THE WEEKEND
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Weekend
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014
PUBLISHED SINCE OCTOBER 6, 1990 • Vol. XI NO. 3,26.. • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 20 14
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AS DECEMBER 16 BECKONS
NASS Vs Jonathan • We will Impeach The president - anti- Jonathan Senators • They are daydreaming, - pro-Jonathan group • Presidency begs, says impeachment cannot solve any problem By OSAZUA IVBAZE AS anti-Jonathan Senators intensify plans to present impeachment notice against President Goodluck Jonathan come December 16, the presidency is compelled to acknowledge that this is no longer a joke and has therefore swallowed its pride, pleading with the Senate to halt action in the overall interest of the country. Details on pgs. 4/5
• Senator Jajere: Arrowhead of anti-Jonathan’s Senators
• President Goodluck Jonathan: Begs
Why Uduaghan’s Senatorial Ambition Crashed Pgs. 6-7
When Terrorism Grows Ideological Teeth
Pgs. 15-17
• Senator Ayogu Eze: Leader of Pro-Jonathan group
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e Conditions Of Victims Of Insurgency, Pathetic
N ws
A PSYCHIATRIST, Dr Taiwo Sheikh, has described the conditions of victims of insurgency in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps as “pathetic.’’ Sheikh, the Medical Director, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Kaduna, made the
- Psychiatrist
statement yesterday in Kaduna in a paper he presented at the 45th Scientific Conference of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria. In his paper, entitled: “Psychological Impact of Boko Haram Insurgency in Northern Nigeria; Focus on the Chibok Girls Abduction,’’ Sheikh said
some of the victims live without food, water, medication or shelter. He said that apart from physical, emotional and mental deprivation, some of the victims would be scared for life from emotional and physical
injuries. He said that some of the victims had either lost their lives or wounded. He said that some of girls abducted from Chibok had been forcefully converted while others had been
because we expect that the event will bring a new lease of life to our country Nigeria. “We expect that the whole quality of elections will be a lot better than it
had been in the past. “We expect that politicians will conduct themselves a lot better than they had done, this are our expectations. “So, we appeal to the
politicians to at least pay attention to the yearnings of the Nigerian people, because all that we wish are the basic things of life such as food, shelter and other social amenities.’’
By LUCKY EFESE
Company Limited, along James Watt Road in Benin City, during the verification exercise of the workers embarked on by the state government. He noted that Edo Line Transport Service was closed down in 2010, following the workers’ protest against the administration of the former board and that the amiable governor, as a listening and people-oriented leader took bold step to revamp the first premier transport company in Nigeria in May, after due consultations with stakeholders on the way forward. Mr. Woghiren, stressed that consequent upon his sterling leadership qualities which culminated in massive infrastructural developments across the state, he without primordial sentiments appointed a private transport guru and prominent Chief in Benin Kingdom, Chief Dr. John Osamede Adun Jp, the Ayobahan of Benin Kingdom, as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer to take the Transport Company to the next level
2015: Archbishop Wants Change Of Attitude From Politicians
THE Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Adewale Martins, said yesterday that positive change in attitude of public office seekers would promote good governance in Nigeria. Martins told newsmen in Lagos that proper behaviour of leaders was necessary for the improvement of the lives of the electorate after the 2015 elections. He noted that the bane of Nigerian democracy was that improvement of the living standard of Nigerians never received due attention from those elected into public offices. “The 2015 election is an event that we are all looking forward to;
THERE were strong indications yesterday in Lagos that the All Peoples Congress (APC) is going to pick a running mate for its Presidential flag bearer from Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola and Governor Amaechi of River State. An authoritative source revealed to our correspondent that the leadership of the party has been on indoor meeting to choose another credible person to be the running mate of General Muhammadu Buhari. According to the source, “The party needs a credible and sellable person like Gen. Buhari who Nigerians will admire his excellent record to vote in APC in the next year presidential election”. It was gathered that Governor Oshiomhole ongoing track record in Edo
organisations in the plight of the victims. He stressed the need to mobilise religious and traditional leaders in the north to explore nonconfrontational options to end the insurgency. “The fact remains that the bulk of the people in the North-West do not support Boko Haram; there is need for them to be liberated from the clutches of the group,’’ he said. Shiekh drew the attention of politicians to the fact that unless the sect is effectively checked, there might not be a country to govern in 2015.
Edo Line: APC Chieftain Hails Gov Oshiomhole A CHIEFTAIN of the All Progressive Congress in Oredo Local Government Area, Mr. Nicholas Iserhien Woghiren JP, has lauded the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole for his exemplary leadership in the state. Mr. Woghiren disclosed this to the Nigerian Observer at the premises of Edo Line Transport
Buhari May Pick Oshiomhole, Amaechi As Running Mate By RAHEEM IBRAHIM
impregnated or married off. The director applauded the establishment of the Trauma Working Group of Nigeria to attend to victims of the insurgency. He said the group, consisting of p s y c h i a t r i s t s , p e d i a t r i c i a n s , gynecologists, mental health workers, clinical psychologists and physicians, was developing a model to provide psychological intervention and support for the victims. Sheikh commended the intervention of national and international h u m a n i t a r i a n
State, as former NLC president and a Christian gave him score ahead Governor Fashola who also performed credible in Lagos, but a Muslim who has not has national experience. Also, there was an argument on the picking of Governor Oshiomhole because of the APC national chairman as some said it is not relevant by the credibility is needed, while some said that two powerful positions cannot go to same state. It is expected that the name of the choice running mate would be announced by next week by the party.
in the state. He posited that the appointment of Chief Adun was the manifestation of the August honest of the Governor to bring development to the door steps of the people in the state, just as he had advised workers of the transport service to abide by the verification exercise and embrace the Comrade Governor ’s decision to accept the harmonization exercise for their benefit.
The astute politician, who averred that he was at the premises of Edo Line to ascertain the tremendous works carried out for resuscitation and opined that, if APC remained in power for another eight years in the state, the transport company will have returned to it prime position as the number one state owned transport company headed by a well refined and experienced administrator in Nigeria,
whose prospects in the transport industry were unrivaled. He urged the workers to support the Managing Director and the State Governor so that APC as a formidable party shall remain in power both at state and in Federal levels for the purposes of consolidating on the transformation agenda just as he urged the APC members to remain focused and transparent toward unity so that the party would win the 2015 and 2016 general elections.
New Benin Baptist Church Presents Drama Ministration By ANYANWU HANNAH
THE Gospel Drama Ministry, New Benin Baptist church has billed Sunday December 14, 2014 for its presentation of a drama ministration titled: Satanic mission.
The event which has as its theme: Lighting the Dark World through Gospel Drama will take place at the New Benin Baptist Church, Benin City beginning from 9:00am prompt.
Engr. Osagie Bobby Agbonlahor (middle) recently bagged a second Class Honours degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
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F shion Madness
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014
Indecent Dressing On Campuses
By ANYANWU CHIKODI HANNAH THE wearing of indecent dresses has become a culture indeed especially in the u n i v e r s i t y campuses. Indecent dressing means improper or unacceptable way of dressing. It is exhibiting the areas of the body that should be covered. For example like thighs, sexual areas, belly, buttocks, breast etc. The level of indecent dressing particularly among the female folks in the society has become worrisome. Dressing in extremely shocking dresses without caution, gives wrong impression about the person putting
them on. This type of ridiculous dressing makes the persons look shameless, immoral and breeds promiscuity in the society. Unarguably, some of the dressings veer towards semi-nudity, freedom to dress has now become freedom to be halfnaked. This can only be regarded as public nuisance and physical assault. The craze to “Dress To Kill” is a common feature in the various campuses, their common dress code is called “bare-asyou-dare”. It is free show of “bums”, “boobs”. Lamentably what does it really profit
our women folk to dress exposing the sensitive parts of their bodies. Gone are the days when moderation was the watchword of students, particularly the female ones in our institutions of higher learning. The university, which is supposed to be a citadel of learning, charged with the responsibility of training in both academic, moral and character has become a theatre of the absurd where everything goes and s c a n d a l o u s behaviour has become the order of the day.
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“. . . answering question why the impeachment plan was coming when the first tenure of President Jonathan’s administration was coming to an end, he said: “The impeachment issue is not just coming now. It is a process that started early in the year. There was a hiccup but today, there are issues that have triggered the National Assembly to do what it should do.”
NASS Vs Jonathan • We will Impeach The president - anti- Jonathan Senators • They are daydreaming, - pro-Jonathan group • Presidency begs, says impeachment cannot solve any problem By OSAZUA IVBAZE THEIR House of Representatives counterparts have also promised to make available very soon, the authentic list of those who endorsed the impeachment notice against the president. Senator Alkali Jajere representing Yobe
South on the platform of the All Progressive Congress, APC, who made this disclosure stated that the number of Senators who had signed the impeachment letter was 63 last week and that the number would increase to 70, adding that the pro-
impeachment senators which he claimed cut across all the party lines had what it would take to ensure that the impeachment was realised. Already, the antiJonathan Senators have accused the leadership of the Senate of conspiracy as they claimed that the adjournment of plenary
to December 16 was deliberate and a ploy by the leadership to frustrate the impeachment move. But the pro-Jonathan Senators have alleged that those planning the impeachment may have been operating in spirit as there was nothing to show that such plot existed, even as they described the
arrow head of the alleged plot Senator Jajere as a joker who had taken the joke too far. One of the Senators against the alleged impeachment plot, Senator Ayogu Eze, PDP, Enugu North said: “To me, Jajere is a story teller. We are waiting for him and other signatories who
are more of spirits than human beings in the senate. “Let me put it to him and his other people that if they think they can intimidate the president or PDP out of power, they are just day-dreaming because the man will contest the 2015 election and going by Continued on page 5
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N/Assembly Vs Jonathan
Continued from page 4
realities on ground, he will win. So the earlier they realise this, the better for them. Speaking to journalists after adjournment on the authenticity of the alleged impeachment plot and the collection of signatures, Senator Jajere said: “I have signed the impeachment notice because there are impeachable offences against president Goodluck Jonathan. “This senate approved N240 billion as subsidy fund but the same government spent N1.7 trillion which is a clear breach of the appropriation act. “The business of government is to curtail excesses but this government has shown that it is incurably deficient in handling the situations in this country. That government cannot say it wants to continue. “The president should have even resigned without waiting for him to be impeached. The duty of the legislature is to act as a check and balance because it is the most important symbol of democracy because every other arm of government exists even where there is no democracy; it is only the legislature that makes a democracy, a government”. “As at last week, 63 of us have signed up for the impeachment, my signature was the fourth but I can confirm to you that we have 63 signatures but after the session today, two people had called me
and told me that they want to sign”. “One of them is an APC Senator who was away campaigning because he is contesting the governorship election of his state. The other person is a PDP senator”. Also answering question why the impeachment plan was coming when the first tenure of President Jonathan’s administration was coming to an end, he said: “The impeachment issue is not just coming now. It is a process that
so, by that date the impeachment notice will be presented on the floor of the senate. Meanwhile, the presidency on Monday pleaded with the Senate that the interest of the country and the protection of the nation’s democracy should be paramount. Responding to the purported moves by the lawmakers, the presidency noted that the country was at the moment facing challenges and impeachment will not be required to address
and commitment that have been shown by the distinguished members and we trust that ultimately it is this tendency towards true nationalism that will prevail in the Senate”. A Human Rights Activist and Public Affairs commentator, Steve Omoike has called on the Senate to re-consider its move in the interest of political stability in the country. He said impeaching the president at a time like this will attract n e g a t i v e interpretations by a section of the country who will see it as a war
• National Assembly in session
started early in the year. There was a hiccup but today, there are issues that have triggered the National Assembly to do what it should do. No matter what the time, it is a three legged issue, the National Assembly will now have to initiate the process and then, submit that process to the judiciary. “As of today, the required signatures to initiate the impeachment notice had been obtained. The senate has adjourned to the 16th,
the mirade of problems adding that political problems requires political solutions. Doyin Okukpe, SSA to the president on Public Affairs who spoke on behalf of the presidency urged the lawmakers to continue with their work of nation building for the development of the country and wellbeing of the people. His words: “We strongly trust and believe in the leadership of the present Senate and the unwavering patriotism
against one of their own. He cautioned the lawmakers to put national interest above p e r s o n a l considerations. Speaking further, he said: “I don’t think the move to impeach the president is reasonable. Election is just less than three months and Nigerians have a choice between Jonathan and other presidential candidates. What I think the opposition should do is to ensure he is voted out in the February polls. Let
“Meanwhile, the presidency on Monday pleaded with the Senate that the interest of the country and the protection of the nation’s democracy should be paramount. Responding to the purported moves by the lawmakers, the presidency noted that the country was at the moment facing challenges and impeachment will not be required to address the mirade of problems adding that political problems require political solutions.” them sensitize Nigerians on the shortcomings of the president and the need to reject him. That I feel is a better option. Impeachment will unnecessarily overheat the polity”. In his reaction, Zik Cibenre, a writer and public affairs commentator the impeachment move should halt. According to him “All we can say is that you cannot use petrol to extinguish a fire. Agreed that our dear president Goodluck Jonathan has his faults and lapses as every human being on earth, but that does not mean an impeachment move is the best solution. Whatever wrong(s) the president must have committed, some of which we are very much aware of, does not amount to the legislators concerned to be calling for his impeachment. The truth is that the people of the South-South Niger-Delta will not
take this likely or sit and fold their hands and allow this to happen. We have had past political leaders that have committed worst atrocities against this country but they were never removed from office. That does not mean we are in support of such evidences of bad governance’. On the contrary, the onus is on everyone of us to keep talking and playing our part in making things better by giving the right advice to those in power”. “Come to think of it, how come it is now that we finally have a president from the South-South region that these set of senators and lawmakers are fighting tooth and nail to see the president’s impeachment? In the history of this country, no civilian president has ever been impeached, even when there were calls for such impeachment process”.
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D lta Politics 6
“Clark had asked him pointedly why he was opposed to Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the next Gov of Delta state. Uduaghan replied pointedly that Okowa was the leader of the James Ibori political camp in Delta and that if he became Governor, he would be opposed to Jonathan. When Clark asked him pointedly if he knew the implication of what he had just said for Ibori, Uduaghan replied yes.”
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014
• Chief E.K. Clarke
Revealed
Why Uduaghan’s Senatorial Ambition Crashed • The Ibori, Clark Connection By ALFRED OKOLIE
• Chief James Ibori
FIRSTLY, one has to give Delta state Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan credit for attempting to cloth himself with some dignity, pretending that he decided on his own to play the statesman and bury his senatorial ambition just so that peace could reign in Delta state. But the truth is much further from the version he gave the world. Gov. Uduaghan had simply expected that the freehand President Jonathan gave to the Governors to control the party structures would be absolute. So he failed to consult anybody concerning his senate ambition. When he came to Abuja to confer with Jonathan on his senatorial ambition, he blew it when he asked James Manager to accompany him to the Villa to see Jonathan.
The appointment was for 9pm. Manager arrived the Delta Governor ’s Lodge by 8 so that there would be enough time to discuss with Uduaghan before they would leave for the Villa. But he did not see Uduaghan until 8.30 when he was ready to leave for the Villa. Manager made to enter his own personal car, but Uduaghan invited him to accompany him in his own official car. Though they sat in the same car, Uduaghan and Manager never exchanged a word as Uduaghan kept fiddling with his phone. Once they saw the President, Uduaghan announced that “I came with my brother, Senator James Manager who is here to tell you that we have discussed and he is here to tell you that he has agreed to step down for me. Please, Mr. President, I plead with you to find him an appointment”. James Manager flared up; “Gov. Uduaghan should not be lying against me, even in my presence. Mr. President, Uduaghan and I never
discussed anybody’s Senatorial ambition, and so I could never have agreed to step down for him. He may be the Gov, but that should not make him arrogant. In politics, he is a small boy to me. I was chairman of GDM in Delta and I was protem Chairman of the PDP. Where was Uduaghan then? “Well, I am a Senator. I have no constitutional limitation. Uduaghan has, so he cannot seek to return to his office. Nothing bars me from seeking re-election and I intend to seek reelection. I will meet Uduaghan in the field. Let him beat me if he is able. My people want me to contest and I will not disappoint them for a liar.” Jonathan asked Uduaghan why he did not want Manager to remain a Senator. Uduaghan replied that Manager is a close friend of Ibori’s and as would be expected, from Ibori’s friend, Manager ’s support for the President cannot be total. Manager interrupted him: “Yes, I am James Continues on page 7
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D lta Politics Continued from page 6
Ibori’s friend. I will never deny him, come rain, come shine. But I am an Ijaw man. I know the role I played in the Senate when making the doctrine of necessity was a big issue. That time, Uduaghan and many Govs where against making the then Vice President to become an Acting President. The National Assembly forced the issue down the Govs’ throats. My role then is open history. Could I ever claim to be closer than Ibori than Uduaghan? That is impossible, but if Uduaghan is now denying his brother, who is suffering mainly because of the benefits that Uduaghan reaped, then that is a tragedy. But Uduaghan, an Itsekiri man, will not teach me how to support an Ijaw President. Mr. President, if there is any here who will be out of job in May next year, it is Gov. Uduaghan. He may need your help on that score, but I wonder how you will trust anybody who lies even against his brother, and disowns him openly; a
brother who is in jail in the UK mainly because of how he helped Uduaghan. But that is a family problem; I have never told Ibori things Uduaghan has done to him because I never wanted to start a family quarrel. But he is now exposing himself.” At this point, Jonathan announced that he was disappointed that there was no prior discussion before Uduaghan called him to say he and James Manager had reached an agreement. Jonathan said he had thought he would use the Delta resolution as an example to tackle the same problems in Benue, Enugu and Cross River states. So, he asked them to return and consult others and reach an amicable agreement. That was when Uduaghan knew the game was up. He could not even go to Chief E.K Clark. He could not approach members of Ibori’s political camp in Delta because of the way he has betrayed Ibori. The same E.K. Clark was pointing out to visitors to his Abuja home the room
• Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta PDP Governorship Candidate
• Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State
in which Uduaghan had told him that Ibori was still fighting President Jonathan. Clark had asked him pointedly why he was opposed to Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the next Gov of Delta state. Uduaghan replied pointedly that Okowa was the leader of the James Ibori political camp in Delta and that if he became Governor, he would be opposed to Jonathan. When Clark asked him pointedly if he knew the implication of what he had just said for Ibori, Uduaghan replied yes. The result was that in the communiqué the some 11 aspirants signed in E. K Clark’s house, against Uduaghan’s attempt to impose Tony Obuh as the next Gov, they mentioned the political fight between Ibori and Uduaghan, and added that such family squabble should not be allowed to Delta state apart. Yet, when it suits Uduaghan, he would drop Ibori’s name to woo Ibori’s followers in the state. Many tend not to doubt him because he is actually Ibori’s cousin. What the public does
not know is that Uduaghan’s hold on Delta politics is not as robust as he had pretended it to be. At present, the PDP headquarters has received two reports from Delta state on the House of Assembly primaries of last week. One was submitted by the Delta PDP Acting Chairman while another was submitted by the Appeal Panel Chairman, the PDP had sent from its Abuja headquarters. Whenever the names on the Appeal Panel’s list are made public, it would not contain some names Uduaghan’s group had declared victorious. If not, the group would not have attempted to submit its own list – an attempt that failed. Also, for this weekend’s primaries, Uduaghan’s group has kicked against the persons the PDP headquarters is sending to oversee affairs in Delta. That shows that it is already jittery. Once the game was up, Uduaghan had to announce that he was stepping down in the interest of peace. He thus clothed himself with dignity. But he had no more room for maneuver;
he had boxed himself into a corner. In some parts of Delta, the story circulated that Uduaghan was given a choice between becoming a Senator and producing Obuh as governor and he chose Obuh; that issue never arose in any of the Abuja discussions. The net effect of all that has taken place is that there is a great fight between the Ibori and the Uduaghan camps, so a great division has come into their ranks. This has not only weakened both camps, it may affect the PDP eventually and make things easier for APC when the general election comes. E.K Clark was instrumental in stopping Uduaghan’s senatorial ambition. Uduaghan’s unilateral decision to pick his successor as governor has never sat well with the likes of E.K Clark. The problem was not as much as in the choice of Tony Obuh but in the way he totally failed to consult or carry others along but wanted to impose him on everybody. Since Ibori’s imprisonment in the UK, Uduaghan has
antagonised all the key members of the Ibori political machinery, as though he was tired of living in Ibori’s shadows. Instead, he has exhibited real arrogance. He was only cut down to size recently when the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought reminded him that Ibori’s administration favoured the Itsekiri, his own ethnic group, more than his own administration – a public statement. In fact, Uduaghan first visited the Olu of Warri, on Thursday before coming to Abuja, but details of their meeting was not made public. But not even that meeting was enough to save the day for Uduaghan. Ordinarily, Senator Manager is a leading member of the Ibori political family. Uduaghan is supposed to keep that machinery humming; but he decimated it, dumping the members after using the two win election after a tribunal nullified his 2011 election. Had he been close to that group, he would have been able to settle the matter with Senator Manager and would have offered him another position.
