Tue 19 Mar 2013 The Guardian Nigeria

Intrigues as Jonathan names head of service

By Martins Oloja, Editor RESIDENT Goodluck P Jonathan who is apparently still smarting from global scathing criticisms of a recent presidential pardon for some yesteryears’ men will face another litmus test this week when he has to appoint a new head of the federal bureaucracy as the office will be vacant

• How stability, integrity factors may shape decision • The four front runners, their chances • How religion, ethnicity may affect selection this weekend.

The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) will be vacant on March 23 when Alhaji Isa Bel-

lo Sali, the current holder of the office, will retire from service as he clocks 60 that day. So, a successor has to emerge before or on Friday this week.

Abuja State House insiders confided in us at the weekend that two critical factors – stability of the service and integrity of the candidates - will

feature prominently in the mix of the issues that will shape the presidential decision this week.

In fact, there are indications that the President will at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) tomorrow bid the outgoing Head of Service farewell. By permission of the President, the Head of Service, the Chief of Staff, Principal

Secretary to the President, and Permanent Secretary, State House, will attend the weekly cabinet meeting.

Although four front-runners, all from the North-East zone, have emerged from the rank of permanent secretaries, ethnicity and religion too are said to be critical factors that will definitely play some parts

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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

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Gunmen attack Borno schools, kill three teachers, injure pupils • JTF says assault was averted • ‘Nigeria working to retrieve bodies of hostages’ • Bombers attack Kano motor park From Abubakar Mohammed (Abuja), Abba Anwar (Kano) and Njadvara Musa (Maiduguri) N a fresh orgy of violence in Icapital, Maiduguri, the Borno State gunmen allegedly at-

Senator Oluremi Tinubu (left), Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji and his deputy, Kolawole Taiwo, during the 6th edition of Lagos Central Senatorial District Town Hall meeting in Lagos… yesterday.

tacked two secondary schools and a primary school, killing three teachers and injuring three female pupils.

The schools allegedly attacked included Shehu Sanda Kyarimi, Ali Askiri Primary and Mafoni Day Secondary School in Zuwan Zafi and Mafoni wards of Maiduguri. A teacher was allegedly killed at each of the schools.

But the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Maiduguri yesterday claimed to have averted the attacks on the schools.

The JTF said it recovered arms and ammunition after killing three suspected terrorists.

However, according to an eyewitness and resident of Mafoni ward, Banna Modu, six gunmen in two tricycles burst onto the Shehu Kyarimi Secondary School premises and started firing, killing one of the teachers and injuring three female students.

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Gowon defends civil war, pardon for Alamieyeseigha, others From Emmanuel Ande, Yola ORMER Head of State, Fyesterday Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd), relived the civil war 43 years after it threatened the foundations of the country.

Gowon, a major participant in the war, explained in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, what forced his government to be involved in the 30month civil war which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

Gowon, who was hosted by the American University (AUN) of Yola to address the university members of staff and students during his

prayer rally in Yola, took 58 minutes 37 seconds to defend before his local and foreign audience the role of his administration in the civil war.

He said that he was not fighting enemies, but rebels that were out to cause trouble and abuse constituted authorities charged with the constitutional responsibility to maintain peace and unity in the country.

“Nigeria’s integrity was threatened by the action of some rebels. I had no choice than to use the constitution-

al powers conferred on me as the Head of State and my oath of office to always defend the integrity and unity of the country at all times”, he stated.

The former Head of State said that some Nigerians were misled by the rebels to join them to fight their country for no reason.

“I was only trying to bring back my sisters and brothers that were misled by the rebels. I took that action in the best interest of my country Nigeria guided by the constitution of the country”,

he maintained.

Gowon, who said that the civil war united Nigeria, pointed out that the country would always use the sad experience of the 1967 civil war and avoid such an unprofitable venture.

“The 30-month civil war brought peace and unity in Nigeria that no country in the world can have”, he stated.

He said that the Boko Haram and other crises in the country were fuelled by political activities, selfish interest and poverty.

“I don’t know whether those that are behind these crises know the havoc they are causing to their regions and themselves”, he lamented.

Gowon urged Nigerians to devote more time to praying for the country, pointing out that with prayers, God could intervene in any sad situation like the crises in the nation.

“If we combine prayers and the action the present administration is taking to address the crises, it is possible that very soon all that is happening now will become his-

Court rejects bid to reinstate Salami - Page 6

tory”, he stated.

While commenting on the controversy surrounding the presidential pardon granted to the convicted former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, he said that the Council of State took the decision based on the grounds that he had finished serving the punishment for the offence he committed and that he promised not to commit such an offence again.

The Nigeria Prays co-ordinator pointed out that it was within the constitutional powers of the president to

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THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

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How integrity factor may affect selection of head of service CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 in the selection that has seen two candidates from YobeBorno axis as strong contenders. The two others are from Taraba and Bauchi states. The candidates are Bukar Goni Aji from Yobe State, Sheikh Goni Musa from Borno State, Umar Faruk Baba from Bauchi State and Danladi Kifasi from Taraba State.

Again, like a recurrent decimal, the issue of instability in the polity and the bureaucracy is said to be at the core of what may ultimately sway the President in the choice of the successor to Alhaji Sali. The ‘mortality rate’ of the head of service has been too high and it is said to be fuelling succession crisis of its own in the bureaucracy. The same goes for the permanent secretary’s cadre where they (permanent secretaries) too are moved so regularly at the whims and caprices of the unstable Head of Service.

The President himself lamented about the spate of instability in the polity on May 28, 2011 at his pre-inauguration lecture addressed by Prof. Ladipo Adamolekun who coined the word “transformation agenda” for the administration. The title of the lecture was “a transformation agenda for accelerated national development.”

Jonathan had in his remarks in response to Adamolekun’s lecture noted that a four-year tenure was too short for a President and governors to make significant impact just as he contended that for Nigeria to transform rapidly within the next four years, there was the need for a well-developed national planning. Besides, he stated that there was the need to stabilise the polity and reduce the frequent

reshuffling of the cabinet.

His words: “I will not talk about the tenure of the government, the constitution has said four years, though some believe that four years is too short to make any change, which I also believe. I believe because if you are a new person and you are elected as a governor today, it will take one to one and half years for you to really stabilise. And you also know that some members of your cabinet are not good and that is why in most cases, after one year or two, Mr. President reshuffles the cabinet and by the time you want to go for another two and half years, it is another election and you are all busy about winning election. That is a constitutional problem.”

Available records with The Guardian have shown that the spectre of instability is again staring the office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation in the face as one of the top candidates, Bukar Goni Aji, if endorsed, may retire on January 18, 2014 after just nine months when he will clock 35 years in service.

According to his service records earlier encrypted, he enlisted in the service on January 18, 1979, although there were some other records being peddled that he was employed on August 18, 1979. The encrypted record of service in the possession of The Guardian shows January 18, 1979. If that (August 18, 1979) is the acceptable date, he will retire in August 2014 after 17 months.

Discrepancies in the records of service have been so common in the service, especially at the directorate cadre. At a time under Ama Pepple as Head of Service, one permanent secretary who had been director-general/permanent

secretary for about 15 years (names withheld) had to be advised to just retire when the Office of the then Head of Service was tired of the confusion in his records as 1973 and 1977 claimed as dates of first appointment became too complicated. Alhaji Goni Aji is, however, quite senior as he was appointed permanent secretary on October 15, 2008. Insiders told The Guardian at the weekend that the Yobe-born Goni is the ‘anointed’ candidate. He is the outgoing Head of Service’s choice and he is number one on the list of nominees. The other candidate is Sheikh Goni Musa, a mining engineer from Borno State. If he is preferred, he will serve for about two years and four months as he is expected to retire on July 14, 2015 when he will clock 35 years in service. He is in the Ecological Fund Office at the moment.

The third candidate is Baba Umar Faruk from Bauchi who will stay longer in service if he is the preferred candidate. He will serve for about four years. He will retire on May 25, 2017 as he was born on May 25, 1957. He was appointed permanent secretary the same day with Goni Musa but will be 60 years old in 2017. He will be 60 before clocking 35 years in service in August of the same year. Faruk’s first appointment was August 31, 1982 and he became director on October 1, 1995. He holds B.A. and M.A. In Nigeria’s public service, you retire either when you clock 35 years in service or you are 60 years old; whichever one comes first is applicable.

Mr. Danladi Kifasi is another strong contender from Taraba State. But the ‘trouble’ with his candidature is his Christianity.

He is a ‘minority’ within a minority in the North-East as Christians are often called, although Christians are not minority in Taraba-Adamawa axis where he hails from. The ‘majority’ within the minority candidates are already crying ‘foul’ about the entry of Kifasi who is a chartered accountant and a lawyer. The ‘power brokers’ in the North (East) are already saying that since the Secretary to the Government, the Chief of Staff and the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission are Christians, they feel that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation should be a Muslim from the North. But coincidentally, the President had reportedly questioned why Christians from the North hardly feature in federal nominations and appointments. In 2010 when the issue of pegged tenure for permanent secretaries and directors came into effect, of the nine permanent secretaries that were affected from the North, only one is a Christian: Solomon Matankari from Sokoto State. In his early days in the service even as sole administrator of the then NITEL, he was Suleiman Matankari (for political correctness to beat the minority syndrome then). Kifasi was born on January 1, 1956. He enlisted in the service on October 17, 1990.

By this development, if he is preferred, he will have up to three years as Head of Service.

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President Goodluck Jonathan (right) and President Michel Suleiman of Lebanon, during the latter’s visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja… yesterday.

JTF says attack on Borno schools was averted CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Modu said: “Both the students and teachers were shocked and terrified with the attacks and killing here, as everyone scampered for safety, before men of the Joint Task Force and the police rushed to the scene at 9.25 a.m., and carried the injured students to hospital for treatment.”

According to the witness, as the JTF cordoned the area to prevent further attacks and killings, another set of gunmen rode to Ali Askiri Primary School and shot dead a teacher, Malam Abdullahi Iliyasu, before moving to Mafoni Day Secondary School at 11.20 a.m. yesterday.

On arriving at Mafoni Day Secondary School, according to one of the students, who does not want his name in print, “we were in our classroom when some gunmen walked to the school premise and started firing sporadically to scare us from concentration, but some of us started crying for help, while others hid under the desks for safety, as the gunmen can kill anyone of us here in this school.”

On the casualties, he said: “Oh God! They killed one of our female teachers, Hajiya Yagamsu, in the staff room, while preparing her lessons plans, before the gunmen burst into the staff room facing our classroom at 11.30 a.m. ” He added that none of the classes was set ablaze by the gunmen.

In a telephone interview yes-

terday in Maiduguri, spokesman of JTF, Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, said: “In the early hours of today (Monday), Boko Haram terrorists attacked the Mafoni Day Secondary School and killed one of the teachers. No religion condones the senseless attacks and killings of people without any genuine cause.

This is barbaric and inhumane.”

The Borno State Police Command spokesman, Gideon Jibrin, also yesterday confirmed the multiple schools attacks and killings in the Maiduguri metropolis.

But in a statement, Musa said that the recovered arms included two Kalashnikov rifles and 200 rounds of ammunition, allegedly being used in the attacks on three schools and Galadima areas of Maiduguri.

In the statement made available to reporters in Maiduguri, Musa also said that efforts were being made by the security task force to apprehend the culprits to face the law.

It reads in part: “Monday’s attack on a Secondary School in Mafoni and Galadima areas of Maiduguri by Boko Haram terrorists was averted by the intervention of JTF troops leading to the death of three terrorists and recovery of two AK 47 rifles, 200 rounds of ammunition, two units of video recorders, a laptop and two tricycles. Efforts are on to apprehend the other culprits and be made to face the law.”

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has disclosed that his administration is working hard towards securing release of bodies of some of the foreign hostages alleged to have been killed by the terrorist group, Ansaru.

This is even as he reiterated his administration’s belief that some of the hostages are still alive. He said because of the rocky terrain where they are being kept, his administration suspects that some of the hostages probably died from health or other related causes or direct killing by the terrorists.

The President’s comments

during the visit of the Lebanese President, Gen. Michel Suleiman, to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, confirmed fear that some of the hostages may have been killed. It was a marked departure from the government’s position last week by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, that Nigeria could not confirm the incident, relying on social media.

Speaking at a joint press conference at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with the Lebanese president who was on a twoday visit to Nigeria, Jonathan said following the analysis of the information released through the social media, there is no conclusive position on the state of the captives.

He further disclosed that what had delayed the rescue operation was the decision of security services to adopt a careful approach so as not to give the terrorists the leeway, as a result of sensing invasion, to kill the hostages as was the case in the past.

Jonathan assured that his government is working closely with friendly nations, including the United Kingdom, to ensure that the people are rescued.

In Kano, some suicide bombers have attacked the popular New Road Motor Park in Sabon-Gari, forcing their way into the place in a Gulf car. The number of the bombers was yet to be ascertained at the time of filing this report An eyewitness said the incident occurred when some luxury buses loaded with passengers were preparing to take off. Some unidentified suicide bombers were said to have stormed the motor park and detonated the explosives loaded in their car.

Both Police and the Joint Task Force (JTF) spokespersons could not be reached to confirm the attack.

An eyewitness said he counted scores of dead bodies while many more people were running after being seriously injured. The area was later condoned by security operatives.

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THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

News NEMA alerts on imminent flood

Reps summon NNPC, NLNG chiefs

From Joke Falaju, Abuja HE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has released its Early Warning Information for 2013 alerting communities living on flood plains to relocate immediately or face the consequence.

The NEMA Director General Mohammand Sani-Sidi while reading out the implication of the Seasonal Rainfall Predictions by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) to reporters yesterday in Abuja said that the prediction had shown that most of the states that witnessed flood in 2012 might again be flooded this year.

Of particular concern to the NEMA boss are states in the South-South, some in the North Central, including Sokoto, Kwara, Kebbi, Taraba, Niger, and Anambra, urging them to clear their waterways to ensure free flow of water.

From Terhemba Daka, Abuja O furnish it with detailed information on their revenue profile, the House of Representatives yesterday summoned the Group Managing Director of National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Andrew Yakubu and his Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) counterpart to appear before it unfailingly today.

The summon is sequel to the failure of the Nigerian subsidiary companies that appeared before the House Committee on Finance to avail it with the requested financial details of their organisations.

The House of Representatives yesterday frowned at the failure of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to remit N6 trillion into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), being the amount it generated between 2009 and 2012.

The House Committee on Finance led by Abdulmumin Jibril, which disclosed the position of the House at an investigative hearing with the agencies yesterday, foiled desperate efforts by NNPC officials to cover up the financial records of its 16 subsidiaries from being examined.

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Nigeria, Lebanon seek UN reforms From Mohammed Abubakar, Abuja HE need for more radical T reforms of the United Nations to make it more democratic formed part of the kernel of discussions between President Goodluck Jonathan and his Lebanese counterpart, Gen. Michael Sleiman at the Presidential Villa, Abuja yesterday.

The Lebanese leader, who arrived Nigeria on Sunday, met his Nigerian counterpart, Jonathan, both of who held talks aimed at promoting and further strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries.

In a statement after the talks, the two leaders exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and matters that bother on relationship between the two countries.

They particularly called for the urgent reform of the UN Security Council to make it more democratic and reflective of the changes in the international since 1946.

Lawmakers charge Senate over special status for Lagos

By Wole Oyebade S the bill seeking special status for Lagos State awaits second reading on the floor of the Senate, lawmakers representing Lagos are banking on the support of their colleagues to pass the bill into law.

Senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, Oluremi Tinubu said this yesterday as she expressed optimism that the Senate would favour the plea.

Tinubu, who spoke at the sixth edition of Lagos Central Senatorial District town hall meeting, said they are expecting a lead debate on the bill “For Special Aid for Lagos”, followed by a second reading and “hopefully, we will enjoy the favour of other senators in the House.”

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Olalekan Isiaka (left); Grace Braithwaite; Funmi Sax; Chairman of the occasion, Dr Tunji Braithwaite, during Funmi Sax launching of album in Oregun Ikeja, Lagos …yesterday PHOTO: PAUL ADUNWOKE

Five bidders pay $156.m for PHCN firms From Mathias Okwe, Abuja IVE bidders have so far paid FFederal $156.50 million to the Government, being the mandatory 25 per cent of the bid value of the PHCN successor companies that they have indicated interest to acquire, according to the Bureau of Public Enterprises ( BPE) yesterday.

In a statement by the Bureau’ spokesman, Mr. Joe Anichebe, he said a breakdown of the payment indicates that Amperion Power Company Limited, the preferred bidder for Geregu Power Plc paid $33 million; Integrated Energy Distribution & Marketing Company, the preferred bidder for Ibadan and Yola Distribution Companies paid $42.25 million and $14.75 million for Ibadan and Yola Discos respectively; NEDC/KEPCO, the preferred bidder for Ikeja Distribution

Company, $32.75 million; and West Power & Gas, the preferred bidder for Eko Distribution Company $33.75 million.

The payment is coming ahead of the Thursday, March 21, 2013, deadline for all the bidders to make the mandatory 25 percent payment in line with the Share Purchase Agreement for the transac-

tions.

Other bidders for the PHCN successor companies are four power consortium (PortHarcourt Disco); Aura Energy Limited (Jos Disco); Interstate Electrics Limited (Enugu Disco); KANN Consortium Utility Company Limited (Abuja Disco), Sahelian Power SPV Limited (Kano Disco), Vigeo Consortium(Benin

Disco); Transcorp Consortium (Ughelli Power Plc); CMEC/EUAFRIC Energy JV (Sapele Power Plc); Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited (Kainji Power Plc); and North-South Power Company (Shiroro Power Plc).

The final approval of the preferred bidders by National Council on Privatisation (NPC) and its announcement

Veteran journalist, Ashikiwe Adione-Egom, for burial March 22 ENOWNED journalist and R economist, Peter Alexander Ashikiwe AdioneEgom, aged 70, who died on March 3, 2013, will be buried on Friday, March 22, 2013.

According to a statement on behalf of the family by his son, Pierre Egom Aagaard, a service of songs will hold by 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 21, at Kings College Hall, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos; while a

requiem and funeral mass will hold at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 22, 2013 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Interment will follow at the Vaults and Garden, Ikoyi, Lagos; and then a reception at The Daisy Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Egom took a first class degree in Social

Anthropology from the prestigious Downing College, University of Cambridge, England. Thereafter, he obtained the ‘Cand. Oecon, in National Oekonomi’ - a higher degree in economics from the highly esteemed University of Aarhus, Denmark, that qualified him to teach the subject at the university. He later taught at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in the ear-

Bayelsa debt profile inherited, says govt From Willie Etim, Yenagoa AYELSA State Government has explained its position over a domestic debt sustainability analysis rolled out by the federal authorities.

Reacting to a submission that the state failed the domestic debt sustainability analysis, the Yenagoa authorities in a statement yesterday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said while the substantive figures in the document were right, it was an inherited burden which the government “had made much effort to reduce to a bearable level even amidst the challenges of meeting the financial require-

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for the successor companies was done on October 23, 2012.

The Nigerian electricity industry has been unbundled into generation and distribution companies and a single transmission company with a view to encouraging private sector participation and attracting foreign and local investment into the Nigerian power sector

ments of running the administration.”

It noted the fundamentals of the Debt Management Office (DMO) report, but pointed out that “beyond the perceived huge internally generated revenue (IGR), responsibilities of government in the state were equally so large.” Stressing that the repayment of inherited debt had been on-going, it said concerted efforts were being made to liquidate the remaining part.

The statement continued: “The Hon. Dickson administration has not borrowed a kobo since assumption of office, we have rather been saving money to finance development pro-

grammes and we can see the results so far.

“Yet, we are proud to state that while we have some outstanding debt, no fault of ours as it was inherited, but obliged to pay as a government, we have made substantial investments and progress in every facet of the state’s economy; from massive infrastructure to education to tourism and human capital development and job creation which cost so much relative to the IGR in Bayelsa State.”

“Our dedicated Savings bank account is part of the structural financial arrangement to deal with such issues as debt, but this cannot be done at the expense of

pressing developmental challenges as we witnessed in the last one year, some of which were unforeseen like the terrible flooding which gulped several millions of naira.

It added: “The reported debt was not and can not be a negative performance index on the part of the government of Bayelsa State but a fact of financial management to have a balanced budget which effectively covers the diverse sectors of the state’s economy and indeed the best interest of the people and not necessarily a factor of IGR mismanagement or any funds for that matter accruable to the state.

ly 1970s following his initial appointment as Financial Adviser to the Government of Tanzania headed by the late President Julius Nyerere.

He started his journalism career at The Guardian and moving on to The African Guardian as Economic Editor in 1985. In 1987 the late Fred Brume founded Business in ECOWAS at his instigation and invited him to join the enterprise as a partner with responsibility for the editorial aspects of the business. In 1988, he conceived the ‘Financial Post and ‘Commodity Post’, and teamed up with a businessman, Alhaji Abdulazeez Ude, in actualising the venture. He managed both publications as Publisher/Editor-in-Chief until 1992.

In all his years in economic journalism, Egom gained fame for his insightful op-eds as the self-styled ‘Motorpark Economist.’

From journalism, Egom moved to what he termed ‘economic theology’ starting with research at the Ibru International Ecumenical Centre, Delta State (19992000) and then at the Pope John Paul II Catholic Social Centre, Abuja (2001-2003).

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

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How religion, ethnicity may affect selection of head of service CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 However, inquiries revealed at the weekend that the idea of having the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of Service, and the Chairman Federal Civil Service Commission and even the Principal Secretary, State House Permanent Secretary from one region and one religion is not new to the current dispensation. In fact, President Jonathan’s predecessor in office, the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua appointed Alhaji Babagana Kingibe (Borno) as Secretary to the Government when Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed (Bauchi) was still Head of Service. At that time too, Alhaji Ahmed Al-Gazali (Borno) was the Chairman Federal Civil Service Commission. All the three officers then were from the North-East Zone and they are all Muslims. Besides, at that time, Dr. Baba Kaigama (Borno) was Permanent Secretary, State House. He replaced Mr. Steve Oronsaye who was moved then to the Finance Ministry as Permanent Secretary. That was the structure under Yar’Adua.

The Guardian was told last night that “the issue of instability that has also eaten deep into the fabric of the polity” is an issue that may determine how the President will choose the new head of the federal bureaucracy this week. This is the way a top insider rationalises the issue of instability and integrity of the process within the context of what he said at his pre-inauguration lecture: “Look, the issue of instability is a critical factor now. There has always been pressure on the President to change his cabinet. But look at the federal bureaucracy. There has been so

much instability too. The way the permanent secretaries are posted at will is worrisome.

“Take the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for instance, the current minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, joined the cabinet in April 2010, a third permanent secretary just retired under him. Senator Bala inherited one Dr. Goke Adegoroye who was succeeded by another Dr. Biodun Olorunfemi, who was succeeded recently by Mr. Anthony Ozodinobi who retired early this month (March 6, 2013.) This is less than three years as a minister. The Interior Ministry is worse. It is the same everywhere…This development is now fingered as part of corruption issue that is worrisome to the Presidency and the ruling party…So, the stability factor will feature prominently in the politics that will shape the President’s decision this week unless other factors override this…”

This is a breakdown of the tenure of recent Head of Service: • Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed - December 2000 - July 2007 (six years seven months) • Ebele Okeke – July 2007 – June 2008 (11 months) • Ama Pepple – June 2008 - June 2009 (on her birthday (16) 12 months) • Steve Oronsaye - June 2009 – November 2010 (17 months) • Prof. Oladapo Afolabi – November 2010 – September 2011 (10 months) • Alhaji Isa Bello Sali – November 2011 – March 2013 (16 months.

