Sunday 26 2014

APC In Battle Of Wits And Size COVER 19

Goitre:

S U N D A Y

E D I T I O N

NEWSFEATURE 24

IBRUCENTRE 31

Clerics Support Anti Gay Marriage Law, Amid Threat

Pain In The Neck In Badagry

CBN’s Liquidity Squeeze:

BUSINESS 34

Shadow-Chasing Campaign

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Vol. 30, No. 12,813

www.ngrguardiannews.com

N300

Why We Back APC’s Blockade Of Jonathan,

By CNPP • Shun APC, PDP Govs Urge N’Assembly • CNPP Tasks Jonathan On Federalism • Wants Mbu ‘Transferred To Borno’ From Adamu Abuh (Abuja) and Karls Tsokar (Katsina) HE Conference of Nigerian T Political Parties (CNPP) has thrown its weight behind calls by the All Progressives Congress (APC) on its members in the National Assembly to block all legislative proposals by President Jonathan.

The CNPP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Osita Okechukwu, said the initiative is aimed at reinforcing the doctrine of federalism.

Arising from their first meeting of the year, however, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

NEWS 4

Edo PDP Shuns Tambuwal

Super Eagles of Nigeria’s Azubuike Egwueke contests the ball with Atlas Lions of Morocco’s attacker, AbdelKbir El Ouadi, in yesterday’s African Nations Championship quarter final match. Nigeria won 4-3 after extra time. SEE BACK PAGE FOR STORY.

Group To Sue EFCC On Oduah

Mixed Reactions Trail 2015 Elections Timetable

NEWS 5

From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja

Armoured Cars: NEWS 4

opposition parties Dana: NCAA Lifts ently MAJOR yesterday reacted differto the 2015 general elec-

• ‘Will Give Unfair Advantage To Jonathan’ • INEC Explains Choice Of Dates • Says Ban On Campaigns Still In Place

Ladipo Spare Parts Market: The Engine Block Of Impunity

the national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, praised INEC over what he described as wisdom in the plan to hold elections early enough, and before the swearing-in date.

Umeh, who described the timetable as a departure from previous elections, noted that the two weeks’ gap given by the commission to hold the governorship and

Suspension, As Airline Begins Operations Today CITYFILE 6

tion timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

While some hailed the commission on the dates for the presidential and governorship elections, others questioned its decision to hold the presidential and National Assembly polls before the governorship and state assembly elections.

Reacting to the date in a telephone interview with The Guardian yesterday in Abuja,

state assembly elections, after the presidential poll, will give it enough time to examine gains or problems encountered, and correct them.

The APGA chairman also expressed his party’s readiness to begin full political activities for the 2015 general elections, as soon as it receives message from INEC, stressing that APGA will abide by the timetable.

“The timetable, released this early, is a clear departure from previous ones when the commission tried to suffocate political parties. It is highly commendable, because it will afford the parties enough time to put their houses in order in their choice of candidates. It will also give INEC enough time to analyse the first election well, so as to do better in the next one,” Umeh said.

INEC, however, received knocks from the Labour Party (LP) leadership. The LP national chairman, Dan Nwuanyanwu, expressed doubt on the sequence of the election, wondering why the

electoral umpire chose to conduct the presidential election before that of governors and state assemblies.

Nwuanyanwu, who said that his party would study the timetable and make its observations, however, commended the commission for releasing the timetable on time, stressing that it would guide the parties into picking their candidates on time and without issues.

In his reaction, the United Peoples Party (UPP) national chairman, chief Chekwas Okorie, noted that the decision by INEC to hold the presCONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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2 | NEWS Sunday, January 26, 2014

NEWS

Shun APC, PDP Govs Urge N’Assembly CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) urged legislators to shun call by the APC not to clear ministerial nominees and service chiefs.

The governors, under the aegis of PDP Governors Forum (PDP-GF), met in Katsina Friday night. They were led by Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio.

Akpabio said pronouncements by the opposition “particularly the APC (All Progressives Congress)” is inconsistent with national interest.

Reading from a communiqué, he said: “The attention of the forum has been drawn to recent statement made by

the opposition parties, particularly the APC, to the effect that its members should stall the confirmation of service chiefs and ministerial nominees and even stall the passage of the 2014 national budget.

“We believe that this country is currently faced with a number of security challenges, which President Jonathan has consistently addressed. The recent appointment of new service chiefs by the president is obviously aimed at addressing the security challenges of this country. The call, therefore, to stall the confirmation of service chiefs, at this time, as well as the budget for 2014, is most unpatriotic and unwarranted.

“It is our considered opinion that every single nominee sent by the president should be confirmed forthwith and the National Assembly should be allowed to carry out its statutory responsibility in the collective interest of all Nigerians.”

The CNPP National Publicity Secretary, Osita Okechukwu, noted that non-interference by the federal government in the affairs of Rivers State remains the latest litmus test of President Jonathan’s take on federalism.

He said: “We are alarmed that the president seems to have scant regard for the fact that Nigeria is a federal state, not a unitary system or a confederacy. Before the Rivers State crisis, his scant regard for federalism was more noticeable in the dis-

tribution of revenue, hence his serial altercations with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the doctrine of federalism basically captures the middle ground between unitary system and confederacy.

Accordingly, the request of the governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, as the chief security officer of the state for the transfer of Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu, is a constitutional right guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which states inter alia under Section 5(2) (a), ‘the executive powers of the state shall be vested in the governor’, and in Section 176(2), ‘the governor shall be the chief

executive of the state’.

“Our understanding of the directive by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to its members in the National Assembly to block executive bills, pending the restoration of the rule of law and constitutionalism in Rivers State, is a valid and due process to reinforce the doctrine of federalism and return the president to the path of best practices in statesmanship.

“Consequently, the tactics adopted by APC is neither subversive nor unconstitutional, as echoed by propagandists and praise singers who most of the time are self-centered.

“As a shadow government, APC has the constitutional right to draw the attention of the president when he is crossing the thin line between federalism and the unitary system or confederacy, until the Jonathan conference amends the constitution we have today.

“We are, therefore, outraged that members of the CNPP, like the Labour Party, the National Conscience Party and other eminent Nigerians, are in league with President Jonathan in his subtle subversion of federalism, and enthronement of unitary system through the back door.

“In summary, we are at a loss why President Jonathan, as commander-in-chief, is looking the other way, while an inferno is brewing in Rivers State. We, therefore, appeal to him to uphold the doctrine of federalism, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And that more than any other Nigerian, he has the single honour and privilege to put off the Rivers State inferno. And one way of doing this is to direct the Inspector General of Police to transfer Mbu Joseph Mbu to Borno or any other state in observance of the doctrine of federalism.”

PDP Hails Timetable

By Azimazi Momoh Jimoh HE ruling Peoples T Democratic Party yesterday hailed the timetable for con-

PDP BOT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih (left); Vice President Namadi Sambo; President Goodluck Jonathan; Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina; and the Perm. Secretary, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, during the launch of Dry Season Farm Support programme held at the banquet hall of the presidential villa, Abuja

duct of the 2015 elections and those of the governorship elections holding in Osun and Ekiti States Reacting on Friday night, the national publicity secretary of the party, chief Olisa Metuh, described it as a welcome development, adding that the party would abide by the order of the elections, as a lawabiding body.

According to Metuh, “the INEC timetable is part of democratic process. PDP is a lawabiding party; we are guided

by the procedure for electoral processes.

“We will participate fully in the entire process. Our job is to sensitise the various organs of our party to mobilise themselves and rally for the election.”

He added: “We are not unmindful of the machinations of the opposition who have become undemocratic in their actions and activities to boycott elections. We hope that they will instruct their members in the National Assembly not to participate in the electoral process.

“Let me put it unequivocally that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria, with or without the APC.”

‘Timetable Will Give Unfair Advantage To Jonathan’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 idential election, ahead of other elections, is a grand design to give undue advantage to the incumbent, stressing that like previous elections, the undue advantage means that the party will also benefit at the state level immediately after the presidential election.

He noted that though INEC cannot be queried for its decision to put the presidential election ahead of others, because it has the backing of the constitution to chose any date it desires, the undue advantage it has given to the incumbent does not guarantee victory for the PDP and its candidates.

Meanwhile, the

Independent National Electoral Commission yesterday revealed that it carefully chose the dates for the 2015 general elections because it is determined to ensure that all matters of litigations that could trail the results would be resolved on time before the swearing-in date of May 29, 2015.

INEC’s head of media and publicity, Nick Dazang told The Guardian yesterday in a telephone interview that the commission has put machinery in place to ensure that it completes issues like permanent voters’ card and the continuous voter registration exercise before the end 2014.

He, however, warned that the release of the timetable does not mean that politicians and parties have been given permission to kick start campaigns, noting that the commission will soon serve a detailed notice of election to all the registered political parties.

“Our intention is to begin early in order to complete all cases of litigation, before the May 29 swearing-in date. The commission will soon flag-off the next phase of the continuous voters’ register, which we are sure, will be completed before

the elections. The timetable is meant to guide the parties to begin the choice of candidates early. It does not mean that ban on campaigns have been lifted. No, the ban is still effective, according to the provisions of the electoral act. INEC will also serve a notice of election to all the registered political parties for campaigns to begin.”

INEC, on Friday, released the timetable, which indicated that the Presidential and National Assembly elections would be held on February 14, 2015.

The timetable also indicated that Governorship and State House of Assembly elections would hold on February 28, 2015 with the exception of Ekiti and Osun, scheduled for June 21, 2014 and August 9, 2014, respectively.

Senator Lekan Balogun, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, expressed belief in the INEC arrangement. “The INEC timetable is very good and we (politicians) have no problem with it; all we need do is adjust to the programme,” he said.

Balogun called on politicians to prepare for the elections, insisting that he does not doubt the leadership of INEC in conducting fair and free elections.

Mr. Akin Oke, the acting chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, said his worry stems from the presidential election coming up before the governorship election.

Mr. Tokunbo Ajasin, a stalwart of the APC, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by phone that the timetable was workable.

He, however, said he is not sure whether or not the proposed National Conference would have been concluded before the elections. “INEC has nothing to do with the conference; but I hope the reorganisation of political parties would have been carried out and concluded before then,” he said.

Dr Nureni Adeniran, the Public Relations Officer for Accord Party in the state, said the executive would meet and come up with an official reaction. “The timetable calls for serious analysis and critical study by Accord Party members and officials before coming up with an official reaction,” he said.

Senator Sunny Ugbuoji (PDPEbonyi) said the early release of the 2015 election timetable

by INEC would provide ample opportunity for Nigerians to choose the right candidates.

Ugbuoji, in an interview

with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), commended INEC for renewed effort to ensure timely and smooth electioneering campaigns for prospective candidates to reach out to the electorate.

He, however, urged INEC to embark on massive voter enlightenment to educate Nigerians on the need to actively participate in the electoral process.

He said: “It is very proactive and aims to give people the opportunity to make up their minds on what they really want. Politicking and canvassing for support should go down properly, so that people are truly convinced of who they want to vote for.

“The release of this timetable will make people know the persons they really want to choose. It should be followed with political education because that is one thing that is lacking in the activities of INEC. With adequate political education, people will really understand what is expected of the electorate during election,” he said.

Senator Ehigie Uzamere (APC-Edo) also welcomed the release of the timetable, saying it would allow for early preparations by the political parties. “For the first time, I

am sure the entire Nigerian people would be happy that the timetable came out a year before the elections,” he said.

He added that the electorate and the political parties would have enough time to prepare for the elections. ”We (politicians) must be careful and remember that after politics there must be life; politics is not a do-or-die affair. We all believe that politics is just a game and after that we remain friends, brothers and sisters; that is the only way we can protect this democracy.”

Senator Ben Ayade (PDP-Cross River), expressed concerns over the February 14 date for the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Ayade noted that holding the elections on February 14, 2015 would not give room for litigation within the specified six months. The swearing-in ceremony is supposed to be May 29, 2015; and with the election in February, it does not even allow the six months for litigation,” he said.

The lawmaker said that INEC should have waited for the amendment of the Electoral Act before releasing the timetable. “I think the Senate is trying to have the Electoral Act reviewed; the timetable couldn’t have come out before the amendment of the Act.”

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Sunday, January 26, 2014

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Sunday, January 26, 2014

NEWS Plateau Killings: Proliferation Of Firearms To Blame, Says DPO From Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi, Jos ROLIFERATION of illegal firearms has been identified as a factor responsible for the killing of innocent people in Shendam local government council of Plateau State.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in-charge of Shendam Police Station, Mr. Joseph Akpan, stated this yesterday when he held a peace meeting with people of the area.

The peace, which was convened by the DPO because of the rising cases of silent killings in the area, comprised traditional rulers, Fulani Ardos, youths and community leaders across the council.

The DPO told participants that the police and other security agencies are tired of silent killings going on within the locality, urging those behind the act to desist before they are identified. He appealed to traditional institutions and parents to monitor the activities of their children and the influx of people coming into their areas.

According to Akpan, “The crisis we are witnessing today in Plateau State is due to lack of religious tolerance and greed, because when people understand themselves, they will forget about all ethnic differences. And most importantly is the proliferation of illegal arms. Assuming we don’t have any firearms from the factory, people will resort to dialogue to settle their differences.”

In his contribution, the Interim Administrator of the council, Mr. Ezekiel Afon, said that the issue of security has been a major challenge to him since his assumption of office about four months ago, stressing that several meetings have been held at different fora with a view to finding solutions to the lingering crises.

He urged all the surrounding villages to form vigilance groups and submit monthly reports to his office. He asked for their full cooperation to security agencies because, according to him, without their cooperation security men will not be able to function them properly.

He frowned at people who are shielding hoodlums in their midst because of what they benefit, adding that by so doing they are not helping the situation. He told them to furnish the security agencies with useful information on miscreants, warning that anybody caught hiding bad elements will face the full wrath of the law.

Meanwhile, women in the state have appealed to the Special Task Force (STF) to restrategise its mode of operations for effective surveillance in order to tackle security challenges in the state.

Special Adviser on Women Mobilisation to the Governor, Mrs. Monica Gwom, made the appeal yesterday when she led a delegation of women to the headquarters of the STF in Jos, where they were hosted by the Commander, MajorGeneral David Enetie.

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Chairman, Board of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, unveiling the plaque of the Surgical Skills Training Centre, LUTH, in Lagos on Friday. With her are Prof.

Osato Giwa-Osagie (left), Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and Prof. Akin Osibogun, Chief Medical Director, LUTH.

Edo PDP Shuns Tambuwal From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City OR the second time in less than one year, the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has again shunned Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, who visited the state Friday on a condolence visit to the Oba of Benin over the death of his wife, Esther Erediauwa.

It will be recalled that the PDP was nowhere to be found when Tambuwal visited the state last July for the birthday

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Council Chairman Slumps, Dies and 25th marriage anniversary of deputy governor Pius Odubu.

The Speaker and the executive members of the Edo State chapter of the PDP were at the palace of the Oba of Benin at about the same time but did not exchange greetings.

The Edo PDP, led by the state chairman of the party, Dan Orbih, had arrived the palace, shortly before the Speaker came with some members of the All Progressives Party

(APC), including Rasaq BelloOsagie and Samson Osagie.

The two groups were a few metres away from each other at the entrance to the inner chamber of the palace where the Oba receives visitors, but they did not exchange pleasantries.

Orbih said the Speaker did not inform the leadership of the PDP in the state, as he often did during previous visits to Edo. In its condolence message,

Edo PDP described the late Oba’s wife as a mother, who lived a good life and worked for peace in Benin kingdom.

Meanwhile, the vice chairman of Etsako Central local government council, Mr. Charles Eshieshimua, is dead.

He reportedly died on Friday evening at about 3.55pm at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Esan Central local government of Edo State after checking his blood pressure.

The Guardian gathered that he drove himself from Fugar,

about 70 kilometers from the hospital, for the medical examination before he slumped and died.

In a reaction, yesterday, chairman of Etsako Central local government area, Emmanuel Momoh, described the death as shocking, adding that the people of Fugar would miss his contribution to the development of the area.

He prayed God to grant the family of the deceased the fortitude to bear the loss.

Armoured Cars: Group To Sue EFCC On Oduah Faults Budget For Ex-miliFrom Abosede Musari, Abuja HE Civil Society Legislative T Advocacy Centre has threatened to institute a legal action against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) within 14 days, if it fails to investigate Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, over the N255 million armoured car saga for which the House of Reps and the Presidential committee have already indicted her.

CISLAC, under its Say No to Corruption Campaign, said in a statement Friday, that the EFCC should exercise its powers by conducting an in-

vestigation into the issue and arresting the indicted minister for prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction.

“Should the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission refrain from taking the appropriate and required action, the Say No Campaign will not hesitate to institute a legal action against the commission within 14 days,” the statement reads.

The group also kicked against the 2014 budget, describing it as fraudulent.

“The 2014 budget, which is paradoxically themed: “Budget for Job Creation and Inclusive Growth”, by its

contents, goes to show that we have a government that is yet to acknowledge its primary duty of providing for the welfare and security of the people of Nigeria. The budget simply confirms the fact that we have a government that is insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.”

The group expressed concern over the growing cost of governance and government’s reluctance to cut down the cost of running government, as evidenced by the 70 per cent recurrent expenditure. It said that no nation develops economically with such style of budgeting.

CISLAC expressed dissatisfaction with the amount earmarked for education, saying it is yet to conform to UNESCO recommendation of 26 per cent of total budget. It, therefore, called on the National Assembly to ensure proper scrutiny of the budget before passing it.

“The issue of security cannot be separated from development because where there is insecurity, development is comatose. It is thus surprising that the 2014 budget caters more for the servicing of militants than for our security outfits. The major abuse of power and lack of

motivation by military and paramilitary personnel is mostly fueled by the poor welfare and social security provided. It is, therefore, an injustice that a total sum of N59 billion is allocated to cover the stipends and allowances to 30,000 Niger Delta ex-militants and reintegration of transformed exmilitants under the Amnesty Programme, while the total capital budget allocated to the Nigerian Army, Ministry of Defence Headquarters, Army, Navy, Air force and the total budget for all police formations and commands is N45 billion.

Americans Celebrate King, Honour Nigerian Diplomat From Laolu Akande, Washington DC HEN a group of about W 150 top diplomats from around the world, but based in the US capital, came together with notable AfricanAmericans to honour the memory of the late legend, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., they chose to honour few people who today represent King’s ideals.

They honored four people in all, including Nigeria’s Ambassador to the US, Prof.

Adebowale Adefuye, Rabbi Michael Melnicke, Simeon Booker, a veteran AfricanAmerican journalist and Ms. Maudine R. Cooper, the immediate past President of Greater Washington Urban League, Inc. Adefuye was named the King Legacy honouree for International Service, at a time Nigeria’s image is taking a hard hit in the American media, following news that the federal government has defied western pressure to

embrace homosexuality.

The event, which held last Sunday at the US capital city of Washington DC, was hosted at the same hotel where Dr. King fine-tuned his famous ‘I have a Dream’ speech –Willard Intercontinental Hotel.

On behalf of Nigeria’s President Jonathan, the Tourism Minister also gave a word of greeting to the gathering, which was moderated by US radio celebrity, Monique Daniel Pressley. Ms Made-

line Lawson, a key figure in the planning and spokesperson of the International Salute Committee that selected the honourees, was the chairperson of the event, supported by US college presidents from two very prestigious colleges: Howard University and George Washington University.

Speaking at the event after he received the honour, Adefuye expressed appreciation for the gesture, which he

said was not done only him, but also Nigeria.

He then drew a comparison between King and Nelson Mandela who passed on last month. According to him, even though King and Mandela never met in person “but the success of one affected the other,” and kept influencing the entire black race, leading ultimately to what the Nigerian envoy called the “emergence of our own brother, Barack Obama in the White House.”

Sunday, January 26, 2014

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NEWS

Dana: NCAA Lifts Suspension, As Airline Begins Operations Today A

Ten Months After, Widow Seeks Son’s Whereabouts

By Wole Shadare OLLOWING the successful outcome of the operational audit of Dana Air by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the airline would today recommence full commercial flight operations.

The resumption of Dana Air’s flight operations comes on the heels of the lifting of the suspension order by the regulatory agency, as the airline has demonstrated satisfactory competence in operating the Boeing McDonnell Douglas (MD-83) aircraft fleet.

Meanwhile, the long-standing problem with the cooling system at the international terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, may soon be a thing of the past, as plans are underway to install three new chillers at the airport.

Aviation spokesman, Yakubu Dati, said: “The Federal Government has opted for a complete replacement of the cooling system at the terminal, as a lasting solution to the epileptic system installed over 32 years ago, and which has become obsolete and therefore, difficult to maintain.”

Announcing the resumption of flight operations in Lagos, Chief Operating Officer, Yvan Drewinsky, said the lifting of the suspension order is a testament that the carrier adheres strictly to prescribed safety standards, as dictated

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‘MMA To Install New Chillers’ by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.

He also commended the NCAA for transparent and objective conduct of the operational audit of the airline.

According to Drewinsky, “The successful outcome of Dana

NATIONAL Air’s operational audit by the NCAA, involving the Flight Safety Group, in conjunction with their foreign partners underscores our commitment to safe operations, in line with standard procedures. We are, therefore, delighted at the

prospect of our imminent plans to recommence flight operations to continue to offer unparalleled quality of flight services to our guests.”

While commending Nigerians for their show of support and understanding, especially those whose travel itineraries were disrupted during the operational audit exercise, the airline chief, specifically thanked the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation

Agency, Captain Fola Akinkuotu, for his unwavering commitment to make the skies safer.

He further assured that at resumption, Dana Air would operate flights on the Lagos – Abuja – Lagos route and will, thereafter, progressively introduce additional routes and frequencies to cater for customers’ demands as more aircraft joins the fleet.

The NCAA, in exercising its

Nigeria’s Ambassador to the US and recipient of the Luther King Jr. Award for International Service, Prof. Adebowale Adefuye (right) with Ms Madeline Lawson, spokesperson of the International Salute Committee that selected honourees, during the commemoration of late rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr in Washington DC. PHOTO: AKEEM ADETUNJI

Group Calls For CBN Gov’s Resignation From Kanayo Umeh, Abuja COALITION of civil society organisations, Centre for Conscious Living Against Corruption in Nigeria, has called for the resignation of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, over what it described as incessant violations of ethics of public conduct, fiscal responsibility and due diligence in the discharge of his duties as the governor of the apex bank of the country.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Director General of the Centre, Dr. Gabriel Nwambu, cited untrue statements allegedly made by him as well as some donations made by the CBN governor as constituting acts of abuse of office and negligence.

The recent allegation by the CBN governor that $49 billion was missing from the national treasury, a claim which Sanusi later described as an error, the group said Mallam Sanusi displayed gross incompetence, which was unbecoming of a person of his status.

According to him: “Such an ‘error’ (if it was indeed one), should never have come from a CBN governor worth his salt!

It was the expectation of most Nigerians that Mallam Sanusi would have done the needful by honourably tendering his resignation letter upon the occurrence of such a major mischievous statement capable of running down Nigeria’s economic standing in the eyes of the international business community.

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“It is in the light of these developments and in our utmost desire to protect the integrity of the nation’s apex bank that we demand that Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi should immediately tender his resignation as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

The DG also outlined some

NATIONAL of the donations allegedly made by the CBN governor for which the coalition seeks his exit include the donation of N4 billion to Bayero University, kano; N10 billion to Uthman Dan Fodio Univer-

sity, Sokoto; N135 million to Niger and kano states; N500 million to University of Benin.

Nwambu noted: “section 2 sub sections a-e of the CBN Act (2007) clearly spells out the functions of the bank as: (a) ensure monetary and price stability (b) issue legal tender currency in Nigeria;

(c) Maintain external reserves to safeguard the international value of the legal tender currency; (d) Promote a sound financial system in Nigeria and (e) act as banker and provide economic and financial advice to the Federal Government.

“In view of the clearly spelt

Okorocha Commends Supreme Court Over Affirmation Of Victory Judgment From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri ASkING on euphoria of joy after the Supreme Court judgment on Friday, affirming his electoral victory, the Imo State governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has described the judiciary as the last hope for the common man.

Okorocha made the statement at the Government House, Owerri while briefing journalists, stressing that he

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IMO was better positioned by the judgment, urging the opposition to stay cleared and allow him do his job for Imo people.

“I believe that the mandate given to me by Imo people is divine and God will help me accomplish it. Those fighting Rochas and his government are fighting God.”

The governorship candidate in the 2011 election, under the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Ifeanyi Ararume had challenged the issue of May 6, 2011, Supplementary election that brought Okorocha of the then All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), to power. The matter of joining the immediate past governor of the state, Chief Ikedi

Ohakim of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the case, which had been handled at the Appeal Court.

The chairman of Progressives Governors’ Forum said he would now be focused without distractions, stating that the judgment disposing away other such cases against him would inspire confidence on the Imo people towards 2015 elections.

Son Flays Father For Dumping PDP From Gordi Udeajah, Umuahia NEof the sons of chief Benjamin Apugo (a former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State), Mr. Chukwudi Apugo, has faulted his father for quitting the PDP. Chukwudi also warned his father, who was a member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), against what he (Chukwudi) called unwarranted and non-objective criticism of the state governor Theodore Orji.

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Chukwudi said he takes exception to his father’s recent criticism of Orji in the media.

Orji is a kinsman of Apugo.

While reacting to his father’s reported assessment of the governor, as having performed below expectation, Chukwudi said: “ I want to advise my father, if he is no longer comfortable with the rising profile of governor Orji who is also his fellow Ibeku kinsman, to quit active politics and become adviser and kingmaker in the state. I wonder what pleas-

ure my father derives from criticising any government in power including that of governor Orji. I urge my father to dump APC and quickly return to PDP or quit politics.”

Chukwudi, who also faulted his father for describing the Abia State airport, proposed recently by Orji, as a “political joke”, said: “any man who says that Governor Orji is not performing, is unfair in his judgement, because the achievements of Orji are identifiable and visible, even to

the blind.

“Our father should know that even we, his children, are not castigating the governor, hence he stands alone. If he sees Orji as a political threat, let him quit politics, because whether he likes it or not, Orji has come to stay.

“Today, Orji holds the highest title in Ibeku land, because of his towering achievements. Before he came to power, our people were very backward, but today we have seen the light.”

From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu 75-year-old widow, Mrs. Mary Ogbodo has become almost a psychological wreak following the sad disappearance of her son, Barnabas Nnamdi. Tall, slim and dark Barnabas, complexioned, who has been missing for ten months now, is a business man at Sabon Geri, kano. He left home in the morning of March 18, 2013 and never returned. He hails from Nsukka in Enugu State.

Mrs Ogbodo, who managed to fight back tears yesterday, while narrating the development to The Guardian said, neither her nor any member of the family, had heard nor seen Barnabas since then.

“I have made so many inquiries since this incident was reported to me.

The only thing I learnt is that there was a bomb explosion in kano on that day, but we have checked his shop and could not find his corpse there. We have asked a few of his friends and nobody accepted knowing his whereabouts. We have made contacts with different police stations, especially in kano. It is now ten good months and there is no news about him.

My worry is that there is no reliable information regarding whether he is alive or dead. It is a painful thing to me, especially when I remember the difficulty I passed through training them since the death of their father,” she said.

She appealed to members of the public to assist her with information that could lead to the tracing of her son through the nearest police station.

School Elects New Officers JEBU-ODE Grammar School I1974/79 Old Boys Association (JOGS) set has elected new executive members to paddle its affairs for the next two years. At the election, which took place at the residence of former chairman Nigerian Dental Association, Dr. Femi Orebanjo, last Sunday, a former banker, Dimeji Ogunbiyi, emerged as president, and Omodehin ‘Tola as vice.

Others are Adelana Adeola (secretary), Bayo Oredipe (assistant secretary), Sanni kemi (financial secretary) and Femi Adelaja (social secretary). Also Adenuga Bola emerged as treasurer and Ogunnubi Tunde as Public Relations Officer during the election, which witnessed Dr. Demola Olowu as returning officer.

Church Celebrates 30th Anniversary HE Good News Baptist T Church will celebrate its 30 anniversary on Saturday th

February 1, 2014. The Church was established in the living room of boardroom guru, technocrat and elder statesman, Gamaliel Onosode, on February 1, 1984. There will be a colloquium and variety night on February 1. The grand finale comes up Sunday, February 2 with thanksgiving celebration, honours awards and merriments.

TheGuardian

www.ngrguardiannews.com

6 Sunday, January 26, 2014

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Cityfile Lagos

Ladipo Spare Parts Market: A heap of rubbish at the market as at Friday afternoon

PHOTO: DANIEL ANAZIA

The Engine Block Of Impunity

By Daniel Anazia

ADIPO International Auto Spare Parts Market is, no doubt, a sigL nificant egg in Lagos State’s commercial basket. It has, at different times, however, come under the sledgehammer of the state government, due to matters of environmental degradation. But from indications, little, if at all any lessons, have been learnt from the state’s corrective measures. The market continues to constitute a nuisance to residents and commuters in the area.

Daily, thousands of traders and customers throng the market to buy and sell auto parts imported from Europe and Asia. From any of its inlets and outlets – Matori from Toyota bus-stop; Akinwunmi from Five Star; Ojekunle and Alhaji Amusa from Iyana-Isolo; Ladipo Street from Mushin bus stop; and Fatai Atere Way from Cappa, there is no mistaking its signature. There is the imposing sea of human heads; anxious skulls contesting the right of way– fighting, cursing, jabbing, shoving, haggling… cart pushers wheeling their engine-laden ‘trucks’ with all the menace of their ‘fuel-laden elder colleagues along the Apapa-Mile 2 road… the conspicuous black soil drenched with rivers of engine oil…

The Lagos State government, through its Ministry of Environment, has, at different times, carried out demolition of illegal structures along drainage channels and major access roads to the market, including Matori Street, Akinwunmi Street, and the canal.

Such exercise followed the 2010 visit by Governor Fashola to inspect traders’ compliance with sanitation rules.

The Guardian’s investigation gathered that the state government, in an effort to free the affected roads from traffic gridlock and indiscriminate parking, held meetings with the Ladipo Auto Central Executive Committee (LACEC), warning on the deteriorating environmental conditions at the market and its surroundings. At the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by both parties.

If the traders didn’t ‘accidentally’ use the signed papers to wipe grease off some auto parts, they certainly did not keep the agreement. From the Toyota bus stop inlet to Ladipo bus stop at Matori Street, the road is completely overtaken by traders displaying their wares and carrying out other activities, including offloading of containers. Driving past the road from Creseada Nigeria Limited (Toyota bus stop) to Palm Avenue and other areas in Mushin is a motorist’s nightmare. Residents have repeatedly petitioned the Ministry of Environment, complaining about lack of access to their homes and property.

The service lane on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, particularly from the Nigeria Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC) (Charity bus stop) to Toyota bus stop and Rutam House, (precisely between OK Sweets to OK Biscuits, subsidiaries of OK Foods Ltd), is in a bad state. Fearful gullies have made many automobiles ‘sustain varying degrees of injuries’; their owners, consequently having to cough out money for repairs. Auto mechanics are also to be

We’ll Take Appropriate Action, Says Lagos Govt seen dashing after cars they believe belong to potential customers.

Operators of the warehouses – J and F, Unity Traders, and Conference – daily offload Tokunbo (used) engines, spare parts, cars, and household items like mattresses and frying pans, among others.

These activities hinder traffic flow, resulting in loss of man-hour by staff of firms in the axis, some of who have also voiced complaints in the media.

On Matori Street, between Ladipo cemetery and the main market, heaps of refuse, believed to have been generated by traders in the warehouses (Auto Friends, A&C, A and B) are dumped indiscriminately. This has significantly reduced the width of the road. Petty traders selling fish, pepper, toiletries, second-hand clothes, shoes, phones etc., have overtaken the walkways. Some automobile importers have turned the street into an auto mart, displaying cars and buses.

Whenever the Lagos State government clamps down on the market, what usually follows is interventionist moves by prominent Igbo leaders, like Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha; Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige; founding Director-General of Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Professor Anya O. Anya; and chairman Capital Oil & Gas Industries Limited and governorship candidate in the last Anambra State election, Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah.

ESCRIBING the condition of the market, Governor Fashola reD portedly said: “It is a massive degradation of a section of Lagos, and this is not acceptable. People should not carry on like this.” On the market’s drainage channel, often blocked by refuse, Fashola said: “We built the canal and we must make it work by not trading on it or dumping refuse in it. People told me that they pick engine parts and other things from the canal. This must stop.”

Anya, while addressing the traders, during his visit to the market, urged them not to take the state’s goodwill for granted. “If it were other states, the government might not create a platform for the traders and its officials to meet and discuss issues concerning the market,” he said.

Following the MoU signed by the leadership of the market, to keep the market clean and abide by environmental laws, the canal was fenced, and illegal structures on its bank demolished. This measure, however, was short-lived; the fence was pulled down, barely weeks after it was erected, and it became business as usual.

The market’s leadership had in 2004 signed a 15-point MoU with the Lagos State Ministry of Environment towards the reconstruction of the market. According to The Guardian’s investigation, the document was signed by the then Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Makinjuola, the Executive Secretary of

Mushin Ajina Local Government, and four officials of the traders’ group – Messrs. Anthony Nwazilie, Williams Ekwueme, Boniface Dim and Humphrey Obiwuin.

In 2013, the market was again shut down for two weeks, and after a series of meetings, it was re-opened. But with conditions. That MoU was signed by the Permanent Secretary, Drainage Service, Ministry of Environment, Mr. Muyideen Akinsanya on behalf of the Commissioner and Lagos State government, and the President-General, Ladipo Auto Spare Parts Central Executive Committee (LACEC), Mr Ikechukwu Animalu (aka Obosi), the Secretary-General of the association, Pastor Steve Paul, and Chairman Mushin Local Government, Babatunde Adepitan.

The conditions include: not using the drainage right of way as trading points and mechanic workshops; not using the access roads in the market for trading activities; and non-conversion of shops in the market for residential purposes. The agreement also cautioned traders against dumping of wastes and vehicle parts into the canal.

They were asked to maintain cleanness of the market environment at all times.

Also contained in the pact is security in the market, which shall be acceptable to the government, and which cost shall be borne by the traders. Illegal trading activities in and around the market is to be disallowed. No mechanic workshop is to operate on any access roads leading to the market. Traders are to park only on one side of the road.

The agreement empowered LACEC to ensure compliance by all traders in the market. Failure to adhere to the conditions is expected to result in government relocating the market from its present location.

PEAKING with The Guardian, LACEC Secretary-General, Pastor Steve Sdoing Paul, said the incumbent president and leadership of LACEC is all it can to ensure traders abide by the MoU it signed with the state government, but that certain elements in the markets are responsible for the level of indiscipline, and that they have vowed to make the market ungovernable.

“The president, Ikechukwu Animalu (Obosi) and his team are doing all they can to sanitise the market and ensure discipline. People can attest to this fact, but some ugly miscreants who are mischievous, are bent on jeopardising the efforts,” he said. Asked who the miscreants are, Paul said: “For security reasons, I can’t mention their names. There are certain things you will say now, and the next day, they will come after you. We have seen it happen to prominent per-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Sunday, January 26, 2014 | 7

CITYFILE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 sons in the society and nothing came out of the investigations.

They have gone after influential people; talk less of a defenseless person like me. I have been in Ladipo market for over 20 years and I can tell you what goes on. The problem we have is ruling the people. Many of them are stark illiterates, and this has contributed to some of the problems in the market and the challenges facing us as leaders.”

He added, “When the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Olosan Police Station came into office, the president and other executive members of LACEC paid him a courtesy visit. I remember he said in the Igbo Language: ‘unusikwarike’, meaning, you are strong people.”

Paul further blamed Mushin Local Government for problems in the markets. He said that against the provisions of the MoU, the council has assigned persons to collect tolls from people who park on the roads.

“There was an agreement that before the council would assign the park ‘n’ pay contract to any anybody, it must be in conjunction with market leadership, to ensure synergy. But this was not the case. From our investigations, we gathered that some of these contractors have been allocating spaces to people. This is against the content of our agreement with the state government, and has been responsible for obstruction of the road networks.

“We have complained about this to government, but they have remained passive and adamant. I don’t know, but in honesty, I think there is a lot more of tribalism in the entire thing against us in the market. “Recently, Baba Oloja was introduced, and both the state and the local governments, respectively, have been trying to make us comply and accept the Baba Oloja. This has resulted in serious infringement of our relationship with him (Baba Oloja). The market was founded by the Igbo, who have dwelt here for over 35 years, and until recently, there was nothing like Baba Oloja. What we usually have is president-general of the market, and this is applicable to all Igbo-dominated markets across the state.”

He explained that some of the stooges within the market are Igbo and they call the bluff of the present leadership. “Many of them operate warehouses, and they offload trucks on the road. We have, on several occasions, extended the olive branch to them in order to have synergy and common understanding but they blatantly refuse. They say to us, ‘we were here before you (came)’. And in order to allow the sleeping dog lie, we allow things to be the way they are now.”

Speaking on government’s attitude towards the deplorable condition of the market, Paul said: “Government cannot deny that they are not seeing what is happening, but they have chosen to be passive and silent. We are all under the authority of the government.

As the executive body, we have written to the Lagos State government through the appropriate ministry and we accompanied these with letters and pictures, yet nothing has been done. Instead, they blame LACEC. And this is why I said there is an element of tribalism in what is happening here.”

When The Guardian visited the Baba Oloja, Alhaji Oladotun Abibu Oki, at his Warehouse-A office, his personal assistant, Major Adeyera (rtd), said he was not around and obliged to speak on his behalf.

According to Adeyera, the problem of indiscriminate parking is as a result of the traders’ defiance to constituted authority, and lack of adequate stalls for the people. He noted that these are issues Baba Oloja is trying to address with the state government.

On tolls being collected by park ‘n’ pay contractors, Adeyera explained that Baba Oloja has not collected any money and has never permitted anybody to do so on his behalf. “Baba Oloja, Alhaji Oki, has not given anybody such instruction,” he said.

Speaking on security and the discipline among traders, Adeyera said, there are security measures in place, but the polarised nature of the market has make it difficult for criminality to be checked.

“These are the issues Baba Oloja is fighting to put in place. He wants to make sure every individual in the market has a shop or is attached to a stall.” He added, “This is possible if the people comply.

The baranda or nzama boys know who they scout and canvass customers for.”

N the rift between Baba Oloja and LACEC, the retired army offiO cer said the issue has been a stalemate, but that the Baba Oloja title is part of Yoruba culture and tradition. “If people are looking at it as a tribal issue, they are entitled to their own opinion,” he said.

A stakeholder and immediate past president-general of LACEC, Daniel C. Nwafor (aka Connection) is the operator of Conference Warehouse. He said the sitting president, Ikechukwu Animalu (Obosi), should be blamed for indiscipline and rot in the market.

Nwafor explained that he and other stakeholders are tired of the state of the market and are working together to put things in the right perspective. He said: “When I was the president-general of the market, we agreed it should be kept clean, based on conditions by the state government. We went to the Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA). They didn’t cooperate with us and we contracted it to an individual, who employed staff that swept the market daily.

“We also had arrangement with LAWMA that their truck should be stationed at a strategic place from 7am to 12pm, and that all the refuse generated within the market would be evacuated everyday, rather than allow waste to lie around. The objective of this policy was to always have the market neat and fresh every morning. As I speak with you, the entire market has been sold to private individuals, who have contracted out the available spaces for park ‘n’ pay business.”

He added: “Ladipo market is not like ASPAMDA, Balogun, Alaba or Oshodi markets where provisions and electronics are sold; it is like a mechanic workshop and the biggest automobile market in Africa. People from other West African countries come here to buy auto parts. We had in place a traffic monitoring and enforcement team, which ensured that vehicles didn’t obstruct the right of way, and any cars parked at unauthorised places were clamped and towed away, irrespective of the owners’ status. We mandated importers to move their tokunbo vehicles to their selling points and display them on the road. This was to create parking spaces for customers.”

He continued: “Because there are no spaces for customers to park vehicles near the market, they resort to parking on the road where most of us that are into warehouse management and operations are doing business. When people see all these, they allege we are

LADIPO:

and technicians, who displayed wares by the roadside.

Speaking to The Guardian, Bello said: “We are here to conduct a survey of the market. The governor directed that I should lead the surveillance team. My brother, can you see the nuisance here? These people like whipping up sentiments. But we want

By Emmanuel Badejo the world to see that there is nothing attached but maintenance of law and order in the state.”

HE Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, Asked what the next line of action would be, Bello said he would led a state government’s team to survey the market on Thursreport back to the governor, who would, in turn, give direction day. on what to do.

Bello, who was without any of the traders in the team, expressed “Certainly, the government would take appropriate action as at disgust at failure of the traders to abide by agreement reached when due,” he said. with the state government, part of which, according to him, was Following the commissioner’s visit, The Guardian observed Frinot allowing trading or parking of vehicles on the road. day afternoon that traders who usualy displayed their wares The commissioner personally reprimanded some of the traders along Matori Street were conspicously absent.

Market May Be Shut Again T

the ones obstructing traffic. Government should be blamed because they can’t claim they don’t know about the park ‘n’ pay operators. This is why, as importers and warehouse operators, when our containers arrive, we find it difficult moving them inside, and because we are charged demurrage, people often want to discharge contents of the containers and let the trucks go.”

According to Nwafor, some stakeholders in the market have resolved that Ikechukwu Animalu should resign. “We have given him two years and we cannot see anything meaningful that he has done, rather there are strong cases of financial embezzlement against his government. We, as stakeholders, have resolved that rather than the state government closing down the market again, he should resign, while we put in place an interim government before a fresh election is organised. He cannot be leading a huge mar-

ket, like Ladipo, from exile,” he said.

Apart from the menace constituted by the traders and roadside mechanics, who occupy the service lane (between NAFRC at Charity bus stop and Toyota bus stop) many trucks, doing business with OK Foods (OK Sweets) parked on both sides of the road, obstructing vehicular movement.

When The Guardian visited the company’s corporate head office for response on the indiscriminate parking of trucks, it was told that the person authorised to speak on the issue has travelled out of the country. Efforts to get someone else to comment were unsuccessful, as the high-ranking Indian management staff declined speaking.

The Guardian gathered, though, that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) had, sometime in the past, towed

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

8| Sunday, January 26, 2014

CITYFILE Travelogue

Valentine Nnamani at the kitchen

Ebe Ano: Delicious Piece of Nigeria In Berlin

By Armsfree Ajanaku ROM the corner of the quiet, almost lethargic Pohl Strasse Fimperiously (street) in Berlin, Germany, Nigerian highlife music wafted out of one the buildings. As one moved closer, it felt more like the kind of atmosphere back home in Naija.

Once inside the building, the warmth of loud conversation about politics and the future of Nigeria, washed down by bottles of authentically Nigerian brand of drinks, welcomed me.

In the air, the delicious aroma of egusi soup hung thickly, pushing my salivary glands into an overdrive.

Before traveling, I thought I had mentally prepared to exist without Nigerian food for the duration of the trip. But it turned out that I was not particularly wired to endure foreign tastes in food. I resented those fat hamburgers, just as I was wary of food that seemed to me a deliberate attempt to create art, rather than food to be eaten. Deciding what to eat became a geo strategic decision of choosing between the Chinese (which seemed closer in taste) and the West, which appeared too academic, even in food.

Inside the miraculously discovered Nigerian place however, my conundrum was over. Waiting for my food, I listened to the views of other Germany based Nigerian diners. With the passion and the unapologetic fervor that is uniquely Nigerian, the discussants left no stones unturned as they put forward their version of what Nigeria could and should look like. The familiar names and acronyms in Nigerian politics dominated the discussions: Jonathan, Tukur, Tinubu, Buhari, Jega, PDP, APC, and INEC, all had a familiar ring to them.

The political debate aside, I proceeded to expedite action on the main reason that brought me to this unique Nigerian joint in the heart of Berlin – food, homemade food, as spicy and peppery as you would get it in Nigeria. That was the sole motivation for the four Euros train ride to find this place. Ebe Ano as the joint is known lived up to the billing. In less than ten minutes of waiting, I was served a steaming plate of eba and egusi

...with customers soup with an amalgam of stockfish, beef and other orisirisi. I thought of using the soup I had been served to drive home some points about the beauty of amalgamation, wherein diversity finds expression in harmony.

After vanquishing the food, I proceeded to chat with the owner of the joint. Valentine Nnamani narrated the inspiring story of how he came to Germany and found himself out of job, only to resort to his ability to cook to earn a living.

He recalled that after his initial contract ended with Julius

Berger in Germany; it was not extended due to the fact that he had no firm grasp of the German language. The only option for survival was the disconcerting fact of doing odd jobs. Not long after, he wriggled his way through those jobs and found a route to exiting the rat race, by leveraging on his cooking skills.

Today, he makes good money servicing the appetite of not only Nigerians, but also other Africans in Berlin.

He said of his journey from doing menial jobs to running a prosperous restaurant business: “Ebe Ano means the happening place. Necessity they say is the mother of invention, so that is what has informed the business I am doing today. I didn’t study catering, but I remember I used to cook well.

“It happened that I had a German friend whom we used to work together, and he told me that since I could cook very well, I should open a place like this, especially after working for about five years with Julius Berger.

He continued: “Later on, I got to understand that this (cooking and restaurant business) is what God prepared for me. At first, I started working as a cook in a kindergarten here in Germany. I was being paid 1 Euro per hour. It was known as the one Euro job. One day, the lady that was cooking for the children fell sick. I was assistant cook to the lady. And the head teacher asked if I could cook what the children would eat in the meantime, until they found someone that could cook the kind of food the children really like. I looked at it, and I asked myself, what could I possibly cook for white children to eat? So something told me to prepare jollof rice for them, and I went into the kitchen and prepared a very big pot of jollof rice for about 150 children.

“The funny thing that happened was that it wasn’t only the children that loved it, the teachers themselves took the food home. From there the main cook became scarred and she thought I was going to take her job. After seven months, I was thrown out of the job. Then I moved to the only Island in Germany, where I again worked as assistant cook. It happened again that some famous black actors, including Will Smith came to the Island and my directors asked if I could prepare something hot for them because they wanted hot (peppery and spicy) food. Will Smith and Lionel Richie were in the group.

He continued: “There were seven of them altogether. After I prepared the food, they ate it and they really loved it. After eating, they came to the kitchen and asked who cooked the food.

And they even tipped us with the sum of 5000 Euros because they enjoyed the food. After that, the director of the restaurant called me and told me I had potentials. And he said: “you go and open something, and when you do, tell me. I will support you in my own little way. I then left the Island, which is almost eight hours drive from here, and I started looking for a shop. I wanted a place I could at least manage. I got this place and we opened. That is how the journey has been for me so far. I thank God today that things are looking up; I even get contracted to do catering for hundreds of people, not just Nigerians, but other Africans.”

The Ebe Ano attraction is not just in the food; Nnamani also ensures that drinks including beers like Malta Guinness, Star, Harp, Gulder and Guinness Stout are flown in from Nigeria to make the Ebe Ano experience a truly Nigerian one. Not minding the fact that the plate of eba with a bottle of malt cost me 15 Euros (about N3000), I kept returning to the joint because everything reminded of how it is to settle down, and whack some good food in a Nigerian bukka.

The Ebe Ano attraction is not just in the food; Nnamani also ensures that drinks including beers like Malta Guinness, Star, Harp, Gulder and Guinness Stout are flown in from Nigeria to make the Ebe Ano experience a truly Nigerian one. Not minding the fact that the plate of eba with a bottle of malt cost me 15 Euros (about N3000), I kept returning to the joint because everything reminded of how it is to settle down, and whack some good food in a Nigerian bukka.

City Shot

Refinery To Curb Unemployment n Host Communities From Ann Godwin, Port Harcourt HE Managing Director of Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), Mr. Ian Udoh, has urged youths in the firm’s host communities to explore viable economic opportunities rather than involve themselves in unwholesome activities.

Udoh spoke at the company’s premises during the official flagoff of PHRC’s Youth Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Programme (YESAP) for host communities in Eleme and Okirika Local Government Area of Rivers State.

He said the programme was aimed at boosting opportunities for wealth creation, economic empowerment and reduction of unemployment. “Another cardinal objective of the skill acquisition programme is to improve human capacity for sustainable development. If youths become engaged and financially independent, people will not use them for violent acts,” He said.

Udoh told the trainees that they would receive starter packs from the company at the end of their session, noting that the gesture was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility to host communities.

The Acting Executive Director, (Service) of the company, Mr. Ralph Ugwu, explained that the youths would receive training in specific skills, such as welding and fabrication, carpentry and woodwork, plumbing, pipefitting, GSM repairs, catering and poultry, among others.

The paramount ruler of Alesa Eleme, HRH Emperor Nkpe expressed delight at the company’s gesture and urged it to build stronger ties with the communities to achieve sustainable development.

T

Scene of an accident, which happened at Iyana Isolo Bus Stop, along the Apapa/Oshodi Expressway when a mini truck collided with a commercial bus.

No life was, however, lost.

PHOTO: PAUL ADUNWOKE

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Sunday January 26, 2014 | 9

NOTEBOOK

From The Honourable Minister Of Prophesy

By Ndaeyo Uko E all know the American dream: the lofty idea that any man who gets to America by hook or crook could, through hard work, and use of his ‘number six’ borrow enough money, own a big house, a big car, a big potbelly, and a big credit card debt, which can be settled by catching a plane and returning to the country from where he had come, in order to obtain another passport in another name and start the cycle again.

The Nigerian dream is much easier and sleeper-friendly: to be called “Honourable Minister.” Unfortunately, all the 31 federal ministries, including the ministry of Special Duties, have been taken. So, I decided to make your dreams come true by creating new ministries for you and me. I have to warn you that some of the ministerial slots have already been filled by me; and by my cronies and uncles, who can spell their names. But the rest are up for grabs – just come to my office during working hours with your CV and N240 million in a bag.