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s Is Ogwuche A Terrorist Or DSS The Terrorist?
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NIGERIANS need to know the answer to this question; and fast. Is the so-called terror suspect in the April 14th Nyanya bus park bombing, Aminu Ogwuche, who was publicly extradited from Sudan in a show of government agency “efficiency” in apprehending the “suspects” behind the terror attack that shamed Nigeria at the time of the international Abuja summit, really a terrorist or was it all simply a dirty scam to make the Jonathan administration look good in the face of international observers? El-Rufai luxury Bus park, Nyanya, Abuja was bombed on April 14th of 2014 in a single-day terror incident that led to 75 dead. It was the most deadly incident of terror up till the Kano #RedFriday Central Mosque terror attack November 28th. Immediately after the Nyanya attack, the erstwhile inefficient Department of State Security, DSS that has constantly failed to apprehend terror suspects and masterminds behind the thousands of events around the nation for the past five years, apprehended and paraded 5 suspects and declared two others, Rufai Abubakar Tsiga “WHAT the world needs is an Emergency Boss. An Emergency Czar. An Emergency Commander. A true master of Disaster. One person completely responsible for the anticipation, immediate reconnaissance and urgent execution of rescue and relief efforts around the world.”— Steven Van Zandt. “Nigeria needs change, an urgent change! Nigeria needs a true Commander-in-Chief and a unifying figure. Nigeria needs to get the economy back on track, reduce dependence on oil, tackle unemployment and corruption, reposition education, create the enabling environment for investments and be the real giant in all spheres.”—Sam Nda-Isaiah. The electoral body in Nigeria- INEC, has given political parties and politicians the ‘permission’ to commence electioneering campaigns and primaries. It’s the season of sweet words, promises and manifestoes. But we must remember that the sugar-coated words and manifestoes of the years past brought us where we today need help. Our actions, inactions, decisions, choices, activities and investments of the past years are seeds that have guaranteed harvest. Like Stephen R. Covey said, “But until a person can say deeply and honestly, “I am
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014
(a.k.a. Dr. Tsiga) and Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, wanted. By the end of April, less than two weeks after the Nyanya bombing and about 10 days before the commencement of the World Economic Forum in Abuja (May 7-9), the Nigerian Orientation office started making all these announcements of their success in “unraveling” and arresting those behind the Nyanya bombing. In fact, it was a show of decent efficiency and almost made the Nigerian security department look solid. Aminu Ogwuche from Orokam, Ogbadibo LGA of Benue State, was made to appear like he had fled to Sudan; however he attends school there and is a student of Arabic Language at the International University of Africa in Sudan. This was possibly why he was in Sudan; but his connection with Boko Haram and his role in the Abuja, Nyanya bombing has yet to be defined. Aminu Ogwuche is not an every-day Joe. The Briton is a young man of unique privilege. Born in the UK to an army dad, Col. Agene Ogwuche, Aminu was in the Nigerian army till 2007 when what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday,” that person cannot say, “I chose otherwise.” We have to make a choice between maintaining the status quo and deviating from it and navigate towards real change. Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer. Many desire change in Nigeria but are only praying for change. But like Dalai Lama said, “It’s unrealistic to think that the future of humanity can be achieved only on the basis of prayer; WHAT WE NEED IS TO TAKE ACTION.” Our action this time in Nigeria is to vote right or keep crying and praying for change. We cannot continue to do the same things and be expecting different results. We have voted in the past based purely on sentiments. And we cannot continue to vote that way and be expecting genuine change in the polity. Square pegs cannot continue in round holes or change will remain elusive. Urgent optimism is the desire to act immediately to tackle an obstacle, combined with the belief that we have reasonable hope of success. And the time to act is now! If we must get it right this
By ASKS PEREGRINO BRIMAH
• Oguche Aminu he deserted. He travels around the world at will and was arrested in 2011 on November 12th at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on arrival from the United Kingdom on suspected terror-related activities but was suspiciously released on bail on October 15th of the next year to his army dad.
Why was Owuche released in 2012? Why was Owuche arrested in 2011? What were his charges and the evidence
against him then? What has been the result of that investigation? Why and what does Ogwuche go to do in the United Kingdom? Does he have connections with foreign spy and intelligence agencies? Where has Ogwuche been to since his previous arrest? How many times has he gone to countries likt the UK, USA and France? Why is Ogwuche always sleek and able to escape sentencing as the same system that released him previously is again set to repeat? Is Ogwuche indeed a terror mastermind who operates freely and with impunity from/ under the Jonathan-led government? And if Ogwuche on the contrary, is not a terror leader and terror mastermind, then why did the Department of State Security have him accused and extradited in an act of authority terror? In latest developments, Ogwuche has demanded N100 million in compensation
for “unlawful” detention without charge for the 3 months since his July 15 extradition; and the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF has been summoned. The ongoing is not only a letdown and dangerous embarrassment to the Department of State and ONSA (Dasuki’s office) but to all Nigerians. Nigerians are not satisfied. Who is the terrorist? Ogwuche or the DSS? We need to see the culprits clearly defined, prosecuted and sentenced to death. It is time for masterminds of terror to suffer and die as do the “mere” masses. We have had enough impunity and Security department error and terror for simply too long; someone must be held to account. People are dying and we are losing territory and livelihood as the nation’s north is being totally and irreversibly ruined. Can we have some seriousness here? Heads must roll!
“And if Ogwuche on the contrary, is not a terror leader and terror mastermind, then why did the Department of State Security have him accused and extradited in an act of authority terror?”
What The World Needs By ALINNOR ARINZE A.
time, we must shun sentiments. In the past, religious and ethnic sentiments have been used by the political elite to confuse the people whenever it was time to elect new public office holders. After the elections, it becomes obvious that we sacrificed merit for sentiments. It is time for us to shun those sentiments and vote for the people who have the capacity to bring about the desired change. Nobody should have our votes this time if capacity to initiate change or meet the people’s urgent needs is lacking regardless of religion or ethnicity. Almost all the political parties have given out nomination forms and we have seen most of the aspirants in their ranks. But the truth be told almost all of them have been part of the past we want to move away from. If we sincerely desire change then we must opt for real change and deviation from our horrible past and path. Jim Rohn said, “Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value.” Urgency means paying the details the attention they deserve, with the respect they deserve,
without delay. So we must pay good attention now and pick credible people with change in mind. Over the years, aspirants mouth their manifestoes and do next to nothing when elected eventually. We have had the opportunity of hearing almost all the Presidential aspirants across party lines and what they claim they will offer Nigerians. But in my opinion, only one Presidential aspirant looked like the change he spoke about. Sam Nda-Isaiah is a Presidential aspirant on the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC). I went through his declaration speech over and over again. He articulated properly how he will unite Nigerians once again and tackle the challenges of insecurity. Change can only come from ideas led government. Sam NdaIsaiah is of the new generation and has not been part of the political elite that brought the nation on her knees. He outlined how he will tackle all the problems from corruption, unemployment, decayed infrastructure, education, to
• Nelson Mandela reshaping of our economy. I was convinced after going through his speech that he’s the type of person to spearhead the needed change. If it is true that ideas rule the world, the Big Ideas outlined by this gentleman have enormous capacity to move the nation forward and put us on the world map positively again. It is time to look beyond political party
lines and look at credibility and track record of aspirants; we must shun religious and ethnic sentiments. Theodore Roosevelt said, “Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President or any other public official.” It is time to stand by Nigeria! It is time to stand by change! Let’s give genuine change a chance! Let’s vote right! God bless Nigeria!
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THE OSAZUA IVBAZE COLUMN “The NUJ Award is a testament of the people’s recognition and appreciation of her dignified and selfless service to humanity, especially the academic cosmo. She frowns at lukewarmness and expresses a deep hatred for lackluster attitude and unprofessionalism.”
That NUJ Award For AAU VC
IT is siad that a prophet is not celebrated in his home town. As true as this may sound, the virtue and achievements of some individuals cannot be ignored. If excellence could translate to monetary value, such individuals will build sky scrapers and drive in choice cars. She is courageous and fearless in her approach. Her penchant and passion for excellence are unquenchable. She displays rare brilliance and refulgence, dazzling everyone around her with her wit and efficiency. She has a strong predilection for positive change and transforms every thing she touches. She is Prof. Cordelia Agbebaku, vice chancellor of the Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma in Edo State. Recently, the Edo State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists gave an Award of Excellence to this God’s gift to humanity for her extraordinary accomplishments as vice chancellor. Without any iota of doubt, she is deserving of this great honour, considering her giant strides in revitalizing Ambrose Alli University and restoring its former glory. As a member of the Executive Committee of the NUJ Edo State, I can authoritatively say that her good works are known to all. When her
name came up for consideration during the selection process, she had a unanimous endorsement. from all members of the committee. Prof. Cordelia Agbebaku has changed the face of the university through infrastructural development, restructuring of academic programmes, discipline, and has been able to maintain relative peace ever since she was appointed vice chancellor of the institution. She possesses the core attributes of a sound administrator and has applied these to her work. She has demonstrated excellence in leadership and administration, that even the highly thorough and disciplined Governor, Comrade Adams O s h i o m h o l e commended her some time ago during a visit to the school to commission completed projects, describing her administration as the best of all times. In a profession dominated by men, this woman has distinguished herself to earn the respect and admiration of all. She has triumphed even where men have failed, breaking new grounds way beyond the expectations of both staff and students. Her life and achievements evidently
• Comrade Desmond Agbama, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council (left), presenting NUJ Prestigeous Award to Prof. Cordelia Agbebaku, Vice Chancellor, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma during the 2014 Press Week which took place in Benin City recently. Photo: LUCKY AGIE
qualify her for the award. She exemplifies rare courage and leadership worth honouring. Today, a university which for sometime known as a haven for violence, strike, and inter-cult clashes and bloodletting, has come to experience relative peace. The once tensed environment of the university is now characterized by a reasonable level of calm brought about by students’ re-orientation and sensitization, and a heightened security approach that has prevented all dissident groups from perpetrating evil. Prof. Agbebaku has also effected some measure of transformation in the institutions curriculum. Four years in “Ekpoma’
is now four years indeed, as the delays previously experienced by students in the area of clearance, result collection and certification after graduation are now issues of the past. She has redefined i n s t i t u t i o n a l administration with foresight and a rare vision. She goes about her business with uncommon dedication, commitment and devotedness, and tackles problems with relentless determination and profound wisdom. She is bent on taking the university to its desired height and has began the journey on a positive note. Like the beam of sparkling luminiscene, she has shown her brilliance in all facets of the school, in infrastructure, human
capacity building, staff welfare, academic improvement and staffstudent relationship. Agbebaku is a Professor of Law of profound status. A distinguished professional and erudite scholar who has conquered the frontiers of academics. Her scholarship and intelligence are undebatable, and she has translated such excellence into her work as vice chancellor of AAU. The transformations currently experienced at the university is a result of Agbebaku’s efforts towards setting the institution on a pedestal built on the thresholds of d i l i g e n c e , professionalism, quality, discipline and excellence. The NUJ Award is a
testament of the people’s recognition and appreciation of her dignified and selfless service to humanity, especially the academic cosmo. She frowns at lukewarmness and expresses a deep hatred for lackluster attitude and unprofessionalism. The award is a true honour, considering the critical tendencies of journalists. Press men hardly shower encomiums on people in authorities, except for the few whose conscience and sense of reasoning have been mortgaged. However, it is noteworthy when an honest body like the NUJ honours an individual. It is a proof of quality service to mankind. Prof. Cordelia Agbebaku has not only stepped into the shoes of dignified women she is walking in them. Such recognitions are meant to encourage her to do more. Her performance is a practical display of excellence and is highly commendable. It is a good thing she has the admiration and support of the state government led by Adams Oshiomhole who himself e n c o u r a g e s performance and achievement. With such backing, we can only imagine the successes that lie await for the institution in years to come.
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As Auchi Poly Hits 50 • Its Rector, Dr. Idogho Speaks DR. Mrs. Philipa O. Idogho is one of the happiest women on earth today. Reason, the institution she presides over as Rector, has achieved so much in its 50 years of existence. In this chat with our senior Reporter, Lamai Cassius, she speaks on the journey so far and with boldness says challenges are meant to be overcome and used as instrument for positive growth. Expert:How would you describe the life of Auchi Polytechnic @ 50? It is a long and glorious history; if the institution were a human being, at 50, it would be time to sit back and see how investments made in family, children and business are yielding dividends. So, as a first generation technological institution, there is so much to which we can proudly lay claim. Our products are playing active roles in different critical sectors of the nation’s economy. Our hands and brains are actually contributing immeasurably to national development. What is your assessment as one who has been here for years, first as a student, lecturer and now as a Rector? The institution, undeniably, has gone through transitions. We are indebted to the founding authorities that laboured to establish the institution’s administrative, academic and social framework, and passed the torch down the line to us. Administrations come and go, but Auchi Polytechnic remains, and there is always posterity to judge the net impact of our contributions to the institution’s supra-system. At 50, are you satisfied with the level of infrastructural development in the institution so far? Without doubt, we have made our modest contributions to the infrastructural transformation of Auchi Polytechnic. But our target is to create a learning environment in which students do not struggle for use of lecture rooms; where our laboratories have the right equipment and facilities
such that on graduation, our products are left with the choice to either seek paid employment or be self employed; where the library system guarantees access to current reading and research materials, both in hard and electronic copies; where our teaching and non-teaching staff are properly motivated, c o m f o r t a b l y accommodated and demonstrate the right quality of efficiency because they are exposed to quality capacity development programmes both locally and internationally. Ours is a big dream, to make Auchi Polytechnic a global brand name. As Rector, have you been able to attract the attention of donor agencies (like unesco) for assistance in your drive to take the Polytechnic to the next level? It is not easy to get the attention of these global agencies for now. But very soon, it will be the agencies seeking to partner with us when the inputs we are making now begin to mature. But meanwhile, we are making prudent use of our internally generated revenue, coupled with generous support from government agencies, to achieve our set developmental objectives. We would like to know the major challenges you may have faced in your first few years in office and how you were able to overcome them. I was brought up to see challenges as necessary ingredients for positive growth and development. I have held different posts in this institution: departmental Equipment Officer, Time4able officer, then departmental Examination Officer, Head
of Department and then Dean. Each appointment brought along its peculiar set of challenges. Thus, my appointment as Rector only increased the scale of decisions and issues that require attention. My driving urge has been to justify the confidence reposed in me by the President, and to assure myself that I can do it. The teething challenges I faced only served as the tonic needed to stay focused on the tasks that faced us as a first generation polytechnic. What about your achievements?
I must give thanks to God who has given me an amazing management team to work with these past years. What else can one wish for when one’s management team and staff evolve into a close family unit where the common objective is to ensure things work well? You cannot ask for more. There is this insinuation around that some of the lecturers are involved in blocking and sexual harassment, how true is this? Over the years, we have orientated our staff, both teaching and non-
administrative instruments to deal with unethical conduct by staff, if and when they are reported. What is your assessment of the academic performance of students over the years? There are many factors that determine students learning outcomes. They include quality of learning environment, quality of print and nonprint learning materials, quality, experience and motivation level of teaching staff, and the students themselves. Some of these variables can be controlled and others are beyond our control. In the final analysis, students must take responsibility for their own learning, after all necessary inputs have been made. Nevertheless, I am glad
• Dr. (Mrs.) Philipa Idogho, Rector, Auchi Polytechnic It is our achievements; everybody, no matter at what level, who has done his bit conscientiously, is part of the success story, which is there for all to see and attest to. How cordial is your relationship with your team of management and staff for the past years?
teaching, to set and observe respectable work ethics and personal moral standards, to take pride in the names they bear in and out of office. I am proud of my staff. But, of course, we are a normal human community, and do have our own sprinkling of deviants. There are appropriate
to note that, in general terms, our students perform competitively within prevailing national standards; they have won laurels at national mathematical and debate competitions. Some of them easily pass the relevant professional examinations while yet in school, or soon
after graduation. What is the significance of the 50 anniversary to the Polytechnic? As I said at the beginning, if the school was a human being, it would be a significant milestone in the person’s life journey. He or she would probably be a wellinvested grand- parent that is exactly how we feel. Auchi Polytechnic has produced quality personnel for the construction, corporate, socio economic, political and religious sectors of Nigeria. Our products hold their heads proudly high wherever the spirit of enterprise, for which the institution is known, leads them. We celebrate the labours of the institution’s heroes, both those alive and those who are no more; evidently, their labour has not been in vain. In summary, we are celebrating the coming of age of our great institution. If you were opportuned to recommend your successor, would you recommend another female? Hmmmm! Why not, if the female has the rights personal drive to impact humanity? But it is an open ticket for anyone whose over-riding desire is to consolidate Auchi Polytechnic’s membership of the world’s cream of technological institutions. Your message to the people. The Bible says that nothing shall be impossible to those who believe. Believe in yourself, challenge and motivate others to do same; build and maintain a network of human resource (because you cannot do it alone), consult, do self-evaluation, be proactive, be firm when necessary, and always go back to God.
“So, as a first generation technological institution, there is so much to which we can proudly lay claim. Our products are playing active roles in different critical sectors of the nation’s economy. Our hands and brains are actually contributing immeasurably to national development.”
