanguard, MONDAY, Vanguard, MONDAY, Vanguard, MONDAY, Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 2,JUNE 2,JUNE 2,JUNE 2,JUNE 2, 2014 — 2014 — 2014 — 2014 — 2014 — 4141414141

CMYK


CMYK


OPINION

,

BY LABARAN SALEH,

Terrorism: A must win battle

*Mr. Saleh, a public affairs commentator,wrote from Abuja.

NorNorNorNorNorth’s loth’s loth’s loth’s loth’s lovvvvvererererers and deceivs and deceivs and deceivs and deceivs and deceivererererersssss

WITH no intention of trivialising theongoing war against terror elements

and their faceless backers, I can boldlyaffirm that we are just inches away fromending the ugly reign of Ababukar Shekauand his team of criminals. These criminalsare daily losing several of their men tobrutal, coordinated and sustained offensivelaunched by our military and other securityofficers in different encounters. The recentcall on the Federal government for aprisoner swap deal as condition for freeingthe abducted Chibok school girls suggestedby Boko Haram is to get more men toreplace its men killed by military operatives.Unfortunately for these confused anddepraved minds, Nigerians rose in one voiceto urge government not to give such evilthought attention at all. These guys are onlymarking time. They have lost everything-their peace, consciousness, mind, men andother valuables- to dangerous offensivelaunched by our military men.

Nigerians have since come to terms withthe obvious but often manipulated fact thatterrorists are our common enemies that wemust all fight against. You cannot beromancing someone who doesn't mean wellfor you. Why support, endure or toleratepeople whose stock in trade is to visit terroron innocent citizens? Shekau and his menhave since overstepped their bounds.Nigerians are not only sick and tired of these

rascals, but can't wait to completely get thembanished from wherever they are operatingfrom. Cowards they are, and cowards they'llremain until our military men end theiringlorious reign in Nigeria. We need notsurf the internet or search too far to getinformation on the number of men the BokoHaram group has so far lost.

Our military men have since taken thebattle to their domain. Hardly a day passesthat Shekau doesn't get to lose key of hismen during shootouts with our troops. Thisdaily victory against these beasts in humanclothing won't cease until they lay down theirarms. The little success Shekau and his menrecorded has since faded away. Their resolveto take their evil activities to other parts ofthe country is an indication that the northeast which used to be their base was nolonger safe for them. They just couldn't standthe fire-power of our military men in thenorth east. These guys try daily, thoughunsuccessfully to plant spuriousinformation in the media just to announcetheir presence or seek for undue attention.That cheap ploy or dummy always falls flaton its face. It couldn't achieve much. Eventhe once-in-a while videos purportedlyreleased by this group hasn't achieved itsevil aim of heating up the system or causingtension in the country.

This group made several largelyunsuccessful efforts to use a few mainstreammedia and social network platforms tospread lies, rumours and falsehood just tocause tension in the land. Thankfully, thathas since changed, as media managers andpractitioners have rather chosen to pitchtheir tenth with the people. Expectedly,Shekau and his men are good at going theextra mile to announce their ugly presence,but unfortunately for them, all their gameplans keep failing by the day.

Beyond realising that these guys are notour friends, it is instructive that we useeverything within our reach to chase themout forever. They definitely have no reasonoccupying a space on our land. Nigeriansare not terrorists. We are very humane,loving, hospitable, accommodating andamazing people. An average Nigeriandreads danger. So, I cannot imagine aNigerian wrapping himself with IEDs to takehis own life and those of others. Theseelements are not our products. Let us all risein defence of our people and country. Oursovereignty is too precious an asset to betoyed with or surrendered to illiterates,rascals and sick minds.

We need to support our security men inwhatever way possible for them to dischargetheir duties effectively. They really need our

encouragement daily. They have sacrificedeverything for the sake of Nigeria andNigerians. Many of these soldiers haveliterarily parted ways with their respectivefamilies since the war against insurgencytook a frightening dimension recently. Somehave died in the process while others arenursing life-threatening injuries. We recentlyreceived shocking news of a number ofsoldiers ambushed and killed on their wayto the Sambisa forest in Borno. These guyscannot win the battle all alone. Apart fromfeeding them with useful information onclandestine activities of troublemakers intheir communities, we must also rememberthem in our prayers daily.

We all have distinct roles to play in thewar against insurgency. While our militarymen are doing their best in the battle fieldto chase away our enemies, we are alsoexpected to volunteer useful information toaid their work. We shouldn't condemn them.Rather we should learn to celebrate andbroadcast their daily achievements. Let'sgive them that moral support. The mediashould make efforts to refrain from castingsensational headlines. These roguescelebrate each time the media promotes orhighlights their attacks or activities.

It is no doubt a must-win battle. We havegone a long way to surrender to theseanimals.

AS a writer I get all sorts offeedbacks through text

messages, emails and phone calls.Some say nice thing, others go theother way. Some are truly educativewhile the others can give you aheadache trying to reason themthrough. Some praise youunnecessarily, while others areunbecoming, implacable andbitter. That is how it should be. Thatis what makes the work of acolumnist or communicatorworthwhile. It does not matter whatthe reader says in reaction to whathe reads. I find it rewarding gettingthese feedbacks. One thing I haverealised, long ago, is that Nigeriansfind it difficult to discuss across thevarious divides of our diversity:ethnic, religious, regional or geo-political. Because of our long his-tory of bitter relationship, which isoften punctuated by violence,bloodshed and conspiracies toundo one another in the struggle

for the pole position at the buffettable where the National Cake ison display, dialogue is difficultamong Nigerians. Many are notwilling to say things that arereasonable about what they wantin the system. Many are unwillingto give a listening ear or reasonthrough what the others aresaying. Even when they tell us,“Good morning”, we suspect whatthey really men to say is “Godpunish you”. I want to return tothis hackneyed notion that we, onthis column, write to demonstrateour “hatred” of the North (Arewa)or any other part of the country.Nothing can be more amusingthan that. In the first place, I wasborn, raised and educated in theEast, served Nigeria and got myfirst employment in the North, andhave spent 24 years, the prime ofmy life here in the West where I

married and am raising my fam-ily. I am as urbane as they come.Most of my valuable friends arenot even Igbos. We argue, agreeand disagree, sometimes hotly.That is understandable because wecome from different corners of ourdiversity. Our experiences ofNigeria differ. One of my top

friends from Arewa called me andexpressed “dismay” at what hetermed “the things you are writingabout Northern people”. I checkedthrough my recent outings, andidentified my common drift. Forinstance, I have been very criticalof the Arewa Consultative Forum,ACF and some Northern gover-nors because, while some of themhave been conspiratorially mumover the bloody exploits of BokoHaram in their home region, somehave actually quietly (financially)or openly (at least in the media)supported the insurgents. WhenBoko Harm was driven out ofMaiduguri and major towns in theNorth East they had almost goneunder, especially with the gallantefforts of the “Civilian JTF”. Therewere even reports of the insurgentsstarving and resorting to food raidsto survive. Suddenly, they took on

a wildfire mode, with reports of”helicopter drops” and possessionof conventional war machines likearmoured personnel carriers.These things are getting to themfrom someone somewhere. Thoseof us who are genuinely desirousof a speedy end to the insurgencyto enable the North return to nor-malcy and give political aspirantsthe opportunity to prepare for the2015 transitional elections cannotbe said to hate the North. It is thosewho are supplying the nation’s en-emies with funds and logistics tocontinue killing innocent Nigeri-ans in their villages and destroy-ing their homes and means of livesthat are the enemies of the Northand Nigeria. I have also com-mented a lot about the “born-to-rule” mentality, which manyNorthern politicians and the ACFhave been bandying. I understandthat Sokoto State actually has“Born To Rule” as its state slogan,just as we have “Centre of Excel-lence” as the motto of Lagos State.If it is true that Sokoto or any otherstate has such an offensive andannoying slogan, it should bechanged immediately. The ques-tion is: who are you born to rule?Who is born to be ruled by you?Here in Nigeria that won her inde-pendence from colonialist Britain54 years ago, whereby we becamea democratic, federal republic? Itis this mentality that is troublingthe North, creating pockets andcentres of violence and stymyingthe economy of a region that wasonce the most prosperous in thecountry to become the poorest andmost backward. It is this mental-ity that pitches the North againstthe rest of the country and gets

Northernersto feel thatthey are notliked by oth-ers. When aNorthern poli-tician, espe-cially ACFloudmouths,boastfully saythe North willsnatch “powerback” it be-comes a chal-lenge to othersto ensure they

will never get it again since noregion can produce a presidentwithout the votes and support ofother parts. We are not against aNortherner becoming presidentof Nigeria. In fact, I am notagainst a Northerner becomingthe president of Nigeria after the2015 elections, much as I believethat President Jonathan has theconstitutional right to run for asecond term in office. When theabducted girls in Chibok havebeen recovered from Boko Haramand the war on terror has beenwon, the whistle for the variouselective posts will be blown. Whenthat happens, I do not expect thatin the ruling party (PDP) onlyPresident Jonathan will be on theballot. Those who feel they standa fighting chance should throwtheir hats into the ring. Whoknows? A new presidential candi-date might emerge from the rul-ing party. The All ProgressivesCongress, APC, is also there, aswell as other political parties. Let interested candidates go andrun. It will be in their best interestto go into the race not as regionalcandidates out to snatch powerback for their region because thatwill ensure their failure. Let themcome out and sell their candidacyto all Nigerians who will choose.A person who gives this kind ofadvice cannot be a hater. It is theregional braggart, the born-to-ruler who cannot pull his weightoutside his zone of origin that isactually working against the in-terests of the North and Nigeriaat large. Let people stop playingthe ostrich and start telling them-selves the truth. Let people be re-

alistic about their abilities and ex-pectations. Even in its glory daysof political domination of Nigeria,the North still worked very hard tobring other people, especially theEast and today’s Niger Delta, intoalliances, accords and intra-partypartnerships. Northerners muststart to live and let live in politics.Take your share and let me havemine. Everything else will flow.

