nation0423

Fayose, APC trade
NEWS
Page 8
words as crisis deepens
•Ekiti elders: our state a laughing stock
Newspaper of the Year
CJ to raise panel on
Mimiko’s deputy
•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper
•www.thenationonlineng.net
NEWS
Page 7
•APC: we’ll prevent impeachment
VOL. 10, NO. 3193 THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM N150.00
•President-elect
Muhammadu
Buhari (middle)
with (from
right)Ogun State
Governor
Ibikunle
Amosun, All
Progressives
Congress (APC)
National Leader
Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu, former
Lagos State
Information
Commissioner
Mr. Dele Alake
and former APC
Interim
Chairman Chief
Bisi Akande
during a visit to
Gen. Buhari in
Abuja… on
Tuesday.
SEE ALSO
PAGE 4
•NPDC BEGINS REFUND OF $1.48B , SAYS MINISTER P9 SEC TO BEGIN DIRECT PAYMENT P54
President’s wife calls emergency
African First Ladies’ summit
By Our Reporter
FIRST Lady Patience Jonathan has summoned an
emergency meeting of the African First Ladies Peace
Mission (AFLPM) for Abuja on May 15 —two weeks
to the expiration of the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration’s
tenure.
Tongues are wagging as to the need for such a meeting
in the dying days of her husband’s administration. But in
a notice sent to members, the First Lady said the meeting
was summoned to prevent a situation where the executive,
which she has been leading since 2000, will leave
office unceremoniously.
It was not clear yesterday how much the meeting, which
FRC audits banks’ accounts
Continued on page 4
Sack fever grips Jonathan’s
aides after Abba’s exit
?
WILL THE CHIBOK
GIRLS KIDNAPPED
ON APRIL 15,
LAST YEAR EVER
RETURN?
President won’t hand over till May 29, says Federal Govt
•Mrs. Jonathan
‘
From Yomi Odunuga and Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja
MORE heads may roll in the
Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s
administration, which is
set to terminate on May 29, The Nation
learnt yesterday.
Police chief Suleiman Abba got the
push on Tuesday - an action that has
got many jittery.
Crippled by the sack fever are presidential
aides,heads of key public institutions
and ministers. There is a
presidential directive that they
should not hobnob with All Progressives
Congress (APC) leaders, it was
learnt.
Government officials have been
By Collins Nweze
BANKS are facing a test
of integrity, with the
Financial Reporting
Council of Nigeria (FRC) examing
their 2014 financial
statements.
Speaking yesterday at a
media briefing in Lagos, FRC
Chief Executive Officer Jim
Obazee said the Council was
examining whether the financial
statements show the true
state of the banks— in accordance
with provisions of the
International Financial Reporting
Standards (IFRS), the
Companies and Allied Matters
Act, the Bank and Other
Financial Institutions Act and
the FRC Nigeria Act.
The FRC, he said will look
at the accuracy and reliability
of the reports based on
these Acts.
Zenith Bank, United Bank
for Africa (UBA), Guaranty
Trust Bank and Union Bank
have already submitted their
accounts for review.
...there is also a memo..., which clearly warns
against any...unholy romance with either the
leadership of the APC or its presidentelect...The
President will not hesitate to sack
any political appointee who flouts the order
The penalty for each violation
ranges from N5 million
to N100 million. A
bank will be sanctioned
based on the number of infractions
committed, including
a jail term for offenders.
“We are looking at how
reliable, and how accurate
the financial accounts are
because they must be exact.
Offenders will have their
FRC registration number
Continued on page 4
warned to desist from having any
“unholy alliances” with the incoming
President-elect, General Muhammadu
Buhari.
A top presidential aide confirmed
the existence of an official directive,
warning all those involved in putting
together the administration’s handover
notes to be wary of any liaison
with the incoming administration
as such would be taken as an act
of disloyalty to the Federal Government
and the President.
The popular thinking is that Abba’s
removal could be the beginning of a
Continued on page 4
•SPORTS P24 •EDUCATION P25 •NATURAL HEALTH P43 •POLITICS P46 •FOREIGN P60
’

2
NEWS
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
•THE XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS
Senate to So
•Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (left), Commissioner for the Environment Tunji Bello (right) and General
Manager, British-American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF), Abimbola Okoya at the Seventh Lagos State Summit
on Climate Change at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos...yesterday.
•From left: Brand Manager, Close-up, Unilever, Mrs. Oyinade Ladapo; Brand Building Director, Oral & Personal Care, Mr.
David Okeme; music star, Mr. David Adeleke (Davido) and Category Manager, Oral Care, Mrs. Bunmi Adeniba at the Closeup
media launch at Protea Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos...yesterday.
PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE.
•Wants Nigerian
ambassador recalled
WORRIED by the raging
gang attacks on Africans
in South Africa, the Senate
yesterday warned the President
Jacob Zuma government to refrain
from over-stretching Nigeria beyond
limits.
It also urged the Federal Government
to recall the Nigerian High
Commissioner in Pretoria, Ambassador
S.S. Yusuf for consultation without
further delay.
Besides, the upper legislative
chamber urged the government to
take a legal action against the Zulu
King, Goodwill Zwelithini at the International
Criminal Court (ICC).
The decisions were taken by the
Senate after debating a motion on
“Rising incidence of xenophobic attacks
in South Africa.”
The 10-paragraph motion was
sponsored by Senate Leader Victor
Ndoma-Egba and supported by 108
others, who spoke in anger.
Among those who echoed
Ndoma-Egba’s position are: Ganiyu
Solomon, Ita Enang, Abdul Ningi,
Adamu Gimba, Andy Uba, Nkechi
Nwaogu, ‘Gbenga Ashafa, Helen
Esuene, Enyinnaya Abaribe and
Kabiru Gaya.
Senate President David Mark, who
summarised the contributions of the
Senators, described the attacks as
unacceptable and uncalled for, warning
that there is a limit beyond which
Nigeria will no longer accept the excesses
of the South African attackers.
Mark said: “What is happening in
South Africa is totally unacceptable;
it is unexpected, and my humble
suggestion will be that South Africa
should not stretch us beyond our
elastic limit on this matter.
“There is a limit beyond which the
nation will not accept what is happening
in South Africa and if we go
beyond that limit, then Nigeria will
From: Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant
Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja
be forced to act otherwise.”
He said contributors to the motion
have clearly enumerated the support
Nigeria gave to South Africa when
it had crises.
Nigerian students, he said, contributed.
The Nigerian government
accommodated so many South Africans
and gave them scholarships.
Said Mark: “For them to repay us
this way, I think it is totally unacceptable
and uncalled for; we need
to stand up also for all other Africans
in South Africa.
“The African Parliament must take
this up seriously; we cannot have a
situation where one king gets up and
begins to say that people should go
away; that is preaching hatred and
is unacceptable.
“I agree with most of you that we
have a responsibility to protect our
citizens. In fact, that is our first responsibility
and we must do that
without thinking twice.”
He described the photographs being
circulated on xenophobic attacks
as barbaric and recommended those
involved for punishment.
The Senate President urged South
Africa to show Nigeria and the rest
of Africa that its government has
taken legal steps against the perpetrators.
Mark suggested the transmission
of the Senate resolutions on the attacks
to the South African Parliament.
In his lead debate, Ndoma-Egba
said the Senate noted with anxiety
the wave of attacks in parts of Johannesburg
and Durban by locals on
African immigrants.
He said the attacks had led to the
death of no fewer than seven persons,
massive looting and destruction
of foreigners’ property, forcing
•From left: Corporate Affairs/Media Relations Officer, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mr. Rafiu Mohammed; Project
Manager, Tulsi Chanrai Foundation, Mr. Sathya Narayana; FCMB's Branch Manager, Kebbi, Mr. Musa Salihu; a beneficiary
of the bank’s Priceless Gift of Sight Project, Alhaji Manu Maikaji and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Kebbi
State, Alhaji Muhammed Kende at the community outreach by the Priceless Gift of Sight Project in Birnin Kebbi...on Monday.
•Ex-Managing Director, Nigerian Tribune, Mr Felix Adenaike (right), Oota Olubadan, Oloye Lekan Alabi (middle) and
President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr Femi Adesina at the 75th birthday lecture organised in honour of Adenaike in
Ibadan.
Representatives se
South Africa: we’re sorry
REPRESENTATIVES yesterday
demanded compensation
for the victims of xenophobic
attacks in South Africa from
the President Jacob Zuma-led government.
The lawmakers stated that the
compensation will allow the victims
to have something to fall back
after losing all to the attacks.
Committee on Diaspora Affairs
Chairman Mrs. Abike Dabiri-
Erewa, stated this in Abuja yesterday
after presenting the House of
Representatives resolution to the
South African High Commissioner
to Nigeria, Lulu Louis Mnguni in
his office.
The ambassador, who said the
government deployed soldiers to
strengthen the police in the battle
to end the attacks, apologised for
the South African government.
“We are sorry. South African
government has deployed the army
and the police. Please bear with us,”
Mnguni said.
The government of South Africa
From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele
Anofi, Abuja
must put an end to the provocative
and barbaric attacks on immigrants,
Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa said.
Her words: “It is unfortunate that
our first meeting with you is about
these xenophobic attacks.We view
it with strong condemnation and we
want the South African government
to expedite action on how to stop
this barbaric act against our people.
“We also feel that the best thing
the government should do is to
compensate those victims of the attacks.
We are calling on the South
African government to compensate
Nigerians that are victims of these
attacks so that they can have something
to fall back on.”
According to Mrs. Dabiri Erewa,
the unity, which the African Union
(AU) has fought for over the years,
has been undermined by the attacks.
The South African envoy, who regretted
the sad development, noted

PO
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015 3
•THE XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS
South Africa: attacks unacceptable
•Some Zimbabwean migrants recover their belongings upon their arrival in
Harare...yesterday.
•House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs Chairperson Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa flanked by South African
High Commissioner in Nigeria, Lulu Louis Mnguni (right) and a Committee member, Famurewa Ajibola, after the presentation
of the House Resolution on xenophobic attacks on African immigrants in South Africa to the envoy in Abuja...yesterday
PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE
•Zimbabwean migrants with their luggage upon their arrival in Harare...yesterday.
PHOTOS: AFP
hundreds of migrants to relocate to
police stations and other safer havens.
Ndoma-Egba said that the Senate’s
concern was on Nigerians living in
South Africa, who have been seriously
affected by the crisis.
He said no fewer than 50 of them
have been reportedly rendered
homeless after being displaced by
the attacks and some 300 others displaced
near Johannesburg.
The Senator added that as at the
last count, multi-million naira property
and businesses belonging to Nigerians
have been destroyed.
He said that the Senate was worried
that Nigerians living in South
Africa who have always been targets
of such attacks and other foreigners
have maintained that immigrants
could not really rely on the police for
protection because the police maltreat
and exhort money from them,
rather than offer a helping hand.
He recalled that prior to 1994,
though immigrants faced discrimination
and even violence in South
Africa, much of that risk stemmed
from the institutionalised racism of
that era due to apartheid.
The Senator noted that after democratisation
in 1994, contrary to expectations,
the incidence of xenophobia
increased such that between 2000
and March 2008, at least 67 people
died in what were identified as xenophobic
attacks.
Ndoma-Egba said that likewise, in
May 2008, a series of riots triggered
by xenophobia left 62 people dead,
expressing concern that the wave of
attacks was precipitated by the comments
of a renowned Zulu King.
“While these barbaric acts were
going on, some members of the
South African security forces who
ought to quell the violence, protect
victims and prevent the violence
from escalating were photographed
encouraging the perpetrators to con-
tinue in their dastardly acts.”
Ndoma-Egba described as unfortunate
that despite the sacrifices
made by Nigeria to put an end to
apartheid and ensure the emancipation
of South Africa, South Africans
have continued to maltreat and humiliate
Nigerians without any just
cause.
The other resolutions passed by
the Senate include:
To condemn in strong terms the
recent spate of xenophobic attacks on
immigrants and particularly Nigerians
in South Africa.
To invite the Hon. Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Ambassador Aminu
Wali, to brief the Senate on the situation
and measures being taken to
safeguard the lives and property of
Nigerians in South Africa.
To urge the Federal Government
to pressurize the Government of
South Africa to bring the perpetrators
of this evil act to justice and ensure
adequate protection of Nigerians
and their investments in that
country as well as compensate families
who have lost members and
those who have lost property as a
result of these attacks.
The Senate commended Nigerians
for their restraint in the face of unwarranted
provocation and attacks.
es seek compensation for victims
T
HROUGH its Foreign Affairs
Ministry, the Federal
Government has explained why
it summoned South Africa’s High
Commissioner in Nigeria Lulu Louis
Mnguni.
The ministry said it was to register
Nigeria’s protest over the xenophobic
attacks against fellow Africans.
At least, seven lives have been lost since
the anti-immigrant violence broke out last
week in the former apartheid enclave.
The South African government deployed
soldiers on Tuesday to quell the unrest.
The deployment followed criticisms
from the international community,
including China and Zimbabwe, that the
President Jacob Zuma-led government was
Nigeria protests to South African ambassador
not doing enough to protect foreigners
from armed mobs.
“The essence of the invitation was to
register Nigeria’s protest over the ongoing
xenophobic attacks against fellow
Africans in South Africa,” the ministry
said in a statement yesterday.
According to the statement, the Minister
of State, Foreign Affairs II, Musiliu
Obanikoro met with Mnguni on Monday
and registered the country’s protest.
It reads: “In the meeting, Obanikoro
condemned the attacks on foreigners in
South Africa, expressing concern on the
fate of Nigerians and indeed of other
nationals who are migrants in the
country.”
South Africa needed to take “concrete
steps to quell the unrest and bring the
culprits involved to book” to act as a
deterrent and prevent further violence, the
statement added.
“He also called on the South African
authorities to compensate the victims of
these attacks,” the statement said.
The soldiers who were deployed to
tackle gangs hunting down and killing
foreigners arrested 11 suspects in a raid in
Johannesburg.
On Tuesday, four men, aged between 18
and 22, were charged with the murder and
robbery of a Mozambican Mr. Emmanuel
Sithole, whose death was captured by a
newspaper photographer and published
on the front page of a newspaper, shocking
the nation.
Isolated counter-protests involving a
few dozen people have occurred in
Nigeria, an economy in which South
African firms such as mobile phone giant
MTN and supermarket chain, Shoprite
have large stakes.
Diplomats from several African
countries have urged their citizens back
home not to seek vengeance.
“We are appealing to our countries not
to retaliate,” Democratic Republic of the
Congo Ambassador, Bene M’Poko, told
a news conference in Johannesburg.
He stressed that South African firms in
the rest of the continent were “working
peacefully”.
that the two countries should be celebrating
Nigeria’s electoral feat
rather than the disaffection caused
by a few South Africans.
While not ruling out compensation
for the victims of the attack,
Mnguni, however, said his country’s
primary concern was how to
stop the threat to lives due to the
attacks and stabilising the situation
before moving to the next stage.
According to him, parts of the interim
measures being taking by his
home government include frantic efforts
to stop the attacks.
He told his guests that the government
has established camps to
provide make-shift accommodation
for those dislodged from their
homes.
Mnguni said: “The issue of compensation
has been raised on a
number of fora but threat to life still
remains our concern for now. We
want to secure life and livelihood
and stabilise the situation.”
He added that the South African
Ministry of Foreign Affairs was
working with the United Nations
High Commission for Refugees
(UNHR) and the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to address
the plight of the victims.
The envoy further disclosed that
plans were underway to introduce
the teaching and the study of the
roles of African countries in the
fight against apartheid into the syllabus
as an effort aimed at changing
the orientation of post-apartheid
South Africans.
“We are sorry. South African government
has deployed the army and
the police. Please bear with us,” he
said.

4 THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
NEWS
•President-elect Muhammadu Buhari (second left); Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed (second right); Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji
Sulu Gambari (left) and Senator Bukola Saraki , when Kwara State delegation visited Buhari in Abuja…on Tuesday.
•First row: Buhari (second right); senator-elect Dino Melaye (right); ex-Kogi State Governor Abubakar Audu (second left), Senator
Abdul Abubakar and others when a delegation from Kogi State visited the President-elect.
•Israel’s Ambassador, Mr Uriel Paiti presenting letter of
congratulation to Buhari when the former visited him in
Abuja…yesterday.
ACTING Inspector General
of Police (IGP) Solomon
Arase yesterday
gave the successful conduct of
rerun governorship elections
in parts of Abia, Imo and
Taraba states as his priority.
He spoke while taking over
the mantle of police leadership
from Suleiman Abba at
the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
Abba was relieved of his
duties on Tuesday by President
Goodluck Jonathan.
Arase also said he would
ensure hitch-free presidential,
governorship and National/
State Assembly inauguration
ceremonies on May 29 and in
early June.
From Gbade Ogunwale,
Abuja
He said: ”We have within
the short term, two major national
assignments where our
professional expertise and
commitment will once again
be subjected to national and
international scrutiny.
“First is the conduct of governorship
elections in areas
where they were declared inconclusive
by INEC in Imo,
Abia and Taraba states.
“The second is the delivery
of hitch-free presidential, governorship
and National/State
Assembly inauguration ceremonies
at the federal and state
levels”.
•China Ambassador (right), Mr Gu Kiaojie with Buhari in
Abuja…yesterday.
The new police boss hinted
of massive deployment of
men and materials for the rescheduled
governorship elections
in the affected states, to
ensure that law abiding citizens
are not intimidated.
He added: “I must, however,
re-emphasise that as a nation,
we have had enough of
electoral violence. Therefore,
under my leadership, we shall
work closely with INEC and
other strategic stakeholders to
ensure that such acts will not
only be defined as intolerable,
perpetrators will be identified,
isolated and brought to
deserved justice to act as deterrent.
Buhari (left)
welcoming the
Deputy
Ambassador of
the Embassy of
the Islamic
Republic of
Iran, Mr Sa
Mortazavi
(right) and
Iran’s
Ambassador,
Mr Seed
Koozechi in
Abuja…yesterday.
“To unrepentant felons that
may want to put our common
will to test, the message is being
relayed here loud and
clear that in securing the law
abiding, we shall also not hesitate
to deploy our potent assets
to deal firmly and decisively
with deviants”.
Arase noted that the task of
blending the Force’s acclaimed
quality human assets
with quality leadership was
the main challenge ahead of
the new management team,
even as he expressed optimism
that the challenges were
surmountable.
He continued: “In so doing,
however, we must resolve
Sack fever grips Jonathan’s aides
Continued from page 1
gale of sackings and summary
dismissals of top government
officials seen to be
scheming to work with the
incoming leadership.
The aide said: “We are all
living in some kind of fear. I
am not even sure if I will bow
out with this administration
on May 29, 2015. Apart from
verbal warnings, there is also
a memo to that effect, which
clearly warns against any affiliation
or unholy romance
with either the leadership of
the APC or its president-elect.
“It does not matter whether
some of these persons are
personal friends or people
you have business interests
with. As long as you are seen
with them while still working
with this administration,
it is seen as an act of sabotage.
The President will not
hesitate to sack any political
appointee who flouts the order.
“What the President demands
at this critical period
is 100 per cent loyalty. He expects
all of us to bow out of
the government with him,
regardless of whether or not
our professional competence
would be required by the in-
Continued from page 1
Elections in Imo, Abia, Taraba my priority, says Arase
both individually and collectively,
to hold our duties sacred,
perform our functions
with pride, and exhibit the
highest level of professional
excellence in all our official
engagements. Above all, we
must resolve to appreciate
that we remain accountable to
the citizens”.
According to him, a strategic
Police vision document
which encapsulates intelligence-led
policing, community
partnership, restorative justice,
re-assurance policing and
respect for human rights
would be developed.
Abba commended President
Jonathan for the opportunity
coming government, at least
before it stabilises.”
The aide, who said he had
submitted his handover
notes to the appropriate authorities,
believes that it is
not impossible that many of
them may be sacked in less
than 40 days to the exit date
of the Jonathan administration.
Among such aides are
those who are believed to
have abandoned their jobs
since President Jonathan lost
the election.
There are also those who
are busy trying to change
their duty posts to places
where they consider “safe”
from the incoming administration’s
axe.
A senior government official
said last night that such
drastic actions were not unexpected.
“In fact, it started a long
time ago, with the sack of
Martin-Luther Agwai after he
spoke about change at
Obasanjo’s birthday lecture.”
Agwai was head of SURE-
P, a department created by
the government to deploy
saved fuel subsidy cash for
the provision of infrastructure
and jobs.
President won’t hand over
till May 29, says Fed Govt
PRESIDENT Goodluck
Jonathan will handover
on May 29 and not May
28 as previously announced,
Minister of Information Mrs
Patricia Akwashiki said yesterday.
She made the clarification
after the Federal Executive
Council (FEC) meeting presided
over by President
Jonathan.
FRC audits banks’ accounts
withdrawn, based on Section
41 of the FRC Act. That means
you will not be able to work
again in Nigeria,” he said.
Obazee said banks that fail
to classify expenses, such as
staff costs, auditors’ remuneration,
interest on loans, depreciation
directors’ remuneration
will be sanctioned.
“Failure to classify financial
instruments into appropriate
categories like Fair Value
through Profit and Loss, Held
to Maturity, Loans and Receivables,
Available for Sale
and Amortisation cost will
attract penalties,” he said.
He said some of the institutions
will have to pay fines
where they violate the FRC
code, or their operations will
be suspended. Obazee said
that aside institutions, the
body will also be dealing
with the external auditors in
persons.
“We will not only be deal-
Continued on page 59
President’s wife calls summit
Continued from page 1
a source described as a jamboree,
will cost and how it
will be financed.
Two meetings – of the Executive
Bureau and the Summit
– will hold same day at
the interim secretariat of the
AFLPM in Abuja.
Apart from Nigeria, the
From Augustine Ehikioya,
Abuja
According to her, only the
inaugural dinner will hold on
May 28.
She said: “28th May is not
the date for handover, 29th
May is for handover and Democracy
Day.”
“The President is still the
Continued on page 59
other countries that make up
the Executive Bureau are:
South Africa, Sudan, Cameroon,
Libya and Congo
Brazaville.
Mrs Jonathan’s letter to the
First Ladies recalled that at its
third meeting in October 2014
in Pretoria, South Africa, the
Continued on page 59
to serve as IGP and the officers
and men for their support.
He urged the new management
to consolidate on the
foundation in attitudinal
change in the conduct of police
personnel, expressing the
hope that someday the police
would witness a complete
change.
He prayed that the police
would in no distant future
have all they needed to effectively
discharge of their duties.
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THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015 5
NEWS
Jonathan asks Supreme Court to fault amendment to constitution
PSupreme Court to de-
RESIDENT Goodluck
Jonathan has asked the
clare the last amendment to
the Constitution – the fourth
alteration – unconstitutional.
Jonathan has refused to assent
to the Alteration Bill sent
to him by the National Assembly.
In a suit filed on his behalf
by the Attorney General of the
Federation (AGF), Mohammed
Adoke (SAN), Jonathan
contended that the purported
Fourth Alteration Act 2015 was
not passed with the mandatory
requirement of four-fifths
majority of members of the
National Assembly (defendant)
and the mandatory due
Panel on polls
report set up
From Vincent Ikuomola,
Abuja
THE Independent National
Electoral Commission
(INEC) has set
up a 12-member committee on
elections report.
The committee, which was
inaugurated by INEC Chairman,
Prof. Attahiru Jega, yesterday
is expected to produce a
comprehensive report on the
elections.
The committee, to be chaired
by the National Commissioner,
Information and Voter Education
Committee, Dr. Chris
Iyimoga, was given 69 days.
Jega, at a brief ceremony at
the commission’s headquarters,
urged the committee
members to produce “an excellent
report” before June 30,
which marks the end of tenure
of the commission.
The INEC chairman, who
urged the committee to give
its full commitment to the job,
assured it of the commission’s
support.
Members of the committee
include: Prof. M.J. Kuna (assistant
to the chairman); Okey
Ndeche; Kayode Idowu,
Chief Press Secretary; Nick
Dazang; Chima Duruaku;
Okechukwu Ibeanu; Fatu Ogwuche,
Citizens Contact Centre;
Nnamdi Nweze, Legal Officer;
Aminu Idris; Shehu Wahab;
and John Irem (member/
secretary).
Iyimoga hailed the commission
for the opportunity given
to the committee to serve and
expressed confidence that
members would produce an
excellent report within the
timeframe.
THE All Progressives
Congress (APC) has
urged the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) to
come to terms with the reality
that it is now in the opposition.
APC’s National Publicity
Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed
said this in a statement
in Abuja yesterday.
The APC said when the PDP
should be strategising about
the task ahead, it devoted a
substantial part of the communique
after the inaugural
meeting of its National Working
Committee and governors/senators-elect
to complaining
about alleged harassment
and intimidation by the
APC.
The party said it showed that
the ruling party still did not
understand the enormity of
the challenges awaiting it as
From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja
processes provided for under
the relevant sections of the extant
Constitution, 1999 as
amended.
In an originating summon,
the plaintiff asked the court to
make an order nullifying and
setting aside sections 3, 4, 12,
14, 21, 23, 36, 39, 40, 43 and 44
of the Fourth Alteration Act,
2015, purportedly passed by
the defendant.
The plaintiff also asked the
court to determine two questions:
*Whether the proposed
amendment to the 1999 Constitution
by the defendant
through sections 3, 4, 12, 14,
21, 23, 36, 39, 40, 43 and 44 of
21, 23, 36, 39, 40, 43 and 44 of
the Fourth Alteration Act,
2015, which purportedly altered
sections 8, 9, 34, 35, 39,
42, 45, 58, 84, 150, 174 and 211
and passed by the defendant
without complying with the
mandatory requirement of
sections 9(3) and (4) stipulating
passage by at least fourfifths
majority of members of
each House specified in sections
48 and 49 is unconstitutional,
invalid, illegal, null
and void.
He also asked the court to
declare that in the absence of
compliance by the defendant
with the mandatory requirements
of Section 9(3) of the
Fourth Alteration Act, 2015,
which purportedly altered sections
8, 9, 34, 35, 39, 42, 45, 58,
84, 150, 174 and 211, it is unconstitutional
for the defendant
to exercise its powers
under Section 58(5) to enable
the purported Act to become
law.
The plaintiff, in a supportive
affidavit, stated that the
purported Fourth Alteration
Act 2015 was not passed with
the mandatory requirement
of four-fifths majority of
members of the defendant and
the mandatory due processes
provided for under the relevant
sections of the extant 1999
Constitution, as amended.
The plaintiff stated that the
defendant is making moves,
with the consent of the Houses
of Assembly to employ certain
provisions to now pass the
purported Fourth Alteration
Act, 2015 into law.
He stated that the said purported
Fourth Alteration Act
2015 contains many proposed
amendments inconsistent
with the spirit of federalism,
separation of powers
and checks and balances,
which constitute the hallmark
of the constitution and
democracy.
The plaintiff contended that
most of the provisions of the
purported Fourth Alteration
Act 2015 are contrary to public
policy and good governance.
He stated that it would be in
the interest of justice to grant
the reliefs sought in the suit.
•From left: Special Adviser to the Minister of Education, Prof. Abdul Rasheed Garba; Ahmed Yakasai; President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Olumide
Akintayo; Minister of Education Malam Ibrahim Shekarau; Chairman, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria Bruno Nwankwo; Immediate Past President, PSN
Azubike Okwor; Special Assistant to the Hon. Minister on Media Mr. O. Nnamdi and Deputy President (North) Idris Pada, when the PSN delegation visited
the minister.
Eligibility: Court strikes out five suits against Buhari
JUSTICE Adeniyi Ademola
of the Federal High
Court, Abuja, yesterday
struck out two suits challenging
the eligibility of the President-elect,
Muhammadu Buhari,
to contest the presidential
election.
The judge’s decision was informed
by the plaintiffs’ application
to withdraw the
suits.
His decision yesterday
brought to five the number
of such cases that have been
dismissed.
Yesterday, Mike Ozekhome
the Constitution (Fourth Alteration)
Act 2015, which purportedly
altered sections 8, 9,
34, 35, 39, 42, 45, 58, 84, 150,
174 and 211 without compliance
with the requirements of
Section 9(3) is not unconstitutional,
invalid, illegal, null
and void; and
*Whether in the absence of
compliance by the defendant
with the mandatory requirement
of Section 9(3) in the passage
of the Fourth Alteration
Act, 2015, the defendant can
competently exercise its powers
under Section 58(5) to enable
the purported Act to become
Law.
It prayed the court to hold
that the proposed amendments
through sections 3, 4, 12, 14,
• One still pending
From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja
(SAN) lawyer to Chukwunweike
Okafor, plaintiff in one
of the suits, told the judge that
his client withdrew to enable
the incoming administration
focus on governance.
Ozekhome said he mooted
the idea to his client on the
telephone Tuesday night, to
prevent them from being
seen as weeping more than
the bereaved.
He said since President
Goodluck Jonathan, who lost
to Buhari, had conceded defeat,
it was unwise for his client
to proceed with his case.
“We have filed a notice of
discontinuance. I called the
plaintiff last night and asked
him to discontinue the matter.
I don’t think he should
weep more than the bereaved
since the President called to
congratulate Buhari on his
victory.
wish to extend to the National
Working Committee of the
PDP a free orientation, just as
we have offered the party’s
spokesman a free crash course
on how to be an opposition
party spokesman. The theme
of the orientation for the PDP
NWC members will be ‘transiting
from the ruling party to
an opposition party’.
‘’In the first instance, there is
no substitute for experience.
Also, we believe that democracy
will be deepened only
when there is cooperation between
the governing party
and the opposition, hence the
offer,’’ the party said.
APC slammed the PDP for
complaining about harassment
and intimidation by the
APC, saying if any party was
guilty of harassment, intimidation
and impunity before,
during and after the 2015 elections,
it was the PDP.
The statement queried:
‘’Have they so soon forgotten
the reckless show of shame by
its Oodua Peoples Congress
(OPC) lackeys with the support
of the police in Lagos or
the mindless bombings and
killings of APC members in
Rivers and Gombe states,
among others? Only on Monday,
APC supporters were
again reportedly killed in
Rivers and Kaduna states.
‘’Haven’t the folk in the PDP
seen the pictures being circulated
of its (PDP) supporters
brandishing machetes in
broad daylight during the party’s
campaign in Aba on Tuesday,
April 21?’’
The party described as
laughable the allegation by
the PDP that the APC was trying
to turn the country into a
one-party state by luring and
“In the interest of justice, we
will allow the President-elect
to do his job without interference,”
Ozekhome said.
Dr. Chike Amobi, lawyer
to Max Ozoaka, plaintiff in another
suit, gave similar reasons
for his decision to withdraw
his suit.
Defendants’ lawyers, including
Akin Olujinmi (SAN)
and Kola Awodein (SAN),
did not object to the plaintiff
lawyers’ applications to withdraw,
a development that informed
Justice Ademola’s decision
to strike out both cas-
APC to PDP: accept your role as opposition party
By Bola Olajuwon,
Assistant Editor
an opposition party.
The statement said the PDP
“is scared stiff of being in the
opposition”, adding: ‘’We
don’t blame it as it has neither
the capacity nor the commitment
to be in the opposition.
A party that stood for nothing
but looting and rent collection
will naturally be afraid of being
in the opposition, where
there is nothing to loot or rent
to collect.’’
APC advised the PDP to understand
that it was not by repeating
obvious lies that an
opposition party could be effective,
“but by being creative,
knowledgeable, resourceful
and above all credible.
It is not by cheap blackmail,
but by being resilient”.
It added: ‘’This is why we
making irresistible offers to
the leadership of the PDP.
‘’The truth of the matter is
that the leadership of the PDP
is not even waiting to be approached
before fleeing to the
APC. PDP leaders and members
are falling over themselves
shamelessly and swearing
undying allegiance to the
APC.
“Well, in case they did not
get the message of the President-elect
and our national
chairman, we want to repeat it
in blunt terms: PDP leaders and
members, you are not welcome
in APC. Please stay in
your party, but if - as we suspect
- you cannot survive in the
opposition, then take a walk,
quit politics,’’ the party said.
The APC described as blackmail
allegation by PDP that it
planned to use the Election Petition
Tribunals ‘to truncate
es
Ḃefore now, the judge had
struck out three of such suits
on the grounds of absence of
diligent prosecution.
One of such cases was that
filed by Ayakeme Whiskey,
which the court said was a duplication
of an earlier one.
The two others were filed
by Friday Ojelaro.
The development now
leaves only one of such cases.
It has Whiskey as plaintiff.
No date has been fixed for
its hearing.
and subvert the freely given
mandate by the people in the
states and constituencies’.
‘’No amount of blackmail
from the PDP will dissuade us
from seeking redress in the
Election Petition Tribunals, especially
in states where the
world knows there were no
elections. Since we don’t believe
in self-help as the PDP,
we see a recourse to the tribunal
as a lawful means of giving
vent to our rejection of the
massive electoral malfeasance
and the resort to violence in
some states
‘’In case the PDP, beaten and
battered by electoral pummelling,
has forgotten, the recourse
to the tribunals to seek
redress is the only lawful
means of resolving electoral
disputes. Anything else
amounts to self-help, which is
not our forte,’’ the party said.
From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

6
NEWS
Agbakoba to Buhari: reform
anti-graft agencies
By Musa Odoshimokhe
ORMER President of the Nigerian Bar Association Olisa
Agbakoba (SAN) has urged the President-elect,
Muhammadu Buhari, to reform the anti-graft agencies to
Fenable him fight corruption headlong.
Agbakoba, who spoke at a conference in Lagos yesterday, said
there has to be reforms in the anti-corruption agencies, if
corruption must be reversed.
He said this would enable the president-elect concentrate on
other challenges, as the agencies carry out its job without
interference.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and
Independent Corrupt Practice Commission (ICPC) have been
criticised for lack of diligence in their responsibilities.
Agbakoba said a situation where the emolument of legislators
takes about 25 per cent of the national budget is unrealistic,
noting that it is unconstitutional to spend beyond the approval
of the Revenue Fiscal and Mobilisation Commission.
He said: “Corruption is also manifest in the over-bloated
budgets for the Presidential Villa and government houses,
corrupt/weak public procurement procedure and abuse of
discretion of ministers in the award of contracts.”
Agbakoba explained that the country is in utter chaos and
disorder, stressing that the disease of disorder has eaten deep
into the country’s fabric.
“The absence of order has badly damaged the national psyche,
love of the country is absent, the coming government must work
out a framework to reverse disorder and instill discipline.
“It is strongly recommended that priority should be given to
the national question and resolved urgently. The nation will not
settle or move forward without settling the issue of disorder,”
he said.
Prison officer identifies court
registrar as Ajudua’s accomplice
N Assistant Controller
of Prisons (ACP), Mallam
Abdullahi Garba, Ayesterday identified Ms. Idowu
Oluronke Rosulu, former registrar
to Justice Olubunmi Oyewole
(now Justice of the Court
of Appeal), as the person who
aided Lagos socialite and
fraudster Fred Ajudua to defraud
a former Chief of Army
Staff, Lt-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi
(rtd) of $330,000.
ACP Garba, who was led in
evidence by counsel to the Economic
and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC), Mr.
Seidu Atteh, told the court that
he met the defendant at the
Kirikiri Maximum Prison,
where he was a prison officer
at the time.
In his testimony before Justice
Lateef Lawal-Akapo, the witness
said the defendant had
come to see Ajudua, Bamaiyi
and Alumile Adedeji, also
known as Ade Bendel and that
she made three visits between
October and November 2004.
Gen. Bamaiyi during Monday’s
proceeding, told the court
that on November 20, 2004
when the defendant (Rosulu)
visited the prison for third
time, $330,000 made up of 33
bundles of $10,000 kept in a red
‘Ghana-Must-Go’ bag was
handed over to her and that
Ajudua allegedly sent his boy,
Jonathan, to assist in counting
and carrying the bag out of the
prison.
Corroborating Bamaiyi’s
claim, ACP Garba informed
the court that the defendant’s
first visit to the Kirikiri Maximum
Prison was to the trio of
Ajudua, Bamaiyi and Alumile
Adedeji a.k.a. Ade Bendel.
According to him, during the
second visit of the defendant
to the Kirikiri Maximum Prison,
he saw her with Ajudua and
Bamaiyi, adding that it was on
the third visit that $330,000
was allegedly brought to Bamaiyi
with Ajudua’s boy,
Jonathan, present.
ACP Garba maintained that
the $330,000 was in 33 bundle
of $100 denomination, adding
that the money only “passed
the gate of Kirikiri Maximum
Prison, but did not get inside
the prison cells”.
Under cross-examination by
By Adebisi Onanuga
counsel to the defendant, Mr.
Bamidele Ogundele, the witness
maintained that he was
present when money exchanged
hands between Bamaiyi,
Ajudua and Rosulu.
Garba, however, said the
money was not in prison
records contrary the rules that
require that any cash brought
in by inmates be duly recorded.
He also stated that there was
no written evidence to show
that Rosulu visited Bamaiyi
and Ajudua in prison.
“As a prison official, I asked
what the money was meant for
and Bamaiyi replied that it was
meant for legal fees,” he stated
Ȧsked by Ogundele, counsel
to the defendant, how he was
able to recognise the defendant,
who he saw last in 2004 (nine
years after in 2013), Garba said
it was not difficult for him because
he had seen her several
times before.
“I can recognise the defendant
because she visited Bamaiyi
thrice in the prison.
Though people intending to
visit special inmates like Bamaiyi
are required to write applications
and submit their
passport photographs to be
intensively verified before
they can be allowed access,
Rosulu somehow used the influence
of Ajudua to visit Bamaiyi,”
he said.
Rosulu is facing trial on a
two-count charge of conspiracy
to obtain money by false
pretence and obtaining money
by false pretence.
EFCC alleged that Ajudua
was able to defraud Bamaiyi
by claiming to have close ties
with Justice Oyewole, before
whom Bamaiyi was standing
trial.
According to EFCC, the offence
was contrary to Section 1
(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud
and Other Fraud Related Offences
Act, No. 13 of 1995 as
amended by Act No. 62 of 1999.
Justice Lawal-Akapo, however,
stressed the need for the
matter to be expeditiously concluded
and adjourned till May
11, 2015 for continuation of
hearing.
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
•Former Inspector General of Police Suleiman Abba (right) handing over to the Acting IGP Mr Solomon Arase in
Abuja...yesterday. PHOTO: NAN
Alleged contempt: Court urged to jail
FEDERAL High Court
Okonjo-Iweala
Court orders U.K. Home Office to bring
back deported Nigerian mother, son
HE Home Office has
been ordered to bring
a woman and her five- Tyear-old son back to the United
Kingdom after they were
deported to Nigeria earlier
this year.
The case will likely rattle the
Home Secretary’s ‘deport first,
appeal later’ plans.
A court ruled that the
government must find Bola
Fatumbi and her son Rafeeq
Atanda by today and bring
them back to the UK or it will
face contempt of court
proceedings.
It is believed to be the first
time that an immigration
judge has ordered the
government to retrieve
asylum-seekers previously
From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja
deported from the UK.
“In not taking into account
the implications of BF’s
mental health for RA, and the
risk of that degenerating in
the Nigerian context and the
likely consequences of
removal, the Secretary of
State failed to have regard to
BA’s best interests as a
primary consideration,” the
judge said.
Justice Cranston said the
boy’s best interests and the
mother’s poor health were not
taken into account and the
family could be forced into
poverty in Africa.
Fatumbi, 45, is a Yoruba
from Abeokuta. Her son was
born in the UK.
In January, the government
in Abuja was yesterday
urged to order the im- Aprisonment of Finance Minister,
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
The request was made by a
group, Centre for Social Justice
(CSJ), whose lawyer, Kingsley
Nnajika, argued its motion for
committal (Form 49) filed
against the minister.
Nnajika contended that the
appropriate order to be made
was that of committal for Mrs.
Okonjo-Iweala’s failure to
obey a February 25, 2014 judgment
of the court, directing her
to provide details of statutory
disbursements to some federal
agencies.
CSJ had sued the minister
upon her refusal to honour its
request, made under the Freedom
of Information (FOI) Act,
for the release of details of statutory
transfers in the 2013 budget
to six Federal Government’s
agencies.
The agencies include the National
Judicial Council (NJC),
Niger-Delta Development
Commission (NNDC), Universal
Basic Education Commission
(UBEC), National Assembly,
Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC)
and the National Human
Rights Commission (NHRC).
In his judgment in the suit on
February 25, 2014, Justice Abdulkadir
Abdulkafarati upheld
CSJ’s claim and ordered the
minister to, among others, supply
the information requested
by the applicant.
Despite being served with
the court’s judgment and enrolled
orders made pursuant to
the judgment, Mrs. Okonjo-
Iweala declined to obey the
judgment, forcing the applicant
to issue Form 48 (notice of
consequence of disobedience of
court orders) and Form 49 (motion
for order of committal).
Moving the Form 49 yesterday,
Nnajika argued that the
orders of the court were unambiguous
in relation to the directive
for the minister to supply
it with its requested information.
He said it was disobedience
to the court’s directive when
the minister argued, in her affidavit
of compliance, that she
had written to the named
agencies and supplied acknowledgment
copies of such
letters.
“The order did not say the
respondent (the minister)
should give us acknowledgment
copies of letters written
to the agencies. The case lasted
about one and half years.
“The respondent never said
she had no access to the information
we requested. Having
failed to comply with the order,
the court is left with no
option than to make an order,
based on our Form 49 already
filed, committing the respondent
(Finance Minister) to prison
until she comply with the
decided to deport them despite
a high-profile case. The boy
was born in the UK, but spent
his last week in the country
held in a London immigration
centre with his mother before
they were deported.
Fatumbi claimed to have
been in the UK illegally since
1991 and applied for asylum
in 2010, because she feared
persecution
and
discrimination as a single
mother in Nigeria with no
immediate family.
Her asylum application was
rejected, as was her appeal.
She had also been sentenced
to nine months in prison in
October 2008 for using a false
Dutch passport.
“We have this rhetoric about
order of the court,” Nnajika
said.
Respondent’s lawyer Abdulhameed
Ibrahim urged the
court not to grant CSJ’s request
on the ground that the minister
did not deliberately disobey
the court’s order.
He said the information requested
by the applicant were
not within the direct reach of
the minister, which informed
the letters written to the affected
agencies.
Ibrahim, in the affidavit of
compliance, urged the court to
give mandatory orders, mandating
three of the recalcitrant
agencies to comply with the
request.
“Three bodies, namely
NNDC, NJC and the National
Assembly, have refused to accept
and acknowledge the request.
Only a court order mandating
the other three cooperative
bodies will compel them
to furnish the applicant with
the necessary information,”
Ibrahim said.
Justice Abdulkafarati fixed
ruling for June 3, 2015.
deportation and people being
able to appeal from outside the
country, but what this ruling
says is that you need to balance
the need for immigration
control against the best
interests of the child,” Policy
Manager for the Refugee
Council Judith Dennis told the
Independent.
The case draws attention to
plans by Home Secretary
Theresa May to deport illegal
immigrants before they have
a chance to launch protracted
appeals.
May is said to want to
extend the “deport first,
appeal later” system from
foreign criminals to also
foreigners, who have
overstayed their visas.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
NEWS
•Former Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) workers protesting the non-payment of their entitlements at the National Industrial Court in
Ibadan...yesterday.
Five family members die in Osun after dinner
FIVE members of a family
in Ila Odo, Odo Otin
Local Government
Area of Osun State have died
of suspected food poisoning.
The victims are Akanbi
Idowu (father), his second
wife, whose name could not
be confirmed, his son and
two grandchildren.
A source in the boundary
town between Osun and
Kwara states said the victims
THE Elders Forum of the
All Progressives Congress
(APC) in Ondo
State yesterday called for restructuring
of the party.
The meeting conveyed by
the Forum’s Chairman, Senator
Olorunnimbe Farukanmi,
in Akure North Local Government
called for unity among
From Adesoji Adeniyi,
Osogbo
started complaining of severe
stomach pains almost
immediately after eating
their dinner on Monday.
It was gathered that few
hours after the complaint,
three of them died before
daybreak.
The two grandchildren
were said to have died on
Tuesday evening.
The source, who pleaded
for anonymity, said: “The
news of the deaths was shocking
to the community.
“Later on Tuesday
evening, the two grandchildren
died and this fuelled
various speculations.”
The source added that the
grandchildren could not say
anything before they died.
A member of St. Patrick’s
Olanusi: Ondo Assembly directs
CJ to raise panel
THE Ondo State House of
Assembly has urged the
Chief Judge, Justice Olaseinde
Kumuyi, to set up a
seven-man committee to
probe the impeachable offences
levelled against the
Deputy Governor, Ali Olanusi
Ṫhe impeachment plot has
created tension in the state,
with Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) supporters pitched
against All Progressives Congress
(APC) members.
Olanusi recently dumped
the PDP for the APC.
The Speaker, Princess
Jumoke Akindele, who
moved the motion, asked the
Catholic Church, Ila Odo,
where the Idowus worship,
said: “No one can say what
actually happened to them.
“However, I can confirm
to you that all the victims ate
the same food on Monday
evening.
“When we started hearing
noise from their compound
on Tuesday morning, we
rushed down, but when I got
there, three members of the
APC candidate Abiodun to challenge Kashamu’s victory
THE Ogun East senatorial
candidate of the All
Progressives Congress
(APC), Prince Dapo Abiodun,
has filed a petition before the
Election Petition Tribunal in
Abeokuta, the state capital.
Abiodun is seeking to challenge
the declaration of the
Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) candidate, Buruji Kashamu,
as the winner of the
election by the Independent
National Electoral Commission
(INEC).
Abiodun, in his petition,
stated that he would rely on
From Damisi Ojo, Akure
chief judge to follow the constitution
in carrying out the
assignment.
According to her, the House
will work on the recommendations
of the committee.
Akoko indigenes in the
Northern District where Olanusi
hails from, through its
social political organisation,
Akoko Elite Forum (AEF), has
its vowed to resist attempts to
impeach Olanusi.
The APC has threatened to
use all legal means to prevent
the House of Assembly from
From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta
form EC8E (1) to prove that
Kashamu did not score the
highest numbers of valid votes
cast on March 28 and that his
(Kashamu’s) victory should be
declared of no effect by reason
of electoral malpractices
allegedly committed.
He also prayed that he
should be declared by the
court as the duly elected senator-elect
for Ogun East and
ought to have been returned
as the senator-elect.
Joined in the petition are
Ondo APC to harmonise exco, elders’ forum
From Damisi Ojo, Akure
impeaching the deputy governor.
Olanusi, in an intermittent
radio jingle, urged the citizenry
to remain calm, stressing
that God would rescue the
people from what he called
political bondage.
The House, on Tuesday,
served Olanusi an impeachment
notice for alleged misconduct
and inefficiency in
office, among other offences.
The notice of impeachment
was signed by 20 of its 25
members; 23 PDP and two
APC members.
PDP, INEC and the Resident
Electoral Commissioner
(REC).
According to the petitioner,
PDP, INEC and the REC
also failed to comply with all
the relevant electoral laws.
Yusuf Ali and three others
are to help the petitioner prosecute
the case and convince the
tribunal that “Kahamu was
not duly elected by majority
of the lawful votes cast in the
election”.
The petitioner also averred
in an affidavit that Kashamu
was sighted distributing cash
party leaders and supporters.
A six-man committee was
raised to harmonise the Isaac
Kekemeke-led executive
committee with the Elders
Forum.
The Forum lamented that
despite the calibre of experienced
politicians in the Elders
Assembly, they were not carried
along.
The six elders assigned to
meet with the National Vice
Chairman (Southwest),Chief
Pius Akinyelure, are Chief F.I
Ayegbusi, Senator Titus Olupitan,
Bola Ilori, Ademola
Adegoroye, J.M Adu and Dr
•Olanusi
The APC, in a statement by
its Publicity Secretary, Abayomi
Adesanya, said it would
prevent Olanusi’s impeachment,
saying the process
would be an exercise in futility.
to some people to canvass
votes at every polling unit and
also openly assuring voters
that they were entitled to
N2,000, if they vote for him.
The petitioner also claimed
that Kashamu was not fit to
contest because he has been
allegedly indicted by a grand
jury in the United States’ Federal
Judicial Circuit for alleged
drug related offences.
Kashamu was also alleged
to have spent five years in a
UK prison after the US government
requested for his extradition.
O. Akintade.
The Chairman, APC Campaign
Committee, Prince Olu
Adegboro, said everything
must be done to unite the party,
especially its state leadership
and the Elders Forum.
He noted that the two vital
organs should not work at
cross purposes.
family had died.
“The two others, who we
met alive, complained of severe
stomach pain and all efforts
by the community to
save them failed. They died
later in the evening.”
It was gathered that Idowu,
his wife and son were
buried on Tuesday evening;
the grandchildren were buried
the following day.
From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan
THE Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Oyo State
yesterday paraded three adults and 14 minors for alleged
human trafficking and child labour offences.
The Comptroller, Innocent Akatu, said the suspects were
intercepted at Iseyin.
He said the suspects had successfully trafficked 14 victims
from Ilesha-Ibaruba area of Kwara State into Oyo State.
Akatu said the arrest was part of the NIS’s continuous
fight against human trafficking and child labour.
The Comptroller said the suspects would be handed over
to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In
Persons (NAPTIP).
Speaking to reporters, a suspect, Ibrahim Sani, who hails
from Ikesha-Ibaruba in Barutin Local Government Area of
Kwara State, said it was their tradition to attach children to
any adult travelling from the town.
Sani, a 30 year-old Fulani, acknowledged collecting between
N6,000 to N9,000 on every child depending on their
age and size, saying he, in return, pay their parents for the
children’s labour.
Badmus Musa and his wife, Jumoke said the children were
hired for farm work. Jumoke said they will assist her in her
wine selling business.
7
Ondo medical
varsity now legal
From Gbenga Omokhunu,
Abuja
THE National Universities
Commission
(NUC) yesterday issued
a letter of recognition to
Ondo State University of Medical
Sciences.
The institution is the 40th
state university and 139th
university in Nigeria.
Presenting the letter of recognition
to Governor Olusegun
Mimiko, NUC’s Executive
Secretary Prof Julius Okojie
praised the governor for
establishing the nation’s first
university of medical sciences.
Okojie said NUC will send
a team to assess the level of
resources at the university
before admission starts.
He said NUC would also
write the Joint Admission
and Matriculation Board
(JAMB) to include the new
university in the list of universities,
candidates can apply
to.
“I wish to congratulate the
government of Ondo State for
this establishment.
“With effect from April 22,
the Ondo State University of
Medical Sciences has been
recognised by the National
Universities Commission as
the 40th state university and
139th university in Nigeria,”
Prof Okojie said
Mimiko said the university
was established based on
the government’s desire to
have a specialised university
dedicated to training for service
delivery and research.
APC accuses INEC
of contempt of court
From Damisi Ojo, Akure
THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has
accused the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) of contempt of court.
This followed the declaration of the results of the inconclusive
Ilaje 1 and II elections, which was won by the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP).
In a statement by the Secretary, APC Media Committee,
Charles Titiloye, the party described INEC’s action as a despicable
act of lawlessness and disrespect of court processes.
The APC filed a suit on April 17, seeking a declaration that
INEC conducts supplementary elections into Ilaje I and II, having
declared the election on April 11 inconclusive.
The statement reads: “In other states where the elections were
declared inconclusive, supplementary elections were held but
in Ondo, INEC became so partisan that it “celebrated” the elections
fraught with fraud, violence and hijacking of ballot boxes.
“By this act, INEC has fallen below constitutional standard,
dancing to the tune of a party in the elections it has declared
inconclusive. It went ahead to declare winners from the inconclusive
elections without holding a supplementary election.
“We call on INEC Chairman Prof.Attahiru Jega to investigate
the controversial ‘change of mind’ and defer presentation
of Certificates of Return to winners, until the case is decided.”
NIS officials arrest 17 in Oyo

