nation0428

$370m 

Abacha 

NEWS 

loot Page 5 

found 

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper 

Newspaper of the Year 

ON PAGES 

•Babatope gets knocks for backing ‘Ekiti illegality’ 5,8,9&11 

•Oyo tribunal gets 12 National Assembly polls petitions 

•President to Supreme Court: stop National Assembly 

•Ogun, Chinese firm sign $3b intra-city rail contract 

•www.thenationonlineng.net 

•AND MORE 

VOL. 10, NO. 3198 TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 

I’m ready for probe after 

tenure, says Jonathan 

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja 

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said he 

would be ready after leaving office for any probe of 

his administration’s activities. 

President-elect Muhammadu Buhari plans to revisit the 

$20b “missing” oil money when he gets into office. 

Besides, All Progressives Congress (APC) spokesman 

Lai Mohammed has alleged massive looting by government 

officials. 

But, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and 

Continued on page 4 

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM N150.00 

•Alhaji Olanusi 

Mimiko gets new deputy as 

Ondo House sacks Olanusi 

THE cat and mouse relationship 

between Ondo 

State Governor Olusegun 

Mimiko and his deputy, Ali 

Olanusi, ended yesterday — in 

acrimony. 

They parted ways at the 

House of Assembly where 22 

of the 25 lawmakers found 

Olanusi guilty of gross misconduct 

- the allegation levelled 

•APC: impeachment 

won’t stand 

From Damisi Ojo, Akure 

against him by Mimiko. 

Twenty four hours to the 

presidential election, Alhaji 

Olanusi defected to the All 

Progressives Congress (APC) 

- to the shock of his boss who 

was the Southwest campaign 

coordinator of President 

Goodluck Jonathan. 

The President ran on the 

ticket of the Peoples Democratic 

Party (PDP). 

Mimiko failed to deliver 

not only in the Southwest 

but remarkably also in Ondo 

State, where Dr. Jonathan 


•OBI IS SEC CHAIR •NHIS BOSS SACKED P9 NEPAL DEATH TOLL HITS 4,000 P59 

The multi-billion dollar 

NNPC fraud, by auditors 

•SEE 

ALSO 

PAGES 

2,3&7 

Report: $4.29b 

should be refunded 

Knocks for NNPC’s 

model of operation 

NPDC blocks probe 

Kerosine subsidy 

scam exposed 

HOW much is missing from the Nigerian 

National Petroleum Corporation’s 

(NNPC’s) books - $20billion? 

$1.48billion? $4.29billion? 

The question remained unresolved yesterday 

– despite the release of the auditors’ report. 

But one fact is clear: the system is rotten. 

Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor 

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi threw down the 

gauntlet in 2013 when he alleged that $20billion 

oil money was unremitted to the treasury. 

A committee set up by Finance Minister 

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said about $10billion 

was the figure. 

When auditing giant PriceWaterHouseCooper 

was brought in, it said, 

according to the government, 

that only $1.48 billion 

?WILL THE 

CHIBOK GIRLS 

KIDNAPPED ON 

APRIL 15, LAST 

YEAR EVER 

RETURN? 

From Nduka Chiejina, Abuja 

should have been remitted 

to the treasury. 

The report, which the 

Presidency released yesterday 

– apparently to clear itself 

of shielding corrupt of- 


•Dr. Jonathan 

President Jonathan is also 

deeply concerned by the 

continuing suggestions 

that his administration still 

has anything to hide about 

the unproven allegation 

that about $20billion is unaccounted 

for ... 

•Gen. Buhari 

...You all know what the 

Emir of Kano talked about 

...when he said $20b, not 

naira, $20b was unaccounted 

for... Instead of investigating 

it, they sacked 

him...the new administration 

will take a look at it 

•Alison-Madueke 

I have said that during our 

time there are gaps in the 

NNPC and I said that 

openly. But I can also say 

that there is no time in Nigerian 

history in the oil and 

gas has NNPC been as open 

and audited as it is today 

HIGHLIGHTS 

$0.98b 

•Subsidy overclaim on 

PMS & DPK by NNPC 

$8.99b 

• Natural cost of import 

for PMS & DPK 

$9.97b 

•The reconciliation 

committee’s figure 

$863m 

•Cash request not captured 

by NPDC for FIRS 

$839m 

• Cash payments by 

NPDC to DPK not captured 

by Reconciliation 

Committee 

$2.8b 

•Pipeline maintenance 

& management 

$73.85m 

•Crude and product losses 

•PROPERTY P16 •SPORTS P23 •POLITICS P47 •TRANSPORTATION P53 •FOREIGN P59

2 

NEWS 

•Managing Director, Grand Oak Ltd, Akshay Kumar, receiving the Best Performance Trophy of Lexcel Group of Companies 

in Q1 from Commercial Director Aare Fatai Odesile at the the Group's Q1 Performance & Assessment Review in Lagos. 

With them is General Manager, Marketing, Brajesh Kumar (right) and Sales Operations Manager, Elder Dele Akinloye. 

THE NATION TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 

How NPDC 

The Presidency yesterday released the report of the forensic 

audit carried out by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) 

on the alleged missing $20 billion oil cash. From the report, 

it is clear that the Nigerian Petroleum Development 

Company (NPDC) did not aid the diligent implementation 

of the audit firm’s mandate. PwC ran into some 

brickwalls in the course of its work. The key limitations 

were: inavailability of relevant NPDC personnel to give 

information on the company’s operations and NPDC’s 

failure to provide it with detailed breakdown of the crude 

oil assets, volume of allocations to Strategic Alliance Partners 

and list of receiving banks, account numbers and bank 

statements for crude proceeds. Excerpts of the report: 

•Former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (right) and President, Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines 

and Agriculture (KADCCIMA), Dr Abdul-alimi Bello at the seminar on: “Promoting domestic trade for national sustainable 

economic development” at the ongoing thirty-sixth Kaduna International Trade Fair in Kaduna...yesterday. 

• From left: Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Fairtrade, Germany, Martin Maerz (left); Chief Operating Officer (COO) 

Nigerian-German Business Association, Jennifer Anoyika; Delegate of German Industry & Commerce in Nigeria, André 

Roenne and Fairtrade Manager, Dominik Rzepka at a news conference for the upcoming trade show tagged: “Agrofood 

and Plastprintpack” in Lagos. 

•Marketing Manager, Vlisco, Adaeze Alilonu (left); winner, 2015 Vlisco Women's Month Award, Mrs. Dotun Akande 

and Vlisco Ambassador, Mrs. Adesuwa Onyenokwe at the yearly Vlisco Women's Month Award in Lagos…at the weekend. 

BASED on the work conducted 

by our team from the commencement 

of this mandate up 

until 29 January 2015, our conclusions 

are as follows; 

•Total gross revenues generated 

from FGN crude oil liftings was 

$69.34bn and NOT $67 billion as earlier 

stated by the Reconciliation Committee 

for the period from January 

2012 to July 2013. 

• Total cash remitted into the Federation 

accounts in relation to crude oil 

liftings was $50.81bn and NOT $47bn 

as earlier stated by the Reconciliation 

Committee for the period from January 

2012 to July 2013. 

• NNPC has provided information 

on the difference leading to a potential 

excess remittance of $0.74 billion (without 

considering expected remittances 

from NPDC). Other indirect costs of 

$2.81 billion which were not part of the 

submission to the Senate Committee 

hearing have been defrayed to arrive 

at this position. 

• The resulting potential excess remittance 

indicates that the Corporation 

operates an unsustainable model. Forty 

six percent (46%) of proceeds of domestic 

crude oil revenues for the review 

period was spent on operations and 

subsidies. The Corporation is unable to 

sustain monthly remittances to the Federation 

Account Allocation Committee 

(FAAC), and also meet its operational 

costs entirely from the proceeds of domestic 

crude oil revenues, and have had 

to incur third party liabilities to bridge 

the funding gap. Furthermore, the review 

period recorded international 

crude oil prices averaging $122.5 per 

barrel (Average Platts prices for 2012). 

As at the time of concluding this report, 

international crude oil prices average 

about $46.07 per barrel2, which is about 

sixty two percent (62%) reduction when 

compared to the crude oil prices for the 

review period. If the NNPC overhead 

costs and subsidies are maintained (assuming 

crude oil production volumes 

are maintained), the corporation may 

have to exhaust all the proceeds of domestic 

crude oil sales, and may still require 

third party liabilities to meet costs 

of operations and subsidies, and may 

not be able to make any remittances to 

FAAC. 

• We therefore recommend that the 

NNPCmodel of operationmust be urgently 

reviewed and restructured, as 

the current model which has been in 

operation since the creation of the Corporation 

cannot be sustained. 

• The report reflects the fact that $3.38 

billion was spent on DPK subsidy for 

the review period. 

We also confirmed using third party 

vessel tracking platforms that all vessels 

carrying NNPC cargoes arrived in 

Nigeria within the periods disclosed by 

PPPRA. 

•A major consideration centers on 

the ownership of oil and gas assets controlled 

by NPDC. 

Subject to additional information being 

provided, we estimate that the 

NNPC and NPDC should refund to the 

Federation Account a minimum of 

$1.48 billion as summarised in the next 

page. 

• A determination is required as to 

whether all, or a portion of other costs 

not directly attributable to crude oil 

operations can be defrayed by NNPC. 

We did not have access to NPDC’s 

full accounts and records and we have 

not ascertained the amount of costs and 

expenses which should be applied to 

the US$5.11 billion crude oil revenue 

(net of royalties and PPT paid) per the 

NPDC submission to the Senate Committee 

which should be considered as 

dividend payment by NPDC to NNPC 

for ultimate remittance to the Federation 

Account. 

• Between 12 January and 29 January 

2015, NNPC provided transaction 

documents representing additional 

costs of $2.81 billion related to the review 

period, citing the NNPC Act LFN 

No 33 of 1977 that allows such deductions. 

Clarity is required on whether 

such deductions should be made by 

NNPC as a first line charge, before remitting 

the net proceeds of domestic 

crude to the federation accounts. If these 

are deemed not to be valid deductions, 

then the amount due from NNPC 

would be estimated at $2.07 billion 

(without considering expected known 

remittances from NPDC) or $4.29 billion 

(if expected known remittances 

from NPDC are considered). 

• The Corporation provided details 

of expenses to the tune of $12.97 billion 

related to the review period, funded 

from the proceeds of domestic crude 

oil revenues. 

•The Corporation represented that 

the potential excess remittance of $0.74 

billion was funded from proceeds of 

PMS sales for which the suppliers of 

the PMS are yet to be paid in cash or 

crude oil. As at the time of concluding 

this report, details of the affected suppliers 

that funded this potential excess 

remittance are yet to be provided by 

the Corporation. 

• The analysis above and resulting 

potential excess remittance suggest the 

existence of liabilitiesto third parties 

incurred by the Corporation.We recommend 

the Corporation be required todisclose 

details of all existing liabilities 

and impact on proceeds of future crude 

oil sales. 

• The Corporation is expected to 

operate in accordance with the NNPC 

Act LFN No 33 of 1977 which states in 

Chapter 320 Part I subsection 7(4) as 

follows: 

“The Corporation shall maintain a fund 

which shall consist of- 

(a) such moneys as may from time to time 

be provided by the Federal Government for 

the purposes of this Act by way of grants or 

loans or otherwise howsoever; and (b) such 

moneys as may be received by the Corporation 

in the course of its operations or in relation 

to the exercise by the Corporation of 

any of its functions under this Act, and from 

such fund there shall be defrayed all expenses 

incurred by the Corporation.” 

Accordingly, all the Corporations 

costs, and those of its loss making subsidiaries 

have been defrayed in the 

analysis provided by the Corporation 

for the review period. However, the 

profit making subsidiaries and dividends 

received have been excluded 

from the analysis provided. This suggests 

that there are other sources of net 

revenues available to the Corporation 

not currently disclosed. A proper estimate 

of the actual potential excess re-

THE NATION TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 3 

frustrated forensic report on missing $20b, by PwC 

* NNPC Towers, Abuja. 

mittance/under-remittance can only be 

arrived at if all revenues and all costs 

of the Corporation and all its subsidiaries 

are accounted for in a consolidated 

position. A detailed review of this 

was beyond the scope of our mandate. 

We therefore recommend that 

NNPC be required to disclose the consolidated 

position of the Group and its 

subsidiaries, and expected remittances 

to the Federation accounts be determined 

from the available consolidated 

net revenues. Furthermore, the nature 

of costs that are allowable should be 

pre-determined by all relevant parties. 

We also recommend that the NNPC 

act be reviewed as the content contradicts 

the requirement for NNPC to be 

run as a commercially viable entity. It 

appears the act has given the Corporation 

a “Blank” cheque to spend money 

without limit or control. This is untenable 

and unsustainable and must be addressed 

immediately. The Corporation 

should be required to create value, and 

meet its expenses entirely from the value 

created. Proceeds from the FGN’s 

crude oil sales should be remitted entirely 

to the Federation accounts. Commisions 

for the Corporation services 

can then be paid based on agreed terms. 

Comments 

(I). We did not obtain any information 

directly from NPDC, but in accordance 

with NPDC former Managing 

Director’s (Mr Briggs Victor) submission 

to the Senate Committee hearing 

on the subject matter, for the period, 

NPDC generated $5.11billion (net of 

royalties and petroleum profits tax 

paid). 

We have relied on the legal opinion 

provided to the Senate Committee by 

the Attorney-General (AG) on the subject 

of the transfers of various NNPC 

(55%) portion of Oil Leases (OMLs) involved 

in the Shell (SPDC) Divestments 

which impact crude oil flows in the 

period. The AG’s opinion indicated that 

these transfers were within the authority 

of the Minister to make. Thus, these 

assets were validly transferred to 

NPDC. The same AG’s legal opinion 

also indicated that NPDC was to make 

payments for Net Revenue (dividend) 

to NNPC, which should ultimately be 

remitted to the Federation Account. A 

sale will mean the following should be 

due to be remitted to the Federation accounts 

1. Petroleum Profit Taxes (PPT) 

2. Royalties 

3. Signature bonus payment 

4. Dividend from profit for the period 

(according to dividend declared in 

line with NPDC’s dividend policy) 

We have not obtained any information 

that suggests that NPDC has been 

assessed for PPT and Royalty for the 

review period. However, as disclosed 

by the former MD of NPDC at the senate 

hearing, NPDC had done a self assessment 

of PPT and Royalty and had 

unpaid self assessed PPT and Royalty 

to the tune of $0.47 billion related to the 

review period. 

In January 2015 (subsequent to our 

initial reported conclusions), we were 

availed with copies of Deeds of Assignment 

for OML’s 26,30,40,42.We were 

not provided with copies of Deeds of 

Assignment for OML’s 4,38,41,34.We 

were also provided with information 

which indicated that the various NNPC 

(55%) portion of Oil leases (OMLs) involved 

in the Shell Divestments related 

to the eight (8) OML’s aforestated, 

were transferred to NPDC for an aggregate 

Sum of US$1.85billion. So far, 

only the amount of US$100m had been 

remitted in relation to these assets. This 

means that the amount of 

US$1.75billion is yet to be remitted in 

relation to this transfer. In addition, by 

a comparison of the aggregate amount 

of US$1.85billion determined by DPR 

as the transfer value , and the (arm’s 

length) commercial value paid for by 

3rd parties for between 30% to 45% divested 

by Shell, we arrive at an estimated 

Alternative Commercial Valuation 

of US$3.4 billion for the NNPC 55%. 

The point here is that while we appreciate 

that this is a government entity to 

government entity transaction, we had 

expected a transfer basis higher than 

the US$1.85 billion commercial value 

determined by DPR. We have not performed 

a professional valuation and 

therefore recommend that the valuation 

done by DPR be re-assessed. 

NNPC explained that these OML 

transfers were in the bid to encourage 

local participation in the Nigerian upstream 

Oil and Gas Industry. 

We also expect that NPDC should 

remit dividends to NNPC and ultimately 

the Federation Accounts, based on 

NPDC’s dividend policy and declaration 

of dividend for the review period. 

We did not have access to NPDC’s full 

accounts and records and we have not 

ascertained the amount of costs and 

expenses which should be applied to 

the US$5.11 billion crude oil revenue 

(net of royalties and PPT paid) per the 

NPDC submission to the Senate Committee 

hearing in order to arrive at the 

Net Revenue (in line with the AG’s 

opinion), which should be subjected to 

dividend remittance.We are also not 

aware that NPDC declared dividend 

for the review period. 

These matters need to be followed 

up for final resolution in terms of the 

NPDC Net Revenue (dividend) for 

crude oil relating to the transfers, PPT 

and royalty unremitted, and the transfer 

price valuation and remittance. 

(II). We determined from information 

obtained from PPPRA that $3.38 

billion relating to DPK subsidy cost was 

incurred by the NNPC for the review 

period.We obtained a letter, dated 19 

October 2009 written by the Principal 

Secretary to the President, to the National 

Security Adviser (The following 

were in copy: Honourable Minister for 

Petroleum Resources, Honourable 

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, 

Group Managing Director 

NNPC, and the Executive Secretary 

PPPRA), confirming a Presidential directive 

of 15 June 2009 instructing that 

subsidy on DPK be stopped (Exhibit 

D7).We also obtained a letter dated 16 

December 2010 from the Executive Secretary 

PPPRA to the CBN Governor 

clarifying that PPPRA had ceased 

granting subsidy on Kerosene since the 

Presidential directive of 15 June 2009 

(Exhibit D8). 

Furthermore, Kerosene subsidy was 

not appropriated for in the 2012 and 

2013 FGN budget. 

However, the Presidential directive 

was not gazetted and there has been 

no other legal instrument cancelling the 

subsidy on DPK. 

In a Presidential media chat on 24 

February 2014, the President and Commander-in-Chief 

of the Armed Forces 

of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President 

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, asserted 

that kerosene subsidies have not 

been disallowed. 

We therefore recommend that an official 

directive be written to support the 

legality of the kerosene subsidy costs. 

This should also be followed by adequate 

budgeting and appropriation for 

the costs. 

Other Findings 

• For the period reviewed, we identified 

possible errors in the computation 

of crude oil prices at the NNPC that 

resulted in a $3.6 million shortfall in 

incomes to the Federation account. The 

major beneficiaries were Fujairah Refinery 

- $805,545, NNPC (KRPC/ 

WRPC) – $697,995 and NNPC (COMD) 

- $2,107,275. Subsequent to our identification 

of this issue, NNPC has amended 

the errors, and have reflected the 

amendments in the remittances to 

FAAC in October 2014. 

• Our review of the DPK sales process 

revealed that NNPC sells DPK to 

bulk DPK marketers in Nigeria at 

N40.90 per litre at a location on the 

coastal waterways (off shore Lagos). 

The expected/official regulated retail 

price of DPK in Nigeria is N50 per litre. 

This retail price of N50 comprises 

the Ex-depot price of N34.51 and aMargin 

of N15.49. NNPC should be required 

to explain the reason for selling 

DPK at N40.90, rather than the regulated 

ex-depot price of N34.51. The 

Corporation should also be required to 

explain the reason for selling DPK to 

bulk DPK marketers at a location on 

the coastal waterways (off shore Lagos) 

rather than at the in-country depots. 

•The accounting and reconciliation 

system for crude oil revenues used by 

government agencies appear to be inaccurate 

and weak.We noted significant 

discrepancies in data from different 

sources. The lack of independent 

audit and reconciliation led to over reliance 

on data produced from NNPC. 

This matter is further compounded by 

the lack of independence within NNPC 

as the business has conflicting interests 

of being a stand-alone self-funding entity 

and also the main source of revenue 

to the Federation account. 

(2.2). Our approach to this mandate 

• It is important to note that although 

PwC has reviewed documents submitted 

by the key stakeholders involved, 

our work was conducted independently, 

and our findings are based on the 

review of documentation, analytical 

reviews of data, and interviews conducted. 

• Due to this approach, our findings 

and the way we presented them in this 

report may not necessarily reflect the 

formats of the various submissions 

made by the different stakeholders. 

• In certain instances where we were 

not provided with information or access 

to key stakeholders (Section 6.3.2 ) 

we leveraged on external and available 

sources of information to reach our 

conclusions. These external and available 

sources of information are clearly 

highlighted in the relevant sections of 

this report. 

• Any information and/or documentation 

which may come to our attention 

subsequent to the date of this 

report may alter our findings. 

• We have also listed some of the limitations 

to our scope in Section 3.2. 

•The procedures performed and specific 

limitations to scope are also discussed 

under thevarious work stream 

sections. 

•Based on specific instructions from 

the Auditor General for the Federation, 

we returned to do additional work, after 

NNPC had represented that our initial 

process did not provide an opportunity 

for formal discussions of our 

findings with top management, in the 

form of an exit interview. 

• With the exception of the Deputy 

Group Managing Director/Group Executive 

Director Finance and Accounts 

of NNPC, the Auditor-General for the 

Federation, and the Honourable Minister 

of Petroleum Resources, we have 

not discussed the findings of this report 

with any stakeholder. 

•Our work was split into two work 

streams as follows; 

(1). We estimated how much revenue 

is due to the FGN from crude oil 

liftings; and (2). We reconciled the revenues 

due to the FGN against the actual 

cash received by the federation. 

• Our findings and conclusions considered 

the impact of some matters 

which require legal opinion to be 

sought by the FGN. 

PwC estimated revenue from crude 

oil lifting ($69.34 billion) This is the total 

amount of revenue from crude oil 

liftings during the review period, after 

increasing A by the adjustments in B. 

(D) Direct Costs ($2.65 billion) 

This represents the total expenses 

incurred and/deducted directly by 

NNPC (from crude oil revenues) where 

supporting documents were provided 

to PwC. 

Source: PPMC’s Schedule of Costs, 

Reconciliations signed off by traders 

and NNPC, PwC Analysis 

These costs relate to amounts incurred 

by NNPC (and its subsidiaries) 

in executing its mandate. We observed 

that there were documents supporting 

these expenses. 

For the purpose of this report, PwC 

has included these expenses as verified, 

andtreated them as legitimately incurred 

in the process of the Corporation 

executing its mandate. 

(E) This represents the revenues due 

to NPDC from crude oil sale for the 

period from January 2012 to July 2013. 

The balances used in this analysis were 

obtained from the submissions made 

by the former MD of NPDC Mr Victor 

Briggs, during the Senate Committee 

hearings.We could not find proof or 

evidence that these revenues were remitted 

by NPDC/NNPC into the Federation 

Accounts Verified costs (NPDC 

yet to complete payment for assigned 

assets). 

It is important to note that the relationship 

between NNPC and NPDC as 

itrelates to OMLs 30, 34, 40, 26, 4, 38, 

41, 42 controlled by NPDC, is a key limitation 

to our scope.We had no access 

to NPDC management; our work relied 

on discussions with NNPC management 

(Section 6.3.2) and review of 

submissions to the senate (Exhibit A1). 

From our reviews of the NNPC Act 

(section 6(1 c & d)), we noted that the 

Corporation is empowered: 

(c) to enter into contracts or partnerships 

with any company, firm or person 

which in the opinion of the Corporation 

will facilitate the discharge of the said duties 

under this Act; 

(d) to establish and maintain subsidiaries 

for the discharge of such functions as the 

Corporation may determine; 

Sections 6(1c & d) are critical to establishing 

the nature of sale of these OMLs. 

We have analysed these as follows: 

Factors supporting a sale 

(1). NPDC paid taxes and royalties 

with a total of $1.7 billion.We have not 

been able to establish the assets on 

which these taxes and royalties were 

paid. However, the practice of payment 

of these statutory deductions suggests 

that the revenues from the related assets 

belong to the company. According 

to NPDC’s submission at the senate 

hearing, NPDC has not been assessed 

for royalty and PPT for the review period 

by DPR and FIRS respectively. The 

Company made part payments based 

on estimates. 

(2). Existence of a Deed of Assignment: 

As part of our work, we were informed 

of a document (Deed of Assignment) 

that transferred the assets from 

NNPC to NPDC.We were availed with 

copies of Deeds of Assignment for 

OML’s 26,30,40,42.We were not provided 

with copies of Deeds of Assignment 

for OML’s 4,38,41,34. 

(3). An outright sale to NPDC means 

that NPDC would be expected to make 

a payment to the Federation accounts 

for procuring the asset. 

DPR assigned a total value of $1.85 

billion dollars as reasonable amounts 

•Continued on page 7

4 THE NATION TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 

NEWS 

•A member of the Indian Air Force carries a Nepalese child in Saturday’s earthquake to a waiting ambulance in Kathmandu…yesterday. 

Mimiko gets new deputy as Ondo House sacks Olanusi 

Continued from page 1 

was floored by Gen. Buhari. 

Olanusi later explained that he 

had been having a raw deal with 

his boss who defected from the 

Labour Party (LP) where they 

both were to the PDP without informing 

him. 

Last week, the House of Assembly 

directed the Chief Judge 

to raise a panel to probe the allegations 

against Olanusi, who insisted 

that he was never served 

the impeachment notice. 

The panel sat for a few hours 

and sent a report, which the 

House accepted yesterday, impeaching 

Olanusi and approving 

Mimiko’s recommendation 

of Alhaji Lassisi Oluboyo, the 

Commissioner for Agriculture, 

as deputy governor. 

The lawmakers impeached 

Olanusi following a recommendation 

of a report submitted by 

the seven-man panel, headed by 

retired Magistrate Olatunji Adeniyan, 

which was constituted 

by Chief Judge Olasehinde Kumuyi 

to investigate the seven allegations 

levelled against Olanusi. 

The report submitted by the 


ficials – said the oil giant 

should have refunded $4.29billion. 

Besides, the report opened a 

can of worms, returning a 

damning verdict on NNPC’s 

operations. 

The Nigeria Petroleum Development 

Corporation (NPDC), 

according to the auditors, was 

hostile. It made its job difficult. 

Petroleum Minister Mrs Diezani 

Alison-Madueke said last 

week that $1.48billion was unremitted, 

adding that the 

NPDC was already returning 

cash. 

The NNPC, said the report, 

was making deductions in its 

revenue before remitting funds 

to the treasury. 

PwC stated: “Clarity is required 

on whether such deductions 

should be made by NNPC 

as a first line charge, before remitting 

the net proceeds of domestic 

crude to the federation 

accounts. If these are deemed 

not to be valid deductions, then 

the amount due from NNPC 

would be estimated at $2.07 billion 

(without considering expected 

known remittances from 

NPDC) or $4.29 billion (if expected 

known remittances from 

NPDC are considered).” 

PwC came to this conclusion 

because between 12 January 

and 29 January 2015, the audit 

firm confirmed that “NNPC 

panel to Speaker Jumoke Akindele 

reads: “Placing reliance on 

the meaning of gross misconduct 

as defined in Section 188 

(11) of the Constitution of the 

Federal Republic of Nigeria, 

1999 as amended, we hereby 

The multi-billion dollar NNPC fraud, by auditors 

Impeachment can’t stand, says APC 

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday 

rejected the impeachment of Ondo 

State Deputy Governor Ali Olanusi. 

It said the process leading to his removal violated 

provisions of the impeachment clause in 

the 1999 Constitution. 

The party said the House of Assembly’s action 

was in disobedience of a court order which 

asked all parties to maintain the status quo in a 

suit the deputy governor filed challenging the 

plot to impeach him. 

The party’s National Vice Chairman in charge 

of SouthWest, Chief Pius Akinyelure, faulted 

Olanusi’s impeachment, noting that the decision 

of the Assembly, which he said acted as 

Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s rubber stamp, 

would not stand. 

Akinyelure described the impeachment as a 

mockery of constitutional order, which he said 

Mimiko and members of the Assembly swore 

to uphold. 

find that the allegations of gross 

misconduct levelled against the 

Ondo State Deputy Governor 

are established.” 

Majority Leader Olugbenga 

Akinsoyinu moved the motion 

for Olanusi’s impeachment. It 

provided transaction documents 

representing additional 

costs of $2.81 billion related to 

the review period, citing the 

NNPC Act LFN No 33 of 1977 

that allows such deductions”. 

PwC said it did not have access 

to NPDC’s full accounts 

and records “and we have not 

ascertained the amount of costs 

and expenses which should be 

applied to the $5.11billion crude 

oil revenue (net of royalties and 

PPT paid) per the NPDC submission 

to the Senate Committee 

which should be considered 

as dividend payment by NPDC 

to NNPC for ultimate remittance 

to the Federation Account.” 

There were suggestions that 

the NNPC cooked the books. 

The oil giant, the audit firm 

said, “provided information on 

the difference leading to a potential 

excess remittance of 

$0.74 billion (without considering 

expected remittances from 

NPDC). Other indirect costs of 

$2.81billion, which were not 

part of the submission to the 

Senate Committee hearing have 

been defrayed to arrive at this 

position.” 

In its comments section, PwC 

noted that it did not obtain any 

information directly from 

NPDC, “but in accordance with 

NPDC former Managing Director’s 

(Mr Briggs Victor’s) submission 


hearing on the subject matter, 

for the period, NPDC generated 

$5.11billion (net of royalties 

and petroleum profits tax 

paid).” 

As a result, PwC said it relied 

on the legal opinion provided 

to the Senate Committee by the 

Attorney General (AG), Mr Bello 

Adoke “on the subject of the 

transfers of various NNPC 

(55%) portion of Oil leases 

(OMLs) involved in the Shell 

(SPDC) Divestments which impact 

crude oil flows in the period. 

The AG’s opinion indicated 

that these transfers were 

within the authority of the minister 

to make.” 

If this is true, PwC believes 

“these assets were validly transferred 

to NPDC. The same AG’s 

Legal Opinion also indicated 

that NPDC was to make payments 

for Net Revenue (dividend) 

to NNPC, which should 

ultimately be remitted to the 

Federation Account.” 

Some of the limitations encountered 

by the auditing firm, 

which affected its findings, 

were: 

•inavailability of NPDC personnel 

to provide information 

on its processes; 

•non-response of NPDC to 

request for detailed breakdown 

of the crude oil assets transferred 

to NPDC; 

•volume of allocations to 

Strategic Alliance Partners per 

partner and list of receiving 

banks; 

Wale Ajetunmobi and Leke Akeredolu, Akure 

He said despite the decision of a High Court 

sitting in Akure, that all parties should maintain 

the status quo until the substantive suit 

is determined, the House went ahead to impeach 

the deputy governor. 

He said the House of Assembly committed 

three infractions to the 1999 Constitution in 

the process of removing the deputy governor, 

who had travelled out of the country for medical 

check-up before the impeachment procedures 

started. 

He cited the violation of Section 188(2) (b) 

of the 1999 Constitution, stipulating that the 

Speaker of the House of Assembly “shall, 

within seven days of the receipt of the notice 

of impeachment, cause a copy of the notice to 

be served on the holder of the office and on 

each member of the House of Assembly and 


was seconded by Deputy Majority 

Leader Oyebo Aladetan. 

Speaker Akindele thereafter 

put the motion to the House and 

all the 22 lawmakers at the plenary 

voted in favour of impeach- 


‘I’m ready for probe after tenure’ 


Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, 

the President said he is not 

afraid of any investigation 

after leaving office. 

He noted that investigations 

will not be out of place 

since Jonathan’s Administration 

also reviewed the actions 

of previous governments on 

assumption of office. 

He said: “As Alhaji Mohammed 

threatened in his 

statement, the incoming administration 

will be perfectly 

within its rights to review 

all actions of the present government 

as it may deem fit. 

“We see nothing wrong 

with that. After all, the 

present Administration reviewed 

the actions of previous 

governments on assumption 

of office with resultant 

benefits for policy and project 

implementation.” 

Abati added that President 

Jonathan ordered the immediate 

release of the report of 

PriceWaterCooper’s investigations 

into the alleged unremitted 

$20 billion to the Federation 

account by the Nigerian 

National Petroleum Corporation 

(NNPC). 

He said: “President 

Jonathan is also deeply concerned 

by the continuing suggestions 

that his administration 

still has anything to hide 

about the unproven allegation 

that about $20billion is 

unaccounted for by the 

NNPC during his tenure. 

“To lay the matter to rest, 

President Jonathan in line 

with Section 7(2) of the 

NNPC Act, has directed that 

the full report of the PWC 

Forensic Audit of the NNPC 

accounts be released immediately 

to the public so that 

all Nigerians will be properly 

informed on the matter.” 

Denying the allegations 

by Mohammed, Abati said: 

“We have noted with concern 

the allegation by the 

spokesman of the All Progressives 

Congress (APC), 

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that 

officials of the Federal Government 

are engaged in 

“last minute looting of the 

nation’s resources, rushed 

privatisation of key institutions 

and hurried recruitment 

into the public service”. 

“We also consider as most 

unfortunate and uncharitable, 

the suggestion by Alhaji 

Mohammed that the 

Jonathan Administration is 

trying to ‘tie the hands’ of 

the incoming government 

merely by continuing to discharge 

its constitutional responsibilities 

until the end 

of its tenure.” 

“The Jonathan Administration 

which continues to 

do its best to ensure a 

smooth and peaceful handover 

of power to the President-elect, 

General Muhammadu 

Buhari, deeply regrets 

the unfairness and 

combative frame of mind reflected 

in Alhaji Mohammed’s 

statement.” 

According to him, President 

Jonathan has done his 

best in the past five years to 

discharge his constitutional 

responsibilities for good 

governance and effective 

leadership of the nation. 

Abati said: “Without any 

prejudice whatsoever to the 

freedom of the incoming administration 

to do as it pleases, 

within the confines of extant 

laws when it assumes office, 

the Jonathan Administration 

will continue to discharge 

its responsibility to govern 

until May 29, 2015. 

“In continuing to fulfil the 

obligations of his office however, 

President Jonathan has 

not, and will never condone 

any form of unscrupulous 

conduct on the part of state officials.” 

He maintained that President 

Jonathan will never authorise 

any attempt to create 

any problems for the incoming 

administration, stressing 

that the outcome of the March 

28 presidential elections does 

not imply a cessation of governance. 

•account numbers and bank 

statements for NPDC crude 

proceeds. 

“We encountered some limitations 

in the course of executing 

some aspects of our scope 

of work. The key limitations 

were: Unavailability of relevant 

NPDC personnel to provide information 

on the NPDC’s processes 

particularly around its 

operations, business objectives 

and internal accounting/financial 

reporting, etc; change of 

management at NPDC during 

the course of the engagement, 

which further contributed to 

our inability to successfully obtain 

responses to our request for 

information; non-response of 

NPDC to our request letter, 

which meant that we weren’t 

provided with the following 

requests: 

•Detailed breakdown of the 

crude oil assets transferred to 

NPDC. 

•Terms of divestment and 

contract documents involving 

the assets taken over. 

•Strategic Alliance agreements 

between NPDC and 

counterparties. 

•Monthly volume allocations 

to Strategic Alliance Partners 

per partner. 

•Monthly balance of NPDC 

crude over-lifts by Strategic Alliance 

partners. 

•List of receiving banks, account 

numbers and bank statements 

for NPDC crude proceeds.” 

The report added: “We did 

not have access to NPDC’s full 

accounts and records and we 

have not ascertained the 

amount of costs and expenses 

which should be applied to the 

$5.11billion Crude Oil revenue 

(net of royalties and PPT paid) 

per the NPDC submission to 

the Senate Committee which 

should be considered as dividend 

payment by NPDC to 

NNPC for ultimate remittance 

to the Federation Account.” 

The firm said working with 

the documents made available 

to it, it established that the gross 

revenues generated from Federal 

Government’s crude oil liftings 

was $69.34bn and not $67 

billion as stated by the Reconciliation 

Committee for the period 

from January 2012 to July 

2013. 

It also found out that the cash 

remitted into the Federation 

Accounts in relation to crude oil 

liftings was $50.81bn and not 

$47b as stated by the Reconciliation 

Committee. It said this 

amount was arrived at because 

“ (Nigerian National Petroleum 

Corporation) NNPC has provided 

information on the difference 

leading to a potential excess 

remittance of $0.74 billion 

(without considering expected 

remittances from NPDC). Other 

indirect costs of $2.81billion, 

which were not part of the submission 


hearing, have been defrayed 

to arrive at this 

position.” 

The report observed that the 

“resulting potential excess remittance 

indicates that the Corporation 

operates an unsustainable 

model”. 

The report states that “the 

Corporation is unable to sustain 

monthly remittances to the Federation 

Account Allocation 

Committee (FAAC), and also 

meet its operational costs entirely 

from the proceeds of domestic 

crude oil revenues, and have 

had to incur third party liabilities 

to bridge the funding gap. 

Furthermore, the review period 

recorded international crude oil 

prices averaging $122.5 per barrel 

(Average Platts prices for 

2012). As at the time of concluding 

this report, international 

crude oil prices average about 

$46.07 per barrel, which is about 

sixty two percent (62%) reduction 

when compared to the 

crude oil prices for the review 

period. If the NNPC overhead 

costs and subsidies are maintained 

(assuming crude oil production 

volumes are maintained), 

the corporation may 

have to exhaust all the proceeds 

of domestic crude oil sales, and 


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08023006969, 

08052592524


NEWS 

$370m Abacha money traced to Luxembourg 

Presidency denies 

recalling envoys 

From Augustine Ehikioya, 

Abuja 

HE Presidency has denied 

recalling Nigeria’s 

Charge De Af- Tfairs to South Africa over the 

xenophobic attacks in the 

country. 

The Special Adviser on Media 

and Publicity, Dr. Reuben 

Abati, in a statement, said 

there was a mix up and misinformation 

on the matter. 

He said the Charge 

d’Affaires was only invited 

by the Ministry of Foreign 

Affairs for routine consultation. 

He said: “It is not true that 

Nigeria has recalled its envoy 

in South Africa on account of 

recent xenophobic attacks in 

that country. 

“There is a mix up and misinformation 

on the matter. 

The truth is that Nigeria has 

not recalled his envoy from 

South Africa. 

“What has been done is to 

invite the Charge D’Affaires 

in that country for routine 

consultation by the Ministry 

of Foreign Affairs. 

“Recall of envoy is a serious 

and sensitive matter that 

has not happened.” 

HE Federal Government, 

through the Federal 

Capital Territory T(FCT) Administration, has honoured 

eminent Nigerians 

and other accomplished Africans 

by naming major streets 

in Abuja as well as expressways 

and roads after them. 

FCT Minister Senator Bala 

Mohammed said this yesterday 

during the FCT Executive 

Committee meeting held at 

his Life Camp, Gwarinpa official 

residence. 

Mohammed named those 

who were honoured with 

street naming as including 

• Swiss govt closes door to looters 

From Tony Akowe, Abuja 

troversy. Now, it is not possible 

to deposit money in Switzerland 

because of legal origin. 

“Before now, the bank had to 

prove that the money was legal. 

But now, before you deposit 

money in any Swiss bank, you 

have to prove that you have 

earned that money legally. 

“If you are a wealthy businessman, 

you have money in 

billions legally, but if, for example 

as a journalist, you 

come to Switzerland with two 

million dollars and say you 

earned it because you did a 

very good job, nobody will 

believe you.” 

The ambassador said the Nigerian 

government and the 

Abacha family had sought legal 

assistance from the Swiss 

government to enable them 

retrieve the money, pointing 

out that the Swiss government 

offered legal assistance. 

Swiss government is directly 

involved since the money 

is not in a Swiss bank, he said. 

Saying he was not aware of 

HE Swiss government 

has closed its doors to 

Nigerians with ill-got- Tten wealth as they will now 

have to prove that the money 

they want to lodge in the country’s 

banks were legally 

earned. 

The Swiss Ambassador to 

Nigeria, Hans Rudolf Hodel, 

who broke the news after a 

meeting with President-elect 

Muhammadu Buhari, also 

said about $370 million of 

Abacha money had been 

traced by the Swiss government 

to an account in Luxembourg. 

Rudolf Hodel said in the past, 

the banks only needed to prove 

that the money deposited with 

them are legitimate, adding 

that depositors now need to 

prove that they acquired their 

money legally before they can 

be allowed to deposit money 

in any bank. 

He described the collaboration 

between Nigeria and the 

Swiss government in fighting 

corruption as a long standing 

issue, saying: “Our laws are 

there to help all countries 

which are fighting corruption. 

We will help this government. 

“If you remember, many 

years ago, we gave back the 

Abacha money to Nigeria. The 

situation in Switzerland has 

changed. The policy is no longer 

the same. In the past, people 

came to deposit money in Switzerland 

without too much conhave 

provided them with this 

information. It is not a classical 

case and we would have 

preferred a classical case where 

we can give the money back 

and make sure that it’s used in 

the interest of the people. Now 

it is up to the Nigerian government.” 

On what he discussed with 

Gen. Buhari, he said: ”Even if 

the relations are perfect, there 

is always room for improvement. 

Investors are looking 

towards Nigeria and it is a 

good example Nigeria gave to 

the world by its peaceful election. 

“I congratulate the presidentelect 

for this fantastic election, 

and indeed the whole Nigerian 

people, which has shown the 

world what they are capable 

of doing and with this election 

Nigeria has become an example 

not only to Africa but to 

the whole world on how elections 

can be conducted. I think 

Nigeria can be proud on the 

image of the country in the last 

few days and weeks. I, as ambassador, 

am proud to serve in 

this era.” 

The Cuban government has 

promised to collaborate with 

the incoming administration 

on health care delivery. Cubans 

are ready to share their 

experience in comprehensive 

health care delivery with Nigeria. 

The Cuban Ambassador to 

Nigeria, Carlos E. Trejo Sosa, 

said after a meeting with General 

Buhari that Nigeria is very 

dear to the people of Cuba, 

adding that: “Nigerians are in 

the root of Cuban nation. 

“More than 80% of people 

who came to Cuba in 19th century 

from Africa came from 

Nigeria, which means the 

blood running in the vein of 

Cuban nation is partially Nigerian 

blood. So, our coming 

here means we have come to 

the home of our forefather.” 

He said Cuba had achieved a 

lot in medicine, sports and 

others which are available for 

Nigerians in the last 15 years, 

pointing out that Cuba’s health 

care became one of the best in 

the world. 

Sosa said: “First of all, Cuba’s 

collaboration with African 

countries is not new and not 

difficult. If you remember a 

large number of Cuba people, 

who are doctors came to West 

Africa to fight Ebola, the first 

contingent of doctors. 

“We have doctors in almost 

all African countries, about six 

thousand Cuban doctors working 

in Africa. We also have 

about 50,000 doctors working 

in Latin America and in some 

other places, so it means that if 

necessary, as request by Nigerian 

government, we can come 

and share our experiences 

about the comprehensive system 

of health care. Cuba is not 

known to kill people but to 

prevent people from being 

sick.” 

The President-elect had earlier 

told Sosa, that his generation 

would continue to cherish 

the spectacular performance of 

Cuba’s revolutionary leaders 

- Che Geuevera and Fidel Castro 

- who he described as nationalist 

per excellence. 

He said he admired the 

unique social structure and 

system of the state, especially 

given the rapid development 

that has been achieved by the 

island nation, and expressed 

happiness at the restoration of 

normal ties between Cuba and 

the United States. 

Constitution amendment: Jonathan urges Supreme Court 

RESIDENT Goodluck From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja 

Jonathan has intensi- 

to stop Senate, Reps 

fied his effort to pre- Pvent the National Assembly 

from overriding his veto of 

the amendment effected on 

the Constitution by the National 

Assembly. 

The President, through the 

Attorney General of the Federation 

(AGF), has applied to 

the Supreme Court for an injunction 

restraining the lawmakers 

from acting on the 

amendment - the Fourth Alteration 

Act 2015 - pending the 

determination of an earlier 

suit he filed urging the court 

any Abacha money left in his 

country, the ambassador said: 

“Recently, there was another 

request by Nigeria to the Swiss 

authority to look for Abacha 

money and some amount has 

been found in an account, but 

in Luxembourg. That is now 

between the Abacha family 

and the government. They 

have tried to find a deal so that 

this money can also come 

back.” 

Asked how much was involved 

and when the money 

will be returned to Nigeria, 

Hodel said: “The recent one is 

$370 million. The Swiss government 

is not involved. The 

Nigerian government has 

asked for legal assistance. 

When the government makes 

a request to my government, 

we work together on it. But 

this case is different. 

“That is the Abacha family 

directly with the Nigerian government 

finding a deal. So, the 

Swiss government is not involved 

and the money is in 

Luxembourg. They have asked 

for legal assistance and we 

•The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund's pensioners protesting over non-payment of their arrears in Abuja...yesterday. PHOTO: NAN 

to declare the amendment unconstitutional. 

The President, in the substantive 

suit also filed by the 

AGF, argued that the purported 

Fourth Alteration Act 2015 

was not passed with the mandatory 

requirement of fourfifth 

majority of members of 

the National Assembly and 

the mandatory due processes 

provided for under the relevant 

sections of the Constitution. 

It is part of the President’s 

prayers in the main suit that 

the Supreme Court nullifies 

and sets aside sections 3, 4, 12, 

14, 21, 23, 36, 39, 40, 43 and 44 

of the Fourth Alteration Act, 

2015, purportedly passed by 

the National Assembly. 

In the fresh application for 

interlocutory injunction, the 

President prayed the Supreme 

Court to restrain the 

lawmakers from carrying 

through their threat to override 

his veto, even with the 

pendency of the substantive 

suit. 

Fed Govt names Abuja streets after Jonathan, Sambo, Atiku, others 

From Gbenga Omokhunu 

and Grace Obike, Abuja 

President Goodluck Jonathan; 

Vice President Namadi Sambo; 

former Vice President 

Atiku Abubakar; the late 

former Senate President Dr. 

Chuba Okadigbo; former 

Speaker of House of Representatives 

and Katsina State governor-elect 

Aminu Bello Masari; 

former Chief Justice of the 

Federation Justice Dahiru 

Musdapha; business moguls 

Femi Otedola, Aliko Dangote; 

and several others. 

The soon-to-be commissioned 

Inner Southern Expressway, 

which dissects Abuja 

city centre, was named after 

Jonathan. The longest Wuye 

district boulevard express 

road measuring 1,730 metres 

was named after Atiku. Another 

major road in the same 

district was named after Sambo. 

According to a statement by 

the Special Assistant on Media 

to the Minister, Nosike 

Ogbuenyi, other prominent 

personalities also honoured 

by naming streets after them 

in Asokoro extension district 

include former Secretary General 

of the United Nations Mr. 

Kofi Anan; the late South African 

anti-Apartheid activist, 

late Walter Sisulu; former President 

of Sudan Gaafar al- 

Nimeiry; the late former Minister 

of State for FCT, Prof. 

Miriam Ikejiani-Clark; former 

Chief Justice of the Federation 

Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi and 

16 others. 

Those having roads and 

streets named after them in 

Guzape district include 

former FCT Minister and Kaduna 

State Governor-elect 

Malam Nasir El-Rufai; the late 

former Inspector-General of 

Among the grounds on 

which he hinged the application 

was that the National Assembly 

was determined to 

proceed with passing the constitution 

by overriding the 

veto of same despite the fundamental 

nature of the issues 

raised against it. 

He stated that it was more 

in the interest of the country 

that the issues in the substantive 

suit be resolved one way 

or the other before the National 

Assembly can proceed 

further on the proposed alterations 

to the constitution. 

The applicant stated in a 

supporting affidavit that Minority 

Whip of the House of 

Representative, Samson Osagie, 

reportedly vowed at a 

news conference that the Legislature 

will override the 

President’s veto despite the 

suit. 

The applicant said the balance 

of convenience was in 

favour of the resolution of the 

suit before any further step 

could be taken on the Bill. 

No date is scheduled yet for 

hearing in the case. 

Police, Sunday Adewusi; 

former Science and Technology 

Minister Major-Gen. Sam 

Momah; the late former Special 

Duties Minister, Alhaji 

Wada Nas; the late former Attorney 

General of the Federation, 

Mr. Clement Akpamgbo; 

the incumbent FCT Minister 

and 60 others. 

The statement reads in part: 

“Some Nigerians who had 

distinguished themselves in 

various sporting activities 

were also among those honoured 

with Abuja streets 

named after them. 

“They include first Nigerian 

single Olympic gold medalist, 

Chioma Ajunwa; first 

Nigerian footballer to have 

scored in FIFA senior world 

cup competition, the late Rashidi 

Yekini; former world wrestling 

champion, late Power 

Mike Okpala; first Nigerian to 

win World Boxing title, Dick 

Tiger Ihetu; and the youngest 

Nigerian to play at the African 

Cup of Nations, Mr. 

Daniel Amokachi. They all 

had streets named after them 

in Wupa district.” 

Others personalities were 

also honoured in other parts 

of FCT.

6 

NEWS 

Tambuwal urges new legislators to 

make welfare of citizens priority 

PEAKER of the House of 

Representatives Aminu 

Tambuwal has said the Swelfare of the people should 

be the priority of the 8th National 

Assembly. 

According to him, this could 

only be achieved through people-oriented 

legislative responsibilities. 

Tambuwal spoke in Abuja on 

Sunday night at the induction 

of incoming federal legislators. 

He said the new members 

should strive to exceed the performance 

of the 7th Assembly, 

which passed 108 of the over 

481 Bills that were introduced 

on the floor of the House of 

Representatives since inauguration 

from June 2011. 

According to him, the House 

introduced a total of 825 motions 

of which 554 were referred 

to committees and another 

162 passed as resolutions. 

Saying that there was a huge 

challenge for the 8th Assembly 

to perform better than the 

outgoing Assembly, Tambuwal 

urged the lawmakers to aggressively 

pursue principles of 

good governance and work 

diligently to promote growth 

From Victor Oluwasegun 

and Dele Anofi, Abuja 

and development. 

He noted that the parliament 

was a critical component and 

necessary ingredient of democracy 

and good governance 

which requires the existence of 

a strong legislature. 

“It is time to promote national 

integration and participatory 

governance through inclusiveness, 

freedom, equality, 

Justice, transparency, accountability, 

the rule of law equitable 

use of the national resources 

and equal opportunities for 

all, in order to secure the maximum 

welfare, freedom and 

happiness of the citizenry. 

“These are core ingredients 

of good governance which every 

government, freely elected 

by the people, is expected 

to put into effect,” he added. 

In her remarks, the Director 

General, Nigerian Institute of 

Legislative Studies, Dr. Ladi 

Hamalai, said the induction 

course was to prepare the incoming 

legislators with the 

relevant tools required for the 

complex and daunting task of 

legislation and governance. 

NGE convention: Ajimobi, Kalu 

greet Adesina on re-election 

By Kelvin Osa-Okubor 

YO State Governor 

Abiola Ajimobi and 

former Abia State OGovernor Orji Kalu have described 

the re-election of Mr. 

Femi Adesina as the president 

of Nigeria Guild of Editors 

(NGE) as a reward for robust 

leadership and unwavering 

commitment to excellence in 

journalism. 

Ajimobi, in a congratulatory 

message in Ibadan yesterday 

by his Special Adviser on Media, 

Dr. Festus Adedayo, acknowledged 

that Adesina’s reelection 

was borne out of his 

noteworthy and commendable 

contributions to best journalism 

practice in the country in 

the last two years. 

“I am not surprised by Mr. 

Adesina’s re-election, having 

followed his activities and 

leadership style since he took 

up the mantle of leadership of 

the NGE two years ago. 

“He has exhibited uncommon 

commitment to the advancement 

of journalism and 

adherence to the ethics of the 

profession. Mr. Adesina has 

brought his gentlemanly personality 

and courteous approach 

to issues to his leadership, 

a feat that has paid off with 

his re-election,’’ the governor 

said. 

Ajimobi expressed the optimism 

that his leadership for 

another two years would further 

elevate journalism to an 

enviable standard and boost 

the image of the Guild. 

Kalu, who is the publisher of 

New Telegraph and The Sun, described 

the Adesina as a seasoned 

media professional, 

who has contributed immensely 

to journalism in Nigeria. 

He noted that the re-election 

of the managing director and 

Editor-in-Chief of The Sun as 

president of NGE was a testimony 

to the goodwill he had 

built among his colleagues and 

other stakeholders in the media 

industry. 

In a goodwill message by his 

Special Adviser, Kunle 

Oyewumi, Kalu said: “I extend 

my special regards to my colleague, 

Mr. Femi Adesina, 

who returned as NGE President 

unopposed. It is a clear 

indication that since he assumed 

office two years ago, he 

has been able to consolidate on 

the achievements of his predecessor 

in the interest of the association. 

I have no doubt that 

Mr. Adesina will continue to 

steer the ship of the body without 

bias so as to take the body 

to the promised land.” 

Makarfi backs Buhari on missing $20b 

HE Chairman of Senate 

Committee on Finance, 

Ahmed Mohammed TMakarfi, has supported the 

plan by the President-elect, 

Muhammadu Buhari, to investigate 

alleged missing $20 billion 

from the Nigerian National 

Petroleum Corporation 

(NNPC). 

Makarfi, who spoke with 

The Nation in Abuja yesterday, 

said the National Assembly 

has been kept in the dark over 

the forensic report undertaken 

by the PriceWaterHouse- 

Coopers on the missing oil 

money. 

According to him, following 

the release of the forensic report, 

the Senate Committee 

on Finance wrote the Auditor 

General of the Federation, the 

From Blessing Olaifa, 

Assistant Editor, Abuja 

Ministries of Finance and Petroleum 

to make the report 

available to the National Assembly. 

He said to the chagrin of the 

National Assembly members, 

the Ministries of Finance and 

Petroleum ignored the letters. 

He said it was regrettably 

that only the Auditor-General, 

Ukura Samuel, replied the 

letter by saying that he could 

only furnish the National Assembly 

with the report on the 

instruction of President Goodluck 

Jonathan or that the National 

Assembly, through the 

committee, should itself write 

the President requesting for a 

copy. 

HE Senate Minority 

Leader Senator George 

Akume said yesterday Tthat his concern is how to 

evolve a very strong and stable 

Senate. 

Also yesterday, Chairman 

Senate Committee on Public 

Accounts, Senator Ahmad Lawan 

(Yobe North), said the 

Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) 

may not be passed soon due 

to some of its controversial 

contents. 

Akume, who spoke with reporters 

in Abuja, said the Senate 

could not afford to fail in 

view of the enormous expectation 

of the people. 

He said he would not comment 

on his ambition to be 

Senate President in the 8th 

Senate, but would rather allow 

the will of God to be 

done. 

When asked to react to the 

fact that people were seeing 

him as the possible next Senate 

President, Akume said: 

“Basically, my concern is to 

work along with my colleagues 

for the purpose of 

having a very stable legislature 

- a legislature that is 

strong and independent 

enough and that is prepared 

to work for the benefit of the 

people. 

“Much is expected from us 


•Front row: President-elect Muhammadu Buhari (third right); Nasarawa State Governor Umaru Al-Makura (second left); Emir of Lafia 

Dr. Isa Mustafa (left), and others when the Nasarawa delegation visited the president-elect in Abuja...yesterday. PHOTO: NAN 

Mark faults Fed Govt over court action 

ENATE President David 

Mark yesterday criticised 

the Federal Gov- Sernment for taking the National 

Assembly before the Supreme 

Court over some sections 

of the Constitution 

Amendment Bill. 

The Federal Government 

had invoked the original jurisdiction 

of the Supreme Court 

to scuttle the ongoing amendment 

process of the 1999 Constitution 

by the National Assembly. 

The government claimed 

that the National Assembly did 

not comply with the constitutional 

procedure of altering the 

constitution before transmitting 

it to President Goodluck 

Jonathan for assent. 

Mark, who spoke while answering 

questions from reporters 

at the induction course for 

elected and returning federal 

lawmakers in Abuja, said he 

could not understand the rationale 

for the said suit. 

•Ekweremadu: we’ve not been served 

From Onyedi Ojiabor, 

Assistant Editor and Sanni 

Onogu, Abuja 

Mark said: “The President has 

taken a bill to the court and you 

heard people saying it is a bill 

at the moment, unless it is 

signed. I really don’t see why 

they are in court. But anybody 

can go to court. So, I can’t stop 

you from going to court, can 

I?” 

But, the Deputy Senate President, 

Ike Ekweremadu, said the 

National Assembly was not 

aware that the Presidency has 

taken the legislature to court 

over the Fourth Alteration to 

the constitution. 

Ekweremadu, who is the 

chairman, Senate Committee 

on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, 

said the National Assembly 

has not been served any 

court process regarding the 

constitution alteration. 

My concern for the Senate, by Akume 

•Lawan: why PIB may not be passed soon 

From Onyedi Ojiabor, 

Assistant Editor and Sanni 

Onogu, Abuja 

and we cannot afford to fail. I 

am not talking about the Senate’s 

presidency now. I just 

want to say that each senator 

is capable of presiding over 

affairs of the legislature. 

“I am a senator first and 

foremost and I know that anything 

can follow if it is the 

will of God.” 

Lawan said the PIB might 

not be passed soon unless its 

controversial provisions are 

removed. 

He said: “The PIB was left 

pending in the 6th and 7th Assembly 

and it will be left 

pending in the 8th Assembly, 

if it is not drafted properly. 

“There are so many contentious 

provisions or clauses in 

the PIB in the 7th Senate and 

we argued against the passage 

of the Bill provided those 

clauses remain in the Bill. I 

think the new government 

will have an opportunity to 

take a holistic look at the provisions 

and maybe achieve a 

compromise after horse-trading 

or make it a more pan- 

Nigerian bill, so that every 

Also yesterday, EKweremadu 

advised the Executive 

not to interfere in the election 

of presiding officers for both 

chambers of the National Assembly. 

He noted that all past efforts 

at imposing leadership on any 

arm of the National Assembly 

backfired. 

He urged newly elected 

lawmakers to respect the principle 

of ranking already established 

in both chambers as it 

would ultimately benefit 

them. 

Ekweremadu said: “The concept 

of leadership is the same 

everywhere and it is about 

positive influence, transformation 

and goal actualisation. 

Even within families and animals 

like ants, when they are 

moving, there is always a leader. 

“In the past, some Nigerians 

part of Nigeria will feel accommodated. 

“In the bill, so much power 

was given to the Minister of 

Petroleum Resources. We are 

not going to give the Minister 

of Petroleum such powers 

than the President has. 

“So, there are so many 

things against the bill. No 

matter what someone would 

say, we represent constituencies 

and senatorial districts. I 

account for my actions here 

in my senatorial district in 

Yobe and there is no way I 

can be part of the passage of 

PIB without getting some of 

these clauses that are controversial, 

that are anti my people 

reworked. 

“But I believe this time 

around because the All Progressives 

Congress (APC) is 

in control, there would be justice 

for everyone.” 

A senator-elect, Ben Murray 

Bruce, yesterday said there 

was need for the incoming 

government of the APC to 

begin a movement to protect 

the poor. 

He insisted that the major 

challenge in the polity is that 

people seek public office to 

enrich themselves. 

tried to impose principal officers 

on the NASS. We recall that 

when Ghali Na’Abba was having 

issues in the House, they 

were able to resolve it because 

there was no external influence, 

but we had a running 

battle with the Executive when 

Patricia Etteh was Speaker because 

of the support of the Executive 

and we saw what happened. 

“So, it is advisable to allow 

the legislators to elect their 

principal officers without interference. 

“In the NASS, we have laiddown 

provisions for principal 

officers and one is the issue of 

ranking. As a new legislator, 

you have to accept this 

provision that ranking officers 

are elected because tomorrow 

you may be a beneficiary, so it 

is good for this provision to be 

sacrosanct.” 

He added: “That must stop. 

When you seek public office 

you must care about the poor 

people who voted you into 

office. 

“The people who voted me 

into office live under the tree. 

The people who voted some 

of my colleagues into office 

live in the desert. Some live 

under the bridge like in Lagos 

and other cities. 

“So, they are poor they live 

on two dollars or one dollar 

a day. So, when we seek public 

office, our main concern is 

to protect, give them hope 

and make it possible for them 

to live. 

“When we come into office 

and we live this exorbitant 

lifestyle, then we have failed 

them.” 

On her part, Speaker of the 

Oyo State House of Assembly 

and Senator-elect, Monsurat 

Sunmonu, said she would 

champion issues concerning 

women empowerment during 

her stay in the Senate 

among others. 

She called for more opportunities 

for Nigerian women 

so they can perform like renowned 

women in other 

climes.


NEWS 

How NPDC frustrated forensic report on missing $20b, by PwC 

•Continued from page 3 

to be paid for the eight OML’s in consideration, 

out of which the Corporation 

had paid $100 million. 

An outright sale will also require dividend 

remittance by NPDC to NNPC 

(and thus the FGN), depending on the 

dividend policy of NPDC (NNPC is the 

sole owner of NPDC). See analysis of 

NPDC’s submission at the Senate hearing 

below: 

Analysis of NPDC submissions 

Description Amount ($). 

Total revenues from NPDC assets 

6,815,188,626. 

Total PPT paid (863,000,000). 

Total Royalties paid (838,991,619). 

Total revenues less payment already 

made 5,113,197,007. 

Senate hearing submissions, PwC 

analysis. 

Total amounts estimated to have 

been withheld by NPDC on assumption 

of a sale of the divested assets is 

$5.11 billion. 

