Zakzaky"s son, wife, other Shiite leaders killed

P.36

HENRYBOYO

P.20

OCHEREOMENNANNA

OWEILAKEMFA

P.19

...towards a better life for the people

N150VOL. 25: NO. 62648

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015**

Mr & Mrs

Zakzaky's son, wife,other Shiite leaders killed

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•Where about of sect leader, Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky unknown•Army vows to ensure law and order prevail•Hundreds of our members killed — Sect

By KingsleyOmonobi & Luka

Binniyat

ABUJA—NO fewerthan 20 members of

the Shi’ite sect werekilled, yesterday,including son of the sectleader Sayyid Zakyzakyand his wife, as themilitary cracked down onthe sect for blocking thehighways during theirpublic procession inZaria, Kaduna State. Thesect, however, claimedthat hundreds of itsmembers were killed by

8

I didn't collectN100m from Yuguda,says Bode George

13

Inflationarypressurehasresumed— NBS

8

Biafra agitatorsshould be given fairhearing, sayChristian Elders

7

Lagos approves fly-over bridges for Ajah, Abule Egba 10

OLU'S CORONATION—The newly crowned Olu of Warri Kingdom, HRM Ogiame Ikenwoli I (3rd from right); Dr.Duakpenmi Andrew Ayu, Olori-Ebi of Royal Family(1st from right); Chief Prest Udueyin, Chief Ayiri Emami( 2nd & 3rd from left)and others shortly before the crowning of the monarch at Ode-Itsekiri, ancestral home of the Itsekiris in Warri South LocalGovernment Area of Delta State, weekend.

$2.2bn arms probe:EFCC in dilemma overSanusi, ex-CBN gov

Orphaned Senate ‘97%/5%', a formulafor national upheaval

Is the economypoisoned by CBN$ hoarding?

CO

LU

MN

ISTS:

2 — Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMB ER 14, 2015

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Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015 — 3

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POCKET CARTOONVanguard, MONDAY, DEEMBER 14, 2015—5

IT'S UP TO YOUBY AYO ADIO

TAKE HEARTBY ELLA RANDLE

Zakzaky's son, wife, other Shiite leaders

killed

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE

Continues from Page 1

Soon, we will know who owns the farm, thefarmer or the rodent.

WHAT makes you special isn’t really what youdo but who you are. Strive to become better

each day and life will reward you tremendously. It'sup to you.

Love is giving others the freedom to be—TakeHeart Quotes

LEARN to live without attachment to things orpeople. in the song of life. It does not matter

who is dancing away from you but rather more sweetlywho is singing in harmony with you. Be generous,tender and yet strong enough to stand by yourdecisions.

Learn to yield and bend. Be flexible in your dealingswith others. Always choose kindness over being right.Fill your heart with gratitude and practice radicalhumility. See the miracle of love in everything andeveryone.

soldiers who stormedthree of its locations withheavy military weapons.It was gathered that thetroops engaged membersof the sect throughoutthe night as heavyshootings and sounds ofexplosions were heard inGyallesu and SokotoRoad, whereHussainiyya – thespiritual centre of the sect– is located.

The Nigerian Armyand members of the secthave accused each otherof instigating attacksthat led to the death ofmembers of themovement on Saturday.

While the Armyaccused the Shiitefollowers of attempting to

assassinate Nigeria’sChief of Army Staff, TukurBuratai, the Islamicmovement said soldierssimply decided to attack“defenceless people”.

The army on its partvowed to put an end tothe threats, delays anddisruption caused by thegroup.

Meanwhile, the whereabout of the leader of thesect, Sayyid IbraheemZakzaky was unknownas the sect claimed thatits members, who werekilled, included theleader of the KanoCentre, SheikhMuhammad Turi, the sonof sect leader, SayyidIbraheem Zakzaky andhis wife.

In its account of theviolent confrontationbetween it and the

military, the sect, in astatement by itsspokesman, IbrahimMusa said: “Followingalleged blockade of theroute of the Chief ofArmy Staff by themembers of theMovement, the NigerianArmy brutally descendedon armless members ofthe Movement withheavy military weaponskilling indiscriminately.

Those killed

“In the mean time,leading members of theIslamic Movement andother members as well,have been killed by thesoldiers including theleader of the KanoCenter, SheikhMuhammad Turi, Dr.Mustapha Sa’eed,Malam Ibrahim Usmanand Sister JummaiGilima.

“Also killed wereSayyid Aliy, the son ofthe leader of theMovement, SayyidIbraheem Zakzaky; thewife of Sayyid IbraheemZakzaky, MalamaZeenat Ibraheem andtens of other members asmore are being killed asat the time of thisrelease.

“The sporadic killingstook place at threelocations that includedthe residence of therevered leader of theMovement at Gyallesu,the HusainiyyaBakiyatullah at the GRAand the Darur Rahmalocated along Zaria-Josroad where manyunarmed people werekilled.

“The killing was sobrutal at Gyallesu thateven those injured in theshooting were identifiedand killed in cold blood

by the soldiers. And as atthe time of writing thispress release, the victimsare in their hundreds, ifnot thousands.

“Considering the grossviolation of fundamentalhuman rights and extra-judicial killingsperpetrated by theNigerian Army, theIslamic Movementhereby condemns theseunjustifiable acts.

“We state categoricallythat the claim by theArmy that members ofthe Movement attemptedto assassinate the Chiefof Army Staff was ablatant lie as the armycame back to launchtheir attack more than anhour after the COAS hadpassed.

“Clearly, the Nigeriangovernment through itsmilitary is now onrampage in an all outwar with the Islamicmovement, its membersand structures. The scaleof this attack wouldsuggest it wasmeticulously planned byauthorities and nowbeing executedruthlessly. The allegedattack on COAS Burutaiwas just an alibi.

“Therefore, with allpointers at thegovernment as thecontractor of the killings,we hereby call on wellmeaning Nigerians andthe internationalcommunity to interveneand seek redress for thevictims and their familymembers as manyinnocent people haveunjustifiably been killedand many others severelyinjured.

“In the mean time,there is no idea as to thewhere about of the leaderof the Movement, SayyidIbraheem Zakzaky nor

his current condition,and aggrieved membersof the Movement acrossthe country have taken tothe streets in protests”.

The killing of Turi, theleader of the KanoCenter, has sparkedtension in Kano, asmembers of the sectstaged a rally fromSaturday night till about4am on Sunday. Anotherrally held on Sundayaround Fagged Mosque,popularly known as‘Waje Mosque’.According to a Kanoresident, tens ofthousands of Shi’iamembers trooped to thenooks and crannies ofKano, passing throughthe palace of the Emir ofKano, AlhajiMuhammadu Sanusi II,and raining expletiveson the military personnelattached to TukurBuratai, chief of armystaff.

Army vows toensure law andorder prevail

The Nigerian Army ina statement giving anupdate on theconfrontation said,“Saturday ’s incidentinvolving clashesbetween detachments ofthe Nigerian Army,accompanying the Chiefof Army Staff, LieutenantGeneral TY Buratai andfollowers of SheikhIbrahim El Zak-Zaky,suspected to be membersof the Shiite Sect inZaria, leading to loss oflives as a result of theShiite group members’blocking roads and notallowing other passers-by to go about theirlawful businesses andactivities, was mostunfortunate.

“The NigerianConstitution guaranteesthe rights of any groupof persons and Sheikh ElZak Zaky’s followers tohold a peaceful march orprocession unhindered,but it also guaranteesother people’s rights ofway on public highways.

“It is important to notethat over the years thisgroup has subjectedordinary citizens usingpublic roads to untold

hardship, delays, threatsand disruption simplybecause they insist onusing public spaceirrespective ofinconvenience andhardship on other lawabiding citizens andmotorists."

The statement signedby Col. Sani Usman,Acting Director, ArmyPublic relations said:“This cannot be toleratedand must stop!

“As soon as order isrestored to the situationin Zaria city and itsenvirons, the Police willconduct an enquiry andthe public will beinformed.

“In the meantime, thepublic is advised to goabout their lawfulbusiness and report anysuspicious persons orincidents to the police.

In an earlier statementon the clash, the armysaid that members of theShiite Islamic sectSaturday attacked theChief of Army staff, Lt.General Tukur Burataiand his convoy on theirway to Zaria to attendthe passing out parade of73rd regular intake ofDepot, Nigerian Army.

The army added thatthe attack was a plannedassassination attempt onthe army boss which wasrepelled and that thearmy Chief escapedunhurt.

In the ensuingshootout that followed, anunspecified number ofpersons lost their liveswhile there were injurieson both the side of thearmy and the Shiites.

A statement by theArmy had said : “The sectnumbering hundredsand carrying dangerousweapons, barricaded theroads with bonfires,heavy stones and tyres.

“They refused allentreaties to disperseand then started firingand pelting the convoywith dangerous objects.

“The barricade wasobviously a deliberateattempt to assassinatethe Chief of Army Staffand members of hisentourage while on alegitimate officialassignment as SpecialGuest of Honour at thepassing out paradewhich has earlier beenwidely publicized.

CONVOCATION—From left: The Vice Chancellor, Kaduna State University, Prof. William BarnabasQurix; with President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna State at thepresentation of Doctorate Degree Award to President Buhari at the 2nd Convocation Ceremony of theuniversity on Saturday. Photo:Olu Ajayi.

6—Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14 , 2015

Police kill 5suspectedkidnappers,robbers inRivers

Cattle rearer bags death sentence for murder

Suspected arsonists kill 77-year-oldwoman in Anambra

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

Man, 36, docked over alleged theftof N860,000

By Peter Okutu

ARSON:The building where the 77-year-old,Grace Orizu, was allegedly set ablaze by suspected arsonists at Obosi, Anambra State. INSET:The house help, nine-year-old, Progress Nwachukwu, who was rescued by neighbours.

ABAKALIKI—EBONYI StateHigh Court sitting in

Abakaliki and presided over bythe state Chief Judge, JusticeAlloy Nwankwo, weekend,sentenced a cattle rearer,Musa Barugun, to death byhanging for murder.

Barugun had in February2013 killed one ChibuezeNkwegu at Sharon in IzziLocal Government Area of thestate.

The convict attacked andkilled the deceased with sharpknife after piercing his victim,Nkwegu, in the chest andstomach.

The deceased was reportedto had been complained ofdestruction of his crops by thecows and severally pleadedwith Barugun to control hiscows but his appeals fell ondeaf ears.

It was learned that problemensued between the deceased

and the herdsman makingBarugun to stab him to deathbefore he was later arrestedand arraigned for murder.

Barugun could not put updefense to counter theevidence before the court onthe matter as the sharp knife(dagger) used in committingthe act was found in hispossession with the clothes hewore on the day of theincident.

The convict clothes which

were stained with humanblood were tendered asexhibit during the trials andthe court found him guiltyand sentenced him to deathby hanging.

But the leader of Hausacommunity in Ebonyi State,Alhaji Danjuma Gambo whodescribed the death ofNkwegu as unfortunate saidthe convict will appeal thejudgment.

ONITSHA—A 77-yearwoman, Mrs. Grace

Orizu was weekend killedwhen her son’s five-roombungalow was allegedly setablaze by some suspectedarsonists at Little WoodEstate, Obosi in IdemiliNorth Local GovernmentArea of Anambra State.

The house help, nine-year-old, Progress Nwachukwu,was rescued from the kitchenby neighbours where he hid,but the body of Grace Orizuwas discovered in the toiletwhere she had hidden herselfwhile the fire was raging.

She was said to have beenrushed to various hospitalsbefore landing at St. CharlesBorromeo Mission Hospital,Onitsha where she wascertified dead by medicalexperts.

The incident, according tothe source, occurred when thearsonists believed to be afterthe life of her second son,Emeka Orizu who wasrecently elected as chairmanof Little Wood Estate, Obosi,allegedly sneaked into thecompound at about 3 p.m.,and quietly sprinkled someliquid substances suspectedto be Premium Motor Spirit,PMS, all over the bungalow,including its roof top beforesetting it on fire.

The traditional ruler ofObosi, Igwe ChidubemIweka, during a visit was toldthat Emeka Orizu left thehouse at about 2p.m. forIhiala on a condolence visitto his in-law only to be calledon phone by his wife at about3.30p.m. to inform him of theincident.

Narrating his experience tothe monarch, the nine-year-old house help, Promise saidthat he heard a noise at thegate and the deceased askedhim to go and check thosemaking the noise, addingthat as he came out, he saw

someone sprinkling liquidsubstance on top of the roofand thinking that it was anordinary water, he ignoredhim and went inside the room

before the fire started.Igwe Iweka described the

incident as a dastardly act andcalled on the state governmentand law enforcement agencies

to investigate the matter witha view to bringing theculprits to book, adding thathe had equally informed thestate government and thePolice about the incident.

PORT HARCOURT—THE Police in Rivers

State have reportedlykilled five suspectedkidnappers and armedrobbers said to havebeen involved in series ofarmed robberies andkidnappings in PortHarcourt and itsenvirons

The state PoliceCommissioner, Mr.Musa Kimo whodisclosed this yesterdayin a statement in PortHarcourt said one ofthose shot dead duringexchange of fire withpolicemen was the leaderof a gang that allegedlymurdered the DivisionalPolice Officer, DPO,Rumuokoro Division,CSP Cliff Igwegbe abouttwo weeks ago.

The state Police chief,who spoke through theRivers State Police PublicRelations Officer, DSPAhmad Muhammad,said the other suspectsmet their death in a shootout with policemen alongAluu/Airport Road after afailed kidnap bid theyembarked on.

The Police commandfurther said two othersuspects arrestedconfessed to being part ofthe gang that attackedthe late CSP Igwegbe.

The Police said two AK-47 riffles, one assaultrifle, 119 rounds of liveammunition, sevenmagazines were amongitems recovered duringthe operation.

He a kidnap victim,Ken Livinus, was alsorescued during theoperation

He said: “The RiversState Police Commandannounces the arrest oftwo notorious armedrobbers who confessedto have been involvedin series of armedrobberies andkidnappings in PortHarcourt and itsenvirons, including therecent gruesomemurder of late CSP CliffIgwegbe, who was theDivisional Police Officerof Rumuokoro Divisionbefore his death."

By JimitotaOnoyume

LAGOS—A 36-year-oldman, Sanusi Saheed, was

last Friday arraigned before anIkeja Magistrate's Court forstealing N860, 000 belongingto his employer Mr. AlexOgbebor.

Saheed, who resides at No.9 Rafiu Odebiyi St., Oko-Filling Bus-Stop, Igando, asuburb of Lagos, was dockedon a charge of stealing.

The prosecutor, Insp. FrankInah, said that the accusedstole the amount being the

proceeds of the Estate Hallbelonging to Ogbebor.

He said that the accusedcommitted the offence June 15at about 10a.m. at EstateFestival Hall, 11 Road, GowonEstate, Lagos.

Inah said that thecomplainant employed Saheedas a supervisor of the hall.

He said that on July 20,Ogbebor discovered that theaccused had converted theN860, 000 into his personalaccount without hisknowledge.

“Saheed absconded and all

efforts to trace him provedabortive until Dec. 1 when hewas found and arrested bythe police,” Inah said.

The prosecutor said that theoffence contravened section285 of the Criminal Law ofLagos State, 2011.

The accused, however,pleaded not guilty to thecharge.

The magistrate, Mrs. M.O.Osinbajo, granted theaccused bail in the sum ofN100,000 with two suretiesin like sum and adjournedthe case till January 21, 2016for mention.

Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015—7

Biafra agitators should be given fairhearing —Christian elders...say judiciary has been garrisoned by one religious, ethnic group•Uwazuruike cautions IPOB against allowing factional MASSOB•Says he has no hand in Nnamdi Kanu’s travail•Iwuanyanwu blasts protesters, Ndigbo•Eze Igbo in Bauchi warns Igbo community against agitation

Chidi Nkwopara, SuzanEdeh, Caleb Ayansina,Nwabueze Okonkwo,Ugochukwu Alaribe

ABUJA—NATIONALChristian Elders Forum,

NCEF, yesterday, called on theFederal Government to criticallyexamine the current agitation forthe republic of Biafra and give theagitators a fair hearing.

The forum also observed withcontempt the impression that onlyone section of the country withsame religion faith was qualifiedto be the Chief Justice of theFederation.

NCEF in a communique inAbuja by its chairman, Mr.Solomon Asemota, SAN, after theforum meeting in Jos, PlateauState, raised several nationalissues to be looked at, adding thatin as much as issue of secessionhad never been raised sinceretuned of democracy in 1999 tillnow, it should be looked into bygovernment with keen interest.

“While we frown at, anddiscountenances any movetowards secession by any groupin the nation, we firmly believethat the grievances of the agitatorsfor Biafra Republic should beexamined and the people shouldbe given a fair hearing.

“It will be noted that since thereturn to democracy in 1999, therehas been no such widespreadagitation until now,” it stated.

Judiciary garrisonedAsemota wondered why it was

only one section of the countrywith Muslim background that isqualified to be the Chief Justiceof the Federation, CJN, calling ongovernment to look into the matter.

“The Christian Elders alsoobserve with much concern theimpression that is created in thejudiciary that only persons froma section of the country arequalified to be the Chief Justiceof the Federation.

“That the Nigerian judiciary hasbeen garrisoned by a section ofthe country and a religion is nolonger in doubt, however, thedismantling of this anomaly isexpedient. Nigeria can onlysurvive and thrive on a tripod ofjustice, equality, and fairness.”

However, he made it clear thatthe forum had no personal grudgeagainst the current CJN in thecountry, calling the governmentand Nigerians attention to recentappointments of those who holdthe defence line of the country.

“The Christian Elders wonderwhy in a divergent and pluralisticsociety, such as Nigeria, all thecritical security institutions in thenation are headed by people fromone section of the country. TheMinister of Defense, the Director-General of Department of StateSecurity, DSS, the NationalSecurity Adviser, NSA, and theMinister of Interior, are all fromone section of the country and areadherents of the same religion.

“The Christian Elders decry theviolation of the Federal Characterprinciple in sensitive federalappointments by the currentadministration. This

discriminatory anomaly shouldbe reversed without delay,” thestatement added.

On the National Conferencereport, the forum called on “Thegovernment to implement thereport and urge all Nigerians toraise a clarion call in this regard.It is in the best interest of Nigeriaand all Nigerians that the reportof the national conference isimplemented in full.”

On the current insecurity in thecountry, the elders called onChristians to evolved means ofself-defence, while urging themto remain law abiding.

“The forum enjoins allChristians in the nation to adhereto the Biblical injunction of ‘followpeace with all men,’ whileChristians are urged to remainpeace loving and shun any act ofprovocation, it has becomenecessary to advise Christiancommunities to evolve means of“self defense” to ensure self-preservation.

“The impunity and lawlessnesswith which religious extremistsseek to exterminate Christiansshould be checked, more so, sincethe security agents seem helplessto apprehend these “unknowngunmen,” they said.

Uwazuruike caution IPOBMeanwhile, the Chief Ralph

Uwazuruike-led BiafraIndependent Movement, BIM,yesterday, asked IndigenousPeople of Biafra, IPOB, tocontinue their demonstration inline with non-violence methodfor Biafra actualization and forthe release of its detainedDirector of Radio Biafra,London, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu,leader of Biafra ZionistMovement, BZM, Mr.Benjamin Onwuka and all theirmembers from South East andSouth South zone, who are stillbeing captive in the custody ofNigeria’s security agencies.

Uwazurike added that he hadno hands in the current travailof the detained leader of IPOBand host of Radio Biafra,Nnamdi Kanu.

In a statement by their DeputyDirector for Information, MaziChris Mocha, BIM said: “Weare not against IPOB protest. Infact, we will support thedemonstration once it is carriedout in a non-violent manner.”

BIM added that it had acredible evidence to show thatone Mr. Madu collected hugeamount of money from theFederal Government to cancelIPOB’s earlier protest, adding,“it is regrettable that ChiefUwazuruike, founder of theproscribed MASSOB and nowleader of BIM had promoted

Madu from District Officer, DO,Onitsha South LocalGovernment Area of AnambraState to Deputy NationalDirector for Information and toNational Director on July 15,2003 and April 30, 2005respectively, without knowingthat he is so money and powerconscious with little or nointerest in the Biafra struggle.

“All he needed is money andnot the Biafran struggle toemancipate our people fromtheir bondage in Nigeria. Thiswas part of reasons he wasexpelled from former MASSOBon August 30, 2014. TheUwazuruike-led BIM has,therefore, cautioned the actingDirector of radio Biafra, London,Mr. Uche Mefo to make surethat Madu does not take anypart or represent IPOB intaking policy decision in anycapacity or else he would bringIPOB to disrepute like he didto MASSOB.”

Similarly, in an interview withVanguard in Aba, BIM’sAssistant National Director ofInformation, Sunny Okereafor,said Kanu was one of Uwazuruikeboys, stressing that the Biafraleader had no reason to plan evilagainst him.

“If Uwazuruike had a hand inthe travails of the director of RadioBiafra, he would not have usedevery opportunity to urge theFederal Government to releasethe IPOB leader unconditionallyand still stand by that call.”

He dismissed reports that BIMmembers were planning to attackIPOB members in Onitsha andother parts of the South East andSouth South and accused somean unnamed MASSOB leader of

being behind the falseinformation.

The spokesman advisedmembers of IPOB to be wary ofthe likes of Uchenna Madu,alleging that if he could betrayUwazurike, he would not spareanybody.

Iwuanyanwu blasts protesters,Ndigbo

Meanwhile, ChampionNewspapers Publisher, ChiefEmmanuel Iwuanyanwu, hadexpressed serious reservation onthe way some people have beengoing about their demand forsovereign state of Biafra.

Chief Iwuanyanwu, whoaddressed journalists in Owerri,Imo State, also regretted that somepeople had even gone out of theirway to publish what they callaccounts of the war.

“Other tribes are doing betterthan us. It is good for somebodyto protest, but it is nonsensical forpeople to go to the extreme levelof taking laws into his hands byblocking roads. Books have beenwritten by people who neithercommanded any command norfought the battles for theiremancipations.

“To say that Igbo aremarginalized is stating theobvious and government must tryand address the anomaly. It mustalso be said that before the war,things were done purely on meritbut it is no longer so today. Wherethe Igbo go from here is anybody’sguess.”

He said that General YakubuGowon started the issue ofreconstruction, rehabilitation andreconciliation very well, addingthat he was not too happy at theway Ndigbo now rush to Abuja

for all manner of reasons.On the national census,

Iwuanyanwu said that Igbo willalways be in minority, especiallyas in some cultures and religiousbeliefs, people were expected tomarry more than one wife andhave more than 80 children.

Eze Ndigbo of Bauchi Statewarns...

Meanwhile, the Eze Ndigbo ofBauchi State, Eze Umezika hadwarned the Igbo community inthe state against supporting anyunlawful agitation that wouldundermine the unity and peaceof the nation and urged them todistance themselves from the pro-Biafra protests in parts of thecountry.

Umezika, yesterday, during aninteractive session with the stateCommissioner of Police, BabaTijjani at the police headquarters,in Bauchi as part of efforts toenhance existing police publicpartnership towards effectivepolicing in the state expressedworry over the recent agitationsby certain individuals in somesections of the country, noting thatit was uncalled for.

“The new agitation for Biafra isa uncalled for, ill-conceived andill-motivated. It is not in theinterest of Igbo communities andan attempt to destroy peace andunity currently enjoyed in thenation.

"It is also targeted to ignite anational conflict and cause chaos,pandemonium and confusion inthe country. The Igbo have madetremendous progress since thecivil war, hence the people of theSouth East and their future isbetter guaranteed and sustainedwithin a united Nigeria."

VISIT: From left, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, receiving Governor David Umahi ofEbonyi State, and the Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, during a visit to theGovernment House, Enugu, yesterday.

8—Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015

$2.2BN ARMS PROBE: EFCC indilemma over Sanusi, ex-CBN govSet to grill Emefiele, others over cash disbursement

NGE backs FG on moves to recover stolen funds

By Soni Daniel, NorthernRegion Editor

ABUJA — AS investigationinto the looting of funds

meant for the acquisition ofarms for the Nigerian armedforces continues, operatives ofthe Economic and FinancialCrimes Commission, EFCC,are in a dilemma over what todo with the former CentralBank of Nigeria, CBN,Governor, Sanusi LamidoSanusi.

Sanusi, who was removedfrom the bank by formerPresident Goodluck Jonathanfor accusing the NigerianNational PetroleumCorporation, NNPC, of notremitting $20 billion of oilproceeds into the nationaltreasury, later become the Emirof Kano, an influentialtraditional and religious postthat carried more weight in thenorthern part of Nigeria thanthe CBN.

The operatives are keen oninterrogating the emir on thenumerous disbursement offunds to the office of the formerNational Security Adviser, Col.Sambo Dasuki (retd), who isbeing tried for moneylaundering, breach of publictrust and diversion of publicfunds.

Findings by Vanguard,however, showed, weekend,that the operatives were in a fixon what to do in order to getthe revered traditional andreligious ruler to speak to themon what he knows about thehuge sums of money takenaway from the nation’s apexbank under the guise ofsecurity.

The commission, it wasgathered last night, iscontemplating whether to inviteSanusi or go to meet himquietly to interview him on thefunds moved from the bank tothe National Security Adviser,during his tenure and whysuch disbursement were neverquestioned or declined by him.

A source in the commissionhinted that they were keen ongetting first hand informationfrom the emir but in a way thatwould not raise any eyebrow orbring the commission intotrouble with any individual orgroup.

It was learnt that thecommission’s top official hadalready visited Kano andwould possibly try to seek anavenue to discuss with the emirquietly and return to Abuja.

Set to grill Emefiele,others

But a source said that otherCBN governors, including theincumbent Godwin Emefiele,would soon be invited toexplain their roles in the armssandal, which is veryembarrassing to the nation.

One of the sources said thatit was a matter of time beforethe top bank officials would besummoned to clarify their rolesin the national financial scam.

TOUR: Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (right); ManagingDirector/Chief Executive Officer, Egbin Power Plc, Mr. Dallas Peavey Jr middle) and andanother top management staff during a facility tour and inspection shortly before thecommencement of the despatch of additional 220mw from Egbin Power to boost powersupply in Lagos, Friday.

The spokesman for theEFCC, Mr. WilsonUwujaren, could not bereached for comments in thelatest development in thearms scam probe.

His telephone linesindicated that they had beenswitched off when ourcorrespondent called on

Sunday evening.

NGE backs FG on movesto recoverstolen public funds

The Nigerian Guild of Editors(NGE) has thrown its weightbehind the efforts of the FederalGovernment to recover stolenpublic funds and commended

the courage behind it.While urging the

government to respect thefundamental human rights ofthe suspects in the process, theGuild asked the governmentto thoroughly investigate everycorruption case and pursuesame diligently and to logicalconclusion.