8 THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
NEWS
•Chief Fasuan
Ekiti State elders are not happy
with the raging impeachment
crisis which they said have
turned the Fountain of Knowledge
into a battlefield.
Rising from an emergency meeting
on the political crisis yesterday,
the Ekiti Council of Elders said
“those who don’t wish the state well
are laughing at us”.
The group, chaired by Prof. Tunde
Oluwasanmi, promised not to rest
until the crisis is resolved.
It unfolded a plan to bring the warring
parties together.
Addressing reporters after the
EKITI State Governor Ayo
Fayose yesterday said he has
uncovered a plot by the All
Progressives Congress (APC) and
its leaders to create chaos in the
state from May 29.
Fayose, in a statement personally
signed by him, said he has put
the United Nations (UN), African
Union (AU) and the international
community on notice “on the imminent
reign of impunity from
that day”.
The governor said he was raising
the alarm because “Nigeria
and the world at large should
know who to hold responsible in
the event of anarchy in the state”.
Fayose is locked in a battle with
19 APC members of the House of
Assembly, who have served him
a notice of impeachment
alongside his deputy, Kolapo
Olusola.
The 19 APC lawmakers accused
Fayose of eight impeachable offences,
including “unconstitutional
change of leadership of the
Assembly and passing the
Appropriation Bill, screening and
ratifying commissioner-nominees
with seven Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) lawmakers.
The governor, who maintained
that he has no regrets for supporting
Jonathan, alleged that he has
information that he is the “prime
demolition target of the APC national
leadership” for his unrelenting
support for the President.
He claimed that “APC insiders”
informed him that APC leaders
are yet to get over the fact that
Ekiti is the only Southwest state
SENATOR Babafemi Ojudu and
Ekiti State House of Assembly
Speaker Dr Adewale Omirin
have demanded the retraction of a
story and an apology from the Ekiti
Broadcasting Service (ESBC) for
claiming that they were bribed to
impeach Governor Ayo Fayose.
They also demanded N20million
damages for the defamatory
broadcast, warning that they would
begin legal action against ESBC, if
the demands are not met.
In separate letters to the Special
Adviser Communication and New
Media, ESBC, dated April 21, the lawmakers’
lawyer, Abiodun Ayodele,
CRISIS IN EKITI
Ekiti elders: our state now a laughing stock
From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti
meeting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital,
the Chairman, Standing Committee
of Ekiti Council of Elders, Chief
Oladeji Fasuan, said the the crisis
could still be resolved, if the parties
made concessions.
Fasuan, who chaired the Committee
for the Creation of Ekiti State,
said the elders would invite Governor
Ayo Fayose and the Dr. Adewale
Omirin-led 19 All Progressives Congress
(APC) lawmakers to a meeting.
At the meeting were former Governor
of old Ondo State Evangelist
Bamidele Olumilua; the Odoba of
Ado-Ekiti and former Registrar, University
of Ife, Chief Alex Olu Ajayi;
former Ado-Ekiti Local Government
Chairman Chief Ojo Falegan; former
Chairman, Hospitals Management
Board, Dr. Bayo Orire; former
Deputy Vice Chancellor, State University,
Prof. Olorunfemi Olaofe and
former governorship aspirant Biola
Olasehinde, among others.
Fasuan said the council had attempted
to intervene but its efforts
did not succeed, “due to the apparent
refusal of our difficult sons and
•Ikere women threaten to invoke deities
daughters who are operating in the
political space”.
He said the suit by Omirin and his
deputy, Adetunji Orisalade, challenging
their impeachment, frustrated
their intervention.
Fasuan said: “It’s not that we had
not tried to broker truce between the
warring groups. We had even gone
further by appealing to our monarchs.
“Unfortunately, we failed in these
previous endeavours due to the apparent
refusal of our difficult sons and
daughters.
“We are now, for the umpteenth
time, appealing to all politicians, especially
those in government and the
opposition in Ekiti State, to bury the
hatchet, think about our people
whom they are serving and give
peace a chance.
“In furtherance of our efforts and
belief, we renew the call for the combatants
to attend to another meeting,
which we are calling.”
Also yesterday, scores of women
trooped out in Ikere-Ekiti to protest
moves by the APC lawmakers to
impeach Fayose.
Their protest was surprising to
many residents, as yesterday was the
King’s Market Day.
The women marched from Odo-Oja
Quarters to the Ogoga Palace in Uro
Quarters, warning the lawmakers to
stop the impeachment process against
Fayose and his deputy, Kolapo
Olusola, who hails from the community.
They gave a seven-day ultimatum
to two House of Assembly members
- Yomi Daramola (Ikere 1) and Sunday
Adu (Ikere 2) - to back out of the
plot.
Led by Mrs. Mojisola Ogunjemilua,
the irate women threatened to invoke
“the spirit of the gods of the
land and the market” on the two lawmakers.
Mrs. Ogunjemilua said any plot
against Fayose was a direct confrontation
on the people of Ikere, expressing
dismay that “Ikere sons who rise
to the highest positions in the state
don’t finish their tenure.’’
She said: “Why is there always
trouble when an Ikere son is in the
Government House? Former Governor
of the old Ondo State, Evang.
Fayose, APC lawmakers’ face-off rages on
From Odunayo Ogunmola,
Ado-Ekiti
Ojudu, Omirin demand retraction of ‘bribery’ report
By Joseph Jibueze
said the news reports brought the
image of senator and speaker into
disrepute.
“Our client, therefore, wish to
demand an unreserved apology
from you and your establishment for
this defamatory broadcast.
“We demand that this apology
broadcast should be on the Ekiti
State Broadcasting Service which
you had earlier used to peddle the
lies. This apology should be on or
within the next seven days,” Ayodele
wrote.
The lawyer said the offending
broadcast on the state radio 91.5FM
APC to Fayose: you’re a hypocrite
THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti
State has described Governor Ayo Fayose
as a hypocrite.
The APC, in a statement, by the media aide of the
House of Assembly Speaker, Wole Olujobi, said: “We
can now see the cowardly act of a hypocrite who has
made impunity a religion in governance and is now
afraid of alleged impunity by APC. He wants to do unto
others what he would not want to be done unto him!
“A man who wants peace is calling the opposition
“irritants”. What a way of seeking reconciliation!
Whatever issue Fayose is having with the opposition
will be resolved by the law. All this grand standing
and rhetoric will not save him from facing the
law.
“The governor’s press briefing is nothing but a
reversal of hope for the resolution of Ekiti crisis.
Some people have expressed worry over the quality
of his advisers. But the truth is that Fayose has no
adviser. In fact, he hates advisers and so he does not
take advice. He takes no one’s advice and those who
know him well dare not advise him.
“Fayose has zero tolerance for other people’s opinion.
Like Fayose’s former leaders, Baba Ojo Falegan and
Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua, once said Fayose believes
he is the wisest man on earth.
“There is no suggestion being made today on the resolution
of Ekiti crisis that had not been offered in the last
few weeks but Fayose would not tolerate that.
“His press conference would convince all that he has a
heart of steel and all those Ekiti elders who have been
meeting trying to reconcile the two groups are just wasting
their time.
“Fayose has an agenda that is known only to himself
and so whatever effort that is being made to resolve the
crisis is just an exercise in futility, if such effort threatens
his agenda. He is not known for compromise and
there is nothing anybody can do about it.”
that Buhari did not win.
Fayose vowed that he would
never leave the PDP and would remain
the “last man standing”.
He said: “It has become imperative
once again to address the
media on the constitutional and
political crises being foisted on
our dear state.
“Ekiti people have been persistent
in their preference for me and
the PDP to correct the ills of the
last four years and set the state on
the path of greatness.
“Despite that Ekiti people have
consistently spoken with their
votes against the APC, Nigerians
are witnesses to the litany of illegalities
being woven by both the
national leadership of the party
and its Ekiti State chapter.
“I trust Ekiti people to do what is
right in securing peace in their
land. I have been severally informed
that I am the prime demolition
target of the APC national
leadership because of my overt and
unalloyed support for President
Goodluck Jonathan during the campaigns.
“I wish to declare unequivocally
that I remain loyal to President
Jonathan even after May 29 as my
support for his re-election and administration
was not about breadand-butter.
“I was convinced he was moving
Nigeria in the right direction. I
and on the state television station
claimed that the bribe taken by
Ojudu and Omirin even caused a
quarrel between them.
He said the report was “all in a
bid to bring the image of our client
to disrepute in the eyes of well
meaning Ekiti people;” the people
Ekiti Central Senatorial District, who
Ojudu represent at the Senate; the
people of Gbonyin State
Constituency, who Omirin
represent, and in the eyes of
Nigerians.
“Our client wishes to state in
categorical terms that the said news
item is not only untrue but is a
figment of your imagination…Our
have no regrets supporting him. If
the same situation presents itself
again, I would do it all over.
“Let me state it clearly that if
President Jonathan is deserted by
all Nigerians today, I, Ayodele
Fayose, would remain with him. I
have chosen to be his last-man
standing.
“If for this show of loyalty to Mr
President and my party, APC and
its leaders believe that the best way
to pay me back is to make Ekiti
ungovernable, the decision on appropriate
reaction belongs to the
people, whose mandate I keep in
trust.
“It is ironic that those who said
worse things about the Presidentelect,
General Muhammadu Buhari
client wish to equally demand for
the sum of N20million as damages
for the said defamatory broadcast.
“Please take note that this letter
serve as our pre-action notice should
you fail to comply with our client’s
demand as contained in this letter,”
Ayodele wrote.
Senator Ojudu and Dr Omirin
have also petitioned the Inspector-
General of Police, alleging threat to
their life.
According to them, on April 19,
20 and 21, the Special Adviser to the
Governor, Mr Lere Olayinka, posted
on his Facebook wall their phone
numbers, inciting people to call and
threaten them because they
Bamidele Olumilua, was not allowed
to complete his term due to military
usurpation.
“When Abiodun Aluko and Bisi
Omoyeni were elected deputy governors,
the two were not allowed to
complete their terms and now Dr
Olusola.
“All we want in Ekiti is peace and
we are calling on the lawmakers,
particularly the two of them from
Ikere, to back out of the impeachment
plot, failing which we will invite
the gods to intervene and this
will be disastrous.
“We have been out since 5 am praying
before we began the march. We
went to the regent to ask that the two
Ikere lawmakers back down or else
be prepared for the consequences.
“If they fail to heed our call, we are
going to invoke the spirit of the
market powers on them. We are giving
them a seven-day ultimatum.”
The Regent of Ikere, Princess
Ayooye Adegboye-Oyinlola, hailed
the women for their peaceful disposition
and urged the lawmakers to
embrace the olive branch offered
them by Fayose.
•Fayose
(rtd), when they were in opposing
parties, are the ones milling
around him today, using him as an
electoral talisman and demonising
us for saying things of lesser magnitude
during a campaign that was
mainly characterised by hate-messages
from both divides.
“I also want to put on record that
if all PDP members join APC today,
I will remain the last-man
standing for the party, even as I
have no cause to denigrate the office
of the president.
“Let me again state that I will
continue to seek peace with my traducers.
Since the Supreme Court
judgment which held my 2006 impeachment
as illegal, unconstitutional,
null and void and of no effect,
my preaching has been peace.
“In alerting the international
community on what to expect
from May 29, I have decided to put
on notice the United Nations (UN)
and the African Union (AU).”
allegedly took bribe to impeach
Fayose and accused them of being
the arrowheads of the impeachment
process.
“Since the posting of our clients’
phone numbers on his Facebook
wall, our clients have been receiving
hundreds of anonymous calls threatening
to kill them, their families and
to destroy their houses.
“Our clients have been living in
fear since then. The calls and threat
still persist till today.
“We pray you to use your good
office to arrest and prosecute Mr Lere
Olayinka and his co-travellers in this
threat business before they carry our
their threat,” the lawyer wrote.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
NEWS
Allison-Madueke:
NPDC begins
refund of $1.48b
MINISTER of Petroleum
Resources
Mrs. Diezani
Allison-Madueke yesterday
said the Nigeria Petroleum
Development Company
(NPDC) has started refunding
$1.48 billion to the Federation
Account.
She spoke with State House
correspondents.
Mrs Allison-Madueke, who
said she stepped on many
toes in reforming the oil sector,
denied reports she was
pleading with former Head
of State Gen. Abdusalami
Abubakar to help prevent
the incoming government
from probing her.
She said: “I do believe that
I have done the best for Nigeria
in this job and I have
attained many firsts in the
history of oil and gas, especially
in the reforms that we
have done. In this period of
time, I have stepped on
many big toes, particularly
the fleet of the cabals that
were in the industry when
we came in.
“Because I have said severally
that we will open up the
industry to Nigerians and we
have done that not to the
pleasure of certain cabals.
And I have been continuously
maligned because of
this and we have taken millions
and in fact billions of
dollars out of the hands of
foreign multinationals and
their subcontractors and put
them in the hands of Nigerians
through Nigerian Content.
“Hundreds of thousands of
Nigerians have come into
the oil and gas industry because
of our reforms.
From Augustine Ehikioya,
Abuja
“Quite frankly, I think as
unprecedented as it is, it does
not please everybody and
that cannot be helped but let
us remember the unprecedented
reforms that have
happened in the oil industry
during our time, such as major
gas reforms, the Petroleum
Industry Bill, which has
been completely revised, reformed
and put into the
hands of members of the
National Assembly where it
has languished for two
years.
“In that bill are all the reforms
needed to tear NNPC
apart, make it a national oil
company, an equity share
company through transparency,
accountability and responsibility
and reduce corruption
in the industry. We
did all these and we put them
in place to reduce corruption.”
On the corruption allegation
against her, she said her
tenure witnessed the most
open period in the history of
the Nigeria National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC).
She said: “So, for me to be
tagged with corruption, $10
million jet purchases. Who
buys jet for $10 million for
goodness sake? And $20 billion
missing money for
which PWC had done a report
and the $1.48 billion,
which is not missing, which
is actually money transferred
by the NNPC to NPDC,
which is a subsidiary and
NPDC has actually started
making payments under my
directives.
“I have said that during our
time there are gaps in the
NNPC and I said that openly.
But I can also say that there
is no time in Nigerian history
in the oil and gas has
NNPC been as open and audited
as it is today.”
She denied plotting to run
away from the country after
her tenure expires.
“Let me state it clearly for
the records that Nigeria is
my country and I am not going
anywhere. I love my
country and I do think that I
have done the best for my
country and I would also like
to point out that these malicious,
malevolent, vindictive
libels coming out of places,
such as Osun Defender and
other faceless online and
other entities need to stop.
“We have done enough for
this industry. We cannot
please everybody. Yes, we
have stepped on toes but we
did that in the best interest
of Nigeria and we have
opened up the oil and gas
industry to Nigerians. Thousands
of Nigerians have benefited
from our reforms in
the system.”
On her meeting with Gen.
Abdulsalami, she said: “I believe
that His Excellency has
already answered that and
called it unnecessary mischief
and I will ask that the
media do its research prop-
•From left: Acting Registrar, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Mr Jacob Agboola,
Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Wale Omole, Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adeniyi Gbadegesin
and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Timothy Adebayo at the 12th congregation for the admission to first degrees of the
University at the university’s main campus in Ogbomoso...yesterday.
Arrested INEC officials working for PDP, alleges APC
THE Imo State chapter of
the All Progressives
Congress (APC) yesterday
alleged that the 16 officials
of the Independent National
Electoral Commission
(INEC), arrested by men of the
Department for State Security
(DSS), were writing the result
of the rerun election scheduled
for April 25 in favour of
the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) .
The INEC officials were
From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri
rounded up by the DSS after a
tip-off while thump-printing
ballot papers in favour of a
political party.
Director General, Rochas
Campaign Organisation,
Iheukwumere Alaribe, who
briefed reporters, stated that
the arrest of the INEC officials
confirmed the party’s allegation
that the Resident Electoral
Commissioner (REC),
•Mrs Allison-Madueke addressing reporters ... yesterday
Dr. Gabriel Ada, was working
with the PDP.
He alleged further that the
REC, in collaboration with the
PDP, had perfected plans to
rig the rerun, adding: “When
we raised alarm about the
partisan stand of the REC,
people thought we were accusing
him falsely but the arrest
of INEC officials has vindicated
us. And we are call-
LAGOS lawyer Femi
Falana(SAN) has advised
the National As-
sembly to remove the objectionable
provisions in the
fourth alteration to the 1999
Constitution.
He said if they refused to do
so before overriding the veto
of the President, they would
have engaged in a futile exercise
likely to be challenged in
court.
Falana, in a statement in
Lagos yesterday, titled: “Constitutional
Amendment: Why
the National Assembly cannot
ignore the President’s Letter”,
counselled members to tackle
the fundamental errors which
characterised the fourth alteration
to the Constitution.
“They should have no difficulty
in jettisoning the alteration
of Section 9 as it is the
height of legislative dictatorship
to amend the Constitution
without the assent of the
President and endorsement of
the people via a referendum.
“While the concern of the
legislators for the rights of Nigerians
to basic education and
health is appreciated the inclusion
of both rights in Chapter
4 is unnecessary as both rights
have been statutorily
recognised,” he said.
Falana noted that the President,
in a letter addressed to
the National Assembly, challenged
the legality of the procedure
adopted by the legislators
in passing the Bill and
the constitutional validity of
some of the amendments.
He further noted that a some
members have threatened to
override the President’s veto
in a manner he described as
hasty.
“No doubt, the National Assembly
has the power to override
the President’s veto if the
constitutional requirement is
met but the needless controversy
over the constitutional
amendment should be
handled with caution.
“Apart from the serious observations
by the President,
some provisions of the
amendment completely negate
national interests.
“Whereas many Nigerians
have demanded the removal
of the immunity clause, the
amendment seeks to confer
immunity on legislators in
erly and deal with the facts.
I have the privilege of meeting
with many senior statesmen,
during the course of my
job in the federal executive
council and I was surprised
that he should be singled out
in any such form. The short
answer is no.
“I have not sought such assistance
because I am not
aware that I have been indicted
of any crime that I
will need a soft landing.
Over the last four years, I
have been severally and unfortunately
accused and labelled
in so many malicious
and vindictive ways. I have
explained these things and
pushed back robustly on
these accusations and I have
even gone to court on many
of them. Yet they keep being
regurgitated. And I
think it is unfortunate, particularly
when we are moving
into a transition period
and looking forward to an
incoming government
which is coming to take
over where we have ended.”
She appealed to marketers
to make fuel available to Nigerians.
“PMS is available, make it
available to Nigerians, we
have worked so hard to build
the system and we don’t
want it distracted in these
latter days,” she said.
•Party: probe REC
ing on security operatives to
arrest the REC because there
is no way the electoral fraud
can be perpetrated without
his knowledge.”
He said: “We are alerting security
agents and the people
about the plan by the PDP to
unleash mayhem in the state
on the day of the election. We
have it on a good note that they
have imported militants from
Falana advises Assembly
on alterations to constitution
the Southsouth to cause crisis.
But we cannot be intimidated
because we are winning the
election.”
But, the PDP yesterday
called for the cancellation of
the April 11 for alleged irregularities.
Chairman of the party
Nnamdi Anyaehie said the
party would not boycott the
rerun but would employ all
legitimate means to seek redress.
By Adebisi Onanuga
addition to the heads of the executive
arm of government,”
he stated.
Falana also referred to the
pension for life for former National
Assembly leaders provided
for in the fourth alteration
to the Constitution as
another objectionable proposition.
“ Indeed, one of the former
Speakers of the House of Representatives,
who will be a
beneficiary of the largesse,
spent a few months in office
and resigned for fear of impeachment.
Another retired
Speaker, who served for less
than four years, is barely 40
years old.”
He challenged the National
Assembly to justify why Nigerians
should pay pension
for life to such legislators for
rendering part-time service.
The lawyer decried the insistence
of the President that
the Amendment Bill should
have been with the votes of
four- fifths of the National Assembly
and approved by the
resolution of the Houses of Assembly
of not less than twothirds
of the states of the federation.
Falana said: “I had reminded
the President that the last three
alterations of the Constitution
were passed by two-thirds majority
of the federal and state
legislators and signed into law
by him in 2010 and 2011.
“But the National Assembly
acted illegally in amending
sections 8, 9 without a resolution
backed by four fifths majority
of the members.
“If the Bill had been assented
to by the President as
proposed by the National Assembly,
the entire fourth alteration
to the Constitution
would have been vitiated.”
He recalled that in 2010, the
National Assembly purportedly
empowered itself to
amend the Constitution without
the assent of the President.
According to him, the action
was challenged in the Federal
High Court by a former President
of the Nigeria Bar Association
(NBA), Olisa Agbakoba
(SAN), adding: “The court declared
the amendment illegal
and unconstitutional and proceeded
to set it aside”.
NLC faction angry
with Oshiomhole
THE Joe Ajaero-led faction
of the Nigeria
Labour Congress
(NLC) has expressed displeasure
over comments credited
Governor Adams
Oshiomhole over the outcome
of the rescheduled election
of the labour movement.
Ajaero, who addressed a
news conference yesterday in
Abuja, described
Oshiomhole’s comments as
“unhelpful, divisive and par-
tial”.
The governor had said on
Monday that the rescheduled
NLC election was transparent,
free and fair.
Oshiomhole spoke when he
paid a solidarity visit to the NLC
President, Dr Ayuba Wabba.
He also advised members of
the congress who were not
happy with the outcome of the
election to emulate President
Goodluck Jonathan, who conceded
defeat in the March 28
Presidential election.
Ajaero said: “He gave a false
impression of us as bad losers;
it is interesting that Governor
Oshiomhole urged us to emulate
President Jonathan who
conceded defeat in a free and
fair presidential election.”
Ajaero recalled that the Edo
governor refused to concede
defeated when he was rigged
out during the governorship
election in 2007.’’
He said Oshiomhole’s acceptance
of the NLC rescheduled
election as transparent, free and
fair was in contrast to the belief
of other democrats.
9

10
NEWS
439 transformers
for rural areas
By Miriam Ekene-Okoro
T
HE Lagos State
government has
provided 439
transformers for rural
communities in four years,
Commissioner for Rural
Development, Cornelius
Ojelabi, said yesterday.
The commissioner said
this was part of the rural
electrification project,
adding that the transformers
were assembled by a
company in Badagry in line
with the local content
policy.
He said the state, in its
bid to expand the statewide
power network, made
considerable progress in
power infrastructure provision
to core rural and
riverine areas.
According to him, “relief
transformer substations,
distribution of oil
immersed distribution
transformers and erections
of poles were judiciously
carried out.
The commissioner said
the ministry provided
electrification to 63 communities
in the three senatorial
districts.
Eight hundred and forty-one
transformers were distributed
in the last eight years.
Osun to host
NUT meeting
From Adesoji Adeniyi,
Osogbo
SUN State will
host the National
Executive Commit- Otee (NEC) meeting of the
Nigeria Union of Teachers
(NUT) from April 27-
29.
Also, other meetings to
be held during the period
include National
Standing Committee
meeting and the National
Establishment Committee
meeting.
In a statement, the State
Principal Secretary,
Abudulahi Muhammed,
said members would
deliberate on activities
and issues of the nation’s
union.
He said the National
President, Michael
Alogba Olukoya, will
preside over the meeting
at the Funfield Event
Centre, Osogbo.
Governor Rauf
Aregbesola will open the
programme.
Battle for Anambra Speaker intensifies
T
HE battle for the
Speaker of the
Anambra State House
of Assembly is deepening.
Lawmakers and their supporters
are bickering over
who gets the coveted position.
Sources said Governor
Willie Obiano and the National
Chairman of the All
Progressives Grand Alliance
(APGA), Chief Victor Umeh
might clash over who becomes
the Speaker in June.
Anambra South is seen to
be the area strong enough to
produce the Speaker since
the governor is from the
North.
The contestants are Rita
Maduagwu (Nnewi South),
Nikky Ugochukwu (Orumba
South), Ikem Uzoezie
FORMER Managing Director
of Bank PHB Mr.
Francis Atuche has urged
a Lagos High Court sitting in
Ikeja to dismiss an application
by the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission
(EFCC), seeking to adjourn its
ruling sine die (indefinitely).
Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo,
on March 2, fixed Monday,
April 13, for ruling on an application
by Atuche but could
not deliver the ruling after the
Aspirant hails Jonathan’s administration
By Safiyyah Abdur-Razaq
EX-GOVERNORSHIP aspirant of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) in Abia State, Dr Uchechukwu Sampson
Ogah has hailed the President Goodluck Jonathan-led
administration for its transformation agenda in Nigeria.
Ogah spoke during the 43rd anniversary celebration of
the Good Shepherd Society at the Archbishop Vining Memorial
Cathedral, Ikeja, Lagos.
“We are all human beings, we cannot be perfect. The government
has done well in some areas and failed in others. At
least, they brought something on the issue of transformation
to Nigeria, which is the bedrock on which the incoming
administration will consolidate on.”
Reacting to the postponement of the Abia State election,
Ogah said it was only fair since the April 11 election was
declared inconclusive, and to ensure that a candidate of the
people emerges.
He decried the violence in the elections and urged politicians
to do their best for the people while in power.
“Every religion says you should love your neighbour. If
you love your neighbour, you must not steal government
resources. Do what you need to do to help the society,” Ogah
said.
•Obiano, Umeh may clash over candidates
From Nwanosike Onu, Awka
(Aguata I) and Ikechukwu
Umeh (Aguata II).
Some members said the
position had not been zoned,
as Obiano had shown no interest.
The Nation gathered that
Chugbo Enwezor (Onitsha
North) is being speculated
to succeed Chinwe
Nwaebili.
A lawmaker said the most
qualified for the position is
Enwezor, being a lawyer and
the longest APGA legislator.
But it was learnt that
Obiano had interest in
Maduagwu while Umeh is
promoting his cousin,
Uzoezie.
By Adebisi Onanuga
court was informed of the
commission’s pending application.
Atuche prayed the court to
quash the N25.7 billion theft
charge levelled against him
by the EFCC on the grounds
that it had no jurisdiction to
entertain the matter.
The appellate court, in a November
21, 2013, judgment,
A lawmaker said: “Section
92, sub-section (I) says
there will be a Speaker and
Deputy Speaker, who shall
be elected by members of the
House among themselves’,
therefore the issue of zoning
being rumoured is unconstitutional.”
He added that it was only
APGA or the governor that
could call a meeting where
decisions would be taken,
adding that such had not
happened for now.
Speaking with The Nation
yesterday, a source said “the
governor settled for
Maduagwu, but Umeh’s
chioce is Uzoezie.
“If Peter Obi had remained,
the choice would
struck out the charges preferred
against Nwosu and others
for lack of jurisdiction,
saying the issues were capital
market transactions.
Charged withAtuche are his
wife, Elizabeth and a former
Chief Financial Officer of the
Bank, Mr. Ugo Anyanwu.
At the resumed hearing yesterday,
Chief Anthony Idigbe
(SAN), lead counsel to
Atuche, prayed the court to
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
have been Ugochukwu, but as
things stand now, Maduagwu
is likely to grab it. Some legislators
are gunning for Enwezor
(Onitsha North) because of his
experience.
“Some of us are not comfortable
with the situation because
it may bring another division
in APGA between
Umeh and Obiano, the same
thing that almost happened in
the choice of Nwaebili and
Enwezor in 2011.
‘There are moves by
Obiano, Umeh and some chieftains
of APGA on the issue,
some people believe that the
Speakership should move to
the South, while the Central
takes the next turn,” the source
said.
•Executive Secretary, Onigbongbo Local Council Development Authority (LCDA), Moshood Abiola represented by Hon Musbau
Eti, presenting a certificate to Master Nwole Emmanuel, the 1st prize winner (primary school category) during the 2015 Spelling
Bee Competition at LGEA school complex, GRA, Ikeja Lagos.
N25.7b: Atuche seeks dismissal of EFCC’s application
•Faults indefinite adjournment of ruling
dismiss EFCC’s application because
the court could not engage
in speculation.
Idigbe argued that Atuche’s
application was challenging the
court’s jurisdiction and should
it grant EFCC’s application, it
would amount to an assumption
of jurisdiction on the matter
Ḃut Justice Lawal-Akapo
noted that the judicial practice
directive was to give priority
to high-profile matters.
He adjourned the matter till
May 18.
CU to lead cancer care education
COVENANT University
(CU), Ota, Ogun
State, has been considered
a key partner in the
application of Information
Communications Technology
(ICT) for cancer care, research
and education in Africa.
This is the outcome of the
2015 Global Summit on Cancer
at the Dana Ferber Centre,
Harvard Medical School,
Boston, United States, where
the Vice-Chancellor, Professor
Charles Ayo, was a guest
speaker.
The cancer summit was
organised by the Global
Health Catalyst Initiative to
deliberate on and seek solution
to the global burden of
cancer in Africa.
This year’s summit was
focused on how to develop
an ICT collaborative framework
to bridge the gap and
address the disparities in
treatment and management
of cancer between developed
countries and low and
middle-income countries.
Ayo, in his paper, highlighted
the huge potential of
Covenant University to be a
major partner in the
realisation of the use of ICT
for cancer care, research and
education.
He gave elaborate details
of past and present
endeavours of the software
engineering and ICT research
clusters in the university;
mobile technology for
medical adherence and e-
health, which could be
adapted for cancer care in Africa.
The VC and his team visited
a group of 10 CU students,
who are on a four month internship
at the Department of
Industrial Engineering,
Wayne State University
(WSU), Detroit.
Ayo and his team also visited
Bobson College, Wellesley,
which is highly rated for
entrepreneurship in the world.
Covenant University pioneered
entrepreneurship education
in Nigeria.
Experts to discuss
development
in Africa
By Adebisi Onanuga
R ENOWNED
experts of African
origin will
converge on Lagos at a
roundtable conference
to generate concrete
and innovative recommendations
on
how right to development
(RTD) can be
optimised in Africa.
The Acting Dean,
Faculty of Law, University
of Lagos, Prof.
Peter Fogam, who
spoke yesterday at a
news conference held
at the faculty’s conference
room said the
experts were drawn
from various field
including public
international law,
international human
rights law and development
and international
and multidisciplinary
dimension.
He said they would
look into the current
efforts of the United
Nations Office of the
High Commissioner for
Human Rights on the
revitalisation of the
RTD.
He said the event
would hold at the
3 rd African International
Economic Law
Network Biennial
Conference to be hosted
by The Centre for
Human Rights, Faculty
of Law, Universirt of
Lagos on April 29 and
30 and at which Lagos
State Governor
Raji Fashola (SAN) has
been scheduled to deliver
the key note address. The
conference has as its
theme, “Role of International
Economic Law in
African Development”.
Eyinni Old
Students meet
T
HE annual
homecoming of
Eyinni High
School Old Students’
Association (EHSOSA),
Orita-Challenge-Ibadan,
Oyo State, will hold
Saturday.
Tagged, “Annual
Annual Homecoming
2015”, the event will hold
on the school premises,
from 12:30 pm.
A statement by the
National President, Mr.
Kunle Adedeji, said the
event would explore
avenues towards improving
the school’s infrastructural
development.
He said many activities
have been lined up to make
the event worthwhile.
“Let’s make this year’s
homecoming special by
rekindling old friendships
and reconnecting with our
alma mater,” he said.
Adedeji said the event
would feature presentations
on entrepreneurship
development and investment,
an appraisal of the
present state of the school
and strategies for infrastructural
development.
There will also be fundraising
and networking
activities.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015 11
THE NATION
BUSINESS
E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net
Commercial banks are not manufacturing-friendly
as their interest
rates are usually very high; therefore,
commercial banks remain a
major challenge to the sector. Even
the Bank of Industry’s (BoI) framework,
which pegs interest rate at
nine per cent, only finances machinery
acquisition; it does not cater for
working capital.
NLNG generates
over $10b revenue
THE Managing Director,
Nigeria Liquefied
Natural Gas (NLNG),
Mr Babs Omotowa, has said
the company generated
more than $10 billion (about
N2 trillion) revenue last
year.
He said company’s gas export
in 2013 generated more
than $8 billion (N1.6 trillion),
while about $1.3 billion
(N260 billion) was paid into
government coffers as tax.
Omotowa told the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
yesterday in Lagos that the
company’s emphasis was
geared toward sustainable
maximisation of natural gas
and increased revenue.
He said: “About 75 per cent
of what we are producing is
what we were flaring in the
past. Now, the NLNG has
been able to change this flaring
to revenue for the country.
“We have ordered new six
ships to be constructed by
Samsung and Hyundai Engineering
companies to the tune
of $1.2 billion (N240billion)
in 2013 and we are expecting
its delivery this year.
“These ships will be deployed
in our business in delivering
LNG cargoes to consumers
around the world.”
He also said the development
would create about
18,000 new employments and
shore up the company’s tax
remittance by 40 per cent.
On the scarcity of cooking
gas, Omotowa said that more
was being done to force
down the price of cooking gas
in the country.
“It is sometimes easy to forget
the fact that there was a
times in Nigeria when cooking
gas was almost like a
luxury because of its high
price of about N7,500 per
12.5kg cylinder. Now NLNG
is changing that narrative,”
he said.
‘Nigeria’s cocoa
production to
reach 1mt in 2020’
From Frank Ikpefan, Abuja
NIGERIA’s cocoa pro
duction could top one
million tonnes (Mt)
in 2020, the Minister of Agriculture
and Rural Development,
Dr. Akinwumi
Adesina, has said.
He also said the African Development
Bank (AfDB) needs
to help countries tackle volatility
and move up the commodities
value chain.
Adesina who had said Nigeria
was aiming to increase
production to one million
tonnes by 2018, said the
growth target remains challenging
given that production
has actually fallen this year to
‘at most’ 300,000 tonnes.
The minister told Reuters in
London that efforts were well
under way to renew and ramp
up Nigerian cocoa production.
He said: “We have distributed
more than 140 million
seedlings of high-yielding
cocoa varieties to recapitalise
the cocoa plantations, because
they are so old. That will
give us a yield of almost five
times.”
THE National Industrial
Court, Abuja has or
dered the Federal Government
to pay the former
staff of Nigeria Telecommunications
Limited (NITEL)
and its mobile arm, Mobile
Telecommunications Limited
(MTEL) their final entitlement
representing 20 per
cent of their annual salary
within 30 days.
Justice Peter Lifu (JP), who
gave the judgment in Abuja,
however, dismissed three
other claims by the claimants.
The claimants had prayed
the court to order the pay-
From Victor Oluwasegun
and Dele Anofi, Abuja
THE House of Repre
sentatives will con
sider and adopt the
2015 Appropriation Bill of
N4,425,930,000,000 report today.
The budget report, which
made provision for an additional
sum of N21.030billion
for Subsidy Re-investment
and Empowerment Programme
(SURE-P) was presented
on the floor of the
House yesterday by the
Chairman, Joint Committee
on Appropriation and Finance,
John Enoh.
The breakdown showed
that N366.280 is for statutory
transfer, N953.620 is for debt
service while N2.607b is for
recurrent (non-debt) expenditure.
The N642,848,999,699 inclusive
of N144.420b is for
capital expenditure.
From
the
N1,993,891,830,842 recurrent
(non-debt) expenditure,
Education ranked
highest with an allocations
of N392,242,784,654 while
Defence/Army/Air Force/
Navy followed with
N326,697,219,43.
Police Formation and
Commands
got
N303,822,224,611 while
N236,975,742,847 was allocated
to Health sector.
From the N13,965,664,092
approved for the eight federal
executive bodies, the
sums of N5,299,416,374 is
for National Population
-MAN President, Dr Frank Jacobs
• The Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Bassey Dan-Abia and Director Bayelsa State Office,
NDDC, Dr. Princewill Ekanem, during the inspection of ongoing Ekeremor Shore Protection Project in Bayelsa State.
Payment of PHCN’s workers
severance package hits N373b
From John Ofikhenua , Abuja
THE National Council
on Privatisation (NCP)
yesterday said 46,744
out of the 47,913 bonafide
workers, representing 98 per
cent of the workforce of the
defunct Power Holding
Company of Nigeria (PHCN)
have been paid their entitlements
amounting to N373,
170, 291,200.38.
The NCP acknowledged the
commendable progress
achieved by the Implementation
Committee on the payment
of the severance, pension
and gratuity of the workers
and retirees of PHCN. It directed
the Implementation
Committee to handover to
BPE all information and documents
concerning outstanding
active workers and pensioners
verifications and payments.
In a statement endorsed by
Head of Public Communications,
Bureau of Public Enterprises
(BPE), Chigbo
Anichebe, explained that the
Council also directed that the
process of verification and
payment of all the outstanding
cases should continue until
the final resolution of the
exercise.
Briefing Council members,
BPE Director-General, Mr.
Benjamin Dikki told members
at its meeting held in the
Presidential Villa in April 16,
Reps consider 2015 budget report today
Commission (NPC);
N1,935,767,344 is for Code
of Conduct Bureau;
N473,656,088 is for Code of
Conduct Tribunal;
N2,214,028,373 is for Revenue
Mobilisation Allocation
and Fiscal Commission
(RMAFC);
N1,129,445,636 is for Federal
Civil Service Commission;
N740,477,185 is for
Police Service Commission
while N2,172,873,092 is for
Federal Character Commission.
Court orders govt to pay ex-NITEL/MTEL workers
20% annual salary
that only 1,169 of the 47,913
workers of the defunct PHCN
were yet to be paid.
Out of the outstanding
number, the D-G said it included
workers that had exited
before severance payment;
those being processed
for validation; and those yet
to be identified by PHCN as
bonafide workers adding
that the working group was
looking into these cases to
arrive at a final closure.
Further, Council noted that
2,791 retired workers of the
PHCN representing 65 per
cent of the retirees had been
paid N16,414,926,902.38 with
an outstanding number of
1,516 retirees who have so far
ment of three months’ salary
in lieu of notice as their final
entitlement.
Furthermore, they had demanded
payment for loss of
office and redundancy in line
with section 11 sub-section 12
and 13 of staff condition of
service and the existing labour
law, general damages
and cost of suit.
The judge only upheld the
demand for repatriation
which is the final entitlement
and dismissed their claim of
N20 billion as general damages
and N10 million cost of
suit.
In dismissing the prayer for
the payment of damages and
cost of litigation, the judge
said there was no evidence of
suffering, trauma or torture
throughout the trial, neither
did the claimants show how
they the cost of litigation.
On redundancy, the judge
refused the demand on
grounds that they resigned
voluntarily and could not be
paid compensation.
The judge stressed that if the
failed to turn up for verification
or were still undergoing
further verification or their
next of kin have not been able
to produce the necessary court
papers.
It would be recalled that an
Implementation Committee
was constituted in March 2013,
with the mandate to implement
the agreement reached
with the Power Sector Labour
Unions in December 2012. The
objective was to facilitate the
payment of the entitlements
of all workers of PHCN and
ensure that there are no
encumberances to the
handover of the successor
companies to the respective
investors.
repatriation was not paid
within 30 days, it would attract
10 per cent interest.
The News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN) recalls that Mohammed
Jiyah and 197 ex-staff
of the erstwhile government
establishments had filed the
suit against the 1st to 6th defendants
at the Federal High
court on Jan. 20, 2011.
The case was later transferred
to NIC in April 2013.
The defendants are BPE,
MTEL, Giants Consultants
Limited, Attorney General &
Minister of Justice and Accountant-General
of the Federation.
Lagos rakes in
N27b on land
transactions
• Ebola takes toll
on hospitality sector
By Miriam Ekene-Okoro
LAGOS State government
has generated N27,
054,031,674.52 from
sales of land over the last one
year.
Permanent Secretary,
Lands Bureau, Mr. Hakeem
Muri-Okunola who spoke
yesterday said the revenue
performance surpassed the
previous year with about
18.65 per cent.
He said the figure also exceeded
the bureau’s budget
for the period by 165 per cent,
adding that the increase was
as a result of the improved
transactions recorded on the
sale of land for industrial development
in the Free Trade
Zone.
He said:“The revenue performance,
which is considerably
more than the total
of the previous year by
about N18.65 billion, was
due to transaction on the
sale of land for industrial
development in the Free
Trade Zone. The revenue
performance for the year
under consideration exceeded
the Bureau’s budget
for the period by 165 per
cent.”
Meanwhile, the state government
also said the annual
turnover of the top 12
hotels in the state last year
dropped by N8billionn owing
to the outbreak of the
Ebola Virus Disease.
Commissioner for Tourism
and Intergovernmental
Affairs, Mr Disun Holloway
who spoke at a news conference
in Ikeja, said the
drop from the average
turnover of N46billion resulted
from a decline of occupancy
rates in the hotels
from 75 per cent to 36 per
cent.
Holloway said the disease
had much more impact on
the hospitality industry as
smaller hotels and restaurants
also recorded lower
patronage during the period.
The commissioner said
issues such as epidemics and
security were threats to
tourism development, as
they were great disincentive
to patronage.
Holloway said tourism
had not attained its rightful
position as a major contributor
to the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) in the
country due to poor infrastructure.
He pointed out that if essential
infrastructure such
as electricity was in regular
supply, the sector would be
a major contributor to the
economy.
Speaking further on improved
revenue collection
from land, Muri-Okunola
said aside some major transactions,
the revenue from
the new schemes being expected
in the year under review
as well as the property
recertification project could
not be realised, thereby
making it difficult for the
government to generate
revenue from these sources.

12 THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
THE NATION
BUSINESS
INDUSTRY
The African Organisation for
Standardisation (ARSO) forum
will hold in Nigeria from June
22 to 24. It is expected to bring
together standards authorities
from 54 African countries to
brainstorm on how to
harmonise standards for goods
and services. The forum is an
opportunity to rally the continent
to one regime of
standardisation to boost trade,
Assistant Editor CHIKODI
OKEREOCHA writes.
AT present, Nigeria and, indeed, the con
tinent has no clear and co
ordinated approach to standardisation
of goods and services. The lack of a uniform
regime of standardisation is believed to be
responsible for Africa’s meagre share of global
trade put at three per cent.
For a country such as Nigeria that is seeking
to diversify her economy, following the sharp
drop in revenue caused by the fall in oil prices,
there is an urgent need to standardise her
goods and services to make them competitive
in the global market place.
According to experts, this means that Nigeria
potentially stands as the biggest beneficiary
of any arrangement that would usher in
a regime of standardisation to ease the movement
of goods and services within and outside
the continent.
It is against this backdrop that the election
of the Director-General, Standards
Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr Joseph
Odumodu, as president, African Organisation
for Standardisation (ARSO), in Yaoundé,
Cameroun, two years ago, raised the hopes
of not a few industry operators and stakeholders.
The expectation was that Nigeria
would ride on the platform of the continentwide
campaign to harmonise national and
sub-regional standards to boost trade and perhaps,
increase her share of the global trade.
Incidentally, Odumodu was aware of such
expectation while the importance of
standardisation to the country’s economic fortunes
was not lost on him. This was why on
assumption of office, he urged a stronger
ARSO and massive investment in quality infrastructure
at national and continental levels.
He also expressed optimism that if all
heads of government and heads of standards
authorities in Africa heeded the call for a uniform
standardisation, the quality of goods and
services from the continent would improve
and attract more buyers (more income for investors
and workers) and more employment
for youths. This, he noted, would help the
continent transit to an industrialised economy
which products would be globally acceptable.
Now, an ample opportunity for Odumodu
to further push the standardisation agenda
and position the country to benefit from the
initiative is here. As ARSO president, Nigeria
will host heads of standards authorities
from 54 African countries in Abuja, the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) between June 22
and 24. The three-day conference tagged:
‘ARSO Presidents’ Forum’ is an opportunity
for the standards regulators to brainstorm on
how to engineer free flow of goods, services
and technology across the continent. The forum
aims at activating the collective efforts
in standardisation that will break the barriers
to trade for the continent to prosper.
ARSO, an inter-governmental body, was
founded in 1977 by the Organisation for African
Unity (OAU), now African Union (AU)
and the United Nations Economic Commission
for Africa (UNECA). With its secretariat
in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, the
organisation has its roots in the African independence
heroes’ desire for inter-African
trade as key to the continent’s prosperity and
their understanding that standardisation is the
strategy for achieving it.
Accordingly, ARSO is mandated to
harmonise national and sub-regional standards
as African standards. It is also mandated
to promote and facilitate exchange of experts,
information and cooperation in training of
personnel in standardisation activities. The
association also has the objective to coordi-
•Odumodu
nate the views of its members at the International
Standardisation Organissation (ISO),
IEC, OIML, Codex and other organisations that
engage in standardisation activities.
However, despite this inspiring mandate,
the association has not succeeded in rallying
the whole of the continent to one regime of
standardisation. This, according to experts, is
not unconnected with the fact that many African
countries (including those that have ratified
the ARSO constitution) are not committed
to the success of the body. Many of them
are also not paying their dues and are not
participating in ARSO activities. Worse still,
many of them don’t even have a national standards
body; their standardisation activities are
said to be carried out by an ordinary directorate
within a ministry.
The task before Odumodu is therefore, enormous.
However, going by the activities lined
up for the forum, observers say the SON DG
appears to have a hang on how to turn things
around. For instance, the ARSO President’s
Forum has three sub-events, namely the ARSO
CEOs Roundtable, the ARSO Made in Africa
Expo and the African Standards Day Seminar.
The CEOs Roundtable is an exclusive conference
for only the 54 heads of standards authorities
in Africa since they have to iron out
their differences and move the continent forward
in standardisation and internal trade.
The Made in Africa Expo is a trade fair where
exhibitors from all over Africa and seekers of
standard products will meet, learn, make enquiries
or transact business as they wish. A
•Aganga
How standardisation
can boost Nigeria’s
trade power
‘The three-day conference tagged: ‘ARSO Presidents’
Forum’ is an opportunity for the standards
regulators to brainstorm on how to engineer free
flow of goods, services and technology across the
continent. The forum aims at activating the collective
efforts in standardisation that will break
the barriers to trade for the continent to prosper’
industry@thenationaonlineng.net
wide range of products will be on the stands
and they will be good products befitting of a
gathering of Africa’s standardisation experts,
industrialists, marketers and seekers of high
quality products. The only companies, which
can display their products in this fair are the
ones that present evidence of current approval
from their country’s national standards body.
On the other hand, the African Standards
Day Seminar will have Nigeria’s Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development as resource
person. He will speak on ‘The Role of
Standards in Promoting Sustainable Agriculture
and Food Security in Africa.’ Discussants
will be selected from among the heads of standards
authorities to provide additional country
perspectives.
A Director at SON and Chairman of the Local
Organising Committee, Dr. Paul Angya,
said invitations to the forum have already
gone to the standards authority in each African
country as well as to key industrialists
and business people. He said Africa’s trade
situation will never be the same again after
the forum, adding that it promises to be a
turning point in the continent’s joint effort to
make progress.
Some quality management practitioners
who spoke with The Nation say once all the
heads of standards meet and subscribe to
standardisation as a proven strategy for the
individual countries and the continent, their
interest in and commitment to ARSO will increase
and that will make the body stronger.
Also, those of them that have no national standards
body will, under the influence of those
that already have, will begin to strive to have
theirs.
Also, those who are not building up their
national quality infrastructure will also learn
from those who are. As the quality infrastructure
improves across the continent, better African
products will emerge, winning more
buyers from within Africa and beyond, and
making increased inter-African trade and increased
African share of world trade a big reality.
When this happens, Nigeria would certainly
benefit. A Quality Management Practitioner
and National President, Association of Systems
Management Consultants, Mazi Colman
Obasi, said for instance, Nigeria’s lack of a
national quality infrastructure is responsible
for its damaging economy and brand reputation.
A national quality infrastructure is a system
of institutions, which jointly ensure that
products and services produced in the country
meet predefined specifications. It also provides
technical support to companies so they
can improve their production processes and
ensure compliance with regulations or international
requirements.
Obasi lamentedthat lack of quality infrastructure
is not only partly responsible for
Nigeria’s rising unemployment, but its remaining
globally competitive. “Until we
have many companies that are accredited with
ISO 9000 management systems certification, we
are not going anywhere; we cannot export anything,”
he said, insisting that the country should
work towards having a quality management
plan.
Obasi called on the authorities to fast-track
the establishment of a National Quality Policy
(NQP). Without NQP, Nigeria’s standardisation
efforts will continue to look uncoordinated and
unclear. NQP’s objective is to make quality the
way of life in Nigeria. It will define the apex
standardisation institution in the country; clarify
the boundaries for each of the regulatory agencies;
minimise conflict between them; enhance
cooperation between them; and identify existing
as well as needed infrastructure as well as
chart its own implementation.
Obasi said: ”Quality is number one. It is the
first thing that ought to be considered as the
nation focuses on building a robust export-based
economy.” He regretted that despite being acknowledged
globally as one of the largest consumer
markets, Nigeria is yet to be accredited
by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF),
the regulatory arm of the ISO.
The expert said countries such as South Africa,
Egypt, Tunisia, Kenya and Mauritius have since
been accredited by the IAF, in line with global
emphasis on quality. According to him, for Nigeria
to be accredited by IAF, it must have in
place an NQI which refers to all aspects of metrology,
standardisation, testing, quality management,
certification and accreditation that
have a bearing on conformity assessment.
Estimates by the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the
United States (U.S.) Department of Commerce
show that standards and related conformity assessment
(checking that products and services
measure up to standards) have an impact on 80
per cent of global trade in commodities. The
World Trade Organisation (WTO) requires its
members to use international standards of the
type developed by ISO to avoid the technical
barriers to trade owing to differing national or
regional standards.
At present, products and services manufactured
in the country lack global quality certification.
They are denied access to markets in developed
economies, a situation that has been a
pain in the neck of manufacturers, as their productivity
and competitiveness continue to suffer.
According to experts, standardisation will
boost the competitiveness of locally made products
at the international market and ensure the
global acceptance of products and services from
Nigeria.
This is true for Nigeria considering the fact
that her manufacturing sector is still emerging,
depending almost totally on other countries for
her supplies of manufactured products. The nation
does not have much to offer other than raw
materials and that makes the people the poorest
in the world. Cocoa, rubber, shear butter,
petroleum, iron ore and other commodities go
cheap from Africa and once the other continent
has processed them into secondary or tertiary
products such as beverages, pharmaceuticals,
shoes and machines, Nigerians buy them at a
huge cost.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
INDUSTRY
Trade key to Africa’s
industrialisation, says ECA
TO fast-track its industrialisation,
there is the need for Africa to
focus on cross-border trade, the
Economic Report on Africa (ERA) has
said.
According to the report, “Africa needs
to focus on cross-border trade and it
must rise up the value chain”.
The report was launched by Minister
of Trade and Industry, Ghana, Dr.
Ekow Spio-Garbrah and Advisor to
the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Dr.
Arkebe Oqubay during the Conference
of African Ministers of Finance
and Economic Development in Addis
Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.
According to Spio-Garbrah, this
year’s report built on the key messages
of the previous editions of ERA
and focuses on industrialisation and
structural transformation. He called
on policy makers in the continent to
translate the ERA recommendations
•From left: Lagos Office Coordinator, Raw Materials Research Development Council (RMRDC), Habbeb Tokunbo; Director, Administration, Food Agro
& Allied Industries Limited, Mr. Gbenga Alonge; Managing Director, Mr. Sudhansu Sinha and Production Manager, Mr. Obah Oji, during the visit of
RMRDC management to the firm in Ota, Ogun State. PHOTO: OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE
‘Revive MSMEs, address unemployment, others’
THE National Association of
Small and Medium Enter
prises (NASME) has urged the
President-elect, Gen Muhammadu
Buhari (rtd), to revive small-scale
businesses.
Its Executive Secretary, Mr Eke
Ubiji said in Lagos, that sustained
policies on Micro, Small, and Medium
Enterprises (MSME) will enhance
economic development.
He said Buhari’s experience in
governance has positioned him to
have a better understanding of the
needs of the real sector and its strategic
place in sustaining national
development.
According to him, for Nigeria to
attain its goal of becoming one of
the top economies, special attention
should be given to MSMEs, a
THE Energy Commission of
Nigeria (ECN) will collabo
rate with the National Board
for Technology Incubation (NBTI)
to commercialise its research and
development products.
Its Director-General, Prof. Jere
Bala, who spoke in Abuja, said the
commission’s collaboration
would explore the avenues for
commercialising some of its research
and development output,
Stories by Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie,
into actions.
Oqubay said: “We need to focus
on three issues to engage in the global
market. One, improve and
deepen exports. Two, ensure the domestic
market is integrated. Three,
be cautious on the overshooting of
the service sector while manufacturing
is yet low.”
Deputy Executive Secretary, ECA,
Mr. Abdalla Hamdok, highlighted
the importance of addressing the
challenge of being stuck in the bottom
of the global value chain.
He said: “There is empirical evidence
of bi-directional relationship
between industrialisation and trade.
It is important to gear trade policies
towards national development objectives
and be selective in specific
sectors as the endeavour is costly.”
ECN, NBTI to partner on commercialisation
adding that the processes had been
ongoing.
He said there were various research
and development
programmes at six of its Energy
Research Centres in the universities
of Sokoto, Nsukka, Lagos,
Ilorin, Bauchi and Benin.
Bala said the University of Lagos
(UNILAG) had been carrying out
research and development on energy
efficiency and conservation;
He indicated that trade could reverse
the course of industrialisation,
unless carefully designed.
While discussing the growth in Africa,
its prospects and challenges, Director,
Macroeconomic Policy Division,
ECA, Mr. Adam Elhiraika, said:
“Africa’s growth prospects remain
positive despite strong headwinds,
with increased private consumption
and investment being the key drivers
of growth in the year.
“The account deficit is expected to
remain high owing to trade deficits
and increased demand for capital
goods. Stable inflation underpins
Africa’s economic performance may
decline from 6.9 per cent in 2015 to 6.7
per cent in 2016. Private capital inflows
are expected to remain strong
in 2015, thanks to improved business
climate and profit prospects.”
critical sector that would drive the
economy effectively.
He said:“The president-elect
should give cognisance to MSMEs
by addressing the various challenges
facing it because that sector
will help generate employment for
its teeming unemployed youths.
“The challenges of infrastructure,
transportation and power are critical
to the survival and growth of
viable MSMEs. The issue of multiple
taxes should also be addressed.
If you listen to entrepreneurs in different
parts of the country, they are
saying the same thing. Federal Government
is charging tax, states and
local governments are also charging,
all on a sector that is not moving forward.”
Ubiji also urged Buhari to improve
on President Goodluck Jonathan’s efforts
in rail transportation and access
to finance for MSMEs in the country.
He said: “Most critically, the issue
of access to finance is grinding
MSMEs to a halt. President Goodluck
Jonathan did something very spectacular
on March 23, this year. He
launched a new development finance
institution for the country, called Development
Bank of Nigeria.
“It is a good initiative and I expect
the president-elect to pay attention
to it because it is a bank that
is set up to address the issue of access
to finance as it affects MSMEs
in the country.”
“You don’t throw away the baby
with the bath water.”
Pointing out that although
Jonathan may have tried and failed
in some areas and that there were
some things he did that were good
Benin on energy and environment;
Ilorin on hydro-power plant and
Bauchi on hydrocarbon.
He said the basic research products
of the commission included
solar water heater, solar crop dryers,
pilot wind electricity machines
and bio-gas digesters from its research
centres for
commercialisation.
“We utilise the biomass or sun to
produce direct process heat through
PZ Wilmar gets ISO certification
PZ Wilmar Nigeria Ltd, a palm
oil processing, packaging and
distribution company, has
been awarded the International
Standard Organisation (ISO)
22000:2005 Certification for food
safety.
At the presentation in Lagos, the
Managing Director, West Africa,
PZ Wilmar Nigeria Ltd, Mr.
Santosh Pillai, said the certification
is an affirmation of the firm’s commitment
to delivering safe products.
He said the certification makes the
company the first palm oil processing,
packaging and distribution
company to achieve the feat without
extension from any parent company
or parent site.
He said: “ISO 22000:2005 is an
international standard on food
safety that confirms that a
company’s supply chain process
is well under control, and
safety and quality of all products
from its factory down the value
and commendable. He advised
Buhari to constitute a strong and
knowledgeable economic management
team that would steer the economic
affairs of the country to the
desired change.
He urged Buhari to appoint
people who know their onions with
regard to economic issues to advise
him properly so that they would
be able to come up with good economic
blue print for the next four
years.
“Economically, Nigeria is not in
good shape now. If the challenges
facing the economy are not addressed
then we are still where we
are,” he said.
The National Bureau of Statistics
(NBS) recently put the number of
MSMEs in Nigeria at more than 17
million.
conversion of sun to heat, using solar
water heater or solar crop dryer
to convert the sun into electricityusing
solar panels.
“We produce prototype solar water
heater in our research centres.
Some have been installed, particularly
in Usman Danfodio Teaching
Hospital, Sokoto, and they are now
helping in the production of warn
water for use in the hospital,” he
added.
By Chikodi Okereocha
13
chain to the end consumer is
guaranteed.
“To provide a demonstrable
food safety management system,
PZ Wilmar Limited was subjected
to rigorous stages one and
two Certification Audit by Bureau
Veritas, following documentation
and implementation
according to ISO 22000: 2005
standard.”
Its Deputy Manager, Technical,
Mr. Nana Damoah, said the
company sought the ISO certification
to ensure that its products
are manufactured in line with
international standards and are
safe.
Systems Certification Manager,
Bureau Veritas, a global
leader in testing, inspection and
certification, Mrs. Adenike
Akinbote, said the process for
ISO certification was not easy
and that PZ Wilmar made it after
fulfilling all its criteria.
She, however, said the certification
could be withdrawn or
suspended if the company’s
food safety and quality standard
fails in future.
The feat, which is a demonstration
of the company’s commitment
to its organisation, food
safety and quality policy, came
on the heels of an investment of
about $80 million in crude palm
oil refinery.
The investment, according to
Pillai, was in line with the
company’s backward integration
aimed at developing local
capacity of palm oil production
and restoring Nigeria’s position
and visibility as a global player
in palm oil.
SMEs devt
confab coming
LOCAL Small and Medium En
terprises (SMEs) will have the
opportunity to access a wealth
of international knowledge and expertise
while engaging with industry
leaders from around the world
at this year’s ‘Annual International
Network for Small and Medium Enterprises
(INSME) Meeting and Forum’
billed to hold at the Cape Town
International Convention Centre
from 26 - 28 May. It’s objective is to
advance local enterprise development,
and it is the first time the event
will be held on the African continent.
According to the Managing Director,
MCI South Africa, Rashid Toefy,
the event managers, the INSME Annual
Meeting & Forum brings together
leading global experts in the
field of SME innovation and technology
commercialisation for mutual
learning and networking. He said the
event will focus on the role and importance
of technology-driven entrepreneurship
and innovation in fostering
small business efficiency,
competitiveness and growth.
“This will be a unique opportunity
for South Africans to learn from
some of the leading practices globally
and for international practitioners
to gain exposure to and learn
from South African and African practices,”
said Toefy.
Bala said the Federal Ministry of
Science and Technology had established
NBTI, to harness all the research
and development products
for commercialisation.
He said: “Now, this board provides
an avenue where research and
development outputs from these research
centres are incubated. NBTI
brings in private sector to see the
products during the incubation.”

