No. 2,208 N150

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY19.06.14 Thursday

NIGErIa’s MOsT INFLuENTIaL NEWsPaPEr

By Bayo oladeji, Abuja

Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, Chief Tom Ikimi and other aggrieved chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will not defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a result of the post-

convention crisis of the party, APC spokesman Lai Mohammed has stated.

Ali Modu Sheriff, Ikimi, Sam Jaja, Senator Annie Okonkwo,

former vice president Atiku Abubakar, 14 governors, and a few other aggrieved members of the party were absent at the ceremony marking the National

Executive Committee (NEC) inauguration yesterday, an indication that all may not be well

➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

FG Endorses Oando $1.65bn ConocoPhillips Acquisition > Page 14

Ikimi, Sheriff, Others Won’t Leave APC – Lai Mohammed

Boko haram Planning Massive attacks In abuja - FG > Page 7

5

Moves to impeach Gov Amaechi also afoot

I’m Not Bothered By Plot To Remove Me – Nyako

IMPEAChMENT NOTICE AGAINsT GOv, dEPuTy

Chibok Diary

66DAYShettima, Okonjo-Iweala Counsel Media, Says Schoolgirls'll Soon Be Rescued > Page 2

Minister of finance and coordinating minister for the economy Ngozi okonjo-iweala and Borno State governor Kashim Shettima carrying victims of Boko Haram attacks, when the minister led representatives of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on assessment of schools and distribution of relief items to victims in Maiduguri, yesterday. photo by government house, maiduguri

• Squandering of N4,805,216,538.32 and N7,114,995,590.85 in 2012 and 2013 respectively

• Corrupt siphoning of N300m public funds in the name of constructing Mubi by-pass

• Diversion of N400m out of the N500m intervention fund for flood victims

• Diversion of N50m released to the deputy governor by finance ministry

SOME OF THE CHARGES AGAINST GOV NYAKO

SOME OF THE CHARGES AGAINST DEP GOV NGILARI

Shettima, Okonjo-Iweala Counsel Media, Say Schoolgirls Will Soon Be Rescued

Security Agencies Not Doing Enough To Rescue Our Girls – Chibok Chairman

CHIBOK TRENDING

chibok diary

Nigeria

CASHLESSGoes

The policy is expected to go live nationwide in

a couple of weeks, precisely July 1, 2014

The increased volumeand value of transactions on these e-banking channels are indications that the project is on course despite initial fears

Mobile payment system, which is yet tobe very popular and reach its optimum use,recorded the most improvement with 258.6 increase in volume

Percentage increasein value of transactionin Q1 2012

The total amount that passed through the e-banking channelsQ1 2013 in 188.09 million transactions

N80.35 trillion 103%

93.31%1.85%4.08%

and

ATMPOS

MOBILEMONEY

INTERNET

5,982 million and N51.79 billion from 1,668 million and N25.50 billionin Q2 2012 Volume and value of mobile payments increment during the review period

Reasons for growth

More operatorsImproved awareness

DATA ON VARIOUS E-PAYMENT CHANNELS FOR THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW INDICATED THAT:

0.76%

MOST PATRONISED

LEAST PATRONISEDINFOGRAPHICS BYMatthew Akhabue

NOT YET POPULAR

tomorrow rally in ontario and toronto, Canada

UpCOMING EvENTS

COMPILED BY UGOCHUKWU IROKA

Thursday, June 19, 2014 2

66DAY

#BringBackOurGirls group in a village square meeting at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY OYEDELE OMOKAGBO

By Kareem Haruna, maiduguri

Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima and the coordinat-ing minister of the economy, Dr ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yes-terday implored journalists to exercise caution in reporting issues on the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, even as they assured nigerians of the rescue of the girls who had spent over 60 days in the cap-tivity of the Boko Haram sect.Fielding questions from jour-nalists in maiduguri, the Bor-

no State capital yesterday, the duo of Shettima and Okonjo-Iweala argued that the com-mitment of government to see that the over 200 school-girls are freed and returned home had not waned a bit.The finance minister was in maiduguri yesterday to in-troduce the Safe School Ini-tiative programme, which is a bilateral programme for the education of youths in nigeria, and is being funded by the former prime min-ister of Britain, Gordon

Brown and the nigerian government.Dr Okonjo-Iweala said the federal government is work-ing round the clock to ensure that the Chibok schoolgirls are freed and reunited with their families."The President is very much concerned about the abduct-ed Chibok schoolgirls, and he has not relented in his com-mitment to see that these poor girls are rescued. yes, it is over 60 days that these girls were taken, but we should un-

derstand that a lot of meas-ures are being carefully taken to ensure that the abducuted girls are rescued; but we can-not be mentioning every-thing openly. I believe these girls would be rescued given the quantum of support we are getting internationally on the same issue", she said.The Borno State governor had also pleaded for more pa-tience and restraint from the public and the media while commenting or reporting on the abducted schoolgirls.

By CHIKa meFOr, eJIKe eJIKe, aBuJa

The chairman of the Chibok Community asso-ciation in abuja, mr Tsambido Hosea-abana has expressed fear over the inability of the nigerian security agencies to rescue the over 200 girls ab-ducted at Chibok, Borno State, even as he noted that there is the possibility that some of these girls may not return alive.

The chairman, who was speaking at the unity Fountain during the sit out of the Bring Back Our Girls group yesterday, lamented that despite daily media reports on the efforts of the security agencies, the truth still remains that after 66 days, the girls are still in captivity of the deadly Boko Haram sect.

"I am calling on the president to put in more efforts, even if it involves negotiation and invit-ing former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to assist in ensuring that our girls are returned safely," Hosea-abana said.

He also wondered why the security agencies have not been able to make any notable attack on the Sambisa forest, and noted that it is a cause for alarm, while suggesting the use of local hunt-

6. the people of Chibok are also known as Kibaku. their language is also called Kibaku.

7. According to local legend, the Chibok people, using bow and arrow tactics as skilled hunters, fought the Fulanis, Kanuris and other groups, and successfully repelled the invasion of the Sokoto Caliphate and Kanem-Borno Empire;

8. Before the coming of Christianity, the Chibok people celebrated the Sadaka Azibum festival at the onset of the farming season. while tilling and preparing the land, farmers often accidentally killed earthworms with their farming tools. the Sadaka Azibum festival commemorated the lives of the dead earthworms through libation and dancing;

9. Church of the Brethren, a Christian denomination founded in Germany about 300 years ago, sent a number of missionaries to Nigeria from the 1920s and its work in Chibok was particularly influential. many Chibok residents today are affiliated with the Church of the Brethen, known colloquially as EYN (Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria).

10. the traditional rulers of Chibok answer to the Shehu of Borno. this arrangement, which many Chibok people oppose, is a clear remnant of the indirect rule imposed by the British colonialists.

CHIBOK FACTS CONT'D

ers in the rescue mission.members of the #BringBackOurGirls

group who expressed concern over the failure of the security agencies to rescue

the Chibok girls up till now, also warned that if the government fails in the rescue mission, they would not hesitate to push for a motion to impeach the president.

our stand

Editor Sadiq AbdullateefDeputy Editors

Kazeem AkintundeChristian OchiamaEditorial Board

Safiya M. Adamu, Chairman Standards

Aniebo Nwamu, Director’Lara Olugbemi, Assistant Director

LEADERSHIP is a national paper symbolically embedded in the

nation’s capital.We shall stand up for good

governance. We shall defend the interest of Nigerian people even against their rulers, and

we shall raise our pen at all times in defence of what is

right. These are the values by which we intend to be assessed.

We shall never, ever for any reason forget the noble reason of

our coming into being: For God and country!

FounderSam Nda-Isaiah

Chairman Hajiya Ireti Kingibe

Group Managing Director Azubuike Ishiekwene

Group Executive Directors Michael Okpere

Dr Kazeem Durodoye

Company Secretary/Legal Adviser

Julianne Omofuma

Divisional Directors Abdulmumin BalogunSalisu Alhassan BichiIyobosa UwugiarenAdemola Oladosu

General ManagersJoy Adekanye

Aminu Abubakar Sule Zipporah D. Tanko

Managing DirectorAbraham Nda-Isaiah

Executive DirectorNnamdi Samuel

New York OfficeMohammed Bello Shehu

London OfficeDr Bello Salihu

Johannesburg OfficeAbiodun Oguntuase

Business ManagerBilkisu Mohammed Rimi

LeadershipHoldings

Be Above Board, NBC

The National Broadcast-ing Commission (NBC) may have shot itself in the foot with the per-ceived lopsided imple-

mentation of its new regulations for live political broadcasts. In it, the broadcast regulator claimed that the new regulation was to check what, in its opinion, was increasing cases of unprofes-sional handling of live political broadcasts in which purport-edly inciting, provocative and highly divisive comments were frequently served to the public. Furthermore, it said that the new regulation was aimed to correct the absence of such impromptu programmes from their sched-ules, which affects the accuracy of data collated by the commission on broadcast activities.

In issuing this new regulation, NBC had expressed concern about what it interpreted as a violation of Section 1.5.1 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which re-quires that: “A broadcaster shall forward to the commission its quarterly programmes schedule or synopsis of new or repackaged programmes not less than one week before the beginning of the quarter”.

Even with this new regulation, it acknowledged the real-time and spontaneous nature of live broad-

casts and noted, curiously, that the stations are required, in fulfil-ment of this provision of the code, to notify the commission in writ-ing of the sudden change in their regular schedules. NBC insisted that the stations are to make such notifications at least 48 hours to the broadcast. Any discerning me-dia observer would know that if a broadcast has to wait for approval for as long as 48 hours, then, the spontaneity of the broadcast and what it set out to achieve would have been defeated.

It is strange that the NBC is us-ing this regulation as pedestal to execute other agenda that are not necessarily in the overriding pub-lic interest. There are complaints from broadcast stations, espe-cially in the north, that it appears that the regulation is targeted at

them, as the broadcast regulator has randomly and arbitrarily im-posed sanctions on them. Reports indicate that some of these broad-cast stations have continued to be fined as high as N3 million for in-explicable infractions. This, if it is true, is condemnable.

We are equally concerned that the political situation in the coun-try may have penetrated the com-mission with the likelihood that the powers that be may want to use it to rein in, intimidate, cow or even run perceived enemy broad-cast stations out of business. But we are persuaded to remind NBC that it is a very strategic organ of government that has a key role to play in the right of the people to know especially in a democratic setting such as in Nigeria.

Its loyalty should be to the people and not to politicians. We make this observation because there are allegations that a cer-tain political party is using NBC as cover in its continuation of the war on the media. Recently, the print media were harassed by the military ostensibly as part of their security checks, an ugly develop-ment that was rationalised by the Presidency. With this in mind, we urge the NBC to resist any and ev-ery attempt by politicians to drag it into the murky waters of poli-tics.

Thursday, June 19, 2014 3

Thursday, June 19, 2014 4 news extra

Group News Editor: tony amokeodo

Stolen Funds: FG Withdraws Charges Against Mohammed Abacha

Boko Haram Attacks Travellers, Kills Driver On Biu-Maiduguri Road

The federal government yester-day withdrew the criminal charge it filed against Mohammed, son of late head of state, General Sani Aba-cha.

At yesterday’s proceedings before Justice Mamman Kolo of the High Court of the Federal Capital Terri-tory (FCT) in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, the government announced its de-cision to withdraw the charge.

The government, through a pri-vate counsel, Daniel Enwelum, filed the charge of nine counts against Mohammed, accusing him of “dis-honestly receiving stolen property” and saying he “voluntarily assist-ed in concealing money,” belong-ing to the state and estimated at N446.3billion.

Efforts by the government to ar-raign Abacha on the charge was un-successful as he failed to appear in court on two occasions, when the case was earlier mentioned.

However, Abacha showed up in court yesterday. He mounted the dock when the case was called, shortly after which Enwelum in-formed the court about the directive he got from the attorney general of the federation (AGF), to the effect that he should discontinue the case because there are fresh facts and documents available to him.

Gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram sect yesterday at-tacked and killed a commercial driver along the Biu-Maiduguri federal highway, eyewitnesses and security operatives have said.

Though soldiers have increased their presence in most part of the 185kilometre road to Biu from Maiduguri, the insurgents carry out their attacks almost on dai-ly basis.

An eyewitness who was lucky to survive yesterday’s attack said: “The bus driver who is working with the Borno Express Transport Corporation ran into the gunmen who were operating openly on the highway and managed to drive though at break-neck speed, but one of the snipers managed to hit him on the chest.

“He kept on driving while one of the passengers in the front helped him to hold the steering until they got to safe zone, and by that time he had given up the ghost.”

The source who identified him-self as Mamman Adam said they had to make a u-turn and return to the nearby soldiers’ check point.

By GeorGe AGBA, Abuja

The federal government said yes-terday that the country’s economy reaped over N28trillion from pri-vate sector investments between 2010 and 2013.

Minister of information, Mr La-baran Maku who disclosed this while briefing State House corre-spondents after the Federal Exec-utive Council (FEC) meeting said the figure represented more than

100 per cent above the N13tril-lion private sector investments that were initially targetted by the federal government in 2010.

Noting that the statistics is contained in the preliminary re-port on the first National Im-plementation Plan of the Vision 20:2020 being reviewed by the council, Maku added that the re-port was presented to FEC for re-view by the supervising minister of national planning, Mr Bashir

Yuguda.The minister said, “The report

is very rich; it shows very clear-ly that the president has achieved significantly the goals set out in the first national implementa-tion plan. One of the highlights of what we saw today was that under this period, because of the presi-dent’s reforms that were encap-sulated in the take-off of the first national implementation plan, we overshot by more than 100 per

cent the inflow of private sector investments in the economy.

“We targetted that we needed N13trillion investments by the private sector to be able to reach our goals in the first plan. But the initial report we saw today was that the private sector actually invested over N28trillion in the economy in the period between 2010 and 2013, which was over 100 per cent above the initial tar-get of N13trillion”.

By GBenGA AdeBoye, Abeokuta

Activities marking the 80th birth-day anniverssary of the Nobel Lau-reate, Prof Wole Soyinka, continued yesterday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Soyinka, a professor of literature, poet, author and writer will turn 80 on Sunday, 13th of next month. Speaking during a press conference on one of the activities marking the

milestone, the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun described Soyinka as a rare breed, who would forever be celebrated.

Amosun, who was represented by the secretary to the state gov-ernment, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, ex-pressed delight at Soyinka’s records of achivements in academics and the emancipation of the black race.

“Although Soyinka is everybody’s product, but we in Ogun State are

proud to continue to celebrate him because he has continually put Ogun State on the world map,” Amosun said.

He added that Soyinka has led a turbulent life through the struggle for justice, but thanked God for his achievements so far in life and his at-tainment of the previleged age of 80.

“He has joined the octogenarian club which is very significant and unique and we will continue to work

for his progress,” he said. The state government promised

to continually support whatev-er meaningful projects that would project the image of the literary icon.

The executive director of the Wole Soyinka Open Door Series Project, Alhaji Teju Kareem, com-mended the state government for partnering with the many projects to celebrate Soyinka.

By Kunle Olasanmi, Abuja

By Kareem Haruna, Maiduguri

Arisekola-Alao Passes On At 69

Nigeria Raked In N28trn From Private Sector Investments In 4 Years – FG

Wole Soyinka, A Rare Breed – Amosun

By AdeBAyo WAheed, Ibadan

The Aare Musulumi of Yoruba land, Alhaji Abdul Azeez Aris-ekola-Alao is dead.

He died at the age of 69.The prominent religious lead-

er who was also the deputy president-general of the Nige-ria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) died in a Lon-don hospital yesterday.

Prominent people including the Oyo State governor, Sena-tor Abiola Ajimobi, members of the state executive council, reli-gious leaders besieged his res-

idence at Oluwo Kekere area, Ibadan to sympathise with his family.

His eldest daughter, Khadi-jat confirmed the death of the business tycoon in Ibadan.

Meanwhile, President Good-luck Jonathan yesterday ex-pressed shock and sadness at the news of the death of Ni-gerian business mogul and re-ligious leader, Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Arisekola-Alao.

In a statement by his spe-cial adviser on media and pub-licity, Dr Reuben Abati, Jona-than extended condolences on behalf of himself, the federal government and Nigerians to the Arisekola-Alao family on the passing away of the famed

Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland.The Oyo State governor, Sen-

ator Abiola Ajimobi described the death of the Aare Musulu-mi of Yorubaland as tragic, dis-heartening and a big blow, not only to Oyo State but also to the entire country.

In a statement signed by his special adviser on media, Dr Festus Adedayo, the governor said he received the news of the death of the business mo-gul and religious leader with shock and disbelief, adding that the passage of Alhaji Arisekola-Alao marked the end of an era in the history of the state.

The governor of Osun State, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, described the death of Alhaji Adulazeez

Arisekola-Alao as unfortunate, saying it reinforced the essence of mankind’s existence, which is to lead a good life and render service to humanity before the necessary end comes.

Ogun State governor, Sen-ator Ibikunle Amosun, ex-pressed deep shock at the death of Alhaji AbdulAzeez Ariseko-la-Alao, describing it as pain-ful, coming close to the Rama-dan fast when his philanthropy would have been most appre-ciated.

“Aare cannot die as those who lived the kind of life he lived, with imprint in the lives of millions of people, never die. He lived a life that was devoted to the lives of others.”

L-r: national leaders, All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ogbonnaya onu, Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), national chairman, John odigie oyegun and former interim chairman, Bisi Akande, during the inauguration of the new executives of the party in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY

OYEDELE OMOKAGBO.

Jonathan, Govs mourn Arisekola-Alao

Thursday, June 19, 2014 NEWS 5

I’m Not Bothered By Plot To Remove Me – Nyako

Lai Moham-med

BY MOHAMMED ISMAIL, Yola, CHIKA OTUCHIKERE AnD CHIBUzO UKAIBE, Abuja

Nineteen out of 25 members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly yesterday endorsed a move to impeach Governor Murtala Nyako and his deputy Barrister Bala James Ngilari.

This is the first time in this political dispensation that a state assembly, will serve an impeachment notice on a governor and his deputy in line with section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (amended).

The latest move followed weeks of intense altercation between the executive and legislative arms of government which led to the invitation and even arrest of some commissioners who failed to honour the House’s invitation to answer charges of financial recklessness levelled against them.

But Nyako who spoke through his spokesman Mallam Ahmad Sajoh stated that he is not bothered about the move of the lawmakers to remove him.

He said, “It is God that gives power and He takes it back when He will. I’m not bothered about the impeachment notice. We have run a democratic system in Adamawa and we expect the House of Assembly to abide by the democratic process.

“As I am talking to you, the governor is yet to receive the notice of the impeachment even though we are aware that the assembly has passed the resolution.”

The move against the governor was the second such attempt against him in his seven years in power; there was a failed attempt by the James Barka-led House to impeach the governor in 2008.

The impeachment motion was moved by the member representing Numan Constituency and deputy speaker of the House, Barr. Kwamoti Laori, who said he was spurred by the height of the financial recklessness that had become the hallmark of Nyako’s government to move the motion.

The House then went on to slam a 20-count charge of gross financial misappropriation which it accused the government of Nyako of committing leading the state to incur losses running into billions of naira.

The charges that warranted the move ,according to the notice prepared against the governor and made available to LEADERSHIP, include:• Fraudulent award of contract of over N8bn through SNECOU Group of Companies Limited, a company linked to one of the governor’s wives, to siphon public funds without delivering any services.

• Corrupt siphoning of N300m public funds through a company, Hydro Source Resources Ltd, in the name of construction of Mubi bye-pass road without mobilizing to site or any construction carried out after collecting N300m.• Squandering N4, 805,216,538. 32 and N7,114,995,590.85in 2012 and 2013 respectively through the Office of the Secretary to the State Government against budgetary approval, and not in the interest of the people of Adamawa State.

The deputy governor was similarly not spared by the impeachment dagger dangled by the House of Assembly. He was also said to be neck-deep in financial recklessness.

While moving the motion for the impeachment of the deputy governor, Hon. Abdulkarim Umar, representing Narrasawo/Binyeri constituency, listed six grounds of financial misconduct.

He noted: “The deputy governor committed acts of gross misconduct in his performance of his duties by diversion of public funds to tune of N 50million released to the deputy governor, Adamawa State, by the Ministry of Finance via the instruction of the executive governor for acquiring licence for the exploration of sold minerals in the state.

“Diversion of over N400m out of the N500m Federal Government Intervention fund for flood victims in Adamawa State in 2011”.

Investigation by LEADERSHIP revealed that the deputy governor was being made a sacrificial lamb by the PDP as his retention as the deputy governor may scuttle the chances of impeaching Governor Nyako due to some vested interests.

The speaker of the House of Assembly on whose head the fate of the impeachment lies was said to be jittery of removing Nyako as Ngilari, his worst political arch-rival, would be the greatest beneficiary of the project. As such, the speaker was said to be paying lip service to the move which was allegedly being spearheaded by the presidency to teach Nyako a bitter political lesson for his

FROM COVER

➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 8➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Ikimi, Sheriff, Others Won’t Leave APC – Lai Mohammed

Gov nyako

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with the opposition partySpokesman Mohammed has

debunked stories of their plan to defect to another party. He assured that all is well, while speaking with journalists shortly after the inaugural of the newly elected NEC of the party in Abuja yesterday.

According to him, “Chief Tom Ikimi and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff are committed members of our party and they cannot leave APC because of the minor disagreement as a result of the convention. They are too committed to do that and… the national chairman, Chief John Oyegun, has been meeting with all the aggrieved since Saturday and, very soon, the disagreement would be over.”

On why the governors and chieftains like Sheriff and Ikimi were not present, Mohammed explained that although they were all invited “some could not be here due to state duties, some have travelled out of the country and some were engaged with other responsibilities”.

Not a few chieftains of the party are aggrieved over the process that led to the emergence of the new NEC. LEADERSHIP has it on a good authority that no fewer than 30 of them met somewhere in Asokoro, Abuja, while the inauguration was going on to strategise on how to fight back.

But Mohammed said the party has an internal mechanism that would address all the grievances in order to ensure it is united in the battle ahead for the 2015 general election.

On the controversy trailing the emergence of Ibrahim Dasuki Jalo

as the national youth leader of the party despite his age put at 43, the APC national publicity secretary said he was qualified to run for the office before the amendment of the constitution and that, if eventually the party leadership discovered that he was not qualified, “we would not feel ashamed in coming out to apologise to the public over the issue”.

Shortly before the inauguration, some thugs invaded the venue threatening not to allow the programme to hold with Jalo as the youth leader, but some party elders and the police restored sanity.

PDP plots to rig Ekiti election – Oyegun

Meanwhile, the national chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, yesterday raised the alarm that the ruling PDP was plotting to rig the Ekiti State governorship poll and warned President Goodluck Jonathan to stop the plot to avoid dire consequences.

In his inaugural speech as the first national chairman of the party, he gave some instances to justify the allegation:

“My first message today is to President Goodluck Jonathan regarding a series of occurrences that point to the fact that the PDP is bent on rigging the elections and writing the results of the Saturday elections in Ekiti even before the polls open. If this dangerous trend is not arrested, the consequences will be dire for democracy and our country.

“The All Progressives Congress,

conferenceBy joe dudun, amina alhassan and Bode GBadeBo

NO WAY MEN! Female delegates at the National Conference standing alongside some male counterparts protesting attempt to reduce the Affirmative Action from 35% to 30% at plenary, yesterday. PHOTO BY ADEFEMI ADEWUYI

The National Conference has resolved that various state governments should return missionary and other private schools seized from their owners in the 1970s back to them. This decision arose from the debate and consideration of the report of the Standing Committee on Social Sector at plenary yesterday.

Also, in a bid to reduce the current negative impact of medical tourism on the image and integrity of Nigeria and her healthcare system, the conference has set strict procedures that must be observed by public officers seeking medical treatment outside Nigeria.

Delegates said seeking medical treatment abroad has resulted in immense capital flight and drain on Nigeria’s economy resulting from medical tourism; it cited abuse of existing processes for screening of referrals for foreign medical treatment as one of the reasons.

Consequently, it resolved that henceforth, there should be restriction of government sponsorship of public officers for foreign medical care; and that unless for exceptional cases that require referral abroad, all public officers should mandatorily utilize local health facilities.

These exceptional cases, it said, must be screened by a medical board made up of appropriate medical and healthcare professionals.

Meanwhile, female delegates at the conference also protested an attempt to reduce the Affirmative Action from the current 35% to 30% as proposed

by a delegate. During the consideration of the report, delegates voted for the proposal overwhelmingly with female delegates perhaps taken unaware or oblivious of what was being put to vote.

After the vote was taken in favour of 30% Affirmative Action, virtually all the female delegate rose in unison protesting the conference decision. For about 10 minutes they halted proceedings at plenary by singing and shouting “No, no” alongside some male delegates.

After they were calmed down by the conference leadership, Senator Daisy Danjuma was the first to speak and she said women were taken “unaware” during the voting, asking for the proposal to be put to vote for the second time.

Speaking on the matter, Senator Musa Adede and Hon. Ghali Umar Na’abba rose up to defend the women, saying there was no need for the argument since there is a subsisting international convention which prescribes 35% Affirmative Action for women and Nigeria is a signatory to the convention. Na’abba went further to say there was the need to support and trust the women as capable partners in nation-building.

Consequently, the deputy chairman, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, who was presiding ruled that the proposal for 30% Affirmative Action was unnecessary since an international convention, which Nigeria is a party

to, had put it at 35%.Meanwhile, the delegates also

resolved that government and owners of mission or private schools should dialogue to facilitate the handover of the schools to their original owners.

In returning the schools, it was agreed that owners must ensure that they are affordable and able to serve all the components of the society as it were in the original concept of the mission schools.

It was also agreed that there should be regulation of fees charged by the schools while they should provide assistance to the local community through scholarships and other services. For the mission schools, children of other denominations should not be marginalized in the admission process.

Conference agreed that staff of such schools should have the option of remaining with the institution or be absorbed into government teaching service in the case of the return of the mission and private schools to their original owners.

It was unanimously decided that government should convert all Almajiri schools to conventional schools and integrate Quranic education curriculum into it in order to absorb the millions of out-of-school children roaming the streets. Government was also asked to provide free basic education with free uniforms, books and mid-day meals for all children from primary one to junior secondary three, among others.

Missionary Schools Should Go Back To Owners – Confab Gives condition for medical tourism for public officers

Delegates said seeking medical treatment abroad has resulted in immense capital flight and drain on Nigeria’s economy.

Delegates at the ongoing National Conference have rejected a proposal by the Standing Committee on Social Sector headed by Iyom Josephine Anenih that an office for the Surgeon-General of the Federation be created.

Earlier before the resolution at plenary yesterday, a group of delegates had rejected the proposal for the establishment of the office as contained in the report of the committee, which was presented and debated at plenary.

The delegates, in a motion paper distributed to delegates and the conference leadership titled “Motion Submitted To The National Conference Against The Establishment Of The Office Of The Surgeon-General Of The Federation,” also urged other delegates at plenary to reject the proposal as well.

The 37 movers of the motion led by Dr. Uno Uwuga, added that the office in question is alien to most health systems worldwide and will amount to further bureaucratisation of the structures of the health system without additional value.

“The conference should advise the Federal Government against unnecessary duplication of offices or creation of new bureaucracies in the health system that does not add any value to the primary task of providing quality health services to Nigeria.

The conference should not entertain the proposition for the establishment of the office of the Surgeon-General of the Federation,” they said.

The motion was however overtaken by events as conference already rejected the proposal ahead of entertaining the motion.

Meanwhile, delegates at plenary resolved that free-healthcare including free maternal services and free school health programmes be established for children aged 0-5 years; senior citizens from the age of 65 years; persons living with disability or the physically challenged persons.

In the same vein, delegates also unanimously decided that a social security policy be put in place to cater for the wellbeing of the elderly in addition to the pension policy.

Delegates Reject Creation Of Surgeon-General’s Office

Support social security policy

Female delegates protest attempt to reduce Affirmative Action to 30%

Thursday, June 19, 2014 6

No More Coup In Nigeria – Defence Chief

The Police in Yobe State yesterday said 14 people died in the bomb ex-plosion that occurred in a football viewing centre on Tuesday night in Damaturu.

The Police Public Relations Offi-cer in the state, Mr Nansak Cheg-wam, also said 26 people, who sus-tained injuries, had been taken to different hospitals for treatment.

He said the explosive device was kept in a car parked near the viewing centre which later explod-ed. The police said investigations were ongoing.

According to him, the commis-sioner of police in the state, Mr Markus Danladi, has advised the public to be conscious of aban-doned objects and cars.

He also said the police had or-dered the closure of all public view-ing centres in the state for securi-ty reasons.

Meanwhile, Tsamiyan Lilo area, venue of the explosion, has been sealed.

Ahead of Saturday’s governor-ship election in Ekiti State, the ruling Peoples Democratic Par-ty (PDP) has accused the All Pro-gressives Congress (APC) of plot-ting to cause confusion and set the stage for disturbances in the state.

The PDP, while reacting to a warning on President Goodluck Jonathan issued by the APC na-tional chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, over claims that the PDP had already written the re-sults of the forthcoming election, said the APC was expressing des-peration having realised that they would lose the state to the PDP.

In a statement signed by PDP’s national secretary, Prof. Wole Oladipo, the party noted that comments by the APC national chairman was part of the smoke-screen “to mask the plan by the APC governors to storm Ekiti State, set up camps in different local governments and use the privilege of their immunity sta-tus to subvert the electoral law and the true will of Ekiti people.”

PDP added that there was an orchestrated plot to use the Eki-ti State-owned television, EKTV, to spread false information in the state, mislead the people and an-nounce fake results at the end of the exerci.

“This is completely condem-nable and only demonstrates the desperation of the APC in the face of rejection by the people.

“Based on the reality on the ground in Ekiti, it has since be-come common knowledge that the people of Ekiti state have since settled for our candidate, Mr. Ayodele Peter Fayose. for which the APC have become dis-traught,” it said.

By Bayo oladeji, Abuja

The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, yes-terday dismissed a story originat-ed from African Confidential spec-ulating the possibility of a coup d’etat in the country, saying the military would defend democracy whatever it takes.

The London-based online medi-um, in its 13 June, 2014 edition, came out with a story that there

was a plan in the offing to replace the Jonathan administration with an interim national government to be headed by Senate president Da-vid Mark because of his military background, but Badeh dismissed the story with a wave of the hand.