(F). This reflects amounts deducted 

by NNPC as subsidy claims on PMS - 

$5.32 billion & DPK - $3.38 billion 

(Total $8.70 billion). 

These costs were verified based on 

documents received from PPPRA.We 

have however deducted the errors noted 

in these documents, before arriving 

at the verified amounts. 

Verified costs requiring legal opinion. 

The FGN should seek legal opinion 

on: 

(1). Legitimacy of DPK subsidy 

We were not provided with any document 

evidencing the Federal Government’s 

approval for the continuation of 

DPK subsidy. However, in a Presidential 

media chat on 24 February 2014, 

The President and Commander-in-Chief 

of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic 

of Nigeria, President Goodluck 

Ebele Jonathan, confirmed the Federal 

Government’s position, that the kerosene 

subsidies have not been disallowed. 

(2). NNPC’s right to deduct subsidy 

fromamounts due to the FGN for the 

sale of domestic crude, instead of retrospective 

claims done by othermarketers. 

The role of NNPC in the downstream 

sector is to refine petroleum 

products and subsequently sell to bulk 

traders and retailers. Due to the decline 

in local refining capacity and increased 

domestic consumption, NNPC has resorted 

to importing products to compensate 

for the shortfall. 

The FGN subsidises the cost of petroleum 

products imported or refined 

locally. Typical process preceding subsidy 

claims includes verification and 

certification by PPPRA of the product 

type, volume and specification of the 

imported or refined petroleum product 

before the subsidy is claimed and 

paid. 

NNPC (PPMC) does not claim subsidy 

retrospectively as done by other 

marketers. PPMC buys 445,000 bpd of 

domestic crude oil from the FGN. 

PPMC is expected to pay for the domestic 

crude oil three months after the 

purchase from the FGN. This period is 

to allow PPMC convert the crude oil to 

refined products, sell the refined products, 

and pay the FGN for the crude 

purchased, from the proceeds of sale 

of the refined products.However, 

NNPC (PPMC) sells the refined products 

at a subsidised amount, and pays 

the FGN for the crude purchased less 

subsidy incurred during the sale of the 

refined products. 

(G). Amount Due ($52.88 billion) 

Amount expected to be remitted to 

the Federation after deducting the total 

verified costs from the total revenues 

from crude lifting. i.e., C-D-E-F. 

(H). Other costs not directly attributable 

to domestic crude oil ($2.81billion) 

After the submission of our initial report 

to the Auditor-General of the Federation 

on 28 November 2014, these 

costs were brought to our attention by 

NNPC; stating that it had understated 

its costs in the submissions made to the 

Senate Committee and had not included 

all the costs defrayed from the proceeds 

of domestic crude revenue in 

meeting its mandate in accordance with 

the NNPC Act. These costs comprise 

•Finanace Minister Dr. NgoziOkonjo- 

Iweala 

of what was incurred by NNPC and its 

loss making subsidiaries. 

We obtained physical records of 

these costs and compared them to the 

Group’s accounting records on SAP. 

(I). Expected remittance ($50.07billion). 

This is the total amount of revenue 

expected in the Federation Account 

after deducting H from G. 

(4). Obtained from discussions with 

NNPC and Revenue Mobilisation and 

Fiscal Allocation Commission 

(J). NNPC Potential excess Remittance 

($0.74 billion).This amount represents 

the additional costs incurred by 

the Corporation and its subsidiaries not 

funded from the proceeds of domestic 

crude oil sale. The Corporation claims 

the potential excess remittance was 

funded from proceeds of PMS sales for 

which the suppliers of the PMS are yet 

to be paid in cash or crude oil Details of 

the affected suppliers that funded this 

potential excess remittance are yet to 

be provided by the Corporation. 

(K). Revenue remitted ($50.81billion) 

Total amount remitted as traced to 

the Federation Account. 

The sections below explain the differences 

in data submitted by the Reconciliation 

Committee and PwC data 

used in our analysis. We were not provided 

with the source of the data used 

by the Reconciliation Committee in arriving 

at its conclusions 

(2.4). Revenue Generated 

•$2.34 billion under-reported revenue 

generated 

The total revenue generated from our 

analysis of all crude oil revenue streams 

amounted to $69.34 billion. This was 

$2.34billion higher than the amount 

reported by the Reconciliation Committee. 

The difference was as a result of 

the following; 

(A). FIRS – Data received from both 

COMD and FIRS put revenue generated 

from FIRS tax oil lifting at $16 billion 

which is $1 billion higher than the 

amount quoted by the Reconciliation 

Committee. 

(B). NPDC – Information submitted 

by NPDC to the Senate Committee stated 

total revenue generated from lifting 

at $6.82 billion. This is $0.82 billion higher 

than the Senate Reconciliation Committee’s 

figure. 

(C). Third Party Financing – Data received 

from COMD and confirmed by 

Mobil Producing Nigeria Limited 

(MPNL) and Total E&P Nigeria Limited 

(TEPNL) during their submissions 

at the senate hearing, revealed total revenue 

figures of $2.43 billion. This is 

$0.43 billion higher than the amount 

reported by the Reconciliation Committee. 

(D). Our analysis also revealed increased 

revenue of $0.29 billion and 

$0.22 billion from Equity and Domestic 

crude oil lifting respectively, and a 

reduction of $0.42 billion from DPR 

royalty revenue, when compared to 

Reconciliation Committee’s figures. 

(2.5). Revenue Remitted 

Under-reported revenue remittance 

of $3.81 billion. 

The total cash remitted into the Federation 

accounts from crude oil liftings 

for the period under review amounted 

to $50.81 billion.We were able to trace 

$49.33bn of this amount to the FGN 

bank accounts listed in Appendix 

6.1.33. The balance of $1.48 billion was 

•NNPC chief Joseph Dahwa 

also traced to the FAAC report for subsequent 

months. Please refer to Section 

4.2.7 for more details. 

$3.81 billion is the difference between 

$50.81billion and the $47 billion 

amount reported by the Senate Reconciliation 

Committee. This difference 

was as a result of the following: 

(A). FIRS remittance –We verified additional 

$1 billion revenue generated by 

FIRS which was not reported by the 

Reconciliation Committee.We also 

traced the payment of this amount to 

the CBN/FIRS JP Morgan account. 

(B). Other third party financing remittance 

– $1.37 billion was received 

from the third party financing arrangements. 

The arrangement with TEPNL 

resulted in the payment of $211million 

to the Federation from the USAN Field 

TMP project which represents Royalty 

and Profit oil, while the sum of $1.16billion 

was received from MPNL from the 

Satellite Field and Reserve Development 

projects. 

(C). NPDC remittance – Cash payments 

of $1.7billion representing Petroleum 

Profit Tax and Royalties had been 

remitted. 

(D). Equity crude and DPR royalty 

oil remittance – The remittance received 

from Equity crude sales, and in favour 

of DPR royalty oil, was $0.16 billion 

higher and $0.42billion lower than the 

Senate Reconciliation Committee figures 

respectively. 

2.6. Other Third Party Financing Arrangements. 

• Under-reported Third Party Financing 

Revenue of $0.43 billion 

Mobil Producing Nigeria Limited, in 

its submission to the Senate, reported 

revenue figures of $518million5 and 

$859 million in respect of the Reserve 

Development Project (RDP) and Satellite 

Field Development Project (SFD) 

respectively. Total E&P reported a revenue 

figure of $1.053 billion in respect 

of the USAN project. These amounts 

represent royalty and profit oil due to 

the Federation from these third party 

financing arrangements. The total revenue 

generated from third party financing 

arrangement was $2.43 billion and 

not $2 billion reported by the Reconciliation 

Committee. 

• Undisclosed remittance to the Federation 

account 

Out of the total revenue reported by 

MPNL, $1.158billion had been remitted 

to the Federation Account as at 

November 2013. This was confirmed 

by the Office of the Accountant General 

of the Federation at the presentation 

to the Senate Committee.We also traced 

these payments to the CBN/NNPC JP 

Morgan account. The total of 

$858,750,972 relating to SFD had been 

remitted while $300,000,000 out of the 

$518,069,354 relating to RDP had been 

remitted. The balance of $218,069,354 

was withheld to service the project finance 

cost and subsequent remittance 

of the net amount, in accordance with 

the contract terms. 

In respect of the USAN project handled 

by Total E&P Nigeria Limited, the 

sum of $193,478,061.15 and $17,943,616 

totaling $211,421,6779, being Royalty 

and Profit Oil was remitted to the Federation 

account 

2.7. PMS and DPK Subsidy 

• $0.98 billion over claimof subsidy 

by NNPC. 

Our review of the subsidy documentation 

revealed that the subsidy due to 

NNPC between January 2012 and July 

2013 on PMS and DPK import was 

$8.99 billion compared to the $9.97 billion 

stated by the Reconciliation Committee. 

The difference was due to the 

following: 

•Exclusion of October 2011 - December 

2011 subsidy claims of $1.2 billion. 

This does notrelate to the review period 

of January 2012 to July 2013. 

•$0.13 billion increase in PMS subsidy 

claimed for the 19 months period. 

•$0.09 billion increase in DPK subsidy 

claimed for the 19 months period 

•Duplicated discharges noted in subsidy 

computations 

Our examination of the PMS and 

DPK import verified by PPPRA revealed 

that some discharges were apparently 

verified and subsidy advised 

to NNPC more than once. 

The repeated subsidy for PMS 

amounted to N3,709,879,190 

($23,954,796). 

The repeated subsidy for DPK 

amounted to N6,169,502,266 

($39,836,652). 

• $36.05 million over-statement in 

PPPRA’s PMS subsidy Payment Advice 

to NNPC 

•Our review of the Subsidy Payment 

Advice sent by PPPRA to NNPC for 

discharges between January 2012 and 

July 2013 revealed that PPPRA applied 

the pre-2012 ex-depot Price (N49.51) on 

some discharges in 2012 instead of the 

approved ex-depot Price of N81.51. 

•A total of 174,449,778 litres of PMS 

was affected in these PPPRA computations. 

•The error in computation resulted 

in an over-statement of PMS subsidy 

by N5.6 billion ($36.05 million). 

• Estimated $205million DPK subsidy 

over-charge by NNPC 

•Our review of a sample of the copies 

of the Pro Forma Invoices (PFIs) issued 

to the other marketers of DPK 

across different geopolitical zones of 

Nigeria, revealed that the other marketers 

bought DPK from NNPC/ 

PPMC prior to arrival at NNPC depot 

in Nigeria at N40.90. 

•The marketers are thereafter required 

to incur the Lightering expenses, 

NPA charges, Jetty Throughput 

Charge and Storage Charges before 

bringing the product into Nigeria. 

•Subsidy is calculated as Landing 

Cost minus Ex-Depot Price; 10 NNPC 

claimed that this cost is incurred by both 

NNPC and the marketers. For the purpose 

of this report, we have considered 

this cost as a cost incurred by the marketers. 

Over-charge of subsidy above 

depends on PPPRA’s decision to either 

consider this cost in favour of NNPC 

or in favour of marketers of kerosene. 

•Per PPPRA’s template, Landing 

Cost also includes the extra expenses 

incurred by the other marketers. 

•By selling DPK to marketers at 

N40.90 and claiming subsidy at an Exdepot 

price of N34.51 without adjusting 

the Landing Costs for the extra costs 

borne by the marketers, NNPC had 

over deducted subsidies to an estimated 

amount of N31,522,234,881.06 ($204 

million). 

2.8. NPDC lifting. 

•Under-recognition of NPDC liftings 

by $0.82billion by Reconciliation 

Committee 

The Reconciliation Committee put 

the value of liftings in favour of NPDC 

at $6billion. We did not receive any 

supporting documentation from 

NPDC to validate this figure other than 

the submission to the Senate by the 

former MD of NPDC, Mr Victor Briggs, 

who disclosed the total value of NPDC 

liftings from all its assets as $6.82billion. 

While we were unable to verify the 

$6.82 billion directly at NPDC, we performed 

a recomputation of the values 

of liftings using information provided 

by COMD and arrived at a value of 

$5.65 billion. 

Discussions with COMD revealed 

that lifting data captured by COMD for 

NPDC might not be complete as 

COMD does not capture liftings done 

directly by NPDC’s Strategic Alliance 

Partners. 

Volumes recorded by DPR for NPDC 

7 

did not contain the necessary pricing 

information for valuation. 

•Cash payments of $863 million by 

NPDC to FIRS not captured by Reconciliation 

Committee 

For the period under review, NPDC 

was yet to be assessed for tax by the 

FIRS. However, the company made 

several cash payments during and after 

the period which amounted to $863 

million. These payments were confirmed 

by FIRS to have been 

received.We also traced the payments 

to CBN/FIRS bank statements with JP 

Morgan. 

•Cash payments of $839 million by 

NPDC to DPR not captured by Reconciliation 

Committee. 

For the period under review, NPDC 

made several payments to DPR based 

on self-estimated royalty. 

We traced several cash payments 

made by the company to CBN/ DPR 

JP Morgan account statement, to the 

tune of $839 million. 

Pipeline maintenance and management 

costs 

•Additional $2.8 billion cost communicated 

by NNPC. 

After the submission of our initial 

report to the Auditor-General for the 

Federation on 28 November 2014, the 

following was brought to our attention 

by NNPC regarding Pipeline Maintenance 

and Management Costs: 

•Initial submission made to the Senate 

Committee was understated and 

did not include all the costs defrayed 

from the proceeds of domestic crude 

revenue by NNPC in accordance with 

the NNPC Act. These costs also largely 

include the amounts incurred by the 

Corporation’s subsidiaries. 

•The total additional costs amounting 

to $2.81 billion was funded from 

domestic crude revenue accruing from 

liftings of January 2012 to July 2013, and 

third party liabilities as follows: 

Expense type Total ($) 

Salaries and benefits 1,522,258,663 

Monthly operations 478,684,782 

Other third party payments (including 

training course fees, estacodes, and 

consultancy fees) 955,212,837 

Total costs 2,811,153,197 

2.10. Crude oil and product losses. 

•Computation of Crude Oil loss 

NNPC used a conversion rate of 

$100/barrel to value differences between 

the quantity of crude oil pumped 

at the terminals and quantity received 

at the refineries.We adopted the monthly 

average Platts 12 price to value the 

losses, considering that the revenue 

generated from Crude oil lifted during 

the review period had been accounted 

for using such Platts information instead 

of a fixed rate. 

Applying the monthly average Platts 

price to value the crude oil losses 

amounted to $73,851,144.9313 higher 

than PPMC’s computation. 

Limitations 

We encountered some limitations in 

the course of executing some aspects 

of our scope of work. The key limitations 

were: 

• Unavailability of relevant NPDC 

personnel to provide information on 

the NPDC’s processes particularly 

around its operations, business objectives 

and internal accounting/financial 

reporting, etc. 

Change of management at NPDC 

during the course of the engagement 

which further contributed to our inability 

to successfully obtain responses 

to our request for information. 

• Non-response of NPDC to our request 

letter which meant that we 

weren’t provided with the following 

requests: 

• Detailed breakdown of the crude 

oil assets transferred to NPDC. 

• Terms of divestment and contract 

documents involving the assets taken 

over. 

• Strategic Alliance agreements between 

NPDC and counterparties. 

• Monthly volume allocations to 

Strategic Alliance Partners per partner. 

• Monthly balance of NPDC crude 

over-lifts by Strategic Alliance partners. 

• List of receiving banks, account 

numbers and bank statements for 

NPDC crude proceeds.


NEWS 

Fire: Lagos 

records N200.59b 

loss in five years 

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro 

THE Lagos State government 

yesterday said fire 

incidents in the last five 

years has led to a loss of about 

N200.59 billion. 

Commissioner for Home 

Affairs and Culture 

Oyinlomo Danmole gave the 

statistics at a ministerial press 

briefing. 

He said 6,541 fire calls were 

received, adding that many of 

which were avoidable. 

Danmole said while cumulative 

estimated properties 

lost was put at N200.59 billion, 

the cumulative estimated 

properties saved was 

N645. 87billion. 

The commissioner put rescue 

calls at 397 and collapsed 

buildings at 59. 

Of all, 8278 calls were received 

in the period under 

review, 1278 turned out to be 

false calls, which is now punishable 

under the law. 

In all the incidents, 550 victims 

were recovered dead and 

498 rescued alive. 

Danmole added that this 

year has been busier for the 

State Fire Service. 

In the first three months, 524 

fire calls were recorded, 20 

rescue calls and three collapse 

buildings. 

In all, 20 people were recovered 

dead, four alive. Emergency 

services salvaged properties 

worth N36.6billion, 

property lost is estimated at 

N6.1billion. 

The commissioner said a 

lot of Lagos residents still take 

fire safety precaution for 

granted. 

According to him, “It is 

alarming that residents treat 

issues that could be preventable 

with levity. And when 

we realised this, we carried 

out enlightenment campaign 

using different medium. But 

it is pathetic that residents of 

Lagos have failed to make 

good use of the platforms to 

learn how to prevent fire and 

if it occurs, what to do. 

‘Better days 

in Osun soon’ 

AGROUP, Osun Liberty 

Group, has said better 

days are ahead for the 

people of Osun State. 

In a statement by its Coordinator, 

Ayo Akinola, the 

group said Governor Rauf 

Aregbesola is God’s gift to the 

state after what he referred to 

as “years of the locust 

represented by the Peoples 

Democratic Party (PDP)”. 

In the statement, Akinola 

thanked workers and residents 

for their patience and 

understanding, despite orchestrated 

efforts by the opposition 

to use the paucity of funds as a 

tool of political smear against 

the government. 

“Our people need to appreciate 

the fact that the governor 

has everybody’s welfare 

at heart as demonstrated by 

huge infrastructural development 

throughout the state. 

“Despite declining federal 

allocation, Aregbesola has 

creatively managed the finances 

such that the effect was 

not immediately felt until the 

decline persisted. 

“The government accumulated 

a debt of N12 billion in 

its bid to ensure that salaries 

were paid. The government 

was ready to borrow more 

but the banks would not 

grant more loans. 

"The Aregbesola administration 

remains pro-workers 

despite the tight corner it has 

found itself, which was the 

result of booby-trap deliberately 

put on his path.” 

Babatope gets knocks for backing illegality 

THE 19 All Progressives 

Congress (APC) members 

in the Ekiti State 

House of Assembly have criticised 

a member of the Peoples 

Democratic Party (PDP) 

Board of Trustees, Chief Ebenezer 

Babatope, for calling 

them charlatans. 

They slammed the exTransport 

and Aviation minister 

for backing the impeachment 

of Ondo State Deputy 

Governor Ali Olanusi and 

opposing the impeachment 

proceedings against Governor 

Ayo Fayose. 

The lawmakers’ comments 

followed Babatope’s interview 

in a national newspaper 

yesterday. 

They said a senior party 

leader should not be speaking 

from both sides of the 

mouth in his analysis of political 

events in Ekiti. 

In a statement yesterday by 

Special Adviser (Media) to 

Speaker Adewale Omirin, 

From Odunayo Ogunmola, 

Ado-Ekiti 

Wole Olujobi, the lawmakers 

advised Babatope to take 

a break after the defeat his 

party. 

Slamming the PDP leader 

for calling them charlatans, 

the lawmakers said it was regrettable 

that Babatope 

could succumb to partisan 

emotions while his country 

crumbled under the weight 

of illegal acts of brigands. 

The statement said: “A 

question mark is being put 

on Babatope’s integrity. As a 

leader, he supported the impeachment 

in Ondo but he is 

now calling Ekiti lawmakers 

names for questioning Fayose. 

“Babatope’s past role in 

Ekiti is still fresh in our 

memory, as he was alleged 

to have participated in the supervision 

of thugs to unleash 

mayhem on our members. 

“We want to ask Babatope 

where was his integrity and 

clarity of thought when he 

kept quiet when Govenor 

Ayo Fayose invaded the 

court and beat up a judge. 

“What did he say when 

Fayose froze the Assembly’s 

accounts, seized the Speaker’s 

vehicle, cut electricity 

supply to his house, locked 

him out of his house and office 

and seized his official car? 

“ What did Babatope say 

when Fayose suborned seven 

PDP members to illegally 

pass the budget, approve 

commissioners and special 

advisers, revoke the Local 

Government Law, State 

Transport Management 

Agency and Social Security 

Scheme laws without recourse 

to the Assembly 

through revocation bills? 

“It is quite unfortunate that 

a supposed progressive elder 

statesman in the twilight of 

his political career threw 

away all he attained as a progressive 

and is frolicking 

with wolves.” 

•Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ademorin Kuye (second left), Special Adviser on 

Information and Strategy, Lateef Raji (second right), Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy 

Affairs, Lateef Abari and the Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mrs. Toro Oladapo 

at a briefing at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja…yesterday. 

Hoodlums beat up workers at Ibadan firm 

THERE is tension at the Ring Road 

headquarters of the Ibadan Local 

Government Properties Company 

Limited, Ibadan, Oyo State, yesterday, 

as hoodlums stormed the compound 

and beat up some workers. 

The company manages property 

owned by the 11 local governments in 

Ibadan, including estates (Mapo Hall) 

and monuments. 

An eyewitness said eight hoodlums 

invaded the office complex at noon and 

ordered workers out of their offices, 

beating up those that resisted. 

Five workers were reportedly as- 

THE police in Ogun 

State have rescued another 

child, Abraham 

Adeyemi (five), who was abducted 

from a church in Somolu, 

a suburb of Lagos, on 

Sunday. 

Master Adeyemi, who 

gave his parents’ name as 

“Mummy Sarah and Daddy 

Sarah”, was rescued at Imedu-Nla, 

by the police in 

Mowe. 

The boy was found at 2 pm 

by a man and a pastor attached 

to the Foursquare 

Gospel Church. 

Master Adeyemi said his 

kidnappers told him they 

•Ekiti 19 condemns comment 

Abducted Lagos boy rescued in Ogun 

From Ernest Nwokolo, 

Abeokuta 

were taking him to an eatery, 

Mr Biggs, to buy food 

for him, but could not explain 

how he found himself 

in Imedu-Nla, Mowe. 

It was discovered that he 

is a pupil of the New Way 

Nursery and Primary 

School, Lagos. 

Police spokesman Olumuyiwa 

Adejobi told reporters 

in Abeokuta, the state 

capital, that a pastor found 

the boy within the premises 

of the Foursquare Gospel 

Church, Imedu-Nla, after the 

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan 

‘We want to ask 

Babatope 

where was his 

integrity and 

clarity of 

thought when 

he kept quiet 

when Govenor 

Ayo Fayose 

invaded the 

court and beat 

up a judge’ 

saulted, among them the Company Secretary, 

Adebowale Abdulazeez. 

The eyewitness told The Nation that the 

hoodlums slapped Adebowale when he 

inquired the reason they were being 

asked to leave. 

According to him, the hoodlums, after 

“descending on” some senior managers, 

asked for the general manager. 

But some workers prevented them 

from entering the general manager’s office. 

The General Manager, Surajudeem 

close of service. 

Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent 

of Police(DSP), 

said the pastor could not extract 

useful information 

from the boy regarding his 

family or contact address, 

adding that a piece of paper 

bearing a telephone number 

and fastened to the boy’s 

shirt, also offered no clues 

to the parents. 

According to him, several 

calls were placed on the telephone 

number but none of 

them went through. No ransom 

has been demanded. 

Adejobi said: “This is the 

fourth time kids we have 

Babalola, escaped and reported the attack 

to the police. 

But before policemen arrived at the 

scene, the hoodlums fled. 

At the office complex yesterday, 

workers were still in shock. 

Babalola said the company had never 

been attacked. 

But a source said the recent transfer 

by the company might be responsible 

for the attack. 

Babalola called on the police to investigate 

the attack and arrest the culprits. 

rescued in Ogun recently . 

The boy was found at a 

church and probably 

dropped there by the kidnappers. 

“He could not give valid 

information about his family 

and we have not been 

able to locate his family. 

“We believe he was kidnapped 

in a place near Canal 

in Lagos, nobody has demanded 

ransom, and we are 

advising churches to take security 

of kids serious during 

service. Parents should 

also watch their children 

during service.” 

One million kids 

immunised 

From Adesoji Adeniyi, 

Osogbo 

OVER one million children 

were immunised against 

polio virus last month in 

Osun State. 

The Chairman, House of 

Assembly Committee on 

Health, Leke Oguntola, who 

represented Governor Rauf 

Aregbesola, said this at the 

launch of the second round of 

the National Immunisation 

Plus Days in Osogbo, the state 

capital. 

The governor said no case 

of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) 

had been recorded in the state 

in five years. 

He noted that effective and 

active surveillance was carried 

out regularly by the 

Disease Control Unit in collaboration 

with the World 

Health Organisation (WHO). 

According to him, Osun was 

among the best performing 

states in immunisation in 

2014, with coverage of 92 per 

cent in Penta 3 and OPV 3. 

‘LASU yet 

to resume’ 

By Adegunle Olugbamila 

THE management of the Lagos 

State University (LASU) 

has debunked rumours that 

the recess it declared on 

March 25 has been called off. 

“The recess is still in force” 

said a statement, titled: “LA- 

SU’s recess still in force” and 

signed by the university 

spokesperson, Mrs Ronke 

Osho, yesterday. 

The statement said despite 

the recess, students due to be 

mobilised for the National 

Youth Service Corps (NYSC) 

Batch A scheduled to begin 

on May 5 need not fret as 

“they are being duly 

attended to”. 

The management warned 

that workers and students, 

who do not fall into the category, 

must stay away from 

the school. 

The management closed 

the school on March 16, following 

a crisis by workers, 

who assaulted the Vice- 

Chancellor, Prof John Oladapo 

Obafunwa. 

Okun greet 

Buhari, others 

THE Lagos/Ogun states 

chapter of Okun Development 

Association has congratulated 

the Presidentelect, 

Gen Muhammadu Buhari; 

Lagos State Governorelect 

Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode 

and his Ogun State 

counterpart, Governor 

Ibikunle Amosun, on their 

electoral victories. 

In a statement by the Publicity 

Secretary, Odunayo 

Joseph, Patrons Cladius Olusegun 

Olorunfemi, Mohammed 

Aliu Elewonibi and the 

Chairman, Akere Owoniyi, 

the group said: “We join millions 

of Nigerians in congratulating 

Buhari, Ambode 

and Amosun. 

“With their election, the 

people’s age-long prayer for 

the emergence of an egalitarian 

society has been answered 

by God. 

“The group hails the national 

leader of the All Progressives 

Congress (APC), 

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for his 

relentless and rigorous campaigns, 

which have visibly 

and undoubtedly contributed 

significantly to the actualisation 

of the cries for 

change in Nigeria. His 

name will be written in gold 

as one of the outstanding 

agents of change in Nigeria.”


NEWS 

Ex-Speaker faults 

Olanusi’s removal 

FORMER Speaker of the 

Ondo State House of 

Assembly Victor 

Olabimtan has described the 

impeachment of Deputy 

Governor Ali Olanusi as a 

slap in the face of the All 

Progressives Congress 

(APC). 

He described the development 

as the cowardly act of 

Governor Olusegun Mimiko. 

Olabimtan, an APC chieftain, 

said if not for Olanusi, 

Mimiko would not have 

been governor. 

His words: “Olanusi’s defection 

should not have been 

a licence for his impeachment, 

it shows the type of 

person Mimiko is. 

“The people should note 

that Mimiko’s action has 

reached a crescendo, his continued 

stay in power is inimical 

to the state’s growth. 

“We can’t continue like 

this, Mimiko’s acts must be 

resisted. 

“We will follow the rule 

of law and I am certain that 

no matter how long Olanusi 

will be vindicated. 

“The act will not go unchallenged; 

we will follow due 

process to achieve our objectives. 

Supare-Akoko, Olanusi’s 

home town, was in a pensive 

mood yesterday. 

One of his kinsmen, Ebenezer 

David, said: “Olanusi is 

one of the pillars in the community, 

who brought development 

to the area.” 

Ikare-Akoko people were 

jubilating over the appointment 

of Lasisi Oluboyo as 

the new deputy governor. 

Jonathan sacks 

NHIS Executive 

Secretary 

•Peter Obi is SEC Chair 

PRESIDENT Goodluck 

Jonathan has sacked 

the Executive 

Secretary/Chief Executive 

Officer of the National 

Health Insurance Scheme 

(NHIS), Dr. Femi Thomas. 

In a statement by his Special 

Adviser on Media and 

Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, 

the President has approved 

the appointment of Mr. 

Olufemi A. Akingbade as 

Acting Executive Secretary/ 

Chief Executive Officer of 

the NHIS. 

No reason was given in the 

statement for Thomas’ removal. 

“Akingbade, who hails 

from Ekiti State and holds a 

Bachelors Degree in Computer 

Science as well as a 

Masters in Business Administration, 

was the General 

Manager, ICT in the NHIS 

until his new appointment,” 

it added 

The statement also said 

Jonathan has approved the 

confirmation of Mounir Haliru 

Gwarzo as Director- 

General of the Securities and 

Exchange Commission 

(SEC). 

“ Gwarzo who has been 

acting as director-general of 

the commission, was appointed 

as Executive Commissioner 

in January 2013,” 

the statement said. 

On the appointment of the 

former Anambra State Governor, 

Peter Obi, he said: 

“The President has also 

approved the appointment 

of the former Governor of 

Anambra State, Mr. Peter 

Obi, as chairman of the 

SEC.” 

•Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun (second right), Secretary to the State Government Taiwo Adeoluwa (right), Chairman, China Civil Engineering 

Construction Company (CCECC), Cao Bao Gang (second left) and Chinese Consul-General in Lagos, Lin Kan at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding 

(MOU) on the Light Rail Network project for Ogun State at the Governor's Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta...yesterday. Story on page 11 

Troops still in Sambisa forest, says DHQ 

THE Defence Headquarters 

yesterday denied 

media reports 

that troops have retreated 

from the Sambisa forest, 

which has served as the 

main operational base for 

Boko Haram insurgents. 

A statement by the Director 

of Defence Information, 

Major-General Chris 

Olukolade, said operation 

was progressing and gaining 

increasing momentum 

towards clearing all terrorist 

hideouts in the forest. 

“It is noteworthy that it is 

becoming common for sto- 

THE Lagos State government 

has said the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission 

(INEC) is responsible for its 

inability to conduct local 

government elections. 

Commissioner for Local 

Government and Chieftaincy 

Affairs Ademorin Kuye 

said it is still impossible for 

the government to state 

when the elections will hold 

as INEC was yet to make the 

voters register available. 

Kuye said: “I cannot say 

when the elections will be 

conducted. There is no way 

From Gbade Ogunwale, 

Assistant Editor, Abuja 

ries of attacks on some remote 

settlements to be fabricated 

and attributed to 

anonymous or unidentifiable 

source in remote places. 

This is apparently the 

work of terrorists’ sympathisers 

or propagandists. 

“Military operations to 

eliminate all terrorist hideouts 

are going on well and 

the terrorists are being seriously 

decimated. They will 

continue to be pursued and 

prevented from constituting 

danger to civilian population 

in their desperation for 

survival, suicide or publicity,” 

Gen Olukolade added. 

He debunked reports 

claiming that terrorists are 

now in control of Mafa in 

Borno State, saying that attempts 

by a group of fleeing 

terrorists who strayed towards 

the town and engaged 

typical suicide attacks were 

duly repelled by troops. 

He continued: “Similarly, 

the claim by some media 

organisations that terrorists 

chased out troops and took 

over Marte cannot be verified 

as troops were busy elsewhere 

during the said attack. 

“However, efforts to track 

the terrorists who were reported 

to have attacked the 

town have not indicated 

their presence as claimed. 

“Surveillance activities are 

however ongoing although 

there has been no indication 

of the large number of terrorists 

as being claimed in 

some reports attributed to 

anonymous sources. 

“The terrorist are certainly 

no longer capable of that 

level of coordinated action 

by thousands of terrorists as 

Lagos: INEC to blame for delay in council polls 

PENSIONERS of the Nigeria 

Social Insurance 

Trust Fund (NSITF) 

yesterday shut down activities 

at the Fund over nonpayment 

of their 58 months’ 

arrears. 

The pensioners, who 

blocked the entrance at 8am, 

disrupted visitors and vehicular 

movements in or out of 

the premises. 

They alleged that the 

Fund’s management neglected 

and refused to pay the 

approved increase by the 

Federal Government since 

July 2010. 

The protesters said the 

NSITF should pay the arrears. 

Otherwise, they insisted, 

they would continue the 

protest and seek support 

from the Nigeria Labour 

Congress (NLC) and the 

Trade Union Congress 

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro 

the electoral commission 

can conduct any election 

without having the appropriate 

voters register. And 

this register is still in INEC’s 

custody. 

“It has not been released 

to the state. The moment it 

is released to the 

government, then we can 

start planning on when the 

elections will be held. 

The commissioner 

blamed the recent loss of the 

All Progressives Congress 

(APC) to the opposition in 

(TUC). 

Some of the protesters carried 

inscriptions such as 

“Pension Matters: Board approved 

N350 million, Trust 

Fund received N200 million, 

Balance N150 million. Dr. 

Ngozi Olejeme, where did 

you keep NSITF Pensioners’ 

N150 million? Alh. Munir, 

Do you know?”, “Mr. President, 

is Dr. Ngozi Olejeme 

above the law?” Dr. Ngozi 

Olejeme and NSITF Management, 

pay your in-house 

pensioners their entitlement.” 

The Deputy General Secretary, 

Nigeria Union of Pensioners 

(NUP), Chief Joseph 

Okunade, said the protest 

was held against maltreatment 

of NUP members. 

some local governments to 

money and ethnic politics, 

saying the performance of 

the council executives has 

nothing to do with the loss. 

“The allegation that lack of 

performance led to the APC 

losing five House of Representatives 

and eight House 

of Assembly seats is not true. 

“This was because the last 

election was dictated and 

influenced by money politics. 

President Goodluck 

Jonathan was in Lagos several 

times abandoning his 

office in Abuja. 

Okunade said: “You can 

imagine the NSITF owing 

the pensioners 58 months 

arrears of pension increase. 

If the Managing Director 

does not take his money in a 

“Another factor was ethnicity. 

One will notice that 

in the area where the APC 

lost, they were areas dominated 

by certain tribes. 

The commissioner said the 

boundary and land dispute 

involving the Onilogbo of 

Ilogbo-Eremi in Olorunda 

Local Council Development 

Area in Badagry Division 

was resolved by the ministry. 

He also said boundary dispute 

between Agege, Ikeja 

and Orile local governments 

was also resolved. 

Protesters shut down NSITF over 58-month arrears 

From Olugbenga Adanikin 

and Jummai Kpoga, Abuja 

‘We have talked 

to them, written 

to them and taken 

different approaches 

but 

they turned a 

deaf ear, that is 

why we are protesting. 

We will 

continue to pester 

and picket 

them’ 

month, you know how he 

will feel. 

“We have talked to them, 

written to them and taken 

different approaches but 

they turned a deaf ear, that 

is why we are protesting. 

“We will continue to pester 

and picket them. You see 

they cannot go in and come 

out.” 

NSTIF’s NUP Chairman 

Aham Mbazigwe-Akonye 

said the organisation did not 

cater for welfare of workers. 

According to him, he 

worked for about 23 years 

but after the new pension 

approval, NSITF was yet to 

effect the changes. 

Asked if there were commitments 

from the NSITF 

management on the pension, 

he said several appeals were 

made but yielded no positive 

results. 

9 

reported.” 

Gen. Olukolade advised 

the media to ignore what he 

described as “fabrication 

being churned out by some 

terrorists sympathisers trying 

to encourage the terrorists 

who he said were in disarray”. 

“The truth is that the operation 

to decimate them from 

Nigerian territories is progressing 

well. The military 

will not be dissuaded by the 

resurgence of false reports 

on the operations. The 

progress will be prosecuted 

as necessary”, he said. 

Oyo Tribunal 

gets 12 petitions 

From Oseheye Okwuofu, 

Ibadan 

THE Oyo State Election 

Petitions Tribunal 

yesterday said it has 

received 12 petitions - 10 

House of Representatives 

and two senatorial. 

At the State High Court, 

Iyaganku, Ibadan, where 

Courts 15 and 21 have been 

assigned to hear the petitions, 

a tribunal official, who 

pleaded for anonymity, said 

it was too early to give details. 

He said the two senatorial 

petitions received were in 

respect of Oyo Central and 

Oyo South districts. 

The tribunal official said 

the 21-day period allowed 

for filing of petitions had 

lapsed in respect of the presidential/National 

Assembly 

elections. 

The court official said 

hearing might not begin until 

next week when, according 

to him, “it is expected 

that all the necessary filings 

would have been completed 

and those expected to be 

served would have received 

the papers”. 

It was gathered that petitions 

in respect of both the 

governorship and State 

House of Assembly elections 

held on April 11 could still 

be entertained. 

The All Progressives Congress 

(APC) made a clean 

sweep of the National Assembly 

election, winning 12 

of the 14 House of Representatives 

seats and all the three 

senatorial seats.


CITYBEATS 

YOUTHS 

yesterday 

blocked the Eko 

Electricity Distribution 

Company (EKEDC) office in 

Badagry, Lagos, over poor 

power supply. 

They burnt tyres on the 

firm's premises, while chanting 

war songs. 

The protesters brandished 

placards with the inscriptions: 

"Don't throw Badagry 

into darkness," "Don't you 

want light in your life?", "Stop 

giving us bills" and "Leave 

here if you can't give us light". 

There was heavy traffic as 

the protesters blocked a portion 

of the road where the 

firm is located. 

Mr Olayinka Okoya, the 

leader of the group, told 

NAN that there has been no 

light in Badagry in the past 

three weeks. 

"We have had more than 

enough of this. They do not 

give us light yet they bring 

bills at the end of the month 

and the bills are as high as 

N120, 000. 

"Despite the fact that we do 

not have light, officials of 

EKEDC would come to our 

houses and cut us off even after 

we pay bills for power 

that we do not get. 

"We have been living in 

darkness for the past one 

month; we have complained 

several times, yet nothing has 

been done about it, so we decided 

to come out and express 

our grievances. 

"This must stop, we must be 

given power and outrageous 

bills must stop because we 

A42-YEAR-OLD Mus 

lim cleric,Abdulateef 

Ibrahim, is being detained 

by the Lagos State 

Special Anti-Robbery Squad 

(SARS) for allegedly duping 

34 accommodation seekers 

of over N5 million. 

The suspect hails from 

Agbekun in Ifelodun Local 

Government Area of Kwara 

State, but lives in Orile- 

Iganmu in Lagos. 

He is said to have absconded 

after collecting 

money from the victims for 

one-room, a-room-and-aparlour, 

self-contained 

apartments and mini-flats 

without meeting their demands. 

After waiting for long, 10 

of the applicants forced 

themselves into some of the 

apartments, fixed doors and 

windows, and moved in. 

Lagos Police Command's 

spokesperson Ken Nwosu, a 

Deputy Superintendent 

•The protesters...yesterday 

cannot take this anymore," he 

said. 

EKEDC officials declined to 

comment. 

Hoodlums cashed in on the 

situation to harass motorists 

and loot some shops. 

Sachets of "pure" water 

were thrown at passersby and 

motorists; broken bottles littered 

the road. 

Some roadside shops and a 

Prospective tenants lose 

N5m to developer 

By Ebele Boniface 

(DSP), said the suspect 

claimed to be an estate 

agent/developer. 

Nwosu quoted the suspect 

as saying that he collected 

N950, 000 from his motherin-law 

to develop and let out 

her plot at 2, Odumola Street 

in Ajegunle, Lagos. 

After collecting between 

N100, 000 and N400, 000 

from each of the victims, the 

suspect claimed he used the 

money to build the house. 

His arrest followed the 

landlady's petition to the 

Commissioner of Police, 

Kayode Aderanti. 

Defending himself, 

Ibrahim said: "My in-law 

gave me an old house at 2, 

Odumola Street, Ajegunle. I 

was a bricklayer and cement 

supplier for six years. On 

March 27, my in-law gave 

me N450, 000 to renovate the 

house. When it finished, she 

Youths protest power 

outage in Badagry 

mini-mart at a nearby Mobil 

Petrol station were looted. 

A passerby, Miss Morenike 

Ajayi, told NAN of her ordeal 

with the protesters. 

"I was just walking on my 

own when "pure" water sachets 

were thrown at me, 

what is my business with their 

protest or did I say the power 

supply should be bad? 

"I did not deserve such attack 

and it was uncalled for," 

she said. 

Mr Audu Ali, a tricycle operator, 

said his phone was 

stolen. 

"Some boys who were 

among the protesters just 

came to me and snatched my 

phone and quickly joined the 

crowd. 

"I don't know how I will get 

another phone and this is not 

fair at all," he said. 

The Divisional Crime Officer, 

Badagry Police Division, 

Aletor Peter, a Deputy 

Superintendent (DSP) told 

NAN that attendants at the 

Mobil Petrol station reported 

to the police that their shop 

was looted. 

He said investigation had 

begun into the incident. 

Lagos gives 100 vehicles to monarchs 

THE Lagos State Government has bought no fewer than 

100 vehicles for traditional rulers and chiefs, Local 

Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Commissioner 

Ademorin Kuye said yesterday. 

Speaking at the 2015 Ministerial Press Briefing in Ikeja, he 

said the vehicles would help the beneficiaries in the discharge 

of their duties. 

Kuye said the government was committed to the welfare of 

obas, adding: "With these vehicles and more that we have provided 

for our obas and chiefs, we can boldly say our traditional 

rulers are the most taken care of in the whole of the 

country. 

"We see traditional rulers as partners in progress and we will 

continue to do our best to make them comfortable,'' he said. 

Kuye said government was building new palaces and renovating 

old ones to enhance the comfort of traditional rulers. 

He said the palaces of the Alara of Ilara, the Ayangburen of 

Ikorodu and Suenu had just been furnished. 

The commissioner said government processed about 44 applications 

for the recognition and upgrade of chieftaincy stools 

in the last one year. 

The Chieftaincy Standing Tribunal of Enquiry, he said, had 

begun inquiry into applications for upgrade to Obaship from 

some divisions. 

He said the government approved seven new chiefs and 

Baales in Epe/Ibeju division of the state within the period 

under review. 

Kuye named the new chiefs as Prince Adewale (Iwajoba of 

Akodo), Rafiu Bello (Baale of Okun-Ise), Raufu Mustapha (Baale 

of Okun-Tiye), Raufu Alaka (Olisa of Orimedu), Lamoriu 

Adekoya (Apebi of Orimedu), Babatunde Lamidi (Aro of 

Orimedu) and Kabiru Ganni (Losi of Orimedu). 

Woman robbed inside Keke Marwa 

ONE man has been ar 

rested by the police 

for allegedly robbing 

a woman inside a tricycle 

(aka Keke Marwa). 

She was attacked by a robber 

who pretended to be a 

passenger, at Guinness Bus 

stop on Oba Akran Avenue, 

Ikeja. 

They were coming from 

the nearby Ashade Market, 

Agege. 

The robber reportedly ordered 

the woman to surrender 

her belongings at gunpoint. 

The robber also slapped 

the tricycle driver and ordered 

him to surrender his 

key. 

Special Anti-Robbery 

Squad (SARS) operatives ar- 

By Ebele Boniface 

rested the tricycle driver, 

Sodiq Adefowope (27), who 

confessed working with the 

robber whose name he gave 

as Moruf. While parading 

Adefowope yesterday, police 

described Moruf as the 

leader of the tricycle riders' 

robbery gang. 

According to the police, 

the gang terrorises passengers 

in the night and robs 

them of their valuables. 

The police said: "The 

woman boarded a tricycle at 

Ashade Market, and going 

to her destination (withheld 

for security reasons) when 

•Ibrahim 

gave me another N500, 000 

but she could not give me 

more money to continue. To 

save the building from collapsing 

due to the coming 

rainy season, I put the apartments 

up for let. 

"I collected N5, 000,170 

from 33 applicants and spent 

the whole money on the 

building. As I am talking to 

you now, I don't have one 

kobo in the bank or house.’ 

all of a sudden the Keke 

Marwa rider stopped for the 

first passenger to alight but 

to her greatest surprise, the 

passenger instead of alighting 

started threatening the 

woman with short gun and 

ordered her to surrender her 

bag containing huge sum of 

money. 

"Having obliged by surrendering 

her bag, the robber 

slapped the Keke 

Marwa rider and ordered 

him to go to the back seat 

which he complied; the 

woman did not know that 

they are of the same gang." 

Adefowope, who hails 

from Oro in Asa Local Government 

Area of Kwara 

State confirmed that Moruf 

is a member of his gang. 

He said: "But, to be frank 

with you, I did not know 

that Moruf will strike because 

he was telling me 

about their exploits the day 

before. I would not have 

carried him if I knew that 

he had the intention to rob 

the woman. But I blame 

myself because I know that 

a criminal can strike 

anytime and anywhere unless 

he is not a real criminal, 

which was my miscalculation. 

"The game is up; there is 

no need to hide anything. 

When we reached Guinness 

Bus stop, Moruf attacked the 

woman with a locally made 

gun and carried her bag. Before 

he escaped, he took over 

my Keke Marwa steering and 

started the Keke Marwa. I was 

dumbfounded because I never 

expected it. 

"Since I did not have alternative, 

I cooperated with him for 

the robbery operation to be 

successful but see what is happening 

now, he has escaped, I 

am the only one suffering. 

"If I am released, I will be 

careful in life because it was 

carelessness and carefree life 

style that put me into this 

mess." 

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827 

‘Be fire 

safety 

conscious’ 

By Wale Adepoju 

NIGERIANS have 

been urged to be 

fire safety conscious 

to prevent loss of 

lives and property. 

A fire safety expert, Mr 

Franklin Akinmokun, 

gave the charge at the International 

Bio-medicals 

Laboratory Science Day 

organised by the 

Association of Medical 

Laboratory Scientists of 

Nigeria (AMLSN), Lagos 

State branch. The theme 

was: "Safety starts with 

you: patient safety first." 

He said despite precautionary 

measures, fire 

still occurs, adding: 

"Time is of the essence in 

fire prevention." 

Besides, people must 

have necessary equipment, 

such as fire 

extinguishers in their 

cars, homes and 

workplaces, among 

others to quell fire. 

They should have fire 

stations' telephone numbers 

in case of an emergency, 

he added. 

Akinmokun, a fire 

fighter with the Federal 

Fire Service (FFS), said 

fire does not kill but its 

smoke does. 

Moreover, it takes four 

minutes for people to stop 

breathing before they die. 

"Before people's hearts 

stop beating, they can be 

saved by performing 

chest compression (CPR) 

to restart the heart or call 

emergency response 

team, such as ambulance 

services. People should 

learn safety tips, especially 

CPR. Fire fighters 

should be contacted as 

soon as possible when 

there is a fire to put it out," 

he said. 

He identified fuel, heat 

and oxygen as the three 

elements of fire. 

Akinmokun said since 

fire safety concerns safety 

of lives, property and environment, 

people should 

install in their homes and 

offices smoke detectors to 

track fire as soon as it 

starts. 

Fire, he said, is the 

greatest threat to life and 

property. 

"Investment acquired in 

years can be razed within 

minutes if nothing is done 

fast to stop a fire," he said. 

•CP Kayode Aderanti


THE NATION 

BUSINESS 

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net 

Institute signs MoU 

with agency to 

monitor hotels 

From Bukola Amusan, 

Abuja 

THE National Institute 

for Hospitality and 

T o u r i s m , 

(NIHOTOUR) has signed a 

Memorandum of Understanding 

(MoU) with the 

Trans African Homes and 

Estate Management Services 

to monitor and regulate the 

activities of hotels in the 

country. 

The Director of 

NIHOTOUR, Chika Balogun 

who signed the MoU on behalf 

of her agency said it is 

always ready to work with 

sister agencies that will make 

its work easier. 

She said NIHOTOUR is 

highly disturbed with the 

ways some hotels are being 

operated in the country 

where rules, standards and 

regulations are not being 

considered in their operations 

“We are partnering with 

the Trans African homes and 

estate management services 

to boost the services of hotels 

in the country, to train hotel 

staffs and assess their services 

and operations periodically 

“We are worried over the 

state of some hotels in our 

cities and it is time we start 

to proffer sanctions to hotels 

that fail to operate within 

the approved guidelines,” 

she said. 

She added that training of 

hotel workers will assist in 

boosting the revenue of hotels 

so that a unique selling 

point can also be maintained 

in their services. 

Chairman, Trans African 

Homes and Estate Management 

Services said the agency 

embarked on the partnership 

in order to bridge the gap in 

the way hotels are being 

managed in the country. 

He said the agency will 

work with NIHOTOUR to 

recognise hotels that can be 

worked with in the first 

phase of the exercise. 

Oil 

COMMODITY PRICES 

Cocoa 

Coffee 

Cotton 

DATA STREAM 

$58/barrel 

$2,686.35/metric ton 

¢132.70/pound 

¢95.17pound 

Gold $1,396.9/troy 

Sugar $163/lb 

RATES 

Inflation 8% 

Treasury Bills -10.58%(91d) 

Maximum lending 30% 

Prime lending 15.87% 

Savings rate 3% 

91-day NTB 15% 

Time Deposit 5.49% 

MPR 13% 

Foreign Reserve 

$34.5b 

NIGERIA’s bid to mi 

grate to digital 

broadcasting in the 

next two months may be a 

mirage after all, as about 95 

per cent of television boxes 

in Nigeria are analogue. 

Executive Director, Pinnacle 

Communications Mr. 

Dipo Onifade, said the Nigerian 

Broadcasting Commission 

(NBC) has been deceiving 

Nigerians about the 

project. 

Onifade whose firm won 

a bid to distribute signals 

to homes alleged that the 

planned Jos digital switchover 

was a hoax, designed 

to deceive Nigerians and the 

Federal Governmen into 

thinking that the sqitchover 

is about to commence. 

He insisted that it will be 

impossible for the country 

to distribute 26 million 

boxes to households in Nigeria 

before the deadline. 

Besides, there is a pending 

legal action before the law 

THE Ogun State govern 

ment yesterday signed 

an agreement with the 

Chinese Civil Engineering 

Construction Company 

(CCECC) for the construction 

of inter and intra-city 

railway project to commence 

soon. 

While the Secretary to the 

State Government(SSG), Mr 

Adeoluwa Taiwo, signed the 

contract documents on behalf 

of the state government, the 

Chairman of the construction 

firm, Mr Cao BaoGang, 

signed for it. 

Governor Ibikunle 

Amosun and his Works 

Commissioner, Arc. Lekan 

Adepite served as witnesses 

• 95% households yet to get set-top 

boxes • Jos launch a hoax 

From Vincent Ikuomola, 

and Kehinde Ore 

court which could also hamper 

the country’s switchover 

plan before the deadline. 

The Geneva 2006 Agreement 

sets 17 June this year 

as the date after which countries 

may not be able to use 

the frequencies currently 

assigned for analogue television 

transmission for 

digital services, without being 

required to protect the 

analogue services of neighbouring 

countries against 

interference. 

This date is generally regarded 

as the internationally 

agreed date for analogue 

switch-off date along 

national borders. 

The Broadcasting Organisation 

of Nigeria (BON) 

had recently allayed the 

fears that the country will 

be switched off from the international 

community 

should it fail to meet up 

with the June 17 digital 

switch over deadline. 

But Onifade, explained 

that plans by Nigeria to migrate 

to digital broadcasting 

by June 17 might have 

hit a brick wall, following 

the apparent unpreparedness 

on the part of the Federal 

Government to meet 

the deadline. 

On why he felt the country 

was not prepared for 

the digitaal switch on, 

Onifade said more than 95 


in Nigeria are analogue 

while 26 million households 

are yet to get these 

boxes barely two months 

to the deadline. 

Commercial banks are not manufacturing-friendly 

as their interest 

rates are usually very high; therefore, 

commercial banks remain a 

major challenge to the sector. Even 

the Bank of Industry’s (BoI) framework, 

which pegs interest rate at 

nine per cent, only finances machinery 

acquisition; it does not cater for 

working capital. 

-MAN President, Dr Frank Jacobs 

Nigeria far from digital 

migration, says Pinnacle chief 

He also noted that the 

current arrangement favours 

foreign media companies; 

accusing the NBC of 

conniving with a South African-based 

firm to shut out 

indigenous firms from participating 

in the process. 

He added that every 

household in Nigeria will 

be compelled to pay over 

N6,000 in order to secure 

the set-top boxes in order 

to enjoy the dividends of 

the digital migration. 

He said: “We are talking 

about digital switchover. 

Nigeria is nowhere near 

being ready to switchover. 

This takes time. About 95 


in Nigeria are analogue. 

How are you going to distribute 

26 million boxes to 

households in Nigeria before 

the deadline? These issues 

have not been ironed 

out; so, we are not ready to 

migrate. 

• From left: Chairman, Jaiz Bank Plc, Dr Umaru Mutallab; Vice President Namadi Sambo and Managing Director of the bank, 

Mr Muhammed Nural-Islam, during their courtesy visit to the Vice President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja...yesterday. 

Consumers seek 

independence as 

NERC offers to 

fund advocacy 

From John Ofikhenua and 

Ayorinde Hope, Abuja 

WITH one voice, elec 

tricity consumers 

yesterday told the 

Nigerian Electricity Regulatory 

Commission ( NERC) 

not to temper with the independence 

of the Nigerian 

Electricity Consumer Advocacy 

Network (NECAN). 

The interaction was all at 

the inaugural meeting of the 

commission with the group 

in Abuja. 

Their fears was that since 

NERC would provide the 

take-off fund for the running 

of the affairs of NECAN, the 

commission would not allow 

it the desired autonomy to 

operate effectively. 

Representative of Golden 

Spring Estate, Sylvester Ugu 

said the platform has been 

for customers to build upon 

and do their homework. 

He said: “I think the proper 

thing to do is to have our independence, 

and it is for the 

association to get registered 

with the Corporate Affairs 

Commission (CAC). That 

takes it off from NERC and 

NERC will now be making 

recommendations.” 

Besides, representative of 

Lafarge Cement, Dr. 

Abdullahi Buba said there 

was suspicion even if it was 

not based on fact. “So I still 

want to emphasise on the risk 

of independence. From the 

document you have presented, 

I want to say more on 

the mitigating aspect, that 

this body is independent of 

NERC, but it must be seen to 

be independent of this 

body.” 

The commission had in its 

terms of reference for the development 

of framework for 

engaging consumer advocacy 

groups in the Nigerian Electricity 

Supply Industry (NESI) 

maintained that it would provide 

a start-grant for the Corporate 

Head Office of the 

NECAN. 

The terms of reference 

reads: “The start-up grant will 

incorporate office furniture 

and utilities, salaries for its 

core staff for two years, and a 

funding for some of its consumer 

education and 

outreach activities. 

Ogun, Chinese firm seal intra-city railway deal 

From Ernest Nwokolo, 

Abeokuta 

in a ceremony attended by 

the Chinese Consul-General, 

in Nigeria, Lin Kan. 

Although discussion about 

the cost implication is still 

ongoing between the two 

parties, it is estimated that 

about $3billion will be spent 

on the project while the construction 

work would take at 

least three years to be completed. 

On completion, the railway 

project is expected to ring the 

four divisions of the state and 

places such as Abeokuta- 

Sagamu-Lagos, Ilaro, Agbara 

Industrial Estate and Idiroko. 

Other places to be linked 

with the rail project include 

Papalanto, Lafenwa in 

Abeokuta, Ijoko - Ota, 

Alagbole, Akute and parts of 

Ijebuland, the Redeemed 

Christian Church of 

God(RCCG) area (Sagamu) 

and that of the Winners 

Chapel (Otta). 

In justifying the need for the 

rail system, Amosun said the 

project upon completion, 

would take the much pressure 

off the roads as well as boost 

commerce and industries in 

the Gateway State. 

The governor however said 

the work on the railway 

project wont commence until 

ongoing roads and bridges 

being built in the state are 

completed with the laying of 

the last asphalt. 

According to him, emphasis 

would also be placed on building 

rural roads to open communities 

and villages in the 

state for rapid socio-economic 

growth and development. 

While urging CCECC to 

work round the clock and ensure 

the project reaches an 

appreciable stage when the 

state would clock 40 years 

by February next year, 

Amosun said it will redefine 

the landscape of the state and 

also engender the desired development. 

Amosun said: “No doubt, 

this is an important day in 

the history of our dear state. 

This agreement signing with 

the Chinese company for the 

rail project, when completed, 

will complement our road infrastructure 

all over the state. 

“Apart from infrastructural 

development, it will also attract 

bring to our state, it will 

also create jobs for our people 

and as well as quicken the 

movèment of persons and 

goods across the state. 

“Like I always emphasise, 

without functioning and 

proper infrastructure, we 

cannot develop. This step we 

are taking today will help in 

technology transfer and 

bring positive impact on the 

lives of our people.”

12 THE NATION TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015


13


BUSINESS NEWS 

NCP okays bidders’ proposal for Warri terminal 

THE National Council on Privatisation 

(NCP) has directed 

that the seven 

prequalified bidders that successfully 

met the 70 per cent scores 

from the evaluation of Expressions 

of Interest (EoIs) for prospective 

concessionaires for Terminal B 

Warri Old Port are to be issued with 

the Request for Proposals (RfP). 

The bidders are: Bright Ocean Integrated 

Services, Transnet Rosehill 

Group, Solent Stevedores International, 

Neon Adani Ports Consortium, 

Marine Infrastructure Consortium, 

Ecomarine Consortium 

and Global Infrastructure. 

The Council under the Chairmanship 

of Vice President Namadi 

Sambo directed the Bureau of Public 

Enterprises (BPE) to issue the 

RFPs to the prequalified bidders. 

A statement endorsed by Head, 

Public Communication, Bureau for 

Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. 

Chigbo Anichebe explained that the 

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja 

decision was the outcome of the 

Council’s April 16 meeting. 

He recalled that following the approval 

of the NCP, advertisements 

seeking EoIs from prospective 

ARIK Air paid over N4 billion 

to the Federal Airports 

Authority of Nigeria 

(FAAN ), for landing , parking fees, 

rent, passenger service charge 

(PSC), and fuel surcharge last year. 

The payments, it was gathered 

were made for the months of January, 

February, March , April, June , 

July, September and December last 

year. 

The N4 billion investigations, further 

revealed, is contrary to claims by 

sources close to FAAN, which claimed 

that the carrier has not been paying 

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor 

its bills since it began operations eight 

years ago. 

Investigations reveal that Arik Air 

in January last year paid 

N335,562,212.50; N318,575,022.50 in 

February and N327,359,180 in March. 

In April, it paid N370,417,622.50 while 

in June same year , it paid N349,471,655. 

In July, the airline paid N315,530,737.50. 

In September and December , it paid 

N344,486,305 and N477,232,605.50 respectively 

to the Federal government. 

Arik Air pays N4 billion to Fed Govt 

“ The total amount paid to FAAN in 

2014 was N3,941,023,995. This is contrary 

to claims that the airline has not been 

paying its bills,”a source close to the carrier 

said on condition of anonymity. 

FAAN according to investigations said 

the airline owes about N287,834,450.47 

and $8,192.00 for its Abuja operations . 

FAAN, in a letter endorsed by 

its Regional Manager, Abuja Airport 

Engineer O.O Osituyo to the 

Arik Arik Station Manager, Abuja 

put the debt accruing on the electronic 

platform hitherto operated 

by Maevis Limited at 

Concessionaires for Terminal ‘B’ 

Warri Old Port were placed in 

some selected National Dailies on 

June 23, 2014 and bids were received 

on August 7, last year. 

At the close of the submission, 13 

EoIs were harvested and subsequently 

evaluated. The evaluation 

was based on responsive test and 

detailed assessment test of the 13 

EoIs. Only seven applicants passed 

the assessment. 

The evaluation committee recommended 

70 per cent as the minimum 

pass mark and further recommended 

that the seven successful 

applicants that met the minimum 

pass mark and above be 

prequalified to move to the next 

stage for the issuance of the Request 

for proposal (RfPs). 

N470,338,773,68 and $1,748.90 respectively. 

FAAN said the debts covered landing 

and parking fees, passenger service 

charge , rent , service recovery charge 

for operations at Abuja Airport. 

Last week, officials of FAAN disrupted 

Arik Air’s operations at the Nnamdi 

Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. 

Hundreds of passengers were affected 

by the disrupted operations. 

The officials denied the airline’s staff 

access to their duty post making it 

impossible to process passengers for 

departures out of Abuja.


THE NATION 

BUSINESS 

15 

AVIATION 

Agbakoba: Nigeria can save N300b yearly 

ACTIVIST lawyer Olisa 

Agbakoba (SAN) has 

launched a campaign for a 

FlyNigeria Law to save the country 

N300 billion yearly in capital flight 

by foreign operators. 

He said under the law there would 

be provision for aviation cabotage 

to deepen local participation on the 

sector. 

Many foreign carriers, he said, are 

taking advantage of the absence of 

such law to repatriate home over 

N300 billion through ticket sales. 

At a briefing in Lagos, last week, 

Agbakoba urged the government to 

establish a national carrier to compete 

with mega carriers that are 

feeding fat on the indigenous market 

because of the law’s absence. 