As another concerned elder that retired from the federal service who is close to the presidents’ men put it last night: “It is now clear that the issue of the pensions scam that has tainted government would

have been averted but for instability in the office of the Head of Service. This is the origin: As Head of Service Steve Oronsaye was concerned about the pensions scam and his successors’ inability to solve the problem, he invited Maina from another agency managing pensions to assist in re-organising the Pensions Office in the Head of Service Office.

“As a chartered accountant, Steve saw the ancient loopholes and called in Maina from Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pensions Office (CIPPO) where Maina now declared wanted, had done so well. And quickly, the place was normalised and Steve had publicly declared that he had burst the criminality and corruption in the place and

reduced the amount needed for the old pensions scheme…

“In other words, the pensions scam that has now engulfed the nation was perpetrated after Steve retired. If Steve had stayed longer, the mess would have been either averted or limited. He knew why he set up the task force, named Presidential Task Force after he (Steve) left office. These evil deeds in pensions fund escalated after Steve retired and others took over from him. What is happening in the federal pensions office is a direct result of instability in the office of the Head of Service…”

The Guardian was told by another insider that indeed after Oronsaye retired, he had to call his successor and angrily drew

his (successor’s) attention to some of the reverses that the reform of the pensions process had suffered after he left and the development was said to have caused some friction that was later settled. A number of former permanent secretaries who were sufficiently knowledgeable about this development then confirmed it to The Guardian at the weekend.

Despite the concern raised here by the presidents’ men, another operative and insider confided in The Guardian last night: “Please, do not be too optimistic about the nature of concerns raised about instability in the federal bureaucracy.

Considering the intricacies of what goes into lobbying process in Nigeria, including

Court rejects bid to reinstate Salami From Lemmy Ughegbe, Abuja N ATTEMPT to reinstate the suspended former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami, failed yesterday.

The Federal High Court, Abuja Division, rejected an action instituted by the Registered Trustees of Centre for the Promotion of Arbitration to reinstate Salami.

Delivering its verdict on the suit seeking to compel the National Judicial Council (NJC) to reinstate Salami, the court held that members of the plaintiff organisation lacked the requisite locus standi (legal right) to sustain the action.

The trial judge, Justice Adamu Bello, held that the subject matter of the case was the removal from office of the embattled former President of the Court of Appeal and that the interest in the case was a “private” one relating to the exclusive rights of Justice Salami, which according to him, no other person or party could seek to litigate over.

He held that it was trite that no person or party could seek to redress an injury that involves the private interest of another except the person could show that he or she has been affected by that injury in a way over and above every other person.

“I am of the strong view that the subject matter of this present suit is the private rights of Justice Salami, it pertains to him and no other to seek his reinstatement. This suit is not

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about public right interest but of a private right of Justice Salami. He was not the plaintiff in this matter but was made a defendant. It is Salami’s legal right that is affected and only he can seek redress,” Justice Bello held.

He further held that the action would have been sustainable had the ousted former President of the Court of Appeal been made a co-plaintiff in the matter rather than being made a defendant in a matter that he ought to be pursuing himself.

Consequently, the suit was struck out.

Justice Salami was suspended on August 18, 2011 when the NJC found him guilty of gross misconduct following his refusal to apologise to former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, whom he accused of victimising him for refusing to compromise a gubernatorial election dispute in Sokoto State.

Salami even had to take out an action at the Federal High Court seeking to restrain the NJC panel from investigating him for alleged misconduct and acts capable of tarnishing the image of the Judiciary.

Despite the pendency of the suit, the NJC proceeded with trying him and pronouncing him guilty of misconduct. It consequently ordered him to apologise to the then CJN, Justice Katsina-Alu. Upon his refusal to do so, the NJC recommended to President

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that he be suspended; a recommendation that received his (Jonathan’s) blessing.

However, the NJC later cleared him of misconduct and recommended to Jonathan that Salami be reinstated. But up till this time, the President is yet to assent to the judicial body’s request.

Officially, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), has blamed the President’s refusal to reinstate Salami on pending cases in court, insisting that as a government that places premium on the rule of law, once there is a case in court on the subject matter, the President would not deal with it.

But some presidential sources said the President’s reluctance is because he is yet to come to terms with the ease at which NJC would engage in double speak.

“How can an esteemed judicial body find a principal judicial officer guilty of misconduct, recommend him for suspension and immediately turn round to seek his re-instatement without showing to the President the basis for the turnaround?” a source who pleaded anonymity retorted.

But the NJC has said that it is within its constitutional powers to recall and reinstate Justice Salami as the President of the Court of Appeal and does not require the President’s consent.

big money, the highest bidder may still clinch the top job. This did not begin yesterday. But you people in the media have not been vigilant in your due diligence and intelligence gathering…It does not matter how many months. After all in Lagos State, some judges have retired after only one month in office. The important thing is to assist somebody to become former this and former that. Public interest here and integrity may be the first casualty, after all. This is Nigeria, a land of anything-is-possible…”

Court halts impeachment process against Agbaso From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri N Owerri High Court A presided over by Justice Florence Duruoha-Igwe has given the embattled Deputy Governor of Imo State, Jude Agbaso, hope as she ruled yesterday that the Chief Judge should maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit against the plan to impeach Agbaso.

“As a high legal officer, the Chief Judge knows when a matter is subjudice and in the circumstance, status quo should remain pending the determination of the substantive suit.”

In the suit, the plaintiff’s counsel, Patrick Ikwueto (SAN), prayed the court to order the Imo State House of Assembly stop the impeachment process against Agbaso.

Court orders newspaper service on Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu

By Joseph Onyekwere USTICE Adedayo Oyebanji of Jbosere, the Lagos High Court, Igyesterday ordered that the originating motion filed

by Chief Debe OdumegwuOjukwu who claimed to be the first and eldest son of the late Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu be published in the national dailies for the attention of the 5th defendant in the suit (Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu).

Justice Oyebanji gave the order when the court noticed that there was no response to the originating motion by Bianca.

Govt plans tax incentives for flood victims’ helpers From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja

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ORROWING from the initiatives in foreign countries where philanthropy is well organised, steps are being taken in Nigeria to develop a national framework for philanthropy and to ensure that donations given out are structured and expended in a strategic manner to achieve more results.

Meanwhile, corporate bodies, which donated to the 2012 Flood and Rehabilitation Fund set up by President Goodluck Jonathan, are to enjoy tax incentives this year.

Business mogul, Aliko Dangote, who is a co-Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation (PCFRR), led the pack when he made a donation of N2.5 billion and another N150 million for the running of the secretariat of the flood and rehabilitation fund last year.

Dangote and his likes would enjoy corporate tax incentives this year, according to the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala.

Already, the government has

• Develops frame-work for philanthropy brought together some key foundations and individuals who have led the philanthropy work in Nigeria to ensure that the nation maximises the benefits of its generosity. The gathering, the first of its kind to be organised in Nigeria, highlighted the rising importance of philanthropic engagement that creates effective long-term solutions to social issues.

With the new initiative, wealthy Nigerians would now be organised and more strategic in their giving, to create a bigger impact and leave a lasting legacy.

At the first Nigeria Philanthropy Summit hosted by the Ministry of Finance and the Tony Elumelu Foundation in Abuja yesterday, Vice President Namadi Sambo, who opened the event, said Nigeria was making history by redefining the way philanthropy is done in the country.

“This event is a critical step in the process that will help define a strategy for philanthropy in Nigeria. Today, we will begin to develop a future that

signals a new era where philanthropy becomes an intrinsic part of this country’s transformation,” Sambo said.

Okonjo-Iweala, who announced the planned tax incentives for the donors towards rehabilitation of flood victims at the summit, noted that the government was developing a legal frame-work for the philanthropic sector in Nigeria. “Nigerians are generous people. Giving is part of our culture and intrinsic to our religious beliefs. But it is important to give in a strategic way that not only delivers positive

impact, but sustains it. Today is about starting an important conversation with highlyplaced Nigerians which will lead to a better way of giving to improve our collective welfare.”

She said the Forum, and the policy that is coming on soon, would help the country to build a community of donors and social investors committed to the humanitarian cause.

On how the structure would work, Okonjo-Iweala stressed that the frame-work for operation was still being worked out and would be available in a month or two.

Gowon defends civil war CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 grant any person he chooses pardon.

In her welcome remarks, the President of AUN, Dr. Margee Ensign, said that Gowon and the United States’ former President Abraham Lincoln had the same experience of fighting to defend their countries.

She disclosed that Gowon was the first Nigerian Head of State, former or serving, to visit AUN. The AUN boss advised Nigerian leaders to build on the foundation of Gowon and ensure the country remained as one entity for fast development to take place.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

NEWS

Afenifere seeks apology from Ali over remarks on Yoruba

Anxiety mounts over Ekiti deputy gov’s health From Muyiwa Adeyemi, Ado-Ekiti HERE was anxiety yesterday over the health of Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka, who has not been seen in the public for some weeks.

Mrs. Olayinka has been in and out of the country several times because of an undisclosed ailment but the government yesterday urged members of the public “to remember her in their prayers”.

The government, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr. Tayo Ekundayo, said Mrs. Olayinka has gone on sick leave.

According to the statement, “Ekiti State government wishes to inform the general public that the Deputy Governor of the state, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka, has taken leave to attend to issues relating to her health.

“We urge all well-meaning citizens to remember her in their prayers”.

But the two-paragraph statement did not disclose the duration of the leave and efforts to speak to some of her aides were unsuccessful.

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Police assault Ebonyi varsity teacher From Leo Sobechi, Abakaliki ARELY one month after a police officer, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), descended on a medical doctor for ‘talking to his wife’, some police officers from Ebonyi Police Command have assaulted an Associate Professor and Lecturer in the Department of Soil and Environmental Management, Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Abakaliki, Emmanuel Ogbodo.

Unlike the medical doctor, Prof. Ogbodo’s offence was his alleged failure to stop a checkpoint along Mile 50 precincts of Ebonyi Local Council of the state.

He was beaten to a pulp and nearly blinded by the policemen who used his car key to pierce his eyes and subsequently dragged him to Kpirikpiri Police Division.

With injuries virtually spread over his head, hands and eyes as a result of the savage attack, Prof. Ogbodo told journalists at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, that it was only by the grace of God that he survived the pummeling by the officers.

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Court joins NCC in telecoms lottery suit

By Joseph Onyekwere USTICE Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday joined the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as a defendant in a suit seeking to revoke the operating licence of Airtel Nigeria Limited for allegedly operating an illegal lottery.

Trial judge, ruling on a motion filed by the initiator of the suit, Benjamin Owiadolor, also joined the National Lottery Regulation Commission (NLRC), Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and Secure Electronic Technology Plc, all as defendants in the suit.

Justice Saidu equally ordered Airtel to provide the call logs of Owiadolor in court.

Owiadolor, who is a lawyer, had filed the suit, urging the court to mandate Airtel to refund all sums expended by subscribers who participated in the competition known as “wake up a millionaire promo” by way of credit, which should be done under the supervision of the NCC.

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By Kamal Tayo Oropo and Seye Olumide YORUBA socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has cautioned former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Col. Ahmadu Ali (rtd), over his uncharitable comments about the Yoruba people.

Afenifere demanded that Ali should retract the statement and tender apology immediately for calling the Yoruba ungrateful and that they are another character because they (Yoruba) would not worship former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In a statement yesterday, National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said the attention of Afenifere has been drawn to an interview granted

by Ali to a newspaper (not The Guardian) where he made uncharitable comments about the Yoruba people.

Odumakin noted that the grouse of Ali against the Yoruba people is that they would not worship his god (Obasanjo) and as such, demonised them as “…the Yoruba people who are totally ungrateful kind of people in this country… the Yoruba are another character”.

Afenifere said such remark against a whole people is totally unbecoming of Ali “whom we thought should be a cultured man having come from Igala Kingdom that has centuries of civilisation behind it.

“We ordinarily would have ignored his vituperations but for two reasons: given his profile as a former chairman of the ruling party and a failed aspirant to the chairmanship of its Board of Trustees (BoT), the unwary may be tempted to assume that the words he spoke came from a wise man who is highly informed and secondly, he has touched on a deep cultural value of the Yoruba people’s appreciation.”

Afenifere said the Yoruba people value an appreciative spirit to the point of criminalising an ungrateful person in the saying “an ingrate is not different from a thief. They also link con-

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Rivers State Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (right), presenting a souvenir to National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bamanga Tukur, during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the party’s national working committee (NWC) to the governor in Port Harcourt…at the weekend

WHO, Global Fund seek $1.6b to fight tuberculosis

By Chukwuma Muanya (Lagos) and Emeka Anuforo (Abuja) HEAD of the World Tuberculosis Day (WTD), a lot of grounds has been gained in Tuberculosis (TB) control through international collaboration, but it can easily be lost if we do not act now, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Margaret Chan, has cried out.

A WHO Report of 2011 ranks Nigeria as 10th among the high burden countries for TB in the world. The emergence of drug resistant TB and relatively high burden of HIV/AIDS are said to have also impacted negatively on TB control and prevention efforts.

Though no country was mentioned in specifics in the

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yesterday statement, WHO and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (Global Fund), fresh alert called attention to an anticipated gap of US$ 1.6 billion (N256 billion) in annual international support for the fight against tuberculosis in 118 low and middle-income countries on top of an estimated US$ 3.2 billion that could be provided by the countries themselves.

According to a joint statement by both bodies obtained by The Guardian yesterday, filling this gap could enable full treatment for 17 million TB and multi-drugresistant TB patients and save six million lives between 2014 and 2016.

In the statement issued in Geneva in advance for World

TB Day on March 24, both bodies stressed how strains of tuberculosis with resistance to multiple drugs could spread widely and emphasised that the need for $1.6 billion in international funding for treatment and prevention of the disease globally.

The statement noted: “With the overwhelming majority of international funding for coming tuberculosis through the Global Fund, it is imperative that efforts to raise money be effective this year. Growing alarm about the threat of multi-drug resistant TB, also known as MDR-TB, is making that even more pressing.

“We are treading water at a time when we desperately need to scale up our response to MDR-TB”.

Air fares rise over airline’s woes

By Wole Shadare S expected, the lingering crisis in the aviation industry that has led to the grounding of Dana Air and the industrial unrest in Aero, has shot up airfares.

Most of the airlines have raised their fares by 20 to 30 per cent with choices limited and demand for air travel overwhelming existing airlines like Arik, Medview, IRS and Chanchangi Airlines, since the two troubled airlines (Aero and Dana) both have about 50 per cent of the market share.

However, the Minister of Aviation yesterday lifted the suspension on Dana Air. So from today, the airline is expected to recommence operations two days after the Minister and not the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended the carrier for reasons Dana said was not known to it.

Spokesman for the Minister, Joe Obi, in a statement, said officials of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) met with the management team from Dana Airlines yesterday in Abuja and deliberated on some safety issues in connection with the operations of the airline.

He disclosed that at the end of the meeting, “the suspension of the operations of the airline, which took effect last Saturday was lifted”.

His words: “The airline is to resume normal operations immediately. However, the particular aircraft, which had a snag over the weekend is to remain grounded until after its air-worthiness has been recertified by Boeing, the

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• Govt lifts suspension on Dana manufacturer of the aircraft.”

A passenger, who called The Guardian from Abuja, said Arik and IRS have raised their fares by over 20 per cent.

The traveller, who gave his name as Johnson Maduka, said he was shocked when the ticketing staff of Arik told him that air fares have been adjusted by N5,000, making an hour flight to Lagos from Abuja to cost between N40,000 and N45,000 depending on the time.

He said the same thing obtains with IRS and Chanchangi that have raised fares to the same amount.

Maduka, who described what is happening as a big rip off, called on the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s Consumer Protection Directorate to wade into the situation to save the sector from imminent collapse.

The grounding of Aero through industrial action and Dana by the Minister of Aviation for inexplicable reasons has brought untold hardship to hundreds of travellers who could not afford the fares.

A trip that is over an hour like Kano, Maiduguri, Sokoto, now costs as high as N55,000 and more.

Many now take to roads, as their choices are limited. The airlines are over-booked, passengers are frustrated by “no more seats” chorus by the airline officials.

At the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2, some who could afford the fares, were ready to pay more for Medview and IRS just to get to their destinations and to meet with their appointments.

Aviation consultant, Olumide

Ohunayo, had told The Guardian on Sunday that Nigerians should brace up for a high fare regime, reduced competition and appalling services, adding that these decisions by the Ministry of Aviation have made nonsense of the autonomy of the NCAA. Former Commander, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd), expressed concern over the sector. He said what is happening was expected, adding that with Aero and Dana troubles, airfares would double as existing airlines would want to capitalise on passengers’ glut.

According to him, “The airlines think they would make money because of the problems of these two airlines.

They will make money quite all right but at the expense of safety. They will make more trips than what they are expected to do, but they would over-stretch their equipment and personnel and that will lead to compromising safety. The sector is shaky as it concerns safety. I am scared for this industry now than ever before”.

The sector is again witnessing a difficult time, reminiscent of the period last year when Arik Air withdrew its operations following the disruption of its services by some unions.

That period coincided with the time Dana Air was grounded after the June 3, 2012 accident, demise of Air Nigeria and suspension of operations by Chanchangi.

Passengers had a hectic time as Aero and IRS could not cope with the massive traffic.

tinuous blessings to appreciation of past ones.

“From the above, it is crystal clear that Ahmadu Ali has no lesson to teach the Yoruba in the art of gratitude and his uncouth remark only portrays him as ill-mannered and foulmouthed.”

He continued: “For Ali and those who think like him, Yoruba don’t venerate mere positions but rather leadership through service to the community. This explains why the Yoruba adore Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who contested the highest office in the land three times and lost and resent Ali’s hero who occupied the same office three times!

“The difference is that as Premier of Western Region, Awo used the resources of the region to banish ignorance through free education, eliminated diseases through free health, introduced television culture to the Yoruba even before France, made Yoruba to aim for the sky by building the 25-storey Cocoa House in Ibadan, among other imperishable.”

Odumakin said in contrast “the years Ali’s hero spent as leader of Nigeria institutionalised corruption, which deepened poverty for all Nigerians, including the Yoruba. The poverty index in Nigeria was 45 per cent in 1999 and jumped to 67 per cent in 2007 in spite of unprecedented oil earnings in the same period. The culture of begging that was alien in Yorubaland became pronounced under the leadership of the man Ali wants Yoruba to worship.”

He added that in all the 11 years Obasanjo spent as president, Yoruba can point to nothing in their region that rivals the least of Awo’s achievements. That is why they have no gratitude for such a man positioned to give quality leadership to his country but left it worse than he met it because of personal failings.”

He said Ali is free to build a shrine for his god in his Igala Kingdom but he would never be the one to choose a hero for the Yoruba.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

8 News

Over 30 houses razed in Kwara’s continued fighting From Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin EAVY fighting continued H yesterday at Ganmo Ifelodun local council of Kwara State, where over 30 houses had already been completely razed.

Though no loss of life has been officially reported, sources said that if the situation escalates further, the military could be drafted in today

to quell the crisis. A team of mobile policemen drafted into the scene were said to have retreated as the warring factions were alleged to be using superior firepower in the crisis that enters its fourth day today.

This development has obstructed free flow of traffic in the area as unsuspecting motorists plying the federal road in the community are

being harassed. Schools and markets have been closed down while residents have fled the area for fear of more trouble breaking out.

True cause of the crisis has not been officially ascertained, but sources said it might not be unconnected with the recent upgrading of an Oluganma stool, the Ganmo monarch, Oba Abdullahi Kolawole, to a

fourth class status by the state government. Supporters of the rival monarch, Oluganmo of Ganmo, reportedly condemned the grading of Oluganma stool.

Apparently to avert crisis, the state reportedly postponed the presentation of staff of office to the traditional ruler because of unfavourable security reports. Two ethnic groups -

London court adjourns suit against Britons over alleged bribe in Nigeria From Tunde Oyedoyin, London OUR Britons charged with paying bribes to agents of the Rivers and Lagos states boards of inland revenues while working in Nigeria between 2008 and 2009 have had their trial set for June 7, 2013.

The suit was adjourned after the accused appeared yesterday for pre-trial hearing before Justice McCreath at the Southwark Crown courtroom 6 in London. Prior to being charged, the accused were investigated for about two years by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the City of London Police. SFO took over the investigations in early August 2010, after referral by the City of London Police.

The three men and one woman, all former executive employees of Swift Technical Energy Solutions Ltd - a Nigerian subsidiary of Swift Group of Companies, which employs over 3,000 contractors and provides manpower for the oil and gas industry in over 35 countries - will now face criminal charges beginning on June 7, after their lawyers agreed dates during yesterday’s hearing.

The company’s former Chief Financial Officer, Paul Jacobs, ex-tax manager, Bharat Sodha, the former Financial Controller, Nidhi Vyas, and exArea Director of Swift in Nigeria, Trevor Bruce, are alleged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to have paid bribes of about £180,000 to Rivers and Lagos states’ officials during the period investigated, to either avoid, reduce or delay paying tax on behalf of workers placed by Swift.

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However, CPS lawyer, Sally Ann Hales, had wanted the defendants’ bail conditions altered because of the “seriousness of the charges,” particularly because of Bruce, who now works for another employer in Papau Guinea.

He argued, “we have no idea where he intends to go next,” adding that Britain does not have any “extradition treaty” with the country - just in case he refuses to show up for the June date. However, the judge

did not set any restriction on the bail conditions, after being told that Bruce had flown in for the hearing from his current base and that he had never failed to honour police invitations since he was first invited in August 29, 2009.

This was after the four lawyers - Rachna Gokani, Hugo Keith, Robert Roscoe and Mark Roydon Fenhalls representing the four accused, had argued against

the prayers of the Crown Prosecutor. One after the other, the defendants’ lawyers stood to pray the court not to restrict the current freedom of their respective clients.

After listening to both sides of the bench, Justice McCreath looked in the direction of the four accused in the dock, saying: “You’re all free to go on unconditional bail as you’ve enjoyed till now. You are to return to the court at the appropriate time on June 7.”

Edo PDP sues electoral commission over council form fee From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City RUE to its threat, the Edo T State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said it has instituted legal action against the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) at a High Court to compel it to refund the sum of N100,000 and N50,000 it collected from chairmanship and councillorship candidates respectively for forms ahead of the April 20 local council elections.

However, when contacted yesterday, EDSIEC spokesperson, Rosemary Uwagboi, told The Guardian that she was not aware of any court process against the commission. But state PDP Chairman, Dan Orbih, confirmed so in Fugar during the formal flag-off of the party’s campaign, where he expressed his party’s reservation over “poor funding of EDSIEC by the state govern-

We believe that their action is unconstitutional, illegal and we are relying seriously on section 106 and 107 of the constitution, which gave no such powers to the commission to demand for such money ment.

“Last week Wednesday, we went to the High Court in Benin City to file an action demanding that EDSIEC should refund the N100,000 and N50,000 that they collected from chairmanship and councillorship candidates,” he said.