The CDS made the declaration while receiving the director-gener-al of National Orientation Agen-cy (NOA), Mike Omeri at the De-fence Headquarters, in Abuja, for the formal presentation of the Ni-

gerian Centenary Flag to the mil-itary, which the CDS ordered its hoisting in all military formations nationwide.

According to him, the military as a professional group “has no option but to love Nigeria” and do those things that would ensure se-curity and protection of lives with-in the nation.

Air Chief Marshal Badeh, who did not hide his surprise at the rumours of coup, said democra-

cy had come to stay in the coun-try and that the military had no intention of truncating it.

“Why should anyone be think-ing in negative fashion? Tell them we will not do it. Those rumour-ing coups must be living elsewhere and not in Nigeria. The Armed Forces are defenders of democra-cy. We are an arm of democracy, so how can an arm of democracy work against the democracy that we are part of?”, the CDS asked.

Ekiti Guber: PDP Accuses APC Of Desperation

Police Confirm 14 Dead In Viewing Centre Explosion

By NAN

By Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja

By Chika otuChikere, Abuja, aBiodun oluwarotimi, New York, midat joseph, Kaduna And nan

The federal government has re-vealed a plot by the Boko Haram insurgents to carry out a mas-sive attack in different locations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Coordinator of the National Information Centre and Direc-tor General of the National Ori-entation Agency (NOA), Mr Mike Omeri, made the revelation yes-terday during a media briefing on the update of the fight against in-surgency and effort to rescue the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.

According to Omeri, the insur-gents plan to hijack fully loaded petro tankers from their driv-ers, plant explosives in them and move the vehicles to destinations where they are expected to cause monumental destruction of life and property.

“The Nigerian security services have received intelligence report to the effect that insurgents in-tend seizing petrol tankers and planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the tankers and driving them to crowed places in Abuja,” Omeri said.

The NOA boss urged members of Petrol Tankers’ Association to be on red alert and advised them to report any attempt or seizure of their vehicles to the security agencies. Citizens were also ad-

vised to report any broken down tanker in any part of the territo-ry to security agencies.

“We are using this opportuni-ty to appeal to the public to be on the alert particularly when they see any tanker driving dangerous-ly,” he said.

The spokesman for the Depart-ment of State Services, Ms Mar-ilyn Ogar reacted to the suspect-ed insurgents arrested in Abia State, saying they were actually 491, including five infants and five women.

Omeri described the suspects as travellers, and said the arrest was not targeted at any group of persons or individuals.

He revealed that during inter-rogation of the suspects, a notori-ous insurgent who had been pro-filed by the DSS since 2007 and had been on the agency’s watch-list was identified.

“This led to further questioning of the large movement of persons travelling in a convoy of over 30 buses with none of them having up to N1,000 on them,” he said.

US Approves Fresh $18m To Fight Boko Haram

The United States government has approved a fresh $18 Million to fight Boko Haram and other terrorists groups in the entire Af-rica continent.

This was contained in a press statement which was obtained by our correspondent from the of-

fice of the United States Reward for Justice.

The statement made it known that the US has placed a $5 mil-lion bounty on Barnawi, a lead-er of the Nigeria-based terrorist group known as Ansaru, who is also a former senior member of the Boko Haram sect.

Apart from the $5 million bounty which was put on each of the two deadly Nigerien terror-ists, Hamad el Khairy and Ahmed el Tilemsi, the United States Re-ward for Justice also declared a reward of $3 million for whoev-er gives useful information that can lead to the arrest of an Egyp-tian, Abu-Yusuf al-Muhajir, who specializes in making explosives for terrorists in Africa.

Stop Indiscriminate Arrest Of Northerners - ACF

Apparently disturbed by the arrest of 486 northerners in Abia State, the northern apex so-cio-cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has warned of the dangers of indis-criminate arrest of northerners in some parts of the country under disguise of looking for Boko Ha-ram members.

According to the ACF, it is un-lawful to arrest 486 northerners who were in pursuit of their le-gitimate means of livelihood in the South on the allegation that they are members of the outlawed Boko Haram sect because of their

faith, origin and appearance.ACF in a statement signed by

its spokesman, Muhammad Ibra-him, said, “This indiscriminate act of arrest based on faith and origin negates the spirit of one Nigeria and equally violates their freedom of movement and association as guaranteed in the Nigerian Con-stitution.”

“ACF therefore calls on the rel-evant authorities and in particu-lar the Abia State Government to exercise caution on the alleged ar-rest of Jigawa indigenes on suspi-cion of being Boko Haram mem-bers, lest such an action make some people of a particular faith and origin become foreigners in their fatherland.

Russia Backs Nigeria’s War Against Terror

Abuja, June 13, 2014 Russia has expressed its support and solidarity with the Federal Gov-ernment in its fight against in-surgency and associated securi-ty challenges.

The Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Nikolay Udovichen-ko, said this in his address on the National Day of the Russian Fed-eration, Thursday.

``We know, from our own ex-perience, how important it is to stand together in the fight against terrorism. Our country is ready as it has always been, to lend a hand to Nigeria in this struggle,’’ he said.

Boko Haram Planning Massive Attacks On Abuja – FG

11-year-old boy who survived a bomb explosion targeting football fans in a viewing centre by suspected Boko haram receiving treatment at a government hospital in damaturu, yobe state, yesterday. PHOTO BY AFP.

Thursday, June 19, 2014 news extra 7

criticism and opposition against the Presidency.

Signs which suggest that Ngilari may become the victim of circumstance started emanating when the Adamawa State PDP chairman stated that the gubernatorial seat of the party would be rotated to Adamawa Central, a move that was seen as the first step to deny Ngilari the chance of becoming the next governor as he was from Adamawa North.

Sources said efforts made by Ngilari to extricate himself from the difficult situation seemingly proved abortive as he was unable to get the listening ear of the presidency which was hell-bent on sacrificing him to achieve his goal of getting Nyako out of the way.

However, the impeachment move has flared tension in the state capital as thousands of people trooped to the streets to protest the impeachment move by the House of Assembly.

The protesters carried

placards with inscriptions as “Adamawa House of Assembly, why impeachment now?”, “The House of Assembly wanted to truncate the fragile peace in the state”, “You just passed a vote of confidence on the governor and his administration; why the sudden change now?”

While reacting to the impeachment move, director of press and public affairs to Governor Nyako Mallam Ahmad Sajo said the governor was not aware of the move and that it remained in the realm of a wild speculation.

‘Closure of Yola airport calculated to prevent Nyako from meeting Gordon Brown’ The closure of Yola International Airport by the authorities was a deliberate attempt to prevent Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State from meeting United Nations ambassador Gordon Brown who was in the country to kick-start the “Save the Schools Initiative”, director of press and public affairs to the

governor Mallam Ahmad Sajoh has revealed.

He said the former British prime minister was in the country to kick-start the “Save the Schools Initiative”, an intervention fund to revive schools and education in the three north-eastern states slammed with emergency rule, but Governor Nyako was not invited during the stakeholders’ meeting which was supervised by the Presidency despite the fact that the governors of Yobe and Borno states were invited.

Sajoh added that the minister of finance had earlier announced that a technical session would be held between the stakeholders including Brown by 9am, Wednesday, and an invitation was even extended to Nyako, but, in order to prevent him from making the trip, the Yola International Airport was deliberately sealed off.

Presidency In Fresh Moves To Impeach Amaechi

Indications have emerged that the presidency is plotting to impeach the Rivers State

governor, Rotimi Amaechi.LEADERSHIP investigations

revealed that the new move is being coordinated by a serving minister from Rivers State.

According to sources, the plot is to use the six members of the House of Assembly, who are PDP members, to carry out the impeachment. The six PDP members are opposed to Governor Amaechi and have refused to be part of the sitting of the majority 25 members who are APC members like the governor.

“The plan”, the source said, “is for the six members to convene a sitting of the House of Assembly at a private residence or office, with Evans Bipi presiding as the speaker. At that sitting, a member will then move a motion for the suspension of the other 25 APC members. Once the purported suspension is adopted by the six members, they will now move for the impeachment of Governor Amaechi on very spurious grounds.”

The impeachment plotters, LEADERSHIP also learnt, claimed

to have the support of the NJC-appointed administrative chief judge of Rivers State, Justice Daisy Okocha.

The Rivers State government had rejected Justice Daisy as the administrative chief judge of the state on the grounds that she was related to an opponent of the state government.

Insiders in Government House, Port Harcourt, confirmed that they were aware of the plot. One said, “President Jonathan was hell-bent on removing Governor Amaechi for reasons best known to him. This is not the first time, or the second time they have plotted to remove our governor, albeit illegally. Their plot is illegal and unconstitutional.

“In a legislature of 31 members, six members cannot go and sit in someone’s private sitting room and claim to have impeached a governor! That is impunity. This is a democracy. The Presidency should be careful not to truncate our democracy with all these their reckless acts of impunity all over the place.”

I’m Not Bothered By Plot To Remove Me – NyakoThursday, June 19, 20148 NEWS

Ikimi, Sheriff, Others Won’t Leave APC – Lai Mohammed FROM PAGE 5

FROM PAGE 5

APC, will not accept the outcome of the election in Ekiti unless the authorities provide convincing explanations to the series of questionable developments in recent times.

“Less than 72 hours to the governorship elections in Ekiti, there are ominous signs that the PDP-led government is bent on influencing the outcome of the elections come Saturday, June 21st. This series of developments and events are undeniable pointers to a desperate plot to rig the elections at all cost.”

He continued: “In the last several days, many developments have occurred that have exposed the covert and criminal effort to subvert the rights of the citizens of Ekiti and the country’s electoral law. Barely two Sundays ago, our supporters during a peaceful procession in Ekiti were tear-gassed and, in fact, one was killed. The elected governor of the state, Dr Fayemi, was also tear-gassed and barely escaped being shot.

“Yet, instead of quickly prosecuting the police officers involved in this crisis, the police authorities simply went ahead in the most bizarre turn of events and charged a commissioner and 11 others from Ekiti State with acts of terrorism a few days to the election. Meanwhile, the police that shot the APC member walks the street free.

“Again, only last week a truck was intercepted with over 200 boxes of electoral materials by the security agents. INEC quickly claimed it was wasted materials, whereas the story of the driver contradicted that of INEC. To

date, Nigerians are yet to be provided with full information about the culprits behind these suspicious materials.”

Oyegun went further to accuse the minister of state for defence, Senator Musliu Obanikoro, of being one of the arrowheads of the alleged manipulation of the process of the election.

“On Tuesday, June 17th, 2014, two loaded aircraft landed at the Akure airport with undisclosed content. The presence of the minister of state, defence, Musliu Obanikoro, who was on ground to ensure the safe delivery of the cargoes, suggests official collusion and knowledge. The contents were immediately loaded into a bullion van under the watchful eyes of the minister of state, defence, Obanikoro.

“Again on Wednesday, June 18th, a pro-Fayose and -PDP gang was busted in a resort owned by Fayose’s campaign manager thumbprinting ballot papers ahead of the Saturday elections. The 22 young men who were arrested were also caught preparing INEC form EC8.

“Mr President, there is clear intent and deliberate ploy to subvert the elections. The APC at this point has little or no faith in the often touted promises and commitment of this administration to a free and fair election in Ekiti. Having earlier declared the Ekiti election as “War”, the PDP is now living true to that promise with the ministers of state, defence, and police affairs leading the troops. Pray, what business does the minister of state, defence, Obanikoro have supervising the offloading of mysterious cargo in

Akure while the north-east is still being ravaged by Boko Haram and over 200 girls remain missing and unaccounted for.

“We warn Mr President that election rigging in a particular part of the country in the past had always had serious consequences for the government in power and the country as a whole, as it happened in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd republics. The APC will not fold its arms and watch the electoral process being brazenly subverted. Our party will not accept any result from Ekiti that does not flow from a transparent election. We are not asking for any favours. We only demand a free and fair election.”

But speaking through one of his aides, Senator Obanikoro dared Oyegun to produce evidence to prove his claim.

“Senator Musliu Obanikoro was in Abuja when Oyegun was accusing him of being in Akure receiving election materials. Let him show his proof. He is a liar and people should not believe him,” an aide said.

Emergence of APC surprises PDP – Akande

The former interim national chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande, has disclosed that the emergence of the party beat the imagination of the ruling PDP and alleged that the ruling party tried in vain to abort the birth.

He made this known in his farewell address shortly before he inaugurated the newly elected NEC of the party.

“The party that emerged like a phoenix from the ashes of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)

and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), which willingly gave up their identities in order to create a credible, alternative political platform for Nigerians, is inaugurating its first set of elected national executive today.”

My grouse with Tinubu – IkimiOne of the aggrieved APC

chieftains, Chief Tom Ikimi, has disclosed that his independent-mindedness on issues and his opposition against alleged Muslim-Muslim presidential candidacy are the reasons Asiwaju Bola Tinubu stood on his way to become the national chairman if the party.

Ikimi, Chief Sam Jaja, Oyegun and Timipreye Silvia were the leading chairmanship candidates until Oyegun was announced as the consensus candidate for the office.

But Ikimi said it was the former Lagos State governor’s wish to impose his stooges on the party to accomplish the Muslim-Muslim ticket which former aviation minister Chief Femi Fani-Kayode had earlier raised.

Former foreign affairs minister Ikimi, in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, said it was his plan and a few others to give Nigerians an alternative platform that gave birth to the APC but regretted that those who did not give the merger a chance have hijacked it.

“Finally, I want to explain to all our members and sympathizers nationwide the reason for my boycott of the convention.

“In the build-up to the convention, the Interim National Executive Council approved a National Convention Committee

under the chairmanship of Governor Aliyu Wamako of Sokoto State as well as the venue to be Abuja. By this decision, a proposal of another convention chairman as well as Lagos for the venue that was preferred by a south-west leader was defeated. Hostile reactions towards me as well as hostile comments indicated to me that, by my initiating the hosting of a convention in order to replace the status quo leadership, following up to spearhead the establishment of a neutral convention committee leadership and securing Abuja as venue of the event, I had no doubt invited the wrath of a powerful group.

“The National Interim Executive Council was never convened again to approve any of the arrangements before the convention and was never even accorded the courtesy of a valedictory session. All that transpired thereafter leading to the convention happened mostly in secret meetings and caucuses some of which I have since become aware were convened in Europe. The party was now run as a private property.

“Former Lagos State governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu operated as the core of one of these caucuses whose membership varied from time to time within the realms of his whims and caprice. The other known caucus was the APC Governor’s Forum. These two groups hijacked power from the National Interim Executive Council, which is the body known to INEC. However, it was from these two caucuses that the idea of zoning the party positions emerged.”

I Don’t Tamper With LG Funds – Gov Aliyu

We’re Committed To $100m Cassava Processing Facility – Gov Wada

BY ABU NMODU, Minna

The Niger State governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, has accused local government chairmen in the country of behaving like dictators in their various coun-cils, adding that he had never tampered with his state’s local government fund.

Aliyu who spoke at the swear-ing in of the acting chairman of Edati Local Government Area, Alhaji Isah Usman Kwale at the government house yester-day, also noted that LGA chair-men were in the habit of aban-doning their duty post for the state’s capital, only returning to their local government head-quarters to share money.

“They (local government chairmen) have turned them-selves to dictators. Some don’t stay at their headquarters, some run their councils as if it is their personal kingdom and most of them don’t have fiscal

discipline,” he said. The governor stated further

that ‘if local governments in the country were doing well, the pressure on the states and at the federal level would not be there,” adding that that only people of proven integrity who have the development of their area uppermost in their minds should be elected into local gov-ernment councils.”

The governor therefore asked other political appointees and top civil servants not to leave local government administra-tions solely in the hands of the elected chairmen saying that they should assist to monitor the activities of the chairmen to ensure they did not become “tin gods”.

He said, “It is our responsi-bility to go back and listen to the people. If things are good at the local government level, the states and federal govern-ment will look at other things.”

BY SAM EgwU, Lokoja

Following the agreement reached between the Kogi State Govern-ment and Cargill, an American in-vestor, on its proposed $100 mil-lion investment over a 30,000 hectares of land for the construc-tion of a Cassava Processing facility, the state government said it is com-mitted to ensuring that all relevant processes are meticulously pursued in land acquisition.

Kogi State Governor, Capt Idris Idris Wada, gave the indication at the inception workshop for Cargill Re settlement Action Plan (Land Acquisition Plan) for the proposed Cargill Starch Plant in Kogi state,

yesterday.The Cargill Agricultural Produc-

tion Processing project is a poten-tial investment to support the sta-ple crop processing zone that is planned in Alape, in Kabba/Bunu local government of Kogi state.

The project would enable Cargill become the major private sector in-vestor to support the agricultural transformation strategy set out by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, support-ed by the Kogi state government.

The deputy governor, Arc Yomi Awoniyi, who represented the gov-ernor assured all the parties in-volved in the project that all trans-actions relating to land acquisition

and land tenure would be conduct-ed transparently and in accordance with established laws and interna-tional best practices.

He said the goal of his adminis-tration is not just to attract invest-ment to the state, but to conduct business with integrity and to serve as a model of institutional support for corporate entities operating in the state.

The governor called for the rules of engagement on Land Acquisi-tion Plan or Resettlement Action Plan to be clearly spelt out, adopted and effected, devoid of any delay or complications, describing the work-shop as an effective commence-ment of the translation into reality.

BY DONATUS NADI, Lafia

Nasarawa state Government yes-terday awarded contracts worth N800m for the construction and rehabilitation of three water proj-ects in the state spread across the three senatorial zones.

The Senior Special Assistant to Nasarawa state Governor on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Dr. Salisu Mohammed Rajj, who presided over the award ceremony in Lafia, gave the names of the benefitting communities as

Daddere in Obi Local Government, Nasarawa- Eggon and Toto town in Toto Local Government Area.

He said the projects which are expected to be completed in five months will supply portable water to over 100,000 people.

Rajj noted that one of the major problems affecting water schemes in the state is age and lack of main-tenance, adding that in many cas-es, population explosion has put some of the facilities under stress-ful condition.

He said epileptic or sometimes

absence of electricity supply cou-pled with high cost of diesel have contributed to making the prob-lems associated with access to por-table water, worse.

He stressed that the contract was awarded to CGC construction com-pany because of its pedigree in the construction and rehabilitation of water schemes which it has prac-tised for the past 30 years in Nige-ria, saying, “after careful consider-ation, the CGC was chosen ahead of seven other competitors because of its vast experience in the field”.

The All Progressive Congress (APC), Niger State, has be-rated the Niger state House of Assembly over the sus-pension of its member rep-resenting Kontagora 1 con-stituency and the Minority Leader , Muhammad Nura-deen Umar, saying that the action was a confirmation that the state assembly was acting the script of the exec-utive arm.

In a statement made avail-able to newsmen yesterday by the Publicity Secretary of the party Jonathan Vatsa , the party described as sad and unfortunate, the suspension of the Minority Leader who had questioned the indepen-dence of the House in a recent media interview..

A statement by Vatsa reads, “The action of the House of Assembly has further con-firmed to the people of the state that the members have been reduced to mere rubber stamps who are serving the interest of the executive”.

“The truth must be told. The house would not have acted with the swiftness it has done if Governor Muazu Babangi-da Aliyu ‘s interests were not touched in the said interview granted by Hon Muhammad Nuradeen Umar,” he added.

APC Lambasts Niger Assembly Over Suspension Of MemberKogi First

Lady Calls For Co-religious Education Policy

Niger Threatens Contractor For Abandoning Work After Col-lecting N113m

The first lady of Kogi State, Hajiya Hali-ma Ladi Wada, has called for an educa-tional policy open to both Muslim and Christian children to learn in the same environment.

She said this dur-ing the 14th nation-al education summit hosted by the Fed-eration of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria (FOM-WAN) yesterday in Lokoja.

While congratu-lating the associa-tion for a successful hosting, foundation laying ceremony of the Girls Science Secondary School, Lokoja, the first lady also advised the management of the new institution to make the admission policy open-ended to admit both Mus-lims and Christians in line with the prin-ciple of co-existence.

Niger state Com-missioner of Local Government and Community Devel-opment, Chieftain-cy affairs, Moham-med Kantigi, has threatened to ex-pose and prosecute contractors han-dling 10 kilome-tres road in Muwo, Mokwa Local Gov-ernment Area of the state after col-lecting N113 mil-lion.

The commission-er who is current-ly on tour to inspect the 10 kilometres road in the 25 lo-cal government ar-eas of the state yes-terday, was visibly angry that a con-tractor would col-lect such amount of money and re-fuse to execute the job in accordance with the contractu-al agreements.

By Abu Nmodu, Minna

By Millie Ibe, Abuja By Abu Nmodu, Minna

ShOrTNEWS

ShOrTNEWS

Kogi State First Lady, Hajia Halima wada (holding a trowel) being assisted by FOMwAN’s national executive officers at the foundation laying ceremony of government girls’ Secondary School, Lokoja, Kogi State.

Ilorin Clash: Police Parade 14 Suspects

Nasarawa Awards N800m Contract For Water Projects

BY ABDULLAHI OLESIN, Ilorin

The Kwara state Police Command ,yesterday, paraded14 suspects ar-rested in connection with Monday’s violent clash in parts of Ilorin, the state capital.

The suspects include, Rasheed Isiaka, Lukman Adesegiri, Abdu-lazeez Yahaya, Lukman Ibrahim, Bo-laji Ologele, Tunde Ologele, Abdul-rafiu Shehu and Abdulganiyu Issah.

Others are Tunde Alakia, Abdul-raheem Raji, Tajudeen Ahmed, Ar-omokala Issa, Opeyemi Yunusa and

Abdul ganiyu Abdulazeez. The exhibits found on them in-

clude one waist band charm, one blood stained cutlass, one saw and seven motorcycles.

The state Commissioner of po-lice, Mr. Ambrose Aisabor, who pa-raded the suspects before news-men warned politicians in the state to stop promoting violence through their actions.

He cautioned politicians against doling out pea nuts to their support-ers which more often than not leads to violent confrontation due to shar-

ing formula. Instead, Aisabor urged such poli-

ticians domiciled either in or outside of the state to empower their people to fend for themselves.

He added, “the political situation in the state has been very peaceful. Occasionally, we see political thugs disturbing one way or the other. Let me use this medium to advise politi-cians in Kwara state including those residing in the state and those out-side, that politics is a game of choice. You don’t force people and you don’t intimidate people.

Thursday, June 19, 2014 News north-central 9

...NEWS WITH A HUMAN FACE

By Patrick OchOga, Benin City

It was grief for the Aduga’s family of Igar-ra community in Akoko Edo local gov-ernment area of Edo when a middle aged woman, identified as Ometere Aduga re-portedly committed suicide by hanging herself with a rope tied to the ceiling fan in their family apartment.

The mother of one, whose husband was not resident in the state, was said to be two months pregnant, for a yet to be identified person. A reason some adduced could be responsible for the act, owing to the possible case of infidelity.

Eye witness account said that the de-ceased had visited a private hospital in the town, few days earlier, and had confided in the hospital personnel of her intention to commit suicide because of the report-ed pregnancy.

Reports said the deceased was coun-seled against such action and was given an appointment to report back on Mon-

day for further medical examination and more counseling.

But on the said day (Monday), she was said to have dropped her son with a neigh-bor, with the excuse that she was going to have her bath but after waiting end-lessly the neighbour went to their apart-ment only for her to see her completely naked body dangling from a rope tied to the ceiling fan.

A source close to the family, who did not want his name in print said, “Ometere was a very brilliant girl who was a 300 level medical student at the Ambrose Alli Uni-versity, Ekpoma, but she was advised to withdraw due to health reasons. She later recovered and got to married but her hus-band is not from here and she has been staying with her parents. One cannot re-ally say what could have led to her com-mit suicide, whether it was as a result of the pregnancy, which is believed may not be her husband’s or a relapse of her men-tal illness.”

stories of the

By NaN

Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Del-ta yesterday said it would train several of its soldiers in swimming to further boost combat readiness of troops in the creeks.

This was disclosed by the commander of the 34 Artillery Brigade, Owerri, Brig.-Gen. Lanre Bello, during the graduation of 22 soldiers trained in its Waterman-ship cad-re training in Harry’s Town, Degema local government area of Rivers.

Bello said the exercise organised by the JTF Sector 2 aims to equip soldiers and of-ficers with requisite skills to swim and ma-noeuvre the difficult terrain of creeks in the Niger Delta.

He said, “the cadres (trainees) are very delighted because they were able to acquire skills on Waterman-ship, and (this) will im-pact greatly on their ability when they go back to their various units and formations.

“They are in the Niger Delta to protect national assets in the creeks and, during patrols, will have the confidence to pursue people indulging in illegal oil bunkering ac-tivities.

“They will improve on our ability to achieve zero tolerance in protecting oil in-stallations in the Niger Delta.”

Oil theft: 22 Soldiers Graduate From Swimming Course

By halima tiffi, With Agency Report

A 38-year- old self-acclaimed prophetess, Nnenna James, has been remanded in Kirikiri prison for allegedly defrauding a 31-year- old woman in Lagos.

The victim, Theresa Johnson, it was gath-ered was made to pay about N570,000 for spiritual deliverance by the Lagos based prophetess.

The prophetess was arraigned before an Ejigbo Magistrates’ Court for fraud and stealing under the Criminal Code.

Trouble started when deliverance prayer did not work as the prophetess promised. The victim then asked her to refund her money but the prophetess refused.

Apart from allegedly defrauding There-sa to the tune of over half a million naira, the prophetess also collected Theresa’s gold necklace worth N50, 000 from her.

It was gathered that the prophetess promised her that she will get a husband, settle down and bear her own children with-in a time frame in exchange for the money.

The presiding magistrate, M.B. Folami granted her bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

She was remanded in prison custody pending when she will perfect her bail con-dition. The matter was adjourned till July 16, 2014.

fraud: Prophetess Jailed Over Failed Deliverance

adulterY: Pregnant Woman Commits Suicide Over Infidelity

By SOlOmON ayaDO, Makurdi

There was confusion in the Kanshio area of Makurdi, Benue State yesterday when the lifeless body of a middle-aged man was discovered hanging on a tree.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the de-ceased, identified as Emma Abah, was working under an Igbo woman that op-erates a sachet water production facto-ry before the sad event.

The incident which occurred at about between 8 and 10 pm on Tuesday hap-pened near the Mobil Filling Station located along Makurdi-Otukpo road. LEADERSHIP learnt that residents woke up to discover the deceased corpse dan-gling from a mango tree near his house.

Residents thronged to the area to catch a glimpse of the deceased.

Sources said that the deceased had gone to watch one of the World Cup matches that fateful evening in a hotel around the area but did not return home.

Strangely, Abah was found dead in the early hours of Tuesday, hanging on a mango tree near his house, with a tex-tile cloth tied round his neck. Sources al-leged that the cloth found around the de-ceased neck belong to the Igbo woman whom he worked for.

It was later gathered that the said Igbo woman had visited the deceased short-ly before his death in the same materials which was found on his neck.

The police had since arrested the wom-an to ascertain the allegation.

The police public relations officer, SP. Daniel Ezeala, confirmed the incident, saying that the corpse of the deceased has since been deposited at the morgue while the Igbo woman was arrested as in-vestigation into the matter was in prog-ress.

death: Lifeless Body Of Sachet Water Seller Found Hanging On Tree By ANDrEW OJIH, Jalingo

Over 43 persons have reportedly lost their lives following a boat mishap in river Benue, linking Taraba and Adamawa states, at Dampar village in Ibi local government area of Taraba State.

The incident which occurred at about 9 pm on Tuesday night was reported to have been caused by an attack by unknown gunmen num-bering over 70, who invaded the village from the neighboring Plateau State and started shooting sporadically, and burning of houses of the villagers.

In a chat with LEADErSHIP, an eye witness narrated that the sudden attack on the village

by the gunmen prompted villagers to run for their safety. It was gathered that some of the villagers rushed to the river side to board a boat with the aim of crossing to safety in the village nearby.

LEADErSHIP learnt that the boat capsized in the middle of the journey which resulted to the death of all the occupants.

Contacted on the incident, the police public relation spokesman in the State, ASP. Joseph Kwaji , confirmed the attack, but said that the police was yet to confirm the casualties.

At the time of filing this report, corpses of victims have been deposited at nearby health centers in the local government.

death: Over 43 Drown In Boat Mishap

Thursday, June 19, 2014 10

assistant secretary, federal civil Service Staff with Disability multipurpose co-operatives Society (fcSSWDmcS), mr. Emmannel Dinglip, operating a special typewriter for the blind during their annual general meeting in abuja, yesterday. PHOTO

BY ADEFEMI ADEWUYI

L-R ; Chairman, Federal Civil Service Staff with Disability Multipurpose Co-oper-atives Society (FCSSWDMCS), Alhaji Ilyasu Abdulrauf; president of the society, Mrs Omotunde Ellen and the board secretary, Mr Yusuf Iyodo during the annual general meeting of FCSSWDMCS in Abuja, yesterday.PHOTO BY ADEFEMI ADEWUYI

L-R: Copa Teen, Jerimiah Danladi; public affairs and communications manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Mr. Clement Ugorgi and Omokhodion Zedi during the arrival of COPA teens from Sao Paulo to the Coca-Cola office in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO BY BEnEDIcT UWAlAkA

BY GEORGE OKOJIE, lagos

A 56-year-old man, Adebayo Ajibode, yesterday told an Alakuko Customary Court in Lagos that he refused to make love to his wife for 16 years because she is fetish.

Ajibode asked the court to dissolve his 30-year-old marriage to his wife for failing to carry out her matrimonial obligations.

Adebayo, a mechanic, who lives at Alakuko, urged the court to dissolve his marriage to Bosede because she was fond of neglecting her matrimonial duties.

He alleged that his wife would go out in the morning and return at night, and has failed to perform her duties as expected of a housewife thereby jeopardizing the life of their family.

He said, “I wanted to have my bath, but surprisingly I saw a charm under the bucket, when I called my wife she could not say a word, then I knew I had to be watchful.

“When I wanted to make love to her 16 years ago, I saw an incision on her chest and I could not go further because I knew it connoted bad omen. Since then, I have not made love to her. I also see cobwebs in front of my bedroom door each morning.”

He also accused his wife of killing his neighbour’s son after a fight with the mother.

Adebayo who is a father of three children, whose ages range between 25 and 30, told the court that his wife had married out two of his daughters without his knowledge.

BY NAN

Four persons have been confirmed dead in a motor accident which occurred on the Okene-Lokoja Road on Tuesday night.