14 THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
THE NATION
BUSINESS
LABOUR
Xenophobic attacks: Labour calls for
evacuation of Nigerians
Tthe Federal Government to
HE Trade Union Congress
(TUC) of Nigeria has urged
evacuate Nigerians from South
Africa as a result of the ongoing
xenophobic attacks.
Its President, Comrade Bobboi
Bala Kaigama, in a statement,
picked holes in the recent directive
of the government asking
Nigerians to remain indoors.
He said: “Asking them to remain
indoors is not safe as they could
unleash mayhem on them even in
their houses. It is the government’s
responsibility to protect its
nationals both internal and external.
We must not shirk our responsibility
to our citizens wherever
HE Director-General, National
Directorate of Em-
Tployment (NDE), Malam
NLC scores BPE below 10%
HE factional President, Nigeria
Labour Congress
(NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero Thas scored the Bureau for Public
Enterprises (BPE) below 10 per
cent in performance on the
premise that most of the companies
the agency privatised are now
moribund.
He advised the in-coming government
of Gen Muhammadu
Buhari (rtd) to review the activities
of the agency with a view to
ensuring that the interest of workers
are properly taken care of before
embarking on privatisation.
Comrade Ajaero made this remark
at the end of the Central
Working Committee meeting of
the congress held Lagos.
According to a communiqué issued
at the end of the meeting, the
congress resolved to develop a
blue print on how to achieve
steady electricity supply, adding
that there should be a road map on
how many megawatts of electricity
should be generated yearly
over a period of time.
The congress reaffirmed its commitment
to the unity of the labour
movement in Nigeria based on the
principles of trade union independence,
fairness, strong internal democracy,
equity, solidarity, gender
balance and justice.
Members of the CWC also reiterated
their commitment to genuine
dialogue with an independent
reconciliation committee to be con-
stituted by labour veterans and
civil society leaders with a view to
addressing the current challenges
facing the congress.
Ajaero enjoined the government
to focus on expanding the frontier
for job creation through value
added activities in agriculture and
manufacturing.
“The president-elect must muster
the political will to confront the
hydra headed challenge of smuggling,
electricity failure, faking and
counterfeiting of made-in-Nigeria
goods.
“We demand special attention to
address the challenge of electricity
supply in the country and in particular
in the immediate term accelerated
solution for industrial
power needs,” he said.
He pointed out that once power
needs of industries are addressed
and the new government is able to
create stability in the micro-economic
environment, the power
prospect for expanded industrial
development and job creation is
huge.
He also urged the in-coming administration
to address income inequality
and widening gap between
the poor and the rich
through wage improvements and
progressive tax administration,
even as the minimum wage committee
was mandated to develop
and send a proposal to the Federal
Government and the transition
committee.
NDE chief: govt committed to
tackling unemployment
Abubakar Mohammed, has said the
Federal Government is committed
to tackling unemployment in the
country.
Speaking at the opening ceremony
of the NDE-Enterprise and
Finance Counselling Clinic for
unemployed graduates in Lokoja
yesterday, the DG said NDE remains
the foremost government
agency saddled with the duty of
implementing programmes meant
to tackle mass unemployment in
the country.
The DG, who was represented by
the Zonal Director of NDE in the
Northcentral, Mr. Jibrin Aye, said
the concept of the clinic was borne
out of the desire to ensure that unemployed
graduates of tertiary institutions
are exposed to the benefits
of self-reliance through entrepreneurship.
According to him, the training
was to also to guide them in their
Stories by Toba Agboola
choices of business ideas and give
a solid business management
training that would instil in the
graduates self confidence in managing
their chosen business ventures
successfully.
they are.”
Kaigama described the xenophobic
attacks as appalling, abysmal
and beastly, imploring the Jacob
Zuma-led administration to live
up to its responsibilities by taking
all necessary measures to stop
the act of stealing, killing and taking
over of people’s properties in
Johannesburg, Durban and Pretoria.
TUC added that Nigerians have
not and will not kill any South African
in Nigeria in spite of several
aborted efforts to unionise
workers in South African companies
including telecoms giant, MTN
and DSTV which are thriving in
Nigeria.
“Congress is aware of a number
of Nigerian investors who went to
invest in South Africa but ran back,
abandoning acquired properties
because they could not cope with
their strict labour laws. Nigeria is
a country that accommodates all
and sundry including South Africa
and South Africans and today, we
see this rare opportunity being
grossly abused.
“They own several multi-billion
dollar investments on our soil yet,
we co-exist despite all odds. The
same people will come here to dehumanise
Nigerians. Not
anymore. This must stop! This sacrifice
is becoming too grave to bear
and over-stretched all to ensure
peaceful co-existence,” TUC said.
He said it is true that the government
of South Africa as well as
other countries of the world have
condemned the attacks, yet, labour
demand that the government investigate
and punish those involved
in accordance with the provisions
of the law of the land.
”We should also use this opportunity
to let the world know that
South African owned companies in
Nigeria are anti-labour in their
operations.
“Several efforts have been made
to unionise MTN, DSTV, and others
all to no avail which cannot
happen in their country. Congress
is aware of a number of Nigerian
investors who went to invest in
South Africa but ran back abandoning
acquired properties because
they could not cope with
their strict labour laws,” he said.
•From left:
National
Treasurer,
Comrade
Akporeha
Williams,
National
President,
Comrade Igwe
Achese and
right, General
Secretary, ,
Comrade Isaac
Abarare, all of
the National
Union of
Petroleum and
Natural Gas
Workers
(NUPENG ), at
NUPENG's
briefing in
Lagos
Osun labour crisis: TUC condemns strike
HE crisis rocking the Osun
State chapter of the Trade
Union Congress (TUC) took Tanother dimension, as the national
secretariat of the union disowned
the factional Chairman,
Mr. Francis Adetunji, who has
been parading himself as the recognised
chairman of the union.
The union also condemned the
strike embarked upon by workers
in the state, arguing that the
directive to commence the strike
did not emanate from the recognised
leaders of the union in the
state and did not have the backing
of the national secretariat of the
union.
Its National Secretary General,
Musa Lawal, who was on a solidarity
visit to the state, said the
tenure of Adetunji ended a year
ago and had thus seized to be the
chairman of TUC in the state.
He queried the rationale for the
strike embarked upon by workers
in the employ of the state government,
noting that the national
secretariat of the union was not
aware of the strike.
Addressing reporters at the Nigerian
Union of Journalists (NUJ)
Press Centre after a meeting between
the leadership of the TUC
and NUJ, Lawal expressed regrets
on the action of some workers in
the state who perpetrated violence
during a protest embarked
upon by a faction of the work
force.
Lawal, who berated the attitude
of some workers in the state, lamented
that laws should not be
taken into the hands of any individual
and that protest by workers
should be peaceful.
He, however, expressed confidence
in the leadership of
Akinyemi Olatunji, whom he described
as the duly elected chairman
of TUC in the state, saying,
“There is only one TUC chairman
in Osun State and he is Akinyemi
Olatunji.”
Vocational training vital to economic growth, says ITF
IRECTOR-General of the Industrial
Training Fund (ITF)
Dr Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, Dhas said the youths’ training under
the German dual vocational training
partnership with Nigeria would help
to fast track the nation’s economic
development.
Speaking at the end of the programme
and presentation of certificate
to the 43 trainees, Chukkas-
Onaeko, expressed appreciation to
the German government on the
training, which was financed by the
German Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development,
BMZ and conducted by Sequa
GmbH.
The bilateral project, initiated by
the Chamber of Commerce and In-
•Factional chairman disowned
dustry (CCI), Giessen-Friedberg to
improve vocational education quality
in Nigeria, was aimed to further
boost German-Nigerian cooperation.
Chukkas-Onaeko explained that
though ITF trained people on ICT and
usage of modern technology, her
agency was partnering with foreign
countries to facilitate Nigeria’s industrial
growth.
Earlier, the president of Abuja
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(ABUCCI), Mr. Tony Ejinkeonye,
said the chamber participated in the
training to bridge the gap between
knowledge and pragmatic skills in
the economy.
Ejinkeonye pointed out that the
knowledge and skills acquired by the
trainees are highly marketable and
elusive ones that would enhance their
contributions in their various companies
and the entire economy.
The Project Coordinator, Mr.
Kehinde Stephen Awoyele, said the
objectives of the training were to
strengthen civil society, environment
protection, fight poverty and ensure
good governance.
He listed insufficient involvement
of the private sector, inadequate
equipment, obsolete technical infrastructure
and deficient qualification
of trainers as challenges faced in the
training.
Speaking on the occasion, German
Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael
Zenner said the trainees would soon
start their “new and responsible task
of training young Nigerians in office
administration, maintenance and
technical facility management.
“So, we celebrate today an outstanding
bilateral project which shows the
intensive and close German-Nigerian
cooperation in our day-by-day
work. These very close relations between
Germany and Nigeria are characterised
by friendship, excellent cooperation
and mutual understanding,”
he said.
Zenner said he supported the
project because it helps to improve
the qualification and employability
of many young Nigerians. He, however,
pointed out that facilitating
more people‘s access to productive
employment with a decent wage is
also a key element of sustainable economic
development.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
15

16 THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
17
COMMENTARY
T
EDITORIALS
•Prosecution of Nyanya bomb suspects calls for more seriousness
T
HE world is once again scandalised
at the ongoing xenophobic attacks in
South Africa, the land of the much
revered Madiba. The pictures are as gruesome
as they are surreal; in an age where
images are streamed live as events happen
the world is regaled with savagery that
is instantaneous and blood-cuddling.
We have seen scenes of a mob of young,
black men chase down a fellow black man
on the streets of Johannesburg or Durban
in broad daylight. The hapless lad is cornered
and mauled until he dies in cold
blood. Just last weekend, a Mozambican,
Emmanuel Sithole, was caught on video
being circled by four South African youths
who eventually knifed him to death on the
street of Alexandra township, north of
Johannesburg. This happened in daylight
with a crowd watching and applauding.
In 2008, about 62 immigrants died in a
rash of xenophobic attacks mainly in
Johannesburg townships. The incidents
Astonishing tardiness
IR: The world takes notice when Nigerians, citizens
of Africa’s largest democracy, decide. By participat-
Sing peacefully and enthusiastically in the recent elec-
toral processes in March and April, millions of you stood
strong to re-affirm Nigeria as a leader for democracy in
Africa—and around the world. It was an honor for me to
lead the U.S. observer mission during the presidential and
National Assembly elections last month. Today, I join the
chorus congratulating you and the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) on the April 11 vote, which
built upon the earlier successes in March.
Many Nigerians waited for hours, in sun and rain, to cast
their ballots and see their votes counted. When I spoke with
voters, I was struck not only by their patience, but also by
their determination to show Nigeria’s dedication to democracy
and to democratic principles. Elections are ultimately
about people—the volunteers and poll workers who manage
polling stations, the party candidates and supporters
who craft policies and political platforms, the civil society
activists who work for transparency, the journalists who report
on the campaigns and events on election day, the political
leaders who accept victory or concede defeat, especially
when stepping down is in the country’s best interest. It is
about those men and women who shared their stories with
me as they stood in line and those members of the security
services who remained neutral and vigilantly guarded
against fraud and intimidation. Again, we salute you all.
I especially want to reiterate President Obama’s accolades
for INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega. Under Chairman Jega’s
steadfast leadership, the staff of INEC succeeded in conducting
a generally smooth electoral process and making improvements
between March 28 and April 11. We commend
INEC for its extensive efforts to increase credibility and transparency
in the electoral process, including through the use
of technology. Despite some technical glitches, it is clear that
technology and use of social media—INEC’s online posting
of results for each polling unit, live tweeting of results, the
use of biometric permanent voter cards and electronic card
readers—improved efficiency and limited fraud. I encourage
Nigeria and other nations to continue to explore the use
of relevant technologies in future elections.
This electoral process, however, was not without violence
and irregularities in a number of states. Some individuals
worked to undermine the will of the Nigerian people, interfering
with electoral processes and resorting to violence and
voter intimidation. We regret any loss of life and destruction
of property. As Secretary Kerry said when he visited Nigeria
in January, violence and rigging have no place in democratic
elections. Anyone found to have incited violence or
interfered with electoral processes will be unwelcome in the
United States and subject to visa sanctions.
When President Obama spoke to you last month, he said
successful elections and democratic progress will help Nigeria
meet the urgent challenges you face today. Now more
than ever, it is up to all Nigerians to stay united so that
Nigeria can move forward with a clear set of priorities for the
future. We welcome the commitments made by both President
Jonathan and President-Elect Buhari to work closely
together in order to ensure a smooth transition to the new
government.
This next phase is critical as the world continues its hopeful
watch for what happens in Nigeria. Indeed, because you
showed up, stood in line, and respected the results of elections
even when you may have disagreed with the outcome,
Nigeria will serve as an example to other African countries
and nations elsewhere in the world preparing for elections.
Nigerian democracy will be a beacon across the continent
and beyond.
With deep appreciation for the long friendship and partnership
between our two great countries, the United States
looks forward to the inauguration on May 29 and the beginning
of a new chapter in our relationship. We are deeply
committed to working with you, the Nigerian people, for
many years to come. Nigeria, you made us all proud!
HE Office of the Attorney General
of the Federation (AGF) owes Nigerians
diligence in the prosecution
of the Nyanya bomb blast suspects; that
killed 75 persons last year. To this effect,
we urge the Office of the AGF to ensure
that the tardiness exhibited last week at
the court, does not repeat itself. This is
because we believe that the fight against
terrorism is very fundamental to Nigeria’s
survival, and as such, no officer of the
state should joke with it. Even without
prompting, we had thought that the AGF
would personally ensure diligent prosecution
of all terrorism charges, across the
country.
We are shocked that penultimate
Wednesday, at the scheduled trial of
Ogwuche Ahmed Abubakar,
Mohammed Ishaq, Ya’u Saidu (alias Kofo
Rama), Anas Isa, Adamu Yusuf and Nasir
Abubakar for the Nyanya bombing, the
Office of AGF came to the court unprepared.
Strangely, the prosecution counsel,
Mr M. M. Ogunsina, in complete disregard
of the importance of the suit, served
on the defence team, on the day scheduled
for hearing of the suit, an application
by which it sought for an order of court,
permitting it to shield the identity of its
witnesses during their appearance in
court.
Of course the defence counsel observed
the laxity, and informed the court that the
prosecution was deliberately stalling the
trial, by such conduct. The defence team
also reminded the court that the prosecution
was defeating the order of court for
accelerated hearing. In urging the court
to discountenance the application, one of
the defence lawyers also reminded the
prosecutor that paragraph 3(d) of the Practice
Direction of the Federal High Court
provides, “no party shall serve an application
on another party on the day scheduled
for hearing”.
In accusing the prosecution of deliberate
mischief, the defence team observed
that the application served on the defence
lawyers at the hearing, was filed by the
prosecution nearly a week previously. So,
unless of course, the prosecution can
come up with genuine reasons for that
irresponsible act, it may be fair to conclude
that it has other interests that it is
protecting; and we urge the AGF and his
team to stop that. In pushing their argument,
the defence team reminded the
court that the accused persons have been
in custody since April 14, 2014, as they
have not sought for bail.
Perchance the prosecution is feigning
ignorance, may we remind her that Nigerians
will not accept any organised tardiness
that will hand over a technical victory
of discharge for want of diligent prosecution,
in favour of the accused persons.
In case the AGF and his office need to be
reminded, the era of tardiness as the officially
accepted standard in government
establishments, is on its way out. Indeed,
it is a shame that it is the defence counsel
that are reminding the prosecution
about the order of the court for acceler-
From SA with hate
ated hearing, against the standard practice
that the prosecution, if it has a properly
organised case against the accused,
should be the one urging the court for
the earliest opportunity to prove its case.
The AGF should personally be prosecuting
the accused persons, to show to
all and sundry that the war against terrorism
is very important to the government.
Also, the President ought to be receiving
regular briefings with regards to
the effort of the Office of the AGF on
this trial and similar others, considering
the importance of the case. We urge the
AGF and his team to realise that a successful
prosecution of this case will serve
as disincentive to potential terrorists
against the country.
• Nothing justifies the current outbreak of xenophobic attacks in South Africa
but African leaders must wake up
‘There may be need for the
Africa Union (AU) to devise
a concerted approach to the
problem. Leaders, especially
of Black African countries,
must resolve to live up to
their responsibilities and improve
the conditions of living
of their citizens. This
kind of broad-based solution
is required as danger of
a continental economic crisis
looms’
dented the image of South Africa as an
emergent ‘rainbow nation’ of multi-ethnic
nationalities living in harmony.
The recent upwelling of angst is being
attributed to tribal Zulu monarch Goodwill
Zwetlithini’s speech March 20 in
which he complained about his people
being out of jobs as a result of an influx of
immigrants. He was reported to have requested
that foreigners should leave
South Africa.
A coalition of groups in South Africa was
also reported to have teamed up to send
out sms messages to non-citizens warning
them to leave the country immediately
or face their wrath. Some of these groups
include Patriotic Movement, Pan Local
Forum, Unemployed Local Forum, Unemployed
Workers Forum and Anti-Crime
Movement.
They were quite explicit in their message
which reads in parts: “Dear
neigbours from Africa and other parts of
the world, we have travelled the world and
have not found one country that allows
the floods of humans across its borders as
South Africa is experiencing…
“We were seven million in
Johannesburg in 2011. Today, we have an
estimated 13 million. In Johannesburg
alone, you have taken over entire suburbs
(like) Yeoville, Berea, Bez Valley,
Turfontein, among many. You have even
moved into rural parts of our country that
have 80 per cent unemployment, and there
are no visible signs that you have jobs either.
“We want to be proudly part of the geographic
construct called Africa but we are
different from one another as Kenyans are
from Nigerians; Ivorians from Chadians.
“We are pleading with you to return to
your home countries. Go and build up
‘Perchance the prosecution is
feigning ignorance, may we
remind her that Nigerians will
not accept any organised tardiness
that will hand over a technical
victory of discharge for
want of diligent prosecution,
in favour of the accused persons.
In case the AGF and his
office need to be reminded, the
era of tardiness as the officially
accepted standard in
government establishments, is
on its way out’
those countries so that we can all live in
economic, social and political prosperity
and peace as neighbours. The genocide
in this corner of Africa will be far worse
than what happened in Rwanda in
1994…”
Already, no fewer than seven people
have been killed, mainly Zimbabweans
and Mozambicans. Over 900 immigrants
from countries contiguous to South Africa
have been evacuated.
Though only a few Nigerians have been
affected so far with their shops looted or
workshops burnt, movement has been
restricted in the worst hit cities and activities
of foreigners curtailed as most of them
are huddled indoors. The police have
been unable to stop the attacks for over a
week and soldiers had to be called out by
the South African government two days
ago.
While many have condemned the attacks
and also point to the South Africans
repaying fellow Africans who were in the
vanguard of their liberation from apartheid
with bad coins, the problems run
deeper. The recent uprising may well be
early symptoms of the unraveling of the
‘rainbow nation’. With increasing
misgovernance in recent years, conditions
of living have continued to fall. Fewer jobs
are created yet there is an influx from
other African countries that are in even
more severe conditions.
There may be need for the Africa Union
(AU) to devise a concerted approach to
the problem. Leaders, especially of Black
African countries, must resolve to live up
to their responsibilities and improve the
conditions of living of their citizens. This
kind of broad-based solution is required
as danger of a continental economic crisis
looms.
LETTER
When Nigeria decides,
Nigeria wins
• Linda Thomas-Greenfield
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
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18
CARTOON & LETTERS
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
IR: According to UNICEF report
2014, every single day,
Nigeria loses about 2,300 un-
Sder-five children a day, that is
839,500 under-five deaths in a year.
In the same report, 145 pregnant
women reportedly die each day.
That is 52,925 women a year. This
makes the country the second largest
contributor to the under–five
and maternal mortality rates in the
world. While these may be mere
figures to those who have not lost a
wife, mother, sister, daughter, or
baby, the fact is that these figure
are lives of beloved ones; a tragedy
as many children have become
motherless; deprived of maternal
love and care which goes a long way
in affecting both physical and physiological
development of children.
More so, many mother and families
are rendered childless and broken.
Although many of these deaths
are preventable, the coverage and
quality of health care services in
Nigeria continue to fail women and
children; as they are inaccessible,
unaffordable and insufficient. Pres-
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Saving mothers and babies
ently, less than 20% of health facilities
offer emergency obstetric care
and only 35% of deliveries are attended
by skilled birth attendants.
There are 5.3 hospital beds available
for every 10,000 Nigerians.
According to the World Health Statistics
2014, our immunisation coverage
is poor and improvements in
the sector have not been sustainable.
As at 2012, immunisation coverage
for one-year olds is 42 per cent for
measles, 41 per cent, 41 per cent and
10 per cent for DTP3, HepB3 and
Hib3 respectively. Nigeria’s infant
mortality rate dropped from 126
per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 112
per 1,000 live births in 2000, and
lowered to 78 per 1,000 live births
in 2012. These are lower than the
May 28 handover date unconstitutional
SIR: Right now, almost every
Nigerian is anxious or cannot
wait to embrace the forthcom-
ing handover ceremony, which is
constitutionally expected to take
place on Friday May 29. Regarding
the handover, several concerned Nigerians,
likewise myself, are currently
apprehensive or filled with
mixed feelings which is not unconnected
to the news making the
rounds that the incumbent administration
intends to hand over power
to the incoming one on Thursday
May 28, contrary to the constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
This is not a matter of reaching an
agreement; even if the leadership of
the All Progressives Congress
(APC) or the incoming administration
concurs with the proposal, I still
don’t believe it would be fair and
legitimate for such intended practice
to take place; it won’t be healthy
to the nation at all. This is about
Nigeria; it is about the entire citizenry;
it is about the electorate; it is
about the nation’s nobility; it’s about
the impression we are about to create
in the sight of the international
community; it’s about the anticipated
implication of the intended
illegitimate act.
The judiciary, which remains the
law custodian, must come in at this
juncture; they shouldn’t be silent at
a time their services are needed
most. They ought not to await our
reminder before they do what is expected
of them, or before they take
up their due responsibility. Or, are
they on sabbatical?
We should note that as we lead,
some other persons are rightly
watching our footsteps; so we must
endeavour to showcase exemplary
ideas at all times in order not to
mislead our teeming followers.
Mind you; he who thinks he is leading
but has no one following him, is
only taking a walk.
I know Nigeria is in a hurry to
embrace ‘a change’, but she can’t afford
to encounter a comatose state.
Besides, the difference between
Thursday May 28 and Friday May
29 is barely 24 hours; so why the
rush?
• Comr Fred Nwaozor
Owerri
numbers in peer countries. Essentially,
our health indicators on maternal,
new born and child health
do not match our resource profile.
All of these shows the close relationship
between the well being of
the mother and the child, and the
accessible and quality of integrate
primary maternal, newborn and
child health care.
Although analyses of recent
trends from the various health interventions
show that Nigeria is
making progress in cutting down
infant and under-five mortality
rates, the pace still remains too slow
to achieve the Millennium Development
Goals of reducing child
mortality by a third by the end of
the year.
SIR: All traces of bitterness hitherto
occasioned by defeat in any
contest become insignificant
when losers wholeheartedly embrace
defeat – so wisdom dictates.
Such a loser by accepting responsibility
for defeat, deserves a doff of
hat and undoubtedly stands primus
inter pares among world leaders,
whose echo transcends many generations
after his exit from leadership.
In the same like, a loser who
accepts defeat, but goes further to
cloud his defeat, with actions and
decisions suggestive of justifications,
falls in the categories of leaders
whose echo merely resound during
his reign.
Much articulate ink has been split
on the discourse on President
Jonathan ‘heroism’ for openly accepting
defeat in the just-concluded
presidential election. I do not here
intend to stir a further debate on the
discourse. I have already taken a
stand that all he did was simply to
accede to dictates of reason. I however
here intend to categorically
beam light, on a clear distinction
between acceptance of defeat, on the
The National Health Act (NHA)
2014 represents the best attempt to
providing a legislative framework
that seeks to comprehensively address
the many challenges confronting
the health sector. The
implementation of the NHA2014
will contribute to the realization of
the right to health and by extension
the right to life for every Nigerian
codified in Section 17(3)(c), 17(3)(d)
and 33 of the 1999 Constitution as
amended. The NHA2014 will establish
for the country; a National
Health System, which will define
and provide a framework to ensure
standards and regulation in the delivery
of health services; promoting
collaboration, as well as collective
and individual responsibility
face value of it and rejecting defeat
on the other hand character-wise.
That takes us to the matter of the
sack of the IGP Suleiman Abba. The
legal mind will argue that the President
is empowered constitutionally,
being the hirer, to fire the IGP. With
due respect to this constitutional
power of the president, the question
need be ask whether the power
includes firing without cause and
justifications? In the absence of a
cogent and rational reasons adduced
for the forced retirement of IGP
Abba, conjectures becomes apposite.
The first and laughable of it all is,
whether IGP Abba has suddenly
become old and hence can no longer
perform his duties? Whether IGP
Abba has suddenly gone AWOL? Or
whether IGP Abba, who has been
deeply snoring in partisan policing
suddenly, woke up from slumber
and decides to adhere strictly to professionalism?
In all the conjectures, as it were
above, the latter, as opposed to the
former, in my view, positively
solved the conjectural jigsaw puzzle.
It is on record that the presidency in
an attempt to subvert the will of the
among all providers of health services.
Thereby ensuring high professional
ethics and wider service
delivery for the general citizenry;
setting out the rights and obligations
of health care providers;
health workers, as well as the private
and public health institutions.
The government especially at
state levels must embrace the
realisation and implementation of
these law, by ensuring good governance
in their public finance management;
plugging resource leakages
and ensuring their proper channelling
to the provision and improvements
of pre-and-post natal
health facilities especially in regions
of NO-accessibility to medical
care. Poverty is a disease; ignorance
is a deadlier one. There is vital
need for increased sensitization
and availability of information for
the Nigerian people in all nooks
and cranny on the ways to access
and achieve quality health care.
• Ofoegbu Donald Ikenna
Centre for Social Justice, Abuja.
Abba’s sack and Jonathan’s negative triumphalism
people, engaged in a faceoff, with
the office of the IGP over the redeployment
of one AIG Tunde
Ogunsakin on the eve of the gubernatorial
election in Rivers State. The
presidency later had its way, but IGP
Abba tacitly washed his hand clean
of the hasty redeployment by leaking
same to the press and the populace.
Again, IGP Abba only recently
decided to provide security for the
19 Ekiti lawmakers to perform their
constitutional duties being frustrated
by Governor Ayo Fayose.
This appears not to have gone down
well with certain elements in the
presidency, hence the sledgehammer.
Isn’t this a classical case of
loser’s negative triumphalism from
President Jonathan?
Pulling the rug from the IGP feet
at this late hour of President
Jonathan’s administration would
appear a case of a wounded lion on
a voyage of personal vendetta –
negative triumphalism to use
Reuben Abati’s phraseology.
• Kolawole Oyeyemi Esq.
Ilorin, Kwara State.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015 19
COMMENTS
ROFESSOR Tekena Tamuno (1932-2015), a former Vice-
Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, joined his ancestors
on Saturday, April 11. He once used the meta-
Pphor of the “mother banana” and the “banana family” to
illustrate the dynamics of the continuum and how our universe
functions: that as the mother banana dies, it gives birth
to a new one! In essence, Professor Tamuno was this “mother
banana,” forever green, immortal, and transcendental.
Most certainly, there are greater minds to attest to Professor
Tamuno’s long career; furthermore, there are hundreds
of eye-witnesses to recount his days as the Vice Chancellor of
the University of Ibadan; while there are also far more talented
historians than my humble self to highlight his contributions
to the writing of Nigerian history. Yet, as an act of
fate as someone who interacted with him for over three decades,
I have had the privilege of producing this tribute in his
honor, and he deserves every laudatory statement I can make.
I was drawn to Professor Tamuno in equal percentages: a
third because of his personality; another third for his style;
and a final third on behalf of his professionalism. Therefore,
my tribute is arranged to touch upon each of these triple
perspectives that together constitute his heritage. When
Malcolm X died in February of 1965, Ossie Davis described
him in his eulogy as a shining black star. Similarly, Professor
Tamuno, in my estimation, was one of our shining stars
in the sky, one that we looked up to for the light that could
illuminate the path on which we walked.
Professionally, Professor Tamuno was a prolific historian,
and without exaggeration, I can underscore, also without reservation,
that there was none in his generation that out-produced
him. On the leadership front, he was a talented leader,
and there was no one that served on more committees, commissions
and fact-finding missions more than he did. He got
things done, and he produced consensus, indeed far more
than anyone of his generation. His overall success, I had come
to assume, was because he understood himself: He was open
as well as being mutually respectful of others while still being
conscious of his terrain and his place in history, unique
qualities that he never exaggerated, not even for a moment.
On my part, I can only offer a summation—indeed a précis—
‘The seriousness of his “oneness” understanding
of Nigeria as a nation was
the driving force of his intellectual career
of well over half a century. He
chose themes of oneness, from the
evolution of the country’s boundaries
to the institutions of managing the
state, such as the police’
IF there is a veteran senator in
this dispensation, Senate President
David Alechenu
Bonaventure Mark is it. Mark has
been in the Senate since the return
to democracy in 1999 and has been
its president in the past eight years.
His tenure ends in June when the
next Senate will be inaugurated following
the proclamation of the incoming
President Muhammadu
Buhari. From all indications, Mark
does not want to leave an office that
he has become used to.
Before the last elections, the plan
of the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) was to retain Mark as
Senate President if the party wins.
The outcome of the elections, which
they thought they had in their
pocket, scuttled that plan. With PDP
now in the minority in the Senate,
Mark’s chances of becoming president
are not bright at all; they are
nil. But being a soldier and a general
to boot, he is not ready to let
go.
He feels he must be Senate president
at all costs; so, he has started
rallying his troops, as a good soldier,
to achieve his aim. The Senate
presidency is not the exclusive preserve
of any party or individual.
According to Section 50 (1) (a) of
the Constitution, there shall be a president
and a deputy president of the Senate,
who shall be elected by the members
of that House from among themselves.
With this provision, it is expected
that the senators will look
inwards and pick someone from
374 DAYS AFTER
WHERE ARE THE
ABDUCTED CHIBOK
GIRLS?
among them who is the best for
the job whenever the post becomes
vacant.
Rather than do that , the senators
since 1999 have allowed politics,
ethnicity and religion to creep into
their selection of principal officers.
For the past 16 years, the best have
not always emerged as Senate president.
Mark himself cannot, in all
honesty, say he was the best candidate
when he became Senate president
in 2007 and when he retained
the plum job in 2011. In the sharing
of offices, the Senate came up with
a formula, which the House of Representatives
and the Houses of Assembly
adopted.
It is a rule of thumb which gives
preference to ‘’ranking’’ members
and the majority party. Since PDP
has been holding sway in the Senate
since 1999, it has monopolised
the office of Senate president. So,
by convention, the majority party
must produce the Senate president
and deputy Senate president. This
has been the position for 16 years
and it suited PDP well because in
all these years it towered above
other parties in the Senate. To challenge
the PDP for the plum job was
as the opposition parties knew politically
unwise because of its majority
status which it used to oppress
them.
The party used its number to
overwhelm the opposition whose
candidates usually came a distant
second in the race for Senate presidency.
What is all this fuss about
‘’ranking’’? ‘’Ranking’’ means that
first time senators cannot be considered
for any principal office; they
can only make do with committee
chairmanship. Many ‘greenhorn’
senators have challenged this requirement,
if it can be called that,
in the past without success, arguing
that today’s ‘’ranking’’ senators were
Tamuno: The sacred canopy of our
rainbow coalition – 1
By Toyin Falola
of his glorious career as a professional historian. In it all,
Professor Tamuno was Ibadan personified in a variety of
ways: he entered the University of Ibadan in 1953 and he
continued to live in Ibadan City, with a few interruptions,
courtesy of national and international engagements, till 2015.
He was a citizen of the city of Ibadan and he was certainly
preeminently far more qualified than I, the “son of the soil,”
to be an Ibadan chief. There was no significant academic or
administrative position at the University of Ibadan that he
was not invited to occupy; and as the records clearly demonstrate,
he never struggled for any of them, from the Head of
Department to the Vice-Chancellor, all positions in which he
served with distinction.
From his PhD thesis to his very last piece of writing, he was
perpetually pre-occupied by not less than six inter-related
investigations: (i) the evolution of Nigeria, from its
precolonial indigenous culture to the modern, and from the
creation of amalgamated Nigeria through colonial conquest
to the end of British rule; (ii) the creation of roads and railways
to provide modern infrastructure and communication
systems; (iii) law and order in a changing state, in terms of an
indigenous security system, the police force, and the army;
(iv) institutions of governance (how federalism evolved, and
how our leaders managed and betrayed us); (v) the stages in
our growth from 1885 to the present; and (vi) our various
predicaments, including issues of underdevelopment, poverty
and leadership deficit. In all, after offering a sober analysis,
he would confess, as he once did in a keynote address
delivered in 1983 for a conference on nation-building:
We are humble enough to acknowledge that we know not yet all we
wish to know about this great country, Nigeria, about its great people,
and their great problems.
Limited space is often a thief of money and time, sadly
disempowering me from a detailed critical elaboration of
the aforementioned points. Yet, I also know very well that
space cannot steal reflexivity. “Nigeria matters,” Tamuno
proclaimed to all listening ears. In all of his writings, he
persuasively argued that the problems of Nigeria would ultimately
yield to its success. He gathered tremendous amounts
of data on specific institutions, always trying to highlight the
weight and import of evidence, and more so the importance
of the explicit over the implicit. He was, in varied ways, a
masterful storyteller, bringing out variation upon variation
in dealing with topics and themes, mapping debates, respect-
David Mark’s fantasy
ing various opinions, and creating his own ideas. He certainly
understood the workings of a nation in formation, a
political elite that was conflicted, and of institutions that
were in the process of maturation. He had a firm grounding
in archival sources, for many years unearthing more archival
“gems” than many of his peers. His perspective was both
regional and national, as he was always offering nuanced
understanding of the Nigerian condition.
Irrespective of the moment in our history, our anguish
and sorrow, Professor Tamuno applied the gentle balm, as
he wiped our tears, and he sang joyful songs, indeed as, inter
alia, he once did in the following words:
Hence, they are
Songs of joy and sorrow,
Paeans of pleasure,
Groans of pain,
That blends moments of mirth
With those of wrath,
But with no target enemies,
With no firm friends
With an appeal, or whatever,
To all of goodwill over the world
[Songs of an Egg-head (Alafeni: Port Harcourt, 1982).]
I knew him well as a Nigerian! As I still recall, I was with
him for a few days in 1990, when he was at the National
Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies at Kuru where he
worked temporarily as a Visiting Professor. In excitement,
he took me to visit a plot of land that he bought in Jos to
build his retirement house. To my surprise, he confided his
retirement plan with me, saying that living in that part of
Nigeria, the center of the country, represented his affirmation
of the country’s oneness.
The seriousness of his “oneness” understanding of Nigeria
as a nation was the driving force of his intellectual career
of well over half a century. He chose themes of oneness,
from the evolution of the country’s boundaries to the institutions
of managing the state, such as the police. Bothered
by issues around violence, he devoted considerable space in
his scholarship to the analysis of conflicts and strategies for
peace. His demeanor, words, and strategic choices represented
peace—both in over a dozen private discussions as
well as in public where his humility was always fresh and
striking. He was never tired of welcoming guests, giving
them food from his garden, laughter from his heart, and
generosity from his spirit.
• Prof Falola writes from University of Texas at Austin
beginners yesterday. Their submission
cut no ice with the ‘senior’ senators,
who were more interested in
appropriating the plum offices.
As a “ranking” senator, Mark
must be conversant with this unwritten
rule. As he returns to the
Senate in June for a fifth record
time, Mark will be returning as a
member of the minority PDP, following
his party’s loss in the last
elections. Going by the Senate’s
convention, Mark is no longer eligible
for Senate presidency because
he is not from the party - All
Progressives Congress (APC) - that
will be in the majority from June
even though he will be the most
‘’ranking’’ senator. He can only get
the job if a miracle happens, which
in this instance I don’t see happening.
Having tasted power as Senate
president, it seems Mark is not ready
to go without a fight.
With APC in the majority with 60
senators, Mark knows that in this
game of numbers, he will need everything
at his disposal to upset the
apple cart. I do not see the APC allowing
the opposition, which is
what the PDP is going to be from
May 29, to remain in the saddle as
Senate president. On what grounds
will APC be yielding the exalted
office to Mark’s PDP which has 49
senators? Mark, according to a report
in this paper last Sunday is
banking on getting the job if APC
zones the post to Northcentral
where he hails from. That is wishful
thinking because APC has a lot
of competent senators from that
region to man the Senate president’s
office.
Mark is probably praying for a
bitter feud among the APC senators,
which he could cash in on to
return to office. Others are painting
the kind of scenario, which
played out in the House of Representatives
in 2011 when members
rejected the PDP’s choice of Alhaja
Mulikat Akande as Speaker and
voted for Aminu Tambuwal. The
cases are not similar at all.
Tambuwal was a popular choice
among his colleagues, cutting
across party lines. In the House case,
PDP shot itself in the foot. For anybody
to think that APC will go the
same way over this matter of the
Senate presidency will amount to
living in a fool’s world.
What is so special about
Mark that he should re
main Senate president
when his party will no longer be in
the majority? Is he saying that APC
does not have senators good
enough to succeed him as Senate
president? It is one thing for him to
wish to remain in office, it is another
to see whether his fellow senators,
especially from the APC camp,
will oblige him? Most importantly,
it will amount to a sale of its birthright
if APC concedes the Senate
presidency to Mark. As the majority
party from June, it is its right,
going by convention, to produce
the Senate president and deputy
Senate president.
What is the essence of APC being
in the majority without producing
the Senate president? That will be
like just being in office without
Lawal
Ogienagbon
lawal.ogienagbon@thenationonlineng.net
SMS ONLY: 08099400204, 08112661612
holding power. I don’t think the
APC fought and won the elections
to be made to hold the short end of
the stick at the end of the day. If
Mark does not mind, the Minority
Leader’s job is his for the picking.
Otherwise, he can make do with the
honorific title of Emeritus Senate
president for being primus
interpares (first among equals) for
eight unbroken years, a record so
far, in the annals of the Upper
Chamber.
Mark has had a good run as Senate
president. He should just sit
back now and see how another person
from another party will manage
the Senate. Without mincing
words, Mark is off the mark, thinking
of returning as Senate president
after his party’s loss in the last elections.
‘Mark can only become president of the
next Senate if a miracle happens, which in
this instance I do not see happening. It will
amount to a sale of its birthright if APC concedes
the post to him. What is the essence
of the party being in the majority without
producing the Senate president?’

20
COMMENTS
T is on record that many Igbo urban immigrants
trying to eke out a living like
other urban poor had lived peacefully Iwith their host communities on the streets of
Lagos and Kano long before the return of Zik,
the most influential Igbo in the 20 th century in
1934, Akanu Ibiam, the first Igbo medical doctor
in 1935, and Louis Mbanefo, the first Igbo
lawyer, 1937 and their involvement in politics.
And following the false sense of security
the new spokes persons promised, the Igbo
urban immigrants started saying ‘any attack
on Zik is an attack on Igbo nation’ and the
radicals among them even went further buying
off all the cutlasses in Lagos market in
preparation for war against their Lagos hosts.
But unfortunately, to the power seeking Igbo
elite, the Igbo urban immigrants are only
tools for political bargaining in whose name
they swear when confronted by their own
demons. Whether it was a Fulter Sutton Commission
of Inquiry into the activities of ACB
then owned by Zik, his children and his friend
Sir Odumegwu Ojukwu, or Ozumba
Mbadiwe’s Ijora land deal, or in recent times,
the evasion of payment for land rent on choice
properties in Lagos or involvement in fuel
subsidy scam, it has always been because they
are Igbo leaders fighting the cause of urban
immigrants.
Attempts at using Igbo urban dwellers for
political leverage started back in 1938 during
the crisis in Nigerian Youth Movement, a
party formed by Yoruba and Yoruba repatriates
many of whom were alumni of Kings
College and according to Richard Sclar, ‘ men
of substance engaged in business, law medicine
or journalism’. The crisis started with the
resignation of its chairman, Dr Kofoworola
Abayomi from the Legislative Council and
in line with the constitution of the party,
Ernest Ikoli, supported by Awolowo, the
Ibadan branch Secretary General, put himself
forward . But Akinsanya, a founding member,
supported by Zik also showed interest.
This led to an election in which Akinsanya
was roundly defeated. In 1939 Zik pulled out
of NYM with Akinsanya and the Igbo members
accusing Awo who had supported an Ijaw
man against his Ijebu kinsman a tribalist. The
Lagos Ibo state Union which had taken over
NCNC since 1944 believed Zik. Richard Sclar
hazarded a guess as to Zik’s motive. He narrowed
it down to two self-serving possibilities:
‘He may have resented the commercial
competition of the Daily Service, the official
journal of NYM, or that he discovered ‘his
impetuously , dramatic, highly personalized
EHINDE Bamigbetan comes across as someone in a haste
to fulfill the mission of his generation. He leaves you
with no doubt about what he thinks about his society
Kand its socio-economic colouration. When laying out his
thoughts on the serious issues of his time, you get the impression
that nothing would please him more than to satisfy Chief
ObafemiAwolowo in his grave and to bring to bear in his own
time that famous quote of Franz Fanon that says “Each generation
must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill
it, or betray it.” A deep thinker, the former chairman of Ejigbo
Local Council Development Area is a man whose unassuming
demeanor and ordinariness belies his deep intellectual thoughts.
In his submission about society and a man’s place in it, you’re
also left with no doubt that Bamigbetan is a Leftist ideologue
whose views about the socio-economic and political underpinnings
that makes a society would readily find comfort in an
Ivory Tower that is solely dedicated to the mass production of
brigades of radical thinkers, whose only mission is to force
society to embark on a journey it ordinarily would have objected,
even for its own good.
I had asked this young and promising politician in an
interview for a niche publication last year why Nigerian politicians
always move with ease from one political party platform
to another like they change clothes. Hear him: “Our kind of
political economy is the commercial capitalist system in which
trading is a dominant mode for perpetuation. Even the nation
itself is a commercial post of the multinationals…It is a trading
post. The ruling class is forced to operate within the system of
appropriation that the system recommends. Just look around
you, the guys making money are the traders. They’re either
trading money in the banking system or they’re trading goods;
that’s what Dangote does. Or they’re trading oil; and that’s what
Otedola does. This business element also has its own political
class who’re also traders…The politicians are not directors of
companies where they can be having funds coming to them on
a regular basis, based on what they’ve done as hard work in the
past. They do not have industrial perspective. No long-term
planning. No long-term training. No long-term investment.
They’re basically short-term traders. This is the mentality they
bring into politics. In that kind of situation you can never have
consistent ideologues. You’re going to have political traders.
So, what is happening is that you have somebody joining PDP
today, going back to APC, leaving APC for LP and leaving that
to go back to PDP. He’s just trading with power, network and
influence. Those who choose to be ideological or to be consistent
are going to suffer for it because they’re rebelling against
the dominant values of the system.”
The gale of defections witnessed by Nigerians in the aftermath
of the recently concluded elections where 16 years of hegemonic
dominance of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suddenly
came crashing down might as well be seen as one of the
commandments of Nigerian politicians. One cannot but won-
Igbo leadership and the
urban immigrant
type of leadership was not palatable to the
Lagos elite group of professionals and intellectual
luminaries of Lagos’ at the period.
The intra party feuds that engulfed NCNC
after the return of its delegation to London
was also blamed on Yoruba by Zik and his
Igbo colleagues. Prince Adeleke Adedoyin
and Dr Olorun –Nimbe, members of the delegation
had accused the leadership of NCNC
of mismanagement of funds and Zik of being
the sole author of the Memorandum and Constitutional
Proposal submitted to the colonial
secretary. The two were consequently expelled
but the expulsion was ineffective because
they constituted the soul of NCNC in
Lagos. And later when attempt by the party
to prevail on Dr Olorun-Nimbe who had won
an election to the central legislature to step
down to pave way for Zik failed, Zik claimed
he was being marginalized as an Igbo man
by Yoruba tribalists .The Lagos Igbo state
Union believed him. Ozumba Mbadiwe thereafter
embarked on a crusade to separate Lagos
from the West.
Although the pan tribal group by the Ibibio
first appeared in Calabar in 1928, followed in
1930, by Igbo Unions in Lagos and Port
Harcourt, it wasn’t until 1945 that a parallel
movement for the unity of Yoruba led by
Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Oni Akerele, and others
started in far away London. And the aim
among others was to reform the alien authoritarian
system of government imposed on
Yoruba by the British following the 1914 amalgamation.
Action Group that emerged from
the egbe was therefore a party anchored on
Yoruba nationalism.
But Zik dismissed Awo who had by 1945,
around the time he was celebrating the virtues
of the Igbo as a people ordained by God
to lead Africa, written his first critical book
on British Administration in Nigeria where
he advocated ‘federalism, the right of ethnic
nationalities for self rule’ and called for the
‘barriers of tribalism, clannishness to be broken
with ethnical units totally destroyed”. Zik
devoted his daily column in his West African
Pilot to fighting Awo, and the AG. He exploited
his popularity in the major towns of
the west and Lagos where he could do no
wrong because the Lagos white cap chiefs and
Imams saw him as the grandson of Herbert
Macaulay.
But this was not enough to stop the victory
of Awo and AG In the 1951 regional election,
a victory that sealed Zik’s hope of becoming
the premier of the West. Once again Zik ran
back to his Lagos Ibo State Union alleging he
was robbed by Awo and Yoruba tribal
irredentists. Turning logic on its head, Zik
and his supporters insisted that AG won the
1951 western regional election by 45 to
NCNC’s 35 seats because of tribal politics.
But they had had little to say about eastern
region where in the same election, the dominant
NCNC won by 65 to the opposition’s
(United National Party) 4, Similarly in the
1954, federal election in the west, AG won by
23 to NCNC’s 18 while in the same federal
election in the east, NCNC won by 32 to AG
3. But ask Igbo youths who have been fed
with falsehood by Igbo political elite as to
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
Defections as trading by another name
By Femi Odere
the origin of tribal politics in Nigeria, they
will not hesitate to point at Western House
Ibadan where the late Professor Chinua
Achebe falsely claimed he witnessed cross
carpeting on the floor in 1952, when in truth
the list of AG candidates was submitted and
published by the colonial government before
the election and a list of successful AG candidates
as released by government was published
by the Daily Times about two days
before the sitting.
Igbo political elite will not even accept responsibility
for the civil war. Many Igbo
youths believe Ojukwu’s declaration of independence
of Biafra and the ensuing civil war
was the making of Awo who reneged on ‘if
East by any act of omission or commission is
forced out of the federation, the west will follow”.
I am sure Ojukwu who lived among the
Yoruba in Lagos and Achebe who schooled in
Ibadan ought to have known the Yoruba who
by their culture are at liberty to ask their leaders
uncomfortable questions would not have
hesitated to demand Awo, their powerful and
highly respected leader first bring his children
from abroad if he had insisted on fighting
a war with Hausa Fulani soldiers in firm
control of Abeokuta and Ibadan. (There were
very few Yoruba foot soldiers in the military).
But Awo knew he was leading a highly critical
followership who read meanings even to
ordinary greetings. He ran down to Enugu
with Professor Samuel Aluko a few days later
to plead with Ojukwu to delay his declaration
of independence. In spite of the assurances,
Ojukwu declared the independence of
the Republic of Biafra, according to him, ‘with
only 19 rifles’, a day after Gowon had turned
the dream republic into a landlocked enclave
having carved out states for the minorities
that had always wanted liberation from the
Igbo hegemony. And as recently observed by
Theophilus Danjuma while praising President
Jonathan for conceding defeat, Ojukwu prolonged
the nightmare of his people for another
one year after the fall of Enugu.
Igbo political elite hardly get sanctioned for
failure of leadership. They falsely proclaim
Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba as Igbo haters. With
the former, they have according to General
Alabi jointly ruled the country since independence
while the latter provides a safe haven
for Igbo fortune seekers.
Many of our youths have been fed with too
many falsehoods. Part of the immediate challenges
of the incoming administration must
include bringing back the study of history in
our schools. Our tomorrow is nothing but the
sum total of our yesterday and today.
der if there’s any system, ideals or things on this planet that
Nigerians – if introduced into their environment – does not
possess the capacity to adulterate, render more or less useless
and outright desecrate rather than ennoble. Although the egregious
and shameless defections of the country’s politicians was
widely condemned and president-elect Buhari has said that he
would rather that the PDP quickly recalibrate itself into a virile
opposition, it’s rather disheartening to learn that some key APC
leaders met with PDP’s Vincent Ogbulafor of the 60-year rule
fame for talks about his defection. It has also been reported that
it’s just a matter of time before PDP’s Senate Majority Leader
Victor Ndoma-Egba announce that the wind of change blew
him into the APC and he just had no choice. It doesn’t get more
nauseating than that.
While the freedom of movement and association as enshrined
in the country’s constitution cannot be argued, what
needs to be under close scrutiny – if not argued – is the right of
refusal by a group whose fundamental interests may not be
well served by an ‘invading force’ with all manners of unsavory
characters because the constitution guarantee them freedom of
association. Unfortunately, the APC is not advancing any powerful
argument to preclude these people whose mission should
be suspect at best. One cannot but wonder about the wisdom in
accepting those who not only did everything possible to sabotage
the party’s legitimate efforts to compete for power, but
who were also absolutely inconsequential to the success of the
party at the recently concluded polls. It will be the day when
Ayo Fayose announced that he had never seen a party he’s so
proud to associate with than the APC! It’s annoying when our
politicians grab the microphone to tell Nigerians that what they
did was in the national interest when it’s absolutely clear that all
roads lead not to the toll gate of the national interest highway
but to their personal economic well-being. They wouldn’t have
recognized “national interest” if it came calling and sat in their
living rooms for days.
Bamigbetan’s statement may very well epitomize the deep
dislocation in the polity that is probably too overwhelming to
be addressed in a fundamental way by the nation’s unhinged
and fluid political class. His statement may also have inadvertently
exposed the pathetic disposition of the country’s economic
and political class as nothing but a bunch of crass opportunists
who are completely devoid of any ideological anchor or ennobling
social precepts. While it is easy to isolate and pillory the
political class – and rightly so – for the Hobbesian nature of the
Nigerian state, perhaps it might be necessary to attempt to holistically
look at this negative political phenomenon. The Nigerian
state has never enjoyed any long, sustaining internal tranquility
necessary for growth because she has never really been
allowed to organically evolve into any orderly stage of development
with her in-built, self-correcting mechanism. Her compass
has always been unsteady and fuzzy either through a needless
war, military putsches of primitive inclinations and unintelligent
and base over lording of one political tendency against
another, which has rendered the polity to be perpetually wobbly.
I have said it before, and it’s worth repeating here that what
spirituality and religion are to the human soul are what politics
and political parties are to a politician and by extension, to society.
For any internal tranquility and up building of the soul to
be maintained, the human individual must first be acutely aware
of his spirituality. It’s after this awareness must have been properly
situated in his inner recess that he can then find the right
religion that meets his spirituality. This same principle guides
politics and political parties. The one that calls himself a politician
must have been able to identify his core values, having
aggregated his morals, beliefs and those other societal experiences
of his life as the bases of his politics – and be comfortable
with them – before he can now look for a political party that fits
into his core values. Failure to recognize this principle is in fact
the reason why the polity has always been so ‘riotous’ on all
fronts.
Abubakar Shekau probably would have had elected members
at the National Assembly by now, if not a few elected Boko
Haram governors and House of Assembly members to boot if
he had instituted a political party (and he would not have been
wrong) based on his religious beliefs of amputating the hands
that steals and relegating the women in the states he controls to
‘beasts of burden’. Politicians are not doing themselves any good
floating around without any moral/ideological anchor neither
will the country make any significant advancement in her developmental
trajectory no matter how hard they try.
• Odere is a media practitioner. He can be reached at
femiodere@gmail.com.
‘The Nigerian state has never enjoyed any long,
sustaining internal tranquility necessary for growth
because she has never really been allowed to organically
evolve into any orderly stage of development
with her in-built, self-correcting mechanism’

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
COMMENTS
IGERIA has good grounds for optimism
about the coming Buhari
presidency. So too does a world that
Nhas watched Nigeria with mounting anxiety
for years. Improbable as it may sound,
the Nigeria of the three short weeks since
the March 28 presidential election is vastly
different from the Nigeria of the preceding
six decades. A land of utter hopelessness
is beginning to breathe an air of hope.
The expectations are high. But so are the
perceptible promises and prospects.
Muhammadu Buhari exudes qualities that
seem tailor-made for serious transformational
change in our country. In a country
in which leadership positions have, for
nearly six decades, been defined by all leading
Nigerians (high and low) as warehouses
for personal wealth-gathering,
Buhari is well known as one of the few
public leaders capable of rising above the
primitive urge to steal, grab and engross.
From his record, we know that Buhari sincerely
hates the public corruption for
which virtually all his peers salivate. And
he hates it so much that he would wage
war against it – as he did once before –
even though he knows for sure that powerful
persons close to him will rise up as
defenders of corruption and fight against
him. There is a fact that most Nigerians do
not know – namely, that many of the leaders
of Buhari’s own people hate him, and
find it difficult to forgive him till today, for
hacking down the castle of corruption
erected around President Shagari in 1979-
83.
I belonged to the Nigerian Senate in those
Shagari years, and watched at close range
the truly intimidating stature of the corruption
edifice. We who stood firm in opposition
to that edifice often doubted that
anybody could ever demolish it. Yet, within
only weeks of seizing the government in
December 1983, Buhari had demolished
corruption - and had started to guide our
whole country onto some path of order,
discipline, and probity. It was incredible!
I tell this important story today not merely
‘We Nigerians must make
sure that proper political institutions
are created to
make the death of corruption
permanent’
“The surest way to encourage violence is to
give in to it.” - Author Unknown
“There is no force, however formidable, that
aunited people cannot overcome.”
Kwame Nkrumah
ON March 28 and April 11l, Nigerians
eligible to vote went to the polls
to elect political office holders. And
the results have been announced with the
winners celebrating and the losers reflecting.
Nevertheless in almost every election
year since independence political and electoral
violence has become part and parcel
of the Nigerian electoral process. During
our Election 2011 about 800 or more Nigerians
(including 10 youth corps members)
died as a direct result of political and electoral
violence. And in Election 2015 the
Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) will be investigating 66 incidents
in 19 states.
How can we stop electoral violence?
How can we maintain law and order during
and after the elections? How can we
protect the lives and property of the citizens
of Nigeria? How can we let peace
reign in Nigeria especially during an election
year? How can we ensure that
“PEACE in NIGERIA” is the ULTIMATE
WINNER in every election year? How can
we as Nigerian citizens come together in
unity and agreement and make peaceful
elections a reality in Nigeria?
Looking at our history from just before
independence to date, Nigerians, as a
people, have only come together in unity
and agreement on five major occasions.
The first was at independence. Just before
we became an independent nation, our
goal was to be liberated from Britain. Our
founding fathers and all Nigerians were
united on that. We were able to achieve
our goal on October 1, 1960, the day the
We Nigerians and the
war on corruption
to remind us Nigerians of a major era in
the growth of our country’s shame and decline.
I do not tell it to reopen old sores, or
to embarrass Nigeria’s former leaders. I do
not tell it to adulate Buhari. I tell it because
there are critically important lessons that
Nigerians should learn from it.
Altogether, the lessons are as follows:
While Buhari was busy demolishing corruption
and doing various patriotic things,
according to his light, to straighten up Nigeria,
some very influential citizens were
meeting in dark caucus rooms and plotting
to get rid of Buhari and his anti-corruption
agenda, and to re-establish the
power of corruption over Nigeria. In about
18 months flat, they sprang their attack.
Buhari was thrown off the stage and replaced
with another military officer acceptable
to the owners and mentors of the corruption
edifice. Within months, corruption
was not only back, it had become the wellestablished,
and institutionalized, system
of Nigeria’s governance.
Obviously, in the post-Buhari years, the
objective was to establish corruption so
soundly that it would never again fear the
kind of threat that Buhari had posed for
nearly two years. And, by and large, that
objective was achieved – and corruption
has been our avowed system of governance
ever since. As things are, corruption has
no special kinsmen or friends among Nigerians
or Nigerian peoples. All prominent
Nigerians, from all corners of Nigeria, can
be presumed to be friends of corruption.
All presidents in the years since 1985, as
well as nearly all persons who have served
as governors, senior civil servants at and
high officials of parastatals at federal and
state levels, as well as chairmen and members
of local governments, have taken corruption
hideously to heart. A foreigner who
visited Nigeria lamented, “In other countries,
public corruption means that some
public officials steal some of the public
money under their care; in Nigeria it often
means that all public officials steal virtually
all public money under their care.
Union Jack was lowered permanently in
our country and the Nigerian flag hoisted.
Unfortunately, our unity started and
ended there as our leaders proceeded to
play to the gallery by engaging in regional
and tribal politics, which was the politics
of their time. They had no clear-cut vision
for Nigeria as a nation.
The second time was 33 years later on
June 12, 1993. The goal was to force General
Ibrahim Babangida out of office
through the ballot box. On that fateful day,
as a people and a nation, we stood united
at the polls. This unity took place irrespective
of ethnic group, religion, sex or age.
Chief Moshood Abiola had won in 19 of
the then 30 states but General Babangida
annulled the election just before the final
count was announced. The result was to
spiral us through a dark tunnel of chaos,
crisis and calamity.
The third time was immediately after
General Sani Abacha’s death. The goal of
Nigerians was for a quick return to democracy.
We were united in the cause. Within
less than a year, on May 29, 1999, an elected
democratic government was sworn in.
The fourth time was the fuel subsidy
strike that started on the first of January
2012 and lasted for a week.
The fifth time was during the Ebola virus
outbreak in 2014. The federal and state
governments, hospitals, schools, banks,
offices, institutions e.t.c put measures in
place to stop Ebola in its tracks. From federal
government to state government to the
citizen on the street, we were all united in
our effort to fight Ebola.
Sometimes, stories about Nigeria sound as
if Nigeria is not part of the world”.
What then should we Nigerians take
from this lesson? First, we must recognize
that corruption is a very powerful force,
and that getting rid of it is not going to be
easy. Some who have tasted it are so intoxicated
by it that they will do anything
to defend or resuscitate it. Our common
belief that the era of military coups is gone
is sheer folly. All it takes to effect a coup is
a handful of highly motivated military officers,
pushed forward with irresistible
incentives by one or two very rich and influential
super-citizens. The best antidote
is that all of us, common citizens of Nigeria,
should keep watch and never cease
proclaiming that we will never again accept
any military ruler – that if any military
officer goes on radio and says, “My
dear countrymen”, the rest of us, as citizens
and as nationalities, will answer absolutely
unambiguously that we are not
his countrymen. All who love and want
Nigeria must henceforth be ready to pay
this price of vigilance.
Secondly, we must give democratic support
to President Buhari as he proposes
and implements measures to rid our country
of public corruption. Unlike in his
showing in the 1980s, he is not going to be
a military president this time. He must
work with, in particular, the federal legislature.
All members of the federal legislature
are our elected representatives. Under
the corruption regime since 1999, the National
Assembly has generally acted as if
it has some special authority beyond that
conferred by the constitution and people
of Nigeria. They have presumed, for instance,
that they can keep whatever they
like out of the knowledge of Nigerians, and
that it is their prerogative to secretly
threaten officials of the executive arm of
government in order to extort bribes and
enhanced emoluments and benefits for
themselves. That has been part of the corruption
governance. We Nigerians must
put an end to that now.
How can we come together in unity and
agreement to ensure that “PEACE in NI-
GERIA” is the ULTIMATE WINNER every
time we have elections? What are the
things we can do? What are the things we
need to do? What are the things we must
do? How do we create unity for a peaceful
election?
Unity is strength! Unity is power! Getting
Nigerians in unity and agreement can
create peace.
Some more questions we still need to ask
for future elections are: How can we create
a campaign around a violence-free
peaceful election? How can we create activities
that will promote peace during elections?
What can we do to get fellow Nigerians
to buy into the idea of a peaceful election?
What can we do to get the politicians
and their parties to buy into the idea of a
peaceful election and make it a reality?
What can we do to get the two major parties
to buy into the idea of a peaceful election
and make it a reality?
Can there be a penalty for the most violent
party? Can there be an award for the
most violent-free and most peaceful party?
21
As part of the war on corruption, we must
demand that President Buhari should promote
a new political culture of “government
in the open sunshine”. As part of this,
we need to start the political practice, common
in the greatest democracies worldwide,
whereby citizens create citizen bodies
that act as watch-dogs over various aspects
of their government – for instance,
over the budget, over the management of
public contracts, over open governance,
over accountability, over civil rights, etc.
In the great democracies like America, citizens
give such bodies money to keep them
alive; and we Nigerians must begin to do
so.
Also, we must demand laws to bring discipline
and some decency into our politics.
The horse-trading that goes on now in our
politics – the disgraceful slinking from
party to party – is one of the worst features
of our corruption. And must demand that
Buhari should cause to be reviewed the irresponsibly
high remunerations of elected
public officials.
In summary then, we Nigerians must
make sure that proper political institutions
are created to make the death of corruption
permanent. In addition to the steps listed
above, we must therefore demand a properly
structured federation, a change from
the presidential to the parliamentary system,
and the revival of the procedural rules
that, from 1952-66, regulated the access of
public servants to public accounts. We
must give Buhari the support he would
need to lead our country along these lines.
Electoral violence, unity and peace
By Olaboludele Simoyan
Gbogun gboro
Can we give an award for the least violent/most
peaceful state in the nation?
How can we think out-of-the-box in the
way we solve this problem of electoral violence?
How can we stop people, politicians
and political parties from making inciting
statements? Can we have a counter to
measure how many inciting words were
used by each of the parties in their campaigns?
How can we curb the excesses of
political supporters? Can we as Nigerian
citizens challenge INEC to consider and
implement their proposed creation of an
Electoral Offenses Commission with the
power to investigate and prosecute electoral
offenders? How can we encourage
a peaceful transfer of power every time
elections come up in Nigeria? These are
hard questions we need to ask and get
answers to now to ensure that “PEACE
IN NIGERIA” is always the ULTIMATE
WINNER in our future elections!
In conclusion, as Barthelemy Enfantin
once said “If you would preserve peace, then
prepare for peace”.
• Ms Simoyan writes from Lagos
‘How can we stop people, politicians and political parties
from making inciting statements? Can we have a counter
to measure how many inciting words were used by each of
the parties in their campaigns? How can we curb the excesses
of political supporters? Can we as Nigerian citizens
challenge INEC to consider and implement their proposed
creation of an Electoral Offenses Commission with the
power to investigate and prosecute electoral offenders?’