Ministry Of Ministries This ministry was created to create ministries and nurture the Nigerian dream. Honourable Minister: Chief (Hon) Engineer Architect Banker Elder Dr Ndaeyo Uko Mni, PDp, CAN, FGN, JP, JD. Ministry Of Prophesy I created this ministry in response to the yearnings of Nigerians for a more streamlined distribution of our biggest human and spiritual resources– prophecies. In particular, the minister will have oversight and, of course insight and foresight, over everything, from the number of road accidents to the precise date in March 2014 that members of the Boko Haram Tourism Group (BHTG) will come out of hiding to surrender to the valiant armed forces of the Federal Republic. As the entire world is aware, the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the said armed forces, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, has set the end of the Boko Haram problem: before April, that is in NINE weeks. President Jonathan, who predicted that the Nigerian car will roll out of the Nigerian plant “soon”, did not make it to the final shortlist, because the panelists did not consider “soon” an appropriate date on which to pin a prophesy. Air Marshal Badeh will be given nine weeks to perform as Honourable Minister of Prophesy. But if even one single crude bomb explodes anywhere in the north of Nigeria, any day from April fool’s day, he’d be sent back to the barracks to brush up his prophetic skills. The Minister of State at the Federal Ministry of Prophesy is not Pastor T. B Joshua (who was disqualified for his lowly title of pastor and absence of self-awarded high degrees) but to, Bishop Emmah Isong of Calabar, who accurately “predicted danger for Nigeria in 2014”.

Ministry Of Letters The primary role of the ministry is to coordinate correspondence between former, aspiring and serving presidents and ensure that the contents show respect for age and protocol and contain no unnecessary innuendoes or sour grapes. Honourable Minister: Oba Olu Baba, D.Litt (Doctor of Letters) (Note from the Minister of Ministries: The Honourable Minister of Letters’ title, D.Litt, has to be spelt out, lest enemies of the state and of the honourable minister should mistake it for Doctor of Litter) Minister of State: Lord G. E. Jonas, D.Litt Honoris Causa) Ministry Of Musical Chairs

W

Taking into account the necessity of constant review and overhaul of governance, this ministry will recommend to the government what minister or special assistant to replace with one equally or more incompetent. The ministry shall keep a file of all the failing agencies and formations, civil and military. A special department shall be created for the police. When a national problem emerges and political opponents start having ideas that they should take advantage of such a lapse, the ministry shall recommend the sacking, retirement or replacement of the head of the organization. In the case of the police, a new Inspector-General of police must be identified as soon as the security situation deteriorates under the nose of the incumbent. It is, however, not the duty of the ministry to do the sacking or interfere with governance by recommending a solution. Honourable Minister: General Doctor Chief Ibrahim Babangida, the Utuenikang of Uyo (that, by the way is a real title conferred on the General when he was head of state; I can attest to that).

The Ministry Of Sacking This ministry is charged with the responsibility of taking the heat off the executive arm of government, by carrying out the sacking on the recommendation of the Honourable Minister of Musical Chairs.

Ministry Of Panels Where the sacking of an incompetent or failed minister or senior official is politically awkward, the ministry will set up a panel to examine the case and absolve the official in question or commission a white paper on the matter.

Ministry Of Green Pastures This ministry will be responsible for the orderly emigration of Nigerians and Nigerian sheep in search of greener pastures and easy money, washing dishes and corpses. It will vet every traveler and the stories they have prepared for the angels on the other side, and ensure that no more Nigerians are seeking asylum in the United States on the excuse that they are being persecuted at home for being homosexuals or for having screamed and refused to be circumcised when they were babies. The ministry will liaise with security agencies at all border posts and airports to ensure that no Nigerians are planning to tell gullible western immigration officials that they are fleeing from military rule, because General Obasanjo is no longer in power. No Nigerian will be pretending to flee Boko Haram after March. Thanks Badeh!

As the entire world is aware, the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the said armed forces, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, has set the end of the Boko Haram problem: before April, that is in NINE weeks.

President Jonathan, who predicted that the Nigerian car will roll out of the Nigerian plant “soon”, did not make it to the final shortlist, because the panelists did not consider “soon” an appropriate date on which to pin a prophesy. Air Marshal Badeh will be given nine weeks to perform as Honourable Minister of Prophesy. But if even one single crude bomb explodes anywhere in the north of Nigeria, any day from April fool’s day, he’d be sent back to the barracks to brush up his prophetic skills.

A General And His Rhetorical Devices From Adidi Uyo CLOSE look at “Before it is too late,” the much vaunted letter by exA President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan, shows that the General does resort to rhetorical devices now and then but that, by and large, he is not a man who is enamoured of ornaments. How much devastation the rhetorical devices he resorts to have caused his enemy I cannot say. But I can tell you that the General did deploy a rhetorical device in the introduction of his missive, to be precise, in the second sentence of its introductory paragraph.

Hear him: “I am constrained to make this an open letter to you for a number of reasons. One, the current situation and consequent possible outcome dictate that I should, before the door closes on reason and promotion of national interest, alert you to the danger that may be lurking in the corner.”

Being no expert of Iraq War lingo, I do not know whether that expression rises to the level of a Hail Mary missile. Nor can I say whether Aso Rock or President Jonathan, especially, felt the impact of the rhetorical device deployed by the General. But I do know that the expression, “before the door closes on reason” is a gentle way of saying, “before you guys stop thinking clearly and start acting stupidly.” And if my knowledge of rhetoric, specifically, my knowledge of figures of speech does serve me right, the General must have deployed a euphemism at the Villa. Say, did the missile explode in mid air, or did it actually land on Aso Rock?

From Number One to Number Ten, I mean, from the first to the tenth reason given by the General for writing his open letter. It reads: “I am concerned about your legacy and your climb-down which you alone can best be the manager of whenever you so decide.” Really, do you believe that General Obasanjo is earnestly concerned about President Jonathan’s legacy? Is the General being derisive of the President?

Hmm, I’d like to concur with those rhetoricians who assert that humour is indeed devastating rhetorical device. Or, may be, we could let that statement pass for an irony, especially in the light of that phrase, “your climb-down.” Every leader knows that the time for his “exit” would certainly come, but, instead, the General chooses to use the word, “climbdown,” to describe the situation staring President Jonathan in the face.

The General, it would seem, is waxing periphrastic, periphrasis being a figure of speech which is a deliberate circumlocution. Could humouring the president be a reason for the General not hitting the nail on the head?

One rhetorical device which General Obasanjo deployed quite a number of times in his missive was metonymy. This is a figure of speech whereby a thing or concept is called not by its own name but rather by the name of something associated with the thing or concept. For example, while discussing the leadership problem in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the General deposes: “It would be unfair to continue to level full blames on the Chairman for all that goes wrong with the party. The Chairman is playing the tune dictated by the Paymaster. But the Paymas-

LANGUAGE ON PARADE ter is acting for a definite purpose for which deceit and deception seem to be the major ingredients.”

If you do not know who the Paymaster is, then you would not know that Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is no longer the Chairman of the PDP. He has since climbed down from power! Of course, the Paymaster is the Governor of the Central Bank, but the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, whom the General does not want to call by his name – but you know it!

As any reader can discern from the General’s letter, one of the things that irks him severely is the “deceit and deception” that surrounds the Paymaster’s quest for another term in office. Concerning this matter, the General writes: “Up till two months ago, you told me that you have not told anybody that you would contest in 2015. I quickly pointed out to you that the signs and the measures on the ground do not tally with your statement. You said the same to one other person who shared his observation with me. And only a fool would believe that statement you made to me judging by what is going on. I must say that it is not ingenious.”

In that deposition, or should we say excoriation, the General deploys the same rhetorical device twice, this being the litotes. It is a figure of speech that emphasises the magnitude of a statement by denying its opposite.

It is generally acknowledged that the two most common figures of speech are the simile and the metaphor, and these abound in the General’s arsenal. Lamenting the security situation in the country, with particular reference to Boko Haram, the General asserts: “Nigeria is bleeding and the hemorrhage must be stopped.” And appealing for caution in the same vein, General Obasanjo writes: “I believe that with what Nigeria went through in the past, the worst should have already happened. It must be your responsibility as the captain of the ship to prevent the ship from going aground or from a shipwreck.”

Still waxing rhetorical, the General returns to what is seemingly his utmost concern: peace in the PDP. And to that effect he continues to deploy the simile and the metaphor: “I have heard it said particularly within the presidency that the disaffected Governors and members of the PDP are my children. I begin to wonder if, from top to bottom, any PDP 15 (sic) member in elective office today is not directly or indirectly a beneficiary and, so to say, my political child. Anyone who may claim otherwise will be like a river that has forgotten its source. But like a good father, all I seek is peaceful and amicable solution that will re-unite the family for victory and progress of the family and the nation and nothing more.”

Given words like these, who would say that the General is not a dove?

Certainly, he doesn’t sound like a hawk to me. And unless you mischievously try to read between his lines, like some arch cynics are wont to do, you cannot say that the General is trying to play sheep, after all. That would be a cheap shot at the General.

A Pinch Of N(u)ews A Laugh At Serious Issues

By Stanley Azuakola

President might get 14 years for showing his balls RESIDENT Jonathan might become a casualty of the anti-gay law he recently signed, as he has been accused of “openly showing his balls to Pres. Barack Obama of the United States, Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom and Ban Ki-Moon of the United Nations, who are all men.”

Consequently, the president has been asked by a cross section of Nigerians to forego his constitutional immunity and face investigation if he is truly convinced that he is not guilty of showing his balls to his fellow men.

According to an insider, the president signed the anti-gay law because he was tired of being taunted. The source said: “First, Sanusi told him that ‘you can’t remove me, you have no balls’; then Stella Oduah also told him, ‘yes I am involved in one scandal or another but you can’t remove me, you have no balls’, so he had to show the world that he really had balls.

What better way is there to show he had balls than to publicly showcase it to Obama and co by signing the anti-gay law?”

However...

Pres. Jonathan did not expect that people will interpret the fact that he showed off his balls to mean that he has gay tendencies. His team swiftly began to make attempts to reduce suspicions. Their first move was to ensure that PDP chairman, Bamanga Tukur, was forced to resign. Rumours had been spreading that the reason Jonathan was protecting Tukur was because the man was getting down and doing a dirty job for him. On hearing the rumour, a shocked Pres. Jonathan reportedly told his close aides, “How can people say Tukur is getting ‘down’ and giving me a ‘job’?

How? Such an old man!” In order to shield the president, Aso Rock has made new laws.

Henceforth, “Pres. Jonathan would not peck/kiss male foreign dignitaries on the cheek as it is usually done on television. Also, the president’s re-election campaign posters would not have him and Sambo close-by each other in order to avoid any trouble. Sambo would stay on one edge of the poster while Jonathan stays on the other. Finally, unlike in 2011, when Jonathan invited APC leader Bola Tinubu alone to Aso Rock on a presidential jet in order to negotiate, this time he would also invite Tinubu’s wife.”

APC kicks against anti-gay law Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC), which initially supported the anti-gay bill, is now opposed to it because, according to them, Pres. Jonathan signed the bill in order to “hinder their forward march.” A statement by the APC national publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed, claimed, “Pres. Jonathan knew that our great party, the APC, has been going around the country wooing any man available. He knows that our main leaders are all males, and all those we’ve been wooing are males too, so he has signed this law in order to criminalise our wooing meetings. This barbaric ban of our wooing abilities is unconstitutional and can only emanate from a bumbling anti-wooing leader like Jonathan and must be opposed by all well wooing Nigerians.”

CROWNED CLOWN (CeeCee) OF THE WEEK Maybe it’s because Gov. Rotimi Amaechi talks too much or maybe it’s because the crisis in Rivers has dominated the airwaves for too long or maybe because this is Nigeria where anything goes - but somehow something has gone terribly wrong. Almost everyone has grown weary, people are tired of shouting hoarse and as a result, Joseph Mbu, the Rivers commissioner of police gets bolder and bolder by the day; increasing daily in his recklessness. Today, Mbu is using rubber bullets to disperse a crowd partaking in a constitutionally protected assembly; tomorrow Mbu will kill to achieve his purpose. Mbu is a politician; that’s the only way to explain why his police have no problem with Nyesom Wike’s Grassroots Development Initiative holding rallies on a weekly basis, but shoot at the Rotimi Amaechi-backed Save Rivers Movement when they try to hold a rally of their own.

Mbu allows thugs and militants to hold protest rallies on the streets of Port Harcourt but he orders his men to fire tear gas at teachers who assemble to pick up employment letters. Why Nigeria’s commander-in-chief and Inspector General of Police have shunned the voice of reason and refused to recall Mbu from Rivers is not a surprise but it’s sad and ridiculous. Rivers’ people are not lambs but Mbu is ready to shun professionalism even if it means sacrificing them. Shame on him! His time too will come. He takes the CeeCee this week.

Follow A Pinch… on Twitter: @stanleyazuakola

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Sunday, January 26, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Backlash Abraham Ogbodo

08055328079 (Sms only) abogbodo@yahoo.com

The APC Prescription FTER an emergency meeting of its National A Executive Council last week, the APC issued what equates a political ‘fatwa’ on Jonathan.

The party asked its members to frustrate legislative approval of all executive bills and demands including the 2014 Appropriation Bill and confirmation of the newly appointed service chiefs. In plain language, the APC has ordered that President Jonathan be stopped before his time by whatever means.

If nothing is done and fast too to tilt the calculations, the APC which is now drunk with its new status as majority party in the House of Reps will cause an upset with grave implications to the democratic process. In itself, what the APC is threatening to do is not bad. It is democracy in action, given that the action being contemplated is in the interest of the people. If however, the plan to scuttle governance at the centre using legislative instruments lacks social content, it downgrades to crude politics in action.

Maybe in a hurry to flaunt their new found strength for all to see, the APC leaders including General Mohammadu Buhari forgot to do some deep thinking before coming out tough.

What they have said is that the Federal Government will be shut down completely until Jonathan is ready to address the crisis in Rivers State. It is that far-reaching, yet many people did not quite understand it that way. But Labour Party (LP) chairman Dan Nwanyanwu did, which was why he called a press conference a day or so after to do some personal explanations to put the APC’s decree in proper context.

He said the call by the APC to frustrate the passage of the 2014 budget is not only a declaration of war on Nigerians but also a direct invitation to decouple Nigeria even as the country prepares to roll out drums to mark the centennial anniversary of the 1914 amalgamation of North and South of the River Niger to

S predicted, the All Progressives Congress A (APC) last week tried to play a well rehearsed joke on the floor of the National Assembly, but they were checkmated. The game is getting sophisticated and from now it will be about the deployment of aces. Since its registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in June last year, the APC has not lost one moment to showcase its exploits. But last week seemed different because the fallen Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) managed to stir, as if she wants to bounce back.

The first sign that the PDP could bounce back was demonstrated when the leadership summoned rare courage to ask Bamanga Tukur, former national chairman to step aside. It was a painful decision, but very necessary, in order to reawaken the prostrate behemoth. And the replacement for Tukur, in the person of former governor of Bauchi State, Adamu Muazu was a rekindling of hope, as stakeholders across board seemed to have some faith in Muazu. The remaining governors of the PDP and even those who had taken a risky plunge out of anger and frustration would prefer Muazu, having come from their ranks. The Presidency and PDP caucus in the National Assembly also show signs that they like the man.

By that choice, the PDP at least, has settled one major headache that had looked insurmountable. That could not have been good news for the opposition APC. APC would have preferred that PDP drowned with its leadership crisis, but that did not happen. Opposition strategists must have gone back to the drawing board, to see how to counter this victory for the ruling party. Then, the President released another salvo. He sent a fresh list of ministerial nominees and service chiefs to the National Assembly for clearance. Indeed, some have dubbed that list a ‘war team.’ Perhaps, that was fitting of some of the men who may have been selected to assist the PDP through these tough times and then into elections.

General Aliu Gusau Mohammed (rtd), a former national security adviser is a major boost for the Jonathan government, given the security challenges of the moment. The opposition must have been taken aback, because the same Gusau had wanted to run for the presidency in 2011, except that northern elders in the PDP carried out a selection process that eliminated him. The poser for the opposition will be how come the man is willing to serve

create Nigeria by a Briton called Frederick Luggard. The LP chairman explained that without approval of the 2014 budget, all appropriations made in the document to improve social and physical infrastructure would come to nought.

Schools, hospitals, MDAs will close and physical development will freeze because of zero funding. Nwanyanwu accused the APC of shooting beyond the limit of decent opposition politics.

The LP is also an opposition party, which however resisted collapsing into the APC big house last year.

I don’t think the APC is sufficiently bothered.

The party has reduced the business of opposition to a personal war with President Jonathan.

And if indeed the issue is to kick out Jonathan, APC does not have to shut down government first before achieving same. It should simply work harder to upturn the chart at the Senate and secure majority at that level as it has already done in the lower House and then direct an Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila or any other of its members to compute all the impeachable offences against the President and then move a motion for his impeachment.

Consequently, President Goodluck Jonathan shall stand impeached with an APC’s vote of 172 to the PDP’s 171 on the floor of the House of Representatives. If Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution as amended becomes a stumbling block, the APC should direct its members in both chambers to vote massively for the suspension of that useless provision. In fact, the party which is also threatening to upturn the PDP leadership at the state level can mobilise the State Houses of Assembly to endorse whatever piece of decision that comes from Abuja into a supreme law.

The APC can continue the legislative onslaught until the entire constitution is amended or replaced to read very close to an APC document with specific provisions that make the APC the sole party in Nigeria’s democracy. That way,

there will be no opposition at all not to talk of a strong one to slow down the APC from fixing all the problems in Nigeria with dispatch.

Sincerely, I thank the party for this bold initiative. Before now, the APC had been moving in circles without quantifiable results. The party does not need to struggle to establish a clear ideological difference between it and the PDP or state why Nigerians should retrace to its fold in the 2015 general elections. The shortcut of using its emerging legislative superiority to push for things is far better. Lai Mohammed, the Party interim National Publicity Secretary and Chief Bisi Akande interim National Chairman can also have some respite as soon as Jonathan is pushed out and an APC member becomes interim President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You know in the APC, everything is in the interim.

The APC interim President will be full of clues as to what to do to move Nigeria forward and all the verbal offensive shall end. Usually, if the APC says 10 things on why it is better than the PDP, eight or even all the 10 statements are on the personal inadequacies of Jonathan. It is either the President is clueless, too patient to discipline his wife, Patience, or too involved to call his female ministers to order. Other times, the President embarrassingly exhibits the same mental capacity as a kindergarten pupil.

It is good times for the APC. One APC House member was reported yesterday as saying they would abide by the party’s directive to block executive bills. The real issues about the PDP that makes it less fit than the APC as a ruling party are now left unattended as the latter bask in its new past time of legislative rascality. Even the electoral timetable just released by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), which puts the presidential election in February 2015 does not make much sense in the circumstance. Why wait to get to Sokoto to procure what is abundant and easily accessible in Sokoto trousers? If Jonathan is impeached or incapacitated before 2015, the February presidential election, as it were, is a fait accompli.

The only point to add is that the ascending APC should accept that it is neck deep in a game and no game is over until it is completely over.

Maybe this little throwback will help the argument. At the Under-21 World Soccer championship in Saudi Arabia in 1989, the Flying Eagles of Nigeria was trailing the then Soviet Union’s side by four goals to nothing when it was just about 20 minutes to the end of the game. The Tunde Disu tutored junior team came from that huge deficit to level scores and went ahead to

SUNDAY NARRATIVE Alabi Williams oruku35@gmail.com 08116759790 (Sms only)

It’s Injury Time, But Play Safe with the Jonathan government.

Then, there is Musiliu Obanikoro. The PDP in Lagos has been unfortunate since 1999 not to have the kind of leadership that could harness the potentials. Obanikoro is a grassroots politician, having risen from council politics. He was first elected to the Senate under the platform of Alliance for Democracy, but he defected to the PDP. If he becomes minister and leader of the PDP in Lagos, Obanikoro could give the APC some sleepless night. Other members of the ‘war team’ are men who could revive the fortunes of the party in their various states. This cannot be good news for the opposition.

The APC appears always in a hurry to count her gains, even when the process of gestation is still on. Before it was registered, the party made all the noise in the entire world, so much so that ‘enemies’ began to scheme to undermine her efforts. To get hold of the APC acronym was no mean feat. The way the matter appeared then, those who were bent on frustrating the registration of the party grudgingly let go, so that the witch-hunt does not become too obvious. It is that hubbub spirit the APC has carried on as if it has already formed government, even before the election. Yes, there were some defections, of governors and legislators. Was that enough for APC to waste the entire Christmas holiday rehearsing and boasting of how it would seize legislative authority when it was yet to win an election?

Then the PDP struck, went to court to restrain the leadership of the House of Representatives from effecting changes in the leadership. APC was caught napping last week and what party members displayed was an attempt to snatch power illegally, without following due process.

If the APC had expected things to sail through so smoothly without any resistance, then the party must be full of jokers. Did it not look like joke when Lagos State toyed with the idea of

creating more local governments under the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration? Good as that idea was, the final pronouncement on it by the judiciary was that even though Lagos could create councils as stated in the Constitution, the exercise remained inchoate until the new councils were listed in the constitution. The situation has remained so till today, inchoate. And that is what APC does not reckon with, that its process of evolution remains inconclusive until it has secured a register of members. As at today, there are no registered members of the party and isn’t that instructive enough; that when the legal fireworks begin, most of the movements we have soon could be rendered void?

The point is that the APC is carrying on recklessly and driving furiously to take over power without realising that the PDP is not dead yet.

The process of registration, according to the party leadership will commence any moment from now, but before then, prospective members are up in arms against one another, trying to gain upper hand in the control of members.

It is still the same crude and dangerous amala politics, when one leader will attempt to corner the registration process in order to gain some fetish upper hand over others. This is what is happening in Ogun State, where Governor Amosun and his National Assembly members are struggling to outdo one another. Is this the ideology of the APC, to build a party where there is no level-playing field; where members have to resort to self-help in the absence of internal party democracy?

The APC has a big problem on its hands because it has opened its doors too wide to accept all comers, particularly senior touts that exited from the PDP, persons who are so lawless they have scant regard for party leadership. To make matters worse, these are the kind of people the leaders of the party have willingly surrendered

win the match after penalty shoot-out by a 5 -4 score line.

Short of a better description, soccer pundits dubbed the feat The Daman Miracle for the simple reason that the match was played in the Saudi city of Daman. At the soccer event of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, the Nigeria team recovered from a 3-0 deficit to sink Brazil. And I guess many watched the encounter between Nigeria and Morocco in the ongoing African Nations Cup for home-based players in South Africa. What am I saying? I am saying that in this game called the politics of 2015, a winner can only be declared at the end of hostilities in May 2015.

In other words, there is still time and the APC is pushing too fast with a victory song. Besides, the party with its definite directive for the Federal Government to be shut has inadvertently recreated the operating political environment into a war zone. More worrisome is the fact that the rules of warfare may not be strictly followed in this encounter. The APC is throwing everything into the fight to institute an existentialist code of eat or be eaten. President Jonathan has right to defend himself and even go on the offensive. And he can use whatever he has to do this.

This is my fear. This President that has been globally advertised by the opposition as clueless and weak may turn out a gentle giant; something close to a python, which does not run and jump up and down like the lion to catch its prey.

Some people are actually saying that the APC’s declaration was a panic reaction to President Jonathan’s sudden decision to re-energise the federal cabinet with some high fliers like General Aliu Gasau ahead the 2015 battle.

We can therefore safely say that in spite of all the APC’s razzmatazz, Jonathan is ahead in strategic calculations. After the APC declaration of war, according to LP chairman, Dan Iwuyanwu, the Department of State Security (DSS) dropped a warning that politicians should refrain from making reckless statements as the countdown to 2015 continues. Twenty-four hours later, operatives of the department visited the home of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, former minister of the Federal Capital Territory and one of the very loud voices in the APC household.

The APC has tied legislative respite for Jonathan to the resolution of the Rivers crisis. Well woven! But just in case the APC politicians have forgotten, one of the options open to the President to resolve the so-called crisis is to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State. Which is saying that in this war between Jonathan and the APC, the rules are perfect freedom. Any weapon and tactic is permissible; blame nobody. the parties to in the states, in a gross disregard for members who had stayed away from the PDP since the days of the Alliance for Democracy; who toiled to groom Action Congress, Action Congress of Nigeria and now the APC. Is this how to reward loyal party men? Dele Belgore, who ran on the platform of the ACN in 2011 against PDP’s Abdulfatah Ahmed in Kwara, is now the one struggling for space in the new APC. What manner of justice is that? And what is democratic about reserving position of chairman of the party in the state to a governor to nominate? Is that not the same thing as handing over the party to one man, because it is the same governor who will end up nominating other loyalists to occupy the other executive positions, no matter the sharing formula.

For instance, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has been offered the privilege to produce the chairman of the party. Other zones and leaders who are asked to produce the secretary of the party and other EXCO members have also ended up in Government House, Benin to suggest names of other state executive members to the Governor for his approval. Is this the APC alternative to the PDP that the people are looking up to? Why is the APC so scared of transparent and simple primaries for the purpose of electing party officials and flag bearers?

In the inordinate haste to form government, the APC has become so hypocritical that the leadership does not see anything wrong with its state chapters. Why leave your crisis in Ogun and all over the place to pick on Rivers State as if that is the only troubled spot in the country? To use Rivers as a basis to call for a government shut down is hypocritical and only a decoy to freeze PDP’s imminent recovery. The APC knows that its strategy to forcefully take over government had been countered. The APC knows that failure to play a spoiler in the parliament now could cause it a significant chunk of the gains made so far. The moment Jonathan is able to reinforce his cabinet with the new ‘war team’ the game could take a different turn. This is what the APC does not want. The APC does not also think there is sufficient time to let the judiciary adjudicate on who has majority in the NASS. That could take endless time and the outcome might not be favourable.

In as much as Nigerians yearn for change, owners of the APC should keep in mind that there is a tribe of onlookers out there who have no sympathy for any of the parties, but are keen on due process. Due process and nothing more.

TheGuardian

www.ngrguardiannews.com

Sunday, January 26, 2014 11

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Outlook The Presidency And Dubious Self-Appraisal

By Lai Mohammed RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has squanP dered another chunk of his political goodwill with the boast to Nigerians that his performance in two and half years as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has dwarfed those of all his predecessors since independence. He further challenged Nigerians to compare his administration’s performance with that of any country’s administration in the world!

This latest outburst of the President may have been necessitated by the unrelenting barrage of criticisms from the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), President’s own Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) as well the growing murmurs of disappointed Nigerians who had thought that voting for a ‘humble’ man will help improve the country’s fortune and raise their living standards.

With the unflattering rating of Nigeria as one of the most corrupt countries in the world by the global anti-corruption agency Transparency International, President Jonathan should feel uncomfortable. However, the President’s spokespersons have continued to alienate him from Nigerians, including some of his sympathizers, through misguided comments, selective and often misleading data and, sometimes, outright falsehood.

Development indices indicate that many African countries, many of them less endowed, rank much higher than Nigeria in the development continuum such as per capital income, life expectancy, maternal mortality, access to education, potable water, housing, employment, security, agriculture, power, etc, Countries like Gabon, Angola, Algeria, Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Malawi, Egypt, Libya, Mauritius, and South Africa are heads and shoulders above Nigeria.

Assuming that the President’s performance has been exceptional, there is still no basis for comparison with his predecessors without highlighting what parameters have been used in arriving at such a conclusion.

This is because each succeeding administration in Nigeria operated in different local and global environments and was confronted with peculiar challenges.

For instance, General Yakubu Gowon had the challenges of fighting a civil war, managing post-war relations, and effectively managing the windfall that accrued to Nigeria in the oil-boom era. General Murtala Mohammed confronted an emerging humongous and extremely powerful and corrupt bureaucracy, questionable sincerity of the military to return Nigeria to civil rule, and providing leadership for the efforts to dismantle apartheid and minority rule in Southern Africa. General Olusegun Obasanjo inherited these responsibilities from General Mohammed after the latter’s assassination in a failed coup, the only time in Nigeria that a new military administration was a continuity of a previous one.

Alhaji Shehu Shagari became the first Exec-

CONversation

utive President of Nigeria and had the immediate task of nurturing Nigeria’s new civil rule into a full-blown democracy whilst also accommodating rising cost of governance (due to civilian rule) in the face of dwindling revenue from crude oil- Nigeria’s economic main-stay. For General Muhammadu Buhari, corruption in high places, breakdown of ethical conduct amongst the populace and a failing economy were the challenges. On his part, General Babangida had to contend with economic restructuring owing to oil glut, increased corruption in the public sector, and transition to civilian rule. Generals Sani Abacha and Abdusalami Abubakar also came in tow, the latter going down in history as the most focused leader in Nigerian history, having ensured a successful transition to civil rule within 11 months of coming to power.

It was not that Nigeria did not have other debilitating challenges at that time, but because General Abubakar simply took a long look, identified the most strategic issue in the land and went for it! Chief Obasanjo’s second coming as a civilian President was at a time Nigeria’s image had been badly battered in the international community. That was the era ‘pariah state’ entered the Nigerian political lexicon. He also had to confront corruption which by now had taken up a life of its own in all sectors of our national life.

You can also add the trio of public infrastructural deficit, economic recession and sustenance of civil rule to his basket. Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua had his day in the sun but his greatest challenge was not the health of the Nigerian nation but his own debilitating health, a battle he unfortunately lost in May 2010. It was his demise that initially opened the doors of the President’s office to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan for the completion of Yar’Adua’s tenure. Dr Jonathan then went ahead to win the Presidential election of 2011 which granted him a 4-year tenure as President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Unfortunately, while he focuses his attention on an aspect of Nigeria’s decayed infrastructure (power), he was proven wrong by the enormity and urgency of other challenges which did not feature in his calculations. He was not alone in this failure.

Indeed, most Nigerians, exasperated by the many agenda-setting slogans of his predecessors, set a one-point agenda for him: revitalization of the power sector, an agenda the President himself bought into, at least from his campaign messages.

Barely weeks into his tenure, the challenges of insecurity, decay in the petroleum sector, political intrigues, increasingly restive citizenry, waning relevance of Nigeria in the international community, corruption as statecraft, etc began to rank very high in the ladder of challenges confronting the President.

I have laboured to compartmentalize the challenges that faced the various administrations that Nigeria has had in order to show that the only objective parameters

that can be used in adjudging the success or otherwise of a government is its ability to effectively focus on its avowed agenda while proactively managing the environment in a way that does not unnecessarily throw up issues that will distract it from set objectives. Therefore, President Goodluck Jonathan should be focusing on how well he has delivered on his electioneering campaign promises, while also managing the unintended or contrived issues that now endanger his presidency.

The average Nigerian does not support the President’s claim of exceptional performance. Indeed, the President himself recently alluded to that when he said he is the most criticized president in the world, but that those criticisms were because the people have not started seeing the outcome of his transformation agenda, which he said may not manifest immediately due to the long-term approach of his administration.

Why and how, just a few months down the line, the same President would claim to have outperformed his predecessors and contemporaries in other countries is amazing.

Of late, the President’s men (and women) have been quick to point to an economic growth rate of seven percent and World Bank reports which say that foreign direct investment into Nigeria in 2013 makes the country an investors’ destination of choice.

However, the same spokespersons are quick to repudiate other reports that sound less patronizing. For instance, the Federal Government vehemently repudiated Transparency International’s report that ranked Nigeria as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Indeed, some of the claims of the President’s men make me wonder whether they actually understand the enormous responsibilities that the office carries. Not too long ago, I listened to the Minister of Information claiming that the President should not be held responsible for the orgy of violence that have reigned supreme in some parts of the north.

According to him, the Boko Haram phenomenon is the handiwork of political opponents of the President. Granted that this is so, whose responsibility is it to bring the alleged sponsors of terrorism to book?

When you mention the rampaging prevalence of corruption, what you are greeted with by government officials is that it did not start with Jonathan. Neither could you hold him responsible for the poor state of public infrastructure in the country. However, the same government is quick to claim credit for any achievement by a Nigerian, even when it is through the individual’s dint of hard work, perseverance and a determination to escape poverty.

I watched the Minister of Sports at the Glo-CAF Awards referring to Mr. President as the most successful President in Nigeria’s history in terms of laurels won by

Nigerian athletes. Unfortunately for the minister, he didn’t get the expectant response from the audience. The near silence and a few audible grumblings by a hitherto animated audience was sufficient evidence that they were not impressed by the minister’s sycophantic gesture. For goodness sake, even if winning of medals and trophies by athletes and teams are used to appraise the political leadership of countries, President Jonathan will not feature anywhere close to the performing leaders. The zenith of accomplishment in sports is winning an Olympic gold medal. This President has not won one. General Abacha ‘won’ the African Cup of Nations in 1994 in Tunis and two gold medals in 1996 in Atlanta. In sports, one gold medal is greater than 100 silver medals! At any rate, the hallmark of a successful President is the legacy he leaves behind through his strategy and policies.

Today, Edo and Delta States continue to be the production mill of sportsmen and women in Nigeria due to the sports development strategy of Dr Sam Ogbemudia as Governor of old Mid-West and later Bendel State. This government has not built any sports facility and has no plans of doing so. Most public schools do not have sporting arenas where talents can be discovered and honed. The only grassroots sports competitions still running are sustained by some committed individuals supported by corporate organizations. I am not aware of any robust government intervention in sports to which we can attribute the sporadic triumphs by Nigerian sportsmen and women.

To think that this is the same government that spent over two billion Naira on the 2012 Olympic Games that did not yield a medal of any colour!

Also, despite the hyped agricultural transformation by the Federal Government, Nigeria is still far from being in a position to feed its citizenry. Billions of dollars are spent annually on importation of just one food item, rice. Road infrastructure is still in a parlous state.

At no time in the history of this country did we have so many Nigerians languishing in foreign jail houses, most of them innocently fleeing from poverty at home. Our tertiary educational institutions are a shadow of their old self.

Nigerian degrees are now worth slightly more than the papers on which they are printed, leading to parents sending their wards to South Africa, Europe and America (and even Ghana) for quality education. Nigeria’s influence on the global stage has also nose-dived in recent times, climaxing in a noticeable snub at the burial of Nelson Mandela in South Africa.

Weighed against these setbacks, those fawning aides who are deifying President Jonathan and exaggerating his performance are doing him a disservice. This is because now that they have put him in the stratosphere in terms of his performance, what then is there for him to aspire to in terms of achievement? He can as well relax and wait for Nigerians to show appreciation for his ‘impressive performance’, come 2015!

By Obe Ess

TheGuardian

www.ngrguardiannews.com

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Sunday, January 26, 2014

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Editorial Death On The Roads HE horrific accident the other day, involving a petrol tanker in the Apapa area of Lagos once again brought to the fore the frightening rate of accidents on Nigeria’s highways. There seems to be no end to the carnage on the roads despite the attempts by different traffic personnel to curb the ugly trend. The wanton destruction of lives and property resulting from road crashes has reached an alarming proportion and the time has come for the authorities to do something more drastic to curb the blood-curling phenomenon.

According to reports, the fatal accident occurred when a fully loaded petrol tanker descending the Berger Cement Bridge and heading to Boundary Road in the Ajeromi Local Government Area of Lagos had a break failure and rammed into a cluster of parked vehicles, thereby igniting fire that set the entire vicinity ablaze. Fifty-two persons were reportedly killed in the raging inferno including a police traffic control officers on duty.

Thirteen residential buildings, heavy-duty vehicles at Trinity Auto Spare Parts Market and another building housing a bank were also destroyed. Regrettably, men of the Fire Service Department could not respond promptly to the inferno which started around 10 p.m. until about 11 p.m. That poor or non-response, of course, exacerbated the destruction.

Many traders’ shops were totally razed and billions of naira in goods destroyed. It was, indeed a gloomy start into the New Year. Yet it was just another example of the carnage Nigerians live with from North to South and East to West.

The hardship caused by the menace of tankers and trailers on the roads remains a thorny issue in Lagos metropolis especially. Trailers and tankers are parked indiscriminately all over the city and the Lagos State authorities have for long fought the articulated vehicle drivers for sanity to prevail but to no avail.

The Apapa tragedy even occurred as a result of the indiscriminate parking of vehicles and other illegal activities perpetrated by the articulated vehicle drivers in the area. Transloading of fuel, which exposes the area to the danger of fire outbreak is, of course, a regular source of carnage.

It is unfortunate that despite repeated directives by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to articulated vehicle and tanker drivers to clear off the roads, the highways are still used not only as parking lots, but also as testing ground for the drivers’ murderous instincts. The road leading to Nigeria’s busiest sea ports, Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports, the biggest in the West Africa sub-region, is in a mess, such that it is a study in the nation’s leadership’s irresponsibility that the artery which fuels its economy could be so abandoned to lawlessness.

A lot has been said about the causes of road carnage in the country. These include bad roads, excessive speeding, overloading, defective vehicles, fatigue, especially for night driving, drunkenness, use of inferior tyres, and many more.

Besides, the absence of traffic signs and road markings is a major contributory factor as drivers literally drive blindly on Nigeria’s deadly highways without road signs.

Records show that about three-quarters of the road accidents in Nigeria involve petrol tankers and articulated vehicles. The poor state of the economy, which makes Nigeria a dumping ground for all manners of rickety and dangerous vehicles from around the world, is also to blame. Add to that the endemic corruption which prevents road traffic personnel, including the police, from enforcing traffic rules as they apply to these vehicles.

A lot needs to be done to get Nigeria out of the trap of road crashes. And the solution must start with the drivers. The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), should therefore devise a way to re-certify drivers on regular basis.

The Federal and State agencies whose duty it is to install road signs should do their work and stop the killing on the roads.

Nigeria has too many ‘killer diseases’, corruption being the most dangerous. Carnage on the roads, at least, is one ‘killer disease’ the nation and the people can immediately control.

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LETTERS

Give Us Electricity In Mushin IR: The power supply situaWhen the Federal Government says that it is making Sappalling. tion in Mushin, Lagos is As a new resident a lot of gains in the power sector, I sometimes wonof Mushin, I have had the cause to ask whether this ancient part of Lagos is on the Federal grid at all. This question was necessitated by the fact that it is a rarity and something of an accident to have power in Mushin even for a minute. When the Federal Government says that it is making a lot of gains in the power sector, I sometimes wonder where and how?

With many parts of the country still in complete blackout, it is totally out of place to make unfounded statements and assertions that the power situation in the country is improving. After investing

der where and how? With many parts of the country still in complete blackout, it is totally out of place to make unfounded statements and assertions that the power situation in the country is improving. billions of dollars only to generate darkness, our government should be ashamed of itself to make any claims about providing more power for Nigerians. It is sad that with the environmental hazards in Mushin, lack of provision of power will eventually lead to a shorter life span for its residents. I wish to appeal to whatever body is responsible for the provision of power

to Mushin to come and remove its cables if they have no plans to do anything about the situation any time soon. The case of power supply in Mushin is that of urgency and the earlier it is attended to, the better for its residents, except they are saying that those who live in Mushin are no longer citizens of Nigeria. *Emmanuel Ogundele, Lagos.

Questions For Jonathan And Opposition The Peoples ShasIR: Democratic Party (PDP) spent more than 14 years in power, yet Nigeria remains in darkness: no pipe borne water, few good roads; poor medical and educational facilities, etc.

Politically, Nigeria is unstable; economically, corruption and mass poverty reign.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) attained power inordinately, and is ruling inordinately. Yet, he awards himself pass mark.

The Yoruba say even when a mouth smells, the owner licks it.

No sooner he was elected than he started campaigning for a single term of seven years!

When Nigerians protested, he started denying that he pleaded for a single term of four years, and is now calling for a national conference that will either approve for him a single term of seven years, or support him for a second term of four years.

GEJ and the Legislature require no conference for a truly independent electoral commission, and all the other recommendations of the Sheikh Lemu’s Committee on Nigeria’s peace and stability.

The Afenifere scribe, Yinka Odumakin, said the Yoruba need the conference to seek autonomy. As a Yoruba, I desire Nigeria’s unity and stability, not autonomy. Hence I urge Nigerians to support rotational presidency among the six geopolitical zones.

The Opposition (i.e. All Progressives Congress) should tell Nigerians, not just how it will provide amenities or infrastructure; Nigeria needs political stability, through rotational presidency, equitable salaries and allowances. *Pius Abioje, University of Ilorin.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Sunday, January 26, 2014

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Sunday, January 26, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Sunday, January 26, 2014

www.ngrguardiannews.com

INTERVIEW

P/ 18

‘My Agitation For Women Emancipation Is A Call For National Development’

TIJJANI COVER

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APC IN BATTLE OF WITS AND SIZE... Invades The National Assembly

ADAMOLEKUN NEWSFEATURE GOITRE.. .

Pain In The

P/24&5 Hole In Heart Cases, Nigeria Lags Behind WHO Standards

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Sunday, January 26, 2014

SPOTLIGHT

ADAMOLEKUN: Those Representing Us In The National Assembly Must Be Accountable ‘Yemi Adamolekun is the CEO of EnoughisEnough Nigeria (EIE), a coalition of individuals and youth-led organisations committed to instituting a culture of good governance and public accountability in the country. She told ITUNU AJAYI that it would be dangerous for the country if those whose responsibility is to hold others accountable fail to do so.

What informed EnoughisEnough and enough of what?

PPROxIMATELY, 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population, representing about 105 million people, is under 30 years old, while most are illiterate, and live in rural areas. All of us are disenfranchised and disillusioned.

During the Future Awards, in February 2010, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala challenged young people in the country to take charge of their destinies. She underlined the population advantage, which many people had never heard before, and stressed that change could only happen when the young say ‘enough’! She didn’t define what form that action should take, but young people across the country were listening. This, essentially, led to the birth of EnoughisEnough Nigeria coalition.

Our major campaign tools include R.S.V.P — Register to vote, Select credible candidates, Vote and Protect your vote. There is also what we call Revoda. It is a mobile phone application that turns citizens into election observers. Its unique feature is that it’s tied to each user’s polling unit (PU) number from the voter’s registration card, which makes geo-location very easy. It also allows EiE to send out messages to users that are specific to local councils, wards and polling units. And then, we have shine-your-eye. This is an SMS and web platform to facilitate engagement with National Assembly members. The website provides information on all members, and also, it is an opportunity for users to edit and report on the official’s activities in his or her constituency, as well as an easy interface to send them emails. It will eventually allow users to rank each official as well.

Was that what informed the protest at the National Assembly?

We went to the assembly because it is composed of 469 men and women, who represent the 170 million Nigerians. However, from 2011, there has not been a public budget on their yearly allocation. So, they get N150billion every year, but there is no budget on how they spent it. Our demand for them was five folds: We wanted them to give a budget of how they spend the money or what the money was spent for since they represent Nigerians. If you may know, since 2005, they have spent one trillion naira (N1tr) and there is no account on how that money was spent. Also, about 90 per cent of the members of assembly don’t have functional email addresses, phone numbers, constituency offices in Abuja nor their homes where they represent people and we wanted them to make that provision public. If you go to the website Senator Abaribe gave us, nigeriasenate.org, you will find out that it doesn’t exist. They did six months consultative process on constitutional amendment, voted publicly, however, while the Senate has made the record of their voting public, the House of Representatives has not. This is important because it is good to know how people who represent us vote on issues that are dear to us. For example, when they voted on the clause that allowed married women under 18 to renounce their citizenship, a lot of people said they meant the constitution acknowledges child marriage, and we were only able to make some noise about that because we knew how different people voted about it. In Ondo State, Senator Ayo Akinyelure had to beg his constituency that he did not realise what the issue was about, that was why he voted the way he did. He was called back home, and after asking him questions, begged his people. This is the way it should be.

Citizens should be able to understand how their representatives vote for them so that they can engage them and make sure they

A

Adamolekun

• NASS Website Does Not Exist are representing their interest in Abuja.

And lastly, if you watch coverage on television or pictures taken of the National Assembly, when our representatives are in plenary, the hall is virtually empty because a lot of them don’t show up, by law of procedure, they are required to sign in whenever they enter plenary, and actually, in past weeks as well, they had to move certain motion because there were not enough people to form quorum in the Senate.

So, we are also demanding that when they sign in, they have to make it public.

Abaribe said we should use the Freedom of Information Act to request for these things, we cannot request every day’s list, so, we are saying that these things should be put online so that at the end of every plenary session, the citizens can also know, which one of their representatives showed up or did not show up. We also involved NANS because students were at home as a result of the strike then, and they participated in the process. They wanted to know what the senate position was on the ASUU strike.

Fundamentally, the process was really based on the fact that these are representatives that were sent to Abuja to represent us and they must be reachable and accessible. The National Assembly, which is the legislative arm, is responsible for providing

oversight function over the other arms of government. Citizens do not elect the judiciary, so, there is little the citizens can do in terms of holding them accountable.

The only person that is elected in the executive at the Federal level is the president, but we elected 469 individuals, which is why we are holding them accountable. Because if they were not accountable, they would not be able to hold the other arms of government accountable, that is the rationale. Yes, the National Assembly budget is N150 billion, which is only 3 per cent of the entire budget of the Federation, however, it is very important that if we are not accountable in only 3 per cent, we would not be for the other 97 per cent.

We have since written a letter to Abaribe, who said he was ready for a debate, he is yet to respond and we are waiting. We tried then to see whether some of these issues could be addressed before the president presented the 2014 budget, but now the budget has been presented, and those who are to look into it are jostling for either return ticket or other political interests, now would the president begin to spend from the unspent budget of last year, that is the stalemate we found our-

So you have a budget of N150 billion, you have no account, we don’t know how you spend it, we don’t know who you give the money to, when an agency like the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority also come and doesn’t produce a budget because they also generate their own revenue, how do you want to hold such agency accountable? How do you make them render account when you yourself have not rendered your own account? The National Assembly needs to wake up to its responsibilities about representing Nigerians and need to be more accessible. They sit in Abuja and don’t go home; a lot of them do not even have constituency offices.

selves now.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy has said the amount we lost to oil theft last year alone is more than we’ve spent on capital expenditure in the last three years. There are fundamental issues in terms of budget and appropriation, and if the National Assembly is not doing its job properly, the citizens have the right to hold them accountable. We believe that one day, maybe if one of them is recalled, it will send a very strong message about how to be responsible.

In Katsina State, a member of House of Representatives, Ibrahim Babangida Mahuta, has been beaten like three times in his constituency because they say he is not working. Akinyelure had to give an account and that is the way it should be in terms of interaction. They are not meant to just go to Abuja and play, they are meant to represent the people. We would continue to follow up on the debate Abaribe promised.

On the day you led the protest, Senator Smart Adeyemi said on TV that you did not give members enough notice before embarking on the protest. What’s your take on that?

With the Information Act, your respondent has seven days to respond, however, this is not a new request. Dr. (Mrs) Obi Ekwesili, as far back as August last year, when she gave a presentation on the cost of governance, said exactly the same thing: That the National Assembly is not accountable. She also challenged them to a debate, which they agreed to in August, but as we speak, they have not done anything about it. In 2012, there was a court order following the freedom of information request demanding account from the National Assembly, they had seven days to respond then, they didn’t respond. Somebody went to court and got a judgment for them to respond, but they did not, so, all these cases are already on ground, we are not asking for anything new. For Adeyemi to say he needed seven days to respond to something someone asked a year ago is quite unfortunate.

He also needs to realise that people will not leave their homes to come and protest at the National Assembly as the first point of action. We have written letters, we have called and every one of them that has a twitter account, we engaged. Bukola Saraki, Abike Dabiri, Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker Tambuwal have twitter accounts. Olumide Osoba in the House of Representatives and all other major ones that have twitter accounts, we ask them questions, but they refused to answer.

And after all their promises to respond to our demands, up till now, we have not heard from them. They promised a debate in August, they have not delivered, promised in September, they have not delivered and we are now in January 2014 and they are yet to deliver, so, which seven days do they need again? Between September 26 and now, it’s almost four months, you can see the number of seven days we have in between.

Fundamentally, it is all about accountability. If we cannot hold the people we voted for accountable, how are we going to hold ministers? We need the people in the National Assembly to do their jobs so that they can hold ministers accountable.