In a communiqué issued at theend of its 4th quarterly StandingCommittee meeting, weekend, inAbuja, the guild advised judges tobe circumspect in grantinginjunctions and be morepainstaking in the adjudication ofcorruption cases.

The guild, in the communiquésigned by its President, Garba DeenMohammad and GeneralSecretary, Victoria Ibanga, furtherwarned state governments not torenege in the payment of theN18,000 minimum wage andurged them to improve on theirinternally generated revenue,reduce the cost of governance andensure due process in the awardof contracts.

According the communique,”theGuild is alarmed by the downwardslide of the Naira which isimpacting negatively on thepurchasing power of Nigerians andwants the Federal Government todiversify the country’s revenuebase to shore up the value of thenational currency.

"The Guild also noted withconcern the perennial fuel scarcityin the country and called on theFederal Government to find alasting solution to the problem."

While reiterating its warningagainst any attempt to gag thepress or tamper with the freedomof expression of Nigerians, theeditors urged the Senate to retraceits steps with respect to theFrivolous Petitions Bill which isagainst the freedom of the press.

The editors, therefore, urged theNational Assembly to expungeSection 24 of the Cyber Crime Actwhich is considered to be moreobnoxious than the FrivolousPetitions Bill.

Inflationary pressure has resumed — NBSUnemployment'll reduce after passage of 2016 budget —Buhari

By Emeka Anaeto,Economy Editor &

Levinus Nwabughiogu

LAGOS — INFLATIONARYpressure which abated in

October appeared to haveresurfaced, going by the latestreports from the NationalBureau of Statistics, NBS.

In the report released,yesterday, the Consumer PriceIndex, CPI, which measuresinflation, inched higher in lastmonth with the headline indexincreasing by 9.4 per cent year-on-year, against 9.3 per centrecorded in October.

According to NBS, the indexwas driven in part by higherprices within the food and non-alcoholic beverages division ofthe index as well as increasesin the transportation division asa result of shortages in PremiumMotor Sprit, PMS, popularlyknown as petrol, coupled withthe spill-over effect impactingtransportation of people andgoods across the country.

“Food prices as measured bythe food sub-index also increasedat higher pace in November,”the report stated.

Food sub-index increased to10.3 per cent year-on-yearduring the month, while allmajor food groups whichcontribute to the food sub-indexincreased at a faster pace duringthe month with the exception ofthe fruits group which has beentrending lower since June thisyear.

Increases in the “All Items lessFarm Produce” or core sub-indexrose at the same rate for thesecond consecutive month at 8.7per cent, as rates have slowedor held steady for a quarter.

The core sub-index wasmoderated by slower increasesin multiple divisions such asclothing and footwear; housingand water, electricity, gas andother fuels; and furnishings &household equipment,maintenance among others.

On a month-on-month basis,the Headline Index as well asthe food and core sub-indices allincreased at a faster pace inNovember.

Also, the urban index grew atthe same pace as recorded inOctober; at 9.4 per cent year-on-year while the rural index edgedhigher to 9.3 per cent in

November from 9.2 per cent inOctober. On a month-on-monthbasis, both the urban and ruralindices increased at the samepace, both increasing at 0.7 percent in November.

The percentage change inthe average composite CPI forthe 12-month period ending inNovember 2015 over theaverage of the CPI for theprevious 12-month period was8.9 per cent, marginally higherfrom 8.8 per cent recorded inOctober.

Food prices as observed bythe food sub-index increasedto the highest rate recorded thisyear. Prices increased by 10.3per cent year-on-year inNovember, 0.2 percentagepoints higher than ratesrecorded in October. The indexwas pushed higher as a resultof faster increases in the fish,bread and cereals; vegetableand meat groups.

Unemployment'llreduce after passage of2016 budget—Buhari

Meanwhile, President

Mohammadu Buhari, yesterday,stated that the problem of youthunemployment bedevilling thecountry would become history afterthe passage of 2016 national budget

President Buhari spoke at adinner he organised in honour ofthe visiting Alumni Association ofthe Indian Defence Services StaffCollege,DSSC, Wellingon, led bythe Indian High Commissioner toNigeria, Mr. Ghanashyam. Thedelegation included a number ofretired Indian army generals whowere course-mates of the President.

Lamenting that 60 per cent of thecountry’s youth population wasunemployed, the President said:“We will sit down to see how wecan rehabilitate industries. We willdo this in order to clear the problemof unemployment. This isextremely dangerous for ourcountry. We are meeting after thebudget to see how to reviveindustry and secure the economy.”

The President also explained thatthe insecurity in the North-East,abduction for ransom in the Southand the sabotage of the oil industryin the delta region haveconnection with poverty andunemployment.


THANKSGIVING: From left: Ooni of lfe, Oba Adeyeye Enitan BabatundeOgunwusi; Bishop of lfe, Rev. Oluranti Oluwole Odubogun and Chief OriowoOyeyemi during the coronation thanksgiving service of the Ooni of lfe at StPaul's Anglican Church, Ayebaju, lfe, yesterday. Photos: Shola Oyelese

From left, Olori Abiodun Awojoodu; Obawara of Iwara lfe, Oba OlayiwolaAdereti and the Orangun of Oke lla, Oba Adedokun Abolarin at the event.

Petrol price reaches all time high atN115 per litre

By Emeka Anaeto,Economy Editor

LAGOS — AVERAGE pumpprice of premium motor spirit,

otherwise known as petrol, acrossthe country in the month ofNovember was N115.35 per litre,up from N93.5 recorded in thepreceding month of October.

Interim reports have pointed tofurther rise this month with thelingering fuel scarcity in mostparts of the country.

This is contained in the monthlyPMS Price Watch of the NationalBureau of Statistics, NBS,released yesterday. The surveydoes not cover black market.

Surprisingly, the report showsthat highest pump prices wererecorded in the oil producingNiger Delta states while lowestpump prices were recorded in theNorth and South western states.

In a state-by-state report,average pump prices was highestin Akwa Ibom State whichrecorded N187.5 per litre followedby Abia at N146.6, Cross River atN140.4 and Rivers at N139.6 perliter.

The lowest average pump pricewas recorded in Bauchi State atN91.3 per litre followed by Katsinaand Ogun States at N91.5 each.

On the country-wide trend, thecurrent report shows that theaverage pump price at N115.35has risen by 23.4 per cent month-on-month, the highest rate so farthis year, compared to 13.66 percent recorded during the petrolscarcity of the last days of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan’sregime.

The current fuel scarcity startedduring November under reviewfollowing inability of petroleummarketers to continue supply dueto huge outstanding subsidypayment the Federal Governmentwas owing them and also lack ofclarity of policy on subsidypayments.

Over N500 billion outstanding

subsidy claims are still hangingas at last weekend even after theapproval of N413 billionpayment by the government lastweek.

Their concerns appearedworsened by the content of the2016 Medium TermExpenditure Plan, MTEP,approved by the FederalExecutive Council, FEC, lastweek which shows that subsidyfunding was not coveredadequately. The 2016 budget

would be extracted from theapproved MTEP.

Consequently, petrol stationsand dealers have been verycautious in the trade and supplyat subsidized rate of N87 perlitre.

During the month ofNovember, following the fuelcrisis situation witnessed in thecountry, the Nigerian NationalPetroleum Corporation, NNPC,stated that it distributed 25.539million litres of PMS to petrol

stations across the country butthe impact was not felt.

Following the crisis which thegovernment has largelyblamed on unscrupulousmarketers who engage inhoarding of the products aswell as panic buying bymotorists, security agencieswere deployed to enforce sanityin most petrol stations, whileforcing marketers to sellproducts at official pump priceotherwise the petrol stationswere shut down.

EFCC docksDasuki,Yuguda, otherson freshcharges today

By IkechukwuNnochiri

ABUJA —The Economicand Financial Crimes

Commission, EFCC, willtoday arraign the embattledformer National SecurityAdviser, NSA, Col. SamboDasuki (retd), before an AbujaHigh Court on fresh chargesbordering on alleged illegaldiversion of public funds.

The commission has alreadysecured leave of court tocompel Dasuki and eightothers, including a formerMinister under PresidentGoodluck Jonathan, to entertheir plea today before trialJustice Hussein Baba Yusuf ofthe FCT High Court sitting atMaitama.

Others the anti-graft agencydragged before the court overtheir alleged complicity in aN10 billion fraud, include theformer Minister of Finance,Bashir Yuguda and a formerDirector of Finance in theOffice of the NSA, Mr.Shuaibu Salisu.

Equally to be docked beforethe court today are formergovernor of Sokoto State,Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa,Sagir Attahiru and a companythe EFCC insisted was usedto divert huge sums of moneyfrom the office of the NSA priorto the 2015 general elections,Dahaltu Investment Limited.

Others are former ExecutiveDirector of the NigerianNational PetroleumCommission, NNPC, AminuBaba-Kusa, as well as hiscompanies, Acacia HoldingLimited and Reliance ReferalHospital Limited.

Frivolous Petitions Bill: Online publisherssue Senate Apply for perpetual injunction

By IkechukwuNnochiri

ABUJA —THE RegisteredTrustees of Online

Publishers Association ofNigeria has gone before theFederal High Court in Abujato obtain an order of perpetualinjunction restraining theSenate from passing into lawthe proposed bill for an act toprohibit Frivolous Petitions andother matters collectedtherewith.

The controversial bill, ifpassed into law, stipulates twoyears imprisonment, a fine ofN2 million or both for anyonewho, through text message,tweets, whatsapp or any socialmedia, post any abusivestatement capable of settingthe public against any personand group of persons, aninstitution of government orsuch other bodies establishedby law.

The plaintiff, in the suit itfiled through its lawyer, Mr.Ugochukwu Osuagwu, arguedthat the Bill which wassponsored by Senator Bala IbnN’Allah from Kebbi South, willamount to a gross violation of

section 39 (1) and (2) of the1999 Constitution, asamended.

In an affidavit deposed byMr. Daniel Elombah, an onlinepublisher and member of boardof the plaintiff, he told thecourt that the “offensive bill”was presented before theSenate on December 2 by itscommittee on Judiciary,Human Right and LegalMatters, with a view to passingsame into law.

It specifically prayed thecourt to among other reliefs,make “a declaration that inview of the provisions ofsection 39(1) and (2) of the1999 Constitution, thedefendant, her officers,members, agents and priviescannot lawfully pass into lawa bill for an Act to prohibitFrivolous Petitions and OtherMatters connected therewithas presently constituted and ordrafted.

“A declaration that thepassage into law of theproposed bill for an Act toprohibit Frivolous Petitions andOther Matters connectedtherewith, will amount to the

violation of freedom ofexpression of the plaintiff asguaranteed under section 39(1) and (2) of the 1999Constitution of the FederalRepublic of Nigeria.

“An order of injunctionagainst the defendantrestraining her from furtherdebating and consideringproposed bill for FrivolousPetition and Other Mattersconnected therewith, whichviolates section 39(1) (2) ofthe 1999 constitution.

The plaintiff argued thatallowing the proposed lawwould among to a grossbreach of section 39 of theconstitution which it saidprovides that, “every personshall be entitled to freedomof expression, including tohold opinions and to receiveand impart ideas andinformation withoutinterference.”

“That it is in the interest ofjustice for this court to grantthe reliefs sought in thisoriginating summons,” theplaintiff added.

Meantime, no date hasbeen fixed for hearing of thesuit.

CMYK

10 — Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015

MILITARY PANEL: Fayose accusesFG of witch-hunt

Lagos plansfiesta duringNew Yearcrossover

Lagos approves fly-over bridges for Ajah, Abule Egba

ORDINATION; From left; new priest, Revd & Mrs Mobolade Omonijo; Chief Bambo Adesanya,Registrar, Diocese of Lagos West, Anglican Communion; Justice Ayo Philips, Deputy Chancellor,Diocese of Lagos West; Rt Revd & Mrs James Odedeji, Bishop, Diocese of Lagos West; Justice BabasolaOgunade, Chancellor, Diocese of Lagos West, and Revd & Mrs Oluwatusin Gboyega, during the 2015Advent Ordination at All Saints Anglican Parish Church, Ikosi, Ketu, Lagos. Photo by Diran Oshe.

LAGOS—THE Lagos State Government

says it is set to host thefirst edition of ‘One LagosFiesta’ to further thetradition of the New Yearcrossover celebration.

Mr Folarin Coker,Commissioner forTourism, Arts and Culture,disclosed this weekend ata conference to unveil the‘One Lagos Fiesta’scheduled to hold inLagos between December27 and January 1, 2016.

The commissioner saidover 50 artistes areexpected to perform forover 300 hours at theevent, which is expectedto attract one millionpeople to welcome theyear 2016 at the biggestcrossover party in sub-Saharan Africa.

Coker added that thefestival-like event willhappen simultaneously infive locations in the threesenatorial districts of thestate.

The event, aimed atshowcasing the state’scultural heritage and art,according to him, will takeplace in Agege Stadium,Badagry Stadium, IkoroduTown Hall, Bar beach,Lagos and Epe Youth centrein Epe.

“The ‘One LagosFiesta’ is a 5-daycelebration ofentertainment with fun,food, drink, comedy,dance and theatre, witha strong infusion of theculture of each location,”he said.

“The people of Lagos areknown for hard work, whichis complemented with ajovial spirit for celebration,especially during thefestive period.''

LAGOS—THE Lagos StateGovernment has approved

the construction of fly-overbridges for two of the state’shigh-density traffic zones - Ajahround-about and Abule Egbajunction.

The two major projects wereapproved by the State’s ExecutiveCouncil and have been dulyawarded to contractors for a speedycommencement of work.

In a statement issued yesterday,Commissioner for Information andStrategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, saidthe projects will be completedwithin 16 months as part ofGovernor Akinwunmi Ambode’songoing road infrastructureprojects across the state.

The statement said theconstruction of the reinforcedconcrete fly-over and signalizedintersection at Ajah roundaboutwill be undertakensimultaneously with therehabilitation of Freedom Roadin Lekki, with a view to reducingthe heavy traffic being recordedat the Ajah round-about and theLekki-Ikoyi axis.

Ayorinde said the Ajah fly-overbridge will have a solar-powered signalized intersectionin order to greatly improvetraffic, while the upgrade ofFreedom Road is expected toease traffic considerably forvehicles using the ThirdRoundabout to connect Lekki

through Admiralty way.While the Ajah project will ease

movement of residents andcommuters on the Lagos Island -Ibeju Lekki areas, the constructionof the reinforced concrete dual-carriage fly-over bridge at AbuleEgba junction will equally bringjoy and relief to millions ofcommuters that use the Lagos -Abeokuta Expressway in Ifako-Ijaye Local Government Area ofthe State on a daily basis whencompleted.

Like the Ajah project, Ayorindesaid the Abule Egba fly-overbridge will also have signalisedintersection under it to serviceOko-Oba and other link roadswithin the axis.

LAGOS—GOVERNORAyodele Fayose of Ekiti

State yesterday accused theFederal Government of plans touse a military panel to upturn hisvictory.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos,Fayose, who faulted the militarypanel headed by Maj-GenAdeniyi Oyebade to look at theroles of the military in the June 21governorship election in Ekiti saidthat “The military report holds nowater in law.”

The Nigeria Army constituted aBoard of Inquiry, BoI, toinvestigate the allegedinvolvement of its personnel at lastyear’s governorship elections inEkiti and Osun states.

Also, the Peoples DemocraticParty, PDP, in Ekiti State said thatit had been vindicated that themilitary panel on Ekiti and Osunstates was set up for sentimentalinterest rather than a guide todemocratic practice in Nigeria.”

Fayose said; “You will recall thatafter I won the election, there wasthis effort to stop the swearing-inthat generated a lot of controversy,even before and after the elections.There was one story of photo-chronic military rigging and allthat. You will equally recall thatthere were four elections aftermine, the presidential, NationalAssembly and State House ofAssembly elections, they allfollowed the same pattern evenwhen military men were notenough for the whole country.They followed the same patternand it is good for anybody tocomplain about the elections butwhen you are not on ground, youcannot win an elections. After Dr.Kayode Fayemi conceded, theparty still went ahead to challengeit up to the Supreme Court andwe still won.”

Faulting the Army report, he said“I am a clean person but what theyare doing now is that they went toKaduna, after all submissions,they now want to say the militaryrigged Ekiti election. They are

approach the Supreme Court toreview their position, which is notknown in law.”

He, however, maintained that theSupreme Court had laid to rest thecontroversy surrounding his victoryat the election.

“The Supreme Court dealtproperly with the issue ofimpeachment and it did not raiseissues of whether the electionswere won or not. It talked aboutthe issue of certificate that wasraised in 2002 and it equally raisedthe issue of non-qualification as aresult of impeachment. The courtdealt with it all and it was alandmark judgement alreadyreported in all law journals.

“An online newspaper generateda report of a conversation and Icame out to say that I was part ofthe conversation, I was thecomplainant in that conversation.If you now set up a militarycommittee to look into the Ekitiand Osun elections that wasadjudged to be free and fair, theAmericans and internationalobservers made it very clear thatthey recommend Ekiti elections for

subsequent elections.“To my surprise, I heard they

set up a panel to look intoactivities of some military menduring the elections in Ekiti andOsun, that is their choice. Tofulfil all righteousness, I sent myAttorney-General andCommissioner for Information togive them information that theymay not have. For instance theymight not be privy to theobservers’ report. If theinternational committee says theelections were free and fair,that the military did well, themilitary will be on their own ifthey indict their personnelbecause of politics.

“Above all, I have been verycritical of this government andI will continue to be criticalof any government inNigeria because democracyis about opposition and thegovernment in power. I haveno regrets and I am not sorryabout my actions. I did notstart after Buhari’s election, Istarted before the elections. Iactually told Nigerians not to

vote for him (Buhari.) I placedadvertorials and I am still not sorryfor that, I still maintain my standbecause I envisaged thisdisobedience to court orders anddictatorship.”

Panel set up for sentimentalinterest — EKITI PDP

The PDP in Ekiti State said ifthe military panel set up on Ekitiand Osun state election should notbe taken as mere witch-hunt, thealleged the involvement of militaryin ballot snatching and violencethat rocked the Bayelsagovernorship election, whicheventually rendered itinconclusive must be probed.

The party said it had beenvindicated that the military panelon Ekiti and Osun states was setup on sentimental interest ratherthan a guide to democraticpractice in Nigeria with theparticipation of the same militaryin the election materialssnatching, thumb-printing andkilling of PDP members thatmarred the Bayesa Stategovernorship election.

•Enquiry to serve sentimental interest — EKITI PDP

By Dapo Akinrefon &Rotimi Ojomoyela

By GabrielOlawale

releasingt h e i rr e p o r tv e r ysoon andknowingfull wellt h a tmilitaryr e p o r tholds nowater inlaw, theAttorney-Generalw o u l dwant thatr e p o r trevieweda n d



EKITI AIRPORT: Land owners sue Fayose,demand N650m damages

Kashamu urges Nigerians to bepatient with FG

Ekiti varsity VC bemoans poor revenue generation

A D O - E K I T I — T H Eairport project being

planned by the Ekiti Stategovernment may have run intotroubled waters, as farmers andland owners have suedGovernor Ayo Fayose to courtover unlawful and forcibleacquisition of their land.

The suit was instituted at an AdoEkiti High Court by AyodejiMakanjuola Esan, on behalf of thefarmers and land owners of fourcommunities affected by theproposed airport project.

In the suit, the aggrievedfarmers and land owners averredthat the agents of the 1stdefendant forcibly entered theirland without any prior notice on2nd October and subsequentoccasions to clear and removeeconomic trees, crops andbuildings, describing the actionas illegal, unconstitutional,violation of their fundamentalhuman rights and provisions ofthe Land Use Act 1978.

Copies of the court papers, whichwas made available to newsmen

yesterday by the plaintiffslawyer, Messrs Makanjuola,was marked HAD/71/2015, theplaintiff Fajuyi Ayeni, TundeAdemiluyi, Faturoti Simeon, AweOjo, Oladimeji Ojo, OlaniyiAgbadaola, Moses Ojo, FabiyiOso, and Julius Oso, sued forthemselves and on behalf offarmers.

The affected communities areIgbogun farm settlement,

Igbemo farm settlement, Iwajofarm settlement and AsoAyegunle, spanning threelocal government areas of Ado,Irepodun/Ifelodun andGbonyin.

According to theOriginating Summons, thedefendants in the case areFayose (1st), Commissioner forWorks and Transportation(2nd), Commissioner for

Lands and Housing (3rd) andAttorney General andCommissioner for Justice (4th.)

Among the relief being soughtis an order for the payment,jointly and severally by thedefendants to the claimants thesum of N650 million beinggeneral damages for theunlawful entry, damaging,removal of economic crops,destruction of buildings, huts,storage sheds and generaltrespass on their parcels of land.

No date has been fixed forthe hearing of the suit.

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

A B E O K U TA — T H E Senator representing

Ogun East in the NationalAssembly, Prince Buruji Kashamuhas thrown his weight behind theongoing anti-corruption crusadeof President MuhammaduBuhari.

Kashamu stated this whilespeaking with newsmen shortlyafter a reception organized forhim and other national and stateAssemblies legislators by theleaders and members of the OgunState Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, in Ijebu Igbo.

The lawmaker, who alsoappealed to Nigerians to bepatient with the administration ofPresident Buhari, added that theongoing probe into the alleged $2billion arms deal was notmisplaced.

According to Kashamu, theanti-corruption war launchedby President Buhari has,within a short time, gone along way in reducing theincidence of the social menace.

ADO EKITI—THE ViceChancellor of Ekiti State

University, Prof. Oye Bandele

yesterday lamented poor attitudeof students to payment ofschool fees, saying only 2,000out of the 17,600 studentspopulation of the institution

By Rotimi Ojomoyela have paid their tuition fees.This was just as the VC

promised to convoke a summiton Internally GeneratedRevenue, with intention tomake every faculty a viablerevenue generating sources tomake up for the dwindlingfunds accruing to the institution.

Speaking in Ado Ekitiyesterday, the Vice Chancellor,who resumed office December1, following the expiration ofhis predecessor’s tenure, ProfOladipo Aina, also disclosedthat the management wouldsoon begin a two-yearprogramme leading to theconversion of Higher NationalDiploma certificate to degreestatus.

Expressing concern over therefusal of the students to payfully the N40,000 tuition fee,

By Daud Olatunji

Prof Bandele said thenonchalant attitude to schoolfees payment could frustrate hisefforts in the provision ofinfrastructures and welfarepackages.

He appealed to the 15,600students who are yet to pay theirfees, to redeem their fullpayment before December 20,2016.

The former Vice Chancellorof the scrapped University ofScience and Technology, IfakiEkiti and Ekiti State Universityof Education, said theuniversity is setting machineryin motion for the explorationof business ventures likebakery, block industry, sachetwater business, farming etc , toshore up the IGR of theinstitution in view of thedwindling allocation to the state.

The lawmaker, who is the vicechairman of the SenateCommittee on States and LocalGovernment Administrationnoted that although such ananti-corruption war would resultin some pains, it had becomeimperative to enable thegovernment address the issuesof development with a view toputting the country on a soundfooting.

“President Buhari is not thePresident of APC (AllProgressives Congress.) He isthe President of PDP, Presidentof the masses and President ofNigeria. But, I can tell the massestoday that since we startedhaving presidents, it is now wehave a president, because, thetruth of the matter is that sixmonths is very short to knowwhat any president can do, but,this one, within six months,we are seeing what he iscapable of doing and what hewill still do.

“Today, I can tell you Nigeriahas started gaining. The TSAonly has cleared over 30per centof the corruption in the system.''

Osun govt vows to rid schools of gangsterism

O S O G B O — T H Egovernment of Osun

State yesterday said it will notrelent in its various reforms untilviolence is completely rooted outof its public schools institutions.

It said part of the rot createdby the long years of abandonededucation sector in the state isthat schools had becomebreeding grounds forgangsters rather than well-groomed individuals.

The government stated this in

the wake of the reported recklessdisplay of violence by somemisguided pupils of two state-owned schools at the statecapital Osogbo, last week.

In a statement signed by theDirector, Bureau ofCommunications and Strategy,Semiu Okanlawon, thegovernment said ugly incidentssuch as which happened at theAnglican High School andAdele Middle School both inOsogbo were part of the ugly

results of long years of neglect ofthe education sector, adevelopment which createdample opportunities forirresponsible conducts of pupils.

The statement recalled thatGovernor Rauf Aregbesola had,at the official unveiling of the firstmega high school in the state,lamented what he called adeplorable situation in publiceducation institutions, which hadconstituted breach of the peace tothe entire community in the past.

Motoristsadvised to drivecarefully onSagamu-Oreroad

IJEBU-ODE—THEFederal Road Safety

Commission, FRSC, hasadvised motorists to drivecarefully on Sagamu-Oreexpress way at Yuletide.

The spots include: OsosaRiver bridges I, II and IIIin Odogbolu LocalGovernment Area; andArun and Omo Riversbridges I and II at J4 area,Ogbere in Ijebu-East LocalGovernment Area of OgunState.

Mr Isah Seidu, the FRSCUnit Commander in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun, gave theadvice yesterday

“These bridges havebecome notoriouslydangerous for the pastthree years due to theirweakened guard railings,which are no longerefficient in preventingvehicles from plunging intothe rivers below.

“On Oct. 15, we lost fivepassengers on board an 18-seater commercial busheading to Ondo Statewhen their vehicle crashedinto Omo river, taking thecommand four days torecover the corpses.

“Our drivers must curtailtheir speed when they getto these spots to minimisethe risk of crashes and wewill also have our menavailable to signal motoriststo slow down beforepassing”, Seidu added.

He urged the FederalGovernment to urgentlyrehabilitate the Sagamu-Ore expressway andreinforce the bridges withconcrete barriers to stop theloss of lives on the road.

Seidu warned securityescorts attached togovernment personnel toensure giving right-of-wayto other road users, sayingthe corps would notcondone any form ofindiscipline on the roadsirrespective of status.

AWARD: ViceC h a n c e l l o r ;Obafemi awolowoUniversity, Ile-Ife,Prof BamitaleOmole (left),confering ChiefAlex Duduyemiwith HonoraryDegree of Doctorof BusinessManagement withthe assistance ofthe Chancellor;Alhaji (Dr.) YahayaAbubakar; EtsuNupe during thes c h o o l ' sg r a d u a t i o nceremony. Photoby Dare Fasube.