22 THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
23

25
THE NATION
EDUCATION
THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
In the past, the
fear of teachers
was the
beginning of
wisdom for
pupils. It is no
longer so
today. Pupils
have grown
wings. Their
teachers are
afraid of them.
Discipline has
collpased in
schools. What
is the way out?
KOFOWOROLA
BELO-
OSAGIE,
ADEGUNLE
OLUGBAMILA,
OLUWATOYIN
ADELEYE and
JANE
CHIJIOKE.
• Teachers disagree on effective of corporal punishment.
Should teachers be afraid of pupils?
A
SECURITY man's
attempt to correct a
pupil went wrong
sometime last month in
a public secondary
school in Lagos.
The girl's truancy had just been
discovered by her mother who was
informed by a teacher. For some
time, she left home everyday for
school, but she spent all her time in
a barber's shop opposite her school.
When confronted by her mother,
rather than being sober, the teenager
walked away in anger. The security
man, who witnessed the incident,
tried to call her to order and paid
dearly for it. The barber smashed a
12-year-old
gets football
scholarship
bottle on the securityman’s head for
harassing his girlfriend.
By now, there was a crowd of
teachers and onlookers at the school
gate, with many wondering why it
took the teachers so long before
informing the girl's parents of her
truancy.
"You saw what this man (referring
‘
You
-Page 28
INSIDE
Reopen
LASU now,
ASUU
urges govt
to the barber) just did?" One of the
teachers responded in defence of his
peers. "If this man could stab our
securityman, then he can do worse
to us teachers. Let us assume this had
happened far from the school
premises, who would have helped
this security man out?”
"It's not that we are looking away
THE Academic
Staff Union of
Universities
(ASUU), Lagos
State University
(LASU) branch, has
appealed to the
public to prevail
on the government
to reopen the
university.
-Page 37
from them but we are merely
conscious of our own safety because
some of our students can be
desperate," another teacher
protested.
"You see, you cannot predict the
extent some of these wayward
students can go. They can even harm
or kill whoever tries to scold them
see, you cannot predict the extent some of these wayward
students can go. They can even harm or kill whoever tries to
scold them once they realise the atmosphere is safe for them
to do it. Teachers’ security is in God's hand
CAMPUS
LIFE
‘I pray God
heals me’
-Page 29
once they realise the atmosphere is
safe for them to do it. Teachers'
security is in God's hand," the
teacher added.
The teachers' reactions raised
questions about how far they
should go to discipline erring
children. Many teachers believe
they cannot do more than parents,
who have the primary
responsibility of disciplining their
children.
National President, All Nigerian
Confederation of Principals of
Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) Dr
Fatima Binta Abdulrahman said the
’
•A 10-page section
on campus news, people etc
•Continued on page 26

26 THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
EDUCATION
Should teachers be
afraid of pupils?
•Continued from page 25
issue is so serious that it comes up
each time the body holds its
congress.
"It is a worrying situation which
usually comes up under our subthemes
each time we have our
congress. We talk about it regularly.
It is the responsibility of the school
management to instill discipline. If
a student threatens a teacher, the
school-based management
committee and the Parent Teacher
Association should take it up.
"We have discovered the cause of
all these as moral decadence. We are
even having situations where
parents take teachers to court for
beating their wards," she said.
Mrs Bunmi Oluokun, head teacher
of Ansar-Ud-Deen Nursery and
Primary School, Mafoluku, Oshodi,
said many children are so spoilt that
teachers cannot effectively play the
role of Loco Parentis.
She said: "I do not know whether I
should term it modernisation;
everything has gone beyond
normal. Back then, when we went
to school, we had the fear of our
teacher in mind. But nowadays the
reverse is the case. Some pupils are
so rude they do not respect their
parents or teachers. Some teachers
would not want to risk their lives.
Besides, how much are they earning?
And if they die in the process what
would the owner of the school or
the government do? There is
nothing like teachers playing
second parents to pupils again; we
are all here on our own. Is it the child
that would raise hand and slap his
parent at home that would not be
able to do same to a teacher?"
Like many of his colleagues, Mr
Adeyemi Adesanya, who teachers at
the Adeyemi College of Education,
Oto/Ijanikin (AOCOED), believes
that when a child is wayward, it is
simply a proof of failure on the part
of parents.
Adesanya lamented that the
situation is so bad, especially in
public schools where some students
have to fend for themselves.
"Imagine a student working in a
beer parlour or having to hawk pure
(sachet) water in order to augment
family income? The probability of
such children to be lured into bad
company is quite high.
"Teachers are not miracle workers.
A child comes from home with a
character which they have to build
upon. So if the foundation is
defective, there is little the teacher
can do," he noted.
However, many private school
administrators believe that the
school should do more. Mrs
OpeoIuwa Adeboye, head teacher,
Green Bells International School,
Mafoluku, Oshodi, thinks the school
should be blamed for the
•It takes training to keep a class disciplined.
communication gap.
"There is a gap in communication.
What is the usefulness of attendance
in class? If you notice a particular
student is absent for two days, it is
required that you contact the parents
to find out why the student is absent.
Psychologically, you do not know
what the child is facing at home. The
teachers should even be blamed and
the school management should look
into that. A child comes to your
school not just to learn academically
but also morally," she said.
Some other teachers think the
situation can be addressed by public
‘Use of corporal punishment is not allowed in my school. But
some of the children can be so naughty that you would not
have a choice. But many parents do not even like it and schools
have frowned against flogging. They now believe in learning
from experience or mistakes. So, we correct them verbally’
• From left: President, Ibadan Business School, Yinka Fasuyi; Pro- Chancellor, Ladoke Akintola University of
Technology [LAUTECH] Ogbomoso, Prof. Wale Omole; Convocation Lecturer, Lead Specialist, Social Protection,
World Bank, Prof Foluso Okunmade; and Vice-Chancellor, LAUTECH, Prof Adeniyi Gbadegesin at the 12th
Convocation Lecture of the university.
• From left: Mr Henry Onukwuba, Director, Executive Education, Lagos Business School (LBS); Sir Demola
Aladekomo, Managing Director, Chams Plc; Dr Enase Okonedo, Dean, LBS and Mr Wole Oshin, President, LBS
Alumni Association at the Executive Programmes Graduation ceremony held at LBS.
shaming and corporal punishment.
Justina Falako, head teacher of
Honey Field Primary School, Lagos,
said public shaming puts children
on the straight and narrow.
"A child like that is supposed to be
disciplined both by the parents and
the school. Suspension should be
better from school and also bring
her out on the assembly ground and
flog her. That would send a warning
signal to others. In my school, I
discipline any erring child. I make
sure I bring him out before his peers
and flog him. Such behaviour only
tells you that the child is given a
free hand at home," she said.
However, Mrs Oyedele Titilope,
Assistant head teacher, African
Church Bethel Nur Pry School,
Ifako, says many parents do not like
their wards to be beaten by teachers.
She said: "Use of corporal
punishment is not allowed in my
school. But some of the children can
be so naughty that you would not
have a choice. But many parents do
not even like it and schools have
frowned against flogging. They now
believe in learning from experience
or mistakes. So, we correct them
verbally. We scold them, then once
in a while we give minor
punishments like kneel down for a
short while, raise up your hands,
close your eyes. But all these are just
for a short while so that the
children's learning process would
not be affected. It is a natural thing
for a child to make mistakes. So, we
can only correct them with love."
Mrs Romoke Aderibigbe,
proprietress of Diamonds Mine
Schools, Adeyeri, Ogba, Lagos, also
said flogging does not achieve the
desired results.
"We train the children with love.
If you cane them, they would
become afraid of school, which
should not be so. If you want to
correct them, you choose the right
words to encourage them not to
discourage them. Do not use vulgar
or abusive words. And through
repetition, the child would change.
Try not to kill the child's morale. I
always tell my teachers that once a
pupil is admitted into the school, he
or she becomes your child so train
them the way you would train your
child," she said.
In disciplining errant pupils,
teachers must be wise to avoid being
hurt, says Wole Peters (not real
name), who teaches at Ojo
Community High School, Ojo.
"He (teacher) has the right within
and outside the school premises
because we are loco parentis to them.
At the same time, a teacher needs to
be careful if he finds his student in
an untoward situation. But if the
teacher insists he must exercise his
power and the situation
boomerangs, he will have himself
to blame.
"I'm close to 30 years in this
profession and I have seen lots of
unthinkable things. Do you realise
that children in primary school now
join cult let alone those in secondary
schools? Therefore, teachers must
apply wisdom in every situation,"
he said.
Mrs Omotunde Lawson, president
of the All Nigerian Confederation
of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS),
Lagos State chapter, said teachers
needed to be trained on how to
handle sensitive situations.
She said: "Teachers will need
training. They have to be trained
on how to react to emergency
situation. There are personal ways
to address issues, legal ways to
address issues. A child will tell you
that he is an adult and so he has a
right to do anything. Let the teachers
be appropriately trained on how to
manage issues that are delicate. By
so doing, they know the step to take
when issues come up. When they are
fighting somewhere, yes, it is good
for the teacher to go there; but
should the teacher go where they
are fighting and breaking bottles,
or the teacher should seek the
assistance of the police or the KAI
people? Who are you to seek
assistance from?"
Mosun Owo-Odunsi, proprietress
of Amville School, Ilupeju, said such
training should even be included in
the teacher-training curriculum.
"One of the core areas we need to
look at in our teacher education is
safeguarding. It is what can also be
introduced in schools, in continuous
professional education
development. At times, teachers
may also be ignorant about it. But
once they are educated, once the
awareness is created, and the right
information has been given to
teachers, it should get better," she
said.
In addition to applying wisdom,
Peters also advised schools to build
on its relationship with its
community, which can help rid it of
miscreants that corrupt pupils in the
neighbourhood. Similarly, he
advised schools to inform the
Ministry of Environment to get rid
of shops, kiosks and other things
that could constitute hangouts for
hoodlums.
Peters' suggestion is the direction
that the Office of Quality Assurance,
newly-established by the Lagos State
government, would go.
In an interview, the Director-
General of the Quality Assurance
Office, Mrs Ronke Soyombo, said
schools that have problems with
discipline because of the presence
of miscreants in their environment
can ask for help.
"The monitoring and investigative
department of our quality assurance
office is doing a lot of work to see
how they can support schools that
are actually going through one
problem or the other on
safeguarding. What we have told
schools is that people can call upon
us anytime to advise them on what
to do when it comes to safeguarding.
But safeguarding is so paramount;
we are not going to take it lightly at
all. At the end of the day, we want to
safeguard all our children to make
sure that they are in very secured and
safe environments," she said.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
EDUCATION
•Malala
OBEL Laureate Malala
Yousafzai and Nigerian
Nactivist Philip Obaji are
HILDREN of the late Chief
Bola Ige are seeking two indigent
pupils from Oyo and
Osun states to benefit from a N24
million scholarship they endowed
to immortalise their father.
The catchment area covers the
old Oyo State, where the late Ige
was governor between 1979 and
1983.
The scholarship competition is
scheduled to hold on Saturday at
the Salvation Army Middle
School, in Osogbo, Osun State.
The contest will be in two stages
- written examination and oral.
Each winner would get N12 million
worth of scholarship for their
secondary education at The Vale
College in Iyaganku GRA, Ibadan.
In a statement, the late Ige's son
and former Commissioner for
Lands, Physical Planning and Urban
Development in Osun State,
Muyiwa, noted that the scholar-
• Mrs Ibironke Jaji presenting a gift and certificate to Abdulliadi Faaiz,
winner of the secondary school category.
Malala, Obaji are ‘education champions’
ship, valued at N2 million per session,
covers their tuition, feeding,
boarding, uniforms, sports/house
wears, textbooks and registration
for external examinations.
Last year, the maiden edition of
the Chief Bola Ige Memorial
Scholarship for primary six pupils
attracted applications from about
100 pupils from various schools in
Ibadan.
Master Folajuwon Ganiyu of
Ayekale Community Primary
School IV and Titi Josephine Friday
of Command Primary School,
Osogbo, emerged the overall winners.
Mrs Funso Adegbola, Director of
The Vale College and daughter of
the late Ige, said the scholarship is
a continuation of her parents'
legacy.
She said: "I am fully persuaded
HARMACISTS are gathered
at the University of Lagos
(UNILAG) for the maiden
edition of the Pharmacy Education
Summit.
The three-day event organised by
the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy
(NAP), an organ of Pharmacy in Nigeria,
will focus on enhancing training
of pharmacy students at undergraduate
and graduate levels, as
well as the practice of professionals.
Billed as keynote speakers at the
event are Dr. Teresa Pounds from
Atlanta, USA and Dr. Bugewa
Apampa, from Sussex, United Kingdom
(UK).
Other facilitators for the event
are: Prof. Fola Tayo, General Secretary
of the Academy; Azubike
Okwor, immediate past president
of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria
(PSN); Elijah Mohammed, Registrar,
Pharmacists Council of Nigeria
(PCN); Prof. Chinedum
Babalola, Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy,
University of Ibadan (UI);
Prof. Augustine Okhamafe, University
of Benin; Dr Ogori Taylor of
By David Lawal
"Education is the right of every
girl, every human being. I'm
proud to be a champion for the
Global Partnership for Education.
"I believe all countries can do
more, rich countries must do their
part and keep their promises, and
developing countries must give
more of their own budgets to education."
Similarly, Obaji, who won The
Future Africa Awards Prize in
Education last December, said: "As
a children's rights activist, I've
worked with the most violated,
traumatised and forgotten children
in northern Nigeria.
"I have seen children physically
and mentally tortured, forcibly
conscripted into armed groups,
Ige’s children seek two pupils for N24m scholarship
C
P
LBS graduates 132 executives
O
NE hundred and thirty-two
participants have graduated
from various executive
education programmes of the
Lagos Business School (LBS), following
months of practical sessions
and intensive study.
The graduands, comprising 49
participants for the Senior Management
Programme (SMP 54), 66 for
SMP 53 and 17 for the Chief Executive
Programme (CEP 23) were
awarded their certificates by the
Dean, Dr Enase Okonedo; Director
‘My advice is
that you stay
focused, be your
own person and
stand for
something rather
than just make
life comfortable
for yourself’
of Executive Education Mr Henry
Onukwuba, and inducted into the
LBS Alumni Association (LBSAA)
by Mr Wole Oshin, president of the
association.
Sir Ademola Aladekomo, the
Managing Director, Chams Plc,
urged the graduates to assist in nation
building with the wealth of
knowledge they gleaned from the
programmes.
Drawing on his experiences in
making Chams a household name
in the Information Communication
Technology (ICT) industry, he advised
them to focus more on service
to humanity rather than the quest for
personal wealth at the expense of professionalism
and business ethics.
"You have been given a great platform
by LBS to impact your immediate
environment and the world by
extension. My advice is that you
stay focused, be your own person
and stand for something rather
than just make life comfortable for
yourself," he said.
The presidents of the graduating
classes took turns recounting their
experiences on behalf of other participants.
Each class made a donation
to advance the school.
among eight education advocates
named by the Global Partnership
for Education (GPE) as champions.
The young activists are joining
a group of global education advocates,
adding their voices to
support the GPE's work in almost
60 low-income countries to ensure
every child receives a quality,
basic education.
As GPE Champions, Malala,
Obaji and other advocates will be
speaking up for the rights of children,
to an education and urging
governments, business and civil
society to work together to fulfill
the long-standing pledge of delivering
education for all.
Malala, who last year became
the youngest ever Nobel Prize
Winner, said on GPE website:
By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie
that they will do exceedingly well
and I promised them that if they
get a Distinction A Grade, in all
their subjects, I will solicit for funding
to send them to any Nigerian
university of their choice. We instituted
this scholarship because
our parents were benefactors to
many Nigerian students.
"It is in continuation of these high
ideals bequeathed to us by our parents
that the Board of The Vale College
decided to institute the Bola
Ige Memorial Scholarship at The
Vale College.
“Those eligible for the scholarships
must be highly gifted primary
six pupils in public primary
schools, in Oyo and Osun States (the
states which constitute the old Oyo
State, where he was the first Governor
from 1979-83)."
Muyiwa said the scheme espouses
the father's legacy of free
education.
and forced to leave their homes.
But I have also witnessed the
transformative power of education."
Obaji also added that the GPE
has helped many developing
countries, including Nigeria, take
the right path in their education
systems.
"As a result, millions of children
are back in school, and funding is
increasing for education in many
places."
Besides Nigeria's Obaji and
Malala, the team of advocates
who are championing the GPE
course include, World At School
co-founder, Chernor Bah; Dutch
Youth Representative to
UNESCO, Frits Brouwer and
UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador,
Hayley McQuire.
"This is the modest way by which
the family of the late Chief James
Ajibola Ige can touch the lives of
the helpless Nigerians and show
the world that Bola Ige lives on!"
he said.
Pharmacists hold first education summit
By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha
•The late Chief Ige
World Health Organisation (WHO);
Ngozi Chu-Madu, Former Head,
Department of Pharmacy, University
of Nigeria Teaching Hospital
(UNTH); and Prof. G. Awosanya,
Provost, Lagos State University
College of Medicine (LASUCOM).
Throwing light on the significance
of the summit at a briefing,
the NAP President, Prince Julius
Adelusi-Adeluyi, represented by
the Vice President, Sir Ifeanyi
Atueyi, said: "The summit will
carry out situation analysis, identify
gaps and proffer solutions towards
a better Pharmacy education
and practice in Nigeria."
He added that better training of
pharmacists would contribute to
the development of the healthcare
sector.
"The growth of the practice of
pharmacy has led to a need for
modification of the training and
educational requirements of pharmacists.
Advanced training prepares
pharmacists to assume patient
care roles within the
27
UNILORIN FILE
Law faculty best
in Nigeria
THE Council of Legal Education
has adjudged the Faculty of Law,
University of Ilorin (UNILORIN),
the best in Nigeria based on the
cumulative performance of its
products in the 2014 Bar Final
Examinations of the Nigerian Law
School.
The Council's verdict was contained
in the Report of the Ad-Hoc
Committee set up to assess the
performance of students at the
August, last year’s edition of the
examinations.
The Committee was headed by
the Lagos State Attorney-General
and Commissioner for Justice, Mr.
Ade Ipaye.
Other members were Prof. J. A.
M. Audi of the Nigerian Bar Association
(NBA); Prof. E. S. Olarinde,
Provost, College of Law, Afe
Babalola University, Ado Ekiti; Dr.
Y. M. Yusuf, the Dean of Law,
University of Maiduguri; Mr.
Emeka Obegolu (NBA); Prof. M. O.
U. Gasiokwu, Dean of Law, Delta
State University, Abraka; Mr. S. A.
Osamolu, Director/Head of Academic,
Nigerian Law School; and
Mrs. M. M. Stanley-Idum, Deputy
Director (Academics), Nigerian
Law School.
Following UNILORIN in the top
five position were: University of
Lagos (second), University of
Ibadan (third), University of
Nigeria, Nsukka (fourth) and the
University of Uyo/Adekunle
Ajasin University, Akungba
Akoko (fifth).
Among the top five, only
UNILORIN and UNILAG have
been consistent in the past five
years. In 2012 and 2013,
UNILORIN came second, while
UNILAG came fifth (2012) and
third (2013).
VC, others
mourn Tamuno
THE UNILORIN Vice-Chancellor,
Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, has
described the death of the pioneer
head of the institution, Emeritus
Professor Tekena Tamuno, as a
big loss to the academic community.
Tamuno, who was appointed
the pioneer principal of the
university, then called the University
College, Ilorin, in October
1975, died on April 11, this year in
Ibadan, at the age of 83.
Reacting to the death of the
renowned historian and distinguished
administrator, Ambali
said he would be remembered
for his vision and pioneering role
in laying a solid foundation for
the UNILORIN upon which generations
of Vice-Chancellors after
him are building.
In a condolence letter to
Tamuno's widow, Ambali said:
"Prof. T. N. Tamuno contributed
significantly to the establishment,
development and stability of the
University" of Ilorin, adding that
he was "a pleasing, friendly and
easy-going person, who was
loved by all who were privileged
to work with him."
healthcare team to meet the increasing
demands of healthcare delivery,"
he said.
Undergraduate and graduate students,
pharmacy teachers, practitioners,
and representatives of National
Agency for Food and Drug
Administration and Control
(NAFDAC), National Institute of
Pharmaceutical Research and Development
(NIPRD), Pharmaceutical
Manufacturers Group of the
Manufacturers Association of Nigeria
(PMG-MAN), the West African
Postgraduate College of Pharmacists
(WAPCP) and others are
expected at the event.

28
EDUCATION
IBBU FILE
VC counsels teachers
THE Vice-Chancellor, Ibrahim
Badamasi Babangida University
(IBBU), in Lapai, Niger State, Prof
Muhammad Maiturare, has
charged teachers to uphold the
ethics and virtues of the profession
and not to engage in any
misconduct.
He gave the charge at the induction
for graduates of various
education programmes in the
Faculty of Education by the Teachers
Registration Council of Nigeria
(TRCN) held at the twin lecture
theatre of the university.
Maiturare said
professionalisation of the teaching
career is critical to the development
of education sector in
Nigeria - hence the need for
teachers to be role models.
The vice chancellor expressed
his readiness to partner with the
TRCN to bolster the educational
programmes of the university
towards improving the teaching
methodologies of the system and
other institutions in the country.
Administering the oath on the
inductees, the Registrar/Chief
Executive, TRCN, Prof Addison
Mark Wokocha, who was represented
by the Director, Professional
Operation of the Council,
Alhaji Ibrahim Roni, said the
induction of trained teachers at
the point of graduation was
aimed at creating consciousness
and improving the quality and
status of teachers in Nigeria.
Faculty woos
potential writers
THE Faculty of Languages and
Communication Studies, IBBU, in
collaboration with AMAB
Bookshop, has organised a
"Poetrologue" for writers on
poetry reading, chat and discourse
to inspire students and younger
generation to venture into poetry
writing.
The Dean of the Faculty, Dr
Emmanuel Egya Sule, said students
should not see writing,
especially poetry, as daunting
exercise; rather they should
sharpen their intellectual abilities
by developing critical minds while
writing.
The Director, Strategy, Operations
and Logistics, AMAB
Bookshop, Nur-d-din Busari, said
the forum was created to give a
voice to young aspiring poets to
be heard and help the ones who
have begun to excel to inspire
others.
He said apart from publishing
young writers, AMAB Bookshop
also brings hopeful young poets to
the limelight.
AAU to honour Oyakhilome, others
•First VC is first Professor Emeritus
OUNDER, Believers Love
World (BLW) popularly
Fknown as Christ Embassy,
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, is to be
conferred with a honorary doctorate
by the Edo State-owned
Ambrose Alli University, his alma
mater.
Pastor Oyakhilome would be
honoured with the Doctor of Science
at the 19th Convocation of the
university on Saturday.
Others to be honoured are Chief
David Edebiri, the Esogban of
12-year-old
gets football
scholarship
•'I worked hard for it'
TW ELVE-YEAR-OLD
Similoluwa Gbenle was the
star of the fourth
Greensprings-Kanu Football camp
that ended last Saturday.
He emerged the best player at the
camp and would complete his secondary
education at the
Greensprings Spring School, Lekki,
Lagos as his reward.
The scholarship worth millions
each year, would afford him to study
at the elite school while nurturing
his football talents.
He would get the opportunity to
participate in national and international
age-grade football competition,
which the school normally enters
its football team for.
Gbenle is the fifth beneficiary of
the scholarship that is announced
yearly at the end of the camp meant
for school-aged children of between
five and 17.
Though grateful to God, the
former pupil of Somolu High
School, Bariga, in Lagos State, said
he worked for it.
"I am very happy and thank God
for making it possible for me to get
the scholarship. I am grateful to
Greensprings and I prayed that God
will continue to support and
strengthen school. I worked very
hard this week and I put in my best.
I followed the coaches' instructions
and took my training very serious,"
he said.
The camp was handled by British
Coaches from English Premier
League side, West Bromwich Albion,
who described some of the participants
as future football stars.
One of them, Richard Holmes, said
the talent displayed by the students
APM scholarship has helped
50 students, says MD
OVER 200 students across By Adegunle Olugbamila
various tertiary institutions
nationwide have benefited
from the APM Terminal Apapa Limited
scholarship scheme since 2011.
Speaking at the presentation of
cheques to the 50 beneficiaries for
this year, APM Managing Director,
Mr. Andrew Dawes, said yearly, 50
students in tertiary institutions benefit
from the scholarship scheme,
including an opportunity for an industrial
attachment placement for
14 beneficiaries who performed
well.
Dawes said the initiative forms a
part of the company's Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR).
"Our CSR seeks active community
involvement in every location in
which APM Terminals operate; in
both developing and economically
developed countries. The scheme
will afford beneficiaries the opportunity
to acquire world class training
and development with our company,"
Dawes said.
"The beneficiaries who did their
internship with us also have the opportunity
to join APM Terminals
after graduation," he said.
Thanking the donor, one of the
beneficiaries, Okhale Abraham of
Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, said
he would cherish exposure and experience
he acquired during his industrial
attachment for life.
"The experience I had then helped
me a lot when I went back to school
after the industrial attachment. I experienced
the practical aspect of what
I was taught in the class," he said.
Another beneficiary, Fidelis
Ekeocha, of the Maritime Academy
of Nigeria, Oron, Akwa Ibom State,
said: "It was a great privilege to have
the opportunity of doing my industrial
attachment here at APM Terminals
Apapa, and I also thanked
them for the scholarship, I feel I have
been set on the right pedestal. This
is one place I would love to work in
future."
From Osagie Otabor, Benin
Benin Kingdom, who would be
honoured with Doctor of Letter,
and business mogul, Chief Lee
Ikpea, who will bag the Doctor of
Business Administration.
Vice Chancellor of the university,
Prof. Cordelia Agbebaku, who announced
this at a pre-convocation
briefing, said a former Vice Chancellor
of the university, Prof. John
Osemeikhian, would be installed
as the first Emeritus Professor of
the institution.
Agbebaku said a total of 8,167
graduands from the 2011/2012 and
2012/2013 academic sessions
would be presented with certificates,
first degrees and higher degrees
during the event.
The VC said Prof. Gregory
Akenzua would be installed as the
Pro-Chancellor and Chairman,
Governing Council of the university.
She ruled out arsonists’ attack on
fire that gutted some of the university
buildings recently, blaming
it on electrical surge.
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
• The five Greensprings football scholars (from left): Elvis Onyese, Toheeb Murtala, Gbenle, Musa Ali and
Haruna Hadi.
By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie
was exceptional. He however added
that efforts must continue to nurture
them to stardom.
"The footballers are great and they
are very keen. Even when we finish
coaching them, they still carry on
playing all day. We train them four
hours a day; so for them to carry on
is brilliant. They are very good players,
the equipment and facilities is
great and everybody here is fantastic
and it has been really good,"
Holmes said.
Adrian Dove praised the
Greensprings for its facilities, which
he said helped to bring out the best
in the pupils.
He said: "The facility is great and it
is incredible. The grass pitches is
great for the purpose they are used
for. The goal posts are very good and
I think everything is fantastic even
the halls we are staying in are just
what we need so it is really good and
the school is great. I think it is the
passion for the game. The children
are willing to learn which I think it
is a good thing because if you got
children who don't want to be here,
it will be hard for us.
‘I am very happy and thank God for
making it possible for me to get the
scholarship. I am grateful to Greensprings
and I prayed that God will continue to
support and strengthen school’
•Pastor Oyakhilome
“We've got children who are really
passionate about what they want
to do and they are going to do well
with football."
On his part, Ashley Hodgkins, who
was facilitating the camp for a second
time, also said the facilities had
improved. He praised the tenacity
of the participants.
"This week the children have had
18 hours of coaching time. Back home
in England, the professional players
wouldn't get 18 hours a week of
coaching so I think they had a lot of
good coaching.
They camp is good for the youth
teams, the national teams and if we
see players like we've got in the
older groups, they can go to England
have opportunity to play in the Premier
League. When we get back
home we can speak to the academy
at West Bromwich Albiom and see
what they can do for players to give
them choices," he said.
Over 100 participants drawn from
Lagos, Ogun, Rivers states, Abuja and
others participated in the camp.
• Governor Godswill Akpabio with members of the Akwa Ibom State University Governing Council after their
inauguration at the Government House in Uyo.

Doctors
in the
house
Page 31
THE NATION
Research
made
easy
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*CAMPUSES
*NEWS
*PEOPLE
*KUDOS&
KNOCKS
*GRANTS
CAMPUS LIFE
THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.net
‘I pray God
heals me’
•Student needs N4m for hip surgery
N4m stands between him and
losing his hip joint to avascular
necrosis, which he contracted
last year. Ejiro Diachevbe, a
300-Level Economics and
Statistics student of the
University of Benin (UNIBEN),
needs the money for a
corrective surgery, EDDY
UWOGHIREN (300-Level
Medicine and Surgery) writes.
0805-450-3104 email: campusbeat@yahoo.com
email:- campuslife@thenationonlineng.net
•Ejiro
‘I am a Christian and I do not take
alcohol and till date, I am still
wondering how I got this disease. I
am just praying that God heals me
of this disease’
and alcohol. The only drug I take without doctor’s prescription
is anti-malaria pills, which everyone takes.
“I am a Christian and I do not take alcohol and till date,
I am still wondering how I got this disease. I am just praying
that God heals me of this disease.”
He said his parents had spent their life savings to ensure
he returns to his feet. He said: “For the past five months, I
have been going for checkups at the UBTH every Thursday.
This condition has drained my parents’ savings.
Whenever I go for check-up, it is either I am told to undergo
one scan or the other. I returned from the clinic few
hours ago and spent N25,000 on drug, X-ray scan and laboratory
test. The money people have contributed for the
surgery is what I am currently using to manage the condi-
•The medical report
HE is known to be energetic. But, in the past seven
months, Ejiro Diachevbe, 22, has been bedridden,
battling to live. The 300-Level Economics and Sta-
tistics student of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) risks
losing his right hip joint to avascular necrosis.
Avascular necrosis is a medical condition caused by
death of bone component due to interruption of blood
supply. It often leads to destruction of bone surfaces.
Ejiro struggled to walk as he moved from the first floor
of Regina Idiado Villa, his hostel in Ekosodin area, to the
ground floor to fetch water. When his neighbours rush to
take their bath in the morning, Ejiro needs to wait because
he does not have the energy to join in the scramble. His
friends have become his cook; they take turns to prepare
his meal. “The last seven months have been a sort of hell
for me,” he told CAMPUSLIFE last weekend.
According to him, he felt a sharp pain in his hip last year
and went to the university health centre where he was
treated. To his surprise, the pains returned a few days after.
He returned to the clinic and was referred to the Department
of Orthopaedic and Traumatology of the
UNIBEN Teaching Hospital (UBTH).
At the hospital, Dr A.O Ogbemudia, a consultant, advised
him to do an X-ray scan of his hip. The scan, he said,
was conducted by a Consultant Radiologist and
Sonologist, Dr A.I. Akhamacuna, at the Benin Radiological
Services (BRS) in Uselu.
The report reads: “There is some deformity with flattening
of the right capital femoral epiphysis associated with
partial fragmentation. The iliac, pubic and ischial bones
are intact. Findings show avascular necrosis of the right
femoral capital epiphysis.”
Ejioro said: “When I took the X-ray report to Dr.
Ogbemudia, he confirmed I have avascular necrosis and
that I require N4 million for corrective surgery. I searched
for information about the condition online and I discovered
that the disease has to do with compromise of blood
flow to the hip joint and can be caused by abuse of drug
tion.”
Two weeks ago, the doctor told him he had no time to
waste on the surgery. The longer he waits, the worse the
situation becomes and perhaps, more expensive the corrective
surgery will get.
Ejiro is at the point of deferring his studies. He said that
the condition is making him to miss lectures and lose focus.
He won’t be able to write the second semester examination,
which begins tomorrow.
In order not to lose his life, Ejiro is calling onto publicspirited
Nigerians to help him.
“Normally, students given referral to UBTH from
UNIBEN Health Centre are usually considered for discount
on certain treatments but the university said the surgery
is beyond its capacity to finance. I have taken my appeal
to Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other civil
society groups but nothing much has come out of this effort.
“My classmates have been helpful. They come here to
cook for me and do other domestic chores. I find it hard to
go downstairs to get water.”
Asked if the surgery would be done in Nigeria, Ejiro
said the doctor could not confirm to him. CAMPUSLIFE
tried to get Dr. Ogbemudia but our reporter was told he
was not around.
Ejiro can be reached on 08172588742.
•The past is behind us, says UNILAG VC•DELSU graduates 59 pharmacists -P33

30
CAMPUS LIFE
Why nations succeed
Iread through in mid-2014. The more I
FOUND the 2012 book, “Why Nations
Fail,” quite fascinating when I partially
read, the more I appreciated the thoughts
that went into it. Co-authored by the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) economist
Daron Acemoglu and the Harvard University
political scientist James A. Robinson,
the book argues that the key differentiator
between countries is “institutions.” Nations
thrive when they develop “inclusive” political
and economic institutions, and they
fail when those institutions become “extractive”
and concentrate power and opportunity
in the hands of only a few.
It was against this backdrop that I was glad
I attended the 70th commemorative lecture
of Wema Bank in Lagos where Professor
Robinson delivered a lecture on “Why Nations
Succeed” which I have adopted as the
title of my piece today. Insightful and full of
lessons for Nigeria, Robinson highlighted
salient points on why Nigeria is where she
is today.
With contributions from Prof Oyewusi
Ibidapo-Obe, former VC of UNILAG, Mrs.
Obiageli Ezekwesili, senior advisor, Africa
Development Policy for the Open Society
Foundation, Pastor Tunde Bakare and Mrs.
Enase Okonedo, the Dean of Lagos Business
School (LBS), who were the discussants, he
was able to identify the pitfalls of why we
are where we are and how we can join the
league of rich nations. Mr. Segun Adeniyi,
Chairman of the editorial board of Thisday,
moderated the timely lecture which is coming
a month before the swearing in of the
General Muhammadu Buhari administration.
So why is Nigeria and most of Africa poor?
From his perspective, Robinson said Africa
is poor because it has suffered from a long
history of “extractive economic and political
institutions.” This, according to him, are
part of deeply rooted historical processes
which reveal the slow development of
centralised political entities compared to
Eurasia. The negative impact of the slave
trade, which had a devastating institutional
impact in Nigeria, the “extractive nature” of
colonial rule and the legacy of colonialism
since independence equally formed part of
why we are poor.
He raised two salient and age old questions:
Why is it that some parts of the world
are much richer and more successful eco-
Pushing
Out
with
Agbo Agbo
08116759750
(SMS only)
•aagboa@gmail.com
nomically than other parts of the
world? What can poor countries do
to make themselves richer? To answer
these simple, yet difficult questions,
they propose a theory based
on differences in economic and political
institutions. “Institutions” are
defined as the rules (both formal -
written laws and the constitution -
and informal - like social norms) that
structure economic, political and social
life and generate different patterns
of incentives, rewards, benefits and costs.
Nigeria is partly where she is today because
of the “negative institutional legacies of colonialism”
which created colonial institutions,
such as agricultural marketing boards. Colonialism
also created an arbitrary state system
which has led to political conflicts, instability
and dictatorship. Colonial authorities, he
noted, also created “gate-keeper states which
were only interested in ruling rather than in
developing the countries and these have left a
path dependent legacy.” The political
authoritarianism of the colonial state is therefore
a direct source of the authoritarianism that
has plagued Africa to date. Colonialism thus
created and shaped identities and cleavages in
dysfunctional ways that still plague us.
The “extractive political institutions” that
was in place for a better part of our post-independence
period took the form of military dictatorship
which led to a weak state unable to
raise taxes, enforce law and control violence as
is evident with the Boko Haram insurgency
and the spate of kidnappings and armed robbery.
This weak state is at its best creating
monopolies for the politically connected. But
as expected, the result has been economic decline.
So what is he proffering to change the tide?
The broader evidence is the need to move towards
“inclusive” institutions. “Our framework
emphasizes that this is not a technocratic
economic problem, this is a political problem.
Focus first on developing inclusive political
institutions and the economics will sort itself
out. All countries which now have inclusive
institutions historically had extractive institutions.
How did they change them? We emphasize
the emergence of a broad coalition which
pushes for and underpins inclusive institutions
(e.g. The British Glorious Revolution of 1688).”
Citing examples of two of the world’s richest
men – the American Bill Gates and the Mexican
Carlos Slim – Robinson said the difference
between the two is crystal clear. One is an entrepreneur
while the other is a monopolist.
“Both men are remarkable people, but their
energies were channeled in different directions
by the different institutional environments in
which they live. In the US innovation is the
way to make great wealth. In Mexico, innovation
is less well rewarded than monopolies
because there are so many barriers to entry.”
These two examples and approaches have
varying degrees of impact on society. Bill Gates,
who established Microsoft, created huge “positive
externalities” generating far more wealth
than his income. On the other hand, the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) estimated that Carlos
Slim’s monopolies reduced Mexican income
by US$70bn, far more than his fortune.
Behind these differences, he pointed out, is
politics. The American approach is “inclusive”
because it creates incentives, level playing fields
and a rule of law based on universal principles.
The Political institutions deliberately allow
broad participation, pluralism and placing constraints
and checks on politicians.
In so doing, it creates powerful forces towards
economic growth by encouraging investment
(because of well-enforced property
rights), harnessing the power of markets (better
allocation of resources, entry of more efficient
firms, ability to finance for starting businesses
etc.) and generating broad-based participation
especially in education and investment
in new technology and “creative destruction.”
On the way forward, Mrs. Ezekwesili pointed
out that institutions do not get created because
we pass laws, “institutions are accumulated
practices based on a shared common purpose”
adding that our multi-ethnicity should be used
for the advantage of our country. She raised
some posers: What creates quality in human
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
beings? What does education produce in the
society? What quality of human beings have
we created? In answering, she stated, “if we
embrace the concept of competition, we will
force everyone to put their best foot forward
because a competitive society is a society that
lets itself to innovation.”
Pastor Bakare is of the view that the choices
we make determine our success or failure
because our choices can make us rich or poor.
He identified selfishness as one of the bane
of our development saying “selfishness is the
greatest curse in humanity.” Describing Nigeria
as “a lazy nation” he stated that we
have become over dependent on oil; “meanwhile
we have less than 20 years of oil remaining.”
He advised we create a level playing
field where each region or state in Nigerian
can compete in a healthy manner.
Other issues he zeroed in on are zoning
and religion which must be discarded if the
right people will emerge. “If we have the
mind to do it and you have the right people
to occupy these offices like my sister Oby
and like el-Rufai did in Abuja, those are the
people we need to attract regardless of their
religion, regardless of their gender, regardless
of what part of the country they come
from.”
Both Mrs. Enase Okonedo and Prof Ibidapo-
Obe, among other things, focused on education
and ethics as the bedrock of having enlightened
leadership. Okonedo pointed out
the need to give kids the appropriate education
to help breed economic and political development
leaders.
On a brighter note, Robinson believed Nigeria,
since 1999, has progressed towards inclusive
institutions especially with the remarkable
success of the recent election, the
fight against Ebola, the broader impact on
inclusion of the private sector and the good
news that we did not create a pseudo-democracy
like many other African nations.
It is however not yet Uhuru as we are still a
long way from the pluralism James Madison
emphasised which states that elections have
to be embedded in a broader institutional
architecture to avoid populism, clientelism
and crony capitalism.
On the whole, Wema Bank should be commended
for coming up with not just the lecture,
but the topic which is quite apt for the
time we are in now. From the discussion, no
one can be in doubt that we parade some of
the best brains any nation that yearns for
progress needs. All we need now are strong
institutions to help fast track the needed
change.
Olaniyi Ayorinde is a
final year student of
Mass Communication
at Kwara State
University (KWASU).
He is the author of The
Entrepreneur Clout and
founder of Inspire
Nigeria Project, which
inspires youths
through social media.
He tells HAMEED
MURITALA (Mass
Communication) what
inspired the project.
‘My platform
is to solve
youths’
challenges’
COULD you tell us what Inspire
Nigeria Project is all
about?
The project is an initiative the country
needs. I realised we needed a page
from which people could get inspiration
on social media apart from the
usual ritual of socialising. Not everyone
can be Michael Zuckerberg, but I
believe we can make the best out of
the massive idea he created. So, I
started the page on Facebook and titled
it “Inspire Nigeria Project”. As the
•Olaniyi
name connotes, it is designed as a platform
where youths can meet and inspire
themselves irrespective of cultural,
social and religious status. The
response I got in a week made me understand
there is power in the social
media.
What would you say inspired this
project?
The inspiration is to help provide
emotional need of youths and try our
best to see that we effect solutions to
problems using the social media as tool.
Youths have a lot of things bothering
them. Some believe that when their
problems are shared, there is the possibility
they could be mocked. So, they
keep their challenges to themselves
and this causes great damage to their
minds. I wanted a platform I would
use to help people overcome their
challenges.
What are the programmes you have
done since you started this project?
The first project I did was the “Social
Inspire Challenge” which required
people to send in a selfie with the
hashtag #inspirenigeriaproject. We
know how much Nigerians like pictures
and we felt we could as well
make that as part of our strategies to
engage them.
•Continued on page 36
ESSAY CONTEST FOR UNDERGRADUATES
The Nation, Nigeria, in collaboration with African Liberty Organisation for Development (ALOD)
and Network for a Free Society (NFS), is calling for entries into the 2015 essay competition.
Details are as follows:
Topic: Government regulations and controls are the biggest threat to jobs in Africa today. Discuss
using pratical examples
Participants must discuss the topic using contemporary examples.
Qualification: Participant must be a student in any tertiary institutions (university, polytechnic,
college of education and technical schools) in all African countries. The format of the text should
be in Microsoft Word and not more than 1,500 words.
Interested student can visit: www.networkforafreesociety.org for useful background materials
on the theme of this contest. Be informed that no participant is allowed to lift materials directly
from works of any author and claim to be his/her own. Plagiarism automatically disqualifies any
entry, which contains work of another author.
If any text or sentence is copied from another author’s work, it must be shown in quotation
marks and writer must credit the original author at the bottom of the paper.
On the first page of the completed essay, participant must write his/her full names, department,
and year of study and name of institution. Also include your email address and functional mobile
phone number.
All entries should be sent to: adedayo.thomas@gmail.com
Entries will be received between March 26 and June 26, 2015. Late entries will not be accepted.
Winners will be announced on July 29, 2015.
PRIZES
1st-George Ayittey (Platinum Prize): $1,000 and scholarship to the 2015 Liberty Camp in Kenya
from August 5-9, 2015 OR Students and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA)
in Ghana from August 19-23, 2015
2nd-Anthony Fisher (Gold Prize): $700 and scholarship to the 2015 Liberty Camp in Kenya
from August 5-9, 2015 OR Students and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA)
in Ghana from August 19-23, 2015
3rd-Franklin Cudjoe (Silver Prize): $500 and scholarship to the 2015 Liberty Camp in Kenya
from August 5-9, 2015 OR Students and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA)
in Ghana from August 19-23, 2015
4th- The Nation CAMPUSLIFE (Media Bronze Prize): $300 and scholarship to the 2015 Liberty
Camp in Kenya from August 5-9, 2015 OR Students and Young Professional African Liberty
Academy (SYPALA) in Ghana from August 19-23, 2015
We also have eight consolation prize of $50 each.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
CAMPUS LIFE
The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) inducted 64 graduating medical students last week. One of them, Miss Ganiyat
Akera, stole the show as the best graduating student, bagging seven prizes and awards. OLAWALE ODEYEMI (300-
Level History) reports.
Doctors
in the
house
ALL roads led to the main auditorium
of the University
of Ilorin (UNILORIN) last
week for the induction of
grduating medical students. Sixtyfour
of them took the Hippocratic
Oath in a ceremony witnessed by
their family members and friends.
Miss Ganiyat Akera emerged the
best graduating student, bagging
seven awards.
She walked to the podium to receive
the honours amidst cheers
from members of the audience.
She won the prize endowed by the
Academic Staff of the College of
Health Sciences; Best Student in
Maternal and Child Health, endowed
by Medical Women Association
of Nigeria (MWAN), the
late Dr. Hamzat Olayinka Braimoh
Academic Prize and Prof Matthew
Akinyemi Araoye Annual Prize
for Best Student in Medicine,
among others.
She also won the College Book
Voucher and Olalomi Hospital
Annual Award for Best Student in
Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
The Provost, Wahab Johnson, a
professor of Paediatrics and Child
Health, described the graduating
class as 64 olive green inductees,
saying they distinguished themselves
in knowledge and practice.
His words: “Our robust medical
programme has continued to turn
out well-trained medical doctors,
who have continued to contribute
quantitatively and qualitatively
to the healthcare needs of our nation.
With today’s induction of 64
additional doctors, our medical
school has produced a total of
•Inductees and their parents at the event
4,062 in the 38years of its existence.
“We have continued to get institutional
commendations, indicating
a distinctive brand of clinical
competence and commendable
knowledge by our products.”
He said inductees’ formal initiation
into the medical profession
was an entry into an honourable
profession, which has sole objective
to save lives.
Congratulating the graduands,
the provost hailed the Vice-Chancellor
(VC), Prof Abdulganiyu
Ambali, for promoting excellence.
The VC, in his address titled: Erudite
professionals, said the university
was proud of the students for
proving to be worthy in character
and learning, key variables, which
dents (NAASS) in higher institutions
have met with Governor
Theodore Orji on their challenges.
More than 50 NAASS chapter
presidents attended the meeting at
the Government House Umuahia,
the state capital, penultimate Friday.
Declaring the session open, the
chapter presidents’ leader, Christian
Nkumah, said it was to enable
them share their problems with the
governor. He urged his colleagues
to be decorous in their approach.
The governor was represented
by Mr Nkwachukwu Agomuo, a
Permanent Secretary in the Government
House. He was led into the
meeting by the National President,
Ihedigbo Uchenna, and his predecessor,
Jude Ezeibe.
President of Abia students in
Alvan Ikoku College of Education,
S. O. Daniel, told the governor that
all was not well with NAASS members
in his school. He identified
their challenges to include lack of
vehicle to ease movement. He relived
how members were involved
in an accident on their way back to
school after a meeting. He explained
that the association resorted
to begging to save victims’
lives.
The governor seems to have forgotten
Abia State students studying
at the University of Nigeria,
Nsukka (UNN) and University of
Lagos (UNILAG), their representative,
Veronica Kalu told his representative.
Veronica said: “We know the
government has many things to
take care of, but let students who
are away from home feel the impact
of the governor.”
Miracle Chukwu, NAASS Vice
President at the Abia State University,
Uturu (ABSU), said members
were grateful to the governor for
payment of N50,000 bursary and
he said the school usually check
before issuing students its certificates.
Prof Ambali said: “The hallmarks
of professionalism, especially for
doctors, include integrity, honesty,
trust, responsibility, confidentiality,
altruism, excellence,
team work and continuous improvement.
As today marks your
professional initiation, there is
need for you to prove your professionalism.
Always hold these
values dear and do not compromise
the values of the profession.”
The Vice-chancellor urged the new
doctors to improve their learning and
training to live above board. He advised
them not to engage in practice
that could tarnish the image of the
university, noting that the Medical
recent 20 per cent slash in school
fee. She said students expected the
governor to fulfil his promise of
paying the bursary yearly.
But Chimobi Okorafor from the
Nnamdi Azikiwe University
(UNIZIK) in Awka, Anambra State,
said the bursary payment was lopsided.
He said chapters’ presidents
were having a tough time with their
members on non-payment of bursary
despite announcement by the
and Dental Council of Nigeria
(MDCN) would not hesitate to withdraw
license of anyone found wanting
in compromising standard.
The highpoint of the event was the
administration of Hippocratic Oath on
the inductees by the MDCN Chief
Registrar, Dr. AbdulMumini Ibrahim.
An inductee, Samuel Fayose, said:
“I feel really great having become a
doctor today. This is a moment I have
been longing to witness. I admit that
there were challenges before my
graduation today, especially the
trouble moments I had in pathology
and pharmacology. I give glory to God
for making me see the end of it all.”
Another graduand, who came from
Cameroon, Benedicta Samba, said:
“My training as medical doctor has
been an interesting one. Although I
government that it had released the
money.
Chimobi urged the governor to
build a secretariat for NAASS in
Umuahia to relieve them of the burden
of paying rent for office.
Drama ensued when Kalu
Chukwuemeka drew the attention
of the audience to gifts national executive
of the association were offered
by some political parties before
the general election. He said the
31
faced challenges and that is normal in
all discipline. Nevertheless, it is
awesome and this is a happy moment
for me.”
Damilare Ariyibi also won five
awards and prizes as Second Best
Graduating Student. Other
awardees are Gideon Okeke, who
is Best Student in First Professional
MBBS Examination, as well
as in Community-Based Experience
and Services (COBES) and
Kazeem Ahmed, winner of Prof
Adeoye Lambo Annual Prize for
Best Student in Neuropsychiatry.
The event was attended by
principal officers of the college,
University of Ibadan (UI) VC,
Prof Issac Adewole, traditional
rulers, and top government officials.
Students of Abia State in higher institutions met with Governor Theodore Orji to discuss how the government can help them.
EMMANUEL AHANONU (Corps member, NYSC Enugu) reports.
L
EADERS of the National Association
of Abia State Stu-
How govt can
help us, by
students
•Christian addressing the students as Agomuo (second right) and others students’ leaders look on
NAASS leadership rejected the gifts
in order not to compromise its nonpartisanship.
However, Emeka Obasi from University
of Calabar (UNICAL) called
the attention of the governor’s representative
to what he called impersonation
by a student he identified
as Kalu. He advised the government
not to recognise the impersonator,
saying his aim was to polarise
NAASS leadership.
Responding, Agomuo said all the
issues arose from communication
gap, assuring the students that the
governor would respond to their
grievances.
Agomuo also promised to foot
the medical bill of the accidents
victims, promising that government
would look into all issues
raised.
His words: “We are not feeling
good that we have these complaints
from our students. I will table all
issues before the governor. We will
work towards providing at least a
vehicle for the NAASS leadership.”
On bursary, Agomuo said the fall
in oil prices affected the
government’s expenditure, including
the bursary which was intended
to be paid yearly. He assured that
the promise would be kept by the
incoming administration in the state.
He told the students to look for office
in Umuahia and promised that
government would take care of the
rent.