Why we are concentrating on the National Assembly is that we realised that Nigerians actually vote for seven people in the country. You vote for your councillor and local council chairman, you vote for your governor and the state house of assembly members, you vote for the president, senators and representatives. These are the seven people Nigerians, in a sense, have a direct hold on, because we went to the polling booths to cast our votes for. If at the federal level, out of three, we are holding these two accountable, it is not bad. I mean they have to be accountable before they can think of holding the executive or anybody else accountable. So you have a budget of N150 billion, you have no account, we don’t know how you spend it, we don’t know who you give the money to, when an agency like the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority also come and doesn’t produce a budget because they also generate their own revenue, how do you want to hold such agency accountable? How do you make them render account when you yourself have not rendered your own account? The National Assembly needs to wake up to its responsibilities about representing Nigerians and need to be more accessible. They sit in Abuja and don’t go home; a lot of them do not even have constituency offices.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Sunday, January 26, 2014

CSRFiles Digest TM

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18 Sunday January 26, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

INTERVIEW husband? males and I am the second. Coming from a So much. As a woman, I can say I am fortunate royal home, it was not easy. They were looking for a prince. For my people, only a man could do because I have won his trust. That trust must be there and one must be a replica of the word deit, because monarchy in the North, apart the cency, considering that I am coming from the history of Zaria, was all male affairs. So, there was the possibility of trying to intimidate the fe- northern background and a royal home. It was difficult getting me on the political platform, but male children, but my father stood out and tried to make a difference. He prioritised our ed- to have come this far, I got his support. I needed it, ucation and ensured that we did not have cause and I got it, because I won that trust, I can say I’m very proud of him. He is always there for me. He is to regret being females. And this drive kept us a banker but I have almost pulled him into polithrough and made our foundation strict. He tics because he is my pillar in politics. wanted us to do everything including farming, How do you balance the career and homefront? with my mother being supportive. Although It has to do with the upbringing and the ability males came at the end, we became mentors to to marry both functions. Both are demanding, the them. So, we had an exemplary kind of training that every girl child could dream of. Though, he homefront, career, the children and the husband, who is the first and a bigger baby. I need to take has passed on, his legacy lives on. care of him. I cook my food till today. I must be How about your education? able to guide my political activities, too. So, time is I had my primary education at Central Primary School, Kagara, Niger State. I was the head of great essence. When the career is drawing me, I must take cognisance of all that are required to be girl in that school. I attended Federal Governdone. One must learn when to say ‘no, this is that ment College, Minna, for secondary education, time for my husband’. One must not abuse priviand was in Blue House. I was very active in leges. So, I do not have time to socialise. If I must school activities. From there, I went to Federal — members of Cassava Sellers’ Associahave time to do the political business, I must also College of Arts and Science, where I obtained a tion, Plantain Sellers’ Association and have time for husband to keep the family toHigher National Diploma in Sciences. I also atdown to Gwari women, to see how we gether, you know, it is not everytime that I will be could harness some of their potentials and tended Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, at the party ground. My husband is my priority, empower them so that they could be sup- where I read Urban and Regional Planning and my family is number one and by God’s grace, I a second degree in Public Administration from portive of their husbands. The younger have not had any problem. ones were trained in various skills includ- Nassarawa State University. I also have an honWhat does fashion mean to you? orary doctorate degree in Public Relations. Nating fishery and pottery. This empowerment programme was done in collaboration with Social Development Secretariat. Afterwards, I contested to represent Federal Capital Territory (FCT2) in the House of Representatives. Though, I did not emerge the candidate, it was a step forward for me, and I saw it as a lesson and often advised people that until one fails, he or she has not started. Success begins from where one fails. And that challenged me to do better. I felt that, perhaps, I was not ‘destined’ for that position or that it was not yet time for me. That motivated my supporters, and also pushed me to contest for the national vice chairmanship of my party. I was the national vice chairperson for four years and the chairperson, North Central Zone where I also did very well. I was able to carry the gender angle very well because there was serious gender apathy in ANPP, as women participation was very low. At a point, I had to embark on door to door sensitisation to get people understand that if they don’t bring their wives and daughters out to participate in decision making and governance from the grassroots level, they will not get credible representation and mentorship for the younger women. That took us a long way because many came into it and we won participation that brought us to the end of the tenure. After that, I was called upon to contest for the national woman leader of ANPP. The four-year tenure would have ended in 2015, but everything changed with the merger. I was the only woman nominated as a member of the merger committee and a member of the constitution drafting committee for the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Now that APC is setting up its structures, are you likely to vie for any position?

Definitely, yes. But then, as a former national woman leader of one of the legacy parties (ANPP), if the position of the national woman leader is zoned to my state, I will contest for it. Because it is all about zoning, there are strategies and there are guiding principles, but I know I am equal to the task. The moment the zoning is done, whatever national office that comes to my state, I will go for it. I am a believer in the notion that a woman can participate in whatever capacity, not only being a national woman leader. I have been a national vice chairman of my party before beTo me, you don’t learn fashion. It is a way of life. I coming the national women leader of the urally, I am a fashion designer and I am into party. In whatever capacity, one should be interior decorations and estate management — don’t do it to impress people. I do it to satisfy myself. You can see the environment, the interiors. able to show what it is that women can do. natural flair that I have put into practice. OutSo, I can serve in whatever capacity to rep- side the four walls of classroom, I have received You may come in next week and discover it has changed. It is a drive, and a passion in me. Aesresent this gender and to groom and give several awards including African Expression thetic beauty means a lot to me. Personally, I dementorship to the younger generation of Woman of the Year 2012 by African Expression sign my clothing. I bring out my designs and News Media, Excellence Award by African women and usher in new politicians. concept. I don’t go with what is in vogue. I go with Could you tell us about your upbringing? Women in Leadership Organisation; Distinwhat suits me. It must not be necessarily expenYou have just touched one sensitive area guished Leadership in National Development sive, but what blends. Creativity is my passion. of my life. My father happened to be a dis- Award by Maya African Meritorious Award as ciplinarian. He was the first Executive Sec- well as Feminine Icon of the Year Golden Award, What is your favourite colour?

Maroon and gold. They are calm, they are 2013, jointly organised by NLC, WOTCLEF and retary, FCT Primary School Management not loud and they have human face.

Rim Services.

Board. He was a Principal, Government Teachers College, Zuba. He struggled for it How much of support do you receive from your to become the Advance Teachers College.

He was an educationist all through his life. To me, you don’t learn fashion. It is a way of life. I don’t do it to impress people. I do it to satisfy He had to leave FCT for our state, Kogi, for myself. You can see the environment, the interiors. You may come in next week and discover it developmental reasons. He was a disciplihas changed. It is a drive, and a passion in me. Aesthetic beauty means a lot to me. Personnarian that stopped at nothing to ensure that the girl child is empowered. He beally, I design my clothing. I bring out my designs and concept. I don’t go with what is in vogue. I lieved in the education of the girl child. In go with what suits me. It must not be necessarily expensive, but what blends. Creativity is my our family, the first three children are fe-

Tijjani...

My Agitation For Women Emancipation Is A Call For National Development Hajiya (Dr.) Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu is the former national women leader, All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP). She is also the former national vice chairperson, of the party. Tijjani, the president general, Global Women and Youth Empowerment Strategy, tells BRIDGET CHIEDU ONOCHIE that in spite of her challenging political demands, her family comes first.

What informed your gender agitation?

AM a strong believer in national development. I believe that agitation and struggle for women emancipation transcend the spoken language. They also transcend women’s gathering. They are all about nation building.

My agitation is a call for national development because when we train a woman, we train a nation. So, my agitation for women empowerment is rooted in a sincere quest for national development.

How do you get women to be conscious of their roles in nation building?

It begins with consciencetising them, and embarking on aggressive campaign to motivate them. That is what I do for women. I gather them yearly in my personal capacity for motivation. I feel we should not only motivate, but also, get them to believe in themselves. If they begin to believe in themselves, with the little they earn, they will be proud and feel elegant again. Our culture, especially in the north, confines women to the background. And most of them grow with the mentality that women should be at the background. So, the zeal is not there. They don’t even know their rights. When we hold such functions and exercise, they are aimed at making women realise themselves. I am happy that a lot has been done so far in this regard by the government. There is serious gender sensitisation going on, and women are now proud of themselves. They know that they are special in their own ways, and they need to be celebrated. We need to make them understand that they can participate actively in politics. It is not meant for only those who are formally educated. There are very brilliant women out there without formal education, but when you interact with them, you will realise that they have a lot to offer this country.

They have been underrated for a very long time. With this idea in mind, I have been going from village to village, engaging in a kind of crusade, especially with my background as the president general, Global Women and Youth Empowerment Strategy.

Could you let us into your journey into politics?

It was a clarion call borne out of my desire to give back to the society. It started during my days as a youth corps’ member. I felt I should touch people the more by giving as much as I could. I recall the time when there was pneumonia outbreak; I stood by the roadside, looking for children, who were not properly cladded, when I found some, I intervened. Things like these kept me going, and people around me started noticing my actions and interest in me grew. From then, calls started coming for me to serve in higher capacity. I was a nominee for Special Adviser, Women Affairs, Youths and Social Development, Gwagwalada Area Council. Before then, I was using the platform of Women Empowerment Strategy, Project YES, to develop women.

I was organising training and empowerment programmes for women and youths both in the cities and in the villages.

What does it mean to lead women in politics?

As I said earlier, I was the Special Adviser, Women Affairs and Youth Development, Gwagwalada Area Council. I had to go down to the ward levels to bring out women

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passion.

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Sunday, January 26,

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Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Cover APC IN BATTLE OF WITS AND SIZE...

Invades The National Assembly

By Leo Sobechi O most Nigerians, the resumption of the National Assembly heralds the gathering storm in Nigeria’s polity. All available indicators show that peace would be a scarce commodity within both the precincts and hallowed chambers of the nation’s bi-cameral legislature.

On approaching the national assembly building at the three arms zone, Abuja, the domed architecture inspires one with the feeling that the building was cast in reinforced concrete to absorb any shock or impact. With all manner of acoustic system, the bowel of the place is also impervious to sound. So, when the expected noise of high decibels or fisticuffs expected to characterize the business of legislation or protestations that would take place in the two chambers start happening, Nigerians may not hear or see except through electronic equipment. Even few days to the resumption of plenary at both the Red and Green chambers, the signs were discernible: politics have taken over!

There is struggle for power and all schemes are tailored to fit into the mood. Cars, carrying occupants that look weary, no doubt out of scant sleep, run past at break neck speed. If during the recess such haste and craze could be noticed, what happens when the whole members return for action?

In Nigeria, the people love soccer. And next to football, despite dire social circumstances, the people endorse democracy highly. Democracy has been hailed as a game of numbers, where, when the majority has its way, the minority had its say. But as the National Assembly returned from its Christmas and New Year recess, the calculations and arguments about what and who constitutes majority and occupies minority, have sparked off the anticipated hostilities. Desire to form majority has always been responsible for intrigues and conspiracies by politicians in every democratic setting. That definitely was behind the decision of major players in some of the other political parties to fuse together so as to be able to look the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the eye. The stated intent of leaders of the merging political parties is to snatch political power at the centre from PDP. Consequently, at the regularization of the merger arrangement under the name of All Progressives Congress (APC) by the Independent National Electoral Commission

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(INEC) most of the proponents hailed the move as a landmark in Nigeria’s political development. They assume that their enlarged frontiers could expand its weight category to be able to stand future political pugilism with PDP. What is in a name?

THE choice of All Progressives Congress as the name of the product of the merger might have come through a clever attempt to reflect the apparent pay off of the legacy parties notably, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). But the acronym, APC, which is the abbreviation of the party’s name, brought a totally different dimension, which may not have been envisaged by the promoters. It was the voluble Dr. Tom Ikimi that brought up an immediate description of the acronym in terms of martial equipment, Armoured Personnel Carrier! Even in peacetime, the sight of an APC does not convey a friendly atmosphere. Ever since APC got its registration certificate from INEC, it has continued to demonstrate to PDP its preparedness to do battle, not of wits but of size. From poaching governors produced on the party’s platform, APC went further to fish for legislators in the National Assembly, knowing that that is where real democracy in the country lies. It is indubitable that APC has inflicted so much pain and

irritation to PDP within the short time of its existence. Not only has the inchoate party troubled the PDP as a party, it has gone on to neutralize its commanding power which ensues from its majority and grasp of various levers in the polity. The situation has become so tense that like Thomas Hardy said in his novel, ‘The Return of the Native’, it could be safely argued that APC appears on the scene, hand-in-hand with trouble!

Trouble In “Paradise’?

BUT if APC has been executing its strategy to over power and over take the Presidency by deft political calculations, the defection of five governors from the PDP gives it much psychological advantage. But the ambush and attempt to draw political capital from the defection of legislators in the National Assembly seems to be getting the party into the wrong side of public appreciation. Many observers hold the view that APC leaders have lost respect for the constitution and the masses of Nigeria. “They are taking their adventurism for power too far,” said a staff of the NASS recently. At least in the life of the Fourth Republic, no issue has divided Nigerians like the hot air spewing from the confrontations in the National Assembly. In the arguments relating to who exercises the power of majority after a sizeable number of PDP legislators

Even in peacetime, the sight of an APC does not convey a friendly atmosphere.

Ever since APC got its registration certificate from INEC, it has continued to demonstrate to PDP its preparedness to do battle, not of wits but of size. From poaching governors produced on the party’s platform, APC went further to fish for legislators in the National Assembly, knowing that that is where real democracy in the country lies. It is indubitable that APC has inflicted so much pain and irritation to PDP within the short time of its existence. Not only has the inchoate party troubled the PDP as a party, it has gone on to neutralize its commanding power which ensues from its majority and grasp of various levers in the polity.

The situation has become so tense that like Thomas Hardy said in his novel, ‘The Return of the Native’, it could be safely argued that APC appears on the scene, hand-in-hand with trouble!

crossed over to APC, reason seems to be in short supply. So far, bellicose PDP appear to have eaten the humble pie and approached the courts to help in bringing sanity into the fray. For the benefit of those who may be confused as to what is the matter at issue among the fat-earning legislators, a recapitulation is necessary. Briefly, some law makers from states whose state governors defected from their PDP decided to show loyalty by following their godfathers into the new quay, APC. And following that change in calibration, the question that arose was whether a change in the floor functionaries should not be done to reflect in the new numbers? A follow up question came from PDP. Bitter at its former turncoats, PDP seems to asking whether majority conferred by the voters could be assumed by the defectors and conferred on APC. In an interview with The Guardian, spokesman of the Senate, Senator Enyi Abaribe, contended that though the Constitution recognized the right of any legislator to denounce the platform upon which s/he gained admission into the Legislature, the specific criteria must be met. “The constitution has a very clear provision for people moving from one party to the other… The point is that you cannot be allowed to do so and retain your seat if you do not meet certain criteria.” Alluding to the urgency by APC leaders to take control of the legislative arm of the federal government, the former deputy governor of Abia State added that, “that that is why there is the suit filed by the party against the Speaker (of the House of Representatives) and those who have also tried to move.” The suit he said is intended “to have a legal interpretation of the propriety of those who want to leave where the voters have put them to somewhere else where the voters never knew. At this moment I think it is more appropriate to wait for the legal opinion to be stated very clearly by the court before we go ahead to make any other statement on the matter”.

But while the wait for court pronouncement on the raging contest for power (for its sake) continues, reactions have continued to trail the bad weather report occasioned by the expectations from the National Assembly. A CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Sunday, January 26,

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

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COVER

OLU-ADEGBOROWA: NASS Leadership Cannot Be Subject To Temporary Shift In Numbers

By Kamal Tayo Oropo F the position of the Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa, was anything to go by, the All Progressives Congress may have to wait a little while, before laying claims to the leadership of the National Assembly, in spite of the party’s purported majority in the aftermath of defections from the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP).

Following the defection of 37 members of the PDP in the House of Representatives last December to APC, fear of leadership change has gripped members of the ruling party in the House. As members of the House resumed after nearly three weeks’ Christmas break, the atmosphere had become thick with threats of leadership change.

According to reports, the APC is now more than the PDP in numbers, which the PDP has enjoyed in the House since 1999.

In a chat on Thursday with The Guardian, Mr. Olu-Adegboruwa, noted that recent developments in the National Assembly have commended themselves for close scrutiny, especially in the wake of defections by its members, from one political party, to another. This, according to him, is to be expected in a democracy, which is mostly a game of numbers.

Principally, the issue of defection, by a member of the National Assembly, from one political party, to the other, according to OluAdegboruwa, is governed by section 68 of the 1999 Constitution, which prohibits defection and cross-carpeting, except in cases of factionalisation or merger of parties. “This has occurred in the cases of the former ACN, ANPP and indeed CPC, which all merged to form the APC. So on the ground of merger of these parties, members of the National Assembly, who are otherwise affected by it, have legitimate grounds, to cross over from their previous political parties. Moral considerations have no place in this case at all, if the defection is due to the merger of their former political parties. In this regard therefore, the defection of some National Assembly members, to the All Progressives Congress, is perfectly in order,” he said.

In this light, the legal practitioner stated that this should, however, not seriously affect the leadership of the National Assembly immediately. “As it has now turned out, the defection is not limited to any particular political party, as there are now members, defecting even from the All Progressives Congress, to the People’s Democratic Party. This means that the strength of the political parties may not easily be determined yet and time will still tell, their exact position and status. Thus, the APC may claim

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or any party for that matter. It’s a demonstration of crass ignorance for PDP to have written to INEC or even go to court to have defecting members’ seats declared vacant. Thank God INEC swiftly replied that it lacks the constitutional powers to do so,” he said.

Dogara added, “Even in these days of black market judgments, it will be near impossible for any judge to interpret section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution which does not mention the court as conferring the powers to declare defecting members’ seats vacant. That will amount to judicial rascality of the highest order.”

Despite the fact that APC now claims simple majority in the House, it appears the coast is not clear yet for the party to take over.

But for Olu-Adegboruwa, it will be proper to observe the state of things for now, until a permanent perspective can be harnessed. He stressed that the truth is that the internal dynamics going on in the political parties, will determine their strength, from time to time. He said: “For instance, the reason that the PDP may be losing its members may be due to absence of internal democracy, whereas for the APC, it may turn out to be the influx of the same aggrieved PDP members, who have been allowed to hijack the structures of the party.

“This development is good for our polity, in that it has engendered the much desired change, at least for now, in some of these political parties, especially the PDP, where the leadership has changed, to accommodate the younger generation. So, if the defections have inspired positive changes, then let us have more of the defections.

Legally speaking, it is up to members of the legislative houses, to determine their leaders at any given time, but such cannot be subject to temporary number shifts, in the strength of political parties, as the tensions generated thereby, will have a telling effect on the entire nation.”

According to the lawyer, the scheming for leadership change in the National Assembly, due mainly to the swelling or reduction of the numbers “paraded by the political parties, Adegboruwa could result in a lot of backwardness and stagnancy will be experienced, as during those majority today and lose it tomorrow. The leader- Dogara (APC, Bauchi), reportedly described the moments, bills will not be considered and other ship of the National Assembly cannot therefore PDP’s move to declare their seats vacant as a joke. related legislative responsibilities will not be be subject to such unreliable shifting of numexecuted, to the detriment of the nation, while “That’s the depth of decay we have sunk to. The bers,” said Olu-Adegboruwa. rule of law means nothing in the strange democ- their allowances are being paid and enjoyed. It The PDP leadership had also moved to declare racy we practice here. Take a look at Section 68(1) is clear therefore that the various levels of leadthe seats of the defected lawmakers vacant ership may not necessarily change as the mem(g) of the Constitution, which the party is referthrough a court action. ring to. The power to declare defecting members’ bership of the political parties change.

This was after the party had failed to get Speaker seats vacant is solely vested in the presiding offi“It is thus advisable, to retain the current leadAminu Waziri Tambuwal to declare the lawmak- cer, the Senate President or Speaker of the House, ership of the National Assembly, at least for ers’ seats vacant on the strength of an Abuja High as the case may be. now, pending such time when, we have been court restraining order. able to ascertain a more stable and reliable “It’s in black and white. Section 68 (1) (g) of the One of the defected members, Mr. Yakubu membership strength of the political parties.”

Constitution does not mention INEC, the courts

APC Invades The National Assembly CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

chieftain of PDP in Abia State, Dr. David Onuoha-Bourdex pleaded with the legislators to thread with caution saying that it smacks of betrayal for defecting legislators to change party without the endorsement of their constituents. In a statement made available to journalists, Onuoha-Bourdex accused APC leaders of misreading the presidential with the parliamentary system, stressing that since voters voted for political parties, APC should wait for the next election to confirm its superior number. He lamented that “the desperation of APC to grab power tends to put the patriotism of the members to doubt.”

Rights Activist, Mr. Ifeanyichukwu Okonkwo, in his observation said the development in the National Assembly shows that most of the legislators are bereft of knowledge of procedure.

Okonkwo expressed regrets that none of those making noise in the federal house was able to ask the defectors to produce their resignation letters and membership cards from the APC. “You don’t come together and write a letter claiming that you have changed party; the correct place to get membership of a political party is at the ward level,” he declared. In the ensuing contest, Nigerians are getting to know the quality of their legislators, especially those of the House of Representatives. Many a time the legislators at the Green chamber show predilection for fisticuffs instead of resorting to convincing arguments backed by reason. However, while many Nigerians expect to be entertained by events from the National Assembly, governance is sure to suffer more.

Headway Deferred THE immediate impact of the expected showdown in NASS is the loss of quality time for legislation. As Abaribe pointed out, there are many crucial bills that are yearning for the legislators’ attention including the budget, petroleum industry bill, the Electoral Act, the constitution amendment among others. As legislators insist on pleasing their political parties and positioning themselves for the next election, the apprehension is

There are also fears that the conflagration in the NASS may push the PDP to explore the many powers placed at the disposal of the President by Nigeria constitution. And when that happens, anomie could set in. APC has given its legislators a new Legislative Agenda namely: oppose whatever comes from PDP federal government whether good or ill. There is, it seems, going to be a clash between rascality and impunity. Already, what happened on the floor of the House of Representatives last week may, after all, be but a foretaste of what would unfold in the weeks ahead. Rules would suffer as PDP legislators confront their APC counterparts. real that there may be no headway for those pieces of legislation. Debates would no longer follow the patriot path or pure reason but to up the ante and grandstanding by the parties.

Already a government shutdown is being contemplated. On this vein, the APC seem to have mastered Thoreau in strategizing for public discontent. The masses’ welfare does not seem to matter anymore. There are also fears that the conflagration in

the NASS may push the PDP to explore the many powers placed at the disposal of the President by Nigeria constitution.

And when that happens, anomie could set in. APC has given its legislators a new Legislative Agenda namely: oppose whatever comes from PDP federal government whether good or ill.

There is, it seems, going to be a clash between rascality and impunity. Already, what happened on the floor of the House of Representatives last week may, after all, be but a foretaste of what would unfold in the weeks ahead. Rules would suffer as PDP legislators confront their APC counterparts. For instance, it was surprising that the Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila should address the Majority Leader, Leo Ogor, as the minority when the protocol list has not changed. Perhaps the minority leader wanted to test the waters, but he has shown that things will no longer be the same at the NASS again. Irked by that cheeky jest from the lawyer, Gbajabiamila, the President of African Parliament and member representing Mbaitoli/Ikeduru federal constituency, Mr. Bethel Amadi, said it was unfortunate such a display should come from the Minority Leader and other members of APC. What was expected from these honorable members “was to officially move a motion calling for a change in the leadership structure of the House since the minority leader believes that his party was in the majority.”

Accusing Gbajabiamila of trying to introduce through the back door an issue he could have brought up officially through a motion, Amadi insisted: “He could have moved the motion on the floor to say his party now has the majority, ‘we want to take over the majority leader’s position in the House’ and then we deal with it through the due process and nothing would have stopped him from moving that motion and then speaker would have ruled and probably called for division and then we would have done the needful.” Having witnessed the first round, Nigerians are eager to see what would be the needful and how it could be done!

Sunday, January 26,

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

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COVER

Rumble In The House As Gladiators Posture

Tambuwal

By Chuks Nwanne

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ACK from four weeks recess, the House descended into chaos, as lawmakers battle over the leadership of the House between the Peoples Democratic Party, which used to enjoy majority status and the APC, which now claims to have a minimum of 172 members. A federal court had on Monday barred the APC, despite its claim to superior number, from taking over the leadership of the House. So, to a very large, a rowdy session was expected, not minding the court injunction.

In what seems like a well-planed tactics by the APC, the Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, addressed the Deputy Majority Leader, Leo Ogor, as Deputy Minority Leader, thereby sending signals that his party will insist on being recognised as the majority. Mr. Gbajabiamila was contributing to a motion tabled by another member on the crisis in Rivers State, which called for the dismissal of the police chief, Joseph Mbu, in the oil-rich state. The deputy leader, Mr. Ogor, had criticised the motion as a potential embarrassment for the House if passed, as the matter concerns security and the police commissioner had not been given fair hearing.

However, Gbajabiamila’s remarks drew an angry response from PDP members, who insisted the comment be withdrawn, but the lawmaker from Lagos insisted his remark was a “statement of fact.”

But for the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal’s deft management of the situation, it could have degenerated further, as some members were already set for fisticuffs. Tambuwal urged colleagues to play politics as politicians but be careful with issues affecting the nation.

“As lawmakers, we should be the last, as an institution and as individuals, to disobey a court order,” he said.

The stormy session ended after the Speaker directed the House Committee on Business and Rules to consider the motion with the concerns raised, and advise the House within one week.

Determined to push the matter beyond the national Assembly, Gbajabiamila, who was rumored to be eying the Deputy Speaker’s position, addressed a media briefing, where he described the Nigerian House of Representatives as the only parliament in the world where the minority plays the role of the majority. He described the court ruling blocking the APC from the planned change of

Gbajabiamila leadership as “shameless”, but said his party would obey the court while it studies the content of the order.

As Nigerians await the end of the saga, even as the PDP have since embarked on a fence mending mission in a bid to lure back members who had decamped to the opposition party, as well as convincing others not to go, a look at the profile of the gladiators in the PDP/APC faceoff could explain things better.

Aminu Waziri Tambuwal TAMBUWAL is the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria and a card-carrying member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and represents the Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency of Sokoto State.

A lawyer by profession, Tambuwal started learning the legislative ropes from 1999 to 2000, while working as Personal Assistant on Legislative Affairs to Senator Abdullahi Wali, the then Senate Leader. In 2003, he decided to run for a legislative seat as representative of the Kebbi/Tambuwal Federal Constituency and was elected into the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

Few months to the 2007 general elections, he defected to the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), alongside the former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa. But when the DPP denied return tickets to former ANPP legislators, Tambuwal swung back to the ANPP, where he eventually succeeded in picking up a ticket for the election. But again, when the ANPP governorship candidate for Sokoto State in the 2007 election, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko dumped the party for the PDP, Tambuwal also followed suit.

Described by many as a ‘smooth operator’, Tambuwal has held several offices in the House. In 2005, he became the Minority Leader until he defected to the PDP. Upon his re-election to the House in 2007, he was also elected the Deputy Chief Whip. At various times, he has been a member of several com-

Mulikat mittees, including the House Committees on Rules & Business, Communications, Judiciary, Inter-Parliamentary and Water Resources. He was also a member of the House Ad hoc Committee on Constitution Review and others.

However, his emergence as Speaker remains a major onslaught against his party, the PDP, which had endorsed Mulikat AdeolaAkande for the position. But with the support of the opposition lawmakers, especially from the then ACN (now APC) and some PDP members, Tambuwal emerged Speaker.

Till date, Tambuwal maintains close relationship with APC leadership and members; he’s always seen in their gatherings, even as he remains a member of the PDP. So, in the battle for the soul of the House of Representatives, Tambuwal is a beautiful bride.

Femi Gbajabiamila GBAJABIAMILA is a lawyer and a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Representing Surulere 1 Federal Constituency, he is currently the Minority Leader of the House.

Articulate and outspoken, Gbajabiamila was elected to the House in 2003, and re-elected in 2007. He remains a known critic against members switching parties. He suggested that many voters don’t have access to the information to make choices based on every individual stance, and therefore sometimes only vote for candidates based on their party alignment.

Even as the debate over the resumption date of the National Assembly continued, there were strong indications that the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are angling to topple the cart of the House of Representatives leadership in favour of some ranking-members of the party, including Gbajabiamila. Since the ranks of the APC swelled in December, when 37 PDP defected lawmakers giving the opposition party a slight majority in the House, Gbajabiamila has been favoured to take over Ihedioha’s job.

With his role in that rowdy session on

Articulate and outspoken, Gbajabiamila was elected to the House in 2003, and re-elected in 2007. He remains a known critic against members switching parties. He suggested that many voters don’t have access to the information to make choices based on every individual stance, and therefore sometimes only vote for candidates based on their party alignment

Ogor Tuesday, there seem to be some atom of truth in that rumour.

Akande-Adeola Mulikat O MULIKAT Adeola Akande is the Leader of the Federal House of Representatives.

Representing Ogbomosho North, South/Orire Federal Constituency, she is a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

She was elected member of the House of Representatives on the platform of the PDP in the year 2007 and re-elected in 2011. She was initially anointed by the PDP to become Speaker, but an underground politicking by the opposition saw the emergence of Tambuwal. In fact, her current position as House Leader is seen as a sort of compensation for losing the top job.

The Majority Leader’s position is endangered in this season of defection. Her party is about losing the majority status, which defines her position. What are her options?

Join the defectors or remain where the ground is caving? Though the female lawmaker remains a great asset to the PDP in the battle for the soul of the House, there are fears in some quarters over the loyalty of Mulikat, a known political ‘daughter’ of former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

Since Baba released his open letter criticizing president Goodluck Jonathan, there’s this belief that his political ‘children’ are solidly behind his action.

Leo Okuweh Ogor OGOR is the Deputy Majority Leader of the Federal House of Representatives. Member representing Isoko North/South Federal Constituency, Delta State, when you talk about lawmakers, who had strings of success and flourishing businesses before coming into the lower chamber, one of the names that would come to mind is Leo Ogor. On the other hand, if you talk about members, who had seen poverty in its raw form, he will also be among the first five.

But knowing early in life the importance of education, Ogor deprived himself in order to get education, even if he would go beyond secondary school. Today, he is the chairman of Peanard Manufacturing Company, an Isoko-based firm, which specialises in oil milling.

Being a Niger Delta native and a member of the PDP, Ogor is surely a strong support of President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 ambition an will do all his best to help Mr. President actualise his dream. By calculations, the businessman seems to be doing his job; fighting the president’s enemies.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

22 Sunday January 26, 2014

COVER

Profile Of Political Defections

By Kamal Tayo Oropo NLIKE political defections in the First and Second Republics, which were relatively spurred by ideological conviction, it is yet to be seen what motivates defections in the Fourth Republic, apart from politics of survival. Recent defection of some governors and members of the National Assembly and some state legislators have raised what used to be isolated movements from one party to another in the Fourth Republic into a tradition. It is yet to be seen how this will improve political participation and good governance.

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Dr. Olusegun Mimiko

IMIKO was a member of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the 1999 during which he served as commissioner for health in Ondo State.

On November 7, 2002, Dr. Mimiko resigned his appointment, according to him ‘for strictly personal reasons’. He formally announced his intention to contest the governorship election on the platform of AD on Tuesday, November 19, 2002, at a press conference in Akure. Having failed to get the AD’s nomination, Mimiko pitched his tent with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He was appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG) under the PDP government of late Olusegun Agagu, a position he occupied till July 2005, when he was appointed by President Olusegun Obasanjo as minister in charge of housing and urban development. Mimiko resigned on December 8, 2006, to join the governorship race under the platform of the Labour Party (LP), which he won.

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Muhammadu Buhari

Osun State. She was initially elected in 1999 as an Alliance for Democracy (AD) member, but switched to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2003. That gave her the slot of speaker of the House in June 2007, the only woman to have held this position in the country.

Kingsley Adeseye Ogunlewe

HE April 2004 winner of the Dr Kwame T Nkrumah Africa Leadership Award in Accra was elected a senator on the Alliance for Democracy (AD) platform in 1999 for the Lagos East constituency, before he defected to the PDP. He later became the minister of works (July 2003 to March 2006).

Wahab Dosunmu

OSUNMU, a former minister for housD ing, contested and won a seat in the Senate under the Alliance for Democracy in 1999. Dosunmu left for the Peoples Democratic Party before the end of his fouryear term at the Senate. He was appointed as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Malaysia in 2004, a position he occupied for three years. He died in June 2013 at age 74.

ASTOR of the Household of God and P founder of the Fresh Democratic Party (FDP), Rev Chris Okotie ran for the presidency on the platfrom of the Justice Party (JP) in 2003. He later established the FDP on which platform he contested the 2007 and 2011 presidential elections. He has again declared his intention to contest the 2015 presidential election.

Isa Yuguda

OVERNOR of Bauchi State, Mallam Isa G Yuguda, was originally a member of the Peoples Democratic Party. He was forced to

OVERNOR of Zamfara State, Alhaji G Mahmud Shinkafi, like Yuguda, was also elected into office on the platform of ANPP,

Atiku Abubakar

having defected from the PDP ahead of the 2007 election. He later returned to the PDP.

ORMER vice president, Alhaji Atiku Fmoved Abubakar, had within the last three years from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to Action Congress (AC) and back to PDP. The former number-two man was hounded in 2006 by former president Obasanjo. He found solace in the AC, which offered him its ticket for the April 21, 2007 presidential election.

Abubakar, is now back in the PDP and chances are high that he could leave any moment from now.

Chief Tom Ikimi

HE former Foreign Affairs Minister (1995T 1998) was elected the first National Chairman of the National Republican Convention Party (NRC) in July 1990. He served in this capacity for a little over two years.

Ikimi was a Foundation Member of the All Peoples Party (APP) and a member of its Board of Trustees.

In the build up to the 2003 General Elections Ikimi joined the Peoples Democratic Party. His performance as the party’s Chairman of its Electoral Committee, in conducting PDP’s Presidential primaries for the 2003 Elections remains fresh in many memories.

He later left the PDP in collobaoration with others to form the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD).

In 2006, Ikimi was among the politicians that facilitated the registration of the Action Congress (AC). Today he is one of the bigwigs in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Patricia Olubunmi Foluke Etteh

TTEH represents the E Ayedaade/Isokan/Irewole constituency in

Buhari

Chris Okotie

ORMER head of state and two-time presidential candidate of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), General Muhammadu Buhari joined the party ahead of the 2003 general elections and emerged the presidential flag bearer, where he led the party to a second position to the PDP. Having sustained his popularity among the party leaders and followers, Buhari again emerged the ANPP presidential flag bearer in 2007 and contested against former President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Buhari became uncomfortable with the ANPP over issues of party discipline and later floated the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), one of the legacy parties that have now dissolved into the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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Amosun

join the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), which platform he used to ascend the seat.

He later returned to the PDP.

Mimiko

Atiku

Mahmud Shinkafi

before defecting to PDP mid-way into his tenure.

Ikedi Ohakim

ORMER Imo State governor Ikedia Fof the Ohakim came to power on the platform Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA),

Theodore Orji

IKE Ohakim, Governor Theodore Orji of L Abia State was elected governor in 2007 on the platform of PPA. He was originally a member of the PDP, along with his former principal, Orji Uzor Kalu. Theodore found brief solace in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), but has since returned to PDP.

Yuguda

Ikimi

Abiola Ajimobi

ENATOR Ajimobi was a prominent memSheber of the AD in 1999, on which platform got elected into the Senate. When a section of the party joined other groups to form AC in 2006, he was a frontrunner for the party’s governorship ticket in Oyo State.

He left the AC in protest against the selection process and secured the governorship ticket of the ANPP in 2007. He lost to Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala and later joined the ACN. He is now in APC.

Ibikunle Amosun

MOSUN was a PDP member of the Senate A on the platform of the PDP. He left when he could not clinch the party’s governorship ticket and joined ANPP for the 2007 governorship. He later ditched ANPP and joined ACN on which platform he emerged as the state governor. He is now in APC.

Ayo Fayose

AYOSE was elected governor on the platform of PDP in 2003, but was impeached in 2006 in a controversial manner. He later partnered the AC during the Ekiti State governorship rerun election in 2009, while he ran for Senate on the platform of the Labour Party (LP). He is back in PDP.

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Fayose

Kalu

Femi Pedro

Mohammed Kumalia

ORMER deputy governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro, sought the governorship ticket of the AC for the 2007 election before leaving for the LP on which platform he contested and lost the 2007 Lagos governorship election. He is now in PDP.

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UMALIA was ANPP member of the House K of Representatives between 1999 and 2007 and was the Minority Leader. He made an unsuccessful bid for the party’s governorship ticket in Borno for the 2007 election and lost.

He later defected to AC on which platform he contested the governorship election and lost again. In 2010 he moved back to the PDP.

Sunday, January 26, 2014 23

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

HEALTH

By Fabian Odum

UTS never really seem to go N out of season but at certain times, there are a number of them available for consumers to munch.

The consumption of nuts as part of normal meals is beginning to receive attention.

Though this may not be a wide and popular practice. Nuts have their place in the body for growth and maintenance of tissues.

The average Nigerian meal is not structured in the Western style in which you have the first course, then second and dessert, but we can begin to adopt what is good for our health.

Main meal and dessert In this three-course meal, nuts can feature in the recipes of home-baked bread, desserts, cakes, main dishes, salads and so forth.

Closer home, among the popular nuts eaten alone or with other snack food are palm kernel nuts with roasted breadfruit seeds (aku n’ukwa – Igbo snack), and the widely eaten coconut (agbon – Yoruba) and groundnut.

There are several other nuts of nutritional importance like cashew nuts, walnuts, chestnut, hazel nuts among others that are widely eaten but which fat content has generated concern among health-conscious consumers.

A publication, Clinical Cardiology showed a research result stating that, “one of the most un-

Practical Psychology

It’s Healthy Going Nuts expected nutritional discoveries of the last decades is that the frequent eating of nuts appears to dramatically improve health.” Researchers at Loma Linda University, California, US, reported a higher incidence of heart attacks on those who eat fewer nuts – say once a month in comparison to having a daily diet of nuts after meal.

Reduction in the risk of heart disease, one analysis revealed, has become possible from the consumption of nuts due to

the kind of fat they possess.

Nuts lower total cholesterol and the harmful low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol despite their high fat content, however the fat is largely unsaturated.

Nuts are rich in fibre and high in monounsaturated fat, which is considered good for human consumption.

Researchers at the Federal Institution of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) say there are several seeds that contain extractable quanti-

ties of vegetable oil useful for both human consumption and industrial purpose.

While the oil could be processed for food, the direct consumption of these nuts on regular basis has been known to increase longevity.

Research showed that they reduce overall mortality.

Nuts like coconut are reportedly high in fats while there is risk of aflatoxin in unwholesome palm kernel nuts and groundnuts. But a recent study shows that they

Physical Cure Or Spiritual Healing an alleviation of symptoms. It brings a newness and vitality, which is so radical, as would make the earlier diseased state seem to be a mirage, an illusion that did not really touch the individual. This is what spiritual healing accomplishes, and those who have experienced it attest to the fact that their state of health is not only better than before, but is so different, as to be transformative.

Breakthroughs in medicine and science rejoice when a cure for an ailment is found, and on August 8, 2013, Science Magazine published such a breakthrough in an experimental vaccine for the eventual cure of malaria by a US group of researchers. Such announcements attest to the commitment of the medical faculty to bring a lessening of suffering from ill health; and should certainly be applauded. However, laudable as such medical and pharmaceutical breakthroughs are, they are no guarantee that using a wonder drug would mean the permanent end of bouts of malaria. It might bring quicker relief, but it only cures that particular bout of the ailment, it does not heal it permanently.

There is a remarkable statement in Science and Health with key to the Scriptures, a

By Moji Solanke

HERE is a difference between a cure and a healing, and this underlies the difference between medicine and spirituality.

Without a doubt, the very noble goal of medicine is to bring succor, relief and a cure to the myriad ailments which seem to plague humankind, yet, by their own admission, the majority of the medical faculty in Nigeria, ascribe healing to a power beyond them — God. Many hospitals unashamedly and publicly post at their entrance gates the slogan ‘We care, but God heals’, and many Nigerian patients have found tremendous comfort in these words.

A cure can be defined as a restoration, remedy or a removal. It is based very firmly in the evidence of materiality, symptoms and diagnosis. It takes its cue from organs, equipment and physical standards set by materia medica. A cure is said to be effected for example when a healthy condition is restored, relief from pain or alleviation of an unhealthy physical condition is achieved or there is a removal of symptoms. Healing however goes beyond the physical picture or diseased sense presented. It is a restoration alright, but of wholeness rather than

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book on spiritual healing written by Mary Baker Eddy [1829-1910]. The statement is remarkable because it is not made up of pleasing, but empty words; rather it is borne out of incontrovertible proof of the efficacy of the words. She writes ‘We think we are healed when a disease disappears, though it is liable to reappear; but we are never thoroughly healed until the liability to be ill is removed.’ Through her study of the Bible, and particularly the works of Christ Jesus, Eddy discovered the rules for spiritual healing. She tested these rules, and numerous individuals were not merely cured of ailments, but were completely healed. She wrote these rules in her aforementioned book.

If a medical cure elicits heartfelt thanksgiving and celebration, how much more the quieter but transformative healing which comes about through spiritual discipline - turning to God, following the Christ example, adhering to the rules discovered and childlike faith.

m_asolanke@hotmail.com

Resolving Personality Conflict

By Passy Amaraegbu

UR daily decisions are the determinants and O drivers of our successes or failures. Within each of us resides the capacity to be victims or victors, liabilities or assets, consumers or producers. The conflict of ideas and interests, desires and destinations play significant role in our journey in life. How we arrive at the decisions, make our choices, respond to the diverse and sometimes opposing stimuli all count in our effort to achieve our targets.

Recall that conflict resolution deals with reconciliation of diversities, achievement of peace and creating a state of harmony which enhances productivity. Conflict can (and does) exist between people and groups as well as within the individual. Our concern here is resolving the conflict within the life of each personality. Truly private or personal victories precede public accolade. The conflicts within the human personality is between the Id, Ego and Superego. Recall that the voice of the Id is emotional gratification, that of the Ego is reason while that of the superego is conscience (morality). In the main, there exist conflicts between the Id (emotional gratification) and Ego (rationality), between the Id and Superego and between the Ego and Superego. Consider these intra-personal conflict dynamics; • Id (Emotional gratification) versus Ego (rationality) • Id (emotional gratification) versus superego (Conscience) • Ego (rationality) versus Superego (conscience).

The toughest form of intrapersonal conflict is the one between the Id and Superego. The reason being that they are two extreme and contradictory entities. Let us consider an example A teenage undergraduate wants to use his savings account money to purchase a car on campus against the plan to build it up and preserve it for future investment. One can only imagine the amount of energy and time that will be required to settle such a conflict.

The question remains, how should one resolve the intrapersonal conflicts? Understanding is needed to set one’s priority right. Asking oneself such questions like, what is my target?

What will add value to my life (?), will help one to resolve the conflicts.

Consultation with relevant authorities can be helpful in resolving the conflict. However, the exercise of personal discipline is fundamental to both initiating and maintaining conflict resolution within the individual. We all face the challenge of being pressurized to rescind, renegede or break our agreement.

Therefore anyone who desires to resolve his/her personal conflict should be sincere in setting goals, serious about exercising personal discipline as well as seeking input from relevant professionals. Never give up when you stumble.

Keep improving yourself. Cheers.

Dr. Passy Amaraegbu, A clinical psychologist lives in Lagos. drpassy@yahoo.com

Mind, Jesus And Heaven (6)

By Babatunde Ayo-Vaughan

S I concluded in the last essay, what we call the kingdom of heaven should be best regarded as the kingdom where functional intelligence is manufactured. The ruler invariably in that kind of kingdom ought to be regarded as the embodiment of intelligence. I am of the conviction that this is the best way that the nature of God Almighty ought to be perceived to appreciate His practical awesomeness in creation as it affects all its creatures.

This is the meaning of the Will of God. That will is about functional intelligence. It is the most important thing that everything and everybody must aspire to understand. That is what gives cardinal meaning to the concept of Islam. The word is directing our attention to what is the most important knowledge to the whole of mankind in our efforts to understand the practical and efficacious meaning of God Almighty in the lives of all of us.

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The word Islam has become bastardised today for the benefit of the whole of mankind in view of the religious connotation and baggage it carries. In the teaching of the New Covenant of the future that is before us Islam as a concept will be restored to its rightful place in the life of every race of mankind. In its pristine state, this concept has no culturally contaminated religious connotation. The word Islam in itself is at the foundation of creation. Heaven and earth are hanging on its meaning.

Islam means Submission to the will of God. The will of God essentially is about the Laws of God. Heaven and earth are not colliding.

The moons and the stars are never out of place. Our weather conditions in their patterns of operation have never failed us in their cycles to give us the benefits of the operations of these cycles. This is what you call the pattern of method and order, nothing is

really chaotic. Everything operates virtually to precision except unfortunately where man’s irresponsibility is tampering with it.

All this I am telling you is about the practical truth of Islam. That creation operates on a pattern of order that is not chaotic is the profit of what you call intelligence. Creation came into being through what we can call the Will of God. Invariably that Will could be said to be the embodiment of intelligence. So, when Islam asks you to submit to the will of God, it is its own way of asking you to recognise that God is a being of intelligence, study the nature of that intelligence and align yourself with it. Then in that way in the words of Jesus, you will know what the kingdom of heaven and how the benefits of it could reflect in your life.

In the same word of Jesus, it is a

Health And Your Mind

method of letting the will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven. So therefore, rather than see heaven as a special abode somewhere, it will be practically seen as the arena of absolute intelligence. At the operational level of man, we are able to conclude that the mind of man manufactures intelligence. So, based on the functions of intelligence we could see in nature and having said that heaven is the abode of intelligence, invariably heaven itself could pass as the Mind of God. Which is why God could be regarded as the universal mind. If His will is about intelligence you will know why He can be appreciated as Supreme Intelligence. The real training for man is to know how to align his mind with the mind of God. This is the essence of the true Islamic teaching and you will be able to appreciate the so many other ways that Jesus referred to the concept of heaven.

Ayo-Vaughan, a psychologist, lives in Lagos babatund_2@yahoo.com

24 |

Sunday January 26, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

NEWSFEATURE

Patients suffering from goitre

GOITRE… Pain In The Neck In Badagry

By Gbenga Salau said that those found with the disease were HIS morning, Mrs. Mojisola Adetayo strug- mostly women within the age bracket of between 25 and 55years. gled to breath. As she spoke, Mojisola Adebayo explained that; “Goitre refers to encounted her words. Her swollen neck is largement or swelling of thyroid gland, which comparable with, if not bigger than, a newis normally located in the anterior triangle of born baby’s head. The lady, who resides in the neck. It is more common in places where Badagry, has goiter. When she carries heavy load on her head, she usually feels some strain the drinking water is deficient in iodine and in the neck. Sometimes, she would find it diffi- habitable valleys near mountains. It can also cult lifting one of her legs, as the right side of result from excessive consumption of foods her body from her head down to her leg is oc- that are goitrogenous due to high cyanide content, which interferes with the thyroid gland casionally weak. functions, such as cassava, cabbage and others.

Narrating some of the changes this health “Some drugs can also interfere with normal challenge has brought on her, Mojisola said functions of thyroid gland, thus causing she sweats a lot while her blood pressure is usually high, besides having cracked voice and goitre, for example Aminosalicylic acid, Lithium, Iodine in high doses, Chlorphenigetting easily tired, anytime she engages in ramine and Amiodarione. any task that is physical.

She said everything started in 1993, when she “Sporadic physiological goitre can also appear at puberty, during pregnancy, during senoticed a small swell on her neck. Over the years, this grew so big that it has disfigured her vere illnesses, emotional disturbances and menopause. Some autoimmune disorders in look, the shape of her neck and face, apart which antibodies are produced to destroy thyfrom affecting her health.

According to Mojisola, when she spotted the roid tissues can also cause goitre.” small boil on her neck, little care and attention Adebayo, who noted that the disease is not were paid to it because she didn’t feel any pain, contagious, observed that fortification of salt, even when she pressed the spot. But over time, cooking oil, food items and drinking with each passing year, she said, it got bigger, water with iodine could help reduce the burespecially after pregnancy. She disclosed that den in any society.

“Enlightenment campaigns to demystify it so several efforts to use traditional medicine to that people can see it as a medical condition stop the growth did not yield fruits.

The lady, who has several marks all over her and not a spiritual or evil attack that can be treated in the hospitals is important especially necks, with multiple marks on the region of the swelling, said when she was initially told to in rural areas,” the Head, Department of Primary Healthcare and Disease Control, Badagry go for surgery, fear did not allow her to, but when she decided to, the cost was too high for Local Council, said.

Also commenting, an Associate Professor and her.

Consultant Physician cum Endocrinologist, Dr She disclosed that she was told to make an initial payment of N250,000, which she could Olufemi Fasanmade, Department of Medicine, not afford. According to her, the weakness of a College of Medicine, University of Lagos, stated part of her body is due to anxiety, which could that goitres are common in Nigeria because the country falls within the endemic region lead to stroke, if not well managed.

Mojisola said she was terrified when she saw for the disease.

He said that endemic regions for the malady other people, who had bigger swollen neck.

This, she acknowledged, gave her some conso- are usually areas where iodine intake is usulations. She was one of those who reported at ally deficient or people are consuming some substances call goitrogens. the venue of the health mission project the “They are things that make it difficult for the Lagos State government set up in Ajara, Badabody to utilise iodine. And usually, people who gry area of the state in December. are in highland areas often do not have The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, while making his remarks at the end enough access to seafood, which could mean of the programme, noted that there is a high that they have inadequate iodine. Also, people prevalence of goitre in the locality because not that consume large amount of tubers, yam, less than 30 people with the ailment came out potatoes and cassavas; these foods contain some chemicals that impair the body’s ability to be cared for.

Dr. Akintayo Adebayo, who heads the Depart- to use iodine.

“So, it is either you are not able to use iodine ment of Primary Healthcare and Disease Control, Badagry Local Council, said that there is or you are not taking enough iodine or a comno reliable document on reason for its preva- bination of both, which is the case with most countries in Africa. Within Nigeria, goitres are lence in Badagry and its environs.

Adebayo revealed that over 35 people have re- quite common, as various researches have ported, though they are being investigated to talked about it being as common as between 10 to 20 percent, especially in adult females, know the reason for the high prevalence. To him, it would require more clinical research because it is common in females than in initiatives to unravel the reason for large num- males.

“The reason is because this is a country where ber of cases found in Badagry. The physician

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people eat a lot of tubers, which contain significant amount of goitrogens, which promote its formation. And if you combine that with people not having access to seafood, especially those in highlands, they eat meat, goat, cow and bush meats.”

He disclosed that it was the reason the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended that most places in the world should supplement their iodine intake through using iodine salt. He said this is because if everybody is taking salt and iodine is inside the salt, it means that the salt will be used to convey iodine to the population.

“That is why in Nigeria, NAFDAC and other food organisations insist that the salt the citizens should take for food should be iodised.”

He argued that many of the rural dwellers prefer sea and commercial salts because it is cheaper option. “We do not expect Badagry to have as much of it as we have in other parts of the country. It is part of the state where people live more or less closer to nature. For instance, even if you find some people with it in Badagry, it would not be compared to the highlands communities in Oyo, Osun, Ondo or Ekiti states.

“They probably have much more because they are far from the sea. And they are more or less landlocked and consume more of tubers same with people in the eastern and middle belt region of Nigeria.”

In his view, there should not be many people with goitres in Ikeja, Lekki or Victoria Island, because residents of those areas take a lot of supplements, iodine salt, and fish pepper soup.