“We believe that their action is unconstitutional, illegal and we are relying seriously on section 106 and 107 of the constitution, which gave no such powers to the commission to demand for such money.

“We are also not satisfied with the funding of EDSIEC by the state government. They should provide them with enough money to conduct this election and not to be tak-

ing money from candidates.

The positions are not for sale.”

According to Orbih, the PDP would be fielding chairmanship candidatures in the 18 councils as well as 192 councillorship candidates in wards across the state.

Meanwhile, a two-time chairman of Owan West council, Dan Asekhame, said yesterday that Chief Tony Anenih’s emergence as chairman of PDP Board of Trustees has boosted the party’s chances of winning back the state in the 2015 National Assembly and 2016 governorship elections.

He told journalists that the defection of some members of the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to the PDP was an indication that the party was jittery.

Igbomina and Afonja descendants of Idi-Ape quarters, Ilorin, are claiming ownership of the ancient town.

It was also learnt that celebrations by the supporters of Oba Kolawole allegedly sparked off the violent clash as the rival group saw it as an act of provocation. However, another account attributed the crisis to the reported re-

location of the Central Market, Ganmo, to a new site, which the people allegedly resisted.

Meanwhile, a detachment of mobile policemen has been drafted to the troubled town to restore law and order and normalcy was gradually returning to the community.

Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olufemi Fabode, refused to confirm the devel-

‘How to tackle graft’

By Gbenga Salau ARTICIPANTS at a seminar P have said that corruption, which has become endemic in the nation and deeply entrenched in the polity, started when the good of the individuals in the ruling party replaced the concept of good within the region.

And to curb the trend, which resulted in stolen fund amounting to about $500 million between 1960 and 2012, they argued that there should be no bail or fraudulent state pardon for corrupt individuals.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the seminar in Minna, Niger State, with the theme Trends of Corruption, Indiscipline and Disregard to Rules and

Regulations, the participants observed corruption, indiscipline, disregard for rule of law and decline in public service and private sectors of the country.

They argued that strict application of penalties for those found guilty of corruption and fearless adherence to rule of law would promote a better society.

They noted further that individuals who think they are stealing on behalf of their people are invariably leaving their people and everyone impoverished.

It was also stated that corruption in the country has fuelled a lack of faith in the survival of Nigeria as a united nation, but to move forward, the leaders and the led must jettison pessimism and complacency.

Court to begin contempt trial of Ibadan Poly chief From Iyabo Lawal, Ibadan OR their alleged disobedience of court order, an FIbadan High Court will tomorrow commence contempt proceedings against the Chairman, Governing Council of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, Prof.

Oladapo Afolabi, and 12 other members of the council.

A former staff of the institution, Mr comply with the court order but was rebuffed. The alleged refusal to comply forced the plaintiff’s counsel to return to court on January 25 this year for contempt proceedings against the school authorities.

After hearing the ex-parte motion argued by Seun Ajayi, the judge granted that committal proceedings be served on the council members of the polytechnic and fixed tomorrow for the trial.

Adesina had voluntarily retired from the polytechnic’s services in 1999 after working for 12 years. He was not paid gratuity, though he received his calculated pension for the next three consecutive years before it was stopped, ostensibly on the authority of two official circulars from the state government, which precluded appointment of anyone above 45 years into the public service.

AVMCC honours Odukomaiya

By Wole Oyebade UBLICATION Committee P of the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral (AVMCC), Ikeja, Lagos, on Sunday honoured a household name in Nigerian journalism, Prince Henry Odukomaiya.

Odukomaiya, 79, has voluntarily retired from the committee, where he served as chairman for 16 years. At a private reception held in his honour, family, friends and close associates eulogised his exemplary qualities, both in public life and in the church.

Those who spoke included the Minister of Information, represented by the Register and Chief Executive of Advertising Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria, Garba Kankarofi, Prof. Wale Omole, Bishop of Ijebu South West Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Babatunde Ogunbanwo, representative of Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West, Rev. Canon Abraham Odemuyiwa, and Prof.

Idowu Sobowale, among others.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

NEWS

UNILORIN VC expresses worry over maternal mortality rate From Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin ICE-CHANCELLOR of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, has expressed concern over the alleged alarming rate of maternal mortality in the country and called on the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN) to step up efforts at arresting the situation.

Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) is the annual number of female deaths per 100,000 live births from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management (excluding accidental or incidental causes). It includes deaths during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, for a specified year.

Ambali, speaking yesterday through the Deputy ViceChancellor (Management Services), Prof. Y. M. Fakunle, when some executive members of the association visited him, said that unlike the general medical practitioners who are interested in individual patients, the Public Health Physicians are interested in the wellness of the entire society.

Leader of the team, Prof. M.C. Asuzu, said the reported 545630 cases of mortality out of 1,000 births in both rural and urban centres was unacceptable, hence the reason for the conference’s theme.

ACN, LP supporters clash at Akure High Court From Niyi Bello, Akure several minutes yesFtheOR terday, the frontage of hallowed Akure High

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‘Newswatch had assets before Ibrahim’s takeover’

By Joseph Onyekwere IMOH Ibrahim’s lawyer, Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), yesterday continued with the cross-examination of the former chief executive officer of Newswatch Communications Ltd (NCL), Ray Ekpu, at the Federal High Court Lagos.

Ekpu responded to questions bordering on indebtedness of NCL, shareholding of the directors, as well as the controversial share purchase agreement, which transferred ownership of the company to Ibrahim. Ekpu said even though the company was indebted as at the time ownership exchanged hands, it also had assets.

Two minority shareholders of the company, Mr. Nuhu Wada Aruda and Prof. Jibril Aminu, had filed the suit challenging the take-over of the media outfit by Ibrahim.

The two petitioners had filed the substantive petition accusing the new management of assuming control of the company “illegally”.

The petitioners are, therefore, praying the court to quash the powers of the current management of the company.

In their petition No. FHC/L/CP/1367/2012 brought pursuant to Sections 310 (a), (b) and (c) and 311 (1), (2) (a) and (b) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, the applicants are also praying the court to, among others, set aside the Share Purchase Agreement on the basis of which Dr. Ibrahim assumed majority shareholding of the company.

Joined as respondents in the matter are: Newswatch Communications Ltd and Global Media Media Mirror Ltd. The trial judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba, later adjourned the matter till Tuesday (today).

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Participants at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) Global Money Week Road Show in Abuja…yesterday

Court located on Hospital Road in the Ondo State capital was desecrated by a freefor-all between supporters of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Labour Party (LP).

It took the intervention of policemen deployed within the premises and reinforcement from the nearby ‘A’ Division Police Station to contain the two sides, who were from the venue of the Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal.

When the dust settled

U.S.-based Nigerians back America on Alamieyeseigha From Laolu Akande (New York) and Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu (Benin City)

Ex-Army provost blames S’South under-development on corruption

MERICA-BASED Nigerians A are expressing support for the United States (U.S.) govern-

state governors should declare their stand on the issue since the decision was announced at a National Council of States’ meeting.

And as the South-South region continues to lament the slow pace of work on the East-West road, former Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army, now a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Brig.-Gen. Don Idada

ment’s comments and action regarding the controversial pardon granted last week to a former corrupt governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Solomon Peter (DSP) Alamieyeseigha.

They are also demanding that former Head of State, Gen. Mohamadu Buhari, and other

Anambra PDP strategises to oust APGA, plans protest at Wadata ahead guber polls Lagos ACN carpets PDP over poor attitude to democracy From Chuks Collins, Awka DEATH knell on Anambra A State All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) is likely if the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders, comprising different factions and quasi-groupings within the party make real their resolve to close ranks and upstage the ruling party in the forthcoming governorship election.

The stakeholders, who met on Sunday evening at the residence of Senator Emma Anosike in Umuleri, vowed to “first of all restore peace and cohesion within the party.”

And blaming “the high-handedness of the erstwhile National Working Committee of our party that had always disregarded our democratic wishes,” they resolved to visit the PDP National Headquarters, Wadata House, in Abuja enmasse to register their grievances.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), citing the unfolding drama over the registration of its new umbrella party, has warned that the PDP was committed to the truncation of the present democracy, stating that the party’s alleged involvement in the scandal has drastically waned confidence in the electoral system.

In a release signed by the Lagos ACN Publicity Secretary, Joe Igbokwe, the party said it was peeved that the PDP was turning around in its usual illogical way to accuse the mergerparty, All Progressives Congress (APC), of being behind the new and sudden African Progressives Congress (APC),

which it alleged, was being promoted and funded by PDP members in Abuja.

In a communiqué read by the chairman of the meeting and erstwhile elected chairman of Idemili-North Council, Okey Muo-Aroh, at the end of the meeting, the PDP stakeholders recognised a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC), Olisah Metu, as cerebral in the achievement of the goal.

Others included Arthur Eze, Senator Andy Uba, Senator Margery Chuba-Okadigbo, Chris Uba, Senator Emma Anosike, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Stella OgiemwoyinOduah (Minister of Aviation), Nicholas Ukachukwu, Senator Ben Obi and Akachukwu Nwankpo, both of whom are aides to President Goodluck Jonathan.

They eventually set up a tactical team to harmonise the resolutions, reach out to the above individuals in the effort to achieve their goal through genuine reconciliation, and the selection of a candidate to represent the party in the forthcoming governorship election in the state is done to upstage APGA. The ACN said: “The present laughable statement from the PDP’s national publicity secretary leaves Nigerians in any better statement than that of wondering when we descended so low as having our country firmly gripped by plain racketeers and blackmailers, who spare nothing to ventilate blackmail and plain illogicality to explain away many of the deliberate official shenanigans that have become the second nature of PDP.

Ikponmwen, said yesterday that corruption was at the root of not only the region but also the entire country’s under-development.

According to the Executive Director of the National Democratic Liberty Forum (NDLF), Mr. Bokola Oreofe, “the (Barack) Obama administration should demand that the (President Godluck Jonathan administration rescinds the ill-conceived pardon.

“If the Nigerian government fails, consequences should be meted out to send a clear signal that Nigeria cannot continue to relish her world acclaimed notoriety of a corrupt nation in ways that make mockery of global efforts to discourage and stem the hurtful acts of government officials stealing public funds.”

Also, the leader of the defunct PRONACO in the U.S. and varsity administrator, Dr. Baba Adams, noted: “We are in total agreement with the U.S. government that the pardon by President Jonathan is a step in the wrong direction in

fighting corruption in Nigeria.”

In a formal press statement released last night by the NDLF Executive Director, the New York based pro-democracy group specifically called on Gen. Buhari to “dissociate himself from the pardon as Jonathan removes veil of pretense.”

While Adams conceded that the act was constitutionally legal, he insists, however, that “it is likely to do more harm than good to the president politically, and to the image of our country, adding: “We are not sure if he is getting the right advice by the sycophants and yes-men who surround him!”

According to the U.S.-based Nigerians, the recent pardon granted Alamieyeseigha, who is still wanted by law enforcement officials in the United Kingdom, “is indeed an opprobrium brought upon all citizens of Nigeria by a government that clearly condones corruption, thus displaying its badge of dishonour by this unpresidential pardon.

about 30 minutes later, four of the supporters were left seriously injured and were later taken to a nearby private hospital while eyewitness account has it that at least one person was arrested by the police at the scene of the violence.

It was gathered that violence broke out when a jubilating crowd of ACN supporters, who were moving towards the gate of the premises, were attacked by a group of hoodlums already stationed at the entrance of the complex.

But another eyewitness said it was the ACN crowd that threw the first missile at a group of supporters suspected to be Labour Party (LP) as the two groups met at the entrance of the complex.

However, there were signs of a possible clash between the opposing supporters right inside the courtroom when the third respondent, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which was expected to open its defence with a parade of witnesses, said it was no longer going ahead.

As the INEC lead counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), announced that the electoral umpire was not going to call any witness, there were murmurings from particularly the ACN supporters, who obviously believed that the no-witness submission meant that it had no capacity to contradict the various allegations levelled against it.

INEC had pleaded with the tribunal last Friday to wait till yesterday to allow it bring witnesses to debunk the allegations of the petitioners that the election was marred by massive irregularities from which the umpire cannot be absolved.

Awomolo told the tribunal yesterday that there was no reason for INEC to call any witness or defend any allegation “since the key allegation against INEC relates to tampering with the Voters’ Register used during the 2012 governorship election as contained in paragraphs 32-35 of the petition (by the ACN).”

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

10

WorldReport Kenya shares fall after Odinga challenged election result ENYAN shares fell yesterK day on profit taking after defeated presidential candi-

Pope Francis welcoming compatriot President Cristina Kirchner of Argentina in the Vatican yesterday in his first meeting with a head of state as world leaders arrived in Rome ahead of his inauguration mass.

PHOTO: AFP/OSSERVATORE ROMANO

date Raila Odinga filed a legal challenge to the result of this month’s presidential election.

Odinga challenged the election outcome in court on Saturday, alleging widespread ballot rigging in a fresh test of Kenyan democracy five years after a disputed vote triggered deadly tribal violence.

His move also weighed on the Kenyan shilling, which weakened slightly against the dollar yesterday as it could prolong political uncertainty in the region’s biggest economy.

The benchmark NSE-20 share index fell by 0.99 percent to close at 4,727.04 points.

“There is some element of profit taking and there is the election petition,” said Judd Murigi, an analyst at African

Alliance.

Analysts say a swift, transparent resolution of the petition will be critical to restoring Kenya’s reputation as a stable democracy, following post-election violence in early 2008.

The six Supreme Court judges are legally required to hear the case and deliver a verdict within the next two weeks.

“We may go to another election if it is successful,” Murigi said.

The stock market, which surged 7 percent in the two days after the peaceful conclusion of the March 4 vote, then suffered falls after Odinga refused to concede defeat.

In the currency market, leading commercial banks posted the shilling at 85.80/90 per dollar at Monday’s market close, down slightly from Friday’s close of

Kirchner asks Pope to intervene over Falklands

Yemen national dialogue conference begins

RGENTINE President A Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner says she has asked for

N-BACKED reconciliation U talks got underway in Yemen and aimed at drafting

the Pope’s intervention in the Falklands dispute between her country and the UK. Visiting the Vatican, Mrs. Kirchner said she had asked the Pope to promote dialogue between the two sides.

Argentine Pope Francis, who will be formally installed as pontiff at a Mass today, in the past has said the Falkland Islands, a United Kingdom overseas territory, belongs to Argentina.

“I asked for his intervention to avoid problems that could emerge from the militarisation of Great Britain in the south Atlantic,” Mrs. Kirchner told reporters after having lunch with the Pope.

“We want a dialogue and that’s why we asked the pope to intervene so that the dialogue is successful.”

According to the BBC, there has been no word yet as to how the Pope responded to the appeal.

In a referendum held a week ago, people in the Falkland Islands voted overwhelmingly

in favour of remaining a UK overseas territory.

Before Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected, the 76year-old was Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

At a Mass last year, he told Argentine veterans of the Falklands War: “We come to pray for all who have fallen,

sons of the Homeland who went out to defend their mother, the Homeland, and to reclaim what is theirs.”

British Prime Minister David Cameron said last week that he “respectfully” disagreed with the view expressed in the past by Pope Francis that the Falkland Islands had been

“usurped” by the UK. Mrs Kirchner is the first head of state the new pope has met.

She presented him with a mate gourd and straw for drinking traditional Argentine tea.

The two also kissed, and Mrs Kirchner remarked afterwards: “Never in my life has a pope kissed me!’’

Eight killed, 20 wounded in Mogadishu car bomb T least eight people have which is linked to al-Qaeda, Mogadishu since al-Shabab A been killed and 20 said it carried out the attack. withdrew from the city in wounded in a car bomb in Government security forces August 2011, following an the centre of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, police and hospital staff have said.

According to the BBC, a suicide bomber blew up the car near the presidential palace and the scene was one of utter destruction, with body parts scattered across a wide area.

A minibus, which bore the brunt of the attack, was completely destroyed just as nearby buildings were badly damaged, including a restaurant.

Somalia’s al-Shabab group,

fired occasional shots into the air to disperse the large crowd that gathered at the site of the blast. People were also shaken, some of whom were searching for their loved ones, hoping they survived the explosion. Others have went to Mogadishu’s overstretched hospitals to find their relatives and friends.

Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon described the attack, which left Mogadishu’s intelligence chief wounded as cowardly.

Security had improved in

offensive by African Union (AU) troops.

But this is one of the most deadly attacks in the coastal city since a new UN-backed Somali government was formed last year.

“We’ve counted at least eight dead so far. It was a car bomb attack,” said police official Mohamed Duale, AFP news agency reported A witness, Hassan Salad, said the dead included passengers in a minibus that was hit by the blast, the report added.

a new constitution and preparing for full democratic elections in February 2014.

More than 500 representatives of various political groups will take part in the discussions in Sanaa, which are expected to last six months.

However, hardline secessionists from South Yemen are boycotting the talks.

The dialogue is part of a deal that saw former President Ali Abdullah Saleh stand down in 2011 after an uprising.

Mr Saleh handed over power to his deputy, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, who became president in February 2012 after an election in which he stood unopposed.

The national dialogue conference was originally scheduled to start in mid-November, but was delayed mainly due to the

War crimes suspect, Ntaganda, surrenders at U.S. Embassy, Rwanda claims

Maduro, Capriles clash over crime ahead Venezuelan election R

OMENTS after he registered to run in Venezuela’s April 14 election, acting President Nicolas Maduro vowed to go on foot, unarmed, into the toughest slums of Caracas and ask the gangs there to lay down their guns.

Maduro and his opponent, Henrique Capriles, have clashed over a top campaign issue: the daily murders, armed robberies and kidnappings that make the South American country one of the most dangerous in the world.

“We’ll go like this, with our chests bare!” Maduro cried at the campaign event, driving the crowd wild as he pulled open his Venezuelan-flag tracksuit top to reveal a red T-

M

shirt emblazoned with the eyes of his late boss, Hugo Chavez.

“We’ll go without fear, to tell these youths to stop the killing, to give up the guns, to come to Christ the Redeemer!”

Fears about personal safety routinely top polls of voters’ concerns in the country with the world’s biggest oil reserves - despite the many programs started by Chavez during his 14-year rule aimed at bringing down the homicide figures.

In a report last week, the U.N. Development Program said that only Honduras, El Salvador, Ivory Coast and Jamaica had worse rates than Venezuela’s 45.1 murders per 100,000 people. The

rate in the United States was 4.2.

The Venezuelan government concedes the country suffers more violent crime than most of the region. But it accuses opposition politicians of exaggerating the problem and shamelessly stoking fears to tarnish Chavez’s socialist “revolution.”

On Sunday, Maduro accused the U.S. Department of Defense and Central Intelligence Agency of plotting to assassinate Capriles and blame it on the government to cause chaos and trigger a coup ahead of the vote.

Washington categorically denied it.

The opposition candidate, a 40-year-old centrist state gov-

ernor who accuses Maduro of exploiting the emotion over Chavez’s March 5 death in an effort to win the election, kicked off a provincial tour over the weekend.

Capriles calls Maduro a poor imitation of Chavez and mocked his performance outside the electoral authority offices.

“Do you think Nicolas is going to solve the violence problem? It’s not opening your jacket and saying ‘I’m Superman and I’m going to go I don’t know where,’” Capriles said.

“I’d like to leave my house at 11, 12 o’clock in the night, for my children to be able to go out and me not to be terrified. Can we do that today?

Can we live like that? No.”

refusal of factions in al-Hiraak al-Janoubi (the Southern Movement) to attend.

Hiraak is a coalition of groups, which champion southern independence.

Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, a southerner, has struggled to persuade secessionists to attend.

Hiraak is a coalition of groups, which champion southern independence.

People in the South have long complained of political and economic marginalisation by the central government in Sanaa since unification with the North in 1990.

Most Hiraak factions agreed to take part in the dialogue following pleas from President Hadi, a southerner who led the military campaign against secessionists in the 1994 civil war and pressure from the UN, which threatened sanctions against any party impeding the talks.

WANDAN-BORN former Congolese General Bosco Ntaganda, wanted by the International Criminal Court for suspected war crimes in Congo, has given himself up at the United States Embassy in Kigali, Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said yesterday.

“We have learned today that Bosco Ntaganda entered Rwanda and surrendered to (the) U.S. Embassy in Kigali,” she posted on Twitter.

There was no immediate confirmation from U.S. officials. An official at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali said she was not aware of Ntaganda surrendering.

Ntaganda faces charges of conscripting child soldiers, murder, ethnic persecution and rape in eastern Democratic Republic of the

Congo.

Neither Rwanda nor the United States has an obligation to hand Ntaganda over to The Hague-based ICC since they are not parties to the Rome Statute that established the court.

A year-long insurgency in a resource-rich Congolese province by M23 rebels was partly triggered by President Joseph Kabila’s plan to arrest Ntaganda on the international charges. Ntaganda was integrated into the Congolese army with insurgents as part of a 2009 peace deal.

The ICC has been seeking Ntaganda’s arrest since 2006, but Kabila resisted acting on the warrant until April last year, saying Ntaganda was a linchpin in the fragile peace.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

11

Politics Ondo Election Tribunal: Same song, different dancers From Niyi Bello, Akure ROCEEDINGS of the Justice Garba P Nabaruma-led five-man Election Petitions Tribunal that declared incumbent Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, as duly elected during the controversial April 14, 2007 governorship poll in the state, lasted between mid-2007 and July 25, 2008 when the verdict was given.

Interestingly, one song formed part of the entire event. It was the Yoruba song composed by members of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to ridicule the dejected but expectant crowd of Labour Party (LP) supporters at every tribunal sittings and at drinking joints.

It ran thus: “Awon n’sejo, awa n’se ‘joba, yoo maa dun won ni,” meaning, “they (LP) are in court, we (PDP) are in government, they’ll always be pained.”

It was being sung with relish by PDP members to taunt LP supporters about the futility of their recourse to the Judiciary, to remedy the alleged brazen daylight electoral robbery that characterised the 2007 governorship election and the massive irregularities that were observed in its conduct.

At one of the sittings, the PDP choristers, who danced around the Akure High Court complex venue of the tribunal, were led by its then Vice-Chairman (Southwest), Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo, who came into town from Osogbo, Osun State, with members of the party regional leadership on solidarity visit.

Indeed, like an impenitent thief, who flaunts his loot brashly in the face of the hapless owner, the PDP, relying massively on its Abuja connections, succeeded in creating the impression, at least among its membership, that as long as the party controlled the national political powerhouse, the LP and its candidate, Mimiko, who had been turned into a recluse of sorts, could not get any favourable verdict at the tribunal.

Although dejected by the arrogance of the PDP and the fact that a precedent of a robbed candidate getting justice at the Judiciary had not been laid in the current democratic experiment, the LP crowd, who despite their disadvantaged position always outnumbered the PDP supporters at any sitting, took solace in divine intervention.

Thus, many of them constituted themselves into prayer groups to seek spiritual support with hope that like David, they would surely defeat their own Goliath.

And anytime they saw something that could strengthen their faith in the system, they encouraged themselves with Mimiko’s signature tune when he dared to challenge the almighty PDP to an electoral duel: “Ta lo o julo?

Olorun mi, ta lo o julo? Iwo ti O da Aye at’Orun, ta lo o julo?” meaning, “Who is greater than you, my God, who is greater? You, who created the Earth and the Heavens, Who is greater?”