2015 polls: Nigerian
students meet in London
32
CAMPUS LIFE
Staff, students locked
out of meeting with
provost
From Samson Uwala
NIJ
S
OME staff and students were
locked out for coming late
last Monday during the
maiden meeting of the Nigerian
Institute of Journalism (NIJ) Provost,
Mr Gbemiga Ogunleye, with
them.
Some of the students were angry
over the management’s decision to
lock them out, describing the action
as inappropriate.
A student, who declined to mention
his name, said: “It is not good
for the management to be treating
us like this. Since the meeting was
for 12:30pm; so why did they start
before time?”
Another student, Yinka
Shobamide, said: “The management
does not want to hear our views and
this is not good enough. There is no
reason for shutting the door against
us because we did not come late for
the meeting. Some of us have questions
for the Provost, but they locked
us outside.”
Responding, the Students’ Affairs
Officer Patricia Kalesanwo said she
informed all students of a change in
time when she went to their classes.
Engineering students honour female
colleagues
•Some of the students locked standing by the windows
•Ikwuka (right) presenting award to Mujidah (second right) as her colleagues look on.
•The APWEN members with some of the engineering student after the event.
From Kawthar Babatunde
UNILAG
IT was an atmosphere of fun last
Wednesday at the University of
Lagos (UNILAG) Staff School
Hall when engineering students
organised an award event with the
theme: Engineering Ladies Day to celebrate
their female colleagues.
President of UNILAG Engineering
Society (ULES), Tobi Bamigbelu, said
the yearly event was also to encourage
ladies to take up engineering
courses, noting that the discipline has
always been a male-dominated
course.
The event was sponsored by the
Association of Professional Women
Engineers (APWEN) and it featured
a morning session and a dinner. Both
sessions were graced by professionals
in the field, lecturers at the Faculty
of Engineering, representatives
of APWEN and students of the Lagos
State University (LASU).
The APWEN Brand Manager, Mrs
Funlola Ojelade, urged the students
to remain focused and serious with
their studies, saying: “To be a successful
engineer demands a highlevel
seriousness and commitment.”
Lagos APWEN chairman, Mrs
Nimot Muili, enlightened the students
on the operations of APWEN
and the benefits its student mem-
bers could get from it.
Mrs Adeola Paul of the UNILAG
anti- AIDS Club spoke on maintaining
good health. The talk ended
with free HIV test at the venue.
The event also featured a Public
Speaking contest, won by Mujidah
Adebayo, a 300-Level Civil Engineering
student. She beat eight other
students.
The students dressed in elegant
attires for the dinner, where they
had the opportunity to interact with
practising professionals in the field.
The APWEN mentorship
programme was introduced to the
students at the event.
Mrs Angelique Ikwuka, APWEN
Vice Chairman, hailed ULES for the
event.
College hails
Ajimobi
THE Oyo State College of Agriculture
and Technology in
Igboora has described the reelection
of Governor Abiola Ajimobi
as well-deserved and a testimony of
hard work.
The Provost, Prof his Gbemiga
Adewale, in a statement by the Registrar,
Mr Niyi Fehintola, congratulated
Ajimobi on his success at the polls,
saying the state would benefit more
from the governor’s leadership.
The statement reads: “The outstanding
success of Governor Abiola
National Association of Nigerian
Students (NANS) Vice
President for External Affairs
Comrade Tosin Ogunkuade has set
an agenda for President-elect
Muhammadu Buhari. He wants the
President-elect to strengthen the security
agencies to stop terrorist attacks
on educational institutions.
Ogunkuade condemned the attacks
on schools and killing of students
by terrorists. He spoke while
sympathising with the families of the
147 Kenya students killed by Alshabab
militia.
He said it was disheartening that
terrorists were attacking schools and
students to step up their bloody campaigns
against African governments,
drawing correlation with the killing
of 47 pupils in Buni Yadi, Yobe State
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
From Helen Olawore
OYSCAI
Ajimobi at the polls and his breaking
of second term jinx is a clear demonstration
of the confidence reposed in
him by the good people of Oyo State
to lead the state to greater heights.
“It is our belief that his re-election
as the governor would uplift the state
and the masses beyond the successes
of the last four years. We also hope it
would sustain the progress the governor
has achieved in the state, especially
in education sector. There is also
no doubt, that he will leave the state
better than he met it. May God renew
our governor’s strength, wisdom and
knowledge as he steers the ship of the
state to an enviable height.”
NANS leader greets Buhari, Osinbajo
From Temitope Yakubu
ADO POLY
by Boko Haram insugents.
To protect the future of the present
generation, he said, African leaders
must protect schools against invasion
by terrorists.
While congratulating Gen. Buhari
and the Vice President-elect, Prof
Yemi Osinbajo, on their victory,
Ogunkuade said: “Democracy and the
ordinary people of Nigeria have won
a fierce battle; Gen. Buhari must justify
the confidence reposed in him by
students.”
He praised the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC)
for organising a transparent process
and President Goodluck Jonathan for
his “commendable sportsmanship”.
‘Political Science students
shouldn’t be apolitical’
THE president of National Association
of Political Science
Students (NAPSS) at the
University of Ilorin (UNILORIN)
Temitope Adeniran has urged
members to participate in Students’
Union politics in furtherance
of their discipline.
He spoke at a congress
organised by the Department of
Political Science at Lecture Room
5 last week.
Temitope said political science
students must exhibit what they
are taught. He frowned at the
practice of electing people unop-
From Blessing Odetunde
UNILORIN
posed, pledging to eradicate that
in future elections.
He said: “Most elections in the
department have not been competitive
and we are being mocked
by other faculties’ students that
political science students only
study politics, but they don’t know
how to practice it.”
Temitope said those who wish to
contest in the forthcoming departmental
election should be ready
for competition.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
CAMPUS LIFE
33
•The union leaders being sworn in by the Assistant Registrar
UNIVERSITY of Lagos
(UNILAG) Vice-Chancellor
(VC) Prof Rahamon Bello
has described the return of students’
unionism after a 10-year break as
the dawn of a new era. He spoke
last Thursday during the swearing
in of the Students’ Union Government
(SUG) in a ceremony held at
the institution’s main auditorium.
The inauguration came two
weeks after members of the union
executive and legislative arms
were elected in keenly contested
elections.
The union leaders took the oath
before a body of principal officers
led by the VC. Others at the
event included Dean of Students’
•Cross section of graduands at the event
NO fewer than 59 graduates
of pharmacy at the Delta
State University (DELSU) in
Abraka, on Friday, were inducted
into the Pharmaceutical Council of
Nigeria (PCN). They took the oath
administered by the Registrar to
the council, Mr N.A. Muhammed,
represented by Dr. Anthony Idoko.
The ceremony was held in the
1,000-capacity auditorium in Site III
of the institution. It was attended
by dignitaries, including Commissioner
for Higher Education, Mr.
Charles Emetulu, Mr Paul
Enebeli, former PCN chairman
and a member of the board of
National Agency for Food, Drug
Administration and Control
(NAFDAC), who was the guest
speaker.
The graduates beamed with
The past is behind us, says UNILAG VC
From Miftaudeen Raji
UNILAG
Affairs (DSA), Prof Tunde
Babawale, deans of faculties and
Heads of Departments.
Prof Bello said the university
made history with the return of
unionism after 10 years. He said:
“We are at the event of today putting
the past behind us and looking
forward to full
democratisation of our life by providing
a conducive environment
for development of future leaders.
We have nurtured a new dispensation
to fruition. This came
after adoption of a new union
constitution.”
The VC praised the DSA and the
electoral committee chaired by
Dr Alabi Soneye for conducting a
peaceful and widely accepted
election. He congratulated the
union leaders and all aspirants, urging
them to ensure peace throughout
the union’s tenure.
“The electoral process may not
have been perfect but once it is
DELSU graduates 59 pharmacists
From Ese Okoduwa
DELSU
smiles in their blue academic
gowns as they moved into the auditorium
with their family members.
While welcoming guests, the
Dean of the faculty, Prof. A.O.
Onyekweli said the faculty had
become a model given its achievements
in its short years of establishment.
He attributed the success
to good leadership by the
management and the state government.
In his lecture titled: Changing role
of the pharmacist: Thinking outside
the box, Enebeli advised the
graduands to think about how
they can improve on the knowledge
they acquired in school and
•Students union returns 10 years after
divest it to make lives of the
people better and positively affect
the rating of the profession.
In his remark, the Vice-Chancellor
(VC), Prof Victor Peretomode,
thanked the government for its consistent
support to elevate the school
in knowledge and facilities.
The VC offered an automatic employment
to the best graduating student,
Uche Nwankwo, who got his
appointment letter at the event to
the admiration of guests and his colleagues.
In excitement, Uche thanked the
VC for the gesture, promising to
strive for excellence. He thanked his
colleagues for making him become
a better person and appreciated the
management for solving some of the
challenges they faced before graduation.
credible and fair, it should be accepted
by all. Whatever loopholes
that have been observed in the past
elections will be worked upon and
plugged, so that coming elections
will be flawless,” he said.
Babawale said there were lessons
to learn from the election, especially
the students’ efforts to write
a constitution that would make it
difficult for non-students to hijack
the union.
He said: “Today, we have ensured
that we draft a constitution
that serves as a basis and roadmap
for good governance. The sacredness
of this constitution that you
wrote should be upheld by all
THE Provost of the Federal
College of Education (Technical)
in Umunze, Anambra
State, Prof Josephat Ogbuagu, has
urged the Students’ Union Government
(SUG) caretaker committee
to work for the students’ and
the college’s sake. He told the
committee members to be committed
to their studies, since that
is their primary aim on the campus.
The Provost said their appointment
was based on their track
record of discipline, diligence and
academic excellence, promising
that the college would provide
enabling environment for them to
function.
Prof Ogbuagu urged them to
uphold the legacy of the past leaders,
whom he said never disrupted
the college’s academic calendar.
“Do not succumb to pressure to
do wrong or compromise standards.
Abide by the college’s rules
and regulations and avoid corrupt
tendencies. The ball is now in
your court, do it well,” he advised.
He said, it was better to resolve
issues through dialogue, urging
them to discharge their duties
•Abiodun
players.”
Highpoint of the event was the
swearing in of the union leaders
by Assistant Registrar for Legal Issues.
The union president Abiodun
Martins, in his acceptance speech,
promised that his leadership
would promote academic excellence
and maintain peace on campus.
He said: “My administration will
be open to constructive criticism
as this brings about the successful
change that we all desire. We want
to lay a prosperous foundation for
the sake of our colleagues and posterity.”
After the ceremony, Prof.
Babawale led a procession of principal
officers to the newly-renovated
union building and parliament
chambers at the
Amphitheatre.
Work for school,
students, committee told
From Emeka Chukwuemeka
AWKA
with decorum. He urged them to
lead by example and shun
cultism,and acts that could set students
against management.
The Dean, Students’ Affairs Division,
Mrs C.U. Okafor, urged the
committee members to follow the
union’s constitution in the discharge
of their duties. She
charged them to maintain peace
in the college.
In his valedictory speech, the
outgoing SUG President, Charles
Anya, thanked the management
for its support in building unionism
on the campus. He urged the
authorities to support the committee
in managing the affairs of
students.
Responding on behalf of the
committee, Raphael Ezeonyedika,
its chairman, promised that
student’s welfare would be the
committee’s priority. He pledged
to work with students to uplift the
union and the school.
The highpoint was the administration
of oath on members of the
committee.
‘Do not succumb to pressure to do
wrong or compromise standards. Abide
by the College’s rules and regulations
and avoid corrupt tendencies. The ball is
now in your court, do it well’

34
CAMPUS LIFE
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
Thomas Reuters
Corporation has
organised a workshop
for academic
researchers at the
University of Nigeria,
Nsukka (UNN) on
how they can improve
their works.
OLADELE OGE
reports.
EXCELLENT academic research
in higher institutions cannot be
achieved by magic; it requires
adequate funding and provision of
facilities. These were the words of
Ms Joy Owango, a representative of
Customer Education Specialist in
Africa at an international workshop
held last Thursday at the Princess
Alexandra Hall of the University of
Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
Thousands of academics and independent
researchers gathered at the
workshop organised by Thomson
Reuters to raise awareness on quality
research.
Speaking on the theme: Research
management life cycle, Owango said the
workshop would guide researchers
on the use of suitable journals to publish
their works and also identify
shortcomings in quality researches.
Owango examined the quality of
UNN’s research works in Arts and
Sciences published in several journals
in the last three years, praising
the researchers for educating the
world.
She praised participants’ turnout at
the workshop, urging them to publish
their research works on popular
journals for worldwide accessibility.
Prof John Ubachukwu, representative
of the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof
Benjamin Ozumba, said the management
is committed to supporting the
staff to embark on quality researches
that would improve knowledge in
all fields.
At the end of the first segment, a
participant, Prof Michael Uguru of
Crop Science Department, complained
that editors of academic journals
reject research papers from Africa.
He cited the rejection of a paper
written by an Agriculture lecturer because
the crop mentioned in the work
does not exist in the country where
Research made easy
•Owango speaking to participants at the workshop
the journal is being published. He
said the writer was advised to publish
the work in local journals. This,
he said, is a factor restricting many
scholars from investing their resources
on publishing in foreign journals.
Responding, Owango said measures
had been put in place to tackle
such occurrences.
Also speaking, Prof Amaechi
Akwayan of Department of English
and Literary Studies, said it was good
to promote academic research in
multiple journals, pointing out that
funding and facilities remained the
bane of quality research.
The Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof
Patrick Okpoko, spoke on Impact
Factor (IF) used in rating the quality
of research submitted for publication,
saying Thomson Reuters Impact Factor
had been an assessment used for
works submitted by senior academics.
The workshop, he said, offered the
participants an opportunity to learn
the criteria employed in using IF
ranking for assessment, urging them
to leverage on the platform to improve
the acceptability of their
works.
Prof Okpoko pointed out that
Thomson Reuters had become a
household name in making researchers
to be resourceful. He noted that
many scholars with poor works
turned away from publishing their
works on the website, saying: “The fear
of Thomson Reuters is the beginning
of academic wisdom.”
He said the institution’s Governing
Council had approved the use of Thomas
Reuters Impact Factor rating,
Scimago and SNIP in the appraisal and
promotion of senior academic staff.
He expressed hope that the rating
would expose participants to the dynamics
of the rating process and improve
the quality of their research
work.
Members of the Federal Polytechnic in Offa (OFFA POLY), Kwara State had a taste of Igbo culture when the Federation
of Igbo Students Association (FISA) marked its day. JENNIFER UMEH (ND II Mass Communication) reports.
•The association troupe entertaining the guests
IT was all fun at the Federal
Polytechnic in Offa (OFFA
POLY), Kwara State when Igbo
students marked their Cultural
Day. Members of the Federation
of Igbo Students Association
(FISA) held their colleagues spellbound
as they danced round the
campus to create awareness for the
event. They were clad in colourful
traditional attires.
The students held an elaborate
event to mark the day at the Farm
Pulse Hotel. Ogechukwu Ejike,
FISA president said the event was
organised to showcase the rich cultural
heritage of the Igbo.
The event was graced by leaders
and members of Igbo community
in the state, including Mr T.N.
Njoku, who was the Father of the
Day and Mr Uche Okeafor, chairman
on the occasion.
Other guests included the chairman
of Imo State indigenes in
Offa, Mr Patrick Anonyuo, FISA
In touch with their roots
Staff Adviser, Chinweoke Nze, a
lecturer, Igwe Ogazi, Mr. Azuka
Emodi, and FISA chapter presidents
at the University of Ilorin
(UNILORIN) and Kwara State Polytechnic
(KWARA POLY).
Ogechukwu praised the guests
for coming, noting that the event
indicated that Igbo students had
not forgotten their tradition because
they were not at home.
He said: “I appreciate everyone
present at this august occasion
organised by Federation of Igbo
Students Association. The cultural
day is held yearly to showcase the
heritage of the Igbo to our compatriots
in Offa. While I admit the
planning was tough, God commissioned
the day and it is successful.
I appreciate all members of the
FISA executive and students for
believing in us.”
•One of the members dancing
He said his administration built
members’ confidence to flaunt
their language and culture on campus.
He hoped his successor would
strengthen the tie the association
had built with other cultural
groups on campus and offer progressive
leadership for the benefit
of all members.
Nze emphasised the need for
students to unite and promote
their language and cultural heritage
wherever they may be. According
to him, Igbo culture remains
one of the best in teaching
morality and good values. He advised
the students to always attend
their weekly meeting to
familiarise themselves with other
Igbo students in school.
The highpoint of the event was
the entertainment of guests and
members with Inu (Igbo proverbs),
Akuko Uwa (news casting)
and cultural dance steps. This was
done by association’s cultural
troupe.
A member of the association,
Ifeanyi Jonathan, a ND II Banking
and Finance student, said it was his
first time to attend the event, which
he desbribed as excellent and entertaining.
“It was interesting and
it made me to keep in touch with
my root. I missed it last year, but
given its objective, I don’t think I
would want to miss it again,” he
said.
An ND 1 Mass Communication
student, Ebele Igwemezie, said
Inu, which was delivered through
talking drums, was used to educate
and prick the conscience of the
people in Igbo society. She said it
remained relevant today because
it speaks the truth to the heart of
the people.
A student of Biology, Precious
Onyeche, said: “Igbo Day is one of
the best cultural events on the campus.
We were able to make the
event successful despite the rain
that tried to mar the event. We appreciate
our patron and Igbo community
members for their support.
I will advise the incoming executive
to keep the fire burning
through commitment. This event
must not die.”
The FISA Social Director, Thomas
Nkemakolam, a ND II Business
Management student said the
executive worked hard to put up
the event. “We appreciate all
members who also worked endlessly
to ensure the programme
went successful. FISA will not die;
it will live to declare the good
works of the Lord.”
Highlight of the occasion included
the presentation of awards
to some of the guests, presentation
of the association’s magazine, The
Heritage and coronation of the new
Igwe (president) and other members
of the executive.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015 35
CAMPUS LIFE
Letter to President-elect Buhari
T is a new dawn, an era of are a man of your words; a man would vote for him.” This seemed enough.
change sparked by the emer-
who stands for what is just and like the handiwork of a prankster We also want you to review the
frowns at any shade of corruption, but the youth must have spoken out security situation in Nigeria. It is horrifying
that everyday scores of in-
give up even till the fourth attempt. no matter whose ox is gored. He told of frustration and rejection of the
With bated breath, we waited for me you are an incorruptible leader schemes by persons who were out nocent humans are massacred daily
this moment and we were so sure and true Muslim who not only to nail you at all cost.
by a senseless sect. We should also
when the rays of change shone preaches contentment but also practices
it. That is remarkable for me. pect so much from you. We want to the over 200 girls kidnapped in
Now the change is here. We ex-
not forget to press for the rescue of
brightly on the horizon. While the
nation remains engrossed with your I further consulted books and journals
for confirmation, and they all you told us about. Not one that is well over a year now and the out-
have a tangible feel of the change Chibok, Borno on April 14, 2014. It
victory refrains, we must also seize
the moment to reflect over key issues
that would define the success is written, that you made Nigeria whisked away by hooded men. Not failed to live up to expectations in
affirmed what my father told me. It watches innocent school girls going administration has clearly
or otherwise of your administration.
a somewhat rigid manner. But the innocence on shady, corrupt men. Children are the leaders of tomor-
habitable and civilised, although in one that glorifies sleaze and confers this regard.
Sir, I must first congratulate you beauty of your “rigidity” is that a Not escalating fuel prices. Not row, so please make them your priority.
A thorough check should be
for your well-deserved victory. Your weak leader cannot successfully NNPC scam. Not police pension
victory is a testament to the tenacious
power of the human spirit. That is a common fact. I observed bomb blasts battling hard for our schools where education had
steer the ship of the Nigerian state. fund shenanigan. Not a flurry of conducted, especially in public
Recently, I had a heated conversation
with my friend who has since my interest in your philosophy grew Not a government that champions poor. So much is paid for tuition,
and read enough to such extent that souls. Not immigration job scam. steadily escaped the reach of the
travelled to Malaysia in search of taller that the distraction of your a weak currency or one that departmental levies and sometimes
greener pastures. I asked him why cynics. Their desperation to remain downplays the essence of our education
system, leaving ASUU to the the hallmarks of the 21st Century
irrelevant hand-outs. These are not
he did not believe in Nigeria but had glued to the clutches of power
to go to another man’s land. His reply
was brief but deep. “Nigeria is a ties. Yet we remained unshaken by president. Not weak naira. Not the What is annoying is that when
pushed them into myriad of inani-
lurch. The list is endless, my dear education.
blessed country, but her resources the wind of libellous documentaries barrage of strikes that have become these students graduate, they are
are mismanaged. And since the very and advertisements coloured largely trademarks of the nation’s civil servicement.
So why won’t they embrace
faced with the ordeal of unemploy-
day Buhari won the elections, I contemplated
coming back home,” he Even when they said you had no As you might be aware, it is seem-
crime as a way to escape the trauma
by hatred.
said with optimism.
certificate, I strongly had the belief ingly expensive to fall sick in today’s of their fate? I do not try to make
Sir, I was not born during your that an illiterate cannot rise to the Nigeria. The hospitals serve the patients
with heavy bills which is diffluential
columnist Sam Omasteye
excuse for these fellows, but as in-
days as Nigeria’s military president level of a general in the Nigerian
but my father, a retired military officer
who had worked with you, de-
I thought to myself. And someone As a result, many have lost their lous to the people, it breeds people
Army. That was an expensive joke, ficult for the common man to pay. once noted, when a society is calscribed
you as a man of integrity. rightly tweeted: “Even if Buhari presents
suya paper as certificate, I want more deaths. We have cried The price of goods in the
lives. Please, look into this. We don’t who will be callous to the system.
He told me in plain terms that you
market
Igence of a general who did not
For Chibok girls
WITH tears
By Aminat Afolabi
flowing down
my cheeks
Sadness suffuses my
heart
I write to let you know
That your presence we never fail
to recall
After months of endless waiting
Days of frightened distress
A year of various musings
Our girls are nowhere to be found
At first, I thought it was witticism
Soon it became a sorrowful veracity
Though right but denied of your
right
What goes on in your mind right
now?
Thought of what you will be going
through
At times, I certainly not want to
envisage
Heartless beings that held you in
reserve from your beloved
How I wish they can do a volteface
Never to leave you in perpetual
melancholy
When loneliness, sadness, despair
will be your catchphrase
And you cling doubting perhaps
you are on another planet
Where it will just look like you are
still dreaming
The life you kept back while the
tides trundled
That suddenly turned hardened
Just like waves when river flows
Had it been the future you did foresee
I think you wouldn’t have been in
school on doomsday
Sadly you departed for destiny
which you never deserved
With heavy hearts and tears
We call on our dear leaders
To strive hard in searching for
your festered caves
And bring happiness back to your
faces
From the world unknown to you
I pray that the creator will protect
you
Where ever you might be
And deliver you safely
To the waiting arms of the world
Aminat, 400-Level Chemistry,
UNILORIN
NWOKA Nzekwu, a writer,
observed: “What shall I tell my
ancestors when I go to them,
that while the dance lasted, all I did
was make preparations to join in it.”
Fellow countrymen and women, as
the cock of change crows, let us run
out of our houses and demand for our
land. We cannot afford to leave it for
no one, who will lord it over us. The
sailors this time must weather the
storm and command the tides.
We have come a long way, we have
seen the rain, we have been bitten, the
sun has been hard on us, yet we are
still wet. We are wet because the tears
of the sun drop on our broken conscience.
Our land is so blessed with
riches but we have become so poor.
Little children become so hungry;
people now steal food to survive.
Somehow, we must make it right. A
vibrant political leadership is needed
for the development of every sector of
the economy. Without making our
political leaders to work for us, we may
spend another decade to roil in underdevelopment
and our effort to achieve
economic growth may remain a pipe
dream.
Countries that are poor are mostly
countries with poor leadership. These
countries are mostly found in Africa,
South America, Asia, and the Caribbean.
The case of Africa is worrisome,
because this is where policies made to
benefit individual and not for the common
good. We need to fix the land;
By Omolara Omoniyi
has really skyrocketed; an indication
that inflation has closed a firm grip
around our throats. At best, the
value of our naira has been reduced
to what playwright Wole Soyinka
described as “toilet paper” in his
work, A play of giants.
Sir, I wish you the very best of luck
as you assume office on May 29.
Our expectations are high, no doubt.
We are aware that even though you
cannot perform miracles, your experience,
character and willpower
are enough to spark one of the most
enduring evolutions in the nation’s
history.
Omolara, just finished from Mass
Comm., IBADAN POLY
Not yet Uhuru
By Sandra Ayuba
we possess a powerful force to do that.
Remember, a country swinging between
failure and hopelessness always
come to decision, such as what we had
on March 28, by electing a president
to remake our country. The power of
the people in this regard becomes the
determinant factor in which direction
the country is heading. So, the Nigerian
situation and the challenges that
have been created by the competing
forces within the political space will
only be solved when the change is
driven by the generality of the people,
who want true change in the land.
It is important at this point to realise
that the problems the political class
created continue to manifest because
the people continue to play a second
fiddle in a situation where they ought
to be part of. But, another opportunity
beckons; the people can take back
their country and drive it in the direction
of prosperity by ensuring that
promises made by the elected leaders
are kept.
This means that the responsibility of
good citizens goes beyond voting; it is
also to enforce good governance and accountability.
We can demolish this complex
of corruption and hate. We can invade
the dust from the rubble and lay a
foundation of hope and love.
No country relies on an inept leadership
for its developments. At this point,
Nigerians must take ownership of their
country and begin to rebuild it from their
homes, offices, schools, churches and
mosques. Let us take note: a society of
good people puts bad elements at the periphery,
but a society where those with
negative tendencies dominate is obviously
not a good society.
The poser is: is Nigeria a good society?
As we ponder on this question, let us have
it at the back of our mind that a good life
is one inspired by love and guided by
knowledge. Don’t forget, an eye for an
eye only ends up making the whole
world blind. I come with a message of
hope, all hope is not lost, and we shall get
there.
Remember, a hungry man is a defeated
spirit; it can be manipulated by the oppressor
for different reasons. An uneducated
mind is a liability to the state and an
instrument in the hand of the oppressor.
It has now become overtly important for
the oppressed to democratically challenge
the oppressive governments that
continue to hold them down without development.
A stitch in time they say saves
nine.
Sandra, 300-Level Mass Comm., IBBU
LAPAI
THIS is one of the articles I am
writing about change. We have
all welcomed the emergence of
Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the President-elect
of the Federal Republic. I
wish to emphasise in this article that
my commitment and role in the change
process is already started.
It is a common knowledge that human
beings naturally resist change.
They find it difficult to embrace change
and it takes quite a while to adjust to
changes made to our way of life. From
my interactions with different people, I
discovered that adaptation to change
is not a usual habit of human being.
Yet, change occurs in every facet of our
life and existence.
I have tried as much as possible to
picture the change we want in this
country and from my psychological
instinct, I sense that Nigerians think
Buhari is a miracle worker, who would
bring our anticipated change to reality
in a short period. Our expectations from
him are so high. We are ready to also
vote him out if he doesn’t bring about
the change we want in four years.
By Oluwafemi Aliu
My commitment to Change
I have decided, as a Nigerian, to build
solidarity with our leaders for what I
anticipate. I don’t want to feign indifference
to the process of governance
and national building. I know Buhari
needs a formidable team as explained
in the broom concept of the All
Progressives Congress (APC): “Together
everyone achieves more”. A
bunch of broom as against a strand is
what is needed to clean a house.
I want to assist to curb corruption by
first stopping corruption tendencies in
my household, among friends and family
members. I won’t cover any man’s
sin. Even the holy book says: “He that
covers his sin shall not prosper.” I won’t
steal what doesn’t belong to me. I won’t
use bribery to get undeserved favour. I
won’t magnify favouritism above merit.
I want to help civic leadership to be
easy for public officers. I want to engineer
social change and suggest great
initiatives to local, state and federal governments
such that, if it is embraced, it
can engender positive change.
I want to pray for my leaders rather
that speak ill of them. I want to obey
the Holy Book’s injunction that: “Pray
for my leaders and those in authority
and pray without ceasing.”
I want to be support the government
by paying my tax and show exemplary
trait, which other can copy. I want to
embrace cleanliness and avoid littering
the environment when government has
provided waste disposal mechanism. I
want my vicinity to be free of dirt and I
wish to encourage my friends and family
to emulate this attribute.
I want to exhibit good values, such
as patience and humility. Patience can
save so many lives, especially in accident
prevention on the road. If drivers
change their way by avoiding reckless
driving, accident rates can reduce on
our roads. It can reduce the mortality
rate by half. Humility can prevent us
from picking up unnecessary fights that
can cause to loss of lives and properties.
We should all strive to ensure peace
in our community.
Contentment is another value we
must embrace if we desire change. We
should be satisfied with what we have.
This will make us not to steal and rob
our fellow countrymen of their properties.
I have decided not to constitute nuisance
to my neighbours; I want to be a
source of joy to all and sundry. I want
to lead by example.
I want to embrace change as a
teacher and I want my pupils to do
same. I want to grow to be the best in
my field as a student and all students
in every profession should emulate this
to attain success.
I want to be a giver; I don’t want to
be selfish. I want to remember the poor,
who live below poverty line. I want to
remember the orphans who cannot afford
good education, food and other
goodies of life. I want to give to them in
plenitude to assist in poverty alleviation.
I want to take my education seriously
and utilise every opportunity to succeed
without engaging cheating or misconduct.
As a parent, I won’t allow my
kids go to special centre, rather I will
encourage them to attend tutorials. If
we do this, rate of failure in crucial examinations,
such as United Tertiary
Matriculation Examination (UTME)
and Senior School Certificate Examination
(SSCE) would reduce.
I have decided to do a lot of things
that are positive as I join the train of
change which will officially begin by
May 29. If I can do all this and every
Nigerian joins to make this commitment,
I make bold to say that change
has come to stay in our country.

36
CAMPUS LIFE
DG praises Corps members for good
conduct during elections
NATIONAL Youth Service
Corps (NYSC) Director-
General Brig-Gen Johnson
Olawumi has hailed Corps members
for their good conduct and
during the just-concluded general
elections.
Olawumi spoke through the
NYSC’s Director of Procurement
Alhaji Bashir Salisu during a visit
to Kaduna State secretariat.
The state NYSC coordinator, Mr
Hilary Nasamu, also praised the
Corps members for displaying
high-level discipline during the
elections. He said the visit was to
identify with Corps members
challenges, adding that NYSC is
always ready to attend to their
welfare.
On and Off Campus By Solomon Izekor 08061522600
From Kemi Busari
NYSC KADUNA
Bashir saluted the courage of
Corps members, who participated
in the elections, saying their vigilance,
honesty and patriotism
contributed to the exercise’s success.
“Before you went for the national
assignment, we told you to
follow the rules and guidelines
and shun any form of inducement
or gratification. We are happy today
that you were able to carry
out the task successfully without
casualty record,” he said.
Responding to questions on election
allowance, Bashir said NYSC
had approved payment of the allowance.
He said Corps members
should disregard reports that the
allowance is N53,000.
He said: “To put the record
straight, each corps member is entitled
to N4,500 training allowance
and N13,000 for each of the
election. The N13,000 include
honorarium of N9,000 and N4,000
feeding and transport allowance.
This is the money to be paid to
Corps members who participated
in the elections. Anything outside
this is not approved by INEC.”
Bashir advised Corps members
to carry out personal Community
Development Service (CDS)
projects that would aid development
in their host communities.
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
ASUU set to suspend
strike at Kogi varsity
THE ongoing industrial action
by staff of the Kogi State University
(KSU) in Anyigba may
be suspended anytime this week
CAMPUSLIFE has learnt.
Towards this end, the Academic Staff
Union of Universities (ASUU) leadership
and the management have
met to iron out their differences.
The ASUU chairman, Dr Abdullahi
Musa, told CAMPUSLIFE that the
matter was not resolved before now
because of the general elections.
He said discussions started last week
after the elections, adding that the
parties are doing everything to reopen
the campus this week.
“We are very close to arriving at an
agreement on the matter. Government
is showing us some commitment
and on our part, the leadership
is displaying some level of determination
to ensuring that the matter is
amicably settled,” he said.
Dr Abdullahi said ASUU expected
that the matter would be resolved
early, noting that the general elec-
tions did not allow the parties to do
so.
The government and the union, he
said, were committed to ensuring that
students returned this month, adding
that government has fulfilled part of
the lecturers’ demands.
Dr Abdullahi said: “As far as we
are concerned, the matter is close to
being over. We hope that the improved
offer we demand would be
added so that we can quickly present
it to our members and make decisions
on our resumption date.”
But, the Joint Action Committee
(JAC), a body comprising all non-academic
staff unions, is singing a different
tune. It resolved to continue
with the industrial action until its demands
are met. It made the decision
after a congress last week.
A top management is singing a
different tune told CAMPUSLIFE
that the university is doing everything
to ensure that the industrial action
is suspended this week.
Emergency agency
opens campus unit
THE Niger State Emergency
Management Agency
(NISEMA) has established
Risk Reduction Club at the Federal
Polytechnic in Bida (BIDA POLY).
Its Director General, Alhaji
Mohammed Shaba, inaugurated
members of the club when he visited
the campus.
Shaba said the agency’s intention
was to train students on emergency
rescue operations to assist in reducing
loss of lives and property
through preventable crisis. He
hailed the institution’s management
for allowing the club on the campus,
saying it would help in dealing
with emergency cases.
Urging students to enroll for
membership of the club, Shaba said
the agency would ensure that they
get emergency kits for their training.
Students’ Union Government
President, Emmanuel Obiora said
NISEMA and the school had taken
the right step to support students’
health and safety. “It is a day of joy
‘My platform is to solve
youths’ challenges’
So, we received pictures from
Facebook, Instagram and as direct
message to our email. We received
encouraging response from the
people; we launched a collage of all
the pictures we got. We also held
Social Slum Makeover (SSM) and
Social Slum Art Exhibition (SSAE)
to help youths living in rural areas
to discover their talents.
Do you receive any support from
any organisation or individual?
I started the project with a mindset
of engaging the youth on the platform
for inspiration. Although,
some individuals have indicated interest
in sponsoring the project but
I have not met them to discuss the
terms.
Do you face any challenge?
Yes. The major challenges are unstable
electricity and poor data service.
I may want to put an update
on the platform but the Internet
From Raymond Okolo
BIDA POLY
to witness establishment of this
great club during my tenure. This
shows that the management has
students at heart,” he said.
The Rector, Abdullahi Sule,
thanked government and the
agency for the kits donated to members
and staff for training, saying
the gesture would help achieve its
purpose. He promised that the kits
would be deployed judiciously.
He appealed to Shaba to also look
into other areas where the agency
could be of help to the institution.
Shaba, he said should use his office
to attract government support for
projects within the institution.
He said: “We have a number of
ongoing projects that have direct
bearing on the students’ welfare.
We want to use this opportunity to
appeal to the Director General to
find a way of bringing the state government
to support these projects.”
‘We have a number of ongoing projects that
have direct bearing on the students’ welfare. We
want to use this opportunity to appeal to the
Director General to find a way of bringing the
state government to support these projects’
•Continued from page 30
may be timing out. This delays
reaching out to members of the
group on time.
What is your advice for the
youths?
When I wrote my first book titled:
The Entrepreneurship Clout, it came
as a surprise to my colleagues as I
was just in my third year in school.
This feat fetched me the creative student
award and it gave me an edge
over my peers because I simply explored
my entrepreneurial potential.
The youths must understand that
opportunities are like commercial
vehicles; when one leaves, another
will surely come but it only takes a
creative mind to embrace such opportunities
to his benefit. The social
media is not a dumping ground for
junks; we can make the best out of
it if we know what we are doing.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
EDUCATION
Commonwealth Youth chair to Buhari:
scrap govt’s foreign scholarships
THE Governing Council of the
Ahmadu Bello University
(ABU), Zaria, has announced
the appointment of Prof Ibrahim
Garba as the new Vice Chancellor of
the institution.
Chairman of the Council,
Muhammad Dewu, an architect, said
Garba emerged after a rigorous and
transparent selection.
He said Garba beat 24 others to
the post, following a two-day interview
by a panel by the council.
Garba would take over later this
month when Abdullahi Mustapha's
tenure ends.
Born on February 25, 1957 in
Riruwai, Doguwa Local Government
Area of Kano State, Garba attended
Riruwai Primary School
(1963-1967), Rano Boarding Primary
School (1968-1970), Government Secondary
School, Rano, (1971 - 1975)
and School of Preliminary Studies,
Kano State College of Advanced Studies,
(1975 - 1977).
His first degree in Geology in 1980
and masters in Mineral Exploration
in 1985 were from ABU. He earned
his Ph.D (Geology) in 1993 from the
University of London - a year after
THE Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU), Lagos
State University (LASU)
branch, has appealed to the public
to prevail on the government to reopen
the university.
ASUU insists that their members
and other workers were not on
strike and, therefore, see no reason
for the university to remain shut.
At a briefing in LASU, ASUU-
LASU Chairman, Dr Adekunle Idris,
said it was sad that over a week after
the elections, management had not
reopened the school, wondering the
kind of effect it would have on students.
"Since the elections ended Saturday
(April 11), we have lost another
week of academic activities without
any pronouncement of a resumption
date. The union is disturbed by this
disregard for academic calendar of
the university. To later collapse the
academic calendar without regard
for the adequate coverage of the curriculum
so as to push out graduates
and have a record of so many convocations
done is not in the interest
of our students and the society," Idris
said, calling on the government to
resume genuine dialogue with
workers.
On Monday March 16, ASUU and
other workers comprising Senior
Staff Association of Nigerian Universities
(SSANU) and Non-Academic
Staff of Unions (NASU) drove
the Vice-Chancellor, Prof John
Obafunwa away from campus, accusing
him of high handedness, disregard
for due process, stalling
members' promotion, among others.
The leadership of ASUU and other
unions met with government representatives
the following day. They
promised to look into their grievances
and invite them for another
meeting which has not held.
The LASU management shut the
university on Monday, March 23, '
By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie
THE Commonwealth Youth
Council Chairman, Ahmed
Adamu, has urged the Presi-
dent-elect, Gen Muhamudu Buhari
(retd), to abolish foreign scholarships
when he assumes duties on May 29.
Adamu, who holds a PhD in Economics,
said about N100 billion is
spent on foreign scholarships yearly
by various governments, which he
claimed has caused over supply of
currency and contributing in the continued
decline of the value of the
naira.
“This figure is extremely higher
when adding the cost of other selfsponsored
foreign education and I
am using this medium to call on the
president-elect to consider this as
one of the immediate policy he will
adopt in the first 100 days in office,”
he said.
New VC for ABU
By Jane Chijioke
obtaining a Diploma in Mineral
Studies from the Royal School of
Mines, Imperial College of Science,
Technology and Medicine, London.
Garba worked as a Geologist 1 and
later Senior Geologist at the Nigerian
Mining Corporation, Jos (1981-
1986); Assistant Lecturer (Department
of Geology) University of
Maiduguri (1986-1988), Lecturer 1
and Head of Department of Geology,
Kano State College of Arts, Science
and Remedial Studies (1988-
1993). He was an Assistant Chief Scientific
Officer and Liaison Officer for
Kano State at the Raw Materials Research
and Development Council.
Garba joined ABU's Geology department
as Lecturer 1 in1994. He
rose through the ranks until he became
a professor in 2004. He was
Head, Department of Geology (1997-
2001, and 2003 to 2005), Deputy Dean,
Faculty of Science (2004-2005) and
member of Governing Council
(2004-2006).
The new Vice Chancellor is the
Advisor to the Ministry of Mines and
Geology, Republic of Guinea, super-
because of the elections', and directed
both students and workers to vacate
the campus - a decision that the
union described as illegal, claiming
only the Senate had such powers.
Idris accused Obafunwa for failing
to consolidate the huge
infrastructural investment of the
government in LASU by improving
the university's Internally Generated
Revenue.
He also claimed that a letter they
received containing worker-government
resolutions from the March 17
purported to have been from the Office
of the Special Adviser on Education
could not be considered valid as
it does not bear the signatures of the
parties that attended the meeting.
Adamu, in a statement from London,
said Nigerians and other
internationals studying in the United
Kingdom (UK) contribute 2.3 per
cent to the country’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) and their patronages
contribute 2.6 per cent to the UK employment.
On the contrary, he said the funds
injected into foreign economies
could be invested in Nigeria.
He explained that Nigerian universities
could perform to international
•Prof Garba
vising the Implementation of Mining
Sector Reforms (a Project supported
by the World Bank and the
African Economic Development
Policy Initiative - Open Society Foundation
(2012 to date).
He was an External Examiner
(Postgraduate) of the Department of
Geology, University of Calabar
(2001) and Department of Geology
and Mineral Science, University of
Ilorin (2003) and Visiting Professor
at Federal University of Technology,
Yola (2007 to 2009).
Reopen LASU now, ASUU urges govt
By Adegunle Olugbamila
Despite the March 16 crisis, Idris
noted that the union was not on strike
and its members have continued to
teach and conduct research.
Idris said the union had it on good
authority that management is trying
to incite students against their
agitation. He however appealed to
parents to educate their children on
their purpose in the university and
caution them against being used as
tools by certain elements.
"Information reaching the union
has it that the university administration
is trying to lure students into
the matter between workers and Prof
Obafunwa. We wish to state categorically
that our members were teaching
our students and the university
was running up till Monday, March
23 when the recess was declared.
•Lagos State governor-elect, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode with Mr Ayodele
Ogunsan, Chairman, Executive Trainers Ltd after featuring on a programme
on UNILAG FM.
Mac 45/ Edu this week / 37-40-Pgs - 23-04-15
standards, if for five years, N2.5 billion
is injected in them yearly and
those already trained abroad return
to teach here.
“How different are foreign universities
are from Nigerian universities?
You will talk about access to energy,
IT, resources, facilities, conducive
atmosphere, and efficiency. All these
can be provided in all Nigerian universities
with the savings that will
eventuate from abolishing foreign
scholarships. If you divide N100 billion
by the number of federal universities,
you will see that each university
will get N2.5 billion a year,”
he said.
The economist, who also said
Buhari should cut government expenditure
by 50 per cent in one year,
lamented that increased bank rate
and taxes and the extravagance and
wastages during the political campaign
had caused unnecessary inflation
in Nigeria, which he claimed is
now at 8.6 per cent from 7.9 per cent
in November.
“The money in circulation must
THE American University of
Nigeria (AUN), Yola, is now
affiliated with the United Nations
Academic Impact.
UNAI is made up of academic institutions
that focus on global priorities,
including peace, human rights,
and sustainable development.
AUN's enrolment was announced
via a UNAI email of April 6 to President
Margee Ensign. It was signed
by Arthur Georges.
The email attaching a certificate
of affiliation with UNAI, congratulated
the President on the new development
and said, among other
things, "You join nearly 1,000 colleges
and universities in some 120
countries who are working with the
United Nations" to promote the
above-listed global priorities.
As a member, AUN is expected to
carry out at least one activity in support
of the UNAI and its 10 principles
during a calendar year.
With the membership, the university
can publish all UNAI-related
activities in the organisation's newsletter
and on the website (https://
academicimpact.un.org/), and use
• Adamu
37
be controlled. It is commendable that
the president-elect has proposed to
reduce government overheads by
proposing to scrap unnecessary political
appointments.
“All the money saved from the
austerity measures should be invested
in manufacturing and industrial
sectors as well as education, science
and technology. Small skills
labourers should have a coordinated
wage system, so that cost of production
can be predicted, and small skill
labourers who contribute immensely
to the economic growth will
not be underpaid,” he said.
AUN joins UN group
15,000 for post-UTME
By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie
the UNAI logo in its promotional
materials. The university's role in
feeding over 200,000 internally-displaced
persons (IDPs), a consequence
of the Boko Haram insurgency, ties
with the UNAI objectives.
The university plays this role in
partnership with the Adamawa
Peace Initiative and raised funds by
appealing to public philanthropy
both in Nigeria and internationally.
The API was formed in January
2012 as a coalition of academic, traditional,
community, and religious
leaders, including representatives of
security organisations.
On April 1, while addressing 345
AUN workers hosting more than 550
IDPs during the monthly food distribution,
Dr Ensign thanked the
university's employees for their generosity.
"What you have done is an amazing
act of generosity and as the President
of your university, I could not
be prouder of what you have done
for the last year to take care of desperate,
hungry people who are in
great need," he said.
FUNAAB FILE
THE Head, Information and Communication Technology Resource
Centre (ICTREC), of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
(FUNAAB), Dr Olutayo Ajayi, has said with the conclusion of the
Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) last month, the
university has started preparations to hold the post-UTME screening.
He said the university would be expecting about 15,000 candidates to
take the electronic examination using about 750 computers for one
week at three sessions daily.
In future, Ajayi spoke of plans to reduce the number of days for the
examination, and hold the screening in other cities in collaboration
with other testing centres.
He said this would ease the stress on candidates who would not have
to travel to FUNAAB but write in centres closer to them.
"By so doing, we will be able to finish what we hitherto used to do in
a week in one or two days, giving us the opportunity to serve them
better. Students can take the exams at their convenience, that is, very
close to their domain, instead of having to travel down, because during
the exams, we notice that people travel down, stay around the
campus and the neighbouring communities loitering around.”
Induction for vet doctors
THE Seventh Induction and admission of veterinary graduates into the
veterinary profession by the College of Veterinary Medicine
(COLVET), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) is
scheduled for today, at the FUNAAB ceremonial building.
The Chairman, Local Organising Committee, Dr. Abimbola Oloye,
said the induction absorbs fresh graduates of Veterinary Medicine into
the practice.
Twenty-one graduates would be inducted at the programme expected
to be attended by Prof Garba Sharubutu, the President, Veterinary
Council of Nigeria (VCN); Dr. Edgar Sunday, President, Nigerian
Veterinary Medical Association (NMVA) and Dr. Amang Markus
Avong, Registrar, Veterinary Council of Nigeria.
Other dignitaries expected include: Dr. Adedamola Jaiyesinmi of
Zimri Farms, Sagamu, who is also the Guest Speaker; former Deans of
COLVET, Prof Morenikeji Dipeolu and Prof Reuben Arowolo.

38
CAMPUS LIFE
AOCOED FILE
Ex-dean dies
AN ex-dean, School of Language,
AOCOED Mr. Olawale Iyanda
Odejimi is dead. He died in his
home in Lagos on Thursday,
April 2 at 67.
The deceased graduated from
the Universite du Benin, with two
bachelor's degrees in French (B.A
Hons) and English (B.ED Hons).
He also had his Masters in
French from the Universite
Nationale du Benin, Cotonou;
PGD in Journalism from Times
Journalism Institute, Lagos, as
well as a Diploma in Commercial
Translation (French - English)
from the Alliance Franchaise,
Paris, France.
Odejimi joined the college on
July 1, 1990 and retired as a
principal lecturer in 2013. He is
survived by wife and children.
Fondly called 'Largent' by
colleagues and admirers, the
deceased before his retirement,
served as chairman, Ethics and
Discipline Committee; member,
Editorial Board, as well as the
longest dean, School of Language
- from 2003 to 2008.
‘Depose to oath
of secrecy’
THE Office of the Head of Service,
Lagos State has directed that
its workers should depose to the
oath of secrecy in line with its
Public Service Rules.
The management has asked its
workers to depose to the oath of
secrecy immediately.
To make the exercise easier, the
Legal Division has provided
forms, which are available at the
State High Court Registry,
Badagry.
Similarly, arrangement has also
been made with a Notary Public
for those who prefer the oath to
be administered on them in the
institution.
The exercise ends on Tuesday,
May 5.
New directive on
foreign trips
HENCEFORTH, workers travelling
out of the country must
inform the management at least
two weeks before such journey,
the management has warned.
In a statement, it implored staff
to comply with the new directive.
Registry lecture
holds today
THE Registry Department holds
its second lecture today.
Titled: "Effective administration
of tertiary institutions in the 21st
Century,” the lecture would be
delivered by the Registrar,
Obafemi Awolowo, University,
Ile-Ife, Osun State, Mr. Ayo
Ogunruku.
The event, which is to honour
the immediate past Registrar, Mr
Bola Disu, would also feature
awards for five distinguished
members of the Registry.
Auditors meet April 28
AOCOED will host the16th
Annual General Meeting of
Committee of Heads of Internal
Audit Directorates in Nigeria
Colleges of Education
(CHIADINCOE) on Tuesday,
April 28 at the Senator Oluremi
Tinubu Hall of the institution.
AIS forms out
AOCOED International School
(AIS) has started the sale of admission
forms into its Basic 7
class. They are available at the
school premises for N6, 000.
Also, the date for the Entrance
Examination is Saturday, June 6,
2015.
MBA Scholarships for
Nigerian Students at Cranfield
University in UK, 2015
CRANFIELD School of Management
offers MBA scholarship for 2015
academic year. This scholarship is
available for pursuing master's degree
level in the field of business
administration at Cranfield School of
Management. The students of Nigeria
can apply for this scholarship. Two
scholarships are offered of up to
£15,000 value towards the tuition fees.
Study Subject(s): Scholarships are
provided in the field of business
administration.
Course Level: This scholarship is
available for pursuing master's degree
level at Cranfield School of
Management.
SCHOLARSHIPS
APPROACHING DEADLINE
Scholarship Provider: Cranfield
School of Management, UK
Scholarship can be taken at: UK
Eligibility: Self-funded Nigerian
nationals are eligible for this
scholarship.
Scholarship Open for International
Students: The students of Nigeria can
apply for this scholarship.
Scholarship Description:
Scholarships for Nigerian Students
Cranfield School of Management is
delighted to be able to offer two
Scholarships to self-funded Nigerian
Nationals. Qualifying candidates:
Individuals who have shown sound
academic, professional or leadership
potential. As these scholarships are
awarded progressively throughout the
admission cycle, early application to
the programme is recommended.
Number of award(s): Two
scholarships are offered.
Duration of award(s): Not known
What does it cover? The award is
value up to £15,000 towards the tuition
fees.
Selection criteria: In assessing
applicants suitability for the Cranfield
MBA we will explore:
•Applicants career to date
•Applicants reasons for wanting to
do an MBA at Cranfield at this point in
your career
•Applicants potential for senior
management
•Applicants academic and/or
professional qualifications
•Applicants test scores (GMAT/
Cranfield tests)
•Applicants references
•the conclusions reached by the
‘Strike over poor funding needless’
APUBLIC analyst, Patrick
Tolani, has criticised the incessant
strikes by teachers
in tertiary institutions.
In an interview, he said strikes are
needless if institutions get their acts
right, especially on how to
commercialise to boost their internal
revenue.
Tertiary institutions should have
innovative ideas that could translate
into cash for universities,
Tolani stressed.
Tolani, who is Chief Executive
Officer Charity Aid and Development
for Africa, continued: “We
need to motivate them to think out
of the box and focus on research
innovation and commercialisation
as it is in developed countries. Professors
in developed countries
don't sell handouts; they access
grants for research and innovation
and commercialisation through
which they even sponsor younger
students to embark on research that
would translate to societal benefit.”
Tolani, a lawyer, said universities
should be a fertile land for in-
By Adegunle Olugbamila
novations that will address varying
aspects of the society - security,
health, education, economy among
others.
Against this background, he said
lecturers need to gird their loins,
jettison indolence and make themselves
globally relevant like their
overseas colleagues
“For instance, we have security,
energy, unemployment and solutions
to these problems should
have been expected from professors
in universities, but because of
their (lecturers) limited relevance,
we don't find solutions from them.
This is also the reason their students
also have limited relevance
towards solving societal problems,
and making these same youths
problems to the society by forming
a critical mass of the unemployed,”
he added.
Teachers, he advised, should also
spread their intellectual tentacles
to their contemporaries in developed
societies for collaborative research,
saying the latter are also interested
in embarking on projects
that focus on improving developing
countries, and also boost their
own profile.
Tolani also called on the government
to, aside the normal funding
for running universities, set up a
'special fund' for different areas
which both public and private institutions
can access.
Special funds, he said, should be
created for different areas of innovation
for social benefit which any
institution private, or public can
• The newly-appointed Provost of The Apostolic Church-owned LAWNA Theological Seminary, Aiyegbaju in
Ilesha, Osun State (an affiliate of the University of Ibadan), Dr Emmanuel Olowoyeye (middle); and his wife,
Deaconess Esther (left), with the District Pastor, The Apostolic Church (TAC) Yaba/Lagos Area Evangelist, Pastor
Gabriel Oyebode, during a thanksgiving service for Olowoyeye at the church.
PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN
A
LAWYER, Ms Seyi Bela,
has advised law students to
hone their skills in areas
related to their course to attain career
fulfilment.
Ms Bela, who works in a law firm,
Banwo and Ighodalo, gave the advice
at the Law Students Society
Career fair, at the University of
Lagos(UNILAG). It had as theme:
“What Next?”
Ms Bela, who was the keynote
speaker at the event, said: "Success
is not just about what you studied
in class. It is about a lot of other
‘We need to motivate them to think
out of the box and focus on research
innovation and commercialisation as it
is in developed countries’
skills needed to become successful,
like communication skills, computer
skills, volunteering for internships
and lots more. Do not
confine yourself to the traditional
wig and gown concept because you
studied law."
The fair, which was put together
by the President of the Faculty of
Law Students Society, Mr
Cornelius Gabriel, was the first to
hold since the reinstatement of the
UNILAG Students Union Government.
The fair, which Gabriel said, was
a part of the department, is designed
to enlighten students about
opportunities and options available
to them in their field of study.
He said: “The aim is to help them
choose what field to venture into.
There is time for everything - time
to be a student and the period after
that, where you become an ex-student
and you must take responsibility.
You must take this seriously if
you will amount to anything in life."
Chief Executive Officer, Chocolate
City Entertainment, Mr Audu
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
interviewer
Notification: Applicants who are
awarded a scholarship will be
notified at the time of the admissions
decision.
How to Apply: Applicants can
either apply for the Cranfield MBA
online or download the application
form as an MSWord document for
return by email or post.
Scholarship Application Deadline:
The application deadlines are
For Stage 2: January 30, 2015
For Stage 3: April 24, 2015
For Stage 4: June 26, 2015
Read more: MBA Scholarships for
Nigerian Students in UK, 2015
Scholarship Positions 2015 2016
http://scholarship-positions.com
BU Vice-Chancellor's International
Scholarship at Bournemouth
University in UK, 2015
• Mr Tolani
UNILAG Law students get tips on success
By Oluwatoyin Adeleye
have access to as incentives for lecturers
to launch into innovative solutions.
"To increase lecturers' capacity to
meet crucial roles, they can partner
with their colleagues in foreign
universities. There are professors
like them who are willing to
partner on issues that focus on developing
countries. Such professors
can even bring more funding for
such superpose," he added.
Acting Rector
for Bida Poly
THE Governing Council, the
Federal Polytechnic, Bida,
has approved the appointment
of Dr. Abubakar Abdul
Dzukogi as the Acting Rector of the
institution.
Dzukogi succeeds Mr Abdullahi
Sule, an engineer,who has served
the institution for nine years.
In a statement from the Registrar
of the institution Bisi Adeyemi said
Dzukogi's appointment took effect
from Monday, March 23, this year.
Until his appointment, Dzukogi
was Abdullahi's deputy from
March, 2011.
He had served the polytechnic in
various capacities, including head,
Department of Mass Communication;
and director, Academic Planning;
and Directorate of Continuing
Education.
Dzukogi, who has a doctorate in
Mass Communication from Benue
State University, Makurdi, joined
the polytechnic in 1984.
Maikori, enlightened the students
on the relevance of lawyers in the
entertainment industry, while
speakers from other law disciplines
gave insights into the tenets
of the profession.
Mary Oke, a 400 level Law student
of the faculty, said she was enlightened
by the fair and would
strive to grow with her new
knowledge.
A diploma student of the department,
Anthonia Ochei, urged other
institutions to embrace such occasions
to empower fellow students.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
EDUCATION
When ‘special’ pupils
raised their voices
Community
craves
secondary
schools, roads
DWELLERS of Ibeju-lekki have
lamented the poor state of accessing
education in the community
during a sensitisation
programme on governance of primary
school education for community
stakeholders.
The programme, which is an initiative
of the United States Agency
for International Development
(USAID) in partnership with Human
Development Initiative(HDI), is a
four-year programme which would
be done in four states - Kano, Enugu,
Lagos and Abuja. It would be carried
out in local government areas of the
aforementioned states.
Speaking at Ibeju-lekki Local Government
Education Area, the youth
leader of Arapagi, a community in
Ibeju, Lasisi Morufu said the community
has no secondary school, that and
their children go by sea to school in a
neighbouring community.
He said: "In Ibeju-lekki, the road
leading to some areas are not
motorable. The children have to cross
the river before they get to school.
This is a threat to life. This has discouraged
some of them from going
to school. There is no secondary
school in Arapagi. We only have
about five primary schools in this
area and when these children are done
with primary school, they are being
posted far from home. Every morning,
you will see children conveyed
EXECUTIVE Secretary, Ojodu
Local Council Development
Area (LCDA), Mallam Ahmed
Jaji, has urged the government to put
the teaching of technical skills in the
primary and secondary schools curricula.
If done, he is optimistic pupils would
consolidate on it after leaving school
to become self employed.
Jaji spoke at a briefing on this year’s
Spelling Bee competition held at the
council last week.
He said: “We need to re-orientate
our curriculum because most of our
children are being turned out to the
street without any necessary skill. I
remember during former President
Olusegun Obasanjo's military regime,
By Oluwatoyin Adeleye and
Pascal Okezu
CITIZENS with special needs
have identified areas that
would improve their wel-
fare and lift the nation.
Director, Bethesda Home for the
Blind (BHB), Yaba, Lagos State, Mrs
Chioma Ohakwe, hopes more
money from the nation's budgets
would be earmarked for the welfare
of citizens with special needs.
in an interview, she said: "In many
countries, people with special needs
receive a certain allowance in form
of cash from the government as a
form of assistance, because they
know that not all of them would be
able to do as much as their able body
counterparts. I hope this nation will
also get there someday."
Mrs Ohakwe said funding constitutes
a major challenge of the institute.
She sought better orientation
and provision of facilities, such as
the Apex Graille machine, to enlighten
students with special needs,
especially the blind, about the new
Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examination-Computer-Based
Test
(CBT).
However, Mrs Ohakwe is upbeat
the Lagos State governor-elect
Akinwumi Ambode, would hearken
to their cry.
Students of the home also expressed
their excitement for being
able to cast their votes, describing it
as a sign that the government had
them in mind.
Ifeanyi Ukweze, who has been a
housemate for almost three years,
was pleased at the opportunity the
institute accorded her to exercise her
civic duty. Nonetheless, she hopes
the incoming government would
give people like her a better sense
of belonging by providing the
means of livelihood for people with
special needs, adding that securing
a job is a major challenge.
Another student, Christopher
Essien, who had been in the institute
for more than six months, wants the
government to establish and fund
more homes like BHB which, he said,
helped him regain his self worth.
He said: "The government has to
ensure that this kind of home is established
across the nation, because
the few we have cannot cater to all
the people with special needs. I have
achieved so much within the short
period of time I have been here. I
By Jane Chijioke
in a boat to cross the lagoon before
they can get to school. We are all crying
out to government to help us with
at least a secondary school here."
He continued: “This river, which the
children pass through, is now being
dredged. We have concentrated dredg-
can now type, make hand crafts and
communicate with people effectively.
I can even go back to school
and finish my education, which I had
to stop because I suddenly became
visually impaired. I have also regained
my self-confidence.”
Rev Sister Jane Onyeneri, Principal
Pacelli School for the Blind and
Partially Sighted Children, Surulere,
Lagos is very angry. She declined an
•Participants at the sensitisation programme at Ibeju-Lekki.
‘The children have to cross the river
before they get to school. This is a threat
to life. This has discouraged some of them
from going to school’
ing companies and about 10 of them
dredging sand from that river. Before
they used to use paddle to pave their
way on water but that is no longer
possible because the river is getting
deeper by day. This can lead to loss of
lives. This community has been kicking
against dredgers; we really need
interview with our reporters.
The cause of her anger - negligence
of special schools by the government,
despite her school's continuous
call for help.
"The media houses get information
from us and then nothing happens,’’
she lamented.
She added: “The children are abandoned;
the handicapped kids are not
treated like part of the society. In
39
fact, they are not part of the society;
so, what do you want their opinion
for? The attitude of the society towards
the handicapped children is
appalling. You should probably go
and ask the government if they have
been doing their duty, because writing
about it doesn't work. What we
need are practical solutions, not
writings or interviews without result."
Introduce technical skills to schools, council chief urges govt
By Ibrahim Adam
he sent some Nigerians to Eastern
European countries to be trained as
engineers, pharmacists, among others.
“We should de-emphasise paper
qualification and focus more on what
our children can use their hands to do;
our government should re-orientate
their curriculum by infusing into our
children technical skills that will make
them independent and job creators. Jaji
said the benefits of the competition
were immeasurable because the pupils
gained a lot from it and the competitive
spirit would continue to be in them.
He said the competition was to bring
out the best among pupils to represent
the council at the state level.
He urged participants to continue
• Students of the Bethesda Home for the blind engaging in handcraft. Inset: Some of their products.
to wax stronger, assuring them that
the Lagos governor-elect, Akinwumi
Ambode, would continue where the
Governor Fashola stopped.
“As far as I am concerned, we might
look at the Spelling Bee competition
as inconsequential but the totality of
its benefits, nobody can measure it.
Not until our party leader Asiwaju
Bola Tinubu stated some facts, I never
knew that the first One Day Governor
was sponsored to Switzerland to learn
some useful skills and those after him
were given same opportunity.
“You are the future of the nation.
We want to leave a sound legacy for
you. The picture is now clear because
we now have a new dawn in Nigeria
which you will all benefit from. I can
the government to help us.’’
He noted the shortage of teachers
in the community, adding that the
problem arose because teachers
posted to the area reluctantly stayed
because of inaccessibility to good
roads.
"When you have a teacher handling
two classes, how convenient is that
let alone teaching about eight subjects
for each class in a day? Teachers
here are really trying their best,” he
added.
The Education Secretary, Ibejulekki,
Olatunde Talu, who once taught
in Arapagi corroborated Morufu.
Nonetheless, he hoped the
sensitisation would go a long way in
informing the dwellers of their role
assure you that with the kind of team
that will be put in place, it will be a
continuation of excellence in Lagos by
the new government. I want you to
know failure is not a curse but to redouble
your effort in achieving your
goal and when you fail you don't give
up,” he said.
In her address, wife of the Executive
Secretary, Mrs Ibironke Jaji, said the
competition would promote unity
among contestants, schools and identify
career prospects in the pupils.
Ten schools competed for the secondary
category and six schools for
the primary.
Ayantayo Toluwani from Ojodu Primary
(School 1) emerged winner in
the primary category, while Fabian
in education, and hold the government
accountable for sound education.
Participants also frowned against
the non-availability of secondary
schools, which they attributed to the
failure of the government to address
their needs.
Rev.Taiwo Oluwole of Redeemed
Church enlightened participants on
the role of the councils in primary
education. He said the mis-use of federal
and state financial allocation for
primary education, non-provision of
the conducive classrooms and teaching
aids, shortage of teachers, among
others, were lapses which needed to
be rectified for a better primary education.
Sunday Alade, an engineer, admonished
the stakeholders to complement
the government's efforts
through proper utilisation and monitoring
of infrastructure provided for
the community's benefit. He said
communities must see education as
a collective responsibility.
He explained that children were
faced with some challenges, such as
lack of self-concept, lack of necessary
materials, improper guidance and
counselling, poor study habits, hostility
of teachers to students among
others. Alade admonished parents
to avail their children the opportunity
to access primary education as
mandatory by the Federal Government,
in line with the statuted Child
Right Act and Universal Basic Education
(UBE) Act.
President, Out-of-School Children
Empowerment Foundation (OSCEF)
an implementing partner for the
USAID programme, Mr Akeem
Kelani, said the programme is aimed
at educating stakeholders at the grass
roots and emphasise the role of local
government in primary education.
Freedom from Ojodu Primary (School
3) and Ngejeme Chiamaka of Ogba
Primary School were first and second
runners up.
In the secondary school cadre,
Abdulliadi Faaiz of Omole Senior
Grammar defeated Ajayi Ayodeji of
Babs Fafunwa Millenium Grammar
School and Bello Ibraheem of Omole
Senior Grammar School, who
emerged second and third.
Faaiz told The Nation: "I know and
believe I am going there to win and to
other contestants, they should always
prepare hard and better."
Toluwani thanked his teachers, urging
others to be consistent in what they
do. The winners were later presented
with certificates and gifts.

