Biafra at last

THE

ADVOCATE ...for Equity and Justice

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Vol. 1 No. 8, Monday, October 22– Sunday, October 28, 2012

N150

Rot in ESUT exposed  3 illiterate graduates caught

Boko Haram threatens Nigeria’s unity – Bishop Nkwoagu  Page 34

Biafra at last

New Biafra to emerge Nov. 5, says Onwuka US, Israel, World Powers set to back it Parallel govt under way We 'll fight if Nigeria resists

   

BY TED PETERS & LARRY ONWUTA

F

orty-five years after the declaration of Biafra Republic led to a three-year-old war during which the people of the then Eastern Region fought to defend their territory, a fresh declaration believed to have the support of some foreign super powers is ripe for November 5.

However, while the declaration of the defunct Biafra by the late Ikemba Nnewi and leader, Dim Chukwuemeka

Bar. Onwuka

Continues on page 6

FG's N17.6B flood relief fund won't meet needs of victims – Ex-lawmaker

Biafra agitators on rampage

300 Nigerians deported secretly from Botswana

 Page 4

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Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

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Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

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300 Nigerians deported secretly from he came to office issuance schools and other institution Botswana ofsinceresident and working permit to sponsoring some citizen in school The

By Ted Peters & Ekene Ezekwe

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Name: Maureen Cyril Date of birth: March 20, 1989 Hobbies: listening to music, watching movies and swimming Likes: honesty and daring people Dislikes: dishonesty and lies E-mail: sweetest_me4j.hova@yahoo.com

o fewer than 300 Nigerians living in the Republic of Botswana have been deported to Nigeria by Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama administration in the past few months after the authorities refused to renew their permits.

The deportees most of who had lived and worked in the Southern African country said since the assumption of General Khama, whose mother was of British origin and his father a Motswana, Nigerians in that country had been subjected to dehumanizing conditions and racial abuse even when, according to them, they had been law-abiding and of good behavior.

They alleged that the target of the Khama government had been how to get rid of innocent Nigerians pursuing a just course or doing genuine businesses in the country, adding that all their efforts to make the authorities understand that they were peaceloving and not interested in criminal activities fell on deaf ears as they were only interested in sending them out without any reason.

Speaking with The Advocate on the ordeals of Nigerians in the hands of the Botswana officials, Mr. Kingsley Ndubuisi from Anambra State, who returned to the country without his belongings in September, this year, said all Nigerians whose permits expired were forcefully deported leaving their property, wives and children behind.

According to him, it seems to be a deliberate policy by the Khama government to weed out all Nigeria nationals from Botswana as all appeals made to the authorities for due consideration of their plights were turned down, revealing that many Nigerians were being detained and deported secretly back to Nigeria on daily basis without the Nigerian authorities knowing about their ordeals.

He said: “Nigerians who live in Botswana are seen as the most well-behaved and law-abiding compared to other countries of the world. No single Nigerian has been caught in drugs or any narcotic related offences neither has there been any Nigerian found in any criminal offence or being jailed for any offence of any type in that country.

“But there has been so much hatred shown to Nigerians resident in Botswana. Since the Khama administration came in with the new Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, whose ancestral origin is traced to Zimbabwe, he seems to have been commissioned to get rid of Nigerians by all means. Ever

Nigerians was suspended.

“Anyone who attempts to ascertain the reason for stoppage of the permit would be declared a Prohibited Immigrant (PI) and thereafter deported not minding whether the person has any property, children or married to a citizen of the country. The longer you stay in the country the more danger you will face; if you apply for permit it would be turned down and the reason for the denial would not be disclosed.

“In other countries of the world including South Africa and Namibia being the closest, when you marry a citizen within five year you are given permanent residency or citizenship, if you want, but in the case of Botswana you may be asked to leave the country with your wife.

“In one recent case, a Nigerian got married to Botswana citizen and the authorities arrested and detained him in prison for two weeks for the offence of marriage. When the parent of his wife (in-laws) came to question the Immigration Office as to why their son in-law was detained, they were told to name what they want so that the Immigration can cancel the permit earlier granted the Nigerian citizen to enable them deport him.

“When his in-laws refused, after seven days, the said Nigerian was invited by Immigration and before he could get hold of his wife, he was locked up in an underground prison and nobody was allowed to see him until he was deported to Nigeria and stamped PI (Prohibited Immigrant).

Continuing, Ndubuisi said that about 23 Nigerian businessmen including himself had their permits cancelled and were given 30 days to leave the country even when they were genuine investors with good investments in many areas of affordable and cheap cars, tourism, lodges, tailoring companies among others.

“When such a parade is being carried out by Botswana, they don't care whether you have a permit or not, once you are a Nigerian you would be wiped out in line with the orders from above. Even when you appeal the decision it would be turned down. Some of the people whose permits were cancelled lately had been involved in the development of the country having employed not less than seven citizens of the country, married to local citizens and having children who are schooling and are Botswana.

“The wives of some of the affected deportees are pregnant while some had new babies less than five days old born through operations. In a case of one young man who had valid trading licence and paying tax and Value Added Tax, making donations to

etc, he had had some contract loans with the banks and other financial institutions and when he was deported without paying the loan, they listed the Nigerian in the credit Bureau in a bid to further tarnish the image of Nigerians,” he narrated.

Ndubuisi further stated that when President Goodluck Jonathan visited the country sometime ago, the Botswana leader deceived him into believing that he was at peace with Nigerians and that he hardly differentiate Nigerians from Batswana, adding that Khama described Nigerians as hardworking and patriotic.

“We were surprised and pained that the Nigerian Embassy in Botswana refused to tell the president what Nigerians are going through in that country,” he said, lamenting that the dehumanized Nigerians were usually prevented by the embassy staff from raising alarm about their plights even when they were facing serious difficulties.

“Even when many of us had our permits cancelled and were under threat of deportation, the Nigerian Embassy officials warned that nobody should tell President Jonathan that our permits had been cancelled and we were asked to leave the country in two weeks. The next day, after the president left five Nigerians were stamped PI. It took the courage of another Nigerian who braved up and told the President what was happening there.

“When the Botswana authorities discovered that he was the one that told the president the true situation of things, they went after him and cancelled his permit. They asked him to leave the country,” he added.

Ndubuisi, who appealed to the Nigerian government to urgently intervene and save Nigerians still in the country from further maltreatment, said that Nigeria's Embassy in Botswana “is not functional and you cannot get any assistance from the officials.”

“Nigerians are going through a lot of difficulties in Botswana.

Those who seek to get Botswana visa are usually asked what they want from their country while Nigerian Embassy gives visa to Batswanas who wish to visit Nigeria on weekly basis. At least 200 Batswana visit T. B. Joshua weekly. This a matter that requires urgent attention of Nigerian government and the earlier our government intervenes the better because many Nigerians are passing through harrowing experiences in that country,” Ndubuisi stated.

Efforts to speak with the Botswana consulate at Abuja on the issue proved abortive as officials of the embassy declined comments.

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Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

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NEWS

APGA crisis: NJC queries Enugu Chief Judge Ted Peters, Enugu

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he National Judicial Council (NJC) has queried the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Innocent Umezulike over his conduct in suit no E/270/2012 between Ichie Jude Okuli and the National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh.

Justice Umezulike was given one month to respond to the query, dated October 4th 2012 and personally signed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Chairman of NJC, Aloma Mariam Muktar (GCON).

It reads: “I forward herewith a petition dated 21st September 2012 by one Chief Sir Victor Umeh, KSJ, JP, APGA National Chairman, on the above subject matter. The petition is self explanatory. I shall be glad to have your comments within one month from the date of receipt of this letter, please.”

The query issued to the Chief Judge by the NJC was prompted by a petition lodged to the council by Umeh, the only defendant in the suit, complaining about the gross abuse of due process of the law by the Chief Judge.

The APGA boss alleged that Justice Umezulike erred in his handling of the case, especially by refusing to rule on the preliminary objection which he brought before the court, and was duly argued by both counsels.

Umeh informed the NJC that

the Chief Judge extended the life span of the ex-parte order he made against him on July 25, 2012 by extra 48 days against the High Court Rule of Enugu State that says an exparte order cannot last beyond 14 days. He explained that by the action of the Chief Judge, the ex-parte order which ought not to last more than 14 days was extended to 55 days without any request by any of the parties in the matter.

Part of his petition reads:"By 31st July 2012, the CJ took full arguments on notice of preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case.

The CJ adjourned the matter to 17th September 2012 for a rendition of the considered ruling of the court on the notice of preliminary objection "In adjourning the matter, the CJ stated that 'if this court accedes to the contentions of the defendants/ applicants on any of the above issues, this suit shall legitimately come to an end ...In the event, I shall adjourn the case for a considered ruling on the merits. In the circumstances, the interim order of this court shall endure against the parties and against the convention of any APGA Executive Committee Meetings as stated under the order until the court's rendition of a ruling which I now fixed for the 20th day of September, 2012," Umeh said.

He, however, regretted that on the 17th September when the ruling ought to have been

delivered by the Chief Judge, to the amazement of the people who gathered in court, the Chief Judge declared that he has remanded his ruling and would instead hear the main suit and deliver judgment on the

legitimately terminated the suit, being grossly incompetent as APGA was not made a party.

The APGA Chairman noted that in his letter of 19th September 2012 to the Chief Judge, he requested for the

Victor Umeh preliminary objection and the main suit together.

The direction taken by the court, Umeh said, has exposed the Chief Judge as being desperate to get into the main matter and deliver judgement against him, knowing that the notice of preliminary objection was strong enough to have

Transfer/Re-assignment of the case to another judge", and informed the Chief Judge that he no longer has confidence in obtaining justice in his court, being reasonably satisfied that he is biased, compromised and was intent on causing mischief for their dear party, APGA. He regretted that since 25

July 2012 till date, activities in their party had been halted because of the exparte order, which had paralyzed the entire party apparatus and therefore urged the NJC Chairman to urgently intervene by calling Justice Innocent Umezuruike to order, and ensure that the due process is followed.

"In this era of Rule of Law, as an ardent believer in the ideals of democracy, I have no doubt that judicial impartiality is an important hallmark of due administration of justice . I will be grateful if the Chief Judge of Enugu State is made to understand that every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to justice and fair hearing” the APGA boss stated.

Meanwhile Umeh has appealed against the interlocutory injunction granted last Monday by Justice Umezulike restraining him from acting as the National Chairman of APGA, pending the determination of the substantive suit before the Court. Umeh also filed a motion before the Court of Appeal, asking for a stay of execution of the injunction granted by the Enugu State High Court. handling of the case, especially by refusing to rule on the preliminary objection which he brought before the court, and was duly argued by both counsels.

Umeh informed the NJC that the Chief Judge extended the life span of the ex-parte order he an exparte order cannot last beyond 14 days. He explained that by the action of the Chief Judge, the exparte order which ought not to last more than 14 days was extended to 55 days without any request by any of the parties in the matter.

FLOOD: Delta to Constitute Committee Igbo-Etiti LG Council bans farming along major highways to Manage FGs N500million Fund

By Vincent Anikwushe, Asaba

G

overnor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has said that the state government would constitute a committee to manage the N500Million Federal Government's fund aimed at ameliorating the sufferings of floodvictims in the state.

Dr. Uduaghan disclosed this during interactive session with journalists in Asaba, stating that the committee which will be chaired by Justice Francis Tabai (Rtd.) was to ensure effective, e ff i c i e n t a n d t r a n s p a r e n t management of the fund. He also noted that the state government was also shopping for other

credible people that will work with the chairman.

The Governor, who stated that the money was yet to be received by the state government as at the time of the interactive session, thanked the Federal Government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) and well-meaning Nigerians for their benevolence and magnanimity through their various donations of food items and others in alleviating the sufferings of the 42,271 flood victims in 18 camps across the state.

He listed the Local Government Areas affected by the devastating flood to include Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Oshimili South, O s h i m i l i N o r t h , Aniocha South, Ughelli South,

Ughelli North, Isoko South, Isoko North, Patani, Burutu, saying that officially Seven people lost their lives to the flood.

Uduaghan maintained that the state government was working round the clock to ensure adequate care of the displaced persons in the camps.

He solicited for more support from public-spirited individuals, describing the flood as monumental and of high magnitude.

The governor enjoined the displaced persons at the camps to remain peaceful; assuring that the state government was committed to assisting them to return to their homes when the flood had finally receded.

By Our Reporter

T

he Igbo- Etiti Local Government Area of the State has enacted a bylaw prohibiting all forms of farming activities along the major highways in the area.

The Leader of the council, Mr Titus Ali, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with The Advocate in Enugu also warned farmers in the area to keep five metres distance from major roads in the area.

Ali said that the activities of farmers were responsible for pot- holes, erosion and flooding of the highways.

“The importance of these laws can never be over emphasized owing to the fact that the activity of subsistence agriculture in the local government area is

unbearable.

“This law is timely especially at this time that the whole nation is fighting against ecological problems due to numerous erosion sites and floods across the nation.'’

Ali said that the council had enacted another by- law, banning market operations beyond 6 p.m. on market days in the area.

He said that the law was timely and it came at a time when there were serious security challenges in the area.

“What the law intends to achieve is to check the activities of hoodlums who have taken the advantage of some markets operating in the night to perpetrate crimes and attack many innocent citizens going about their normal businesses.”

THE

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Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

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NEWS

Biafra at last

Continues from front page

Odumegwu-Ojukwu led to a bloody war, the new declaration, which is said to have received blessings from far and near mostly because of the continued killing of Igbo's in the North, is planned to be a peaceful process that will commence next month.

The Biafra Zionist Movement, BZM, the group championing the struggle for the actualization of the new Sovereign State of Biafra said there is no going back on its decision to re-declare Biafra on November 5, 2012.

Leader of the group, Mr. Ben Onwuka, who recently took the Biafra struggle to United Nations, UN, and the African Union, AU, for recognition, told The Advocate that plans had been concluded for the successful take off of the new Republic.

Onwuka had in an application dated August 6, 2012, reference: BZM/OS/Rep of Biafra and addressed to the UN Security Council through the Secretary General, Dr. Ban Ki Moon, sounded very optimistic that what he had done so far would lead to the actualization of his dream Republic. He asked the world body to grant Biafra an Observer Status The application read: “We the people of the Republic of Biafra do hereby humbly submit our Application for Membership of the United Nations as an observer member.

Our application is based on the following two grounds / factors namely: “It is now abundantly clear that the security of life and property of the Biafran people are no longer guaranteed in the entity called Nigeria.

“Therefore, the People of Biafra have resolved that on 5th November 2012, we shall be redeclaring our independence and opt out of Nigeria in order that we the Biafran people can protect and guarantee the life and property of our citizens as required by International Law. “It is now also very clear that the right of the Biafran people to peacefully practice their religion and freedom of association under the United Nations Charter of Freedom of Association, is no longer safe and guaranteed in the entity called Nigeria. Therefore the people of Biafra have resolved to opt out of Nigeria on 5th November 2012, in order to guarantee and protect the Biafran people's right to practice their religion without being killed or bombed.

“Your Excellencies, it is on the above grounds/ factors that

the Biafran people seek to regain their freedom and Independence from Nigeria on 5th November 2012.

“On behalf of the Biafran people, we thank you in advance for the consideration of our application and we look forward to hearing from you.”

Onwuka was optimistic that with the application, the Biafra Republic would receive the recognition it had lacked since the Republic was declared in May, 1967. According to him, the UN would henceforth have the mandate and power to intervene, investigate and issue arrest warrant against anyone who uses violence or force to kill Biafrans in their quest for

self determination as guaranteed under the UN. He further claimed that with the development, it is against international law for Nigerian state through the president, governors, security operatives to use force to kill any Biafran either as an individual or as a group as the offender could face the UN tribunal on war crimes based at the Hague, The Netherlands.

The BZM leader said he had no doubt whatsoever that UN would send observers to the Biafra re-declaration of independence on November 5, 2012, adding that another application had been made for Biafra to be accorded the same observer status at the African Union, AU, through its secretariat at Addis Ababa.

world, wait for it Biafra shall get them. No man again shall commit genocide again against us.

“I have read the Army Chief of Staff threatening that hell will be let loose on November 5th 2012, but I can assure him and his supporters that no amount of threat will derail or undermine the determination of the Biafra people to chart a new course in our lives.

“Our hope and future depends on the Biafra people.

We are also using this medium to appeal to all Biafrans to join us to see that the Independence of Biafra is achieved and together we shall be free.”

See Onwuka's exclusive interview with The Advocate at Page 18&19

According to him, the United States, Israel and other world powers would give their support to the new Biafra, disclosing that discussions had been held between Biafra and leaders of some powerful nations to give the dream Republic the necessary backing before and after its formal declaration.

He said: “We are aware of plans by the Nigerian government to stop the emergence of Biafra. The independence of Biafra is a must and a quest that shall be met sooner than later. I want Biafran people to be free and to use our God given power to enhance the economic prosperity of our people and no way shall Biafrans fear again.

To get the best weapon in the

FG sets board to checkmate ills in NDDC – Okhuarobo T

By Amadi Gilbert

he Hon. Commissioner representing Edo State in the Niger Delta Development commission (NDDC) said that, the recent Board was set up as a correctional board by the Federal Government in order to correct all the ills that happened in the past.

Addressing Journalists in Port Harcourt recently, Hon. Henry Okhuarobo said that they were inaugurated to conclude the tenure of the former board, saying in such situation the speed of development will be gradually and may not be as fast as people might expected.

Hon. Okhuaroba who also disclosed that, the board is no

more business as it was before, saying that they are out for constant and regular supervision in order to monitor ongoing project embarked upon by the board.

Responding on the minority position of the Edo State, he said that, the position as a minor oil producing will certainly affect development but be it as it may, the little project for Edo people in terms of road construction, water, and electricity must be carried out for the people to see and feel.

He also disclosed that, they are planning to collaborate with the government of Edo State in order to foster development in the State.

On the 52 years independence anniversary of

the Nation, Nigeria, Hon. Henry Okhuorobo said that, it worths celebrating in every sense irrespective of the security challenges which he said has b e c o m e m i l d .

He said that, the prospect of the country looks very bright, adding that if Nigeria cannot boost of any thing should see unity as the greatest achievement so far.

Hon. Okhuaroba advised Nigerians not to despair as the country is on her way to development, citing America, China and other developed country as example of Nation that had pass different stages of problems before they come to regarded as a developed country, that Nigeria would triumphs over it.

Hon. Henry Okhuarobo, Edo State NDDC Representative

Govs raise committees to tackle Nigerian Problems

By Yochuku Ofoka Yobolisa, Abuja

W

orried over the worsening state of affairs in the country, governors of the thirty-six states of the federation, yesterday, split into management committees to plan effective ways to arrest the situation.

Topmost on the agenda was the much-talked-about 1999 constitution review.

Acting under the aegis of Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF), the state chief executives pondered over such far-reaching national issues as the constitution review, extent of executive compliance to good governance values, escalating insecurity in the land

and, also the country's despicable environmental space, especially, as it pertains to flooding. The governors also agreed to vigorously pursue integrated approaches poliomyelitis designed to stamp out the virus from the country by 2013 as against the initial 2015 deadline.

The meeting, which was the eleventh meeting of the state governors, had in attendance members of the senate committee on 1999 constitution review led by its chairman and deputy senate president, senator Ike Ekweremadu.

According to a communiqué issued at the end of the fourhour exploratory meeting the Forum constituted a 7-member committee comprising

Governors of Rivers, Jigawa, Bauchi, Lagos, Niger, Anambra and Akwa Ibom states to take active part in the constitution review process. Led by Gov Amaechi of Rivers State, the NGF's constitution review committee is expected to make executive inputs to the parliamentary processes and report back to the Forum at intervals.

At the meeting the governors' body also erected three other specialized committees to look into the extent of good governance and democracy dividends in the country, the ongoing security challenges and the environmental flooding.

The resolution which was signed by Amaechi, the NGF

boss reads in parts, “Forum also constituted a committee on good governance and peer review comprising Governors of Kano, Sokoto, Kwara, Adamawa, Delta, Rivers, Cross River, Enugu, Zamfara and Osun states.

“There is also a 6-man committee on security. Made up of Governors of Benue, Edo, Kaduna, Ekiti, Borno and Abia with Governor Suswan as chairman, the committee is expected to organize a robust conference in internal security.

There is another 7-member committee on environment.

Comprising Oyo, Plateau, Bayelsa, Kebbi, Yobe, Kogi and Imo, the committee is to look at the issue of flooding.

“On Polio, the Forum is also committed to pursuing integrated interventions to eradicating decease by December 2013 instead of the initial 2015 deadline”.

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Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

7

NEWS

By Yochuku Ofoka Yobolisa, Abuja

M

inister of the Interior, Comrade Patrick Abba Moro has appealed to all and sundry Nigerians to rise up in condemnation of Boko Haram, pointing out that never in the history of the nation has a small group of persons foisted their depraved values on whole citizen of the country without recourse to the diversity and ways of life.

The minister, however, reiterated the need for prominent Nigerians and all stakeholders in the Nigerian project to march forward and show their resentment against the havoc done by members of the Islamic sect on the Nigerian

Moro urges Nigerians to rise against Boko Haram nation He said, “I charge all politicians, college instructors, student unions, civil society groups, members of the faith community, the traditional stools, and professional bodies such as ASUU, NBA, NUJ, NMA and so forth to show their condemnation and resentment of the evil of Boko Harm”.

“We should all be bold enough to come out and say enough is enough to the mindless killings of innocent Nigerians occurring almost on daily basis by members of the sect. We should all condemn in its entirety the processes and procedures adopted by the sect

at unleashing violence and mayhem on Nigerians”.

The frontline minister described the Boko Haram insurrections of the authorities as totally unacceptable adding, that no responsible government would fold its arms and watch members of its citizens being mauled and made miserable by the evil sect.

While condoling with the families of Nigerians massacred within the week in Kano,

Kaduna, Borno, Yobe and Plateau, Moro said, “If we are true to ourselves, there is no state in Nigeria which has a hundred per cent composition of denizens of any one religious, political or social affiliation.

Therefore, to foster intolerance and to ask any government at any level to endorse such intolerance defies common sense.

“So, let us collectively condemn the insurgencies of Boko Haram in order that we

might be able to bring this state of lawlessness to an end, as well as join hands with the current administration towards finding a lasting solution to the challenges posed by the Boko Haram.

Show some level of faith in God over the problem, Moro charged all Nigerians to be prayerful and be ready to provide useful information that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators and their sponsors.

Hard time awaits illegal bunkers – Commander

By Amadi Gilbert, Port Harcourt

T

he Nigeria Navy ship pathfinder Port Harcourt has warned all the illegal bunkering to stay clear or face prosecution.

Addressing Journalist in Port Harcourt, the commander, commodore Vinci Fadeyi said that, initially the Navy were destroying all illegal Refineries which was not enough, adding that, this time, they have change to arresting any victim and hand them over to police or EFCC for prosecution and interrogation.

He maintained that, with the

speed the Navy are using, illegal bunkering will be drastically reduced. According to Mr. Fadeyi, stated that, the Navy has seized huge number of Vessels from illegal bunkers and are still ready to arrest victims.

Explaining further on this developmental stride like erecting new structures and offices for the sector and centres around all the premises and operation's room, Fadeyi said that, the federal Government of Nigeria with supports from the Rivers State Government were brains behind those infrastructure Fadeyi unveiled the plans of Rivers State Government under

the leadership of Rt. Hon.Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to showcase new vehicles for the Navy and other paramilitary forces to checkmate crimes within all the boundaries of the state because it has been observed that some of the Kidnapping in the state were done by people outside the state, appealing to people to always provide information to security agencies so as to help him curb the menace in the state.

He therefore said that, with the plans on the ground by Rivers State Government in the “Ember Months” people would sleep with their two eyes closed.

President Jonathan

Senator Okowa empowers constituents

BY Vincent Anikwushe, Asaba

T

he Senator representing Delta North at the National Assembly, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has empowered his constituents with money, cars, tricycles and other items in appreciation of their support.

Senator Okowa during his empowerment programme held at Asaba, Delta State, gave out nine Toyota Camry cars, 20 tricycles and 20 wheel chairs to physically challenged persons.

Te n ( 1 0 ) p h y s i c a l l y challenged students in Institutions of Higher Learning also received N50, 000 each while 270 students smiled home with N25, 000 each as educational assistance.

One hundred and one (101) persons the senator trained in various vocational skills acquisition such as hair

dressing, barbing, fashion d e s i g n i n g , baking/confectioneries were given starter packs such as sewing machines, generators, dryers, baking equipment, clippers, mirrors, barbers chairs among others to start their businesses.

In his address at the occasion attended by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, the State PDP Chairman, Barrister Peter Nwaoboshi, representatives of the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President and other dignitaries, Okowa posited that the empowerment programme was designed to reach out to the less privileged and the physically challenged for their hard work and support.

He commended Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, Barrister Peter Nwaoboshi, the speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Ochei amongst others for their

support, even as he reassured the people that the mandate given to him will not be abused or derogated.

In his remarks, Governor

Emmanuel Uduaghan commended Senator Okowa for empowering the people, saying that his gesture has reduced the burden on the state government.

On his part, the state PDP Chairman, Barrister Peter

Nwaoboshi while saying that Okowa's empowerment programme was unprecedented and first of its kind, challenged elected and appointed political office holders on the welfare of the down trodden in our society.

Delta Assembly approves N20billion for Capital Projects

BY Vincent Anikwushe, Asaba

D

elta State House of Assembly has approved N20billion loan to fund government projects and programmes.

A letter to the State Assembly from Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan read by the Speaker, Hon. Victor Ochei on the floor of the House during plenary was adopted by the members of state assembly following a motion moved by the majority leader, Hon.

Monday Igbuya and seconded by the minority leader, Hon. Julius Okpoko.

“In accordance with the State fiscal responsibility law, I wish to request the state House of Assembly for the consideration and approval of the loan”.

Moving the motion, Hon. Igbuya said the State was passing through hard times and needed fund to address current flood disaster which has ravaged several communities in the state.

The loan facility is to be offered

by Zenith Bank (N10billion) while First Bank will also provide N10billion.

Gov Uduaghan

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Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

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NEWS

 As NYSC axes 3 illiterate graduates  We're investigating the matter – ESUT

T

he recent sanction of three “graduates” of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, mobilized to participate in the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has once more exposed the rot in the institution which became a source of concern to stakeholders in the past years.

Three graduates of ESUT mobilised to participate in the NYSC scheme shamefully displayed lack of competence and intelligence level expected of genuine degree holders and the shocking discovery is now raising dusts among members of the university community and officials of Enugu State Government.

Also, in education circles, questions are being asked over the competence of the stateowned university and indeed other institutions of learning.

But the management of ESUT said through its Director of Public Relations, Mr. Ossy Ugwuoti, that it had consistently complied with the guidelines set by the National Universities Commission, NUC for universities but vowed that it would investigate the ugly development with a view to fishing out those responsible for the shameful act.

According to the NYSC, the three corps members are: Nwankwo Elias Chukwuebuka, a graduate of BSc Electrical/Electronics, with code number NG/11B/1660 and a NYSC call-up number NYSC/EST/2011/1777093; Mbah Linda Akunna, a graduate of BSc Electricals/Electronics with code number LA/11B/5245, a call-up number EST/2011/178882 and matriculation number ESUT/2005/96998, and Okochi Adaeze Kate, a graduate of Geography/Meteorology, with code number AD/12B/0389, c a l l - u p n u m b e r EST/2012/148292 and matriculation number ESUT/2006/10400.