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A chi Poly @ 50 A Journey With A Credible Story
EVERY journey has a story, some bitter, and some sweet. But it is the bitter-sweet memory that makes the story interesting. Like any other great individual, body or institution, Auchi Polytechnic has a story, and it is always best to tell it from the beginning. The name Auchi Polytechnic has recently become synonymous with excellence, having broken from prejudiced boundaries and expected limitations and established itself among world class tertiary institutions in the world. From its humble beginning as a technical college (the equivalent of a secondary school) in 1964 gifted to the then Mid-western region by the British government, the institution has metamorphosed through changes in social, economic and post-colonial political systems. It was not until 1973 that the state government converted it to a fully-fledged polytechnic with the mandate to provide training and certification in disciplines in science, engineering, environmental studies, business, and art and design. All these were in a bid to imbue the Nigerian people with the relevant skills for selfreliance and national consciousness for the pursuit of national development. True to its mission of offering relevant skills and knowledge in several areas of human endeavour, the polytechnic continued to provide sound instruction and practical knowledge to students offered admission and it has done so very well, making it one of the most reputable in the country. The Midwest polytechnic, which took effect from April 1973, soon became an ambience for academic enhancement. It started off as a multi-campus institution with its headquarters in Benin City. While Benin housed the school of Business Studies with the department of Accountancy and Company Administration, Auchi retained the school of Engineering. The first ever board of governors of the polytechnic was inaugurated in January 1974 with Mr. Rex Akpofure as its chairman and Mr. Francis Ekhaese as the first chief Executive and Academic Head of the polytechnic. As a result of the growing need to enhance administrative effectiveness and convenience, the headquarters was moved back to Auchi in 1975 after the name had been changed to Auchi Polytechnic the previous year. Between these periods until 1976, the institution introduced a wider range of technological courses including a department of fine art and Design in its school of Business Studies. The title “Principal” was adopted at the time to refer to the head of the polytechnic in 1976 after a new board of
governors was instituted under the chairmanship of Professor A.M.A. Imevbore, Dr. P.O. Igharo emerged as the Principal of the institution. At this time a lot of improvements in human capacity building and academic were done including the upgrade of the 2 years OND courses to 4 years OND programmes as directed by the federal government. By 1979/80, after a series of agitations and consultations with students, heads of institutions and various professional bodies, the 4 years courses were reverted to two-tier system of ND and HND with a one year industrial training exercise in between. One historical event that cannot be left out was in May 1993, when the then president Ibrahim Babangida, at the end of his official visit to the then Bendel State/ Auchi, announced the federal government taking over of the polytechnic, making it a federal tertiary institution, and one of the foremost by way of establishment. The rapid events and expansion that followed that landslide upgrade were enormous. Between 1990 and 1996, more departments were added to the polytechnic. In 1995, the school of Applied Science and Technology was founded to providing courses in Polymer Technology, Science Laboratory Technology, Catering and Hotel Management, Food Science and Technology. By 2010, the polytechnic, under the leadership of its current Rector, Dr. (Mrs.) Philipa Idogho, established the school of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), a school that has since registered its presence among others. The department of Chemical Engineering was also added to the school of Engineering to make the institution compliant to the needs of the global market. The rising preference of the institution by students as one of the most sought after polytechnic in Nigeria, and the increasing population presented a long time ago, a need only a visionary could see and see through to completion. Presently, Auchi Polytechnic now has two main campuses, which are the campus one and the Dr. (Mrs.) Philipa Idogho campus popularly referred to as campus two. The now infrastructurally equipped campus two was birthed by the current Rector, an administrator per excellence, Dr. (Mrs.) Philipa Idogho who has stemmed the tides of gender, ethnic and moral sentiments and has championed the revolutionary change that is the testimony of Auchi Polytechnic today.
By LAMAI CASSIUS
In the history of Auchi Polytechnic for the last 50 years, 10 individuals have headed the school. They are: E. C. Summers (1965-196)principal, S. Greenholf (196769)- Principal, E. Bukley (1969-1972)-Principal, S. O. Egube (1972-1974)-Ag Director. F. I. Ekhaese (19741976)-Director, Dr. P. O. Igharo (1976-1987)Principal. Others are E. U. Bazuaye (1987-1989)-Rector, Prof. A.K. Yesufu (1989-1998)Rector, Sir. O. F. Eboreime (1999-2007)-Rector, Sir. L.R. Akagbosu (2007-2008)-Ag Rector and the present Rector, Dr. Mrs. P.O. Idogho (2008 till date). Among the past administrations, the last 6 years in the history of the institution has witnessed a t r e m e n d o u s m e t a m o r p h o s e s / transformation in both human and infrastructural development scattered all across the main campuses. The polytechnic has also become more ICT-compliant to meet the demands of the 21st century. This has earned it several awards and honours. Today, Auchi Polytechnic is ranked No. 1 in Africa by Webmetrics. Staff training and retraining is another major focus of the Philipa Idogho led administration where about 100 academic and nonacademic staff are currently pursuing either Masters or PhD degrees in various institutions in Nigeria and oversees with the support from the polytechnic through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund). The polytechnic under her leadership has sponsored a great number of staff to seminars and conferences both within and outside the country to expose them to new experiences and knowledge to help build their capacity and performances. Apart from all the infrastructural development, staff welfare upgrade. Research and industrial promotion, and the massive investments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the polytechnic recently broke
new grounds by commencing its degree-awarding programme in three departments of Business Administration, Accounting and Estate Management. The programme was instituted in affiliation with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Akwa while the first set of the students were admitted for the 2014/2015 academic session and look forward to getting a Bachelors in Technology (B Tech) Degree after four years. One of the first sets of the students, Oboitse Emmanuel studying Business Administration expressed his excitement at the development; saying with this programme, Auchi Polytechnic has been able to break the walls of discrimination that existed between universities and polytechnics. On December 14, 2014, Auchi polytechnic will be 50 years old and there is a lot to celebrate. It has come a long way and the current administration of Dr. (Mrs.) Philipa Idogho has made it worthy of celebration. Speaking with the Deputy Rector (Administration), Aigbnghale Frederick on the importance of the golden jubilee celebration, he stated that 50 years in the life of a man is not a mere thing and it is the same with a corporate organization like Auchi Polytechnic. According to him, there is every reason to thank God, from a mere technical college in 1964, Auchi Polytechnic has grown in leaps and a bound to be what it is today. In fact, it is a first generation federal polytechnic in Nigeria and the only one in the southsouth until recently when one was established in Bayelsa State. From that little beginning as a college, today we are beginning to award Degrees in affiliation with Nnamdi Azikiwe University. On the present administration, he said “we must appreciate the efforts of the Rector, Dr. (Mrs.) P.O. Idogho who has taken giant strides in all areas since she came on board especially in human capacity
development for both academic and non-academic staff”. He said that the staff quality has increased from having just two PhD holders to about 20 as at today. On his part, the Dean, School of Evening Studies, Omeshiotse Femi Balogun is of the opinion that the journey has been very smooth while outlined some of the achievements of the polytechnic since inception especially in the last 6 years. The Dean who disclosed that he has been with the polytechnic for 30 years, said the caliber of staff of the institution has really improved unlike before when it was a free-for all, now before one can be employed, he must have acquired a higher degree, even precisely a PhD He said that 50 years is a milestone for any organization, as it is a time to reflect on the journey and looking at the challenges ahead, and plan to do better than in the past. Balogun however decried the activities of the host community who are trying to lay claim to the polytechnic and dictate the policies and how the institution should be run. He reemphasized the fact that the polytechnic is a federal institution, owned by the federal government; for the benefit of every Nigerian. He said ‘this is not to say that the host community will not benefit from the institution. it is benefitting and that is in the area of cooperate social responsibility. He called on the community leaders to deal with the polytechnic with such understanding and live continuously in peace with the polytechnic environment. Speaking on the issue, Chief Alhaji Abubakar Umoru Akokhia, a high chief in south-Ibie and APC party chairman, Etsako west local government said that members of the host community must recognize the economic benefit and value of the polytechnic in the area, urging them to live in peace with students and staff of the polytechnic adding that without them there would be
tenants and landlords in the area. Assessing the current administration, Chief Alhaji Akokhia said that we must all thank the current Rector who has taken Auchi to where it is today through massive infrastructural development and so on. He said ‘we must give kudos to whom we must give kudos. The Rector, Dr. (Mrs.) Idogho has done well. We must also thank the federal government for the support it is giving to the Rector. The people of Auchi should be grateful for this privilege On his part the Dean of Student Affairs Barr. M. I. Imakhu spoke on the student discipline in the school for the last six years, describing it as a result of the Madam Rector motherly love. He said for the last six years of this present administration, the school has not witnessed any form of student crises or unrest within the school environment especially the student involvement in cultism has completely reduced to the bearest minimum if not completely eradicated within the school environment saying that it was the Rector resolved that any student caught will be showed the way out of the institution. Describing the Rector as a mother with large heart to accommodate, he said the students has discovered that there is more to benefit in a crises free environment than otherwise, hence, at every S.U.G election, the Students Affairs division usually organized seminar/ leadership training for the executives to expose them to the task and challenges ahead of them, one however discovered that the student’s executive have no time to think of crises before the end of their tenure. While congratulating the Rector, management, staff and students of the institution for the 50 years anniversary celebration, Barr. Imhaku said he is very happy that the school is celebrating 50 years during the time of the present Rector Dr. (Mrs.) Idogho who has done so much for the school in the last six years, he said there is no better time than this to celebrate the anniversary. Auchi polytechnic now marks 50 years of its existence as an educational institution. The institution on December 14th 1964 by Hon. Dennis Chukwude Osadebay marked a turning point in the lives of countless Nigerians who have benefitted immensely from the brilliance and excellence of Auchi polytechnic. As such, the institution has produced eminent personalities such as the present Rector Dr. (Mrs.) P.O. Idogho, the traditional ruler of Igueben, HRH Zaki Ailuogierio, Maj. Gen. Charles Airevbere (rtd.) Among others.
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D plomacy IN recent weeks, its been a kind of “Jaw Jaw diplomacy” between Nigeria and The United States government over alleged refusal of The United States to sell lethal weapons to Nigerians Armed Forces. The United States government has come out to deny the accusation, insisting they have learnt their lessons the hard way in the past in the sell of arms to other nations to combat terrorism. Nigerian governments were disenchanted over US government’s refusal not to sell arms and has taken their purchase of lethal arms towards the East. The United States and Russia over the years have been stuck in a clash of very different beliefs and ideology- the growth in weapons of mass destruction formed the basis for an International power struggle with both sides vying for dominance exploiting every opportunity for expansion anywhere in the world. On April 8th, 2010, United States government and its Russian counter part signed the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in Prague, a pact
• President Goodluck Jonathan
• President Barack Obama
Nigeria, Arms Procurement And Its Diplomatic implications to cut nuclear arsenals and it was a significant result of a change in the right direction. The pact didn’t last and for the past two decades, disputes between United States and Russia were handled on a practical level, they had to do with clashes of interest, dealings with Russia’s neighbours, the use of force, conflicts over trade and sometimes for pride. United States and Russia have always been in a tradition of misreading each other’s actions and with mutual trust all gone between the two powerful and opposing nuclear giants of the world, with no hope of both countries resolving their diplomatic brawl anytime soon. Any ally of any of the opposing bipolar nations that goes to do a deal as powerful as arms procurement with their perceived enemy may as well be assumed to be an enemy. Nigeria’s meddling in far East to purchase lethal arms for it’s armed forces may worsen the strained diplomatic relations between Nigeria and US government. Before now, we have long been close allies with the US, our colonial heritage, nature of our politics and economy shaped our foreign policy to be that of Pro West. The United States is no doubt Nigeria’s greatest trading partner and undeniably it’s most important diplomatic partner over the years. Many may argue as a sovereign nation we owe no nation any explanation on where to go and purchase lethal weapons for our armed forces but the question is, have we thought of the “diplomatic implications” of such act? Nigerians that are in tune with foreign affairs analysis are divided over our government’s decision to go to far East to procure arms for our armed forces, some are asking how is Russia and its allies perceived in International affairs? Have we had a good diplomatic rapport with Russia and its allies in the past? If Nigeria succeeds in procuring arms from Russia, between East or West bloc, which one are we going to belong to? A nation with a “dependent economy” should be
By JOE ONWUKEME careful with it’s foreign policies, it is not a hidden fact that we depend on the West for almost everything we need in Nigeria, from financial aides to food, businesses, energy, health, education, entertainment, auto mobiles etc. A dependent and depleted economy like ours cannot in all ramifications be able to justify its act of going to purchase lethal arms in the hands of perceived enemies of the West. Have we thought of what will happen to us as a nation if other Western allies decides to support US government and cut off its diplomatic ties with Nigeria in this imbroglio we are instigating against the US? The non patronage of our crude oil by the US since July this year has already depleted our economy and it has led to the devaluation of the naira, with our government calling for austerity measures as an interim remedy, this is the first time since 1973 that US government did not export a single barrel of crude oil from Nigeria. Though the non patronage of our crude oil has nothing to do with the assumed diplomatic brawl between these two nations. If lack of patronage of our crude oil by US alone could lead to this economic crisis facing our nation, what if US government decides to place an economic embargo on Nigeria? The United States government has been vocal in their positive but dissenting disposition in defending their actions. According to US envoy to Nigeria, Ambassador James Entwistle in a recent chat explained: “Over the past decade, the U.S has learned that defeating terrorism requires more than just military power. It requires protecting civilian populations despite the fact that terrorists don’t. It requires working to develop impoverished areas where extremism takes root. It requires ensuring that education is accessible to all. It requires empowering a free and fair press to report openly and without fear of reprisal. And, perhaps, most importantly, it requires engaging the growing youth populations that are being swayed
towards extremism due to lack of economic opportunities, education, and distrust of government. In other words, it requires a comprehensive, whole of government approach.” The United States government, over the years has been supportive in different capacities in the war against terror in Nigeria until recently when Nigerian government cancelled further trainings. Though Nigerian government has played down talks of strained diplomatic ties, saying the recent call off of further trainings of our armed forces was logistical and not political and it does not affect both country’s existing military cooperation. From US body language so far, its posturing and skepticism over the issue of arms deal with Nigeria to end insurgency ravaging the North Eastern part of the country is as a result of the political under tone in the Boko Haram insurgency, they are yet to be convinced if the procurement of these
lethal weapons will be strictly to fight the war against terrorism or for other reasons especially now that election is gradually coming close. Until Nigerian government adopts practical measures cited above by US ambassador to Nigeria and intensify its efforts in the fight against insurgency, US government and other Western allies may never take our fight against terrorism serious. Nigerian government should be careful in its decision to avoid small arms proliferation in Nigeria, going to far East or black market as suggested may do us no good. The proliferation of light weapons and illicit arms trafficking in some parts of Africa have been a major threat to peace, security and development in the continent and Nigeria is not left out in this quagmire. The United States government may be saving us from a whole lot of troubles which our desperate politicians maybe planning to infiltrate on the already charged atmosphere by not acquiescing to the sell of arms to us at this crucial hour. “What an old man sees sitting down, a young man cannot see standing up”.
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“The elite’s question is important to the Nigerian situation. The elites are wealthy, knowledgeable, highly connected and are either in power or have easy access to it.”
Roadmap With
Dr. John Abhuere
Nation Building: The Elite’s Factor
NIGERIA is a country in need of love, patriotism, hard work and commitment of citizens to her unity and development. It is a country of uncommon paradox: so much wealth and sprawling poverty/ under-development. With a huge population of over 150million and large geographical size of 923,768 square kilometers stuffed with rich natural resources including oil, Nigeria has all it takes to play in the big league of rich nations and remain on top there. However, the unpatriotic and anti –nation attitude of her elite has not allowed her to soar as expected. I have travelled wide, lived long and read extensively enough to know where the nation’s shoe pinches most and why: mass-poverty. Our dear country is not imbued with national-unity conscious, development –oriented, public-spirited and patriotic elite to galvanize available resources and generate the necessary sentiments for the progress and well-being of society. A nation can ignore the role of its elites only at its peril. Features such as infrastructural decay and d e f i c i e n c y , unemployment, poverty, underdevelopment, hunger, high crimes, wild riots, corruption, tribalism, etc, are signs of elite failure. There is a great contradiction between ‘what ought to and what is’ in Nigeria .As you transverse fatherland you must wonder whether there is some curse and why are things so bad and opposite to expectation. For instance why
poverty, underdevelopment, hunger and food importation, unemployment on a large scale in a country with vast fertile land and with so much work to do and potential wealth to transform to reality?. With seeming endless opportunities for decent living and positive participation, why so much negativityviolence, kidnapping, sectarian rioting, political vandalism in the land? All you see is yawning development gap and the need to invite all hands on deck for the unity and development of our country. The Nigerian elite are to blame here for not waking up to the challenge of nationbuilding. Nation –building is not a tea –party. It tasks the imagination, creative ability and commitment of citizens especially the elite and their friends to its cause. To some, nation building is about the ‘unification of people within a state in order to make it politically stable and viable’. To others, it concerns efforts of newly independent nations, to grow and catch up with the modern trends of the western world. It is also about the effort made by leaders of former colonial territories to ‘mould people of different ethnic, religious and linguistic groups into one nation state, sharing common values and aspiration. For this purpose, attempts are made to create common symbols of unity such as national flag, national career, national stadium, national sport festival, etc ,and to promote collectively agreed values in order to
promote common national identity for all citizens. The sad thing is that beyond the initial euphoria of independence, the Nigerian elite have not been able to achieve these- build enduring institutions, foster national unity and promote appreciable national development. While we can easily trace nation building in Nigeria to 1960 when Independence was won and the baton of power changed from white to black elite, there is little or nothing to show for collective development . Nigerian elite appear illequipped for nationbuilding. Some have argued that the task has been difficult, because of the way Nigeria came into being. Here the 1914 amalgamation is blamed for bringing heterogeneous people together to form a country of vast cultural diversity. However such argument should be dismissed as lame
excuse for elite’s failure and appalling performance, betraying a lack of creativity, imagination and ability to wrought meaningful development over time. This writer believes that nation-building is as possible in Nigeria as elsewhere- notably Singapore. The elite need to wake up and change gear: Nigeria which attained her Independence since 1st October, 1960 is still very poor, backward and just crawling today. Many have blamed the embarrassing situation on poor leadership . This may be true but without modification it could mislead by shielding the culprits –the elite who harm society. The c o n v e n t i o n a l understanding of leadership tends to elevate the leader to the level of the supernatural-the all able and all –knowing being and to heap societal problems on his
shoulder. While this has been a major weakness of most past analyses , it is worth emphasizing that no leader, no matter how brilliant and powerful, can do governance alone. He needs able hands in leadership. This is as applicable to a dictator as it is to a democrat. Thus, leadership must be understood for analysis of public affairs in its larger plural sense as a process in which many actors play their parts. And it is the collective action of the ruling group- the elite that determines the fate of any society. The elite’s question is important to the Nigerian situation. The elites are wealthy, knowledgeable, highly connected and are either in power or have easy access to it. They have the means to make or mar any situation, broker peace or cause war with words and actions and to remain in the corridor of power perpetually . This
explains why some faces of leadership of the 1960s and 1970s are still there today. According to relevant literatures, every society has its elite who ‘define the life and death’ issues of that society. As a recent observer notes, the problem with the developing countries is the selfishness of their elites: they often build and nurture institutions and make policies, which promote their own interest rather than the collective group’s. The Nigerian elite appear to be most guilty as their story has been a sad account of extreme poor performance in nationbuilding. They must be held accountable for the poverty and stunted growth of the country. They can do better by cultivating the right attitude, doing those things which make nations great and prosperous and taking issues of morality, rule of law, fair play, justice and hard work seriously.
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DELTA WATCH
Hausa Leader Sues For THE Sanki of Ebelle in Peace Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State, Mallam Abdulahi Umaru has advised Nigerians, particularly the people in Edo State to embrace peace and tranquility during the forthcoming election. Mallam Umaru speaking with newsmen in his office at Ebelle, said politics is a game, but not a do or die affairs. Mallam Umaru, appealed to the security men to help secure the lives and properties in the area, mostly in the area of investigation in this election period where people will want to engage
in electoral malpractice. The Sanki also appealed to Hausa Community in the area to embrace peace in the area, as they have come with peace and not trouble, and avoid bringing ridicule to the Hausa Community. Mallam Umaru hailed the Onogie of Ebelle H.R.H (AMB) Aikpaogie I. JP Ogiebelle of Ebelle, Igie N’ Edese of Esan Land, the Onogie of Okalo H.R.H., Zaiki Egualona Izebhukha I. JP and the council of chief in the two communities for their good leadership in their various communities.
THE beat of drums echoed as the men and women including children sang and danced. The occasion was the celebration of the annual 2014 festival. The Chief celebrant Dr. Chukwuka Animeke
Ifechukwude of Ekuku – Agbor in Ika South Local Governmen Area of Delta State, beamed with smiles as he acknowledged greetings from family members guests and well wishers who had come to
With JOEL CHUKWUAGHONIM
Arewa Fecilites With Okowa THE chairman Alhaji Jubrin Usman of Arewa Progressive Forum and its subject has felicitated with Senator (Dr) Arthur Ifeanyichukwu Okowa, Hon. Victor Nwokolo for their emerging on their success in recent PDP
primaries. Alhaji Jubrin Usaman the chairman appealed to the two members to carry their subject along, saying the victory is not for Delta North alone but for Delta State in general.