40
EDUCATION
• From left: Amber Kumar, Brand Manager Dufil Prima Food; Mr Ashiwaju, and Mr Tola Bademosi, Managing
Director BD Consult at the press conference.
PHOTO: BOLA OMILABU
Indomie to reward brave pupils
SUCCESS is usually tied to
academic excellence in the
schools. However, for pupils
who may not have topped their
classes or won prizes but have done
acts of bravery, mouth-watering
prizes may be theirs if they win the
Indomie Independence Day Award
(IIDA) for Heroes of Nigeria.
The award, presented to children
aged 15 and below, who have
spontaneously saved lives and
property, regardless of personal
danger, displayed extraordinary
creativity, is in its eighth edition.
At a briefing to announce the
search for this year's winners at the
Protea Hotel, Lagos last
Wednesday, Mr Deepak Singhal,
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
Dufil Prima Foods Plc, makers of
Indomie noodles, who was
represented by the firm's Public
Relations Manager, Mr Tope
By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie
Ashiwaju, said the award is aimed
at recognising the ingenuity of
young children in a world
dominated by adult
accomplishment.
"The IIDA initiative is significant
because it is rooted in the
recognition of those whose best
efforts are very often overlooked.
On a daily basis, our beloved
Nigerian children perform
thousands of heroic acts that save
the lives and property of others at
great personal risk to themselves.
But the reality is that such acts of
bravery often go unsung because
the players involved are minors,"
he said.
In searching for winners, Singhal
said the company is not advertising
to avoid children putting up acts that
may endanger their lives. He said
after nominees or applicants are
shortlisted, a search committee
would go to the nooks and crannies
of Nigeria to investigate the heroic
acts to establish their authenticity.
He said the shortlisted candidates
also face a panel of judges who
further screen for the finalists.
So far, 21 children from various
parts of Nigeria have won the top
three prizes of N1million, N750,000
and N500,000 scholarship grants.
Their heroic acts include: saving
people from drowning, rescuing
accident/armed robbery victims,
exposing robbers, kidnappers/
ritualists, displaying creativity and
entrepreneurial ingenuity, among
others.
Singhal said he hoped the award,
which holds around the
Independence Day, would be
recognised by the government and
the children rewarded accordingly.
Be job creators, bank chief advises PG students
•UNILAG admits 5,390 for PG
OSTGRADUATE(PG) students
of the University of Lagos
(UNILAG) have been urged to Pembrace job creation, rather than be
job seekers, as a way out of
unemployment.
The Chief Executive Officer of
Heritage Bank, Mr Ifie Sekibo, gave
gave the advice while delivering a
motivational speech at the 2014/
2015 session orientation for fresh PG
students of the university.
Sekibo, who was represented by
the Group Head, Small and Medium
Enterprises (SME) of the bank, Mr
Adebayo Ogunnusi, said: “There is
nothing wrong with looking for a
job, but it is better to create jobs. You
must change your mindset because
By Oluwatoyin Adeleye
many people believe they must have
money before they can start a
business. Start something from your
house. The only way we can move
this country forward is when
everybody has a hand in a business,
thereby creating jobs for the
younger generation.’’
Sekibo also gave the students
business tips to improve their
marketability.
“Let whatever business you do
become so much a part of you that
your name changes to your business
name. Understand it and let your
passion for it grow. If you are selling
snail, let people know you as snail
man, before they even know your
real name, because it is the business
that matters, not your name," he said.
Delivering the welcome address at
the event, the UNILAG Vice
Chancellor, Prof Rahamon Bello,
said 5,390 students were admitted
into the School of Postgraduate
Studies (SPGS) for the 2014/2015
academic session.
Of these students, Rahamon said
451 were admitted for postgraduate
diploma, 2,848 for masters, 2,014 for
professional masters and 77 for
doctoral degree.
On the upcoming convocation, he
disclosed that 45 per cent of the
graduates are from the SPGS,
including 103 PhD graduates.
He advised the students to apply
themselves diligently to their studies
and mentor the undergraduates.
• L-R: Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Rahamon A. Bello FAEng; Group Head, Retail Banking,
Heritage Banking Company Limited, Mr. Davidson Regha, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academy, University of
Lagos, Prof. Babajide Alo, and Group Head, SME, Heritage Banking Company Limited, Mr. Bayo Ogunnusi,
during the Annual Orientation Programme For Fresh Post Graduate Student 2014/2015, held at University of
Lagos Nigeria Main Auditorium, Power by Heritage Banking Company Limited, on April 16, 2015
EDUTALK with
The bad
headmaster
T
HERE are some true stories
we hear that seem to
have jumped right out of
Nollywood. They are so unbelievable.
But when they are told
by the 'horses' themselves, we are
forced to believe them.
That was how I felt when a senior
colleague shared the story of
how his headmaster maltreated
him for an offence he did not
commit and denied him of his
Modern School certificate.
The story would make a good
movie script and has a lot to
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
Kofoworola
Belo-Osagie
Kofosagie@yahoo.com
08054503077 (SMS only)
teach in terms of morals to teachers, and even others. I hope in
future, it is either told in a book or acted as a movie, or both.
Schooling in those days when farming was the mainstay of the
economy must have been a challenge for many students who also
had to help out on the farm. I can relate with that because when I
served in Ezza South Local Government of Ebonyi State, many of
our pupils missed days in school during the planting season and on
market days. We could not do much about it. We taught those who
we in class, and coped with the influx of students who suddenly
appeared to write examinations.
But that was not the case when my colleague attended school. The
headmaster identified absentees and dealt ruthlessly with them. My
colleague said he was not given a chance to explain that he had
spent the two-week period on his father's farm. The father did not
also help to ease his burden by confirming that that was the case.
The punishment was gruesome - 12 strokes of the cane on the back
stretched out by two people. In the process, he fell down, but the
beating continued. His appeal to the headmaster to hear him out
was greeted with slaps. And when he summoned the courage to tell
the man that one day in future, he would be of assistance to his (the
headmaster's children), he was kicked many times. The welts from
the battery made it impossible for him to sleep on his back for days.
If that headmaster had only been hard in the name of instilling
discipline, it would have been bearable. But he was also a coldhearted
unscrupulous man who sold grades to parents. He used to issue
certificates to pupils whose parents could bribe him. For those whose
parents were too poor or illiterates, he did not have any scruples
failing them. So, for a second time, my colleague was dealt a bitter
blow. He passed, but the document, as signed by the headmaster,
said he had failed. The consequence was that when he got a teaching
job, he was discriminated against. While those with certificates
earned up to 20 pounds, he was paid seven pounds because he only
had a testimonial.
About two decades later, my colleague was indeed in a position to
help his former headmaster's daughter. Through his influence, she
got a job. But she also learnt of her father's wickedness to him.
Sadly, he was not the first victim she had met. She told him that
things had been difficult for her and her siblings; and when they
tried to find out, everywhere they went, the father was to be blamed.
They were told he had offended many innocent people who did not
forgive him.
But that was not all. The day came when my colleague met his
headmaster face-to-face. And this time, his former teacher was a
wrinkled old man whose fortunes had nosedived. Power had
changed hands. The old man felt shame. It could have been different
if he had only been kind to his former pupils. They would have
lifted him up in his old age - just like the late Mrs Funke Ponnle did
for her former teacher. She built a house for the woman and furnished
it despite not been her biological child.
There are many teachers and lecturers like this headmaster. They
have looked down on their students, berated them, and told them
they would not succeed in life. There are lecturers who victimise
students - deny them of their rightful grades, fail them on purpose if
they refuse to bow to their demands, or collect money to pass them.
They forget that they cannot hold on to that power forever; they
forget that there is a tomorrow. Such teachers should remember this
headmaster's story and learn.
‘There are many teachers and lecturers
like this headmaster. They have
looked down on their students, berated
them, and told them they
would not succeed in life. There are
lecturers who victimise students -
deny them of their rightful grades,
fail them on purpose if they refuse to
bow to their demands, or collect
money to pass them. They forget
that they cannot hold on to that
power forever’

42
NEWS
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
Inside the £400million mansion in the sky
AMAZING refit of Boeing 747
for mystery billionaire took
three years and includes luxury
bedrooms, a restaurant and even a
VIP ‘chill-out’ zone.
Boeing 747 can normally hold up
to 600 people but this model was customised
for a single ultra-wealthy
tycoon.
Digital images show how the interior
is as luxurious as an expensive
hotel room despite space constraints
The jumbo jet contains a master
bedroom, ‘aeroloft’ with added sleeping
space, and a large dining room
It is also kitted out for business with
a conference room and office so the
owner is never out of touch with work
These extraordinary images show
how an enormous jumbo jet has been
converted into a luxury home for a
mystery billionaire - complete with
bedrooms, multiple lounges and an
onboard restaurant.
The custom-built Boeing 747 is believed
to have cost its ultra-wealthy
owner £400million after it was customised
to fit his specifications exactly
over a three-year period.
The jumbo jet would normally
carry as many as 600 passengers - but
this version was built for just a single
tycoon, although he will be able to fit
dozens of guests.
It contains a large dining room
where travellers can enjoy meals
cooked in an adjoining kitchen, with
a lounge and ‘state room’ at the back
of the plane.
More sleeping space is provided
in the ‘aeroloft’ on the top deck of
the vessel, with eight full beds for
passengers who prefer to get some
shut-eye on flights.
•Source: Daily Mail
Luxury:
This is the lounge on board a custom-built Boeing 747-8,
Shuteye: The master bedroom of the £400million plane has a huge
as depicted in an artist’s impression by Greenpoint Technologies bed as well as an armchair and sofa for when the owner needs to relax
Business: The conference room of the plane could be perfect for
meetings in the sky with its long table in the centre
Chill-out: The lounge decor looks like a luxury hotel, belying its
Executive: This room, which can be used as an office or a guest
true location inside a plane similar to those used by commercial bedroom, gives a hint to its true location thanks to the porthole-style
airlines
windows
Kicking back: The main suite could easily be mistaken for a
room in a top hotel thanks to its over-the-top decorations
Restaurant: The central portion of the plane hosts a dining
Shiny: The jumbo jet is one of the most luxurious private planes
room which is attached to a kitchen, allowing the owner to make ever built, with the price tag believed to have reached a total of £400million
use of the services of a private chef
Social media won’t kill
journalism, says NGE president
THE President, Nigeria
Guild of Editors (NGE),
Mr. Femi Adesina, has
said despite the growth of social
media, newspapers will
continue to exist in the society.
But Adesina, who is also the
Managing Director of The Sun
Newspapers, called on journalists
to update their knowledge
in line with how technology is
changing the media landscape.
Adesina spoke at the commemorative
birthday lecture
held in honour of veteran journalist,
Mr. Felix Adenaike, in
Ibadan, the Oyo State capital
yesterday.
The NGE president, who delivered
a paper entitled: “Journalism;
Yesterday, Today and
Tomorrow,” highlighted the
changing medium of generating
and disseminating stories
in the media world, noting also
From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan
that unless Nigerian journalists
embraced the new media
system, they could find themselves
chasing their mates in
other world. He also expressed
the optimism that the social
media would not dictate the
life span of print journalism.
His words: “The journalist
of the future must keep pace
with changing trends particularly
in the area of technology.
But, will the printed word ever
die? It was radio that first came,
and it was heralded as the death
knell of the printed word. But,
the newspaper survived. Then,
television came, and people
began to doubt the future of
newspaper.
“Decades later, the newspaper
is still there. And then the
internet came. Yes, it has
helped the reporters. We can
get information at the touch of
a button. We can file reports
from any part of the world in a
jiffy. But, also, it is eroding
profit margin, as a large
number of readers now read
online, on the internet, on mobile
devices. The world loves
change. The profession will
never be the same again with
the digital challenge and the
onus is on newspaper houses
to develop multiple streams of
income, if they would survive.”
Adesina also challenged
journalists to use their position
as a vehicle for social justice,
equity, national development
and defence of human rights
instead of chasing fame, fortune
and dining with the wealthy
and powerful people in the
society.
LAGOS State government has demolished
41 distressed buildings in the
last two years.
Commissioner for Physical Planning
and Urban Development Mr. Toyin
Ayinde and the General Manager of the
Lagos State Building Control Agency,
LABSCA, Mrs. Abimbola Animashaun,
disclosed this at the annual ministerial
press briefing held at the Alausa Secretariat,
Ikeja yesterday.
Animashaun said the prompt intervention
of the agency to evacuate the occupants’
and remove the buildings saved
lives and properties that would have been
loss.
He said: “191 buildings approved for
demolition. 41 buildings have been demolished
by the agency over the past 24
months (two years) of this establishment.
This represents a fair percentage of the 4,
099 contravention notices served during
the period under review.”
She said the affected buildings were
distressed, dilapidated and beyond repair.
“2,226 building were sealed for non-
Sofa: Parts of the plane are set aside for guests to relax while
watching television, as the vessel can carry several dozen passengers
Lagos demolishes 41 distressed buildings
By Miriam Ekene-Okoro
compliance with the building approvals.
However 444 building were unsealed after
compliance. And at least 10 certificates
of completion and fit for habitation were
issued by the agency.
“We have been able to save several lives
from dangerous building through earlier
detection of defective and distressed buildings.
In some cases, we were able to evacuate
the building in time to save lives especially
from those that later collapsed, she
added.
Ayinde said the government is considering
the prototype of the Makoko floating
school constructed by NLE works, a Non-
Governmental Organisation, to incorporate
the floating school into its development.
He said the government discovered the
structure after undertaking the study of
development of the community; tagged
‘Houses on water.’
The commissioner noted that the aim of
the government was to improve and enhance
the living condition of the residents
in this Makoko Community.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
43
THE NATION
NATURAL HEALTH
E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net
Traditional medicine (TM) is crucial to health care delivery. What will be the fate of this health subsector under
the incoming Muhammadu Buhari administration? Stakeholders are pushing for the passage of the TM Bill
under him to standardise the practice. OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPA and WALE ADEPOJU report.
Wanted: Law in traditional medicine practice
Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of
Lagos (UNILAG), Prof Olukemi Odukoya
said:
IRST traditional Medicine Bill should
be passed into Law. The county should
Fcome up with an essential herb list like
the essential drug list. And also recognise
traditional medicine (TM) as a parallel system
as done in India so that poeple will be
free to access it as primary health care and
thereby give the populace, a dividend of
democracy by using the medicine made by
the people to achieve health for the people,
in other words, democratisation of the
healthcare delivery system.
A front-line Complementary and Alternative
Medicine Practitioner, Prof Magnus
Atilade said:
We congratulate the All Progressives
Congress (APC) for winning the presidential
election, and General Muhammadu
Buhari, in particular, for emerging the President
elect. As stakeholders, we know the
scene will change for the best for the further
development of Traditional Medicine
and Complementary and Alternative Medicine
(CAM) in the country. To quickly assist
the emerging governing government
hit the ground running, I will suggest the
quick passage of Traditional Medicine Bill,
laying fallow with the law makers over the
years.
Nigeria is the only country in Africa where
there is no bill to regulate traditional medicine.
People are doing anything they like
and they can call themselves traditional
medicine practitioners without being queried.
Some people call them native doctors
but I don’'t know what that means. Traditional
medicine is a bona fide medical system.
All people of the world are known to
have their indigenous ways of treating illnesses.
We can only say no to this if we are
sub-humans. Or are we not proud of our
heritage?
We want a training institution for Complimentary
and Alternative Medicine
(CAM). We had one before but for one reason
or the other, it was alleged that it was
closed. That is the Federal College of
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
(FEDCAM), Abuja and then the one in Lagos
was also shut. This is a bad omen for the
country because complementary and alternative
medicine is recognised all over the
world. It is a viable option for people to
maintain their health status. It is also good
in the consideration of wellness. Therefore,
it is being practiced and is well-recognised.
For these reasons, we consider it a contradiction
for a government to recognise something
and create space for it and yet it
doesn't have a training system for it. This
makes people to travel abroad to specialise
in the profession. That is disgraceful. It is
an optimum priority for government to
look into this. The administration of General
Buhari should open the schools with
immediate effect, after his swearing in.
Presently, the instruments and equipments
are wasting away in Abuja. Now, the structures
should be put in place for it to support
the health benefits of Nigerians.
On the other hand, traditional medicine
has been recognised in all countries of the
world, there are no people that God created
that do not have their own ways of
traditional medicine/healing. The question
is, are we saying Africans do not have a
heritage. Nigeria is a signatory to the convention
In the United Nations (UN) and as
such agreed to the domestication protocol
that traditional medicine should be developed
further to support orthodox medicine.
Traditional medicine practitioners exist and
there is nothing any government can do to
suppress it because Western (Orthodox)
•Buhari
•Atilade
medicine and all other foreign medicines
can never take care of all people in a country.
Hospitals should be able to accommodate
traditional and herbal medicine practitioners.
Let a sick person be able to choose
the way he/she wants to be treated, in a
hospital.
Why can’t there be a bill to regulate the
practice? That is why wrong things are being
done daily. Similarly, wrong ways are
being practiced because there are no regulatory
policies. It is a shame to high heavens
that Nigeria cannot honour the agreement
she signed to at the World Health
Organisation (WHO) convention on Traditional
Medicine, by domesticating same.
Our recommendations is that the Federal
Government should look at the stage our
complementary and alternative medicine
is and engage experts in that field to take it
from there so that the college can be opened
and training can commenced.
The Nigeria Association of Traditional
Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP) should
be recognised and supported by the Federal
government. NANTMP should be registered
to regulate the practice of traditional
medicine. Then the bill should be passed to
ensure that no Dick and Harry parade themselves
as traditional medicine practitioners.
•Prof Odukoya
•Omosehindemi
The Chairman, Lagos State Traditional
Medicine Board, Dr Bunmi Omoseyindemi,
said:
The main agenda is to institutionalise traditional
medicine in the National Health
System through implementation of traditional
medicine policy prepared in 2007
with technical assistance of the World
Health Organisation. With that everything
will fall in place and the National Health
Bill of 2014 can effectively implemented.
The Director of Pax Herbal Clinic and Research
Laboratories, Ewu, Edo State, Fr.
Anselm Adodo, said:
Africa’s disease burden is growing rapidly.
To ignore the potential of traditional
health care is to omit a part of the solution.
Indigenous African medicine can bring
affordable remedies within reach of millions
who are unable to access orthodox care
due to its cost or distance. It also provides
an alternative for those who prefer, for
many reasons, to be treated in a more culturally
sympathetic and familiar way.
While Paxherbals provides an example of
what can be achieved from thebottom up
by modernising product development and
supply; facilitation and regulation are the
preserve of government. Nigeria could
have a thriving, home grown traditional
pharmaceutical industry in the near future.
The missing ingredient is the active support
of the federal government, which sets
policy. And Nigeria's 36 states, which are
responsible for regulation and technical
backing for primary health care services.
The issue is less about funding than about
political will and providing creative leadership
to make room for traditional care;
and about changing perceptions in a sometimes
resistant mainstream health system.
This is not a pipe dream because again,
Ghana has shown what is possible.
In 2016, to celebrate the 20th anniversary
of Paxherbals, we will invite government
officials to visit Ewu. We want to
convincethem that herbal medicine should
be a part of the health care system in Nigeria.
Of course, the government will want to
takecomplete charge of the whole system.
They will think that the best way to integrate
orthodox and traditional health careis
to place indigenous medicine under the
umbrella of the mainstream, Western system.
This would be the wrong approach.
Indigenous medicine is grounded in a different
philosophy and culture, a different
concept of the human being. Orthodox
andtraditional medicine can, and do, coexist
as independent partners. They should
learn from each other. Paxherbals will strive
for”collaborati” rather than “integration".
We also want to show government officials
how a local enterprise, embedded within
the community and based on indigenous
knowledge, can flourish and deliver community-wide
benefits. It has always been
my belief that you must first demonstrate
what is possible, if you want your model
to be recognised as successful and emulated.
That is what we have done at Paxherbals
fortwo decades. It is a model that works.
We need thousands more similar enterprises
in rural Nigeria to provide job opportunities
andhope for young Nigerians.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO),
Health Forever Limited, Otunba Olajuwon
Okubena, said:
As a matter of priority, the President-elect
should submit an executive bill to the National
Assembly to establish the law to
regulate and promote traditional medicine
in Nigeria in compliance with the treaty
signed at Lusaka by all heads of African
States in 2001. He should also ensure that
the bill is passed within a period of three to
six months. All other African countries have
complied except Nigeria.
At present, traditional medicine is being
suppressed. The fractious regulations and
institution, and the lack of support from
the Federal Government have further negated
its integration into the health care
system. It is, therefore, not sufficient to
recognise traditional medicine, but selfsustaining
and empowered structures and
a system must be provided for its effective
institutionalization.
The intention must be allowed for the development
and enrichment of traditional
medicine as a system in the sector, equal in
status to allopathic medicine as it is in
China and India, and more recently, South
Africa.
Nigeria, as a member of the African Union
(AU) and one of the economic giants of Africa,
should have led the way in the implementation
of the World Health
Organisation (WHO) Regional office for
Africa and WHO Regional Office for the
Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) tools, especially
because it has a thriving traditional
medicine industry. Traditional practitioners,
going by WHO statistics, are treating
up to 120 million Nigerians. Yet, there is
•Continued on page 44

44
NATURAL HEALTH
Wanted: Law in traditional
medicine practice
•Continued from page 43
no functional school or teaching hospital
where the medicines used by these practitioners
can be scientifically assembled,
documented and taught for present and future
generations.
Plan of action
In July 2001, during the summit of the
AU Heads of State and Governments held
in Lusaka, Zambia, the AU Decade for African
Traditional Medicine was declared to
cover 2001 to 2010. WHO/AFRO provided
technical support to AU and member states
during the declaration of the Decade.
The decision is crucial to the political recognition
of African Traditional Medicine
and signifies tremendous support for its rational
development, improvement and integration
into public health care system in
the region.
Also, the adoption of national policy on
access to biodiversity and protection of traditional
medical knowledge (AU Model
Law); establishment of centres of excellence/WHO
collaborating centres for research
and development of traditional medicines
used for the treatment of priority diseases;
creation of enabling political, economic
and regulatory environment for the
development of local production and for
cultivation and conservation of medicinal
and aromatic plants; promotion of laboratory
and clinical evaluation, development,
local production and marketing of
standardised traditional medicines; registration
of standardised traditional medicines in
the national essential list of traditional medicines
and prescription, rational use and monitoring
of standardised traditional medicines
in health care systems in public and private
sectors.
With the expiration of the deadline for the
implementation of the AU resolution, most
African countries have complied. A visit to
Ghana would confirm that traditional medicine
clinics and hospitals are operating with
the allopathic counterparts and citizens have a
choice of what health facilities to use as had
been the practice in China, India and Japan for
centuries. Unfortunately, there is no evidence
of traditional medicine practice in Nigeria.
This is a violation of the treaty signed in
2001 by African heads of state. For over 10
years, Nigeria has not established a framework
for this project and in technical terms,
the practice of herbal medicine is not supported
by law.
Chairman, National Association of Nigeria
Traditional Medicine Practitioners
(NANTMP), Lagos State, Dr Akande Yekini
said: The Federal Government should pass
the Traditional Medicine Bill presently before
the National Assembly. The incoming government
should give traditional medicine
equal chances like the orthodox medicine. Priority
should be given to the training and development
of traditional medicine to support
the country’s ailing health sector. State governments
should be mandated to have their
boards of traditional medicine to hasten its
development.
Similarly, the National Agency for Food and
Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
should help traditional medicine practitioners
have their own factory for the local production
of herbal drugs.
The agency should also ease the process of
registration of herbal products.
A Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA), Mrs
Temilade Fayemi (aka Mama Metta), said:
The World Health Organisation said traditional
medicine has been used for thousands
of years with great contributions made by practitioners
to human health, particularly, as primary
health care providers at the community
level. TM/CAM has maintained its popularity
worldwide. Since the 1990s, its use has
surged in many developed and developing
countries. Traditional Medicine is the sum total
of the knowledge, skills, and practices
based on the theories, beliefs and experiences
indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable
or not, used in the maintenance of
health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis,
improvement or treatment of physical and
mental illness.
So under this new government of General
Mohammadu Buhari, Traditional Medicine
(TM) should be autonomous. At the moment,
we are under the Ministry of Health but we
deserve to have Ministry of Natural/ Traditional
Health. With this we can fully develop
the potentials in our sector through research
and development. The orthodox medicine has
restrained our practice, and as such contributed
to lack of growth. The Ministry of Health
does not give us a level playing ground. At
state level, we need to have Commissioner
for Traditional Health, so the Commissioner
can present our heart desires to the government,
and can further protect our rights. For
example, where the Lagos State Traditional
Medicine Board is located is too obscure. We
need a very decent and strategic location for
the board.
TBAs have been enjoying some support from
the World Health Organisation (WHO) and
United Nations International Children Fund
(UNICEF) but more need to be done, especially
by the Federal government.
The in-coming government should further
build capacity of TBAs. There should be opportunity
for research in the sector and collaboration
among countries in the region. In
other West African countries, traditional medicine
enjoys government support but it is a different
scenario in Nigeria.
Acupuncturist Dr Bade Adewale said:
The incoming administration should give
autonomy to complementary and alternative
medicine. The Association of Complementary
and Alternative Medicine (NACAMA) wants
a separate regulatory council. At present, the
complementary and alternative medicine is
under the purview of the Medical and Dental
Council of Nigeria (MDCN). This, however,
has not helped the growth of the practice as
attention and priority are given to medical
and dental practice.
We want our own Council so that we can
develop the sector.
We have been clamouring for the Complementary
and Alternative Medicine Council
Nigeria (CAMCN) or the Nigerian Complimentary
and Alternative Medicine Council
(NCAMC) but the government is yet to accede
to our demand.
We have the 1991 decree which placed us
under MDCN to be repealed. We want complementary
and alternative medicine practitioners
to work in Primary Health Care (PHC)
centres across the country. We also want the
incoming administration to provide an opportunity
for practitioners to work in tertiary
and secondary health facilities. The incoming
government should include our practice
in the Medical Curriculum of Nigeria.
Also, our practice should be included in the
National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The proscribed Federal College of Alterna-
THE WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy
2014–2023 was developed and
launched in response to the World
Health Assembly resolution on traditional
medicine (WHA62.13). The strategy aims to
support Member States in developing proactive
policies and implementing action
plans that will strengthen the role traditional
medicine plays in keeping populations
healthy.
Addressing the challenges, responding to
the needs identified by Member States and
building on the work done under the WHO
traditional medicine strategy: 2002–2005, the
updated strategy for the period 2014–2023
devotes more attention than its predecessor
to prioritizing health services and systems,
including traditional and complementary
medicine products, practices and practitioners.
Regulation of T and CM products, practices
and practitioners
As a result of the WHO Traditional Medicine
Strategy 2002 to 2005, national and regional
policies and regulations have been
established to promote the safe use of T and
CM products, practices and practitioners (Box
4) in many Member States. It remains a key
responsibility of Member States to protect
the health of their populations by ensuring
the safety of T and CM practice and managing
its described risks more effectively (Box
5). Differences between countries are apparent
in the type of supervisory structures put
in place by governments in order to develop
policies and regulate T and CM products,
practices and practitioners while being
mindful of the need for consumer choice and
protection. Since Global review of T and CM
1 Communication with WHO from the Gov-
•Okubena
•Yekini
tive and Complimentary Medicine
(FEDCAM) should be reopened immediately
to allow for training of experts in complementary
and alternative medicine.
The college should be upgraded to a certificate
awarding university. This is because
we want to be producing more manpower
locally. The country should not at this time
in its development be relying on foreign
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
•Adewale
•Mrs Fayemi a.k.a Mama Metta
WHO traditional medicine strategy: 2014-2023
ernment of India, Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare, 2013. 31 WHO Traditional
Medicine Strategy
T and CM is diversely perceived and assessed
in different countries, it is hardly surprising,
given their different national priorities,
legislation and resources, that Member
States will choose to protect the health
of their populations in very different ways.
Box 4: T and CM products, practices and practitioners
T and CM products include herbs,
herbal materials, herbal preparations and
finished herbal products that contain parts
of plants, other plant materials or combinations
thereof as active ingredients. In some
countries herbal medicines may contain, by
tradition, natural organic or inorganic active
ingredients that are not of plant origin
(e.g. animal and mineral materials). (Ref.:
modified questionnaire explanation in the
second WHO Global Survey).
T and CM practices include medication
therapy and procedure-based health care
therapies such as herbal medicines, naturopathy,
acupuncture and manual therapies
such as chiropractic, osteopathy as well as
other related techniques including qigong,
tai chi, yoga, thermal medicine, and other
physical, mental, spiritual and mind-body
therapies. (Ref.: modified definition of procedure-based
therapies in WHO General
Guidelines for Methodologies on Research
and Evaluation of Traditional Medicine). T
and CM practitioners can be TM practitioners,
CM practitioners, conventional medicine
professionals and health care workers
such as doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives,
pharmacists and physical therapists who provide
TM/ CAM services to their patients (Ref.:
modified questionnaire explanation in the
second WHO Global Survey).
training in the practice. As practitioners, we
normally have to travel abroad every time
to train. This should not be. We want to export
our expertise abroad, the way China
and Japan do.
Also, we want the incoming administration
to give Complementary and alternative
medicine power to regulate the practice.
WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy: T and
CM is diversely perceived and assessed in
different countries, it is hardly surprising,
given their different national priorities, legislation
and resources, that Member States
will choose to protect the health of their
populations in very different ways.
Box 4: T and CM products, practices and
practitioners T and CM products include
herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparations
and finished herbal products that contain
parts of plants, other plant materials or combinations
thereof as active ingredients. In
some countries herbal medicines may contain,
by tradition, natural organic or inorganic
active ingredients that are not of plant
origin (e.g. animal and mineral materials).
(Ref.: modified questionnaire explanation in
the second WHO Global Survey). T and CM
practices include medication therapy and
procedure-based health care therapies such
as herbal medicines, naturopathy, acupuncture
and manual therapies such as chiropractic,
osteopathy as well as other related techniques
including qigong, tai chi, yoga, thermal
medicine, and other physical, mental,
spiritual and mind-body therapies. (Ref.:
modified definition of procedure-based
therapies in WHO General Guidelines for
Methodologies on Research and Evaluation
of Traditional Medicine). T and CM practitioners
can be TM practitioners, CM practitioners,
conventional medicine professionals
and health care workers such as doctors,
dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and
physical therapists who provide TM/ CAM
services to their patients (Ref.: modified questionnaire
explanation in the second WHO
Global Survey).
•Source: www.who.int

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015 45
NATURAL HEALTH
Anti-aging tips for Buhari in Change era (3)
N the series so far, examples have been given of the
herculean work which lie waiting for the Buhari Ad-
Iministration. There are old and ethnic injuries to heal.
There is a motley crowd All Progressives Congress (APC)
party to wield together. A huge task it would be to maintain
a healthy balance between the populist natures, of a
President Buhari and the APC. How far can the government
be separated from the party without a snap occurring
somewhere? In other words, how distant can architects
of the Buhari Administration be kept from the government
in favor of a technocrats dominated government?
Gen. Buhari wishes to create about four million
jobs in one year, supply enough electricity nationwide
on non-stop basis, and engineer a farming revolution.
Over haul security (that will involve police and armed
forces reforms). Combat corruption, drastically reduce
cost of governance (that will involve demolishing jumbo
pay for Senators and Representatives)
And among other ventures, repair a damaged economy
President Ebele Jonathan is leaving behind. For a President
in his seventies, this is a mountainous journey which
will task brain and brawn. Brain and brawn tasking will
stress the body. Stress will produce free radicals. And
free radicals will hasten aging process, unless they are
checked. This column does not see Gen. Buhari in isolation.
We are all aging gracefully or otherwise because
our work or lifestyle expose us to stress, and the health
damaging effects of free radicals.As an editor, I kept a
10a.m to 3a.m work schedule every day from 1983 to
about 1996.
It took a toll on several parts of my body, including
my eyes. I have been luckier than many people only because
I have some knowledge of free radicals and antioxidants
which always it is my joy to share.
But, luckily for us all, we are being told by researchers
that we can now live up to 150 years if we control our
lifestyles and consume more foods and drinks which have
lots of anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants destroy free radicals.
And without free radicals troubling them, our cell can
live for as long as 150 years without health mishaps.
They have demonstrated this on animals by extending
the lifespans of some of them five times over. As promised
last week, the following anti-aging that is life-extending
health tips for Gen. Buhari and the rest of us
come from the summary of anti-aging research work
world-wide replied by two world –best –seller writers
in their books. One of these books: ‘Stop aging’, was
written by Jean carper. The other, written by Judy
Limberg Mcfarland, entitled- ‘Aging without growing
old.’ I recommended both books for your library.
Hear Jean Carper:
F you know how free radicals are born and how to
partially tame them, you understand the rules of the
aging game and the simple moves you can make to
Isave yourself from premature and devastating aging. You
age, as does every creature. It is part of the cosmic plan.
Aging is universal, as a death. But how rapidly you age
is not. Nor your own individual lifespan. Both the age
rate at which you age and your time on earth are under
more control than you may dream than scientists envisioned
until recently closed.
Jean carper inform us that Oxygen, the component of
the air we breathe in to keep us alive, is a double-edged
sword which can also shorten our lives if our bodies
cannot successfully handled. Its serves as fuel in small
factories in the cells of our bodies called mitochondria.
It is the mitochondria that energy is produced. The waste
products of oxygen combusted in the mitochondria are
oxygen free radicals.
Jean Carper Says: “About a trillion molecules of oxygen
go through each cell every day, inflicting about
100,000 free radicals hits or wounds on your cells genes
or DNA, estimate geneticist, Bruce Aimes, of the University
of California at Berkley.’’
Dr Aimes says about 99 percent of the wounds are repaired
every day, leaving about 10,000 wounds
unrepaired by patrolling enzymes and antioxidants.
Dr Aimes says that, by the time we say we are old,’’…we
find a few million oxygen lesions (wounds) per cell.’’
Jean Carper would add that: ‘’It is this accumulation of
cellular damaged or rubbish from incomplete repair that
fuels the aging process, pushing up your odds of disease
and death. It is estimated that, by the time you are filthy,
about 30 percent of your cellular protein has been turned
into rusty drink by free radical attacks. Particularly vulnerable
also are fatty molecules which are abundant in
the delicate structural membranes of the cells and in the
blood. Free radicals attack oxidize such fats, leaving it
spoiled, just as butter out of the refrigerator becomes
rancid. In a sense it has been said that as we age, ‘we
chemically resemble a piece of meat that has been left
too long in the open air and sun.’ The bottom line as Jean
Carper advices us, is that we are on the way to an early
grave once we have far more free radicals in our bodies
than we have antioxidants to fight. In this scenario, the
body begins to exhibit such symptoms as tiredness, pain,
heart and circulatory diseases, asthria, vision decline,
diabetes and even cancer, among several others. She offers
three suggestions for diminishing the free radical
load and enlarging antioxidant presence in the body. The
first obvious defense is to, “eat plenty of antioxidants’’
she says ‘’flooding your blood stream and hence your
cells with neutralizers of free radicals. This includes the
powerful three antioxidant.
...VITAMIN E, Beta carotene and Vitamine C… As well
as more exotic anti-oxidants in supplements, herbs and
food such as galic, broccoli, tea, and tomatoes. Her second
suggestion is that we avoid foods that are easily
oxidised so that , by not eating them, we do not get into
our bodies foods that will easily oxidise inside it and
released large amounts of free radicals. She names as
examples of easily oxidized foods, “corn and safflower
oil, magarine and dry eggs in many processed foods. If I
may briefly interrupt to make a few comments, it should
now be clear to some friends of mine why I never tired
of suggesting that they include wheatgrass, Spirulina and
Diatom (Diatomaceas health or Edible Earth) in their
daily diet. Spirulina is about the richest plant source of
beta carotene. Wheatgrass stimulates immune system
function and such as enzymes as support free radical
elimination and repair of cellular damage. And ever since
I learned from Dr Ray Strands’ ‘What your doctor does
not know about nutrition’ may be killing YOU how he
found Grape seed extract valuable in combating many
degenerative diseases, I have made sure it is a part of my
anti-oxidant dietary supplement every day. Vitamin C
and Vitamin E are well praised as anti-oxidants. But it
may not be well known by many people that grape seed
extract is 50 times more potent than they are as an antioxidant.
Back to Jean Carper, her third suggestion in the
battle against free radicals says: “The third strategy is to
inject supplements, herbs, vitamins and other food constituents
that indirectly stimulate enzymes. Rev up the
body’s detoxification, systems that zap free radicals. Notable
is broccoli, which contains sulforaph are a chemical
that Johns Hopkins researcher recently found stimulate
mechanisms that vapourises specific free radicals.
Let us listen to Judy Limberg McFarland: Gladys
Limberg had a simple test for establishing the true age
of a person. She would tell you to pull up the skin on the
back of your hand and pull it up taut, hold it for a few
seconds, and then let go. If your skin snaps back, mother
declared you to be young, regardless of your chronological
years. If your skin crawled back, you were old.
Truly, old skin may take a minute or more to return to
normal. Mother of course, love to show her customers
how elastic her own beautiful skin was, check yours.
Compare your skin with younger and old friends. We
each have two ages. There is our chronological age which
involves the celebration of birthdays and the passing of
years, and our biological age, which reflects the rate at
which we are getting older. Every body ages at the same
chronological age, but people do not age at the same
biological rate. You will find the skin test comparism interesting,
especially if you smoke and drink alcohol. “My
husband and I were high school sweethearts and continued
dating throughout college. Don received a football scholarship
to the University of Southern Califonia, and we didn’t
marry until 1955 after college. We attended our 50 th manual
Arts High School reunion and we were looking forward in
meeting our friends of long ago. When we arrived at the
hotel, Dons said he was going to ask directions to the ball
room, but I assured him he would find our friends without
difficulty well we found the ballroom with lots of celebrating,
happy senior citizens. Don hesitated before going in,
saying this can’t be our class they look too old:of course, it
was our group. We realized very quickly how fast the years
had flown by. I had never thought much about our own
aging until we attended that party and saw many of our
long lost friends. We were all about the same chronological
age except the new wives of some of the men, but we certainly
had many biological ages. Some looked great, but
others (we recognized only by their high school photo on
their name tag. What causes the differences in the aging of
our friends?
Sixteen points:
From now on, I would like to see, through the eyes of the
anti- aging writers that is Jean Carper and Judy Limberg
e-mail: femi.kusa@yahoo.com or olufemikusa@yahoo.com Tel: 08116759749, 08034004247, 07025077303
Mcfarland, what anti–aging support mother Nature has for
each aspect of the human body, beginning with the brain.
Ginkgo biloba
EAN Carper holds Ginkgo biloba up as a most essential
herb supplement for healthy brain function where there
is a problem with blood circulation to the brain. For
Jthousands of years, Ginkgo had been called maiden hair.
That was when the tea was taken largely by women because
it was thought to make their hair grow long, sturdy and
beautiful. Scientists researched this claim, they concluded
the claims were genuine and probably due to the fact that
Ginkgo promotes blood circulation too.
Thereafter, the name changed and recently ophthalmologists
have included it in eye health formulations not only
on account of its antioxidant properties but also because it
improved blood circulation to the brain, as well as improved
blood circulation to the eyes.
Judy Limberg Mc farland says: Ginkgo biloba extracts
has antioxidant activity, improves arterial blood flow and
enhances cellular metabolism, it is known for its antiaging
properties and has been used in some cultures for
centuries to help prevent degenerative changes in the eye.
Ginkgo improves blood circulation in the eye and related
eye structures such as the retina that helps prevent macular
degeneration sometimes, Ginkgo is combined with
cayenne for the purpose of enhancing blood circulation
in double – quick march. When it is combined with bilbery
and zinc sulfate, an improvement in vision is sometimes
reported, as zinc and Bilberry are antioxidants with some
specificity for the eye.
Says Judy Lumberg Mcfarland: “Perhaps the most important
nutrient for potentially improving memory and warding
off semility is the Chinese herb Ginkgo biloba, derived
from one of the most ancient trees known to mankind.
The single Ginkgo tree can live for 1,000 years. Research
shows that the leaves of this tree, taken in supplement
form produce remarkable pharmacological action
to the circulatory and nervous systems.
“GINKGO biloba may be the most effective remedy available
for short term memory loss, slow thinking and reasoning,
deafness, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), and problem
with vertigo and equilibrum. It is also being used to
treat all types of dementia, cognitive disorders, related to
depression, absent mindedness, confusion, lack of energy,
alzheicmeris disease and senility.” She reports that Ginkgo
is the most widely used prescription in Europe” with more
than 10 million prescriptions every year for different
health problems, especially for those affecting the circulatory
system.
(Back to Jean Carper. In STOP AGING NOW. She says of
Ginkgo Biloba: “Its leaves pulverised into a powder or
liquid has long been revered for its anti aging effects on
the brain. And after 5,000 years of on and off medicinal
popularity, Ginkgo biloba is undergoing a monumental
revival. Ginkgo is coming of age because it gives to the
needs of an aging population; its anti aging powers have
made a big scientific splash, particularly in Germany and
France, where tens of millions of people have used it with
great success.
“Ginkgo is the most important, medicinal plant agent ‘to
be marketed in Europe during the last decade’, declared leading
medicinal plant authority, Varro E. P.h.D. Tyler at Purdue
University. She reports that German doctors write more than
five million Ginkgo prescriptions every year to reverse or
avert aging-relating challenges, including deteriorating
memory.”
The leaves of Ginkgo are divided into two lobes, just like
the brain, perhaps a signature secret tune that gives it the
name Ginkgo biloba. About plants of Ginkgo leaves make
about fifty pound of Ginkgo biloba extract in liquid or capsule
or tablet. The elderly profit from Ginkgo biloba supplementation
because it makes blood flow easily through their
vessels which, through free radical damage or some other
transformation, are clugged and inflexible, causing high
blood pressure and pain in parts of the body starved of oxygen
because of poor blood circulation. Jean carper says: “Apparently,
Ginkgo allows blood to squeeze through even the
tiniest, narrowed vessel to nourish oxygen- starved tissue
in the brain, heart and limbs often restoring memory and
wiping away muscle pain, among other things. More than
300 scientific papers have been published in Ginkgo, many
confirming that Ginkgo stimulates blood flow, feeding oxygen
to tissue, most likely by dilating blood vessels and discouraging
blood platelets from sticking together forming
clots.”
Furthermore, “Ginkgo delivers healing oxygen and restoring
memory blood not only to the healthy part of the
brain, but specifically to disease- damaged areas, actually
bringing new life to an aging brain.” Jean carper tells us of
studies which show Ginkgo to be a more powerful antioxidant
than vitamin c, “blocking highly destructive oxidation
of falty cells.” She adds: “unquestionably, Ginkgo can ameliorate
the symptoms of cerebral insufficiency, according to
sterling research, including an analysis of 40 controlled studies
by doctors Jos kleijen and Paul Klipschild at the university
of Limberg in Maastricht, the Netherland. Written in
the British Journal of Clinical pharmacology in 1992, they
concluded that the evidence for using Ginkgo to treat cerebral
insufficiency equals that for the pharmaceutical drug
coder doctrine (hydrogen, commonly prescribed for cerebral
insufficiency.

