BIAFRA: How new govt will take off - BZM Leader

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Vol. 1 No. 9, Sunday, November 4 – Saturday, November 10, 2012

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BIAFRA: How new govt will take off –BZM Leader  Ministers to emerge this week   Security alert in Enugu  Uwazulike's move to sabotage Biafra fails  New Biafra ‘ll embrace, Bakassi, Kogi, Benue

Legislative crisis tears Kogi apart  Page 25

SCAM: EFCC, SFU probe Anambra Local Govts page 4

Andy Uba, Arthur Eze at pg 5 ‘war’ over N250m property

Biafra supporters at a rally

WAR crime: I’m ready to face ICC trial –Gowon 

pg 8

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Scam: EFCC, SFU probe Anambra Local Govts  N300m spent on phony road contracts in Onitsha

By Ted Peters

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Name: Success Nnaji Birthday: 18th October Hobbies: Modeling, dancing & listening to music Likes: Honesty, Justice, Humane & Benevolent Dislikes: Injustice, Dishonesty & Pretentious Phone: 08134203455 Email: success_n@ymail.com

HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, Milverton Ikoyi, Lagos, are currently investigating the alleged looting of public funds by some Local Governments in Anambra State following several petitions from stakeholders in the state who raised alarm over massive scam in the third-tier of government.

The petitions from Anambra State said to have flooded the zonal office of the anti-graft agency in Enugu and the SFU in Lagos, The Advocate learnt, centered on payment for nonexistent contracts, payment for jobs awarded but not executed as well as inflation of contract sums in most of the 21 local government areas, which had been under the caretaker administration since the inception of Governor Peter Obi's administration.

For instance, some officials of Onitsha South local government are being quizzed by operatives of the SFU over alleged withdrawal of the sum of N300 million from the council's account, an amount purportedly spent on the reconstruction of three roads which have not taken off.

One of the petitions to the EFCC, Enugu made available The Advocate was written by 12 members of Njikoka Local Government Transition Committee including four supervisors who alleged that the Transition Committee Chairman, Dazza Onyeibo Udeozor, the Head of Service, Dr. C.M. Afunugo and the Treasurer, Mr. Andy Orakwelu perpetrated frauds running into millions of naira through payment for unapproved and unexecuted projects, among others.

The 12 petitioners, who were surprisingly relieved of their appointments by Governor Obi in September apparently for raising the fraud alarm in their petition to EFCC dated June 8, 2012, said the massive looting of the Njikoka local government treasury “came to light during the oversight function visit to the Local Government by the Anambra

State House of Assembly Committee on Political, Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters on Monday 14th April, 2012 based on very exacting questions posed to the trio of the Transition Chairman, the HOS and the Treasurer.”

According to the petitioners, they were shocked by the revelation during the lawmakers' visit that projects were executed by the local government without the knowledge of the F and G while those approved by it were arbitrarily inflated from the original sums approved.

Under the approval and supervision of the Transition Committee chairman, Mr. Udeozor, who was retained by Governor Obi after sacking the 12 members in September, the F and G approved a bill for the reactivation of Borehole in Njikoka Local government secretariat at the sum of N637,500 but the treasurer allegedly claimed a whooping sum of N1,900,000 as the amount spent on the project.

They alleged that public fund amounting to N1.3 million was not accounted for.

The former caretaker committee members also alleged that N3 million was purportedly approved and spent on fumigation by the Agric Department of the council but “nothing of such ever happened in Njikoka LGA”, urging the EFCC to verify from the three top officials to determine who authorized the project, where and when was the exercise carried out.

They also cited the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) building project jointly funded by the local and state governments which was approved for N20 million but was fraudulently beefed up to N31 million without the knowledge of the F and G. Other frauds allegedly perpetrated by the top officials included the construction of Obunagu Bucket Culvert in Enugwu-Agidi initially put at N9 million but was fraudulently shut up to N44 million; the construction of Borehole at Enugwu-Agidi valued at N6.99 million without the approval of the F and G and concentrated only

in the chairman's hometown; and the construction of Plant Houses at the Secretariat and the Citizen Resource Center without the knowledge of the approving authority F and G. The aggrieved caretaker committee members, who had sent a petition on the alleged corrupt practices of the Chairman and the two officers dated May 15, 2012 to the State House of Assembly Committee on Political, Local Government and Chieftaincy, however, urged the EFCC “to bring normalcy to the financial affairs of our local government administration”.

They stated that they could not enumerate all the antics of the caretaker committee chairman in just one breath as “the man has (allegedly) let himself loose on the till of the local government.”

On its part, the Police SFU in Lagos swooped on the Onitsha South local government officials following a petition from a patriotic citizen of the council regarding the N300 million road contract scam.

Officials of the unit were said to have stormed Onitsha and arrested the Caretaker Chairman and principal officers of Onitsha South for interrogation. The arrested officials, who were later granted bail, are now helping the SFU in the ongoing investigation.

Sources told The Advocate that some officials of the SFU visited the three roads in question and discovered to their chagrin that no trip of sand was dropped on the three roads where the N300 million was alleged to have been spent on their reconstruction.

“Fake completion certificates were generated with which the money was paid for jobs not done,” the source said, adding that similar contract scams are being perpetrated in most of the local government areas of the state.

Although officials of the EFCC zonal office in Enugu declined comment on the investigation of the Anambra council funds, sources said Njikoka council Chairman and the two officials were among some local government officials from the state currently under investigation over alleged looting of treasury.

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R. O. NKWOCHA PROPERTY: Andy Uba, Arthur Eze at 'war'  I bought the property N250 million by proxy –Uba claims  No, Uba is hiding the truth –Prince Eze

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legal battle is raging between Senator Andy Uba representing Anambra South Senatorial District and a renowned businessman, Prince Engr.

Arthur Eze, over two immovable properties belonging to one Major Emmanuel Okwuosa which an Enugu State High Court ordered should be sold to enable the latter recover the one million United States Dollars owed him by Okwuosa.

The properties namely Plots M17 and O/19 Independence Layout, Enugu situated directly behind the Enugu State Government House, which is said to be a choice property in the coal city, is now being contested by Prince Eze, Senator Uba and the Diamond Bank Plc. While the Enugu High court presided over by the State Chief Judge, Justice Innocent Umezulike, ordered on October 10, 2012 that the said properties should be attached for sale in favour of Prince Eze, Senator Uba is claiming ownership of the two properties which he said were bought by proxy from the original owners, Chief R.O. Nkwocha family.

On its part, the Diamond Bank is claiming that Okwuosa through whom Uba claimed have bought the properties had an equitable mortgage with it, notifying the court that it has serious interest in the matter which centres on who should be the rightful owner of the multimillion naira properties.

The Enugu CJ's court had granted an ex-parte application brought by Obi Orakwue, counsel for Prince Eze pursuant to Section 44 of Sheriffs & Civil Process Act, 2004; Order IV Rules 1 (2) & 16 (1); Order VII Rule 7 Judgment Enforcement Rules and ordered the attachment and sale by private contract of the immovable properties of Okwuosa, who was indebted to the applicant to tune of US$1 million.

But following the issuance of the Writ of attachment and sale against the said properties by the court as directed by the Enugu State Chief Judge in suit number E/147/2012, Senator Uba filed an application as an interested party/appellant claiming that the two properties

in question were bought for him

by Major Okwuosa from Chief R. O. Nkwocha family at the sum of N250 million.

Uba while appealing against the decision/order of the court dated October 10, 2012 for attachment and sale of the immovable property of O k w u o s a ( th e J u d g men t debtor) by Prince Eze in order to satisfy the judgment debt in his favour, urged the court to make an order halting the sale of the property.

of the Lands Registry Enugu, adding that he had a shock of his life when he learnt that “fraudulently and without his consent, that the 2nd defendant/respondent (Okwuosa) had registered the property in his own name at the Lands Registry Enugu.”

Uba contended that Okwuosa could not have registered “validly property that does not belong to him in his own name” and as such could not also confer on any person, title he

Sen Andy Uba In the seven grounds of appeal set out by Uba through his counsel, Chuma Oguejiofor, he told the court that Okwuosa had purchased the property for him and with money he had provided to the knowledge of the prior owners of the property, R.O. Nkwocha family of Enugu Ukwu, Anambra State, adding that he actually made available N250 million for the purchase and registration of the property.

According to Uba, he had confronted Okwuosa severally to submit the title document to the property but he informed him that they were still with the lawyers and later with officials

the compound gate of the premises encompassing the said two plots.

“I believe that the applicant (Uba) had no funds to have acquired the two immovable properties said to have been bought at the sum of one hundred and twenty million naira only (N120,000,000) given his past positions as mere domestic servant of former President Obasanjo, and a taxi driver in Los Angeles, United states of America,” Eze told the

Engr Arthur Eze

never had on the property.

But in a 26-paragraph counter affidavit opposing Uba's motion dated October 19, 2012, Prince Eze's counsel, Orakwue, told the court that Uba was not the owner of the two immovable properties but Okwuosa, who had his interest duly registered in the his names at the Lands Registry vide Irrevocable Power of Attorney and Deed of Assignment.

He insisted that Okwuosa and his company Major Concepts Limited, were in physical possession of the said two plots with their company's emblazoned signboard hung on

court.

He further informed the court that Uba had no inheritance or any antecedent of wealth to be in a position to own the two properties under attachment, adding that he had no known genuine source of wealth other than “being cited in one money laundry charge or the other either with United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over fraudulent laundry of N15 billion naira in Ibori/Delta State Government treasury imbroglio.”

Besides, Eze said that the

applicant (Uba) had no evidence disclosing purchase of the two attached properties either by show of bill of exchange, (whether cheque or draft or promissory note) or land instrument or documentary receipt, insisting that his claim to the properties “are bogus speculation, and an exercise in propaganda designed to falsely create an image of a rich politician, deserving to be made governor of Anambra State.”

Urging the court to refuse Uba's application, Eze further stated that it was rooted in bad faith and designed to frustrate him as the plaintiff/judgment creditor from reaping the fruits of his judgment.

However, when the case came up last Wednesday before Justice Umezulike, Uba's counsel, Chuma Oguejiofor sought for time to reply to Eze's averrement in the counter affidavit, which he said, touched on Uba's character and doubted his source of wealth, prompting the judge to adjourn the case to October 29, 2012 for definite argument.

But at the resumed hearing of the case on October 29, 2012, counsel for Uba, Chuma Oguejifor filed a further affidavit insisting that his client (Uba) had enough financial resources to buy the said property at the time he purchased it through Major Okwuosa.

He contended that Prince Arthur was a wealthy man at a much younger age and should not be surprised that Uba at over 40 years had N250 million to buy the property, adding that he doubted if Obi Orakwue made the deposition with the consent of Eze. In a dramatic twist, Diamond Bank appeared in the matter and notified the court of the fact that it had an equitable mortgage with Okwuosa over the said property and that it had interest to protect in the matter involving the property.

Meanwhile, the matter has been fixed for Tuesday, November 6, 2012 for hearing and by the contentions of the three parties, it is expected that only the decision of the court would eventually determine the actual beneficiary of the choice property.

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BIAFRA: How new govt will take off –BZM Leader

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HE Biafra Zionist Movement, BZM, a splinter group from the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB originally founded by Ralph Uwazulike says it is ready to respond to any challenge that might come from the Federal Government after re-declaring the Republic of Biafra in Enugu on Monday, November 5, 2012 provided it will bring about the total freedom of Ndigbo from oppression and marginalization in Nigeria.

The group said necessary arrangements had been concluded to form an interim government that would pilot the affairs of the new state while the Ministers would be named later this week.

But sources said at the weekend that security operatives had been placed on red alert to deal with members of the group even though their activities were not seen as posing any threat to the corporate existence of the country or to the security of their immediate environment.

The pro-Biafra group led by British-trained lawyer, Barrister Benjamin Onwuka, vowed that nothing would stop his group from actualizing the independence of the Biafran state, which the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu declared on May 30, 1967 and the Nigerian-Biafran War broke out. The bloody war lasted from July 6, 1967 to January 15, 1970 and reports said over three millon lives were lost on both sides.

That secession by the South Eastern provinces of Nigeria was as a result of the then economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions among the various peoples of Nigeria which prompted LieutenantColonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the then Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria, to declare the Republic of Biafra.

The BZM leaders, at a news conference in Enugu last week, noted that all the issues that gave rise to the attempted secession

by Eastern Nigeria 45 years ago were still alive while a more dangerous dimension had been introduced, which according him, was the grand design by the rest of Nigeria to prevent Ndigbo from ruling the country.

“The war which started about 45 years ago has not ended; “and it's for all Biafrans wherever they may be; we want to set our people free; we want to have the economic opportunity to compete with the outside world.

We urge all Biafrans to come forward and support us in our campaign for Biafra Independence.”

He said that all that his group is doing was centred on the sovereign declaration of 1967, stressing that the November 5 declaration “will be reenactment or the resurrection of the mandate that was given to Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu on May 30th 1967.”

Barrister Onwuka declared that there is no going back on the issue of re-declaration of Biafra on November 5, saying that nothing should stop the campaign on that day “to reaffirm the sovereignty and independence of the Biafran people.”

“We are determined to make sure we get that Independence in order to provide security for our people; we are being killed on daily basis and there is no place in the world where a race was being targeted like the Igbo,” he said.

The BZM leader further said: “Although, it is termed redeclaration, but we are standing firm on that mandate that was given to late Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu by the entire Biafran people on May 30, 1967 to declare the sovereignty of Biafran people. That sovereignty is where we are standing because upon that, over three million of our people perished and died between 1967 and 1970.

“No matter the cost, I as the leader, I am aware of the dangers and obstacles ahead. By the grace of God, I am ready to face them for the liberation of our people and emancipate them from political and economic bondage.”

Onwuka condemned the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroun, pointing out that when Biafra was realized , the Bakassi people would be given a chance through a referendum to decide whether to continue staying in Nigeria, adding that the new Biafra would embrace the people of Benue and Kogi States. He said that the two states were originally planned to be part of Biafran territory but were prevented by the civil war.

He condemned the bomb attack on a church in Kaduna on Sunday, October 29, which resulted in the death of about eight persons mostly Igbos a number of worshippers were injured and maimed.

“We are using this medium to convey our condolence message to those affected and assure them that we will be working very fast to end this circle of violence against our people and also assure Biafran's around the world that BZM will be coordinating our efforts with the International community to make sure that Biafra is realized, to be able to safeguard the lives

Pro-Biafran Group of our people which is the fundamental obligation of every State,” said the BZM leader.

Onwuka recalled his earlier letters to the United Nations and the African Union requesting that Biafra should be accorded an “Observer Status” by the two organizations, explaining that some world powers including the United States, European Union and Israel will support Biafra.

However, the move by Onwuka and his followers to re-awaken the soul of Biafra may have angered Chief Uwazulike and the MASSOB members, who laid ambush for Onwuka and four of his members in Enugu and Onitsha and abducted them Wednesday morning. They were whisked to Uwazulike's Okwe Freedom mansion in Imo State, where they were detained for several hours.

Detained along with Onwuka were the BZM National Chairman, Samuel Edeson, Nweke O. Nweke, National Secretary and Chukwuma Orienta, a member of the group in Onitsha and their offence was disclosed to them in the detention camp after they were seriously tortured by their captors.

Onwuka narrated their ordeal to The Advocate on telephone shortly after they regained freedom Friday: "They released us this morning after we were seriously tortured by the MASSOB men. I can tell you that from what transpired, it is clear that Uwazulike and the Federal Government are afraid of my earlier interviews.

“They tortured me and my d e p u t y, S a m u e l E d e s o n yesterday. I have never seen a thing like that in my life. My body is just like a stone now.

"They came with three bus-load of fully armed men and a Mercedes C190 and laid a siege at Abakpa junction while we were on our way to a meeting of our members between 10 and 10.30 am Thursday.

"They pounced on us, myself, Edeson and my secretary; almost 200 boys that came for the operation were punching us, hitting our head and body. They bundled us into one of the Mitsubishi vans and took us to Uwazulike's Freedom House in Okwe, Imo state.

"Along the way they were hitting me , Edeson and my secretary saying if not for the sake of conscience they could have killed us because they accused us of being saboteurs and that we collected money from the Nigerian government to work against Uwazulike and Biafra.

"They made all sorts of vile comments against me warning that if I don't take my time, they are going to kill me. After the interrogation they pushed us into a dark and a smelly damp room called cell. No carpet no bed.

They locked us there for three hours.

"Around 9 pm I received a call from one of Uwazulike's security men and he said that he wants to speak to Mr. Onwuka and Uwazulike took over the phone and requested to speak with me.

"He told me that he did not authorize anybody to arrest me or to beat me and that he had given orders for my immediate release.

"However, the security men there said why is Uwazulike denying that he did not authorize our arrest having given order on October 30, 2012 and gave a bounty on my head promising that anyone that caught me dead or alive will be paid N500,000.

And that was why they took up the challenge to carry out the operation to arrest me and my colleagues.

"After that we were released at about 11pm and then taken to their guest house in Okwe. This morning, Friday, we were escorted to the main road and they asked us to go saying that Chief had ordered us to go.

"My message to the Biafran

people is that nothing will shake my resolve to see Biafra Independence. I am not afraid of any man, women or Nigeria.

Biafra will be realized on November 5 and nothing will deter us.

"I appeal to all Biafrans to come out in mass on November 5 at Michael Okpara Square, Enugu for the re-declaration of the Republic of Biafra. Nothing will stop us that day.

"Instead of fighting one another, I am asking all Biafrans to come together to carry forward this agenda of our independence.

"The infighting among us will not help us, it will only serve the interest of our enemies in Nigerian government.

"I want Biafrans to know that I am well even though I sustained a lot of injuries in the hands of MASSOB. "May God bless the Republic of Biafra and May God Bless Israel" But the spokesman of MASSOB, Uchenna Madu, told The Advocate Thursday night that the members of BZM, which is a splinter group in MASSOB, were only invited for dialogue on their plan to redeclare Biafra on November 5 and were released after the meeting.

He said that none of the four persons was tortured insisting that Uwazulike was not aware of their arrest.

Meanwhile, the activities of the pro-Biafra group has generated some level of tension within the South East and South South zone a development sources said has compelled the authorities to place some of the security agencies on red alert in order to avoid breakdown of law and order.

Even though the security agencies are said to be viewing the pro-Biafran group as jokers, the sources said they would not take anything for granted as they have vowed to deal ruthlessly with anybody that takes the law into his or her hands.

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Oruku community denies involvement in Umuode monarch's assassination

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RUKU community in Nkanu East local government area of Enugu State has dismissed as spurious and false allegations by some natives of Umuode community that Oruku people masterminded the murder of their (Umuode) traditional ruler, Igwe Moses Ugwu.

The Umuode monarch was shot dead by unknown gunmen at his shop in Akpuoga Nike in Enugu East local government area on October 9, 2012 in a bizarre circumstance. The police said 20 people were arrested from the area between October 9 and 10 and the suspects are not helping the police to get to the root of the matter.

But in a petition to Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State signed by Messrs Emma Omaba and Thomas Chukwudi dated

October 26, 2012, the Umuode community pointed accusing fingers on Oruku people as the masterminds of the murder of the traditional ruler.

The spokesman of the state police command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu said the command was not aware of any petition from Umuode over the murder o f i t s t r a d i t i o n a l r u l e r, explaining that some people were arrested following the incident and have been helping the detectives in their investigations.

“If anybody has good information regarding the identity of those who murdered the traditional ruler they are free to come forward and we shall make good use of it to get to the root of the matter,” Amaraizu said.

Reacting to Umuode's

Enugu ALGON donates relief materials to flood relentless effort in ensuring the victims welfare of the victims many of

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HE Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, Enugu State chapter has presented relief materials worth over N5 million to the internally displaced persons in Uzo-Uwani and Nsukka local government areas of the state with a call on relevant government agencies to extend more assistance to the affected persons to ensure their proper rehabilitation.

The council chairmen, who were led by the National President of ALGON and Chairman of Enugu South local government, Chief Nwabueze Okafor, said that they decided to procure the relief materials in order to mitigate the suffering of the affected persons in the state most of who had completely lost their crops harvested in this year's farming season as well as their homes to the flood disaster.

Presenting the items at the affected communities of Iggah, Ojor, Asaba, Ibakwa-Agu and Okutu, Okafor, who was accompanied by some council chairmen in the state, said that their findings at the affected communities were very disturbing as many people had been thrown into serious difficulties on account of the natural disaster.

He stressed the urgent need for the various government relief agencies to come to the rescue of the displaced persons who had been deprived of their sources of livelihood just as he extolled the Chairman of Uzo-Uwani local government area for his

who crossed over from neighbouring Ibaji communities of Kogi state.

Receiving the relief materials on behalf of the internally displaced persons at Iggah, a leader of the community, Chief Maximus Okuta, called on the Enugu State government to disburse without further delay the funds they received from the federal government for the purpose of assisting the flood victims in the state.

He expressed regrets that officials of the state government had not visited the affected communities to see the level of devastation suffered by the people, saying but for the prompt intervention of the UzoUwani local government the situation in the temporary camps set up for thousands of the displaced persons would have worsened.

Okuta also appealed to the government to set up a health centre in Iggah to take care of seek persons among the displaced saying even though the Red Cross visited the camp on a number of occasions, they could not provide treatment for the sick especially the aged who travelled from far away Ibaji communities to the camp in Enugu State.

Leaders of Okutu and IbagwaAgu communities represented by a traditional ruler, Igwe Alloysius Ezugwu, thanked the ALGON members for the relief assistance.enable them resume their farming activities next year.

accusation that some natives of Oruku, who had engaged them in a prolonged land dispute, were behind the murder of the royal father, leaders of Oruku said in a petition that even though they did not intend to join issues with Umuode people “in this trumped up allegations”, “we wish to state categorically that Oruku People were flabbergasted and shocked on hearing about the gruesome and brutal murder of the Igwe on raido.”

In a statement, the community said: “Pointing an accusing finger on Oruku people “is not only deceptive , beguiling and subterfuge, but also atrocious and catchy. Consequently, we are constrained to make the following clarifications and rebuttal; “That from the radio and newspaper announcements of the death of Igwe Moses Ugwu signed by Emma Omaba and

By Chioma Jumbo A contestant to the Igweship throne of Amodu-Okowo, Awkunanaw in Nkanu West local government area of Enugu State, Engr. Gillis Emma Onyeabor, has pledged to liberate the people of his community from political and economic bondage if given the mandate to lead his people as the traditional ruler.

Engr. Onyeabor, who was addressing the natives of his community at the Community Primary School, Amodu-Okowo Friday ahead of the November 10 Igweship election, said that lack of effective community development was a result of non-conformity to the established norms and the traditions of the people.

He stated that intra community crisis was mostly precipitated by abuse of public responsibility vested on some members of the community.

He said that intra-community leadership crisis has brought about lack of cohesion and difficulty in all spheres of community development, adding that the consequent lack of peace and harmony in these communities was deplorable.

He called on the people of Amodu Okowo community to shine their eyes during oncoming election of their traditional ruler so that a man of strong character and proven integrity would emerge in order to ensure absolute exercise of freedom of expression and association as enshrine in the constitution of the federal

also police report on the matter, the incident took place at Akpuoga Nike where the Igwe live and in his shop there and not in Oruku/Umuode .

“It was also in the news, both on radio and newspapers that the police confirmed the arrest of about 20 suspects in connection with the murder at Akpuoga and nearby Onuogba Villages.

Based on these media and police report, it is clear that the incident did not happen within the territory of Oruku/Umuode but in far away Akpuoga which is some kilometers away from Oruku.

“Since 8th December 2007 that Umuode people and their mercenaries which they had been using to unleash terror on Oruku people stormed Oruku and blocked Oruku -Akpuoga road, which is our only exit to Emene and Enugu, Oruku people no longer go to Akpuoga Nike nor make use of that road.”

On the allegation that six of Umuode leaders including Prof Barth Nnaji (former power minister) and Justice Anthony Onovo had been listed for extermination which prompted them to go into hiding, the Oruku community said: “We wish to state that the story is not only false and ludicrous but also the usual propaganda of Umuode always spread by Mr. Emma Omaba and his cohorts.

On the allegation that over 2000 of them (Umuodes) including Igwe Moses Ugwu had been killed in the crisis, we call this statement an exaggeration of the highest order, an eccentricity , a bizarre and comic because Umuode's population in Oruku is not even up to 600 and with voting strength of less than 200 adult registered voters. How the came about their figure is unimaginable and inconceivable,” the statement further said.

I will transform Amodu-Okowo if elected Monarch –Gillis Onyeabor republic of Nigeria.

“Most often the constitution of various communities are jettisoned for the purpose of satisfying the interest of some self-serving community leaders, especially as it affects the selection of traditional rulers, and that had at various times bred bad blood among varying factions, such that snowballed into breakdown of law and order”, Onyeabor said.

Continuing, the Igweship contestant said: “The purpose of this peaceful rally is to sensitize our people on their political rights and freedom in the selection of an 'Igwe' in Amodu Okowo so as forestall a situation where adherence to democratic norms will be negated.

“I am therefore calling on the kingmakers of the community to be guided by provisions of the Amodu Okowo Constitution and not be swayed or influenced by any selfish person or group in discharging their duty, which will engender peace, progress and enduring legacies in our community.”

Onyeabor said that it will be an effort in futility if the whole process of Igweship selection in the community was marred by any self interest of the kingmakers or pressures to bend the rule either due to some kind of external influence by some serving leaders in the community; a situation he described as very undemocratic.

Engr. Gillis Emma Onyeabor

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Civil War Crime: I am ready to face ICC trial – Gowon  Says Achebe wrote out of ignorance

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ar time Head of State, G e n e r a l Ya k u b u Gowon, has criticized renowned author, Professor Chinua Achebe, over his new book on the Nigerian civil war, There was a country, saying he (Achebe)did not know the issue he was writing about.

Gowon said he was ready to face the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague on the matter if necessary.

“What role did Achebe play in the secessionist plans?

Achebe must have been outside the country during the war and probably did not know what happened during the period otherwise he would not have written on what he was not sure of ," remarked the former Head of State.

The erstwhile Nigerian leader, who was answering questions from journalists after a courtesy visit to Governor Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu at the Presidential Lodge, Minna, Niger state, Wednesday, said Achebe must have been talking out of ignorance, adding that he and the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo had no regrets over their roles in the civil war, pointing out that if there was no secession, there would not have been civil war.

“In fact , if there was no secession by the south eastern part of the country, there would have been no civil war because right from the beginning of the crises, the war would have been averted if not for the secession .

It was something I believed we could have stopped,” he stressed.

Gowon also debunked the claim by the author that his administration embarked on the mass killing of Igbo, adding that the federal troops did not also use hunger as a weapon to dislodge the dissidents.

“It was the Igbo that objected to the creation of corridor for movements of medical aid and food supplies to the civilian population at the period; on this, I am ready to face the International Criminal Court of Justice at the Hague for prosecution over the role played by me during the war and, fortunately, some Nigerians are still alive to bear witness to the roles played by both the leadership of the secessionist group and the then Federal Military Government under my

leadership, “the war-time leader stated.