Reports said the three “graduates,” who are serving in Niger, Lagos and Adamawa states respectively, were rejected, with formal letters sent to the state coordinators by their areas of primary assignment and forwarded to the NYSC headquarters in Abuja.

The national headquarters, in a letter dated August 29, 2012 and signed by the Director General of NYSC, N.T. OkoreAffia, had informed the NUC of the presence of corps members who displayed “glaring lack of academic ability and

intelligence level expected of genuine Nigerian graduates, which were consistently exhibited by the three students from the Enugu State University of Science and technology.”

Okore-Affia, who annexed copies of letters from NYSC secretariats in Niger, Adamawa and Lagos, Okore-Affia noted: “As contained in the reports, the corps members exhibited signs of incompetence and low intelligence level which range from inability to complete registration formats correctly to not being able to teach pupils at nursery school level. These inadequacies led to their rejections by their employers in their various states of deployment.”

The NUC was said to have expressed serious concern over the discovery and went ahead to set up a committee to “verify the integrity of the degrees,” and find out if there was collaboration by the university.

Federal education authorities are suspecting a wide-ranging scam that might have been going on for years in the institution.

To unravel how the three corps members were mobilised, it was learnt that the NUC has already set up a panel, comprising officials of NYSC, Joint Admissions and

Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the State Security Service (SSS).

The mandate of the panel, according to a letter dated September 24, 2012 signed by NUC Director of Quality Assurance, Professor C.F. Mafiana, “is to fully investigate the report with a view to identifying the culprits, including others similarly mobilised and their collaborators, and ensuring sanctions accordingly. The team would be chaired by a visiting professor in the NUC.” As gathered, out of the three corps members, Okochi could hardly write the Roman figures from one to 10 in words, just as she could not write three states and their capitals. She could not provide the names of two major rivers in Nigeria, just as she failed to name three countries that share border with Nigeria.

Akunna, according to the documents, was rejected by Kings College, Lagos, after it was discovered that she was grossly incompetent to perform her duties while a further test she was subjected to by the Lagos state NYSC secretariat revealed that though a graduate of Electricals/Electronics, she never passed any of the science subjects at the secondary school

level.

T h e t h i r d f e l l o w, Chukwuebuka, who was posted to Niger state, was rejected by a nursery/primary school known as FEMA Schools because of his inability to read and write.

Having been rejected by two employers, he had to be reposted

by Niger state NYSC to a bakery, pending the final determination of his case by the NYSC national headquarters.

When queried on his incompetence, Chukwuebuka proved his incompetence when he responded in writing: “I awarded a degree in Enugu State University of Science and Technology I have a probeam in my university am manegn my siefe to funsh my school.”

The ESUT image maker, Mr. Ugwuoti, who confirmed that the discovery had been formally communicated to the university by the regulatory agency, said that the management has already commenced investigations into the matter.

He also confirmed that the three “graduates” actually came from ESUT. “NUC has written ESUT and we have already set up an internal committee to investigate the matter including looking into the

Continues on page 33

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Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

9

EDITORIAL

T

Flood relief fund disbursement

HE N17.6 billion released by the Federal Government was meant to give flood victims across the country the desired relief. The news came as a relief to many of the victims who have lost both their homes, household property, farmlands and other sources of livelihood.

It was expected that the interim fund, if judiciously utilized, would ameliorate the sufferings which the citizens have been subjected to by the unprecedented flooding. President Goodluck Jonathan was hailed for the quick intervention.

It is kudos to the president that for the first time, a sitting chief executive of Nigeria, not only made plans for relief materials to the victims but visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) at the various camps set up for them. It showed that he has compassionate attitude for the citizens he leads.

But what has become worrisome are reports from some of the camps that two weeks after the fund was released, nothing meaningful has been done for the

victims by various states and agencies that were mandated to provide succor.

Particularly disturbing are reports that some state governments have not deemed it necessary to reach out to the victims in the IDP camps while funds disbursed to them are yet to be utilized.

Also, members of the national committee set up by the Federal Government to mitigate the negative impact of the flood as well as other relief agencies mobilized to handle the victims of the natural disaster are yet to reach some victims two weeks after receiving the funds.

Mixed reactions had trailed the channeling of the fund through the state governments. Some Nigerians have continued to express concern that the money allocated to states and some federal agencies may not be spent in meeting the needs of the flood victims going by past experiences. Bureaucracy and lack of accountability in governments could see the funds disappear.

Signals from the IDP camps indicate

that what the victims need most is financial assistance that would enable them rebuild their destroyed homes as well as financial aids that could assist them to quickly return to their normal businesses. In the case of farmers, they are eager to hear that the money is shared to them directly to prepare for next year's farming season having lost their crops to flood.

Knowing how transparent we are, no stone should be left unturned to see that the fund already released are judiciously utilized as it will amount to a crime against humanity to divert such fund. It is an ecological tragedy that has never been witnessed for the past forty years of Nigerian history, so every effort must be mobilized to alleviate the sufferings and the plights of those unfortunate Nigerians that faced this flood disaster.

Having doled out the relief fund, President Jonathan should go a step further to set up a monitoring team to ensure that the money does not develop wings.

OPINION LGA Underdevelopment and the need for Autonomy to fast-track development

O

ne of the greatest challenges facing almost if not all the 774 local government areas in Nigeria is the generally perceived, known and alleged illegal deduction of funds of council areas by state governors. The deduction which is easily and allegedly facilitated by the present constitutional joint account maintained by State governments and their local government council's counterparts is an ill wind that blows no good to the local government areas; given the retrogressive trend or rather the stagnation of the council areas in terms of development.

Truly, local government is the third tier system of the administrative structure in Nigeria aimed at not only bringing the presence of government nearer to rural dwellers but also to provide certain social amenities to the council areas as enshrined in the constitution. Today most LGA's are mere offshoots of the state government. This was why Allwell Okpi observed in his report that “Though local governments constitute the third tier of government as enshrined in the 1999

Constitution, they have largely operated as appendages of the state governments; some of them are governed by the caretaker committees appointed by the state governors”.

Many observers in some quarters have argued that the poor or lack of development in most local government area is due to the interference of the state government or the 2nd tier of government in the administration of local government councils whereby the state government starve most LGA of fund which ought to have been used for development projects. Because of the abysmal, sickening and c o n d e m n a b l e underdevelopment of local government areas, especially ones situated in rural areas, two houses of representative members not too long ago sponsored bills aimed at granting financial, political and economic autonomy among others to the 774 local government areas in Nigeria.

Hon. Uche Ekwunife sponsored the bill with the caption “an Act to amend Section 7,162, of the 1999 Constitution and provision of political and financial independence for local

government administration in the country. The second bill entitled 'a bill for an Act to Alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to ensure effective and efficient operations of the local government councils in Nigeria for social, economic and political development and for other matters connected”, which was sponsored by Mohammed Shamsidin Ango Abdulahi, tries to amend Section 7, 313 and Sections 162 among others in the 1999 Constitution (amended) and gives political and economic independence to the all the local councils in Nigeria.

As essential as these bills are, it is important to commend

those at the fore front for the sponsorship of the bills and its eventual passage into law will expunge the complaint of stranglehold which state government have over the joint account. It is the positive view of most analysts, commentators, observers etc.

That it is when this joint account is abolished by amending the 1999 constitution and by creating a separate account for the 774 government local for direct sourcing of fund without the interference of the state government, will the local government councils heave a great sigh of relief and begin in earnest to deliver on its statutory responsibility and duty which will invariably bring rapid development to the rural areas.

Anything contrary to this as being suggested in some quarters that a body should be created, perhaps at the state level to see to the direct disbursement of federal government allocation which accrues to the local government areas should be jettisoned, as this amounts to duplicity and waste of fund.

The House of Assembly and the House of Representatives should therefore ensure the passage of the bills into law without minding “whose ox is gored” as this will give the council bosses' freedom to use the federal government allocation amongst other funds available to them to impact positively on their various councils.

THE

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Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

NEWS

Crises consume Adamawa PDP EXCO, caretaker committee set up

T

HE crises that engulfed the Adamawa state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in recent times, Wednesday took a turn for the worse as the National Working Committee (NWC) rose from its meeting dissolving the incumbent state executive.

In place of the state executive led by Alhaji Mijinyawa Kugama, a nine-member caretaker committee headed by Ambassador Umar Damagun from Yobe state was swore-in to take charge of affairs of the state chapter of the party “pending further directives”.

This was the climax of months of disagreement within the party for which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had written the PDP national leadership four times, complaining about the undemocratic emergence of some state chapter executives of the party, which the party ignored until now.

However yesterday, after a meeting of the NWC, national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, informed journalists that the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur-led NWC have decided to dissolve the Adamawa state executive for alleged violation of the directives of the party's national leadership, among other allegations.

According to Metuh, “the National Working Committee hereby dissolves the Adamawa State Executive Committee of the PDP. This is in exercise of Article 31, section 2(e) and 29, 2 (b) of the 2012 amended constitution of our Party and consequent on repeated breaches of the constitution by the Adamawa State Chapter. A Caretaker Committee has been set up in its

place.”

Justifying the action, he stated that Article 31(2) (e) specifically empowers the NWC to “where necessary, dissolve a state executive committee and appoint a caretaker committee to run the party until another executive committee is elected, provided that the period from the dissolution to the election of the new Executive shall not exceed three months”.

He said that the Kugama-led executive “had flagrantly disregarded and shown serial disobedience to the decisions of the NWC”.

He stressed that “the dissolved Executive was expressly advised by the NWC to halt further steps towards the conduct of local government elections as agreed at a meeting of 9th October, 2012 between the NWC and the Adamawa State Working Committee.

“However, the EXCO did not only go ahead with the process, it submitted a list of candidates to the State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) without the approval of the NWC. "This is contrary to the provisions of section 50(1) of the constitution of the party which among others states emphatically that the NWC acts on behalf of it in this respect, is the final authority for the formulation of guidelines and regulations for the nomination of Candidates for election into public offices at all levels and conveying same to INEC or any other authority to whom it may concern.

"The NWC also referred to complaints and petitions from principal stakeholders of the party in Adamawa state on various unconstitutional acts of the

Paint bombs hit Nigerian embassy in Germany

T

he Nigerian Embassy in Berlin was attacked with paint bombs on Wednesday night by unknown persons.

The police said Thursday that unknown attackers threw glass bottles filled with a thick and sticky liquid at the front of the building in Neue Jakobstraße.

Police spokesman said the investigation of the incident was being handled by state security authorities, adding that political motive may not be ruled out in the attack.

The police said security workers noticed the damage to the building on Thursday morning.

On Monday, 120 activists, members of the “Refugee Protest March in Berlin campaign” gathered in front of the Nigerian Embassy to demonstrate against the practice of deporting asylum seekers from Germany.

According to the police, 14 of the activists illegally entered to the embassy, in order to “occupy’’ it as part of the protest march.

Those who entered the premises, he explained, were later ejected by security officials while 25 of the protesters were temporarily detained and later released.

The demonstrators reportedly accused the embassy workers of “working closely with the German state to ensure that the processing of the largest number of deportations from Africa came from Nigeria’’.

The Police spokesman emphasised that his agency would, however, investigate if there was a connection between the attempted occupation of the embassy on Monday and the recent paint attack on Wednesday night to the early hours of Thursday.

Bamanga Tukur, PDP National Chairman dissolved state EXCO, especially the principle of zoning as enshrined in Article 7(3) (e) of the party constitution as well as several letters from INEC complaining of non compliance with relevant laws in the conduct of the Adamawa State Congresses.

"The NWC noted that all entreaties to get the Adamawa State Working Committee to rescind and or reverse these constitutional breaches proved abortive, hence its decision”.

Members of the caretaker committee who would work with Ambassador Damagun are: Mr. Eli Gamaliel, Adamawa South; Barrister Dahiru Shehu, Adamawa South; Alhaji Sabo Mohammed, Adamawa Central;

By Our Reporter

T

he police in Bayelsa State have arrested a middle aged man, identified as Ben Ariwelo for allegedly defiling an 8 year old girl.

The suspect was arrested after the the incident which occurred last week at the riverside town of Otuoke in Ogbia local government area.

The Advocate learnt that the under-aged girl described as an imbecile was lured to a public toilet where the suspect had canal knowledge of her.

"A neighbour who noticed the unusual movement around the public convenience reportedly raised an alarm which attracted other natives to the scene," a source said.

The man was caught pant down by members of the community who immediately handed him over to the police.

The state police commissioner, Mr. Kingsley Omire, who confirmed the incident, said that the suspect would be charged to court.

Mrs. Grace Mamba, Adamawa Central, Capt. (Mrs) Altine Inuwa, Adamawa North; Mr. Samuel Zadok, Adamawa South; Alhaji. Adamu Wazirin Paka, Adamawa North and Hon. E m m a n u e l Ts a m d u , f r o m Adamawa North, who would serve as its Secretary.

It should be recalled that the crises in the state had earlier swept the rug off the feet of its National Vice Chairman, North East, Alhaji Girigiri Lawal.

The party chieftain was accused by the NWC of breaching Articles 51(1) (b) (c) (h) of the PDP constitution in that he allegedly sided the dissolved executive of the party in organizing congresses in the state despite the directive of the NWC

not to do so.

Alhaji Girigiri Lawal, according to the party, was suspended for a period of one month with effect from October 12, and also had his matter referred to the National Disciplinary Committee of PDP for further action.

But, what becomes of PDP in producing acceptable candidate in the forthcoming Adamawa State Local Government election is unknownwith the current scenario, though Metuh stated that it will not negatively affect the party.

On October 8, a group which styled itself “Elders and Leaders” of the Adamawa PDP led by pioneer National Vice Chairman (North-East), Senator Paul Wampana, Chief Medan Teneke and pioneer state chairman, Chief Joel Madaki had asked for the sacking of the present executive and setting up of a caretaker committee.

In the group were the former governor of Adamawa state, Chief Wilberforce Juta; former Military governor of Plateau State, Commodore Dan Suleiman (rtd); immediate past National Vice Chairman, PDP North-East, ex- Military governor of Plateau State, General Aliyu Kama; former Commander, FRSC, General Tony Hannaiya; former Minister, Idi Hong; Senator Grace Jackson Bent; former NTA r e p o r t e r, H o n . M a c a u l a y Hunohashi; former governorship aspirant, Dr. Umar Ardo; Chief John Elias, former SSG, Adamawa State, among others.

Some of them were also cited at the PDP secretariat shortly before the announcement was made public.

Police arrest man for defiling 8 year old girl in Bayelsa

Abubakar, IGP

THE

ADVOCATE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

11

ADVERTORIAL NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF IGBO YOUTHS Tel:08033109920,08057162683, 08122038719

Enugu Office 32 Owerri Road, Asata, Enugu

APGA – OBI – UMEH TIME TO TELL THE HOME TRUTH The attention of the National Association of Igbo Youths has been drawn to the brewing controversy and crises in the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA. In the said crises, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State is pitted against the National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh. Incidentally, the two actors are from the same Anambra State and proselytes of the late Igbo Leader and National Leader of APGA, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

The Association is particularly interested in the festering crises and upheaval in APGA because of the party's unique and special position as the true and authentic Igbo party in the present political and democratic dispensation in Nigeria. APGA had been nursed and nurtured by the foremost Igbo Spokesperson, Leader and Icon, Chief Ojukwu and the party controls the two most important and critical states in the Igbo-land, namely, Anambra and Imo States.

Besides, APGA is to the Igbos, what the ACN is to the Yorubas. APGA is the mouthpiece of the Igbos. It is the political vehicle and pedestal for the Igbo Race to negotiate with other Geo-Political Zones in Nigeria. It is the aggregation and forum for the Igbos to express their political views and preference and to challenge for their rights, privileges and entitlements in the Nigerian scheme of things and political arrangements.

Therefore the present imbroglio in APGA is totally unacceptable. It is a disservice to the Igbos who have held the Party in high esteem and stood by it through thick and thin. Above all, it is a horrible disservice and dishonor to the memory of late Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu who must be turning in his grave at the simmering crisis of confidence in APGA. The National Association of Igbo Youths, as the umbrella organization of Igbo Youths across the country, cannot fold its arms and watch some political rat chasers and political never-do-wells suppress and weaken APGA's authority and moral force in Igbo land. We cannot sit hands akimbo and allow political fortuneseekers to destroy APGA to feather their own nest.

APGA represents much more than a political party to the Igbo Race. APGA stands for spirit of diligence, hard work, industry, perseverance, doggedness and zeal of the Igbo-man. Therefore, any Igbo-man who attempts to bring down the political edifice and umbrella of the Igbos as represented and encapsulated in APGA can only be a traitor who is immersed in perfidy.

The Association condemns in its entity Peter Obi's prolific machinations with the negative objective of destroying APGA. It is a notorious fact that Obi was never a politician. He was rather a businessman whom Umeh brought from nowhere and introduced him to APGA big wigs. Again, Umeh convinced the then APGA helmsmen to give Obi the Governorship ticket for Anambra State. In a sense Umeh is Obi's political mentor and benefactor. It is therefore, uncharitable in our own view and in accordance with natural laws of justice and ignoble for Obi to bite the finger that fed him politically and lifted him from oblivion to a political marvelous light.

Obi's campaign of calumny against Umeh or rather APGA in our own thinking is uncalled for. The apple of discord we understand is Umeh's principled position that the Local Government Council in Anambra State should be democratized and council elections conducted in conformity with the Nigerian Constitution.

Obi has refused to conduct elections in the councils for inexplicable reasons Rather he prefers Caretaker Committee which is antithetical to the extant and prevailing democratic republicanism. To show its preference for Caretaker Committees, Obi reconstituted the Committees recently inspite of strident calls for election in the Councils. To the best of our knowledge Umeh's crime is his insistence on the prevalence of the present creed of due process and rule of law in Anambra State, especially in the councils. This is not enough reason why Obi should try to destroy APGA, the party which brought him to limelight and the party which offered him a ticket to run for the governorship of Anambra State.

The same party helped him to win the election against candidates who are more experienced and capable than him during his first and second tenure bids.

We shall not relent accordingly in condemning in the strongest terms Obi's present ploy to destroy APGA. Our conclusion is that this agenda is a betrayal to APGA, to Ojukwu, to Umeh and indeed the Igbos at large. In 2003, Umeh campaigned vigorously for Obi and spearheaded all his court cases. As insiders, we recall that it was in anger against Peter Obi that the Leader of APGA, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and his wife Bianca on April 2009 stormed

the campaign office of Barrister Emeka Etiaba at Awka and declared him the next Governor of Anambra State, promising to personally march him into Awka Government House at the end of the Governorship elections.

We remember that it was the deft pleadings and moves by chief Umeh that made the APGA Leader Dim Ojukwu agree to once more support Peter Obi. Also In 2010, Umeh campaigned again for Obi and pleaded with Anambrarians to reelect and give him another chance.

In particular Ojukwu told the Igbos that his last wish was that Obi should be reelected. Anambrarians hearkened to the appeal of the wise and fearless sage and re-elected Obi against all odds and even where there were more exposed and internationally renowned candidates who also contested the election with him from other parties.

We see it as being unfair for Obi to be ungrateful to his mentors, his party, his state, his supporters and the Igbos at large. While hitherto, Obi was a political toddler, he feels that he has now arrived and that he can throw away the rope with which he climbed the palm tree. Such short-sighted politicians should of course be advised to know that their fall is not only around the corner, but it shall be ruinous and resonating. History teaches us that ruin, destruction, damnation and condemnation await all those who played the role of Judas to their mentors.

Our investigations revealed that, in his battle against APGA, Obi has deployed huge resources of Anambra State fund to hire foot soldiers that are not from Anambra and also empower outsiders with money from Anambra State.

This represents a huge Capital flight. Obi has in the recent past continued to empower outsiders with money from Anambra State to fight APGA and Umeh.

Our advice is that these resources could be used to provide infrastructural facilities, establish industries, rebuild schools, provide portable water, reduce school fees and empower the people.

Our Association writes that, Anambrarians are being impoverished daily, the roads are not macadamized, public institutions are not working, there is low morale among the citizenry, simple basic infrastructures are lacking in the state, there is no pipe-borne water and electricity, the rate of inflation is high, markets are not maintained, The roads are impassable and something of a death trap, school fees in institutions of higher leaning are needlessly prohibitive.

There is no feeling of good governance in Anambra State. There is hopelessness. Despair is in the air, yet Obi does not want to get down to brass tasks. He prefers to play politics and Santa Claus to his foot-solders whom he arms with huge resources to calumniate those who challenged his authoritarianism and visionlessness.

The National Association of Igbo Youth wishes to remind Peter Obi that a day of reckoning will surely come. There shall be a day when he will be called upon to give account of his stewardship. Obi should learn from the mistakes of some Governors who leave offices in pomp, pageantry and aplomb only to come to the cold denigration by all and sundry. Obi should return to the part of reason and rectitude.

We advice Peter Obi to be taking stock by now, recounting his achievements, failures and the way forward. Paradoxically, we have observed that Obi is interested in playing politics of division, exclusion and antagonism. He is acting like the proverbial Nero who was indulging in fun while Rome was engulfed in an inferno.

We feel that on his part, Umeh has shown himself to be a good leader, a good manager of men and resources, and a selfless, fearless Igbo leader in the mould of Chief Ojukwu. Despite sponsored provocative attacks on him, Umeh has kept his cool and he has continued to steer the ship of APGA admirably and charismatically. Umeh has shown himself to be a reliable and dependable leader.

He has led APGA with pinnacle and during his tenure APGA won more Governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and State Assemblies seats.

Umeh is an Igbo Leader par excellence and has never failed to project the interest of the Igbo race in every for a.

Finally, we urge Obi to retrace his steps and accord due process and rule of law their rightful place in Anambra State. Obi should let APGA be. APGA represent the Igbo spirit. To attempt to destroy APGA is to destroy Igbo land. We the Youths will resist it. As the Igbo parable goes, “Let him who knows how to pound, use the mortar and let him who cannot pound, use the floor”.

THE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

12

ADVOCATE

POLITICS

Presidency:

Why South-East should field a candidate in 2015 – ABC Nwosu PROFESSOR ABC Nwosu is a former Minister of Health who has been active in national matters. He is one of the founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and was secretary of the National Burial Committee for the Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. He is also a member of the Board of the Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu Centre. In this interview, Nwosu speaks on the 2015 Igbo presidency project, infrastructural collapse, insecurity, the general state of the nation and the controversy trailing Professor Chinua Achebe's latest book ' There Was A Country'. Excerpts.

BY Ted Peters, Enugu This has been a long trip for you. From Ojukwu Centre Owerri to Arthur Nwankwo's birthday in Enugu, World Igbo Day in Asaba and back to Enugu. How did you find the roads It was a harrowing experience for all of us Commodore Ebitu, Ambassador George Obiozor and myself. But it opened our eyes to the infrastructure collapse in the South East. It appears to be the same situation nationwide even though we think that the South East is worse than the rest of the country. The recent floods have greatly exacerbated the matter especially in Kogi, Benue, Anambra, Delta among other states. It is my expectation that the Federal Government will raise a serious multidisciplinary and interministerial taskforce team to deal with this matter as an emergency.

It is also my expectation that by the time the rains stop and the dry season comes, the taskforce team including Army Engineers shall utilize the dry season to relieve the extreme suffering that Nigerians are going through now. If countries can deal with earthquakes, Tsunamis and Hurricanes Nigerians must prove to the world that they can deal with this matter.

How do you see Nigeria getting out of the developmental quagmire which it seems to have found itself now? Is there really a way forward?

There is always a way forward.

In my view, we should act more now. We want short-term not long-term highfaluting plans but immediate action to stop the

hemorrhage and stabilize the infrastructure system whether social or physical. Then in the 2013/14 dry season we can then begin to implement medium term plans. The nation needs now short sharp immediate action, whether on flooding, on roads, on schools, on the health system etc to arrest the deterioration and stabilize the current infrastructural position.

The state of the nation especially in the light of different communiqués coming from different geopolitical zones is becoming a major concern to many Nigerians. What are the implications of this development?

The present disequilibrium in the polity is created by the elite and must cease so that the masses can breathe and enjoy the benefits of the wealth of Nigeria. The disequilibrium has a cause and that is because Nigeria is living a lie. First our constitution says we the people, that is a lie. Two, our name says Federal Republic of Nigeria, that is also a lie. Government must see how the nation can be enabled to practice true federalism and how the constitution must be drawn to reflect the wishes of Nigerians.

When these two are done, Nigeria will begin to be true to its name and constitution, the disequilibrium will go and the masses will begin to enjoy greater democracy dividends.

So do you think that the current upsurge in the agitations of the different micro nations in Nigeria will vanish through the practice of true federalism?

I definitely think so. The agitations arise because the constituent micro nations be

them Yoruba, Ijaw, Igbo, Tiv, Hausa, Fulani etc don't want to lose their identities and don't want to be maltreated in a country they call their own. In Igbo land we call it ahamefula.

Federalism ensures that in a plural society all micro nations are enabled to self actualize.

This is why our founding fathers chose federalism and we must return to that federalism.

Without true federalism there will continue to be agitations at some stage or the other by the various ethnic groups. Nigeria needs a system of shared power which is implied in federalism.

The states as presently constituted are too weak to share power with the centre. That is why I favour geo-political zones being created into regions without abolishing states.

Creation of states has shown that whenever you constitute a minority into a majority by creating a new state, new minorities will emerge in the state. Therefore, it is best to adopt the six-regional approach.

The six regions, in my view, without abolishing states, are a better guarantee for the protection of minorities.

The matter of a President of South East extraction has now again become a central issue with Ndigbo. Why is it a recurring issue at every election?

It will continue to be an issue until a president of Federal Republic of Nigeria comes from the South East. The longer it is delayed the more dangerous it becomes. It is a matter of pride.

It is a matter of ahamefula.

Beyond these two, it is a matter of a full bodied and able and competent person who can contribute to the development of his fatherland in solving key

Prof. Abc Nwosu, former Minister of Health problems being excluded from doing so. Any day that he suffers from these problems, he will deeply resent the fact that his brethren have contrived to keep him away. For these reasons, therefore, Ndigbo should field a presidential candidate in the year 2015. For them not to do so, will be to deliberately sentence themselves to insignificance and oblivion in Nigeria.

How can the Igbo attain the presidency of the nation which has eluded them all along in view of the fact that the Igbo leadership seems to have collapsed?

There are three key requirements. First, the Igbo must be convinced in their minds, bodies and souls that they want to produce the president not only because they are Igbo but also because they want to change the course of the nation's history for good.

Secondly, the Igbo must strategise for it and put their best foot forward by presenting a Nigerian who other Nigerians and the world will see that he is competent to address and redress the nation's problems.

The presidential contest is not for incompetent persons and certainly not for political rascals and rabble rousers. Thirdly, the Igbo must rally round and support an internal leadership in this project that can effectively liaise with other geopolitical zones in order to build a national consensus. All kinds of persons currently masquerading as Igbo leaders must stop their game so as to permit a true leader from the present crop of genuine leaders to play the role.

Genuine leaders like who?

The late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu was a model in genuine Igbo leadership. The late Dr. M.I. Okpara was one too. Currently,

Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe is one. He is strong-willed, decisive, focused and possesses the strength of character for this kind of pursuit. He has not shown that he can be easily compromised or distracted. I am sure there may be others like him. For example, Barrister Olisa Agbakoba, even though he is young, is very straight forward and steadfast. These are the kind of people that Ndigbo require now.