46
THE NATION
POLITICS
E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net
THURSDAY APRIL 23, 2015
Former governor of Kwara State Senator Bukola Saraki spoke with reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, shortly after the victory
of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the polls on partisan issues. Our Correspondent, ADEKUNLE JIMOH was there
‘Nigerians ‘ll not regret voting Buhari’
W
HAT is the factor aided the victory of the APC?
This victory is not only for APC it is for all Nigerians. I
say this with all sincerity because it was the determination
of Nigerians and their commitment to stand for what believed
in that got us thus far.
In the past Nigerians and voters in general would not come out
to vote and even when they came it was not with conviction; they
were frustrated with the process. But this time around it was clear
that Nigerians were convinced that APC represents change and it
was time and it was time for a new Nigeria.
I always believe that we are opening a new chapter in this country.
Nigeria can never be the same again. I am very convinced
about that; that to me is the greatest achievement. The victory of
APC in the elections is small to me compared to that of Nigeria.
The Nigeria we are starting now is the one all of us have been
wishing for. It does not if you have money you will win in an
election. That is fantastic for all of us and for our democracy because
we will begin to see good governance. Now all our elected
officers must be accountable and deliver dividends of democracy
to all. Also, it will help build our political parties. It is good for
our democracy.
In Kwara here, the message I have always been saying from
day one the way politicians in the opposition parties behave, think
that Kwarans are fools. They go away for three and half years
and come back six months to elections and believe they can take
the people for granted.
They are not the kind of people to be trusted with leadership of
the state. Whatever you might say about APC, they are the people
that are always there with the people. They don’t wait for
elections to come. They are there thinking on how to improve the
lots of this great state.
It is our honest view that we have now put in place a more
credible person who will be accountable there will be better funding
at the both the state and local government levels and we will
begin to see improvement at the state and local government levels.
We have seen what has happened to the exchange rate. Just in
this period now the rate has appreciated for about 30 percent; that
for the fact that President Buhari is coming and APC is forming
government.
How would you rule the PDP governorship candidate?
Senator Simeon Ajibola who said he has not lost an election. He
should have said that he has never won too, because he didn’t
win. We were the one winning for him, so he didn’t win right
from his first senatorial to the second. In the 2011 elections, there
is video recording when I was begging people not to vote for him
but for me. I said it many time because people were saying they
did not want him. He has never won an election that is why he
could not win even in his local government.
Or his running mate, Yinka Aluko who has not contested any
election because they all believe that the election would be done
in Aso Villa. The message to all politicians is for them to go back
and win the confidence of their people. It is now clear to them
that power lies with the people with outside state.
It shows that they do not have the interest of Kwarans at heart.
They are doing it largely because they want to dislodge the Saraki
dynasty because we have been there taking care of the good people
of Kwara state. That is why very soon PDP will collapse and
the will want to defect. If they truly believe in freedom for Kwara
let them stay in opposition and provide alternative for Kwarans.
But, there is crisis in Rivers?
I don’t think anybody can deny the fact that compared to other
states of the country that there was something wrong in the Rivers
state election. That already raises a red flag that something has
gone wrong there. That needs to be investigated and I think it is
only fair for the people of Rivers to have an election that is similar
to what happened to other parts of the country. There is nothing
that should be special about Rivers that people should be deprived
of anything that is not up to standard that is acceptable today in
what you call an election. I think the responsibility lies on INEC
and elections petition tribunal to rectify that anomaly. There are
two issues here. There is the issue of the election itself and the
issue of what happened in Rivers and how do will ensure normal
democratic process in Rivers state. We cannot accept that was a
norm.
I think more importantly, we must ensure that people that violated
the electoral laws must be punished. It is the only way in
subsequent elections people will respect the law. We must begin
to hold people responsible for the actions that they commit during
elections. In all civilized societies going for an election should
not be the issue of one’s life should be threatened.
What will the governor do in his second term?
We did provide some funding on the issue of water, which was
meant to be phase one of the project. I think its something that
continues, it has not been done. Definitely, it will require a lot of
funding for the state to be able to ensure the project is completed
so that the people, especially at the central can get the benefit of
uninterrupted power supply. That now comes back to the revenue
profile of the state.
I think of the things we cannot turn away from and we must
come to terms with, is that there must be increase in revenue independent
of federal allocation. But in doing that, we the people
must be ready to make sacrifices. We have been hearing about
•Saraki
‘
The victory of APC in the elections
is small to me compared to
that of Nigeria. The Nigeria we
are starting now is the one all of
us have been wishing for
Lagos and Ogun States. But the people of Lagos are paying a lot
for those revenues. Generally, our people are very reluctant when
it comes to taxes of different types. I think we have to begin to
come to terms with the fact that if we really want the kind of
development that we are seeing in some parts of Nigeria particularly
Lagos and Ogun States, we must begin to appreciate that it
is time that we might have to start paying those taxes.
What we need to begin to look at is how to hold government
accountable as much as agreed on the type of leadership. Because
I have always believe that if you are providing leadership, you
must do it honestly. There is no point sweet-quoting some things.
The reality on ground today based on the oil price of over $50, if
the Federal Government blocks the leakages, address the oil theft,
yes, that will help revenues.
But taking it to the extent of oil price going to $100 per barrel at
the international market, if it does at all, for another two to three
years, I don’t see that. I can see an oil price of $70 per barrel stabilizing
for the long time. If you have that as your projection, then
you can walk back to us to see if oil price gets to $70 or $80, you
can anticipate what total revenue will be. Would that revenue be
able to sustain development. I think these are frank questions we
need to put before ourselves. There is no need for us to be sentimental
and emotional on this issue. There is a saying “No pain
without gain. I believe that those are the challenges the chief executives
in the 36 states have ahead of them.
Seriously, we in Nigeria must understand that there cannot be
miracle. There has to be some pains to get some gains. It is unfortunate
that we lost the opportunity of six years of $100 per barrel
of crude oil, and we did not make gross advantage of it. I believe
that if we have had an accountable government, there is no way
we should not have reserves and excess crude. Unfortunately what
we have now, we have to face reality. But I believe that sometimes
this kind of things happen for a good cause. It will help us
to see that we don’t any other option than to diversify our economy,
to move away from oil and look at other areas.
And also there is no way out of it. We have to increase our nonoil
revenue base. To do this, you must go to issue of taxation. So
these are the challenges, not only in Kwara but all over the 36
’
states.
What is your expectation about the new government at the
centre?
I think the President-elect has emphasized the issue of integrity
and capacity. You have heard what I just talked about the challenges
ahead. It is not going to be a tea party. There is work to be
done. We have the mess to clean up. We have expectation also to
meet for all the people that have gone around on change slogan.
To expect the immediate result, we must have people that hit the
ground running and be able to perform. The issue now is to balance
between the political expectation of people who have supported
the political party win and also on performance. It is clear
that with the kind of mandate we have been given, we must that
ensure we perform and we succeed so that we do not run into the
same problem like PDP.
What agenda would you set for the APC government at the
national level?
The President-elect in the campaign was very clear. The issue of
corruption, security and provision of jobs for the youths. I think
these are three clear areas that are key in addressing that. In the
area of security, the fight against Boko Haram, bring down insurgency
in those areas and restoring credibility and belief in our
military. There would be zero tolerance for corruption and because
of the backdrop of that, you begin see revenue coming up
and you will have more money for infrastructural development.
Could you shedlight on your asset declaration?
We are just making a lot of noise of it. Definitely, by and large,
there is no public servant that would not declare his assets. Now
with FOI, you declare your assets with code of conduct and you
declare it in public. I don’t think it is declaration of assets that
would make you less corrupt or more accountable. I think it is
your own individual commitment to your party and leadership
provided. Leadership is very important because the leader leads
by example. Honestly, things will change. Instead of sitting with
the president to seek favour, you come home and sit down with
your people so that you can have the better chance of winning
election.
And if you are not accountable, you are stealing government
money, people will not vote for you. Honestly, March 28 was a
turning point in this history of this country.
With influx of people into APC, Nigeria is drifting toward
one party state?
One party is not good for our democracy. I believe that our
democracy is begin to mature. We now must begin to involve
party representing policies, principles and what they stand for. It
is important for democracy to have a strong opposition. It is important
for us to see our sacrifice and service not about personal
gain. When somebody after election does not have any major issue
for decamping, then he is not providing good leadership or
prepared to serve the people. So I do not support the issue of one
party.
In our state, a lot of people have been talking, some said they
are freedom fighters. So their freedom fighting should not end
after they lost election. Because if you believe in freedom, that is
what they were saying, unless you were deceiving the people to
use freedom to try to get what you wanted to get. That freedom
should not end after the election. It is clear that they were not
fighting for any freedom, it is for their own personal things.
What is your reaction to Gbemisola Saraki’s defection from
the PDP
Apart from the fact of being a biological sister, if you look at the
political family and remove the biological aspect of it, tell me who
is in PDP that is not a family member of this place (Great Hall) or
who is in PDP that did not start from this place. So if you say
implant, then all of them, we took them there for implantation.
The only difference between Gbemi among them is biological sister.
Is it Bio, Abu, Ajibola or Yinka Aluko, tell me who among
them. The only person there you might say is Dele Belgore. Apart
Dele, everybody in that place is coming from this house. Tell me
one person who did not come from this house or who has risen in
his political independent of this house. That is a cheap blackmail
that cannot take us anywhere.
What is your assessment of the INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru
Jega?
This is the man that has shown us in Nigeria that we have credible
people, we have people that can stand for what they believe,
would not be intimidated and would do the right thing despite
all the pressure. But what I think it is more important as he (Jega)
leaves, he should ensure that the institution is leaving behind
would continue along this line, to ensure that his successor also
has those principles that he has brought in. And he should also
play a key role in ensuring that he gets a good successor so that
the good things he had done would be sustained. I think that is
when Nigeria would be better for it.
Could clear the air on the allegation that the deputy governor
will be replaced?
I think that is just cheap propaganda and blackmail. You all
know what the constitution provides on the issue. In 2011 we
rejected it, ditto even in this last one. The issue of replacement
does not even arise at all. It is clear to some of these people that
this kind of cheap propaganda doesn’t sell. What sells is what has
being their performance and what are they doing to the people. I
think that is just garbage talk.

THE NATION THURSDAY APRIL 23, 2015
‘
We are calling on the INEC to declare the results. Let the
media and international community come to our aid. How
can re-run be held when rhe results have been announced?
We will not go for a re-run. Jega should fire the REC. The
people have lost confidence in him
’
47
• From left: Legal Adviser, Ukwa Ngwa Elders Elder Chibuike Nwokeukwu, Former Senate President Adolphus Wabara,
Elder Emmanuel Adaelu and Secretary, Aba Union Chief Godfrey Akara, at a press briefing by the group in Lagos to decry the
declaration of the April 11 governorship election in Abia State as inconclusive.
Abia: A poll and foul play
TENSION is brewing in Abia
State over the outcome of the
governorship election. When
voters trooped out for the exercise 10
days ago, little did they guess that the
result will be hanging.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Victor
Ozumba, the Vice Chancellor of University
of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN,)
and the Resident Electoral Commissioner
(REC), Prof. Selina Okon, accepted
the results submitted by the
returning officers across the 17 local
governments. But, three days after,
the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) announced that
the election was inconclusive. Although
the results of the House of
Assembly, which was conducted simultaneously
with the governorship
poll were upheld, the umpire ordered
a re-run governorship election.
According to the disputed results,
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
candidate, Dr. Victor Ikpeazu, scored
260,724. The All Progressives Grand
Alliance (APGA) candidate, Dr. Alex
Otti polled 161,772. The margin is
78,952. The electoral agency has justified
the cancellation of results in
some local governments, saying that
the exercise was marred by violence.
Thus, in its view, the conduct of the
poll was not in compliance with the
electoral law.
Irked by the cancellation, a group,
Ukwa Ngwa Leaders of Thought and
Professionals, decried what he described
as the falsification of the results
and called for the declaration of
the PDP flag bearer as the winner.
“The election was free and fair. The
AIG that supervised it from the security
angle attested to the transparency
across the 17 councils. There was
no record of violence,” said its leader,
Emmanuel Adaelu, who flayed the
commission for intransigence and
manipulation to favour a candidate.
Adaelu, who spoke with reporters
in Lagos, wondered why INEC officials
could conduct House of Assembly
and governorship elections into
two offices in one location, under the
same circumstances, and declare the
result of one as fair and valid and another
inconclusive.
Another leader of the group, former
By Emmanuel Oladesu
Group Political Editor
Senate President Adolphus Wabara,
said since the people have given the
mandate to Ikpeazu, the re-run is unnecessary.
He said the reasons given
for the cancellation of the results by
the REC in some areas were not tenable.
He said efforts were being made
to truncate the process to prevent the
emergence of Ikpeazu from the Ukwa
Ngwa axis of the state as the governor.
Wabara stressed: “There is a concerted
national conspiracy against
Nkwa Ngwa. From what has been
highlighted, we could deduce that we
are unwanted. Some resukts were
cancelled, based on the flimsy excuse
that she was advised to cancel them
by international observers.
“International observers lacked the
legal backing to advise the Returning
Officer to cancel results. They are
looking for ways to deny us the
golden opportunity and give it to
Alex Otti, who is not a genuine Nkwa
Ngwa man.”
The former Senate President said
the group is bitter about the purported
cancellation because of its implications
for Nkwa Ugwa. He said
since the creation of the state in 1991,
this is the first time an Nkwa Ngwa
candidate would be elected. He said
the move to deny the area the slot is
worrisome, pointing out that Abia is
categorised as an oil-producing state
because of the deposit in Abia South.
Wabara added: “We are calling on
the INEC to declare the results. Let
the media and international community
come to our aid. How can re-run
be held when rhe results have been
announced? We will not go for a rerun.
Jega should fire the REC. The
people have lost confidence in him.”
Another member of the group,
Chukwu Nwachukwu, said that it is
abnormal to reverse the results that
have already been announced. he
said the only option is for the aggrieved
to approach the tribunal, if
they are not satisfied with the outcome.
Adaelu alleged that the process was
being truncated on the altar of selfish
interest, which has conflicted with the
principles of personal justice. He
warned that INEC may plunge the
state into an avoidable crisis, if its position
on the cancellation of the result
is not reversed. “The university
where the RO is the Vice Chancellor
has just conferred a honorary doctorate
degree on Dr. Alex Otti, the PDP
flag bearer. The REC is Otti’s cousin.
INEC ought to have considered these
in appointing officials to manage
governorship election in Abia State,”
he added.
Wabara said the crisis is threatening
the peace of the state, adding that
the youths the INEC Chairman, Prof.
Attahiru Jega, can avert the doom by
ordering the release of the governorship
election as it has done in the case
of the parliamentary elections that
were held the same day.
Adaelu urged the INEC to consider
the petition sent to it by the
stakeholders in the interest of justice.
He recalled that the REC and the RO
resorted to citing non-existing acts of
violence and non-compliance with
the electoral law, following the failure
of moves by the officials to cancel
the results.
He said the results of eight local
governments, with 177,000 voters,
were cancelled and re-run ordered to
give an undue advantage to the
APGA candidate and deny the PDP
candidate from savouring the mandate
legitimately conferred on him by
the people.
Ogun SDP aspirant salutes Amosun
IGHTS activist Olawale
Okunnyi has congratulated
Governor Ibikunle Amosun Rover his victory.
Okunniyi said the resounding victory
of Amosun has demonstrated his
popularity.
He commended the governor for his
political tenacity and pleaded with
him to embrace political opponents
‘
International observers
lacked the
legal backing to advise
the Returning
Officer to cancel results.
They are looking
for ways to deny
us the golden opportunity
and give it to
Alex Otti, who is not
a genuine Nkwa
Ngwa man
’
and supporters, adding that he should
“discourage undue opposition, in the
interest of the stability needed for good
governance in the state”
The Ago-Iwoye born politician ,
expressed appreciation to APC leaders,
including; Prince Tony Momoh,
former Chairman of the defunct Congress
for Progressive Change (APC),
Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the State
of Osun and Alhaji Tajudeen Bello for
making it possible for him and his associates
to play a role in the success
story of the party
Okunniyi reaffirmed his loyalty
and commitment to the party.
He thanked APC supporters for delivering
his polling unit, ward and the
House Of Assembly seat in the
ifelodun constituency to the APC.
I am a child of destiny —Lalong
THE governor-elect of Plateau
State, Simon Lalong, has described
himself as a child of destiny,
adding that his victory was divine.
Lalong spoke after receiving his
certificate of return from the Independent
National Electoral Commission
(INEC) at a colourful ceremony
held at Hill Station Hotel, Jos, the
state capital.
He said: “To emerge winner in an election
coming from an opposition party
in a state where the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) has ruled for the past 16
years can only be the work of God.
Lalong added: “That is the more
reason my government will work
for Plateau people with the fear of
God. I will not take this victory as
mine but that of Plateau people, I
will treat all plateau citizens fairly.
APC youths
hail Tinubu,
Akinyelure
THE Leader of the All
Progressives Congress,
(APC) in Delta State, Senator
Francis Okpozo, has flayed the purported
expulsion of Hon. Temi
Harriman from the party by a section
of the state executive committee,
describing it as illegal.
His assertion came as the chairman
of the party, Prophet Jones
Erue, who allegedly signed the expulsion
notice, disowned the publication.
He said, he was not part
of any meeting where Harriman
and two others were marked down
for expulsion. The secretary of the
party, Comrade Chidi Okonji also
said that the publication was
fraudulent.
Harriman, the Coordinator of the
General Muhammadu Buhari Campaign
Organisation, was purportedly
expelled for the indiscretion
that led to the party’s loss of Delta
South at the presidential and National
Assembly elections.
Describing the allegations as unfounded
and calculated to tarnish
the image of Harriman and Okpozo
the secretary described them as a
honest and committed chieftains.
He warned that action could be
From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos
“I will not discriminate or
marginalized any section of the
state based on ethnic, political or
religious differences, everybody
will be given a sense of belonging
in my administration” He said.
The governor-elect promised to check
moral bankruptcy and corruption.
He called on the people to support
his administration which will
take off on May 29.
He said: “My government is going
to be people-base, I therefore
urged all citizens of the state to support
my administration which will
take off from May 29. We need to
work collectively like broom, the
symbol of APC, that is the kind of
unity we desire as a state.
•Akinyelure
THE victory of the All
Progressives Congress
(APC) at the general elections
in the Southwest has earned
the National Leader, Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu, and the zonal leader, Chief
Pius Akinyelure, an applause from
the APC National Youth Assembly.
The National Coordinator, Comrade
Majeed Yahaya, said that while
Nigerians were celebrating the victory
of General Muhammadu
Buhari, which was made possible
by God, the victory of the party in
the Southwest is another testimony
of the leadership quality of the
former governor of Lagos.
In a statement, Yahaya said: “We
gave the glory to Almighty God for
these victories and the leadership
direction Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu
has given us. The APC National
Youth Assembly wants to congratulate
our National Leader for ensuring
that we retained our pride in the
states APC is holding in the southwest.
The victories in the election
held on 11 April are landmark
achievements. Tinubi is indeed a visionary
leader, a core democrat, an
ideologist and a strategist, who God
has used to accomplish the huge
success and victories recorded at the
just concluded elections both at federal
and state levels. We will forever
appreciate you.
He added: “Our appreciation also
goes to Chief Akinyelure, whose fatherly
experience we would continue
to enjoy. His coming on board
as the southwest chairman of the
APC has been a blessing to the region.
We’re also full of joy with the
record created by Governor
Ajimobi who broken the second
term jinx in Oyo State,” Comrade
Yahaya said.
Yahaya described the success of
APC in the presidential and governorship
election as positive things
to happen in Nigeria.
‘Delta APC has not expelled Okpozo’
brought on the members of the executive
involved in what he described
as illegal actions.
He said: “Harriman, as the leader of
the South Senatorial District, did not
commit any offence because, whatever
money the party gave, she distributed
it equally well to everybody’s satisfaction,
so nobody should accuse her of
anything. If the people accusing her
wanted to take the money for themselves,
it is their own headache.
“So, I strongly object to this action
of the state executive of the
party and I have intimated the
headquarters of the party. They
should not harass the woman, they
should not malign her and should
not tarnish her image, she is an
honest lady.”
Denying his involvement in any
meeting where Harriman was marked
down for expulsion, Erue said yesterday:
“I did not authorise that publication,
I did not attend such a meeting,
I did not know anything about
it and I don’t know where the meeting
took place. I have told my lawyers
to find out who did it because
it is eavesdropping my name. I
don’t know anything about it.”

48 THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015

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50 THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015

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52
THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
THE NATION
e-Business
Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.com e-mail: e-business@thenationonlineng.net
lukajanaku02@gmail.com
Piracy has moved from the physical to ‘virtual’ space. Cloud technology is the new frontier in information
technology (IT). Online piracy of music, films and other contents has moved to this new
frontier. While the digital thieves are smiling broadly to the banks, the intellectual property right
owners are licking their wounds, reports LUCAS AJANAKU.
Pirates
take game
to cloud
SINCE he is not serving any master, he
wakes up and goes out any time he likes.
Money is not his problem as he has an
illegal, but steady stream of income flow.
What he does is that he goes to the popular,
but notorious Otigba Market (Computer Village),
Ikeja, Lagos or Oshodi or, better still,
Alaba International Market, on the outskirts
of the city to buy empty compact discs (CDs).
He buys a pack containing 50 CDs at N1,400.
With his dubbing machine at home, .he mass
produces new home videos and music. He
even records global landmark events such as
the funeral rites of the late Nelson Mandela
and European Premier League (EPL) matches.
He also records wrestling matches from pay
TV channels. All these, he moves from one
office to the other to sell at N100. Depending
on the buyer’s bargaining power, it could go
two for1 N150. Welcome to the world of
James John, the pirate.
John and his ilks are the nightmare of the
Nollywood industry in Nigeria. They are
everywhere, living big in a country that experts
say is not only permissive, but also acquisitive.
“Nobody, not even the government
gives a hoot about how you make your
money. Whichever way you make your
money is immaterial; when you make the
cash, they will say ‘He has arrived’. Any society
that celebrates cash and relegates character
to the background can hardly make
progress,” a Lagos-based legal practitioner,
who identified himself as Onyeka said.
President of Gabosky Films Incorporated,
Gab-Onyi Okoye, has urged the Federal Government
to enact laws that would curtail the
activities of pirates at the Alaba International
Market, Lagos.
Okoye lamented that Alaba Market was
where lots of film producers’ intellectual
properties were being pirated.
“That is where they pirate movies that are
supposed to be distributed by me, thereby
leading my company to lose millions of naira.
So, government should be proactive in addressing
the problem of piracy in the country,’’
he told NAN.
According to him, Nollywood producers
suffer great financial losses annually to piracy
in the country because pirates are only
interested in reaping where they did not sow.
He lamented that producers spend millions
of naira in producing a movie, but would not
realise half of the money spent on such movies,
due to piracy.
He said: “Movie producers suffer losses in
the money invested on movies as a result of
piracy. Producers will spend their time and
strength to produce a movie, but will not
enjoy the benefits of his labour as a result of
his work being pirated. Piracy, if not eradicated
or curtailed, will cripple the entertainment
industry.
“Piracy is the greatest obstacle militating
against the growth and development of the
entertainment industry in the country.”
The director, who described the attitude of
pirates as wicked and insensitive’ to creativity,
said their attitude had crippled the pride
in the profession.
He said if marketers did not make money
from the films they produced because of ac-
•Pirated software on display
• Ekuwem
tivities of pirates, they would not be able to
pay actors good money.
“We have tried going against the menace,
but our efforts have been to no avail. We are
helpless. Assuming there are laws backing
us or things we can do to curtail the activities
of pirates; we would have done it before
now,’’ Okoye added.
But piracy has moved from the physical to
the virtual realms, no thanks to the rise in
the number of internet users bolstered by a
concomitant rise in the mobile phone use
globally.
Currently, online piracy of music, films and
other contents has moved to the internet
cloud, with criminals reaping big profits for
digital thievery, a new study has shown.
According to MyBroadband Newsletter, an
online platform, the study identified 30 cloudbased
“cyberlockers”, which operate globally
and are hosted in various locations around
the world. They are said to be raking in some
$96 million annually as revenue.
These operators use the same kind of technology
as legitimate services such as
Dropbox and Amazon Cloud Drive to deliver
illegally copied content, according to the
• Ojobo
study by the Digital Citizens Alliance and
British-based NetNames, two groups focused
on online safety and fraud protection.
The cyberlocker or cloud model has largely
overtaken the older online piracy of peer-topeer
networks that allow individuals to share
content on their computers, but the result is
the same.
“The cyberlocker business model is designed
around content theft,” the report said.
“Operating a cyberlocker is a business which
has the potential to produce considerable returns
— and crucially, is also a business that
requires only a modest initial investment,
especially when owners do not pay for any
of the content that their sites distribute.”
The report released in Washington was described
as “the first major assessment of how
cyberlockers profit and how much money
they make.”
The cyberlockers operate in a manner similar
to legitimate services like Pandora or
iTunes. Some offer free streaming content
with advertising, and others allow direct
downloads on a subscription model — such
as $10 a month.
One of the best-known cyberlockers,
‘Federal Government should appoint a national chief information
technology officer just the way there are offices for Chief of Army
Staff, Naval Staff, Director, State Security Services (DSS) and others
responsible for the physical security of the country’
Megaupload, was shut down by US law enforcement
in 2012. But the New Zealandbased
operator has launched a new service,
known as Mega.
For some of the cyberlockers, tracing their
home base is complicated because their locations
are obscured by use of proxy servers.
But the study said it identified cyberlocker
operations based in the United States (US),
Switzerland, the Netherlands and other countries.
The study said the most profitable
cyberlockers using the direct download
model were 4Shared, Mega and Uploaded.
The biggest profits for the streaming operators
were at Putlocker, YouWatch and
Streamcloud.
The researchers discoveredthat roughly 80
per cent of the content on the sites had infringed
copyrights.
The report said almost all the websites operating
the cyberlockers accepted payments
from Visa and Mastercard, and that these payment
processors could deal a major setback
to piracy if they would block the transactions.
PayPal, according to the study, was accepted
only on one of the sites.
“MasterCard and Visa should follow
PayPal’s lead and adopt policies for their networks
against doing business with these
rogue operators,” the report said.
“If they take such an approach, it would
drive customers to less trustworthy forms of
payment.”
The report noted that if users cannot pay
with credit cards, they “may be reluctant to
give a cyberlocker their bank routing information
or (use) Bitcoin to make a purchase.”
Because some of the sites appear legitimate,
they draw advertising “from brands we
know” that give the operators revenue and
boost their credibility, the report said.
And many of the cyberlockers also contain
malware that can infect computers of people
who download from them, the report added.
“It’s going to take concerted action by the
Internet and the payment processors, advertising
industries, consumers, public interest
groups, Internet safety organisations and responsible
government officials to address this
corrosive issue that threatens our basic trust
in our online world,” the report said.
Though the internet has done a lot in helping
to bridge the digital divide and turning
the world into a global village, it remains a
largely unregulated space.
The number of internet users has continued
to go up in Nigeria. According to the Monthly
Internet Subscriber Data of the Nigerian Communications
Commission (NCC), mobile
internet subscribers rose from 76,324,632 in December
2014 to 81,892,840 in January 2015 – translating
to 5,570,038 new users in January alone.
The growth will no doubt continue as Federal
Government implements the National
Broadband Plan for the country, which will hopefully
crash the cost of access to the internet and
democratise information communication technology
(ICT).
Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Tony Ojobo,
said for now, the internet remains an unregulated
market space. He hopes the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) will someday,
sooner that later, evolve a mechanism for the
regulation of the internet.
Chief Executive Officer, Teledon Group, Dr.
Emmanuel Ekuwem, is disturbed that government
is not taking pro-active measures to
mitigate the adverse effects of the use of
internet such as cyber frauds.
He said the Federal Government should appoint
a national chief information technology
officer just the way there are offices for service
chiefs (Chief of Army Staff, Naval Staff, Director,
State Security Services-DSS) and others responsible
for the physical security of the country.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
e-Business
Lagos CardExpo explores e-payment
NTERMARC Consulting Limited
said it will host the 15th
edition of CardExpo Africa I2015 Conference and Exhibition
with special focus on card, mobile,
identification and payment. The
event will hold at the Eko Hotel
and Suite, Victoria Island, Lagos
between June 23 and 25.
With Innovation: The Future of e-
Payment as its theme, it will focus
on the future of payment, the assumption
that underlines growth
potentials and how innovation will
drive the process.
The conference and exhibition
will also focus on new users as well
as the service delivery strategy that
will deliver the future of payment.
In a statement, Conference Director,
Lilian Ekwedike, said while the
payment landscape has evolved
rapidly over the past decade, due
to a flurry of innovations and
regulations, expansive growth in
electronic payments and the
inclusion of new market entrants,
industry research indicates that the
next decade will yield a period of
even faster changes.
‘In the traditional electronic payment
sector, the weak national
economies across Africa continue
to drive cost efficiencies in both
domestic and international payment
systems. International trade
expansion and globalisation are
growing the demands for cross
border payment while the rapidly
STAKEHOLDERS in the nation’s
telecoms sector are set
for an industry seminar
aimed at charting the way forward
in deepening the level of local
innovations and development in
the nation’s telecoms industry.
The event, a brainchild of the
Nigeria Information and Communication
Technology Reporters’
Association (NITRA), is the
maiden edition of the Quarterly
Telecoms Seminar Series of the
association.
With Engendering Local Innovation
in the Nigeria’s Telecoms Sector as its
theme, the event is scheduled to
hold on April 30 th at Westown
Hotel, Ikeja Lagos.
Sponsored by the country’s innovative
telecoms company, Etisalat
Nigeria, the event is also enjoying
the support of other players such
as Visafone, MTN, Airtel, Glo,
Zinox, Signal Alliance, MainOne,
Computer Warehouse Group Plc,
Teledom Group, Omatek, Nigeria
Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria
(IXPN), among others.
Fully endorsed by the Nigerian
Communications Commission
(NCC); National Information
Technology Development Agency
(NITDA), the forum is backed by
other industry associations such as
the Association of Telecoms Companies
of Nigeria (ATCON) and
the Association of Licensed
Telecoms Operators of Nigeria
(ALTON).
Other supporters of the event are
the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG),
changing demands of corporates,
non-banks and banks for lower,
reduced fees and improved services
will increase pressure on traditional
payments models to rationalise.
The retail payment sector
is already undergoing major
change primarily as a result of the
disruptive impact of e-commerce
mobile and tablets. There is a rapid
development of new payment concepts
and business structures,
which will displace traditional
cash and other forms of payment,”
she said.
She said over the next five to
seven years, retail and wholesale
payments are expected to mature
into highly automated and interactive
eco-systems. Of particular
importance and a new opportunity
for banks, will be the growth in
the use of traditional electronic
payments in the retail sector.
This is beginning to happen in
Nigeria with the Nigeria
Interbank Settlement System
(NIBSS) instant payment platform.
The newly emerging alternative
payment have an increasingly important
role to play in enabling
banks to displace cash and cheque
transactions over the next decade
as e-commerce grows and payment
accelerates rapidly.
“Innovation and new
developments will be the key
drivers for change over the next
five to seven years,” she added.
NCS, ALTON, others set for NITRA’s confab
VODACOM Business Nigeria
has connected its global
network to the Internet
Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN).
The IXPN provides a platform that
allows several Internet Service Providers
(ISPs) and network operators
in Nigeria to exchange traffic between
their networks by means of
peering agreements based on transparency
and confidentiality.
Vodacom Business Nigeria is the
first enterprise solutions provider
connected to the newly created
IXPN exchange point in Ikeja, Lagos.
Connecting to IXPN not only reduces
internet transport costs and
network latency but also ensures
faster access to local content as traffic
is exchanged locally.
The real value of an Internet ex-
Computer Professional Registration
Council of Nigeria (CPN) and
Nigeria Computer Society (NCS),
among others.
In a statement, the group’s President,
Mr Emmanuel Okonji, said
the Quarterly Telecoms Seminar
Series has been conceived to create
a platform for cross-fertilisation
of ideas on topical issues
among industry stakeholders both
from the public and private sectors
with a view to finding solutions
to some thorny issues and design
templates for leveraging latest
development in the industry for
growth.
He said: “As a body, NITRA’s
philosophy is to drive ICT development,
through employing a
multi-stakeholders approach. As
such, we have put this seminar series
in place so that, on a quarterly
basis, we can partner with key industry
stakeholders to examine
some salient issues affecting our
sector from regulators’, operators’
and end-users’s perspectives.
“While the industry has recorded
over $32 billion investment, over
142 million active mobile subscriptions
as well as over 80
million internet subscriptions till
date, it has become pertinent to ask
ourselves: How well have we
leveraged local innovations in the
industry for the development of
the market? Must we continue to
rely on foreign innovations to
drive the industry?. So, these,
among others, are what we expect
to explore in this seminar.”
Vodacom connects customers to IXPN
change is in encouraging a maximum
number of local ISPs to connect
across the IXPN peering
points. “With our connection to
IXPN we have improved on our
ability to connect locally and with
a large number of the world’s
internet networks directly. This
improves latency times and reliability,
for all our customers,” said
Vernon Van Rooyen, Chief Technical
Officer of Vodacom Business
Nigeria.
“Furthermore, our customers can
access locally hosted content
within Nigeria rapidly, securely
and cost effectively,” he added.
Additionally, with peering
amongst ISPs, we will facilitate
greater internet penetration and
gradually bridge the digital divide
existing in the country.
•From left: Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Phillip Obioha; Chief Technology Officer, CWG Plc, Mr. James Agada;
Alumni Director, EDC, Mrs. Nnena Ugwu; Chief Executive Officer, CWG, Mr. Austin Okere; Director, EDC, Mr.
Peter Bankole during the visit of EDC’s team to CWG’s Lagos Head Office.
Infrastructure, others stalling payments’
digitalisation
GLOBAL lender, the World
Bank, has identified dearth
of infrastructure, low
awareness and security concerns as
factors stalling a paradigm shift to
digitising payments and shifting
cash payments into accounts in Nigeria
and other parts of the world.
It said moving from cash-based to
digital payments has many potential
benefits, for both senders and
receivers, stressing that it will not
only improve the efficiency of making
payments by increasing the
speed of payments and by lowering
the cost of disbursing and receiving
them, but it could enhance
the security of payments and thus
reduce the incidence of crime associated
with them.
Digital payments, it is argued, can
increase the transparency of payments
and thus reduce the likelihood
of leakage between the sender
and receiver
In its latest report titled: The Global
Inclusion (Global Findex), which was
carried out in partnership with the
Gallup World Poll, with funding
from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
the global lender said:
“Shifting to digital payments can
also provide an important first entry
point into the formal financial
system, which can lead to significant
increases in savings and the
substitution of formal or informal
saving.”
It lamented that there were still
obstacles to payment digitisation.
It identified challenges to digitising
payments to include making upfront
investments in payments
infrastructure, ensuring that
recipients understand how accounts
REGULATOR of the
telecoms sector, the Nigerian
Communications
Commission (NCC) is targeting
N30.4 billion from telcos and other
investors that will be interested in
investing in the economy this year.
This is contained in this year’s
N60.2billion budget of the
regulator, approved last week by
the lower legislative chamber, the
House of Representatives.
According to a breakdown of the
budget, the revenue component
showed that the regulator is expected
to make N2.4 billion as licensing fees
while it is looking at making another
N28.9 billion from the annual
operating levy (AOL) paid by
incumbent carriers in the country.
But the continued postponement
of the licensing round for the
2.6Gigahertz (GHz) spectrum and
hanging fate of the country in meeting
the International Telecommunications
Union (ITU’s) deadline
for analogue switch-off, may make
this a wishful thinking. This is because
the spectrum that would be
freed as a result of the migration
would be handed over to the
telecoms sector, which NCC will
hopefully auction to meet the revenue
target.
The NCC is also targeting N5.2
billion from spectrum fees while
another N5 billion will come from
Numbering Plan. It also expects to
raise N2.5 billion from Sundry Income
just as it looks forward to
making N5 billion from what it
described as Investment Income.
In the projected N51.2 billion revenue,
N9 billion was brought forward
from last year to put the regulator’s
available total revenue at
N60.2 billion for this year.
On the recurrent expenditure
side, from N16.2billion, N80
million is for establishment costs;
N10.677 billion goes for staff and
other costs while N823.927 million
is for Travel costs. Operational
costs gulps N3.151 billion; N1.508
53
work and can be accessed, and
taking steps to guarantee a reliable
and consistent digital payments
experience.
“Also important is to educate new
account owners on the basic interactions
involved in a digital payments
system—using and remembering
personal identification numbers
(PINs), understanding how to
deposit and withdraw money, and
knowing what to do when something
goes wrong. Moreover, the
benefits of moving cash payments
into accounts are realised only if
sending or receiving payments electronically
is at least as easy, affordable,
convenient, proximate, and
secure as doing so in cash,” it said.
The report, however, showed that
the adoption of mobile money in
Nigeria and other parts of the world
has tremendously reduced the
number of unbanked adults and
promoted Financial Inclusion,
stressing that between 2011 and last
year, 700 million adults globally became
account holders. The number
of adults without an account—the
unbanked—dropped by 20 per cent
to two billion. Globally, 62 per cent
of adults have an account, up from
51 per cent it was in 2011.
The global lender said this is a
good development as it is a manifestation
of growth in Financial
Inclusion, which it said has been
broadly recognised as critical in reducing
poverty and achieving inclusive
economic growth. “Financial
inclusion is not an end in itself,
but a means to an end—there is
growing evidence that it has substantial
benefits for individuals.
Studies show that when people participate
in the financial system, they
are better able to start and expand
businesses, invest in education,
manage risk, and absorb financial
shocks,” the report read in part.
It said access to accounts and to
savings and payment mechanisms
increases savings, empowers
women, and boosts productive investment
and consumption, adding
that access to credit also has positive
effects on consumption—as
well as on employment status and
income and on some aspects of mental
health and outlook.
“The benefits go beyond individuals.
Greater access to financial services
for both individuals and firms
may help reduce income inequality
and accelerate economic growth.
Informed by a fast-growing body
of knowledge and experience,
policy makers and regulators are
beginning to make expanding financial
inclusion a priority in financial
sector development.
“An increasing number of national
governments are introducing comprehensive
measures to improve
access to and use of financial services.
Among bank regulators in 143
jurisdictions, a recent survey found,
67 per cent have a mandate to promote
financial inclusion,” the global
lender said.
It said international organisations,
including the G-20 and the
World Bank, are also beginning to
formulate strategies to promote financial
inclusion. In recent years
more than 50 countries have set formal
targets and ambitious goals for
financial inclusion.
NCC eyes N30.4b from levy, licensing
billion for Administrative Costs
and N1 million for bank charges.
N10 million is also meant for development/acquisition
of document
management system; N10
million is for e-documents and
archiving, while another N10 million
was provided for same
project. N10 million is for implementation
of automated e-filing
and electronic document management
system; N20 million is for
procurement of new ICT tools and
accessories
N3.2 million has been earmarked
for cash counting machine, N20
million for CCTV and installation
of photocopy machines, which is
N8million higher than the
approved estimate of N12 million
in 2014.
Document digitalisation and archiving
system will swallow N10
million while N40 million is for
project management system (consultancy
and software applications)
including training.

54
EQUITIES
NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE
DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 22-04-14
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 22-04-14
Stock Exchange set for direct
stock
market is set for a payment to investors
THE Nigerian
paradigm shift in its
payment process, transaction
cycle and costs of transactions
as the Securities and
Exchange Commission
(SEC), the Nigerian Stock
Exchange (NSE), the Central
Securities and Clearing System
(CSCS) Plc and other
stakeholders finalise key initiatives
that will redirect
payment of sales’ proceeds to
directly to investors’ accounts
within a shorter
timeframe.
These were the highlights
of the first quarter meeting
of the Capital Market Committee
(CMC) yesterday in
Lagos. The CMC comprises
of the all stakeholders in the
capital market including
SEC, the apex regulator, the
NSE, a self-regulatory
organisation and the only
stock exchange; the CSCS,
the depository and settlement
agent for the stock market
and all the trade groups
and relevant public policy
makers.
Addressing financial journalists
at the end of the meeting,
acting director general,
Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC), Mr.
• Transaction cycle, costs to reduce
By Taofik Salako
Capital Market Editor
Mounir Gwarzo, said the
CMC deliberated on key initiatives
aimed at enhancing
and deepening investors’
participation and confidence
in the Nigerian market.
According to him, one of
these initiatives is the implementation
of the direct payment
of sales’ proceeds to
investors’ accounts. This will
represent a paradigm shift
from the current process under
which sales’ proceeds
are credited to the stockbrokers’
accounts, who thereafter
make payment to the investors.
Under the direct payment
system, investors will provide
their bank accounts to
the CSCS, the depository,
alongside other stockbroking
and investment account
details, and the CSCS will
directly credit the investors’
accounts once transactions
are concluded.
In another major boost,
Gwarzo said the CMC was
DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 22-04-15
working on a proposal that
will hopefully lead to reduction
in the settlement cycle
from the current “T+3” to
“T+2” or “T+1”.
Under the “T+3”, transactions
carried out on the capital
market is expected to be
settled three days after the
trade date. Reducing the cycle
means that transactions will
be settled faster.
“One area that we also think
will encourage investors
greatly is the area of direct
payment where if a client
gives his shares to be sold, the
proceeds of the sale would be
credited into his account
directly. So, he would have
direct access to the funds. And,
hopefully, our settlement
system might be reduced
from “T+3”, probably to
“T+1” or “T+2,” Gwarzo said.
He added that the CMC
would at its next meeting,
second quarter meeting, discussed
a report by the subcommittee
set up on reduction
of transaction costs as part
of efforts to encourage
investors.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
MONEYLINK
Domestic borrowing causing
economic distortion, says LCCI
THE Lagos Chamber of
Commerce and Industry
(LCCI) has blamed economic
distortion being witnessed
in the country on borrowing
by government from
the domestic market.
Speaking with reporters during
the presentation 2015 First
Quarter Report in Lagos yesterday,
its President, Alhaji
Remi Bello said the economic
value derivable from the banking
institutions is inherent in
effective inter-mediation between
institutions.
According to him, this means
channeling of funds from the
surplus segments of the
economy to the deficit sectors
which unfortunately is not
happening to the degree that
could impact positively on job
creation.
He said with double digit
interest rates on treasury bills
and government bonds, a lot
of funds are being channeled
into the purchase of these securities
to the detriment of the
real economy.
Bello also called on the monetary
and fiscal authorities to
By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie
Five-year tenure for external auditors
THE National Code of
Corporate Governance
(NCCG) undergoing
review is recommending a
five-year mandatory rotation
for external auditors
posted to oversee companies’
accounts.
The Chief Executive Officer,
the Financial Reporting
Council of Nigeria (FRC),
Jim Obazee who spoke with
reporter on the progress
made by the Council in its
quest to produce a NCCG for
the country.
He said the new rule on auditors,
as contained in the
NCCG document, is meant to
ensure that the auditors do
not become used to the company.
“The NCCG code
contains a five-year mandatory
rotation for external auditors.
This is because we discovered
that after five years
as an external auditor to a
company, many of the auditors
become part of the company
and may not achieve
the desired result,” he said.
Obazee said Nigeria boasts
of six different persuasive
codes issued by six different
regulators to meet the need
of the entities they regulate.
He said the six different persuasive
codes were issued
and are currently being applied
by the Central Bank of
FCMB lifts MSMEs with N122m
FIRST City Monument
Bank (FCMB) Limited
reiterated its support for
the growth of Micro, Small
and Medium Scale Enterprises
(MSMEs) in the country
by disbursing additional
funds worth N122 million.
The fund is expected to grow
in the coming months.
In a statement, the bank
listed some of the latest beneficiaries
to include, Health
Products and Farms Limited,
Midows Limited (both based
in Lagos); Everlasting Hands
Limited, in Kaduna State and
God’s Will Technical Services
Limited, located in
Ogun State.
It also pledged support for
the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN) N220 billion MSMEs’
Development Fund meant to
Stories by Collins Nweze
Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Deposit
Insurance Corporation
(NDIC), the National Insurance
Commission
(NAICOM), the National
Pension Commission
(PenCom), Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC),
Corporate Affairs Commission
(CAC) and Nigerian
Communication Commission
(NCC).
He however said modern
society believes that the era
of weak and persuasive corporate
governance codes is
long gone due to the stiff
competitive environment
for foreign direct investment
of which binding regulation
is a major factor being
considered by investors and
stakeholders, hence the need
for new code.
He said provisions have
been made for the development
and enforcement of a
NCCG in the Financial Reporting
Council of Nigeria
Act No. 6, 2011.
He said Section 50 of the
FRC Act, 2011 provides that
the objectives of the Directorate
of Corporate Governance
shall be to develop
principles and practices of
corporate governance; promote
the highest standards
provide loans at lower interest
rate of nine per cent
and over a maximum period
of five years to MSMEs’ operators.
FCMB said its increased
support to SMEs is in line
with its value as a helpful
bank and contributing to the
success of such businesses
considering the key role
they play in driving national
economic growth and
the well-being of the people,
especially in the areas of employment
and poverty
eradication.
Its Group Head, Business
Banking, George
Ogbonnaya, said the lender
realised that SMEs play critical
roles in the growth of
the nation’s economy.
As agents of growth, it is
urgently review the yield on
treasury securities to single
digit.
He said: “This is necessary to
stem the crowding out effect
of government borrowing in
the financial market and also
reduce the cost of fund in the
economy.”
On the harmonisation of
taxes and levies, the LCCI chief
lamented that previous efforts
at streamlining taxes and levies
in the country has not
yielded fruits. He called on the
the three tiers of government
to harmonise taxes for ease of
compliance and administration,
adding that the protection
of the rights of investors
is a matter currently attracting
global attention especially
at the level of the World
Chamber Federation.
He said: “LCCI intends to
lead the advocacy engagement
to domesticate this initiative.
Over the years, businesses
have been subjected to all
manner of adverse policies,
impunity by regulatory agencies
as well as arbitrariness in
the formulation of economic
policies. Investors need protection
from policy inconsistency,
arbitrary levies and
charges, multiple taxation,
abuse of monopoly powers,
absence of level playing field
and others.”
He carpeted the Consumer
Protection Council (CPC) over
what he called the ill-advised
steps it took to embark on the
registration of products of
manufacturing firms.
Bello said the exercise was a
duplication of what is already
being done by the Standards
Organisation of Nigeria
(SON) and the National
Agency for Food Drug Administration
and Control
(NAFDAC).
According to him compelling
businesses to register with
the CPC is therefore unnecessary
and an additional regulatory
burden on the private sector.
“We therefore call on the
relevant authorities to prevail
on the CPC to discontinue this
course of action,” he said.
of corporate governance;
promote public awareness
about corporate governance
principles and practices; on
behalf of Council, act as the
national coordinating body
responsible for all matters
pertaining to corporate governance
and promote sound
financial reporting and accountability
based on true
and fair financial statements
duly audited by competent independent
Auditors.
Obazee said the Council
shall enforce and approve enforcement
of compliance with
accounting, auditing, corporate
governance and financial
reporting standards in Nigeria”.
Head of the Steering Committee
on NCCG, Victor
Odiase, said the National
Code of Corporate Governance
was developed on January
17, 2013 adding that the
federal government is aware
that the issuance of a national
Code of Corporate Governance
is a very important deliverable
that can be used to
enhance national competitiveness.
He said the code will also address
socio-economic issues
including corruption and lack
of corporate independence. “
Public Sector and Not-for-
Profit.
committed to helping these
businesses thrive and contribute
to the development
of the country.
He said: ‘’We understand
that a number of factors
combine to determine the
success or failure of SMEs.
We will continue to support
our customers operating in
the SMEs segment to overcome
the challenges they
usually face, especially at the
take-off stage. We want to
be part of their success story.’
Mr. Ogbonnaya pointed
out that with statistics showing
that over 17million
SMEs are registered in Nigeria
and contribute significantly
to the country’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP),
FCMB realises the strategic
importance of this sector.
55

56 THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
CITYBEATS
How my houseboy, others robbed me, by Indian
LAGOS High Court
heard yesterday
how a housekeeper, APeter Maina, robbed his Indian
boss, Aja Bikram, of
cash and property worth
N3.2million.
Led in evidence by a state
counsel, Afolabi Sholebo,
Bikram told Justice Aishat
Opesanwo that Maina and
three others gagged him,
his wife and 15 year-old
daughter and threatened
them with a knife last November
10.
Bikram, who works with
Euro Global Food Distillage
Limited in Lekki,
Lagos,said that the defendants
wanted to attack him
on November 9, but postponed
it till the next day
because he had visitors.
He said: "On that fateful
day, Peter our housekeep-
26-year-old suspect,
Tunde Adewale, has
been paraded by the ALagos State Special Anti-
Robbery Squad (SARS).
Adewale was rescued by
the police from an irate mob
that nearly lynched him at
Ijegun, a Lagos suburb.
His two other colleagues
fled on motorcycle.
According to police, the
suspect had been under intensive
medical care because
he could not talk
when he was brought for
investigation.
"You can see that it is the
treatment that he was receiving
since they transferred
him that even enabled
him to talk and the
worse is that he is a poor
liar and a stark illiterate," a
policeman said
"He was transferred here
almost half dead but we
were able to revive him,”
By Precious Igbonwelundu
er of eight months who
lived with my family rang
our door bell, my wife
opened the door for him
after she looked through
the security viewer of our
home.
"He was followed immediately
by three accomplices
who forced their way
into our house.
"I, my wife and 15-yearold
daughter were shocked
to see the strangers in our
house. One of his accomplices
pulled out a jack knife
and held it to my throat.
"Peter ran to the kitchen
to take our household
knives to arm his accomplices
during the ordeal.
"They ordered us with
knives on our throats to
remove our jewellery and
By Ebele Boniface
the officer said.
Adewale said he is a commercial
motorcyclist, adding
that he was mistaken for
a thief.
He said: "I was carrying
two passengers at Ijegun
community half way they
stopped me and brought
knives and cutlasses claiming
to be cult boys. I became
afraid and locked my motorcycle
and started asking
them why they stopped me
here whereas they have not
reached where they were
going.
"As I was talking one of
them snatched my motorcycle
key and started the motorcycle.
As he wanted to
drive away with the second
person I started dragging
my motorcycle with them
but they succeeded in overpowering
me and zoomed
wrist watches and we were
also ordered into the toilet
where my wife was forced
to bring out all the cash in
the house.
"I and my wife were tied
with ropes while my
daughter was tied with the
dog leashes used for our
two puppies.
"My mouth was also
gagged with a red handkerchief
and I was locked in
the toilet while my wife
and daughter were left in
the bedroom," he said.
The Indian said the ordeal
last 45 minutes, adding
that the defendants
planned to kill him and
also abduct his daughter for
ransom.
"I overheard them plotting
to kidnap my daughter,
after collecting N265,
000, an IPad, our Iphones,
three laptops and our
household ornaments
which amounted to
N3.2million.
"Peter and his gang also
wanted to kill me but
changed their plan after
they heeded to the pleas of
my wife and daughter.
"After they left, my
daughter was able to set
herself free from the dog
leash used to tie her and she
untied my wife and they
unlocked the toilet door
and released me.
"We raised alarm and our
neighbours who live in the
boys quarters came to our
rescue and called the police."
Explaining how Maina
was apprehended, Bikram
claimed it took the intervention
of the Presidency,
following his report at the
I was mistaken for a thief, says suspect
MIDDLE-aged
woman, Bola Ogunmodede,
has Adragged her husband
Adeoye, to an Alagbado
Customary Court in Lagos,
for abandoning him
for over 10 years.
She said she had pleaded
with him severally to
return home, all to no
avail.
Mrs Ogunmodede said:
"It's been four years since
he left me with our five
children. I had to return
his brother's children because
I couldn't carry their
responsibility anymore."
She also accused him of
adultery, saying she has
lost count of the number
of women she saw him
with.
J
USTICE Aishat Opesanwo
of the Lagos
State High Court yesterday
barred reporters
from covering an alleged
murder, robbery case in her
court.
Although the matter
could not be traced on the
cause list, the defendantsthree
men and a womanwere
alleged to have murdered
one Alhaja.
By Basirat Braimah
The petitioner said she
brought the case to court
because their third child
willingly stopped schooling.
"Our 15- year-old son is
a disgrace to me. I once beat
him on assembly ground
because of his unruly behaviour.
When it persisted,
the school authority collected
his uniform and
shoes before he was expelled.
If there is unity in
our home, this wouldn't
be happening," she said.
Her son, she said, had
been keeping bad friends,
adding that he has sold almost
all the electrical appliances
in the house.
Mrs Ogunmodede said
when she could no longer
bear his idleness, she took
him to a barber’s shop to
learn the trade, but the first
day he returned, he vowed
never to go back because
there were too many masters
there.
"Just last week, policemen
came to our house for
our son, accusing him of
stealing some money. He
doesn't sleep in the house
anymore. He doesn't listen
to me. I want him to move
to his father's house so I can
have peace of mind," she
said.
off with my motorcycle.
"When I was crying for
help, the people from the
area gathered round me calling
me thief, thief and before
I knew it, they started
beating me.
"Look at my eyes, mouth,
the whole face, how I was
beaten almost to death.
They thought that I was
dead and pushed me by the
road side. Luckily policemen
on patrol carried me to
their station and later transferred
me to SARS Scorpion
House when they noticed
that I was still breathing.
"I am an okada rider. I was
mistaken for a thief when
the two boys I was carrying
snatched my motorcycle
and claimed to be cult boys.
I am married with a child.
"I carried two passengers
from Ikotun to Ladipo side.
The two passengers wanted
to drop and one of them collected
my okada key and I
saw cutlass with them. They
started my motorcycle and
left pushing me aside. I was
badly beaten before police
picked me up. They tore my
shirt before beating me. I
did not know who beat me
because they were many. It
was after intensive medical
attention in SARS that I recovered
consciousness. I
was brought here unconscious.
"I was beaten by people
living around Kano Street,
Ikotun. The irate mob was
wrong for trying to lynch. I
did not know the two passengers
who claimed to be
cult boys."
On why none of his relations
has asked after him he
said: "My brother is in Osun
State. I am the only one in
Lagos. It happened around
1pm. I am not an armed robber.
Cult boys snatched my
He abandoned me for 10 years, says wife
•‘She’s an adulteress’
Defending himself,
Ogunmodede told the
court that his wife was lying.
"I know how we used to
be and I realise it is because
there is no money
anymore. 12 years after, I
keep wondering how and
when I resigned from
where I worked."
He said he applied as a
night guard of a church
just to be closer to God,
adding that it was when
the pressure became unbearable
that he left the
house.
He also accused his wife
of adultery.
"My wife was dark
skinned when I married
her but now, I hardly rec-
Judge bars reporters from murder, robbery trial
By Precious Igbonwelundu
Justice Opesanwo, who
said the matter was a "private
matter", stated emphatically
that reporters should
leave her court "as they
were not needed".
The drama started after
the judge, who had earlier
stood down the matter for
absence of lawyers, recalled
the case for continuation of
trial.
Instead of the Director of
Public Prosecution (DPP),
Mrs. E.I. Alakija, to announce
her presence in
court, she made moves to
draw the judge's attention
to non-parties in the matter
seated in court.
Justice Opesanwo interrupted
her at the first instance
and directed that lawyers
should announce their
presence for the matter to
continue.
But as soon as all counsel
in the matter had done so,
the judge asked the reporters,
who were seated at the
gallery, if they were parties
to the case.
"Except for my law students,
I do not know who
the people seated at the gallery
are," she said.
Directing her gaze at the
reporters, Justice Opesanwo
asked if they were parties in
the suit.
Indian High Commission
when he realised the police
were unable to get the
prime suspect 10 days after
the incident.
"After I lodged a complaint
with the Indian High
Commissioner who in turn
spoke to the Presidency, the
matter was taken up by the
Lagos State Commissioner
of Police.
"Peter who was already
working as a security guard
at Anthony area of Lagos
was arrested by the police
as well as his accomplices.
"Some of the phones that
were stolen from us were
found in Peter's possession.
The phones are currently in
possession of the Special
Anti-Robbery Squad
(SARS)," he said.
•Adewale
motorcycle and ran away
while people living around
there gathered and started
beating me telling me that
those two passengers were
my gang members or fellow
cult boys."
ognise her. There is nothing
wrong with our third
child. In fact, he still came
to my house few days ago
saying he didn't like the
way he sees different men
with his mother and whenever
he complained, she
rained curses on him
which made her send him
out of the house," he said.
He added that his wife
was behind marriage troubles.
The marriage produced
five children between the
ages of 6 and 18.
The court's president, Mr
Olubode Sekoni, fixed a
chamber discussion and
ordered the couple to
bring their third child. The
case was adjourned till today.
"No, My Lord. We are
journalists," replied one of
the reporters. The others
also stood up.
Justice Opesanwo immediately
said: "Journalists are
not needed here. You people
should excuse us because
this is a private matter."
As the reporters walked
out of the court room, the
judge directed that the door
be locked while the proceeding
continued.
CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827
Driver in court
for 'stealing'
master's car
28-year-old driver,
Friday Okonoboh,
yesterday appeared Abefore a Somolu Chief Magistrate's
Court in Lagos for
allegedly stealing his employer's
property.
Prosecuting police Inspector
Nurudeen Thomas said
Okonoboh committed the
offence on April 13 at 26, Ajose
Street, Mende in Maryland,
Lagos.
Thomas said the accused,
who was employed as a driver
by the complainant, Mrs
Olajumoke Aderounmu,
looted his employer's home
and fled to Edo State to sell
the property.
He said the stolen property
included a Toyota Corolla
with number-plate KTU 548
CB valued at N2.5 million
and laptops worth N500, 000.
Other items are shoes,
clothes and glass cups.
"The accused sold the stolen
items and converted the
money to personal use,'' the
prosecutor said.
He said all the items had
been recovered.
According to him, the offence
contravenes Section 285
(7) of the Criminal Law of
Lagos State.
Okonoboh pleaded not
guilty.
Chief Magistrate B.O. Osunsanmi
granted Okonoboh
N200, 000 bail with two sureties
in the like sum.
She adjourned the case till
June 19.
Rotary offers
free eye surgery
By Everistus Onwuzurike
R
OTARY Club of
Palm groove Estate
in Lagos in
partnership with Rotary
Eye institute Navsari, India
is offering free eye screening
and surgeries for 1500
people affected with cataract
eye disease.
Former President of the
club Mukesh Bhah, said the
club has so far successfully
accomplished 18, 000 free
eye surgeries in the past, a
project which has changed
lives for thousands of families.
The 2015 Free eye camp
surgery tagged “mission
for vision” starts with an
initial screening which
would run every Saturday
from April 18.
Bhah said the club is expecting
around 500 patients
every Saturday for the initial
screening from which
probable cataract patients,
needing surgeries will be
shortlisted.
“It is targeting around
900 patients for final surgeries,
which will be done
between May 25 and 31 at
General Hospitals, Marina
in Lagos and Ijaiye,
Abeokuta, Ogun State capital”
he said.
He said 14 physicians and
three surgeons with expertise
in cataract operation are
coming from India for the
project.
After surgery, he said, a
kit, medicines and black
goggles would be provided
to the beneficiaries.
According to him, blindness
is a major health disaster
Ċataract surgeries, he added,
cost about N200, 000 in private
hospitals.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
CITYBEATS
Seven convicted over BRT violations
HE Special Offences
Court has sentenced
seven drivers to one Thour community service for
violating the Bus Rapid
Transit (BRT) law.
Magistrate Olabisi Kushanu
warned the drivers to
desist from plying the BRT
lanes or face harder sanction
if rearrested.
He also fined them.
They are Kimi Egbekun
(34) driver of Toyota RAV 4
with number plate LSD 318
DJ; Daniel Chimmezie (24),
Toyota Hilux - number plate
KTU 780 BR; Sodiq Musa
(50) Toyota Corolla FG 688
A42 and Felemi Moses (41)
Mitsubishi L200 AKD 132
XD. Others are Idris Olewale
(22) KIA Pregio SMK 33XL;
Obasi Emeka (42) Toyota
Camry LND 186 DB and
Bucky Olapade (40) Golf
CH225 APP.
They were apprehended
last Tuesday inside the BRT
lanes at Anthony area of Lagos
State by Lagos State
Traffic Management Autority
(LASTMA) officials.
They pleaded guilty to a
count charge of BRT violation
and admitted to regu-
55-year-old retiree,
Emmanuel Osuya,
shocked a court yes- Aterday when he claimed that
his wife of 32 years beats him
up at “the slightest provocation.”
But Mrs Abigael Osuya (50)
denied the allegation, saying:
“it is my husband that always
beat me up”.
Osuya, a retired civil servant
is seeking the dissolution
of his marriage at an Igando
Customary Court in Lagos for
alleged battering by his wife.
His wife, he said, had
turned him into a punch-bag.
Osuya said he was afraid his
wife may kill him one day.
“My wife wants to kill me;
By Tajudeen Adebanjo
lar use of the corridor to
meet deadlines or beat traffic
gridlocks associated with
carriage way.
Egbekun said he was
caught on his first attempt.
While cutting the grass on
the football field of the Ministry
of Youth and Social
Development remand home
at Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, the
she beats me almost every
day with dangerous weapons.
On three occasions, she
broke my leg, preventing me
from going out for days,’’ he
said.
Osuya also accused his wife
of turning his children
against him, saying: “Abigael
succeeded in creating enmity
between me and my
children, she tells them false
and damaging stories about
me in order to hate me.
“So my children only care
for her by sending her money
and other items every
month, without extending
their love to me, they always
offenders regretted their actions.
According to them, the
punishment has humbled
them.
Some of them promised to
avoid the use of the corridor.
LASTMA General Manager
Babatunde Edu, an engineer
said the agency will not
relent on its oars to ensure
free flow of traffic in the
My wife beats me, man tells court
ANAGING Director,
Lagos Waste
Management Au-
Mthority (LAWMA) Managing
Director Mr Ola Oresanya
yesterday said the state generates
11,000 metric tonnes of
waste daily.
He said on the average,
each resident produces 0.65kg
of waste, but the state recycles
most of it to help preserve
the environment.
Oresanya spoke at a colloquium
to mark the 2015 Earth
Day where experts suggested
ways to halt the deterioration
of the environment and
minimise the effects of pol-
•Some of the offenders engaging in community work
•’I’m still in love with him’
luting factories, power
plants, raw sewage and toxic
dumps.
Organised by the Kuramo
Conferences and the Resource
Innovation and Solutions
Network Nigeria
(RISSN), initiators of the Sustainability
School Lagos, the
theme was: "Solutions for a
sustainable future."
Oresanya said Lagos has
partnered with a technology
company, Ericsson, to recycle
electronic waste, such as
those from the Computer
Village.
According to him, better
ignore me as if I do not exist.’’
The petitioner described his
wife as a thief, claiming: “I
cannot keep money at home
again because my wife will
steal it.
“She acted as if she is not
always satisfied with the
money I give her in spite of
the fact that my children always
send her money every
month.”
Osuya said Abigael also
starves him.
He appealed to the court to
dissolve the marriage, saying:
“I am no longer interested in
the marriage, I don’t want to
die now, more so that I am
'Lagos generates 11,000 metric tonnes of waste daily'
By Joseph Jibueze
data management would aid
development plans, saying:
"Lack of data has been a bane
of development in Nigeria."
Lafarge WAPCO, Chairman
Chief Olusegun Osunkeye,
who chaired the event,
urged the Federal Government
to pay more attention
to recycling systems, waste
water treatment, solid waste
management especially in a
populated city such as Lagos.
He said: "The local sustainability
agenda therefore relies
heavily on inter-agency
resources, making publicprivate
partnerships a major
critical success factor for sustainable
development.
"Adopting multi-level collaborative
approach in order
to deliver sustainable solutions
for the growing waste
and other resource challenges
in Lagos and Nigeria is the
only way we can protect the
investment climate and ensure
sustainability of businesses
for the 21st century and
beyond."
A German chemist and
toxologist, Dr Beate Kummer
said the government should
pay more attention to the
importation of what she described
as end-of-life vehicles
listed for recycling in some
European countries.
Court dissolves 20-year-old marriage over man’s insanity
N Igando Customary
Court in Lagos
yesterday dis- Asolved the 20-year-old
marriage of Mr and Mrs
Demola Lawal because of
the husband's insanity.
The petitioner, Mrs
Abosede Lawal, sought dissolution
of the marriage,
citing her husband's mental
sickness, threat to her life
and irresponsible acts.
She said she discovered
her husband had mental
sickness after she had her
first baby.
"My husband is mentally
sick, I have stayed with him
for 20 years, thinking he
would get well, he always
exhibits his madness by destroying
our household
items and misbehaving.
"I discovered after I had
my first baby but I decided
to stay praying to God to
cure him of the illness,"
Abosede, a designer said.
She also accused her husband
of always threatening
her with acid and dangerous
weapons.
"My husband brought
acid home and he always
threatens to pour it on me
saying that he wanted to
disfigure me so that I will
look unattractive to people,"
she said.
She said: "My husband
refused to take care of the
family. I pay our bills because
anytime I asked him
for feeding money or the
children's school fees, he
beats me up.
Lawal, a 47-year old automobile
technician,
state.
"We don't have to wait for
the uniformed men before
we do the right thing. We
should all adopt the culture
of self-discipline on road usage.
We are determined to
do more enlightenment and
little enforcement to bring
sanity to the roads," he said.
He Urged motorists in the
state to cooperate with the
traffic officers.
out of love’’.
Denying the allegation,
Mrs Osuya said since they
married she had never beaten
her husband.
She said: “It is my husband
that always beat me at any
slight provocation, I have
never beaten him.
The mother of five said she
had never stolen her husband’s
money, explaining that
she cooks for him wherever
he gave her money.
She asked the court not to
grant her husband’s prayer.
“I am still in love with him,’’
she said.
The Court President,
Hakeem Oyekan, adjourned
the case till April 30.
agreed that he is insane,
saying his wife wanted to
divorce him because of his
sickness.
"My wife wanted to quit
our marriage just because
of my state of health, I believe
God will heal me one
day," he said.
Delivering judgment, the
court's President, Mr
Hakeem Oyekan, said it appeared
that the parties
were tired of the marriage,
adding that efforts to reconcile
them have failed.
A
MAN, Jamiu
Adeshina, who allegedly
vandalised
six cars in Ojota, Lagos, during
post-election violence,
was yesterday granted bail
by an Ogudu Chief Magistrat's
Court.
Adeshina, 20, who lives at
27, Epetedo Street, Ogudu,
was arraigned on a threecount
charge of conspiracy,
malicious damage and
breach of peace.
Prosecuting police Sergeant
Lucky Ihiehie told the
court that the accused with
five others at large on April
12 at Alhaji Amao and Kujore
Streets in Ogudu maliciously
damaged some vehicles.
Ihiehie said: "The accused
and others went to the streets
and damaged six cars belonging
to residents. The vehicles
belong to Yakubu Atawodu,
Richard Abayomi, Setu Hogan,
Nobath Umeh, Segun Adeniyi
and Okon Amos."
He said the complainants
reported the incident at
Ogudu Police Station on
April 12.
Ihiehie said the accused
were armed with machetes,
iron rods and wooden sticks
57
CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827
Election violence: Accused gets bail
Funeral for Ayeni
T
HE
families of Olabode
and Olawoyin in
Ifaki Ekiti, Ekiti State,
have unveiled the funeral plan
for Mrs Rachael Ayeni, who
died on February 13.
She was aged 79.
Christian wake will hold
today at Ikeni Araromi quarters,
Ilupeju, Ekiti.
Funeral/ thanksgiving service
is slated for St. John's
Anglican Church, Ilupeju, tomorrow
while entertainment
of guests, according to a statement
will hold immediately
at the same venue.
She is survived by children
and grandchildren.
which they used in destroying
the vehicles.
He listed the vehicles as Kia
Cerato marked LND 404 BK,
a BMW saloon car marked
BDG 220 CV and a Toyota
Camry saloon car with registration
number KUJ 619 CQ.
Others are a black Honda
CRV JJJ 7111 CK, an Infinity
FX 35 FST 360 AA and a Toyota
Corolla saloon car FKJ 960
CZ.
The prosecutor said the offences
contravened Sections
166(d), 348 and 409 of the
Criminal Law of Lagos State.
Ihiehie pleaded not guilty.
Magistrate O. J. Awope
granted him N100, 000 bail
with two sureties in the like
sum.
Awope, who said the sureties
should be gainfully employed,
adjourned the case to
May 27.