He said it was unfortunate that 

Nigeria, with its huge potential in 

Medview, 

FirstBank partner 

on online payment 

MEDVIEW Airline has signed 

an agreement with 

FirstBank of Nigeria on the 

online payment platform called 

MasterCard Internet Gateway Service 

(MIGS) where customers with Master/ 

Visa cards can pay for tickets online. 

According to Medview Managing 

Director, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, this 

is one of the steps to bring its service 

closer to clients who desire to buy their 

tickets online within the comfort of 

their homes or offices. 

This payment option, he said, is in 

addition to the Interswitch platform 

designed mostly for customers with 

naira Master cards and the book-onhold 

platform where customers could 

walk into any bank in Nigeria and pay 

for their reservations made online. 

To achieve this, Bankole said customer 

could make reservation online 

and choose the option ‘I want to pay 

with Master /Visa card’ when they get 

to the payment platform. 

He said: “This will automatically 

prompt the Master card and Visa Card 

logos from where customer can now 

click the logo of their desired card for 

payments, enter the required card details 

and wait for confirmation for payments. 

Once this is achieved, ticket will 

be automatically sent to the email provided 

while making reservation.” 

NAHCO, Sokoto 

govt strike deal 

SOKOTO State Governor- elect 

Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal has 

pledged to work with the Ni- 

gerian Aviation Handling Company 

Plc (Nahco Aviance) to ensure the 

state’s rapid development . 

Tambuwal told visiting directors 

of the ground handling company in 

Sokoto last week that his administration 

would require the firm’s expertise 

in every area critical to economic 

development. 

Nachco Aviance Chairman Mallam 

Suleiman Yahyah, who led the directors 

on the visit, pledged to help 

attract foreign investments to the 

state. 

NAHCO offered to partner the state 

government to develop its potential 

in such a way that would make 

Sokoto a global force in the areas 

where it has comparative advantage. 

Yahyah pledged NAHCO’s assistance 

in facilitating foreign investors 

who will assist the state government 

develop its mineral resources, 

thereby creating employment for the 

youth of the state. 

Tambuwal said his administration 

was grateful for NAHCO’s offer and 

would consult the company to know 

the requirements that would lead to 

the accelerated development of the 

state. 

from aviation cabotage 

By Kelvin Osa-okubor 

aviation, is creating wealth for others. 

Agbakoba canvassed a review of 

the bilateral and multi-lateral air 

agreements to enable Nigeria compete 

with developed countries, adding 

that in the past few years, his 

firm has been campaigning for a 

FlyNigeria law, to push the development 

of aviation with special regard 

for Nigeria’s technical abilities, 

capacity and growth. 

He said: “We are conscious of the 

introduction of aviation cabotage, 

which will constitute a positive step 

towards stimulating the development 

of indigenous capacity and 

facilitate the pursuit for deep local 

AN airline operator has 

criticised the Federal Airports 

Authority of Nigeria 

(FAAN) for the “high” cost leasing 

of land around airports. 

Mr Allen Onyema, Chairman of 

Air Peace, said the lease is too costly 

for “struggling” domestic airlines 

which want to build maintenance 

hangars. 

He said the cost is a disincentive to 

domestic operators who want to reduce 

the huge costs of taking their 

aircraft overseas for major maintenance. 

Besides, he said, FAAN has made 

it difficult for some operators to get 

approval for such facilities, which can 

create jobs and improve local capacity 

in avionics and aeronautical development. 

In an interview with The Nation, 

Onyema claimed that FAAN charged 

him over N160 million for the lease 

of a land to build an hangar at the 

Lagos Airport. He wondered where 

FAAN expected his company to raise 

participation in the aviation sector. 

‘’The scope of the bill could be 

enlarged to cover legislation on local 

content in respect of skills and 

service delivery. It will no doubt 

add commercial value to Nigerian 

domestic airlines, necessitating 

infrastructural development and 

job creation. 

“This has become important because 

in other countries such cabotage 

law with its attendant regulation 

are effectively used to support 

local operators. 

“The FlyNigeria Bill, we are pursuing 

will be modelled after the 

United States regulation which requires 

that government sponsored 

passengers, employees, consultants, 

contractors and other persons performing 

government financed air 

travel fly US flag air carriers. 

“We are convinced that this will 

work in Nigeria if we empower our 

domestic carriers. This would save 

the nation over N300 billion annually 

taken out by foreign carriers.” 

According to Agbakoba, there is 

need for a sustainable policy to accelerate 

the development of the 

aviation sector. 

The major challenge of the industry 

is the absence of a development 

plan, adding that if an Aviation Sector 

Action Plan (ASAP) would accelerate 

the development of a comprehensive 

national aviation policy. 

Agbakoba added: “With about 170 

million persons and regional economic 

potential, over 24 airports, 

a growing mass of flying middle 

class, Nigeria’s aviation requires 

massive revamping in terms of infrastructure, 

legal, institutional 

and administrative frameworks. 

“Beyond physical infrastructures, 

which are basically physical, 

the requirement is for a soft 

institutional framework. These 

critical issues underpin the most 

important aspects of aviation; 

functionality, safety, security, and 

profitability. 

“It is expected that the incoming 

Minister of Aviation will consider 

taking up and actualising the intended 

legislation. The ASAP can 

as well encapsulate various innovations 

towards the development 

of a comprehensive National Aviation 

Policy.” 

From left: Managing Director, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) Mr. Oluropo Owolabi; representstive of International Air 

Transport Association (IATA) Mrs. Ewemade Atake and President, Association of Foreign Airlines in Nigeria (AFAN), Mr. Kingsley Nwokoma, at the 

end of SAHCOL’s safety week at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja,Lagos. 

Airport land lease too costly, says operator 

such money. 

Onyema said most aviation agencies 

were frustrating domestic carriers’ 

efforts to lease land at airports 

nationwide, claiming that the agencies 

delay approval they also charge 

arbitrary fees. 

He said: “The government should 

create a conducive atmosphere for 

domestic airlines to operate. It is not 

about proposal to merge airlines. 

The operating costs are too high; we 

want lower taxes, charges and elimination 

of five per cent ticket sales 

charged by the Nigerian Civil Aviation 

Authority (NCAA). This is eating 

deep into our costs of operations. 

It is beyond merger of airlines. Airlines 

have the capacity to operate but 

they need a conducive environment.” 

Onyema went on: “The government 

should put in place a policy 

that would enable airlines access 

single interest rate on bank loans. 

“Buhari should address the policies 

that affect aviation, the issue of 

taxation and the operating environment. 

The government must appoint 

somebody who has business acumen 

to run the sector. 

“The minister has done his best, 

but we want somebody with business 

background, the government 

should address the issues of policy, 

double taxation and how the airlines 

could operate profitably,” Onyema 

said. 

He continued: “There have been a 

lot of talk about the aviation sector 

in Nigeria, which is mostly influenced 

by lack of knowledge about 

the sector by so called experts. 

“The bulk of the critics heaps 

blames on airline operators as being 

the problem of the industry 

which is not true. 

“What is key in the industry is that 

operators are playing their role and 

doing their best. 

‘’But with the existing structures in 

the industry the growth of domestic 

airlines cannot be sustained. No domestic 

airline will do well if the policies 

that stunt growth are sustained. 

“The way out is for the government 

to design appropriate policies that 

would create a conducive operating 

environment. 

“The operating environment for 

domestic carriers in Nigeria is too 

harsh. It is not about airlines merger 

But the taxes are too many. With this 

kind of condition if sustained no airline 

will survive. 

“If there were good policies in place, 

the type that brings about lowering of 

airport taxes, and other charges Nigerian 

airlines would do well. 

“The cost of procuring land from the 

airport authority to build aircraft maintenance 

hangar is prohibitive. 

“If the government wants to support 

the growth of airlines, it must put in 

place policies that would enable domestic 

airlines lease land at lower 

rates. The wickedness of government 

agencies in frustrating domestic carriers 

seeking to get land around the airport 

should be looked into,” Onyema 

said.

16 


THE NATION 

BUSINESS 

* The Environment * Mortgage 

* Apartments * Security 

* Homes * Real Estate 

PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT 

Lagos State Governor 

Babatunde Fashola is 

set to leave a legacy of 

sustainable 

environmental 

management. One of 

such is the state’s 

yearly Climate Change 

Summit, which ended 

last week.The event 

was dedicated to 

examining 

achievements in the 

sector, reviewing 

challenges and setting 

agenda, MUYIWA 

LUCAS reports. 

LAGOS State has positioned itself 

as a leader in safe guarding the 

environment from the effects of 

climate change. Last week, it concluded 

its climate change summit, the 

seventh. This year’s edition was remarkable 

because it is the last one 

Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) 

presided over as the state’s chief executive. 

Fashola started the summit in 2009. 

The theme of this year’s edition was 

7 Years of climate change Governance in 

Lagos State, Celebrating success stories, 

reviewing challenges and setting future 

agenda. 

According to Fashola, since 2009, 

the summit has been the principal 

vehicle for attracting the required attention 

to environmental challenges. 

He stressed the need for humanity 

to reflect on the threat posed by the 

increasing world population to the 

sustainable exploitation and use of 

natural resources. 

For the governor, the results of the 

various climate change summits have 

been very useful to the state government 

in that it has helped in shaping 

most of its actions and policies regarding 

the environment. 

Some of these include the Eko Atlantic 

City Project, an adapted measure 

against climate change-induced 

sea level rise; improved waste management 

and transportation; the 

Lagos, Akute and Alausa Independent 

Power Projects which are gas 

fired, leading to the decommissioning 

of over 400 diesel fuelled electricity 

generators; the planting of 

over five million trees; the creation 

of over 100 parks and gardens across 

the state; and the establishment of the 

Lagos State Parks and Garden Agency 

(LASPARK), among others. 

Technical sessions 

The lead paper titled: “Climate 

change governance: Challenges and 

opportunities” was delivered by Director 

of Research Department on International 

Politics, Aberystwyth 

University, United Kingdom, Prof. 

Richard Beardsworth. 

He emphasised the importance of 

purposeful leadership to the challenge 

of climate change. 

The summit had eight technical plenary, 

with 26 papers delivered by experts 

from Nigeria, Scotland, UK, 

France, United States, South Africa, 

Canada, Egypt, and Cameroon. 

The papers covered various aspects 

of celebrating success stories, reviewing 

challenges and setting future 

agenda. The papers included: Post 

COP 20 Peru Climate Change Conference; 

implications for Developing 

Economy; Sharing Innovative Solutions 

in Climate Change Mitigation 

in Africa; From Waste to Wealth; 

Sharing public private partnership 

Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.com property@thenationonlineng.net 

08062722507 muyiwalucas2002@yahoo.com 

Lagos: Counting the gains 

of climate change summits 

•From left: Fashola; his Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello and Prof. Beardsworth, at the summit. 

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE 

(PPP)-PPP Experience in Establishing 

and operating material 

recovery facility in a developing 

economy; the Lagos State 

transportation policy and climate 

change mitigation and opportunities; 

mass transportation: 

the panacea for climate 

change mitigation in a developing 

economy; public transportation: 

role in responding to climate 

change; adopting green 

business for sustainability engaging 

corporate lagos; climate 

change mitigation: the role of financial 

institutions; and environmental 

sustainability in the 

extractive industry: The case for 

climate mitigation. 

Other presentations include: 

building resilience to climate 

change impacts: batnf and small 

scale farmers at the frontline; 

african coastal cities climate 

change vulnerability and adaptation 

planning: status and future 

plans; climate change policy 

and sustainable development; 

community energy as a vehicle 

for sustainable development 

and combating climate change; 

offshore energy for sustainable 

development in lagos state; 

turning liability into assets: taming 

the challenges of sea level 

rise into a vibrant City. 

The making of Eko Atlantic 

City; Lagos State Master Plan: 

Sustaining the Built Environment; 

among others. 

Observations 

The summit observed that climate 

change is a common global 

problem in which all states 

and people are involved as they 

are all affected, irrespective of 

the sources of Green House Gas 

(GHGs). Besides, it also observed 

that addressing the fundamental 

challenge of climate change for sustainable 

development and human 

survival is borne out of the concern 

that “nature does not need people, 

people need nature.” 

Other observations include that 

sustainability is a new direction for 

firms to effectively and profitability 

show-case their environmental 

consciousness; that there are many 

opportunities in the future of sustainable 

development that is imperative 

for human existence and 

survival; that green economy makes 

a lot of business sense and going 

green is a profitable business. It also 

provides new opportunity for global 

cooperation in the area of promoting 

energy mix, including 

renewables, for sustainable socioeconomic 

and environmental development. 

Importantly, participants observed 

that Lagos, as a coastal city, is highly 

vulnerable to the impact of climate 

change while rapid and unguided 

urbanisation, 

poor 

institutionalisation of public mass 

transportation with unsatisfactory 

commuter/freight demand are responsible 

for rapidly growing use 

of private vehicles in Lagos, even as 

mass transit is a key panacea to the 

poor transportation system in Lagos 

State, given the rapid rate of population 

growth and the desire of 

dwellers to own their own motor vehicles. 

The summit did not end without 

applauding the tree planting initiative 

of the Fashola administration. 

Participants restated that tree planting 

is an effective mitigation measure 

against the impact of climate 

change. Urban reforestation, in particular, 

is a laudable approach to improving 

carbon sequestration 

and mitigating climate changeinduced 

urban heat island. 

Also, it was observed that climate 

proofing agriculture and its 

resilience to variations in climate 

is critical for sustainable food security 

in the state. 

More importantly, the Eko Atlantic 

City Project was applauded 

as potentially an effective 

adaptive response to mitigate 

the impact of climate change 

on the coastal city of Lagos, and 

the use of only private sector resources 

for the execution of the 

Project is an innovative way to 

ensure its sustainability; just as 

an effective town planning is 

critical to sustainable urban development 

and making cities climate 

resilient. The absence of a 

legally binding policy and action 

plan on climate change at the 

state level, participants further 

noted, is of concern. 

Recommendations 

Twenty-five recommendations 

were made at the end of 

the event. These include: that 

government should continue to 

invest in climate change to promote 

environmental 

sustainability and assured future 

for human existence in the 

state; that Lagos as mega city 

must commit to addressing 

greenhouse gas emissions reduction; 

including introducing 

Controlled Parking Zones to 

deter the use of private vehicles 

and establishment of carbon 

registry to monitoring GHG 

emission levels, among others; 

that Lagos State should further 

enlarge its mass transit 

programme to transit it into an 

‘The Eko Atlantic City Project was applauded as potentially 

an effective adaptive response to mitigate the impact of climate 

change on the coastal city of Lagos, and the use of only 

private sector resources for the execution of the project is an 

innovative way to ensure its sustainability’ 

integrated, coordinated and functional 

public mass transport system, 

complimentary road 

furniture’s and a comprehensive 

urban transport policy driven by 

empirical research study; that urban 

development should be controlled 

through appropriate measures 

that will reduce dependency 

on motorised vehicles and reduce 

the increasing need for urban infrastructure; 

that Lagos State 

should continue to showcase the 

benefits of its tree planting initiative, 

as a climate change mitigation 

and adaptation measures 

to other parts of the country; that 

the State should look into the feasibility 

of enriching its remaining 

forest areas in the context of 

REED+ to create financial value 

for carbon stored in forest, address 

the drivers of deforestation, 

enhance its carbon sequestration 

for climate change mitigation, 

and even provide additional 

means of livelihoods for the concerned 

communities; that the State 

should develop a climate change 

information management system 

in which all research outputs are 

catalogued and widely disseminated 

on a regular basis; that technology 

should be put in place to 

reduce GHG emissions from waste 

in the State; that youths should be 

encouraged and involved in the 

development of climate change 

mitigation technology; that the 

State should pursue a strategic 

alignment with the private corporate 

organisations in the State in 

its fight against climate change 

and promote research, development, 

demonstration and deployment 

(RDD&D), particularly in 

the development of technological 

response to the challenge. 

Other recommendations include 

that the Lagos State Green Fund 

(inspired by the Lekki Free Trade 

Zone) should be created to leverage 

funding from all sources – 

state, federal, bilateral and multilateral 

financial institutions - to 

promote green employment generation, 

investment, and innovation; 

that the State should establish 

a Lagos Green Eco-Innovation 

Forum that will be mandated to 

spearhead efforts to promote and 

intensify Nigeria’s (and African) 

efforts to meet climate change targets 

and goals through entrepreneurship 

and philanthropy; government 

should continue to support 

the African Coastal Cities Climate 

Change Vulnerability and 

Adaptation Planning Project towards 

making Lagos more resilient; 

Relevant stakeholders should 

be involved on a continuous basis 

in the execution of the Eko Atlantic 

City Project to ensure 

sustainability, and the Lagos State 

should ensure continuity in the 

implementation of the model city 

plan within the existing legal 

framework to further climate 

proof Lagos, while putting in place 

a positive, innovative, policy environment 

and strengthen existing 

regulatory framework, including 

tax incentives and governance 

mechanisms which will promote 

public and private investment in 

climate change mitigation projects 

in Lagos state 

Participants at the summit also 

recommended that the state government 

should explore the possibilities 

of developing a framework 

for the construction of energy efficient 

houses for both low and 

middle income earning residents 

of the State, urging the government 

to look into the feasibility 

of an Energy-Poverty Alleviation 

Fund to help provide modern energy 

services to the poor and the 

needy in the state.


17



19 

COMMENTARY 

‘Instead of committing billions 

to overseas education, 

it is time to develop strategies 

whereby more of that 

money is spent at home. 

Government itself must take 

the lead in this respect by 

ensuring that a greater proportion 

of the huge sums it 

spends on foreign scholarships 

are transferred to indigenous 

tertiary institutions’ 

T 

HE report of unknown epidemic 

which hit Ondo and killed 12 people 

has attracted as much of public 

attention as it has created fears in the 

minds of inhabitants of Ode-Irele, a serene 

community in Irele Local Government 

Area of Ondo State. Curiously 

enough, the state commissioner for 

health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, who reported 

the epidemic to journalists, did not know 

the cause, neither could he say when nor 

how the disease was first noticed in the 

community. But he knew that four persons 

with fresh symptoms of the disease 

had been isolated at the General Hospital, 

Ode-Irele. 

All that is known about this disease are 

its symptoms. According to Adeyanju, 

preliminary reports showed that all the 

victims who died of the disease “complained 

of headaches and later lost their 

sight before dying”. The commissioner 

explained that the symptoms of the epidemic 

were unlike those of Ebola Virus 

Disease which are diarrhoea, vomiting 

and haemorrhage. It is all well and good 

that the commissioner has assured that 

everything possible would be done to 

prevent the disease from spreading and 

that the state government had already 

sought the aid of the World Health Organisation 

(WHO) and other partners, 

including the Federal Ministry of Health. 

On his part, however, the Chief Executive 

Officer of Ebola Alert, Professor 

Bakare Lawal, said that examples obtained 

from the victims were being analysed 

“to enable experts to determine 

EDITORIALS 

Money to waste 

•Nigeria is spending far too much on overseas scholarships 

Nigerians in Ghana annually. Exam Ethics 

International, a non-governmental 

organisation, puts the total spending on 

the education of Nigerians abroad at a 

staggering N1.5 trillion. Given the fact 

that the country plans to spend N400 billion 

on education in the 2015 budget, it is 

obvious that the funds spent outside the 

nation’s shores are grossly disproportionate 

to local capacity. 

Overseas scholarships can be beneficial 

when they are properly used. During 

Nigeria’s early years as an independent 

nation, hundreds of students were sent 

abroad as part of an ultimately successful 

effort to expand and develop the fledgling 

country’s human resources. The rational 

then was that there were only a few 

local tertiary institutions available for students 

to utilise within the country. 

Currently, however, Nigeria is endowed 

with over one hundred universities and 

about as many polytechnics and other 

tertiary institutions. The excuse of inadequate 

local capacity is therefore less defensible. 

The fact that the country is 

spending such a huge amount on overseas 

education is an obvious indication 

that there is a viable market for educational 

services if only determined attempts 

are made to fully tap into it. 

Instead of committing billions to overseas 

education, it is time to develop strategies 

whereby more of that money is 

spent at home. Government itself must 

take the lead in this respect by ensuring 

that a greater proportion of the huge sums 

it spends on foreign scholarships are 

transferred to indigenous tertiary institutions. 

This can be done using a variety 

of means: by insisting that more of its 

The Ondo epidemic 

•Citizen caution is advised while scientists probe the root 

HE allegation that the Federal Government 

is spending some N100 

billion a year on foreign scholar- 

Tships must compel a comprehensive reformulation 

of the ways in which Nigeria 

finances its education system. The accusation 

was made by Mr. Ahmed Adamu, 

chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth 

Council (CYC), as part of his appeal to the 

President-elect, Major-General 

Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), to scrap it. 

There can be little doubt that Nigeria 

spends a huge amount of money on the 

education of its students in overseas universities. 

About N27 billion has been 

spent on foreign scholarship awards by 

the Tertiary Education Trust Fund 

(TETFUND). In 2011, N8.4 billion was 

spent on the school fees of the offspring 

of Nigerian diplomats. An estimated 

N160 billion is spent on the education of 

scholarships be tenable in Nigeria, rather 

than abroad; by awarding grants aimed 

at enabling local universities to expand 

their postgraduate education; by working 

with international donor agencies to develop 

scholarship programmes with overt 

Nigerian content. 

However, it must also be understood 

that such strategies will not work if local 

tertiary institutions continue to perform 

below international standards; indeed, 

this is the reason why so much money 

goes overseas in the first place. Tertiary 

education operates within a global context, 

and it cannot be arbitrarily adjusted 

to local whims and caprices. Inadequate 

infrastructure, ill-paid and poorly-motivated 

staff, incessant strikes and other 

disruptions to the educational calendar 

will only continue to degrade and diminish 

the tertiary education system, thereby 

driving ambitious students and their parents 

abroad, at great cost to themselves 

and to the nation. 

If Nigeria’s tertiary institutions want to 

start attracting more of the educational 

funds that go abroad, they will have to 

undertake a comprehensive change in 

attitude. Many foreign universities aggressively 

market themselves in Nigeria. 

Why is it that so few of their local counterparts 

think it necessary to do the same? 

Nor do local tertiary institutions feel the 

need to attract and retain the best university 

teachers and administrators, as is 

habitually done in countries like the 

United States. When local schools begin 

to see themselves as potential players on 

the global education stage, they will be 

able to start taking advantage of the educational 

bonanza at their doorstep. 

whether the disease was bacterial or viral 

infections”. But an online search vide 

the healthline.com revealed that the symptoms 

of this “unknown” disease “mimic 

those of temporal arteritis”. The portal 

has advised that, “although the exact 

cause of the condition is unknown, there 

may be a link with the body’s auto-immune 

response. In addition, “excessive 

dose of antibiotics and certain severe infections 

have been linked to temporal 

arteries which supply blood to the head 

and brain, become inflated or damaged. 

It is also known as cranial arteritis or giant 

cell arteritis”. The portal advises that 

although the exact cause condition is unknown, 

there may be a link with the 

body’s auto-immune response. 

All these notwithstanding, the speculation 

tracing the epidemic to consumption 

of illicit gin brewed locally in the community 

has been widely spread. We 

therefore support the warning to people 

not to patronise the illicit gin, also known 

as ogogoro, suspected to be the culprit, at 

least for now, although this seems a remote 

possibility given that the local gin 

has been consumed for ages without such 

epidemic. Whilst not necessarily supporting 

the consumption of the local gin, 

we must look beyond it for the cause of 

the epidemic. 

It is a pity, even if it is not surprising, 

that the epidemic had killed 12 people, 

as we live in a country where all kinds of 

drinks like the one called sobo and its like 

pass for soft drinks, and are readily consumed 

without verification from authentic 

quarters, like the National Agency for 

Food and Drug Administration and 

Control (NAFDAC), as to their safety for 

human consumption. What this tells us 

is that people should be mindful of what 

they drink. 

The Ondo State Government should 

investigate the matter to find out the 

source or sources of the production of 

illicit gins and also see to it that other 

things sold as drinkables, like ‘pure 

water’, should be made to pass NAFDAC 

test. Should handling of the epidemic be 

beyond the scope of the state 

government, it should follow up its calls 

on the relevant Federal Government and 

WHO to jointly look into the matter with 

a view to finding a lasting solution to it. 

The Federal Government particularly 

should show interest in the Ondo epidemic 

before it spreads to other states of 

the federation. A stitch in time saves nine. 

‘Should handling of the 

epidemic be beyond the 

scope of the state government, 

it should follow up 

its calls on the relevant Federal 

Government and 

WHO to jointly look into 

the matter with a view to 

finding a lasting solution to 

it’ 

LETTER 

Counting the cost 

of xenophobia 

IR: South Africa is in the eye of the storm 

again as xenophobic onslaught against 

fellow immigrant Africans sweeps 

Sacross that land. The repeat of this deep rooted 

irrational hatred for fellow human beings 

which took place seven years ago, claiming 

over 60 lives was cruelty taken to another 

ugly dimension. Take it or leave it, xenophobic 

attacks in Africa have unfortunately lived 

with us and gone unnoticed for years. When 

it is over we forget to properly identify its 

recipe to forestall future occurrence. 

Killing and maiming of brothers has become 

the bane of a well celebrated continent 

of loving and caring people. The world was 

largely miffed in this South African Xenophobic 

attack because this is happening in a multicultural 

society known to have garnered immense 

African solidarity and support against 

serial injustices done to their nation during 

apartheid regime. This is the nation of Nelson 

Mandela: the epitome of the struggle for 

South African freedom who once said, “for to 

be free is not merely to cast off one’s chain 

but to live in a way that respects and enhances 

the freedom of others.” 

Unfortunately, this barbarism contradicts 

the South African ideal for democracy, freedom, 

justice and what they portend. The brazenly 

rascality turned into broad day armed 

robbery where looting of shops and properties 

of immigrants by the young and old South 

African in the full glare of local and international 

media was the order of the day. The 

South African police and other civil security 

establishments should be investigated for 

their unenthusiastic approach to the crisis. 

They did not seem in my estimation to have 

risen up to this occasion. 

Xenophobia and other crisis in Africa cannot 

be divorced from economic struggle for 

livelihood and the quest for survival among 

the masses amidst affluent few, corruption, 

unemployment, poor healthcare facilities, 

lack of good education and paucity of the 

needed resources or denial therein. The lack 

of purposeful leadership and good governance 

in Africa has thrown up all sorts of confusions 

and crises. Both the hungry and the 

unemployed take to anger and since anger 

emotionally overpowers reason; the least 

provocation is a misdirected violence waiting 

to happen on the society which are manifested 

in the forms of riots and civil wars. 

Ralph Ellison posited that, “when I discover 

who I am, I will be free.” South Africans were 

freed from apartheid regime 21 years ago but 

they have failed to emerge from their 

cocooned slave-mindset and discover themselves; 

and if they do, they will be free indeed. 

Africans are weary of and can no longer 

tolerate governments devoid of good governance. 

The earlier African states and governments 

begin to see positions of authority as 

one of trust, service to humanity and a social 

contact which must be sacrosanct, Africa will 

arise, be well and better for it. 

• Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, 

Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, 

Kaduna 

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20 

CARTOON & LETTERS 


SIR: That Femi Gbajabiamila 

carries himself like a true 

leader, is not new. That he acts 

and talks the part is also not new. 

That he is a nationalist is not new as 

well because his antecedent speaks 

volume but what is new is that he’s 

never been the leader of the ruling 

party in the House of Representatives. 

As the House’s ‘Minority Whip’ 

leader, Gbajabiamila was many 

things. He was the voice of the 

House as well as the enforcer. He 

pushed that democracy be practiced 

in Nigeria like in developed countries. 

For starters, lets refresh on the 

role of a ‘Whip’ and how 

Gbajabiamila played the part. “A 

whip is an official in a political party 

whose primary purpose is to ensure 

party discipline in a legislature. 

Whips are a party’s “enforcers,” 

who typically offer inducements 

and threaten party members to ensure 

that they vote according to the 

official party policy. A whip’s role 

is also to ensure that the elected representatives 

of their party are in attendance 

when important votes are 

taken.” 

In the House Gbajabiamila held 

sway because of his stance against 

mismanagement, poor leadership 

and political immaturity. He vehemently 

kicked against the defection 

from one party to another, hammering 

on the need for Nigerian politicians 

to have and hold onto a set of 

political beliefs, ideology and philosophy. 

Gbajabiamila pretty much 

summed himself up in his book: 

“Fearless: the Emergence Of A Virile 

And Formidable Opposition 

Leader (Political Memoirs of Hon. 

Femi Gbajabiamila) preparing himself 

for the big stage, only that, this 

time he will go from opposition 

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Gbajabiamila deserves the Speaker’s job 

leader to the leader of the ruling 

party, a position he has prepared 

himself for and one that has waited 

for him. 

His panache and zest as Minority 

Whip leader was contagious and 

staggering. His colleagues always 

listened when he spoke. His 

oratorial prowess and his ability 

to convey his messages in the best 

possible fashion made him an item 

in every gathering. 

As Minority Whip leader, he 

SIR: South Africans have been 

up in arms against foreigners, 

mostly black immigrants 

since 2008. If care is not taken, such 

hostility could become the defining 

feature of the relationship between 

Africa’s most industrialised nation 

and the rest of the sub-Saharan Africa. 

The series of violent attacks 

have resulted in the death of about 

10 people who were either stabbed, 

lynched, wounded or set ablaze 

right in their places of abode while 

many others, who were lucky to survive 

have been displaced and rendered 

homeless. The world also 

watched in horror, as gangs of 

weapon-wielding youth descended 

on hapless people by killing, maiming 

and destroying their property. 

Shops and restaurants were reportedly 

looted with the law enforcement 

agents accused of looking the 

pushed Nigeria and Nigerians. He 

pushed the ruling party, he pushed 

his colleagues in the opposition but 

above all he pushed himself even 

beyond his own comprehension. 

Why should he be the eighth 

Speaker of the House of Representative? 

As head of the ad hoc committee 

investigating claims by the 

Asset Management Company of 

Nigeria, AMCON that N140.9 billion, 

which was owed by Zenon 

Petroleum and Gas Limited and 

Forte Oil Plc, has been paid, 

Gbajabiamila did a thorough job 

ensuring that the House also passed 

Money Laundering and Terrorism 

Amendment Bills. 

That’s why Asiwaju BolaTinubu, 

a national leader of the All 

Progressives Congress described 

Gbajabiamila as “an inspiration to 

many of the members of the House 

of Representatives today who are 

working tirelessly to see Nigeria 

chart a new course and are very so 

Still on the xenophobic attacks 

other way. 

We recall that such hostility 

played out some years back when 

some South Africa-bound Nigerians 

were turned back at the Oliver 

Tambo International Airport, 

Johannesburg for allegedly attempting 

to enter the country without the 

possession of valid yellow fever 

vaccination cards. At that time, the 

measure attracted a retaliatory action, 

as Nigeria turned back about 

130 South Africans after their plane 

had touched down at the Murtala 

Muhammed Airport in Lagos. Not 

only that, the humiliation Nigerians 

face when applying for South 

African visas is unbearable, particularly 

when nationals of similar countries 

that supported apartheid are 

allowed to enter into South Africa 

without entry visas. 

The South Africans are said to be 

Re: Our agenda for Buhari by doctors, others 

SIR: The pharmaceutical society 

of Nigeria wishes to express 

its gratitude to your 

publication for your exclusive on 

the above subject matter. 

We however wish to draw your 

attention to the caption – Our agenda 

for Buhari by doctors, others… While 

conceding that editors have a lib- 

erty to decide the captions that suits 

them best, it is imperative to point 

out that the aforementioned caption 

assaults sensibilities and deals 

fatal blows on the pride of health 

professionals especially pharmacists. 

It is painful that at a time we continue 

to seek mutual respect for all 

concerned in the health sector, this 

type of caption encourage the conqueror 

mentality doctors in collaboration 

with some biased stakeholders 

continue to impose on our 

perennially volatile health sector. 

• Gbalagade Iyiola, MAW 

Mushin, Lagos. 

irked by the business competition 

offered by foreigners and Africans 

who seem to be more successful than 

them. Due to South Africa’s culture 

of entitlement, the entrepreneurial 

spirit and hardwork so evident in 

immigrant communities has become 

a source of resentment for 

them. The culture of entitlement that 

tends to propel South African natives 

to become lazy and complacent, believing 

that many of their unemployed 

township dwellers cannot do 

much on their own to improve their 

situation without state assistance. 

Not only that, immigrants from Somalia 

and Ethiopia are also feared 

and hated because they do much 

better than their South African counterparts. 

These immigrants - out of 

sheer business ingenuity - co-operate 

with each other by forming business 

networks to buy goods together 

in bulk and undercut competition 

by excelling as entrepreneurs. 

King Zwelithini’s provocative utterances 

undoubtedly fuelled the latest 

impasse and as such, his reprimand 

and the call by many, including 

the Nigerian government for his 

prosecution at the International 

Criminal Court are not out of 

place. There can be no valid excuse 

for or defence of the horrors playing 

out. It is shameful for a big country 

like South Africa to behave like 

the former apartheid state where 

committed to changes, content of 

the character of the country, adding 

a great value and commitment 

to national development and 

progress of this country”. 

Gbajabiamila is not one who 

shies away from his responsibilities 

and actions as a leader. To preserve 

the democracy of Nigeria, he 

was once forced to scale the gate of 

the House of Representatives. On 

his Facebook page, he wrote of his 

action: “What happened in the National 

Assembly yesterday will forever 

live in infamy. Never thought 

I would see the day when I would 

be forced to go over the assembly 

gates where I work to gain access 

into the chambers.” 

• Seun Bisuga, 

Lagos 

rights violations were rampant. The 

patience of Nigerians who rather 

opted for protest - rather than resorting 

into violence in the face of provocation 

- is highly commendable. 

The Nigerian government should 

rise up to its obligation of protecting 

its people in South Africa and elsewhere. 

Necessary legal actions 

should therefore be initiated to ensure 

that South Africa pays adequate 

compensations for the losses incurred 

by the immigrants. If the South African 

government cannot guarantee 

the safety of Nigerians in their country, 

the Federal Government should 

put the necessary logistics in place to 

evacuate its citizens. 

Finally, it is time we looked inward 

and reflect deeply on how to discourage 

Nigerians from fleeing their 

country for greener pasture. The perennial 

problems of unemployment, 

insecurity, harsh business climate, 

epileptic power supply and bureaucratic 

corruption should be seriously 

addressed. The incoming administration 

of General Muhammadu Buhari 

should ensure that Nigeria regains 

its pride of place among comity of 

nations and to become a true home 

for all its citizens. 

• Adewale Kupoluyi 

Federal University of Agriculture, 

Abeokuta.


COMMENTS 

“Ema ba won wi o, funra won no ma 

funra won loogun je! [Never mind them, 

they are fated to self-destroy] — Yoruba 

cynical saying 

I 

MPUNITY makes, impunity takes, 

chikena! 

That appears a fair epigram on the 

eight-month tenure of Suleiman Abba, 

the briefest-serving Inspector-General of 

Police (IGP) in Nigerian history. 

But mocking Mr. Abba’s fall, as sweet, 

tempting or even well deserved as it is, 

completely misses the point. 

Well deserved? Yeah. More than any 

other, IGP Abba epitomised the visage 

of the security forces as shameless 

conspirators in looming fascism, with his 

invasion of the House of Representatives for crass partisan 

causes. But he, as a responsible Police officer, ought to have 

been sworn to neutrality and strict legality. 

He not only abysmally failed on that score, with hubris, he 

armed himself with power he never had by law. 

One, he summarily stripped Speaker Aminu Tambuwal of 

his security details. Two, he bragged before the very 

committee of the House of Representatives — incense upon 

incense! — that he (and who the hell was he — the courts?) 

did not recognise the Speaker because Mr. Tambuwal had 

defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All 

Progressives’ Congress (APC). 

That was not only a rude affront to the House, by the 

Constitution an independent branch of government. It was 

also a violent rape of the doctrine of separation of powers, on 

which presidentialism is anchored. 

That, of course, was profitable careerism gone sour. That 

bravado, after all, seemed to have earned the ousted IGP, 

then acting, a confirmation. 

Nevertheless, Mr. Abba soon ended with pelted eggs on 

his face. The rotten morality of the National Assembly, 

shortly after, resolved itself against PDP, its chief promoter. 

A gale of house defections — which PDP had soullessly 

pushed all its power years to subvert the opposition and the 

Constitution — made Alhaji Tambuwal Speaker, de facto and 

de jure, when his APC gained the majority. Mr. Abba therefore 

ate bitter crow, and restored the Speaker’s full security. 

But make no mistake. Mr. Abba was no devil any more 

than any of his predecessors was — or indeed, any of his 

successors would be — a saint. 

His action — silly then, silly now and silly if repeated in 

future — was only driven by the bad power socialisation of 

Nigeria’s extant orders, to make an ass of the same law that 

temporarily propelled over and above fellow citizens. 

“Let security chiefs be appointed 

solely on merit; not on their 

perceived duplicity to subvert the 

law against the political opposition” 

ETIRED General Muhammad Buhari’s presidential 

electoral victory of February the 28, has attracted an 

admixture of favours and misfortune to both the lead- 

Rership and citizenry of the Nigerian state. It is truly a fortune 

to Nigeria for what such a victory portends for the 

mental re-engineering of Nigerians most of whom have 

unabashedly embraced corruption as a way of life. Yet it is 

a misfortune for it altered rather destructively, albeit partially, 

the political configuration of the country, which was 

hitherto fragmented through the agency of political parties, 

thereby beclouding the electorate’s senses of perception 

in certain parts of the country, into voting sheepishly 

and uncritically all in the name of pursuing the much desired 

change through the instrumentality of Buhari. And 

one wonders whether most of the candidates so voted at the 

governorship and senatorial polls and subsequently declared 

winners and returned elected or reelected have anything in 

common with Buhari. 

I thought it appropriate to contribute this piece in view of 

the mono-dimensional nature of most of the comments and 

contributions made so far to navigate before the General an 

express way to fighting corruption in the country. Such contributions 

seem to have promoted the perception that corruption 

cannot but be economic in nature. I venture to call 

attention to religious corruption or corruption in religion 

and more importantly academic corruption or corruption 

in educational settings. It may not be out of place to articulate 

the rationale for my decision to address such an important 

aspect of corruption that is hardly accorded its deserved 

attention in our national discourse. I am a teacher trainer 

with professional experience covering no fewer than four 

universities, three at home and one overseas. I am actively 

involved in teacher preparation in a number of universities 

in Nigeria and have seized the opportunity of my engagement 

with both students and lecturers to collect data across 

disciplines, across universities and across the years, with a 

view to conducting systematic studies on various dimensions 

of corrupt tendencies in Nigerian colleges and universities. 

Yet I shall, in the present article, restrict myself to 

the teacher factor in tertiary educational corruption. 

The incoming administration may need to show interest 

in who teaches and how teaching is done in our tertiary 

educational institutions. It certainly will interest the administration 

to learn that not all those who teach in such 

settings have any business with education. When a teacher 

teaches what he knows not, the outcome of such an exercise 

is better imagined than experienced. And when a teacher is 

deficient in knowledge and skills, it may not really matter 

whether students work hard to excel or not. Scientific stud- 

R 

epublican 

ipples 

lordbeek1@gmail.com, 08054504169 (Sms only, please) 

Olakunle 

Abimbola 

So long, Abba 

Not for them that flat dismissal by Fela Anikulapo-Kuti 

(God bless his rebellious soul!), which reeks of the lean-andmean 

wit of John Donne, the English metaphysical poet: 

Uniform na khaki, na tailor dey sew am! 

Which brings the discourse to the fable that Nigeria’s 

president is the most powerful in all of the universe. That 

could be true by the way of hyperbole, to capture the sheer 

depth and breadth of the Nigerian president’s powers under 

the Constitution. 

But to every power, there is a limitation — except you want 

to breach the law. The Constitution says so. The presidential 

system, on which the Constitution is built, with its rigorous 

checks and balances, also says so. 

But all too often, most of Nigeria’s extant orders believe 

that costly power illusion, and expect their poor appointees, 

especially top dogs in the security agencies, to read their body 

language and merrily conspire to subvert the law. 

That was the Genesis to Revelation of Mr. Abba’s loud thud 

of a fall, in the presidential court of Goodluck Jonathan. Abba’s 

tragic grandstanding to please raised him. But it also smashed 

him. 

Now, to the main point that must not be missed. 

The cruel joke may be on IGP Abba for earning a sack from 

vile careerism. But the overall shame is on a manipulative 

President Jonathan, who shopped around for a pliant hand to 

skew an election he knew full well, from his rotten 

performance record, he deserved to lose — and with ignominy. 

While Jonathan eyed four more years of undeserved 

presidential power, Abba eyed no less than four years as IGP. 

If that meant helping Jonathan to achieve his goal, it was 

only a blissful marriage of two sweet dreams. Even if Mr. 

Abba’s police would lose respect as a vicious PDP rod, the 

end would justify the meanness (apologies to Prof. Wole 

Soyinka) in career sweetness! 

The gamey IGP proved his commitment to this dubious 

cause, when he half-appealed, half-threatened voters to depart 

the voting zone immediately after voting, despite INEC’s 

Re: Ekiti, sick boy of Yorubaland?: Each time I read all the 

negatives pertaining to Fayose’s rudderless leadership, I 

chuckle not because we often forget to attribute his coming 

The other corruption 

Buhari must fight 

By Saheed Ahmad Rufai 

ies have revealed that a teacher with low academic quality 

is not likely to have academic integrity. And where there is 

no integrity, it may not be out of place for a teacher to give 

marks for sex or for cash. Consequently, some lecturers are 

ready to give you any score no matter how high, as long as 

you are ready to pay. And now that such sub-standard teachers 

are fast growing in number owing to our questionable 

retention system, the academically sound and morally upright 

ones most times feel unsafe and insecure. This is because 

every scores inflator, marks manipulator or randy lecturer 

has an academic godfather to protect him or her. It is 

only in rare circumstances that a case concerning a lecturer’s 

insistence on exposing his fraudulent colleague is decided 

in favour of the ‘puritanist’ lecturer. Why is he trying to 

expose him? Why is he always complaining about corruption? 

Is there an incorruptible one in Nigeria? What does it 

profit him to expose his colleague? These are some of the 

comments that are normally generated by an anti-corruption 

stance among lecturers, which is why our faculties are 

now bereft of radical and outspoken academics. 

The corrupt teacher finds a fertile ground in the lazy and 

fraudulent students who are ever-willing to ‘pay’ for high 

grades in whatever form. Accordingly, corrupt academic 

practices have now become a joint venture between lecturers 

and students. Given that every public university in Nigeria 

has some percentage of sub-standard lecturers who 

can hardly write or speak well and as such bribe, influence 

or manipulate their way to even becoming professors, students 

with tempting material or other forms of gratifications 

find no strain in earning high grades and most of them 

even end up becoming lecturers. This is so because once 

they are assisted to graduate with inexplicably high grades, 

they are encouraged by their academic god-fathers to proceed 

to higher levels and within a twinkle of an eye, are 

declared as having successfully completed their doctorates! 

I dare not share with Nigerians how some lecturers navigate 

their ways to doctorates within their departments and 

how any lecturer attempting to shout ‘foul’ is horrendously 

From Taiwo Osunsanya to Ekiti 

countermand that such a 

directive was alien to the 

Electoral Law. 

But as Jonathan lost, the 

tactics exploded in Abba’s face 

— and strategies must 

logically change. But too bad, 

Abba trundled on a 

presidential snake that though 

scorched, was neither dead nor 

defanged. Hence, the fatal final 

bite! 

But in this brutal swish of 

instant punishment for 

perceived treachery, Fate 

played a terrible double. 

President Jonathan, still 

savouring his newfound toga of “global statesman” for 

conceding an election he soundly lost, by firing Abba, 

relegated himself to yet another grumpy, vindictive African 

Big Man, unwilling to expire without the last ugly roar. 

But the more profound anti-Abba comeuppance was the 

emergence of Solomon Arase as acting IGP. Reportedly Mr. 

Abba’s senior, by year of entry (Arase’s 1981 to Abba’s 1984), 

Mr. Arase’s putative reluctance to be engaged for dubious 

causes reportedly led to his sidelining when Mr. Abba got 

the job. Now, see who is going home earlier! 

Yet, it is unclear if Mr. Arase should laugh or cry over his 

temporary triumph. By virtue of his late emergence in an 

outgoing administration, his career too could have been 

adversely affected. 

What if the new government decides to sweep away all the 

service chiefs, and start on a clean slate? Perhaps the reported 

lobby in his favour, by past IGPs, could somewhat come to 

his aid? Maybe. Maybe not. He is due to retire in 2016, 

anyway. 

But the moral here is less for President Jonathan and more 

for President-elect Mohammadu Buhari. Impunity almost 

always comes back to haunt its perpetrator. Jonathan, for all 

his advertised meekness, was not shy of playing God. Yet, 

his own hand-picked IGP ditched him the moment he became 

lame-duck! 

Therefore, Gen. Buhari cannot, like most of his predecessors, 

afford to play the misguided but tragic Leviathan that, at 

whims, twists and turns the Constitution to partisan and selfserving 

ends. 

Let security chiefs be appointed solely on merit; not on 

their perceived duplicity to subvert the law against the 

political opposition. Jonathan and Abba fell flat on their 

faces — good! But they were not the first to attempt such. 

Neither will they be the last. 

But Gen. Buhari must strive for a radical and positive change 

in attitude. That is the surest way to deepen our democratic 

institutions. 

to right quarters. Ekiti deserves a better leadership. But we 

should blame Fayose’s “progressive” predecessors who 

unknowingly paved his way to power. Ilupeju, Lagos. 

suppressed. Yet, there are brilliant lecturers virtually every 

where even though the sub-standard elements are fast outnumbering 

them. 

When an empty-headed teacher operates in an educational 

setting and attains the peak of his career one can imagine 

how colossal his damage to the system is. 

Nigeria’s educational system is fast getting predominantly 

peopled by wrong sets of certificate carriers and such an 

unfortunate experience flourishes unchallenged. One is constrained 

to ask whether having a poorly trained pilot fly a 

plane will not culminate in an immediate crash. One is 

equally constrained to ask whether having a surgery performed 

by a quack surgeon will not culminate in a death. 

One is equally constrained to ask whether the legal profession 

is not sensitive about the quality of legal professional 

practice. Although not without their own degree of corruption, 

the aforementioned professions place premium on professionalism 

and are able to monitor and control their operations 

through non-university based professional bodies. 

Conversely, a lecturer can spend two hours teaching nonsense 

in the lecture room, unchallenged, for there is no 

monitoring. He can also make as much money as he wishes 

and sleep with as many students as he likes or even attract 

from his students building materials for his housing projects, 

without being questioned. At the end of it all, highest bidders 

among students attract highest scores. That explains 

why we are no longer able to distinguish between good 

scores that were earned by sharp brains and high grades 

that were achieved with big boobs. Okey Ndibe once wrote 

about sexually transmitted degrees and I venture to say that 

only a meticulous observer can appreciate and distinguish 

the academically earned degrees from the sexually and romantically 

achieved as well as the materially or financially 

attracted certificates. Little wonders that many of today’s 

graduates from our universities cannot write a good paragraph. 

Aside the ubiquitous publications that lecturers present 

for elevations, which have now become the easiest thing for 

university lecturers, can there also not be an efficacious quality-assuring 

mechanism to determine the worth of every 

teacher? Can there not also be an effective strategy to sanction 

the morally bankrupt teachers? Can there not be a good 

and meaningful way of rewarding hard-work and commendable 

scholarship? Can there not be a credible means of making 

lecturers with integrity proud of their own incorruptible 

nature rather than persecute and coerce them into criminal 

compliance or irrational conformity. 

• Rufai, Ph.D teaches at Sokoto State University.

dency on My 29, 2015. But like the proverbial 

Whiteman that defecates on the chair before 

vacating his seat, Jonathan is bent on leaving 

behind some mess for the incoming administration. 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has 

raised concern over what it called last minute 

looting of the nation’s resources, secret sales 

of government property and massive recruitment 

into the public service by the departing 

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led Federal 

Government. While these might not be entirely 

true, it behoves the Jonathan administration 

to tread with caution, its last days in 

office, in order not to create problems for the 

incoming administration. 

And one of such likely problems is the 

planned handover of the job of protecting the 

nation’s oil/gas pipelines and waterways to 

former militants and self determination 

groups by President Jonathan. Barring any last 

minute change, former Niger Delta militants/ 

warlords, Government Ekpemupolo (aka 

Tompolo), Mujaheedin Asari-Dokubo and 

Chief Bipobiri Ajube (aka Gen. Shoot-At-Sight) 

together with Dr Frederick Faseun and Ganiyu 

Adams of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), 

should be in charge of protecting these vital 

economic facilities. They were billed to take 

over from the various security agencies yesterday. 

Looking at the implications of contracting 

out such important duty of government to private 

individuals/companies, to the security 

of state, one would have expected President 

Jonathan to leave the decision on the 

outsourcing of such assignment to the incoming 

administration. The pipelines and waterways 

are treasured national assets that should 

not be placed in the hands of anybody or 

group of people other than agents of the state. 

Considering the cry over poor funding of 

our armed forces and other security agencies, 

the N9.3 billion to be expended on the pipeline 

protection contract for the former militants 

could go a long way in adequately arming 

the Nigerian Navy and the Nigeria Police 

to provide the needed security for these pipelines 

and our waterways. These are bodies/ 

organizations statutorily empowered to carry 

IT is highly debatable whether it is proper 

to set an agenda for progress and development 

for an elected government which Ipresumably got the highest number of votes 

on the basis of its manifesto. However it has 

been a tortuous journey to the moment when 

a ruling party in Nigeria could be voted out of 

power for poor performance. There are many 

gaps to fill and mistakes to correct such that 

patriots cannot afford to be aloof. The moment 

calls on hands on deck for a fresh beginning. 

In this respect one is happy that the President-elect 

General Muhammadu Buhari has 

already promised to ‘lead a government 

founded on values that promote and protect 

fundamental human rights and freedoms, the 

supremacy of the Constitution and rule of 

law…and to build a country that is fair to all 

its citizens…respects human dignity, promotes 

human development…equality…and 

freedom….’ 

I see here the recognition of some of our 

past weaknesses which include wrong philosophy 

of governance or inappropriate ideology 

of development, exclusion of the state from 

economic activities, low citizenry participation, 

disregard for the provisions of the constitution, 

infrastructural decay, rural neglect, 

corruption, insecurity, unemployment especially 

youth’s to mention just a few. 

While it needless to ask for a proper focus 

on these problems, the year 1999 when the 

country returned to democracy provided opportunity 

for a fresh start but which was 

botched by the ruling elites by taking the 

wrong road. As I observed in my book Power 

of Youth and Other Essays on the Political Economy 

of Nigeria the wrong step was informed by a 

number of factors -both local and international 

that must guided against henceforth. These 

include influence of international politics of 

ideology as was re-ignited by Margaret 

Thatcher in Britain and Ronald Reagan in the 

USA in the 1980s to the effect that the market 

is the engine of development and the state has 

no business with doing business; the fall of 

USSR and the belief that socialism was dead; 

the influence of western media in projecting 

the capitalist ideology across the globe in the 

name of globalization, the persuasive activities 

of the IMF, the World Bank on developing 

countries to embrace western market 

based model of development, the poor knowledge 

and lack of creative thinking and development-oriented 

nation-building local elites 

as well as emergence of false prophets in the 

That pipeline 

protection contract 


COMMENTS 

AFTER six years of lack-lustre performance, 

President Goodluck Jonathan is 

expected to relinquish Nigeria’s presiout 

the job of protecting these facilities, and if 

for whatever reason they have been unable to 

do so effectively, the solution is not to 

outsource their duties, but to ensure they carry 

out such duties. 

Moreover it is doubtful if any of these contractors 

have any requisite knowledge or training 

on how to carry out the assignment. Giving 

them the contract amounts to merely giving 

‘job to the boys’ to keep them quiet or 

away from crime. While it is good and even 

necessary for government to either provide 

gainful employment for all or create a conducive 

environment for everybody so willing 

to be gainfully employed, this kind of job being 

given to Tompolo and others is beyond 

their level of competence and should be 

stopped immediately. 

If Jonathan insists on going ahead with the 

contract, the incoming administration on taking 

over power should halt the implementation 

as soon as possible. If the government 

feels there is a need for a special force to be in 

charge of protecting these facilities, it should 

create such and put under its control, just like 

it created the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) 

and the National Drug Law Enforcement 

Agency (NDLEA) to take care of road safety 

matters and drug law enforcement in the country. 

I had complained about this contract in the 

past when it was first mooted. I have nothing 

personal against the people involved, but I 

believe that the security of state, including that 

of the citizens and vital state facilities/resources 

should not be put in the hands of private 

individuals. And considering the past 

activities of some of those benefiting from the 

contract, I believe it amounts to rewarding 

criminality if those who had at one time or 

another taken up arms against the government 

in the past, should be so rewarded, if at 

all they should be rewarded, the Niger Delta 

amnesty programme notwithstanding. 

While the incoming General Muhammadu 

Buhari’s administration has promised not to 

probe Jonathan or any of his predecessors, this 

type of pipeline protection contract could 

leave the new government with no choice than 

to look into the books of the outgoing government. 

And Nigerians would definitely understand 

if the new government came to this. 

There are some actions of the Jonathan government 

that would and should definitely be 

looked into. No responsible government 

would want to close its eyes to the disappearance 

of 20 billion USD oil earning not remitted 

into the federation account by the Nigeria 

National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as 

alleged by the former governor of Central 

Bank of Nigeria, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, 

the Emir of Kano. 

Sanusi, as CBN government made the allegation 

and instead of Jonathan looking into it 

fired the apex bank boss. It is believed that 

Sanusi’s appointment as Emir of Kano probably 

prevented Jonathan from further persecuting 

for making the revelation. 

Long travel on the wrong road 

By John I. Abhuere 

corridors of power many of them novices in 

development issues or nation-building matters. 

One of the results was the wrongly taken 

private–sector market driven economic patha 

somewhat breach of the constitution. Rather 

than being guided by the provisions of the 

1999 constitution, the government adopted the 

wrong philosophy of excluding the state from 

economic activities in the name of globalization 

of which privatization is a major plank. It 

was a step informed by blind loyalty and uncritical 

embrace of an inappropriate ideology 

that was bereft of reason, historical and constitutional 

support. In this way the state was 

sent on leave of absence for 16 years. 

Yet according to the 1999 Constitution, the 

‘security and welfare of the people’ shall be 

the primary purpose of government and the 

‘participation of the people in their government’ 

should be ensured. Also the state ‘’shall 

harness the resources of the nation to promote 

national prosperity and an efficient, a dynamic 

and self reliant economy’; and it should ‘control 

the national economy in such manner as 

to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and 

happiness of every citizen on the basis of social 

justice and equality of status and opportunity’. 

It is clear from the foregoing that the constitution 

envisages state intervention but instead 

of this the elites excluded the state and went 

ahead with a bogus privatization which saw 

the sale of public enterprise that swelled the 

unemployment load without any attempt to 

establish labor-intensive industries. What 

stopped us from having a national carrier, 

more refineries, and agro –based industries 

except economic heresy from abroad? 

But such exclusion of the state was bad development 

–economics and a-historical. It is 

akin to denying the best player of a football 

team from playing in a crucial competition 

on the ground that it is not right to win through 

him. The state in developing countries has 

more muscle than the private sector to lead 

and drive the economy. The private sector is 

still at its infancy and thus weak. Values such 

as trust, honesty, and discipline are in short 

supply in Nigeria. Above all the purpose of 

President-elect, Buhari is right in saying he 

would look into the books on this matter once 

he assumes office on May 29, 2015. Nigerians 

would understand why. We need to know who 

was saying the truth; Sanusi or Jonathan’s government 

that says no $20billion was missing. 

Corruption is at the root of our problems in 

this country and until issues like the alleged 

missing oil money is satisfactorily dealt with 

and the truth uncovered, and punishment 

meted out if necessary; corruption will continue 

to thrive in Nigeria. $20billion is big 

money and no effort must be spared by Buhari 

to uncover the truth and no sacred cow must 

be left untouched if at all somebody or some 

people tampered with that money. 

The president-elect should also look into the 

bogus oil subsidy being paid by the federal 

government to importers of petrol. This is 

another platform where Nigeria is being defrauded 

of huge sums of money. 

The fraudulent practices are not of monetary 

nature alone. There is so much fraud in our 

electoral system which if not stopped could 

derail this democracy. The last general elections 

and the sham that took place in Rivers 

and Akwa Ibom States just to mention a few, 

in the name of election was enough to show 

that all is not well with our democracy in spite 

of the worldwide kudos given to the Independent 

National Electoral Commission (INEC) 

and its chairman, Attahiru Jega for a job well 

done. 

It was glaring that no election took place in 

these two states and yet results, votes, running 

into millions were declared. Who did 

the voting? While the judiciary should be left 

alone to determine whether it was right for 

INEC to declare result in the face of so many 

irregularities in these states, conscious efforts 

should be made by the Buhari administration 

to reform our electoral system such that votes 

would count. It would be wise for the incoming 

administration to look into the Justice 

Uwais Commission report in this regard. 

As Jonathan prepares his hand over notes, it 

is hoped that the president would make himself 

available to the new government for clarification 

on some of his actions if need be. Let 

us thank the president once again for that concession 

speech. For once in six years, he did 

something good. 

the state is to provide for the security, and 

welfare of the people and thus in a better position 

to mobilize necessary resources to do 

the needful including the provision of employment. 

Most of the problems of today were all 

there - unemployment, insecurity, rural neglect, 

infrastructural deficiency, corruption etc 

and they required strong frontier attack than 

the indirect approach of the market adopted 

by the ruling elites. 

It is needless to remind us that the country 

has been in serious economic crisis long before 

1999.And the state has a duty to resolve 

the crisis. In the history of nation-building, 

the state has always led in the mobilization of 

resources to lay appropriate infrastructure in 

order to drive growth and development. The 

USA used the approach in its formative years 

in the 18 th , 19 th century and would use it in the 

1920s & 30s era of the great depression to 

stimulate recovery, and even in this century- 

2008 to resolve serious financial crisis. The 

Marshal plan for Europe after the World War 

11 was nothing else than massive state intervention. 

Dubai, Singapore, China etc are 

driven on the principle of government-led 

development efforts. 

The new government must not give room 

to the false prophets of development to misdirect 

the country again because they are novices 

in nation-building in developing countries. 

They lack the ability for creative thinking 

and adaptation of global ideas to local 

condition. They chase shadows rather than the 

substance of solving the daily problems of our 

country. The new government must work out 

an appropriate philosophy or ideology of development 

based on justice, equity and fairplay 

to be preached and driven by a well assembled 

development oriented and nationalunity 

conscious elite. 

Another serious mistake of the past was the 

alienation of majority citizens through barren, 

harsh and unrewarding policies. One of 

the consequences was low citizenry participation 

which is one of the reasons for policy 

failure of the era 1999-2015. 

Any casual observer of the Nigerian scene 

would appreciate that many Nigerians did not 

bond with the development vision of the government 

since 1999. For instance many people 

did not understand what NEEDS, 7-point 

agenda and Transformational agenda were all 

about. Yet without people understanding and 

buying into the leadership vision, nothing 

much can be achieved in the development 

arena. The mobilization of the citizen to share 

in the leadership vision should be the starting 

point of this administration. 

Because the country was on the wrong road, 

many things went wrong too: corruption, injustice, 

immorality, profanity, unethical conduct 

etc were on the increase. She failed or 

was unable to appreciate where the shoes 

pinched most. Otherwise national statistics 

had since revealed that about 60% of the 

nation’s active population are youths and that 

unemployment was very high in the country 

– 40% (about 40 million) people most of them 

youths, thereby becoming a source of threat 

to the economy. With over 40 million unemployed, 

one needs not to be specialist to know 

that the country was sitting on a keg of gun 

powder. All these largely explain the rise of 

more militia groups, kidnapping groups and 

terrorist sects such as Boko Haram. And they 

also explain the sprawling poverty and underdevelopment 

across the country today. All 

these must be given utmost attention through 

frontal attack by the state at not the indirect 

approach of the market. 

• Abhuere, FNIM, writes from Uromi 

‘With over 40 million unemployed, one needs not to be specialist 

to know that the country was sitting on a keg of gun powder. 

All these largely explain the rise of more militia groups, 

kidnapping groups and terrorist sects such as Boko Haram. And 

they also explain the sprawling poverty and underdevelopment 

across the country today. All these must be given utmost attention 

through frontal attack by the state at not the indirect 

approach of the market’

’ 

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 

E-mail:- law@thenationonlineng.net 

If, for instance, education is made a fundamental right, then there will be 

less resources for the executive to steal or mismanage. President Jonathan 

with few enduring legacies, should consider reaching a compromise with the 

legislators, instead of the double dealings against greater national interests. 