He also recalled that during the war, a ship named “Josina” and owned by the secessionist group, which they claimed was carrying agricultural implements, was captured by federal troops and it was subjected to a thorough search and the cargo turned out to be a collection of arms and ammunition.

Gowon, who was in Minna for a 2-day prayer organized by

Nigeria Prays, a group he leads, said that the massive deaths recorded by the Igbo during the civil war was caused by their own propaganda machine which claimed that the northern invaders were coming to their camps and that caused panic and pandemonium among their people because some people were trying to move from one location to the other out of fear of imaginary attacks by the so called northern invaders and without food.

Appeal Court adjourns Umeh's motion to Nov 22  Enugu CJ yet to release copies of his rulings

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HE Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu has adjourned to November 22, hearing in the two pending motions filed by the National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh against the decision of Enugu State Chief Judge, Justice Innocent Umezulike on the party's crisis.

The court also directed that the two motions should be merged since they arose from the contentious decision of the same court, while efforts should be made by the applicant to get the necessary proceedings of the lower court before the adjourned date to enable the appellate court to commence hearing of the matter.

When the case came up before the appellate court on Wednesday, the lead counsel for Umeh, Chief Patrick Ikweto, SAN, informed the court that the Enugu Chief Judge had refused to release the rulings of his court delivered on September 17, 2012 and October 8, 2012 which are the subjects of the appeal despite all efforts to obtain them including formal application and payment of the prescribed fees.

The counsel also told the court that despite the pendency of the appeal and the motion for stay of proceeding of the lower court, Justice Umezulike

continued to hear the matter and gave his ruling, an action he described as very surprising.

“We have done everything possible in the past weeks to obtain copies of the rulings of the lower court in Enugu but they have refused to do so. We have observed the necessary procedures for obtaining the rulings of the court yet the Court Registrar has not complied. The Record of Proceeding in this matter which was handled by the CJ has been kept away,” Ikweto said.

The three-man appeal panel, however, directed that the two pending motions brought by the APGA Chairman should be married together and adjourned hearing to November 22.

Speaking with reporters after the court session, Chief Umeh said that the refusal of the Enugu Chief Judge to release copies of his rulings on the matter “is a ploy to frustrate the hearing of my appeal which is very unfortunate.”

He said that it was obvious that Justice Umezulike was afraid of releasing copies of the rulings made by him even when the law allows him only seven days to do so, stressing that the plan could be to frustrate his appeal against his faulty decisions.

He expressed confidence that the appellate court would do

Gen. Gowon justice in the matter hence his decision to appeal the verdicts of the Enugu High court.

On his part, Ikweto, who said he could not understand why the lower court was holding tight to its proceedings, said he could not understand why the said that under the law any public officer is enjoined to give you a certified copy of record in his possession upon an application

and payment of a fee, stressing that it was clearly stated in the Evidence Act. “We have done everything humanly possible to get the records of the lower court but all to no avail. I see it as a personal decision of one man who says I have the record but I don't want to release it and we don't know why,” the counsel said.

Labour Warns FG on fuel scarcity

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he Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has urged the Federal Government to stop any action that would necessitate fuel s c a r c i t y i n t h e c o u n t r y, describing the development as “a clear conspiracy on the part of government to force another price hike on Nigerians.”

In a statement signed by the acting president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero and the acting general secretary, Olusegun Rotimi, the congress said fuel scarcity and hike in price would surely deepen the economic hardships the current official price had unleashed on the people.

“The NLC observes that for almost two months now, there has been a consistent scarcity of petroleum products in all parts of the country without any co g e n t ex p l an a tio n f r o m government.

“In several fuel stations across the country, prices of petrol in particular are higher than the official pump price without any control by government.

“The Department of Petroleum

Resources (DPR), under the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, is responsible for inspection and control of fuel stations and has not acted in anyway against unilateral price increases by marketers.

“For us, this indicates a clear conspiracy on the part of government to force another price hike on Nigerians. This will surely deepen the economic hardships the current official price has unleashed on our people,” the statement read.

It added that the NLC would not accept any further price increase, adding that it would mobilise workers and their allies against any such increase. “ We u r g e t h e F e d e r a l Government to fulfill its responsibility to the Nigerian people by taking urgent steps to restore normal supplies,” the statement added.

The labour union said “the poverty level in Nigeria has increased and nothing is being done by government to reverse our collective sufferings.

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Sunday, November 4 – Saturday, November 10, 2012

9

EDITORIAL

Mr. President, Nigerians are groaning

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igeria is once again back to the dark days of fuel scarcity where innocent citizens spend hard-earned money and waste precious time on long queues at petrol stations. Even when they eventually have access to the fuel pumps, the dealers exploit them and the buyers are at their mercy.

While Nigerian groan over the hardship imposed on them by the fuel scarcity which has forced pump prices up in many states, what has become very worrisome is the silence by the Federal Government and the neglect of the suffering masses whose earnings are being depleted on account of the failure of the authorities to address issues around fuel subsidy.

While petrol sells for about N100 per litre in Lagos and other South Western states, elsewhere in the North and South the product, where it is available, sells for N120 per litre and above. It is difficult for one to image this shameful development going on in a country that prides herself as a major exporter of crude oil but in the actual sense a major importer of refined petroleum products.

Officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation have repeatedly informed Nigerians that they are on top of the situation but there has not been any improvement. The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria revealed that marketers were no longer importing petroleum products, leaving only the NNPC to import insisting that its members should not be blamed for the price

OPINION Chief Obioha

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ow that emotions are under control and sentiments can be removed from a book written by an acknowledge renowned writer, reviewers comments can be critical without being abusive, irrational and grass.

Chinua Achebe wrote a book which only the book's review had been published all kinds of comments have trailed the publication and so much anger had been exhibited for the simple reason that Chief Obafemi Awolowo was shown in the book as a principal actor in the universally acknowledged genocide visited on the Igbos of Nigeria during the dark period of its history.

No man is infallible including Chief Obafemi Awolowo and as much as the Yoruba hold him in high esteem, that can never remove the judgments of acts committed by him, right or wrong. Chinua Achebe is a writer and not a politician. Also as a human, his views and impressions are not sacrosanct and any criticisms must be sequestered only on his views and impressions and not on facts. Fact number one is the title of the book- there was a country.

Only wishful thinkers will dismiss the fact that there was a country called Biafra. It had a geographical expression, was constituted with all organs of a state, was recognized by five countries namely Tanzania, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Gabon

hike as they source products from outside the NNPC dumps above the approved pump prices. The organization warned Nigerians to brace themselves for prolonged scarcity as available stocks would soon be exhausted.

The IPMAN blamed the current crisis in the petroleum sector on the face-off between major oil companies and the Federal Government. The group revealed that the importers declined to bring in more products due to their face-off with the government over payment of subsidy. The cartels in the oil sector want to hold the nation down and bring the government down to its knees to continue with payment of subsidy, which would end up in private pockets.

The NNPC, in what was described as a move to deceive the public as to the actual cause of the current scarcity, had blamed the situation on delays in offloading cargoes at the ports and repair of facilities at the Atlas Cove Jetty in Lagos, the loading point for fuel cargoes. Its latest scapegoat is the damaged portion of its pipeline at Arepo village, Ogun State.

But that notwithstanding, it is worrisome that an oilproducing nation would depend on a corruptiondriven import model for its refined products supply.

There are fears that the fuel shortage could persist till the New Year because no conscious effort is being made by the government to tackle the problems confronting the sector. Since Nigerians have come to terms with the fact that the NNPC, which is almost the

sole importer of petrol, has been struggling to distribute the product nationwide, what is being done to ease the problems impeding quick product delivery. Nothing meaningful had been done rather the government is considering another round of fraudulent Turn-Around-Maintenance of the existing refineries, a project that had been used as a conduit pipe for siphoning public fund over the years.

If the huge debts owed oil marketers in subsidy claims is actually the reason why most of them have been shunning fuel importation under the subsidy regime, thus leaving the NNPC and a few other marketers to do the importation of products which are in short supply, why should the government stick to its guns and allow the poor masses to continue to suffer as a result of the scarcity which is not their fault.

This has potrayed the Jonathan government as being insensitive to the plights of the citizens. The yuletide is around the corner and many Nigerians, who are already suffering the negative consequences of the recent flood disasters and the high level of insecurity, will no doubt be plunged into a more difficult situation.

President Goodluck Jonathan and his men, who probably do not feel the negative impact of the fuel scarcity having directed the NNPC to supply more products to Abuja, should know that Nigerians are facing difficult times and that a responsible government ought to listen or be sensitive to the plights of the citizenry.

There Was A Country

and Haiti. The only possible argument on the critical list is that Biafra was short lived.

Biafra passed the threshold of being a sovereign country and history will show that Yugoslavia was once a country and it is today no more. Many countries sprang up in recent history, Serbia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Belarus, and many more.

Even those who attack Chinua Achebe did not challenge the facts of the genocide visited on the Igbos but lame excuses were made that reprisal killings were common place in Nigeria during the period in question.

There are clear differentials on communal reprisal killings and genocide. History will be a fake if attempts were made to twist facts and that was the area the attackers of Chinua Achebe were in their most discomfort zone.

War broke out between two sovereign states- Nigeria and Biafra. The sin of Chinua Achebe is that he mentioned Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the book as an active participant in the prosecution of the war that contravened many sections of the Geneva convention thereby committed war crimes. The most heinous was the act of adopting starvation as an instrument of conducting war, which in the eyes of the convention is a crime against humanity. Chief Awolowo did not while he was aliving dispute the critical fact of the use of starvation but he advanced an excuse that Biafra soldiers were

diverting the food for their own use. The Geneva Convention did not specify that in such event that an enemy can adopt starvation as an instrument of war if the opposing enemy was diverting food meant for civilians. Starvation was declared as a crime if used by an opposing force as a mean to annihilate an enemy. The prosecutors of the war on Biafra were lucky that these crimes were committed during a period the world was largely in the cold war era because if Biafra was declared today, the brutalities, the heinous crimes against civilians would have received repercussions.

Ve r y l a r g e s e c t i o n s o f comments were against Chinua Achebe, not on the facts he presented but why he did no allow the sleeping dog to its rest. How can we Africans allow written history to continue to elude us. The English war of the Roses that happened 500 years ago are fully documented. The American war of independence are all in history books with vivid descriptions of horrible scenes in many sectors of that war Ask our university graduates today about Biafra and you will be shocked that less than 10% will give you a sensible account of what happened in Nigeria 40 short years ago To many of us detribalized Nigerians, we are always shocked at reactions that can come from people you have always regarded as civilized and would be capable of

resisting temptations to be drawn into tribal supremacist thinking. I shall continue to admire Wole Shonika who refused to be drawn into the attacks on writer's impressions on an event that affected every Igbo family, be it starvation or the policy to pauperize all Igbos that rubbished their life earnings in exchange for 20 pounds. How could a man in somber reflection now not condemn such a heinous policy.

How can a Yoruba person of this age attempt to excuse such an action because it was developed

by Chief Obafemi Awolowo The argument they were advancing may well be that Chief Obafemi Awolowo cannot be wrong on any act of his. I remember vividly an argument that developed between Chief Anthony Enahoro and myself on his anger against Igbos. He alleged that when the Biafra soldiers arrived Uromi that they dug out his late fathers' graves, I vehemently informed Chief Enahoro that Igbos may be accused of many sins but it is not in the Igbo character to temper with human remains.

The Biafran soliders in Uromi were there barely 72 hours and it is quite inconceivable that a force at war will have the time to be digging out graves of dead people. This short narration was included here simply as an illustration of how Igbos' are held responsible for acts that are materially incorrect and factually untenable. If the review could attract this volume

of excitement, the entire book will definitely be a reader's delight. My caution is that as much as we may want to take sides let us do so with critical logic and not drawn into senseless tribal jingoism to deny history is a war against civilization. Those who discount history suffer the incurable disease of backwardness.

Do the Yoruba's wish to be reminded that if not for then premier of Eastern Nigeria, Dr M.I Okpara that Chief Obafemi Awolwo would not lave been alive to prosecute the war in the manner he did because had Awolowos fate had been left in the hands of his own kinsman Chief S.L. Akintola, Awo would have been dead meat in 1964.

Dr M.I. Okpara did not only secure the jail house at Calabar for Chief Awolowo, he ensured that he was kept in good condition.

As for Igbos they should do some soul searching to read between the lines why Chinua Achebe chose now to publish this book. It is a reminder for Igbos to wash their eyes because the clouds are gathering once again in Nigeria and if care is not taken the Igbos would left hold the end of the stick in the senseless struggle to rule Nigeria neither by equity nor justice but always by conspiracy. The pauperization policy scripted by Awolowo 45years ago still have its lingering effects on Igbos today because one cannot understand that a people under the siege the Igbo found themselves cannot free themselves from that

Continues on page 13

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Sunday, November 4 – Saturday, November 10, 2012

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ADVOCATE

NEWS

Enugu Assembly backs creation of Adada state

By Chioma Jumbo

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he Enugu State House of Assembly on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution calling for the creation of Adada State out of the present Enugu State.

Leader of the Assembly, Mr Sunday Ude-Okoye, who sponsored the motion, said the history of the struggle for the creation of Adada state began 31 years ago.

He said it was the oldest demand in the South East zone of the country that was yet to be actualised.

In his six-point motion prayers which was co-sponsored by 21 others, Ude-Okoye urged the relevant stakeholders, members of the National Assembly, state legislators, elected chairmen and councillors from the seven local government areas that constitute Enugu North Senatorial zone to initiate actions for the actualisation of the state.

“That this honorable House, today, first day of November, 2012 do hereby pledge total support and commitment to the creation of Adada state out of the

present Enugu State in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Two, that this honorable House appreciates the genuine efforts of the Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency, Barrister Sullivan Iheanacho Chime towards the realisation of Adada dream through setting up the state committee on the creation of Adada state.

“Three, that this honourable House urges the governor of Enugu State to continue to give all the necessary logistic support to the state committee set up for the actualisation of Adada state.

“This Honorable House hereby resolves that any other request for the creation of a new state outside Adada state from Enugu, is not in tune with the wishes of the good people of Enugu State.”

The lawmaker said formal request for the creation of the new state was forwarded to the National Assembly on March 2, 1983 through the late Senator Isaiah Ani who represented Nsukka in the senate between 1979 and 1983.

He said the second attempt was on Jan. 2, 1996 to the Mbanefo Committee on the creation of states and local governments

while the other was on Feb. 19, 2006 by the Chief promoter, Igwe Charles Abangwu to the national assembly.

The leader of the assembly listed other efforts toward the creation of the state to include the inauguration of a 24 man committee headed by (Rtd), Maj.-Gen. Godwin Ugwuoke,

by Gov. Sullivan Chime on Sept. 17, 2007.

He said the South East caucus of the National Assembly had inaugurated a 10-man committee of senators and members of the House of Representatives under Sen. Ifeanyi Ararume and when the demand for the creation of four states, namely: Aba, Adada, Urashi and Njaba were presented, Adada got the highest vote.

Ude-Okoye said that since there was a high demand for the creation of Adada state, all wellmeaning people from the South East should support it.

He said the land area for the new state was still intact and its creation would make for justice, equity and fairness in the political equation of state creation, among other things, in

Houseboy defiles employer's 6-year old daughter

By Chioma Jumbo

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he family of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Dopemu residents of Surulere, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, must be regretting their action when they employed a 20-year old boy, Obong Thompson as their houseboy. Reason: Thompson recently defiled their six-year old girl while the parents were away to their offices.

Investigation revealed that while the girl's parents were away at work, the houseboy allegedly grabbed his boss' sixyear old daughter (name withheld) pulled off her clothes and had carnal knowledge of her.

When Mr. and Mrs. Dopemu returned from work, they noticed their daughter's unusual mood. They later discovered blood in her private part.

The matter was reported to the police at Bode Thomas Divisional Headquarters.

Thompson was arrested and investigated.

In his confessional statement, the suspect allegedly wrote: “When both of us were at home alone, I saw her body naked. I was charged and emotionally carried away.

He was arraigned before a family court sitting at Tinubu, Lagos Island.

The court ordered that Thompson be remanded at Kirikiri prisons, Apapa, Lagos.

In a separate incident, a 34year old man, Kayode Oladosu has been charged before an Ejigbo Magistrate's court, Lagos for allegedly having carnal knowledge of his neighbour's 10-year old daughter.

Oladosu, from Ibadan, Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria, reportedly lured the little girl into his room at Kudeyibu Estate, Isheri-Osun, Lagos.

After the rape, she started bleeding and went home to meet her parents with blood stained dress.

The matter was reported to the police at Isheri-Oshun Division and Oladosu was arrested and

charged to court.

Narrating her ordeal, the victim said that she was sent to buy some items in a provision store in their area when Oladosu lured her to his room.

At the court Oladosu said that he was in a financial mess and could not get money to give to women in order to have sex with them because he has no steady job. He said he did not want to injure the girl but only wanted to satisfy his sexual desire.

“I did not intend to injure her, I just pushed my penis a little bit to release,” he explained.

When the charge was read to him, he pleaded not guilty.

The trial magistrate, Mrs. E.E. Kubenje, holding brief for Mrs M. B. Folami who is on leave, granted him bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

The matter was adjourned till 14 November, 2012.

He was remanded in prison custody at Kirikiri, Apapa pending when he will fulfill his bail condition.

the six geo-political zones of the country.

According to him, the name Adada was derived from the Adada River in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area.

He said Nsukka would serve as the state capital.

All the lawmakers present spoke

in favour of the creation of the new state.

The Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr Eugene Odo, commended the sponsor and contributors and urged the state committee on state creation to adopt all the content of the motion for fairness.

Eugene Odoh, Enugu House Speaker

ACN accuses FG of raising fuel price by subterfuge The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has accused the PDP-led Federal Government of raising the price of petrol through the back door by creating an artificial scarcity that is now forcing Nigerians to pay more than the official price.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Friday by its National Publicity S e c r e t a r y, A l h a j i L a i Mohammed, the party said after the government's anti-people policy of raising the price of petrol was rejected earlier this year, it has now resorted to underhand tactics to increase the price.

It said since the orchestrated scarcity started several months ago, Nigerians have been paying anything from 110 naira per litre in Lagos to as high as 130-140 naira per litre elsewhere in the country at many filling stations, and far higher than those prices at the black market. ”For example, in the capital city of Abuja, 10 litres of fuel goes for 2,500 at the black market, representing 250 naira per litre.

For motorists who are unable to withstand the painfully-long queues in the few filling stations selling the product, this is the only way to keep their vehicles running. ”By failing to clamp down on the filling stations selling at prices higher than the official rate, and by not ensuring the availability of the product nationwide, the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan has simply rammed a price

increase down the throats of Nigerians. ”This governance by deceit, a hallmark of the PDP-led Federal Government, is sure to make life more difficult for Nigerians, most of whom provide their own electricity through generators that are powered by petrol. The high fuel cost is also having a bandwagon effect on the cost of goods and services,” ACN said.

The party challenged the Federal Government to tell Nigerians why it has been unable to make petrol widely available to its citizens, who are already reeling under the effects of poor governance manifesting in massive unemployment and poor electricity supply, among others. ”The Jonathan Administration has shown itself to be an expert in setting up committees after committees for one reason or the other in the oil sector. These committees have yet to make any appreciable impact in cleaning up the sector and ending the current situation where ordinary citizens are being made to pay for the massive corruption and incredible inefficiency in the sector. ”Of course, Nigerians know that because the government itself as well as the ruling PDP are at the centre of the corruption and inefficiency in the sector, every action so far taken by the government amounts to window dressing, until otherwise proven,” it said

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Sunday, November 4 – Saturday, November 10, 2012

11

Foreign news

Storm Sandy: Eastern US gets back on its feet

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usinesses and services in the north-eastern US are expected to start reopening after two days of closure forced by storm Sandy.

Some airports, government buildings, schools and the New York Stock Exchange are due to return to business.

But many homes still have no power and the New York subway will remain shut. More than 40 people are dead.

President Barack Obama, who has suspended his election campaign, is due to visit affected areas in New Jersey.

The cost of clearing up after storm Sandy has been estimated at $30-40bn (£18-24bn).

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said: "We have not seen damage like this in a generation."

Flight backlog The storm is still causing severe disruption after moving inland from the coast. It is forecast to weaken as it turns north into Canada, but to continue dumping heavy snow and rainfall.

At least 22 people were killed in New York City alone.

JFK and Newark Liberty - two of the New York area's three main airports - were scheduled

to open for a limited service on Wednesday, but severe delays were expected after the cancellation of more than 18,000 flights across the affected area.

The New York Stock Exchange says it will also re-open after two days' closure, as will the Nasdaq exchange. The last time the stock exchange shut down for two days because of the weather was in 1888.

New York's subway system sustained the worst damage in its 108-year history, said Joseph Lhota, head of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).

Subway tunnels were flooded and electrical equipment will have to be cleaned before the network can re-open.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said there was "no timeline" for when the subway would restart, but he hoped buses could begin running again.

Tr a m s a n d f e r r i e s w e r e resuming services, but most of New York's bridges remain closed.

Across the north-east, at least eight million homes and businesses are without power because of the storm, says the US Department of Energy.

Rwandan opposition leader Victoire Ingabire jailed

Jody Herrington, New Jersey charity worker: "There are rollercoasters in the water”

Casablanca bombing suspect arrested

by German police

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erman police have arrested a man in connection with a deadly suicide bombing in Casablanca in 2003.

The attack on the Moroccan city left 45 people dead, including the 12 bombers, and many injured.

The suspect, reported to be a 37year-old French national of Moroccan origin, was detained at Munich airport after Rabat issued an international arrest

warrant.

A statement from German police said extradition proceedings had begun.

The man was detained as he arrived at the airport with his family from Paris, German media reported. He was said to be travelling to Dubai.

Suicide bombers set off at least five explosions in Casablanca in March 2003, targeting a Jewish community centre, a busy Spanish restaurant, the Belgian

consulate and a luxury hotel all within five minutes of each other.

The attacks, the deadliest in Morocco's history, killed 45 people and wounded more than 100 others.

In 2009, Islamist militant Saad Housseini was sentenced in Morocco to 15 years in jail for the bombing, while coconspirators were given shorter jail terms.

He was also accused of making the bombs that killed 191 people on commuter trains in Madrid in 2004, after training in Afghanistan.

Last year, a bomb attack in the main square in Marrakesh claimed the lives of 17 people, many of them foreigners.

Haiti fears food shortages after hurricane hit crops

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Rwandan opposition leader Victoire Ingabire has been found guilty at her treason trial and sentenced to eight years in jail.

The prosecution had requested a life sentence for the charges of threatening state security.

The court also found her guilty of "belittling" Rwanda's 1994 genocide.

Ingabire was not in court to hear the verdict as she has been boycotting the trial, saying it is politically motivated.

The Unified Democratic Forces leader was arrested in April

2010 and was barred from standing in elections later that year.

The BBC's Prudent Nsengiyumva in the capital, Kigali, says her lawyer, the deputy UDF leader and a number of her supporters were in court.

They were stunned by the verdict, expecting her to receive a life sentence, our reporter says.

She had also faced terrorism charges, but these were dropped during the two-year trial.

The UDF has 30 days to appeal against the verdict.

ears are growing of food shortages in Haiti, after the strong winds and heavy rain of Hurricane Sandy caused extensive crop damage.

Aid workers and officials are also warning that flooding could lead to a sharp rise in cholera cases.

Sandy is blamed for some 70 deaths in the Caribbean. Of these more than 50 were in Haiti.

In Jamaica and Cuba, which took direct hits from the hurricane, the clean-up is also continuing.

Sandy, which was a category one hurricane when it clipped Haiti last week, brought heavy rain and flooding.

At least 54 people died in what Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe called a "disaster of major proportions".

There is concern that floods and

unsanitary conditions could led to an increase in cholera cases.

More than 7,500 people have died in the cholera epidemic in Haiti since late 2010. Hundreds of new cases are still being registered every week.

Another big worry is the damage to the agriculture sector.

More than 70% of crops, including bananas, plantains and maize, was destroyed in the south of the country, officials said.

Food insecurity, particularly in this part of Haiti, was already a major concern.

Rising food prices have in the past triggered at times violent demonstrations in Haiti.

Long road In Jamaica, Sandy caused extensive damage to crops, including coffee and bananas.

Dozens of houses were destroyed and many more

damaged.

Even before the hurricane we faced serious economic challenges. This has been made worse by the passage of Hurricane Sandy," Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller said.

Eleven people died in Cuba, making Sandy one of the deadliest storms there in recent years.

The eastern province of Santiago was the worst-hit, with flooding and landslides destroying crops, knocking out power and damaging buildings.

President Raul Castro, who toured the area on Sunday, warned that recovery would take a long time.

"It's been hard. But Santiago is Santiago. It's resisted gales and wars of every type. It will overcome this," he was quoted as saying by the Communist Party newspaper, Granma.

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ADVOCATE

POLITICS

Igbos ready for 2015 presidency Continues from page 19 all this new apostles of “AWO” should keep their peace.

Immunity clause has been a hydra-headed monster in the constitutional amendments of Nigeria politics where people found themselves in power even perpetrate criminality and even, using this immunity clause to do a lot of things. We have cases of extra judicial killings and rest of it. Don't you see a situation where it should be amended in such a way that if somebody commits a heinous crime, even if he is the president of the country, that he should be brought to justice while still in office?

Thank you very much, the trouble is that we do not have a strong institutions. And in everything we do, like coming here today, you see the issue of Nigeria factors. You know how long it took us to be able to set off this interview. The trouble is this, that I have this fear that if the clause is removed, it will be abused, but I prefer to see a middle clause, that there should not be any immunity as regards a criminal activities or even as it is presently constituted. There is no immunity as to investigation.

Every criminal act by a sitting governor can be investigated and if our institutions are strong enough when found guilty, should be compelled to face the charges by the end of his tenure.

Many governors are facing their charges today. So the most important thing for me is for us to strengthen our institutions; it could be easily taken care of that.

When you were speaking, you talked about the numerous powers of the governors, so much powers has been rested on them by the constitution, and we are still talking about the amendment of the constitutions. Did you think that some of these powers should be stripped off the governors; so as to take care of the situations of the winner takes all?

My friend, if you want my candid opinion, presidential system of government is not the best for our country. We should revert to the west minister type of constitution. One, It will save cost, two, you will be in a good position to keep whoever that is in charge under control.

Prior to the 1966, when we had regions and we had premiers under a parliamentary system of government, there are things that can never cross the mind of a premier even though he was the executive head of government because his colleagues there and then in the house could not allow it. So I am

Maximus Ukuta more interested in our building strong institutions and if I have my way I will suggest we go back to the parliamentary system of government.

You talked about consultations previously, recently the Arewa Consultative Forum sent a delegation to Enugu to come and meet with the Ohaneze Ndigbo, now do you see that type of visit in the right direction for now?

Definitely such visits will help the polity but it should not be restricted, Arewa should feel free to come to the Ohaneze, Ohaneze should feel free to go to the Afenefere, and if there is another unit within the southsouth we should keep open, we should be consulting, I did not see anything…, I think it is a healthy thing, we should be open to consultation on the different groups.