During those days, it was easy identifying members of the opposition from the ruling party, as the LP supporters, like rain-drenched chickens, always hurdled in their side of the courtroom, expectantly looking up to any judicial pronouncement that would brighten their day while the garrulous PDP members were cutting the air with their clenched fists and the shouts of “power”.

Such was the ruling party’s confidence that even at public functions, its leadership, including its governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, always sang an evergreen song by octogenarian highlife artiste, Fatai Rolling Dollars: “Won kere si nomba wa; awon omode wonyi kere si nomba wa,” meaning, “They are small, compared to us; these kids are small, compared to us.”

Stories were told of how senior political office holders in the PDP camp, including the governor, always indulged in all-night revelries at the Alagbaka Government House, Akure, after assurances from members of their legal team of the near-impossibility of an LP victory and the invincibility of their own position.

Perhaps, this over-confidence was responsible for the procurement by the PDP of a cow, each for its members in all the political wards in the states, to celebrate the expected victory on the judgment day.

Needless to say that at a time when the cows were being slaughtered, the unexpected pro-

Mimiko nouncement came that declared Mimiko as the outright winner of the election.

Interestingly, the jubilating crowd of LP supporters took most of the cow parts away while the PDP elements hid themselves for fear of attacks.

More than four years after, following the victory of the LP at the October 20, 2012 poll, and the commencement of another round of electoral litigation, the same song is echoing at the tribunal venue, but the singers, with their swaggers, have switched positions with the taunted crowd.

The LP supporters, who were taunted four years ago, are the ones walking with the swagger of victory while the PDP followers, in their newfound love for the judicial system, which they had castigated for allegedly awarding victory to Mimiko through the back door, now look forward to the tribunal as “the only hope for the common man.”

Remarkably, almost the same people from across the party divides that thronged the Nabaruma tribunal are the ones attending the current sittings of the Justice Andovar Kaka’an three-member panel.

But unlike in the past, the social media is playing a big role, as it did in the countdown to last year’s election, in the dissemination of information from the tribunal to the public.

Apart from the fact that the crowd of spectators is almost the same, there are other areas of similitude between the two tribunals, which sat at the same Court Two of the Akure High Court Complex in the state capital. The courtroom has, however, been renovated and fixed with new furniture and air-conditioners.

Except for some, like the Port Harcourt-based lawyer, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), who had crossed over from the PDP where he was four years ago, to the LP camp as one of the counsel to Mimiko, lawyers that previously handled petitions for the litigants are almost the same set.

As it was four years ago, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) leads the Mimiko and LP legal team with Yusuff Alli (SAN) and Dr. Olumide Ayeni, while Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) remains as the head of the PDP lawyers, leading Dr. Kayode Olatoke with whom he had formerly worked for the party.

The major change in the legal teams is, however, that of Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), who was a leading counsel for Mimiko and who handled many of the cross-examinations of witnesses to establish the case of the incumbent governor in the last tribunal.

The Ibadan-based lawyer, a major petitioner as the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), is praying the tribunal to declare the last election as wrongly conducted.

Perhaps, because the two-way hostilities among the politicians during the Nabaruma tribunal days was initially expanded to five fronts with the number of political parties that petitioned against the Mimiko victory, the sittings generated almost as much public interest as did the earlier tribunal.

During the previous sittings, the tribunal was always filled to the brim, with many members of the opposition expressing optimism, ironically buoyed by the Mimiko’s 2009 tribunal victory, that the incumbent governor would

Following the victory of the LP at the October 20, 2012 poll, and the commencement of another round of electoral litigation, the same song is echoing at the tribunal venue, but the singers, with their swaggers, have switched positions with the taunted crowd. The LP supporters, who were taunted four years ago, are the ones walking with the swagger of victory while the PDP followers, in their newfound love for the judicial system, which they had castigated for allegedly awarding victory to Mimiko through the back door, now look forward to the tribunal as the only hope for the common man.

have his October 20, 2012 victory nullified.

The crowd of opposition had hinged its optimism on many fronts, notably the alleged failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to put the names of the candidate of the Accord Party (AP) on the ballot paper used during the poll.

The other was the seeming similarity between the logos of the LP and that of the Peoples Democratic Congress (PDC) with the latter claiming that all the votes credited to Mimiko’s LP were, indeed, meant for its candidate.

Besides the ACN and the PDP, which are the leading litigants, and which were allegedly behind the petitions of both the AP and the PDC, the candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Olusoji Ehinlanwo, was also at the tribunal, seeking a declaration that he was the actual winner of the election.

However, the decision of the tribunal, in the process of consolidating all salient points of the petitions in order to fast-track litigation, threw out majority of the petitions against the election. This has greatly reduced the enthusiasm of the opposition in their hope of getting to the Government House.

In a pronouncement early February, which had reduced the number of crowd that daily flocked its venue, the tribunal dismissed the petitions filed by the Accord Party candidate, James Ojo, while it struck out that of the CPC candidate, Ehinlanwo, against Mimiko’s election.

The tribunal held that the AP’s petition was “incompetent, abuse of court process, fundamental and incurably defective,” as the deputy governorship candidate in an affidavit in support of the petition claimed that the party had no candidate for the election.

The tribunal added that in the affidavit, the deputy governorship candidate also said that the election was free and fair, while admitting that the party did not file the necessary papers.

Separately, the tribunal ruled that the petition lacked the basic requirements, as contained in the Electoral Act 2010, as amended, stressing that the basic information needed for the petition to hold were not available.

The tribunal chairman, in a five-hour ruling, said: “We hold that this petition is a complete abuse of court process; the petition also fell short of the provisions of Article 41 of the Electoral Act; the petition is fundamental and incurably defective.”

Striking out the petition of the CPC, the tribunal held that Ehinlanwo failed to give necessary information that qualified him to contest the election and file any petition before it.

It said that since the candidate had agreed that he scored less than one per cent of the total votes cast in the election, it would be difficult for his petition to stand.

The tribunal held: “The petitioner is a day dreamer and the petition is a huge joke since he has no petition against other political parties that participated in the election…”

During the same ruling, the tribunal removed the PDP from the list of plaintiffs on the ground that a wrong person signed its petition. One Chris Omotuyi, its Director of Organisation, an employee of the party, signed the petition instead of an elected member of the party executive.

Justice Kaka’an said: “Omotuyi is an impostor in this matter; he is just an employee of the PDP and the constitution of the party does not recognise the office of Director of Organisation that he claims to be occupying.”

The tribunal also struck out substantive part of the petition filed by the PDP candidate, Olusola Oke, on the ground that they were “vague, speculative, generic, imprecise and pre-election matter.”

While ruling on all the 33 applications that arose out of the pre-trial conference, the tribunal chairman said the signatory to the PDP petition lacked the authority to do so, therefore rendering the petition null and void.

However with the closing of cases, commencements of defence and parade of witnesses, drama is once again adding life to the proceedings.

But compared to the Nabaruma tribunal, there are far less incidents to make the courtroom burst into incessant uncontrollable laughter.

12

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

TheMetroSection Briefs Fashion fiesta for tertiary schools underway

Killed by an airbag Six-year-old school girl dies in auto crash in Asaba, Delta State From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba

A source at the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), said the airbag must have expired, as the impact of the accident couldn’t have been serious enough to trigger off the airbag. People should check their car’s airbags, 10 years after installation T was supposed to be a very minor IDelta auto crash right in the heart of the State capital of Asaba but the airbag burst and the baby died. The safety airbag, which was designed to save lives, was ironically the cause of her death. At only six, the sun has gone down on little Chizurum Gloria Emmanuel, the flower and glory of the Emmanuel family. All who saw her during her short time on mother Earth are agreed that she was a beauty to behold.

Fighting back a tear-drop, the father Marvellous Emmanuel, 38, explained that the wife had gone to pick the children from school, the Regina Mundi Nursery and Primary School just by the popular Ogbeogonogo Market on the main street of Nnebisi Road at about 2.30 p.m. on March 12 after the close of school and was heading home with the four kids when tragedy struck.

What was supposed to be a happy homeward journey ended in tragedy when an impatient motorist suddenly tried to beat the vehicle in her front, a Toyota Corolla at the U-turn opposite St. Patrick’s College. In an attempt to avoid hitting the car, the driver suddenly stepped on the break pedal. A panicky Mrs. Emmanuel attempted stepping on her break pedal, too, so as not to collide

The late Chizurum

with the car in her front but it was too late.

Tried as she could, she still lightly hit the bumper of the vehicle, and then the airbag burst. She heard a noise and the car, an Audi saloon screeched to a halt.

She turned to her right and saw the only daughter in a family of four children who was sitting in the front seat writhing in pains. The Primary Two girl had a cut on her neck and was bleeding profusely from the nose. It was like a scene from a horror movie. It may not after all be hopeless as the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) was just some few metres away, she reasoned.

The distraught trader father at the market town of Onitsha, Anambra on the other side of the River Niger wailed that at FMC, a team of doctors were right on

time and battled to save the promising young girl. They tried resuscitating her with oxygen. Few minutes after she was brought in, she gave up.

When Marvellous from Orlu, Imo State set out for work at dawn on that fateful Tuesday he never had any inkling that it was going to be the last time he would see his small angel. There was no premonition of any disaster. Thoughts of any harm to his children never crossed his mind as he bade them goodbye.

He was by the Head Bridge market haggling over some drugs at about 3pm when his mobile phone rang. It was his wife of over nine years on the line. Her voice was trembling. It was quite obvious that all was not well.

“Hello! There is an accident. You have to come straight to FMC, Asaba,” she said switching off the telephone.

“Hello! Hello!” The line was dead.

His heart was shaking. He said hoped he was hallucinating but it was real. In confusion, he called his apprentice to find out if his wife called to give details of the accident. He was confused the more when he nodded his head. Sadness was fast setting into his once happy life. The 15-minute journey to Asaba was like eternity.

At the hospital, he strutted right away to the emergency ward. In a very calm tone, the doctor told him to sit down. He reluctantly did but demanded to know if his wife, a laboratory scientist at the same hospital and a native of Aguata, Anambra State or any of the children were involved in the accident. The doctor said his daughter was the one and that his permission was needed so that she could be transferred to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, about 155 km away for intensive care. It was only then it dawned on her that her baby was forever gone.

The man cried.

“My star is gone but there was no sign,”

he said trying hard not to betray any emotion.

It was crying time the following day when her teachers and fellow pupils visited the Emmanuels at their home in the Infant Jesus neighbourhood of Asaba. Going by their different testimonies, there is no doubt that the light has gone out of a shinning star.

The father concurred, saying that she was an intelligent and obedient girl who never got in anybody’s way. Always first in her class, he said that there was no contending the fact that she was destined for the stars.

Taking solace in God, Marvellous, an Anglican, said that the pain of losing his only daughter is mind-blowing. . He is at a loss how he would have been able to carry on if not for his strong belief in God, friends and family members who have since turned his house to a Mecca of sort, paying condolence visits.

Waxing philosophical, he said: “The Lord is my refuge and my salvation. God knows best. He giveth and taketh. We cannot question Him. I don’t want to sorrow like them without hope. I know that what laid up for my daughter is a crown of righteousness. God only called her home. She is in the bosom of the Lord.”

A source at the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), however, explained that the airbag must have expired, as the impact of the accident couldn’t have been serious enough to trigger off the airbag. The proper thing is for people to check their car’s airbags 10 years after installation.

Besides, he advised that children below the age of 12 should not be allowed to seat in front of vehicles as they are not matured enough to withstand the impact of burst airbags, should an accident happen. Motorist must always use their seat belts.

EFCC arraigns pastors over alleged N7.9 million fraud

By Bertram Nwannekanma

HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned three pastors; David Eshiet, Samson Ugbara and Adesanmi Aderoju before an Ikeja High Court, Lagos over an alleged N7.9 million fraud.

The defendants, who were arraigned alongside their company, Prince and Zion International Service Ltd. on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and uttering before Justice Olabisi Akinlade.

EFCC’s counsel, Mr. Ben Ubi alleged that the defen-

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dant conspired to fraudulently obtain the sums of N4 million and $25,000 (N3.9 million) from Angel Estate Residents Development Association in Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos.

Ubi also alleged that the money was obtained on October 27, 2011 under the pretence of helping the complainant source for a $100 million loan facility.

The loan, the prosecution alleged, was being sourced by the association to finance some community projects, adding that the defendants had obtained the money as processing charges.

The prosecutor further accused the defendants of

Police officer arrested for robbery in Ekiti From Muyiwa Adeyemi, Ado-Ekiti N Assistant Superintendent of Police with Ekiti State Police command has been arrested for his alleged role in the robbery incident that took place in Ikere-Ise Ekiti last week.

The officer whose identity was not disclosed was said to have led a robbery gang that robbed commuters on that day but while trying to escape after the incident, his mobile telephone dropped from his pocket.

A source said the robbers, who brandished AK-47 rifles during the operation dispossessed commuters, mostly business women, of their personal effects such as mobile telephone handsets, money and bags during the operation that lasted for about 30 minutes before the police was alerted.

To cover up their identities, it was gathered that the robbers, led by the police officer, had dressed in mufti and

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mounted a barricade on the road.

A source disclosed that the Police officer’s phones had dropped from his pocket at the robbery scene while fleeing, upon realizing that a detachment of policemen from Ikere Divisional Police Station were on their trail.

Upon getting to the robbery scene, the Police were said to have picked up the phone and other exhibits and shortly after they left, the robbers were said to have called to enquire whether the officer had escaped unscathed.

According to the source: “When the police discovered the phone, they picked it up as part of the exhibits. But unknown to his gang that he had lost his phone, they called him asking if he escaped unhurt, but they did not know that the phone call was answered by detectives.”

It was also gathered that after a thorough investigation, the police established a strong link between him and the robbers,

the reason the Police Commissioner Mr Sotonye Wakama ordered his arrest and detention.

This was coming barely two weeks after a 400-level Business Administration student of Ekiti State University, Mr Seyi Fasere, was alleged to have been wrongly killed by a police officer in Oye Ekiti under the pretence that he was involved in the robbery that rocked the United Bank for Africa.

Speaking to newsmen on telephone, the Commissioner of Police confirmed the incident.

He said the officer, whose identity he could not disclose, is already in police detention at the Command’s headquarters in Ado Ekiti.

Wakama said: “The officer was not involved in the robbery but his number was on the armed robber’s telephone number that was abandoned at a robbery scene and we want to ascertain whether he is in contact with them or not.”

forging various documents, which were used in facilitating the fraud.

According to the prosecution, the defendants failed to secure the loan as promised after collecting the money, which led the complainants to petition the EFCC. The alleged offences, the EFCC said contravened Sections 1, (sub-sections 1,2,3) and 8 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria as well as sections 363 and 364 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011.

All the defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges .

FASHION competition for A undergraduates of tertiary institutions in Lagos State to discover and celebrate the creativity of the Nigerian youth will soon be held.

The competition tagged Sketchamania, is being organized by Sterling Bank as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the education sector.

Participants are to upload their sketched designs on the bank’s Facebook page. The creators of the top 10 designs will be given some amount of money to produce their designs. The designs so brought to life will be showcased at the final event billed for April 20, 2013 at the University of Lagos Main Auditorium.

The top three finalists will get N1, 000,000.00, N500, 000.00, and N250, 000.00 respectively. Other details of the competition are on the bank’s Facebook page.

BUPF holds seminar on parenting holds tomorrow ELL University Parents’ B Forum (BUPF) will tomorrow hold its yearly seminar on ‘ Parenting in Tertiary Education in the 21st Century’ at the Main Auditorium, NECA Complex, opposite The Africa Shrine, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos at 10.30a.m.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer (BUPF), Abayomi Oguntuase, said: “Resource persons and experts in parenting would be led by Mr. Kevin Ejifor, for Director General of Radio Corporation of Nigeria while Mrs. Ekanem Solomon, a lawyer, will represent the parents.

Prof. I. Fowole will represent the University Hall Administration while Miss Oluwabamike Olawunmi is the students’ representative.

He called on all parents and guardians of wards in the Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State to attend the seminar.

Church begins fasting

Adione-Egom, ‘Motorpark Economist,’ 70, for burial

ING in Christ Power MinK istries International 18/20 Osolo Way, 7/8 Bus Stop, off In-

RENOWNED journalist, and A economist, Peter Alexander Ashikiwe Adione-Egom, who

ternational Airport Road, Ajao Estate, Lagos will begin its 30day fasting and prayer from Tuesday, April 9, to Thursday, May 9, 2013 at the church auditorium.

Host is Anthony Innocent Chidi .

died on March 3, 2013, aged 70, will be buried on Friday, March 22, 2013.

A statement on behalf of the family by his son, Pierre Egom Aagaard, said a service of songs would hold on Thursday, March 21, at King’s College Hall, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos at 6.00p.m.; while a requiem and funeral mass would hold Friday, March 22, 2013 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Victoria Island, Lagos at 10.00am. Thereafter, interment will follow at the Vaults and Garden, Ikoyi, Lagos; and then a reception at The Daisy Centre, Victoria Island.

He started his journalism career at The Guardian and moving on to The African Guardian as Economic Editor in 1985.

In 1987, the late Fred Brume founded Business in ECOWAS and invited him to join the enterprise as a partner with re-

sponsibility for the editorial aspects of the business.

He is survived by seven siblings and his two children Eva, Business Controller at the University College Capital, Copenhagen; and Pierre, the Head of Road Infrastructure Market Development & Project Procurement, The Danish Road Directorate, and three grandchildren, Laerke, Magnus and Kasper.

Adione-Egom

Old boys mark school’s 55th anniversary HE Old Boys’ Association T of Okemesi Grammar School will mark the 2013 Founder’s Day anniversary, tagged ‘Home Coming’ beginning on Friday, March 22 with a lecture at 4.00p.m. and on Saturday, March 23, an award ceremony and commissioning of projects followed by a gala night at 7.00p.m.

The National President, Akin Ishola enjoins all former students to attend the event taking place at the Okemesi Grammar School premises.

METRO 13

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Police parade spare parts thieves in Lagos ‘By Odita Sunday IVE suspected robbers who allegedly looted a car distribution company in Lagos were yesterday paraded by the Lagos State Police command.

The suspects, Godwin Okwudili, Obinna Ilojebe, Ndubuisi Ike and Anthony Etemah, according to Lagos State police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, on June 31, 2012, at about 7.00p.m., conspired with one Sani Garba Umar, who is a security guard at the company to loot the car spare parts warehouse of the company, carting away goods worth millions of naira.

“Umar, a security guard at the Honda Place Company located at Plot 9, Block A, ApapaOshodi Expressway, Lagos conspired with others to rob the company of Honda auto spare parts valued N23, 987, 756, one new Samsung split 2 Horse power air conditioner valued N77, 500, N781, 115, one 150 KVA Generator valued N3, 800,000.00 and one 8KVA generator valued at N90, 000.00. Totaling over N28million.

“After painstaking investiga-

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tion, Sani, the security man was arrested. His confession led to the arrest of the other suspects. The auto spare parts were recovered in a house in Maya Village, Ikorodu, Lagos.”

Braide said while addressing newsmen.

The five suspects confessed to have fully participated in the crime but blamed the government for their woes.

“I am not a robber. We went for “break and entry” and not armed robbery. It was just stealing and nothing more. I was on duty that fateful day, myself and some of the people I arranged went to where Honda place stores its spare parts and we used chemical to break the doors and parked away the goods. We are not robbers. We only stole and there are a lot of senators stealing money in this country everyday, nobody has done anything about them. We too we need money.”

“We have a lot of criminals in Nigeria, we are jobless we have nothing. My salary is N12, 000 monthly. We stole Honda spare parts and the goods have been recovered. Every damn thing we stole has been recov-

ered. They did not find any gun on us,” Sani said.

According to one of the suspects, Godwin, “I live in the same area with Sani. He told me about the deal and we went there and we took the goods.

Nothing happened to the goods and nothing has been sold. We did not use gun at all.

We went there at about 7pm when everybody had closed.

Sani called us to come and collect the goods; I took the goods to my warehouse at Ikorodu area. I am a businessman. I sell spare parts. But nothing was sold from it and everything has been recovered back by the police.”

“The goods were stolen in July last year and they recovered it this year. We did not sell it because it is not my line. I have never gone out to look out for customers since it was stolen.

Ask them, nothing has been sold from those goods. I just kept them in my warehouse.

You journalist that is asking me, have you never committed a crime in your life before? How much are they paying you in a month that can sustain you?

We are all criminals,” he quipped.

Photonews

Founder, Bayo Fatusin Foundation, Bayo Fatusin (left), Baale, Ilaje Community, Akoka, Olusegun Aroyewu, Biodun Fari-Arole, Chief Executive, New Canterbury Consult Ltd., Tokunbo Ajanaku Ogunsanya and Fr. Gilbert Thesing of St. Dominic Catholic Church, Yaba during the commissioning of toilets and bathrooms built by the Foundation for Ijaye Community in Bariga Lagos...at the weekend.

PHOTO: OSENI YUSUF

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) (second right), Director, Lagos State Education Resource Centre, Mr. Alao Joseph Olugbenga (right) and the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye (third left) inspecting the instructional materials stand during the nineth Executive /Legislative Parley with the theme: Law Order and the Enhancement of Living Standards in Lagos...on Friday The suspects

Microsoft unveils Youthspark at Lagos NYSC camp

By Gbenga Salau O create economic opportunities for Nigerian youths, Microsoft Nigeria at the weekend launched a project, tagged Youthspark, at the Lagos orientation camp of the National Youth Service Coprs.

The programme, which is to run for the next three years, is targeted at creating new opportunities for 300 million youths in 100 countries.

The Project Manager, Partners in Learning, Microsoft Anglophone, West Africa, Mr. Ugochukwu Nwosu, said Microsoft came up with project to bridge the gap between those who are prospering and others who are struggling because of lack education, skills and opportunities needed for success.

“YouthSpark will address these issues with three core areas of concentration—empowering youth by strength-

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ening education; giving youth inspiration and tools to imagine new opportunities; and to help youth realize new employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.”

He, however, emphasised more about the Partners in Learning unit of the project in which Microsoft Nigeria has entered into a partnership with the NYSC to train NYSC member posted to schools to be effective at their duty post as teachers.

Microsoft’s Developer and Platform Evangelism Lead Team, Mr. Sina Oyetosho, said that the organization hopes to take the project round Nigeria, including incorporating all NYSC members.

The Director General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Nnamdi Okorie-Affia, who was represented by Mr. Isaac Obiuma, commended Microsoft for initiating the pro-

A cross-section of NYSC members during the training session

gramme, describing the effort as laudable. According to him, the NYSC is ready to make available the platform and raw materials it has to make the project a success.

The Lagos State Coordinator of NYSC, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, said: “the initiative is in tandem with the objectives of the NYSC, which is to develop the youths of Nigeria to be great, dynamic and self-reliant.

“All enterprises in the world today are wheeled by ICT, therefore, NYSC in partnership with Microsoft YouthSpark will build on and increase the technology knowledge available to the NYSC member to give them an edge over their contemporaries in the labour market and also provide a springboard for enterpreneurship development.

“I like to appreciate the management of Microsoft for choosing to partner with the NYSC to create economic opportunities for the educated youths of our nation, Nigeria.”

She said that apart from the Partners in Learning programme, other units of programmes under the Youthspark such as Bizspark, employability portals and build your programmes should be fully introduced to the NYSC members so that the collective dream of drastically reducing unemployment in Nigeria could be realized.