How do you see the insistence of the South South especially Chief Edwin Clark on the second term of President Goodluck Jonathan in the light of this clamour for Igbo presidency?

It is the right of any geopolitical zone to seek for the highest office in the land and so all the current six geopolitical zones are entitled. Sometime in the past, the South East reached an understanding to support the South South because it had not at the time attained the office of the president at all while South East had had it (Only Ironsi) for six months. Right now the situation is the reverse. It would therefore make sense to me if the South South can reach a similar understanding to support the South East. How the leaders of both zones resolve this and then approach the other four zones for support, will be a test of sincerity, accommodation and ability to present situations effectively by the leaders of the two geopolitical zones. The coming months will test how the leaders of the two geopolitical zones shall handle this sensitive and crucial matter.

There is the matter of insecurity in the country.

What is your position?

Insecurity is a major threat to Nigeria's existence as a nation.

It diminishes our sovereignty and our ability to develop as a

Continues on page 33

THE

ADVOCATE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 21, 2012

13

Foreign NEWS

US discovers diamond bigger than planet Earth T

he United States of America, USA astronomers that went to the space have discovered a diamond bigger than the planet earth. Orbiting a star that is visible to the naked eye, astronomers have discovered a planet twice the size of our own made largely out of diamond.

The rocky planet, called '55 Cancri e', orbits a sun-like star in the constellation of Cancer and is moving so fast that a year there lasts a mere 18 hours.

Discovered by a U.S.-Franco research team, its radius is twice that of Earth's but it is much more dense with a mass eight times greater. It is also incredibly hot, with temperatures on its surface reaching 3,900 degrees Fahrenheit (1,648 Celsius).

"The surface of this planet is likely covered in graphite and diamond rather than water and granite," said Nikku M a d h u s u d h a n , t h e Ya l e researcher whose findings are due to be published in the

journal Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The study - with Olivier Mousis at the Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie in Toulouse, France - estimates that at least a third of the planet's mass, the equivalent of about three Earth masses, could be diamond.

Diamond planets have been spotted before but this is the first time one has been seen orbiting a sun-like star and studied in such detail.

"This is our first glimpse of a rocky world with a fundamentally different chemistry from Earth," Madhusudhan said, adding that the discovery of the carbon-rich planet meant distant rocky planets could no longer be assumed to have chemical constituents, interiors, atmospheres, or biologies similar to Earth.

David Spergel, an astronomer at Princeton University, said it was relatively simple to work out the basic structure and

history of a star once you know its mass and age.

"Planets are much more complex. This 'diamond-rich super-Earth' is likely just one

A

An MP from the alliance, Michel Pharaon, told al-Jazeera TV: "I think Ashrafiya is a target, and 14 March is a target.

This region is symbolic because it is in the heart of the capital

and it is a Christian neighbourhood.”

Nearby hospitals are calling for people to donate blood to help treat the wounded.

US considers No-Fly Zone in Syria

T

h e O b a m a administration says it is still considering a no-fly zone for northern Syria as cross-border shelling with Turkey threatens civilians on both sides.

With more Syrian tanks along the border, artillery fire between Syria and Turkey risks spreading violence, said U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

"The Turks have been very consistent that they are striking back strongly and proportionally every time they take an attack across the border," Nuland said.

"This is extremely

Diamond as Big as the Ritz", F.Scott Fitzgerald's jazz age morality tale of thwarted greed, will find Cancri e about 40 light years, or 230 trillion miles, from Park Avenue.

Diamond planet bigger than earth

Lebanon blast: Car bombing in Beirut kills eight huge car bomb has killed at least eight people and injured 78 in Beirut, Lebanese officials say. The explosion occurred in Sassine Square, a busy part of the mainly Christian district of Ashrafiya in the centre of the capital.

Ambulances have been seen rushing to square. Witnesses say the blast was heard several kilometres away.

The intended target is unclear. Tensions in Lebanon have been rising as a result of the conflict in Syria.

No group has said it carried out Friday's attack - the first major bombing in Beirut since 2008.

The attack took place during rush hour, at a time when many parents were picking up children from school.

The blast caused considerable damage, setting cars ablaze and destroying the facades of nearby buildings.

It occurred about 200m (650ft) from the headquarters of the Kataeb, better known as the Phalange, a Maronite Christian group.

The general secretariat of the Western-backed 14 March coalition of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri is also based there.

example of the rich sets of discoveries that await us as we begin to explore planets around nearby stars."

"Nearby" is a relative concept in astronomy. Any fortunehunter not dissuaded by "The

dangerous and goes to the point that we've been making about the danger of this conflict spilling beyond borders."

Turkey's response is about more than border security, said U.S. Institute of Peace analyst Steve Heydemann.

"It's also very clearly an effort on the part of the government in Ankara to change the political equation and to bring much greater pressure to bear not only on the Assad regime itself, but on the international community about what is at stake in this conflict and why the international community needs to do much more than it has," Heydemann

said.

With more than 100,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey, Washington is weighing the nofly zone for areas of northern Syria controlled by Assad opponents.

“We continue to talk to partners about how, what, why, exactly the elements that might go into some of these things that people have proposed, including a no-fly zone, but we haven't made any decisions at this stage," Nuland said.

President Assad realizes a nofly zone would give his rebel opponents an "extraordinary advantage, said Heydemann.

"The Syrians view this escalation of conflict across the Syrian-Turkish border as another effort to establish Syria's determination not to be intimidated by the superior military of Turkey, not to be intimidated by the threat that NATO might support Turkey.”

He said Assad's government is feeling emboldened by outside help at a time when international military support for the rebels is limited.

“They feel as if Russia,

China, Iran, Hezbollah are very firmly on their side," Heydemann said. "They sense the prevarication of the international community in increasing its support for the opposition. And they feel that gives them the advantage.”

Lebanon's Hezbollah faction says it does not have fighters in Syria. Still, the United States is concerned about growing Hezbollah and Iranian influence in Syria and is sharing those concerns with Russia, Nuland said.

"If Moscow is concerned about these kinds of things – they have expressed concern about what could come after Assad – and our point is, what is coming now with Assad still in power, increasing efforts by extremists of all kinds and by Iran to make trouble that could spread even beyond borders," she said.

Nuland added the United States is working with allies who supply weapons to Syrian rebels to ensure that those arms are not going to groups that are being infiltrated by extremists.

US mulls No-Fly Zone

THE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

14

ADVOCATE

FLASHBACK

Nigeria’s Founding Fathers (2) Obafemi Awolowo his fellow Nigerians.

Politics

Obafemi Awolowo

Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo (Yoruba: Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ;̀ March 6, 1909 May 9, 1987), commonly known as Awo and often referred to as the sage, was one of Nigeria's founding fathers.

His first name, Obafemi, means 'The king loves me' and the surname Awolowo means 'The mystic, or mysticism, commands honour or respect'. A Yoruba and native of Ikenne in Ogun State of Nigeria, he started his career as a nationalist in the Nigerian Youth Movement like some of his pre-independence contemporaries and was responsible for many of the progressive social legislations that have made Nigeria a modern nation. He was an active journalist and trade unionist as a young man, editing The Nigerian Wo r k e r a m o n g s t o t h e r publications while also organizing the Nigerian Produce Traders Association and serving as secretary of the Nigerian Motor Transport Union. After earning a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Nigeria from a London University through correspondence, he went to the UK where he earned a law degree from London School of Economics. While there, he founded the Egbe Omo Oduduwa, a pan-Yoruba cultural society, which set the stage for the formation of the Action Group, a liberal and nationalist political party. As Leader of the Group, he represented the Western Region in all the constitutional conferences intended to advance Nigeria on the path to independence. He

was the first Leader of Government Business and Minister of Local Government and Finance and first Premier of the Western Region under Nigeria's parliamentary system, from 1952 to 1959, and was the official Leader of the Opposition in the federal parliament to the Balewa government from 1959 to 1963. In addition to all these, Awolowo was the first individual in the modern era to be referred to as Leader of the Yorubas

Awolowo was Nigeria's foremost federalist. In his Path to Nigerian Freedom (1947) the first systematic federalist manifesto by a Nigerian politician he advocated federalism as the only basis for equitable national integration and, as head of the Action Group, he led demands for a federal constitution, which was introduced in the 1954 Lyttleton Constitution, following primarily the model proposed by the Western Region delegation led by him. As premier, he proved to be and was viewed as a man of vision and a dynamic administrator. Awolowo was also the country's leading social democratic politician. He supported limited public ownership and limited central planning in government. He believed that the state should channel Nigeria's resources into education and state-led infrastructural development.

C o n t r o v e r s i a l l y, a n d a t considerable expense, he introduced free primary education for all in the Western Region, established the first television service in Africa in 1959, and the Oduduwa Group, all of which were financed from the highly lucrative cocoa industry which was the mainstay of the regional economy.

elections that brought Akintola's NNDP into power. Shortly afterwards Awolowo and several disciples were arrested, charged, convicted and jailed for conspiring with some Ghanaian authorities under Kwame Nkrumah to overthrow the federal government. He was later to claim in a letter written to General Aguiyi Ironsi in 1966, how he had been approached in the Calabar Prison by emissaries of the government a number of times and asked to among others dismantle his own Action Group in exchange for his release and a deputy prime minister's position - an offer he refused. The remnants of the Action Group fought the National election of 1965 in alliance with the largely Igbo, and south-eastern NCNC. Amid accusations of fraud from the NCNC-AG camp, the NPCNNDP won the election; the AG supporters reacted with violent riots in some parts of the Western region. Awolowo was later freed and pardoned by the military administration. He was much later appointed the Federal Commissioner of Finance and Vice-President of the Federal Executive Council, by Yakubu Gowon's military administration. This took place in the unsettled circumstances immediately preceding the Civil War.

( Yo r u b a : A s i w a j u Free Universal Omo Oodua), a title Crisis in Western Primary Health and which has come over time to be Nigeria Education

conventionally ascribed to his direct successors as the recognised political leader of the elders and young members of the Yoruba clans of Nigeria.

Early life Chief Obafemi Awolowo was born on March 6, 1909 in Ikenne, present day Ogun State Nigeria.

His father was a farmer and sawyer who died when Obafemi was only seven years old. He attended various schools, and then became a teacher in Abeokuta, after which he qualified as a shorthand typist.

Subsequently, he served as a clerk at the famous Wesley college, as well as a correspondent for the Nigerian Times. It was after this that he embarked on various business ventures to help raise funds to travel to the UK for further studies.[citation needed] In 1949 Awolowo founded the Nigerian Tribune, the oldest surviving private Nigerian newspaper, which he used to spread nationalist consciousness among

From the eve of independence, he led the Action Group as the Leader of the Opposition at the federal parliament, leaving Samuel Ladoke Akintola as the Western Region Premier.

Serious disagreements between Awolowo and Akintola on how to run the western region led the latter to an alliance with the Tafawa Balewa-led NPC federal government. A constitutional crisis led to a declaration of a state of emergency in the Western Region, eventually resulting in a widespread breakdown of law and order.

Excluded from national government, Awolowo and his party faced an increasingly precarious position. Akintola's followers, angered at their exclusion from power, formed theNigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) under Akintola's leadership. Having previously suspended the elected Western Regional Assembly, the federal government then reconstituted the body after new

Awolowo pioneered free health care till the age of 18 in Nigeria in the Western Region and also free and mandatory primary education. Although, Awolowo failed to win the 1979 and1983 presidential elections of the Second Republic, he polled the second highest number of votes and his polices of free education and health were carried out throughout all the states controlled by his party, the Unity Party of Nigeria.

Legacy Awolowo is remembered for his remarkable integrity, ardent nationalism, principled and virile opposition and dogged federalistic convictions. His party was the first to move the motion for Nigeria's independence in the federal parliament and he obtained internal self-government for the Western Region in 1957. He is credited with coining the name 'naira' for the Nigerian standard monetary unit and helped to finance the Civil War and

preserve the federation without borrowing. He built the Liberty Stadium in Ibadan, the first of its kind in Africa; established the WNTV, the first television station in Africa; erected the first skyscraper in tropical Africa: the Cocoa House (still the tallest in Ibadan) and ran a widelyrespected civil service in the Western Region.

Awolowo was reputedly admired by Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah, and some of his disciples in the South-West have continued to invoke his name and the policies of his party, the Action Group, during campaigns, while his welfarist policies have influenced politicians in most of the other geopolitical zones of the nation.He was a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Chancellor of the University of Ife (his brainchild) and Ahmadu Bello University. He held many chieftaincy titles, including the Losi of Ikenne, Lisa of Ijeun, Asiwaju of Remo, Odofin of Owo, Ajagunla of Ado-Ekiti, Apesin of Osogbo, Odole of Ife and Obong Ikpa Isong of Ibibioland and was also conferred with the highest national honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic. Many institutions in Nigeria honoured him and some regional and national institutions are named after him, including Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife,Osun State (formerly University of Ife) and Obafemi Awolowo Stadium (formerly the Liberty Stadium). His portrait is on the ₦100 naira note. He was also the author of several publications on the political structure and future prospects of Nigeria, the most prominent of which are Path to Nigerian Freedom, Thoughts on the Nigerian Constitution, and Strategies and Tactics of the People's Republic of Nigeria.

However, his most important bequests (styled Awoism) are his e x e m p l a r y i n t e g r i t y, h i s welfarism, his contributions to hastening the process of decolonization and his consistent and reasoned advocacy of federalism-based on ethno-linguistic selfdetermination and uniting politically strong states-as the best basis for Nigerian unity.

Awolowo died peacefully at his Ikenne home, the Efunyela Hall (so named after his mother), on May 9, 1987, at 78, amid tributes across political and ethnoreligious divides. The Obafemi Aw o l o w o I n s t i t u t e o f Government and Public Policy located in Lekki LCDA is also named after him.

THE

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Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

15

Odd world

A

prominent Vienna museum has decided to cover the "intimate parts" of three naked male soccer players on big posters put up in the Austrian capital after

they caused an outcry. " We g o t m a n y, m a n y complaints," Leopold Museum spokesman Klaus Pokorny said about the public display of the placards used to advertise its

"Naked Men" exhibition due to open on Friday.

"We didn't realise that many, many people would be really upset or really angry in a way that we are also afraid about

security, about protection of the visitors of the museum.”

He said a red paper stripe would be used to hide the genitalia on roughly 180 large posters in Vienna. But smaller

Florida man dies after eating roaches and worms in contest

Female singer St Janet catches her husband sleeping with her daughter

N

otorious Lagos-based female singer, St. Janet (real names Omotoyosi Kayode Iyun) is not in the best of times as her marriage is on the verge of crashing due to serious troubles on the home front.

Despite her musical success, St Janet 's happiness on the home front is fast turning into nightmares barely two months after marrying her heartthrob, Olukayode Samuel Iyun who incidentally is her band manager.

It was gathered that the stocky built singer has packed out of her matrimonial home following a shocking discovery by her about her husband sleeping with one of her daughters. The girl (name withheld) from St Janet 's previous marriage was reported to have spent the last holiday with her mother and step-father at their Ilapo Estate, Alagbado home.

St Janet was said to be happy at the opportunity of being reunited with her daughter who was before then staying with one

of her relations. Unfortunately, her joy soon turned into despair as rumours started making the rounds about an amorous relationship between her daughter and her new husband.

All doubts about her suspicion were cleared recently when she allegedly caught her husband making love to her daughter whose age was put around 16 right inside her matrimonial home.

Sources close to the musician said the despicable act had thrown St Janet off-balance

and dejected and she has swore never to forgive her man, Kay, as her husband is fondly called.

It was learnt that the development has forced the lewd singer to move out of her matrimonial home as she could not bear the shame which the incident had brought upon her. It was also disclosed that St Janet has temporarily moved to an hotel within the neighbourhood to fend off contact with Kay. To say St Janet is enraged by the ugly incident is to say the least, she is completely devastated as she reportedly cancelled all engagements for about two weeks ostensibly to recover from the rude shock, a source added.

However, a close source to

A

St Janet the singer is trying to down play the shameful incident. He said the only problem between the St Janet and her husband is a minor misunderstanding that might be resolved soon.

UK police sorry for using stun gun on blind man

B

ritish police apologized on Wednesday for using a stun gun on a blind man after officers mistook his white cane for a samurai sword.

Officers were responding to "a number of reports that a man was walking through Chorley armed with a samurai sword", when they confronted Colin Farmer, who was on his way to meet friends in a pub last Friday, in the northern English town.

When Farmer, 61, did not respond to their calls to stop, one of the officers used his taser stun gun, which delivers a 50,000 volt shock.

"I certainly didn't know they were police - and I certainly didn't know they were shouting at me. I thought I was going to be attacked by some hooligans," Farmer told the Lancashire Evening Post newspaper.

Despite pleading with the police

posters with the same motif would not be touched during the work which he expected to start on Tuesday and last about a day.

"Many people told us that they wanted to or had to protect their children," Pokorny said.

Some had warned that "if we won't cover it they would go there with a brush and they would cover it with colour.

Already somebody did that.”

Pokorny added: "We are not really happy about the situation.

You always hope that we have made progress, that we are now in the 21st century.”

The Leopold exhibition, which will run until January 28, is designed to show how the depiction of male nudity has evolved in art history.

Around 300 art works including the controversial photograph by French artists Pierre & Gilles called "Vive La France" of three men of different races wearing nothing but blue, white and red socks and soccer boots - will be on display.

"Previous exhibitions on the theme of nudity have mostly been limited to female nudes," the Leopold said on its website.

"Thanks to loans from all over Europe, the exhibition 'naked men' will offer an unprecedented overview of the depiction of male nudes.”

The museum houses the world's largest collection of works by Egon Schiele, one of Austria's major 20th century artists.

and telling them he was blind, he was handcuffed.

"It then became apparent that this man was not the person we were looking for and officers attended to him straight away," said Chief Superintendent Stuart Williams in a statement, adding the innocent man was taken to hospital for treatment.

"Lancashire Constabulary deeply regrets what has happened.

uthorities are investigating what caused a Florida man to collapse and die after consuming dozens of roaches and worms to win a roach-eating contest that featured a python as the grand prize.

Edward Archbold, 32, beat out several other contestants who competed for the exotic reptile at the Ben Siegel Reptile Store in Deerfield Beach, Florida on Friday night, the Broward County Sheriff's Office said. But Archbold fell ill soon after the contest ended, according to the sheriff's office.

He collapsed in front of the store and was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Law enforcement said no other contestants reported medical problems after the contest.

Detectives are waiting for autopsy results to determine Archbold's cause of death.

THE

ADVOCATE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

16

Health

Tuberculosis cases down, disease still a major killer T

h e Wo r l d H e a l t h Organization reports that the number of people who caught tuberculosis (TB) fell last year, but it also said the number of deaths from TB remained the same and that TB is still a major killer.

The news from the World Health Organization is mixed: some 20 million people are alive today as a result of international efforts to control tuberculosis and care for those who have it.

As a result, the death rate has dropped by 40 percent since 1990, but lately, it has remained stubbornly level.

And progress has been painfully slow in reducing the overall number of TB cases, and in containing the spread of multi-drug resistant strains of the infection.

Dr. Mario Raviglione, with the WHO, discussed the agency's 2012 report at a Washington news conference.

Dr. Raviglione said a shortage of money threatens to halt progress in containing the spread of TB, and he warns of serious consequences if this funding gap is not filled.

"We will have to accept that millions more people will be dying of tuberculosis on an annual basis. We'll have to accept that the incidents of TB, instead of going towards elimination-- which is what we hope for --is going to stagnate and increase again, and we'll have to accept that multi-drug resistant TB will be created and further spread," he said.

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that primarily affects

Women and children ready Vaccination the lungs, although it can be found in other organs. It's highly contagious, and it's transmitted by breathing in droplets of air from the cough or sneeze of a TB-infected person.

The WHO report shows more than half the number of TB cases are in Asia. Forty percent are in India and China.

But the problem in subSaharan Africa is also severe because many of those who have

TB also have HIV/AIDS. Eighty percent of those infected with both TB and HIV live in this region.

But doctors now have rapid TB tests that can show if a person has the infection in about an hour and a half. And new drugs to fight TB will soon be available.

"We expect two, if not three, entirely new compounds that kill the TB bacillus very

effectively to be available in the n e x t f e w m o n t h s , " D r.

Raviglione stated.

A vaccine to prevent TB is what scientists hope for. But until one can be developed, the World Heath Organization is calling for countries to commit to TB control programs and increased testing and for international donors to continue large-scale funding of these efforts.

Gold feeds and poisons Nigerian children

A

bout 20 miles from the nearest paved road or light switch, the village of Bagega, Nigeria is the epicenter of the worst lead poisoning outbreak that anyone can remember. The government has promised millions of dollars for a massive life-saving cleanup, but small children continue to play in toxic dirt, and activists say time is running out.

At a gold-processing site, men hammered away at rocks. As he worked, Ismail explained how it's done.

He said that first they crush the rocks, then they feed the pebbles into an electric flour mill, powered by a small generator.

Gold is then extracted from the sand. As they worked, an unusual kind of dust billows from the hammers and machines, covering Ismail's body and clothes. It's dust that is laden with lead.

Casualties and rampant sickness Activists say hundreds of children have been killed in this region over the past few years, and thousands have been crippled by the lead from the mining and processing of gold here in Zamfara State in northern Nigeria.

Many villages in the region already have been cleaned up

and survivors have been treated.

Some of those villages lost more than 40 percent of their children before the outbreak subsided. ​In Bagega, however, thousands of children continue to be exposed every day.

The government has promised more than $4 million for cleanup, but so far nothing appears to be happening.

Medicine ready The head of Nigeria's Doctors Without Borders branch, Ivan Gayton, said they have the medicine and are ready to treat the children, but they can't do anything until the lead is cleaned up, a process they call remediation. Right now in Bagega, he said, children are playing in poison dirt, getting sick when they put their hands in their mouths.

“It has been three years that the children of Bagega have been waiting for this environmental remediation that makes them eligible for treatment," said Gayton. "It's not that we don't want to treat without the remediation, it's that we can't. If there's no environmental remediation, our medicine is useless. We might as well be giving sugar pills. So there's nothing we can do for our patients who are suffering and dying.”

Gayton said if cleanup doesn't

begin this month, it could be too late to complete the process before the rainy season begins next year.

Lead-poisoning effects linger Dr. Paul Eze treats lead poisoning victims at a hospital in Anka, a small city that can be reached from the village of Bagega by motorcycle in about an hour during the dry season. It takes much longer when it rains.

He said that while many children have died from lead poisoning in the region, most infected children survive, although the effects of the poisoning linger.

“Lethargy, unconsciousness.

They could also have other neurological impairments, like developmental delay, reduced intelligence. In the long run, some of them eventually develop cerebral palsy and loss of the use of the limbs,” Eze said.

Despite the horrors lead poisoning can inflict, miners in Bagega say they won't quit because they need the money to survive.

Hassan Mousa, a miner, said he can now make hundreds of dollars a week - twice what he used to make in a whole year when he was a farmer.

A couple of months ago, he

added, his one-year-old baby had a high fever and began to convulse. He rented a motorcycle and spent nearly six hours driving through 20 miles of mud and rain to get help.

Poverty versus illness Aid workers said they told him to move out of Bagega so the baby could be treated. They said it's typical, though, for parents to risk lead poisoning over extreme poverty, and they're not surprised that Mousa hasn't left.

At the mining site, about 20 minutes away by motorcycle through the bush, another miner, Kaminu, said gold mining is the best thing that ever happened to him.

While his colleagues dig with

shovels, raising old plastic jerrycans of rocks out of the narrow pits on ropes, Kaminu prepares for his shift, 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.

He said he has heard of the dangers of lead poisoning, but he's not concerned because he drinks milk - a treatment that doctors say is not based on medical science.

Other miners are more worried about mining bans the government has threatened to enforce than they are about lead poisoning in the village.

If they don't clean up the village their children may continue to get sick, they said. But if they shut down the mines, they won't have enough money to survive.

Bagega village in Nigeria

THE

ADVOCATE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

17

POLITICS

Biafra and travesties, Nigerians reopen Civil war wounds The controversy trialing the novel written by Chinua Achebe, titled “There was a country” has forced some Nigerians into reacting in various degrees of pain. It has equally attracted ethnic interest which if not well articulated may lead to another crisis across the country. The Advocate Editor Larry Onwuta writes on the pending dangers associated with the argument and counter arguments by some aggrieved Nigerians and also bringing sound arguments from eminent scholars to action.

T

he Nigeria Biafra civil war that ended in 1970 is said to have taken a different dimension in the national discourse. It was a war that claimed over two million lives, the wounds which many do not want to remember but for the sake of history, authorities have begun to show concern over what transpired during the war.

Achebe's ingenuity in writing has propelled him to a world class novelist and as well a historian and a Human Right Activist. This has contributed immensely to his judgment and conclusion that Yorubas should apologize for genocide committed by Chief Obafemi Awolowo and General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) against Igbos during the civil war.

The civil war was a serious matter that tore Nigeria apart for thirty months; it was a war that attracted the interest of both local and international communities. The economic blocked, hunger and starvation were the instruments of war used against Biafra by Nigerian government which led to the death of millions of the Igbos.

Well, people especially those from the Yoruba ethnic nationality have reacted negatively opposing Achebe for what they believed that affected their interest, they also described the policy of their late l e a d e r, C h i e f O b a f e m i Awolowo, as action perfectly initiated and executed.

It would be recalled that Awolowo was partly a victim of the war in the sense that he was imprisoned by Abubaka during the first republic that started on January 1960 and ended on the 15th January 1966,after a military coup D'etat led by Major C.K. Nzeogwu for the charge they described as treasonable felony. There was an irony of situation in this context, this is because the Head of State of the defunct Biafran republic, General Chukwuemeka Odumegwe Ojukwu, who from his wisdom and rational way of reasoning opted to lead the definct state of biafra with intention tht Awolowo will lead the Yorubas

Chinua Achebe or rather behave the same way but on the contrary, Ojukwu was betrayed for what analysts described as quest for materialism and inability of Awolowo to see the future and confidently control an empire.

That could be some of the r e a s o n s w h y Aw o l o w o demanded for an opportunity for him to be come the president of the federal republic of Nigeria for only 24 hours.

J P Clark said “casualties are not only those that started the fire and now can not quench it. But whether you know or do not know the wrong on all sides you are casualty now ever than before” Sources said that Awolowo betrayed Ojukwu for mere being a finance minister or second in command to Gowon on decision making and this prompted economic blockade which resulted in the starvation that killed millions of Biafrans during the war.

The Advocate gathered that the Igbo massacre in the northern part of Nigeria which claimed over 150,000 people was the major cause of the war.

The question remains, has the killing of Ndigbo stopped in Nigeria? If no then the leaders in this country should address the burning issue and stop chasing shadows.

Fani Kayode while reacting

Fani Kayode

on the statement accredited to Professor Chinua Achebe who described the action of Awolowo as genocide against Ndigbo, said “I am a historian and I have always believe that if we want to talk history, we must be dispassionate, objective and factual. We must take the emotion out of it and we must always tell the truth. The worst thing that anyone can do is to try to rewrite the history and indulge in historical revisionism. This is especially so when the person is a renowned figure and a literary icon”.