The Kogi State sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Godwin Omiko, confirmed this to journalists yesterday in Lokoja.

He said that the accident occurred a few minutes before midnight at Ogaminana in Adavi local government area of Kogi State.

Omiko said that the accident involved a Peugeot 806 with registration number Katsina JBY 84 PGT, and an articulated vehicle with registration number QFB 108 QC.

He said that two other persons sustained injuries from the crash.

The commander blamed the accident on wrongful overtaking.

Omiko said that the injured persons were taken to the General Hospital, Okene, while the corpses were deposited at the mortuary of the same hospital.

BY GBENGA ADEBOYE, Abeokuta

A magistrate court sitting in Isabo, Abeo-kuta, yesterday, remanded a 45-year-old man, Stephen Shodunke in prison for al-legedly spraying his neighbour with acid during a quarrel. The accused who reside in the same

house with the victim, Lateef Akinwun-mi, at Ola Shehu house, Saraki, Adigbe in Abeokuta was reported to have bathed Akinwunmi with acid, which eventually led to the loss of his right eye.

According to the prosecutor, ASP Ban-ji Sangotokun, the offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 323 (7) of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, Ni-geria 2006. He said the punishment for the offence

is life imprisonment. The investigating police officer of the

case, Sergeant Monday Eboh, said the vic-tim came back from work and he mistak-enly hit the accused but, the accused got infuriated and poured a liquid which was suspected to be acid on the victim.

L-R: Director, Momas Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company Limited (MEMM-COL), Mr Garth Smith; members, House of Representatives Committee on Power, Hon. Omo Christopher Isu and Hon. Patrick Ikhariale; chairman, MEMMCOL, Engr. Kola Balogun and deputy chairman of the committee, Hon. Muhammed Ricco, during the committe’s visit to MEMMCOL’s corporate head office, in Ogun State. PHOTO BY GBEnGA OlAJOBI

L-R: President, Mary-Elika Foundation, Dr Mary Manzo; president, Resource Centre for Empowerment, Hajia Maryam Ibrahim and the executive director, Society for the Promo-tion of Education and Development, Dr Okafor Tochukwu during the 2014 International Day of the African Child and its Youths in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY ADEFEMI ADEWUYI

dayphoto news

ACID BATH: Man Jailed Over Acid Attack On Neighbour

DIvorCe: ‘Why I Denied My Wife Sex For 16 Years’

CrASH: 4 Killed On Okene-Lokoja Road Accident

BY KOLA EKE-OGIUGO, Asaba

Police in Kwale Delta State have arrested one Nicolas Atare, a middle aged business-man, in Okpai community, Kwale axis fol-lowing injuries he allegedly inflicted on his wife over her refusal for love making.

Reports said that the incident which oc-curred on Tuesday evening threw the en-tire Okpai community into a state of con-fusion when the news of the suspect’s nefarious act filtered out.

It was gathered that trouble started in the early hours of Tuesday when the suspect, a businessman was sighted by friends of the wife in a hotel and immedi-

ately alerted the wife, who quickly mobi-lized backups and stormed the hotel room where she caught the husband and his mis-tress.

Expectedly, while the argument and quarrel lasted, the suspect was said to have raced into an open store opposite the ho-tel where he allegedly picked a broken bot-tle to stab the wife.

The police public relations officer in the state, DSP Celestina Kalu confirmed that the suspect was arrested after he commit-ted the act during a minor quarrel that en-sured between the couple, saying Atare allegedly stabbed the wife with a broken bottle.

ATTACk: Hubby Stabs Wife Over Sex

Thursday, June 19, 2014 STORIES OF THE DAY 11

Thursday, June 19, 2014 12

( )More Information

Call Ndidi - 0708 864 1465, Rotimi - 0705 433 7735or visit the Pan-Atlantic University website:

www.pau.edu.ng/undergraduate

2014 /15 POST-UTME2014 /15 POST-UTMESCREENING OF CANDIDATES FOR ADMISSIONSCREENING OF CANDIDATES FOR ADMISSION

Pan-Atlantic University is renowned for its firstrate teaching and quality research. We providepersonalised, well-rounded and practiceoriented education in international standardfacilities on our campus in Lagos, Nigeria.

B.Sc. AccountingB.Sc. Business AdministrationB.Sc. Mass Communication

StartingOctober

APP

LY N

OW

Application forms

are free of chargeApplication forms

are free of charge

Eligibility- Those who made Pan-Atlantic University their first choice in the 2014/ 2015 UTME Application form.

- All other candidates interested in studying at Pan-Atlantic University who did not select Pan-Atlantic University as their first choice.

- Candidates must have obtained a minimum score of 180 in the 2014/2015 UTME Examination

POST UTME Exam Venues:Abuja, Benin, Enugu, Lagos and Port Harcourt.

Application FormsApplication form can be filled online atwww.pau.edu.ng/undergraduate

Application deadline: 30 June,2014

More InformationCallNdidi - 0708 864 1465Rotimi - 0705 433 7735

or visit the Pan-Atlantic University website:www.pau.edu.ng/undergraduate

Aspire. Study. Achieve.

Victoria Island Campus2, Ahmed Onibudo Street, Victoria island, 101241, Lagos.

Main CampusKm 52, Lekki-Epe Expressway Immediately after Eleko Junction, Ibeji-Lekki, Lagos.

2014 /15 POST-UTME2014 /15 POST-UTMESCREENING OF CANDIDATES FOR ADMISSIONSCREENING OF CANDIDATES FOR ADMISSION

Pan-Atlantic University is renowned for its first rateteaching and quality research. We providepersonalised, well-rounded and practice orientededucation in international standard facilities on ourcampus in Lagos, Nigeria.

B.Sc. AccountingB.Sc. Business AdministrationB.Sc. Mass Communication

StartingOctober

Application forms

are free of charge and

UTME cut -off is 180

APP

LY N

OW

Eligibility- Those who made Pan-Atlantic University their first choicein the 2014/ 2015 UTME Application form.

- All other candidates interested in studying at Pan-AtlanticUniversity who did not select Pan-Atlantic University as their first choice.

- Candidates must have obtained a minimum score of 180in the 2014/2015 UTME Examination

POST UTME Exam Venues:Abuja, Benin, Enugu, Lagos and Port Harcourt.

Application FormsApplication form can be filled online at www.pau.edu.ng/undergraduate

Application deadline: 30 June,2014

1. The Government of Federal Republic of Nigeria has received a loan from the African Development Fund (ADF), towards the cost of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme Sub – Programmes in Osun and Yobe States. It is intended that part of the proceeds of this loan will be applied to eligible payments under the contract for Procurement of IT and Office Equipment.2. The Federal Ministry of Water Resources now invites sealed Bids from eligible

Bidders for the Supply and/or installation of the items listed below

THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES

AfDB-ASSISTED RURAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SUB-PROGRAMMES IN YOBE AND OSUN STATES

FEDERAL PROGRAMME COORDINATING UNIT (FPCU)

Invitation for Bids (IFB)

3. To bid for both lots, a separate bid security for each lot should be provided. Presenting a single bid security for both lots may render the bids non-responsive. National Competitive Bidding will be conducted in accordance with the Bank's Rules and Procedures for Procurement of Goods and Works

4. Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from and inspect the bidding documents at the Office of the National Programme Co-ordinator, Federal Programme Co-ordinating Unit (FPCU), Federal Ministry of Water Resources

rd(FMWR), 3 Floor Bassan Plaza, Right Wing, Adjacent National Bureau of Statistics Central Business District Abuja F C T. 5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested bidders upon the submission of a written application to the said Executing Agency, and upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Ten Thousand (N 10,000) Naira only on Bank Draft, Payable to Federal Ministry of Water Resources.6. The provisions in the Instructions to Bidders and in the General Conditions are those of the Bank's Standard Bidding Document for Procurement of Goods.7. Bids must be delivered to the above office on or before 11:00 am on 17th July 2014 and must be accompanied by bid security of NGN400,000 for each of the lots.

SignedEngr. R. C. Onyeanusi

National Programme Coordinator,,Federal Programme Coordinating Unit (FPCU)

rd3 Floor Bassan Plaza, Right Wing,

Adjacent National Bureau of Statistics Central Business DistrictAbuja F C T

08074155922, 07060444848

Date of issuance: 18th June, 2014o Loan/Financing N : FGN/2100150015645

o IFB N : P-NG-E00-002/FPCU/NCB/001/2013

Thursday, June 19, 2014 13

Follow these reports on leadership.ng/business

BY OlushOla BellO, Lagos

Equity transactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday ended on a positive note with market indicators appreciating by 0.09 per cent.

The All-Share Index rose by 35.76 points or 0.09 per cent to close at 41,171.16 from the 41,135.40 achieved on Tuesday.

Similarly, the market capitalisation rose by N12 billion

to close at N13.595 trillion against N13.583 trillion recorded on Tuesday.

Nestle recorded the highest price gain of N10 to close at N1, 070 per share. The company was trailed by MRS which gained N5.25 to close at N56.61, while Sim Capital Alliance Value Fund appreciated by N4.91 to close at N103.24 per share.

Nigerian Breweries appreciated by N2.58 to close at N167, while

Oando rose by N1.85 to close at N25 per share.

Conversely, Conoil led the losers’ chart, dropping N6.38 to close at N59.27 per share. Mobil followed with a loss of N3.00 to close at N129, while Dangote Cement lost N1.99 to close at N227.01 per share.

Presco dropped N1.00 to close at N36, while Guaranty Trust Bank lost 20 kobo to close at N30.00 per share.

BY Chika izuOra, Lagos

The federal government has finally endorsed the acquisition of ConocoPhilips upstream assets in Nigeria by Oando Plc, thus signifying a major breakthrough for the indigenous company’s investment and operations in oil and gas exploration.

Though Oando successfully sourced all the funds required to complete the acquisition of the assets, closing the ConocoPhillips acquisition was subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions, including government and regulatory approval and the consent of the minister of petroleum resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Commenting, the group chief executive of Oando, Mr Wale Tinubu, said, “We are delighted to receive the approval of the minister of petroleum resources for the completion of our acquisition. It

has been a long journey wherein we kept faith with our strategy and executed every milestone diligently. This acquisition satisfies our criteria for assets in production as well as excellent appraisal and exploration prospects. We will work hand-in-hand with the management team of ConocoPhillips to immediately complete the acquisition.

“Ministerial consent is the mandatory final approval of all oil and gas acquisitions by the minister of petroleum resources as required by the Petroleum Act of 1969 which states that “prior consent of the minister of petroleum resources is obtained before the assignment of any right, power or interest in an oil prospecting licence or oil mining lease.”

The Act stipulates that the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources must conduct due diligence to ensure ownership is being transferred to a

company that is of good reputation, has sufficient knowledge, experience and financial resources to work the licence or lease and in all other respects is acceptable to the federal government.

The consent of the minister may only be granted where the minister is satisfied that the above conditions have been fully met.

With the due completion of the game-changing acquisition, Oando will be immediately positioned as the largest indigenous oil producer in Nigeria and will now produce about 50,000 barrels per day from six producing fields and will significantly impact its near immediate Upstream strategy and operations, and optimise its value across the energy chain.

Oando Plc, an indigenous energy group led industry innovative dual listing when it listed on both the Nigerian and Johannesburg stock exchanges.

FG Endorses Oando $1.65bn ConocoPhilips AcquisitionBY aNkeli eMMaNuel, Sokoto

Despite Africa having almost 60 per cent of the world’s total uncultivated arable land and being blessed with natural resources, the rate at which it imports food is alarming, the managing director (MD) of NEXIM, Mr Robert Orya, has lamented.

Orya, who was represented yesterday at the North-west Exporter Enlightenment Forum in Sokoto by the executive director, Corporate Services, Alhaji Bashir Wali, insisted that only Nigeria imports over $10 million worth of foodstuff annually.

According to Orya, despite these endowments, Africa ironically accounts for less than five per cent of global trade and surprisingly remained a net importer of food with an annual food import of over $40 billion.

While lamenting that over dependence on crude oil is exposing Nigeria to the vagaries of external markets, the MD maintained that it has and will continue to be a militating factor against the country attaining its developmental status, hence the need for diversifications of the economy. He further divulged that the NEXIM bank has cumulatively disbursed over N92.5 billion and issued guarantees worth $300.5 million in support of exporters in the last 23 years. He said the bank has also sustained about 60,000 direct jobs and generated over $1.3 billion in foreign exchange earnings.

“The scenario in Nigeria reflects the African situation.Nigeria imports over $10 billion worth of food annually and remains one of largest importers of staples such as rice, wheat and fish. Although the total non-oil receipt rose to $4.5 billion in 2013 from $2.9 billion in 2012, oil revenues has remained dominant, accounting for 95 per cent of the total earnings.

“With a gross domestic product (GDP) of N80.22 trillion, making it the largest economy in Africa and 26th largest in the world, Nigeria has been classified as one of the economic giants with three other emerging economies – Mexico, Indonesia and Turkey which form the acronym ‘MINT’,” Orya said.

BY NaN

Eight commercial banks contributed N53.52 billion to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) Banking Sector Resolution Cost Fund in 2013 financial year.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the banks in 2011, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the fund.

The CBN in 2013 reviewed the contribution to upward to 0.5 per cent of the banks’ total assets and 33.3 per cent of off-balance sheet assets into the fund as against 0.3 per cent in 2012.

A breakdown of the figures contained in the commercial

banks’ 2013 annual reports showed that FBN Holdings paid the highest levy of N13.85 billion during the review period. It was followed by Skye Bank with N10.35 billion, and UBA paid N9.67 billion.

Also, Zenith Bank paid N4.81 billion, FCMB contributed N4.58 billion, Union Bank of Nigeria paid N4.43 billion, Sterling Bank parted with N3.11 billion, while Diamond paid N2.72 billion.

Speaking on the AMCON levy, the president, Independent Shareholders of Nigeria, Mr Boniface Okezie, said the levy robbed shareholders of their investments and called for the AMCON to be scrapped or be funded by the federal government.

Swift Oil Acquires Chorus Energy For $15m BY Chika izuOra, Lagos with Agency Report

Swift Oil Limited has take a leap into upstream investment as it just acquired the Chorus Energy Limited, a marginal field player for about $15 million.

According to Africa Oil + Gas report, the company acquired Chorus Energy at a cost of between $10 million and $15 million.

The marginal field was awarded in 2011 to Green Energy which was then linked to the Israeli firm, Beny Steinmetz Group (BSG).

It was also reported that Swift Oil battled with Nigeria’s largest independent Exploration and Production (E & P) company, Seplat Petroleum Development Company, which was said to have offered between $7 million and $8 million.

In 2003, Chorus won three

marginal fields – Matsogo/Amoji/Igbolo fields located in Oil Prospecting Lease (OPL) 283/C in Delta State, under the federal government marginal field programme.

Chorus Energy was incorporated in 2001 with the purpose of participating in this programme. The Matsogo, Amoji and Igbolo fields are now located in OML 56, formerly OPL 283/C.

Nigeria Spends Over $10m On Food Importation Annually – NEXIM MD

Shareholders Lament N53.52bn Paid To AMCON

NSE Records 0.09% Growth

businessnewS

L-R: Chairman, Promassidor Nigeria Ltd, Mr Keith Richards; chairman, Policy and Strategy, Association of Outsourcing Practitioners of Nigeria (AOPN), Mr Olusoji Oyawoye; managing director/chief executive officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr Segun Ogunsanya and president, AOPN, Mr Austin Nweze at the 2014 Outsourcing Expo organised by the AOPN in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO BY BenedicT UwALAkA

Thursday, June 19, 2014 14

Thursday, June 19, 2014 15

BY NSE ANTHONY-UKO AND BUKOlA IDOwU, Kaduna

In line with his vision of entrenching a more professional and people-focused central bank, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has approved the redeployment of deputy governors in the bank.

With the new changes, the deputy governor, Corporate Services Directorate, Alhaji Suleiman Barau, is now the deputy governor, Operations Directorate. Mr Kingsley Moghalu, currently the deputy governor, Operations, returns to the Financial Systems Stability (FSS) Directorate while Mr Adebayo Adelabu who was in charge of Financial Systems Stability (FSS) is now the deputy governor, Corporate Services. Mrs Sarah Alade retains her position as the deputy governor, Economic Policy Directorate.

These redeployments according to a release issued by the CBN and signed by Mr Isaac Okoroafor, which take effect from June 23, 2014, is expected to contribute to the bank’s vision of being the model central bank delivering price and financial system stability and promoting sustainable economic development.

Emefiele also restated his resolve to build a central bank that is apolitical, professional and focused on development of the economy that is people oriented.

He said his resolve is in pursuit of a GDP indicator that reflects the economic realities of the Nigerian people.

CPN Inducts 323 New Members, Harps On Professionalism

Emefiele Reshuffles CBN Deputy Governors

BY EZRA IJIOMA, Abuja AND CHIMA AKwAJA, Lagos

The Computer Profession-als Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN) has in-ducted 323 members and charged them to uphold the professionalism in dis-charging their responsibil-ities as information tech-nology.

Addressing the induct-ees in Abuja on Wednes-day, the Chairman of the Council, Alhaja Sekinat

Yusuf, said that since IT practice remains one of the most challenging profes-sions in the world because it touches on all other pro-fessions, there is the need to develop a code of con-duct to regulate the prac-tice.

The CPN was set up by Act. No. 49 of 1993 to con-trol and supervise the com-puting profession and IT practice in Nigeria; quali-ty assurance in computer education and supervise

developing of IT capacity in line with internation-al standards. It is a para-statal under the Ministry of Education.

Yusuf said that the legal responsibilities of CPN in-formed its establishment of Code of Ethics and Pro-fessional Standards and investigating and discipli-nary panels.

She exhorted the induct-ees, “You should endeavour to build the foundation of your future success on in-

tegrity and good charac-ter, you must imbibe and exhibit the virtues of hon-esty and truth in your pro-fessional dealings.”

In his speech, the Di-rector General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NIT-DA), Mr Peter Jack, said he will work with stakeholders to enhance the productivi-ty of the profession and its contributions to nation-al development since IT is the fulcrum of modern de-

velopment.The induction is part

of activities to mark the 2014 Information Tech-nology [IT] Professionals’ Assembly.

Speaking at the event, director of information technology, State House (Aso Rock) Abuja, Mr Ga-briel Afu, who represented the national security advis-er, Col. Sambo Dasuki (Rtd) emphasised the need for IT collaboration and called for the establishment of IT

security trust fund for re-search and development purposes.

The IT assembly is a year-ly conference and annu-al general meeting of the computer regulatory agen-cy under the federal minis-try of education. This year’s assembly with the theme: ‘Harnessing the potentials of IT professionals for na-tional development’, dwelt on various areas of collabo-ration between public and private sectors.

AfDB Approves $300m Loan For Dangote Group

Statistician-General Calls For Real Sector Development

BY NAN

The board of directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $300 million loan facility for Dangote Group to enable the conglomerate boost its fuel supply and fertiliser production in Nigeria.

This is contained in a statement issued by the bank on Wednesday in Abuja.

The statement said the loan was approved for Dangote Industries Ltd., for the construction and operation of a Greenfield crude oil refinery and a Greenfield fertiliser manufacturing plant.

It explained that both projects would produce goods for the consumption in Nigeria and neighbouring African countries.

The statement said the projects would allow Nigeria, which currently relies on imported petroleum products and fertiliser, to progressively become self-sufficient, transform into a major exporter and support job creation.

It said the projects would add value to local natural resources, double the country’s refining capacity and reduce the current import of fuel into Nigeria by about 80 per cent.

“The projects are expected to help Nigeria on forex savings of 65 billion dollars through import substitution and provide revenues for the government (taxes and fees).

“The projects will also create over 30,000 temporary jobs during construction and 2,900 direct jobs during operations.

“The projects will complement bank’s ongoing effort to support the Federal Government in the implementation of the Agriculture Transformation Agenda,” it said.

According to the statement, the oil industry in Nigeria contributes a large share to the Gross Domestic Product and accounts for the bulk of the Federal Government’s revenue and foreign exchange earnings.

BY NSE ANTHONY-UKO, BU-KOlA IDOwU AND OlUSHO-lA BEllO, Kaduna

The statistician general of the federation and chief executive officer of the Na-tional Bureau of Statistics, Mr Yemi Kale, has said Ni-geria has to remain focused to develop the real sector if it will keep its position and make advancement as the largest economy in Africa and the 26th in the world.

Speaking on “Rebasing of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP): Issues, Facts and Fiction,” Kale said other countries may overtake Ni-geria if the country relaxes.

Represented by his spe-cial assistant, Kayode Olani-yan, at a seminar organised by the Central Bank of Ni-geria (CBN) for Financial Journalists and Business Editors in Kaduna yester-day, Kale decried the upper hand the services sector had on the real sector, saying Ni-geria needs the real sector for inclusive and sustained growth and development.

According to him, the re-basing showed that Nige-

ria is a service nation, an issue which he said should be addressed to create em-ployment in the country. He noted further that the gov-ernment needed to concen-trate more on labour-driven sectors such as construc-tion, agriculture, manu-facturing, small and me-dium enterprises amongst others in the real sector.

Also speaking at the seminar, the head of Re-search and Documenta-tion, Financial Derivative Company (FDC), Mr Afola-bi Olowookere, advised the government to boost the nation’s foreign direct investment (FDI) rather than the foreign portifolio investment (FPI) for eco-nomic growth.

Delivering a paper on “Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Rebasing and the Impact on Nigeria’s Invest-ment Environment,” he said that the FDI would au-tomatically lead to nation-al development. He said this is a correlation between the FDI and FPI as related to the GDP because the two have positive effects on the econ-

omy.Olowookere said that at

the moment, the govern-ment depended more on the FPI which he added was not good enough because there was less commitment on the part of the investors.

He also said that the port-folio investors could easily move out their ‘hot monies’ from the system, particular-ly from the capital market at any given time if there was any negative develop-ment. The researcher add-ed that it was not so in the case of the FDI because in-vestors contributed to the development of the coun-try by creating employment through creation of compa-nies and infrastructure de-velopment.

Olowookere said the re-basing of the GDP had shown that the country re-mained a service-oriented nation instead of a produc-tive nation. He, however, enjoined the government to ensure that the country becomes a productive na-tion, adding that this would create employment for cit-izens.

l-R: Sales support and financial control project group, IjeomaAkemegoh, Pamela Nwonu, Adeola Raimi and Safiya Durodoye, during the commissioning of Basiru Dania School renovated by MTN at Oshodi, lagos. PHOTO BY BenedicT UwALAKA

Thursday, June 19, 2014 16 NEWS/BUSINESS

Thursday, June 19, 2014 17

Thursday, June 19, 2014 18

StorieS By oluShola Bello, Abuja

C o m m e r c i a l banks are showing commitment to assist the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) sector in the country through numerous initiatives geared towards empowering entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.

SMEs are the bedrock of every nation’s economic success as they account for the income of the larger percentage of the

population.In Nigeria, one of the

greatest obstacles that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) grapple with is access to funds. This is further compounded by the fact that even where credit facilities are available, they may not be able to muster the required collateral to access such.

Commercial banks are one of the medium through which this problem is addressed. Before now, these banks have not exactly done

a great job to support these SMEs. This is due to several reasons including the high risk of financing SMEs, poorly articulated business plans, inadequate loan collaterals, and the short-term nature of funds held by commercial banks.

However, attention has shifted to SMEs and the valuable position they occupy in Nigeria’s economy, making banks more accommodative of them.

In March 2014, First Bank of Nigeria introduced

non-collateral loans for SMEs meant to drive the growth of the sub-sector. According to the head, SME Banking, Mr Oluwafemi Akinfolarin, the development would help the SMEs to overcome the challenge of lack of access to credit.

He said, “Getting loans without collateral is part of our contribution towards boosting the growth of the SME segment. Most SMEs do not have collateral to secure loans. With this, all a prospective borrower is asked to do is to go

through a psychometric test. Once it is passed, we advance the loan. That is a cutting edge innovation.

“We focus on the SMEs because they are the highest employer of labour in any economy. About 17 million people in the country are currently employed by this sector. This year, we are planning a capacity development programme for the SMEs because the sector has serious skills deficit. Most SMEs are not able to turn their ideas into sustainable businesses.”

The Guaranty Trust (GT) Bank in May 2014, launched an e-commerce portal for SMEs in the country as part of the bank’s strategy to empower and support Nigerian SMEs and also contribute to the growth and development of the Nigerian economy. The portal was designed to enable Nigerian entrepreneurs migrate their businesses online and take advantage of the vast international and local sales opportunities within this space.

Banks Intensify Support For SMEs

Investors at the Nigeria-Pakistan Pharma Investment Forum held in Lagos have expressed interest in tapping into the huge opportunities presented by the nation’s pharmaceutical industry through the establishment of manufacturing plants locally and ending medical tourism through the treatment of Nigerian patients locally.

They declared this on the second day of the two-day investment forum, pointing at Nigeria’s 174 million population with 2.8 per cent annual growth potential, less than 55 per cent capacity in the pharmaceutical industry, strong demand for improved management of infectious diseases in the country among others as reasons for investment excitement.

One of the leaders of the Pakistani delegation, Ibrahim Waksu, said 20 Pakistani pharmaceutical firms were already in the country and were seeking areas of partnership with local firms, adding that the two biggest gridlocks they encountered were the inability to open bank accounts in the country as well as visa issuance issues. The Pakistani high commissioner to Nigeria, Muhammad Daleem Ashraf, therefore, advised Nigerians to look towards Pakistan in case of exigencies.

“We are not here to take patients away from Nigeria. We are here to treat patients in Nigeria. What we offer Nigerians are quality and affordable products,” he said.

Investors See Opportunity In Pharmaceutical Industry

commerce REPORTS

Thursday, June 19, 2014 commerce/BUSINESS 19

The Rise Of Rice Production In Nigeria Under ATANigeria is beginning to break the jinx of decades of dependence on imported food. Compatriots should, therefore, arise and resist those who want to give false impression that no change is happening. It is time to shake off the disappointment of many years of unfulfilled promises from past governments and embrace the prospects of one which has made significant impacts within two years, changing the outlook of food production in such a short time.

In the past one week, I have been confronted with a barrage of questions from the media on rice importation: insinuations that the rice transformation agenda may have been dropped and unfounded anxiety over a possibility that Nigeria may experience a shortage in rice supply. I saw reasons to believe that those involved in rice importation were at work, trying to use falsehood and scaremongering to rally Nigerians behind them. Their timing was clearly wrong and it appears they are insensitive to the silent revolution going on in the fields of rice cultivation.

Under the on-going agricultural transformation agenda (ATA), the tremendous achievement in rice production goes beyond what can be wished away as millions of additional metric tons of food are added to local supplies and with rice experiencing a significant increase. The blessing in disguise was the flood disaster of 2012 that expedited federal government’s intervention in local production of food when the panicky, populist and ephemeral macho style of responding to emergencies was avoided.

The political will of President Goodluck Jonathan and his support for the minister of agriculture, Mr Akinwumi Adesina, led the way for the successful dry season rice production that is fast becoming a norm in Nigeria’s agricultural calendar and rapidly improving the nation’s food balance sheet. The year 2012 marked a watershed and proved Nigeria’s capability to produce two crops of rice per year as demonstrated in 10 northern states of Niger, Kebbi, Kogi, Zamfara, Sokoto, Jigawa, Katsina, Bauchi, Kano and Gombe.

For the 2012 wet season and 2012/2013 dry season, a total of 20,161 metric

tonnes (mts) of improved seeds, 40,322 mts of NPK fertiliser and 20,161 mts of urea fertiliser given to 403, 222 farmers was increased six times in the 2013 wet season and 2013/2014 dry season to 2,598,113 mts as inputs redeemed doubled to 40,105 mts of improved seeds, 160,422 mts of NPK, and 129,906 mts of urea, with added benefits of 358,993 rural jobs in the 2012 wet season and 2012/2013 dry season. The ripples spread across input suppliers, farm labourers, transporters, warehouse operators and others.

The rice policy is good, for our national interest and is capable of transforming Nigeria into a global player as an exporting nation. In addition to the economic impact, the food security impact on the rural communities is noteworthy. With the benefit of hindsight now, the decision to embark on such an ambitious programme has proved worthwhile as this has restored hope and brightened business prospects.

About N30 billion spent by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) on the growth enhancement support (GES) programme so far, has helped Nigerian rice farmers to increase their output by over 2.8 million mts of rice paddy, bringing us nearer to self-sufficiency. Interventions under the ATA in the 2012 wet season and 2012/2013 dry season led to an additional 1.409 million mts of paddy or 916,137mts of milled rice from 403,222 hectares of cultivated land.

The 2013 wet season and 2013/2014 dry season output, originally estimated at 2.96 million mts of paddy and expected to produce 1.92 mts of milled rice from 802,108 hectares of land, is proving to be an underestimation as reports from the field as at Monday showed that many farmers, in addition to the free seeds they received from the federal government, planted additional fields this year with the seeds they saved last year. From the fields in Jigawa, Kebbi and Zamfara, there are feelers of bumper harvest.

Producing rice worth N149.512 billion gross value of paddy and net value of N79.691 billion during the original attempt was no mean feat as 751,248 rural jobs, were created by local rice

production, while gross value doubled to N313,784,882,555 and net value doubled to N175,020,285,055 the following year. These had strong economic impact on the lives of farmers, unemployed youths and agro-dealers in forms of increased household income, employment, and improved livelihoods arising from an inflow of N254 billion from the 2012 and 2013 wet and dry rice season farming.

The Nigerian local rice industry depended entirely on small scale mills until 2008 when the first large integrated mill commenced operation. Since 2010, the number of millers has increased, both for small millers and active large integrated mill operators. The small millers have also graduated to products that could match the quality of imported rice, overcoming deficiencies in critical quality attributes, including a lack of uniformity, flavour, odour, high content of broken grains and the presence of stones and other extraneous materials.

A seven-fold increase in milling capacity of paddy rice in the country within two years has been matched with

encouraging responses from large-scale millers. There are now a total of 13 new integrated rice mills with parboiling facility and total combined paddy milling capacity of 534,000mts, all coming up under the interventions in the rice value chains, buoyed by the realisation of the increase in paddy production. The rice Staple Crop Processing Zone (SCPZ) also serves as a platform intended for the production of rice. Wacott rice processing mill is situated in Kebbi/Sokoto SCPZ. UMZA in Kano and Ebony mill in Ebonyi have expressed interest in acquiring some of the 10 new mills being facilitated by the FMARD for distribution to rice mills.