Ogboru: lessons forbad losers

I was very delighted when the

Supreme Court last week orderedthe lawyer representing ChiefGreat Ogboru, Dickson Osuala, topay the sum of N8million (N2 mil-lion each to Gov EmmanuelUduaghan, the Peoples Demo-cratic Party, PDP, the IndependentNational Electoral Commission,INEC, and the Attorney Generalof the Federation) for “abuse ofcourt processes”. Osuala and hisclient, Ogboru, had approachedthe Supreme Court to reverse itsearlier verdict upholding the elec-tion of Governor Uduaghan on theground that Section 285 (7) of the1999 Constitution based on whichthe Court entered its verdict was“fraudulently inserted by the Na-tional Assembly”. While givingthe order, Justice Walter Onoghen,who read the judgement, advisedthe plaintiff ’s counsel to “go toheaven” if he was not satisfied withthe Supreme Court verdict. Theimportance of this decision is torein in the excesses of those wholike to toy with the judiciary anduse it to commit atrocities againstour democracy.

Lawyers are very fond ofmisadvising their clients, givingthem false hopes, ripping them offfinancially and making a mock-ery of the temple of justice. Wemust imbibe the true spirit of de-mocracy, whereby winners aremagnanimous in victory, whilelosers are gallant in defeat,knowing that there is alwaysanother day to try again. Thisverdict will check the do-or-dieattitude of our politicians and forcethem to play it the way it is done inmore civilised democracies.

Let people stop playing the ostrich andstart telling themselves the truth; even inits glory days of political domination ofNigeria, the North still worked very hard tobring other people, especially the East andtoday’s Niger Delta, into alliances, accordsand intra-party partnerships

CMYK

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014—————4747474747

,

CMYK

,

,

,BY YUSHAU SHUAIB

*Mr. Shuaib, a public affairsanalyst,wrote from Abuja.

*Mr. Teniola, a former director at thePresidency, wrote from Lagos.

Sharia trial of Iranianbillionaire: Case for Americaand Nigeria

BY ERIC TENIOLA

Presidential system of govt

ON Saturday October 18, 1975, thethen Head of State, General

MurtalaMuhammed told the openingsession of the 50-man Constitution DraftingCommittee at the Institute of InternationalAffairs in Victoria Island, Lagos that the"Supreme Military Council has carefullydiscussed and agreed on an executivePresidential system of Government".

He said, among other things on that day,that his council "has agreed on an executivepresidential system of government in whichthe President and Vice President are elected,with clearly defined powers and areaccountable to the people. We feel that thereshould be legal provisions to ensure thatthey are brought into office in such a mannerso as to reflect the Federal Character of thecountry". I was present at the event.

Of course, when the Supreme MilitaryCouncil has "decided" at that time, whocould undecide? That was the origin of ouradopting the Presidential System ofGovernment which has so far been operatedby four presidents: Alhaji Shehu UsmanAliyu Shagari, Chief Olusegun OkikioluAremu Obasanjo, AlhajiUmaru Yar'Aduaand the incumbent Goodluck EbeleJonathan.

Judging by current media reports, it looksas if most Nigerians today view thepresidential system of government asdefective. I say, most not all Nigerians forthe executives, the legislators and their aideswill not agree with this view. Even withinthe government, both in the centre and inthe states, there are some top officials whohave since discovered that this presidentialsystem of government will lead us tonowhere.

Yet, it was not so 38 years ago when thepresidential system of government was firstintroduced. Like a groom eager to have abride, most Nigerians at that timeapplauded the presidential system ofgovernment. At that time we were soenthusiastic that at last a major solution toour national problem has been found.

The military decreed the presidential

HONESTLY and sincerely Inever believed there is

endemic corruption in developedcountries, including the UnitedStates of America, especially inpolitics and corporate world,until I read thousands ofcomments after the execution ofIranian billionaire, MahafaridAmir Khosravi, over N2.6bnbank fraud. The execution cameafter Iran’s Supreme Courtupheld death sentence on thebillionaire based on Sharia Law.

The media had reported thatKhosravi, the billionairebusinessman, was executed atEvin Prison, North of Tehran forbeing involved in a $2.6 billionstate bank scam, the largest fraudcase since the country’s 1979Islamic Revolution.

Also known as Amir MansourAria, the billionaire’s fraudentailed using forged documentsto get credit at one of Iran’s topfinancial institutions, BankSaderat, to purchase assets,including state-owned companieslike major steel producerKhuzestan Steel Co. His businessempire included more than 40

companies from mineral waterproduction to a football club andmeat imports from Brazil.

There are many defendants thatwere also convicted on the samecase. Four received deathsentences, two got life sentencesand the rest received sentences ofup to 25 years in prison.

The trial and execution raisedquestions about corruption athigh levels in various countries.Surprisingly many comments onthe story on social media,especially in Yahoo platforms werefrom Americans, Britons andother Europeans who wished suchharsh punishment could beapplied in their nations to detercorrupt politicians andbusinessmen.

The comments showcomplicity of political andjudicial systems for the rot in thefinancial system where manyCEOs became overnightmillionaire and billionaire, notby dint of hard work but by actingabove the law.

Some of the suggestions thatreceived thousands of likesinclude a remark by a Briton thatthe CEOs of leading companiesin their country "should be sent to

Iran for what they lied about...Frauds like theirs would stopovernight... instead, they getbonuses.”

Another post states that: “Thisis how we, in the USA, should

have handled all of the scams thatthe banks did that caused ourrecession. Instead, Congress votedfor a bill to bail those criminalsout, and ‘We the People’ have topay that bill (along with ourchildren and grandchildren), allthe while the top brass in thosecompanies got bonuses, while ahandful of them chose 'patsie' toserve a little time in some golfresort community prison (not toobad since they all know that theirbig money awaits them upontheir release for ‘goodbehaviour’). Yup, if we could dothe right thing and hang all ofthose criminals and the ones who

support them (Congress), I bet wecould get the USA back on trackand out of debt. For once, I’mactually a fan of Iran.”

Another American wrote that:“Too bad we do not do that in theUSA. In the USA the crooks arein with the politicians and a lot ofthe times they are the politicians.I think a death penalty for fraudis a just penalty. I wish they wouldhave executed the Wall Streetscammers and the pyramidschemers and the heads ofcompanies that cook the books todefraud their employees ofrightful retirement. ...(They)should be hung along with anyother convicted of fraud. Thebanking system in the USAdefrauds innocent people everyday and the governmentoverlooks it. I do not agree withIran’s politics but I do believe inthe justice carried out in thisinstance.”

Back home in Nigeria. Fewyears ago, crooked bankers andcapital market operators inconnivance with some regulatorybodies destroyed thousands ofpeople’s lives when they crashedthe capital market. They ruinedthe entire investments of growingup companies, pensioners,retirees and entrepreneurs. Manyof their victims are yet to recoverfrom the shock while thousandothers who were reluctant tocommit suicide died of heartattacks.

Those that survived the

devastating effect of the markethave to start their businesses allover again from exorbitantinterests on loans from Shylockand corrupt financiers.

The Iranian Sharia-law systemthat has harsh punishment thatcould serve as major deterrent tocorruption, cannot succeed inmany countries becausepoliticians and judges in existingpolitical and legal systems aredeeply entrenched in the illicitpractices and could therefore notmake such system see the light ofthe day.

If executions should be carriedout on the basis of corruption inhigh places, we may end up nothaving officials at Federal, stateand local government levels. Infact traditional rulers, religiousleaders, human rights activistsand even some school operatorswould have gone to heaven not totalk of contractors andpoliticians.

