Oruku, Umuode war resumes

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Vol. 1 No. 11, Monday, December 3 – Sunday, December 9, 2012

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Oruku, Umuode war resumes

By Ted Peters, Larry Onwuta & Chioma Jumbo

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he communal war between Oruku and Umuode communities in Nkanu East local government area of Enugu State resumed again last weekend as fighters from both parties took up their arms for another round of bloody confrontation which left about six persons dead and no fewer than 10 houses were destroyed.

Sources told The Advocate that several residents fled their homes in the war-torn to neighbouring communities in Nkanu East and Enugu East councils on Saturday following heavy shootings by the warring parties which claimed several lives.

Among those reportedly shot dead Saturday morning was an Oruku woman identified as Mrs. Theresa Onuma Okenwa. She was hit by bullets while in her home at Eziobodo village in the early hours of the day while three others believed to be indigenes of Umuode were reportedly gunned down during the exchange of gunfire which began since Wednesday last week.

The corpse of Mrs. Okenwa was brought to the Police Headquarters, Enugu Saturday afternoon before it was taken to the mortuary for autopsy.

Oruku people raised an alarm on Friday over the

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Late Ojukwu...My Will

Bianca...got lion share

Story on page 4

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Ojukwu's Will tears family apart · Bianca highly favoured · It is a ruse · Nothing for Sylvester 'Debe’ Ted Peters

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Beautiful Bibian Ilochi Name: Bibian Ilochi Phone: 08063953042 Profession: Computer Science graduate Hobbies: modeling reading and honesty Dislike: dishonesty Emal: bibilondon84@yahoo.com

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he much-expected will of the former Biafran l e a d e r, D i m Chuukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu who died in London November 26 last year was formerly opened and read in Enugu on Friday.

Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, widow of late Biafran leader was highly favoured by Ojukwu in the Will which came five days after the first anniversary marked at Nnewi.

The Will is expected to settle perceived family wrangling over who should control the assets left behind by the late Ikemba Nnewi which has been causing ripples among family members since his demise November 26 last year.

More troubles are likely to emerge in the family in the coming days as some members of Ojukwu's immediate family have already kicked against the Will which they described as a ruse. Some of the beneficiaries have through Ojukwu's first son, Emeke Ojukwu jnr rejected the Will outright and may head to the court to challenge it.

They accused Bianca and her lawyer, Emeka Onyemelukwe of allegedly causing trouble with the issue. “What I have to say about the Will is my position on it. It is Bianca and the lawyer that are doing what they are doing. We are waiting for the Will to be read; then I can make a statement on it.

For the Will to be read, all of us, my brothers and all the beneficiaries would have to be present. And if the Will does not reflect the wish of my father, which we all know, we shall go to court,'' Emeka Ojukwu told reporters shortly after the Will was read Friday.

It would be recalled that Bianca and her two sons had dragged Ojukwu's brothers before the Lagos State High Court over the control of OTL's property situate at No. 29 Queen's Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos, where Ojukwu once resided. On their part, Ojukwu's brothers who are directors of the transport company have also dragged Bianca to court seeking to take possession of the said property which is being managed by an Estate firm appointed by Ojukwu long

before his demise.

The Will, which was read by the Chief Registrar Enugu J u d i c i a r y a n d probate registrar, Mr. Dennis Ekoh, however, threw up some surprises when an 'unknown' name Tenny Harman was mentioned as number one among the late Ojukwu's children.

There were to be more shockers as the name of Sylvester Ojukwu popularly called "Debe" was conspicuously omitted from the list endorsed by Ojukwu himself as his children just as Emeka Ojukwu (Jnr) only got a property in Umudim Nnewi, Ojukwu's hometown as his entitlement.

After appointing Bianca, the late Igwe of Oraukwu, Emeka Ojukwu and James Chukwuneme as trustees and executors of the will the names of the children was next; and the late Ikemba stated that only the eight listed and no other person should be regarded as his children.

The eight children listed are Te n n y H a r m a n , E m e k a Ojukwu, Mmegha, Okigbo, Ebele, Chineme, Afam, and Nwachukwu.

Present at the Enugu High Court where the Will was read were Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, Engr. Mike Ezemba and Mr. Val Nwosu, Ojukwu's first cousin. They did not comment on the Will after it was read as they left in different vehicles.

S u r p r i s i n g l y, n o n e o f Ojukwu's eight children recognized by himself in the document were not present and it could not be immediately ascertained if they were invited or not.

Bianca who arrived the court premises in a black Prado Jeep at about 8:30 could not hide her surprise when the strange name of Tenny was mentioned among Ojukwu's children as she started whispering with family members who were in the registrar's office with her.

Bianca, who is currently Nigeria's Ambassador to Spain would be all smiles later as the will awarded her Ojukwu's Enugu mansion 'Casabianca' located at No: 7 Forest Crescent GRA, which the late Ikemba Nnewi had named after her.

She is to also replace Ojukwu on the board of the Ojukwu Transport Limited, OTL, or

appoint a representative in the management board.

Bianca heaved a sigh of relief as the Will clearly gave her a stake in the controversial OTL The company was founded by Ojukwu's father, Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu who died in 1966, but left several assets behind for his children especially in Lagos under the OTL. Ojukwu transferred his interest in the company to his widow and children in the Will which reads inter alia, “Bianca and her children should take over my place at my transport…she may also wish to appoint somebody to represent her at the board…”

Bianca also got two properties located at plot 20 Jabi Abuja, with Certificate of Occupancy number 4405, as well as another property located at Kuje, Abuja.

The late Eze-Igbo also willed to his wife all personal effects, monies and cars for her upkeep and that of her children.

He also allotted to Bianca two hectares of land at Umuezeani Umudim Nnewi “If she doesn't remarry.”

Ojukwu's strange daughter Tenny, who was said to be unknown to members of the family before now, was allotted Jubilee Hotels, Zaria; but when the codicil was read it was observed that the hotel had been sold thus she would receive the proceed from the sale.

For former commissioner in Anambra State Emeka Ojukwu, who was generally regarded as Ojukwu's first son, it was not a fair deal as he got only a house in Umudim Nnewi.

Ojukwu further willed a hectare of land each to all his daughters. He willed a landed property at the traffic light area, in Nnewi, to Afam and directed that his Nnewi property should “remain a binding legacy to us for generations to come.” He willed all his interest at 56 Onwudiwe Street, Enugu as well as his interest in his mother's plot at Thinkers C o r n e r, E n u g u t o h i s nephews, Tom and Robert Bigga.

The late Ikemba directed that every other remaining property, apart from those mentioned in the Will, should be managed by his trustees, who will have the right to dispose of them, to offset any debt in his name, including debts that may have arisen from his burial. None of Ojukwu's children was present at the registrar's office

Continues on page 8

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NEWS

BOKO HARAM: FG moves against saboteurs in security agencies

By Our reporters

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isturbed by two daring attacks on wellfortified security formations in Jaji, Kaduna State and Abuja, the nation's capital, within 24 hours, the Presidency, through the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) is said to have launched a discreet investigation into an intelligence report that some of the nation's law enforcement organisations may have been infiltrated by Boko Haram.

This is coming at a time Nigeria's security agencies are collaborating with their counterparts in Mali to hunt down the most wanted leader of the Boko Haram Islamist sect, Imam Abubakar Shekau, who is believed to be hiding in northern Mali now under the control of the Toureg Islamist rebels.

Reports said that following the progress being made in the efforts, the sect leader is planning to escape from Mali and sneak into Nigeria.

The sect had, last Sunday, defied the precincts of a military base when it successfully executed a twin suicide bomb attacks in a church located in the Armed Forces Barracks, Jaji, near Kaduna, killing no fewer than 11 persons and injuring over 30 others. Less than 24 hours after, while the nation was still grieving over the killing, the sect struck again in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where it killed two policemen at the police special anti-robbery squad (SARS) headquarters, Abuja and set free scores of suspects detained in the facility including its members.

The two lethal attacks came just as the military Joint Task Force (JTF), in a statement issued last weekend, declared 19 top leaders of the sect wanted. The statement, which was signed by JTF spokesman Lt-Col. Sagir Musa, said the commanders were members of Shurra Committee, the highest decision-making body of the terror group.

Sources at the Presidency said that the attacks were seen in the government and security circles as a direct response to the JTF action. But beyond this, the Federal Government is deeply worried over the ease with which the sect carried out the latest attacks on sensitive and supposed well-fortified security formations.

This informed the decision by the NSA's office to work on a piece of information that the

sect must be “enjoying some comfortable level of sympathy and support from some elements within our security agencies.”

The source further said: “The conclusion was based on an intelligence that the sect, more often than not, carries out its attacks based on some accurate insider information. “Though this is not new, as you will recall that the president (Dr. Goodluck Jonathan) recently raised the alarm himself that the sect had infiltrated the security agencies and other sensitive organisations under his government. Not many people took the president seriously then, but from current indications, there is the need to look inwards and take care of some unscrupulous and unpatriotic elements within our security agencies.”

The sources, however, declined to disclose how government intends to identify or fish out security agents suspected to be providing the sect some sensitive information used in the planning of their attacks especially on well-guarded security zones. Attempts to get the NSA, Mr. Sambo Dasuki or his media aide, Kunle Karounwi, to confirm the development proved abortive, as the latter insisted he could not speak on such a sensitive matter.

Meanwhile, Nigerian security agencies have continued their collaboration with their counterparts in Mali to intensify their manhunt for the wanted leader of the sect, Imam Abubakar Shekau, who is believed to be hiding in northern Mali now under the control of the Toureg Islamist rebels. It was gathered that based on a recent intelligence support from a world super power nation, Shekau and some of his top lieutenants are believed to be coordinating attacks on their targets in Nigeria from Mali.

This has forced Nigeria into going into a military alliance with the Malian military authorities under the control of Captain Sanogo, in a bid to rout all the rebels in northern Mali, including the wanted Boko Haram leaders operating from the region. At the moment, Nigeria is providing logistics support, including arms and ammunition to the Malian armed forces to launch an attack on the rebels' stronghold in northern Mali. “With the imminent attack on the rebels' stronghold, Shekau and his people may be planning an escape from Mali to sneak back

into Nigeria.

This is largely the reason to declare them wanted and put some ransom on them last week, so that people can watch out for them in case they are trying to escape from their imminent capture in a foreign land,” one of the top security sources told Saturday Sun. This is even as the source disclosed that government is not interested in the latest call for dialogue by the sect.

Meanwhile, gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram sect members launched another deadly attack Friday in the peace loving Damasak, the headquarters of Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno State, killing two bakers, one of them an indegene of Michika Council area of Adamawa State; an Igbo man and two others suspected to be Immigration and Custom officers.

The attack came on the day the Nigeria Army said that it demolished a fourth bomb factory in Kaduna State, just as it arrested a 60-year old suspected owner of the factory

in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Damasak is a boarder town with Niger Republic and about 120 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the state capital.

The gunmen numbering about six came in a Jeep at about 7am Friday and opened fire at their victims before they fled without being arrested.

Information Officer of the Council, Mallam Babagana Mustapha confirmed that six gunmen suspected to be terrorists laid ambush at Damasak Friday morning, killing two Michika boys, one Igbo man and two security men suspected to be an Immigration and Custom officers.

While declaring the Boko Haram leaders wanted last weekend, the JTF had said that “they are wanted in connection with terrorist activities, particularly in the North East zone of Nigeria that led to the killings, bombings and assassination of some civilians, religious leaders, traditional rulers, businessmen, politicians, civil servants and security personnel, among others. They

are also wanted for arson and destruction of property worth millions of naira.

“Therefore, anyone with information that will lead to the arrest of any of the listed terrorists or more will have the rewards as stated: Abubakar Shekau (N50 million), Habibu Yusuf (a.k.a Asalafi, N25 million), Khalid Albarnawai (N25 million), Momodu Bama (N25 million), Mohammed Zangina (N25 million), Abu Saad (N10 million), Abba Kaka (N10 million), and Abdulmalik Bama, N10 million. “The others are Umar Fulata (N10 million), Alhaji Mustapha (Massa) Ibrahim (N10 million), Abubakar Suleiman-Habu (a.k.a Khalid N10 million), Hassan Jazair (N10 million), Ali Jalingo (N10 million), Alhaji Musa Modu (N10 million), Bashir Aketa (N10 million), Abba Goroma (N10 million), Ibrahim Bashir (N10 million), Abubakar Zakariya (N10 Million) and Tukur Ahmed Mohammed, N10 million.”

Some of the casualties under Boko Haram Deadly attacks in Nigeria December 2010 - About 80 Church in Jos killing three by gunmen on Dongo Dawa people were killed on Christmas eve bombings, including attacks on churches around Jos. Nov 2011 - At least 65 people killed in Damaturu, when the sect bombed churches, mosques, and police stations.

December 2011 - Bomb attacks were reported across the country on Christmas Day targeting churches with one near Abuja that killed about 37 people and injured 57.

January 5, 2012 Gun men opened fire at a church service in Nasarawa, Gombe State, killing six people and wounding 10.

January 6, 2012 Christian mourners at a hall in Mubi, Adamawa state, were attacked in which 18 were killed as they gathered to mourn the killing of three people the previous day.

February 19, 2012 There was bomb explosion near a church in Suleja on the outskirt of Abuja injuring five people.

February 26, 2012 Suicide bomber with a car containing explosives hit a church in Jos killing two people and injuring 38 carried out by Boko Haram while Christian youths in apparent retaliation beat two moslems to death.

March 11, 2012 Suicide bomber attacked a Catholic

people while reprisal attacks by Christian youths resulted in the killing of at least 10 persons.

April 8, 2012 There was bomb explosion on Easter Sunday near a church in Kaduna, killing at least 36 people and seriously injuring 13 persons.

April 29, 2012 A total of 19 people were killed when gunmen opened fire and threw homemade bombs at a lecture theatre in the University of Kano being used for Christian worship. About two professors were among the casualties.

June 3, 2012 A car full of explosives was driving by a suicide bomber into a church in Yelwa during Sunday service killing at least 12 people.

June 10, 2012 A church congregation in Biu Town, Borno state, was sprayed with bullets by gunmen with many casualties.

October 28, 2012, a suicide bomber struck at St. Rita's Catholic Church in Angwar yero, Kaduna state, killing eight people.

October 29, 2012 Gunmen stormed a drinking bar in Gindin Akwanti,. Barkin Ladi LGA in Plateau State killing six people.

October 14, 2012

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people were killed in an attack

village in Gwari LGA in Kaduna state.

On independence day, October 1, 2012, about 40 students were killed in Mubi, Adamawa state, by gunmen believed to be members of Boko Haram sect.

There are three tertiary institutions in the town Adamawa State University, Federal Polytechnic and the School of Health Technology.

Three students of University of Maiduguri were also killed.

In Minna, Niger State, two policemen were shot dead by Boko Haram gunmen.

On November 26, 2012, Gunmen attacked the headquarters of Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS) Abuja, killing two officers leading to the escape of 30 detainees.

On Sunday, November 24, Boko Haram bombed St. Andrew's Anglical Church at the Armed Firces Command and Staff College Jaji, Kaduna state, killing at least 15 people.

On Friday, November 22, 2012, 20 ladies on mini-skirts were slaughtered in Maiduguri just 24 hours after 10 people were killed by Boko Haram in Maiduguri.

Six members of a family were killed by Fulani herdsmen in a village in Kaduna state.

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Oruku, Umuode war resumes

creates suspicion of being compromised," Nnamani stated.

“Our enemies are relying on the Continues from cover page support of the top government fresh bloody attacks on its official to forcefully drive people allegedly by combined Oruku out of the contentious f i g h t e r s f r o m U m u o d e Aguefi land through this fresh supported by their kit and kin in attack but we must resist it," N k a n u l a n d a n d s o m e Nnamani stated. “mercenaries” whom they W h e n c o n t a c t e d o n t h e claimed were armed with development, Mr. Chukwudi sophisticated weapons which Omabe, Public Relations they fired indiscriminately at the Officer of Umuode Town direction of Oruku wounding Union, told The Advocate that several people in the process. he was not in the state and was They also alleged that some yet to be briefed about the houses belonging to their people renewed hostilities in the area. were destroyed by the invaders He promised to get in touch with w h o w e r e c a r r y i n g the people in Omuode to get first s o p h i s t i c a t e d w e a p o n s hand information on the issue including AK-47 rifles. but he could not get back before Houses destroyed included press time. those owned by Mr. Daniel The State Police Public Ugwu popularly known as Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Uncle Dan, a staff of Institute of Amaraizu confirmed the Management and Technology, eruption of fresh violence in the IMT, Enugu and the former area in a telephone interview Managing Director of Enugu with The Advocate but stated State Broadcasting Service, that more policemen had been ESBS, Mr. Charly Nnaji. Nnaji deployed to join forces with confirmed the destruction of his those on ground to restore house in Oruku to newsmen in normalcy.

Enugu.

The people of Oruku and In a statement issued by Mr. Umuode had been locked in a John Nnamani Public Relations protracted dispute over the Officer, PRO, Oruku Town ownership of Aguefi land since Union, the community said the the past 20 years and several r e n e w e d a t t a c k w h i c h “wars” had been fought commenced at about 3pm on claiming several lives and We d n e s d a y l e d t o t h e property worth millions of destruction of six houses naira. Several persons had been belonging to Oruku natives imprisoned on account of most of who had been displaced. incessant violence in the area.

More houses were also said to The Traditional Ruler of have been destroyed on Umuode, Igwe Moses Ugwu Saturday on both sides while was on October 9 this year unconfirmed report said some murdered by some unidentified persons were shot dead. gunmen at his shop in Akpoga He said several persons Nike in a bizarre manner. His sustained injuries in the kinsmen had accused their unexpected attack while many Oruku rivals of masterminding have fled their homes to avoid the monarch's death but this was being killed, adding that several denied by Oruku leaders who natives of Eziobodo Village in said that they knew nothing O r u k u r e c o r d e d m a n y about the untimely death of the casualties. royal father. But tension Nnamani said that Oruku people heightened in the area following had alerted policemen at Idodo the death of the Igwe and the police division who patrolled renewed war might not be the area briefly forcing the unconnected with the death of fighters to retreat.

His Royal Majesty, Igwe Moses "But in the early hours of today, Ugwu. at 5am to be precise, the The Enugu State government Umuode attackers numbering h a d s e t u p a J u d i c i a l over 100 (allegedly) took Oruku Commission of Inquiry into the people unawares and invaded dispute but the recommendation their homes destroying houses of the panel was not fully including those not in the implemented while the natives contentious Aguefi land. We continued to live as cat and learnt that the fresh plan to mouse, taking up arms at every attack our people was hatched slightest provocation. last week during the burial of a Some influential persons from traditional ruler attended by both communities are not s o m e l e a d e r s o f U m u - helping matters as they have Odenigbo. been repeatedly accused of "Since the attack started the sponsoring the youths to cause police command that normally mayhem in the area over what send in Amoured Personnel some described as personality Carrier as well as mobile clash and unnecessary power policemen whenever Oruku - play to the detriment of the poor Umuode crisis starts were natives. nowhere to be seen and thereby

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Pope on twitter

Pope embraces social media, opens Twitter account

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ope Benedict XVI is now present on Twitter. The high ranking clergy and leader of the Catholic church worldwide has joined other world leaders to embrace the social media platform as a means of reaching to the people.

But wait a little.

You still can't get His Holiness twitter account until Monday, December 3, 2012 when it will be formally launched, according to the Vatican Information

Service (VIS), the official media communication platform of the Vatican city.

According to the agency, the press conference to herald the launch will hold in the Holy See Press Office, with the participation of Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Msgr.

Paul Tighe, secretary of the same dicastery, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., director of the H o l y S e e P r e s s O ff i c e ,

Professor Gian Maria Vian, editor of “L'Osservatore Romano”, and Greg Burke, Media Advisor to the Secretariat of State.

The Pope has already used the 140 character “tweet” format when, in June 2011, he launched the Vatican information portal www.news.va., with the words: “Dear friends, I just launched News.va. Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI”.

PDP BOT Chairman to emerge in January – Scribe · Anenih, Ali, Nnamani top contenders THE Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP's Board of Trustees (BOT) would be elected on Jan. 8, 2013.

There are indications that President Goodluck Jonathan is favourably disposed to having Chief Tony Anenih succeed former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the BOT Chairman against the wish of Obasanjo who is said to be rooting for his close ally, Chief Ahmadu Ali. The party had narrowed down the race to the trio of Chief Tony Anenih, Dr Ahmadu Ali and former Senate President, Dr Ken Nnamani but contrary to speculations that one of them would emerge as the BOT Chairman in the all-night meeting held at Abuja last Friday, the party leaders resolved to shelve the election until January 8.

Sen. Walid Jibrin, the Secretary of the BOT made this known after a meeting of the PDP Board members at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Friday night.

He said that contrary to reports that the election would hold Friday night; the meeting only discussed the modalities that would be adopted for the election of the chairman and

secretary of the board. Jibrin said that the party was not in a hurry to elect a new BOT chairman.

“The board of trustees held emergency meeting to discuss the chairmanship of the board.

We came to discuss the modalities that will lead to electing the new chairman. The election will be a pride to Nigerians.

“The issue of the new chairman of the BOT will come up on Jan. 8 next year but before then, we must have intent from members.

“Up till the time we held the meeting, there was no intent from anybody to contest. The discussion was held on the best way to elect the chairman.

“We are not in a hurry to elect a new chairman; we want a chairman that is sound, accepted, credible and with proven integrity; a chairman who has a clear vision for the party's mission. However, anyone interested should submit his intent to the secretary of the party.''

Jibrin, nonetheless, stressed that contenders for the position must come from members of the BOT, adding that the aspirants had only one week to submit their intent.

He said that the restriction placed on party members who were eligible to contest was in accordance with the Section 9 of the PDP Constitution, which states that chairman and secretary of the party's BOT should be elected from members of the BOT. The former President Olusegun Obasanjo stepped down from the chairmanship of the BOT about eight months ago.

Some dignitaries at the BOT meeting are PDP Chairman B a m a n g a Tu k u r, S e n a t e President David Mark and former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme.

Others include PDP National Secretary Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,.

The meeting was also attended by a former PDP chairman, Dr Haliru Bello, former Gov. Adamu Abdullahi of Nasarawa State, Sen. Jim Nwobodo, Alhaji Ghali Na'Abba, Chief Barnabas Gemade and Chief Bode George.

Mrs Mariam Amodu-Ali, Prince Vincent Ogboulafor, Chief Sunny Odogwu, Dr Kema Chikwe, Sen. Ibrahim Mantu, Sen. Bode Olajumoke, Alhaji Maina Waziri, Chief Don Etiebet, Chief Ebenezer Babatope and Sen. Danjuma Goje also attended the meeting.

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Attah-Igala: Kingmakers fill traditional stool T By our Reporter

he traditional stool of the Attah Igala which became vacant following the demise of the former Attah, Alhaji Aliyu Obaje, on July 16 after 56 years reign on the throne, has been filled.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Head of the body of kingmakers, Abel Etuh, the Etemahi Igalamela made available to

newsmen in Lokoja.

Etuh said that the kingmakers had submitted the name of its nominee to the Igala Traditional Area Council for ratification, adding: ``we are unanimous in our choice of the right and acceptable candidate which should be kept secret for now''.

He said the Attah designate was selected from the seven aspirants presented by the four ruling houses - Aju Ocholi; Aju

Akogu; Aju Ameacho and Aju Akwu.

The head of the body of kingmakers said the ruling houses were mandated to produce a consensus candidate but they declined.

Etuh said that the Chairman of the four ruling houses of Attah Igala dynasty, Sunday Okolo of Aju-Ameacho, was directed to screen the aspirants.

He, however, pointed out that the screening committee submitted a written report of

their inability to have a consensus candidate because each ruling house stood by its nominees.

According to him, their position notwithstanding, the kingmakers have to come up with a candidate. ` ` We , t h e I g a l a m e l a kingmakers always follow due process in handling all matters before us,'' he said in the statement.

Etuh admitted that the nomination of seven aspirants by the ruling houses were in conformity with Igala Native Laws and Customs on

Amidst nationwide hunger, Aso Villa tells Senate N1.5B not enough for refreshments, meals

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igeria is facing serious poverty and hunger despite her enormous resources. Recent statistics reveal that poverty and hunger are increasing. Unless, these twin problems are tackled urgently, they are likely to undermine the survival of Nigeria as a nation, but the Senate was, yesterday, told that the N1, 305, 292, 050 set aside in the 2013 budget for refreshment and meals and other miscellaneous expenses

in the State House will not be enough.

State House Permanent Secretary, Emmanuel Ogbile recently appeared before the Senator Dahiru Kuta-led Committee on Federal Character and InterGovernmental Affairs to defend the N14,715,566,104 budget for next year.

He disclosed that a breakdown of the Miscellaneous sub-head in Aso Rock's budget shows that N203,752,432 was

allocated for refreshment and meals; N107,412,768 would be spent on honorarium and sitting allowance while N37, 277,825 will be for publicity and advertisement.

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) reports that about 40 percent of Nigerian children under the age of five are stunted in their growth, nine percent are wasted (have low weight given their height) and 25 percent are underweight, all due to hunger. It further shows that two out of every five children in Nigeria are

chronically underfed.

As a country, Nigeria ranks in the GHI's top 20 nations most ravaged by hunger, accounting for 5.7 percent of hunger problems in the world. The report also shows that Nigeria is making slow progress in meeting the Millennium Development Goal targets on reducing the incidence of hunger by half by the year 2015. In sum, we know that hunger in Nigeria remains at a level categorized as "serious," wreaking devastating effects on Nigerians, especially the women and children who are often marginalized in families and societies dominated by

succession to the Attah throne.

He explained that rotational arrangement from Ayegba Oma-Idoko's dynasty and proviso that Attah Igala designate must be a son of an Attah, were criteria used for the selection.

The head of the body of kingmakers reiterated in the statement that only one nominee and not two as widely speculated was submitted to the council for ratification.

E t u h , h o w e v e r, d e n i e d insinuations that the kingmakers emerged from the selection meeting polarized.

men.

In spite of these notorious facts, Nigeria leaders indulge in an extravagant life style.

Ogbile told the senators some other expenses that were being taken care of in the refreshment and meals vote include National Economic Council (NEC), Council of State, conferences in the Banquet Hall, Presidential retreats, N a t i o n a l M e r i t Aw a r d , Children's Day as well as hosting of dignitaries.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta, h o w e v er, c o u n ter e d th e Permanent Secretary on the provision for the Merit Award which he said has its own budget.

Investigate unresolved murders of Journalists MRA tells FG

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he Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on the Nigerian Government and relevant law enforcement agencies to investigate all unresolved cases of murders of journalists in the country and bring the perpetrators to justice.

MRA also asked the Government to investigate

other forms of attacks on journalists including physical attacks, assaults, cases of torture, threats to life or of physical harm, seizure and destruction of professional equipments, and prosecute those responsible in order to end the culture of impunity that has taken hold.

The organization in a statement

issued on the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity (IDEI), urged the Government, in fulfillment of its international obligations, to make a commitment to protect journalists, media workers and media houses so that they can freely report the truth and keep citizens and the world informed.

MRA noted that Nigerian journalists and Media houses have faced several and severe

Why EFCC could only convict yahooyahoo boys – Lamorde because they have huge sums

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hairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, says the anti-graft agency finds it difficult to convict those he termed high profile thieves who have looted the nation's wealth because they have huge sums of money and resources to delay court processes.

The EFCC boss who disclosed that the commission recorded no less than 200 convictions this year alone, however,

admitted that most of the convicts were advance fee fraudsters.

Critics had often lambasted the EFCC boss for going after petty criminals while the big crooks walk free.