At Rukubi village in Doma local government area, Nassarawa State, Olam has installed a 60,000mts rice mill to process harvests from about 3,500 hectares of rice farm. Eko Rice only recently purchased 56 trailer loads of paddy from Kebbi for local processing in Lagos. Other mills, including the Dominion Rice Mill in Taraba State, are expected to boost the local supplies of processed rice.

The very rapid growth in the largest small mill cluster

at Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, is particularly striking with the number of operators growing from 250 members in 2011 to 360 members in 2012, and to 450 in March 2014. In Ekiti State, the small millers are starting operations with improved small-scale equipment, growing at an estimated rate of about 10 to 15 new small mills per annum, and mostly targeting the niche market of Ofada and Igbemo local rice. The rapid growth and competitive edge of these small mills are inextricably linked to the increase in the amount of rice paddy being produced under the ATA. Nigerian rice farmers are no longer in doubt that rice farming is profitable business.

In Nigeria, rice has found a place in food security and has become a major staple. Nigeria consumes about five million metric tonnes of rice annually. The local production, however, has not kept pace over the years. The difference between what was consumed and what was produced was provided for through importation of about 2.1 million mts at a huge annual import expense of about N356 billion – which is clearly inappropriate and devastating to our economy. Under the ATA of the Goodluck administration, that is rapidly changing.

Nigerians need to be aware that food security is a strategic national priority and, therefore, cooperate in every way to ensure the nation is freed from the shackles of import dependency. With the crisis in Thailand, the number one exporter of rice in the world, it is appropriate to avert any jeopardy in rice supply to Nigerian consumers by taking proactive steps in producing locally, consuming locally-produced rice and creating jobs and wealth for all stakeholders along the value chain.

There is room for the Nigerian rice sub-sector to improve if only the people will exhibit some patriotism by consuming locally-produced rice and showing some patience for government policies to mature. The Nigerian public has a role to play in complementing government’s policy of boosting local production of rice. For these efforts to have sustainable impact, Nigerians need to adjust their taste to locally produced rice, a disposition which will greatly encourage increase in production and conserve our foreign exchange.

agric focusBy OLUKAyODE OyELEyE

Adesina

Thursday, June 19, 2014 20 BUSINESS/AGRICULTURE

Some communities in the rural areas have been cut off from the national grid for a number of reasons ranging from bad terrain, distance from existing power lines and sheer inability of those responsible for taking electricity to them to do so.

Children born in some of these areas have never seen a lit electricity bulb, school work is usually done using kerosene lanterns and for the adults, there is no social life.

The minister of power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, has said that an unacceptable number of Nigerians have no access to electricity supply which he noted that the ongoing reform is set to address.

The situation has remained largely so due to the age-long neglect of the power sector that is being managed by government. However, for the status quo to change, rural electrification must be prioritised under the current power reform of the President Goodluck Jonathan-led government. As it is, the situation is not only disastrous but will ultimately spell doom for the country and its aspiration to becoming one of the top 20 economies in the world by the year 2020 if not reversed.

As part of efforts to ensure speedy penetration of electricity in the off-grid communities, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) was resuscitated by President Jonathan with a supervisory

board constituted and a managing director, Mr Kenneth Achugbu, appointed. Budgetary allocation was also provided to begin the herculean task ahead.

The president withdrew the Bill seeking to scrap the REA from the National Assembly and approved the sum of N3 billion in 2012 to pay the debt owed contractors under the project before it was suspended in September 2009, over corruption allegations.Furthermore, for communities that are far-flung from the national grid, the government initiated the Light Up Rural Nigeria programme, which is specially tasked with providing electricity for these communities using alternative energy sources as a way to compliment the REA. It is then left for those tasked with the implementation to ensure the actualisation of the federal government’s aspirations in this regard.

Meanwhile, the minister of power has called on the private sector to consider investments in rural electrification saying that enormous potential exist in it. He made the call when he received a trade delegation from the United States of America (USA) led by the vice president of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), Mimi Alemayehou, in Abuja. Nebo urged investors to look into investing in renewable energy and solar energy targeted at the rural areas with a view to ensuring

Rural Electrification: Panacea To Improved Access To Supply For the number of Nigerians without access to electricity to be significantly reduced, priority must be placed on electrification of the rural areas currently cut off from the national grid. These off-grid communities host a huge number of Nigerians who have no access to power supply writes JULIET ALOHAN.

quick penetration of electricity in the areas. Urging the investors to tap into rural electrification, Nebo said, “without power, our children born in the rural areas would be marginalised for life as they would not have access to electricity and other modern technologies.”

Furthermore, the partnership recently entered into with Israel on rural electrification must be vigorously pursued with a view to tapping from the country’s expertise in alternative energy. The development is an offshoot of President Goodluck Jonathan’s state visit to Israel. A delegation from Israel, led by the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Uriel Palti, was recently in Nigeria in furtherance of the agreement. Israel had unique difficult experience with technology that forced the government to develop very fast in the area of solar, wind energy and biomass technologies.

Palti, who was accompanied to the visit by his economic adviser, pledged Israel’s commitment to implementing agreements reached by both countries during Jonathan’s visit to Israel, particularly in the energy sector.

In the meantime, about 50 out of the 280 contracts so far awarded to various contractors are ready for commissioning. This was disclosed by the Association of Rural Electrification Contractors of Nigeria (ARECON) who noted that the projects are expected to boost electricity supply to rural areas.

Without power our children born in the rural ar-eas would be marginalised for life, as they would not have access to electricity and other modern technologies

An electric power station Minister of power Prof. Chinedu Nebo

By juliet AlohAN, Abuja

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), otherwise known as the Abuja DISCO, has warned electricity consumers that unwholesome activities such as illegal reconnection, meter bypass and feeding from two transformers at a time are extremely dangerous to lives and power infrastructure.

The company, which launched a safety sensitisation campaign in Abuja, said such practices have resulted in the loss of lives and destruction of properties and power infrastructure worth billions of naira.

“we inherited a system that is not in good shape in some places. There are wires and poles hanging around dangerously in some places which have to be addressed but can’t be done overnight. It is, therefore, important that we make sure that the public are fully aware of the dangers of electricity,” managing director of the company, Neil Croucher, said.

He added, “we have illegal activities and vandalism in our system, illegal connections are things we need to stamp out. we want the public to partner with us to make sure the equipment are safe,” Croucher said while speaking at the launch of the campaign in Dutse, an Abuja suburb.

He further stated that electricity theft impacts much on the company’s revenue, noting that it is one of the key motivation for the sensitisation programme.

The service manager, Dutse Service Centre, Gomina Mutali, told journalists that some customers in the unit have been disconnected following various illegal practices such as bypass of meters with penalty for reconnection ranging from N21,000 to N52,000 depending on whether it’s a single or three phase meter. However, some customers in the area complained of poor electricity supply amid estimated billing, lack of promptness by the DISCO to respond to customer complaints and the fact that they often have to contribute money to purchase transformers for their use.

On metering, Croucher said the company has completed an assessment of the various platforms which includes ensuring that the vending platforms and the various payment options are intact.

Unwholesome Practices: AEDC Sensitises Consumers, Warns About Penalty

ENERGY REPORT

Thursday, June 19, 2014 BUSINESS/ENERGY 21

In the drive towards ensuring the nation’s industrial revolution, the minister of mines and steel development, Mr Mohammed Musa Sada, led a delegation, in a joint courtesy call with the minister of industry, trade and investment, Mr Olusegun Olutoyin Aganga, and the director-general of the Bureau for Public Enterprises, Mr Benjamin Dikki, to the governor of Kogi State, Mr Idris Wada, in the state capital, Lokoja, on June 10, 2014.

Sada and his entourage joined the governor in working visits to the Ajaokuta Steel Development Company (ASDC) Limited, National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO), Itakpe, West African Ceramics Company site, KCM Company exploration site and African Resources Company exploration site in Kogi State to synergise strategies and actions towards the realisation of the federal government’s Industrial Revolution Plan (IRP).

Speaking on the many strategies employed by the federal government, Sada said that the invitation of private investors to invest in the integrated steel plant was a strategy aimed at ensuring that the steel sector is opened for development and investment.

He noted that private investors had shown interests and signed memoranda of understanding (MoU) with the management of the ASDC Limited to reactivate and operate already completed plants at the company such as the thermal power plant, rolling

mills, metallurgical training centre and the engineering workshops.He noted that other strategic plans aimed at moving the steel industry forward is avoiding past mistakes that militated against the development of the sector and value addition by operators in the sector.

He said, “Part of the strategy is to dovetail the operations at the ASDC Limited to the actualisation of the industrial revolution plan of the federal government.”

He reiterated the desire of the federal government to attain self-sufficiency in the production of ceramic tiles and the availability of iron ore and other solid mineral resources for the production of steel and other allied products in the country.

He said, “We are very serious about seeing the ASDC Limited move forward and we are here to review the activities of the company, and dovetail its economic activities into the nation’s economic industrial revolution as well as appreciate the steel infrastructure on ground.”

He added that other purposes for the visit was to follow up and actualise the vision of reviving the company. “We want to look at the ASDC Limited as the cell and nucleus to be fine-tuned for the total industrial revolution of the country,” Sada said.

Speaking on the success of the mineral and steel sector, he said that in the past year, Nigeria had not only improved on the production of cement from one

FG’s Strategic Devt Plans For Steel Sector

million metric tonnes (mts) to 30 million mts but is now exporting to other countries. He assured that “the nation has produced a little over 30 million mts of cement and is looking at the probabilities of starting a ceramic plates and tiles company as the raw materials are abundant in Kogi State.”

Sada also assured that “their visit was focused on three issues which included looking at the business opportunities which exist there, looking at the environmental issues to ensure the environment is protected from the devastation that can result from mining activities as well as to looking at community issues to ensure that the community members are protected and profit from investments made in their communities.”

The state governor, in his response, reiterated the need for an active and operational Ajaokuta Steel Development Company Limited for the realisation of Nigeria’s industrial development. He said a vibrant steel industry was germane for the achievement of the IRP of Nigeria, adding that he was “elated with the plan of the federal government to make the ASDC Limited operational in line with its IRP.” He expressed happiness with the information that the legal encumbrances surrounding the company with the former concessionaires had been resolved, thereby opening way for the reactivation and operationalisation of the steel integrated plant by private investors.”

Wada assured that the government and people of Kogi State would give the necessary cooperation and support towards the actualisation of the IRP in line with the transformation agenda of the federal government and thanked President Goodluck Jonathan for sending the two ministers on the working visit to the state.

The nation has produced a little over 30 million mts of cement and is looking at the probabilities of starting a ceramic plates and tiles com-pany as the raw materials are abundant in Kogi state.

The federal government has revealed that it is making strategic plans for the development of the nation’s steel sector and has given full assurance of its interest to ensure the revival of the Ajaokuta Steel Development Company Limited. RUTH TENE NATSA unveils some of the plans.

ASCL power plant 110 MW (Installed capacity)

Chemical water treatment plant production of demineralised water for boilers and turbines

By Ruth tene nAtSA, Abuja

The director, Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM), Mr Obiora Azubike, has said that the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has provided training for 331 members of small-scale mining cooperatives in the last three years.

He said the members of the cooperatives were trained in exploration and exploitation techniques under the federal government’s extension services training programme which started in 2011.

According to him, “231 members of 25 cooperatives received training in 2011, while 100 others benefitted in 2012,” adding that the ministry had also commenced a train-the-trainer programme this year which requires benefitting cooperatives to train others in their localities.

He said, “The ministry’s target for 2014 was to train 100 mining cooperatives each in the North-west, North-central and South-south geopolitical zones. It had already trained members of 206 cooperatives out of the 300 it intended to train this year from the zones.”

According to him, members of 55 cooperatives in Zamfara State benefitted from the North-west zone, 48 members where trained in Minna for the North-central zone while in Benin mining cooperatives for the South-south zone would benefit from the training in July.

Azubike said members of 103 cooperatives were trained in the North-west and North-central zones, adding that the trainees were expected to train their peers in 103 other cooperatives in the zone, thus bringing the numbers of those trained to 206.

He said, “The training was designed to equip the mining cooperatives with proper mineral exploration and exploitation techniques, adding that it would facilitate increased production and economic growth. Adding that “other benefits of the training included reduction in mining accidents, environmental degradation and elimination of avoidable deaths.

“This will also enhance the output of miners because when they are able to produce more, they will make more profits and improve their standard of living. In short, the miners will be able to contribute meaningfully to national economy,” he said. Azubike said that the training also included the distribution of safety kits to the miners to enhance their safety during mining operations.

FG trains 331 Small-scale Mining Cooperatives In 3 years

mines & steel RePORt

Thursday, June 19, 2014 22 BUSINESS/mines & steel

What you put on the Internet can live forever, including what you post to your social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. If you think only your circle of friends and family members are viewing these accounts, you’re mistaken because a good number of employers are also using these outlets as resources to screen job applicants.

In a matter of minutes of conducting an online search of your name, e-mail address, or phone number, employers can find more information than they may need. Some of the things employers find may prove to be damaging to your chance of securing an opportunity to a job interview or job offer. Protect yourself with these tips!

Be Mindful Of the Photos and Videos You Post

While Facebook has generally been accepted as a forum for personal use and LinkedIn is for professional networking, be cautious of the types of photos and videos you post to all social media sites. While you don’t need to have a profile photo dressed in a suit on Facebook, it makes sense to do it for LinkedIn. At the same time, air on the side of caution with your profile photo for all social media sites. Many of these sites allow you to adjust your privacy settings so that only your network of contacts may view what you post on your profile.

Make Sure Everything Checks Out

Don’t expect employers to simply refer to the resume you submit – cross-checking of

information does occur. Make sure what you are showing on your resume is reflective of what you have online as well.

Don’t Share EverythingSocial media sites allow you to

share your feelings and thoughts, but that does not mean you have to be a total open book. Employers looking at articles

you’ve shared or comments you’ve made on your status, and photos and videos provide insight on your character. Take a look at your accounts to remove anything that may be inappropriate from your present to past history – whether it’s complaining about work, your employer, or anything else you’d be embarrassed for a prospective

employer to find out.

Just remember If it’s something you don’t

want the general public to see, don’t post it! You may think it’s being kept within your circle of contacts, but you never know if it may get forwarded or shared elsewhere for prospective employers to find and see.

job search

What Your Social Media Says About You To Employers?

1. Be Mindful Of the Photos and Videos You PostWhile you don’t need to have a profile photo dressed in a suit on Facebook, it makes sense to do it for LinkedIn.2. Make Sure Everything Checks OutMake sure what you are showing on your resume is reflective of what you have online as well.3. Don’t Share EverythingEmployers looking at ar-ticles you’ve shared or comments you’ve made on your status, and photos and videos pro-vide insight on your character.

YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA SAYS A LOT ABOUT YOU

INTERVIEWS Top 3 Tips For Telephone Etiquette1 Treat a Phone Interview like An In-Person Interview

You should come prepared with knowledge of both the company and the job. Be available at the scheduled time and ready to interview. Preparation is key for in-person interviews and it’s just as important for telephone interviews. Do your homework on the company and the position. Try to be as knowledgeable as possible about what the company is looking for and why you’re the perfect choice for the job. Manners matter, too, so speak clearly and be respectful of the interviewer. Allow for brief periods of silence

as the interview collects his/her thoughts and avoid interrupting the interviewer.

2 Make Sure You Have Good Reception

If you must take the call from your cell phone, make sure you are in an area that has good reception and you are in a quiet environment. Background noises are very distracting to the interviewer and you want to make sure the interviewer knows you are taking the interview seriously. If you must be in your car or in an environment that is noisy, address this with the interviewer at the beginning

of your conversation. The interviewer may offer to call you back at a more convenient time. Cell phones sometimes amplify sounds, so make sure you’re not chewing gum or eating while trying to answer questions. It’s acceptable to have a glass of water nearby in case your mouth goes dry, but try to drink quietly and not slurp your beverage in the ear of the interviewer.

3 FocusEliminate any distractions

while on the phone. For example, turn off your computer, find a babysitter for your children, and so on. It’s unlikely you would take

your children to an in-person interview, so telephone etiquette dictates the same protocols. It may be helpful to have a printed copy of your resume and the job description in front of you so you can refer to these documents throughout the conversation. Also have a pen and paper available to jot down any notes or follow-up instructions from the interviewer. Since you won’t be able to request a business card, you may want to ask for the interviewer’s contact information at the conclusion on your interview.

INTERVIEWS NETWORKING PERSONAL BRANDING JOB SEEKER PROFILES

Compiled by Olujide Olusola

Thursday, June 19, 2014 23

Thursday, June 19, 2014 24

Freelance Writer In Queen of Africa Limited, Zamfara

SSCE/Degree: Entry LevelEmail: 31b59@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/353609

Queen of Africa Limited- Our organization is into fashion, social media networking, entertainment etc. Queen of Africa Limited requires the services of a qualified candidate for this position

Job Summary:• Will write articles about women/girls.• Will write on socio-economic issues as

well as fashion and social media related topics.

• Will be paid based on articles written.

Qualifications & Requirements• A minimum of SSCE/Degree in a

relevant field• Entry level• Preferably a female.• Should have knowledge of the

entertainment, fashion and social networking industry.

• Should have interest in writing articles.

Transaction Officer (TO) In U-Connect Limited, Yobe

HND: Entry LevelEmail: 31d2a@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/354074

U-Connect Limited - Our client, seeks to recruit highly intelligent, young and dynamic professionals with integrity for this position

Job Description:• Process opening, reactivation and

closure of accounts• File customer’s records• Process ATM cards for customers• Replace lost/experienced customer

instrument such as ATM Cards, cheque books etc.

• Perform other duties as assigned by Transactions Service Team Lead

Duties:• Processing opening, reactivation and

closure of account’s• File customer’s records• Process ATM cards for customers• Replace lost/expired customer

instruments such as ATM Cards, Cheque books etc.

• Perform other duties as assigned by Transactions Service Team Lead

Skills Required:• Good customer service orientation• Good problem solving skills• Proficient in the use of MS Office• Good oral and written communication

skills

Educational Qualification:• HND Graduate Only (Minimum Lower

Credit)• Age: Not more than 30 years• Experience in banking industry will be

an added advantage

Method of Application:Interested Applicants should forward their CV using the Job Title as the Subject of the email.

Sales Representative In Diamond Socks, Taraba

SSCE/OND: Entry LevelEmail: 31bb0@jbng.me

Or Visit: http://jbng.me/353696

Diamond Socks is a tailoring company that provides services in customizing uniforms and socks for schools. Diamond Socks requires the services of a qualified candidate to fill this position

Job Summary:• Sourcing for potential customers and

maximising the sales of the company.

Qualifications & Requirements• A minimum of SSCE/OND in a relevant

field• year experience• Must have good communication skills

Marketing/Sales Representative In The Juice Nigeria, Sokoto

SSCE/Degree: Entry LevelVisit: http://jbng.me/353562

Our client, The Juice Nigeria requires the services of a qualified candidate for this position

Job Summary:The marketer would be expected to be able to sell a product or service. It is the responsibility of a marketer to initiate the process of a sale from start to finish. Once a sale has been completed by a marketer, it is the responsibility of the marketer to ensure customer satisfaction and be able to offer assistance. Mobility is of high importance.

Responsibilities:• Sell the organization’s products and/

or services to established customers or new prospects via the telephone or walk-in business.

• Attend special training of products and/or services to understand technical aspects of solutions.

• Handle entire inside sales process from proposal to close; reach or exceed sales quotas.

• Solicits and maintains contact with current and prospect key accounts.

• Track activity, prepare and maintain records for sales leads and account status.

Qualifications & Requirements• A minimum of SSCE and open to any

degree qualification.

Skills required:• Ability to work under pressure and with

deadlines• Attention to detail• Communication skills• People skills

Salary/Benefits: Remuneration is performance based. Salary would be based on sales.

Network Administrator In Chip-Globa Tech, Plateau

Degree: 1 - 3 yearsEmail: 319ec@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/353244

Chip-Globa Tech, an ICT company requires the services of a qualified candidate to fill this position

Job Summary:• Establishes network specifications

by conferring with users; analysing workflow, access, information, and security requirements; designing router

administration, including interface configuration and routing protocols.

• Establishes network by evaluating network performance issues including availability, utilization, throughput, good put, and latency; planning and executing the selection, installation, configuration, and testing of equipment; defining network policies and procedures; establishing connections and firewalls.

• Maintains network performance by performing network monitoring and analysis, and performance tuning; troubleshooting network problems; escalating problems to vendor.

• Secures network by developing network access, monitoring, control, and evaluation; maintaining documentation.

• Prepares users by designing and conducting training programs; providing references and support.

Qualifications and Requirements:• A minimum of a Degree in a relevant

field• Must be computer literate• Must be very organized and diligent• Should possess good communication

skills

Computer Instructor In St Gentles Computer and Communication, Plateau

OND: Entry LevelEmail: 319e0@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/353232

St Gentles Computer and Communication, an ICT company requires the services of a qualified candidate to fill this position

Job Summary:• Prepares equipment for operations

by accessing software in computer; loading paper into printers and plotters; preparing for output.

• Starts operations by entering commands.

Qualifications and Requirements:• A minimum of OND in a relevant field• Must be computer literate• Must be very organized and diligent• Should possess good communication

skills

Registered Nurse/Midwife In Hope Hospital, Niger

Certified: 1-2 yearsEmail: 31d74@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/354148

Our client, Hope Hospital requires the services of a Registered Nurse/Midwife

Responsibilities:• Will administer treatment/medication to

patients.• Will check on progress made on

patients’ health and take records at intervals.

• Will do ward rounds with doctors on call.

Qualifications and Requirements:• Should have experience working in a

healthcare centre or hospital.• Should have trained/certified as a

Registered nurse/midwife.• Should have experience of 1-2 years.• Should reside in Niger State.

Receptionist In Canon Studio 10, Nassarawa

OND: Entry levelEmail: 31c21@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/353809

Canon Studio 10, a media company requires the services of a qualified candidate to fill this position

Job Summary• Attend to clients/customers that walk in

to customers• Attend to walk in Guests• Receive Calls on behalf of the company• Directs visitors by maintaining

employee and department directories; giving instructions.

• Keep a log of the guests and clients that come into the office

Qualification and Requirements • OND in a relevant field• Good communication skills• 0-3 years’ work experience• Must be able to work with little or no

supervision.• Effective communication skills.• Must be a computer literate.• Problem solving skills.• Good verbal reasoning, written and

presentation skills.

Medical Doctor In Dayspring Medical Centre, Kwara

MBBS: 1 - 3 yearsEmail: 31e42@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/354354

Our client, Dayspring Medical Centre requires the services of a qualified candidate for this position

Responsibilities:• Responding to medical/health problems

presented by patients including history taking, diagnosis, investigation, treatment and referral as appropriate;

• Maintaining confidentiality and impartiality;

• Commissioning healthcare by liaising with medical professionals in the community and hospitals;

• Promoting health education in conjunction with other health professionals;

• Organising preventative medical programmes for individual patients;

• Providing specialist clinics for specific conditions or for certain groups, e.g. diabetes, smoking cessation and new babies;

• Meeting targets set by the government for specific treatments, such as child immunisations;

• Discussing the development of new pharmaceutical products with pharmaceutical sales representatives;

• Managing resources to service targets as effectively as possible.

• using IT skills - some practices have one partner who specialises in the use of IT within the practice but all will be expected to have basic abilities for work such as maintaining patients’ records using specific packages;

Qualifications & Specifications:• A minimum of MBBS in a related

discipline• 1-3 years’ experience

IELTS Examiner In British Council, Kwara

Degree: 3 - 5 yearsVisit: http://jbng.me/353152

The British Council is the United Kingdom’s

Thursday, June 19, 2014 25

international organisation for cultural relations.

The British Council creates international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and builds trust between them worldwide. We call this cultural relations.

Job Summary:The British Council is looking for examiners to conduct one to one interviews with IELTS candidates to assess their spoken English according to set requirements, and assess written scripts produced by candidates under exam conditions.

Requirements• An undergraduate degree or a

qualification which can be demonstrated to be equivalent to an undergraduate degree.

• A recognised qualification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) / Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) / or recognised equivalent as part of a recognised university award course.

• At least 3 years full time (14 hours per week minimum or the equivalent part time) relevant TESOL/TEFL teaching experience (minimum one year post certificate level qualification). The majority of this teaching experience must relate to adult students (16 years and over).

• The required professional attributes and interpersonal skills. Please see our recruitment pack for more details. E.g. UK qualifications: CELTA; DELTA; Cert. TESOL; Dip. TESOL; PGCE; B Ed.; M Ed; MA Applied Linguistics. Assessed teaching practice and ESOL/EFL studies at cert. level must be part of the course.

• Nigerian qualifications include either a Nigerian 1st degree, an NCE in ELT plus relevant teaching experience and IELTS 9.0. Or Nigerian B.Ed in English Language Teaching (transcripts verify course content), relevant teaching experience plus IELTS 9.0. A first degree plus a Nigerian PGDE or M.Ed/MA in TESOL or TEFL (transcripts verify course content), plus relevant teaching experience and IELTS 9.0. If shortlisted, you will need to submit a transcript of the teaching course you attended.

Salary: Remuneration is paid per interview/script

Production Manager In Omotosho Health Care Services, Kwara

Degree: 3 - 5 yearsEmail: 31bbd@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/353709

Our client, Omotosho Health Care Services requires the services of a production manager to supervise drug manufacturing.

Responsibilities:• Overseeing the production process,

drawing up a production schedule;• Ensuring that the production is cost

effective;• Making sure that products are produced

on time and are of good quality;• Working out the human and material

resources needed;• Drafting a time scale for the job;• Estimating costs and setting the quality

standards;• Monitoring the production processes

and adjusting schedules as needed;

Qualification and Requirements:• Minimum of B.Pharmacy • 3 years in a similar role preferably in a

drug manufacturing company• Must be resident in Ilorin Kwara

Care Worker (Home Care) In Quendon Genesis Limited, Kogi

OND: Entry LevelEmail: 31acf@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/353471

Quendon Genesis Limited - The goal of QG Care Services is to help people to live more contented, independent and healthier lives. QG Care Services is therefore focused on employing high calibre care workers who will make our goal a reality. Do you want to play a part in achieving this goal? If you have got the can-do spirit, the drive and the capability to help us achieve the vision of becoming a world-class care organisation, then we get in touch today.

QG Care Services is a division of Quendon Genesis Limited. The company is recruiting to fill this position

Job DescriptionThere are several general home care as

well as specialist carer roles available. The different career pathways include:

• General Care Worker - supporting individuals especially the elderly with personal care and house help activities to enable them live comfortably in their homes.

• Re-ablement and enablement workers - helping people to live independently and recuperate in their own homes after illness or injury usually for 6 weeks.

• Live-in care worker - living with and supporting people various health and social needs in their homes to live happier, fulfilled and independent lives.

• Learning disabilities support workers and supported living carers - supporting people with disabilities to live independently and be part of their community

• Continuing healthcare workers - supporting people with ongoing healthcare needs so they can live in their own home

Criteria• We are looking for carers (experienced

auxiliary nurses welcomed) or people who enjoy helping others and want to make a difference to lives. Whether you’re already an experienced carer/auxiliary nurse or you’re planning a career in health and social care then get in touch to discuss the full-time and part-time care opportunities available.

• You should be trained in health and social care and should have some experience. However, we also provide full training. You have the right personality and drive for achieving better health and social care status for the vulnerable.

• We are looking for people who are positive, honest and reliable and who are keen about doing things right.

• You must be reliable, hardworking and have the drive to ensure that we achieve our goal of helping people live happier, independent and fulfilled lives.

• You must be focused and keen about making others feel valued. If care or support work is the career for you, then read more about becoming a carer.

• Demonstrated skills and experience in the preparation and maintenance of websites is also an advantage.

RemunerationNegotiable but depending on the level of experience and competency in providing secretarial and administration assistance to senior management with the ability to research and prepare reports and manage events/projects.

Method of Application• Ensure that you have carefully read

through the job description and you

meet the requirements. Email your CV along with supporting statement detailing exactly how you meet the person specification highlighting the qualities that you will bring to the position and why you feel you should be invited for an interview.

• All applications and enquiries about this position is to be emailed.

• Note: All successful applicants will be informed of the interview date by email on 20th June 2014.

Marketing Executive In Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, Kebbi

B.Sc/HND: Entry LevelEmail: 31bdb@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/353739

Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, we are an international Insurance Firm. Consequently upon our expansion, we require for immediate employment, suitable and qualified candidates to fill this position.

Responsibilities:• Manage and control the relationship

between products and your target audience.

• Promote whatever products or services are on offer.

• Develop new marketing strategies is an important part of the role.

• Report to the head of marketing and cover various day to day activities.

• Generate and follow up on leads and prospect.

• Manage customer relationship.

Qualifications and Skills• Minimum of B.Sc/HND qualification

in any discipline from a recognized institution.

• Experience is not essential. Successful candidates will be given adequate training.

• Candidates must be self-motivated, result-oriented, good communication skills.

Medical Sales Representative In Grace Drugs & Healthcare Ltd, Kano

Degree: 1 - 3 yearsEmail: 31c92@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/353922

Our company require the services of a qualified candidate to fill this position:

Responsibilities:• Present and sell company products and

services to current and potential clients.• Prepare action plans and schedules to

identify specific targets and to project the number of contacts to be made.

• Follow up on new leads and referrals resulting from field activity.

• Identify sales prospects and contact these and other accounts as assigned.

• Prepare presentations, proposals and sales contracts.

Qualifications and Requirements:• BPharm or B.Sc from any of the

recognised institutions.• Professional certificates are also

acceptable.• Must be self-accountable• Must be ready to work with or without

prior supervision• Must be a team-player• Must be dedicated to his/her duties• Must have a prior knowledge of the use

of computer• Must a good communication skills

Cashier In Jarvis Salon and Spa Consultancy, Kaduna

OND: 1 - 3 yearsEmail: 31ed2@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/354498

Our organization is a salon and spa and also a consulting firm for startup salons and spas.

Job Summary:• Will enter cash information on the

computer of sales made and services rendered by the organization to clients.

• Will issue invoices/cheques when necessary.

• Will keep record of all financial transactions in the company.

Qualifications & Requirements• A minimum of OND in a relevant field• 2 years’ experience• Should have experience as a cashier/

accountant or knowledge of financial record keeping and data entry.