I believe white collar crimesthat ruin others’ lives require, atleast, strict prison time and notany monetary fine that theperpetrators can easily offer andreturn to the old habit. Thisshould also include locals andinternational collaborators whodeliberately trigger conflicts tobenefit from the crises.

system of government, the CDCrecommended it and the ConstituentAssembly approved it. It became operativeon October 1, 1979. As a matter of fact whenthe then Head of State, the late GeneralMurtala Mohammed announced theadoption of presidential of government in1975 there was jubilation. He thenannounced the setting-up of a 50-man CDCheaded by Chief Rotimi Williams, formerAttorney General of Western Region andPresident of the Nigeria Bar Association(1958-1968).

He then announced Mrs. O.O. Onajide,the former head of news and current affairsMid-west Television and Mr. R.C.O.Owokedi, senior assistant secretary CabinetOffice Lagos to assist AlhajiGidadoIdris assecretary to the committee. Those whoserved in the secretariat of the CDC at thattime included Mr. A. Obilade, Dr. O. A.Obozuwa, Mr. E. Omofuma, Mrs. A. T. Kole,Mrs. J.O. Adeyemi Wilson, Mrs. V.O.Odunuga, Mr. J. A. Adesanwo, Miss A. E.Anwana, Mrs. J.T. Okechukwu, Mrs. M.M.Albert, Mr. A.O. Iyiola, Mrs. P.C. Adele, Mrs.M. M. Wuraola, Mr. R.O. Akpabio and Mr.E. Ojogwu.

The late Chief Obafemi Awolowodeclined to serve in the committee

after he was appointed. Only two membersof the committee objected to the presidentialsystem of government. They were Mr.KanmiIsola-Osobu and Dr. Segun Osoba, thenSenior Lecturer in History at the thenUniversity of Ife, now renamedObafemiAwolowo University. The two ofthem wrote a minority report andrecommended a socialist kind ofgovernment which was in operation at thattime in Cuba and the old Soviet Union.

The rest 47 members endorsedpresidential system of government. For therecords, they are: Dr. C. Abashiya, Dr.KoleAbayomi, Alhaji Abdul-Razaq, Dr. I. D.Ahmed, Mr. R.O.A. Akinjide, Dr. S.C.Aleyideno, Mr.Al-Hakim Ali,Dr. A.Y. Aliyu,Dr. S.A. Aluko, Mr. Michael S. Angulu, AlhajiArdo Buba, AlhajiNuhu Bamali, Mr. Paul

R.V. Belabo, Alhaji MammanDaura,Dr. T.S.David-West, Dr. V.P. Diejomah, Mr. David D.Dimka, Professor B.J. Dudley, Dr. E.C.Edozien, Chief I. Ekanem-Ita, Dr. U.O.Eleazu, Professor E.U. Emovon, Alhaji SuleGaya and Mr.Rasheed Gbadamosi.

Others are Dr.Tajudeen Olawale Idris, BolaIge, Professor Obaro Ikime, Mr. S.G. Ikoku,Alhaji Ibrahim Imam, AlhajiAminu Kano,Alhaji S.M. Liberty, Mamman Ali Makele,Col. Pedro Martins, Alhaji Shehu Malami,Dr. K.O. Mbadiwe,Chief I. I. Murphy,Professor B. O. Nwabueze, Professor G. A.Odenigwe, Dr. P. Okigbo, Alhaji FemiOkunnu,Dr. O. Oyediran, Dr. Ibrahim Tahir,Alhaji Ahmed Talib, Dr. M. Tukur, Mr. G.Unongo Paul, Dr. Y. B. Usman and Dr. ObiWali.

After the setting-up of the CDC, thecommittee called for memorandanationwide and 346 memoranda werepresented to the committee. Among thosewho sent memoranda at that time wereformer President, Dr.Nnamdi Azikwe, whowrote on the Proposals For Reviewing theNigeria Constitution; Chief Victor Attahwrote from Kaduna at that time defendinga non-party system, Chief EbenezerBabatope wrote as Secretary of the SocialReformance Movement of Nigeria and Dr.G.G. Darah wrote as the Secretary of theNigerian Academy of Arts, Science andTechnology.

Other notables who submittedmemoranda included Chief N.U. Akpan,Chief Alade Lamuye, Professor Eme Awa,Chief Olu Akinfosile, Professor S.J. Cookey,Chief T.A. Fagbola, Chief F. J. Elah, JusticeSalidu Kawu, Justice Kayode Eso, JusticeV.E. Ovie-Whiskey, Chief D.K. Olumofin,Chief Kunle Oyero, Chief Dennis Osadebe,Alhaji Yahaya Sanni.

After the CDC submitted its report, aConstituent Assembly was then inaugurated.

Of the 248 members of the assembly only32 were nominated by government while therest were elected. The assembly approvedthe presidential system of government.Notable members of the assembly wereAlhaji Shehu Shagari who became the firstPresident under the presidential system ofgovernment. Other notable members of thatassembly were Dr.Chuba Okadigbo, Mr.C.C Onoh, Alhaji Uba Ahmed, Alhaji TatariAli, Dr.Mudiaga Odje, Mr. Frank Alegbe,Professor A.F. Ali, Dr. Emmanuel Atanu, Mr.Paul Unongo, Mr.Mvenda Jibo, AlhajiCiroma, Alhaji Kaloma Ali, Dr. JosephWayas, Mr. D. D. Etiebett, Professor IyiAbubakar, Chief Sam Mbakwe, Dr. J.O.J.Okezie, Dr. Sylvester Ugoh, Alhaji LawanKeita, Alhaji Umaru Dikko, Mr.BisiAkinbobola, Alhaji Bello Maitama Yusuf,Alhaji Adamu Attah, Dr. Sola Saraki, Mr.S.A. Onitiri, Alhaji Suleman Takuwo, ChiefM.K.O. Abiola, Alhaji Shehu Malami andMr. Solomon Lar.

Now almost 38 years after and with fourPresidents who have operated thepresidential system of government, most ofus are of the view that the presidential formof government is a liability in our quest fordevelopment.

The system has given the key of the treasuryto the executives, legislators and their aidesto loot the treasury as they wish. The poor ofyesterday have become instant billionairesall in the name of democracy. The people, Imean the people, are getting poorer everyday and are being made to be beggars intheir own land. Our type of democracy hasmade mockery of hardwork, honesty andprocedure.

If executionsshould be carriedout on the basis ofcorruption inhigh places, wemay end up nothaving officials atFederal, state andlocal governmentlevels

Most of us are of theview that thepresidential form ofgovernment is a liabilityin our quest fordevelopment; the systemhas given the key of thetreasury to theexecutives, legislatorsand their aides to lootthe treasury as theywish


Insecurity: Retired generals speakONCE flayed at home for their devotion to pepper soup and exper-

tise in coup making, the Nigerian military was, however, reveredabroad for its professionalism. It was such professional distinctionthat brought accolades to the Nigerian military and police in theirvarious peace keeping and peace making activities abroad. MostAfricans that have been affected by the scourge of internecine dis-putes readily give account of the professionalism of the Nigerianmilitary and police.

The point has been repeatedly made of how the Nigerian militaryled by one Col. Olagunsoye Oyinlola, helped to cover the tracks ofthe United States military as the military machine of the world’s lonesuper power beat a retreat in the troubled Somalia in the early nine-ties. That was not an exception given the avalanche of awards andcommendations won by Nigerian contingents in their several peacekeeping duties across the world.

At home, the military, however, remained largely invisible since thecivil war except when its might was tested with the now and again

BY HENRY UMORU,ASSISTANT POLITICAL

EDITOR

I weep for Nigeria —Gen. Abdullahi Mammah

GENERAL AbdullahiBagudu Mammah rtd was

Commander, Artillery in 1987,member, Armed Forces RulingCouncil during MilitaryPresident Ibrahim Babangida;former Ministries of InternalAffairs, Industry andTechnology. He was a memberInternational Observer Team toZimbabwe; member, UnitedNation’s Interim Force inLebanon and member, 1993Constitutional Conference. Heis presently a member of the2014 on - going NationalConference on the platform ofElder Statesmen category andChairman, Land Tenure andNational BoundariesCommittee.

I weep for Nigeria for askingfor foreign troops to come into ourland to help us solve a situation

should be able to pass a commentpositively.

But in general terms as aNigerian, I feel let down that wenow have to bring foreign troopsfrom outside to come and helpus solve a domestic issue.Nigerian is in the forefront ofcontributing to peace keeping,now we have troops keepingpeace in Nigeria. Our crisis hasnot gotten to that state yet, that ismy personal view.

But if what the rumour that ismaking the round is anything togo by, if you have not providedthe necessary environment to asksomebody to perform, it is askingfor the impossible because youhave not given him the necessarytools with which to fight or to carryout the assignment given to him.

Take for instance “the issue ofBoko Haram being superior to ourmilitary forces on the ground. Ifthat is true and I have every causeto believe that there is some iotaof truth in what they are saying.