Speaking when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes to defend the 2013 budget, Lamorde appeared to prove the critics right when he said EFCC finds it difficult to convict high profile politicians that have looted the nation's wealth

of money at their disposal to frustrate court processes.

“This year alone we recorded over two hundred convictions in various courts across the country but they are mostly advance fee fraud, we have the yahoo yahoo, we have the commercial cases, we have the executives of financial institutions that are involved in currency trafficking. The cases that most people are interested in its conclusion are those before the Supreme Court,” he said.

challenges in the course of carrying out their duties saying this is having a negative impact on the rights of the public to receive information.

Imploring the government to take decisive action to bring an end to impunity, Mr Edetaen Ojo, MRA's Executive Director, said: “Impunity is a two-pronged sword that does the media no good. On the one hand, journalists do not get justice for the wrongs they suffer because those who commit these attacks are not brought to justice. In addition, the lack of action emboldens perpetrators to continue attacks on journalists while also making such attacks an attractive proposition for potential attackers.”

Ojo noted that since the 1986 murder of former Newswatch magazine Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Dele Giwa, no less than 10 journalists have been murdered and that in none of these cases have the perpetrators been identified, tried in court and convicted of their crimes.

In addition to these are hundreds of instances and incidences of attacks on

journalists, the media and media facilities which are never seriously investigated and for which the perpetrators are never prosecuted and punished.

Ojo urged that “This situation needs to change so that the media in Nigeria can operate under a conducive atmosphere that is free from fear.”

November 23 of every year had been set aside by the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), the global network defending and promoting free expression, as theInternational Day to End Impunity (IDEI). Created by IFEX in 2011, the day is a call to action - to demand justice for those who have been targeted for exercising their right to freedom of expression, and to shed light on the issue of impunity.

To mark the International Day to End Impunity in Nigeria, MRA highlighted, via Twitter and other social media platforms, cases and incidents of attacks on journalists from 1986 till date, including where journalists have paid the supreme price.

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NEWS

Kogi PDP Elders take complain to PDP Headquarters K

ogi PDP Elders paid a courtesy call on the party's National Chairman Bamanga Tukur onThursday in Abuja to formally complain about the illegalities and undemocratic practices of the Idris Wada

administration. " We w a n t t h e n a t i o n a l leadership of our great party to intervene decisively to save the PDP in Kogi State from an untimely death", said Senator Alex Kadiri who led the threeman group that also included

Senator Mohammed Ohiare and Dr Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba.

"All is not well in Kogi State.

Our party has been hijacked by strangers. There is no governance in the state. State funds are being used to settle judges and anti-corruption

agencies. Not even a culvert has been constructed by the nearly o n e y e a r o l d Wa d a administration".

The elders listed the crisis in the State House of Assembly, the appointment of Liaison Officers for local councils, the continued looting of state treasury by the duo of former Gov. Ibrahim Idris and current Gov Wada, and the undemocratic conduct of

Idahosa Varsity tasks Youths on Entrepreneurship

B

ENSON Idahosa University Consultancy Services has called for institutionalisation of entrepreneurial education in all training institutions in the country, in order to raise enterprise awareness among Nigeria youths.

Director of the school's consultancy services, Prof. Sam Guobadia, stated this when the university organised Global Entrepreneurship Week, which he said was celebrated in over 115 countries of the world.

He said the on-going global economic challenges in Europe

and other parts of the world are signs of new global economic phenomenon.

He called for the reassessment of overdependence on government to solve peoples' economic problems.

“Government cannot provide all the jobs”, he said.

Guobadia said the Consultancy Service has “capacity building programme in entrepreneurial development that offers youth that chance of becoming employers of labour, especially in a country such as Nigeria with one of the highest rates of unemployment in the world”.

Benson Idahosa

state congress last weekend as some of the issues they are unhappy about.

T h e y a c c u s e d Wa d a o f cluelessness, profligacy and looting. They cited the appointment of 20 commissioners, 57 advisers, 74 senior special assistants and scores of other assorted aides as proof that Wada is ill-prepared to govern the state. The recent discovery of 800 ghost schools and thousands of ghost teachers, the elders added, represents only a tip of the iceberg of the rot that is Kogi State.

Responding, Tukur promised to look into their complaints and commended the elders for their civilized and mature approach.

He said the PDP under his watch will be democratic, inclusive and transparent in all its dealings. He promised to treat the petition seriously adding that the calibre of the petitioners demands nothing less.

The elders (including Former Speaker and Acting Gov. Clarence Olafemi, Retired AVM Salihu Atawodi, and former State Chairman of the party John Odawun) had earlier submitted copies of their petition to President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President David Mark, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal of the House of Representatives, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

800 'ghost' schools uncovered in Kogi T he Kogi State Government has raised an alarm over the discovery of 800 non-existing primary schools and at least 3,000 ghost teachers on its pay roll during a recent screening exercise.

The State Accountant-General, Paul Audu, who made this known to newsmen in Lokoja, said government would deal with the situation.

He said the screening revealed a lot of unwholesome dealings of corrupt accounting.

Reacting to complaints over omission of some teachers' names from the payroll, Audu said problems associated with teachers' salaries were as a result of the ghost workers and non-existing schools.

He said such expenditures had been draining government coffers, but he did not say when the ghost schools were inserted in the payrolls and who was responsible.

Audu said names of genuine teachers who were erroneously omitted from the salary vouchers had also been compiled. Bu he attributed this

to improper bank account numbers supplied by the affected teachers.

He said problems associated with computations and payment of salaries would be over by the time the report of the screening

committee was fully implemented.

Audu hinted that a master payroll for teachers in the state had been produced to enable the government to deal with authentic teachers. He said a committee had also been

constituted by the state government to implement the recommendations made by the screening committee.

Audu said his office was currently training members of staff of the State Universal Basic Education Board

(SUBEB) on e-payment computerisation since they are directly in charge of primary school teachers.He said that they would resume duties in their respective offices as soon as the training was over.

Bombings: Leave vengeance to God –Mark

S

ENATE President, David Mark has warned those involved in massive killing and destruction of property not to play God, just as he urged Nigerians to leave vengeance to God. The Senate President who also advised religious leaders and followers across the country not to see the present security challenge as a religious conflict, however urged them to seek God's intervention because no one can fight for God. Speaking Friday during a funeral service for late Lady Hannah Ugboyibo Chukwudozie held at the St. Peters Anglican Church, Ubahu, Okija, Anambra State, Senator Mark assured that the nation's trying times would be overcome only when Nigerians

trust God for supernatural intervention in the matter.

He said, “we must learn from our past civil strife which left Nigeria backward economically and politically”.

The Senate President who admonished the citizenry on the need to live in harmony with one another, stressed, “we must learn from our past mistakes, everything that happens, God has a purpose for it. It could be a test of our faith. This trying times I am sure would soon be over. ”No matter our challenges, we must leave the fight for God and believe in ourself as a nation.”

He however extoled the virtues of late Lady Hannah Ugoyibo Chukwudozie for her exemplary life of service to community, humanity and to

God, saying her death was a great loss and an irreparable one indeed.

In his homily, the Primate of the Anglican Church,Nigeria, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh implored Nigerians to tolerate each other in their day to day activities,

adding that peaceful coexistence is a panacea to frictions in the land.

The clergyman eulogized the late Ugoyibo for her commitment to the peace and progress of the society especially her immediate community.

Ojukwu's Will tears family apart Continues from page 4 when the Will was read yesterday. Family members were however, urged to apply for copies of the Will as well as the codicil, which was prepared

by Barr. Emeka Onyemelukwe on December 16, 2009.

When reporters sought her comments on the content of the

Wi l l , B i a n c a d e c l i n e d comments in some and just said a little in others. When asked for comments about Teni, whose name was listed as one of Ojukwu's children, Bianca refused to answer questions from newsmen. On her nomination to replace her husband in the Ojukwu

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Editorial

Lamido Sanusi's call for 50 percent reduction of civil service

T

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is fearless and will not hold back his feelings on any national issue so long as he believes that he is on the right track. In his presentation at the second Annual Capital Market Committee retreat in Warri, Delta State recently, the CBN Governor stated point blank that downsizing the civil service is imperative if the economy must achieve optimum and sustainable growth.

The governor, who does not shy away from controversy, advised the Federal Government to sack at least half of its workforce to maintain a sustainable economy. He pointed out that Nigeria could not build its economy when 70 per cent of its earnings were expended on the salaries and entitlements of civil servants, which constitute insignificant proportion of the population. He told everybody that cares to listen that Nigeria needed a more compact and less expensive system of government that would reduce overhead and free up capital for infrastructure development.

“At the moment, 70 per cent of Federal Government's revenue goes for payment of salaries and entitlement of civil servants, leaving 30 percent for development of 167million Nigerians.

That means that for every naira government earns, 70kobo is consumed by civil servants.You have to fire half of the civil service because the revenue government has is supposed to be for 167million Nigerians. Any society where government spends 70 per cent of its revenue on its civil service has a problem. It is unsustainable,” said Sanusi.

He further explained that the country does not need over 100 senators and about 400 representatives to make laws saying when the expenses of lawmakers, civil servants and the executive arm of government are added, Nigerians will find out that the revenue has been consumed by government, lawmakers and civil servants. He also faulted what he described as wastage of funds for the maintenance of 774 local government council chairmen with aides, councillors and other appendages of the third tier of government.“Do we need 774 local governments, do we need 36 states some of which are unviable?

Why not just remove them and have only state governments? There are state governors whose monthly allocation is barely enough to pay salaries. I hear such governors complain and I say 'why complain when the solution is simple?' It is irresponsible to use all money to pay salaries and wait for another month's allocation and pay salaries and after four years, you would have done nothing,” Sanusi further submitted.

By this comment, the CBN boss drew the flak of the organised labour. Several union leaders berated him for advocating for a 50 per cent downsizing of civil servants in order to cut down on government recurrent spending. They rather called for his sack before he put

the Nigerian economy the harm's way.

Reacting to Sanusi's comment, NLC President, Mr. Abdulwahed Omar, said Sanusi should be sacked immediately before his action set the country on the part of “ruination.” “We see in Sanusi an agent of death that must be defeated and crushed before he further destroys the Nigerian economy. He must be asked to leave the office as he has shown more than enough incompetence and contempt for the Nigerian people,” the NLC chief said.

Omar stated that since Sanusi took over as Governor of CBN, his statements had created the impression that he was against the people and economy of Nigeria. “Even if you sack all the workers in Nigeria, any amount saved from that will be stolen and the culprits will walk in freedom,” he added.

According to Omar,the number of aides in the office of the CBN Governor would not portray him as a man genuinely committed to the reduction of cost of governance in the country.

Apparently to douse the tension created

by Sanusi's comment and angry reactions on its trail, the Federal Government through the Minister of Labour, Chukwuemeka Wogu, rose

quickly to assure Nigerian workers that there was no immediate plan by the Federal Government to downsize its work force. “I speak authoritatively and I want to be quoted. Both the TUC and the NLC should not be agitated on the issue because the Federal Government is committed to protecting and creating more jobs in the country,” he said.

We believe that the CBN Governor owes Nigeria a duty to direct her on the path of economic growth and stability. His comment on the over-bloated workforce in the country especially at all levels of government actually calls for concern.

The concern raised by Sanusi should not come as a surprise to many particularly those at the helm of affair who have continued to complain about the heavy wage bill and overhead costs that impede development of the critical sector.

Although, it is regarded as an abomination for any public officer to talk about laying off workers in a country like ours that has the highest unemployment rate in the world, it has become pertinent to take a second look at the heavy burdens being imposed on governance on account of over-bloated

workforce that is usually nonproductive. There are today several federal agencies existing in some states where workers only earn salaries without appearing in their offices more than five times in a month. We should also not forget the ghost worker syndrome that some corrupt public officers had used in enriching themselves.

Just recently the Kogi State government conducted staff verification exercise in primary schools across the State which led to the discovery of about 3,000 ghost workers. The state accountant general, Paul Audu, who made the revelation, said that over 800 ghost schools were equally discovered during the exercise carried out by his office. Billions of naira had for many years been siphoned by those responsible for these schools, yet the local government areas whose allocations are deducted at source for the payment of these ghosts continued to lament over heavy deductions.

Though governments at all levels ought to put in place necessary measures to create jobs for the teeming unemployed masses, Sanusi's submission in this regard should not be ignored. Wastages must be curbed so that adequate resources are saved for improvement of infrastructure and other basic needs that are clearly lacking in the country.

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OPINION

Dredging and flood disaster T

By Chief E. A. Achikeh Government and Odekpe properly done, summoned a committees at both States and fishing that they use to sustain

he present Flood Disaster could have been controlled if adequate arrangement was put in place.

In 2009 the Federal Government awarded contract for the dredging of the right Arm of Main River Niger. During that period Odekpe Community in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State pleaded with the then Committee of Inland Waterways to close the left arm with the sand dredged from the right arm of the River Niger.

This was then accepted because it was to help reduce erosion and control flood disaster. Unfortunately this decision of the Federal

Community was changed without the knowledge of Odekpe people. In actual fact, it was reached because of the peculiar nature of Odekpe town which is the biggest Community out of 15 towns in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, and in any case, the only town with urban status. This shore-line from Odekpe to Niger Bridge Head boundary is about 15 kilometers.

Interestingly, Rep. Uwuanyi, Chairman House of Representatives Sub-Committee on Marine Transport with members of his team on suspecting the danger the State and Federal Government may face if the dredging is not

meeting at Abuja on Thursday 12/11/2009 between the House of Representatives SubCommittee on Marine Tr a n s p o r t , t h e D r e d g i n g Companies, the Consultants, the Stakeholders and the National inland Waterways Authority. At that crucial meeting Chief E. A. Achikeh represented Odekpe town in particular and Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State in general on 12/11/2009.

It is worthy to note that after that meeting of 12/11/2009, suggestions were made both orally and in writing to National Inland Waterways Authority Lokoja, Kogi State suggesting the need or necessity to have intelligent representatives as

Local Government level and that such Committee if considered should serve as “Stakeholders' contact link” between the Communities, the contractors and the Federal Government. The idea among others is to complete the dredging of River Nigeria at record time and properly too.

Uptill now, 2012, this letter is still under consideration or awaiting action to be taken. The performance percentage of some of the Contractors were assessed as being below average and it was mentioned at that public hearing.

Farming And Fishing The profession of the people of Ogbaru Area is farming and fishing and it is this farming and

themselves, train their children in schools-leading to University level as well as put up buildings as shelter.

If these suggestions were properly treated the extent of damages as a result of this present Flood Disaster would have been minimal.

All things being equal, the good people of Ogbaru have left their faith in the hands of Almighty God. For future protection, please note that “a stitch in time saves nine”.

Chief E. A. Achikeh Cabinet Secretary Odekpe Council of Chiefs E - m a i l : emmaachikeh@yahoo.com 08034722054

Powers of Midnight Prayer (1) “For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I AM THE LORD” (Exodus 12:12 KJV).

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.” (Acts 16:25 26 KJV).

One of the most powerful spiritual tools that God has given, but grossly neglected by Christians is the midnight prayer. Midnight prayer (or vigil) is the prayer done about 12.00am. From the bible and through ages, the prayers done around this particular time have always brought tremendous and unprecedented results. As a Christian, it is imperative that you live a life of vigil. There are levels you can never attain in the spirit without mastering the act of praying in the midnight. There are levels of revelations you cannot get without prolonged midnight prayers. And there are also satanic entities, thrones and chains you can never dismantle unless through prolonged midnight battles. The aim of this write-up is to awaken the church (Christians) to this great spiritual weapon made available to us by God. I believe (and by experience too) that any Christian that masters the act of praying in the midnight will ultimately control what happens in the day.

Why pray in the midnight?

Midnight (or hours between 11.00pm and 3.00am) is known to be the most spiritual active period of the day. You will notice that dreams, revelations, attacks, visitations from the spirit world (both by angels and demonic powers) often come by this time, especially when you are sleeping. And the reason is simple. Human beings are easily overwhelmed while asleep.

Naturally, the body is always weak at this time. And this makes it susceptible to any spiritual manipulation. For one to be powerful in the spirit world, the person's human spirit must be guided and lead by a higher Spirit; which in the case of a Christian is the Holy Spirit.

Let's not go farther with this explanation. All I want to say is that midnight is always a period of intense spiritual activities both by the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan .

If you must control the activities around you and dismantle Satanic ordinances in your life, then you must learn to wake up at midnight to fight against the powers of darkness. For example, look at the activities of the witches and wizards. These are agents of darkness possessed by the spirit of witchcraft. This spirit is known to be one of the most wicked spirits in the kingdom of darkness. It revels in causing harm and sometimes totally destroying human beings.

The witches don't have the word mercy in their dictionary. That is why a person; even a relation that is possessed with this wicked spirit can go ahead and destroy the closest person to him/her. And these set of agents

of darkness mostly operate in the midnight.

Their mode of operation is usually to shoot their evil arrows (attacks) while their victim is asleep. And by the time the person wakes up, he/she will see everything going wrong. They can attack businesses, ministries, marriages and relationships, health, etc.

Sometimes, destinies of the victims are taken to their Covens (where they meet) and tied. Or the victim is killed out rightly.

God knew how terrible these wicked agents of Satan are, consequently He commanded Israel not to allow them (witches) to stay alive.

Now, our interest here is that for you to battle and win these agents of darkness that mostly operate in the midnight, you must also be awake at the same time of their operation. You must wake up to render their evil arrows, enchantments, curses and incantations against you ineffective. And not just that, you can at the same cause serious and perpetual havoc on them. All these can only be possible through powerful and sustained midnight prayers.

Not just the witches, we are also aware that the most dangerous satanic sacrifices and wicked ordinances are usually done in the middle of the night. If God opens our eyes to see what goes on in our society or even around us at midnight, we will be shocked. So many people you see looking innocent, honourable and decent in the day get involved in some satanic and devilish activities in the night.

This does not stop them from coming to church, donating

money to the religious bodies and charity. Some are actually moving 'satanic altars'. How can the Christian or the church battle against all these? It's only by engaging in very dynamic, prolonged prayers; especially in the middle of the night.

Now, the bible does not keep us ignorant of the activities that go on in the night hours. Job said, “Do not long for the cover of night, for that is when people will be destroyed (people are cut off in their place)” Job 36:20.

The Psalmist calls it “the terrors of the night” (Psalms 91:5).

Then Jesus said that night is the time when the enemy comes to sow tares (Matthew 13:25). You may not believe it, most of the problems we're going through today, were first shot into our lives by demonic forces while we were sleeping. Do you know that almost everything about this life is decided in the spirit realm before they manifest physical?

This explains why some of us will always see things (including

blessings) in our dreams or visions before we receive them physically. Does it happen to you? The same is with satanic arrows. They are first shot in the spirit realm before they manifest physically.

Nothing happens just like that.

There is always a cause in the spirit realm, then the effect in the physical. We must wake up and begin to control our midnights.

This is where we have the battlefield. And our exploits here will determine how great, powerful, prosperous and healthy we will become in the daytime.

Please, we'll go into the examples of great men and women (including Jesus) in the bible; who won their midnight battles and consequently controlled the day.

Rev Agbo is the author of the book Power of Midnight Prayer and a minister with the Assemblies of God Nigeria. Tel: 08037113283, E-mail: gabrielagbo@yahoo.com

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FOREIGN NEWS Opposition: Fierce fighting forces closure of feel cut off from the outside Damascus airport for second day world."

That, he said, would leave al-

A

large portion of Syria was cut off from the outside world for a second day as fierce fighting Friday forced the closure of its largest airport and Internet access to more than 90% of the country remained switched off, the opposition said.

The opposition claims followed reports that President Bashar alAssad's forces were attempting to gain control of rebeldominated areas of Damascus, a move that raises questions about whether the government is losing control of the capital city.

Fierce fighting between government forces and rebels was reported overnight in towns near the airport, which was closed Thursday after the main road was cut off, according to the opposition and airline officials.

The road connecting Damascus to the airport was open Friday, but flights were grounded, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told CNN. It is not the first time the Internet has been shut off during the more than 20-month uprising.

But combined with reports of heavy fighting in areas of Damascus and the airport closure, it appears to signal a shift in the intensity of the fighting.

A rebel takeover of the airport

"would have a psychological effect," according to retired U.S. Army Gen. Mark Kimmitt, who was an assistant secretary

of state for political-military affairs under President George W. Bush.

"The civilians in Damascus will

Assad loyalists and Alawite minorities with very few alternatives to leave Syria.

Egypt Air has said it will cancel

flights to Syria starting Friday.

The airline cited a "deteriorating situation" around the airport, a Cairo airport official said, according to Egyptian semiofficial news agency AlAhram.

Curled from CNN

Egypt crisis: Islamists rally for President Morsi

T

he BBC's Bethany Bell, outside Cairo university, says a crowd is chanting "raise your head high, your president is Morsi" Islamist backers of Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi are holding mass rallies to support his sweeping new powers and the drafting of a constitution.

The demonstrations in Cairo come after days of rival protests by supporters and opponents of the president.

His opponents are angry that the draft constitution was hastily passed by an Islamistdominated assembly on Friday.

The assembly acted before Egypt's top court could meet to rule on whether the body of MPs should be dissolved.

Senior judges have been in a stand-off with the president since he granted himself sweeping new powers last week.

Tens of thousands of supporters of Mr Morsi, carrying flags and portraits of the president, gathered outside Cairo University on Saturday.

"The people support the

president's decision!" they chanted, while a banner read: "The people want the implementation of God's law."

Riot police stood by, with roadblocks erected to contain crowds.

Pro-Brotherhood crowds also demonstrated in other Egyptian cities. In Alexandria clashes broke out between supporters of Mr Morsi and unidentified activists, the state-run Mena news agency reported.

Mr Morsi's supporters in the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist parties had called for a huge turnout to show that the president's recent moves were supported by the public.

Under an emergency decree issued last week, Mr Morsi's decisions cannot be revoked by any authority, including the judiciary, until the new constitution has been ratified and a fresh parliamentary election held.

The decree also states that the courts cannot dissolve the constituent assembly.

Mr Morsi says he will give up his extraordinary powers once

the new constitution is approved by a referendum.

Later on Saturday members of the constituent assembly are due to hand him the draft of the constitution they quickly a d o p t e d o n F r i d a y. T h e president is then expected to ratify the draft and schedule a referendum.

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says Mr Morsi may announce the referendum on Saturday and hold it in as little as two weeks'

time.

Our correspondent says the key question will be whether the opposition can mobilise its support and get it to the ballot boxes to vote in the referendum.

On Friday, the president's opponents rallied in Cairo's Tahrir Square, chanting slogans including "The people want the fall of the regime!" - one of the rallying cries against former President Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled last year.

Some Islamist protesting in Cairo

Palestinians win de facto U.N. Recognition of sovereign state Curled from BBC

T

he 193-nation U.N. General Assembly on T h u r s d a y overwhelmingly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the world body to issue its long overdue "birth certificate."

The U.N. victory for the Palestinians was a diplomatic setback for the United States and Israel, which were joined by only a handful of countries in voting against the move to upgrade the Palestinian Authority's observer status at the United Nations to "nonmember state" from "entity," like the Vatican.

Britain called on the United States to use its influence to help break the long impasse in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Washington also called for a revival of direct negotiations.

There were 138 votes in favor, nine against and 41 abstentions.

Three countries did not take part in the vote, held on the 65th anniversary of the adoption of U.N. resolution 181 that partitioned Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states.

Thousands of flag-waving Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip set off fireworks and danced in the streets to celebrate the vote.

The assembly approved the upgrade despite threats by the United States and Israel to punish the Palestinians by withholding funds for the West Bank government. U.N. envoys said Israel might not retaliate harshly against the Palestinians over the vote as long as they do not seek to join the International Criminal Court.

If the Palestinians were to join the ICC, they could file complaints with the court accusing Israel of war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious crimes.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the vote "unfortunate and counterproductive," while the Vatican praised the move and called for an internationally guaranteed special status for Jerusalem, something bound to irritate Israel.

The much-anticipated vote came after Abbas denounced Israel from the U.N. podium for its "aggressive policies and the perpetration of war crimes," remarks that elicited a furious

response from the Jewish state.

"Sixty-five years ago on this day, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 181, which partitioned the land of historic Palestine into two states and became the birth certificate for Israel," Abbas told the assembly after receiving a standing ovation.

"The General Assembly is called upon today to issue a birth certificate of the reality of the State of Palestine," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded quickly, condemning Abbas' critique of Israel as "hostile and poisonous," and full of "false propaganda.

"These are not the words of a man who wants peace," Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office. He reiterated Israeli calls for direct talks with the Palestinians, dismissing Thursday's resolution as "meaningless."

ICC THREAT A n u m b e r o f We s t e r n delegations noted that Thursday's vote should not be interpreted as formal legal recognition of a Palestinian state. Formal recognition of statehood is something that is

done bilaterally, not by the United Nations.

Granting Palestinians the title of "non-member observer state" falls short of full U.N. membership - something the Palestinians failed to achieve last year. But it does have important legal implications - it would allow them access to the ICC and other international bodies, should they choose to join.

Abbas did not mention the ICC in his speech. But Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad alMaliki told reporters after the vote that if Israel continued to build illegal settlements, the Palestinians might pursue the ICC route.

"As long as the Israelis are not committing atrocities, are not building settlements, are not violating international law, then we don't see any reason to go anywhere," he said.

"If the Israelis continue with such policy - aggression, settlements, assassinations, attacks, confiscations, building walls - violating international law, then we have no other remedy but really to knock those to other places," Maliki said.

In Washington, a group of four

Republican and Democratic senators announced legislation that would close the Palestinian office in Washington unless the Palestinians enter "meaningful negotiations" with Israel, and eliminate all U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority if it turns to the ICC. "I fear the Palestinian Authority will now be able to use the United Nations as a political club against Israel," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the sponsors.

Abbas led the campaign to win support for the resolution, which followed an eight-day conflict this month between Israel and Islamists in the Gaza Strip, who are pledged to Israel's destruction and oppose a negotiated peace.

The vote highlighted how deeply divided Europe is on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

At least 17 European nations voted in favor of the Palestinian resolution, including Austria, France, Italy, Norway and Spain. Abbas had focused his lobbying efforts on Europe, which supplies much of the aid the Palestinian Authority relies on. Britain, Germany and many others chose to abstain.

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STILL ON ACHEBE AND BIAFRA: Cont.d on back page comment

Prof. Chinua Achebe raised by the book about Nigeria's history cannot be submerged. They will always rise to the surface. It is a 333 page, four-part1-V) book covering from Achebe's sources and interspersed with poems. I am convinced after reading the book that its aim is not to drag Ndigbo and Nigeria backwards but is meant for us to acknowledge certain events of our national history like the Nigeria-Biafra War, pogrom and genocide, and to analyse those horrific events honestly for ourselves and ask questions why those events occurred so as to guard and protect the country from future occurrences.

Denying continually that the events happened especially in face of weighty evidence is sheer hypocrisy and impedes the development of a national ethos.

There is an Igbo saying that a child who does not enquire as to what or who killed his father sooner or later suffers the same fate.

Some of the FACTS of our nation's history which will facilitate a better understanding of Achebe's book which devoted over two thirds to the 1966 crises and 1967-1970 war are as follows: Post Independent Nigeria had lost its salt and violence had erupted resulting in a military coup in January 1966.

The coup was nationally acclaimed especially in Western Nigeria and Lagos for obvious reasons. There was a counter coup in July 1966 followed by well-orchestrated pogrom against Ndigbo, resulting from the reactions of soldiers and others of Northern Nigeria origin to the January 1966 coup which later came to be regarded as an “Igbo coup”. Following the

pogrom there was a mass-exodus of Ndigbo from other parts of Nigeria to their homeland (Eastern Nigeria) thereby creating serious rehabilitation problems. An ad-hoc National Conference was convened by the Federal Government under Gowon to defuse the tensions and insecurity arising from the impasse. Chief Awolowo who had just been released from Calabar prison led the Yorubas to that Ad-hoc conference.