CMYK


Bayelsa Poll: PDP slams JTF over securitylapse in Southern Ijaw

By Samuel Oyadongha

Deltacommunity tohonourDESOPADECChairman

N13bn varsityland: We gotonly N360m—Community

Court orders Navy to pay N200m over illegal detentionof vessel

By Onozure Dania

Edo 2016: Tension in APC over Oshiomhole’srumoured endorsement of Obaseki

By Simon Ebegbulem

Y E N A G O A — T H ERestoration Campaign

Organization of Governor SeriakeDickson, candidate of the PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP, in theinconclusive poll in Bayelsa State,yesterday, slammed the Joint TaskForce, JTF, for absolving itself ofany blame in the violence andirregularities that marred therecent election in Southern IjawLocal Government Area of thestate, saying that the security bodycould have done better to forestallthe violence that led to thecancelation of the election.

It has also rejected the positionof the JTF on being neutral as thegovernor's campaign outfitaccused it of colluding with othersto rig the election.

General Stevenson Olabanji,Commander, 2 Brigade, of theNigerian Army, had at a newsbriefing in Yenagoa, regretted theviolence during the election andclaimed that the JTF made anumber of arrests just as he statedthat Governor Seriake Dickson’svisit to Oporoma on election dayfuelled violence in the area.

But the Restoration CampaignOrganisation of the PDP, in astatement by its Director ofPublicity, Jonathan Obuebite,blamed the JTF for the securitylapse leading to loss of lives inSouthern Ijaw council because itdid not heed advice by thegovernor and others to postponethe election on account ofanticipated violence.

He accused the JTF of beingpartisan, stating that its officersworked with thugs loyal to theopposition party in the state toundermine the entire electoralprocess in Southern Ijawcouncil.

“It is only fit and proper forthe JTF to own up to its failuresand apologize to the people ofSouthern Ijaw for the despicable

and unprofessional conduct ofsome of its officers who clearlywere more interested in liningtheir pockets. It failed to givereasons why it withdrew themilitary security attached to thegovernor and gave order forthem to be detained, therebycompromising the security ofthe governor,” he said.

Even while he commendedthe JTF on some of its efforts,

he, nonetheless, said they fellshort of expectation.

“We expected the JTF to havedone much more, knowing fullywell reports of arms build-up bythe APC leading up the election.The JTF should have adopted aproactive approach by deployingsuperior intelligence to trackdown the movement of arms byAPC thugs and arrest same longbefore the commencement of theelection,” he added.

A Federal High Courtsitting in Lagos has

ordered the Nigerian Navy andthe Chief of Naval Staff, jointly andseverally, to pay an oil company,Mercury Oil Limited, the sum ofN200 million as damages forillegally detaining its vessel M TSAPPHIRE 1 and siphoning280,000 litres of Automated GasOil contained in the said vessel.

Trial judge, JusticeChukwujekwu Aneke said: “Thepresent case has brought to thefore once again, the arrogant,brutal, callous and capriciousmanner our law enforcementagencies commonly adopt in theexercise of their functions to theconsternation and embarrassmentof any discerning and decentmind around. We are in ademocracy and must doeverything to enthrone andnurture democratic ethos for thegood of the society.”

The judgment was sequel toenforcement of rights suit byMercury Oil Ltd., its vessel M TSAPPHIRE 1,and four crewmembers on board, FolorunsoOlayiwola, Joshua Arthur,Asabalashe Johnson and Wale

Alade, through their counsel,Mr Norrison Quakers, SAN.

In an affidavit in support of thesuit, the Managing Director ofthe firm averred that sometimein February, 2014,Mercury Oilcompany was engaged inoffshore operation to loadAutomotive Gas Oil, AGO afterrelevant approvals wereobtained. However, the vessel

and its crew members werearrested on suspicion ofengaging in illegal operations.

After due investigation by theNigeria Security and CivilDefence Corps, which is thebody responsible for suchinvestigation, the vessel wascleared of any wrong doing orillegal activities and it wasrecommended that the vessel

should be released, but theNigerian Navy refused andduring the period the vessel wasin detention, the 280,000 litresof AGO in the vessel wasillegally siphoned by theNigerian Navy.

The product on board of thevessel, the MD averred, wasfinanced by a bank loan to thetune of N170 million.

BENIN—THE rumouredendorsement of the

chairman of the Economic Teamof Edo State Government, MrGodwin Obaseki, as GovernorAdams Oshiomhole's preferredgovernorship candidate of theAll Progressives Congress, APC,ahead of the 2016 governorshipelection in the state is causingtension in the party.

The tension is due to the calibreof aspirants in the party,including the Deputy Governorof the state, Dr Pius Odubu,former governor of the state,Prof. Osarhiemen Osunbor,Oshiomhole’s Works

Commissioner and politicalson, Osarodion Ogie, formerMinister of State, Works, DrChris Ogiemwonyi, KennethImasuagbon (Rice man) andGen. Charles Airhiavbere.

Obaseki’s emergence in thegovernorship race came as asurprise to many due to the factthat he is seen as a technocratand not a politician. He isalleged to be backed bybusiness mogul, Alhaji AlikoDangote.

However, tension heightenedin the state's APC last week aftersome leaders of the partyinformed their followers thatObaseki was the governor’sanointed and urged them to keyinto it. Vanguard learned of an

alleged plot to ensure that hisemergence was frustrated at theprimaries by other aspirants.Oshiomhole had in an interviewwith Vanguard, expressed hisrespect for each of the aspirantsand assured that the leadershipof the party would ensure theemergence of a candidate thatwill sustain the infrastructuraldevelopment he put in place.

But a chieftain of the party, RevMichael Egharevha, dismissedsuch threats, saying: “If Obasekiis the governor’s choice nobodywill stop him. Oshiomhole mademost of us what we are todayand if he decides it is Obaseki,so be it, we will all support him.So if anybody is threatening, itis only a waste of time.”

K O K O — T H EObitugbo community

in Warri North LocalGovernment Council Area ofDelta State will tomorrow, holda reception in honour of theChairman of Delta State OilProducing AreasDevelopment Commission,DESOPADEC and ChiefExecutive Officer of AwaritseNigeria Limited, Mr GodwinEbosa.

Chairman of the communityand chief host of the event, Mr.Lawrence Ukubeyinje, said thehonour was in recognition ofEbosa's outstandingcontribution to theinfrastructural and physicaldevelopment of thecommunity.

According to him, GovernorIfeanyi Okowa’s appointmentof Ebosa, a former Chairmanof Warri North council, waswell deserved because ofEbosa’s robust experience asa private entrepreneur andpublic servant per excellence.

The grand reception isscheduled to hold at theObitugbo ultra-modern townhall where otherdevelopmental projects wouldbe showcased alongside theproposed site for the muchexpected Warri University.

THE leaders andpeople of

Okerenkoko, GbaramatuKingdom, in Warri South-West Local GovernmentArea, Delta State, havegiven their total support tothe Economic and FinanceCrimes Commission,EFCC, in its probe of ChiefGovernment Ekpemupolo,alias Tompolo, over thealleged N13 billion paid byFederal Government for theacquisition of the MaritimeUniversity land in thecommunity.

The leaders, who spokethrough Chief MichealJohnny, yesterday in Warri,said now that Tompolo hadadmitted that the allegedN13 billion was approvedby the Federal ExecutiveCouncil, FEC and Bureauof Public Procurement, BPP,Federal Ministry of Landsand Survey, FederalMinistry of Transport,NIMASA, the EFCCshould ask Tompolo whyOkerenkoko was paid onlyN360 million for the land.

SWEARING-IN: From left: Comrade Innocent Oparaugo, Chairman, Rivers State Chapterof Liquified Petroleum Gas Retailer, LPGAR; Comrade Godwin Agbaduru, Vice Chairman,LPGAR, Rivers State Chapter and Comrade Ejike Ihemeje, Secretary, LPGAR, during theswearing-in of the new Executive Council of the union in Port Harcourt. Photo: NwankpaChijioke.

CMYK


Bayelsa poll: APC lauds JTF over report on violence in S-Ijaw

By Samuel Oyadongha &Emem Idio

Delta lawmakers, Harriman extolnew Olu of Warri

By Festus Ahon

YENAGOA—THE AllProgressives Congress,

APC, in Bayelsa State, weekend,lauded the Joint Task Force, JTF,over the report released on theviolence that rocked the cancelledrescheduled election in SouthernIjaw Local Government Area of thestate, saying that the report hasvindicated the party.

The party said though it hadraised alarm over the allegedcomplicity of the PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP and itscandidate, Governor SeriakeDickson, in the violence andirregularities witnessed duringthe December 5 and 6governorship election, itnonetheless, declared that thereport released by the JTFalleging the state governor,Seriake Dickson's complicity in theviolence that rocked Southern Ijawwas an unbiased and true versionof the incident.

Meanwhile, the Army, onSaturday, disclosed that troops ofOperation Safe Conduct, postedto the state on election duty,apprehended 17 suspected thugs

with arms and stolen PermanentVoters Cards, PVC, during theDecember 5 governorshipelection in the state.

Addressing newsmen inYenagoa, Commander ofOperation Safe Conduct andCommander of 2 Brigade andSector 2 of the Nigerian Army,

Brigadier General StephensonOlabanji, also revealed that 10AK 47 rifles and ammunition,including 30 PVCs were alsorecovered from the suspects.

Gen. Olabanji, who wasaccompanied by the stateCommissioner of Police, NasiruOki, said, three youths were

arrested along Clough CreekMilitary Check Point inEkeremor with 30 suspectedstolen PVCs, while another fivesuspects were arrested with 5AK 47 and ammunitions afterexchange of gun fire inOporoma, headquarters ofSouthern Ijaw council.

As Army recovers 10 AK 47 rifles, others from suspected thugs

A S A B A —M E M B E R S

Delta State House ofAssembly, representingWarri South-West andWarri South I, DanielMayuku and GodwinAbigor, have expressedconfidence that the reignof His Royal Majesty,Abiloye Emiko, the 20thOlu of Warri, wouldusher in greater peaceand development inIwere Kingdom.

Also, the membersrepresenting Warri SouthII and Ethiope East inthe House, DennisOmovie and EvansIvwhurie, alsocongratulated the Olu onhis coronation.

They also felicitatedwith the Itsekiri theworld over, on thecoronation of a new kingin Iwere Kingdom,

expressing confidencethat the reign of the newOlu will usher in newhope for the people andprogress in allramifications.

Similarly, formerHouse ofRepresentatives memberand All ProgressivesCongress, APC,chieftain, TemiHarriman, hascongratulated His RoyalMajesty Ikenwoli I, onhis coronation onSaturday.

In a statement,weekend, Harrimanexpressed happiness atthe development, sayingthat the new monarchascended the thronesufficiently equipped toshowcase and stretch therich culture of WarriKingdom dating from1480.

“Our role as subjects ofthe new monarch is to

cooperate with him, prayfor him, for it is onlyunder a peacefulatmosphere that can weprosper in the kingdom,”Harriman said.

Meanwhile, Mayukuand Abigor joinedmillions of Itsekiri theworld over to felicitatewith the new Olu on hiscoronation as the 20thOlu of the great IwereKingdom.

The lawmakers said thatthe ascension of AbiloyeIkenwoli Emiko to thethrone of his forefathersmarks the beginning ofa new era in WarriKingdom and in the livesof the Iwere people allover the world.

They said it was theirsincere prayer that Godwill grant the new Oluthe strength, wisdom andgood health to rule theItsekiri people to theadmiration of all.

He added that the troops alsointercepted a speed boatconveying nine persons with fiveAK 47 rifles and someammunition on Olugbobiri Riverin Southern Ijaw, adding that allthe suspects have since beenhanded over to the Police.

I didn’t collect N100m from Yuguda —Bode George

By Dapo Akinrefon

FORMER DeputyNational Chairman of

Peoples Demcoratic Party, PDP,Chief Olabode George, hasdenied collecting N100 millionfrom former Minister of Finance(State), Mr Bashir Yuguda,saying it is another blatantfalsehood, stripped of any iotaof truth.

George, who is also the AtonaOodua of Yorubaland, describedthe claim as “mischievous anddeliberately fraudulent.”

The PDP leader, in a statementsaid: “My attention has been

drawn to another mischievousand deliberately fraudulentclaim that I collected N100million from Bashir Yuguda,the former Minister of State forFinance. This is another blatantfalsehood, stripped of any iotaof truth. This is yet again adepraved continuation of lynchmob journalism orchestrated byan online newspaper.”

In an effort to set the recordsstraight, he said: “The salientfact is that very early this year,long before the election period,the party set up Contact andMobilization Commttee foreach zone to reconcile various

factions and ensure a firm unityof purpose within the zonesbefore the election. I was electedas the Chairman for the South-West zone.

"The committee which wasmade up of 18 senior membersof the party with distinguishedhistory of honour andexemplary leadership, met atleast 10 times in my office inLagos. These people travelledall the way from every corner ofthe South-West, with threemembers representing eachstate. All of them are very muchalive to testify to my assertions.Sometime in the middle of these

deliberations, Yuguda came to meand said the party wasreimbursing the 18 elders of thecommittee for their transportation,accommodation and feedingallowance for the work that wasdone.

“The committee later submittedthe report of its deliberations tothe party and then wound up .Forall these efforts Yuguda gave thecommittee only $30,000. That wasless than N6 million at that time.Yuguda can never claim that hegave the Committee N100 million.That is the figment of theimagination of rascally scribblerspurporting to be journalists.Again, facts are sacred.”

CMYK

14 — Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14 , 2015

CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS: PDP wants Buhari probed over1984 security votes, PTF

Journalist launches crime controlinitiative

A journalist, Adeola Akinremi has launched

a mobile-friendly webapplication located atwww.crimeonthego.ng as asolution to crime wave in thecountry.

According to Akinremi, amulti-award winningjournalist and columnist,celebrated for his prolificwriting, the web applicationwill use crowd sourcingtechnique to solve andprevent crimes.

“Crimeonthego.ng is a webplatform for people to report

•You are shameless, Lai Mohammed tells PDP

By Emmanuel Aziken,Political Editor & Henry

Umoru

THE PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP and

the presidency yesterday re-engaged in a war of words overcorruption, with the oppositionparty daring the administration toinstitute a truth commission toprobe utilisation of security votesback to 1984.

In an apparent reaction to thefresh spew of allegations againstofficials of the immediate pastadministration, the PDP faultedthe administration for supposedlyengaging in a media trial of theGoodluck Jonathanadministration, daring theadministration to come clean onhow it obtained its own funds forthe 2015 elections.

The acrimony was furtherworsened by assertions made bythe Deputy President of theSenate, Senator Ike Ekweremaduthat the country could be headedtowards a revolution given thedownward slide of the economy.

The administration, respondingthrough Alhaji Lai Mohammed,the Minister of Information flayedthe opposition party for its lack of

shame in the face of what heclaimed was the ruin of theeconomy by its leaders.

The PDP, while welcoming theinvestigations of its governmentin a statement issued by itsNational Publicity Secretary, ChiefOlisa Metuh, however,condemned what it described asa media trial and dared theadministration to extend theinvestigations into the utilisationof security votes to 1984 whenPresident Muhammadu Buhariwas military head of state.

Olisa Metuh:“We restate for emphasis that a

media and public war againstcorruption is good, but it shouldnot be limited to only thoseopposed to the President and theruling party. In fact, until topofficials of the former governmentopen up on the exact source ofthe funding, it remains prematureto be accusing our party membersof corrupt practices.

“Nevertheless, if indeed thegovernment’s investigationincludes the expenditure ofPresident Jonathan security votesfrom 2011, then it should beextended to a public inquisitionon the following:

*The security votes of pastpresidents and Heads of state from1984.

*Contract award by the PetroleumTrust Fund from 1995 to 1999.

*The expenditure of militarypurchases and expenditure duringthe Bakassi wars, the fight againstmilitancy in the Niger Delta,military interventions in Liberia,Sierra Leone, Sudan, Somalia,Rwanda, among others.

*The source of funding of the PDPand APC’s 2015 presidentialcampaigns; the contributions fromAPC-controlled state governors fortheir presidential campaign and thebeneficiaries thereof.

Ekweremadu:The highest elected political office

holder in PDP, Ekweremadu, hadat a PDP Southeast zonal caucusmeeting in Enugu last Saturdayexpressed concern on what hedescribed as the administration’sinability to manage the economywarning at the prospect of arevolution breaking out.

Lai Mohammed:Accusing the PDP officials of

living in denial, Mohammed said:“Senator Ekweremadu complainedabout the depreciation of the Naira

without telling Nigerians who‘dollarized’ the Nigerianeconomy by bribing manyindividuals and groups withdollars during the last elections,thus inflicting a knock-out punchon the local currency. He alsofailed to tell Nigerians whichgovernment presided over thefrenzied mop-up of dollars,either for ‘armsgate’ or for slush

fund purposes, from the CBN to apoint where it almost ran out of thehard currency,’’ he said

“The outcome of the months ofhard work will manifest soon in the2016 national budget that will givesuccour to millions of Nigerianswho are reeling from fallout of thesolecism of the immediate pastadministration that turned thecountry into a cash bazaar.’’

their daily encounters with crimesituations. It’s a form ofcommunity policing that’s tech-driven. We are empoweringcitizens to become activeparticipants in crime control andhelp law enforcement agents toprevent and solve crimeswithout delays,” Akinremi saidin a statement released byMedia Direct Limited.

''The features of the site willenable citizens to provide andreceive updates on criminalactivities in their localities, and atthe same time providing usefulhistorical data about crimes indifferent neighbourhoods andcities in the country.



LG POLL: PPA accuses Anambra govt of killing local adminBy Chimaobi Nwaiwu

NNEWI —P R O G R E S S I V E S

People’s Alliance, PPA, AnambraState branch has accused thestate government of deliberatelydelaying the conduct of localgovernment elections in the statebecause of the money it wasmaking from the councils.

Chairman of PPA in the state,Mathias Ameke made theaccusation in Anaku, AyamelumLocal Government Area of thestate while addressing newsmenduring the one year anniversaryof Anambra Good GovernanceForum.

PPA also accused the stategovernment of gagging the pressand preventing opposition partiesfrom the use of state radio and

television and other massagencies owned by the state tomake their voices heard.

The party said, “What APGAgovernment in the state is callinggood governance and praising itselves with some media housesthey have bought over is simply‘a flash in the pan.’ Unless thereis autonomous LGAs system, anduntil development and powerdevolves to the grassroots, then

people will agree that there isgood governance in the state.

“LGAs administration havebeen rubbished in the scheme ofthings in Anambra State and thatis where the people are, there isno good governance unless thereis autonomous LGA system andadministration where election isvisibly contested, manifestos flungaround, mission statements madeand whoever wins must do what

Senate defends purchase of vehicles

The Senate, yesterday,rebuffed reports of a

multi-billion naira car purchasescandal, saying the proposedvehicles are meant forcommittee work of senators andreplacement of the ‘rickety’ fleetof the Senate President, SenatorBukola Saraki.

Responding to claims of theimminent purchase of 120 unitsof Land Cruiser SUVs, 2016model, the Senate in astatement, claimed that thevehicles would not be for thepersonal use of the senators.

The statement issued bySenate spokesman, SenatorAliyu Sabi AbdullahiChairman, Senate Committeeon Media and Publicity, was in

response to claims that thepurchases were contrary to themonetisation policy of theFederal Government underwhich the senators were earliergiven advances for vehicles.

He added that the proposedunits for the Senate Presidentwere to replace utility vehiclesthat have repeatedly brokendown in the past.

In the statement, SenatorAbdullahi said: “The vehiclesare not meant for individualSenators. They are purchasedfor the use of the committees.

“For those who may want tofind out what happened to theones bought in the past, wecannot expect that after fouryears, the vehicles will still bein the condition to effectivelyserve the present committees.

The best practice in

government institutions andeven private organizations is forofficial vehicles allocated to topofficials after four years of useto be sold at the depreciatedvalue,” Abdullahi stated.

“We have been very frugal,responsive and responsible inour spendings. We have alsocut down on several expenses.However, there are certainexpenses and purchases thatare normal in government andany organisation generally. Thelegislature is not an exception.

“With respect to the officialvehicles of the SenatePresident, it should be notedthat majority of the vehicles inhis convoy are his personalvehicles while some of thevehicles that he inherited,including his official vehiclesand the back-up car, are so old

he or she promised, then there isgood governance."

that they are alreadydeveloping faults and not fit forlong journey.

"We can recall that on severaloccasions, his official car brokedown. Three instances willsuffice here. I remember on avisit to Nasarawa State for awedding of the daughter of acolleague. Other occasionswere at the National Mosquethree weeks ago and at theAbuja Airport.

“The implication is that thevehicles in his official convoyare so old that they are alreadycausing embarrassment for theSenate.

"The media should know thata man of his antecedents will notat this point be excited withpurchase of new cars. His officialcars are really long over-due forreplacement,” Aliyu stated.

PDP blastsAPC overEnugucaretakerc’ttee

E N U G U — T H EEnugu State

chapter of the PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP, haslampooned the AllProgressives Congress,APC, over what it called themischievous commentagainst the plan by the stategovernment to constituteCaretaker Committees torun the affairs of the 17councils in the state.

The state chapter of thePDP said the APC lacks themoral grounds to speak onthe matter in the sense thatmost states controlled bythe APC administer councilaffairs through caretakercommittees.

The party maintainedthat there was nothingconstitutionally wrong withsetting up of thecommittees under thepresent circumstanceswhich the state found itself.

By Francis Igata

By Emmanuel Aziken,Political Editor



Olu of Warri coronation

HRM. Ogiame Ikenwoli I Olu of Warri on his throne, at Ode-Itsekiri, Ancestral Home of the Itsekiris, in Warri South LocalGovernment Area of Delta State.

Rear Admiral Princeton Omatsola (ret'd, left) ina chat with HRM, Samson Omene, Ovie ofMosogar, as HRM. Orhue I, Orodje of Okpe,looks on.

Traditional rulers filing out a\fter the coronation.

HRM, Prof. Achebe, Obi of Onitsha (right)

The new Olu of Warri Kingdom, arriving the NNS Delta base for the boatregatta before the coronation

Former Vice President, Chief Alex Ekwueme, his wife, and Mrs. Lola Akande,Commissioner for Women Affairs, Lagos State representing the stategovernor.

Mr A. A. B. Oseragbeje (Apollo'') and Lady HelenOwie.

From left, Dr. Kachikwu Ibe, Minister of State for Petroleum; Engr. Babachir DavidLawal, SGF, and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, former Delta State governor.

A cross section of guests, watching the boat regatta before the coronation.

From left, Chief Peter Ukoha, Chief Linus Eluke, Chief JudeChiedozie, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo andLeader of Igbo Community in Delta State, Chief GabrielEzeonu, Senior Apostle Eke, Secretary General of OhanaezeNdigbo Delta Central & South)

Barrister Kingsley Otuaro, Deputy Governor,Delta State (left) and Sen. Ighoyota Amori

CMYK


OLU OF WARRI CORONATION

From left: Dr. Ibe Kachikwu,Group Managing Director, NNPC/Minister of Statefor Petroleum Resources, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, SenatorBola Tinubu, APC National Leader, former Vice President, Chief Alex Ekwueme,and his wife, Sen. James Manager and Hon. Leo Ogor.

From left: Alex Eyengho, Chief (Mrs) Tesa Egbe-Ikimi, Chief Adolor Okotie-Eboh, and Mrs. AdolorOkotie-Eboh.

Dr. Alex Ideh (right) and Lady Helen Owie.

Mrs. Lola Akande, Commissioner for Women Affairs and PovertyAlleviation, representing Lagos State Governor (left) and Mrs. PatriciaArawore.

From left: Yeye Rewane, Irone Rita Begho andRose Erewa-Danmole at the event.

HRM, Ovie R.L. Ogbon, JP, Ogoni-Oghoro I, Ohworode of OlomuKingdom (right) and Admiral Princeton Omatsola (retd.).

Boat regatta by Itsekiri communities on theoccasion.

Members of the Erigwa Ladies Social Club, welcoming Mr. Sam Amuka,Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers to Ode-Itsekiri for the ceremony. Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and his wife, Helen.

CMYK


OPINION

Strategic international communication ofPresident Buhari’s agenda

By Chinedu Moghalu

THERE is an ongoing makeover of theinternational reputation of Nigeria since

President Muhammadu Buhari came intooffice on May 29. He has brought credibilityto the governance of the country. The imme-diate implication is that the internationalcommunity is now better disposed to work-ing with Nigeria, especially with regard toenhancing security. As U.S. President BarackObama noted in Washington DC in July, whenPresident Buhari visited him officially at theWhite House, the Nigerian president is a cred-ible leader and a decent man who is alsoknown for his unwavering anti-corruptioncrusade.

Since President Buhari came into office,Nigeria has emerged as a jurisdiction wheregovernment policies are no longer taken forgranted. As someone indicated, “a new sher-iff is now in town” - market rules have be-come even more transparent, and infractionsof rules and processes are no longer tolerat-ed. These are no mere conjectures. Observersand those with close affinity to the countryhave begun to note tighter control of the reinsof government, mounting pressure on pastwrongdoers – which serves as a deterrence towould-be offenders – and regulatory punish-ments for those who violate market rules.

A lot about the misgovernance – real orperceived – requires institutional remodellingand strategic plans at strengthening the stateand market institutions. This entails a lotmore than what the good reputation of thePresident can change overnight.

Yet, the consequences of misgovernance arewith us, either as a people or as a market.They ensure the country remains a paradox.Instead of a straightforward case for invest-ment, because of the breadth and depth of theopportunities, Nigeria’s investment outlookis tainted by disturbing poverty data. Gener-ally speaking, the market is still at an earlystage of development, even if we agree that,at a micro level of the analysis, it is not entire-ly lacking in sophistication.

A greater challenge to correcting the per-ception and impact of misgovernance is theglobal economy that has been in a roller-

coaster of crisis and weak recovery since the2008 – 2009 Global Financial Crisis. Thismeans that investors’ appetite for risks re-mains weak. Moreover, ensuing market vol-atility makes investors’ attention span veryfleeting. When we put this in the context thatbad news travels faster and wider, we see aneed for a determined effort to sell Nigeria’sChange agenda.

So what should be our message? Nigeria’seconomy is way broader than oil. Oil cur-rently accounts for just 10 percent of the GDP.A key aspect of the policy push by PresidentBuhari is structural economic diversificationand wider export production. Since this agen-da was even pursued by past administrations,it means there is something to build upon.Thus, more success can be achieved within ashort period, in SME manufacturing, agro-processing, solid minerals extraction and pro-cessing and services which, in actual fact, nowaccounts for more than 60 percent of the GDP.

The point to note is that while we must usethe international media in propagating ourmessages, exclusive use of a handful of out-lets creates ‘media authorities’ on Nigeriawho tend to misuse the privilege.

Happily, the internet and social media havebroadened the definition of internationalmedia. Local newspaper websites reach peo-ple across the geographic regions of theworld. Albeit, to effectively reach some rele-vant target audiences such as global inves-tors, policymakers, academics, ordinary citi-zens with whom Nigerians in the Diasporacoexist, it would be needful to sometimes syn-

dicate the Change message in a number ofWestern outlets.