’ 

See page 39 

25 

He was a Judge for 10 years. He practised as a lawyer for 19 years. Now in retirement, Justice Babasola Ogunade is 

into consultancy, which allows him more time for God’s work. Justice Ogunade is the Chancellor of the Diocese of 

Lagos West, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). In this interview with JOSEPH JIBUEZE, he speaks on what 

makes a great judge; life in retirement; why being a judge is challenging; his expectations of the incoming Buhari 

administration and the need for more voter education to reduce ‘money politics’. 

ARE you satisfied with 

your time on the Bench? 

IF you have done your best while in 

service, in retirement you will feel 

happy that you have done your best. 

If you work according to your oath of office, 

then you should leave it better than 

you met it. That is my satisfaction. 

How did you join the Bench? 

A good number of us went to the Bench 

not because we aspired to. I was a full 

time legal practitioner from the first day 

of my call to the Bar until I was invited to 

come to the Bench. I did not apply. I did 

not lobby anybody. In actual fact it’s like 

I was dragged into it. I was first asked to 

come to the Bench in the mid 1980s but I 

didn’t take it, for two reasons. The way 

that judges were retired in 1975/76 by the 

Murtala/Obasanjo regime – I felt it was 

an unnecessary intrusion into the affairs 

of the temple of justice. 

What was wrong with how 

the judges were retired? 

I knew of two people who were retired 

in Lagos. One was in the limelight of the 

Bar when he was in practice. And on the 

Bench, he was someone that everyone was 

looking up to. The reason for his retirement 

was only made known to him after 

they had retired him. And when they 

heard him, they said: ‘We’re sorry, we 

didn’t have the facts.’ And most unfortunately, 

the Attorney-General at that time 

was a solicitor of the Supreme Court. In 

order to make up for it, they converted 

his compulsory retirement to voluntary 

retirement. It’s a long story. Because even 

though they knew the facts, one of those 

ones who played a prominent role in their 

retirement knowing all the facts came 

round to write a book to malign the character 

of that judge. So, when you have seen 

that kind of treatment, how are you encouraged 

to go to the Bench? 

So, what convinced you 

to go to the Bench? 

The first time I was asked, I said I was 

satisfied with what I was doing; I didn’t 

want it. But you realise that it is a position 

of honour. No matter what anybody 

says, the highest point you can reach as a 

lawyer is for you to become a judge. It’s 

the other way round in this country. In 

England I do know that a number of the 

High Court judges there are Queens Counsel 

(QCs), and they always regard it as an 

honour when they are invited to the 

Bench. But it’s not the same thing here. In 

the end, I had to surrender and I accepted 

to go to the Bench. 

Did your earning increase 

while on the Bench? 

The way I met the Bench wasn’t anything 

to write home about. One, my income was 

reduced by almost 75 per cent. But I didn’t 

complain because I knew what I was going 

into. I felt satisfied with what I had 

done in practice. And I was sure I could 

manage with whatever I earned. So the 

usual temptation that people have, to 

want to cut corners – I didn’t have it, 

maybe because of my family background. 

•Justice Ogunade (rtd) 

‘Treat corrupt judges 

like criminals’ 

I’m satisfied that I gave of my best. 

Are you satisfied with the way 

retired judges are treated? 

My view is that having done your best for 

the Bench, you shouldn’t be among those going 

cap in hand to ask for your pension. And 

I think it’s worse here because your earning 

is tied to the apron string of state executives. 

They are the ones who will pay you if you 

have served in the states. I think they are 

trying to improve upon that now. Most of 

the time it’s for the governor to say: ‘I don’t 

have money for pension. We’re struggling 

to have money’. Without being partisan, the 

present governor of Ogun State has been 

doing his best for retired judges until last 

September when he had to confess that the 

income of the state had been drastically reduced 

to the extent they had to look for 

money through internally generated revenue. 

How can this anomaly be rectified? 

I think effort should be made to totally separate 

both serving and retired judges’ emolument 

from the apron strings of whether 

federal or state administration. I understand 

that the emolument and remuneration 

of judges rarely comes under First 

Charge on revenue. They have managed 

to relegate it to this stage that judges have 

almost become beggars. Those who are 

serving will have their own story to tell. 

You’re left under the whims and caprices 

of whoever becomes the governor. It’s just 

not right, particularly for a person who 

believes that he has given of his best and 

has not for any time soiled his hands and is 

satisfied with the sacrifices he made. And 

when you retire, you’re going to be left 

short of funds. Even that which has been 

given to you, you may not be having it on 

time. I don’t think it’s the best. 

What do you make of allegations 

of corruption on the Bench? 

Today you talk about corruption in the 

judiciary. I don’t really know what it is. 

There may be some (who are corrupt) because 

of human failings, but it’s not as all 

embracing as it’s made to appear by politicians 

and unfortunately even by the media. 

They expect judges to be prosecutors. 

For instance, someone has stolen. Those 

who are going to prosecute will not bring 

evidence, and when the judge gives judgment 

according to the evidence before him, 

he will then be the one who has done ill. 

What do you miss most 

about the Bench? 

I miss the regular interaction with lawyers 

in the court. Any practitioner who had 

enjoyed his practice will always appreciate 

what it is, especially when you have 

lawyers who know their onions. You miss 

all that. Unfortunately as a judge, you have 

more or less been secluded from society. 

Many of your friends would have deserted 

you when you are on the Bench. And when 

you leave, before they start coming back 

to you, it takes some time. I remember I 

was at a party. One of my childhood friends 

who I grew up with and went to school 

with, a reputable professional in his own 

right - he sarcastically said: ‘You’re the 

learned people, we’re not learned.’ This is 

the sort of attitude that people have generally. 

That’s the fate that we suffer. You’re 

there but your friends don’t come to you 

anymore. And when they see you, the attention 

is rather cursory. It’s not as cordial 

as it used to be. So it takes a while to start 

warming yourself into their embrace 

again. 

Would you say the life of 

a judge is challenging? 

It is challenging. As a lawyer, friends 

come to you. The moment you are appointed 

a judge, your friends and clients 

keep you at arm’s length. It’s for good reason 

because I had done that to my friends 

who became judges. The moment they are 

appointed judges, I keep my distance from 

them, because of the society in which we 

live. And you sort of suffer that isolation. 

What is worse is that you are isolated from 

your friends, even from your extended family. 

It becomes such that you are restricted 

to your immediate family, because you 

never know the reason people would be 

•Continued page 26 

INSIDE: 

When judges, 

magistrates 

turned against 

journalists 

-Page 27 

Lawyers hail 

CLA conference 

Stakeholders 

seek laws to 

regulate used car 

importation 

-Page 39 -Page 40


LAW COVER CONT’D 


‘Treat corrupt judges 

like criminals’ 


coming to look for you in the house. 

Do you see that as good 

or bad for a judge? 

Well, it’s a mixed bag. There are a few lawyers 

who have not been quite helpful. They 

say all sorts of things to their clients. ‘We’re 

friends, I know him, I’ll go and see him for 

you’. He would come towards your chambers, 

perhaps speak to your clerk, and he 

would go back and say: ‘It’s all done; it’s finished.’ 

So the client believes when he gets to 

the court, he’s going to get judgment, whether 

rightly or wrongly. If he doesn’t get it, he 

turns around and says: ‘That judge is corrupt; 

he took money from me.’ Sometimes it’s better 

for you to minimise your association with 

people. It’s not too much of an advantage on 

the other hand, because there are times you 

would want someone to share a burden with, 

not necessarily with your wife, but it’s an 

immediate burden you feel you want to 

share with someone. You could think X is 

your friend, then you caution yourself. ‘Do I 

know what advantage he will take of my 

discussion with him?’ So, it’s challenging. 

How about working conditions? 

What is worse is the atmosphere under 

which judges work. Lagos is an exception. 

For a quite a while, the state has been taken 

care of their judges. Wherever they have designated 

as judges quarters are judges quarters. 

It’s not the same in other states. If you 

go to some states now, what used to be judges’ 

quarters had been sold or shared among other 

people, except the judge had come from that 

area and has his own house, which in itself is 

not helpful. There is no longer that atmosphere 

of serenity or privacy. 

Did you have any such experience? 

There was a time during my career on the 

Bench when I had to live in hired accommodation. 

That is bad enough, because everybody 

you see is a potential litigant. What is 

worse? At some point, my landlord and his 

son had a controversial case in my court. I 

didn’t know anything about it. I saw the papers 

in the office, and thought: ‘This surname 

sounds like that of my landlord, but it doesn’t 

matter.’ You have taken oath to do justice to 

all manner of people irrespective of their 

relationship with you. A week after I started 

the case, bingo came an anonymous letter 

from someone saying: ‘Yes, you live in his 

house. We know you have compromised 

your position. You’ve taken a bribe of 

N1million from him. But don’t forget, we 

know your father and your mother. They are 

good people. Don’t soil their name.’ You 

could see the danger. Then in the town, it’s 

all over the place. ‘What justice are you expecting? 

They live together.’ The young man 

whose case was before me lived directly opposite 

my house. I didn’t know it until this 

case started. When his father was going to 

his house, he passed by mine. So you can 

really see the danger to which you are exposed. 

The judges before me in that jurisdiction 

had been living in that house. When I 

was transferred to the place, which happened 

to be my hometown, the house was 

in a shambles. Sometimes I’d receive anonymous 

letters. Some would say: ‘We know 

the way you take to Lagos; we’re coming to 

double-cross you on the road.’ These are the 

challenges you have in an effort to do your 

work. 

Are judges more at risk? 

The way I see the position of a judge, particularly 

a judge of first instance – magistrates 

and judges – they are the ones who 

will see the litigants take evidence, write 

judgments, and be seen by the litigants everyday. 

On appeal, the appellate justices look 

at records. They don’t need to know anybody. 

In fact it’s sufficient for them for the 

lawyer to just come. But the judge is the one 

seeing the litigants. They know you, they 

can ask questions about you. So you can see 

that it’s a sacred job, but at the same time 

one that endangers your life. But quite a 

number of us, because we believe in God 

that you’re not going to do what is wrong, 

so no matter what effort you make, one is 

not afraid. 

Was there a particular judgment 

you regretted giving? 

I cannot remember one. This is not really 

self-praise. I am human and fallible, but I 

have not deliberately gone out of my way 

to give judgment in favour of anybody who 

by my own judgment does not deserve it. I 

had not. 

Was there any particular 

challenging case you handled? 

This particular one was a chieftaincy dispute. 

I did it as I thought would bring peace 

to the town. Both sides appealed. Both sides 

accused me, saying I did it to just push them 

away. I gave judgment in 1997 but the case 

is still lingering in court till today. There 

was an appeal from 1997. It took 13 years 

before judgment was delivered. After 13 

years they went to the Supreme Court. It’s 

been lying there for about three years. Unfortunately 

I would go into the town; nobody 

would come to me, but they would tell 

my friends that I was the one who had prevented 

them from having an oba in their 

town. But as far as I’m concerned I’ve done 

my best. I didn’t invite anybody to bring a 

case to me. They brought it and I gave judgment 

according to evidence. Having done that 

I have no apologies. 

What can be done to limit 

interlocutory appeals? 

By the various reforms being done, I think 

they are trying to find a way of limiting interlocutory 

appeals. But the instance I gave 

you, it was not a problem of interlocutory 

appeal. It’s the final judgment that they appealed 

against. Then a lot of things came into 

it. Again if I may suggest, serving judges are 

made to do a lot of other things, which eat 

into their judicial time. There may be a tribunal 

of enquiry, but they won’t trust a retired 

judge to handle it. They will ask a serving 

judge to do it. Speaking for myself – myself 

alone – I don’t see how we should inundate 

the highest court of the land, the appellate 

courts and the High Courts with election 

matters. You can imagine how long election 

matters take. 

So who should handle such cases? 

There are judges who are retired. You can 

make enquiries about them. And you can use 

those of them who will not compromise under 

any ground. Why can’t you ask them to 

handle some of these things instead of dragging 

serving judges into it, and in the course 

of it, they are maligned? There were a lot of 

unproven cases of bribery after the 2007 and 

2011 elections. There were even cases where 

judges were retired because of allegations of 

collecting bribe. If their excuse is that if a retired 

judge collects bribe, he cannot be disciplined, 

has bribery stopped being a criminal 

offence? If a person has committed a criminal 

offence, why can’t you prosecute him? If a 

person who has a public duty to perform collects 

bribe, and you’re able to prove it that he 

collected bribe, why can’t you prosecute him? 

Prosecute him and send him to jail! Even if 

you say you cannot discipline him internally, 

you let the law take its course. 

Why does NJC not allow serving 

judges accused of corruption to be 

tried rather retiring them? 

I don’t know. Speaking for myself, I 

wouldn’t know why. Look at what happens 

in other climes. You do anything that people 

believe is scandalous, or is criminal, you get 

arrested. Investigations will be done. If they 

find that you’re culpable, you’re prosecuted. 

If they’re able to prove their case, you go to 

jail - just as it happens to politicians and the 

rest of them. Nobody is above the law as far 

as I know. 

How would you rate the 

standard of judgments today 

compared to your time? 

Without really intending to denigrate anybody, 

standards generally are falling. The tool 

of a judge are books. You have to give them 

books. A judge is supposed to have a library. 

Ask any judge to show you their library, even 

library in the court and look at what is there. 

I am saying this because I know. It has happened 

to me. As a practitioner, anywhere I 

had gone I was carrying my own books. I was 

carrying my entire library with me everywhere 

I went. The judiciary is badly funded. 

Regular law reports that should be made 

available to you are not there. I do believe 

they’re improving on that now. I understand 

that some allowances are being given for you 

to buy books and things like that. I can say 

that of Lagos. I’m not a judge in Lagos but I 

see what they do. 

How can the problem 

be addressed? 

It could be better. If you don’t equip a man, 

how do you expect him to produce? You ask a 

man to go and till a farm and you give him a 

dead hoe, what do you expect him to produce? 

Regular training is needed. There is the 

National Judicial Institute where judges undergo 

periodic training, but they should intensify 

that. You live on computer now. You 

should have a situation in which you equip 

the courts, put in sufficient power, so that they 

can use the electronic devices that you give 

them. Before I left practice, I remember the 

many efforts that were made to put electronics 

in the courts. But the thing would not just 

work. You could be making use of them and 

suddenly you have a power surge and it wipes 

away all your records. That’s worse than using 

my long hand to write. I wrote in long 

hand for 10 years. I do know of judge who 

was advised by a doctor that if he’s not going 

to lose the use of his hands, he should 

retire. That is why occasionally when judges 

retire, you will be wondering what happened 

to them. Three or four years after retirement, 

he’s a ghost of himself. A man will 

be about 70 and he will appear like an 80- 

year-old. And it’s because of the atmosphere 

in which they had been working. All these 

things could be better. 

You mentioned that you were 

invited to the bench. Is it not 

better to ask people to apply 

to be judges? 

I tell you this. That is what makes it beautiful. 

In England, nobody ever applies to be 

a judge. You don’t apply to be a judge. The 

Attorney-General would have done some 

enquires. He would ask for some names to 

be shortlisted. Many judges were practitioners. 

If you were a treasury lawyer, you would 

begin your career there and end it there. You 

won’t assume that the next position is to be 

a judge, unlike what you have here. People 

from the department of justice of those days, 

the moment you become a Director of Public 

Prosecution (DPP), the next thing you’re 

looking forward to is to be made a judge. 

When you have looked at the quality of practice, 

even in the official Bar, and they found 

that one is a good material, there is nothing 

wrong with an appointment being made that 

way. 

What do you think is 

wrong with advertising it? 

The moment you start asking people to apply, 

you know what happens? There is going 

to be lobbying. It’s going to be about 

who knows who. I think it’s much more dignifying 

to be invited. A man will appear in 

court, and the Chief Judge will say: ‘When 

you’re going please see me….I’m considering 

including your name in the next list of 

appointments. Go and think about it.’ Sometimes 

they don’t have to ask you. If they find 

that what you’re doing is good, they will 

put your name and inform you that you have 

been appointed a judge. If the environment 

is good, nobody will be told that he is appointed 

a judge and he will refuse it. But due 

to poor earning, poor treatment, that is why 

you find that if you offer people who are in 

the inner bar (SANs) judgeship, they will 

say: ‘What, I’m not going to touch it.’ But in 

other areas, QCs (Queens Counsel) take such 

offers with open arms. 

Do you agree with suggestions 

that the Chief Justice of Nigeria 

(CJN) be appointed from outside 

of the Supreme Court? 

What is he coming to do there? Practicing 

as a lawyer is not the same thing as having 

gone through the hierarchy as a judge. An 

advocate looks at his clients. Whether his 

case is right or wrong, he takes it, although 

ethically you’re expected to advise your client. 

Many practitioners don’t look at the ethics 

of the profession. If the money is right, 

they will look for the law. An eminent jurist 

once said: ‘When I’m in practice, I don’t care 

whether I’m right or wrong. You pay me the 

right money, and I’m going to find the law 

to deal with it. When I became a judge, I 

started looking for where I can do justice.’ If 

there is a case before him in which he finds 

that ordinarily, someone should be given 

judgment, if he is able to find a law that will 

support him, he will use it. That is not the 

concern of a Senior Advocate. They (SANs) 

are industrious; they are supposed to be hard 

working. But for you to skip the High Court, 

the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court 

– I know they are agitating for it, but speaking 

for myself, I pray that day will not come. 

Those who had been there (Supreme Court), 

do they lack knowledge? You only need to 

be more selective in your appointment. Forget 

about Federal Character. Look for the 

best. This Federal Character is what is killing 

all our institutions. Look for the best 

and put the best there. 

What about the argument that 

it’s been done before? 

I must admit we have had two instances. 

One of them rose to become the CJN – that is 

Justice Teslim Elias. But that is an exceptional 

case. He was not practicing, and was more 



27 

LAW & SOCIETY 

•Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade. 

IT started with Magistrate O.O. 

Martins of Lagos Magistrates‘ 

Court, Igbosere in 2012, who, on 

several occasions, walked reporters 

out of her courtroom for no reason. 

At first, journalists thought it was 

probably because the cases in question 

were among those for exemption 

as provided for in Section 36(4) 

of the 1999 Constitution and as such, 

obeyed her directive. 

Unfortunately, that was not the 

case as the Magistrate one morning 

openly said: “I don’t want reporters 

in my court,” irrespective 

of the fact that the cases she handles 

neither jeopardise state security, 

involve minors, nor endanger 

public health. 

This reporter decided to confirm 

the complaints from her colleagues 

who she had chased out before 

from her courtroom. 

So, that fateful morning in 2012, 

she was among the first callers at 

the court and quietly sat on the last 

bench awaiting the arrival of Magistrate 

Martins to commence the 

day’s proceeding. 


of an academic lawyer, but he had 

world reputation. Then we had Justice 

Nnamani who was Attorney- 

General and then became a justice 

of the Supreme Court. Those are 

very exceptional cases. Don’t make 

it a norm. There could be exceptional 

cases. But it’s not to make 

those outside to rank pari-pasu 

with those who are already there. 

Look for the best. For all I know 

it’s not just about mere advocacy. I 

was a practitioner. I got to the 

Bench and found it was different. I 

found that I had to look at the cases 

with detached mind. So it’s not the 

same. 

What is your advice on 

how to do justice? 

My advice simply is this: Always 

remember your judicial oath. Be 

industrious. There is no need for 

you to sit late. Your training at the 

Law School enjoins you to be 

prompt. If you’re a practitioner and 

you’re late in going to court, your 

client one day will go and look for 

another lawyer. Sit on time; do 

your best when you’re there; always 

remember your judicial oath. 

Minimise your social outings because 

the work is so demanding. 

You’re not going to look at the case 

of one side; you’re going to look at 

the two cases, and on your own, 

look at similar cases that had happened 

in the past that could assist 

Judges and magistrates have barred journalists from covering some cases, including 

those considered to be in the public interest. A recent example involved Justice Aishat 

Opesanwo, who walked journalists out during a robbery trial. Are such cases supposed 

to be heard in ‘private?’ PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU asks. 

When judges, magistrates 

turned against journalists 

As soon as she came in and was 

about to start taking matters, one 

of her support staff walked up to 

her and whispered something in 

her ear. 

The look on Martins’ face was 

anything, but unpleasant as she 

yelled: “I have said it severally that 

I do not want journalists in my 

court. What are you doing here? 

Get out of this place and let no reporter 

ever come to this court 

again.” 

Seeing her so enraged, the reporter 

quietly, but angrily left her 

court and never went there again 

till date. 

As if that was not enough, a High 

Court Judge, Justice Aishat 

Opesanwo, last week banned reporters 

from covering a murder 

trial in her courtroom on grounds 

that “it is a private matter.” 

Unlike Magistrate Martins, Justice 

Opesanwo was calm as she told the 

three female reporters seated at the 

gallery to leave the court because 

they were not needed. 

Aside the two examples personally 

witnessed, incidences abound 

where reporters have reportedly 

been humiliated and sent out of 

courtrooms by judicial officers in 

outright violation of the constitution, 

which clearly categorises a 

court as a public place. 

As if to borrow a leave from their 

learned brothers on the Bench, instances 

abound where some lawyers, 

who came late to court and 

could not secure seats at the Bar, 

have asked reporters to vacate their 

seats at the gallery for them. 

There was a particular case at the 

Federal High Court, Lagos, before 

Justice Ajumogobia, where a latecomer 

lawyer tapped a reporter on 

his shoulder and said “get up I want 

to sit down.” 

Initially, the reporter ignored him 

thinking he would respect himself 

and leave, but when he persisted, 

the angry reporter scolded him to 

the hearing of the judge, who also 

reprimanded the lawyer. 

However, most reporters have expressed 

worries over this cold war 

or seeming disdain for them by judicial 

officers, who see their presence 

in courts as intruding rather 

than fulfilling their constitutional 

obligations. 

Some have wondered whether the 

actions of the judicial officers were 

as a result of sheer ignorance of the 

law or because they have skeletons 

in their cupboards, which they do 

not want the journalists to uncover. 

They are worried that as custodians 

of the law, judicial officers who 

should, at all times, uphold the constitution, 

have turned to lawbreakers. 

What the law says 

The Constitution in Section 36 (3) 

expressly classified a court as a public 

place and went further in 36 (4) 

to state thus: “whenever any person 

is charged with a criminal offence, 

he shall, unless the charge is 

withdrawn, be entitled to a fair 

hearing in public within a reasonable 

time by a court or tribunal. 

“Provided that (a) a court or such 

tribunal may exclude from its proceedings 

persons other than the 

parties thereto or their legal practitioners 

in the interest of defence, 

public safety, public order, public 

morality, the welfare of persons, 

who have not attained the age of 

(18) eighteen years, the protection 

of the private lives of the parties or 

to such extent as it may consider 

necessary by reason of special circumstances 

in which publicity 

would be contrary to the interests 

of justice. 

“(b) If in any proceeding before a 

court or such a tribunal, a Minister 

of the government of the federation 

or a Commissioner of a state 

satisfies the court or tribunal that 

it would not be in the public interest 

for any matter to be publicly 

disclosed, the court or tribunal shall 

make arrangements for evidence 

relating to that matter to be heard 

in Private and shall take such other 

action as may be necessary or expedient 

to prevent the disclosure 

of the matter. 

Similarly, the Supreme Court in 

the case of Nigerian Arab Bank 

(NAB) vs. Barri Engineering (1995) 

cited in the Nigerian Weekly Law 

Report (NWLR) (pt. 413) 257 at 290; 

as well as the Court of Appeal in 

Asani Kosebinu vs Misri Aliyu 

(2005), stated categorically that the 

courtroom is a public place and the 

only place where court proceedings 

can take place. 

While nullifying the delivery of 

‘Treat corrupt judges like criminals’ 

you in what you’re doing. So really, 

the time for socialisation is 

so little. Take it that you’re handling 

something that is sacred. If 

the remuneration is not as high as 

you expected, God is your paymaster, 

he will pay you. Since I retired 

14 years ago, I’ve not looked over 

my shoulder. God has always provided 

for me. I’m not stupendously 

rich, but I’m not poor. If I want to 

eat, I have money to buy food. I 

have a car in which I ride. And if I 

need to satisfy family needs, I’m 

able to do it within my income. 

Live within your income. Don’t let 

people look at you and your status 

and say ‘Ah, how will they say he’s 

a judge and he cannot do this?’ If 

you’re unable to do it, you’re unable 

to do it. That’s the way I look 

at it. So, the temptation of having 

to add a little bit unjustly to what 

you’re earning may not be there. 

What are your expectations of 

the Muhammadu Buhari 

administration? 

The president-elect has put on the 

toga of a democrat. We only pray 

he will be able to live his word. 

The vice-president-elect, I believe 

is God’s doing. From the 

little that I know of Prof. 

Osinbajo, he is not a politician 

although he served in Lagos State 

Government as Attorney-General. 

He served professionally, as 

a technocrat. I’m not saying that 

any man who puts on the toga of a 

pastor is a pious man. But we 

could really see some of them who 

by their calling will bring it to 

bear on their office. If we’re able 

to have them to live according to 

their word, maybe we’re into 

something good in this country. 

How can ‘money-politics’ 

be stopped? 

But for goodness sake, let us stop 

all this money-taking. We need political 

education in this country. Tell 

the man who is expecting me to 

give him N2 that he’s only selling 

himself. When I give N2 in 20 

places, when I’m elected, I’m going 

to see that I double what I have 

spent. Many of them don’t see it. 

We need a great deal of political 

orientation in this country. If the 

National Orientation Agency is 

working hard, what people see in 

this country would have been different. 

This last election, God has 

taken care. God has taken control 

of it. I think we should really educate 

ourselves the more. Any politician 

wanting office and comes 

to offer you money – some will 

say: ‘I’ll take his money; after all 

it’s my money.’ You’re encouraging 

what you should not encourage; 

you’ll pay for it. They might 

give four people money, out of 

which three will vote for him and 

he will get there. So let people be 

told that if you collect money 

from politicians, you will pay for 


it and you’re mortgaging the future 

of even your own children. 

judgment in-chambers by judges, 

the court cited Justice Ogundare 

(JSC) thus: “A judge’s chambers is 

not one of the regular court rooms 

nor is it a place to which the public 

have right to ingress and egress as 

of right except on invitation by or 

permission of the judge. 

“It is my firm and considered 

view that a place qualifies under 

Section 36 (3) of the Constitution to 

be called “public”, and which a 

regular court room is, if it is out 

rightly accessible and not so accessible 

on the basis of the “permission” 

or “consent” of the judge... 

“It is of essence of justice that not 

only should it be done, but that it 

should actually be seen to be done. 

“Any act of secrecy, however desirable 

it might seem, detracts from 

the aura of impartiality, independence, 

publicity and unqualified respect 

which enshrouds justice given 

without fear of favour.” 

In the same vein, many senior lawyers 

whose counsel were sought following 

the issue said it wrong for 

the judicial officers to ask reporters 

to leave the court, just as they explained 

that there was no such thing 

as “private matter” in a public court. 

The lawyers advised the reporters 

to petition the Lagos State Chief 

Judge, Justice Funmilayo Atilade, 

so that such actions by judicial officers 

can be contained. 

However, the Lagos State Attorney 

General, Ade Ipaye when contacted, 

said Justice Opesanwo took 

the action in order to protect prosecution 

witness in the case. 

He said: “It was for witness’ protection. 

Perhaps she should have explained 

better. Witness felt threatened 

and afraid and would have had 

to leave his residence if made to testify 

in public view.” 

I think someone should tell them 

that.


NATIONAL BAR 

At the 19th Commonwealth Lawyers Conference held in Glasgow, Scotland 

•From left: Mr. Israel Aye, former President CLA, Boma Ozobia and her predecessor in office, 

Mohammed Hussein 

•From left: Kefas Mogaji, John B. Baiyeshea (SAN), Duro Adeleye (SAN), Solomon Akubo (SAN) 

Yusuf Ali (SAN) former Chairman NBA Yenagoa, Stanley Ikechukwu and Taye Oniyide. 

•From left: Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Liyeel Imoke on Youth Affairs, Dr. Dorn Cklaimz 

Enamhe, President Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) Mark Stephens and Mark Enamhe 

•From left: Justice John Inyan Okoro,(JSC), oustice Mohammed Ibrahim and Chief Judge, Federal 

High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta 

•From left: 1st Vice-President NBA, Francis Ekwere, Welfare Officer NBA, Mas'd Alabelewe, 

Lord Gill and former President, Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN) Tajudeen 

Oladoja. 

•From right: Mr. Chukwuma Ekomaru (SAN), his wife Chinyere with grandson Makuachukwu 

and Tobechukwu Ekomaru 

•From left: Mr. Uduak Ekanem, Justice I. Eradiri, Aniedi Akpabio and Imeh Achibong. 

•From left: Yusuf Ali (SAN), Okey Ohagba, Marc Enamhe and 3rd Vice-President NBA Tokunbo 

Oluwole. 

•From left: Afam Okeke, former General Secretary NBA, Ibrahim Eddy Mark, Chairman NBA 

Lawyers in the Media (LIM), John Austin Unachukwu, Senior Special Asst. to the Speaker House 

of Reps on legal matters, Steve Emelieze and Paul Kassim 

•From left: Mr. Oladipo Tolani, Mrs. Folake Oguneye and Prof. Jumai Audi.

Newspaper of the Year 

AN 8-PAGE PULLOUT ON NORTHERN STATES TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 PAGE 29 

INSIDE 

Hope’s eye 

surgery 

deferred 

PAGE 30 

New deal 

for council 

residents 

PAGE 31 

•One of the IDP camps in Abuja 

Tough life for displaced kids 

On come 

the lights 

At the camps where about 800,000 displaced children are sheltering across the North, 

living conditions are as dreadful as the kids’ future is bleak. TONY AKOWE and YUSUFU 

AMINU IDEGU report 

THE children are scattered 

all over the North, all 

800,000 of them, in camps 

which offer little relief. Food is 

insufficient. Sleeping places are 

unspeakably bad. A feeling of 

neglect hangs over the camps. 

Six-year-old Mubarak Adamu, 

one of the children at the Internally 

Displaced Persons camp at 

Durumi II in Abuja, reads his 

ABCs with passion. He is probably 

looking forward to growing 

up and becoming a leader 

someday. Like many other children 

in the camp and others 

across the region, Mubarak may 

never fulfil that dream. 

Why? 

He cannot go to a formal school 

because of Boko Haram insurgents 

who chased him and others 

away from their homes in 

Borno State. He is exposed to 

harsh living conditions in the 

uncompleted two-storey building 

that has served as his home 

for several months since they 

moved to Abuja from Bama in 

Borno State. He is forced to sleep 

on a bare hard floor with his 

mother’s wrapper serving as his 

bed. The environment he plays in 

is not habitable at all with dirt all 

over the place, and the smell of human 

waste rife. 

•Some of the displaced children in a makeshift classroom 

Mubarak, like many of the other 

children at the camp, is lucky, 

though, to have volunteers who 

teach him and some others the basics 

of education. 

Hafsat Ahmed, Halima Isa and 

Tanko battle to teach the children 

even though they don’t have teaching 

aids. Unfortunately in spite of 

the harsh living conditions, they 

are also harassed and intimidated 

by security men who constantly 

raid their camps. 

One of the leaders of the IDPs, 

Zubairu Mohammed who said that 

they have been abandoned by government, 

lamented that their children 

are exposed to health hazards. 

He said that there are serious health 

and other challenges in the camp, 

adding that their children are 

mostly affected. According to him, 

there are about 40 children who 

urgently need medical attention 

which they cannot afford. 

He said security personnel especially 

the military often come to arrest 

people, claiming they are crimi- 

PAGE 33 

Enter farewell 

visitors 

•Continued on page 30 PAGE 36

30 

THE NORTH REPORT 


•Hope 

Tough life for 

displaced kids 


nals. This is traumatising, he said, 

especially for the women and children 

at a time when they have 

lost loved ones to the insurgency. 

During a recent visit to the camp 

to present relief materials, an official 

of the Buhari Support 

Organisation, Hajia Hanatu Akilu 

condemned government neglect 

of the IDPs. 

Hajia Akilu, who was close to 

tears due to the deplorable conditions 

under which the children 

live, said they decided to donate 

the food items when they discovered 

that the children were malnourished. 

She said, “We have been here 

before on a medical mission and 

we discovered that some of the 

babies were malnourished and 

we decided to bring this small 

food. It is not really about the 

food but for the world to see how 

these people are suffering. We 

have them in other settlements 

across the city. I was at NEMA 

[National Emergency Management 

Agency] office and they 

were saying that they don’t have 

camps for them because they 

were not in the state capital. The 

point is, if we have people like 

this, it does not matter where they 

are. The government should provide 

facilities for them. We 

should have proper camping for 

refugees; we should make adequate 

provision for their children, 

their health care because we 

can’t just leave them like this. 

They have suffered serious 

trauma, some of them have seen 

their family members being 

slain. Some of them have horrible 

stories of walking long distances 

and yet, like one of them said, 

they are not being treated like Nigerians. 

We just can’t just sit back 

and watch. We all have to be alive 

to our responsibilities”. 

Things are better for displaced 

children in Kano. The state government 

has a credible educational 

intervention programme 

for them. Known as the Borno 

Orphans Model Boarding Primary 

School, Kano State Governor 

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso said 

the school was constructed under 

the Special Intervention 

Programme for orphaned children 

affected by the insurgency 

in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa 

states. 

‘We have been here before 

on a medical mission and 

we discovered that some 

of the babies were 

malnourished and we 

decided to bring this small 

food. It is not really about 

the food but for the world 

to see how these people 

are suffering. NEMA 

personnel were saying 

they didn’t have camps for 

them because they were 

not in the state capital. The 

point is, if we have people 

like this, it does not matter 

where they are. The 

government should 

provide proper camping 

for refugees; we should 

make adequate provisions 

for their children, their 

health care because we 

can’t just leave 

them like this’ 

Kwankwaso said, “The Special 

Intervention Programme is aimed 

at taking up full responsibilities of 

100 children, who are between the 

ages of five and six whose parents 

are either dead, displaced or lost as 

a result of the insurgency”. 

He assured that the state government 

will take care of the children’s 

education, training, upbringing, 

feeding, clothing, security, health 

care and accommodation. He also 

said the government would continue 

to look after the children until 

they complete their basic education, 

the security situation in the 

states affected by the insurgency 

improves and when it is safe for 

them to return home. The governor 

who is heading for the senate 

in the in lying government said His 

attention was drawn to the plight 

of the children, who have been deprived 

of parental care and concern 

as a result of the security challenges 

in the Northeast by NEMA and 

other concerned individuals. He 

urged the federal and state governments 

and well-meaning individuals 

and groups to come to the aid of 

the orphans to make their lives 

more meaningful. 

Hope’s eye surgery deferred 

ANY improvement 

Hope 

on little 

Dimlong’s 

left eye since 

February when we 

published her story? 

Well, sort of. 

The three-year-old 

was playing with a 

mate near her house in 

Plateau State when her 

partner accidentally 

struck her in the eye 

with an object. Since 

then Hope has been in 

danger of not only losing 

the eye; she has 

also been screaming 

due to the pain. Her 

parents said they could 

not afford a surgery. 

Luck came her way. 

Although she was earlier 

scheduled to be 

taken to her grand- 

‘She was playing with a mate near her 

house in Plateau State when her partner 

accidentally struck her in the eye with an 

object. Since then Hope has been in danger 

of not only losing the eye; she has also 

been screaming due to the pain’ 

From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos 

mother, Hope managed to join her 

schoolmates to receive Senator 

Gyang Pwajok, who was on a campaign 

tour of Jos North, the district 

he represents at the Senate. The lawmaker 

was the governorship candidate 

of the Peoples Democratic Party 

(PDP) in the April 11election. 

As Pwajok passed by, he reportedly 

noticed little Hope among the 

children and asked what happened 

to her left eye. 

Thereafter, the lawmaker arranged 

•Some of the children at a camp in Jos 

•Kids at the camp 

Kwankwaso is not only dealing 

with the educational needs of the 

children, but their health requirements 

also. He said the state Commissioner 

for Health has been directed 

to appraise the medical condition 

of each of the pupils with a 

view to identifying those that need 

special medical care for necessary 

action. 

There are about 1000 children at 

the Jos camp. Like their counterparts 

in Kano, life is not as dreadful 

as it is in several other places 

but they have the NGOs, not the 

government, to thank for that. 

They and their parents worry 

about their destroyed homes, so 

even as federal troops exult over 

recaptured villages, the IDPs remain 

sullen. Thus, the camps which 

were supposed to provide temporary 

shelter have become their permanent 

homes. 

that the girl be taken to hospital for 

treatment on his account. 

He had surgery in mind, but medical 

advice in Jos, the state capital, required 

that Hope be first treated with 

medication for some time before the 

surgery. 

The eye specialists discovered that 

Hope’s case had become complicated 

due to long delay in seeking medical 

attention. They recommended that 

before the surgery, the girl be placed 

on certain drugs for a period of four 

months before the surgery. 

So, Hope is receiving treatment preparatory 

to the surgical procedure. 

Her mother Christiana, the entire 

family and the school management 

are full of gratitude to Senator 

Pwajok. 

Mrs Christiana Dimlong said, 

“The coming of Senator Pwajok is 

like a miracle to me; he is God-sent. 

I’ve hardly slept since the accident, I 

keep praying for help because it is 

beyond my power. Because of the 

psychological trauma I was passing 

through over my daughter’s case, 

her grandmother was to come and 

pick her to the village. But God 

caused a delay so that divine help 

will come. If not for God, the girl 

would have been taken away and 

the Senator would not have met her, 

but God had arranged it to happen 

this way for her to get help, so I 

thank God. I thank Senator Pwajok, 

I never knew the senator before 

now; he has touched my life and that 

of my daughter and the entire family. 

The ideology of Boko Haram is 

to stop Nigerians from acquiring 

Western education, and to that 

extent, the insurgents have almost 

succeeded in the Northeast. The 

rampaging insurgents have not 

only destroyed homes in Borno, 

Yobe and Adamawa states, but 

have also wiped out schools. 

The Jos camps host over 2000 

people from 132 families, all of 

whom are primarily concerned 

about survival, not schooling for 

their children. 

Some of the displaced persons 

are hosted by a Jos-based non-governmental 

organisation known as 

Stefanos Foundation, which is involved 

in human rights, advocacy, 

relief and rehabilitation of 

victims of the continuous violence 

in the North. Stefanos has been 

working in the field since 2002; the 

organization responded to distress 

calls for help by the victims 

who have come to trust that the 

organisation is able to find help 

for them. 

Programme Manager of the 

foundation, Mr. Mark Lipdo said, 

“From August 2014, many displaced 

persons began to migrate 

to Jos in trickles and were accommodated 

in private homes but 

there came a time that they became 

too many to accommodate, hence 




Tough life 

for displaced 

kids 


the organisation began a search 

for a property that can be used to 

establish an IDP camp. There are 

more than four IDPs camps in Plateau 

State.” 

As at December 2014, Plateau 

State was hosting 35,000 IDPs. The 

figure was released by Audu 

Yohanna, the North Central Zonal 

Information Officer of the National 

Emergency Management 

Agency (NEMA). 

A comprehensive assessment of 

the IDPs carried out by NEMA indicates 

that the IDPs are camping 

in different locations across five 

local government areas of Plateau 

State. In Wase, Kanam, Shendam 

and Mikan local government areas, 

11,000 IDPs from Taraba State 

are camping in different locations 

across the four Local Government 

Areas. From Adamawa State, 

24,000 Internally Displaced Persons 

(IDPs) are camping in different 

locations across Jos North and 

Jos South Local Government Areas 

of the state”. 

The North Central Zonal Office 

of the National Emergency Management 

Agency (NEMA) conducted 

the needs assessment of the 

IDPs and sent its report to the Director 

General of the Agency for 

release of relief materials to ameliorate 

the situation of the IDPs. 

NEMA also confirmed that the 

IDPs are mostly are women and 

children who fled the troubled 

States. 

But the government relief materials 

never came, the IDPs rather depends 

on charitable individuals and 

other NGOs around the country. 

Mr. Lipdo said, “The IDPs need 

food, even if it is once a day, they 

need good shelter, at least to protect 

them from the harsh cold 

weather of Jos. They need clothes 

•Some women put to birth at the camp 

to cover their skin to differentiate 

them from mental health patients. 

Most importantly, the IDPs are in dire 

need of medical care.” 

Another non-governmental 

organisation known as Tina Bawa 

Ministry International came to the 

camp in Jos to offer free medical care 

to the IDPs particularly little children. 

There were cases of pneumonia, 

malaria, hepatitis, but it was also discovered 

that most of the male children 

in the camp were not circumcised 

at infancy. Most of them now 

between the age of five and 12 had to 

undergo the procedure at the camp. 

The coordinator of Tina Bawa Ministry 

International, Rev Mrs. Tina 

Bawa, who sponsored the free medical 

outreach said, “The ministry is a 

church run by myself and my husband. 

But like a non-governmental 

organization, we have program for 

New deal for council 

residents in Plateau 

BASSA Local Government 

Area of Plateau State has had 

an unflattering profile, often 

seen as one of the least developed 

in the state. 

Well, that profile is changing, 

thanks to its chairman Hon. David 

Rancha. Communities in the council 

are picking up: water is running, 

roads are paved and there is electricity. 

Village heads and community leaders 

in the council have described 

the recent social infrastructural development 

in their locality as a 

“breath of fresh air”. 

The paramount ruler of the local 

government and President, Bassa 

Traditional Rulers Council, the Utu 

Ugo Kiche of Rukuba Chiefdom, 

His Royal Highness, Ati Adamu 

Adiuwu said he was pleased that 

such developments were happening 

under his reign. 

Indeed, the people of Bassa local 

government have begun to witness 

a new lease of life. 

All the three districts of the local 

government are witnessing 

infrastructural development in various 

communities. 

Bassa local government is as old 

as 38 years, created the same time 

as the state. But in spite of its age, 

Bassa remained poorly developed, 

being one of the least growing in 

the state. This is in spite of the fact 

that it is one of the closest local governments 

to Jos, the state headquarters, 

as well as being the gateway 

to neighbouring Kaduna State. It 

‘Village heads 

and community 

leaders in the 

council have 

described the 

recent social 

infrastructural 

development in 

their locality as 

a breath of 

fresh air’ 

From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos 

was believed by the residents that 

the backwardness of the local government 

had to do with poor leadership 

by past administrators, particularly 

council chairmen. 

The leader of the Legislative Council, 

Hon Mrs. Rahila Yahaya Hamza, 

said, “A number of chairmen have 

come and gone, yet the local government 

remained under-developed.” 

This explains why, when the 

present administration led by Hon 

•A borehole sunk by the Rancha administration 

Rancha took over the mantle of leadership, 

many in the local government 

never gave him a chance. It was believed 

Hon Racha would only come 

to warm the office and leave like his 

predecessors without changing their 

situation. That was why he was given 

a cold reception when he assumed 

office. The cold reception notwithstanding, 

Hon. Rancha, himself an 

indigene and fully acquainted with 

the deplorable condition of things, 

set to work. 

the welfare of the less privilege especially 

children and women. I was 

moved when I was told of the plight 

of the women and children in this 

camp. We have the penchant for helping 

vulnerable women and children 

of this nature, and we have done it in 

so many places across the country. It 

is a pity that in all crisis situation, 

women and children suffers the consequences. 

This is what is going on 

this camp; these innocent children 

have been driven out of their homes 

for no fault of theirs. Now a Good 

Samaritan assembled the IDPs in 

camps for government to take over 

their responsibility. But as you can 

see, government has turned their attention 

away from these people.” 

After spending five months at the 

camp with no hope of rehabilitation 

of the IDPs by government, the NGO 

organised a makeshift school for children 

of the displaced to have some 

elementary education. Mr. Lipdo, 

Programme Manager of the foundation 

said, “I have taken record of at 

least 650 children in the camp, and 

since they don’t have hope of going 

back to their homes so soon, it is good 

we organise a school for them in the 

camp, if not the camp will be so boring 

and life will have no meaning to 

these children. 

The NGO has procured some instructional 

materials like textbooks, 

exercise books, chalkboard for the 

takeoff of school lessons for the children. 

Like in the regular school, there 

are those in nursery and some in primary. 

Some teachers have volunteered 

to render service, some recruited 

by the NGO to teach the children. 

Lessons have since commenced 

in the camp. 

NEMA was once quoted as saying 

Equipped with good knowledge of 

the locality as well as their yearnings 

and aspirations, the new chairman 

had no problem in outlining the 

areas of priority. He made a commitment 

to change the feelings of the 

people towards governance at the 

third tier. He spring into action almost 

immediately, and today, one 

year after, the story of Bassa local 

government has changed for good. 

When the council chairman Hon 

David Rancha marked his one year 

‘The children have 

suffered serious 

trauma, some of 

them have seen their 

family members 

being slain. Some of 

them have horrible 

stories of walking 

long distances and 

yet, like one of them 

said, they are not 

being treated like 

Nigerians. We just 

can’t just sit back and 

watch. We all have 

to be alive to our 

responsibilities’ 

that it is accommodating about 6000 

children in its internally displaced 

persons (IDPs) camps in Adamawa 

State with about 760 of the children 

coming to the camp on their own, 

meaning that their parents either 

died in the attacks on their communities 

by insurgents or they were 

abandoned by their parents out of 

frustration. 

The agency also claimed that children 

were the most victims of the 

attacks. Some managed to escape, 

while many others were killed. For 

those who escaped, another hurdle 

awaited them in the form of daily 

survival. While children are not the 

only ones displaced as a result of 

the attacks, their situation is the 

most disturbing. There are reports 

of children who die from physical 

exertion, hunger and thirst while 

fleeing insurgents’ attacks. It is no 

news that children are usually 

among the worst hit in crisis situations. 

The United Nations Office for 

the Coordination of Humanitarian 

Assistance (UNOCHA) said that of 

the 300,000 IDPs in Borno, Yobe and 

Adamawa states, 70 per cent of them 

are women and children who fled 

their homes in early 2013. 

in office at Crest Hotel Jos, he 

merely rolled out series of unexpected 

achievements to the surprise 

of stakeholders of the local government. 

In the area of rural road construction, 

the council boss said, “As part 

of efforts to link rural communities 

and also enhance commercial 

activities, the administration has 


32 



embarked on the construction and 

rehabilitation of several roads 

across the local government area. 

They include a ten kilometer twin 

Hills, Renwienku - Katumai road 

linking Irigwe and Rukuba 

Chiefdoms. 15.3Km Gurum - Assak 

- Bomo road linking Pengana and 

Rukuba Chiefdoms, 11.6Km Assak 

- Jebbu Bassa road linking Buhit 

and Assak Wards, 9km Rimi - 

Bakin Kogi road linking the two 

wards in Pengana Chiefdom. 

Apart from the rural roads which 

are capable of turning around the 

economy of the people, the chairman 

made efforts to provide electricity 

to villages that had been in 

darkness. Hon Racha said, “It is obvious 

that the resources of the local 

government is very low and we 

will not be able to provide electricity 

to all the communities in 

need, hence we decided to carry out 

such social services one in each of 

the three chiefdoms in the local 

government. In Irigwe Chiefdom 

we installed a transformer at 

Te’egbe to serve the electricity 

needs people of the areas, in 

Pengana Chiefdom a transformer 

was installed at Angwan Gabar in 

Jengre. And in Rukuba Chiefdom, 

we installed a transformer at 

Dutsen Kurra. 

The administration has also, 

within the one year in office made 

concerted efforts to solve the problem 

of scarcity of water to the 

people. According to Hon Racha, 

“A total of nine borehole projects 

were executed across the local government, 

each of the three 

chiefdoms having three. That of 

•A rural road being rehabilitated by the Rancha administration 


New deal for council residents in Plateau 

•Hon Rancha 

Pengana Chiefdom is located at LEA 

Primary school Lungu-Katako in 

Kadamo ward, Jengre market in 

Jengre ward and the third one is in 

Mista Ali market. 

In Rukuba Chiefdom, the three 

boreholes can be found in 

Abanizara, Nyakala and Uranden 

villages. While those of Irigwe 

Chiefdom are located at GSS Kwall, 

PHC Te’egbe and Chinye villages 

respectively. 

Besides, the administration secured 

two additional boreholes from the 

federal ministry of water resources, 

Abuja. The two boreholes are located 

at Baginji vegetable market and 

Miango market in Zobwo ward. In 

addition, the administration also secured 

two other water project from 

the federal government water 

project, the included the abandoned 

Minago - Kwall Water Dam Project. 

The water dam project has dual advantage 

to the people; for irrigation 

and hydro-electric power generation. 

The second one is the Ariri earth dam 

project located at Ariri in Irigwe 

Chiefdom. 

The executive chairman has also 

showed serious concern in the well 

being of citizens of the local government 

with series of health program. 

For instance, the chairman re-introduced 

the monthly sanitation exercise 

in the local government as the 

chairman took over the supervision 

of the monthly exercise from house 

to house. The comatose drug revolving 

loan has been fully revived and 

made functional to service the drug 

needs of the people. In addition, the 

local government had collaborated 

with the state ministry of health for 

massive distribution of treated 

mosquito nets to all primary school 

pupil and pregnant women to reduce 

the scourge of malaria in the 

rural communities. 

•A section of intending pilgrims during their screening at Kwami Local Government 

Area, Gombe State 

•From left: Former Deputy Governor, Abia State, Hon. Erik Acho Nwakama; Chairman, 

Jokos Oil, Chief Johhny Okosun; Emir of Borgu, HRH Haliru Dantoro and Chief 

Matthew Uwakwe during a courtesy visit to the Emir in Niger State 

•Voters casting their ballots during the re-run election for Kwami East Assembly constituency in Gombe State at the weekend


Website: http://www.thenationonlineng.com 

Page 33 

•The lights 

BEFORE now, traffic lights 

were quite uncommon in 

Abuja. Those that existed 

were malfunctioning. This informed 

the posting of traffic wardens 

to some strategic intersections 

in the city to control traffic. 

That was then. Currently, most 

of the moribund traffic lights 

have been resuscitated as residents 

woke up recently to notice 

that the traffic lights were blinking 

again. 

Changes residents never 

thought possible have become 

reality as politicians and their 

contractor friends ensure that 

most of the dilapidated infrastructure 

in the capital city are 

revived, at least to prove to the 

incoming administration that 

they are capable of making 

things happen. 

Though Abuja boasts most 

modern facilities that other states 

lack, the city has always had an 

ugly record of maintenance culture 

and most contractors take 

this trend for granted, even as 

they manipulate the system and 

On come the lights 

From Grace Obike 

abandon projects which contracts 

they have been awarded. 

The most visible aspect of the low 

maintenance culture had been in 

the area of traffic lights. There is 

prevalence of broken down traffic 

lights as one drives through the 

city. Some of them give confusing 

or conflicting go ahead sign to 

motorists so much so that they 

could cause accidents. Some of them 

come on when they are not supposed 

to or go off when a particular 

lane should have right of way. 

Residents and motorists have 

been complaining about this situation 

for so long and the Federal 

Capital Territory (FCT) transport 

secretariat always claimed that 

something was being done about 

it. Recently, there is a wind of 

‘The administration recently changed 

from using the public power supply to 

powering the traffic light with solar 

panels. ýWhat is actually happening 

now is that all the traffic lights in Abuja 

are being changed to solar panels and 

we intend to finish soon. The 

development is a partnership with the 

Chinese and we have been working on it 

for a long time. It’s possible that residents 

are only noticing it now. If you look 

closely at places where you see traffic 

lights now, you will also see solar 

panels mounted on top of it’ 

NATIVES of Kpaduma 

communities in Abuja 

Municipal Area Council 

(AMAC) of the Federal Capital 

Territory (FCT) have called on the 

incoming administration of Gen. 

Muhammadu Buhari to end the 

incessant demolition of communities 

in the territory. 

Speaking on behalf of the natives 

at a news conference on Kpaduma 

communities’ court case against 

the Senator Bala Mohammed-led 

administration, Secretary to 

Kpaduma communities, Simon 

Baba-Yerima said with the incoming 

administration, there is hope 

for the natives against 

marginalisation and threat of 

lives by the present administration. 

change with regard to the functioning 

of the traffic lights in the FCT. 

ýCurrently, there is no need posting 

traffic wardens to man all the 

intersections of Abuja because all 

the dilapidated traffic lights have 

been fixed and new traffic lights 

have been installed in locations 

where residents never believed was 

possible. The traffic situation had 

always been a nightmare in front 

of the Wuse Zone 3 Market. Here, 

people driving towards the market 

from around the bridge always 

struggle their way through, especially 

when the traffic wardens 

where not around. However, one 

morning, residents woke up to behold 

a new traffic light installed on 

the road which has drastically reduced 

the traffic situation. 

Mr. Jonah Festus plies the route 

daily. He expressed surprise at the 

sudden development. 

He said: “ýI learnt that the contractor 

that was supposed to install 

the lights had been paid a long time 

ago. He did not install them. Now 

that Buhari is about to be inaugurated, 

he has decided to do it out of 

According to Baba-Yerima, a situation 

where ancestral homes of the 

natives are demolished and they are 

driven out to look for where to reside, 

their farmlands are taken from 

them without adequate compensation, 

is inhumane to the natives of 

the FCT and should be discontinued 

in order for peace to reign in the territory. 

“So, we pray that the incoming administration 

of Gen. Buhari will put 

a stop to the menace and inhumane 

treatment that is meted on the natives 

of the FCT by the present administration. 

We have suffered a lot 

in the hands of this government. 

“We believe that as a leader who 

fear for what might happen to 

him. 

“This is a good development. 

The Abuja traffic light system 

used to be terrible, but now with 

all this changes, driving around 

Abuja is turning into fun.” 

Another resident Chidi Agu expressed 

delight at the development 

in the city. He said: “It is 

really nice driving around town 

these days and noticing that the 

•Continued on page 34 

Indigenes appeal to Buhari 

to end demolition 


has the passion for the masses and 

not only for the high class in the society, 

he will listen to our cries and 

bring soccour to the FCT natives. We 

are also asking that as when the new 

administration comes on board, we 

should be carried along in order for 

things pertaining to the FCT to go 

smoothly for the benefit of everybody. 

“We are also pleading that the new 

minister of the FCT should be a native 

of the FCT. He should be chosen 

from any of the nine ethnic groups 

in Abuja, so that our rights will be 

protected. If we have a minister from 

the FCT, he will understand our 

problems and fashion out proper 

means to solve them without threat 

to the lives of anybody in the territory,” 

he said.

34 

ABUJA REVIEW 

Xenophobic attacks: 

Indigenes warn S/Africa 

FEDERAL Capital Territory 

(FCT) indigenes have threatened 

to close down South African 

businesses operating in the 

nation’s capital as a reprisal for the 

Xenophobic attacks in that country. 

The group has given the South 

African Government 48 hours to 

apologise to Nigerians and other 

nationals of African countries for 

the wanton killings during the xenophobic 

attack. 

The group also demanded that 

concrete steps be taken by the South 

African authority to tackle the menace. 

The threat was contained in a 

communiqué issued at the end of 

the FCT Residents Association 

meeting in collaboration with some 

traditional rulers in the territory, 

which was jointly signed by the 

Secretary-General of the Forum, 

Comrade Yunusa Yusuf and the Eze 

Igbo of Abuja, His Royal Highness 

(HRH) Ibe Nwosu and made available 

to reporters. 

The natives stressed that Africans 

must integrate as a continent to 

battle the xenophobic attack in 

South Africa. They said: “We pledge 

to remain our brother’s keeper irrespective 

of nations, tribes and 

tongues and we will continue to act 

as such within the limit of our laws 

and international conventions. 

“That there have been relentless 

attempts by the South African Government 

to undermine peace in the 

continent and replace it with a different 

ideology based on xenophobia. 

We are confident that the Federal 

Government of Nigeria will 

handle the situation in South Africa 

at the international level. 

“That we the host community of 

multi-nationals including South 

Africa business community, are not 

happy with the onslaught in South 

Africa on flimsy and baseless guise 

of xenophobia. 

“That, having studied the situation 

in South Africa vis-a-vis the 

trauma our brothers are subjected 

to in the past weeks, we have resolved 

to give the South African 

Authority Forty Eight (48) hour’s 

ultimatum to apologise to Nigerians 

and other nationals of other 

African countries for the wanton 

killings and destruction of property 

of other nationals resident in South 

‘Having studied the 

situation in South 

Africa vis-a-vis the 

trauma our brothers 

are subjected to in 

the past weeks, we 

have resolved to give 

the South African 

Authority 48 hours 

to apologise to 

Nigerians and other 

nationals of other 

African countries for 

the wanton killings 

and destruction of 

property of other 

nationals resident 

in South Africa’ 

Stories from Gbenga Omokhunu 

Africa. 

“That failure to come up with permanent 

solution within the stipulated 

48 hours ultimatum, drastic 

measures, including attacks on the 

business interests of South Africa 

in the Federal Capital Territory will 

be ruthlessly carried out as a reprisal 

to the ongoing xenophobia 

attacks. 

“That the business interests of 

South Africa operating in the Federal 

Capital Territory listed for attack 

include but not limited to 

Shoprite, DSTV, Barcelos, Pick ‘n’ 

Pay, Spar, Steer, MTN, Debonairs, 

Hungry Lion and Mr. Price, among 

others” 

The group regretted that despite 

that South Africa businesses operating 

in the FCT have continued to 

marginalise Abuja natives in area 

of employment, Abuja natives have 

allowed them to operate without 

intimidation from any quarters, 

stressing that the South African 

Government should forthwith 

demonstrate the spirit of brotherhood 

towards other nationals resident 

in South Africa or face the consequences.will 

be ruthlessly carried 

out as a reprisal to the ongoing xenophobia 

attacks 

•Garbage in the FCT 

•Chairman, Committee on Youth, House of Reps, Kamil Akinlabi (left); members, House of Reps, Bukunola 

Buraimo; Chairman, Committee on Science and Technology, Abiodun Akinlade and a member, Muniru Hakeem 

after a session at the National Assembly PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE 

RESIDENTS of Kuje Area Council 

of the Federal Capital Territory 

(FCT) have decried the 

growing heaps of refuse and the inability 

of the council to evacuate 

them. 

The heaps of garbage at the front 

of the market along Kuje- 

Gwagwalada Road, General Hospital 

Junction and various dump 

grounds may lead to an outbreak of 

epidemic if urgent steps are not taken. 

Some residents who spoke with 

Abuja Review said the huge garbage 

heaps in their various communities 

have not been evacuated for a long 

time. 

Mrs. Blessing Gata, a resident of 

Sauka area behind the Gomo Palace 

said the garbage close to her house 

has not been evacuated for over a 

month. 

“I do not know why the area council 

authorities have not come to 

evacuate waste in this area for more 

than one month now. The huge garbage 

heap is breeding mosquitoes 

which make people victims of malaria. 

Now that the rains will start 

soon, it will be terrible. I am appealing 

with the Kuje Area Council to 

come and evacuate the refuse so that 

we can live a healthy life,” Gata said. 

Mr. Andrew David, who resides at 

Anguwan Gade Extension lamented 

the growing heaps of garbage which 

he said poses danger to healthy living. 

He, however, appealed to the relevant 

authorities in charge of evacuating 

waste in the area to take the 

necessary step in ensuring sanity in 

the area. 

“It has been a while I saw people 

evacuating waste in this area. We do 

not actually know what is happening. 

We are appealing to the authorities 

to come and evacuate the waste 

because it is malodorous. 

Reacting, the Kuje Head of Environmental 

Sanitation Department, 

Mr. Abdulkarim Abdulrazaq, said 

the waste evacuation exercise was no 

longer handled by area council, saying 

it is currently handled by the Satellite 

Town Development Authorities 

(STDA) and monitored by the 


traffic lights now work. It is really 

commendable and I’m not bothered 

about how they waited until 

this time to do it. The important 

thing is that they have done something 

nice that is worth commending.” 

The Public Relations Officer 

(PRO) FCT Transport Secretariat, 

Mr. Ifeanyi Ughamadu, in a telephone 

chat with Abuja Review denied 

that the change was meant to 

please the incoming Buhari administration. 

“The administration recently 

changed from using the public 

power supply to powering the traffic 

light with solar panels. ýWhat 

is actually happening now is that 

all the traffic lights in Abuja are 

being changed to solar panels and 

we intend to finish soon. The development 

is a partnership with the 

Chinese and we have been working 

on it for a long time. It’s possible 

that residents are only noticing 

it now. If you look closely at 

places where you see traffic lights 

now, you will also see solar panels 

mounted on top of it. 

“We are not only repairing the 

old ones and changing them into 

the new solar-powered lights but 

we intend to extend the installation 

of traffic lights to Kubwa and 

Gwarimpaý. We intend to have 24- 


Residents worry over heaps of garbage 

‘I do not know why the area council 

authorities have not come to evacuate waste 

in this area for more than one month now. 

The huge garbage heap is breeding mosquitoes 

which make people victims of malaria. 

Now that the rains will start soon, it will be 

terrible. I am appealing with the Kuje 

Area Council to come and evacuate the 

refuse so that we can live a healthy life’ 

department. 