The Conference could not continue as a result of the withdrawal of the Eastern Nigeria delegation led by Sir Francis Ibiam because they feared for their safety arising from the continued presence of soldiers of Northern Nigeria origin in the West and Lagos.

The impasse and stalemate continued. On Monday May 1st, 1967 Chief Awolowo delivered an address to the meeting of leaders of thought of the West and Lagos at Agodi Ibadan titled “The Four imperatives”.

Imperative number three stated that if Eastern Nigeria through acts of omission and commission left the Federation, the West and Lagos would follow suit.” The exact text of the speech is in “Awo's Book on the Civil War”. (pages 18-24) that is being run now by the Tribune Newspaper.

On Saturday May 6 and Sunday May 7th 1967, Chief Awolowo led a delegation of the National Conciliation Committee to a meeting in Enugu with Lt. Col. Ojukwu (as he then was) and his team. The meeting failed to achieve its state objectives. I have read and re-read the transcripts of the Enugu meeting over and over again and cannot find the basis for Odia Ofeimun's

assertion that the Enugu meeting discussed the “creation of states” in Nigeria. I repeat that I find no evidence for this in the transcripts of the meeting as published. Chief Awolowo's central objective for the Enugu meeting was to persuade Ojukwu for Eastern Nigeria to send representatives to participate at future “National Conciliation” meetings; the AdHoc Conference convened by Gowon having become defunct.

Also discussed very extensively were the plight of the East as a consequence of the pogrom, the “blockade of Eastern Nigeria”, the ABURI AGREEMENT, “Southern Solidarity”. And withdrawal of soldiers of Northern Nigeria origin from the West and Lagos. All these are to be found in the verbatim report of the meeting. Creation of States which Odia Ofeimun claimed was the “sticking point” did not feature in the discussions. The parting comment of Chief Awolowo at the Enugu meeting is quoted in full here below: “I am grateful to you (Ojukwu) for the enlightened stand you have taken all along- the stand for freedom and equality for all the Regions of the Federation. I hope that we shall succeed. May I end by praying the people of Eastern Region that there is no doubt that they are suffering not only for themselves but for others and I do pray that their suffering will not be in vain.” (page 94).

The stalemate continued and a Sovereign State of Biafra was declared on 30th May, 1967 (more than three weeks after the Enugu meeting!) Chief Awolowo became appointed the Federal Commissioner (Minister) of Finance and ViceChairman of the reconstituted Federal Executive Council which was inaugurated by then Major General Gowon on 12th June 1967. Nigeria declared war on the fledgling State of Biafra early in July 1967. It was supposed to be a war of national unity, a war “to keep Nigeria one” and was expected to be of a short duration. An operational Code of Conduct had been issued for the Nigerian Army in June 1967 and signed by the Commander-in-Chief Major General Gowon.

However as it happened, the Nigeria-Biafra war lasted for thirty months in the course of which over two million Biafran children died as a result of a deliberate “Policy of Famine” by the Nigerian Government, and defenceless civilians were massacred at Asaba and elsewhere in flagrant disobedience to known codes of conduct of armies, the world over. Many of the starving, kwashiorkor children were

evacuated to Gabon and other places and are now permanently “lost” in diaspora. Chief Awolowo publicly defended this policy of starvation. When the war ended in January 1970, General Gowon magnanimously made his “no victor, no vanquished” and ”3Rs” declaration, for which he is still widely applauded by Ndigbo and the world. However there were very serious hiccups in the implementation of Gowon's post-war declaration starting from the obnoxious “twenty pounds” “ex-gratia” award and the infamous “abandoned properties” Saga.

Ndigbo have moved on with their lives working on the premise that they have received all the accommodation that existing structures in post-civil war Nigeria would yield to them.

They have worked, scratched and clawed their way back into the Nigerian society and economy to the chagrin of all who did not wish them well.

Meanwhile the country drifted from one crisis to another, from one “transition” to another, what Achebe called “Painful Transitions” (p.243), and has not been able to achieve sustained economic growth and development.

Forty years after the end of the Nigeria-Biafra war, the country still struggles along, unable to develop into a well-rounded nation-state that operates a modern economy, and still unable to cater for the basic needs of its over one hundred and fifty million citizens, despite the enormous petrodollars it has earned during this period. Most importantly the country has failed to define and assert fully what citizenship of Nigeria means in practical terms especially as it relates to the protection of lives and property.

The summary of Achebe's contention in his latest book is simply that Nigeria can do better and must strive to do better. He proffers solutions and even gives his recipe on how Nigeria can address and improve the present unwholesome state of our politics, our economy and our society. This is what is expected of every patriot. I am convinced that after Achebe's fiercest critics must have seen and read the book “THERE WAS A COUNTRY”, they would find that their abuse has been unfounded and misplaced. It is then that they can participate in a frank national conversation on the book, and the redefinition of the future of our country can begin.

To t r i g g e r t h e n a t i o n a l conversation, Achebe has said that his latest book seeks to raise questions and perhaps also “cause a few headaches”. For sure, the book has certainly

caused many headaches but it is important for the headaches and even belly aches to subside so that the nation can address the questions raised by “THERE WAS A COUNTRY”. It is possible that as we examine frankly and dispassionately some of the questions raised, the headaches may develop into severe migraine. It does not matter; the questions need to be raised, addressed and redressed, more than forty years after the end of the civil war, so that Nigeria can move forward faster.

For example, we need to examine whether the January 15th 1966 military coup in Nigeria was truly an “Igbo coup” to foster Igbo domination. Why did the July 1966 “counter coup” or “revenge coup” degenerate into a pogrom to be followed by the mass exodus of Ndigbo from all parts of Nigeria? Why did the entire Nigerian populace keep quiet as Ndigbo were hunted down all over Nigeria? Why could non-Igbos not develop a collective voice against the pogrom? Why was it expedient for soldiers to breach the established military code of conduct in executing the civil war? Why was mass-starvation of innocent Biafran children necessary in a civil war? Was it important to reiterate this wicked policy at international conferences? Why the twentypound “ex-gratia” award (irrespective of the amount proven in an account) to further deprive an already devastated people coming out of war from a means of starting all over again?

Why were there “abandoned properties” in a country that had become one again? Why the continued marginalization of Ndigbo as exemplified by its five-state structure compared to the other zones which have six and seven states? Why can Nigeria not develop to a modern country like the Asian tigers?

These are some of the questions arising from “THERE WAS A COUNTRY” that I shall give my views on in an attempt to kickstart a “conversation”.

With regard to the January 15, 1966 coup, being branded an “Igbo coup”, Ndigbo do not believe that it was, given (among other considerations) that Zik was President (albeit Ceremonial) and Ironsi was the head of the Army. Ndigbo were not marginalized. So what was an “Igbo-Coup” in 1966 supposed to achieve for Ndigbo?

Dr. Okechukwu Ikejiani was convinced in his autobiography (p.369) that it was not an “Igbo Coup”, “even if most of the officers were Igbo and the executors had been misled”. The Special Branch Report on the events of January 15, 1966; Brigadier Hilary Njoku's blow-

Continues on page 13

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Monday, December 3 – Sunday, December 9, 2012

STILL ON ACHEBE AND BIAFRA: Continues from page 12 by-blow account of how the coup was foiled (“TRAGEDY WITHOUT HEROES”); Peter Enahoro's 743 page bombshell of a book titled “THEN SPOKE THE THUNDER” chapters 10,11, 12, and 13, the published accounts of planners and executors of the coup namely Major Adegboyega (“WHYWE STRUCK”), Colonel Gbulie (“NIGERIA'S FIVE MAJORS”); and now the unpublished manuscript of Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna (revealed in some detail by Odia Ofeimun) have raised very serious doubts regarding the branding of the January 15 coup as an “Igbo Coup” for the domination of Nigeria. The facts simply do not add up. I shall stop at this point until the national conversation becomes much more rigorous especially in the scrutiny of the “Ifeajuna Manuscript” (because known FACTS of the January 15, 1966 suggest that Major Ifeajuna not Major Nzeogwu was the brain behind the Coup). For example the Special Branch Report is explicit that planning of the coup began in August 1965 but Major Nzeogwu joined only in October 1965.

We in the East have been vaguely aware of the “Ifeajuna Manuscript” but did not know that Chief Awolowo knew of it and had obtained to make him Prime Minister) as far back as 1967, as Odia has revealed.

Achebe reveals in the latest book that he had read the “Ifeajuna manuscript” having received it from Christopher Okigbo. If only he and C I TA D E L P R E S S h a d published it!

With this background on the January 15, 1966 coup why then did the counter-coup, the revenge-coup of July 1966 not stop at “revenge” killings of officers and soldiers of Igbo origin? Achebe had written earlier in one of his published essays and in his latest book that if the “revenge-coup” had stopped with the killing of soldiers and officers it would have been seen and regarded by Ndigbo as a “horrendous tit for tat”, and the mass exodus of Ndigbo from Nigeria, secession and war would never have taken place. I agree with him. So why then were ordinary civilians killed? Why and how did Northern civilians get involved with soldiers in executing the POGROM? Why did the POGROM continue even after the May 29, 1966 broadcast by the Military Governor of the North; Odumegwu-Ojukwu's appeal for calm to Easterners in the North on 30th May 1966; and the statement issued by the

Supreme Military Council on 8th June 1966? Why did Ndigbo have to flee from Lagos and Ibadan? (I fled the University of Ibadan where I was a scholarship student. Our Igbo Lecturers, Professors and ViceChancellor Prof. K. O. Dike also fled). How did matters degenerate to this state as the Federal Government became impotent to protect Ndigbo as citizens of Nigeria? Why did non-Igbos except for very few (like Wole Soyinka, Tai Solarin notably) lose their voices as they looked on at the horrors?

Ndigbo ascribe to this silence and acquiescence of non-Igbos that they (non-Igbos) believed that the POGROM served us Ndigbo right. It was a very bad feeling at the time. This bad feeling needs now to be expurgated. But before then the feeling like expired breath needs to be exhaled.

Ndigbo in 1967 expected Chief Aw o l o w o t o s p e a k o u t especially on the nonimplementation of the ABURI AGREEMENT which had become the “sticking point” on which secession was declared (“ON ABURI WE STAND”).

At the Enugu meeting on Sunday 7th May (p.81) Choef Awolowo had said that: “With regard to Aburi, I was taken into confidence by the Military Governor of the West, and I can assure you that he was quite as valiant as he could be in seeking to get the decisions taken at Aburi implemented, and during my recent discussions with Gowon, I told him that it was improper, most IMPROPER, for any civil servant to sit in judgement over decisions taken by the highest authority in the land”.

He continued: “I have met a lot of people in Western Nigeria, not one of them suggested that the stand you (OJUKWU) took was wrong. On the contrary they all supported the stand you took (ON ABURI)” One can therefore imagine how horrified Ndigbo and Biafra were when the Biafra information network reported that apart from Chief Aw o l o w o ' s d e f e n c e o f starvation policy, “Awolowo's attitude towards ceasefire and peace talks proposals were negative throughout. On arrival in London he said “The rebels had committed a crime and must be punished”. These statements were quoted verbatim and are reported by Suzane Cronje on page 115-116 in her book; “THE WORLD AND NIGERIA”, published in 1972. Ndigbo were perplexed by such a drastic change of attitude and since the end of the war have asked themselves why it was that these things happened.

Ndigbo do not accept that the “Igbo-coup” (spurious as it was) was reason enough to have produced a pogrom of the ferocity of 1966. We believe that the pogrom resulted from deep seated hatred of Ndigbo.

Havard-educated Prof. Amy Chua formerly of Princeton, now of Yale in her 2003 bestseller titled “WORLD ON FIRE”(346 pages) posits that ethnic cleansing assaults and ethnically targeted confiscations in a country are not spontaneous; they are always sponsored and encouraged by Governments.

In her analysis such acts are triggered by circumstances such as the January 15, 1966 coup, fueled by hate-filled demagogues, passionately supported by an aroused and angry “indigenous” majority motivated by tremendous feelings of grievance. So it appeared to have been with Ndigbo who had become labeled in a half-insulting and half-admiring manner as “Jews of Nigeria” in the 1960s. Prof.

Chua without being specific to the Igbo (who she discussed severally in her book) lists behaviours which “Indigenous majorities” find objectionable as “acting insularly”, indulging in conspicuous consumption” and the “flaunting of their ethnic pride”.

Achebe in his latest book has been more specific on the tendencies that Ndigbo must put in check as they interact with the others. Ndigbo have listened to Achebe's admonitions and advice and are using their tongues to count their teeth, but are insisting that the other micro nations in Nigeria should do likewise, because these other ethnic nationalities treat each other with reciprocal understanding and tolerance that a national character will begin to emerge and the nation will face the 21st Century world with hope and optimism.

As we embark on this new journey, Achebe insists that there are no go areas like POGROM, mass-killings and ethnic motivated violence. In his lecture: AFRICA IS PEOPLE in Paris 1998 he said, “Our humanity is contingent on the humanity of our fellows. No person or group can be human alone. We rise above the animal together or not at all. If we learned that lesson even this late in the day, we would have taken a truly millennial step forward”. I hope that Achebe's traducers are listening. We all can begin now to build the new Nigeria of our dreams; a Nigeria that caters for the basic needs of its citizens; a Nigeria that is a pride to Africa and Black peoples of the world, if

Prof. ABC Nwosu we mean to do so. This is what Achebe's book exhorts us to do and I suspect this is why he paid a tribute to Madiba, Nelson Mandela at the end of the book.

Achebe has not changed one bit, in the “TROUBLE WITH NIGERIA” published in 1983 (almost thirty years ago) he had said: “I believe that Nigeria is a nation favoured by Providence.

I believe that there are individuals as well as nations who on account of peculiar gifts and circumstances are commandeered by history to facilitate mankind's advancement. Nigeria is such a nation. The vast human and material wealth with which she is endowed bestows on her a role in Africa and the world which no one else can assume or fulfill. The fear that should rightly haunt our leaders (but does not) is that they may have b e t r a y e d i r re t r i e v a b l y Nigerians high destiny.”He then asks and answers for us a very disturbing question: We have lost the twentieth Century, are we bent on seeing that our children also lose the twentyfirst? God forbid!”

In his keynote address at the “Guardian Silver Jubilee” in Lagos on October 9th 2008 titled “WHAT IS NIGERIA TO ME?” Achebe said: “Being a Nigerian is abysmally frustrating and unbelievably exciting. Nigeria needs help.

Nigerians have their work cut out for them-to coax Nigeria along the path of useful creative development. We are the parents of Nigeria not viceversa. A generation will come if we do our work patiently and well-and given luck- a generation that will call Nigeria father or mother. But

not yet.”

He concludes his thoughts on “THE WAS A COUNTRY”: as he writes (p.252) “Nigerians story has not been, entirely, one long, unrelieved history of despair. Fifty years after independence Nigerians have begun to ask themselves the hard questions: How can the state of anarchy be reversed?

What are the measures that can be taken to prevent corrupt candidates from recycling themselves into positions of leadership? Young Nigerians have often come to me desperately seeking solutions to several conundrums: How do we begin to solve these problems in Nigeria where the structures are present but there is no accountability.”

This is Chinua Achebe for us, a world-acclaimed writer deeply concerned about his people and his country Nigeria, an extraordinary person, very clearheaded but reticent. He is not given to frivolities.

Consistency is his hallmark.

Whenever he speaks he is blunt, fearless and to the point, but always measures his words. At almost 82 years of age he has spoken again that it is not too late for us to mend our ways and salvage our destiny. So fellow Nigerians what are we waiting for? Let the national conversation begin on the way to truly transform Nigeria into a great nation. And thank you Clem Baiye for your piece in the Guardian of Friday November 2 (p.51) which convinces me that Nigerians can disagree with one another without being disagreeable, and can rise to the challenge of Achebe's latest book.

P ro f . A . B . C . N w o s u Saturday 3rd Nov. 2012

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FLASHBACK

C

hief Anthony Enahoro (22 July 1923 15 December 2010) was Nigeria's foremost anti-colonial and pro-democracy activists. He was born the eldest of twelve children in Uromi in the present Edo State of Nigeria. His Esan parents were Anastasius Okotako Enahoro (d. 1968) and Fidelia Inibokun née Ogbidi Okojie (d. 1969). Chief Enahoro has had a long and distinguished career in the press, politics, the civil service and the prodemocracy movement.

Educated at the Government School Uromi, Government School Owo and King's College, Lagos, Chief Enahoro became the editor of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe's newspaper, the Southern Nigerian Defender, Ibadan, in 1944 at the age of 21, thus becoming Nigeria's youngest editor ever. He later became the editor of Zik's Comet, Kano, 194549, also associate editor West African Pilot, Lagos, editor-in-chief Morning Star from 1950 to 1953.

And In 1953, Chief Anthony Enahoro became the first to move the motion for Nigeria's independence and consequences,he has been regarded by academics and many Nigerians as the father of "Nigeria State" Though his motion was rejected by Parliament and the northern MP's staged a walkout as a consequence of the attempt. The actual successful movement of the motion for Nigeria's independence did not take place until 1958. After Enahoro's initial attempt in 1953, Chief S.L. Akintola attempted to move the second motion for Nigeria's independence in 1957 and though his motion was passed

by Parliament it was not acquiesced to by the British colonial authorities and it therefore failed. The successful moving of the motion for Nigeria's independence did not take place until August 1958 and this was done by Chief Remi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode's motion was not only passed by Parliament but it was also acquiesced to by the British. His motion had called for independence to be granted to Nigeria on April 2, 1960 and though it was passed by Parliament and acquiesed to by the British a slight amendment proposing that the month of independence should be moved from April 2 to October 1 was proposed by a fourth motion to Parliament by Sir Tafawa Balewa in 1959 and it was passed.As a consequence of that Nigeria gained her independence in 1960.

Family Chief Enahoro is survived by his wife Helen (née Ediae),their

Nigeria’s Founding Fathers (5) Anthony Enahoro five children and several grandchildren. None of the children have as yet followed their father's footsteps into mainstream national politics, although his first son, Ken,was chairman of the National Minority Rights Movement and his third son, Victor, was a prominent activist with the American branch of the NADECO movement. His youngest child, Gabriel, has helped in the work of Amnesty International and worked with local government in England. It is expected that the death of the patriarch will see the emergence of one, if not all of his children to carry his mantle.

The five children; Kenneth Enahoro, Eugene Enahoro, Victor Enahoro, Annabella Enahoro and Gabriel Enahoro; are all University graduates and currently pursue careers in both Nigeria and abroad. They have each showed an interest in following their father into public service in Nigeria, but it is not known whether they share their late father's independent stance, or whether they will declare for and actively support any of the existing political parties in Nigeria.

The nature of Nigerian politics is such that it is widely expected that each of them will be approached to see whether they will indeed follow their father into the political arena.

Through his children, Chief Enahoro has many grandchildren, with Eugene, Victor and Gabriel being married. The latter has been married for almost 15 years to a Polish citizen, with whom he has 3 children. They currently live in London, England.

Eugene and his wife are resident in Benin City and Abuja, with Victor and his wife splitting their time between The USA and Abuja.

Early life He was born the eldest of ten children in Onewa village, Uromi, in the present Edo State of Nigeria. His Esan parents were Anastasius Asuelinmen "Okotako" Enahoro (d. 1968) and Fidelia Inibokun née Ogbidi Okojie (d. 1969). Chief Enahoro has had a long and distinguished career in the press, politics, the civil service and the prodemocracy movement.

Educated at the Government School Uromi, Government School Owo and King's College, Lagos, Chief Enahoro became the editor of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe's newspaper, the Southern Nigerian Defender, Ibadan, in 1944 at the age of 21.

AS a student then at the famous Kings College, Chief Enahoro plunged into the Nigerian turbulent liberation struggle against colonial rule in the early 1940s, leading to student revolts at the college, in Lagos where he was a student leader. He was prominent in politics at a time of rapid change. He was twice jailed for sedition by the colonial government, for an article mocking a former governor, and then for a speech allegedly inciting Nigerian troops serving in the British army. The British marked him as a firebrand, but even as he was jailed for a third time, he was beginning to reassess his position.

Politics During the Nigerian crisis that followed the 1966 coups, Chief Enahoro was the leader of the then Mid-West delegation to the Ad HocConstitutional Conference in Lagos. He later became Federal commissioner (Minister) for Information and Labour under the General Ya k u b u G o w o n M i l i t a r y Government, 196774; Federal Commissioner for Special Duties, 1975. He later became member of the National Party of Nigeria, NPN, 197883. He was the president, World Festival of Negro Arts and Culture, 197275.

Chief Enahoro was the chairman of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), a prodemocracy group that fought dictator Sani Abacha till Abacha's death.

Chief Enahoro was conferred with the national honour of Commander, Order of the Federal Republic, CFR, in 1982, and is the chairman of the Movement for National Reformation, MNR; as well as the Pro-National Conference Organisation, PRONACO. He was awarded honorary DSC by the University of Benin in 1972.

Among his publications include the treatise Fugitive Offender.

Chief Enahoro played golf and followed cricket ardently. Chief Enahoro was a delegate to most

Late Pa Anthony Enahoro of the constitutional conferences leading to the independence of Nigeria in 1960.

Crisis in Western Nigeria During the 1962 crisis in the old Western region, he was detained along with other Action Group members. Accused of treason during the Awolowo alleged coup trial, Chief Enahoro escaped via Ghana to the United Kingdom in 1963, Nigeria requested Enahoro's extradition under the 1881 Fugitive Offenders Act, preventing his application for political asylum.

Early in 1963, the new leader of the Labour party, Harold Wilson, detected the embarrassment caused by Enahoro's arrest and imprisonment. Labour went on the attack in the Commons, with support from some Tories, backed by a media furore. He was once one of the best-known Nigerians in Britain. He was the " f u g i t i v e o ff e n d e r " w h o triggered days of debate in the House of Commons in 1963 as he battled against extradition.

"The Enahoro affair" became an issue of human rights versus the government's pusillanimous wish not to offend Nigeria, and put the Tory prime minister, Harold Macmillan, and his home secretary, Henry Brooke, in a difficult position.

He was extradited from the UK and imprisoned for treason. In 1966, he was released by the

Military Government.

Legacy In 1953, Chief Anthony Enahoro initiated the selfgovernment motion in the Western House of Assembly, which eventually led to Nigerian Independence on the 1st day of October, 1960.

Sport Chief Enahoro came from a sporting background. He excelled in sports at King's College and is credited with being the first Nigerian National to gain membership of a golf club in Nigeria. He managaged to bring his handicap down into single figures during his long golfing career. He was also the driving force behind bringing FESTAC to Nigeria in the 1970s, during which time both Muhammed Ali and Pele visited the country to widespread acclaim.

All his children excelled at sport during their schooling and University years, playing Football, Rugby, Golf and Tennis. Currently, Kenneth and Eugene are avid golfers and founding members of the Saturday Society at Benin Golf Club. Annabella practices Pilates and Gabriel is an avid cyclist.

It is thought that Mrs Enahoro was the first Nigerian woman to play golf.

Kenneth (Golf), Eugene (Golf), Annabella (Pilates), Victor (Golf), Gabriel (Cycling & Pilates)

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Odd world

Police detain 7-month-old baby, parents over N20,000 debt

A

SEVEN MONTH old baby boy, Uchenna Nwoye, his parents and two others were allegedly arrested and detained by the police in Onitsha for over N20,000 debt owed by the parents.

They were arrested at Ifitedunu

in Dunukofia local government area of Anambra State by policemen from Fegge Police Station, Onitsha, for failure to pay the N20,000 to a woman Uchenna's father allegedly did business with.

Narrating the incident to n e w s m e n , y e s t e r d a y, i n

Onitsha, mother of the boy, 23y e a r- o l d M r s . U k a m a k a Nwoye, said they were whisked away by the policemen without any reason, adding that they were fast asleep when heavily armed policemen numbering over 20 forced open their door and arrested all the occupants,

including the 7-months-old boy.

She said: “On November 7, at about 2.30am, we were all asleep when suddenly, some policemen came into our compound and forced their way into our house and arrested us, including my 7-month-old baby.They took us to their bus and whisked us away to a place we later found out was Fegge

Police Station, Onitsha.

“They denied us the opportunity to call any of our relations. It was one of the policemen who saw how my child was almost suffocating inside the cell that secretly helped me to call one of my brothers and I told him where we were being detained. We spent over seven days in detention.”

Tragedy: Man slits own throat over N.8m debt in C-River

I

T was a sad tragic end for one Mr. Gabriel Agochi of Ndok in Ishibori, Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State who allegedly slaughtered himself over his inability to repay a loan collected from a local thrift association.

Agochi who was said to be in his mid 40s and a transport operator residing in Agiga in Ogoja Local Government of the state until his death had a transport company with three golf cars in its fleet.

It was gathered that in a bid to make brisk money during the ember month, he allegedly approached the local thrift association, Agiga Ususu

Association to collect loan to enable him buy additional Volkswagen golf car to beef up his fleet of cars.

A member of the association and close fried of the deceased who gave his name as Mike said Gabriel “had one golf car with which he was operating his business but early this year he came to us and got the sum of N600,000 (six hundred thousand naira) to add with his own and bought Volkswagen golf car.”

He said that instead of him to repay the N600,000 loan he collected from the thrift association, he went ahead and bought another golf in September to add to his fleet of

cars in readiness for the December rush.

It was gathered that as a result of the rains that devastated the Ogoja Calabar highway, there was low returns from the cars which made it impossible to keep to the terms of paying back the loan as agreed.

The association it was gathered had told him about two weeks ago that it was their tradition to share their money in the last week of November so that members can plan for Christmas which is the principal reason for the thrift and that the interest his loan accrued was N200, 000 making it a total of N800, 000 to be paid to the association.

The deceased it was gathered made several efforts to raise the money but to no avail so he called his elder brother who

A

Ms. Hawa Musa

MAGISTRATE court in the Federal Capital Te r r i t o r y ( F C T ) , Abuja, is addressing the case of a woman, Hawa Musa, who had a vital chunk of her breast bitten off by an enbittered and enstranged neighbour.

Ms. Musa, a 28year-old woman of Kurudu village, lost one of her nipples in a scuffle.

Explaining the circumstances in Karu Senior Magistrate Court, Abuja, she said her nipples were chewed off in an early morning fight with a

works in Abuja to come to his rescue, but his brother was said to have told him to tell the association that he was going to send him the money at the end of the month.

Gabriel according to sources was said to have told his brother that if he failed to respond soon, he might not meet him, a statement which the sources said irked his brother who wanted to know “where he was leaving to.”

But on Tuesday last week, Gabriel allegedly picked his machete and headed towards the backyard, when his wife asked him what he wanted to do with the machete, he reportedly told her that he wanted to clear grass at the back yard.

A neighbor who gave her name as Jacinta said, “It was there he used the sharp knife to tear his

neighbour.

Her words: “I came out of my room in the morning to throw away the water I used to wash my face.

“I mistakenly threw away the water in front of my neighbour, Anastasia Uche's house. She came out and started raining insults on me.

“I told her I was sorry and even swept the area where I poured the water but my plea went on deaf ears as she attacked me and tore off my cloth including my bra.

100 graves exhumed for voodoo rituals in Benin

T

omb raiders have dug up more than 100 graves at a cemetery in Benin since Saturday for what authorities suspect is a blackmarket trade in human organs and skulls for voodoo ritual fetishes.

The incident is the most serious case of grave-robbing in the

West African state, the world capital of voodoo where most of the country's 9 million residents practice a benign form of the official religion.