Kayode said the claims of Prof Achebe in his latest and highly celebrated book, titled “There was a country” that Awolowo was responsible for the genocide that the Igbos suffered during the civil war was false, and not only that he is being dishonest but the literary icon is turning the history upside down.

The historian affirmed that he had tremendous sympathy for the Igbos cause during the civil war as well as admirer of Colonel Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, who stood up for his people when it mattered most and when they were being slaughtered by rampaging mobs in the northern part of the country. Also stated that over

100,000 Igbos were killed in those northern pogrom, which took place before the civil war and which indeed led directly to it.

This was not only an outrage but it was also a tragedy of monumental proportions. Yet we must not allow our emotion or our sympathy for suffering of the Igbo in the hand of northern mobs before the war started to becloud our sense of reasoning as regards what actually happened during the prosecution of the war itself.

It is important to set the record straight and not to be selective in our application and recollection of the facts when considering what actually led to the starvation of hundreds of thousands of Igbo woman, children, civilians during that war Kayode admitted that Igbos starved to death as a consequence of the blocked that was imposed on Biafra by the Nigeria federal government. To deny that, this actually happened would be a lie. It is a historical fact. Again, I do not deny the fact that Awolowo Publicly defended the blocked and indeed told the world that it was perfectly legitimate for any government to impose such blocked on the territory of their enemies in times of war. He was

quoted in a number of British Newspapers.

Kayode insisted that “if any one is to be blamed for the hundreds and thousands of Igbos that died from starvation during the civil war, it was not Chief Awolowo or even General Yakubu Gowon but rather it was Colonel Emeka Ojukwu himself”.

Well, this demands that people concerned in this argument ought to buttress their points with valid evidence and facts to authenticate whatever they presented to the public. If Ojukwu is to be blamed, what about the Igbo massacre in the northern state that clamed one hundred and fifty thousand people before the civil war, was it the late Ojukwu that killed them? This issue is left for Nigerians to investigate.

Sources told The Advocate that Awolowo was driven by an over riding ambition for power for himself in particular and for the advancement of his Yoruba people in general.

The most beloved Yoruba leader then, Awolowo saw the dominant Igbos as at that time an obstacle to that goal. And the emergence of civil war created an opportunity for his ambition which drove him into a frenzy to go to every length to achieve his dreams.

He hatching up diabolical policy to reduce the number of his enemies, war becomes the most brutal continuation of hegemonies and political battles and the event of 1960s pitted against each other formidable foes.

The ruling class consensus had foundered long before the coup of 1966 which scattered the political process. But the sinister element was the ethnic dimension which the first coup assumed, consciously or accidentally.

Massive killing of Easterners, massive movement of people around the country, the political impasse which became the prelude to the declaration of Biafra secession and the war In a swift reaction to the statement by some Yoruba leaders especially the one accredited to Fani Kayode, the vice Chairman of Southeast, Campaign for Democracy, CD and a Human right activist, Comrade Uzor A Uzor said what the Yorubas should do now is to apologize to Ndigbo, taking critical assessment of what happened within that war period.

Gowon made Chief Awolowo finance minister.

According to Uzor Awolowo

Continues on page 33

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Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

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ADVOCATE

INTERVIEW

New Biafra to emerge Nov 5 Barrister Benjamin Onwuka is the leader of Biafra Zionist Movement (BZM). In this exclusive interview with The Advocate, he speaks extensively on why his group intends to re-declare the Republic of Biafra, defunct independent state which the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu once led for three years before it collapse dafter a civil war. He vows that November 5th 2012 must be a day of a freedom for Biafran citizens. Excerpts

By Ted Peters & Larry Onwuta You recently emerged as the leader of the Biafra Zionist Movement, the group championing the course of the former Biafra people. Can you give us your background?

Thank you Sir. For giving me this sacred opportunity to speak to the Biafran people. I am Benjamin Igwe Onnwuka.

Born November 17, 1967. I did my primary education here in Biafra and half of my secondary education before I left for the United Kingdom in 1985. I am a UK, EU, Bifran, UN citizen\in the UK I went through a thorough solid education from O' level, A' Level to University level. I could also add that the former speaker of the Nigeria House of Representative Mr. Dimeji Bankole was my class mate in London, where we attended the same college, Albany College Hendon London NW4. We did our O and A level subjects together. I read International Politics at University in London and later Law at one of the leading colleges of Law in London. I practiced over 10 years as a lawyer, my field is Employment Law. With my educational background and having studied in the UK, the Biafran challenge would be tackled from a very different angle with BZM to lead. Lets I forget, I am from a family of 6 and I am the last born, 4 men and 2 girls.

The Biafra Zionist Movement, BZM, had announced its intention to redeclare the Republic of Biafra on November 5th 2012, what informed the decision?

The decision by Biafra Zionist Movement, BZM, to formally seek for the independence of the Republic of Biafra by November 5th 2012 is very simple. The terrible state of our people since the end of the civil war, if not arrested, it could lead to the extinction of the dream for the Republic of Biafra.

Our people are still being reminded on a daily basis that we were defeated in the civil war 42 years ago.

The very reason why the war was fought is not yet over and therefore it is now time to address that issue once and for all. The Biafran people if given the chance will compete with the world economic powers. We can develop our selves economically, technologically and help to develop the entire African continent. Our people are being killed on a daily basis all over Nigeria.

The government of Nigeria is not looking after the security of the Biafran people. Our right to freely worship God in our places of worship is now under threat across Nigeria. The North is advocating openly to Islamize us, it is now time for Biafran people to re-take their destiny in their own hands.

Since 1970, it appears that our people

Barr. Benjamin Onwuka, leader of Biafra Zionist Movement have been pressed to the wall and no one seems to care about us. As you can see there is no federal government presence in the entire Eastern Region that is now called South East and South South who are actually producing the economic wealth of the country. No Air Port, No good roads, River Niger 2nd Bridge. No hope for our young men and women of finding job after leaving school. Our educational system collapsed because of the deliberate policy of the Nigerian government to suffocate the Igbos in particular.

Our reasons for Biafran independence is beyond this interview, however the simple truth is that on November 5th 2012, the Biafran people are going to rea ff i r m t h a t m a n d a t e g i v e n t o Chumkwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu on May 30th 1967. Nothing will stop Biafran people from emancipating themselves from Nigeria and dissolved this force marriage that was imposed on us on January 1 1915. With the indomitable spirit of the Biafran people, Nigeria will not defeat Biafra this second time around.

How feasible is this project and do you think Igbos will identify with you in this secession plan?

The Biafra independence could have been a fore gone issue, if Biafra had had international support in 1967. It was a huge mistake that we fought the war alone, where as the other side had the USA, UK, Soviet Union (USSR) and the whole world supported our opponent and the war went on their side favourably. Our quest for independence must be made known to the whole world, so as to give us the chance to put our case to the international community and also to acquire military weapons for war. At the moment only Nigeria is known by the world, even though the wealth of the country is coming from Biafran territory. Feasibility of Biafra

independence is a very big yes, but we must secure the support of the outside world. During the war, Britain was able to get support for Nigeria around the world, even Australian and New Zealand Pilots, who are millions of miles away, joined the attack and destruction of our country from afar off.

We can be independent tomorrow, if we can make sure that the past is corrected.

How do we do it? On November 5th all Biafrans should come out in millions and join us to re-declare our independence. Our quest for independence is within the UN convention on the Right to Self determination.

Whoever uses force against us that day would be subject to face the International Criminal Court in The Hague for crimes against Humanity.

The reason why it has taken long and it appears difficult for Biafra, is that Nigeria dominates the world stage because of the diplomatic cover given to her by the USA and UK. If we challenge that disparity, we shall win the argument for our independence.

Let me give you example. Obasanjo is a very good friend to former US Presidents Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter and he gives millions of US$s to these men. With Obasanjo being their friends and donates money to their Presidential initiatives, both men will always defend Nigeria against Biafra thereby making USA less attracted towards Biafra. So it is possible for Biafra independence, but we must understand the game of international politics. With BZM now, we are focusing on getting the support of the USA, because we can not get this independence as long as the UK is concerned. But with the USA, we are using a power beyond power to follow them, and we shall gain that American support.

They know our desire for independence, but those who have been fighting for Biafra have been only focusing their attention making money out of the Biafran people, instead of taking our fight to Washington DC, Brussells, Jerusalem etc.

Our fight for reindependence is vested outside and that is where the right of getting it lies. With the USA and Israel, the people of Biafra would be independent soon.

I am not in any way disturbed about the support at home. Firstly Biafra is not about the Igbos. Biafra of November 5th 2012 will include the people of the entire Eastern Region, Kogi, Benue and Edo. We will even go beyond the boundaries of May 30th 1967 declaration. Biafra shall be inclusive because all of us Igbos and non Igbos are bearing the brunt of the Hausa/Fulani- Yoruba axis attempt to destroy us, all because Britain is behind them.

The Biafran people want to be independent and they will. No one facing, the harshness which Biafrans are passing through that will not agree with me that Biafra is the only way forward.

About support I have the confidence that my people are willing to give the BZM and myself the chance to fight this war now on the Diplomatic front and win it.

What steps have you taken so far to ensure the realization of the new Biafra Republic?

As I said from the beginning of this interview that this fight to regain our freedom from Nigeria is not an internal matter. The forces holding Biafra down and artificially holding Nigeria together are vested outside in the USA and Europe and possibly with the Chinese and Russians having a role to play.

Since Biafra Zionist Movement, BZM, started its campaign last year for the redeclaration of Biafra, we have been contacting major powers that have vested interest in this matter. We have contacted the UN about November 5th and the UN will be watching that day and onwards.

We are also making Biafrans to be aware that without international support, it is not possible to achieve our goal. We have also told our people that only the Biafrans can get their independence, no one else can do it for us. We have also informed the AU that on November 5th the Republic of Biafra would be opting out of Nigeria. Our diplomatic contact is ongoing and we shall not reveal replies. But our aim above all is that the Biafran people must fight for their independence now, no one else can do it for them. Later the USA must assist us.

We are also very anxious to make the International Media to be aware of our campaign.

This is also an area that Biafran agitation has been lacking strength. Biafra has no

Continues on page 19

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ADVOCATE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

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POLITICS

...US, Israel, World Powers Set to back it says Onwuka Continues from page 18 external voice to put our case across to the world. We are in contact with the most watched international news media to help us to propagate our message to the outside world. Because in today's politics, the news media is a vital instrument for information dissemination, we are also on the Internet campaigning and using the social network like the facebook to spread our message to the world.

And it is bearing a lot of fruits as Biafrans around the world are joining the BZM from all the four corners of the globe. As we are spreading and mobilizing Biafrans, BZM has confidence that our quest for Biafra Republic shall be a reality soon. But all lies with the determination of the Biafran people to take up their fight to the enemy and regain our freedom.

You said earlier that your organization wrote to the United Nations and the AU seeking observer status, what has been their response?

Thank you for this question. First of all, BZM is the only Biafra agitator that has openly written to the UN and published our letter/ application for the Biafran people and for the whole world to see and read. Some groups have been telling Biafrans that Biafra has been granted Observer Status at the UN. This is not true as the issue of Biafra has never been discussed at the UN since Jan 15th 1970.

It is important to put the picture clear to our people than any one to be fleecing Biafrans with their money by not telling us the truth. Any application that is made to the UN carries the risk of it being vetoed by any of the 5 Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council, namely USA, Russia, China, Geat Britain and France. Any Application must first be cleared by these 5 Powers and if any of them raises objection to that particular issue, that country has the power to veto it. But that does not kill the issue; it only delays it for another time.

The United Nation is not where to get independence. When the UN was set up in 1945 after world war second, the sole reason why it was set up by the winning allied powers of USA, Great Britain, France and Russia was to prevent a third world war and the founding nations retain the power to determine what should and should not be discussed.

We are still hoping to hear from the UN, but as I told Biafrans before the application was made that Great Britain has the power to block the consideration of our application because it has a veto power. Britain does not want to see Biafra independence. As a leader I must tell Biafrans the truth, as soon as we hear from the UN, the whole world will hear it. But let no one deceive Biafrans again by telling lies about the UN sending war ship for Biafra and granting Biafra Observer Status.

When our application is considered I shall be in New York to address the Security Council about the reasons why Biafra should be independent. There are 15 member States of the Security Council and Biafra would need 9 votes to secure our membership. An Observer Status does not in any way solve our

problem, only full independence will be will use to seek for their independence.

I have read the Army Chief of Staff adequate for Biafra.

Thus, even when it is granted, we shall threatening that hell will lose on still not be independent. Securing the November 5th 2012, but I can assure Diplomatic support of the USA is the him and his supporters that no most important weapon that will give amount of threat will derail or Biafrans what we are looking for. But undermine the determination of the for us to win the interest of USA, Biafran people to chart a new course Biafrans must come out en-mass and in our lives. If Kosovo, South Sudan, support BZM November 5th 2012 and E r i t r e a , M o n t e n e g r o c o u l d b e let the world see us, and then our independent, how much more a Jewish independence will come. Bafrans please Zionist Biafra.? We are a people chosen do understand it, UN is not our gateway by God and I cannot see anything that to independence, it is only when we Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba will do to the secure international diplomatic support Biafran people. Let me tell Biafrans the that will be the road to our freedom. At power to overcome USA, UK and the moment only the Palestinians have Nigeria is in place. So Nigeria can try, the Observer Status at the UN. Now they but the Independence of the Republic of are stuck because the USA and Israel will Biafra will prevail. If each time and day not allow them full independence and one race is singled out to be killed, why now they are abandoning that observer should I be afraid to fight for my people? status for a super observer status, which My message to Obasanjo, Gowon. is meaningless without the international Danjuma, Ihejirika and all those that are diplomatic support. We are waiting for killing Biafrans your time is up and the the UN and the AU to reply us, when we Biafran people out of Zion shall prevail hear from them we shall inform the this time around; there will be no fear world. But Biafra independence is not f r o m m e o r g o i n g b a c k . T h e vested in the UN, but with the USA and independence of Biafra is a must and a quest that shall be met Israel. sooner than later. I I am sure you and your want to see Biafran members know that you people to be free and are embarking on a to use our God given dangerous venture I have read power to enhance the because the Nigerian economic prosperity government would not just the Army Chief of our people and no fold its arms and allow any way shall Biafrans part of the country to be of Staff fear anybody again. taken away. Are you To get the best weapon prepared for the threatening in the world, wait for it challenge? that hell will Biafra shall get them.

Well let me tell you, the war No man again shall that was declared on the Biafran people by the lose on November c o m m i t g e n o c i d e whole world on July 6th 5th 2012, but I can again against us After the re1967 has not ended. Just look at the recent inferno, assure him and declaration of Biafra what will come next? raging that Professor Thank you, November his supporters Chinua Achebe published a 5th 2012 will be a day book in which he revealed that no amount of difference for the the truth about the war. Did Biafrran people, if the you notice the reaction of of threat will Biafran people will the other side? come out en-masse The truth is that the war is derail or that day. We are going still ongoing, so I have nothing to be afraid of, I am undermine the to follow the path of the South Sudanese by already in the battle field, determination forming a parallel and I am prepared for government. When anything. Let me be very of the Biafran one declares his clear here, the power of independence a Nigeria today is Great people to chart government follows.

Britain. Britain emboldens W e s h a l l b e Nigeria domestically and a new course announcing a Biafran internationally. My fight for government that day Biafra independence, I in our lives. and also set a date to don't see Nigeria in the abolish the worthless picture, rather I see the UK Naira. Firstly we shall defending and protecting be announcing Nigeria. I am asking Great defence and economic Britain for the independence of the Biafran people. No policies on Nov 5th. This is not a child's single day goes by a Biafran notably an play. Our people are being killed daily in Nigeria, rather we all die once, than to Igbo is not killed somewhere in Nigeria. see our people aimlessly massacred The Yorubas have begun to deport Igbos daily.

But it is important that Biafrans from Lagos and dumping them at Onitsha, could you imagine that people will support our fight. I believe they will are being internally deported in their because we have no other alternative own country? This is to show you that the than to end this mass killing of our war is ongoing; therefore I have no fear people. We shall be also actively for what Biafrans want to do. It is within seeking for diplomatic recognitions the United Nations Convention on the around the world with all countries Right to Self determination that Biafrans except with Muslim countries. Our first

Barr. Onwuka mission would be in Brussels, EU and Jerusalem Israel. Also we shall contact all the countries that supported us during the civil war.

What are the structures you have on ground to sustain it?

Biafrans are full of talents. Our independence would unleash the greatest human resource on earth. We have in place a very good example of how Biafra would look like. Our government taking office, obviously Biafrans would come out to serve their father land. Our hope and future depends on the Biafran people. We are also using this medium to appeal to all Biafrans to join us to see that the independence of Biafra is achieved and together we shall be free.

Why was this wasted opportunity for Biafra independence especially since 1999?

The issue of Biafra independence could have been over since 2003, if we had let the world hear our cry for independence.

We have spent billions of naira on falsehood and not counting our young men and women who have paid the supreme price and yet we are still shackled by the North and West. Why a whole nation of Biafra put their eggs in one basket and allowed themselves to be extorted billions of Naira from, still the issue of Biafra has never crossed our shores. Was it because no one could ask question or not. Let it be known that henceforth that Biafra will now be a country where the citizens could ask questions, interact with their leader and also make their own contributions that will help to build up our great country.

Why do you think Igbo leaders are afraid of the North?

I am amazed that Biafrans are being killed all over Nigeria, yet none of our leaders has spoken up to defend even the dead, why? From November 5th 2012, it would become an expensive project for a Nigerian to kill a Biafran, if that were to happen, there would be a swift and immediate reprisal from us. No more killing of our people, that time is gone forever.

Why some Biafrans opposed to Biafra independence, but instead prefers the North to keep killing them?

I am also surprise why some still want the North to have access to our oil with gun in their hand. Well it's time we all come together, Igbo or non Igbo to make our country great and to use the resources in our country to work for us.

THE

20

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

ADVOCATE

Events and Personalities 2ND REPUBLIC VICE PRESIDENT DR ALEX EKWUEME CELEBRATES 80TH BIRTH IN GRAND STYLE

FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT, DR ALEX EKWUEME (4TH-L) WITH HIS WIFE, BEATRICE (5TH-L), ASSISTED BY WELLWISHERS, CUTTING HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY CAKE AT A COLLOQUIUM TO MARK HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY IN ABUJA

FROM LEFT:SPEAKER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AMINU TAMBUWAL; FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT, DR ALEX EKWUEME; HIS WIFE, BEATRICE; FORMER HEAD OF STATE, DR YAKUBU GOWON, AND DEPUTY SPEAKER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, EMEKA IHEDIOHA, AT A COLLOQUIUM TO MARK EKWUEME'S 80TH BIRTHDAY IN ABUJA

FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT, DR ALEX EKWUEME (L), WITH FORMER HEAD OF STATE, DR YAKUBU GOWON, AT A COLLOQUIUM TO MARK EKWUEME'S 80TH BIRTHDAY IN ABUJA

REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PRESIDENT, CHIEF ANYIM PIUS ANYIM (L), CONGRATULATING THE FORMER VICE- PRESIDENT, DR ALEX EKWUEME, DURING A COLLOQUIUM TO MARK HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY IN ABUJA. WITH THEM IS FORMER HEAD OF STATE, GEN. YAKUBU GOWON.

FORMER SENATE PRESIDENT, DR JOSEPH WAYAS; FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT, DR ALEX EKWUEME, AND HIS WIFE, BEATRICE, AT A COLLOQUIUM TO MARK EKWUEME'S 80TH BIRTHDAY IN ABUJA.

FROM LEFT:FORMER MINISTER OF FINANCE, ALHAJI ADAMU CIROMA; DEPUTY SPEAKER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MR EMEKA IHEDIOHA, AND PRESIDENT-GENERAL, OHANEZE NDIGBO, AMB. RALPH UWECHUE, AT A COLLOQUIUM TO MARK DR EKWUEME'S 80TH BIRTHDAY IN ABUJA

LEADERS OF OHANAEZE NDIGBO AND AREWA CONSULTATIVE FORUM MET IN ENUGU LAST WEEK TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF COMMON INTEREST. THE MEETING HELD AT UNIVERSAL HOTELS, INDEPENDENCE LAYOUT, ENUGU WAS ATTENDED BY EMINENT PERSONALITIES. THE ADVOCATE WAS THERE.

OHANAEZE DELEGATION

OHANAEZE AND AREWA DELEGATIONS

THE

ADVOCATE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

21

with e-mail:brownsugarbarbie@ymail.com

Omotola: Sexy by nature

Rocking Your Jeggings Regardless of how great or fool proof a trend may seem, there are always ways of going about it in the wrong way. Although jeggings may seem the perfect counterpart to any blouse, sweater or an oversize boyfriend blazer or jacket, they are no exception to the “you are wearing it wrong” rule.

Jeggings are technically not jeans and technically not leggings. When buying jeggings, go for a pair that leans more on the jean side than that of the jegging side. The fabric should have a bit of weight to it. Yes, it will be stretchy but there should be a zip and you should not see your panty line through them.

Even if your jeggings do err quite comfortably on the jean side of the equation, very few of us can actually get away with pairing them with a short top. Good luck to you if you can. For the rest of us, longer tops and tunics are our jegging friends. Jeggings look great when worn with ballet flats or loafers for casual but add a heel? your legs will look like they have taken on supermodel proportions. If the jegging is too long for your leg, it's important that you get it taken up so that the effect is not the opposite of that of a supermodel.

Dos and Don'ts Don't wear them like actual pants If you're rocking jeggings, avoid pairing them with anything above the butt. If they fit like tights and are lacking structure, they'll do nothing for your figure and leave nothing to the imagination.

Do wear them like actual pants This may seem confusing, but let's keep it simple: if jeggings have pockets and are high-waisted, you're in the clear. Pockets add structure to the behind, so if you pair your bottoms with a top that hits your waist, it won't look as though you're simply wearing tights. That way, you can tuck in your t-shirt, blouse or tank for a more defined silhouette provided it doesn't look like you're wearing a spandex one.

Don't go overboard You may feel confident in your favourite trend, but as much as it may tempt you to do so, avoid any look and opt for a top to balance the sleekness of your bottoms. Pair your jeggings with a statement sweater or an oversize dress shirt and for nights on the town, rock a fitted tank top to keep you balanced and flattering.

Do go shoe crazy Just like how leggings are the ultimate go-to for all things footwear-related, jeggings pick up where their cotton counterparts left off becoming the perfect companion for boots, flats and even heels. While skinny jeans are perfect for tucking into slouchy ankle boots, jeggings match their flexibility and beat it making them the perfect bottoms for thigh-high boots, ankle boots and pumps.

Don't become a victim One thing about fashion trends regardless of their staying power is that it can be easy to become a victim of their agenda. If you go overboard with seasonal trends, your jeggings will simply look as though they're an extension of the style section of your favourite magazine. Like any look, keep accessories and “what's hot now” to a minimum, and let your pieces speak for themselves. You can pair jeggings with a statement coat, but avoid going overboard with accessories as well.

THE

ADVOCATE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

22

&

with e-mail:brownsugarbarbie@ymail.com

M

aking statement with the beautiful colour of coral beads are trending. Here are excellent selection of coral beads including classic red coral and unusual variations. The vibrant tones found in coral beads are perfect for creating statement jewellery or adding a splash of eye-catching colour. Coral looks wonderful matched with other vibrant colours or contrasted with paler crystals such as natural howlite beads and light green jade beads.

Customized clothing offers a higher level of attention to detail than regular clothing and provides a perfect fit that gives the wearer a comfortable, polished look. Good tailors keep the unique requirements of each client at the forefront when developing and providing quality products and services. These skilled artisans are knowledgeable of fashion, design and fabric. They maintain a high level of skill to provide value for each client. Finding a good tailor may seem to be a challenge but, through networking and research, a good tailor can be found. It's not so easy to locate a good tailor .

Tips and information are needed before you go ahead to choose any kind of tailor, here are few handy tips to help you make the right decision.  Find out the specific services a tailor shop offers or specializes in. They may range from minor or routine sewing and alterations (shortening of hems for shirts, pants, dresses, skirts and suits and outwear) to major custom alterations and custom tailoring (for coats and pants). Check if these are in line with your requirement.  Find out how much experience the tailor has in providing the kind of alteration services you are looking for.  Make sure to ask the tailor or seamstress to show the sample of the work she has been doing in the past.  Look for referrals from friends and testimonials from other customers.  Always choose a less busy time of the day to fix an appointment with your tailor for giving your measurements and explaining the job.  Be very clear about the alterations you are looking for. Explain what you need to the tailor in clear specific terms and check if the tailor has understood your ideas clearly. If the tailor makes the alterations without understanding what you have in mind, you can very well end up with a damaged piece of clothing.  Remember to check the alteration price list or get a cost estimate before handing over your job.  Most of the off-the-rack and ready made suits and pants have low alter ability. If you think that you may need alterations in the future, go for custom tailoring. Custom tailoring helps you get designer clothes made to your specifications and also leave room for making alterations later if required. However, choose only an experienced and creative tailor to do custom tailoring for you.

Showcasing Senegalese Designer Adama Ndiaye

THE

ADVOCATE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

23

Entertainment

The amazing world of Noni D

It was really an interesting time with me and an Enugu based artist, a producer, dancer and singer Noni D in his Studio, Ice Stone where he was doing what he knows best. Was just 5 mins with him, but was really exciting… come along!!!

Tell me all about you My name is Chukwunonso Ebene Dominion. Hail from Udi LGA in Enugu state Nigeria.

Second in a family of 7 with parents, born and breed in Trans Ekulu Enugu.

Your Career, how did start My career started as a dancer although I had a thing for electronics, I was not concentrating on myself because I wanted to do something in entertainment. I had a crew, my friends that I go to shows with, perform for artists, dance, mime songs and from there I started writing songs , trying something good for myself and that took me away from dancing and going of shows. I Love You was my first R&B song produced in 2006 where I featured Decumzy, Ransom and Tj. Thereafter Decumzy taught me all about producing music, and today I am a producer. In 2007 I produced

my first song Weluwelu, I mixed and mastered it. In 2008, I signed into Soft links owned and managed by Decumzy. It was a stepping stone for me and my career, it gave me fame, I did my first album with Soft links but that album did not move, rather sell because Soft links did not promote that album. My videos were shot but it was a mess. In 2010, I left Soft links records and was charged a certain amount of money but by the grace of God, I was able to pay despite that that album never yearn me money. Thereafter I came back to the streets, hustling continued, and in 2011, I met a young man, a friend, Mr. Ogadinma Onyedinma Target who till date is my manager.

That same year I came up with a single, 'Off the Ground' which the video was shot in Abuja and Enugu. Both of us today jointly owe a label called Blue Sky

Noni D Entertainment. My second single coming out on the second week of November, titled 'No Going Away'. Currently I owe a studio called Ice Stone Studio where I do my beat, record my song and produce other up

POP and its impact on Nigerian Music Industry

By Okey Anyichie

I

coming artists.

Life as a Producer?

Its fun, when you produce for people, you learn everyday especially for good artists but the funny aspect of it is when you do a nice beat and a singer

messes it up. In all I enjoy it, making nice and different beats.

Do you consider yourself a fashionable person?

Yes, of course. I love fashion.

Have always thought about having a cloth line. It as a business, wanna it to it soon. I also want to go into modeling but because if my musical career, am keeping low for now.

What are your favourite fashion accessories?