He, however, called on residents 

of the area to stop the improper 

dumping of garbage by the road side. 

“The heap of garbage in some areas 

in the council results from improper 

disposal of refuse by some 

residents. 

“Despite the departments’ effort on 

evacuation and keeping the environment 

clean, some people have failed 

to comply with sanitation rules and 

regulations. 

“The council is also trying its best 

in terms of creating awareness on 

proper waste disposal but some residents 

have refused to do the right 

thing,” he said. 

On come the lights 

hour coverage now, unlike before 

where the traffic lights go off anytime 

that there is power outage. We 

realised that the solar powered 

light is much more reliable. 

“The decision on this was taken a 

long time ago and we began installing 

it a while back. Honestly, it 

does not have anything to do with 

the change of government. The 

changes had been in the pipeline 

for a long time and we even began 

the installations since last year. 

“FCT residents should expect 

more of ýconstant traffic lights 

working because all traffic lights 

would be streamlined towards solar 

which the country has in abundance. 

We will install and repair 

over 70 traffic light junctions in 

town and I do not know the exact 

number that will be installed in 

Gwarimpa and Kubwa but that will 

be happening very soon,” he said. 

Whether the changes are propelled 

by the fear of the new administration 

or according to the 

explanations of the PRO, it is a good 

development. The important thing 

still remains that the traffic light is 

making life of residents less stressful 

as there is free flow of traffic. 

Installation of traffic lights in 

Gwarimpa and Kubwa will also be 

great. Residents are optimistic that 

most malfunction facilities in the 

FCT will also be rehabilitated to 

ease life of the residents.


ABUJA REVIEW 

FCT inaugurates 

children’s home 

THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) 

Administration has inaugurated a 

children’s home cum transit camp for 

orphans, motherless babies and abandoned 

babies in Gwako community in Gwagwalada 

Area Council, Abuja. 

The administration said the home which is 

equipped with skills acquisition facilities, is 

capable of transforming the lives of the teeming 

youths and vulnerable children who 

roam the streets of Abuja as beggars or destitute. 

Minister of State for the FCT, Olajumoke 

Akinjide who inaugurated the homeý said 

FCT residents are yet to see the end of the 

current administration because it still has 

more to give to Nigerians. 

She added that even as the new government 

takes power, it should continue from 

where the present administration stopped 

and not allow all the laudable projects of the 

outgoing government to waste. 

She said: “The vision for a facility that will 

cater for the welfare of this vulnerable segment 

of our population, mainly orphans, 

motherless and abandoned babies, is in keeping 

with the transformation agenda of the 

outgoing administration. 

“The inauguration of this project therefore 

underscores the many positive projects which 

have been executed by this administration 

as it draws the curtain over an eventful tenure. 

“The home being inaugurated today is, indeed, 

only one of such projects and is designed 

to pass on the torch of positive legacy 

to the FCT residents and the incoming administration. 

“Governance is continuous. The FCTA remains 

grateful for your sacrifices and urges 

you to remain resolute and give the same 

loyalty and support to the incoming administration” 

Akinjide thanked residents for their support 

and partnership as they work together 

to improve the welfare of residents and to 

advance the fortunes of the territory; saying 

that the facility aims at alleviating the plight 

of children who, for no fault of theirs, found 

themselves on the unfortunate segment of 

our society. 

“It will serve as an educational as well as a 

skill acquisition centre for the home mates 

while benefiting the host community. We 

are certainly hopeful that it will give these 

children a solid start in life. 

“The quality of care given to our children 

irrespective of the circumstances of their 

birth, to a large extent, determines the value 

of their adulthood and by extension will 

impact on the future of our nation. 

“It is therefore for this reason that the home 

has been structured to provide an enabling 

environment for these vulnerable children 

to develop self-reliance and self-confidence 

and to be mentally adjusted to fit into the 

larger society in order to compete favourably 

with their peers in the future.” 

She, therefore, urged managers of the facility 

to ensure that the purpose of the home 

is fully realised. 

From Grace Obike 

In her speech, Special Guest of Honour and 

Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab 

Maina, commended the FCTA for the “dynamic 

project” just as she called on wellmeaning 

Nigerians to support the project. 

She added that in other climes, citizens do 

not wait for government to provide everything 

for them. 

In her welcome address, Secretary, Social 

Development Secretariat, Mrs. Blessing 

Onuh, said the ceremony marked the completion 

of a project that is capable of transforming 

the lives of teeming youths and vulnerable 

children who roam the streets of the 

FCT as destitute and beggars. 

“This centre is meant to be a transit camp 

to cater for their immediate needs. The administration 

thought it wise to provide them 

with skills while they wait to be re-united 

with their families,” she said. 

She noted that it was at some point like a 

burden for this administration due to large 

influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) 

into the FCT but “we thank God for a successful 

completion of this project. We hope 

that we will raise our future entrepreneurs 

as we have provided various training facilities 

to meet up with the growing demand of 

global trend.” 

The inauguration, which was attended by 

Hajia Maina, Olajimoke and other government 

officials, was the brainchild of the Social 

Development Secretariat and funded by 

the FCT Administration. The project comprises 

six classrooms that can take at least 50 

people each for theoretical learning; an administrative 

block, workshops in various 

skills ranging from fashion designing and 

tailoring, shoe making and design, hairdressing 

and salon technique, welding and 

wrought iron design and catering and 

confectionaries; 200-capacity multi-purpose 

hall and recreational facilities such as synthetic 

five aside football pitch and a volley 

ball court and hostel facilities that can accommodate 

about 1, 000 people. 

The hall, according to Onuh, can be utilised 

for several events ranging from business, 

workshops, conventions and reception, 

among others through which the centre can 

be self-sustained; as they intend to maintain 

it through internally-generated revenue. 

She called on individuals and organisations 

to partner with the Social Development Secretariat 

in achieving this objective. 

She, however, warned youths who roam 

the streets of the FCT that begging is prohibited 

in FCT. Onuh urged them to take advantage 

of the opportunity provided by government 

to improve their well-being. 

She also urged FCT residents not to encourage 

begging by giving alms to beggars on 

the street. 

“They should instead make such contributions 

to existing aid programmes carried out 

by our churches, mosques and the centre 

whenever they wish to support the welfare 

of these vulnerable groups,” she said. 

‘The inauguration of this project therefore 

underscores the many positive projects which 

have been executed by this administration as 

it draws the curtain over an eventful tenure. 

The home being inaugurated today is, indeed, 

only one of such projects and is designed to 

pass on the torch of positive legacy to the FCT 

residents and the incoming administration… 

Governance is continuous. The FCTA 

remains grateful for your sacrifices and 

urges you to remain resolute and give 

the same loyalty and support 

to the incoming administration’ 

•From left: Minister of State for FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide; Minister of State for Agriculture 

and Natural Resources, Asabe Asmau Ahmed and Minister of Water Resources, Sarah 

Ochekpe during the Federal Executive Council Meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. 

•From left: Former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipire Sylva; Secretary to the Government 

of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and Mrs Ibukun Odusote during the 

Presidential Inauguration Planning Committee meeting at the Banquet Hall Presidential 

Villa in Abuja. PHOTOS: AKIN OLADOKUN 

•Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Boboye Oyeyemi (middle); Deputy 

Corps Marshal, Administration, Chidi Nwachukwu (left) and Deputy Corps Marshal, Operations, 

Adei Abu at the strategic session with 313 Commanding Officers in Abuja 

PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE 

‘Give us good feeder roads’ 

RESIDENTS of Dutse Sokale in Bwari 

Area Council of the Federal Capital 

Territory (FCT) have appealed to the 

chairman of the council, Hon. Peter Yohanna 

to construct feeder roads in the community, 

in order to alleviate their suffering. 

Mr. Simon Chukwu, one of the residents 

who spoke with our reporter lamented that 

state of the roads in the community is unbearable, 

as most of the residents suffered 

immeasurably. 

According to Chukwu, residents of the community 

have made countless appeals to the 

leadership of the council to provide 

infrastructural development for the people 

in the community, but not much has been 

done in that regard, apart from the improved 

power supply. 

“We really need good feeder roads in this 

community, because, without it, life is unbearable. 

Car owners in this community repair 

their cars on weekly basis because of the 

bad roads and they have no choice, since they 


live in the community. 

“Whenever it rains, the entire community 

will be in mess, to the extent that you will 

not be able to identify where the road is or 

where the pits which gully erosion has constructed 

are. Now that the rain is about to 

start, we are afraid because of the challenges 

we will experience,” he said. 

Isah Ishiaku, a motorcycle operator in 

Dutse Sokale explained that due to the deplorable 

state of the roads in the community, 

most of them get scared to ply the roads 

when it rains, because they often fall off from 

their bikes with passengers. 

“The truth is that the best thing the chairman, 

Hon. Peter Yohanna can do for us now 

is for him to give us good roads in this community. 

If the roads are constructed, we will 

have peace of mind to carry our passengers 

to their destinations without fear of falling 

into the mud,” he said.

36 

ABUJA REVIEW 


ITH about a month to 

the handover date, 

President Goodluck WJonathan has started to receive 

dignitaries on a thank-you and 

farewell visits from beyond the 

national borders. 

One of the first visitors was 

President Alassane Ouattara of 

Cote d’Ivoire who was at the Presidential 

Villa on Monday last 

week to thank him for all the support 

he has given him and his 

country in the past five years. 

Briefing journalists after the 

closed-door meeting, Ouattara, 

who was recounting Jonathan’s 

role that ensured Ouattara took 

over from Laurent Gbagbo who 

was hanging onto power in 2010 

in Cote d’Ivoire, became a bit 

emotional as the two leaders 

managed to fight back tears during 

the session. 

He was particularly grateful that 

Jonathan, who was Nigeria’s Acting 

President five years ago could 

mobilise other West African leaders 

to oust Laurent Gbagbo, who 

had refused to relinquish power 

after losing the presidential election. 

Besides commending Jonathan 

for shunning replay of the 

Gbagbo experience in Nigeria, he 

was happy that bloodshed was 

averted in the country as Jonathan 

peacefully conceded defeat to 

Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. 

Gbagbo’s refusal to concede defeat 

to him after the presidential 

election, he said, resulted in a 

four-month civil war in which 

over 3, 000 people lost their lives. 

He said: “So, I wanted to tell you 

our appreciation over the leadership 

we have received from you 

during these years. You know that 

about five years ago, Cote 

d’Ivoire had elections and I won 

the election and the former president 

decided not to leave 

office. This brought the civil war 

and 3,000 people were killed.” 

“We were put in a hotel for protection 

by the United Nations for 

four and a half months. We were 

there without food because the 

hotel was guarded by the 

president’s men. It was only after 

four and a half months of imprisonment 

in that hotel that finally 

we were able to leave the hotel; 

after the former president quit 

and finally left office for me.” 

“I am saying this to stress that 

what happened in Nigeria is a lesson 

to all of us. Please, accept my 

admiration. I think that avoiding 

violence, avoiding civil war when 

we have elections in Africa should 

be our utmost objective,” he said. 

Continuing, he said: “People are 

more important than power and 

Mr. President, my good friend, I am 

not surprised about what you did 

and I wanted to congratulate you, 

congratulate the Nigerian people 

and congratulate the Presidentelect. 

“My brother, you have shown 

support to me during the difficult 

years I went through, you have 

shown friendship to me all these 

years. So, I want to tell you thank 

you.” he added. 

The following day, Tuesday, the 

Ghanaian President, John Mahama, 

who is also the chairman of the Economic 

Community of West African 

States (ECOWAS) also, visited 

President Jonathan to commend 

him on behalf of ECOWAS for his 

statesmanship in conceding defeat 

to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. 

He said: “I also took the opportunity 

to commend him for the statesmanship 

that was displayed after 

the election. We all knew that he 

congratulated the president-elect, 

Igbo seek scrapping 

of land-swap policy 

INVESTORS in the Federal Capital 

Territory (FCT) have called on 

the incoming administration of 

Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to scrap 

the land swap policy which was introduced 

by the FCT Minister, Senator 

Bala Mohommed, saying that 

the policy is against the interest of 

the natives and residents of the territory. 

The Chairman of Zaudan Pazeri 

Property Owners’ Association, Elder 

Friday Ugoala, who spoke on 

behalf of residents of the FCT at a 

news conference in Abuja, said if 

the land swap is allowed to continue, 

the rate of accommodation 

or services that would arise from it 

will be beyond the reach of the common 

Nigerian who resides in the 

capital city. 

According to Ugoala, if the land 

swap policy is scrapped, the average 

Nigerian will have hope to acquire 

land and build it at his own 

pace. He debunked the notion that 


the FCT is not meant for everybody, 

adding that they will have the hope 

of having a home to stay in the FCT. 

“Also, the land swap policy is 

against the natives of the FCT, because, 

many of them would be sent 

out of their ancestral communities 

for strangers to come and occupy, 

all in the name of land swap. The 

truth is that the greatest humiliation 

you can give to a man is to send him 

out of his ancestral home, where his 

ancestors were buried. This is not 

right. 

“If the land swap policy is not 

scrapped, I do not know how many 

of the natives can afford the price 

the estate developers would place 

their houses when constructed, because 

most of them would be out to 

make money with their structures, 

without considering if the common 

man could afford it or not. The 

Enter farewell visitors 

From 

the 

Villa 

By Augustine Ehikioya 

policy is a conduit for corruption, 

because it encourages corruption and 

injustice. 

“There are many cases where individuals 

have been awarded plots of 

land, just for the fact that their files 

are being processed in the FCDA office. 

The next thing is that they jump 

Gen. Buhari after the election realities 

and he conceded. I feel that was 

a very great sign of maturity and 

has earned the respect of all Nigerians 

and the respect of the international 

community for all what he 

did. 

“We expect a smooth transition 

and possibly the role that Nigeria 

plays in the ECOWAS being the 

biggest economy not only in our 

sub-region but also in the whole 

continent. 

“Of course there is a special relationship 

that exists between Nigeria 

and Ghana too and so, in my 

second heart as the President of 

Ghana, I wish to congratulate our 

brothers and sisters in Nigeria on 

what has been a very good election,” 

he said. 

To ensure continued support 

from Nigeria after May 29, these 

leaders did not fail to seek audience 

with the President-elect, Gen. 

Buhari, during their visits. 

Jonathan and Buhari, no doubt, 

will continue to receive such visits 

upon allocation and they hand it over, 

saying that it has been swapped. 

There is capital vote approved for the 

FCT Administration, but the logic 

they gave for the land swap is that it 

is saving the government the cost of 

infrastructure, whereas there is budget 

for infrastructure. 

as the D-day approaches. 

And Jonathan stings 

Barely 10 minutes after bidding 

the Ghanaian President, John 

Mahama, farewell from the Presidential 

Villa, Abuja on Tuesday the 

defeat of President Goodluck 

Jonathan at the March 28 Presidential 

elections recorded its first casualty. 

The President, through his Special 

Adviser on Media and Publicity, 

Dr. Reuben Abati, announced 

the sack of the Inspector-General of 

Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba from 

office. 

The tone of the statement showed 

that the Presidency was really angry 

with the IGP as similar statements 

normally avoid the use of 

the word ‘sack’. 

Although no reason was given in 

the statement for the sack, his exit 

was said not to be unconnected with 

the role he was said to have played 

during the 2015 general elections. 

It is not clear whether the President, 

in the coming days, will also 

use his sledge hammer on politicians 

in his party, the Peoples 

Democratic Party (PDP), who were 

believed to have played roles that 

had adversely affected his re-election 

bid. 

•From left: Justice Court of 

Appeal, Abuja Division, 

Justice Abdulkadir Jega, 

Justice Court of Appeal, 

Enugu Division, Justice 

Amiru Sanusi and President 

Court of Appeal, Justice 

Zainab Adamu 

Bulkachuwa during the 

Retreat for Chairmen of 

the Election Petition Tribunal 

2015 at the FCT Ceremonial 

Court Room in 

Abuja. 

PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN 

“Within this period of land swap, 

what new places and special things 

have been done with the fund that 

is supposed to have been saved as a 

result of land swap? We have not 

noticed tangible achievement in 

terms of saving. So the land swap is 

encouraging corruption,” he said.


LAW & SOCIETY 

Being text of a paper presented by former NBA President, Mr. Joseph Bodunrin Daudu (SAN) at the just concluded 19 th edition of 

Commonwealth Lawyers Conference held at the Scottish Events and Conference Centre, Glasgow, UK. 

How to practice in multi-jurisdictions 

Introduction 

ACCORDING to the American Bar 

Association’s Report of the 

Commission of Multijurisdictional 

Practice, multijurisdictional practice is defined 

as “the legal work of a lawyer in a jurisdiction 

in which the lawyer is not admitted to practice 

law. Mobility of lawyers on the other hand 

refers to the ability of legal practitioners trained 

and certified to practice law in one jurisdiction 

to practice in other jurisdictions without 

running afoul of the regulatory provisions in 

those other jurisdictions. This phenomenon is 

brought about by the fact that the world has 

shrunk since the advent of globalization. The 

combination of cheap and safe air travel and 

the internet have made places which seemed 

so far away half a century ago to be accessible 

to trans-national businesses. The implication 

is that these conglomerates prefer to approach 

business from the stand of using legal services 

that they are accustomed to and readily 

available. This preference usually excludes the 

use of counsel practicing in the place where the 

business is to be conducted. The importation 

of legal services by the foreign business outfit 

into a country where its lawyers are not licensed 

to practice brings about its complications and 

conflicts in (1) the authority of nation-states to 

regulate multi-jurisdictional practice, (2) the 

law to be applied to regulate the conduct of 

such counsel in the event of a breach of the 

rules of ethics and (3) the consequences of unregulated 

multi-jurisdictional legal practice. 

This discourse will consider the basis/origin 

and implications of multi jurisdictional law 

practice from the African stand-point. How has 

cross-border legal services fared under the 

dispensation of globalization and what is the 

response of African nations especially the 

emerging economic power blocs to the practice 

by foreign lawyers in their own territories 

especially as viewed from the stand point of 

competition with local counsel. It is hoped to 

conclude with suggestions and or 

recommendations for the removal of conflicts 

and frictions going forward. The writer 

naturally, expresses these views from the prism 

of Nigerian law. However, a comparative 

approach from the position of other African 

nations will be attempted from time to time in 

the course of the paper. 

Globalisation and cross-border legal practice- 

Nigerian perspective 

The view was once widely held in Nigeria 

that globalization is a journey to utopia 1 , a 

lotus-eater kind of world far away from reality. 

However, this is not the view of the major 

players who control the economic resources of 

the world. That this situation is taken seriously 

by the people who control the resources of the 

world has been succinctly captured by 

Guobadia 2 in his paper Globalization of Legal 

Services- What should Nigeria do? Thus; - ‘A 

globalised economy could be defined as one in 

which neither distance or national borders impede 

economic transactions. This would be a 

world where the costs of transport and communication 

would be zero and the barriers 

created by differing national jurisdictions had 

vanished. The driving force of trade 

•Daudu (SAN) left and Gregory Ross at the Conference 

liberalisation is the World Trade Organisation, 

a creature of the 1994 Uruguay Round Trade 

negotiations. The WTO works on a single 

undertaking principle so that once a country 

signs and takes up membership it becomes a 

party to all related agreements including those 

reached before it joined. In other words, it is 

very unlike GATT, where a nation can pick and 

choose which agreements it intends to be bound 

by’. 

The general agreement on trade in service 

One of the achievements of the Uruguay 

negotiations is the General Agreement on Trade 

in Services (GATS), which came into force in 

January 1995. The GATS, a multi-lateral treaty 

based agreement was inspired by essentially 

the same objectives as its counterpart in merchandise 

trade, the General Agreement on 

Tariffs and Trade (GATT) The only major distinction 

was that GATS dealt with services as 

opposed to trade and merchandise. Legal 

Services comes within the purview of GATS. 

One important characteristic of GATS is that 

countries that appended their signatures to it 

had committed themselves to periodic negotiations 

to progressively eliminate barriers to 

international trade in services without 

requiring further approval from other member 

states as evidenced in Article 19 of the agreement 

which compels members to enter in 

negotiation of specific commitments “directed 

to the reduction or elimination of the adverse 

effects on trade in services of measures as a 

means of providing effective market access. 

However this process shall only take place with 

a view to promoting the interests of all participants 

on a mutually advantageous basis and to 

securing an overall balance of rights and obligations. 

(Please note the underlined passage 

as this defines the scope of liberalisation of 

legal services.) Essentially the agreement 

comprises of legally binding rules set for trade 

in all commercial services, the intention being 

to spur economic growth by removing barriers 

limiting trade in services and enabling 

countries to attract foreign investment by 

opening highly regulated services to 

international competition. GATS therefore 

takes into consideration (i) The National Policy 

Objectives of each member and (ii) their 

respective levels of Development. 

It is therefore obvious that the requirements 

of liberalisation are not as frightful as they are 

made out. To the uninitiated, the impression 

given is that developing countries must open 

their markets in trade and services including 

legal services to the unrestricted participation 

of the developed world. It cannot be so for the 

following reasons. Firstly, while it has been 

agreed that no discriminatory measures will 

be meted out to service suppliers of member 

states in favour of domestic suppliers, it is also 

agreed that liberalisation will be gradual based 

on the national policy objectives of each 

member and the respective levels of development. 

These factors, it is submitted are complex 

platforms upon which to base any such agreements 

on. It is therefore more of phantom 

which cannot in practical terms negatively 

affect the local legal service market of any 

country. In my considered opinion, flowing 

from the foregoing that the market access in 

legal services as conceptualised by GATS was 

not expected to be universal or overwhelming 

in all spheres of legal services. It is clear that 

the interest of the WTO is to have legal services 

of such quality and delivery commensurate to 

and in tandem with the speed and efficiency 

with which modern international/cross border 

financial transactions are concluded. 

There are so many areas of local national 

economies whereby legal services have inexorably 

acquired international flavour and there 

appears to be nothing that domestic legal 

practitioners or systems can do about it. They 

include but are not limited to (i) Oil and Gas, 

(ii) Aviation, (iii) Shipping, (iv) communications, 

(v) Internationally financed construction, 

(vi) equipment leasing, (viii) Mining and 

mineral exploration, (ix) Privatisation by way 

of mergers, acquisition etc. It must be noted 

at this stage that in the past, the excuse for 

bringing foreign counsel was that local 

counsel were not equipped technically to deal 

with the demands of clients in those sectors. 

But this pretext has waned considerably as 

(taking Nigeria for example) local counsel 

have gone in droves to acquire requisite 

expertise and experience in the aforeenumerated 

areas. However such recourse to 

the excuse of lack of local expertise was 

unnecessary in view of the express provisions 

of the GATS. 

Summary of the criteria for legal practice in 

selected african countries i.e Nigeria, south 

Africa East African states and Ghana Nigeria 

Item 49 of the exclusive legislative list in 

Part 1 of the 2 nd Schedule to the 1999 Constitution 

of the Federal Republic of Nigeria lists 

‘Professional occupations as may be designated 

by the National Assembly’. This means 

that only the National Assembly as opposed 

to the legislative house of the 36 States of the 

Federation can legislate on all issues pertaining 

to the practice of law in Nigeria as a profession. 

The Legal Practitioners Act 3 prescribes 

the qualification of a person qualified to 

practice law in Nigeria 4 and it includes (a) 

persons whose names are on the Roll of legal 

practitioners, (b) persons who apply to the 

Chief Justice of Nigeria and are entitled to 

practice as advocates from countries where 

the legal system is similar to to that of Nigeria 

and the CJN is of the opinion that it is 

expedient for that person to practice as a Barrister 

for the purpose of the proceedings described 

in the application. 

The LPA also sets out the disciplinary regime/procedure 

for erring members of the 

profession. It is to be noted at this point in 

time that the LPDC can only discipline lawyers 

who have been called to the Nigerian 

Bar. This raises the question of how foreign 

counsel whose professional conduct impact 

badly on the ethics of the profession while 

working in Nigeria can or should be disciplined. 

This aspect will be dealt with in due 

course. 

Indeed, there is no move to instant 

liberalisation of legal services; that is not 

the concept in GATS. Article 19, which calls 

for a progressive move towards 

37 

liberalisation is therefore relevant, let individual 

nations readiness be reviewed as required 

by the treaty every 5 years and at the 

next Round Nigerian stakeholders such as 

the NBA and its specialised sections must 

be ready with facts and figures to justify the 

state of readiness of Nigeria to liberalise 

and whether it is indeed feasible owing to 

the conduct of our partners so to do. The 

NBA position on multi-jurisdictional 

practice as last reviewed in the year 2012 is 

therefore clear from the foregoing. That in 

the long run liberalisation of legal services 

is foreseeable but not imminent. Nigeria 

should however not include legal services 

in its schedule until bilateral and 

multilateral issues of market access and 

discriminatory practices are resolved. Furthermore, 

there is a need for the Governments 

of Nigeria (Federal and States) to rapidly 

industrialise. The absence of viable industries 

in the required number denies Nigerian 

lawyers of the necessary enabling 

platform to practice modern international 

commercial practice. No foreign counsel is 

expected to involve him or herself in land, 

chieftaincy, election and other local 

indigenous legal disputes of customary 

status. Any Initiative that will promote local 

content in the rendering of legal services is 

being encouraged and supported. However, 

this is not to justify tardiness in our 

preparations to join the five African nations 

that have opened their doors to foreign legal 

counsel. 

South Africa 

No doubt the legal services sector has experienced 

several changes as a consequence 

of the growth in international trade. All over 

the world lawyers are required to provide 

services and advice to their clients who do 

business across borders. Businesses and organizations 

involved in international transactions 

need reliable, up to date and integrated 

services covering all aspects of such 

transactions. 

The Legal Profession in South Africa is divided 

into Advocates and Attorneys and they 

are regulated by the General Council of the 

Bar of South Africa and the Law Society of 

South Africa respectively. No dual practice 

is allowed. Legal practitioners are regulated 

by different laws and each has its own set of 

admission requirements. In 1995, South Africa 

made legally binding commitments to 

liberalize legal services under the WTO General 

Agreement on Trade in Services. The 

commitments allow, foreign legal practitioners 

to establish, a commercial presence in 

and transfer personnel, including legal practitioners, 

to South Africa. 

South Africa made specific commitments 

on the establishment of a commercial presence 

(mode 3) and the temporary transfer of 

personnel (mode 4) to South Africa. The 

commitments are limited to the supply of 

legal advisory services in foreign 

international and domestic law and legal 

representation services in domestic law by 

a locally established entity. Such an entity 

must be owned or controlled by natural or 

legal persons of any other WTO member 

state. 5 Please note that to practice local law, 

a foreign lawyer must requalify as a South 

African attorney. 

Unless a person is from a designated country 

(at present Swaziland, Namibia, Lesotho 

and the former TBVC states) a person must 

complete a South African LLB degree and 

comply with the other requirements with 

regard to articles or community service, 

practical legal training and the admission 

examination. A person who intends to be 

admitted in the Republic of South Africa, 

can submit his/her degree to a South African 

university for an indication of whether any 

credit by such university would be given 

with regard to any part of the foreign law 

degree. 

Further requirements with regard to 

admission are provided in the Attorneys Act, 

1979 as amended 6 . A person must be a South 

African citizen or permanent resident and be 

otherwise fit and proper in the opinion of 

the court to be admitted as an attorney. The 

current qualification requirements for the 

admission and enrolment of attorneys and 

advocates present an insurmountable barrier 

to foreign legal practitioners wanting to 

practice in South Africa. 

•To be continued next week


LAW & SOCIETY 

Ayangburen’s stool: court dismisses joinders’ application 

JUSTICE Akintunde Savage of a 

Lagos High Court, sitting in 

Ikorodu, has dismissed an application 

filed by two members of the 

Odusago royal family of the 

Lasunwon Ruling house seeking to 

be joined as 13 th and 14 th respondents 

in the suit challenging the adoption 

of the Odofin of Ikorodu, Chief 

Kabiru Shotobi as the oba-elect by 

the king makers. 

Justice Savage, in his ruling last 

week, dismissed the application for 

lacking in merit. 

Jamiu Olusola Alejo and 

Durojaiye Ekundayo Alejo, through 

their lawyer, Suleiman Talabi, had 

on behalf of Odusago branch of the 

Lasunwon Ruling House of Ikorodu, 

sought to be joined as defendants in 

the suit. 

Those seeking to be joined based 

their reasons on three main issues 

in their 17-point affidavit in support 

of the motion on notice filed before 

the court. 

They 

averred that it was necessary that 

they were joined in the suit as defendants. 

As descendants of 

Lasunwon Ruling House, also entitled 

to present candidates for the selection 

and nomination for the 

throne of Ayangburen of Ikorodu, 

the decision of the court, according 

to them, may adversely affect their 

claim to the stool should they be excluded 

from the present suit. They 

said it was in view of the aforementioned 

facts and in the interest of the 

proper and holistic determination 

of all issues before the court, that 

they sought to be joined as defendants. 

They averred further that it was 

imperative that all interested parties 

be included in this suit for the 

court to have a proper appraisal of 

By Adebisi Onanuga 

the consent judgment delivered by 

Justice Habeeb Abiru, now of the 

Court of Appeal, in the earlier suit 

number IKD/57/2007. 

The judge noted that while moving 

the application, counsel to the 

joinders , Sulaiman Talabi, had submitted 

before the court that the 

members of the Odusago royal family 

were not interested in the earlier 

suit, which centered on the position 

of Odofin of Ikorodu, but was 

interested in the present suit because 

the issue at stake was the 

Ayangburen stool. 

They also submitted that it becomes 

necessary for them to join for 

easy resolution, and to save the time 

of the court by avoiding multiple 

suits. 

Justice Savage also noted the opposition 

of counsel to the applicants, 

John Osighala and that of the second 

respondent, Kazeem Adenabjo 

to the joinders application. 

He noted that Osighala in a nineparagraph 

counter affidavit had submitted 

that the parties seeking to 

be joined are not parties in the previous 

suit numbered KD/57/2007 

and that the matter in the new suit 

can be resolved without them. 

He also noted that in his counter 

affidavit, Adebanjo denied the existence 

of Odusago royal family of 

Lasunwon Ruling House of Ikorodu 

and the fact that those seeking to be 

joined were not parties to the earlier 

suit, the enforcement of the consent 

judgment of which they are 

seeking in court now. 

Adebanjo, the judge said, submitted 

that the alleged Odusago royal 

family has never occupied the stool 

of Ayangburen and that he cited relevant 

laws and decided cases of the 

Supreme Court of Nigeria to support 

his submission on why the application 

should be rejected and dismissed. 

The judge also noted that counsels 

to other respondents in the suit, including 

Gbenga Hassan for first and 

third respondents, O. Fabunmi for 

fourth to seventh respondents and 

S. A. Quadri for 11th and 12th respondents 

did not oppose the application 

nor file any counter affidavit. 

On Justice Savage request, Chief 

Babatunde Olusola Benson (SAN), 

who is an “amicus curiae” (friend of 

the court) and a prominent son of 

the soil, reported to the court that 

several meetings held with various 

counsels after the court’s sitting of 

March 18, were deadlocked as counsels 

refused to shift positions. 

Justice Savage, while ruling on the 

matter, held those seeking to be joinders 

were not parties in the previous 

suit and that they ought to have 

shown interest before the consent 

judgement delivered by Justice 

Abiru(now Justice of the Court of 

Appeal) in 2007 or at the Court of 

Appeal as an intervener. He also 

noted that the consent judgment was 

never appealed at the appellate 

level. 

He also held that parties cannot 

join a suit in which judgment has 

been delivered and which enforcement 

has become the subject of another 

suit. 

At this stage, Osighala asked for 

cost in the sum of N150,000 explaining 

that the joinders application had 

made them incurred addition cost 

as they had to file counter affidavit 

and serve 13 respondents. 

Adebanjo aligned with the request 

of Osighala, pointing out that the 

application took them back despite 

the fact that the court had taken a 

decision to ensure speedy hearing 

in the matter. Adebanjo submiited 

further that the application seeking 

to be joined was filed “malafides” 

(in bad faith), adding: “our time was 

wasted, efforts wasted and three adjournments 

wasted on the application.” 

But Talabi argued that any application 

in a suit must be judicially 

determined otherwise “people 

would be scared of bringing application 

before the court”. 

Talabi declined to concede to costs, 

but prayed that if the court must 

award costs, it should not be more 

than N10,000 and urged the court to 

use its discretion on the matter. Justice 

Savage said the two counsels 

were right to ask for cost and 

awarded N30,000 each for Osighala 

and Adebanjo. He said other counsels 

did not merit costs as they filed 

no counter affidavit. 

Just as Osighala asked the court 

for a date to move the main application, 

which was brought by an originating 

summon, counsel to the state 

government (11 th and 12 th respondents), 

Quadri, told the court that he 

wanted to withdraw his earlier application 

dated February 18, and to 

substitute it with another dated 

March 16. 

Counsels to the third respondent, 

Hassan, and those of the fourth to 

the seventh respondents, Fabunmi, 

did not raise any objection to the 

development. 

But Osighala, counsel to the applicants, 

opposed the substitution of 

the application by the government 

counsel, Quadri, saying: “counsel is 

attempting to withdraw through the 

back door, issues already raised in 

our argument already made and 

submitted before the court. 

“The law does not make provision 

for substitution. What the law provides 

for is amendment under Order 

24 Rule 2. Secondly, it is “over 

reaching” wherein by rules and procedures, 

arguments had commenced 

and closed, a party is extort from 

proferring new arguments to overreach 

previous issues already canvassed. 

“If we keep doing this, there would 

be no end to litigation because if allowed, 

I would have to go and file an 

amendment.” He cited various cases 

decided by the Supreme Court of Nigeria 

to buttress his submission. 

Adebanjo also said the attempt by 

counsel to the government to have 

previous process withdrawn was surprising. 

He submitted that if allowed, 

the court would have to call for counter 

applications fron other counsels 

in the matter. 

Asked for their views on the new 

development espoused by government 

counsel, Hassan, counsel to the 

first and third respondent, said he 

was indifferent and left the matter to 

the discretion of the court. 

Fabunmi, counsel to the fourth to 

the seventh respondents, said no 

harm would be done by the substitution 

of the application the government 

wanted to make. “Claimants 

counsel has the opportunity to respond 

again,”he said. 

Quadri also said arguments had not 

really commenced on the matter as 

they were yet to commence hearing 

of the originating summon. He said 

the only right counsel to the applicants 

have is that of reply having been 

served the application. 

•From left: Dr Abiola Sanni; Mr. Ashimizo Afadameh; Prof. Peter Fogam; Prof. Jumoke Oduwole; Mr. Wahab Shittu and Dr. Dayo Ayodele at a press conference on the 3 rd African International 

Economic Law Network Biennial Conference held at the Faculty of Law conference room, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Lagos. 

Homeowners sue developer for N100m over ‘arbitrary charges’ 

HOME owners in Pearl Gar 

den Estate, at Sangotedo Vil 

lage in Eti-Osa Local Government 

Area of Lagos State have 

filed a N100 million class action suit 

against a property developer, 

Oyetubo Jokotade Estate Resource 

Limited, over alleged incessant harassment 

and imposition of arbitrary 

charges. 

The claimants in the suit included 

Messrs Francis Adesuyi, Felix 

Obiakor, Martin Ajayi-Obe and Peter 

Afenotan. They filed the N100 

million suit on behalf of themselves 

and all interested homeowners 

within the Pearl Garden Estate. 

The claimants filed the suit before 

a Lagos State High Court sitting 

in Epe, headed by Justice 

Abisoye Bashua. 

Joined as second defendant is 

CMB Building Maintenance and 

By Adebisi Onanuga 

Investment Company Limited, in 

charge of providing estate management 

services to the claimants. 

In the suit, the claimants are asking 

the court for a declaration that 

the incessant harassment, restriction 

of movement and the imposition 

of arbitrary charges on them 

by the defendants as illegal and 

unlawful. 

They also asked the court to declare 

that the refusal of the second 

defendant to allow them install 

borehole in their homes as illegal 

and unlawful. 

They had prayed the court for “an 

order of perpetual injunction restraining 

the defendants, jointly 

and severally, their agent, privies 

and cronies from further demanding 

or collecting reticulation charges in 

the sum of N650,000 or any other 

sums from the claimants contrary to 

the express terms of the Deeds of 

Assignment and the Sale and Management 

Agreement. 

“A Mandatory Order directing the 

second respondent to refund to the 

claimants and other residents all 

monies collected forcefully as part 

or full payments of the unlawful 

imposition of the reticulation charges 

and the unilateral estate charges immediately 

to the respective claimants 

and other homeowners.” 

They also asked for an order restraining 

the defendants from further 

harassing them and also the sum of 

N100 million as general damages for 

the barricade, destruction of property 

and unlawful denial of the claimants 

access to the estate on March 

13,2013. 

At the hearing last Thursday, 

counsel to the respondents, Mr R.A. 

Aladesanmi, said they had filed an 

application asking the court to stay 

proceedings on the suit, pending a 

referral from arbitration proceedings. 

Aladesanmi argued that all purchases 

of the land entered into an 

arbitration agreement contained in 

their individual sale and management 

agreement, adding that the 

appropriate place to resolve the 

dispute was arbitration. 

But counsel to the claimants, Mr 

Adeyinka Adeyemi, objected to the 

application, arguing that some of 

the parties in the suit did not sign 

the arbitration clause. 

Adeyemi argued that it was ironic 

that the same defendants asking for 

arbitration had filed notices of appeal 

at the Court of Appeal against 

a previous order of the court, which 

restrained them from restricting the 

claimants from the estate. 

Adeyemi further submitted that 

the said agreement was entered 

between some of the claimants 

and the first respondent, adding 

that the second defendant (BCM) 

was not a party to the agreement. 

“As at now, there is no appointed 

body to even conduct 

the arbitration. They have not 

taken any step to show that arbitration 

has commenced. The 

arbitration is inexistent so the 

court cannot stay proceedings. 

“The claimants in view of this 

submitted that ”It will be gross 

injustice for the matter to be referred 

to arbitration that is nonexistent 

and that which has not 

even commenced as papers are yet 

to be filed to that effect,”he said. 

After taking the submissions of 

the parties, Justice Bashua adjourned 

the matter till May 21, 

for ruling.


LEGAL OPINION 

Sri Lankan Bar leader wins award 

FORMER President of Sri Lankan 

Bar Association (SBA) Upul 

Jayasuriya has been declared 

winner of the Second Commonwealth 

Law Conference Rule of Law 

Award. He was the President of Sri 

Lankan Bar from 2013 to March 31, 

2015. 

The award was presented to him 

at the Commonwealth Lawyers 

Association (CLA) conference. 

He is the second winner of the 

By John Austin Unachukwu 

beautifully engraved trophy with 

a $5,000.00 monetary value. 

The inaugural award was won 

by Ms Robin Sully, a Canadian 

lawyer, who contributed to the 

rule of law both in Canada and 

across the Commonwealth 

Jayasuriy said: “ I am very 

happy, I feel that our cause has 

been achieved, we have been vindicated 

and all the sufferings we 

passed through has been appreciated 

by the Commonwealth Lawyers 

Association. 

“I came up to this level because 

of circumstances. I led the Bar at 

the when the Chief Justice Shirani 

Bandaranayake of Sari Lanka was 

impeached. At that time, the Bar 

needed a leader who could pursue 

her cause to the very end. The lawyers 

gathered and gave me overwhelming 

mandate to do that and 

that is just what I did.” 

LAW AND 

PUBLIC POWER 

with 

gabriel AMALU 

email:gabrielamalu1@yahoo.com 

For comments: 

08033054939 (sms only) 

39 

•Mr. Jayasuriya (middle) flanked by his wife Chula (left) and daughter Erandi (right), all lawyers. 

Lawyers hail CLA conference 

LAWYERS at the 19 th edition of 

the Commonwealth Lawyers 

Association (CLA) Conference, 

which held in the Glasgow, Scotland, 

have scored the conference high in 

spite of poor attendance. 

They said the resource persons and 

quality of delivery made a great impact 

on them. 

The Nigerian Bar Association 

(NBA) First Vice-President, Mr. 

Francis Ekwere said: “It has been a 

worthwhile experience being here. 

It has opened our eyes to see how 

conferences are organised, the 

seamless transition from one session 

to another, etc. We will try and 

see what we will do to improve our 

own conferences. We have a lot to 

take home from here.” 

Another participant, Mr. Rotimi 

By John Austin Unachukwu 

Oguneso (SAN), said: “It is very 

stimulating because it afforded 

various practitioners from the commonwealth 

countries the opportunity 

to exchange ideas, network 

and bring their individual experiences 

to this conference while they 

learn from each other.” 

To Mr. Aniedi Akpabio, the conference 

was a great success notwithstanding 

the low attendance. 

“The resource persons were carefully 

selected. Their delivery was 

fantastic and change of sessions 

seamless. I urge lawyers from 

Commonwealth countries to always 

strive to attend this conference 

because it is quite interesting 

and very rewarding,” he said. 

Another participant, Mr. P.C.N. 

Okorie, described the conference 

as rewarding. 

A commissioner in the Nigerian 

Law Reform Commission, 

Kefas Mogaji said: “The conference 

was indeed; a huge success. 

First of all, the resource persons 

are those that are experienced and 

vast in their various areas.” 

A former Muslim Lawyers Association 

of Nigeria (MULAN) 

president Tajudeen Oladoja, said: 

“I will take home how to enhance 

access to justice for teeming Nigerian 

indigent clients because 

that is the focal point of one of 

the sessions I attended at the conference.” 

•Basil Udotai; Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL) Vice-Chair Olumide Akpata; 

Chief Judge of the Federal High Court Justice Ibrahim Auta; Funke Agbor, Agada Elachi and Endurance 

Uhumuavbi during a courtesy visit on Justice Auta in Abuja. 

Attempts at auctochthonous 

constitution 

THE Nigerian people have been dealt a double whammy, in the 

closing days of the Jonathan presidency. As things stand, both the 

“new constitution” from the Jonathan’s national conference and the 

national assemblyarranged fourth constitutional amendment,may become 

relics of our political history. Tragically, the relics would have been 

accumulated at humongous costs to the tax payers. While the legislative 

enterprise cost about 4 billion naira, the executive business is said to cost not 

less than 7 billion naira. The monies were substantially spent to smother our 

duplicitous political elites; who gathered at the variously organised 

jamborees, even as the organizers appear to know they were merely playing 

poker, with our commonwealth. 

With the presidency and national assembly controlled by the same political 

party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP);it is a measure of the party’s lack 

of discipline that they choose to work at cross purposes. President Jonathan’s 

so called master stroke - the constitutional conference, has now turned out a 

mere smoke bubble. Yet at that time, the hopes of long suffering Nigerians 

were heightened that at last, Nigeria was about to have something close toan 

autochthonous constitution. Even when the president choose to heavily induce 

the selected members, with sums that beggars any patriotism, (a whopping 

12 million naira, per person), many still invested hope in the conference. 

On their part the national assembly which refused to give a legislative 

imprimatur to the conference, also refused to entertain any budgetary 

allowance for it. To show to what dubious use the so called executive-wide 

votes can be put, Jonathan’s men were able to raise the billionsneeded to 

excessively pay-off, the 492 conferees, which this column called thenan 

ensnarement into “the gang of national treasury looters”. Because the tension 

which had risen following President Jonathan’s determined presidential 

ambition, suddenly ricocheted, as the selected troublesome elites busied 

themselves with sharing the billions; Bishop Matthew Kukah made the famous 

quip, that Jonathan has dealt his opponents ‘a master stroke’. 

As may be obvious now, the Jonathan’s master stroke was only successfully 

aimed against the national patrimony. Meanwhile, the quality of the men 

and women gathered by Jonathan, gave many the hope that something 

positive may yet come out of the exercise. After several weeks, the conference 

submitted a report which commentators claimed would revolutionize the 

political and socio-economic laws of the country; which no doubt is more 

unitary than federal. Unfortunately, instead of Jonathan’s presidency moving 

with speed to implement the recommendations that require mere executive 

actions, and also submit a bill on others to the national assembly, it choose to 

set up another committee over that report. Of course, all efforts to get Nigerians 

to give Jonathan a second term, with a promise to implement the 

recommendations if re-elected,have turned a mirage. 

On their part, with a mind-set, to cut the executive to size; the legislature in 

complete disregard to the fundamental principle of appropriation, also dug 

its heavy hand into the treasury, and with 4 billion in their pockets, they setouton 

a nation-wide consultation (some called it a frolic), towards a fourth 

amendment of the 1999 constitution.In the particular effort of the lower 

chamber of the national assembly, a mini-conference was organized under 

the suzerainty of each Representative, to garner what they touted were the 

preferences of the people, from a list determined by the House. The senate 

also arrogantly set their minds to determine what the people wanted, as they 

organized town hall meetingswith their acolytes, which they passed-off as 

consultations. 

Pretending to be the only patriots, the national assembly members went 

ahead to fashion a fourth amendment, in their own image. One of the major 

highlights is the provision of mind boggling luxury for their principle officers, 

at retirement. They did not spare a thought about being one of the highest 

paid legislature in the world;which according to some sources, amounts to 

about 25% of the annual national budget. Having flagrantly over the years 

usurped the powers of anexecutive body, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation 

and Fiscal Commission, the gamers at the national assembly also tried to 

chip-off more powers from the executive;in further defiance of the 

fundamental principles of separation of powers, which is the bedrock of a 

presidential system of government. 

Just as the current regime is about to wind up, it has become evident that 

the 7 th legislative house and the Jonathan executive,would jointly and 

severally carry home the moral baggage that goes with their respective illfated 

expensive jolly rides.While the legislature early enough sought to make 

a mockery of the constitutional conference, by refusing to gift it, a legal 

premise; the Jonathan presidency waited for its dying days to hand over to 

the legislature, a mock exam in constitutionalism. With clear malice against 

each other, the two prodigals have submitted their petty quarrel to the Supreme 

Court for adjudication. 

I support the intervention of the learned silk, Femi Falana (SAN), urging 

the national assembly and the presidency to come down from their high 

horses, and immediately seek a compromise in the interest of Nigerians. 

Eating such humble pie would enable the country gain a modicum of reform, 

if for instance, some provisions of chapter 11 of the 1999 constitution, dealing 

with fundamental objectives and directive principle of state policy,gains 

justiciability under the fourth amendment. At least, it would reduce the 

resources that would be available for more prodigality,in case the 8 th national 

assembly retains their predecessor’s DNA. If for instance education is made a 

fundamental right, then there will be less resources for the executive to steal 

or mismanage. President Jonathan with few enduring legacies, should consider 

reaching a compromise with the legislators, instead of the double dealings 

against greater national interests.


LAW REPORT 

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA 

HOLDEN AT ABUJA 

ON FRIDAY THE 17 TH DAY OF APRIL, 2015 

BEFORE THEIR LORDSHIPS 

MAHMUD MOHAMMED, J.S.C. 

JOHN AFOLABI FABIYI, J.S.C. 

SULEIMAN GALADIMA, J.S.C. 

OLABODE RHODES-VIVOUR, J.S.C. 

MUSA DATTIJO MUHAMMAD, J.S.C. 

CLARA BATA OGUNBIYI, J.S.C. 

KUDIRAT MOTONMORI OLATOKUNBO KEKERE-EKUN, J.S.C. 

SC.643/2014(REASONS) 

(2015) LPELR-24588(SC) 

Only a party’s leadership can 

determine existence or proof of division 

BETWEEN: 

HON. IFEDAYO SUNDAY AGBEGUNDE ————————————— APPELLANT 

AND 

THE ONDO STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY & ORS —————- RESPONDENTS 

LEAD JUDGMENT DELIVERED BY MUSA DATTIJO MUHAMMAD, J.S.C. 

On 19th March, 2015, having found the appeal and the cross-appeal to which this judgment 

relates unmeritorious, the Court dismissed the two and promised to give the reasons. The 

reasons are provided anon. 

THE appellant contested and won the 

Akure North/South Federal constituency 

seat on the platform of the Labour Party. 

He abandoned the party and defected to the 

Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He asserts 

that the factionalization or division in the Ondo 

State Chapter of the Labour Party accounts for 

his defection to the Action Congress of Nigeria. 

By an originating summons filed on the 26 th 

January, 2012, the Appellant as Plaintiff 

commenced Suit No. FHC/AK/CS/31/2012 at 

the Federal High Court, hereinafter referred to 

as the trial Court, seeking the interpretation of 

Section 68(1) (a) and (g) of the 1999 Constitution 

as amended and a declaration thereon that by 

virtue of the proviso to the Section he is 

entitled to remain the elected member for 

Akure North/South Federal constituency 

inspite of his defection from the Labour Party 

that sponsored him to the Action Congress of 

Nigeria, (ACN). Appellant also urges that the 

Defendants, the Respondents herein, be 

restrained from howsoever tampering with 

his right to the Federal seat. 

STAKEHOLDERS have called for laws to 

regulate the importation of used Euro 

pean cars, which have reached the end 

of their lives. 

A former Lagos State Attorney-General, Mr 

Olasupo Shasore (SAN) said such laws should 

set a limit to the age of vehicles brought into 

the country. 

He spoke in an interview with reporters at 

a colloquium in Lagos to mark the 2015 Earth 

Day, organised by the Kuramo Conferences 

and the Resource Innovation and Solutions 

Network Nigeria (RISSN), initiators of the 

Sustainability School Lagos. The theme was: 

Solutions for a sustainable future. 

A German chemist and toxologist, Dr. 

Beate Kummer said Nigeria had become a 

dumping ground for “end-of-life” vehicles 

The 1st - 3rd Respondents not only contested 

Appellant’s claim, they counter-claimed 

against him. They assert that by virtue of the 

very proviso to Section 68(1) (g) of the 1999 

Constitution as amended, the Appellant who, 

on the basis of the factionalization or division 

in the Ondo State Chapter of the Labour Party 

alone, defected to the Action Congress of 

Nigeria, automatically ceases to be the elected 

member for the Akure North/South 

Constituency. It was Defendants’ prayers that 

the seat be declared vacant and the 

Independent National Electoral Commission 

ordered to conduct a bye election for the vacant 

seat. Appellant’s claim as contained in his 

originating summons and the 1st - 3rd 

Respondents’ counter-claim were taken 

together. The trial Court in a considered 

judgment while dismissing Appellant’s claim 

granted the 1st - 3rd Respondents’ counterclaim. 

Dissatisfied with the trial Court’s 

decision, the Appellant appealed to the Court 

of Appeal, Akure Division, hereinafter 

referred to as the Court below. The Court in a 

•From left: Dr Olarewaju, Dr Nwagwu, Mr Oresanya, Ms. Freyer, Dr Kummer and Shasore 

By Joseph Jibueze 

meant for recycling in Europe. 

She said about 300,000 of such cars were 

pushed into Nigeria in 2012, adding: “Nigeria 

is a huge market for end-of-life vehicles, 

which are sold for dumping prices. These 

vehicles are often smuggled from Europe or 

North America through over 1,400 illegal 

routes.” 

Shashore said Nigeria can stop being a 

dumping ground for such rejected items 

through the enactment of relevant laws and 

proper regulation. 

“We have learned that there is an end-oflife 

designation for European cars. We don’t 

have legislation that creates a cut-off period 

for the end-of-life of a vehicle, the point at 

which a vehicle must be recycled. 

well considered judgment dismissed the 

appeal decision and affirmed the trial Court’s 

decision. Still aggrieved, the Appellant 

appealed to the Supreme Court. The 5th and 

7th Respondents also cross-appealed against 

the Lower Court’s judgment. The sole issue 

distilled by the Appellant in his brief of 

argument which the Respondents to the appeal, 

except the 5th and 7th, seem to adopt as having 

arisen for the determination of the appeal, 

reads:- 

“Whether the Lower Court’s interpretation 

and application of Sections 68(1) (a) (g) and 

222(a) (e) and (f) of the Constitution of 

Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) 

is valid, when it affirmed the trial Court’s 

decision, that a dispute at the state level does 

not warrant the Appellant’s defection and 

consequently arrived at the conclusion that 

the National leadership of a political party 

determine the existence or proof of division 

in a political party.” 

On their sole issue, learned Appellant’s 

counsel contended that the trial Court’s 

interpretation of Section 68(1) (a) and (e) of 

the 1999 Constitution and the Lower Court’s 

affirmation of same are wrong in law. The 

position of the two Courts that it is only a 

dispute or crisis which consumes the national 

leadership of a political party that entitles the 

Appellant who had defected from the party 

that sponsored him because of the crisis to 

retain his seat, is not what Section 68(1) (a) 

and (g) of the 1999 Constitution envisages. A 

political party, it was contended, exists at 

various levels, to wit, ward, local government, 

state and national levels. Crisis at any of these 

levels, not necessarily at the national level of 

the party alone, submitted learned Appellant 

counsel, fits the division Section 68(1) (a) (g) 

contemplates as justifying a defection from 

the political party that sponsored the defector 

as well as the retention by the defector of his 

seat. The Appellant, it was further submitted, 

was justified to retain his seat having 

abandoned the Labour Party that sponsored 

him because the state chapter of the party is 

factionalized and divided. Further arguing the 

issue, learned counsel contended that the rules 

of statutory interpretation require the two 

Courts to ascribe to the words that make up 

Section 68(1) (a) and (e) they are asked to 

interprete their ordinary literal meaning 

without more. Section 222(a) and (f) of the 

Constitution which the Courts relied upon to 

“We don’t have legislation that can designate 

use of batteries, telephones and our inverters 

at home. They become hazardous and 

harmful when they are not disposed of properly. 

It affects the soil and the water, and 

drinking it can lead to cancer. 

“If we have the knowledge as legal practitioners, 

we can lobby for a framework to be 

created. That is a lacuna in our laws right 

now. All we do is find ways in which we 

discourage it hopefully by increasing the 

importation duty. 

“Some of these vehicles have reached the 

end of their lives in the countries of their 

importation. There is no framework. 

“We hope that will be one of the points 

that should make the agenda of this colloquium,” 

Shasore said. 

interprete Section 68(1) (a) and (g) only outlines 

conditions for the eligibility of an association 

to operate as a political party in Nigeria. It 

does not, as wrongly held by the Courts, in 

any way help in defining the type of division 

provided under Section 68(1) (a) and (e). By 

erroneously imputing the word “faction” at 

the national level of the political party and 

cross-referencing the word into Section 222 of 

the 1999 Constitution, the Courts stand liable 

for reading into the Constitution what the 

legislature does not intend. Further relying 

on Imah V. Okogbe (1993) 9 NWLR (Pt.316) 

159 at 173; (1993) LPELR-1497(SC), AG 

Federation V. AG Lagos State (2013) 16 NWLR 

(Pt 1380) 249 at 317; LPELR-SC.340/2010 and 

Agwuna V. AG Federation (1995) LPELR -258 

(SC), learned counsel urged that the Lower 

Court’s circumscribed statutory interpretation 

rather than the liberal one be discountenanced. 

Concluding, learned counsel submitted that 

the Lower Court’s wrong resort to the 

decisions of the Court in Fedeco V. Goni 

(1983) LPELR-1256 (SC) and Abubakar V. AG 

Federation (2007) 10 NWLR (Pt 1041) 178; 

LPELR-SC.7/2007 does not save its judgment. 

Learned counsel urged that the issue be 

resolved in their favour and the appeal 

allowed. 

Responding, learned counsel to the 1st - 3 rd 

Respondents submitted that the facts on the 

basis of which the Appellant sought his reliefs 

and the 1st - 3rd Respondents counter-claimed 

against him are not in dispute. The resolution 

of the dispute created by the facts, learned 

counsel submitted, requires the communal 

interpretation and application of Sections 

68(1)(g), 221, 222(a)(e) and (f) and 229 of the 

1999 Constitution (as amended). The Lower 

Court in determining whether and how the 

meaning of these Sections relate to these 

ascertained facts, learned counsel further 

submitted, must be guided by certain rules. 

Basic among these rules, it was submitted, is 

the duty on the Court to consider the 

Constitution from which the particular 

sections emanate as a whole and ascribe to the 

clear and unambiguous words which make 

up the Sections their ordinary literal meaning. 

The two Courts have dutifully applied the 

relevant principles correctly and rightly 

concluded that the type of division envisaged 

under Section 68(1) (e) of the Constitution is 

one that affects the entire structure of the 

political party. 

•To be continued next week 

Stakeholders seek 

laws to regulate used 

car importation 

RISSN Director Dr Olufemi Olarewaju 

called for the strengthening of the legal 

framework to reduce the import of rejected 

vehicles and other expired and harmful appliances 

into Nigeria. 

“Advocacy is what we need to be a part of. 

We’ll be doing a lot of engagements,” he told 

reporters. First of all we don’t even know 

what the legal framework is. In terms of abandoned 

vehicles for instance, why should a 

car that is condemned somewhere in the 

world be able to come into Nigeria freely? 

“In our situation most of the time the laws 

are in the books. We just have challenges in 

enforcing them. The legal framework is significant 

because it is based on it that the private 

sector can operate; they need to obey 

the laws of the land. It’s a critical component 

of what we need to achieve going forward.” 

Managing Director of the Lagos Waste 

Management Agency (LAWMA) Mr Ola 

Oresanya believes having a strong database 

of what is imported would help in regulation. 

He, however, argued that what is considered 

old or useless in one country may not 

been seen as such another, saying: “What is 

‘end-of-life’ in Europe may not be ‘end-oflife’ 

here. You define what is ‘end-of-life’. 

It’s a relative word really; it’s not absolute.” 

Among the guests were Dr Babatunde 

Ajibade (SAN), former Civil Liberties Organisation 

(CLO) president, Mrs Ayo Obe; 

environmentalist Newton Jibunoh; Country 

Director, Africare Nigeria Dr Orode Doherty; 

Manager, First Bank Sustainability Centre, 

Lagos Business School Dr. Ijeoma Nwagwu; 

ms. Baerbel Freyer of the German Industry 

and Commerce in Nigeria, among others.



43

44 

SHOWBIZ 

Artistes shine as Star 

launches Music Trek 

IT was all fun and excitement on 

Friday night, as top rated artistes 

stormed the Star music trek signon 

gig. The gig, which took place at 

the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, 

kicked off at about 8pm and lasted 

till late in the night. 

The event feature performances 

from the likes of Skales, Oritse Femi, 

Black Magic, Lil Kesh, Sound Sultan 

and General Pype. This was preceded 

by the unveiling of the names 

of cities the shows will touch, as well 

as headliners for this year’s edition 

of the trek. 

Speaking on this year’s trek, Corporate 

Affairs Adviser, NB Plc, 

Kufre Ekanem stated that the choice 

of acts was based on their dedication 

to their musical careers, an attitude 

the Star brand seeks to celebrate. 

Among those revealed to perform 

at the road show include pop icon, 

2face Idibia, BET Awards winner, 

Davido, Wizkid, Chocolate City rapper, 

MI and Seyi Shay. Other artistes 

are, Timaya, Wande Coal, Burna Boy, 

Naeto C, Mr. Raw, Yemi Alade, 

Oritse Femi, Faze, Runtown, 

Cynthia Morgan, Banky W, Sean 

Oritse Femi’s 

smart move 

Dupe Ayinla-Olasunkanmi 

IT is no longer news that 

Double Wahala crooner, Oritse 

Femi made headlines few 

days back when he claimed that 

the mother of his child, Blessing 

Rawa, hacked his Instagram ID 

to make his private messages 

public. 

In what appears to be a new 

twist to the whole drama, the artiste 

has taken to his Instagram 

handle and that of Blessing to 

claim that the exchange of words 

is nothing but a means of attracting 

attention for his new album 

titled Money Stops Nonsense set for 

release next month. 

He wrote: “Fans dnt be 2 

serious...dats aw we pull our 

stunt....lol ....main why dnt forget 

my album is dropping on de 1st of 

May .. MSN…Super classic album 

of 

de 

year...#dempackamchop...hahahaaa.” 

According to the artiste, Money 

Stops Nonsense has singles already 

released. Some of the tracks 

include; the remix of Double 

Wahala ft. D’Banj, Mercy, Story of 

my Life, Igbeyawo, Redi Dance, 

Sukus ft. Harrysong, Zangarewa ft. 

Skales, Money ft. Timaya and others. 

•MI, Corporate Affairs Adviser NB Plc Kufre Ekanem, Banky W, SoundSultan, Naeto C 

Tizzle, Pasuma, Sound Sultan and 

Black Magic. 

The DJs on board are DJXclusive, 

DJ Snoop Damaja, DJ Switch, Tony 

Blaze and DJ Big N. Hosts are Lafup, 

•Hilda Dokubo 

ALL was lively on Sunday at 

the Ajose Adeogun, Victoria 

Island outlet of Tantalizers 

Plc in Lagos when the quick-service 

restaurant hosted the 12 finalists of 

the fifth edition of the Nigerian Idol. 

Tantalizers, the official food partner 

in the on-going music reality 

show, threw the surprise event for 

the contestants to ease off stress after 

going through rigorous sessions 

in the previous rounds of the contest. 

The contestants were received by 

Gbenga Adeyinka and Do2dtun. 