Adeyemi was optimistic that if the Youthspark is fully introduced it would make more Nigerian youths to be employers of labour instead job- seekers.

Prince Demola Adeniji Adele (left), Princess Adenrele Adeniran Ogunsanya and Alhaja Sade Lawal at a ceremony organized by the Oodua Peoples’ Congress where Adeniran Ogunsanya was rewarded with a merit award for her contribution to governance in Lagos State...

Chairman, Association of Indian Pharmacists,Importer and Chief Executive Officer, Jawa Pharmaceutical Ltd., Mr Varkey Verghese (left), National Chairman Association of Industrail Pharmacists of Nigeria, Dr. Lolu Ojo and former Chairman, Board of Fellows Pharmaceutical Society of Ngeria, Mr. Paul Enebeli at the AIPN bi-monthly meeting in Lagos PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

TheGuardian

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THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Conscience Nurtured by Truth

FOUNDER: ALEX U. IBRU (1945 – 2011)

Conscience is an open wound; only truth can heal it. Uthman dan Fodio 1754-1816

Editorial Immunity and the legislators N typical fashion, the House of Representatives recently took legislative Iingbusiness to ridiculous levels when it passed to a second reading a bill seekto grant immunity to members of the National Assembly in respect of words spoken or written at the plenum or committee sessions. It is however soothing that the Senate has appropriately repudiated the move, pointing out to members of the Lower Chamber the need to devote attention to more important issues of State. The House of Representatives’ action had indeed challenged sundry observers of Nigeria to query the meaning of politics in the country.

It beats the imagination about what nudged the House of Representatives into a collective amnesia on the existence of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act of 1953 and 1957 that confer immunity on the legislators!

The act defines the powers, privileges and immunities of the legislative houses established under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In fact, the section on the Freedom of Speech states that: “No civil or criminal proceedings may be instituted against any member of a Legislative House – (a) in respect of words spoken before that House or a committee thereof; or (b) in respect of words written in a report to that House or to any committee thereof or in any petition, bill, resolution, motion or question brought or introduced by him therein.” These are further engrossed in Section 3 of Legislative Houses Power and Privileges Act. In a democracy, the importance of parliamentary immunity cannot be over-emphasised. Beside other claims to value, it gives meaning to the oversight function of the legislators; it enables the legislature to criticize and scrutinize the executive in line with the principle of separation of power and also embolden the citizenry to attend public hearing and give evidence without fear of intimidation and arrest.

To be sure, parliamentary privileges in origin was essentially to curb the overbearing of the executive and the principal individual privileges include the freedom of speech and freedom of members from arrest in civil matters.

This, we believe, has been sufficiently provided for by the extant Act. Even these rights are not to be abused. As the British House of Commons Committee of Privileges of 1986/87 noted, freedom of speech is to be exercised with the greatest care, especially those that impute motives to others outside the hallowed chambers who had no right of reply. Although in authoritarian countries legislators have generally sought to expand the ambit of parliamentary immunity to include criminal liability, it is not be countenanced here in Nigeria.

Thus, the proposed new bill is an affront on the sensibility of Nigerians and creates the impression that the wrong people are in the National Assembly.

Present reality is that Nigerians are agitating for the immunity of the executives to be removed for wanton abuse. And the self-serving attitude of the Representatives has further brought to the fore their seeming idleness and non-diligence in what should be of paramount importance. Hence at no better time than now should the crusade be carried out to curb the prohibitive allowances of these legislators for a job that ought to be part-time. It is clear that the House of Representatives is self-seeking in its quest for immunity and powers beyond existing parliamentary powers and privileges. The trend elsewhere is curtailing of the immunity of public officers and the scrapping of superfluous legislative chambers in order to free resources for the goals of development.

This calls for sober reflection and the question is: why do the legislators want immunity beyond that already given to them by extant laws? Is it because some of the members are facing probes for alleged criminal offences? Or are they pre-emptively seeking cover for crimes being committed now? The bill is manifest evidence that the quality of representation in Nigeria has plummeted. It is the consequence of a flawed leadership recruitment process, which lacks any semblance of democracy and is largely characterised by imposition of candidates by party stalwarts.

The Senate stands commended for rejecting the call for immunity by the House of Representatives. The incumbents of the National Assembly should face their statutory responsibility of making laws for good governance of the country. Indeed, there are many important bills, which require the attention of the legislators. Examples are “A Bill for an Act to Prohibit any form of Expenditure in default of or contrary to Appropriation by Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to Facilitate Accountable Governance and Other Matters Incidental Thereto” and the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which seeks to empower the country in relation to foreign players in the sector. The bill has dragged on for too long. This and many others waiting to be enacted should occupy the legislators and not barefaced exercise in self-indulgence. The legislators need to face the critical problems besetting the country at this time. Governance is about the people and not about the privileges of the legislators and other public officials. To assume this mindset is to misunderstand the goal of governance.

LETTERS

SERAP: Pardon for Alamieyeseigha is arbitrary IR: Socio-Economic Rights tion pays and those who loot dies.

S(SERAP) and Accountability Project and stash the country’s wealth Under the Constitution, the is asking the government of President Goodluck Jonathan to “rescind without further delay the alleged state pardon granted former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and former head, Bank of the North, Shettima Bulama, as the said pardon is a fundamental breach of the country’s constitution and international anti-corruption obligations.”

Alamieyeseigha was detained in London on charges of money laundering while he was governor in September 2005. He escaped from the UK in December 2005. He, however, pleaded guilty in court to a sixcount charge in July 2007, and was sentenced to two years in prison on each count charge.

Bulama was investigated and later prosecuted for corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

This shows without doubt that this government lacks the necessary political will to tackle high-level corruption and sends a wrong message that corrup-

and resources in foreign banks will enjoy absolute impunity.

This culture of impunity is responsible for the pervasive and systemic corruption and the associated violations of the basic economic and social rights of millions of Nigerians.

“The granting of pardon also amounts to an arbitrary exercise of powers, which can only continue to weaken the rule of law, deny justice to the victims of corruption, and entrench a culture of impunity of the country’s leaders,” the organisation also said.

This kind of action can only continue to cast doubt on the seriousness of the Nigerian government to deal with highlevel corruption and impunity of perpetrators. Impunity arises and thrives when there is a lack of accountability among high-ranking government officials, whether past or present.

A widespread culture of impunity under which leaders’ abuses receive state pardon will continue to leave victims without effective reme-

president and other high ranking state officials have the obligation to prevent the exploitation of Nigeria’s human and natural resources for any reasons other than for the good of the community and to eradicate all corrupt practices and abuse of power. Similarly, human rights law requires that those responsible for human rights violations, which include acts of corruption, will be judged and that the victim will obtain a remedy for damage suffered. This right to a remedy is one of the basic pillars of the rule of law and democratic society. Clearly, the granting of state pardon to those who engage in corrupt acts is incompatible and inconsistent with these core values and principles.

The government should immediately rescind the supposed state pardon granted corrupt officials; ensure the full recovery of stolen money and use this to address the gross under-funding and inadequate management of infrastructures.

• Adetokunbo Mumuni, SERAP Executive Director.

Wrong notion on Abuja Peace Mission House IR: A civil society group of edly claimed that the proposed Mission (AFLPM).

Saegis Nigerian women under the Mission House is “for President The building is not for an indiof Women Arise recently Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, Mrs. vidual person and certainly not marched in Lagos to protest the proposed allocation of N4 billion to construct a First Lady’s Peace Mission House in Abuja.

The women marched to the office of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola where they delivered a letter.

Governor Fashola received the women’s letter, promising to deliver it to President Goodluck Jonathan.

The protesting women repeat-

Patience Jonathan.” The impression being given to the general public is an erroneous notion that the FCT wants to build a “Mission house” for Dame Patience Jonathan, which of course is not true.

If the group of protesters had done a little homework, they would have known that the building being proposed is a permanent secretariat for the African First Ladies Peace

to be the property of Dame Patience Jonathan. The AFLPM Secretariat is for the work of whoever occupies the seat as Nigeria’s first lady and who automatically by that position is a member of the AFLPM. When that individual ceases to be first lady, she also ceases to be a member of AFLPM as membership of the body is open only to African First Ladies.

• Aisha Sambo, Lagos.

ThE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

15

Business Appointments P27 Plight of job seekers

Govt commences review of EEG scheme

By Femi Adekoya UCCOUR may soon come the way of processors of agricultural products and promoters of Nigerian valueadded exports, as the Federal Government has commenced a comprehensive review of the Export Expansion Grant (EEG) programme to cater for inadequacies created by the current scheme.

With $2.7 billion realised by government through exports in 2012, the Chairperson of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mrs. Grace Clark, hinted that the reviewed policy would be released this year once the inter-ministeri-

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al committee working on the policy concludes its meeting.

The EEG is a post-shipment export incentive scheme designed by government to encourage non-oil exporters whose minimum yearly export turnover is N5 million, in order to assist exporters expand their volume and value of non-oil exports, diversify export markets and make them more competitive in international market.

The scheme was established by the Export (Incentives & Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of 1986 and currently being administered by interministerial committee made up of the Federal Ministry of

The EEG is a post-shipment export incentive scheme designed by government to encourage non-oil exporters whose minimum yearly export turnover is N5 million, in order to assist exporters expand their volume and value of nonoil exports, diversify export markets and make them more competitive in international market.

Finance, Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian Custom Service, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, and the Special Assistant to the President on Manufacturing Association of Nigeria and the private sector in general.

Some of the challenges manufacturers encounter with

the EEG disbursement include the cumbersome process spread of over 12 to 18 months and instability of government protectionist policy, as well as discontinuity of the scheme at a point in time, thus crippling the non-oil export sector at a period.

Vice-President, Namadi Sambo (left); Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, at the Nigeria Philanthropy Summit, in Abuja, yesterday.

Central banks seek replacement of Libor rate hE tarnished Libor interest T rate benchmark may be replaced with a range of reference rates based on actual market transactions by banks, going by the consensus reached by a global group of central bankers yesterday.

Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and UBS have all been fined for rigging the London interbank offered rate, which regulators are now reforming.

The rate is compiled by banks submitting quotes for the rates at which they believe they could borrow

from another bank.

It is also used to price products worth trillions of dollars, ranging from home loans to credit cards, but central bankers signaled that its days ought to be numbered.

“It is clear that central banks must play an important role in supporting the development of alternative reference rates,” Bank of England Governor, Mervyn King said.

King heads a committee of central bankers at the Bank for International Settlements, which yesterday, published a report on the role central banks could

play in creating a choice of rates.

There is demand for greater use of transaction data to produce a range of reference interest rates suitable for different purposes, the report said.

It also said that there should be “robust fallback arrangements” to cover the possibility of a breakdown in the market on which the main reference rate is based.

The interbank market, which Libor reflects, dried up completely during the financial crisis of 2007-09.

Central banks can promote

alternative rates such as overnight rates and index swap rates or general collateral repo rates, the report said.

These rates refer to contracts between banks based on expected interest rates.

Some regulators remain cautious about a rapid shift to market-based transactions, given the huge volume of contracts still using Libor, while others said that such a move was overdue.

“In certain cases, central banks or supervisory authorities could become more CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Disclosing this development to journalists in Lagos during a visit of the NEPC officials to Olam Nigeria Plc, yesterday, Clark explained that the review of the scheme became expedient following challenges encountered by stakeholders in the non-oil export sector.

The review will also cater for present realities in the nation’s manufacturing sector.

She added that the current EEG scheme has been operational for five years and not in tune with present realities in the country.

She said: “The NEPC is aware of some of the challenges being encountered by manufacturers. With the EEG, the non-oil export sector has grown at double digits growth rate compared to single digit growth rate of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the last few years. To cater for some of the inadequacies, the interministerial committee is presently reviewing the scheme to enhance value addition of agricultural products in the country.”

Clark however noted that applications for processing of agricultural products are

currently under review and would be addressed in due course.

The Country head, Olam, Mukul Mathur, urged government to encourage companies involved in the processing and value-addition of products to enhance their global competitiveness, which according to him, is the only way to drive the growth of the GDP from nonoil exports.

Citing some of the challenges encountered by manufacturers, he said: “From cost disadvantages, which include high cost of power and need to set up own infrastructure; high finance cost and lack of long term funds; high transportation cost; high labour cost due to lack of skilled workers and low productivity; high cost of doing business and loss of preferential market access to the European Union, as well as the delay in accessing the EEG, the bottomline of many businesses is being adversely affected.” he however noted that with the completion of the company’s expansion plan by January 2014, it hopes to attain a 75,000 metric tonnes processing volume of sesame.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

16 BUSINESS

Adegbite, ex-Wema Bank boss, dies at 73 his career in banking, law and business,” Odeyemi, also a former Chairman of Ecobank Nigeria Plc, said the former banker “gave a lot back to the society through Adegbite Foundation, as manifested in the socio-economic develop-

By Ade Ogidan, Business Editor HE former Managing T Director of Wema Bank Plc, Chief Samuel Igbayilola Adegbite, passed on in the early hours of Sunday at the age of 73.

Described by professional colleagues and friends as an erudite lawyer and distinguished banker, Adegbite was also the Managing Director of NAL Merchant Bank.

He started his banking career at Standard Bank of West Africa (now First Bank Plc) in 1961, where he moved to National Bank and later NAL Merchant Bank.

Under his leadership, Wema Bank’s ownership structure was broadened, which buoyed investors’ confidence in the financial institution. Indeed, he led the management to acquire Wema Towers on Marina, Lagos, in 1997, which has since been serving as the bank’s corporate headquarters.

Before his death, he was the Chairman of Oasis Insurance Plc and Oasis Capital Portfolio Limited.

The quintessential businessman, who was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1971, was a

Adegbite Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers; the Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators; and Nigerian Institute of Management.

He was also the Chairman of Council and President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria from 1987 to 1989.

He won several laurels especially as a banker. These included Bankers Merit Award (1994); Business Merit Award (1995); and NTA Award for Excellence (1996).

Former National President of Nigeria Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Chief John Odeyemi described Late Adegbite as a thorough-bred strategist, “who summounted obstacles to get to the pinnacle of

ment of his village at Igbo Oloyin, in Oyo State, among others.

“He built churches in Lagos and Ibadan and showed robust love to all while alive.

He will surely be missed by all, especially the Anglican and Ibadan communities,”

TATA secures consultancy deal for Dangote’s $1.9bn fertiliser ANGOTE Group has D appointed TATA Consulting Engineering as its management consultants for its $1.9 billion fertiliser plant in Edo state.

The appointment of TATA came after the Pan-African conglomerate signed the contract for the construction of the largest fertiliser plant in Africa with Saipem.

President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, while speaking on the partnership deal, said that his company was poised to putting a place a global standard fertiliser plant which would help revolutionise agriculture in the country and Africa as a whole adding that this informed his choice of renowned partners in the construction of the plant.

According to him, the plant

with a production capacity of 2,200 metric tons per day (MTPD) of ammonia and 7,700 MTPD of granulated urea (two 3,850 MTPD-capacity trains) will be the largest fertiliser plant in Nigeria, Africa.

“Our ultimate goal is to build a world-class plant that meets the highest global standards.

“We trust TATA Consulting Engineers with this project as we believe they have capabilities to handle such a large scale project with multiple dimensions. Our ultimate goal is to build a world-class plant that meets the highest global standards,” Dangote said.

He explained that TATA Consulting Engineers Limited, an integrated engineering solutions consultant would assist the Dangote Group with review engineering, construction management, quality management, health and safety management and the entire gamut of project management services.

TATA Consulting Engineers, Dangote said, had a track record of delivering complex projects working seamlessly with several entities, stating that the teams from the Dangote Group and TATA Consulting Engineers would work together to complete the project on schedule.

The Managing Director of TATA Consulting Engineers, J P Haran, expressed delight at the partnership deal between his company and the Dangote Group pointing out that the contractual agreement would offer his organisation an opportunity to provide the world-class services that TATA was known for globally.

He described Dangote Group as one of the most diversified groups in Africa and known for its business excellence and quality products.

“TATA Consulting Engineers’ association with the Dangote Group is a long-standing one with several expansion projects, cement plants and power plants commissioned in the past.

“Our relationship with the Dangote Group is built on a strong foundation of mutual trust and we will ensure that we meet the Dangote Group’s expectations in delivery excellence and on time project completion,” Haran said.

The Dangote Group based in Lagos, Nigeria is one of the most diversified and fully integrated conglomerates in Africa with an annual group turnover in excess of N450 billion ($3 billion).

Central banks seek replacement of Libor rate CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 actively involved in producing reference rates,” the report said.

Thomson Reuters, parent company of Reuters, has been calculating and distributing Libor rates for Libor’s sponsor-the British Bankers’

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NITDA, Zinox, BTPF unveil local content initiative

By Adeyemi Adepetun and Bankole Orimisan NEW initiative that will A give Nigeria’s technological growth a brace has been unveiled in Lagos with the launch of Nigeria Content Advocacy Initiative (NiCADI), a multi-sector vehicle for the domestication of Nigeria information technology (IT) products and services by key players and regulators in the industry.

Led by Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, (ISPON), computer manufacturers like Zinox, Omatek and Brian Systems as well as Business and Technology News Publishers Foundation (BTPF), the initiative will see indigenous IT providers play major roles in Nigeria’s economy.

Chairman of BTPF, Ken Ugbechie at the weekend during a meeting with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) said that the foundation observed low patronage of indigenous technologies, services and human capital in the country. “This is an anomaly and if allowed to continue portends grave danger to the country.” He called the OEMs and software providers to come together under NiCADI to have a single voice.

Ugbechie quoting from the March 8, 2013 Harvard Business Review, traced the history of Silicon Valley, USA companies such as Apple and Google as well as Indian companies like Tech Mahindra and many others who were strategically funded by tax payers money from USA and Indian governments called for Nigerian government to actively participate the growth of indigenous IT companies.

Chairman, Zinox Technologies, Leo Stan Ekeh, who recalled the difficulties he faced in pushing for the acceptance of made-inNigeria computers and devices said that if the initiative had berthed several years ago, the OEMs would have been better for it. He however, thanked BTPF for challenging the computer makers and other industry layers to come together under one platform and added that the IT market was still hugely untapped.

Director of Statistics and Research, NITDA, Inye Kemanbonta, who represented the DG, Prof. Cleopas Angaye, said that NiCADi was coming at the right time as it would help NITDA who was working on a local content document for the IT industry with 60 per cent work already completed to learn and get inputs from the industry.

He said that there was huge market out there with Nigeria’s huge population and the entire sub-Saharan Africa market for the OEMs and software makers.

“Government role in NiCADI is to create the market or expand the existing one. Let us think of how to create the demand, everyone has a role to play in pushing for Nigeria content.”

Other industry players who voice their support for the initiative included CEO of IXPN Mohammed Rudman, Chief Operating Officer, NiRA, Ope Odusan, President of ISPON, Chris Uwaje among others.

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INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY 25

U.S. fiscal struggle continues as Obama meetings end in deadlock HE fight between T Democrats and Republicans over how to address the nation’s fiscal health continued even after a week of meetings between President Barack Obama and Republicans on Capitol Hill, House Speaker John Boehner said.

“It’s always a good thing to engage in more conversation,” Boehner, an Ohio Republican, said in an interview broadcast on ABC’s “This Week” programme.

“But when you get down to the bottom line, the president believes that we have to have more taxes from the American people, we’re not going to get very far.”

In meetings with lawmakers in the Democratic-majority Senate and Republicanled House over several days last week, Obama urged Democrats to be open to revisions in entitlement programmes and pressed Republicans to put increases in revenue onto the negotiating table.

Boehner told ABC that raising taxes was off the table.

“The president got his tax hikes on January the 1st,” Boehner said, referring to a tax increase on top earners enacted early this year. “The talk about raising revenue is over. It’s time to deal with the spending problem.”

Senator Bob Corker took a more flexible position in an

German experts query ECB’s supervision legality experts charged with LersEGAL advising German lawmakhave raised questions over the legality of plans for the European Central Bank to take over banking supervision powers next year, Der Spiegel reported.

The German weekly cited an analysis by the civil servants who work for the Bundestag Lower House of parliament as stating that European treaties suggest there is “no sufficiently sound legal basis” for the ECB’s new role as banking overseer.

A move by European political leaders to centralise bank oversight under the ECB is the cornerstone of a planned banking union designed to strengthen the bloc’s lenders against future financial crises.

But there has long been concern in Germany about a potential conflict of interest between the ECB’s role as both supervisor and guardian of monetary policy.

The analysis was not yet available on the parliamentary website and the parliament was unavailable for comment.

European Union treaties state the ECB’s remit is to ensure a stable currency and only in exceptional circumstances should it take over banking supervision duties, Der Spiegel wrote.

But the EU’s plans suggested a “general transfer” of banking supervision duties to the ECB, which was “not covered by this warrant”, the magazine continued, quoting the analysis.

A survey conducted by TNSEmnid for the weekly Focus magazine showed 26 per cent of Germans would consider backing a party that wanted to take Germany out of the euro and as many as four in 10 Germans in the 4049 age bracket would do so.

interview on “Fox News Sunday.”

“I think Republicans, if they saw true entitlement reform, would be glad to look at tax reform that generates additional revenue,” the Tennessee Republican told Fox. As the White House continued to push for a broader agreement that would help economic recovery, lawmakers planned to move forward this week on competing fiscal 2014 budget blueprints.

“We’ve got to, of course, pass this budget resolution in the Senate,” Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, the chamber’s second-ranking Democrat, said on the “Fox News Sunday” programme.

“And then we’re going to move to the next stage and that is the grand bargain stage.”

Alan Krueger, the Obama administration’s chief economist, said in a March 15

Bloomberg Television interview that economic growth would be in the range of two per cent to three per cent this year. He also said that agreement in Congress that removed the immediate threat of default had helped boost the stock market, and emphasised an improving economy.

For the week of March 11, the S&P 500 (SPX) advanced 0.6 per cent to 1,560.70, its third straight weekly gain, and the Dow-Jones Industrial Average (INDU) climbed for a fourth week, adding 117.04 points, or 0.8 per cent, to 14,514.11. The 30-stock index posted 10 straight days of gains through March 14, the longest winning streak since 1996.

The Senate budget proposal laid out last week by Budget Committee Chairwoman, Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, would generate almost $1 trillion in new revenue while protecting

Medicare and expanding Medicaid health-care coverage for more low-income Americans. Her counterpart on the House Budget Committee, Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan, last week proposed a plan for balancing the government’s books in 10 years by cutting $4.6 trillion.

The document is a vehicle for an eventual agreement, Ryan said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

“I believe the president won’t pass our budget into law, but let’s get a down payment,” Ryan said. “Let’s get a good start on the problem.”

Obama is making the case that the U.S. isn’t facing an immediate debt crisis.

Further cuts to the nation’s budget deficit will occur if lawmakers don’t act to reverse the automatic cuts, known as sequestration, that went into effect on March 1,

with $85 billion in reductions this year alone.

Republicans are pressing for a deal that would restructure entitlement programmes, including social security and medicare.

“What the president is saying is our focus right now should be to get people back to work, sustain a recovery, and then reduce the deficit in a measured, balanced way,” Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

While the sequestration cuts have drawn criticism across the federal government, lawmakers have few pathways for major changes. The reductions total $1.2 trillion over nine years. Government agencies as diverse as the Justice Department and the Federal Aviation Administration are planning

employee furloughs and cutbacks to adjust to the new funding levels.