You are going against an enemywho is more equipped in termsof personnel, more equipped interms of weaponry because if whatis coming out from that war zoneis anything to go by, the least inaddition to their small arm rifle,they have rocket propelled guns,they have semi-hard skinnedvehicles. Ours are just fightingwith Hilux. That is not a militaryvehicle.

From my view, we still don’tunderstand the enemy we arefighting and if you don’t knowyour enemy, you cannot fight himeffectively. What do I mean bythat? This enemy, who is he? Whois behind him? Both within andoutside this country. What are hischaracteristics? How does heoperate? How does he get hisweaponry? Because rumour hasit that they are supplied by airand if that is true, then you havemore than you have bargainedfor on your hands.

There is a dearth of information.Where we hoard information, you

information with the land forcesand vice visa. The Departmentof State Services is not sharinginformation. The police is notsharing information. So these aresome of the things we mustconsider. If what happened to aunit in Maiduguri last two weeksis anything to go by, then we arein serious trouble.

Serioustrouble

For troops to revolt against theirsuperior officer, it spells disaster.And I am not diplomatic about itat all. And if their claim andreasons for doing what they didthat they have be made to fighton empty stomach, if that is true,then it is serious.

We talked about logistics, theirequipment, if that were to be true,then unfortunately we areheading for a disaster if we arenot already in it.

As for personnel, what is ourgreatest undoing is that we haveinvolved the military in what washitherto alien to us. What do Imean by that? The military hasno business in going for roadblocks, check points within thetown and I make this withreference to the unit in Bama inMaiduguri. They may tell youthat they have a brigade onground, but I disagree.

These so called Boko Haramwill come to you in waves, 400,500 up to 800 against 150, 200, itis against the norms of warfare.If we are to attack an enemy, weshould have a superiority of 3-1.The reverse is the case. They arecoming to attack us. They have4-1 maybe and they ask you togo and attack him and you aregoing with 150 men against 800men, who is deceiving who. I saidwe should look at issues.

So the long and short of youranswer is that, personally I amagainst America physicallydeploying troops or any otherforeign troops whatsoeverphysically deploying troops onour ground, I agree they are moreadvanced in the issue ofintelligence gathering.

I was told before that we haveeven purchased drones in thiscountry. I could not confirm theveracity or otherwise of that story.But if it were true, we have notput it to use. From that view point,you can now ask America orBritain to help you gatherinformation. And having beenarmed with that information, youcan carry out the land operationto secure the release of the girlsand not them physically helping you fight to release the girls. Iam against that.

•Mammah: Against US troops in Nigeria

religious skirmishes. In most cases, the military responded withprofessional dispatch, though, sometimes with an overkill as in Odiin 2000 when seven soldiers were killed during a military surveil-lance.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who was president at that time had saidthat it was sacrilegious for seven soldiers to be killed in their owncountry. Given the context above it is as such bewildering to manythat the Nigerian Army with its tradition of gallantry at home andabroad is today taking the brunt of the insurgency instigated by theBoko Haram Islamic sect.

Reports of soldiers and officers falling in the midst of battle haveturned from fiction to fact, and have today almost become a commonday event. How did the Nigerian military come to this stage, thatNigeria that was not too long ago a net exporter of peace keepers isnow begging for peacekeepers from all countries. Retired officers ofthe Nigerian military spoke on the issue in separate encounters.

Excerpts:

will be on yourown.

Therefore itbehooves that weexchange ideaswith ourneighbours. Comeoh, this issue hasbecome global.What ishappening to ustoday can happento you tomorrow,Can we have somes t r a t e g i e scommon to us.And then withinyou have a housedivided againstitself, the air forceis not sharing

that we can conveniently solve ifall the logistics are on the ground.So before you pass acondemnation, you must look atthe military of today. What is theirstate of readiness in terms ofpersonnel and in terms ofequipment? If you nowunderstand that aspect, then you

Our troops at best they carry AK7and a magazine of 20rounds or ifthey have met the requirements,a magazine of 30rounds, onemagazine and you are going fora battle. Once you shoot it out,you are finished. You are left tothe mercy of the AlmightyCreator.

I am against America physically deployingtroops or any other foreign troops whatsoeverphysically deploying troops on our ground ,

,

CMYK


Insecurity: Retired generals speakOur military is not stagnant— Col. Bala Mande

COL. Bala Mande, rtd, whohails from Zamfara State

was Military Administrator ofNasarawa State, formerMinister of Environment, nowa delegate at the on- goingNational Conferencerepresenting North West geo-political zone of the countryand he served on the PublicFinance and RevenueCommittee.

Some people say our securityforces are not well equipped,are not well trained to handlethe insurgency in Nigeria, butI will reason differently eventhough I left the army so manyyears back, but I believe themilitary profession andprofessionalism is dynamic and

of high level professional training, handlingof equipment, analytical procedures andcapacity.

So since we have some form of understandingand cooperation with Americans, and the worldis interdependent, I want to say that it was onthat basis the US decided to give us someimportant support and also to give us thesupport in the struggle against this BokoHaram.

Is the support not an indication that ourMilitary is not competent ?

We are competent to address the issue ofBoko Haram very squarely. But we need ourfriends also to identify with us and America isa friend to Nigeria. You don’t refuse suchgestures from your friends.

It's no shame—Jeremiah Useni

LT. General Jeremiah Timbut Useni, rtd, a former

Minister of the FederalCapital Territory, is a delegateat the on - going NationalConference on the platform ofNorth Central geo- politicalzone and a member, NationalSecurity Committee.

We are not fighting a war, thisis an insurgency, guerrillawarfare is full of tactics; youdon’t know where they will hitnext. They don’t present theirtarget like inn normal war. Nomatter how prepared, no matterhow secure you are, thieves

Nothing wrong, they have come to help us — Commodore Olabode George

NAVY CommodoreOlabode George rtd was

one time military governor ofthe old Ondo State, a formerdeputy national chairman of thePeoples Democratic Party, PDP,he is presently a delegate at theon - going National Conferenceon the platform of the PDP.

The world has become a globalvillage and no nation can doanything all by itself, it needsinternational cooperation. We asa nation too, we have been inLiberia, in Sierra Leone, we haveserved even in the North ofAfrica. So if they come to our aid,nothing is wrong

Is it not a slap on our military?Even America as powerful and

global as their operation is, theycan’t say they can do it alone.Each time they are heading intoanywhere, don’t you see thembegging the European forces?They may be more than others,but they require the services andcooperation of others, it is aninternational cooperation.

Look at what is going on inUkraine now, would they headin to fight the Russians on theirown? No. Nobody wants toconflagrate the whole world nowwith another third world war.

That is the cogent reason whytheir presence is necessary. Wedon’t want to end up likeSomalia. And this Boko Haramissue, if you look at Central Africa from Mali coming back

to Chad, toCameroon andthe northeastern part ofour country,Congo theyhave their ownissue. Do wehave thism a s s i v eproblem in thatarea and allow itto spread? If itdoes, likesomebody said ifs o m e t h i n ghappens toNigeria and if

military men who revolted againsttheir leader on the ground thatthings are not going well.

I believe the military hierarchymust be investigating it becauseit is alien, I have never seen such,I spent well over a quarter of acentury in the military. I was shellshocked, and if it is true, I believeby now they are back in theirboard room investigating itbecause soldiers are trained tokill. Police can arrest because it isa civil force, but if the military getout of hand, it is a nationaldisaster. Whatever those boysrequire, be it ammunition,training, support, logistics, mustbe provided. I am not in thedefence, I am not in the military,but we have very experiencedpeople who must investigate whois in the chain of command thathas held back what should reachthe boys, put them in harms way.

It is criminal. But I believe thatthe higher command hasinvestigated this, they must havedone something, they must havestemmed it because it is a badsignal.

come into your room, thieveswill still steal; so that is what ishappening.

So whether we like it or not,these people, I mean, theUnited States military havemore experience than us. Sothis insurgency is a differenttype of war, there should be noshame about it; we needexpertise. We are now after ourchildren, two hundred childrennot two hundred goats and evenfor a man to lose two hundredgoats is thug of war. But herewe are talking of two hundredsouls, over the years and theseBoko Haram have developedtheir equipment and everythingthat will help us becomesuccessful, so I think we shoulddo that.

Is the foreign militaryintervention an indication thatthe Nigerian military hasdeteriorated?

No, that was why I said it’snot a normal war where you faceyour enemies and defeat them.

So Nigerians shouldcooperate and work with theUS personnel?

If they want, we don’t knowtheir plans, the situation iscalled insurgency, the USmilitary may want to do theirown way, but all we want is toget these children.

So what will you tellPresident Goodluck Jonathan?