• Should be a computer literate.

Assistant Member Services Supervisor In Doreo Partners, Kaduna

B.Sc/M.Sc: 1 - 3 yearsEmail: 31a1e@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/353294

Babban Gona is an agriculture franchise, developed by Doreo Partners, an Impact Investing Firm with a proven track record of exclusively investing in profitable, high growth, early stage businesses that improve the livelihoods of Nigerian smallholder farmers.

Babban Gona inspires and enables hardworking small scale farmers reach their full potential by providing a private sector channel for cost effective delivery of enhanced agricultural technologies and end-to-end services that optimize yields and labor productivity, while simultaneously improving market access.

The ideal Babban Gona candidate must have strong operations experience and ability to “roll up sleeves” with can-do attitude.

Responsibilities:• Managing a team of field officers• Assist in generating planting plans and

budget inputs.• Design and implement systems

to efficiently manage labour and equipment

• Propose creative solutions to farming problems.

• Work closely with other farm staff to produce the highest quality products.

• Conduct and manage all preparations.• Follow and document planting plan.• Generate accurate crop survey and crop

forecast.• Produce spray forecast according to the

crop survey• Help supervise crop harvesting.• Help in quality control.• Comply with all safety requirements.• Design spray programs and spray crops

with pesticides.• Maintain farm data for analysis• Train and supervise the assistant

growers.• Maintains proper records for spraying

and fertilizing• Calibrates and documents planting and

spray equipment.

Qualifications, Requirements and Skills;• The ideal candidate should have a B.Sc

or M.Sc in Agronomy, Plant Science or

Thursday, June 19, 2014 26

Horticulture.• 2-3 years commercial farm management

experience is desirable but not essential• Mechanical knowledge and agricultural

tools expertise.• Strong Operations experience and

ability to “roll up sleeves” with can-do attitude.

• Ability to prepare daily written reports.• Ability to manage assets - equipment,

labour.• Ability to budget, program, manage,

schedule.• Results oriented manager.• Ability to plan ahead and to look at the

whole picture.• Experience working in the rural setting

is an added bonus

Medical Delegate In Jigawa

Degree: 1 - 3 yearsEmail: 31a7c@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/353388

A FMCG requires the services of a qualified candidate to fill this position

Key Responsibilities• Detail the company’s range of products

in assigned territory with the aim of obtaining prescriptions.

• Develop relationships / partnerships with medical / paramedical contacts / institutions through effective communication and / or support of activities in line with WHO Code, local Code or Nestle Instructions.

• Conduct periodic trade checks to ensure product availability, market hygiene, completeness of product range and report competitive activities, stock level and prices.

Requirements:• BSc degree in any of these disciplines

(Minimum of Second Class lower) Medical Sciences and Human Nutrition.

• 2 years relevant Medical detailing experience.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Excellent Knowledge of Food & Nutrition with emphasis on Infant Nutrition.

• Ability to develop excellent working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

• Excellent interpersonal and convincing skills.

• Possession of a Valid Driver’s License and ability to drive long distances (Interstate)

• Excellent Computer skills.• Good Planning and Organization Skills.• Ability to use initiative and work with

minimum supervision.• Strong Drive and Passion for business

results.

Sales Rep In Fleet Masters Limited, Benue

Diploma: Entry LevelEmail: 31e68@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/354392

Fleet Masters is a corporate organization that offers vehicle and card management services in Nigeria, seeking to recruit a team of sales representatives Nigeria

Responsibilities:• Services existing accounts, obtains

orders, and establishes new accounts by planning and organizing daily work schedule to call on existing or potential sales outlets and other trade factors.

• Adjusts content of sales presentations by studying the type of sales outlet or

trade factor.• Focuses sales efforts by studying

existing and potential volume of dealers.• Submits orders by referring to price lists

and product literature.• Keeps management informed by

submitting activity and results reports, such as daily call reports, weekly work plans, and monthly and annual territory analyses.

• Monitors competition by gathering current marketplace information on pricing, products, new products, delivery schedules, merchandising techniques, etc.

Qualifications and Requirements:• Must have a minimum of Diploma in

relevant discipline• Good communication skills• Entry level• Good sales skills

NoteContracts will be for the duration of one month and might be extended according to performance.

Law Office Assistant In Abuja

OND: 1 - 3 yearsEmail Apply: 31657@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/352327

Our client, a foremost law firm requires the services of a qualified candidate for this position

Responsibilities:• Will be responsible for Book keeping• Will be responsible for assisting in office

administration• Will be responsible for filing reports &

carrying other office responsibilities

Qualifications and Requirements:• Minimum of OND in a relevant field• Applicant must be Computer literate.• 1 - 3 years in a similar position • Applicants should reside in Abuja.

Law Office Librarian In Abuja

HND/BSc: 1 - 3 yearsEmail: 3165b@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/352331

Our client, a foremost law firm requires the services of a qualified candidate for this position

Responsibilities:• Will be responsible for library

organization and management• Will be responsible for keeping records

of all publications, law reports as well as check-in and checkout of books.

• Will be responsible for updating and sourcing updated copies of law report and publications

Qualifications and Requirements:• Minimum of HND/BSc in Library and

Information Science• Applicant must be Computer literate.• 1 - 3 years in a similar position • Applicants should reside in Abuja.

Law Office Registrar In Abuja

OND: 1 - 3 yearsEmail: 31658@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/352328

Our client, a foremost law firm requires the services of a qualified candidate for this position

Responsibilities:

• Will be responsible for archiving Legal Files in Registry

• Will be responsible for keeping records of sign in and sign out of files.

• Will be responsible for dispatching correspondences and filing records of correspondences

Qualifications and Requirements:• Minimum of OND in a relevant field• Applicant must be Computer literate.• 1 - 3 years in a similar position • Applicants should reside in Abuja.

Chef In Abuja

OND: 1 - 3 yearsEmail: 3165f@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/352335

Our client, a foremost law firm requires the services of a qualified candidate for this position

Responsibilities:• Determine how food should be

presented, and create decorative food displays.

• Determine production schedules and staff requirements necessary to ensure timely delivery of services.

• Estimate amounts and costs of required supplies, such as food and ingredients.

• Inspect supplies, equipment, and work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.

• Instruct cooks and other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of food.

• Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.

Qualifications and Requirements:• OND preferably in catering and hotel

management or related course• 1-2 years as a chef• Must be a 4 Star Chef• Applicants should reside in Abuja.

Group Head, Internal Audit In Eta-Zuma West Africa Limited, Abuja

MBA/M.Sc.: 5 - 7 yearsEmail: 31a59@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/353353

ETA-ZUMA Group West Africa Limited is an indigenous conglomerate with interests in diverse strategic sectors of the Nigerian economy - Exploration and Mining of Solid Minerals, Power Generation and Steel Production. The company offers an employee-friendly environment in which goal-oriented individuals succeed as they accomplish more demanding challenges. We are committed to serving our customers / clients in order to deliver to them quality products at competitive prices. We are seeking for a Group Head, Internal Audit.

Responsibilities • Perform an enterprise-wide risk

assessment that includes operational, financial, regulatory and reputational risk.

• Develop risk-based auditing and monitor plan from the identified risk priorities within the different Group Business units and among cross functional departments to set up a group’s corporate standards.

• Develop enabling internal audit infrastructure, methodologies and technologies.

• Conduct follow-up activities that validate, monitor, or audit corrective actions to mitigate and/or resolve the identified risks.

• Re-evaluating risks on an annual basis

through a risk assessment process to ensure that the priority risks of the organization have been addressed.

• Ensure Compliance on Good Governance and Best Practices

• Conduct attest audit on end of year financials prior to commencement of statutory audit.

• Determine clear lines of communication between internal audit function and all company stakeholders (primarily, however, with senior management and audit committee)

• Maintain good working relationship with external auditors and Industry regulators

Requirements• MBA/M.Sc. in any related discipline• At least 5 - 7 years’ experience• Excellent communication skills

Consultant Cardiologist In Zankli Medical Services Ltd, Abuja

MBBS: 5 - 7 yearsEmail: 31c1f@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/353807

Zankli Medical Centre is a 45 bed hospital located in Utako district of Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. It was established in Abuja in 1997 growing over the years to one of the leading private hospitals in Nigeria. It is a group practice which provides excellent care in various specialties of Medicine and Surgery.

Responsibilities:• Identify and treat heart problems. • Examine and test patients to find out

if their symptoms are signs of heart disease.

Qualifications and Requirements:• Minimum of MBBS• Must a consultant• 5-7 years’ experience

Sales Engineer In DU&T Consult, Abuja

HND/BSC: 1 - 3 yearsAvailable SlotsEmail: 31bb6@jbng.meOr Visit: http://jbng.me/353702

DU&T Consult requires the services of a qualified and experienced candidate for this position

Responsibilities:• Searching for new clients who could

benefit from your products in a designated region

• Travelling to visit potential clients• Establishing new, and maintaining

existing, relationships with customers• Managing and interpreting customer

requirements• Persuading clients that a product or

service will best satisfy their needs• Calculating client quotations• Negotiating tender and contract terms• Negotiating and closing sales by

agreeing terms and conditions• Offering after-sales support services• Administering client accounts• Analysing costs and sales• Preparing reports for head office• Meeting regular sales targets

Qualifications and Requirements:• Must possess a minimum of HND/BSC in

engineering• 1-2 years’ experience

Thursday, June 19, 2014 27

Thursday, June 19, 2014 28 29

FORWARD LOOKING DEVELOPMENT STRIDES IN KATSINA STATEGovernor Shema’s Achievements In The Rural Water Supply Sub-Sector

DR. IBRAHIM SHEMA’S

DR. IBRAHIM SHEMAExecutive Governor, Katsina State

The Katsina state Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), through which Katsina Government under the able leadership of Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema is implementing its policies and programmes aimed at providing potable drinking water, improved sanitation and hygiene in rural areas; in line with the Global WASH strategy and Guiding Principles has recorded

remarkable progress in the three key areas of intervention.

1. Enabling environment - ensuring policy, capacity, a viable private sector partnership and de-centralised management are in place to facilitate sustainable access.

2. Behaviour change-Supporting the improvement of sustained hygiene, water safety and environmental sanitation practice by users.

3. Water and sanitation services-Greater choice and use safe and reliable water supplies and clean, private sanitation facilities in households,

communities and schools.The state government has embarked on the implementation of its water and sanitation policy through the developed investment plan for the sector. The aim is not only to achieve but to surpass the water and sanitation targets of the Millennium Development Goals, so as to contribute towards boosting the state coverage in line with the national standard of per capita requirement. The government is not unaware of the need to provide the rural populace with potable drinking water, hence its resolve to fulfill its promises made to the citizens in this very important sub-sector. Presently, as part of the process for the implementation of the plan which started in the year 2009, the state government has provided 450 motorized and hand pump boreholes to rural communities across the state through RUWASSA and the MDGs office in Katsina. This is in addition to the provision of complete set of sanitation facilities in 150 selected primary schools and health centers in the state. Katsina state is so far among the few states in the federation that established water and environmental sanitation departments at local government level. This was made possible after the passage of an enabling law by the state House of Assembly. As a result of the strategy and concept put in place by RUWASSA to ensure sustainability of the facilities provided to all the beneficiaries of its projects, a larger percentage of the facilities across the state are functional. The strategy adopted was the establishment and orientation of water users associations popularly known as WASHCOMS. This association is established by the Agency upon completion of every project and charged with the responsibility of operation, maintenance and sustenance of the facilities provided to them. This concept is intended to change the attitude and behavior of beneficiaries towards handling any water and sanitation project executed for them by the government. RUWASSA is making efforts to propagate this concept among both the communities and their respective local government councils and the result has shown that there is positive result, because many communities no longer rely on either the state or local government to repair or maintain their facilities. In addition to this RUWASSA makes sure that the water and sanitation facilities built are handled in a hygienic way through establishment of hygiene clubs especially among primary school pupils who are regarded as most vulnerable to water and sanitation related diseases. RUWASSA has been very active on the issue of hand washing campaign among communities where it partners with the UNICEF and other nongovernmental organizations like ‘SERVICE TO HUMANITY FOUNDATION’ chaired by Her Excellency the Governor’s wife Hajiya Fatima Ibrahim Shema on many occasions.

To demonstrate its firm commitment towards provision of water to rural areas, the administration has redeemed its pledge of procuring three new drilling rigs with supporting equipment, accessories and spare parts for the Agency at the cost of (N537,201,000.00). Also, eight personnel of the Agency were trained on operation and maintenance of the equipment at the manufacturer’s plant in Peine, Germany. Similarly, to ensure full coverage of its activities, the Agency has made arrangements to site the drilling rigs at each of the three senatorial districts of the state as soon as they arrive. This will tremendously ensure speedy implementation of all the borehole projects earmarked for execution by the state government.

Below are the summaries of borehole projects already executed by the Government through RUWASSA and in collaboration with other International Donor Agencies.1. Thirty boreholes fitted with hand operated, solar/motorized pumps were

constructed in communities, schools, health centers and fire service stations

in some selected local government areas (Baure, Daura, Ingawa, Katsina, Batagarawa, Danja, Funtua).

ii. Ten rainwater harvesting facilities were provided in 10 Girls Education Project (GEP) primary schools in Sabua, Bakori, Kusada, Ingawa, Kurfi and Danmusa LGAs. This project provides alternative technology for water provision where sufficient groundwater for abstraction is not feasible.

iii. Sixty hand pumps and nine motorized boreholes were provided across the state (Jibia, Dutsi, Faskari, Kurfi, Mashi, Musawa, Ingawa, Kafur, Rimi) via an assistance from the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

iv. Eleven hand pump boreholes were provided in guinea worm prone and other communities in collaboration with the UNICEF under the activities of the International /National Year of Sanitation.

SANITATION, HYGIENE AND WATER IN NIGERIA (SHAWN) PROJECT.The SHAWN project which started in the year 2010 is a collaborative effort between the state government, the local councils and some international development partners such as the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development DFID and the UNICEF as well as the benefitting communities. The project started with three local government areas of Bakori, Kaita and Mai’adua and later with Dutsinma, Faskari and Sandamu local Government areas. It is aimed at ensuring a hundred percent coverage in water supply, sanitation and hygiene of the benefitting communities. So far, the project has succeeded in providing about one thousand solar powered and hand pump boreholes in both the communities and primary schools of the benefitting communities of the participating local government areas. In addition, several primary schools were provided with VIP latrines as part of the concept of the project of eradicating open defecation and inculcate good hygienic practices among the primary school pupils.

COMMUNITY TRIGGERING AGAINST OPEN DEFECATIONUnder this programme also, hundreds of communities in the respective local government areas were triggered to understand the dangers of open defecation and other bad sanitary habits in which most of them took collective decision to stop the habit of defecating in the open. Many of such communities have claimed open defecation free (ODF) status and most of them were certified.

RUWASSA/JICA WATER SUPPLY PROJECTIn furtherance of its effort of providing potable water to the rural populace, the Katsina state Government had within the period of Governor Shema’s administration collaborated with the government of Japan through the Japan International cooperation Agency (JICA) and provided hand pump boreholes to some communities in Safana, Kankara, Mashi, Dutsinma and Faskari local government areas. Under this project, a total of fifty six Hand pump boreholes were provided. Similarly, beneficiaries of such project were trained on repairs and maintenance of the hand pumps while repair tools were given to them free of charge. Under this programme also, the government of Japan provided the Agency with one set of drilling rig and its accessories, pipes and casings, geophysical survey equipment, pump testing equipment and pumps while the state government procured water tanker and support vehicle as well as fuel and lubricants for execution of the project.

SPECIAL PROJECTWhile implementing its water and sanitation and hygiene activities in rural areas in a holistic manner, the Agency also carries out some special projects of provision of

HANDPUMP SUNK BY RUWASSA AT BIYA VILLAGE AT FASKARI LG ONE OF THE NUMEROUS SOLAR POWERED WATER SCHEMES CONSTRUCTED BY RUWASSA

ACCESSING WATER FROM BOREHOLE SUNK BY RUWASSA AT KOFAR TUDU IN KAITA LG

DRILLING OF BOREHOLE AT KARKARKU VILLAGE OF SANDAMU LG

ENCOURAGING HYGIENE.... VIP LATRINE SUNK FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS

HANDPUMP SUNK AT LAYIN KUKA PRI SCHOOL OF BAKORI LG

INSTALLATION OF SOLAR BOREHOLE AT SAWARYA VILLAGE OF KAITA LG

INSPECTION OF SOLAR BOREHOLE SUNK BY RUWASSA AT ZARIN TUDU VILLAGE OF FASKARI LG

water supply in educational institution. This is part of the governor’s resolve to ensure conducive learning environment for the institution. For instance, project for improvement of water supply situation worth millions of Naira were carried out at Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Dr. Bala Usman College of Legal and General Studies Daura, Police Secondary School Mani, School of Nursing and Midwifery Katsina and several secondary schools and hospitals across the state.

CAPACITY BUILDINGIn order to achieve the desired objective of ensuring effective implementation and sustainability of its project, RUWASSA has conducted series of trainings both in and out of the state. This has resulted in building the capacity of those responsible for implementing the projects across the state. In addition to this, the benefitting communities were not left out in the training as they were trained on how to ensure the upkeep of their water points and sanitation facilities.

CONCLUSIONThe administration through RUWASSA has been making frantic effort to alleviate the sufferings of its teeming rural dwellers in terms of provision of safe water, facilitating improvements in sanitation, hygiene and sustainable management of facilities. These efforts have indeed manifested and yielded positive results because the level of rural water supply coverage in Katsina state has increased to over fifty percent from inception of RUWASSA to date.

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Mikel Obi Undergoes Doping Test

Ahmed KaugamaPatriotic Nigerians own the APC, and not those blinded by sentiments. Israel UkpongTinubu!

Prince Duke Tinubu and Buhari or you can say CPC, ACN and OPC. Muhammad Auwal Aliyu Good Nigerians own APC!

Obafemi Jerom SalisThat‘s good! A criminal can’t challenge the other! He who comes to equity must do so with clean hands. The House should prove their integrity before Ni-gerians by impeaching Jona-than.

Musa Dahiru They don’t know that in the dic-tionary of this administration, stealing is not a crime. What the government considers as crime is exposing corrupt practices.

Uduoba Godspower Çhai! Diaris God o!

Ado AbubarkaKudos, NNPC!

Bankole DanielAnd that is what I call impunity!

Mohammed JimohPerhaps, the House is broke and

wants to make a scapegoat of individuals and institutions.

Mikhail Yusuf MangleCriminals have taken over the three arms of the govern-ment. Political office holders, be it executive or legislators are birds of a feather. The judi-ciary which is supposed to be the last hope of the common man is also inflicted with cor-ruption.

Yakubu YahayaThey won’t appear before the Reps because they are Jona-than’s untouchables.

Barry Gaiya TrustWho is investigating who? Criminals against criminals? They should spare us that non-sense. Neither the NNPC nor the Reps are representing the interest of the people.

Aliyu Malami BabangidaDespite the state of emergen-cy declared in North-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, Boko Haram still enjoys free movement without being arrested. Allah will surely fight for these innocent and armless

traders who were stopped from legitimately earning their dai-ly bread. Chimex Chukwusa US, what are you waiting for? Pleaase take them away from here.

Diezani

Oyegun

Obama

Mikel

Wike

ChukWukadibia Jonathan EgbuhuzoFG should sack Wike in order to end the strike by polytech-nics.

Johnson James Clueless government, must they go on strike before you fund them?

51 Fed, State Polys Get N12.4bn Presidential Intervention Fund

19/06/2014reactionsonline

Pregnant Woman Commits Suicide In Edo

Osun Guber: INEC Releases List Of Candidates

Idris IsyakuI wish he would test positive, because I don’t want him to play our next game!

Oluwagbenga Ojo FredIt is Alomo Bitter working!

Thursday, June 19, 2014 33

Thursday, June 19, 2014 34

Thursday, June 19, 2014 35

In a speech at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, last week, Borno State governor Kashim Shettima made a sordid prediction. “If Boko Haram succeeds in overrunning the north-east as they seek,

they will surely want to extend greater havoc to other parts of the north and if they over run the north, they would want to extend to the south.”

A couple of days later, a near fatal shock find of improvised explosive devices was recorded at the Living Faith Church along Port Harcourt road, in Owerri, Imo State. Was it a guess work, informed commentary like the one he let out on the potency and superior motivation and lethal armoury of Boko Haram over those of the Nigerian military or scare-mongering?

Whatever informed Shettima’s posture, the arrest by the 144 battalion of the Nigerian Army, Asa in Ukwa west local government area of Abia State, of a convoy of 33 buses conveying 486 suspected insurgents including eight females at a point between Aro Ngwa and Imo Gate along the Enugu- Port Harcourt expressway, the day after is hair-raising. The time of their arrest is more than suspicious: 3am! The arrested people claimed to have come from different parts of the northern states and heading to a destination they didn’t know and for jobs that they had not applied for.

For me, the prediction of Shettima on the insurgents’ next line of action is more than an educated guess; it is akin to the genocide of a child in a morning and a cry of a magician/witch a prior night. Whoever doesn’t know that it is the handiwork of the latter must be a terrible investigator? Shettima has thrown this bombshell and it is left for our security apparatchiks to interrogate the fallout.

Before now, many took the submission of Benue State governor Ganbriel Suswam as a child play that the marauders killing his Tiv kinsmen and women were trained, organised and deliberate armed insurgents and not Fulani herdsmen.

The experiences in other Middle Belt states of Kogi, Niger, Taraba, Nasarawa and Plateau are too scary for us to fold our arms that inviting foreign forces in the security chaos will see to its disappearance. It’s clear that the Al-Shabab and Al Qaeda export to Nigeria is gaining in-road into the hinterland of the country.

Any governor who does not want to spend over N10 billion as counterpart funds to fight insurgency had better deploy his resources to prevent it now. If the underrated Shettima thesis sounds specious, have we forgotten so soon that Gani Adams, the national coordinator of Oduduwa People Congress, in an interview with The Sun newspaper, once acknowledged the fact that security reports indicate that Lagos is Boko Haram’s target?

The street warrior (Adams) had said, “We have gotten some security reports that the next target of Boko Haram is the south-west, precisely Lagos. It will be highly suicidal. In our zone, there is no religious disharmony. There are no religious fanatics. So, if the Boko Haram from the north should come and throw bombs, there will be a lot of collateral damage in the south-west....”

I think Adams was being too simplistic and jejune with his sense of self-worth. We need to harmonise thoughts and strategies on how to tame not only the challenges of Boko Haram, but other issues that spawned the likes of Adams to limelight. The macabre quartet of illiteracy, poverty, social inequity and power equation are prime to resolving the conundrum. The country will be worse off for it if the dream of Shettima is allowed to become a reality like that of Joseph – spot on.

Shettima’s Dream

KUNLE SOMORINInside Out

Feed back: kunlesomorin@yahoo.co.uk 08023339626 (SMS only)

By yushau shuaiB

After the chief imam ended the prayer in the mosque, his deputy collected the microphone and delivered a strong worded condemnation of insurgents for the killing of innocent people in the name of Islam. The deputy ended by saying, “terrorists will roast in hell-fire!”

Surprisingly, the chief imam retrieved the microphone from his deputy and declared to the bewildered congregation, “Salam Alaikum. I am the chief imam of the mosque. The man who just condemned Boko Haram ‘citizens’ is the deputy imam and his house is the one painted in white and blue behind the emir’s palace by the right-hand corner...”

Sometimes, the silence of northerners and muslims over monumental atrocities being committed in some parts of the North is viewed either as a sign of complicity or endorsement of atrocities being perpetrated by insurgents. The reality however, is that most of the victims of the attacks are actually northerners and many are even notable traditional rulers and Islamic clerics who dared to condemn such activities just like the killing

of Emir of Gwoza.On the contrary, challenges

against complacency should rather be directed at the political class who have the resources and network to address the insecurity even during its infancy. It became clearly evident that there was trouble earlier on when there was proliferation of some groups that are now challenging our corporate existence.

In a widely publicised article penned by this writer in March 2006 during President Obasanjo’s era titled “Killing in the Name of the Devil”, which, coincidentally, was in response to an ethno-religious crisis in Maiduguri, Borno State following a controversial Danish cartoon, I pointed out that: “Probably out of fear and to sustain loyalty of followers, some leaders adopt subtle approach to comment on the mayhem instead of condemning it in the strongest possible terms. The holy scriptures have several verses that denounce those horrendous anomalies. Even our cherished cultures are rich in expressions that could be deployed at this moment of tribulation and vengeance.”

Few years later, precisely in June 2011, in an article entitled “Asari Dokubo: Another View on Boko

Haram”, this writer joined the maverick Niger Delta militant, in total condemnation of the extra-judicial killing of Mohammed Yusuf, his father-in-law and a former commissioner for Water Resources in Borno, Buji Fai who were murdered in cold blood while in police custody.

There is no doubt that leaders from the north have failed to tame excesses and recklessness of religious bigots and extremists, which have led to insecurity in the region.

Rather than wake up from their slumbers and tackle the poverty, ignorance and insecurity in the region, some northern political class and elites, deliberately cover their failures by spinning conspiracy theory that some groups and individual outside of the region are instigating the atrocities.

It will be difficult for an outsider to manipulate a household whose members are disciplined and in the right frame of mind.

There are various conspiracy theories being parroted about the crises being engineered by outsiders against the North and Northerners.

– Shuaibu can be reached at yashuab@yahoo.com

Boko Haram, Muslims And Northerners

Pension Bill: The ‘Fit And Proper Person’ TestBy oBiora oBeagu

The National Assembly Joint Committee on Pension Reform took the war against corruption in pension administration to a higher level with the introduction of the “fit and proper person” test in the Pension Reform Bill, 2013.

The proposal in Executive Bill to reduce the 20 years of experience for the director-generalship of the National Pension Commission’s (PENCOM) Director-General and the introduction of the “fit and proper person” test by the National Assembly are recognitions by both arms that 20 years experience requirement is flawed and has not served any useful purpose in pension administration not with the chilling revelations of looting of billions of pension funds mostly by persons with over 20 years experience.

The debates about pension reform bring back memories of the gory pictures of pensioners I constantly saw some years back under the Zone 3 pedestrian bridge in Abuja. The poor old men were hit by the sun and beaten by the rain. They lived, urinated, defecated, ate and slept under the bridge. They were then alleged to be military pensioners. Many of them starved and fell sick, and some were said to have died. It was a glaring case of man’s inhumanity to man!

Today, however, the Pension Reform Act (Amendment) Bill recently passed by both chambers of the National Assembly gives one hope that better days are here for pensioners. The Pension Transition Administration Department (PTAD) arrangement, under the Pension Reform Bill 2013, will, among other things, ensure the security of pension funds and direct payments of pensioners’ money into their accounts. In fact, I commend President Goodluck Jonathan as well as the audacity of the acting DG of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu in activating the PTADs and pushing through further legislative steps to properly establish them.

Back to the “fit and proper” requirement, it is a great masterstroke from the House of Representatives. In the wake of the massive fraud, scam and looting of billions of pension funds, which the Senate president, the distinguished and revered Senator David Mark, rightly termed “blood money”, we need “fit and proper” persons to run PenCOM. Those who opposed it and insisted on 20 years expereince argued either out of ignorance, mischief, or selfish interest.

The concept of “fit and proper person” is applied all over the world; from Europe, Asia to America, etc, to select those that will run sensitive financial institutions like PenCOM. From the 1860’s when the British colonial administration introduced the English legal system in Nigeria, one of the criteria for being admitted as a lawyer, solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, beyond having academic qualification, is that you must be a fit and proper person. This requirement has been sustained and held sacred over the years by the Council of Legal Education and the Nigerian Bar Association.

“Fit and proper” means that you must maintain standards of honesty, integrity and professionalism, and must not pose a risk to the public.

–Obeagu, a lawyer, wrote from Abuja

The aim of the fit and proper test is to prevent unsuitable people from running a financial service business or a trust

Mark

Letters to The Editor,

P. O. Box 9514, Garki II,

Abuja. Text:

08116759791. E-mail:

Opinions@leadership.

ng (no attachments

please). Fax:

09-2345360

LETTErs & OPInIOns

Thursday, June 19, 2014 36 OPINION

education 250 250 capacity computer based test facility located at Bwari Abuja by Friday June 13

F E AT U R E S N E W S R E P O R T S I N T E R V I E W

1-6-3-3-4: At What Point Did We Get It Wrong?

The starting point is the pre-primary education, which is given to the child between ages three and five

by Kuni Tyessi

Education is just one of the many stages in the process of nation building. Therefore, whatever discussion there should be must be made from the point of view of the other levels of the system. The nature of education is such that the consequences of whatever knock and bashing it receives may take several years to manifest. It is a life-long activity. So, what exactly has gone amiss with education in Nigeria? Who, when, and under what circumstances has the rudder been rudely uprooted from the ship of Nigeria’s system of education?

The active operators of any system are human beings. In an operation that involves imparting knowledge, the policy makers, implementers and raw materials which are basically the students indirectly benefit from the activities of the second group, the implementers. The

That, briefly, is the picture of an effective system.

However, is that the case in Nigeria? It is obviously not. The very day a policy is put in place, the people who championed the course of the policy will be among the first to circumvent the success of its implementation. They explore and exploit all the susceptibilities of the policy to their advantage thereby rendering its essence ludicrous which has become common practice in the system of education in Nigeria.

It is an understatement that the system of education being implemented in today has lost the quality of 6-3-3-4 even though the new 1-6-3-3-4 is expected to work and yield results. If not for a handful of Nigerians who, through a dint of hard work, still reflect the indices of being educated, a total overhaul of the sector should be implemented. A discourse that aims to unravel the root-

cause of the decay that has laid a destructive siege on the system should visit each stage of the process, examine it in order to see where the decline began to set in and solutions must be proffered.

The starting point is the pre-primary education, which is given to the child between ages three and five. These schools, otherwise called nursery schools, are run like private businesses, which should yield bountiful profits. As a result, the founders should ensure that they do everything in and out of the books to maximize profit at the expense of rendering service to the Nigerian nation by employing qualified teachers. Emphasis is laid on learning and the youngsters are made to recite stereotype lines day in day out without any regard for correct phonetics and phonology as well as construction of sentences without regard for syntax and semantics.

dynamism of the interaction among these operators suggests that there is no sharp division in the membership of the three groups.