However, the communication strategy mustrecognise the shifts in the global marketplace.Nigeria now needs to engage with the Eastmuch more than before. China has since be-come the world’s second largest economy andAfrica’s number one trading partner. As wesee with the latest visits of Chinese President,Xi Jinping, to the United States and Britain,China is becoming more important in eco-nomic diplomacy and global investment.While China has been noted to overlook do-mestic politics of its African partners, this doesnot preclude building more understandingon the brighter Nigerian policy landscape andthe opportunities we have for investment withBeijing.

The other shift with regard to this discus-sion is Nigeria in Africa. Nigeria is the conti-nent’s largest economy. While the country hasalways had political influence on the conti-nent, Nigeria’s economic status has intro-duced a new dynamic. This means more Ni-gerians will be working in African countriesas our local corporates grow to the rest ofAfrica. Fellow Africans have become evenmore important publics of Nigeria’s interna-tional public relations.

Therefore, one expects that our internationalcampaigns should now also target South Af-rican, Kenyan, and Ghanaian media, amongothers. Beyond fostering normal diplomaticrelations, the aim would be to make Nigeri-an investments and workforce in the regionsafe from prejudice and other harms.

*Mr Moghalu is Head, Corporate Com-munications, Nigerian Export-Import Bank

Fellow Africans have be-come even more importantpublics of Nigeria’s inter-national public relations

WE are at that time of the yearwhen millions of Nigerians from allover the world and all corners ofthe nation travel to their nativecommunities to celebrate Christ-mas, New Year and engage in allforms of family and communal re-union festivities.

Each day from this week, hun-dreds of thousands more people willbe travelling than is usual at anyother time. They will travel byland, air and water. It is, therefore,important to put the various agen-cies regulating the safety of allmeans of transportation on theirduty posts and ensure we minimiseaccidents, mishaps and sufferingsof travellers.

We are happy to note that the Ni-gerian Meteorological Agency(NIMET) has already taken theproactive step of issuing remindersto aircraft pilots to beware of thedangers of the Harmattan hazewhich appears to be more severethan normal this year. The Agencyalso directs airline operators to

Ensuring Yuletide travellers’safety

comply strictly with the need to ob-tain information and adhere toweather advisories before, duringand after each flight operation.Greater care should also be takento ensure the safety and comfort ofpassengers, many of whom are com-ing from all parts of the globe.

The Federal Road Safety Commis-sion (FRSC) which is usually veryactive at this time of the yearshould redouble their efforts. Inconjunction with the various stateVehicle Inspection Directorates,

they should embark on massivechecks of vehicles to ensure theirroadworthiness and those of driv-ers manning them to minimise theprospects of accidents. They shouldalso stand ready when such unfor-tunate events do occur and ensurethat victims have quick access tomedical attention.

By far the most neglected meansof transportation in Nigeria is trav-el on the waterways. Unlike its airand road transport counterpartswhere the voices and presence of

safety regulatory agencies are pal-pable very little is heard of the ac-tivities of the Nigerian Inland Wa-terways Authority (NIWA) in prep-aration for mass movement of Ni-gerians during festive seasons.This is not good enough. Since mil-lions of Nigerians can only reachtheir communities by river craft,more effort should be made to en-sure their safety and assist opera-tors and passengers as required.

We call on all stakeholders toplay their roles and not dependsolely on government agencies toprovide them safety en route. It isthe responsibility of everyone.Travellers must cooperate with lawenforcement agencies and offerassistance to one another when theneed arises.

This is a time of the year whenwe ignore the negative effects ofeconomic downturn and celebratelove and common bonds. Those whoare not travelling should remainsafety conscious. To those travel-ling, we wish you bon voyage.

CMYK


CMYK

Send Opinions & Letters to:[email protected]

The Nigerian Senate and ourfreedom

By Michael Egbejumi-David

ON October 1, 2015, the intrepidGovernor of Kaduna State, Nasir

El-Rufai, announced to the nation that theprevious Jonathan government spent someN64 billion on Independence Daycelebrations. It turned out that El-Rufaiwas wildly off the mark; he had greatlymassaged the figures.

The Jonathan administration actuallyspent N333, 600, 000 over four years onIndependence Day festivities. This correctfigure was confirmed by the Office of theSecretary General of the Federation,OSGF. How did the truth emerge? Agroup called BudgIT Nigeria applied tothe OSGF under the Freedom ofInformation Act.

Well, the Freedom of Information Act isin trouble. So also is the Cyber Law. Just a couple of weeks ago in the Senate,the Senate Leader, one Ali Ndume, got upand opined that the Freedom ofInformation Act as well as freedom ofspeech “must be looked into.” It gotworse.

Ali Ndume had been contributing to adebate in the Senate to introduce a bill torestrict and punish social media use inNigeria! I kid you not. Even Afghanistanand Iran have got it better in that regard.

The current government, includingmajority of representatives at thelegislative level, rode into office on theback of a change mantra a lot of whichwas driven home by (mostly young peopleon) social media. Now in office, the samepeople that used and profited handsomelyfrom the social media suddenly find thatthese tools are abhorrent and negative. It has to be done away with or severelycurtailed with associated heavy

punishment for infringements as definedby our senators. How’s that for irony?

Six months in office I can only rememberthe Senate for three things: A long andunsavoury leadership tussle; protection oftheir various allowances and entitlements,including something they called wardrobeallowance; and a very slap-dash ministerialscreening exercise. The rest of the time,the distinguished people took prolongedrecesses.

Now they are back, their first job is torestrict social media use. An All ProgressivesCongress led Senate! It is beyond mindboggling. The anti-people bill is beingsponsored by Senator Ibn Na’Allah ofKebbi State. The most noteworthy thingabout Na’Allah, a lawyer and a former cardealer, is that he reportedly bought a planein 2009 and claimed that it was cheaper forhim to maintain his aircraft than tomaintain some cars in his garage. AliNdume’s grouse was that a while ago, hewas accused of providing Boko Haram withsome golf buggies. Senator Malaye wasparticularly bitter about Saharareporters. Also, there was a picture of a champagnebottle adorned with the Senator’s facesuitably flanked by the Senate’s mace thatrecently made the rounds on social media. Dino didn’t like that.

Keeping the details of their bill from someof the more serious-minded senators, thisgroup presented their Anti-Social Media Billon the floor of the Senate. Amazingly, injust 14 days, their bill got its second reading. Of course Senator Malaye led the debate. Dino used to be an activist of sorts inNigeria. He was promptly supported byvarious others; most notably Ali Ndume andone elderly looking Peoples DemocraticParty female Senator from Ekiti State. Ekiti is supposed to be the home of well

learned folks. Anyway, after their verynegatively-charged debate, their self-induced hysteria and contrived indignation,the Senate President, Saraki, referred thewhole matter to a Senate Committee to workout the fine details.

This is what the sponsors of the Bill want:•Up to two years in prison or N2 million

fine or both for anyone disseminating viatext message, Twitter, WhatsApp, or anyother form of social media an “abusive”statement.

•A sentence of up to seven years in prisonor N4 million fine for anyone whointentionally propagates false informationthrough electronic message intending to “setthe public against any person and group ofpersons, an institution of government or suchother bodies established by law.

•Imprisonment for six months without anoption of fine for any person who unlawfullyuses, publishes or cause to be published anypetition or complaint not supported by aduly sworn affidavit.

In other words, do not criticise anygovernment official or institution.

The whole thing beggars belief. Of allthe challenges presently confrontingNigeria, our senators are more concernedabout the intrusion of, and how they areportrayed on social media.

Happily, President Buhari has disownedthe Senate and their perfidious bill, andrightly so. The last thing he wants to bereminded of is Decree 4. Personally, I donot know anyone who is not alarmed anddisgusted by what the Senate is doing. Already, a group in America has begun tolobby their senators in the US Congress toplace our anti-social senators on a No-Flylist - you know, the way such lists areroutinely imposed on tyrants and otherjump-up dictators across the globe.

So where does all of this leave us? Wehave to fight for our right, that’s where. Already, there’s a feeling that the country isbeing dragged backwards anyway. Whenyou try to articulate this, you are called awailer by the Buharideens. But thatshouldn’t stop us from getting in touch withour legislative representatives to registerour disapproval of the Anti-Social MediaBill. Similarly, we should be pressingwhatever is left of the civil society to organiseus and themselves into a cohesive opposi-tion to what is looking like a majorencroachment on free speech and ourcollective freedom. We must all stand up andchallenge the tyranny of the privileged.

We should never submit ourselves tothought-control. We would never allow ourvoices to be muzzled because some folksdon’t want to be challenged in this 21stcentury. If this is how they feel, they shouldhave steered well clear of public office. There are sufficient provisions in ourstatutes to counter libel and slander. Letaggrieved senators use that. North Koreans,we are not!

We must all stand upand challenge thetyranny of theprivileged; we shouldnever submit ourselvesto thought-control; wewould never allow ourvoices to be muzzledbecause some folksdon’t want to bechallenged

*Mr Egbejumi-David, a commentatoron national issues, wrote from Lagos.

Orphaned Senate

THE Senate stands alone.Cold, desolate. and isolated.

Open to the elements as showersof criticism rain on it relentless-ly from all parts of the country,and even abroad. The Senate’spains are self- inflicted; it hadconsciously invited the torrentson its head when it decided toentertain a frivolous bill, “TheBill for an Act to Prohibit Friv-olous Petitions and Other Mat-ters Connected therewith”, other-wise known as the Anti-SocialMedia Bill.

All discerning Nigerians, Iknow, are conscious of the factthat the bill, like doctors will say, was Brought In Dead, BID, butcuriously the Senate believes thatit is alive or can be resurrected.

Subsequently, in the attacksagainst it, the Senate has had noknown friends coming to its res-cue, or calling for a ceasefire inthis one-sided fight between theSenate and the populace led bythe middle class. Also, all credi-ble institutions, including thePresidency, have distanced them-selves from the Senate on this is-sue. The implication is that evenif the Senate stubbornly or arro-

gantly sticks to its guns, it isdoubtful if the smarter Honour-ables in the House of Represen-tatives would want to have any-thing to do with the bill. But if byany fluke, such a bill were to sur-vive the roasting and passes tothe President for assent, the Pres-idency, has already made its po-sition known: it will not supporta bill that seeks to abridge or cir-cumvent freedom of speech.

So simple logic and common-sense dictate that the Senate backs down and spends its timeon more productive matters.The opportunities and powers ofthe internet are phenomenal. Itis the future of the world and it isin our best interest to harness,rather than try to arrest it as theSenate seeks. The challenge of thedistinguished Senators should behow to use legislation to makeall Nigerians above ten becomputer literate, especiallywhen most can operate a cellphone. How do we expand theinternet and make access a right?How do we utilize the millionsof functional cell phones in thecountry for literacy and massmobilisation? The internet en-

courages the blossoming ofideas. It is a theatre of contest anddevelopment of knowledge. Toseek to punish its usage under anyguise, like the Senate is doing, isundisguised backwardness. TheSenate should legislate for theconstruction of mass housing likeAlhaji Shehu Shagari and LateefJakande did, rather than passa legislation that will require theexpansion or construction ofmore prisons.

Clearly, the Senate, rather thanbeing concerned about the con-tent of some of the postings inthe social media, is angry and ir-ritated. Hence its proposal to jailfor two years or fine N2 millionor impose both on any personwhose post is adjudged to set thepublic against any person, groupor government institution.

Apart from the bill being illog-

ical, it is ridiculous that in acountry where sections of govern-ment think paying the workerN18,000 minimum wage is toohigh, such a hefty fine can be im-posed on the same worker for analleged social media infraction.That is over nine years of his cur-rent pay.

But the bill contains far morepoison than required to kill thesocial media. It generally aimsto kill the whistle blower and re-introduce the infamous MediaDecree which was intended tochain the mass media . Partof this bill says that: “Any personwho unlawfully uses, publishes orcauses to be published any peti-tion, complaint not supported bya duly sworn affidavit shall bedeemed to have committed anoffence and upon conviction,shall be liable to imprisonmentfor six months without an optionof fine.” So the issue is not wheth-er the petition is truthful or not.

It also states that any personwho makes any allegation orpublication without a sworn affidavit with malicious intentto discredit or set the publicagainst any person or group ofpersons, institutions of govern-ment, shall be liable to two yearimprisonment or a N4 million ($20,000) fine.

The Senate Anti-Social MediaBill is like a person who ratherthan take an analgesic for his headache, thinks it is better tocut off his head. But advisingsuch a person not to sever his headis not to guarantee that he willno longer have headaches. Solong as he has his head on hisneck, he will have more head-aches. But even if the Senate decides that this is the best stepto take, the rest of society has

the duty to prevent it doing so be-cause suicide is a crime.

All these is not to deny thatthere can be frivolous petitionsand publications, or that the so-cial media can be used for nega-tive ends. Personally, I am con-cerned about the level of intoler-ance. But the solution is to builda counter culture and where nec-essary, use existing laws like thatof libel. There is of course theneed for decorum on the socialmedia, but it cannot be achievedby fiat. Rather we have the chal-lenge to develop our traditionaletiquette and make it dominate.The struggle starts from thehome, school and our streets, notfrom a draconian legislation thatwill tear down our fundamentalfreedom of expression, diminishdebates in our polity and waterdown governance.

Even as we debate, there is anunflattering photograph splas-hed on the social media of thedistinguished author of this bill,Senator Bala Ibn Na’allah. In it,he is dressed in ill-fitting clothesgood only for an unimaginativeclown. I do not think it is good toportray a distinguished author insuch light. Under the bill, thosecirculating such an offensivephotograph would have neededonly to plea mitigation of theirsentence. But I appeal to ourhighly revered Senate to overlooksuch a misdemeanor. It shouldrealise that if the bill were to be-come law, many of those whowould use the social media neg-atively would create fake ac-counts. It will then be like at-tempting to catch the wind inyour grasp.

May the soul of the departingbill rest in peace.

The Senate Anti-Social Media Bill islike a person whorather than take ananalgesic for his headache, thinks it is better to cutoff his head

20—Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMB ER 14, 2015

OPINION

CMYK

‘97%/5%', a formula fornational upheaval

DURING the presidential campaignstowards the 2015 elections, many

people believed that the Cambridge WestAfrican School Certificate released by theKatsina College to prove candidate MajorGeneral Muhammadu Buhari’squalification was a “forgery”. Even Iwasn’t so sure of its authenticity, manythings about it taken into account.

But when you examined the figuresrecorded as his scores which showed hewas a less than average student inacademic work, your doubt was a bitdoused. An outright forgery would put outBuhari, who had a cult following in ArewaNorth (and no less in his alma mater) inflying colours. But we saw a student whofailed in Mathematics and Woodwork butmanaged a Pass in English Literature. Hebarely scraped through college.

Happily, in most cases, academic scoresdo not say everything about the prospectsof a young person. Many “first class”graduates often find themselves as mis-fits when it comes to deploying that brainpower to solve problems. Some of themare not even effective teachers. ButBuhari, you must admit, went on to be agreat success in life. What more is successthan when a person rises to the top of hischosen career? How many people haveruled their countries twice, first as mili-tary officers and then as elected civilianpresidents 30 years later?

As successful as Buhari has been, hischildhood academic disabilities appearto have continued to haunt him even asan elected president. You will recall thatmoment of great national embarrassmentwhen he visited US President, BarackObama. Buhari was a guest at the US In-stitute of Peace on July 24, 2015, nearlytwo months after he assumed power. Hisperformance at that fateful forum essen-tially confirmed that his CambridgeWAEC “feat” 53 years ago was not a fluke.

A lady journalist asked our new presi-dent how he would handle the issue of “in-clusive governance”. Buhari was visiblyconfused. He turned to the moderator ofthe event, who took about 30 seconds toexplain the meaning of this to him beforehe faced the cameras once again to ad-dress it! At that moment, the school cer-tificate saga flashed through minds ofmillions of Nigerians.

When the President finished telling ushow he intended to handle “inclusive gov-ernance” he left us aghast. In summary,he told the world that he was not going torun inclusive governance, though hewould ensure that whatever theConstitution says he must do he would doit. He propounded a queer mathematicalformula – the now infamous Formula“97%/5%”. In mathematical terms, it

should be either “97%/3%” or “95%/5%”.But most Nigerians did not bother to gopicking nits on Buhari’s math: theyunderstood what he meant. He actuallywent ahead to explain it for avoidance ofdoubt. He said he would give the lion’sshare of the goodies of his government tothose who laboured, “made sacrifices”and mobilised voters to install him inpower. He described this as “politicalreality”.

When he started gathering people toform the base of his government who didwe see? We saw the President’s kinsmenand women, people of his ethnic or cul-tural stock, people of the North, mostlyMuslims dominating the critical centresof the Presidency, the Federal Bureaucracy(ministries, departments and agencies, es-pecially where a lot of power and moneypass through), the electoral umpire, thesecurity apparatus and state agencies ofcoercion. By the time the

constitutionallydecreed sharing of min-isterial positions came, Buhari’s “people”had grabbed the pole positions of the Fed-eral Government.

When Nigerians complained, his presi-dential spin artists said Buhari had “care-fully chosen people he knew and trusted”for these strategic posts. This did not helpmatters because it simply painted a pic-ture of the President as a man who did notknow many people outside his native cul-tural Muslim North, even after his suc-cessful career as a senior military officer,former head of state, former ExecutiveChairman of the Petroleum Trust Fundand four-time presidential candidate. Itwas an indictment that portrayed Buharias a man not fit to be president of Nige-ria.

If Buhari gave strategic kitchen cabinetpositions to people he knew and not justhis kinsmen and regional acolytes, howcome that core All Nigerian Peoples Party,ANPP, purists like Chief George Moghaluwere not remembered? Moghalu has beenwith the political movement that has nowbecome the APC even before Buhari joinedpolitics in 2003. I remember a formerANPP governorship candidate from theSouth East who sat in the same car andcampaigned with Buhari when the formerpresidential candidate of the defunct partytoured the zone in 2007. He related hisexperiences to me: “Do you know thatthree days after the South East tour whenwe went for a rally in Abuja and I went togreet this man, he did not know me again!”In anger, he left the ANPP for the AllProgressives Grand Alliance, APGA.

The truth of the matter is that if Buharicared to know and cultivate people out-side Arewa North he had ample opportu-nities to do so. Olusegun Obasanjo, hisco-traveller, cultivated people from across

the divides and had no problem at anytime forming a broad-based governmentboth at kitchen cabinet and ministeriallevels.

Buhari’s apologists were fond of sayingthat he was right to give powerful posi-tions to those who helped make him presi-dent. They were correct, but within rea-son. He could be justified to returnfavours, but there is no justification forthe exclusion or marginalisation of anypart of the country. There is no doubt thatBuhari followed his formula “97%/5%”and gave the North more than its fairshare of governmental positions whileshutting out the South East. He displayedbarefaced favouritism. He even gave moreto the South-South which, like their SouthEast neighbours, did not vote for him,while relegating the South West, the re-gion that put him in power, to the back-ground. Even if he can justify sideliningthe Igbos for preferring former PresidentGoodluck Jonathan, what about theYorubas who gave him the alliance andvotes that put him in power?

In a civilised, democratic society you donot sideline a section of the country be-cause they did not vote for you. The ma-jority vote you get is to enable you servethe whole country through the implemen-tation of your campaign promises. That asection of the country did not vote for youonly means they preferred theprogrammes or candidate of the party oftheir choice. The only thing they can losewhen you come to power is that you imple-ment your party’s programmes and notthose of their preferred party. You do notexclude even your party members becausethey come from a section where you didnot win.

Buhari must be reminded that the presi-dential office he is occupying belongs toall Nigerians. The public resources he isdisbursing belong to all Nigerians andshould be used to cater equitably for all,not just his kinsmen and “those he knows”.The Constitution that empowers him tobe our president commands that he mustgive all Nigerians their due and not runthe country in a manner that will favourone section more than the others.

Buhari’s “Formula 97%/5%” is uncon-stitutional, unpatriotic and partly respon-sible for the agitations for self-determi-nation in the South East and parts of theSouth-South. The President must put awaythis evil formula and toe the path of na-tionalism, patriotism and constitutional-ism.

*ON THIS NOTE, I CLOSE SHOP FORTHE YEAR FOR MY ANNUAL VACA-TION. SEE YOU IN JANUARY 2016.MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A FABULOUS,HAPPY NEW YEAR IN ADVANCE!

Buhari’s “Formula 97%/5%” is unconstitutional,unpatriotic and partly re-sponsible for the agita-tions for self-determina-tion in the South East andparts of the South-South.The president must putaway this evil formula andtoe the path of national-ism, patriotism and consti-tutionalism

Re: With Esama, Oshiomhole has over-steppedhis bounds

By Usman Abudah

IT usually turns out to be an interesting reading, interviewswith politicians who readily blurt out funny comments that

are not thoughtful and cannot be adjudged to be helpful tocommunal politics like the recent one of Mr. Orobosa Omo-Ojo(in the Vanguard of Saturday, December 5, 2015.) in which hewas described as a journalist, publisher, a frontline All ProgressivesCongress, APC stalwart and former Commissioner in AdamsOshiomhole government in Edo State.

With the above description, I suppose he is still the same OrobosaOmo-Ojo, who along with one Emeka Ogbeide were assigned bythe then Lucky Igbinedion government to turn the stategovernment owned Nigerian Observer newspaper around? Weare all living witnesses to the messy sickening situation the paperwas abandoned – worse than as the duo met it.

I really find it irritating to read comments by some individualswho were given the opportunity to perform and at the end,loopholes were created for questions to be asked. I equally find itpainful to understand, why in this era of journalism, searchingquestions are never put during interviews bordering on past pub-lic performances.

Specifically, the Vanguard reporter who interviewed Mr. Omo-Ojo was, perhaps not aware of Mr. Omo-Ojo’s tenure at the Nige-

rian Observer, certainly he wouldn’t claim ignorance of Omo-Ojo’s tenure as the State Commissioner for Transport in the presentGovernor Oshiomhole’s Executive Council. The reporter didn’tfind it as a professional responsibility on behalf of his numerousreaders to, among other questions, ask the former Commissionerwhat led to his exit from the State Executive Council.

In any professional calling, individuals are at liberty to createtitles for themselves. In journalism, one could carry the toga of apublisher, but the proof in the title is judged by its reputation,regularity on the vendor’s stand and above all, the contents andeducative pursuits of such a title. The ruining of any calling couldbe checked with the realistic defence of such a body by itspractitioners, whose reputation has been tested and found notwanting, but the JOURNALISM calling has, for decades suffereda profound set back because of the inability of the various branchesto put in place a defensive concrete wall around its image.

asked to judge Governor Oshiomhole’s performance in Edo State,would certainly score him HIGH, unless hunger blindfolds suchvoters to go for the negative side. The “rice man’s” advertorials toa realistic Edo citizen, would point to nothing other than ruralNollywood acting.

What are the researched data that have established that eventhe Esan people would give him nomination? Sweet talks nevercreate acceptability for a drowning character.

Simply put, the three Senatorial districts of Edo State are inindividualistic positions to assess Oshiomhole’s service and cer-tainly not political grammar scripts as beautifully delivered byMr. Omo-Ojo in the interview.

I had compelled myself to observe elsewhere that both theEsama and Governor Oshiomhole have no personal scores toiron out, other than giving what is due to the government onbehalf of the people.

Who creates bounds for people to under-step or over-step? NotMr. Omo-Ojo. Holding his recent chat with the Vanguard underhis armpit to deliver or read to the Esama’s hearing is neitherhelpful to the issue of rate settlement. Declaring his claimed ex-changes with Governor Oshiomhole before the reading publiconly unveils Mr. Omo-Ojo’s tactlessness in politics. If you arewith one in a battle field as your Commander, you either fightalong with him as your Commander, or become a run awaysoldier, but certainly cannot put in place a countering-one sectorCommander who will fall in no given time.

I am certainly looking forward to see Mr. Omo-Ojo’s next po-litical level, unlike his past two callings. He should score himselffor the public to judge.

In reference to the inter-view in question, I find it quiteuncalled for to dwell on it otherthan to say this: An individu-al’s opinion can sway the sup-port of thousands of voters inopposing political parties andthis view is based on how seri-ously such a talker is judged.It’s an open factuality that anyrealistic registered voter when *Mr Abudah, a journalist and documentalist, wrote from

Benin City, Edo State

The three Senato-rial districts of EdoState are in indi-vidualistic posi-tions to assessOshiomhole’sservice

DECEMBER 14, 2015

Continues on page 22

BY JONAH NWOKPOKU

Orders closure of branches within 90 daysBans relationship with street currency hawkersTo saction BDCs operating outside registered office

THE Central Bank of Nigeria,CBN has ordered bureaux dechange (BDCs) to close all

branches within 90 days, sayingbranch operations is no longer allowedin the subsector. T h i sdirective was contained in the revisedguidelines for BDCs released on Fridayby the apex bank. According to theguidelines, issued via a circular titled:‘Revised Operational Guidelines forBureaux De Change in Nigeria’,

"Bureau De Change is Licenced as aunit institution. No Bureau De Changeshall have a branch office outside itsregistered office. All Bureaux DeChange that under the 2002Guidelines have branches are requiredto close such branches within 90 daysof the 2015 guidelines."

The CBN also banned BDCs frombusiness relationship with streettraders in foreign currencuies. Itstated: "Similarly, it shall be a groundfor the revocation of Licence shouldany street trader in foreign currencies

be found to have any businessrelationship with a Licenced BDC.

Application for licenceAccording to the circular, “A formal

application to the CBN Governor togrant the promoters an Approval inPrinciple to carry on the business of aBureau De Change in Nigeria (shallbe made). The application should beaddressed to the Director, FinancialPolicy and Regulation Department(FPRD), Central Bank of Nigeria.Applicants/promoters shall attach to

their application the followingdocuments:A non-refundable application fee of

N100, 000 or such other amount as maybe determined by the Bank from timeto time in bank draft payable to theCentral Bank of Nigeria; Evidence of payment of the

prescribed minimum capital of N35million or any other amount as may bedetermined by the CBN from time totime, into the designated CBN account.The Bank shall refund this amount withinterest after the proposed institutionhas obtained its final licence;A copy of the draft Memorandum

and Articles of Association;A letter of intent to subscribe to the

shares of the proposed Bureau DeChange signed by each subscriber;A copy of the list of the proposed

shareholders in tabular form showingtheir business, and residentialaddresses and the names andaddresses of their respective bankers,as well as the details of their BankVerification Number (BVN).”

It further stated that, “Promotersshall reserve the proposed company’sname at the Corporate AffairsCommission (CAC) as no proposedBureau De Change shall incorporate/register its name with the CorporateAffairs Commission until an approval-in-principle has been obtained fromthe CBN, a copy of which shall bepresented to the Corporate AffairsCommission.”