“When you go to communities in Badagry, they may be fishing but they may not be eating much of the fish. They may be taking salt but not iodine salt, but salt straight from the ocean. So, they may have slightly higher cases than others within Lagos.”

He suggested that to check the trend from further degenerating, the Lagos State government should ensure that residents within that region have access to iodine salt besides educating the people on the need to eat more of fish and seafood.

On why the disease is more among women, the consultant physician said when a woman is giving birth to a child, the growing child extract iodine from the mother. He observed that it means the mother who probably did not have adequate iodine in her system is now growing a baby who also increases the demand for iodine.

“Many women during pregnancy may have it, but after delivery, it goes down. What then happens is that, if the woman has several children, may be one each for a sequence of four or five years, progressively there would be some residual need and before you know it, the woman would have a very big goitre after having several children.

“What could have been done is that during her antenatal care, it should be detected and

she is advised to take foods that contain iodine.

This would prevent it from developing further.

When it is fully formed, it is very obvious that surgical operation is the way out. Unfortunately, in such rural community, they cannot afford the cost of surgery, even in a government hospital because it is a major surgery. “If it is subsidised by the federal or state government, it cannot cost less than N100,000. So, you can imagine a person, who is earning a small amount of money from fishing or farming, they will not be able to afford that. The best thing is to prevent it from occurring. There are different kinds of the ailment; some are called toxic goitre, which means the person has other things apart from neck swelling. The people having toxic goitres may be sweating profusely, feel that their heart is beating abnormally, have weight lose or diarrhea. This is usually not common.”

It could also be due to cancer in the neck, which is not very common. “The ones seen with so many people and in communities is the one called simple goitre. They do not give any symptom apart from the neck swelling,” Fasanmade observed.

Providing more insight why it is common among women, the endocrinologist revealed that each time a woman is having her period or during pregnancy, the body requires iodine.

On the other hand, the university don said that men do not give birth to children, neither they do not breastfeed nor menstruate.”

According to Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, the state cannot say what exactly is promoting the high incidence of the disease in Badagry; however, it is investigating this, aside from taking medical steps to care for those who suffer from it.

“Definitely, apart from treating the patients, we are going to enlighten the public too. If we find out and we are very sure that it is a reflection of something around that environment and if there were anything government has to do on and around the location to reduce the incidences, we would do that as a government.

The President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Professor Ngozi Nnam, observed that people living in places where the cyanide content of cassava is high would likely suffer from goitre. She said that consumption of foods rich in goitrogens could lead to development of goitre; like consumption of raw cabbage, which contains goitrogen that interferes with absorption of iodine.

“The thyroid gland in an attempt to get iodine swells leading to goitre. When a community has high incidence, it could be that their cassava has high cyanide content and is not well fermented to remove the cyanide that causes it.

They may be taking foods that contain a lot of goitrogens. Cassava should be fermented properly to remove the cyanogenic glycoside that causes goitre. Cabbage should be boiled before consumption to destroy the goitrogens in such cabbage,” Nnam said.

Sunday January 26, 2014 | 25

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

NEWSFEATURE

Hole In Heart Cases, Nigeria Lags Behind WHO Standards

One of the patients at Biket recuperating after a successful surgery

By Chijioke Iremeka HE recent World Health Organisation (WHO) projecT tions on Open Heart Surgery (OHS) have renewed calls on the need to develop skills essential in OHS and re-equipping both public and private health facilities in the country to contain the challenge of such operators.

WHO had stated that 400 open-heart surgeries are required for a million people, and Nigeria, with a population of over 162 million, requires 64, 800 surgeries on yearly basis. Also, with the projected population of 170 million in the next decade, Nigeria requires an average of 68,000 surgeries. But how prepared is the country for this challenge staring menacingly?

The first open heart surgery in Nigeria was performed at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, in January 1974. However, three out of seven people operated on, died between 1974 and 1980, giving an operative mortality of 42.9 per cent; and as at 2000, over 102 cardiac procedures had been performed at the UNTH. In a guest lecture recently delivered by the pioneer cardiac surgeon at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Prof. Samuel Adebonojo, during the 48th yearly conference of the West African College of Surgeons, titled: Development of Open Heart Surgery in West Africa: A Historical Perspective, he noted that the first surgery was performed with the on-site assistance of a renowned United Kingdom (UK) cardiac surgeon, Sir Magdi Yacoub.

According to Adebonojo, Professor Fabian Udekwu, the first trained cardiothoracic surgeon in Nigeria, played a pivotal role in the success of the surgery. The American Board of Surgery as well as the American Board of Thoracic Surgery certified Udekwu assembled a crack team, which included Prof. CH Anyanwu, Prof. D.C Nwafo, Prof. B.U Umeh, Prof. E.O Okoroma, Prof. H.N.C Ihenacho and Prof.

C.C Okechukwu among other colleagues.

At the UCH, another surgery was conducted when Prof.

Adebonojo was appointed a lecturer in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the UCH upon his return to Nigeria in April 1974. He joined Prof. Grillo in the Cardiothoracic Unit, and was later joined by other doctors such as Dr. Oluyombo, Dr. Olu Osinowo and Dr. Wole Adebo in the unit. The team performed the first open heart surgery in UCH on December 19, 1978.

It should be noted that the UCH procedure was the first open heart surgery performed by a team of ‘all’ Nigerian cardiac surgeons, nurses, perfusionist, anaesthesiologists, without on-site assistant from abroad, but the 19-year-old boy died intraoperatively due to incorrect preoperative diagnosis of Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), which turned out to be a Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (TAPVR).

However, the second procedure was on September 18, 1979; and between 1978 and 1982, the same group at UCH successfully performed five open-heart surgeries. Unfortunately, the country could no longer sustain this stride, as

• Nigeria Needs 400 Open Heart Surgeries Per Million Population Every Year • Osogbo Private Hospital In 12 Successful Cases strain in the hospital resources, deteriorating infrastructure, political atmosphere and military interventions in politics were said to have put a damper on these efforts.

In spite of the huge financial requirement and dearth of highly skilled personnel needed, private hospitals are jostling, getting equipped to join the teaching hospitals in this giant stride in open heart surgery in the country. Though they are faced with paucity of funds and expertise in the field.

Recently in Osogbo, Osun State, a private health facility, Biket Medical Centre, was reported to have performed successfully, 12 cases of open-heart surgeries without any fatality experienced at the initial trials by teaching hospitals in Nigeria.

The last batch of patients operated upon include a-year old baby, nine-year old boy, 11-year old Yekini and 20-year old 200 Level Political Science student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Also, the operating team included two cardiac surgeons, Dr. Anil Dharmapuram, a paediatric surgeon (Indian) and Consultant Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgeon to Biket Medical Centre, Dr. Uvie Onakpoya. The perfusionists were Mr. Adeniran and Mr. Mohammed, while Dr. Anthony Adenekan, was the anaes-

Medical personnel with some patients after surgery

thesiologist. The Medical Director (CMD), Biket Medical Centre, Dr. Adebisi David Adenle, was the cardiologist and Mr. Adesanya, the nurse.

By this feat, this health facility is adjudged the first-ever private hospital in West Africa to join the league of teaching hospitals and other government-owned care facility in successful open-heart surgeries in history of healthcare delivery in the region without after operation complications.

Adenle, who is a consultant cardiologist said there is an urgent need for investment on state-of-the-art equipment in the hospitals and development of skills in the field to ensure that those with hole in the heart do not die helplessly, thereby failing to meet the WHO’s projections.

He noted that hole in the heart is a heart defect that is present at birth (congenital). “While the baby is in the womb, there is normally an opening between the upper chambers of the heart (atria) to allow blood to flow around the lungs. This opening usually closes around the time, when the baby is born, but when it didn’t close, it becomes a problem and presented as hole in the heart,” he said According to him, many people with hole in the heart experience no symptoms, however, if the atrial septal defect is large, permitting a large amount of blood to pass through to the right side of the heart, the right atrium, right ventricles and lungs become overworked, then, symptoms such as fatigue, sweating, rapid breathing, and shortness of breath occur. He added that people with patient foramen ovule (PFO) might experience migraine headaches.

He stated that this condition does not have any preventive measures, but its solution, lies in corrective surgeries when diagnosed. “To diagnose hole in the heart defect, a number of medical test would be run to determine the type and the extent of damage it has done to the heart.”

He said, “We are partnering with Indians to reduce the cost of the surgery so that more people would have access to surgery. We refer those cases with complications to India because we do not want any case of fatality in this practice, but our major challenge is poverty. Most people operated upon were sponsored by state government and other philanthropists.”

A visiting Consultant Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgeon to Biket Medical Centre, Dr. Uvie Onakpoya, said the centre is well equipped, coupled with steady power supply to ensure success in the practice. “We have three standby power generating sets and every machine is connected to UPS to ensure there is no loss of lives at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) traceable to power failure,” he remarked.

He noted that the centre brought Indian surgeons in order to acquire more skills as well as a step up to what they have. “We have seen what they do and we are not far from that. We have arrays of drugs for the surgery but they are expensive to purchase. They are expensive to maintain too because we store in a controlled temperature to avoid spoilage,” he said.

More so, the Leader of the Indian team from KIMS Hospital, Hyderabad, Dr. Anil Dharmapuram, a paediatric cardiac surgeon was impressed with the level of training of the Nigerian team as well as the equipment both at the operating theatre and the intensive care unit.

The team was also pleased to establish a collaborative partnership with Biket Medical Centre in Nigeria, especially with the availability of the equipment and drugs used for the successful surgeries. “The last five surgeries include, open heart surgery for closure of holes in the heart, three ventricular septal defects and two tetralogy of Falot.”

However, during The Guardian’s visit to the centre, one of the women, believed to be in her 40s, whose 20-year old son was still at the intensive care unit, was seen chanting Hallelujah, testifying the goodness of God in the life of her undergraduate political-science-student son.

She said, “I discovered that my son has hole in the heart while he was two plus, but I prayed and asked God to preserve him until we are ready financially for the surgery.

Then N500, 000 was needed for the operation, but I had no dime. So, I kept praying, asking God to preserve his life.

“For 17 and half years, my son was suffering with that illness, but God preserved him. I must say that it has not been easy. My son never had the strength to play football, but he coordinates others. If he undertakes small task, he will be panting and gasping for air. Many people, who had such cases, are no more today, but God showed me why He is God. My son has been operated upon and I’m going back with him.

“I want to thank God for using Biket Medical Centre for this deliverance. There are other people operated upon, but I’m most happy to see my son come back to life. I didn’t have to go to India or America to do this, but God did here in Nigeria. More powers to your elbows.”

Mrs. Ayo Yekini, mother of Rasheed, 11-year-old boy, who was among the last five patients operated on, was equally happy as she saw her son talk again after the surgery. “I’m very happy that my son is well again. I discovered that he had whole in the heart in 2002 in one of the hospitals consulted in Abeokuta. From there, we were told he has hole in his heart; and they transferred him to UCH. “At UCH, he was placed on medications until now that we have the finance to do this. We got to know about Biket Medical Centre, through one of our brothers, who lives in Osogbo, so we decided to come. Today my son is made whole again. I’m very happy to be here today. We will be leaving as soon as Biket allows us to leave. I want to say very big thank to Biket Medical Centre, Osogbo.”

TheGuardian www.ngrguardiannews.com

26 Sunday, January 26, 2014

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Special Report

A cross section of burnt houses in Kukah Village

BlOOD ON THE PLATEAU : Escape From Rwanda (2) In this concluding part of Blood on the Plateau, ‘FISAYO SOYOMBO takes a look previous efforts at achieving peace in the state and why they have not worked.

considered the most vital: Government must apply sanctions to all individuals, groups of persons and organisations indicted by the inquiry in order to avoid future occurrence of such incidence [sic]). Till date, no one has been prosecuted for involvement in that killing — or HE first known government response to vio- any other. lence in Plateau State was taken on 22nd April With the proliferation of committees and the 1994. Ten days earlier, a clash between indigenes accompanying avalanche of recommendaand Hausa-Fulanis had resulted in five deaths tions still unable to halt the killings, the vicand destruction of properties, prompting Mili- tims and their families offered their voices to tary Administrator of the state, Lt. Col. Mothe crucial conversation on the most guaranhammed Mana to inaugurate a Commission of teed way of returning peace to the plateau.

Inquiry chaired by Hon. Justice Aribiton Fiberesima (Rtd). In the weeks that followed, the comJesus Alone mittee physically assessed the affected places, Partially-paralysed 105-year-old, Uttawal interviewed victims and witnesses, examined memoranda, and submitted its recommenda- Marene does not see the place of further committee recommendations (or anything else) in tions. peace-building. Rather, she thinks the solution The committee’s report was the best kept secret of the next 15 years. Not until 2009, after two is spiritual. “The only solution is Jesus,” other high-casualty clashes, did the government Marene says from her sickbed. “We have to beg publish the report and issue a white paper on it. God to bring peace back to the land; because This set the template for a lacklustre culture of without God, there is nothing we can do. We committees and panels of inquiry. In the last 12 have to beg God. If not, nothing can bring peace.” years alone, there have been five committees: It is an opinion shared by Jumai Adamu, still three by the Federal Government (Justice oblivious of any wrong by the villagers to the Suleiman Galadima Commission, 2001; EmFulanis “They just don’t want peace,” Jumai, manuel Abisoye Presidential Panel, 2009; and Chief Solomon D. Lar and Amb Yahaya Kwande, whose husband and son were murdered in an attack, says. “The only solution is Jesus; the 2010) and two by the state (Justice Niki Tobi only way out is to pray.”

Commission, 2001; and Justice Bola Ajibola According to Yakubu Maki of the same MileCommission, 2009). So, as expected, there is an abundance of committee recommendations — Bakwai Village in Bokkos Local Councilwhose son was murdered in an attack, prayer is the all unimplemented.

“For some reason which is not altogether clear only solution. “We have to pray to God to bring to us or for no reason at all, the government nei- peace to this community, to the plateau, and ther issued a white paper on the Fiberesima re- to all other parts of the country,” says Mile-Bakport nor implemented any of the commission’s wai-born 95-year-old, who has lived nowhere else all his life. recommendations,” Justice Niki Tobi and co wrote after seeing through a committee of their Government And Security, Not Jesus! own in 2001. “The crisis (of 2001) would have However, head of Kungte Village in Jos South been averted if the recommendations of the Local Council, Yakubu Dung, does not conFiberesima Commission had been implesider ‘prayer’ or ‘Jesus’ top priority in quelling mented”.

In all, the Fiberesima Commission made eight “Fulani attacks fuelled only by wickedness”, though he concedes the killings are in line recommendations, one of which — being the only one underscored for emphasis — could be with the Bible’s prediction of violence in the

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end time.

“If it is not wickedness, how will anyone willingly kill an entire family?” Yakubu wonders, stupefaction etched on his face. “I know that the killers are Fulanis because they seized the phone of a passer-by, called his brother and threatened to return for more deaths. Both the person who received the call and security agents who apprehended the caller confirmed him to be Fulani.”

So, he reasons that the solution is for the government to empower security agents, who should in turn work hard to apprehend perpetrators of the killings. “They should just do a sincere work and this thing will be over,” the 55-year-old assures. “The Bible predicted this; but with the help of the security agents and the government, the situation can be a lot better.”

Two relatives of victims of an attack in Wase Local Council, Ponchang Miner and Nandir Vongchak, believe killings in that region will end with the division of the local government into two, one for the Tarohs, and the other for the Hausa-Fulanis.

“At the moment, the Hausas are the ones securing the few job openings in Wase Local Council,” alleges Ponchang. “The solution is for Wase to be divided into two. If it is done, the killings will stop, because each ethnic group will have had its interests served. And there will be more job opportunities for the Tarohs.”

Government’s Burden Grace Nansoh of Locost Village believes the burden of ending the killings rests with the government. It is government, the 23-year-old This Is Not A Crisis declares, that must ensure sure-fire security in At Tatu Village, Pam Adamu Jugu is candid the state, and prosecute violators of the sancenough to admit lacking knowledge of the magic wand for the Plateau debacle. However, he tity of human life.

“To stop the killings, government needs to wants all misconceptions about inter-ethnic/inter-religious clashes and cattle rustling cleared. take serious actions,” says Grace, whose father He insists that there is no crisis. And as far as Tatu was shot, butchered and set ablaze in Wase. is concerned, cattle-rustling is an imaginary phe- “They have to take a look. People are losing their loved ones; children are losing their parnomenon.

“The question we have continued asking our- ents. So, government must take serious measures. Government must identify the selves is why anyone would attack us. And we have no answer yet,”Adamu, 58, says. “We want troublemakers and deal with them.” to tell the world that we are not in crisis. When Dialogue, Government Intervention there is crisis, it means two or more people or Like Adamu, Obadiah Bolka of Kukah Village groups have disagreed on something. In our case here, we have not disagreed with anybody believes the whole talk of committing murder as reprisal for rustling of cattle is drivel. He or any tribe anywhere.”

Though he could ‘precisely ascertain’ who their knows that cattle sometimes trample on crops; and admits it is possible that a farmer attackers were, he knew ‘from all indications’ that they are Fulanis desperately looking to cap- or two will want to hold on to the animals. But ture Berom land for themselves, their cattle and to take human lives in vengeance for alleged cattle theft, he argues, is inexcusable. their religion.

“We have to be honest. In a village like this, “This war is a religious war. I look at it as a Jiwe have several kinds of people: young and had,” he says assertively. “Some say Fulanis are old,” he says. “It might be possible for the nursing grudges against Beroms for stealing their cattle. But in Tatu Village here, no one has young ones to steal cows trespassing on crops, ever stolen cattle. Our people used to have cows, but I think the response should be how to rebut they’ve all been stolen away by the Fulanis. In fact, as we speak, there is no one in this village CONTINUE ON PAGE 27 who has a single cow.”

Sunday, January 26, 2014 27

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SPECIAL REPORT

... Escape From Rwanda, Genocide CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26 solve the issue — and that is not by killing. Taking revenge on human life is unacceptable.”

Obadiah admonishes government to implement the Land use Act in a way that will settle land disputes between indigenes and settlers. “Based on the 1978 government policy on land, all land in Nigeria belongs to government. But if there is any way of lending land to people, it should be done in a way that is clear to everyone,” he says. “By the time someone is occupying a land and another person is saying it is his own, it would bring misunderstanding. So we are crying that government should come into this situation and solve it once and for all — by making it clear that every individual has the right to live on land. And once you occupy a land, it doesn’t mean that you are above every other person.”

In respect to land not in urban areas, Section 6, Subsection 1, Paragraph 1 of the 1978 Land Use Act grants local governments the right to grant customary rights of occupancy to any person or organisation for the use of land in the local government area for agricultural, residential and other purposes; or — as Paragraph 2 states — grant customary rights of occupancy to any person or organisation for the use of land for grazing purposes and such other purposes ancillary to agricultural purposes as may be customary in the local government area concerned. Regrettably, efforts to speak with relevant local government and land officers on the applicability of this section of the Act to the killings did not materialise.

A Spurned Sacrifice; The Fleeing Soldiers For many reasons, Rwang Dalyop Dantong cannot believe or explain the volatility that has come to define his darling Plateau State. It is a puzzle this reporter shares. In all the correspondences that culminated in the half-an-hour interview at the Solomon Lar Amusement Park — from the civility with which he responded to a journalist’s interview request, to his timely early-morning appearance at the park — Rwang cuts the picture of a man too soft-hearted and affectionate to hurt a fly. This palpable good-naturedness, he maintains, is the hallmark of the average Plateau man.

“The Plateau man, especially the Berom man, is hospitable, accommodating; and almost every ethnic group in Nigeria lives peacefully with us”, he says, bolstering the declarations with his trademark soothing mien. “We give land very freely to people. We have never had any problem with anybody.”

From 1994 till date, the clashes-turned-attacks witnessed some landmark tragedies that should ordinarily have restored peace to the troubled state. One of them is the killing of his immediate elder brother and senator representing Plateau North at the National Assembly, Gyang Dalyop Dantong, while attending the mass burial for hundreds slain in Riyom and Barkin Ladi Local Governments in July 2012.

Rwang is stunned that the senator’s death has had little influence on Plateau’s acute need for peace.

“You see, we should — out of that death alone — allow peace to return to the state. That was what I expected,” he says in his characteristic measured tone. “Peace should return to Berom land, because if a whole senator went to a place to settle issues, and he was attacked and killed, that is quite unfortunate. I felt that that tragedy alone would touch the hearts of people to resolve their differences, to turn from evil and return to reality.”

The nadir of the death itself is the failure of soldiers at the mass-burial ground to mount any form of resistance against the attackers. More than a year on, his disappointment is still evident. “I was disappointed in the Military, highly disappointed that a whole senator and a majority leader of the House of Assembly were with the Military, and all the soldiers could do was tell them to run for their dear lives,” he laments.

“Then what is the hope of a common man — a common man

Another burnt building as a result of senseless clash

who has no security around him? The soldiers told everybody to run; and they themselves ran rather than face the attackers.”

A Flicker Of Hope His disappointments notwithstanding, Rwang knows a number of attitudinal and religious changes over the years offer a glimmer of hope for the eventual arrival at a solution. The Beroms, he reveals, are no longer ritualistic. “Most of us are born-again Christians. Therefore, our people have embraced God as the final solution to this thing,” he says.

“We have groups in the Berom nation, such as the Berom Ministers Forum (BEMFO) and the Berom Outreach Ministries, which engage in fervent prayers for God’s intervention.”

In addition, various ethnic groups have welcomed peacefocused non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to the plateau, such as the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue that has engaged the Berom, Afizere, Anaguta, Fulani and Hausa in a six-month dialogue.

“We are highly committed to this dialogue, but the unfortunate thing is that each time we enter the dialogue, we come up with a roadmap towards actualising resolutions of the dialogue,” he says. “Each time we go into it, every ethnic group comes with its own problems, so that we can table and solve them. But unfortunately, for the Fulani man, it ends up at that forum. He doesn’t go down to the grassroots to explain to others what we are really doing at the dialogue.”

Leaders of all the ethnic groups, he continues, must be sincere; and if they can, there is nothing so difficult to handle.

“If a Fulani man, for instance, is talking of cow rustling — and this is the major concern they always raise — then they should come up with names of the suspects, if they have.

“There are ways to deal with suspects — and those ways are always better than engaging in violence. Most times, the Fulanis confess that they launch reprisals for theft of their cows. But in the end, they will kill innocent children. For instance, during a recent attack ... a father who saw the assailants was protecting his child of two years. They shot the man; they shot the child. The most worrisome is the case where a gun was put into the mouth of a five-month-old baby, and he was shot. For God’s sake, is that a reprisal? Is that how a solution can be worked out?”

that they would attack, sometimes wiping out an entire family.”

A Tribe Under Threat Daniel Choji has one conviction: there is a grand plan to drive Beroms into extinction. And at the heart of this devious plan are a complicit trio: the Federal Government, the Army, and the Fulanis.

While the Federal Government, in his estimation, has been negligent about security in Plateau, the Fulanis hinge their killings on false accusations of cattle rustling by the Beroms, as proven by the killing of six people at a compound in Heipang on December 17, 2013, none of whom has ever owned or stolen a cow. Finally, he accuses soldiers of siding with the Fulanis — for ethnic and pecuniary interests.

“People were just having their dinner, and unknown gunmen arrived to attack them”, he says of the assault that resulted in the death of his cousin, Jerry Dalyop, aged five, and five others. “Soldiers drove in shortly after the attack. They rushed into the bush in the direction of the attackers; and we believe that they went in there to drive away the attackers. One, they didn’t come to interact with the victims. Two, they were not after the aggressors.”

Considering that the soldiers drove towards the direction of the aggressors and subsequently drove out, Choji believes it is spot-on to assume that the soldiers re-emerged from the bush in company of the aggressors. And to have kept mum on their findings, to have ignored people whose families have just been murdered, to have uttered no word to anyone on the whereabouts of the assailants or on the plight of victims, according to Choji, is testament to the soldiers’ grave complicity — a line of action that has now become routine.

“This has always been the issue in most of the attacks. The situation is very pathetic,” he laments. “The soldiers did not even say anything to the victims, because they came on a mission. If they had come with the mission of safeguarding the community, they would have driven straight to the compound of the victims to ask for the direction that the aggressors followed. But that they didn’t do. They came in, passed by the compound, and drove inside. Only God knows what they went in there to do.”

Soldiers Are Complicit These soldiers are complicit in these attacks, he reiterates, ‘without mincing words’, which is why he will continue imploring the Federal Government to reconsider the composition of soldiers on the plateau, “because they have not come as neutral umpires, but are doing certain people’s bidding.” This, he insists, is the basic recipe for scuppering what could eventually degenerate to fullDialogues, Dialogue, And More Dialogue scale inter-ethnic clash reminiscent of the Rwandan genocide.

His appeal is that existing fora for dialogue should be fully In Choji’s view, the ongoing attacks are devoid of religious explored by all the concerned groups. “We should come to a colouration. There are Muslims among the Beroms; the Christians roundtable,” he insists. “Let the Fulanis tell us what the among them have interacted with Muslims; all of them, their parproblem is, after all, we have been living together and soents interacted and lived with Muslims. So he is sure the killings cially interacting with them for decades.” are nothing religious. Simply put, they are ethnic.

He transfers the pain in his heart to his eyes when he re“The killers are just a set of aggressors that does not want to see calls the good days prior to 1994, when there was no probthe Berom people on the face of the earth,” he says. “These people lem at all, when a Berom man could sleep in a Fulani man’s want to extinct the Berom people; and the Federal Government is house and the Fulani man could do same in a Berom’s. “We aware, because the government normally has information of most gave them all the lands free; and it is not as if we restricted of these attacks. The soldiers and mobile policemen who have them from grazing. There are the grazing routes; there are come on the pretext of protecting us know who the aggressors are. vast lands we made available for them to graze,” he says.

Attackers come in the military uniforms; and by the time you men“But now, the world has changed. There are many ways by tion it, the Army makes a defence. But in a short while, the world which animals can be fed. It must not always be by going will know who these people are.” round the grass.”

He wants President Goodluck Jonathan, as Commander-in-Chief As far as he knows, the Beroms would remain relentless in of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to be more their commitment to peace-building because, as he says, involved in the military affairs of Plateau or vest state governors they are highly hospitable; and they are reputable peacewith autonomy over the Police in their respective states. For all makers. “On our own part, the Fulanis have been allowing Choji cares, non-military alternatives to resolving the killings are their cattle to destroy our farms,” he says. “But we have on the table of the government and security chiefs. never at one point said because they destroy our farms, we “There are so many options,” he says. “If the government really will attack them. We have always taken the issues according wants these attacks to end, I am assuring you that this terrible to the laws of the land by reporting them to the Police or trend will end. The Military should work by the rules of engageother appropriate authorities. Compensation has always ment. They are here on an assignment to protect both the victims been paid, and it ends there. But in their case, they would and the aggressors. A soldier — whether Fulani, Muslim or Chrisjust complain that cows are missing; and the next thing is tian — should be unbiased.”

Building on that, he begs the Army to shed itself of money-grubbing soldiers, as corruption has been the bane of these attacks.

“You send a soldier on an assignment; and after six months, he wants to ride a flashy car, build a skyscraper or build a house that he hasn’t built in 20 to 30 years of his military career,” he fumes.

“Soldiers who are ready to work are the ones who should be posted to Plateau, while those who want to enjoy these luxuries and make quick money should leave the Army and maybe join politics.”

However, he reckons the solution will be anything but easy to come by, considering that the attacks are only part of a complex web of sinister plots oiled by private individuals with vested interests.

“The aggressors have money. They hire the soldiers; they give them money,” he alleges. “Verify the account of most of these soldiers: both the officers and the men on ground. You would see the influx of cash into their accounts each time there is an attack.”

He emphasises for the umpteenth time that government and security agencies can ill-afford to dawdle on addressing the litany of unresolved killings in the villages of Plateau, especially as all concerned parties — even if the ringleaders cannot be personally identified — know exactly what they are up against.

“The soldiers know the aggressors. We know the aggressors, and they are the Fulanis, because the soldiers have accompanied the Fulanis, not once or twice, into our villages in search of cows,” he says emphatically. “That is only when the soldiers react. They react when cows are missing, but when people die, soldiers don’t react.

They are the aggressors, the soldiers and the Fulanis. The Beroms, meanwhile, are the victims.”

Soyombo, who did his internship at The Guardian, carried out this investigation for Flair Nigeria, an online publication

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Sunday, January 26, 2014 29

COMMUNICATIONSWEEK

TheGuardian

Sunday, January 26, 2014 30

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Junior Guardian InnovateLagos Kid Inventor’s Day

A group of children that participated in the programme

N a bid to strengthen inIingenuity novation, creativity and in young children living in Lagos, Lagos Innovative Advisory Council (InnovateLagos), recently partnered with Young Engineers Edutainment Nigeria to host this year’s Kid Inventors Day (K.I.D.) The event, which was organised at the Lagos ELearning Centre, registered participants, which included 70 students from

public secondary schools in Lagos. January 17 of every year is set aside to celebrate the Kid Inventors Day (K.I.D). It is a day to celebrate the creativity and ingenuity of young people all around the world. The day is also to commemorate the birthday of the inventive founding father, Benjamin Franklin.

Public Relations Officer, InnovateLagos, Dotun Adio said that the focus of the KID is Science, Technology,

Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), creative problem solving and thinking.

Operation Director, Young Engineers Edutainment, Francis Ojo said the one-day event is aimed at developing creativity and innovation amongst students while encouraging them to come up with solutions to the problems they find in their own environment.

SOLUTIONS TO BRAIN TEASER (15) LION CONFIDENT

DELIGHT RELUCTANT

TIMID DISAPPEAR

— Tunde Akinnola

RIDDLE 1. I am a fat woman sitting inside many thorns. What am I? Answer Tongue 2. I am something the more you take from me, the bigger and better I become. What am I? Answer Hair

Olashore International School In Echoes From The Lagoon THRILL of excitement ran through the wave of Olashore International School’s parents, staff, students and their friends, who converged recently at the Muson Centre, Lagos for the premiere of ‘Echoes from the Lagoon’, a three-act play written by Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi.

The 20th anniversary drama show, which portrayed a corrupt society, clan stratification, oppression, greed as well as deceit, is a conventional drama piece, which captured the lifestyle of teenagers belonging to socialist and capitalist families.

The cultural and semi-western drama comically re-

A

vealed what goes on in the society and how people struggle to overcome the challenges undermining spiritual and superstitious power.

The Principal of the School, Mr. Derek Smith, remarked that the play allows the students to develop deeper understanding of Nigerian culture and history, as they learn the parts and immerse themselves in the historical period of the play.

“Developing each child’s potential is the reason we place such emphasis on drama, music, sports and others. It is usually a great opportunity for our students to show the talents and creativity in them”.

Speaking shortly after the presentation, Chairman, Board of Directors, Prince Abimbola Olashore, stressed that the school is not relenting in the leadership trait being inculcated in the children, adding that the students’ performance in academic and extra-curricular activities is amazingly reflecting on the dream of the founding fathers.

In his response, the playwright, applauded the students for their beautiful interpretation, noting that the cast and crew members did exceptionally well.”

— Ujunwa Atueyi COMPILED BY KIKELOLA OYEBOLA

A scene from the play staged by the students at the event

CARELESS IMPORTANT

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Sunday, January 26, 2014 31

IBRUCENTRE

Clerics Support Anti Gay Marriage Law, Amid Threat

Olushola

Avwomakpa HE Bible in Leviticus 18:22 says, “you shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. Jesus Christ in Matthew 19:4 and Mark 10:6 reiterated this, and the Nigerian government recently affirmed it by prohibiting same-sex marriage in the country. The recent Nigerian law, though praised within its boundaries, is however, making countries such as the United States of America and others that have accepted same sex marriage as part of their culture uncomfortable. The US, in reaction to the new Nigerian law, has threatened to withdraw some of it aids from Nigeria if the country does not change its stand.

OMIKO AWA, CHRIS IREKAMBA, ISAAC TAIWO and JOSEPH ONYEKWERE spoke to some clerics on the implication of this threat to the nation.

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Islam Prohibits Same-Sex Marriage

Islam prohibits same-sex marriage. Islam frowns at all forms of indecency ranging from premarital sex, extra marital affairs, fornication, homosexuals to lesbianism and others.

As deterrent to this, Sharia prescribes stoning to death for whoever is guilty of the offence.

However, since an individual cannot carry out the punishment, it is left for a properly constituted authority to effect it if there are sufficient proves that those concerned actually committed the offence. Islam has legalised marriage and this can be found in Q4 vs.3.

Coming to the US threat, we must ask ourselves, ‘of what benefits are US-AIDS to the Nigerian masses? We have been getting Aids from US in the past, yet Nigerians are still suffering. US should know that apart from religion, same-sex marriage is alien to our culture.

Alh. Qasim Alabi, Alubarika Mosque, Akeredolu, Ogun State.

We Cherish Our Religion And Cultural Sanctity There is nothing like keeping our religious sanctity and cultural value. America has become a permissive society and it is not advisable for Nigeria to follow suit. Nigeria is a sovereign state and should know what is good for her. Christianity, Islam and other religions in Nigeria condemn same-sex marriage and in the absence of every ambiguity, God Almighty

Chukwuma

Akin -John condemns it in the Bible. If any nation because of her support would want another nation to incur the wrath of God, I think it is better for that nation to keep her gift or withhold her assistance.

The US and its allies can never give us economic freedom; in fact, some of our corrupt leaders go there to save the money they have looted from our treasury.

I commend our President and the members of the National Assembly for taking the stand that Nigeria would not join countries that prefer to do things the way they want at the expense of their relationship with God, their Creator in the name of human right. It is better to offend man than to offend God. The Bible says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living God. We cherish our religion and cultural sanctity.

His Eminence, Sunday Ola Makinde, Prelate Emeritus, The Methodist Church of Nigeria

Nigeria Should Take Her Stand On Her Conviction The President has done well and I commend him along with the members of National Assembly for signing into law anti same-sex marriage bill. The President should not be afraid of US threat or give in to intimidation. There was a similar threat to the Anglican Communion and Nigeria Anglican Church called their bluff and if the Church can do that, Nigeria should equally be able to take her stand on her conviction without shaking. The President should know that we cannot because we want to please a nation or become members of those nations that take God for granted, turn our backs against God and swallow the bitter bill that would invite the wrath of God. Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, Chairman, CAN, SouthEast and Bishop of Enugu Diocese (Anglican Communion).

Think Of The Consequences Of Gay Marriage And Not Aids From America Or Europe Romans 1: 26-28, which reads: For this cause God

Makinde

Alabi gave them up unto vile affection: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient ….” The Bible in ages past talked about homosexuality and God’s position on the abnormal game! Therefore in clear term, it contradicts the bible and there is no genuine man of God that can support such evil.

The President has done the right thing by rejecting the evil because it is not only that God is against it, it is also alien to our culture in Africa. It is not the will of God for mankind and the Bible speaks vehemently against it.

The President got it right and it is an evidence that he fears God. We should be thinking of the consequences of the evil rather than the material things we get in terms of aids from either America or Europe.

Rev. Olusola Akinkuolie, Overseer, The Overflowing Life Ministry, Lagos

Mr. President’s Action Is To Save Nigeria From God’s Wrath The effect of what Mr. President has done is to save Nigeria from the wrath of God. Of course, the implication of this, is that foreign countries would stop their financial aids or assistance; but come to think of it, do these aids really get to the people? Those in authority, those we call our leaders collect them and repatriate same back to the foreign banks. The action of Mr. President is a step in the right direction. For God’s sake, gay marriage is not the only sin in the world; it’s not the only moral issue, so, why would foreign governments pick on it?

In the Bible we saw how God rained fire and brimstone on a city that really started this thing. And if God used them as example by vis-

iting them with His wrath, why would Nigeria want to participate in it? Take a look at the nations supporting gay marriage and what is happening in them.

Those who are into gay marriage or lesbianism affect other people because most of them become sexual predators, for instance, the Catholic Church, it has been revealed that more than 400 priests were sexual predators, they abused innocent boys.

What government has done is not an infringement on human rights. It is the duty of government to correct morals. If people are behaving like dogs we should not leave it only to religious leaders. It is part of the responsibility of a leader in the society to correct such errors. And President Goodluck Jonathan has done just that.

Dr. Francis Akin-John, Church Growth Consultant Expert.

Gay-Marriage Is Satanic And Destructive President Jonathan’s decision to ignore western pressure and support homosexuality is one of the boldest steps that an African President has ever taken in recent time. Western support for gay-marriage comes with enticement wrapped in dollar, euro and pounds, but our President was not moved by that. It is a good thing that Nigeria has a President who recognises the fact that dollar euro and pounds cannot change Nigeria’s good relationship with God. Islam and Christianity forbade homosexuality because it is an act that can neither be defended in the physical nor spiritual.

What is satanic is satanic no matter whether it is coming from people who claim to have universal power or not; God will for no reason change His standard. God did not make a mistake by creating Adam and Eve. Neither was the scripture wrong when it stated that a man shall leave his father and mother (Parents) and cling to his wife and both shall became one.

Anything aside from this is not only satanic, but also destructive.

Archbishop God-Dowell Avwomakpa, Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) South South zone.

32 Sunday, January 26, 2014

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IBRUCENTRE

By Chris N Anyanwu INCE the provoking outburst of Pastor Chris Sof Okotie, the general overseer of the Household God Church, last year, against the sacred institution of the Universal Catholic Church, as well as his verbal abuse on Pope Francis, the visible head of the Catholic Church, many had expected a formal response from the Catholic Church in Nigeria.

Pastor Okotie was quoted as saying inter alia that: “All Catholics in the world will go to hell because they worship Satan and are led by an antiChrist Pope, who is a friend to the devil. They are not Christians and have never been. They don’t know Jesus....”

When Okotie made his meaningless and baseless remarks, a formal response was not necessary at the time since the self-styled pastor has been at the receiving end of attacks in the social media, from Catholics and other Christians, some of whom have demanded the examination of his mental state. And justifiably so because no sane person can say what he said, in a manner he did, as if to say he has some scores to settle with Catholics and their Pope. No sane human being, not even a truly annointed man of God can take the judgement seat of God and condemn fellow humans as if to say he or she has the keys to the kingdom of Heaven.

But when hired writers continue the devil’s advocate work of Pastor Okotie by feeding the public with lies and heresies; silence is no longer golden. One of such hired idle minds, Justus Nwakanma who in his article titled, Between Chris Okotie and Pope Francis (The Guardian on Sunday, January 12, 2014; pg 53) embarked on further derogatory remarks about the Catholic Church and the Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis.

In his article, Nwakanma not only displayed his brazen ignorance of Catholic dogmas, but made what could be regarded as an intellectual futility to ridicule yet again, the head of the Catholic Church, through misinterpretation and misrepresentation of the Pope’s remarks.

His entire piece was an attempt to justify Okotie’s early position against the Catholic Church and the Pope. Nwakanma tried to equate Pastor Okotie’s position as an overseer on spiritual matters of Household of God Church, with that of Pope Francis as a head of Catholic Church on doctrinal matters.

According to him, “every christian must be worried and concerned with the recent postulations of Pastor Chris Okotie and Pope Francis on Christianity, Catholicism and Hell. In Christendom, when words are wrongly spoken by the supposed respositories of ecclesiastical knowledge, and interpretations are misplaced or ill-conceived history as an impartial arbiter, will record such resonating defiance of wrongful and misleading thoughts, as well as the deceitful

A Response To The New Wave Of Attacks On The Catholic Church silence of the elect.”

For Nwakanma the ‘repositories of ecclesiastical knowledge,’ are in Okotie and Pope Francis.

This comparison is an insult and most uncharitable to Catholics, nay all Christians. Since when can Okotie who we know as a ‘one time street dancer’ turned a pastor overnight be equated with Pope Francis, the Vicar of Christ and epitome of a tradition that has lasted for over 2,000 years; as well as the universally accepted visible head of all Christians? How can we refer to a self-acclaimed pastor as a repository of ecclesiastical knowledge?

It is a common knowledge that today, in Nigeria, anybody can wake up any day and assume the role of a pastor/founder, evangelist, bishop, archbishop and so on; premising the mission on an imagined divine call, particularly now that church founding has become a commercial venture. Many today are taking ecclesiastical honour and title as an avenue to exercise power, status or to enhance their financial positions. It is wrong to refer to such people as “repositories of ecclesiastical knowledge.”

Again, Nwakanma variously quoted what he claims Pope Francis said in many instances out of context without telling us when he said them and on what occasions he said them. Such random quotations by Nwakanma of Pope Francis run thus: “We must recognize that religious truth evolves and changes. Truth is not absolute or set in stone. Even atheists acknowledge the divine.

Through acts of love and charity, the atheists acknowledges God as well, and redeems his own soul, becoming an active participant in the redemption of humanity.”

“Through humility, soul searching and prayerful comtemplation, we have gained a new understanding of certain dogmas. The church no longer believes in a literal hell where people suffer. This doctrine is incompatible with the infinite love of God. God is not a judge but a friend and lover of humanity.

“God seeks not to condemn, but only embrace. Like the fable of Adam and Eve, we see as Hell as a literary device. Hell is merely a metaphor for isolated souls, which like all souls, ultimately will be united in love with God.”

The above random quotations of Nwakanma’s interpretations of Pope Francis sayings were not placed in the context and occasions when they were said. They were mere assumptions.

Even Nwakanma indirectly acknowledges that he is not sure if Pope Francis made such statement when he wrote: “Concerns have been raised as to whether this rift of revolutionary irrationalism coming from the Pope is real or fake. But since there has been no official denial (to the writer’s knowledge) from the Vatican, it is reasonable to conclude that whether he is speaking ex cathedral, or not, Christendom should not at all be silent or relaspe in mutted applause of a seeming infraction of its principles teachings.”

From all indications, it is obvious that Nwakanma is a confused person who lacks indepth knowledge of the Catholic Dogma and teachings of the Church and thus cannot decipher between a reported speech or commentary of another person and the verbal statement of the actual speaker; in this case Pope Francis.

The statement being authoritatively quoted by Nwakanma above was not only absolute falsehood, but a satirical blog posted on the Internet by people of likeminds of Nwakanma and his mentor.

In his posting of January 5, 2014; on Home Archived; Carl Olson, editor of the Catholic World Report refered to the misrepresention of the Holy Father’s remarks under the headline Pope Francis Just Concluded Vatican III and declared:”All Religions are True.” Below is the full text of Olson’s posting: Funny stuff, right? It is, I suppose, except that some people have apparently taken this December 5, 2013, ‘story’ quite seriously, even though the first few lines should have set of the spoof alarms: For the last six months, Catholic cardinals, bishops and theologians have been deliberating in Vatican City, discussing the future of the church and redefining long-held Catholic doctrines and dogmas.

The Third Vatican Council is, undoubtedly, the largest and most important since the Second Vatican Council was concluded in 1962. Pope Francis convened the new council to ‘finally finish the work

of the Second Vatican Council.’ While some traditionalists and conservative reactionaries on the far right have decried these efforts, they have delighted progressives around the world.

The Third Vatican Council concluded today with Pope Francis announcing that Catholicism is now a ‘modern and reasonable religion, which has undergone evolutionary changes. The time has come to abandon all intolerance. We must recognize that religious truth evolves and changes. Truth is not absolute or set in stone. Even atheists acknowledge the divine. Through acts of love and charity the atheist acknowledges God as well, and redeems his own soul, becoming an active participant in the redemption of humanity.’

I first heard of this satirical piece, published on the Diversity Chronicle site (which carries this descriptive/disclaimer: “The original content on this blog is largely satirical”), about two weeks ago. A friend forwarded me the link, and explained that several of his non-Catholic friends and co-workers were touting it as real “news”. Was there, he asked, a response to this nonsense? In a better world, it wouldn’t be necessary to respond to nonsense, save uttering a loud and long laugh.

But anyone who has spent time involved in apologetics knows that there is much nonsense to be addressed, especially when it becomes an impediment to understanding what the Catholic Church really teaches (and doesn’t teach) and has really done (or not done).

Jimmy Akin, senior apologist at Catholic answers, has addressed this bit of nonsense in a January 2 column for the National Catholic Register. Since we’re on the topic of strange and surprising stories, the New York Times recently published a piece about Francis, the ‘Radical Pope’. Why is it surprising? Because the author, Robert Calderisi, rightly points out that while Francis has done some unusual things, he actually ‘represents an essential continuity in the Roman Catholic Church’s Mission.’

The above clearly clears the air on Nwakanma’s falsehood. One expects that if Nwakanma, a journalist and former Editor of Champion Newspaper is not sure that Pope Francis said those words, charity, clarity and ethics of his profession demand that he should have cross-checked those assertions before publishing them. And there are many ways of cross-checking facts on the Catholic Church. To put words into Pope Francis’ mouth or interpret what he did not say is to say the least, a calculated attempt to mislead Christians, especially Catholics.

Father Chris N Anyanwu is the Director of Communications at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja.

Anglican Church Dedicates Vicarage

By Ekwy P. Uzoanya EMBERS of the ArchM bishop Timothy Olufosoye Memorial Anglican Church (ATOMAC), Ogba, Lagos, were last week, Wednesday, full of joy as the church dedicated its vicarage. This is happening in less than eight months of officially dedicating the church’s auditorium.

The Ven. Tunde Owoyele, now Vicar/Administrator, Church of Pentecost Festac, who rounded off as the Archdeacon of Ikeja Archdeaconry, performing the ceremony on behalf of the

Bishop of the Lagos West Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Rt. Revd. James Olusola Odedeji, said, “anyone whose foundation is built on Christ needs not entertain fears in the midst of scarcity because God will always send help in time of need.”

Owoyele noted that the ATOMAC building was an assignment God gave his people to do, and He accomplished the task through different people.

He thanked God for using Ven. Abiade Adeniji, whose stay as the vicar of the church ceased that day, to

From Left, Mrs. Kemi Salami (member, Band of Faith), Mrs. Comfort Akindolire (Diocesan Lay Secretary), Mrs. Bose Oloyede (member, Band of Faith), Ven. Tunde Owoyele, Ven. Abiade Adeniji, Mrs. Toyin Ogedengbe (President, Band of Faith) and Rev. Kayode Olubodun... during the dedication of ATOMAC Vicarage at Ogba, Lagos.

source for funds to put up the building, adding that God will reward his labour of love.

Commending the Diocesan Lay Secretary, Mrs. Comfort Olateju Akindolire for providing her house as the place of worship from where the church moved to its permanent site, Owoyele prayed for members that contributed to the building of the church, including members of Band of Faith (BoF), Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja.

Adeniji has since resumed as vicar at St. Jude’s Anglican Church, Magodo, Lagos.

A Man After God’s Heart Prophet S. K. Abiara T is abundantly evident in Bible that most people IGodthe used to achieve great mission were people with large heart. God will not give you a mission without examining your heart. “… for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed,”I Sam. 2:3a The battles of life are first fought and won in the heart before the physical manifestation. No wonder the Bible says, “keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it is the issues

of life,”Prov. 4:23. God charged the man with the responsibility of keeping his heart. A man who cannot keep his heart for God is not worthy to work for Him. There was a time in the Bible, Saul, the first king of Israel was rejected by God. Samuel the prophet was led to the house of Jesse to anoint another king for Israel to replace him. In the house of Jesse there were grown up sons with wide chest. The eldest son Eliab almost deceived Prophet Samuel with his big chest. “… But the Lord said unto

Samuel, look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him for the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looked on the outward appearance, but the Lord looked on the heart,” I Samuel 16:6-7.

While Samuel was looking at the chest of Eliab, God was looking into his heart. The chest in this context connotes the outward appearance.

Eliab the eldest son of Jesse fulfilled every condition required to be in the Army of Israel. He was actually enlisted in the army of Israel, but he

didn’t have what it takes to lead God’s people and win battles for God. In the same vein today, many people work on their outward appearance, neglecting their heart, which is the hallmark of success and fulfilling God’s purpose which is the ultimate in life.

Though the chest is visible to man while the heart is visible to God, situations often reveal the condition and the size of the heart. Men look at the chest while God looks at the heart. For instance lack of courage sent Saul into hiding

when he was to be enthroned king of Israel. Many thought it was a sign of humility whereas it was a sign of timidity.

When he was eventually enthroned as king, he got intimidated by the size and words of Goliath. This was a clear case of a man with broad chest, but tiny heart. (I Samuel 17:11, 24).

God is looking for people that can yield their entire heart to Him; those that devil and his cohort cannot intimidate. skabiaraofciem@yahoo.co.uk

Oladiyun Urged Nigerians To Be Prayerful HE Senior Pastor of Christ T Livingspring Apostolic Ministry (CLAM), Pastor Wole Oladiyun, has called on Nigerians to be more prayerful to avert the pending turbulence.

He also advised President Goodluck Jonathan to declare every first day of the month as a day of National Prayer and Fasting.

Speaking in Lagos at the Crossover Service, the cleric said, based on a revelation he had concerning the country, God wants all Nigerians to pray for mercy for Him to shut the door against unprecedented calamities in the nation.

According to 2 Chronicles 7 : 14 “If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

He said: God loves this nation and there is every assurance that if this is done, the mercy of God will prevail over the pending darkness and there shall be great restoration of the fortunes and glory of Nigeria.

Sunday, January 26, 2014 | 33

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Christian Vision

By Ernest Onuoha

M

ANY a time, some people claim to be Christians. It may be that they are born into a Church, baptised, given Christian names and are regular Church goers, for that reason, they believe they are Christians. This does not totally make them one in the true sense of the word.

On the other hand, there are people who claim to have visions. Vision in itself is not bad, but whatever vision we have, it must be in tandem with our calling as children of God. We need to examine briefly these two concepts: Christian and Vision.

According to the Bible, the name ‘Christian’ grew out of mockery against the early followers of Christ in Antioch c. f. Acts 11v19-30. So to be a Christian is to be Christ-like, a follower of Jesus, one who is born again Jn. 3v3 and has accepted Jesus as Lord anad personal Saviour.