The 6-3-3-4 system of education and the new 1-6-3-3-4 are all brilliant ideas. The problem has always been the approach to actualizing the rudiments of the system. This is the formality of initiating and entrenching policies, the ways of life or the identities, the modus operandi. An integral part of policy formulation is determining the amount of cash needed for the execution of the policy and it is the responsibility of the sitting powers to ensure that enough cash is made available for the actualization of the policy. Very relevant to funding is monitoring .It means, when a policy is formulated, cash must be released for the actualization of the policy and it must be ensured that the cash is used for what it is released for.

Thursday, June 19, 2014 37

By Kuni Tyessi, Abuja

The Federal Government has launched a leadership development and capacity building programme to create a stronger bio-medical research base for the country.

The Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie who spoke on the occasion said the programme would expand bio-medical science curriculum of universities in the country.

He said the commission was engaging a global health partner, the Bio-Medical Ventures, to introduce its capacity building programme for researchers in the Nigerian university system.

“The national universities commission is engaging the international bio-medical science group to introduce its capacity building programme for bio-medical researchers in national university system.

“The bio medical science ventures for global health will also work with us to expand the Nigerian university’s curriculum on the field,” he further stated.

The NUC boss who said that prominent approach would be given to bio-medical research stressed the need to work on research output in Nigerian universities.

“There is need for Nigeria to work on its research output, the government, the university and the industry will all work together to ensure better output for our researches,” he said.

The president of Bio Ventures For Global Health, Jennifer Dent, in an earlier remark, stated the capacity building programme launched by the National Universities Commission would build capabilities and skills of Nigerian researchers for discoveries and development.

By Vanessa aKuBoh, Abuja

Following the recent shutdown of the University of Abuja due to protests, students of the institution, especially those in their final year have bemoaned the crisis that have consistently plagued the school for the past two years complaining that the frequent interruptions was hampering their academic progress.

One of such students who begged anonymity said, “I am tired of these incessant strikes in UniAbuja, I mean, I have been in final year for two years. My mates have graduated, have served and are working and I’m still trying to graduate’’.

This view was echoed by various other students of the school as they gave voice to their frustrations. Many of them are contemplating changing schools and others looking beyond the shores of the country.

According to an eye-witness, the latest shutdown was as a result of a peaceful student protest which spiralled out of control when the police fired canisters of tear-gas at the protesting students at which point the students retaliated by hurling missiles back at the police.

By isaiah Benjamin, Kaduna

Gray’s International School, Mando Kaduna has emerged the winner of the 2014 annual inter senior secondary school science quiz competition, organized by the Kaduna State branch of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN).

The competition which is the 4th edition organized by APWEN had 23 other secondary schools drawn from the three senatorial zones of the state.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the quiz competition, the chairman of APWEN, Engr. (Mrs.) Amamat O. Haruna said the annual science quiz competition was organized in collaboration with the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) to promote interest in science education among secondary school students.

UniAbuja Shutdown: We Have Spent 2 Years In Final Year-Students

Gray’s Int’l Wins Kaduna Science Quiz Competition

FG Moves To Create Bio-Medical Research Base

FG To Launch New School Curriculum

More Than 38% Of Nigerian Women Have No Education -NDHS

By Kuni Tyessi, Abuja

A new school curriculum that will ensure qualitative education both in content and practice and guarantees best practices is set to be launched in Nigeria by September this year.

The executive secretary of the Nigeria Education Research and Development Council, Professor Godswill Obioma, who announced this shortly at the end of the 2nd quarterly meeting of all parastatals in the federal ministry of Education, hosted by his organisation at their corporate headquarters in Abuja, said that a portal for E curriculum for senior secondary schools that will ensure access to smart phones, teaching guides and so on, will take off

in August this year also.He said council will

collaborate with the National Mathematical Centre in the training of qualified teachers in English and Sciences for optimal results in exams as the new school curriculum will be revised for effective teaching.

Addressing newsmen on behalf of the minister, the permanent secretary, federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Mac-John Nwaobiala, said that the meeting between Wike and the chief executive officers of the parastatals, which recorded full attendance, reviewed programmes of the parastatals as it relates to the ministry’s mandate, and identify priority projects that are in line with the transformation agenda of the

present administration.‘’The meeting examined

flagship project, the fiscal budgets for 2014 and the timeliness for activities and programmes, as well as any other technical issues that came up’’, he said.

Also speaking at the briefing, the registrar of JAMB, Professor Dibu Ojerinde, who provided details on the technical issues that were discussed at the meeting, said that the minister has approved the commissioning of the newly built, 250 capacity computer based test facility located at Bwari Abuja by Friday June 13. He further disclosed that there are 9 other newly built centers awaiting commissioning in such places like Asaba, Umuahia and so on.

By PaTience iVie ihejiriKa, Abuja

The National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) conducted by the Na-tional Population Commission (NPC) has revealed that more than one-third (38 per cent) of Nigerian women have

no education.

The 2013 survey data which was launched in Abuja also shows that 17 per cent of women have attended primary school while 36 per cent have attended secondary school.

The data indicated that more than 10 per cent of women in the country have attended more than secondary school.

However, the survey revealed that women and men in urban areas are most likely to achieve higher levels of education.

SCHOOLS REPORTS

Thursday, June 19, 2014 38 FEATURE/EDUCATION

Recently the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) an-nounced July 14 and 15, 2014 as the dates for the elections of its new na-

tional executive officers, the new officers are to take over from the

current executive led by Chief Oke Wali (SAN). Already, a number of strong contenders have indicated interest in the election, which is expected to be keenly-contested.

The candidates are Mrs. Funke Adekoya( SAN), Chief Niyi Akinto-

NBA Presidency: Who Takes Over From Okey Wali?

Although the president of the Nigerian Bar emerges through elections by delegates through an unwritten convention, the presiden-cy is rotated between the Northern, Western and Southern parts of the country

Bar associations all over the world contribute into the development of society, especially in the area of the maintenance of the rule of law, enforcement of human rights and the consolidation of democracy. This explains the keen interest of the public in the activities of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), particularly in its general elections. KUNLE OLASANMI and OLUgbENgA SOyELE examine issues surrounding the forthcoming elections.

la (SAN), Mr. Dele Adesina(SAN) Mr. Austin Alegeh ( SAN) and Mr. Osas Erhabor.

Although the president of the Nigerian Bar emerges through elections by delegates through an unwritten convention, the pres-idency is rotated between the Northern, Western and South-ern parts of the country, mean-ing that at any particular general election, only one of these zones can field candidates for the office of the NBA president.

The incumbent President, Wali used the slot for the East when he emerged victorious during 2012 election, it now the turn of the West to produce the president.

However, this year’s election is not without its intrigues and dra-ma, with the agitation of the law-

yers of the Mid-West Bar Forum for separate recognition. Lawyer from this zone has always been group alongside the West but they have resolved this time around to field their own candidates.

They are basing the decision on the allegation that the South-West had always utilised the slot granted the West leaving candidates from the Mid-West stranded. The law-yers are also claiming that since there is no separate recognition given to the Mid-West, they are entitled to field their own candi-dates under the “West” slot. Con-sequently they had adopted Alegeh (SAN) to fly the flag of the zone.

Another drama playing in the runoff to the elections is the fail-

AkintolaWali

Adesina

Adekoya

Alegeh Erhabor

➔ CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE

the lawFEATURES

Thursday, June 19, 2014 39

NBA Presidency: Who Takes Over From Okey Wali? FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

ure of the umbrella body of law-yers of Yoruba extraction, Egbe Amofin to agree on a candidate, as it has always done in the past.

In her campaign manifesto, the only female candidate in the race, Mrs. Adekoya (SAN), who is a for-mer NBA 1st vice president, said her administration would revolve around a 3-point agenda aimed to tackle human resource devel-opment, organisational develop-ment, as well as institutional and legal framework development.

She also said her agenda al-so aims to equip NBA members with requisite skills for 21st cen-tury legal practice, provide ac-cess to information, knowledge and training that will enable law-yers’ perform optimally, and set up management structures, process-es and procedures within the NBA Secretariat to ensure that the asso-ciation delivers world class mem-bership benefits to all its stake-holders.

On his part, Akintola (SAN) has also come up with a 5-points agenda, he has promised to vig-orously defend and protect civil and political rights of Nigerians and to promote accountability in government. He has vowed to serve as the people’s voice; to work with the National Assembly on fast tracking legislative reforms as well as promoting the NBA pro

bono scheme.Also Adesina (SAN) has a nine-

point agenda, according to him his leadership shall develop a strate-gic welfare plan for Nigerian law-yers, old or young or senior. “ In addition, my regime will under-take restriction of range of docu-mentation that can be undertaken by non-legal practitioners”.

He also stated that, “My regime will open up the ECOWAS legal market for free movement of le-gal services and legal practice as well as restrict in-house coun-sel from engaging in private le-gal practice,” he assured.

Adesina also vowed to fight de-lay in the judicial process and re-verse the perception of our ju-diciary as a corrupt institution in order to rekindle public con-fidence and trust in the judiciary and the legal profession.

Alegeh who wrote formally to colleagues shortly after the ban on campaign was lifted, declared his intentions to contest for the office of the President of the bar. He expressed a desire to provide quality and selfless service to the Nigerian bar, urging members to accept his offer for positive de-velopmental change to the asso-ciation.

Erhabor is the incumbent first Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). He was also a former Chairman of Ilesa branch of the NBA, though he hails from

Edo State.But one issue that has always

generates reactions and contro-versy is the issue of electoral del-egates and the guidelines for the process. So far, this year has not been an exemption, serious con-troversy has continue to trail the guidelines recently released by the NBA Electoral Committee led by Okey Amechi (SAN).

According to the electoral guideline all aspirant must be a full member of the associa-tion and must have paid as at the date of his/her nomination his/her practising fees on or be-fore the March 31 for each of the past three consecutive years and also paid his/her annual branch subscription and levies to April, 2014.

The Electoral committee also stated that it will bar any aspi-rant from the election if there is evidence that he/she is spon-sored by or has received any fi-nancial assistance or inducement from any government of the fed-eration, members, organizations or body corporate, or if it is dis-covered that any of the candidate underwrite a voting conference delegate’s travel, board or lodg-ing expenses.

Those who will also have their ambition halted are aspirants who sponsor or are associated with sponsoring newspaper or maga-zine article or electronic broad-

cast vilifying other candidates or extolling a candidate virtues.

But many NBA stakeholders has accused the committee of issuing many decree akin to the military era, others said there are many gaps in the guidelines, al-leging that it was a deliberate plot to spring surprises on both the candidates and the electorate.

The stakeholders are also wor-ried that the Electoral Commit-tee has not given any details on the compilation and pasting of the Voters Register, according to them, this may leave room for possible mischief, thereby trun-cating the wishes of the elector-ate.

Perhaps, the provisions that have infuriated many members are those which warn that there shall be no pasting of posters, billboard, and bills or any form of campaign materials whatsoever. The provision also bars campaign and visit by candidates and all their agents and representatives.

Analysts are worried that these provisions make a mockery of set-tled rules in the electoral process, they wonder how the candidates will sell their manifestoes to a wid-er segment of the electorate in the light of the stringent rules. They are even more worried that campaign tour by candidates and their agents are banned, according to them this will make it difficult for the candi-dates to feel the pulse of the elec-

torate and that eligible candidates may not be known until the elec-tion eve, going by the guidelines.

One group that has openly spo-ken against the guidelines is the Lagos Branch of the NBA – the lawyers in a unanimous resolu-tion, kicked against the guide-lines as released by the Commit-tee, describing it as laced with fraught with many irregularities that would imperil the wishes of the electorate especially the aspect which requires branches to submit bank tellers “as evidence of pay-ment of annual practicing fee as at 1st April, 2014.”

Instead, the branch which re-solved at a meeting attended by about 300 members vowed that it would resist the unlawful guide-lines, insisting that the guidelines was unnecessary as “full and de-tailed information of all lawyers and all branch members who have paid practicing fee as at March 31, 2014 is already in the custody of the NBA National Secretariat”.

Also in a petition send to Wali the branch accused the committee of a surreptitious move to truncate the election with the introduction of guidelines contrary to the 2009 Constitution of the NBA.

It is the hope of many that these issues are amicably settled before the commencement of voting, so that the bar could elect a candi-date, who will be acceptable to all members.

Thursday, June 19, 2014 40 thE LAW

Thursday, June 19, 2014 41

Thursday, June 19, 2014 42

Kaduna Coalition for Change

ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) - CHANGEA New Party for a New Nigeria

Issues in Kaduna APC: Time to Act to Bring Change to Kaduna is Now!

Haj. Hafsat M. BabaCentral Senatorial Zone (Zone 2)

Dr. Stanley Adamu MammanSouthern Senatorial Zone (Zone 3)

Party development in Kaduna since the commencement of APC Congresses on April 5 have been marred by the old cancerous authoritarian practices of imposition of leaders, subversion of wishes of party members and flagrant use of money to buy votes.

Some of these actions are being perpetuated by vested interests whose desire is to control party leadership in order to pave way for their emergence as party’s flag-bearers for elective offices in the 2015 general elections.

While it is legitimate for all party members to aspire for elective office, it is fundamental that such aspirations must be founded on fair, transparent and competitive values in order to be legitimate, strong, popular and therefore, successful.

Fair, just and competitive values would engender respect for all. However, it requires obedience to party rule and discipline – which are the values that will strengthen us and make our party attractive and different from the failures of PDP.

Unfortunately, not all elements within our party seem to agree with these basic democratic values. These forces appear to be promoting an agenda that is heedless of democratic norms, and characteristically Machiavellian. Sadly, they are equally undisturbed that should that be the strategy for contest against the PDP, it will expose our structural weakness within, and ultimately damage our chances to defeat the PDP.

In any event, assuming we are able to defeat the PDP, how different are we going to be, especially given that our electoral success may not be founded on justice and respect for citizens? For those who promote this practice, their only strength is that they have huge reserves of money and they are close to our leader, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. We are however confident and gratified that our leader did not endorse these authoritarian and unjust practices.

We hereby state unequivocally that our commitment to building our party based on values of justice and respect for party members and citizens is not negotiable. It is our belief that the foundation for a new Kaduna State, a State that will treat all citizens equally and guarantee citizens’ unfettered right to basic welfare, cannot be founded on injustice and authoritarian conduct.

At best, practices of injustice and authoritarianism would further entrench current high levels of unemployment, poverty and insecurity while at the same time supporting our leaders and functionaries of government to misappropriate and

Alh. Aminu Sani GyellesuNorthern Senatorial Zone (Zone 1)

Signed June 19, 2014

abuse public funds.

Perhaps, those so far doing everything possible to sabotage the development of our party into a veritable democratic platform in Kaduna State have the objective of misappropriating and abusing public funds.

As loyal party members who have made all necessary contributions to building the party in the state, based on our aspirations to bring to an end the current hardship facing our people, we hereby declare our opposition to attempts by vested interests to orient our party – APC – in the image of PDP in Kaduna State.

We in particular call on our leader, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to call these individuals whose only electoral value in the state is their arrogant disrespectful claim of being close to him to order. In the same vein, we appeal to our Governors in the North West Zone and our newly elected leaders in the National Executive Committee led by Chief John Odigie Oyegun to take urgent measures to intervene and protect the party in all states of the federation from the cancerous activities of desperate politicians.

It is very important we remember that not too long ago, we have seen new parties with very bright electoral prospects but were sacrificed by the conduct of desperate politicians. Our party, APC, must not be allowed to go that way.

APC is the only hope for our people today and we must all work hard to meet that expectation!

We shall commence mass mobilization of our members and hardworking citizens of Kaduna State towards guaranteeing the emergence of a truly people-oriented government of Kaduna State under APC come May 29, 2015. We are committed to returning Kaduna to its pacesetter status in Nigerian politics.

We call on all party members in Kaduna State to resist the antics of pseudo PDP-agents who want to reduce our great party APC to a PDP-clone!

We must all rise to build the true APC that can produce leaders that are committed to service and not one that will continue business as usual practices of leaders to corruptly enrich themselves!

Join the Vanguard for a New United Kaduna State under APC!

Thursday, June 19, 2014 43

I, Hon. Farouk Adamu Aliyu, on behalf of my political mentor and national leader of our great party, General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, wish to congratulate the newly elected National Chairman of our party, All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and members of the first elected National Executive Committee (NEC), all party executives from the wards, local governments and state levels.

Your elections to the various positions are a manifestation of our deep desire for change across the country. Our party can turn the current wave of hopelessness into hope and opportunity. We have an opportunity and burning desire to take our country back from the grip of joblessness, corruption and mindless violence that has characterized the PDP’s misrule in the last 15 years.

As you lead our party to victory in the next elections, we wish you God’s continued guidance.

CONGRATULATIONS

Signed:

HON. FAROUK ADAMU ALIYUfor: Buhari Loyalists

CONGRATULATIONS

CHIEF JOHN ODIGIE-OYEGUNNational Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC)

Thursday, June 19, 2014 44

By Midat Joseph, Kaduna

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) yesterday condemned the mili-tary crackdown on Muslims in the name of Boko Haram.

The JNI said it was jolted by the arrest of 486 passengers near Aba, Abia State, by the 144 Battalion of the Nigerian Army.

A statement by JNI’s secretary general, Dr Khalid Abubakar Aliyu wondered if the military conducted thorough investigations, which re-vealed or suggested that the arrest-ed Muslims were suspects as the conventional practice is.

“We don’t support any acts of criminality, insurgency, violence or extremism. These acts stand con-

demned. But why the sudden ar-rest of innocent Muslims, who go about their lawful business in their own country? Is it simply because of their identity as Muslims? Would it be healthy to set this type of prec-edent in Nigeria? the JNI queried.

It condemned the arbitrary ar-rest of Muslims, and called on the military to charge them to court,

as putting them in detention for more than 62 hours is unhealthy and an abuse of their fundamen-tal human rights.

“We, however, call on all the se-curity agencies to investigate thor-oughly first before any arrest, so that confidence in our security agencies could be restored,” the statement said.

The Kano State Local Gov-ernment Election Petitions Tribunal said yesterday that it had received six petitions following council polls in the state on May 17.

The State Independent Electoral Commission (KAN-SIEC) conducted the local government elections.

The chairman of Tribunal 1, Alhaji Abubakar Kabara, told the News Agency of Ni-geria (NAN) in Kano that all the petitions were filed by the Peoples Democratic Par-ty (PDP).

According to him, four of the petitions are challeng-ing the election of the coun-cil chairmen of Kura, Takai, Rogo and Dambatta local gov-ernments, while the remain-ing two cases are for council-lorship.

He said the parties con-cerned have since been served with the copies of the peti-tions, pointing out that as soon as they respond, the two tribunals will commence sit-ting.

NAN recalls that the state government last week inau-gurated two local government election petition tribunals to entertain complaints from aggrieved candidates.

The police in Kano said yester-day that necessary measures had been taken to forestall at-tacks at viewing centres during the ongoing World Cup soccer championship in Brazil.

ASP Magaji Majia, the po-lice command’s spokesman, told the News Agency of Nige-ria (NAN) in Kano that various meetings were held with the op-erators of the centres.

“We held meetings with the operators and discussed securi-ty tips on avoiding infiltration by undesirable elements that may cause havoc to the people.

“Our men have also been de-ployed to the areas around such centres on a search and rescue operation.

“We gave out emergency tele-phone numbers to be called in case of any issue,” he said.

Majia gave the telephone numbers as 08032419754, 08075391163 and 08123821575.

NAN reports that a view-ing centre in Damaturu was on Tuesday attacked while Adama-wa government banned such centres from operating in view of recent attacks in Mubi.

LG Poll: Tribunal Receives 6 Petitions In Kano

Police Safeguard Viewing Centres In Kano

Physically Challenged Decries Non-involvement In Disbursement Of N15bn SuRe-P Buses

2015: ‘APC Battle Ready To Take Over Power In Kaduna’

By yahya saRKi, , KEBBI

Leaders of persons with disabili-ty through their association, Fo-rum of Chairmen of Persons with Disability in Nigeria, have ex-pressed dismay over the way and manner the federal government expended N15billion through the SURE-P Trust Fund to purchase buses for the disabled without in-volving them in such a critical is-sue concerning their members.

The national chairman of the forum who is also the Kebbi State

chairman of Joint National Asso-ciation of Persons with Disabili-ty, Abdullahi Aliyu Usman stated this to journalists in Birnin Keb-bi yesterday.

Aliyu said they were amazed when they saw the story in the Punch Newspaper that N15bil-lion was expended through SURE-P Trust Fund for the pur-chase of 16 buses for the dis-abled, eight of which the report said have since arrived the coun-try.

The chairman further lament-

ed that the whole issue was solely being handled by one Chike who is not part of the executives of the disabled association, JONA-PWD, and automatically did not have the mandate to do so on be-half of the association. He said that the 36 state chairmen are the true representatives of the disabled persons in the country who have over 22 million regis-tered members in Nigeria but their association has neither been contacted nor been involved in the whole arrangement.

By Midat Joseph, Kaduna

The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday said it was battle ready to wrestle power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State.

The party said with the success-ful conduct of its first national convention at the Eagle Square in Abuja, the APC as the fastest growing political party in Africa had proved to all and sundry that it was battle ready for the great task ahead.

The chairmen of the APC in Ka-duna North and Igabi local gov-ernment areas, Alhaji Musa Sher-iff and Hon Jabir Khamis at a press conference in Kaduna, also hailed the election of Alhaji Sulei-

man Hunkuyi as deputy national organising secretary.

While congratulating the for-mer governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie Oyegun on his emer-gence as the democratically elect-ed national chairman of the party, they said the election of Hukunyi is a confirmation of his acceptabil-ity by party members nationwide.

According to them, Hukunyi will surely bring to bear his expe-rience garnered in both political and public services in his new as-signment.

Party Thugs Destroy APC’s Billboard In Southern Kaduna

There was palpable tension in Sanga local government area of Kaduna State when a billboard

with the inscription of the All Pro-gressives Congress (APC) was de-stroyed by thugs allegedly hired by the ruling Peoples Democrat-ic Party (PDP) in the area.

Sanga local government is lo-cated in Southern Kaduna, shar-ing borders with Plateau and Na-sarawa states.

Though the PDP denied the al-legation, the APC insisted that the ruling party was behind the destruction of its billboards in Southern Kaduna Zone of the state.

Unknown political thugs had on Monday destroyed billboards of APC senatorial aspirant, Dr Ishaku Mabushi Shekarau in Fadan Karshi, Sanga LGA after it was erected in the morning.

NTI Registers 1,027 Teachers For Training Programmes

NMA Gives Free Treatment To Over 1000 In Zamfara

The Nation-al Teachers Insti-tute (NTI) has said that it registered 1,027 teachers for 2014 training programmes in Jigawa.

Its coordinator in Jigawa, Mallam Nasir Ringim, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse yesterday that the institute had also regis-tered 450 pivot-al teachers and 350 teachers for the Nigeria Certif-icate in Education (NCE) training.

He said the in-stitute had reg-istered 205 teachers for Post-Graduate Diplo-ma in Education (PGDE) and 22 teachers for Ad-vanced Diploma in Education.

As part of activ-ities marking the 2014 Health Week, Zamfara State chapter of the Ni-gerian Medical As-sociation (NMA) has arranged to offer free treat-ment for non-communicable diseases to over 1,000 patients in Tazame village of Bungudu local government area of the state.

This was dis-closed to news-men today by the chairman of the chapter, Dr Sun-day Onazi who explained that children will be treated for malar-ia while adults will receive treatment for diabetes and hypertension.

ShORTNewS

ShORTNewS

By NAN

By NAN

Boko haram: JNI Decries Arrest Of 486 Travellers

Zulawa dancers performing at the inauguration of the 2014 farming season in toro local government area of Bauchi state on tuesday. PHOTO

NAN

By NAN

By Abba Abubakar

Kabara, Gusau

Thursday, June 19, 2014 news north-East, north-wEst 45

The Ekiti State Govern-ment has called on the fed-eral government to caution the police against abusing the Anti-Terrorism Preven-tion Act 2013.

The government was re-acting to the arrest of the State Commissioner for Integration and Inter-gov-ernmental Affairs, Hon Funminiyi Afuye and 13 other members of All Pro-gressives Congress (APC) who are being tried for ter-rorism.

Addressing a news con-ference yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Jus-tice in the state, Mr Wale Faphunda, said it was re-grettable and quite unfor-tunate that the APC mem-bers who were arrested during a peaceful protest were being arraigned for terrorism.

Fapohunda said the State Executive Council, after an exhaustive deliberation mandated the governor of the state, Dr Kayode Fay-emi, to call the attention of President Goodluck Jon-athan to the way and man-ner with which the police were allegedly abusing the Terrorism Prevention Act.

He said that the police’s action was an affront on the criminal justice process.

Labour Party’s governor-ship candidate, Hon. Opey-emi Bamidele, has dispelled the rumour doing the rounds that he has stepped down for his Peoples Dem-ocratic Party (PDP) coun-terpart, Mr Ayodele Fayose.

Bamidele accused Fayose of spreading the rumour and insisted that he had not withdrawn from Saturday’s election.

In a statement signed by his media assistant, Mr Ahmed Salami, and made available to newmen in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, Bamidele said: “ If anyone has a reason to step down at all, it should be Fayose step-ping down for me because I stand a better chance of winning the election”.

He noted that his grow-ing popularity was a source of concern for Fayose and his supporters, claiming

that the ongoing rumour about his withdrawal from the race is smokescreen which, according to him, is dead on arrival.

Bamidele said, “The re-cent misinformation going about in Ekiti State about my purported withdrawal for Ayodele Fayose of PDP is the handwork of its sup-posed beneficiary who has penchant for sharp practic-es and cutting corners.”

The Peoples Democratic Par-ty (PDP) governorship can-didate in Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has pledged to see to the welfare of the People Living with Disabil-ities in the state if elected governor.

The former governor, in statement by his spokes-man, Mr Idowu Adelusi and made available to the press in Ado Ekiti on yester-day, told the physically chal-lenged persons they would be considered for positions and accomodated in the in-coming PDP government despite their conditions.

Fayose, who donated the sum of N500,000 to the people, urged them to come out in their numbers and vote for the PDP on Sat-urday.

In another development, the PDP candidate told vari-ous trade unions and ethnic

groups that came to pledge their support for his gov-ernorship ambition that he was prepared to assume the mantle of leadership in the state.

The former governor, who noted that APC was jolted by the crowd of peo-ple who came out to wel-come President Goodluck Jonathan, said the event marked the end of the APC-led government in the state.

The Ogun State government has announced the completion of two flyovers located at Itoku and Sapon area in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Commissioner for Works and In-frastructure, Arc. Olamilekan Adeg-bite, who disclosed this in Abeoku-ta, also said the two bridges would be opened to traffic soon, bringing to three the flyovers completed by the Senator Ibikunle Amosun gov-ernment so far.

According to him, the flyovers were constructed to tackle the in-cessant traffic bottlenecks often experienced around the two areas considered as the commercial nerve centres of the state capital.

“The construction of flyover bridges and roads across the state will ensure an increase in socio-eco-nomic activities as well as reduction in the incessant traffic bottleneck experienced daily by commuters,” he said.

Adegbite remarked that the massive road construction being done by Amosun administration was to reduce accidents as well as aid business interactions.

“The huge investment of the ad-ministration on road infrastructure is not only to beautify the state but to also to open it up and make it in-vestment friendly,” he said.

Ekiti Chides Police Over Arraignment Of Commissioner, 11 Others

Bamidele Denies Withdrawal Rumour

Fayose Pledges Support For The Physically-challenged

Amosun Completes 2 Flyovers

Stories By Alo Abiola, Ado-Ekiti

By Gbenga Adeboye, Abeokuta

2014 Guber Poll:

ShORTnEWS

Proceedings in the murder case involv-ing the former fac-tional chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Oyo State, Al-haji Mukaila Lamidi (a.k.a Auxiliary) and the Commissioner of Police was yesterday stalled.

It was gathered that the Magistrate’s Court could not hear the case as there was no legal advice from the Depart-ment of Public Prosecution (DPP), Oyo State Ministry of Justice.

Auxiliary was arraigned at magistrate court 10, Iyaganku, Ibadan on June 2 on a two- count charge of conspiracy and murder.

By Adebayo Waheed,

Ibadan

Auxiliary: Lack Of Legal Advice Stalls Proceedings

n5.6bn Pension Scam: Court Grants Bail To Ex-Oyo hoS, 11 Others

Fees Increment: OAU Students Chase Out Workers

By AdeBAyo WAheed, Ibadan

The former Oyo State Head of Service (HoS), Alhaja Kudirat Adeleke, and 11 government of-ficials who were involved in N5.6 billion pension scam were on yesterday granted bail.

Justice Adegboye Gbolagunte of the state an High Court grant-ed Alhaja Adeleke bail in the sum of N100million, two sureties, one of who must be a resident of Ibadan and also have a prop-erty at any Government Reser-vation Area in the state capital . The sureties are also expected to have evidence of payment of per-

sonal income tax for three years. The presiding judge justified

his decision to grant bail to Al-haja Adeleke to allow her full medical attention and have un-hindered access to her counsel, adding that there is also a con-stitutional provision for her to enjoy the bail.

The judge gave similar reasons for granting bail to other accused persons although the bail condi-tions vary.

Alhaja Adeleke and 11 oth-ers are standing trial before the court in the N5. 6 billion pension scam at the state local govern-ment staff pension board .

Others standing trial include the executive secretary of the board, Mr.Muili Hakeem Ader-emi, and the board’s direc-tor of finance, Mrs Iyabo Giwa while the rest are Adesina Ayo-ade, Oguntayo Bayo N. Adebiyi, Musendiq Olasupo, Muili Adedamola, Adeduntan John-son, Johnson Bosede, Kareem Rasheed ,Olujimi Adebayo and Adewale Kehinde.

Mrs Iyabo Giwa and Mr. Muili Akeem Aderemi were admitted on bail in the sum of N100mil-lion each and two sureties who must have evidence of tax pay-ment for three years.

By JoshuA dAdA, Osogbo

Protests rocking the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, over the increment in school fees yesterday took a new dimen-sion as students of the institution disallowed both academic and non academic staff from embarking on their legitimate duties.

The students who had converged at Anglo Moz Car Park on campus around 7am made their way to the Senate Building of the insti-tution, carrying placards with var-ious inscriptions before they be-sieged the administrative blocks on campus and chased workers, mostly non-academic staff, out of their offices.

The students insisted that the management should reverse the new charges introduced by the management of the institution or face severe demonstrations.

