Leadership news

No. 456

N300

02.11.14

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

nigeria's most influential newspaper

as Boko Haram rules mubi, sect amputates Hands of 10 alleged thieves NewS, PAGe 6

Leadership Newspapers

@leadershipNGA

pDp Congress: 5 Delegates tes Drown in Bayelsa, ayelsa, 3 Killed in a/ibom

space shuttle Crash: Branson Vows mission Continues

NewS, PAGe 7

NewS, PAGe 69

ALLeGed PLOT TO RemOve TAmBuwAL

Reps Move Against Deputy Speaker 5

Vow to impeach him if he reconvenes House PDP has not seen anything yet – Kwankwaso

IBB Returns, Thanks Nigerians, Says I’ll Speak On Politics Soon

BY ABu NModu, Minna

Former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), arrived the country yesterday after undergoing surgery in a German hospital, saying that he was grateful to Nigerians for their prayers and goodwill while away, and that he is better now.

IBB arrived at the Minna airport by 2.50 pm in a chartered flight and was received by Mohammed and Halima, ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Former military president Ibrahim Babangida briefing newsmen shortly after his arrival from Germany yesterday, in Minna. PHOTO BY ABu nmOdu

Chibok Diary DAY 202

BBog to fg: time is running out for rescue of schoolgirls > Page 2

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Sunday, November 2, 2014

chibok diary 202 DAY

chIBOk TweeTS @NeoMaponya Those girls have allegedly been sold into slavery, why has the world stopped caring? @BenWeinthal Forgot # campaignssend in western special ops to rescue our girls. Al-Qaedalinked Boko Haram 'leader' says has 'married off' girls. @etinmagbe What's our country turning into?

Nigerians fleeing their homes because of #BH and we have a govt???

@RepWilson We will not rest until all of our girls are home. @comradop Wouldn't be asking for much if Mr president can address d nation on violation of d ceasefire deal if any was signed @Basilokpara Shame on those leaders without empathy. Shame on the politicians who are playing politics with the lives of our citizens.

COMPILED BY BLEssIng UkEMEna

Members of the #BringBackOurGirls group in a village square meeting in abuja, looking forward to when the Chibok schoolgirls will be rescued photo by oyEDELE oMoKAGbo

BBOG To FG: Time Is Running Out For Rescue Of Schoolgirls

BY Chika Okeke, Abuja

The #BringBackOurGirls group has called on the federal government to end all distractions militating against efforts by the military towards winning the war on insurgency. This is even as they also reminded the government that time was far spent in rescuing the over 200 abducted Chibok girls whom they described as, "Endangered Daughters of the Nation".

The over 200 students of Government Secondary School, Chibok, who clocked 202 days in captivity today, were abducted by Boko Haram on April 14, 2014.

According to the group, "Following the high hopes and anxiety that emanated from the federal government two weeks ago that our girls would be brought back within days, a number of their agonizing parents have been hospitalized for hypertension. What this means is that, our government must urgently avoid a situation that would be fatal for these long-suffering families of our Chibok girls."

In another development, a statement made available to LEADERSHIP Sunday by the leader of the group, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili on behalf of other members, demanded that the plight of the entire internally displaced persons (IDPs) be resolved immediately.

While commiserating with families of victims of Gombe and Adamawa bomb blasts who lost their lives during the recent attacks by insurgents in those states, they expressed shock that insurgents were capturing more cities despite the ceasefire talks.

“We are extremely shocked and gravely perturbed that the insurgency seems to be engulfing more cities within the north-east zone even at a time the federal government confidently announced a ceasefire.

“Let no one pretend that we are not facing the most substantial threat to the integrity and existence of our country. What more extreme manifestations are we waiting for than the evidence of a rampaging group of terrorists carrying out heinous carnages in Mubi in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe and Gombe barely two weeks after the chief of defence staff publicly conveyed a stand down order to our troops who were in the front prosecuting the war?"

The group further queried the authenticity

of the ceasefire agreement, wondering why the terrorists have launched series of attack in many communities of Borno, Adamawa as well as Gombe that had been relatively peaceful in the past.

The group further added, “How do we explain the escalating number of

innocent citizens being killed or taken hostage after they have been informed by the government of a negotiated truce and détente? Has our federal government through the military given a new and counter order to our soldiers to resume the war and protect our citizens and territory?"

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our stand Sunday, November 2, 2014

Oronsaye’s 70,000 Ghost Pensioners

S

ince last week, a former head of service of the federation, Mr Stephen Oronsaye, has been busy denying allegations that he embezzled N123billion from pension funds while he held that office.

In refuting these allegations, he claimed that he did the nation a favour when, during his tenure, he discovered 70,000 fake and ghost pensioners. Oronsaye also claimed that because of his due diligence, he was able to save for the nation N1billion every month. In apparent self-adulation, the former head of service said that 34,432 pensioners were enrolled and paid their pensions as well as arrears of their harmonised pension.

It is becoming obvious, in our view, that the last has not been heard about the looting done by managers of the nation’s pension funds. Nigerians have not forgotten how a mere assistant director in the nation’s Civil Service, put in charge of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina, fled the country to evade arrest over unspecified billions of missing pension money. In one ridiculous episode of the looted pension scheme saga, a certain John Yakubu Yusuf accepted publicly

that he had stolen N23.1billion from the Police pension fund.

Curiously, when arraigned and tried in court, he was given a mere slap on the wrist when the trial judge fined him a paltry N750, 000, which he paid immediately. And now the ‘golden boy’ of the Civil Service, Oronsaye, is striving hard to explain to Nigerians how N123billion pension money grew wings and flew before his very eyes. With this millstone around his neck, as soon as he left office and as if to compensate him for a ‘job well done’, he was appointed to the board of the nation’s cash cow, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

We urge Oronsaye to come

Ag. Editor Auwal Sa’id Mu’azu Deputy Editor Kazeem Akintunde Editorial Board Safiya M. Adamu, Chairman Christian Ochiama, Deputy Chairman Standards Aniebo Nwamu, Director ’Lara Olugbemi, Assistant Director

clean on this, because there is a limit to the level of corruption that any nation can live with.

N123billion, even by Nigerian standards, is a lot of money to go missing and must not be written off just like that.

While all this malfeasance is going on, Nigerians who gave their best years to the service of the nation expecting to have a settled retirement are dying in their numbers, heartbroken and in penury.

What is intriguing in all this, in our opinion, is that the security agencies are looking on helplessly. The police could not do anything about the thieves who stole their funds. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been too weakened by internal corruption to live up to the expectations and demands of Nigerians. There are hushed views in informed circles in the country that why people are getting away with all these scams is because part of the money went into funding the political campaigns of President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Jonathan can clean up this mess by asking Oronsaye and others to explain what is going on.

Founder Sam Nda-Isaiah

Group Managing Director Azubuike Ishiekwene Group Executive Directors Michael Okpere Dr Kazeem Durodoye Divisional Directors Iyobosa Uwugiaren Salisu Alhassan Bichi General Managers Aminu Abubakar Sule Abdulmumin Balogun Zipporah D. Tanko Joy Adekanye

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LEADERSHIP is a national paper symbolically embedded in the nation’s capital.

We shall stand up for good governance. We shall defend the interest of Nigerian people even against their rulers, and we shall raise our pen at all times in defence of what is right. These are the values by which we intend to be assessed.

We shall never, ever for any reason forget the noble reason of our coming into being: For God and country!

4 news across the states

Sunday, November 2, 2014

2015: Yero/ Bajoga Ticket Gets Kaduna Central Nod Stakeholders and political appointees on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Kaduna Central Senatorial district rising from a town hall meeting have unanimously declared their support for incumbent governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, to contest the 2015 governorship election.

Their decision to declare support for the governor, they said, was in view of his numerous achievements within the period he took over as the executive governor of the state.

According to the people of the zone, Governor Yero has completed 12 roads in Kaduna Central while five others are at different stages of completion.

“The state is also building 14 primary healthcare facilities at the cost of N231.8 million across zone II comprising Kaduna South, Kaduna North, Igabi, Chikun, Birnin Gwari, Giwa and Kajuru local government areas.

Addressing a mammoth crowd at the Zone II, director general on Media and Publicity to Governor Yero, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, said despite spending less than two years as Kaduna State governor, Yero has sunk 250 boreholes across the seven local government areas that made up the zone.

By Isaiah Benjamin, Kaduna

APC Chairman Faults Presidency Over Tambuwal Taraba State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC ), Alhaji Hassan Ardo, has taken a swipe on the presidency over the assault on the speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Tambuwal, describing the withdrawal of his security aides as the height of impunity and executive recklessness.

The presidency was said to have directed the police, State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to withdraw their security personnel attached to the speaker following his defection.

The APC chieftain who spoke to journalists in Abuja at the weekend faulted the power of the presidency in withdrawing the security aides, adding that the presidency has no right to do so as he (Tambuwal) remains the speaker. He argued that what the speaker has done is in line with the letters of the constitution, insisting that Tambuwal has not offended any section of the 1999 constitution by his recent defection from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC)

By Mbachu Godwin Nnanna, Abuja

L-R: Globacom’s Editors Forum: Editors of national newspapers, Mideno Bayagbon of Vanguard, Abraham Ogbodo of Sunday Guardian and Yemi Ajayi of Telegraph at the Media Executives Forum organised by Glo at Villa Medici in Lagos yesterday.

We’ve Created 1m Jobs In Transport Sector – FG ... Jonathan’s campaign will be issue-based - Presidency

By George Agba, Abuja

The federal government said it has created over one million new jobs, both direct and indirect, through the resuscitation of rail transportation by President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in the last four years.

This is coming just as the presidency has assured that ahead of 2015 general elec-

tions, President Jonathan will run an issue-based campaign which would border on the undeniable impact of the president’s transformation agenda on the lives of individuals and communities in Nigeria.

The minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, who gave the hint on the creation of about one million jobs in his ministry, spoke on the sidelines of a public affairs forum or-

ganised by the office of the senior special assistant to the president on public affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe.

Idris said the jobs were created through the ongoing construction of new rail lines and rehabilitation of existing ones which is a key component of the transformation agenda.

He noted that the goal is to reposition the nation’s economy for the

overall benefit of the Nigerian people. The minister said the rehabilitation of over 90 per cent of the entire existing narrow gauge lines throughout the country was almost completed.

According to him, the rehabilitation was the first segment of the 25year railway strategic plan which encapsulates the vision of the President for the nation’s transportation sector.

Arms Deal: Police Yet To Inform Me About My Husband’s Death – Wife

BY MIDAT JOSEPH, Kaduna

Wife of a deputy superintendent of police, Nanbol Audu, who was found dead in detention over allegation of attempting to sell firearms, has asked the police authority to tell her the whereabout of her husband.

The late DSP’s wife, Mrs Patricia Nanbol, told our correspondent in her residence that the police authority was yet to inform her about her husband’s whereabout since he was arrested.

This is just as the family of the late police officer vowed to challenge the man’s alleged death in

court.

Kaduna State police command had on Friday morning recorded a bizarre incident as the police officer, who is being held by his command over allegation of attempting to sell firearms, was found dead in his cell with handcuffs.

The late DSP was in charge of the state command’s armament.

His death comes days after he was paraded for allegedly attempting to steal and sell weapons.

The wife, who spoke in tears said, “As far as I am concerned, the issue of my husband’s death is just a rumour being spread by the media. The police authorities

have not informed us about the situation”, she said.

“We challenge the police authorities to come out and inform us about the condition of my husband. They arrested him and up till this time, they have not come to tell us what is happening. We are waiting for them”, She said.

The brother of the late DSP, Nansah Rimfat, said the family is in total confusion over the news.

“We are totally confused and disappointed over the attitude of the police. This is because, as far as we are concerned, we don’t know what happened to him”.

Rivers: 16 Guber Aspirants Boycott PDP Congress

BY ANAYO ONUKWUGHA, Port

Harcourt

No fewer than 16 governorship aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, yesterday, boycotted the ward and local government congresses of the party where delegates that will vote for the governorship, state, and National Assembly primaries were elected.

This is coming as they decried the interference of the wife of the president, Dame Patience Jonathan, in the affairs of the party in the state.

They accused her of publicly endorsing the candidature of the immediate past minister of state for Education, Chief Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, urging them to step down for him.

The aspirants, who announced their decision in a statement in Port Harcourt included, Engr Beks Dagogo-Jack, Chief Dumo LuluBriggs, Major Lancellot Anyanya, Engr Sampson Ngerebara, Hon Nimi Walson-Jack, Senator Lee Maeba, and Hon Gabriel Pidomson.

Others were Dr Silva Opusunju, Hon Bernard Mikko, Chief Pawar-

iso Samuel Horsfall, Hon Oseleye Dennis Ojuka, Prince Tonye Princewill, Captain Sunday Nwankwo, Prof Don Baridam, Hon Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja and Mrs Abie Bob Abbey-Hart.

The statement, which was signed

by Sotonye Ijuye-Dagogo, on behalf of the campaign organizations of the 16 affected governorship aspirants, said their decision to boycott the exercise was based on the refusal of the national leadership of PDP to heed the calls for the postponement of the ward and local government congresses in the state.

short news Jonathan, Dickson Canvass Peace In Bayelsa President Goodluck Jonathan and Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, yesterday, participated in the party congresses for the 105 wards of the 18 local government councils of the state, with both leaders preaching peace ahead of political activities.

President Jonathan, who had arrived the state on Friday evening, held marathon meetings with stakeholders at the state government house and his house along the Nikton road area of the state capital. He was reported to have called on aspirants and party leaders to maintain peaceful conduct during the ward congress in the state.

The President, according to his aides, later moved to his ward headquarters in Otuabadi in Ogbia local government area of the state.

The state party chairman, ColSam Inokoba, while receiving the ward delegate election materials from the national electoral committee of the party led by Prince Adesina Buramoh, called on delegates.

OSA Okhomina,Yenagoa

Sunday, November 2, 2014

LIVING TO BE 100

One health tip daily Breastfeed Give your child this lifelong gift and breastfeed for as long as possible – at least one year, according to the WHO. In addition to providing the perfect food and the full complement of essential fatty acids for your child, it also protects against allergies and helps improve vision and IQ. Resist the suggestions of experts to add supplemental feeds unless something is clearly wrong. The baby is usually getting enough if allowed to feed on demand.

IBB Returns, Thanks Nigerians, Says I’ll Speak On Politics Soon ➔ FROM COVER

his son and daughter respectively, as well as some of his closed friends and associates.

Among those that received him at the airport were minister of defence, General Aliyu Gusau; General Halliru Akilu; former director of military intelligence, AVM Hamza Abdullahi; former minister of FCT, and Colonel Habibu Shu’aibu, former military administrator of Niger State.

Others were Ibrahim Isma’il, managing director of Heritage Press, Abuja; Alhaji Danbaba Marafa, Magajin Garin Sokoto; Hassan Jalo; Alhaji Umar Ndanusa; Alhaji Sani Ndanusa, former minister of sports, as well as Alhaji Abubakar Muye, former minister of finance, and Justice Musa Dattijo, justice of the Supreme Court who later joined them at the former leader’s residence.

The former military leader, dressed in blue caftan with gray stripes, immediately left the airport for his hilltop house, Minna in a BMW car with registration number ABJ 01RY, and arrived at 3:15 pm into the waiting hands of four of his grand children.

On arrival at his hilltop mansion, a short prayer led by his friend Mohammed Tako was held in by friends and family members for Allah SWT to grant him quick recovery and long life in good health.

Meanwhile, General Babangida, when asked about how he felt about the apprehension on his health, said, “The apprehension is no longer there. I thank all Nigerians for sympathising with us. Alhamudullahi, I am coming up well.”

IBB, in a short interview with journalists, said, “I am feeling bet-

Babangida

ter. I want to use this opportunity to appreciate my entire compatriot Nigerians for the goodwill and gestures they expressed during my absence.”

The former military leader said, “I have been deeply touched by their (Nigerians) love and their affection, and by their prayers. I want to use this medium to thank each and everyone of them”.

When asked if the pressure will not be too much for him with 2015 politicking, IBB said that he had been following the political developments in Nigeria while in Germany, and added that, “I missed all of you that welcomed me, especially my local champions (journalists).

I look forward to all of you, to seat and chat with you and talk about politics as we always do. For now, I want to rest.”

It would be recalled that General Babangida left Nigeria on September 6, 2014, for a surgery to correct some ailments associated with his back, making it about two months that the General left the country.

Reps Move Against Deputy Speaker

By Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja, and Abubakar Salihi, Kano

The intrigues thrown up by the defection of speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC) have continued, with lawmakers grouping to impeach the deputy speaker of the house, Hon Emeka Ihedioha.

LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that the group of lawmakers who are Tambuwal’s loyalists have decided to go against Ihedioha to stop him from delivering PDP’s plan to reconvene the house as part of proceedings to impeach Tambuwal.

One of the lawmakers who spoke confidentially to LEADERSHIP Sunday said the impeachment motion against the deputy speaker has already been drafted.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the nature of the matter, said they were shocked to learn that Ihedioha had been directed by the party to reconvene the house this week.

He disclosed that they have now “resolved that Ihedioha will be the first casualty if he dares to reconvene the house”.

According to the lawmaker, this will be an avenue for many of them who have always wanted Ihedioha out to move against him, adding that Tambuwal had been the one protecting him from impeachment in the past.

“He has been surviving because of Tambuwal’s protection.

Many of us would have moved for his impeachment long ago, because he does not enjoy good relationship with members like Mr Speaker,” he stated.

Speaking on members that have signified interest in the impeachment motion, he said he could not give an exact figure because people were still signing, but disclosed that many PDP members from the north and all APC members are in support of the motion.

“Even members from his south-east zone are with us in this project, which makes it easy for us to get the 240 votes to impeach him,” he added.

It has also emerged that all 205 PDP members in the house have been summoned to a meeting on Monday by the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu. Part of the agenda to be discussed at the Monday meeting is the possibility of the members cutting short their recess to elect a speaker from the PDP. However, the APC had earlier issued a statement on Friday, alleging that the federal government is trying to induce members of the House of Representatives to sign a paper seeking

to reconvene the house ahead of the December 3 adjourned date.

The national publicity secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who signed the statement, said, “We have heard from the grapevine that the FG is inducing legislators with a view to reconvening the house, but this will amount to piling illegality upon illegality, since only a resolution by all principal officers of the house can reconvene the house.”

Continuing, he said, “We cannot put anything beyond a government that will unlawfully withdraw the security details of the country’s number four citizen, who has not been removed as the speaker of the House of Representatives; simply because he decamped from the ruling party to the opposition. For, as long as he remains speaker, Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is entitled to all the statutory perks of his office.”

APC accused the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan of ruling by vindictiveness, rather than in accordance with the rule of law.

The party said despotism, arbitrariness and impunity are the watch words of the Jonathanled administration; hence it has desecrated most national institutions, including the judiciary, and has now put the legislature in its cross hair.

“The legislature is one of the last standing institutions after the onslaught of the ravaging Jonathan administration, which has nothing but contempt for the concept of the separation of powers, the rule of law and perception of the country by the international community.

“For this government, it is power for the sake of power; not for the achievement of anything ennobling. That is why the police and SSS details of a man who remains the country’s number four can be removed without consideration to what the law says. That is why public funds will be used to induce lawmakers to sign for the reconvening of the house, when it is clear that only the principal officers, and not even the speaker alone, can reconvene the house before the adjourned date,” the party said, adding that it would not be surprised if the lawless, vindictive and predictable Jonathanled administration will even prevent the speaker from accessing his residential quarters, offices, and even the planes in the official fleet for carrying out his official assignments.

When LEADERSHIP Sunday sought the response of the deputy speaker on the matter, his press secretary, Oke Epia, declined making any comment.

PDP has not seen anything

NEWS 5

Ihedioha

yet, – Kwankwaso Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant and Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said that the PDP has seen nothing yet on what will continue to happen to the party before the 2015 elections.

“PDP is a party of shameless people who see defection to their party as rightful, but to other parties as criminal. I do not think double standard is good for PDP and the country,” Kwankwaso said.

In an interview with newsmen in his office, Governor Kwankwaso said, “PDP is the party that welcomes governors, senators and house members decamping to their party and celebrated it with champagne, even if it was during Ramadan.”

Kwankwaso urged the electorate to vote PDP out of office come 2015, and send Mr President and his cohorts to their various villages.

He rhetorically asked why the coincidence that he and President Goodluck Jonathan purchased the contest forms same date, attributing the coincidence as an indication that he and the President are going to slug it out in 2015, and that the President will be the loser.

Kwankwaso as usual accused the federal government of not doing enough to end insurgency and stop the bloodshed in the north-eastern states of Nigeria, adding that the government lacked political will to tackle the threat of Boko Haram murderers.

A staunch critic of the federal government, Kwankwaso explained that part of his foreign policy agenda would be providing security, health and to stabilise the economy for foreign nations and neighbouring countries to feel at home in Nigeria and feel free to relate with Nigeria and Nigerians.

The governor also disputed the claim that people of the southsouth region of Nigeria are happy with the present federal government, arguing that all they needed is a better leadership and not a corrupt regime that is presently in place in Aso Villa.

6 NEWS

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Ceasefire Breach: Military Vows To Tackle Insurgents Bayo Oladeji, Abuja

Nigerian military authorities yesterday said because insurgents disregarded the Ceasefire facilitated by Chadian President between the Federal government and the terrorists, air and land troops have begun attacking the terrorist.

Some of the terrorists have been violating the pact by at-

tacking some towns and villages in Adamawa, Borno and Gombe states.

The Director of Information, Defence Headquarters, Major General Chris Olukolade in a statement told the nation what the military is doing to deal with the situation.

According to him, “Necessary deployment of troops and equipment is ongoing to reverse all re-

cent violation and breach of security by terrorists and criminals operating in parts of the country.

“The highly coordinated air bombardment is already yielding required results in the mission to repel the unwarranted attacks on citizens especially in Adamawa and Borno States as land forces are also conducting mop up operations to apprehend retreating terrorists and facilitate restora-

tion of normalcy in some of the affected communities”, he said.

He promised to give more details as the operations progresses.

He also disclosed that, “the content of the video purportedly released by terrorist on Friday is being studied. Further information on subsequent position on the issues involved will be released as appropriate in due

course.

“The military will continue to accord due recognition to any ongoing mediatory efforts towards bringing our girls home and terminating the insecurity in parts of the country.”

The citizens “are assured that the military and security agencies remain committed and optimistic for positive outcome of on-going operation

As Boko Haram Rules Mubi, Sect Amputates Hands Of 10 Alleged Thieves

By Mohammed Ismail, Yola,

Reports from Mubi town which recently fell under the control of Boko Haram insurgents have indicated that leader of the sect Shiekh Abubakar Shekau has appointed a spiritual leader popularly called “Amir” who will ensure the strict implementation of Sharia Law in the town.

The appointment of the spiritual leader by the sect is to allow the Islamic Caliphate to take over the administration of the town including implementing strict Sharia Law as contained in Islam Jurisprudence.

The appointed spiritual leader according to reports have already started implementing the Sharia Law by meting out punishment to some errant residents of the town who allegedly stole properties of fleeing residents after the town was overran by the sect.

Sources from Mubi says “The sect has begun implementation of strict Shariah law as some trapped residents claimed to have witnessed the amputation of some persons who allegedly looted properties belonging to fleeing residents.”

Reports from the town also indicated that the Palace of Emir of Mubi have been converted to the resident of the “Amir” as Boko Haram flags were hoisted on the palace to signify that the sect is in control of the palace which is now the spiritual base of the sect.

A trapped resident of the town disclosed that sequel to the swearing in of the spiritual leader, a long convoy made up of a delegation believed to be envoys of were spotted entering into Mubi Town and made their way to the Emir’s palace annexed as the operational headquarters of the sect.

An eyewitness account revealed that the insurgents also paraded 10 persons whose hands were chopped off in the full glare of residents who were told to converge and witness the enforcement of strict shariah law on the suspects who allegedly looted residents’ properties.

The eyewitness said the insurgents have been harping that their main target is to dislodge Yola, as Adamawa State capital which is about 240 Kilometers away from Mubi.

Meanwhile Adamawa State Government has expressed sadness

over the recent development in the state adding that it is working assiduously to bring an end to the sad episode.

The Government similarly empathises with trapped citizens and those stranded at the Cameroonian border, adding that it is working in synergy with the Presidency and the Minister of foreign Affairs to address the issues of refugees stranded at the Cameroonian border.

Governor Bala James Ngilari who made this known via a state wide broadcast yesterday has reassured the citizens of the state capital who are grappling with the influx of displaced persons, of government’s intervention, adding that the government is doing all that it can to address the situation.

“In the past two days, I have sent 77 vehicles to evacuate our internally displaced persons that are in the path of harm to be resettled in camps in suitable locations.

“I have also been in touch with the President, the Minister of Foreign affairs to address the issue of our citizens who are now refugees in Cameroon.

“I will continue to do all I can until they are provided with basic

Ngilari

Badeh

necessities such as food and water, and until they are brought back to our state to re-unite with their loved ones, families and friends”.

Ngilari also stated that a high powered committee has been setup to come up with suggestions on how the government could handle the current situation.

While calling for assistance from international and local aid organizations, Ngilari said the state is wading through difficult times as he said apart from the insurgency bedevilling the state; it is also fac-

ing financial problems.

Govt Reviews Curfew Meanwhile, the Adamawa State government yesterday reviewed the curfew imposed on the state following the degeneration of security in the state.

Hitherto, the curfew commences between 11pm to 5pm but had been adjusted to commence from 9pm to 5pm.

The new change was contained in a Press Release signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Ibrahim Welye.

Bauchi 2015: Fulani Group Ekiti Senior Citizens Advise Fayose On Meets Tuggar People-oriented Projects

By Reuben Buhari, Abuja

The umbrella organization of Fulani groups in Bauchi State, Miyetti Allah, Samairu and Kautal Hore, met with Bauchi’s leading 2015 guber hopeful, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, in Bauchi Recently. Main highlights of the meet were to deliberate on ways to foster peaceful co-existence among the numerous ethnic groups of Bauchi State; highlight on some of the social and economic pressures that lead to communal violence and ways such ills can be curtailed. Leaders of the organization decried the loss of grazing lands; influx of refugees to Bauchi State from neighbouring conflict areas such as Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Plateau thereby increasing competition for meager resources and utilities which will continue to cause communal strife and social ills amongst the communities.

In response to the issues raised especially as it concerns grazing lands and water for cattle, Tuggar highlighted on strategies and approach to tackling the water problem such as provision of dams across the state; boreholes of which the Tuggar Organisation (TgCO) provided 56 industrial boreholes while partnering with private sector between year 2007 and 2011. The idea being, to maintain and build on existing infrastructure and to end the reliance on rain-fed agriculture. Tuggar shed light on the role he played as a legislator in ensuring adequate funding and supervision for the Udubo Federal Grazing Reserve in Bauchi State.