The Obama administration has urged lawmakers to come to an agreement that would avert, or reshape, the spending cuts. Krueger, in the Bloomberg Television interview, said that the cuts would reduce economic growth by 0.6 percentage points.

The Congressional Budget Office projected that the economy would lose 750,000 jobs this year if the automatic spending cuts stayed in effect through the September 30 end of the federal fiscal year.

“I don’t know whether we can come to a big agreement,” Boehner said in the ABC interview. “If we do, it’ll be between the two parties on Capitol Hill. Hopefully we can go to conference on these budgets, and hope springs eternal in my mind.”

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Still, little respite for job seekers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 capital development, “because without that, the problem of unemployment would continue.

“Give enabling environment for more companies to spring up and stop giving away jobs to foreigners at the expense of your own citizens. We know how difficult it is to get job permit overseas, why is Nigeria different? These will solve a lot of problems,” he said.

Organisers of the fair told The Guardian that it was aimed at providing a platform for multinational corporations and conglomerates all over Nigeria to meet with prospective jobseekers within Nigeria and returning students from overseas.

He said: “The National Recruitment Fair is the largest of its kind in West Africa, tailored after international recruitment fairs such as the Scottish Recruitment Fair and

strategically positioned to suit Nigeria’s business environment. It provides a costsaving bridge to expand employers’ current workforce and attract new recruits to industries and businesses.

“This recruitment fair has one main purpose, that is, provides a middle-ground for employers and job seekers to meet. Instead of the multimedia approach of Internet and online without human faces, we are replicating what you see abroad like job fairs, career or recruitment fairs where you can talk to recruiter face-to-face, because at the end of the day, there is always a human element. People are still trying to hire people.

“So, when potential employees come here, they can see, feel and have a look at the company that they want to work for, just like the employer can access the candidates in a better way.

Communication is 60 per

cent non-verbal. So there are a lot of things that you can gain by talking to the person, seeing how they fit into your organisations and see some nuances about them that you cannot see on the résumé,” he said.

He added that companies had expressed interest in the fair, basically for three objectives: To meet people that they get hired immediately, to meet people they can hire in the future and generally to get the feelings out there that they are people who hire.

“It will be difficult to see someone come here, take C.V.s from people without any intension to hire. Fairs like this give not only the unemployed the chance but also the employed that are looking for better opportunity.

“It gives people the chance to go out there and put their best foot forward as human in physical form with other

human beings who have the opportunity to hire. It is a win-win situation for all.”

The statistician-general of the federation recently said that about 20.3 million Nigerians were not employed in any form of job amid annual population growth rate of 5.6 million people.

Explaining further recently, Wogu said that the present administration in consonance with its transformation agenda and in its focus on employment creation had put in place a number of policies and initiatives to reinvigorate various sectors of the economy and enhance their employment generating potential.

These policies according to him included the “implementation of a youth employment safety net support programme that includes conditional cash transfer and vocational training, development of industri-

al clusters, review of university curricula to align with industry job requirements and promotion of apprenticeship experience programmes and joint ventures.”

Explaining further, he said:” Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) headed by Dr. Christopher Kolade is also designed to place young graduates as interns in firms and companies with a view to sharpening their skills preparatory to engaging in entrepreneurship and also the federal government gives incentives to firms that chooses to retain those graduates.”

Other initiatives which the minister outlined were the Public Works, Women and Youth Empowerment Programmes designed to employ 370,000 youths with 30 per cent of the jobs reserved for women and The Youth Enterprise with

Innovation in Nigeria (YOU WIN!) Programme, which is collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Communication Technology and the Ministry

of Youth Development geared towards generating jobs by encouraging and supporting aspiring entrepreneurial youths in Nigeria to develop and execute business ideas that would lead to job creation.

He further stated that the government also intended to provide business training for up to 6,000 aspiring youth entrepreneurs spread across all geo-political zones in Nigeria.

This he said would “hopefully lead to expansion, specialisation and spin-offs of existing businesses in Nigeria and enable young entrepreneurs to access a wide business professional network and improve their visibility.

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Appointment 29

Low perception of technical education slows TVET, says minisFrom Mohammed Abubakar, Abuja HE Minister of Education, T Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’I has decried what she described as poor public perception of Technical and Vocational Education and training (TVET), as career.

This, she said, has negatively impacted on the efforts being made by government to revitalise that sector.

Government’s effort on TVET is geared towards bridging the gap between school and work.

The Minister, who made the observation at the launch of the 2012 Education For All, (EFA), Global Monitoring Report (GMR), with the theme: “Youth and Skills: Putting Education at Work,’’ in Abuja, stressed the need to create constant public awareness among learners, families and all other stakeholders, on the possibilities for progression, employment and self-fulfilment that TVET could offer.

She said that Nigeria recognizes the crucial role TVET plays in poverty eradication, job creation, sustainable development and actualisation of the Transformation Agenda, hence government’s efforts at widening access to Technical and Vocational Education and Training through the establishment of Vocational Enterprise Institutes (VEIs) and Innovation Enterprise Institutions (IEIs).

In her words: “In spite of the success recorded, I must mention here that one cru-

The challenges that Nigeria faces are all the more critical as it has some of the worst education indicators globally; the report indicates that Nigeria had the largest population of out-of-school children, gender inequality and inequity very pronounced in certain parts of the country, education costs are generally prohibitive, among others cial challenge affecting TVET in Nigeria is low societal estimation of TVET. In view of negative public perception of technical/vocational education, and the gross gender imbalance, there is constant need for creating public awareness, especially to attract women and girls’’.

She noted that the current drive to reduce the number of out-of-school children is being strengthened by the gradual spread of the implementation of the Child Rights Act among the States, the establishment of model Almajiri Schools in selected Northern States, increasing number of States accessing and utilising the Universal Basic Education Intervention funds, among others.

While lauding UNESCO for its consistency in the annual production of the unbiased and analytical EFA report, she called on the private sector, civil organizations, international development partners and other stakeholders to support Government’s efforts at ensuring quality education delivery for all, noting that Government cannot do it alone.

Earlier in her remarks, Prof.

Hassana Alidou, the UNESCO Country Director in Nigeria, noted that since its first edition in 2001, the Global Monitoring Report has presented a thematic global view of the progress, challenges and prospects of achieving the six goals of Education for All, adopted in Dakar in 2000.

She said that the 2012 report presents a fairly clear picture of Nigeria’s progress and challenges.

However, she said that the challenges that Nigeria faces are all the more critical as it has some of the worst education indicators globally; the report indicates that Nigeria had the largest population of out-of-school children, gender inequality and inequity very pronounced in certain parts of the country, education costs are generally prohibitive, among others.

Alidou said that the pathway proposed in the Report should be seen as a template or framework for government to address the basic, transferable and technical skills of the youth, as well as the challenges of access, equity quality, gender and

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Appointments Plight of job seekers in a depressed economy

By Yetunde Ebosele and Wole Oyebade ESIDES security challenge, one of the critical issues confronting Nigeria as a nation is the ravaging pang of unemployment.

On a regular and sustained basis, thousands of young Nigerian graduates from institutions of higher learning are currently without prospect of getting jobs.

Indeed, almost all families in the country have one or two tales to tell about the unsavoury unemployment saga, while governments at all levels seem not to have a permanent solution to the problem.

But the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu has repeatedly pledged government’s commitment to bring the menace under control.

According to Wogu, “government is not insensitive to the plight of youths who spend their youthful years and vigour going in search of non-existent jobs or helpless parents who sacrificed their comfort to educate their children and watch disillusioned on how to get them gainfully and decently employed.”

While some experts attribute the problem to the depressed state of Nigeria’s economy, others challenge the three tiers of government to develop the political will and commitment to tackle the crisis.

Also, some job seekers in their quest to be gainfully employed, have been defrauded by some organisations, including government agencies, who specialise in selling thousands of employment forms for few or nonexistent job opportunities.

Some job seekers that spoke with The Guardian at a recruitment fair in Lagos recently lamented the attitude of firms, employment agencies and government’s perceived helplessness.

One of the applicants while narrating his ordeal, appealed to the government and security agencies to monitor closely the activities of firms and employment agencies, which allegedly defraud job seekers through phantom job opportunities.

Another applicant who identified himself as Olumide, expressed disappointment at firms and employment agencies that allegedly defraud unsuspecting jobseekers.

He said: “I have been browsing sites, seeking for jobs and posting my curriculum vitae.

I even prefer that than having to come here (recruitment fair) with N3000 and still the same old story of ‘submit your C.V. online’.

“The human contact is not enough because they are in a rush for time. More so, a crowd of applicants is still outside. It is like going round in a circle. The amount I paid is not justified though I was able to interact with some human resources personnel one-on-one, which is not possible online.”

A first-degree holder in

B

Mechanical Engineering and Masters Degree holder in Energy, Emmanuel Eburajo, was not as disappointed as Olumide.

Having visited seven stands at the fair, he felt proud interacting with some potential employers.

He said: “They told me to send the C.V. to their web address and I’m expecting that there will be feedback from them. I think it is nice meeting them and I hope to see some of them again,” he said.

Another engineer, who spoke with The Guardian narrated how he visited almost all stands at the fair, adding that, though the country boasts of several engineers, adequate strategies had not been mapped out on how to utilise them.

He is a certified international welder, trained by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“I was trained with lots of money through the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) scheme, to get the international qualification by Nigerian government. I’m supposed to have a place, but the Chinese will come here and get my job. Nigeria is our country and we have nowhere else to go.”

Recounting what it had been in the job market, he said: “It is no longer news that jobs in Nigeria is all about connection and whom you know.”

Continuing, he said: “You know that you are the best candidate for a job but at the end of the day, you are not called for it. I can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with anybody. I have a Higher National Diploma (HND) in electrical Engineering and competency in HSC, a level three safety officer to complement my Engineering qualification.

“When I found out that I was still not getting anything and the federal government’s scholarship came, I took it, completed the process and yet nothing is still coming. In fact, I found out that there is no way you can get close to these companies, whatever they have to offer. They only ask that you drop your C.V. and that is all you know of it and these is what many of the companies here are doing.

“But, I believe that the bottom-line is what you can do.

So, what happens when you don’t even get an appointment with them? Another thing is the age factor. They will indicate that people below 25 should apply yet;

When I found out that I was still not getting anything and the federal government’s scholarship came, I took it, completed the process and yet nothing is still coming. In fact, I found out that there is no way you can get close to these companies, whatever they have to offer. They only ask that you drop your C.V. and that is all you know of it and these is what many of the companies here are doing.

they know the economic situation of this country.

“If I’m 35 and I can do the job, why are you looking for a 25year old? So, I’ve learnt not to even put my age in any application. They would ask why

and I would tell them that I don’t need to because I can get the job done. Just call me and during the interview, I will tell you my age. If I can do the job, employ me. Not to first get disqualified even

before a chance to prove my worth.”

He urged the government to stand up to its responsibility and invest more in human

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Ondo varsity sends 40 teachers on overseas training From Niyi Bello, Akure S part of the overall strategy to have a solid human capital resource base for its academic staff, Ondo State-owned Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), is currently sponsoring 40 lecturers to obtain higher academic degrees at various universities across the globe.

This disclosure was made by the institution’s ViceChancellor, Professor N. Olufemi Mimiko at the preconvocation press briefing to herald the activities lined up for the university’s fourth convocation ceremony while shedding more light on reasons why some members of the academic staff were recently laid off.

According to the Graduate Fellowship Scheme of the university, any outstanding student who made 40 GDPA are given automatic employment and an opportunity to seek higher degrees anywhere in the world on the bill of the institution. Presently, beneficiaries of the scheme are studying in universities in Europe, Asia, Americas and South Africa.

Mimiko, a Fulbright scholar and professor of Political Economy said that part of the arrangement was to have the successful candidates enrolled as members

A

of the university’s academic staff and that 29 of the beneficiaries were brought back to the institution last year “and they were greatly celebrated.”

Giving the reason for the sack of some lecturers, Mimiko said that it would not be ideal for a university who was giving its staff great opportunity of academic pursuits, to retain those who refused to take up that opportunity “for whatever reason known to them.

“A good manager would prefer to spend money on the young academics who are willing to learn. If you are with us and you refuse to grow academically, there is no need keeping you on the staff list when we have about 40 abroad studying for us.

“There are some that had to go because they are no longer relevant in the system. If technology can do what a man is doing, there is no need keeping such a person. The university is not a social service institution.”

He said that the sack of the lecturers had nothing to do with the politics of the state as many critics have alleged adding, “what we did was purely administrative. It was done in the best interest on the university and in accordance with the aim of fulfilling the aspirations of the institution’s founding fathers.”

Appointment 33

ICSP canvasses support for sales institute

By Wole Oyebade

NSTITUTE of Chartered I(ICSP) Sales Professionals has urged salespersons and organisations in the country to align with the institute in its quest to take sales profession to enviable height in Nigeria.

Citing the importance of the profession to organisational and national development, the institute advised organisations to actively encourage members in their sales and commercial departments to join ICSP. President of the institute, Arthur Ozoigbo among others who spoke at the inaugural induction of ICSP members in Lagos at the weekend, noted that the sales profession remained the mainstay of a functional economy.

Ozoigbo, in his address, said: “We are the only profession in an organisation that brings in the cash. If we can’t sell anything then it can’t be produced.

We are the ones that make the work of any other function in an organisation to have meaning.

“Every person in any other function is employed and retains his job simply because we can sell. We are the ‘Sales Republic!’ And unless and until it is certain that we can sell, even the managing direction can’t go to sleep,” he said.

He added that all salesperson were therefore expected to answer to the highest possible professional ethics and personal conduct, especially as laid out in the ICSP code.

Ozoigbo noted that while ICSP was for all salesmen in Nigeria and people of similarly noble professions who desired to acquire special selling skills to enhance their trade. Not everybody is welcome to the institute, because ICSP abominates unethical conducts like theft, falsification of documents or figures, fraud and leaving an employment without due

process among other vices.

In this light, “organisations need to quickly rise in support of the ICSP dream and cause by joining our corporate membership.” Continuing, he said: “In this role, they would, among other things be expected to treat our salesmen with better dignity and care.

And to enable us effectively lift professionalism and ethical conduct among salespeople in Nigeria to completely new level, they should actively encourage all members of their sales or commercial departments to join the ICSP as well as ensure that membership of the sales institute is clearly spelt out as an additional entry qualification for new recruits into those functions,” he said.

In ensuring that its members are catered for, the institute recently launched a disability and life insurance package for its entire members irre-

spective of category. ICSP in January formalised the package as it paid the first phase of premium to African Alliance Insurance Plc (AA) and Mansard Insurance Plc. Ozoigbo further urged the new inductees: 81 associate members, 34 full members and 23 fellow members to distinguish themselves at their workplaces, by going for higher levels of performance, personal conduct, self motivation and selfsupervision.

Guest speaker at the event, George Emetuche said that with positive attitude, all salesmen could surmount all difficulties on their way to successful career. He reminded the gathering that a salesman is like an actor or moviemaker that is out to endear his fans.

“You must therefore and always go to the stage with self-confidence, confidence in the product, confidence in the job and positive in thought,” Emetuche said.

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Minister outlines govt’s plans to tackle unemployment

By Kenechukwu Ezeonyejiaku HE Federal Government through the Ministry of Labour and Productivity has reiterated its resolve to tackle youth unemployment prevalent in the country through various policies, initiatives and training.

Presenting a paper titled, ‘The Federal Government Job Creation Initiatives’ at the bimonthly business luncheon of the Academy for Entrepreneurial Studies, (AES Excellence Club) in Lagos, recently the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu said, “youth unemployment in Nigeria is assuming a frightening dimension which now constitutes an affront to government developmental efforts with wide range implication for social stability and the dignity of human person.”

He said that the government was committed to addressing the unemployment problem, which was at a worrisome rate of 23.9 per cent through well-targeted interventions that empower the citizenry to become architects of their own future.

According to him, “government is not insensitive to the plight of youths who spend their youthful years and vigour going in search of nonexistent jobs or helpless parents who sacrificed their comfort to educate their children and watch disillusioned on how to get them gainfully and decently employed.”

Wogu said that the present administration in consonance with its transformation agenda and in its focus on employment creation had put in place a number of policies and initiatives to reinvigorate various sectors of the economy and enhance their employment generating potential.

These policies according to him includes the “imple-

T

mentation of a youth employment safety net support programme that includes conditional cash transfer and vocational training, development of industrial clusters, review of university curricula to align with industry job requirements and promotion of apprenticeship experience programmes and joint ventures.”

Explaining further, he said:

“Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) headed by Dr. Christopher Kolade is also designed to place young graduates as interns in firms and companies with a view to sharpening their skills preparatory to engaging in entrepreneurship and also the federal government gives incentives to firms that chooses to retain those graduates.” Other initiatives

which the minister outlined were the Public Works, Women and Youth Empowerment Programmes designed to employ 370,000 youths with 30 per cent of the jobs reserved for women and The Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YOU WIN!) Programme, which is in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Communication Technology

and the Ministry of Youth Development geared towards generating jobs by encouraging and supporting aspiring entrepreneurial youths in Nigeria to develop and execute business ideas that will lead to job creation.

He further stated that the government also intended to provide business training for up to 6,000 aspiring youth entrepreneurs spread across all geo-political zones

in Nigeria.

This he said would “hopefully lead to expansion, specialisation and spin-offs of existing businesses in Nigeria and enable young entrepreneurs to access a wide business professional network and improve their visibility.”

He also added that the private sectors with over 50 employees are compelled to pay the N15, 000 government approved minimum wage.

Plateau seeks FRSC’s assistance to sanitise traffic directorate

By Yetunde Ebosele LATEAU State governP ment has solicited the support of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to establish a new traffic directorate, which can cope with global best practice in road traffic management.

Speaking during an advocacy visit to the FRSC headquarters in Abuja, recently, the state Governor, Jonah Jang frowned at the mode adopted by the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) in Plateau State to certify vehicles and drivers, adding that it had to a large extent impacted negatively on road traffic management in the state.

According to a news statement issued by the FRSC, the Governor urged other state governors to adopt the commission’s model and initiatives on road traffic management in order to collectively curb the spate of road crashes in the country.

The governor said that FRSC had set a unique pace within the African subregion on road safety management and sought for the collaboration of the FRSC to establish an Information and Communication Technology-driven traffic agency in Plateau State.

Responding, the FRSC Corps Marshal/Chief Executive,

Osita Chidoka recalled that road safety was everybody’s business, adding that only 30 per cent of road networks in Nigeria belonged to the federal government while the remaining 70 per cent fell under the purview of states and local government authorities.

Chidoka further recalled the former practice where

vehicle owners on receiving number plate allocation from States Motor Licensing Authority, sought the services of roadside sign writers thus creating additional challenges in motor vehicle administration in Nigeria.

He added that it was this scenario that the FRSC resolved to address by injecting a harmonised and

centralised uniform licensing scheme in 1990.

He explained that the development culminated in the establishment of the number plate plant in Lagos with the support of state governors.

The corps marshal also commended the Plateau State government for being the first to indicate interest

to partner with the Corps as lead agency in road safety management, to reposition its road traffic agency.

Chidoka said that the commission would introduce an annual ranking system to evaluate the level of infrastructural set up in all states of the federation in the area of road safety management and traffic administration.

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Image rebirth a panacea for corporate growth, says LCCI

By Yetunde Ebosele HE Lagos Chamber of T Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has called for ethical and image rebirth for corporate organisations as a means of achieving set goals and objectives.

Speaking with the Guardian recently in Lagos, the Director General of the chamber, Muda Yusuf said the image of an organisation has a contributory effect on its perception.

According to him, percep-

tion is vital and critical for any enterprise to grow and achieve its set goals and objectives.

Yusuf, who was talking at the backdrop of a talk on style and image organised for the women wing of the chamber, therefore urged corporate entities to embark on image rebirth and ethical re-strategising in order to improve their credibility profile towards their target audiences.

“Image is very significant in businesses and for you to

Schneider Electric introduces energy certification programme

By Sulaimon Salau CHNEIDER Electric has launched a new online Professional Energy Manager (PEM) certification for its popular online, vendor-neutral Energy University programme.

This exclusive programme, developed with the acclaimed Institute of Energy Professionals (IEP), offers energy-focused individuals worldwide an exciting new option for earning a highly marketable and respected credential in the growing field of energy management.

Schneider Electric, in a statement made available to The Guardian, said that Energy University’s PEM online certification comes with conveniences often not available in traditional classroom environments, such as flexible class schedules, free tuition and a self-paced curriculum that can reduce programmelearning length.

It however added that professionals might complete and purchase the PEM certification exam online through Energy University as an added convenience. The Global Manager, Customer Education, Susan Hartman, said: “Energy University is thrilled to offer online PEM certification. We are especially pleased to have developed this offer in conjunction with the IEP, an organisation renowned for providing the

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very best in practical energy management training and technical assistance.

This unique opportunity represents another Energy University milestone in helping professionals expand their skill sets, improve career prospects, and promote effective solutions to help their companies be more efficient and sustainable,” he stated.

The Co-founder of IEP, Thomas D. “Dan” Mull PE, PEM said: “IEP is very pleased to be partnering with Schneider Electric in an effort to expand energy management training opportunities.

We firmly believe that there will be an ever increasing need for this expertise as we strive to better manage our energy resources.”

Energy University prepares students for the exam via a proprietary learning path comprised of free, self-paced, on-demand courses available in 12 languages.

The topics covered include identifying efficiency opportunities, prioritising opportunities through qualification data and assembling the resources needed to define, sell, and implement an efficiency solution.

Since its introduction in 2009, Energy University has provided industry-leading, vendor-neutral energy efficiency education to more than 130,000 professionals worldwide.

have credibility, you have to key into important elements that can bring about change in the perception of your clientele towards the services you offer.

Such key elements include; trust, reliability, comportment and equity.

The totality of your conduct as a business entity is embodied in the type of image you put in place or portray and such image leads to perception, hence it’s important that companies move towards achieving the right image for themselves, especially at these times when ethics has been pushed to the background in the coun-

Yusuf try”, Yusuf said.

Speaking in the same vein, the special guest at the forum, Enitan Soboyejo explained that an effective image is one, which communicates credibility, confi-

dence, efficiency and authencity.

Soboyejo, a Canadian based image and style consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Authentica Image Consulting noted that it was important that businessmen and women found their rhythm by being able to differentiate their styles from their images.

According to her, being able to analyse styles and images could lead to a revival of an almost comatose organisation.

Besides, she admonished corporate executives to engage in time-to-time image assessment in order to

achieve their purpose at work.

“An effective image is one which communicates credibility, confidence, efficiency and authencity. My mission is to help women and man reflect their authentic self by providing solutions to enhance their personal style so they can become more self-confident, charismatic and effective.

For instance, lots of people just put on clothes for the fun of it without having a defined purpose for doing so, but if you are able to retune your style, you can achieve a purpose driven image”, Soboyejo said.

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moves to check Research Institutes’ workers vow to continue strike Body succession gap at workplace From Collins Olayinka, Abuja ORkERS in research institutions across the country have vowed to continue their six-weeks old industrial action.