Authorities in Dangbo, a village 10 km (6 miles) from the capital Porto-Novo, began an investigation after a mason working at the cemetery said he spotted several masked men digging up the graves, from

which organs and skulls were removed.

"The desecration of graves is about money in this region," said Joseph Afaton, director of the cemetery. "It is for sacrifices, or for bewitching."

Body parts of humans and rare animals are prized by some people in central Africa for their supposed supernatural powers, and are used in occult

ceremonies. Traffickers often obtain human remains from grave robbers, but a recent spate of killings has also been linked to the gruesome trade.

Authorities in Cameroon in September arrested five people suspected of trafficking human body parts after they were discovered at a checkpoint carrying a severed human head.

throat and started to bleed heavily. When his phone rang and his wife went with it to the backyard to give to him that she saw the man on the ground bleeding and she shouted for help.”

He was rushed to the hospital but died few hours after and his body was deposited at the Ogoja General Hospital mortuary.

A police source in Ogoja Divisional Police Station said “There is more than meets the eye in that suicide case. A man with three cars and lives in his own house cannot sell one of those to pay his debts but had to cut himself with a machete. We are still investigating the matter any way”.

“I was trying to escape when she grabbed me and bit off one of my nipples. I was immediately rushed to the hospital where it was discovered that my nipple was missing.”

According to Hawa, after she was bitten, several people went looking for the nipple but none was found neither was it clear whether Anastasia eat it up.

Bur Anastasia pleaded not guilty even as she could not account for her neighbour's missing nipple.

A medical doctor, serving in a hospital in Gwagwalada within the FCT observed that Hawa may have to live without one nipple and that the affected part of her body required disinfection because it already had pus. He said that surgery can only be performed on the breast, next year January.

Prosecutor, Pascal Njoku, told the court that the offence contravened Section 241 of the Penal Code. But counsel to the accused, Michael Ejeh, was not in court, this week when the matter came up.

The case was adjourned to December 10.

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Health

‘C-River records zero child, 15 million Nigerians maternal death in 2011’ suffer from asthma

C

ross River State government has announced that the state recorded zero child, maternal death in 2011.

Barrister Efiok Cobham, the state deputy governor, who disclosed this at the Congress of the African-Middle East A s s o c i a t i o n o f Gastroenterology, AMAGE, at the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, Calabar, said the feat was as a result of the state government's efforts in the healthcare delivery.

Nigeria is said to have one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rate in the world at 74

deaths for per 1000 infants and 630 per 100,000 live births.

But Cobham said, “We are presently up scaling secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities in the state and have already concluded arrangements to establish a fully equipped Specialist healthcare facility in the state capital.”

The deputy governor, who spoke on behalf of Governor Liyel Imoke, the patron of the 6th congress of the association and the host, said the state government would participate in the congress fully because of its belief that it would not only be worthy hosts but also a full

beneficiary of derivable benefits from the world specialists' meeting.

He said, “As a fast developing state, we remain open for intervention from your association as may be appropriate.”

In his key note address, the Minister of Health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu, represented by the Chief Medical Director of University of Calabar, Dr. Thomas Agan, said Nigeria would partner with medical bodies around the world to address the growing incidence of digestive disorders in Africa following changing lifestyles.

One million HIV victims can't access drug – NACA

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ederal Government has said that over one million Nigerians out of the 1.5 million persons who had been confirmed to be infected with HIV/AIDS did not have access to Anti-Retroviral Drugs.

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Prof. John Idoko, stated this during a Pre-World AIDS Day press briefing.

According to him, NACA in the past three years have received $151.6m under the Phase I Global Fund HIV grant and $228m recently approved

for Phase II for the period 2013 to 2015.

He said, “World Bank credit of $225m for HIV for four years was approved by the Government of Nigeria in 2011 and a grant of N40m to support the National Call Centre for HIV and related diseases from DFID of the British Government.”

Idoko maintained that out of the confirmed 1.5 million people infected in Nigeria, only 500,000 were presently accessing anti-retroviral drugs.

He said the number of testing sites had been increased in the

T

contraceptive commodities would go a long way in reducing the death of women and children.

He said it was against this backdrop that the Federal Government launched the policy on ``Free Contraceptive Commodities Distribution'' under the family planning in April.

The minister said the move was to improve financial access to family planning, especially for the teeming population of women and youths that resided in underserved areas.

“I am aware that implementation of this policy has led to a dramatic increase in demand for contraceptives in public health facilities.

“As part of the government commitment to sustain this intervention, the government in 2011 paid its counterpart fund of $3 million for the procurement of contraceptive commodities.''

He said in spite of these laudable efforts by government, the area of human resource for service provision was still a

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he National President of Nigerian Thoracic Society, Prof. Greg Erhosa, has said that no fewer than 15 million Nigerians are suffering from asthma, tuberculosis and other chestrelated diseases.

Erhosa announced this while addressing newsmen at an annual national conference of the society in Ilorin on Saturday.

Erhosa, who works with the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, attributed the high number of Nigerians suffering from asthma and other chest diseases to lack of preventive measures.

According to him, asthma is chronic disease which has claimed lives of several eminent Nigerians and the downtrodden.

He called for establishment of thoracic health centres in each of the six geo-political zones to

country in the past three years, adding that NACA aimed to test between 20 million to 24 million persons annually in order to establish their HIV/AIDS status.

The NACA DG also said the Agency was adopting various strategies to meet the target.

He said, “Treatment is a key thing. For two to three years, treatment has been used as a n another development, the portent weapon for prevention.

United Nations has ranked The number of people on drugs Nigeria among top five has risen to 500,000 from countries in the world with the 400,000 last year. About 1.5 largest number of people million presently need the drug defecating in the open. in the country.”

The UN, which in its recent report, revealed that 34 million Nigerians defecate in the public, however, expressed optimism that ending the unhealthy practice was possible.

T h e U N I C E F challenge.

Communication Specialist Onyebuchi said this (Media and External Relations) necessitated the training of Community Health Extension in Nigeria, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku, Workers, noting that government in a statement on the World remained committed to meeting Toilet Day, said trends in the past t h e ` ` u n m e t n e e d s f o r five years allow for cautious reproductive health services and optimism that significant commodities, including family progress would be made in decreasing the number of people planning''.

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the globally who practise open President, Christian Association defecation.

Quoting a joint UNICEF and of Nigeria (CAN), stressed the World Health Organisation need for proper enlightenment.

The CAN president who was report of 2012, Njoku said, “It is represented by Mr John- estimated that 34 million top Five countries in the world Kennedy Opara, the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christian with largest number of people Pilgrims Commission said: ``I defecating in the open.”

Nigerians practise open believe that when the institutional and religious bodies defecation and Nigeria is involved are well informed and amongst top five countries in the sensitized, they will be able to world with largest number of educate the masses. people defecating in the open.”

“I believe that under proper According to him, in Nigeria, education and sensitization, it is it is estimated that diarrhoea kills not a question of breeding about 194,000 children under children; it is a question of giving five every year while respiratory birth to quality children that will infections kill another 240,000. help you to sustain the “These are largely development of the country. preventable with improvements

FG remains committed to family planning, says Health Minister he Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has affirmed that an effective and efficient family planning programme could reduce maternal and child mortality rate by 30 and 25 per cent respectively.

Onyebuchi stated this in Abuja at the 2nd National Family Planning Conference tagged Population and National Development, stating that family planning being one of the components of safe motherhood had been recognized globally as one of the ``quick wins'' for the reduction of maternal and child morbidity and mortality.

He said this has made it a key strategy for the attainment and sustainability of MDGs 4 and 5.

“In Nigeria, there has been an improvement in the maternal and child health indices with maternal mortality ratio of 545 per 100,000 live birth, under-5 mortality rate of 157/1000 live birth,'' he said.

Onyebuchi said the increasing access to utilization of quality

– Expert address the disease and other chest related ailments.

Erhosa urged the three tiers of government in the country to set aside fund for the prevention and care of chest-related problem among Nigerians.

He also canvassed for the recruitment of more experts in chest-related problem who would be in charge of preventive and cure of the diseases.

According to him, preventing the disease is not as expensive as treating it.

He said that the society would collaborate with American Thoracic Society and Africa Thoracic Society to eliminate tuberculosis, asthma and other chest-related problem.

The annual conference was attended by several medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other medical personnel from various teaching hospitals in the country.

...34 million Nigerians defecate in the open

I

i n w a t e r, s a n i t a t i o n a n d hygiene,” he stressed.

G l o b a l l y, U N I C E F i s supporting 50 countries including Nigeria to implement community approaches to total sanitation such as CommunityLed Total Sanitation aimed at empowering communities to identify their sanitation challenges and take necessary actions to end open defecation.

He said, “CLTS aims to make all communities free of open defecation by focusing on social and behaviour change and the use of affordable, appropriate technologies.

“The emphasis is on the sustainable use of sanitation.

Use their own capacities to attain their objectives and take a central role in planning and implementing improved sanitation.” Facilities, rather than the construction of infrastructure, and the approach depends on the engagement of members of the community ranging from individuals, to schools, to traditional leaders.

Communities use their own capacities to attain their objectives and take a central role in planning and implementing improved sanitation.”

The UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Ibrahima Fall, said, “CLTS is simple and an effective way of improving access to sanitation while also paving the way for their improved health.”

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Interview

Chime is doing excellent job in Enugu State – Onyeabor Gillis Emma Onyeabor, American trained engineer, philanthropist and community leader in this interview with our correspondent UBA ANI says that Enugu State stands out among her counterparts in area of security, commends the administration of Governor Chime for effective responses to the yearnings and the collective aspiration of the people. EXCERPTS What is your assessment of the level of development in Enugu State?

When I came back after I left Nigeria in 1970's, unfortunately the military junta did not allow development because they took over Nigeria for many decades, so we are just recovering and coming back. I am particularly impressed with the performance of the Governor of Enugu, Sullivan Ihenacho Chime. At first I was very disappointed on one particular issue. Yes I'm impressed with the roads in Enugu metropolis and the way the city is getting organized, it is beautiful but on my way home, my community, Amodu Awkunanaw, the only route that leads to Amodu and the neighbouring communities in Nkanu land were caught off by an erosion that washed off the end of the bridge i.e. the Nyama bridge. I gathered that for five years this interface between the bridge and the road was left unrepaired and of course it was disheartening and that gave me the opportunity to test him. Oh yes, he was tested alright because during the election we had to point out that the road is the life blood of our community and people depended on it. In terms of travel, it cuts off about 15 minute's journey for any one traveling to the state capital any part of Nkanu land; I mean Nkanu West and Nkanu East local governments. So the nonrepair of the bridge became very problematic for me in particular and the rest of the people in general. And when we protested, this was where the testing of the Governor came in.

When we protested, unlike the past military administrations, he did not step in to stop the protest and eradicate the opposition. He comported himself, listened to our grievances and has now performed.

He has now performed in an excellent manner by repairing not just the head of the bridge which we were protesting for but the entire road. This means that he gave us more than we

bargained for. Yes, more than our expectations because we did not care about the portholes on the roads, we just wanted the road to be passable so that we can have access to our community but now, he is not only building the bridge but the entire road with well designed drainage system. Now a lot of people pass through the road.

He has proceeded to make excellent water ways to reduce collapse and enhance durability. So he is doing an

community which was abandoned and we could not transport our products out for sales and occasionally there were deaths of unfortunate persons that fell into the cliff unknowingly and there were very important issues for us.

But again, I am impressed and other persons in our community are also highly impressed with the way the governor handled the issue. This is because as soon as the weather permitted, he started to implement the

learnt had been in one public office as some point or the other. Instead of introducing themselves normally, they will add the title 'honourable' to their names. Some of them will say 'I am honourable so and so'. I don't quite understand that, having come from the U.S. where such are not titles. People are just addressed by their names. I believe it has nothing to do with the African culture because Africans traditionally don't attach titles to their names.

Do you think that good followership is required for our leaders to succeed?

Gillis Emma Onyeabor excellent job.

Engr Onyeabor, were your protests done in a constructive manner and within the ambit of the law?

Absolutely. I believe we did.

We were very constructive. We were not hateful. We were not destructive or violent. We had only a single issue in that community and that was the bridge head. We were not protesting generally on his governance or anything else about him. We were just concerned that the road to our

reconstruction of that bridge head and had now completed it to the extent that I have now traveled through the road severally. Although it has not been completely asphalted but it is motorable to a large extent, so people have been using the road and this achievement is worthy of public commendation. I therefore acknowledge that he is doing an excellent job. There's one thing I discovered since I came back to this country, and that is, when I meet some people, they introduce themselves as 'honourable' some of them I

people, so they do very little and still expect to be greatly cheered and applauded. Yet they do a whole lot more for themselves, friends and cronies. It is a prevalence of favouritism, nepotism and the likes. That's been the problem of Africa. I can see changes now in Nigeria as exemplified in Enugu State by Governor Chime. The fact that he did not react in a very negative way against us when we were protesting and pointing out grey areas in his administration, he took notice, responded positively to our yearnings shows the leadership qualities in him. I wish to say that our public protest was rewarded by his attention and excellent leadership incoming to salvage our situation and took care of the issue we raised. The only hindrance was the weather. As soon as the weather permitted, he proceeded to correct the anomaly and now the people of our community and other communities around are specially excited and happy that they can now move in and out of the places easily.

Transportation is now easy for us and the people going to inner parts of Nkanu land have shorter time of travel by plying through the Amaechi-ObeaguAmodu roads to their respective destinations.

In U.S, for example, if you are a governor, your title is Governor. That is the title. If you are a senator, then your title is Senator and if you are a legislator, the same goes. So the addition of Honourable or Excellency lies in the eyes of the beholder.

We acknowledge that bad leadership is the bane of Nigeria's development, what's your take?

It is not only in Nigeria but in Africa as a whole; this is because most leaders are very selfish and do not really care so much for the good of the

Oh Yes! Good followership is imperative to good leadership.

This is because in African context, when you see someone sweeping the compound, and you say to him/her, you missed a spot and he/she pays attention and acknowledges your point of direction and moves to correct it then you will know that humility is necessary in whatever you do. So we need to be constructive in the criticism of our leaders. If we tell them that they have missed a spot, let there be a spot that is really missed and not crying wolf where there's none. We should avoid political witch hunt or

Continues on page 33

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Special Report People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad (Arabic: ‫ﺟﻤﺎﻋﺔ اﻫﻞ اﻟﺴﻨﺔ ﻟﻠﺪﻋﻮﺓ ﻭاﻟﺠﻬﺎد‬ Jamā'atu Ahlis Sunnah Lādda'awatih wal-Jihad), better known by its Hausa name Boko Haram (Hausa: lit.

"Western education is sinful"), is a jihadist militant organisation based in the northeast of Nigeria.

It is an Islamist movement which strongly opposes manmade laws and modern science.

Founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2001,the organisation seeks to establish sharia law in the country.The group is also known for attacking Christians and bombing churches.

The movement is divided into three factions. In 2011, Boko Haram was responsible for at least 450 killings in Nigeria. It was also reported that they had been responsible for over 620 deaths over the first 6 months of 2012.In the first few years of Boko Haram, 10,000 people are reported to have died from conflicts, not related to Boko Haram, about socical-economic issues.

The group became known internationally following sectarian violence in Nigeria in July 2009, which left over 1000 people dead. They do not have a clear structure or evident chain of command. Moreover, it is still a matter of debate whether Boko Haram has links to terror outfits outside Nigeria and its fighters have frequently clashed with Nigeria's central government. A US commander stated that Boko Haram is likely linked to AQIM (al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb)., although professor Paul Lubeck points out that no evidence is presented for any claims of material international support.

Etymology Nigerian states that implement some form of Sharia law (in green) The group has adopted its official name to be The Group of Al-Sunna For Preaching and Jihad, which is the English translation of Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad )‫(ﺟﻤﺎﻋﺔ ﺃﻫﻞ اﻟﺴﻨﺔ ﻟﻠﺪﻋﻮﺓ ﻭاﻟﺠﻬﺎد‬.

In the town of Maiduguri, where the group was formed, the residents dubbed it Boko Haram. The term "Boko Haram" comes from the Hausa word boko meaning "western education" and the Arabic word haram figuratively meaning "sin" (literally, "forbidden").The name, loosely translated from Hausa, means "western education is forbidden". The group earned this name due to its strong opposition to anything Western, which it sees as corrupting Muslims.However, this interpretation of the group's name is disputed, and locals who speak the Hausa language are

Boko Haram Militant unsure what it means.

Ideology Boko Haram was founded as an indigenous Salafist group, turning itself into a Salafist Jihadist group in 2009. It proposes that interaction with the Western World is forbidden, and also supports opposition to the Muslim establishment and the government of Nigeria.The group publicly extols its ideology despite the fact that its founder and former leader Muhammad Yusuf was himself a highly educated man who lived a lavish life and drove a Mercedes Benz.

The members of the group do not interact with the local Muslim populationand have carried out assassinations in the past of any one who criticises it, including Muslim clerics.

In a 2009 BBC interview, Muhammad Yusuf, then leader of the group, stated his belief that the concept of a spherical Earth is contrary to Islamic teaching and should be rejected, along with Darwinian evolution and the concept of rain originating from water evaporated by the sun.Before his death, Yusuf reiterated the group's objective of changing the current education system and rejecting democracy.Nigerian academic Hussain Zakaria told BBC News that the controversial cleric had a

graduate education, spoke proficient English, lived a lavish lifestyle and drove a MercedesBenz.

In the wake of the 2009 crackdown on its members and its subsequent reemergence, the growing frequency and geographical range of attacks attributed to Boko Haram have led some[who?] political and religious leaders in the north to the conclusion that the group has now expanded beyond its original religious composition to include not only Islamic militants, but criminal elements and disgruntled politicians as well “Boko Haram has become a franchise that anyone can buy into. It's something like a Bermuda Triangle,” said Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima.

Muslim criticism Dr Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, the Niger State governor, has criticised the group saying "Islam is known to be a religion of peace and does not accept violence and crime in any form" and Boko Haram doesn't represent Islam.

The Sultan of Sokoto Sa'adu Abubakar, the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims, has called the sect "anti-Islamic" and, as reported by the website AllAfrica.com, "an embarrassment to Islam."

The Coalition of Muslim Clerics in Nigeria (CMCN) have called on the Boko Haram to disarm and embrace peace.

The Islamic Circle of North America,the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, The Muslim Council of Britain, the O rg a n i z a t i o n o f I s l a m i c Cooperation and the Council on American Islamic Relationshave all condemned the group.

History Background Before colonisation and subsequent annexation into the British Empire, the Bornu Empire ruled the territory where Boko Haram is currently active.

It was a sovereign sultanate run according to the principles of the Constitution of Medina, with a majority Kanuri Muslim population. The Bornu Sultanate emerged after the overthrow of the Kanem-Bornu Empire ruled by the Saifawa dynasty for over 2000 years. The Bornu Sultanate of the Kanuri is distinct from the Sokoto Caliphate of the Hausa/Fulani established in 1802 by the military conquest of Usman dan Fodio.Both the Bornu Sultanate and Sokoto Caliphate came under control of the British in 1903. However, due to activities of early Christian missionaries who used Western education as a tool for evangelism, it is viewed with

suspicion by the local population. Increased dissatisfaction gave rise to many fundamentalists among the Kanuri and other peoples of northeast Nigeria.

One of the most famous such fundamentalists was Mohammed Marwa, also known as Maitatsine, who was at the height of his notoriety during the 1970s and 1980s. He was sent into exile by the Nigerian authorities, he refused to believe Mohammed was the Prophet and instigated riots in the country which resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. Some analysts view Boko Haram as an extension of the Maitatsine riots.

Origin In 1995, the group was said to be operating under the name S h a b a a b , M u s l i m Yo u t h Organisation with Mallam Lawal as the leader. When Lawal left to continue his education, Mohammed Yusuf took over leadership of the group. Yusuf's leadership allegedly opened the group to political influence and popularity.

Yusuf officially founded the group in 2002 in the city of Maiduguri with the aim of establishing a Shari'a government in Borno State under former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff. (In the year 2002

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Special Report How Boko Haram emerged in Nigeria

Continues from page 18

Ali Modu Sheriff was not a governor then; he was a senator.) He established a religious complex that included a mosque and a school where many poor families from across Nigeria and from neighbouring countries enrolled their children.

The centre had ulterior political goals and soon it was also working as a recruiting ground for future jihadis to fight the state. The group includes members who come from neighbouring Chad and Niger and speak only Arabic.

In 2004 the complex was relocated to Yusuf's home state of Yobe in the village Kanamma near the Niger border.

Human Rights Watch researcher Eric Guttschuss told IRIN News that Yusuf successfully attracted followers from unemployed youth "by speaking out against police and political corruption."

Abdulkarim Mohammed, a researcher on Boko Haram, added that violent uprisings in Nigeria are ultimately due to "the fallout of frustration with corruption and the attendant social malaise of poverty and unemployment." Chris Kwaja, a Nigerian university lecturer and r e s e a r c h e r, a s s e r t s t h a t “religious dimensions of the conflict have been misconstrued as the primary driver of violence w h e n , i n f a c t , disenfranchisement and inequality are the root causes”.

Nigeria, he points out, has laws, giving regional political leaders the power to qualify people as 'indigenes' (original inhabitants) or not.

It determines whether citizens can participate in politics, own land, obtain a job, or attend school. The system is abused widely to ensure political support and to exclude others.

Muslims have been denied indigene-ship certificates disproportionately often.

Nigeria's progressive opposition leader Buba Galadima says: "What is really a group engaged in class warfare is being portrayed in government propaganda as terrorists in order to win counter-terrorism assistance from the West.”

Beginning of violence The group conducted its operations more or less peacefully during the first seven years of its existence.That changed in 2009 when the Nigerian government launched an investigation into the group's activities following reports that its members were arming themselves. Prior to that the government reportedly

Military Joint Task Force repeatedly ignored warnings about the increasingly militant character of the organisation, including that of a military officer.

When the government came into action, several members of the group were arrested in Bauchi, sparking deadly clashes with Nigerian security forces which led to the deaths of an estimated 700 people. During the fighting with the security forces Boko Haram fighters reportedly "used fuel-laden motorcycles" and "bows with poison arrows" to attack a police station.The group's founder and then leader Mohammed Yusuf was killed during this time while in police custody. After Yusuf's killing, a new leader emerged whose identity was not known at the time.

Reemergence After the killing of M. Yusuf, the group carried out its first terrorist attack in Borno in January 2011. It resulted in the killing of four people. Since then, the violence has only escalated in terms of both frequency and intensity.

In January 2012, Abubakar Shekau, a former deputy to Yusuf, appeared in a video posted on YouTube. According to Reuters, Shekau took control of the group after Yusuf's death in 2009. Authorities had previously believed that Shekau died during the violence in 2009.

By early 2012, the group was responsible for over 900 deaths.

In June 2012, the group claimed to be responsible for the suicide bombings of three churches in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna, killing more than 50 people. In August 2012, Boko Haram opened fire inside an evangelical church during a

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Timeline of incidents

service in the northern State of Kogi, killing 19 worshippers, police have said.

7 Sept. 2010 31 Dec. 2010

Assessment

22 April 2011

Former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria John Campbell suspects the number of hard-core Boko Haram operatives is small.

Boko Haram is considered a major potential terrorist threat affecting Nigeria and other countries, and U.S. officials believe it is potentially allied with Al Qaeda. U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander General Carter F. Ham stated in September 2011 that three African terrorist groups Shabab of Somalia, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb across the Sahel region, and Boko Haram "have very explicitly and publicly voiced an intent to target Westerners, and the U.S. specifically" and that he was concerned with "the voiced intent of the three organizations to more closely collaborate and synchronize their efforts."

General Ham reiterated his concern after the Christmas Day 2011 bombings of churches in Nigeria: "I remain greatly concerned about their stated intent to connect with Al Qaeda senior leadership, most likely through Al Qaeda in the lands of the Islamic Maghreb.”

The US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence urged the Obama Administration and U.S. intelligence community in November 2011 to focus on Boko Haram as a potential threat to United States territory.

In October 2012 Human Rights Watch announced that Boko Haram may have committed crimes against humanity an offence that can lead to

prosecution by the International Criminal Court since they began documenting these actions in 2009.

Nigeria's former National Security Adviser, General Owoye Andrew Azazi, has been working with other African governments, European and Middle Eastern governments, and the U.S. government to build cooperation against Boko Haram. He met in 2010 with then-CIA Director Leon Panetta, and in 2011 with AFRICOM Commander General Ham, and other U.S. officials, and was in the United States when the congressional panel was preparing its report on Boko Haram. He participated in a CIA conference at about the same time. After the Christmas 2011 bombings carried out by Boko Haram, President Barack Obama's office issued a statement that confirmed that

29 May 2011 16 June 2011

26 June 2011

10 July 2011 11 July 2011 12 Aug. 2011

Bauchi prison break December 2010 Abuja attack Boko Haram frees 14 prisoners during a jailbreak in Yola, Adamawa State May 2011 northern Nigeria bombings The group claims responsibility for the 2011 Abuja police headquarters bombing Bombing attack on a beer garden in Maiduguri, leaving 25 dead and 12 injured Bombing at the All Christian Fellowship Church in Suleja, Niger State The University of Maiduguri temperory closes down its campus citing security concerns Prominent Muslim Cleric Liman Bana is shot dead by Boko Haram

26 Aug. 2011

2011 Abuja bombing

4 Nov. 2011 25 Dec. 2011

2011 Damaturu attacks December 2011 Nigeria bombings

5–6 Jan 2012 20 Jan 2012

January 2012 Nigeria attacks January 2012 Kano bombings Nigerian army says it killed 11 Boko Haram insurgents Boko Haram claims responsibility for a suicide bombing at the army headquarters in Kaduna.

Another prison break staged in central Nigeria; 119 prisoners are released, one warden killed.

During a British hostage rescue attempt to free Italian engineer Franco Lamolinara and Briton Christopher McManus, abducted in 2011 by a splinter group Boko Haram, both hostages were killed.

During a Joint Task Force raid on a Boko Haram den, it was reported that 5 sect members and a German hostage were killed.

15 church-goers were killed and several injured in a church bombing in Bauchi state. Boku Haram claimed responsibility through spokesperson Abu Qaqa.

Suicide bombers strike three churches in Kaduna State. At least 50 people were killed.

28 Jan 2012 8 Feb 2012

16 Feb 2012

8 March 2012

31 May 2012

3 June 2012

17 June 2012

17 June 2012

130 bodies was found in Plateau State.

It is presumed they were killed by Boko Haram members.

3 Oct 2012

Around 2546 people were massacred in the town of Mubi in Nigeria during a night-time raid.

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Events and Personalities

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson (2nd left) speaking during the opening Ceremony of the 2nd Practical Nigerian Content Conference in Yenagoa while the State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (left) the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Amb. Abdulkadir Musa (2ndright) and the Executive Secretary Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Engr. Ernest Nawapa (right) look on.

Photo by Lucky Francis. Government House, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson (2nd left), His Deputy, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd) (left), Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Amb. Abdulkadir Musa (2nd right) and the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board Engr. Ernest Nwapa (right) during the 2nd Practical Nigerian Content Conference in Yenagoa. Photo by Lucky Francis. Government House, Yenagoa

Left Right: Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, former Group Managing Director NNPC, Engr. Funsho Kukpolokun and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Amb. Abdulkadir Musa during the Opening ceremony of the 2nd Practical Nigerian Content Conference in Yenagoa.

Photo by Lucky Francis. Government House, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson (left) in a discussion with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Amb. Abdulkadir Musa (right) during the opening ceremony of the 2nd Practical Nigerian Content Conference in Yenagoa.