Mallam Abdulahi Umaru
Ekuku Agbor Celebrates 2014 Festival
• Dr. Chukwuka Animeke Ifechukwude
Muhammed Thanks God THE chairman Miyetti For Okowa Allah Koutel Hore Delta State chapter Abdulsalam Mohammed has congratulated Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa for his successful governorship primary election. The chairman appealed
to Senator Okowa to always look at the cattle rearers particularly the fulanis in Delta State as his children, all are in support of him and prayed that he would win the 2015 governorship election in Delta State.
felicitate with him on the auspicious occasion. In a speech, Dr. Animeke remarked that the new yam festival offers beautiful opportunity for the people to give thanks to God for all he has done right from the planting season to the harvest time. Dr. Animeke also noted that the event provides the rare opportunity for families to unite and fraternize in an atmosphere of joy, celebration and merriment. Animeke said the new yam festival is one of those cultures of the people that is not fetish but celebrated as a common traditional feature of the people. Animeke stressed the importance of mother tongue and the need to reinvigorate traditional folk tales both at home and in schools. Dr. Animeke appealed to well meaning EkukuAgbor sons and daughters both at home and Diaspora to create job opportunities for the youths in the community as step towards eradicating social ills in the society. Animkeke paid glowing tribute to the Dein of Agbor Kingdom H.R.M. (Dr.) Benjamin Keagborekwuzi Ikechukwu I the Dein of Agbor of Agbor Kingdom and advised him to know those he conferres chieftaincy title in his kingdom not those that will bring ridicule to his name
and the community. He also charged the political class not to use the youths for thuggery during the elections. And they should not influence the electorates to enable vote for a candidate of their choice that will lead them well. Alhaji Jubrin Usman
Armed Robbers Waste Primary 4 Pupil A PRIMARY four pupil of Orogodo Primary School, Agbor, headquarters of Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, Miss Mariam Osagie has been shot dead by armed bandits who invaded their house at Obianke Street, D.D.P low cost housing Estate Agbor. According to the Senior brother to the victim Mr. Ngozi Edokpolor said on that fateful day on December 5, 2014 at about 7:15pm as they were outside, taking fresh air, he heard the sister Mrs. Ewere shouting and the next thing they heard was gun shot “every occupant of the house started running away”. Mr. Ngozi said suddenly he saw five boys, three in mask all armed, Mr. Ngozi said he asked them what they wanted, one of them said money”, I told him that there was no money. One of them ordered me to give him my handset which I did. At the same time they
left I discovered that my sister ’s daughter Miss Mariam Augustine Osagie was shot. “The senior sister to Mariam, Miss Precious Augustine Osagie was also shot at her back and the bullet came out from her neck and the mother,
Mrs. Ewere was also shot at her left hand side”. According to Mr. Ngozi, immediately he discovered that Miss Mariam was shot, he quickly rushed her to Nkeonye Clinic where she died on arrival.
• Senior sister to Marian shot on her neck
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Research also establish that, there are common traits found in the individuals who commit these types of violent acts. One is that the terrorist feels inferior to his larger enemy, but morally superior.
DISCOURSE
By ABDULRAZAQ O HAMZAT
When Terrorism Grows Ideological Teeth ... It becomes difficult to control
WE have refused to ask ourselves, why would an individual blow himself up in the process of trying to blow others he despise? Why have some people chosen death over life? Why have they decided to exclude themselves from the rest of the world and resort to isolation? Why did human life had little or no meaning to them that they destroy it at will? Until we ask these questions sincerely, it would be almost impossible to understand the motivation behind the activities of terrorist organizations which is increasingly threatening human existence.
Before the advent of current perceived islamic terrorism which has assume a frightening dimension,there exist countless terrorist organizations across the world causing havoc and destroying lives and properties. But despite the increasing lost of human lives and properties, world leaders have refused to sincerely look into the root cause of terrorism as measure to halt its growth, rather, they concentrate on utilizing it for their selfish political benefits. From my observation, no sincere effort is aimed at ending world terrorism, rather, all effort is geared towards making political
benefits. Terrorism is often perceived through a narrow lens without ever truly examining who is the terrorist, where the terrorist come from, the background, and why the terrorist committed the act, but understanding the mindset of the terrorist is vital in understanding terrorism. (Sharkdam Wapmuk, 2012) Research also establish that, there are common traits found in the individuals who commit these types of violent acts. One is that the terrorist feels inferior to his larger enemy, but morally superior. He feels as if he has been wronged and terrorism is Continues on pg. 16
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When Terrorism Grow
a means through which he can retaliate. The act of terrorism is the result of this distaste for the larger enemy. Through terrorist acts, the terrorist believes that they can gain power through the use of fear. Second is that terror gives a feeling of power to the powerless. There is no real way to understand and predict human behavior. A terrorist act is even harder to understand. That is why the definition of terrorism is constantly in a state of change. It evolves based on the new political situations and the way that states and political entities process and respond to these events. For the terrorist, there is usually an ongoing personal struggle. This may include events of embarrassment, repression, or harassment. Third, the terrorist is expected to have extreme views and beliefs. His or her beliefs are more extreme than others in his or her situation. Fourth, for the terrorist, there is very little room for flexibility. Events and decisions are seen in terms of black and white. There is a need for responsibility, blame and retaliation. Lastly, a terrorist usually holds a capacity to suppress all moral constraints against harming innocents whether due to instinct or acquired factors, individuals, or group forces. Beliefs of morality are discarded in order to achieve the act of violence. Many terrorists may have experienced violence growing up. They often come from m a r g i n a l i z e d communities, where they feel neglected. Often these areas experience violence, death and destruction as a part of everyday life. They know
from first hand experience that violence hurts those involved. Terrorists believe that if they use violence against their mighty enemy, it will hurt them as well. Acts of terror allow individuals, who feel wronged to feel powerful through the use of fear.The phenomenon of terrorism dates back to thousand years on the global setting. While some have traced the history of terrorism to the Roman Empire, others trace it to zealot fighters during the First Century AD. Research shows that, the Roman emperors had used diverse forms of terrorism to control domestic dissent and eliminated suspected enemies. Various methods were used including the use of poisoning, crucifixion and mass public executions. The act of terrorism was also perpetrated by a radical offshoot of Zealots, a Jewish sect that was active in Judea during the 1st Century AD. The zealots who were opposed to the Roman Empire’s rule engaged in a campaign primarily involving assassination. The Zealot fighters who were also fearless had used the sica- a primitive dagger to attack their enemies in broad daylight. The assassinations were often carried out in crowded market places, on feast days, and at other public gatherings where the people present can witness the violence so as to send a strong message to the Romans and other Jews who may sympathize with the Romans. An Islamic movement known as the Assassins had used similar tactics in their struggle against the Christian Crusaders between 1090 and 1272.
Just as the Zealots viewed the Romans as invaders, the Assassins had also viewed the Crusaders as invaders in parts of Syria. The Assassins sacrificed everything to eliminate the Crusaders including suicidal martyrdom which is still evident in some terrorist groups today. They regarded violence as a sacramental or divine act that ensured its perpetrators would ascend to a glorious heaven should they perish during the task. Before the French Revolution of 1789-1799, religion was used to justify the use of terrorism, however this was to change when nationalism, anarchism, Marxism and other secular political movements emerged during the 1800s to challenge Divine Rights of Kings. What is regarded as modern terrorism began as a movement against monarchical rule by those regarded as rebels and constitutionalists during the late stages of the French Revolution and in Russia by the People’s Will also known as Narodnaya Volya organization which was active between 1878 and 1881. The People’s Will revolution and antigovernment orientation became the model for future terrorists. The group selected targets that represented the State’s oppressive instruments of power, and used propaganda to educate the public about the inequities imposed on them by the state and to rally their support for revolution. Several targets were assassinated by the terrorist including the Governor General of Saint Petersburg, the Head of the Tsarist Secret Police, and the Tsar Alexander II, who was
killed in March 1881. The terrorists became more emboldened following the assassination of Alexander II. This led the
Bosnia, and Serbia. While early terrorism was more associated with the violence of nonstate groups like the anarchists, in 1920s and
can also depend upon the person or institution using the label and may even change over time. To give two important examples, the list of
terr exa use recr polit by w
group to inspire another group of political radicals who met in London in July 1881, to discuss how to achieve a revolution that was worldwide. Their idea was to coordinate and support a global terrorist campaign that would overthrow both monarchies and elected governments of democratic states. Between 1881 and the first decade of the 20th century, anarchists succeeded in assassinating President William McKinley of America; the President of France and Spain’s Prime Minister; Empress Elisabeth of Austria and King Humbert I (Umberto I) of Italy. The terrorists also succeeded in organizing several revolts in Chicago,
1930s, terrorism became associated more with the repressive practices employed by dictatorial regimes such as the Nazi, fascist, and totalitarian regimes that came to power in Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union. These regimes employed various forms of repressions against their citizens including torture, beatings,unlawful detentions, death squads, and other forms of intimidation. Acts characterized as terrorist in nature can occur both in conflict and peacetime. They may constitute crimes in domestic and international law, and they are motivated by a complex milieu of reasons and ideals. Their characterization
most wanted terrorists kept by the United States of America featured, at one time, Yasser Arafat and Nelson Mandela. These two personalities were subsequently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. (Sharkdam Wapmuk, 2012). It should be noted that, If either of these two personalities were killed when their status remain designated as terrorists, the world wouldn’t celebrate them like it is doing today. Rather, they may remain in the dark side of history for the same reason they are being celebrated today. This goes to justify the saying that, one man terrorist, is another man’s freedom fighter. Today, Mandela died a hero for the same reason he was designated a
very terro this dime Th issu who high con Hav com terro and held abo perp care con asse how upo terro It m with polit wou brin end grou
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ws Ideological Teeth
rorist, this is an mple terrorist group to brainwash their ruits. If not for the ticization of terrorism world powers, it is
examples to their recruit to justify their evil actions. If U.S and other countries that have made politics out of terrorism in modern time
y unlikely that orism would assume s threatening ension. his confirms that the ue of terrorism and o is a terrorist is a hly political and ntroversial matter. ving considered the mplex nature of orism and the political popular conceptions d about the term and out those who petrate terrorist acts, e must be taken when nsidering and essing situations and w they might impact on the subject of orism. must also be stated, hout down playing tics with terrorism, it uld be very difficult to g the menace to an d,as many terrorist up can cite verifiable
didn’t do so, hardly can terrorist group find convincing examples to cite for their recruit to gain the kind of global followership it is gaining today. During the 1940s and 1950s and even up to 1960s, ‘terrorism’ was used to describe the violence perpetrated by indigenous nationalists and anti-colonialist movements that sprang up in opposition against European colonial rule. These included anticolonial groups in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Countries such as Kenya, Angola, Cyprus, and Algeria, for example, owe their independence at least in part to nationalist movements that used terrorism. An example of terrorist incident of the anti-
colonial period is the 1946 bombing of Jerusalem’s King David Hotel, by a Jewish underground group known as the Irgun Zvai Le’umi; other nationalist organizations that used terrorist tactics include National Military Organization; Mau-Mau led by Jomo Kenyatta, who later became Kenya’s President; Cyprus’s Archbishop Makarios, and Algeria’s President Ahmed Ben Bella. During the late 1960s and 1970s, terrorism assumed more clearly ideological motivations. Various disenfranchised or exiled nationalist minorities such as the PLO, embraced terrorism as a means to draw attention to their plight and generate international support for their cause. The PLO sought to create a Palestine State covering the territory of the land that became Israel in 1948 and the West Bank and Gaza Stripterritories occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967. A Palestinian group, in fact, was responsible for the incident that is considered to mark the beginning of the current era of international terrorism. On July 22, 1968, three armed Palestinians belonging to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), hijacked an Israeli El Al commercial flight en route from Rome, Italy, to Tel Aviv, Israel. Although commercial planes had often been hijacked before, this was the first clearly political hijacking. The act was designed to create an international crisis and thereby generate publicity. Over the years the PLO and other Palestinian groups have staged several
dramatic international incidents, including hijack of commercial airliners, murder of Israeli athletes in 1972 Olympic Games, and hostage taking. In 1974, PLO leader Yasser Arafat received an invitation to address the UN General Assembly and the UN subsequently granted special observer status to the PLO. The world of the 21st century in which we are today, is more p r e c a r i o u s , unpredictable and more dangerous than at any time in the history of mankind. Terrorism has become pervasive and its effects are felt all over the world, with no nation being immune from acts of terrorism. While the problem posed by terrorism has been recognized globally, the international community has not necessarily agreed about the nature of terrorism. According to Hoffman (1998), the word terrorism is politically and emotionally charged, and this greatly compounds the difficulty of arriving at an exact meaning. In the 1970s and 1980s, the United Nations attempted to define the term, but failed to reach a consensus mainly due to the differences of opinion between member states about the use of violence in the context of conflicts over national liberation and self determination. Right-wing groups or neo-fascist and neo-Nazi terrorism movements sprang up in many Western European countries and the United States during the late 1970s. These groups were said to have risen in opposition and in response to the violence perpetrated by leftwing organizations.
Unfortunately, the rightwing groups did not have the numbers and popular support that their leftwing counterparts enjoyed. Thus the right wing engaged in terrorist acts such as the bombing of a crowded rail station which killed 84 people and wounded 180 others in 1980 in Bologna, Italy; in Munich, Germany, a bomb was planted by a member of a neo-fascist group, which exploded at Munich’s Oktoberfest celebration; and in 1995 white supremacists carried out a truckbombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, which claimed the lives of 168 people. Examples of important developments in international terrorism during the 1980s were the rise in statesponsored terrorism and the resurgence of religious terrorism. An example of an attack believed to be state sponsored was the attempted assassination in 1981 of Pope John Paul II by a Turkish citizen, who allegedly was working for the Soviet and Bulgarian secret services. Other examples include the Iranian-backed car- and truckbombings of the American Embassy and U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1983 and Libya’s role in the inflight bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie,Scotland, in 1988. In some of the terrorist acts carried out, religion was used to justify terrorist violence. Examples include the assassinations of Egypt’s President Anwar al-Sadat in 1981 by Islamic extremists and the assassination of Israel’s Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1994 by a Jewish militant. The terrorists often consider
it a religious duty to destroy their victims. For example in the 1980s, the American CIA attempted to overthrow President Fidel Castro of Cuba. Still in the 1980s, it attempted to overthrow the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. Also, on many occasions, America used right-wing elements in various countries to illegally kill a lot of people. In Angola, the US actively supported the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (in Portuguese: União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola) (UNITA) rebels against the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola Party (in Portuguese: Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola – Partido do Trabalho) (MPLA) and it was defeated. On the other hand, many African, Arab and East European countries supported the Liberation movements that fought against apartheid regime in South Africa, the white minority government in Rhodesia (Now Zimbabwe) and the Portuguese colonial administration in Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe. Some also supported the Palestinian Liberation Organisation in its struggle for self determination. It is on account of these contradictions that some have observed that ‘one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter’, remains a common perspective on the definitional problem of terrorism. Foreign relations even indicate that though most people can recognize terrorism when they see it, experts have had difficulty
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V EWPOINT OVER the past few days, I have read and listened to various discussions about the state of the Nigerian economy, and it is disheartening to see some supposed opinion leaders feeding the public with halftruths or blatant lies all in a bid to achieve their sinister objectives. One would expect an issue as crucial as this to be taken with all seriousness rather than being used as an opportunity to score political points while launching illadvised missiles at wellmeaning public servants. Like King Solomon said in the Holy Writ, sensible people foresee trouble and hide from it, but gullible people go ahead and suffer the consequence. This aptly describes what we are experiencing in Nigeria today. Like a sentinel watching over the economic affairs of our nation, the finance minister has repeatedly warned of an impending shock. This apostle of prudence, who set up the Excess Crude Account to build up savings for the nation, has continued
to caution the political class against profligacy while advocating for healthy savings. These moves by the finance minister, in addition to her consistent calls for cutting down recurrent expenditure and setting lower budget benchmark in light of global economic realities, have met with stiff resistance from our lawmakers at the national assembly and our allpowerful state governors. Is it not therefore surprising that some folks would say she didn’t sound the alarm early enough when she has been drawing attention to these realities for more than three years now? Shouldn’t we rather question the governors and legislators who have depleted our reserves by constantly laying heavy demands on our oil earnings to fund their profligacy? While commenting on the issue in April 2012, the minister noted that fiscal federalism has made it difficult for the country to save. “It is difficult getting governors to agree to $1bn
By OLUSOLA DAVID
• Mrs. Dieziani Alison-Madueke
savings for the SWF. We had the state governors saying they can only allow $1bn. Now they say it is illegal and the country is not able to save. In the excess crude account today we have left only about $3.6bn. Should the oil price drop today we have no cushion because $3.6bn for this economy is not enough to
take us to any length of time,” she said. Rather than criticising
madam Okonjo-Iweala for everything that goes wrong, we should commend her for working hard to stabilise the economy. She has continued to defend the interests of the average Nigerian in spite of stiff opposition from those who would rather squander our commonwealth on selfaggrandisement. Even in this difficult period, she has advanced measures to protect the poor through the retention of critical infrastructure projects and building of social safety nets. Another commendable move is the planned luxury tax on private jets, champagne and other luxury goods such that the rich would also bear the brunt of the economic downturn. When one objectively examines the measures that
the minister has announced for managing the impact of declining oil prices, one cannot but appreciate her diligent efforts to help the nation cushion the shock. Having helped other countries such as Malaysia which have gone through similar challenges, she has brought her experience to bear to ensure that Nigeria has a robust strategy to confront the situation. As a technocrat, the minister of finance has not ceased to condemn profligacy and wasteful spending by politicians. We ought to team up with her in this fight rather than lending unwitting support to political figures who want to destroy confidence in the economy to help pave way for their selfish ambitions especially as we approach 2015 elections.
“Like King Solomon said in the Holy Writ, sensible people foresee trouble and hide from it, but gullible people go ahead and suffer the consequence.”
Akpabio And His Brand Of Politics IT is only a slave mind and a politically blind person that does not see that Godswill Obot Akpabio’s zoning propaganda is a fraud. Akpabio is the most deceitful politician in Nigeria today. What is he zoning? To where and who? Lets even face it, if zoning as espoused by Akpabio JP is really imperative what is the formula and basis of the zoning? Is the governorship zoned based on tribe or senatorial district? If PDP and Akpabio says they have zoned the governorship to Eket Senatorial District which
district should naturally produce the deputy governor in view of the fact that Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District has just had a two term governor? Will it be right for the same Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District to still produce the deputy governor? If no, then why is Akpabio rooting for Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem who comes from his district and tribe? Secondly, if zoning is based on tribe, shouldn’t it naturally go to the Oron tribe given that an Ibibio man in person of Arch. Obong Victor Attah had served two terms from 1999-2007 and an Annang man in person of Barr. Godswill Obot Akpabio is
By INIBEHE EFFIONG
serving his second term as governor? The truth of the matter is that Akpabio is a corrupt and violent liar. The whole gimmicks about 2015 is to put a structure that will allow one family from Ukana Ikot Ntuen in Essien Udim LGA to continue to loot us blind and dictate the pace in our state. It is about the interest of a violent and blood thirsty cabal. It is only a fool or hungry person that will believe Akpabio. Let me even ask us, who are the owners and leaders of this sinister group that goes by the name Akwa Ibom Criminal
“There are so many things in Akwa Ibom that only few courageous people can say publicly. Most outsiders praising Akpabio do so either because of their selfish interest or utter ignorance.”
Alliance, sorry, Akwa Ibom Consolidation Alliance (ACA) that is being used to sponsor one neophyte by name Udom Emmanuel? Well for the sake of non Akwa Ibomites, the leader of ACA is one Emem Akpabio who is a biological brother of Godswill Obot Akpabio. The current secretary of the PDP in Akwa Ibom is one Ibanga Akpabio who is also another biological brother of Godswill Akpabio. There are so many things in Akwa Ibom that only few courageous people can say publicly. Most outsiders praising Akpabio do so either because of their selfish interest or utter ignorance. Akwa Ibom in the last two years has received over two trillion naira from the federation account, yet, less than 50% of that amount has been used for developmental purposes. If we the masses of Akwa Ibom State out of
• Gov. Godswill Akpabio, Akwa Ibom State
foolishness, ignorance or selfishness allow Akpabio, his family and cabal to install a stooge on us in 2015 then our state is mortgaged for another decade. Let us not be stupid. There is nothing good in being a slave. The real gist is not where the next governor should come
from but who can wrestle our state from the clutches of these few people who think they own Akwa Ibom State. By the way, let us not forget that the same advocate of zoning is aspiring to the Senate despite the fact that if zoning were real, he shouldn’t be doing so.