There has been a burning issue which has been part of the constitution amendment too, that is issue of the state police, to be or not to be, what is your take?

Hulah-lah! I thought you were my friend, why are you raising all this hard issues, I don't know why you are raising all the hard issue, well I will tell you something, I happen to have known a time when the situation was terrible, because we had the native authority police in the then northern, western and eastern region, but the northern police known as the “Dansandas” were horrible, it was highly abused, unlike the native authority police that operated in the west and the east, but that was many years back.

That would not be enough for one not to advocate for…., in the first place, unless if the constitution is amended in such

a way that the state chief executives will be in charge of the security apparatus within him, I have nothing against having a states police, it will help ease unemployment, it will help also make it easier because if you know a bad person you can take the name to the native police, for example if I am a native authority police, it will be easier for me to dictate all the bad people in my community , because I know them all.

Strictly speaking I am basing my answer on the fact the many years ago things went bad among the people and the native police in some area, but that would not be enough for me to see native police as a bad idea, many things has improved, education has improved a lot better in our society. I have nothing against the idea. I am for the creation of the native authority police.

When you are talking you mentioned some of your political contemporaries and the godfathers too. Some of them are no longer alive, we are talking of the culture of immortalizing heroes, do you think that the labours of our heroes past are in vain or not in vain, do you think that they have been properly edified, at least immortalized.

Well we can never sufficiently immortalize our past heroes.

Efforts have been made at immortalizing some of them, but there are some of them that have been very which little or nothing have been done. l take an issue like late Herbert Macaulay for example he was a doyen, the boss of the great Nnamdi Azikiwe. This country has not done much for him, take the issue of some of the very young radicals that left all that

they were doing, went to jail… I don't even know how many of you that know of the man called Raji Hamadala, or the role of Ikenna Nzimiro or the role of Late Osita Agwuna in the independence struggle or even Anthony Enahoro, these were the heroes who sacrificed their all so that we could be free, there are many of them but unfortunately I think there was a writer who said we have a custom of killing our best instead of immortalizing our heroes, but it will be wonderful if a committee is set up to identify our heroes and immortalize them.

R e c e n t l y, t h e H o u s e o f Representatives threatened to impeach the President over what they called inability to implement the budget of the nation 100% as the third quarter. As a commissioner in the Old Anambra State, do you t h i n k t h a t 1 0 0 % implementation of budgets is realistic in the kind of system we run in this country.

In a way, you know a budget is dependent on the availability of funds. I can budget to spend N10, approved, but at the end of the day all I have is N5 I will run into trouble on how to get the extra N5, if the money is available you implement it, but then it is always better you cut your coat according to your cloth, it depends on the availability of the fund. I don't have a full facts, I don't know the full circumstances what led to the ultimatum to Mr. President, but I know that he has since doubled up they are now implementing more of the 2012 budget.

I know that even if the money is not enough there is always a budget review. Sometimes you

review the budget at hand. It is not about money, I am talking about the implementation.

Money is a basic case in implementing a budget, without money you can't implement a budget. That is why I am saying I am not sure, because I don't have all the facts but I know, in our own time we never had a situation like this, nobody was accused, the legislature never accused the executive governor of not implementing a budget. I think there may be more that bleeds the eye.

Did you support a constitutional role for traditional rulers in Nigeria?

Incidentally that is my constituency, I happen to come from a traditional home, and definitely I support a role for them. You could call it an enlightened self interest, so I support a role for traditional rulers in the constitution of Nigeria.

What role?

I am not competent enough to say what the role will be; it will be a decision by the majority of the people. Definitely their having a role will help to stabilize their policy.

Elder states man you earlier talked about the creation of two states for South-east, and you are also a proponent of returning to the old regional structure in the country, so how do we reconcile both?

When it is time to return we will all collapse and go into the regional structure, but as at now that we are operating on a republican state structure the east have suffered a lot. I don't know if you can quantify, the lost to the east over revenue allocation, the shortage of councils, the issue of 5 states, you can't quantify it, honestly all this years. So now that what is in-vogue is the presidential system, I am supporting that the east should have two more states and more local governments.

There should be criteria for local governments. I am supporting strongly that the Arthur Mbanefo recommendations on local governments throughout the country should be implemented, because there was a criteria and a total visit to all parts of this country and interaction with the people before decisions were arrived at.

So I am suggesting that if we want to get it right we should go back to the Arthur Mbanefo committee and implement the recommendations. Thank you.

Back to the 70's, 80's, extra Judicial killing was not a rampant in Nigeria, we saw more of it in 1990's to the early part of this decade. With

Continues from page 13

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Sunday, November 4 – Saturday, November 10, 2012

13

INTERVIEW

Biafra to appoint ministers will help us to bye pass the How Igbos can produce Nigeria’s observer status which in reality – Onwuka as I said will not deliver Continue from page 17 that Biafra shouldn't be isolated any more as we were in 1967 because the British government was very claver, craft out the negative policy against Biafra and that isolated us and made Nigeria to be exposed to the outside world that they are fighting for united cause which was a false so they are two track to this problem.

One is that we will make sure that this time around Biafra will not be killed again as we have been over the past decades. But the paramount issue that will give us independent is not combatant fighting between Biafra and Nigeria Government. It is to secure United States support with that all available resources in terms o f m i l i t a r y, e c o n o m i c , diplomatic will then follow.

The basic is US support coupled with European Union, Israel and most of our African friends whom we are also in contact with, there will be no violence but Biafrans must expect that something of that sort is likely to arise but this time we are going to defend ourselves, we can not fold our hands again to be killed by them.

You are just back from diplomatic tour of Europe; could you give us an insight of your effort at that level was like?

We committed to the United Nation; remember we are now speaking to the UN for an observer status. That is still pending at the United Nation at the moment; I will not lie to Biafrans, the reason is, they are five permanent members of the United Nation Security Council that screens every application that is made at the UN, these five permanent members or countries will have to look through it and these are the United States, the Russia federation, the Chinese, the French and the British so ours has been presented to the United Nation but we are hoping to get reply from them because as I said Britain has the power to say no to it but having said no if at all it will happen does not stop our case.

Observer status is really to give you an open seat without power or authority on that and the only people that have observer status at the moment is Palestine. The Palestine has gotten the observer status for the last couple of years now but have not gotten their independent because they lacked diplomatic support.

So, in the real sense, we are still waiting for the application to be call upon but our main concern is US diplomatic support that

independent but only make us to be waiting at the back bench.

Biafra wants to be independent as to enable us compete with Americans, Russia, the Japanese economically, if you go to UK, Laptop is becoming an obsolete, this is what happens, everybody goes with IP4, IPAD 4, IPAD 5 or 6 so we can do something with them , that is where Biafra is goes towards. I must tell you that our diplomatic contact with US, Europe and Israel is on going but I will not review the secrete.

Sir, past Biafra leaders did not include Kogi, Benue what prompted the action of including those areas in the New Biafra?

Benue, Kogi and Edo are part of Biafra, we are the same, predominantly we are Christians, and we have more in common than with the northerners. The core north is north west even Biafran will extent their hands of followership with the plateau, they are being killed on a daily bases because they are Christians and so we are appealing to our brothers in Benue and plateau to come and join Biafra so we can develop ourselves economically because in the new Biafra there will be no majority and there will be no minority.

So any tribe, race or individual can become the president of the republic of Biafra. We will have an opportunity for every body, it won't be based on religion, Plateau or where ever, it will be based on merit. What you can achieve, bring it on the table we will support you. These three states of Edo, Benue and Kogi, we are telling them you are our brothers, we want you to join us November 5 as members and family- hood of the republic of Biafra here there will equality for all not by socialism or communism but capitalism given everybody the opportunity to excel in what ever you do in terms of education, technology, science, innovation.

What ever you do or achieve, bring it to the table to develop Biafra, the government of Biafra will support you and one thing that is very important in this Biafra issue is that we are going to discus and solve our problems on a round table.

There will be discussions; consensus and agreement, there will be no violence or imposition. Igbos won't have Biafra, Ijaws won't have it, Edos won't have it , Benue won't have it but it is going to be Biafra for all as far as you are a Biafra, you are a stakeholder in this new republic.

president

Continues from page 12 “Aluu” killings of four undergraduates of the University of Portharcourt, now we have seen trumped-up cases now coming back, many politicians of the old said that these things were not there then, how come it just appeared? Could it be linked to bad governance, to bad economic policies, so how would you link this case now given your position and previous experience?

I link it up to criminality. Bad governance has nothing that will make individuals not to have respect for fellow human life, human life suppose to be sacred and it is interesting throughout the first republic , even the issue of operation W.E.P.T, in the then western Nigeria was more of a reaction to political injustice, to rigging, the people took the laws into their hands so I think the criminals are now on the prowl and this issue of our people being over materialistic we no more have respect for human life I can kill even right now if I know you have some dollar and nothing will be done about it, I can kill in other to remove your dollar and nothing will be done about it instead if I know a traditional ruler, I will give him 5,000 dollars and he will give a big title to me. Our values have to be revisited.

Chief, who do we blame; the moral decadence in the society where do we put this blame?

On all of us. We should blame no group particularly, we should all be blamed all of us. All Nigerians are to be blamed.

Don't you think the more of the blame should be laid on the security agencies? No police turned up?

Not necessarily, but then there's something more basic, why should the act even take place, before talking about the security turning up. Even if I come there and the act has taken place, the evil has been committed; those young men have been extinguished and cannot be brought back to life. You see our attitudes these days; our value has been so turned upside down we don't appreciate those basic things. Those things that are were taught early in life, thou shall not kill and the rest of it and it no more has any meaning.

Chief you were there in the past and you are here now, taking a critical look at the policy of the present admin, what are the areas you think the administration is not getting right?

If you are more specific I will be able to know what you mean and how to answer you.

Maximus Ukuta I am talking about the economic, political policy, the areas you think that they need to improve?

The ones I know that I have heard people say are that in certain are we are following the agenda of the IMF and the World Bank and from the little I know, they have never helped a third world country, that will worsen our position if it is true.

So first and foremost we should be able to take our destiny in our hands like the new policy being adopted in agriculture if we can

follow it up it will help us, and change a lot of things for us for the better of the country. The moment we can feed ourselves, and then we have gotten it right.

Thank you.

What future does this country have in your view?

First I will say that there should be deliberate effort to lessen our concentration on materialism and corruption and until these two areas are addressed I am afraid that we will keep moving in the dark. I hope there's a good future of our country.

There Was A Country

repeats itself because we fail to learn from the lessons of history.

Continues from page 9

NAF Safety Seminar 2012

bondage. Today in Nigeria the Igbos are the least organized, they have failed to produce any roadmap on their quest to be Continues from page 22 part of Nigeria leadership, they officers, airmen, airwomen and are satisfied with the crumbs even our civilian staff to give from the table, they do not have a voice. The import of Chinua him their best cooperation and Achebe's book should not be support as he steers the affairs of lost to Igbos. One will think that the Nigerian Air Force”. after so many years in the D e s c r i b i n g N A F S a f e t y wilderness the Igbos should at Seminar 2012, as the first of its least start reconstructing their kind in Africa, Max Gbanite, a essence as a unique people with military strategist in Abuja said, a mission. There was a country “The seminar can be nothing is a vivid reminder that a short of consciousness-raising struggle of the magnitude of in aviation which could signal Biafra by a people has huge the end to the many air mishaps significance in world history that our country have had to and should be recorded not only grapple with. If the resolutions

by Prof Chinua Achebe but by reached are implemented others who have facts and religiously, then the confidence impressions. The timing of the of air travelers in this country in publication should also remind air transportation will surely the wider Nigeria that history return”.

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Sunday, November 4 – Saturday, November 10, 2012

14

FLASHBACK

Nigeria Founding Fathers (3) Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

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lhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, KBE (December 1912 January 15, 1966) was a Nigerian politician, and the only prime minister of an independent Nigeria. Originally a trained teacher, he became a vocal leader for Northern interest as one of the few educated Nigerians of his time. He was also an international statesman, widely respected across the African continent as one of the leaders who encouraged the formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Nicknamed the Golden Voice of Africa because of his oratory, he stands one of the only three National Heroes of the Nigerian Nation.

Early life and career Abubakar Balewa was born late in 1912 in Bauchi, the son of a Bageri Muslim district head in the Bauchi divisional district of Lere. He started early education at the Koranic School in Bauchi and like most of his contemporaries, he studied at the Katsina College for further education and soon acquired his teaching certificate. He returned to Bauchi to teach at the Bauchi Middle School. In 1944, along with a few learned teachers from the north, he was chosen to study abroad for a year at the University of London's Institute of Education. Upon returning to

NEWS

T

he Enugu State Police command said it has commenced investigations into last Tuesday's attempted kidnap of one Mrs. Nwamaka Ezeagbo of Umu Idi Opi in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu said that no arrest had been made over the attempted kidnap but efforts were on to get at the culprits.

“I don’t know if the people concerned have made any report on the case. If they have not, they should do that to allow us continue with the investigation and fish out those behind the attempt”, he said.

The Advocate learnt that an attempt was made to kidnap one Mrs Nwamaka Ezeagbo at her Opi residence while watching television with her daughter, Chidiebere and other children from the neighboring houses Tuesday night but the move failed.

Recounting her ordeal in the failed kidnap attempt, Ezeaagbo who is popularly known as ‘Mama Above’ said, "I do not know how I was invincible to

Nigeria, he became an Inspector of Schools for the colonial administration and later entered politics. He was elected in 1946, to the colony's Northern House of Assembly, and to the Legislative Assembly in 1947.

As a legislator, he was a vocal advocate of the rights of northern Nigeria, and together with Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, who held the hereditary title of Sardauna of Sokoto, he founded the Northern People's Congress (NPC).

From self Government to independence Balewa entered the government in 1952 as Minister of Works, and later served as Minister of Transport. In 1957, he was elected Chief Minister, forming a coalition government between the NPC and the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), led by Nnamdi Azikiwe. He retained the post as Prime Minister when Nigeria gained independence in 1960, and was reelected in 1964.

Prior to Nigeria's independence, a constitutional conference in 1954 had adopted a regional political framework for the country, with all regions given a considerable amount of political freedom. The three regions then were composed of diverse cultural groups. The premiers and some prominent leaders of

the regions later took on a policy of guiding their regions against political encroachment from other regional leaders. Later on, this political environment influenced the Balewa administration. His term in office was turbulent, with regional factionalism constantly threatening his government.

However, as Prime Minister of Nigeria, he played important roles in the continent's formative indigenous rule. He was an important leader in the formation of the Organization of African Unity and creating a cooperative relationship with French speaking African Countries. He was also instrumental in negotiations between Moise Tshombe and the Congolese authorities during the Congo Crisis of 19601964. He led a vocal protest against the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960 and also entered into an alliance with Commonwealth ministers who wanted South Africa to leave the Commonwealth in 1961. However, a treason charge and conviction against one of the western region's leaders, Obafemi Awolowo, led to protest and condemnation from many of his supporters. The 1965 election in the region later produced violent protests. Rioting and violence were soon synchronous with what was perceived as

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa inordinate political encroachment and an overexuberant election outcome for Awolowo's western opponents.

As Prime Minister of Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, from 1960 to 1961, doubled as Foreign Affairs advocate of Nigeria. In 1961, the Balewa government created an official Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth Relations ministerial position in favour of Jaja Wachuku who became, from 1961 to 1965, the First substantive Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth Relations, later called External Affairs.

Honors In January 1960, Balewa was knighted by Elizabeth II as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He was

awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Sheffield in May, 1960.

Overthrow He was overthrown and murdered in a military coup on January 15, 1966, as were many other leaders, including his old companion Ahmadu Bello. The circumstances of his death still remain unresolved. His body was discovered by a roadside near Lagos six days after he was ousted from office. Balewa was buried in Bauchi. News of his murder spurred violent riots throughout Northern Nigeria and ultimately led to the bloody counter-coup of July 1966.

Today, his portrait adorns the 5 Naira Note. The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Bauchi is named in his honour.

Police investigates kidnap attempt on middle-aged them, the house was in dark and it In an interview with Chidiebere woman in Opi Nsukka was only the ray of the television Ezeagbo, who is still in shock over that illuminated the house. While they were beating everybody I was there in the parlor yet none of them noticed me.

I see what happened that day as divine intervention that is why they couldn’t see me even though I was in the parlour “After watching the three of them leave for the rooms, I managed to crawl outside where I saw the vehicle and motorcycle of the kidnappers and about four others waiting inside their vehicle.

“Inside the bathroom I made several efforts to climb the fence into my neighbour’s compound but I failed. At this point I thought it was all over for me as there was no other place to run to since I was unable to climb the fence.

“As I was reserving myself to fate I saw one of the boys hurriedly climbed over me and jumped over the fence without noticing that their victim was there helplessly for their take. As soon as the hoodlums discovered some neighbours were about rounding them up they hurriedly zoomed off."

the incident, she expressed thanks to God that the plan of her mother’s abductors did not come to pass.

“Everything still looks unbelievable as I don’t know what we will be doing now if those daredevils had succeeded in their plans to kidnap my mother”, she said.

Confirming the incident Onyebuchi Ezeagbo, the first son an ex-banker, said he was surprised that anyone could ever thought of kidnapping his mother after all he had been doing for the progress of the community.

“I wouldn’t believe that people from this community can conspire to kidnap my mother. Since they were all speaking our dialect, it means that they suspects are youths from Opi community. Well let them continue but this ugly incidence will not deter me from helping anyone or contributing to the development of Opi community”, he said.

Meanwhile the Police has confirmed the arrest of an alleged

Mrs. Nwamaka Ezeagbo robbery suspect identified as Ikenna Ugwu who cheated death when he escaped being lynched by angry mob as result of police quick intervention.

An eyewitness living in Orba road Nsukka who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that the suspect robbed one Francesca Eze of the sum of N15, 000 close to Hail Mary Filling Station, along Orba road in Nsukka LG on Tuesday at gun point gun.

“The incident happened around

5.10 pm on Tuesday. The victim’s alarm attracted passer-by and residents who descended on the suspect beating him to state of coma before police intervened and whisked him away. Without police quick intervention the angry mob could have lynched him," the eyewitness said.

According to the account, thesuspect used gun to surrender Eze who was walking towards a nearby shop to buy an undisclosed item.

THE

ADVOCATE

Sunday, November 4 – Saturday, November 10, 2012

15

Odd world

Ghosts said to mingle with guests at haunted Arizona hotel anager Robin Brekhus was skeptical about her Arizona hotel's supernatural history until the day she went to the basement in search of candles during a power outage and glimpsed a figure in a long duster coat and cowboy hat in the beam of her flashlight.

"It was like he wanted me to make eye contact with him and acknowledge that I saw him," she said, recalling how she then sprinted up the steps to the spacious lobby with its Italianate columns and Tiffany & Co. stained glass mural - a new believer.

In its heyday in the early decades of the last century, the lobby of the Gadsden Hotel was known as the "living room" of the remote Arizona ranching town of Douglas, hosting cattle barons, cowboys and

executives from the local copper mining industry.

While many hotels in the United States claim ghosts, staff and guests at the Gadsden have recorded scores of supernatural encounters from the top floor right down to the maze-like basement - not just at Halloween, but year round.

This Halloween, the hotel is embracing its haunted history as never before, with a visiting blues band from Tennessee set to play at a bash in the lobby.

Guests can come dressed up or not, and ghosts are more than welcome.

The 160-room Gadsden Hotel, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, opened in 1907, but was badly damaged by a fire, and reopened in 1929. Since then, little has changed.

The lobby retains the original

A

to learn how to punch. I punched it twice. I punched it this way, and that one contacted.

But this (punch) kind of hit the side and slid into the mouth."

Realising it had met its match, the shark turned and swam away - allowing Mariko and her husband Don to swim safely to the shore.

Brave Mariko, from Folsom, California, wasn't bitten - but she needed 60 to 70 stitches on her left hand from where her fist hit the shark's razor-sharp teeth.

Don, meanwhile, is counting the couple's blessings.

He said: "I think we were really lucky."

But he's refusing to let the experience keep him out of the

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FEMALE diver survived a terrifying shark attack in Hawaii by using martial arts moves on the 12ft maneater.

Tae Kwan Do black belt Mariko Haugen was swimming with her husband off the coast of Maui when she found herself face to face with a deadly tiger shark.

When the predator pounced, her martial arts training kicked in and she whacked the shark square on its snout.

Mariko, who was on holiday, said: "All of a sudden, it was like Hollywood. You see the big jaws coming at you. I can't say how terrifying that is.

"My Tae Kwan Do prepared me

white marble steps leading to the large mezzanine, up which Mexican bandit-turnedrevolutionary Pancho Villa once reportedly rode his horse.

Visitors ride one of the oldest manual elevators west of the Mississippi to their rooms, many fitted out with original furnishings, aging drapes and pictures that recall the hotel's bustling heyday.

SUPERNATURAL ENCOUNTERS Many of the alleged supernatural encounters have been recorded by guests themselves and are kept in two binders behind the front desk.

Accounts include televisions turning on and off in Room 333, supposedly the most haunted, and mysterious knocks coming from radiators.

"My heart almost came out of my chest," one guest wrote of

Mariko survives tiger shark attack by using her martial arts moves on the 12ft predator water - insisting it was a freak fear sharks because what is "Getting bitten by a shark is one attack. scary is breast cancer. Breast in 4 million to visitors to Don added: "I've always told cancer is scary. That is one in Hawaii, so we should not have to worry at all.� my kids there's zero reasons to eight.

E

lephants are well known for their intelligence, sociability and outstanding powers of memory.

Until now, however, nobody expected one to speak. But say hello to Koshik...and he will say hello back.

Koshik, who talks by putting his trunk in his mouth, was recorded at a zoo imitating human speech.

He can say five words which are spoken in Korean and translate as 'hello', 'sit down', 'no', 'lie down' and 'good'.

Koshik has a vocabulary of five words, scientists discovered

her experience. "But then I thought 'Pray the Hail Mary,' all was fine."

In another testimonial, a guest reported hearing a key turning in a lock, then two figures walking into the room "as if they just finished a day of shopping." Then they were gone.

One woman visitor wrote of something pulling on her hair during the night, while another said she felt someone "sit on the edge of the bed, then ... felt pressure as the person laid down next to me."

"She came down the next morning and said, 'You know what? It felt like someone got in bed with me,'" deputy manager Brenda Maley recalled as she stood in the spacious sunlit lobby.

Maley, who said a ghost once pinned her to a bed in room 114,

said she apologized and offered up a new room. But the woman happily declined.

Television paranormal sleuths and amateur ghost hunters have probed the Gadsden, some toting thermal image cameras.

Enthusiasts have also sent in photographs of purported paranormal phenomena, including an eerie snap of a shadowy translucent cowboy sitting on a couch in the lobby.

But not all guests are believers: "The only thing haunted about Room 333 is the toilet, which won't stop running," wrote one skeptic.

Some newer staff are a little uncomfortable. Ana Yanez, a server in the Cattleman's Coffee Shop, said she hears coffee spoons tinkling sometimes, and shudders at the thought of working the front desk "graveyard shift" at night.

But for Maley, who has worked at the hotel for 36 years, the ghosts provide company in an isolated town.

"You get used to it," she said.

"You would be lonely without them.�

Meet Koshik, the elephant who can speak Korean It is not thought he means what he says but even his limited language skills could provide an insight into the biology and evolution of vocal learning, scientists report in the journal Current Biology.

Elephant communication expert Angela Stoeger, of Vienna University, Austria, said: 'Human speech has pitch and timbre, and Koshik is capable of matching both patterns. He accurately imitates

human formats as well as the voice pitch of his trainers.

'This is remarkable considering the huge size, long vocal tract and other anatomical differences between an elephant and a human.'

It is thought Koshik learned to 'speak' in his early days at Everland zoo in South Korea when humans were his only contacts. He could have adapted his vocals in a bid to strengthen social ties.

THE

Sunday, November 4 – Saturday, November 10, 2012

16

ADVOCATE

Health

Cancer cases on the increase in Nigeria

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new data from the National System of Cancer Registries has revealed that no fewer than 7,000 new cases of cancer have been recorded across 11 Tertiary hospitals in the country, a development that has raised serious concern among Nigerians.

Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, who dropped the disturbing news, however, said that the Federal Government had begun the procurement of two mobile cancer screening vans, 10 radiotherapy and nuclear medicine equipment to drastically reduce rising number of cancer related deaths as well as ensure proper screening and treatment even in the local communities.

Reeling out the measures already mapped out by the Federal Government in his keynote address during the opening ceremony of the

 7,000 new cases recorded in 11 hospitals  FG moves to reduce cancer deaths 4thInternational Cancer week in Nigeria, with the theme; “Together it is Possible to Fight Cancer,” Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu declared that the fight against cancer in the country was holistic.

According to Chukwu, the 7,000 new cases documented in the new data done in collaboration with the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN) corresponds with the average estimated 100,000 new cases of cancers reported in Nigeria annually.

From the data, 60 percent of cancers occur in women and 39.8 percent in men. Statistics from the Ministry of Health showed that breast cancer incidence has gone up at least four times over the decade and in 2010, it accounted for 40 per

cent of women cancers, closely followed by cervical cancer 17.9 percent, lymphomas and ovarian cancers are next.

Chukwu explained that the two mobile screening vans, which will be fully equipped with cancer screening equipment, would be used to screen people in the local communities for breast, cervical and prostrate cancers.

He stressed that aside from early detection and prompt treatment intervention, the government has increased human capacity, through local and international training.

To further buttress holistic approach to tackling cancer deaths, he said: “Over eight resident doctors, nurses and pharmacists are in training in readiness for the 10 Radiotherapy and nuclear

medicine equipment, which are being procured to increase the number of cancer treatment centres.”

“In partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, there are ongoing effort to upscale 10 more teaching hospitals to offer radiotherapy and nuclear medicine services in addition to the five existing ones,” he added.

Lamenting late presentation of cancer patients to the various treatment centres, the minister disclosed that palliative care services have been upgraded to care for them. “We have 29 doctors, 42 nurses, 12 social workers in palliative care so that these patients get the best quality of life at the terminal stage.”

Pointing out that key to

palliative care was pain, Chukwu announced that the Federal ministry of health has increased the importation of Morphine for the production of liquid morphine at the federal manufacturing laboratory, yaba to increase access to pain control at an affordable cost.

“Dialogue is currently ongoing with cancer drug manufacturers as to develop strategies to bring down the cost of treating cancer”, he stated.

In her address, the National Coordinator, National cancer Control Programme, NCCP, Dr. Patience Osinubi, who spoke extensively on the theme of the conference, said it buttressed the relevance of the roles of all relevant stakeholders in the fight against cancer.

“The theme is a cry on call to all relevant stakeholders to put in their best in the struggle to down scale the alarming incidence of cancer globally which Nigeria is not spared,” she said.

Surgeon advocates specialized medical groups

A

Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, Health Minister

Study brings boffins closer to leukaemia cure

S

CIENTISTS are one step closer to curing leukaemia after singling out a protein responsible for tumour growth.