Cross section of family members of Late Igwe Frank Nweke of Ishi-Ozalla, Nkanu West L.G.A., Enugu State.

R-L: Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, Senator Dr. Jim Nwobodo, Wife of Enugu State Governor, Mrs. Clara Chime and Senator Ayogu Eze, during a funeral service for Late Igwe Frank Nweke (Father of Mr. Frank Nweke Jnr.), at St. Vincent’s Catholic Church, Ishi-Ozalla, Nkanu West L.G.A., Enugu State……..yesterday

Acting Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi with Mr. Frank Nweke (Jnr.) during the burial ceremony of his father, Late Igwe Frank Nweke, at IshiOzalla, Nkanu West L.G.A., Enugu State……..yesterday

Launching of GOtv entertainment Africa

THE

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Monday, November 26 – Sunday, December 2, 2012

21

Fashion Tips for Curvy Women Flaunt Those Curves

Omosexy

Most women want long, thick, beautiful eyelashes, but few are born with them.

Long, thick eyelashes are one of the best facial accessories and can make the eyes appear more striking. Fake eyelashes and mascara have long been popular with women trying to emulate the look. But few women are aware of the harmful side effects of fake eyelashes.

Blindness a risk Fake eyelashes are a necessity for 27-year-old singer Wang Na. She usually puts on several layers decorated with beads, crystals or gems to make her eyes shine under the bar lights.

Recently she found her eyes getting bloodshot, dry and itchy. A week of eye-drop use did little to improve her condition.

After seeing an ophthalmologist she learned her eyes were seriously infected.

“False eyelashes are a hygiene risk because they trap dirt and bacteria on the eyelids,” said Long Qin, a doctor at Beijing Union Hospital. “(Natural) eyelashes are very important as they protect the eyes from dust, sweat and foreign materials. However, unhygienic and substandard false eyelashes can spread infection to the most sensitive parts of the pupils.”

The Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology warned teenagers that improper and unhygienic storage of false eyelashes can cause eye irritation and infection, which, if left untreated, can result in permanent blindness.

Eyelash extensions and false eyelashes can be great, but don't overdo it. “Have (your eyelashes) done professionally for a glamorous but natural look on a special occasion. The rest of the time it is better to stick to mascara, which is much safer,” Long said.

Nicki Minaj

Don't hide under baggy clothes. Don't be afraid to wear fitted garments, garments that hang like a tent makes you look much larger. Figure-fitting but not skin-tight is the best way to go, showing that you have real curves. Body-conscious clothes that hint at your curves, without being Too clingy or Tight, are the most flattering. Don't go for items which fit too tightly, the idea is for clothing to hug your body so that is gives it definition and enhances your curves. Choosing items which are too tight will not look too classy. At the same time items which are too baggy should also be avoided. Show off those beautiful curves in a classy and chic manner. Unfortunately, wearing baggy clothes only makes you look bigger, and it hides the shape and figure that you do have. A baggy, long shirt will mask your waistline and make your body look much wider than it actually is. Layers of clothing will only add bulk to your appearance. Don't be ashamed of your body - everybody is beautiful. You Know My Motto ~ "Flaunt Those Curves!”

THE

22

Monday, November 19 – Saturday, November 25, 2012

IN THE

City

10 steps to be a girl of choice It's easy to people irresistible to people around us especially men. There are little things that can make all the different in our lives and relationship. We get this “I fell good” sensation when all is well with our relationship.

Check out there tips cause they’re worked for me 1. Always be well-groomed Think of the woman whom you consider to be the best-dressed babe in your office what kind of responses does she evoke from your male colleagues? Respect?

Awe? Lust? It's easy to understate the importance of being well-groomed, yet a goodfitting suit one that accentuates the right curves and hides the flab does wonders for your personal outlook.

“It's called the halo effect,” explains Steven Jeffes, author of Appearance is Everything (Sterling House). “People who are attractive are presumed to possess higher levels of intellect and motivation, they're presumed to be friendlier and more outgoing, as well as perceived to be capable of far greater accomplishments than those who are not. It's all based on perception.”

Well-groomed does not mean expensive or even beautiful. You may never be a movie star, but at the very least, you can look pleasant. So, take a good look at

yourself and your wardrobe. Are you wearing clothes that suit your body type? Do you have at least one nice dress to use on dates, one that really brings out your best features, one that has never failed to make heads turn?

What about your hair are you maintaining it at a suitable length? The 'halo effect' can not only help your career, but can also make you one of the hottest assets around.

2.

Learn how to cook 'The way to a man's heart is through his stomach,' goes the old saw. So, if you know how to cook, you've already won half the battle. And if you know how to cook well, then I don't know why you're reading this in the first place!

Cooking does not mean fried chicken or instant noodles (even if it does come with veggies and tuna). Cooking means curries, pies, soups, stews… and none of that out-of-the-packet seasoning. Not many men know how to cook themselves, but they all have mothers and they know the difference between a real home-cooked meal and a poor, instant imitation.

If you don't know at least four or five dishes already, then pick up a cookbook (I recommend anything by Jamie Oliver his recipes really do work!) and start experimenting. Cooking is an art, and the only way to improve is through practice. The hypnotic

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effect good food has on a man any man is well documented.

Cook your target a curry or something and you'll leave an indelible impression on his mind.

3.

Be free hearted It's been said that the most attractive characteristic a man can possess is a powerful sense of humour. Well, the same is true for women … to a certain extent.

Although it's usually the man who is expected to make the woman laugh, all men can appreciate a woman who can do the same in return, especially one who can laugh at herself.

The one thing that usually makes men better friends than women is that they know when a joke is a joke, even if it's aimed at them.

They don't take things as personally as women are likely to. If you can learn to detach yourself in this way, you'll be one of his favorite people to hang around with always irresistible.

4.

Don't be to demanding Although the movies and songs tell you otherwise, men actually love women who are independent enough to take care of themselves. Needy women mean high-maintenance, and most men to not want that kind of burden on their time and energy.

5.

Read a lot Although you don't have to be a nuclear physicist to hold a conversation with a man, most men the ones worth knowing, at least do expect a degree of

Ini Edo

intellect that is at least equal to their own. In the airline hospitality industry, stewards often joke about whether a woman could be a wife or only a girlfriend. Dumb blondes always fall into the second category.

Yes, it's true that some men are intimidated by women who seem smarter than them. But these blokes are not the ones we're interested in, are we?

Insecure men (or women, for that matter) are like orphaned earrings: you never know whether to keep them in the hope that they find what it is they're missing; or whether to throw them out because they're only cluttering up your space. But you always end up doing the latter anyway. shows. All of the above will help make you more interesting and more appealing intellectually than before. Now, even if he does get bored of gazing into your eyes, he'll never get bored of hearing you speak.

6.

Be a Smiley, not a Grumpy Smiles have always met with more success than Grumpiness when it comes to making friends. A pleasant grin lights up your eyes and makes you glow, giving you a radiance that no amount of make-up or exercise can do. It is a universallyaccepted way of showing your agreeable nature, and is easily the most effective way of becoming more sexy and attractive in an instant.

If you've got nothing to be happy about, then you've got to start from the bottom up. Start smiling even if you don't feel like it. Soon, the smiles will come easier to you, and you'll be able to do it without thinking.

Keep it up, and you'll turn your downward-turned lips into a pleasant, sunny face one he'll enjoy seeing anytime of the day.

7.

Respect his space When men date women they lose some of their personal space.

There is nothing wrong with that by dating you, they are agreeing to let you into their world to see how you like it. But like your space, their space is personal and to intrude upon it every day will make him feel crowded.

“I couldn't stand the way she just wanted to do everything with me,” says Alan, 26, in recalling a girl whom he used to date.

“Whether it was going to the pub or playing a game of football, she just had to come along. I felt choked. There was no room for me anymore!”

You have to learn to tell how close is too close and once you know the boundaries, stay out of them. A woman who can respect a man's space like that will be his favorite girl for a long, long

time.

8.

Know a little about sports Women who are able to dig the World Cup are in particularly high demand when the competition comes around every four years. Why not start doing your homework now? Better yet, why not choose a team to support? Women should know what team their men are crazy about, I am a MAN U fan just because my man is, now isn't that romantic?

9.

Have a hobby Women who are bored are unattractive because it looks like they do not value their own time and space. Men are very drawn to women who have an engrossing hobby of some sort, one that they can retreat to every now and then. Partly, it's because by having that hobby, you are declaring that your life is very much your own and is separate from his. But it is also the indefinable attraction that men have for a woman who is concentrating on something.

So, why not take up something interesting like photography or writing or paragliding? Women who write poetry are said to be very intriguing to men, because the prose they compose is often beyond the comprehension of the male mind (and very often beyond the female mind, too).

Women who can sing and play the piano or guitar are particularly sexy. There are thousands of possible hobbies out there pick one up that interests you, because that will keep you interesting to him.

10.

Sharpen your bedroom skills I suppose this was to be expected. You cannot expect to be irresistible if you don't know how to get it on. But it's more than just sex. You have to be able to give the impression that you know every trick there is to know without needing a live demonstration to prove it.

We've all met a man or woman who has given us the feeling that he or she knows a thing or two about carnal pleasure. Yet, these same people do not appear slutty or cheap, because they're not. It's in the sparkle in their eye when they look at you, or in the way their lips curl into a smile. You feel like giving yourself up to them and letting them do what they will with you, because you're positive that they know best, sex isn't everything but it is something that might break up your home or relationship if don't learn how to spice it up.

THE

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Monday, December 3 – Sunday, December 9, 2012

23

Entertainment

Tourist industry in Nigeria – towards a new frontier of development

By Okey Anyichie

T

he Cross-River government under Governor Imoke should be commended for building a very impressive tourist resort called Tinapa resort centre in Calabar, the State capital city.

This magnificent edifice of tourism has given very powerful impetus for the growth and development of tourism in this area of the country in particular and the entire country in general. It must be recalled that in 1962 when a tourist board was set up in Lagos, the body did not do much towards developing and boosting tourist industry in the country, until after the civil-war in Nigeria in 1970.

After the civil-war in 1970, with the geo-political setting of the country operating under twelve states structure with capital cities, urban areas spanned across the entire then twelve states. Again Nigeria suddenly found the “Liquid gold” otherwise petroleum as money spinning revenue yielding mineral to the delight of the citizens, though this turned into an economic illusion for the masses. However, tourism started to be taken seriously by the federal government unlike in the 1960s when the civilian government was in power. But the coming into power by the military which brought the political crises that later arrived into a civil war for three years (ie) 1967 to 1970. The military government in the 70s brought the first major movement of nationals of every black country

in the world for both arts and cultural shows. The events that were tagged “World festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in Lagos in 1977, saw dancers, musicians, playwrights, authors and different performances that delighted both body and soul the one month, the events took place in January 1977. It equally led to the development and building of Hotels and other edifice of entertainment. The

climax was the building of a standard arts theatre at IganmuLagos.

Nigerian cultural festivals held nationally in different areas of the country also promoted the development and spirit of tourism in Nigeria. Most of the states that participate in this AllNigeria cultural festival every year exhibit the rich cultural heritages that prompt even foreign tourists to visit the

Tinapa Resort Centre in Calabar

Calabar Cultural Dancers

People showcasing their Culture in Tinapa

P-Square Celebrate birthday with Agege Bread and Cabin Biscuits twins added a year on 19-Nov-2012. The talented duo however surprised all and sundry when they bought a loaf of Agege Bread, Cabin Biscuits, some candies and others stuff surrounded with soft drinks as their birthday cake.Beneath the humour in this picture and gesture lies a deep lying message of connectivity to their P Square Celebrating their Birthday fans who can not afford the luxury of throwing u n n y b u t Paul Okoye popularly a birthday bash. true,yesterday known as P Square but Happy Birthday to the sensational who I refer to as the twins still! singing duo, Peter and Nigeria's most popular

F

country during the events.

Across the country now, many areas celebrate different festivals that promote movements of people from one area to another. Hence for example in Anambra state, the Ofala festival that takes place in the first week of every October is now being sponsored by a mobile communication industry and this has added bright colours to the Ofala festival in Onitsha. The same in other places that people show-case their way of lives and also draw people from both far and near.

Equally it should be recalled that in 1986, the then military government of Anambra State started the “Mmanwu” (Masquerade) festival, which took place at Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium and later on New Yam festival complemented the Mmanwu” festival. These cultural events drew crowds of spectators from both far and near. But now that cultural vanganza is no more available for the people to enjoy and be entertained by both Anambra and Enugu states.

It is surprising that since 1970s to present the federal government is yet to take a very

serious approach towards the development of tourism as an industry in Nigeria with a lot to exploit in this potential economic force.

Look at place like Kenya in East-Africa which invests a lot in the industry and the country is better off for it. It is equally the same in other areas that harvest their natural potentials and earn enough revenue that adds to their economic development.

However, the step taken by the Cross-River state government has set the pace towards making the state a “Mecca” for holiday makers and tourists who would like to invade this area of the country to enjoy the natural beauty and hospitality of the area.

Again the state has added another activity called Mountain race at Obudu, which attracts distance runners every year, where the winner earns a fabulous amount of money. This indeed is another approach towards opening up a place for foreigners to enjoy the hospitality and interact with the people of the area and this in turn encourages Amity and concord among different class of peoples from different areas.

My most unanticipated and hated song became the most talked about– Tonto Dikeh

I

t's no longer a story that Tonto Dikeh's song has become a topic of discussion recently.

The Nollywood diva who recently had a chat with a female blogger confessed that though she loves her acting career, she is not in any way going to jump into music full time. ''I love my acting career and I don't see myself jumping into full time music. I am however shooting the

musical video of my songs, I will not let the hating stop me, '' she said Tonto also said that despite the critics and bad belle syndrome, her song has received a thumb up from youtube within a week for 5.2m downloads. '' The most unanticipated and hated song became the most talked about, most controversial, most downloaded and of course the most

listened song. I feel great, no regrets.!'’

You have heard it all, Tonto seems not deterred by whatever anyone says about her incursion into music world. Despite the monstrous negative response, this is what the delectable actress said '' I love music and I wanted to do my own thing, to contribute my own music. I listened to my songs over and over again and I told myself I did well. In

all, I see only the positivity in it, I made H i s t o r y. P e o p l e ' s opinion of how my music was has further strengthened my belief that dreams die when you let the next man's opinion get to you and I am using now to pass a message to everyone out there, if you can just do it.

Don't let anyone's opinion kill whatever dream you have or try to stop you from taking the next step. ''

THE

24

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Monday, December 3 – Sunday, December 9, 2012

FEATURES

Amaechi: Governor and his increasing headache

The challenges before Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amechi as regards to the completion of ongoing projects in Rivers State, the sources of Rivers State revenue oil wells, The Advocate Correspondent, Abraham Ajaero -Port Harcourt, takes a critical view on the depleted nature of the Revenue Commission Ordinarily, the aura and paraphernalia of office of a chief executive of a state ought to have made the Rivers State Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi a settled and happy man, free from unnecessary worries of this life. Why not? For a man who rode to political power through the courts, the Governor owe a lot of gratitude to God for His divine intervention and subsequent elevation to his present status as chairman of all Governors in Nigeria.

Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi launched himself into political lime light when in 1999 he contested the Rivers State House of Assembly seat under the platform of PDP and lost to his closest rival Barrister Uche Okwukwu of then APP. The Governor went to court challenging the outcome of the election on the ground that Uche Okwukwu was not a registered member of APP since he did not posses the party's registration card. The court saw reason with him and ruled in his favour.

As an elected member of the Assembly, the Governor had no problem winning the support of his colleagues, and backed by the then state chief executive, Dr Peter Odili, Governor Amaechi was elected the House Speaker for two tenures of eight years. He subsequently became the speaker of all speakers in Nigeria, a position he occupied before the Governorship election in 2007.

In the build-up to the 2007 elections, Amaechi had an easy ride in the state's PDP Governorship primary election and emerged the party's flag- bearer. He was denied the opportunity of testing his popularity in the main governorship election as PDP refused to endorse his candidature.

Piqued by the decision of his party, the Governor again went to court to seek redress and succeeded in upturning PDP's unpopular decision; the apex court which heard the matter ordered that Amaechi be sworn-in as the Rivers State Governor.

Indeed, after walking through these rough roads to gain access to the office of the Governor, Amaechi has a good reason to insist that he be allowed to have a quiet rest with his family and enjoy the benefits of God's favours and blessings.

On November 5th 2012, the Governor actually portrayed signs of someone who actually needed rest while briefing journalists on his performance so far as the state's chief executive.

As he reeled off his achievements in the

areas of Education, Health, Agriculture, Roads, and Transport, with enthusiasm, he suddenly became cold when asked how he intends to fund and deliver the various on-going projects he started before the expiration of his tenure in 2015. From a vintage position, one could read signs of frustration written all over the Governor's face while battling to proffer answers to the question.

According to Amaechi, the idea of resorting to the bond market for loan has not been ruled out. The state government, he said, will borrow initial N100 billion by 2013 to pay contractors to enable them complete their jobs. He revealed that the state government has been undecided whether or not to go for the loan even though the state Assembly has given its nod.

Governor Amaechi's worries increased when he further attempted to explain the reasons for the paucity of funds in the state and the delay in paying contractors to complete their jobs.

According to him, the sources of Rivers State revenue (oil wells) have been depleted by the Revenue Commission.

He said that a total of one hundred and twenty (120) oil wells originally credited to Rivers State from where government derives its revenue have been taken away by the Commission and credited to two sister states Bayelsa (74) and Abia (46). He revealed that while the 74 oil wells ceded to Bayelsa is recently a matter of legal battle, the 46 wells ceded to Abia state may not be returned to Rivers State again.

The Governor is more worried that the development is seriously affecting some key projects which he intends to complete on record time before handing over, and for which the opposition party (ACN) in the state has capitalized on to criticize his government. Prominent among the key projects include the popular Monorail, equipment of the model primary and secondary schools scheduled to take off by 2013, the equipment of primary health care Centres in the state, as well as the completion of ongoing road projects.

Amaechi had consistently maintained that he was not going to embark on any new project in the state until the ongoing ones are completed. Explaining the reasons for the Revenue Commission's action, the Governor insisted that it might not be unconnected with the rumour making the rounds that he has an interest in the Presidency come 2015. He accused his political

Gov Amaechi opponents of feeding the Presidency with unfounded and baseless stories, maintaining that he has never attended any political meeting anywhere in the world where the issue of 2015 Presidential election was subject of discussion.

Findings by The Advocate show that Ameachi's increasing headache is being ignited and sustained by some of his former political allies who fell out of favour with the Governor and have shifted base to Abuja. Accusing finger is consistently being pointed at the former Chief of Staff to the Governor Barrister Nyesom Wike, now Minster of state for education The education minister, The Advocate learnt, has allegedly been linked to the governor's increasing problems in the state. The reasons for his change of attitude is not officially made known but political pundits point at the recent clash of interest between the Governor and the minster for the Rivers/East senatorial election in 2015 as the cause of the division between the hitter-to two friends. Both political leaders in the state have been together fighting political battles since 1999 until Wike was appointed minster of state for education. His closeness to the President is said to be a source of worry to the governor.

At the home front, it is evident that all is not well between the two as each is currently oiling his political machinery waiting for the 2015 whistle.

One of Amaechi's political groups Ikwerre Youth Movement (IYM), formed in 1999 and for which Wike also used to climb to power has recently depleted in membership as all the Minister's supporters have withdrawn from the group.

The Advocate investigations revealed that Governor Rotimi Amaechi is currently having sleepless nights over the surreptitious antics of Nyesom Wike

at the Presidency. It was alleged that Wike's negative and damaging reports from Rivers State before the President is creating unnecessary bad blood between the Governor and the President which has increasingly placed Amaechi on edge.

Added to Amaechi's worries, is the sudden alignment of forces between the APGA Governorship Candidate Barrister Celestine Omehia and Nyesom Wike. Amaechi removed Celestine Omehia as the Governor of Rivers state in 2007 through the court. Now, Omehia is also in court against Amaechi, insisting that since Amaechi took over from him and was sworn-in as the Rivers state Governor on October 25th 2007, the Governor's tenure ought to have since lapsed on October 2011 when he took over, and not May 2011 when he contested for a second term in office.

The Advocate learnt that the reason for Omehia's court action which is now pending at the Apex court (the supreme court) for final determination, is to force the various governments, Local, State and Federal to recognize him as a former Governor of Rivers State and be addressed as such. Presently, Omehia's picture and name as former Governor have been allegedly removed from Government records in Rivers State, The Advocate was told.

As opposition forces continue to gather momentum, it is not clear when the Governor's increasing headache will stop.

Meanwhile, The Advocate correspondent in the state sent text messages to the Governor's Information Commissioner Mrs. Ibim Semenatari, the Chief Press Secretary David Oyofo and Nyesom Wike himself for confirmation or denial of The Advocate investigation, but as at the time of going to press last Thursday there were no reactions from them.

THE

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Monday, December 3 – Sunday, December 9, 2012

FROM THE

25

COURT

Help, my husband wants to kidnap our children Housewife

M

rs Fatimo Ajao pleaded with a Lagos court to dissolve her 19-year-old marriage over abandonment. She also alleged that her husband, Jamiu, turned her into punching bag and planned to kidnap their children.

The 35- year- old woman of 13, Odunbaku Street, Ogba, told the court that she wanted the custody of the children.

The mother of three filed for the dissolution on the grounds of what she described as “threat to life, lack of responsibility and absence of love”. ”When I delivered our last baby, my husband promised to foot the naming ceremony bills, but his phone was switched off until the evening of the ceremony when he reappeared”, Fatima said. ”My husband is not responsible; he came around 7p.m. after we had named the baby and was asking for the child's name. ”He absconded from the house after our second baby and used to come to the house once in a while, make love to me, then go back to where I don't know.

News

A

S Nigeria joins the rest of the world to observe the World AIDS Day, reports said 300,000 new cases were recorded in 2012 alone even as the country was ranked as number eight among 12 countries in the world that have recorded a decline in the new Human Immuno-deficiency Virus, HIV, infection rate.

However,Benue state still leads other states in the federation in HIV prevalence with a prevalence rate of 10.7 percent,while Kebbi state, with 1.0% recorded the least prevalence rate in the country.

Benue State is closely followed

by Akwa Ibom with 10 percent, BayelsaState; 9.1 percent and Anambra, 8.1 percent.

In Kaduna which recorded 5.1 percent from seven percent in 2008, Governor Patrick Yakowa promised to ensure zero prevalence in the years to come, as according to him, government would do everything within its power to educate the people and provide drugs for HIV/AIDS patients.

Statistics released by the Nigerian Institute of Medical

”I endured because I didn't want to be moving from one man to the other, but now that he threatens to kidnap my children, I want the court to dissolve the marriage. ”My children did not recognise their father after four years of

abandonment. He came back and when the children did not go to him, he promised to kidnap them”.

She also told the court that her husband had married another wife. ”I want the court to dissolve the

marriage and grant me the custody of the children”.

The respondent, Jamiu, a commercial vehicle driver, who lives at 573, Adebimpe Street, Ketu, told the court that he still loved his wife. ”I might not be a perfect

husband, but I know that I am better than some husbands who beat their wives”, he said. ”I want my wife to give me a second chance, I would change.

I don't want to divorce her. I am still in love with her.”

The court told the couple to maintain the peace and adjourned the case to Dec. 5 for further hearing.

My husband was a god, woman tells court

A

34-year-old man, Mr. Sunday lgbauma, told an Agege Grade A Customary Court that his wife, Oluwakemi dragged him around with his sexual organ whenever they had misunderstanding.

Sunday, who lives at 80D Oniwaya Road, Agege, however informed the court that he helped his wife wash her panties.

He regretted ever raising his hands against his wife, because,

according to him, he loved her dearly. ”I am sorry for all the wrongs I have done to my wife. I don't want to lose her. I love her with passion”, the respondent stated. ”But my wife is not exonorated from this problem between us; whenever we fight, she grabs my sexual organ which makes me to beat her hard. ”She does not respect me, she abuses me. These also make me to beat her”.

Sunday, a transporter in Oshodi, told the court that he

had changed and would not beat his wife anymore. Earlier in her submission, Oluwakemi, pleaded with the court to dissolve the five-year-old marriage over frequent beating and lack of care. The 23-yearold trader, who lives at 18, Omo Street, Agege, told the court how her husband flogged her at will. The mother of two said she developed hypertension over her estrangement with the husband.

”My heart beat fast. I lost appetite for food. I lived under fear all through the period with him. I saw him like my god and the children also feared him. He drinks to stupor, and behaves abnormally”, she said.

She urged the court to dissolve the marriage and grant her custody of the children. The court told the couple to maintain the peace. It adjourned the case to December 12 for judgment.

HIV/AIDS Day: 300,000 new infection recorded in 2012

· Benue

maintains lead in prevalence rate

Research at a programme to mark this year's World AIDS Day yesterday in Lagosshowed that Nigeriaand 11 other countries recorded 20 percent reduction in new infection rate between 2001 and 2011.

OFFICIALS of the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency, ANSACA, expressed worry over the 8.7% HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the state which ranks it fourth in the country, saying that serious measures were being adopted to reduce the scourge.

TheBayelsaStategovernment has reaffirmed its commitment to the wellbeing of people living with HIV/AIDS, according to Governor Seriake Dickson who spoke at a charity football match between the Creek Haven Young Stars and Creek Haven All Stars to mark the 2012 World HIV/AIDS Day at the Government House, Yenagoa.

Dickson said government has approved stipends for patients through the State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, BYSACA. Sharp decline in the number of

people being infected with HIV since 2001 have occurred in the Caribbean (42 percent)and subSaharanAfrica(25percent). But the prevalence increased in the Middle East and North Africa, while nine percent was recorded in East Asia.

However, there are no decline in HIV related death rates both inNigeriaandAfrica. According to the statistics, in 2008, the annual death rate inNigeriawas 192,000 but has risen to 217,148 deaths which may not be unconnected to lack of access to treatment. Out of 1.5 million Nigerians confirmed to be HIV positive, only 500,000 have access to antiretroviral drugs, which is key to managing the disease according to the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, DirectorGeneral, Prof John Idoko.

Reeling out these statistics in Review of the National Response to HIV& AIDS”, the Dr. Oliver Ezechi, Clinical Sciences Division, NIMR, explained that the global theme for this year is “Getting to Zero AIDS Related Deaths” while

the national theme is “Resourcing the National Response towards getting to the zero related AIDS deaths” Speaking in another forum to mark the Day inLagos, Director/Head, Clinical Services Department,Institute of Human VirologyNigeria, Dr Ernest Ekong stressed that there is need for all to be committed to achieving zero new infections, zero discrimination against people living with HIV and zero AIDS related deaths.

Ekong further noted that : “SubSaharan Africa remains most severely affected, with nearly 1 in every 20s(4.9 percent) living with HIV and accounting for 69 percent of the people living with HIV worldwide. Although the regional prevalence of HIV infection is nearly 25 times higher in Sub-Saharan Africa than in Asia, almost 5 million people are living with HIV in South-South-East andEast Asiacombined.

“After Sub Saharan Africa, the regions most heavily affected are the Caribbean and Eastern

Europe andCentral Asia, where 1.0 percent of adults where living with HIV in 2011.”

Ekong noted that it is a critical issue that although approximately 1,555,780 People Living with HIV (PLHIV) require anti-retroviral drugs, about one third of the group are currently on treatment.”The gender dynamics in the profile of infections and the growing burden of the 2.2 million HIV orphans inNigeriahas made it necessary for the revised policy to critically address the rising HIV prevalence among women, the expansion in number of orphans and vulnerable children.

Other critical issues which the revised policy should also address, Ekong further stated include the stigmatization of PLHIV and violation of their rights as well as their roles and responsibilities, the differences in communication messages on abstinence, condom use etc in post-primary educational institutions, and “the issues associated with increased access to treatment and care,” he said.