The trek will kick off on Saturday, 

May 2, 2015 in Calabar, Cross 

Rivers State and will visit other cities 

like Abakaliki, Awka, Makurdi, 

By Wale Ajetunmobi 

the top management staff of the eatery. 

Customers were thrilled by the 

contestants’ short performances, 

making the premises to come alive 

in excitement. 

Tantalizers’ Deputy Managing 

Director, Mr. Gbolahan Labinjo, 

said the company decided to partner 

with the show because of its 

belief in assisting the youth to 

achieve their dreams. He said the 

partnership, which started two 

Sapele, Auchi, Ibadan and Lagos. 

Present at the sign-on gig were 

Banky W, Naeto C, Sound Sultan, 

MI, Mr Raw, Seyi Shay, Oritse Femi 

and other super stars. 

Hilda Dokubo bounces back 

in new movie, Stigma 

By Ovwe Medeme 

VETERAN Nollywood actress, Hilda Dokubo has returned 

to her first love, acting, on a new advocacy 

movie titled Stigma. The actress who has been away 

for quite a while revealed that she is presently working on 

more scripts as well as her own TV show. 

Speaking with The Nation at the screening of Stigma, a 

movie on stigmatization which took place at the Nigerian 

Film Corporation last Saturday, Dokubo said that her decision 

to star in the movie is because it is a cause she believes 

in. 

“People have done movies about how we can contact HIV 

AIDS, living with HIV AIDS but we have hardly done anything 

on what happens after people have contracted the 

virus and how people could deal with living with it. 

Stigmatisation is a killer. It just means rejection as a result 

of it. And when people reject the victims, it is the same as 

showing hate. When people show you hate, you can’t grow. 

Hate is negative energy. You can’t tap any kind of strength 

from rejection or from hate. But you can tap a lot of strength 

from love and that is what is special about this,” she said. 

Hilda plays the role of Ibiso who works as a local midwife. 

In the cause of her work, she contracts HIV which she 

passes on to her daughter, Vanessa (Jackie Appiah). While 

the mother dies of rejection, the daughter thrives in an atmosphere 

of love and acceptance. 

The movie, directed by Dagogo Diminas, also stars the 

likes of Emeka Ike, Ngozi Nwosu and Soibifaa 

Dokubo among others. 

Tantalizers hosts Nigerian Idol finalists 

years ago, has the objective to ensure 

the Nigerian Idol contestants 

and the organisers are nourished 

and revitalized in the course of the 

event. 

Labinjo said; “We partner with 

the Nigerian Idol organisers because 

we felt the need to keep the contestants, 

crew and other people involved 

in the project continuously 

revitalised and nourished during 

the exercise. Our continuous involvement 

in the project will take 

care of the challenge.” 


Fans react as 

Desmond Elliot 

pushes Huawei 

brand on Twitter 

By Joe Agbro Jr 

AFTER recently winning an 

election to represent 

Surulere Constituency at the 

Lagos State House of Assembly, 

Nollywood actor turned politician, 

Desmond Elliot, is using his starpower 

to push Huawei, an electronic 

brand. 

Taking the campaign to his Twitter 

handle, Elliot had asked his fans 

to form a sentence using ‘Huawei 

Mate 7’, one of the products of the 

phone company to stand a chance 

to win the phone. 

“It’s still on. Make a sentence 

with ‘Huawei Mate 7’. We have 1 

winner already, one more to go! 

Best wishes guys,” he wrote in another 

tweet. 

As at Sunday evening, the tweet 

had already elicited lots of reactions 

from fans who creatively 

made use of ‘Huawei Mate 7’ in sentences. 

However, some of his fans wondered 

why he is still endorsing 

brands after winning the seat to 

represent his constituency as a lawmaker. 

‘Oga, remember u r no more only 

N’wood celebrity r now a honourable,’ 

tweeted Adewale Ajose to the actor. 

‘All dis Huawei hav 2 stop. Don’t 

go&start lobbying 4 dem in d hs.’ 

•Desmond Elliot 

The contestants were treated to 

exciting fun period during the twohour 

event, which afforded them 

an opportunity to meet their admirers 

for photograph and autograph. 

After their lunch, the contestants 

took turn to entertain members of 

the audience with songs and dance 

steps. 

The contestants were also presented 

with Tantalizers’ branded 

gift certificates, which they can use 

to buy food or gift items at any of 

the eatery’s outlets. 

•Oritse Femi 

•Deputy Managing Director of Tantalizers Plc, Mr. Gbolahan Labinjo (Middle) and other officials of the company with the Nigerian Idol Season 5 final 

12 contestants during the “Day Out with Tantalizers” by the contestants o


THE NATION 

HEALTH 

45 

E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net 

During this year’s World Malaria Day, last Saturday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) canvassed 

the need to address gaps in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria, writes OYEYEMI 

GBENGA-MUSTAPHA and WALE ADEPOJU. 

Can there be end to malaria scourge? 

THE figures are scary. Malaria, experts 

say, kills more people than HIV if 

appropriate treatment is not given. It 

is for this that the World Health Organisation 

(WHO) has called for more commitment 

to the eradication of the disease in Africa in 

particular. 

It made the call during this year’s World 

Malaria Day last Saturday, with the theme, 

Invest in the future: Defeat malaria, set by the 

Roll Back Malaria Partnership. 

The theme reflects the targets set in a draft 

post-2015 strategy, to be presented to the 

World Health Assembly next month. The new 

strategy aims to reduce malaria cases and 

deaths by 90 percent by 2030. Four countries 

have been certified free of malaria in the last 

decade; they are the United Arab Emirates 

(2007), Morocco (2010), Turkmenistan (2010) 

and Armenia (2011). The post-2015 strategy 

sets the goal of eliminating the disease from 

a further 35 countries by 2030. 

The event created a chance to highlight the 

advances that have been made in malaria prevention 

and control, and to commit to continued 

investment and action to accelerate 

progress against this deadly disease. 

According to WHO, while huge gains in 

the fight against malaria have been made in 

recent years, the disease still has a devastating 

impact on people’s health and livelihoods 

around the world, particularly in Africa, 

where it kills almost half a million children 

under five each year. 

According to WHO Assistant Director-General 

for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and 

Neglected Tropical Diseases, Dr Hiroki 

Nakatani, effective tools to prevent and treat 

malaria exist, but more funds are urgently 

required to make them available to the people 

who need them and to combat emerging 

drug and insecticide resistance. 

“As we celebrate World Malaria Day on 

April 25, we must recognise the urgent need 

to expand preventive measures and qualityassured 

diagnostic testing and treatment to 

reduce the human suffering caused by malaria,” 

he said. 

Head, Malaria Research Programme at the 

Nigerian Institute of Medical Research 

(NIMR), Yaba, Lagos, Dr Sam Awolola, said 

malaria is still a health issue. 

According to the malariologist, the disease 

is responsible for most deaths in the country, 

specifically those in the rural areas where access 

to tests and modern drugs are often 

available. The researcher said most efficient 

mosquitoes, which transmit malaria parasites, 

are common in the country because of 

geographical location. 

“Malaria is also responsible for lateness or 

absenteeism from work and low productivity 

due to loss of man-hour. Malaria is a disease 

caused by a parasite called plasmodium 

falciparum carried by anopheles mosquitoes, 

it is the most virulent. And it is responsible for 

about 98 per cent cases of malaria,” he said. 

Awolola said: “There are several species of 

plasmodium depending on where people are. 

We have some that even attack animals. But 

the one that attacks human is called plasmodium 

falciparum as found in Nigeria, other 

Africa countries and the Asia. Nigeria; is endemic 

to malaria because there is a breeding 

ground for the Anopheles mosquito to thrive. 

To prevent malaria attack, he recommended, 

WHO treatment guidelines. 

Updated “Guidelines for the Treatment of Malaria” 

as issued by WHO last week. They include 

the latest recommendations on preventive 

treatment for infants, children under five 

and pregnant women. The updated guidelines 

should help expand access to recommended 

treatments. 

For uncomplicated malaria cases, WHO recommends 

the use of artemisinin-based combination 

therapies (ACTs). Globally, 392 million 

ACT courses were procured by malaria-endemic 

countries in 2013, up from just 11 million 

in 2005. However, millions of people are 

•Mosquito 

Guidelines on treatment 

Updated “Guidelines for the Treatment of Malaria” 

have been released by WHO. They include 

the latest recommendations on preventive 

treatment for infants, children under 

5 and pregnant women. The updated 

guidelines should help expand access to recommended 

treatments. 

For uncomplicated malaria cases, WHO 

recommends the use of artemisinin-based 

combination therapies (ACTs). Globally, 392 

million ACT courses were procured by 

malaria-endemic countries in 2013, up from 

just 11 million in 2005. However, millions 

of people are still not treated for malaria, 

primarily because the communities most 

affected by the disease have limited access 

to health care. 

WHO recommends diagnostic testing for 

all suspected malaria cases to ensure that 

malaria drugs are used only for those who 

have the disease and that—when a test is 

negative—other causes of fever are investigated. 

Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are now 

still not treated for malaria, primarily because 

the communities most affected by the disease 

have limited access to health care. 

WHO recommends diagnostic testing for all 

suspected malaria cases to ensure that malaria 

drugs are used only for those who have the 

disease and that—when a test is negative— 

other causes of fever are investigated. Rapid 

diagnostic tests (RDTs) are now widely available 

and more than 319 million were purchased 

in 2013 compared to 46 million in 2008. Despite 

this progress, nearly 40 percent of people 

with suspected malaria at public health 

facilities in Africa are not tested. 

WHO also recommends that the most vulnerable 

groups in malaria-endemic areas of 

sub-Saharan Africa—pregnant women, children 

under five, and infants—receive preventive 

treatment to reduce the risk of malaria 

infection. Preventive treatments are highly 

cost-effective, with the potential to save tens 

of thousands of lives each year. Coverage with 

such treatments, however, remains low and 

needs to be significantly scaled up. 

The need to address gaps in preventive treatment 

for malaria is also being highlighted by 

the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership, 

which has issued a global call to action to increase 

national coverage with preventive treatment 

in pregnancy. 

The malariologist said the best initiative in 

malaria management is prevention which is 

better than cure, “and the best method is to 

sleep under LLINs or get your house treated 

with indoor residual spray (IRS); they are very 

effective and should be used according to instructions,” 

he said. 

widely available and more than 319 million 

were purchased in 2013 compared to 46 

million in 2008. Despite this progress, nearly 

40 percent of people with suspected malaria 

at public health facilities in Africa are not 

tested. 

WHO also recommends that the most vulnerable 

groups in malaria-endemic areas of 

sub-Saharan Africa—pregnant women, children 

under 5, and infants—receive preventive 

treatment to reduce the risk of malaria 

infection. Preventive treatments are highly 

cost-effective, with the potential to save tens 

of thousands of lives each year. Coverage 

with such treatments, however, remains low 

and needs to be significantly scaled up. 

The need to urgently address gaps in preventive 

treatment for malaria is also being 

highlighted by the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) 

Partnership, which has issued a global call to 

action to increase national coverage with 

preventive treatment in pregnancy. 

Source: www.who.int 

Dr Awolola said Nigerians should embrace 

the right use of long lasting insecticide 

treated nets (LLITNs), “insecticide-treated bed 

nets are the most cost-effective way to prevent 

its transmission. People should sleep 

under nets, we found out that many stopped 

using nets because they claimed they feel too 

hot underneath but this should not deter them. 

Our study revealed that people lifestyles 

could be part of the challenges of not using 

nets, for instance, the Fulani herd men still 

sleep in the open air in the north. Nigerians 

ought to use long lasting insecticide nets, 

spray the wall of their home with chemicals 

or use aerosol in the houses. Malaria can be 

prevented by applying insecticide to the inside 

walls of individual homes. Mosquitoes 

that land on treated walls are killed, preventing 

the transmission of malaria. Early treatment 

with anti-malaria drugs, such as 

Artemisinin-based combination therapies 

(ACTs) can effectively cure malaria.” 

Awolola said artemisinim-based combination 

therapy (ACT) for effective treatment of 

malaria, according to WHO recommendation 

should be adopted. 

He said chloroquine, which was popular in 

the 80s and 90s as malaria therapy, has failed. 

This, he said, is because there are parasites 

that have become resistant to it because of its 

wrong dosage. “It is still a very effective drug 

but most people take substandard dosage 

while some do not follow the required 

regimen which made the parasites develop 

resistance to it. This is why we changed from 

chloroquine and other monotherapies to 

ACTs. ACT is a combination of two different 

drugs of two varying modes of action therefore 

it is very effective against the parasites. 

In Cambodia and other parts of Asia, they 

have also resulted to ACTs. That does not 

mean there is no resistance to ACT. What we 

try to do at NMIR is to be vigilant. This effort 

is called pharmacovigilance. We monitor the 

use of chloroquine in the field, and the parasites 

with reaction to chloroquine, we’ve 

researched into how the drug has been 

effective over the parasites over the years. In 

whatever we do in the treatment, research or 

malaria, we stick to WHO recommendations,” 

he said. 

He identified a challenge. “Mosquitoes nowadays 

are adapting to the environment as they 

are also getting resistant to insecticides. This 

is becoming a big problem in our environment. 

At present, it is a key area of research in 

the country. We are researching into this with 

the help of WHO, we want to identify why the 

problem of resistance. We are doing that to 

support the National Malaria Control Programme 

(NMCP),” he said. 

He urged the government to fund malaria 

more, adding that providing nets or drugs 

alone cannot solve the problem but rather the 

environment where mosquitoes breed should 

be taken care of. 

“There should be environmental management 

and protection. Also, there should be reengineering. 

The way people build their 

houses are wrong and it encourages mosquitoes 

breeding. People should ensure there is 

environmental sanitation and avoid those practices 

which encourage mosquitoes, such as 

putting eaves in houses built, especially in the 

villages where we have the most burden of 

the disease and about 60 per cent of the country 

population,” he said. 

The researcher said the country is not yet 

ripe to use vaccine against malaria as the best 

method is what is presently being done. 

“Moreover, people should use the prevention 

prescribed and those having the disease should 

be promptly diagnosed and receive treatment. 

They must be tested to be sure they are carrying 

the parasite before they are given the drug, 

if not, it will mean they are misusing the drug, 

which may cause some problems later in life,” 

he said. 

Firm, NGO partner 

on malaria prevention 

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha 

IN commemoration of this year’s World 

Malaria Day, ExxonMobil has partnered 

with Youth Empowerment and 

Development Initiative (YEDI) to combat the 

disease, with a tournament tagged: Kick 

against malaria football tournament. The 

tournament, now in its third year, was held 

at Q.I.C Primary School, Usung Inyang, in 

Akwa Ibom State. 

According to ExxonMobil, sustained efforts 

by corporations, individuals and organisations 

on Malaria awareness, prevention and 

control are yielding results as Malaria mortality 

rate in the WHO African region has 

fallen by 54 percent and by 47percent globally 

since 2000. And since that year (2000), 

ExxonMobil has become a leading private 

investor in Malaria, with an investment of 

over $120 million that has seen the distribution 

of 13,186,369 bed nets, 1,922,031 doses of 

anti-malarial drugs and 1,054,165 rapid diagnostic 

kits. This intervention which has 

reached more than 105 million people in Africa 

and Asia has trained of 355,484 healthcare 

workers and counsellors, as early diagnosis 

and treatment reduce the disease, prevent 

deaths and reduce transmission. Since 2013, 

ExxonMobil has sponsored Youth Empowerment 

and Development Initiative (YEDI) 

with the Kick Against Malaria Football 

Tournament to provide Malaria Testing and 

Treatment, Free Health Services, Insecticide- 

Treated Net Distribution, and much more to 

communities in Nigeria.

46 

HEALTH 


Funding research ‘ll promote medicine, say experts 

PECIALISTS in medicine 

have called for more funding 

for research and devel- Sopment to advance medicine in 

Nigeria. 

According to an embryologist 

Prof Oladapo Ashiru, more awareness 

and support for medical education 

are required to move the 

country’s healthcare forward. 

Ashiru spoke at the 14 th Annual 

Scientific Conference of the Society 

of Experimental and Clinical 

Anatomists of Nigeria (SECAN), 

MALARIA prevention can 

save Nigeria billions of 

Naira as curing the disease 

is more expensive than preventing it. 

Efforts have been made by various 

groups to prevent the disease. For instance, 

the Society for Family Health 

(SFH), has encouraged the use of mosquito 

nets by distributing same freely 

(Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets 

freely). 

According to Safurat Eromosele of 

SFH, “LLINs are factory-treated mosquito 

nets that are safe, easy to use, 

and come in a variety of sizes and 

colours to address individual needs. 

Some LLINs are effective for up to four 

years and will last a minimum of 20 

washes – they require no re-treatment 

during this time, making them five 

to 10 times more effective than conventional 

re-treatable mosquito 

nets.LLINs are an inexpensive and 

easy way to prevent malaria and thus 

reduce its burden on the health and 

economic well-being of Nigerians. 

SFH uses its extensive marketing and 

distribution channels to move LLINs 

all across Nigeria so that they are 

available to everyone, particularly 

women and children.” 

She said when prevention fails, 

treatment of malaria is critical. “In 

seeking treatment for malaria, some 

mothers are given the wrong drugs 

for their children, while others find 

treatment options confusing and difficult 

to complete the dosage. 

In 2003, SFH and other stakeholders 

developed an innovative approach 

to “pre-package” malaria 

treatment for easy use by mothers and 

families to rapidly and correctly treat 

malaria. SFH’s treatment 

programmes to combat malaria are 

focused on promoting and distributing 

an innovative and effective drug 

for malaria, called Artemisinin-based 

Combination Therapy (ACT). This is 

an easy way to use pre-packaged drug 

combination that ensures effective 

By Wale Adepoju 

‘Malaria prevention 

can save billions’ 

Lagos. It had as theme: Current 

trends in biomedical research; the subtheme 

was: the anatomist: catalyst for 

medical education. 

He said funding research, especially 

in anatomy will move 

health care forward because 

“anatomists serve as a mechanism 

for promoting medical education.” 

The reproductive expert said 

there is need for advances in anatomical 

teaching and research to 


treatment of malaria for children and 

adults as well. Now, SFH promotes 

ACT treatment using the pre-packaged 

method and distributes this product 

throughout Nigeria, especially in 

remote and rural communities. In 

2014 alone, about 8.2 million doses of 

ACTs were distributed in the country. 

“SFH is actively engaged in 

behavioural change communication 

activities through mass media and 

community-based interpersonal 

communication activities to facilitate 

the adoption of positive behaviours 

by individuals and communities. 

These interpersonal communication 

activities available mostly in hard to 

reach communities, help to ensure 

that individuals are equipped with the 

right information and attitudes to prevent 

and treat malaria. SFH also 

works closely with the Federal Ministry 

of Health on technical matters, 

education, training, and coordinating 

on policy and research to move the 

nation forward on both prevention 

and treatment issues in the battle 

against malaria,” she stated. 

On other efforts to control the 

scourge, she said, “SFH has four 

projects that address malaria – the 

Global Fund Malaria Project, the Expanded 

Social Marketing Project in 

Nigeria (ESMPIN), the Rapid Access 

Expansion (RAcE) Programme and 

the Africa Health Markets for Equity 

(AHME) Programme. 

ACTwatch collects data to inform 

evidence-based malaria control policies 

and programmes. Regardless of 

the giant strides made so far, more 

needs to be done to defeat this fight 

against malaria in Nigeria. This could 

be achieved by intensifying our efforts 

and exploring innovative approaches 

to tackle the disease. 

Behaviour change communication to 

increase use of malaria prevention is 

important in this regard.” 

First malaria vaccine out soon 

HE world’s first malaria 

vaccine, made by 

TGlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L), 

could be approved by international 

regulators for use in Africa from 

October after final trial data showed 

it offered partial protection for up 

to four years. 

The shot, called RTS,S and designed 

for children in Africa, would 

be the first licensed human vaccine 

against a parasitic disease and could 

help prevent millions of cases of 

malaria, which currently kills more 

than 600,000 people a year. 

Experts have long hoped scientists 

would be able to develop an effective 

malaria vaccine, and researchers 

at the British drugmaker GSK 

have been working on RTS,S for 30 

years. 

Hopes that this shot would be the 

final answer to wiping out malaria 

were dampened when trial data released 

in 2011 and 2012 showed it only 

reduced episodes of malaria in babies 

aged 6-12 weeks by 27 percent, and by 

around 46 percent in children aged 5- 

17 months. 

But the final stage follow-up data 

published in the Lancet journal on Friday 

showed vaccinated children continued 

to be protected four years on, 

albeit at a declining rate — an important 

factor given the prevalence of the 

disease — and rates of protection were 

stronger with a booster shot. 

“Despite the falling efficacy over 

time, there is still a clear benefit from 

RTS,S,” said Brian Greenwood, a professor 

at the London School of Hygiene 

& Tropical Medicine who worked on 

the study. 

He said an average of 1,363 cases of 

clinical malaria were prevented over 

four years for every 1,000 children vaccinated, 

or 1,774 cases with a booster 

shot — the children would normally 

be expected to have had several cases 

of infection over that period. 

In babies, over three years of followup, 

an average 558 cases were prevented 

for every 1,000 vaccinated; and 

983 cases in those who got a booster. 

“Given that there were an estimated 

198 million malaria cases in 

2013, this level of efficacy potentially 

translates into millions of 

cases of malaria in children being 

prevented,” Greenwood said. 

• Source: www.Reuters.com 

take Nigeria to the next level. 

This, he said, would lead to improved 

understanding of human 

system, and as such ensure longevity 

and better treatment outcome. 

Professor of Anatomy at the 

Lagos University Teaching Hospital 

(LUTH), Abayomi 

Okanlawon said the Federal Government 

needs to provide more 

funding for research. 

He said the discovery of new 

medicine and therapies require 

careful scientific experimentation, 

development and evaluation. 

Okanlawon said research is a 

prerequisite for medical advances, 

adding: “It ensures that 

• From left: Second prize winner, Mrs Oby Ibeh Okpareke; Managing Director, SKG Pharma Ltd, Akpa; 

Manager of Jonaco Pharmacy, Mr Chizoba Oleuku; General Manager, Sales and Customer Care, Mrs Patricia 

Iloba and MD, Eternity Concepts Ltd, Mr Chidi Akabuogu at the event. 

SKG Pharma launches products 

PHARMACEUTICAL company 

SKG Pharma Limited has 

promised continued product 

development to meet customers’ 

yearnings for effective products, its 

Managing Director, Okey Akpa, 

has said. 

Akpa spoke during the SKG’s 

Trade Partners Conference and 

Awards in Lagos. 

According to him, the conference 

was to appreciate the trade partners 

who have been adding value to the 

company by interfacing between 

SKG Pharma and the final consumer 

of the products. 

The company also used the opportunity 

to launch some new 

products, such as SKG Rexifen, 

which is a 400mg, Ibuprofen capsule 


health services support improved 

delivery, access and cost.” 

He called for public-private 

partnership (PPP) to promote biomedical 

research and as such ensure 

medical education. 

The anatomist advised the government 

to set up research centres 

across the country to develop the 

healthcare industry. 

“The Nigerian Universities 

Commission (NUC) has been promoting 

responsible and qualitative 

research to develop medicine,” 

he said. 

The future, he said, is for biomedical 

research to seek fundamental 

knowledge about the nature 

and behavior of living systems, 

adding that the knowledge 

will be applied to enhance human 

health, lengthen life and prevent 

illness and disability. 

SECAN President, Prof Hakeem 

Fawehinmi said anatomy as a 

discipline has faced a crisis of 

identity and purpose, adding that 

this has raised educational concerns. 

He said the approach to teaching 

of anatomy and medicine as a 

whole is shifting from its traditional 

methods to self-directed 

problem based or the integrated 

system oriented learning. “It is, 

therefore, taking advantage of E- 

teaching and learning,” 

Fawehinmi added. 

product, SKG Galways 100mg vitamin 

C drops for newborns to 12 

years plus, SKG Novadex 

Paracetamol 100mg BP drops for 

newborns to 11 months old babies 

with the advantage of being sugar 

free and SKG Novavite 

Multivitamin15ml drops for 

newborns to 12 months old babies 

plus, fortifies babies immune 

system against ailments and 

infections. 

The event was attended by trade 

partners all over the country. There 

were regional and national awards 

to honour high performing trade 

partners. These awards were 

complemented with mouth-watering 

gifts. 

The grand award winner, Jonaco 

Pharmacy based in Onitsha, through 

its Manager Chizoba Oleuku, 

thanked SKG Pharma for helping 

him grow his business. “SKG looks 

out for its distributors and makes 

sure they grow along with the 

company, no one is left behind and 

I intend to remain in the SKG 

family” Mr. Oleuku said as he lifted 

his golden trophy beaming with 

smile. 

The second position went to 

Simba Pharmaceuticals represented 

by Mrs. Oby Ibeh Okpareke while 

the third position’s trophy was 

lifted by Mr. Chidi Akabougu of 

Eternity Concept. 

• From right: President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Mr Olumide Akintayo; Vice President, Nigeria 

Academy of Pharmacy (NAP), Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi and Representative of Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria 

(PCN), Amaka Okafor, at the Pharmacy Education Summit of Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAP) in Lagos. 

PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

TUESDAY APRIL 28, 2015 

THE NATION 

POLITICS 

47 

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net 

All Progressives Congress (APC) senators-elect eyeing the Senate Presidency are lobbying 

party leaders to achieve their ambition. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU 

examines the issues that will shape the contest and the chances of the contenders. 

FIVE All Progressives Congress (APC) senators - 

North), 

Who 

? 

- George Akume (Benue Northwest), Bukola 

Saraki (Kwara Central), Ahmad Lawan (Yobe 

succeeds 

Senate 

President 

Mark 

Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) and Adamu 

Abdullahi (Nasarawa West) -- are in the race for Senate 

president. They are lobbying for the support of 

leaders and stakeholders to become the number three 

citizen. 

The ranking senators, except Lawan, are former 

governors and leaders of the party in their states. 

Akume ruled Benue State between 1999 and 2007. 

Goje, Abdullahi and Saraki were governors in 

Gombe, Nasarawa and Kwara states. In addition, 

Goje and Abdullahi are former Ministers of State. 

Three of the aspirants-Akume, Saraki and 

Abdullahi -- are from the Northcentral. They were 

also compatriots in the Peoples Democratic Party 

(PDP) before they defected to the opposition party. 

Two aspirants-Goje and Lawan-are from the Northeast. 

All of them are eminently qualified to succeed 

the out-going Senate President, Gen. David Mark, 

who will become a floor member or the arrowhead 

of the opposition legislators in the next legislative dispensation. 

Had the Southeast and Southsouth not committed 

a political blunder in the recent elections, the Senate 

presidency would have been automatically zoned to 

either of the two zones. But, the senators-elect from 

the two regions belong to the PDP. 

The next Senate President will be the 13th Head of 

the National Assembly. In the First Republic, Nigeria 

had three Senate Presidents-the late Dr. Nnamidi 

Azikiwe (1960), the late Chief Dennis Osadebay (1960- 

1963) and the late Dr, N wafor Orizu (1963-1966). They 

belonged to the defunct National Council of Nigerian 

Citizens (NCNC). In the Second Republic, Dr. 

Joseph Wayas (1979-1983), a chieftain of the defunct 

National Party of Nigeria (NPN), was the only Senate 

President. In the aborted Third Republic, Dr. 

Iyorchia Ayu (1992-1993) and Ameh Ebute (1993) 

served as Senate Presidents. They were chieftains of 

the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). 

In the last 16 years, five Senate Presidents-the late 

Chief Evan Enwerem (1999), Dr. Chuba Okadigbo 

(1999-2000), Pius Ayim (2000-2003), Adolphus 

Wabara (2003-2005), Ken. Nnamani (2005-2007 and 

Gen. David Mark (2007-2015)-have been elected. They 

are PDP chieftains. 

The Senate President is second in line for the succession 

to the Presidency in the time of emergency. In the 

First Republic, when Nigeria practiced parliamentary 

system, the Senate President acted as the President 

when the ceremonial President was temporarily absent. 

In the Fourth Republic, the Presidents have shown 

keen interest in the antecedents and pedigrees of contestants 

for the number three position out of the fear 

that a strong Senate President may facilitate their impeachment, 

if they do not enjoy cordial relations. 

In the past, the President usually put his feet down 

on his choice for the position. The approach has unleashed 

acrimonious selection process and engendered 

bitterness. Thus, between 1999 and 2007, the Senate 

leadership did not enjoy stability of tenure. In eight 

years, the Senate had five Senate Presidents. Three of 

them were impeached by their colleagues. But, it appears 

the APC is now trying to democratise the selection 

process by giving opportunities to interested senators 

to vie. Also, the National Party Caucus is also brainstorming 

and managing the antagonistic ambitions of 

aspirants so that it will not be detrimental to party cohesion 

and unity. 

It is not clear whether the Chief John Odigie- 

Oyegun-led party has zoned the slot to any of the 

geo-political regions in the North. But, there is a consensus 

that the next Senate President should come 

from the North. So far, there is no agitation for the 

•Akume 

•Lawan 

zoning of the position to the Northwest, which has produced the 

President-elect. The Northcentral has intensified its agitation for 

the position, following the outcome of the National Assembly 

elections. Also, a prominent APC leader from the Northeast, Senator 

Abba Bukar Ibrahim, who was the governor of Yobe State 

between 1999 and 2007, has urged the party to zone the seat to the 

region. He said the move will give the zone a sense of belonging 

and foster equity and justice in the party. Bukar has not shown 

interest in the race. 

However, other stakeholders from the zone have a contrary 

opinion. In their view, it is better to agitate for the zoning of the 

Speaker of the House of Representatives to the Northeast, because, 

in their view, this is more realistic. No fewer than six 

legislators from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states are lobbying 

the party leadership to become the Speaker. 

Last week, apparently to douse the brewing tension over the scramble 

for the slot, APC National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Layiwola 

Mohammed clarified that the party has not taken any definite position 

on the zoning of the Senate Presidency. But, the scheming has 

•Saraki 

•Abdullahi 

•Goje 

•Mark 

been intensified by the aspirants and their supporters. 

There are six states in the Northcentral. They are Benue, 

Nasarawa, Plateau, Niger, Kwara and Kogi. Benue State has always 

been the beneficiary of the position in the past. It has produced 

Dr. Iyorcha Ayu, Senator Ahmed Ebute and Gen. Mark. 

Plateau has produced a Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim 

Mantu. Also, Nasarawa produced former Deputy Senate President 

Haruna Abubakar. Three states-Niger, Kwara and Kogi-have 

not enjoyed the slot since 1999. However, senators-elect from Kogi, 

Kwara and Niger will not be ranking senators when the Upper 

Chamber is inaugurated in June. As green horns, they may not be 

eligible to contest. The lone exception is Saraki, the Chairman of 

the Senate Commitee on Environment and Ecology, who was reelected 

at the recent elections. 

Northcentral APC leaders agitating for the seat have pointed out 

that the zone mobilised support for the party with resounding success. 

Apart from Benue, where Akume has been an undisputed 

leader and the party has now won two senatorial seats, other states 

have resisted the opposition party since the restoration of civil rule. 

The New PDP, which defected from the 

main PDP and dissolved into the APC, 

altered the trend. In the recent elections, 

APC won the governorship polls and 

most of the parliamentary seats, except 

in Kogi, where there was no governorship 

contest. 

However, observers have raised some 

questions: will religion be a factor? Will 

ethnic balancing play a role? Presidentelect 

Buhari is a Fulani Muslim. Akume 

is a Christian. Saraki, Goje, and 

Abudullahi are Muslims. To observers, 

this is a non-issue. When Obasanjo, 

a Christian, was the President, Chief 

Evan Enwerem, the late Chuba 

Okadigbo and Senator Pius Ayim, who 

were Senate Presidents, were Christians. 

A senator-elect, who gave an insight 

into how the Senate President will 

emerge, said: “The next Senate will select 

the principal officers based on merit, 

competence, capacity and performance 

in past leadership positions.” The five 

aspirants are likely to meet these criteria. 

According to party sources, certain 

party leaders are rooting for Akume. 

The former Benue governor has been 

described as a cool, mature and committed 

party man, who braced the odds 

to make the APC a successful platform 

in the state. As governor for eight years, 

his achievements are evergreen. 

In 2007, Akume had indicated interest 

in the seat. Although the PDP favoured 

Mark for the position, he said 

there was no provision in the constitution 

forbidding any senator from the opposition 

party from vying for the seat. 

He later emerged as the Senate Minority 

Leader. 

But, former governors and governorselect 

appear to be gravitating towards 

Saraki, a youthful, hardworking and result-oriented 

politician with a mass appeal 

in his state. In the Second Republic, 

his illustrious father, the late Dr. Olusola 

Saraki, was the Senate Leader. He is interested 

in surpassing the achievement 

of the late Waziri of Ilorin in the Senate. 

The former Kwara governor and former 

Chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s 

Forum (NGF) defected with all the notable 

PDP chieftains to the APC, making 

the PDP a shadow of itself in the 

Northcentral state. During the general 

elections, the party, under his leadership, 

won the governorship poll and 95 percent 

of parliamentary seats. Although it 

has also been pointed out that Saraki is 

Yoruba, his supporters have said that this 

does not invalidate the fact that he is a 

Northerner. 

Lawan is also a serious contender. 

Sources said that he has the support 

of former Vice President Atiku 

Abubakar and the Northeast APC 

governors and leaders. The zone has 

15 senators and APC has 90 per cent 

of the House of Representatives 

members from the zone. Lawan has 

been described as a highly dependable 

party man and committed to 

party discipline and supremacy. 

The Senate is made up of 109 sena- 

tors. Sixty five are from the APC. The PDP has 44 members. Therefore, 

opposition senators may also play a significant role in the 

choice of the Senate President, especially if there is no consensus 

or there is a split in the rank of APC senators. 

Out-going Senate President Mark is also scheming to retain 

the seat. He has 44 senators behind him. Therefore, he is hoping 

to profit from the split in the APC caucaus in the Senate. 

The calculation is that, if the Northcentral fails to put its house 

in order, the APC Senate caucus may go for a contender from 

the Northeast. But, if the split persists, Mark may capitalise on 

the division to project himself as a suitable candidate. 

A party source said the APC national leaders are not oblivious 

of the implications for the APC as the next ruling party. 

“Our leaders are trying to put their house in order so that the 

struggle for power at the Senate will not create problems for 

the new government at the centre. They are trying to build 

consensus and make members to project the larger, collective 

interest of the party, instead of projecting personal interests,” 

added the source.

48 

THE NATION TUESDAY APRIL 28, 2015 

‘ 

The ruling PDP in Benue went into both the presidential 

and National Assembly elections and the governorship 

and state House of Assembly elections as a divided house 

’ 

Group challenges Buhari 

on corruption 

terest in African affairs, Jose Foundation, 

has urged President-elect, 

Mohammadu Buhari, to fight corruption. 

In a statement in London, the 

foundation also canvassed for the 

setting up of a shadow government 

by the opposition, as it is practised 

in the United Kingdom, to checkmate 

the incoming government and 

help fight corruption rather than defecting 

to the ruling All 

Progressives Congress (APC). 

The statement signed by its President, 

Prince Martins Abhulimhen, 

congratulated Gen. Buhari and 

President Goodluck Jonathan for 

his support for the incoming government. 

Abhulimhen added that the foundation 

is at an advanced stage of 

organising a technical workshop in 

London targeted at Nigerian politicians, 

as part of its contributions 

towards strengthening democracy 

in Nigeria. 

According to him, the workshop 

will educate and enlighten politicians 

on the need to set up a shadow 

government to check the activities 

of the ruling government and proffer 

solutions when and where necessary. 

Gen. Buhari recently expressed 

THE Coordinator of the Young 

Achievers Campaign Organisation 

of Nigeria (YACOON), 

Temitope Adewale, has urged the Lagos 

State Governor-elect, Akinwunmi 

Ambode, to tackle youth restiveness 

when he assumes office. 

Adewale said the youth voted for 

the governor-elect because of his 

pledge to tackle unemployment and 

social decadence in the society. 

The coordiantor added that youths 

were swayed by the campaign 

promises of the All Progressives 

Congress (APC ), adding that they 

voted for the party at all levels. 

Adewale said youths take to crime 

because of idleness and the lack of an 

enduring programme to keep them 

busy. He said they often succumb to 

the temptation of being used as political 

thugs during elections. 

He said some of the youths 

fronting the Peoples Democratic 

Party (PDP) did not do so on the 

conviction that the party would address 

their problems, but because of 

By Muyiwa Lucas 

reservations over politicians defecting 

to the APC, saying “I hope the 

people that are defecting will accept 

the fact that they are joining the 

people who succeeded. So, I don’t 

think they will just come and say 

they want to be ministers next 

month, simply because they were 

ministers before.” 

The foundation, Abhulimhen 

added, “will contribute its technical 

know-how to assist Nigerian 

politicians in setting up the shadow 

cabinet, to help deepen the culture 

of democracy, in the context of the 

evolving political order.” 

Abhulimhen advised Gen. Buhari 

“to look beyond party to get honest 

Nigerians who will serve Nigerians 

and put the interest of the country 

beyond selfish interests.” 

He noted that Nigeria is blessed 

with many qualified and enlightened 

men and women that will be 

useful in the new Nigeria and that 

the President-elect should look both 

within and outside the country, 

with a view of inviting capable 

hands to move the country forward. 

The foundation’s president called 

on well meaning Nigerians to cooperate 

with the incoming government, 

so that it can deliver dividends 

of democracy to the benefit 

of the people. 

Youths urge Ambode to 

tackle restiveness 

By Musa Odoshimokhe 

what they stood to benefit immediately. 

Adewale said: “Many of the 

youths that portrayed themselves as 

Jimi Agbaje’s fans did not have permanent 

voter’s cards (PVC), talk less 

of getting out to vote; all they know 

how to do is to use the social media, 

read and learn politics on Linda 

Ikeji’s blog. 

“On the other hand, the APC governorship 

candidate, now Governorelect, 

Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode had 

the most awkward fans, ranging 

from the artisans to the motor parks, 

Unions, students, professionals and 

all the way to the grassroots and this 

are the real electorates. 

“The youths of Lagos decided, 

they believe in Ambode and with 

Ambode they stood for victory. But, 

as much as the victory is worth celebrating, 

it is also most important to 

state that the hope and the expectations 

of the electorate must be met.” 

NON-governmental organisation 

(NGO) with in- 

Aternational network and in- 

•Gbajabiamila 

THAT Femi Gbajabiamila carries 

himself like a true leader, 

is not new. That he acts and 

talks the part is also not new. That he 

is a nationalist is not new as well because 

his antecedent speaks volume 

but what is new is that he’s never 

been the leader of the ruling party in 

the House of Representatives. 

As the House’s ‘Minority Whip’ 

leader, Gbajabiamila was many 

things. He was the voice of the House 

as well as the enforcer. He pushed 

that democracy be practiced in Nigeria 

like in developed countries. 

For starters, lets refresh on the role 

of a ‘Whip’ and how Gbajabiamila 

played the part. “A whip is an official 

in a political party whose primary 

purpose is to ensure party 

discipline in a legislature. Whips are 

a party’s “enforcers,” who typically 

offer inducements and threaten 

party members to ensure that they 

vote according to the official party 

policy. A whip’s role is also to ensure 

that the elected representatives 

•From left: Senators-elect Biodun Olujimi; Monsurat Sunmonu and Jonah Jang, at an induction on legislative studies for new 

lawmakers in Abuja..yesterday. 

‘ 

Gbajabiamila: Eyeing 

number four seat 

Gbajabiamila is 

not one who 

shies away from 

his responsibilities 

and actions 

as a leader 

’ 

of their party are in attendance 

when important votes are taken.” 

In the House, Gbajabiamila held 

sway because of his stance against 

mismanagement, poor leadership and 

political immaturity. He vehemently 

kicked against the defection from one 

party to another, hammering on the 

need for Nigerian politicians to have 

and hold onto a set of political beliefs, 

ideology and philosophy. 

Gbajabiamila pretty much summed 

himself up in his book: “Fearless: the 

Emergence Of A Virile And Formidable 

Opposition Leader (Political 

Memoirs of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila) 

preparing himself for the big stage, 

only that, this time he will go from 

opposition leader to the leader of the 

ruling party, a position he has prepared 

himself for and one that has 

waited for him. 

His panache and zest as Minority 

Whip leader was contagious and 

staggering. His colleagues always 

listened when he spoke. His 

oratorial prowess and his ability to 

convey his messages in the best 

possible fashion made him an item 

in every gathering. 

As Minority Whip leader, he 

pushed Nigeria and Nigerians. He 

pushed the ruling party, he pushed 

his colleagues in the opposition but 

above all he pushed himself even 

beyond his own comprehension. 

Why should he be the 8th Speaker 

of the House of Representative? As 

head of the ad hoc committee investigating 

claims by the Asset Management 

Company of Nigeria, AMCON 

that 140.9 billion naira, which was 

owed by Zenon Petroleum and Gas 

Limited and Forte Oil Plc, has been 

paid, Gbajabiamila did a thorough 

job ensuring that the House also 

passed Money Laundering and Terrorism 

Amendment Bills. 

That’s why Asiwaju BolaTinubu, 

a national leader of the All 

Progressives Congress described 

Gbajabiamila as “an inspiration to 

many of the members of the House 

of Representatives today who are 

working tirelessly to see Nigeria 

chart a new course and are very so 

committed to changes, content of 

the character of the country, adding 

a great value and commitment 

to national development and 

progress of this country”. 

Gbajabiamila is not one who shies 

away from his responsibilities and 

actions as a leader. To preserve the 

democracy of Nigeria, he was once 

forced to scale the gate of the House 

of Representatives. On his Facebook 

page, he wrote of his action: “What 

happened in the National Assembly 

yesterday will forever live in infamy. 

Never thought I would see the day 

when I would be forced to go over 

the assembly gates where I work to 

gain access into the chambers.” 

Why PDP lost Benue, by stakeholders 

A 

FTER ruling Benue State 

for 16 years, the Peoples 

Democratic Party (PDP) 

was in a good position to win the 

April 11 governorship elections. 

But, Governor Gabriel Suswam 

handed the state over to All 

Progressives Congress (APC) during 

the election. What really went 

wrong? 

In the view of observers, the PDP 

shot itself in the foot when during 

the primaries it handed over its 

governorship ticket to an inexperienced 

politician. 

This was coupled with myriad 

of problems that confronted the 

Benue chapter of the party, prior 

to the general elections. The problems 

include from the non-payment 

of salaries, which had accu- 

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi 

mulated for about six months as 

at the time of the elections. Pensioners 

were also being owed arrears 

of their entitlements, and 

teachers were also aggrieved over 

the non-implementation of the national 

minimum wage policy. In 

fact, the teachers were on strike at 

the time. 

Local government workers are 

not left out; they have been at loggerheads 

with the government 

over complaints about heavy deduction 

from their monthly salaries. 

The explanation by the Suswamled 

administration that it was as a 

result of the reduction in allocations 

from the Federation Account, 

due to the slump in oil 

prices, fell on the deaf ears. The 

aggrieved workers left no one in 

doubt that they were going to extract 

their pound of fresh from the 

ruling party during the election. 

Apart from the issue of salary 

which contributed to the defeat, 

another factor that worked against 

the party was political patronage. 

Most elders in the party were aggrieved 

that the governor had 

abandoned them, by leaning on a 

new generation of politicians like 

John Tondo,Bob Tyough, Bernard 

Nenge, Chris Aba and Terseer 

Adzuu. 

But, one of the factors that led to 

the fall of the PDP was the emergence 

Hon. Terhemen Tarzoor, a 

young and inexperienced candidate. 

About 18 aspirants jostled for the 

ticket. They include: Chief Samuel 

Ortom (now Governor-elect on the 

platform of the APC), Chief Mike 

Aondoakaa, Eugene Aliegba, Alex 

Adum Hinga Biem and Tivlumun 

Nyitse. Sure of them were members 

Governor Suswam’s cabinet, 

either as commissioners or permanent 

secretaries. 

Most of them sought and got the 

blessing of the governor before 

they resigned to join the governorship 

race. That implied an assurance 

from the governor that he 

would support each of them. 

However, ahead of the primaries 

approached, another dimension 

was introduced into the campaign. 

“It was rumoured that the wife of 

President Goodluck Jonathan, 

Dame Patience, anointed Hon. 

Tarzor to succeed Suswam and 

this generated tension among the 

aspirants and PDP members generally,” 

a source said. 

They vowed to resist the attempt 

by an outsider to impose a candidate 

on the people of Benue State. 

When Tarzoor finally emerged 

as the PDP governorship candidate, 

there was a huge crack 

within the ranks of the party, as 

no less than 12 aggrieved governorship 

aspirants worked against 

him at the general election. 

“The ruling PDP in Benue went 

into both the presidential and National 

Assembly elections and the 

governorship and state House of 

Assembly elections as a divided 

house; their supporters worked 

against the party’s interest and it 

was obvious that defeat loomed 

for the party,” the source added. 

After Gen. Muhammadu Buhari 

was declared winner of the presidential 

election, Chief Barnabas 

Gemade defeated Suswam and the 

Senate Minority Leader George 

Akume won his re-election. It was 

too late to do something to stop 

the looming defeat at the governorship 

poll.


PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT 

THE Association of Estate 

Agents of Nigeria (AEAN) 

has been urged to caution its 

members against misconduct. 

It also urged agents to imbibe ethics 

and operate according to the 

laws of the Estate Surveyors and 

Valuers Board of Nigeria 

(ESVARBON). 

Chairman, ESVARBON, Mr. William 

Odudu, gave the advice at the 

first yearly conference of AEAN 

in Lagos. 

It had as theme “The public perception 

of estate agency practice 

in Nigeria”. 

According to Odudu, the conference, 

was timely considering that 

the practice of estate agency by estate 

agents, estate brokers, property 

companies, home finders, 

among others, had been haphazard 

and fraught with all shades of 

unethical conducts and unhealthy 

rivalries. 

“Estate agency business became 

an open field for the floatsan and 

jetsam of the society with poor 

public esteem,” Odudu said. 

He said ESVARBON can penalise 

any erring estate agent who fails 

to comply with its regulations. 

Besides, he said, the body would 

produce a register of estate agents 

or companies. 

To check estate agents, he said 

registered estate agents are expected 

to attend Mandatory Continuing 

Professional Development 

(MCPD) workshops, training, 

seminars and conferences. This is 

to enable them develop and maintain 

capabilities to perform competently 

within a professional environment. 

To this end, credit 

points will now be awarded to operators 

for attendance and participation 

in approved MCPD, as this 

will form part of the prerequisites 

for the yearly renewal of licence 

for registered estate agents. 

“The business of estate agency is 

no more business as usual. Today’s 

annual general conference carries 

three points and you require 

about 20 points to qualify for an- 

IT was joy galore for owners 

of Block 6, in Progressive Es 

tate, Iponri, Lagos, when the 

Lagos State government handed 

over a brand new house to them. 

The old edifice was dilapidated 

and had to be pulled down. 

The new building, a block of 

three-bedroom, six flats, was rebuilt 

by the Governor Babatunde 

Fashola administration and 

haned to the owners free. 

The old structure, built during 

the administration of former 

governor of the state, Alhaji 

Lateef Jakande, under the 

administration’s low cost hous- 

•From left: Principal Partner, Unigwe and Co., Mr. Azuidike Unigwe; Managing 

Director, Verdant Zeal, Mr. Tunji Olugbodi; First Vice-President, 

Nigeria Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Mr. Bolarinde 

Patunola-Ajayi; AGM, Real Estate Transaction Department, Lagos State, 

Mrs. Linda Patunola-Ajayi; Odudu; Registrar, ESVARBON, Mr. Thomas 

Audu, and others at the AEAN First yearly conference in Lagos. 

Surveyors caution 

agents on misconduct 

Stories by Muyiwa Lucas 

nual licence renewal,” Odudu explained. 

Similarly, the Chairman, Conference 

Planning Committee, Mr. 

Boye Ajayi, noted that in the last 

one year, members of have undergone 

series of training programs, 

workshops and seminars. 

Ajayi said the attention being 

directed at estate agency practice 

had raised the hope that issues of 

Lagos hands over rebuilt block 

ing scheme, had defects. 

According to the owners, the 

handing over of the new building 

ended a tortuous journey of 

27 years. 

Recounting their experience, 

the owners said they sent their 

first complaints about the defects 

in 1988, via a letter to the 

General Manager of the Lagos 

Building Investment Company 

Limited (LBIC). 

Ten years later, another letter 

was sent to the then Military Administrator 

of the state, Col. 

Buba Marwa; this was followed 

by another letter in September 

regulation and control of the sector 

were receiving attention. 

Specifically, he noted quackery 

as serious. 

“It is as serious as fake drugs! 

Most times, we have read in the 

newspapers the incidence of fake 

agents who made away with their 

clients’ funds,” he said, adding 

that the conference had helped to 

focus on re-inventing and re-positioning 

the estate agent towards 

achieving global best practices. 

‘It is as serious as fake drugs! Most times, 

we have read in the newspapers the incidence 

of fake agents who made away with 

their clients’ funds... The business of estate 

agency is no more business as usual’ 

•From left: Senior Special Assistant on Housing to Lagos State Governor, Michael Akindele; Permanent Secretary, 

Ministry of Housing, Odunlami Olatunji handing over keys to beneficiaries. 

1998. 

But a glimmer of hope appeared 

on the horizon when on 

July 21, 2007, a letter they sent to 

Fashola was acknowledged. 

“The governor (Fashola) acted 

promptly by sending our file to 

the Commissioner of Physical 

Planning for investigation and 

inspection of the building. From 

that time, the administration 

never left our matter; and the result 

is what you are all seeing today,” 

the allotees said. 

They expressed appreciation to 

those who assisted in making 

their dream a reality. 

Architects hold conference May 6u 

ARCHITECTS will con 

verge from May 

6-9, this year on the Eko 

Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, 

Lagos to fashion out modalities 

for growth. 

The event, held by the Nigerian 

Institute of Architecture (NIA), 

Lagos State Chapter, has as 

theme: Lagos 6.0 – The business of 

architecture. 

Chairman, Lagos NIA, Mr. 

Ladipo Lewis, said this year’s 

theme is aimed at discussing key 

issues and exposing the participants 

to methodologies and 

strategies that can be deployed 

in setting up and running an efficient 

architectural practice; 

types of partnerships architects 

can go into; design and build in 

the construction industry; office 

management; joint ventures; 

marketing of architectural services; 

winning local and international 

architectural competitions; 

architectural practice in 

foreign countries. It will also expose 

them to learning being a 

sole practitioner as an architect, 

including the new trends in architectural 

practice, among others. 

To this end, experts in the Business 

of Architecture from across 

the country and the world over 

have been shortlisted to share 

their breakthrough ideas and 

wealth of experience with the 

THE organisers of the Second 

Africa Urban Infrastructure 

Investment Forum (AUIIF) 

have shortlisted entries for the 

inaugural African Mayor Awards. 

The awards, which showcases 

excellence in urban development, 

will take place in Luanda on Friday. 

Ana Cândido and Audrey 

Mpunzwana, said in the ‘Large Metropolis’ 

category, with one million 

residents or more, Accra, 

Ghana; Cape Town, South Africa 

and Dakar, Senegal were 

shortlisted. 

In the intermediate, or mediumsized 

cities category, localities with 

less than one million and more 

than 200,000 residents, Kinondoni, 

Tanzania; Asunafo, Ghana 

and Bissau, Guinea-Bissau were 

selected. In the small cities category, 

for cities with up to 200,000 

residents, Arua, Uganda; 

Bangangte, Cameroon and Praia, 

Cape Verde made the shortlist. 

The finalists were selected by a 

panel, which includes Jean Pierre 

Elong Mbassi, General-Secretary of 

United Cities and Local Governments-Africa 

(UCLG-A), Tokunbo 

Omisore, Chairman of the African 

Union of Architects, Aisa 

Kirabo Kacyira, Assistant Secretary-General 

and Deputy Executive 

Director for UN-Habitat, 

Vitor Leonel Miguel, Chairman 

of the Angolan Architects Union 

and Gaetan Siew, Chair, Construction 

Industry Sector of 

Mauritius. 

They are held with the Second 

Africa Urban Infrastructure Investment 

Forum (AUIIF) which 

discussed post-conflict reconstruction 

and turning African cities 

into economic power houses. 

Pedro Pires, former president, 

Cape Verde and Mo Ibrahim laureate 

will deliver the Keynote Address 

at the Forum. 

Under Pires’ leadership, the 

capital city of the island state 

grew and expanded, with investment 

in urban infrastructure, supported 

by appropriate housing 

designed to manage the transition 

from rural to city life. 

Examples of such innovation 

and transformational development 

will be among the themes 

49 

participants. 

The rapporteurs include Mr. 

Femi Falana (SAN), Paolo Zilli, 

Theodore Liebman, Ade Yusuf, 

O.P.A Ladega, Ibare Akinsan, 

Tayo Babalakin, Arc. Roti 

Delano, Olawunmi Agbaje and 

a host of others. 

The group’s Public Relations 

Officer, Samson Akinyosoye, 

said the forum would also provide 

the participants the opportunity 

to network with developers, 

architects and key players 

in the industry. 

He further said it would position 

architects to understand the 

economic climate, learn about 

best practices in sustainable development, 

get leads to developing 

quality business models, 

network with key players in the 

built environment and position 

their business for the new wave 

of development opportunities 

and technology available, and 

discover innovative methods of 

development within the current 

economic climates 

These include product 

launches, display of products 

and services, exhibition of architects 

works, workshops, seminars, 

advertisement, partnership 

opportunities, post-conference 

site tours and others. 

A communiqué will be issued 

at the end of the three-day event. 

Accra, Cape Town, Dakar, others for 

African Mayor Awards 

By Bola Olajuwon 

of the second AUIIF, which seeks 

to propose the concrete steps to 

be taken to maximise the effectiveness 

of urban infrastructure 

development, from finance 

through design to implementation. 

The forum will be incorporated 

in the programme of the 

Seventh Edition of the Africities 

summit in December, this year, 

in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Publisher of African Business 

magazine Omar Ben Yedder, 

who are organisers, said he was 

impressed with the calibre of 

conference speakers. 

He said: “Urbanisation is the 

development challenge of the 

next 20 years. Functioning cities 

create wealth. Unless we plan 

and think properly about what 

the future will look like and 

where our cities fit into this future, 

we will face immense problems 

and any retroactive action 

will prove costly and ineffective. 

The cities shortlisted today are 

being led by people who understand 

this and who are making 

great strides in creating livable 

cities that are creating wealth. He 

added: “We are also delighted to 

have so many dignitaries with us 

this year which shows that policy 

makers are taking this issue very 

seriously, starting with our hosts 

the government of Angola.” 

•Angolan President, Jose Eduardo 

dos Santos

50 

THE NATION 

BUSINESS 

ENERGY 

fects the industry negatively often 

has serious impact on the country’s 

revenue. Also, all over the world, 

electricity drives economic and industrial 

activities. But, in the past 

few decades, successive administrations 

have not been able to fix 

the power problem. Will the incoming 

Buhari administration get 

it right to meet the people’s expectations? 

Oil, gas exploration 

and production 

The government has been aspiring 

to attain reserves of 40 billion 

barrels and four million. It slated 

2010 to achieve these targets, but, 

unfortunately, rather than growing 

on what has been achieved earlier, 

there has been decline. Oil reserves 

has fallen over 38 billion 

barrels to less than 37 billion barrels 

while production has also 

dropped from 2.5 million barrels 

per day (mbpd) to 2.1 million bpd. 

Aside the challenges of oil theft 

and pipeline vandalism commonly 

known to be the cause of 

these setbacks and which the government 

always blame, the issue 

of undue lengthy contracting cycle 

makes operations in Nigeria 

expensive by altering the initial 

project budget and delivery schedule. 

In other oil producing countries, 

the period between tender for 

a job and commencement of work 

on the project, doesn’t exceed six 

months, but in Nigeria, it takes 

between two and three years often 

leading to upward reviews of tenders 

at the end of the day. 

For instance, the Group Chief 

Executive, Oando Plc, Wale 

Tinubu, at a global oil and gas forum 

in Abuja, stressed the need for 

the government to put in place attractive 

fiscal policies and incentives. 

He also urged the government 

to ensure that good governance 

and transparency are entrenched, 

tackle insecurity, find 

alternative to Joint Venture (JV) 

funding, reduce or eliminate the 

bureaucratic bottleneck that exist 

in contracting cycle, improve infrastructure 

and give support 

where and when necessary to operators. 

The President, Nigerian Association 

of Petroleum Explorationists 

(NAPE), Chinwendu Edoziem, also 

expressed concern over the declining 

oil reserves and the need for 

the government to put in place 

policy that would encourage aggressive 

exploration to make new 

oil discoveries boost reserves and 

production. 

According to the operators, no 

major exploration has taken place 

in the country between the last five 

and six years, which is not good 

for an oil producing country, such 

as Nigeria. 

Corruption is another major setback. 

The sector is riddled with 

corruption. The allegation of missing 

$20billion in which the Nigerian 

National Petroleum Corporation 

(NNPC) was fingered has not 

fully been resolved despite the 

PricewaterhouseCoopers forensic 

audit report. There are instances 

where government officials allegedly 

connive with foreign companies 

to inflate the cost of contracts 

for projects to get ‘kick-backs.’ In 

the downstream, some marketers 

were alleged to make claims for 

petroleum products not imported 

and sometimes full claims for importations 

that are far less than 

their claims. 

A Professor of Energy Economics 

and President, Association of 

International Energy Economics 

(AIEE), Wunmi Iledare, said the 

country deserves a more transparent 

oil and gas industry especially 

the NNPC, which is the national 

oil company. He said the new government 

must put in place an accounting 

process would make the 

NNPC more transparent. Iledare 

said the sector should be re-jigged 

to pave way for meaningful developments, 

adding that the only way 

to do that is to make people accountable 

for money spent in all 

oil and gas contracts. 

He said the national economy is 

largely dependent on oil and gas 


E-mail:- energy@thenationonlineng.net 

The oil, gas and power sectors are critical to the economy. But, over the years, they have not been doing well. Some of 

their problems are oil theft, pipeline vandalism, oil reserves depletion, dwindling production and inadequate gas supply 

to thermal power plants. Experts would like President-elect, Munhammadu Buhari to address these challenges, write 

EMEKA UGWUANYI & AKINOLA AJIBADE. 

Task before Buhari on power, oil and gas 

THE oil and gas industry is 

Nigeria’s foreign exchange 

earner. Anything that af- 

•From left: Business Leader, Sahara Power, Rotimi Onanuga; Energy Project Manager, French Agency 

Development, Maitane Concellon; Managing Director/CEO, Ikeja Electric, Abiodun Ajifowobaje; and Deputy 

Country Director, French Agency Development, Mr. Hugo Pierrel, during a visit to the headquarters of Ikeja 

Electric Distribution Plc in Lagos. 

and as such, the nation cannot afford 

to toy with its major source of 

income. He said the country must 

put in place policies that are driven 

by sense of honesty and commitment 

before it can fully realise its 

oil potential. 

He said: “The administration of 

the NNPC and other oil firms must 

be structured in such a way that 

there would be transparency and 

accountability. People must be 

made to be accountable for anything 

they do. Accountability here 

means that people or institutions 

in the oil and gas must be answerable 

for decision taken, especially 

when it comes to fiscal issues. The 

Board of the NNPC must not be 

personalised. Emphasis must be 

placed on achieving the collective 

goals of the industry and not on 

individuals that are seeking for 

their own needs. By this, the institutional 

strength should be recognised 

and not the personal empowerment 

of people at the helm of affairs 

of petroleum agencies.” 

Iledare said accountability and 

transparency must follow a topdown 

structure to enable the government 

know how every kobo is 

spent for activities, such as the implementation 

of contracts and 

other activities needed to move the 

industry forward. He said nothing 

must be shrouded in secrecy among 

the highest and lowest cadre of 

workers in the Petroleum Ministry 

and its agencies. This would 

help the industry attain its 

potentials and further enable the 

government to get the values 

required for growth, he said. 

“Given the fact that the nation’s 

revenue is fast depleting amid crisis 

in the global oil market, there 

should be a conscious effort on the 

part of the Federal Government to 

double crude oil production. To 

achieve this, the government must 

take proactive measures to tackle 

problems such as pipeline vandalism, 

crude oil theft and others. 

“When local oil production improves 

activities in the sector and 

the economy would follow similar 

trend,” he added. 

He said the government and priprogrammes 

through which it 

provides treatments to 

communities in the Niger Delta 

region, the people need functional 

hospitals. 

The passage of the Petroleum Industry 

Bill (PIB) is another area 

the incoming government should 

concentrate energy on. Operators, 

including Iledare, urged the National 

Assembly to expedite action 

on the passage of the bill into law. 

They said the PIB would enthrone 

transparency and accountability. 

The non-passage of the bill has 

stalled a lot of activities in exploration 

and production as well as 

in oil service segment. 