Boffins studying 215 patients with acute B-lymphoblast leukaemia found protein CD25 in particularly aggressive forms of the disease.

It means doctors can now use it to help diagnose patients and

target the treatment better.

Antibodies to CD25 already exist and have been used to kill leukaemia cells in experiments.

Human trials could be next according to scientists from New York's Weill Cornell Medical College, who were responsible for the study.

Lead investigator Dr Ari Melnick said: “One could potentially conceive of a human

clinical trial where those antibodies are used to attack these cancerous cells."

B-lymphoblast leukaemia represents around 75 per cent of cases in children.

Long-term survival rates for those suffering are less than 40 per cent.

The findings have been published in health journal, Cancer Discovery.

n orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Muhyi Abubakar ,has urged the Federal Government to encourage doctors to form specialized medical groups to improve Nigeria's healthcare system.

Abubakar, a consultant at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Abuja, observed that many Nigerian medical practitioners were into private practice for selfish reasons.

He regretted that such developments had worked against the growth of the healthcare system in the country, according to him, it was unfortunate that some doctors engaged in the handling of medical cases they were not trained to, a development at which he maintained was responsible for a high rate of death.

The medical expert noted that the healthcare system in the West is efficient because it operates group medical practice, in his own words, “.The level of medical practice in Nigeria, basically speaking, is poor and when medical practitioners try to do private practice, we see the practice as a business for individual

survival”. ”We are finding it difficult to come together as trained specialists to form groups that are stronger. In our training, we have not been exposed to the business of healthcare. “ If we were adequately exposed during our training, both at graduate and post-graduate level, we will appreciate the fact that alone we cannot survive well.”

Abubakar said that the coming together of medical experts to form syndicate groups to set up specialized hospitals would attract investors to the sector, affirming that this would speed up the development of the healthcare system, adding that doctors would also not be over-worked or stressed up as there would be division of labour.

He said the patients and the society will be better served that way if government can give some incentives such as loan from the bank; certain taxes be reduced; or certain things can be provided by the government.

“If government sees a group of doctors forming a hospital, government will give 20 per cent of the salaries of the workers.

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Sunday, November 4 – Saturday, November 10, 2012

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Interview

Biafra to appoint ministers –Onwuka The leader of Biafra Zionist Movement, BZM, Barrister Benjamin Onwuka in this interview with The Advocate, reviewed how his group has worked had to actualize the Biafra sovereignty, appointment of ministers, formation of government and other number of issues. Excerpts.

Larry Onwuta & Ted Peters What are we going to expect on November 5, as you earlier announced?

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to Biafra people again and to the whole world. You will recall that Biafra was originally declared on May 30th 1967 and that is the bedrock of Biafra's independence and all we are doing is centered on that sovereign declaration of 1967.

What has been hampering Biafra independent of the years as said many times had being that the international community or the Biafra has not had the diplomatic muscle to counter Nigeria and that is why Nigeria has been very effective in preventing the independent of Biafra.

The truth remains that November 5, will be reenactment or the resurrection of the mandate that was given to Dim Chukwuemka Odumegwu Ojukwu, on May 30th 1967.

Biafra had already been declared as you are aware that the declaration triggered a civil conflict that lasted for almost four years, we still stand on that declaration and November 5, will be the real mandate or rebirth of that declaration for Biafra independence. As I am s p e a k i n g t o y o u t o d a y, consultations around the world from the United States, to Europe and Israel, Biafra will make another history on that date and nothing will stop it. It shall be a full blow and reaffirmation of the mandate of the republic of Biafra which was given to us by the Eastern National Constituency Assembly, on May 30th 1967.

Therefore, the only thing that can hinder Biafra on that date is, if Biafrans failed to turn up. I am using this medium to ask you to assemble in Enugu on November 5, for us to recapture the independent and sovereignty of the Biafran people. I can assure you with confidence that the United States of America, European Union and the State of Israel are behind the new republic of Biafra and therefore, Biafrans should come out in mass on that

date for our independence.

What arrangement do you have on ground to mobilize Biafrans for this event?

We have been very actively involved in using the latest information technology called social network which include the facebook, the internet, the media, newspapers and the print to tell Biafrans on the new development or what is going to happen on November 5, so our own mobilization is no longer centered on going for rallies or from one place to the other, it is now centered on a twenty four hour base of mobilization and information through the social network , internet because the world is now a global village.

So whatever you do in one part of the world affects the rest of us all over the world, like I said our mobilization has taken place through internet and it is twenty four hours mobilization and we believe it is bearing a lot of fruits because our telephone, email, facebook, are being bombarded twenty four hours a day so there is a solid mobilization.

Once again, I appealed to Biafrans to be in Enugu on November 5, 2012, physical appearance will deliver Biafrans on that day.

Is the declaration going to be performed here in Enugu?

It will take place in Enugu, nothing will stop it. No security force, Nigeria Army or any network will stop us that day, it is going to hold in Enugu.

What has been the response from Igbo or Biafran leaders across the world to this movement by your group?

The response has been amazing; we are getting support around the world, from Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Span, Israel, South Africa, Ghana, Bukanifaso, Ivory-cost even in Biafra and Nigeria, the response has been amazing and over whelming, recently we had a publication by the Advocate Newspapers, it went far and people are buying it with happiness and seeing the truth.

That this time around the message had all along internal mobilization of Biafrans but that is not the case, the world must hear our voice and because

The Advocate and other Newspapers have came out to put the case of the Biafra Zionist Movement, BZM, that the international community must buy our message, and the message has gone right across the world. And we are very happy with the response we are getting from Biafra both in Nigeria, and all the west and Africa, they all prepared for that November 5 so we are very excited and happy, looking forward that day that nothing shall stop it because I am ready to pay any price but I am not sure whether I am going to die but if that is the case for Biafra to be independent, I am willing to do that, but I believe we will live to witness the independent of Biafra and lay a foundation for future generation to come.

I went through Ghana and some West African states while coming back from United Kingdom, the roads are there, electricity over night, so why can't we do the same after fifty two years of independent? This time around we are going to change it and change it for the better.

Has it been any move by the federal government of Nigeria to dialogue with your people over this new move to realize the republic of Biafra?

Well, we have been getting some indirect contact with them pleading for us not to break away from Nigeria but we are telling them that this time around Biafra is non negotiable.

Recently, you are aware that there is a book written by Prof Chinua Achebe, titled, ''There was a Country”, the same again in United States Uk and around the world because when I was in UK it was launched by the Vanguard of England and it drew a lot of interest and support, some time people were saying had we known we couldn't have fought the Biafra people so what Achebe has done with BZM, could be regarded as cold war going on in this country.

It is not necessary between the Biafra and the Northerners but it is between Biafrans and the Western Nigeria. This is because we blamed Chief Obafemi Awolowo but that is

Barrister Benjamin Onwuka not enough, we should bend the stick to him for being the one responsible for most of the death and genocide in Biafra for initiating and as well using the word that hunger is the legitimate instrument and weapon of war. We believed that the policy contributed immensely to the death and social of our country but having said that whatever you must have done in the past we are going to correct it.

This time around that policy is going to fail because we are going to have the international community fully behind us both militarily and economically and that will help to develop our country and forge ahead and see the extent the western world and Japanese have gone now in terms of technology that is what Biafra will look like. The modern country, world based on one man one vote, democracy for all.

We would like to know how the formation of Biafra government is going to look like, assuming the security forces prevented or rather happen to intervene in what you are asking for on that November 5, do you have anything to counter it?

The people of Biafra will encounter them, you know I am just one man, the Biafra as a whole will counter them as this time around, our plan both internationally and domestically, Nigeria is not going to defeat us this time around because we have a very solid plans at hand.

They will try because they are the government in power; if they do we are going to form our parallel government in action, still pushing the case to the international community. That is why it delays where Britain is there supporting them, but really there is no Nigeria without UK but what we are trying to do now, the weapon we got now is to bye pass the Great

Britain, we will use a mightier force, the Washington DC but at end of the day this affair will end in Washington, they will try but we shall prevail.

The formation of government of Biafra because of this political issue of those that actually , we suppose to be calling or naming our ministers are still being involved with Nigeria politics.

We are still screening the names of the people that are going to be our ministers but having said that the executive arm of BZM will be provisional government in office.

After that there will be a selection of Biafrans who are committed to independent of Biafra. We are not going to rush to picking people because we wouldn't want to pick people that will sabotage us. The government is going to beparallel on November 5, nothing will stop it.

MASSOB as an organization applied what it called non violent approach to the cause of Biafra, in your own case, you are sounding authoritatively so how are you going to do that, do you intend to apply the use of force?

Let me tell you one thing, Biafra can never be achieved through peaceful means alone. We shall be prepared for plan B in what ever you are doing because since 1999, over seven thousand “7,000” Biafrans had been killed by Nigeria government.

This is based on factual statistics especially during the Obasanjo administration. In this situation, the Biafra Zionist Movement, BZM, believe in actualizing Biafra through i n t e r n a t i o n a l d i p l o m a c y, securing the United States support is the most important thing, after that, follows what is needed to defend ourselves but we will defend ourselves this time around.

But what we are focusing now is

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Sunday, November 4 – Saturday, November 10, 2012

ADVOCATE

INTERVIEW

How Igbos can produce Chief Maximus Ukuta was National Assistant Secretary of defunct Nigeria Peoples Party, NPP, in the second , former Commissioner in the old Anambra State, Elder statesman, Lawyer and a Politician.

To him, the lopsidedness in the creation of States and local governments in Nigeria which he blamed on the Military should be addressed. In this interview with The Advocate Correspondent, UBA ANI, the second republic politician believes the Igbo Presidency is apt and can be actualized through extensive consultations and alliance with various groups across the country. EXCERPTS In the early 80s and late 70s, those who were born then didn't know the role you played in the politics of Nigeria as a nation. Can you let us into your personal biodata?

Thank you very much. First I'm a lawyer by profession, and then politics became my vocation. I joined active politics in 1978 and during that first outing I was made the first National Assistant Secretary of Nigeria Peoples Party. And by the virtue of grace, I automatically became a member of the National Working Committee of the party and a member of the National Executive Committee of the party. I had that singular privilege of drinking from the knowledge of the masters; Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Adeniran Ogunsnya, Olu Akinfosile, Chief Dr. Matthew Mbu, Onitiri, Tos Benson, RBK Okafor and many other great patriots and nationalists.

As one of the gladiators of the second republic politics, flashing your mind back and looking at what is happening in the present day politics in Nigeria, how would you look at politics in those days and politics today?

I would rather say, you can't compare the two. I asked a leader and grand master a question similar to this in his life time, I asked the great Zik, haven spent your early life fighting for Nigerian Independence with all that is happening in the country, how do you feel? Did you not go for independence too early? I didn't know we were lunch table, I didn't know I ruined his lunch, for the next 1hr 30mins he didn't have lunch again. He was preaching the virtues of patriotism, to me, the need of not losing faith in one's country and in a single language all he taught me is that all that is happening is passing phase that other countries had it worse when they were at our age. So like I would say, definitely the politics of the first republic compared with that of the second republic, the first republic had an edge over that of the second republic and second republic had an edge over what is happening today.

As a matter of fact, some of us onlookers don't know how to place it but we are supposed to be in a state of what I will call guarded and guided democracy.

We were freer in the second republic; you could criticize anyone and get away with it.

You could sell the ideas to the public and I don't know how many people that can speak up these days against the powers that be.

In the second republic, the politics of Nigeria stood on a tripod kind of; We had the three regions and things moved well like you said. Now we are operating on zonal basis we say now we have 6 geopolitical zones, how do you compare these two again?

You see in the second republic, we have the privilege of having those I term the masters. We had the great Zik, we had other great men like Dr. Okpara like I said Adeniran Ogunsanya, Tos Benson etc.

They were restraining factor, there was a standard. There are things you cannot do because you just have the power, they will stop you from doing it because it's not proper. You see that tripod politics then was respected and they brought more stability. The way I see it I can't talk much about the zone.

As a matter of fact, as you know some are still opposing the six geopolitical zones, though it was heartening to hear the President say that it's already recognized in the system.

Recently, the Ohaneze Ndigbo said let's go back to the regions that it will make our country Nigeria better. That very position was included in the memo sent to the National Assembly. So what's your take on that?

Well, I'll tell you something.

Like I said earlier on, you see we flew this kite, I was a member of the committee for the creation of state, local governments and boundary adjustment under Ambassador Arthur Mbanefo. In one of the deliberations, we flew this kite to know if Nigerians will prefer to go back to regionalism. The truth is that there was more s t a b i l i t y, l o v e u n d e r regionalism and honestly, if you want my honest opinion, the

Maximus Ukuta only thing is that we are too military created the local attached on sentimental basis governments; there were no set on issues. We had more unity criteria for the creation. It when we were in region; I depends on whom you are, remember my friends cut across whom you know, how you get Yoruba, Efik, Ijaw about it. If you and all that. We were lobby the right There acting as one. As a person, you get matter of fact, we anybody, oh! give should have this example of him a local be equality one of our friends government, the of states. who died and I had a smart ones misfortune of taking amongst them, I Each him to the mortuary. don't want to call of the zones names, And when they obeying should have the instructions started asking me questions about his will add additional seven states place of birth and all local governments and in that to their own states. that, it was then it case East So if you look at it dawned on me that I don't even know should have t h e r e a r e n o criteria, forget all where he came from. additional the noise being You know, I mean of two states made by some the country was more united under not one and politicians. We happened to find the regional setup.

Maybe with the that will create out that we all zonal setup, I'm all stability within know that Lagos is more populous for it because I'm the system than Kano but we convinced it will found out during unite us the more.

Genuinely, genuine unity, you our time, in that committee, that know, not the unity of master whereas Kano has 44 local governments, Lagos had 20 and and servant.

What is your view on the if you look at it, there is no clamour for additional state in reason or basis for a situation like this. Coming to your south east zone?

Thank you very much for this question, I will prefer to deal question. As a matter of fact, the with it holistically. In the sense

‘‘

‘‘

that we should set up the proper criteria for the creation of local governments, we should revisit it and as to the state I'm opposed to the idea of east demanding one state. As a matter of fact to my mind, what we should demand for is that there should be equality of states amongst the geopolitical zones. A situation where one zone has seven states others have six, the east has 5. It's not ideal. There should be equality of states.

Each of the zones should have seven states and in that case East should have additional of two (2) states not one (1) and that will create stability within the system. So I'm in support of the south East asking not only for additional local governments but like I said criteria will be set up, if criteria are set up for local governments as we did when we were trying to, when we served in that committee we had criteria, we created many local governments on the advice of the then Head of State. If you are chanced to find that document, you'll find out how many local governments we created equitably all over the country. We finished our jobs, submitted to the then Head of State, Gen. Abacha. He

Continues on page 19

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Sunday, November 4 – Saturday, November 10, 2012

19

POLITICS

Nigeria's president –Maximus Ukuta Continues from page 18 welcomed it and assured us he will implement it. Suddenly one gentleman stood up from nowhere went to Gen. Abacha, and the beautiful job we did was set aside and they decided to create, I think he said 30% across the board, thereby again negating the pain-taking effort we took and that 30% across the board was again hijacked by the powers that be. So to my mind there is need that the issue of creation of local governments should be revisited and that in the south east we should have two states while the other zones should have one, one state so that we'll have a balance of 7 states per zone. It's not right and it is not healthy for one zone to have 7 state, others 6 and the south east 5. No we should all have 7.

How do you see a situation in which some Govs are not willing to conduct local council elections?

I'll tell you something, I know I can speak authoritatively about where I live here in Enugu that as of today, Enugu State government with the Governor does not interfere in any way with the monetary allocation made available to local governments. For reason best known to the powers that are there, I don't know, I don't think it is right to have a council without an election. It is not right to have people running (having transition committees) without having an election. But unfortunately, if you see the powers of a governor, they are so enormous; you are helpless because the constitution has not provided for anything that could be done in that regard.

And some of us have…., we heard some little reservations about the local government reform. Incidentally, when I was the commissioner to local government, chieftaincy and rural development in the old Anambra state, my problem, I maintained it. We had this problem of man power, on paper it was good well intentioned, the reform anticipated that professionals like you will retire some day and go back to the local government, you are the people that were supposed to provide the man power that will run local government but what do we find. The man power is terribly lacking and you know, no matter what I am, whether I

know anything, I can decipher my left from my right. I can win, not too long ago I saw a situation where you had motor parked touts as council chairman and what do you expect they would do? So I don't know if that has answered the question you asked me.

Not really, let's take the present Anambra state for example, where one would argue that there's no elected local government council in charge, yet there are development when compared

can have a good performing local government chairman, you can have a non performing local government chairman but at the next election, he'll be voted out. That's the essence of democracy.

You're from Iga in Uzo-uwani and I've been to several local governments here in Enugu state. If you go there; you don't see anything that could sweep you off your feet. Yet you say the Governor here does not tamper with the local government funds. Now what

Maximus Ukuta to some States where elected leadership are in place.

Although Gov. Peter Obi has not conducted elections at the local governments but there seems to be more developments at the grass roots than the states where there are elected local government chairmen and councilors.

I don't share that view. Things should be done properly, elections should be held. If you fail to deliver, after you've been elected, that's the essence of democracy, after you've been elected, then at the next election they will remove you. In fact it is debatable and I don't believe that development is taking place in the grass root because there are no elections. No, I don't share that view. I believe elections should be held. You

is the way out?

Can I tell you something, I happened to know because I went to the governor to request for his good offices to get my local government to sponsor a very brilliant young man who had a best result at the University of Ibadan who was given tuition scholarship by the University of London to do a 12 month masters degree course.

Despite my persuasion, as a matter of principle he does not interfere, he will not even accept to talk to the council chairman in support of this young man whom I felt will be a very good material. I wrote to the council chairman, he said he was considering it. But as God will have it, the young man wrote an exam and won the Presidential scholarship all

expense paid. So he's now going to only God knows where. I believe being a first class brain you'll end up achieving a DSC. So that's why I made reference to Enugu and that's the one I know about. And as a democrat, give me democracy let's have elections.

If I don't perform or my chairman doesn't perform, remove him at the next election.

You don't say you are running a democracy and you refuse to run a local government election and you expect me to clap for you because you've alleged that development is taking place.

My dear, I don't even know, I should even challenge your judgment. What did you actually call development, what did you see to make you jump to a far reaching conclusion?

Interviewer: (I didn't jump to any conclusion, I was looking at two instances where you have local government chairman in a state, you don't see much and in other states where you don't have local government chairman we seem to see much.

And my idea of development is the infrastructure: good roads, pipe borne water, etc that was my idea. I was not really judging anybody.)

This issue of Igbo Presidency has been very contentious in Nigeria politics and as somebody who has been a key actor. Do you think that there is equity and fairness because we are talking about equity and fairness in democracy?

Has this country been fair to the southeasterners in the leadership of this country, talking about the Presidency?

My friend, what do you want me to answer because this question's answer is obvious?

As the south easterner, I will say the country has not treated us fairly over this issue. But then again you don't just wake up and start clamoring for the Presidency. There are many variables, many consultations to be made. And I remember very well some of you may not know it but I remember there was a time, there was a general consensus from mostly, the north and some part of the west that Zik should be the first Executive President in 1979.

The discussion was getting on smoothly and some hawks hiked on it, talked about the civil war, talked about the danger of giving an Igbo man the Presidency, talked that the best they could go is to let Zik be there for two years and hand over to a preferred candidate.

Eventually, the talks broke down, but Zik as a principled man decided to show us the

light. He came and became the standard bearer as an Igbo man.

He became the Presidential candidate of the then Nigerian Peoples Party, (NPP). That singular move has a lot of lesson for us. He wanted to reassure us; he wanted to win back our confidence. We should not be despondent about some of these things. It's an alienable right for that matter, for us to aspire to the highest office in the land but aspiration only does not get you the Presidency but a lot of work goes into it, a lot of consultation. I'll only advice that, yes it's good that an Igbo should become the President but we should reach out, we should carry out our consultations properly before we plunge into that venture.

Thank you.

You made mention of the civil war while you spoke and now Chinua Achebe's new book “there was a country” that book has actually taken the Igbos and the Yorubas to another war part now. He was looking at the genocide resulted from starvation created by Awolowo of those days. Now so many Nigerians have come to give their views in support and even against.

What's your view?

The problem is most unnecessary, most uncalled for.

Achebe is an intellectual of world repute. He is entitled to his opinion. I mean it becomes some other thing attacking Achebe for the views he expressed but I remember that before Chief Awolowo died, he had cause to talk about the issues raised by Achebe in many occasions. And I don't know why it should cause any trouble. Some of us were actively involved behind the scene to form a great alliance between the east and the west.

And you know this problem all started with the carpet crossing of 1951 when Zik won the election and was to be the leader of Government Business in Western Nigeria, he was betrayed. The whole problem started from there, but then later Late Benson recruited some of us. And we were all working to having a re-negotiation towards achieving a major understanding between the east and the west. And there is one factor that people don't know, Zik could be an Igbo man by birth, but he is more of a Yoruba man in his actions than an Igbo man. He has this soft spot for Yoruba's. We thought that when late Ojukwu advocated about the hand shake across the Niger, we should capitalize on that. It is not necesarry vilifying Achebe, we should forget the past and talk on the things that unites us. Awolowo did explain these things in his life time, so

Continues on page 12

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ADVOCATE

Events and Personalities OFFICIALS OF ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OF NIGERIA, ALGON, ENUGU STATE CHAPTER RECENTLY DONATED RELIEF MATERIALS TO FLOOD VICTIMS.

THE FEDERAL ROAD MAINTENANCE AGENCY, FERMA, HAS COMMENCED REHABILITATION OF THE DILAPIDATED ENUGU- PORT HARCOURT EXPRESSWAY NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF ALGON, NWABUEZE OKAFOR AND SOME CHAIRMEN OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS IN THE STATE DURING THE VISIT TO IGGAH COMMUNITY IN UZO-UWANI LGA.

FERMA MANAGING DIRECTOR, ENGR GABRIEL AMUCHI AND HIS OFFICIALS DURING THE TOUR

THE ALGON DELEGATION FLOOD VICTIMS AT IGGAH, UZO-UWANI LGA

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (MIDDLE); FLANKED BY GOVERNOR ROTIMI AMAECHI (RIGHT); REPRESENTATIVE OF THE AMANYANABO OF KALABARI KINGDOM, HRH DISRAELI… FLOOD VICTIMS AT IGGAH, UZO-UWANI LGA

BEFORE THE ACTION… “I'LL BE TRYING MY BEST TO WIN,” REPLIED SERENA WILLIAMS, TO A PRE-MATCH QUESTION FROM DEACON…

THE ENUGU LG CHAIRMEN DURING THE VISIT

THE

ADVOCATE

W

e've already looked at peplums as a trend, along with some key dos and don'ts for wearing them.

Now its your turn to choose wisely: from tops to dresses to swimsuits, here are the top five varieties of peplums you can wrap around your waist this season.

Peplum blazers A peplum blazer is a slick and structured way to introduce this trend to your wardrobe, especially since it's got the advantage to be pushed into the winter wardrobe. A peplum blazer works very differently on the body, when compared to a peplum top. It gives an instant geometric shape to an ensemble when worn over a regular outfit. It's not the peplum, however, that does the trick, but it's the original silhouette of the blazer and jacket that gives an architectural shape to the shoulders and waist.

1. Acne cotton-blend peplum jacket, available at net-aporter.com 2. Alexander McQueen foldedfront leather jacket, available at net-a-porter.com Peplum tops This style is possibly the most versatile way to incorporate a peplum in the wardrobe. While you could style a peplum top with various bottoms, wearing it with a pencil skirt would work cleverly to camouflage the appearance of a slight stomach bulge (if it exists, that is). You wouldn't have to hold your stomach in, as a peplum would sit just over the top of your highwaisted skirt.

However, if you're wearing a peplum top with pants or shorts, you can draw attention away from the waist by looking for pieces where the peplum starts from above your belly button. Low-sitting peplums emphasise the waist and direct the entire silhouette of the mid-section.

Peplum dresses For this style, be aware of the kind of peplum you choose on the dress.

The potential problem with a peplum dress is that it sits on a very close line for being mistaken for a frilly decorative drapery seen on curtains and bed sheets. A peplum dress must be structured, streamlined and flattering to your body type. If the peplum is too large or ambitious in its shape, it can look too costumey and comical.

Subtle accents of fabric on either sides of the waist also qualify for being a variation in the peplum dress.

Remember the rule of thumb: don't look for obviously structured peplum dresses that would cut your

Sunday, November 4 – Saturday, November 10, 2012

body in two horizontal halves.

Slight drapes, overlapping and tapering of fabrics around the waist are also cousins of the peplum family.

Peplum skirts The peplum skirt creates the illusion of perfect symmetry on the body. The fabric overlaying the hips makes them seem proportionate to the shoulders. Let the peplum skirt take centre stage in your wardrobe by styling it with a plain singlet.

Be mindful, once again, of your body type when picking this style for the coming season. If you have a larger bottom, a peplum skirt wouldn't be a wise choice for you and you should opt for the peplum top instead.

Peplum swimsuits Bordering between ruffles and peplums, this style is super girly and fun for the beach season. There isn't much to conceal or hide here, as the peplum would just act as a mere accessory on the bikini bottoms.

However, the lime green H&M one-piece swimsuit is seen with a frilled hip and frills bordering the cups, as opposed to the waist. This style could act as a great delusion for women with smaller breasts. Use it to your advantage!

Peplums are fun. Jolly. And they are most certainly not a look that only string beans can wear. BeyoncĂŠ looks brilliant in a peplum, and so does Liv Tyler. On the other hand, look at the very beautiful Michelle Williams, in peplummed Louis Vuitton on the Oscar red carpet.

There you have a pretty dress that would have worked better on a bigger bottom, and it's not often that I get to write that sentence. The whole point of a peplum is that it celebrates a waist-to-hip curve, so it looks a bit odd when worn without one.

Of course, some peplums are hideous. As a rule of thumb: if it looks a bit like the frilly valances you find around the bed, popular in the nan school of home decor, give it a miss. Something a little sleeker and more sculptural is more up our street. And still, there are still hazards to be negotiated. By adding an additional horizontal line across your hips, a peplum foreshortens your leg length. On the catwalk, one popular way for a peplum to be styled was with an above-the-knee skirt, and ankle boots. All very well, so long as you have the catwalkstandard minimum inside leg, of 36in. The average is around 30in, and those 6in make all the difference. (For much the same reason, normal human beings can rarely pull off the ankle sock-and-

sandal look with summer dresses.) If wearing a peplum, the kindest point for your skirt to end is at the knee, or just below, where your leg shape narrows. (The classic Dior peplum, of 1947, was at its most elegant when worn with a pencil skirt in this length.) Follow this natural break in the line of your legs for your skirt hem, rather than adding another horizontal line. And be wary of ankle boots and anklestrapped sandals. The court shoe is

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friend here.

Even better, wear your peplum with trousers. This is more flattering on short legs, and even more importantly immediately modernises a look which, for all its hourglass glory, can look a bit retro.