The best choice, the bestdecision he has taken is to invitethese people. So he should carryon. Maybe there are morepeople outside who may believethey have experience and areready to render this assistance,let them come in. They are notcoming to take over the country,they are not coming to take overthe Nigerian Army. They arecoming to help us where we feelinadequate as far as experienceis concerned in this type of war.

•Bode George

•Useni•Col. Mande

we head on into all the variouscountries in West Africa, we willturn them into mini Nigeria. One,we have an international interestin this country, which is our crudeoil, it must flow. Also, we haveelections next year and theywouldn’t like any destruction oftheir economic activities in theircountry. Therefore, there must bepeace in Nigeria.

What is your take on some

our military is not stagnant. They evolvetechnically and in tactical doctrines, they keepon reviewing and updating their doctrines.

And also equipment and weaponry systemacquired because I know in Africa, the Nigeriamilitary is the leading military because we havemore records of handling crisis, insurgencies,rebellion all over the world than any othercountry in Africa and in the process, weacquired more experience because we operateon a unilateral, multilateral basis with othercountries in the world and so we are not leftbehind. But even myself, I trained in America,I acquired some knowledge which I wasdesigned to acquire and some other Nigeriamilitary officers serving and retired havetrained in America and have acquired a variety

CMYK

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THE Movement forF u n d a m e n t a l

Change, MFC,weekend,said that the present sys-tem operational in the coun-try was anything but demo-cratic. The MFC compris-ing members of various so-cial groups and high net-worth social crusaderswhich passed the verdict ina statement entitled: “OurScorecard on Nigeria’s De-mocracy 15 years on 1999-2014” in Lagos said democ-racy did not thrive yet in thecountry because of leader-ship indiscipline.

It said the present systemlacked the most basic ingre-dients of democracy whichinclude broad participationof the people in governanceprocesses, rather their ex-clusion and alienationwhich the present systemfosters.

Chairman steering com-mittee of the group, Oloye Adegboyega Adeniji, inthe statement listed otherreasons to include account-able public institutionsrather than opaque systemsprevalent now, credibleelections rather than theviolent, heavily monetizedand predatory electoral pro-cesses we currently endurewhich thrive on patronageand cronyism; the en-thronement of criminality asan act of governance, andan absolute incapacity forpublic service delivery.

MFC said it had resolvedto launch a national protestagainst this state of affairsin due course to drive homeits point.

Why Nigeria'sdemocracynot thriving—Movement

URHOBO YouthLeaders Association

has commended PresidentGoodluck Jonathan for theestablishment of the Fed-eral University of MaritimeTechnology in Okerenkoko,Warri South-West LocalGovernment Area.

It also lauded the Gover-nor of Delta State, Dr. Em-manuel Uduaghan for set-ting up security committeeto monitor activities of Fu-lani-herdsmen in the State.

In a statement issued inWarri, the association'spresident, Comrade Fran-cis Arhiyor, said he wasagainst the call for the cre-ation of grazing reserves forthe Fulani-herdsmen inDelta State and otherSouthern States, stressingthat ranches should be cre-ated for them in their zonesas it is in other parts of theworld. The group also com-mended the Vice Chancel-lor Federal University of Pe-troleum Resources, Effurunfor his magnanimity to-wards local contractors.

Urhobo youthleaders laudJonathan,Uduaghan


IN SPITE of series of violencecharacterizing the June 21

governorship electioncampaigns, there will be nohiding place for election riggersand trouble makers on theElection Day.

This was one of the resolutionsof stakeholders includinggovernorship candidates, theIndependent National ElectoralCommission (INEC) and thepolice, who have vowed toensure that the polls were freeand fair. Governorship flagbearers, who thrust out the necksfor free and fairs polls wereAyodele Fayose of the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP), VincentBankole Ajayi of Accord,Opeyemi Akinyemi of ActionAlliance (AA) and AdekolaAdeleke Ayo of the SocialDemocratic Party (SDP).

Governor Kayode Fayemi of theAll Progressives Congress (APC)and the Labour Party flag bearer,Opeyemi Bamidele and 12 otherstandard bearers were not at theworkshop.

Speaking at a sensitisationworkshop organised by theSpecial Adviser to the Presidenton Inter-Party Affairs, SenatorBen Obi in Ado-Ekiti, thecandidates promised to playaccording to the rules and shunacts of violence; the INEC said itwould ensure a level playingfield; and the Police said incollaboration with other securityagencies, they will ensure thatthere will be no rigging andviolence during the polls.

Crediblepolls

They spoke after General DavidJemibewon (rtd), who chaired theevent and other speakers suchas Ben Obi, Mr. AyokunleFagbemi, Dr Eddie Iroh, RobinaNamusisi (Country Director, IRI),Dr Mourtada Deme (ProjectDirector, UNDP-DGD), and USConsul-General, Jeff Hopkinsamong others challenged themto make the polls the bestelection ever and pave the wayfor credible polls in 2015.

We must guarantee sanctity ofvotes –Ben Obi

Earlier in his welcome address,the Special Adviser to thePresident on Inter-Party Affairs,Senator Ben Obi, said theworkshop was the fourth in theseries after those in Edo, Ondoand Anambra elections, andadded that the main thrust of theEkiti workshop was to replicatethe success achieved in Edo,

How we'll shame riggers, trouble makers— Candidates, INEC, Police

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHEDEPUTY POLITICAL EDI-

TOR

Ondo and Anambra statesgovernorship elections throughdeliberations and exchange ofideas.

Obi expressed the hope thatall political parties would joinhands together to provide anenvironment appropriate foreconomic development andgrowth in the country, leadingto sustained wealth creation andpoverty reduction.

"We all know that sinceindependence in 1960, electionshave been constant threats toNigerian unity and survival.These trends need to bechanged and it is theresponsibility of the politicalleaders, executives and allstakeholders to ensure we bringsanity to our electoral processesby ensuring that the people'smandate is actualised. We mustalso importantly, respectelectorate choice and guaranteesanctity of people's votes.

The will of the people mustprevail —Jemibewon

Jemibewon, in his openingremarks said: Election is a formaldecision –making process bywhich people select anindividual to be their leader inpublic office...since the office isconstitutionally to be occupied bya person, only one contestantmust win in any given office. Itis the responsibility of allcontetsants to ensure that anyone of them that is chosen by themajority of the people should beaccepted and the rest shouldrally round the successful one inthe interest of the populace andthe development of the nation.

Let your literacy superioritycount on the ballot –Iroh

In his keynote addressentitled: 'Democracy and thePolitics of Elections,' Dr EddieIroh urged the stakeholders toensure that the polls werepeaceful, free, credible and

successful. He said: "I wouldlike to see Ekiti State, theProgressive State, which isreputed to have produced moreprofessors and PhD holders thanany other state in Nigeria becomethe Pacesetter State in a newpolitics of inclusion, tolerance andmaturity. I would like us to invokethe spirit of the late Waziri and hisphilosophy of Politics withoutBitterness, and discard once andfor all President Obasanjo's Politicsof do-or die, and Ahmadu Alli'sGarrison Politics."

We must avoid a repeat of wild-wild-West –Fagbemi

Speaking on the topic,Democratic sustenance fordevelopment through peacefulpartisan politics, the GuestSpeaker, Mr Ayokunle Fagbemi,who lamented that electoralviolence had made many Ekitipeople to abandon their homes inthe state, urged the stakeholdersto avert a repeat of wild-wild-

•Jega

West."His words: Ekiti kete O! It is

most unfortunate that some ofthe indicators and incidences ofviolence ahead of this 2014governorship election point inthe same direction. It is now veryclear that unless asstakeholders, we all makeconcerted efforts towardspeaceful conduct by politicalactors across board by ensuringthat peaceful conductscharacterise electioneeringcampaigns during theremaining three critical weeks,the actual Election Day and post-declaration of governorshipelection results, we may end upwith Wild-wild-West. Godforbid!"

He reviewed the economicendowments and potentials ofEkiti and tied the realisation ofthe dream of economicdevelopment and growth of thestate to a peaceful politicalenvironment.

We 'll provide level-playingfield –INEC

Responding to the challenge,INEC Chairman, ProfessorAttahiru Jega, who wasrepresented by Professor LaiOlorode, described the spate ofviolence trailing campaigns asfrightening, assuring that thecommission would conductcredible polls.

His words: "There will be alevel-playing ground on June21. We are afraid of reversal ofthe gains we achieved in 2011.We are after what we can do tomake Ekiti 2014 and 2015 betterthan 2011. We want your trustin INEC to be unadulterated. Wewill do our best to ensure

credible elections."Jail any of the supporters

caught rigging –FayoseAlso speaking, Fayose said he

is out for rancour-free andcredible elections, saying that anyof his supporters caught cheatingor causing trouble should beprosecuted. He accused the APC-led government of putting thestate under siege and planningto rig the polls by booking inadvance most hotels in the state.He said the police were notserious about curbing theexcesses of politicians and wereorchestrating the violence in thestate.