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Vewpoint “To put it bluntly, Soyinka is not a detribalized Nigerian. He should be honest enough in his criticism of President Jonathan and say: “Yes, we also have many Nebuchadnezzars, rogues and corrupt politicians amongst us...”
• President Goodluck Jonathan
• Prof. Wole Soyinka
That Soyinka’s Attack On Jonathan THOSE of us who were already adults when, in 1986, Professor Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka won his Nobel Prize in Literature, knew very well that he won the laurel, not so much because of his literary prowess but for what he did as a political activist. So extreme was Soyinka’s radicalism that as far back as the 1960s he seized a radio station at gunpoint in Ibadan during the political crisis in Western region. To be honest, although Wole Soyinka is a scholar by profession, he is more known for his extreme political views. And, sadly, he has always been partisan and biased. That Wole Soyinka is antagonistic of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and his administration is a fact too obvious to hide. Not only has he been contemptuous of the person of Dr. Jonathan, he is also cynical about almost every programme, decision or action undertaken by the administration. Indeed, like some members of the opposition parties, the Nobel Laureate has never found anything good with the Government. What has become increasingly worrisome is the fact that Soyinka’s cynicism is beginning to overflow into some kind
of hatred or bitterness, best described as the product of a wobbled mind. Otherwise, why would a Professor of sound mind liken President Jonathan to the biblical “King Nebuchadnezzar”? Nebuchadnezzar was one of the worst kings that ever lived according to the scriptures and Soyinka thinks that Jonathan is worse than that evil personified. What are Soyinka’s reasons for vilifying the President on this occasion? Soyinka’s statement touched on several issues, some of which he had bottled up in his mind, including what he claimed to be President J o n a t h a n ’ s involvements in last year ’s crisis of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum, his handling of the Chibok girls, the Nyanya bomb blast, his alleged insensitivity to the recent Kano tragedy, campaign on ethnic sentiments and the sacking of former Minister of Foreign Affairs, the late Ambassador Gbenga Ashiru. However, the main thrust of Soyinka’s attack on Jonathan was what he described as the glaring display of impunity, citing instances such as the barring of Governors by Policemen from entering Ekiti State to campaign
By JOHN UDUMEBRAYE
for former Governor Kayode Fayemi and the more recent incident involving some members of the House of Representatives and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba. While castigating the President for the actions of the Police, the Nobel Laureate praised the lawmakers who scaled the gates and walls of the parliament building for their dedication to duty. Almost every statement in Soyinka’s “King Nebuchadnezzar – The Reign of Impunity”, is laden with biases of all sorts, political, religious and ethnic. For instance, he accuses President Jonathan of impunity and at the same time finds nothing wrong with Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State who has no respect for the rule of law; Soyinka accuses Jonathan of carrying out ethnic campaigns in the same statement in which his
ethnic bias is betrayed when he castigates the Government for the sack of the former Foreign Affairs Minister, the late Ambassador Ashiru. Think about it: in spite of Soyinka’s so-called objectivity, there are Nigerians he has never uttered a word of criticism against, even when they are known all over the country to be of questionable character. It is amusing seeing the like of Bola Tinubu and Soyinka on a round table discussing corruption in Government! Although intellectually creative and prolific, Soyinka is not, strictly speaking, a scholar and has never been one. He knows this fact himself, which was why he had to leave the then University College, Ibadan, for the University of Ife, a regional institution, where he was made Professor in 1975. He knows the class of degree he obtained from Ibadan could not have
secured him admission to higher degree there, which was the reason he had to go to Leeds University in the UK. This was enough to create a complex in Soyinka. It might be argued that the issue of higher degree or distinction between scholarship and creative writing should not apply to a man who has won the Nobel Prize. What we must admit, however, is that no amount of awards can alter an academic truth. In motivation research, psychologists believe that, generally, creative minds have the special gift of disguising the real factors that induce their actions, even those that are known to be natural human tendencies. The instances are many in Soyinka. When, in 1953, he founded the Pyrates Confraternity, at Ibadan, he ingeniously credited the cult with the goals of fighting for justice and anti-corruption. Soyinka still defends his membership of this cult today, even when the
facts are obvious that it is not different in any way from other secret cults in the country. Talk of impunity, arrogance and cognate vices, and Soyinka and his disciples are the epitomes, not President Jonathan. And they would never find anything wrong with one another. To put it bluntly, Soyinka is not a detribalized Nigerian. He should be honest enough in his criticism of President Jonathan and say: “Yes, we also have m a n y Nebuchadnezzars, rogues and corrupt politicians amongst us, but they are of my stock or association, and I have an obligation to defend them.” Only then, would he be objectively reflecting the ideals of the Nobel Laureate which he wears around his neck. Otherwise, Soyinka’s numerous biases make nonsense of whatever he may say of President Jonathan and, indeed, any leader in his administration.
“Although intellectually creative and prolific, Soyinka is not, strictly speaking, a scholar and has never been one. He knows this fact himself...”
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NIGERIA: THE possible breakup of Nigeria brings on the bone-shaking shivers doctors call rigors. Many writers have detailed how Nigeria is bursting at the seams with ethnoreligious, political and economic problems waiting to explode. However, the apostles of one Nigeria have repeatedly denied or dismissed the notion and tried to nudge us out of that zone. By definition, a failed state is one that has simply ceased to function. Going by this definition, Nigeria is a failed state. Nigeria is a divided nation. Nigeria is a collapsed state and her breakup is imminent. The signs are all over the place. The historic rivalries between east and west, south and north, oil states and non-oil states, Christian and Muslim communities, democrats and autocrats, and soldiers and citizens that have bedeviled Nigeria since its founding are pulling us apart to the extreme. We’re closer to
By BAYO OLUWASANMI
the breaking point. The elements of traditional prejudice of the three major tribes – Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba – continue to ignite enmity, distrust, and hatred. The three tribes have remained incontestably hostile – forever. Today, there is more animosity than there is collegiality. The three tribes are full of expression of self-hate, suspicion, and intolerant of each other. Our history proves that ethnic unity is more of a dusty artifact of ancient political arrangement than the outcome of genuine political incorporation or enhanced cohesion among the different ethnic groups. The fragile state of affairs has been held together by tsunami of lies and misrepresentations in whose wake the country is reeling perpetually. S u c c e s s i v e governments were dominated by evil and murderous perpetrators
of crimes. Ethnic fragmentation and persistent hotbeds of political criminality were encouraged and sponsored by the rulers. As a result, we were submerged in ethnic hatred, and rabid nationalism that swept throughout the nation like a disease. The absence of a true democracy to ensure devolution of the federal power is a powerful incentive against unity and cooperation. Nigeria is convulsed by internal violence. It can no longer deliver positive political goods to her citizens. The government is fast loosing legitimacy. The government has become illegitimate in the eyes and hearts of a growing plurality of 170 million Nigerians. Nigeria sinks deeper and deeper into chaos and calamity. The north-south divide remains the greatest obstacle to a strengthened democracy and a workable union. We’re battling economic
A Divided Nation? Will It Breakup? confusion, continued corruption, and mismanagement. The scale of corruption dwarfs any brazen robbery of public treasury in recent memory. Our world has been turned into a medieval hellscape. Corruption flourishes on unusually destructive scale. Our corrupt ruling elites mostly invest their loots overseas, not at home, making the economic failure of the country much more acute. Our rulers siphon funds from the state coffers. They dip directly into the coffers of the shrinking state to pay for lavish residences and palaces, extensive overseas travel, and privileges and perquisites that feed their greed. Nigeria has failed to grow economically and its citizens have failed to flourish. For many years, Nigerians have been trapped in irreversible debilitating cycle of poverty and hopelessness. The paralysis of our
democratic structures have illuminate further the mockery and the failure of our democracy. The twice forgotten man in Nigeria has always been the poor. The government response to the abject poverty that has defined the lives of the poor is zero. Our political leaders are not chosen on the merit of mass support. Most are selected by god fathers, elevated to position, supplied with resources and as expected subjected to the king maker’s control. The Presidency and the National Assembly are inarticulate giants with uneasy gait, subjected to abuse and confuse in their responses to national issues. Checks and balances that are part of a healthy democracy have been deleted in our system. It’s no surprise that our representative democracy is nothing but a disguise in name. It is no exaggeration to say
that there are no legislatures in Nigeria. If they exist at all, they are rubber-stamp machines. Our judiciary is a derivative of the executive rather than being independent. Nigerians know that they cannot rely on the court system for redress or remedy. The mass poor of our people nurtures a healthy suspicion toward these manufactured leaders. It’s an open secret that money is the chief argument these leaders are offering to induce and buy loyalty. These manufactured leaders lack personal integrity, commitment, and ability. Tragically, they’re not fighters for a new life for our people but figureheads of the old. They are not impressive or illustrious to their constituents. We’re all too familiar with their impotence and remoteness from the problems that have made life unlivable for the Continued on page 21
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“Nigeria is not going to fall or explode as a result of war and violence, but the refusal or failure to capitalize on the enormous potential for growth and for pursuing a policy that condemned the citizens to a lifetime of poverty.”
Nigeria, A Divided Nation Continued from page 20
people they profess to represent. Many in their constituencies are among the legions of the lost and have been crushed by the weight of many years of poverty. These leaders do not evoke affection, respect, and emulation. Our democracy have slid towards autocracy, maintaining the outward appearance of democracy through elections, but without the rights and institutions that are equally important aspects of a functioning democratic system. Our constitution is not robust enough to promote longterm stability, reduce discontent from minorities against the government, and bolster the fight against corruption. Our democratic system is based on economic coercion. People are forced to do what they don’t want to do. The effect of this is lack of innovation and technological progress. Our bureaucracy has long ago lost its sense of professional responsibility and exists solely to carry out the order of the executive, and in many ways oppress Nigerians. We have deteriorated or destroyed infrastructures. Our education and health systems and other public facilities are decrepit or neglected. Civil servants are paid late or not at all. Economic opportunity is
only for a privileged few. Those around the president or around the governors grow richer while the rest of us starve. Our economic insecurity is engineered by our rulers in order to maximize their own fortunes and their own political and economic power. Unemployment is dangerously high and persistent. Regional inequalities remain the rule. Economic decline is accompanied by a diminished confidence in the federal system. Our currency falls out of favor. It is common knowledge that nations don’t breakup overnight. The seeds of their destruction are sown deep within their political institutions. Some nations fall as a result of total collapse of institutions. Examples abound: In Afghanistan, after the Soviet withdrawal and hanging of President Mohammed Najibullah from a lamppost. In Sierra Leone, the long Civil War erased all traces of existence of government. This form of slow death of institutional failure is responsible for the subliving standards in subSaharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America in contrast to what obtains in the western world. Nigeria is not going to fall or explode as a result of war and violence, but the refusal or failure to capitalize on the enormous potential for
growth and for pursuing a policy that condemned the citizens to a lifetime of poverty. In the case of Nigeria and like any other failed state, the failure is by
immeasurable suffering of its citizens. Nigeria is operating on a tilted plain field. The big men get greedy. The elites control the economy. They use their
got government contracts, and large bank loans without needing to put up collateral. The greedy big men and their businesses could be described as “whales.”
design. The institutions are designed to fail by the elites who are the beneficiaries of such design. As we have seen in Nigeria, such elites benefit from rigged political institutions. The system is built on exploitation. And any system propped on exploitation is doomed to fail leading to
powers to create monopolies and block the entry of new comers. A good example is Dangote cement and salt. The privatized industries end up in the hands of the elites. The privatized power sector is a case in point. These elites with their fraudulent companies received protection from the state,
Their stranglehold on our economy had created huge windfalls for them and blocked opportunities for the vast mass of Nigerians to move out of poverty. A successful economy must have effective government. Law and order and the mechanisms for resolving disputes are possible and
applicable in a truly democratic system with apparatus of enforcing the laws. Nigeria is yet to create or operate on a set of nationally respected laws or rules. The absence of the central government is felt throughout the 36 states. The federal government is unable or unwilling to exert control over the whole country. With Boko Haram on the offensive, territories have been federated and annexed. The absence leads not only to lack of public services such as roads, healthcare, electricity, jobs, safety, but also to lack of well-defined institutionalized structures. Without a responsible and responsive central government, there can be no law and order. Without law and order, there can be no real economy. And without a real economy, a country is doomed to fail. Competition in the coming 2015 presidential election could break the already tattered ties that keep Nigeria whole. With stagnant economy, Nigerian quagmire, Boko Haram terrorism, ethnic fragmentation, local nationalism, lack of economic incentives, incendiary nationalism, bleak future, and leadership vacuum, the breakup of Nigeria is assured.
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With
An Effective Manager
P e r s o n a l i t y characteristics of an ideal and effective manager are as follows: Neatly dressed, Courteous, Intelligent, Humble, Fair, Firm, Friendly with a profound sense of humour to relieve others and himself, when the internal combustion forces begin to wear him out. Godly Adroit, Resourceful, Kind, Democratic, Caring (of his family), Committed to his work patient, Forgiving, Accessible, Circumspective and Flexible. P u r g i n g particularism/ particularism refers to the use of irrelevant criteria such as relatives of the boss, friends, religious affiliates and so on to employ, promote and favour staff in various ways. These criteria do not make for efficiency, but stir a lot of criticism and bad blood in the organisation as well as in the public (Denga, 2004). Purging particularism means the use of universalities criteria (competence, qualification and efficiency), to recruit, promote and retain staff in work organisations. Particularism and universalism clash since those who possess the competence may lack those social particularistic characteristic. Hegemonic tendencies should not be allowed to prevail. This is a serious management problem which managers should not take lightly. Gang Planking, should not be encourage. Gang planking refers to a tendency of the subordinate to ignore
his immediate super ordinates and shunt right to the top management to present their complaints or cases (Denga, 2004). They intentionally and spitefully go straight to the highest authority as if their immediate boss does not matter. Gang planking tends to ignore the bureaucratic arrangement to the chagrin of a number of super ordinates. An effect, we manager should discourage it by directing all staff to route their complaints through the proper channel or risk a non-hearing if they suspect that their immediate boss might suppress their correspondence. They can still route it through him and then send an advance cope to the top (Denga, 2004). Motivating staff: The knowledge of need patterns of staff is essential. This knowledge help the manager to motivate the staff according to their need. Patterns monetary incentives, psychological basis of motivation such as appealing to the workers need for love, belongingness, self esteem and selfactualization will poke them to positive action, leading to high productivity. It must be added that an arrangement of reward system such as award of prizes for highest productivity, most careful driving. Most punctual staff, the least expensive staff (in terms of medical), the most obedient or best well-behaved staff and even ordinary verbal praise by the boss can motivate staff to work harder and to repeat the action for which praise was earned. Coping with
strikes. Denga (2004) opined that few organizational leaders want to see strikes. Infact, workers unrests receive the most menacing frowns from the chief executive who in addition, regards strikes as a devil that should not be viewed with fascinated eyes. Knowing that human
about sift administrative changes. Denga (2004) expressed that change is necessary, if it will facilitate improvements in the organisation. It should not be carried out as a mere cosmetic. Very often a political pressure forces a manager to effect
needs or wants are endless, assorted and variegated in nature, the manager had better look for ways of coping with this inevitable evil. Staff motivation techniques knowledge of the staff needs patterns, jobsatisfaction procedures and counseling services to curb maladaptive behaviour are useful hints. A manager who employs a counsellor and psychologist has invested adroitly and will surely reap strike – prevention and where prevention cannot be attained, the counsellor is synonymous with “true” “cease-fire” and “peace” when he plays the role of an ombudsman. Exercising caution
dramatic changes. A sound manager should resist fortuitous change until he has weighed the advantages of change against the disadvantages and found a fovourable balance. A change premedicated to discredit a predecessor is futile as it is rooted in arrogance. An effective manager Denga (2004) has budgets enough time for his family. The manager is often. So, engrossed in his official duties that he forgets that his family also, deserves a share of his care and company each day. Often, he comes home carrying physical files in addition to large chunks of complex work in his head. If he is not knocked down by
O.C. Madu GSM: 08056379608
executive stress, he tries to scribble some agenda for the next day or process some pressing files. Fortunately, wives of managers often appear to be enjoying the
material benefits, accruing from the managerial position that they hardly remember their loss on the human side of the material wealth. But when they do, then, one can witness a flurry of “yellow cards” being issued to their husbands as the last warning. Managers must not risk being issued the red and fatal card. Decision-making: Sound decisions save cost, reduce organizational unrest, leader alienation and an eventual, reallocation of priorities which could waste time. Decisions should not be delayed unduly as any undue procrastination might generate suspicion,
rumor-mongering and other negative trends in the organisation. The quality of organizational decision is critical members should contribute, but this does not preclude executive decisions if and when necessary. The basic functions or tasks of the manager which cut across all types of managers or are common to all types of managers. Planning, organising, staffing, directing, controlling, co-ordinating. A sound manager should be able to synthesize and synchronize the various activities in the organisation with the d e m o c r a t i c participation of competent hands to work towards the achievement of the total goal. This further buttresses the argument that c o o r d i n a t i o n transcends the essence of managership. Unity of command: This principle instructs that subordinates should receive orders from one superior only. In other words, orders should come from one direction only to ensure unity of instructions, directives command. When it comes to planning, it involves the selection of objectives, strategies for execution, policies, procedures for achieving programmes which have been selected either for the entire organisation or for part of it. Poorly planned objectives, goals, programmes and procedures for achieving them will constitute problems of executives.
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W rld Report USA Passion For Guns, Not for Blacks Americans Courts did not trust Jury with cases until later. One African lie once told us; in Texas you don’t walk the streets with your hands in your pockets, because someone might shoot you before you shoot him. Americans defend right to carry guns vigorously except suspicious blacks that may kill law abiding citizens or police. If it rains, shines or liberals are elected; gun sales go up for fear of limiting gun rights to defend themselves. Watch black man with hands in his pocket. Grand jury, conscience of the community sees these shootings as accidents. In view of these, we quiver, especially for a 12 year old boy playing in the park with a toy gun in Cleveland, Ohio recently or an older one that was shot to death in a toy store holding a toy gun. In both cases police were responding to the calls of concerned citizens that observed a black man with a gun. In South Africa, as police were brutalizing a Nigerian, the first area a white police kicked was his genitals. There is this fear of black men that
police officer in Fergusson expressed: as a five year old facing incredible hulk. The image of black men has been demonized since slavery, not only in the eyes of the whites but also to those of blacks in America. Statistically, most of the men that killed spouse in abuse cases are white, yet 911 callers know police and Blackman don’t mix. Frequently black men are being shot, for reaching out for something that looked like a gun or in illegal chokehold by police, scot free. Africans that have no place to go but stay in the land some had been before Columbus, have no choice. They refused to be intimidated in their country of origin. Other Africans that can still point either to their place of birth outside America or Europe are wondering if their children would follow them home before getting shot. Most doubt it. Though Africa has never been poor, children always wonder why they would return with their parents while many Africans would do anything to escape the countries through the desert to Europe. Many of their parents live middleclass life and those in lower class
By FAROUK MARTINS ARESA would not exchange their life for the standard of living in African countries where you have to provide for your own electricity, water, security and many times contribute to pave your way out of your houses. Yet, the excuses given for shooting black men and children outside Africa is fear and kill before being killed because you can never trust black men that kill their own 93 percent of the time. It does not matter that whites kill their own 85 percent of the time. While whites stand a better chance of going scot free for killing blacks, blacks that kill whites are not so lucky. Even a former Mayor of New York called white police officer killing blacks, saviors of blacks in their community. As we belief in law: there are probable causes, preponderance of evidence, beyond reasonable doubts or clear and convincing evidence. The least, which is probable cause could be used to pull a man driving while black out of his car but cannot be used to indict police officer, security guard or a white as
long as they claim they were afraid of “incredible hulk”. Since most jurors have that fear of a black man. So in experiments anyone would fire at black than white targets. There was this episode in the old Archie Bunker series where a black surgeon with scalpel tried to examine Bunker in the hospital. He objected claiming you could not trust a black man with such a dangerous object. It was all a joke and Archie Bunker was in real life a liberal. However, it had a deeper meaning then and now. United States jurors expressed this internal fear of blacks, not justifiable law, in their verdicts rendered from New York chokehold to Fergusson shooting. It is not that black men ever had a good “reputation” since slavery in or outside Africa, what is surprising is that despite the gains made by African Americans over the years, they still have to renew and fight again for hard won battles. As it is, it is hard to find heroes amongst African
Americans, no matter how much they struggled and achieved. Those who thought they have “made it” are writing how disappointed they are that their children are still being stereotyped. They thought if their children were sent to good schools, instructed on good behavior, manners and skills, the children would escape the stereotypes they endured, since successfully placed in the middleclass. To their own shock and naivety, they were wrong. Many tried to crash parties of conservatives and stood up against the unseemly behavior of blacks, only to be painted with the same brush and used as postal boy for bad behavior, as Dr. Carson will or Bill Cosby did. Bill Cosby, one of the most admired and respected comedian found out as O. J. Simpson did that it does not take all that much to be demonized in retrospect. Mind you, these were not saints, they represent a culture of sleaze, sex, drugs with impunity in entertainment and sport world. They are paying for Hugh Hefner of Playboy Club or Pulaski of
movie industry. We heard about Presidents that did drug and sex in the White House but still respected, so Obama watch out. Dr. Carson is the latest darling of the conservatives and he is running for the President. We know that as a young black man, he had trouble with the law. They are still toasting him right now as their alternative. We just have to wait until primaries. Barrack Obama, who they could not find anything in his past was called a closet Muslim and his Pastor, a white hater for talking about slavery and past injustice to blacks. Nobody kills mentally deranged men out of fear and suspicion that they possess guns. But the same week Michael Brown was killed, a mentally deranged man was shot dead by two police officers in St. Louis, Missouri. What was curious was that it never generated concern from the mental advocates that have cried hoarse for releasing them into the street as homeless. Since majority of them were veterans suffering from post-war depression. Watch it here.