And retro is not what we are about.

We are not timid, and not cowed by the notion that a trend might not make us look our absolute thinnest.

Peplums are the new normal. And that's brave.

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Features

Air Mishap: Will NAF Safety Seminar 2012 solve the problem?

By Yochuku Yobolisa

To this end, Dr Shittu Ibrahim, an aviation industry commentator in the nation's capital lamented the gross unwillingness on the part of the authorities to execute national action plans, pointing out that many industrial seminars had been organized in the country in the past without recourse to drawing up how resolutions reached could be implemented.

According to him, “Workshops and seminars and conferences are not alien practices to Nigeria. If these meeting points are anything to go by then the present socioeconomic and political quagmires in the country would be nonexistent.

Of course, Nigeria would not have one of the poorest aviation environments in the world with air mishaps occurring as frequently as taking a shower in the bathroom”.

Of course, this might be considered a bit too indicting looking at the present efforts of government to transformation the system. But the question is, could Ibrahim be correct in his assertions? Is there anything that suggests that our numerous seminars and conferences are mere mumbo-jumbo ceremonies of people in authority which have no particular bearing to solving the country's many woes and miseries?

Whatever the answers though, NAF Safety Seminar 2012 which was graced by eminent personalities in civil and military aviation had about 200 participants, including the aviation minister, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah and the civil aviation authority's director-general, Dr Harold Olusegun Demuren in attendance. National Assembly members were not left out, all of who decried the deplorable aviation environment in Nigeria.

It might not be out of place, at this point, to state that the air force high command is not unmindful of the poor aviation practice in the country in the more than four decades of NAF operation within the federal airspace. Hence, worried over the worsening state of aviation practice, NAF's chief of standards and evaluation, AVM C Onyemaobi made a spirited effort to defined safety calling it the nearest cousin to security.

He said in his welcome address, “The importance of safety has long been recognized by the armed forces, especially the air force, since the consequences of complacency are often disastrous to us. Therefore, to guarantee a better tomorrow we

must strive today to create an environment free of unsafe conditions which usually lead to accidents”.

Themed, 'Optimizing Aviation Safety in a Developing Nation', the standards and evaluation chief upon whose shoulders air safety rests explained that the issue of safety both in civil and military aviations has gradually gained prominence in operation and public discourse because of the frequency of air mishaps in the country.

Even man-in-the-street opinion agreed with Onyemaobi as The Advocate felt the pulse of the

aviation is promptly provided for operational efficiency”.

We dare say that this is food for thought for not just the air force but also for government whose job it is to make money available for proper aviation management. To this end the aviation minister in her keynote address at the occasion agreed the issue of safety is something that must concern all and sundry Nigerians, especially, the key industry players.

She said, “The issue of safety must concern each and every

very eager to run“. Fielding questions from journalists later, the NCAA boss commended the new air force chief for his clear-cut initiative in putting together the air safety seminar, adding that the CAS has shown real commitment to contribute to the overhauling of aviation safety management in the country. Demuren, maintained that NAF Safety Seminar 2012 would go a long way to stem the frequency of air accident occurrences in the country.

He said, “For a long time, Nigeria has been worse hit in

AIR MASHAL AS BADEH, Chief of Air Staff public over NAF Safety Seminar 2012 at business centres in the nation's capital and found out that in addition to outright sabotage the numerous plane crashes in the country since independence are also caused by administrative ineptitude which includes lack o f v i s i o n a n d c l e a r- c u t blueprint on the part of aviation industry players.

According to Barrister Chukwudi Uzendu, an Abujabased human rights lawyer, “Our problems in the aviation industry do not stem from absence of socioeconomic workshops. It is rather an offshoot of lack of administrative correctness and sabotage. NAF's safety seminar should find a way around making sure that monies allocated for air defence needs get to appropriate unit commanders who will be in the best position to deploy the resources, that is, troops and equipment for effective rescue operations in the event of an air accident. The unit will also ensure that what is lacking in aviation, this time, military

one of us, particularly, those in the aviation sector as it relates to the Nigerian Air Force. The transformation agenda of the presence administration in the country has engendered an increased and robust collaboration between the military and the larger society as exemplified by this seminar.

It is my belief that this collaborative effort will raise standards in our common field of interest and make us to be more conscientious in the way we do things in this country”.

Perhaps, it is not even untrue to state that the workshop was put together by the newlyappointed Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh barely one week after assuming the mantle of leadership at the Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force. According to NCAA DG, Dr Demuren who presented the first paper at the seminar titled, 'Aviation Safety Management: Key to Optimizing operational Efficiency in a Development Nation' “the new air force boss is like a young horse who is

air transport accidents in Africa. Of course, global statistics show that Nigeria is third-worst amongst the 50worst hit in the world. But with this kind of workshop I can assure you that the country would soon come out of the woods and join the league of countries that enjoy limitless aviation safety. This is, no doubt, a bold step in the management of the aviation industry in this country”.

Of course, it might not be out of place to state here that throughout the two-day seminar, the air force chief displayed unusual commitment to improving air safety management in the country from his comments.

Making remarks on the import of the air force safety seminar, Chief of the Air Staff and arrowhead of the seminar, Marshal Badeh said, “It is pertinent to always set aside time to meet and rub minds on the safer conduct of air operations in this country. This is to ensure that the Nigerian Air Force continues to accomplish its assigned

constitutional roles. And going by our mission statement, we shall always strive to ensure the integrity of the airspace by gaining and maintaining control of the air while retaining a credible capacity to fulfill other airpower tasks demanded by national defence security imperatives”.

Hence, Marshal Badeh did not mince words when he said that the NAF Safety Seminar 2012 was not just for the Nigerian Air Force but for all and sundry citizen of this country. In view of the statement and looking at the NAF policy objectives on aviation safety, the air force boss said the outcome of the seminar should be seen to enhance the current status of both civil and military aviation in the country, adding that in the shortest possible time Nigeria's scary position in the international aviation history would change for the better.

He said, “The resolution at the end of this seminar is not just for the improvement of the Nigerian Air Force but for the good of all Nigerians. While making sure that the resolution takes care of our aviation needs we must guard against making it look as if the air force has not been trying to correct the anomalies in the aviation sector. We must also guard against bringing in unrelated issues that might eventually turn the resolutions into a stack of waste papers that might later become a dusty axiom”.

But an inquisitive observer may ask if Badeh was not playing to the gallery or even just talking to hear the vocal pitch of his own voice? To this end, a source at the NAF HQ said, “Air Marshal Badeh was a m e m b e r o f t h e 11 - m a n committee set up by the former Chief of the Air Staff to drive all NAF activities. Much of the successes recorded by his predecessor were partly due to his selfless contributions in that committee”.

To drive the point home, even his predecessor, Air Marshal MD Umar had this to say about the man who stepped into his shoes, “I have no misgiving whatsoever in handing over to Air Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh. Of course, I can assure you all gathered here that he is a gentleman officer who knows how best to achieve results.

Therefore, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces would not have made a better choice than Badeh to lead the Nigerian Air Force. I, therefore, appeal to all

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23

Entertainment

Jim Iyke

in new reality Series

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ollywood's favourite bad boy Jim Iyke is currently working on a reality TV show called 'Jim Iyke Unscripted'.

Iyke, the star of over 150 Nollywood movies, often finds himself in the news and gossip columns for his contentious romantic entanglements. Jim Iyke Unscripted is a joint production from African Magic and Oh Africa TV worth a reported $1.5million. The show is expected to air for a year and will cover all aspects of the star's life.

Iyke was born in Libreville Gabon in 1976, the youngest child with six older sisters, before his family moved to

Engugu Agidi in Anambra, Nigeria.

He worked in banking before deciding to pursue a career in Nollywood in 2001. He is most often cast in playboy roles, and has often been cast opposite Rita Dominic. Jim is the force behind clothing label Untamed Closet, which has boutiques in Lagos, Abuja and The Gambia.

Iyke has won several awards in his 11-year career, including three teenage choice awards, a best actor Nigerian Entertainment award, African Hollywood award, African Achievement award a best African actor at the NET awards held in New York last year and also the Best Actor of the year at the Mode Men Award ceremony in 2010.

Jim established a charitable foundation The Jim lyke

Lady Gaga heartbroken at Superstorm Sandy devastation in her home city

Lady Gaga was born and raised in New York City

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ADY Gaga has been left heartbroken by the destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy in New York this week.

The 26-year-old singer was born and raised in the Big Apple and has claimed she feels like her "entire childhood is underwater" after thedevastating storm struck America's East Coast on Monday.

In a posting on her Little Monsters website Gaga - who was in Puerto Rico as part of her tour when Sandy made landfall - talks about how saddened she was by watching the events as they happened in her home city.

She wrote: "I'm not sure where to put these feelings. I'm so sad. I feel like my entire childhood is underwater. The boardwalk in Atlantic City, my old apartments in Brooklyn and Lower East Side. All the bars and friends.

“I'm just so sad. I know it will be Ok. I'm not sure why I feel this way. Maybe homesickness, or maybe it's easier to be a gypsy if you know your soul grows from somewhere great.

"And that great place protected me my whole life, now parts are destroyed. Just very sad and pensive today. Thinking of everyone today.”

Jim Iyke Foundation for Children with special Disabilities. A biography of the foundation on its website reads: "The Jim lyke Foundation is a nongovernmental, non-religious and non-political organization

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xtremely sad news coming from the home of veteran actor, Pete Eneh. Just heard from reliable sources that doctors at Parklane Hospital Enugu had no choice but to amputate one of his legs in order to save his life.

The veteran actor was said to have sustained some kind of injury last year, and because he

comprising of persons who are engaged in the advancement of the protection of rights and welfare of children with various deformities. This project is necessitated by the flagrant neglect and abuses of the rights

of children born with deformities in Nigeria."

Iyke's many fans around the globe will be able to see more of Nollywood's busiest playboy as the show is set to be syndicated on channels around the globe.

Veteran actor Pete Eneh loses one leg to illness didn't take proper care of it, it led to serious infection that became hard to treat. The injury was said to have degenerated to a sore and because Mr Eneh was diabetic, it refused to heal. He spent three months at the hospital before he was advised

to amputate the leg before the infection spread to other parts of his body.

The amputation took place on Wednesday October 24th after all efforts to save the leg was unsuccessful. Pete Eneh is said to be dealing with it well.

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ast week Nigerians commemorated the life of Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti with a weeklong concert series, called Felabration, celebrating the life and work of the late musician.

The week kicked off with the opening of a museum in what was once the the Kalakuta commune.

Kuti, a free spirit and outspoken critic of the government of the time, passed away from AIDS related illnesses in 1997. The government's endorsement of the museum comes as a surprise to many considering Kuti's famously difficult relations with the authorities. In 19974 following the release of the track Zombie, in which he described soldiers as puppets, Kuti's home was raided by

Femi Kuti soldiers who cracked his skull and threw his mother from a window.

Artists who performed during the week included Kuti's son Femi - now a well-known Afrobeat artist in his own right as well as stars Asa and Tiwa Savage.

Kuti's son Seun told Reuters, “This is a chance for everyone to see for themselves, not follow the myths that being in Fela's house meant you're a hooligan, or a prostitute or all we do is smoke weed. I grew up here. This house was a house of education.”

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Politics

By Larry Onwuta

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he crises trialing Kogi State House of Assembly could be traced to the political battle between Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada and erstwhile Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Bello, the Speaker whose four year tenure was truncated is said to have attracted the intervention of the House of representative that sealed off the state Assembly complex preventing any of the factions from sitting or performing any legislative duties.

It was all about who controls the legislative power of the state. The battle is never a new one in the country because most governors in various states of the federation usually ensure that the speakers in their states exercise their legislative duties in accordance with the desire of the governor within the state they are leading.

Well, the powers that Abdullahi Bello controls within the period of his speakership was said to have been put to rest following the impeachment that polarized or rather divided the state Assembly into factions. But the action of the House of representative further states through the Chairman of the six-man-ad-hoc committee set up by the House to look into the crisis Mohammed Mourktar that no faction would be allowed to sit or perform any legislative function until the crisis was resolved.

Ahmed argued that if the committee members were unable to ensure quick resolution of the crisis, the House of Representatives would be left with no other option than to take over the legislative duties of the House in line with the country's constitution that empowered them to do so.

Despite all this,the speaker was impeached along with his loyalists who were also principal officers of the house.

Prior to the impeachment saga, The Advocate gathered that there was no love lost between the ousted leadership of the house led by Bello and some members of the House who claimed to be progressives.

The progressive group headed by one of the strong members of the House, Pastor Gowon Haruna, was said to have a strong link with the power that be which the ousted leaders are pointing fingers at.

The Advocate was reliably informed that Bello, who was accused of disloyalty, had a bitter pill of his political life and its deep seated alleged illegality and corruption came into play as 17 members of the

Legislative Crisis tears Kogi apart House sacked him and other members then shared their positions within themselves.

The genesis of the crisis begun after the Supreme Court judgment where the then governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, was unexpectedly removed from office along side with four other governors early this year.

Bello and the incumbent governor, Wada, were sworn in by the two legal officers (the Chief Judge, and the Customary Court president) of the state; the situation almost set the state ablaze as two governors were held sway.

As a result of this, it has been a cat and mouse game between the characters involved in the play. The progressives group which impeached the former leadership three days to the formal resumption of the House from their 12 weeks recess alleged in a motion on the floor of the House, by the member representiny, Dekina/Biraidu Constituency, Gowon Haruna and seconded by the member representing Igalamela/Odolu Constituency, Friday Sani that the House had lost direction under the leadership of the ousted principal officers.

Haruna listed their offences to include refusal to reconvene the Assembly when President Goodluck Jonathan visited the state to condole with victims of flood disaster.

He equally alleged that the leadership of the House failed to make any comment when 27 worshippers of Deeper Christian Life Ministries lost their lives during a Boko Haram attack in the state.

The lawmaker said the two catastrophes which he claimed affected the state greatly did not get the required attention from the House due to the ineptitude and lack of coordination by the leadership.

Experts while contacted said that the primary duty of the lawmakers was to make laws and to ensure that security of lives and property of the people they represent are guaranteed, stating that if the leadership of the Kogi state House of Assembly exhibited the habit of not being concerned to the people they represent then it all mean that members are there for selfish reasons. They also maintained that attitude of the former leadership of the state Assembly that was accused of not commenting on the lives of innocent Nigerians that died as a result of Boko Haram

Kogi House of Assembly activities in a church in the state left dangerous signal to the state and Nigeria at large.

Bello and his group had earlier said that the purported impeachment of the principal officers of the House was not in line with the laid down rules and regulations that guide the activities of the House, alleging that the signatures of some members were forged by the other group making them to claim to have 17 members.

According to him, the action is therefore null and void as the members who purportedly signed for his removal and that of the other officers did not constitute the 2/3 as required by the constitution.

He alleged that powerful forces in the state had tried to induce members with huge amount of tax payers' money to impeach him and after the attempt failed, they then resorted to forging of signatures of members of the house to achieve their evil act.

Reacting to the allegation, the Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Strategy, Comrade Jacob Edi said “the executive denies in very strong and unequivocal terms that Bello's attempt to trace his woes to the executive under the leadership of Wada.

The state media spokesman said since assumed office early in the year, the governor has remained committed to the principles of Separation of Powers as embedded in modern democracy; he stated that issues as contained in the impeachment notice were purely internal problems of the

legislature.

That any effort to tag the governor as the mastermind of the impeachment, is not only unfortunate, and puerile, but should be treated as a desperate attempt by somebody on a free fall and to divert the attention of the public.

Edi stated that the former Speaker's claim that he has been having problems with the governor without mentioning such problems sounds at best like a half truth stressing that the grounds for impeachment as contained in the impeachment notice which have been well reported in the media are well spelt out and not vague.

“For any one in doubt, Bello and his cohorts were accused of poor leadership and high handedness”, he said.

To be precise, the former Speaker was accused of being insensitive to the feelings of the citizenry as shown in his refusal to show reasonable concern first when 19 worshippers, and two soldiers on national assignment were gunned down by unknown persons in the Central Senatorial District and later during the flood that ravaged nine local councils cut across the three Senatorial Districts of the state,” he stated On the contrary, group has come out with mixed reactions trailing the recent crisis in the house by various opinion groups as well as stakeholders in the state. A Human Rights Group, Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), condemned the act and alleged that its independent

investigations have shown that 11 members found their ways into the floor of the house to impeach the leadership even when the entire House had resolved in the last six weeks to embark on oversight functions and budget appraisal and are due to resume on the October 18, 2012.

The Executive Director of the group, Comrade Idris Miliki affirmed that even in a conflict situation as being witnessed in the state, that dialogue remains the only available option to the unfortunate situation.

Apparently, parliament remains a significant arm of government as it is expected to enact laws for the society and as well must not be seen to be acting unconstitutionally.

The pundits that reacted to the Kogi State House of Assembly conflict situation noted that the state governor ought to have acted as a father to all by maintaining neutrality and urgently intervene in the face off.

Reacting to the issue, a nongovernmental organization, Movement for Accountability and Good Governance, MAGG, called on the ousted leadership of the house to eschew bitterness by embracing the new leadership of the house which he said was democratically elected.

National President of the association, Comrade Adex Ozi-Shaibu who congratulated the new Speaker, Honourable Momoh Jimoh Lawal said Nigeria constitution was very

Continues on page 30

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RELIGION

The Advocate Gospel This Week

WHO RAISES THE DEAD? READ John 11:23-27 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." (NIV) NARRATION Martha's brother had been dead for four days. When she met Jesus after the funeral, she expressed her confusion that He had not come sooner to heal Lazarus; however, she also believed a miracle was still possible. So Jesus probed her understanding of life after death by telling her that Lazarus would rise again. Martha said she believed that God's people will be raised to life on the Last Day: but she had not grasped that Jesus could raise the dead. So Jesus told her plainly that resurrection power was in His hand, for all those who put their trust in Him. Then Jesus asked her directly, "Do you believe this?" Suddenly her attention was shifted from her grief to His identity. In a moment, the truth came flooding into her heart, as she realised that He was the promised Messiah, the Son of God. It was a revelation which cleared her mind of any doubts she may have had about the wisdom and kindness of Jesus (because He had delayed His arrival). She saw God in the body of a man, the author of life and the conqueror of death. This put her life into a whole new perspective. She had just spoken to her Creator, and the wonder of that moment filled her horizon.

There is no doubt that personal tragedies, great and small, fill our thinking and so easily obscure our view of Jesus. We may see Him as a friend, a helper, a kind person to bring comfort and provision ... in other words, our ego and circumstances occupy the centre space of our lives, but we are glad if Jesus comes to assist us. Like Martha, we need to realise that Jesus is God the Son who by divine right occupies the centre of all He has made. He is not just 'on call' for our emergencies.

As we trust and worship Him, our lives (with their joys and sorrows) are seen differently in His divine and eternal perspective. We realise that we are totally safe under His authority. The big question is "Do you believe this?" If we do, we should intentionally vacate the centre space and allow Jesus to be in command - whatever our circumstances.

Prayer: Sovereign Lord. Thank You that Jesus has resurrection power in His hand. I believe that He is my life-giver. I know that His rightful place is in the centre of all He has made. So I repent of allowing my lifeevents to obscure His sovereign authority and glory, and for seeking His help without submitting myself to Him. Please help me to see my Saviour over all things, bringing them under His control. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Prayer: Loving Shepherd. Thank You for refusing to allow Satan to drag me out of Your kingdom.

I am sorry when I have fallen into temptation and I ask for Your forgiveness. Please help me to know that Satan does not have the ultimate authority over me and thank You that You will help me stay strong to do what is right in every temptation as I look to You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Catalogue of church attacks in Nigeria

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he Islamist group Boko Haram has claimed a series of attacks on churches in the north and centre of the country, in which scores of people have been killed. It also regularly targets state representatives, including police and army officers, as well as Muslim leaders.

Violence linked to the Boko Haram insurgency has left more than 2,800 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces, according to Human Rights Watch.

Following are the main attacks on churches since late 2011 in Nigeria: 2011: November 4: A series of attacks on police targets and churches in the northeastern city of Damaturu kills at least 150 people.

•December 25: A wave of attacks claimed by the group targeting churches during Christmas services and police leave at least 49 people dead. The bloodiest attack is against a church near the capital Abuja, with 44 dead.

2012: January 6: Gunmen open fire on mourners at a church in the northeastern town of Mubi, killing 17. At least 10 are killed in an attack on a church at Yola.

•March 11: At least 10 people are killed in a suicide attack on a church in the central city of Jos. It was the second deadly attack on a Jos church claimed by the group in two weeks.

•April 8: At least 41 people are killed in a bomb attack near a church in the northern city of Kaduna.

•April 29: Around 20 people are killed in a bomb and gun attack during religious services at a university in Kano.

•June 3: A suicide bomber tries to drive an explosives-packed car into a church in Bauchi State in northern Nigeria killing at least 15 people, including himself.

•June 17 and following days: Multiple church bombings in Kaduna state and subsequent rioting by Christian and Muslim mobs, along with clashes between security forces and suspected Islamist extremists in the northeast, kill at least 100 people.

•August 6: Gunmen open fire on an evangelical church during a service in central Nigeria, killing at least 19 people.

•September 23: A suicide bomber kills at least two people and injures 40 others in an attack on a Catholic church in the northern city of Bauchi.

•October 28: A suicide attack on St Rita’s Catholic church in Kaduna kills at least seven people plus the bomber and wounds 145 others. Three people are killed in reprisal attacks, including a man burnt alive by a Christian mob.

•Culled from AFP

Cardinal John Onaiyekan returns to Abuja

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ewly appointed Cardinal and Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, His Grace Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, returned to the shores of Nigeria on Saturday from the Vatican in Rome.

Pope Benedict XVI had on October 24, 2012 appointed Archbishop Onaiyekan and five others as cardinals.

The new Cardinal was received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja by the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, and the Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide as well as Catholic faithfuls and residents of the FCT, among several others.

After the airport reception, the Cardinal proceeded to Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral where he celebrated the Holy Mass.

Born on January 29, 1944, Archbishop Onaiyekan is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Abuja and the former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria. He was previously President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria and Bishop of Ilorin.

Onaiyekan was born in the town of Kabba, in what is now Kogi State, to Bartholomew and Joann Onaiyekan.

He attended St. Mary’s Catholic School in Kabba from 1949 until 1956, Mount St. Michael’s Secondary School in Aliade, Benue State from 1957 until 1962, and Ss. Peter & Paul Major

Seminary in Bodija, Ibadan from 1963 until 1965.

He completed his religious studies in Rome in 1969, and was ordained as a priest on August 3 of that year.

He taught at St. Kizito’s College, Isanlu in 1969.

He became rector of St. Clement Junior Seminary in Lokoja in 1971.

He finished his Licentiate of Sacred Scripture in 1973 and earned his doctorate in 1976.

He became Vice Rector of Ss. Peter & Paul in 1977.

In October 1980, Pope John Paul II gave Onaiyekan a five-year appointment to the Pontifical International Theological Commission.

I n N o v e m b e r, h e j o i n e d t h e International Catholic/Methodist Dialogue Commission.

He was ordained as bishop on January 6, 1983, and became the Bishop of Ilorin, Kwara State.

In 1990, he became Co-Adjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Abuja, and when the diocese became a Metropolitan in 1994, Onaiyekan became the Metropolitan of Abuja.

Archbishop Onaiyekan was named Pax Christi International’s 2012 Peace Laureate.

Archbishop Onaiyekan is known for his peace and reconciliation work across the increasingly bitter Christian/Muslim divide.

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News

Christian life in Northern Nigeria Curled from BBC

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igeria's militant Islamist group, Boko Haram, and the security forces have been accused by Amnesty International of committing widespread atrocities in the mainly Muslim north.

Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is forbidden", is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.

A church was bombed, leaving eight people dead in Kaduna, one of the cities affected by the conflict. Although Boko Haram has not said it carried out the attacks, it has claimed responsibility for similar bombings across northern and central Nigeria.

Obadiah narrates his story Obadiah Diji, youth leader of the Christian Association of Kaduna, gave the BBC an account of how life has changed in the city.

I have lived in Kaduna city nearly all my life - and I am filled with sadness when I look how sharply divided it has become along religious lines.

Muslims live in areas where there is a Muslim majority; Christians where there is a Christian majority. So, the two groups lead separate lives, with little social contact.

It was not always like this. We once took pride in the fact that Kaduna was cosmopolitan and welcoming of everyone.

Although there were differences, Christians and Muslims lived together. We were in an out of each other's homes. Our children went to the same schools, learning from each other about their respective religions and cultures.

People even married across religious lines - my stepmother became a Muslim and married a Muslim.

My sister also married a Muslim, but remained a Christian.

There are many such marriages in Kaduna. It never caused a problem. There was respect and tolerance - not hatred and violence.

Things changed around the year 2000, when Kaduna was hit, for the first time, by religious conflict attributed to the introduction of Islamic law in the state.

That is when segregated settlements emerged. People fled their homes to escape violence. Christians ended up living in one part of the city; Muslims in another.

I have always been opposed to segregated areas - and that is why I still live, with my wife

Congregation of Christian Community in Northern Nigeria and four children, in a mainly Muslim area.

Church metal detectors But it is true that since Boko Haram started its insurgency, Christians have been living in constant fear.

Many churches now have metal detectors that you have to go through.

Women have been told not to carry hand bags because of the fear that an attacker may come under the guise of a worshipper, hiding a gun or bomb in a hand bag.

So, our religious life has been severely disrupted - along with our social life.

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lder statesman and prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark today restated his call for the removal of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde over the controversial $15 million bribe money allegedly offered by former Delta State governor, Chief James Ibori to the founding chairman of the Commission, Nuhu Ribadu.

Clark who said he cannot be blackmailed by Lamorde over the bribe money accused him of filing an application asking the court to commit him for contempt over his earlier call for his sack.

Miffed by the position of the EFCC, the former Information Minister also accused counsel to the Commission, Rotimi Jacobs [SAN] of trying to bring the legal profession into disrepute by his action before the court.

The EFCC through its counsel,

The streets of the city centre are almost deserted at night. People are too scared to go clubbing or to just sit around a table, drinking beer and eating fish.

We now lead secluded lives, staying at home. It is only the police who are on the streets of the city at night.

But the violence has given people spiritual strength.

They draw comfort from the Bible, which teaches us that we will be persecuted just like Jesus was persecuted.

The message that we, in the Christian Association of Kaduna, spread is that most Muslims are good people - and

the small number who cause violence should not harm relations between the two communities.

'Unity schools' When Muslims celebrated Eid al-Kabir last Friday, we got together with them at a popular roundabout in the city.

A tent was put up and after a ram slaughtered we ate together to strengthen our covenant of unity and peace.

Two days later, a church was bombed - but it will not stop us from reaching out to each other.

We agreed that the roundabout will be named "The peace and reconciliation roundabout" -

and we intend to put up a billboard to popularise the name.

The Kaduna state government is also playing its part, establishing "unity schools" in the city to end the segregation we have seen for more than a decade now.

There are a few of them at the moment, but I hope that many more are created.