The fora afforded the TgCO the opportunity to explain aspects of its programme on agriculture, job creation, education and healthcare amongst others.

ALO ABIOLA, ADO-EKITI

Senior citizens in Ekiti State have advised Governor Ayodele Fayose led-administration to prioritise projects that will add immediate value to the lives of the citizens.

The body under the aegies of Ekiti Council of Elders also told the governor to work out modalities that will ensure improved the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.

While lamenting the dwindling economic fortunes of the state in terms of federal allocation, the elders said there was urgent need by the government to shore up the revenue profile of the state.

The council, in a communiqué signed by its chairman, Chief Deji

Fasuan, after its ordinary meeting of October 31, cautioned the governor against embarking on capital projects with long gestation period as a measure aimed at curbing effects of poverty in the state.

The senior citizens noted that despite efforts made by the immediate past government at improving the state’s IGR, the state was still struggling to march up with other states of the federation.

“We recommended that the little resources available to government be spent on projects that will have immediate value on the populace.

“Deliberate efforts should now be made to reduce emphasis on capital projects that have long

gestation period before the benefit can reach our people. It appears Ekiti people have no tolerance for projects that have no immediate value on their lives.

“We want to advise the new administration to address quickly the welfare of the citizens, especially as it relates to unpaid salaries, wages and other benefits that can have a multiplying effects on the local economy”, the council stated.

In the area of revenue generation, the council said: “Some progress have been made on IGR in the last two years, but it is still abysmally low compared to other political units in Nigeria”, urging the government to step up efforts to bring radical improvement to the people.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

PDP Congress: 5 Delegates Drown in Bayelsa, 3 Killed In A/Ibom Osa Okhomina,Yenagoa, Bernard Tolani Dada Uyo

Five members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekeremor local government area of Bayelsa State, yesterday, lost their lives in a tragic boat mishap during the conduct of the party’s ward congresses in the state.

Also, three members of the party were feared killed in Akwa Ibom during the congress.

In Bayelsa however, six others, including the former deputy governor of the state, Chief Peremobowei Ebebi, were lucky when they were rescued by natives and other passengers of oncoming boats.

LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that the incident

occurred at about 5pm along the Ekeremor waterways after they were returning to Yenagoa at the end of the congress. when contacted, the deputy police public relations officer, Lawrence Eboka, said he has not been briefed about the incident as he was at the home of President Goodluck Jonathan on special duty.

The incident in Akwa Ibom, according to a source, started when some hoodlums from an opposing group attempted to hijack election materials which was rebuffed by another group and the police had to step in shooting sporadically into the air to maintain peace.

He explained that in the milieu that ensued, many of the delegates, who had thronged the party secre-

tariat scampered for their lives and some killed in the process.

As at press time, LEADERSHIP Sunday could not ascertain the real cause of the problem but it was gathered that candidates from the former deputy governor’s camp Mr Nsima Ekere were mostly affected.

All efforts to get the views of the former number two citizen in the state proved abortive as all his telephone lines were off.

One of the PDP members from Eastern Obolo, Eyo Okon, who spoke with our correspondent, said that there was serious fight between two factions of PDP who had problems over who would make the list of the delegates from the area.

I’ll Continue To Provide Quality Representation – lawmaker

BY YAHYA SARKI , Kebbi.

The House of Representatives member representing Koko/Besse/Miayama Federal Constituency, Hon Amiu Musa Koko, has pledged to continue to give his people quality representation at the House of Representatives if re-elected.

The law maker stated this while submitting his nomination/expression of interest forms at the state secretariat of the PDP in Birnin Kebbi amidst thousands of his supporters.

He said within the eight years in the House, he had sponsored three motions which led to their passage.

According to him, the first

Bill was on NIMASA while the second was on the EFCC amendment Act and the third on customs law reforms which seeks to improve the welfare of custom men and its autonomy. Another Bill which the lawmaker said he had sponsored was the army Act which was promulgated to address adequate funding and procurement of weapons.

He added that all the Bills have been passed into laws by the House. Koko also announced that he has spent over seven hundred million to provide water, electricity, computer literacy within the period under review in his constituency.

On youths empowerment programme he initiated, over five hundred and sixty youths of the area, he said are engaged in tailoring, welding ,carpentry, weaving and other forms of vocational jobs.

“I consider youth empowerment necessary, after the training, some amount of money was given to assist the youths to start their businesses.

Koko stated that his desire to go back to the House of Representatives is in order to expand and consolidate on his constituency projects and at the same time give the area a befitting representation.

Gombe South 2015: Youths Forum Backs Gen Audu

By Murtala Muhammed, Abuja

As the political tempo gains momentum across the country, political activists, pressure groups, professional bodies, and youth associations have began to identify with Major General Sylvester Andriya Audu (rtd). The latest endorsement, coming from an influential Gombe Youths Forum, (GYF) in a communiqué signed by its protem co-ordinator, Barr Shawulu Yusuf, stated: “We, the entire youths of Gombe State comprising students,

graduates, professionals, activists, artisans are unequivocally and unflinchingly expressing our strong support and unalloyed solidarity with the senatorial bid of Gen Sylvester Audu as a highly decorated professional soldier who has served the nation with exemplary courage and uncommon bravery. He has emerged as a reference point for unrivalled patriotism and nationalist fervour while holding personal integrity and honour as a standard which his colleagues would do well to emulate.

“With a distinguished

public service record spanning over decades and having held major positions of responsibilities in various military formations, Gen Audu did not engage in corrupt practices and was not found with faults, failures and or immoral practice in the course of duty hence his public service record is intact and untainted.

“We of the GYF urge him not to waver in his quest for the Gombe South Senatorial seat as we will irrevocably stand behind his candidature come rain or sunshine”, it said.

news across the states 7

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Sunday, November 2, 2014

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Sunday, November 2, 2014

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

10 news across the states

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Malaria Control: Jigawa Distributes 2.9m Insectcide Nets

PDP Realises N287m From Sales Of Nomination Forms In Bayelsa

As part of the strategic move to curb the menace of malaria disease, Jigawa State ministry of health has distributed over 2.9 million long lasting insecticide nets (LLINs) to beneficiaries across the state from 2009 to date.

The state commissioner for health Dr Tafida Abubakar disclosed this while speaking at 2014 official flagging off ceremony for the distribution of LLINs held at Kafin-Gana area of Birnin Kudu local government area of the state.

He said the state government under National Malaria Elimination Programme with support of international agencies adopted the use of LLINs as the key strategies for malaria prevention and elimination in the state.

Speaking at the occasion, the national coordinator of the programme, Dr Nnenna Eziegwe,said the micro quantification carried out in the state showed that a total of 2,939,479 LLINs would be required to deliver one LLIN each to two persons in the state.

He maintained that, as part of the implementation process, Jigawa State government and other partners have been carrying out series of trainings to personnel as well as transportation of the treated nets to the target audience.

By Muh’d Zangina Kura,Dutse

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State has recorded a rush for the procurement of Expression of Interests and nomination forms by over 175 aspirants and valued at N287 million for the party.

The data available to LEADERSHIP Sunday from the office of the Organising Secretary, Mr Alfred Imbasi, showed that as at Friday, the number of aspirants for the 24 party tickets available for the State house of assembly had increased to 144, while those for the Federal House of Representatives ticket in-

Adamawa Guber: Group Hails PDP NWC’s Insistence On Zoning A group from Adamawa State, Adamawa PDP Patriotic Front, yesterday said the decision of the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to accede to the calls for zoning the governorship slot in Adamawa State to the Central Senatorial zone is commendable.

The group, in a statement in Abuja, said the decision will ginger the strength of the party ahead of the guber election in February, 2015.

The statement jointly signed by the chairman and secretary of the group, Hameed Modibbo and Hallah Nicholas respectively read, “Our great party has proved its mettle by standing with an agreement that was entered into and documented under the guidance of the Senate President and other key party leaders. This is refreshing step and a source of encouragement for all of us party members at the grassroots. We now have confidence that any genuine pact with our party will stand the test of time.

“The decision of the NWC is commendable not only because it corrected a long time injustice and marginalization against the good people of Adamawa Central.”

By Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja.

Osa Okhomina,Yenagoa

creased to 17. The number of aspirants for the senatorial ticket is now 14.

In terms of financial value, the PDP has raked in over N178 million from sale of forms to house assembly aspirants, N42.5 million from House of Representatives aspirants and N63 million for senatorial aspirants.

LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that out of the 175 aspirants recorded to have procured forms, only 10 were women. The women, according to party sources, only paid N04 million for administrative cost and Expression of Interest form which cost N0.2 million each.

Meanwhile, the former president of the umbrella body of Ijaw youths, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and house of assembly aspirant, Comrade Oyinfie JonJon dismissed the claims by some aspirants that they borrowed money and forms procured for them by supporters, declaring that it was mere campaign gimmick by some deceitful aspirants.

JonJon, who is contesting on the platform of the PDP to represent Southern Ijaw constituency 1, said he procured his form after he had been prevailed upon by his people to contest and provide quality representation.

JonJon, however, noted with concern, the lop-sided nature of sharing of elective positions in Southern Ijaw area, declaring that the Otuan people are in the minority and have faced marginalisation. “For 16 years, the Ammasoma and Ammatolo people have produced members of the state assembly, council chairmen and state commissioners, while the Otuan people have been left with nothing.”

He noted that the adoption of zoning by the PDP is meant to protect the minority constituencies such as Otuan in terms of equity and fairness.

ICPC Secures Conviction Of FIRS Official, Firm Over N14m Tax Scam

By REUBEN BUHARI, Abuja

Hon Aminu Musa Koko (L), member representing Koko/Besse Maiyama federal constituency, submitting his nomination / expression of interest forms for House of Representatives at the PDP state secretariat in Birnin Kebbi. PHOTO BY YAHAYA SARKI

2020: CBN Targets 80% Inclusion In Financial System

By ABUBAKAR SALIHI, Kano

The head, Financial Inclusion Secretariat of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mrs Temitope AkinFadeyihas stated that the apex bank is targeting 80 per cent unbanking Nigerians to have access to broad-range formal financial services by the year 2020.

Mrs Akin-Fadeyi who said this during a one-day National Financial Inclusion Strategy Workshop held at Grand Central Hotel Kano, yesterday, regretted that most Nigerians in the rural areas do not have access to banking system, especially savings account.

According to her, financial inclusion, “is achieved when adult Nigerians have easy access to a broad range of financial services that meet their needs at afford-

able costs. The primary services include payments, savings, loans, insurance and pension.”

She further revealed that CBN was determined to reduce the percentage of adult Nigerians who do not have access to financial services from 39.7 per cent as it stood in 2012 to 20 per cent by 2020, just as she blamed the spate of unbanking among Nigerians on economic incapability, lack of access to financial services and low income rate.

Akin-Fadeyi said Kano was chosen as the pilot state because, “Kano is a big potential market for Nigeria. Kano is the centre of commerce because there are a lot of opportunities here. So we believe that the people of Kano should benefit from these services.”

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of a senior staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mrs Mubo Ikotun, and a company, Messrs Smith Nigeria , for bribery and tax evasion .

The conviction of the two was pronounced by a Lagos State High Court presided over by Justice O. A. WiIIiams (Mrs.) in Charge No-LCD/17/2008/ FRN v John Fagbemi and 4 others.

Messrs Smith Nigeria Limited was convicted for allegedly bribing Mrs Mubo Ikotun (2nd accused) and some other staff of FIRS to reduce its tax liability assessed at N13,938,985.00 to the sum of N441, 653.00 in fraudulent manner.

The company, according to ICPC, got the tax relief through a fraudulent means and was issued a Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) upon paying the sum of N441,635.00 to the Federal Inland Revenue Services.

Mrs Ikotun, a superior officer to Mr Fagbemi (1st accused) also of FIRS was alleged to have used her office to solicit and receive a cash gratification of N2.5 million to grant the tax relief to the said company. The court, however, acquitted and discharged Mr Fagbemi.

The court also freed both Mrs A. Temowo (3rd accused) and Mr K. Oduneye (4th accused).

Messrs Smith Nigerian Limited was convicted for engaging in a conspiracy to effect the payment of the gratification and also for its failure to report the obtaining of the gratification.

According to ICPC’s testimony at the court, the convict, Mrs Ikotun, upon receiving the gratification, proceeded to purchase a Skoda Octavia salon car which she had converted to personal use. She equally concealed the ownership of the car from the officers of ICPC during their investigation.

A charge sheet on the case read, “The conviction secured in the case of ICPC v Fagbemi, involves the solicitation and payment of gratification in the sum of N2,500,000 by Messrs Smith Nigeria Ltd. (5th Accused) to two officers of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as inducement for them agreeing to effect the drastic reduction of its earlier assessed tax liability put at N13,938,905.61 in return for its payment of a paltry sum of N441,653.42 as its downwardly reduced reviewed tax liability and subsequent issuance of its Tax Clearance Certificate”.

A petition detailing the tax evasion scam was submitted to the ICPC in 2006.

The court however, adjourned the imposition of sentences on both convicted accused persons to November 4, 2014.

short news Ahmadu Bello Foundation Inaugurates 4-Week Entrepreneurial Programme In Nasarawa Women and youths drawn from across Nasarawa State are to benefit from a four-week vocational and entrepreneurial development programme organised by Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation aimed at conquering poverty and unemployment.

Governor Umaru Tanko AlMakura, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government, Hajiya Zainab T. Ahmad, said Nasarawa State is the 11th to benefit from the programme which is designed to develop the capacity of women and youths in various trades to be self-reliant and contribute to the socio-economic development of the state and the entire region, which was Saurdauna’s dream.

He said: “This initiative will not only produce selfemployed women and youths but also entrepreneurs who will in turn become employers of labour.

The programme will also go a long way in complementing the effort of government at all levels in reducing idleness, crime rate, as well as create wealth and generate employment for the citizenry”.

Al-Makura who tressed that his government will continue to partner with groups and organisations that are desirous of building the capacity of women and youths for enhanced productivity.

By Donatus Nadi, Lafia

Sunday, November 2, 2014

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12 news across the states

Sunday, November 2, 2014

2015: PDM Berates Political Parties Over Imposition Of Candidates

By Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) yesterday decried the spate of imposition of candidates in political parties, saying it is not healthy for democratic practice. This was stated by the national executive committee headed by Dr Bashir Yusuf, which was sworn-in on Friday after the party’s national convention. Yusuf, who was sworn in at about 2:46am at the party’s

national secretariat in Abuja, said the success of the convention demonstrated the resolve of the people to liberate the country from its political darkness and brighten it up with the philosophy of internal democracy.

He reflected on his 35 years in active politics from his days in the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and lamented that the bane of democratic culture in the country is the failure of political parties to entrench a culture of in-

ternal democracy.

According to him: “what I detest in most political parties is the imposition of candidate, I will not impose a candidate on my party than what the people have elected.”

He said that Nigerian politicians have basterdized politics given it a bad name and destroying the values of the noble profession calling on the members of the party to stand for fairness and justice.

He assured the party faithfuls that the PDM will soon take over power and form a national government advising the people that it may take a while but they should be steadfast as it is achievable.

Bashir maintained that denial by the management of the International conference centre after due payment of for the hall was a sign of the viability of the party and its capacity to provide Nigerians with alternative.

short news 2015: Police Authorities Tasked On Violence-free Elections Ahead of the 2015 general elections, the Police has been charged to ensure a violence-free elections with a view to securing the lives and properties of the citizenry during the national exercise.

The call was made at Osogbo, during a one-day seminar organized by the state police command for stakeholders which included legal experts, party leaders, religious organisations, nongovernmental organisations, youth groups, political leaders, among others.

Speaking at the event, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) representative, Mr Oladipo Oladapo, commended the officers and men of the force for their roles in the August governorship election in the state. He charged them not to rest on their oars in the forthcoming elections. in their task to

Former Miss Margaret Olubunmi Ajayi with her newly wedded husband, Emmanuel Olusegun Olaleken during their wedding ceremony held at the Church of the Lord (Aladura), Kaduna recently.

Vehicle Plate: Appeal Court Upholds FRSC Powers To Set Deadline

BY Ejike Ejike, Abuja

The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has delivered judgment in favour of the Federal Road Safety Commission, upholding the commission’s legal powers to set deadlines for motorists to change over to the new vehicle number plate and drivers’ licence.

According to a statement signed by FRSC spokesperson, Stella Uchegbu, “This verdict is coming on the heels of an ap-

peal filed by the commission against the judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos, in a case of Emmanuel Ofoegbu vs FRSC on March 26, 2014.

The Federal High court had in the initial judgment, ruled that the Federal Road Safety Commission had no statutory powers to fix deadline for motorists to switch over to the new vehicle number plate and driver’s licence.

“However, in a verdict by the Court of Appeal in Lagos, deliv-

ered by Justice Joseph Ike with Justices Ndukwe Anyanwu and Jamillah Tukur as members, the Court of Appeal ruled that it upheld the validity of the National Road Traffic Regulations 2012, saying that the validity of old number plate bought by the respondent, Emeka Ofoegbu expired on October, 13, 2014, and dissolved the order of injunction by the Federal High Court, restraining FRSC from setting deadline for change over to the new number plate.

Atiku Happy With APC Amended Constitution Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, is happy with the constitutional amendment of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which now makes it mandatory for the party to use indirect primaries to pick its presidential candidates.

The leadership of the party has been divided over the method of choosing the presidential candidates for next year’s poll.

While those in support of General Muhammadu Buhari were calling for the direct primaries, which makes all card carrying members as voters in the primaries, those fronting for Atiku, proffered the indirect primaries.

Atiku has the support of another presidential aspirants and founder of the LEADERSHIP Group, Sam Nda-Isaiah while Governor Rabiu Kwankwanso is indifferent.

The odds favoured those in support of the indirect primaries because their quest tallied with the Electoral Act. To avoid acrimony, the NEC and NWC members resolved to use the non-elective convention to amend the constitution of the party to make it conform with the Electoral Act. At the convention held in Abuja on Wednesday, the proposal for the amendment, like other eight recommendations, sailed through unanimously.

Interestingly, Atiku was absent at the convention as he was unable to return to the country due to flight problem.

Sources close to his campaign organization expressed satisfaction with the outcome and were optimistic that the method would usher in the most acBayo Oladeji, Abuja

Nasarawa Youth, Student Groups Declare Support For Okorocha

By Joshua Dada, Osogbo

2015: We’ll Not Allow PDP Contractors To Destroy Our Party– APC Chieftain

BY DONATUS NADI, Lafia

Coalition of youth and student groups, under the auspices of Progressive Youths and Students for Okorocha, from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has declared its support for the presidential aspiration of Governor Rochas Okorocha and the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2015 elections.

BY ISAIAH BENJAMIN, Kaduna

As campaigns and consultations towards the 2015 general elections gather momentum, a party chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Mohammed Kabir Salihu, yesterday, said that some of the politicians seeking elective positions in the party are contractors contracted by

Representatives of over 20 interest groups and student associations, who stormed Keffi yesterday as part of their ongoing campaign across the region aimed at mobilizing support for Governor Okorocha, expressed confidence that he is the most broadly accepted choice for the office of the president whom they said is widely seen as the aggregated dream of the majority of the electorates in Nigeria.

The national coordinator of the coalition, Comarade Kasim M Kasim, who eulogised the sterling qualities of Governor Okorocha said his wide contact and ability to connect with the youths and the elderly makes him as a game changer who has the capacity to restore peace through reconciliation and promote the rapid development of the nation.

He said the endorsement be-

came necessary because the youths in Nigeria want to make a bold political statement that the days when youths only wait to be told what to do in deciding their fate for the future is over. He added further that youths must be seen to be active partners in the democratic process whose choices for collective prosperity is a defining factor in shaping governance.

the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to distabilize the APC, saying, they would do all it takes to make sure that they don’t have their way.

Salihu, who is the party chairman of Zaria local government, stated this in Zaria during a meeting of the local government stakeholders with one of the governorship aspirants, Al-

haji Salihu Mohammed Lukman.

According to the local government chairman, “We are in politics with the fear of God and we will discharge our responsibilities with the fear of God; we will not allow PDP contractors now in our party to cause chaos in our party.

“We will only support whoever has our interest at heart, and be-

cause Lukman has always been there for us, he knows our problems and he is a man who fears God and that is why we are supporting him hundred percent.

“All those trying to frustrate the party in the local government thinking they have national connection, walahi we will ensure that they don’t succeed”, he said.

cover story Sunday, November 2, 2014

13

Mercy Martha and other displaced persons from Mubi photo by Mohammed Ismail

Mubi Seizure: Fleeing Residents Narrate Ordeal The experiences that the fleeing residents of Mubi, a town in Adamawa State now under Boko Haram capture, went through in their attempts to avoid bullets of the rampaging insurgents who have taken over the town are as shocking as they provoke deep pity.

Mohammed Ismail, Yola, captures their ordeals Men, women and children, some as young as a day old, were moving along the road heading for Pella from where they hoped to connect to Yola or other safer locations. It was a human catastrophe of monumental proportions

Many among the fleeing residents of the beleaguered town of Mubi have attributed their escape to miracle than self effort, saying they never thought they would come out of the predicament alive; while many others who were not so lucky have been killed by the insurgents.

A student of Adamawa State University in Mubi, who simply identified himself as Babale, said he went through hell before he finally escaped to Yola, as he and some other students had to flee through the common border between Nigeria and Cameroon.

“The insurgents struck near the school premises around 9:00am on Wednesday morning, firing gunshots into the air. The school was immediately turned into frenzy as students, lecturers, as well as other workers of the institution ran in different directions to escape the

attackers,” Babale said.

He added that many of them escaped into the bushes around the school not knowing where they were going, but relying only on survival instincts that kept them going. He said they trekked for more than 10 hours before they finally reached Belel, one of Nigeria’s borders with Cameroun.

Babale said he was surprised by the humility, compassion and professionalism displayed by the Cameroonian Gendarmes, who accommodated and treated them well before escorting them back through a safe route to Nigeria.

“When we arrived at the border community, we met sympathetic Cameroonian military officials who accommodated us and allowed us to rest before they finally led us to the safest route from where we got our bearings to Yola,” Babale nar-

rated.

He added that, unfortunately, the attitude of the Cameroonian Gendarmes was in sharp contrast with that of the Nigerian troops who, he alleged, always demanded bribes from them before they allowed them to pass.

“The conduct of the Cameroonian Gendarmes was in sharp contrast to the attitude of Nigerian troops who always demand bribe before allowing us to pass,” he alleged, stating further that, “Whenever they asked us for bribe, we told them that we are students running away from Mubi; but even at that, they would delay us before allowing us to pass.”

Another escapee, Martha Mercy, said many of her neighbours were killed by Boko Haram insurgents, as they started shooting sporadically when they arrived at the town.

“I was easing myself when the insurgents arrived at our community, Mararrabar Mubi, on their way to Mubi town. When they arrived, they started shooting. I quickly lay down on the toilet floor until the shootings died down before I came out, picked my two children, and

ran into the bush,” Mercy said.

She added that she and hundreds of other residents fled into the bush and trekked for 15 hours before they finally arrived at one hamlet where they slept before proceeding to Hong, where they got a vehicle that ferried them to Yola.

“I am lucky that God has secured my life, as I heard that several neighbours were not that lucky as they were killed by the insurgents,” she said.

Another escapee, Mr Haruna Farauta, said his two brothers were killed by Boko Haram attackers as they were fleeing to the bush.

“When they struck, my two brothers were outside the house resting under a tree and were caught by the bullets of the insurgents,” he said.

Another displaced resident of Mubi, who does not want his name in print, said one of his brothers was killed by the insurgents because he identified himself as a civil servant. “My brother and two of his friends were trapped by the insurgents; and when they inquired to know their professions, his friends told the insurgents that they were ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

14 COVER STORY

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Mubi Seizure: Fleeing Residents Narrate Ordeal

Alex Badeh

➔ FROM PAGE 13

My brother and two of his friends were trapped by the insurgents; and when they inquired to know their professions, his friends told the insurgents that they were farmers; but, unfortunately, my brother identified himself as a school teacher. They allow the two to go, while they slaughtered my brother

farmers; but, unfortunately, my brother identified himself as a school teacher. They allow the two to go, while they slaughtered my brother,” he narrated.

“The most unfortunate thing about the killing of my brother is that he was the breadwinner of the family and took care of many people, including his seven children, aged parents and children of his widows,” he said.

“We lost an important pillar of the family whose assistance was responsible for the sustenance of the family,” he added.

Also while capturing the plight of his daughter who escaped to Maiha, an aide to the former state governor, Murtala Nyako, Sajoh said, “This morning as early as 5am, I and my personal assistant left Yola on our way to Maiha. Luckily for me, a Good Samaritan had allowed my daughter the use of his mobile phone and we spoke.

“I told her exactly where to wait. By 8.40am, we met them there, weak, tired and with swollen feet. We were supposed to be joyful, but honestly, we were not. The magnitude of the humanitarian disaster that we saw is better imagined than witnessed.

“Men, women and children, some as young as a day old, were moving along the road heading for Pella from where they hoped to connect to Yola or other safer locations. It was a human catastrophe of monumental proportions.

“Some headed their cattle and other domestic animals on the journey to the unknown. I saw about three children, all less than five years old, who had lost contacts with their

Babale, a student of Adamawa State University, Mubi, photo by Mohammed Ismail

parents. I saw a woman in labour. I saw danger; I saw naked fear in the eyes of the people as they moved towards an unknown destination. I saw despondency and hopelessness.

The worst picture I saw was that of soldiers running away.

Soldiers and civilians competing to enter a tipper in Maiha. I was dumbfounded,” Sajoh lamented.

Meanwhile, Adamawa State gov-

ernment has said it would dispatch about hundred buses to the beleaguered town and environs with a view to ferry trapped and stranded people to safety of the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Yola.

Governor Bala James Ngillari gave the order when concerned citizens of Mubi visited him to brief him on the current development in the area.

The governor also pledged to

contact Cameroonian authorities with a view to plead with them to give soft landing and all necessary assistance to the hundreds of indigenes of the state currently displaced by Boko Haram sect.

He also promised to take care of medical expenses and ensure that necessary assistance, including adequate feeding, are given to the displaced persons that are trooping into the town.

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sunday interview Sunday, November 2, 2014

Imoke Can’t Dictate To Us In Cross River – Senator Mbu

Senator Mathew Mbu (Jnr) represented Cross River State Central Senatorial zone from 1999 to 2003 in the senate. In this interview with select journalists, he kicked against what he termed the undemocratic and manipulative attitude of Governor Liyel Imoke in Cross River State.