Fayose urged the police to inviteleaders of the various politicalparties to mention some of theflash points where there are likelyto be crisis in the state so that theareas would be adequatelymonitored and policed.

It should not be a do-or-dieaffair –Akinyemi, Ajayi, Ayo

The Accord and SDP candidatespromised to play by the rules.

Akinyemi said: "On behalf of AA,this is a collective effort, missionand vision to develop Ekiti. Itshould not be a do-or-die affair.We promise and say that it shallbe well with Ekiti State.

On his part, Ajayi said: Ekiti hasbeen in turmoil in the last fewdays. The workshop has broughta forum for us politicians to jaw-jaw instead of war-war. Somecandidates are not here but someof us believe in tranquility andpeaceful election.

Ayo said: We in SDP wantjustice, peace and progress. Wewill play the game the way itshould be played. We will neverparticipate in violence."

THE Governor of Ekiti State, DrKayode Fayemi has told

workers in the State to ignorerumours making the rounds andbeing circulated through textmessages and the social mediathat he is planning to sackworkers and cancel payment ofleave bonus on re-election.

The Governor gave the advicein Ado Ekiti at the weekendduring a quarterly interactiveforum held with civil servants inthe State.

Governor Fayemi said themasterminds of the text messagesoften take Ekiti people as foolswho could be tossed around by liesand baseless claims; describingthem as enemies of Ekiti progress.

Disregard smearing SMS:Fayemi tells Ekiti workers

The Governor said it isridiculous that some couldpeddle lies that government isplanning to cancel leave bonuswhich is part of the emolumentof the workers as well asretrench workers.

He stressed that no worker hasbeen sent parking since hisgovernment came on boardexcept those who have retiredor ghost workers.

Fayemi added thatgovernment would not haveresponded to the rumoursbecause this is a season of liesas the State is in electioneeringperiod but decided to set therecord straight so that theunsuspecting citizens won't buy

into the lies.“Even within the civil service,

they found the sms ridiculous andhaving puerile claims but this isthe season of lies, and you shouldexpect as many lies as possible. Iget these lies myself on myphone.

"Some have decided that theyhave no other way to conductthemselves in this electioneeringperiod than to engage in bear facelies. Frankly some of the lies arenot worthy of response fromgovernment because we will liketo think that Ekiti people areintelligent enough and are not asgullible as these enemies ofprogress want them to appear”.

CMYK

L E I S U R ETHOUGHT FOR TODAYTHOUGHT FOR TODAYTHOUGHT FOR TODAYTHOUGHT FOR TODAYTHOUGHT FOR TODAY

Vanguard, MONDAY, Vanguard, MONDAY, Vanguard, MONDAY, Vanguard, MONDAY, Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 2,JUNE 2,JUNE 2,JUNE 2,JUNE 2, 2014 — 2014 — 2014 — 2014 — 2014 — 5353535353

VIRGINIA

KAPTAIN AFRIKA in “Pretty Lunatic’ By Andy Akman

[email protected]

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” By Lanre Kehinde

YOUR LUCK TODAYYOUR LUCK TODAYYOUR LUCK TODAYYOUR LUCK TODAYYOUR LUCK TODAY

HOME & ABROAD By Lawrence Akapa

By Richard Eromosele

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLINGASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLINGASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLINGASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLINGASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLINGSend ySend ySend ySend ySend your datour datour datour datour date and place of bire and place of bire and place of bire and place of bire and place of bir th tth tth tth tth to the Aso the Aso the Aso the Aso the Astrtrtrtrtrologicalologicalologicalologicalological

Counselling, PCounselling, PCounselling, PCounselling, PCounselling, P.M.B 1.M.B 1.M.B 1.M.B 1.M.B 100000000007, Apapa, Lagos7, Apapa, Lagos7, Apapa, Lagos7, Apapa, Lagos7, Apapa, Lagos

TAURUS: EVEN, if friends and others are helpfuland pledging loyalty today, they may be forced andget on your nerve tomorrow when effects of full-moon’ll come to play.

GEMINI: WHATEVER can lead to avoidable troubletomorrow, either at home or along your career/business lines, should be well taken care of today.Be very open.

CANCER: YOUR best bet today is to seek importantco-operation of influential people and that of yourspouse/partner. The more legal conscious you are,the better for you.

LEO: IF others want you to conclude an importantfinancial transactions that can possibly be done today,you’ll need to say no and go ahead as tomorrow maynot be as conducive as today.

VIRGO: IT’S important you don’t take things andpeople for granted now because they may not be asco-operative tomorrow as they are now. Be moreloving.

LIBRA: ALTHOUGH there seem to be an air ofunderstanding within your working arena today,tomorrow’s full-moon may turn the whole thing theother way.

SCORPIO: HERE is an exciting day that will climaxtomorrow. After a long time, others will see howpassionate you can be even in love. Don’t gamble,please.

SAGITTARIUS: IF your desire is to make moneytoday, you will need to be less emotional and preparefor domestic challenges tomorrow. Enjoy your lovelife.

CAPRICORN: GOOD relationship between themoon in Capricorn and lucky Jupiter in your star signwill bring you good opportunities. Be lessargumentative.

AQUARIUS: THIS is your day when things will goaccording to your plans. Financial success indicatedbut if you wait till tomorrow, opposition’ll bringdisappointment.

PISCES: THE moon in your star sign thatencourages you to be as assertive are likely to opposeyou tomorrow. Try to be more friendly.

ARIES: HAPPENINGS within your working arenashould be taken more seriously now or else, avoidabletrouble would start tomorrow. Again, it’s importantyou are more practical about your health. Be moreloving.

What’s myimmediate future?Dear Joshua,I am interested in what you are doing. Please

tell me what I should expect concerning myimmediate future. Would I succeed travellingabroad for business ?

Akindina. Mushin.

Dear Akindina,Few years back you have started a very longer

(years) great cycle of success and happiness,and this year you will be moving closer to thepeak of the said cycle; meaning that your 40ndyear on earth will be much more better thanall your previous ones on earth.

Then because of transiting lucky Jupiter inSagittarius – your Solar 9th house of travellingand distant affairs you can be successful atacquiring visa and have a fruitful foreigntravels.

However that is not to say that there will notbe any challenge during the year. Actually likeit happened about six/seven months ago whenwork and accident related issues were themajor challenges.

Be KindI am sure you know

what it means to bekind. But if you do notknow, let me simplysay, it is beinggenerous beingcaring about otherpeople.

For everything wedo, there is a rewardfor us. Being kind is

no exception. If youare one of those thatbelieve that beingkind no longer pays,you need to read this:We all know howdifficult it is to obtainAmerican visa thesedays, so it was on this

fateful day a youngman went to theUnited StatesEmbassy to obtain avisa. He got thereearly and sat down ona chair. It happenedthat an elderly mancame and the young

man rose from hischair for the elder tosit down, unknown tohim an embassyofficial was watchinghim. That was how hewas called inside andgiving visa. Nointerview, nochecking ofdocuments.

Be kind, kindnesshas its own reward.


,

Nigeria, match-fixing andthe Austin Ejide video

,Yes, the Nigerianauthorities have

muscularly come out todeny this position,

though I have not ceasedto ask myself, why

Nigeria?

So much has been written on the Nigeria-Scotland match that I rather move on.

The plans to write on Coach Keshi’s final list of 23was not helped by the fact that by the time thiscolumn was sent in, the list had not left the coach’shead.

Susan Eshett is a manager with Mobil ProducingNigeria, a Man U supporter, a rabid believer inNigeria who last Saturday said to me that she wassure Nigeria, this time around was going as far asthe semi finals.

I tried to punctuate her enthusiasm by pointingout the victory of Bosnia and Herzegovina over CoteDivoire, the weapon called Edin Dzeko and howwe do not seem to worry about them. Susan was notimpressed. She is not alone.

So many Nigerians are confident that this timearound, we are most likely going to progress fartherthan we have ever done in our four previousqualifications. On further investigation I found outthat it does not have anything to do with the qualityof the players, the pedigree of the coach or thepotency of the team. It is just a belief.

Based on this feeling and unique conviction, I willwant to address an issue that should not be allowedto overshadow whatever achievements we are likelyto chalk up in Brazil.

Just before the match against Scotland, news brokethat Britain’s National Crime Agency ( NCA ) hadlaunched a match fixing inquiry and asked FIFA toissue an alert over attempts to manipulate the match.Member of the NFF Technical Committee andrevered captain and coach of the national team,Chairman Christian Chukwu in a radio interviewsaid it was "….Rubbish. Tell me why would you fix afriendly match? Why ?“ in the same interview hesaid how in his days footballers played for countryand love of the game and that money was not afactor. Yes sir, things have changed.

What, is match fixing? The complex andinternational syndicate can be simply explained as“….the arranging in advance of the outcome of amatch or events within that match, usually for thepurpose of making money, often from betting”

In doing this, players and referees arecompromised, usually by notorious match fixingsyndicates that operate mainly from Asia.