In a communiqué signed by the Deputy President/Chairman, Wakili Tijani and Emma Okonkwor, senior deputy general secretary of Research and Projects Trade Group Council of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) at the end of its meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State, lauded the efforts of Minister of Labour and P r o d u c t i v i t y , Chukwuemeka Wogu and the Minister of state for Agriculture, Bukar Tijani, but regretted that nothing new had been achieved to convince the unions to suspend the strike action.

The communiqué read in part: “The Council-in-session appreciates the efforts of the Minister of Labour and Productivity and Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, for ensuring that the memo on the demand of the unions is forwarded to the office of the President and opined that for the workers in the research and allied institutions to be pacified they need Mr. President’s urgent approval of the memo, which will translate to the immediate payment of the 12 months arrears, implementation of the 65years retirement age, improved funding of the research institutes, establishment of NARI-

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COM, approval of earned allowances among other demands.”

The council added that it was disappointing that government had not shown any urgency in addressing the plight of workers in research institutions.

“The Council felt disturbed and disappointed at the position of government on the plight of the Research and Allied institutions workers as the agreement reached with government to resolve the issues in dispute within six weeks from 27th August, 2012, was not complied with,” it added.

As a result of government lackadaisical attitude, the Council said it was stepping up the action to achieve maximum effect.

It said: “The Council-insession therefore unanimously agreed to step up the on-going strike action by continuing with the strike and making it tighter. While appreciating its members, the Council thanked the branches for adhering to the directive to go on strike and states that the earlier position not to grant management concession still stands.”

The union appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to show his commitment to improving the welfare of Nigerian workers by signing the memo that seek to address all the issues in contention.

In a bid to end the strike, the committee of directors of Research institutes also called a meeting with the striking workers but that

New perm sec pledges to sustain ministry’s policy thrust From Collins Olayinka, Abuja

HE newly appointed Permanent Secretary in T the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Clement Iloh, has pledged to continue with the paradigm shift policy introduced by his predeTunji Dr. cessor, Olaopa.

Speaking at the official handover ceremony in Abuja, Iloh lauded the outgone Permanent Secretary for introducing radical changes that aimed at repositioning the ministry for more effective administration labour and industrial harmony in the work places across the country.

His words: “Most people think of paradigm shift from the angle of adversarial labour industrial relation, it is a total package that concerns a shift of labour administration which deals with employment, productivity, industrial relation, social security and skills development among others. We are going to pursue these shifts to a successful end.”

The new permanent secretary also reaffirmed his commitment to skills development and welfare packages for the staff of the ministry, saying “all of

us will be happy, we will be happy because there will be activities and we will not allow you to go unrewarded for your efforts.”

Earlier in his remarks the out-gone Permanent Secretary, Olaopa stated that the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, was a ministry that was rich in substance if its mandates were equally pivotal to the development of the country.

He added: “I am going away as someone that appreciated the Ministry of Labour as a ministry that is rich in substance and of mandate which contributions must be appreciated if we have to move the nation forward.”

Olaopa charged the new permanent secretary to see his appointment as an opportunity to further take the ministry to a glorious height.

“You have no excuse not to take the Ministry of Labour to another level of regaining the confidence of the tripartite; the union, the employers and the government that this is a sector that can be rely upon, am proud to leave you behind believing that under Iloh this ministry will move to a greater height,” he said.

also failed to yield the desired result.

Another meeting called by the Minister of labour and Productivity, Chukwuemeka Wogu and Minister of State for Agriculture, Bukar Tijani, to inform the unions of the request for the memo by the President as strong enough to suspend the strike also hit a brick wall as the unions were adamant that that in itself is not enough.

Reacting to the mysterious memo that has taken President Jonathan almost seven weeks to look into, the General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi told The Guardian at the weekend that the country needed credible and courageous technocrats that could inform the President of the danger of leaving such matter unattended

for so long.

He said: “I am amazed that nobody in the corridor of power is courageous and credible enough to tell Mr. President that leaving an important memo that could unlock our research institutions that have been paralyzed by strike action for seven weeks are scarce.

Having our research institutions not working is an emergency that deserves urgent attention by the President. Even the strike action has been unable to resolve the crisis. It is time for men of good conscience and of strong characters to tell Mr. President that what is happening is not good for our development. We are sad by this attitude even as we continue to mouth our desire to join the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020.”

ITING the near lack of C sustainable succession plans in most establishments, the Association of International School Educators in Nigeria (AISEN) has concluded plans to address the development through a one day programme slated for Thursday, March 21, in Lagos.

The event themed, “Succession Planning – 30 years On” will address the untimely closure of a good of number of firms at the death of the principals and founders coupled with the attendant job losses in Nigeria.

Expected to grace the forum are, Dr. Jeff Bradley of the Partner Educators’ Collaborative, San Francisco, United States of America as keynote speak-

er, with the likes of Olasupo Shasore, Nimi Akinkugbe and Ndidi Nwuneli also to treat a variety of issues centering on governance, ownership, succession among other germane topics.

Chairman of the Conference, Dr. George Hickman, said, “the conference will emphasize the importance of succession planning in schools and establishments and create awareness of the benefits that can accrue from such,” adding that succession is very important for businesses, small or large.

To AISEN President, Mrs. Ekua Abudu, “in every organisation, there is the need for sustainability,” noting that every business owner would benefit from the conference.

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Nigeria records 76 per cent trade surplus in 2012, says NBS From: Karls Tsokar, Abuja ITH a sharp decrease in W the value of imports as compared to the value of exports, Nigeria exports outperforms her imports, placing the country on a comfortable trade surplus for the year 2012, with European countries accounting for highest consumer of Nigeria exports.

The National Bureau of Statistic (NBS) last week published on its website and made available the trade statistics for the year 2012 that “At the end of 2012, the Nigeria’s external trade was N 28,071.2 billion, and the country’s exports to various continents of the world showed that European countries are the highest consumer of Nigeria’s export accounting for 36.7 per cent of the total volume.

The external trade amount was 4.3% lower than the corresponding figure of N29,333.0 billion recorded in 2011.” This growth represents a 76 per cent increase in 2012 from the N16.8 trillion in 2011, whereas the contribution of crude oil to the value of total domestic export trade amounted to N15,531.9 billion or 69.2 per cent in the same year.

With the economy witnessing a growth by 6.99 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year as against 7.76 per cent in the same quarter of 2011, the bureau recorded that a decrease of 43.1 per cent value of imports, amounting to N 9,892.6 billion in 2011 to N 5,624.9 billion in 2012 account-

ed for the trade surplus. It shows that more than two third of the surplus was derived from the crude oil exports.

The release by the NBS reads in part “there was an increase of 15.5 per cent in the value of exports from N19,440.4 billion in 2011 to N 22,446.3 billion in 2012. The increase in the value of exports contributed immensely to the visible trade balance of N16,821.4 billion recorded in 2012. This was a contrast to the visible trade balance of N 9,547.7 billion recorded in 2011. The crude oil component of total2 trade increased by N 1,596.0 billion or 11 per cent over the level recorded in 2011” In the 4th quarter of the year ended 2012, the total value of imports in Nigeria was valued at N1,292.8 billion, an increase of 1.7 per cent from the preceding year. While the value of imports “totaled N5,624.9billion at the end of 2012 as against N9,892.6billion in 2011 , a decrease of N 4,267.8 billion or 43.1 per cent”.

When measurement of is categorize by the Standard International Trade classification (SITC), the structure of import trade was still dominated by “the imports of Machinery and transport equipments, Manufactured goods and Commodities which accounted for 23.5 per cent, 12.4 per cent and 34.0 per cent”. Meanwhile “Beverages & Tobacco, Crude inedible materials, Mineral fuel and oils, fats

Diageo Africa Business Reporting marks 10th-year anniversary

By Taiwo Hassan HE Diageo Africa Business Reporting awards for this year are already attracting entries from the best journalists around the world.

This year, Diageo will be celebrating 10 years anniversary of the awards. and will once again showcase the most influential and innovative journalism from and about Africa.

Already, the final date for entries has been scheduled for 22nd March, while finalists will be announced on Tuesday 7th May 2013.

The awards ceremony will be held in Central London on Thursday, 11th July 2012.

The awards recognise the achievements of business journalists reporting on the continent and provide a prestigious forum for international recognition of their work.

As a long-term investor in Africa, Diageo believes that improving the quantity and quality of business reporting can play a significant role in generating business interest and increasing inward investment in Africa.

As a result, these awards were launched in 2004 as a practical way of raising awareness of economic opportunity in Africa and to celebrate excellent business journalism.

In 2013, ten years on from the awards’ inception, Africa’s profile as a business and investment destination is higher than ever.

This is reflected in the fact that the awards have continued to grow year on year and, in 2012, attracted more than 1000 entries from 27 countries.

The awards are open to all journalists reporting on Africa, in any medium, and

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of any nationality.

Submissions are accepted in English and in French.

Entries will be reviewed by a high-profile judging panel further details will be announced soon.

The shortlisted finalists from each category will be flown to London for the gala ceremony in July.

Submissions are welcomed for the following categories: .Best Information and C o m m u n i c a t i o n Technology (ICT) feature; Best Finance feature; Best Infrastructure feature; B e s t Agribusiness/Environment feature; Best Tourism feature; Best Business News story; Best Business feature; Best Newcomer; Media of the Year; and, Journalist of the Year.

President, Diageo Africa, Turkey, Russia and Eastern Europe, Nick Blazquez, said: “We look forward to celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards. At Diageo, we are honoured to have seen the Awards grow over the past decade from a relatively small beginning into an international event, which receives more than 1000 entries. I am particularly pleased with the number of different countries that are represented at the awards, which demonstrates the increased prominence of African business reporting, both across the continent and around the world. In this celebratory year, our judging panel will be looking for submissions that are insightful, balanced and ground-breaking, and which bring a fresh perspective to bear on business issues.”

and Waxes also contributed to the fall in imports.

While Exports on the other hand on an annual basis, “the total exports of Nigeria stood at N 22,446.3 billion at the end of 2012, representing a rise of N3, 006.0 billion or 15.5 per cent over the level in 2011”this is by SITC. The report further reveals the summary of Nigeria’s export by section, that “the highest export product of Nigeria in 2012 was mineral products which accounted for N18,868.0 or 84.1 per cent.

Other products that contributed immensely to Nigeria’s export includes Plastic, rubber and articles, Prepared foodstuffs,beverages,spirits and vinegar, tobacco whose values stood at N1,599.9billion or 7.1 per cent and N764.2billion or 3.0 per cent of the total exports of Nigeria during the period under review” “Details of Nigeria’s exports to various continents of the world showed that European countries are the highest consumer of Nigeria’s export with N8,227.1 billion or 36.7 per cent.

This was followed closely by America with N7, 196.1billion or 32.1 per cent and Asia with N4, 347.4 billion or 19.4 per cent.

Within the continent of Africa, Nigeria exported products valued at N2,118.68 billion or 9.4 per cent of its total exports trade.

However,Nigeria exported products valued at N869.6billion to the region of ECOWAS out of its total export trade to Africa”.

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NigeriaCapitalMarket NSE Daily Summary (Equities) as at Monday PRICE LIST OF SYMBOLS TRADED FOR 18/3/2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

NSE Daily Summary (Equities) as at 18/3/2013

LOSERS

PRICE GAINERS

Unity Bank, Oando, others lift NSE’s market capitalisation by N94b Stories by Helen Oji price gains by Fnies,OLLOWING major blue chip compaespecially Unity Bank and Oando, equity transactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange re-opened in an upbeat yesterday, as market capitalization rose by N94 billion.

Specifically, at the close of transactions yesterday, Unity Bank emerged the day’s highest price gainer with 6.25 per cent to close at N0.85 per share followed by Oando with 4.45 per cent to close at N17.60 per share.

Ashaka cement gained 4.35 per cent to close at N24.00 per share. Dangote cement added 3.89 per cent to close at N147.00 per share.

African Prudential, May&Baker, Okomuoil garnered 3.83,3.64 and 3.64 per cent to close at N1.90,N2.50 and N57.00 per share.

FTN Cocoa gained 3.45 to close at N0.60 per share. Skye

bank added 2.74 per cent to close at N6.37 per share.

United Bank for Africa also added 2.53 per cent to close at N8.50 per share.

However, RT Briscoe topped the losers chart with 8.37 per cent to close at N2.08 per share while Cement Company of

Northern Nigeria trailed with 7.62 per cent to close at N12.00 per share.

Fidson lost 6.55 per cent to close at N1.57 per share.

Livestock shed 4.98 per cent to close at N1.57 per share.

WAPIC shed 4.70 per cent to close at N1.42 per cent.

Ikeja Hotel, Paint Company,

UBCAP dropped 4.65,4.55 and 4.17 per cent to close at N0.82, N1.68 and 1.38 per share.

Japaul oil shed 3.97 per cent to close at N0.73 per share.

Guinness also dropped 3.81 per cent to close at N265.01 per share.

Consequently, the All/Share

index of the Nigerian Stock Exchange increased by N94 billion or 0.8 from N10,637 trillion to N10,543 trillion while the All/Share index increased by 293.46 points from 32,950.08 to 33,243.54.

On the activity chart, the banking sub-sector dominated in volume terms with

121 million shares worth N1.3 billion followed by the conglomerates with 38 million units valued at N80 million.

The insurance sub-sector ranked third with 18 million units worth N18.5 million.

In all, investors exchanged 230 million shares valued at N2.5billion in 4,791 deals.

UBA listed on FTSE ASEA Pan African Index NITED Bank for Africa Plc U (UBA) has announced that the bank has been included in the FTSE African Securities Exchanges Association (ASEA) Pan African Index.

The bank, which was selected from the few securities from 19 African Stock Exchanges, according to a statement from the bank stems from the liquidity and tradability of its stock as demonstrated over the years.

The FTSE ASEA Pan African Index, created in December

2012 was a free float market capitalization weighted series constructed from securities domiciled on African Securities Exchanges Association (ASEA) member Stock Exchanges and therefore represents the performance of eligible securities listed on these Exchanges.

This index series was designed after extensive market consultation to meet the needs of African investors and as the foundation of new tradable investment products.

The Index, according to the bank was designed to ensure sufficient liquidity in their underlying stocks, to match the requirements of the users.

It stated that specific liquidity rules were applied in order to increase the tradability of the index by removing companies that are difficult to buy or sell, adding that reviews are also carried out on an annual basis and the index is rebalanced twice a year in June and December.

According to Abiola Rasaq, an Equity Research Analyst at UBA Capital Research, “the selection of UBA stems from the liquidity and tradability of its stock as demonstrated over the years. The purpose of the index is to measure the performance of eligible securities for African equity portfolios.

“The FTSE ASEA index is a welcome development as it provides a good benchmark for African Focused Fund, which currently uses the Morgan

Stanley Composite Index Emerging/Frontier Market Index as proxy for benchmark return. Interestingly, the FTSE ASEA covers stocks on 19 of the 21 African bourses, thus can be seen to be truly representative of the African basket,” he said.

United Bank for Africa Plc is one of Africa’s leading financial institutions offering universal banking to more than 7 million customer accounts across Africa and key financial centers of the world; New York, London and Paris.

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Opinion Papacy and the ageless church

By Luke Onyekakeyah th

S Pope Francis I, the 266 pope celebrates his A inaugural mass today at the Vatican, a new chapter has opened in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. This event came as a result of the unexpected resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on February 28 this year. The events of the past two weeks, beginning with the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI to the conclave of cardinals and the subsequent election of Pope Francis I, are remarkable. They are landmark events that shape the history of the Roman Catholic Church. The new pope is not necessarily getting his authority at the inauguration mass but as a matter of fact, the mass is officially his first as the new pope. By law, Pope Francis automatically became full-fledged pope once he accepted his election at the conclave.

It is remarkable that these events are happening in our own dispensation; otherwise, these are events we usually read in the history books.

The march of civilization has a good account of the papacy over the ages. Sometimes, one wonders how generations of popes have presided over the church over the ages, in peace time and in war and yet the church remains solidly built.

The truth is that the church is ageless. Popes come and go but the church remains unchanging. The spirit behind the church, which is the power of God is ageless. Times and seasons may change, as well as people, but the church, which is the undeniable mark of God on earth remains unchangeable. No amount of upheaval will destroy the church.

The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI was received with mixed feelings. While some praised his uncommon courage to bow out when he could no longer function effectively in the office, others question his morality and leadership skills. A particularly enraged Italian priest, Father Andrea Maggi, was reported to have burned the photo of ex-Pope Benedict during a Sunday mass sermon to drive home his outburst. According to him, Pope Benedict abandoned his flock, which should not be the case.

He argued that a shepherd never abandons his flock. The job of pope, for him, is for life and un-

der no circumstance should a pope resign.

Father Andrea’s eruption must have been informed by the fact that Benedict’s resignation was the first in nearly 600 years. Out of the 266 popes from St. Peter (32-67 AD) till date, only five unambiguously resigned. This occurred between the 10th and 15th centuries. The last known resignation was that of Pope Gregory XII in 1415.

No living person today has witnessed a papal resignation, meaning that it is uncommon for a pope to quit office. St. Peter who took the mantle after Jesus Christ shepherded the church till death. So were all the apostles. They died in the vineyard of the Lord.

The issue of papal resignation has pros and cons. On the one hand, it is absolutely in good fate for a pope who could no longer perform his duties to bow out and allow a stronger person to take over. An incapacitated pope could divert the church’s attention to his condition than the more important issues of the church.

But this perspective is more of temporal than spiritual. On the other hand, allowing popes to resign could open the floodgate for such resignations even on flimsy reasons. Popes are humans. Granted that the church has high integrity, such situations cannot be ruled out completely since human beings are involved.

Human beings are, perhaps, the most unpredictable in all of God’s creation.

What happens when you have a club of former popes should two or more popes resign while their predecessors are still alive? That would open a new dimension in the church. Once a pope, what else would be the attraction outside the papacy to warrant resignation? It is better to pray as a pope; eat as a pope; be weak or strong as a pope, and die as a pope. What else is better than to live and die as a pope? For me, there should be no resignation once one is made pope. The office of pope should be for life.

Should a serving pope be so incapacitated that he can no longer perform his duties; an administrator should be appointed to support him. This may require adjusting the canon law.

But not until a pope passes on should there be another pope.

The rising incident of resignations within the

church hierarchy gives insight into what could befall the papacy in this age of post modernization if the office is left open ended.

Pope Benedict’s resignation may have opened a new dimension in this era of unbridled freedom. Resignations were uncommon in the distant past. And, that explains why comparatively, an insignificant number of popes have resigned in the history of the church. It would be naïve for anyone to think that things would remain the same as they were in the beginning of the church up to the Middle Ages and later. Today, the church is facing scandals that were unheard of in the past. The trend may not abate in the foreseeable future.

The new Pope Francis I, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, until the other week, was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, made cardinal in 2001. From far away Argentina, Pope Francis I comes with many firsts to his credit. He is the first Jesuit priest to be made pope; first pope from the Americas and indeed, Southern Hemisphere and first pope to take the name Francis, in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi.

The name is significant and gives an insight into the direction of his papacy. Saint Francis of Assisi, who is the patron saint of the poor, had a vision to rebuild the church. The need to rebuild a buffeted church in the post modernization era may have informed the choice of name. The world is watching to see how this rebuilding would come about.

The new pope is coming at a time when the church is facing challenges and scandals of no small dimension. In his farewell speech, Pope Benedict XVI reportedly hinted about infighting at the Vatican. There are also issues of leakage of sensitive documents in what is being referred to as Vatileaks. The intrigues, leaks and corruption issues have been linked to high-level insiders. The pope’s butler was particularly charged for leaking secret information. These issues are not common; they underscore the changing times and dwindling moral rectitude among people that were thought to be “living saints”.

But perhaps, the most explosive of the scandals is the raging cases of priests’ child sex

abuse. There have been trials, convictions and investigations into allegations of sex abuse committed by Catholic priests over the decades.

Criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits have been instituted against some of the offending priests in some countries. The failure of the Catholic hierarchy to report the abusive priests to law enforcement but merely transferred them to other parishes put the integrity of the church to question. Across Europe, America and Australia, there are civil society groups campaigning to see that justice is done by bringing the offenders to book.

Many of those abused who are now adults want compensation after the abusive priests have been prosecuted. There are speculations that these scandals contributed in Pope Benedict’s resignation. The Vatican has however denied such connection.

It is important to note that whatever challenges and or scandals plaguing the church today is not unexpected in human affairs. But the church is more than an ordinary human institution. It is divine in outlook and people perceive it as such.

There is uproar when the priestly class that should be a model for the rest of humanity gets tainted in what normally afflict ordinary people. People think that the corruption, intrigues and in-fighting experienced in temporal institutions should not be found in the church. The church should be immune to all that wickedness.

The Catholic Church’s strict position of celibacy is at the root of sexual impropriety by the clergy.

While it is true that the age long position on celibacy seems sacrosanct, the church should appreciate that times are changing and as humanity nears the end time, the love of many will surely wax cold. Immorality will be part of the cankerworm that would tend to destroy the fabrics of the church. Since the issue of celibacy is more of discipline than doctrinal, it may do the church well to review a self imposed restriction that has become the undoing of the church. It is ironic that while the church in the West is confronted with these challenges, the African church remains more intact. These are some of the challenges facing the new pope. The church should continue to pray for the pope and the entire clergy to be able the weather these critical times.

The potential in Adeboye’s converts

By Obinna Akukwe ASTOR Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of Redeemed ChrisP tian Church of God has numerous converts who are potentially capable of changing the course of imbecile leadership plaguing the nation. This church with estimated membership of about 12 million is the most populated Pentecostal fold in Nigeria and history beckons on them to use their numerical strength and spiritual resources to effect a change in any mediocre administration of Nigeria.

Pastor Adeboye, a former teacher and lecturer in mathematics from the University of Lagos and Ilorin was among the first set of academics in Nigeria to become disciples of the then ‘church ratist’ Pentecostalism. Then from the early 70s to the early 90s to be a Pentecostal is akin to being an outcast. Families prefer a drunkard in their fold to a Pentecostal. Pentecostalism was associated with non-violent but radical trait of Christianity where the convert loses taste for the things of the world, fashion of the world, music of the world etc.

During my own time, my father had to drive me out of the house in 1986 because, according to him, I failed to genuflect before the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I had to live from church hall to queer places until my elder brother came around from his postings and temporarily normalised the situation. My school fees and pocket money were constantly withheld and I was treated with contempt as a religious rebel. Such was the fate of Pentecostals till Archbishop Benson Idahosa of Church of God Mission and Pastor Joe Anwuzia of Zoe Ministries made Pentecostalism fashionable.

Pastor Adeboye was among the people who gradually led the migration from extremist Pentecostalism to moderation. This was coupled with various testimonies of creative miracles like healing of blindness, lameness and other incurable health condition under the power of God, which used to be hallmarks of his conventions then.

The emergence of Archbishop Benson Idahosa, Pastor Joe Anwuzia and Prophet Gabriel Oduyemi birthed the introduction of prosperity into the Pentecostal fold. Pastor Adeboye believes in prosperity, preaches prosperity, healing, salvation and spiritual maturity.

Adeboye runs a loose administrative structure, which gives his pastors the freedom to exhibit their peculiar spiritual gifts of prophecy, healing, teachings, worship or a combination. The Redeemed pastors are not perpetually in fear of frequent transfers like another popular Pentecostal faith mission. In terms of pastoral allowances, Redeemed pastors receive more pay than other structured Pentecostal churches, perhaps except Winners Chapel. During our time, pastors are sent to a field with a horn speaker, mat, stove, huge Bible and Matthew Henry’s Commentary and a member to house the new work in his apartment. The pastor was to use his ‘God of Elijah’

anointing to bring down the rest of the chairs, instruments, place of worship, members, etc, or face hunger and starvation. The Redeemed Christian Church of God will have none of it. They equip every branch with minimum requirements, including migrated membership to enable the new branch start up with less friction.