The Christian does not live for himself, but patterns his life according to the life of Christ.

He is not ashamed to talk about Jesus, who

came, died and was raised again c. f. Rom. 1v16.

To the Christians, the Holy Spirit in-dwells and empowers him to daily living in presence of God. So, you can see, it is much more than being born into a Church, baptized or bearing Christian names.

A vision is a thought, concept or object formed by the imagination, mode of seeing or conceiving. It is an unusual discernment or foresight. It could also be associated with prophecy.

In spirituality, a vision is something seen in a dream, trance or ecstasy, especially a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation.

Joseph had a dream where his brothers would worship him (Gen. 37v9), Jacob at Bethel (Gen. 28v12), Cornelius before Peter was sent to him (Acts 10v3) and Paul who claimed he was not disobedient to heavenly vision, Acts 26v19.

Visions are known to emerge from spiritual traditions and could provide a lens into human nature and reality.

In Proverbs 29v18, the writer, the wise one was addressing both political and religious leaders if they must lead aright, must have vision to

Breaking Protocol (4)

By Gabriel Agbo

T

HERE is no limit to what God can do to bring His purposes in our life.

When He is involved, definitely, nothing shall be impossible.

Yes, most Christians don’t actually graduate into this higher faith in God because they have not released themselves to this particular divine reality. Yes, with God nothing is impossible. And, when the Bible says nothing; it absolutely means nothing.

Jesus took it further when He also said that nothing shall be impossible to them that believe in God Almighty. But, why are we most times not operating in this truth? Why are most things impossible to us? The truth remains that when we have God’s kind of faith, walk in His words and very importantly work with Him, nothing shall be impossible for us. True! Did you get something from here? Please note my choice of words. Let’s go back to our text.

Joshua and the Israelites were about battling a coalition of about five enemy

countries; a confederation of enemies. You know, sometimes they come like bees; united in evil. United just to attack God’s own or His purpose. Satanic gangup. I have personally seen them before. But the word of God also said that surely they shall fall! Praise God! Once, Joshua got the assurance of victory from God, he immediate moved towards the battlefield. God had said to him, “for I will give you victory over them.

Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.” I thought you would jump up and shout…

Amen! This year, your enemies (whether united, hidden, confederated, large, determined and others) shall not be able to stand up to you in the mighty name of Jesus!

Israel and their great leader traveled all night from Gilgal and took their enemies by surprise. Wow! All night? Midnight warriors are you listening?

Midnight is when you launch surprise, deadly, destructive attacks on your enemies. I will continue to recommend this my book

Power of Midnight Prayer. It is simply monumental and has been acknowledged to be one of the best on spiritual warfare.

As the Israelites and God, Himself, battled the enemies, Joshua did what no man has ever done before.

He broke the natural protocol and a very strange one at that. He asked the sun and the moon to stand still until he has defeated all their enemies. And instantly, these great heavenly elements, that are several times larger than this our planet earth, stood still. Wow! Listen, “the sun stopped in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as a normal day. The Lord fought for Israel that day. Never before or since has there been a day like that, when the Lord answered such a request from a human being.”

Breaking protocol indeed! I see God answering and giving you victory as never before in Jesus’ name!

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

Tel: 08037113283.

E-mail: gabrielagbo@yahoo.com

Dealing With Satanic Open Doors (1) lot of Christians are praying has no hold on your life. He the opened door of anger, unA to God to open doors of joy, should not have any doorway to forgiveness, stealing, lying and fornication. progress, promotion and pros- enter into your life again. perity for them. Yet many do not know that they are the ones who have shut the door against their progress. This confirms what the Bible says in Hosea 4:6: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”Except these doors are opened, unbelievers will continue to ask for the evidence of the God that you serve.

John 14:30 says,“I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me…you must say to yourself that “Enough is Enough”. You must make up your mind that you will no longer deceive yourself and as well close all the doors you have opened to the enemy.

Some people are currently worried; they are discouraged and, even, wondering if God is actually listening to their prayers.

Is there an open door in your life that keeps allowing the enemy to come into your life?

The solution to your problems is to make sure that the enemy

There is something called ‘open doors’ in the spirit realm.

It is high time that you made up your mind that every door that you have opened to the enemy in your life must be shut forever.

When these doors are not closed, demons and Satan will not hinder you from praying, they will allow you to shout, jump and, even, go through deliverance. Why? This is because they know that they can still come into the person’s life any time they like. Are you the type of Christian that prays and fasts and still harbours bitterness?

No matter how well you pray and fast, demons will still enter your life because of bitterness. A Christian who tells lies or steals opens doors for satanic attacks.

You may be asking yourself these questions. “Why is the Lord not answering my prayers?” “Why am I having failure at the edge of success?” For some people, just as their breakthrough is about to come, demons will come in through

Jesus said in John 14:30 that Satan could not find an open door in His life. He was tempted, but He did not fall.

Matthew 4:1-11 recounted the experience of Jesus temptations

by Satan. The devil tempted Him with food, position, power and fame, but failed. Satan quoted the scriptures to Jesus hoping to get Him to fall out of line with God, but in Verse 7, Jesus replied Satan “…you shall not tempt the Lord your God.” Our Television Broadcast comes up every Saturday, 4:00am – 4:30am, on ITV Benin, and every Sunday, 7:05pm – 7:30pm, on LTV 8.

Pastor Seyi Ogunorunyinka, General Overseer, The Promisedland Restoration Ministries, Solution Ground, Surulere, Lagos. Email: pastorseyiogunorunyinka@gmai l.com Prayer Request: prayquest@thepromised.org Website: www.thepromisedlandministries.org

help them chart a course to success. We are aware that we can rise or fall depending on the vision we bear or represent.

However, Christian vision should be to make heaven. The Bible encourages us not to lay our treasures where moth, rust or thieves can destroy them, but to lay them in heaven, Matt.

6v19-20.

It becomes a warning therefore that: ‘…the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part `shall be’ in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death,’ Rev. 21v8. Implying, nothing impure shall inherit the kingdom of God. St Paul said: ‘for I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified,’ I Cor. 2v2. This should be the greatest goal for every Christian to be with God in eternity.

It is also to be noted that we are to be earthly relevant in our service to God and humanity.

Testimonies abound of persons who have yielded themselves and their resources to support the work of God. We may not go too far for

a case in point. The donor and founder of Ibru Centre, the late Dr. Alex Uruemu Ibru gives a rider to the testimony.

Today, opportunities are still open for people to be earthly relevant. This can be done through: funding telecast evangelism, donation of plots of land for use by the Church, School, training of Pastors by way of scholarship for the work of ministry, endowment funds to assist a Diocese. God’s emphasis is on availability and not capability.

Without vision, we cannot go too far, for where there is no vision, my people perish. The vision of God for us is to make heaven. Therefore, we need to surrender ourselves to Jesus and to accept Him as Lord and personal Saviour. Jesus assures: ‘where I am, there you may be also,’ John 14v3. May we never lose this ultimate vision as we live and work for Him in His Church. Remember, it is not a vain thing to serve God as there is priceless reward to those who devote their lives to His service, Ellen Whyte.

Ven. Ernest Onuoha Rector, Ibru International Ecumenical Retreat Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State. www.ibrucentre.org

HE distinguishing mark Springs Of Wisdom T of followers of Jesus Christ in all ages remain unchanged. It is unaffected by the passage of time, the spread of technology and knowledge or the growth of civilisations. Christ’s early disciples were His followers, learning daily to be more like Him. In essence, they each had a bit of Jesus Christ in themselves. But the gracious character of true disciples manifested by those early Christians is under assault in the present age. Yet, those qualities have not changed for all who desire to follow Christ.

Their hallmark today, as always, must include honesty, without hypocrisy, insincerity, deception and superficiality. Disciples are also humble, with no place for pride, but rather possessing the lowly mind of Christ. They are holy and do not supplant the desire for a pure and perfect heart with such trendy matters as healing, success, achievement, protection and deliverance. They know that without holiness no one can see God. In this vein, disciples are heaven-conscious, and not distracted by the material things of this world, but constantly expecting The Lord’s return.

One man in the Bible whose life exemplified these qualities, was Stephen. He was honest, full of wisdom, faith and power – that enabled him to conquer self, sin, Satan and society. He feared nothing except sin and did not compromise with the world. If believers will possess the gracious character that Stephen had, it will not be difficult for them to spread the word of God around the world. Therefore, filled with faith, Stephen was able to withstand all the accusations, opposition and persecution brought against him.

Quite remarkably, Stephen’s heart condition remained the same before, during and after the persecution. A true disciple maintains a calm disposition in the face of misrepresentation, insults, abuses, opposition, maligning, persecution and even threat of

By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi

The Character Of Christ’s Disciples death. If the believer is fearful he will plunge into compromise. But the word of God says, “keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” No matter the situation, we must keep our hearts, resting in the Lord and depending on His unfailing promises. Like Stephen, the believer must not allow his heart to tremble, but focus on God and His word.

The Lord has promised to keep us secured if we ‘continue in faith.’ The devil cannot subdue a believer that is full of faith, because faith quenches all of Satan’s fiery darts. Every believer then should ‘live by faith’ till the end.

As he faced death by public execution, Stephen “kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.

And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” It is noteworthy that in the midst of wracking pain, He prayed for his persecutors and murderers. There lies in Stephen’s action a timeless lesson and challenge for the present-day believer: The pain of persecution and character assassination should not be allowed to take away the peace we have in Christ. Stephen’s calmness and prayerfulness in the face of death was much like the experience of our Lord Jesus Christ when he hung, dying on the cross.

He prayed that God would forgive those who were terminating His life. The true believer or disciple is expected to exhibit a similar attribute during trial and persecution.

Stephen’s life of courage is

a model for believers to emulate. Stephen was ‘a man full of the Holy Ghost.’ No doubt, his courage can be traced to the presence, prominence and pre-eminence of the Holy Spirit.

When people do not have the Spirit of God little things upset and frighten them.

The believer does not lose the presence of the Holy Ghost when storms rage. It will be tragic for the Church to stop preaching the gospel because of men’s frown, opposition and hatred. Though Christ had predicted persecution for His disciples, He assured that “when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.” We tend to become fearful when we set our sight on the actions and threats of persecutors, rather than on Jesus Christ, the Source of our courage.

Indeed, no person or situation should frighten us because, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

References: Acts 6:1-3; 1 Peter 2:12; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 12:14; Acts 7:55,56; 6:3,5,8,10,15; Acts 6:5,8; 15:9; Proverbs 4:23; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 Timothy 2:15; Galatians 2:20; Acts 7:60; Luke 23:34; John 13:15; 1 Peter 2:21-23; Romans 12:14,17,18; 1 John 2:6; Hebrews 12:2; Acts 6:5; Jude 19; Acts 7:55; Mark 13:9-11; 2 Timothy 1:7; Romans 8:1,2,5,9-11,13-16, 29,37-39 (All scriptures are from Kings James Version).

34 Sunday, January 26, 2014

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Earthen Vessels (2) The Judgement

... With Pastor Enoch Adeboye

Memory Verse:“And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth...” Matthew 25:30.

In Matthew 25: 14-30, A boss gave talents to his servants according to their respective abilities. All got something. All of us, therefore, have something; no one is empty. The Master expects us to use our Scripture: Matt. 25:14-30 resources profitably and be blessed. It is left to us to either be a conIntroduction tainer or a vessel.

God can make something out of nothing. However, He does Container Or Vessel nothing in vain. He breathed the breath of life into a lump of • Containers store, but vessels disburse, Gen. 22:15-18. Abraham reclay and it became a living soul, Gen. 2: 7. Souls are invaluable. “… ceived Isaac and was willing to pour him out.

What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matt. 16:25-26.

• A container is a reservoir, but a vessel is a channel, Lk. 12:16-21; Gen. God has a purpose for every soul. God designed man to be a ves- 12:1-3. sel rather than a container. * A container is basically static like pond but a vessel is flowing and Treasures In Dust Job 32:8 dynamic, Acts 8:5-6, 26-40.

Of The Sun God And The Sun Of Righteousness (2)

By Layi Olajumoke ESUS was visiting Simon the leper (whom He had healed) when a woman from whom He had exorcised evil spirits came into the dining chamber and poured an absurdly expensive ointment (perfume) on his head. She did it as an act of worship.

Judas, with ulterior motive of gain, gave the act one obvious name: waste. But Jesus, the Discerner of motive of human action, hailed her act, calling it a good. He said she had done the best she can. (Mark 14:8). The other unsolicited act of worship was the time of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Yes, He had directed His disciples to procure a donkey. He had mounted it and assayed to enter the ancient city astride the beast, but did He summon the crowd that had gathered to welcome Him? Did He direct them to spread on the road their clothes and palm branches? And then, they were chanting “Hossana to the Son of David. Did He bid them sing?

And entering the temple, did He bid the children to sing His praise? And what were His comments when the Pharisees bid Him to silence the children that were singing His praise? He said that if they would stop their praises, even the stones would rise up to shout His praise. The fact remains that Jesus would accept the worship due Him. And like one songwriter remarked, we could not with mortals’ faculty render ade-

J

quate praise, we could only, like that lady with costly ointment, do the best we can. All our act of worship is merely doing the best our feeble, puny human faculty could manage. We could not adequately praise Him for all His blessings and benefits. But the surprising thing is that He accepts our puny efforts! Bless His holy name!

So, to rest, hopefully for all time, this controversy, we assay to posit that Jesus would accept all sincere acts of worship and veneration done to Him when worshippers would stop to consider any of the numerous aspects of His conception, birth, ministry, vicarious sacrifice, resurrection, ascension and continual advocacy He is doing on our behalf at the right hand of God. Truly, as Paul exclaimed in his letter to Timothy, “Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory,” I Timothy 3:16. So, if we would come, like He prescribed: “in spirit and in truth,” He would accept our worship. Even when He did not explicitly ask that we worship.

Let us look at the nature of worship. Should it be orchestrated? If God would be content with ‘automated’ worship, He well could have created a race of androids that would be shouting Halleluyah at the push of a button. It stands to reason that God is glorified by acts of spontaneous worship by rational,

free-thinking (free moral agent) man. God may expressly direct us to remember the Ordinances (Water Baptism, Washing of the saints’ feet, Last Supper), but He did not direct us to remember Easter, the Lenten Period. Yet, we observe them as spontaneous acts of worship out of our love and veneration for Him. And He accepts our worship. No controversy is raised on these. So, it is unwarranted that controversy should arise on the question of true worshippers pondering the mystery of Divine Incarnation. Let us look at it together.

Man has fallen from Divine grace through Adam, and seeing that there was none willing to pay the price for the redemption of mankind throughout the masses of the shining host of heaven, God finds for Himself a Lamb for the cosmic offering in the Second Person in the Divine Trinity, when Jesus Christ volunteered Himself to come down to earth. He divested Himself of His divine majesty and took upon Himself the form of a servant. Ponder the scale of diminution: the Hand that had crafted the endless space and millions of galaxies, that crafted the earth and all that therein is, Man inclusive, was now stripped of all glory and honour, was now reduced to a clot of life in the womb of a virgin, the smallest unit of vulnerability. It was too tempting a target for Satan to ignore, and he inspired Herod to destroy the baby in jealous, pointless rage.

Truth be told, mankind that was crafted to appreciate beauty, wisdom and romance in the natural world would have acted untrue to type if he had failed to recognise the beauty, wisdom and divine romance in the conception, nativity, the angelic annunciation, to Mary, and later, to the shepherd; the Guiding Star leading the wise men from the east, in fact, all the aspect of this wonderful birth, which smallest details had been foretold hundreds of years before they unfolded.

Now, it goes to show the deep understanding of God of our nature when He accorded us freedom, even in our worshipping of Him. Like Paul advised that we should not criticise brethren in the faith for having a different persuasion from ours in matters that are not fundamental to the tenets of faith, as this issue of celebrating Christmas definitely is. To either party on the divide of persuasion, this paraphrase of Paul’s advice found in Roman 14: 3, applies: Let not him that celebrates Christmas despises him that celebrates not. And let not him which celebrate not judge him that celebrate.” God, the discerner of motive and intents of the hearts knows that each, in their action and inaction on the subject, are doing it (or, depriving themselves the pleasure by not doing it) to please Him. And He accepts them both!

Layi Olajumoke is the Media Relations Officer, Apostolic Faith Church.

cocoa were deployed to facilitate free, quality education across the Western region including the building of the first television house in sub-Saharan Africa, the first standard stadium and the first tallest building in Nigeria. We remember how proceeds from palm oil and coal were used to build landmark infrastructures in the East as well as the University of Nigeria Nsukka.

And we remember the men who built them.

Our legacies will be reduced to negativities and nothingness except we have tangible accomplishments, with meaningful impacts on the lives of the people we lead.

In every region of the world, there are heroes of history whose legacies still astonish us.

We quote them and measure the substance of every subse-

quent leadership by them. But the truth is, these people were human like the rest of us. History will judge us harshly if we allow ourselves to be caught pandering to the whims of a narrow and self-serving clique at the expense of the common good.

Leadership tenures are fleeting and they demand the continuous implementation of bold, well-thought out decisions with deliberate focus on the welfare of the people. We have little time to make a difference. We have to be legacy conscious. You can be the leader we have been looking and longing for. You can be that leader, one in 20, who took courage in hand and made a significant change in the lives of the people. But we must carry out sincere appraisals of the character and impact of our leadership and

* A container gives only when compelled, but a vessel is always cheerfully giving, Eccl. 11:2-6. * The container is limited in reception, but a vessel is unlimited because it is constantly flowing, Jn. 20:21-22; Eph. 5:18; Prov. 11:24. * The container abides alone whereas a vessel impacts others, Jn. 12:24; Acts 10:38; Jn. 7:37-39.

Conclusion: Containers can become vessels. A good example is Elisha, who sacrificed his plan, attached himself to Elijah and kept moving, 1Kg. 19:19-21; 2 Kg. 2: 1-22. A vessel could equally become a container.

Let the one who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls, I Cor. 10:12.

Learning to Trust God

By Gabriel Osu FTEN, we act like children, easily moved by all the glitzes O that surround us. We want to lick every candy that comes our way, not realising that they are capable of injuring our dentition. We scheme to occupy important positions, not knowing what would be the eventual outcome. I know of a young man who duped another to buy a brand new car. On his way home after a night out, where he had gone to celebrate his latest acquisition, he had an accident and died.

In our desperation to satisfy the yearnings of our heart, we fail to realise that not everything that appears good is actually good for us. As humans, our scope of understanding is very limited. But God sees beyond the present, far into the future.

He knows the beginning from the end. His desire for us is that we prosper and live our lives fully. However, these can only be possible if we place all cares and worries on Him. A popular song amplifies this fact: ‘because he lives, I can face tomorrow, because he lives, all fear is gone; because I know he owns my future, and life is worth living just because he lives.’

God wants us to place all our fears and aspirations into His hands. Sometimes, life may appear to be treating you wrongly, but you must not despair. Our roads may meander through many sharp bends, but it ultimately leads to a destination point. When it seems we are laden with tribulations, we must resist the urge to give up. Rather, let us cry unto God who is more than able to deliver us from all our troubles.

Before we take any major step in life, we must be ready to seek the face of God. What are his desires for us? Does He approve of that step we want to take? Answers may be slow to come, but we must persevere. Sometimes too, silence on the part of God can be a form of answer. It could mean ‘be still’. In which case, we need to wait and allow God to do all the spade-work. He may have to contact someone somewhere who would be in a position to help you. The person too may be facing some challenges, which he needs to overcome before getting back to you.

In the spiritual realm also, there are due processes to be followed; protocols to be obeyed, orders to be issued and carried out; and reports to be assembled before action is taken. That is why we must learn to be still and let God take full charge.

Often, that issue you consider insurmountable, that challenge that seems to be the biggest mountain of your life may well be the stepping-stone to a blissful life. Learn to accept those things you cannot change. Learn to look beyond the obvious and see the larger picture. The battle of life cannot be won by physical strength, but by spiritual discernment. When you begin to rely and trust in the saving grace of God, your life will become pliable to His will where in you will find lasting joy and happiness. May God empower us to learn to trust in him.

Amen!

Very Rev. Msgr. Osu, Director, Social Communications, Catholic Arch-

Leadership Legacy Pastor Taiwo Odukoya HERE is hardly any human being alive that does not desire to be remembered positively after he or she leaves this world or exits a particular leadership position. In other words, there is hardly anybody on earth that does not desire to leave a positive legacy. Legacies are retrospective. They are evaluated after we are gone, but we build them in the present moment, with every choice we make, every decision we take and actions we execute. But if history is anything to go by, then, it is safe to infer that most people, particularly leaders are often careless about their legacies. “They live,” someone said, “like they would never die and die like they never lived.”

Adolf Hitler will always be remembered as the terrible Ger-

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man leader, who plunged the world into chaos. Charles Taylor as the man, who facilitated the near total destruction of his promising nation. Americans remember James Buchannan, as one of the nation’s worst presidents as a result of his incompetence; and Italy, in more recent times, remember Silvio Berlusconi for little more than bribing public officials, using legislative power for personal benefit and driving the economy into murky waters. Nigeria has a retinue of such leaders.

Posterity will judge us based on the impressions we leave in the minds of those we lead and on the basis of our achievements.

We remember how the revenues from groundnut pyramids were used to build infrastructures across the North, including the Ahmadu Bello University. We remember how revenues from

make the necessary alignments if we are to be the change we desire. The Swedish businessman and inventor, Alfred Nobel, is best remembered as the founder of the Nobel Prizes, the most prestigious prize in the world. Alfred Nobel, however, would have been remembered differently. In 1867, the inventor invented the dynamite. When in 1888 Alfred’s brother, Ludvig, died while visiting Cannes, a French newspaper erroneously published Alfred’s obituary. The obituary stated: Le marchand de la mort est mort – the merchant of death is dead – and went on to say, “Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday.” Alfred was disappointed with what he read and decided to alter his legacy. On November

27, at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris, Nobel signed his last will and testament and set aside the bulk of his estate to establish the Nobel Prizes, to be awarded yearly without distinction of nationality. He died of a stroke on December 10, 1896 at Sanremo, Italy. But before he did, he changed his legacy.

As Leaders and aspiring leaders, it is important to note that leadership is all about causes and effect. Whatever you do will reverberate through time and eternity. As a matter of fact, every religion attests to this. Some call it karma. The Bible puts it this way: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap (Galatians 6:7).” Your legacy is important. email: pastortaiwo@tfolc.org

TheGuardian

Sunday,January 26, 2014 35

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Business

CBN’S LIQUIDITY SQUEEZE:

Shadow-chasing Campaign

By Geoff Iyatse OT once, not twice, not even four times did he lament the frustration. Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, governor of the Central Bank, has repeatedly admitted that the loose fiscal policy is the albatross of the tight monetary policy he has pursued in the past five years. Just last week, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) he chairs gave a hint, suggesting that the porous fiscal regime is at the heart of the country’s rising inflation and flagging naira.

Still at the meeting, the committee was, again, trapped in its web, retaining the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 12 per cent for the 10th consecutive times. The rate has remained unchanged since the last quarter of 2011. Worst still, the cash reserve ratio (CRR) on public sector funds held by banks was moved to 75 per cent, taking the aggressive sterilisation that started last year some steps further.

In the face of continuous call for an economyfriendly monetary policy last year, the committee jacked up the ratio from 12 per cent to 50 per cent. The move was intended to clean up excess liquidity in circulation to scale down inflationary trend and strengthen the naira. But just six months down the line, it is clear to those outside the walls of the apex bank that the MPC’s decision clearly lost the targets. Just when economic agents think the credit market could get some liberation, the committee has further tightened the rope. Quite a number predicted that the tapering campaign would continue this year on account of expected increase in political spending but not many ever thought the reserve ratio of public sector deposit would be toyed with so soon again.

Nigerian economy, people have argued, has defiled market logics. Perhaps, that is one more reason the economic managers also need to adopt desperate measures. Otherwise, the same credit squeeze the Nigerian real sector is currently going through forced the Federal Reserve to launch massive quantitative easing that saw the United State’s economy receiving many billion of dollars in form of bailout packages in recent years. The efforts paid off in new jobs and increased purchasing power.

Today, an already-stimulated US economy is still demanding one form of incentive or the other. And the government is paying attention to the minutest request. Even with the recent tightening, President Obama still explains and

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seeks support for new steps his economic team is taking to unlock blocked American economic keys. Like Obama would say, the ultimate is to “get people to work.” Understandably, the United States is not Nigeria.

Eurozone countries, even though they have been skeptical about full-scale quantitative easing, have had romance with quasi-bailouts as options for boosting their economies. Still, argument for a large-scale asset purchase by the European Central Bank (ECB) is gaining some points lately. The emerging resolve is that there may not be more enduring solution than genuine quantitative easing; and it could happen.

HERE might have been more hype T about eurozone crisis in the past years. But beyond the excruciating sovereign debts that are threatening to consume the region, who says Nigerian economy is doing any better? Does it create more jobs? Does it put more money in the pockets of average citizens? Is it expanding the traditional baselines of oil/gas, finance and telecommunication?

Has it translated into more capacity utilisation of the real sector?

For several years, Nigerian banks have learned to survive (or feast) on public sector patronage, leading to the death original idea of financial intermediation.

Hence, when the CBN increased CRR on public sector bank deposits last year, it got a pat on the back for tasking the operators to ditch armchair banking and get into the field. But not many marketers have been dispatched to mills and shops to sell their brands and negotiate fresh businesses since that decision was taken.

On this, Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Muda Yusuf, says there are still no incentives to bank the real sector, which many had hoped should benefit from the supposed harsh policy. He lists some structural deficiencies such as poor power output and absence of infrastructure, which he says will continue to serve as killers of real sector funding.

Yusuf, whose chamber has been very critical of government’s anti-production

policies, says the less than 25 per cent budgetary attention given to capital projects by the 2014 appropriation bill exposes the mischief against local manufacturing.

He observes that any monetary effort that is not matched with equal fiscal measures will create more challenges.

“It is worst when you approach the issues from one side. We need a well-designed holistic approach to save the situation. The monetary authority will end up worsening the situation if there is no commensurate effort from the fiscal angle.”

Yusuf says the CBN’s tapering agenda will stall local investments, as the cost of funds will escalate when it is available. His believe the time has come for the government to free inflation to boost local production, a suggestion the CBN is averse to.

The LCCI’s DG castigates the Central Bank for over concentrating efforts on naira stablisation and inflation control at the expense of the growth of local industries. The religious desire to curb inflation, he notices, is threatening the future of the economy, a source of worry to manufacturers who bear the brunt of rising cost of credits.

Executive Director/Chairman of the Society for Analytical Economics, Nigeria (SAEN), Dr Godwin Owoh, had agued that efforts to discouraged banks from relying on highly volatile public sector fund would only increase competition for the deposits. He noted that Nigerian bankers lack the initiative to create or design products that can sell outside government circle.

Public fund is generally considered a volatile cash that banks are not supposed to rely on for intermediation purpose because the depositor can call them up without sufficient notice. Its popularity is root in official graft of the yesteryears. It was fashionable, at a point in history, for heads of ministries, department and agencies (MDAs) to put public funds meant for specific projects in interest-yielding accounts, even at the detriment of the purpose of the money.

Owoh questioned the rationale behind storing public fund when government financial commitments in different parts of the country in form of unpaid contracts suffer. He noted that growth of public sec-

tor bank deposits is an aberration the government should, in the interest of the people, address.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Henry Boyo, a foremost Nigerian economist, described the MPC’s as extremely traditional “If you put new people there, they will do the same thing; we have been changing CBN governors but that has not made any difference.

MPC says the same thing every time. Its purpose is to create stable prices. It cannot suggest that MPR should come down because if it does, it means they agree that there is excess liquidity.

“As long as CBN claims there is excess liquidity, MPC will continue to keep MPR at 12 per cent or above. We are caught in our own web.

They know that it is necessary to bring down interest rates but they cannot say that because they don’t want to contradict themselves.”

NDEED, ordinary Nigerians do not see how Iplaythe Sanusi crackdown on ability of banks to with public sector fund should bother them. Oke Oyelade Adeola, says: “I think the problem facing the economy, and by extension the CBN, is a structural one. Government fiscal indiscipline has not complimented monetary policy, prompting the CBN to embrace monetary tightening policy as its tool.

When CRR on public deposits was 12 per cent what percentage of banks credit was extended to the real sector and at what rate?

They were simply using the same money to purchase government bonds, making huge profits.”

But Ogunleye Oluwatayo perceives that the move is a ridiculous way of taming inflation.

He wondered why a country whose production capacity and utilisation is is in shamble should continue to squeeze credit.

“The fact is that CBN attempts to artificially keep a single-digit inflation in the face of rising cost of production and the strategy is quite laughable and counter productive. One expects that, in the reality of Nigeria current economic situation, CBN’s preoccupation should be pursuing an expansion in its balance sheet, thereby encouraging banks to channel credits to the real sector… CBN should, as a matter of urgency, see how to promote and encourage real sector lending rather than compounding the problems through its obsolete monetary policies.”

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Sunday January 26, 2014

BUSINESS

Metering Exercise To Commence After Facility Audit

By Geoff Iyatse xECUTIvE Chairman of E the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Sam Amadi, said, at the weekend, that operators of the country’s electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) would commence comprehensive metering after facility evaluations they started last year are completed. The assurance is coming amid worsening performance in several states, including Lagos, and after over a year of stalemate in meter procurement.

Amadi told The Guardian that metering would start as soon as the operators complete the audit. He said there could not have been other obstacles since the government has given them clear guidelines on process.

Only comprehensive metering, Amadi said, could phase out estimated billing, a problem that is already causing ripples in different parts of Lagos.

Operator of Ikeja DISCO confirmed that its technical partner has commenced assessment on its operations, an exercise that will be followed with meter installation. The company said it would do a thorough job to guarantee hitch-free metering.

Unfortunately, there will not be any relief for consumers billed on estimation basis until meter installation commences. In the face of dwindling supply the company’s spokesman, Pekun Adeyanju, said affected consumers would have to bear the pains in the meantime.

And he is not forthcoming on whether the cost of procurement and installation will be borne by users and if that will be instantaneous.

He simply said he could not clarify that until the company rolls out the process.

It would be recalled that it was similar disagreement over the method of payment that stalled metering in the past two years. While Amadi initially said the cost would be factored into bills, the supervisory ministry reversed the statement months later.

Adeyanju said the company, which covers about 50 per cent of Lagos consumers,

now receives 300megawatts, 620 megawatts short of the quantity it was getting from the transmission company before now. Despite the abysmal drop, he said only meter billing could cut the cost passed to consumers.

Meanwhile, crisis appears

to be brewing in some parts of Lagos over widening gap between consumption and cost of public electricity. Yesterday, an Iyana-Ipaja community, Akinola-Aboru, a Lagos suburb, petition the State Commissioner of Police. It alleged threat to their

lives over a meeting billed to hold yesterday to discuss extortion suffered by the residents through electricity billing. The group complained that while they hardly enjoy an hour supply in three days, they are still compelled to pay unreason-

Director, Alhaji Rabiu Gwarzo (left); GMD, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, Paul Gbededo; 1st Vice Chairman; John Coumantaros; Agriculture Minister, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina; and 2nd Vice Chairman, Chief Emmanuel Ukpabi, during a meeting with the Minister on Flour Mill’s N200bn investment programme in cassava, maize, soybean, rice and oil palm chains in Abuja recently.

The Quota System Or Positive Action?The Way Forward For Nigeria

ria with regard to employment, and compare it to Positive DiscriminaUOTA system in the Nigerian con- tion in the Western world. Having text, is a system that requires a lived in the UK for several years, I have certain number or percentage of encountered various legislations on tribes to be represented in a school equality and discrimination, and I unor organisation. The aim of this arti- derstand why these are necessary in a cle is to look at the general notion of society such as the UK. I have howthis system and how it works in Nige- ever, often wondered why it was necessary in the first instance to introduce the quota system in Nigeria, in a country where we are all from the same ethnicity and should really have one another’s back, and why the quota system to this date still thrives ing microfinance concept in APO Microfinance Bank in Nigeria. partnership with Lafarge CeLimited says it budgets I researched the origin of the quota ment Wapco Nigeria Plc was N92.7 billion for disbursesystem and the most definitive anborne out of its social mandate ment to Small Medium Enterswer came from the website of the of lifting its customers out of prises (SMEs) this year as Federal Character Commission, which against the N62.2 billion it gave poverty and improving lives. states that, “it was observed that Ehigiamusoe said that the last year. within the Nigerian nation, there specific objectives of affordManaging Director, Mr. Godwere differences in culture, stages of able housing is to meet the win Ehigiamusoe, disclosed social and economic development this recently while speaking on need of potential and existing and levels of political awareness of the LAPO clients, evolve a repaythe plans of the bank for the citizens. ment system that would not Secondly, it was observed that disparyear. He said the money would ities existed in the educational develgo to different areas of SMEs, in- have negatives impacts on its clients’ cash flow. opment of different sections of the cluding farming.

He also listed other objectives country and this resulted in some secHe said the amount voted tions of the country having recognizaof the housing scheme to inthis year is higher than the ble advantage in the employment of clude ensuring a sustainable N62.2 billion the bank distheir indigenes in the public services. and quality loan portfolio for bursed in 2013 to customers of Therefore, in 1954 when Nigeria opted the scheme. He promised a the bank, including those who for a federal form of Government, the stronger relationship with sosought its intervention in afconcept of Quota System as a policy cial investors and partners of fordable housing need. was adopted in the recruitment of the scheme.

He said that LAPO’s interest in persons into the officers’ corps of the embracing the affordable housArmed Forces and the police as well as

By Helen Azodoh

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LAPO Microfinance To Disburse N92.7bn To SMEs

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tion was said to have called the group to inform them that the meeting could only able charges. be held at their peril.

The resident association Similar neighbourhoods wanted to hold a meeting that cannot continue to enyesterday to take a united position on their dilemma. dure the shenanigan of insensitive power workers are But a stranger who allegedly indentified himself holding meetings in differas Divisional Police Officer ent parts of Lagos to discuss (DPO) of Oke-odo Police Sta- their options, investigation revealed.

As Communities Mobilise Against Unfair Electricity Charges

in admissions into educational institutions.”

The reasons for the initial adoption of the quota system make sense and are fair enough under the circumstances that prevailed at the time.

However, it does seem that the use of this system has extended way beyond its original mandate. The question we are posed with now is, in the 21st century and in today’s Nigeria, is this system not past its ‘sell by’ date, has it not outlived its usefulness?

As we know, the West is a melting pot of diverse ethnicities and cultures, and the minorities are more disadvantaged than others. In the UK, employers are encouraged to treat all ethnic groups equally, affording everyone the same opportunities.

The Equality Act 2010 amongst other provisions makes it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age or disability.

Positive Discrimination in employment is not encouraged. In fact, it is prohibited. Instead, Positive Action is encouraged. You may wonder what then is the difference between Positive Discrimination and Positive Action? I will tell you. Positive Discrimination means ‘choosing someone solely on the grounds of their gender or racial group, and not on their abilities’ whereas Positive Action ‘are measures targeted at a particular group that are intended to redress past discrimination or to off-

set the disadvantages arising from existing attitudes, behaviours and structures’.

Positive Discrimination is essentially reverse discrimination. In the UK, the only time Positive Discrimination is encouraged is towards people with disability. The Disability Discrimination Act, provides for positive discrimination in favour of the disabled . In fact, employers and service providers are under a legal duty to make all reasonable adjustments in favour of disabled people to afford them the ability to earn a living like any other citizen. This includes making reasonable adjustments to enable a disabled job applicant attend an interview. Some employers go as far as guaranteeing disabled job applicants an interview.

With Positive Action, it works by seeking to redress the status quo with positive measures to empower the disadvantaged individuals or groups. Such measures include targeted job training at certain minorities who are under-represented in certain occupations, providing the right facilities to meet specific educational or training needs.

Azodoh is a UK-based human resources consultant resident in the UK and MD of Orchardview HR Solutions, an organisation that provides training and consultancy to Nigerian companies in Nigeria.

Sunday January 26, 2014 37

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

BUSINESS

2014 Budget: Ahead Parliamentary Debate, Intrigues

By Samson Ezea UST like successive annual budgets in the country that have always ended up as hollow ritual due to lack of proper implementation, the 2014 budget may not be different from others. Signs of what might befall the proposed budget started in earnest following weeks of ding-dong between the executive and the National Assembly on what should be the appropriate benchmark. The same scenario played out between the two arms before the last year budget was passed. The executive had proposed a budget predicated on $75 per barrel, which the two chambers rejected it. While the Senate rooted for a benchmark of $78 per barrel, the lower chamber opted for as much as $82 and later came down to $80. It became a ding-dong for quite a long time before both chambers compromise with $79 per barrel as benchmark for the budget.

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In the 2014 budget, under the 2014 – 2016 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) submitted to the National Assembly in September last year, the executive had proposed $74 per barrel as the 2014 budget benchmark. Flowing from that, an understanding was reached between both arms of government.

Consequently, a joint Senate and House Committee of Finance and Appropriation, raised the benchmark to $76.5 per barrel. The Senate) kept to the understanding and subsequently passed the MTEF/FSP, while the House raised the benchmark to $79 per barrel, an action that unsettled the executive arm.

First, President Goodluck Jonathan was billed to present the 2014 budget proposal on November 12, 2013, but had to postpone the action by one week – precisely Tuesday November 19. However, as the entire nation and the National Assembly

waited for President Jonathan to keep faith with the appointed date, this was not to be.

In justifying the action, the Presidency cited the failure of the two chambers to harmonise their positions on the crude oil benchmark.

In a letter to the lawmakers, the Presidency sought for a further deferment of the presentation until the lawmakers had reached a consensus on the appropriate benchmark.

The Presidency had explained its concern over the disagreement between both chambers of the legislature on the crude oil benchmark. It said the decision to defer the exercise was done in the national interest, although it was revealed that the action was a proactive move to prevent the president from being heckled by some aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislators.

After all the controversy, delay and intrigues, the two chambers agreed

on $77.5 per barrel as the official benchmark. Even at that, President Jonathan, citing relevant section of the 1999 Constitution that empowered him to delegate somebody to present the budget on his behalf later in December 18 last year delegated the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to lay the 2014 budget before a joint session of the National Assembly on his behalf. An assignment, OkonjoIweala did well. And Nigerians were looking forward for the passage of budget for onward implementation.

Ahead of next week’s commencement of the budget debate by members, the national leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday directed its members in National Assembly to block the debate, confirmation of ministerial nominees and the newly appointed service chiefs until the Federal government addressed the Rivers State

Africa’s Growth Prospects Are Bright, Says UN Report

By Kamal Tayo Oropo LOBAL growth recovery is facing favourable prospects for 2014 and 2015, with developing countries backstopping previous growth slowdowns and emerging to drive global growth, in spite of apparent poverty afflicting a chunk of its population.

This is a key message at the Addis Ababa launch of the full version of the 2014 World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report. While the global economy grew at only 2.1 per cent in 2013, this is expected to rebound to 3.0 per cent in 2014 and 3.3 per cent in 2015. Growth recovery will be driven by continuing strong performances in developing countries, as well as increasing growth in the United States, the emergence of the Euro area from a protracted recession, and positive outcomes from expansionary policies in Japan.

Other key macroeconomic trends espoused in the report include continuing moderate levels of inflation, sluggish growth in international trade, moderating commodity prices which are still at historically-high levels, increasing costs of financing and borrowing, and a moderate contraction in ODA flows to developing countries (down to 0.29 per cent of donor countries’ gross national income).

Africa, which grew at 4 per cent in 2013, is pro-

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jected to accelerate to 4.7 per cent growth in 2014 and 5 per cent in 2015. Growth has been strongest in East and West Africa, driven by new investments and discoveries of oil and minerals.

Presenting the report to journalists, ECA’s Chief Forecaster, Adam EiHiraikia, listed Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Burkina Faso among those economies.

According to him, there would be a growth from the 6.7 per cent in 2013 to 6.9 percent in 2014.

“West Africa will continue to attract investment in the oil and minerals sector, a key source of growth in the sub-region, especially in countries such as Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Burkina Faso,” the report said.

Conversely, political instability has continued to constrain the growth potential of Central and North Africa. Oil and mineral exporting countries are expectedly on positive growth trajectories, but non-mineral rich and non-oil exporting countries also have climbing growth rates.

The report notes that inflationary pressure across Africa is moderate, but that countries are facing mounting fiscal pressures, with the overall fiscal deficit for the continent increasing from 1.35 per cent of GDP in 2012 to 1.8 percent in

2013, highlighting the importance of seeking alternative sources of development financing.

But Africa has also faced difficulties translating growth into meaningful job creation, with high youth unemployment and wide gender disparities in particular, accompanied by rising inequality. Africa’s external balances have been positive, fuelled by commodity exports, but these have been declining, with trade as a percent of GDP falling in nearly all sub-regions.

The launch provided a platform for the Economic Commission for Africa to highlight the need for structural transformation in Africa, through the specific example of an improved interface between mining and manufacturing. The continent has been far too dependent on commodities – recently natural resources have accounted for as much as one-quarter of Africa’s growth, and exports of fuel and mining products are more than three times greater than either manufactures or agricultural exports, in total value. Policy coordination, particularly through local content policies, is vital to promote these linkages. As evidenced by Botswana, South Africa and elsewhere, beneficiation and manufacturing mining inputs can create strong income- and jobcreating effects throughout the economy.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (left) and South Africa's Jacob Zuma at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos... last week.

PHOTO: REUTERS

political crises.

And Nigerians have continued to wonder how the blocking of the debate or passage of 2014 budget could help the lingering political crisis in Rivers State. Why should millions of Nigerians be allow to suffer because of the mere political differences. How has the political crisis in Rivers put or removed food from the table of the average Nigerian since it started?

While many have described the APC position as an invitation to anarchy that will not do Nigerians any good, others have blamed the PDP led-government for not living up to expectation in handling the state of the nation. Some are of the opinion that whether budget is passed or not, it will make no impact on the life of an average Nigerian as the implementation had always been neither here nor there. A trend that once made the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Reverend Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah to suggest that the budget fund should be shared to Nigerians annually instead of approving it without proper implementation. Both APC and PDP members should always reason and try to find a middle ground in their struggle for power ahead of 2015 general elections, having in mind that the welfare and interests of millions of Nigerians supersede their personal political interest.

PFA Re-strategises For Business Growth

By Gbenga Salau N order to consolidate on its Iment growth, the board and manageof Premium Pension Limited, a Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) last week met to strategise on how to explore more opportunities in the business.

“We set out on this journey on July 7, 2005 to establish and nurture a company with a vision to be the leading PFA in Nigeria and a global player” the Board’s Chairman, Malam. Aliyu Dikko stated.

In a release, the chairman disclosed that the company’ performance to date when placed in juxtaposition with the strategy it developed in 2008 reveals a mixed bag of areas where some benchmarks were not attained and targets were exceeded.

“This strategy defining exercise has the principal objective of leading us to our set vision and mission through defining ways of developing a strong investment management policy with state of the arts investment management tools that will produce superior returns for our clients.”

He however emphasised the need to consolidate on the company’s zero tolerance for non-compliance and further sharpen the risk management policy and best practices in internal control processes and procedures.

The company’s Managing Director, Mr. Wilson Ideva, maintained that it is already occupying an enviable position in the industry and has the potential to be unassailable with the right strategies.

“The competition in the industry is becoming stiffer and the environment throwing up tasking challenges,” He revealed that the company’s performance grew from N52.3 billion in 2008 to N325.7 billion in 2013, noting that the actual assets under management surpassed the 2008 strategic plan projections for four of the five years while performance over budget ranged from a low of N276 million to a high of N19.7 billion.

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BuSINeSSAGRO

Commercial farming remains a major key to national food security like in Kaboji Farms in Niger State, where special storage bags store thousands of tons of maize for long periods

Abuja Youths Set to Profit From Dry Season Farming From Terhemba Daka, Abuja be the dawn of a new day for Iandtthewill teeming youths and jobless men women roaming the streets of the federal capital territory as the territory Administration (FCtA) has committed to employing agriculture and its lucrative value chain to take them offload them to the sector. towards this, the Minister of State for the FCt, Olajumoke Akinjide said the administration is currently facilitat-

ing a dry season farming initiative in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to provide support for the over 30,000 farming population in the territory.

Akinjide, who spoke in Abuja during the official flag-off of the 2013/2014 dry season farming activities and sale of fertilizer to farmers in Wako, located in Kwali Area Council on Friday, lamented that the business of agriculture in the country has been left mostly to the peasant and small time farm-

Forum Stresses Role Of Women In Agricultural Value Chain

By Kamal Tayo Oropo t the 23rd consultative meeting on gender mainstreaming in the African union that commenced in Addis Ababa, during the week, the executive Secretary of the uN economic Commission for Africa, Mr. Carlos lopes, said that food security is within reach and that “Africa can and should feed Africa.”

At the opening of the pre-African union Summit meeting held on the theme Empowering Women for Agriculture and Food Security, lopes said the continent needs bold policies and critical targeted investments to transform its agriculture and that such policies should highlight gender inequality and discrimination against women in the whole agricultural value chain.

“While Africa is experiencing exceptional growth rates, the growth registered is short of the seven per cent needed to tackle poverty and put the continent on a more sustainable and predictable path,” he said. He noted that trade is still driven by the exports of raw materials and that not adding value to our vast natural and mineral resources results in the failure to retain the wealth and jobs this richness allows. this, stressed the eCA executive Secretary, must change.

He said that the continent needs to embark on an ambitious, yet feasible industrialisation and that its numerous resources, such as arable land should also provide impetus for a commodity-based industrialisation.

He cautioned, however, that trans-

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forming agriculture and industrialising would not automatically lead to the empowerment of women. lopes called for the recognition and valuing of women’s contribution and underscored that their “constraints, options, incentives and needs should be assessed, and factored in the transformation agenda.

“For too long women’s role and contribution were unvalued and invisible. time has come for dramatic change in believes and attitudes. We have the right to ask for it and African leaders should be enlisted for this change,” he stressed.

He called for a thorough review of the legal systems to remove all types of discrimination against women and underscored the need to adopt “effective mechanisms to monitoring the full implementation of the gender responsive laws.”

ers.

“We are encouraging the youths to join the agriculture sector. they should not depend on white-collar jobs to prevent agriculture being relegated to the background. We cannot continue to depend solely on petroleum, which might dry up someday. that is why we want the youths to take advantage of the numerous agricultural institutions in the FCt so that they could be trained in the sector,” she said. the Minister, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the FCt, engr.

John Obinna Chukwu said the efforts of the farmers may have met the basic food needs of the nation, but regrettably has not done the same for the nation’s economy and that of the farmers themselves as they have to grapple everyday with poverty and its recurring problems.

In a remark, FCt Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development, Olvadi Bema Madayi said the gesture was an effort aimed at boosting food production as well as food security in the country.

Madayi disclosed that the administration had already made provision in the 2014 budget to mop-up excess farm produce as buyers of last resort during the current farming season so that farmers will have no cause to incur losses on the account of low demand. “the FCt administration through the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) is also determined to improve agricultural productivity of small-scale farmers by ensuring that they embrace modern farming methods and take full advantage of abundant market opportunities to boost their economic base,” she added.

Farm Manager and Agric Technical Advisor, Kaboji Farms Ltd, Kobus De Jager, left, and wife, with De Jager Jr. at the launch of the Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc new management philosophy, PIILOT (Performance, Integrity, Initiative, Leadership, Ownership and Teamspirit) at the farm in Kaboji last week.

ONDO: 2014 Is Year Of Agriculture N a bid to encourage the participation of youths in agriIintention culture, the Ondo State Government has revealed its to make the sector more attractive. this was revealed by Prince (Alh.) l. O. Oluboyo, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture.

He stated that the state government views agriculture as an efficient tool in reducing poverty and boosting economic growth in the state, thus, taking a huge step closer to meeting the Millennium Development Goal.

In addition, Prince Oluboyo stated further that the Ondo State Government has declared 2014 an ‘Agricultural Year’.

He identified land acquisition and land preparation as the major hindrance facing the agricultural sector in Nigeria, stating that these areas are very important, and once a solution is proffered to these, all other problems will follow suit.

“We want to make sure that unemployed youths are initiated into mechanized farming, promotion of food security is achieved and agriculture positioned as a medium of providing raw materials to agro allied industries”, he added. the commissioner paid tribute to Dr. Olusegun Mimiko for his passion for agriculture, calling on the people of the state to cooperate with the administration in its bid to make Ondo State the pride of Nigeria’s agriculture. ––AgroNigeria

WAAPP-Nigeria Convenes Regional Workshop On Aquaculture

By Fabian Odum quACultuRe receives another boost as stakeholders, A experts and policy makers brainstorm in lagos to chart the way forward under the auspices of the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) will be hosting a three-day regional workshop on aquaculture in lagos.

According to a release by Programme’s Communication Officer, Matthew Haruna, the event, which will commence on tuesday, 28th January 2014, is intended to review progress made by National Centre of Specialisation in Aquaculture (NCoS) in the implementation of the on-going research projects; identify possible research areas and needs of countries of the sub-region and review the 2014 workplan proposals of the NCoS. the opening ceremony of the workshop will be performed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote at RockView Hotel, lagos the release said there will be presentations of papers by the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), Researchers from the West Africa sub-region, as well as some Private sectors who will be focusing on their expectations in the areas of Fingerling Research, Fish Feed Research and Post-Harvest Research.

Other activities include tour of exhibition stands, and field trips to private fish farms. the Programme is a project of eCOWAS, which aims principally at strengthening enabling conditions for sub-regional cooperation in technology generation, dissemination and adoption.

Overall, boosting agricultural productivity in the West African sub region remains a key objective of the workshop.

However, the nation through her experts and stakeholders will use the event to showcase its leadership potentials in aquaculture practice.