I am a shoe freak. I love foot wears, good ones. People come to my wardrobe and they ask Noni do you sell shoes?'

(Laughs). I equally like classic tops.

How often do you shop?

Once in a while, mostly online.

Favourite Designer?

Ray bulk Favourite Jewelry?

I wear silver, I like bangles but am not a fan of wrist watches but if should wear a wrist watch, it should be Gucci.

Favourite Perfume?

(Silence) Calvin Kline, Poker Cubana Role Model?

Michel Bolton…I am a rock singer Do you have an active social life?

Am not the clubbing person but I like hanging out with friends and swimming at Golden Royale when am in Enugu and Ferbson Mall in Abuja.

What do you do at your leisure time?

I make beats with my mouth, humming it, that's when, am not in the studio. I play music, create something different and think of my way forward.

Philosophy of life?

Life is just good when you live it well. What you believe in will be once you work towards it. Think of something and put it into practice.

n the mid-60s. a number of foreign musical bands thrilled the youths of Nigeria with different varieties of tunes and standard of high sound.

Some of these foreign bands that played what is known as popular or “POP” music set the scene on fire in the early 60s, the famous “POP” group called the “Beatles” based in Liverpool, England set the musical minded youths high in Nigerian cities like Lagos, Warri, Aba, Enugu, Kaduna, Port-Harcourt and other cities where music especially “POP” was the alternative to native music called “Highlife”.

This Liverpool based “POP” group with their peculiar dressing outfit were adored and highly appreciated and in colleges then every music conscious student “apped” their

songs especially the one called “I should have known better”.

Other groups from oversea like the “Rolling stone led by Mikky Jagger with popular song called “The same one”, Cliff, Richard, Elvis Presley the super-star of “ Rock n roll” made the pop music sometime called the “now sound” ruling the air-waves in the early decade of 60s. It was during the early period of Nigerian independence, a lot of foreign artistes visited the country like the “creator” of the dance “Twist”, called Chubby Checker, earlier the American trumpeter, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong visited the country in 1960 the year of independence and toured the entire country on the sponsorship of a company

manufacturing soft-drink. All these foreign artistes inspired the youths in this area of “hot” sounds.

And within short time, young musicians started forming groups to play this “pop” music to the delight of the “adherents” and “worshippers”. These early groups that started playing and imitating foreign artistes were around in Lagos and other cities in the country, especially the coastal cities. Hence a music magazine published by Tony Amadi in 1980 highlighted this fact.” I attended an end of the year “Pop” concert at King's College Assembly Hall Lagos in December 1965. On hand were RHYTHM N FIVE, FATHOM FOUR, THEM ONES

and SPIDERS. The hall was filled to capacity by 8p.m when the THEM ONES opened the show I had a back stage ticket but moved inside to watch with the audience, a batch of students from Queen's College Yaba, Holy Child College, the hosts King's College and St. Gregory's Obalende plus a cross section of the in-crowd from the city.

The girls in the crown discussed the groups. “I like the way Dosekun sings and swings around like Mick Jagger the girl from Holy Child, “My favourite group out there is Rhythm 'N Five, the bass player is my boyfriend besides, added another exciting bird from Queens”. So these were the voices from the female fans, when this pop carnival was hosted in December 1965 in

King's College Lagos.

The groups that popularized this music for the youths called “Now Sound” started emerging in Lagos as the musical writer, Remi Akanno writing for “Spear” Magazine featured groups like the Clusters, Cyclops, Hyykers, and Fractions. These bands equally featured in the then NBC-TV music programme “Saturday Square” to the delight of youthful viewers.

Other groups started emerging in the then Eastern Region as Tony Amadi again threw more light in the magazine he published in 1980, most of the revolutionary activities of the early Pop days were concentrated in Lagos and Accra.

Continues in next edition

THE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

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FEATURES

Cross River Judiciary marks 2012/2013 legal year: SAN extols Late Gen. Abacha for defences of Bakassi Pennisula

By Edem Archibong, Calabar

I

n a true democratic process, the efficiency and efficacy of the Judiciary as the last hope of the common man is hinged on it independency as clearly enshrined in the principle of separation of powers as well as the sovereignty of the people as the beacon of ensuring the survival of such system.

Notably, this system of governance is glaringly practicable in advanced societies like in United States of America where Nigeria's present Federalism and the Presidential system were being adopted due to the colossal failure of the Parliamentary system instituted by our British colonial masters under the leadership of Lord Lugard.

However, this system became effectively functional from 1979 to 1983 but the military junta struck again thereafter, on the guise of non implementation of true democratic principle which could be retrospectively traced to the mathematical 2/3 of 19 states calculation, resulting into 13 states instead of 12 2/3 states to ensure the emergence of a grade two teacher who most probably had no fair knowledge about the country's problems and its people as the number one citizen then.

Candidly, the earlier era of the Presidential system and Federalism failed on its responsibility to recognize the Judiciary as an arm of government, which must be accorded its full rights and autonomy as enshrined in the 1979 constitution to exist and function independently, not as an appendage of the executive arm of government.

This lacuna which was no fault of the judiciary as they were subjected to mere stooges by the executive instead of acting in consonance with the reality of the law and grant this third arm the independency required. The preferred option as judicial officers was loyalty as they became scared in giving legal verdict that would be considered sacrosanct by the executive because of the saying that, “he who pays the piper dictates the tune”.

Interestingly, the judiciary music had since changed its rhythm for the past eight years in Nigeria mostly, during the era of tenure elongation of former President Obasanjo to perpetrate him in power and cover the illicit deal on gulf of Guinea which is the reason for hasty ceding of Nigerian's land to Cameroon.

Besides, the Judiciary has in many instances risen to defend their individual or collective integrity except for negligible few who are still distanced from the reality of the moment especially those usually posted on National assignment for election tribunals despite attainment of some level of independence.

In Cross River State, the Judiciary is a far cry as independence still eludes the state judiciary and becomes a major block on the wheel to pervert diverse political opinion or view against the power that be, even though they are in the position as tax administrators .

It is no gain saying that the executive arm of the government had continued to undermine and pay deaf ears to

for under section 81 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and that this provision of the Constitution is fundamental and as such must be respected for the smooth functioning of the judiciary”.

As part of her account of stewardship for the 2011/2012 out gone legal year, Justice Eyamba-Idem also wept for the poor and depreciating staff strength confronting the state Judiciary without effort being made as the had communicated same to the Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, but without a corresponding attempt to recruit staffs to fill the vacuum, yet many are roaming the streets in search of jobs.

She cried vehemently that “the judiciary is grossly understaffed. She appealed for a

divisions are long over due in order to meet the government needs to serve the people.

Based on this experience, Hon. Justice Eyamba-Idem advised the incoming Chief Judge of the State that hope to take over from her to ensure that the practice of relying on the state executive confirmation before employment of judicial staff is stopped forthwith as part of being independent.

On the new innovation of introducing Calabar Multi-Door Court House (CMDCH), the out-going Chief Judge explained that the Multi-Door Court House is meant to serve as an alternative dispute resolutions (ADR) practice which is designed to increase access to justice for the public.

This implies that the litigants

Standing 3rd from right is the Chief Judge of Cross River State, Justice Dorathy Eyamba while 3rd from Left is Arch Bishop Joseph Edra Ugbo during 2012 legal year in Calabar after special thanksgiving service at Egerton road cathedral the increasing call for judicial serious urgent attention in the are being encouraged to try out independenc which includes the area of mostly junior staff t h e a l t e r n a t i v e d i s p u t e ability to withdraw their annual employment including the resolution (ADR) which is in budgetary allocation and security officers to protect the consonance with the current appropriate same as they deem judicially properties as well as trend in conflict and dispute necessary not to beg the other categories of staff to resolutions approach having the executive for the release of the salvage the system from total advantages of saving cost, time tax payer's fund. collapse. and the personal satisfaction of It is also very shameful and On the area of appointment of the disputing parties. embarrassing that for the past Judges, the Chief Judge For the overall statistics of the twelve years of democracy in c o m m e n d e d t h e s t a t e spread of prison inmates in Cross River State, the ruling Governor's prompt action in various prison formation across Peoples Democratic Party has responding to the Nigerian the state as at 31st August, 2012, not deemed it right to join the J u d i c i a l C o u n c i l s Justice Eyamba-Idem indicated league of other states in Nigeria r e c o m m e n d a t i o n o n t h e that Calabar Prison has the in ensuring absolute separation appointments of Justice Edem capacity for 450 only but lockof power between the three Ita Kooffreh and justice Ofem I. up 662 plus 2 lodgers, Obubra arms of government.

Ofem as two new judges to Prison capacity is 127, lock-up This situation could be more increase the number from 100 only, Ikom Prison capacity understandable when less than a fourteen to now sixteen. for 200 and lock-up 81, Ogoja month to go for retirement, D e s p i t e t h o s e t w o Prison capacity is 400, lock-up Chief Judge of Cross River appointments which may be 36 inmates, Obudu Prison State, Hon. Justice Dorothy Nsa considered to be on merit, Hon. capacity is 49 with lock-up of 29 Eyamba-Idem lamented during Justice Eyamba-Idem further while the Adim Prison capacity the occasion of the 2012/2013 d e s c r i b e d t h o s e t w o stand at 200 with lock-up of 51 legal year valedictory court appointments as being “still inmates only. session in Calabar recently. inadequate” as there is need for She also called on the She politely emphasized that more judges to be appointed for Nigerian Prison Authority to “the financial autonomy of the the state Judiciary because the assist in the transferring of Judicial is expressly provided demands for more judicially convicted persons from the

Calabar Prison to other Prisons formations in the state in attempt to ensure decongestion of the Calabar Prison while commending the authority of Prisons in the state for their contributions and good relationship in administration of criminal justice system.

In his own address to the Court, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Attah Ochinke, used the forum to react against the states governor's agitation for a state police and frowned that such opportunity should not be given to them because it will breed disunity and destroy the country instead of building unity.

About the issue of the ceded Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroon based on the ICJ judgment, the state legal officer did completely discountenance the alleged Green Tree Agreement signed by former President Obasanjo and called for a total revisit of the ICJ judgment.

On the recent Supreme court judgment which ceded Cross River State 76 Oil wells to the sister-state of Akwa Ibom state, Mr Ochinke expressed shock that President GoodLuck Jonathan had continued to support the Akwa Ibom State Government even when it is a glaring fact that they presented fake map to the Court.

He used the opportunity to intimate members of the bar, the bench. as well as the few journalists present that his Ministry had concluded arrangement to carry on a review of the criminal laws of the state and promised to make copies available to them for criticism.

In the comment of the only Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who was present at the Court, Mr. Joe Agi, described the late General Sani Abacha as the only saint of the military who refused to succumb to the offer made by the Cameroonian Government requesting for the ceding of Bakassi Peninsula to them.

He explained that late Abacha had vowed not to allow even an inch land of Nigeria to be given out to Cameroon Republic until the coming of President Obasanjo, who connived to sell out the peninsula while the children of some influential Nigerians are today drilling oil from the area.

Mr. Agi strongly prayed that even though General Sani Abacha has died, another Abacha will soon emerge to redeem the lost Bakassi Peninsula from the hands of the Cameroon Republic as he also quoted from Deuteronomy in the Christian bible to support his claim.

THE

ADVOCATE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

25

News

DISCO bidding gets K-leg  Oshiomhole, Uduaghan, Fayemi, Mimiko tackle BPE  say bidding fraudulent

V

ISIBLE signs that all may not have gone well with technical bid opening of some Power Distribution Companies emerged last Thursday as Governors Adams Oshiomhole (Edo); Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta); Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); and Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) have rejected Vigeo Power Consortium the preferred bidder for Benin Electricity Distribution Company.

The governors also said they would stop the Indian company which won the bid, from operating in any of their states.

The governors reacted after a consortium put together by the four states and which had bided for the Benin DISCO through their technical partner, Southern Electricity Distribution Consortium lost the bid to Vigeo, an India consortium.

Similar loss of bidding by a consortium put together by the South East governors for the Enugu Distribution Company lost to a company said to be owned by business mogul, Chief Emeka Offor.

While Governor Peter Obi chose to keep the reactions of the governors of the South East close to his heart, the Governors of the South South states, at a press briefing in Abuja said that the bid process, as conducted by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) was “a fraudulent racket that failed credibility test”.

According to the governors (with exception of Mimiko, who was not present) at a joint press conference, "the entire process was a racket that's inconsistent with running a transparent government. The BPE used a set of criteria that have never been u s e d b e f o r e ” .

Insisting that the bidding was riddled with fraud, the Governors claimed that "the figures put forward by Vigeo were shady and we observed that funny things started happening even before the bids were o p e n e d . We k n o w t h e importance of power and we cannot allow a mediocre to take over the destiny of our people.

"A number of technical issues are at stake in this exercise. The winners of the bid have little knowledge about the environment in which they want to operate.

The BPE manipulated the process in favour of their preferred bidder".

The protesting state governors maintained that besides lacking the technical know how to operate the company, sponsors of Vigeo do not have the required financial capability to carry on with such project, just like is the case with Ajaokuta Steel Company and similar companies sold in the past.

According to them, having invested huge taxpayers' money from their various states in the electricity distribution projects, they were not going to sit idly by and watch their people's investments go down the drain.

They wondered how Vigeo's technical partner, NDPL with operational scope of 510 square kilometers, managed to win a bid to operate a 57, 000 square kilometres service territory in an

area like the Niger Delta region, without any knowledge of terrain or volatility of the area.

Said the Governors: "They (Vigeo) do not even know the area, yet they want to do something in five years that they have not been able to do in 11 years in an urban 500 kilometre territory they are currently operating in.

“Our consortium is led by the industry leader in India covering 4328 villages and 43 towns. It won the Gold Shield Award for the Year 2011 for utility excellence, posting the highest loss reduction ever in Asia (6.6 percent in 2010) and (10.12 percent in 2011)”.

They insisted that attempt by the BPE to sell the DISCO to Vigeo was to further cripple the

power sector by manipulating the bid process in favour of individuals with the "right connection" but without the required financial muscle and technical know how to operate the project.

The Governors insisted that the winners of the bid had “forged figures and cooked up the books just to win the bid”, adding that the people in their states will be made to suffer if the manipulation is allowed to stand and that the government of the day will also suffer the backlash.

"In our region, you cannot succeed in operating the utility without the participation of the state governments, knowledge of the environment and relationship with the different stakeholders like the youths,

communities leaders and others.

Our consortium passed all these tests but others did not.

"Our states have invested heavily in power generation, transmission and distribution across the length and breadth of our respective states as we recognize the importance of power as the precondition for socio economic growth and industrialization of our states.

"It was for this reason that we participated in the bid process and came out as the most technically competent with the consortium that is most suited to the peculiarities of our region.

The BPE should not play with our collective future", the Governors warned.

L-R: Guest Lecturer, Chief Philip Asiodu, Chairman of the occasion, Chief Alex Ekwueme, and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Uwais, at the presentation of public service award to Justice Uwais in Abuja, on Tuesday

Enugu approves N28m for transformers at Mechanic village

E

nugu State government has approved the installation of electricity distribution transformers worth over N28. 5 million at the new Mechanic Village at Ugwuaji, a Satellite Village near the State capital.

The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke

said that approval for the installation of the transformers was given by the State Executive Council during its 20th meeting chaired by the Acting Governor of the State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi in Enugu.

According to him, the installation of the distribution transformers will also help

facilitate the movement of the mechanics to the village.

Ugwoke, who was briefing the press at the end of the meeting of the council said that the project will be executed through direct labour.

The Commissioner, who was accompanied by the Senior Special Assistance to the

Governor on Media, Mr. Afam Okereke restated the determination of the State Governor to ensure smooth and early movement of the mechanics to the village and decongest and restore the esthetics of the Coal City.

Ugwoke also told the press that the council received reports from various ministries departments and agencies on the relocation to their distinct new locations as work had since started at the new Secretariat site.

THE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

26

ADVOCATE

RELIGION

The Advocate TB Joshua and Kingson's Wife (1) No success for Gospel This Week

By Gabriel Agbo

sheep stealers A

John 10:27-29 : My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no-one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. (NIV) NARRATION: The shepherd's job is to lead the sheep to good pasture and to protect them. Jesus is the Shepherd and He guides everyone who listens to His words and obeys them. He leads them to live a spiritually healthy life, called 'eternal life' which starts when we are born again and continues through death into an eternity of provision and service. While He leads us, nobody (person, angel or demon) has authority to capture us, and take us away from Jesus or Father God. Neither the devil nor his demons can pull people out of God's kingdom. They are safe in the Shepherd's hand. It is also true that Jesus will not throw anyone out of His kingdom (John 6:37-40). All those who come to Jesus are kept safe by Him. However, it is very important that we continue to follow Him and obey Him. The Bible gives no comfort to those who persistently rebel and urges believers to continue trusting Jesus (Colossians 1:22-23, Hebrews 3:14). So, although there is a constant challenge to stay close to the Shepherd, we should not be frightened that Satan can drag us away from His love.

Yes, Satan may tempt us, and often does, and we may give in to some temptations, but the sheep who is truly in Jesus' flock will realise that there is no other shepherd who is strong enough to deliver and merciful enough to forgive. The guarantee that Jesus gave is matched by the guarantee of God the Father - that no-one can snatch us out of God's hand.

So let us rejoice in our security, repent of wandering away, and return to our Shepherd in repentance and faith. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

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.

gain, Prophet TB Joshua was in the news recently for another controversy. This minister and his organisation; The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) remain the most controversial Christian personalities in the world today. There are doubts over their emergence, miracles, prophecies, source of power and other activities. In fact, every action of this prophet or any news from his synagogue is always received with suspicion by the Christian community, the media and even unbelievers. So, few weeks ago, when Adelaide Tawiah; the wife of the Ghanaian former premier league goalkeeper Richard kingson was reported to have confessed on a television programme organised by Joshua that she was a witch and was responsible for spiritually sabotaging her husband's football carrier and also rendering him impotent, I knew it was going to be another 'rain of bashes' for the ArigidiAkoko born self-styled preacher.

Kingson who has previously played in the Premier League for Birmingham, Wigan and Blackpool, has failed to find a new club since being released from Bloomfield Road last year and has also lost his place in the Ghana national team.

The couple went to be prayed for and as the prophet was casting out the 'evil spirit' from Mrs Kingson, she fell down and began to confess, “I messed up Richard's life ever since we got married. I used my evil powers to trouble his career, I've been working on him spiritually to the point he could not perform in bed,” Imagine that! On television! Before her husband and the congregation! Before the whole world! She has since denied being a witch or responsible for her husband's misfortunes. She said she was spiritually manipulated by TB to make those confessions. She says she has been very supportive of her husband's carrier and never worked against him. Kingson has also denied that his wife is a witch.

But all these are coming late because the damage has already been done.

Remember this is the same woman who saved Kingson from shame in 2006 when she advised him not to take a $300,000 bribe to let in two goals during a match against the Czech Republic at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. This tempting amount was against the paltry sum of $8,000 that was the winning bonus for the match. She told her husband not to involve in such dirty deal because her love for him is not for money. She has also stressed that her husband knows how inspirational she has been to his goalkeeping career.

Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua, fondly called TB Joshua is not new controversies. Remember, when Chris Oyakhilome visited him sometime ago.

That singular action caused so much uproar in the Nigeria Christian circles and the media promptly feasted on it. The 'vibrations' from that crisis dictated the headlines for the major newspapers and

magazines for so many weeks. The Nigerian Christians were confused.

Though they had permanently placed TB as a false prophet, but they didn't know what to do with Chris Oyakhilome; who later claimed that he shares the same father-in-the- lord with TB, and was going to the synagogue to learn healing from the prophet. This shook the whole nation. Many ministers of the gospel reacted. People like Chris Okotie chided Oyakhilome and also began to dissect TB's operations; describing him as a high occult manipulator. Trust him to use known and unknown words to drive home this point. It was virtually media a war between them. I still remember some of those headlines: 'The War of the Chrises', 'Crisis of the Chrises', 'Oyakhilome Replies Okotie', etc.

It was later that we were made to know that the publicity given to the Oyakhilome's visits to the Synagogue was arranged by TB and his media assistants. The same people that did the 'work' are now saying so. Have you watched the video produced by one Bisi and Agomoh? Bisi said she was the head of TB's media team and Agomoh, the former Deputy to the prophet. The pictures and the confession in this video are simply shocking, revealing, unbelievable and unprintable. I watched it objectively, comparing it with other facts that I have. And if these things are fake, why have the producers not been sued for defamation up till now?? But are these men truly fake prophets or antiChrist? How do you know a fake prophet or a fake place of worship?? We will continue next week, God bless!

Rev Agbo is the author of the book Power of Midnight Prayer and a minister with the Assemblies of God Nigeria.

Tel: 08037113283, E-mail:gabrielagbo@yahoo.com

TB Joshua

THE

ADVOCATE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

27

NEWS

2012 South East Economic Summit Seeks to Restore the Glories of Agriculture in the Zone

T

he 2012 South East Economic Summit will set a simple but lofty challenge for the Governments of the 5 - states in the zone restore the glories of Agriculture as a strategy for the rapid transformation of the economy of the zone.

Accordingly, the Central Planning Committee (CPC) of the Summit has articulated the theme for the Summit as Harnessing the Agricultural & Industrial Potentials of the South East.

Rising from a brainstorming session during the week the Central Planning Committee recalled that the economy of the Eastern Region under the regime of Dr. Michael Okpara in the 1960s achieved world fame as the fastest growing economy through creative and massive investment in the development of agriculture, arguing that nothing stood in the way of re-enacting those glorious days of the past, today.

The Committee further noted that the focus on Agriculture was in line with the mandate it received from the Summit Stakeholders during its inauguration, namely, to zero in on those strategic sectors that would help to consolidate and deepen the gains from the first edition which focused generally on Creating a 21st Century Economy for the South East Zone.

Briefing the Press after the meeting, Chief Chris Obiefuna, the Chairman of the Central Planning Committee said, “ the 2012 summit will focus exclusively on Agriculture and Industry. The essence is to clearly outline the key issues, policy challenges as well as implementation, coordination and networking gaps that impede effective growth of agriculture and industry in the region. This is predicated on the fact that the people of the South East are very industrious. In addition, the region has

potentials for a solid agricultural base that could support the food security drive of Nigeria. As such, the Summit will advocate that Governments of the Zone should build on the agricultural and industrial potentials available by examining the issues and challenges and outlining measures that will positively fast track the harnessing of these attributes for meaningful economic growth and employment generation, bearing in mind that we had done it before and we can do it again.”

The summit will consist of a two-day technical workshop session that will be the backbone for the third day of summit. The two days (7th and 8th November) will largely consist of technical papers, breakout sessions and panel discussions aimed at articulating the issues in agricultural and industrial growth of the South East. This

will involve experts and handson practitioners from the public and private sectors engaging one another to discuss lead papers and technical presentations by internationally renowned Speakers and Scholars on the theme. The discussions will distil from these Papers the implementable programmes which will be presented to the Governors of the South East States and other Summit Stakeholders on the third and final day of the Summit.

A Session on the third day will be devoted to soul searchng discussions on the political future of the people and governments of the South East in Nigeria. Over 300 experts, professionals and hands-on practitioners will feature in the technical sessions while the South East political elite including the Governors, Members of the National and State House of Assembly of the 5-States in the zone - Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and

Imo States - will feature in the activities marking the grand finale of the Summit on Friday, 9th November.

The 2012 Summit which has been scheduled to hold at Nike Lake Resort, Enugu from Wednesday,7th through Friday, 9th November will follow the very successful first edition held in September, last year.

More than 1,000 high net worth Ndigbo from all walks of life within Nigeria and in Diaspora including the Governors of the 5 South East States attended the Summit. At the closing ceremony, the Governors from the zone under the banner of the South East Governors' Forum, adopted the Summit platform as an annual event on which to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in brotherhood to pool ideas and resources for the strategic development of the Zone as a contiguous bloc. This adoption was anchored on the resolution passed at the Summit and reaffirmed in the Communiqué that the Summit shall be an annual event.

Anglican Bishop urges Nigerians to help floods victims The Bishop on the Niger Diocese, Anglican Communion 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.

While urging Nigerians to

emulate the Eteleson family of Onitsha in supporting the advancement of evangelism, the Anglican Bishop explained that the relief materials recently distributed to floods victims in parts of Anambra State by the Diocese, was to alleviate their d i f f i c u l t y, e v e n a s h e commended Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi for also providing the succor.

Earlier, at business convention organized as part of activities to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Eteleson Group held inside the Company's International Conference Centre at Onitsha, the chairman, Sir Alfred Nworah Etele and group managing director, Obinna Etele, in their joint address expressed joy that a business that started in 1962 by late Pa Alfred Nwabukaodigbo, as a mere music records shop, has today blossomed into a multinational company with seven branches in Nigeria, United Kingdom and the United States of America.

According to them “despite the Nigerian civil war from 1967 1970, the dream of the founding father of shooting Etele's name as a world supper power in commerce and industry was kept alive, even as the Eteleson Group had now become the sole

and trade distributors of several p r o d u c t s f r o m d i ff e r e n t manufacturing companies globally.

They continued: at the moment, we are the sole marketers in Africa of Wood Preservative Chemical Solignum from United Kingdom, lime paint,

chalk, Eva non alcoholic sparkling wine from Spain, crocodile machetes from England, and several other items.

To inject life and provide some comfort to Nigerians who have had nightmares experiencing excruciating heat, following the

country's perennial energy problem, the Eteleson Group, has again pioneered the introduction into Nigerian market, a Rechargeable Fan, with capacity of working for over five hours after power failure.

Bureau De Change operator jailed 2.5 years over N76m fraud

J

ustice Dije Abdu Aboki of a Kano State High Court has sentenced a bureau de change operator, Muktar Yusuf Gwadabe, who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to two and half years imprisonment with an option of two hundred and fifty thousand naira (N250, 000.00) fine. He was convicted for fraud, criminal breach of trust and issuance of a dishonoured cheque amounting to seventy six million naira.

The Judge further made an order for restitution of the sum of seventy six million naira (N76, 000, 000) by the convict to the complainant, Alhaji Nura Ammani and in default, to serve a prison term of five years.

Gwadabe was arrested in February 2009 by the operatives of the EFCC following a petition from Alhaji Ammani who allegedly gave him (Gwadabe) the sum of one

hundred and fifty two million naira (N152, 000,000) for the supply of one million US dollars ($1,000, 000.00).

The convict then supplied five hundred thousand US dollars ($500,000.00), (equivalent of N76million), but allegedly misappropriated and converted to his personal use, the balance of $500,000.00 or the naira equivalent (N76 million).

The accused subsequently issued a cheque of N76 million to the complainant which when presented for payment was returned unpaid because of insufficient fund in the accused person's account.

Consequently, he was charged for criminal breach of trust and issuance of a dishonored cheque.

Count one of the charge that sent Gwadabe to jail reads: “that you Muktar Yusuf Gwadabe (being a bureau de change operator), on or about February

2009, in Kano within the judicial division of the High Court of Justice of Kano State in that capacity was entrusted with certain property , to wit: seventy six million naira (N76,000, 000), which you converted to your use and thereby committed criminal breach of trust: an offence punishable under section 312 of the Penal Code Laws of Kano State”.