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Monday, November 26 – Sunday, December 2, 2012

26

ADVOCATE

RELIGION

The Advocate Gospel This Week

THE MATHEMATICS OF GODLY DEATH John 12:23-24 esus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.

But if it dies, it produces many seeds. (NIV) Narration: We are used to thinking about death negatively. And it is true that death is still the final enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26).

Death to us always means subtraction: one life taken away from a family, one less person in the world. And that is also true. We cannot deny that every death is a loss to our relationship causing further loss to our well-being which we call bereavement. But in Christ death does not subtract; rather, it multiplies. Jesus used the illustration of the grain of wheat which, when it rots in the ground, appears to be lost but because it has life within it, a new shoot soon springs up and many more grains are formed in the ear of corn. In the same way, the death of Jesus was not a waste of a good life or a disastrous end to a promising ministry. Through His death He was able to break the power of death and give eternal life to all who believe in Him. Jesus was saying that He had to die, and that the right time would be very soon. In the same way, it has been famously said by the 2nd Century church father, Tertullian, that the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.

Certainly the example of fearless believers who were not ashamed to risk their own lives has given courage to many others to put their trust in Jesus. When the first Christian martyr, Stephen, was put to death the Apostle Paul was watching (Acts 7:57-8:1) and the memory stayed with him (2 Timothy 4:16-18 ) giving him courage to face an unjust death himself. Today, more Christians are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ than at any other time in history; and yet the church is still growing as people put their trust in Jesus, whose death has given life to many millions, and as they note the example of those who have suffered so much. Today, if it is you who is suffering, then remember that Jesus has suffered before you and will bring you to His eternal kingdom. And if the fear of death is not immediate please pray for millions of your brothers and sisters who live daily under the shadow of evil.

J

Prayer: All powerful Lord. Thank You that by His death Jesus Christ has rescued many millions of people from the gates of hell. Thank You that courageous godly dying is one of Your blessings to a sinful world and a struggling church. We pray for those whose suffering is great at the moment and ask that You have mercy upon them, giving them strength throughout today and tonight. We also pray for ourselves that we will be willing to follow the example of convinced and brave Christians who have suffered before us, so that others can see how much we love Jesus and how little we fear death. In His Name. Amen.

Come to theNorth to help us, Christians plead

C

hristians in the North-East have sent an appeal to the federal and state governments across the country as well as their counterparts in the South to help them out of what they described as a grand design to annihilate Christians in the region.

A statement by a senior religious leader in the zone (names withheld for security reasons) alleged that Muslim fundamentalists are moving from house to house in the night to kill Christians in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, and the rural areas of the state.

It stated that Christians are now frightened anytime Sunday is approaching because their colleagues are being slaughtered daily despite representations to government and the Joint Task Force (JTF) to contain the high level of insecurity in the region, arguing that the Federal Government needs to pay more attention to developments in SouthEast.

“Christians are frightened for fear of being attacked at anytime to the extent that those who are bold enough to still identify with their faith now do so under cover by hiding their Bibles when going to church,” the message stated, adding

that the Federal Government, which “has done well thus far, should intensify efforts to secure the region”, the statement said.

“The Federal Government should increase the number of troops to effectively patrol every nook and cranny of the state capital (Borno) because most of the killings now take place in the rural areas of the state.”

The Christians also appealed to fellow Christians in the South to always remember them in their prayers, because “no matter what we are facing currently, we still believe in the efficacy of prayers as a way out of this state of insecurity. The situation is very grave and we need God's intervention to solve it.”

The statement listed the victims of the fundamentalists in one week to include a pastor that was killed last Sunday, a CAN leader, who narrowly escaped being killed as he was chased by militants, two Christians slain on Monday, three on Tuesday, five on Wednesday and 10 on Thursday. According to the statement, the fundamentalists move from house to house seeking for Christians to kill and forcing their wives and female children to wear hijabs or risk being killed.

Private jets: CAN faults Kukah, Bakare

C

hristian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has condemned comments credited to the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah and Pastor Tunde Bakare, who claimed that acquisition of private jets by religious leaders diminishes moral voices of the church in the war against corruption and are therefore calling for a revolution in the Church of God. National Director of Research, Planning and Strategy, Elder Sunday Oibe, told the Catholic bishop and the former vice presidential candidate of CPC, in an interview that if they have anything against the person of Pastor Ayo

Oritsejafor, they should come out and say so, and not hide under the cloak of the gift of a jet to attack the CAN president.

Oibe, who doubles as the Public Relations Officer of Northern CAN, said he who lives in a glass house should not throw stones.

He said: “If there is any clergyman in the country whose constituency is government, it is Bishop Kukah, who served every government in power in the last decade.

“He thinks people have forgotten in a hurry how he served in Obasanjo's government and turned round to attack the former president, or his fraternity with the former Governor James Ibori and his Rivers State counterpart, Peter Odili.”

Police arrest 3 for robbing priest T hree armed robbery suspects have been arrested for breaking into and robbing the house of Rev. Father Wilson Nwanu of St. Patrick's Catholic Church at the Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo.

The suspects, armed with an axe, iron cutter, iron rods, and a locally-made pistol, were said to have broken into the house of the priest on Nov. 17.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Imo, Mr Vitalis Onugu, told newsmen in Owerri that the suspects robbed the priest of the sum of N150,000, one laptop and four cell phones.

Onugu said some youth from the

community who noticed unusual activities at the Rev. Father's resident, alerted the Chief Security Officer of the Polytechnic who called the police.

He said the suspects opened fire as soon as the police got to the scene, resulting in an exchange of gunfire. Three of the suspects were however arrested with some weapons while the fourth escaped.

Onugu said the suspects, who had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Owerri, had provided useful information that could lead to the arrest of a fourth member of the gang.

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Monday, December 3 – Sunday, December 9, 2012

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Monday, December 3 – Sunday, December 9, 2012

CRIME WATCH

School proprietor, Romeo in police net over pupil's disappearance

Death in hotel swimming pool: Manager, four others arrested

By Emmy-Chuks Nweze for him and that she was going to contacted told our correspondent

I

t was like a fairy tale but it is true that little Master Onyedikachukwu, popularly called Onyedika, Ede, aged four went to his school, Precious Child Foundation School, Agu Uwani, Akwuke, Enugu on Monday November 5, 2012 and disappeared into thin air till this day.

Every effort by the parent, school authorities and the police to trace his where about have proved abortive at the time of filing this report.

The pathetic story surrounding the missing Onyedikachukwu is that he lost his mother the very day he was born, March 14, 2009.His mother died immediately after giving birth to him and his father, Michael Ede has been catering for him and his other siblings singlehandedly ever since.

Investigation shows that on the fateful day, November 5, 2012, Onyedikachukwu Ede, the missing kid went to school along with his other siblings, Ogochukwu Ede, 11 in Primary 6 and Kosisochukwu Ede, 7 in Primary 4.

In the afternoon when the school was about to close, a middle age lady named Faith came to the school and requested to collect the kid who would not be staying for lesson. She claimed that there was no food

buy him things to eat.

Unknown to the school authorities, the proprietor, Mr. Chidi Okonkwo obliged because the previous, Friday, the same lady, Faith who lived in the neighbourhood came and collected the child after dismissal.

Story has it that on that same Friday that she collected Onyedikachukwu from his school, the landlady to Mr. Ede challenged her and she left the child that day only to reappear on Monday and made away with little Onyedikachukwu to an unknown destination.

The nebulous lady, Faith whose identity could not be ascertained was said to be living with her boy friend in the neighbourhood adjacent to Mr. Ede's yard. The boy friend who is a keke driver is said to be from Imo State and plies Garriki- Akwuke Road.

Further investigation reveals that following the disappearance of the lady and the boy, the police were invited who came and arrested the school proprietor, Mr. Okonkwo, the lady's boy friend and his landlord. The case has been transferred from Awkunanaw Police Station to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Enugu who are carrying out further investigation into the matter.

The police image maker, Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu when

that he was at a meeting and has not been briefed about the i n c i d e n t .

When little Onyedikachukwu's father, Mr. Michael Ede was sought over the issue, he told a p a t h e t i c s t o r y .

“The boy's mother died the same day he was born on March 14, 2009.

“On Monday November 5, 2012, my daughter Chioma who is in secondary school called me to tell me that Onyedika has not been seen as at 4 o'clock. I then called the proprietor on phone to know if he is aware that Onyedika is missing.

“He told me that he was not aware and that he would go to our yard to confirm. I called him again and he said he was in the yard and that Onyedika had not been seen.

“He then remembered that a lady came in pretense to the school to collect him. The lady told him that Onyedika did not have food for lunch and should be allowed to go home and he agreed,” Mr. Ede narrates.

Mr. Ede disclosed that he leant that on Friday prior to the Monday, the same lady went to the school and collected Onyedika and was taking him away when she was confronted by his landlady who told her to send the child back to school which she did only to come back later the following Monday for her devilish mission.

Iranian accused of importing arms tells Court he didn’t know it was arms

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N Iranian national, Azim Aghajani, who is on trial over the alleged illegal importation of firearms and ammunitions into the country has told a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos that he did not know the true contents of the consignments.

Led in evidence by the defence counsel Mr. Gordy Uche of Chief Chris Uche (SAN) chambers, Abuja, Aghajani explained that he was introduced by his friend Ismaeel Seifian to one Mr Masood Behineh in Tairan, Iran who contracted him to help his company known as Behineh Trading Company to

ship a 13 container load of building materials to Gambia through Nigeria since there are no direct shipping line to Gambia.

He said: “They (Seifian and Behineh) told me that they have accepted to send the consignment to the nearest destination which is Lagos Nigeria. Then Behineh told me that they have already sent the container. He added it was between 10 and 12 days that the container had been in Lagos.

“They needed my services because of my good command of English and wanted me to hurry up to Nigeria because the

containers were accumulating demurrage,' he stated.

He also said one Muhammed Tukur helped him to processes the documents for transshipment to Gambia, adding that he discovered that the Shipping company had left in the bill of lading the coloumn for final destination blank and wrote Lagos, Nigeria as Port of discharge against the advise of Behineh.

According to him, there were errors in the names of Alhaji Ali Abass Usman Jega as his names were printed differently in both bill of lading and the manifest.

The trial judge, Justice Okechukwu Okeke adjourned till January 9, 10, and 11, 2013 for continuation of evidence.

Wisdom Felix Edu …found dead in swimming pool

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ONTROVERSY has surrounded the alleged murder of Master Wisdom Felix Edu, who until his death was a staff of Treasureland Hotels, Ediba Road, in Calabar Municipal Council of Cross River State.

Curiously, the tree beside the swimming pool where his body was discovered was said to have 'mysteriously' withered within 24 hours after his death.

About five persons, including the manager of the hotel had been quizzed by the police over the incident but some of them were said to have been released after making their statements. Wisdom, as he was popularly known, was 19 years and a native of Adadama in Abi Local Government Area of the State. He lived at 4 Calabar Road, before his untimely and alleged gruesome murder on November 9, 2012.

Wisdom left for work on that fateful Friday without any inkling that it was going to be his final day on earth. A family source claimed that the corpse of the deceased was discovered early morning the next day by some naval officers who had lodged at the hotel.

It had a deep cut on the head Mr. Icha Mbotor, a relation to the deceased, said he got the information about the death of Wisdom on Sunday morning when his sister, Ghada Francis Ekun, called him to break the sad news, informing him that the corpse had been deposited at the Calabar General Hospital .

Mortuary.

He said that when he got to the State Housing Police Station where the matter was

reported, the story of Wisdom's death was confirmed and that the picture taken by the police showed that the deceased had a deep cut on the head and a swollen mouth.

Mbotor said that Wisdom was wearing a wrist watch, his jean trousers and boxer, but minus his shirt and shoes. He added that Wisdom's flat stomach in the 'shallow' swimming pool which was about eight meters deep did not suggest he drowned.

He said: “Reaching the mortuary, we discovered that what we saw on the picture were real. The hotel staff claimed that he drowned, but from our observation, he was killed and thrown into the pool.” He also alleged that when the navy personnel, who allegedly saw Wisdom's corpse, drew attention to it, the hotel management allegedly claimed not to know the person and alerted the police.

“When we went to see the management, we were dismissed and they told us that the Police were waiting for us.

But getting to the State Housing Police Station, the DPO was not around and nobody connected to the case was seen, so we called the DPO who later came around 3pm on that Sunday; we got there about 8am.

Our suspicion is that he was killed. If he had gone to swim, there should not have been cuts on his head and his hands would not have folded.

He was killed and thrown into the pool.

He had complained the week before he died that he was no longer comfortable working there.

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Monday, December 3 – Sunday, December 9, 2012

29

BUSINESS

Economy records 6.48% growth despite rising inflation T

he Nigerian economy grew by 6.48 per cent in the third quarter of this year, while inflation which had fallen in the past three consecutive months increased to 11.7 per cent in October from 11.3 per cent the previous month, latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released yesterday has shown.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, which was up from 6.28 per cent in the second quarter, however, witnessed slower growth output due to decline in non-oil sector output.

“While the oil sector witnessed positive growth for the first time in four quarters, the slower non-oil sector growth was driven by growth in activities recorded in the building and construction, cement, hotel and restaurant, and electricity sectors,” the NBS said.

The oil sector contribution to real GDP in the third quarter stood at 13.42 per cent, from 14.28 per cent within same p e r i o d i n 2 0 1 1 .

Nevertheless, the non-oil sector remained a major driver of the economy with 7.55 per cent growth in real terms compared with 8.76 per cent in the

Prof Ngozi Okonjo Iweala previous year.

The NBS said: “This decline was largely attributed to decline in output in the Agriculture, Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , Wholesale and Retail trade and Real Estate sectors.”

Average daily crude oil output rose significantly to 2.52 million barrels per day (mbpd) from 2.38 mbpd in 2011, the NBS added.

The growth rate, with their associated gas components, in

real terms stood at 0.08 per cent in oil GDP as against -0.26 per cent within same period the p r e v i o u s y e a r .

Oil accounts for more than 80 per cent of Nigerian government revenue and around 95 per cent of its foreign exchange earnings.

“During the period, activities of vandals and oil theft decreased as a result of intensified surveillance instituted by government in the oil producing areas. Moreover, re-entry into previously abandoned fields by some oil majors and renewed production there from was responsible for the slight improvement in oil GDP during the period under review. The sector also benefited from the relative stability in international crude oil market price and the exchange rate of naira to the dollar during the third quarter of 2012.”

Meanwhile, Core inflation, which excludes volatile items such as food, dropped to 12.4 per cent year-on-year in October from 14.7 per cent the previous month.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had been battling to contain inflation to a single digit with several monetary tightening tools and will

definitely take the latest inflation figures into consideration today at the end of its Monetary Policy Meeting (MPC) today.

According to the latest CPI figures, year-on-year, the relative moderation in headline inflation in September had been offset by the rising cost of food items. The food index increased to 11.1 per cent in October from 10.2 percent over the same period.

“Since its year-on-year peak of 15.2 percent in June of this year, the Core index continues to exhibit a declining trend partially as a result of uncompromising monetary policy on the part of the CBN,” it stated.

The NBS blamed the rise in the Food Index on higher food prices in various classes led by meat, fish, potatoes, yams and other tubers, fruits, bread and cereals as well as the effects of the recent floods which ravaged parts of the country.

It said: “While the impact of security concerns on agricultural production has eased significantly, the higher food prices continue to reflect the impact of recent floods on the production of farm produce, resulting difficulty of moving food products to markets across the country, coupled with higher demand for food items due to the just concluded Muslim festival.

FG approves N6.3bn for ID cards project, says Omobola

T

he Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N6.3 billion for the procurement of 13 million smart-cards for the take-off of the National Identity Management Scheme.

Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the Council meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House.

Johnson said the cards were highly secured chip cards with 18 security features that would contain bio-metric data of each citizen, stating that the cards would also hold the other applications which would signal the beginning of the harmonization and the integration of government agencies databases.

According to her, the cards would also include features like the individual's National Health

Insurance Scheme, passport, pensions, drivers Licence, tax, voting data and payment s y s t e m s . ``The first set of cards of 13 million that were approved for award today would be imported but the personalisation will be done in Nigeria. ``The expectation is that come 2013 when we order the next sets of cards, they will be produced in Nigeria and personalise in Nigeria in furtherance of the local content agenda and job creation agenda of the Ministry of Communication Technology and of course of President Jonathan's administration.’ ' The minister said that every citizen from the 36 states and FCT enrolled in the scheme would get a social identity number and would be entitled to the chips. ``We are immediately going to the 774 local governments with

c o n n e c t i v i t y . ``At the point of enrolment you will be asked to show some form of identity that shows you are a Nigerian.''

FEC also approved the contract for the supply of drugs and essential commodities for the health sector.

Minister of Health, Prof.

Onyeuchi Chukwu, disclosed

that N297.872 million was approved by of Council for the procurement second line antituberculosis drugs.

The drugs, according to him, are for the treatment of multidrug resistant tuberculosis.

He said the supply of the drugs would be made by the International Dispensary Association based in the

Netherland.

Chukwu said N393.75 million was also approved by Council for the supply of vaccines for routine immunisation.

He said that vaccines would be procured through the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).

A/Ibom Govt. to support local investors

T

he Special Adviser to Akwa Ibom Governor on Investment and Industrialization, Chief Senas Ukpainah says the administration will support local investors wishing to establish cottage Industries in the state.

Ukpanah made this known during an interactive session with newsmen in Uyo, according to him, the State

Government would soon commence disbursement of N5 billion industrialization funds to qualified investors. ``A memorandum of understanding was signed on the said fund between the Akwa Ibom Government and Bank of Industry, for such purpose. ``The funds will only be accessed after a diligence check is carried out on interested investors by the state

Investment and Industrial Promotion Council to ascertain their competence,'' he said.

He said the corporation would also ensure that beneficiaries of the fund must have financial discipline to guard against diversion of the funds.

Ukpanah said this would ensure the reactivation of ailing industries in the state, adding some investors had indicated interest to reactivate Sunshine Battery industry in Ukana and Peacock paints limited in Etinan.

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Monday, December 3 – Sunday, December 9, 2012

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WOMEN WORLD Nigerian women in economic Opi Nsukka rape: Enugu Lawmaker wants culprits and political Development prosecuted Okey Anyichie

N

igeria like other African countries in quest for development and standard approach to nationbuilding exercise has involved women for the past two decades ago. Since independence in 1960, the man-power available for the development of the country in economic sector was not as abundant as it is now. But with over five decades of existence as an independent and sovereign nation, a lot of professionals are now abound, thanks to numerous institutions of higher learning, where these professionals are “baked” and “refined” into valuable materials. Hence at the turn of Independence in 1960, only one University, called University College Ibadan, which was a campus of University of London existed. However, in 1962, it became an autonomous institution of higher learning with the name, University of Ibadan. It has produced numerous materials that are impacting on the economic development of the country. Again in 1960, the first autonomous university was opened for quest for knowledge and research on the 7th October, 1960 by the then Eastern Nigerian government under Dr. M. I. Okpara, the premier. Later in 1962 three autonomous universities of Ahmadu Bello at Zaria, Ife and Lagos became the institutions of higher learning that added to the existing two universities at the dawn of independence in 1960.

With these institutions of higher learning existing from the first decade of our sovereignty, the

paucity of man-power in different locations of the economy came to an end . Even with those who trained abroad were after the civilwar in 1970 brought back to contribute towards the economic development of the country. And so with this consistent effort of economic development of the country with a large market of activities, it became imperative that the female citizens of the country should be involved as complement to the male citizens so that the stride towards economic emancipation should be an accomplished effort.

And in the decade of the 60s, Nigerian women started diving into the waves of different professional endeavours like medicine, engineering, architecture, law, education, journalism and broadcasting, pharmacy and other professions.

Hence presently one cannot count the number of female members of the professions and this goes to show that our process of man-power development had taken a fruit-full dimension in our state of economy and social development. It would be recalled that there were female pioneers in different professions, who inspired others that it would be a worthwhile exercise to name few of these female pioneers like in medicine, Dr (Mrs.) Abimbola Awoliyi, was documented as the first Nigerian female doctor, who practiced medicine in Lagos. In 1971, when she transited, her numerous obituaries inundated the “Daily Times” newspapers, showing her immense contribution in the medical field when she was alive. Later in the

legal field, a female Lawyer, Folake Sholanke, was elevated to Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) two decades ago. Now history was made in the judicial field this year (2012) when for the first time, a female judge, Justice Mariam Aloma Muktar was elevated to the post of Chief Justice of Nigeria, thus number four citizen of the country. In industry and banks, Chief (Mrs) Kuforiji-Olubi is among the great captains of industry as well as Ms Evelyn Oputu the Managing Director of Bank of Industry. In Education, since Professor Adetoun Ogunseye became the first female professor in the 70s, there are now numerous professors in different universities in the country. Even in a profession that could be regarded as a man's profession, there are numerous female engineers as well as architects and surveyors.

Now in this present administration since 1999, two female professionals, Dr. (Mrs) OkonjoIweala and Dr Oby Ezekwesili are great names that brought total female touch on the economy of the country. There are now five female ministers in the federal cabinet.

Taking all and all, it could be safe to say that Nigeria now can be proud of their female professionals that are impacting side by side with their male counterparts. And this has up to an extent provided balanced manpower in the economic development of the country. It is no longer the old slogan of “a woman's place being in the kitchen”. The old order had changed yielding to new.

By Chioma Jumbo

T

he Enugu State House of Assembly, has received the report of the ad hoc committee on incessant rape of old/elderly women in Opi, Nsukka local government area of the state with a call on the police to re-arrest the alleged rapists earlier released on bail in order to prosecute them for the heinous crime.

Besides, the lawmakers also asked the traditional ruler of Ogbozalla Opi community, Igwe F. A. Ogbuabor, to immediately dissolve his cabinet and reconstitute a fresh one in order to ensure that people aiding the criminals operating in the area were removed from the traditional cabinet.

Receiving the report which was presented by members of the ad hoc committee led by Nze Michael Onyeze (Igbo-Eze North), the lawmakers unanimously called for the establishment of a police station in Opi Town to ensure quick intervention of police in criminal activities such as rape and armed robbery which had become rampant in the area.

“The police should commence immediate surveillance of the Opi Community and this should be sustained for a long time in order to curb the excesses of these criminals,” the lawmakers demanded just as they directed the Chairman of Nsukka local government to ensure that adequate logistics are provided to

Woman drags hubby to court for inserting pepper into her private part

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middle-aged woman, Foluke Olayiwola, has dragged her husband Festus Olayiwola to an Ojo grade A Customary court, for allegedly putting pepper in her private part and also trying to strangulate her.

Foluke, a teacher said she met her husband in December 1989, and after they got married, they have being living together until 1996, when her husband started suspecting that she was having affair outside their matrimonial home. She accused him of always beating her up at every slightest provocation and inflicting injury on her face which she showed to the court.

She said that whenever Festus sees her discussing with any man, without knowing who the person is, he would always accuse her of sleeping with the man. “Each time I attended our landlord meetings, he would always accused me that I had

gone to have sex.”

Foluke, who resides at No 11, Obadiaya Street, in Ojo area of Lagos, said in 1996, she went to her sister's place and after she returned from the journey, he accused her of having gone to have sex with a man. “After much quarreling, I slept off and in the middle of the night, he put pepper in my vagina and I was feeling hot in my private part.

The next day, I ran away to meet my parents and he later came to explain that it was Chinese balm that he put in my vagina.

“He continued with his accusation until in June 8, 2008, when he tied my neck with rope at night when I was asleep.

Before then, I use to think that it was a dream and whenever I told him about it, he would say it is a dream, not knowing that it was real. Until that fateful day, at exactly 12.30am, when he first tied my neck and I was turning on the bed, thinking that it was a

dream.

He quickly untied my neck. I looked at the time and saw that it was 12 ;30am in the morning, so I pretended to be sleeping. After sometime, when he thought I had slept deep, he took the rope again and started tying my neck with it, I still pretended to be asleep, as he was still tying my neck, I just opened my eyes and he was shocked. Then, I asked him why he wanted to kill me after all the suffering I have been going through in his house.

“He now prostrated on the ground and started begging me, he even asked the children to help him plead with me, to forgive him, that it is the work of Satan. I said in 1996, it was the work of Satan, today, in 2008, it is still the work of Satan.”

Continuing, Foluke, told the court that at times, when she wakes up, she would find a knife on the bed beside her and whenever she asked him, he

would say he doesn't know how it got there. “I would call my son that made the bed and he would say he doesn't know. My husband would always claim that his actions were spiritual. I threatened to leave him several times but each time, he would plead that I stay because he cannot cope without me. Even when we relocated to a new compound, he continued with his accusations. The situation degenerated to an extent that he could not pay our son's school fees. I brought him to court because of the continuous threats to my life not just because he cannot take care of me and the children,”she stated.

After listening to the petitioner's evidence, the trial president, Bola Giwa, of Ojo grade A Customary Court, adjourned the next hearing of the matter, till December 4 2012, for the respondent, to give his evidence.

the police and other security agents in Nsukka to enhance their operation in Opi. They further asked the state Commissioner for Poverty Reduction and Human Development to immediately dissolve the Ogbozalla Opi Town Union Executive as well as the town's Neighbourhood Watch Executive to pave the way for a transparent election that would enthrone “capable and acceptable new executives.”

“The town union executives and the four Igwes in Opi town (i.e. Ogbozalla, Idi, Ibeku and Opi-Agu) in collaboration with the Neighbourhood Watch Groups should assist the police and other security agents in identifying and arresting those engaging in Indian hemp (marijuana) business in their communities,” the lawmakers stated.

Earlier while presenting the report, Onyeze noted that the committee which was set up on June 19, 2012 to carry out full scale investigation into the incessant rape and armed robbery cases in Opi and recommend ways of stopping the ugly and unwholesome act which had brought negative image to the entire community and Enugu State in general, had invited 27 stakeholders in the area who made necessary submissions that helped in successfully carrying out the assignment.

He said that the committee observed that the raping of old and elderly women in Opi in Ogbozalla was real, adding that while Opi women and their leaders were actively fighting the ugly incident “their men never gave it any serious attention.”

“The rape is most done at night; the rapists also rob their victims thereafter; most of the rapists in Opi Ogbozalla are young men who belong to cult groups especially the one known as Banga; the issue of raping of elderly and old women has brought shame to the Opi Community,” Onyeze said.

He regretted that when the alleged rapists were arrested by security agents, they were granted bail through the assistance of some politicians and prominent indigenes of the community just as it observed that there were conflicts of interest among the leadership of the community which made it impossible for them to fight the crimes being committed in the community.

Both the speaker, Eugene Odoh and some members of the House who commented on the findings of the committee, however, condemned the evil practice of raping elderly women most of whom were also dispossessed of their belongings and money, and urged the law enforcement agents to bring the perpetrators to book.

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31

Mororing

The 2012 Jaguar XF ranks 5 out of 14 Luxury Large Cars.

Jaguar XF Review

T

he 2012 Jaguar XF ranks 5 out of 14 Luxury Large Cars.

This ranking is based on our analysis of 47 published reviews and test drives of the Jaguar XF, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.

With an updated look, an interior filled with high-tech toys and standard V8 power, the 2012 Jaguar XF offers impressive performance, but lacks the comfort of some competing luxury large cars.

As a result of its exterior facelift and some welcome interior updates, reviewers say that the 2012 Jaguar XF improves on an already-competitive model. Features such as the red, pulsating start button and stainless steel shift dial that rises from the center console remain, but the big interior updates include moresupportive front seats, a color information display in the gauge cluster and additional buttons which ease use of the XF's touch screen interface.