LASU Students’ Union Elect New Leaders, Adopt e-Voting

By Daniel Anazia Lagos State University students, on Monday, adopted the electronic voting process (e-voting) in its Students’ Union election across its campuses — Ojo main campus, College of Engineering Epe, School of Mass

Communication, Surulere, and College of Medicine Ikeja.

According to the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Committee (LASUSU-IEC), Onikoyi Tajudeen, the e-voting process was adopted to ensure free and fair election, as well as offer the students opportunity

to cast their votes. He noted that is the best means of organispast decades, election proceing a free, fair and credible dures in the university were election,” he said. Adding, marred with malpractice.

“The e-voting is important “The e-voting system is the because every research begins easiest means because it saves in the university, and since time. Though it has its chalinnovation starts from univerlenges, it reduces the cost of sity, then the e-voting must resources. More importantly, it start from here too.”

MONDAyS–FRIDAyS IN THE gUARDIAN

SUNDAy, JANUARy 26, 2014 EMPOWERNIGERIA /45 Nicholas Okoye’s Nine Pillars:

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEgy

Hatman Takes Over EKSU

By Daniel Anazia TUDENTS of Ekiti State University (EKSU) can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed. This is as a result recurring attack by a serial armed robber called ‘Hatman’ in the institution.

According to the students, the 6ft tall, huge, thick voice, and fluent English speaker assailant usually go around hostels in the middle of the night and early hours of the morning with locally made short gun, razor blade and saw.

The recent operation was a three consecutive day robbery around satellite phase 2.

Daniel Asugbo, an occupant of one of the hostels in the area, said there have been incidence of robberies, but it not as frequent as what they are now experiencing. He noted that students are robbed whenever they come back from home, but little of it are heard or talked about.

“Students are always been robbed whenever they come back from home

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fresh. This underworld guys believe students are financially loaded with school fee, pocket money and material things at such moment,” he said.

Narrating her experience to Life Campus, Adebanjo Adejumoke, a 300L Medical Student and resident of Jum Kay hostel, said, “I was in deep sleep and at about 3am, I perceived smoke from my window and it was choking me. At first, I thought it was a trance or some dream because it was not too

long I went to sleep after reading. A voice came telling me to stand up, which I did, and that was when it dawned on me that someone was at my window ordering me to give him all the money I have in the house and my laptop.”

She added, “out of fear, I gave him the N7000 on me when showed me a gun and threatened to shoot if I don’t cooperate. He asked for my laptop and I

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LAFETTE /47

gains from courses taken every semester before writing examinations.

According to sources within the university, this will provide a platform for students to offer their suggestions and opinions about all their courses and the lecturers who handled the courses.

In appraising the lecturers, students are required to log on to http://qas.unilag.edu.ng/?page id=223 to fill and submit online the lecturers’ assessment form. Each student is expected to fill

By Amanze Uchechukwu Christopher

OMMITTED to finding solutions to the country’s economic chalCONTNUED ON PAGE 40 N furtherance of its ratings as the lenges, Economics Nigeria best University in Nigeria, Obafemi Students Association, Abia State Awolowo University (O.A.U), Ile-Ife, University Chapter (NESA-ABSU), held has got a grant of $8 million by the a one-day economic summit in colthe form for each course taken during World Bank. According to a statement laboration with Central Bank of the semester. signed by the institution’s Public Nigeria (CBN).

Also, ahead the second semester exam- Relations Officer, Mr. Abiodun The Head of Department, ination, University Library Unit has Olarewaju, the three-year grant is for Economics, Dr. Ben Ogbonna, in his begun a 24-hour service at the the establishment of an African Centre remark, commended the associaAkintunde Ojo Library extension for Excellence with specific focus on tion’s executives for organising the (Uppermost Floor and Basement). In OAU Knowledge Park (OAK-Park). seminar. “I am happy that my stunews release made available on the Speaking about the grant, the Vicedents are privileged to have this type University’s website, students were Chancellor of the University, Professor of exposure,” he said. advised to take advantage of this service, Bamitale Omole, whose administraChukwudi Nwaokoro, a Ph.D candibut note that night shift begins tion has recorded laudable achievedate of University of Nigeria Nsukka at 10pm and ends at 6am. ments since assumption two-and-a(UNN), Research Fellow of CDAR and half years ago, affirmed the OAK-Park alumnus of ABSU, in his presentation would create a nationally recognised urged the students to learn how to and internationally acknowledged use the SPSS and STATA packages, as it model for uptake and commercialisa- would aid their interpretation of tion of research and technology that regression analysis and the applicawill advance the growth of the nation. tion of chi-square, especially during Enumerating the importance of the project writing. centre to the overall development of He said, “once you learn and undermankind, Prof. Omole noted the censtand how to interpret regression tre would ensure the systematic incu- analysis, apply the chi-square method Powered by bation of research ideas and products using the SPSS and STATA properly, from the university and other partner- you can be making a lot of money Jobberman.com ing institutions in the West Africa. doing some professional jobs and teaching people.” / 41

UNILAG: Students to Assess Lecturers, Begins 24-hour Library Service S part of continued effort to ensure quality service delivery in the university, and putting the institution global pedestal as obtained in other climes, University of Lagos (UNILAg), through its Quality Assurance and Servicom Unit, regularly conduct assessment of lectures delivered to students to ascertain their performance.

Under a new development, students of the institution are to assess their

OAU Gets World Bank Grant

Nigeria Economics Students Association ABSU Chapter Hold Seminar

The Miles–Fela Connection

Youth & Graduate Jobs

By Dhikru Akinola

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CAMPUS

Losing Sight Of Your Goals?

Check Out 5 Tips To Get Back on the Path To Actualization HE GIDI CULTURE FESTIVAL is a movement which serves to provoke insightful thoughts, towards the motivated and empowered African youth. It is the voice for the youth, by the youth. The African society seems to have failed the youth; unemployment ravages its populace, to the extent that the will to matter eludes the average citizen. Our society in its acknowledgement of social strata has barricaded the common man from the luxuries of quality, accessible entertainment in a safe environment. The Gidi Culture Festival bring this to an end and has been noted for its novel ideas in giving back to the community with its Beach Sweeps and Dreams project. This 8-part series hopes to send a meaningful discourse among young people today.

The dictionaries may define ‘determination’ as firmness of purpose and so forth. Motivational speakers and our life coaches define determination as being an unyielding perseverance to succeed in life. This conversation seeks to address its loss.It may be a subject that should not be examined in isolation based on the peculiarities that surround its object, and divergent circumstances. After all nobody knows what life has served you.

As young adults we dreamed dreams, we reached for the stars in our minds, we approached all things with the can do might. This wasn’t borne out of a juvenile tendency, but a heart that knew it could conquer the world. Then we got beat by life. ‘How did I get here?’ you wonder. This hopeless place, where your ambitious spirit that

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desired to take over the world has been replaced with thoughts of “one day at a time”. In your despair and forlorn you feel the thick cloud of complacence overtake the beams of hope and determination you once were, the overflow of ideas you personified now says I try nah – at least I have a paying job; I live in a three bedroom flat; I have a nice car with air conditioning and I don’t wear clothes from Bend Down Boutique anymore. There is no more thirst! You have been sucked in.

Where are the globe transforming business plans you had lined up years ago?

You look at them now and you wonder, ‘oh my God did I write these?’ You ask, where is that person who thought up all these great ideas? I will give you the answer for free, that person got beat by life and is sucked in.

Remember your days as a young adult.

Remember the fire you had in your bones. The picture was crystal clear and it said that life had to be good. It said that at 30 you must have achieved X, at 40 Y, and at 45, when you had planned to retire, XYZ was to be in place. But at some point the demands of life coupled with a line-up of responsibilities crept in and then you lost it.

If you pursued higher education, perhaps you served your father land Nigeria and then the journey began.

Job search in Nigeria can be brutal, endless series of aptitude tests with nothing to show. Years later you finally find something that would excuse your friends and family members from being harassed for financial assistance.

You took the chance believing that it was the humble beginning to a great end but then the years rolled bye and you find yourself saying “I have made efforts to break out of the average earn-

ing to no end”, now the feeling of help- will keep clamouring for your time lessness and a general loss of purpose and attention, in order not to lose sight ensues. of your personal goals a track system We make excuses like, “I tried all I could should be in place. to move to the next level”; but truthful- Be Open To Modifications Again we live ly, did you? Or in your heart did you feel in an ever changing world. Some of the like there will always be time to get to ideas that were relevant a decade ago the part where you make the effort to may need to be revisited and updated. execute you dreams and passion.

Carrying out specific industry relevant It is given that going through life in research is a smart way to handle this. itself can be quite a ride, but we have to You want to stay fresh in your prokeep our eyes on the goals we have set. posed space.

What a determination to succeed Hang With the Right Crowd The power means to you is very likely differ from of influence cannot be over stated. Like the next person. But whatever the yard minded people are your best bet in this stick, there is a universal acid test. Have time of transition. You should be with you achieved all that you set out to at this time of your life? To some, this question will always seem unrealistic but to Hatman Takes Over EKSU others, it is a call to the path of greatness CONTNUED ON PAGE 40 again. If you are feeling lost at this moment, all hope is not lost and all you told him it was not with me in the room, as I gave it to a friend, who need to do is take one step at a time wanted to use it for project work. towards your dreams.

While all this was happening, he held Here are some tips to get back on the a big torch light, which he flashed at path to actualization: my eyes, and I could not see his face.”

Go Back to The Drawing Board For the occupants of Great God Regrouping is the word here. Make a plan as to how you want to execute your Hostel, a female residence hall, it was an all room, when ‘the hatman’ visitgoals. Think back to the things that ed. One of the devastated victims, who caused you to be determined to sucbegged for anonymity, said: “It hapceed, draw strength and inspiration pened in the early hours of Sunday from them as you embark on this around 3am. My roommate was in the return voyage. toilet, and I was sleeping on the bed Set Achievable Targets This is an indiswhile my cousin was on the floor. We pensable key in execution. It is one thing to set targets, yet another for your begin to hear crack or net tearing and before we knew it, he had already targets to be achievable. Remember that unrealistic targets may lead to an drawn up the cotton and pointed a abandoned venture – you do not want gun at us. He ordered us to bring everything in the room else he would to set yourself up to fail!

Set Progress Checkers A good way to go waste our lives. We had no option but about this would be timelines against gave him all we had in the room out proposed actions. Bear in mind that of fears. We gave him N20,000, two there are other aspects of your life that Tecno Phantom phones and a laptop.”

people who are determined to make a difference in life as well; people who will give you the right counsel and the extra push you may need in your low moments and in critical decision making.

In finishing, you can be all that you want to be in life. Staying determined despite the fact that life may not be as easy as it is said, but is sure to guarantee your desired end. As Tommy Lasorda rightly said “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination”. This is a call to pursue purpose again, a call to re-determination.

Ojo Oluwatosin, 400L Microbilogy, another occupant of Great God hostel said, “We were deep in sleep and at about 3:30am, my younger brother suddenly screamed as a result of the stone he (the hatman) threw at him from the window he tore. He then said, God has caught us because he thought my brother was my boyfriend passing the night in my room. He told us to stay together in one place and ordered me to bring all the money and the gadget I have in the house. I gave him the N5000 on me including our phones.”

However, Toyosi, another occupant of the hostel was lucky as she gave him N700 and a Nokia torch light phone, which he later returned.

Jumoke, a 300L English student, was brave to hold a window chat with the assailant. “He has a well spoken English accent and exude great confidence because while he perpetrated the act, he flashed the torch light at my face and was so calm searching my bags,” she said.

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FROM THE DESK OF THE CEO

National Development Strategy

NICHOLAS OKOYE, Founder EMPOWER NIGERIA Initiative,

NICHOLAS OKOYE’S NINE PILLARS OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Pillar One: Government Policy HE FIRST PILLAR I will share with you is the pillar of Government policy. So much depends on what the National or Federal Government decides to do in terms of policy. A good policy on foreign investment can move the country forward similar to the way Japan and United States moved in the sixties and seventies.

And a bad policy on foreign investment can equally destroy a Nation’s economy as it did with Zimbabwe in the nineties and early part of the 2000s. When hyperinflation ate deep into that country’s economy, due to President’s Mugabe’s economic policy.

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When I was the Head of Strategy at the Nigeria Stock Exchange I remember giving a presentation to the Management and Council of the Exchange at that time in which I proposed the Stock Exchange as an institution should have a much closer relationship with the Federal Government so that we could influence Federal Government Policy that will drive the growth of the Stock market. I pointed out that China achieved monumental growth in the 1980s due largely to the fact that the Chinese citizens were able to achieve a 60% saving rate. That means that 60% of all personal incomes were saved every year. And this provided the investment needed for the economic miracle we all know as China today. So I proposed that we could institute a forced savings scheme if we couldn’t get Nigerians to save that way we will be able to

EMPOWER NIGERIA VISION

Nigerian Stock Exchange mobilize trillions of naira for investment in the capital markets. We were lucky that President Obasanjo at that time was also thinking of starting a contributory Pension scheme, so our goals, our objectives and paths were in alignment. Whereas President Obasanjo set up a Federal Government Committee to prepare the Pension bill which was headed by Fola Adeola, I was asked to head over to the National Assembly on behalf of the Nigerian Stock Exchange to make the case for a national savings strategy which could equally be the Pension reform proposed by the Fola Adeola Committee. So working together, the Nigerian Stock Exchange as an institution and the Federal Government through its Pension Reform Committee, got a document that eventually become the Pension reform Act of 2004/2005. The National Pension Commission was set up and the rest is history. That single Government policy has been able to mobilize over six trillion Naira in national savings and there is no end in sight. As it will keep mobilizing funds and savings for as long as there are people living in Nigeria.

To be the most effective, efficient and successful network of Entrepreneurial Leaders in Africa, growing the ranks of entrepreneurship by converting the unemployed youth into micro, small and medium business operators.

Another major victory of Federal Government

Meat Mincers ple, which has been used to produce minced meat, filling etc. The producer puts the minced food into a funnel, which is placed on the top of the grinder.

From there the material goes on a horizontal screw conveyor. This screw conveyor, which can be powered by a hand wheel or an electric motor, squashes and partially mixes the food. At the end of the screw conveyor there is a knife installed directly in front of the fixed hole plate. At this opening the minced meat comes out of the machine. The fineness of the meat depends on the size of the holes of the plate.

MEAT MINCER or meat grinder is a kitchen appliance for fine chopping (‘mincing’) of, or mixing of raw or cooked meat, fish, vegetables or similar food. It replaces tools like the mincing knife or grater, for exam-

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policy of that era when the Banking consolidation strategy which was midwifed by the Central Bank of Nigeria under the leadership of Chukwuma Charles Soludo as Governor. I remember one early morning at the Stock Exchange we started getting frantic calls from several Bank CEOs about the new bomb shell that had just been dropped by the Central Bank. The Governor of the Central Bank had made case for bigger and stronger Banks in Nigeria and he felt that the present status of Nigerian Banks was inadequate, he saw a systemic failure of the Banks if urgent action was not taken to merge or to give the Banks substantially more capital. The 89 banks Nigeria had at the time would eventually give way to 25 solid stringer banks with a minimum capital of 25 billion as the policy stated. Several more have since further consolidated in more times.

There was so much resistance from the powerful Bank Chief Executives and they wielded all the power they could muster to get Soludo to change his mind, and when that did not work they moved higher to President Obasanjo to get him to change his mind. President Obasanjo stood his ground that he was 100% behind Soludo and that Nigeria did indeed need

stronger and fewer Banks. Then the Chief Executives of the Banks that were sure to loose out in this new arrangement passed a very high jump on the laps of the President. They said there was not enough capital in Nigeria at that time to meet the dead line that Soludo had issued and that even if the money was available in Nigeria there was no mechanism for mobilizing the kind of investment required from around the country. Then the President smiled and he knew he had got them, he put a call through to my Boss, Dr Ndi Okereke Onyuike who was then known as Madam Stock Exchange, and said, “Madam some Bankers are saying that there is no mechanism to mobilize the 25 billion capital base now required for Nigerian Banks by the Central Bank, is this true?”

My Boss knew that this was a golden moment for the Nigerian Stock Exchange and she took it for all it was Mr. worth.”

President we at the Stock Exchange have the capacity to help mobilize billions and billions even trillions of naira if that be the need for the consolidation program of the Central Bank, in fact we have

unit can be mixed different kinds of meat (for example beef or pork) with each other homogeneously By changing the hole plate it is also pos- and/or can be mixed the meat sible to produce breadcrumbs or fill with additives, like salt or spices, sausage casing. After the drop from the before grinding it. Without such a retainer, it is possible to change the mixer unit, the additives must be hole plate. By removing the fixing mixed into the meat after grindscrew the grinder can be disassembled ing it, which adversely affects the completely for cleaning. Besides the taste and appearance of most domestic manually or motor operated grinders, there are also grinders for butchery (table- or shop-grinders for example) and for the food industry.

Some large machines are able to produce several tons per hour.

A basic optional feature for larger grinders is the mixer unit. With this

CONTINUED ON PAGE 32 products.

Minced meat is an important ingredient in some specialties such as Coconut Rice, Meat balls, Hamburgers, Sandwiches, Meatloaves, etc. Meat mincers are unbelievably affordable. They are small and very portable. They could be used in places like restaurants, hotels, fast foods, clubs, suya joints, Food carts and even at home. A meat mincer is an equipment you should not even think twice about acquiring, due to its efficiency and portability. Know any hotel owners or food store owners, they would really appreciate it if you told them about the meat mincer.

To find out more about this and other business ideas, visit our virtual showroom at www.empowernigeria.com, or contact our sales rep at 01 2771388

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EMPOWERNIGERIA

GUIDE TO PERSONAL SUCCESS ACCESS TO FINANCE

Chukwuma Soludo, architect of Banking Consolidation

Fola Adeola, architect of Pension Reform

already set up a working technical committee to Obasanjo Administration another major vicwork closely with the Central Bank to reduce tory which could not have been possible fees, speed up approvals and generally make the with out the help of the Nigerian Stock transition easy and seamless.

Exchange. We all worked very hard in those “So the deal was sealed days to make Banking Consolidation a realiand all opposition to the Banking ty, I remember m colleagues in the listing Consolidation agenda of the Soludo led and quotations department would work Central Bank died a natural death and Bank sometimes all night to make sure that Executives went about their business of appraisals are ready for the council’s merging, raising new capital and even approval the next morning as everyone wantattracting capital from aboard. It was a glori- ed to beat the deadline. ous time for the Nigerian Stock Exchange because it demonstrated that we actually did EDERAL GOVERNMENT Policy is key, whether we are talking about local conhave the capacity, it also shown that investtent, such as we presently have in the Oil and ment banking skills of the broker dealers were becoming world class, and it gave the Gas industry that is opening up an industry

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to thousands of Nigerian entrepreneurs, Thanks to Ernest Nwapa, Hon Minister D. Madueke and President Goodluck Jonathan, or the Cabotage Law of the shipping industry thanks to Hon Okey Ude who was Chairman of the Federal House Committee on Transportation at that time that drafted, got it passed in the house and pushed for executive assent and off course President Obasanjo who signed and promoted the law, many Nigerian have gone into the lucrative world of shipping and vessel operations.

New policies are coming out today that will surely redefine the land scale of Nigeria for good. I will address these in the next week edition and how we as a people can take the crafting of Federal Government Policy to another level.

This is the first and most important element on the path to entrepreneurship. Every business needs funding to get started. So far in Nigeria we have not been very good at expanding our access to financial opportunities for our young people, so there are still so many things we need to do to get this area fully sorted OUT FOR OUR Nation. When considering a business opportunity such as the opportunities outlined by EMPOWER NIGERIA, you have to seek out your primary sources of funding first. Even if you qualify for a loan from one of our funding partners, you will need to make a contribution which may be 20% or 30% of the entire cost of setup for the business. The best places to go at first are always friends and family. If your family and friends who know you very well are willing to trust you with the deposit required then the chances are that we will trust you too.

However if you come back to us or any other institution and say that nobody would believe in you, and so you are unable to raise your own contribution then maybe you need to check your past engagements and begin to work to earn the trust of your friends and family. They are always the first option for funding your new business, so get them to believe in you first and the rest of the World will also believe in you.

ACCESS TO SKILLS You will always need skills to succeed. And the older you get in Business, the more sophisticated the skills you will need.

Learning never ends and so once you have decided that you want to be an entrepreneur you will need to seek out the skills you must have to succeed. At the Anabel Leadership Academy we can help you there as our Skills program for Leaders and Entrepreneurs is focused on the SAC approach; SAC stands for Strategy, Action and Communication. Many of the business failures you read about are due mainly to the lack of skills that the business leaders did not acquire or could not bother to acquire along the way.

ACCESS TO MARKETS Every business requires markets and sometimes these markets may be clearly defined and sometimes they are not clearly defined.

Your product or service must have markets in which you will have off takers who have a passion for your brand and product and they fuel the demand that makes your business successful.

INNOVATION

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The word innovation goes closely with the word creativity. You will find both words in the Anabel Leadership Academy crest. We cannot overemphasize the importance of creativity and innovation. Old ways of doing things will give way to new ways of doing things, and it is almost always the role of the creative ones amongst us that will point out these new ways for us. Think about it every product or service you have used in your entire life is always a subset or an improvement of some older product or service. And this always happens because we were able to innovate and create new things and find new ways. This is critical in business and for the entrepreneur; innovation should always be your watch word.

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Sunday, January 26, 2014 47

YOUTHMAGAZINE

LAFETE

All That Jazz ERCEIVED as having the same musical chemistry and ideology, it was thought that the coming together of vibes player Roy Ayers and Fela Anikulapo-Kuti would produce wonderful musical results.This whole conceptualisation was that of Haruna Isola’s Phonodisk Records in 1980 - resulting in an elaborate tour of the country and the eventual studio recording of the album, Music of many colours/Africa centre of the world. The project floundered because the artists were not two of a kind; the idea of the project was ill-conceived.

In actual fact, the musician most suitable for this collaboration on the basis of artistic sameness and parity should have been trumpeter Miles Davis who had a whole load of attributes in common with the Afrobeat icon; and not Roy Ayers: The two musicians played the same instrument. Even though Fela switched to the saxophone in the mid-seventies, the trumpet had been his customary instrument from the 1950s. The switch was not of his own device or volition, it was forced on him and dictated by circumstances that he could not easily control.

The saxophone had become an integral and indispensable part of his music. Igo Chico whose style had become synonymous with the band’s sound identity suddenly left. The only saxophonist who came close to Chico’s standard was the late Tex Becks who could not be relied upon to stay with the band. The only option open to Fela was to abandon the trumpet for the saxophone which did not take him more than three days to master. All the same, the sound of the trumpet was after his heart until his death.

The two musicians were endowed with the same creative talent in terms of composition, arranging and the treatment of materials. They demonstrated the same depth and progressive approach. Besides, they had the same way of reaching out to higher levels of performance, never wanting to play their old materials.

Miles Davis participated in the bebop movement of the 40s along side Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Christian and others.

He also helped to initiate the ‘Cool’ jazz movement of the fifties.In 1959, Miles broke loose from the context of conventional jazz.Instead of improvising along the chord sequence of songs, he took his creativity to a higher level by discovering the essence of ‘modal’ jazz — a situation in which improvisational concept now

P

BY BENSON IDONIJE benidoni@yahoo.com

The Miles-Fela Connection

Miles Fela derived from ‘modes’ or ‘scales’. ings and paintings were exhibited in galleries Perhaps the greatest beneficiaries of this innoaround the world, including the United States vation was the late John Coltrane who, as a side- of America, Japan, Germany and Switzerland. man with Miles, took the major solos along this His leap from hobbyist sketcher to professionconcept in Kind of Blue, the album that best typi- al artist began after he met Jo Gelbard. fies this trend. It opened the gate to avant-garde In the summer of 1991, Miles began recordfor Coltrane. ing a series of hip hop tunes with In 1968, Miles began to integrate electric instru- producer/rapper Easy Mo Bee. The move was a ments and elements of popular songs into his radical departure for Miles and saw him move music. Even though this move caused bitter away from the sleek, polished albums such as debate among musicians, scholars and critics as Tutu and Amandla. On most sessions, it was to whether Miles was pandering to commercial just Miles and Mo Bee laying down the beats trends, it turned out that he was just refashionand Miles playing over them. ing popular songs as vehicles for improvisation. Miles’ involvement with hip hop was a controTrue to Miles Ahead, the title of one of his biggest versial one, with some people accusing him of albums, Miles was taking giant strides forward, merely jumping on the latest musical bandmoving jazz ahead. He established rock backwagon. But those who knew Miles recalled grounds over which he laced his creatively how much he liked the music. “Miles had a lot uncompromising trumpet. of good things to say about rap,” says percusAdded to this innovation was his flirtation with sionist Don Alias who played on Bitches Brew painting in the eighties. And with the artist Jo and also toured with Miles’ band in the Gelbard to guide his art, he developed his inter1970s.”He thought that the time when a rapest from a hobby into something more serious. per would come in and just say things off the Not only did he design his album covers such as top of his head was like the way ‘bebop’ playStar People, Amandla and Decoy,You’re Under ers would get on the bandstand and just Arrest by himself in the early eighties, his drawimprovise. Miles really loved that stuff.”

Top Nollywood Acts Walk Against Domestic Violence

line up, where they must strip and subject themselves to blindfolds and inspection by a mysterious woman and her charge. Only seven go home that night, big money in their pockets. The ritual is replayed again and again, and the attrition continues. For one man the rumours of how much ‘the chosen’ make spurs him on – he is desperate for the money to pay for a child’s operation. Iwajomo’s film confronts the perils of the poverty trap and the abuse of the desperate, in an allegory for the exploited. Iwajomo teaches video editing at his alma mater, the International Film and Broadcast Academy, in Lagos. His first short film, Blood On My Hands, won the best short film award at the Goethe Institut Lagos short film night, and the same film was nominated at the Durban International Film Festival in 2010. His second short, Not Today, won best screenplay at the In-Short Film Festival in 2011.

He also won the MTV Shuga one minute short film competition on HIV/AIDS with his film Point Blank.

N a day that members of the Association O of Movie Producers (AMP) were busy quarrelling over who becomes their next

Nigerian Short, Five Others To Premiere In Europe And USA INE Up, the short film by Nigerian direcLfilms tor, Folashakin Iwajomo, is among short produced under the African Metropolis project that will premiere in

BY SHAIBU HUSSEINI

shaibu70@yahoo.com

Around and about...

president, some screen took to the streets of Lagos on a walk to sensitise Nigerians on the evils of domestic violence and jungle justice. Decked in a purple T-shirt on white pants and canvass shoes, the stars including Fathia Balogun, Foluke Daramola, Moji Olaiya, Ayo Adesanya, Ronke Oshodi Oke, Bisi Ibidapo-Obe and Yomi Fash Lanso stopped at designated points on the long trek to condemn domestic violence and jungle justice. They particularly frown at how three women were tortured and sodomised for allegedly stealing pepper at Ejigbo Market. “All hands must be on deck to bring the perpetrators of that act to book,” said Daramola, at one of the stop point in Ikeja. “They must face the music.

They don’t have any right to batter any one.

If you say they stole, you would have handed them to law enforcement agencies and not take laws into your hands.” Fathia said she was glad to be part of the walk, as it afforded her opportunity to meet and talk with her fans directly. “Some of these people, especially the school children who joined in the walk, look up to us as role models so this walk has helped us to meet and enlighten them on issues such as domestic violence and other forms of abuses,” Fathia said. Held under the auspices of Nollywood G-10 stars, Moji Olaiya assured that the idea of the walk would be sustained so as to reach all the nook and crannies of Lagos and its environs.

Miles himself said, “I’ve been experimenting with some rap songs because I think that there’s some heavy stuff in that music.”

Max Roach said, “he thought the next Charlie Parker might come out of rap melodies and rhythms. Sometimes you can’t get those rhythms out of your head.” Miles Davis reached out to higher levels of creativity till his death in September 1991.

Fela’s success story followed the same creative pattern. He began his career with recorded singles by his London version of the Koola Lobitos, his first ever-musical group - in 1960.

The music was in the idiom of highlife - simple highlife in the style of Victor Olaiya and Ambrose Campbell, with progressions that were basic and elementary.

In 1963, he formed a jazz group, the Fela Ransome Kuti quintet; and performed free wheeling jazz themes most of which were classics and standards. This trend gave way to jazzinfluenced highlife in 1965, with the formation of a new tradition of the Koola Lobitos. The music was characterised by inventive solos and improvisation on highlife melodies laced with riffs that were driven by question-andanswer sessions.

A gradual movement towards Afrobeat began in America in 1969 with improvisation on solid African Jazz themes such as My lady’s frustrations, Miole jobe and the like. He discovered the rhythm of Afrobeat in 1970 with Jeun Koku which went on till 1984 when he created Beasts Of No Nation to take his Afrobeat to a higher level. And here, ensemble sounds were characterised by sophisticated textures, an increase in the rhythmic power and the creation of more extended works. Becoming essentially message-driven and assuming an uncompromisingly complex approach to structural logic, the music was now renamed “Classical African Music”.

It is however ironical that Miles’ music ascended and descended from bebop, cool and modal to pop and hip hop. Fela’s sound evolved from highlife through to jazz and jazz-fusion to Afrobeat and classical African music - in an ascending order. But both progressions were driven by the same artistic creativity that refused to stagnate or look back. Musically, Miles Davis and Fela Anikulapo-Kuti were two of a kind.

Busy January For Moviedom T’s been a busy month for movie. A couple of Ibeen flicks have been released and others have scheduled for release before the month Daramola, Ibidapo-Obe and Adesanya leading the Nollywood Stars Walk in Lagos Europe from today at the renowned International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).

Also, the 13-minute short alongside other films in the project will screen in North America in February. The screening will count as the USA premiere of the engaging short films at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in California. The compilation of six short fiction films, set in six major African cities, tells urban tales about life in African metropolises. Besides screenings and a panel discussion in Rotterdam, Marie KA, one of the African Metropolis directors, will talk about her experiences at Berlinale Talents 2014 programme. The Berlinale Talent is Berlin International Film Festival’s yearly platform

for the most promising emerging filmmakers.

The African Metropolis Short Film Project is an initiative of the Goethe-Institut South Africa and South African Executive Producer, Steven Markovitz, with support from Guaranty Trust Bank and the Hubert Bals Fund of International Film Festival Rotterdam. With short films set in Lagos (Director: Folasakin Iwajomo), Abidjan (Philippe Lacôte), Dakar (Marie KA), Johannesburg (Vincent Moloi), Cairo (Ahmed Ghoneimy) and Nairobi (Jim Chuchu), the filmmakers’ work shows the face of a modern and cosmopolitan Africa and challenges long-standing clichés about the continent. In the Line Up, 10 men in a taxi, strangers to each other, head to an unusual

draws to a close. The much anticipated movie, Rosy, the Trouble Maker, has hit the market. It is directed by Lancelot Oduwa Imaseun and produced by Ani Amatosero. Also in a movie outlet as from tomorrow is Charles Novia’s Alan Poza. The movie features award winning actor OC Ukeje in lead role. Also, in January, precisely on January 31, the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) will head to the polls to elect a new president and executive council members for the association. Zik Zulu Okafor who has since completed his two years first term tenure is seeking re-election for another term.

The producer and writer may be returned elected, as he is the only candidate that has purchased and submitted the electoral forms before the close of submission last Wednesday.

48 Sunday, January 26, 2014

YOUTHMAGAZINE

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Sunday, January 26, 2014 49

50 Sunday, January 26, 2014

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Birthdays AWE, Professor Bolanle Alake, historian, former university teacher, administrator and women leader would be 81 on Tuesday, January 28, 2014. She was educated at C.M.S Girls School, Lagos, 1946-50; St. Anne’s School, Ibadan, 195051; Perse School for Girls, Cambridge, England, 1952-54; University of St. Andrew’s Scotland, 1954-58; University of Oxford, England, 1958-60.

She was History lecturer, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, 1960-66; lecturer, school of African and Asian Studies, University of Lagos, 1966-69; Chairperson, Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Ibadan, 1982-83; member, Governing Council, former Ondo State University, Ado Ekiti; Commissioner for Education and later Trade, Industries and Cooperative, Oyo State, 1975-78; former Secretary, National Council for Women’s Societies; former Chairperson, National Commission for Women.

OYEWESO, Professor Siyan, historian, researcher and university administrator was 53 on Saturday, February 1, 2014.

He obtained his PhD in History from Obafemi Awolowo

of Law. He is a member of the Chartered institute of Taxation of Nigeria and member of the prestigious Lagos Polo Club. He is a grassroot football promoter in his Owo home where he also has a Foundation for indigent but promising youths. He is a member of the National Committee for the 2014 National Sports Festival.

He was appointed the Secre-

Awe

Oyefeso

Alabi

University, Ile-Ife in 1995. He joined the services of the Lagos State University as Assistant Lecturer in 1985 and rose through the ranks to become Professor in 2004. He has experiences in teaching, research and university administration at the Lagos State University where he served as Head of Department, Dean of Faculty among other statutory positions. He was the pioneer Provost of College of Humanities and Culture of Osun State University, Osogbo and Chairman, Committee of Provosts, Deans and Directors of the

University up till 2011. He has authored a number of books and published several articles and book chapters in both local and foreign outlets. He is widely travelled and has participated in academic gatherings in different countries of the world in Africa, Europe and America. He is the current editor-in-chief of African Nebula: Journal of Multidisciplinary Scholarship and Fellow of Historical Society of Nigeria (FHSN).

50 on Thursday, January 30.

He was born in Owo, Ondo State to Chief Alabi Osokiya and Madam Abigail Simisola Alabi (both deceased). He attended the famous Imade College, Owo, for his secondary school education, and the Ondo- State Polytechnic Owo where he obtained his OND in Accountancy. He proceeded to the Yaba College of Technology for his HND in Accountancy. He also attended Lagos State University where he bagged the Bachelor of Laws and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos where he obtained Barrister

ALABI, Banji, lawyer, accountant, philanthropist, socialite and sports enthusiast, turns

tary of the recent 24th Coronation Anniversary Committee of the reigning Olowo of Owo Oba Folagbade Olateru-Olagbegi.

He is a member of Owo Executive Club and Egbe Majeobaje of Owo. He is married to Lola Banji-Alabi, a chartered banker.

Compiled by Gbenga Akinfenwa gbengaherkin@yahoo.com

Obini Chuku Obini Smart of Nigerian Immigration (middle) being decorated to the position of Assistant Superintendent of Immigration 1, by the Staff Officer to Comptroller of Immigration Service, Abia State Command, Obisike Uchechukwu. J (CSI), and Obini’s wife, Angela at Umuahia.

Bankole Gives Out Daughter In Marriage HE marriage between Oreoluwa Oyindamola T Bankole, daughter of Chief, Olootu Ogooluwa Bankole and her heartthrob Opeyemi Olorunfemi Asu took place recently in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. The event drew the crème-dela crème of the society from within and outside the state.

The wedding, held at the African Church Cathedral Owu, Totoro, Abeokuta was attended by prominent personalities like the former governor of the state, Gbenga Daniel, wife of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, Alake of Egbaland and paramount ruler of Egba traditional council, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo and wife, among others.

At the Church, the officiating minister, Ven. Adedamola Oriola charged the couples to display true love towards each other, dialogue and plan their future together in order to enjoy ben-

efits of conjugal bliss. He added that under no circumstances should they deny themselves the needed impetus that would continue to bring joy and happiness to the family.

The mother of the bride, Dr. (Mrs.) Anuoluwapo Bankole, who could not hide her joy said the day was one of the happiest moments, which she had always prayed for. She advised the couple to imbibe the spirit of patience and always pour out their grievances through dialogue in order to avoid any rancor that may pose any threat to the marriage.

Chief Bankole, father of the bride prayed that the spirit of God would continue to abide with the couple as they start a new journey.

— Gbenga Akinfenwa Mr. Alabi Julius with other graduating students of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Lagos at National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos... last week

The couple, flanked by the bride’s father, Chief Ogooluwa Bankole (left); bride’s mother, Dr. (Mrs) Anuoluwapo Bankole and Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun at the wedding.

Bride’s mother, Dr. (Mrs) Anuoluwapo Bankole; groom’s father, Chief Kehinde Asu, bride’s father, Chief Ogooluwa Bankole and groom’s mother, Mrs. Kehinde Asu... at the reception.

Prof. Idowu Shobowale (Council Member)(left), Mrs. Folake Okor (Ag. Registrar), Prof. Ayodeji Olukoju, Chief Olorunfunmi Bashorun (Chairman of the occasion), Prof. Nosa Owens (Dean COSOMAS), Dr.Mrs. Oluranti Adebule, Chief Kaoli Olusanya and Godwin Ajibodu at the 4th Foundation Day of Caleb University, Lagos.

Rev. Michael Ekiran, Chaplain of the Christian Welfare Initiative (CWI) (left), Archbishop Magnus Adeyemi Atilade, President of the CWI and South-West, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and other members of the CWI at a joint press conference on the state of the Nation in Lagos... at the weekend.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

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51

POLITICS PDP Chairmanship: Wily Assignment For A Willing Walin-Bauchi

By Leo Sobechi T could be part of the signs of the times that the next national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) should hail from Bauchi State of North East Nigeria. For those conversant with the beef-rich state, the saying holds true: ‘Bauchi, shinne garin na miji, idon kayi shege-ntaka saideyi ataka ka’ (Bauchi is real men’s town, if you misbehave, you get the due recompense). And so, recompense for any miscalculation is something well known to the new national chairman of PDP, Alhaji (Dr.) Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, Walin Bauchi.

Once Beaten, Twice Shy AT the point of serving out his two terms as Governor of Bauchi State, M’uazu fought two intriguing political battles. The battles had to do with propping up his successor in office and seeking support to represent Bauchi South Senatorial district in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Regrettably, he lost on both fronts. At the base of that twin loss was the former governor’s spat with the incumbent Governor Isa Yuguda.

After he was denied the PDP governorship ticket, the popular Yuguda moved over to the now rested All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), from where he won and assisted the present Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed, to clinch the Bauchi South seat at the expense of M’uazu. Appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan as FCT minister after two years’ stint at the Senate, Mohammed could be on his way to succeeding his political ally as governor in 2015. It all depends on how loyal he has been to his benefactors.

Though they were on friendly terms, M’uazu’s decision to support his former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Umar Nadada, pitted him against Yuguda, by then a minister in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. M’uazu’s blockade against Yuguda elicited a reprisal or recompense after he mounted the saddle as governor. The foregoing shows that the new PDP helmsman knows what the President was saying when he advised against any small or big fights with governors under the party’s platform. Americans say that he who knows it feels it, as such M’uazu feels the heat of engaging the small god’s of PDP: the state governors!

Small Mountains to Climb, Steep Valleys to Cover BEING once a state governor himself, M’uazu knows that his greatest challenges do not lie through deference or otherwise to governors. Rather, the many mountains he must scale through and very deep valleys he must cover include the handling of party financiers (the snake holders) whose interests must be factored into the implementation of party policies and programmes; the big boys that possess enormous war chest to challenge their state governors to political duels as well as striking a balance between accommodating the excesses of Mr. President’s strong backers.

Among them Mama Peace!

For instance, the strain in the once bubbly relationship between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Alhaji Buruji Kashamu, is not a small knot to untangle. A similar dilemma exists, but at varying degrees, in most states where the largest political party in black Africa exposes its signboard.

As journalists scampered through Wuse 2 and Wadata Plaza sniffing for leads as to where the pendulum would fall in the search for Alhaji Bamanga Tukur’s successor, it was evident that a mountain of interests were building up, including political IOU’s (I owe you). Now that the personable M’uazu has mounted the saddle, how he begins the process of offsetting these political bills is part of the challenges facing him. As a politician, the new chairman must have come to know that scaling small mountains of

I

relationship problems between party faithful is not as tasking as filing deep valleys of expectations. This is because how you fill the ravine may turn back to haunt you when the rains come.

Of the other five prominent names that made the list of chairmanship hopefuls including the minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar(Gombe State); a former member of the House of Representatives, Mohammed Wakil (Borno), former national chairman of Grassroots Democratic Movement, (GDM) Alhaji Gambo Lawan (Borno); former Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) President, Ambassador Hassan Adamu, (Wakilin Adamawa) from Adamawa State and former minister of commerce, Ambassador Idris Waziri from Taraba State, there were pros and cons attached to their names by party chieftains. It is in the style of politicians to come up with claims, not necessarily supported by facts that they worked to achieve a party goal. Since M’uazu was not everywhere to ascertain who played what role, how he responds to these claims would determine how far he could go.

In a bid to adopt a Socratic method in the selection of Tukur’s replacement, certain criteria were penciled down.

S/he must a committed democrat and team player; s/he must have rich experience in politics and party administration; s/he must have a proven ability to reconcile aggrieved members of the party; s/he must show readiness to reorder PDP for electoral victory in 2015 in at least 25 to 28 states; s/he must be a good listener that could show respect for all organs of the party, as such, s/he must be a political asset and not a liability to PDP. And lastly, the prospective candidate would be one that could ensure free and fair primaries.

On paper the bullet points of the requirements for the ideal candidate are such as Havard documents are made of. But in Nigeria politics, the unstated intention encapsulated by the word ‘interest’ matters most. That

is why a Havard professor would find it very hard winning elections in the country with all his knowledge of political theories and strategies. Top of the many interests Alhaji M’uazu would try to protect is that of President Goodluck Jonathan, especially his second term ticket. If in the name of trying to ensure free and fair primaries, the Walin Bauchi does not bend the rules to accommodate the right of Mr. President to unquestioning victory, he may be whipped and reminded of the fate of a former national chairman, Prince Vincent Eze Ogbulafor. Shortly after former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, kicked the bucket, Ogbulafor pulled the sleeping dog of zoning by the ears, declaring that the North would produce the president in 2011. The party dug up dead bones of the chairman’s rested corruption case and he was thrown out of office and has been trying to explain his innocence, (insolence). Like Dr. Okwy Nwodo, when Governor Sullivan Chime, endorsed his nomination, M’uazu should not forget that the same Governor Yuguda that moved the motion for his adoption could also be used to appeal the judgment that freed him from the indictment of corruption slammed on him by the State Government’s panel of inquiry. When Nwodo and Chime danced in thanksgiving to God at the Holy Ghost Catholic Church, Ogui Enugu, the exchairman did not know that the state chapter of the party withheld his membership card for a purpose. PDP knows, as in the advertisement of a popular tyre brand, that power is nothing without control! M’uazu would also be tested by his handling of all subtle and overt forms of control that may be exerted on him by those who pull the levers of power and influence.

Geniality, Comradeship with Governors IN a statement shortly after the emergence of the former Bauchi State governor as new national chairman of

PDP, the party’s publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh explained that the resignation of Tukur was to calm frayed nerves in the party and explore the possibility of bringing back those who had left. Metuh also noted that the emergence of M’uazu, from the same North East geopolitical zone as Tukur, was to reestablish the confidence of the people of the zone in the party.

One of the knotty assignments the new national chairman is expected to discharge with dispatch is to bring back the estranged five governors that have gone to pitch tent with the inchoate All Progressives Congress (APC). The unprecedented defection of Governors Rotimi Amaechi; Abdulfattah Ahmed; Aliyu Wammako; Rabiu Kwankwanso and Murtala Nyako of Rivers, Kwara, Sokoto, Kano and Adamawa states respectively, was the final straw on the troubled tenure of Tukur, which hastened his resignation. At the exit, the governors complained against the former chairman’s strong-arm tactics and other irreconcilable differences over the running of the affairs of PDP. Born in Boto, Tafawa Balewa local council of Bauchi State, Alhaji M’uazu, was produced by a combination of executive and legislative blessing.

While his successor and incumbent Governor of the state, Isa Yuguda nominated him, Senator Ndoma Egba seconded the nomination. The new chairman’s geniality and comradeship with state governors put him in good stead to succeed. He would easily win the support of legislators without dangling some carrots that may ultimately offend the ideals of democracy. The issue of automatic ticket to members of the Senate was part of Tukur’s later day baggage before his forced exit. Unlike Tukur, M’uazu does not possess a huge body mass that may frighten, neither does he possess massive wealth to intimidate anybody. Signs that incumbent state governors were ready to offer the new chairman tacit support he needs to succeed came immediately he was announced.

The shout of approval that greeted him showed that he was accepted and acceptable to the governors. Some of the governors have actually felicitated with their former colleague. Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji while praising M’uazu’s emergence advised the new chairman to “make the reconciliation of aggrieved members of the party his priority.” The Abia State chief executive added that only by achieving reconciliation within the party that the chairman could ensure that PDP wins the 2015 general elections. On his part, Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State called on all PDP faithful to cooperate with Mu’azu, to take the party to greater heights, adding that being “eminently qualified for the job, the cooperation of members would enable him to move the party forward.” Said Chime in a congratulatory message signed by his chief press secretary, Chukwudi Achife: “The new chairman has a proven knowledge and experience in political administration, which he is expected to deploy to unify and strengthen the party.’’

Also, Senators of the party under the aegis of the Senators Forum of Nigeria expressed their readiness to work with the new party chairman to re-position the party ahead of the 2015 general elections. In a statement signed by the Secretary, Senator Abubakar Girei, the Forum, which comprises serving and out of service senators; said the integrity, experience and proven track record of achievements of the new chairman would help PDP come out of its present challenges.

With the outpouring of favourable sentiments and goodwill, M’uazu could make a slight difference in the way PDP is being perceived presently.

He has a daunting task of trying to bring back all the defected governors.

However, the recollection of the fact that the defecting governors once said they had a working arrangement with APC gives hope that their return could be achieved. In the event of such an auspicious happenstance, it would be clear to Nigerians that the governors’ romance with APC was merely a political MoU (memorandum of understanding) to achieve Tukur’s exit and make PDP amenable to reason.

Anything short of that, it is left to be seen how adult politicians like the G.5 governors would be shuffling back and forth on political platforms. Apart from the obvious fact that M’uazu’s charge to bring back the governors amounts to shutting the stable doors after the horses had bolted, those who expect the governors back to PDP wants to welcome another round of trouble, especially concerning the second term ticket for President Jonathan. Or how would these nighttime optimists believe that M’uazu would have new problems on his hands when he tries to restore party machineries in the five states to the defectors, assuming they return?

Again the return of the governors would daze APC because it would have been clear that PDP merely sent their soldiers to disorganise them. However, the reputation of the governors (hope the giggles are not in protest that politicians do not have shame?) would bear the ultimate damage. There are two things the new PDP chairman should know: If PDP wins the 2015 Presidential election, its candidate would have to contend with the reality of a majority of opposition legislators in the National Assembly.

The new chairman should take to heart the words of a Hausa song to a young man doting a pretty damsel: Ka hau bene ka fadu, ka keria kafa da hanu, ka dawo abaka berira, nyarinya berira (Go climb the mountain and fall, break your legs and hands, then return and take your pretty lovie, beautiful young damsel)! What use could a pretty damsel be to an invalid? But that happens to be the lots of those who become national chairman of PDP. Having this in mind, Adamu M’uazu, can still make the difference in a decaying political Goliath!

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GRASSROOTS

‘Total Autonomy Is Improper For Local Govt. System’ The Caretaker/Transition Committee Chairman of Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, Hon. Raymond Edijala spoke to ADIORHO JOE on challenges of council administration.

Where do you stand on the issue of local government autonomy and internal democracy among political parties?

HE local government autonomy is the prerogative of the system itself. If we are operating three tiers of government – the federal, states and the local governments, proper, autonomy of these tiers should give room for better administration, and that is not to say that there shouldn’t be checks and balances. If there are no checks and balances, there would be situation of people, administration or leaders going beyond their bounds. There should be some autonomy! I am also of the opinion that a total autonomy may not augur well for the system knowing what Nigeria is!

Everyone who is in power may use it to the detriment of others.

T

There are the Houses of Assembly, checking the activities of the local governments.

Anytime the local governments want to go astray, the houses of assembly beat them into line. So, as long as we solicit for some level of autonomy, especially in the financing, there is need for “check and balance”.

How is Udu Local Government administration impacting on the lives of the people of communities under its jurisdiction?

In the first place the Udu local government is a very strategic one that has impacted positively on the lives of the people of Udu and that of Deltans generally. This is as a result of the Delta Steel Company (DSC) sited there.

We are a very hospitable people and because of this, we have given parcels of land to various communities. The oil companies that are sited here are working very peacefully and the marine business is equally thriving, including a host of other agricultural activities. The Utorogun Gas Plant is predominantly also in Udu local government. There is a lot of oil production activities and even drilling of new oil wells

ATEKE COMMUNITY: Ogun Govt. Tasks Prospective Land Buyers On Due Process

By Gbenga Akinfenwa OLLOWING the illegal enFready croachment on lands alallotted to some

Edijala that are all going on.

The establishment of the tourist centre in Oleri, Udu, has also impacted positively on the people. Quite a number of our youths are employed there. A bridge has

been built and a road has been constructed to the site.

Undoubtedly, there is a lot of positive impacts; apart from the fact that the Delta Steel Company is still not functioning to full capacity.

group of companies in Areke Community, Ogun State by land speculators, the state government has enjoined members of the public and prospective investors interested in acquiring landed property to always approach the Bureau of lands and survey to make necessary inquiries on the status of such lands.

Director-General of the Bureau, Mr. Adewale Oshinowo, who said this in Sagamu, while inspecting the area, maintained that the Bureau possesses a Geographic Information System (GIS), which could chart and bring out clear maps on lands in any part of the state and generate relevant information on the status of such lands.

Represented by Director of Lands Management, Mr. Bola Orekoya, he pointed out that when such buyers approach the Bureau, the GIS would be used to ascertain the status of the land they want to purchase.

“All we are saying is that, if people come to chart on a particular part of land, the Geographic Information System software would show them clearly the status of the land whether it is acquisition–free or not. This would save them from wasting money and also becoming victims of demolition,” he said.

Oshinowo said it is an inalienable right of the citizens to own landed property, he however underscored the need for them to be cautious and careful on how to acquire such property.