JONATHAN NDAISAIAH was there for LEADERSHIP Sunday How would you describe Senator Ndoma-Egba. Do you think he deserves to come back to the senate?

I think he deserves more than four terms. He has served all of us very well and he has been so recognised. Senator Victor Ndoma -Egba has done more than enough to come back. It’s all about proper representation. The question we will ask ourselves is whether he did represented us well? He has done so much for his people; he has not changed from the person he was when he started; he has been there for everybody; Everybody can approach him and it’s all about representation of the people.

He has done well, even in the senate, to the point that, today, he is the senate leader. That’s a great achievement.

He is the number three person in the senate and if we don’t want him there today, we will be talking about another senator who will start from the beginning . What he has attained in the senate today is equivalent to a position of a ‘General’ in the military. It will be most unfair for our people in the Central Senatorial district to replace a ‘General’ with a ‘Private’ as what a ‘General’ can do for his people can never be equated with what a ‘Private’ can do for his people and the life of a ‘Private’ in the military can never attain that position, so, why should we replace the senate leader? It just doesn’t make sense.

We want you to go into specifics. What are those things he has done at the constituency level?

Remember that Jesus that we worship today was once hated to the point of being killed. They never received him as a Son of God. Name one popular politician in Nigeria that you know, it is the same. You can only be popular with some sections of the people, but to be popular with all the people, that is im-

Imoke. Even now, when you ask people who they are supporting, they will tell you they are still waiting to see who the governor will support. Is that democracy? I’m sure you are not hearing this for the first time and I am someone who tells people the truth. I am a founding member of PDP in Cross River State and nobody can take that from me. I helped to build the party and it’s on record.

Have you brought this to the notice of the leaders at the national level, and don’t you think this kind of divided house will affect the fortunes of the party in 2015?

Senator Mbu

possible. Senator Ndoma-Egba is in the legislature and not in the executive and he can only attract project to his constituency and that he has done more than enough. He has attracted water, roads, hospital projects, schools and lots of scholarship across the state even though he is not in the executive. Remember that he can only attract projects and that is what he has been doing.

Therefore to answer your question, the answer is ‘yes’ ; he has attracted more than enough and I believe he will not be able to attract much more if we replace him with a newcomer or a freshman.

If he has performed so well and popular, why is Governor Liyel Imoke against him?

I am sorry to say this, my brother, that Governor Imoke is not a democrat; he is a dictator. Ndoma is coming out very strong, no matter what.

Imoke is interested in dictating to people as to who should go to where and who shouldn’t; so, we can’t go by what Imoke says and this is a time for all well-meaning Cross Riverians to rise up against his dictatorship. We are practising democracy where the will of the people should always prevail and not the wishes of one single individual. For whatever reason, Imoke does not want Ndoma-Egba to be there. For the same reason, he has been toying with all other aspirants who want to be governor in Cross Rivers State. This is what is happening right now, so, you don’t go by who is supporting this or that; he has his agenda and many of us know that, so, you can’t use that to say Senator Ndoma-Egba is not popular.

Is it that PDP is fractured in Cross River State then?

PDP revolves around one man in Cross River and that man is Governor

That is why we are all here rallying behind the senator because we all want to come back together to ensure that the right thing is done and we want to continue to prevail. ...but in a situation where the governor imposes a candidate...

(cuts in) If that happens, it will be most unfortunate. I can tell you this now, and we pray he doesn’t impose anyone because that is what he is trying to do. If that happens, then, it will be most unfortunate for the party.

What kind of scenario do you envisage if it happens ?

If it happens, we may end up having a governor that is not a PDP candidate in Cross River State.

Does it not surprise you that Governor Imoke should be the one going against that?

It’s really surprising as he is a PDP governor. Yes, this is what we are talking about his dictatorial tendency because if he is a democrat, he will not be going contrary to the the leadership of the party at the national level who are instructing him about what to do.

Should he go against that? Why should he be toying with another aspirant to take over the seat of the senate leader.

Does it make any sense?

We are here and I am one of the leaders of PDP in Cross River State and they are many others supporting Senator Ndoma-Egba. We know the governor is not happy with us because he is promoting another person. I think he is supporting Hon John Eno, who is currently in the House of Representatives, to take over from the senate leader.Whenever you see his campaign train, it’s usually the government men.

They are people working for the Cross River State government parading with him primarily; we all know that, but we

hope at the end of the day, the governor should be able to do the right thing.

Do you think there could be any serious issue between them?

It is very difficult to know the human mind and sometimes, as human beings, we tend to be petty and we don’t look at the larger picture, rather, we tend to personalise issues. If you ask me, I will tell you I don’t know what the problem is and I don’t think there is supposed to be any problem. I think the governor is in a better position to answer this because I can’t answer for him and I don’t see any problem.They have always been friends before politics and whatsoever is happening now, you can’t say because the senate leader has represented his people well.

You have been a senator before and every election year, there seems to be huge turnover of new senators. As a former law maker, is this good for our democracy?

It’s because we are selfish and self-centered. It is unfortunate but that’s how we are in this country, They will say that man has been there for too long, is he the only person? Nobody is thinking about the benefits his presence has brought to the nation if we are looking at it from a broader perspective. If he is not doing well, it’s a different ball game, but if he is doing well, why change him and bring another person to come and start from the scratch again? We have a lot to lose because you can compare the position Ndoma-Egba occupies to that of a ‘General’ in the army and whoever is coming after him will start like a ‘Private’. In America, they call that type of person a ‘Freshman’.

You can’t compare the position of a ‘Freshman’ and a ‘General’. They are two different people. The ‘Freshman’ will start from the scratch and he may never get to attain the position a ‘General’ like Senator Ndomaegba has attained, so, why do you want to gamble? It’s a big gamble. I tell you one thing, anybody you take to the senate today, that person will not be in a position to chair a major committee because it’s a matter of ranking. So, you ask yourself: Why are they going against the instructions of the president? There is no smoke without fire . For them to go against the instructions of the president, that means there is something wrong.

Imoke is interested in dictating to people who should go to where and who shouldn’t, so, we can’t go by what Imoke says and this is a time for all well- meaning Cross Riverians to rise up against his dictatorship

16

sunday politics

Politics Editor (LEADERSHIP SUNDAY): STANLEY NKWOCHA

Sunday, November 2, 2014

...As Tambuwal Dumps PDP him for second term. Tambuwal was absent at the meeting. His deputy, Emeka Ihedioha attended.

State House correspondents questioned Tambuwal’s absence. The House majority leader, Mulikat Adeola-Akande, had this to say. “I am sure when you see Mr. Speaker, you will ask him. This is a PDP meeting, obviously he will have his reasons why he was not at the meeting”.

However, a reaction by Tambuwal’s spokesman, Imam Imam, stated in part: “The speaker was away in Sokoto. He came back only this morning (Tuesday). He went to see the people of his constituency; you know he likes to relate a lot with his people at the constituency.”

Tambuwal

Tuesday’s defection of the House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has dominated news headlines and political discussions. EDEGBE ODEMWINGIE writes on events leading to the defection and the fallouts Before Tuesday’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), his body language gave him away, his opposition party alliance made complex his political riddle, and his statements and other actions were tagged “anti-party” by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, as a result of past “sins” in the PDP, was grouped in the party’s “rebel” category. He went against the president and PDP’s choice for the headship of the House. Riding on a bloc opposition vote, Tambuwal snubbed a PDP arrangement which favoured Mrs. Mulikat Adeola-Akande to emerge as speaker of the House.

Tambuwal has been a major contributor to the bashing his PDP ilk and President Goodluck Jonathan has received from several high-level quarters. Recently, Tambuwal spoke of Jonathan’s “body

language” as encouraging corruption, drawing applause from the APC while the president and the PDP got loathed.

The president was reacting to the House of Representatives’ probe of “missing” oil revenues and the petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, over allegations of spending N10billion on hiring private jets.

Recently, while responding to PDP’s pleas to stop its party lawmakers from defecting to APC, Tambuwal insisted that he would not stop any lawmaker who wants to defect from doing so. The case at the upper chamber was different as the leadership there has been loyal in a ruthless fashion to the PDP’s cause, even dropping subtle threats to declare defecting lawmakers seat vacant.

PDP Reps met with Jonathan at the State House where they passed a vote of confidence on Jonathan and endorsed

Payback In June this year, the political friction between the two parties attained an ugly dimension when security operatives stopped Tambuwal’s motorcade and searched his official car. Expectedly, accusing fingers were pointed in the direction of the presidency.

The speaker had no plans to be beaten in the game. He played the victim card effectively. In the aftermath, he attracted a bulk of the public sympathy. The presidency went home with public scorn.

The widely reported incident occurred at the entrance to Hotel 17 in Kaduna, venue of an international conference on security organised by the office of the national security adviser.

Tambuwal cleared that he was not averse to being subjected to scrutiny or screening by “constituted authorities”, but expected to enjoy some protocol and privilege by virtue of his position as the speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria.

“I want to state that I am not above the law.

As recently as last week Wednesday when I was travelling to Paris, I subjected myself to screening by staff of Air France here at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport”, he explained.

Going further, he added, “My luggage was requested to be searched and I obliged them; I gave them my luggage. My physical person was frisked and I allowed that to happen without any resistance. That is to show everyone that I am not averse to being subjected to scrutiny or screening by constituted authorities.

“The difference between that and what happened in Kaduna is the fact that I expected to enjoy some protocol and privilege as the speaker of the House of Representatives of

APC: Beyond An Extra-ordinary Convention > 20

➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

politics 17

Sunday, November 2, 2014

...As Tambuwal Dumps PDP ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Nigeria, moreso, from the authorities established by law.

“No one out there should have any impression that any of us here in the House of Representatives or in the National Assembly is above the law; that is not the message we are sending.”

Plan B Taking Tambuwal’s political stand aside, the man remains hugely popular with the Nigerian masses. This is largely on account of his pro-people stance on government policies and general governance. Nigerians will not forget in a hurry the role he played alongside other House members in the reversal of the federal government removal of fuel subsidy.

Politicians, especially in these climes, will do anything to stay politically relevant. With 2015 drawing close, some buffer plans reportedly mulled by Tambuwal have been widely reported. The speaker is reportedly ditched a touted bid to occupy Aso Rock for the Sokoto governorship seat. Recently, he attended an APC meeting in his Sokoto home state. The meeting was reportedly to determine a consensus APC Sokoto governorship candidate in 2015.

Post defection Tambuwal on Tuesday officially defected to the APC. According to the Speaker, the defection was in line the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and followed developments in PDP in his home state, Sokoto.

Tambuwal announced his defection at the end of Tuesday’s plenary. He immediately adjourned plenary to December 3, a move monitors suggested was to thwart any likely move by the PDP dominated House to unseat him.

PDP lawmakers have a majority with 189 members to APC’s 159. The remaining 12 lawmakers are from other smaller parties.

The national leadership of the PDP on Tuesday reacted to the defection of Tambuwal stating that he should do the needful since he has joined the minority party in the lower chamber.

Acting on the express orders of the presidency, the PDP caucus in the House are reportedly planning to reconvene the House in an emergency session before the December 3 resumption date, checks reveal.

Even though receipt of the 2015 national budget proposal is stated as the reason for the emergency plenary session, the move to reconvene the House may not be unconnected with the recent defection of the House Speaker.

Tambuwal’s defection to the APC puts the opposition in the leadership of the House over a PDP dominated House (in term of numbers), a first since 1999. PDP lawmakers have a majority with 189 members to APC’s 159.

The remaining 12 lawmakers are from other smaller parties.

An arrowhead of the move to reconvene the House stated that an option being explored by the PDP lawmakers was for President Goodluck Jonathan to write the House stating his intention to

present the 2015 budget in November to enable the lawmakers passed it before the end of the year.

The PDP lawmakers predict that the House Speaker will ignore the letter on the pretext that the House is on break, a situation the PDP lawmakers plan to exploit to collect signatures from lawmakers and gather the required one-third membership to reconvene the House.

However, LEADERSHIP could not confirm or otherwise whether the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha was part of the plot. Ihedioha’s Chief Press Secretary, Oke Epia when contacted stated: “I am not not aware of such move.

I have no information on it (House reconvening)”.

If the PDP lawmakers get the required 120 member signatures and Tambuwal snubs plenary, the mantle falls on Ihedioha to direct proceedings.

One-third of the 360-member House is 120 and the PDP has 189 members, while the APC controls 159. Although the new House Standing Orders does not make provision for convening an emergency session, the PDP wants to capitalize on the general provision of quorum for plenary sittings.

The Standing Orders which spells out procedures and practices of the House and its committees, does not also expressly provide for the impeachment of its speaker.

Hence, reported moves by the ruling PDP and the presidency to remove the Tambuwal may prove futile.

The House Standing Orders does not in any of its section, provide for the Speaker’s removal from office on the grounds of defection and anti-party activity, allegations that have been thrown on Tambuwal in some quarters.

It does not even spell out removal procedures in the event of ‘gross misconduct’.

Section 7 Rule 26(a) of the House Standing Orders is the closest the rule book gets to the removal of the speaker.

The section states, “In the absence of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker without any communications to the Clerk of the House within a period of three consecutive days or where both have either been certified or incapacitated, the House may elect for that purpose, someone who shall preside. Such member shall be known as Speaker Pro-tempore”.

Threat To Life “As the number four citizen in the hierarchy of protocol in the country, the Speaker is entitled to security protection by the security agencies, therefore we see the action of the Acting Inspector General of Police as not only contempt of the courts but a ploy to bring harm to the person of Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.”

Tambuwal was reacting on Thursday to the controversial withdrawal of his security details by the IGP, Sulaiman Abba reportedly on the orders of the presidency. APC lawmakers described the action of as ‘undemocratic’ and ‘incredulous’.

In a statement issued by Tambuwal’s Special Adviser on Media, Malam

Imam Imam, he said he received with shock and amazement the statement issued by the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters justifying the withdrawal of Police Security Personnel attached to the Hon Speaker, by the Acting Inspector General of Police.

Tambuwal: “In the said statement, the Force has stated to the effect that by his defection from the PDP to the APC, the Hon Speaker is in breach of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution and is consequently no longer entitled to police security. Nothing can be further from the truth.

“The implication of the Inspector General of Police’s statement is that as sanction for this alleged constitutional breach, he has removed Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal from office of Speaker House of Representatives.

Tambuwal submitted that the question of whether or not there is a division or faction in the PDP has been resolved by Lord Justice Faji of the Ilorin Division of Federal High Court in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/605/2013 in which the court held that indeed there were factions in the PDP. He added that in suit no FHC/ABJ/ CS/ 605/2013, the Sokoto Division of the Federal High Court per Justice Aikawa, the judgment of the court was that there was not only Division but faction in the PDP which later merged with the APC. Tambuwal said he saw the action of the Acting Inspector General of Police as not only contempt of the courts but a ploy to bring harm his person.

“We are on authority that nothing in the 1999 Constitution nor the Police Act confers on the police force adjudicatory powers including the interpretation of the constitution.

“In any case even Section 215 of the 1999 Constitution does not contemplate the issuing of or compliance with unlawful orders by the President and or the the Inspector General of Police respectively.

“What the Acting Inspector General of Police has done therefore has no basis in law including the 1999 Constitution which he has cited.

It is a brazen act of crass impunity, gross Constitutional breach and contempt of court, The Inspector General should desist from assuming or usurping the constitutional functions of the Judiciary.

“For the avoidance of doubt the Speaker of the House is elected by members from among themselves under Section 50(1) (b) of the constitution and vacates office under Section 50 (2) (a) (b) &(c), in the case of (c) by two-thirds majority of members of the House.

“The Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution which refers to a member vacating his seat on grounds of defection, which the Inspector General of Police refers to, has a proviso which has been and still is a matter for judicial and not police interpretation.

“We have faith and confidence in our judiciary and are persuaded that it cannot by stampeded into administering injustice,” he said.

Tambuwal

Mu’azu

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Speaker of the House is elected by members from among themselves under Section 50(1) (b) of the constitution and vacates office under Section 50 (2) (a) (b) &(c), in the case of (c) by twothirds majority of members of the House

Oyegun

18

politics

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Adamawa: Did Ngilari Fly An Expensive Kite?

Ngilari

Political pundits said in the event Ngilari accepts the offer to throw his hat into the gubernatorial ring he will be up in arms against these camps and his chances in the contest would become a matter of whom among them gets the listening ears of the powers that be to emerge the standard bearer of the party.

For keen political observers in Adamawa State, the events of the past few months brought the state to its knees , forcing the state to contend with both insurgency and political tension.

Since the ouster of Nyako, needless to state that the tension in the state at a point nearly reached its peak until Bala Ngilari got returned as the governor of the state. The state seems to be going back to the days of yore following the purchase of form for Ngilari to contest the governorship election next year.

Sources close to the party secretariat in Yola have disclosed that the development has ruffled a lot of political feathers in the party, as many contenders for the number one job of the state have started gearing up for an imminent onslaught with Governor Bala James Ngillari ahead of the 2015 general elections.

Despite assurances by the group which bought the nomination form for Ngillari to the effect that their resolve to purchase the nomination form for Ngillari was not influenced by the governor, ulterior or partisan motives, it only ended up fuelling uneasy calm and mutual suspicion as many politicians within the party said they see the hand of Jacob and the voice of Essau in the whole project.

The purchase of the gubernatorial nomination form by the group has

Mu’azu

The attempt by Governor Bala Ngilari of Adamawa State to contest the 2015 general election has all but ignited a fresh row of crisis in the state, with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wading in. Did the governor fly an expensive kite? MOHAMMED ISMAIL reports the politics playing out opened wild speculations within the party as many party stalwarts including contenders for the plum job especially those that hail from Adamawa Central senatorial zone felt that in view of the gentleman’s agreement reached in the build up to the October 11 botched gubernatorial polls, Ngillari should not indicate interest in the gubernatorial post.

It is worthy to recall that in the run up to the October 11, 2014 botched polls, the party had summoned a stakeholders meeting in Abuja where it was resolved that in order to calm tension and frayed nerves within the contenders, the then acting governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri should be allowed to complete the remaining tenure of Governor Murtala Nyako following which the governorship slot would be zoned to Adamawa Central Senatorial Zone.

In the build up to the botched October election, the Adamawa Central senatorial zone had embarked on a serious agitation for the zoning of the gubernatorial slot to the zone as people from the area noted that since the creation of the state, the zone had never produced gover-

nor of the state despite its strategic political position and the high calibre of sons and daughters it produced.

In an effort to placate the zone, it was resolved during the Abuja meeting that the zone should be given the chance to produce the next governor as it has been marginalised over the years.

But political pundits noted that the gentleman’s agreement was ostensibly used as a decoy to get the preferred candidate of party chiftains, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, an easy access to the Dougirei Government House come 2015 on a platter of gold.

In the wake of the consummation of the Abuja agreement, all the contestants from the Adamawa Central senatorial zone with the exception of former executive secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr. Ahmed Moddibo, withdrew from the race in acknowledgement and adherence to the said agreement.

It is of interest to note that the ruling PDP in the state consisted of three main blocks that are aspiring

to ensure the emergence of who becomes the state governor in 2015.

The camps which are led by three political godfathers including Professor Jibril Aminu, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and Hassan Tukur, are strategising to counter the recent attempt by Ngilari to use incumbency factor to scuttle their chances.

Political pundits said in the event Ngilari accepts the offer to throw his hat into the gubernatorial ring he will be up in arms against these camps and his chances in the contest would become a matter of whom among them gets the listening ears of the powers that be to emerge the standard bearer of the party.

It is a known fact in Adamawa and beyond that former national chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur will stop at nothing in anointing his eldest son, Barrister Awwal Tukur, to get the party’s ticket come 2015.

While Professor Jubril Aminu’s dream is to ensure that his political Godson Dr. Idi Hong emerges as the standard bearer of PDP in the state, Ambassador Hassan Tukur the principal secretary to President Goodluck ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

politics 19

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Adamawa: Did Ngilari Fly An Expensive Kite?

Tukur ➔ FROM PAGE 18

Sources at the Government House Yola say being a calculative and shrewd politician; Ngillari felt that it is wiser and safer to tow the path with extreme caution so as not to repeat the mistakes of his immediate predecessor

will leave no stone unturned to ensure the emergence of Ribadu in cahoots with the national chairman of the party Alh. Adamu Mu’azu as the next governor of Adamawa State.

To buttress the influence of the stakeholders who ensured the consummation of the Abuja agreement which zoned power to Adamawa Central, all the candidates being backed by the three major political blocks are from the zone.

It was believed that all the three groups are working tirelessly to prevent Ngilari from emerging as the standard bearer of the party but instead he is being prodded to contest the senatorial position of his zone.

The sacking of former acting governor of the state Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri who doubled as the standard bearer of the party in the botched 2014 gubernatorial poll seems to have distorted the arrangement as many among the aspirants from other zones who felt shortchanged by the arrangement said the new development has nullified the gentleman’s agreement entered court decision has introduced new parameters into the political permutations of the state.

The situation has also thrown the new governor of the state Bala Ngilari to a political quagmire as many analysts are wont to say that the development has posited him to be between the devil and the deep blue sea.

On one hand of the divide, here is a governor accused of having an innate and insatiable lust to continue in power” while on the other, he seems

Aminu

to be constrained by the fact that his open ambition to gun for the plum office may set him against very powerful forces especially if postulations that the presidency and the national chairmanship of the party were responsible for Ribadu’s ambition.

Sources at the Government House Yola say being a calculative and shrewd politician Ngillari felt that it is wiser and safer to tow the path with extreme caution so as not to repeat the mistakes of his immediate predecessor who is believed to have been cut down following his inordinate ambition and effrontery to challenge powerful interests who were opposed to his ambition.

It may be recalled that in the build up to the October 11, gubernatorial election, Nuhu Ribadu who was a former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) dumped his former party and embraced the PDP on whose platform he declared his ambition to gun for the plum office of the state. No sooner than Ribadu defected to the ruling party than speculations began that he was being sponsored by the presidency to contest the gubernatorial post.

The speculation gained wider acclaim as Ribadu seemingly scaled through all the hurdles that dogged his ambition including getting an expedited waiver to contest the party’s primaries despite his short stay in it and instead it was even the then acting governor who suffered initial setback when he was disqualified by the Ibrahim Mantu-led screening committee on the premise that

he should not be part of the election but to “midwife its conduct” as provided by the constitution.

In order not to be seen as a prodigal son, Ngilari is said to deploy a moderate approach so that he could easily exculpate himself from any blame if the going gets really rough and tough as it will be easy for him to recant the ambition without much ado or stirring up a fight if the intention was done through proxies.

Those who believed that the governor had a hand in the purchase of the nomination form have hinged their stance on the fact that the director of press and public affairs to the Governor, Mr. PP Elisha, was conspicuously present during the press conference organised by the pressure group where they indicated their resolve to use their resources to buy the nomination form for the governor.

Another reason ascribed by those who believed that the governor may be behind the deal was that the action of the pressure group to purchase the nomination form for the governor, marked the first time in the checkered political history of the state where people will use their hard earned monies to purchase nomination form for an aspiring political officeholder especially in the wake of dearth of service delivery that has dogged the state, occasioned by poor leadership over the years and coupled with the fact that during his about seven years as the deputy governor of the state, Ngilari was accused of not attracting any tangible project into his constituency.

Many in the state are of the opin-

Fintiri

ion that going by his lethargic comportment and his seeming lackluster stance on issues that have to do with the people, it was unlikely that a pressure group will stake its hard earned money to purchase the nomination form for him unless if the definition of politics and the way it is perceived in the state has changed.

As the journey into 2015 intensifies, the political development promises to be interesting but one issue that may be subject to conjectures is whether Ngilari will surmount the political obstacles that will dog his ambition or consume him like his predecessor. Only time will tell.

20

politics

Buhari

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Oyegun

Nda-Isaiah

APC: Beyond An Extraordinary Convention Last Thursday’s extra -ordinary national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) in Abuja led to the amendment of the party’s constitution to allow for the use of indirect election to elect its candidates among others. BAYO OLADEJI was at the venue and reports on how the proceedings went

A major highlight of the convention was the amendments of the party’s constitution to provide amongst others for the use of indirect primaries in the election of candidates for the 2015 general election.

Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, was at home with the leadership and followership of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) which held two great events; the presidential declaration of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano on Tuesday and the Extra-ordinary National Convention both at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja 24 hours interval.

The convention that was attended by 5,287 delegates which included all its chieftains and select delegates from every ward, local and state chapters of the party and the National Working Committee was held primarily to amend the constitution of the party to be in conformity with the Electoral Act. The chairman of the convention and Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari said the convention was called for the purpose of amending the constitution of the party so as to accommodate more people. He expressed the hope that the party will eventually reach its promised land.

A major highlight of the convention was the amendments of the party’s constitution to provide among others for the use of indirect primaries in the election of candidates for the 2015 general elections.

Former national secretary of the defunct Action Congress of Nigerian (ACN) Lawan Shuaibu from Kaura Namoda local government area of Zamfara State moved the motion for the amendments while a member of

the House of Representatives, from Ikorodu, Lagos State, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa seconded the motion before the delegates affirmed their approval through voice vote.

The national legal adviser of the Party, Dr. Muiz Banire had earlier read out the sections of the constitution being amended which include article 13(2iv), articles 30(I), 15(a), 9.5, articles 8, 13(2a), 13.3(ii), 9.4c, 9.5(xx), 5.3(v) and 13.4.

After moving the motion for the amendment and its secondment, national organising secretary of the party, Chief Osita Izunaso called for a voice vote to adopt the amendment The most vital amendment was Article 20 which now has a new paragraph (e) which specifically states that the party could use indirect primary to elect any of its candidates.

It had been a hard nut for the NEC and the National Working Committee (NCW) when members were divided over the use of direct primary which makes every member a voter in any of its primaries.

Those who are loyal to General Muhammadu Buhari wanted the Direct Primary while the Atiku camp preferred the Indirect Primary on technical ground.

Some of the highlights of the amendments are: Article 15A which would now state that all officers would be accountable to their chairmen at each level-ward, local government , state and at the national levels.

Article 9.5 iii now makes it an offence for any APC member to take any appointment from the ruling party aside from the party and whoever does so would lose the membership of the party.

Another feature of the amendment says that the National Headquarters of the party remains Abuja.

The tenure for the National Working Committee is now four years and Article 13:2b will reflect this new development.

Article 13 will now have a section which mandates the NEC to set up a caretaker committee whenever it is desirable in any of its branches of the party.

Section 31 of the constitution that states that the Board of Trustees shall be the final authority as to the interpretation of any aspect of this constitution and its ruling shall be final is to be deleted from the constitution.

One of the high points of the convention was the welcoming of the defected Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal into the party by the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and other members of the NEC. Oyegun made a show of his presence by inviting Tambuwal up to the podium where he handed him the flag of the APC and its symbol, the broom, to the admiration of the crowd.