Jaguar XF Specs & Trims Select up to 3 trims below to compare some key specs and options for the 2012 Jaguar XF. For full details such as dimensions, cargo capacity, suspension, colors, and brakes, click on a specific XF trim. If you're considering buying the Jaguar XF, request free price quotes from local dealers.

Jaguar XF Performance While most other luxury large cars have six-cylinder engines as standard equipment, the 2012 Jaguar XF puts an emphasis on performance. Base and Portfolio trims get a 385-horsepower V8 as standard equipment, while the XF Supercharged sees a boost to 470 ponies. Buyers can also opt for the top-of-theline XFR, which puts out 510 horsepower.

IG raises alarm over duplication of engine, others

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he Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar says 1,157 duplicated vehicle chassis numbers, 33, 000 duplicated plate numbers and 3, 585 duplicated vehicle engine numbers are in circulation in the country.

Abubakar, who spoke through his Deputy, Abdelrahman

Interview

Akano at the annual press week of the Oyo state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) said it was as a result of this that the police came up with the idea of Police Biometrics Central Motor Registry (BCMR).He said it was intended to check car snatchers a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y.

The BCMR became a thorny

Is difficult to put figures but the way I will put it is that: if I buy a typical co about eight years ach, for example, that will cost about N60 million; if I'm using it in another country, I will depreciate it; I will run it for about eight years in good condition. If I buy it in Nigeria, we use it for, may be two and half years. So if you look at depreciation between eight years, and depreciation over two years, you find out that you

by 6pm.He added that the data being collated by the police was to assist them in the p r o s e c u t i o n .

He explained that the police had discovered that most stolen vehicles are first smuggled out of the country and later sold in

Benin Republic as second hand.

He expressed worry over the issue vowing that the force was battle ready to stop the incident and ensure security of vehicles in the country.Abubakar noted that the BCMR is customized and would make it difficult for criminals.

How bad roads affect travelers in Nigeria. by ABC Transport CEO

The way I will describe it is that it is devastating on economic activities across the country. In terms of roads, I think Nigeria has one of the worst in this part of the world and it's taking a toll both on the depreciation of the buses in terms of their life and even in terms of journey and the comfort of the passengers. So I will say it is really, really devastating and the unfortunate thing is that this has been the situation for many years.

In terms of loss, can you quantify it on your company, for instance?

issue between the police and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).But, the police boss said there was never any misunderstanding between the police and FRSC.He further clarified that policemen due to the exigencies of their duties work 24 hours without weekends while FRSC observe weekends and close for duties

are losing six and half years of the life span of that bus of five and half years. If you extrapolate that you can actually get may be a total number of about, say, 50 coaches. And is not just for ABC Transport, it is also for other operators in the industry.

And when we talk about the buses we import, they are part of national assets because we are buying this with the foreign exchange accruing to the country; is money we would have used to buy some other things; so we are just spending

money because we are unable to maintain our local infrastructure.

How have you been coping?

Well, we are not even coping; we are operating at a loss; it's taking a toll on Nigerians. The average Nigerian who would have gone comfortably by road, to save some money, at times is forced to fly at a very great cost.

So the cost is on all Nigerians.

And at times, people shelve travels except when it is really important.

Is your company thinking of changing vehicles, may be, phasing out the big buses and replacing them with the smaller ones due to the bad roads?

Whether you are talking of big vehicles or you are talking of small vehicles, the impact of the bad roads is the same. It has nothing to do with the size of the vehicle. There is no vehicle designed for bad roads. And if it is designed for bad roads like off-road vehicle, of course it

cannot be used for passenger operation.

Is there anything the association of road transporters in the country is doing, may be pressuring the government to quickly rehabilitate the roads?

The pressure has been on for a long time, for more than ten years, and government is insensitive. So there's nothing we can do. Are we going to build the roads? We pay taxes and that's our contribution towards fixing the roads.

Few months back, association of road transporters in southeast threatened to go on strike as December approaches, which if the government failed to fix the roads in the zone. You coming from the southeast, how do you feel about the warning, and also when you drive on the bad roads?

Of course we feel bad but the solution is not strike. The issue is that we have to think ahead.

Everybody is crying now

because the dry season is about to set it, all the mud will become dust. this is the worst part of the bad roads; by the time the dry season comes and government uses mud to fill the pot holes as some little palliative, everybody will forget about the condition of the roads, and then we run December, January, February.

By March when the rains come, we go back to the same story, the same condition. So it's a cyclical thing. I think is something we need to articulate on long-time bases to fix the major Nigerian roads.

Some people said the federal government should declare the roads in the southeast as a disaster areas. Do you share the same view?

Yes. It should be declared as a disaster area or emergency areas for them to be fixed, because we are talking about roads linking a population of about 42 million people, southsouth and southeast; so it is an emergency.

THE

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TELECOMMUNICATION

Nigeria looks forward to full digitalized broadcasting in 2015 –NBC

By Chioma Jumbo

A

s Nigeria celebrated the World Television Day with the rest of the world , the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has said that the country was looking forward to full digitilization of her broadcasting sector by the year 2015.

The Director General of National Broadcasting Commission, South-East Zone, Mrs. Victoria Eke said this in Enugu during the launch of Govt, a new product that provides digital pay television service to subscribers in Enugu State. She emphasized that even NBC was looking forward to

2015 when the nation's broadcasting would be fully digitilized with television viewers having clearer pictures and better broadcasting services as they should be.

The Director General in the zone said with the coming of Digital Video Television (DVT), the current trend in the sector was just a “preparatory ground” for the gradual phasing out of the analogue mold of broadcasting. “What we have now is like preparatory ground; when the analogue TVs that we have today are no longer able to receive digitalised signals; when the whole affairs are digitalised, so these decoders would help us by serving as centre points which will bring

us signals that we want from the television stations when Nigeria goes full digital,” she said.

Represented on the occasion

by Mrs. Susan Obi, an official at the NBC, South-East zonal office, Eke also spoke on the issue of piracy which has done a great deal of harm to works of arts in the nation. Eke stressed that the commission was totally against the activities of pirates in the country as they pose serious threat to original works of artistes. “Concerning piracy, I want to state, because it is obvious, that the NBC protects its licensees, and NBC is against pirates. Several times, has the NBC partnered with the Nigeria Copyright Commission on issues of piracy and multi-

Choice is aware of this,” she said.

In her brief remark, the G e n e r a l M a n a g e r, G o t v Nigeria, Mrs. Elizabeth Amkpa said Gotv was a mass market product which the company was being introduced for the first time in the eastern part of the country “to provide high quality digital pay television service to the people of Enugu State.”

Amkpa said in providing the service, the company adopted a cost-effective model by using the “most advanced Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB-T2) technology the first of its kind on the African continent” On how the company can avoid cultural imperialism, which people say might affect

Nigerian television viewers especially children through the cable network service or decoder , she said, the commission had a parental control device that made it possible for parents to monitor and censor accordingly what the kids watched. “So if you don't want your children to watch any channel, you can block that channel; and what the NBC does is that they monitor us 24 hours a day; the NBC has DSTV and the GOTV in their offices. So we are wellmonitored; we are wellregulated. So the NBC has been a Big brother watching us 24 hours every day of our lives,” she explained.

Student calls for curriculum review of IT related courses Mr Okafor Chukwuemeka, zonal coordinator, Nigerian Association of Computer Science Students (NACOSS), northern region, on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to review the curriculum of IT related courses in higher institutions.

Chukwuemeka stated this during an interview in Abuja, according to him, the review was necessary if the desire to use information technology to address the nation's problems must be achieved.

He affirmed that more than 70 per cent of the computer programming and languages being taught in most Nigerian universities were now outdated compared to modern day technology.

“Right now, new languages are being introduced every day. For instance, sometime last year HTMO5 and CSS3 were introduced as a web-based technology and the future of mobile technology and these things are not taught in schools.

“What we keep seeing in schools are languages that are not subject oriented.

“It is very important that we have to do something, precisely review our academic curriculum, because without doing this there is nothing we can achieve,'' he said.

He explained that the present school curriculum did not favour innovation and skill acquisition because IT had gone beyond that level.

“There is a different between future contributors and future

users of IT. A trader can always buy a laptop and access his mails, he is a user.

“But someone who actually goes to school to learn computer or IT related courses is a future contributor, if he is adequately taught, he can actually come out with innovative solution to address national problems.''

He expressed doubt of Nigerian IT students competing with their foreign counterparts in U.S., Korea and India, if the nation continued with the current curriculum.

Chukwuemeka also urged government to invest more in the ICT by putting necessary facilities in place to motivate private investment in the sector as witnessed in telecom sector.

“For there to be mass acquisition of knowledge, we also need to have ICT incubation centres all over the country, at least two to four centres in each state.

“These are things we are asking for, so that people who have the skill will have the fora where they gather to actually share idea and come up with innovative so lutions,'' Chukwuemeka added. Mr Kalu

Dimba, Also a graduate of Computer Science, Kalu Dimgba urged IT related professional bodies to establish IT centres with updated facilities across the country.

Dimba said it is worrisome that after leaving school most students had to learn modern day IT with huge sum of money because of obsolete facilities available in schools.

He said such centres would go a long way in helping student to be acquainted with the twenty first century innovations in ICT. “I am calling on professional bodies like the CPN, ITAN to

Trainees at an ICT Centre

help us out without waiting for the government with system of long protocol involving committees and reports.

“We are calling on them to establish the training centres in all the 36 states if possible or across the six geo-political zones to train IT persons on any of the IT skills.

“IT is all about skills and practical, it is not something you can sit down in your room and read all the books in the world and become a philosopher. IT is hands on the practical, while you read, you work.''

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How Boko Haram emerged in Nigeria Continues from page 19 the U.S. and Nigeria were cooperating at a senior level against the terrorist group.

Strategy recruiting

and

In March 2012, it was reported that Boko Haram had taken a strategy to simulate convoys of high-profile Nigerians to access target buildings that are secured with fortifications. Boko Haram has also reportedly attacked Christian worship centres to "trigger reprisal in all parts of the country," distracting authorities so they can unleash attacks elsewhere.

It was gathered that the group uses internet to propagate its activities and enhance its radicalisation and circulation of extremist ideologies. Boko Haram is reportedly planning to greatly increase its following in many states. Talk of Naija reported that Boko Haram has been involved in a recruitment drive, and they are allegedly targeting Muslims between ages of 17 and 30, and have also been recruiting freed prisoners through prison breaks.

Interview Continues from page 17 trying to make them fail so that your own political group will take over. In fact, good followership entails telling leaders what should be done and that helps to move the society forward. This might as well help such good followers when they would aspire for leadership, people will want to support them. They would acknowledge that such person was constructively criticizing before and so he has a chance to do positive things. I think such persons will be given opportunity to come on board too. It is not this kind of negative minds who would just want to attack people without proposing solutions to prevailing problems; only just attacking and attacking. Then we really don't want such persons in government. I believe that educating the masses in Africa about good governance, about what democracy really mean, is very necessary. That will enable us to create the type of political and economic environment that we desire. We need to make them understand that democracy means that you can speak out but that it should be done constructively.

What is your level assessment of the security

Funding In February 2012, recently arrested officials revealed that "while the organisation initially relied on donations from members, its links with AlQaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, AQIM, opened it up to more funding from groups in Saudi Arabia and the UK." They went on to say that other sources of funding included the Al Muntada Trust Fund and the Islamic World Society. In the past, Nigerian officials have been criticised for being unable to trace much of the funding that Boko Haram has received.

A spokesman of Boko Haram also claimed that Kano state governor Ibrahim Shekarau and Bauchi state governor Isa Yuguda had paid them monthly.

Death of Abu Qaqa On 19 September 2012, reports materialised in the press that the group's spokesperson, Abu Qaqa, had been killed in a battle with Nigerian military personnel. However, the group has not confirmed this to date.

The military has previously claimed to have arrested Abu Qaqa but this was denied by

Victims of Boko Haram attack Boko Haram, who said the wrong man had been detained.

According to the joint military task force, they had stopped a car suspected to be transporting senior Boko Haram

commanders in Kano. A source close to the military said one of the people in the car tried to escape and was shot, later dying in hospital. The source said some of the people in the car

informed the military that this person was Abu Qaqa.

However, analysts note that Abu Qaqa is an alias and therefore establishing his true identity will be difficult.

Chime is doing excellent job in Enugu State – Onyeabor situation in Enugu State?

Well, Enugu is very well secured from all accounts when compared to other cities in Nigeria. Though there are minor issues here and there but it is nor rampant as obtained in some states. There's always an issue of security in every society. We should applaud the congress members in the Enugu State House of Assembly for banning of 'Okada' from operating in the coal city because it was discovered that there were rampant use of the motorcycle to perpetrate crime. This is not to talk of the hazardous ways they ride on the roads causing all sorts of traffic problems.

That reduces it. Now there will be no quick get-away for criminals.

What strategy do you proffer to tackle insecurity in Nigeria? Do you support the creation of state police or do you support community policing?

I believe that community policing is the way to go. I also believe that community vigilante group is really the way

to go but vigilante with caution and not to take the laws into their hands. They should apprehend, use cameras to take pictures and hand them over to police. Sometimes you need to simply take pictures and use that to help the law enforcement agencies to do their jobs. There are many people carrying camera cell phones these days, yet they don't use them. We need to educate the people that they also help fight crime, and consequently save people's lives by simply using their cameras in capturing images of someone that is in the process of committing crime or someone who may be exhibiting a character that is unbecoming of a good citizen. So when the citizens take security issue seriously, it would be solved to a large extent because you don't know who is watching. You may not expect to see a policeman there for someone to be arrested for doing something wrong because it may be just ordinary citizens passing by that are capturing images of a crime.

They could be used in videos, photographs and even the issue of Bokoharam can be arrested

using the same methods.

In the issue of state police, I don't think Nigeria is mature enough for that yet. This is because in America, the government does not use its agencies to carry out political

vendetta to the extent that we may do in Africa, such that we are most likely to do in Africa.

When the Governor is in charge of the police, except the likes of Governor Chime, might use it to suppress the opposition.

Gillis Emma Onyeabor

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NEWS FROM STATES

How to strengthen LGs – Atiku, Nnamani, US Consul General, others

By Chioma Jumbo

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O deepen democracy, provide needed services and improve the lot of the citizenry, Nigeria's local councils must be strengthened and made autonomous.

This was the consensus of eminent persons and stakeholders who converged on Nike Lake resort, Enugu for a three-day parley on how to rediscover the local councils organized by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) last week.

Wi t h t h e m e : “ N a t i o n a l Conference on rediscovering the Nigerian Local Government System in the Emerging Constitution,” eminent persons, who spoke at the forum include former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani; Governors Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Raji F as h o la ( Lag o s ) ; A ctin g Governor of Enugu State, Sunday Onyebuchi; United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb Terence McCulley, who was represented by Consul General, Jeff Hawkins; ALGON President, Ozo Nwabueze Okafor and leaders of the association from all parts of the country; Profs Mohammed Tawfiq Ladan and Haruna; Dr Remi Ayoade; a team of Mayors from the United States of America including Eugene W. Grant (Seattle) and President of the Forum of Local Government Federations, Canada, Dr Rupak Chattopadhyay.

Although, speaker after speaker, at the forum agreed on the need to strengthen the councils financially and democratically, they however differed on the approach. While some urged direct allocation to the councils and abrogation of the state-local government joint account, some opposed the idea, saying it might be counter-productive in the long run. There were also suggestions that the councils should boost their internal revenue generation and depend less on statutory allocation.

Fashola, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Political Affairs and Legislative Matters, Hon Musilim Folarin, said the federal arrangement in the country was non-negotiable because it is the surest to enhance development. He urged true fiscal and political federalism and devolution of power to the constituent units for every section to develop at its own pace.

He also restated the need for

state police noting however that the overall objective of governance at all levels is to improve governance and provide direly needed services and amenities to the citizenry.

Relatedly, Grant lamented that only 365 local councils in Nigeria have elected administration. Aside strengthening the councils, he advised Nigerians “to go back and ensure that your people are actually elected because Nigerian people must control their government.”

In like manner, Nnamani decried the prevalence of unelected governments in most states, noting that development strides were being witnessed in councils where democracy prevails. He opposed state-local government joint account arguing that there is need for council budgets to be debated like those of the states and federal governments Onyebuchi stressed the need for the strengthening of the councils because the council system is very vital in development of the council. He said that elsewhere, socio-economic advancement of countries was measured by the well-being of their rural citizens.

Atiku Recalling how he inaugurated the ALGON on November 30, 1999 and lofty objectives of the organization, Atiku said most of those objectives have been r e a l i z e d 1 3 y e a r s a f t e r.

However, he said a lot of challenges still remain.

Said Atiku, who canvassed for resource control by the federating units and remittance of 70 per cent to the centre: “There is still a lot of work to be done. There are still objectives to be met and goals to attain. An issue at the forefront of current discussions on constitution amendment is the autonomy of local governments. Nigeria's local governments still lack reasonable autonomy to provide services and implement development projects for the local populations in an efficient and timely manner. Taking a cue from the overbearing federal Government, state governments have been overbearing in their relationship with local administrations. Many have been abusing the joint statelocal government accounts by tampering with local government funds as reports and p e t i t i o n s m a k e c l e a r.

Interestingly while these abuses go on many local government leaders are unable to say so for fear of angering their state governments.

“The direct allocation of funds from the federation to local governments was meant to ensure that the local governments get development funds from the centre in order to enhance their operational capacity. At the same time the joint state-local government account was meant to acknowledge the rightful role of the federating units in local government administration.

However the control that the state governments have over the joint account has ensured that the development objective of the direct allocation is not met.

And it has left the local government worse off than they were prior to that policy shift.

“We need to re-examine our conception of local government administration. Should we continue with the practice of federal Government creating local governments across the country and allocating resources to them directly? Or should it be left in the hands of federating states to decide for themselves the system of local government and the number of local authorities they need because of our historical and cultural differences?

“In my view there are three critical issues here. First is the structure of our federation; the second is our political practice; and the third is our disregard for rules and regulations. In a federation local administration ought to be left in the hands of federating states or regions rather than an awkward situation where the local governments deal directly with the Federal government while sidetracking the state governments. The federating units should be left to determine the system and number of local governments and fund them accordingly in accordance with their historical and cultural peculiarities and development needs. Our focus should be on ensuring a more effective local administration, responsible fiscal management and a c c o u n t a b i l i t y. A n d t h e proximity of state governments to local governments makes them more suited for that than the more federal government.

“On the question of political practice, for as long as our politics remains the domain of controlling godfathers at the federal and state levels devoid of internal party democracy, so long will our local governments remain at the beck and call of whomever chooses contestants for local electoral offices. The point is that even if local government funds come

directly from the Federal Government and without the mediation of joint state-local government accounts, the dominant role of governors, rather than party members, in selecting candidates for local electoral offices, would still not ensure autonomous, effective and responsive local government administration. We need to find ways to ensure internal party democracy so that the selection of candidates for elections to the local and other levels is carried out by the generality of party members rather than a few godfathers. At the local government level in particular, we should indeed allow independent candidate.”

Mu'azu Aliyu “When we talk about 'government' and 'governance' to a layman, it conjures up the image of the Local Government Chairman and the Councillors, as well as the activities surrounding them. Therefore any attempt at deepening democracy in whatever context will be a fallacy unless it is focused on strengthening and rediscovering the local government system for improved service delivery to the people.”

He said that “given the enormous responsibilities that the local government are saddled with, as spelt out clearly in the Constitution and the limited resources available to

them by the present financing arrangement, what may seem more important at this point of our democratic development is to urge for a review of the federation allocation arrangement and even then restructuring of our federalism in such a manner that each tier of government should take only what it is best suited to do in terms of service delivery to the people.”

Hawkins Also speaking, Hawkins regretted that despite express provision of the 1999 constitution for a democratically elected local government, more than half of Nigeria's 774 local governments do not enjoy electoral mandate currently and in at least one state, Local council elections have not been held since 1999.

“Convoking proper local government elections across the country is the right thing for average Nigerian citizens; it is also the right thing for local governments themselves.

Nothing undermines the legitimacy of government more than the perception that it does not fully represent its constituents,” he said.

Noting that the structure and functions of government in the United States bear some striking similarities to government in Nigeria, he pledged the US would work with ALGON to “make the reforms and take the tough decisions that are necessary” to strengthen the local councils.

SYLVA'S HOUSE ATTACKED: Police pledge to arrest culprits

By Philip Eke, Yenagoa They tactically removed the

U

nknown gunmen have raided the palatial home of former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva which is adjacent to the renowned Okpoama Beach, in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

The robbers,who attacked at midnight, broke into the mansion through security post.

Sylva, who was ousted as governor via a supreme court Judgment, has been facing a N 26bn charges preferred organist him by the Economic and financial crimes commission.

Source said, no money was stolen, security sources told our correspondent that only the close circuit television was dismantled at the guard room.

“We don't know why the burglars were only interested in the cctv.

monitor and the Tv”, one of the security sources who pleaded a n o n y m i t y s a i d .

It was revealed that the guards said they stayed away from work to protest against the nonpayment of their October salaries. The Bayelsa police public relation officer (PPRO) D.S.P Fidelis Odunna who also attested to the burglary, stated that three of the security guards have been arrested and police have taken inventory of lost items.

The PPRO firmly stated that only the boy's quarter was burgled. The PPRO appealed to the general public to always report any dubious character to security agencies for appropriate action. While thanking the general public for their cooperation for the security of lives and property.

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NEWS FROM STATES

NEMA tasks Privatization: Ebonyi on disaster PHCN staff consult Juju management T N

By Uchenna Itumo

ational Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has urged Ebonyi State government, to take the management of natural disaster such as flooding, fire outbreak, gully erosion among such other disasters as a serious security issue because of its devastating effects on the victims whenever they occurs.

The Director General of National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Alhaji Mohamed Sani Sidi stated this in Abakaliki the capital of Ebonyi State, during the occasion of distribution of relief materials to this year's flood victims, according to him, natural disaster is an ill wind that blows no one any good, saying, just like

communal clashes, armed robbery, and Kidnapping, that they need serious attention to prevent their occurrence.

Alhaji Mohammed Sani, who was represented by the NEMA, South East Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Onimode A. Bamidele, asserted that problems associated with disasters were enormous and challenging, he requested all the tiers of government and other well meaning individuals to come to the aid of the victims. He added that what usually follow such disaster include sorrow, sadness, anguish, hunger and loss of lives and property.

“The problems associated with disasters are enormous and challenging. The aftermaths of disaster are sorrow, sadness, isolation, grief, distress, anguish, hunger

and colossal losses of life and property.

The affected communities and victims are traumatized psychologically and it reduces their participation and contribution to national development”.

He maintained that incessant cases of desertification, gully erosion ocean surge and coastal erosion were disasters that threaten the nation, but disclosed that flood has taken centre stage, and therefore required urgent attention for it to be solved.

In his speech, the state Governor Chief Martin Elechi, represented by the Commissioner for Border, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Chief Donatus Aja, Stated that Ebonyi State Government has recently signed the Act establishing Ebonyi SEMA into law, saying that it was intended to bring succor to victims of disasters in the area.

By Joe Akwarandu

op officials of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) are reported to have been consulting powerful juju-men all over the country to frustrate the on going plans by the federal government to sell the Company to private entrepreneurs for effective and reliable Power Supply in the country.

The Advocate authoritative sources revealed that the officials' nefarious moves have been responsible for the endless confusions that have characterized the Federal Government's sale of the conglomerate, (PHCN) which was formally known as NEPA. The officials took the devilish steps, claiming that the governments move would throw them out of jobs, pointing out that the present arrangement

being made by the government were dubious and deceitful and that their futures was uncertain and un-guaranteed It would be recalled that more than three years since the Federal Government had promised Nigerians that it would sale the Power Holding Company to usher in suitable power supply and eliminate the epileptic cankerworm that have been the lot of electricity supply in the country, such moves have been frustrated time without number even after the government had gone to the press to announce the successful sales to bidders.

The juju men are said to have assured their clients that after collecting mouth watering sums of money to the tune of over N2billion when put together and financed from all the zones of the PHCN Nigeria.

ALGON chief bags We'll welcome chieftaincy title Kalu with open

By Emmy-Chuks Nweze

T

he people of Amechi A w k u n a n a w Community in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State have bestowed a chieftaincy title on the Chairman of Enugu South Local Government, Chief N w a b u e z e O k a f o r, t h e National President of Association of Local Governments of Nigerian, ALGON. At a colourful ceremony that took place last week at a civic centre, Onu-Orie, Awkunanaw, Enugu, Chief Okafor was given the Chieftaincy title of Odozi Obodo, one that rebuilds his community.

The community gave him the chieftaincy title because of his numerous achievements that include the provision of many tarred roads both asphaltted and water, electricity, health facilities, etc.

Apart from his numerous achievements in the area of the provision of democracy dividends, Chief Okafor was given the Chieftaincy title because politically the ALGON boss has attained giant political heights. He is the ALGON Chairman, Enugu

State, Chairman National A L G O N a n d t h e Vi c e President, African United Cities and local Governments.

The coronation was witnessed by prominent personalities from the community that includes the governor of the old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo. Others include the Senator representing Enugu East Senatorial Zone, Hon. Gil Nnaji; Hon. Ofor Chukwuegbo, member representing Enugu North and Enugu South Federal Constituency at the House of Reps; former chairmen of the local government among others.

Speaking at the occasion, Gov. Sullivan Chime who was represented by the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Human Development, Mr. Godwin Ogenyi described Hon. Okafor as a dynamic leader who had done a lot of developmental projects for his people.

Chime said his government would do everything possible to see that he continued to serve his people better.

Senator Jim Nwobodo also

arms- PPA

T

Nwabueze Okafor said Hon.Okafor had brought significant changes to the council area.

“Since he became the chairman, there has been tremendous changes; many roads have been tarred.

“He has provided water, Light and employment and my people are happy with him,” the former governor eulogizes.

The senator representing Enugu East Senatorial Zone, Senator Gil Nnaji in an interview stated that Hon. Okafor was the best council chairman in terms of infrastructural development.

he National Chairman of the Progressive Alliance PPA, Chief Sam Nkire has said that his party would welcome the former Governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzo Kalu with open arms any day he chooses to come back.

Reacting to reports that some members of the Abia State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP were in Abuja to prevent Dr. Kalu from joining the party, the PPA boss said the situation was a clear case of “one man's meat being another man's poison.”

Chief Nkire said it was unusual for a party to adopt a policy whereby intending members are rejected except they were under-aged or people of unsound mind, adding that even ex-convicts are not prevented from joining political parties, provided they can obey the by-laws.

He said he was surprised by the number and calibre of the delegation that spent time and money to go and make a request which according to him should not succeed under normal circumstances.

Dr Orji Uzo Kalu The PPA National Chairman said he was not sure the rumour that Orji Kalu was planning to return to PDP was true but advised the former Governor of Abia State not to force himself into a party where he is not wanted even though nobody has the right to prevent him from joining any party of his choice.

He seized the opportunity to appeal to members of PPA nationwide to pursue the ongoing membership drive with zeal and vigour.

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Monday, December 3 – Sunday, December 9, 2012

36

EDUCATION

Post flood: Bayelsa to spend N6bn ASUU advises Amosun on educational infrastructure to reinstate sacked lecturers in Ogun

B

ayelsa State government is to spend about N6bn to renovate, upgrade and reconstruct schools facilities as part of plans to revitalize the education sector which was crippled by the recent flood.

Governor Seriake Dickson who disclosed this at the State Transparency Initiative monthly press briefing said contractors handling critical projects in the state had been ordered to return to site since the flood that ravaged the state had receded He said the government drive to address the decay of public infrastructure especially schools was slowed down by the flood.