How Netanyahu Committed Political Suicide By DR. ALON BEN-MEIR
• Benjamin Netanyahu PRIME Minster Netanyahu’s insistence on passing a bill that will define Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people is as disgraceful as his denial that Israel is not an occupying power. If the bill were to pass now or in the future, it would blow up what’s left of Israel’s democracy and destroy rather than save the Jews’ last haven for which they have yearned for centuries. The collapse of Netanyahu’s government is indicative of how divisive this bill was. The more cogent question, however, is why Netanyahu, who is supposed to be politically savvy,
pressed on with such a bill at a time when Israel is under intense international pressure to end the occupation and is soundly criticized for discriminating against its significant Arab minority? Netanyahu is motivated by a narrow religious conviction that bequeaths the “Land of Israel” in perpetuity to the Jewish people, which requires no evidence to prove its correctness, and his upbringing as a zealous ideologue reinforced by his father, which blurs his vision and prevents him from seeing the changing reality on the ground.
Netanyahu really believes that he has been ordained to pursue this ‘sacred mission’ to shape Israel’s destiny regardless of any domestic or international opposition. He feels ‘obliged’ to do whatever it takes to enshrine the exclusive right of the Jews in their homeland, including the West Bank. Even before he dismissed his government, Netanyahu had already begun to negotiate with the religious political parties to join him in a new government, promising generous financial appropriations to run their ministries as long as they stand behind him and support his misadventures. It is hard to believe how Netanyahu has lost complete sight as to why Israel was created in the first place. The purpose behind Zionism was not the creation of a Jewish state at the expense of the Palestinians by pushing them out of their place of birth, building settlements on their land, and discriminating against the country’s own Arab citizens. Israel was created to provide a home for the Jewish people as a democratic and just nation so that the Jews would cease to be the bastards of humanity and instead, offer hospitality like any other nation and live with security and peace. What Netanyahu and his
misguided ministers— Lieberman, Bennett, Ya’alon and company—have done is the precise opposite: making Israel an isolated pariah state, sticking its finger in the eyes of the international community and portraying the Jews as uncompromising and arrogant who can defy their critics—be they friends or foes—with impunity. Netanyahu and his cohorts not only give rise to antiSemitism but give antiSemites all the ammunition they need to justify their antiIsraeli sentiments and acts of violence against Jews nearly everywhere. If he seized the premiership again, Israel’s very existence would be in jeopardy, not because the Palestinians are bent on Israel’s destruction or because Iran wants to wipe Israel off the map with nuclear weapons, but because by his own actions he is chipping away Israel’s right to exist. A multitude of current and former Israeli officials, including President Rivlin, former President Peres, scores of scholars and security professionals, millions of Israelis, and all of Israel’s allies see no rhyme or reason to suggest that such a bill will make Israel more secure or more Jewish than it is today. The 1947 UN partition plan
called for the establishment of a Jewish state, and every symbol of the country attests to its Jewishness: it has a Jewish majority, a Jewish national identity, Jewish symbols, and a national anthem that invokes the Jews’ yearning “to be a free people in our land.” For a country that presumably honors the freedom and rights of every citizen, this bill will trash every principle of democracy and freedom. The Israelis will never be free and at peace as long as the Israeli Arabs are discriminated against and the occupation persists. No bill or legislation or recognition by the Palestinians as a Jewish state will guarantee Israel’s Jewish identity other than a sustainable Jewish majority. Netanyahu has lost tremendous political ground; it may not manifest itself today but it will eventually sink into the Israelis’ minds what this travesty was all about. Instead of making peace with the Palestinians and upholding the democratic principles of the country to attract Jews to immigrate to Israel, he is alienating hundreds of thousands of Israeli Jews who are fed up with the never-ending conflict with the Palestinians and opting to leave Israel. By merely introducing such a bill, Netanyahu has already rendered the greatest damage to Israel’s
international image and standing and evoked an outcry from hundreds of thousands of loyal Israeli Arab citizens who now feel betrayed and estranged from their fellow Israeli Jews. Furthermore, Netanyahu’s bill does nothing but pronounce Israel’s Arab citizens as undesirable and unworthy of Israeli citizenship; they basically have no future in their country of birth. In fact, Netanyahu is waging psychological terrorism against a significant segment of the Israeli population while sending a clear message to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza that the twostate solution is a thing of the past. To be sure, the bill that Netanyahu wants to pass is like the explosives a suicide bomber wears on his chest, with his finger on the trigger. Whether or not Netanyahu releases the trigger, he has already demonstrated how far he will go to satisfy his blind self-proclaimed mission that will rain havoc on Israelis and Palestinians alike. Netanyahu must never be given another chance to present such a vile bill again. Only the people of Israel can send Netanyahu to a permanent retirement and save the Jews’ millenniumlong dream to live as free people with their Arab neighbors with dignity, security and peace.
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O inion David Mark
Understanding Him By SKC OGBONNIA The prevailing pattern where state governors dictate who assume positions of power in Nigeria is ruining the nation’s nascent democracy and must be confronted head on. But a recent threat by a brigade of PDP senators to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan or frustrate his policies simply because of a fear of being denied automatic return ticket to the National Assembly is an impunity gone too far. Not only is this Senate the most inept in national memory, its knack for despotism revolves around no other person than General David Mark (rtd)—a henchman infamous for crippling any system he passes through—and should go away. David Mark is the official president of the Senate and should need no introduction. But regardless of the attempts to appease the Igbos towards his presidential run in 2019 by camouflaging with redcaps and Christian religion, Mark remains the same military bane whose first major outbreak occurred during the time he spearheaded the Abandoned Property ruse that saw the wanton confiscation immediately after the civil war of hardearned Igbo properties in some parts of Nigeria. Studies after studies have shown that the insensitive manner Mr. Mark implemented the unjust policy tainted Gowon’s reconciliation program and also poured the fuel that ignited postwar tribalism and consequently a continuous Igbo marginalization. Nigeria recorded another Mark symptom while he doubled as the Minister of Communication under Babangida’s military regime. Apart from looting the ministry dry, Mark’s belief that telephone is not for the poor is not old. But that is nothing to compare with another indelible mark he left behind during that era: How could fellow Nigerians continue to hope for a true democracy while ignoring the fact that there is a big mole in the system? That is, how do we dare forget so soon that General David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark (rtd), now President of the Senate,
once inflicted Nigeria to a state of coma when he infiltrated a clique of military officers to dragoon General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) to annul a widely acclaimed free and fair presidential election of June 12th 1993? Be that as it may, ask IBB himself, that epidemic has for long placed the former military president in political hospice and he is not expected to recover. When there are no consequences for bad behavior, the bad behavior usually worsens. As if he is any missing recipe for every postwar government, General Mark was marshaled into the Senate as the country returned to democratic power in 1999. After over fifteen years in the Senate, Mark’s legislative record has been largely dishonorable. If he is not blackmailing progressive senators or the Executive arm of the government for selfish interests, Mark is busy prosecuting other clandestine agenda consistent with his vision statement that, “whoever does not have a military background should not be made president.” It was not surprising then when he plagued the entire nation once again as an arrowhead senator for the failed Third Term plot to perpetuate his military colleague President Olusegun Obasanjo in power. While Nigeria is yet to fully recover from the effects of the attempted coup, Obasanjo’s political condition since then can only be equated to a forlorn wrecked by an unknown disease. Instead of voting him out in the 2007 elections, David Mark was rigged back to the Senate. To make matters worse, as a compensation for the shameless role in the Third Term plot,Obasanjo still commandeered his helpless successor, President Umaru Yar’Adua, to anoint the same Mark to head the Legislature. Once the Senate President and having padded its leadership with his fellow lackeys in the Third Term agenda, Mark’s sole aim has been to maintain blind loyalty with the Executive so as to safeguard corrupt interests, particularly those of the military cabal. Today, the
Senate lacks the political equipoise needed for the checks and balances central to a true democratic culture. The result is that the country’s hallowed chamber has been reduced to a mere rubber stamp readily inked by infected members who prey on filthy lucre from the government more than they pray for good governance. In addition to brazen bribery and kickbacks, which have become the most important order of their days, these senators have attained the dubious distinction of being the highest paid legislators in the whole wide world. This is not a good… Not to be outdone, as the head of the Legislature, David Mark would further infect the Executive to balloon the constituency projects scheme, with legislators as pseudo executives, inflating contracts, and conniving with the contractors to loot funds earmarked for public projects, most of which are found to be either phantom, poorly executed, or totally abandoned. To create an image of law-making, the Mark senators embarked on a fruitless but endless review of Nigeria’s Constitution, squandering billions, with little or nothing to show besides a severe case of logorrhea. It is clear the virus in this red chamber has become full grown and systemic, attacking every tissue and organ of the lawmaking body, and thence flaring into the entire society. The point here is that the Mark Senate has finally lost its corporate relevance and only exists by mouth. A common symptom of this disorder is the prevailing culture of impunity, gross abuse of office, a rising tide of despotism, and apparent indifference to endemic corruption. Any comparison with the Senate under Mark—to the one immediately before it— is a stark juxtaposition and better sums this story. Ken Nnamani—a mere freshman at the time—was the Senate President. Justifying the role of the Legislature as envisioned by the framers of the Nigerian Constitution, Nnamani would demonstrate the desired leadership, creating the necessary legislative oversight needed to checkmate executive excesses and the activities of
• Senate President David Mark
regulatory organs towards the greater good of the people. Nowhere was the potential for a true legislature more evident than in the crucial war against corruption between 2005 and 2007 when the Nnamani Senate rose up to the occasion, obligating the anticorruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under Nuhu Ribadu, to expose many corrupt office holders (particularly governors) no matter their relationship to the president or the ruling party. Interestingly, that feat would become one of the brightest spots in Obasanjo’s eight year rule. But where has the EFCC been since General David Mark assumed the Presidency of the Senate? Your guess is as good as mine: in the mortuary! It is also pertinent to add that while the current Senate is capitalizing on the loophole in the Constitution to promote ‘Senators for Life’, the brief Senate under Ken Nnamani will forever be remembered for saving Nigeria’s democracy by thwarting Obasanjo’s fanatical drive to circumvent the same Constitution for tenure elongation. Some will be quick to argue that the Mark Senate has shown a good measure of stability. Yes, it is obviously stable—but for the wrong causes and on the wrong course. The objective fact is that the Senate was not originally designed as a morgue. Leadership is a dynamic process and any process that produces lasting positive outcome
usually encounters some form of challenges or resistance along the way. Put it this way: The excitement usually expressed by President Goodluck Jonathan about a seemingly comatose Senate which openly allows him to coolly aid and abet David Mark to perfect an archaic military style to ‘settle’ opposing senators only translates to a pyrrhic effort—and surely does both of them more harm than good. Unless he is beginning to push the luck beyond reason, Jonathan should remember that most political insiders (including two reliable barometers of military opinion in Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida) have never failed to quip that Nigeria’s history with weak opposition fundamentally led to past leadership crisis, from electoral irregularities, lack of checks and balances, mismanagement of resources, corruption, dictatorship, ineffective leaders to chances of takeover of government. Others would shift to the other reigning notion that, like in America, senators can stay for life—for experience sake or what they call ranking. But it is time to quash the nonsense cliché! Leadership is contingent upon the environment. Nigeria is not America and not about to become one anytime soon. Unlike the United States of America where members of the Congress dutifully make laws and account for every penny that enters their pockets; the Nigerian Senate under David Mark has become a venal
enterprise, where politicians go to get rich quick, utilize any means to cling on to power, and then continue to pollute the entire system. By the records, everything about David Mark does nothing but evoke a choking nostalgia of the dreadful military era. As a dateless coupist, Mark has shown time after time that he is an antithesis of anything democracy, deadly contagious, a threat to civil society, and better compared to an Ebola disease on course to rupture the country’s bloodstream. Thus, President Jonathan should learn from the mistakes of past victims of the Mark infection or else he becomes the next major casualty. He should begin by calling the senators’ bluff on ‘automatic return tickets’. Automatic ticket is not only another name for imposition as well as dictatorship; it is also the only vessel by which the deadly virus can remain in the system. It is therefore incumbent upon the president to challenge the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to occasion free and fair process in the states. Then allow for General Mark and his badly infected lieutenants to be voted out by the masses and thereafter quarantined for permanent cure. But if the foregoing is not enough to relieve this man of the Senate leadership, and in event the PDP is to gain a majority again in the Senate after 2015 elections, the party might as well invoke its outdated zoning policy which suggests that the senate presidency is over due back to Southern Nigeria.
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“When we obey His instructions, His grace to do His work will be granted to us.”
RUMINATION
WITH ERNEST IKHUREIGBE
Can We Do Without The Great Shepherd
THE great shepherd has His own sheep that He keeps His eyes on. Any of them that goes astray, He ensures they are sought and brought back into His fold. John 6:37 states “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I shall no wise cast out”. Hence, in Rev. 3:20 states “Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sap with him and he with me”. He cannot afford to lose any of His own. John 15:5 admonishes us to allaign with Him if we are to be relevant in life. “I am the vine, ye are the branches, He that abideth in
me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing” The great shepherd in is the one that holds the access of our life, anyone that disregards or dishonour Him risks being a disaster or a failure in life. Saul of Tarsus, ignorantly pursued a course that would have terminated his life. But the Great shepherd, who guides and protects His own arrested him while on his way to persecute the church in Damascus. He obeyed the voice of the master when he realized he could not stop the work of the master. “Who are thou LORD, And the LORD said I am Jesus whom thou persecute, it is hard for thee to kick against the
priest”. And the LORD gave a command when he demanded to know what he should do. “Arise and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do”. Act 9:1-6. He obeyed the voice of the LORD and at the end he was established. He did diligently the assignment given to him as stated in Act 9:15-16, Beloved, the Great Shepherd cannot and should not be disobeyed. Jonah tried to take the LORD for granted when he was specifically given an assignment to preach to the people of Nineveh. He did try to disobey by going astray to Tarshish instead of Nineveh: he had no option when the wrath of God was upon him.
He was swallowed up in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. Jonah 1:17. God had mercy on him and gave him a second chance. He did preach to the people and over one hundred and twenty thousand people were saved. Jonah 3:11. King Nebuchadnezzar cannot easily forget his ordeed in the forest as a beast for seven years to the Great Shepherd’s glory cannot be shared with any body. Exo. 20:5. For our God is a jealous God. It was when he realized that God must be honoured for what He does for us, He was restored and established as a the king of Babylon after an
excruciating experience. Daniel 4:34-37. The Great Shepherd could be terrible in his wrath. King Herod, however could not tell his own story when the wrath of God was upon him. “He gave not God his glory and he was eaten of worms and gave up the ghost” Act 12:23. Beloved, no one can do without Him now or in the future. It is better to allaign with Him and seek His instruction in order to be of relevant in the scheme of life now and in eternity. No wonder David acknowledges God in Psalm 27:4. “One thing have I desire of the Lord, that I will seek after that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my
life, to behold the beautify of the LORD and to enquire in his temple”. Psalm 84:11 states “No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly”! No one can consciously do without Him, because His wrath can be devastating so, to avoid being allienated from Him, we must endeavour to obey His instruction and run from evil entirely. When we obey His instructions, His grace to do His will be granted to us. Joseph did fear the LORD and God’s favour was upon him. No wonder he earned the promotion from the obscure prison to the palace, where he became second in command in Egypt.
Issues
The Presence Of God In A Man’s Life Moses in the bible told God that if He will not be with him; he will not go further to battle against the enemies of the children of Israel. This is because he understood what it meant to have the presence of God in the life of a man. God’s presence in the life of a man makes a big difference. The acknowledgement of the presence of God and the consciousness of who He is, helps a man to live right and please Him at all times. A typical picture of what God’s presence can do for anyone could be drawn from a child who is always protected, watched and guided be his/her parents against the likely challenges and difficulties that might come their way. Another picture is that individual who is always flanked by security men whenever he/she goes has some confident. The level of satisfaction protection and confidence of that person will always be different is companion to one who does not have a single security to protect him or her. It is in Jesus, our security, peace and growth are insured and guaranteed. There are more than one million benefits of God’s presence in the life of his children. The pursuit of God leads to a co-operate visitation that
brings the presence of God upon the life of our individual. The presence of God can only come upon as many as have submitted their lives to His will. We must hunger for God and seek Him diligently with all our hearts, minds and strength. We must also be persistence in prayer especially that God will come down and reign righteousness in us and through us. It should also be noted that Christians must develop intimate relationship with God while they stand the gap for others who paradventure has gotten on his/her some satanic installation. The presence of will help to shatter every activity of the wicked ones. After pursuing the presence of God through sincere prayer and seeking after Him in constant studying of His word we should endeavour to practice His presence. Someone once said, you learn how to do anything by doing it. In the same vein, you enjoy the presence of God by practicing His presence. This can be achieved through reverential service and worship to His majesty, adoring and praising Him for His majesty, supremacy and His kingly power that has never failed and can never fail. Another way of practicing His presence is through quiet
By EMMA ONWUBIKO/UGOCHI IZUAGHA contemplating on the power of God. No wonder David was a man after God’s own heart because he always praises God through songs and thanksgiving. God is the omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscience God. He is the qualities of the unqualified. He is the God that maketh a way in the wilderness. He causeth rivers to flow in the desert places and calleth those things that are not as though they were. There is no searching of His understanding; He shuteth a door and no man can open (viceversa). He is that God that sayeth yes and it remains yes forever. He is the God that ruleth in the affairs of men. If only we can understand the power and the efficacy of praise, we will always leave and abide in the presence of God. Do not forgeth, that through praises and adoration, Jehoshaphat and the children of Israel defeated the three mighty nations that gathered to fight them. They were only praising God when their enemies i.e the Moabites, the Amalekites, and the host of others started fighting and killing each other until they were all destroyed. I for one, am an embodiment of praise, that is the primary purpose for
which mankind was created. Therefore, if you want to really enjoy the presence of God in any thing you do, learn to always praise God at any point of our life. God Himself also admonishes us to study His word on a daily basic (Joshua 1 vs 8) and by so doing we shall have an outstanding success at any point of our lives. We should take his word seriously as we take our lives and we wouldn’t allow any thing to harm us. No wonder in Ecclesiastes 12:3, the Bible says “let us have the conclusion of the whole matter, fear God and keep his commandment for this is the whole duty of a man. The level or amount of God’s word in you will determine your growth in every ramification of life. This is because it is according to the capacity or volume of God’s word in you, that He will enthrust His riches and blessings into your hands. Having elaborated on some basic ingredients that can be applied to bring down God’s presence, I like us to x-ray the purpose of His presence. Predominately, anyone who is graced with God’s presence stands the chance and opportunity to be protected and preserved by God Almighty. Furthermore, He empowers
us to be able to succeed and make progress. Without God, no man can achieve any reason, able success I life. He also grants us full stature and boldness to stand at all times without fear of what the wicked will do to us. Similarly, when God’s presence is the life of a man, he is able to tell others about Christ because Christ live in him. The Bible asserts that anyone who is having Christ is carrying the seed of righteousness and His seed will continue to remain in Him, therefore he cannot sin because he is born of God. Another purpose why God’s presence is very pivotal in the lives of man today is that, it draws him to God and reveals the will and mind of God to him. One fundamental benefits of God’s presence is that there will be Christlike joy as well as understanding of the will of God in any way he wants to go. The fruits of the spirits some of which are peace, joy, gentleness meekness, temperance, faith and the host of others are the benefits that we can get as a result of God’s presence. Those who partake in the benevolence, power and presence of God will be set aside by God for more of His power and demonstration of ‘Jireh’ unto him or her. He will become a good example for others to follow.