He showered encomiums on him, describing him as the articulate bridge-builder who was able to link up with both members of the APC and the PDP in the National Assembly in the task that led to his emergence as the number four citizen.

In his brief remark, Tambuwal who was accompanied by some of his kitchen cabinet like the Minority Leader and the Minority Whip, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila and Hon Samson Osagie, said, “By the grace of God, come May 2015, we shall sweep away PDP. APC by the grace of God shall deliver this country, from the evils perpetrated by a group of cabals”.

Speaking further, he said, “And in appreciation of your warm hand of fellowship, I hereby rededicate myself to the task of building and growing our party, and helping our party achieve its mission of lifting Nigeria to glorious heights and restoring hope to the citizens of our great country. In this regard, I hereby call on all other like-minded Nigerians to join this movement to deliver on the promise of a new Nigeria. We will engage our party men and women and indeed all Nigerians to fight insecurity and corruption and all the vices that have tended to impoverish our people,” he said.

“The APC is the party where the progressive ideals of good governance to which I subscribe are wholeheartedly embraced and applied ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

politics feature 21

Sunday, November 2, 2014

APC: Beyond An Extra-ordinary Convention for the betterment of Nigeria. I have embraced the APC platform as a veritable instrument for genuine change and enduring national development. We must constantly remind ourselves that Nigerians yearn for true change and APC represents the hope for this change, and a promise of a brighter tomorrow.

“The work may appear tedious and the road ahead may appear long and hard, but our party is amply endowed with all the key ingredients of success. We need unity and solidarity in our ranks in order to face the challenges ahead. In the weeks ahead, we will engage party men and women and Nigerians on the future direction of our nation and means of rescuing her from the malaise of youth unemployment, insecurity, institutionalised corruption, poverty, socio-economic decline and infrastructural decay.

“May Almighty God guide our deliberations at this Special Convention, guide our path, bless our great party, the All Progressives Congress. And may He bless and protect the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said APC National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun said Nigeria is going through a trying time and all hands must be on deck to put her back on the path of development and greatness.

He made this remark while addressing delegates to the Special Convention of the party where some vital amendments of the party’s constitution were made to make it conform with the Electoral Act. Said he, “Let me say unequivocally that these are very trying times for our country. The times become even more challenging as the 2015 elections approach. Therefore, we all owe it a duty to our country, a duty to ourselves and a duty to the generations of Nigerians yet unborn to put our country first, and put it back on the path of development and the path of greatness.

“Let me encapsulate what I have said in a quote by Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States: ‘This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in, unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.”

He also noted the division of the populace along ethnic and religious divides, a problem he trace to the doorstep of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

“Today, our people are more divided along ethnic and religious lines than at any other time in her history. Just because they want to win elections at all cost, they have pitched Christians against Muslims, southerners against northerners, and one ethnic group against the other.

“In particular, the use of religion to divide our people portends great danger. No nation has ever developed using religion as a divisive or campaign tool. And ours will not be different. The problems we face,

Kwankwaso

Okorocha

Tambuwal

be it insecurity, corruption, poverty, lack of infrastructure or economic growth without development, will not be solved by a religionist but by patriotic and competent leadership”.

According to him, “What our longsuffering people want to know is who will provide them with security, improved welfare, uninterrupted power supply, jobs, modern health care, world class education and modern infrastructure, just to name a few”.

Speaking on the menace of the security challenges occasioned by the outlawed Boko Haram sect, Oyegun scored the ruling party zero.

“In the area of security and welfare of the citizenry, the main reason for the existence of any government, the scorecard of the PDP-controlled federal government is zero. More Nigerians have died needlessly between 1999 and now than at any other time in the country’s history, minus during the unfortunate civil war of 1967 to 1970. By President Jonathan’s own admission, over 12,000 people have been killed

by Boko Haram alone! Yet the government has no clue as to how to end the killings, not minding that the sponsors of terrorists called Boko Haram are known to the President and he is known to them.”

Having nailed the ruling party for the corruption in the country aid citing the alleged organized stealing of our crude oil, he said, “There is also impunity, unprecedented impunity, which has in turn fuelled unparalleled lawlessness. Now, they simply deploy security personnel to lock up the courts just to prevent justice from being served. They organize to beat up judges just to have their way.

Litigants and lawyers are fair game in their misplaced strategy to pervert the course of justice. To them, the doctrine of the separation of powers is a mere fancy. They don’t give a damn.

In their perverted reasoning, might is right!”

Comparing the PDP poor performance in economy, the APC chairman said, “Now, our party, the

APC, truly cares, we care about our citizens. We care about our youths. We care about our elderly. We are ready to restore hope to our traumatized people. We are programmed to return Nigeria to the path of growth and development, create jobs, modernize infrastructure and make life more abundant for our people”.

Oyegun also invited four of the five presidential aspirants of the party to the podium. They are former Head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari; the founder, LEADERSHIP Group, Sam Nda-Isaiah; Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, and Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano. He regretted that former vice president, Atiku Abubakar was unavoidably absent as he is away abroad.

According to Oyegun, one of them would become the president come May 29, 2015. He then asked each of them to give short remarks before the amendment of the constitution.

In his remark, General Buhari recalled the coming together of the legacy parties and paid tributes to their leaders for the sacrifice that made APC a reality. He commended the courage and wisdom of Tambuwal for adjourning the House sitting till December after announcing his defection to the party.

Okorocha urged the leaders and members of the party to stop singing the song of religious and tribal sentiments or making agitation that the presidential candidate of the party should come from a particular part of the country.

Nda-Isaiah reminded Nigerians of the security challenges in the country and how to end it “If you are afraid of going to the church to worship because you are afraid you could be killed; if you are afraid of going to the mosque to pray because you are afraid you could be killed; if you are afraid of sending your children to school or afraid your daughter could be kidnapped, vote out PDP next year,” he said Kwankwaso appreciated those who attended his presidential declaration in Abuja the previous day. He said

the code of conduct read earlier by the chairman which warns the presidential aspirants against using fowl language, asking them to work with whoever emerges as the candidate is what all the aspirants have adopted.

The convention was hitch free despite the rain that almost abrupt the programme midway, except the delegates from Abia State who were throwing chairs, pebbles and stones against one another over who were lawfully representing the state and whom to support.

At the convention were Governors Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Magatakarda Wamakko (Sokoto), Yari (Zamfara), Kashim Shettima(Borno) and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano).

Some former governors at the convention were Senator Bukola Saraki, Senator Danjuma Goje, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, Chief Timipriye Silva, Senator George Akume, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Prince Abubakar Audu, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, Chief Segun Oni (deputy national chairman).

Other chieftains were former ANPP chairman Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, Mr. Audu Ogbeh, Prince Tony Momoh, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Senator Chris Ngige, Alhaji Musa Gwadabe, Gambo Magaji, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, former deputy governor of Jigawa State Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, Alhaji Murtala Aliyu, former minister Salisu Nakande, former deputy governor of Borno State Adamu Dibal, Senator Joseph Waku, Gen. Mohammed Aboki, Prince Malik Afegbua, Senator F.S. Okpozo, and Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye.

Others are: former minister Nasir El-Rufai, APC national publicity secretary Lai Mohammed, Senator Olorunnibe Mamora, Alh. Kawu Baraje, house minority leader Femi Gbajabiamila and house committee on finance chairman Abdulmumin Jibril.

I have embraced the APC platform as a veritable instrument for genuine change and enduring national development.

22 politics feature

Sunday, November 2, 2014

2015: Is APC’s Dominance Of Lagos Politics Threatened?

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the first quarter of next year for the conduct of governorship polls in the country. AOLU OLADIPO, in this piece looks at the prospects of the All Progressives Congress (APC) holding on to its prized possession of Lagos.

Looking at the latent threats within and outside the party that could make or mar its dominance The expansive premises housing the secretariat of the ruling party in Lagos was playing host to members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who had converged on it to obtain nomination forms for different political offices.

Unlike in the past, the supporting administrative members of staff had an Herculean task of attending to all those that came for one reason or the other aside those vying for positions as they were doing the main task of selling and receiving nomination forms of teeming party members jostling for one office or the other.

Aside the horde of aspirants, the walls enclosing the premises from other adjourning buildings around it were adorned with posters of aspirants appealing to members and visitors to vote for them in the rounds of elections scheduled to commence in February.

Efforts to sniff for news on that day were futile as those who could offer such were too busy to do so.

Judging by the number of those jostling for one post or the other, it was apparent that owing to a lot of factors, the APC remains the only party to beat for the coveted plum office of the governor of the state that prides itself as the CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE. Renewed agitation for reforms One of the major threats to the continued dominance of the APC is the renewed yet unrelenting calls for reforms by some elements within the party. Many of those clamouring for the reforms are making their specific calls in the process by which candidates emerge for various elective offices.

The top hierarchy of the APC, especially in Lagos State has come under scathing criticism from members who accused the leadership of the party of using what they termed as undemocratic means for selecting the party’s candidate for election.

To those making the call, it is centred on the need to ensure a more open and democratic means that engender broad participation of members in decision making in the party to allow for collective

Oyegun

decision making.

They argue that this has impacted negatively on the image of the party, as they have continued to state that the voting public now perceive the APC as not being managed democratically and that decision making in centralised.

Those in the opposite divide have argued that the APC overtime since its dominance begun about 16 years ago has been winning electoral challenges that have pitched it with its traditional opposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the past. According to those who fall within this line of thought, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has become the centre of gravity that has been holding the party together.

“Do you think we (members) would have sustained our successes for this long if we never had a centre figure like the Jagaban defining the path and holding things together for the party. His towering stature has helped to manage whatever crisis within the party,” a party chieftain told LEADERSHIP Sunday in Lagos.

Another chieftain stated that those making the agitation are being unrealistic and unfair as they themselves have been beneficiaries of such process in the state, “How can they now turn around and blame Tinubu for imposing candidates when they themselves have benefited from such arrangement in the past.”

To the chieftain, “The method has been tested and has worked very well for the party, so why change it now, when he (Tinubu brought Babatunde) Fashola,

they complained but look at what the move has turned out to be today.”

How well the party is able to manage the agitation amidst the unwieldy number of aspirants turning up to collect nomination forms of the party would determine largely, its fortune at the polls, considering the resolve of the PDP to win the state for keeps next year.

Tinubu image For over 16 years, Tinubu has dominated the political space of the state like a colossus, calling the shots and dictating political trends in the state. Pundits however argue that the brand ‘Bola Tinubu’ needs image makeover owing to series of erosion to the brand by opponents and other traducers waiting in the wings to take over from him.

Though, he enjoys popularity in the conventional or mainstream media, the social media with little or no institutional control has become a veritable platform to erode the platform with a view to ultimately weaken the structure.

There is the need for concerted efforts to rework the brand to remove the perception of an overbearing and self centred leadership to which has trailed it for some time.

Perception of government’s policies as harsh One of the credits or knocks that admirers and critics of the Babatunde Raji Fashola has given to it is the ability of the government to take some decisions which could be termed as very harsh.

Indeed, prior to the coming of

Fashola, there was near breakdown of law and order, but with the dogged and methodical approach to governance, the state governor has drawn to himself in equal measures, admiration and criticism, depending on whoever is doing an assessment of his regime that is gradually winding down.

Owing to the fact that Fashola is a technocrat, he has taken some decisions that the conventional politician in the real Nigerian sense would not have contemplated, but owing to the fact that a delicate arrangement had been worked out between his predecessor in office that ceded the management of party and political machinery to his boss and benefactor while he himself took care of managing the affairs of state.

Tinubu has had to manage crisis emanating from the implementation of some of the programmes and policies of the state in the past. Most of the policies of Fashola are aimed and tailored towards ensuring that a semblance of order is restored and that the state is taken back to its pristine past.

In the end, many of these policies have pitched him against some segment of the Lagos society, especially those considered as being in the lowest run of the social ladder, who rightly or wrongly perceived the APC government as harsh towards them.

Apart from the policies themselves, some of the state institutions charged with the responsibilities of implanting them have become very oppressive, thus inflicting what could be termed a collateral damage on the government.

Two institutions stand out in this, the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) and the Kick Away Indiscipline (KAI). LASMA though begun operations in a very positive way has become very unpopular amongst the commuting middle class in the state owing to the manner it carries out its operations.

Several judiciary pronouncements by residents who have been at the rough end of its operations have put to question its modus operandi in the past but series of remedial measures that the government had carried out in the process of reforming the behavioral pattern of its operatives have yielded very little in terms of change.

For KAI, the teeming market women and men who have been subjected to brazenness on the part of personnel who have become some form of terror on petty traders. Though, the state government has not only enacted laws banning street trading, it has even gone ahead to mount series of campaigns against it.

Efforts to implement the contents of the extant laws relating to street trading have pitched the state government against the traders whose votes would as with those of commercial motorcyclists would go a long way to determine the outcome of the polls.

Apart from the policies themselves, some of the state institutions charged with the responsibilities of implanting them have become very oppressive, thus inflicting what could be termed a collateral damage on the government.

POLITICS 23

Sunday, November 2, 2014

2015 Will Be A Different Ball Game – Ezugwu William Ezugwu is the Eze Ogbozarra III of Opi Kingdom in Enugu State. He is the secretary general of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP). In this interview with STANLEY NKWOCHA, he talks on the fortunes of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), his aspiration, as well as why 2015 will be different from other elections Again with APGA’s endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate, how serious and relevant is the party in Nigeria’s political firmament?

APGA is a very serious and strong political party that has come a long way. For APGA to endorse President Jonathan for 2015 election simply means we are not fielding our own presidential candidate but we are contesting every other elective post from governorship to the seats at the National Assembly. It is allowed as an agreeable and a collective decision within the party’s hierarchy that took that decision. You don’t just come when you know that you are not ready for such a thing in terms of its workability.

You mean if APGA was not ready for the Presidency in 2011, it shouldn’t still be ready in 2015?

What I’m saying is that there is an understanding between APGA and PDP just like what happened in 1979 between the NPP and NPN and such a thing is going on. There is no two ways about it, when you have an alliance with a party and you know this has a presidential aspirant who has not completed his tenure; there is no two ways about. It is then you chose to remain in that alliance by not fielding a presidential candidate which APGA has done because we are in alliance with PDP. It could be by 2019 APGA will then produce a presidential candidate.

Perhaps it s this attitude that has made your erstwhile bigwigs like Governor Okorocha and Peter Obi to abandon the party. Does this not affect the fortunes of your party?

For the governor of Imo State and former governor Peter Obi of Anambra that you mentioned, this has to do with individuals- their credibility and ability to be principled persons For example, in that of Imo State, you cannot rob Peter to pay Paul. APGA made him to win election and if he had not flown the flag of APGA, he would have not won that election. These are people I call political prostitutes who have no integrity and morals. There is no way that a man of principle and stability in what he wants can be taken seriously. They dance like butterfly and even if they become president it has no meaning. Every man who knows the value of a man should stand by himself, for a man to have used APGA and win election but later decamp; it tells you the kind of person the man is.

But it does seem it is affecting some APGA chieftains like you. For instance in Enugu State, the governor has endorsed a suc-

cessor, but it was in the news that you, although an APGA chieftain was in support of the candidate not minding that you also have the right to aspire for governorship too. Is this right in your opinion?

You see,in Enugu State the endorsement by the PDP hierarchy was favoured by senatorial zone which everybody supported. What I said was that PDP have done so well by keeping to their word of endorsing somebody from Enugu North and I advised all other political parties to make sure that their candidates are coming from Enugu North. This is not endorsement of their candidate. No. But I’m still advising other political parties that are interested in winning governorship in Enugu State, they should know that it is the turn of Enugu North. So every candidate must come from Enugu North if you want to make an impact in 2015 election.

So that is my own position.

This is the second time that you are contesting for a senatorial seat, what is the push?

The push for my contesting elections since 2003 under APGA is because of the malpractices that has marred elections in my zone. In 2003, it was a case of no victor, no vanquish. The PDP government in those days does not conduct elections, but will carry all the electoral materials to their houses record and manipulate results. In my ward of 25,000 votes, I didn’t even vote but they gave me a mark of 500 votes. My extended family alone is even more than 500. Luckily for me, there was something like tribunal and I spent two years and three months from the tribunal to Court of Appeal. I can bet you that that particular incident made me so popular to the extent that based on these credentials, APGA my party had to appoint me to represent them in CNPP as the Secretary-General.

What are your chances of winning this time around?

My chances this time around are that I have gotten the experience in 2003 and I never came out for any election. I kept working with the grassroot, my people and have gone into philanthropy. For instance, I am the patron of anorganisation that caters for more than 2000 Boko Harm victim returnees from my senatorial zone. I did a successful funding raising ceremony for them, helped them and they are with me now. All the Nsukka Students’ Union, I’m their patron. So many people have benefitted from my scholarships even when I have not been in any government. So my people see all these and hence the clamor for a change.

All the people who are representing Enu-

Ezugwu

gu North both in the House of Representatives and Senate have failed them.

For example, we had a fund raising ceremony for the over 2000 Boko Haram returnees from Enugu North, invitation cards were distributed both to the Senator and others, but I bet you on that day of the fund raising, from the counselors to the Senator none came. Again, the Federation of Nsukka Students had a cultural day at the University of Nigeria and still invited all these people who are representing us but none came. It was only a token N100,000 that I gave them that they used to organise that event.

If you cannot recognize these people, then tell me who you are representing?

There are over thirteen associations in Enugu North that I’m their patron, coordinator or chairman board of trustees.

They all want me to show this representation at the higher level. That is why they have given that mandate saying it is no longer your party but who you are.

Tell me how you would reconcile your role as a traditional ruler and the wouldbe senator?

My throne is a dynasty that is over one hundred years now; from my grandfather to my father and myself. My grandfather was in the Eastern House of Chiefs which was like the National Assembly; my father was a counsellor even as the King. At every time, the people returned him to the council; so far your people want you to serve in any capacity.

Being a traditional and the paramount ruler of my kingdom has nothing to do with my looking for an elective post if my people want me to represent them.

You recently endorsed the aspiration of certain PDP chieftains, what is the motivation?

For everybody who knows who I am, when it comes to national issues I do not mince words as I make my position known. I will always say something and even if it is in my party , I will complain.

For the main reason that I’m the secretary of the conference of Nigerian political parties, the umbrella body of all the

political parties in the country; I think I have the right to say something if it bothers on national issues. I have the right to talk about anything that happens in any political party today.

You cannot shortchange people. What I said was that there is no two ways of people saying the endorsement of certain people cannot not be attained because the party doesn’t want endorsement or because certain people endorsed who they want. For example, in Enugu State the PDP zoned their governorship to Enugu North which is Nsukka.

When they zoned it, they now called all the stakeholders from Enugu North to a meeting in which they all agreed on Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the candidate. Starting from there almost 90 percent of other aspirants from the zone stepped down for Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. I think if politics is being done that way, it is very democratic. There is no need of people fighting and hanging around themselves and creating enemies. In a contest of two people, there must be a winner. For PDP to have endorsed President Jonathan and people go back to the states and say they cannot have endorsement, that is not good. It should be the normal thing; a level playing ground.

If you are playing politics you have to enter it with equity. You don’t come out of the blues and say something because your people will take it. 2105 is going to be a different ball game. It is going to be different and I am advising them that the moment a party has a popular candidate, but because of one godfather somewhere some people don’t want to support the popular candidate, it is not going to work. The happiness is that in PDP Enugu State they have endorsed a very credible candidate and that is why I am advising all other political parties to look for credible candidates and endorse.

In the endorsement of these candidates, where lies the fate of the people? Obviously the endorsements are done by certain power players and foisted on the people. Is this not so?

In my senatorial zone, we know those who have represented us. They have never done well and based on that fact I can bet you that the man the PDP endorsed is a popular choice. When the news came to my zone, so many people were jubilating and these people are at the grassroots. They supported the governor’s choice because those who have been representing us have done nothing, and so even the grassroots as much as I am concerned are happy with the endorsement. That is why people like us from other parties that will contest for other positions are looking for credible candidates who can match the candidates of the PDP. The PDP, to me, frankly speaking has got it right for the first time in Enugu state by endorsing somebody that very few people are against as it is the turn of Enugu North. So every candidate must come from Enugu North if you want to make an impact in 2015 election. That is my position.

2105 is going to be a different ball game. It is going to be different and I am advising them that the moment a party has a popular candidate, but because of one godfather somewhere some people don’t want to support the popular candidate, it is not going to work

24 politics feature

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Jonathan, Amaechi: The Muscle-flexing Continues ANAYO ONUKWUGHA, writes on the latest controversy between Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and President Goodluck Jonathan. Is there more to it than meets the eye?

Amaechi, believes that all his political predicaments, including the removal of the Chief Godspower Ake-led executive of the PDP in the state,

It is no longer news that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi became foes after the 2011 general election where the people of Rivers State massively voted for Jonathan.

Jonathan, on his part, has never failed to see political activities of Amaechi, especially his insistence to run for another term as the chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) against the President’s preferred candidate, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, as well as his subsequent defection from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), as attempt to undermine his administration.

On his part, Amaechi, believes that all his political predicaments, including the removal of the Chief Godspower Ake-led executive of the PDP in the state, and the subsequent instalment of Chief Felix Obuah as the new chairman of the party in the state, and several other events that followed the March 15, 2013 judgement of the Abuja High Court, which threw out Ake, as the handiwork of the President aimed at removing him from office by all means.

Unarguably, the recent wave of faceoff and exchange of words between the Presidency and the Rivers State government was triggered by the speech made by Amaechi at the convocation ceremony of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, where he alleged that Jonathan was deliberately crumbling the economy of the state, and lamented about the steady shortfall in the state allocation from the federation account.

The governor also expressed fears that if the PDP is allowed to rig and manipulate the election and President Jonathan is voted into office in 2015, poverty and underdevelopment will crumble the state.

He said, “Now that, you are graduates, you are now eligible voters that can use your voters’ card to change society. Ask yourselves this question that I have always asked Rivers people. What have we done to President Jonathan that he has refused to bring any project to Rivers State?

“We had to fight them before they could do the East-West road. I had to abuse the federal government and they abused me back, before they could do the work you now see on that road. Our President, from the South-South has

Jonathan

Amaechi

taken our oil wells from Soku in Rivers State to Bayelsa State.

“What about the 41 oil wells in Etche that was given to Abia State? Is the President or his wife from Abia State? Why do they want us to suffer?

If President Jonathan comes back to power in 2015, Rivers State economy will crash,” “ Governor Amaechi had stated.

Also, speaking at the recently held rally to mark the seventh anniversary of the Supreme Court Judgement, which installed him as governor of the state, Amaechi said, “We have developed 715 megawatts, but the problem is federal government is not allowing us to distribute electricity.

“We were to give Port Harcourt water; as I am talking to you today, the minister of finance has refused to move the file again back to executive council for approval so that you can have water.

They don’t care for you; they want you to die of water-borne diseases. Punish them with your votes; punish PDP with your votes. He is our son, why can’t we have water?

“The problem we have is that the EFCC is no longer working. Corruption is at its industrial scale. Thieves are thieves because we now have an industry called corruption. They said the reason why the president is not performing in Rivers State is because he is quarrelling with the governor of Rivers State. Okay, what is the quarrel between the Governor of Akwa Ibom and the Governor of Cross River that the road from Akwa Ibom to Cross River is abandoned? Are they quarrelling too? It is more of lack of performance.

“So, if the president says it is because he is quarrelling with me, was he quarrelling with me in 2012? When he took our oil wells, was he quarrelling with me? He (Jonathan) took our oil wells in Kalabari areas. He took the whole of Soku; he went to Etche; he took 41 oil wells and he wants Etche people to vote for him. I am waiting for the election. He wants Kalabari people to vote for him. This is to show you that he doesn’t care. Even the riverine people, he says he won’t give them governor that

they should go to hell.”

In his reaction, Jonathan described Amaechi as a political rascal and blackmailer who is always willing to denigrate the office of the president in a reckless attempt to promote his selfish political interest.

The president, in a statement issued on his behalf by his special adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said, “Governor Rotimi Amaechi took his obnoxious willingness to denigrate the highest office in the land in a reckless bid to advance his selfish political interests to a new level of irresponsible and rascally behavior yesterday in Port Harcourt with his totally false and baseless vituperations against President Jonathan, the First Lady, and the federal government.

“It appears from the governor’s completely unfounded and off-themark allegations that he had totally lost all sense of propriety, decorum, and responsible political behaviour and resorted to unacceptable demagoguery, libel, blackmail, and incitement of public disorder.

Unless his unbridled ambition and desire for self- promotion have completely befuddled his mental faculties and caused him to totally lose touch with reality, Governor Amaechi must know that his claims and allegations are untrue.

“We can only assume therefore that he is deliberately spewing malicious falsehood in a desperate effort to incite the people of Rivers State and Nigeria against his assumed political foes. We warn him that there are legal, constitutional, and moral limits to political rascality beyond which he will not be allowed to go without repercussions.

“The immunity which he currently enjoys notwithstanding, Governor Amaechi should be under no illusions: A day of reckoning will surely come when he will answer for all his actions and false allegations against President Jonathan, the First Lady and the federal government.

“He should also know that Nigerians

are aware of the truth and will never be fooled or swayed by his arrant opportunism and anti-Jonathan ranting.

Nigerians know that while Mr. Amaechi falsely accuses others of corruption, he cannot show or explain to the people of Rivers State what he has done with the billions of Naira that has accrued to the state under his tenure.”

Apparently lending his voice in support of the President, the immediate past minister of state for Education and governorship aspirant on the platform of PDP, Chief Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, challenged Amaechi to a public debate on corruption, alleging that he was financially and traditionally corrupt, adding that he will account for the uncovered fraud he has committed in the state.

Firing back at the presidency, the governor said the issues he raised at the recently held mega rally in Port Harcourt was about governance and not a direct attack on the persons of President Goodluck Jonathan, his wife, Dame Patience and the federal government.

Amaechi, who spoke through the state commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said that he never referred to the persons of the president and his wife, but only refer to issues that have direct bearing on the people of the state.

Semenitari said, “The first thing to say is that clearly that statement must have been written before the rally. If it wasn’t written before the rally, then I am at a loss at where Dr. Abati saw the so-called statement against the president, his wife and the federal government.

“There was no point during the rally where the wife of the president was mentioned and that was because issues being discussed were not issues about persons but about governance. The issues were in no way related to her as she does not hold any official position in government. Therefore, there is no need referring to her where governance issues are being discussed.

“He did refer to the fact the Rivers people were being treated like refugees and we have become internally-displaced persons in our own state and our only offence was that we gave the president two million votes in 2011. He did complain the Rivers people not only feel marginalised, but are poor cousins to the federal government. He did complain as to why Rivers people continue not to have the funds that come from their oil wells and the fact that the oil wells that belong to Rivers State were taken to Bayelsa and Abia States, “ the commissioner stated.