Requirements forfinal licenceThe circular further noted, “Not later

than six months after the grant of AIP,the promoters of a proposed BDC shallsubmit application for the grant of afinal licence to the Governor, CentralBank of Nigeria, Abuja, with thefollowing documents: Evidence ofpayment of anon-refundable licencingfee of N1 million only or any otheramount as may be determined by theCBN from time to time; the names,designations and signed CurriculaVitae (CV) of the proposed membersof the top management; Evidence of

CONFERENCE: From left, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, President, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Gbenga Oyebode,former chairman, Access Bank Plc; Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor, Lagos State, and Herbert Wigwe, GMD/CEO, AccessBank Plc, during the Access Leadership Conference 2015 with the theme “Leading in a Transformational World: TheImperative of Innovation” in Lagos. PHOTO: AKEEM SALAU

CBN halts branch operationsby bureaux de change

CMYK


CMYK

Cover

Continued from page 21

Breaking the Nigerian PovertyCycle through Entrepreneurial

Revolution (2)

Thatcher’s radical policies, successfully adapted acrossthe US, Europe and large parts of Asia, sparked off anew world order and confirmed the evolution of global

economic powerhouses. For a uniquely placed country likeNigeria, blessed with resources but hexed with endemicproblems, these events hold tremendous relevance andopportunity. They are also crucial to Nigeria making progresstowards the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goalsof eradicating hunger and poverty and improvingenvironmental sustainability, among others.

The first lesson for Nigeria of course is the need forfundamental changes in outlook and practices with regardsto promoting entrepreneurship as a means to permanentlyovercoming poverty and achieving grassroots development.Of equivalent importance is upgrading infrastructure andimproving access to social services, especially health andeducation. The World Bank outlines a three-pronged strategyfor Nigeria to meet this challenge, which includes:

Establishing a viable macroeconomic configuration thatoptimises incentives to the widest citizen base.

Prioritising accountability as a means of encouragingentrepreneurship and the subsequent delivery of qualityservices to the population.

Adapting policy and public expenditure conventionssuitable to promoting efficient growth and enhancedproductivity in a way that brings tangible benefits to thepoor.

Some of these suggestions have already been adopted. In2003, the Nigerian government set up the National EconomicEmpowerment Development Strategy, in line with IMFpoverty reduction policies, to achieve better fiscalmanagement. The same year, fuel prices were deregulatedand Abuja announced the privatisation of four nationalrefineries. The current global economic downturn is certainto wreak further havoc on Nigeria’s fledgling and oftenfloundering economy. What will determine the final outcomeof its nascent entrepreneurial revolution, to borrow astatement from Apple honcho Steve Jobs, is the amount ofperseverance is backs it up with.

A viable economic agenda for Nigeria that allows rapidentrepreneurial progress has to focus on fundamentaladjustments:

Creating a pro-active socio-economic environment thatencourages creative and viable entrepreneurship fromthe grassroots level to onwards. Identifying and correctinginfrastructure deficits and systemic imbalance inimicalto small business.

Developing a credit regime – through relevant financialand industrial policy changes – that is sympathetic tosmall business realities. Promotion of lending throughequity, and not debt, is of critical importance.

Removing administrative and trade barriers whilesimultaneously enhancing technical support and capacitybuilding assistance for both existing and emergingentrepreneurs.

Mobilising the country’s significant human resourcespool by revamping the education sector to providevocational, administrative and skill development trainingto rural and urban youths.

Creating efficient and effective mechanisms for regulationand oversight of enterprise-development initiatives ingeneral, and microfinance institutions in particular.

Maintaining political stability and authority of democraticinstitutions; fighting corruption and building socialconsensus on important issues to ensure broad-basedsuccess of macroeconomic policies.

incorporation of the companywith CAC; evidence ofpayment of N35 millionmandatory caution deposit, orany other amount as may bedetermined by the CBN fromtime to time, into a designatedCBN account; evidence ofhaving suitable officeaccommodation for theoperation of the proposedBDC.”

FinancialrequirementsAccording to the circular, the

financial requirements, whichmay vary at the discretion ofthe CBN, are as follows:“Minimum paid-up sharecapital-N35million; Non-refundable application fee-N100, 000; Non-refundablelicensing fee-N1 million;Mandatory caution Deposit-N35 million; Non-refundableannual licensing renewal fee[payable not later than30 daysafter the end of each calendaryear]-N250,000; Non-refundable change of namefee-N100, 000”

Operations ofbureaux de changeOn the operations of BDCs

in Nigeria, the circular said:“Every BDC in Nigeria shalldeal in bank notes and coins,plastic cards and such otherbusinesses as the CBN mayapprove from time to time;The foreign currencies dealt inby a BDC shall be derivedfrom private sources and suchother sources which mayinclude the CBN window asdetermined by the CBN fromtime to time for the purpose offunding Business TravelAllowance [BTA] and PersonalTravel Allowance [PTA]; Any

CBN halts branch operations by bureaux de change

person/individual wishing tosell foreign currency above$10,000 or its equivalent to aBDC shall be required todisclose the source;Transactions shall be on spotbasis (immediate settlement),adding “For the avoidance ofdoubt, forward transactions byBDCs are not allowed; Themaximum amount pertransaction for a BDC shall bedetermined from time to timeby the CBN with respect tobusiness and personal travelallowances. The maximumamount currently for PTA andBTA per quarter is $4000 and$5000, respectively; All salesor purchases of foreignexchange shall be properlydocumented and recorded asmay be required by the CBN.

Such documents should bearranged sequentially and bemade available to CBN andother regulatory authorities ondemand, etc.”

Ground for licencerevocationThe guidelines further

stated: “Every BDC shalltransact business at its

registered office approved bythe CBN as any BDC thatoperates outside its registeredoffice shall be sanctioned.Similarly, it shall be a groundfor the revocation of Licenceshould any street trader inforeign currencies be found tohave any businessrelationship with a LicencedBDC. Every BDC shall fix itshours of business which shallbe clearly displayed in itsoffice.

Every BDC shall be requiredto open both domiciliary andNaira accounts withAuthorized dealers in Nigeriaand inform the CBNaccordingly. The accountsshall be used solely for day today operations.”

Non-permissibleactivitiesAccording to the circular,

non-permissible activities forBDCs include: “Engaging inoff-shore business ormaintaining foreigncorrespondence relationship;Engaging in any trade relatedimport activities; Maintaininga foreign account in whateverform; Round-tripping offoreign exchange [currency]acquired through the CBNwindow; Street trading offoreign exchange; Carryingon capital market activities;Any other activity as may fromtime to time be termed “non-permissible” by the CBN.”

It also warned that “BureauDe Change is licenced as aunit institution”

And as such, “no Bureau DeChange shall have a branchoffice outside its registeredoffice. All Bureaux De Changethat under the 2002Guidelines have branches arerequired to close suchbranches within 90 days of the2015 guidelines.”

Every BDCshall berequired toopen bothdomiciliary andNaira accountswith Authorizeddealers inNigeria andinform the CBNaccordingly

INVESTITURE - From left, Mrs. Azeeza Munzali, Prof. Munzali Jibril, new President andChairman of Council, and Dr. Nelson Uwaga, immediate Past President, Nigeria Institute ofManagement during the investiture of the new President in Lagos.


Business & Economy

There is usually the belief that investors avoid Nigeria due to lackof infrastructure. This has led government and many well meaningNigerians to always focus their thoughts on building

infrastructure. While it is true that infrastructure facilitate investment, italso aids economic development. The greatest challenge facing the countryin terms of foreign direct investment is the obsolete nature of Nigerian

•Saraki

Can Saraki really push for amodern economy for Nigeria?

laws that do not conform to21st Century economy.Investors have longcomplained of the lack ofsanctity of contract andrespect for property right inNigeria. Nigeria instead ofattempting an overhaul of thelegal and judicial system tomake Nigeria investment-friendly, they rather focus onwhat they have been made tobelieve is the problem.

When the Nigeriantelecommunication spacewas opened to private sectorinvestors, many were deceivedby the report the World Bankgave to them. But MTN,Econet as Airtel was calledthen, took the risk. Despitethe gloomy picture of lack ofinfrastructure, telecomcompanies are making profitfrom their investment. It isthe same story with the oilcompanies and many othersthat have invested inNigeria.

The Senate President, Dr.Bukola Saraki seems to haveunderstood the economicbottleneck the nation isfacing and last week,promised the businesscommunity that the EighthSenate of the FederalRepublic of Nigeria willtackle the problem.Delivering a speech titled:'Macroeconomic outlook for2016 and legislativeperspective' at LagosBusiness School BreakfastClub end of the year dinner,Dr. Saraki told the augustgathering of key businessoperators in Nigeria that the8th Senate is at an advancedstage of carrying out one ofthe most far-reachinglegislative reviews everembarked upon by thelegislature in Nigeria with theDoing Business Development

project which is aimed ateliminating obsolete businessregulatory laws that haveoutlived their usefulness andin their place, provideadequate legal, institutionaland regulatory mechanismsto drive a new moderneconomy.

He said: “Prior to this, wehave strategically utilisedformal and informal meetingswith key stakeholdersincluding the NBA, the SEC,RMFAC, the ICPC, FIRSand many other relevantagencies of government and

critical industry leaders, witha view to using gatheredinformation as a critical tool tofashioning out what will makeNigeria a favourableinvestment destination. Forthe 8th Senate, we can nolonger accept the placement ofNigeria at 169 of 189 countrieson the global ranking ofbusiness competitiveness.Therefore, the task ofmodernising the Nigerianeconomy and providing theregulatory environment forease of doing business is forus a task that must be done

in order to set the stage formeaningful economic growth.As operators, we need yourpartnership on this importantassignment to ensure thatyour concerns and views areadequately captured.”

The question to ask Dr.Saraki is: Will the review becomprehensive enough toinclude property right, landuse act and sanctity ofcontract? Will the NationalAssembly pass laws that willfasttrack the judicial processof seeking redress oncommercial and tradedisputes?

Globally, investors areinterested in places wherereturn on their investmentsis high. Nigeria certainlyqualifies as investors havefound out that they reaphigher benefit if they investin Nigeria. The few that havedone so have found this to betrue. Yet, Nigeria is not ahaven to foreign investors.

There must be reasons whythey shy away from Nigeria.Many investors out there whospeak privately to Nigeriansat investment fora are quickto point out that in Nigeria,there is no sanctity of contractand property rights are notclearly defined.

Most foreign investors seethis as the most inhibitingfactor that scares away would-be investors. They are notworried about the lack ofinfrastructure as is alwaysclaimed by those who explainaway the Nigerian situation.

Shell, Mobil, Chevron,

MTN, UACN and others knowtoo well the infrastructuraldeficiency in the country, yetthey invested and are reapingthe benefits.

The truth is that both localand foreign investors arewary of investing in Nigeriabecause the state and itsagents have no respect forproperty rights and sanctityof contracts.

They are worried that ifthey invest in Nigeria, theirinvestment can be taken overby the state. The terminationof Lekki Concessionagreement by Lagos StateGovernment, the taking overof private banks by theSanusi-led CBN, therevocation of the concessiongranted to Bi-courtney areexamples of such impunitythat scare investors awayfrom Nigeria.

Property rights, accordingto Professor Pat Utomi,constitutes a major part ofthe constitutionalarrangement that makes aneconomy advance. Now, untilthis entity called Nigeria hasa philosophicalunderstanding of whatproperty rights means,Nigeria is not going to makeany major economicprogress. To say the least,investors are scared andskeptical about Nigeriabecause there is impunityand property rights are notguaranteed.

Will the Saraki-led Senategive Nigeria legislations thatwill resolve all of these?Nigeria will be a better placeto do business if the laws tobe reviewed are carried outquickly and include thereview of the land use act anda well defined property rightsis enshrined in the country.

Officials of theC o o p e r a t i v e

Society of the office of theHead of Civil Service of theFederation have accused itsPresident ofmismanagement andmisappropriation of fund.Financial Vanguardinvestigations revealed thatover 1,600 members of theHead of ServiceCooperative Society arecalling for the interventionof anti-graft authorities toinvestigate the refusal of thePresident to relinquish hisposition 22 months after he

Financial scandal rocks Head of Service Staff Co-operativeretired from the Service.

In a letter addressed to thePresident, Joint UnionNegotiating Council in theoffice of the Head of Servicedated January 5, 2015, themembers appealed forintervention in the crisis thathas rocked the cooperativesince the president, MrStephen Esezebor got onaboard.

The letter which was dulysigned by the 39 members ofthe cooperative reads,“Permit us to kindly draw theattention of your office to thelingering crisis that has beenrocking the operations andgeneral administration of theCooperative Thrift and

Credit Society (CTCS) of theOffice of the Head of CivilService of the Federation.

This crisis has assumed anunresolved dimension hencethe need for this SOS (SaveOur Soul) letter.

“Mr. Stephen Esezebor,now a retired civil servanthas held sway as thePresident of the Cooperativefor many years while in active service and wasexpected to haverelinquished power to asuccessor just before hisretirement but blatantlyfailed to do so, held ontopower unduly therebyaggravating the avoidablecrisis that has rocked the boat

of the Cooperative hitherto.“Mr. Stephen Esezebor, not

willing to handover the affairsof the Cooperative, and alsonot willing to end the crisis,resorted to legal means ashe headed for litigation in theCourt of law which we haveviewed as just a strategy toundo so many things to his personal interest. Worst still,is the apprehension that ourhard-earned savings in theCooperative accounts wouldhave been grossly tamperedwith. This is obvious asmembers who applied forloans no longer get them, those who retired from theservice can not access their

life- savings."The Cooperative society

accounts with Ecobank,United Bank for Africa,Diamond Bank and GTBankare still being operated byMr Stephen Esezebor whoretired from the Service inFebruary 2014.

“We undersignedstakeholders and concernedmembers, on behalf of theentire members of thecooperative thereforeconsidere it imperative foryour good office to wade intothis crisis that has donenobody any good.”

The Audit Committee ofthe cooperative had in 2012written to the Head of CivilService of the Federation onalleged mismanagementand misappropriation offunds.

BY FAVOURNNABUGWU

CMYK

24— Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015

CMYK

Business & Economy

By GODWIN ORITSE

A partnership to cute m i s s i o n sfrom airports

and take the industry towardsclimate neutrality has beenlaunched. The partnershipwas signed at COP21 in Parisby the United NationsFramework Convention onClimate Change (UNFCCC)and Airports CouncilInternational (ACI), whichdeveloped the AirportCarbon Accreditation programme.

Emissions reductions willbe achieved through use ofenergy-efficient lighting,cooling and heating systems,solar energy, climate-friendlyground transportation and awide range of other measuresaimed at climate neutrality.ACI will support theUNFCCC’s initiative, whilethe UNFCCC secretariat willsupport airport carbonaccreditation, wherebyairports measure, report andreduce their emissions.

The two organizations willdevelop a common workprogramme andcommunications planpromoting carbon neutrality.UNFCCC will join theadvisory board of the AirportCarbon Accreditation programme, which aims toincrease the number ofairports graduating to carbonneutral status. In the past 12months, 137 airportsworldwide, representing 31percent of global passengertraffic have earned ACI’s“airport carbon accredited”

Airports, UNFCCC enter deal on climateneutrality

status. There are currently 20carbon neutral airports. Thepartnership announcementfollows the commitment bythe European airport industrylast week at COP21 toincrease the number of carbonneutral airports to 50 by2030.

“It is immenselyencouraging to see anindustry as visible andstrategically relevant as theairport industry being soproactive on climate action,”said John Kilani, Director,Sustainable DevelopmentMechanisms programme,UNFCCC secretariat. “WhatACI has achieved throughairport carbon accreditationover the past six years isinspiring – to mobilize 137

airports in the journey towardscarbon neutrality is anexample that many otherindustries could learn from.”

Angela Gittens, DirectorGeneral ACI WORLD andOlivier Jankovec, DirectorGeneral ACI EUROPE in ajoint statement said “Today isa very big day for ACI andAirport CarbonAccreditation. To gain thesupport of an organization asauthoritative as the UNFCCCis something we consider amajor achievement and agenuine recognition of thecontribution of the airportindustry to the climate actionthrough Airport CarbonAccreditation. We aredelighted to be partneringwith UNFCCC and look

forward to their input in theAdvisory Board of theprogramme.”

Launched at Climate Weekin New York in September2015, Climate Neutral Nowencourages countries,industries, organizations andeven individuals to measuretheir emissions, reduce whatthey can and offset the restwith quality projects indeveloping countries. TheIntergovernmental Panel onClimate Change hasestimated that aviationaccounts for about 2 percentof global CO2 emissions. Ofthat figure, airport operationsaccount for up to 5 percent.For more information aboutthe Airport CarbonAccreditation programme,including key results,

The Lagos InternalR e v e n u eService (LIRS) said it

had shut four companiesover non-remittance onN6.86 million workers’personal income taxes. MrsAjibike Oshodi-Sholola, theHead, Distrain Unit of theLIRS, disclosed this to theNews Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Lagos.

According to her, the firmswere closed during a state-wide tax law enforcementexercise on Thursday, lastweek. Oshodi-Sholola saidthat the four companies’ totaltax liabilities were only for2012 audited results. Shesaid that the affected

LIRS shuts four firms over N6.86 million tax debt

companies included hotels,electronic shop, shippingcompany and fashion firm.

The head of the distrain unitsaid that some of the affectedcompanies had started payingthe 2015 taxes, but had notpaid for 2012, 2010 and 2011.She said that some firms wouldpay for the current yearwithout paying for theprevious years.

According to her, thecompanies were doing this bythinking government willforget, overlook or wave taxpayment of past years. “It iswrong to bypass tax paymentof any year becausegovernment will not forget itsmoney. Certainly, the

government will come for thetaxes one day. And pilling upthe taxes may make theamount to accumulated sohigh that it may be difficult forthe company to pay,” she said.

She said that somecompanies were out ofbusiness because their taxliabilities had accumulatedsuch that they were unable topay the debts. Oshodi-Shololaurged firms operating in thestate to ensure that theyregularly remit their workers’taxes to the service to avoidthe embarrassment anddisruption of their operation.“Ensure your company is up-to-date with its tax paymentsand always make available all

necessary documents inrespect to the companies’ taxissues in case LIRS visits.Tax-payment is a civicresponsibility of everyonebecause it is a major sourceof government’s revenue.

“It also the only waygovernment can provide thebasic amenities for the citizensto improve their livingstandards,” she said. Someof the affected companies,however, complained thatLIRS was not giving them fairhearing. They said that theydid not receive letters from theLIRS in respect of its plan toseal their companies.

Low oil prices andhealthy demand fortravel will boost

airline profits again in 2016,the International AirTransport Association hassaid. IATA, whichrepresents almost 260airlines accounting for 83percent of global air traffic,said net profits would reachrecord levels of 36.3 billiondollars in 2016 after 33billion dollars in 2015.

It said over half of theprofits would come fromNorth American carriers. TheGeneva-based associationhad previously forecastairline profits of 29.3 billiondollars in 2015.

“It is a good news story,”IATA Director General, TonyTyler, told journalists inGeneva.

Tyler, however, said that theindustry profits were still bestdescribed as fragile ratherthan sustainable.

Demand for travel has beenbooming in 2015, thanks toimproving economies andlower fuel helping to boostspending, especially onleisure trips. “We shouldenjoy the benign tradingconditions while they last,but it would be a mistake tostart to get used to them,”Tyler said.

Airlines profitsto hit recordlevels in 2016— IATA

Land border riceimport: Customsrakes in N1.178bnin 2 months

Nigeria CustomsService, NCS, has

recorded a total revenue ofN1,178,720,376 on riceImported through the landborders in October andNovember 2015. During thesame period, the totalquantity of rice importedthrough the land bordersstood at 17.596 MetricTonnes.

A press statement signedby Customs Public RelationsOfficers, Wale Adeniyi, noted that the figures weredisclosed at a strategysession convened by theComptroller-General ofCustoms, Col. Hameed Ali(Rtd) to review revenueperformance for the year.

Adeniyi stressed that it isimportant to note therevenue collected wasduring the period theComptroller-General of theService had approved theremoval of the restrictionplaced on importation of ricethrough the land borders.

AWARD - From left: Director, MTN Foundation, Mr. Dennis Okoro; MTNF Science &TechBeneficiaries, Ms. Seun Akinfolarin and Onyeonoro Praise; and MTNF Executive Secretary,Ms. Nonny Ugboma at the Award Ceremony of the MTNF Scholarship Scheme 2015 in Lagos.

CMYK



CMYK

Banking & Finance

First City MonumentBank (FCMB) has said

that its decision to decisionto donate a multi-purposeStudents’ Centre to Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), ispart of its strategies to investin the future especially thatof the youth.

Speaking at thecommissioning and hand-over ceremony of the Centre,Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of FCMBLimited, Mr. Ladi Balogun,

Financial crimes threaten globaleconomy system —DPPF

BY ONOZURE DANIA

The Director of PublicProsecutions of theFederation (DPPF),

Federal Ministry of Justice,Mr. Mohammed Saidu Dirihas said that organisedcrimes and financial crimesare the major threats to theglobal economic system.He said that organisedcrimes and financial crimes,which have taken the centrestage in the global world,entails intricate layers ofcriminal conspiracy andresponsibility, with crossborder implications asdifferent components of“predicate crimes.”Diri disclosed this during the2015 Capacity BuildingWorkshop for Law andEnforcement Agenciesorganised by the NigeriaDeposit InsuranceCorporation (NDIC), inL a g o s .The two-day workshop hadin attendance, the LawEnforcement Agencies whichincludes the Economic andFinancial CrimesCommission (EFCC),Independent CorruptPractices and Other RelatedOffences Commission(ICPC), the Nigeria Police,Federal Ministry of Justiceetc. was held at Golden TulipHotels, Festac, Lagos.The public prosecutor, whowas represented by Mr.Ernest Ezebilo stated thatthe investigation of financialcrimes in this high-techglobalised world requiredmen and women of soundtechnological know-how andthat such level of skills canonly be possible throughcapacity building

programmes such as the oneorganised by the NDIC.“Financial crimes andTerrorism are criminal actsthat are inextricablyintertwined and in this eraof terrorist attacks onNigeria and her citizens,terrorist financing is themost deadly act of terror aswithout the financialcapability, the terroristscannot carry out any attacks.“Money laundering as a formof financial crime has become

a phenomenal criminalactivity as almost allproceeds of financial crimesare laundered to safety, untilour law enforcementagencies are equipped totrace, find and recover allproceeds of crime, thecriminals will always beahead of the public securityinstitutions”, Ezebilo said.Diri further encouraged theagencies not to relent in thefight against corruption,adding that they should be

steadfast and never give upon their mandate, ascorruption is the bane of thecountry ’s nationaldevelopment and thatNigerians are counting ont h e m .“Corruption, I cannot in allhonesty address you withoutmentioning this issue, mostimportantly because it is thebane of our nationaldevelopment but mostpracticably because it fallswithin your mandate. Thecurrent administration ofPresident MuhammaduBuhari has decided in wordsand in deeds to purge ourdear country of thiscankerworm that hashindered us from attainingnational developmentcommensurate to oureconomic fortunes.The president and indeedNigerians are counting onall of us”, Diri stated.Earlier in his keynoteaddress, the ManagingDirector/Chief ExecutiveOfficer of NDIC, AlhajiUmaru Ibrahim lamentedincessant fraud in thebanking system, in Nigeria,stating that this hascontinued to be a greatconcern to the Corporationgoing by the magnitude oflosses recorded over theyears.

Ibrahim, who wasrepresented by Alhaji B.DUmar noted that theexperience with those banksthat were closed between1994 and till date clearlyillustrated the trend and thedamaging impact of fraud onthe affected banks.“Many of the banks underliquidation as well as manyin operation have suffered agreat deal from the impactof fraud.

Rödl& Partner integrates with WFOProfessional ServicesRödl& Partner, a global

professional servicesfirm providing audit, legal,tax consulting, BPO,management and ITconsulting, has furtherstrengthened its presence inAfrica with the admittance ofWFO, a fast growing groupof firms providing audit, taxand advisory services inNigeria and Ghana.

Rödl & Partner offers aunique approach to theopportunities of the Africanmarkets: a multi-disciplinary,one-stop shop firm oflawyers, accountants, taxspecialists and managementconsultants – entirelyfocused on the needs offoreign direct investmentand truly integrated servicesfor private investors,international financialinstitutions andgovernmental agencies inAfrica. Rödl & Partnersupports German and othermultinational businesses,wherever in the world theymight be.

WFO is the brand throughwhich WFO ProfessionalServices LP (CharteredAccountants), WFO AdvisorsLimited (providing tax andadvisory services) and LekkiCorporate Services Limited(providing companysecretarial services and,immigration and

employment advisoryservices) provide a boutiqueof services to clients. WFO,with over 40 partners,directors, managers,consultants and associates, isheadquartered in Lagos andhas representative offices inPort Harcourt, Ibadan, Abujaand Accra, Ghana.

Why We Donated Students’ Centreto Pan-Atlantic University – FCMB

added that the gesture is alsoin line with the commitmentof the Bank to effectivelysupport initiatives that wouldenhance the standard ofeducation in the country aswell as the well-being of thesociety.

The FCMB Students’Centre, located within themain campus of PAU atIbeju-Lekki, along the Lekki-Epe expressway in Lagos, isa facility devoted to students’recreation and socialisation.

Access bank Plc has led thecall for Nigeria to adopt

innovative approaches in itsbid to transform itsleadership for a better,prosperous society.The Chief Executive Officer/Group Managing Director,Access Bank, Herbert Wigwemade the call while speakingat the 2nd Access leadershipconference held in Lagos.According to Wigwe, thequestion around leadershipand innovation is perhapsmore pertinent in Nigeriatoday that just had asuccessful transition into anew leadership.He said: “If we can change theworld with very simplequestion, what if? What if ourliteracy rate in Nigeria is 100percent? What if everyone inNigeria had access toeducation? What if the fightagainst malaria and HIV waswon? What if ourinfrastructure enabledeconomic success andopportunities for allNigerians? And the bankingindustry could contribute toall these lofty goals byproviding the best qualityproducts and services at thecheapest prices for allNigerians. This conferencewill enable each and everyone of us to ask the question,what if? The question aroundleadership and innovation isperhaps more pertinent inNigeria today that just had asuccessful transition into anew leadership.”While noting that theconference brought togetherglobal business leaders,innovators, entrepreneurs,politicians, civil societyleaders to discuss importanttopics that affect all sectors,he added, “Despite the factthat there are globaldifferences and economicchallenges all over the world,there are also significantopportunities which we mustall grasp both for homegrown talents and forinternational investors.Whereas such anenvironment may bring itsown challenges to thebusiness world, we also knowthat such environment willcreate tenacious leaders,courageous politicians andinnovative chief executives.