The management had explained that the new charges were intro-duced to enable the institution to maintain its status as one of the best university in Africa.

Ekiti

FayemiBamideleFayose

south-wEst

decIdes Saturday, June 21

Thursday, June 19, 2014 46 news

Thursday, June 19, 2014 47

The Corporate Affairs Commission intends to undertake the procurement of goods. Interested contracting firms are hereby invited to submit bids for the following item;

• 1:SupplyofOperationalMotorVehicle(SUV).

2)BidRequirementsInterested firms should include in the submission:

a. Evidence of registration with Corporate Affairs Commission.b. Company’s Profile.c. Evidence of filling of up to date Annual Returns.d. Tax Clearance Certificate for the last three (3) years.e. VAT registration certificate.f. Full office address and GSM numbers of contact person.g. Companies audited account for the last three (3) years.h. Bank reference.i. Evidence of financial capability or Bank support.j. Evidence of pension contribution.k. Evidence of compliance with Section 6 of ITF Act.

The Corporate Affairs Commission reserves the right to inspect or verify claims/information submitted as it deems necessary. Similarly, the office is not bound to shortlist any bidder and reserves the right to annul the selection process when unforeseen developments warrant such action, without incurring any liability and assigning any reasons thereof.

3) Bid Documents containing full specification on the LOT can be obtained from the office of Director, Procurement located on the 5th floor of the main office building of Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Maitama, Abuja, upon payment of a non-refundable sum of Ten Thousand Naira Only (N10,000.00).

4)SubmissionofbidsBids are to be sealed in an envelope indicating the LOT and should be submitted not later than 2.00pm (Nigerian Time) on Tuesday, 22nd July, 2014 to the following address:

TheRegistrarGeneral,Corporate Affairs Commission,

Plot 420 Tigris Crescent,Maitama, Abuja

Submission of bids shall close at 2.00pm (Nigerian Time) on Tuesday, 22nd July, 2014 to be immediately followed by the bid opening on the same day. Representatives of all bidding firms will be expected to be present at the opening session.

CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION(Established under the Companies and Allied matters Act 1990)

PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, MAITAMA DISTRICTP.M.B 198 GARKI, ABUJA-NIGERIA

INVITATION FOR BIDS

SIGNED:MANAGEMENT

SIGNED:SIGNED:SIGNED:

1. The Government of Federal Republic of Nigeria has received a loan from the African Development Fund (ADF), towards the cost of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme Sub – Programmes in Osun and Yobe States. It is intended that part of the proceeds of this loan will be applied to eligible payments under the contract for Procurement of IT and Office Equipment.2. The Federal Ministry of Water Resources now invites sealed Bids from eligible

Bidders for the Supply and/or installation of the items listed below

THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES

AfDB-ASSISTED RURAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SUB-PROGRAMMES IN YOBE AND OSUN STATES

FEDERAL PROGRAMME COORDINATING UNIT (FPCU)

Invitation for Bids (IFB)

3. To bid for both lots, a separate bid security for each lot should be provided. Presenting a single bid security for both lots may render the bids non-responsive. National Competitive Bidding will be conducted in accordance with the Bank's Rules and Procedures for Procurement of Goods and Works

4. Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from and inspect the bidding documents at the Office of the National Programme Co-ordinator, Federal Programme Co-ordinating Unit (FPCU), Federal Ministry of Water Resources

rd(FMWR), 3 Floor Bassan Plaza, Right Wing, Adjacent National Bureau of Statistics Central Business District Abuja F C T. 5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested bidders upon the submission of a written application to the said Executing Agency, and upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Ten Thousand (N 10,000) Naira only on Bank Draft, Payable to Federal Ministry of Water Resources.6. The provisions in the Instructions to Bidders and in the General Conditions are those of the Bank's Standard Bidding Document for Procurement of Goods.7. Bids must be delivered to the above office on or before 11:00 am on 17th July 2014 and must be accompanied by bid security of NGN400,000 for each of the lots.

SignedEngr. R. C. Onyeanusi

National Programme Coordinator,,Federal Programme Coordinating Unit (FPCU)

rd3 Floor Bassan Plaza, Right Wing,Adjacent National Bureau of Statistics Central Business District

Abuja F C T08074155922, 07060444848

Date of issuance: 18th June, 2014o Loan/Financing N : FGN/2100150015645

o IFB N : P-NG-E00-002/FPCU/NCB/001/2013

Court Adjourns Owena Oil And Gas Suit Against Ondo Till Oct 9By OLUGBENGA SOyELE, Lagos

The suit filed against the Ondo State government by the man-agement of Owena Oil and Gas Ltd over who controls the oil compa-ny and alleged conversion of assets has been adjourned till October 9 by a Federal High Court in Lagos.

The oil company had gone be-fore the court to seek an order, re-straining the Ondo State govern-

ment from continuously laying claim to 100 per cent sharehold-ing of the company.

Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke will on that date hear an applica-tion seeking to consolidate the suit filed by Owena Oil and Gas Ltd and that filed by the Ondo State gov-ernment before the Federal High Court in Akure.

The Corporate Affairs Commis-sion (CAC) is also a defendant in

the case.When the suit came up for hear-

ing yesterday, counsel to the plain-tiff, Kemi Pinhero (SAN), informed the court of an application for con-solidation of the two suits.

The lawyer argued that if the court agreed to consolidate the suits, it would afford the court the opportunity of reaching a sin-gle decision.

However, the defence counsel,

Dr Oladapo Olanipeku, drew the court’s attention to a notice of preliminary objection, challeng-ing the court’s jurisdiction to en-tertain the motion.

Olanipeku submitted that the application for consolidation could not be taken at this point in the suit, since there existed jurisdic-tional issues and interim orders in both suits that also required con-solidation.

Lagos Assembly Berates PDP Over Desperation To Regain Ekiti

ASUU, LASU Say No Plan To Suspend Strike

Lekki Communities Get 750 Hectares Of Land

VC Urges Alumni To Remember Alma Mater

By TAiwO OGUNmOLA OmiLANi, Lagos

Lagos State House of Assembly has lambasted the PDP leadership over its desperation to regain Ekiti State by every possible means which in-cludes rigging, violence and other ruthless means.

The position of the House was made known yesterday by the chairman, House Committee on In-formation, Strategy, Security and Publicity, representing Epe Constit-uency II, Hon Segun Olulade.

The House was reacting to the re-ported arrest made by the Depart-ment of State Security in Ekiti over

illegal thumb-printing into ballot boxes by loyalists of PDP guberna-torial candidate, Ayo Fayose, ahead of the Saturday election.

“The attempt by PDP to force-fully regain Ekiti is a wishful think-ing, not even a dream. The party is making every ruthless effort to choke Ekiti people into accepting a tyrant model being imported by Ayo Fayose from Abuja. We believe that Ekiti people are learned peo-ple and very wise. I have no doubt that the people will stand and de-fend their mandate of the choice of Governor Kayode Fayemi.

“All attempts being employed by PDP have failed. First was the

attempt to use a PDP man in po-lice uniform to discourage follow-ers of Dr Fayemi by shooting at a peaceful rally, leaving an APC sup-porter dead; then the attempt to distribute expired rice and food items to woo the people; and now they have started thumb-printing illegally ahead of the election”, the House said.

The lawmakers who commended the inspector general of police for taking an honourable position in the shooting case also commended the men of the State Security Ser-vice for the arrest of the hoodlums who were thumb-printing into bal-lot boxes.

The chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), La-gos State University (LASU) chap-ter, Dr Adekunle Idris has disclosed that there is no plan to suspend the ongoing strike by the union, saying the authorities of the university are yet to address the issues in conten-tion.

Dr Idris, who disclosed this to LEADERSHIP in a telephone in-terview yesterday, said there was no reason for the union to call off the strike.

The union leader stressed that though the demands of the union are numerous, the three core de-mands for the resolution of the face-off are reversal of the high school fees regime, repeal of the ‘no vacancy, no promotion’ policy of the administration and the implemen-tation of the Universities (Miscella-neous Provisions) Amendment Act.

Land owners in Lekki communities in Lagos State whose parcels of land were taken for the establishment of the Lekki Free Trade Zone eventu-ally heaved a sigh of relief yester-day, as the Lagos State government handed over the Certificate of Oc-cupancy (C of O) to 750 hectares of land to the affected communities.

Speaking at a short ceremony which took place at the zone, the state commissioner for commerce and industry, Mrs Olushola Oworu said the land was given to the com-munities to enable them continue with their farming.

She said the land given to the communities after seven years of agitation will now serve as their new farmlands since the land ac-quired from them by the govern-ment used to be their farms, not-ing that the land owners will no longer disturb investors develop-ing the free trade zone.

The vice chancellor of University of Lagos, Professor Ramon Bel-lo has advised the Alumni of the institution to emulate the kind-ness of the founder of Omo Ilu Foundation, Prince Kashamu Buruji who donated a bus to the Department of English of the in-stitution.

Professor Bello thanked Prince Kashamu Buruji for the gesture, noting that the donor who benefited from the univer-sity decided to exercise his cor-porate social responsibility by making the donation.

He informed the audience that the University of Lagos is committed to maintaining ex-cellence which according to him is what the institution is known for.

LASEMA Trains 800 LG Personnel On Emergency ManagementAbout 800 people from the 57 local government areas in Lagos State were yesterday trained to be Local Emergency Responders in the state.

The general man-ager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agen-cy (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osay-intolu, said that it was imperative to train people at the grassroots on disas-ter management.

“The whole idea is to bring emergency management to the communities, in re-alisation of the fact that it is the com-munities that bear the real brunt of the emergencies and disasters.

“A solid founda-tion should be laid for effective disaster management and also ensure that the grassroots people become sufficient-ly equipped and en-lightened.

SHORTNEwS

By NAN

Fashola Advocates 100% Voluntary Blood Donation For TransfusionBy ArONkE OLAyiwOLA, Lagos

The wife of the governor of Lagos State, Mrs Abimbola Fashola has urged all stakeholders in the health sector to intensify effort at ensuring that the World Health Organisation’s goal for the year 2020 that 100 per cent of all blood for transfusion should be from voluntary blood donors is realised.

Mrs Fashola who made this call yesterday at the 2014 World Blood Donor Day celebration in Lagos stressed the need to meet the year 2020 WHO set goal, saying it will go a long

way in addressing issues such as touting for blood donation as well as demand for family replacement of blood through family donation for mothers at ante natal booking.

Represented by the wife of the Lagos State commissioner for energy and mineral resources, Mrs Azeezat Tijani, Mrs Fashola urged the people to imbibe the spirit of voluntary blood donation and also become repeat donors, stressing that making safe blood available for pregnant mothers is a collective responsibility.

She said, “The theme and slogan for this celebration,

‘Safe Blood for Saving Mothers’ and ‘Giving Blood for those who Give Life’ respectively are focused on creating awareness on the vital role of safe blood toward achieving the goal of reducing maternal deaths”.

Fashola posited that creating awareness on the vital role of safe blood toward achieving the goal of reducing maternal deaths is very important because records have shown that majority of maternal deaths are related to loss of blood especially during and after delivery.

“We, therefore, cannot over-emphasise the need to ensure

availability of blood in our blood banks where mothers can be readily supplied. That is why we join the rest of the world to commemorate the World Blood Donation Day to celebrate those who give their blood willingly and freely without knowing the recipients”, she added.

Also speaking, the chairman, Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee, Dr Adetoun Agbe-Davies stated that voluntary blood donors are processed through eligibility criteria before donation, stressing that they must be between 18 and 65 years old and must be physically fit.

By Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani, Lagos

By George Okojie, Lagos

By Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani, Lagos

L-r: General manager, Lagos State Emergency management Agency(LASEmA), Dr Olufemi Oke Osanyintolu, Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr wale Ahmed, former Director-General, National Emergency management Agency, AVm Audu Bida and head of operations, LASEmA, mr Olusegun magnus-Davies, at a training for local emergency responders and stakeholders on emergency management organized by LASEmA in Lagos. Photo By NaN

Thursday, June 19, 2014 48 news Lagos

By Osa OkhOmina,Yenagoa

A federal High Court sitting in Bay-elsa State has fixed June 24,2014 to hear a suit filed by 18 ex-mil-itant youths from Bayelsa and Delta states seeking an order to compel the special adviser to the president on Niger Delta Affairs and chairman of the Amnesty Im-plementation Committee,Hon.Kingsley Kuku and the Amnesty Committee to honour an agree-ment reached with the federal gov-

ernment on their inclusion in the amnesty programme.

The suit,numbered FHC/YNG/CS/102/2013,filed before Jus-tice I.E.Ekwo,claimed that the ag-grieved ex-militants were former militants that had accepted am-nesty under the third phase and surrendered their weapons to the federal government through the amnesty Office in 2011 under the peace initiative of the federal gov-ernment.

The suit, which was earlier slat-

ed for hearing on June 17 was yes-terday adjourned at the instance of the court due to its workload. Jus-tice Okon Abang, therefore, fixed September 22 for hearing.

The aggrieved ex-militants, in-cluding Asenekiri Oyinle, Angia-ma-Owei, John Government, John Sawyer, Trydy Okpeke, Dollar Mo-tor, Selebi Ayowei, Bombra Angese, Richman Oyindoubra claimed that the amnesty committee erred by refusing to include them in the on-going amnesty programme.

By mike UBani, Enugu

The deputy governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, has assumed duty as the acting gov-ernor of the state following the commencement of Governor Sul-livan Chime’s annual leave.

This was disclosed by the com-missioner of Information in the state, Mr. Chuks Ugwuoke, after the state council meeting in Enu-gu yesterday.

Ugwuoke said Chime’s annu-al vacation began yesterday, add-

ing that the governor plans to use the period to go on vacation with members of his extended family to the United States of America.

In a related development, the commissioner of information has disclosed that the state govern-ment has concluded plans to ac-quire 6,000 units of computer lap-tops for civil servants in the state.

Mr. Ugwoke said the state ex-ecutive council has already given approval for the purchase of the laptops in batches of one thou-sand pieces.

He said that the state govern-ment will pay fifty percent of the cost of the laptops, while interest-ed civil servants will pay the bal-ance in monthly instalments of N3, 160.67 over a period of one year.

Ugwuoke who addressed jour-nalists in the company of the commissioner in-charge of Enu-gu State Capital Territory Devel-opment Authority (ECTDA), Mr. Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, said the council also approved the issu-ance of government white paper

on the contract awarded by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) between 2011 – 2012.

He reiterated that the govern-ment will commence the prose-cution of people who engage in street trading in accordance with the existing law banning such ex-ercise in the state.

LEADERSHIP recalls that there was heated debate over the whereabouts of Governor Chime the last time he left the state on a medical trip abroad.

Akwa Ibom State government has cautioned tricycles operators popularly known as keke napep against noticeable destruction of permanent remodeling works in the road corridor within the state capital, Uyo.

The caution was contained in a statement issued by the com-missioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan, who said the ugly trend, if not checked, was capable of under-mining the urban renewal efforts of the Akpabio administration.

According to him, findings by government and its development partners indicate that the green areas, kerbs and sidewalks, have been destroyed by the activities of careless tricycle riders, taxi drivers and hawkers.

As part of efforts to tackle food insufficiency and growing rate of unemployment in rural areas, the National Directorate of Employ-ment (NDE) yesterday empha-sised that attaining economic independent and stability its ag-ricultural sector must be vibrant. The agency said findings have demonstrated in other parts of the world that this method achieves results during the flag-ging off ceremony for trainees of Rural Agricultural Development Training Scheme (RADTS) of Ru-ral Employment Promotion pro-gramme (REP). The event which took place at Idogbo, the administrative head-quarters of Ikpoba Okha local government area of Edo State is among the four core programmes of NDE.

A gubernatorial aspirant in Eb-onyi State and serving senator, Sen. Paulinus Igwe Nwagu, has declared that there is no culture of zoning elective political offic-es in the state, adding that zon-ing does not allow for best candi-dates to emerge.

Sen. Nwagu, who represents Ebonyi central senatorial district, said while speaking with news-men yesterday in Abuja, that he remains the most qualified gov-ernorship aspirant in the state ahead of the elections in 2015.

Ruing politics of zoning in the country, Sen. Nwagu said if the United States had practised zon-ing in the emergence of politi-cal candidates, President Barak Obama would not have emerged.

According to him, “since the creation of Ebonyi in 1996 we have not talked about zoning in the state.”

A/Ibom Warns Keke NAPEP Operators Over Public Property

NDE Tackles Food Insufficiency

2015 Guber: No Zoning In Ebonyi – Sen Nwagu

By Bernard Tolani Dada Uyo

By Patrick Ochoga, Benin City

By Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja

Enugu Gets Acting Gov As Chime Goes On Vacation

shOrTNEWs

By By Kola Eke-Ogiugo, Asaba

Delta Promotes 21,000 Teaching, Non-Teaching staff

Court Fixes June 24 For Ex-Militants’ suit Against Kuku, Amnesty C’ttee

Abia Church Bomb: Imo Govt Tells Police To Probe PDPBy stanley UzOarU, Owerri

Following the recent claim by the Imo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the foiled bomb was a justification to its earli-er alarm that the state govern-ment had imported Boko Haram sect to the state, the state gov-ernment has urged the police to look beyond Boko Haram in their investigation and peep into the utterances of PDP almost imme-

diately the incident occurred.According to a press statement

signed by the senior special as-sistant on media to the gover-nor of the state, Sam Onwueme-odo, “The Imo PDP attributed the bomb incident to the influx of Boko Haram militants and sym-pathisers in the state and the un-explained use of the premises of the state government owned Imo newspapers, Egbu Road, as a qua-si military training ground for

them” by Governor Okorocha.He continued, “Imo PDP also

said we are also worried that from the security breaches in Imo State since the advent of the Okorocha administration, it is clear that somebody very high in the state must have been giv-en assurances to the purveyors of the fundamentalist carnage in parts of the country that Imo State affords them a refuge loca-tion”.

The statement noted that the PDP was only casting aspersions on the state government because of their desperate bid to reclaim the state in 2015.

“The party with its claims, has justified the fears of the state government that some desper-ate politicians for 2015 in the state, most of them in the PDP, might hide under the phenome-non called Boko Haram to cause havoc in the state.”

some of the 400-level students of the Faculty of agriculture, University of Benin, selling their farm produce in front of their faculty in Benin, yesterday. PHOTO BY NAN.

In a move aimed at attaining improvement in the education sector, the Delta State government has promoted 21,000 teaching and non-teaching staff to the next level.

The staff, under the Unified Teaching Service (UTS) of the state, were due for promotion in the year 2011 to 2013.

The state chairman of the Post Primary Education Board (PPEB), Barr. (Mrs.) Orode Imevbore, while speaking to LEADERSHIP in Asaba, disclosed that the state government was committed to the welfare of teachers and non teaching staff in the state.

Thursday, June 19, 2014 news south-south south-East 49

By DONATUS NADI, Lafia

Nasarawa State government yes-terday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Institute of Technical Education Services, Singapore, aimed at seeking ways to enhance technical education in the state.

Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura said this had become im-perative taking into cognizance the fact that emphasis on certificates

and white collar jobs was futile and did not reflect the holistic educa-tional needs of the country.

He said vocational and techni-cal skills acquisition and special education for the physically-chal-lenged were part of the broad vi-sion of his administration towards ensuring that no segment was seg-regated against in having access to quality education.

Al-Makura, who noted that the first phase of the training will com-

mence in three centres which in-clude Relevant Technology Skills Acquisition Centres in Doma and Lafia local government areas and government technical college, As-sakio, also in Lafia local govern-ment, said the gesture would be extended to other senatorial dis-tricts in no distant time.

He said it was in fulfillment of his promise to ensure quality and accessible education for all that his administration only recently de-

clared free and compulsory educa-tion in both primary and second-ary schools in the state.

His administration on Monday approved N280 million as bursary for students in higher education af-ter it was stalled over six years ago.

Earlier in his address, the chief executive officer of the Singapor-ean Institute of Technical Educa-tion, Dr. Benjamin Tan, said his institute would be committed and faithful to the terms of the MoU.

ByKAreem HArUNA , Maiduguri

Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala yesterday paid a historic visit to Maiduguri, Borno State capital, alongside a team of representatives of the former British Prime Minister, Mr Gordon Brown.

Okonjo-Iweala and Brown’s representatives were in the troubled state capital to inspect schools affected by the Boko Ha-

ram insurgency with a view to launching the Safe Schools Ini-tiative which would be backed by the federal government of Ni-geria and Gordon Brown who is the UN Special Envoy on Edu-cation.

The finance minister, who was visiting the state for the first time ever, arrived in Maiduguri at about 10am on a chattered aircraft together with the Bor-no State governor, Kashim Shet-

tima and two members of Gor-don Brown’s team, as well as the director-general of the National Emergency Management Agen-cy (NEMA), Alhaji Sani Sidi.

Borno State governor per-sonally took over the wheel and drove the finance minis-ter round the town in his offi-cial bullet-proof car amidst tight security.

Dr Iweala’s first port of call was a refugee camp for Inter-

nally Displaced Persons (IDPs) where she commiserated with the over 4000 IDPs and handed out relief materials comprising of bags of rice, beddings, toilet-ries and buckets.

She assured the displaced men and women as well as children of the commitment of the fed-eral government towards seeing that peace returns to the state and also in helping them return back to their homes.

L-r: Director of Defence Information, major General Chris Olukolade, Co-ordinator, National Information Centre (NIC), mr. mike Omeri with Deputy Director, Information, Directorate of State Services (DSS), ms. marilyn Ogar, during the briefing of newsmen at the National Information Centre, Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO By OKeKe JANe.

Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), a civil society organisation, has urged the National Hajj Com-mission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to strictly adhere to its policy of not allowing a single airline to airlift more than 40,000 pilgrims in more than six airlifting points.

IHR said this in a statement signed yesterday by its national coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammed, and publicity secretary, Abubakar Mahmoud.

The organisation pointed to re-cent media reports that indicate that Max Air was set to airlift 52,000 pilgrims to this year’s an-nual Muslims pilgrimage to Sau-di Arabia, a move, it said, would breach the standards set by the commission.

“If the reports by these nation-al dailies are exact that a single air carrier has been given 52,000 num-bers of pilgrims contrary to NAH-CON rules, then we are afraid that NAHCON as a regulatory body statutorily empowered by law to screen, select and regulate air car-riers on behalf of pilgrims may have unwittingly violated its own provi-sion; which is very unfortunate.

“While we commend NAHCON in its efforts to streamline Hajj air-lift in the country, we urge them to always adhere to its set standard in order to create a level playing field for Hajj services providers and avoid unhealthy competition that may affect the smooth conduct of Hajj exercise,” the statement added.

The Muslim and Christian Youth Integration for Good Leadership Initiative (MYC) has called on Ni-gerian youths to embrace peace and tolerance so as to pave the way for national growth.

At press briefing Abuja yesterday, MYC’s national publicity secretary, Barrister.G T. Okorobia, said if the Nigerian youths were given the op-portunity to contribute their quo-ta to the nation’s growth, it was op-timistic that political stability and unity would be enhanced.

“We are desirous of promoting the oneness of Nigeria as a diverse polity of great people to ensure re-ligious tolerance, political stability and the advancement of democracy through co-operation and political dialogue in our country, “ Okorobia stated at the event.

It emphasised that religious tol-erance remained the only pana-cea for national growth and thus tasked Nigerians on this objective.

“It is instructive to note that the desired peace and security of Nige-ria is the collective responsibility of all, which requires that the citizens collectively condemn the acts of in-surgents and terrorists.”

Hajj Airlift: Journalists Caution NAHCON Against Double Standards

Religious Tolerance, Panacea For National Growth – MYC

By Millie Ibe, Abuja

By Oladayo Odunsi, Abuja

Okonjo-Iweala, Gordon Brown Visit Destroyed Borno Schools, Promise Support

SHORTNewS

President Good-luck Jonathan has appointed Mr. Olufemi Ajayi as the executive secretary of the Petroleum Tech-nology Develop-ment Fund (PTDF).

A statement by presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, to this effect noted that the appoint-ment is with immediate effect.

Abati said Ajayi replaces Dr. Olu-wole Oluleye, also from Ekiti State, who has served as the executive secretary of the PTDF since 2013.

Until his new appointment, Ajayi was the director-general of the National Drug Law Enforce-ment Agency (NDLEA).

By George Agba, Abuja

Jonathan Appoints Ajayi New PTDF executive Secretary

Nasarawa, Singapore Sign MoU On Technical education

‘Africa’s Hypertension Burden To Increase By 87%’By WILIfreD OGBeBO and VICTOr OKeKe ,Abuja

More Nigerians are coming down with hypertension and diabetes which are the two major risk factors in kidney diseases because of their in-creasing poor health-seeking behaviour.

This was the submission of Dr. Olatise Olalekan of Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre at a sensitisation workshop organ-ised for LEADERSHIP workers yesterday.

He said that recent projec-tions by the International Kid-ney Federation indicates that hypertension in Africans will increase by 87 per cent in the next few years.

Dr. Olalekan said that Nige-rians have adopted western di-ets in a more superficial show of affluence while relegating healthy lifestyle to the back-ground.

He added that “quite a num-ber of people who have kidney diseases are unaware of it as one hardly sees people going

for medical examination unless they are down with sickness.”

The medical professional en-couraged workers to go for reg-ular medical check-ups, avoid sedentary lifestyle and cut down on salt intake as salt in-creases blood pressure level.

“Making all these lifestyle changes takes a lot of discipline but it is doable,” he said, while also cautioning against the use of bleaching creams and soaps, routine use of pain-killers and smoking as all these predispose one to kidney damage.

Thursday, June 19, 2014 50 news NATIONAL

politics today

As humans, the feeling of betrayal is so poignant that some people find it difficult to come off it. This seeming sense

of loss is even made more repul-sive when the situation of ill-feel-ing comes from trusted allies, es-pecially in the political struggle.

For those who find it expedient, a shift in alliance become impera-tive. This aptly depicts the situa-tion currently being faced by the immediate- past governor of Eki-ti State, Engineer Olusegun Oni. Upon his exit as governor in No-vember, 2010 he propped many ways to re-invent himself back into reckoning and was subsequently elected the National Vice Chair-man of the ruling Peoples Dem-ocratic Party (PDP) for the South West.

Unfortunately for him, he had the singular fortune (or misfor-tune) of being a trusted member of the Olusegun Obasanjo caucus of the party, sources even stated that his emergence as the zonal leader of the PDP might have been facil-itated by the ‘benefactor’ whom many believed would have made ef-forts to make his trusted men man-

Oni: Rejected By PDP, Compensated By APCThe maiden convention of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) produced some surprises. One of such is the emergence of Engineer Olusegun Oni as the deputy national chairman of the party (South). OLAOLU OLADIPO in this piece looks at the journey of the Ifaki-born politician who was shoved aside by the PDP.

sequence of the action, a new care-taker committee was put in place in the zone to run the affairs of the party. That interim structure itself is even engaged in battle of wits with the national leadership of the party owing to countless number of litigations against the national office of the PDP.

Oni and Oyinlola have many things in common, firstly they were governors of their respective states who were elected on the platform of the PDP. They were re-moved through judicial pronounce-ments. Due to a combination of many factors, the wait for a likely judicial redress to the perceived in-justice meted out to him prompted the Ifaki Ekiti born politician to go for the broke when the opportuni-ty presented itself to him.

He did what many thought was impossible by teaming up with the rival APC by defecting to the party when the hope of securing judicial redress was becoming far-fetched.

Apart from the slow pace of se-curing justice, the former gover-nor has one axe or two to grind with the candidate of the PDP in the governorship polls, Ayodele Fayose.

Their paths crossed during the rerun elections that took place 2007 when Fayose defied instruc-tions from the top hierarchy of the party to work and campaign for the candidature of the incumbent, Dr. Kayode Fayemi in the polls, one de-cisive action that tilted the balance against Oni in the election.

Prior to the move however, the likelihood of an alliance between the incumbent state governor, John Kayode Fayemi and Oni was never even considered by politi-cal pundits who hinged their posi-tion on the level of acrimony that trailed the judgment that removed Oni from office which later benefit-ed Fayemi.

This fact was even made far-fetched when the PDP dispatched some of its chieftains to talk Oni out of the impending defection to the APC.

A party led by the governor-

He did what many thought was impos-sible by team-ing up with the rival APC by defecting to the party when the hope of secur-ing judicial redress was becoming far-fetched

age the PDP in the zone, being his immediate constituency.

Not long after his emergence, Oni soon caught up in the high wire intrigues within the party, which pitched his ‘boss’ against his god-son and protege, incumbent Pres-ident Goodluck Jonathan. Those who should know told LEADER-SHIP that indeed, Oni and mem-bers of the zonal executive coun-cil were victims of the power play.

“From the onset when President Jonathan became the president, efforts have been made to reduce Obasanjo’s influence in the party and the best way to go about it is to weaken his home base by wielding away his supporters and replacing them with members who are pli-able,” a source said.

Oni’s stint in office was to be short-lived as yet another judicial pronouncement ousted him, along-side others such as the then Na-tional Secretary of the party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and others.

Sensing an advantage from the pronouncements, the national office of the PDP quickly moved to dissolve the executive council hinging the decision on the need to respect the judiciary. As a con-

REPORTS ANALYSES REVIEWS INTERVIEWS

Oni

Donald Ojogo, Group Politics Editor

ship candidate of the PDP in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore was at the Ifaki country home of Oni, thus prompting suggestions that he had shelved the idea.

Those who haboured the thought were dead wrong when the state chapter of the APC rolled out its carpet to receive him, first at his Ifaki Ekiti country home and later at the governorship campaign flag off that took place at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium recently.

When cornered by newsmen in Ado Ekiti recently Oni explained that he defected to the APC, to en-able him join forces with the in-cumbent to erect a new platform for the future of the state.

Those who should know told LEADERSHIP that Oni had been under severe pressure from chief-tains of the APC to defect and that the pressure became heightened when the governorship candidate of the PDP emerged in the person of Mr. Ayodele Fayose who many believe he (the former governor) harbour some form of issues with.

When Fayemi took it upon him-self to pay him a courtesy visit in his country home, after the initial pre-defection negotiation had been completed, Oni told his hordes of supporters that were waiting to hear directives on the new polit-ical thinking from him that “My good people, may I seize this op-portunity to inform you that I am no longer a member of the PDP. To-day ends my last meeting with you. I am now in APC.”