It is obvious that the love-lost between the president and his erstwhile blossom governor, Amaechi has gone sour. But with 2015 elections yet to come, it is obvious that the fight is just beginning. 2015 will surely be the defining moment.

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Sunday, November 2, 2014

business

Pomo, one of the products of hides and skin, also used for leather products. PHOTO BY GOOGLE

Why Nigeria’s Leather Industry Must Be Revitalised As the nation looks inwards to generate additional revenue from the non-oil sector, Kingsley Alu writes that there is need to revitalise the country’s leather industry

One major factor that makes the industry vibrant is the availability of the major raw materials—hides and skin, which are produced in large quantities, particularly, in the northern part of the country

A recent report by Chemonics International Inc. showed that Nigeria imports close to 20 million pairs of shoes yearly despite its manufacturing capacity which could meet local demand and even produce for export.

A sub-sector assessment of the Nigerian leather industry by the report also disclosed that the country’s neglect of this all-important sector has seen her losing out on the $72 billion global leather industry and trailing behind less endowed countries on account of her dependence on oil.

It noted that with long- term investment, Nigerian stakeholders could potentially share what may develop into a $104 million market for Nigeria over the next ten years.

“This increased market will be accompanied by a substantial increase in the industry’s employment level,” the report said, noting that increase in disposable income was fuelling international demand for high quality leather shoes, jackets, handbags and upholstery.

While observing that the market for leather products was growing steadily at three per cent per annum, the report pointed out that although developed countries are the major consumers of finished leather products, they export the bulk of raw hides traded globally to developing countries for processing.

“These value-adding developing countries, who are unable to keep up with the demand for tanned leather and finished leather products, are con-

stantly seeking new sources of supply and are looking to West Africa as a potential source.

“Nigeria already has a thriving export market; the skin of Nigeria’s Red Sokoto goat commands a premium in the international market, especially from Italy. All of the resources for tanning and producing leather products are available locally, including a large domestic and regional animal population. With strategic utilisation of these resources, Nigeria could greatly increase their market share of the global leather and leather goods market,” it said.

In conclusion, the report advised that the manufacturing industry needs more sources of quality inputs if it hopes to fully utilise its manufacturing capacity for leather products.

It also added that leather products industry has tremendous potential to generate foreign exchange and create employment, especially for women, in Nigeria.

According to the chairman of the Nigerian Tanners Council (NTC), Alhaji Lawan Sule Garo, the leather industry has continued to generate employment for the old and the young, particularly, in the North-West part of Nigeria.

LEADERSHIP Sunday findings showed that in Kano, tannery remains the largest, and in fact, the most efficient industry. The industry employs over 25,000 people directly; and thousands of Nigerian youths are engaged on a daily basis as ad-hoc

workers. One major factor that makes the industry vibrant is the availability of the major raw materials—hides and skin, which are produced in large quantities, particularly, in the northern part of the country.

Also, the large supply of hides and skin from neighbouring Niger Republic, Cameroon and Chad and constant importation of semi-processed leather known as wet blue from Senegal remain an added advantage to the industry in Nigeria. It is also on record that Nigeria produces and exports high quality leather to Europe and other parts of the world.

On its part, the Association of Leather/Allied Industrialists of Nigeria (ALAIN), estimates the finished leather goods sub-sector to have an annual turnover of more than N640 billion ($4 bn) with a capacity of generating more than two million jobs in 2014 if concerted efforts are taken to increase their production capacity.

In Aba, a major production centre of the Nigerian shoes, bags and belts among others, about 30 million bags and wallets are produced per annum for export and 50 million per annum for local consumption. Also, over 20 million belts are produced per annum for export and another 30 million per annum for local consumption.

According to ALAIN, the estimated foot wears produced all over Nigeria is in the region of 260 million pairs per annum and represents over 65 per cent of the footwear market.

CHALLENGES Patronage Of Foreign Goods According to Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, during the 2nd edition of the Made-in-Aba Trade Fair, the National Assembly is putting finishing touches on a bill that would ensure the patronage of made-in-Nigeria products by enforcing compliance to the policy.

The proposed bill, he maintained, would focus on patronage of products that Nigeria has the capacity to produce.

Abaribe believed that a radical transformation of Nigeria’s industrial base by providing adequate facilities to support the efforts of indigenous producers to boost economic growth is the only way local producers can be encouraged.

“We need to be able to create wealth and employment by patronising local producers to reduce crime in the society. If we neglect our domestic goods and continue to patronise foreign ones, there is no way that foreigners will see us as talented,” he said.

Abaribe also argued that reliance on imported goods at the expense of quality goods that were locally produced would not allow the nation’s economy to develop. According to him, if given adequate patronage, indigenous producers would help to create employment for the youth and wealth for the country.

He said the only way the local industries could thrive was if they were pa➔ CONTINUEd ON PAGE

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Why Nigeria’s Leather Industry Must Be Revitalised ➔

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tronised by the government and the Nigerian public.

“We’ve been telling policy makers to stop the importation of finished leather and allied products into Nigeria so that we can produce for Nigeria. We want to make sure that those who are involved in the procurement process of government can come here and see that some of the things they want to go and buy outside are actually produced here. What we have here are quality products that can match the best standards anywhere in the world,” he said, while disclosing that the leather industry in the country was already choking under stiff competition from cheap foreign made goods, especially from China, which were not by any means superior.

In the same vain, Senate President, David Mark was of the view that Nigeria’s membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) should be reviewed for a quick take-off of its industrial sector.

“Let us ban all that we can ban. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) should not hold us down in economic slavery,” he said.

He also called for a radical transformation of the Nigeria’s industrial base by providing adequate facilities to support the efforts of indigenous producers to boost economic growth.

He further urged relevant agencies of government to create adequate awareness on the need for introduction of policies that would enable local initiatives to thrive.

Leather products are hot cake in the international market, if the government gives adequate attention to it, leather will come to surpass oil in foreign earnings

Cost of raw materials Imports The cost incurred in the importation of chemicals such as chrome, sodium sulphade and dye stuff has continued to have negative impact on the leather sector.

As the chairman, Nigerian Tanners Council (NTC), Alhaji Lawan Sule Garo observed in a recent interview, “If government can take decisive action, we can have those chemicals produced in the country. We hope the Eleme Petrochemical and other refineries in the country can be resuscitated—they are all sources of raw materials, not only for the leather industry but a good number of manufacturing ventures in the country.

“The federal government should also encourage research institutes to produce chemicals. It is not healthy that we import over 80 per cent of the chemicals that we use. Things should be put in place to sustain the leather industry. Leather products are hot cake in the international market, if the government gives adequate attention to it, leather will come to surpass oil in foreign earnings.”

High Interest Rates Garo also stated that investors who have the urge to join the business are often discouraged because of unfriendly interest rates introduced by financial institutions that are not even ready to grant loans to local industrialists.

“Imagine a situation where financial institutions, in their bid to scare us away and continue their romance

with the importers, impose far-reaching interest charges of 22 to 25 per cent. We understand that the government is giving out about N100 billion grants to revive the textile and cotton sector, we want such gesture to be extended to the leather industry considering its strategic position to economic development in the country,” he said.

He also observed that the Export Expansion Grant (EEG), an incentive from the Nigerian government given to the non-oil exporters has encouraged the exportation of finished leather products to Europe and other continents.

The grant, as extended to other manufacturing sectors, ranges from 10 to 30 per cent discount, depending on the kind of goods being exported.

For instance, in the leather industry, the crust and finished leather attract about 20 to 25 per cent grant.

However, there have been allegations that some corrupt officials in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) are frustrating government’s efforts to sustain these policies as the NCS officials hardly honour the Negotiable Duty Credit Certificate (NDCC) following which the minister of industry, trade and investment, Olusegun Aganga, assured that the federal government was currently reviewing the Export Expansion Grant (EEC) to remove all the bottlenecks.

Jonathan

Cost of Transportation of finished products The cost of transportation of finished products is another teething problem confronting the leather industry. Poor road networks and the absence of a rail system make the movement of finished leather products slow and cumbersome.

The rail transport system in the country is yet to be modernised and this makes the delivery of goods to take longer than necessary.

Environmental Problem According to Sule Garo, most of the leather manufacturers have elected to put in place primary treatment plants within their premises to ensure the treatment of polluted water before disposing it. “We want the state and federal government to build secondary treatment plants which will be self-sustainable to factory owners.”

Under Utilisation According to findings by the Centre for Research and Development, a nongovernmental organisation (NGO), not more than five of the 41 tanneries that operated in Kano were functioning.

A representative of the centre, Malam Muhammad Bello, who made this known during an interactive session with stakeholders in the leather industry in Kano, said the few existing tanneries were operating at 60 per cent capacity.

Power Supply Experts contend that this is one of the reasons the finishing of shoes and garments in Nigeria was always poor because, the work is done manually instead of using machines and this is

Okonjo-Iweala

Aganga

the competitive advantage the Asian countries have over us.

They argued that until the manufacturers of garment and shoes in the country begin to use the right tools in production, good finishing will remain a mirage, adding that the manufacturers need power to run their machines.

The machines are not hand driven but electricity powered, therefore.

Government, they insisted, should explore alternative ways of providing electricity for manufacturers.

insecurity,” he said.

According to him, there is no substitute to infrastructure. There is no half way to government providing infrastructure. We need to implore government to do what they have to do if they are serious.

Industry watchers also believe that investment in technical assistance aimed at actors in leather value chain in the form of access to modern tannery equipment and shoe manufacturing machines will result in improved quality of tanned and finished leather and increased potential to access global markets through appropriate networks.

They were also of the view that franchise production agreements could be entered into between industrial tanneries and shoe manufacturers which would boost the productivity of MSME leather producers and create over 500,000 jobs across the value chain, particularly for youths and women.

Way Out Sule Garo advocated for the need for long-term financial budget and single-digit loans. “If we can get longterm loan packages, people can go into manufacturing of shoes and bags with available raw materials—when this happens, it will add value to the growth of our local economy by creating more job opportunities and to a great extent, reducing the problem of

business

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L-R:The marketing manager of DANA Motors Limited, Mr Peter Ayewoh; the executive director north, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Mr Adams Nuru and the head, Retail Asset Products, Mr Oljire Awofisibe, at the launch of FCMB and DANA motor alliance on auto loan in Abuja Friday. Photo By OYEDELE OMOKAGO

Smile Telecoms To Take Broadband Services To 15 Cities

By Chima Akwaja, Lagos

Smile Nigeria Communications Limited, a leading fourth generation long term evolution (4G LTE) network operator has disclosed plans to take broadband internet services to 15 cities across Nigeria by the end of 2015.

Mrs Alero Ladipo, chief marketing officer of the company, in her public function in Lagos midweek, said Smile Nigeria has already connected Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt to its high quality, reliable, superfast broadband internet access 4G LTE. The internet data operator which operates in four other African countries that deploy 4G LTE, has the most recent and advanced technological standard for wireless data communications which represents a major shift when compared to older technologies such as third generation (3G) used my

mobile operators.

Smile Communications which launched its fourth generation long term evolution (4G/LTE) network on 800 MHz spectrum in Ibadan and Lagos plans to offer improved mobile broadband experiences based on LTE technologies to subscribers. It also plans to deploy 1,100 LTE base stations across the country.

Ladipo said the broadband operator intends to link all the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria with the major cities where they are providing internet connectivity in the medium term as they launch. He noted that the company wants to connect about 60 small cities and small towns.

Ericsson is the primary vendor for the LTE radio network, leveraging the multi-standard RBS 6000 family of base stations and the compact and fully integrated AIR (Antenna Integrated Radio) An-

tennas, deployed in West Africa for the first time. Ericsson is also providing a complete Evolved Packet Core network including Evolved Packet Gateway and Mobility Management Entity.

Smile Communications and Ericsson have a three-year network deployment agreement to develop over 1,100 LTE sites across the country. Under the terms of this agreement, Ericsson is responsible for the project management, system integration, inter-operability testing, network design and implementation.

Mr Ken Esenwah, general manager, sales and distribution said Smile Nigeria is riding on the back of major mobile operators through collocation service. “We don’t have our own base stations and fibre optic cables yet. We are doing collocation with other operators that is why when their service is down, it affects ours”.

Glo Recruits Over 2000 Agents For Mobile Money

By Chima Akwaja, Lagos

Major telecoms service provider, Globacom, has rounded off town hall trainings for prospective Glo Xchange agents with sessions in Sokoto, Katsina, Ekiti and Ebonyi states, bringing the total number of agents recruited nationwide to over two thousand.

The last batch of training sessions held over the weekend were attended by enthusiastic prospective agents who thronged the various sessions for capacity building lectures on how to function as Glo Xchange mobile money agents as well as mode of operation and how the agents can start the business in their locality.

A cross section of participants commended the Glo Xchange network designed to bring mobile money services to the end users, especially unbanked Nigerians, describing it as a veritable platform to tackle unemployment.

Olaigbe Temitope of M5 Di-

rect Limited, who spoke from the Ado-Ekiti centre of the town hall meeting, said that the project was good for Nigeria’s cashless policy as it would make business transaction much easier while Ogunsakin Ganiyu of Lemissco Communications Iyin road, Basiri, Ado-Ekiti, opined that the Glo Xchange scheme would simplify money transfer.

From Sokoto , Alhaji Abdul Malik of Sokoto south local government said. “With Glo Xchange, the issue of filling bank tellers and several kilometres’ trip to banks from our various villages will become a thing of the past”.

Mallam Yusuf Maidama of Tangaza local government area, Sokoto enthused: “My old parents in the village will no longer be worried about how to get money from banks which are located several kilometres away. I, also, will not have to join long queues to send money to my suppliers to buy my wares”.

UBA Posts 12% Rise 3rd Quarter Earnings

By Bukola Idowu, Lagos

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has posted gross earnings of N210 billion for the third quarter of its 2014 financial year ending September 31, a 12 per cent improvement over what it made in the comparable period of last year.

In the nine months period of 2013, UBA had posted a gross earnings of N188 billion. The bank’s earning had received a boost from interest income which rose 12.5 per cent to N149 billion in the same period.

The operating income of N138 billion for the ninemonth period to September 30 2014, represents a 6.6 per cent increase over the corresponding period of last year.

The bank also recorded a profit before tax of N42.54 billion and a profit after tax of N33.6 billion for the nine months period.

Commenting on the third quarter results, the group

managing director and chief executive of the bank, Philips Odozua said “The rise in gross earnings reflects the increasing business activity across our operations, as we support businesses and institutions with the finance they to need to exploit emerging opportunities on the continent.

“We are confident that our performance will continue to improve in the last quarter 2014, with increased contribution to group balance sheet from the African subsidiaries”, he said.

United Bank for Africa Plc is one of Africa’s leading financial institutions offering banking services to more than 7 million customers across over 700 business offices in 19 African countries. With presence in New York, London and Paris, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail, commercial and corporate banking, innovative cross border payments.

Experts Advise On Financial Literacy, Investment

BY OLUSHOLA BELLO, Lagos

Financial and investments experts have urged working class Nigerians to learn about rudiments of financial and investment management in order to ensure sustainable living standards during and after their working phase.

Experts, who spoke at a one-day fi-

nancial workshop organised by Klass and Korporate Consultants International for staff of Chevron Nigeria, advised the working class Nigerians to cultivate the habit of savings and investments.

Speaking at the workshop, the regional head, Public Sector, Southsouth and South-east, Ecobank Nigeria Limited, Mr Abayomi Adeyeri,

said people with adequate financial and investment knowledge would be able to make sound decisions that would ensure that they are able to live sustainable and wealthy life.

According to him, the purpose of the workshop was to activate staff potentials in order to expand their overall total income.

“Your money should work for you

rather than you work for your money. The participants should be able to make sound financial decisions at the end of the class, convert debts to savings, savings to investments and in the long run, retire strong, early and wealthy”, Adeyeri said.

Chief executive officer, Klass and Korporate Consultants International, Omoefe Siakpere, pointed out that

the main reason why most big earners find themselves broke later in life is because of lack of financial planning.

According to her, planning for the future entails an extensive process of the various elements of a financial plan that should be integrated into overall lifestyle which outlives physical existence to include a person’s estate.

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NIGER STATE KWARA STATE KOGI STATE BENUE STATE NASARAWA STATE PLATEAU STATE FCT ABUJA NGOs Organise ‘Plateau Will Arise Project’ Why We Bought N5.2m Form For

BY AChOR ABiMAJe, Jos

As the 2015 general elections draw closer, an international Non-Governmental Organisation, Search for Common Ground (SFCG) in collaboration with European Union (EU) and Community Action for popular participation (CAPP) have organised a media tour tagged “Plateau will arise project”, to build bridge of peace among the people at the grass root.

The communication and learning officer, SFCG, Mr Chima Onwe while speaking to communities of Quanpan local government area said the tour is targeted at eight key communities within eight local government areas

HeAdS FROM THe ZONe

of the state including areas both deeply affected by the recent and on-going violence, as well as others where there is an opportunity to consolidate on the already existing peace.

The affected local government areas are Shendam, Wase, Quanpan, BarkinLadi, Ryiom, Mangu, Jos North and Jos South.

According to Chima, the programme has the overall objective of building an active, locally owned and inactive Peace Architecture in Plateau state.

He added that it is also to create an improved climate of peace in some LGAs, promote the inclusion and active participation of children, youth and women in the architecture of peace.

Smart Adeyemi – Council Chairmen BY sAM eGWu, Lokoja

Chairmen of seven council areas that make up Kogi West Senatorial District have advanced reasons why they paid and obtained intent and nomination forms for Senator Smart Adeyemi who is currently representing the district at the National Assembly.

Adeyemi who is the chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is seeking for another term in the Senate under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The chairman of the seven-chairmen in Kogi-West, Mr Folorunso Daniyan said that quality representation, experience, ranking and prompt delivery of dividends of democracy were the qualities that prompted them

Kwara South Senate Seat: Political Leaders Endorse Makanjuola

l-R: Governors Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and AbdulFatah Ahmed (Kwara) during the Progressive Governors’ meeting in ilorin, Kwara state recently. PHOTO BY

BY ABdullAhi Olesin, Ilorin

ABDULLAHI OLESIN

Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed The Kwara State government has alleged political persecution in the dropping of the state from 33rd to the bottom of the federal allocations to states.

Hon Gbenga Makanjuola Political leaders in all the seven local government areas that make up Kwara South senatorial district have endorsed Makanjuola as APC candidate for the zone ahead of the 2015 elections.

Niger Youths Root For Umar Nasko

BY ABu Nmodu, Minna

Some youth organisations in Niger Sstate have thrown their weight behind the gubernatorial ambition of Alhaji umar mohammed Nasko.

According to different letters of endorsement, the groups starting from National Association of Niger State Students (NANIS) in a letter dated 22nd october, 2014, stated that they are in support of “evergreen mandate group”, the campaign group of umar Nasko.

Nasko who was the chief of staff to the Governor of Niger State before resigning his appointment last week

into taking the decision to back Smart for another term in the Senate.

He explained that they took the risk of paying the sum of N5.2million for the intent and nomination forms, saying that “you need to take the risk because it’s worth it and that you need to put your money where your mouth is.”

He said, “the support we have for him is very solid that is why you can see leaders of thought and opinion molders in the area giving all the support for his aspiration for another bid to represent his people” Daniyan disclosed that the electorate would like to continue to enjoy the support and the attraction of infrastructures to the area through the quality representation by Adeyemi.

to contest the Governorship election, according to the youth organisations, is very popular, competent and possesses excellent leadership qualities.

The NANIS group in a letter signed by Comrade mohammed Shehu Chata said that most importantly the group sees umar Nasko as a man that embrace peace and of good character.

Also, the Student union Government of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida university, Lapai in a letter of endorsement signed by Saidu Salihu, the Secretary General, said that the union is ready to join hands with

others to support umar Nasko in actualising his aspiration during the 2015 general election.

Also, the millennium Entertainment Group endorsed Nasko, saying that its members appreciated Nasko’s dedication to work in public service.

The group in a letter signed by the coordinator, martha okoro and the secretary, dahiru Haruna Kuta, maintained that Nasko has been in the fore front of promoting youth development and with a clear vision to make youths responsible and responsive to the society.

Political leaders in the fold of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyun, Offa and Ifelodun local government areas, constituting a federal Constituency in Kwara South senatorial district have declared their support for Hon Gbenga Makanjuola’s bid to represent the district at the Senate in 2015.

The political leaders declared their support for Makanjuola, who is chief of staff to Senator Bukola Saraki, after a constituency party meeting held in Offa.

The endorsement of Makanjuola was based on his achievements in office while he represented Ekiti/Isin/ Ifelodun/Oke-Ero federal constituency at the Federal House of Representatives.

Speaking on behalf of other leaders after the meeting, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, an APC elder in Oyun local government area said the local government areas declared their support for Makanjuola because they witnessed various development programmes carried out by the ex-lawmaker and “endorsing him implies such developments will be replicated across Kwara South if Makanjuola emerges as Kwara South senatorial candidate under APC. “Our desires align with Makanjuola’s excellent performance while representing his federal constituency; the successes recorded are evident till date, we are supporting Makanjuola because we want to see such developments not only in the other constituency but in ours too.”

“Our support for Makanjuola is not based on any primordial sentiments but on concrete evidences of achievements recorded in different areas of his federal constituency which have been made manifest and evident across the constituency till date,” he added.

He called on all indigenes and residents of Kwara South to support the candidacy of Makanjuola for the progress and development agenda of Kwara South.

I’m Not Intimidated By Big Names – Senatorial Aspirant

BY AChOR ABiMAJe, Jos

A member of the House of Representatives, representing Kanke, Kanam and Pankshin constituency, Hon. Emmanuel Goar, has said that Nigerian democracy has matured beyond the idea of seeing

big names as a criterion for winning elections.

He said that aspirants into various political offices in the country will have to present their score cards before the electorate for assessment.

According to him, “I am not at

all intimidated; election is a period of reckoning, where every contestant will present his score card for assessment and proper scrutiny.

I am not intimidated by names or names dropping, I depend on God and my record of achievements as a legislator.”

Goar who stated this shortly after he picked his nomination and expression of intention form to contest the Plateau central senatorial district seat, said he is not at all intimidated by the names of those competing with him for the senatorial seat.

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news behind the news

FUT Minna’s Giant Strides In Climate Change Technology

The vice chancellor, Federal University of Technology Minna, Professor Musbau Akanji at the WASCAL centre.

By Abu Nmodu, Minna

Sometimes in 2012, the Senate of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna in Niger State approved curriculum of study for the centre for climatic change. The arrangement was in collaboration with German government through the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL).

Recently, the centre graduated 10 experts with Masters Degree of technology in climatic change. The programme is being run only by FUT Minna, under the auspices of WASCAL. It is the first of such collaborations on climate change that has received global attention over the years.

In the arrangement, the university awarded the students drawn from eight West African countries the masters of Technology degree in Climate change and adapted land use with full support of WASCAL mediations with Germany.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Musbau Akanji in a special graduation ceremony at the Gidan Kwanu, Minna campus of the university said the centre on climate change was built through a grant of 100,000 Euros from the German authorities.

While saying that FUT Minna was the only Nigeria university that benefited from WASCAL/German arrangement out of the three that benefited from West Africa, the Vice Chancellor said that the regional nature of the programme goes beyond the students and lecturers to the advisory board which comprised of support and partner universities from

Germany.

According to him, the Centre for Development Research, University of Bonn which was represented at the graduation by Mrs Mini Boutros and the Remote sensing Department of the institute of Geography and Geology, University of Wurzburg also represented by Dr Michael Thiel of Republic of Benin gave the programme a very long list of outreaches.

Professor Akanji disclosed that the graduands showed serious academic excellence, declaring that “out of ten students, seven scored above 4.0 cumulative grade point average. One of our female students has recently been selected and awarded a fellowship by a German Foundation to conduct research in Nigeria”.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of WASCAL, Dr Laurent Sedogo said that the collaboration with FUT Minna was exemplary because of their commitment to the programme as attested to by the fact that FUT Minna is the first to graduate its set of students out of all the three universities participating in the programme from West Africa.

He said that the benefiting students would remain a very big investment for WASCAL in view of the negative and pervasive nature of climate change and therefore called on them to see climate change as one of the key challenges that needed to be tackled in paving the way for sustainable development.

Laurent explained that, “WASCAL is with no doubt an ambitious initiative, which is owned by ten African countries of the ECOWAS region and strongly supported in this endeavour by the federal government of Germa-

ny. In addition to Nigeria, are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo”.

He stated that WASCAL operates through two programmes, namely the Climate Service Program and the research programme, which are located at the WASCAL Competence Centre, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; and that, the programmes carry out research and provide science-based advice to policy makers and stakeholders on climate change impacts, mitigation and adaptation measures.

According to him, “the third pillar of WASCAL, the graduate studies Programme, coordinates six doctoral programs and four master programs, disseminated in ten lead Universities of WASCAL member states, one of which is FUT Minna for the Master’s programme on Climate change and adapted land use”.

In his remarks, the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Michael Zenner represented by Mr Dirk Schulz said the total package of the collaboration for WASCAL and climate change is 1,000,000 Euros sponsored by the German Ministry of Education for Researches.

Giving an overview of the entire package and the implementation of WASCAL MRP on climate change, the coordinator of the programme in FUT Minna, Dr Apolina Okhimamhe said that the journey for the WASCAL programme started in the university about four years ago and expressed delight that the first set of WASCAL graduates on climate change have been produced by FUT Minna.

She said considering the experience of the twisty and thorns on transforming WASAL concept on paper to reality, it was a thing of joy that the federal university of technology Minna was able to implement the programme for the benefit of humanity, because climate change is very important.

The coordinator declared that, “the good news is that some of the achievers are beginning to emerge, one of our graduating students, Miss Agatha Akpeokhai is the only Nigerian selected for a fellowship on climate change related topic by the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation last month”.

Some of the participants of the WASCAL programme PHOTOS BY ABU NMODU

Hon Mustapha

News Behind The News

Kwara 2015 Reps Poll: MM Still In The Race

By Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

FUT Minna is the first to graduate its set of students out of all the three universities participating in the programme from West Africa

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State has not asked the member of the House of Representatives representing Ilorin West /Asa federal constituency, Hon Mashood Mustapha to step down for any aspirant.

A statement from the MM campaign organisation clarified that “the party’s structures had at no time taken such decision.”

The statement noted that so far, the leadership of APC in the state had endorsed Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed as the sole gubernatorial candidate of the party for the next year’s general elections.

This gesture has not been extended to any other aspirant in the fold of our great party, the statement clarified.