58
NEWS
Niger youths protest
appointment of
NECO registrar
From Jide Orintunsin, Minna
THE succession crisis at the National
Examinations Council
(NECO) worsened yesterday
when a group of youths, under the
aegis of Niger State chapter of the Nigerian
Youth Congress (NYC),
stormed the headquarters of the examination
body demanding the appointment
of an indigene as its Chief
Executive Officer (CEO).
Led by Comrade Mustapha Tijani,
the state chairman of the congress, the
placard-carrying youths urged President
Goodluck Jonathan to entrust the
leadership of the council to a qualified
professor from the state.
Tijani, who addressed reporters in
Minna, the state capital, noted that despite
a peaceful working environment
the residents had created since
the inception of the defunct National
Board for Education Measurement,
which transformed to NECO, the Federal
Government has not considered
appointing the chief executive of the
council from the state.
“It is sad that with the array of qualified
professors from this state, the
Federal Government has not deemed
it fit to appoint NECO’s Registrar and
Chief Executive from the state. Prof.
Dibu Ojerinde served as pioneer Registrar,
followed by Prof. Promise
Okpala.
“We were informed that the Secretary
to the Federal Government, Senator
Anyim Pius Anyim, brought his
brother from Akwa Ibom at the expense
of qualified candidates from the
host community. We equally learnt
that the Minister of Education, Malam
Ibrahim Shekarau, is pushing for another
person, Prof. Abdulrasheed
Garba, from Bayero University, Kano.”
The youth leader alleged that the
cold war the appointment generated
between Anyim and the minister had
forced the newly announced Registrar,
Prof. Monday Tommy Joshua, who
reported for work last week, to return
to the University of Calabar.
On why the youth were pushing for
an indigene, Tijani said: “We have
many qualified professors. We appeal
to the Federal Government to entrust
us with the leadership of the council.
It is sad that our people are only given
junior positions. Most of the senior
workers are not from here and we
never complained.
A
GROUP, under the auspices
of Concerned Professionals in
the Northeast, yesterday
urged the National Executive Committee
(NEC) of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) to zone the Senate
President to the Northeast.
The leader of the group, Inuwa
Yahaya, told reporters in Abuja that
their demand was in the interest of
“equity, justice and fairness”.
Yahaya noted that the North central
had always benefited from political
positions zoned to the North,
particularly the Senate Presidency.
He said: “We, as concerned professionals,
humbly appeal to the APC
NEC to consider zoning the Senate
Presidency to the Northeast because
in the North, it is the most relegated
zone when it concerns the sharing of
political positions.
“In this instance, the Northcentral,
which is touted to be in the forefront
to clinch the topmost position in the
Senate, has benefited more than any
other zone in the region.
“The Northcentral has been Senate
President for eight years in a row now
with Senator David Mark from Benue
State as its President.
“Secondly, the same Benue State has
been Minority Leader since 2011 in
the person of Senator George Akume,
who is a former two-term governor
of Benue State. All these are in the Seventh
Senate.
“Also, in past Republics, Benue State
occupied the Senate President’s seat
at least twice, on different occasions.
•Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki (left) displaying his certificate of return as House of Representatives member for
Gombe, Kwami and Funakaye Federal Constituency in the Eighth National Assembly...yesterday
EFCC to arraign Sheriff today
over N300b Borno funds
AFORMER Borno State Governor
Ali Modu Sheriff is expected
to appear before the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) today over N300
billion state allocations.
It was learnt on Tuesday that Sheriff
was summoned by the commission
and is expected to report at the
agency’s Abuja head office to respond
to questions bordering on allegations
of “misappropriation, embezzlement
of funds and abuse of office while he
was governor”.
Multiple sources at the anti-graft
agency told this newspaper that
should Sheriff fail to show up as directed,
he would be declared wanted
and then arrested.
Our sources said detectives were
already on his trail and watching his
movement to prevent him from fleeing.
Although the specific allegations
against the former governor is unclear
at the time of filing this report, this
newspaper gathered that the investi-
gation is related with allegations that
parts of the N300 billion his administration
received from the Federation
Account between 2003 and 2011 may
not have been judiciously spent.
The investigation began in 2012 and
had been ongoing since, sources said.
Sheriff was Borno State governor on
the platform of the defunct All Nigeria
Peoples Party (ANPP).
Before then, he was senator between
1999 and 2003 on the ticket of the same
party.
It remains unclear why Sheriff is
being invited by the anti-graft agency
at the tail end of an administration
formed by his party, the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), which he
joined only last year.
EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson
Uwujaren, could not be reached to
comment on the matter. He also did
not answer or return calls to his mobile
phone.
The spokesman did not respond to
a text message seeking comment.
Sheriff too could not be reached. His
Why we deserve Senate President’s slot, by Northeast
Zoning: Senator-elect urges
colleagues to compensate Kano
From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano
THE senator-elect for Kano North, Jibrin I. Barau, has urged his colleagues
to reward Kano State for its immense contributions to the success of the
All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last general elections.
He urged his colleagues to reserve any position that may be zoned to the
Northwest for the state.
Barau, a former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on
Appropriations, called for the understanding of his colleagues when he
addressed reporters in Kano.
The lawmaker spoke against the backdrop of the ongoing deliberation on
the zoning of the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives by
APC leadership.
The senator-elect noted that Kano State contributed immensely to APC’s
victory in the presidential election by giving the party the highest number of
votes cast among throughout the federation.
He said the state also recorded similar feats in other elections, adding that
APC won the governorship by a wide margin, the three senatorial seat, the 24
House of Representatives seats and swept the 40 seats of the House of Assembly.
Barau said Kano State residents, having given APC so much in the last
elections, were looking forward to the party’s appreciation.
The lawmaker hope the relationship between the party and the state would
be strengthened by giving one of Senate’s principal officers’ positions to the
state.
He said: “As a legislator who knows the importance of experience in the
business of legislation and thus knows the importance of ranking in the
legislature, I feel that this ranking arrangement in the National Assembly, as
important as it is, should not conflict with the provisions of the constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
From Sanni Onogu, Abuja
The Northeast has always been
marginalised in the sharing of political
positions.
“This is the time to correct this
anomaly because, during the justconcluded
general elections, the
Northeast gave more votes to the
APC than any other zone in the
North or even the Northcentral for
that matter.”
•Sheriff
mobile telephone was switched off for
most of Tuesday and yesterday. Multiple
calls to his spokesperson, Inuwa
Bwala, failed to connect.
The former governor, who has since
fallen out with his successor, Kashim
Shetttima, dumped the All
Progressives Congress (APC), which
he joined in 2013.
Before leaving the APC, Sheriff
clashed repeatedly with some leaders
of the opposition, including former
Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu.
Sheriff, according to PREMIUM
TIMES, had a shouting match with
Tinubu at a meeting.
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
‘Kogi loses N239m
WEAC fees to
fraudulent govt
officials’
From James Azania, Lokoja
THE chairperson of the Committee
on Reconciliation of the
West African Examinations
Council (WAEC) fees, set up by the
Kogi State Government, Hajia Ladi
Ibrahim, has said some officials in the
Ministry of Education defrauded the
government of huge funds meant for
the payment of the fees for the final
year pupils of public secondary
schools.
Hajia Ibrahim spoke in Lokoja, the
state capital, when she presented the
committee’s report to Governor Idris
Wada.
The chairperson said the committee
discovered that only N278.7 million
was required for the payment of
the West African Senior Secondary
Certificate Examinations (WASSCE)
fees, instead of the N515 million
quoted by the ministry’s officials.
The Nation reported in January the
government’s decision suspending the
payment of WASSCE fees.
But some ministry officials, who
spoke in confidence, denied culpability
in the alleged fraud.
They said remitting such fees, aside
the money for logistics, was by direct
payment to WAEC.
The committee’s report said a number
of factors caused the rise in the
WASSCE fees in the last three years.
These include official annual increment
in fees.
Hajia Ibrahim noted that the fee rose
from N8,050 per pupil in the 2012/
2013 session to N11,450 in the current
(2014/2015) session, representing
about 30 per cent rise.
The chairperson fingered the ministry
officials for allegedly doctoring
the rules governing the unified eligibility
examination, adding that the
violation of the rules caused the inclusion
of ineligible candidates in examination
bills the government
paid.
She added that there was poor regulation
of the establishment of private
schools and their inclusion in the examination
bill to the government.
The report also fingered the overbearing
influence of those it described
as unscrupulous officials of the Ministry
of Education for imposing pupils
on principals for the WASSCE, which
it said accounted for the sharp practices.
El-Rufai inaugurates
transition committee
•Bauchi governor-elect sets up transition committee
KADUNA State Governor-elect
Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has inaugurated
the All
Progressives Congress (APC) transition
committee ahead of his 29 May
assumption of office.
A statement yesterday in Kaduna
by the spokesman to the governorelect,
Samuel Aruwan, said the committee
consists of experienced technocrats,
politicians and other professionals.
The committee is chaired by
Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, a seasoned
public servant and El-Rufai’s
Chief of Staff when he was the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) minister
from 2003 to 2007.
The statement said El-Rufai had
officially replied to Governor
Mukhtar Ramalan Yero’s congratulatory
letter and met the governor.
In his reply to Yero, the governorelect
said: “Permit me to most warmly
acknowledge your congratulatory
message on the occasion of our victory
in the gubernatorial election. I
appreciate the grace of your letter and
the kind words it contains. I must also
put on record that we welcome the
spirit behind your phone call that
preceded the letter.
“Given the short window that exists
between now and the handover
date, it is our intention to swiftly focus
on matters of transition. The APC
From Abdulgafar Alabelewe,
Kaduna and Austine Tsenzughul,
Bauchi
has established its transition committee,
chaired by our own Balarabe
Abbas Lawal.”
Also, Bauchi State Governor-elect
Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar has
set up a 41-member transition committee
ahead of next month’s takeover
by the All Progressives Congress
(APC).
The governor-elect urged the committee
to produce comprehensive
notes on the revenue and expenditure
of the state government from June 1,
2007 till May 29, 2015.
The committee, which is also to
take a full inventory of the ministries,
departments and agencies (MDAs) in
the state, is to relate the 2007 to 2015
revenue to the budgetary provisions
within the period.
Abubakar, who was represented by
Deputy Governor-elect Nuhu Gidado,
advised the committee to produce
details of the loans and advances and
sundry facilities from various sources,
indicating types of loans, the dates
they were obtained, maturity dates,
purposes, repayments and the balance
made so far.
The committee is headed by Alhaji
Mohammed A. Mohammed with Dr.
Aliyu Usman Tilde as its member/
Secretary.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015 59
NEWS
Boko Haram chief killed as troops storm insurgents’ enclaves
ANOTORIOUS terrorists
commander, Abu
Mojahid, has been
killed in an encounter with
troops on the outskirts of
Alagarno, the Defence
Headquarters said yesterday.
A statement by the Director
of Defence Information,
Major General Chris
Olukolade said the terrorists
on Tuesday staged a daring
attack on troops who were
on patrol of the area.
NIGERIA’s Consul
General in South Africa,
Amb. Uche Ajulu-
Okeke, said yesterday that
eight Nigerians have so far
indicated interest to return
home due to xenophobic attacks.
Mrs. Okeke told the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on
phone from Johannesburg,
South Africa, that the Nigerian
mission was already
working with them to facilitate
their journey back home.
‘’I am working with eight
Nigerians who have indicat-
From Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja
“A number of the terrorists
died as the troops repelled
the attack. Some Rocket Propelled
Grenades as well as
vehicle mounted by Anti-
Aircraft guns were either
captured or destroyed in the
encounter”, Olukolade said.
The DHQ added that operations
were continuing in the
form of offensive actions on
identified terrorists in some
forest locations. The state-
ment added that aggressive
patrols, mopping up as well
as cordon and search were
also ongoing in the other locations.
“Improvised explosive devices
planted by the terrorists
to deter the comprehensive
offensive by the advancing
troops are also being carefully
cleared as troops continue
to pursue fleeing ones.
“The operations, especially
in forest locations, are progressing
- in defiance of obstacles
and land mines emplaced
by the terrorists,” the
statement said.
A BBC report monitored
yesterday indicated that
troops had intensified offensive,
including aeriaal bombing
targeted at the various
terrorist enclaves.
BBC reported that aerial
bombardments on Sambisa,
in northeastern Borno State,
were being slowed down by
inclement weather conditions
and poor visibility.
Eight Nigerians seek to leave South Africa, says envoy
NIGERIAN ground
troops have joined an
offensive on the last
known hideout of the Boko
Haram Islamist militants, a
military spokesman has told
the BBC.
The vast north-eastern Sambisa
forest is where they have
many bases - and it has been
subject to aerial bombardments
since February.
There has been speculation
that some of the Chibok
schoolgirls kidnapped more
than a year ago are being held
there.
Boko Haram has killed thousands
in the north since 2009.
The military, backed by
troops from neighbouring
countries, launched an offensive
against Boko Haram in
ed interest to go home. They
are presently at the deportation
holding facility at Limbola,
South Africa,’’ she said.
The Consul General said the
mission held a meeting with
leaders of the Nigerian
Union in the nine provinces
of South Africa.
‘’The meeting was successful.
Victims of the attacks
came with wounds, including
machete and gunshot
wounds.
‘’They narrated how they
were attacked and brought
pictures. We took note of all
that.
‘’The mission asked all the
provincial chairmen of the
union to collate all information
reported,’’ she said.
Mrs. Okeke said the report
would be sent to the Federal
Government for action, adding
that the mission and the
union worked out a vigilance
defence mechanism to protect
Nigerians.
She also said the attacks had
reduced and that Nigerians
were asked to be vigilant despite
the current development.
The President of Nigerian
Union in South Africa, Mr
Ikechukwu Anyene, also told
NAN that the meeting with
the mission was used to assess
the situation and take
stock of losses suffered by
Nigerians.
‘’It was a successful meeting.
Victims of the attack
came and gave firsthand account
of their experiences.
‘’We asked them to collate
their losses and these will be
sent to the government for
further action,’’ he said.
Military launches final offensive against Boko Haram in Sambisa
February - and has recaptured
most of the territory the militants
had taken in the previous
year
But the BBC’s Africa security
correspondent Tomi Oladipo
says the Sambisa forest is
President’s wife calls emergency African First Ladies’ summit
Continued from page 4
Executive Bureau agreed that
the eighth summit will hold
in July (this year) where a
new president of the Mission
is to be elected while the appointment
of its Executive
Secretary will be ratified.
She wrote: “The emergency
summit is deemed crucial
to ensure that we do not create
a leadership vacuum in
our esteemed organisation,
far larger than any other territory
that has been fought over
in the conflict.
The aerial bombardments on
Sambisa, which is mainly in
north-eastern Borno State,
have been slowed down by
as was the case in 2010 when
my predecessor left the office
suddenly without handing
over to a successor.
“It has become necessary to
convene an emergency meeting
of the AFLMP to facilitate
the smooth handover to a
new executive committee that
will pilot the affairs the peace
mission for the next two
years.
“With the recent election in
weather conditions and poor
visibility, he says.
Military spokesman Major-
General Chris Olukolade refused
to give any further details
about the offensive.
my country and a new government
coming on board
from May 29, 2015 it has become
necessary to hold the
meeting.
“It is my desire to have in
place a sustainable standard
that will strengthen the peace
mission and ensure effective
mechanism to guarantee
seamless take off for incoming
leadership of our cherished
organization.”
FRC audits banks’ accounts
Continued from page 4
ing with corporate responsibilities,
we will be dealing
with individual responsibility.
For instance, the Company
Secretary must be a lawyer.
Such persons must also
have cognate experience,” he
said.
Obazee said the FRC gave
the banks one year cool-off
period which ended December
2013 to learn the ropes
because IFRS is a new principle
in Nigeria. “We said if
you are adopting the IFRS for
the first year, we will give
you a cool-ff period of year.
Those that adopted IFRS in
2012; they had 2013 as a cooloff
period. Within the cool-off
period, what we do is consulting.
When you come, we
guide you on what to do or
look out for,” he said.
The cool-off of one year is
President till 29th May when
the President-elect will take
over”.
“I have to make a little clarification
because some people
thought I said May 28 would
be the handover date. I never
said that.
“I said May 28 will be the
last day that we will have our
handing over briefs by ministries
and parastatals. I said
from the 28th of this month
to that date has been given to
departments and ministries to
submit their hand over notes.
“I remember somebody
asked if there would be no
vacuum if there is handover
on May 28 and I replied that
there will be no handing over
on May 28.
“Handing over and inauguration
will hold on May 29.
The President is not handing
over power on May 28, he is
handing over power on May
29.
to ensure that “banks do not
say that government ambushed
them”.
The FRC will be looking at
the banks’ financial reporting
infrastructure; revenue recognition,
income classification,
disclosures and measurements.”
Obazee said the body is implementing
Section 11 D of
the FRC Act, which is to ensure
accuracy and reliability
of financial report and corporate
disclosure in line with
Nigerian laws.
“As a bank, we would be
looking at how you comply
with the regulations of the
Central Bank of Nigeria and
Nigeria Deposit Insurance
Corporation on how you, for
instance, recognise Non-Performing
Loans because such
could affect your bottom
line.”
President won’t hand over
till May 29, says Fed Govt
Continued from page 4
On the sacking of Inspector
General of Police (IGP) Suleiman
Abba by President
Jonathan, she said the President
acted within his power
to appoint and sack.
Allaying alleged fears by
contractors to stop work due
to uncertainty of settling their
outstanding arrears with the
coming change of government,
she said government is
continuous.
“Government does not end
with one president going out.
It continues.” She stated.
•Mrs. Akwashiki

60
FOREIGN NEWS
Talks begin on final
Iran nuclear deal
IRAN and major powers
yesterday began the difficult
process of finalising
by June 30 a historic deal putting
an Iranian nuclear bomb
out of reach, three weeks after
agreeing the main outlines.
Following a negotiating
marathon in Switzerland, Iran
agreed on April 2 to what US
President Barack Obama
called a “historic understanding...
which, if fully implemented,
will prevent (Iran)
from obtaining a nuclear
weapon.”
This will include Iran dramatically
scaling back its nuclear
activities and submitting
those that remain to what
Obama described the “most
robust and intrusive inspections
and transparency regime
ever negotiated”.
In return, the United States
and five other major powers
committed to lift certain sanctions
that have caused the Islamic
republic of 75 million
people major economic pain.
The accord, if completed
and implemented, would
draw to a close a crisis that
has been raging since Iran’s
nuclear activities was first revealed
some 12 years ago. It
denies wanting the bomb.
It could even potentially see
“axis of evil” Iran and the
“Great Satan” United States
bury the hatchet after 35 years
of bitter acrimony — and at a
particularly volatile time in
the Middle East.
The talks in Vienna yesterday
started the process of
drafting the deal, involved
senior EU diplomat Helga
Schmid, representing the P5+1
group, and Abbas Araghchi,
Iran’s deputy foreign minister,
as well as legal and technical
experts from all six powers
and Tehran.
Other officials including US
Under Secretary Wendy Sherman
were to join later in the
week.
The process of fitting together
all the interlocking
pieces in what will be a fiendishly
complex accord is full of
potential pitfalls, experts say.
The main problem looks to
be the timing of when US and
continue to take action
against the Houthis as needed.
The UN says at least 944
people have been killed and
3,487 injured in air strikes,
fighting on the ground and
attacks by jihadist militants in
Yemen since 19 March.
Not long after dawn on
Wednesday, rebel fighters
took control of the headquarters
of the 35th Armoured Brigade
on the northern outskirts
of Taiz.
They also bombed a gathering
of rebels and allied military
personnel loyal to ousted
former President Ali Abdullah
Saleh near the city’s
central prison, he added.
EU economic sanctions related
to the nuclear dossier will
be lifted.
Araghchi told the official
IRNA news agency Wednesday
that he was seeking “clear
and precise information on
the details” of how this will
work.
Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani said he wants the removal
to occur “on the first
day of the implementation of
the deal”.
Saudi Arabia resumes air strikes in Yemen
Queen presents Prince Philip
with Australian knighthood
ITALY pressed the European
Union yesterday to devise
concrete, robust steps
to stop the deadly tide of migrants
on smugglers’ boats in
the Mediterranean, including
considering military intervention
against traffickers and
strengthening the presence of
U.N. refugee offices in countries
bordering Libya and elsewhere
in Africa.
Libyan shores are the most
frequent launching spots for
the smugglers’ boats.
Pinotti said Italy was willing
to take the helm of any
military intervention if asked
and as long as it is carried out
as an international mission,
OUEEN Elizabeth II has
presented her husband
with his Australian
knighthood in a ceremony
at Windsor Castle.
The honour recognises the
Duke of Edinburgh’s contribution
to Australia throughout
the Queen’s reign.
Australian PM Tony Abbott
recommended Prince Philip
when he reintroduced the honour
last year, but the decision
provoked widespread
criticism in the Commonwealth
country.
Politicians and the media
said it was out-of-step with the
times.
During the investiture ceremony
the Queen presented
Prince Philip with the insignia
of a Knight of the Order
of Australia.
The duke’s citation said:
“For three-quarters of a century,
Prince Philip has served
the Crown, and the wider
Commonwealth.
“He has served Australia
with distinction and is patron
of over 800 organisations.”
Tony Abbott reintroduced
the honour on Australia Day
in 2014
Australia began awarding
its own honours in 1975 - the
awards eventually replaced
the existing British honours
system.
backed by the United Nations.
”We’re ready to do our
share,” she said. “We’re the
closest country to Libya.
”Pinotti was speaking a day
before EU leaders hold an
emergency summit in Brussels
called in the wake of a
shipwreck off Libya last weekend
which authorities believe
may have killed more than
800 migrants. It would be the
highest known loss of migrants’
lives in a single incident
in the Mediterranean.
In the latest arrival of migrants,
an Italian naval vessel
docked in the Sicilian port of
Augusta with 446 people who
THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
•Baroness Catherine Ashton, EU top Representative (left) with Javad Zarif, Iranian Foreign Minister and the Iranian ambassador
to Austria Hassan Tajik during the talks. PHOTO: AFP
Only Queen Elizabeth II can
appoint Australian knights
and dames, on the recommendation
of the prime minister.
The accolade is just one of
dozens of awards received by
Prince Philip, who is already
The 35th Brigade has stayed
loyal to President Hadi, who
fled the country at the end of
March as the Houthis and their
allies advanced on Aden.
It was not surprising when
the Saudis said that they had
resumed air strikes against
Houthi fighters in Taiz.
Negotiations are under way
to try to find a way to stop the
fighting in Yemen. But the
Houthis have fought hard to
reach their dominant position
in Yemen, and will not give
up easily.
Saudi Arabia said its aircraft
would continue to target the
rebels as necessary
The UN has expressed concern
about the number of civilian
casualties
“There might be less frequency
and the scope of the
action might be less, but there
will be military action,”
spokesman Brig Gen Assiri
told a news conference in Riyadh.
A new, more limited campaign,
“Operation Restoring
Hope”, would focus on preventing
the rebels from “targeting
civilians or changing
realities on the ground” and
finding a political solution
the conflict, Gen Assiri said.
The Saudi diplomatic
sources said an agreement
was being finalised with the
Houthis.
•The Queen at the ceremony, Prince Philip (centre) and
Australian High Commissioner Alexander Downer.
PHOTO: HETTY
a Knight of the Order of the
Elephant in Denmark, a Royal
Chief of the Order of Logohu
in Papua New Guinea, and
a Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of the Netherlands Lion.
Italy presses EU to help with migrant crisis
had been rescued from a
smugglers’ boat on Tuesday
off the southern coast of the
Italian mainland. The navy
said 59 of the migrants are
children.
Pinotti said she was cautiously
hopeful that the EU
summit on Thursday, solicited
by Italy, would take tangible
steps to deal with the migrant
crisis. Hundreds of migrants
have been arriving on
Italian shores, after being rescued
at sea when their rickety
and overloaded boats run into
problems.
”We think it’s the moment
in which Europe decides,
forcefully, to have an international
police operation, which
will undo this band of criminals,”
Pinotti said. She spoke
as Premier Matteo Renzi addressed
lawmakers.
The crisis worsened dramatically
with last weekend’s
capsizing of a boat loaded
with hundreds of migrants,
many of them locked in the
hold by their smugglers.
Renzi urged the European
Union to swiftly craft longrange,
comprehensive policy
on the migrants.
A group of Ethiopian Christians
was seen being shot or
beheaded in a video this week
released by the extremist
group Islamic State.
But Western officials say
this will only happen once the
UN atomic watchdog has verified
that Iran has taken key
steps in the agreement such
as removing nuclear machinery.
Washington says this
would take six months to a
year.
The powers will also lift all
nuclear-related UN Security
Council resolutions and replace
them with a new text
endorsing the deal and retaining
some current UN restrictions
such as on ballistic missiles.
According to a US fact sheet,
Iran will cut the number of
uranium centrifuges — which
can make nuclear fuel but also
the core of a bomb — to 6,104
from 19,000 at present.
Around 1,000 of these will not
enrich uranium.
In addition, Washington
says, Iran will shrink its stockpile
of enriched uranium by
SAUDI-LED coalition
jets have bombed
Houthi rebels in Ye-
men’s third city of Taiz, hours
after announcing the end of a
military campaign against
them.
The strikes followed the fall
of the base outside Taiz of an
army unit loyal to President
Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.
Fighting was also reported
in the second city of Aden,
Lahj’s provincial capital Huta,
and the town of Daleh.
On Tuesday, Riyadh declared
its month-long campaign,
which sought to restore
the president, had achieved its
goals.
But it warned that it would
FRENCH police have
arrested a man suspected
of planning
an attack on “one or two
churches” in a Paris suburb,
the country’s interior
minister has said.
The man, a 24-year-old
Algerian national, was detained
on Sunday in Paris
after he apparently shot
himself by accident and
called an ambulance. He
is also being questioned
over the murder of a woman
on Sunday.
France has stepped up
security in the wake of recent
attacks on the Charlie
Hebdo offices and a
Jewish supermarket.
The man was known to
security services as having
expressed a wish to travel
to Syria, French Interior
Minister Bernard Cazeneuve
said.
98 percent. Taken together this
will extend the “breakout”
time needed to make one
bomb’s worth of material to
at least one year.
Iran has however criticised
the fact sheet and a joint statement
by Zarif and EU foreign
policy head Federica Mogherini
on April 2 was vague,
saying only that Iran’s enrichment
capacity and stockpile
would be “limited”.
French police arrest man
planning attacks
When police arrived at
the scene on Sunday, they
followed a trail of blood to
the suspect’s car, where
they found weapons and
notes on potential targets.
The documents established
“beyond doubt that
the individual was planning
an imminent attack,
probably on one or two
churches,” said Mr Cazeneuve.
The suspect lived in student
accommodation in
Paris
“Several war weapons,
hand guns, ammunition
[and] bullet-proof vests,”
were found in his car and
home, the minister added.
The authorities have
carried out security checks
on the suspect twice in recent
years but did not uncover
anything to justify
further investigation.
Drone lands on Japan pm’s office
ASECURITY alert was triggered at the offices of
the Japan’s prime minister, when a small drone
landed on the roof.
The drone carried a small camera and a plastic bottle
with an unidentified content.
No injuries or damage were reported from the
incident, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in
Indonesia to attend an Asian-African conference.
Kim Jong Un to visit Moscow
NORTH Korean
representatives
have confirmed
that Kim will be in the
Russian capital for May 9
Victory Day celebrations,
Russian presidential aide
Yuri Ushakov said
Wednesday, according to
Russian state-run news
agency Tass.
This would mark Kim’s
first official foreign trip
since inheriting the
leadership of North Korea
in late 2011.
Kim will meet with
Russian President
Vladimir Putin as part of
the May visit, Tass
reported.
Kim’s trip has been
anticipated since late
December, when Russian
state media reported that
Moscow had extended
an invitation to
Pyongyang.
Last month, a Russian
official speaking on
condition of anonymity
told CNN that the
invitation was accepted.
But Wednesday’s Tass
report is the first public
confirmation attached to
a named official.
This year’s Victory Day
marks the 70th
anniversary of the Soviet
Union’s victory over
Nazi Germany in World
War II. Russia has said it
has invited more than 60
world leaders to the
celebrations.

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015 61
SHOWBIZ
Kuti brothers in rare joint concert
ORGANISERS of epic
show, The 2Kings Concert,
have reiterated
their commitment to this
year’s edition, following its
earlier suspension as a result
of the last general elections.
Now confirmed for Friday
April 24 at Eko Hotel and
Suites, Lagos, the show features
Femi and Seun Kuti, two
children of the late Afrobeat
precursor, in an unusual joint
performance.
Reports say that Seun’s album,
A Long Way To The Beginning,
will also be launched
at the event, which many say
will be their first performance
together.
The brothers are known to
have thrived globally, with
sold out concerts at events
•Seun Kuti
Applause for Olu Jacobs,
RMD in Oloibiri
By Dupe Ayinla-Olasunkanmi
THE major characters of a new movie,
Oloibiri, were part of the guests at the
popular E-Centre, Yaba, Lagos, last
Monday, where fans were treated to a sneak
preview of the movie.
Based on Nigeria’s Niger-Delta town,
Oloibiri, credited as Nigeria’s first point of
crude-oil discovery in January 1956, Oloibiri
Retold takes on a journey through three main
subject matters – the tragic journey of Oloibiri
into developmental retrogression, the sociocultural
under-runs which gave birth to
militancy, and the governmental intervention
to compensate a land which arguably, has been
raped of its resources.
One of the lead cast members of the
production, Richard Mofe Damijo, aka RMD, is
happy with the response received from the
audience. “When the movie started and I heard
people applaud, I then relaxed, because that to
me means that the job was well done and
accepted,” he said.
He added that the ultimate part of the project
was the spilling of the crude oil. “The whole
thing you saw in the movie was real.
Everything I had on when shooting that part, I
could not use them anymore. It took like four
to five days for the oil to finally come off my
body. But I kept all the items, from the wears
to the accessories for posterity.”
For Olu Jacobs, the time has come for the
fortune of any despoiled Niger-Delta
IT was a marriage of Seven-Up
Bottling Company’s
brand, Pepsi, with the
traditional cinema snack,
popcorn, as a new film center
opened in Ibadan, the Oyo
State capital, last Thursday.
Located in the Palms Shopping
Mall, the new outlet, Viva
Cinema, was celebrated by
many, as a project which will
further define the entertainment
landscape of the ancient
city of Ibadan. The event witnessed
several night crawlers
and socialites, who were treated
to a multi-entertainment
ambiance, with music blasting
from the high speakers at the
lobby of the cinema.
The presence of actress Iyabo
Ojo and movie producer,
Lancelot Imasuen, added to
the excitement, as fans struggled
for photo ops with the
celebrities.
Iyabo and Lancelot had premiered
their award-winning
films, Silence and Invasion 1897
respectively at the cinema.
The excitement was palpable
By Joe Agbro Jr
such as the Glastonbury Festival,
The Hollywood Bowl
and The Barbican.
Sponsored by Airtel in association
with Egypt 80
Records, Alliance Francaise,
Terra Kulture and Eko Hotel
and Suites, this Friday’s show
will also feature a line-up of
other Nigerian music stars
such as 2Face, Olamide, Wizkid
and D’banj.
A Long Way To The Beginning,
was produced in 2014 under
the Knitting Factory Records
label and has seven tracks
which includes IMF, African
Airways and Ohun Aiye. The
other tracks are Kalakuta Boy,
African Smoke, Black Woman and
Higher Consciousness.
•Femi Kuti
•Nigerian Idol 5 Presenter, Illrhymz with Top 12 Finalists-Preye, Dolu and Prime.
Top 12 emerge in Nigerian Idol
THE stage is now set for
the arduous journey of
contestants in the ongoing
Nigerian Idol reality show,
with the much anticipated
Top 12, emerging from the
last stage of 30 wannabes.
The Top 12 stage is a more
critical and enduring phase,
leading to the final rounds
where one man or woman
will win the star prize of N7.5
million, a brand new car, a
recording deal worth N7.5
million with South Africabased
Universal Music label
and some high-end devices.
community to change. “It was learnt that the
well is a bit fair now than it was in the past.
But with the change we have now, we hope
that the money realised will be used to take
care of these people and the community.”
Also sharing her experience, Taiwo Ajai-
Lycett added: “I was depressed all through the
period we were shooting the movie. Not
because it was part of my role, but seeing those
people, I could not help it. And that is where
the question of whether or not oil is a blessing
or curse to our people comes to mind.
Produced by Canada-based producer/
director, Rogers Ofime and directed by Curtis
Graham, Oloibiri is scheduled for screening at
the Cannes Film Festival; one of the biggest
film festivals in the world, on May 19, 21, and
22, 2015.
Also starring in the movie are William R.
Moses (CSI, Touched by an Angel), Ifeanyi
Williams and indigenes of Oloibiri.
Pepsi partners Viva Cinema launch in Ibadan
as they waited patiently for
the cinema hall to fling open
with a cone of popcorn and a
can of Pepsi in hand.
Pepsi raised the decibel of
the fun with a ladies’ dancing
competition in which rich
goody bags were given away
as prizes.
An excited Norden Thurston,
Head of Marketing, Seven-Up
Bottling Company Plc,
said Pepsi’s partnership with
Viva Entertainment is aimed
•RMD on the set of Oloibiri
at encouraging relationships
and bonding among friends
and families and enthrone the
culture of relaxation outside
of the home.
Rian Erasmus, CEO of Persianas
Retail, owners of Viva
Cinema, was ecstatic at the
huge attendance which he attributed
to the partnership between
his organisation and
Pepsi, a brand already legendary
in urban youth culture entertainment.
•L-R: Head of Marketing, Seven-up Bottling Company, Mr.
Norden Thurston, Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo, Brand Manager,
SBC, Segun Ogunleye, at the launch of a world-class cinema in
Ibadan by Viva Cinema last Thursday.
By Dupe Ayinla-Olasunkanmi
After scaling series of
screening exercises, including
stage performances and
public voting process, the final
12 are expected to feature
in a more tasking and professionally
designed music lesson
sessions, capped by weekly
performances before the
three celebrity judges and live
audience at the OMG Dream
Studios, Ojodu, Lagos.
The contestants for the new
stage are Ogunmoyero Modolowamu
(Dolu), Oyinkepreye
Deborah Toun (Preye),
Janet Ebiwari Ayoka (Ayoka),
Godson Goodluck (Classic
Tunez), Ogunrombi Kunle (K-
Peace), Esther Aritheshoma
Monday (Sther), Adigwe
Brenda Ada (Brenda), Ekeoma
Victor Chibuzor (Prime), Paul
Manuwa (P.Scholes), Okemiri
Uloma Margaret (Uloma),
Omodele Diana Fatoki (Modele)
and Ese-Amadasun Imuetiyan
(Nex2).
After arriving at nine candidates
from the three groups
of 10, the last three contestants
emerged through the judges’
Wild Card, a prerogative for
the judges to pick three contestants
they find talented but
who have not been favoured
by the traditional public voting
pattern.
In a related development,
Nigerian Idol franchise owners,
Optima Media Group (OMG)
in partnership with show
sponsors Etisalat Nigeria,
Payporte, S0-Kleen, Dabur,
Tantalizers and Cadbury Nigeria
has concluded plans to
present to the Nigerian Public
the Top 12 contestants of
the current season.
The public presentation,
christened Top 12 Unveiling, is
billed to hold this Saturday,
at the Dream Studios.
In its 5 th season, Nigerian Idol
airs on Saturdays and Sundays
on terrestrial and satellite TV
Stations in the country.
The show focuses on discovering
youths with talent in
music and giving them a
unique platform to take shots
at stardom.
I never wanted to be a
musician, says Naeto C
WHILE many who set
out to be musicians
from their early days
couldn’t make headway, fortune
from music has smiled on
Naeto C, who treated what has
now become his career with
kid’s glove as a child.
For the 10/10 crooner who is
also blessed with others hits
such as Owu, Kini Big Deal and
My P, music was a mere hobby
as a child. And despite being a
pass time, his parents never approved
of it for fear that it could
distract him from his studies.
Interestingly, the 33-year-old
father of two, is today one of
the top rappers on the music
scene in Nigeria.
Speaking during a recent
#MySuperStarStory interview,
a new online platform where
celebrities relay their stories of
triumph, Naeto C revealed that
constant practice and sheer determination
eventually helped
him scale through the hurdles
and make a point with music.
Asked what his turning point
was, he was quick to mention
the Kini Big Deal track and advised
that upcoming acts be realistic
with their choices and
decisions.
#MySuperStarStory implores
more celebrities to join
the conversation on social media
by using the hashtag
#MySuperStarStory.
•Naeto C

62 THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015

THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015
63

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL. 10, NO. 3193
self-correcting mechanism’
COMMENT
& DEB
EBATE
The Development of a Welfare State
•The following article by me on the APC
manifesto was first published in The Nation
in March 2014, over a year ago. The
APC, newly formed, was then in opposition
at the centre. Now, having won the
recent presidential elections, retired General
Buhari of the APC will be sworn in
next month as president. The article is
being repeated, without any amendment
or revision, to remind the APC leaders of
their promise to the nation.
LAST week, the All Progressives Congress
(APC), the main opposition
party, unveiled its manifesto in Abuja,
highlighting its social welfare vision for Nigeria.
As I have not yet seen or read the full
document, my comments on it are based on
media reports on the manifesto that highlighted
a social welfare vision of the party
for our country. This includes the party’s
strategies on job creation, the fight against
rising public corruption, the poor and deteriorating
social and physical infrastructure,
the creation of states police, widespread insecurity
in the state, and greater transparency
in government. It is definitely time for change
in Nigeria and the urgent resolution of these
long standing challenges is critical to
Nigeria’s future progress and stability. The
manifesto is wide ranging and should enjoy
mass electoral appeal in the country.
But there are some inexplicable and puzzling
gaps in the manifesto. Omitted from it
are such contentious but crucial issues as fiscal
federalism, a parliamentary versus a presidential
system of government, federal-state
relations, and the frightening rot in the energy
and oil sectors of the economy. The
manifesto is also silent on the need for the
political restructuring of the country and on
the need for a review of revenue allocation
between the centre and the states. Evidently
the party could not reach a consensus on these
controversial issues. We eagerly await the
manifesto of the PDP, the ruling party, which
has been in power since 1999, during which
its performance has been less than satisfactory,
and well below the expectations of even
its own supporters. But the APC manifesto
remains only a promise of what the party
will do if it wins next year’s general elections.
This promise cannot be fulfilled if the
APC loses next year’s presidential election.
In states controlled by the APC in the Southwest,
most of the strategies outlined by the
party in its manifesto are already being
implemented with positive results. The
physical transformation in those states, particularly
in Lagos and Edo, is quite impressive.
There can be no doubt that in those states
there is a far greater commitment to developing
a better infrastructure and laying a
solid foundation for the future economic
progress and social welfare of the people of
the states. Outside the South-west, a few other
states have shown a similar commitment to
DESIGNER minister with designer
moustache, designer shoes, designer
pair of glasses, designer shirts, designer
ties, designer hair cut and even designer
elocution!
That is the affable Akinwunmi Adesina,
PhD, for you — outgoing minister of agriculture
and rural development, and perhaps
the greatest ministerial salesman Nigeria
has ever had! Among his many feats as
minister is his designer cassava bread
which, sources say, has snatched and retained
its pride of place on the Goodluck
Jonathan presidential breakfast table!
Indeed, such is Dr. Adesina’s designer
razzmatazz that many an informed literary
mind has zealously opined that
whereas the late American Arthur Miller
wrote Death of a Salesman, a classic in contemporary
dramatic tragedy, a putative future
follow-up, using Adesina as merry and
living example, should be entitled Life for a
Salesman. Such is the outgoing minister’s
charm in salesmanship!
www.thenationonlineng.net
OMMENT & D
DAPO FAFOWORA
FROM THE
SUMMIT
dapo.fafowora@thenationonlineng.net
APC’s vision for Nigeria
•APC logo
promoting economic growth and the welfare
of the people. Northern governors announced
recently, but somewhat belatedly, that secondary
education in their states would now be
free. It should have been made free long before
now. A greater spread of this commitment
by the states is necessary for the overall
development of the nation.
However, the leaders of the APC still have a
lot of work to do on their manifesto to make
it more credible. The cost implications of the
political agenda have to be carefully worked
out to ensure that it is sustainable and that the
resources for implementing the social welfare
aspects of the programme are available.
All the governments of the federation are facing
a severe cash crunch caused by declining
oil revenues, massive scams in the critical oil
sector, and colossal financial mismanagement
at the centre. A few weeks ago, Governor
Fashola of Lagos State complained publicly
that, due to the fall in the revenue of the states,
specifically the federally allocated revenue on
which virtually all the states depend, he was
short of funds to continue with some of the
critical social and economic programmes of
Lagos State. Virtually all the states governments
find themselves in this situation and,
regrettably, have had to cut back on their public
spending, even for laudable projects. Some
states have already cut their wage bills by half.
There is a high probability that this deplorable
financial state of affairs will continue for
some time. The nation depends mostly on its
revenue from oil exports. But some twenty
percent of this possible revenue is currently
being lost to oil bunkering and other scams in
the oil sector. The NNPC has remained largely
unaccountable. So, revenue from oil exports
is not meeting the set target, despite the rise
HARDBALL
in global oil prices. Though commendable,
the APC will need to look carefully again at
some aspects of its social welfare programme
to ensure that the financial resources to implement
them are available. Specifically, I refer
to the plan of paying the poorest 25 million
people in the nation a monthly allowance of
N5, 000, and the payment for a whole year of
ex-Youth Corp members who are unable to
find jobs. Together, this will cost the nation
over N2 trillion or nearly half of the total
federal budget for 2014. These are quite impressive
proposals which have some electoral
appeal. But the cost involved will be quite
staggering and unsustainable. The APC will
need to review this proposal more carefully.
Of course, it will be argued that the needed
financial resources are available, that the
economy is growing, and that what is required
at all levels of government in Nigeria
is less public corruption and a better and more
prudent management of our financial resources.
But the same objective of reducing
the prevailing mass poverty in the country
through the proposed financial handouts can
be realised by promoting economic policies
and strategies that will lead to the creation of
more jobs in the private sector, through increased
foreign investment in the country.
This can be achieved by improving the woeful
infrastructure, and by promoting a greater
transparency in governance in the country.
The same objective of reducing the widespread
mass poverty in the country can also
be achieved by reducing the widening income
gap in the nation between the rich and
the poor, particularly in the public sector
where income disparities are immense. The
ratio of minimum and maximum wage in the
public sector is as high as 1: 1,000. And this
does not even include the opportunity for
graft and unearned income to which highly
paid public servants and the rich have easy
access. In the rich countries the ratio is 1:5.
At less than US$3 per day, minimum wage
in Nigeria is very low. Fresh university
graduates get a little bit more. Unemployment
is estimated at over 30 per cent. There is
no moral or even economic justification for
this huge income gap. Governments in poor
countries tend to deliberately keep labour
costs low in the expectation that this will lead
to increased demand for labour and attract
more foreign investment. But experience in
Enter ADB designer president?
TODAY IN THE NATION
‘The Nigerian state has never enjoyed any long, sustaining
internal tranquility necessary for growth because
she has never really been allowed to organically evolve
into any orderly stage of development with her in-built,
What Nigeria would soon lose, however,
the African Development Bank (ADB) will
(hopefully and happily) soon gain. Dr.
Adesina, brilliant Nigerian patriot and technocrat,
is training his designer pair of eyes
on the ADB presidency, but he has seven others
to contend with: Sufian Ahmed, Jaloul
Ayed, Kordje Bedoumra, Christina Duarte,
Samura M. W. Kamara, Thomas Z. Sakala and
Birama Boubacar Sidibe. The election holds
on May 28 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, during
the ADB annual general meeting.
Which is why, President-elect, Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari has thrown his weight
behind the technocrat as a son in whom his
native Nigeria is well pleased. But, as Gen.
Buhari told the visiting President John
Mahama of Ghana in canvassing ECOWAS
support, Nigeria’s support for her own is not
just because Dr. Adesina is Nigerian. It is
simply because he has the cognate experience
and exposure, as a development agriculturist,
even before landing the job as President
Jonathan’s agriculture and rural development
minister — a round peg in a round
hole, many would insist, even if Hardball had
always had some issues with his portrait of
a minister as jolly showman and zestful salesman.
Still, he is not all gloss, no substance. Hear
Gen. Buhari: “Dr. Adesina has a proven track
record in a career that predates his position
as Nigeria’s minister of agriculture and rural
development”, adding that his long career
experience, which has taken him
through the UN Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO), has earned him many
years of working experience in Francophone
and Anglophone countries of Africa, thus
making him at home with Africa’s developmental
challenges.
FEMI ODERE
poor countries where labour is generally
cheap does not support this view. Cheap
labour is just one of several factors that attract
foreign investment into a country. In
fact, such a strategy constrains productivity.
It leads to frequent labour strikes and these
impede economic growth. The APC should
pursue an alternative strategy on public
wages. It should increase the minimum wage
and reduce the remuneration of highly paid
officials in the public sector, particularly the
pay of those in the executive and legislative
branches of government. Better pay for the
workers will increase their spending and
stimulate the economy.
This is not simply a moral issue. Better
wages for workers will improve productivity
in all sectors of the economy. Economic
growth in Nigeria will be even faster. A prosperous,
stable and secure state cannot be built
on the foundation of such economic injustice.
It is this injustice that accounts for the
high crime rate in the country, and why our
homes and streets are no longer safe. It is the
source of murders, kidnappings, and armed
robberies in our country. In a way, even Boko
Haram is a manifestation of this social injustice.
It is no accident that it is in the Northeast
of Nigeria, the poorest part of the country,
that it has had some appeal and success.
Religious extremism feeds on wide spread
poverty and income inequalities. These tend
to attract the poor. Religious fanatics and extremists
use these social and economic inequalities
in the state to foster social grievances.
A national consensus on the need for the
creation of state police has emerged. This will
improve state security and reduce the coercive
powers of the Federal Government. This
is an agenda item that the APC should encourage
its delegates at the National Conference
to pursue vigorously in concert with
the delegates of other states in support of the
idea of a state police. As I write this, the APC
has not yet nominated its two delegates to
the Conference. But it is well represented by
APC delegates from the states controlled by
the party. They should not compromise on
this issue. Whatever it may think about the
prospects of the national conference, the APC,
as the main opposition party, should seek to
be more actively involved in its deliberations.
It should be at the table when critical
issues on the new Nigerian Constitution are
being debated.
As a blueprint for social and economic development,
the APC manifesto is sound. But
as the leaders of the APC should know from
Nigeria’s recent political history, party manifestoes
do not necessarily win elections in
Nigeria. If it is any guide, the experience of
Chief Awolowo and his UPN is instructive.
Given the ethnic character of Nigerian politics,
local issues, even at the state level, as
well as political alignments, are far more critical
in winning elections than a manifesto, no
matter how appealing and promising it is.
That is where elections are won or lost.
• For comments, send SMS to 08054503031
•Hardball is not the opinion
of the columnist featured above
The candidate’s campaign war cry is also
sure to resonate with many, if not most:
eradication of poverty in Africa by reducing
unemployment among African youths,
reviving rural economies to create prosperity,
ensuring continental economic growth
and regional integration and prosperity.
But beyond the quest proper, what makes
it for Hardball is Gen. Buhari’s unequivocal
support for Dr. Adesina’s quest. It is loud
and clear: elections are over but governance
must continue to build a greater Nigeria.
Of course, in other climes, that should not
be a big deal — supporting a minister of an
outgoing government. But Nigeria is not
“other climes” and that is what makes the
Buhari move a welcome experience.
Hardball would miss Dr. Adesina, though
— his technocratic showmanship, hitherto
a familiar home brew, would now be an
object of overseas reportage.
But Hardball would not despair: what is
Nigeria’s designer loss is Africa’s designer
gain!
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