They are the once who finally escape the damnation, perdition and destruction that has prepared for the devil and his agents. Are you a soldier of Christ? Seek his presence. He is ready to go with you in your pursuit and life aspirations. Excerpt the Lord build the house, the builder builds but in vein; excepts he watches a house, he watchman watcheth but in vain. It is only in Jesus, we can stand out victoriously at every point in our lives. However, it should be noted that God calls us to save others. This is why someone said as a soldier of Christ, we are to be felt everywhere we find ourselves. We must strive to affect our generation positively. This is a clarion call for every heavenly minded person. We should use everything at our disposal to promote the kingdom of God thereby populating God’s kingdom and depopulating the kingdom of Satan. We must be resolute, determined and ready to please God even if it will cost us anything precious to us. Don’t also forget that God can fight any battle and come out a winner therefore, when going in far any battle. You belong. This is because any battle the troop you belong. This is because any battle with Jesus is always victory at last.
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BOKO HARAM • America Is Nigeria’s Enemy By ABBA ADAKOLE
ON, Friday, December 5, 2014, I was in a taxi on the 12-lane Abuja Airport Road heading towards the Airport. I had bought some newspapers earlier in the day but had been too busy to go through them. I was now flipping through the Vanguard, when a story with the headline: “Why Nigeria cancelled US military training – FG” caught my eye. I read the story and the explanations attributed to the Coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, made me exclaim out loud that America is out to destroy Nigeria. What happened next took me by surprise. My taxi driver said, “Ah, Oga, na true o. America will not rest until Nigeria scatter!” I asked why he’d said that. He explained that his elder brother told him America predicted Nigeria would disintegrate by 2015. As far as he was concerned, if a soothsayer made a prediction, it was in the soothsayer’s interest to use all means possible to make his prediction come true. It might sound simplistic but the driver’s comments set me thinking. What if indeed the US is really interested in destabilising Nigeria? First, they won’t sell lethal weapons to us because of so-called human rights violations by the Nigerian Army. Even if those accusations are true, the sheer hypocrisy of such a stance by the US is simply stunning. Who in the world is unaware of the atrocities the US Army committed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam and a number of other countries? In Iraq especially, American soldiers were caught on film torturing and, in some cases, killing civilians, and today the same US can talk to Nigeria about human rights abuses? Is this the same US that still has nationals of other countries held for years without trial at Guantanamo Bay? Is this the same US that is still
using drones to kill people indiscriminately in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and other places? What manner of hypocrisy is this? If that is not bad enough, according to the news report I read in the Vanguard, the same US that won’t sell us lethal weapons wants the Nigerian Army to withdraw its heavy weapons from the battle front under the excuse of training our soldiers. If all these do not equate to outright sabotage, then nothing else will. Meanwhile, rather than turn our collective anger on a country that is hampering our Government’s efforts to stop Boko Haram, some of us are turning round to blame President Goodluck Jonathan. How can any of us, in good conscience, blame Jonathan for the treachery of a supposedly friendly country like the US which is clearly only interested in making sure that its prediction about Nigeria disintegrating comes to pass? The US Ambassador, Mr. James Entwistle, can deny that his country ever made such a prediction, but Nigerians know the truth. That prediction did not fall from the sky; it emanated from the United States of America. Moreover, we must never forget that the US laid Iraq to waste on bogus claims that Saddam Hussein was hoarding weapons of mass destruction. Many years after the toppling of Saddam Hussain from power and his subsequent death, no single weapon of mass destruction has ever been found in Iraq. Nigerians must learn from the American grand deception in Iraq. It is good that eminent Nigerians like Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, a former External Affairs Minister and Ambassador Joe Keshi, a former Nigerian Consul-General to the United States, are now speaking up against
• President Goodluck Jonathan
American hypocrisy and devious plans to destroy Nigeria. Indeed, more distinguished Nigerians need to speak up against this evil now. In a written statement published on November 30, 2014, Prof. Akinyemi stated: “Continuing references to human rights violations by the Nigerian military will carry more credibility if they come from the Vatican which gave up fighting wars centuries ago, than from the United States whose favourite weapon, the drone, makes no distinction between civilians and combatants. I believe the term “collateral damage” was coined by Colin Powell to justify the often appalling civilian casualties that resulted
from United States military activities abroad.” On his part, Ambassador Keshi, who issued a public statement a few days earlier in Abuja, said: “No Nigerian should be impressed, misled or fooled by American excuses. There are credible evidences, from available official US records, indicating that the United States has over the years, executed some of the biggest arms shipments, running into several billions of dollars to countries with abysmal human right records.” Ambassador Keshi may be too diplomatic to say it, but one must ask: does Nigeria have a worse human rights record than Israel which slaughters Palestinians
• President Barack Obama
almost on a daily basis? Is the US not the chief arms supplier of the state of Israel? In any case, Prof. Akinyemi and Ambassador Keshi, by virtue of their service at senior levels of the diplomatic corps and their international contacts, are well-placed to know what sort of duplicitous game the US is playing with the Boko Haram situation. So, it is not just about me or my taxi driver sitting in the relative comfort of a “tokunbo” car, driving on a well-made road coming up with conspiracy theories. The facts are self-evident: when it comes to the war the Nigerian state is currently fighting with the Boko Haram terrorists, the United States of America is
not our friend, but a dangerous enemy trying to achieve its prediction of Nigeria disintegrating by 2015. It is now left for all Nigerians to stand together and speak with one voice against our common enemy. The US will continue using groups like Amnesty International to flog its biased human rights violations stories, but Nigerians must remember if we allow the US to succeed in its plan to disintegrate Nigeria, we will no longer have a country to call our own and at that point all of us will have absolutely no rights whatsoever! As such, we must stand united against this common enemy.
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Today’s Diet With Pastor E. A. Adeboye
Arise Now!
Memorise: then arise to you And make straight paths for your feet lest that implies that you should which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it begin to soar (2 rather be healed. Hebrews 12:13. Corinthians 3:1 8). Read: Isaiah 60:1-3 All these changes in WHEN God speaks, it feet receives strength position are can be in various forms: now and I command possibilities with God, it can be an advice, an you to be upstanding in not just by your own invitation, an Jesus’ Name. To the strength. Once you are encouragement, a fellow standing, arise willing and you trust in warning, a declaration implies that he should Him, you will or a command. The jump into action, this your word “Arise” in the was the situation of experience desired change. divine statement of Samuel in the house of today’s Bible reading is Jesse (1 Samuel However, you have to purely a command. 16:12-1 3). If however recognise your current Just like in Genesis 1:3, you are already state. A dead fellow where God walking, arise to you feels nothing, for such commanded light to means that you should people, no matter what appear in the midst of begin to run. David was they hear they are not prevailing darkness, already in action touched, they don’t feel “Arise”, is a command against Goliath, but a it. Unfortunately there from the Commander- time came he stepped are even some in- Chief Himself to you up his action by running ministers of God like today. towards Goliath before that; they are Your spiritual position releasing the stone impervious to the voice or posture, prior to from his sling (1 of God. “Arise now” receiving this command Samuel 17:48). This may be the last chance to arise, will determine implies you need to add for such to come alive. the type of response speed to your action. expected of you. Suppose you are Whatever your state Hence, to an already running already, arise may be, a change for dead fellow, arise to you means that you the better is possible, means come back to should begin to fly and it is coming your life. If your spiritual case Possibly, you are way this season in can be said to be a already in the air flying, Jesus’ Name. dead situation, this day, you will come back to ACTION POINT life in Jesus’ Name. To “Sincerely assess your spiritual the one who is asleep, arise means wake up. position and pray accordingly.” If you have been spiritually asleep, by God’s mercy you are being awoken from your slumber in Jesus’ Name. To the one who is sitting down, arise means stand up. To be sitting is better spiritually than to be asleep, yet this is far from what God expects. If you have been spiritually sitting or you are spiritually a lame person (Hebrews 12:13), your spiritual
“Your spiritual position or posture, prior to receiving this command to arise, will determine the type of response expected of you. Hence, to an already dead fellow, arise means come back to life.”
NEWS-XTRA
60 Ships Expected In Lagos With Foods, Petroleum Products SIXTY ships laden with various good are to arrive in Lagos ports from December 12 to December 25. The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) disclosed this in its daily publication, ‘Shipping Position’, made available to newsmen on Friday in Lagos. The document indicated that 20 of the expected ships would arrive with containers and foods. It reported that nine other ships were being expected to arrive with petrol, aviation
fuel, kerosene and diesel. The document stated that eight ships containing fresh fish were also being expected. It said that the remaining 23 ships would arrive with crude palm oil, buck wheat, used vehicles, bulk sugar, bulk fertiliser, bulk gypsium, steel products, bulk malt, fresh fish and general cargo. The document reported that 10 ships had arrived in the ports waiting to berth with food items such as; bulk rice,
buckwheat, containers, bulk sugar and bulk fertiliser. It said that 14 other ships had also arrived and waiting to berth at the various oil terminals in the ports with petroleum products, mostly petrol. The document disclosed that 24 other ships were discharging cargoes like buck wheat, bulk rice, containers gasoline, fresh fish, base oil, general cargo, crude palm oil, fertiliser and petroleum products.
Lagos DPP Asked To Conduct Investigation On Former Commission By RAHEEM IBRAHIM
THE Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution, (DPP) has tasked the Nigerian Police Force to conduct further investigation on the alleged murder charges leveled against a former Commissioner for Special Duties in Lagos the state, Dr. Tola Kasali and two other accused persons.? ?The two other accused are Mr. Folami Musiliu, 65, a Special Adviser to the Lagos State government and Mr. Tobin Abiodun Lukman, 35, a Chief Security Officer to one of the political bigwigs. They were charged before a Lagos Chief Magistrate’s Court, sitting at Ebute-Metta, by the
State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of Lagos Police Command, Panti-Yaba, on charges bordering on conspiracy to commit murder, murder and illegal possession of firearms.? They were alleged to have conspired together with others now at large, to have shot and killed one Musiliu Ogboye Lamidi, on 9 November 2014 in Akodo, Ibeju-Lekki, area of the Lagos state during the collection of Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC).? ?In another count of the charge, they were also alleged to have been in possession of a pump action Avar Magnum gun with number 6381, without appropriate authority.?
?The offences, alleged to have been committed by the accused persons are contrary to and punishable under sections 231, 211, 409 and section 27 (b)(1) of the fire arm Act. Cap 28 laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2011.? Though the accused plea were not taken, but they were admitted to bail by Chief Magistrate Timothy Abolarinwa, who holds the brief of Magistrate E. O. Ogunkanmi, after the submissions of their lawyer, Chief Taiwo Ajala, when they were charge to court on November 11.? Ajala had urged the court to admit the accused persons to bail due to their social status.? At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, the prosecutor, Mr. Femi Adamson, a Senior State Counsel, informed the court that the matter was for DPP’s advice and for the counsel to file the verification of the addresses of the accused persons.?
CHANGE OF NAME IRHEKPONO – I formerly called Miss Irhekpono Joyce Omotese is now known and called Mrs. Orukpe Joyce Omotese. All former documents remain valid. Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.
CHANGE OF NAME
AMELIA WEDS FREDERICK
OGU - I formerly called Miss Ogu Rita Uchechukwu now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Eshesimua Rita Uchechukwu. All former documents remain valid. Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.
CHANGE OF NAME
The solemnization of marriage between former Miss Amelia Edoghogho Amadin and Mr. Frederick Efosa Asemota took place on Friday 12th December, 2014 at the Oredo Local Government Council Marriage Registry in Benin City. Amongst those present were Hon. Anthony Asemota (Groom’s father – member, Board of Directors, B.N.C.L) Pastor Gabriel Amadin, family members, relations, friends and well wishers. Picture shows the couple at the Registry. Congratulations. Photo Sonnie. E.
OKENU – I formerly called Miss Adaobi Vision Okenu is now known and called Mrs. Umeh Adaobi Getrude. All former documents remain valid. Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.
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P litics 2015: Mistakes Jonathan’s Handlers Should Not Make By COMRADE EDWIN UHARA IN the coming weeks, active political activities for next year ’s General Elections will kick start fully and officially! It will be a time to expect the unexpected. A time for massive defections from one party to another in furtherance of one’s political interest. A time for accusations and counter accusations. A time to open the dossiers of politicians for public scrutiny. A time for truthful or deceptive political promises among others. Just like we say in journalism profession; “If it can bleed, then it can lead”. The coming weeks will be time when my colleagues in the media who are still standing idly, watching and studying the nation’s political activities will be divided along party lines promoting, attacking and defending the interest of one candidate or the other depending on the terms, it will be the time when my articles will no longer appear in certain media organizations. However, President Good luck Ebele Jonathan should note that, as a top candidate for the forth coming
Presidential Election, most aspirants would turn him to be their punching bag with the sole intention of discrediting him while enhancing their own chances for the polls. Hence, he should never put up “A too big to fail attitude” throughout the electioneering campaigns! He should not leave anything to chance because an unconsidered variable in an election of this magnitude may turn out to be the major issue; especially now that the major battle is going to be between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). Therefore, the would-be Jonathan’s official presidential handlers should do away with some of the attitudes similar organizations put up during the 2011 presidential campaigns. They must put Jonathan’s interest at the forefront and be open to good ideas and recognize individual and collective efforts that will ensure that Jonathan is returned to office next year, instead of wrongly
• Vice President Namadi Sambo
thinking or assuming that anybody coming around is coming to dislodge them from their vantage position. The truth is that, if they refuse to show altruistic commitment and supports to the President’s re-election bid and allows selfish interest and the spoils of the moment to deny him re-election, Jonathan as a person has nothing to lose! Rather, when the worse comes to worst, Jonathan would join the league of African Statesmen. In this regards, it is them that will bear the brunt of their mistakes than President Jonathan himself! Also, it is the Nigerian people, the intellectual and business community that will be most affected, and as a result this, they would be bugged down by the miasma of policy instability. I say this because, I personally do not believe in frequent change of government and policies. Besides, President Jonathan should not maintain complacency in extra-ordinary times because, that was the strategy that cost former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy his re-election bid in 2012. It will be recalled that
Jonathan
“Therefore, the would-be Jonathan’s official presidential handlers should do away with some of the attitudes similar organizations put up during the 2011 presidential campaigns.” when the opposition party led by Francois Hollande was roaring like lion and leading in various opinion polls, Nicolas Sarkozy was displaying nonchalant attitude and an image of a bound to win candidate. So, before he could realize what was happening, the opposition party; the Socialist Party which had been in disarray after the fall of its predicted Presidential candidate and former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Dominique StraussKhan, had already gained much grounds. Subsequently, when they went in to the election proper, Francois Hollande defeated Mr. Sarkozy. I’m however not saying this will happen to President Jonathan, but it’s a call on him to seat up and march or surpass the opposition in every front till the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declares him winner of the February 14, 2015
Presidential Elections! Though, some of us will move back to trenches to ensure his absolute victory so as to avoid any form of run-off next year! Hence, I decided to cite the experience of Nicolas Sarkozy and his party, the Union for Popular Movement (UPM) so that Jonathan’s official Presidential handlers will learn nostalgic lessons from the misadventure. This is because, those managing any presidential candidate must be open to new ideas at all times; especially game-changing ones. These are ideas that can leapfrog a backward candidate to the leading position in the race. They should note that, Nigeria is changing and as a result, ideas that worked in previous elections may not work in the coming election or may simply require little review and improvement so as to march the unfolding political realities in the days ahead! Secondly, presidential handlers should always
consider the interest of their candidate first before any other considerations! They should be focused, dedicated and always be loyal to their candidate. They should never be two-faced Janus or found running with the here and hunting with the hound or backstabbing their candidate and cutting deals with his opponents. Some of the things I highlight here were some of the egregious political mistakes I personally observed while working with the Jonathan/Sambo Presidential campaign train during the 2011 elections. Finally, from every political calculations and permutations devoid of Propaganda, President Jonathan is still on the lead even as he needs more works to be done in the area of grassroots mobilization and sensitization. Hence, lets us continue to be proactive while waiting for the right time to officially give him the green light to continue in office through our ballots.
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Real Madrid Cannot Make Mistakes - Navas
KEYLOR Navas has stressed that Real Madrid cannot afford to make mistakes as they reach the halfway stage of the season atop La Liga, with a perfect record in the Champions League and two wins away from a Club World Cup triumph. The reigning European embark upon a cluub-record, champions recovered from a 19-game winning streak, stuttering start to 2014-15 to which can be extended again
on Friday when the Blancos travel to Almeria in their final Primera Division game of the calendar year. Carlo Ancelotti’s men are the only team with a 100 per cent record in the Champions
League and are heavy favourites to come away from December’s Club World Cup as victors. However, Costa Rica international Navas, who joined from Levante this summer, has warned his team-mates not to let their concentration slip as the winter break approaches. “We must be prepared to close out games and stay focused,” the goalkeeper told his club’s official website. “We know that at any time the opponent can pose a danger and we have to be ready to stop them. “This team cannot make mistakes, we must stay
focused 100 per cent and work to be prepared at that time. “Every victory is celebrated, we are delighted when we win. We know we’re at a winning club where you have to triumph; every game that brings us closer to our goals of being champions.” Navas has largely played second-fiddle to Iker Casillas since his arrival, but the shotstopper does not seem to be too bothered by his lack of gametime and is thrilled to have played a part in the Blancos’ last two European wins. “It’s amazing to be at Real
Madrid,” he added. “It’s a dream for any player that, when it becomes a reality, is difficult to explain. “I think about everything I’ve been through to get here. Playing in the Champions League ... I enjoyed it from the moment we left the changing room. The only way I’d heard that anthem before was on television and being there was a dream come true. “I always wanted to win titles and now I have the chance. I try to adapt, to commit and to contribute. The road is hard, there will be barriers, but I’m willing to work hard for many titles here.”
Aces Release OJ Mabizela WORD coming out of Mpumalanga Black Aces camp is that defender Mbulelo Mabizela is no longer part of the club. The controversial defender was suspended by the club’s hierarchy following disciplinary issues where he reportedly questioned coach Clive Barker’s technical decisions. The club then decided to investigate the reports of his bust up with the coach and a statement from the club is that
Keylor Navas
Klopp Keeps With Langerate BORUSSIA Dortmund goalkeeper Mitchell Langerak will keep his place in the side for Saturday’s trip to Hertha Berlin. The Australian joined BVB in 2010, but has had to largely play back-up to 34-year-old shot-stopper Roman Weidenfeller. However, Dortmund’s horrible start to the Bundesliga
season - which has seen them, at times, sit bottom - resulted in Weidenfeller being dropped. Langerak has started Dortmund’s last two matches, a 1-0 Bundesliga success against Hoffenheim and Tuesday’s 1-1 Champions League draw with Anderlecht - a result that ensured Jurgen Klopp’s side topped Group D in Europe’s premier club competition.