The statement signed by Mustapha’s Chief of staff, AbdulRasaq Solihu Abosioyoyan and Senior legislative aide, emphasised that Mustapha is still very much in the House of Representatives race.

They acknowledged the overwhelming support of the people of Asa and Ilorin West for Mustapha and assured them that the lawmaker would continue to put smile on their faces.

“We want to make it clear that MM has not been asked to step down for any aspirant or asked to settle for any other political appointment.

“We are trusting God that with the usual support of our leader, Dr Bukola Saraki and the good people of Asa and Ilorin West, MM will not only clinch the APC ticket but will go ahead to win the House of Representatives seat of the constituency.

“We appreciate the concern of the people of Ilorin West/Asa constituency who daily throng our campaign office to seek clarification on this issue.

We are assuring them that MM is still very much in the race”, the statement added.

When contacted, the state chairman of APC, Hon Ishola Balogun-Fulani confirmed that the leadership of the party has not endorsed any aspirant for any elective office in the state, aside that of the governor of the state, Alh AbdulFatah Ahmed.

He, however, added that any member of the party is free to seek elective offices at all level without let or hindrance.

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project report

How Pwajok Empowers Constituents With N100m Items

By ACHOR ABIMAJE, Jos

To mark his two years in office...Senator Pwajok distributed items worth over N100 million to 500 youths in his constituency who are mainly traders, artisans, farmers and widows

Senator Gyang Nyam Shom Pwajok took the oath of office on October 16, 2012; exactly two years ago, after a landslide victory in the byeelection for the position of Senator representing Plateau North Senatorial district.

As part of his commitment to protect the legacy of his predecessor, senator GNS Pwajok has ensured that all the health projects initiated by the late senator Gyang Dantong were completed, equipped and commissioned.

He also initiated the equipping of health centres in Riyom, Bisichi, Barkin Ladi and Fan Loh amongst others.

In the same vein, the Vice chairman of the Senate committee on maritime transport as well as a member of the Senate committee on health, Solid minerals, corporation in Africa and NEPAD, and aviation influenced the provision of the 14 300KVA transformer substations in his senatorial district. The benefitting communities are Fobor, Mazah, Rantiya, Dorowa, Fan Gyel, Barkin Ladi, Ganwuri and Ali Kuzaure. Some of these transformers had been fully installed while others are at various stages of installation.

Not done yet, during the period under review, the federal lawmaker has constructed town halls in the six councils within the senatorial district. He insisted on a unique design for the town halls which make them something other than that just a conference hall space.

There are provisions for tailoring and hairdressing training rooms and an e-library as well as barbing salon and ICT/business centre. Four have so far been completed while two are still under construction. On the provision of clean water, the Senator has initiated the provision of 19 hand pump boreholes in selected communities in Vom, Makoli, Rikem, Riyom, Ugwan Galadima, Nuku, Prison service, Shen, Bakin Kogi, Army Engineer Jos, and Fadaman Shemu. Some have been completed while others are at various stages of completion.

Also, education was given the desired attention as Senator Pwajok has left a foot print by constructing six classroom blocks in Gurra Topp and in the Jos township primary school.

VIP toilets were constructed with classrooms.

The Senator’s partnership with the University of Jos has led to the provision of 10 solar-powered street lights in the institution and sponsoring members of his constituency to attend skill acquisition and training workshops.

He was also actively involved in youth and sport development in his constituency. Seeing this as a unique tool for peace building and emphasising harmonious living, he has been at the forefront of sponsoring peace tournaments in football, basketball, 5-a-side tourneys, golf and volleyball. He also supports the State sport teams in different sports and was key stake holder in the Plateau State Basket team winning the division one championship and gaining promotion to the premier league.

Above all, the Senator has actively participated in peace parleys initiated by himself and other stakeholders to ensure and maintain peace in the zone and Plateau State at large. Pwajok’s effort in this direction is largely responsible for the relative peace being experienced in recent times in the area.

He always engage in interaction with all the security agencies at state and federal levels and has been in the forefront of the push for security sector reform and overhaul of national secu-

rity infrastructure to conform with the diverse security challenges of the day.

Most recently, he hosted the Canadian Ambassador to Nigeria in Jos as part of the peace initiative by the centre for Humanitarian Dialogue working to restore peace in the state.

To mark his two years in office as the Senator representing Plateau North Senatorial District, Senator GNS Pwajok distributed items worth over N100 million to 500 youths in his constituency who are mainly traders, artisans, farmers and widows. The beneficiaries smiled home with various items which included vehicles, tricycles, block moulding machines, water pumps, power generating sets, milling machines, grinding machines, sewing machines, hair dryers, barbing kits, computers, wheel chairs among others.

The President of the Senate, Senator David Mark while presenting the items to the beneficiaries at the Polo ground in Jos, the Plateau State capital, described Senator GNS Pwajok as a distinguished Senator who has lived up to the expectations of his people.

According to him, senator Pwajok has done Plateau very proud given his quality representation in the national assembly, adding that within the last two years, the Senator has recorded monumental achievements.

Speaking in the same vein, Governor Jonah Jang who was represented by his Deputy, Ambassador Ignatius Longjan commended Senator Pwajok for the initiative and called on others to emulate the Senator’s kind gesture.

Pwajok in his opening remark, said the empowerment programme was aimed at creating opportunities for the less privileged to enable them participate in the economy and improve their living conditions.

He added: “This initiative is part of efforts put in place to increase small and medium scale enterprises among people of my constituency, thus improving the quality of lives of the citizenry through capacity building.

“It is when our people are gainfully employed that they would be able to put food on their table and become self-sufficient”.

He noted that the Needs Assessment was Some of the wheelchairs and sewing machines donated by carried out before he embarked on the pro- Senator Pwajok gramme.

Hairdressing and barbing salon equipment also donated by Senator Pwajok. PHOTOS BY ACHOR ABIMAJE

FEATURE 55

Sunday, November 2, 2014

How Absence Of Psychiatric Homes Worsen Cases In FCT

The gradual surge in the number of mentally challenged persons on the streets of Abuja is becoming an eye sore on the nation’s capital. Cases abound where people with mental challenge roam the streets freely. CHIKA OKEKE examines the major causes and writes that the absence of distinct psychiatric centres is a major problem ‘Menor’, as commonly called, is a term usually associated with mentally challenged men; they find succor in uncompleted buildings, car wash and other wierd places in the FCT. On each day, they sit on window frames of such buildings looking left and right but actually looking nowhere in particular. At times, they stand alone soliloquizing in incoherent tunes. On a good day, you will see them gazing at the sky sometimes matching past under the scorching heat of the sun.

In one of such locations in the Federal Housing Estate in Lugbe, Abuja is a fully beaded man, dark in complexion in his early forties.

He had lived in the uncompleted building for the past one year but no one has been able to trace his identity.

Though not troublesome, but his continuous stay in the building poses serious concern for residents of the area who believed that the government should treat mentally challenged persons as members of the society.

The whole of FCT including the National Hospital and those in private practice, psychiatrists are not more than 10 and there are only about 120 Nigerian psychiatrists in the country

Residents React LEADERSHIP Sunday sought to know from an anonymous respondent about a particular menor who sits beside his petty shop as to who brought him there, he said, “I don’t know his real name but what I can say is that he sleeps in this uncompleted building, (pointing to a particular one) and sometimes at car wash spots. He stated further that food vendors beside the abandoned uncompleted building give him food to eat and when he’s through with his food, he will sleep, and at times, he will just be murmuring and kicking the air.

Speaking further, the respondent said, “Recently, one pastor that opened a church close to a car wash spot, with the help of others, caught him and prayed for him and barbed his hair. The pastor also changed his dirty clothes and gave him a better one to wear. We were all happy thinking that the man had been cured from his madness, but nothing changed till date. There is nobody that can trace his family and he’s been living in this building for a longtime”.

A motorcycle rider identified as Danjuma Suleiman also corroborated the petty trader’s statement that the menor eats through the help of food vendors in the vicinity. He pleaded with the

Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) to capture the ‘menor’ and take him to any psychiatric hospital saying that such act was capable of reuniting him with his family members if fully treated.

This particular case is similar to several cases of people with mental problems roaming the streets of Abuja and the FCT who, most times, cause havoc in the neighourbood.

As the World Health Organisation (WHO) commemorated World Mental Health Day recently, the major focus of the celebration was to create awareness on mental health even as it provided opportunity for stakeholders on mental related issues to discuss their works and devise better ways of caring for mentally challenged persons worldwide.

Unfortunately, psychiatrists in Nigeria are at a crossroads on whether to relocate abroad where their services would be appreciated better in terms of welfare and incentive.

A cross section of these specialist doctors, who spoke to LEADERSHIP Sunday, identified genetic condition, predisposition to hard drugs and insecurity as major causes of mental illnesses saying that absence of stand-alone psychiatric hospitals contribute to the prevalent cases of mental derangement common in the FCT. Experts Speak A senior consultant psychiatric at Karu general hospital in Abuja, Dr Tayo Daramola, said that a number of factors are responsible for increase in mental illnesses which he describes as the ‘etiology of mental illness’.

“Mental illness starts from even the time of conception; that is the kind of conditions the mother is subjected to during conception.

Child rearing practice even outside the home, loss of a mother or separation from the mother before the age of 12, under-employment, emotional instability, insecurity, death, loss of job, physical stress, physical illnesses like typhoid, psychosis, meningitis and severe malaria as well as substance abuse like sniffing of soak away and cannabis are likely causes.

For genetic predisposition, he said, “If a parent has a disease condition like schizophrenia that has up to 1% risk in the general population, the risk increases significantly to

Bala Mohammed

10% and if both parents has it, the risk of coming down with such an illness increases to about 30%. For the fact that both parents has it doesn’t mean that all the children will have it”.

He regretted that government was only interested in carrying out enforcement without addressing the root causes adding that there was need to enlighten the populace on dangers inherent in psychotic substances and a deliberate policy towards improving the livelihood of populace.

He debunked claims that there were no psychiatric hospitals in the FCT stressing that Karu, Kubwa and Wuse general hospitals were designated for the treatment of patients with mental health problems.

Stigmatisation On stand-alone psychiatric hospital, Daramola added, “The thinking nowadays is de-institutionalization because there are lots of stigma and discrimination against the mentally challenged persons in our society, so, the thinking is to manage them in the usual general hospital settings.

“It doesn’t mean that there is definitely no need for psychiatric hospital but, what we are saying is that there is also a need to have a kind of practice where it will be easily accessible but in future. If the demand on services increases, then

we will get to a stage where we need to have stand-alone institutions.

While calling on the federal government to improve the economy, which he believes would reduce the escalating number of mentally challenges persons, he suggested that psychiatric doctors in Nigeria should be celebrated for staying back in the country instead of searching for greener pastures abroad.

On the number of psychiatric consultants in the FCT, he said, “The whole of FCT including the National Hospital and those in private practice, psychiatrists are not more than 10 and there are only about 120 Nigerian psychiatrists in the country which is the double of Nigerian psychiatrists practicing abroad.

This is because, the conditions are more favourable to the practice and enumerations are also better, so people tend to go for greener pastures.

FCT Declines Comment When LEADERSHIP SUNDAY sought to know why there was no stand-alone psychiatric hospital in the territory and step taken to curtail the increasing number of mentally challenged persons roaming the streets of Abuja, the special adviser on Media to FCT Minister, Mr Nosike Ogbuenyi, failed to respond to messages sent to him even as he refused to pick calls put across to his phone.

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Sunday, November 2, 2014

Young Men And The Craze To Be Gigolos

A self-confessed gigolo operating in Abuja.

There is no doubt, that the heterogeneous population of the Federal Capital Territory, as in most metropolitan cities of Nigeria, is fraught with societal ills including prostitution, robbery etc. In this report, Ruth choji takes a look at the rising craze by more young men to be gigolos- male prostitutes

Male prostitutes or Gigolos as they are popularly called are the opposite of what young girls do with older men

M

ale prostitutes or Gigolos as they are popularly known are becoming common place in big cities in Nigeria, they hang around places like the political arena, corporate world, at gyms, wine bars, restaurants and even market places. Some of them hang around holiday resorts or five star hotels where single women visit regularly. Whilst lounging at the hotel she will be approached by a young local man. Some could be found in big stores where wealthy women go to shop and some are employed servants who ‘service’

their madam in the absence of their boss for extra money and gifts One of them who opened up to LEADERSHIP Sunday is Alex (not real name) and he said “I didn’t plan to become a gigolo, but my looks seem to attract women and the older ones are always willing to pay me to have sex with me.

They, in turn introduce me to their friends who also pay me. Although my family don’t know what I do for a living, I told them I am a special assistant to my current madam because we are always together and I travel with her on all her numerous trips abroad. She is a top government official, married

but enjoys dating boys like me. So far she is the biggest I have gotten and through her, I can now boast of two cars, a land in Abuja and lots of money in my two accounts.

I love ‘madam’ because she is not possessive or domineering like the previous one. Her own is just for me to be there when she needs me”. The 34 years old graduate of political science said for now, he is enjoying himself but will settle down when he has made enough money to start his own business”.

Isaac Dogo (not real name) who only dates mature women state tha “I don’t see myself as a gigolo.

I have never liked young women because of their stress, a mature woman is simple and will go the extra mile to take care of you. I didn’t start dating older women because of money, they were the ones that started giving me money and gifts because I treat them well.

I don’t intend to marry a young woman because already I am used to older women. They pamper you and make one feel special, I don’t go through the stress other men go through because my woman understands me. Anyone that tries to control or use her age to disrespect me, I leave her. Younger women will want to assess you to see if you can provide her with all the good things of life and a future, whereas an older woman already knows who she is and what she wants to do.

Gigolo or male prostitution is the practice of young men providing sexual services to older women for reward. They are known as male escorts, gigolo’s rent-boys, hustlers, models or masseurs, depending on the environment they operate in.

Phillip Anyagbe, a psychologist said “male prostitutes or Gigolos as they are popularly called are the opposite of what young girls do with older men. They also face the same social stigma, legal or criminal risks, physical abuse, health-related risks, risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), risks of not having a secure income, they also have mental/emotional effects that follow such relationship while the older women also have the fear of social stigma and family, if exposed, it could destroy their homes and careers, they are most times cheated and exploited by the young men, some have been blackmailed by the boys and so on. Whichever way you look at it, it doesn’t always end well for both parties. Age for the gigolo and the client can bring lots of social criticism. The gigolo is a natural charmer, handsome, out spoken and intelligent. He will use all the tricks known to man to get inside the woman’s head and win her affections. I will advise women who are into the habit of dating these boys to be careful not to believe anything they tell them, Don’t allow yourself to become emotionally involved with him or

trust him with your assets. Don’t reveal your intimate details to him else some could use it to blackmail you in future. The women must always use a condom to avoid being infected because you won’t be the only one in his life. Some of these older women prefer the young men because they are more energetic in bed, they are handsome, they respect and worship and the young men will not disturb their life style while the young men see them as mother figure and a means to an end”.

Pastor Emmanuel Ellah of Christ Deliverance and healing ministries states that “whether male or female, prostitution is immoral.

The book of Proverbs 23:27-28 says, “A prostitute is a deep pit; an adulterous woman is treacherous.

She hides and waits like a robber, looking for another victim who will be unfaithful to his wife. So whether you have good reason or not for doing it, God forbids involvement with it. It is still a sin before God and mankind. First Corinthians 6:13 says, “...but our bodies were not made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. I recently handled a case of a woman who was caught with her driver by her son. You can imagine what happened to that family. So prostitution not only destroys marriages, families, and lives, but it destroys the spirit and soul in a way that leads to physical and spiritual death.”

Yahaya Sani, a Muslim cleric also sheds light on male prostitution by stating, “prostitution is punishable in Islam, because it is crime against Allah and society. The Holy Qu’ran, 24:30 says that “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And God is well acquainted with all that they do. 24:31 “And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands’ fathers, or their sons or their husbands’ sons, or their brothers or their brothers’ sons or sisters’ sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who know naught of women’s nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment.

And turn unto Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed.”

If an older woman pays a young man who is not her husband to have sex with her, it is called Zina.

The term zina signifies voluntary sexual intercourse between a man and a woman not married to one another, irrespective of whether one or both of them are married to other persons or not.

Nollywood Sunday, November 2, 2014

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We Built Nollywood With Pains – Emeka Ike

Nollywood actor, Emeka Ike, needs no introduction. He has seen it all in the movie industry. Of late, he has been away from acting over his annoyance about what he called the rot in the industry. In this exclusive interview with SAMUEL ABULUDE, he castigated actors saying they are responsible for the near-collapse of the industry What have you been up to?

I have not been acting for sometime now and this is obvious, although I have produced some movies but I did not want to act. Nollywood is not looking good for us at all for now. A lot is happening beneath that people are not aware of.

We are looking forward to how it can be salvaged.Right now, I’m contesting for a position to represent Imo State because I have something to offer my people.

Talking about Nollywood and the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria (AGN), what is really going on?

There are five people who have taken the laws of Nigeria movie industry into their hands. They are Emma Ogugua, Murphy Stephen, Sunny Mcdon, Okey Bakassi and Ifeanyi Dike. These five people registered Actors Guild of Nigeria as their personal business. No other individual can come in.

Can’t the rest of you do anything about it?

My first concern is for us to clean up Nollywood and AGN. Every Nigerian youth wants to act movies now. What future are we living for them? Where are they going to write their names? Is it in the two-bedrooms apartment in Surulere where they would ask you to come and grace their beds before they give you roles? Or is it a situation where they would compel you to join a gay or lesbian group before they talk to you?

The people at the helms of affairs are the ones killing Nollywood. Some of us who are the well-known actors don’t even know our rights. I dare say it again that we don’t. Nobody can come out to challenge me. Clarion Chukwura, who is one of the intelligent people we have in the industry, has come out to air her views, Charles Okafor has said the same thing, so also John Okafor.

Don’t you think that at this point, you should play the proverbial game of joining them if you can’t beat them?

That saying is definitely not for everybody. People who bring about change don’t join in a complex situation.

You always appear aggressive when addressing this issue, why?

Because we built this industry with pain. Those who are at the helm of affairs now are people that no one even know them in the industry. They just came in and messed everything up. I said sometimes ago that very soon, Nollywood will die. Painfully, Nollywood is dying now.

There is no more Idumota, Lagos, there is no more Pound Road, Aba or Edidi Lane.

When last did you hear these places mentioned in adverts? All you hear and see is Alaba International Market and that is where pirates dwell. Very soon, we are going to storm there and close it down.

All the big producers and marketers have been chased out of the business.

How many people are making movies now? Desmond Elliot...?

Yes, he is my boy and also like a brother to me, but his movies are not enough to cover for the whole industry. Uche Jumbo too is into movies, but her movies can’t sustain the whole industry. We used to produce over 100 movies in a month before with good quantity but not quality. You know why? That was because we

Emeka Ike

were trying to use the quantity to build a market where we can later sell quality.

Now that they have shut down the quantity, yet the quality they are releasing is sparingly visible. Nollywood that we used to know has been suppressed by Africa Magic.

Are there no written or formal guidelines for Nollywood practitioners?

There are constitutions, but who are those people checking compliance? They said Degree holders and those with qualifications upwards can hold the post of a president, but Segun Arinze is not a Degree holder, yet he was a president. Have you tried to investigate those who are educated or not in Nollywood? No, you have not! Have you people (the press) ever reported that Segun Arinze didn’t go to the university? These people always look for uneducated people that they can always use and squeeze around to their tastes.

Then comes Ibinabo. You all know her case and status in Nigeria. With that, is she fit to hold a post? The answer is ‘no’.

Did she complete her prison term? Honestly speaking, I am blaming the press for all the hidden atrocities going on in AGN. You people have refused to do good research but relying on the information the opposition party is feeding you with.

God bless the types of Ray Ekpu and Dele Giwa of this world. They always say the truth.

Nollywood has gotten so bad that you must either strip and grace their beds or join the gay or lesbian group to belong.

That wasn’t the industry I founded. My daughter will not go into that industry tomorrow and they would say she must sleep with one of them to get a role. Nei-

R

Nollywood has gotten so bad that you must either strip and grace their beds or join the gay or lesbian group to belong. That wasn’t the industry I founded. My daughter will not go into that industry tomorrow and they would say she must sleep with one of them to get a role

The idea is that money rules the world.

Money is the main reason they are there.

There are some people who rejoice whenever Nigeria is losing in a football match.

Some other people make more money when Nigeria loses match in an international match. Some people just sit and wait for things to go wrong in Nigeria and that’s when they make huge money.

You can’t do anything to them. They are the enemies of the nation. They are in every sector: banking, oil and gas and even the entertainment industry is not left out. They make things not to work but as individuals and with the idea of going forward, we have to try to get these kinds of people off our back to be able to move forward.

We have had AGN for long, but I can’t remember the last time we had actors’ congress, where all actors bare their minds on issues bothering the industry. The last congress was when Vivian Ejike was still here and Kate Henshaw too was still very much in the business.

How do you rule a set of people that neither know nor see themselves? All the money they are collecting, how do they account for them? You the press are the ones that should investigate this and tell the whole world the truth and not dramatise Emeka Ike for being too outspoken.

What is the way forward now?

ther would my son be a part of Nollywood that is full of immoralities.

I know some people would say I am saying all these because I am not getting part of the money. Excuse me? Do I look hungry to you? I am going into politics very soon. You would soon see me in my convoy and then you will know what I am talking about. I am only doing this for the up-coming ones. We are still in court trying to fight to get it right.

You are vying to represent your people in the House of Representatives.

How will you monitor the upcoming AGN election?

That election would not hold. The court has ordered that none of the factions should have elections. Ibinabo has been acting as the president of AGN for years now, but with her case as an exconvict, do you have any moral justification to recognize her as the president?

The court case is still on and the war continues.

You have not been acting lately. What else have you been doing?

I stopped acting for a while now because the industry has lost its salt. The actors were putting some acts that were annoying me. I act Nigeria movies with a Nigerian accent, but other countries shouldn’t come here and try to change our accent. When I see my colleagues forming fake accents, it irritates me. If you are an Indian, you do it like the Indians, like wise other countries. I must tell you, I am too busy for that. So, I got myself busy doing better things than fake the Nollywood lifestyle some of them are living .

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e-train

Sunday, November 2, 2014

NDDC Moves to Support Entertainment, Culture The recent support from the Niger Delta Development Commission to the Face of Niger Delta Pageant puts the accent on a calculated drive to turn away the focus of Niger Delta youths from violence while engaging their creative energy on productive pursuits in the arts, entertainment and culture. SOLOMON NDA-ISAIAH writes

Over the years, the commission has developed a structured pattern that ensures that culture, entertainment and tourism portfolio receives commensurate funding

Expectedly, the nomination of Akwa Ibom State-born Sir Bassey Dan-Abia as Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) generated much a lot of interest. This follows the trend of past appointees into that office. Owing to the economic importance of the Niger Delta region to the nation, all eyes are usually on significant happenings in the region like who becomes the helmsman in the government parastatal fashioned to bring about growth in a section that produces much of the country’s wealth.

The NDDC itself is a child of necessity having been created following a period of bloody agitation for economic expansion by the people of the Niger Delta.

Since its creation in the year 2000 and the subsequent creation of a Niger Delta Ministry in 2008, a lot of giant strides has been made, particularly in creating infrastructure to upgrade the living standards of the nine states that makeup the Niger Delta.

From its first CEO, Chief Onyeama Ugochukwu who was from Abia to the current occupant of that office, many projects have been executed. The intervention brought about by the NDDC have done a lot to calm frayed nerves; leading to relative peace in the region that was once very volatile.

The youths of the region who were the main actors in the orgy of violence that hitherto reigned freely in the Niger Delta region have been engaged on so many fronts with productive occupation to turn their attention away from hostile behaviours. A good number of them have been reformed into skilled professionals and artisans who are now holding full and gainful employment.

One of the visible areas of engagement that is willingly embraced by the youths of the Niger Delta includes various careers and opportunities in the entertainment, arts and tourism sectors.

The NDDC has been instrumental in the training of a good number of youths

Face of Niger Delta flanked by runners up

from the Niger Delta in the film industry. Many who desired a career in the music industry have been given wings to fly by the NDDC. Today, some of the Niger Delta States like Bayelsa have become known for supporting the movie and entertainment industry through such initiatives as the Africa Movie Academy Awards and the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria. The rebranding of the Niger Delta region which was known as a theatre of war into a veritable centre of glamorous events is one amazing story of success that the culture and tourism industry in Nigeria should be very proud of.

From Rivers to Cross River and Akwa Ibom, states in the Niger Delta have developed youth centred- projects that task the creative imagination of the youths.

Therefore, we have the emergence of the Carnival Calabar, the 999 Choir Festival in Uyo and Carniriv in Port Harcourt.

Many of these programmes are heavily supported by the NDDC. Over the years, the commission has developed a structured pattern that ensures that culture, entertainment and tourism portfolio receives commensurate funding to enable it dispense generous goodwill to states, communities, individuals and corporate bodies that want to engage the youths in different creative endeavours.

In a country where the trickle-down effect of one empowered individual can be so profound, the story in the Niger Delta has become that of a phenomenal turn-around from poverty to good fortune.

This was the case with Victoria Ubani, a third year student of the University of Port Harcourt from Abia State who was recently crowned the Face of Niger Delta at a pageant in which she came tops over contestants from all the nine states of the Niger Delta. The pageant which was put together by Kelly Attah’s Gold House Productions, rewarded Ubani with a car, one million naira cash, a monthly salary and a leadership training package in Sun City, South Africa.

Northern PMAN Working Towards Uniting Musicians The Northern Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (NPMAN), recently called on all musicians in the north to identify with the association to foster cordial relationship. ANTHONY ADA ABRAHAM writes on the development

We have decided to come together as one body in the north to bring back the lost glory of the association in the north

For some time now, artistes in the north have been facing various challenges because of lack of a conducive environment for them to ply their trade and make a name in the music industry.

Many musicians based in the north have to go to Lagos before they are known because there is no level playing ground for them.

To reverse this trend, the northern Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria has taken it upon itself to awaken the entertainment strength in the north and bring back its lost glory.

With the north having brought out big names like Tuface Idibia, Bongos Ikwe, Dan Maraya Jos, MI, Sani Danja, Zaki Azzeez , Pherouziou, Ice Prince Zamani and others, they are now putting heads together to work on the future.

Rising from a meeting last week at the Nanet Suites, Abuja and hosted by the Gov. PMAN, Abuja chapter, Mr Collins Adeyemi, all the northern musicians were urged to fraternise with the group.

According to Mr Adeyemi, PMAN has come a long way and as an association that have churned out big names in the entertainment industry, they need not beg anyone to join.

“I’m happy that we have decided to come together as one body in the north to bring back the lost glory of the association in the north.