Muktar Yusuf Gwadabe

THE

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Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

28

CRIME WATCH

French firm: 7 sailors kidnapped off Nigeria coast G

River off Bayelsa state. That's close to the Pennington Export Terminal run by U.S.-based Chevron Corp., which loads unmen attacked a ship Another nine sailors onboard crude onto large oil tankers for operated by a French oil the vessel sailed safely away to export to the West. a n d g a s s e r v i c e s the company's port in Onne in "Forward operational bases company off the coast of Nigeria's Rivers state, the of the (military) have been Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta, company said. directed by the commander to kidnapping six Russian sailors "The emergency unit set up comb the entire area and track and an Estonian in the assault, immediately by Bourbon has d o w n t h e p e r p e t r a t o r s , " the firm said Wednesday. been set up to aim at their rapid Nwachukwu said.

Paris-based Bourbon SA liberation under the safest The Bourbon Liberty 249 is offered only a tersely worded security conditions," the an anchor handling ship, a type statement on its website about company said in its statement. A of vessel designed to supply oil the attack Monday near the company spokesman reached in rigs and tow them to a drilling Niger Delta, where the company Paris declined to elaborate on site. w o r k s c l o s e l y w i t h o i l the company's statement and did Foreign oil companies have companies like Chinese-owned not say where the kidnapping pumped oil out of the Niger Addax Petroleum. Gunmen actually took place.

Delta, a region of mangroves apparently attacked the Bourbon Late Wednesday, military and swamps the size of Portugal, Liberty 249 and seized the spokesman Lt. Col. Onyema for more than 50 years. Despite sailors before escaping, the Nwachukwu said the attack the billions of dollars flowing company said. happened near the Pennington into Nigeria's government,

many in the delta remain desperately poor, living in polluted waters without access to proper medical care, education or work. The poor conditions sparked an uprising in 2006 by militants and opportunistic criminals who blew up oil pipelines and kidnapped foreign workers.

That violence ebbed in 2009 with a government-sponsored amnesty program that offered ex-fighters monthly payments and job training. However, few in the delta have seen the promised benefits and sporadic kidnappings and attacks continue. The last major kidnapping happened in August, when gunmen attacked a vessel operated by Sea Trucks Group, another oil and gas contractor, and abducted four workers. The workers were later released unharmed.

While kidnappings in the delta routinely involve violence, most hostages are released a few weeks later after their employers pay a ransom.

Bourbon operates support vessels for offshore oil rigs and provides repair, inspection and maintenance services for undersea oil fields, and has a smaller unit that ships commodities like coal, grain and timber worldwide. The company had revenues of 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) last year.

The company has been targeted by kidnappers in Nigeria before. In October 2008, pirates near Cameroon's border with Nigeria kidnapped 10 Bourbon workers, all of whom were later released. Pirates also kidnapped and later released nine Bourbon workers seized off Nigeria's coast in January 2009.

In the most recent attack on Bourbon, attackers armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles clashed with Nigerian navy forces in a failed bid to take over an offshore oil platform, then kidnapped three French employees of Bourbon in September 2010. The workers were later released.

Accused murderers of Aluu 4 Remanded in prison custody till December

A

Magistrate's Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday ordered 13 persons, including the traditional ruler of Aluu community, Alhaji Hassan Welewa, to be remanded in prison custody for the murder of four University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) students.

The accused are standing trial for the murder of Tuko Lloyd, Ugonna Obuzor, Tekena Elkanah and Chidiaka Biringa, who were believed to have been framed up as robbers and lynched in OmiakiriAluu, Rivers State, on October 5.

The charge sheet indicated that the accused faced a fivecount charge of murder, felony, conspiracy, lynching and burning.

They included Lucky Orji, a 43-year-old former police sergeant who reportedly partook in the murder. He is listed as the third accused.

Rivers State Commissioner of Police Mohammed Ndabawa, who is the plaintiff, was represented by Adiari Idafi, a sergeant.

Idafi told Magistrate Emmanuel C. Woke that the suspects allegedly killed the four UNIPORT students.

He identified the accused as Hassan Welewa (59), Lawal Segun (28), Cynthia Chinwo (24), George Nwadei (20), Ekpe Daniel (30) listed as 1st, 2nd, 4th

6th accused respectively.

Others are Okoghiroh Endurance (24), Gabriel Oche (33), Ozioma Abajuo (23), Endurance Edet (27), Ikechukwu Louis Amadi (aka Kapoon) (32), David Chinasa Ugbaje (30) and Chigozie Evans Samuel, listed as 7th 13th accused in that order.

The offence is punishable under Section 314 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Laws of Rivers State, Nigeria, 1999 and Section 319 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. III laws of

Rivers state, Nigeria, 1999.

Although the charges were read to the 13 accused persons, who said they understood the crimes they were standing trial for, their pleas were not taken.

Woke ordered that the accused be remanded in police custody for further investigation and adjourned the case till December 20.

The suspected killers are facing a five-count charge, including conspiracy and murder.

Abubakar, IGP

Armed Robber killed in shoot out with Police

T

he Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Police Command has said that the corps of an alleged armed robber killed in Wuse zone 2 is in its custody while fleeing from a robbery scene.

Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Wuse Zone 3 Police Division, Mr Haruna Garba made the announcement on in Abuja while briefing newsmen, “On Thursday, at about 20:15 p.m. we received an anonymous distress call that there was a robbery going on at Pecham Street, Wuse Zone 2.

“Dispatched two patrol teams to the scene where they were involved in a shoot out with the armed robbers.

“They were three in number, two fled by foot from the scene while one was gunned down in the process of entering the stolen car,” ' he said.

Garba said the police recovered an SMG riffle with nine rounds of 9mm live ammunition, a laptop and three mobile phones from the scene.

The police said that the car, a metallic Toyota Highlander jeep with plate number Gombe AW 808 GME, was reported to have

been stolen at Area 11, behind KIA Motors earlier in the day, according to him the owner of the car was one Mr Caleb from Gombe State, who was in Abuja on a visit.

He noted the owner of the vehicle parked the car behind KIA Motors at Area 11, Garki when he and another fellow were approached with a gun and commanded to hand over his car key and lie down in the mud, saying that the car refused to start because of a security device that had to be disconnected first and so the owner was called again to disengage the device.

He said the armed robbers, not only went away with the car but also took a bag with N20,000

and four mobile phones.

The police boss affirmed that said after the shoot out, the police recovered the car, with other items, including the N20,000 but the four mobile phones belonging to the victims were not among the items recovered.

Garba assured Nigerians that the police was doing everything in its power to protect citizens and curb crimes.

Also noted that the police were still investigating as the fallen armed robber and trace the other suspects still at-large by using the three mobile phones recovered which the police believed belong to the suspects

THE

ADVOCATE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

29

BUSINESS

Electricity consumers owe PHCN N19bn in Uyo

By Our Reporter

T

he head customer affairs of the PHCN in AkwaIbom Zonal Distribution office, Mr Sebastian Ekokah has said that electricity consumers in the state owed the company N19 billion.

Ekokah stated this in Uyo at a three-day retreat by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory C o mmi s s io n ( N E R C ) o n Consumer Assembly to enlighten consumers on their rights. ``The reason for this attitude is that many Nigerians have that mentality that electricity is the

social responsibility of government and it should not be paid for, but provided free to the people. ``But PHCN is now taking measure to stop this abnormality. ``We now use methods, such as disconnecting customers, use of security men and the Federal Government directive that Ministry of Finance should deduct debts from source from those ministries, agencies, establishments such as police, army and others, '' he said.

He urged consumers to pay their bills so that the power

industry would work efficiently and be sustained in Nigeria.

On the allegations that some PHCN officials collect bribes before fixing electrical problems for clients, Ekokah advised consumers to use cameras to take photographs of those indulging in the illegality.

Dr Sam Amadi, the Chairman of NERC, who was represented by Dr Anthony Akah, General Manager Government and Consumer Division of the commission, also stated that the meeting was to sensitize customers to ensure that they understand their rights

at all time.

According to him, the sensitization would last for two days, to conduct an intensive and effective monitoring of PHCN's compliance to the commission's regulations.

Amadi noted that NERC would address the method of estimating bills for those who did not have functional meters, according to him, the measure would address the issues of inflated bills given to PHCN customers and the purchase of transformers and electricity poles by consumers.

H e a ff i r m e d t h a t t h e commission and PHCN, on

June 1, agreed on a Multi-Tariff Order as one of the mandates given under the Electricity Power Sector Reform of Nigeria 2005.

The Act empowers NERC to increase the rate of electricity usage by customers every five years, stating that the order would accommodate all the elements for producing, transmitting, and distributing electricity.

The Chairman further said that technical experts of NERC would on begin to examine the operations of PHCN business units in Uyo. NERC would interview customers, examine their meters and billing systems to avoid the violation of customers' rights.

96 ships expected in Lagos ports from Oct.19 to Nov. 20

T

PHCN substation at Makeri

he Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Friday said that 96 ships a r e e x p ec ted at v a r io u s terminals in the Lagos ports from Oct. 19 to Nov. 20.

NPA said this in its daily publication, “Shipping Position” made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

The document indicated that the ships are laden with fresh fish, bulk wheat, bulk malt, bulk sugar, petroleum products, new and used vehicles, containers and general cargo.

NPA said that the ships are expected at Kirikiri Lighter

Terminal, Josepdam Terminal, Ports and Cargo Handling Services Ltd., and the Tin-can Island Container Terminal It added that other terminals where the ships are being expected include: Greenview Development Nigeria Ltd., APM Terminals, Apapa and P o r t s a n d Te r m i n a l Multiservices Ltd. NPA reported that 15 fuel-laden ships including 10 ships containing petrol are waiting to berth and discharge at the various oil terminals in Lagos.

It reported that three ships laden with rice and base oil are also waiting to berth at the ports.

FG seek investment in auto assembly plants

T

he Nigeria Engineers efforts to distinguished themselves from others in the world has continued to be positive as a wind turbine inventor in Enugu State, Mr Sebastine Omeh, has noted that the country has potential for more than 41,000 gigawatts of energy yet untapped.

Omeh, who presented a paper at the 25th annual general meeting of the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers in Enugu, said wind was available in all parts of the country, according to him .the electrical engineer, who showed a wind map of Nigeria, said the government should

harness the abundant wind resource to meet its energy challenges. ``The only resource needed in wind energy generation is the wind, which is clean, abundant, renewable and free,'' he said.

In the paper titled: ``The viability of wind energy for power generation in Nigeria,'' Omeh said the country was blessed with all-season wind which was not hazardous, saying that Nigeria did not need to import the technology since it was already available locally, explaining that transportation was a major problem in importing the turbines.

``The length of the blades makes it cumbersome to move them from point to point, like from the place of manufacture to the port and to the place of use. ``So, in most cases, the turbines are used in the countries where they are manufactured. They are available here now, so it is an offer we are making to the government,'' he added.

Omeh affirmed that the turbine, designed and constructed by his Hybrid Micro Machines Products Ltd, was totally indigenous with local raw materials and based on this the country is progressing technologically, he stated.

T

he Federal Government has asked that automobile companies invest in more assembly plants, and have asked the companies to come up with proposals. The Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Mr. Samuel Ortom, said this in Abuja at the opening of the 14th edition of the Abuja Motor Show, adding that the government was ready to support the project for the development of the local auto industry.

“The thrust of the National Automotive Policy is to ensure the survival, growth and development of the Nigerian automotive industry using local and international human and material resources; this is with a

view to enhancing the industry's contribution to the economy.

The targets of this policy include the provision of automotive vehicles for urban and rural areas; accelerated technological development; increased employment opportunities for Nigerians; conservation of scarce foreign exchange; establishment of integrated automotive industry; standardisation and rationalisation of the Nigerian automotive industry; increased private sector participation in the auto industry, and creating conducive operational environment through the introduction of appropriate fiscal and monetary incentives.”

Ortom said.

THE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

30

ADVOCATE

NEWS

High-profile Boko Haram member arrested at senator's home

M

AIDUGURI (AFP) Nigerian authorities said Friday they had arrested an alleged high-profile member of Islamist extremist group Boko Haram at the home of a senator in the violence-torn Nigerian city of Maiduguri.

The statement from a military task force in Maiduguri did not name the senator and provided few other details.

There have been allegations of links between elements of Boko Haram and local politicians in the past.

“A high-profile Boko Haram commander, one Shuaibu Mohammed Bama, who has been on the list of wanted terrorists … was arrested by task force troops in a serving senator's house …,” the statement said of the arrest on Thursday.

Catalogue of attacks blamed on Nigeria's Boko Haram Following are the main attacks linked to the Boko Haram Islamist sect in Nigeria since 2009: 2009 - July 26: Boko Haram launches a short-lived uprising

in parts of the north that is brutally crushed by the military in an assault that leaves more than 800 people dead, mostly sect members.

2010 - December 24 and 27: A series of attacks claimed by Boko Haram and reprisals in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, the sect's home base, and the central city of Jos kill at least 86 people.

2011 - June 16: Boko Haram says it is behind a suicide blast against police headquarters in Abuja, in which one policeman dies.

2011 - August 26: Boko Haram claims responsibility for a suicide bombing against the UN compound in Abuja, killing at least 25 people, the first attack targeting the international community.

2011- November 4: A series of attacks on police targets and churches in the northeastern city of Damaturu claimed by the sect kills at least 150 people.

2011 - December 22-23: Attacks in the cities of Damaturu, Potiskum and Maiduguri claimed by the group along with

a heavy military crackdown leave up to 100 people dead.

2011 - December 25: A wave of attacks claimed by the group targeting churches during Christmas services and police leave at least 49 people dead.

2012 - January 20: At least 185 people are killed in the northern city of Kano following coordinated bombings and gun battles, claimed by Boko Haram.

2012 - February 15: Boko Haram claims a raid on a prison in central Nigeria in which 119 inmates are set free.

2012 - April 8: An Easter bomb attack on a church in the northern city of Kaduna claims at least 41 lives.

2012 - June 17: Boko Haram claims suicide attacks at three churches at Kaduna and Zaria, sparking reprisal violence by Christian mobs who burn mosques and target their Muslim neighbours. More than 100 are killed over a week.

2012 - July 10: Boko Haram claims raids by gunmen in central Plateau state on the 7th and 8th which leave more than

100 people dead.

2012 - August 6: Gunmen open fire on an evangelical church during a service in Kogi state in central Nigeria, killing at least 19 people.

2012 - September 17: Nigerian soldiers shoot dead a man suspected to have acted as a spokesman for Boko Haram.

2012 - September 25: Nigeria's military says that it has killed a senior Boko Haram Islamist leader and arrested 156 suspected members of the group during a weekend raid in northeastern Adamawa state.

2012 - October 11: Nigerian security forces as well as Islamist extremist group Boko Haram may both be guilty of crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch says, adding the death toll of those killed in the violence is more than 2,800 people since 2009.

2012 - October 16: Nigeria's military says 24 Boko Haram members were killed in violence that rocked Maiduguri, saying the extremists launched attacks with bombs and rocketpropelled grenades.

2012 - October 18-19: Attacks and gun battles between suspected Islamists and security forces in the northeastern Nigerian town of Potiskum kill several people and destroy buildings. Explosions and gunfire are also heard in Maidguri.

“He is in the custody of the (task force) and assisting in the investigation and has since made startling revelations.”

In November 2011, Nigerian secret police said they had arrested an alleged Boko Haram spokesman with ties to a member of parliament. The alleged links however appeared to involve local politics in Nigeria's northeast.

Nigerian authorities frequently exaggerate their efforts in arresting or cracking down on Boko Haram, which has carried out scores of bombings and shootings.

Violence linked to Boko Haram's insurgency in northern and central Nigeria, including killings by security forces, is believed to have left more than 2,800 people dead since 2009.

FG's N17.6B flood relief fund won't meet needs of victims – Ex-lawmaker

F

ormer member of House of Representatives for Anambra East and West Constituency, Chief Ralph Okeke, yesterday, faulted the Federal Government's decision to channel the N17.6 billion flood disaster relief fund through the governments of the affected states saying government bureaucracy would

eventually reduce the fund by 50 percent before it gets down to the victims.

He told newsmen in Enugu that President Goodluck Jonathan's quick response by mapping out fund to assist the flood victims in 35 states was quite commendable but expressed the fears that the suffering victims of the natural

Chief Ralph Okeke

disaster now in various refugee camps might not get the benefit for which the fund was intended.

“My problem is the channel through which this assistance will get to the victims. Sending the fund through so many Ministries, Agencies, Departments and a Presidential Committee will eventually reduce the fund to about 50 percent before the assistance arrives its destinations not because anybody is a thief but because of government bureaucracy. “ A g a i n , t h e w a y M r.

President is talking about sending assistance through the Federal Ministries of Agriculture, Environment, Works, NEMA, etc, shows that the government does not know exactly what these flood victims, who are mostly farmers want. I am seeing this total sum of N17.6 billion being wasted on things that the direct victims will not need and appreciate, and the result is that we shall keep hearing of billions and more billions but in the end nobody will see anything and therefore no assistance as usual,” said Okeke, who was also Chairman o f A n a m b r a We s t l o c a l government area.

He said that as an indigene of the most affected area in the country (Anambra West LGA of Anambra State), “I know what

would be meaningful to these suffering flood victims; what they really want is direct financial assistance.”

“They little money they will get individually will enable them survive the impending hunger throughout next year farming season. It will also enable them buy seed yams and other seedlings for next year's farming season which starts from December.

“As we speak, there is an impending problem for the nation, which is hunger for the whole of next year, not only to the flood victims but the nation at large because the flood washed away all the seed yams, seedlings of other crops harvested and un-harvested crops including their properties which some of them acquired since the past 20 years.

“In fact, if government could give just N10,000 to each victim directly and in the process spends a total sum of N12 billion, it is more useful to them (victims) than spending a total sum of N50 billion through so many ministries and agencies buying more relief items like blankets, bread, rice, garri, amala, etc. At least I am speaking for the five Grade A affected people in Nigeria. I have not come across any flood

victim in Abuja, Lagos and similar states. But if there are, I think what they will need will be uninterrupted light, tarred roads, affordable houses etc.

“Therefore, my suggestion is that this N17.6 billion should be channeled through the Presidential Committee on Flood that has just been created.

More money should be raised and added to it through the movement of about 50 percent of the existing ecological fund in the 2012 or 2013 budget to this committee for flood victims.

“Flood is ecological problem and there is nothing to award as contracts in flood issue. This is because as we speak, there is no technology or science to check flood. Yes, it is an issue of global warming or climate change that seasonally pushes more water to earth than required and this in turn makes the Ocean and Rivers Niger and others to overflow their banks.

When it starts, it comes very sudden and from all direction,” Okeke said.

He, however, called on governments of the affected states to send 50 percent of their own share of the ecological fund and any other money they mapped out as a direct assistance to the affected people in order to alleviate their suffering and to enable them survive the difficult year ahead.

THE

ADVOCATE

Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

BACK PAGE COMMENT only during this Goodluck presidency that Nigerians have been openly treated with the exposure of the massive corruption in almost all facets of our daily lives. It has never happened before and the president has painstakingly insisted that exposure is one thing applying due process is sine qua non in ensuring that an innocent man is not wrongly convicted. If there are weaknesses, that can only be laid at the doors of our judicial process which we rightly separated from the executive arm. Can we really accuse Jonathan to be indecisive when he has totally resisted the temptation to apply massive force in fighting internal terrorism when he has repeatedly insisted that other peaceful means can be applied to achieve the same result of stamping terrorism out of Nigeria? The idea that unless a particular decision is taken and not an alternative decision confirms indecisiveness is totally misplaced. On the issue of corruption, we all agreed that corruption is a grand-father in Nigeria. Can anyone sincerely accuse President Jonathan administration? If corruption is 'grand-father' in Nigeria are we realistic enough to expect Goodluck to wipe it out in few years. What is important is that the president has shown a remarkable decision to stamping it out or at least containing corruption to a manageable level. On jobs, the level of joblessness predates the Goodluck presidency and that is no excuse for the lack of a massive programme to be mounted in the sector of providing jobs for the citizens.

In this issue of jobs' creation, one must admit that president Jonathan has failed woefully to correct it.

On the balance, the huge

31

NEWS The Okorocha, Kalu's quest for Presidency in 2015

propaganda to paint President Jonathan as underperforming is not a fair verdict. We in Nigeria are very impatient. We want easy fixes and always swiftly but damages accruing over decades will take some time to resolve. We are not here to defend President Jonathan but as far as the Southeast agenda is concerned, Jonathan is the card that makes realistic course for the realization of Igbo presidency. We, in the Southeast should be in the vanguard to point out to Jonathan traducers that time is required to repair the damages visited on Nigeria by many years of misrule.

It should be clear to the people of Igbo extraction that governor Rochas Okorocha is definitely not the answer to the Southeast presidential aspiration. Rochas is only fencing to make believe that he is aspiring for p r e s i d e n c y. H e i s o n l y establishing a tricky operation to attract high bidders from the north to scuttle Jonathan's second term ambition. The strategy is quite simple, present a situation where the Jonathan catchment area i.e. the SouthSouth, Southeast and Southwest look disorganized. This has been a tested strategy of the northern political establishment to wrest power back from the south not minding the many years they have occupied power without showing anything for it.

Rochas and Orji Uzor Kalu shall soon be in competition on who shall outdo the other. At the end, both will present themselves as presidential candidates shopping for southeast votes with the clear hidden agenda to rubbish Igbo votes and remove any leverage to properly organize an achievable Igbo presidency in future.

The entire Rochas Okorocha's style was to mount an unprecedented populist propaganda about the

Continues from back page political direction the Igbos “miracles” he is performing in Imo state. If he has tempered this massive propaganda with a minuscule of real performance, the deceit would have succeeded but he was too fast and in the process he completely exposed himself for what he really is. He is on the firm belief that continuous repetition of false achievements will with time be accepted as facts and besides most people outside Imo state would accept the propaganda as facts and spread the propaganda across Nigeria.

Since most of the claims were outright falsehood, the propaganda grossly misfired and investigative journalists started exposing those claims.

Rochas Okorocha has perfected the act of double dealing and ultimately he stands to gain at the expense, of the Igbos. His strategy is quite obvious; his workshop is to use his position as governor to negotiate a winwin deal, heads or tails he still wins. As the Igbo presidential candidate, the real candidates either Jonathan or Buhari will of political necessity negotiate a deal with him. Rochas will demand a huge sum of money and extract a firm promise to retain his governorship seat.

Both candidates will be climbing over each other to strike a deal and as usual at the last minute, Rochas will make a somersault and announce to bewildered Igbos that he has decided to step down because he has extracted firm promise that whoever he had dealt with will yield the presidency to Igbo in 2019. This bare-face deceit cannot happen in either the Yoruba nation or in the North. It repeats in the southeast because the Igbos are seriously lacking in political depth which explains why they are so easily duped and misled in politics.

Beyond all these, the somber

should pursue should be predicated on real politick. The Igbos should always do the political arithmetic if they plan seriously to occupy the number one position in Nigeria, this cannot be achieved by their putting forward characters like Rochas Okorocha or Orji Uzor Kalu and expect other Nigerians to buy into that. These other Nigerians know these characters too well and the same Nigerians, know too well the services they use them for. The pathway for the south east president is the journey already started by the southeast support of south-south in 2011. That support should be consolidated and maintained and moved to attract North Central to join the coalition. The next zone to be approached should be the North East who are also politically marginalized in the presidency equation. This coalition will checkmate the evolving alliance being stitched together by South-West and North-West I the obvious scheming orchestrated by the Buhari/Tinubu kite-flying joint candidacy.

But President Jonathan has a lot of role to play if Nigeria is not once again hijacked by a political clique whose stock is trade is to milk Nigeria endlessly. The president must act in the area of jobs quickly to restore the confidence of Nigerians in his abilities to turn things around. The president must declare a state of emergency on the federal roads throughout Nigeria and do so by taking drastic measures such as grounding all his ministers to henceforth travel by road to anywhere they are going in Nigeria so as to experience what Nigerians are going through by travelling in Nigeria. The president should create 6 task forces headed by a minister to temporarily lead massive roads

reconstruction in the 6 zones of Nigeria. The president should himself visit these six zones periodically to personally assess the progress.

The President should call in the National Assembly and discuss a realistic approach to combat corruption and how to checkmate it. It has been widely suggested that corruption thrives because no convictions have been obtained due to the deficiencies in our judicial process. If the three arms can put their heads together, a solution can be found on how to bring justice to corrupt practices in Nigeria. The president should stimulate the economy by establishing an entrepreneur stimulus package that will provide capital to the economy by establishing an entrepreneur package that will provide capital to the thousands if not millions of our unemployed youths roaming and committing crimes across Nigeria. This stimulus package simply will engage 60,000 youths from the six zones of Nigeria i.e. 10,000 each zone and N200,000 grants are provide each totaling N120 billion for the provision of capital for them to open up enterprises, provided that this stimulus package will not again be turned into a corrupt infested bazaar that will be hijacked by bureaucratic meddlesomeness.

This stimulus package will create unprecedented exchange of goods and services and will definitely create boom in the economy.

The president should move further to cut unnecessary expenses accrued in the running of government and direct those savings to critical areas touching on the lives of the ordinary citizens of Nigeria. In case the president has not noticed, the cost of running government in Nigeria is absolutely too high.

Dr Lewes Uchendu writes from Abuja

Igbos celebrate Ekwueme, demand additional state for S-East

By Uba Ani

I

gbos from all walks of life Saturday trooped out to celebrate former Vice President Alex Ekwueme's 80th birthday with a demand for the creation of an additional state for the South East.

Igbo leaders, who addressed the huge crowd at the event held at Michael Okpara Square, unanimously agreed that the befitting gift for Ekwueme's birthday celebration is creation of a state out of the present South East zone to bring it at par with other geo-political zones.

First to open the floodgate of the demand was Governor

Rochas Okorocha of Imo state who insisted that the state must be created before other zones should talk of theirs.

Okorocha told the teeming crowd that the “additional state for Ndigbo should be created first to equal our zones with others before talking of creating states in other zones.”

The governor told Ndigbo to shed themselves of the marginalization syndrome and face the reality as it has become obsolete talking about marginalization.

Describing Ekwueme as a rare gift to Nigeria and Ndigbo in particular, Okorocha said “When I grow up, I will like to

be like you (Ekwueme).”

Governor Theodore Orji of Abia state who spoke in a similar vein emphasized the unity of Ndigbo for the realization of the Igbo dream.

To him “God blessed us with Ekwueme. He is an all rounder and excelled in every endevour.”

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State call on Ndigbo to use the the birthday celebration of Ekwueme to unite and start speaking with one voice. He said the creation of an additional state and the presidency are among the desires of Ndigbo.

“Igbos have not taken their

position in Nigeria. When Igbos take their position in Nigeria, the country will find its direction. All it requires is for the Igbos to organize themselves and work together,” Obi said.

He said the Igbos are the pillars of Nigeria and it is only Igbos who go out to other parts of the country invest, build houses and live there with their families. Other Nigerians, he said, do not invest or build houses in Igboland.

The Ohanaeze president, Ambassador Ralph Uwechue, said the geniuses of Ekwueme are most unique in its versatility. “This man is a

special gift to Igbos. His humility is exemplary. We want our youths to emulate him,” he said.

President goodluck Jonathan who was represented by the secretary to the Federal Government, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim advised the people of the South East and South to use the Ekwueme birthday celebration to mark a new beginning.

He called on Ndigbo to rally round Ekwueme in order for him to lead them to the Promised Land.