Both Christian and Muslim children attend these schools and with them our future lies.

We can only hope that they grow up learning that we can belong to different religions but we can still live together.

At the moment, even political disputes turn into religious disputes.

To reduce violence in our society, we need to take another look at our political system.

We need to ask: Was Nigeria right to adopt Western-styled democracy?

After all, we did not have such high levels of violence during military rule.

This is not to say that we must give power back to the generals.

Instead, we must look at the traditional systems of governance that we had before we were colonised.

Can we learn from those systems and change the way we are governed so that there is less corruption, less poverty and, ultimately, less violence?

Western civilisation has caused us more harm than good.

And today, it is Western government and companies that are the "merchants of death".

They - more than anyone else manufacture and sell the weapons used in conflicts in

$15m Bribe: Ijaw leader, Edwin Clark insists EFCC boss Ibrahim Lamorde must be sacked Rotimi Jacobs [SAN] had approached the court seeking for the forfeiture of the money to the federal government.

However, soon after the court commenced proceeding in the m a t t e r, d i ff e r e n t c a m p s besieged the court laying claims to the money, including the Delta state government and a self acclaimed oil magnate who had since withdrawn his claims.

The elder statesman who was angry by contradictory depositions by the anti graft agency over the source of the alleged bribe money, berated the agency and Lamorde and called for the restructuring of the agency as well as the sack of Lamorde over his roles in the bribery saga.

According to him: “I am further alarmed why there should be two contradictory depositions by the EFCC when Bello Ya h a y a , a s e n i o r

Superintendent of police with the EFCC, first in 2007 in suit no FHC/FD/81C/2007, swore to an affidavit that James Ibori made attempt to bribe them with $15 million in question but made a turnaround in 2012 in suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/415/2012 to state that he had the consent and authority of the EFCC C h a i r m a n , M r. I b r a h i m Lamorde, to swear to a contrary affidavit ' that I know as fact that the said $15 million is an unclaimed property and no one has claimed or shown any link to the sum.”

He further stated that there must be a limit to official deception by the very institution set up to fight these social vices headed

by Lamorde who he accused of championing falsehood. “In the light of this, I demand an immediate restructuring of EFCC so as not to make the international community view

Lamorde our anti corruption agencies as ineffective, having displayed such double standards as in the James Ibori saga”.

Clark further called for thorough investigation into Lamorde's role and charged to court to act as a deterrent to others, and to restore Nigeria's credibility before the international community as well as support President Jonathan's crusade against corruption.

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CRIME WATCH

Osezua Osolase jailed for ‘juju' rituals trafficker

Osezua Osolase was stopped boarding a plane at Stansted Airport after a police and Border Agency operation

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man who carried out "juju" witchcraft on teenage girls he

trafficked from Nigeria to Europe for prostitution has been jailed for 20 years.

Osezua Osolase, 42, from Gravesend, Kent preyed on poverty-stricken orphans with

the promise of a better life, Canterbury Crown Court heard.

Judge Adele Williams told him he was devoid of conscience and compassion.

Osolase was found guilty of five counts of trafficking, one of rape and one of sexual activity with a child.

The jury was told in a six-week trial which ended on Friday that West African "juju rituals" were used to instil terror into Osolase's three vulnerable victims, one aged just 14.

“Exploitation and degradation” The judge said the recycling worker, who has HIV, put his victims "in fear" to force their obedience and secure their silence. " Yo u w e r e d e a l i n g i n exploitation and manipulation and degradation," she told Osolase.

"You are undoubtedly a very, very dishonest man. You are arrogant and manipulative, you are devoid of conscience, devoid of any compassion to your victims."

The judge said Osolase treated the girls as objects to be sold as

sex slaves. The fact that he raped one girl knowing he had HIV was a "seriously aggravating" feature.

It was recommended that Osolase be deported once he has served his sentence.

The court had heard girls were trafficked into the UK and taken to Osolase's home in Gravesend before being sent to work as prostitutes in mainland Europe.

One of the girls described the Juju ceremony performed on her in Nigeria. During the ritual, samples of blood were extracted from the girl and her head hair and pubic hair were also cut.

She was then told to swear an oath of silence.

Osolase was stopped at Stansted airport in April 2011 attempting to board a plane.

Anthony Orchard QC, defending, said Osolase disclosed that he had HIV voluntarily to police.

"Mr Osolase acknowledges and regrets the consequences of his actions in relation to taking the girls out of the UK, and he has to bear the consequences of those actions," Mr Orchard told the court.

Nigeria army 'abuses' in Boko Haram crackdown – Amnesty

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igerian security forces have carried out widespread abuses in their campaign against the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, Amnesty International says.

Islamic state and has been blamed for the deaths of hundreds of people this year.

It has carried out frequent attacks in northern and central Nigeria since 2009.

In its report, Amnesty blamed Boko Haram for widespread atrocities, including murder, burning down churches and schools, and attacks against the media.

But it said a heavy-handed response by the security forces had only fuelled further violence.

"The cycle of attack and counter-attack has been marked by unlawful violence on both Zamfara state government s i d e s , w i t h d e v a s t a t i n g spokesman Nuhu Salihu Anka, as saying.

The Nigerian Tribune newspaper reports that the gang - armed with AK-47 rifles - came to Kaboro on horses and motorcycles and their attack retired Nigerian lasted for about two hours. general, Mohammed Militant Islamist group Boko Shuwa, who was a key Haram has previously carried figure in the 1960s civil war, was out a number of attacks in dead by unknown gunmen at his northern Nigeria, but there has home in the restive northeastern been no suggestion that that it city of Maiduguri, the military was connected to this violence. said.

Nigeria has one of the highest “Four men initially thought to crime rates in Africa and is be his visitors… entered his notorious for gun-related house and opened fire on the violence, including kidnapping general and his guests. and robbery.

One of the guests died on the Some communities have formed spot while the general died on vigilante groups to fight the the way” to the hospital, said robbers.

Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa.

The rights group says in a report that abuses include extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance and torture.

A spokesman from the Nigerian army rejected the accusations, saying soldiers always operate within the law.

Boko Haram campaigns for an

Nigeria violence: Zamfara villagers ‘murdered’

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unmen have killed 20 people, including a traditional leader, in an attack on a village in northern Nigeria's Zamfara state, a local official has said.

The attackers stormed Kaboro village and began shooting indiscriminately.

Their motive was robbery and they fled after raiding houses for cash and other valuables, the official added.

At least 23 people were killed in June in villages in Zamfara by gangs of robbers on motorbikes.

Some of the victims' throats were slit.

In Kaboro, the village chief appealed to the attackers to stop shooting but they turned their weapons on him instead, AFP news agency quoted the official,

consequences for the human rights of those trapped in the middle," said the group's secretary general, Salil Shetty.

"People are living in a climate of fear and insecurity, vulnerable to attack from Boko Haram and facing human rights violations at the hands of the very state security forces which should be protecting them."

Reports of people being shot dead by the army or beaten to death in detention w ere particularly common in the north-east of the country, Amnesty said.

In response, Nigerian army spokesman Col SK Usman told the BBC that soldiers were

professional and properly trained.

"There is no Nigerian soldier that goes out on the streets to just kill innocent Nigerians," he said.

"So whatever we do we always make sure it is done within the ambit of the law."

Amnesty's report documents what it calls an "increasing climate of fear" in which people are too scared to report crimes and journalists do not dare to cover them.

It calls on Nigeria's government to clarify the truth about incidents linked to Boko Haram, establish accountability for abuses and bring those responsible to justice.(BBC)

Gunmen kill ex-general, Mohammed Shuwa

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It would be recalled that Shuwa had earlier alerted the public that he could potentially be targeted

by Boko Haram Islamists who have carried out scores of attacks in the city, which is considered their home base.

It was not clear who killed the general, but the shooting resembled those previously carried out by the Islamists who have repeatedly targeted prominent local figures.

Residents and a morgue official said soldiers killed dozens of young men late during

operations in four Maiduguri neighborhoods, including Shuwa's home area of Gwange.

Boko Haram has previously carried out targeted killings following military raids.

Shuwa, 79, was a top adviser to Yakubu Gowon, the former military head of state who led Nigeria during the 1967-70 Biafra civil war that left more than one million dead, including many from starvation.

He also served as a senior leader in the 1975-76 junta of Murtala Mohammed.

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BUSINESS

Onitsha business community yearns for conducive industrial climate

By Ben Ilechukwu

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articipants at a business convention in Onitsha, Anambra State, have called on all tiers of governments to create a conductive business climate for industrialists to boost trade and commerce in the country.

The convention, organized as part of activities to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Eteleson Group of companies Onitsha, emphasized that the provision of regular power supply, security, good road network, and social amenities were

critical to stimulate economic growth and provide more employment for the jobless Chairman of the Eteleson Group, Chief Alfred Nworah Etele, who spoke on behalf of participants ,believed that more industries would spring up in parts of Nigeria and most MultiNational Companies which relocated to other countries ,would return if the issues raised were addressed urgently .

In his inaugural speech, the group Managing Director of Eteleson Group of company, Obinna Etele, indentified high bank interest rate, high input

duties, over taxation and absence of already built industrial Estates ,as some of the major problems facing industrialists in Nigeria and urged Federal Government to relax some measures in order to reduce their operational cost.

Meanwhile, the Anglican Bishop on the Niger Diocese, Onitsha, Anambra State, Rt. Rev. Owen Dozie Nwokolo, has said that one way man can demonstrate the purpose for his creation is by lifting a heavy burden on his unknown neighbour and wiping his tears.

Reacting to the widespread

floods which had submerged farm lands and rendered thousands of people homeless in some parts of Anambra State and beyond, at a thanksgiving service held at All Saints Cathedral Onitsha, Sunday to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Eteleson Group Onitsha, Bishop Nwokolo, called on Nigerians and multi-nationals within and outside the country to rescue the victims with relief materials such as food items, medicine, clothes and shelter.

Describing the flooding of some of our farm lands and several homes as a monumental disaster

and first of its kind in Nigeria's history, the clergyman also advised Nigerians to store food items to be used next year and nearest future, as famine would be imminent in 2013, following the destruction of several farm lands in the North, South and Eastern parts of the country for some time now.

Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, the Bishops of Afikpo Rt. Rev. Paul Udogu and Awka Diocese, Rt. Rev. Alex Ibezim, as well as the cream of the business community from within and outside the country graced the occasion.

Labour Warns FG on fuel scarcity

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he Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has warned the Federal Government to stop any action that would necessitate fuel scarcity in the country, describing the development as “a clear conspiracy on the part of government to force another price hike on Nigerians.”

In a statement signed by the acting president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero and the acting general secretary, Olusegun Rotimi, the congress said fuel scarcity and hike in price would surely deepen the economic hardships the current official price had unleashed on the people.

“The NLC observes that for

almost two months now, there has been a consistent scarcity of petroleum products in all parts of the country without any cogent explanation from government.

“In several fuel stations across the country, prices of petrol in particular are higher than the official pump price without any control by government.

“The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), under the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, is responsible for inspection and control of fuel stations and has not acted in anyway against unilateral price increases by marketers.

“For us, this indicates a clear

conspiracy on the part of government to force another price hike on Nigerians. This will surely deepen the economic hardships the current official price has unleashed on our people,” the statement read.

It added that the NLC would not accept any further price increase, adding that it would mobilise workers and their allies against any such increase. “ We u r g e t h e F e d e r a l Government to fulfill its responsibility to the Nigerian people by taking urgent steps to restore normal supplies,” the statement added.

The labour union said “the poverty level in Nigeria has increased and nothing is being done by government to reverse our collective sufferings.

US economy adds 171,000 new jobs The US economy added 171,000 new jobs in October, which was much more than had been expected.

But the official figures from the Labor Department showed that the unemployment rate still rose to 7.9%, having fallen to 7.8% in September, as more workers resumed the search for jobs.

Only people who are currently looking for a job count as unemployed.

Unemployment is one of the key issues ahead of Tuesday's presidential election.

The figures were the last major set of economic data scheduled before the election and the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, has made the state of the jobs market one of the

central planks of his campaign.

"Today's increase in the unemployment rate is a sad reminder that the economy is at a virtual standstill," he said.

"The jobless rate is higher than it was when President Obama took office, and there are still 23 million Americans struggling for work."

The number of jobs created in the previous two months was revised upwards,with an extra 34,000 jobs added in September and 50,000 added in August.

"We've made real progress," Barack Obama told a crowd in Ohio. "But we've got more work to do."

Analysts said both candidates could take something from the figures.

"President Obama can point to faster job creation, while Governor Romney can say that the unemployment rate is higher now than in January 2009 when the president took office," said Nigel Gault, chief US economist at IHS Global Insight.

"On balance, the report is better than expected, which should help the incumbent, but not sufficiently so to be a gamechanger."

Despite the new jobs, Barack Obama will still go to the polls with the highest rate of unemployment of any president seeking re-election since Franklin D Roosevelt.

The unemployment rate edged up slightly because the number

Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala Finance Minister of people looking for jobs increased. These were people who had previously given up hope of finding work, but who now think they may have a better chance. As a result, this increase may be seen as a sign of confidence in the economy, analysts say.

The total workforce, which is the number of people either working or looking for jobs, rose 578,000 in October.

Improved direction The Labor Department said in its release that Hurricane Sandy, which hit the East Coast of the US on 29 October, had had "no discernable effect" on the employment data.

The number of involuntary parttime workers, who would prefer to be working full-time, fell 269,000 to 8.3 million, having risen by 582,000 in September.

Kathy Jones from Charles Schwab said they were good numbers, but warned that: "We're way short of where we need to be to bring down the unemployment rate to where the Federal Reserve would like to see, closer to 6% than 8%."

"We would need to see twice as many jobs as we're seeing, but the direction has improved."

The average number of jobs added per month so far in 2012 has been 157,000, which is slightly ahead of the average of 153,000 in 2011.

The category adding the most

jobs in October was professional and business services, followed by healthcare and retailing.

There was also a small increase in employment in the construction sector, which has been helped by a pick-up in house building.

The average working week was 34.4 hours for the fourth month in a row, while the average hourly wage was down one cent at $23.58 (£14.69).

Despite there being signs of momentum in the jobs market, there is great concern in the US about what 2013 will bring.

Whoever wins the presidential election will have to reach a budget agreement with legislators by the end of the year, to prevent $600bn of tax increases and spending cuts kicking in automatically in 2013.

The measures, known as the fiscal cliff, could take the US back into recession.

There is also some uncertainty about the coming months as a result of Hurricane Sandy.

Many businesses will have their work interrupted by effects of the storms. On the other hand, reconstruction on the East Coast is likely to increase employment in the construction sector.

In New York, the Dow Jones index opened higher but closed down 139.46 points, or 1.1%, at 13,093.16. Curled from BBC

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Politics

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NEWS

Kogi House of Assembly Crisis Continues from page 25 explicit on how to remove the leadership of the house when found wanting.

He disclosed that for the new leadership to have obtained 17 members out of the 25 as stated in the 1999 constitution which requires the 2/3 of the majority members, the impeachment was already done in good faith, stressing that the former leadership of the House should embrace peace for the overall interest of the state.

The former Chairman of Lokoja branch of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Barrister Williams Aliwo who spoke on the same issue said the impeachment was faulty since the mace which is the symbol of authority was not on the table during the proceeding, regretted that the new political class in the state has now resorted to the use of raw power without respect for the rule of law.

Aliwo, who condemned the act, added that the assembly itself under its former leadership had at one time or the other legitimized illegality when it inaugurated a lawmaker who won a case at a court of first instance as its member when the loser has a right of appeal, alleging that Kogi House of Assembly has lost public confidence due to its continued endorsement of illegality.

“There was a particular case where a member of the house, Damian Adejoh was removed by the Federal High Court in Lokoja and winner, Gabriel Olofu who won the case which is expected to be appealed was immediately sworn in instead of waiting for the determination of the court process under the watch of the ousted leadership by the clerk of the House”.

More so, as political choreography continues in the raging battle, the odds are clearly working against theBello led leadership as his kinsmen have deserted him, hinging this on the fact that the Speakership position was still retained by one of their own.

It was also reviewed by the police high command in Kogi state that 13 persons arrested in connection with an alleged attempt to disrupt proceedings of members of the House of Representatives who were in the state on a fact- finding mission over the impeachment of the former Speaker, Hon Abdullahi Bello by members of the state legislature.

Kogi State Police spokesman, ASP Ajayi Olusankami, who paraded the suspects said: “They were picked up at the premises of the state assembly complex while chanting unscrupulous slogan capable of distracting the

peaceful proceedings.”

He said the police acting on intelligence information at its disposal promptly swung into action and apprehended the suspects whom he claimed were political hoodlums.

But in a swift reaction, one of the suspects who said he was a Special Assistant to the embattled former speaker, Abdulmuni Yakubu, denied being political thugs, saying they were in the House on a solidarity mission to their principal.

The Advocate reliably gathered that the sacked Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Bello and the 12 principal officers of the House who were removed recently have taken their battle for a return to office to the Federal Government.

The embattled lawmakers, in a petition to the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) claimed that their purported impeachment was effected by those who removed them with a fake mace.

The petitioners spoke of a “looming crisis engulfing Kogi State House of Assembly and by extension Kogi State.” They added: In line with the tradition of the Legislature, on 30th August, 2012, the State Assembly unanimously resolved to proceed on working recess to allow the various Standing Committees of the House to undertake a holistic appraisal of the year 2012 budget.

“This is done routinely to prepare the Assembly for the laying and receipt of year 2013 Appropriation Bill which the Governor of Kogi State is expected to present late in the year.

“To our surprise and dismay, 12 out of 25 members of the House broke into the Assembly with a fake maze where upon they were said to have issued a statement for the removal of all the seven (7) principal officers of the Kogi State House of Assembly.

“It must be noted that though the members of the Assembly have the right to shorten their recess to reconvene, that can only be exercised by the Speaker of the House who shall issue an official proclamation in that regard. This I did not do to warrant them to sit at all”. The crisis continues as the embattled speaker refuses to accept defeat while the battle lingers but which ever way the political actors view the entire process, the ideal situation is to allow peace and embrace dialogue for the interest of the state.

FG commences repair of Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway

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he Federal government through the Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA, has commenced major repairs on the long abandoned 200 km Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway make the ever-busy road motorable before the festive period.

Four contractors have been engaged to handle different sections of the road with a mandate to carry out thorough repair of the failed portions and not total reconstruction of the road which had been under a deplorable condition and causing nightmare for road users.

Managing Director of FERMA Engr. Gabriel Amuchi who inspected the on-going maintenance job on the road yesterday noted that it has had challenges for over four years; "and since this administration came in place they have directed that FERMA should ensure that major maintenance work is done to make the road motorable before December.

According to the FERMA boss, the government is also considering a comprehensive

rehabilitation of the road; "this is a major dual carriage road that is important to this country and it has failed beyond just maintenance; it requires total reconstruction and rehabilitation.”

He explained that the intervention is being carried out in several segments through direct labour as well as selected repairs through contracts in line with the mandate of the administration to ensure that the road is put in place before December.

Engr. Amuchi stated that FERMA had begun major intervention on one of the worst portions of the road at Lokpanta, stressing that the contractor had been directed to ensure that the bad portions were permanently reinstated.

"There has been lots of anxiety because there is a backlog of non maintenance for over three years; what we are doing now is to intervene urgently and make it motorable," he said.

Describing the road as a very important and busy one Amuchi, however, expressed the hope that before the end of

the year motorists would continue to use the road unhindered.

He said: "There is an improvement from what I saw four weeks ago; people are no longer driving into the forest, because the contractors are properly mobilized.

"We have driven from PortHarcourt to this place (Lokpanta) and there was no point we had to divert off the road. I'm assuring you that this programme will progress and this progress will be sustained and before the end of the year it will get better.

"This location is close to Lokpanta, its a cattle market where a lot of trailers park on the road; you can see that the Agency has locations where we intend to get ready for trailers to park.

"What we have are maintenance contracts; we have four of them at different segments; the road is about 200km and several sections have failed so we have shared it to our four contractors and we also have some direct labour operations.”

Engr. Gabriel Amuchi, MD FERMA and officials of the agency inspecting the on-going rehabilitation work on Enugu-Port Harcourt Express way

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Interview

Startimes has a mandate to fulfil –Ameh Dele There is no doubt that every Nigerian would wake up to digital broadcasting by the year 2015 following the directive of the World's Telecommunication body, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that all member countries should complete the process of transition from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting on or before 2015. The former Marketing Director of Star Times Nigeria and present Director of the company in charge of South-South Zone Mr. Ameh Dele, Spoke to The Advocate correspondent in Port-Harcourt, Abraham Ajaero, on the efforts of Star Times on the digital Television programme in Nigeria and other issues. Excerpts.

Sir, Nigerians appear not to be enthusiastic about buying Chinese products. They believe that products manufactured in China are so fragile, not durable and of low quality compared to what is obtained from other countries of the world. Don't you think this is affecting your marketing?

Quite frankly, that is the perception of Nigerians but Chinese products are in high demand in other countries of the world. It is accepted in America, and other European countries.

Chinese products are really competing favourably with products from other countries.

Apart from Nigeria, Chinese products are marketable in other countries of Africa. I still believe very strongly that Chinese have capacity to produce goods that are of high quality. Since they can satisfy markets in America, Europe, Asia and other African countries why not Nigeria? The driver of the business is not really the sales of the decoder but the subscriptions from the public.

So if the products are fragile and not durable, nobody can subscribe to them and that is what sustains the business. The fact that the subscription sells the products, it means that our products are of high quality and are durable.

Having carried out business in Nigeria for the past two years, what package in terms of incentives do you have for your numerous subscribers?

Concerning incentives to our customers, we have given out one hundred and fifty television sets to our subscribers through raffle draws which we started since 16th of July, 2012, and ended on 18th of September 2012. We also gave out regional price of N100,000 for Part Harcourt area office and a grand price of N2 million which was presented to the lucky winner in Lagos last month. We gave out a cash of N 2.8 million as well as one hundred and fifty television sets and telephone handsets.

Remember that not too long ago

we launched the mobile TV during the first anniversary.

Introducing that into the market is like another gift to our subscribers for our second a n n i v e r s a r y. T h o s e w h o subscribe to our package, that is those who recharge their decoders or new subscribers who buy our Television sets, decoder or mobile TV, had the opportunity of winning our grand price of N2 million.

To what extent have you met your revenue target?

within this period, I think we have met that target. As at now we have over seven hundred and fifty thousand subscribers in Nigeria and we hope that in the next one year we will hit a target of over one million subscribers and this will add to the revenue of the company.

Some Nigerians complain about the picture quality of S t a r Ti m e s u n l i k e D S T V picture quality. What do you attribute this to?

It is not true that we have poor

challenges in terms of proper installations. We have come up with an idea on how to handle the challenges faced by those who are yet to understand how to use the product. We have now employed service agents who go around visiting our customers who have these challenges and assisting them to properly install the product in their homes.

Beyond that we also have customers care platform where customers go to make reports in case of any serious challenge.

Ameh Dele StarTimes is not just any other business. It is organized in such a way as to fulfill a particular mandate where we are expected to provide a digital platform so that from henceforth the platform will be available for Nigerians to watch digital televisions. If you look at it from that perspective, we are no longer talking only about revenue generation and all of that. Of course we need some revenue to keep it going. But beyond that it is not just a business. As for the number of subscribers we intend to secure

picture quality. Our Televisions have very high and good picture quality. This is the truth. If you watch the television here in our office you will agree with me that the picture quality is the same as any other cable TV in the world. The only challenge we have in that respect is the subscribers. Since we offer this product at a most affordable price many person who before now had no opportunity of using high technology product like this are now using it at least as it concerns pay TV and they encounter quite a lot of

Our service agents are organized in such a way as to cover all the locations so that if any customer calls our customer care phone line from any location in the state, the service agents in that location will be instructed to move in immediately to attend to the customer.

Basically the picture quality of our product is of highest standard, the challenge is of people not having a proper understanding of how to use it.

That is why we have decided to educate them on this:

What exactly informed StarTimes relationship with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) to the extent of going into partnership with them on this pay TV, despite the fact that we have other television stations in Nigeria?

Star Times as you know is a global organization which is not only partnering with NTA in Nigeria but also partnering with other fourteen (14) national television stations in Africa. So the question of the choice of NTA has to do with its national and international out look just like other national television stations in Africa. We have also discovered that the governments of other African countries are also interested and are now extending invitations to StarTimes to come and partner with them on digital platform.

We are looking at Television Stations that have wider coverage that is why StarTimes go for government owned national Television stations.

What other message do you have for Nigerians?

My message to Nigerians is to let them know that StarTimes has come to stay. We are carrying out this project in the best interest of Nigerians so that in future based on our projections every household in Africa will have access to digital television. This will help to bring information, education and entertainment nearer to the door step of every home in Nigeria and indeed in Africa. In addition, we are expanding very rapidly now. Our service in Aba, Abia State will be launched very soon. We are moving very fast to ensure that before January 2015 we would have covered the entire 36 States in Nigeria.

Also we expressed delight at the manner at which Nigeria customers indicted interest and for being supportive of our efforts to digitalize television broadcasting in this part of the world. I am promising a better and quality services to our Nigeria customers now and in the years ahead. We will not deviate from our mission.

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TELECOMMUNICATION

MTN blames flood for poor services

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TN Nigeria has attributed the difficulties being encountered by its customers across the country on the flood disaster which has adversely a ff e c t e d i t s o p e r a t i o n s , appealing to the customers and other key stakeholders for patience and understanding.

The major telecommunication operator said that the most unfortunate effect of the flood to its activities was the disruption of its ongoing network modernisation and

 Appeals to customers swap-out exercise.

The company's Corporate Services Executive, Mr. Wale Goodluck made this known in a statement issued in Lagos in response to the public outcry over the epileptic services currently being rendered to Nigerians by the company.

“Although the various activities related to MTN's Network Modernisation are progressing steadily, we regret,

however, that the pace of work has been considerably challenged by the spate of insecurity coupled with the unprecedented flooding being experienced in many parts of the country.”

The network optimisation exercise will affect over 4,000 base stations out of over 10, 000 across the country. Goodluck added that the task that MTN was undertaking was like

building a new network, considering that it was seeking to replicate what it achieved over a six year period in just nine months.

He explained that “several swap-outs have reached very advanced stages of completion.

The entire network modernisation process is a very logistic-intensive one and the problem of insecurity has seriously affected the pace of

Digital bridge institute in Lagos to be ready by October 2013 – NCC Glo Donates Classrooms,

T

he completion date was for the DBI Lagos Campus built at the cost of N51 billion was disclosed during a recent tour of NCC's projects including DBI Lagos a n d E m e r g e n c y Communications Center, Awka (in picture) by the Federal House Committee on Communications part of its oversight functions to ascertain the level of implementation of the 2012 Budget.

Lagos. October 22, 2012: The Digital Bridge Institute, Lagos a proposed ICT training that will also be home to a Technology Park will be ready to start taking on its first batch of trainees by October next year, the nation's telecoms umpire has said.