“The north have celebrated lots of players in the entertainment industry and it’s high time we spread our wings in the north. PMAN will not die, we will continue to wax stronger because since five months into our election, we have taken PMAN to a different level with over a hundred members. So it’s just how serious you are that would bring others to you. We have done a lot to reshape the face of PMAN in the north and in Ni-

geria in general,” he explained.

Responding, the northern coordinator, Panfa Mansa aka Ras-Margy, who convened the meeting said it was important to call on all state associations in the north to come forward to discuss a way forward for the association for the betterment of the musicians.

“If the Abuja chapter of PMAN is stable, the other states chapters will also be.

That’s why we want you to help us sustain the already growing development that would enable us achieve the goal we need,” he said.

The meeting highlighted some of the issues discussed: Promoting northern musicians The NPMAN agreed to promote artistes in the north and check their recurring flight to Lagos for name, promotion and marketing. It also agreed to champion the provision of a level playing ground for the artistes.

Restructuring NPMAN To restructure the association with proper representa-

tion from local government areas to zones to ensure every musician is carried along.

Working with the media Appealed to the Abuja hierarchy of NPMAN to help change the face of the association in liaison with the media in the north. The Collins Adeyemiled team agreed to strengthen all northern chapters with the help of its excos.

Record Label NPMAN has decided to start a label that would see northern artistes’ songs enjoy airplay on various radio and TV stations in the north and the country at large. It also plans to institute a competition where the best songs from each of the zones would be compiled into an album to be titled ‘Best from the North’.

Artistes and instruments It encouraged the artistes to learn to be proficient in playing at least one musical instrument as guarantee for success, while also pairing with live bands to gain more credibility as musicians.

Upheld Mr Collins elections The Northern PMAN also uphelp the election of Mr Collins Adeyemi as Gov. Abuja chapter. They also called on him to be the northern PMAN Gov. because of his effort in changing the face of the Abuja PMAN. Challenges before the northern states’ chapters The Adamawa chapter co-ordinator, Fidel Shamel stressed that due to the continued violence rocking the city, they could not hold any meeting or try to play at joints because there were nobody. He urged everyone to pray for Nigeria and the northern to be peaceful again.

Shamel, who is also a music producer served in the Nigeria police for 16 years.

On his part, the Benue State PMAN secretary Robert Udende expressed the belief that with the recent developments in the association, the future is bright for all. Udende plays the guitar, among other instruments.

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e-train foreign Sunday, November 2, 2014

Latest Movies Serena

Serena is an American-French drama film based upon the novel of the same name by American author Ron Rash. Directed by Susanne Bier, the film stars Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper as newlyweds running a timber business in 1930s North Carolina. In theater since October 24, 2014 Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper Producer: Ben Cosgrove, Mark Cuban, Steve Schwartz Production company: 2929 Entertainment Chockstone Pictures

Interstellar

With our time on Earth coming to an end, a team of explorers undertakes the most important mission in human history; travelling beyond this galaxy to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars. In theater by November 4, 2014.

Production company: Legendary Pictures Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hatha way, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn Directed: Christopher Nolan Produced: Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan, Lyn da Obst Duration: 169 mins

Super Nani

Chris Brown: I Settled 2 Assault Cases For Chump Change Chris Brown is a little lighter today ... he just lost more than a $100K but in return got rid of 2 pesky lawsuits.

Sources connected to Chris tell TMZ ... the guy who Chris punched in Washington D.C. a year ago just settled his civil lawsuit against Chris. We’re told the singer anted up around $100,000.

You’ll recall ... Chris dodged a major bullet with the help of his lawyer Mark Geragos by striking a plea deal in the criminal case. He avoided probation, jail and fines by pleading guilty to simple assault.

As for the second case ... TMZ broke the story Chris got into

Suge Knight and comedian Katt Williams were arrested and charged with robbery Wednesday after a celebrity photographer reported the men stole her camera last month.

Prosecutors say Williams and Knight, who founded Death Row Records, were arrested Wednesday. Knight has a prior conviction for assault with a deadly weapon and could face up to 30 years in

Chris Brown

an insane fight at a West Hollywood recording studio in January with Frank Ocean’s posse.

Frank’s cousin sued Chris for $3 million. We’ve learned the case just settled for UNDER $20K. It’s handled.

prison if convicted.

The men are accused of taking a paparazzo’s camera in Beverly Hills on September 5. The incident remains under investigation

by Beverly Hills police, who did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

Williams, who was arrested at a Los Angeles-area courthouse when he appeared for an arraignment in a separate assault case, faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.

Knight, 49, was arrested in Las Vegas. Police said he was taken into custody without incident.

A phone message for Anthony Brooklier, an attorney who has represented Knight, was not immediately returned. An email message sent to Williams’s agent, Chris Smith, was not immediately returned.

Williams, 43, has starred in several comedy specials and appeared in films such as First Sunday and Friday After Next.

NeNe Leakes: Blood Clots Torpedo ‘Housewives’ Trip Super Nani’ gives a strong message to all the women that their power lies within themselves; all they need to do is discover and use it. The journey of Bharti Bhatia (Rekha) is definitely a one to be experienced, as the fun, laughter, tickles, and tears of happiness will leave you with a light heart and a changed mind. In theater from October 31, 2014 Starring: Rekha, Sharman Joshi, Randhir Ka poor, Anupam Kher, Shweta Kumar Directed: Indra Kumar Produced: Indra Kumar, Ashok Thakeria Duration: 118 minutes

NeNe Leakes had to make a choice, which was ultimately simple -“Real Housewives” or her life.

Our NeNe sources tell us ... she just cancelled a flight to the Philippines for a RHOA shoot because of her recurring problem with blood clots that form around her lungs ... the same condition that landed her in the hospital last November.

Flying long distances is potentially fatal for people with a pro-

Minaj - Only Feat. Lil Wayne, Drake & Chris Brown Release date: October 29

Suge Knight, Katt Williams Arrested, Charged With Robbery In Alleged Camera Theft

Suge Knight & Katt Williams

Latest Music

pensity to develop blood clots ... and the 20-hour flight from Atlanta to the Philippines was just too risky.

The rest of the cast is already there. She’s still part of the cast, but won’t be on this particular episode.

Too bad ... the only other person in the Philippines with that kind of heat is Imelda Marcos ... and she’s way old ... fact is, we thought she was dead.

Nicki Minaj teased us with the cartoonified cover art for her new single “Only” on the weekend, featuring an all-star line-up of Lil Wayne, Drake and Chris Brown. Today we get the new single which was premiered on iHeart Radio. It’s a definite radio-friendly banger, although, it’s the clean version for now.

The new single comes shortly after we received word that Nicki Minaj’s upcoming album, The Pinkprint is delayed until December 15. This isn’t the only YMCMB project that got delayed, Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter V was slated to drop today but has also been delayed with no new release date in sight.

In related YMCMB news, Birdman recently addressed the rift between Tyga and Drake. Young Money going through some things, it seems.

Quotable Lyrics: She was sitting down on that big butt But I was still staring at the titties though Low key or maybe high key I been peeped that you like me, you know Who the fuck you really wanna be with besides me, I mean It doesn’t take much for us to do this shit quietly, I mean She say I’m obsessed with thick woman and I agree

Will Brennan - Time = Money Release date: October 30 Will Brennan makes his HNHH debut with “Time = Money.” A promo single released to celebrate the emcee’s addition to G-Eazy & Iamsu’s joint “Bay To The Universe Tour,” the track finds Brennan assuring listeners that his time and money aren’t expendable.

Fortunately, he gives listeners that same courtesy, offering quality tunes that are well worth the three-minute price tag. Feelin’ the track? Be sure to pick up tickets to see him on tour. Don’t have the time or money to make it out to a show? Then hit him on Twitter to stay in touch. Production on this one is courtesy of Ethnikids & Shackles.

Quotable Lyrics: Life don’t ever last long Gotta make it while I’m still young Pop said, “you wanna see the top?

Gotta find something you could build on.”

Icewear Vezzo - Right Now Feat. Juvenile Release date: October 31

Just a few hours after he announced his resigning with Cash Money Records, Juvenile returns to HNHH on “Right Now,” a new single from Icewear Vezzo. Off Vezzo’s Solitaires project drops on October 31, the track finds the two emcees in their comfort zones, spitting high energy bars about their individual successes. The production on this one comes from Mac. Quotable Lyrics: Pockets full of money make it hard for me to walk Blame it on my self; it’s only me that I could fault Living in the Gulf, where the water’s full of salt Compiled by Aderibigbe Tolulope

60 kiddies

Sunday, November 2, 2014

MAzE

kiddies kingdom

By Chika mefor

08156719304 (SMS only)

Melancholy, The Mad Man

M

elancholy lived in the village of Eziowelle, a mad man he was, but an intelligent and smart one. His real name was Afa but boys in the community who saw the word ‘Melancholy’ in the dictionary and liked the sound of it, started calling him that. Melancholy was the village conscience. No one knew how he got the village juicy gossip. Anyway, he got it and those who had committed vices in the community were not spared at all.

Usually, whenever Melancholy sees anyone who had per-

formed a bad act in the committed, he calls on the person to tell him what he has done and asked him to beg the gods for forgiveness. Many wonder how he got his information. Many said maybe he got them from the gods.

No matter where he got those information from, he was feared by many who are scared to come close to Melancholy especially the rich in the community.

Even the richest man in the community, Izikiel was sacred of Melancholy because he was a bad man. He took the land of the poor in the community without giving them the worth of their lands. He loaned them mon-

ey and when they cannot pay, he asked them to pay him back with their lands. No one could talk to him except Melancholy.

Everyone was afraid of him.

There was a poor man named Ife in the village and he had collected money from Izikiel with the hope of paying him back the next month. Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t get the money to pay back. The rich man asked him for his land as usual but the poor man had no land to give out. He had only one land which he cultivates every year and he knew that if he gives the land out, his family will die of hunger.

When Izikiel saw that there was no way of paying back the money, he asked Ife to give him his daughter, Ulo as his wife.

“You will no longer owe me and as your in-law, I will always give you money when you are in need. Think about it. It is a good deal. A deal, you will not regret,” he said.

Ulo was the village beauty.

She was not only beautiful, she was kind hearted. She was in Primary 6 and was aiming to go to secondary school. She wanted to be a teacher. Whenever she heads to school, she meets Melancholy on the way.

She always have something for him. Whenever he was accosted by students who bully him, she always defend him. Melancholy has come to like her.

He always called her his wife so when he heard that Izikiel had his eyes on her, he vowed even in his mad state to save Ulo from Izikiel’s clutches. ➔

PUzzlE

HAPPY BIrTHdAY

To be conTinued nexT week

SPOT THE dIffErENcE

Eniola Treasure Salau was two years on September 29 2014. Kiddies Kingdom wishes her God’s blessings and protection.

cover story 2 Sunday, November 2, 2014

61

Internally displaced persons from areas recently attacked in Borno State photos by Kareem Haruna

Inside Story of Boko Haram’s Reign In Bama With the town of Bama in Borno State becoming too hot for the Nigerian soldiers to handle, the outlawed Boko Haram sect has finally taken charge of the place, placing the residents in untold hardship, as they exercise unrestrained control over their lives through imposition of Sharia laws and control of prisons and other detention camps where offenders are sentenced.

Kareem Haruna, Maiduguri, writes

Boko Haram members are seizing people’s wives and young girls, and keeping them in big houses which they have turned into detention centres

Sad stories of events and happenings in the ancient town of Bama, known for its striving business before the ungodly advent of the Boko Haram insurgency, continue to jolt the minds of peace-loving people world over, as northern Nigeria has suddenly become a theatre of war and terror.

Aishatu Awari fled her ancestral home, Bama, some three weeks back to get away from the cruelty of Boko Haram insurgents who hitherto maintain their conquest of the commercial town. Though she was lucky to have escaped, she however could not celebrate her luck because her four-month-old baby got misplaced on the way.

Her sad story began when she and her children were fleeing through

the bushes in the dead of the night; and to make it easier for all of them, she handed over her infant, wrapped in thick clothes, to her 13-year-old daughter, while she backed another three-year-old son and held unto two others as they ran through the bushes.

Her reasoning was that the 13-year-old girl would manage the weight of the four-month-old baby while they tore through the bushes in the dark of the night towards Maiduguri.

But along the way, due to fatigue and perhaps famished condition, the little girl did not notice that the baby had slipped off the wrapper until they eventually arrived Maiduguri.

“She never knew her four-month-

old baby had fallen off the hands of her little girl until when they got to Maiduguri. And when she wanted to breastfeed him, that was when they realised that all the girl was carrying was an empty cloth,” said a female IDP that spoke on behalf of Aishatu, who could barely utter a word when asked about her ordeal.

Efforts to retrace their steps to find the baby proved futile, because no one could tell the exact way they followed to get to Maiduguri from Bama.

Aishatu’s ordeal describes the depth of human suffering that hapless residents of Bama, trapped inside the conquered town, are experiencing under the tough rule of their conquerors, the Boko Haram.

It was indeed a torture that would force a mother to flee without noticing that the baby strapped on her daughter’s back had fallen off.

For about two months now, the town of Bama, headquarters of Bama local government area of Borno State, has been in the stranglehold of the Boko Haram terrorists, who now enforce skewed Sharia rule upon trapped residents.

Many residents and people of

Bama who were lucky to have escaped believe the Nigerian government and its military may have practically forgotten about the plight of those trapped inside the seized town, even as they continued to languish in the limbo of Boko Haram’s cruelty.

In Bama, there are two options for the residents; it is either they declare loyalty and support for the Boko Haram sect, or be sentenced to jail in the hijacked facilities of the Nigerian prisons in the town.

Our sources said those who showed resistance while being hauled into the gaol were summarily executed.

“They said our blood remains legitimate for shedding as long as we don’t back their cause and take part in all their activities, including taking guns and attacking people,” said Alhaji Kyari Modu, a young business merchant now in one of the IDP camps in Maiduguri.

While hundreds of men are being locked up in the prison facilities in the captured town, the Boko Haram sect, while complying with the Sharia rule that emphasises ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 62

62 COVER STORY

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Inside Story of Boko Haram’s Reign In Bama

IGP Abba

➔ FROM PAGE 61

A certain woman told me that my family members were still alive.

She assured that if I gave N25,000 ($150) to the insurgents, they would release my wife. I gave it a trial and just like a joke, she brought my wife to Maiduguri. The woman said that that was the fee people paid to get released from Boko Haram prison

separation of male and women in public places, has decided to convert some big houses belonging to Bama well-to-do residents into an extension of their prisons and rehabilitation centres, where the females are kept.

According to Modu, the Boko Haram terrorists in Bama would select younger women and girls and lock them up in some big houses in the guise of teaching them the Islamic etiquettes and basic knowledge of the Quran.

“Boko Haram members are seizing people’s wives and young girls, and keeping them in big houses which they have turned into detention centres,” Modu said.

“They would keep them there in the pretext that they wanted to teach them the Holy Quran.

The men would be caught and locked up in the prisons. Some of the older women are the ones they don’t arrest, and people usually give them money to secure their release and then sneak them out at night. But no one dares to go out during the daytime. If they are caught, they would be killed, both men and women,” he added.

A top Borno State civil servant, who pleaded anonymity in order to safeguard the rest of his family members still held in Bama town, said he had lost contact with his wife and children for over 50 days since the insurgents captured the town.

He said his wife and children were detained in Bama prison for weeks until he had to cough out N25,000 as bail fee to secure their release.

“Though my wife has finally regained her freedom after I had paid for her bail, three of my children are still in Bama. It was like a dream, when I final-

An injured internally displaced person

ly saw my wife. All these days, I have been living in anguish,” he narrated.

On how he got his wife released, the civil servant said, “A certain woman told me that my family members were still alive. She assured that if I gave N25,000 ($150) to the insurgents, they would release my wife. I gave it a trial and just like a joke, she brought my wife to Maiduguri. The woman said that that was the fee people paid to get released from Boko Haram prison.”

A woman who also escaped Bama and arrived Maiduguri on foot said there are thousands of people still living in Bama, and they could not escape because Boko Haram members have placed stringent laws and punishment on arrested escapees.

“The Bama Prison has been taken over by the Boko Haram insurgents, and they have kept hundreds of people there,” said the mid-age woman, who said her name was Amina Bukar.

She said due to the large number of persons being detained

after brief trials in the Boko Haram courts, even the Bama prison facilities could not accommodate inmates, hence the insurgents have converted some of the bigger houses, deserted by their owners, into makeshift prisons.

“Many big houses are also being used as detention cells by the insurgents. In a day, they give beans, palm oil and salt for each house where people are kept prisoners. They have broken all the shops in Bama and carted away the contents.

About a month ago, a measure of rice (enough to feed four people) was sold at N1,000, and when the one in stores finished, the selling stops. Water is very scarce; sometimes, you stay in the queue for 24 hours,” she said.

Amina said after she had managed to escape at night, she could not navigate her way to Maiduguri as she had to wander in the bush for five days before she finally got to Maiduguri.

Though she was silent about what exactly the women and

young girls being housed in the “big houses” go through, Amina was in tears when she voiced that, “for them to be selecting younger girls and women and leaving we, the old ones, behind suggests that they had evil intention towards them; only God will help them.”

At the IDP’s camps, sights of men whose families are still trapped in Bama immediately elicit pity, as most of them were seen with long, moody faces as they brooded over what would become of their wives, daughters and sons.

A male IDP, who would not want to be named for security concerns, said he still could not account for his three children. “Three of them are teenagers, and one among them is a girl of marriage age,” he lamented, saying further that, “I have asked many people that escaped from Bama, but no one has given me a word about them. I learnt that Boko Haram members are forcing young men to carry guns and join them. I pray my children are not among.”

63

Sunday, November 2, 2014

REPORT OF THE

TRANSFORMATION

AGENDA

zi go .N Dr joon Ok

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

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The Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan has been hailed as successful in several areas like agriculture, power, roads, macro-economic stability, foreign-direct investment inflow, and the health sector, among others. Critics cite poverty, youth unemployment, insecurity and the contracting middle class as evidence that the Transformation Agenda is not working. So who and what do you believe? Welcome to the Situation Report.

la

.A Dr si de iA nm

wu kin na

Dr. O luseg

LEADERSHIP in a bid to provide a true and objective picture of the successes and challenges of the Transformation Agenda is publishing THE REPORT OF THE TRANSFORMATION AGENDA as told by the key actors themselves in their own words unedited.

un A gang

Ministries, Paratatals and Agencies who have made impactful contributions to the Transformation Agenda are invited to tell their success stories in the REPORT OF THE TRANSFORMATION AGENDA. Private sector companies and contractors who have successfully executed Transformation Agenda projects are also invited to show and tell their success stories in the historic REPORT OF THE TRANSFORMATION AGENDA.

a

To participwiathteph:otographs, charts and graphs and call

n’s achievements along 6, Henry Ubimago: 08068640944, tio sa ni ga or e th le pi m co y Simpl 164 or 0809923124 7 Reginald Ibe: 08037880 6, Tosin Allen: 0805211670wspaper 76 52 45 06 07 : in am nj Be ne Adebayo nt Abuja resident a in m o d e th in it Show and tell

64

Sunday, November 2, 2014

IP H S R E D you r LE A e u r e o y h t w e G ver y e r e p es a p News ur mobile phon paper go on yo N Mobile News with MT Service is currently available only to MTN subscribers

EDUCATION POLITICS WORLD NEWS

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S o 3888 with MM t g n i t t e Text s get MTN to tings Data Set

Christian perspective 65

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Brother Gbile Akanni Living Seed trifect2000@yahoo.com +234 806 126 1907

Fresh Fire For Life And Effective Ministry (7)

For any man to progress with fire, what your fire has achieved in the past must be packed aside

“And the priest shall put on his linen garment…”

These are very technical instructions. I pray that God will help you to understand them.

“And the priest shall put on his linen garment and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh ... upon the altar”. What does this imply? Let us first understand the situation before we understand the applications. Every time fire burns, the result of fire burning is that there are ashes. Every fire that has burnt for a while must drop ashes and as the fire continues to burn and consume the wood, you will begin to see drops of ashes. But let me quickly give you the definition of ashes.

Ashes simply means consumed wood that cannot be consumed any more. It has no inflammatory element in it anymore. Ashes become fire extinguisher. What fire brigades actually use to quench a fire is carbon and carbon actually is consumed wood.

So when our fathers, in those days, wanted to quench fire, if they couldn’t get water, they use sand, because sand cannot catch fire. So, when you throw sand in,

the wood cannot contact eachother, so the fire will die. But when there is no sand you carry ashes, and throw it on the fire, within five minutes the fire is quenched.

May God help you to understand.

Now, burnt ashes, because they have no capacity to be consumed again, turn around to consume the fire. God now says as a law, in order to keep your fire fresh, you must pack out the burnt ashes. Remove the past burning, carry the ashes and put them somewhere behind the altar.

Burnt ashes must not be on your altar; it will quench your fire. So what is burnt ashes in our experience as believers and as ministers? Burnt ashes are the result of your past fire. They are the testimonies of your past fire. Every burning fire must have result. Those results are the ashes. The past testimonies, the miracles that happened two years ago, the way people fell under the anointing when you preached that message last week are all ashes. What bothers me is how many of us spend such a long time decorating burnt ashes, carrying burnt ashes on our heads. These are things that can-

not be consumed anymore and if you put them in your fireplace, they will rather consume your fire.

For any man to progress with fire, what your fire has achieved in the past must be packed aside.

Did you hear Paul say “Forgetting those things that are past...”? Men of old, who kept moving on with God were men who knew how to put behind them their past burning. But there are technicalities, which I want to talk about in handling our past testimonies, our past results, and our past ministerial achievements. Do you know that everything you did two years ago, as powerful as they were then, are now ashes? They are burnt already. You cannot burn with them anymore.

If you bring them back to your fireplace, two things will happen.

It will quench your fire, and then it will enter your eyes. Be careful! There is nothing that makes someone blind faster than particles of burnt ashes. It does not only stop your fire, it blocks your vision. It doesn’t allow you to see where you are going any more, it keeps you stagnant because it

blinds you. For a man to maintain fresh fire, he must learn to pack out his past experiences, his past testimonies, his past exploits, his past achievements and even his past failures. These are all ashes that must be packed aside, taken out of the altar and kept beside the altar.

He said: “He should put on his linen garment and his linen breaches”. I wonder why! Do you know what God is dealing with here? Don’t be bare-chested when packing out your ashes. Be well dressed as if you are going to minister. It is a deliberate spiritual step to pack out your past burning. It takes consecration to do it. It takes holiness of heart to pack out your past burning. It is not the easiest thing to do.

When you are packing out your past ashes, you are on duty.

You are doing it because it is part of God’s requirement to keep you burning. Don’t let the ashes stick to your naked body, it is difficult to wash off. The reason is that even the fresh fire that purges a man, cannot easily do so when ashes stick onto him, because ashes can no longer be burnt.

Japheth Omojuwa Enough Is Enough obirt@yahoo.com, dovechurchinternational@yahoo.com 08033454006

The Essence Of Governance

A consultant to one of the federal ministries explained how he he was instructed to book 70 rooms in advance as Mexico hosted the climate conference about two years ago. He was stunned when the Nigerian delegates came and still went ahead to book their own rooms. He just could not believe that the other rooms he had booked would go to waste. At the end of the conference, they mostly did.

A friend visited Aso Rock, the seat of power of the Nigerian government also known as the official residence of the president of Nigeria. The said friend noticed about 200 new ambulances packed at the premises. He was left wondering what they were meant for. Ten months later, this

same friend found himself at the villa again, to his surprise; the ambulances were still packed and visibly unused. He was forced to ask why they were still there wasting away because he had assumed that they were meant for public use. He got what looked to his host a good excuse to have the ambulances wasting away, at least, 10 months from the time of purchase - not to mention the fact that there is a huge chance they had been there several months before this person visited. The excuse was a classic one; we are waiting for the president to commission them.

In the end, it was more important to watch the president on the network news cutting the tape to launch the ambulances several months af-

ter they ought to have been put in use for the good of the public, than it was to have the buses sent across the country for the primary purpose for which they were purchased. One would feel justified to assume the primary purpose of the ambulances would be to serve the people’s health needs, the reality on the ground obviously made it look like the primary purpose was to have the president commission them in grand style.

That is the tragedy of Nigeria.

Public service and the use of public goods no longer serve the purpose for which public service was instituted; it is now mostly about those privileged enough to find themselves there.

A governor spends N100 million

digging 10 boreholes – a bill that in itself is inflated to cover the fat bellies of the several interests in the contract, yet some extra N20million gets expended commissioning and publicizing the mediocre project. Mediocre doesn’t even exist in the lexicons of these ones; every, obviously, mediocre accomplishment is seen as grand, ultra-modern and in the nature of our current national idiocy, transformational. Someone manages to renovate the airport to the standard of a part of the Dubai airport deemed ‘underconstruction’, yet we are greeted with words like “giant strides,” “transformation” and “ultra-modern” as though the Dubais and even the Nairobi airports of this world are not part of the same world we live in.

Public service and the use of public goods no longer serve the purpose for which public service was instituted

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Sunday, November 2, 2014

The voice of desperation!

“For good or for bad, there must be change in Nigeria in 2015"

-Chibuike Amaechi, Rivers State Governor, at the APC “mega rally” held at the Adokie Amiesimaka Stadium on 25 Oct, 2014 Dear Mr. Governor, Be informed that Nigeria will not change for BAD. All the BAD people eyeing Aso Rock will never get there.

Nigerians will reject BAD people who have nothing but insults, threats, lies, vengeance and propaganda to offer!

Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Clearly, utterances of desperation are from small minds!

Signed: The PDP Resurgent Group

67

opinion Sunday, November 2, 2014

Before I Start

by Nurrudeen Mohammed

The atmosphere in Nigeria today is such that any Minister of Information, even if a supervising one, must start with some bush clearing. The crisis in Nigeria has assumed a discourse dimension such that our sense of our situation has obviously constrained our sense of things generally. And our sense of things generally as they manifest in social and traditional media and everyday analysis certainly lacks the vigour and forward-looking attitude that we associate with Nigeria or MUST associate with Nigeria, no matter how bad things might appear to be. We must never tire in recognising that Nigeria is not just another country on earth. It is that single country with the highest concentration of black people under one government in human history. There can be no higher uniqueness. Nothing can be more than that.

Unfortunately, the totality of our engagement with our situation is not sufficiently mindful of this. Rather, our perspectives, for most of the time, are not only aimed at destroying but lacking in transformative vigour. Yet, the way we think and talk about the country, its leaders, its institutions and so on determines, to a great extent, the possibilities we open up or block. Far from suggesting that the government, the leaders and our institutions should not be criticised, I am only saying that doing so does not contradict the need for the culture of more critical, informed and elevated perspectives on what we see as the problems. In other words, criticising the president or the party or any institutions and practices does not amount to the perspectives or the big dreams that can ferry a country to greater heights. Where are the big dreams then? Or the ideas encompassing such dreams. I cannot see them. And I don’t believe they are there and I am blinded by any things as not to see them.