The president expressed commitment to the desires and aspirations of Ndigbo.

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TELECOMMUNICATION

Staff questions decision to take Liberia's Radio Veritas off air

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he Roman Catholic Archbishop of Monrovia said the shutdown of the church-run Radio Veritas has nothing to do with any criticism of the government.

The Most Reverend Lewis Ziegler said the station has experienced equipment problems and the church wants to shut it down until it purchases new hardware.

He would not say, however, when the station would be back on the air since it has to find money for the new equipment.

“The station has had no problem with the government. The station was not shut down.

R a d i o Ver i t a s h a d b e e n operating on old equipment bought a few years back from the United States. We have spent a lot of money on them, but they keep breaking down.

Last Tuesday, the station

went off the air because a part had spoiled, not because the station was critical of government that it was shut down. There was [a] technical breakdown in the station,” he said.

Ziegler would not say when the station would be back on the air because, he said, the church has to look for the money to buy new equipment.

“At the moment, it's not the question of correcting (repairing the broken hardware). It is the question of really getting something better that will keep us going. And, because I do not have the cash, I cannot tell how long it will take me. But, the station will be opened very soon,” the Archbishop said.

But, acting radio manager Ade Wede Kekuleh said the archbishop signed a news release informing the staff that

Radio Veritas the station had been acting outside the scope of its license.

“They sent a (news) release to institutions signed by him (the Archbishop), that was on no letterhead, and that was one of the reasons he gave that the institution had been acting outside of its scope and they had come under fire for it. So, the archbishop, he really cannot say that because they did their releases. They know exactly what they wrote. That's why I keep saying, 'I wonder when did the Catholic Church realize that we had been acting outside the scope of our license,'” she said.

Kekuleh said she is worried

because, as much as she knows, from the day Radio Veritas (which means truth in Latin) was established in July of 1997, the station has lived up to its name by giving credible and unbiased news.

“Another thing they said is that, in 1996, they [Veritas staff] stepped on toes and the radio got burnt. So, what we are concluding is that we did step on toes and that is why they have decided to shut down the station,” Kekuleh said.

She said the staff has been locked out of the station and the archbishop has promised to pay them off by the end of this

month.

“What they are doing now is severing whatever contracts they may have had with the employees, and then if they ever start again, those who are still interested to work with the radio station will have to reapply,” Kekuleh said.

Ziegler said it was not true that the employees had been locked out of the station.

Kekuleh said she and the staff believe there is more to the story than what the church is telling. But, she said her only interest is to ensure that her staff is paid off and well.

Govt moves to enhance condition of women, children

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he Federal Government and African Health Ministers have reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing access to life-saving commodities for women and children and to improving health outcomes.

Life-saving or high-impact commodities are those medicines, medical devices and health supplies that effectively address avoidable causes of death and disease among children and women during pregnancy, childbirth and childhood.

President Goodluck Jonathan at the closing ceremony of a three-day United Nations Commission on life-saving commodities for women and children (UNCC) implementation meeting on Tuesday in Abuja said that his administration had set aside $33.44 million (N5.35 billion) to procure reproductive health commodities in the next four years.

President Jonathan who launched the “Saving One Million Lives” Initiative alongside his fellow co-chair of

UNCC, the Prime Minister of Norway, H.E Jens Stoltenberg, stressed that the Federal Government had set aside $500 million (N80 billion) over the next four years for maternal, new born and child health intervention under the subsidy re-investment and empowerment programme.

African Health Ministers from Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria signed a communiqué as part of the outcomes of the conference.

Minister of State for Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said that increasing equitable access to life-saving commodities and their appropriate use, could save the lives of more than six million women and children around the world by 2015.

Pate said: “In Nigeria, we believe that saving lives is the ultimate goal for our collective efforts in the health sector and this should be the yardstick for measuring our success in this endeavour. This is why we have initiated a national programme aimed at “Saving One Million

Lives” by 2015, through equitably increasing access to, and utilisation of, quality costeffective basic health services and commodities. It is auspicious that it is in this forum, on the 16th of October, that we will be launching this initiative.”

According to the UNCC, scaling up the 10 non-family commodities could save the lives of 6.2 million women and children at an estimated cost of $1.3 billion (N208 billion), enabling 120 million more women to gain access to contraceptives between 2012 and 2020 can impact in 300,000 fewer women and three million fewer infants death with cost of approximately $4 billion (N640 billion) and family planning programmes can save 100,000 maternal lives every year.

Pate who is also the Chairman Presidential Taskforce on Polio Eradication said that innovation and rapid increases in product development and market opportunities, including the potential for better formulations, price reduction

and improved stability of supply, could rapidly improve the affordability, availability and use of selected medicines, medical devices and supplies.

He further explained: “Inadequate funding means the commodity lacks the monetary support that would allow a rapid

increase in its distribution and use. Selected commodities, therefore, are not funded by existing mechanisms, such as The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative (GAVI).

Nigeria woos investors at ITU Telecoms Conference

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igeria, yesterday lobbied global investors at the ongoing International Telecoms Union (ITU) World Conference 2012 in Dubai, to invest in the Nigerian telecoms sector, with promises to provide them with enabling business environment.

Vice-President, Namadi Sambo, who led the Nigerian delegation to the conference, assured potential investors of better opportunities to invest in Nigeria. According to him, the Nigerian telecoms sector has all it takes to attract investors, considering recent development in the telecoms and power sectors of the economy.

Sambo, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan, said the present administration has improved power generation

from 2,000 megawatts in 2010, to 4,300 megawatts in 2012, with plans to further increase it by additional 7,000 megawatts through the planned hydropower project that would soon commence.

Mrs. Omobola, Minister of Telecommunication

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NEWS

...Civil war wounds Continues from page 17

introduced a policy that led to starvation that killed over two million Igbos so he was responsible for the action.

I think, this is a time of reconciliation and not a time of joining issues with anybody so that we can move forward as a nation. So tracing the history of the civil war will provoke people and it might lead to another crisis. They know that Igbos suffered for them and they should not pay us back with criticism and all these provocative statements being issued by Yoruba leaders.

While reacting to the issue that Awolowo was right on what he did, Uzor said if you are given a gun to kill your parents, will you kill them because a gun was given to you? Who initiated a policy of starvation against Igbos? Who was instrumental to Awolowo's arrest and detention? Is it not the same people who gave him appointment that detained him? This is wickedness at the highest magnitude, the Yoruba leaders should summon courage and apologize to Ndigbo because the future of Igbo nation, millions of these people were killed due to the policy introduced by Awolowo, Uzor stated.

The Human Right Activist said “Yorubas should be ashamed of what their most beloved leader did to Ndigbo instead they have the moral right to make noise, in the pages of Newspapers, in fact it is very unfortunate and in-human for a man to bit a finger that fed him, he stated. I think what the leaders and the person who said he is historian should do is to go back to the history and find out what transpired and how it happened because a man who does not know history is a man with out future”. The matter is very straight, assuming the late General Ojukwu had killed Awolowo in the prison, should he had accepted finance minister or introduced the policy of starvation?

Yoruba leaders and Kayode should go back to the history and find out why Awolowo was imprisoned and who was instrumental to his arrest and detention, and who released him?

These are fundamental issues and questions that need to be addressed before asking Achebe to apologize to Yoruba people.

“If your father or son took up arms and get into armed robbery, and because of his robbery activities, he acquired wealth and when he came to the community, he was crowned a

king without asking the source of his wealth” I think this was what happened, Kayode did not ask question before going to the media”.

Probably he was not born before the war, some were not provided with relevant information about the war history. Achebe witnessed the war and he did not compromise but said the truth. I am not saying this as an Igbo man but as an activist.

Igbos should unite and rise up to the expectation because the history has it that some people died for your sake, they made sacrifice for you to live and they the living should be able to make the same sacrifice for our younger generation coming into existence.

2015: Igbo Presidency Continues from page 11 nation. It must not be allowed to get into 2013 because it is neither in the interest of the North, the South, the Middle Belt or whoever. Nigeria has shed enough blood in the civil war, the Niger Delta crisis and several others and it is wrong to continue spilling blood over matters that can be politically settled. I am convinced that the insecurity is neither ethnic nor religious. It is now simply criminal and must be stopped before it consumes the nation or parts of the nation. What affects the part affects the whole. I am also convinced that when people are gainfully employed they will be less likely to be violent. While stopping the v i o l e n c e i m m e d i a t e l y, government must ensure that unemployment, food insecurity etc are addressed massively.

There are murmurs that you may contest the Anambra Governorship election in 2014. Is it true?

No. No, no, no. It is not true. I am enjoying my retirement with my grandchildren and my major position is that young men in Igbo land should be groomed and given the chance to take up positions. As a masquerade, I have danced in the arena and I have given way.

Younger masquerades must be enabled to perform. Anybody of my age who is still angling for elected office at any level should either examine himself thoroughly or subject himself to a thorough examination by a doctor. It simply means that person has failed to groom a successor. In Nigeria people must learn not to

The former governor of Anambra state, Dr Chinwoke Mbadinauju said though he has not read the novel titled “There was a Country” but Prof Chinua Achebe was right saying that the Yorubas should not pretend about the truth.

The problem in this country is that people are finding it difficult to accept the truth, if actually what the Human rights activist, Comrade Uzor said concerning the arrest and detention of Awolowo is true then it needs a critical reexamination. The actors in these arguments should critically reexamine themselves as the further effort to politicize the Chinua Achebe's writing may push the country into another crisis and the earlier the actors control their utterances the better for the people of this country. hug the political space as active players at 70 years of age.

What is your view on the raging controversy regarding Professor Chinua Achebe's latest book There Was A Country?

Whenever Achebe writes, it is good. His latest book is not an exception and I am not surprised that the world has taken notice of the book.

The current controversy is also very good.

In my view, it is forcing out into the public domain pent-up prejudices locked up secretly in ethnic minds.

Hopefully, Achebe's book will enable Nigeria to cleanse its soul so as to permit the country to develop into a nation.

Ironically, Achebe said exactly the same thing he has just said about Pa Obafemi Awolowo in 1983 in his angry book titled “The Trouble with Nigeria”. In that book, he also had very unkind word for the Great Zik, for Tafawa Balewa, who he lampooned in his chapter on corruption and other Nigerian leaders. He only had kind words for Mallam Aminu Kano.

This was predictable considering that he and Chief Arthur Nwankwo had dragged young Igbo intellectuals into the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, in 1979. It is therefore clear that Achebe is consistent in what he says. His latest book is not about Pa Obafemi Awolowo, it is not about General Gowon, people should therefore not trivialize this serious book, which was about pogrom and genocide committed against Igbos and Easterners in 1966 and 1967 70. I have addressed this matter on its own in a separate write up.

Even though I have not been as irritated as Mr. Emma Okocha on this matter, I am completely one with him in spirit.

15 Nigerian Pilgrims die in Saudi Arabia

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igeria government has expressed shock over 15 Nigerians on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia that lost their lives in the holy land.

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON had earlier announced the death of 14 pilgrims, while another pilgrim from Lagos State was said to have died, bringing the total to 15 pilgrims that have died in Saudi Arabia.

The Lagos pilgrim, Taoreed Oshodi, 62, from Epe Local Government Area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, was said to have died on Thursday afternoon.

He took ill and was rushed to the hospital after being attended to by the medical team of the state's pilgrim board.

Oshodi was said to have died of heart attact. He had since been buried according to Islamic rite in Mecca.

Speaking, Dr. Saleh Okenwa, Commissioner in Charge of Information and Research, NAHCON disclosed that 14 pilgrims from Nigeria had died in the course of this year's hajj.

He said at the commission's

headquarters in Mecca that nine of the deceased died in Medinah while the remaining five lost their lives in Mecca.

He gave the names of five that died earlier in Mecca as Umar Ruangamyi Dahir and Shuaib Awwal Sarki Malami from Kastina State; and Ganiyu Oke Ayinde from Ogun State.

Others, according to him, are Abdullahi Mudi and Nana Garba from Sokoto State.

Okenwa also disclosed that 82,724 pilgrims from Nigeria have arrived the holy city for the hajj rites.

He absolved the commission of complicity in the diplomatic feud that ensued between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia over the deportation of some female pilgrims.

Meanwhile, the entire 3,899 pilgrims and officials from Lagos State have arrived Mecca and commenced spiritual supplication as expected.

The last batch of 50 pilgrims from Medina arrived Mecca on Wednesday to join others in performing other necessary hajj rites pending the movement to Munna and Arafat next week.

Rot in ESUT exposed Continues from page 8 past answer scripts of those graduates and how they gained admission into the university with a view to exposing those who aided their admission either legally or illegally and also to determine the roles played by the lecturers who might have marked their answer scripts,” Ugwuoti said.

He, however, noted that “while ESUT adheres to quality assurance guideline specified

by NUC there is no system that is 100 percent error proof, but we have already commenced investigations into the matter.”

“The present administration cannot be held responsible even though the system is a continuum. The administration had taken a number of steps to sanitize the institution and it is not relenting in its determination to ensure sanity in the academic system,” Ugwuoti added.

It would be recalled that eight staff of ESUT found to be involved in admission racketeering were sacked by the management in September this year.

Six of the indicted staff including a senior lecturer, were found to have been responsible for the illegal admission of over 500 students who were expelled

by ESUT authorities recently.

The sacked members of staff worked in various departments of the university.

A statement by the Director of Public Relations, Mr. Osita Ugwuoti, said one of the affected workers was discovered to be engaged in double employment in ESUT and Institute of Management (IMT) earning salaries from both institutions.

He said another was sacked for “mutilating students' results, sale of degree results as well as other malpractices.”

According to him, the ESUT Governing Council approved the sack of the affected workers at its 126th regular meeting at the Agbani permanent campus held recently.

Although the Enugu State Government that owns the university is yet to make a public statement on the disturbing revelations, The Advocate gathered that some officials of the state Ministry of Education were said to have mounted pressures on the ESUT Vice Chancellor, Professor Cyprian Onyeji to ensure that those that had contributed one way or the other to the fallen standard of the institution were fished out and send packing in order to escape the sanction of the regulatory agency.

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NEWS FROM STATES

Flood … Oh! It's a sad situation – Emeka Nwogbo

By Evans Ekwem, Awka

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he member representing Awka North and South Federal constituency in the federal House of Representatives, Hon. Chukwuemeka Emmanuel Nwogbo has described the floods that ravaged some parts of Anambra state and Nigeria at large as a sad situation.

Nwogbo who visited Awba Ofemmili, Ugbenu,Ugbene and Ebenebe communities, the a ff e c t e d a r e a s f r o m h i s constituency, said the floods have cost a lot of colossal loss to their farm lands and houses, rendering them homeless.

Nwogbo expressed shock over the situation, that has subjected the people into untold hardships and gnashing of teeth , regretting that the farm lands of the food producing communities in Anambra state have been

washed away.

The lawmaker who donated some food items like eleven bags of rices,2 bags of beans, two jerry-cans of vegetable oils, 20 tins of large size of peak milk,three bags of Omo detergents and 50 tubers of yam to the victims at their camps told them that their plight is his own and it touched him immensely, expressing sympathy for their crops and rice field that were washed away by this monster called flood.

He advised the affected farmers to form co-operatives and make assessments of their losses and bring it forward for consideration by the National Assembly, reminding them that dry cropping may take place this year.

He also argued that if nothing is done to ameliorate the situation, hunger will be the bane of the people here and to avert it only dry cropping will be the remedy.

Nwogbo who told the victims of

No going back on Okada ban – Bayelsa govt

By Philip Eke, Yenagoa

B

ayelsa State government in its plan to stop the operation of motorcycle in the state, the Commissioner for transport, Mrs. Marie Ebikake, held a meeting with private motorcycle owners recently in Yenagoa to complete the ban on motorcycle from plying the streets of the capital City.

The brief meeting was a backdrop of pleadings by some motorcycle owners who use it as private transport system, to be given permission by the Ministry after government had earlier banned the use of Okada in Yenagoa metropolis. While addressing the crowd of private motor cycle owners who stormed the Ministry for permit, the Commissioner reiterated governments' stand on the issue.

Saying that the government does not intend to bend the law to favour one man and put the rest into hardship.

Explaining further, Hon. Ebikake said that giving permit to private users of Okada would amount to the same nuisance it caused when it was used for commercial purposes and for that reason government would not give permit to private users, since it is unlawful for her Ministry to go against the legislation that was passed by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly that necessitated the ban. She further sounded the warning that any motorcycle found on the roads of Yenagoa capital will be impounded.

However, she explained that the only persons allowed the use of motor cycles are security operatives on duty which she said, will be banned on the 1st of January 2013 while postmasters would be allowed to use motorcycle until November, 2012.

Dissatisfied with the decision, the group of private motorcycles owners alleged that the issue of allowing some persons like security men to use them is not right, stating that the ban should be applicable to everybody without exemption.

the flood disasters not to lament too much that their lives are much more important than anything, re-assuring them that their problems will be solved through provision of seedlings during the next planting season even it means planting at dry season, we shall do that, he concluded.

He however called on federal and state government including National Emergency Agency(NEMA) to come to the aid of the victims by donating drugs, food and beddings, adding that their condition is prone to health hazards and on his own, he made cash award of N20,000 to the displaced children in the area.

Also speaking the Hon. Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social development, Lady Henrietta Agbata, who accompanied Hon. Nwogbo to the area, said the incident of flooding in Anambra state was tragic.

By Uchenna Itumo, Abakiliki

T

he Bishop of Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Abakaliki Diocese, Rt. Reverend Chukwuma Nkwoagu, has described the Islamic sect Boko Haram as a thorn in the flesh of Nigeria which has threatened the corporate existence of the nation.

Bishop Nkwoagu, made this assertion at the All Saints Cathedral, Abakaliki stated that despite the fact that freedom of worship was entrenched in the nations constitution, that some people have continued to make effort to impose their own religion on others stating that it was unfortunate, according to him it is difficult to impose any religion on Nigerians. “It will not be acceptable so we citizens should be careful” he disclosed.

He maintained that it was not easy for the youth to get the arms and ammunitions used in the bombings witnessed at different parts of the country in recent times. He accused those whom he described as beneficiaries of the crisis as being the brain behind the crisis, saying that they were the sponsors.

On the Mubi Massacre of about forty students of the Federal Polytechnic Mubi and Adamawa State University, the clergyman condemned in

Lady Agbata commended Hon. Nwogbo for finding time to come to see his people who were badly affected by this flood disaster and thanked him for his wonderful donation of relief materials.

In his own speech Hon. Engr.

Chris Emeka Azubogu representing Nnewi North and South and Ekwusigo Federal constituency stated that the flood touched the entire communities of Awka North, Anambra East and West and some parts of Ihiala and Ekwusigo local government areas of Anambra state.

Azubogu said his concern was that the lives, the source of livelihood and rice farms of these our kit and kins were heinously eroded, he said that the House committee on agriculture is going to ensure that enough seedlings are provided to them, expressing shock that 3000 hectares of farm lands have been submerged.

Azubogu however called on the Federal and State governments to take urgent steps in reviving hopes to the affected victims

who are agro based, if the nation could tinker to ban importation of rice, adding that based on the assessments the House may consider approving extra money for the victims of the flood disaster so that they can manage this crisis situation.

Earlier, the traditional ruler of U g b e n u i n Aw k a N o r t h Anambra state, Igwe Egwuonwu, said this type of flood disaster has never been experience before except the one that happened in 1969, though it was not as devastating as this one.

He commended Hon. Nwogbo for his kind gesture and begged him to ensure that the Federal government of Nigeria and the world humanitarian agencies to come to their aid.

The royal father also appealed to the Federal and State governments to assist their children whose academics classes were abruptly interrupted as a result of flood disaster.

Boko Haram threatens Nigeria's corporate existence – Bishop Nkwoagu totality the gruesome murder of the students in their hostels, he asked rhetorically, “are we going to continue to die this way?

The man of God disclosed that the urge to get rich quickly among those in the civil service and politics has brought corruption to Nigeria system. He advocated for harmonization of income accruable to every Nigerian worker whether in politics or in civil service, so that the hydra-headed phenomenon corruption will be eradicated.

Also he opined that the incidence of kidnapping and assassination as being witnessed can only be stopped if those entrusted with public funds, will desist from misappropriation and embezzlement of public funds. He however added that it was fear of God that is the only solution to Nigerian problems, because according to him without fear of God corruption and other sundry social vices

will continue to be on the increase.

He lamented that despite the proliferation of churches in every nook and cranny in the country, corruption was still on the high side. He attributed the situation to the signs of end time, maintaining that it is biblical that in the last days the people will be lovers of money and pleasure, and there will be disobedience in the land, which were being witnessed now.

On the 52nd independence celebration of Nigeria, celebrated recently, he said it was worthy of celebration, because it was time we give honour to the founding fathers of the Nigerian nation, who made enormous sacrifices to get us freedom. He described leadership responsibility as challenging task, and charged the led to always pray for those in leadership position to enable them succeed.

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NEWS FROM STATES

PDP Chieftain insists on zoning

By Donald Kumun, Makurdi The People's Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain and former Governorship aspirant in Benue State, Prince Simon Aondona has insisted that going by the fare share of zoning for Governorship position in the state, the people of Masev Iharev and Nongov Development Association,the MINDA axis are the next people to produce the Governor after Suswam in 2015.

Speaking against the backdrop of divergent comments and opinions on the issue after some elders of the Association have clearly stated the sharing formula of the seat in the state and agreed by the Sankera axis where the present Governor hails from, Prince Aondona still re-echoed that out of the Five geo-political zones that made up the Tiv nation, only the MINDA has not had a shot at the Governorship position, describing some of the opinions being expressed as faulty and illogical.

He stated that it was unacceptable for any individual or group to assume that the MINDA people could not produce the next Governor because the present Tor Tiv is from MINDA axis.

The PDP, chieftain who cautioned that any attempt to go against the zoning formula would divide the Tivland, argued that there was no rule or

law in Tivland precluding any group from contesting the Governorship seat if the Tor Tiv comes from the same area.

He observed that incident in respect of the election of the late Aper Aku as Governor who hailed from the then Kwande and the appointment of the late Akperan Orshio as Tor Tiv in place of the late Asema Ayua who also comes from the same axis with Aku, was an arrangement by the late J.S Tarka.

He explained that the late J.S Tarka , who was at that time seeking senatorial election saw the late Akperan Orshio from the Gboko axis as his strongest opponent, hence, decided to recommend him for the Tor Tiv

– Enugu govt's spokesman

T

he Enugu state government, yesterday, dismissed as cheap and mischievous a media report which claimed that the State Governor, Mr. Sullivan Chime is ill and was being treated abroad, reaffirming that he is “hale and hearty.”

Reacting to the report on the governor's purported ailment by a national daily last Sunday, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke stated that the governor was enjoying his vacation, the first he has taken since he was sworn into office five years ago.

He stressed that contrary to the report that that the Governor's last public appearance was on September 9, 2012, Chime had actually presided over the State Executive Council meeting on September 18, 2012 where he announced to all the members that he was proceeding on his

visit over the death of his mother, maintained that the four governors that have so far presided over the affairs of the state since 1979 are all from Ipusu, younger brother of Ichongo, the generic brothers that made up the Tiv ruling house.

To the PDP stalwart, it would be unfair if Ichongo, elder brother of Ipusu is denied the opportunity to govern the state, before it moves to another geopolitical zone.

Prince Aondona maintained that if the argument being agitated in favour of MINDA does not hold, then MINDA could be regarded as being marginalized, thereby looming acrimonies among the Tiv

people.

"This is unacceptable by MINDA and we will resist it politically and not physically. If the Tiv people have been rotating the Governorship among the five ruling houses and you now find a reason that is not really logical, then it means that particular house does not matter.

The party chieftain and a d m i n i s t r a t o r, h o w e v e r, expressed happiness over Governor Suswam's understanding as leader of the party who would guide the Tiv people to reach an acceptable arrangement that will not separate the Tiv people in this regard.

"The Governor in 2015, as far as the Tiv people are concerned, must come from MINDA and not any other area of the Tiv axis", he maintained.

The Prince therefore, thanked the journalists for deeming it neccessary to commiserate with him at his moment of grief, and appealed to them to join in the race to achieve the set objectives for the course.

It would be recalled that the entire PDP elders in zone 'A', where the governorship stool w a s z o n e d t o i n 2 0 11 , unanimously agreed that they are in full support of the claims being raised by the MINDA brothers and pledged to give their support them when their son(Suswam) must have ended his tenure in 2015.

FIRST LADY, DAME PATIENCE JONATHAN, RETURNS TO ABUJA

Chime hale and hearty

By Ted Peters, Enugu

stool.

Aondona who is currently a member of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, further argued that the institution of the Tor Tiv and that of Governor was different, explained that while one was traditional, the other one was political.

He said the Governorship seat is by nomination and election which involves all the electorate and has a span while that of the Tor Tiv is by tradition where the occupant remains for life.

Prince Aondona from GwerWest Local Government Area of the state who opened up these reactions when journalists from the axis paid him a condolence

annual leave and constitutionally handed over the reins of power to h i s d e p u t y, M r. S u n d a y Onyebuchi who is today the Acting Governor of the State.

The Commissioner further pointed out that Chime also attended a meeting of the Nigerian Governors' Forum in Abuja on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 and travelled out the next day on his vacation, adding that“all these facts are verifiable”.

He stated that it was also very uncharitable for the same reporter to falsely claim that the Acting Governor was limited in the discharge of his responsibilities while also wondering why a Journalist would deliberately go out of his way to publish outright falsehood about a person's health status.

“Having said all these, we want to reaffirm that the Government of His Excellency Sullivan Iheanacho Chime will

continue to promote freedom of who is currently on vacation was travelled after September 19 and e x p r e s s i o n w h i l e a l s o hale and hearty wherever he was, not September 9 as contained in maintaining its cherished adding that the governor the said report. reputation of civility and accommodation of all shades of opinion, including constructive criticisms from the media and other quarters,” the Commissioner added.

The report quoting sources from the Enugu State Government House said that all might not be well with Chime's health, claiming that the last public appearance of the governor was at the meeting of South-East Governors Forum on September 9, 2012 in Enugu and since then, he was yet to be seen

by Journalists in the Government House and public functions.

It added that the Deputy G o v e r n o r, M r. S u n d a y Onyebuchi, mandated to act in the governor's capacity was incapacitated owing to the alleged directive by his principal that he “should not approve more than N500,000 for any project, no matter the circumstance.”

But the government's spokesman (Ugwoke) dismissed the claim saying the governor

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Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

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EDUCATION

VC condemns UST Programmes

By Amadi Gilbert

T

h e f o r m e r Vi c e Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology Nkpolu, Port Harcourt Prof. Simeon Achinuwhu has described the situation of the institution as alarming and unwanting.

Addressing journalists recently in Port Harcourt, Prof Achinuwhu said that, the causes of the problem emanated from the visitor, Rt Hon. Chibuike

Rotimi Amaechi, Executive Governor of Rivers State.

He maintained that all universities in the country are autonomous and in a situation of appointing who heads the institution lies in the hand of the university in collaboration with the National University Commission (NUC).

According to Prof. Achinuhwu, the university system any where does not permits second tenure even though the vice chancellor

was not ripe to head other professors.

Speaking further, refuted the allegation that, during his regime from 2007-2010, there had never been a time that, the students had problems in their academics. That both u n d e rg r a d u a t e s a n d p o s t graduates programmes were all on including law students after graduation went to law schools as at when do, adding that, most of the professors at the

university were students under him.