BDI Lagos envisioned to be a world-class ICT training institution being built on the old NITEL Training School in Oshodi area of Lagos by the Abuja-based Digital Bridge Institute, the training arm of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will cost N51 billion, the regulator says.

The completion date was disclosed during a recent tour of NCC's projects including DBI Lagos and Emergency Communications Center, Awka

by the Federal House Committee on Communications part of its oversight functions to ascertain the level of implementation of the 2012 Budget.

According to NCC, the Lagos Campus of DBI is expected to be ready for the first batch of trainees by October, 2013 and is aimed at bridging the ICT gap in Nigeria so as to improve employment opportunities, increase efficiency and innovation, among other things.

The project site is the former NITEL Training center which was acquired by the NCC and will focus on professional certification at the lower to midlevels training.

The training and academic emphasis on this campus is on building a variety of lower to mid level professional skills in ICT, DBI Abuja says.

When completed the campus will include a large auditorium for 300 500 persons, two large and one small hall, seven large buildings each with several classrooms and offices, female and male residential buildings, a Guest House for 20 persons, workshop buildings and recreational areas including a soccer field.

ICT Lab to Ijebu School

National telecoms operator, Globacom, has reiterated its commitment to improve the lives of the future leaders of the country as it donated a block of fully equipped classrooms to Ijebu Muslim School, Ijebu Ode, Ogun state, as part of activities to mark the 2012 Ojude Oba festival.

At the commissioning of the block of classrooms and an ICT laboratory recently, Globacom said this was one of the many projects designed as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility drive.

Globacom had during the Ojude Oba festival last year, promised to deliver the block of classrooms to the school.

In a statement issued by Globacom's Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Mrs Ben Ayede, the company says it is committed to providing facilities that will assist Nigerian youths to be the best in their various endeavours as well as put them at par with their contemporaries across the world.

“We are mindful of the fact that government alone cannot successfully fund a functional

education system. This block of five classrooms is enriched with an IT centre, 50 internetenabled computers and fully furnished classrooms with students and teachers' desks and chairs. The facility will make the world indeed, a global village for the students and teachers of this great college”, she said.

She also said the facilities will empower the students and other scholars to reach the world at the speed of light. “This centre is linked to our ultra modern internet facility running on the first privately owned nationwide fibre optic cable and the international submarine cable, Glo 1”, she disclosed.

The state Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, applauded Globacom for the donation. The Governor who was represented by his Special Adviser on Education, Dr Tunji Abimbola, said, “we'll take the photographs of this facility and recommend it as the standard structure for schools in the state,” saying Globacom has done what has not been done elsewhere by making provision for disabled students.

work in some parts of the country. In at least 13 states, flooding has created additional logistic impediments such that the pace of the ongoing network modernisation efforts has slowed down”.

On the challenges the network's teeming subscribers have been going through in recent times, Goodluck acknowledged some disruption over the last few weeks saying; “We sincerely express our thanks to our customers for their patience. As much as possible, we would stick to our original plan of carrying out the network procedures only at night, in order to minimize disruptions to services. We are doing everything possible, including doubling the work teams, to finalise the project as quickly as possible.”

He expressed the company's appreciation with many communities that have given the network modernisation Engineers saying such supports were much-needed tonic in the face of the enormous logisticchallenges the project regularly encounters.

MTN's current network modernization and swap-out exercise which began in July 2012 is expected to cover the entire country and was originally expected to span a period of nine months. Its objectives are to considerably enhance capacity on the MTN Network and improve service quality.

Under the project, which is being implemented by a combined team of MTN engineers and technical partners that include Ericsson, Huawei and ZTE, key network components are being swapped with the latest upgrades in the industry. In addition, current power systems are being replaced with hybrid power systems which are more environment-friendly.

Startimes arrives Enugu with freebies

S

tartimes TV network service provider has resumed its operation in Enugu with a firm promise to give customers value for their money. Briefing journalists on its packages, the company's Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Tochukwu Okudo described Startimes as “a pocket friendly service provider”.

He stated that the network, which provides quality signal, without the use of dish, is already covering most parts of the state offering wide range of products.

The ranges from Basic

Bouquet, which guarantees over 32 channels with N1000 monthly subscription, Classic Bouquet, over 45 channels with N2,000 monthly subscription, classic Bouquet, over 55 channels with N3,000 monthly subscription as well as Unique Bouquet offering over 65 channels at a monthly subscription charge of N4,000.

“You don't need to purchase any form of dish to enjoy out network, all you need to is to buy our decoder at a very affordable price. It is only in places where the signal is poor that you will need external antenna to boost the reception, but generally, all

you need is simply the decoder.

“We equally have two backup generators, so the issue of power failure is not an issue for us; we are committed to offering quality service to our people at a very affordable price. Startimes is masses friendly”, Okudo stated.

Earlier in a speech, Dame Nneonyeodiri Ukoha, the Enugu Zonal Director of the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, who represented the television station, said the NTA,-Star TV Network was a strategic partnership between the NTA and the Startimes Beijing

Group, one of the influential radio and television networks in China.

“The partnership”, according to her, “commenced in 2010 but matured in July, 2012, with an elaborate launch to mark the official commencement of broadcast of signals to the Federal Capital Territory and environs” She remarked that the partnership was necessary to bridge the digital broadcasting, in line with the directive of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, for broadcast organizations.

Ukoha said the network had grown so rapidly spreading to about thirteen states of the federation including the FCT, stressing “it is calculated to give the residents of Enugu and environs access to excellent programming content on the Startimes platform. Besides, the decoder is affordable”.

“Only recently, we acquired the terrestrial rights to screen the popular UEFA Champions League in Nigerian territory. We are also working hard to introduce more interesting content to further enrich your viewing experience”, she promised.

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ADVERTORIAL NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF IGBO YOUTHS Tel:08033109920,08057162683, 08122038719

DR. IFEANYI UBA AND THE SUBSIDY PANEL: LET JUSTICE BE DONE It is no longer news that the police extended an invitation to the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Uba on 9th October, 2012, resulting in his strange and bizarre detention for at least ten days. Messrs Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, has been a key player and investor in the downstream sector of the economy and it is one of the biggest petroleum depot owners, oil transporters and jetty operators in the country. The company has gone a step further to put in place the machinery for the establishment of a refinery.

A plethora of accusations and allegations have been leveled against Dr. Uba and his company. Suffice it to say that the Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited have been accused of collecting subsidy payment without importing or discharging petroleum products and diversion of money earmarked for the importation of P.M.S. On account of these allegations, the Presidency has set up a probe committee chaired by a Banker who sits atop one of the new generation commercial banks in the country. The Access Bank. This banker and his bank are known to be key players in the oil industry. The head of the Probe Panel, as a key figure in the industry, is to put it mildly an interested party. The depth of envy, bad blood, enmity, unfair competition, nepotism, ethnic particularism and back-biting in the oil industry among all the players can only be imagined than described.

It is a notorious fact that the oil industry is akin to an animal farm where the struggle for survival and the urge to outdo and undo others is unabating and the key factor is the survival of the fittest. In this animal kingdom, all is fair and the name of the game is survival. It is actually a rat race on display and some people can descend from the sublime to the absurd in order to remain relevant.

Our worry is not with the inauguration of the probe panel. We acknowledge the fact that democracy demands that the general and wider public must be kept abreast of the goings on at every point in time and that there must be credibility and transparency in the handing of public funds.

It is of concern to us that the helmsman of the probe panel is also an interested party. Cawen the sensitive nature of the real sector, one would have expected that a probe panel into its affairs should be chaired by a serving or a retired justice of a superior court of record. Such a panel cannot be an allconcerns affair. It is not a trifle and it cannot be trifled with. A transparency invest and detached personality trained and skilled in the intricacies of judication should have been the right person for the position. To give the headship of such sensitive panel to someone who is a player in the industry and whose bank is another player in the same industry is to deliver the suspect on a golden plates to be slaughtered. It is an elementary principle of justice that nobody should be a judge in his own case. Again, justice should not only be done, but the same should be seen to have been manifestly done. A stakeholder in the real sector need not hold the post of chairman of the presidential panel on fuel subsidy.

The crucial issue at stake is that of supply of four cargoes of PMS Now, the money for these four cargoes have already been collected and paid directly into Access Bank from the fuel subsidy fund, Yet, it is the self same four cargoes for which Dr. Uba and capital oil are now being persecuted, harassed, harried, hounded and harangued. Assuming that capital oil did not deliver the four cargoes, why did they apply for the release of the fund from the fuel subsidy fund which was paid directly into Access Bank Account. It is obvious that a high powered commission of inquiry is imperative to determine how the money meant for the four cargoes, of PMS, which capital oil was alleged not to have supplied, was demanded and paid for through the fuel subsidy grant direct to Access Bank Account. Surely, Access Bank has a lot of questions to answer over this matter. A no-holds barred investigation is the only way to unearth what truly transpired and how water passed under the bridge. It is necessary to let the world know who applied and received payment for the four cargoes of PMS. As Igbo's we are concerned and worried over this saga because Dr. Uba is the only Igbo man who owns the biggest oil terminal in Nigeria. This terminal supplies the highest amount of petroleum products nationwide through the NNPC.

Enugu Office 32 Owerri Road, Asata, Enugu

Clearly, the ongoing investigation has the foul smell of selective victimization, marginalization and harassment. The investigation looks like a ploy to deprive the only visible Igbo-man in the oil industry of his right to own and maintain the most prestigious oil terminal in Apapa, Lagos State. This is one harassment and embarrassment too many. This is more so when there is no atom of truth in the allegations against Dr. Uba but were trumped-up charges against him by his co-competitors who are desperate to take over his lucrative and prosperous business.

Dr. Uba has proved his mettle in business, especially oil business. He was not born with a silver spoon. He passed through the remarks. His business had humble beginnings before he rose to the apogee. To denigrate him because his co-competitors in business are being selfish, envious and jealous is unfair. This is not how to grow the oil industry. In fact, it is exactly the way to kill hard-work, zeal, enterprises and the spirit of competition. It is unfair and uncharitable to pour invectives on a competitor in order to paint him black and gain advantage over him.

Nigerians have hailed Dr. Uba's sagacity and business acumen, Dr. Uba's Capital Oil and Gas Ltd has made kerosene and fuel available at the door steps of Nigerians inspite of the man-made odds placed on their way, Dr. Uba and capital oil have continued to deliver kerosene and fuel to Nigerians timeously and without blemish.

It is against the rules of natural justice that the MD of a Bank who is interested in both the oil and banking sectors should head the Presidential Panel on fuel subsidy when he is an interested party. His company, Access Bank, in which he is the major shareholder, is also a player in the real industry. The whole transaction revolves arround him, his bank and Coscharis. Therefore, to make him a judge and judex over the whole matter is to constitute him a judge in his own cause. In point of fact, he has a case himself to answer. His present grandest ending and ostrich-hiding is puerile and he can not deceive and generality of Nigerians who are now wiser and discerning. The truth of the matter we understand is that he is persecuting Dr. Uba because he wants to buy and takeover Dr. Uba's terminal.

There is no gain-saying the fact that the president was not properly briefed on this matter. Our President does not know about the clash of interest in this case.

The Probe Panel Chairman is a Banker and Oil Merchant at the same time.

Besides, he was deeply involved in the transaction which he is purportedly probing. Capital oil, Coschairs and Access Bank are the parties involved in the transaction and nobody who has interest in any of the Companies should be allowed to act as a judge over the transaction.

The Chairman of the Probe Committee is an interested party. He is a key player in the Oil industry. We discovered that he also played some roles in the transaction culminating in the present brouhaha and saga. Justice, fairness, equity and fair play suggest that he should not sit anywhere close to the panel investigating this matter. A judge over a case must be of immerse probity, detachment and independence. This cannot be said of the Presidential Chairman of the Fuel Subsidy Committee.

It is morally wrong and untenable that somebody who is a party to a case should be a judge in the same case.

The practice of marginalizing the Igbo's by other Nigeria appears to be inhabiting. This can no longer be accepted if we claim that this country belongs to all. We conclude and see it that Dr. Uba's harassment is clearly and definitely an ethnic affair and no more. The Igbo's have contributed greatly to the independence of this Country and they have continued to contribute enormously to the economic development of the Nation.

We, therefore, most politely call on the President to look into this matter critically and to constitute, as a matter of urgency, an Independent Commission of Inquiry composed of tried, tested and detribalized Nigerians who do not have any stake in both the oil sectors to examine the Capital Oil, Coschairs and Access Bank affair.

We want the truth of this matter to be known. Enough of this demonization of Dr. Uba. We want justice to be done even though the Heavens Fall.

Signed: Prince Okechukwu Okpala National President

Ozo Nnanyelugo Chukwuka Director of Organization

Barr. Orji J. National Secretary

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NEWS FROM STATES

Pipeline vandalism Abia Govt donates patrol vans to IPMAN

By Joe Akwarandu, Umuahia

T

he Abia State governor, Chief Theodore Orji has donated two brand new Hillux vans to the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) in a bid to checkmate the continued vandalization of crude oil pipe lines in the State.

Chief Orji while making the donation derided the criminal tendencies of hoodlums who incessantly sabotaged the economy of the State through pipe line vandalism, he also affirmed that all efforts were being geared towards curbing the criminal acts, stressing that all security agencies have been empowered to deal ruthlessly to

the situation.

T h e g o v e r n o r u rg e d t h e association to make it a point of duty to parade all the length and breath of the pipe line with the vehicles to compliment the effort of the security agencies.

He reminded the traditional rulers and natives living within the pipe line areas to compliment the security

agencies efforts by reporting criminals living with them and stated that the government would hold them responsible for any disruption of the flow of the oil to its depot at Osisioma.

Receiving the vehicles, the Chairman of the association, Chief G.C. Nwoke thanked the governor for fulfilling his promise through empowering

them in stemming the ugly trend of pipe-line vandalization and promised that with the equipment, they would secure the lines from the vandals.

Chief Nwoke eulogized the state Chief executive for his laudable developmental strides and the rehabilitation of the moribund Osisioma Depot which is now functional.

Chime moves to eradicate open defecation in Igbo-Etiti LG

By Emmy-Chuks Nweze, Enugu

E

nugu State Government, in collaboration with Wateraid Nigeria, has commenced activities aimed at eradicating open defecation, in Igbo Etiti Local Government Area of the state.

The Managing Director, Enugu State Rural Water Supply and S a n i t a t i o n A g e n c y, E N RUWASSA, Mr. Michael Cole Oguama, pointed out that in line with the MDG target on sanitation and hygiene, and the 4-point agenda of governor Chime, the state is poised to scaling up sanitation in the state, adding that UNICEF has also supported the programme in five local governments of the state Awgu, Aninri, Nkanu West, Uzo-Uwani and Isi Uzo. Oguama noted that the programme is geared towards checkmating open defecation in

the council area, stating that within six months of launching, the campaign using the C o m m u n i t y L e d To t a l Sanitation, CLTS, approach that the programme would yield the desired result.

However, the officials of Wateraid Nigeria as well as Civil Society Organizations, CSO, have visited eleven communities in the council area which .include Ohodo, Ozalla Uwani, Ohebedim, Umudule, Ekwegbe, Onyohor, Ukehe, Diogbe, Udeme and Umuofiagu.

The team, using the CLTS approaches to sensitize the communities on the negative effect of open defecation in bushes, shrubs, and thickets.

The communities were encouraged by the team to start constructing toilets to dissuade the open defecation practice.

The team intimated the communities during the scheduled visits that the

Council Boss procures relief materials for flood victims

By Uchenna Itumo, Abakaliki The executive chairman of Ikwo Local Government Area, in Ebonyi State, Honourable Celestine Igberi Nweme, has said that his government has procured relief materials worth millions of naira for victims of flooding in the area.

Honourable Igberi maintained that about 15 communities were affected by this year's flood disaster, said that from the verification carried out by the council, it was discovered that about 74 villages in all were the most hit areas. According to the council boss, he added that the

communities would be monitored from time to time to ensure that within the six months target, open defecation would be totally eradicated in the local government areas.

In his own remarks, the Programme Support Manager,

Wateraid Nigeria, Engr. Jude Emesim stated that this is a pilot scheme and that Wateraid has also attracted funds from Gate Foundation to scale up the programme in the state.

The traditional ruler of Umudule Ukehe, HRH, RT. Hon. Chijoke

Aroh, commended the efforts of the Enugu State Government and Wateraid for taking interest in the sanitation of the communities and enjoined them to provide water for the communities since water is essential to sanitation.

Former Petroleum Minister, Chief Graham Douglas, speaking to newsmen during the Kalabari National Forum protest in Abuja; with him are paramount Head of Otaji Group of houses, Abonnema, Chief Ambie Georgewes, and Amanyanabo of Abonnema, King Disrael Bob-Manuel. village leaders were charged to compile names of any real victims to avoid incidence of anybody who was not among the victims to benefit from the relief materials.

Nweme maintained that why Ikwo Local Government Area was the worst hit in Ebonyi State was because the people were living very close to the Cross River Basin, and shares common boundary with the Cross River State.

When addressing journalists at the headquarters of the Council, at Onuebonyi Echara, during inspection tour to assess his performance in office he said that there has been sensitization programmes for those who build

their houses very close to the river banks to desist from that, so as to run a way from the danger inherent in flood disaster.

He used the opportunity to commend the member representing Ebonyi Central District in the upper Chamber of the National Assembly, Senator Paulinus Igwe Nwagu, for coming to the aid of the people affected by the flood, by donating the sum of two million naira (N2m), to cushion the effect of the disaster on the victims.

Commenting on the significance of the Good Governance Tour initiated by the office of the Federal Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, Igberi

Nweme stated that it was a square peg, in a square hole, because it was best to assess public office holders at a moment like this, so that they can live up to their responsibilities to serve the people the best.

Director of Information, and the Head of Federal Information Centre, Abakaliki, Deacon Monday Obia, commended the laudable projects the council boss initiated and completed which will have positive impact on the people of the area.

Deacon Obia charged public office holders to see themselves as servants of the people rather than seeing their positions as avenues to enrich themselves.

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NEWS FROM STATES

Erosion Menace: Afikpo South Secretariat at verge of collapse, Council Boss cries for help

By Uchenna Itumo, Abakliki

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an generally is always confronted with one form of natural disaster or the other, it could be thunder storm, fire outbreak, flooding, erosion, epidemics to mention just but a few.

Today the nation is facing the problem of unprecedented flood disaster, with states like Adamawa, Taraba, Kogi, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers as the worst hit. But for the people of Afikpo South, otherwise known as Edda, though affected by flood disaster, their major problem which has assumed dangerous dimension is the incidence of gully erosion which has eaten up major parts of the secretariat with majority of the buildings engulfed by the menace.

A trip to the headquarters of the council area located at the Nguzu Edda community, every well meaning Nigerian citizen

By Philip Eke, Yenagoa

T

he Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency Bill has passed through Second reading on the floor of the House leading the debate in favour of the bill, the Deputy Leader of the House, Hon. Tonye Isenah remarked that the lack of appropriate Emergency Management structures in the State which adversely affected the effective coordination of efforts and the actual distribution of relief materials had made the consideration of this bill

will ask where is the National E m e rg e n c y M a n a g e m e n t Agency, NEMA ? The Federal Government agency charged with the responsibility of coming to the assistance of people affected by disaster in Nigeria, or otherwise question to what extent such disaster could get to before succour can come the way of the affected.

With over thirty four erosion sites, the hilly city of Edda, is indeed in the verge of collapse, if nothing meaningful is not done to stop further encroachment of the gully erosion, which has sacked the occupants of the local government secretariat, as they are left with no other option than to relocate to another place, abandoning the multimillion naira secretariat buildings as efforts made severally by the chairman of the council Chief Nkama Nkama Ude, has yielded no positive result because the problem was beyond what Local

Government Council.

The Chairman of Afikpo South Local Government Area, who was visibly disturbed by the erosion menace lamented that even the Nguzu road was under threat, and if nothing is done, the road may be cut into two resulting to hardship in movement of people and goods.

He stated that his administration has not rested on its oars to do the little it can in control of the dreaded erosion as he has maintained regular drainages in all communities which gulfped millions of naira, but the one he did in the secretariat could not withstand the pressure of the erosion as it was pulled down when the rain started.

Chief Ude said that when he assumed position of chairman of the local government, that he made effort to get the appropriate quarters know what was happening by reporting to the state, which finally sent the

Ministries of Works, Lands, and Local Government which visited the local government and assessed level of damage done by the erosion. After their assessment, it was said that the problem was beyond the capacity of the council and state government to tackle.

Despite the fact that the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the Federal Government, have been notified of the problem of Afikpo South, nothing till date has been done to help them out of the devastating effect of the disaster. The question now is, where will these people who also pay taxes like other Nigerians go to if the entire land is eaten up by the disaster. They deserve NEMA attention to survive this time before the whole land of Edda is consumed, the statement that no place is like home shall be taken into cognizance this time because even if you take

somebody to a developed city, one day the person will become home sick, so Afikpo South needs assistance from the Federal Government and this time the Ecological Fund should do the job it is charged to do by visiting the area to ascertain the ugly experience of the land, known as Jerusalem of Ebonyi State, because of its hilly nature.

The Chairman of the council, Chief Nkama Ude therefore appealed to the Federal Government and its agencies to come to the aid of his people. He stated that erosion has eaten up their farmlands, sent people out of their homes, and is threatening to do more harm because of its incessant encroachment.

Owing to the problem, the council boss has started building a 40 room, one story administrative block at another place for relocation of the secretariat; project he said will be completed in no distant time.

Bayelsa Assembly debates emergency management agency bill imperative.

Hon. Isenah further noted that our over reliance on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) which is a Federal Agency, has proven to be insufficient to tackle Emergency situation in our peculiar terrain.

Also contributing to the debate, the Deputy Speaker of the House Chief Victor Sam-Ateki said that the setting up of such an Agency which will be managed by

trained personnel will avoid mismanagement and wastage through the use adhoc disasters management committees.

In his contribution, Hon. Daniel Igali member representing Southern Ijaw Constituency III lauded the bill and suggested that it should be replicated at the Local Government levels.

Hon. Gentle Emelah, member r e p r e s e n t i n g Ye n a g o a Constituency III described the bill as the first proactive step

Bayelsa State Government has ever taken towards handling emergency situation in the state.

Other members who spoke in favour of the bill also supported the wisdom in setting up such an Agency to respond to critical situation stressing that only committed and patriotic Bayelsa should be saddled with the responsibility of manning such a body.

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Gender

and Social Welfare to report back in two weeks.

In another development, the Chief Whip and the Minority Leader of the House have been relieved of their positions while seven House Standing Committees have been dissolved.

The Committees are: Appropriation, Finance, Anti Corruption, Public Accounts.

Others include information, Water Resources and Public Service and Establishment.

Deadly accident claims 3 lives in Enugu

Accident on airport road Abuja

The police in Enugu have reported the death of three persons after two cars collided at Umumba Junction on the Enugu-Onitsha expressway.

A statement from the spokesman of the Enugu State Police Command, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, said seven other persons sustained various degrees of injuries in the accident which happened around midday.

Amaraizu said the accident involved a Toyota Camry with registration number AL 578 AGU and a 504 station wagon with registration number AL 772 GGE. The statement said both drivers died on the spot while the third casualty gave up in a hospital at 9th Mile Corner, near Enugu.

It said the bodies of the unidentified casualties had been

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EDUCATION

F Free Education: Parents risk jail terms in Rivers State T

By Amadi Gilbert

he Rivers State Government has announced plans to make the government's free education policy compulsory to all children of school age in the state.

G o v e r n o r, C h i b u i k e Amaechi disclosed this while presenting prizes to winners of the Garden City Literary festival in Port Harcourt, stating that parents would be required by the law to send their children and wards to both the state government new model primary and secondary schools and other government primary and secondary schools that would be renovated and made to meet required standards.

The governor noted the government was about to send to the state house of assembly a bill that says it is a crime not to send your children to school.

The reason is that if you say education is free and compulsory; parents don't take it seriously until you say they will go to jail if they don't send their children and wards to school.

Ameaechi also said the government would not collect fees, so it becomes criminal if you don't send your children to school. “From next year, we would criminalize the act for those who don't take their

children or wards to school because we will try everything possible to ensure that we provide infrastructure and facilitates that will back our free education”. He promised.

“Let me tell you the things that will happen very soon. Those of you who are in government schools that are not up to the standard we are trying to raise our government schools to the standard that we require. When we get to that standard, we will in the next few months set up the agency for quality assurance. If you don't meet the standard whether you are government school or private school, you will be closed down,” he said.

All primary schools must have information and communication technology (ICT) including the ones that belong to the Rivers State Government. We believe that the same thing should apply to the secondary schools.

Governor Amaechi later at the event presented certificates and prizes to top three winners of the essay competition for the Garden City Literary Festival.

Meanwhile, Governor Amaechi has tasked the state house of assembly to pass the education quality assurance bill, as a way of raising the standard of education in the state.

Speaking at a special red

carpet ceremony to honour past and present members of the assembly held in port Harcourt at the weekend, the governor, who was among the seven past speakers of the house who were honored for their contributions to law making in the state and conferred with the title of Ambassadors of the house' said we need it as soon as possible, so that we can move our education forward”.

He recalled that as former speaker of the house, laws that affect the state were adequately passed and deliberately upon.

Amaechi believed that the former speakers made tremendous contributions in setting the pace for the present assembly, saying, I thank those who are currently serving, you may not for now have any gratitude from the state. But when you leave, they would look at the history of your service. They would know that whatever achievements that we made were not possible without you”.

The governor, however, noted that since after their tenure, many bills have been passed to further the state development strides, adding that if you check your records, you will see the number of laws that we chose when we were here and those passed before we came”.

He, therefore, lauded the present assembly members for initiating the programme and urged them to write their names in gold for posterity.

ollowing the effort the government and Non Governmental Organizations to improve the quality of education in the country, an international education support agency, Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria, said it expended over N35m in 2011 on educational development in Kaiama Local Government Council of Kwara State.

The Organizational Development and Management Specialist, ESSPIN, Mr. Taiye Fatoki, made this known during the inauguration of some facilities at Nassaraawa-Ngatte Local Government Education Authority.

Fatoki stated that standard and conducive learning environment as well as efficient and adequate tutors and availability of qualitative a n d s u f f i c i e n t teaching/learning materials would greatly advance the quality of education in Nigeria.

He said that the financial investment in the council covered infrastructural provisions, human capital, capacity development, provision of uniforms and sandals, learning materials and other amenities necessary for educational growth.

“ESSPIN has spent more than N35m in Kaiama in 2011 in terms of human capacity development on teachers, local government education authority officers, school uniforms and sandals for pupils, sandals, learning materials, teachers' allowances, hand pumps and sanitation facilities,” Fatoki said.

He added that ESSPIN had been collaborating with the

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ESSPIN invests N35m in Kwara LG Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board and other relevant agencies as well as the Kwara State Government to uplift the standard of education.

According to him, SUBEB, Kaiama Local Government and other education support units and groups, as well as direct labour providers aided in the construction of the infrastructural facilities at Nassarawa-Ngatte school, stating that ESSPIN provided the needed funds, that facilities at the school included two classrooms, one teacher office and a store with direct labour gulping N4.9m while materials cost N5.8m.