In 2013, Sam Sodje came out in Britain to confesshow he has been involved in fixing matches.Deliberate receipt of yellow or red cards, own goalsetc . Sodje’s brother Akpo was also quoted asallegedly saying that he would be prepared to be

paid to be booked, and as a Nigerian, I felt ashamed.Immediately after the Scotland match, a video of

Austin Ejide “consciously throwing the ball into hisown net” went viral. The London Mirror newspaperasked why the goal was disallowed. Nigerianswonder why despite the presence of fourgoalkeepers in camp, Ejide was allowed to go thewhole hog....

I have looked at that video again and again andevery time I look, I get confused.

Back to the beginning. Three years ago, Nigeria’sname was linked to the Niger referee IbrahimChaibou who was fingered in the match fixingallegation involving South Africa and Guatemalaand other matches leading to the World Cup in SouthAfrica. Caught with over $100,000 which he lodgedin a South African Bank, accusations led to thesuspension of top South African football authoritiesincluding FA President Kirsten Nemantadani.Chaibou who worked for Wilson Perumal, refereedour 4-1 victory over Argentina in a friendly and theresult was suspect.

Last April, the same Singaporean match fixerWilson Raj Perumal in his book, came out to allege

that he influenced the qualification of Honduras andNigeria for the 2010 World Cup. How he used threeplayers in our team, how he bribed Mozambique tostop Tunisia etc. in his words “……..My plan hasworked and I was the unsung hero of Nigeria’squalification to the final rounds of the 2010 FIFA WorldCup in South Africa. Ferrying Nigeria and Hondurasto the World Cup was a personal achievement…..Igot two teams to qualify for the World Cup but Icannot tell anyone……”

Yes, the Nigerian authorities have muscularly comeout to deny this position, though I have not ceasedto ask myself, why Nigeria? Why did he not mentionany other country? This proverb of there being nofire without a smoke should guide us as we fly toBrazil.

FIFA’s head of security Ralf Mutschke has confirmedthat the Brazil World Cup is vulnerable. That therewill be a conscious effort to track match fixing. Newshas it that there will be twelve (12) Security Officersin each stadium with the monitoring of potentialmatch fixing among their duties.

Nigeria stands accused. The Nigeria FootballFederation should consider this as very serious anddraw the attention of its players and officials to thisanomaly that is capable of dragging the name of thiscountry to the mud. All those loafers, scouts, agents,journalists, relatives and fans who hang aroundplayers hotels, who sneak into lifts, should beadequately monitored and screened.

Chief Jonathan Ogufere, former West AfricanFootball Union President and President AssociationOf Sports Veterans Nigeria considers this as“….disgusting. We should not allow our flag to bestained in Brazil. This country is passing through alot already and the last thing we need at internationallevel is to be highlighted negatively” He said.

Chief Ogufere said when he heard that our friendlymatch was under watch, he was not too comfortableand nearly dismissed it as one of those distractionsthat we can ill afford.

Rejecting injuries

May I implore Nigerians to be united in a prayerpoint that has to do with the rejection of injuries?Italy’s Ricardo Montolivo, Luis Montes of Mexicoand Ecuador’s Segundo Castillo will not be going tothe World Cup due to injuries sustained duringfriendly matches on Saturday. May that not be ourportion, we pray.

See you next week

Milo Africa Championship: Nigeriadethrones GhanaN I G E R I A

reclaimed theMilo U-13 AfricaChampionship trophyafter beating Ghana 5-4on penalties at the 3rdedition which ended inLagos on Saturday. Butthe Ghanaians showedchampion’s mettle whenthey came from 3-1 tolevel scores with justabout five minutes to theend.

Nigeria openedscoring on the captain,Olusegun Olakunle fourminutes into the gamewatched by illustriouse x - N i g e r i a ni n t e r n a t i o n a l s ,Nwankwo Kanu, PeterRufai and OgbonnaKanu. Mustapha Adam

Agba’a doubled the leadon 20th minute butIshahaku Fatawu pulledone back for theGhanains, restoringhope they might stillkeep the trophy.

But a determined TeamNigeria represented bypupils of St. BarnabasLGEA, Kwara Stateincreased the lead whenAgba’a completed abrace on 20th minute ofthe first half. Fatawuwas on hand again forGhana when he struck asecond on the day andhis third of thetournament to reduce thetally to 3-2 before theinterval.

Ghana represented by

Zogbeli Block A PrimarySchool dominated theproceedings against anobviously fatiguedNigerian side but theywere kept at bay byAyodeji Otoola in goalfor Nigeria. But with fiveminutes of play left,Abdulahi HarunaRasheed restored parityfor Ghana at 3-3 to dragthe game into penalties.

ACCESS BankUNICEF Charity

Shield Polo Tourna-ment’2014 took to a blis-tering start Tuesday,with defending champi-ons, Kano RTC gallop-ing off their campaignfor the coveted AccessBank Cup and theUNICEF Cup on posi-tive notes.

The opening game ofthe tournament whichwas decided after a briefbut colourful opening

Access Bank UNICEF Charity Polo:RTC, Lead in Access Bank Cup Race

ceremony, saw RTC outpacing debutant, Hu-waei 10-7 in the open-ing game of the medi-um-goal cup series.

The prestigious Ac-cess Bank powered polofiesta which is reputedfor its high profile com-petitions lived up to itsbillings as Kano RTC made good their pre -

tournament rating withan emphatic perform-ance that puts them ingood stead to defend thetitle for the second yearrunning.

RTC quartet that boosttested hands like Khal-ifa Ibrahim, Diego Whiteand Johan Duploy bothfrom Argentina andteam patron, MustySherief took the leadright from the first chuk-ka of the hotly contest-ed game and remain infront all the way to thefinal bell.

The Sadig Wali ledHuwaei who were play-ing their first AccessBank Charity Shieldtournament, had ar-rived with high hopes ofclinching their first title.

D E F E N D I N Gchampions of the

Guarantee Trust Bank(GTB)-Lagos PrincipalsCup, Dairy Farm HighSchool have successfullydefended their title in thisyear ’s edition of the

GTB-Lagos Principals Cup: Dairy Farm retains title

championship afterdefeating Oriwu SeniorCollege by 2-0 in an epicfinal played Saturday atthe Teslim BalogunStadium, SurulereLagos.

In the girl’s category

Government SeniorCollege, Agege defeatedIkotun High School 2-1to cart away the covetedtrophy. Yetunde Fajobiand Sunday Elizabethgot the goals for thewinning side.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE, 2014 — 55

Cup tournament.Keshi, like all other

coaches going to the WorldCup, is expected to beready with his final list tobe submitted to FIFAtoday.

With thirty playerscurrently inP h i l a d e l p h i a , U S Acompeting for places in thefinal squad, no doubt, thetension in camp is high andhearts will surely be brokenover those who will missout.

Last Wednesday, theEagles played out a 2-2draw against Scotland inLondon, a game that didn’treally show all we neededto know about someplayers.

It was a game that someplayers, possibly up for anauditioning over theirWorld Cup place, failed toimpress.

Barring Uche Nwoforwho scored a late equaliserin that game,other playersunder trial were justaverage and need to uptheir game in subsequentfriendlies before the WorldCup.

“Yes, I have an idea of

D'dayContinues from BP

teams, including Englandand Italy, and confiscatedexpired food such as shrimpand salmon from their kitch-ens.

“The checks were carriedout as part of our drive tosee food safety codes en-forced as part of a round ofinspections being undertak-en given the close proximi-ty of the World Cup,” FabioDomingos, head of inspec-tions at Rio de Janeiro stateconsumer protection agen-cy Procon said.

Teams are arriving for theWorld Cup, which kicks offon June 12. About 600,000foreign fans and 3.1 millionBrazilians are also expectedto descend on the 12 hostcities.

Procon said its inspectorshad found 25 kilograms (55pounds) of expired shrimp,

those who will go with usto Brazil but we will stillwait till the last minutebefore we announce thelist,” Keshi said over hisprobable team list to bereleased today.

Keshi sounded as if hecould change his mind atthe eleventh hour overplayers who could gate-crash into the team.

The players themselvesbelieve they are all goodenough to be in Brazil asexplained by skipperJoseph Yobo after theScotland friendly. “Nigeriais blessed with talents andthat is why I think all theplayers here merit to be inBrazil, even when we havesome other very good onesstill hanging out.”

He added, “If you watchthe game against Scotland,you will know that the ‘Bigboss’ needs to be pitiedover dropping players andpicking those who willmake the final 23. It will betough.”

But there are people whoare skeptical about thechoice of players Keshi willbe selecting for the WorldCup.

Assistant technicaldirector of Nigeria’snational teams KashimawoLaloko, expressed concernthat Keshi will be becloudedby sentiments and selectplayers, not based on merit.