Access Bankleads innovationadvocacy totransformNigeria’sleadership

PROMO - From left, Ebere Nwaolikpe, Assistant Marketing Manager, Western Union(ECOWAS); Mrs Olukorede Demola-Adeniyi, Head, Personal Banking, Ecobank Nigeria; PrinceAdewale Oladiti (one of the lucky winners of ‘Ecobank-Western Union Double your moneypromo), and Daniel Onyemenam, Deputy Manager, Regulatory and Monitoring, NationalLottery Regulatory Commission, during the draw, in Lagos.

By Jonah Nwokpoku

Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015— 27


CMYK


Corporate Finance

Ifeanyi Ogbor is the Head, Vehicle and Asset Finance,Stanbic IBTC Bank. He is experienced in asset finance

and general investments and currently leads the team that isresponsible for originating, structuring, executing andadministering asset finance facilities within Stanbic IBTCBank. In this interview with Vanguard, Ogbor explains howthe bank is using asset finance to make vehicle ownershipless cumbersome for Nigerians. Excerpt:

You just signed a deal with Peugeot Automobile Nigeria tofinance car purchase for your customers. Coming on the backof a similar deal you recently signed with Coscharis Motors,what would you say is the overarching strategy behind thesedeals?

We plan to grow our Vehicle and Asset Finance franchise inthe market, providing services to various customers. Theseinclude individuals, small and medium enterprises (SMEs),commercial and corporate clients. With our position as a marketleader in vehicle and asset financing in Nigeria, we havecontinually provided various solutions to our customers whorequire various equipment from time to time. Aside thesuccessful sales campaigns with selected vehicle andequipment dealers, we are in relationship with key vendorsand vehicle dealers financing their products for a wide rangeof users. Taking this further, we are bringing vehicle andequipment financing to the dealer’s showroom. By so doing,customers can walk into our vendor outlets and they can accessfinancing from the dealer flow. This we have started and weintend to replicate amongst several dealerships. Simply put,

SEC disclaims BGL50 Index

Following the publicationof the BGL 50 Index in

a national newspaper, theSecurities and ExchangeCommission (SEC) Nigeriahas insisted that thesuspension of BGL Plc, itssubsidiaries and sponsoredindividuals from all capitalmarket activities still subsists.

SEC in a notice it posted onits official website, said that theCommission dissociates itselffrom the “BGL 50 Index”publication.

According to the notice, Theattention of the Securities andExchange Commission (“TheCommission”) has been drawnto a “Market Index” titled “BGL 50”, currently beingsponsored by BGL Plc inThisday Newspapers. This isto remind the general publicthat the suspension of BGL Plc,its subsidiaries and sponsoredindividuals from all capitalmarket activities still subsists.

“The Commission herebydissociates itself from the “BGL50 Index” publication.

GTBank namedBank of the Yearin Nigeria

Guaranty Trust Bank Plchas once again

reaffirmed its position as aleading global brand with itsrecent recognition as the ‘Bankof the Year’ during the 2015Banker Awards held in London,United Kingdom.

The Banker, a publication ofthe Financial Times, is theworld’s leading monthlyjournal of records for thebanking Industry, with over 90years expertise in publishingdevelopment in the bankingindustry both in Africa and onthe global scale.

The Banker Awards isregarded as the industrystandard for bankingexcellence, recognizing andcelebrating the achievements ofindividuals and financialinstitutions within the globalbanking sector.

According to Brian Caplen,Editor of the Banker Magazine:“The banking and financialservices industry continues todevelop rapidly, with a fewfinancial institutionscementing their positions asmarket leaders, pushing theboundaries of innovation andexcellence. GTBank has overthe years maintained areputation for deliveringnotable financial successhinged on world classcorporate governancestandards and excellent servicedelivery.”

What is constantis the fact that ourofferings are acombination ofvery attractiverates, qualityassets, specialinsuranceofferings and aconvenientrepayment plan.

Stanbic IBTC offerscompetitive ratesfor vehicle andasset financing— OGBOR

the customer will eventuallywalk into a dealer showroom,process and secure financingfor any choice of vehicle andeventually take deliverywithout necessarily going toany of the bank branches.

Does this deal represent there-emergence of Peugeot inNigeria and that the smallfleet transporter, whoprovide the majority oftransportation via road, cannow access facilities atStanbic IBTC to replace theirbuses?

The programme supportsthe drive to produce and selllocally assembled vehicles inNigeria. This is one way inwhich the bank supports localmanufacturing by providing aspecial finance scheme thatwill enhance the sale oflocally assembled vehicles.Years ago, it seemed like therewas at least one Peugeotbrand in most homes inNigeria. Our parents drovethe 504GL, 504SR, 404, 305and later, the 505. We alsoremember the 505 evolution.With this deal, the bank willbe providing financing forcustomers who are interestedin buying any of the Peugeotbrands based on favourableterms and conditions. Thenew brands include a widerange of vehicles from theSedan to the Crossover andSUVs. These are the 508,

4008, 3008, 308, 301 and thePanel Van. Peugeot is backagain and working with abank like ours, it is most likelygoing to end up with at least“One Peugeot brand in mosthomes.”

The offering is channelledtowards existing and newcustomers of the bank.However, the fleet buyers arelikely to take more advantageof the programme and we arewilling to support them in thisregard.

What are the specificrequirements for individualswho wish to benefit from thisdeal?

In the personal space, firstprice for us will be to deal with

employees of corporateorganisations whose salaryaccounts are domiciled withthe bank. Where we deal withcustomers without salarydomiciliation, an irrevocablestanding order must be inplace. The above is, however,subject to affordability,considering the cost of thevehicle and salary.

Are the requirements andpaperwork arduous? Whatexactly is the process?

Aside the execution of theapplication form, we willrequire other documentsshowing proof of employment,evidence of monthly takehome and proforma invoicestating the price of thevehicle. Customers can walkinto any of the outlets ofPeugeot Automobile approvedvendors or any branch ofStanbic IBTC Banknationwide and there aresales team members who areat all times available toprovide the necessarysupport. After a preliminaryassessment, the customer willreceive immediate feedbackon eligibility and will beguided on the documentationprocess for the application.Upon approval, the customerwill be issued an offer letter.Based on acceptance of theoffer (other conditions met)the customer will takedelivery of the vehicle.

It appears the scheme isskewed in favour ofemployees who work in bluechip organisations,unavailable to a hugepercentage of Nigerians whoare in the informal sector butare desirous of owning a car.How can a self-employedNigerian in the SME sectorbenefit from this deal?

As a group, we offerfinancial services to customersin various segments. Theseare Personal Banking,Business Banking, Corporate& Investment Banking and

Wealth. In the BusinessBanking space, we offerbanking services to bothSMEs and commercialcustomers and our vehicleand asset finance offering isone of the numerous productson offer. Self-employedclients and other smallbusinesses fall under ourSME segment and they areopen to this scheme. For theSMEs, it is a businessapplication with separaterequirements, which differfrom those of the individuals.

When the Coscharis dealwas signed, the perceptionwas that Stanbic IBTC Bankwas only interested in the topend of the market as onlyluxury car brands, essentiallyhigh-net-worth individuals,were covered by the deal.Can we then say that thePeugeot deal is an indicationof the bank’s intention toincrease presence in theretail end of the market?

Under the CoscharisVehicle Finance Scheme,financing is availed tocustomers who intend topurchase any of the Coscharisbrands of vehicles. Theseinclude Ford, M&G, BMW,Jaguar, Mini, Land Rover andRolls Royce. Even though thevendor sells luxury brands,Ford and M&G have modelsthat compete with otherbrands that are considered tobe less expensive. Aside thespecial programmes we runwith selected vendors, wedeal with most of the majorvehicle and equipmentdealers providing financingfor a wide range of products.We cater for the varioussegments in the market.

Many observers of dealssuch as this often wonderwhy there is fanfare aroundsuch deals when the marketfor new cars in Nigeria isonly 10 per cent of the totalcar market, with usedvehicles making up thebalance 90 per cent. Don’tyou think that real value liesin going after the 90 per cent,which these deals do notcover?

For new vehicle purchases,we are aware that a highernumber of these vehicles aresold on outright purchase.With the kind of offerings wehave, we are able to increasethe number of financedvehicles in the market. For anumber of customers whowould ordinarily buy usedvehicles, affordability iscreated and we see themmove up to play in the newvehicle segment. Lifestyleand standards of living areenhanced. Aside that, we alsoprovide financing for pre-owned vehicles under ourgeneral vehicle financingterms and conditions.Therefore, we can rightly saythat we cover the pre-ownedcar segment as well.

•Ogbor


Insurance

Homes & Housing Finance

In a quest to be globallycompetitive in plant and

machinery valuationpractice, some EstateSurveying and Valuationpractitioners in Nigeria haveliaised with the AmericanSociety of Appraisers (ASA),to obtain internationalcertification. Though, knownas valuation in Nigeria, somecountries use the term,appraisal to define the act ofestimating value for tangibleand intangible assets, plant,machinery and equipment.This was the highlight of thevisit to Nigeria by the PastPresident of the AmericanSociety of Appraisers (ASA),Leslie H. Miles Jr.

“Govt must provide enabling policies foraffordable housing”

Areal estated e v e l o p e r ,Mr. Deji Alli, has

revealed that withoutgovernment’s enablingpolicies to drive the prospectof affordable housing inNigeria, achieving it will bedifficult.

Alli is the chairman ofMixta Africa,, parent body ofMixta Nigeria, a real estatedevelopment firm operatingin several African countriesthat has now been acquiredby ARM Properties.

Disclosing this at theformal launching of MixtaNigeria in Lagos last week,Alli noted that affordablehousing is a major segmentin the operations of MixtaAfrica. He said “In Senegalfor instance where we havedeveloped affordable homes,the price is 30,000 Euros perhome which is about N6million. This is exactly whatwe want to do in Nigeria.“But before we can do this,certain things have to bedone. For instance, thegovernments must bedesirous to make homesaffordable to the teemingprospective Nigerian homeowners by creating policiesthat will drive the dream ofaffordable homes in thecountry. For instance, the

government should ensurethat it is possible for peopleto borrow for a long term ataffordable rates to acquiretheir homes. “This is thedifference between what ishappening in Nigeria andwhat we are seeing in othercountries where we areoperating. So, until we havea situation where thegovernment is providing thatenabling environment foraffordable homes, achievingaffordable housing in Nigeriais always going to bedifficult”, he stated.According to him, there is

what is called social housingprogramme, which is usuallya programme of thegovernment where there isan objective to deliver homesto citizens at a price point.He added that to do this,there must be policies inplace. He further pointed outthat then, there is affordablehomes where there is nogovernment’s support. “Ithink for Nigerians, this iswhere they have theopportunity to own theirhomes because there are nopolicies by the governmentto facilitate affordable homes

in the country yet. The kindof prices we are talking aboutwhich is between N5 and N6million as we have done inother countries in Africa isnot impossible in Nigeria”,the chairman noted.

Shedding more light onMixta Africa, he said “MixtaAfrica which is the parentbody of Mixta Nigeria isbased in Barcelona, Spain. Ithas subsidiaries in Tunisia,Senegal, Cote’d Voir andnow Nigeria. In addition tothis, in the past, we haddeveloped projects inAlgeria, Egypt and

Mauritania. So, Mixta Africais an African real estatedevelopment company. Butthe distinguishing feature ofthis company when you lookat its operations acrossAfrica, is that we havespecialisation in our area ofbusiness.”Our core area isaffordable homes. In placeslike Morocco and Algeria,we have been able to deliverhomes successfully to endbuyers at a price of N5million. So, the reason forthe acquisition for us, is tobring that managementdiscipline of Mixta Africa toNigeria which makes a lot ofsense to us so that we areable to lower the deliverycost of houses to prospectivebuyers.

Estate Valuation practitioners seek global certificationThe ASA, last week in Lagos,commenced Stage 1 of theaccreditation process aimedat certifying the first set ofNigerians as Members of theorganization. The program isbeing co-ordinated by Mr.Leslie H. Miles Jr. a pastpresident and CertifiedInstructor of ASA. He is alsoa Senior Appraiser withAsset Valuation Source, aTexas based institution in theUnited States of America(USA). The program dweltessentially on plant,machinery and equipmentvaluation principles andpractice. The program washosted by Messrs Paul Osaji&Co at their head office in

Lekki Phase 1.Elaborating on this, Mr. PaulOsuji, a renowned estatesurveyor and valuer, saidvaluation is needed invarious sectors of theeconomy such as bankingand financing, oil and gasindustry, aviation sector,manufacturing, real estateand such sundry businesses.Investors would want toknow the values inherent inthe business they want to puttheir money in. According toOsaji, Estate Surveyors andValuers (Appraisers) are inthe best position to put themthrough on this as they havethe competence. Continuing,Osaji argued that

investments have no border,therefore, professionals haveto continually seek to obtaincertifications withinternational designations inaddition to their NationalCertifications, in order tomeet various expectations ofmultinational organizations.“An appraiser must invest inacademic study and hands-on, full-time experience; andmust prove competencythrough passing qualifyingexaminations in valuationtheory, ethics, and at leastone specialty, plus peer-review approval of appraisalreports”, said Osaji.

The Managing Directorof Continental

Reinsurance plc, Mr FemiOyetunji has said the use ofUS Dollar in the company’soffshore offices has helped tosooth the reinsurer ’soperations, following thecontinuous fall of the nairain the organisation’s homecountry.

Oyetunji who said thedepreciation of currencieshas slowed down business in

ITF builds partnership with insurancecompanies

STORIES BYFAVOUR NNABUGWU

As a human resourcedevelopment agency,Industrial Training

Fund has planned to build onits partnership withinsurance companies onskills training to see how theunderwriters can provideinsurance for its facilitators,among others.

The Director-General ofITF, Mrs. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko made this knownduring a press briefing withCommerce and IndustryCorrespondents Associationof Nigeria (CICAN) Abujachapter in her office.

Chukkas-Onaeko will writeto some insurancecompanies on how theinsurers can work with theFund to insure some of itsfacilities and facilitators.

“We are planning to buildon our partnership withinsurance companies. We

want insurance companies tocome up with a kind ofproduct that will cover ourfacilitators as trainers trainour trainees in our variouscentres.

“ITF is committed tocontinuous development ofhuman capital to adequatelyadvance human resourcepractices in Nigeria andaccelerate the level ofcontribution in nationaldevelopment. We have fivevocational training centres indifferent states. We arepartnering with othertraining institutions bothinside and outside Nigeriaand the aim is to provideinternationally acceptabletraining for Nigerians so thatthey can use the certificatesearned anywhere in theworld. It is only when we dothis that our people canleave Nigeria and get goodjobs outside the country. Wewant to empower people that

can work locally andinternationally”

She said the fund hadestablished collaborationand networking with otherinstitutions and agenciessuch as the GermanChamber of Crafts andCommerce to trainapprentices in line with

German Dual System.,SENAI in Brazil, Instituteof Technology Engineeringand Education Services(ITEES) in Singapore,Galilee InternationalM a n a g e m e n tInstitute(GIMI) in Israel,the SURE-P, Dangote, theNigerian Employers

Consultative Association(NECA), ManufacturersAssociation of Nigeria(MAN), Cement TechnologyInstitute and the AjaokutaSteel Rolling Company.

The whole aim of thecollaborations, she said, is tosee a revitalized economy asevidence from developedand emerging economiesshow that requisite skillsconstitute a major platformfor attaining sustainableeconomic development.

Use of US Dollar in Zimbabwe marketstabilises CRe operations – MD

Mozambique, Zambia andSouth Africa, noted that theuse of the US dollar inZimbabwe had stabilised thefirm’s operations.

“In terms of using the USdollar for us, we convey ourpremiums and when weaggregate the average, wereport in Naira. The issue ofcurrency losing tractionaffects us in other markets.Premiums paid in US dollar

boost us when translated intothe group rate,” he said.

He said although thecurrent focus was onconsolidating the firm’sposition in Botswana, therewere concerted efforts to dealwith regulatory challenges soas to operate directly fromZimbabwe in the near future.

Oyetunji said Zimbabwewas an important market forthe company and was thethird largest market in Africain terms of premium income.


CMYK

E-Commerce

“Who ever reads historywith application will perceivethat the same events are oftenrepeated and that we needonly change the names of theactors. Frederick the Great,1712-1786, (VANGUARDBOOK OF QUOTATIONS,VBQ, p 92.)

Another economic waris about tostart in Nigeria. The

war will be about MinimumWage, MW. The states wantto renegotiate it, meaningreduce it. Labor also wantsto renegotiate it, meaningincrease it. Renegotiationseems to be the only pointof agreement; it is also thebattle ground. On the faceof it, one would assume thatthis is only “a matter ofcash”. But, it is more thanthat. The very existence ofstates and local governmentsis threatened by this conflict.

The first sounds of the2016 war involving thegovernments and Labor havealready been heard from mostof the state governors –

Minimum wage and the inevitablebankruptcy of state governments

minus three dissenters,namely Governors Wike,Fayose and Oshiomhole.Wike, as everybody knows,faces another election andcannot be seen to be anti-labor. Self-interest is themotive here. Fayose, weknow, loves to fish in troubledwaters; while Oshiomhole iscaught in the trap of his pastas a labor leader. The formerlabor leader cannot be seento be forsaking the peoplewho brought him intoprominence. At any rate hehas only seven months to go;he can leave his successorwith the problem when hegoes. That is the worst formof political cynicism.Irrespective of how the threegovernors arrived at theircurrent positions, they can beregarded as traitors to thecause of the othergovernments. They mayeventually regret their dissentfrom the majority.

Let me declare, up front,that I strongly believe that thetwo sides are engaged in awar that would end up in

mutual destruction — theywill also destroy the states,economically, as we knowthem now. Most states arealready tottering on the brinkof bankruptcy with the currentMW pegged at N18,000 permonth. Many will grind to ahalt by the second quarter of2016 if they continue to paythe current MW withoutretrenching staff. Anyincrease in MW will onlyhasten the day of doom.

The case for the governorshad been made explicitly bythe Chairman of the NigeriaGovernors’ Forum, NGF, andZamfara State GovernorAbdulaziz Yari when he said:“What we said is that thewhen the National Assemblyenacted the law of payingN18,000 minimum wage, oilwas about $118 per barrel andtoday oil is sold for $41 perbarrel…So, if it continues,definitely we will find itdifficult to continue….Thereceipts from FederationAccount show that some[states] received N400million, N500 million; some

others received N55million…Not even the salary[can be paid], their pensionis over a billion. So how canwe continue borrowing..?”

The states and the Federalgovernment ran into troublevery early this year. In areport titled “FG recordsN1.3tn revenue shortfall inthree months” by IfeanyiOnuba, in PUNCH, May 7,2015, Nigerians were told that“The persistent drop in oilprices and low receipts fromnon-oil sources may have ledto N1.3tn shortfall in revenueaccruable to the federationin the first three months of thisyear. The report furtherpointed out that “the NationalAssembly, while passing the2015 budget last weekapproved a benchmark oil priceof $53 per barrel.”

Meanwhile, the revenuegenerated for the first threemonths of 2015 were as follows:

January N416.09bnFebruary N401.46bnMarch N315.05bnAccording to Dr Ngozi

Okonjo-Iweala, Minister ofFinance, “in April, we had toborrow to cover up some gap.” The chief reason forborrowing was the depletion ofthe Excess Crude Oil Account,ECA, by November 2014. FromJanuary till now, the price ofcrude oil had stayed below $53per barrel and in the lastquarter of this year, it hadaveraged just about $42 perbarrel. The consequences ofthis were made clear in the

September 2015 revenueaggregates which came toN389.94bn, less than theJanuary and February figuresand far off from the budgetedN815bn per month.

Things can only get worsein 2016 as the price of crude isset to decline even furtherbelow $40 per barrel andvolume is also likely to drop.States of Nigeria will becollecting about 40% of theaverage monthly allocationsfor 2014, which was our secondbest year in history. Comparedto 2013, the states will befortunate to receive 35% of thatglorious year. With many statesdepending on the revenueallocation from Abuja for closeto 95% of their income, it isclear that Governor Yari hadspoken the truth. But, sadly,that is not a truth which laborand their mindlesssympathizers want to be told.Forgetting that organized laborconstitutes less than five percent of the population of anystate, they insist that the statesmust go bankrupt just to pleasethem. Civil servants arethreatening to close downstates.

That only demonstrateshow desperate the situationhas become. Shutting down astate will not produce moneywhich the states don’t have. Atany rate, where were the civilservants when some of theirgovernors were incurring hugedebts to fund “innovative”projects?

Stories byJONAH NWOKPOKU

Kaymu tackles pay-on-delivery, partnersInterswitch on e-payment

In a bid to discouragepayment on delivery

considered one of thechallenges of e-commerce inNigeria, online marketplace,Kaymu.com.ng haspartnered Interswitch toprovide electronic paymentoptions for its customers.

Kaymu said through the

partnership, hundreds ofthousands of customerscurrently conductingbusiness transactions via theKaymu platform areprovided with a reliablealternative pre-paymentsolution.

Speaking on the

partnership, ManagingDirector of Kaymu Nigeria,Sefik Bagdadioglu said:“Trust is a major issue in e-commerce and we take thisvery seriously at Kaymu. Itis an essential component inevery part of the transaction,from honest product

descriptions right through toreliable payment options.This necessitated apartnership with Interswitchto promote a secure andenabling environment forpeople to make pre-payments for productspurchased on Kaymu.”

According to Bagdadioglu,the primary focus of thiscollaboration is to bringeven greater convenience tothe customer. By partneringwith Interswitch to createmore accessible paymentchannels, Kaymu is furtheropening up the e-commercespace to all consumers.

“By working with like-minded partners, we areoffering the Nigerianconsumer easy, secure andmost importantly freepayment options with theaim to continue to pioneerthe Nigerian onlineecosystem throughinnovation,” he said.

He added that, “The pre-payment gateway promotesbusiness transactions acrossthe country via the Kaymuplatform. Now, customerscan make secure paymentsfor products they desire fromthe comfort of their homesor offices irrespective oflocation and sellersencouraged to ship productsoutside of their states,”noting that “Kaymu’spartnership with Interswitchhighlights its commitmenttowards developing effectivepayment solutions gearedtowards strengtheningcommerce and developingthe country’s economy.”

French premium cabletelevision channel,

CanalPlus Group andNigeria’s mainstream onlinestreaming video on demand,iROKO have entered into adeal to create and launch thefirst FrancophoneSubscription Video onDemand, SVOD serviceaimed at bringing affordable,popular mobile TV contentto French-speaking Africa.The partnership which wasannounced last week as partof a multi-million euro dealwill see the two parties buildthe mobile-first AndroidApp with downloadfunctionality to be launchedin the coming months.In a statement, iROKO saidthe service which will be

CanalPlus, iROKO launch video service for Francophonecountries

designed to optimize dataconsumption, will be aimedat building a new mobile-only subscriber base acrossFrancophone Africa. Thestatement noted that the

partnership with CanalPluswas inspired by the fact thatthe group now owns andbroadcasts the largestcatalogue of African content,including Nollywood films

and TV series, Africanhomemade series and showsand South-American TVNovelas, for French-speaking Africa.

E-commerce solutionprovider, Slimtrader,

has launched a White LabelRewards scheme, theMo’Rewardz Club, for itsecommerce platform,MoBiashara.MoBiashara is introducingthe add-on loyaltyprogramme tosimultaneously rewardguests and hotel staff forusing the e-commerceplatform.In a statement, Slimtradersaid: “In stark contrast to

SlimTrader launches white label rewards schemetraditional loyalty schemes,where customers arerewarded for their loyalty toeither a hotel chain or a thirdparty booking site,Mo’Rewardz is brand & saleschannel agnostic, allowingtravellers and hotels toaccrue points via any first orthird party sellers that usethe MoBiashara onlinereservation system. Atpresent, these include TripAdvisor, HotelNowNow,Lagos Oriental Hotel, ProteaHotels and the Maison

Fahrenheit Hotels. Guestsare rewarded with points foreach reservation, which canbe used towards futurereservations, to buy mobileairtime, pay bills and caneven be cashed out by theguest. Front desk staffreceive loyalty points forcreating reservations on theMoBiashara for HotelsAdmin area and checking inguests with the system whenguests arrive on the hotel’spremises.”


Economy

Amidst sustained highliquidity in thebanking system

financial experts areexpecting developments inNigeria’s fiscal policy 2016and the internationalfinancial markets to shapeinvestment yields positivelyin December 2015 and firstquarter 2016.

A total inflow of aboutN890billion is expected to hitthe money market from thevarious maturinggovernment securities andFederation AccountsAllocation Committee,FAAC, in the month ofDecember 2015.

Expected outflows from thevarious sources such asgovernment securities andstatutory withdrawals areestimated at N577billionwithin this month, leading toa net inflow of aboutN312billion.

Though, according tofinance industry operators,this analysis does not includethe CBN’s interventions atthe inter-bank segment ofthe foreign exchange marketby the Central Bank ofNigeria, CBN, and the CashReserve Requirement (CRR)total liquidity in the systemis still expected to exceedN1.0 trillion except if theCBN conducts Open MarketOperation, OMO, to mop upthe excess cash during themonth.

With this situation financialanalysts expect yields on fixincome securities to rise inthe month of December.

Analysts at FSDHMerchant Bank said duringthe weekend that higherincrease in the longer datedsecurities is more likely thanon the shorter datedsecurities.

According to them ‘’thehigher yields would bedriven by the need tomaintain positive real yieldby the investors, theexpectation of an increase inthe Fed Rate in the UnitedStates of America and theimpact of Nigeria’s fiscaldeficit for 2016'’.

But with the

Fiscal policy 2016, other factorsshape investment returns in Dec

BY EMEKA ANAETO,Economy Editor

Investment experts havecanvassed investment

education amongst not onlyinvestment managers butalso the investors in bothretail and portfolio.

This according to themwould address thechallenges of maintainingquality investments even incrises situations adding thatthe more informed theinvestor, the more balancedhis investment and the morevalue he derives frominvesting.

This was the thrust of the

implementation of theTreasury Single Account,TSA, yields in the NigerianTreasury Bills, NTB, may belower, according to theanalysts.

Consequently investors areseeking likely opportunitiesat the longer end of themarket while money tradersmay exit current position forprofit-taking.

Average yields on the FGNEurobonds were higher inNovember 2015.Consequently, the prices ofall the bonds closed lower inthe month of November,compared with October2015.

According to the analystsat FSDH Merchant Bank,‘’we expect the yields to risehigher in the month ofDecember because of themacroeconomic risks theNigerian economy still facesin the short-term. This is inaddition to our expectationsthat Dollar denominatedyield may increase becauseof the possibility of rate hikein the U.S.’’