“We know that property ownership enhances status and increases one’s influence, but we want our people to go through the right channel before paying for any landed property,” he maintained.

The DG also encouraged property owners not to abandon such property for too long, before embarking on structural development so as to aid development and prevent from falling victims of land speculators.

JIGAWA: Opposition Challenges Outcome Of Council Poll From John Akubo, Dutse HELocal Council election in T Jigawa State has come and gone but the ripples will continue to reverberate.

Tension had gripped Hadejia and Malam Madori local governments over the delay in announcing results in the two council areas.

It was gathered that hundreds of youths had converged at the Emir’s palace, threatening to raze it down if the results were not announced.

The youths had taken their protest to the emir’s palace where they demanded that the emir speak up against the attempt to subvert their mandate.

Results of the election which held in all the 27 council areas could not be officially declared more than 24 hours after the exercise was concluded due to hitches in the two councils where electoral officers allegedly absconded with some vital voting materials.

The security chiefs in the state comprising of the police commissioner, the State Security Service boss, the NSCDC commandant, Road Safety and the army commandant were in a crucial security meeting for the same reason for most part of last Sunday.

Though election in most of the local governments was peaceful, it was marred by low turnout of voters’ in most of the areas where opposition did not field candidates.

One of the leaders of the APC in Hadeijia, Malam Danazumi Gwagarmaya who spoke to newsmen alleged that four ballot boxes were snatched at Atafi ward, three at Masaro, three at Kasuwar Kofa, one at Yankoli, 11 at Yayari and elec-

tion did not take place at Dubantu ward.

An eyewitness told our reporter that one commissioner of a popular ministry in the state was almost lynched when he attempted to use thugs to snatch some ballot boxes.

In Hadejia, the opposition stood their ground to ensure the right thing was done. Reporters had to take cover to find their way out of the town to avoid being attacked because almost everywhere in the city voters were outside to ensure their votes counted.

But the state PDP Chairman, Alhaji Mahmuda Salisu Kuit, who is also from Hadeijia emirate told our reporter that PDP has more than 80 per cent control of Hadeijia and can’t resort to ballot snatching to win election.

He expressed the belief that his party will always win all electable positions because it was the only party that took the pains to campaign throughout the nooks and crannies of the 27 local governments.

After the protracted delay to announce the results the Ji-

gawa State Independent Electoral Commission (JISIEC) announced the cancellation of the election in Hadejia and Malam Madori local government areas as well as councillorship election of Gujungu Ward in Taura local government area.

In a swift reaction, the APC Interim State Secretary, Local Government Election Committee Muhammed Gabi Hadejia said their grouse is that government allowed the opposition to spent their money to purchase the forms and when they won they

tried to short change them.

‘If they like they should have nominated their candidates without making us to spend our money and energy, there would have been no issues.’

He said they were waiting for the decision from the state APC leadership to know the next line of action.

“We actually won the election because out of the 106 ballot boxes for the election, 32 were either stolen or destroyed by PDP thugs. Of the remaining 74, APC had 6047 votes while PDP had 1114

votes, we got the results from our agents at the polling units because the returning officer absconded with the forms.”

The Commission announced results of 25 local governments where election was concluded through radio without official declaration.

An APC chieftain said there are indications that election may never hold in the affected local Government areas again as the PDP led government is set to install caretaker chairmen since they know they can never win.

HWOLLAZA COMMUNITY: New Chairman Promises Transformative Administration From: Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi, Jos HE new chairman of HwolT laza North-West Community Development Association in Jos North local government of Plateau State, Mr. Lasisi Abel, has assured the community that he would not engage in trivialities but focus attention on real issues that will be beneficial to the community.

Lasisi has also promised to initiate fresh ideas and a programme that will carry the community to greater heights on completion of the mandate given to the new executive committee that he heads.

Speaking recently during his swearing-in ceremony, he disclosed that deliberate efforts are already in place to

ensure that water pipes being laid by the state government get to the community.

“When water pipes were laid up to Hwollaza Central (Shaguna), we made deliberate effort to see the General Manager of Plateau State Water Board to register a complaint on our non-inclusion in the pipe laying exercise and he advised that we should write for the extension of the facility to the other parts of the entire Hwollaza community.

“This we have done and equally included the issue of an abandoned dam at Bishe in Assak ward of the Rukuba Chiefdom. Out of enthusiasm, the General Manager sent a team of experts to look at the dam and we are hoping that this will enhance water supply to the commu-

nity in the near future,” Lasisi stressed.

He told the community that they had also visited the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in respect of the solarpowered borehole, which has remained non-functional since construction, which the MDGs’ coordinator has promised to visit the site and commence the repairs on the project.

Lasisi said that they also disclosed with the MDGs coordinator the possibility of sitting a primary health clinic in the community.

He used the occasion to request that a police post be sited in the community to cope with the security challenges and to enhance the activities of the existing vigilance group in Hwollaza.

The community leader said the issue of power supply to

the community has been tackled head on by the new distributing company.

In his remarks, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Katako Division, Jos North local government, Chief Superintendent S.S. Ibrahim, who was represented by the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO), Assistant Superintendent Musa Hassan, told the people of the community to be vigilant at all times especially. Ibrahim said it becomes imperative, as the strength of the police cannot cope with the population of Nigerians in the country, pointing out that it is 400,000 police to about 160 million Nigerians.

Therefore, he said the people of the community should try to participate actively in community policing by knowing their neighbors and those

who are coming in as strangers, adding that in as much as they are vigilant, their area will be crime-free.

“If you say that you will depend on us, I am telling you that you may fail. But you must wake up so that together we must put our heads together and fight the crime.”

He assured the vigilance group that the police are behind them and that whoever fights them is not only fighting the DPO but the Commissioner of Police in the State.

According to the DPO, “If you think you can fight them (the vigilance group) I think Jos will be too small for us. You either leave Jos or we leave Jos for them. This means we cannot spare anybody or any group of individuals that fight or disrespect the vigilance group. So, you should cooperate with them so that your area is a crime-free area.”

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Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Opinion Mixed Metaphors: Ethical Jungles do not often find reason to support Icomedy President Goodluck Jonathan’s tragiof a government, but I am in his corner over his investigation of curious financial donations being made by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Lamido Sanusi Lamido, to interests of his own choosing.

Among others, the CBN boss is reported to have given N4 billion to Bayero University Kano; N10 billion given to Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto; N500 million to the University of Benin; and N100 million to Kano, his home town.

The presidency alleges that by the donations, Mr. Sanusi violated due process and politicized his office. As part of the enquiry last week, it summoned the Executive Secretary of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN), Jim Obazee, to cough up information on the donations.

The trouble is that Mr. Sanusi recently called out the Jonathan government in a letter to the President in September 2013, a document that subsequently leaked to the press. In it, he declared that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation had failed to repatriate to the Federation Account in 2012 and 2013 a whopping $49.8 billion.

Following subsequent “reconciliation” manoeuvres, the government declared that (only) a few dollars were actually yet to be “reconciled.”

President Jonathan would then ask Mr. Sanusi to resign his appointment, a kind offer the CBN chief turned down, saying that only the federal legislature could truncate his tenure.

Apparently, that has Mr. Jonathan got upset, resulting in the current “investigation.” It would appear to be a serious gamble to get Mr. Jonathan upset, because it gets him thinking rule of law and due process and undue politicization.

I wish the president well, but Mr. Sanusi has been in the donation business for a couple of years.

In “Damnocracy Dividends,” another edition of my Mixed

Metaphors in April 2012, I focused on the donation industry into which the CBN boss had ventured.

At that time, he had just donated the N100 million to Kano, completely unperturbed that anyone might suggest he had overstepped his bounds.

Mr. Jonathan made no such suggestion.

When the stench began to spread, Mr. Sanusi asked the bank to explain his conduct. That was when Professor Sam Olofin of the CBN Board, falling on his face, told Nigerians that the “plan” had been [for Sanusi] to visit Kano and also St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madala, to make a donation to help Boko Haram bomb victims there.

The donation to Madalla was not made, apparently because the parish priest was not available. Still Sanusi, completely without shame, led his delegation to the Emir of Kano and plunked down N100m.

As I said, President Jonathan saw nothing wrong. Sanusi had not crossed any ethical or administrative boundary he recognized.

I wrote, “What Sanusi’s conduct confirms is that the rules by which we are playing at the highest levels in this country are no rules at all. It is a jungle in which we make our own rules.”

That is the jungle that permits a leader to identify wrong only when he is personally challenged. It explains why thieving government officials are never challenged, well-known thieves are given appointments and National Awards, and convicted thieves are given state pardon.

Speaking of identifications, how do you gauge the sincerity of the current government in Nigeria? There may be no easier measure than the swiftness with which it announces an unpopular or policy or idea. In 2011, one of President Jonathan’s first explorations was the option of a seven year term.

Earlier, when he took power in 2010, the first substantive action he announced was the decision to buy three new jets. In the 2014 budget, he wants to buy another one.

Now, where is the devil? Is anybody real-

ly looking for this guy?

Remember that in January 2012, President Jonathan, speaking at a New Year service at the First Batptist Church in Garki, Abuja, unveiled him as the one responsible for our problems.

“When you compare Nigeria to other nations, Nigeria is not moving fast enough,” he said. “We have our challenges and that is where the devil comes sonala.olumhense@gmail.com Twitter: @Sonala.Olumhense in and puts road blocks.”

He is apparently still not under arrest.

And on the subject of arrests, Professor presumably pause in its task of protectAttahiru Jega, the chairman of the so- ing the lootocracy, symbolized by the called “Independent” National Electoral federal executive and the legislature, to Commission, has warned Nigerians not to assemble the guilty and ensure they are expect perfect elections next year. punished severely, with up to 14 years in Of course. In March 2011, Professor Jega jail.

And then, in addition to banning the had wonderful news concerning Nigeria’s gathering of homosexuals, the law prebrand new electoral register. “I must tell you that we have caught some high-pro- scribes 10 years for anyone or group who file double registrants and we may be “supports the registration, operation able to start with them in terms of prose- and sustenance of gay clubs, societies, cution,” he said at the National Summit organizations, processions or meeton Free and Fair Elections, declaring that ings.”

To be clear, I have an objection to gay justice was coming to Nigeria’s Big Men marriage, but Nigeria is going to be jailwho “feel confident that they will get away with whatever they do.” ing people because they are gay in a According to him, “For the first time, we country where the biggest thieves are are saying that if you violate the law, we celebrated, given National Honours and have the capacity to apprehend and pros- made leaders?

We are going to be jailing parents who ecute you.”

When you think about it, he actually love their children whether they are gay said, “capacity.” I thought he meant or straight because love does not dis“intention.” Little wonder not one big criminate? We are going to be jailing man has seen justice since those viola- doctors and nurses because they treat tions. And now, Jega is about to sell HIV& AIDS patients knowing but not another election. Why should they be per- telling the government that they are f e c t ? gay? We are going to be jailing young Justice is easy, apparently, to impose on boys and girls because they are reported the vulnerable: Under Nigeria’s new Same to be gay but cannot hire the same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, homosexu- expensive lawyers who defend the rich?

Finally, it turns out that Bamanga ality has been “abolished.” Nigerians are not to practice it, or know it, or counte- Tukur, the former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was nance it.

We do not see it, do not recognize it and merely reassigned, not neutralized. In do not maintain knowledge of it in our the PDP family, you are never bad heads, unless we first purge it by identify- enough to lose.

In an ethical jungle, you play for keeps. ing to the government people we know to There are no rules. be guilty of it.

Countdown Calendar: There Are 490 When we do that, the government will

A Visit To Auschwitz

By Ban Ki-moon HIS year’s observance of the International T Remembrance Day on January 27 - the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp - falls th

at a time when there are reminders all around us of the dangers of forgetting. This year marks two decades since the genocide in Rwanda. Conflicts in Syria, South Sudan and the Central African Republic have taken on dangerous communal dimensions. Bigotry still courses through our societies and our politics. The world can and must do more to eliminate the poison that led to the camps.

I visited Auschwitz-Birkenau last November. A chill wind was blowing that day; the ground was rocky underfoot. But I had an overcoat and sturdy shoes; my thoughts went to those who had had neither: the Jews and other prisoners who once populated the camp. I thought of those captives standing naked for hours in icy weather, torn from their families and shorn of their hair as they were readied for the gas chambers. I thought of those who were kept alive only to be worked to death. Above all, I reflected on how unfathomable the Holocaust remains even today. The cruelty was so profound; the scale so large; the Nazi worldview so warped and extreme; the killing so organized and calculated nature.

The barracks at Birkenau seemed to stretch to the horizon in every direction - a vast factory of death. The “Book of Names” identifying millions of Jewish victims filled a room yet contained just a fraction of the toll, which also encompassed Poles, Roma, Sinti, Soviet prisoners of war, dissidents, homosexuals, people with disabilities and others. I was especially moved by a video showing European Jewish life in the 1930s - scenes of family meals

and visits to the beach, musical and theatre performances, weddings and other rituals, all savagely extinguished through systematic murder unique in human history.

Marian Turski, a Polish Jew who survived Auschwitz and is today the Vice-President of the International Auschwitz Committee, walked me through the infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” gate — this time in freedom. Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, a survivor of Buchenwald and now the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, stood with me on the ramp where the transport trains unloaded their human cargo, and recounted the traumatic moment when the swift flick of an SS commander’s index finger meant the difference between life and death. I grieve for those who died in the camps, and I am awed by those who lived — who bear sorrowful memories yet have shown the strength of the human spirit.

I was also accompanied by students from the International Youth Meeting Centre in Oswiecim, who work to build bridges among people and nations. L’dor v’dor, Marian Turski said to me - Hebrew for “from generation to generation”, the passing on of wisdom. It is for this reason that AuschwitzBirkenau is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. We cannot build the future without remembering the past; what happened once can recur.

Combatting hatred is among the cardinal missions of The United Nations. Our human rights mechanisms work to protect people. Our special courts and tribunals strive to combat impunity, deliver justice and deter violations. UN special advisers on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect scan the world for the precursors of atrocity crimes. The Alliance of Civilizations initiative seeks to counter

manifestations of hatred, from anti-Semitism and Islamophobia to ultra-nationalism and bias against minorities. Our new “Rights Up Front” effort seeks to strengthen early action to prevent grave abuses of human rights.

For almost a decade, the “United Nations and the Holocaust Outreach Programme” has been working with teachers and students on all continents to promote tolerance and universal values. The programme’s newest educational package, produced in partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, will help to introduce Holocaust studies into classrooms in countries ranging from Brazil and Nigeria to Russia and Japan. At this year’s remembrance ceremony at UN Headquarters, the featured speaker will be Steven Spielberg, whose Shoah Institute for Visual History and Education was a landmark in preserving survivor testimony.

A few steps from the crematorium at Auschwitz, I took a moment to myself for reflection. I touched a barbed wire fence — no longer electrified but still sharp and intimidating. I felt overwhelmed by the enormity of what had happened within, and humbled by the courage and sacrifice of the soldiers and leaders of many nations who defeated the Nazi menace. My hope is that our generation, and those to come, will summon that same sense of collective purpose to prevent such horror from happening again anywhere, to anyone or any group, and build a world of equality for all.

•Ban Ki-moon is United Nations Secretary General. He wrote this article in remembrance of the genocide of the infamous Auschwitz Concentration camp. Monday, 27 January is the International day for the commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust.

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Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Opinion Foremost And Trouble Continuing the travels of Mr. (threatened with High Chieftaincy Titles and unearned honorary doctorates) Dafeed Nomata Trouble through Nigeria.

ROUBLE smiles at everybody, which is his T trouble! A group of disgruntled small and medium thieving and kidnapping enterprises seeing his broad smile walked up to him at a beer parlour. Trouble was buying beer for everybody, but insisting on keeping the beer caps to mine later for possible lucky wins. Can we talk to you sah?

They sidle up to his large table and crowd around him. There were six of them in two distinct groups – two together and four together.

The four were a father, a mother and two children in a family thieving business whose company, registered in Abuja through their lawyer, who placed the name in the general search pool and finding no contenders registered them as Relathieves Inc. The other two are friends, who believe that small thieving businesses would save the country and give employment to all graduates no matter their qualifications, or lack thereof.

What’s the challenge/problem/difficulty/cross? Thank you for asking. Ask you shall work to answer. Seek and if you can find transport and you don’t die in the traffic jam, or sold to human traffickers, you find. Knock and the door, due to poor building foundations and other sundry bribes and corruptions, will surely fall on you. Thanks for asking. The police arrested us. Why did the police arrest you? That’s what we do not understand, sah. You did nothing? I mean, you didn’t do anything, just standing by the road side waiting for transport, and the police arrested

you? Well, sah, they said we kidnapped one school kid and asked for ransom.

Did you kidnap a school kid and ask for ransom? We ask for only a small ransom, sah, wallahi tallahi, just small ransom. One hundred thousand. Fifty thousand. Nothing more. But it is against the law to kidnap and it is against the law to trade human beings by asking for ransom before releasing them?

But we only ask for small sums, small ransoms! There are kidnappers who kidnap important people, government people, business people and ask for millions and millions of naira. We only kidnap small, small people and we ask for, no, we request small ransom. What is bad in that? The police do not arrest the people who kidnap important, important people. It is us that they arrest. Is that fair at all? Can you see it from our point of view? But if the police do not prevent small crimes, how can they prevent big crimes? But why start with us? Why not? Ah, you don’t understand! And they Trouble in anger as the police handcuffed them and led them away.

From his research assistants, Trouble learnt that the chairman of occasions used to be the bane of any gatherings some thirty, forty years ago. The chairman spoke for ever, on and on about how he among so many possible rivals had been chosen and elected and selected and ordained to be the chairman of the occasion. Today the person who constitutes the barrier to civilised meetings and gatherings and ceremonies is called Protocol. The master of ceremonies, who is a law unto himself most of the time, lists the protocols mentioning the excellencies, the deputy excellencies, the princes and princesses, the saints and sirs, the lords spir-

itual and temporal, the high chiefs (why high chiefs when there are no low chiefs? Or are there low chiefs, but they dare not mention them?) the doctors and the professors, the archs (for architect) and engrs (for engineer) plum (for plumbers) and carp (for carpenters) tail (for tailors) and pastors and bishops and any other titles you can imagine! All this in the Federal Republic of Nigeria? Okay, there is little Federal about Nigeria.

So, why should there be anything republican about the country? Republics are so called because they shun titles, and every citizen is the same as the other not minding sex, sexual preferences, height and colour, young or old!

Imagine the envelope that would carry the address of a letter going to High Chief Dr. Sir Pastor Comrade Dafeed Nomata Trouble, No. 1, High Chief Dr. Sir Pastor Comrade Dafeed Nomata Trouble Street, High Chief Dr. Sir Pastor Comrade Dafeed Nomata Trouble Estate, Akure. Sitting, well, not sitting, but staying on the fringes of the crowd are two men, one, a victim of polio in childhood, which now qualified him to be a professional beggar who insists on his name being preceded with the title Beg (for beggar); and two, his friend, a cowherd or herder of cows and goats and sheep who should be deferred to as Cow (for cowherd) or Herd (for herder, his preferred title) listening to everyone standing on, standing by, standing sideways with, maintaining existing Protocol.

The Beggar and the Herder waited in vain to be acknowledged, recognised and accommodated within the existing protocol, but no deal. The master of ceremony combed the gathering for any and every title available including the market head of the gari sellers, meat sellers, yam sellers, orange sellers, any head of any sellings available, but no nod to the beggars and the herders. The beggar was the Frontman of beggars in the town and frontmanship, which takes its place with Imam (the person in front, before others) needed to be recognised just as the Asiwaju of cows and goats and sheep should be allowed his humble place among the titled and honoured.

Noticing this entire goings on, the Foremost Madman of the town Dele Eko beckoned to Trouble to follow him. Trouble followed him. He told Trouble that he had brought a basket of goodies to the market.

Parcels of shit in take-away wraps arranged at the bottom and parcels of moinmoin and asun (roasted meat) in take-away wraps arranged on top. Foremost and Trouble watched as the people rushed and crowded around the basket of goodies buying and pushing and happily carrying away their delights. And Foremost asked Trouble to join him in singing: They will hit shit, for certain! They will hit shit for forever!! They will hit shit for nothing!!!

Siren Tyranny On Nigerian Roads

By Eddie Mbadiwe HIS is not a funeral dirge for Festus Iyayi – distinguished T former President of Academic Staff Union (ASUU) of Nigerian Universities and eminent professor of University of Benin. ``To live in the hearts of those we love is not to die’’ and Festus was eloquently eulogised at his burial by his family, peers and friends. He was a victim of this siren madness. So also was Captain Wada – Governor of Kogi State whose convoy led to Iyayi’s death. Wada of course lived to tell his story. Uzoma Okere as far back as 2008 died while escaping from a siren convoy. There are many other deaths.

One can never stop wondering why sane people would willingly hand over their most prized possession they have – THEIR LIVES - to the whims and caprices of illtrained, semi-literate convoy drivers. Most of these convoy operators have minimum education which is primary standard six. Their level of self-discipline and control is even lower.

This problem of siren abuse has undergone a long period of gestation in my thoughts. At some stage, I contemplated introducing legislation in the National Assembly but with the backlog of un-assented bills one had a rethink. State legislation looked a better option.

Governor Fashola of Lagos State is a trail blazer in this respect and their landmark legislation known as Road Traffic Law 2012 is worthy of emulation by other states.

JAW JAW By Didi Onu

Governor Fashola does not move with siren.

Before proceeding further, it might be useful to look at the origin of the siren. There are a number of derivations but the one that rhymes with the Nigerian scene is from Chambers 20th Century Dictionary edited by A. M. McDonald. It states that the siren is derived from Greek mythology. ``The siren is one of certain Sea-Nymphs- part women and part bird whose songs lured sailors to death’’.

Modern man has modified this and the sound of the siren either from ambulances, fire brigade or security services chasing criminals is in fact a rush to prevent or minimise death.

Sirens gained prominence during the Second World War to warn people against impending air strikes. There is also a new dimension and that is the executive siren which is used not only in Nigeria but in many parts of the world.

Sometimes irresponsible and excessive speeding are associated with this class of siren use and has on occasions caused accidents and death.

For certain classes of government officials such as Presidents, Prime Ministers who are identified targets of terrorists attack, use of the siren for fast movement is justified. The use of course must be regulated which does not seem to be the case in Nigeria. In the United Kingdom, use of sirens and flashing cars known as `BLUES N’ TWOS’ by emergency services, fire ambulance, law enforcement is controlled by law. Blue flashing lights is regulated by Blue Flashing Lights Road Vehicle Lighting Regulation (1989) and that of siren by Road Vehicles Construction and Use Act

(1986). Occasions when vehicles permitted to use these gadgets can break speed limits are well spelt out and obeyed. Former British Prime Ministers used to have two blue light flashing outriders and a few back-up vehicles in their convoy. The current British Prime Minister David Cameron has done away with the motorcycle outriders and now travels with a minimum of traffic disruption. In the U.K, convoy movement with sirens is unknown for private citizens no matter how rich. On one occasion when we had to clear for our lives, I counted 35 vehicles in a governor’s convoy. How ridiculously insensitive can we get?

The debate on siren use has become urgent because 2014 and 2015 are important election years. It is time to address this madness which drives ordinary Nigerians off the road.

What makes the situation more annoying is that the stern gun swinging personnel who accompany these convoys have no respect for anybody. They are prepared to destroy anyone who stands in their way.

As the elections draw nearer, virtually anybody who can pay for Hilux van will soon be mounting a siren and start this mini terrorism. The use of sirens is authorised by the President through the Inspector General of Police. There are approved lists of persons entitled to use them but this list is completely flouted and ignored. Legislation does not seem to be working either. One therefore would appeal to the President to re-table this topic at the Council of States.

A consensus at this forum may have a trickledown effect, which may yet restore sanity to our roads. *Dr. Mbadiwe wrote from Lagos.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

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POLITICS

ABARIBE: Defection Is A Constitutional Matter To Be Addressed By The Court • We Have Serious Work To Do Before 2015 His Excellency, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, is the chairman of Senate Committee on Information. In this interview with LEO SOBECHI, the Senate spokesman x-rays the various issues confronting the Red Chamber as it resumed plenary last week.

The recent development thrown up by defection of some legislators from their original political parties was not envisaged by the 1999 constitution; is there a misreading of the presidential system by the players?

T is not entirely correct to say that it was a situation that was not anticipated by the constitution; the constitution has a very clear provision for people moving from one party to the other. So it is right there in the constitution. The point is that you cannot be allowed to do so and retain your seat if you do not meet certain criteria. And the constitution is clear on the criteria that you must meet. If there is such a provision in the constitution for people who would like to go from one party to the other, then you cannot say it was not anticipated. So, as far as I know, I think it was anticipated.

How do you envisage the issue of assuming majority status that was not directly conferred by the voters to play out ultimately?

Well, let us also say that that is why there is the suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the Speaker (of the House of Representatives) and those who have also tried to move. The idea is to have a legal interpretation of the propriety of those who want to leave where the voters have put them to somewhere else where the voters never knew. At this moment I think it is more appropriate to wait for the legal opinion to be stated very clearly by the court before we go ahead to make any other statement on the matter.

Don’t you think the whole saga triggered by an inchoate party amounts to a source of distraction from governance and especially legislation?

No, it does not affect us in legislation and also should not affect governance. Governance issues are more critical issues and have nothing to do with whether people want to move from one party to the other. So I do not expect that there would be any distraction on government. For us all, our legislative activities are going on as usual, I expect that we will deal with very serious issues that confront us. Like the issues of the Budget; PIB, (Petroleum Industry Bill); Electoral law, because of the coming election; issues of amendment to the constitution and also whether we will wait to get the input from the proposed conference before we conclude action on the constitution. So there are so many issues; and we are going into full blast into them. And I can assure you that the National Assembly is not peopled by persons who are more inclined to their selfish interests. I think that most of the members are nationalistic and would put the interest of the country first.

The Senate seems to have displayed some maturity and patriotism all this while; but in the House of Representatives don’t you think the issue of defection will affect opinions during votes and proceedings?

Well, I don’t think so in that what normally happens in every chamber has to do with the way and manner the presiding officers, conduct their business. The business follows certain rules that are in our rulebook. And so far as you are doing it and you are displaying an even-handed approach to issues, I do not think that should cause any problems at all.

Concerns for 2015 seem to be taking almost 70 percent of activities both at the National Assembly and in the nation; how does this marry into the full plate of work awaiting legislators?

Let us put it this way; everybody knows that in the run up to any election, there will always be distractions that could be caused by concerns for who would ultimately win the big price in the polity; the main thing in politics is how to win election that will come. But that will not stop us from doing our work, which is the right thing.

And of course, concerns for election in 2015 will not stop us from making sure that the budget is passed on time; because you cannot do anything if you don’t have a proper budget. Concerns for 2015 will not stop us from making sure that the uncertainties that exist in the oil sector today is settled by passing the bill and of course concerns for 2015 will even make us work faster to deal with the matter concerning the electoral law if it has to be amended or if there is anything to be

I

There is nothing holding it back. The PIB has gone through the normal stages of legislation. We have done the first reading on it, we have done the second reading on it, we have done the public hearing on it and we are now at the last stage, which is the writing of the bill, putting it in legislative terminology/language. And it will come to the third stage, where we do line by line adoption of all that is written there and if what the House passed is different from what the Senate passed, then we set up a harmonization committee. So we do not see any other problem because we have passed all the different stages and gotten to this point. added. So whichever way you see it, in fact we should be in a position now, seeing what is going on in 2015 and aspirations for 2015 should make us work much harder to lay certain things to rest before we get to that point.

These are critical bills you talked about, even the budget, PIB, Electoral law; how far do you think legislators from their individual constituencies, would leave out parochialism or party interest in tackling these bills?

Every member in the National Assembly is elected to represent a constituency. So, primarily the interest of your constituency must be paramount when you consider any bill. Usually also, the interest of the country comes in when you also consider matters that are sensitive and could cause disunity within the country. And of course, if you are elected under a platform of a party, you will expect that the party would also have input as a platform under which you were elected. You are supposed to also protect that.

So that means that ordinarily, all these considerations will come in and so, it is nothing new!

Now that election is coming, if your party says this is the best way to go, you cannot say you are not going to toe the line of the party. The reason why in parliament you have something called chief whip is that when party positions are taken, and you whip people into line to be able to do that. And of course, like I said; if I come in and I represent Abia South Senatorial district and we have do the consideration of the budget, I must first of all find out what is in it for my people in Abia South Senatorial district.

It is not parochial if I ask for legitimate demands like I have a very serious problem today, running everywhere and I want to talk to FERMA, Federal Ministry of Works; because between Aba and Ikot Ekpene, you cannot drive on the road and it is virtually criminal for us not to have free flow of goods and services on that road. And so if I come now and my job is to ensure that I insist that the budget must take care of matters that relate to that, I am just

doing my job and not being parochial.

How healthy are party caucuses presently in the National Assembly?

Very healthy; we meet in the PDP caucus, we take issues of common interest and a short while ago, the former party chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, met with us here to interact with the caucus. We had serious concerns and we asked him to come so we meet with him.

So, the party caucuses are healthy and I am pretty certain that the other parties are also doing their own bit.

Nigerians are wont to ask, if it is as healthy as you suggest, why did some members just defect without trying to use the caucuses to adumbrate on their misgivings?

If the party caucus is healthy, the question of jumping ship you can locate it on the undue loyalty some of those members have for their governors and so when their governors moved, they immediately felt to move that way. Otherwise, I do not think that it got anything to do with the health of the caucus.

PIB, a lot commentators have wondered why the bill is slow in being passed. What could you say is the snag, holding the bill back?

There is nothing holding it back. The PIB has gone through the normal stages of legislation.

We have done the first reading on it, we have done the second reading on it, we have done the public hearing on it and we are now at the last stage, which is the writing of the bill, putting it in legislative terminology/language.

And it will come to the third stage, where we do line by line adoption of all that is written there and if what the House passed is different from what the Senate passed, then we set up a harmonization committee. So we do not see any other problem because we have passed all the different stages and gotten to this point.

Is there a way of stopping further or frequent squabbles over oil benchmark for the budget?

No, it is normal legislative practice. Both chambers must agree. In fact, it is better for

Nigeria that you have a situation where there is robust discussion on issues before you come to a consensus on it. It is much better really than if you have just a unicameral thing and then you just pass everything that comes to you. I think this is far much better for the country.

Why does the National Assembly wait for the threshold of an election to look into the electoral law?

It is not true; we don’t wait for the nick of an election. But the point really is that in looking at the electoral process, the agency that deals with elections is also supposed to come up to say, ‘this is where we want to go and bring forth the legislation they want us to deal with.’ So if the agency comes late, we have to deal with it late. And I think the process of our elections is such that litigation takes most of the time and you find that the agency is involved in all manners of litigation even up to two years after the election. And that is just not good for us because what really happened was that we were able in the last amendment of the electoral law, to curb frivolous suits, which tended to drag out by making sure that it now takes 180 days and you finish. But as we dealt with the matter of the election itself, we did not deal with that of pre-election matters. And so we found out that pre-election matters also take the same length of time. So, even though you have gone to the tribunal and dealt with the matter, in the regular courts all the way to the Supreme Court, the pre-election matters dominated. And we just found out that the electoral body was enmeshed in all manners of litigations. And of course, that affected the process. So the amendment sought in the constitution now has also brought pre-election matters in line with post-election matters so that if it passes the constitution amendment process, then we would also have 180 days and that would of course shorten the time that people spend in litigation.

INEC also grumble that it is hamstrung by lack of internal democracy in the political parties…

Well I am not in good position to speak on behalf of the party managers, if there is such a complaint.

But the fact remains that the electoral body also has powers given to it under the constitution and the electoral law to be able to make sure that those things are done. For example, it states very clearly that nomination to offices shall be by election.

When it says by election, it means everybody must emerge from there. Now if in the process, the party wants to exclude some persons, that is where the electoral body can come in. Now, I have not seen the electoral body taking parties to court, because ultimately, those types of steps must be taken so that we still have a robust democracy and adherence to democratic ideals.

What about the creation of a body to try electoral offenders?

I think that is part of the amendments they want to do. But I think you ask yourself, I think they have been able to do some public hearings and all that.

What makes an electoral offence different from any other crime in the eyes of a judge for instance, that is much more than corruption for example? If you were unable to create special courts for corruption cases, why do you want to create a special one for this, those are some of the questions that arise when these matters come up. And until we resolve it in a way, one way around it is to ask courts and taking out some judges to deal with matters of this and that nature. But these are things to be done by the judiciary, because at every time we call for public hearing, we also invite them to make their own submissions. I think it was from there that we got the impression that they feel we should not create special tribunals of this nature of offences.

How would the Senate react to another request for extension of state of emergency as the fight against insurgency continues?

That is a decision that could be taken by Mr. President. And if he comes back to the parliament I believe he would come back with reasons why he seeks another extension. The parliament is briefed by the security agencies on how far they have gone in tackling the menace then on that basis we would also consider everything and take appropriate decision. So it is not what I can say off hand what is going to happen in five months’ time.

Senate has taken interest in what happened in Port Harcourt, is it because one of you is involved?

The Senate always looks into every issue that deals with law and order, peace and security of Nigerians.

That is why you see so many motions that come in and so many motions that are tagged motions of urgent national importance. That is, once it has come to that extent that is what happens. We look into it, we take debates on the motion and we make resolution aimed at solving or helping to solve such problems.

56 Sunday, January 26, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

POLITICS

VIOLENCE IN OGUN

OGUN: Elevating Political Violence To An Art

By Charles Coffie Gyamfi, Abeokuta IOLENCE is not new in Ogun State politics. During the tenure of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the state was enmeshed in crisis for about a year. The irony was that those responsible for that violence were members of the same party. The same situation appears to have reared its ugly head.

In the past two weeks, members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under the leadership of Senator Ibikunle Amosun have engaged themselves in violence, resulting into injuries of some party faithful.

During the PDP crisis of old, the 26-member House of Assembly (all of them PDP members) fought one another dirty. They were divided into two factions, G-15 and G 9. All efforts to reconcile them proved abortive. It got to a point where the G-9 broke into the Assembly Chambers at dawn, held a plenary session and purportedly removed the then Speaker, Hon. Tunji Egbetokun.

This resulted in the Assembly having two Speakers. The two factions held plenary sessions at different locations during the period of the fight. The confusion led to the shutting down of the Assembly for nine months.

Residents heaved a sigh of relief therefore, when the PDP was defeated in the 2011 elections by the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Their thinking was that the new administration under Amosun would restore the much-needed peace in the state. That manageably took place until early this month. But in the last two weeks, political violence has re-surfaced, in a worrisome dimension.

Three ugly incidents have occurred within the period. The first one occurred in Abeokuta on Thursday, January 9 when political thugs invaded an APC meeting at the party’s secretariat, Abeokuta, beating everybody at sight and damaging party’s property. The second incident occurred on Thursday, January 16 at Wasinmi, during a senatorial meeting by Senator Gbenga Obadara. During the incident, Obadara’s police orderly sustained gun shot injury. Exactly a week later, some suspected thugs invaded the senatorial office of Senator Akin Odunsi in Otta and beat the office Secretary to stupor. The disturbing thing is that the three violent incidents were reportedly the handwork of APC thugs. The fight is between two factions within the party, that of Governor Amosun and the party’s leader, Chief Segun Osoba, former governor of the state. And it is over who controls the party structure before the 2015 general elections. The attacks were, allegedly carried out by members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), whose leadership is said to be close to the state government, fueling speculation that the government sponsored the attacks.

The three Senators and the nine House of Representatives members belong to the Osoba faction. So also are some members of the State House of Assembly. All the members representing the state at the National Assembly are insisting that Amosun

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Amosun

Osoba

was the one who sponsored attacks. But Amosun has vehemently denied it, accusing the lawmakers of stage-managing the attacks to achieve a parochial political interest.

The party’s state Interim Chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Bello however has appealed to all party faithful to forget their individual political interests and allow peace to reign. He said; “it is so unfortunate that such a thing will be happening in these days of progress of Ogun State. It is a surprise that a new dimension is being introduced into the politicking of Ogun State, more so

from responsible politicians that people give very high regard.”

Elders of the party are working to resolve the crisis, but the most important thing to do is for the party to assure all stakeholders of level-playing field in the oncoming membership registration as well as primaries for the 2015 elections. What is happening now is that all the players are not sure of themselve and are trying hard to undo one another to gain upper hand party.

In what way, therefore, is the APC different from the PDP they love to vilify?

OBADARA: I Don’t Know Why They Want Me Killed Gbenga Obadara, the senator representing Ogun Central Constituency on the platform of the APC escaped death by the whiskers when sponsored hoodlums in Wasinmi, Ewekoro Local Government of the state, allegedly attacked his group. He narrated his escape in this interview with GBENGA AKINFENWA. You allegedly escaped death in Wasinmi, recently; could you explain your experience and how you escaped unhurt?

T was a very harrowing experience. But the question is why would anybody be after my life. The House of Representative member, Kunle Adeyemi got there before me and as soon as I came down from the car, I met the Area Commander there and it was a big surprise that the hoodlums there were shouting that its Senator Obadara they have come to see, they want to see him, they want to kill Obadara.

We decided to avert problem and I ordered my people to move to Itori, where we had our meeting. They later came to the venue with charms and other deadly weapons and I told my people not to engage them in any fight. As soon as we moved from Itori on our way to Abeokuta and had a stop over at Wasinmi, immediately we alighted from the car, they started shouting, ‘this is Obadara he must be killed’ and immediately they started raising their weapons and moving closer to us. My orderly was beside me looking at them and when they suddenly shot directly at me he pushed me aside and he was hit by the bullet and that was how they were shooting sporadically and using their weapons.

It was a serious pandemonium, the police were there doing nothing, I told them to chase them and use the tear gas but they were just looking at me.

Did you identify anybody among your attack-

I

ers?

Yes, identified a councilor representing Wasinmi, who had benefitted from me financially and that of Papalanto among the hoodlums.

The chairman of the local government called the DPO early that morning that the governor instructed him that no meeting should hold at the venue and they told him that I am the owner of the place. I even invited the police. The DPO and Area Commander are alive to testify to this.

From the picture of what happened what do you think is the reason for the attack?

I just don’t know, it’s their habit, they are just causing problem all over the state. They call themselves SIA group, Ibikunle Amosun group, using that to cause problem. I don’t need to tell lies about that, I am a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Can you tell the whole world the matter between you and Amosun?

I can tell you I have no grievance against the governor, if there is anything let the governor say it out. All the activities he has been organising from the beginning of this administration till now, I have being the only Senator, the only National Assembly member that has been attending, supporting his government. I have being with the chairman of the party, with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, even Alhaji Lai Muhammed; I have been with Aremo Olusegun Osoba and others. What am I preaching? Peace. The reason why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost the state was due to in-fighting, I don’t want that to happen in my party we suffered for eight years, why do we have to continue because we fought the then government, why do we have to continue in that way. We know how we won the election, why should we go the same route? I have been preaching peace and peace. That is why the governor cannot say this is what Obadara has done, and I can say that to the whole world. It came to a stage that he alleged that I was incon-

Obadara sistent in what I say and do. I have never in my life been an inconsistent person; I am a reliable human being. I have my dignity was not inconsistent in my years in the corporate world; it’s a damaging comment from anybody to me.

The governor through a letter accused you of engineering the crisis because of your selfish agenda...

What is my agenda as a Senator? I’m not struggling with him to be a governor. What selfish agenda? What will I fight him for? The letter was sent to my Personal Assistant’s house on Sunday, it was my driver that went to Abeokuta to collect it and before he returned I had started reading it in the papers. The letter the governor said he wrote to me has now become a newspaper advertorial.

It was alleged that you and other members of the National Assembly sponsored by some chieftains of the party are planning to destabilise the party.

Who are the chieftains and what are your griev-

ances against the government?

Can anybody push me to fight anybody? The governor too can confirm it that I am the only Senator loyal to him. Nobody would push me to fight anybody; I am not a person like that.

How many factions exist presently in APC in the state?

I can tell you that my party doesn’t recognise factions. I don’t belong to any faction, I belong to APC. What about allegation that you belonged to Osoba’s faction?

The major problem facing APC is the issue of lack of truth. It is important that everybody should work towards the success of the party.

We suffered before we got here, where is Dipo Dina today? Exactly January 25, 2010 he was killed in this struggle; we sold houses, we sold things to get here. I was to be killed on October 1, 2007, but God saved me, the governor himself can tell his own story. How on earth do we then need to return to what we campaigned against? Believe me we have to go back to the drawing board to be able to be truthful in our actions; that is what I mean.

Whatever we are doing let us continue to work towards peace, whatever allegation anybody has raised against me, let the person not protect me, let him expose me and I stand to be challenged.

The governor also alleged that the NASS members are opposed to his government based on their desperation to secure automatic ticket for 2015, how true is this?

At present, there is no member of APC, if there is any let the person come forward to show his membership card. We are just working towards the mobilisation of people to join our great party. So, only God gives power.

Is Amosun sure of securing a second term ticket?

I am not God and I don’t play God. If God gives power, whatever He has written is written and no one can change what God has written. So that is my take on that.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

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POLITICS

VIOLENCE IN OGUN

KAKA: I Sympathise With Amosun, Let Him Use His Famed Midas Touch Positively Senator Adegbenga Kaka, former deputy governor of Ogun State was reluctant to speak on the crisis threatening to tear apart the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Eventually he opened up to KAMAL TAYO OROPO.

age crisis?

People are entitled to their opinion and you are free to draw your conclusion based on your perception. But the governor is not just my governor; he’s not just the APC governor but also the entire Ogun State governor. Incidentally, that is why a lot more is expected from his good office.

A lot of people are already challenging His Excellency to prove the adage that he has the Midas touch and everything he touches turns to gold; not the opposite. I really sympathise with him.

But here is someone who entered politics in 2003, after a successful career, and barely three months after he joined the party it was precipitated in crisis. Eventually that party got into oblivion in Ogun State. From there he was in ANPP, from there to CPC, then to ACN and it seems nemesis is now about to catch up with him in the new APC, where all those parties are now coming together in line with the direct principle Chief Awolowo. Arguably, these crises might not have been solely his fault, but history is recording them against his name. He can no longer continue on the fault line, hence history may not be too kind on him.

Incidentally, those in the forefront of not allowing themselves to be fooled again, the way he supposedly fooled those in the ACN, are the ones not taking things lightly. They are agitated.

The people are beginning to raise many questions.

Do the questions include any regret over the

It looks like Ogun State is fast retrogressing into the state of chaos that characterised the immediate past administration. How did things revert to this state of perpetual conflict?

ELL, we pray we don’t get back to that era, but the ugly signs are there; there is no doubt about that. And to answer the question on how we got here, it is so simple. In 2011 the people were desirous of change in the state. And again, perhaps out of sentiment, or whatever, some people, rightly or wrongly, decided that some of us would be able to live up to the expectations of the people.

But shortly after the election, and without maligning anyone, it turns out that some of us are not capable of living up to this responsibility. And then, rather than achieving what I would refer to as proper blending, that was not happening. By and large, I believed that with the emergence of the new party, the APC, we were soon to get over it. All the innuendoes and challenges had been conceived before and are now coming to the fore and the traits coming out now we all tried to nip in the bud –– and that’s all we are trying to do now; to nip it in the bud.

Yet, those of you in the state caucus at the National Assembly have been accused of trying to intimidate and hijack the party machinery from the governor. Where do you stand in this?

No, no. You have to get things clear. Those of us in the National Assembly do not have the party machinery. The party machinery under Bello sold out completely and the party was destroyed; that was then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). And now, without congresses and without any election, the same Bello is parading himself as APC chairman in the state.

Some people are arrogating offices to themselves indiscriminately and forgetting we are under a democratic system. That is not in line with the tenet of our party and it is not in tandem with the guidelines given by the Interim National Working Committee of the party. We are yet to have membership and yet, some people are already apportioning party positions to themselves.

Unfortunately, many have had cause to cry out that His Excellency in the last two years or so had been busy with one endorsement or the other, instead of facing his job and one is tempted to think they may have a point. The truth is that nobody in the National Assembly from the state has ever said he wants second term or not.

What is presently important is that we are preoccupied with the building of the party, concentrating on the assignment given to us and guiding jealously the mandate of the electorate.

What we are after is to build the party, but the party followers know those who are destroying the party. And the people of Ogun State know what is going on.

But even as we speak, there are posters of the state governor flooding strategic places in the state…

Well, there is no crime in seeking second term.

We all have different approaches to things. No one is objecting to that. It is just a sign of intention. But having said this, we must remind ourselves all the time that due process must be followed. People are saying that there must be no act of despotism. Some are even going as far as implying that if the state governor wants to get the party and turn it into his personal property, they have the right to resist and insist that this is the party of the people and not the inheritance of a single individual. One is tempted to believe that this is what is going on in the state.

This is a state where we had Chief Obafemi Awolowo, he never taught us violence. We are not known for violence. Abraham Adesanya, also from the state, fought the General Sani Abacha junta without recourse to violence. During all the turbulence we never used a single stick; rather we used our heads. So, we expect everyone in this unfortunate situation we found ourselves to use his or her brains and not to embrace violence as means of settling disputes.

Will you agree with people saying that crisis seems to follow your governor every political step he takes, right from his PDP days, through his sojourn in the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and now in the APC; does he have penKaka chant for trouble and lacking capacity to man-

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choice of Amosun in 2011 as the ACN candidate, even though he was few months old in the party; could it be true that candidate Amosun was not properly engaged by the party leadership?

Sincerely speaking, if you look at the election proper as well as the run up to the election, the general feeling in the air was to the effect that people wanted a change desperately. People actually voted the PDP out of office. It turned out to be that it was the ACN that was the credible alternative. And it is an open secret that that was the reason the governor pitched his tent with the party; otherwise he could have gone into his old party and contested.

Realising, that the ACN was the credible alternative, we all congregated thinking that things would be okay. Not minding that nothing less than nine eligible contestants were in the race before. But it would appear others coming in were not welcome if they were shut out of the contest. So, with the pressure left, right and center, we had to give kudos to those who were the forerunner candidates in the ACN and they took it calmly. But I can assure you that nothing has been done to rehabilitate any of them.

Rather, it has been marginalisation, even after getting the ticket. They feel cheated. If they made the bed, is it not enough someone else is now lying on it, but must they be pushed out of the room?

So, if you like, take the emergence of the governor as a mistake on the part of the leadership and if you like, take it as a decision made based

Well, there is no crime in seeking second term. We all have different approaches to things. No one is objecting to that. It is just a sign of intention. But having said this, we must remind ourselves all the time that due process must be followed. People are saying that there must be no act of despotism. Some are even going as far as implying that if the state governor wants to get the party and turn it into his personal property, they have the right to resist and insist that this is the party of the people and not the inheritance of a single individual.

One is tempted to believe that this is what is going on in the state.

on sentiments; the decision is yours. Whichever way, it is all well and good. We are in it, the problem has arisen and surely the solution would be found.

Would you agree with the sentiment that the party would not have won the governorship race without someone like Senator Amosun as its flagbearer?

That is why I am saying that some people erroneously believe that; and that was a mistake.

The truth is that the people massively voted against the PDP and the ACN was the only credible alternative as at that time; it was not about any of us as candidates. The people were just fed up with the PDP. So, I cannot confidently say people voted for individuals. Though, anyone could arrogate to himself or herself any claim to the contrary.

As an elder in the party, if the governor calls you up for advice on the best way out of the crisis tearing the party apart, what would you say to him?

Well, that would be hypothetical. He has not called me in that regard. Let us wait till that time. Actions, according to the Prophet of Islam (Mohammed), shall be judged according to intentions. I am not someone given to deceiving others. I don’t lie. If the governor’s intention is clear and genuine, of course, I would humbly give him my candid advice.

In the mean time, since everyone knows how the trouble started, what is your solution to getting out of the crisis; how can the heat be turned off?

Unfortunately, and with total due respect, the governor is the chief security officer of the state.

He alone can arrest the situation. There is no one heating up the polity that I know of. But, like I said earlier, people are pointing fingers at His Excellency. They are insinuating he is the one heating up the polity. If this is true, it is not good for the state. The governor is the number one citizen of the state and father of all. People are pointing to the various adoptions of individuals by the governor as example of generating heat in the polity. Some of them that were elected same as the governor are saying they are not the ones adopting anyone, but their job is to give account of their stewardship to the people as well as enlighten them about the party registration that is coming up. We should desist from thinking that elected officials from the state cannot go individually and collectively to meet the electorates. There are some things that are guaranteed under the constitution and that include freedom of association and freedom of speech. Where there is justice, there is peace.

The governor must try and work as the team leader and be seen to be doing so. To the glory of God, the governor is not only the leader of the party in the state, but also the leader of the entire state. He’s the custodian of our people’s mandate freely given. But everybody must be carried along and there must be inclusiveness in everything we are doing.

But beyond your advice, there is the impression that all the heat is deliberately generated to further political interests in 2015; that some of you are unsure of winning the ticket to re-return.

Are you afraid of losing out in the next election?

You have earlier said that I had been anything anyone can hope to be in the state; 26 years ago I was a commissioner; eight years after and between 1999 and 2003 I was the deputy governor of the state and; eight years after again, I am a senator of the Federal Republic representing my people. I am thankful to God Almighty for his mercies. Why should I be afraid of losing out? The issues of second term or no second term is a decision of God and the people of Ogun State. It is not for any human being to take.

Incidentally, that is one of the challenges people are confronting the governor with. No one to my knowledge in the Ogun State caucus of the National Assembly is talking of 2015. Rather, as you pointed out earlier, it was the governor and his SIA group that have been flooding the place with posters of 2015 since 2012. A lot of people have been calling our attention to this.

And as far as I know, no single individual in the APC has signified his/her or intention to contest against him. The governor is supposed to be the custodian of peace and must not allow himself to be perceived as the one creating crisis. You cannot be oppressing a group of people and be telling them not to resist. No one oppresses you and gets away with it freely without your consent.