Fatoki said ESSPIN also upgraded a school at Ilorin East Local Government as well as supported educational development in the 16 local government councils across the state.

He added that a rural teacher housing which cost N2.9m; water points of N1.1m; many segregated male and female toilets and furniture of about N275, 000 were also provided.

He stated that teachers during an interaction with ESSPIN identified poor funding, dilapidated environment, and hostile attitudes of some communities to the teachers as some of the problems militating against primary education in the country.

UNIPORT vs Aluu: Killers deserve capital punishment – Relation

By Amadi Gilbert

A

s reactions continue to trail the crisis between the four University of Harcourt students and the Aluu community, one of the relations of victims Mr. Charles Allison has called for a capital punishment for the killers of the four students as the best solution to the crisis.

Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt recently Allison said that the four students did not commit any offence. That they were musicians who went to sing to the Aluu man during a ceremony he held last time, because the Aluu men refused to

pay them when they went severally to demand for their money Aluu.

According to Mr. Allison, the four students went early morning in demand of their money instead of paying them called the vigilante to arrest the people, accusing them of theft because they seized the man's mobile phone and laptop.

Instead of setting the problem, the vigilante met with the chief who instructed them to roast the student to ashes, an act A llis on des cribes as an abomination and uncalled for.

Mr. Charles who hails from Nembe in Bayelsa State said that, they were not thieves or

cultist that Lloyd Toku Mike is the wife's brother and grew in his domain, adding that, the Aluu men who started the problem told his people using his language that, they are Okrikas and should be executed.

Charles who question the possibility of roasting the four students said that, even if they were robbers or cultist, the Aluu community would have handed them over to the police for interrogations, adding that even robbers and bunkers are investigated before prosecuting, asking why the four students problem was different.

He therefore warned Gov. Amaechi to treat the matter with carefulness and transparency because, they are waiting to hear from him before they could retaliate. That if Amaechi fails to allow justice to take place, that the Okirikas and Ikwerre would iron it out in a way that might not impress the masses.

Charles who expressed dissatisfaction with Gov. Rotimi Amaechi said that, as at present, the Gov. that was voted by the masses has not visited the families of the victims describing Gov. Amaechi's action as moribund and uncalled for.

He therefore used the

medium to appeal to the police and judiciary to follow up the matter logically and make sure that, the killers would face capital punishment as their reward.

Gov Amechi

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SPORTS

Nigeria and Africa league soccer championship: Going down the memory lane Stories by Okey Anyichie

W

ell 2012 edition of the Africa league soccer championship has gone down like other years without positive result for Nigeria's flag-bearers in the competition.

The sole surviving club-side in this continental soccer championship, Sunshine of Nigeria this year in the competition had crashed out. The Akure based football club last fort-night failed to live up to expectations of their numerous supporters when the visiting Egyptian club-side, Ahly football club played a 3-3 draw in Nigeria. Thus left the Nigerian club-side to walk the right rope in the second leg encounter in Cairo-Egypt.

And definitely that was what happened as Ahly Cairo-Egypt has taken the wind off the sails of Sun-shine football club of Akure after pipping them by a lone goal.

This lone goal victory by Alhy Nationale brought the scores of the two legs encounters by 4-3.

This elimination of the club-side has left Nigeria in the “cold” since 2005 in this Africa soccer competition on a league format for clubs in the continent.

This continental soccer competition for football clubs in Africa started in 1964, when the late president of Ghana,

O s a g y i e f o ( D r. ) K w a m e Nkrumah donated a trophy for football competition among football clubs in Africa. And that year sequel to the kicking off the competition Oxgy-Duala football club of Cameroun won the maiden edition of the championship by defeating Stade De Abdijan football club of Cote D'voire at Accra stadium Ghana. The following year 1965, sporting Joliba of Mali won the competition. The following 1966, there was no competition.

But in 1967 and 1968, T.P Englebert now T.P. Mazembe of Democratic Rep of Congo, became the first football club in the competition to win the championship back to back.

Since then, many club-sides had

Sunshine Stars won the competition. And what is the score card of Nigeria's clubsides in this soccer championship for continental clubs.

Nigerian club-sides started being involved in the competition in 1968. It was the stationery stores known as the flaming flamingoes of Lagos that was the Nigeria's flag-bearers at the competition for the first time.

But the Lagos based club-side fell by the wayside in the first round at the competition and tried again in 1970 and was eliminated

by Ashanti Kotoko of KumasiGhana. Since 1970, some Nigerian club-sides equally made impact at the competition but it all ended on the “rocks”.

However mention must be made of Rangers football club in 1975

that was the first Nigerian club side that shot into the final but lost out to Hafia football club of Guinea by aggregate goals of 3-1.

Later IICC of Ibadan in 1984 got to the final but lost out again like Rangers to their opponents, Zamalek of Egypt, 3-0. In 1988, Iwuanyanwu National F.C of Owerri now Heartland of Owerri, lost to Setif of Algeria by 4-1.

These were the three Nigerian club-sides that got to the final of the championship but could not conquer. It was in 2003 and 2004, that Enyimba football club of Aba, thawed the ice in the competition by winning the league championship back to back. Thus the Aba based clubside had joined other African club-sides in this league

championship “Hall of flame”.

Since 2004, no Nigerian clubside has attempted to re-enact the superlative form of Enyimba football club in the continental league championship. Since that last triumphant year of 2004 by the Enyimba football club of Aba, it had been a mission impossible for all the Nigerian clubs in the competition that one would say that the jinx in the competition has started once again. Hence it took the Nigerian club side, Enyimba of Aba and other club sides a total of 38 years to win the championship.

Countries like Ghana, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria had all won the competition more than twice.

This up to an extent says a lot about the quality and standard of our league championship. But whatever that had happened in the past years, let us look forward to 2013 edition of the competition. Hence one hopes that the 2013 football season will be fruitful for the three Nigerian football clubs in the two continental soccer competitions, namely Kano Pillars, Rangers football club of Enugu and Heartland of Owerri. Kano Pillars and Rangers football club of Enugu will trade tackles in the continental league soccer championship. Heartland is the Nigeria's flag-bearer in the CAF cup competition. That is the post for Nigerian clubs in the 2013 football season in the continental competition.

2013 Nations Cup Fixtures: L

a s t We d n e s d a y i n Durban-South Africa the fixtures for the 2013 Africa cup of Nations soccer competition took place and was attended by high profiled personalities which included the country's president, Mr. Jacob Zuma and the president of the confederation of Africa football (CAF), Mr. Issa Hayatou of Cameroun. The fixtures that involved sixteen African countries in the competition, n ame ly N ig e r ia, Za mb ia, Burkina-Faso and Ethiopia in group C. Ghana, Mali, Niger and Democratic Republic of Congo are in group B. The host country South Africa, will trade tackles with Angola, Morocco and Verde in group A, while Cote D'lvoire, Tunisia, Algeria and Togo will sort themselves out in group D. With this situation of fixtures rounded up last Wednesday in South Africa, all is set for this soccer competition among African countries. This is the

Teams to watch in South Africa second time that this South African country is hosting the competition. Hence in 1996, the competition took place in the country during the leadership of Mr. Nelson Mandela. Nigeria qualified for the competition and was supposed to defend the championship as the 1994 champion but failed to show up for the competition. It was during the period of military regime of General Sani Abacha, when the country went through many political problems, which made the country to be suspended from the Commonwealth of Nations.

And for failing to play in the competition, Nigeria was suspended in the competition by the Confederation of Africa football (CAF). So in 1998 edition in Burkina-Faso, Nigeria again was not among the sixteen African countries that participated in the competition which Egypt won by beating

South Africa 2-0.

This time around, South Africa has concluded all arrangement for the competition after the draws for the competition had taken place. The sixteen teams that qualified for the competition will play in the following stadia in South Africa, soccer city, Soweto, Mbombela Stadium, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Royal Bafokeng Stadium and Mabhida stadium. It will kick off on the 19th January 2013 and Nigeria will open the campaign for the trophy against Burkina-faso on the 21st January, 2013 by 6pm. Then on the 25th January, 2013, Nigeria would face the Zambian team, while the last group engagement by the Super-Eagles of Nigeria comes up on the 29th January, 2013 with Ethiopia.

A glance at this group C involving Nigeria with Zambia, Burkina-faso and Ethiopia looks

even but one should not make the mistake of seeing Nigeria having an easy ride in the group during the competition. If one should remember that Zambia is the defending champion and the country has not been good “customers” to Nigeria in the Africa cup of nation's competition. Looking backwards in the Nigeria-Zambia encounters in the competition since 1970s, paints the picture of unpredictability. In 1973 qualifiers for the 1974 edition of the competition, Zambia beat Nigeria with a heavy goal tally of 5-1 in the first leg in LusakaZambia, while in the second leg, Nigeria won with 3-2 goal margin, but with aggregate goals of 7-3, the “Super Eagles” could not fly in the 1974 competition in Egypt, which was won by Zaire (now rep of Congo) by beating Zambia 2-0.

Again in 1982 in Benghazi-

Libya, Nigeria lost again to Zambia by 3-1 in their group, after losing to Algeria and beat Ethiopia in 1978 in Ghana, Nigeria could not beat Zambia in their group after playing a goalles draw. So for the “Super Eagles”, Zambia should not be taken for granted, an out-right beating of the country and other two opponents in the competition should be a task that must be accomplished. There is no room to take chances in the competition, if for anything but to show that ”Super Eagles” absence from last years competition was a slip. Nigeria should take all the games against their three opponents in their group C with all seriousness, to avoid speculating on the outcome of the other teams result. In short the first two matches should point the direction of qualification.

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SPORTS Osaze doesn't want to play for Nigeria –Keshi

H

ead coach of the Nigeria national team, Stephen Keshi has sensationally revealed to Nigerians that West Bromwich Albion star, Osaze Odemwingie wants out of the Super Eagles.

Odemwingie last played for Nigeria in a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda on February 29 in Kigali.

Keshi has now revealed that he spoke to the WBA forward a week before Nigeria's second leg final round 2013 Afcon qualifying game against Liberia on October 13 and that Odemwingie told him that he had decided not to play for Nigeria again.

“I spoke to Osaze before the Liberia game and he told me that he had decided not to play for Nigeria anymore,” Keshi told supersport.com.

The former Togo and Mali national team coach said Odemwingie took the time to explain the reasons for his decision not to play for the Super Eagles again.

“Osaze told me that he has no problems with me as a person and that he took his decision even before I assumed position

as national team coach.

“He said he was unhappy at how he was treated in the past in the national team. He explained that prior to Nigeria's participation at the 2010 Fifa World Cup, he played in all the qualifying games but was dropped at the finals.

“He said he was angry at the treatment meted out to him but did not discuss it with anyone. I told him that was not the best way to handle issues and that if he had already decided not to play for the national team, he should have opened up to me when I invited him to play,” Keshi said.

'The Big Boss' went on to reveal that he had an extensive discussion with the striker and tried to explain why things may have gone awry for him at the 2010 mundial.

“I told him that if the (Nigeria) coach (at the 2010 World Cup) benched him, he must have a reason for doing so and that things should have been handled differently.

“I told him that he should have spoken up and let me know. The coach has a reason and you can't play in every game,” he said.

On Odemwingie's future at the international stage, Keshi said he was still ready to accommodate the player in his squad while explaining that the final decision would still lie with the 31-year-old.

“I told him that he has to give me the room to work with him; for us to work together and if he does not like the way I work and the atmosphere in the camp, then he can decide to stop playing.

“Deciding that you don't want to

benga Ogunbote has surprisingly resigned as head coach of Sunshine Stars with immediate effect.

The former Gateway FC coach turned in his resignation letter

Ogunbote

Sand Eagles expect a tough Russia

O

think he might change his mind but I really don't know. The ball

Osaze Odemwingie

Ogunbote quits Sunshine G on Wednesday citing reasons for his stunning decision.

The content of the letter to the club's team manager, Prince Gabriel Olusho Aborowa read thus: "I hereby want to inform the management of my decision not to renew my contract as the chief coach of Sunshine Stars International Football Club of Akure, after due consideration and review of my stay with the club so far.

"I joined the team on September 1, 2009 as an assistant chief coach, and was elevated as the chief coach on August 3, 2010, with the task to make the team excel which was achieved under my technical leadership.

gbonna Okemmiri and Ikechukwu Ibenegbu said that they expect a tough game from Russia on Friday.

Nigeria's Supersand Eagles meet their Russian counterparts in the second semifinals of the Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup at the Dubai Festival City.

Okemmiri, who scored one of the goals in the 4-8 loss to Russia at the 2011 Fifa Beach S o c c e r Wo r l d C u p , i s

play for Nigeria because of what happened in the past is not the best.

“I understand his feelings. I

anticipating a "tough" game.

"Yes they are the world champions and that means we will come up against a quality side. It will be a tough game but till then let's see what happens," said the Kwara United defender.

Ibenegbu, who has netted seven times at the Dubai tournament, agreed with his teammates that the Russians will be tough.

"It will be a very tough game but we will give it our best," Ibenegbu, nicknamed Mosquito by his fans.

"Sir, it is pertinent to know that despite all my efforts and sacrifice made to ensure that the team excel all have not been appreciated while my contract terms had not been respected. I have endured enough.

"I am glad to have contributed to making Sunshine Stars an international brand but I want to advice the management of the umbrella agency (Ondo State Football Agency) to imbibe the culture of administering the club professionally so as to sustain the landmark mileage achieved during my tenure. Sir, for proper disengagement I request all my entitlement be paid in earnest.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to serve wishing the club good luck in all its future endeavour."

Ogunbote's departure brings to an end a three-year relationship with Sunshine Stars.

In 2011, Ogunbote, who won the Manager of the Year (Africa) category in the 2012 League Bloggers Awards (LBA), led the Akure Gunners to a last four finish in the Caf Confederation.

This year, Sunshine Stars succumbed to Egyptian giants,

Al Ahly in the semifinals of the Caf Champions League.

Ogunbote explained his rationale for not renewing his contract with the Akure-based team.

“I have resigned as coach of Sunshine Stars with immediate effect. The truth is that Sunshine Stars is very challenging both on and off the field. I have tried my little best and I have to go now so that I won't have all my hair grow grey.

"It was a hard decision. Akure people are lovely most especially the state governor, D r. S e g u n M i m i k o , t h e Commissioner for Sports, the SSA Sports, OSFA Chairman and members, and the club supporters," he said.

Sunshine Stars finished fifth in the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) last term under Ogunbote and missed the chance of playing international football.

Esieme picks Aba D over Kano

efender Bright Esieme has explained to supersport.com why he opted to join Enyimba over Nigerian champions, Kano Pillars.

The right-back sealed a oneyear contract with the People's Elephant last month after leaving rival Nigeria Premier League (NPL) side, ABS. Esieme, who was nominated for the Rookie of the Year in the 2012 League Bloggers Awards (LBA), said his family raised concern about the insecurity in the northern part of the country.

He added that Enyimba are his

hometown club and his "dream team" he has always wanted to play for.

"I've signed for Enyimba and it is a year contract. Yes Kano Pillars wanted me but my family didn't want me to go to the north because of security concerns. So my decision to join Enyimba is one influenced by my family and I'm happy about it. It has always been my dream team," said Esieme.

The defender scored two league goals for ABS last term.

Enyimba

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SPORTS

A

RSENE WENGER has confirmed that Arsenal will be without Gervinho for around three weeks.

Ivory Coast international Gervinho injured his ankle after coming on during the second half of last weekend's 1-0 win over QPR at the Emirates.

But Wenger does not have any other fresh injury concerns ahead of Saturday's trip to Manchester United.

The Gunners boss said: “Compared to last week Gervinho is of course out, for we think three weeks.

“We have no comebacks no Wojciech Szczesny, no Kieran Gibbs, no Abou Diaby of course as well.

“Basically the squad should be approximately the squad we had last week.

We have no injuries as well from the win over Reading on Tuesday night.”

David Ferrer and Jerzy Janowicz will contest Paris Masters final

D

avid Ferrer has the chance to win his seventh title of 2012 after beating Michael Llodra 75 6-3 to reach the final of the Paris Masters.

The Spaniard saved 10 break points in the first set before breaking Llodra's serve early in the second.

Ferrer will face qualifier Jerzy Janowicz in the final after the Pole's 6-4 7-5 victory over Gilles Simon.

Briton Jonathan Marray and Paul Hanley lost 7-5 6-3 to Mahesh Bhupathi & Rohan Bopanna in the doubles semifinal.

Janowicz, who beat Andy Murray, is the first qualifier to make the Paris final in eight years.

"I cannot believe this actually.

How is this possible?" said Janowicz, who started the season ranked 221 in the world.

"I came here just to play

qualifications, and suddenly after a few days I'm in the final. I don't know how did I this, but tomorrow the final is waiting for me. Wow." After a close first set, Ferrer moved into a 3-0 lead in the second before a medical timeout for Llodra to receive treatment for a back injury.

The Frenchman lost the next game but fought back to take three of the following four games, before world number

five Ferrer held his serve to seal the match after one hour and 53 minutes.

"I tried to be very focused every time (he had a break point)," said Ferrer. "I was more aggressive in the important moments."

France will not be represented in the final of this tournament for the first time since 2007 following Simon's defeat to Janowicz, in which the Frenchman was unable to break the 21-year-old Pole's heavy serve.

Janowicz, who is also the first player in 12 years to reach a final on his Masters debut, won 88% of first-serve points and did not face a single break point.

"I think I'm among the best

returners on the circuit each year, and I didn't get the slightest chance," Simon said.

Sunday's final will also be the first in the ATP Masters 1000 series not to feature Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray since Robin Soderling's win over Gael Monfils in Paris two years ago.

Ferrer has lost all three of his ATP Masters 1000 finals, twice to Nadal and most recently to Murray in Shanghai in 2011.

Marray will now head to London to take part in the ATP World Tour Finals in London alongside his Wimbledonwinning partner Freddie Nielsen.

United go top as Chelsea, City slip

R

obin van Persie piled on the misery for former club Arsenal as Manchester United went top of the Premier League with a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Victory in this early kick-off match saw United supplant Chelsea in first place and that is where they stayed after the European champions were held to a 1-1 draw at Swansea later Saturday.

Premier League title holders Manchester City could have drawn level at the summit with United but instead were left two points adrift of their local rivals following a goalless draw away to West Ham in the day's late kick-off.

In Manchester, van Persie needed fewer than three minutes to put United in front before

Patrice Evra doubled their lead in the 67th minute.

Arsenal's day got worse when midfielder Jack Wilshere, in only his second game back following a long injury lay-off, was sent off for a second bookable offence after he caught Evra on the ankle.

"It was a special day, in the end it was about the game and I think we played well," said van Persie.

United manager Alex Ferguson praised van Persie's all-round display by saying: "I thought he was fantastic today. His movement, his penetration was fantastic."

Van Persie, playing against Arsenal for the first time since his £24 million pre-season move from the Gunners, wasted little time in giving United the lead.

He scored in the third minute when, after Thomas Vermaelen failed to clear a Rafael cross, Van Persie struck from the edge of the penalty area.

C

HELSEA have formally accused referee Mark Clattenburg of racially abusing John Obi Mikel.

Blues made their move by handing witness statements to the FA from their players.

But the Champions League holders dropped allegations Clattenburg also insulted Juan Mata after an internal investigation failed to provide sufficient evidence to proceed.

The complaint has left Clattenburg feeling 'angry and confused' according to former ref Graham Poll.

Chelsea's formal complaint regarding Clattenburg's inappropriate language during Sunday's 3-2 home defeat by

John Obi Mikel and Mark Clattenburg Manchester United was lodged with the FA's governance division last night.

A club statement said: “We today lodged a formal complaint with the FA regarding inappropriate language directed at John Obi Mikel by Mark Clattenburg.

“This is a result of a thorough investigation. It was not a decision the club took lightly.

“There was not sufficient

evidence to support a second claim to the FA with regard to the alleged verbal abuse of another first-team player.”

Although there was no mention of racist language in Chelsea's statement, it is understood that the witness statements allege that the word 'monkey' was used to Mikel.

Poll said: “Mark is feeling angry and confused because he doesn't feel he's done anything wrong.”

THE

Vol. 1 No. 9, Sunday, November 4 – Saturday, November 10, 2012

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Back page comment

The Blood of Nigerian Christians

By Gabriel Agbo

L

ast Sunday a suicide bomber attacked St. Rita's Catholic Church, Ugwan Yero in Mallai, Kaduna. A young man reported to be driving a Honda CRV, with a rosary dangling on his neck, approached the church's gate. He was turned back.

Pretending to be leaving, he reversed the vehicle. Then, he stepped heavily on the throttle to send the vehicle into full speed and rammed it into the children's section. 8 people were immediately confirmed dead, while scores, including the parish priest sustain serious injuries and are currently being treated in different hospitals in the state. No time in the history of Nigeria has the church faced the level of persecution it is currently going through. For about 2 years now, hundreds of Christians have been killed and tens of churches destroyed.

Sometimes, they are killed while in church services like this last one. The Islamic sect called Boko Haram has always claimed responsibility for all these attacks. The other time, the Deeper Christian Life Church in Okene, Kogi State was attacked and about 20 worshipers were gunned down right in the church service.

Many others who had various degrees of gun shot injuries are still lying in the hospital. Last Christmas the Catholic Church in Madalla , Niger State was bombed leaving scores of worshipers dead or maimed. The same day another church was bombed in Bauchi.

Few months ago, two churches in Bayero University Kano were attacked. Many worshippers including university professors lost their lives.

Just last month, about 50 people (including women and children) who took refuge in a church were smoked out and shot. The attackers first set the church building ablaze, then stood at the entrance and were shooting these innocent women, children and old people as they tried to escape from the furnace and smoke. And we have since lost the count of the churches that have either been bombed or attacked by gunmen in Yobe, Gombe, Plateau, Kano, Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Kaduna and Kogi states. All in the north.

But this is not the first time the church

is passing through such persecutions in the northern part of country. The differences with the present are the spate, degree and coordination of the attacks. Before now, any riot or demonstration in this part of the country will always end up in killing Christians and people from other regions. Thousands has gone this way.

Amongst so many, is the case of Gideon Akaluka; who was beheaded and his head used to make show round the market. What of the young Yoruba female teacher who was slaughtered in Gombe with the flimsy excuse that she touched the Koran as she tried to stop her students from cheating in an examination. She put a call through to her husband as she saw the attackers, but could not finish before they lynched her. Her little baby was saved by good Samaritans who jumped the fence of the school to rescue him. And these are just few cases that space will allow us to pen down here.

But who is responsible for all these atrocities against Christians and humanity? What crime has the church committed? Are these executions and destruction accidental or a part of the larger plan to get rid of Christians in Nigeria? Is the current onslaught an expression of frustration by those who boasted that they will forcefully impose their belief from the desert to the sea? Has the very rapid, phenomenal and constant growth and prosperity of the church in the country, which has made nonsense of the plot and expectations angered them, hence, their resort to declaring war against the people of God? Now, the Christians have paid enough price for the peaceful co-existence of the country called Nigeria . The whole land is saturated by the blood of these innocent women, children and men whose only crime is what they believe in a secular nation that is supposed to be ruled by a constitution that has guaranteed freedom of worship and association.

With the current resurgence of attacks, we urgently call on the federal government and the security agencies to step up the efforts to stop these onslaughts, unmask those behind it and bring them to book. The government, the Inspector-General of police, the army and other security agencies should see that the churches

and Christians are well protected from the current unwarranted destruction.

Security protection should immediately be sent to all these endangered places of worship, especially in the northern part of the country. The government must not continue to watch the citizens being slain everyday for frivolous, dubious, criminal and satanic religious and political reasons. We call on the security forces to also immediately declare total war against these criminals, their sponsors (political and religious) and harbourers. They should also be made to pay the supreme price to these crimes against humanity. Where are the ones arrested so far? These must be done very very urgently. Enough is enough! Then, the blood of these Christian martyrs must not be in vain. Remember, like the blood of Abel, they would be crying against the murderers and the nation until justice is done.

For the attackers, you are embarking on a project that is impossible to achieve. Go and read the church history. All attempts ever made to annihilate Christianity have always ended in futility. And why? You cannot successfully fight against your creator. Jesus said that He will build His church and the gates of hell will NEVER prevail against it. The church will always mysteriously expand and prosper even at the face of persecution. True! So, I advise you and your sponsors within and without the country to keep down your arms against God and His people and embrace the gospel. Stop kicking against the STONE! And for the church, we must not be discouraged. The word of God said that we should not fear those who can only destroy the body, but can not touch the soul. In fact, it said that we should rejoice in tribulation, for it is an indication that we belong to Christ and that the gospel is making the expected impact. The enemy -Satan is just reacting out of frustration. This is a time for us to rededicate of lives and service to God. Though, we must adopt the Nehemiah strategy now. As he and his team were re-building the ruined walls and city of Jerusalem , they also were well-prepared to fully defend themselves against the enemies. And this successfully checked the opposition until the work was completed. Let us all pray that God will change the hearts of these enemies of the church, give us peace and prosper the gospel and the country in Jesus' name Amen!

Rev. Agbo is of the Assemblies of God Nigeria and the author of the book 'Power of Midnight Prayer'. E-mail: g a b r i e l a g b o @ y a h o o . c o m Te l : 08037113283

Stephen Okechukwu Keshi (born January 23, 1962 in Lagos) is a former football defender from Nigeria.

Playing career An important player for Nigeria, Keshi was captain of the squad for the 1994 FIFA Wo r l d C u p a n d p l a y e d i n f i v e differentAfrican Nations Cup tournaments, helping to win the 1994 African Nations Cup. His last club was Perlis FA in Malaysia. In 2000, a testimonial match was arranged for him in Lagos, Nigeria.

Coaching career After a playing career mostly with Belgian clubs, Keshi went to the United States to be educated in coaching.

In 1996 he was joined by Augustine Eguavoen, who once coached the Nigerian national team. They played together in California as the backbone of the defense for the short-lived Sacramento Scorpions.

Keshi has been a part of the coaching staff for the Nigerian national team, most notably as head coach for the Junior Eagles at the 2004 Olympic soccer tournament.

Between 2004 and 2006 Keshi coached the Togo national football team, unexpectedly bringing them to their first World Cup tournament, Germany 2006. Having secured Togo's unlikely qualification, he was promptly replaced by German coach Otto Pfister prior to the World Cup finals, after Togo showed a dismal performance and failed to advance to the tournament stage in 2006 African Cup of Nations in Egypt.

However, Pfister did not last beyond a controversial World Cup campaign that nearly resulted in a player's strike over pay and Togo remained without a manager until February 2007 when they re-engaged Keshi in time for a friendly against Cameroon.

He worked as manager of the Mali national football team, after being appointed in April 2008 on a two-year deal. He also qualified nigeria to tha afcon 2013 in a whitewashing over liberia the match ended 6-1 Keshi was sacked in January 2010, after Mali's early exit in the group stages of the Africa Cup of Nations. On 2 November 2011 he was named the new coach of the Nigerian National Team.

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