The President, Petroleum Technology 

•Buhari 

Association of Nigeria 

(PETAN), Emeke Ene, said local 

vate operators should try and improve 

production of oil, advising 

oil companies to step up exploration. 

Iledare advised Buhari to provide 

policies that would pave way 

for more activities in the industry. 

As a result of crude oil theft, Nigeria 

has lost over $10 billion in 

the past years. Though the Chairman, 

Presidential Committee on 

Oil Theft Proliferation and Control, 

operators needed a vantage position 

to participate in the industry, 

adding that this will help to 

stimulate growth. 

He said the Local Content Act 

has provided opportunities for domestic 

operators to develop. He 

urged the in-coming government 

to continue to create a conducive 

atmosphere for businesses in the 

sector. 

Governor Emmanuel Ene said oil producing commu- 

Uduaghan of Delta State said the 

level of stolen crude oil has declined 

by 50 per cent to about 

50,000 barrels from the initial 

100,000 bpd when the activities of 

the thieves were at peak, many 

operators believe that it is higher 

than 50,000 bpd. 

At the peak of oil theft in 2012, 

nities are by law entitled to get 

certain fiscal benefits from the 

government. The benefits, he said, 

must be promptly paid to those 

communities to ensure seamless 

oil exploration activities in the 

Niger Delta region. 

The President, National Union 

of Petroleum and Natural Gas 

the Minister of Petroleum workers (NUPENG), Igwe Achese, 

Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison- urged the government to 

Madueke said Nigeria loses about eradicate issues associated with 

$7billion yearly to crude oil theft importation of petroleum 

at the rate of 180,000 bpd, adding 

that another $5 billion was spent 

on repairs of vandalised pipelines 

in one year. To stem the tide, a 

new industry joint task force (JTF) 

was set up. The task force 

comprises the Police and the 

Armed Forces, in collaboration 

with the Ministry of Petroleum 

products totally by deregulating 

the downstream. He said this can 

only be achieved by reviving the 

nation’s refineries, while at the 

same time building new ones. He 

said the issue of workers’ interest 

in the industry must be protected 

by the government to prevent a 

repeat of industrial actions which 

Resources, NNPC, as well as paralysed activities in the 

multinationals and indigenous 

operators. Therefore, crude oil 

theft and pipeline vandalism is a 

major problem that require due 

attention from the incoming government. 

The Commander, Joint Task 

Force (JTF), Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel 

Atewe, said oil theft and pipeline 

vandalism are problems for the 

government. He urged the government 

to tackle these problems. 

He said sustained and committed 

campaign against oil theft and 

pipeline vandalism is what is 

needed to eradicate the problem. 

He said the fight against crude oil 

theft is an on-going activity, 

advising incoming governments 

to give it the desired attention to 

encourage the growth of the 

industry. 

Atewe said: “Besides, the government 

should develop the Niger 

Delta region by providing infrastructure 

such as hospitals, 

schools, and other facilities that 

would make life conducive for its 

residents. Job creation is another 

area which the government must 

look into to keep the residents 

busy and discourage them from 

taking arms, breaking pipelines 

among other criminal activities. 

Though JTF is organising health 

industry in recent past. 

“The oil and gas sector can only 

reclaim its lost glory when concrete 

efforts were made by the 

government to revive the four refineries 

which have a combined capacity 

to refine 450,000 bpd, build 

new ones, create avenues for the 

resumption of exploration activities, 

check crude oil theft and others,” 

he said. 

The President, Dangote Group, 

Aliko Dangote, said: “Nigeria 

must increase its local processing 

and consumption. This has been a 

goal of the Nigerian government 

for many years. But progress has 

been impeded by lack of investment 

in the downstream petroleum 

sector as well as a very outdated 

policy and regulatory environment 

for the oil and gas sector. 

The much anticipated and long 

awaited Petroleum Industry Bill 

needs to be passed as it affects the 

source of the bulk of national foreign 

exchange earnings. This is 

critical to the transformation of the 

sector and its repositioning to play 

an effective role in the new 

economy. The removal of Petroleum 

Fuel Subsidy is also critical 

because it benefits the more affluent, 

which is small minority of the 



ENERGY 

Hike in electricity tariff likely 

this week 

DESPITE poor power supply 

nationwide, the Federal 

Government may increase 

electricity tariff this week, 

it has been learnt. 

Sources told The Nation that the 

National Electricity Regulatory 

Commission (NERC) has given 

the electricity distribution companies 

(DISCOs) notice of the increase. 

But, it, according to the 

source, has not given them details 

of the planned hike. 

The commission wanted to increase 

tariff last December but 

because of Christmas, it was postponed 

to January. It later announced 

a 50 per cent reduction 

which Nigerians saw in political 

gimmick for the March 28 presidential 

election. 

Last month, NERC said most 

residential consumers in the R1 

and R2 categories did not experience 

any increase in tariff when 

rates were raised on January 1. It 

said the increase only affected industrial, 

commercial and highend 

residential consumers, 

stressing that most people in the 

R1 and R2 categories would begin 

to pay increased tariff from 

July 1 this year. 

The Commission also announced 

the reduction in tariff by 


population.” 

Nigeria’s inability to monetise 

its enormous natural gas resources 

is a major challenge. Gas he said, 

has great potential to accelerate 

economic growth adding that the 

huge deficit in our energy consumption, 

especially electricity, 

which has constrained our economic 

growth can be easily eliminated 

if gas is fully utilised. The 

key is to adopt a pricing regime 

for gas that will encourage investment 

in gas infrastructure, he 

added. 

On the government’s support to 

local content development, Wale 

Tinubu, the Managing Director/ 

Chief Executive Officer of FIRST 

Exploration & Petroleum Development 

Company Limited, Mr. 

Ademola Adeyemi-Bero and the 

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer 

of Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited, 

Mr. Abdulrazaq Isa, urged the 

government to persuade international 

oil companies (IOCs) to divest 

idle or low producing oil fields 

in their possession to local firms to 

increase local companies’ oil production 

and reserves. 

Power sector 

By Emeka Ugwuanyi 

50 per cent, following what it 

called “bombardment of complaints” 

from customers who decried 

the increase that was announced 

earlier this year. 

According to NERC Chairman, 

Dr. Sam Amadi, the reduction 

was in line with the 

commission’s business rules after 

considering the Manufacturers 

Association of Nigeria 

(MAN) protest on the implication 

of the January 1 hike. He said 

NERC took the action because 

merit in the argument put forward 

by MAN that the increase 

would affect their businesses. 

Investors in the power sector 

have been calling for upward review 

of electricity tariff to match 

the cost of output and also help 

them (investors) recoup their investment 

fast. According them, 

revenue collections from the consumers 

are far much lower than 

the investors expected pre-asset 

handover. The poor collection, 

the investors added, is also worsened 

by the technical and commercial 

losses, which are greater 

Challenges before Buhari 

The major problem of power supply 

is lack of diversification of 

sources of supply. The dependence 

on gas-fired power plants is a setback 

because when a major gas supply 

pipeline is vandalised, the 

country is thrown into darkness. 

Therefore, besides linking the thermal 

power stations with pipelines 

that will supply gas to them, government 

should also look at generating 

power from coal, solar, 

wind and building more hydro 

power stations and also reinforc- 

THE passage of the Nigerian 

Content Act has improved 

the operation of indigenous 

drilling operators, the President, 

International Association of Drilling 

Contractors (IADC), Nigerian 

Chapter, Mr. Sola Falodun, has 

said. 

He said the Act has made local 

operators in the oil and gas industry 

to play better and record good 

profit. “With the passage of the Act, 

drillers and other operators in the 

sector get more jobs. They finance 

than the assumptions given by 

the Bureau of Public Enterprises 

(BPE) before the assets were 

handed over to them. 

The Multi-Year Tariff Order 

(MYTO) provides a 15-year tariff 

path for the Nigerian Electricity 

Supply Industry (NESI). The 

MYTO methodology sets out the 

basis and pricing principles by 

which the tariff of various categories 

of consumers are fixed or 

determined. It also determines 

load allocation to various electricity 

distribution companies, 

the closest value chain to consumers. 

The MYTO usually have 

major review every five years 

but every June, a minor review is 

carried out by NERC. The review is 

determined by market fundamentals. 

The residential customers’ tariff, 

especially R1 and R2 under MYTO, 

are subsidised by about 50 per cent 

by the government because they are 

categorised as customers with very 

low incomes. Their consumption, 

however, is subsidised with charges 

from other classes of customers, according 

to MYTO provision. However, 

the planned increase in tariff 

is coming at a very wrong period 

because power supply across the 

country is at its worst. 

•From left: Chief Executive Officer, SEPLAT, Austin Avuru; Deputy Managing Director, FBN Capital, Taiwo 

Okeowo; and Chief Finance Officer, SEPLAT, Roger Brown at the signing ceremony of the $700 million for 

SEPLAT in Lagos. 

ing the transmission segment of 

the power supply value chain. The 

transmission network is very weak 

and unable to wheel 3,000megawatts 

(Mw) of electricity efficiently. 

There is also need to legislate on 

power theft, vandalism of power 

equipment and facilities, so that 

such vandals and thieves are appropriately 

punished to deter others. 

Enthroning the right electricity 

tariff and ensuring adequate gas 

supply will boost growth of the 

power industry, the experts said. 

‘Nigerian Content Act has benefited oil drillers, others’ 

Conoil set to play big in N250b lube market 

CONOIL Plc has unveiled plans 

to play big in the nation’s 

lubricant market which is 

projected to hit the N250 billion mark 

by the end of this year. 

The projected high revenue from 

lubricant business is predicated on the 

expected upsurge in the demand for 

lubricants by the automobile and 

industrial sub-sectors of the economy. 

According to a statement, the company 

will invest over N5 billion in building a 

new lubricant manufacturing plant and 

filling lines, in addition to big lubricant 

plant in Apapa, Lagos, to significantly 

increase its engine oil production 

capacity. This will put the company in 

good stead to take huge advantage of 

the projected growth in the domestic 

lubricant market and invariably 

skyrocket its lubricant contribution to 

its overall turnover. 

The substantial increase in lubricant 

production, Conoil said, is projected to 

boost the company’s bottom-line while 

also increasing significantly its industry 

share in the lubricant segment. 

Conoil ranks as one of the nation’s 

topmost marketers of quality lubricants 

with a reputation for reliability and 

unsurpassed performance. Its popular 

lubricant brands of Quatro and Golden 

Super Motor oil hold top positions in 

the market and are adjudged the brand 

of choice. The company also has wide 

range of industrial lubricants for 

SEVEN Energy International Limited 

has started supplying gas to 

the 560 megawatts (MW) Cala- 

bar National Integrated Power Project 

(NIPP). 

The commercial delivery of gas to 

Calabar NIPP started in March, this 

year, and is being executed through 

Accugas, a wholly-owned subsidiary 

of Seven Energy. When operating at 

full capacity, Calabar NIPP will increase 

national power generation by over 10 

per cent. 

According to the company, gas is 

being supplied to the power plant from 

Seven Energy’s Uquo Gas Processing 

Facility in Akwa Ibom State through 

the Seven Energy pipeline network. 

The gas supply will enable the power 

plant to complete commissioning and 

start the delivering electricity to the 

national grid. 

The Chief Executive Officer, Seven 

Energy, Phillip Ihenacho, said: “Delivering 

a cost-effective and reliable gas 

supply is critical to providing sustainable 

power supply into the national grid 

to meet the government’s reform objectives 

and to facilitate industrial development. 

I am delighted that our 

ability to deliver an indigenous gas 

solution, from end to end is now being 

recognised by a broad range of industrial 

and power sector customers. Not 

only will the gas we supply drive en- 

By Akinola Ajibade 

big-ticket transactions, hitherto the 

preserve of the International Oil 

Companies (IOCs). The divestment 

of shares by the IOCs and the subsequent 

interest shown by independents 

or local operators to buy 

into their assets is a good omen to 

the industry. We hope the trend 

will continue in the sector,” he 

said. 

Falodun said the passage of the 

Petroleum Industry Bill 

(PIB)would revolutionise the industry 

because operators would 

adopt and adapt to new technologies 

and practices. He noted that 

crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, 

pipeline vandalism, and other unhealthy 

practices have slowed 

down exploration, adding that passing 

making relevant laws would 

position local operators for better 

performance. 

He said recouping investment on 

oil rigs is not easy, adding that 

with time the operators would 

overcome their challenges. 

51 

applications in manufacturing, textile, 

cement, breweries, oil exploration and 

producing companies, and transmission 

oils for the transmission and gear system 

of vehicles. 

With a total consumption of 600 

million litres, according to industry 

sources, which amounted to one percent 

of the world’s total demand, Nigeria 

ranked as the third largest consumer of 

lubricating oils with gross earnings of 

N150 billion in 2013. 

Notwithstanding the huge potential 

and contributions of the lubricant 

business to the growth of the nation’s 

economy, the market is threatened by 

the importation of sub-standard and offspec 

finished lubricants from the Far East. 

The Department of Petroleum 

Resources (DPR) and industry 

stakeholders have expressed concern 

that the local lubricant market has 

become a dumping ground for substandard 

and off-specifications imported 

engine oil. The DPR raised the alarm 

over the negative environmental and 

economic impact of the quasi-lubricant 

substances. 

Lubricants are technology-driven 

products with value-addition to base oil, 

one of the refined byproducts. They are 

necessary products to guarantee energysavings, 

cost-effective and maintenance 

of plant and machinery in industry to 

sustain the nation’s industrial growth 

and economy in general. 

Seven Energy begins supply to Calabar NIPP 

hanced power generation, but when 

combined with improvements in transmission 

and distribution, it will also 

facilitate industrial and commercial developments 

which will have a far reaching 

impact throughout the community, 

stimulating industry and generating 

employment as a result.” 

The Managing Director, Accugas 

Steve Tierney, said: “The Calabar NIPP 

is a major power plant in Calabar and 

a further endorsement of the quality 

and reliability of our services. Our 

strong capability across the region with 

ownership of gas reserves and pipeline 

infrastructure has enabled us to 

commercialise our gas assets, delivering 

a solution that the market has been 

demanding for many years. We are 

ready and look forward to adding more 

customers to our network across the 

South East of Nigeria, bringing affordable 

and reliable gas to a wider audience.” 

Seven Energy has invested over $1 

billion in the Southeast region of the 

Niger Delta in the last five years and 

since the commissioning of the Uquo 

Gas Processing Facility last year, the 

firm has also started the supply of gas 

to other off takers such as the Ibom 

Power Company, Notore Chemical Industries 

Limited and the United Cement 

Company of Nigeria, also in Calabar. 

How non-producing marginal fields 

can be productive, by firm’s chief 

THE Chief Executive Officer 

Eunisell Solutions, an indigenous 

oil and gas service com- 

pany, Mr. Dickson Okotie, has said 

there is hope for marginal fields that 

are yet to produce, in view of the imminent 

revocation of their licences. 

He told reporters at this year’s oil 

and gas awards in Lagos that such 

fields could still produce with the application 

of technology. He also noted 

that marginal field operators face 

many challenges ,including lack of 

access to finance and technical competence 

which have prevented them 

from fully benefitting from the Local 

Content Act. 

He said: “We all know that licences 

which were awarded for marginal 

fields in 2003 have expired and those 

whose fields are yet to produce will 

be revoked soon, however, there’s still 

hope for those fields that are not producing 

yet because of the type of solution 

we bring to industry. We have 

proved to hold the technical competence 

to develop a field in 120 days as 

shown in the Qua Iboe marginal field. 

As soon as we are able to get all parties 

involved, we roll out our services 

which may also comprise financing 

of the entire facility from drilling to 

production, in the event of the operators 

inability to finance the project.” 

He said the company has delivered 

unique services to various clients in 

the industry over the years, including 

the building and financing of central 

processing facilities for indigenous 

major indigenous oil and gas producing 

companies to help local companies 

benefit from the Local Content 

Act.

52 


DESPITE the Cabotage Law, 

Nigeria is losing N1.8 trillion 

yearly to foreign shipowners 

in cargo haulage, it has been 

learnt. 

Under the law, coastal trade is reserved 

for indigenous shipowners; 

their foreign counterparts are allowed 

to participate in the business 

subject to a waiver by the Federal 

Government. 

To the Shipowners Association of 

Nigeria (SOAN), the law is not serving 

its purpose because the group’s 

members cannot handle cargoes 

that pass through the nation’s waterways. 

The group met in Lagos last week 

on how to engage the in-coming 

THE NATION 

BUSINESS 

MARITIME 

Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda 

MaritimeCorrespondent 

Muhammadu Buhari administration 

on involving its members in 

crude oil lifting. 

Sources close to the group said a 

vessel involved in offshore operations 

collects at least $5,000 daily. 

This, according to a source, is the 

least amount collected by foreign 

vessels on the nation’s waters. 

The country, he said, is losing $10 

billion yearly to foreigners because 

of the government’s alleged 

failure to engage indigenous ship 

chandlers; and also losing N45 billion 

yearly due to the preference 

given to foreign ship owners and 

their choice of insurers over the indigenous 

companies in the lifting 

and importation of fuel. 

The Federal Government, a 

source said, loses over N3.5 billion 

monthly in freight insurance, urging 

the in-coming administration 

to arrest the situation. 

• Deputy Comptroller of Customs Biri inspecting the seized goods at the Government Warehouse in Lagos. 

PHOTO: OLUWAKEMI DAUDA 

Customs seizes N105m goods concealed 

in train 

THE Monitoring Team of the 

Nigeria Customs Service 

(NCS) at Idiroko has intercepted 

a train from Kano, carrying 

assorted textile and other goods at 

the Abeokuta Railway Station in 

Ogun State. 

The team was led by the Deputy 

Comptroller of Customs, Yahaya 

Usman Biri. 

Sources told The Nation that the 

team had been on the trail of the 

consignment from Kano following 

a tip off that the items came from 

unapproved routes to the train station. 

The items evacuated from the 

two coaches included 27 bales of 

blanket, 141 long bales of ankara 

materials, 49 cartons of choc balls, 

two gallons of vegetable oil, four 

bags of 40kg parboiled rice, three 

small sacks of printed textile materials, 

one carton of bonny cream 

milk, one sack of detergent and 

159 small sacks of textile materials. 

A senior Nigerian Maritime Administration 

and Safety Agency 

(NIMASA) official, who pleaded 

not to be named, said the amount 

foreign ship owners pay to the 

agency and others is meagre compared 

to what they repatriate. 

He put the Federal Government’s 

loss at over N1.8 trillion yearly, 

wondering why the loopholes 

were not plugged by the out-going 

administration. 

Indigenous insurance companies, 

he said, were sidelined in the insurance 

of imported fuel both locally 

and internationally 

“The sorry situation we find our 

country as a maritime nation is ridiculous 

and in absolute contravention 

of the Local Content Act. 

“For instance, Nigerian ship chandlers 

are supposed to be given 95 

per cent of business opportunities 

in the ship chandelling industry 

and other opportunities to render 

services in the ships. The in-coming 

administration needs to ensure 

that the local content Act is wholly 

implemented in order to create 

jobs for Nigerians in the maritime, 

oil and gas sectors effectively. 

“The participation of multinational 

companies in ship chadling 

has rendered many Nigerians jobless 

and the Buhari led government 

must correct these anomalies. 

“When the Cabotage regime 

came on stream, the intention was 

mainly to stimulate the development 

of indigenous capacity in the 

Nigerian maritime industry.But 

many years after, the situation remains 

the same despite the despite 

the efforts by NIMASA. 

“In the oil and gas industry, Nigeria 

has close to 500 oil wells. For 

each well, there is a rig, which is 

supported by a minimum of five 

ships, and they are called oil support 

vessels. Each of the foreign 

ships earn $5,000, while others earn 

$150,000 per day. 

“The Cabotage Act seeks to reserve 

domestic coastal trade or 

Cabotage trade within Nigerian 

coastal and inland waters to vessels 

built and registered in the country, 

wholly owned and manned by 

Nigerian citizens. Foreign-owned 

vessels and companies are, however, 

allowed to participate in 

Cabotage trade within Nigerian 

waters, subject to obtaining a 

waiver and or license from the Federal 

Ministry of Transport. 

“Almost 10 years, not much has 

changed, as the indigenous vessel 

owners, who the law was designed 

to protect remained sidelined and 

impoverished while foreign shipping 

companies dominate the trade 

and the Federal Government not 

looking responsive. 

“I can say conveniently that even 

e-mail: maritime@thenationonlineng.net 

Cabotage: Nigeria loses N1.8tr yearly to 

Buhari urged to review policy 

THE Free-on-Board (FoB) 

policy is causing the country 

a huge loss, the President, Association 

of Nigerian Licensed Customs 

Agents (ANLCA), Alhaji 

Olayiwola Shittu, has said. 

He wants the in-coming 

Muhammadu Buhari’s administration 

to review the policy. 

FoB is a trade policy that allows a 

buyer to pay for the shipment and 

landing costs of the goods from the 

port of origin. 

Shittu urged the President 

Goodluck Jonathan administration 

to adopt Cost, Insurance and Freight 

(CIF) for the lifting of crude oil. 

CIF, he said, gives the seller the 

right to arrange for the ferrying of 

goods by sea to a port of destination, 

and provide the buyer with the 

documents necessary to collect 

them from the carrier. 

Shittu said a major part of the problems 

faced by indigenous owners 

was due to the failure to enforce the 

foreign ship owners 

Nigerian Maritime Administration 

and Safety (NIMASA) Act, 

2007, eight years after its enactment. 

He said Nigeria is the only country 

that is still using the FoB 

policy. 

A member of the group, Mr Segun 

Ogunsanu, said the indigenous 

shipping firms have over the years 

been grappling with lack of cargo 

support, adding that this had made 

many of them to close shop, a development 

which led to unemployment 

years after the enactment 

of the act and other legislations, 

such as the Cabotage Act, 2003 and 

Nigerian Content Act 2010. 

“The policy is being used to the 

detriment of the economy,” he 

said. 

Ogunsanu said the adoption of 

either the CIF or FoB policy by 

the Federal Government should 

be based on how the policy is of 

advantage to the parties involved 

The items have been transferred 

to the government warehouse in 

Ikeja. 

The team has begun investigation 

to establish the source of the consignment. 

The team said it succeeded because 

of the support of Comptroller-General 

of Customs (CGC) 

Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi. 

The team had made a similar seizure 

at Iddo Train Terminus in Lagos 

with the collaboration of the 

Federal Operation Unit (FOU) Zone 

‘A’ officers. 

• Shittu 

in the shipping. The intention of 

the Cabotage Act, he added, was to 

give indigenous shipping firms the 

support to enable them to compete 

with their foreign counterparts, 

who have usurped the cargoes on 

the international shipping route 

and the coastal and inland region. 

in the crude oil carriage that they 

do today, if SOAN, ISAN is allowed 

to do 60 per cent of their 

own allocation, they will be 

putting back more than about 

N1.5trillion or N1.8 trillion into 

the economy and that is almost 

half of the budget. What is the 

budget? It is N4 trillion or something 

above that. If the ship owners 

contribute N1.5 trillion or 

more into it, the multiplier effect 

of it would be seen in our economy 

and the job it would create. 

Speaking at the inauguration of 

SOAN in Lagos last week 

NIMASA’s former Director-General 

Mr Temisan Omatseye said 

there was no magic to end foreign 

domination apart from clear cut 

vision, good policy and implementation 

and demonstration of 

enough political will by those in 

government. 

“With the poor state of our 

economy, I think it would be suicidal 

for us to continue to engage 

foreigners to lift our crude. The 

government must ensure that 

every dollar we pay for the carriage 

of our oil comes into the 

economy. 

“I am very sure that by the time 

we put the naughty issue before 

the government it would be ready 

to engage indigenous ship owners. 

“We are businessmen and we 

won’t ask government for money 

but tell them how to open up the 

industry,” he said. 

Omatseye also bemoaned several 

millions of dollars the country is 

losing to foreign ship owners and 

urged the government to end the 

problem with good policy formulation. 

SOAN’s President, Mr Greg 

Ogbeifun, promised that the group 

would promote the interest of Nigerian-owned 

vessels and also provide 

a forum for dialogue among 

indigenous ship owners. 

“SOAN comprise ship owning 

companies with proven track 

records of activities in the industry 

recognised by upstream and 

downstream sectors of the shipping 

industry as well as by the private 

and public sectors of the industry. 

Ogbeifun, who is also the Chief 

Executive Officer of Starz Group, 

said SOAN was set up to facilitate 

participation of Nigerian shipowners 

in international fora on 

shipping matters through effective 

representation 

“To cultivate and maintain good 

relations with the government and 

maritime authorities by contributing 

expertise in formulating policies 

and regulations on national 

and maritime activities. 

“We won’t set agenda for the new 

government but will only set a road 

map for them. We are not a pressure 

group but a group of businessmen 

with proven track record,” he 

said. 

Five Customs officers in 

trouble over ‘shady’ clearance 

FIVE senior Customs officers at 

the Tin-Can Island Port, Lagos, 

have been queried for alleged 

dereliction of duty. 

They have been invited to the 

Federal Operations Unit (FOU) in 

Ikeja, Lagos to explain why they 

released a 20-foot container carrying 

goods not declared in the Bill 

of Lading. 

Sources said the officers had been 

ordered to go to the FOU before 

moving to Abuja to face a disciplinary 

panel. 

A source said: “The container was 

released by senior Customs officials 

at Tin-Can port but FOU officers 

intercepted the container, 

following a tip-off. 

“Some of the items in the container 

include a vehicle, tiles and 

over 300 cartoons of items that 

were not declared by the importer.” 

FOU’s Public Relations Officer 

Uche Ejesim confirmed the seizures. 

He did not give details.


53 

THE NATION 

BUSINESS 

TRANSPORTATION 

Hlong distance trains? It is by 

W 

E-mail: ynotaderibigbe@gmail.com 

Workers, passengers get security tips on trains 

OW can workers, passengers 

and others be safe on 

remaining vigilant to forestall security 

threats, say experts, top Department 

of State Security (DSS) officials 

and police chiefs at a workshop 

on security consciousness and 

awareness for railway workers and 

users in Southwest. 

At the training held at the Nigerian 

Railway Corporation Training 

Institute (NRCTI) in Yaba, Lagos, 

last Wednesday, Permanent Secretary, 

Special Services Office (SSO) 

in the Presidency Dr. Habiba Lawal, 

said all hands must be on deck to 

fight insurgency. 

Mrs Lawal, represented by the 

Director in the SSO, Alhaji 

Abdullahi Shehu, said the workshop 

was organised to ensure that 

passengers and Nigerian Railway 

Corporation (NRC) workers are 

security conscious always. 

The workshop, which began last 

year, Shehu said, was the seventh 

in the series. Similar ones were earlier 

held in Bauchi for Northeast, 

Jos for Northcentral, Uyo, the 

Akwa-Ibom State capital, for the 

Southsouth, Enugu State for Southeast 

and Ibadan for Southwest. 

Shehu said members of the National 

Union of Road Transport 

Workers (NURTW), transport owners, 

employers, students, media, 

market men and women, railway 

workers and other users of the railway 

have been taught the security 

precautions to take on the train. 

Shehu said the training is part of 

the initiative drawn up by the office 

of the National Security Adviser 

(NSA) to make security on 

inter-state train shuttle a collective 

responsibility. 

He said: “The workshop is meant 

to protect all railway stakeholders, 

as insecurity is no longer a joking 

matter. Security can no longer be 

left in the hands of government. It 

is your personal responsibility. 

There are a lot of things we see as 

•From left: Mrs Omotayo; Mr. Alli, Shehu and Director Department of Special Services, Kaze Delson during the workshop. 

Stories by Adeyinka Aderibigbe 

we travel on the trains that are potential 

danger and these must be 

promptly reported to pre-empt 

them before they consume lives and 

property.” 

In his welcome address, NRC 

Managing Director Mr. Adeseyi 

Sijuwade said insurgents’ activities 

in some parts of the country made 

it imperative for the railway to retrain 

its workers and users to be 

security conscious to prevent tragedy 

on its network. 

Sijuwade represented by the Director 

of Operations, Mr Niyi Alli, 

said as more people use the railway, 

it is becoming increasingly 

urgent for the corporation to arm 

passengers with the right skill 

anytime they are on the train, especially 

the long distance services. 

According to him, government’s 

aggressive intervention in the rail 

sector since 2011, led to the rehabilitation 

of rail lines; improvement 

of its rolling stock and reactivation 

of the Western and Eastern 

rail lines, which, with their active 

branch lines, have ensured 

that the country is now effectively 

covered by rail network. 

“Not only are we now carrying 

passengers, we now freight agricultural 

produce and raw materials 

such as flours, wheat and cement 

from the Apapa quays to 

Kaduna/Kano, as well as carrying 

Automobile Gas Oil (AGO) Diesel 

and track materials for our operations 

nationwide,” Alli said. 

He said the NRC carried more 

than five million passengers and 

200,000 metric tons of goods last 

year. 

“All these engender security 

risk and with the current spate of 

insecurity, we cannot leave our 

network unprotected. We need to 

protect our assets, our personnel 

Experts to Buhari: fix Apapa Ports traffic ‘headache’ 

HAT will gladden the 

hearts of transport experts 

the most is the fix- 

ing of the Apapa Ports traffic 

“headache” by the incoming 

Muhammadu Buhari administration. 

They are also seeking a national 

transportation policy, the absence 

of which they claim is turning 

traffic in the nation’s urban 

centres into nightmare. 

Leading the charge are Chartered 

Institute of Logistics and 

Transport (CILT), national president 

Maj-Gen. Umar 

Tundunwada Usman, Deputy 

National President Prof. Kayode 

Oyesiku and Federal Airports 

Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) 

Managing Director Dunoma 

Saleh. 

They spoke at the induction of 

new members, fellows and corporate 

members in Ikoyi, Lagos 

last week. 

Usman, who is also International 

Vice President for Africa 

and Chairman, African Forum of 

Transportation, described the 

Apapa Ports situation as a national 

embarrassment. He blamed 

previous administrations for allowing 

the port to decay, that it 

has become a major transportation 

headache for users and a disincentive 

to businesses and entrepreneurship. 

He called for a Marshal plan to 

tackle the gridlock, adding that 

the huge manhour lost daily has 

added to the high cost of living 

in the country and reduced government’s 

revenue generation 

capacity. 

Usman said: “I would strongly 

recommend that the incoming 

government addresses the issue 

of transportation which is at the 

heart of ensuring easier movement 

of people from one point to 

the other. There is the need for the 

government to put in place a 

transportation policy which if 

put in place, would make other 

pieces of our national life to fall 

in place. Roads are carrying what 

are by far above their carrying 

capacity. The railway has not 

improved on efficiency and this 

is resulting in the rate of damage 

to the roads. 

“Look at the ports, it is clearly 

inaccessible. It’s a shame that a 

country of the size of our economy 

does not have a world class port. 

We also need to work on the integration 

of all the transportation 

modes. Without it, commuting 

whether passenger or freight 

would continue to be problematic 

and a nightmare.” 

Oyesiku blamed the state of infrastructure 

and lack of inter-modality 

of transportation modes for 

the sector’s crisis. 

He noted that there is no law to 

guide the industry and train professionals 

, blaming it on the National 

Assembly which has failed 

to pass its bill. 

“The lack of a regulating law 

has limited the capacity to engender 

the growth and professionalism 

of transportation and this 

has made transportation to be an 

all-comer affair. We are rated 127 

in 146 countries of the world in 

logistics and transportation and 

we must be committed to correcting 

this poor rating, Oyesiku 

said, adding: “Though the plan 

was to have 80 percent of every 

100 percent of products leaving 

the ports to be freighted by rail, 

this is being done by road as rail 

has become comatose and the 

government got it wrong by embarking 

on the rehabilitation of 

the narrow gauge rail lines. What 

is needed is not rehabilitation of 

the old existing infrastructure 

but a major reconstruction of 

standard gauge rail lines, right 

from the ports. This is what 

would carry the weight of modern 

freights.” 

He said the gridlock at the ports 

and at Apapa has reduced by 50 

percent the revenue generation 

capacity of the government. 

Saleh, represented by a director 

in his office, Mr Olufemi 

Ogunode, urged the government 

to do more on traffic planning for 

the nation’s cities and city centres 

because urbanisation is becoming 

overwhelming and 

stretching available facilities. 

He said: “As traffic congestion 

discourages movements into certain 

areas, so do businesses and 

economic growth that impact on 

peoples’ welfare are also being 

diverted from such locations, resulting 

in poor investment opportunities 

in the affected locations.” 

The increasing cost of doing 

business in Apapa, he said, is 

worrisome, noting that transaction 

is also becoming “very 

high.” 

The Registrar/CEO, Council 

for Regulation of Freight Forwarding 

in Nigeria (CRFFN), Sir 

Mike Jukwe, said: “Transport is 

PHOTO: SOLOMON ADEOLA 

and especially our customers,” Alli 

added. 

The training, which was facilitated 

by Mr Matthew Opoiro and 

Mr Nom Okechukwu, both of the 

DSS, Abuja, was attended by, 

among others, Mr Wale Abass, 

who represented the Commissioner 

of Police NRC Command, 

Deputy Director, DSS Office in The 

Presidency, Mr D. D. M Kazeem, 

Deputy Director, Administration 

and Human Resources, NRC Alhaja 

Monsurat Omotayo and Acting 

Deputy Director of Press and Public 

Relations Alhaji Abdulrauf 

Akinwoye. 

one of the greatest economic 

growth areas of the 20th Century 

and a key signature to the modern 

society.” 

Jukwe, who spoke on “The role 

of freight forwarding in the supply 

chain and national 

economy,” said freight forwarding 

is at the heart of international 

trade. 

Successful practitioners, Jukwe 

said, must be armed with better 

information, adding that they 

must recruit skilled labour to reduce 

loss. 

No fewer than 34 persons were 

conferred with fellows, 45, chartered 

members and 14 as corporate 

members. 

Also 55 graduands received the 

International Advanced Diploma 

certificate in Logistics and 

Transport and 61, the International 

Diploma Certificate. Some 

firms were awarded corporate 

membership in the Platinum, 

Gold, Silver and Bronze categories. 

Nahco Aviance, LAGBUS 

and Nigeria Ports Authority 

(NPA) among 13 others, got Platinum 

award, Associated Bus 

Company Plc (Gold), 1st Class 

Auto Centre Ltd (Silver), and 

DHL, among 10 others Bronze.

THE NATION TUESSDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 

MONEYLINK 

N220b MSMEs fund: CBN targets 

50% disbursement by year-end 

THE Central Bank of Ni 

geria (CBN) is targeting 

50 per cent disbursement 

of the N220 billion Micro, 

Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises 

(MSMEs) fund by 

year-end. 

Its Head, Relationship Management, 

MSME Development 

Finance Department, 

Tobin Jonathan who spoke at 

an MSME workshop in Lagos, 

said apex bank is jolted by low 

access to the fund by operators 

of the sector. 

He said the apex bank is particularly 

worried that since 

the fund was launched last 

August, only N40.3 billion has 

been disbursed to operators 

because of stringent conditions 

attached to accessing the 

Stories by Collins Nweze 

funds. 

He said: “As we speak, N40.3 

billion has been disbursed to 

state governments, commercial 

banks, Micro Finance 

Banks, to Financial Co-operatives. 

We have disbursed to 19 

state governments, some of 

them have taken first tranche 

of N1 billion.” 

He said complaints from the 

MSME operators suggested 

that the criteria were too strict 

and difficult to meet, hence 

the CBN Governor, Godwin 

Emefiele decided to relax the 

criteria across board to make 

the funds more accessible. 

He added that the CBN has 

also addressed all other complaints 

raised by participating 

financial institutions including 

the spread of profit to 

cover their cost of operations. 

“So they can collect the forms 

at two per cent and give it out 

at five per cent. So they have 

seven per cent spread which 

is good enough. That has encouraged 

so many of them to 

begin to apply,” Jonathan 

said. 

Speaking, the Project Manager 

for Financial Infrastructure 

Project to the CBN, International 

Finance Corporation 

(IFC) and a resource person at 

the forum, Ubong Awah, said: 

“We are collaborating with 

the CBN to establish the National 

Collateral Registry 

which will be launched by 

June”. 

He said it is important as part 

of effort to stimulate financing 

to the MSME sector in Nigeria 

stressing that collateral 

registry will provide part of 

the infrastructure for pushing 

the initiative ahead. 

FCMB Group posts N5.8b profit before tax 

FCMB Group Plc has 

posted a profit before 

tax (PBT) of N5.8 billion, 

for the first quarter ended 31 

March this year, up four per 

cent from N5.6 billion for the 

first quarter ended 31 March 

last year. 

During the first quarter, 

FCMB continued the profitable 

growth of its commercial banking 

(FCMB Limited), financial 

advisory (FCMB Capital Markets 

Limited) and stockbroking 

(CSL Stockbrokers Limited) 

businesses. In the period 

under review, the Group’s total 

assets grew 20 per cent, from 

first quarter of last year to N1.2 

trillion, deposits grew 11 per 

cent, from previous year to 

N760 billion and loans grew 

18 per cent, year on year, to 

N582 billion. The business 

growth resulted in improved 

financial performance, as net 

interest income grew eight per 

cent, from the previous year, 

to over N18 billion, while 

profit before tax rose four per 

cent from N5.6 billion, yearon-year, 

to N5.8 billion and 

profit after tax grew nine per 

cent from N4.83 billion, previous 

year, to N5.28 billion. 

FCMB also finished the quarter 

with robust capital and liquidity 

ratios at 22 per cent and 

41 per cent respectively. 

The Retail Banking Division 

continued to gain momentum 

as total retail deposits grew 32 

per cent, year-on-year, and 

now accounts for 53 per cent of 

the bank’s deposits. Meanwhile, 

the retail loan portfolio 

now at 35.8 per cent of total 

loans, grew 27per cent 

(N45billion), from the previous 

year to N215billion. The 

quarter also witnessed increased 

patronage of FCMB’s 

credit card offering, with 6,390 

cards issued. 

The investment banking 

group of FCMB, comprising 

FCMB Capital Markets Ltd 

(FCMB-CM) and CSL Stockbrokers 

Ltd (CSLS), also had a 

strong quarter, with PBT rising 

36 per cent from N198 million, 

prior year, to N269 million, 

driven by financial advisory, 

trading and equity brokerage. 

During the quarter, 

FCMB-CM was mandated financial 

adviser for a global financial 

institution sponsored 

development of a comprehensive 

state-of-the-art medical 

facility in Lagos. FCMB-CM 

also completed (as joint book 

•CBN Governor Godwin 

Emefiele 

runner) a N28.2 billion debt 

capital raising exercise for a 

state government and was 

mandated Joint Lead Arranger 

to raise $450 million to refinance 

the existing debt facilities 

of a gas processing and distribution 

company. 

FCMB-CM, additionally advised 

a fast moving consumer 

goods company on the restructuring 

of its business. During 

the quarter, FCMB-CM received 

the IJ Global Award, for 

Africa oil & gas deal of last 

year. 

Managing Director of FCMB 

Group Plc, Mr. Peter Obaseki, 

said: “The business environment 

in the first quarter was 

subdued by the political activities 

and a degree of un-certainties 

which have largely clearedout.” 

THE Chartered Institute 

of Taxation of Nigeria 

(CITN) has confirmed 

the appointment of Mr. 

Adefisayo Awogbade as its 

Registrar/Chief Executive. 

Awogbade, a graduate of 

Banking and Finance from 

Olabisi Onabanjo University 

is a Fellow of both the Chartered 

Institute of Taxation of 

Nigeria (CITN) and the Institute 

of Chartered Accountants 

of Nigeria (ICAN). 

Adefisayo, who has worked 

in both private and public 

sectors for over 25 years, was 

at various times at the Fed- 

55 

CITN appoints new registrar 

THE Financial Institutions 

Training Centre (FITC) 

has won the 2015 Great 

Place to Work award for ‘Delivering 

Excellence in Leadership’ 

at the Best Companies to 

Work for 2015 award ceremony 

tagged ‘Good to Great’. 

The event which took place at 

the Civic Centre Victoria Island 

Lagos, on Friday March 20 2015, 

was organised by Great Place 

to Work (GPTW) Nigeria. 

As part of the celebration of 

the best companies, over three 

years of the award series, a special 

award for ‘Best Practices’ 

was also given under four categories 

namely. 

Delivering Excellence in Leadership 

Delivering Excellence in 

Wellness Delivering Excellence 

in Learning and Development 

as well as Delivering Excellence 

in Corporate Social Responsibility. 

The GPTW Nigeria 

organisation pooled together 

organisations that have participated 

in the GPTW assessments 

over the past three years and 

analysed their data, to identify 

eral Office of Statistics, Transnationwide 

Express Plc, 

Intels Nigeria Limited and 

Maersk Nigeria Limited. 

Adefisayo joined the Institute 

in 2011 and was the Assistant 

Director, Membership, 

Students Affairs and 

Examinations, Assistant Director, 

Education/Research 

and Technical and the Acting 

Registrar/Chief Executive 

between 2011 and 2015. The 

new administrative head of 

the Institute has attended 

various management and 

professional courses locally 

and internationally. 

FITC wins ‘Great Place to Work Award’ 

those who have really distinguished 

themselves in these 

areas. 

FITC was one of the three 

nominees in two categories, 

namely the Delivering Excellence 

in Leadership and Delivering 

Excellence in Wellness 

categories. 

For the Delivering Excellence 

in Leadership award category, 

FITC was grouped with the 

Lagos Business School and First 

Bank of Nigeria and FITC won. 

For the Delivering Excellence 

in Wellness category, FITC was 

grouped with Microsoft Nigeria 

and DHL. 

Microsoft Nigeria won, while 

FITC was 1st runner up. Other 

awards presented at the ceremony 

include top companies 

award under the Small and Medium 

Population with less than 

500 employees given to 

Microsoft Nigeria, NSIA Insurance 

Limited and Cocacola Nigeria 

and under the Large Population 

with more than 500 employees 

given to Akintola Williams, 

Unilever, DHL and 

Konga.


NEWS 

Disquiet in Delta over murder of youth 

From Bolaji Ogundele, Warri 

Ekpan Town Hall, shooting 

sporadically. 

It was learnt that the killing 

of Olomu led to the 

death of another resident, 

Sunday Leleji, who reportedly 

died of shock on hearing 

about the death of the 

youth leader. 

Olomu, who was to be inaugurated 

with other elected 

Ekpan Community Trust 

members, was reportedly attacked 

on his way to the cer- 

emony. 

Community sources, who 

witnessed the killing, said his 

attackers used knife and gun 

on him. 

The assailants were said to 

have stabbed and shot him. 

He reportedly died before he 

was taken to hospital. 

His remains were deposited 

at the morgue of a private 

hospital in Ekpan. 

Businesses were closed 

when the killing occurred. 

The arrival of security operatives 

restored normalcy 

THERE was disquiet 

yesterday in Ekpan in 

Uvwie Local Govern- 

ment Area of Delta State, following 

the killing of a youth 

leader, Abraham Edesiri 

Olomu, by assailants. 

His murder led to the suspension 

of the inauguration 

of officials of the Ekpan Community 

Trust, of which 

Olomu was the financial secretary-elect. 

The ceremony was terminated 

when angry gunwielding 

youths besieged the 

yesterday but the residents 

were scared for fear of reprisal 

attack. 

Police spokesman 

Celestina Kalu, a Deputy Superintendent 

of Police (DSP), 

said the command had begun 

investigation into the 

matter. 

He said: “Yes, the incident 

occurred and the killers escaped 

before police arrived. 

Expended shells of the ammunition 

used were recovered. 

Our crack team is on 

their trail to get the killers.” 

•From left: Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah; German Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Micheal Zenner and Commandant, 

1 Divison, Maj.-Gen. Kenneth Osuji, at the inuaguration of Nigerian Army Peace-keeping Medical Centre in Jaji, Kaduna State ... 

yesterday. PHOTO: NAN 

Suspected homosexual killed in Edo 

THE outlawed homosexual 

act has led to 

the death of a suspected 

gay lover in Benin, the 

Edo State capital. 

Residents, especially 

youths, of Ojo Street and its 

environs at Egor Quarters 

were on rampage at the 

Aghedo family house located 

at 52 Ojo Street, off Uwasota 

Road, in search of a member 

of the family and suspected 

gay, Nosa Daniel Aghedo. 

It was learnt that trouble 

started at the Aghedo family 

house when an elderly 

From Osemwengie Ben 

Ogbemudia, Benin 

woman allegedly caught 

Nosa and his suspected gay 

lover, identified as Stafford 

Ariri, at 1pm on March 28 

when most adults were at the 

polling centres for the presidential 

and National Assembly 

elections. 

An eyewitness said the 

woman raised the alarm that 

attracted a large crowd. 

The mob attacked the gay 

partners by allegedly hitting 

them with planks, stones and 

other weapons. 

It was learnt that the police 

were called in and they reportedly 

watched as the 

crowd lynched one of the gay 

lovers. 

Nosa reportedly escaped 

but Stafford did not. 

He died on the way to the 

hospital, following the serious 

injuries he sustained in 

the attack. 

Nosa’s escape infuriated 

the mob, prompting them to 

rush back to his house to ensure 

that he faced the same 

fate as Stafford. 

The mob burnt down the 

Aghedo house as what was 

called the atonement for his 

abominable act. 

Police spokesman, Stephen 

Onwocha, a Deputy Superintendent 

of Police (DSP), said 

the incident was reported to 

the command. 

The spokesman said an arrest 

warrant had been issued 

for Nosa’s arrest, adding that 

the police had begun a manhunt 

for him. 

INEC declares Akwa Ibom constituency’s rerun result 

THE Peoples Democratic 

Party (PDP) candidate 

has won the rescheduled 

Ukanafun seat in 

the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly. 

The Independent National 

Electoral Commission (INEC) 

declared the results of the 

poll held last Saturday. 

PDP’s Otobong Jonathan 

Akpan was declared winner of 

the election, having got 41,691, 

the highest number of votes. 

His closest rival, Kufre 

James Umo, of the Labour 

Party (LP), polled 307 votes. 

The popular APC candidate 

for the election, Okon 

Uwah, was murdered by 

Kidnapped Bayelsa’s council chair freed by abductors 

THE kidnapped Chairman 

of Ogbia, the Local 

Government Area 

of President Goodluck 

Jonathan in Bayelsa State, Mr. 

Anya Abah, has been freed 

by his abductors. 

Abah was kidnapped by a 

four-man gang on April 22 on 

Otuasega-Okaki Road. 

His police orderly was said 

to have fled, following the 

gunshots the hoodlums fired 

to scare away likely rescuers 

•Partner on the run 

From Uyoatta Eshiet, Uyo 

thugs at a campaign a few 

weeks to the elections. 

Addressing reporters yesterday, 

the Resident Electoral 

Commissioner (REC), Austin 

Okojie, hailed the electorate 

and other stakeholders for 

their orderly conduct during 

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa 

of the council chief. 

The abductors dragged 

Abah out of his vehicle at 

gunpoint and took him to 

Okarki, in neighbouring Rivers 

State, from where they 

sped away in a waiting 

speedboat. 

It was learnt that Abah was 

freed by his abductors at 8:45 

pm on Sunday on the 

Ogonoko waterside in Abua/ 

the poll. 

Okojie said he was impressed 

by the huge turnout 

of voters and their orderliness. 

He said: “The conduct of 

the voters and the stakeholders 

showed that the people of 

the area are politically sophisticated 

and peace-loving. 

Odua Local Government 

Area of Rivers State. 

Police spokesman Butswat 

Asinim, an Assistant Superintendent 

of Police (ASP), said 

the council chairman was 

abandoned by his kidnappers. 

He said Abah’s assailants, 

sensing that the special force 

of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad 

was closing in on them, abandoned 

him and fled. 

“Our policemen were on 

ground after adequate intelli- 

This made the job of the commission 

less arduous. 

“Everything went on as 

planned: materials were in 

almost all the units as early 

as 7 am, accreditation went 

off smoothly and voting 

started and ended as scheduled 

and without any incident.” 

Ohanaeze appoints interim exco in Akwa Ibom 

THE leadership crisis 

rocking the Akwa 

Ibom chapter of 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s youth 

wing has led to the appointment 

of an interim exco. 

The umbrella body of the 

Igbo appointed the interim 

exco to coordinate the affairs 

of the Akwa Ibom State chapter, 

pending the conduct of an 

election. 

The National President of 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth 

Wing, Chief Okechukwu 

Isiguzoro, at a town hall 

meeting of the state chapter 

in Uyo, the state capital, dissolved 

the executives of state 

youth wing because of issues 

on parallel leadership. 

gence gathering. We beamed 

our searchlight on the area 

because of earlier intelligence 

gathered. The kidnappers got 

scared and abandoned their 

victim.” 

The police spokesman said 

the sister to the victim informed 

the police of attempts 

by the kidnappers to collect 

a ransom. 

He said no ransom was 

paid, adding that Abah was 

released in good health. 

TWO suspected murderers 

were yesterday 

paraded by the Akwa 

Ibom State Police Command 

for the killing Pastor Okon 

Nana. 

The deceased was killed 

and buried in a shallow grave 

by Usen Akpan and Friday 

Akpan for land tussle in Ika 

Local Government Area. 

The late Nana was killed by 

the suspects on October 18, 

2014, after being abducted 

from his home by the hoodlums 

and taken to a plantation 

forest in Ika. 

Briefing reporters at the Police 

Headquarters in Uyo, the 

state capital, the Assistant 

Commissioner of Police in 

charge of State CID, ACP 

Mike Okoli, said the suspects 

killed their uncle, the late 

Nana, in disagreement over 

a portion of land. 

The late Nana was a maternal 

uncle to Usen. 

ACP Okoli explained that 

when the disagreement 

started, the village head, 

Effiong Paul summoned a 

meeting on how to settle the 

dispute but Usen didn’t show 

up but claimed he had something 

urgent to do in Port 

Harcourt. 

The Police chief said on the 

eve of the meeting Usen conspired 

with other people and 

broke into the home of Nana 

and adopted him while he 

was sleeping with his wife. 

According to him, it was 

through investigation that 

the police discovered Nana 

had been killed. 

He added that the suspects 

tied his hands to his back, 

beat him to death, and buried 

him in the shallow grave. 

Okoli said when the police 

questioned Usen and asked 

why he did not attend the 

meeting, it was then Usen 

became confused and was 

unable to tell the police what 

the matter was all about. 

The body of the deceased, 

according to ACP Okoli, was 

later exhumed by the Anti 

Robbery Team at a plantation 

forest in Ika based on their 

confession. 

•The suspected murderers ... yesterday 

Arase’s appointment based on 

merit, says group 

AGROUP, Esan Renaissance 

Union (Youth 

Wing) has backed the 

appointment of Inspector- 

General of Police Solomon 

Arase, saying it was based on 

merit. 

It faulted criticisms of 

Arase’s appointment, adding 

that he fully deserves the job. 

In a communiqué at the end 

of its emergency conference 

in Benin City, Edo State capital, 

signed by its President 

Aigbefo Ireteose (Jnr) and 

Secretary Jude Ehichioya, the 

group noted that Arase is the 

only IGP from the Midwest. 

“Arase’s appointment was 

not based on any political, 

tribal or religious sentiment 

Akwa Ibom 

Police arrest two 

for killing cleric 

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo 

His words: “On the eve of 

the meeting, Usen Akpan 

went with his gang to the 

home of Pastor Okon Nana 

and abducted him. 

“Investigation continued 

until the second conspirator, 

Friday Akpan (alias 18) was 

arrested. Friday has been at 

large because he was a party 

in the dispute over the land 

and refused to attend the 

truce meeting. So, he disappeared. 

Police went into investigation 

and intensive 

search until he was arrested. 

“When he was arrested under 

interrogation, he owned 

up, that yes they did the act, 

they killed this man buried 

him in a shallow grave. 

“We did not stop there, we 

asked them to take the police 

to the shallow grave where 

they buried the man. The 

man had been declared missing 

since October 18, 2014. 

Eventually, they took the police 

detectives to a forest in 

Ikot Ubo, Ika council, where 

they dug the skeletal parts of 

the man out of the shallow 

grave with his hands tied to 

his back. 

“The police made arrangement 

for complete exhumation, 

the body was exhumed; we invited 

a pathologist for autopsy 

to confirm the cause of death to 

assist us in prosecution.” 

One of the suspects, Usen 

said his uncle (late Nana) had 

killed five of his siblings 

through witchcraft. 

He said he was also trying to 

kill him before he organised 

youths to eliminate him in the 

forest. 

“He had killed five of us. I 

was the only one left. He confessed 

to the killing and 

vowed to also kill me. I went 

to him, knelt before him and 

begged him, but he struck me 

with sickness. When I became 

confused, I had to do what I 

did”, the suspect said. 

but purely on merit, diligence 

and dedication to duty. 

“Any act of criticisms/accusations 

levelled against the 

appointment of the new IGP 

is baseless, barbaric, unpalatable, 

sentimental and 

retrogrssive. It beats our 

imagination! 

“Our country is one indivisible 

and indissoluble entity 

and no part has it all,” the 

group said. 

It disagreed with those 

criticising President 

Goodluck Jonathan for sacking 

former IGP Suleiman 

Abba, saying the President 

“has the power to hire and 

fire whenever such need 

arises.”


NEWS 

From left: Deputy 

Director, Disease 

Control, Lagos 

Ministry of Health, 

Dr. Rotimi 

Agbolagorite, 

Executive Secretary 

Mushin Local 

Government, 

Babajide Bello, Baba 

Oja, Amu Plank 

Market, Mushin, 

Alhaji Jimoh 

Olowoidiobi, Lagos 

State Malaria 

Elimination 

Programme officer, 

Dr. Abimbola 

Osinowo, and 

Category Manager, 

Pestcare, Healthcare, 

Aircare, RB, West 

Africa, Qaiser 

Rashid, at the 

Mortein sponsored 

community 

enlightenment in 

commemoration of 

2015 World Malaria 

Day at Amu Plank 

Market, Mushin 

Ex-Akwa Ibom NDDC chief gets 

three- year jail for stealing 

Boko Haram is a fraud, says Buhari 

AN Akwa Ibom State 

High Court has sentenced 

a former com- 

missioner representing Akwa 

Ibom State on the board of 

Niger Delta Development 

Commission (NDDC), 

Mr.Godwin Moffat Eyo to 

three years imprisonment. 

Eyo was sentenced by the 

court sitting in Uyo for stealing 

56 transformers meant for 

oil producing communities. 

He was prosecuted by the 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission (EFCC), 

on a 56 count-charge bordering 

on stealing and conversion 

of 56 electricity transformers 

released to him by NDDC for 

distribution to communities in 

Akwa Ibom State. 

He was found guilty on 37 

From Kazeem Ibrahym, 

Uyo 

of those counts by Justice 

Idongesit Ntem-Isua and 

sentenced to three years imprisonment 

on each of the 

counts. 

He was however discharged 

and acquitted on 19 

counts. The sentences are to 

run concurrently. 

The convict was said to 

have applied for 90 electricity 

transformers and four 

generators from NDDC for 

Akwa Ibom State sometime 

in February, 2006. 

Approval was given for 70 

transformers but he diverted 

P RESIDENT-elect, 

Muhammadu 

Buhari has said 

Boko Haram will be denied 

a recruitment base when local 

communities realise 

that its claim of being a religious 

group is a fraud. 

“The fraud called Boko 

Haram can be defeated by 

denying it a recruitment 

base,” Buhari told visiting 

leaders of Nassarawa State 

who came to congratulate 

him on his emergence as 

President-elect. 

“No religion allows for 

the killing of children. They 

have nothing to do with religion. 

They are terrorists and we 

will deal with them as they 

deal with terrorists anywhere,” 

he said. 

Buhari said he is pained 

by the destruction of 

schools in the Northeast, 

an action he said could 

deny thousands of youngsters 

access to education 

and a better future unless 

something was done urgently 

to avert this tragedy. 

“The worst thing anybody 

can do is to deny children 

access to education. 

That will be destructive to 

their lives and we are not 

going to allow that to happen,” 

the President-elect 

assured. 

Buhari said his government 

will help the states 

to get more money to improve 

infrastructure by 

Ikpeazu: I will improve Abia’s economy 

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia 

ABIA State Governor-elect Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has 

dedicated his victory to God and the people, promising 

to reciprocate the confidence reposed in him 

by working for them. 

He thanked the people for their trust in him and in the 

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). 

Speaking with reporters at his Umuobiakwa home in 

Obingwa, Ikpeazu said this was the first time the people 

would endorse a middle-class man from Ukwa/Ngwa 

as governor. 

The governor-elect said his mandate was everyone. 

“I pledge to protect and treat all equally, as I am determined 

to cater for all. 

“I will ensure that the state’s economy improves and 

characterise Ndigbo to make Abia the economic hub of the 

Southeast”. 

Ikpeazu noted that what happened was not an election 

but an endorsement by the people. 

“What happened was an endorsement and not a battle 

or election, which is the reason there is peace in the state,” 

Ikpeazu said. 

‘No religion allows 

for the killing 

of children. 

They have nothing 

to do with 

religion. They are 

terrorists and we 

will deal with 

them as they deal 

with terrorists 

anywhere’ 

ensuring that all federally 

collectible revenues are 

paid directly into the federation 

account and each 

tier of government given its 

due share. 

“As at now, the government 

does not even know 

how many revenue accounts 

it has. We will give 

all the tiers what is due to 

them but will hold them to 

be accountable as we would 

the federal government.” 

Buhari while describing 

Nassarawa state as his own 

“political laboratory”, 

meaning the only CPCcontrolled 

state of the 36 

others adjudged the experiment 

as having been a success. 

“From one state, I now 

have 22 political laboratories.” 

He commended Governor 

Al-Makura for surviving 

his many impeachment 

plots, saying “without 

Nassarawa, there would 

not have been an APC.” 

Holy Ghost crusade at THPW 

T 

HE 4 th annual Holy 

Ghost Crusade of 

Tehillah House of 

Praise and Worship a.k.a 

Praise Chapel, Makogi, 

Ogun State, is scheduled to 

hold on Friday, May 1 and 

Saturday, May 2, by 4 pm. 

same to his house on the pretext 

that there was no space to 

accommodate the 70 units at 

the NDDC office in Uyo. 

He was thereafter said to 

have sent only 14 Units to the 

NDDC office while he withheld 

56 units which he could 

not account. 

The 56 transformers are valued 

at Two Hundred and 

Twenty million, One hundred 

and Seventy Six thousand, 

Three hundred and Twenty 

Naira (N220, 176,320). 

One of the counts reads: 

“That you Pastor Godwin 

Moffat Eyo, being a former 

Akwa Ibom State representative 

on the Board of the 

Niger Delta Development 

Commission (NDDC) on or 

about 14th April, 2006 at 

Uyo in the Uyo Judicial Division 

did fraudulently 

steal a 300 KVA/33/0.415 

Transformer Serial No. 

1712496 valued at Four Million, 

Eighteen Thousand, 

Five Hundred and Sixty 

Naira (N4,018,560.00), property 

of NDDC and thereby 

committed an offence of 

stealing contrary to Section 

399 and punishable under 

Section 404 of the Criminal 

Code Cap. 38, Volume 2, 

Laws of Akwa Ibom State, 

2000.” 

Thanksgiving service will 

hold on Sunday, May 3, by 9 

am, at Daluwon phase 2 Busstop, 

Mowe, Ogun State. 

According to the host Pastor, 

Evang. Dorcas Aseinde, 

participants are assured of 

healing, deliverance and 

freedom. 

One year remembrance 

FAMILY, friends and well wishers gathered on Saturday, 

April 25, to pray for the late Mrs Victoria 

Rahkamel Adedayo, who passed on a year ago. 

A community leader and mother to many children, both 

biological and non-biological, Mrs. Adedayo was described 

as a pillar of support to the family. 

According to one of her children, “my mother is missed 

by all and sundry, this is due to her large heart. She was 

a philanthropist and a home maker, who touched many 

lives, irrespective of tribe, religion or race. 

20 magistrates take oath in Anambra 

57 

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka 

T 

HE Anambra State Chief judge, Justice Peter Umeadi, 

yesterday, swore in 20 new magistrates, made up of 

16 women. 

A new Deputy Chief Registrar (DCR), Agbasionwe Eugene 

Agbasionwe, was also sworn in to replace the former, 

who was elevated to a High Court judge. 

The new magistrates are Arinze Ijeoma Juliet, Kanu Onyeka 

Moses, Ezebilo Nnedu Obiamaka, Igbokwe Ijeoma and 

Nwakanma Chika P. 

Others are Chigbo Chizoba Catherine, Maduakor N.G.C, 

Ani Nneka, Loveth Nwadi, Ezeudeka Stella, Onyekwuru 

Gladys Moneke. 

Also sworn in are Nduka Victory Chidinma, Onunkwo 

Ijeoma Ebere, Stanely Udo-Chizoba, Adumah Nnamdi Martins, 

Eke–Peter Nnamdi, Okosi Maureen Eyiuche, Udeze 

Uzoma, Agwunobi Rebeka, Anyaegbunam Nonye and 

Ogugua Ifunanya Clara. 