“With the calibre ofplayers we have in Nigeriatoday, the Super Eagles arecapable of doing well at theWorld Cup in Brazil but thatwill depend on absoluteobjectivity in the selectionof our final squad,” he oncesaid..

“I believe that in theprovisional list of 30, thereare players good enough torepresent this country but Iknow that some playerswho have no business at theWorld Cup may findthemselves on the final listwhich should not be sobecause of sentiments.”

It is an arduous taskselecting a team withouteyebrows raised over theinclusion of one or twoplayers.

Whichever part of thedivide one might belong,Keshi is saddled with thattask of selecting his teamand whatever comes out ofit, will rest on his shoulders.

Danger in BrazilContinues from BP salmon, margarine and pas-

ta at the Hotel Portobello,which will house the Italiandelegation in Mangaratibajust west of Rio.

Domingos said the shrimphad expired in early April.

The inspectors also re-moved another 24 kilos offood that had no date labe-ling.

An inspection at the Roy-al Tulip Hotel in Rio, whereEngland will stay, uncov-ered some two kilos of out-of-date salmon, butter andham.

Procon said other hotelswould be checked as“teams and fans are all con-sumers, and we are actingfor their benefit.”

It said hotels must tellgovernment officials whythey have out of date foodon the premises within 10days or face a fine.

club Santos, was accusedof using his father’s nameto provide an air oflegitimacy to businesseswhich handled moneymade through trafficking.Tried under his full nameof Edson Cholbi doNascimento, the 43-year-old was given an identicalsentence to four othermembers of the allegedgang, including thefugitive cartel bossRonaldo Duarte Barsotti,known as Naldinho.Naldinho was accused ofcontrolling a large

Pele's sonContinues from BP proportion of the drugs

moving through thecountry ’s south-eastregion, including thesupply of cocaine to thefavelas of Rio de Janeiro,but has been on the runfrom police for more thanfive years.The gang was based inSantos, where Edinho iscurrently employed at hisformer club as agoalkeeping coach, andprosecutors said he actedas a “link between thearmed and the financialparts of the cartel”, reportssaid.

have been linked withthe country over someshoddy deals done withits name.

Reports on Sundaysaid that Nigeria’s gamesat the World Cup could beunder the microscope yetagain for the wrongreasons with an agentclaiming he can influencematches involving theSuper Eagles.

Police are currentlyinvestigating a videowhich was brought totheir attention by TheSun, in which the tabloidappeared to have trappeda Nigerian football agentHenry ChukwumaOkoroji who said he caninfluence outcome ofmatches at the World Cup.

In the video,theagent suggested he couldarrange a yellow cardduring a World Cup gamefor more than £41,000 anda penalty for £81,000.

Nigerian midfielderOgenyi Onazi was ropedinto the web,with theagent inviting him to themeeting, however there isno suggestion that theLazio player was involvedin any fixing plot.

Nigerianagent

Continues from BP

England

departing for Miami asthey move their prepara-tion for this month’s WorldCup across the Atlanticbefore heading to Brazil.

The debate is on over howready England are for theWorld Cup, but there’s nodoubting that the Three Lionslooked sharp before headingfor Brazil.

Roy Hodgson’s side suitedup for a final team photobefore departing for Miami asthey move their preparationfor this month’s World Cupacross the Atlantic for twofriendlies before a final stopin South America.

The squad along withmanager Roy Hodgson allwore matching grey suitsbefore flying out from Luton.

Arsenal duo Jack Wilshereand Alex Oxlade-Chamberlainwere among the squad whorelished swapping shootingboots for smart shoes, takingselfies showing off their team-wear along with ManchesterUnited’s Danny Welbeck aswell as Liverpool pair DanielSturridge and Raheem Ster-ling.

Continues from BPSocial unrest threatens World Cup

Carnival or chaos? Social unrest could rear it’s head should Brazilians be-come unsettled during the World Cup

THERE is littledoubt that the

watching world will bein awe when Englandtake to the field againstItaly in Manaus in lessthan two weeks.

The Amazon Arena isan architectural gem inthe modern style of foot-ball stadia, a designwhich creates the illu-sion that an elegantspaceship has landed inthe jungle town.

Rainwater is collectedin the roof to irrigate thepitch; the over- archingstructure is speciallybuilt to ventilate thecrowd. The 44,500, all-seater stadium will be a

fitting venue for WayneRooney, Andrea Pirlo,Steven Gerrard andMario Balotelli and forthree further World Cupfixtures.

And then it will ceaseto have a sensible pur-pose. Three workersdied constructing a sta-dium that is essentiallya vanity project for localpoliticians and whichcost £171milion - some£40m over budget.

When England departand the World Cup cir-cus moves on, the sta-dium will be taken overby local club side Na-cional. Their average at-tendance is 1,963.

FIFA partners,Adidas have

launched their newestWorld Cup awarenessprogramme tagged allin Nigeria Radio Showon the Super-Coolsport show inconjunction withAfrica’s pre-eminentcontent syndicator,

Adidas brings WC fever to NigeriaTransAfrica Radio onCool FM.

All in Nigeria bringsNigerian fans theexciting build up to thegreatest shows onearth with breath-taking analysis andweekly chances to winspectacular prizes,including the official

Brazuca match ball,Nigeria’s SuperEagles jersey and thelatest football bootscourtesy of adidas andMopheth SportNigeria Ltd.

The syndicated sportshow is a seven partseries running for 15minutes every week.

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-4548355. Advert Dept Hotline: 01-4544821; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Advert:[email protected]

Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: MIDENO BAYAGBON. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

How to Play Sudoku

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line canhave two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (alsonine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within abold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1through 9. This means that no number can appear twicein any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, divisionor multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

YESTERYESTERYESTERYESTERYESTERDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERSTODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLE

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

VANGUARD,VANGUARD,VANGUARD,VANGUARD,VANGUARD, MONDAY,JUNE 2, 2014 MONDAY,JUNE 2, 2014 MONDAY,JUNE 2, 2014 MONDAY,JUNE 2, 2014 MONDAY,JUNE 2, 2014

QUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORD

Today’s matches

World Cup team:Today is D’day

10 days to go

Pele’s son sentencedto 33 years in jail

THE son of Brazilianfootball legend Pele

has been sentenced to 33years in prison after be-ing found guilty of laun-dering money for an al-leged drugs cartel.Edinho, himself aformer professionalfootballer for Pele’s old

Social unrest threatens World Cup — Pg55

Brazil suits us! Englandfly out to Miami

Match fixing:Nigerian agent'caught'Danger in

Brazil! Expiredfood every-where

EAGLES coachStephen Keshi

already knows thetwenty three players hewill be taking to Brazilfor the 2014 FIFA World

ROY Hodgson’sEngland side

suited up for a final teamphoto before departingfor Miami as they movetheir preparation for thismonth’s World Cupacross the Atlantic beforeContinues on Page 55

Continues on Page 55

WITH the dust yetto settle over

investigations thatNigeria’s friendly gamewith Scotland could havebeen a target of a bettings y n d i c a t e , m o r eunsavoury connections

Continues on Page 55 SUITED: England team

Continues on Page 55

BRAZILIAN healthofficials have raid-

ed hotels that will hostvisiting World CupContinues on Page 55

•Pele

Across4 Month (5)7 Save (6)9 Pass (3)10 Cot (3)12 Refute (5)13 Spiral (4)15 Fresher (5)17 Decline (6)19 Duct (4)20 Javelin (5)22 Sailor (3)24 Wished (7)27 Child (3)28 Shabby (5)31 Dagger (4)33 Gather (6)35 Cogs (5)37 Turn (4)38 Under (5)39 Fish (3)41 Entrap (3)42 Erase (6)43 Flower (5)

Down1 Summary (6)2 Respect (6)3 Network (3)4 Additional (4)5 Warning (5)6 Broke up (8)8 Food-list (4)11 Penniless (9)14 Guide (4)16 Sport (4)18 Worry (4)21 Matchless (8)23 Repose (4)25 Any (4)26 Caribou (4)29 Worn (6)30 Shouted (6)32 Boulder (5)34 Hut (4)36 Pitcher (4)40 Limb (3)

Across: 1, Slip 4, Raw 6, Mope 9, Awe 10,Stripped 11, Near 14, Rim 16, Eased 19, Ap-peared 21, Meter 23, Damaging 24, Catch27, Let 31, Iron 33, Interval 34, Era 35, Reel36, Lad 37, Gasp.

Down: 2, Late 3, Paid 4, Repaired 5,Wide 6, Mania 7, Owe 8, Peace 12, Pan-ic 13, Spout 14, Ram 15, Metal 17, Son-ic 18, Deign 20, Demented 22, Rut 25,Agree 26, Canal 28, Kill 29, Brag 30, Pass32, Ore.

Chibok girls plead for release in new video

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