Prof. Achinuhwu also disclosed that before he left the university, he was supervising PHD students, asking why people would carry such rumours.

He also stated that, the university has much interest in dumping young professors after retirements, which he cited examples with university of Nigeria, Nsukka and University

of Ibadan as universities that are still using a retired professor who are not yet tired and that are why those universities still maintain at least their educational qualities.

He also apportions blames to Gov. Chibuike Amaechi, and the p r o - c h a n c e l l o r. J u s t i c e Adolphus Karibe whyte as the cause of the injustices that are parading in the university, adding that, the glory of the institution is not there again, to an extent that post graduate programmes are dead which is very shameful and unfair.

Gov Imoke gives award to 44 NYSC members; 4 died – Coordinator

By Edem Archibong, Calabar

C

Gov Imoke

ross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke has given 20 members of 2011 Batch C of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who served in Cross River State an award of excellent; and 24 members collected the state NYSC Governing Board award while four lost their lives during the service year.

The State Coordinator of the NYSC, Mr.Nkereke Ibangha disclosed this during the passing out ceremony of 1997members who were enlisted for 2011 Batch C National assignment in Calabar, while calling the families of the those corps members who lost their lives to take solace since the dead occurred in course of service to their fatherland.

The Chairman further

revealed that two corps member out of this figure are facing sanctions which imply that they have been given an extension of time to complete their service year due to some level of indiscipline on the part of those found to be victims.

He charged the out gone corps member to forge ahead in their various endeavor applying the level of discipline they have acquired during their service year, as this will assist them in future business or private engagement to a greater success in the society.

Speaking at the occasion, the Cross River State Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Mr Patrick Ugbe who represented the Governor urged the corps members to make optimal use of the acquired creative and productive capacities wherever they go and in whatever they do.

Mr Ugbe, who is also the chairman of the NYSC governing board in the state said the spirit of dedication, selflessness and patriotism will spur them to greater heights in the country if they judiciously apply it in the country.

He also commended the effective collaboration of the NYSC with the Cross River State Government policies on the areas like Education, Health, and Family life programme as well as infrastructure maintenance which the state effectively targeted towards value re-orientation.

The Commissioner urged the serving corps members to be reminded about the reward system initiative which is a deliberate policy of the Cross River State Government meant to encourage hard work and excellent at the terminal end of their service year.

government of the power of education in addressing many of the challenges facing our nation today.”

Education, he noted, is the antidote to poverty and ignorance and the key for unlocking natural resources, adding that no nation striving for accelerated development, does so without huge investment in education. It is often said that education will not solve all of society's ills, but without education, no solution is possible.

Through education, this time, quality education, the challenges facing Nigeria relating to youth unemployment, crime and insurgency, will be severely reduced. We should, however, note that if our investment in education is not sustained at a high level over the next decades,

the 2013 performance will be a flash in the pan, we will fail to reap the dividends of such high investment in education.”

Okebukola who urged Nigerians to look beyond the proposed figure of N426.53 billion, pointed out five concerns that are worth raising.

First, he asked if the National A s s emb ly w ill k eep th e quantum which even as it stands, is not sufficient to address the 2013 needs of the education sector at the federal level, in the face of an upwelling request to raise allocation to agriculture and other sectors?

Another question begging for an answer is this; "Will the transition from budget estimate to signed Appropriation Act be speedy enough to ensure that the money is available in time for spending?”

NIGERIA: Stakeholders laud Jonathan on N426.53bn Education Budget

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan's proposed N426.53 billion for the Education sector in the 2013 budget has been greeted with commendations from stakeholders in the sector, who described it as a step in the right direction towards meeting the 26 per cent UNESCO minimum recommendation for education in every country's budget.

It implies that in 2013, education will gulp 8.7 per cent of the national budget. This is the first time since independence that the Education sector will top the national budget. Looking at previous national budgets, one would discover that there has been a steady increase in

education budget starting from 2010 during President Yar'Adua's administration.

That year, N249.086b out of the proposed N4.079 trillion budget was allocated to the sector. The Ministry of Works in that year received the highest allocation of N249.425 billion followed by Education, N249.086 billion.

In 2011, out of the N4.971 trillion approved by the Senate, as against N4.22 trillion budget proposal presented by President Goodluck Jonathan, Education came second with N306.3 billion allocated to it while in the 2012 budget of N4.7 trillion, Education also came second with N400 billion.

The analysis above reveals

that there has been a systematic increment in the budgetary allocation to education from 2010 to 2013.

Thus, from 2010-2011, the sector had N56.917b as increment. Between 2011 and 2012, it recorded additional N94.3b, while from 2012 -2013, if the proposed budget is passed by the Senate, the sector will witness additional N26.53b.

Reacting to the proposed budget for education in 2013, Professor Peter Okebukola said; "It is heart-warming that Education is proposed by the executive arm of government to receive the highest budgetary allocation in 2013, N426.53 billion. This is an indication of the recognition by the

THE

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Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

37

SPORTS

Africa cup of Nations soccer competition, the Nigeria’s score-card

By Okey Anyichie

I

n January 1956, when the Confederation of Africa football (CAF) was formed in Lisbon-Portugal, the need for a soccer competition among the then independent African countries arose. African independent countries then were very few, like Egypt, South Africa, Sudan and Ethiopia.

These four African countries thus formed the continental soccer body in Lisbon-Portugal. After this effort in “mid-wifing” a soccer body to create and start a football competition on the soil of Africa, the competition started in 1957.

However, it was only three countries of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia that started the competition. Hence on the 10th of February 1957, in KhartounSudan, Egypt in the opening encounter in the competition beat the host country, 2-1. Later Egypt walloped Ethiopia in the final play-off of the competition to cart off the trophy donated by an Egyptian soccer-buff, General Mustapha. Since this first competition in February 1957,

Super eagles of Nigeria the competition continues to be hosted and competed for in different parts of Africa. A glance at the chronological sequence of the competition, shows the following winners and the years of the competition since 1957.

With these winners and hosts of the competition since 1957, the Africa cup of nations soccer fiesta has come a long way. The soccer competition is older

than European soccer competition which kicked off in 1960, with the former SovietUnion winning the maiden edition of the competition.

So the Africa cup of nations soccer competition is fifty-five years old this year (2012) and it has promoted joy, peace and in some cases crises among the participants since 1957.

For Nigeria at the competition

Eagle’s 6-1 victory: Supporters club praises Keshi for inviting foreign base players

By Edem Archibong, Calabar.

T

he Super Eagles supporters Club in Cross River State has commended the listening ear of the National Coach, Mr. Stephen Keshi for the combination of home based players along with the foreign based counterparts which produced excellent result of thrashing their Liberia national team 6-1 during the second leg encounter of 2013 orange CAF Africa Cup of nation qualifier in Calabar.

Speaking to Journalist after the goal feast against the Liberia National Team in side U.J. Esuene's stadium, Mrs Catherine Atila Edum (popularly called Madam Eagle), Chairperson for the Cross River State branch of the Club said their humble advice to the Coach Stephen Keshi had been for a combination of the trio of home

base with professionals to ensure talents effectiveness.

She said that Nigerian's belief on professional players alone should be changed as this will bring about competitive spirit among the players while appealing that foreign based players should endeavour to be in camp at least two weeks before as the team prepares for South Africa in 2013.

On the contribution of the Cross River State Government in making the hosting of the National Team with the officials as well as the Liberian national Team, Mrs Edum expressed gratitude for the acceptance and always being ready to respond to national call.

However, it must be stressed that the victory of the Eagles over Liberia could not be without commending the role played by Michel Obi, the Chelsea star player for the eria's third goal

L

ast Saturday and Sunday (13th 14th October, 2012) at various centers across the continent fifteen African countries qualified for the African cup of nations for 2013.

This intra continental soccer competition among African

countries will be hosted by South Africa in January next year.

Last week-end, Nigeria overwhelmed Liberia 6-1 to qualify for the competition in South Africa. With 8-3 goals aggregate, Nigeria will trade tackles with the other fifteen African countries. South Africa

Year 1959 1962 1963 1965 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2013

Winner Egypt Ethiopia Ghana Ghana Zaire (Congo Rep.) Sudan Congo-Brazzaville Zaire (Congo Rep.) Morocco Ghana Nigeria Libya Cameroun Egypt Cameroun Algeria Cote D'voire Nigeria South-Africa Egypt Cameroun Cameroun Tunisia Egypt Egypt Egypt Zambia ?

through a penalty kick . fighting spirit he put in throughout the 90 minutes of the game while he also scored Nigeria's third goal through a penalty kick .

The over 12,000 capacity Calabar stadium was filled to it brim when the Nigerian team took the kick off while Ambrose Efe dribbled in a solo effort and shot into the net for the Eagles first goal at 56th seconds of the first half of encounter while Emenike Emmanuel increased the tally to two goals at the end of the half.

On the resumption of play in the second round, the Liberian team showed some more accurate passes aiming at reducing the tally and possibly forg ahead to victory, but Vincent Enyema's safe hands thwarted the moves while Michel Obi took matches at different centers in perfect control of the midfield till Africa.

Ghana, Mali, Zambia, Tunisia, the end of the game.

To g o , A l g e r i a , M o r o c c o , Ethiopia, Cape Verde, Angola, Niger, Cote D'Ivorie had already qualified for the In looking at the teams that competition as the host-country. had qualified for the competition in South Africa next year, most of These countries that qualified the teams have made an impact in sequel to their victories over their the previous editions of the opponents will now be in South competition. Hence qualifiers Africa next year to contest for the like Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco, championship, which started in Tunisia, Algeria, Cote D'Ivoire, 1957. These countries qualified South Africa and Ethiopia won for the competition next year the competitions since it started after last week-ends qualifying in 1957.

African Cup of Nations qualifiers for 2013 in South Africa, teams to watch

By Okey Anyichie

since 1963, the first year of appearance at the competition, it is not all that brilliant efforts at the competition. Hence winning the competition twice since 1963 and since 1994, the last year of triumph at the competition, has all been bronze medalist of the competition in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010.

The anti- climax was the elimination of the Nigeria by

Guinea in the 2012 qualifier for the edition hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, which Zambia won for the first time.

Now the die is cast for the 2013 edition in South Africa and Nigeria squares up this weekend (13th October, 2012) to Liberia in Calabar, Cross- River State, for the second leg. The first leg ended in a 2 2 draw and Liberian perhaps would strive very hard to pull down Nigeria like the qualifier of 2012 edition of the competition in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, Whatever happens after the encounter this week- end in Calabar, it will either to be or not to be. For football competition being what it is, not over, until it is over. The winners will then be determined.

Nigeria on the 13th October 2012 made assurance doubly sure with 6-1 drubbing of Lone Star of Liberia. In a dull and drab encounter, the visiting Liberian team with all their boasting were no match to Nigeria. Nigeria with this victory will play in the Africa cup of nations cup soccer fiesta next January in South-Africa.

Thus Nigeria will trade tackles with other fifteen countries in South-Africa for the cup.

Host Egypt Ethiopia Ghana Tunisia Ethiopia Sudan Cameroun Egypt Ethiopia Ghana Nigeria Ghana Cote D'voire Egypt Morocco Algeria Senegal Tunisia South-Africa Burkina- faso Nigeria/Ghana Mali Tunisia Egypt Ghana Angola Equatorial Guinea/Gabon South Africa

Meanwhile, Zambia the defending champion of the competition managed to escape elimination after a penalityshootout in Uganda 8-9. Zambia lost to Uganda by a lone goal, the same tally that Zambia beat Uganda in the first leg encounter.

With this position most of the qualifiers will strive for the trophy without the four times winners of the competition Cameroun. This central African country was eliminated surprisingly by a 'dark-horse', Cape Verde Island, a green horn in the competition.

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Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

38

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SPORTS

Enugu soccer boss calls for grassroots development of football T

By Okey Anyichie

he chairman of Enugu State football federation has stressed the importance of going back to the grass-roots as the Panacea for the development of the game of football in the country. The Enugu State football boss, Mr. Chidi Ofo Okenwa reacting to a question on the standard of football in the country stated that the Super Eagles who last weekend qualified for South African Nations cup soccer fiesta next year, failed to qualify in 2012 edition as a result of involving people that had no business in football administration.

He is of the belief that for football to take four paces forward, there should be no interference from any quarter, rather in his own words, results should be achieved based on rather studied supervision and perfect over-sight function

Mr. Chidi Ofo Okenwa administration of the game of football. He called for the provision and release of funds to run the game as at when due so also is the erections and set up of good sports facilities' throughout the country together with

service capacity building.

On the grooming of the future stars in the game he was of the opinion that infrastructural development and total grooming of footballers in the education and the game mark as an

approach to community sporting as against concentration on schools' sports. Like he gave an example, “Out of experience the field of primary school attended was taken by a gigantic church project the same with the secondary school attended!

Where then do you practice sports activities, that is the lot of so many people.” He recalled that the academic stars of yesteryears were the products of boarding house system. Hence the system is now a glorious past system, nothing that when every positive systems are put in place, that will be the key that will unlock forward situation in the game of football.

Chief Chidi Ofo Okenwa who is now presiding over the affairs of football in Enugu State was the Head of Sub-seat-Enugu center during the under-17 world cadet soccer tournament in 2009.

This global cadet soccer fiesta in Enugu held at Nnamdi Azikiwi ultra modern stadium, was one of the most efficiently organized sub-seats during that global junior soccer championship in

Nigeria in 2009.

He is a certified sports management practitioner and Associate member of Nigeria Institute of Public Administration and Local government. He holds a BSC degree in sports management and Administration. Apart from his position as the chairman of Enugu State football federation, he is the South-East co-ordinator of Nigerian football federation (NFF).

It would be recalled that Enugu State won the Zone 1 National sports commission's sports festival ball games qualifiers last month in Enugu in both male and female soccer categories. Enugu State will now represent the zone during the 2012 All-Nigeria sports festival, next month in Lagos in the festivals game of football in both male and female categories.

Enugu State during the zone 1 elimination competition in football, defeated Anambra State in both male and female categories.

Rangers FC of Enugu and Heartland of Owerri in 2013 continental competitions

By Okey Anyichie

T

he 2011/2012 football season ended recently with Kano Pillars winning the League Soccer Championship and thereby will represent Nigeria in the 2013 Africa League soccer championship.

Heartland of Owerri won the confederation cup competition after beating Lobi football club of Makurdi by 2-1. This victory in this year's football Federation Cup competition has qualified the Owerri based football club to play for Nigeria in the Africa confederation soccer competition next year. Also Rangers football club, another oriental side will play in the next year's Africa league soccer competition sequel to its runnerup position in the 2011/2012 league soccer championship.

With this position the two oriental club-sides, Rangers football club of Enugu and Heartland football club of Owerri will be the two flagbearers from Nigeria next year in the two continental soccer championships, Africa league and confederation cup competitions .

Rangers won the confederation cup then known as ‘CupWinners Cup Competition’ Iwuanyanwu National football club of Owerri, had played twice in the final of Africa league soccer

championship but it was a mission-impossible twice.

What is going to happen next year to the two oriental football clubs that started trading tackles in Nigerian football scene in the 60s, in the two continental soccer championship?

“The Advocate” sports sought

the views of these foot ball stake holders in the city.

Ignatus Okpara, the secretary, Enugu State sports writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN).

“Rangers did their best although did not win the 2012 league

Rangers and Heartland

championship. The club had good players at the beginning of the season but towards the end of the competition they started dwindling. We sports writers perceived that the welfare of the players was part of the players problem. On the field of play the

players did very well unlike the previous season.

To do well in the next year's continental competition the officials should recruit players that would replace those that left the club last season for “greener pastures”.

“Rangers will go far in the continental competition because they have tested and experienced coach like Okey Emodi. Heartland also will do well in their competition, both clubs should recruit younger and agile players to beef up their teams. The officials of the two clubs should know the continental politics of the game and be serious about it” – Innocent Egesi-Printer and football referee.

“Rangers is a big name in the continental soccer scene but the club has ceased to be relevant in the competition.

“The problem seems to emanate from the management since 1991 after the creation of the state. There should be recruitment of quality players to move the club forward like the Rangers of the old time”. He called for coaches to be up and doing like during the days of his late father, John “Wheeler” Nwosu. He again called for harder training for both Rangers and Heartland of Enugu and Owerri to go far in the continental competition” – Jude 'Wheeler' Iloeje, former footballer and John “Wheeler” Nwosu's son.

THE

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Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

39

SPORTS Stories by Okey Anyichie

G

hana is just one of the many African countries providing top flight European teams with international players to swell their ranks. Many players from the Ghana national team are also important members of some of Europe's best clubs.

Suleyman Ali Muntari was born in the small town of Konongo, Ghana in 1984. He currently plays for Italian giants AC Milan. He helped former club Inter Milan win two Serie A titles and the Champions League. He drew the notice of international scouts while playing for the Ghana under 20 team. Previous clubs include stints at Udinese, Portsmouth, Intern Milan and Sunderland.

Anthony Gildas Kofi Annan (yes, he is related to the Kofi Annan) was born in Accra in 1986. He currently plays as a central midfielder for top flight Spanish side Osasuna. Previous clubs include Sekondi Hasaacas, Hearts of Oak, Rosenborg, Schalke and Vitesse. He has 56 caps for Ghana, scoring his first goal for them against Mali in 2009. Michael Kojo Essien is a midfielder who was born in Accra in 1982.

He started out playing for Ghana's Liberty Professionals where was spotted by French side Bastia where he spent three years. After that he rose to fame playing for Premier League

J

ohn Terry has decided not to appeal against his fourgame ban for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand and issued an apology for his actions.

The Chelsea captain, who will miss the club's next four domestic matches, said: "I want to apologise to everyone for the language I used in the game.”

An independent Football Association panel found Terry guilty of racially abusing the QPR defender during a game at Loftus Road on 23 October, 2011.

Terry has been disciplined by Chelsea.

However the club is keeping the details of its action confidential.

In a statement, the club added: "John Terry has made the correct decision by not appealing against the FA judgment.

"Chelsea also appreciates, and supports, John's full apology for the language he used. The club firmly believes such language is not acceptable and fell below the standards expected of John as a Chelsea player.”

In his apology statement, 31year-old Terry, who was also fined £220,000, said: "Although

giants Chelsea. After 163 caps and 17 goals for The Blues Essien was loaned out to Real Madrid. His nickname is The Bison for his physical style of football.

Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong was born in Ashanti capital Kumasi in 1192. The

youngster moved to London at an early age and was scouted by Arsenal when only 14-years-old.

He made six appearances for Arsenal in 2011 before being loaned to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2012. He has played for the England Under 16 and England Under 17 sides. He

has pledged his international future to Ghana.

Born in Seclin, France to Ghanaian parents, winger Ayew is one of three football playing sons of football legend Abedi Pele. He started playing professionally for Ghanaian club

Nania at age 14. He was signed

by Marseille in 2005 where he spent two years with their youth side before making his debut for the senior side in 2007. He has 78 caps and 19 goals for Marseille and 40 caps and four goals for the Ghana national team.

John Terry decides not to appeal against four-match ban I'm disappointed with the FA judgment, I accept that the language I used, regardless of the context, is not acceptable on the football field or indeed in any walk of life.

"As I stated in the criminal case, with the benefit of hindsight my language was clearly not an appropriate reaction to the situation for someone in my position. My response was below the level expected by Chelsea Football Club, and by me, and it will not happen again.”

Anti-racism campaign group Kick It Out has welcomed Terry's apology but in a statement, chairman Lord O u s l e y a d d e d : " We a r e disappointed there hasn't been an acknowledgement in it of the hurt experienced by the many people caught in crossfire during the past 12 months.

"It does however form the basis of bringing closure to the matter sometime in the near

future.”

Terry will miss Chelsea's Premier League fixtures against Tottenham, Manchester United and Swansea as well as a League Cup fourth-round tie against Manchester United.

But the centre-half will be available for next week's Champions League group game against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Following Terry's guilty verdict, the FA described his defence as "improbable, implausible and contrived" and said it was "satisfied" his comments were used as an insult.

However, the panel's report stressed that he was "not a racist".

Terry was charged by the FA despite being cleared by Westminster Magistrates' Court of racially abusing Ferdinand.

Terry argued that he had only been repeating words he thought the Rangers defender had accused him of saying.

But the independent panel's report said a "more plausible"

explanation was that Terry was "angry" at both the way the game was going as well as Ferdinand's taunts about an affair Terry was reported to have had with the expartner of former team-mate Wayne Bridge.

Terry added: "I will continue to do my part in assisting the club

to remove all types of discriminatory behaviour from football. I am extremely grateful for the consistent support of Chelsea FC, the fans and my family.”

Terry ended his England career as a direct result of the FA's decision to charge him, claiming the move had made his position "untenable".

John Terry

THE

Vol. 1 No. 8, Monday, October 22 – Sunday, October 28, 2012

ADVOCATE

Ikechukwu Uche

...for Equity and Justice

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Back page comment

The Okorocha, Kalu's quest for Presidency in 2015 Another political trick

By Dr Lewes Uchendu The entire gambit by Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha to offer himself as the Igbo candidate for the popular aspiration of Igbos to elect Igbo President in 2015 is predicated on Okorocha's unbalanced thinking that he can hypnotize Igbos to rally behind him as their candidate. It is no longer a secret that a clique of Igbo haters in the inner circles of entrenched leadership in Nigeria have continued to plot unrelentingly to rubbish any cohesive Igbo agenda to aspire to the leadership of this nation. These plotters will always scout and position a completely unfit Igbo man to pretend that he is the Igbo candidate for the presidency and they will start by placing that person in a position of authority and power to lend credence to such aspiration.

If we flash-back to 1999, these plotters sensing that Chief Alex Ekwueme, the former vice-president of Nigeria was heads on to obtain the PDP presidential ticket, unleashed four other Igbos to diminish nay chances for Chief Alex Ekwueme collapsed at PDP 1999 Jos convention. A replay is at work again, but this time the plot is even of larger dimension. The real target is not governor Rochas Okorocha because he is hands in glove with these plotters but President Jonathan himself. Governor Rochas Okorocha has been a professional political trick star starting from the Abacha days and was ready and willing tool for Obasanjo when he was occupying Aso Rock. Facilitated by the presidency in those early days, only Rochas Okorocha has the uncanny ability to register a political party in few hours become an unbeatable presidential aspirant in 10 days and change parties as if he is changing his diapers and under-wears. If Igbo presidency agenda collapses again in 2015, the blame should be laid squarely at the door of Rochas Okorocha.

If one looks at Rochas

Okorocha's presidential agenda, and you do the arithmetic, one will see that is a hoax contains heinous intentions. The Igbo presidency agenda can only be possible by the coalition being constructed now to make arithmetic possible. In 2011, the Igbos massively supported president Goodluck Jonathan for the political calculus that Igbos will ultimately need the support of south-south if a base that will elect an Igbo

placating of south-south by the tokein offer of one term presidency to South-south in the person of Goodluck Jonathan is done and done with. These plotters leave nothing to chance and they always sense that Igbos will always be the theatre where they can find willing tools that will perfect their dirty schemes. These plotters recognize one indisputable fact and that is that Igbos can never rest until they accomplish what rightly

Gov Rochas Okorocha president possible. The Igbos will need to consolidate that gain not by abandoning Goodluck in 2015 but by completing the project that Igbos bought into. But the plotters must have seen the bigger picture and have already started to prepare the stage to get shallow thinking Igbos of the likes of Governor Rochas Okorocha and Governor Orji Uzoh Kalu to mount the soap boxes and start fanning Igbo sentiments about Igbo president in 2015 or heavens will fall. Behind all these is a strategic hatchet job for those Igbo haters to yet foist their preferred president for Nigeria who most likely will emerge from somewhere in the North depending the dynamics that will be playing out then. As far as this clique is concerned, the

Kalu. Besides the above named politicians may be positioning themselves for huge personal settlement.

Let us now critically look at President Goodluck Jonathan performance in office. Let us first highlight his negatives namely, (a) Goodluck is widely perceived as weak and indecisive (b) He is accused of not arresting the terrorism of Boko Haram (c) That he has not effectively fought corruption (d) That he has not created jobs.

On his being weak and

Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu

belongs to them.

The Igbo presidency aspiration can only happen when the southeast can build a coalition that will produce a majority vote. That is how election is won. The southeast alone cannot produce that majority. The current Nigeria constitution does not have provision that can exclusively make an Igbo president and that being the reality; the southeast must demonstrate to other regions in Nigeria that lives being essentially quid pro quo, Igbos are with the southeast total commitment to the south-south quest in the last election. Will the southeast simply abandon such an excellent strategic accomplishment of the fishing expedition of the likes of Governors' Rochas Okorocha and Orji Uzoh

indecisive these are ephemeral that are difficult to defend because they are perceptions. We elected a democratic president and not a dictator. The rules of democracy stipulate due process for all actions of government. The president has rightly resisted the temptations of acting extra constitutional in handling many anomalies that predated his presidency. In few quarters one hears remarks that obasanjo is much fitted to rule Nigeria for the simple reason that Goodluck has refused to embark on arresting and intimidating citizens without due process. They want us to return to Nigeria where might is right and where wild accusations are instantly proof of guilt. After all it was

Ikechukwu Uche (born 5 January 1984 in Aba, Abia) is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Villarreal CF in Spain, as a striker. He spent most of his professional career in Spain, having arrived in the country before the age of 20.

Early years Uche's footballer career began with Amanze United and Iwuanyanwu Nationale. Aged just 17, he moved to Racing de Ferrol in the Spanish second division, appearing in 24 games in his second season, which ended in relegation for the Galician team.

Uche then joined another club in the country's second level, Recreativo de Huelva, for a fee of $300,000, and scored 12 goals in his first season, becoming the league's top scorer in 200506, at 20 in just 28 games (with five braces), as the Andalusians returned - as champions - to La Liga after a three-year absence.

In his first top flight year, Uche scored on eight occasions. Notably, he netted in three consecutive matches in November 2006 (with wins at Celta de Vigo and against CA Osasuna), as Recre finished eight.

For 200708, he joined Madrid's Getafe CF, mainly being used as a substitute. On 29 November 2008, also from the bench, he netted in a 31 home win over Real Madrid.

Zaragoza In July 2009, Real Zaragoza, recently returned to the top flight, agreed terms to sign Uche, subject to medical. He was presented officially on the 22nd, and signed a four-year contract.In only his second match, a 14 loss at Sevilla FC, he suffered a severe knee injury, going on to miss seven months.

Uche recovered fully for Zaragoza's 201011 pre-season; however, he suffered another knee injury, being ruled out for another six months. His return to action took place on 19 February 2011, as he played 20 minutes in a 01 home loss against AtlĂŠtico Madrid, hitting David de Gea's bar in the dying minutes of the game, after an individual effort.

On 2 March 2011, Uche made his first start of the season, at home against Athletic Bilbao.

On the 55th minute, he scored the final 21 for the Aragonese - his first goal since May 2009 and cried profusely as he celebrated.

Villarreal In the last day of the 2011 summer transfer window, Uche was purchased by Villarreal CF, being immediately loaned out to fellow top-divisioner Granada CF. On 17 September, he scored the game's only goal against the team that held his rights, in a home fixture.[8] International career Uche made his debut for Nigeria in 2007. He was part of the squad that competed in the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, helping the Super Eagles to the quarterfinals.

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