Meanwhile the banks aretaking advantage of the hugeliquidity to trade their excesscash instead of lending to thereal sector of the economy asenvisaged by CBN’s newexpansionary monetary

policy stance.CBN’s Monetary Policy

Committee, MPC,announced an expansionarymonetary policy inNovember 2015, marking adeparture from its tightpolicy. CBN’s intention is tostimulate lending to the realsector, agriculture,infrastructure and solidminerals sectors. At the endof its November 2015meeting, the MPC reducedthe Monetary Policy Rate(MPR) to 11% from 13%. TheMPC also lowered the CashReserve Requirement (CRR)to 20% from 25%; andmaintained the LiquidityRatio (LR) at 30%.

Reacting to thisdevelopment, however,FSDH said “ while wesupport measures aimed atstimulating lending; ourconversations with banksreveal that they are cautiousabout lending at themoment. This is because ofthe impact of the currenteconomic conditions inNigeria on the ability ofbanks’ customers to repayloans extended to them.

“Many of the banks preferto play safe in the inter-bankmarket and governmentsecurities despite the lowrates and yields. We believethat the current low rates inthe financial system does notadequately compensate forthe risks in the economy toencourage lending.

“We believe measures tode-risk the economy wouldlikely stimulate lending.Some of these measures are:adequate security of livesand properties, improvementin infrastructure (roads, railsand power), enforcement oflaws and order anddiversification of theNigerian economy from oil.This will reduce the adverseimpact of low oil price on theeconomy.

“These measures are longterm in nature and areoutside the confine of themonetary authority. Theproposed expansionarybudget for 2016 may removeliquidity from the financialsystem. Necessary measuresare required so that bankswill not only have preferencefor government securities”.

Investment experts harp on economicvalue of Portfolio Management

BY ESTHERONYEGBULA

discussion of the maidenAnnual national conferenceof the Portfolio ManagementInstitute of Nigeria (PMIN),led by Dr Isaac OlusolaDada, its president andchairman in council.

In his presentation, Dadaurged Nigerians and thestock broking community totake advantage of theopportunity offered by thePMIN to boost their intereston portfolio management toreturn additional value totheir clients.

According to him, balancedportfolio creates room forattainment of investmentobjectives, creates more

wealth, and increasesexpansion of existingbusinesses while adding tojob creation by freeing morefunds for investments, thustranslating to vibrancy of thecapital market as well as theoverall economy.

Dada said investmenteducation thrives for thosethat want to securemaximum value on theirinvested funds, and thatwithout education onportfolio investment,balance in portfolioarrangement would not beachieved and this would notoptimize earnings frominvestment.

Mr Wole Adetunji,Chairman of the 2015 annualconference said the portfoliomanagement institute offersboth education and trainingto the qualified investmentcommunity that advancesportfolio investments toattract the best value frominvestible funds.

This is done throughtraining students in portfoliomanagement leading toexamination in variouscadres of portfolio investing.It also entails continuoustraining through seminarsand workshops.

Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor


People in Business

Engr. Christopher Uchenna Nwadi is theManaging Director of Abuja-based NCR& Associates Limited, an outfit that specialises in

Properties, Estates and construction. In this chat withFinancial Vanguard in Abuja recently, the PropertyConsultant speaks on why he ventured into the propertybusiness, the challenges and says his love for real estateand the desire to provide good and affordable housing forNigerians made him go into the real estate business.

Excerpts:According to Engr. Christopher Nwadi, after his primary

We’ll meet housing challenges ifgovt is....— CHRISTOPHER NWADI

school education at the ArmyChildren’s School in Yaba,Lagos, he proceeded to CMSGrammar School for hissecondary school education.Thereafter, he was admittedinto the University of Lagoswhere he read MechanicalEngineering. Upongraduation, he was posted toAbuja by the National YouthService Corps scheme forthe one year compulsoryservice to fatherland. Oncompletion of the serviceyear, he started his ownbusiness.

“Along the line, I wasawarded an honorarydoctorate degree in BusinessAdministration by theCommonwealth University,London and I am a UnitedNations Peace Ambassador. Ihave received so many otherawards,” he said.

Motivation: “I just have this love for

real estate. When I realisedthat Nigeria is lacking in thearea of accommodation,housing estates to be precise,I decided to go into the realestate sector. Again, I have

been a lover of real estate/property because as far backas 1980; I joined my motherin her real estate business.She is very passionate aboutthe business. You see, mymother is Yoruba, from Lagosroyal family so we have somany family lands that wehad to sell and being the firstchild, I always wenteverywhere with her to theextent that people calledmeMummy’s husband.

So as a young child, mymother took me along whileconducting her real estatebusiness so I became a loverof property.

“When I came to Abuja formy youth service in the late90s, I was posted to AbujaMunicipal Area Council(AMAC) for my primaryassignment. One of the firstjobs I did was construction ofcorner shops in Wuse Zone 3and I also designed andconstructed the overhead tankat Utako Market. I thank Godfor where we are today.

I have partnered with somany people in Real estatesuch as Pent House,Platinum Bank, Mortgage

Home etc.

Going into business:“I started this business after

my youth service. I startedfrom scratch and graduallybuilt up, building from onehouse to small estate. I lovebuying property. I buy landfrom speculators. I buy landand keep for like 10 or 15years and sell. I don’t believeanywhere is a bush. I canmake a city out of every bush

I can make acity out of anybush because Ihave seen itbefore; I wentto Dubai in the90s whenDubai wasnothing and Isaw Dubai grow

*Engr. Christopher Nwadi…Government policies have notbeen consistent

*Only through mass housing schemes like this can Nigeria be able to meet the housing challenges.

BY EBELE ORAKPO

Educational background:

because I have seen it before.I went to Dubai in the 90s

when Dubai was nothing. Isaw Dubai grow because Iwent to Dubai every year soI saw the city coming up. Iwas part of the people thatwent to see Living FaithChurch, Ota, Ogun State. Thatplace was a thick forest,today, it is a city so I haveseen bush turned to city. Iwas in Kubwa area of Abujain 1992-93, I saw it grow towhat it is now. I saw Abujagrow into a city so there isnowhere in Abuja that is abush. You know I grew up inLagos, I lived on themainland and I saw Lagosexpand to where it is today.”

Challenges:Speaking on the challenges

faced in the business, Nwadisaid: “One of the problems wehave in the real estate sectoris government policies. Thepolicies have not beenconsistent. A new ministerwill come in and truncate theprocess that has been onground and bring up his ownteam. A land that has been

allocated will bereallocated withoutgoing through theprocess of revokingbefore reallocation;they will justoverride theprevious allocation.Even when we areable to bring inforeign investors,once they come intothe country, beforeyou know it, within afew months, may bethe minister ischanged or there is atransition ofgovernment, thewhole thing will betruncated.

The only way acommon man canown property in acity like Abuja andmany places in

Nigeria today is throughmass housing schemes. Forinstance, in the FederalCapital DevelopmentAuthority (FCDA)allocations, if you want tobuy 100 acres of land now,you will pay about N5 billion.Without N5 billion, acommon man cannot own ahouse in that place. Theminimum price of a housethere is about N30 billion,”he stated.

“It is now that they havereallocated some placeswithin the area council thatpeople want to key into it anddo mass housing. They willtell us they have given us landfor mass housing but it isbeing sold to us. We buy forN3 billion or N4 billion sothere is no way we can meetup with the housingchallenges in Nigeria.Nobody should deceive us,we cannot meet up. The onlyway we can meet up is ifgovernment is consistent andis truthful and transparent.That is the only way that gapcan be bridged. Only then willwe be able to convinceforeigners to bring in money.

Another challenge is theinterest rates on bank loans.They are killing. Interest rateis about 25 per cent frombank to real estate. TheFederal Mortgage Bank istrying but they are not doingenough because they do nothave the resources.”

It will be recalled that in late2012, about 500 housingunits built by MinanuelInvestments Ltd (our clients)for low income workers, waspulled down by the FCTadministration over claimsthat they were built withoutapproval.

“We were able to go tocourt and the judgement wasin our favour. The land wasrestored and that increasedour client’s confidence inus,” he said.

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. ReporterIfeyinwa Obi - Maritime ReporterRosemary Onuoha - Insurance ReporterNkiruka Nnorom - Capital Market Reporter

CONTRIBUTORSPrincewill Ekwujuru - Media/MarketingJonah Nwokpoku - E-CommerceNaomi Uzor - IndustryProvidence Obuh - Micro FinanceLAYOUT - Graphics Department

(0805 220 1997)


Business & Economy

The crash in crude oilprices from over $145in 2008 to below $40/

barrel presently, hasinvariably reduced Nigeria’sexport earnings by over 50%;consequently, the significantdeflation in dollar income iscommonly blamed for thepersistent intense marketpressure on the Nairaexchange rate. Interestingly,this perception is, ironically,against, the actual reality thatthe Naira exchange rateremained static betweenN152-N160/$1, even when theforeign reserves in CBN’scustody exceeded $60bn.

Incidentally, after 2006, theIMF’s ‘Policy Support’recommendation to liberalisedollar supply and stabiliseNaira exchange rate, soonbecame an article of faith inCBN’s monetary policymanagement. Ultimately,almost 3,000 BDCs becamelicensed to sell weekly dollarallocations supplied fromCBN’s reserves. Curiously,dollar allocations to BDCsoften exceeded the monthlyprovision for the real sector,despite their indisputable roleas engine of economic growthand prime creators ofemployment opportunities.

Curiously, however, personalNaira debit cards wereactively promoted by thebanks, with CBN collaborationto enable Nigerians cash upto $150,000 from ATMs abroadat the official Naira rate, evenwhen it is clear that possiblyless than 1% of Nigerians earnN15m annually.

Clearly, such uninhibiteddollar supply clearly promoteswidespread moneylaundering and liberalimports of contraband whichundermine governments’declared intentions to supportlocal industrialists and createmore jobs. Ironically, whilebillions of dollars are offeredto the BDCs and Nigeriantravellers at official rates, somelocal manufacturers aredenied access to CBN dollarsand are therefore invariablyconstrained to fund theirdollar needs at over N240/$1,while other equally genuine

Is the economy poisoned byCBN $ hoarding?industrialists may also have toremain in bank queues forseveral weeks before theyobtain forex cover for theircritical raw material imports.

Besides, it is certainlyirrational for CBN to gleefullysell ‘our’ dollar reserves at facevalue to BDCs and tourists ,while government issimultaneously busyborrowing same dollarsexternally with anunnecessarily high cost.Nevertheless, the CBNremains resolute that its forexcontrol measures areabsolutely necessary toprotect the Naira exchangerate and by extension oureconomy and the welfare ofour people .

Evidently, however, thepresent wide differencebetween an official (read assubsidized) rate of N197 andthe open market price ofN240=$1 would expectedlycreate potentially seriousmarket distortions andthreaten economic andgeneral price stability. Theabove realitiesnotwithstanding, CBNmanagement proudlypositions itself as crediblyperforming its role as theconstitutional defender of theNaira Exchange rate withdollar reserves in its custody!Incidentally, however, if theslide in crude revenuepersists, Nigerians may beginto question why fuel imports,Corporate dividends andTechnical fees, whichconsume about 80% of ourtotal forex income, aresubsidized with cheaper forexallocations when a significantsegment of the real sector, isconversely forced to endurehigher black marketexchange rates to importthose critical inputs theyrequire to produce and createjobs locally. Regrettably, If this

imbalance persists, we mayultimately become helplessagainst the challenge ofcheaper imports of finishedconsumer goods flooding ourmarkets, forcing factoryclosures and throwing moreNigerians into an alreadysaturated job market.

Nonetheless, it is necessaryto examine how CBNaccumulates its dollars, sincethe Apex bank clearly does notengage in the production andexport of goods or servicesthat could sustainably fund itsrelatively high reserves base.Firstly, we may need to askwho actually owns thereserves in CBN’s custody?Indeed, if the NigerianFederation truly owns thedollar reserves in CBN’scustody, it would beunexpected and inexplicablefor government tosimultaneously resort tofunding its programmes withexternal borrowing withhigher interest rates wheninfact it has $30bn idledeposits, which earn minimal

or nil yield in CBN vaults andaccounting records.

Curiously, in 2013, formerPresident Jonathan, paid abusiness visit to China with adistinguished delegationwhich included NgoziOkonjo-Iweala, Finance andCo-ordinating Minister of theEconomy, and Lamido Sanusi,former CBN Governor; whilePresident Jonathan went inpursuit of a $3bn loanpackage for the enhancementof aviation, railway andmarine infrastructure fromExport-Import Bank of Chinaand China DevelopmentBank, Lamido Sanusi, theCBN Governor converselyreported that his mission wasto assess how some of theCBN’s surplus reserves ofabout $40bn could be held inalternative currencies such asthe Chinese Yuan. Clearly, theimport of the precedingscenario is that CBN reservesare not actually consolidatedto bring respite from thosesocial and infrastructuraldeprivations Nigerians suffer.Furthermore, what infact stopsthe Chinese Bank from sellingChinese Yuan or at bestborrowing Sanusi’s dollarreserves for below 3% andturning round to lend thesame funds to PresidentJonathan’s delegation with ahigher interest rate.

The begging questionhowever, is , how can CBNconfidently lay sole claim tothe dollar cache that is, in thelight of the preceding,obviously erroneously calledour National reserves.Evidently, the level of CBN’sreserves clearly has nothing todo with any direct economicactivity of the Bank.Instructively, therefore, theCBN consolidates its reservesby retaining Nigeria’s exportdollar revenue from crude oiland substituting Naira

allocations at its ownunilaterally determinedexchange rate before thedistribution of bloated Nairasums to the constitutionalbeneficiaries of the Federationpool.

So, while the three tiers ofgovernment are fed withincreasingly worthless Nairavalues, the CBN ‘ wisely ’keeps all the dollars we earn;consequently, any fortuitousincrease in dollar revenue forwhatever reason, will alsoincrease the burden ofsystemic Naira surplus whichultimately fires inflation andalso induces weaker Nairaexchange rates, as theresultant excess Naira supplychase the small rations ofdollars that the CBNironically auctions from timeto time TO DEFEND THENAIRA.

In addition, the subsistingNaira surplus unfortunatelyinduces, highly oppressivecost of funds and alsodiscourages investment andjob creation as the same CBNwhich initially instigated theNaira surfeit, impulsivelyspikes its benchmark interestrate to banks, to discourageconsumer borrowing andliberal spending as a strategyagainst a threateninginflationary spiral.

Technically, reserves arenormally defined as anyexcess to immediaterequirement; consequently,the real reserves we own arethose deposits which areconstitutionally consolidatedfrom any revenue earned inexcess of annual budgetprojections, and warehousedin the Excess Crude Accountand Sovereign Wealth Fund.Consequently, we may oncemore ask, who owns thereserves? Surely, it would beunconscionable if the threetiers of government alsosubsequently lay claim to allthe dollars in CBN’s custodyafter they have readilyaccepted and consumed thesubstituted Naira allocations.Surely, you cannot have yourcake and eat it.

SAVE THE NAIRA! SAVENIGERIANS.

Nonetheless, it isnecessary toexamine how CBNaccumulates itsdollars, since theApex bank clearlydoes not engagein the productionand export ofgoods or servicesthat couldsustainably fundits relatively highreserves base

Food security in Africa is setto become a major

investment theme as rapidindustrialisation andurbanisation across manyemerging economies places astrain on the world’s foodresources, according to a newreport byPricewaterhouseCoopersPwC.The PwC report released lastweek outlined how thecollapse in oil prices, aUS$35bn continent-widestructural food deficit andhuge potential to lift outputand productivity, have forced

Africa has potential to solve global food security crisis – Report

food security and agriculturaldevelopment to the top of thepolitical and economicagenda.Agricultural adviser to PwCand author of the report,Richard Ferguson said: “Theworld needs more food.China’s growing proteinneeds alone will require anarea the size of the UnitedKingdom (UK) to grow thegrains to support thatconsumption. And as moreindustrialising countries losethe ability to feed themselves,the world is going to lookincreasingly to Africa to be thesolution”.

He said: “For Africa to thrive,economically and socially,African food security effortsneed to become more urgent,more active and more focused.With some 400 million hectares of under-utilisedland on the GuineaSavannah, Africa representsan extraordinary resource notonly capable of supplyingdomestic needs for multipleAfrican nations but alsobecoming a major source ofworld food supplies. Africahas a once in a lifetimeopportunity to feed theworld.”

By Jonah Nwokpoku


CMYK


Continues on page 41

WHAT is your idea ofdemocracy in Nigeria?

The road map in Nigeria isthe Constitution and Section 14of the Constitution says,“Sovereignty belongs to thepeople of Nigeria.” And fromthe Constitution, governmentderives all its power andauthority, which means that theConstitution, as I have alwayssaid, is a documentation ofdelegated power.

During military rule, therewas no politics. We have chosendemocracy as our highway.Therefore, we must obey therules of democracy.

Rules ofdemocracy

So, once we say we havechosen democracy, then theremust be election because all thepeople cannot go to parliamentand all the people cannot takedecisions. Therefore, in ourway of doing it, we structuredNigeria into three: the nationallevel, the state level and thelocal government level whichis why we say we have threetiers. In these three tiers,elections must be conducted tothe National Assembly whereyou have the Senate and Houseof Representatives, to the stateassemblies, to all the executiveoffices including the 36governors and, of course, thelocal government chairmen.And section seven of theConstitution is clear that alllocal government officers mustbe elected.

By Bashir Adefaka But in many states instead ofelected local governmentchairmen we haveadministrative secretaries orcaretaker chairmen who areappointed?

That is indiscipline. There isno provision for administrativesecretaries or caretakercommittee chairmen for localgovernment administration. So,you can now see that becausewe are practising democracy,we have political associationsthat are registered to canvassfor votes. Having beenregistered to canvass for votesand you will now be calledpolitical parties then you mustplay politics.

Then you must have amanifesto where you makepromises, and the Constitutionitself in Chapter Two gives youhow to package your manifesto.You must state what you wantto do for Nigerians sincesovereignty lies with them and,therefore, you will have tomake the promise of what youwill do for them if you are ingovernment as a political party.What will you do for thempolitically, educationally,economically, culturally,environmentally, and in thearea of foreign policy? There isa guideline in the Constitution.As a political association youwill say what you want to do,and that is what you packageas your own manifesto.

Are you satisfied with theway the new oppositionPeoples Democratic Party,PDP is challenging the newgovernment?

It is all politics. You don’t

expect Olisa Metuh to besinging the praises of APC.That is not the objective ofopposition. What Metuhshould be doing as PDPpublicity secretary is to criticiseAPC government.

And what APC was doing asthe opposition party is preciselywhat PDP is now doing. Justlike what many of yourcolleagues do as spokespersonsfor governors. Let us takeReuben Abati as spokespersonfor former President GoodluckJonathan. Some people werecriticising Reuben saying,“Look at what he was writingin Guardian and look at whathe is doing now ingovernment.”

Spokesman andimage maker

But Reuben Abati had noobligation to what he was doingin The Guardian when he waswith Jonathan. When he waswith Jonathan, he was hisspokesman, image maker andhis duty was to defendJonathan. He would not beobjective if he criticisedJonathan.

Jonathan did not appointAbati to come and criticise him,just like General IbrahimBabangida did not appoint meas Minister of Information tocriticise his government.

Many of my colleaguesraised issues, but I said, “Oh,I am not the spokesman of theNUJ. I am the spokesman forthe government of IBB, and Iknow what I am doing.” I wasspokesman for the government,

and Duro Onobule was thespokesman for the President.Until we know all these, we willbe thinking that some peoplehave sold out.

This question arose from theway the PDP minority leadermocked the presentation of theMedium Term ExpenditureFramework causing fear thatthey could also have derailedthe SupplementaryAppropriation Bill?

The fact is that PDP could nothave struck out thatsupplementary bill. Onlymajority can strike it out. PDPmay have tried but at the endof the day there was voting.Although they are in theminority, the PDP had their saybut the majority that is APC hadtheir way.

But during the ministerialscreening of Amaechi theyhad their say and still walkedout?

That is the opposition for you.If you walk out, the peoplesitting will still pass the bill. Youcan walk out as many times asyou like, as long as you form aquorum you pass the bill. Thereare different definitions ofquorum. There is the time thequorum will be one-third of thepeople present, but the majorquorum is one-third of thepopulation of the House. So, ifit is 360 in the house, one-thirdwill be 120. As far as the houseis up to 120, they have formeda quorum, and they can dobusiness.

Given that Gen. Buhari ashead of state appointed you asGeneral Manager of Daily

•Momoh: During military rule, there was no politics

Jonathan did notappoint Abati tocome and criticisehim, just likeGeneral IbrahimBabangida did notappoint me asMinister ofInformation tocriticise hisgovernment

You don’t expectOlisa Metuh tobe singing thepraises of APC.That is not theobjective ofopposition. WhatMetuh should bedoing as PDPpublicitysecretary is tocriticise APCgovernment

Buhari 'll beNigeria’smostdemocraticleader— TONY MOMOH

Buhari 'll beNigeria’smostdemocraticleader— TONY MOMOH

LAWYER, veteran journalist, politician, royal dignitary and formerMinister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh was a central playerin the political change that eclipsed the dominance of the formerruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, having been nationalchairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC. Having related with Buhari at close quarters, he speaks on theevolving changes in the country, expectations from his partystalwart, President Muhammadu Buhari and some other sundrynational issues.Excerpts:

CMYK

VANGUARD, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015 — 41

Times what was yourexperience working underhim?

Many people don’t knowGeneral Muhammadu Buhari.At the time Tunde Idiagbonwas the second-in-commandand because of the free handBuhari gave Idiagbon, peoplethought Idiagbon was the manin power. I am giving you thisso that Nigerians would beginto watch Buhari. From what Iam telling you now, I ammaking a statement that themost predictable man in theworld is Buhari. Do you knowwhy?

Why? If you want to know what

Buhari will do, look at the rulesguiding the decisions he takes.Read the rules and, since youknow what the rules guidingthose decisions say, you canpredict him because Buhariwill never bend the rules.Having said that, I am sayingthat Buhari will never interferewith the decisions of people andinstitutions he has delegatedassignments, for example,INEC. He won’t interfere withthe decision of the INEC. Hewon’t interfere with thedecisions of the NationalAssembly in its power to makelaws. He won’t. If theConstitution gives you powerto do one or two things, Buhariwill never interfere with theoperation of the law that set youup. You can, therefore, say thathe will turn out to be one of themost democratic leadersNigeria has ever had becausehe won’t interfere with theinstitutions.

But will that stance not denyhim and his party ofadvantages they could havetaken through interferencewith institutions?

There is division of labour,separation of power. Thelawmaking arm of government

Continues from page 40 refers to the National Assemblyand the state assemblies. Thelaw executing arm is theexecutive; the president, thegovernors and chairmen oflocal councils and lawinterpreting arm is the court ofthe land from the SupremeCourt down to the magistratecourt including the customarycourt. That is separation ofpower. The National Assemblymakes law and cannot interpretthe law. The judiciary interpretsthe law and cannot make orexecute the law. The executiveexecutes the laws made by thelawmaking arm. So, that isdivision of power andseparation of power. Now theperson who obeys thatarrangement is a democrat notthe one who wants to controlthe National Assembly. Why doyou want to control the NationalAssembly?

CriticisingBuhari

So, people were criticisingBuhari that he is weak, heought to have dictated to theNational Assembly what wouldhave happened. He said at theparty meeting, let them go andsort themselves out becausethey are an arm but that theyshould stop individualinterests for the collectiveinterest of the nation and alsothe supremacy of the party inthe area of taking decisions inthe National Assembly and so,the party must be taken intoconsideration.

And I am now telling you thatBuhari’s tenure will be markedby respect for the institutionsand then the respect of not onlythe facts that I have cited butalso the import of theirseparation.

How do you compare thegains made in the war againstinsurgency in the Northeastwith the renewed agitation for

PresidentMuhammaduBuhari willdo anythingto secureNigeria,which he isruling. Hewill neverallow anypart of thecountry to cutoff

Many peopledon’t knowGeneralMuhammaduBuhari. At thetime TundeIdiagbon was thesecond-in-command andbecause of thefree hand Buharigave Idiagbon,people thoughtIdiagbon was theman in power

Biafra in the Southeast? Let me also tell you another

thing Nigerians should look upto in trying to understandBuhari. PresidentMuhammadu Buhari will doanything to secure Nigeria,which he is ruling. He willnever allow any part of thecountry to cut off. This is sobecause the Constitution saysNigeria is a country indivisible.You can’t divide it, and soNigeria must remain oneunder Buhari. One is advisingtherefore that in line with theConstitution, which Buhari willenforce, anybody having agrievance should settle it withinNigeria. And people have theright to express theirgrievances and have themsettled. Running or breakingaway from Nigeria is not anoption, and it is only insecuring Nigeria that there willbe peace.

It is believed that there ismutual distrust between thepeople of the Southeast andthe president?

The fact is that it is misplaced.Buhari does not hate. He is nota tribalist, and he is not asectional leader. I am notpraising him for being like this,but the truth of the matter is thathe has never said he is goingto attend elders’ forum meetingor any Arewa meeting in theNorth. All those meetings thatthey hold in the North he is notexcited by them. So, anybodywho has seen him in a sectionalmeeting should say so and thensay when.

What of religiousmeetings?

No. He practices his religionfaithfully and allows you topractice your religion the way youknow it. His position is nobodyshould interfere with the other.

Are you not worried thatSoutheast governors with theexception of Owelle RochasOkorocha were indifferent to the

pro-Biafran marches? There is no proof that they

backed it. Who says they are not talking?

Or must you talk before you areknown to be reacting? Forinstance, I don’t know whypeople are so agitated. People areagitating for what they believethey want to do. We are in ademocracy and free speech isguaranteed by the Constitution.But when you go beyondexercising your right to speak,then you will know whether ornot there are institutions that willcheck you.

Which the military has doneby giving them warning?

No, the fact is, the militarydoesn’t have to give anybodywarning. Everybody knows thatwhen you exceed the limit of yourrights, someone in charge willintervene. So, what they aredoing as far as I am concerned isokay as long as they don’t exceedthe limit. They know it is specifiedby law. If people start breakingpeople’s vehicles, then peoplewill be arrested and heavenswon’t fall! If people take up arms,they will be confronted, andheavens won’t fall!

Look at the North East nowand imagine the weapons beingused on our military. Theinsurgents have verysophisticated weapons andpeople are dying.