People are saying that they are not giving their

CONTINUED ON PAGE 58

58 Sunday, January 26, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

POLITICS

VIOLENCE IN OGUN

Sola Lawal is the Interim Publicity Secretary of the APC in Ogun State; he spoke to GBENGA AKINFENWA on the position of the party on the political violence in the state, the grouse between Governor Ibikunle Amosun, NASS members and some chieftains of the party.

What is the position of APC leadership in Ogun on the current political violence in the state?

ET me quickly correct the impression you are creating by referring to recent development in the state as crisis or festering violence, we don’t have anything of such in Ogun State. We don’t have anything that you can describe as violence in the state. Two, within our party we do not have what you can call crisis, rather I would say what we are witnessing is a kind of intra-party disagreement, differences in views. A vibrant political party and a mega party as APC would be expected to have all kinds of opinions, contesting and jostling for advantage over the other in the market place of opinion. So what we have is what I would call productive disagreement, differences in opinion and views among members of a very large, vibrant political family.

You call it intra-party disagreement, but having turned violence what name do we call that?

Well, I can assure you that members of the APC in the state would not get themselves involved in any kind of violence. I wasn’t at the scene, neither were you there too on the said date, but the story we got was that hoodlums, you cannot say party members are hoodlums, they can come from anywhere to disturb the gathering. Since the police are still working on the development, it would be jumping the gun or prejudicial for anyone of us to conclude that there was violence and people were killed, you cannot accuse anybody at this particular time. So we want to believe that if truly there were some crises that led to exchange of fisticuffs, possibly like newspapers reported it, it must have been perpetrated not by members of our party, not by leaders of our party but by hoodlums.

This lingering ‘disagreement’ was like a top secret till the last few weeks, what are the issues?

As I speak with you, it is only the position of the Publicity Secretary of APC in Ogun state that is officially sanctioned, which means there is no chairman, no secretary, no other official of the party in the state at present, except my office. It is because my position has been officially sanctioned in the meantime that’s why you are interviewing me; that’s why I am still speaking for the party. Officially, there are no officials of the party because even the party itself doesn’t have members at the moment; the party registration has not been done. The national body fixed January 28 and 29 for the commencement of the exercise. So, as we sit here, nobody can claim he or she is an official member of APC in any state of Nigeria.

The publicity secretary would be there so that the party would not go into slumber for people to know that the party is still there. Although there are no official members of the party right now, but there is a ground swell supporter’s sympathy for the party. So if you take everybody who has sympathy for the party and the supporters, you’ll see a huge crowd of supporters or adherent of the party.

You claimed the violence was perpetrated by hoodlums and not party officials, but the state governor, Ibikunle Amsoun was accused by Senator Gbenga Obadara of masterminding the Wasinmi violence and others that took place recently, which resulted to shooting and maiming. Are you saying this is blackmail?

Like I said earlier, we all read on the pages of

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LAWAL:What We Have In Ogun APC Is Jostle For Advantage Not Crisis newspapers that there was crisis at Wasinmi.

The day the incident supposedly took place; almost all the leaders of the party were at Eko Hotel for the 75th birthday of the interim national chairman of the party, Bisi Akande. The state governor, the 20 chairmen, commissioners, party chieftains including myself from the state were there and the venue is over 100km away from Wasinmi. It would be wrong; it would be uncivil for anybody to preempt police report on that matter. An incident supposedly took place, the police have not come out to point at any culprit expected to be taken to court, somebody is now accusing this person or that, I think he is wrong to say that, particularly when the person Obadara accused was not at an event. If as a party we want to react to that we’ll say his statement is wrong and shameful.

I would not say there are no noticeable hiccups within the party because it’s a mega party, but it should be within the bound of civility. So it is wrong for Obadara to begin to point accusing fingers, it is quite destructive, abnormal and doesn’t depict picture of a loyal, committed party man. He doesn’t need to come out to pull down the house built by everybody; it was because the house was okay that he contested on its platform. Without prejudice to police investigation, as a party our heart goes to the victims of the unfortunate development. Let everybody keep calm, as a party we’ll do everything to ensure that such does not repeat itself.

What is the grouse between the governor, some chieftains of the party and the National Assembly members?

Our position as a party is that there is no crisis within the party, yet we want to agree many of

the National Assembly members are at loggerheads with the state governor over the control of the party. As much as we want to admit that the party is one big house where all kinds of people co-exist and where we encourage enlightened people, it is still our opinion as leaders that anything that is done by any leader of the party or any group of elected people in the party should be done within the conference of the law and within the constitution of the party.

It is not unexpected that right now there would be pockets of upheavals within any political party because this is an election year, this is not even peculiar to Ogun State, it is happening in Kwara, Rivers, Kano, Bauchi and in other states, it is expected. In Ogun there is no reason for our brothers and colleagues in the National Assembly to cause problem, the reason is simple, politics is a game of number and we have not even done our party registration, so what stops an individual from going to his local government or ward to get people out to vote for the party.

We are told there are factions in your state chapter of APC; is that true??

Let me make a confession to you, there used to be two dominant groups within the party, but today it is only one. Let me go historical, as at the time of commissioning of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2010, in the state, there were some of us that came from the background of Action Congress then and there were people that came from Amosun side. We came together in ACN. At that particular time there were two distinct groups within the party, but despite that we still fielded candidates jointly, agreeable to all. ACN did not say because it has advantage

Lawal

because of its numerical strength and contact over All Nigerians Peoples Party (ANPP); the governorship ticket was given to Amosun, then, other tickets were also allotted.

But mind you, the two groups were not mutually exclusive of each other, they were actually working together, otherwise the core ACN of that time would not have fielded Amosun.

Eventually after the election, the process of bringing everybody together under the same platform took place, it was managed; and that is why it took over three years before you started witnessing this disagreement. If it were not well managed during the 2011 elections it would have turned to another thing by now. As we speak today there is no group called SIA or Osoba in the party, we are all the same. Where we have factions are officials that are parallel to each other, we don’t have that in the state. Sola Lawal speaks for the party, nobody else does that. So where do we now have factions? Chief Osoba would tell you he has no group, if anybody says that, it is because such people want office and nobody can get to any office by armtwisting the party or blackmailing the party.

Is 2015 and Amosun’s endorsement not the cause of the disagreement?

I belong to the leadership of this party and I can tell you that Amosun is not fighting for re-election. It is unfortunate that people are spreading the inglorious rumor considered as an idle thought that emanated from a weakened mind.

Ask anybody if there is anybody eligible to run for office in 2015 than Amosun in terms of performance. No government has transformed the state than what he has done. Amosun is not fighting for any ticket but indirectly he has fought and won the ticket by his performance, such that if the party refuses to field him today we can have questions to answer at the polls by the electorate and that is a fact. It’s not about Amosun fighting for ticket. So it is the opinion of the people that would count.

We would appeal to our brothers who are seeking political office to go and appeal to the people.

Amosun has been severally accused of intolerance; that it manifested when he was in PDP, ANPP, ACN and now APC; to what do you attribute this?

Well, I wasn’t in PDP, so I wouldn’t know what transpire there or what Amosun did. I was not also in ANPP and cannot comment on his person in the party, but as far as the ACN and APC that we are in is concerned, the accusation is incorrect because if he were intolerant, people like us would not be with him or work with him.

What we have is a performing state governor, whose managerial ability would help us in sustaining the success recorded so far by the party.

If anybody would accuse him of intolerance, let him/her come out with facts. In this party we have not witnessed that. If he were intolerant people like us would have told him.

Few days ago, a leader of your party was quoted as saying, ‘by the time we gun down one of the NASS members, others would flee;’ what could have prompted a leader to say that?

No reasonable person would say that. I have being a government appointee and I know how enormous the power of a governor can be. Even ordinary eye contact or body language is enough to order people to kill. You should know this is a lie, you should know this is untrue. ‘By the time I gun down, not by the time I give them a blow, gunning down.’ I consider this as a cheap, hopeless, primitive propaganda that could only come from a warped mind that is thoroughly abused by blind ambition. It is a cheap blackmail. I read it too in their letter. I felt ashamed when I read that NASS members wrote such. They should go and bury their heads in shame.

Amosun Should Use His Famed Midas Touch Positively CONTINUED FROM PAGE 57 consent to what they called charade. As such, they are looking up to their representatives, the legislators, for leadership, which we are trying to provide and which what we are getting in return are threats. Of course, you cannot continue to restrain people and telling them to keep quiet, even at the risk of threats, because you want peace at all cost in Ogun State. It does not work that away. We must work together for peace in the state. No one should be expecting the peace of graveyard.

Reading between the lines the people know who is telling the truth and who is being economical with the truth; that is the reality.

Some of your colleagues have alleged threat to the lives; are you afraid for your life?

Why should I be afraid of my life? It is inevitable that I will die some day. And I am of the strong conviction that it is only God that gives and takes life. If it is today that it pleases almighty God to take my life, by the grace of God I have no fear. In fact, if anyone guns me down, that person should not glorify himself or herself that he killed me; it must be accepted that I simply answered the call of God. It is impossible for anyone to kill me without God allowing it. If anyone thinks he or she can deter

me by death or threat of death, that person is grossly mistaking. I will not die twice.

But in all of this, former governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba, who is apparently the leader of the party in the state and your former boss, has been noticeably silent. Are you comfortable with this siddon look approach?

Sincerely speaking and from what I have gathered from him, he’s of the opinion that ‘he who built, must not destroy’. And as an elder statesman, it is alright for him to maintain his stoic and golden silence. He’s the father of all in the state ad his belief is that things would eventually sort themselves out. And indeed, things would sort themselves out. The parties concerned are ready to make necessary amendments. It is simple; just carry everybody along.

The position of the governor can be likened to the father of 10 children, if you like one; you don’t show it to the others. Hence, you may have in your hands the case of Joseph (Yusuff in the Quran) who was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers.

Some of you are believed to be acting a prepared script; that you are Osoba men. Are you not one of them?

It is not true. It is totally untrue. In 2003, governor Amosun was a senator of the Federal Republic, who was behind him

then? Who was pushing him? Chief Osoba has not been pushing anyone. If anything, the former governor has been calming down the legislators; and those making the allegation are aware of this fact. As far as I am concerned, I don’t need anyone to push me before I fight for my rights and before I fight for the rights of the people that elected me. For the past 26 years I have been in and out of government and my antecedent is known by everybody. I have never indulged in any thuggery; never!

Would I encourage any act of violence? No, never! Even when hoodlums came to my house and destroyed everything in sight, people were poised to retaliate, but I stood my ground firmly saying no, leave them in the hands of God. And that is how I have been able to maintain my peace at all times.

As far as those of us in the National Assembly are concerned, there is nothing like Osoba group. We have the core ACN in the real APC trying to blend everybody together. Ninety-nine percent of those formerly in the CPC, ANPP or ACN are with us.

And as a father, those who are purportedly in the SIA group and those in APC are followers of Osoba. It is those who are just mouthing Osoba as a leader, but don’t treat him as leader and do not show him respect that are the ones who should retrace their steps.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

59

POLITICS From Lawrence Njoku (Enugu) ORMER governor of Enugu State, Dr Chimaroke Ogbonnaya Nnamani, does not need much introduction.

The medical expert, who came to limelight in 1999, after winning the election of the state under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) means so many things to the people of Enugu State and beyond.

This is as a result of his person and the style of leadership he advanced during his eight years in office between 1999 and 2007. While some see him as the leader who changed the face of Enugu politics, bringing on board persons who were not reckoned with to leadership positions, others see him as one who drew backwards the developmental march and progress of the state.

The Amakpu–Agbani born medical doctor cum politician, however, did not just spend his entire eight years administering Enugu state. He made out time to engage in academic exercise as he delivered thought provoking lectures at some political gatherings and institutions of higher learning throughout the country.

Perhaps, it was the popularity acquired while delivering these lecture series that led him into trying his hands at the race for the Presidency in 2007. Like others, he started the campaign for the exalted office, but could hardly carry on after his party zoned the office to the North.

And like any other politician desirous to serve, he returned to the state and picked the ticket of the party to run for the Enugu East senatorial election, which he won in 2007.

However, no sooner had he won the election than trouble broke out between him and his godson, the incumbent governor of the state, Sullivan Chime. Nnamani, who was said to have single-handedly primed Chime for office, became the victim, as the leadership of the state would not want to have anything to do with him, nor the Ebeano political family he nurtured while in office.

His fight with the state government led him into not showing up during the swearing in of National Assembly members in 2007, of which he was a member. His swearing in took place at a later date.

But while at the National Assembly, Nnamani was hardly present at sittings. Even when he was present, he hardly made any contribution to any debate on the floor of the Assembly.

The development got even his home governor (Chime) worried and infuriated and at certain occasions. Chime described him as a “truant.” At another occasion at Okpara Square, Chime described the Ebeano political structure as “dead and non-existent in the lexicon of the state,” and declared that the state would prefer a Senator (anyhow), who was ready and would always be seen during plenary than one, who would not be seen.

“At least, he or she would know when they are discussing issues affecting the country and know what to report to his constituents than one who has made himself elusive,” Chime had said, adding that, Enugu was then being represented by only two senators.

With that declaration, a plan was hatched on how to ensure Chimaroke did not return to the senate or engaged in any elective office in 2011.

Thus, knowing too well that the ticket of the PDP would not be given to him, Nnamani alongside his supporters voluntarily left to form the Peoples Democratic Congress (PDC). It was this platform that he used to vie for the Enugu East Senatorial election of 2011, which he lost to one of his loyalists, Prince Gilbert Emeka Nnaji of the PDP. Since the conclusion of that process, Nnamani’s activities had remained low. His name appeared in the media only when he attended the court to answer allegation of misappropriation, which the Economic and Financial Crimes

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ENUGU PDP: Nnamani’s Rumored Return Unnerves Party Men

Nnamani

Commission (EFCC) brought against him.

Nnamani, however, returned to the news few days ago when the leadership of his former party, the PDP, revealed that they were in the know about his move to return to the PDP. Those who peddle the news of his return said he is coming to re-contest the Enugu East senatorial election, which he lost to Nnaji and for which the state government is putting machinery in motion to ensure that Nnaji did not return in 2015.

It was further gathered that should the former governor be admitted, it could jeopardize the chances of a top female official of government, who is rumoured to have interest in the position. This is said to have elicited the statement by the PDP rejecting Nnamani’s return bid.

A statement issued by the state chairman of the party, Vita Abba, accused Nnamani of planning to return to PDP, stating however, that, “it is a dramatic move that will never see the light of the day.”

Abba said Nnamani, who returned to his Agbani country home on December 30, apparently for the new year holiday was locked in a marathon meeting with the deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, “ostensibly to distill the former governor’s grievances and conditions for reuniting with the PDP.” Abba said the PDP will employ every possible means at its disposal to ensure that such “a bad omen” does not revisit the Party in the State.

He added that it would amount to gross disservice to the Party and the state to allow such attributes of “vendetta, villainy and despot to rejoin the party at this point in time the state is enjoying the highest level of peace and good governance under the dynamic leadership of Governor Sullivan Chime.”

Abba, who sounded like an undertaker noted that in spite of the fact that the PDP Constitution made provision for returnees, the state chapter of the Party takes exception to any clandestine move by the former Governor to return to the Party he worked in vain to destroy.

He said the former Governor left the Party out of his own volition and formed an opposition political party, the Peoples Democratic Congress (PDC) with the sole aim of destabilizing the PDP in the State.

Although the former governor would not want to react to the allegations, sources told the Guardian that he was only home to spend his new year and was not ready to leave the PDC, which he nurtured.

The source added: “Abba sounded as if PDP is his personal property. Unfortunately, Nnamani is not interested and not ready to return to the PDP. If he wants to return to PDP, the likes of Abba or anybody cannot stop him. He was instrumental to the development of the party, having served as its first governor in the state and produced a successor under the platform. Whatever anybody is enjoying in the party in the state presently were the results of his hard work. But the truth is that Nnamani is not contemplating any return to the PDP.” Another politician in the state, Eze Abugu said: “ Nnamani is not the first person who might return to his former party.

Others have done so in the past. So those issuing press statements against the move should reconsider their position. PDP does not reject anybody and certainly, it cannot do so now.

This kind of attitude by Abba is what is killing the party. There is no permanent enemy in politics, what is permanent is interest and those issuing statements should know this.”

A former national auditor of the party, Ray Nnaji, said there is nothing wrong in the former governor returning to the party, stressing that he was a foundation member of the party.

Nnaji said that Nnamani’s return would help boost the image and development of the PDP in Enugu, stressing that the party actually suffered some setbacks and losses when he left some years ago to form another political party.

OKOROCHA: Democracy Is About Allowing The People Decide Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha, spoke to KAMAL TAYO OROPO on the polity and the crisis within.

There is so much heat in the polity these days.

What is the contribution of the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly those of you who defected from other parties to this unfortunate situation?

T is obvious to every sincere political observer that the only group of people heating up the polity is those in the PDP. It is in recognition of the dangerous dimension of things that some of us have opted out. That is why we are here in the APC to diffuse the time bomb the PDP has set in motion for this country.

Some entertain fears that if things are not properly handled, the 2015 general elections may spell doom for the country; do you have such fear?

No, no. Nigeria will survive; it will always be there as an entity. We have gone through this kind of things before and we came back very strong. Remember that this also an emerging democracy. It is still a baby democracy, where we have primitive minded politicians who see things only their ways. That is what we want to stop so that the real democracy will be firmly rooted in this country.

This idea of politics of you must win at all cost, even when you know you are not the

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right candidate, must stop forthwith. We must practice real democracy, which is about the people. We must allow the people to choose who they want… period!

And there is nothing that says you must remain in power at all cost. The people that put you in power have the right to remove you as well; that’s the beauty of democracy. But when you stay put and insist that no one can remove you because you are in office and you must stay as long as you wish, that is wrong; that is not good enough for democracy.

The country had gone through this road before. Do you think Nigerians, especially politicians, have learned their lessons?

I don’t think politicians have learnt their lessons. Of course, if they have we will not be where we are today. Take for in stance, the PDP wants to remain in power in 2015 at all cost, even when it is obvious that the people have rejected them so openly; but they still want to remain in power, at whatever the cost; this is the problem we have. But we are saying, ‘let the people exercise their democratic rights in choosing their leaders.

There is counter-accusation that it is the APC that is heating up the polity, because the party also wants to take power no matter what.

But what has the APC done to heat up the polity? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Indeed, you can say the party is on a rescue mission to liberate the country form the vice-grip of the PDP. We have done nothing to heat the polity in the manner the PDP is doing. We have only registered a new platform with clear objectives, manifesto and what we have to offer

when the time comes. Does that translate to mean we are heating up the polity? Obviously not.

But the PDP does not want any kind of opposition at all; that’s the problem of the Nigerian polity. They just don’t want to see any rival or hear of any alternative opinion. Even when it is clear that they are taking the country to nowhere. It is like a man who has lost his authority and is seeing a credible alternative confronting his failure, but he is so worried that he might lose his position. To them, it is always a do-or-die politics and they seem to care less about dragging the country down.

Politicians are said to be bad losers. The APC is contesting governorship elections in both Osun and Ekiti States later this year, if your party finds itself on the wrong end of the stick, will you accept defeat without much uproar?

Of course, we will accept defeat, especially if is clear that democracy had actually taken place. Democracy is not only about winning elections, it is also about losing elections. As we plan to win, so also we must plan to lose.

There is also beauty in losing, just as there is beauty in winning. If you must lose, you must do so gallantly and if you win, you must be seen to have done so gallantly. It is when you lose, knowing that somebody did not do the right thing, you feel hurt. But when you lose and you know that your opponent had defeated you because of his popularity, it is incumbent on you to embrace him and say, ‘congratulations my friend. You have done well.’ We see that all the time in advanced democracies.

But in situation where you lose and you know

the person declared winner did not even 10 percent of the votes you got, you are bound to react.

Against the backdrop of diverse political tendencies converging in the APC, how does the party intend to share political offices without creating tension within its fold?

We have political offices, which must be shared round for the purpose of stabilization.

This is because we must get everybody, from every ward and local government to help mobilize the people.

But when it comes to the issue of who becomes the president, or who becomes the state governor and the rest, let me stress that this party does not believe in the policy of rotation, or what they call zoning. We are more interested in someone who has something in the head that can move our society forward. Someone who has a very credible idea on how to make the generality of our people happy and proud of their nationality or state as the case may be.

To us, anybody can lead irrespective of where he or she comes from. This is because ethnic/tribal sentiments cannot put food on the table of the common man. The stomach is not stupid and it does not respect zoning. The stomach does not also respect religion, but it respects vision, integrity, sincerity and openness, which ultimately translate into dividends of democracy.

Whoever that can give Nigerians what they need, irrespective of where he or she comes from, should be supported.

60 Sunday, January 26, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

The Season Of Gay Diplomacy!

By Oghogho Obayuwana, Foreign Affairs Editor

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HE raging controversy that has pitched some Western countries (which like to pride themselves as Nigeria’s development partners), against the latter and indeed some African countries, is producing a mighty gale that can be called, the gay diplomacy!

And the sabre rattling in this thread bare diplomacy of sorts, actually blows to pieces what many a Western diplomat has worked hard at over the years: The continuous veiling of subtle control realism! Countries across the board - the triangle of Europe-America-Africa are supposed to be partners. But of course, diplomacy is about under the table dealings highlighted by the klieg lights. Appearances are always not reality.

The reality of the strong controlling the weak!

With the dust over gay marriage fluttering in the air, the veil has become very thin. A watershed may be created in the end. The neocolonial under-the-table-manipulation (veiled and guarded jealously) is about to lose its foothold!

When president Goodluck Jonathan signed into law the legislation criminalising same sex marriage recently, he may not have reckoned with the fact that the whirlwind of grumbles coming from the “development partners” would become this gale currently playing out.

The Matter This Time HE anti homosexual law in Nigeria stipulates lengthy jail terms, both for same-sex marriage and public expression of same-sex intimacy. There is a fundamental freedom, which is being exercised in Europe and America and elsewhere. A man can decide to have a conjugal union with another man. Two women can go a similar route and there is no problem even when it is unnatural. But to use that word is to be old school in the present day supersonic world.

By the fundamental thought of the Western world, if Nigeria subscribes to the universal freedoms why then does it deny people the fundamental human right of marrying other people of same sex? Therefore, states like Nigeria must be punished for perfidy. Perfidy! They have employed subtle diplomacy and subtle threat, especially during the period when the National Assembly was debating the motion and was sending signals that pointed to the direction of criminalising the act.

Once the Nigerian Bill was passed into law, all hell was let loose. Western countries dropped the subtle guard. Envoy after envoy spent time explaining the folly of the Nigerian action. There have been intensified lobbies. Then the threats came pouring down. Development aids were to be cut or withheld, while future responses to disasters may be iced...Then all of a sudden, president Goodluck Jonathan had his scheduled visit to Canada put off. Diplomacy quickly moved in If you asked from the highest source across the divide you were told: “We do not want your president’s visit to be at a time when the outcry against your law prohibiting same sex marriage is at its highest. We do not want the positives of the visit to be drowned by the protests and strong anti Nigerian sentiments.”

But then the usual open diplomacy open diplomacy also had word: Jonathan’s visit had not been cancelled but postponed. Initially it was even put out that there was never a planned visit! Wobbly diplomacy!!

Still, it is instructive to take what the main voices against the Nigerian anti gay law said. After the initial grumbling, even by United States (US) officials, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary William Hague expressed disappointment that the Nigerian Same Sex Marriage Bill has received Presidential assent.

He said: “The UK is a close friend of Nigeria, but we are disappointed that President Jonathan has given his assent to a Bill which will further criminalise same sex relationships in Nigeria.

The UK opposes any discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation...The Bill also directly infringes on fundamental rights of expression and association, which are guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and by Nigeria’s international treaty obligations. We are concerned by the prospect this raises of further action against an already marginalised section of society...My colleague Jeremy Wright, minister of State at the Ministry of Justice, raised our concerns with the Nigerian Foreign Minister on 9 January, and our High Commissioner has raised the issue on a number of occasions with the President and other senior members of the Nigerian Government. We will continue to lobby at the

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highest levels on this issue.”

As for the European Union (EU), the body seems to want diplomatic watchers to read its lips on the matter. The EU has abandoned initial subtle threats and appears now to be keeping sealed lips on the nature of sanctions against Nigeria for criminalising Gay rights.

Without putting it in print, the EU Commission in Abuja has let it out that: “increased pressure” would be used to secure the fundamental rights of the minorities including Nigerian’s lesbians, transgender, gay and bisexual communities.

Openly, the Vice President of the EU Commission and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton who spoke through her Deputy, Nick Westcott expressed concern in Abuja on the “Nigeria’s discrimination” against same sex groups.

She lectured that the Act contravenes the Nigeria’s existing constitution and international conventions that she is signatory to, while putting at risk various human rights and freedoms for all citizens.

“The European Union is opposed to discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. It is firmly committed to fundamental human rights and the rule of law in respect of those rights, including freedom of association, conscience and speech and the equality of persons. It supports the respect of human rights in all countries of the world...We are not imposing our own morality or culture, Nigeria has its own approach and there should be mutual respect but we are concerned about the freedom and human rights of all Nigerians as enshrined in its own constitution,” she insisted.

Yet, our intelligence permits us to know that when you cry more than the bereaved there is a catch somewhere.

Who Listens To The Weak?

OW, Nigerian officials as well as publicspirited persons have made a strong case in favour of the law against sex marriage, but in international politics when nations of different muscle sizes are put in the same ring.

Who listens to the weaker muscle?

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There have been many voices: Jonathan himself, the Senate president, lawmakers, religious leaders, etc; but we take the submission of Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan as salvos that tried to capture the “natural Nigeria view point”. He started by likening it to pedophilia, a psychiatric disorder, in which an adult has sexual interest in children and hence a taboo.

The governor, who was in Dublin, Ireland to receive the International Leadership Award given by Metro Eireann, Ireland’s major multicultural newspaper, told his audience that gay marriage offends the cultural norms of Nigerians and that it can be likened to pedophilia.

But instead of the likes of Uduaghan, the West might prefer to listen to a group of pro-gay Nigerians who are massing together and condemning Jonathan for signing into law a bill that criminalizes homosexuality.

The group argued that homosexuality does not harm Nigeria, but “it is the hypocrisy, venality, and corruption that pervade our society that are the source of our problems.”

Hiding under a statement, the group ventured: “We, the undersigned, wish to ally ourselves with these voices of reason. We unreservedly condemn the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Law and urge civil society and human rights groups to start a campaign that we hope will soon result in its abolition. We also urge the eminent personages across the world that have condemned the so-called law to go beyond diplomatic gestures and put pressures on the Nigerian government wherever they can. Specifically, the United States and the United Kingdom should, forthwith, impose diplomatic sanctions (e.g., denial of visas) on all Nigerian functionaries, including journalists, the clergy, and policymakers associated with the passing of the law....It is not the business of any state, let along the Nigerian state, to interpose itself in the private affairs of two consenting adults. Any human act or practice that does not infringe on the freedom of others cannot and should not be criminalised.

Homosexuality does not harm us as a society and people. It is the hypocrisy, venality, and

corruption that pervade our society that are the source of our problems.”

After Homosexual Diplomacy, What Next?

IGH school kids (very big boys and girls) at Palo Alto in California argued shockingly in 2004 when the fire of homosexuality caught on and marriages based on it were being legalised, that they do not see anything wrong with same sex marriage so long as the practitioners do not “offend” other people in the community.

That is in the US and maybe elsewhere. In Nigeria, interesting submissions were made last week. And some of these submissions would be displayed here as a toast to their profoundness.

It is that decent people in Nigeria are mindful of the fact that the law passed by the National Assembly discriminates against a negligible minority on the basis of sexual orientation and preference and that it seems to infringe on rights.

But and it’s a big BUT, phenomena such as sartorial preference, nudity or indecency, which the law of public decency frowns at in the West should also be viewed by proponents of same sex marriage as an infringement on personal liberty. And what would they have to say about Western laws that are against polygamy and bigamy.

Western diplomats must never forget that in certain matters if not in all matters, imperatives are imposed for the good of all.

Speaking on the matter, seasoned international relations expert and former Nigerian envy to Venezuela and Colombia, ambassador Ayo Adeniran says Nigeria should seize the moment and use the negatives of the gay diplomacy to free itself from the neo-colonial yoke.

He said: “What is correct behaviour in this gay controversy is for Nigeria to call the bluff of the EU and the US. They see Africa as their neo-colonial backyard. Homosexuality is against our cultural values.”

On how Nigeria should meet the threat to withdraw aids by the EU and the US, Adeniran maintained: “Let them withdraw their aids. Let’s not forget the song of the late General Murtala Muhammad that we have come of age. This must not be mocked. Also to be remembered is that that regime under the watch of Gen Olusegun Obasanjo nationalised interests whose owners were trying to push Nigeria around.”

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61

FOREIGNNEWS Judge Orders Removal Of Pregnant Mother Life Support UNITED STATES TEXAS judge has ordered a hospiA tal to remove the life support of a brain-dead woman being kept alive

The new President of Madagascar Hery Rajaonarimampianina (center) is sworn in during the inaugural ceremony for his presidency at the Mahamasina Stadium in Antananarivo… yesterday. The president announced a policy of national unity and declared he would reach out to the opposing camp of former President Marc Ravalomanana.

PHOTO; AFP

because she is pregnant.

Judge RH Wallace gave John Peter Smith Hospital until tomorrow (Monday) evening to cease life-saving measures for Marlise Munoz.

Mrs Munoz, 33, was 14 weeks pregnant when she fell unconscious in November. It is believed she had a blood clot.

The hospital had argued that a state law prohibits denying life-saving treatment to pregnant patients.

Mrs Munoz’s husband, Erick, filed suit against the hospital on January 14, arguing that life-support efforts go against her wishes as a paramedic familiar with end-of-life issues.

“Marlise Munoz is legally dead, and to further conduct surgical procedures on a deceased body is nothing short of outrageous,” he claimed in court documents.

The court filing also stipulated that, as Mrs Munoz is technically deceased, “she cannot possibly be a ‘pregnant patient’” under Texas health and safety codes.

Mrs Munoz, 33, has remained unconscious since her husband discovered her on the kitchen floor on November 26 while pregnant with the couple’s second child.

A blood clot has been listed as a possible cause.

Seven Dead On Third Anniversary Of Revolution EVEN people have been killed in Smarks clashes in Egypt as the country the anniversary of the 2011 uprising which ended with the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak.

Rival demonstrations of supporters and opponents of the military-

EGYPT backed government took place in Cairo.

But police broke up anti-government protests with tear gas, and arrests were reported in Cairo and Alexandria.

Government, Rebels Reach Agreement PHILIPPINES HE Philippines has agreed the T final section of a peace deal with Muslim rebels fighting a long-running insurgency in the south of the country.

It is the fourth part of a roadmap for peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) set out in October 2012.

The accord details how the rebels will hand over their weapons in exchange for self-rule in parts of the south.

The agreement, reached in Kuala Lumpur, paves the way for a final and comprehensive peace treaty.

Tens of thousands of people have

been killed over the past four decades of separatist fighting.

The government’s chief negotiator, Miriam Coronhel Ferrer, said the agreement marked the effective end of the formal negotiations.

“Some more finishing touches” would be necessary, she said, “but it also marks the beginning of the bigger challenge ahead, which is the bigger challenge of implementation”.

Her counterpart from the MILF, Monagher Iqbal, said certain steps had to be taken: “To pave for peace, real peace in Mindanao, we have to decommission our forces and put them beyond use.

Protesters Promise Not To Obstruct HAI protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban has promised that his supporters will not obstruct advance voting for next week’s general election.

Mr Suthep says protesters will not try to stop people from casting their ballots from today (Sunday), but will demonstrate outside polling stations.

They want the PM to step down and the political system to be reformed.

But the government says the vote will go ahead, despite a Constitutional Court ruling that it can be delayed.

A state of emergency is in place as the authorities struggle to cope with the unrest.

Protesters, who started their campaign in November, want to install an unelected “people’s council” to run the country until the political system is changed.

T

THAILAND They say PM Yingluck Shinawatra’s government is being influenced by her brother, exiled former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

At least nine people have died since the wave of protests started last year.

Both the pro-government “red shirt” activists and the anti-government protesters have blamed each other for outbreaks of violence.

Mr Suthep said that although his followers would not disrupt early voting due to begin on Sunday, they would demonstrate outside each of Bangkok’s 50 polling stations.

“We will persuade everyone in front of polling stations to jointly reform Thailand instead of exercising their voting rights,” Thailand’s Bangkok Post quoted him as saying.

The election commission said more than two million people had registered to vote early.

Tensions rose on Friday amid violence, which at least 18 people died.

The government has said extra security measures are in place for yesterday’s anniversary.

Egyptian Interior Minister Muhammad Ibrahim urged Egyptians not to be afraid to go to events marking the anniversary of the uprising.

Supporters of the military and the government have gathered

in high-profile locations including Tahrir Square.

Participants waved Egyptian flags and banners showing army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whom many urged to run for president.

But police dispersed anti-government protesters in Cairo and elsewhere. Security sources said four had died: one in Cairo, one in Giza and two in the southern city of Minya.

Shortly before 06:00 GMT yester-

day, a bomb was thrown at the wall of the police training academy in the Cairo suburb of Ain Shams, reportedly injuring one person.

Six people died in four bombings in Cairo on Friday, along with at least another dozen people killed in clashes with security forces.

Meanwhile same yesterday, an army helicopter crashed in the restive Sinai peninsula, with an unconfirmed report that its crew of five soldiers was dead.

Egyptian Embassy Staff Seized In Tripoli T least four Egyptian embassy perA sonnel have been kidnapped in the Libyan capital Tripoli, the Libyan foreign ministry says.

Another embassy official was seized in the Libyan capital on Friday.

Several kidnappings of officials in Libya recently have been blamed on

LIBYA militias. They are often paid by the government, but their allegiance and who controls them remain in doubt.

On Friday a Libyan militia com-

mander was arrested in Egypt.

Shabaan Hadiya is the leader of the Revolutionaries’ Operation Room, one of the militias that sprang up during the fight to topple Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

President Offers PM Position To Opposition Leader UKRAINE KRAINE’S President Viktor U Yanukovych has offered the position of prime minister to an opposition leader, Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

Mr Yatsenyuk is from jailed exPM Yulia Tymoshenko’s party.

The offer came after talks on Saturday with opposition leaders in a new effort to end worsening unrest that is spreading across the

country.

The interior minister earlier said efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully were “futile”.

Four protesters and a policeman have died in clashes since November when the government rejected closer EU ties.

The crisis escalated this week when two activists were killed, and another was found dead with torture marks in a forest near the capital.

A 45-year-old protester is said to

have died in a Kiev hospital on Saturday, after sustaining injuries in earlier violence.

President Viktor Yanukovych had promised to make concessions to try to end the country’s crisis, pledging to amend anti-protest laws and reshuffle the cabinet.

But Vitaly Klitschko - one of the opposition leaders invited to the Yanukovych talks - said the protesters now wanted the president to resign.

Foes Briefly Meet In Same Room At Geneva II Talks SYRIA YRIA’S opposition and governSfacement have met briefly face to in what is being hailed a small but significant step in talks aimed at “saving Syria”.

The initial gathering in Geneva lasted half an hour mediated by the UN’s Lakhdar Brahimi.

Delegates in Geneva are aiming at small concessions, not a full peace deal.

“Ending terrorism and violence”

is the top priority, Syrian officials say. They insist it is too early to discuss President Bashar al-Assad’s position.

The BBC in Geneva, says another meeting at 15:00 GMT will follow same carefully choreographed format as the first.

The two delegations filed in through separate doors into one room in the UN Geneva Headquarters, and sat down at the same U-shaped table, but said nothing to each other.

Mr Brahimi spoke for half an hour. Then they all filed out again.

Ahead of the next face-to-face meeting, Mr Brahimi will shuttle between the delegations, trying to build confidence with small achievements like localised ceasefires, release of detainees and the opening of humanitarian corridors.

This is cumbersome, slow diplomacy, our correspondent adds.

But as one diplomat put it, small steps are better than no steps.

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62 Sunday, January 26, 2014

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Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Sports

Super Eagles players celebrating one of their goals against Bafana Bafana of South Africa in the ongoing African Nations Championship

‘Super Eagles’ Greatness Remains Paramount’ HE height Coach Stephen wants the Super T Eagles to attain is evident at the ongoing African Nations Championship with the way he transformed the team into the favourites after they started poorly with a 2-1 loss to Mali.

The improvement of the team in South Africa gives a vivid picture of the level the Nigerian coach wants his team to attain. Since taking over the national team job after Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2012 African Cup of Nations, Keshi has transformed the team into a compact one even at the risk of stepping on powerful toes, who feel the job should be done according to their dictates.

Even when the team is not playing well, it gets the result it needs to move on, just like it did away to Ethiopia, winning 2-1 before sealing qualification with a 2-0 win in Calabar in the Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifier. He has also instilled a winning mentality in the team and the players now exhibit a high level of discipline, while also giving opportunity to every Nigerian player irrespective of where they ply their trade.

For Keshi, a player’s ability to understand his (Keshi) idea about the game is a big plus, while he also takes pain to teach them the rudiments of the game, not minding the fact that some of them have been around for quite a while. He has also displayed a strong belief in the ability of the home-based players and most of them have improved tremendously, with the coach admitting that two or three of them would make the World Cup squad if they continue to improve.

Speaking at the CHAN event, Keshi said that his dream is to see the team become a global brand that would be the pride of every Nigerian. He said he is also trying to device a

style of play that the team would be known for, while any player with potential would be sampled out to see if he would fit into the team.

He has also devised a means of taking pressure off his team.

According to Keshi, “I tell them to have fun and enjoy their game. I realised that they played under pressure in our first two games here, so I told them play like they were in training and it worked well against the South Africans.”

He said since becoming the coach, preparing the team has not only been about coaching but teaching the boys what to do on the pitch.

He noted that he had course to show his disdain over the performance of the team, before taking the players on the fundamental of the play before elevating the standard of training, which includes positional play.

The coach said that the boys have made mistakes but they are improving by the day. “The boys have made mistakes, which is normal because everybody makes mistake, but what is important is for them to learn from their mistakes and take the team to greater height.”

Keshi’s technical acumen came to the fore in the game against South Africa, where a 15minute tactical training aided the Eagles’ victory over Bafana Bafana.

A day before the match, fans were prevented from watching the team’s training, with Keshi pleading that he needed just 15 minutes to drill the team tactically. True to his words, the team left even before disappointed fans got to the gate of the Cape Town Stadium.

Many Fans who wondered what 15 minutes could do to help the fortunes of a stuttering team, heaved a sigh of relief after the Eagles outclassed the host 3-1 to secure another famous victory in the rainbow nation.

Before this game, the Nigeria team had not done well in the two previous games, losing to Mali 2-1 and beating Mozambique 4-2 in an unconvincing display. The South Africans, on the other hand, had beaten Mozambique 3-1 in the first game and played a 1-1 draw against Eagles conqueror, Mali. This scenario set the tone for the match and the South Africans must have thought they had a great chance of beating the Eagles this time.

But when the game started it was clear that the Eagles were superior technically, using the space to great effect and prevented the South Africans from doing the same. The Nigerians dominated the game and could

have scored more goals if they had been more clinical in front of goal. The South Africans did not have the antidote to the Eagles’ beautiful display.

After the game, Keshi admitted that the technical drilling he gave to his players did the job. “The boys played to instruction and I am happy they were able to carry out my instruction. I also told them to enjoy the game and ensure they don’t put themselves under pressure.

The transformation of goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim, who brought himself back into reckoning with breathtaking and super saves to deny the South Africans on more than four occasions, also shows who has good assistants who support him.

Before the CHAN started, some questioned why Keshi did not allow his assistant to take the team to South Africa, but his insistence shows his unflinching commitment to the team and he has said that he is here to see the players that can make the World Cup squad.

Keshi, who said there was nothing wrong for Nigerians to hope for a semifinal finish for the Super Eagles at the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup in June, stated that it shows the belief Nigerians have in the Eagles, but added that beyond the belief, the fans have to be realistic and pray that the team does well in Brazil.

According to Keshi the World Cup would be a different ball game but assured fans that everything would be done to put the players in the right mental and physical condition for the game. “I am excited that Nigerians believe in the team, but we need to work hard to achieve success at the World Cup because of the caliber of teams that will play in Brazil.”

Sunday, January 26, 2014 63

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

SPORTS Australian Open

Third-Time Lucky Na Can’t Wait To Come Back four of her previous four matches against Na. The 24-year-old betrayed some understandable nerves with two double faults in the opening game to have her serve broken.

The power of Na was really troubling Cibulkova, who at 5ft 3in was looking to become the joint shortest winner of a grand slam title in the Open era.

She dug in to save more break points and get on the board in the third game, and Na’s struggles on serve eventually cost her as Cibulkova levelled at 3-3.

Na’s first-serve percentage was only 13 and successive double faults gave the Slovakian the break back.

Na was the clear favourite in a grand slam final for the first time, having lost in Australia to Kim

Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka in 2011 and 2013, respectively.

More than 115 million people in China watched her beat Francesca Schiavone in the French Open final in 2011, and the expectation was that she would add a second slam

Li Na of China hits a return against Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia during the women’s singles final …yesterday PHOTO: AFP come back.”

The 31-year-old is well known for her sense of humour and in a terrific on-court speech she also thanked her agent Max Eisenbud for surprise Dominika Cibulkova. “making me rich” and told husband Jiang The beaten finalist in 2011 and 2013 in Shan he was lucky to have found her.

Melbourne, edged a nervous first set on a tieCibulkova struggled to hold back tears as she break but was imperious in the second as she said: “This is the most fantastic two weeks of eased to a 7-6 (7/3) 6-0 win.

The victory gave the Chinese player her second my life. This means a lot for our country and I’m happy I can be the one here representing grand slam title to add to the French Open Slovakia.” crown she won in 2011.

Na’s popularity in Australia soared and there Na, who had to save a match point in her third-round clash with Lucie Safarova, was pre- was no doubt who the crowd were rooting for sented with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup when the two players walked out onto Rod Laver Arena.

by Chris Evert.

She said: “Last two times was very close. I’m so Cibulkova had only previously made one happy I won the title here and I cannot wait to grand slam semi-final, while she had lost all HINA’S Li Na, the 2011 and 2013 runner-up, C won the Australian Open final at the third time of asking with a 7-6 (7/3) 6-0 victory over

Na holds the trophy after her victory against Cibulkova …yesterday

PHOTO:AFP

title here.

When Na got into a rally, her ground-strokes clearly had more weight, especially her backhand down the line, which is one of the best shots in the women’s game.

Her forehand was letting her down, but she cut down on the errors in the 11th game and got her reward with a second break.

But the 31-year-old could not serve it out, missing a backhand on set point, and into a tie-break they went.

This time Na took her opportunity, opening up a 5-1 lead and eventually clinching it when Cibulkova netted a backhand.

The crumb of comfort for Cibulkova, the first player to represent Slovakia in a grand slam singles final, was that Li had also won the first set in her previous two Melbourne finals and gone on to lose them both.

The Chinese player appeared determined not to suffer the same fate, though, and raced out to a 3-0 lead in the second set.

Most importantly, Na was staying on her feet. In last year’s final, the 31-year-old fell over twice, twisting her ankle and then banging her head.

Na had cut her errors right down and Cibulkova simply could find no way to combat the extra power of the fourth seed.

She was now fighting just to try to avoid a love set, but a backhand long gave Li two match points at 5-0.

One went begging but on the second Cibulkova sent a forehand long and Li raised her arms in triumph.

TheGuardian

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Sunday, January 26, 2014

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

FA Cup: Moses Shoots Liverpool To Victory • Man City, Swansea, Hull Celebrate are through to LCupIVERPOOL the fifth round of the FA after goals from Victor Moses and Daniel Sturridge sealed victory at Bournemouth.

Sergio Aguero scored a second-half hat-trick as Manchester City came from 20 down to beat Watford at Etihad Stadium.

Moses found the net with a low shot from the edge of the area after 26 minutes while Sturridge fired past the advancing Lee Camp when superbly played in by Luis Suarez on the hour.

Bournemouth matched Liverpool for long periods but were restricted to half chances, with Andrew Surman, Harry Arter and Tommy Elphick all going close before Lewis Grabban forced a late save from Brad Jones.

Liverpool have never lost to Bournemouth in the FA Cup after being drawn against them three times.

In both 1927 and 1968, however, the Reds needed a replay at Anfield after being held in Dorset At the other end, Sturridge lobbed an effort onto the crossbar, while Suarez forced a fine reaction save from goalkeeper Camp.

At the Etihad Stadium, Sergio Aguero scored a second-half hat-trick to deny Watford a famous FA Cup fourth-round victory.

Fernando Forestieri’s low shot and Troy Deeney, who got on the end of a flowing move, gave the Hornets a twogoal lead.

Aguero started the comeback on the hour when he turned in Aleksandar Kolarov’s cross before curling home a leveller.

LMC Salutes Eagles’ Fighting Spirit HE League Management T Company (LMC) has commended the resilient spirit of the Super Eagles in overcoming a 3-0 deficit to oust Morocco in yesterday’s quarterfinals of the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa.

The body said the victory is consistent with the vision to achieve a responsive and sustainable professional league in the country.

Chairman of the LMC, Nduka Irabor who is in Abuja for the Glo Premier League Pre-season tournament said the performance against the Atlas Lions of Morocco couldn’t have come at a better time than now that the foundations for a truly professional league is being consolidated with the on-going reforms to make the clubs to meet global training and administrative standards.

“Thank you for making this bold statement about our League, Thank you for affirming that our league is good and thank you for responding to our charge to be good ambassadors of the league”, Irabor enthused.

No way….Super Eagles Christantus Uzoenyi Ejike contests a ball with Morocco’s Abdelkbir El Ouadi in yesterday’s quarterfinal match of CHAN 2014 in Cape Town. Nigeria won 4-3

Eagles Conquer Morocco In ‘Miracle’ Of Cape Town BOUT 25 years after the A great ‘Miracle of Damman’, the Super Eagles recorded another milestone in football history yesterday, coming from 0-3 down to suffocate their Moroccan opponent, winning 4-3 to move into the semifinal of the African Nations Championship in South Africa.

The city of Cape Town is noted for its unpredictable weather condition. And so it was in yesterday’s match, as many fans easily predicted a goal feast against Nigeria after the Eagles put their foot wrong to concede three quick goals towards the end of the first half.

But like the situation in Saudi Arabia 25 years ago, where the likes of Chris Ohenhen, Mike Onyemachara, Chris Nwosu, Bawa Abdullahi, Mutiu Adepoju, Tunde Charity and Sam Elijah turned the table against USSR in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the Coach Stephen Keshi-led Eagles rose to the occasion, when all hope seemed lost.

After struggling to keep a clean slate till the 30th minutes, the Eagles defence caved in, giving the Moroccans easy penetration.

Mohsine Moutaouli struck first for the North Africans in the 33

minute and four minutes later, increased the tally to two through Iajour Mouhssine, whose free kick beat a badly positioned Chigozie Agbim.

They made it three in the 40th minute through Mohsine Moutaouali to give their fans a false impression that victory is already sealed.

The miracle started happening early in the second first, when Ugonna Uzochukwu struck in the 49th minute. The celebration that greeted the goal had not died down when Rabiu Ali made it two for the Eagles in the 55th minutes.

Realising that their hope of making it to the semifinal was

going down the drain, the Moroccan resorted to defensive game, but the resilient Eagles kept fighting. It eventually paid off in the last minute, when Ejike Uzoenyi drew level to force the game into extra time. The Eagles sealed victory in the 111 minute through Aliyu Ibrahim to send the supporters club members and entire Nigerian community into a wide jubilation, the same scenario in far back 1989, when the Flying Eagles defeated USSR in a dramatic fashion.

Not many Nigerians gave the Eagles a chance of making an appreciable impact in this year’s CHAN, which is

Nigeria’s debut.

The Super Eagles were eliminated by archrivals Ghana for the inaugural competi-

tion in Cote d’Ivoire in 2009, while Niger shocked them out for the next tournament staged by Sudan.

Glo Super Four: Warri Wolves, Enyimba Light Up Abuja Stadium

By Gowon Akpodonor FTER defeating Kano Pillars A 2-0 in the opening game in the on-going Super Four, Warri Wolves FC says it has all it takes to cage The Peoples’ Elephants in today’s encounter at the Abuja National Stadium.

Enyimba equally won their first game 3-1 against Bayelsa United, but the Warri outfit is optimistic of turning the table against the Aba millionaire in today’s tie.

Wolves’ central defender, Monday Osagie who was the man of the match against Kano Pillars on Friday said yesterday that Enyimba is beatable and urged his teammates to rise up to the occasion this afternoon.

Osagie, a former player of Sharks FC said Enyimba’s victory over Warri Wolves at the final of the 2013 FA Cup in Lagos was still very fresh in their memory, adding that this is an opportunity to pay the Aba side in their own coins.

“We won’t allow that to happen here in Abuja. No, it must it must not repeat itself. We cannot afford to be complacent against Enyimba. I see them as a team we can handle, if we get our acts together. They have a good team made up of ball jugglers and we have to be well focused throughout the duration of the match.

“We know their strong points and we also know their weak points, so the fans will have something to cheer. The truth is that any match involving both

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teams this season will be tough, judging by the caliber of players recruited by both sides,” he said.

In the opening game against Kano Pillars on Friday, Kola Anubi struck the first goal in the 38th minute, while Efe Yarhere scored the second in the 84th minute from a free kick taken by Kingsley Ikpotor.

Before their departure to Abuja, Warri Wolves participated in an invitational tournament in Lagos, defeated highly rated Dolphin FC 3-2, Remo Stars 2-0, My People FC 10 and drew with Yobo FC by 11.

However, the team could not play the final with Sharks