The governor who explained that the State Universal Basic

Education Board (SUBEB) has awarded N3.5 billion contract for 300 schools added that the state Ministry of Education would in the next few days, award contracts for another 200 schools valued at about N1.9 billion.

According to him, the 200 primary schools will include headmasters' and teachers' quarters adding that an inspectorate team would be set up to monitor the jobs which are expected to be completed by the end of January next year.

He said the contractors were not mobilized earlier because of the flood that ravaged the state and fear that some of the contractors may bolt away with the fund.

He noted that because of the importance his administration attached to education, all contractors would be mobilised up to 40 per cent of the contract value to ensure speedy completion of the jobs.

The governor also disclosed plans by his administration to begin building boarding facilities in secondary schools across the state so that full boarding education could commence in the next two to three years.

He explained that after providing boarding facilities in some secondary schools in Yenagoa such as St. Jude's Girls Secondary School, government would look at the senatorial districts and later constituencies.

T

he Academic staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has advised Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State to reinstate about 155 sacked lecturers of the Olabisi Onabanjo University This was the resolution of Ibadan Zone of ASUU at the end of its meeting in Ibadan The universities under the zone are University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Lagos State University, Tai Solarin University and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.

In a communique signed by the Zonal Coordinator of the academic union, Dr Adesola Nasir also said the union would not hesitate to join other Nigerians to protest what he described as subtle but surreptitious attempt to increase the pump price through unwarranted and artificial scarcity in the country.

He said the advice given to

the governor became imperative in view of the apparent delay by the governor after an earlier visit where he promised to recall the lecturers.

The union also called on the governor to constitute the governing council for the Tai Solarin University of Education for good governance.

As a result of the present economic crunch, the union is of the view that the school fees b e i n g c h a rg e d b y s o m e universities in South West should be reduced to enable children and wards of the masses have access to education.

He described the hike in the school fees as a deliberate and systemic denial of Nigeria youths access to university education particularly in LASU, OOU, TASUED. On the fuel scarcity, the union called on all stakeholders in the oil industry to find solution to it.

Six renounce cultism at Oko Poly S Amaechi orders seizure

ix students of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, have renounced their membership of the Black Movement of Africa, popularly known as Black Axe, and the Vikings cult groups.

Five were said to be members of Black Axe, while one was reportedly a member of Vikings.

Parading the cultists, who had voluntarily renounced their membership, before the school authorities and a large crowd of students, leader of the anti-cultism squad in the

institution, Mr. Ade Abdulahi, said the students were arrested a few days ago.

H e s a i d s o m e incriminating items were recovered from one of the students' room, who denied being a member of any secret cult.

Items recovered were mace, a symbol of authority, axes, Bible, vests, packets of candles, regalia, knife and charms, which were burnt after a cleric in the institution, Venerable Osondu had prayed for them.

Rector of the institution,

Prof. Godwin Onu, said the Polytechnic had in 2010 witnessed 50 students renouncing cultism and said the institution would no longer tolerate cultism.

Onu declared the institution cult-free, saying his administration w as committed to ensuring security and enabling environment for the students.

He assured the students, who renounced their membership of cultism, that nobody would molest, intimate and attack them for doing so.

Onu said the authority would not hesitate to expel any student involved in cult activities.

of lecturers' salaries

Fed Govt upgrades RIVCAS to state R poly technic Abraham Ajaero, PortHarcourt

T

he Rivers state College of Arts and Science Rumuola Rivers state has been upgraded to state Polytechnic, the college said..The school will also carry out the first graduation ceremony of Diploma graduates in early 2013.

Mrs Margaret Onyesoh the Public Relation Officer of the College who disclosed this to The Advocate in an exclusive interview stated that apart from

federal government, the Rivers State Government has equally given it's nod for the College to commence the running of Polytechnic Program in the school, adding that the staff of the Rivers State Polytechnic Bori and that of RIVCAS are, now placed on the same salary grade level.

The Rivers state College of Arts and Science was initially admitting candidates on Higher Certificate Program before 1990 when it admitted the first batch of Diploma candidates who completed their two year Diploma Program in 1993. Since then no batch of the Diploma

graduates has been graduated.

Mrs Onyesoh told The Advocate that the school has been faced with a lot of challenges since the Diploma Program started in 1990 and was grateful to God that the College has received the support of both the state and Federal Governments to carry out their work unhindered.

Before now Diploma graduates of RIVCAS have consistently accused the college authority of merely using the Diploma Program to rip-off unsuspecting members of the public since the y refused to organize any graduation ceremony for over 17years of their graduation. With the explanation of the college authority, the matter will now be laid to rest.

Gov Rotimi Amaechi

IVERS State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has directed the Ministry of Finance to stop paying striking lecturers of the State University of Science and Technology.

The lecturers had been on strike since August 13, 2012 over the reappointment of RSUST Vice Chancellor, Prof.

Barineme Fakae, by the state governor.

Speaking during a town hall meeting in Port Harcourt, Governor Amaechi declared that his administration would embrace a no-work, no-pay principle for the striking lecturers.

He said, “The university (RSUST) is not on strike. The school is open, but some teachers decided not to come. I have directed the Ministry of

Finance not to pay the teachers.

“Lecturers are to teach and not to appoint a VC. I have appointed the VC whether they like it or not. The law said it is the governor that appoints VCs and not lecturers.”

Responding, the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, RSUST chapter, Dr. Felix Igwe, said in Port Harcourt that the striking lecturers of the institution were already being owed three months salaries.

He recalled that the state government had not called the lecturers for a dialogue on the crisis since ASUU went on strike over the matter, adding that the circumstance leading to the lecturers' industrial action had nothing to do with members' salaries

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Monday, December 3 – Sunday, December 9, 2012

37

SPORTS

Enugu sports festival contingent ...aims higher Eko 2012

By Okey Anyichie

T

he 2012 edition of AllNigeria sports festival “began on 27th November 2012. This Nigeria “Mini-Olympics” started in 1973 in Lagos among the then twelve states of the federation namely Lagos, Western, K w a r a , M i d - We s t e r n , Benue/Plateau, North-Central, North-Western, North-Eastern.

East-Central, North-Central, South-Eastern, Rivers and Kano. These twelve states struggled for laurels in the three categories of Under 13, under18 and above the two age grades. It was a very interesting sports spectacular which lasted for two weeks from the ending of July to mid- August 1973. At the end of this mass-sports spectacular among the three categories of participants, Midwest now Edo and Delta states beat the other eleven states to win the 1st All-Nigeria sport festival.

Infact this first edition of the sports fiesta would have ended without any hitch, but for the massive age false declaration in under 13 group, which led to its being dropped in the second edition in 1975, in Lagos. Midwest with their large contingent in 1973 in Lagos, almost won all the gold medals in swimming, of which mention must be made of one of their swimmers, Vincent Ekunwe, who became a “human-fish” by

sweeping off seven gold medals. Infact the event of swimming looked as if the team from the then Mid-Western state trained better than other teams from the other states.

became the first city to host the sports fiesta outside Lagos and it was very successful. Midwest again won but as a result of change of military government of General Yakubu Gowon (rtd)

Edwin Eze Director of Information, Ministry of Youths & Sports, Enugu State Later in 1975 in Lagos, Midwest won again, still made a robust impact on swimming events.

After the 1975 edition in Lagos, it was decided to rotate the hosting of the sports fiesta to other states. And this time around in 1977, Kaduna

Chess players in training at the sports council camp in preparation for the National Sports festival “Eko 2012”

Enugu athletes receiving their ration after a tedious morning exercise

in 1975 led to the creation of more states and change of names of states with geographical names. Thus Midwest now Bendel won again for the third consecutive times in 1977 in Kaduna. But Lagos broke the monopoly of the Bendelites in 1979 edition

tagged “Oluyole 79” in Ibadan.

Lagos state won the 1979 edition for the first time since 1973. The sports fiesta had been hosted since 1979 in Benin, Ilorin, Port-Harcourt, Owerri, Makurdi, Bauchi. All these capital cities that cut across the country hosted the sports fiesta and promoted and produced a lot of talents that later became national champions. They represented the country in different international meets for the past years at different international meets for the past years.

Now comes the 17th edition of the competition in Lagos making the city, the former capital of Nigeria to host the competition for the fourth time.

Lagos had hosted the sports fiesta in 1973, 1975, 1989 and now 2012. Since this year, most states in the country including Enugu had been making elaborate preparations for the big sports vaganza among the 36 states and federal capital territory of Abuja. However from the look of events about to be contested, the sports fiesta looks like a straight forward fight between Lagos and Delta, Edo and Rivers. However, much depends on how the events go when the race for the laurels kicks off.

Enugu state had since the middle of the year been making effort to be part of the states that would wear the garland of honour, after the grand finale of the festival on the 7th December 2012. The beehive of activities witnessed at their camping site at Nkpokiti Street, Independence layout, Enugu

made me feel that the state contingent will improve on their last outing in PortHarcourt. The Director of information, Ministry of Youth and Sports of Enugu State, Mr Edwin Eze, disclosed that the state government gave the contingent very much encouragement.

He was optimistic that the state would win ten gold medals during the 2012 Lagos sports festival. He told me that in 2009 in Kaduna, Enugu State won two gold medals and came to the 27th position at the end of the sports festival. In 2011 in Port-Harcourt, the state contingent improved on both medals and the position with three gold medals and 17th position. Another official talked with at camping site was Emeka Eze, who was full of praises for the Enugu State government, especially Mr Chijioke Agu, the state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, whom he said made things easy for both the officials and athletes in camp. He disclosed that by going the way they prepared they will win more gold medals in Lagos than they did last year in PortHarcourt, Rivers State.

As the festival began on Tuesday 27th November, 2012 with pomp and pageantry, a lot of young sports men and women will definitely show the stuff they are made of. It is surely going to be two weeks of “faster, higher and stronger” in the Olympic Games” slogan to produce the best out of the 36 states in the country. It would be thrilling sports vaganza!

Game of scrabble in session during the camping period at the Enugu State festival camp

Two Taekwondo combatants in action

THE

Monday, December 3 – Sunday, December 9, 2012

38

ADVOCATE

SPORTS

Nigerian under 17 lads set to qualify for Morocco in January 2013

By Okey Anyichie

T

he under 17 world cup soccer tournament which started in 1985 in China with Nigerian winning the maiden edition marks the country's under 17 lads as the pioneer footballers in the global cadet soccer tournament. After Nigeria won the maiden edition of the competition in BeijingChina in 1985, the under 17 lads from Nigeria tried to win the global cadet soccer competition back to back. In 1987 in Canada, Nigeria qualified for the final of the competition but got beaten 4-3 by penalty shootout by the former Soviet lads. Nigeria did not win the competition until 1993 in Japan after defeating fellow WestAfrican lads from Ghana by 2-1. It was in this 1993 competition that produced the great leggy player, Nwankwo Kanu, who later rose to become the captain of the “Super Eagles” and the successful “ D r e a m Te a m ” o f 1 9 9 6 Olympic Games gold medal's fame. Nigeria again had another successful outing in the competition in 2007 in SouthKorea. The victory over their Spanish counterparts crowned the Nigerian lads the third times winner of the competition.

However contrary to all expectations, the Nigerians lad “Packed-up” in the final of in the final of 2009 competition in Abuja. It was a healthy optimism that Nigeria hosting the competition and with the

Nigeria under 17 footballers standard of our team, would likely retain the competition won in South-Korea in 2007, thus winning the competition back to back. But it was a mission impossible as Switzerland beat Nigeria by one goal in final. This deprived Nigeria of the chance of “host and win syndrome”. However, it is on record that since the competition started, no country had ever hosted and won. And after Nigeria lost out in final in 2009 in Abuja, the competition has been very elusive to our Under 17 lads, as they failed to qualify for the 2011 edition of the competition in Mexico.

Now the die is cast for the 2013 edition, of the African

championship that would be decided in Morocco in January 2013. It is at this Africa under 17 soccer championship in Morocco that would produce the four teams that would represent Africa in the global cadet soccer tournament in 2013 edition. It is expected that Nigerian lads would qualify for the African tournament in Morocco next January in Morocco and go ahead to secure one of the four tickets to the 2013 under 17 global soccer tournament. Hence the Nigerian lads since encountering Niger and Guinea in the qualifying rounds of the tournament had accomplished the tasks the last match with

their Malian counterparts last week in Calabar, once again saw the Nigerian lads in flying colours. Nigeria walloped Mali by 2-0. This week-end, the second leg will be decided in Banako-Mali.

The outcome of this second league encounter in Mali would determine whether Nigeria would be among the eight countries that would trade tackles for the African championship and the four tickets for he 2013 global soccer tournament.

Nigerian lads although with 2-0 goals advantage over their Malian counterparts should not take things for granted in this second league encounter. They

must do every thing possible to turn the table on their Malian counterparts to avoid being eliminated at this last lap of the competition. It obvious that Nigeria should be in Morocco for this Under 17 soccer championship in Morocco. If for anything but to once again set the pattern of their previous impact at the competition since 1985. If it is not possible that they did not win the competition in Morocco but at least pick one of the four tickets for the 2013 world Under 17 soccer tournament. Missing out and not impacting on the African Under 17 soccer championship in Morocco, to say the least is another set back on this youth soccer championship in Africa. Since Nigerian lads led by Nduka Ugbade in 1985set the global standard in this youth soccer championship. It looks that that after 2009, the standard is no more consistence.

Let every effort be mobilized for this second and crucial leg encounter next week in Mali, to see Nigeria cross over to the qualifying rounds of the competition among eight African countries in Morocco next January. To lose to Mali, even with 2-0 lead, would not be a sweet tale to tell for the 2011 edition. Nigeria was not in the global competition in Mexico. This will set the standard of Nigeria in this youth competition backwards.

The second and the crucial leg encounter next week in Bamako-Mali should be the index of what Nigeria should be in this continental youth soccer

Akpabio donates N10m to Golden Eaglets

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overnor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has donated N10 million to the Golden Eaglets for winning the first leg of the final round of the qualifiers for the 2 0 1 3 A f r i c a n Yo u t h Championship.

The team had on November 18 at the U.J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar, defeated their Malian counterparts 2-0.

Akpabio gave the cheque for the amount on Wednesday through his Senior Special Assistant on Governmental Affairs, Mr. Akaniyene Eyo, at the Eaglets' Princeville Hotel camp, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

He also assured residents of the state that the government would build an Olympic size Stadium in Uyo in 2013 and appealed to Nigerian youths to desist from violence and embrace sports.

“From next year Akwa Ibom is going to deliver to the world an Olympic size stadium.

“FINA, the world swimming governing body's president, came to do the ground breaking but what he saw was beyond foundation.

“And we are determined to complete that project in a reasonable time next year. With the facilities we have there, I am sure there is no stadium in the

world that will beat it.

“So, Akwa Ibom will deliver it to all of us. We want to encourage you to perform and be humble.

You cannot be a good footballer if you are not humble,” Akpabio said.

He urged the youth to respect their coaches, adding that with humility they could achieve success for themselves and for the country.

He said the State government would continue to partner with the Golden Eaglets and make the donation a continuous process.

The governor said that it was important that the Eaglets win the return leg in Bamako in a

fortnight to change the dwindling fortunes of Nigerian football.

“Today is a great day and as young boys I challenge you to play like Nduka Ugbade and Emmanuel Amuneke.

“At a point, Nigerian football was declining and Nigerians are hoping on you to play like they used to play, that is the challenge of life,” the governor's representative added.

He noted that the ranking of Nigeria in African football was poor and said that he believed the younger ones were going to redeem it.

The team's Head Coach, Garba Manu, who received the cheque on behalf of the Golden Eaglets, said they lacked words to thank Akpabio.

“For our part, this N10 million will go a long way to motivate

this team to win its next match in Mali.

“Thanks so much for contributing to motivating the Golden Eaglets. Sincerely speaking, we have never had it so good. We are impressed by what Akpabio has done for us.

“This will go a long way in motivating this team toward winning our match in Bamako when we played against the Malians even though they are bigger than our boys,” Manu said.

Contributing, the team's captain, Ali Baba, said, “We promise you will get the best from us and we pray to God to see us through.

“You gave us the money so that our mission will be accomplished. We thank you and promise not to disappoint you.”

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Monday, December 3 – Sunday, December 9, 2012

Eagles to face Angola in pre-Afcon tie

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he Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles will face Angola's Palancas Negras in a build-up game ahead of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

The game will be played in Faro, Portugal in January 2013.

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Aminu Maigari exclusively confirmed this to supersport.com on Friday.

“The board of the NFF is driven to see that we deliver the Nations Cup title to Nigerians for the third time and we are sparing no expense as regards the best of preparations for the Super Eagles. To this end we have concluded discussions with the Federação Angolana de Futebol (Angola Football Federation) to play a tune up game against their national team. Like you know, Angola will also be playing at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations,” Maigari told supersport.com The NFF supremo also revealed

that the Super Eagles will play two more friendly matches before departing for South Africa for the tournament.

“I can also confirm to you that the team will also play two other tune up games before the competition. The matches are

against national teams and not clubsides,” he said.

Nigeria are in Group B at the 2013 Afcon where they will

compete against Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and reigning champions, Zambia for two quarterfinal spots.

Swansea v Arsenal 2-0

Graeme McDowell takes three-shot World Challenge halfway lead

N

orthern Ireland's Graeme McDowell shot a stunning sixunder par round of 66 to take a three-shot halfway lead at the World Challenge in California.

The 2010 US Open champion got off to a dream start, birdieing his first three holes, before dropping a shot at seven.

But more birdies were carded at 10, 13, 16 and 17 - enough for a nine-under par total, well clear of American trio Jim Furyk, Keegan Bradley and Bo Van Pelt.

McDowell started the day in a share of second place, two shots

adrift of Nick Watney, and the 33-year-old picked up where he had left off.

Despite having a comfortable lead, McDowell said there was no room for complacency given the select field of 18.

"I fully expect somebody to shoot seven or eight under par tomorrow," he said, adding that he really enjoyed playing at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks because "there's always a ton of birdie chances on the golf course".

Of his main challengers, Van Pelt had a flawless round sinking five birdies - until he

dropped a shot at the last.

Bradley avoided any bogies in compiling a round of 69, while veteran Furyk had five birdies and two bogeys in posting the same score.

Another to shoot a three-under par round of 69 was Woods.

The 14-time Major winner made a customary charge up the leaderboard courtesy of four birdies in five holes from the ninth, but failed to sustain his challenge.

Given that he's only four shots behind McDowell, though, he will feel confident of launching a challenge to retain his title.

McDowell

Serena Williams wins WTA Tour No Kung Fu at NSF Player of the Year award annoys Grandmaster S

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ivers State Karate and Kung Fu head coach, K i n g s l e y Ya h c o b 'grandmaster' Ewellie has berated officials at the 18th National Sports Festival for excluding Karate and Kung Fu from the programme at 'Eko 2012.'

The 'grandmaster' believes the exclusion of both events from the games will stop Rivers State from garnering "lots of medals."

“At the last edition of the festival in Port Harcourt, we

won a lot of medals in both sports. I really don't know why both events were excluded this time. It will cost us a lot of medals,” Ewellie told supersport.com.

Meanwhile, Rivers State continues to dominate in the cycling event with five gold and three silver medals picked up in the event as at Friday.

The cyclists were expected to add to their total haul on Friday but the 40 kilometres race, where they are hot favourites,

was postponed because of bad weather.

Chairman of the Rivers State cycling Association believes even more medals would be won by his cyclists.

“There are still eight disciplines of the cycling events still to come. We are favourites in the long distance and time trial events where we swept the states at the 17th edition of the festivals. We expect to win more medals,” he said.

erena Williams has been named WTA Tour Player of the Year for the fourth time after winning Wimbledon, the US Open and Olympic gold in 2012.

The American struggled at the start of the year and went out of the Australian Open in the fourth round.

However, tournament victories in Charleston and Madrid in April and May set up the world number three for a run of 48 wins in 50 matches.

Williams previously won the WTA award in 2002, 2008 and 2009.

William, 31, ended her year by

w i n n i n g t h e W TA To u r Championships in Istanbul, beating Maria Sharapova 6-4 63 in the final.

She finished the season third in the world rankings behind Vi c t o r i a A z a r e n k a a n d Sharapova, but could regain the world number one ranking for the first time since October 2010 if she wins the Australian Open in January.

Williams is one of only three players to win the award more than twice in its 36-year history, alongside eight-time winner Steffi Graf and seven-time winner Martina Navratilova.

THE

Vol. 1 No. 11, Monday, December 3 – Sunday, December 9, 2012

ADVOCATE

SPORTS STAR Emmanuel Amuneke

...for Equity and Justice

www.theadvocatengr.com

Back page comment

STILL ON ACHEBE AND BIAFRA: Best Late Than Never

By PROF. A.B.C. NWOSU, Former Minister of health, Federal Republic of Nigeria

I

am of the view that the spate of comments elicited from Nigerians and non-Nigerians by Prof. Chinua Achebe's latest book: “THERE WAS A C O U N T RY ” i s g o o d f o r o u r development as a nation because it provides us again with another opportunity for national exhalation of “bad ethnic breath”, so that reconciliation and genuine inter-ethnic mix can happen.

We had the earlier opportunity provided by the Justice OPUTA TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMITTEE with Rev. Father (now Bishop) Matthew Hassan Kukah as Secretary. I therefore read and retain all the comments and interviews by various individuals on the book as I come across them. It has been such a very long time from that horrid period (over forty years), and we have moved on with our lives, that we should by now be able to reflect on these terrible events without being terrified of them. Achebe's book has therefore come at the right time.

There is however this very curious write-up Kole Omotosho (who is also a writer) titled “The Trouble With Achebe” on page 19 of The Vanguard October 26, 2012 in which he quoted and agreed with a belittling review of Achebe's book by William Wallis of the London Financial Times. Kole made much of this review. But what did Kole really expect on Biafra from William Wallis and London Financial Times?

Achebe in his book had castigated Britain for its well established antiBiafra, anti-Igbo role in the entire crisis.

Bluntly stated, Ndigbo (not only Achebe) hold the British Government responsible for having masterminded the pogrom and genocide against Biafrans, so to many of us Mr. Wallis wrote what he had to write. So much for the Financial Times, the British, Mr. Wallis and his review of Achebe's book.

Kole Omotosho should also have quoted Nadine Gordimer, winner of the Nobel prize in Literature, who said that the book “exceeds all expectation”.

I went back to re-read Kole's well researched novel “Just Before Down” published in 1988 by Spectrum books Ibadan. In his three page acknowledgements he had mentioned two persons who particularly excited my attention. The first person is Anthony Kirk-Greene whose two volumes titled “CRISIS AND CONFLICT IN NIGERIA: A Documentary Source Book 19661970” are a must-read for anyone truly

interested in finding out the truth about the Nigerian Crisis of 1966 and the Nigeria-Biafra War 1967-1970. The Kirk-Greene volumes are a repository of first-hand information consisting over two hundred (227) broadcasts, press-releases, speeches and official reports.

If therefore I had Kole's opportunity to meet with Mr. Kirk-Green I would have asked questions on two documents

plenipotentiary, and about his struggles over his “abandoned properties” in port-Harcourt and Lagos. These and other subjects are well-covered in Dr. Okechukwu Ikejiani's 593 page autobiography titled “THE UNREPENTANT NATIONALIST” PUBLISHED IN 20078.

IN HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY, Dr. Ikejiani who lived in Ibadan in 1952 wrote extensively (pp.197-200) on the “cross-carpet” episode detailing his role and involvement and named

Emmanuel Amuneke (often misspelled Amunike; born 25 December 1970 in Eze Obodo) is a Nigerian retired footballer who played as a left winger, and a current coach.

His professional career was blighted by injury. He represented Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup.

Club career

Prof. ABC Nwosu

Prof. Chinua Achebe

namely Document No. 104 (p.414) titled by Mr. Kirk-Greene as “Awolowo promises West will secede if East does,” dated May 1,1967. Also Document No. 109 (p.425) dated May 26, 1967 and titled “Hassan Katsina's interview on the Withdrawal of Northern Troops from the West.” These documents are important because the two subjects as well as the possibility of a “Southern Solidarity” and ABURI AGRREEMENT were extensively and FRANKLY discussed at the Enugu meeting on Saturday and Sunday May 6th and 7th 1967 between Lt. Col. Ojukwu (as he was then) and Chief Awolowo and their teams. Prior to this meeting the refusal of Gowon to withdraw Military personnel from the West and Lagos had been given as the principal reason why Chief Awolowo withdrew from the Ad-Hoc Conference on 24th April, 1967.

Another person acknowledged was the Igbo legend Dr. Okechukwu Ikejiani (Zik's long-time confidant and Arthur Nwankwo's maternal uncle). I would be surprised that Kole was hosted by Dr. Ikejiani in Nova Scotia Canada, where he lived after the war, without hearing from him his strong views on the 1952 Western Nigeria elections, the January 1966 Military coup, events in Biafra which he served loyally as Ambassador

NCNC elected members who he and others had approached on the aegis of the party not to “cross-over” which they did, the next day. However Dr. Ikejiani in his autobiography also said that on reflection he had come to terms with the “cross-carpet” issue, given that Nigeria comprised of ethnic nationalities that had not yet become a nation Dr. Ikejiani is revered by Ndigbo and his attitude summarises the Igbo position on that 1952 Western Elections affair. It is not a big deal with Ndigbo who have since gone beyond it. But the “crossing over” or “crossing of carpet” did take place and that is all that has been said. Kole Omotosho begs the question by saying Zik would not have done for the West what Awo did for them. May be; May be not. The bottom line is that Ndigbo generally accept the reality that Chief Awolowo needed to govern Western Nigeria at that time in Nigeria's development as a nation, and that is really it. Achebe did not dwell on this in his latest book, and so Kole's dismissal of Achebe's reference to Awolowo (on another matter altogether) and describing Chief Awolowo as Achebe's “bête noir” is petty and is neither here nor there.

Back to Achebe's latest book which I believe is a great work that will serve its purpose when the present furore subsides because the FACTS and truths

In his early career, Amuneke won the domestic league titles in Nigeria and Egypt, while playing for Julius Berger F.C. and Zamalek SC respectively. In 1994, he signed for Sporting Clube de Portugal, scoring seven league goals in his first season, including one against S.L. Benfica in the Lisbon derby (10 home win on 1 December 1994), adding the campaign's Portuguese Cup. In the 1996 December transfer window, Amuneke was bought by La Liga giants FC Barcelona for $3.6 million, making his official debut on the 22nd in a 10 home win against Celta de Vigo, and scoring on 16 March of the following year in a 10 success at CD Logroñés. His spell in Catalonia would be effectively ended after the 1997 off-season, after he suffered a serious knee injury, following which he appeared very rarely for the club (only three league games in three full seasons combined).

Amuneke never fully recovered from his condition after being released by Barça in 2000. He had a two-year spell at Albacete Balompié, playing in the Segunda División, but saw limited first team action, spending a lot of time on the sidelines with knee injury.

Amuneke then spent more than half a year unattached, after leaving Albacete in the summer of 2002, before eventually joining South Korean K-League side Busan I'Cons on trial in March 2003. As Amuneke was not fully game-fit at the time, Busan decided to keep him at the club until the next transfer window. Amuneke, however, failed to recover from the recurring knee injury and left Korea in August the same year without featuring in any official games. After leaving South Korea, Amuneke came close to signing with the UAE Pro League champions Al Ain FC, who also went on to win the first edition of AFC Champions League later the same year, but the move fell through and Amuneke joined theJordan Premier League club Al-Wehdat SC in November 2003 instead. He stayed in Jordan until retiring from football at the age of 33 in 2004. In 2008, in spent some time as an assistant coach at Saudi Premier League side Al-Hazm, but left the club to become a scout for Manchester United.

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