When finally, the august guest arrived, Oni said the past political battles should be forgotten so as to have a new platform for the fu-ture, saying; “We are erecting a new platform to view the future and for us, the future is the only important thing that we have to see and de-fer to.

“Yes, there are past events, but I urge all of us to let the past remain in the past. All sentiments, all prej-udices must remain in the past. All decisions, all hopes are going to be about the future.”

He stated that all well-meaning stakeholders should realize that the June 21 election was greater than personal interests or ambi-tion, but about who is in a better position to give.

“We must ask ourselves who is in a better position to give Ekiti a bet-ter future, the kind of future that we want. This is why we are doing this. If you are an Ekiti person, ask yourself who is in a better position to bequeath your children a better future.

Thursday, June 19, 2014 51

Some unpatriotic ele-ments are at it again; their plan is to bring down the government and take the country

back to the dark days of the mil-itary when Nigeria’s develop-ment was held captive until a Daniel came to judgement with the emergence of General Ab-dusalami Abubakar as the Head of State who midwifed a polit-ical transition that ushered in democracy on 29th May, 1999, and since then we have been having uninterrupted democ-racy.

Although, dividends of de-mocracy have not been com-ing as hugely as expected at all levels of the government, how-ever, the freedom the citizens have enjoyed and the ability of the media to make the gov-ernment accountable cannot be compared with any military government or a contraption called interim government. We have tried the two, they both brought woes on the polity.

On June 13, 2014, the Afri-can Confidential came out with a piece entitled, “Jonathan faces the North”. The article looks like a sponsored piece against the government of the day using the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast.

The piece writes off the Jona-than government and the mili-tary, citing the failure to set free the Chibok girls despite the for-eign assistance and concluded with an agenda for an interim government with the President of the Senate, David Mark, as the head. The writer used the military background of Mark to buttress the fiction.

Although there has not been an official reaction to the publi-cation, sources within the Presi-dency and the military have dis-missed the story with a wave of hand, describing it as “the handiwork of the anti-demo-cratic forces in the country who do not wish the country and her citizenry well”.

Below is the excerpt:

Jonathan faces the northThe deepening security crisis

in northern Nigeria and along the borders with Cameroon and Niger has galvanised more at-tention internationally than in Abuja. This week, it was Brit-ain’s turn to hold a security con-ference on northern Nigeria. It invited an impressive group of diplomats and security experts.

A month ago it was France that hosted the regional sum-mit at which President Good-luck Jonathan declared ‘to-tal war’ on the Jama’atu Ahlus Sunnah Lidda’awati wal Jihad, widely known as Boko Haram, dubbing it the Al Qaida of West Africa. His fellow leaders, es-pecially Cameroon’s Paul Biya, looked markedly less enthusi-astic about the prospect of total war in the region.

Then in August, United States President Barack Obama will host a grand Africa summit in Washington and security will top the agenda, along with eco-nomic renewal. Jonathan has been invited to that too, despite some coded critical messag-es passing between Abuja and Washington.

Many Nigerians have been puzzled by this intensity of in-ternational attention, triggered by Boko Haram’s abduction of over 230 schoolgirls from Chi-bok, Borno State in April. Far from being a new peak in vi-olence by the jihadist group, it was the latest in a series of bloody attacks in the north-east. Earlier attacks had in-cluded the murder of dozens of teenage school children of both genders and serial abduc-tions. Since the kidnapping of the Chibok girls, Boko Haram has launched a succession of at-tacks on villages in the area, and organised two bombs blasts in Abuja.

Not only has the group launched a near-constant bar-rage of attacks on villages, and especially schools, this year; it also has the logistics to move hundreds of captive children and adults around the region in

trucks, keeping them well concealed from, or at least beyond the reach of, Nigeria’s military and Special Forces from Britain and the USA.

Until now, Boko Haram’s great military strength has been its mobility, able to hit and run at will, targeting military and police installations, and even organising gaol breaks. When the government an-nounced emergency laws in Ad-amawa, Borno and Yobe states in the north-east alongside a new army onslaught a year ago, Boko Haram retreated from cit-ies such as Maiduguri to the forest.

Although it reduced opera-tions for a few weeks, the mi-litia quickly established a new tempo of armed raids on villag-es and even the military’s Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri. In the short term, there would seem to be little advantage in trying to hold territory, unless it was able to take vast numbers of ci-vilians hostage (sic) in the pro-cess. Nigerian security officials said the armed forces would see that as a red line and any Boko Haram-held territory would

be at-tacked by air and land.

These developments, regard-less of international reaction, are changing political dynamics in the country. The local cam-paign #bringbackourgirls is led by luminaries such as Obi Eze-kwesili, former Education Min-ister and Vice-President of the World Bank, and Hadiza Bala Usman, an activist from a rad-ical northern family and for-mer Special Assistant to Nasir El-Rufai.

The fighters see the opera-tions, officials say, as a means to boost their profile internation-ally and to raise funds through ransom payments. Cameroon is known to have paid ransoms on behalf of French hostages last year; the official line from Abu-ja, reinforced by Western diplo-mats, is that no ransom will be paid.

Boko Haram’s bases may be confined to the north-east and neighbouring countries but its political effects are sweeping the nation. Whatever he may say at international conferences about the global struggle against ter-rorism, President Jonathan has not convinced his own people

that the government has a strat-egy to rescue the Chibok girls or contain, let alone defeat, Boko Haram.

Instead, political confidence in his government is declining and there have been ominous rumblings in the military. Some politicians in Abuja think that Jonathan won’t win the PDP presidential nomination for next year’s elections, while oth-ers say he won’t even manage to hold on to power until the vote.

The announcement this week that Diezani Allison-Madueke, the seemingly immoveable Pe-troleum Minister and close pres-idential ally, is to seek election as Secretary General of the Or-ganisation of Petroleum Export-ing Countries was seen by oil company executives as a sign that Jonathan is planning to throw in the towel. Even if he wanted to, it’s difficult to be-lieve that his Ijaw people, led by fiery nationalists such as Edwin Clark, would allow him to stand down. Political insiders say sim-ply that Jonathan won’t get the votes, state by state, to win the party’s presidential primaries but they don’t yet have a clear idea of who could.

That leaves other messier op-tions. There is much interest in the plans of Senate Presi-dent David Mark, a veteran ally of General Ibrahim Babangi-da, whose coup-making days go back to the 1970s and 1980s. Mark has taken a noticeably harder line on Boko Haram than his counterparts at the top of government.

He is also, we hear, out-raged by the current state of the armed forces, whose sol-diers say they lack basic supplies and weaponry. Should Jonathan stumble, jump or be pushed, a groundswell is building for some form of transitional govern-ment to tackle both the security crisis and the flagging morale of the military. Among the leaders mooted for such a transition is none other than Brigadier Gen. (Retired) David Mark.

http://www.africa-confiden-tial.com

defence focusBy BAyO OLADEJI

Neither Coup Nor Interim Govt In Nigeria Again

BadehJonathan

PROFILE: AIR COMMODORE YUSUF ANASAnas was born on 16 October 1960 to the family of Alhaji Anas Mohammed and Hajia Zuwaira at Bindawa, Katsina State. He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy as a mem-ber of 27th Regular Course and was commissioned Pilot Officer on 4 July 1982.

He attended several military and civil courses. Some of the military courses include junior and senior

division courses at the AFCSC, Jaji, Kaduna. He obtained Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science from the University of Jos in 1994. He also obtained a Diploma in Public Relations from the Senior International Public Relations Business School, Oxford University London in year 2000. He also obtained a Master of Science Degree in International Relations and

Strategic Studies (IRSS) from the Benue State University in 2003 and a Master of Science Degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan in 2010.

Currently, he is the Director Nigerian Air Force Public Rela-tions and Information.

He is decorated with Forces Services Star, Meritori-ous Service Star and Defence Service Star.

TOP 3DEFENCE STORIES

➊ US to seek extradition of detained terrorists

➋ Gordon Brown, Gov Shettima visit Aso Rock

➌ We’re screening 486 persons arrested in Abia - DHQ

Arrested ‘traders’ suspected to be insurgents in Abia State.Anas

Thursday, June 19, 2014 52 DEFENCE FOCUS

The reign of King Juan Carlos of Spain is in its final hours after he signed the bill formally abdicat-ing in favour of his son, Prince Felipe.

Juan Carlos, 76, signed the bill at a ceremony in the Royal Palace in Madrid, which was at-tended by only 160 guests.

At midnight local time (22:00 GMT), Felipe, 46, will become king although the event will not be marked in public until today.

The succession was endorsed by both of Spain’s main political

parties.Before the signing, Juan Car-

los sat with Queen Sofia to his right and Prince Felipe and Prin-cess Letizia to his left as the con-tent of the law was read out.

After Juan Carlos had signed the document that will end his rule, Prime Minister Mariano Ra-joy also signed the law. Moments later, the assembled guests ap-plauded, the prince’s two daugh-ters joined the royal group and the national anthem was played.

—BBC

American Airlines says it is cutting almost 80% of its flights to Venezuela from next month.

From July 2, American will operate only 10 flights per week instead of the current 48.

The move comes as part of a continuing dispute over the repatriation of revenue due to tight currency controls in the oil-rich country.

SUCCESSION King Juan Carlos Signs His Abdication

AEROSPACE American Airlines Cuts Flights To Venezuela

By ABdullAhi umAr, With Agency Report

Cameroonian authorities has said that it has arrested arms dealer, uncovered a huge num-ber of weapons buried in a border village by suspected Boko Haram fighters.

The country’s National radio reported that villagers tipped off the military about the buried weapons in the northern village of Blangoa by the sect.

“Cameroon’s defense forces have uncovered and recovered

arms and ammunition which were buried in a bush in a village in Logone and Chari Division of the Far Northern Region,” the re-port said.

Moussa Alamine, who heads the infantry dispatched to Blan-goa to search the village told the Voice of America (VOA) that they may have recovered only a por-tion of the weapons.

He said “after a vigorous search, the soldiers discovered four bags of weapons buried in the village, 35 war weapons, 31 cartridges and 1,218 bullets.”

By Chinelo Chikelu, Abuja

500 promising African lead-ers have kick-started President Obama’s inaugural Washington Fellowship for Young African Lead-ers which aims to empower young leaders through academic course-work on business entrepreneur-ship, civic leadership and public management.

44 Nigerian fellows joined 456 other African youths for the fel-lowship which takes place between June 16, to September 27, 2014.

The initiative was developed by the Obama Administration in rec-ognition of the critical and increas-ing role that young Africans play in spurring economic growth and enhancement of peace and securi-ty in Africa.

The YALI programme consist a six week academic and leader-ship course on Business and En-

trepreneurship, Civic Leadership and Public Management; a presi-dential forum, and a month long internship placement with sever-al businesses, NGOs and govern-mental offices in the States.

The nominees aged 25 to 35 years, 50 percent of whom are women, were processed based on their individuality ability and con-tribution to community develop-ment, leadership and entrepre-neurial potentials.

“Roughly 60 per cent of the Af-rican youths are under the age of thirty-five. President Obama, views the programme as a means of recognizing the leaders of to-morrow, to find out their ideas, how they communicate and to as the president said “to work with Africa, to find African solutions to African problems”,” explained the US Cultural Attaché, William StrassBerger.

BOkO Haram: Cameroon Troops Arrest Suspect, Seize Weapons

500 Africans Kick-off YALI Fellowship In US

Tackle Epidemic Of Youth Unemployment, Ki-moon Tells World Leaders

WinnER OF ThE dAy

LOSER OF ThE dAy

➔ Kenan Evren The 96 year-old former Turkish President have been jailed for life for his role in the military coup of September 1980

➔ Abdullah ElshamyThe Al Jazeera Arabic reporter has been re-leased from jail in Egypt after being held without charge for 10 months.

IMF Issues Warning Over Argentina Ruling At US Supreme Court

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that Argentina’s legal defeat in its fight against hedge fund investors may have wider im-plications.

On Monday, a US Supreme Court ruling sided with bondholders demanding Argentina pay them $1.3bn (£766m).

The IMF said it was concerned about “broader systemic implications”.

Meanwhile the ratings agency S&P cut Argenti-na’s credit rating, warning the ruling made it more likely that the country would default.

“The Argentine government has limited capac-ity to pay the plaintiff creditors while servicing its current debt”, S&P said.

S&P reduced the credit rating by two notches from “CCC+” to “CCC-”.

The move theoretically makes it more expen-sive for Argentina to borrow money. However, the country has been unable to raise funds on the in-ternational market since its 2001-02 debt default.

Argentina’s Economy Minister, Axel Kicillof, said the government was “starting to take steps” to re-structure the debt under Argentine law - as a way of avoiding complying with the US order.

In a press conference Mr Kicillof said this would allow the country to honour its commitments with those creditors who had accepted the initial agreement.

Argentina has agreed a restructuring with the bulk of investors holding its defaulted debt, but the so-called “hold-outs” have been fighting for 100% of the value.

Mr Kicillof added that he would be sending law-yers to speak to the US judge behind the ruling, Thomas Griesa.

On Monday President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said her country would not bow to “extor-tion”, in a reference to the court’s ruling. She urged people to “remain tranquil” in the days ahead.

Juan Carlos signing the legal documents that officially marks the end of his reign at the royal Palace in madrid yesterday.

ABiodun oluWAroTimi, New York

The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, on Wednesday urged governments to invest more in youth employment initiatives and promote decent work for all. This plea is coming at a time that the international community is struggling to generate more jobs, especially for young people,

Speaking in his remarks to the United nations International labour Organization in Geneva, the UN chief said he believed that employment and decent work, particularly for young people, were the backbone of development, adding that yet the world was facing a great test

of its time which he called ‘an epidemic of youth unemployment’

Ki-moon also noted that half of the world’s young people in the labour force were either working poor or unemployed, adding that the global youth unemployment situation was intolerable, particularly for young women.

His words: “In countries rich and poor, unemployment rates for young people are many times those of adults – and, of course, joblessness is the tip of the iceberg. Many are stuck in low-wage work with no protection in the informal economy. Many others find that their schooling has not equipped them with the right tools for today’s job market.

A number of airlines have already suspended or reduced the number of flights to Venezuela.

“Since we are owed a substantial outstanding amount ($750m, £442m to March 2014) and have been unable to reach resolution on the debt, we will significantly reduce our flights to the country after 1 July,” the airline said in a statement.

American said it would only fly to Venezuela from Miami, suspending its flights from New York, Dallas and Puerto Rico.

Tight foreign currency controls make it difficult for foreign airlines to repatriate money from ticket sales in Venezuela.

The authorities have restricted access to dollars and want to make them more expensive to purchase, which may lead to losses for companies that are still waiting for cash from as far back as 2012.

The International Air Transport Association (Iata) estimates Venezuela is delaying payment of $4bn.

American Airlines is the largest foreign carrier serving Venezuela.

Air Canada has suspended service citing security concerns, while others like Lufthansa and Copa Airlines have reduced the number of tickets made available in local currency.

—BBC

energy minister, yuri Prodan briefing members of the press following about the latest development.

kirchner

Thursday, June 19, 2014 WORLD NEWS/business 53

8

Queiroz comments on Eagles match

Yesterday’s results

Today’s Matches

We frustrated the wonderful move-ments of stars in the Nigeria team like Emmanuel Emenike and Victor Moses. We deserve respect

•Netherland 3-2 Australia

•Spain 0- 2 Chile

• Colombia Vs Cote d’Ivoire 5pm (Brasilia )

• Uruguay Vs England (Sao Paulo ) 8pm

• Japan Vs Greece (Natal) 11pm

STORIES By ISHAKU KIGBU, Brazil

Iran national team coach, Carlos Queiroz wants football authorities around the world to begin to respect Iranian football and accord it the respect it deserves following what the team did against a ‘star-studded’ side like the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

He said the performance against Nigeria have given his boys more confidence to confront Argentina in the next game on Saturday. For him, the star performance against big ‘boys’ from Nigeria in the Group F opener at the Arena Da Baixada on Monday, should open a new door of

sympathy and respect for his team from world leaders. “We played against Nigeria with pride and strength and frustrated the collective football of Nigeria.

“We frustrated the wonderful movements of stars in the Nigeria team like Emmanuel Emenike and Victor Moses. We don’t have players in Liverpool or Lazio like Nigeria but we have proved to the world that we deserve respect. No country even wanted to play international friendly match with us because of sanctions on the country. We trained at home with these bunch of amateur players against local sides.

The World Must Respect Iranian Football Now – Queiroz

Players To WatchDAYThursday, June 19, 2014

With

Ishaku Kigbu

Mikel in action for Eagles vs Iran

Juan Gillermo Cuadrado

Team Heads For CuiabaSuper Eagles coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi says despite the two deep cuts that defence ace, Godfrey Oboabona has, which has since been stitched, he still has hopes that the Turkey based defender will be ready for the game against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The player was hit on his feet with sharp studs by an Iranian attacker in the goalless draw against the Persian Stars and medics immediately took him for a

scan which shows that he had deep cuts on his limbs but there were no fractures. “Yes, I have received the medical reports on Godfrey and we are still very hopeful that before the d-day he may still make it. Let’s just be hopeful because he is an important player in the team”, he said.

The Nigerian side will head for Cuiaba on Thursday morning for its second game against Bosnia-Herzegovina, after drawing goalless in its opener against Iran. Team Skipper, Joseph Yobo, said the

focus should be on the game instead of talking about the past game against Iran. “We are all disappointed that we didn’t win against Iran but we must refocus on the immediate task of winning our next game.

On his part, Kenneth Omeruo said he will be ready to learn some lessons from any player picked by the coaching crew to pair him in the heart of the defence. “It will be a delight to see how Edin Dzeko and I slug it out in the game.”

Arjen Robben of The Netherlands controls the ball on his way to scoring yesterday against Australia. The match ended 3-2 in favour of The Netherlands.

Keshi Pins Hope On Oboabona’s RecoveryTomorrow’s Matches

AboutBrasilia

• Italy Vs Costa Rica 5pm (Brasilia )

• Switzerland Vs France (Salvador) 8pm

•Honduras Vs Ecua-dor 11pm (Curitiba)

• Population 2.7 million

• Economy: Indus-tries connected with construction and food processing

Head-To-HeadColombia Vs Cote d’ Ivoire• FIFA Ranking:

Colombia 8, Cote d’Ivoire 23

• Played 0 matches, Goals for: Colombia 0, Cote d’Ivoire 0

Didier Drogba

yaya Toure

Gervinho

Mario yepes

James Rodriguez

Colombia Vs Cote d’Ivoire:

Sports Minister To Nigerians: Don’t Give Up On EaglesMinister of sports and Chairman National Sports Commission, Tammy Danagogo has pleaded with Nigerians not to write off the Super Eagles as they prepare to face Bosnia-Herzegovinia in their second match at the World Cup in Cuiaba, Brazil.

The minister’s plea is coming on the heels of hisses and sighs from disappointed Nigerian fans following the lackluster performance and goalless gotten from their Group F opening

match against Iran in Curitiba on Monday.

Danagogo said Nigerians must not lose hope as the team still has a chance of qualifying from the group. “Nigerians have every right to be disappointed because they expected their team to beat Iran. It is expected but I want to appeal that they should not lose hope but continue to pray and support the team. Bosnia are beatable and the Eagles can come back strong and post a victory

against them,” he said.The minister believes that the team

has learnt from the mistakes they made against Iran and that the technical crew would plot new strategies to dislodge the Europeans who lost their first match against Argentina.

“I believe in the never-say-die spirit of the Nigerian athlete. The Eagles and the coaches must have studied the tape of the last match and will plot new strategies to win the next game.”

Woods

Woods Hits Full Shots In Recovery From Back SurgeryTiger Woods has begun to hit full shots in practice as he continues his recuperation following back surgery.

The 38-year-old world number four has not played since the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March and had an operation that month.

His agent Mark Steinberg told the PGA Tour’s website: “He feels better each day and is able to extend his swing.”

It is hoped he may be fit for the Open Championship, which he has missed only once since his debut there in 1995.

The Open begins on 17 July at Hoylake, where Woods won his third and most recent Open in 2006.

An emotional Woods won by two shots, two months after the death of his father and mentor, Earl.

In May, Woods said he was unsure when he would return to competitive action, but Steinberg said on Tuesday: “Tiger is making continual progress.”

His 14-month stay at the top of the world rankings ended during his absence from action, with Australian Adam Scott currently world number one, and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and Masters champion Bubba Watson also ranked ahead of the 14-time major winner.

Defending champion Andy Murray has been seeded third at Wimbledon - a rise of two places from his world ranking of fifth.

Murray, who ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a male singles champion last year, has benefited from Wimbledon’s unique seedings formula.

It means the Scot cannot meet Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer before the semi-finals.

Djokovic overtakes world number one Nadal as top seed, with Federer fourth.

“Being one of the top four seeds could be a significant advantage to Murray. There’s now no chance he will have to play Federer, Nadal and Djokovic in back-to-back matches from the quarter-final stage: the equivalent of a Northern Hemisphere team having to beat Australia, South Africa and New Zealand on consecutive weekends to win the rugby union World

Cup.” Wimbledon, which starts

on 23 June, is the only one of the four Grand Slam tournaments not to stick to the world rankings when seeding the men’s event, instead using a formula based on grass court form over the past two years.

Murray, 27, reached the Wimbledon final in 2012 and then won the titles at both Queen’s Club and the All England Club in 2013.

If Murray reaches the quarter-finals, he can expect to play either Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych, David Ferrer or Milos Raonic.

Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka drops from third in the rankings to a seeding of fifth, having lost in the first round at Wimbledon for the last two years.

Speaking at Queen’s Club last week, the Australian Open champion said: “Wimbledon, they do what they want. For me it’s fine..”

Wimbledon: Murray Third Seed Behind Djokovic, Nadal

Suleiman Shines As Eaglets Crush Cross River Selected 6-1

Gatlin Sets Fastest 100m Time Of 2014 At Golden Spike Meet

By ONJEWU DICKSON, Abuja

Suleiman Abdullahi produced a man-of-the match performance yesterday as the Golden Eaglets thrashed a Cross River State selected side 6-1 at the Abraham Ordia Stadium complex inside the University of Calabar.

There were goals also for Golden Eaglets’ trio of Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Nwakali and Jack Ipalibo while Kingsley Ogoyi scored the consolatory goal for the Cross River State selected side.

Abdullahi scored the first goal and Golden

Eaglets’ landmark 50th after 15 matches, in the 9th minute when he struck a text-book free kick from the periphery of the opposition box. Beanpole striker, Victor Osimhen added the second goal five minutes later when he connected a whipped-in corner kick by Lazarus John.

However, Eaglets’ defender, Dayo Femi conceded a penalty in the 16th minute which was well converted by Kingsley Ogoyi who sent Amos Benjamin the other way.

In the 35th minute, it was the turn of Cross

River State selected side to concede a penalty which Abdullahi buried beyond the reach of goalkeeper Fidelis Ogiri.Abdullahi would get his hat-trick in the added time of the first half when he nodded home a pin-point pull out

by Orji Promise.Both sides brought

fresh faces in the second half but it was the Golden Eaglets that showed more enterprise with better ball possession. Barely five minutes after the restart, Chinedu Madueke was hacked down from behind in the box after a fine dribble run and the

resultant penalty was scored by Nwakali.

But for all their good play and artistry, the Golden Eaglets were unable to press the advantage but within seconds to spare, Jack Ipalibo scored arguably the best goal of the day when he initiated a one-two pass with Ebije Yahaya before burying the ball behind the goalkeeper.

Golden Eaglets’ coach, Emmanuel Amuneke (MON) in a post match analysis, commended the spirited performance of both teams despite the lopsided score line.

American Justin Gatlin improved on his own world-leading 100m time, clocking 9.86 seconds at the Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic.

The 32-year-old, who won Olympic gold in Athens in 2004, now has the four fastest times of 2014 to his name.

In Ostrava, he surged clear from the outset and improved on the 9.87secs he ran in Beijing last month, despite a head wind of 0.4 metres per second.

Mike Rodgers was second

in 10.08 ahead of veteran Kim Collins in 10.12.

There were impressive performances from British athletes as 23-year-old Niall Flannery won the 400m hurdles in a new personal best of 48.80 secs, which puts him top of the British and European rankings for 2014.

Bianca Williams, 20, also set a new personal best of 22.79 secs finishing second in the 200m, just 0.04 behind 2012 Olympic champion Allyson Felix, while Williams took a further 0.14 off her best time set earlier this year.

Murray

Gatlin (middle)

Thursday, June 19, 2014 sports 55

Oil theft in Nigeria reduces OPEC’s output

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The Thursday

ColumnAbba Mahmood 08052407030 (SMS only) abba@leadership.ng

salaries of the very largely increased establishments of native officials, police and prison staff and co, have been paid. From these funds native court houses, treasuries, schools and prisons for native court pris-oners have been built, and the bal-ance, invested in a reserve fund, totalled in 1919 £486, 654, exclu-sive of the large sums voted by the Emirs towards the cost of the war (First World War). These reserve funds – originally created to meet any emergency, such as famine or cattle disease when Northern Nige-ria had no colonial reserve, and was dependent on a grant – in aid – are now available for public works of benefit to the people.” [pages 207 -208 of The Dual Mandate].

On page 516, Lord Lugard wrote that, “Agriculture is the most essen-tial of industries, and increase of output means improvement of so-cial conditions and a larger demand for articles of comparative luxury.” He made it clear on page 613 that: “The partition of Africa was, as we all recognize, due primarily to the economic necessity of increasing the supplies of raw materials and food to meet the needs of the in-dustrial nations of Europe.” These are the reasons why as soon as the British conquered the northern territory they built railways link-ing the resourceful hinterland with the seaport in the south.

Lord Lugard had this to say on the railway: “the Northern Nige-ria railway, built by Sir P. Girouard and Sir J. Eaglesome under the sys-tem (which I had strongly recom-mended), was considered to be the cheapest, most rapid, and in ev-ery way the most satisfactory line hitherto constructed in tropical Africa” (page 468). The railway was constructed to evacuate agricultur-al products, animal resources and mineral resources from the North for exports. These products are pro-duced through human efforts of the hardworking people.

That was how, between 1916 and 1948, the whole Nigeria relied on the North as, within those years,

This year, Nigeria celebrat-ed its 100 years since the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates to form Ni-

geria by the British colonialists on January 1, 1914. There are a lot of fallacies and fiction by some mis-chievous elements who are bent on distorting history to suit their parochial interests. One of the big-gest lies about the amalgamation was that a “resourceful” south was amalgamated with a “barren” north to balance the books. Nothing is farther from the truth as we shall shortly know from the architect of Nigeria himself, Lord Frederick Dealtry Lugard, one of the greatest British empire builders of all times.

In his book, The Dual Mandate in British Tropical Africa, Lugard wrote: “The Transvaal administration be-gan with a loan of £30,000,000; Pal-estine and Mesopotamia have cost unknown millions but the whole authorized civil expenditure of Northern Nigeria in the year of its inauguration was £86,000, with a further £50,000 for purchase of worn-out steamers and for build-ings!”

Lugard discussed the advantage of amalgamating contiguous col-onies, from the point of view of internal administration and eco-nomic development. “The object is twofold: to promote some unifor-mity of policy among colonies with common economic conditions, and more or less identical problems of administration; and to relieve the pressure of work at home by de-creasing the number of units, and increasing the power and respon-sibilities of the high official select-ed to control each group,” he wrote. “On the inauguration of the tax in Nigeria the proceeds were quite in-sufficient to meet even the neces-sary salaries of chiefs; but with im-proved assessment, a more honest collection, and increased prosperi-ty, the sum, without additional bur-den, has become so large that in the more wealthy Emirates there is a considerable surplus, when all the

Between 1916 and 1948, the whole Nigeria relied on the North

before indeed we had any precise knowledge of Muslim methods or of native law and custom - would have been an act of folly which no sane administrator could attempt. The very necessity for avoiding pre-cipitate action, and the knowledge that reform would only be effective, and enlist native cooperation, if it was gradual, made the responsibili-ty all the more onerous.” [page 224]

In the footnote on page 253, Lugard wrote that: “The revenue of the native administrations in the northern provinces of Nigeria amounted in 1918 to £492,663. The salaries of all grades, including native courts, police and prisons, amounted to £304,996; leaving about £188,000 for other expendi-ture (public works, education & co). In 1919 the total collected was over £950,000, of which the native ad-ministration share was £536,000.”

Thus, it is not true that the north had no internal revenue of its own to run its affairs. In fact it was gen-erating surplus and subsidizing the rest of the country. Oil was only found in commercial quality in 1958 and did not feature promi-nently in the revenue profile of the country until after the civil war. Dazzle us with facts, don’t baffle us with fictions!

80 per cent of the revenue to run the country came from the North. Lugard even had to write on page 571 of his book that, “Manifestly, the government, as trustee of the governed, is only justified in allo-cating such a sum of money, raised by taxation from the people of the interior (on whom falls the bulk of the customs and other taxes), as may seem to be reasonable and eq-uitable for the maintenance of the port and other facilities in which the hinterland is interested.” Thus, it was the North that was really sus-taining the South and not the other way round as it is erroneously being peddled now.

In fact, for the coastal areas Lu-gard had this to say on page 73: “those tribes, however, which in-habit the coastal regions inter-sected by innumerable salt – water creeks, and covered by the densest forest growth, or interspaced by dreary miles of mangrove-swamp, are precluded from engaging to any great extent in agriculture, and sustain life chiefly by fishing. Since flocks and herds will not sur-vive, and animal life is scarce, they have no flesh diet, and often resort to cannibalism. Here, the exuber-ant vegetation is too much for man, and the lowest and most primitive tribes are to be found”. Yet some-one from this area gave Lugard Cen-tenary Award this year in spite of this insult!

On page 223, Lugard quoted Bishop Tugwell who served in West Africa as noting: “Indirect Rule is direct rule by indirect means. The Emir’s position and salary are se-cure. His sway, backed by British authority, is rendered absolute, while his people become his serfs, or those of the British Government. Their life is thus robbed of all initia-tive or desire for progress- intellec-tual, social, moral, religious, or po-litical.

“To overthrow an organization, however faulty, which has the sanc-tion of long usage, and is acquiesced in by the people, before any system could be created to take its place -

Wetin concern them with quota?

GHANA MUST GO

— Int’l Energy Agency

www.leadership.ng N150 No. 2,208

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY19.06.14 THURSDAY

Confronting Fictions With Facts

EXERCISE DAILY. EAT WISELY. DIE ANYWAY

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— Anonymous