The new magistrates, according to Umeadi, would assist 

to raise the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and help 

the police in running mobile courts. 

Gana: PDP made history in 16 years 

CHAIRMAN of the 

Governing Council, 

University of Lagos 

(UNILAG) and member of the 

Peoples Democratic Party 

(PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT), 

Prof Jerry Gana has condemned 

criticisms that the 

PDP did nothing in its 16 

years of leadership. 

Gana spoke yesterday at the 

university’s Convocation lecture 

at the main auditorium. 

He listed milestones the 

party achieved, including 

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s 

restoration of the nation to its 

democratic state. 

Prof Gana said the Jonathan 

administration should be 

credited for listening to the 

voice of Nigerians by conceding 

defeat. 

“Some people, even close 

friends, said we did nothing 

HGCC marks 

one year 

ACTIVITIES marking 

the first year anniversary 

of the Hand 

of Grace Christian Centre 

(HGCC), Ibadan, presided 

over by Bishop Mike 

Olasunkanmi Afolabi, has 

been released. The anniversary 

will be a four-day 

programme, beginning on 

Friday. 

A statement by the 

anniversary’s Media and Publicity 

Committee said there 

would be Ministers’ Conference 

on Friday and Saturday 

at Faithjoe Event Centre, beside 

Alegongo Secondary 

School, Akobo, by 10 am. 

There will be a Rally and 

Word Feast in the evening 

between 5 and 7 pm. 

A special Sunday service, to 

be presided by Bishop Mike 

By Oluwatoyin Adeleye 

in the last 16 years. I will remind 

them. Do they remember 

the confused situation 

Nigeria was in 1997/1998, 

how we restored democracy? 

Do they remember that we 

gave inference to the existing 

authority and purified the 

electoral system? 

“I am glad today because 

someone still remembers. 

One person has remembered 

that it is always good to appreciate 

something that your 

predecessor did. So I am going 

to convey to President 

(Goodluck Jonathan) that Prof 

Oke Bukola has advised the 

incoming President to say 

‘look Jonathan, you are to be 

appreciated because if nothing 

else, you handed over 

power over to an elected president’,” 

Gana said. 

One dies in Owerri accident 

A 

TRAILER, with registration 

number XB 

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri 

882 HAL, belonging came into the state capital 

to Ibeto Cement Company, through Okigwe road. 

yesterday, crashed into a government 

office in Owerri, killing 

a hill and rammed into the 

It lost control while ascending 

one person and leaving ENTRANCO office. 

many injured. 

The other unidentified persons 

were Eyewitnesses said the trailer 

injured. 

CAC holds seven-day revival 

ASEVEN-day revival with the theme: “Stop them 

before they stop you” started at the Christ Apostolic 

Church (CAC) Victory Land, Pleasure DCC 

Headquarters, 7, Ajiboye Crescent, Pleasure Bus Stop, Agege, 

Lagos, on April 26. 

The revival, which features salvation, deliverance, 

breakthrough, etc. starts at 5.30 p.m. daily, Monday through 

Thursday. It will be rounded off with a vigil on Friday. The 

vigil begins at 11.00 p.m. 

The revivalist is Prophet Samuel Adubina. The hosts are 

Evang. Samson Amao, Pastors M.O.E. Ige and James 

Adeyanju. The district chairman, Pastor S.A.O. Olatunji and 

DCC Superintendent, Pastor C.S. Fasuyi are chief hosts. 

•Bishop Afolabi 

Afolabi, will include a segment 

devoted to mothers and 

then a Praise and Dinner 

Night, by 5 pm. 

The anniversary will be 

rounded off with an anointing 

service on Monday, May 

11, by 6 am. 

Guest ministers include 

Rev. Simeon Afolabi and 

Bishop Mike Bamidele.


NEWS 

Ortom condemns 

violence in 

Agatu, Guma 

From Uja Emmanuel, 

Makurdi 

BENUE State Governorelect 

Samuel Ortom has 

condemned the renewed 

violence in Agatu and 

Guma local government 

areas. 

He urged security agencies 

to stop further clashes 

in the areas. 

Ortom was reacting to 

reports of communal 

clashes in Agatu and last 

Saturday’s attacks on 

Mbadwem Ward of Guma 

Local Government Area. 

Thirty persons were 

reportedly killed in the 

clashes. 

Ortom pledged to collaborate 

with relevant 

authorities to resolve the 

crises in the areas. 

The governor-elect 

described the development 

as sad, unfortunate, avoidable 

and reprehensible. 

The former minister of 

state for Industry, Trade 

and Investment regretted 

that such violence usually 

took a toll on human lives 

and property. 

He said its also compounded 

the poverty 

among the people and 

cause serious setbacks to 

their development. 

Ortom commiserated 

with the families of the 

dead. 

Unrest: Kwara 

community 

backs govt 

THE people of Ilorin, 

represented by community 

and village heads under the 

aegis of Magajis and Alanguas, 

have expressed support 

for the Kwara State 

government to rid the state 

of hoodlums and ensure 

peaceful coexistence. 

A leader of the Magajis 

and the Alanguas, Alhaji 

Salihu Woru Muhammed, 

spoke yesterday in Ilorin, 

the state capital, at a solidarity 

visit to Governor 

Abdulfatah Ahmed. 

Muhammed, who is also 

the Magaji Nda of Ilorin, 

said the group condemned 

the fracas that occurred in 

Ilorin between officials of 

the Nigeria Drug Law 

Enforcement Agency 

(NDLEA) and street urchins. 

The confrontation led to 

arson and destruction of 

vehicles, allegedly by the 

urchins. 

Muhammed called for 

severe punishment for the 

perpetrators of the violence, 

adding that the 

government should plan to 

prevent a recurrence. 

T 

HE Kano State government 

yesterday 

condoled with the 

families of seven persons, 

who died when a pedestrian 

bridge under construction, 

collapsed on Sunday at 

Sheikh Ja’afar Road in Doyeri 

Quarters, Kano. 

Some other persons were 

injured when the bridge collapsed 

on a taxi cab plying 

the route. 

The government commiserated 

with the families of 

the deceased and prayed for 

USPECTED Boko 

Haram members 

have killed 21 people Sin Yobe State. 

The victims were said to 

be returning home to recover 

abandoned food supplies. 

“The men, 21 of them, 

were stopped at Bultaram 

(village) by gunmen we believe 

are Boko Haram 

members, who shot them 

dead,” said Baba Nuhu, an 

official with the Gujba Local 

Government in Yobe 

N early morning fire 

yesterday destroyed 

property estimated at AN320 million at the Noma 

Oil and Cakes Company on 

Mission Road industrial 

area of Bompai in Kano 

State. 

An eyewitness, who spoke 

in confidence, told reporters 

in Kano yesterday that the 

fire started around 9 am and 

Boko Haram kills 21 in Yobe 

State. 

Nuhu and Haruna Maram, 

a brother to one of the victims, 

spoke to AFP from the 

Yobe State capital, 

Damaturu, where many 

Gujba residents have fled to 

seek refuge from Boko 

Haram violence. 

“My brother and 20 others 

wanted to bring back 

their grains to augment 

From Jide Orintunsin, 

Minna 

IGER State All Progressives 

Congress 

(APC) yesterday ac- 

Ncused the Peoples Democratic 

Party (PDP) administration 

of Dr. Mu’azu Babangida 

Aliyu of planning to set 

booby traps for the incoming 

APC government. 

In a statement yesterday in 

Minna, the state capital, by 

its Chairman Mohammed 

Imam, the party accused the 

governor of planning to 

start a mass recruitment of 

workers to weigh down the 

incoming APC administration. 

It accused Aliyu of sharing 

this year’s Hajj seats as his 

parting gifts to some of his 

cronies. 

APC said this was with the 

intent to leaving liability for 

the incoming administration. 

This year’s Hajj will likely 

hold in July or August, about 

two months after Aliyu 

would have left office. 

But the governor, through 

his Chief Press Secretary, Israel 

Ebije, described the allegation 

as “spurious, shameful 

and gross misplacement 

of agenda”. 

Aliyu said the party was 

embarking on a cheap blackmail 

to veil its sinister agenda 

against the people. 

But APC said the gover- 

their lean food supplies to 

feed their families,” Maram 

said yesterday. 

“Unfortunately, they 

were killed by (the) same 

Boko Haram we ran away 

from.” 

Gujba is one of a handful 

of districts in Yobe that Boko 

Haram captured during an 

offensive last year. 

The area has been hit by 

ttacks through the six-year 

nor’s plan was to deliberately 

create problems for the 

next administration. 

It said: “We receive with 

shock the grand plan of the 

outgoing government, 

which we consider wicked, 

callous and selfish; this has 

further shown that he has no 

interest of the state and workers 

of Niger State at heart.” 

APC alleged that the aim 

of Aliyu’s mass recruitment 

of workers was to leave behind 

a large workforce that 

would force the next administration 

to rationalise. 

The party said this would 

paint the next government in 

bad light before its supporters. 

Islamist uprising, including 

a massacre at an agricultural 

college in 2013, which targeted 

students sleeping in 

their dormitories. 

Nigeria’s military has 

claimed a series of success 

against Boko Haram in an 

operation launched in February 

with neighbouring 

Chad, Cameroon and Niger. 

Scores of towns previously 

under insurgents’ con- 

Fire destroys N320m property in Kano 

•From left: 

Former Abia 

State Deputy 

Governor Erik 

Acho 

Nwakama; 

Chairman, 

JokosOil, Chief 

Johnny 

Okosun; Emir 

of Borgu, Niger 

State, Dr 

Haliru Dantoro 

and Chief 

Mathew 

Uwakwe, 

during a 

courtesy visit 

to the Emir. 

APC: Aliyu setting traps for incoming govt 

From Kolade Adeyemi, 

Kano 

the speedy recovery of the 

injured, who are receiving 

treatment in hospital. 

In a statement by the Director 

of Press to the Governor, 

Halilu Ibrahim Dantiye, 

the government promised to 

ensure that the company 

handilng the bridge adequately 

compensates the victims 

and their families. 

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano 

lasted for four hours. 

The fire reportedly 

spread because of the oil on 

the premises. 

The eyewitness, a worker 

in the company, said he 

and his colleagues ran to a 

safe place. 

Men of the Fire Service 

battled the fire for three and 

•Allegation spurious, says governor 

Also, the statement urged 

the public to be patient and 

obey the law to avoid disasters. 

The government also 

urged various companies 

handling projects across the 

state to avoid discomfort for 

the residents. 

The police command, on 

Sunday evening, confirmed 

the death of seven persons, 

following the collapse of a 

pedestrian bridge at Dorayi 

It said: “We are also surprised 

that the governor has 

come up with the idea of recruiting 

for one University of 

Education in Minna. The 

question is: where are the 

structures for the University 

of Education beyond hiding 

under the TERTFUND 

projects of the College of Education 

in Minna? 

“If the governor can recall 

vividly, he will know that it 

was not the way he inherited 

IBB University at Lapai when 

he assumed office in 2007. You 

don’t establish an institution 

for the sake of it but for the 

fact that it meets the aspiration 

of the people and the 

structures on which it is being 

established is well conceived. 

“We want to bring it to the 

Kano govt condoles with families of collapsed bridge victims 

•Tricyclist injured in second collapse 

a half hours, it was learnt. 

“The company, which 

produces cooking oil and 

cakes for animal feeds, has 

been closed for over 10 

years. Nobody can tell the 

cause of the fire. We just saw 

the fire when it started,” the 

eyewitness said. 

Kano State Fire Service 

Director Balarabe Kabara 

said property estimated at 

Quarters in Kano. 

Command’s spokesman 

Magaji Musa Majiya, an Assistant 

Superintendent of Police 

(ASP), confirmed the incident. 

The spokesman said three, 

not seven persons, died, 

when the bridge collapsed at 

4:45 pm on a taxi. 

He also said four others 

were injured and receiving 

treatment at an undisclosed 

hospital. 

Majiya said: “...It should be 

noted that the workers on site 

N320 million were destroyed 

in the fire. 

Kabara said the items destroyed 

included pomade, 

plastic plates and dishes. 

He explained that five fire 

fighting vehicles were despatched 

to the scene to put 

out the fire. 

Kabara said the cause of 

the fire could not be immediately 

ascertained. 

forewarned motorists not to 

drive past, as construction 

work on the bridge was on. 

But the driver of the taxi was 

said to have ignored the warning. 

“So, moments after he proceeded, 

the bridge ...collapsed 

on the vehicle, leading to the 

death of seven persons.” 

The police said they had 

begun investigation. 

The second part of the 

bridge caved in yesterday, 

injuring a tricycle operator 

passing by. 

trol have reportedly been 

liberated. 

Nigeria’s military and 

President Goodluck 

Jonathan have encouraged 

those displaced by the uprising 

to return home, declaring 

much of the Northeast 

safe for resettlement. 

But community leaders in 

the embattled region have 

warned that civilians were 

still at risk of Islamist attacks, 

especially those returning 

to remote areas, such 

as Gujba. 

Security experts have cautioned 

that the Islamists are 

far from defeated and are 

still capable of launching 

hit-and-run attacks. 

Kwankwaso 

to honour youths 

for returning 

$40,000 

From Kolade Adeyemi, 

Kano 

HE Director-General 

of Kano State Hisbah 

Board, Alhaji Abba TSa’ad Sufi, has said Governor 

Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso 

will honour five outstanding 

young artisans, 

who returned $40,000 they 

picked on the street on Tudun 

Murtala Road to the 

board’s headquarters. 

Sufi, who addressed reporters 

yesterday in his office 

in Kano, also said the 

owner of the money had 

been identified and the 

money returned to him, following 

an investigation. 

The Hisbah chief described 

the youth as good 

ambassadors of the state 

and good Muslims with exemplary 

character worthy of 

emulation. 

According to him, what 

they exhibited was a demonstration 

of the real teachings 

of Islam. 

The returned dollars 

amounted to about N9 million 

when converted to current 

rate. 

Sufi said: “We, in the Hisbah, 

ensure that our people, 

particularly the youth, are 

not carried away by social 

vices. It is part of the responsibility 

of the Hisbah to ensure 

that our people engage 

in good deeds, instead of 

engaging in vices that do not 

give glory to Allah.” 

The Hisbah chief named 

the exemplary youth as 

Rabe Ammani, Abdulkadir 

Abubakar, Janadu Abdullahi, 

Bello Umar and Tahir 

Muhammad, between 20 

and 25 years. 

He said one of them was 

a cart pusher, while the others 

were local barbers. 

The Hisbah chief explained 

what happened 

when the youth returned the 

money to the board’s office. 

Our correspondent, who 

visited the scene, noted that 

the tricycle was broken into 

two. 

Majia said the incident 

happened in the early hours 

of yesterday when the tricycle 

operator was attempting 

to meander his way off the 

rough road in the area. 

The spokesman said the 

bridge suddenly collapsed on 

the tricycle operator. 

Majia said the police had 

invited the contractor handling 

the bridge for questioning.


FOREIGN NEWS 

Nepal quake: International 

aid effort stepped up 

•Death toll climbs to almost 4000 

THE international aid effort for 

Nepal is gathering pace, with 

Saturday’s huge earthquake now 

known to have killed at least 3,900 

people and injured 7,000. 

China, India, Pakistan and Britain 

are among the countries contributing 

to the effort, alongside major aid agencies. 

Nepal has asked for more help, saying 

it needs everything from helicopters 

and blankets to paramedics and 

drivers. 

At least 200 climbers have now been 

rescued around Mount Everest, after 

the quake triggered avalanches. 

Vast tent cities have sprung up in 

Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, for those 

displaced or afraid to return to their 

homes. Across the country, thousands 

spent Sunday night - their second 

night - outside. 

Much of the effort is now turning 

to recovery of bodies in and around 

Kathmandu Cremations are taking 

place near a river in Kathmandu 

The Nepalese government’s Chief 

Secretary, Lila Mani Poudyal, said his 

country was short of relief materials 

and medical teams. 

He said there was a desperate need 

for “tents, dry goods, blankets, mattresses 

and 80 different medicines”. 

“We don’t have the helicopters that 

we need or the expertise to rescue the 

•Museveni 

Museveni: Train 

Ugandan youths to 

tackle al-Shabab 

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni 

has ordered security agencies to 

re-introduce military training 

for Ugandan civilians to counter the 

threat from al-Shabab., Mr Museveni 

said that although al-Shabab was “defeated”, 

Ugandans need to guard 

against attacks. 

Uganda has more than 6,000 troops 

in Somalia as part of an African Union 

force battling the Islamist militants. 

In 2010, al-Shabab bomb attacks in 

Kampala killed at least 76 people. 

In the 1980s and 990s, Ugandan 

school leavers used to perform two 

years of national service before attending 

university. 

President Museveni said he had already 

given instructions to the relevant 

security agencies to launch the 

programme, focusing initially on the 

most vulnerable areas in the country. 

He did not give many details about 

the scheme, but Ugandan army 

spokesman Lt Col Paddy Ankunda 

said that there were no plans to arm 

the civilian population 

FRANCE and Australia have condemned 

the death penalty as executions 

for three of their na- 

tionals loom in Indonesia. 

Earlier, Australia called on Indonesia 

to delay executing two convicted 

Australian drug traffickers until corruption 

claims were investigated. 

Andrew Chan and Myuran 

Sukumaran were convicted in 2006. 

The two, along six other foreigners 

and an Indonesian, have been formally 

told of their execution. A French 

trafficker is appealing against his conviction. 

Under Indonesian law, convicts 

must be given 72 hours’ notice of execution. 

This means the executions by 

the firing squad could be carried out 

SUDAN’S President Omar al- 

Bashir has been re-elected with 

94% of the vote, according to official 

results. 

The country’s main opposition parties 

boycotted the elections, saying 

they would not be free and fair. 

Turnout was officially 46% but BBC 

Sudan analyst James Copnall says 

many believe the real figure was even 

lower. 

Mr Bashir, who has been in power 

since 1989, denies International Criminal 

Court (ICC) charges of ordering a 

•An injured person is loaded onto a rescue helicopter at Everest base camp at the aftermath of the Nepal quake. 

More than 18 climbers were killed at the camp base. PHOTO: Getty 

League, and Russia, says our correspondent. 

The ICC arrest warrant for Mr 

Bashir relates to the Darfur conflict, 

which began in 2003, and in which the 

UN estimates 300,000 people died and 

more than two million displaced. 

The African Union (AU) has rejected 

the ICC’s attempts to have him arrested, 

arguing that Mr Bashir enjoys 

presidential immunity and therefore 

cannot be tried while in office. 

In December 2014, the ICC dropped 

its investigation into the crimes, blam- 

JAPAN and the United States unveiled 

new guidelines for defence 

cooperation yesterday, reflecting 

Japan’s willingness to take on a 

more robust international role at a time 

of growing Chinese power and rising 

concerns about nuclear-armed North 

Korea. 

The first revision to the guidelines 

since 1997 allows for global cooperation 

militarily, ranging from defence 

against ballistic missile, cyber and 

space attacks and maritime security, 

following a Japanese Cabinet resolution 

last year reinterpreting Japan’s 

pacifist constitution to allow the exercise 

of the right to “collective self-defence.” 

The guidelines reflect a changing 

world and mean Japan could shoot 

down missiles heading toward the 

United States and come to the aid of 

third countries under attack. 

as early as Tuesday. 

“France and Australia share the 

same attachment to human rights and 

condemn the death penalty in all 

places and all circumstances,” the 

French presidency said in a statement 

after a meeting between French President 

Francois Hollande and Australian 

Prime Minister Tony Abbott in 

Paris. 

French convict Serge Atlaoui still 

has an appeal before the courts. France 

has warned of “consequences” if the 

execution goes ahead. 

Meanwhile, Philippine President 

Benigno Aquino appealed to Indonesian 

President Joko Widodo for “humanitarian 

consideration” in connection 

with the case of a Filipina 

people trapped.” 

The need for doctors would rise as 

more survivors were pulled from the 

rubble, he added. 

Dozens of people are also reported 

to have been killed by the earthquake 

in neighbouring China and India. 

Both countries have sent emergency 

teams to Nepal, along with Pakistan, 

which said it was dispatching four 

C130 transport planes carrying a 30- 

bed hospital. Other countries, including 

Britain, Australia and New 

Zealand are also contributing. 

However, congestion at 

Kathmandu’s airport has caused delays, 

with Indian TV reporting that 

an Indian relief flight was forced to 

turn back. 

United Nations World Food 

Programme spokeswoman Elisabeth 

Byrs told AFP that the agency planned 

“a large, massive operation”. 

Water is becoming scarce and there 

are fears that children in particular 

could be at risk of disease. Even residents 

of some of the city’s smarter 

neighbourhoods are sleeping on carpets 

and mattresses outside their 

homes. 

Aid flights are coming in rapidly 

and in fact Kathmandu airport is running 

out of parking bays, so many 

aircraft have to wait before getting 

permission to land. 

Officials have warned that the number 

of casualties could rise as rescue 

teams reach remote mountainous areas 

of western Nepal. 

Rescuers have been able to take injured 

people off Mount Everest 

On Mount Everest, clear weather 

yesterday allowed helicopters to rescue 

foreign climbers and their 

Nepalese guides who had been 

stranded by a huge avalanche. 

At least 18 people have been killed 

by avalanches on the mountain. 

U.S., Japan unveil new defence pact 

Indonesia condemned over death penalty 

Sudan’s Bashir wins by a landslide 

genocide in the Darfur conflict. 

Pro-government militias were accused 

of ethnic cleansing during the 

Darfur conflict 

Western countries, including the US, 

Britain and Norway, criticised the polls 

for not being free and fair. 

The African Union monitors said 

that basic freedoms and human rights 

would have “enhanced” the polls. 

Most Western countries will not accept 

the elections as meaningful, but 

71-year-old President Bashir can count 

on support from the likes of the Arab 

A centrepiece of Japanese Prime 

Minister Shinzo Abe’s U.S. visit this 

week, the guidelines are part of Abe’s 

wider signal that Japan is ready to take 

more responsibility for its security as 

China modernizes its military and 

flexes its muscles in Asia. 

In return, the conservative Japanese 

leader, who is scheduled to meet U.S. 

President Barack Obama today, has 

been seeking fresh assurances that 

America comes to Japan’s aid if necessary 

in a clash with China. 

A joint statement issued after the 

meeting “reconfirmed the alliance’s 

commitment to the security of Japan,” 

as well as Japan’s sovereignty over islets 

in the East China Sea known as the 

Senkakus in Japan and the Diaoyus in 

China, the subject of a bitter territorial 

dispute. 

The surge in China’s military spending 

since 1997, when the last U.S.-Japan 

defence cooperation guidelines 

were issued, and its more assertive 

stance in maritime and territorial disputes 

has uneased both Japan and U.S. 

allies in Southeast Asia. 

Announced after a meeting of the 

U.S. and Japanese foreign and defence 

ministers in New York, the guidelines 

eliminate geographic restrictions that 

had largely limited joint work to the 

defence of Japan and the surrounding 

area, a senior U.S. official said. 

The changes would allow greater 

coordination and information sharing, 

for example, in missile defence, 

and allow Japan to shoot down any 

missiles heading for U.S. territory or 

to defend U.S. ships engaged in missile-defence 

in the vicinity of Japan, 

he said. 

They would also allow increased cooperation 

in cyber security and defence 

of assets in space, the U.S. official said. 

woman, Mary Jane Veloso, who is 

also on death row for drug-trafficking 

offences. 

Mr Widodo’s spokesman said he 

was “sympathetic” and was consulting 

the attorney general on legal issues. 

Australia made last-minute pleas 

on behalf of the two Australian men 

to delay their execution until a corruption 

investigation into their case 

was complete. 

But on Monday evening, 

Indonesia’s attorney general confirmed 

that the nine death row convicts 

would be executed as planned, 

without giving an indication of when 

the executions would be likely to take 

place. 

•Bashir 

ing inaction by the UN Security Council. 

President Jonathan 

commiserates 

with Nepal 

quake victims 

ON behalf of the government 

and people of Nigeria, President 

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan 

extends sincere condolences to the government 

and people of Nepal over the 

loss of thousands of lives in the devastating 

earthquake that has occurred in 

the country. 

President Jonathan notes that the 

tragedy has caused deep sorrow, not 

just for the Nepalese but all humanity. 

The President assures the government 

and people of Nepal of the deepest 

sympathy and solidarity of the 

people of Nigeria as they mourn those 

who lost their lives to the earthquake 

and begin the onerous task of rehabilitating 

survivors and rebuilding 

affected parts of their country. 

President Jonathan also assures the 

Nepalese government of Nigeria's 

preparedness to join other sympathetic 

nations in assisting the people 

of Nepal to overcome the damage and 

destruction caused by the earthquake. 

Pope calls for aid 

for quake victims 

POPE Francis has led prayers in 

St. Peter’s Square for the dead 

and displaced from the massive 

earthquake in Nepal and surrounding 

areas. 

Francis called for assistance for the 

survivors during his weekly Sunday 

blessing. He said he was praying for 

the victims, the injured and “all those 

who are suffering from this calamity,” 

and asked that they have the “support 

and fraternal solidarity” they need. 

On Saturday, the Vatican secretary 

of state sent a formal telegram of condolences 

seeking to encourage rescue 

crews and comfort the survivors. 

Saturday’s magnitude 7.8 earthquake 

left at least 1,900 people dead, spreading 

horror from Kathmandu to small 

villages and to the slopes of Mount 

Everest, triggering an avalanche that 

buried part of the base camp packed 

with foreign climbers. 

Togo president 

ahead in polls 

TOGO’S incumbent President 

Faure Gnassingbe appeared set 

for a third term after a 

weekend election, with partial results 

issued on Monday giving him a 

strong lead. 

The Independent National Electoral 

Commission (CENI) said Gnassingbe 

had won 62 percent of the vote, far 

ahead of his nearest rival Jean-Pierre 

Fabre, who took 32 percent with about 

12 percent of ballots counted. 

Up to around 55 percent of the 

country’s 3.5 million voters turned out 

on Saturday, according to the CENI, 

which has five days to announce the 

final outcome. 

Turnout was significantly lower 

than in 2010, when nearly two thirds 

of registered voters took part. 

Experts had said the narrow chance 

of a loss for Gnassingbe would depend 

on a massive voter turnout, but civil 

society groups said participation rates 

were “very weak”. 

results came from 934 of a total of 

8,994 polling stations in six regions of 

the country, a long strip of land that 

lies between Ghana and Benin, the 

commission said. 

Gnassingbe has been in power since 

the death of his father, Gnassingbe 

Eyadema, in 2005, winning contested 

elections that year and five years later. 

His father came to power in 1967, 

and ruled the country with an iron 

fist. When he died in February 2005, 

the army put his son in power, 

causing an outcry. Faure Gnassingbe 

resigned and then won a hastily 

organised election. 

Analysts say divisions within the 

opposition five-party coalition 

Combat for Political Change (CAP 

2015) combined with the benefits of 

incumbency made Fabre’s prospects 

of victory very dim.

60 

NEWS 


The multi-billion dollar scam in NNPC, by auditors 


may still require third party 

liabilities to meet costs of operations 

and subsidies, and 

may not be able to make any 

remittances to FAAC.” 

It, therefore, recommended 

that the “NNPC model of operation 

must be urgently reviewed 

and restructured, as the 

current model, which has been 

in operation since the creation 

of the Corporation, cannot be 

sustained”. 

PwC also established that a 

“determination is required as to 

whether all or a portion of other 

costs not directly attributable 

to crude oil operations can be 

defrayed by NNPC”. 

It recommended that the 

NNPC be required to disclose 

details of all existing liabilities 

and impact on proceeds of future 

crude oil sales. 

PwC said: “Accordingly, all 

the Corporations costs, and 

those of its loss making subsidiaries 

have been defrayed in the 

analysis provided by the Corporation 

for the review period. 

However, the profit making 

subsidiaries and dividends received 

have been excluded from 

the analysis provided. This suggests 

that there are other sources 

of net revenues available to 

the Corporation not currently 

disclosed. A proper estimate of 

the actual potential excess remittance/under-remittance 

can 

only be arrived at if all revenues 

and all costs of the Corporation 

and all its subsidiaries are accounted 

for in a consolidated 

position. A detailed review of 

this was beyond the scope of our 

mandate. 

“We, therefore, recommend 

that NNPC be required to disclose 

the consolidated position 

of the Group and its subsidiaries, 

and expected remittances to 

the Federation accounts be determined 

from the available 

consolidated net revenues. Furthermore, 

the nature of costs 

that are allowable should be predetermined 

by all relevant 

parties. 

“We also recommend that the 

NNPC Act be reviewed as the 

content contradicts the requirement 

for NNPC to be run as a 

commercially viable entity. It 

appears the act has given the 

Corporation a ‘blank’ cheque 

to spend money without limit 

or control. This is untenable 

and unsustainable and must be 

addressed immediately. The 

Corporation should be required 

to create value, and 

meet its expenses entirely from 

the value created. 

“Proceeds from the FGN’s 

crude oil sales should be remitted 

entirely to the Federation 

Account. Commisions for the 

Corporation services can then 

be paid based on agreed 

terms.” 

It added: “We also expect that 

NPDC should remit dividends 

to NNPC and ultimately the 

Federation Account, based on 

NPDC’s dividend policy and 

declaration of dividend for the 

review period.We did not have 

access to NPDC’s full accounts 

and records and we have not 

ascertained the amount of costs 

and expenses which should be 

applied to the $5.11billion 

Crude Oil revenue (net of royalties 

and PPT paid) per the 

NPDC submission to the Senate 

Committee hearing in order 

to arrive at the Net Revenue 

(in line with the AG’s Opinion), 

which should be subjected 

to dividend remittance.We 

are also not aware that NPDC 

declared dividend for the review 

period. 

These matters need to be followed 

up for final resolution 

in terms of the NPDC Net Revenue 

(dividend) for Crude Oil 

relating to the transfers, PPT 

and royalty unremitted, and 

the transfer price valuation and 

remittance.” 

The auditors’ other findings 

include “possible errors in the 

computation of crude oil prices 

at the NNPC that resulted in 

a $3.6 million shortfall in incomes 

to the Federation Account. 

“The major beneficiaries were 

Fujairah Refinery - $805,545, 

NNPC (KRPC/WRPC) – 

$697,995 and NNPC (COMD) - 

$2,107,275. Subsequent to our 

identification of this issue, 

NNPC has amended the errors, 

and have reflected the amendments 

in the remittances to 

FAAC in October 2014.” 

The report uncovered iregularities 

in Kerosine subsidy. It 

said: “Our review of the DPK 

sales process revealed that 

NNPC sells DPK to bulk DPK 

marketers in Nigeria at N40.90 

per litre at a location on the 

coastal waterways (off shore 

Lagos). The expected/official 

regulated retail price of DPK in 

Nigeria is N50 per litre. This 

retail price of N50 comprises 

the ex-depot price of N34.51 and 

a margin of N15.49. NNPC 

should be required to explain 

the reason for selling DPK at 

N40.90, rather than the regulated 

Ex-depot price of N34.51. The 

Corporation should also be 

required to explain the reason 

for selling DPK to bulk DPK 

marketers at a location on the 

coastal waterways (off shore 

Lagos) rather than at the incountry 

depots.” 

The auditors criticised the accounting 

and reconciliation system 

for crude oil revenues used 

by government agencies as “inaccurate 

and weak”. “We noted 

significant discrepancies in 

data from different sources. The 

lack of independent audit and 

reconciliation led to over reliance 

on data produced from 

NNPC. This matter is further 

compounded by the lack of independence 

within NNPC as 

the business has conflicting interests 

of being a stand-alone 

self-funding entity and also the 

main source of revenue to the 

Federation Account,” they said. 

ment. 

Oluboyo’s confirmation took 

a short time after the speaker announced 

to members that he had 

been nominated by Mimiko. 

Oluboyo was later sworn in by 

the Chief Judge at an event attended 

by the Chief Imam of 

Akure, Alhaji Abdulakeem 

Mimiko gets new deputy as Ondo House sacks Olanusi 


Olanusi’s Impeachment can’t stand, says APC 


shall also cause any statement 

made in reply to the allegation 

by the holder of the office…”. 

Akinyelure said the above 

provision was not complied 

with or observed by the 

House of Assembly before 

the deputy governor was illegally 

or unconstitutionally 

removed from office. 

At the time the impeachment 

begun about fortnight 

ago, the vice chairman said 

the deputy governor had travelled 

out of the country for 

medical check-up, noting that 

the House did not serve the 

notice of impeachment on 

him or place it in any national 

daily as required by the 

1999 Constitution. 

Akinyelure also accused the 

Assembly of violating Section 

188(6) of the Constitution, 

which states that the holder of 

the office, whose conduct “is 

being investigated under this 

section shall have the right to 

defend himself in person or 

be represented before the 

panel on inquiry by a legal 

practitioner of his own 

choice”. 

As required under Section 

188 (6) of the 1999 Constitution, 

Akinyelure said the deputy 

governor was not offered 

the opportunity to defend 

himself, noting that he was 

not in the county when the 

impeachment proceedings 

started. 

He said the deputy governor 

“has not returned to Nigeria 

since he travelled out”. 

Akorede. 

Mimiko assured the people 

that the change would not have 

a negative impact on the state. 

The governor said the impeachment 

enjoyed the support 

of the state government and the 

people. 

PDP praised the Assembly for 

impeaching Olanusi. 

A statement by its Director of 

“He was not given opportunity 

to defend himself. And the 

panel has three months to conclude 

its assignment as indicated 

in section 188(7)(b), out 

of which it has not exhausted 

two weeks. Why is the panel 

acted in a hurry? Why can it 

follow due process?” 

The APC chieftain also accused 

the lawmakers of 

breaching Section 188 (2)(b) of 

the 1999 Constitution, which 

states that “the holder of such 

office is guilty of gross misconduct 

in performance of the 

functions of his office detailed 

particulars of which shall be 

provided.” 

Akinyelure said the impeachment 

did not comply 

with this provision, noting 

that it did not show substantive 

particulars of impeachable 

offences brought against 

him. 

On these grounds, the vice 

chairman argued Olanusi’s 

impeachment “left so much to 

be desired and that the decision 

of the panel would not 

stand.” The party would challenge 

illegal impeachment of 

the deputy governor,” Akinyelure 

said. 

The Ondo State APC also 

described the impeachment as 

“temporary.” 

In a statement by Publicity 

secretary Abayomi Adesanya, 

the party said it is laughable 

that the rubber stamp House 

of Assembly could hurriedly 

impeach the deputy governor 

and accept the nomination of 

another person in haste. 

The statement reads: “the 

Publicity, Ayo Fadaka, said for 

any governor to progress in his 

administrative duties, he must 

have a loyal and committed deputy 

governor. 

The PDP said: “Party takes absolute 

cognisance of the impeachment 

of Alhaji Ali Olanusi as Deputy 

Governor and commends the 

House of Assembly for its tenacity 

in prosecuting this action. 

impeachment of Alhaji Ali 

Olanusi as the deputy governor 

of Ondo State is temporary. 

The whole process of the 

impeachment was a sham and 

charade. How on earth will a 

deputy governor be impeached 

within five days? 

“It shows that there were 

unholy alliance among Governor 

Olusegun Mimiko, 

Chief Judge, Olasehinde Kumuyi 

and the governor’s 

stooges who call themselves 

lawmakers to embark on illegal 

process to impeach the 

deputy governor. 

“It was clear to the people 

that before the directive of the 

State Assembly Speaker to 

serve Olanusi the impeachment 

notice, the embattled 

deputy governor was not in 

the state. Without any court 

order, the Speaker directed 

them to paste the notice on 

the quarters of the deputy 

governor and this is unlawful. 

“The Chief Judge sets up a 

panel and a panel that was 

expected to sit for three 

months by giving room for 

fair hearing with the parties 

involved, only sat for five 

hours just because they have 

instructions for them to act 

upon. 

“We insist that the newly 

sworn-in Deputy Governor, 

Alhaji Laisisi Oluboyo, will 

only be there temporary as we 

still have faith in the judiciary 

that illegality perpetrated 

by the State Assembly will be 

set aside very soon”. 

“It is important to declare that 

the Parliament displayed its commitment 

to good governance that 

will be bereft of undue encumberances 

by removing from office a 

man who not only discharge his 

responsibilities with levity and 

mostly in abeyance, but also view 

with disdain his oath of office to 

bear true allegiance to the government 

he was an integral part of.”


NATION SPORT 

INTERVIEW... INTERVIEW... INTERVIEW... INTERVIEW... 

Okocha: I enjoyed 

every single moment 

61 

A legend of Nigerian football, former Paris Saint-Germain playmaker 

Augustine “Jay-Jay” Okocha was back in France last week for the 

12th Match Against Poverty. Answering the call of Zinedine Zidane 

and Ronaldo, the men behind this unique initiative, the 41-year-old 

lit up the star-studded event and showed he had lost none of his 

magical skills. 

Sitting down for an interview with FIFA.com, the inimitable Jay Jay 

also showed that his sense of humour remains very much intact. 

Displaying a love of life and for the game, the Nigerian great, who 

appeared in three FIFA World Cup competitions and won the CAF 

African Cup of Nations in 1994 and Olympic gold two years later in 

Atlanta, remains as much of an entertainer as he always was. 

WHAT does it mean 

to you to take part in 

a charity match like 

this? 

Jay Jay Okocha: This event 

means a lot to me. It’s an opportunity 

for us footballers, 

who’ve enjoyed all the advantages 

life has to offer, to 

give something back to 

people in need. It’s a great 

and beautiful initiative. 

How much pleasure do 

you get from being able to 

play again in front of a large 

crowd? 

A lot. It’s a special feeling 

and it’s something you 

miss. It’s wonderful to have 

the chance to relive it all 

again, to run and play, to 

express yourself on the 

pitch, and all without any 

pressure on you either. I 

was very excited about it. 

What’s your happiest 

memory of your career as a 

player? 

I’ve got quite a few and it’s 

impossible for me to pick out 

one in particular. Every second 

I’ve spent on the pitch is a good 

memory for me, every moment 

when I’ve been able to 

express myself with the ball. I 

enjoyed every single moment 

of my footballing career, for 

every club I played with. I’ve 

got nothing but good memories. 

You played for Eintracht 

Frankfurt, Fenerbahce, Paris 

Saint-Germain, Bolton Wanderers 

and Hull City during 

your career. Is there one club 

that’s especially close to your 

heart? 

Yes, there is one that is particularly 

important to me… 

just don’t expect me to tell you 

who it is (laughs)! I don’t want 

to disappoint the other clubs, 

who also mean a lot to me. I’m 

keeping my secret. 

And do you have a favourite 

goal out of all the ones you 

scored? 

Yes, the one I got for Frankfurt 

against Karlsruhe in 1993 

stands out a little for me. I was 

very young and I hadn’t made 

a name for myself yet. Klaus 

Toppmoller was my coach at 

the time and he started me on 

the bench for that game, which 

I wasn’t especially pleased 

about. We were 2-1 up when 

he finally decided to put me 

on. We were under pressure 

and my job was to keep the 

ball, but we put a break together 

and I suddenly found 

myself in the opposition penalty 

box with four or five defenders 

facing me. I just 

dribbled with the ball, going 

one way and then the next before 

putting the ball past the 

keeper, who was none other 

than Oliver Kahn. 

That goal said a lot about 

how skilful you were, but do 

you feel you missed out on 

achieving something big in 

your career? 

Yes, I feel like that about Nigeria, 

especially the 1994 

World Cup. I really think we 

could have sprung a surprise, 

but at the time we didn’t know 

just how good we were. It was 

our first world finals and we 

settled for that. Looking back, 

though, I’m convinced we had 

the potential to shock the 

whole world. 

It’s [football] a religion in my 

country. It unites the whole 

country as one. 

Former Nigeria star Jay Jay 

Okocha 

What does football mean in 

Nigeria? 

It’s a religion in my country. 

It unites the whole country as 

one. If the football goes well, 

then everything goes well. It’s 

more than a game, more than 

a sport. It’s part of our culture. 

What’s your view on the 

state of the game in Nigeria? 

You can’t be completely satisfied 

with the situation at the 

moment. We’re lacking a bit 

of consistency, but there’s 

plenty of work being done at 

the top. We’ve been through 

some tough times, but the 

good thing is that we’re a big 

country with a lot of talented 

players. We just need to get 

the right structures in place 

so that the light can shine for 

good. 

And what about African 

football? Do you think African 

teams are closing the gap 

on the big European and 

South American sides? 

I think so, but the problem 

is that we still settle for very 

little. We celebrate a World 

Cup quarter-final place when 

it’s not enough. You have to 

go further. The gap has closed 

a lot, though. African teams 

are getting harder and harder 

to beat, and that’s a fact. 

Who’s the best African 

player in the game right 

now? 

I’d say Yaya Toure. He’s the 

most consistent performer. 

And then there’s Jay-Jay of 

course (laughs)! 

Nigeria won the last FIFA 

U-17 World Cup and their U- 

20 side are the reigning African 

champions in the age 

group. Are we seeing the 

emergence of another golden 

generation? 

I think so, but we have to 

make sure that these youngsters 

can kick on. If we’re going 

to do that, we must give 

them support and encouragement. 

If we don’t give them 

the right backing, then it’s just 

going to be the same old story. 

We have youth teams that 

have shone in the past but 

which haven’t been able to 

push on at senior level. Let’s 

try and protect this emerging 

generation of players and help 

them mature. I think it’s important 

that we set up structures 

that allow us to achieve 

the kind of continuity we’ve 

always needed. 

Can you see a new Jay-Jay 

Okocha coming along in that 

new generation? 

One thing’s for sure: there’s 

an awful lot of talent among 

those youngsters. No two 

players are the same, though. 

Every player has their own 

attributes, characteristics and 

flaws, and their own story too. 

Are you thinking of going 

into coaching one day? 

No, not for the moment. I’m 

more interested in the executive 

positions. I prefer to be 

the one who appoints them 

and tells them what to do 

(laughs)! 

You see yourself as the presidential 

type, then? 

Why not? Yes. In fact, I’ve 

just been named the chairman 

of the Delta State Football 

Association, which I’m delighted 

about. Who knows 

what the future has in store, 

though?


THE NATION TUESDAY, APRIL, 28, 2015 

SPORT EXTRA 

Details of the NFF Nike 

contract revealed 

IT manufacturing giants, 

Nike, is to supply 

kits to the value of K$750,000 to the various National 

Teams of Nigeria in the 

first year of the contract recently 

signed with the Nigeria 

Football Federation 

(NFF). 

Details of the contract, 

signed in London last Thursday, 

showed that the products 

value would increase in 

the second year, with the 

American company committed 

to supplying kits to the 

tune of $1million to the Nigeria 

National Teams. 

They will supply kits worth 

the sum of $1million to the 

National Teams in the years 

2017 and 2018. 

The three-and-half year contract 

was signed by NFF 

President Amaju Pinnick and 

General Secretary 

Mohammed Sanusi, with 

Tina Salminen, Nike’s African 

Football Sports Marketing 

Director, representing the 

American behemoth. 

There are also various bonuses 

specified for any of the 

National Teams that qualifies 

for major international 

championships, with the Super 

Eagles to earn up to the 

sum of $500,000 at the 2018 

FIFA World Cup finals in 

Russia. 

“We are comfortable with 

the contract, because Nike 

came across during the negotiations 

as being fluid 

and ready to listen to our 

demands. That is always 

the key aspect; you always 

need a partner with a listening 

ear. 

“Nigeria football is 

happy to associate with a 

global leader and I am 

much convinced this is just 

the beginning. As we go 

‘What Flying Eagles must do’ 

ITH most Nigerians 

tipping them to be 

the first Nigerian WU20 boys’ team to win the 

FIFA U20 World Cup, Flying 

Eagles coach Manu Garba has 

outlined what they must do 

to have the expected impact 

in New Zealand. 

Speaking to SL10.ng, the 

former Golden Eaglets coach 

says there has to be a lot more 

to the team, for them to win 

the competition. 

“The things we must do to 

achieve success in New 

Zealand are first of all, 

good preparation, which 

I think we are having at the 

moment,” he said. “Then of 

course there has to be hard 

work from both the players 

and the coaches. 

“There also has to be 

team discipline and transparency 

in the way we select 

the players. We must 

make sure we select the best 

players for every match,” 

he said of him and his assistants. 

along, NIKE may also be willing 

to partner with some of our 

domestic Clubs and even the 

League Management Company,” 

Pinnick said.arry on my good 

form to show what I am capable 

of to the teams watching me for 

next season,'' Troost-Ekong concluded. 

The 21 - year - old stopper, 

who becomes a free agent in the 

summer, is on 

the radar of teams based in the 

United Kingdom and Holland. 

Zenith Bank WBL 

•AHIP seeks win after Benue Princess loss 

By Adeyinka Adedipe 

HE Adolescent Health 

and Information 

Project (AHIP) Queens Tof Kano blew their chance of 

winning their first game yesterday 

as they lost 45-58 in 

the Zenith Bank Women Basketball 

League at the sports 

hall of the National Stadium, 

Abuja. 

The Kano girls had a fantastic 

third quarter, recovering 

from a poor first half 

where they trailed by 20 

points (10-30) reducing the 

deficit to (7 points) 32-39 going 

into the final quarter, but 

their challenge broke down 

in the final quarter as the Patience 

Idoko-led Benue Princess 

ran away with the hardearned 

victory. 

However, inspirational 

performance from Idoko who 

Oshoala inspires 

Liverpool to victory 

SUPER Falcons’ youngster 

Asisat Oshoala was 

in impressive form 

scoring Liverpool Ladies' 

first goal against Manchester 

City Ladies in their 

Sunday 

April 26th FA Women's Super 

League match held at the 

Select Stadium. 

Oshoala's goal came in the 

12th minute, provoking the 

visitors into a revenge run 

that was rewarded nine minutes 

into the second half 

through Nikita Parris . 

Liverpool’s winner came 

finished with a double 

double, 16 points,11 rebounds 

and 14 points from 

team mate Cynthia Gbihi, 

ensured second win of the 

season for the Benue Princess. 

Speaking after the match, 

head coach of the AHIP 

Queens, William Morrison 

said his team was gradually 

getting into their stride and 

their focus is securing a 

place in the Final eight. 

"We have prepared and 

worked hard for this moment. 

We just need to find 

our feet and we will start 

winning our games". 

Idoko believes her team 

can get better this season if 

they play together. "If we 

can play together I believe 

we can make the Final 

eight. We are playing First 

63 

though a 58th minute Line 

Smorsgard strike, assisted 

by an Oshoala arrangement. 

The match ended 2-1 in 

favour of the hosts. 

Having had a consistent 

playing time for a club she 

joined at the beginning 

of the year, Oshoala is now 

eyeing the golden boot, with 

Sunday’s goal being her second 

of the season, one behind 

the duo of Gemma Davison 

and Rachel Williams. 

The win saw Liverpool 

jumped to third on the ladder. 

Deepwater tomorrow and 

it's going to be five players 

against five so we have 

nothing to fear". 

As Benue Princess get set 

for their next encounter 

against the former fourtime 

champion, First 

Deepwater, AHIP Queens 

will be have a day of rest 

and enough time to prepare 

for Plateau Rocks on 

Wednesday. 

Also, Oluyole Babes, who 

once struggled in past seasons, 

got their second win 

in a roll after defeating 

Taraba Hurricanes 47-22. 

The Stephen Ogunleye tutored 

girls coasted to 

victory courtesy 18 points 

from Bose Amoo, while 

Tobi Ogedengbe added 10 

points and 8 rebounds in the 

one sided encounter. 

•Iheanacho 

FA YOUTH CUP FINAL: 

Iheanacho scores 

again for City 

FBy Akeem Lawal 

LYING Eagles coach 

Manu Garba got cheering 

news ahead of the 

FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 

New Zealand, as striker 

Kelechi Iheanacho demonstrated 

his return to match fitness 

by scoring for Manchester 

City’s Under-18 side in a 

2-1 loss to Chelsea U-18s in 

the final of the FA Youth Cup, 

played at the Stamford Bridge 

Monday night. 

There were doubts whether 

the Golden Ball winner at the 

2013 FIFA Under-17s would 

be allowed to attend the Flying 

Eagles’ training camp in 

Germany, ahead of the Under-20 

World Cup after missing 

City’s 3-1 loss in the first 

leg to the defending champions 

Chelsea. 

The 18 year-old, however, 

showed a glimpse of what to 

expect from him in New 

Zealand by giving Manchester 

City the lead on his FA 

Youth Cup debut as early as 

the 7th minute of the encounter 

in front of 10, 969 fans. 

Aron Nemane broke forward 

down the right and his 

cross was met well at the near 

post by Iheanacho to knock 

the ball in past Bradley Collins. 

The Nigerian, despite his 

documented inexperience, 

provided City with the most 

potent threat throughout 

what was a wholly impressive 

display for the youngster.

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.10 NO. 3198 

ACK in 1986, I served with Uche 

Chukwumerije and about a dozen other senior 

media figures on the Publicity Advi- Bsory Committee for the National Population Census, 

at the instance of Tola Adeniyi, the commissioner 

for public affairs and communications at 

the National Population Commission. 

After general introductions at the Committee’s 

inauguration, Chukwumerije had walked up to 

me and told me how much he admired my weekly 

column for The Guardian, and how he looked forward 

to each installment. I told him how I had 

treasured his pan-African newsmagazine Afriscope, 

and how I had served as its University of Lagos 

stringer and had been generously compensated 

for my effort. 

That encounter was the beginning of what went 

beyond mere acquaintanceship, though it would 

be claiming too much to call it a friendship. 

Shortly after he was named Secretary for Information 

in the Transitional Council, he came to my 

office at Rutam House one late afternoon, unannounced. 

Preliminaries over, he told me he had 

come to seek my help and that of “my boys” in 

carrying out his duties as Secretary for Information. 

“Not so fast, Uche,” I said. “You didn’t consult 

me before taking the job, and now you are asking 

me to help you make a success of it. Tell me: Why 

did you accept the job?” 

Chukwumerije said he had agonised over the 

offer and had consulted with his comrades in the 

progressive community – he named the activist 

Baba Omojola specifically – and they had all advised 

him to accept the offer because if he did not, 

it might go to someone who could not bring to the 

office the ideas and ideals for which Chukwumerije 

stood. Besides, they had told him that the best 

way to change the system was from within. 

“What if, on taking office, you find that the government 

is pursuing an agenda different from the 

one you had been appointed to execute?” I asked. 

“No way,” Chukwumerije said. He had raised 

that very question with Babangida, and had made 

it abundantly clear that he would resign if he found 

that the government was pursuing a hidden 

agenda, he said. Babangida had in turn assured 

him that he harboured no hidden agenda, and was 

resolutely committed to handing over to a democratically 

elected government on August 27, 1993. 

As proof of his earnestness, Chukwumerije said, 

Babangida had pulled out a drawer from his desk 

and reached for a copy of the Quran to swear by, 

but could find none. 

“How very convenient,” I said. “You believe 

him?” 

“C’mon, Tunji, you are too far gone in your 

cynicism. If you don’t believe him, you should at 

least believe me.” 

He assured me, as he said he had assured 

Babangida, that he would resign if he found that 

he was being used to pursue a scheme he had not 

bargained for. 

“That’s good enough for me, Uche. What do 

you want of me?” 

RIPPLES 

NIGERIAN BEATEN TO STATE OF 

COMA BY POLICE IN ASIAN 

COUNTRY–News 

Luck chap, here NIGERIANS are beaten to 

‘STATE OF FULL STOP! 

OMMENT & D 

COMMENT 

OLATUNJI DARE 

AT HOME 

ABROAD 

& DEB 

EBATE 

olatunji.dare@thenationonlineng.net 

Remembering Uche 

Chukwumerije 

•The late Chukwumerije 

“Call me to order, rebuke me publicly whenever 

you feel that I am straying from the ideals we 

share,” he said. 

“I will do better than that,” I told him. “I will 

remonstrate with you privately. I will not go public 

unless you make private discussion impossible.” 

We sealed the deal with a handshake. We rarely 

met thereafter, but kept in touch through his special 

assistant, Dr Dokun Bojuwade, since deceased. 

The Transitional Council, comprising many eminent 

Nigerians from a class and an era that military 

president Ibrahim Babangida had spent the previous 

eight years excoriating, was charged with supervising 

the last nine months of his political transition 

programme that had lost momentum and 

credibility. He had manipulated the programme 

so often and in so many ways that it seemed to 

have become an end in itself, a journey to nowhere. 

Even as the programme muddled its way towards 

the June 1993 presidential election that was 

billed as its culmination, proxy groups established 

and financed by the military regime were staging 

rallies and employing every platform to urge 

Babangida to continue in office. And Babangida 

R 

ADICAL Lagos pastor Tunde Bakare 

has come up with a prayer perhaps 

only his inimitable self can pray: “My 

sincere prayer is that,” he prayed his prayer, 

“not all those who helped Gen. Buhari to win 

the elections will help him run the government”! 

That is Pastor Bakare’s latest prayer release 

from his Akilo, Ogba big house of prayer — 

and his congregants must have lapped it up, 

the diktat of the man of God! 

Now, how’s that? In the secular world, that 

prayer would qualify for basic inequity — 

for is that not praying that whoever sowed 

should not reap? 

Should it not also translate into prayerful 

iniquity on the ecclesiastical plane, if God is 

not man and man is not God, even if there 

are trumpeted (wo)men of God, who nevertheless 

delude themselves by playing God? 

And pray, where is the place of that part of 

the scripture, which stresses divine grace and 

never human accomplishment, by saying, 

without the grace of God, all is as clean as a 

filthy rag? Perhaps that never has any appeal 

in Bakarean theology, as the radical evangelical 

petrel unleashes Bakarean prayers and 

even prophecies, from his blessed pulpit! 

Recall, 1999. The equally controversial 

Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo had just won the 

Nigerian presidency. Bakare was perhaps 

piqued by Obasanjo’s monumental betrayal 

of the June 12 cause, as MKO Abiola lost both 

himself was lending them every encouragement. 

It was in the context of this pervasive uncertainty 

in the weeks leading to the presidential election that 

I asked Bojuwade to tell Chukwumerije that I needed 

to see him, persuaded that he would be in a position 

to help resolve my doubts. 

I met him at his official residence in Ikoyi, Lagos, 

in the afternoon of Friday, June 4, 1993, seven days 

to the presidential election. Dispensing with the 

usual preliminaries, I asked Chukwumerije pointedly 

whether the election would hold. 

He said he could not answer categorically, but 

that the indications were that there would be no 

election. He said he was flying to Abuja the next 

day, Saturday, to return to Lagos the following 

Tuesday. If I looked him up the day after, he would 

be in a position to tell me categorically whether the 

election would hold or not. 

Chukwumerije did not return to Lagos that Tuesday, 

and I never saw him again. That very day, the 

Abuja High Court, Justice Bassey Ikpeme presiding, 

ordered NEC Chairman Humphrey Nwosu and 

the Federal Government to appear the following 

day, June 8, to show why the presidential election 

scheduled for June 12 should hold. 

Two days later, on June 10, in the dead of night, 

Justice Ikpeme issued an injunction blocking the 

election. But this was not a blanket ban, for she 

added that NEC was free to ignore her order since, 

as the law stood, the court lacked jurisdiction in the 

matter. 

Against all odds, the election took place. When it 

seemed clear that Bashorun MKO Abiola of the 

Social Democratic Party was headed for a landslide 

victory, Babangida hid behind a battery of 

suborned judges and revanchist shysters to annul 

it. 

Chukwumerije was not a party to the annulment. 

He first learned of it, I gather, from a reporter who 

sought his reaction to it. He had dismissed the 

question as an unseemly joke, until the reporter as- 

HARDBALL 

Ecclesiastical 

spite? 

his presidential mandate and, eventually, his 

life. Besides, the trio in the Bakarean drama 

— MKO, Obasanjo and Bakare — are ethnic 

Egba. Well, all politics is local! 

So, perhaps brimming with ecclesiastical 

rage, the stormy Bakare went ahead to predict 

— no, that is secular! — prophesy: Obasanjo 

would somehow not consummate his mandate! 

That requiem of the futurologist (though 

of a chartered spiritual hue!), apologies to Prof. 

Wole Soyinka, held a troubled nation spellbound, 

and kept Obasanjo friends and fiends 

on sheer tenterhooks. 

Well, perhaps that prophesy would come 

true tomorrow? O, sure! It could well be that 

more powerful bleat of prayers eventually 

overthrew that dire prophesy? Or that it had 

really come to pass since, not a few would 

reason, after eight years of presidential power, 

Obasanjo himself had badly unravelled? Or 

just that God’s grace, which is sufficient for 

all, just punctured the virtual fatwa. 

Whatever it was, the notorious fact is that 

the Ebora Owu did not only consummate his 

first term, he gifted himself another four 

years, and, by the third-term gambit, even 

ogled an illicit third and, after failing, had 

TODAY IN THE NATION 

“Let security chiefs be appointed solely on 

merit; not on their perceived duplicity to 

subvert the law against the political 

opposition” 

OLAKUNLE ABIMBOLA 

sured that he was in earnest. 

But whether he was party to it or not, I had 

expected Chukwumerije to resign from the Transitional 

Council, based on the discussions we had 

held some six months earlier. 

Not only did he not resign, he championed the 

annulment with messianic zeal, the kind of fervor 

with which he had promoted the Biafran cause to 

stunning success and acclaim. With each passing 

day, he came across more and more like a Stalinist, 

bearing little resemblance to the engaging and amiable 

Marxist Comrade gifted with a rich, sometimes 

deprecating sense of humour, penetrating 

insights, a dialectical imagination, and a capacity 

for friendship across Nigeria’s treacherous cleavages. 

He dredged up footage on the civil disturbances 

of the First Republic and on the Nigerian civil war 

to inflict on the public a psychosis of fear. 

Listening to broadcasts on Radio Nigeria or 

watching news and current affairs programmes 

of the Nigeria Television Authority then, you 

thought you had been transported back in time to 

Albania and Radio Tirana in the days of Enver 

Hoxa. 

Here, to cite just one example, is the doctrine 

Chukwumerije enunciated in a meeting with proprietors, 

no doubt as a warning to the so-called 

Lagos-Ibadan axis, the critical posture of which he 

resented passionately: “Publication that subverts 

the national interest (as defined by the regime) “removes 

the publisher from the realm of proprietary 

rights and places him in the terrain of treason”. 

In another context, he charged that some sections 

of the press were being suborned “to incite 

communal mistrust” and hinted that tough new 

measures were afoot to replace the extant laws 

that did not provide “adequate regulatory safeguards.” 

The measures would surface later as 

Decree 43, a throwback to Tudor’s England. 

But that dark era does not and cannot define 

Uche Chukwumerije, who died last week, aged 75. 

Nor can it define his place in Nigeria’s history. It 

was but an episode in an otherwise productive 

and inspiring life of public service. Babangida’s 

silence at his passing is telling indeed, but it reflects 

more on the self-styled “evil genius” than on 

his former cabinet minister who had served him so 

dutifully. 

Chukwumerije gave Nigeria its first intellectually 

oriented pan-African newsmagazine. He was 

a committed socialist activist, eloquent advocate 

for the downtrodden, and as a member of the Senate 

and chair of its Education Committee, a firstrate 

legislator. 

Hail and farewell. 

I drew liberally on my book, Diary of a Debacle, for 

this column. 

•For comments, send SMS to 08111813080 

•Hardball is not the opinion of 

the columnist featured above 

moved on to other power mischiefs that 

drew his fancy. And the Ebora Owu still dey 

kampe! But so is the prophet with unfulfilled 

prophesy; he also is still in business. Indeed, 

the grace of God is sufficient for all! 

On the cusp of another historic change of 

order, the first time the opposition defeated 

the central sitting government, Pastor 

Bakare has rolled out another controversial 

diktat, couched in “prayer”! 

But strictly, Hardball is not worried about 

Pastor Bakare. No, not in the least! The scriptures, 

to which he is totally devoted, has a 

short-and-sharp riposte to spiritual waywardness 

from any quarters: it is not what 

you eat that defiles you, it is rather what 

comes out of your mouth! Pastor Bakare 

will be saved or nailed by his own pronouncements. 

It is rather an appeal to the new Buhari 

government. Nigerian Christendom, 

through President Goodluck Jonathan’s evangelical 

allies in the Ayo Oritsejafor-led Christian 

Association of Nigeria (CAN), actively 

contributed to the president’s democratic 

ouster. 

Gen. Buhari cannot afford such destructive 

luxury, for it is hard to see how the Buhari 

government would benefit from Bakare’s 

prayer of inequity. 

As for Bakare, Hardball’s friendly advice: 

keep to church matters; and leave politics to 

politicians. 

Published and printed by Vintage Press Limited. Corporate Office: 27B Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Lagos. P.M.B. 1025,Oshodi, Lagos. 

Telephone: Switch Board: 08034505516. Editor Daily:08099365644, Marketing: 01-8155547 . Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. Tel: 07028105302. Port 

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