Perception ofinjustice

So, those who are agitating forBiafra are reacting to theirperception of injustice. You won’tbelieve it but these ISIS peopleare reacting to their perceptionof injustice. There is so muchtrouble in the world today. Peopleare not mad. They are reactingto their perception of injustice,and the Holy Books say that Godwill forgive everything exceptinjustice. Man’s inhumanity toman must be attended to. Peopledon’t have conscience any more.That little voice that tells you,“What you are doing is wrong,”is silent, yet at our level ofmaturity spiritually, that voiceought to be booming in ourminds, from our hearts. It says,“Take care of the orphans.” Whatdo we do? We deny the orphansand starve them to death.

The law of taking has takenover from the law of giving. Thelaw of taking is the law of Satanwhereas the law of giving is thelaw of God. Love is themanifestation of the law of giving.Hatred and greed aremanifestations of the law oftaking. Satan is behind all these.God is behind all that is good andGod is justice. Justice must cometo the world, otherwise, the worldwill not have peace.

So, internally, when we havepeople coming out like this, weattend to their agitation,peacefully. But when theyexceed the level of free speech,then they will be tackled, and Ipray we don’t get there.

•Momoh: Buhari is not a tribalist

Why Metuh can'tpraise Buhari— Tony Momoh

CMYK


CMYK

By Tunde Akanni

48—Vanguard, 48—Vanguard, 48—Vanguard, 48—Vanguard, 48—Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015

Managing the inflection point in organizations

To be continued

This is ageofinformationsociety asSociologistManuelCastellswould say

INTRODUCTION: The ideaof engaging with “strategic

inflection” in today’s discourseis in line with the global bestpractices of the recent timesinduced by some universalphenomenon. In mathematics,especially in differentialcalculus, an inflection point orpoint of inflection otherwisereferred to as flex,or inflection (inflexion) is a pointon a curve at which the curvechanges frombeing concave (concavedownward) to convex (concaveupward), or vice versa. Of course,our preferred direction is ratherobvious which is concave orupward, if we are talking aboutglobal best practices furtherconfirmed by the Yoruba maximof “ a ma n pe gbon ni”, heretaking after a comtemporaryleading light in literaryscholarship, Pius Adesanmi.

Conceptual ClarificationGlobalization: This is in line

with the global best practicessignposted early in thispresentation. The inception ofglobalization is one thing that hasbeen difficult to ascertain. Somescholars and analysts haveargued that it is not a recentdevelopment afterall. Accordingto this school of thought, socialand trans-border commercialactivities had been in existenceas far back as the 16th century.

Glogalcapital flows

Some others on the other hand,assert that the recentdevelopment they reckon with ischaracterised by activities that fartranscend any t

hat history had ever recorded.They cite such developments asthe regime of unprecedented

Martin Albrow, cited by Baylisand Smith (1999) furtherdescribes globalization as theprocess - still ongoing- throughwhich the world has in manyrespects been becoming a singleplace. In the economic realm itprobably manifests best as freemarkets with investment defyinggeographical and all other formsof restrictions. According toScholte (2000), globalizationcould be said to be informed bysome four factors. These includethe spread of rationalism as adominant knowledge frameworkand certain turns in capitalistdevelopment. The rest aretechnological innovations incommunications and dataprocessing as well as theconstruction of enablingregulatory frameworks.

Regulatoryframeworks

The last two factors are the mostrelevant to this paper asmanagement practice which iswhat is in focus today haveresponded essentially to these.The technological innovationssaid to be unmistakable includebreakthroughs in the areas oftransport, communications anddata processing. Capacities ofcables as well as the speed ofdigital processors have increasedand are virtually ubiquitous.

All these help to create a highdegree of technicalstandardization within andbetween countries helping at thesame time to create trans-worldsocial spaces. And these havebeen improving virtually by theday. What, with the arrival of theInternet otherwise calledworldwideweb which practicallyblurs time and space boundaries?Indeed, some authors havesuggested that the factor oftechnology, more than any other,has been the single driving forceof globalization.

Inflection Point: InMathematics, an inflection point

is when the rate of the slope of acurve changes sign fromnegative to positive. In physicalterms, it is when the shape of acurve changes from convex toconcave. Or simply, when a curvegoes up.

Strategic inflection point: “Astrategic Inflection point is whenthe balance of forces shift fromthe old structure, from the oldways of doing business and theold ways of competing, to thenew. Before the strategicInflection point, the industry wasmore like the old. After it, its morelike the new. It is a point, wherethe curve has subtly butprofoundly changed, never tochange back again… theperilous transition between theold and the new ways of doingbusiness

Information age, era like noother: Having had what can besaid to be a foretaste of Groove’spostulation and the reality ofglobalization, what otherstimulation do we need to bealive to the wave of globalizationas individuals involved inmanagement especially thatGroove only signposts theprevailing trend?

This is age of informationsociety as Sociologist ManuelCastells would say. He concludesthat it is the very basis of theinterdependence and impliedlythe growth and development ofdifferent organizations andcountries of the world. TheEconomist magazine of February2010 indeed takes it to theextreme and declaresunequivocally that it is the age

of “Data Deluge” in the coverstory of that edition. A spectacletypifying volume and speed fromThe Economist:

Eighteen months ago, Li &Fung, a firm that managessupply chains for retailers, saw100 gigabytes of information flowthrough its network each day.Now the amount has increasedtenfold. During 2009, Americandrone aircraft flying over Iraq andAfghanistan sent back around 24years’ worth of video footage.New models being deployed thisyear will produce ten times asmany data streams as theirpredecessors, and those in 2011will produce 30 times as many.

Quantity ofinformation

Everywhere you look, thequantity of information in theworld is soaring. According toone estimate, mankind created150 exabytes (billion gigabytes)of data in 2005. This year, it willcreate 1,200 exabytes. Merelykeeping up with this flood, andstoring the bits that might beuseful, is difficult enough.Analysing it, to spot patterns andextract useful information, isharder still. Even so, the datadeluge is already starting totransform business, government,science and everyday life.

Clearly and ahead of TheEconomist, internet freedomactivists had seen the directionthings were bound to go andstrongly believed they should notbe indifferent to it. They resortedto hacktivism. This is the

process of unauthorizedaccessing of the contents of acomputer to make politicalstatement. In the recent time, thishas happened more to publishedworks. A most remarkable heightof hacktivism is that involving ayoung American computerprogramming expert, AaaronSwartz, who comitted suicide at26!

Aaron HillelSwartz (November 8, 1986 –January 11, 2013) was anAmerican computer programmer,entrepreneur, writer, politicalorganizer andInternet hacktivist who wasinvolved in the development ofthe web feed format RSS andthe Markdown publishingf o r m a t , t h eo r g a n i z a t i o n C r e a t i v eCommons, the websiteframework web.py and the socialnews site, Reddit, in which hebecame a partner after its mergerwith his company, Infogami.

Criminaljustice system

He committed suicide whileunder federal indictmentfor data-theft, a prosecution thatwas characterized by his familyas being “the product of acriminal-justice system rife withintimidation and prosecutorialoverreach”.

Swartz as a civil awarenessactivist also helped launchthe Progressive ChangeCampaign Committee in 2009 tolearn more about effective onlineactivism. In 2010, he became aresearch fellow at HarvardUniversity’s Safra Research Labon Institutional Corruption,directed by Lawrence Lessig.

He founded the onlinegroup Demand Progress,known for its campaign againstthe Stop Online Piracy Act.

On January 6, 2011, Swartzwas arrested by MIT police onstate breaking-and-enteringcharges, after surreptitiouslyinstalling a computer in anInstitute closet which he set tos y s t e m a t i c a l l yd o w n l o a d a c a d e m i cj o u r n a l a r t i c l e sf r o m J S T O R . F e d e r a lprosecutors later charged himwith two counts of wirefraud and eleven violations ofthe Computer Fraud and AbuseAct, carrying a cumulativemaximum penalty of $1 millionin fines, 35 years in prison, assetf o r f e i t u r e , r e s t i t u t i o n ,and supervised release.

Being a paper presented by Dr. Tunde Akanni at the NigerianInstitute of Management, Ede, Osun State

the worldwide movementt o w a r deconomic, financial, trade,and communications integration.Globalization implies theopening of local andnationalistic perspectives to abroader outlook of aninterconnected andinterdependent worldwith free transfer of capital,goods, and services acrossnational frontiers.

However, it does not includeunhindered movement of labourwhich is why we are dailyconfronted with migration crisisespecially in Europe these days.

DR. TUNDEAKANNI

g l o b a lc a p i t a lflows andr e l a t e dactivities.Accordingto theo n l i n eBusinessDictionary,globalizationi s

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Confirmation of namesThis is to inform thegeneral public that thenames Ayodeji AdeyinkaAdeoye and SamuelAyodeji Adeoye are mynames. Any documentsthat has any of the abovenames refers to the sameperson. All formerdocuments remain valid.General public pleasenote.

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MONDAY, MONDAY, MONDAY, MONDAY, MONDAY, VanguardVanguardVanguardVanguardVanguard,,,,, DECEMBER 14DECEMBER 14DECEMBER 14DECEMBER 14DECEMBER 14, 2015 — 51, 2015 — 51, 2015 — 51, 2015 — 51, 2015 — 51

Access Bank opens LagosCity marathon account

By Ben Efe

ONCE again, Lagos Citywill grace a marathon

race; this is coming sevenyears after the AthleticsFederation of Nigeria,marathoners and keep fitenthusiasts were left highand dry by the sponsors ofthe Lagos international halfmarathon.

However, in announcingthe rebirth of the LagosMarathon, top officials ofAccess Bank of Nigeriahave promised that this willnot be a one off thing, asthe event will endure for aslong as they have thefinancial muscle to keep itgoing. This was music tothe ears of AFN president,Solomon Ogba and Lagosgovern-ment representedby Deji Tinubu who is theLagos State governor’sspecial adviser on sportsand also chairman of theLagos State sports council.

Speaking on the forthcoming event, Mr. Tinubustated that the Access Bank/Lagos City Marathonpromises to be the best inAfrica and could also rivalthe world majormarathons... Berlin, Tokyo,Boston and London in theyears to come.

He revealed that the50,000 dollar top prizemoney marathon will attractthe world best runners,adding the IAAF has gladlysanctioned the race andeven newly elected IAAFpresident, Sebastian Coemay be present at themaiden race scheduled forFebruary 6.

“A whole lot of work has

Dalung commends NTF onKorean Ambassador’sTaekwondo

MINISTER of Youthand Sports, Barrister

Solomon Dalung has com-mended the Nigeria Taek-wondo Federation forkeeping the hopes of Ni-geria Taekwondo athletesalive by organising regu-lar competitions, therebykeeping the athletes busyall through the year.

He made the commen-dation in Lagos at theweekend while declaringclosed, the 6th Korean Am-bassador ’s West AfricaTaekwondo championshipheld at the Okoya Thomashall of the Teslim BalogunStadium, Surulere Lagos.

Speaking ahead of Rio2016 preparations, Dalungsaid if the funds are avail-able, the athletes wouldimmediately be moved intoclosed camping.

He said: “Olympic is afour year event and plan-ing for it should not starton the eve of departure. Somuch has been going onthough, but not so encour-

Marathon runners during a race

paid the Naira equivalentof $4,000-a-player for thefinal win, $3,000-a-man forthe semi-final win over hostsSenegal, $2,000-a-man forthe opening-day win overMali, and $1,000 for thedraws with Egypt andAlgeria.They were also paid $100per day for the 10 days theytrained in The Gambia priorto this championship,which amounted to $1,000.

Dollar rainContinues from BP

Continues from BPtions in Dakar on Satur-day. Oghenekaro Eteboput the West Africansahead from the penaltyspot on 14 minutes, beforeseeing his teammateSegun Oduduwa head theball into his own net to re-vive Algeria’s hopes ofcontinental glory on thehalf-an-hour mark.

But Etebo completed abrace just before half-timeto help Nigeria to the roofof Africa.

“We all feel a great frus-tration, as we are awarethat we came close toachieving a feat. But wehanded our opponents thevictory,” Schurmann la-mented after the match.“The goals Nigeriascored, we gave it to them.At this level, you pay theprice for your mistakes.

“We had a poor start, butwe came back into thematch, we equalized andeven took control. But wemissed the penalty as wellas many other chances.”

FIFA Club World Cup: Sanfreccefreeze TP Mazambe

By Solomon Nwokeaging enough from myown assessment. The lev-el of preparation is fluctu-ating between 50 and 45,and what we are going todo in the coming year, isto rededicate whatever re-source s that we have intomobilsing the athletes intoclosed camping .

“Base on the availabilityof funds on ground, theNational sport commissionwill determine when theseathletes will go in to closedcamping.”

TP Mazembe’s dreams ofreaching another Club

World Cup final were quick-ly extinguished when theAfrican champions lost 3-0to Japan’s Sanfrecce Hi-roshima in their quarter-fi-nal on Sunday.

Tsukasa Shiotani and Ka-zuhiko Chiba both scoredfollowing corners andTakuma Asano added thethird as Hiroshima, whoqualified as champions ofthe host nation Japan,earned a tie against SouthAmerican champions RiverPlate on Wednesday.

Five-times African cham-

pions Mazembe made his-tory on their last appearancein the tournament five yearsago when they eliminatedBrazilian side Internacionalto reach the final where theylost to Rafael Benitez’s InterMilan.

The team from Democrat-ic Republic of Congo, field-ing players from IvoryCoast, Mali, Zambia, Tan-zania, Ghana and only onefrom their own country,made a bright start, weavingsome neat passing patternsin midfield, and they hadan early chance to getahead.

Mbwana Samatta gotclean away from the de-fence but dallied over hisshot and gave Chiba timeto scramble back and tackle.

Algerian coach

been done and we aregood to go with the maidenAccess Bank/Lagos CityMarathon,”Mr. Tinubuassured. The 42km race willbegin at the NationalStadium Surulere Lagos,and run through Ojota, theThird Mainland Bridge,into Admiralty Way in Lekkiand then terminate at theEko Atlantic City site.

Ogba remarked that therace will be held strictly tobest international practiceso that the country’s imagewill not be tarnished.

“AFN is interested in thetechnical aspect of themarathon. We mustmaintain internationalstandards, because this willboost our image as aFederation and a country.”

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Enyimba, Akwa and thecontinental challenge

IMMEDIATELY after the draws for CAF Champions league and CAF Confederation Cup, I put a

call through to the Chairman of Enyimba FC, ChiefFelix Anyansi,wishing him well through a draw that Iconsidered “favourable”

He agreed with me that a preliminary round matchagainst Vipers of Uganda, graduating to face thewinner of the match between Lioli of Lesotho and VitalO of Burundi was good enough to help the teamprogress in the competition.

Enyimba remains Nigeria’s most successful club inAfrica yet the last three years has been a nightmareand it is still a miracle that we are still benefitting acomplement of the full club participation.

Last year, no Nigerian club made it to the secondround of any of the CAF Club Cups.

You can imagine a club like Enyimba starting thecompetition this year in the preliminaries where their“mates” Cotton Sport, A.C Leopards, El Ahly,Zamalek, T.P Mazembe, El Merreikh, Al Hilal,Zamalek and co have been drawn bye. That is thesign of the times.

This year, things must change for the better andAnyansi agrees. “ We have never faced Ugandanopposition before, but I am happy to play them. Afterthat, we will take every match as it comes. We haveto regain our respect in Africa “ The widely travelledand respected soccer administrator said.

That is for the league winner.The Confederation Cup Champions, Akwa United

will have their baptism in Congo against an unknownclub called V. Club Mokanda, who ply their trade inPointe Noire ( Artificial turf)

Akwa United is expected to come back with afavourable result and round it up in Uyo before goingon to meet the winner of the match between Police ofRwanda and Atlabara of Southern Sudan.

Again, the chairman of Akwa United Mr Nse Ubehsees this as a “ a good draw” one that will help theclub progress farther in the competition.

“I am happy that we will be playing away first.That will not only expose us to the experience ofcontinental assignment, but will afford us the oppor-

tunity of making do in front of our home supporters”He said.

Warri Wolves join Enyimba in the ChampionsLeague. Their story last year is not worth repeatingthat is why “…God has given them another chanceto make amends….” Unlike Enyimba, Warri Wolveswill be called upon to face a stiff opposition very earlyin the competition. After meeting Praia Crutz of SaoTome and Principe, Warri Wolves will go smack intothe challenge of experienced campaigners, GroupStage exponents and Sudanese champions ElMerreikh .

The fourth Nigerian Club Nasarawa United can alsobe considered “lucky” to be drawn against GenerationFoot of Senegal in their first match. After that theyhave to prepare for the tricky North African opposi-

tion as they travel to Algeria to face C.S.Constantinoi.The die is cast. More than ever, the fourth clubs

representing Nigeria must be aware that betweennow and February 13 is a very short time in a countrywhere so much premium is paid to holidays andmerriment. Nigerian Clubs unlike their counterpartsin Africa do not have the luxury of the league to finetune their players and teams before debuting inAfrica. By the time we go continental, the leaguemay not be on, so NOW is the time to put the team inshape, play local and international friendly matchesto keep in shape.

In order words the coaches and players must be inplace in the next week. Documentation completed,training in progress.

The mistakes of the past are still starring us in theface. I have said it at another forum that as a CAFClub Licensing instructor, one with a wide knowledgein African football as a CAF Match Commissioner andGeneral Coordinator, I will be only too willing to helpbrush our clubs in readiness for the African challenge.

Playing in Africa is definitely not the same as playingdomestic football. A trip to North Africa as an exampledemands a different approach to the one involving aWest African, or East African opposition, for that matter.

With Rangers, Shooting Stars, Bendel Insurance,Stationery Stores, Enyimba, we sat on top of Africanfootball.

With other clubs, we did not give in without a fight.Today the story is different. It should not be.

THE ROAD TO RIOGrateful to Coach Sia Sia and his boys for not only

qualifying us to the Olympics in Rio, but for winningthe African Challenge as well.

The road to Rio was not easy. Distractions on and offthe field, doubts as to the suitability of players…….

As we party and clink glasses, we should pause andplan ahead. Rio will not be easy. This team still needsa lot going forward.

Anyway that is for tomorrow. Today, let’s popchampagne and celebrate………..but tomorrow ishere….

See you next week

By the time we go continental, theleague may not be on, so NOW isthe time to put the team in shape,play local and international friendlymatches to keep in shape

NIGERIAN players will be seeking to

address their seemingfailure when the Gover-nor ’s Cup Futures 11serves off today at theLagos Lawn TennisClub, Onikan.

After literally gettingtheir hands burnt in theFutures 1, where onlyChristian Paul advancedto the quarter-final fromthe all bunch of hometalents who entered themain draw, a new weekushers in new opportu-nities for the players totake their destiny intheir hands by playingwith uncommon hungerand fighting spirit thatleading tennis authority,Chief Ben Ezeibe hasalways advocated forprofessional tennis.

For a tournament thatis in its 15th year, it is asad commentary of Ni-gerian tennis that hometalents continue to lagbehind, settling for thecrumbs while their coun-terparts from South Af-rica, Zimbabwe, Egyptand Algeria scoop inter-national ranking pointsfrom here, before going

Nigerians seek atonementat Gov’s Cup Lagos Tennis

By John Egbokhan on to feather their nestsin other circuits.

In last week’s tourna-ment, Paul, who was thebest Nigerian-placed tal-ent, was blown apart by South Africa’s LloydHarris in quick sets 1-6,0-6. For a player, whogot to the quarter-finalstage, losing in such ascandalous manner onlygoes to show how lowthe game has sunk to,with questions beingraised as to the commit-ment of the administra-tors, who Chief Ezeibesaid have a duty to raiseplayers who must bringhonour and glory to Ni-geria.

According to ChiefEzeibe, a former mem-ber of the Nigeria LawnTennis Association, “thepresent NTF board hasa duty to raise playerswho will bring honour toNigeria in the DavisCup. For them to do that,they must have playersplaying in the ATP Tourand n the top 500.

“During our days, weused to identify playerswith potentials and sendthem on circuits to gar-ner points. The logic is

that if you have playerswith high raking, youwill have players whowill bring honour to thecountry in Davis Cup.The reverse if what wehave now because we donot have players in thetop 1250, such that ourDavis Cup team is tooweak to compete”, add-ed the man, fondly re-ferred to as the tennisencyclopaedia by stake-holders.

IT was celebrationgalore for Pepsi

Football Academyyoungsters and coachesat the weekend as theywere hosted and re-warded for excellent per-formances at the 2015Pepsi Academy Festivalof Youth. The eventwhich began with a foot-ball tournament for U-14ended with a Gala Nightat Lagos Airport Hotelon Friday.

Tournament playerswere drawn from fourzones: Kano, Aba,Ibadan and Lagos. Theyoungsters from Ibadandemonstrated suprema-

Pepsi Academy rewards coaches, playerscy at the final, held atAgege stadium, beatingKano by 4-2 to clinch thetrophy. A powerful strikefrom Bolarinwa Olu-walewa, which came inthe 68th minute, sealedthe victory for the Ibadanboys. Aba defeatedLagos 4 – 0 to win med-al for the third place.

At the Gala night,Coach Baba Labaran,Coordinator of PepsiFootball Academy Kadu-na Centre and his Joscounterpart, Mrs. BolaOgun smiled home asthey emerged the MostOutstanding Coaches ofthe year.

In the player category,Daniel Udukwe (Aba)and Mohammed Umar(Kano) were the MostValuable Players in theopening match betweenAba and Kano whileAdegbesan Samuel (La-gos) and Sanisu Ke-hinde (Ibadan) won thesame award in the Lagosversus Ibadan game. Adegbesan and Ndukweclinched their secondawards during the thirdplace match betweenLagos and Aba. Ugweg-bu Franklin (Ibadan)and Abass Mohammedemerged the Most Valu-able Players at the final.

Speaking with pressmen at the event, FormerCoach of the Super Ea-gles, Chief AdegboyeOnigbinde describedPepsi Football Academyas the most consistentand functional footballacademy in Nigeria. Hesaid that although Nige-ria had many footballacademies, Pepsi Acad-emy has remained ashining light. Head ofMarketing, Seven UpBottling Company Plc,Mr. Norden Thurstonreaffirmed the commit-ment of the Academy tothe development of foot-ball at the grassroots.

WINNERS... L-R: Most Valuable Player (MVP) final match, Ugwegbu Franklin(Ibadan); MVP match 2, Sanisu Kehinde (Ibadan); Brand Manager Seven Up Bot-tling Company Plc, Mr. Segun Ogunleye; 1st MVP third place match, AdegbesanSamuel (Lagos); MVP opening match, Mohammed Umar(Kano) and 2nd MVP open-ing match, Ndukwe Daniel at the Gala Night for the Pepsi Football Academy Festi-val of Youth in Lagos at the weekend.

CMYK


CMYK

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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.

FRIFRIFRIFRIFRIDDDDDAAAAAY'S ANSY'S ANSY'S ANSY'S ANSY'S ANSWERSWERSWERSWERSWERSTTTTTODODODODODAAAAAY'S PUZZLEY'S PUZZLEY'S PUZZLEY'S PUZZLEY'S PUZZLE

Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015

CMYK

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

QUICK CRQUICK CRQUICK CRQUICK CRQUICK CROSSOSSOSSOSSOSSWORDWORDWORDWORDWORDACROSS2 Strict (5)7 Ration (5)8 Gemstone (5)10 Detest (5)12 Exist (3)13 Student (5)15 Melodious (7)17 Pressed (6)19 Males (3)20 Storm (7)23 Finished (4)25 Weary (4)26 Ordained (7)30 Owing (3)31 Run off (6)34 Skill (7)37 Cash (5)38 Fuss (3)39 Undress (5)40 Bequeath (5)41 Cut (5)42 Avarice (5)

DOWN1 Presage (5)2 Blemish (5)3 Pill (6)4 Chamber (4)5 Versus (7)6 Vapour (5)9 Curve (3)11 Creased (7)13 Guide (5)14 Prodded (5)16 Observe (3)18 Dishearten (7)21 Giant (5)22 Tearful (5)24 Tree (7)27 Hint (3)28 Death (6)29 Outspoken (5)32 Managed (5)33 Measure (5)35 Strange (3)36 Agitate (4)

ACROSS: 2, Angle 7, Beer 8, Abrupt 9,Taint 11, Rod 13, Ram-15, Ewer 16, Tap 18,Mere 19, Worried 20, Crop 22, Tuna 23, Tact-ful 25, Eyed 27, Had 28, Fete 30, Did 31,Dud 33, Seedy 36, Clutch 37, Evil 38, Yearn.

DOWN: 1, Below 2, Art 3, Gnu 4, Eat 5, Pry 6,Spear 10, Near 11, Rescued 12, Devoted 13,Reduced 14, Menaced 16, Tooth 17, Proud 18,Net 21, Pad 24, Face 26, Yield 29, Tunic 32, Sty33, Shy 34, Era 35, Yen.

EACH Nigeria play-er was paid the

Naira equivalent of$4,000 after they beatAlgeria 2-1 to clinch the2015 AFCON in Dakar,Senegal, on Saturdaynight and this brings to atotal of $12,000 eachplayer was paid.

“We have been paid ourwinning bonus for the fi-nal,” a player confirmedon Sunday morning.

They would not have gotanything had they lostthe final. In total, eachplayer received the Nairaequivalent of $12,000 forwinning the U-23AFCON. Coach SamsonSiasia was paid doublethis amount.

A further breakdownshowed the team were

Dollar rain forAfrican Champions

Continues on Page 51

Algerian coach lamentsloss to Nigeria

Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2Liverpool 2 W/Brom 2Tottenham1 Newcastle 2Today’s MatchLeicester v Chelsea 9pm

RESULTS

-P.53

ALGERIA U-23 coach, Pierre-An-

dré Schurmann ex-pressed his frustration

after falling 1-2 to Niger-ia in the final of the 2015Africa U-23 Cup of Na

Continues on Page 51

FIFA Club World Cup: Sanfrecce freeze TP Mazambe-P.51

*CHAMPIONS... Victorious CAF U-23, AFCON Champions, Nigeria’s Dream Tream celebrate afterdefeating Algeria in the final, Saturday night.

Schurmann

NewcastleshockTottenham

AYOZE PEREZscored a dramatic

late winner as Newcas-tle plundered White HartLane. Tottenham drewthe first blood, but Ale-ksandar Mitrovic startedNewcastle’s comebackon 75 minutes when hecancelled out first-halfEric Dier’s opener. New-castle’s fight back wascomplete when Perez’ssuperb shot wentthrough FrenchmanLloris’ hands.

Spurs started the muchstronger side despiteNewcastle manager Ste-ve McClaren naming thesame XI that stunnedLiverpool 2-0 last week-end. Only neat savesfrom Magpies goalkeep-er Rob Elliot preventedDele Alli and then ErikLamela from taking anearly lead. But he couldget nothing more than aweak hand on Dier ’sflicked header 39 min-utes in, when the mid-fielder peeled off hisman to glance home acorner at the near post.

•Return home today

Zakzaky"s son, wife, other Shiite leaders killed

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