Scudetto Was Always Roma’s ROMA midfielder Miralem Priority - Pjanic Herzegovina international told Pjanic has insisted that the Scudetto was always the club’s priority following their midweek Champions League exit. The Giallorossi were drawn in arguably the hardest group of the competition, alongside Bayern Munich, Manchester City and CSKA Moscow. Despite going into the final matchday sitting second in the standings, Rudi Garcia’s men were eliminated after losing 2-0 at home to Manchester City, who thus progressed at the expense of their Italian hosts. Pjanic, though, insists that he is not perturbed by Roma’s Champions League elimination, as he claims that the Serie A title race is the capital club’s primary concern this season. “The Scudetto was always our priority,” the Bosnia-
reporters. “It’s a shame about Wednesday but, as Rudi Garcia said, we have to forget what happened and go forward. “Obviously we wanted to get through to the next round of the Champions League, but we didn’t manage it and now should concentrate on the Europa League. “In any case, Serie A remains our real principle objective, as we are targeting the Scudetto. Now we have to finish well before the Christmas break, hoping to get six points so we can rest and recover well for 2015.” Roma sit second in Serie A, three points behind reigning champions Juventus ahead of Sunday’s trip to third-placed Genoa.
Talk of a changing of the guard at Dortmund has followed Klopp’s decision to replace Weidenfeller with the 26-year-old. Ahead of another crunch league clash for 14th-placed Dortmund, against a side below them on goal difference only, Langerak was unsure if he would retain the role of first-choice goalkeeper. However in a press conference on Thursday, Klopp confirmed that Langerak would start the next three matches, which will take Dortmund up to the mid-season break. “In the Bundesliga we need to continue to collect points,” Langerak told the league’s official website. “We haven’t had the best season so far in the Bundesliga, so points on the road would be important. “Against Hertha, I think we need to definitely get the three points to haul ourselves a little bit further up the table.” Langerak’s clean sheet in the Hoffenheim win that dragged Dortmund off the bottom and out of the relegation zone means he keeps his place in the side. And given the tight nature of the bottom half of the Bundesliga table, Dortmund could rise as high as 10th if they win in the German capital and other results go their way. Dortmund’s next three matches - which come in just over a week
before the mid-season break shape as a crucial period of the campaign. Only one player, PierreEmerick Aubameyang (four goals), has netted more than three times for the German giants in the league this season. Klopp - who looks set to be without Marco Reus (ankle), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (leg) and Ji Dong-won (thigh) - undoubtedly needs more from his forwards. Hertha, meanwhile, are also enduring a poor campaign and they sit 15th with just four wins to their name. Only two sides - Werder Bremen and Stuttgart - have conceded more than their 26 goals, and although Salomon Kalou looms as a danger man for Hertha, his impact could be rendered useless if his side struggle at the back again. Hertha have not kept a clean sheet in five matches. Hertha, though, do have a good record against Dortmund in recent years - winning 2-1 on both of their last two trips to Signal Iduna Park. Dortmund have won three of their last four matches in the German capital, however, including a 4-0 success in May that saw former forward Robert Lewandowski score twice.
Mabizela admitted that what he had said to the head coach was wrong. According to a statement from the club, the former Bafana Bafana skipper had breached the Aces Handbook in respect of the code of conduct, however it was found that it was practically impossible for his employment relationship to continue. The club’s chairman, Mario Morfou, was disappointed in that and had personally intervened in the talks. “He was one of our marque signings and when we entered into an
agreement with him, we both discussed his previous disciplinary issues and I personally backed him,” said Morfou via AmaZayoni website. “I’m very disappointed and it’s a sad day but we are running a business and no player is larger than the club.” OJ joined the Witbankbased club in November last year, he renewed his stay in May 2014 and his contract was set to run until June 2016. But it seems the former Mamelodi Sundowns, Tottenham Hoptspur and Orlando Pirates man will have to seek employment elsewhere.
Almeria Name Juan Martinez As New Coach
JUAN Ignacio Martinez has been appointed as new Almeria coach until the end of the season, the La Liga club has confirmed. Francisco Rodriguez was sacked on Tuesday following a heavy 5-2 defeat by newly promoted Eibar that left the Andalusian side just outside of the relegation zone on goal difference. “Juan Ignacio Martinez has
Juan Martinez
signed as the new trainer of Almeria until the end of this season,” read a statement on the club website. Almeria face a tough clash against Real Madrid on Friday and Martinez, who has previous top flight experience as coach of Levante and Valladolid will take over the reigns of the team the following day.
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The Need To Build A Formidable Super Eagles By NICHOLAS EBOIGBE
THE failure of the Super Eagles of Nigeria to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to hold in Equatorial Guinea has continued to generate controversy. The question is what lessons Clemence Westerhof produced a did the Nigerian football national team that rampage the stakeholders ranging from coach African continent between 1992 Stephen Keshi, Eagles’ players, to 1994. fans members of the Nigerian Indeed! Part of that squad most Football Federation board learn won the Nations Cup in 2000 from the nation’s failure or edition hosted by Nigeria that inability to get a ticket to hoist squad tutored by the former Nigeria’s flag in Equatorial Assistant coach to Clemence Guinea next year? Westerhof Bonfere Jo lost in the If the fault is Keshi’s, Eagles finals to the indomitable lions of players and the NFF, what is the Cameroon. way forward? If the stakeholders The former Technical Adviser have made mistakes, are they Clemence Westerhof took over prepared to correct them and turn the Super Eagles in 1989. he a new leaf? failed to him the title for Nigeria Even though, coach Stephen in two finals but succeeded in Keshi have come under serious winning it in the third attempt in criticisms from the Nigerian Tunisia in 1994. Followers, they must not forget Prior to that unforgettable that his effort gave the country, victory, a lot of Nigerians had the Africa cup of nations”, title called for Westerhof’s sack but which the country searched for the military government of over fifteen years. President Ibrahim Babangida Agreed that Keshi made some resisted their moves to do so. mistakes by not also beefing the Sometimes, the football world team with some good players is not patient to build a team and who were making waves in to achieve success. The same is Europe. It is true that Keshi over applicable to the Nigerian relied on his own squad that won football circles. What the NFF the Africa cup of nations and and other football stakeholders never did the right thing to apply should be thinking of is how to the technical knowledge of his have a good team that can stand predecessors by adding good the test of time. players to his team from time to Some football lovers have been time and ensuring at the same clamouring for a foreign coach time and ensuring at the same to handle the Super Eagles. The time, he did not destroy the question is was Stephen Keshi a nucleus of the team. foreign coach before he led the Take it or leave it one teaching team to win the title in 2013? or perennial problem Nigeria Why is it that the Black race do have had for more than one and not believe in themselves-what half decade is the inability of the they can do with their Nigerian to have a consistent intelligence quotient like the formidable team. The last time whites do or even more than Nigeria had it was in 1994 when them? When will the Blackman
get it right or believe in themselves? Before Keshi became Eagles’ coach, an expatriate coach, Berti Vogts was appointed. What did he achieve for the country? How many white or European nations employ the services of African coaches to manage their clubsides and national teams. When will the Blackman stand on his own? Is the Blackman a second class human being to always play the second fiddle to the whites? Those who clamour for white coaches should be ashamed of themselves. They imply from their reasons that the Blackman
cannot excel in any endeavour. What the NFF, coaches and other football stakeholders do what is right at all times if we must have a crack squad to qualify and win the Nations Cup. The NFF members must be disciplined, stop their bickerings and quarrelling because they want money. In essence, they put money first instead of the success of the country in competitions. Whoever is the coach of the Super Eagles must be disciplined, do what is right at all times to ensure Nigeria win matches. There is need for the
quality in our team, and I’m sure we’ll improve on the few mistakes we’re making currently too.” Bayern can ill-afford errors against an Augsburg side that have defied the critics to surge to third in the table. And Markus Weinzierl’s men famously ended Bayern’s 53-game unbeaten run in the Bundesliga earlier this year, winning 1-0 thanks to Sascha Molders’ first-half strike in April. Pep Guardiola has led Bayern to an outstanding start to the season in response, though, with 11 wins from 14 matches helping them build a seven-point lead at the top. They have scored 33 goals - five more than any other side in the Bundesliga - and conceded a mere three, making it a tough ask for Augsburg, who, in their fourth season in Germany’s top tier, are in the highest position of their 107-year history. However, the hosts will be buoyed by a four-match winning run, and they have triumphed in five of their six
Chairman of Nigeria Football League, Chief Oyuki Obaseki, each Premier League club got N10 million (ten million naira) for sponsorship. He encouraged states governors to pump money into football. He increased the stipends for Referees and match commissioners. He was concerned with total development of football. What have been the contributions of his predecessors to develop Nigerian football? The government must ensure that grassroots football is revived and given more attention that it deserves. It is believed that the NFF allegedly colludes with club owners to bribe referees. If this is true, the action is capable of killing the game in Nigeria such that the best teams and players might not be selected to form the national teams. If the game of football must truly improve in Nigeria, the stakeholders ranging from the federal and states government, the board of the NFF, coaches, players must change their attitude by being honest in their activities geared towards the development of football in Nigeria. The federal and state government must show more interest in the game by reintroducing schools sports, committing the desired resources in order to improve it.
DAVID Silva is hoping Manchester City steer clear of La Liga sides in Monday’s Champions League draw, arguing that “the later you play a Spanish team, the better”. An impressive 2-0 win at Roma on Wednesday saw the English titleholders avoid a third group-stage elimination in four years, as they finished second behind Bayern Munich in Group E, but they will now be drawn against a seeded team in the round of 16. City have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League just once, being eliminated by Barcelona last season, and Silva is keen to avoid facing the Catalan side again or 2014 winners Real
Madrid and beaten finalists Atletico Madrid. “Well, I prefer anyone else. I don’t want any one of them. The later you play a Spanish team, the better, no?” Silva told reporters. “They’re all that good that, if you get one, you may as well get one of the others. It’d be a difficult draw. Every team that gets through now, they’re difficult. No matter who we get, we have to be 100%, and have to get a little luck too.” Silva admits City have struggled in Europe since qualifying for the Champions League on a regular basis but is confident the squad’s gradual improvement will see them win the competition at some stage in the future.
FILIPPO Inzaghi has argued that he cannot simply make all of AC Milan’s problems go away with a wave of a magic wand. The Rossoneri have only won once in their last seven Serie A games and, as a result, are five points adrift of a Champions League spot. Milan were defeated by unexpected top-three challengers Genoa last weekend and face a defining clash on Sunday when Rafa Benitez’s Napoli visit San Siro, with the losing coach likely to come under intense pressure ahead of the winter break. Club legend Inzaghi - who took over from Clarence Seedorf this summer - is convinced that he can restore
Milan to their former glory but is nonetheless pleading for time, patience and understanding. “I hope this is Milan’s moment,” the World Cup winner told media at a Milansponsor event. “We have alternated excellent games to others that were not as good. “I didn’t suggest I had a magic wand. There are many other teams who are also struggling, like Napoli and Inter. Everyone is having trouble. “It takes patience, but I’m sure we will be great again. We have an essential game on Sunday and we hope to do well.” Last season, Milan finished outside the top six for the first time since the 1997-98 campaign.
Man City Must Avoid Barca, Real, Atletico
UCL:
Amaju Pinnick
Schweinsteiger Eyes Another Win On Path To Full Fitness
BAYERN Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger is hoping to make another step in his recovery from a knee injury at Augsburg on Saturday. The new Germany captain made his first start in a competitive clash since the victorious World Cup final on Wednesday as the Bavarians cruised past CSKA Moscow 3-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday night. The midfielder is working towards full fitness and acknowledges that he is still a bit off the pace, but is nonetheless confident regular starts will soon see him back to his best. “It was great [to return] in front of the home fans,” Schweinsteiger said after the Champions League success. “When the team are playing well that obviously makes things easier for me. “It wasn’t easy being out injured, so I’m just happy to be back in the fold. “I can tell I’m still lacking a few per cent but that will come with match practice. “We’ll always play good football at the highest level because we have so much
Federal Ministry of Sports to look inwards by building a strong league. The government must reintroduce school sportsbeginning from primary, secondary to the tertiary institutions as part of effort to discover talents that can be employed by Premier League clubs. For instance, in 1970s and 1980s players were discovered from secondary schools. Then their Games masters’ courtesy Ministry of Education Sports Units that helped to fish out and groom budding talents from such institutions. Unfortunately, some state governors do not show interest in the development of sports rather they prefer to politick only. Many football administrators nowadays want money at the expense of the football development. The NFF and Federal Sports Ministry do not have a sound programme geared towards the development of the game in Nigeria. For instance, the NFF and the Nigeria Professional Football League board do not have programmes to promote and develop Premier and National League clubs, there is no marketing of the clubs at the level of NFF and NPFL. They do not bother to encourage clubs to cater for welfare of their players. For instance, during the administration of Former
home games this season. Augsburg - who are yet to register a draw in 14 games this term - have defender Paul Verhaegh as their leading scorer with five. Without a prolific striker, midfielder Tobias Werner has chipped in with four goals and Augsburg’s relatively even spread of contributors
Schweinsteiger
makes them tricky to stop. Guardiola has no new injury worries, with the likes of Lahm (ankle), David Alaba, Thiago Alcantara and Javi Martinez (all knee) all sidelined. And despite Bayern’s loss to Augsburg last term, they do have a good record against their Bavarian neighbours having won the other seven clashes between the two sides.
I’m No Magician
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Champions Out To Maintain Momentum
Spanish La Liga
UCL:
Today’s Matches Getafe Valencia CF Córdoba Málaga
v v v v
Barcelona Rayo Levante Celta de Vigo
Tomorrow’s Fixtures Espanyol v Granada CF Atlético de Madrid v Villarreal Real Sociedad v Athletic Club Monday 15 December 2014 Deportivo de La Coruña v Elche Mrs. Victoria Ilona, Co-ordinator, AASF
Everton Boss Fears Hamstring Injury For Atsu GHANA winger Christian Atsu is feared to have suffered a hamstring injury which could rule him out of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. The 22-year-old limped off after just eight minutes in Everton’s 1-0 defeat to Kuban Krasnodar in the UEFA Europa League. Everton boss Roberto Martinez has confirmed the former FC Porto man who was given a rare start on Thursday night may have suffered a hamstring injury and will be assessed thoroughly on Friday. “The only real negative of the night was Christian Atsu straining his hamstring. We will assess him,” Martinez said after the game. The results of Atsu’s assessment will determine whether he will play any part for the Black Stars at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations which kicks off in January. And extreme hamstring injury could take not less than five-six weeks to heal and a further week or so for the player to get back into top shape for competitive action. And with the 2015 AFCON kicking off on January 17 in Equatorial Guinea, the winger is racing against time to play in his second finals with the Black Stars. This will be a blow to Ghana who are already without star midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah for the tournament also through injury. The Black Stars are drawn in the toughest group alongside South Africa, Algeria and Senegal and have just appointed a new coach in former Chelsea boss Avram Grant.
A buoyant Manchester City will aim to continue their resurgence on Saturday when they travel to Leicester City on Saturday. Manuel Pellegrini’s men trailed leaders Chelsea by eight points after being held to a 2-2 draw at QPR on November 8, and also looked set to face Champions League heartache following two disappointing results against Group E rivals CSKA Moscow. However, the Premier League champions have since reeled off six wins on the spin in all competitions, breathing new life into their season. They are now only three points adrift of Chelsea and will head to Leicester in high spirits after securing a place in the last 16 of the Champions League with an impressive 2-0 victory at Roma on Wednesday. James Milner, one of his side’s star performers in the Stadio Olimpico, said: “We started the season sloppily, but since the last international break we have hit form and got results.
AASF Grand Finale
Barr Tokunbo Hails Organiser BY NICHOLAS EBOIGBE
BARRISTER Nosa Tokunbo has lauded the initiative of the co-ordinator of Atom Athletics Sports Foundation (AASF) for successfully organizing its fiesta at the Ogbemudia Stadium. Tokunbo who was the “This AASF Sports chairman at Grand finale programme has afforded of the AASF Sports Fiesta the organizers the last week’s Wednesday opportunity to discover expressed satisfaction that talents from the grassroots the body has been able to level. The likes of Mary discover some talents that Onyali-Omagbemi, falilat can be groomed and Ogunkoya Oseun were trained for future discovered in this way. endeavours.
Today they are known stars that have excelled in their career.” The legal practitioner believes that the AASF has been able to contribute its quota to develop sports thus supplement government’s effort. The coordinator of AASF, Mrs. Victoria Ilona had earlier explained that the aim of the sports programme was to raise talents in sports at the grassroots.
“It is a project we have engaged in the last fifteen years to discover, develop and sustain young talents in athletics and soccer at both primary and secondary schools in the male and female categories. Mrs. Ilona said, the programme was another way of helping government and society to check youth restiveness and unemployment.
“We have played well in some games and not so well in others, but still managed to grind out the results, and that is massively important.” City’s success in Rome was all the more laudable given that three key players - Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and Yaya Toure - were absent through injury or suspension. Aguero, the Premier League’s top scorer with 14 goals from 15 appearances, is set to be absent until the New Year due to the knee problem he picked up in last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Everton. However, Pellegrini can welcome back Toure, whose ban only applies to UEFA competitions, while skipper Kompany is anticipated to return from a hamstring injury. In contrast to their opponents this weekend, Leicester come into the game in dismal form, having gone 10 matches without a win. Nigel Pearson’s men have picked up only two points since their thrilling 5-3 triumph over Manchester United in September and will remain in the bottom three even if they secure another shock success on Saturday. Leicester have also been hit by an injury to goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who faces four to six weeks out with a broken metatarsal, meaning Ben Hamer is set to start. Captain Wes Morgan returns from suspension, though, and Paul Konchesky is available after his red card in last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa was rescinded. Zoumana Bakayogo (knee) remains sidelined, but Matthew Upson (foot) and Dean Hammond (calf) could make their first-team comebacks. City were victorious at Leicester last December, winning a League Cup quarter-final 3-1 thanks largely to two goals from Edin Dzeko.
Song To Inspire Hammers Against Sunderland WEST Ham United are on the road to face Sunderland on Saturday afternoon and the mission for Sam Allardyce’s men is to bag the three points. The Hammers are fresh from a 3-1 victory in their previous match against Swansea and the coach will hope to see the same hunger from his charges. West Ham are comfortably sitting at position four on the English Premiership log standings with 27 points from 15 matches. The hosts are placed at position 14 with 15 points from the same number of outings. For the visitors, all eyes will be on Cameroon star, Alexandre Song as he was instrumental in their Swans demolition, according to the manager, Allardyce. “We are really flying, we have a lot of players fit, the
way Alex Song controls that midfield for us is brilliant. He gets the right service to the front men,” said Allardyce after the Swans victory. “We will enjoy ourselves for a day or too and get ourselves ready for the next game.” However, looking at the upcoming match at the Stadium of Light, the coach believes playing them away has been tough for Hammers. “They’ve been struggling for goals recently, I think Connor Wickham and Steven Fletcher would’ve wanted a few more goals than they’ve got,” he added. “If they had they would have converted their draws to wins, hopefully we can keep those guys quiet on Saturday and deliver another good away performance.” In head to head, the two sides have met 86 times and
the Black Cats have secured 31 wins while the East Londoners bagged 33, their last clash was in March 2014 with the Wearside taking the three points.
In their previous encounter, Gus Puyot’s men lost 4-1 to Manchester City and will likely aim to erase their defeat with a win at the Stadium of
Light. The match gets underway at 15:00 as both camps will hope to register maximum points and move up the standings.
Alex Song tries to control the ball during a match
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