For those who might think that I am reasoning like someone in government, let me say that this government does not actually take criticisms as something negative. To the contrary, the analysis is that the citizens would not even bother to criticise a government or its leader if they have reasons to believe that the government is of no use. The more criticisms, therefore, the better in the sense that the criticisms reify and legitimise the government. Whether the best way to do this

Mohammed

is by hurling invectives on the person of the president is a different matter. The great thing is that President Jonathan has borne all such invectives with considerable equanimity. And some of us in this government are proud that the president does not take attacks personal.

And as he himself once said in an interview, Nigeria is that unique African country you can hurl every invective on the president without having to sleep with eyes half open.

But national debates that overlook the responsibilities of individuals, families, and communities in nurturing the minds of its youngsters into proud citizens are philosophically sterile. So also any such debate that minimizes the roles of sub-national governments.

And equally flawed is the type that seeks comforts in the simplicity of wild conspiracy theories. The most superficial and intellectually stale of all, however, is the one that offers a cause hypothesis of corruption in Nigeria to a lack of the somewhat ‘strong’ leader, the daily unintended invitation to the president to attempt to be a dictator. God forbid!

There is so much oversimplification of the roles of rather complex social, cultural and ideological dynamics in our contemporary discourse to the point of such becoming the contradiction itself in the wheel of Nigeria’s march to greatness. And this is at its highest in the last five years of our history. Yes, there has been a lot of tension, anxiety, inadequacies and a number of things which are abso-

lutely regrettable, for example the Boko Haram crisis. We don’t deserve it. The fact that it preceded this regime is a different matter.

But even in the midst of the horrors inflicted on this country by Boko Haram, Nigeria is still able to make a global statement by overwhelming Ebola at a time more advanced countries are still battling it.

Additionally, we have climbed to become the biggest economy in Africa and the most preferred destination for investors on the continent. The Agricultural Transformation Agenda has moved Nigeria close to food sufficiency while rice importation is expected to stop by 2015. A competitive and deregulated power sector which is attracting foreign and local investment has been put in place in accordance with the power road map. This same Nigeria is estimated by the Chatham Institute to surpass Germany economically in the very near future and subsequently Japan. What these examples show is that there is a bigger picture out there which we might be allowing today’s pains and understandable bitterness to blind us to.

By all means, we must bicker, quarrel and abuse each other. It will not be the Nigeria we grew up to know if anyone removes these elements from our national life. But these harmless attributes of our national life should not become a license for wide deviations from the decency required to sustain the democratic project. Already, our politics as designed and guaranteed, first by the 1979 and later 1999 constitutions, has contrary to the intentions of the authors turned too big and unwieldy, chaotic and noisy.

And this deviation is being noticed outside, not just by other countries inside and outside Africa or formal international institutions but also by folks. A chance encounter with a young Sierra Leonean, who walked up to me at the margins of a multilateral meeting in New York and copiously shared his view about Nigeria had affected me in a very profound way. He introduced himself as an Intern with the UN System and generously thanked Nigeria for its role in ending the protracted civil war that tore his country apart for most of the 90s. He declared his immense admiration for Nigeria’s role and sacrifices in the sub region and the African con-

tinent. He concluded by describing Nigeria as a humanistic African power that could be the pride of the black race anywhere in the world.

But that wasn’t without a caveat. To my surprise, his caveat is that we must fix our politics.

Whatever may be the cause of this political dysfunction, it can only be unearthed and mitigated by the culture of conscious, systematic, deeply reflective and thorough interrogation.

Unfortunately, as at today, our politicians, media practitioners, public intellectuals, civil society and youth groups have not been living up on this. Instead, much of what we do is sowing rancour or throwing mud at people in government. And when that government goes, we jubilate for a few weeks before the new government we thought was worth sending away the previous one becomes the new devil on the cross. And yet, we don’t ask questions about the system, its cultural, economic, historical and global foundations. This is what my Sierra Leonean friend was talking about in the logic of fixing our politics!

The long and short of this piece is that it is about time we took Nigeria from the mud. In other words, the negative ways we think and talk about the country, its leaders and institutions have implications for the well-being of the country. I have argued in this piece that no privations, no anger, no sense of disappointment can excuse the culture of consciously or unconsciously dragging the country down. Since the end of the Second Republic, there must be very few individuals in Nigeria who have not had one personal, communal, ethnic, religious, political, business or group plan shattered by Nigeria. For some individuals that I happen to know personally, the suffering is almost unbearable. But the great thing in all this is the way such great privations bring out the best of the Nigerian people towards the victims. At the end of the day, these are the things to take away. As a Supervising Minister for Information, those are the kinds of values I would like to celebrate over and above those of discord and acrimony.

Dr Mohammed is the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Supervising Minister for Information

Deputy ITU Secretary General: The Loser As Hero

By Okoh Aihe

Nigeria lost but was hailed as the hero of the contest

The race for the deputy secretary general of the ITU was seen as a straight fight between the United Kingdom and Canada. Poland also featured a lady flaunting some intimidating credentials. Nigeria didn’t feature so much in the expectations of the delegates who under- estimated the fighting spirit of the country in whatever she is determined to do.

By the time a winner emerged in the person of Malcom Johnson of the United Kingdom after two days of balloting, even the secretary general, Dr Hamadoun Toure, who is due out in December, praised Nigeria for setting the record of taking the voting process to a fourth round.

Nigeria lost but was hailed as the hero

of the contest. The Nigerian team was led by the Honourable minster of Communications Technology, Omobola Johnson.

Others included the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Olaopa; Dr Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Ms Josephine Amua, director, Policy Competition and Economic Analysis, NCC; Nigeria’s acting ambassador to South Korea, Mr S Momoh; Mr Peter Emuzie, a director from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and some other directors from the ministry and some of its parastatals has done so much of shuttle diplomacy that an outright win wasn’t impossible.

By this time the adrenalin was pumping so hard. Expectations and tensions were so thick that a butcher’s knife could

hardly go through. Ab initio, five candidates began the journey with two dropping out after the first ballot. They are Magdalena Gaj (Polish), representing Eastern Europe and Northern Asia; Bruce Gracie (Canadian), representing the US; Malcom Johnson (British), representing Western Europe; Fatimetou MohamedSaleck (Mauritanian), representing Africa; and Shola Taylor (Nigerian) also representing Africa. From the foregoing, only Africa was represented by two candidates as neither of them agreed to step down for the other. But after the first round of votes, Canada and Mauritania dropped having scored the least votes. Nigeria was in the third place after Britain and Poland.

Climaxing in a big show can be something very difficult to achieve. The candidates had worked very hard, flying across

the continents to persuade countries to align with their viewpoints to help vote them to that exalted position. The permutation can be very interesting to work out.

After eight years as the secretary general of the ITU, Dr Toure, a great son of Africa has contributed his best to elevate the ITU to an unprecedented height and he is leaving at the very point ovation is loudest. It is quite possible for the incoming Deputy Secretary General to think that after the term of Houlier Zhao of China who is assuming office in December as the new secretary general, it would be his or her turn. So, the battle was fierce with ideas and international diplomacy and no country was prepared for an easy pin-fall.

Okoh Aihe sent this material from Busan, South Korea

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news ➌ ➍

➊ ➋

➋ Zambian President Michael

Sata’s Body Arrives Home From London

LUSAKA, Zambia - Hundreds of people lined Lusaka’s Great East road yesterday as the body of Zambian president Michael Sata, who died in London last week, arrived in the country to be buried this week.

Reuters reported that there were emotional scenes with several people breaking down as pall bearers carried Sata’s dark casket draped in the Zambian flag off a chartered plane.

The body was driven to the Mulungushi International Conference Center, where a brief wreath-laying ceremony was held.

Sata, who was nicknamed “King Cobra” because of his sharp tongue, died on Tuesday. He had been president of Zambia since 2011. He is expected to be buried on November 11.

A presidential election is expected to be held within 90 days

Space Shuttle Crash: Branson Vows ➌ ➊ Mission Continues Sir Richard Branson has vowed to persevere in his mission to lead commercial flights into space after the death of a pilot killed when a Virgin Galactic rocket crashed during a test flight in the Californian desert, according to The Independent newspaper of London.

SpaceShipTwo suffered a “serious anomaly” during a test flight conducted by partner business Scaled Composites. Another pilot, who managed to eject from the craft, was also injured and taken to a local hospital with “moderate to severe” injuries.

Witnesses described seeing the spacecraft explode at 45,000ft and fall to earth two minutes after being launched from carrier plane WhiteKnightTwo over the Mojave Desert.

Sir Richard, who is expected to arrive in Mojave today, said the journey to the spaceport was “one of the most difficult trips I have ever had to make”.

Writing on a blog post on his website, the billionaire business man said he was “shocked and saddened” by the event, but pledged to continue space travel.

“We’ve always known that the road to space is extremely difficult - and that every new transportation system has to deal with bad days early in their history,” he wrote. ”Space is hard - but worth it.

We will persevere and move forward together.“ Mr Branson said he would cooperate fully with all the authorities involved in the investigation.

The US National Transportation Safety Board is due to begin its investigation today.

Virgin Galactic chief executive George Whitesides told a press conference in California the company “owed it to the folks who were flying these vehicles, as well as those who’ve been working so hard on them, to understand this and to move forward”.

Mr Whitesides said the injured pilot was “as well as could be expected“. Neither pilot has been named.

Virgin Galactic has been the frontrunner in the race to send paying customers into space and Sir Richard said last month that he hoped to travel with his son on the first flight next spring.

Wreckage from Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo. PHOTO BY THE INDEPENDENT

from October 28 when Sata died at London’s King Edward VII hospital from an undisclosed illness.

He had left Zambia on Oct. 19 for medical treatment, accompanied by his wife and family.

Sata’s varied resume included stints as a policeman, car assembly worker, trade unionist and platform sweeper at London’s Victoria station.

The ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party is yet to pick a candidate, but analysts point at defense minister Edgar Lungu, former PF secretary-general Wynter Kabimba, Finance Minister Alexander Chikwaka and Sata’s son Mulenga, the mayor of Lusaka, as possible candidates.

Hundreds of Mulenga Sata’s supporters wore white and orange t-shirts that read, ‘Keep the Sata Legacy, Vote Mulenga Sata for President’ as the younger Sata shook hands with them upon ar-

Zambia’s President Michael Chilufya Sata addressing the 68th United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, in September 24, 2013 file picture.

rival at the airport.

Acting President Guy Scott is interim leader until the election, making him the first white African leader since South Africa’s F.W. de Klerk lost to Nelson Mandela in the 1994 election that ended apartheid.

Scott, 70, is ineligible to run for the presidency in the election because of citizenship restrictions. His parents were not born in Zambia.

Islamic State Kills 85 More Iraqis

BAGHDAD, Iran - Islamic State has executed 85 more members of the Albu Nimr tribe in Iraq, a tribal leader and security official said yesterday, part of a mass killing campaign launched last week to break local resistance to the group’s territorial advances.

Reuters reported that tribal chief Sheikh Naeem al-Ga’oud told Reuters Islamic State had killed 50 members of Albu Nimr who were fleeing the group in Anbar Province on Friday. In a separate incident, a security official said 35 bodies had been found in a mass grave.

Islamic State has executed a total of more than 300 tribe members in the past few days, Ga’oud and the official said.

The sustained bloodshed appears to demonstrate the group’s resilience to U.S. air strikes against

militant targets in the chunks of Iraq and Syria it now controls.

Islamic State’s advances have fuelled sectarian bombings, kidnappings and shootings that occur almost daily in Iraq, echoing the dark days of 2006-2007, the peak of a civil war.

Terrorism and violence killed at least 1,273 people in October, compared to at least 1,119 in September, said the United Nations mission to Iraq. The figures excluded the vast desert province of Anbar in western Iraq.

In Anbar, the militants are encircling a large air base and the vital Haditha dam on the Euphrates. Fighters control towns from the Syrian border to parts of provincial capital Ramadi and into the lush irrigated areas near Baghdad Anbar was the main battle-

ground between U.S. Marines and al Qaeda during the “surge” campaign in 2006-2007, when American troops enlisted the tribes to help them defeat al Qaeda.

Members of the Albu Nimr tribe then helped the Americans to defeat al Qaeda in its Anbar stronghold.

In the other incident, 35 corpses were found on the outskirts of Ramadi. “They were handcuffed and blindfolded. Some were wearing tracksuits and others were wearing dish-dash robes,” an eyewitness told Reuters.

Iraq’s Shi’ite Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi wants Sunni tribal leaders to support the Iraqi army against Islamic State, which has threatened to march on Baghdad.

But mistrust has undermined efforts to revive an alliance.

➍ Burkina Faso Army Backs Presidential Guard Officer OUAGADOUGO, Burkina Faso - Burkina Faso’s military backed a presidential guard officer yesterday to lead a transitional government after the resignation of President Blaise Compaore, resolving a power struggle within the armed forces by sidelining the chief of staff.

Reuters reported that, senior military officials had held talks on Saturday aimed at averting bloodshed after Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida declared himself head of state in an early morning radio address, overruling military chief General Honore Traore’s claim to lead the transitional government.

One of Africa’s long-serving rulers, Compaore stepped down on Friday after two days of mass

protests against his attempts to change the constitution to extend his 27 years in power. At least three people were killed after protesters stormed the parliament building and set it on fire.

The poor, landlocked nation, under Compaore’s rule, became a key ally in Western operations against al Qaeda-linked groups in West Africa.

“Lieutenant Colonel Yacouba Isaac Zida has been elected unanimously to lead the transition period opened after the departure of President Blaise Compaore,” read a statement issued by the military hierarchy after the talks.

The form and duration of the transition will be decided in talks with all sections of society, the

statement said.

The Union for Progress and Change (UPC), the main opposition party, immediately called for the army to open discussions with civil society and political groups on the roadmap to elections.

Troops loyal to Zida patrolled the quiet streets of the capital Ouagadougou yesterday following his radio announcement that he was taking over as head of state to avoid a descent into anarchy and to ensure a swift democratic transition.

The government of neighbouring Cote d’Ivore said on Saturday Compaore had arrived there with his family and entourage, but did not specify his location.

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N300 Only On Sale Nationwide PDP AnD Lessons In BAD GovernAnce: Why TAfAWA BALeWA’s son Is fIGhTInG JonAThAn Instead of asking for good governance, job opportunities and the fixing of collapsing infrastructure, PDP governors, Transformation Agenda of Nigeria (TAN) and over seven thousand groups are urging Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2015 presidential election. Lamenting what he called this ‘undemocratic tendency’, Tafawa Balewa’s son, Jahil said his efforts to get the presidential nomination form ended in fiasco because the ruling party does not want any other Nigerian as presidential aspirant on its platform … Only in GOVERNMENT reAL reAsons MUA’zU shUnneD enUGU Governor Governor Sullivan Chime arrived the chairman’s waiting room on the third floor of PDP national headquarters, otherwise known as the Wadata Plaza, and waited in vain for five long hours. Adamu Mua’zu refused to receive the governor and his acting party chairman, Ikeje Asogwa, so as not to create the impression that Asogwa has been endorse by the national body.

WhAT honeyWeLL MUsT Do To GeT InvesTor MArKeT oUTLooK With a strong and passionate desire for excellence, the Honeywell Group has been operating businesses successfully for almost four decades since its inception in the 1970s.

AfTerMATh of cross cArPeTInG: TAMBUWAL’s ToUGh sTePs To TAcKLe JonAThAn, PDP Not willing to take the withdrawal of his security details for granted, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, has dumped the PDP, its chairman and five others to court.

IT’S A BUMPER EDITION!

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Sunday, November 2, 2014

FIRS Sports Festival Climaxes

By Salifu Usman, Abuja

The 2nd edition of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) sports festival came to climax yesterday in Abuja with Amawhe Gunners from Southwest region emerging champions in the football event. The team defeated Auta Sparrows 1-0 in a keenly contested final to lift the coveted trophy.

In the table tennis event, Liman

Abdullahi of Ogungbesan Elephants finished first ahead of his closest rivals, Ubani-Ukoma Kelechukwu of Bamidele Islanders and Lucky Baba of Kaigama Warriors who came second and third respectively in the men single event. Sese Perewari of Kaigama Warriors beat other contestants to gold medal of the scrabble event.

The event which was bankrolled by the FIRS, featured 10 regions that

Nigeria Women Football League Incorporated

make up the organisation.

According to the national president of FIRS sports club, Seriki Akeem, the aim of the fiesta is to serve as platform for staff of FIRS in all the states of the federation to interact, share ideas and further expand the frontiers of friendship and unity among themselves as well as provide an avenue for the discovery of talents.

Golf: Mark Charges Women To Promote Sports

By Jonathan Nda-Isaiah

The victorious Falcons

By Salifu Usman, Abuja

Determined to reposition women football league in the country to meet with the international best practice and give investors value for their money, the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) has been fully incorporated as a limited liability company.

NWFL chairman, Mrs Dilichukwu Onyedinma, who disclosed this while addressing newsmen at the weekend in Abuja said this is to ensure that any corporate body that wants to associate with the league for sponsorship would know the identity of the league and what they stand for. She said

the NWFL has the approval of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to incorporate the league.

According to her, in order to create the needed awareness for the league and ease the job of their marketers, the NWFL have also entered into partnership with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) to televise the women league’s matches live from next season.

She said the present board of NWFL under her leadership had strived to reposition the league to ensure that good players are unearthed for the various national women teams.

“Although, we were faced with a lot of challenges at the begin-

ning of our tenure, we thank God that we were able to surmount these after two years.

We have strived to reposition the league to ensure that good players are discovered for our national teams.

“These were very evident with the performance of our national U-17 women team, Flamingoes in Costa Rica, Falconets in Canada who played to the final of the FIFA U-20 Women World Cup. Ninety nine percent of players were from our local league here in Nigeria. Only one of the players came from a school in the United States.

“Only last weekend, we took another set of Super Falcons team to Namibia to reclaim

the Africa Women Championship (AWC). In that victorious team, only five players came from overseas. The remaining 17 players were all from our league,” she stated.

Premier League results Yesterday’s Matches Newcastle 1 – 0 Liverpool Arsenal 3 – 0 Burnley Chelsea 2- 0 Q. P. R Everton 0 – 0 Swansea Hull City 0 – 1 Southampton Leicester City 0 – 1 West Brom Today’s Match Man City vs Man Utd (3:30)

Chelsea Maintain Unbeaten Run, Arsenal wins League leaders Chelsea were made to battle for a narrow 2-1 win over strugglers Queens Park Rangers at Stamford Bridge as they maintained their unbeaten start in the Premier League yesterday.

The winner came from Eden Hazard who scored with a 75th minute penalty after Charlie Austin had pulled strugglers QPR level in the 62nd minute. Oscar had

put Chelsea ahead with a curling shot with the outside of his right foot in the first half.

Chelsea moved on to 26 points from 10 matches and stayed four points clear of second-placed Southampton, who won 1-0 at Hull City with Victor Wanyama crashing home a speculative 40-metre shot after three minutes as the Saints won for the 10th

time in 11 matches in all competitions.

Arsenal left Burnley without a win in their first 10 games by beating them 3-0 at the Emirates with Alexis Sanchez scoring twice and Calum Chambers also finding the net to move the north Londoners above West Ham United into fourth place. West Ham, who slipped back to fifth, came from

2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.

Newcastle United maintained their recent revival with their third straight league win, beating Liverpool 1-0 at St James’ Park with Spain Under-21 international Ayoze Perez scoring the winner 17 minutes from time.

Champions Manchester City host Manchester United today.

President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, has charged women across the country to help promote sports in all ramifications as ingredient for peace and unity.

Senator Mark opined that women as the builders of homes have the twin advantages of moulding the characters of the young ones and promoting healthy competitions saying they hold the sustenance of the society.

Speaking at the tee-off of the 2nd edition of Otukpo Ladies Open golf tournament in Benue State yesterday, Sen Mark said women, as the pillars of every family, have the capacity to correct societal ills through sports development.

In a statement issued by his chief Press Secretary Paul Mumeh, he stated that he was pleased about the tournament which he said has improved over the years, pointing out that “more female golfers now participate in the annual tournament which serves as impetus for women empowerment and growth in our society.”

According to him, “You are up for a serious task as mothers and builders of homes. It is really challenging but with dedication and commitment, you will surely attain greater heights.”

Earlier, the Lady Captain, Otukpo Gold and Country Club, Mrs Helen Mark thanked the participants at the tournament just as she urged them to play by the rules of the game.

She pointed out that the Otukpo Golf and Country Club has produced more female golfers who are now doing well in national and international competitions.

She explained that the golf club now runs a golf academy which is already yielding fruits with young and talented golfers, saying, “as potential mothers, join me to thank the founder and financier of the academy (Sen. Mark) who is nurturing our children for a greater tomorrow.”

Mrs Mark called on other wellmeaning Nigerians to join the struggle to liberate our women and make them partakers in the onerous task of building a better Nigeria.

AMUSEMENT PARK

I slept well only once in my life, and even then i dreamt i was awake — NIrving Berlin

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

02.11.14 No. 456 N300

Guest Column

Lawful Injustice

Umar Hassan

I

n a place where a deputy governor was impeached for rearing chickens, no one would be surprised if another is impeached for having a poor sense of fashion. The decision by the National Assembly to retain the immunity clause for governors and their deputies deserves a thunderous round of applause!

Our laws have turned weapons politicians fashion against their enemies and rivals at their meetings, and there would be utter chaos if we create room for governors and their deputies to be witchhunted while still in office.

A lot of things is going to happen after the general elections in 2015. So far, we haven’t had cause to tag the EFCC as the government’s “labour prefect” who whips any recalcitrant child into line, but one should never forget the past easily because it is supposed to prepare one for the future. Many of us have come to see politicians witch-hunting themselves as “na God catch them” thing because, as far as we are concerned, if there were clean and non-thieving ones, a majority of Nigerians wouldn’t have a football formation feeding pattern: mostly 0-1-0.Sadly, the people who are responsible for the mess we are in are hardly ever punished. The severest of punishment we have seen meted out to corrupt leaders can best be described as nothing but a slap on the wrist. No governor has ever served a jail sentence for corruption and, honestly, I don’t see this changing when a lot of them lose immunity next year. A lot of cases instituted against corrupt politicians haven’t made any meaningful progress since inception. I can count cases of more than eight exgovernors.

The system isn’t really hell-bent on fighting corruption. With politicians growing more audacious in abusing our laws, one can’t even imagine the pain a lot of Nigerians feel when we know that there are provisions in our laws that leave

them room to sleep well if ever the anti-graft agency comes calling. At this juncture,let me introduce the legal abracadabra called “plea bargain”.

Simply put, plea bargain is an agreement between a prosecutor and an accused person or defendant in a criminal trial to settle the case usually in exchange for concessions on the part of the accused person. He or she gets a lighter sentence in exchange for pleading guilty. In places like the USA where this concept has thrived, the rationale for its application is that, amongst other things, it saves the prosecutors’ and by extension the state’s time and resources which would be better utilized in prosecuting graver offences. Generally speaking, it is a quest to ensure justice for all at all times in the society. The only statute which expressly recognizes plea bargain in Nigeria is the Administration of Criminal justice Law of Lagos State. No other does. But the EFCC in staying true to the “If there is a will, then there is a way” mentality of Nigerians could capitalize on Section 14(2) of the EFCC Act which allows it to “compound”(which means to agree for a consideration) any offence punishable under the act by accepting any sum of money as it deems fit exceeding the maximum amount to which that person would have been liable if he had been convicted of the offence to allow thieving persons go scot-free for peanuts compared to their loot.

Politics is a game of no permanent enemies. The president has said publicly that he has no problem with Governor Lamido; all it would take is for the governor to swallow his vomit by supporting him if he runs in 2015 for the EFCC to start to develop the urge of using this section to back off his sons. The EFCC has denied using plea bargain on several occasions when criticized and could get off on the grounds that its Act has no provision for it, but the implica-

tions of this section are not different from a plea bargain – except, of course, the accused doesn’t need to spend time whatsoever in prison.

The concept of plea bargain is an asset to any legal system, but, in relation to our system, I would agree with the former chief justice of Nigeria, Dahiru Musdapher, when he described it as dubious.

There have been allegations the EFCC struck deals with ex-governors Lucky Igbinedion and Diepreye Alamieyesiegha in the past, though it appealed against a federal high court decision to allow the former walk away with just a N3.5m fine in what is believed to be about a N44 billion loot.

The case of Cecilia Ibru, a former chief executive officer of Oceanic Bank, also comes to mind. After agreeing to forfeit 199 assets and funds worth about N190 billion, she was sentenced to just six months in prison. Most Nigerians were disappointed in the judgment.

In a society like ours where corruption no longer seems abominable, the only way to curb the menace and deter people is by enforcing maximum punitive measures. I don’t think the most persuasive of persons can sell any perceived merits of Section 14(2) of the Act which technically provides for plea bargaining but still leaves room for the EFCC to frown against the concept like it has already done. It cannot say it saves time and resources when the entire essence of justice is defeated, forfeiting peanuts compared to money stolen to walk away. And talking about resources, why does the EFCC pay private lawyers to prosecute on its behalf? I don’t see the need to employ lawyers at all if they can’t be called on at all times.

In a system like ours where a president has unlawfully suspended a CBN governor and has continued to appoint defence chiefs unconstitutionally without the ratification of the house, among other things, we only deceive our-

selves when we say the rule of law is supreme. As far as the war against corruption goes, many Nigerians have lost faith in the justice system. It is saddening that we still leave windows to be exploited by people with the right contacts on their phone.

Many of us are still bitter over the non-prosecution of Stella Oduah. The petroleum minister who is widely believed to be the most corrupt minister since our return to democracy in 1999 does seem untouchable. If the president still retains her despite her being a political liability, then, I think if ever she is effectively prosecuted, it has to be by another president; even if she does get arraigned in court, I don’t see it not being the usual prosecution that ends nowhere or a deal to forfeit a part of the loot behind the scenes.

The EFCC, in prosecuting corrupt politicians from inception till date, has always given us reason to doubt its sincerity. We have learnt to stop jubilating over disclosure of the outcome of investigations and only rejoice when thieving politicians get what they deserve. Have we celebrated ever since?

Hassan, a lawyer, wrote in from Kaduna

The EFCC, in prosecuting corrupt politicians from inception till date, has always given us reason to doubt its sincerity.

GHANA MUST GO Diezani appointed chairman, finance subcommittee on Jonathan’s declaration

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Our missing $20billion?

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