In terms of sermon delivery, the Redeemed style is simple but devoid of logical sequence and revelational word craft associated with Winners Chapel. Messages in Redeemed Church is delivered with high level of simplicity; devoid of intellectual flair that one begins to wonder what a professor is doing in that environment.

Bible students are not excited about their message pattern, they view it as too simplistic. However, the cohesive families like relationship in their fold beats that of any Pentecostal fold in Nigeria and have held the church together like a rock.

In terms of organisation, the church is second only to Winners Chapel. In terms of worship, it towers above many Pentecostal churches. In terms of hierarchical structure, it has the most disciplined hierarchical order. A district pastor with 100 members in his parish takes precedence over a parish or area pastor with 5,000 congregationalists such that the parish pastor must surrender pulpit at the presence of the district or any other senior pastor. This is just to ensure discipline and order. They have low turnover of pastors as you will see those who started with Pastor Adeboye still in the fold.

The daily devotional ‘Open Heavens’ is the most incisive daily devotional in circulation. It showcases the teaching ministry of Pastor Adeboye. The Redeemed Camp has a sitting capacity of over four million and during conventions and Holy Ghost Congress the visitors exceed the number. Pastor Adeboye possesses unusual grace. During Holy Ghost services people run to the altar arena in response to altar call, before he finishes counting one to 10, yet one cannot pin-point the highpoint of the message that drew such crowd of sinners out for repentance.

Pastor Adeboye has influenced pastors all over the world, the Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church, David Oyedepo refers to him as his ‘father in the Lord’, same goes for many other pastors.

Newsweek magazine in 2008 named him among 50 most influential persons worldwide. Pastor Adeboye has built a solid institution of religion, having all administrative and managerial effectiveness in place, including the Redeemers University. With a membership of over eight million it is time for the Redeemed Christian Church of God to move to the next level.

Nigerian politicians have discovered through their astrologers and soothsayers that a lot of power circulates within the vicinity

of Redemption Camp and they tend to misuse the open door policy of Pastor Adeboye by tapping from his grace and anointing without abiding by the tenets of faith. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited the Redeemed Camp more than thrice, especially when he was faced with travails, yet by the time he was through with his eight years tenure, he invented ‘do-or-die’ brand of electoral politics, which further shot Nigeria into infamy.

President Jonathan had visited the place twice and on each occasion was given the podium. During the 2012 Holy Ghost Congress he climbed the podium and claimed that he has not made up his mind on 2015 presidency. Two weeks later, sycophants and bootlickers spread his posters all over Abuja and shortly afterwards he taught the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amechi, lessons in subordination by sponsoring attempts to remove him as the Chairman of the Governors Forum for not falling behind his purported second term ambition.

Therefore, Pastor Adeboye should extract promise of good governance from all mischievous politicians parading around the camp ground. This is to ensure that they do not get elected through the assistance of prayers and yet turn round to oppress the masses and the church with corruption, injustice, extra judicial killings, electoral fraud and poverty.

The followers of Pastor Adeboye should come out of hiding, pray and lead in the transformation process of Nigeria. Redeemed members have collected enough anointing and impartation from their leader.

The nation is in search of reformers who can take strategic positions in the civil service, the banks, security agencies, political parties and use their spiritual knowledge, anointing and grace of God to institute righteousness and good governance for the benefit of the common man. The follower-ship of Pastor Adeboye is in the best position to lead the change. With a church population estimated at about 12 million and a balanced array of Biblical exposition, spiritual exercise and zeal, it is time to utilise these advantages in the quest for a new Nigeria.

The Redeemed members should rise up from slumber and use the spiritual resources at their disposal to checkmate evil in the armed forces, economy, politics, business and other sectors of the ailing nation. The Bible says in Romans 8 vs 19 that, “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.’’ Where are the sons of Pastor Adeboye, they should wake up from slumber, stop hoarding anointing, rather, they should release those already collected for the purpose of transforming the fraudulent leadership plaguing the nation or else be counted as another wasted generation of spiritual followership.

• Akukwe wrote via profetobinna2@yahoo.com

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

68

Opinion Challenges before Pope Francis

By Adewale Kupoluyi LECTED on the fifth ballot, Argentinean E Jorge Mario Bergoglio, new Pope Francis 1 was chosen in one of the fastest conclaves in years. The new pope was said to have finished second in the 2005 conclave that produced the 85 year-old pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, who shocked the world when he said that his age was a hindrance to leading the world’s one billion Roman Catholics and became the first pope to resign in almost 600 years. While everyone has been wondering what happens next, there is also the surmise on what he will do, especially with regards to modern day realities and dialogue with other religious groups.

To begin with, there is need to expand the ‘ad limina’ format to include lay people in view of the fact that Popes spend much of their working days meeting with bishops from around the world, who come to Rome periodically to report on their dioceses but the Pope rarely sits down with lay Catholics from those same dioceses. There is need for change in line with the laicization of the Church. Secondly, the new pope will endeavour to improve relations with Islam faithful without denouncing the religion, antagonising Jews or raising concerns in the West about being liberal on violence by Islamic groups.

Pope Benedict XVI had angered Muslims worldwide when he quoted a Byzantine emperor, who linked Islam and violence in a lecture at the University of Regensburg, Germany. Unfortunately, the speech came just a year after the Danish cartoon controversy that sparked violent demonstrations throughout the Muslim world. Though the pontiff later apologised and visited Turkey two months later, the damage remains an issue that cannot be so easily forgotten.

Though Pope Benedict XVI’s personal butler had been arrested in connection with the “Vatileaks” scandal, new documents released indicated he had powerful backers that remain unidentified. The secret documents expose some lapses that the new pontiff should close-up. Over the years, the church had faced lawsuits from thousands of people in North America and Europe who were victims of abuse by priests. The church has been ensnared in a series of sex abuse scandals and lawsuits for more than 20 years, which have

cost it an estimated $2 billion in settlements.

Pope Benedict XVI apologised for the church’s years of inaction after child sexual abuse cases by the clergy. The scandals have left followers questioning their faith, with many hoping that the new pope will bring more accountability and protection for children. Many saw Pope Benedict as a major obstacle in the issue, although he has apologised and spoken of the church’s shame. The incoming pope will have to find a way to resolve the legal action, which could be very costly. He will also have to overcome right-wing elements within the Vatican that have taken a hard line and refused to negotiate or admit wrongdoing by priests. The new Catholic Church leader must adopt measures to deal with bishops whose ‘malfeasance’ permitted child sex abusers to stay on as priests.

The new pontiff will have to be attuned to pressures from Western countries, including Canada, that have prosecuted priests accused of sexual assault. Due to the sensitive nature of the child abuse experience, there are a few concrete measures the pope should take into consideration. First is to disclose the identities of all the clerics credibly accused along with details of the country, state and parish or school where the offences were allegedly committed. This will mitigate litigation and dissuade the minds of critics that the church is covering up the scandal. For instance, a nineyear investigation into widespread abuse of tens of thousands of children in Ireland’s industrial schools, prisons and orphanages run by the Catholic Church found that the primary motive of the church was rather “to maintain secrecy, avoid scandal, protect the reputation of the church and preserve its assets”.

Secondly, Pope Francis 1 may have to publicly disclose all of the documents within the Vatican’s archives that pertain to reports of child sex abuse, the Vatican’s response to it and the hierarchy’s role in the abuse. There is also the need to revise the necessary portions of the church’s code of canon law and Vatican protocols so that no secrecy or officialdom surrounds child sex abuse, requiring bishops and church official to report clergy accused of abuse of minors to law enforcement.

Again, the new pope will have to carefully weigh church doctrines with health concerns in places like Africa where condoms are considered a protection from AIDS; some South African Catholics had called for what they said was a more pragmatic approach to contraception given the AIDS

epidemic devastating the continent. Whereas abortion and contraception are divisive issues in Western Catholicism, most African Catholics embrace this teaching because most cultures reject abortion and contraception.

However, it has been argued that African Catholics seem to be more concerned about the use of condoms to prevent HIV/AIDS as a therapeutic means to protect and preserve life. This belief is perceived as being morally legitimate; pro-life rather than anti-life. Pope Benedict had previously sparked outrage by suggesting during his first trip to Africa that distributing condoms ‘aggravates the problems’ but later modified his position when he said the use of condoms was acceptable only ‘in certain cases’.

Another area of concern for the pope should be in the eradication of poverty. In Africa and other Third World countries, poverty level is shocking; the social condition is perplexing while the level of human suffering is not only unacceptable but also inexcusable. As a respectful world leader - coming from a developing nation - the pope should ensure that African governments live up to their expectations by fulfilling their constitutional and social obligations to the citizenry. Church leaders should consciously be made to realise that African church should be a church of the poor, a church with the poor, a church for the poor and a church that is on the side of the poor so as to give them a voice.

Also, African Catholic women would like to see the end to all kinds of sexual, physical, and emotional abuses of women in marriages, sexual harassment and exploitation in public offices and in some churches, and the suppression of their rights in the male-domineering African society.

The new pope should encourage African religious leaders to commit themselves to defending the rights of women and guaranteeing respect for their dignity.

In the countries where churchgoing has shrunk and the clergy have also got older, there is an urgent need to promote vocations. Concerted efforts should be made to ensure that more seminaries are reopened in Europe and North America. Currently, there are about 1.2 billion Catholics in the world, of which 45 per cent come from Latin America alone.

In many developing countries, including Nigeria, the Catholic Church has seen its congregation chipped away by neo-Pentecostal churches offering the faithful rollicking music-filled serv-

ices and hands-on practical advice. This, according to theologians distracts the faithful from getting the true Christian teachings. In the real sense of it, there is nothing wrong with the spread of Pentecostalism. The issue is the gradual indoctrination of strange teachings into the several vulnerable youth and young people – in the process of evangelism – as against evangelization that the Catholic Church professes.

Another concern is the need for a clean-up of the central administration of the Vatican that is plagued by corruption, allegations of infighting and obstructionism. A Pope of enormous energy, willpower and administrative experience is more than necessary to create stronger oversight and develop financial transparency.

The Vatican has also issued guidelines telling Catholics to oppose gay marriage and launched campaigns to counter its legal recognition. Many faithful would want the new Pope to make samesex marriage and equality laws a top priority. It would also be good to have a church that offers some ethical and moral leadership to the wider world. Views on things like climate change, war mitigation and peace, the present exploitative capitalist economic model and poverty would all be welcome contributions to the public discourse, rather than proclamations on social teachings and theology. No doubt, all of these can be done with caution while renewing orthodoxy rather than rejecting it by preserving the timeless authority of church doctrines, as the new pope asked for prayers for himself, and for retired Pope Benedict XVI, whose stunning resignation paved the way for the tumultuous conclave that brought the first Jesuit to the papacy.

The experience of the early years of John Paul II’s pontificate proves that energy and charisma can revitalise the church without surrendering entirely to modernisation. And more importantly, Pope Francis must be a father of all, a peace-maker and a good pastor that should conversant in the use of social media in relation to the gospel, to represent the Church’s message in a multi-platform world and the need to have a visible social media presence to spread the message. This remains a virile, veritable and vigorous platform to spread the gospel.

Finally, we must thank Pope Benedict XVI for making this peaceful change process possible – by stepping aside early – for he has given the church an opportunity for self-appraisal and to prepare thoughtfully for the future.

• Kupoluyi wrote from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.

Gas as power for Nigeria’s development

By Mutiu Sunmonu IGERIA is well known as an oil producing and exporting counN try. Less well known is that it has also the largest reserves of natural gas in Africa. Over the years, countries with abundant gas have enjoyed extraordinary benefits. In the 1960s and 70s it transformed the Dutch and British energy landscapes, becoming the clean, safe fuel of choice in homes, supporting industry and providing fuel to power stations that kept the lights on in homes and offices. In the 80s and 90s, technology to cool and condense gas to 1/600th of its natural volume – liquefied natural gas or LNG for short – provided countries in the Middle East with an economic way to ship and sell their gas across the world, helping them earn more from their natural resources while supporting global growth. And today, gas continues to transform the fortunes of countries, sometimes in dramatic ways. For example, new techniques to extract gas held in shale rock are helping countries unlock large energy reserves that were previously too expensive.

That has given the United States the welcome and timely boost of cheaper industrial costs during the recent global economic slowdown and helped spur the re-emergence of America’s manufacturing base.

Given its enormous potential, the Nigerian government has rightly identified development of the gas sector as central to the nation’s future economic development plans. The country began its journey to harness the value and power of natural gas many years ago. I’m proud that Shell – one of the world’s most innovative and competitive gas companies – has partnered with the government every step of the way, blending its global expertise in innovative technologies and shipping, with market-leading strategies to commercialise natural gas.

In the 1960s, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC JV) began supplying gas to industries and power plants at Afam in Rivers State, the first company in the country to do so. Until 1998 it remained the country’s sole gas supplier.

Today, the SPDC JV continues to provide over a fifth of the nation’s domestic gas supply. A large percentage of that supply is used to

generate the electricity that underpins the economy and many areas of our daily life, from street lighting to television, to schools, hospitals, factories and community halls. In 1998, Shell became the only international oil and gas major to set up a wholly-owned downstream gas sales and local distribution company – Shell Nigeria Gas Limited (SNG) – in the south-western and eastern parts of the country. SNG currently serves over 60 industrial customers, including some of the nation’s best known companies – Nestle Nigeria Plc, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc and Unilever Nigeria Plc that make products, which many of us have at home in our kitchens and bathrooms.

In 1999, the Nigeria Natural Liquefied Gas Company (NLNG) began exporting LNG cargoes from Bonny Terminal, generating very significant revenues for the nation – approximately $9 billion in dividends to date. Shell is a minority shareholder in NLNG and brought the technology in use at Bonny, leading the development of the LNG sector in Nigeria. In 2010, SPDC began producing gas at our new plant at Gbaran Ubie in Bayelsa State.

A world class plant in the heart of the Delta, built by Nigerians, Gbaran Ubie produces over a billion standard cubic feet of gas a day. And as one of the investors in the West African Gas Pipeline, which began exports in 2011, SPDC has helped Nigeria monetize its gas and boost economic development in Ghana, Benin and Togo.

So, although many may not know it, Nigerian gas touches, shapes and enhances many lives on a daily basis in Nigeria, along West Africa and across the world. And there’s far more potential to increase the role and value of natural gas in a way, which will benefit all Nigerians. Domestic natural gas can transform the economy and unlock the drive and determination of Nigerians, by feeding the nation’s power plants, boosting the nation’s supply of electricity, so vital for economic life. The significant revenue from the export of natural gas also contributes materially to the nation’s economy.

The National Power Roadmap issued by the Federal Government charts a path to get there. It sets out ambitious targets to raise Nigeria’s power generating capacity from 10 to 40 Gi-

gawatts. And in 2011, the government also launched the Gas Revolution agenda, which aims to stimulate the creation of world class petrochemical and fertiliser industries using natural gas as an enabler for job creation to catalyze Nigeria’s economic growth.

Much work needs to be done to achieve both these goals. Nigeria needs an interconnected gas grid so that gas can be delivered from where it is produced to where it is most needed, direct to companies, homes, power plants and export routes. It needs many new gas production facilities and power generating plants.

All that requires tens of billions of dollars of investment over the next few years. The draft Petroleum Industry Bill before parliament will set tax rates and investment conditions for the industry for years to come. These will determine whether or not companies can afford to invest the huge amounts required to unlock Nigeria’s full gas potential.

I sincerely hope they do because I have seen with my own eyes how gas and the power can change lives for the better. In 2008, I toured communities around Shell’s newly opened Afam VI power plant, the country’s most modern electricity generator powered by gas. SPDC built the plant in response to the government’s appeal and today it supplies about a fifth of Nigeria’s power supply.

Through social investment at Afam VI and other projects, SPDC also connected many local communities to the national grid, and it was there that I saw how the partnership between SPDC and the Nigerian government is delivering real value. I saw families using electricity at home for everyday things – to keep food in the fridge, run a fan to cool down in the afternoon heat, and watch television with friends. All using gas and power produced by SPDC and its joint venture partners.

Gas is good for Nigeria, good for the economy and good for Nigerians. Shell is in the business of natural gas. In fact, we are world leaders. As a Nigerian, I hope we can partner with the government for many more years to bring the benefits of natural gas to more people here in Nigeria.

• Sunmonu is Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) and Country Chairman of Shell companies in Nigeria.

69

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Quote of the week

Law

“We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”

Carlos Castaneda judicialeditor@yahoo.co.uk/ 08033151041 Desk Head: Ibe Uwaleke

Interview

By Bertram Nwannekanma

The motion seeking immunity for members of the House of Representatives recently passed its second reading.

The motion came when there is in existence the Legislative Powers and Privileges’ Act, which has already given every legislator immunity for whatever he says on the floor of the chamber.

In this encounter, a Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Bamidele Aturu, expressed surprise at the lower House for embarking on an ‘illegal excursion’, and agreed with the Senate for rejecting the move by the lower House to have speech immunity for legislators to be included in the constitution.

He also spoke on other sundry issues.

SKED his view on the recent attempt by the A House of Representatives to get speech immunity, Aturu has this to say: “With the greatest respect to the honourable members of the House of Representatives, that excursion is an illegal one that is carried in ignorance of the laws and that is a tragedy because it seems to me that members of the House of Representatives are not even aware of the existence of the law deemed to have been made by them.

Under Section 53 of the Constitution, that law is Legislative Houses’ Power and Privileges’ Act CAP L12, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2012.

Sections 3 of the law makes it very clear that no civil or criminal proceedings may be instituted against any member of the legislative Houses; (a) in respect of what is spoken before that House or committee thereof or (b) in respect of what is written in a report in the House or any committee thereof or in any petition, resolution, motion or questions brought or introduced by them therein and the law defined legislative House to include the Senate, House of Representatives and all Houses of Assembly of the states. Now, as far as the law is concerned today in Nigeria, every legislator in the House of Assembly, in the House of Representatives, in the Senate enjoyed immunity of proceedings in respect of what they said on the floor of the House or any committee thereof or even when they are preparing report. If they want to amend the law, at least, we understand that they know what they are doing but for them to say they want to make a new law that does not depart or operate differently from the old law, is very shocking. And if that is what has happened, that tells us that we are in a very pathetic situation, where people who are making laws do not even know that the law exists or may be they are trying to be deliberately mischievous, pretending that the law does not exist. Except the members of the House of Representatives are saying that they want to have immunity against prosecution on corruption cases. But whatever they are looking for; is something that is ultimately meant to sabotage our democracy and compound corruption in this country.”

On whether he will support outright removal of immunity even for the executive, Aturu said there was need for limited immunity for chief executives of states, the President and Vice President, while they are still in office, particularly in a country where politicians for whatever devious reasons may want to distract those in office and want to embarrass them with prosecutions.

“I think it will be distractive and will not augur well for the kind of attention required from chief executives of the states or federation to be answering or appearing before courts in multiple cases. My view is that they should enjoy limited immunity for serious corruption cases. When you talk of other crimes, they may have full immunity because when they finish their terms, there is no timebound against criminal proceedings. They can come back and answer for their crimes but when it is established, because the laws establishing the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has a procedure in dealing with governors or those enjoying immunity, that they can be investigated. It makes provision for a special prosecutor or investigator to deal with such a situation where such an investigator has done his or her work and there are massive prima facie evidence of corruption against a serving governor or President or Vice President. The

Aturu

‘Reps’ motion on speech immunity is illegal excursion’ matter should be sent to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and once that is done, I believe that the affected officer should be made to answer for such crimes.

In other words, I do not support the idea that we should continue with the existing system where as a governor, you can do no wrong; whenever you are a President, you cannot be prosecuted. If the private or special investigator as appointed by the CJ comes with compelling evidence and the CJ was of the opinion that a person should be tried, that person should go for trial. We need to amend our laws to permit the Chief Justice to give a certificate under the ICPC Act to the effect that the person should be tried and there also should be a provision that the requisite National Assembly or state Assemblies should also ask that person to stand down from office because you cannot be standing trial and still claim that you are head of government.

People may argue that if you do that, then you may be doing judicial impeachment but my view is that if the CJ has evidence and feels that the chief executive should be tried, he may ask him not to stand down, let him stand trial. What is important is that he would be tried while in office and that will reduce the abuse that people commit because of immunity. It is better for us to have a governor who is standing trial than not to have such governor to stand trial at all.”

Asked if our system could produce such a CJ, Aturu said: “I agree that our institutions need to be strengthened. I agree that a lot is wrong fundamentally with our judicial system. Even in the way we appoint judges, in the way in which the judicial officers or judicial hierarchy emerge, there are a lot of problems. And so, we can see that our system is not reproducing the old type of courageous, knowledgeable judges such as Chukwudifu Oputa, Kayode Eso and Augustine Nnamani. People, who could stand on their own anywhere, people who clearly lived above board morally in all respects. I think everybody is mindful that even the judiciary will be the first to let you know that things are not going well with the judiciary. We do not even value merit in this country. Mediocrity has taken over in and all of them must be linked with the general attempt to build a decent society.

We have to ask ourselves the questions: how did these people become judges in the first place? There are many good judges at the Bench, no doubt about that, some of them are the very best you can find in the Commonwealth but the truth is that we still have people who ought not to be at the Bench.

People now lobby to get there, people who go to beg traditional rulers, pastors, Imams, to become judges. These are the people who talk to clients, litigants, lawyers anyhow, even journalists. Some of them brutalise journalists and these are the people who ought not to be at the Bench in the first place. They are not knowledgeable, they are not competent and some of them are corrupt. Some of them don’t sit at O’ clock, apart from some justices of the Supreme Court or National Industrial Court where I think people still take their works serious and a few of other courts but generally, there is a big rot.

So when you look at this situation, it cannot produce judges of courage we are talking about. The system does not encourage us to bring those kinds of people up. You remember when Justice Olubunmi Oyewole of the Lagos State was appointed a Chief Judge, you saw the crisis that arose. Now, they have seen that he is courageous judged and that if they allow him to become CJ or go to Court of Appeal, then they will be sending a ‘wrong signal’ that it pays to be courageous. So many judges, who are not as courageous as Oyewole will not do what he did because they would be scared of what happened to him. He is now an example of ‘how a judge should not behave’.

Unfortunately, he should be an example of the kind of sterling qualities we are looking for in a judge, this is the problem. When you see a system gladly celebrating the repression of courageous judges and lawyers of course, it

With the greatest respect to the honourable members of the House of Representatives, that excursion is an illegal one that is carried in ignorance of the laws and that is a tragedy because it seems to me that members of the House of Representatives are not even aware of the existence of the law deemed to have been made by them.

is a very pathetic system. So we need to begin to pay attention even to the judgment that comes out of Supreme Court or Court of Appeal and other levels of our judicial system because justice and democracy are too important to be left for lawyers and judges.

If a judge gives a very bad decision, Nigerians should feel free to criticise the judge, but of course, in a decent language because judges do very important job. They are very important to our democracy and they must be respected. I will criticise any judge no matter how highly placed, including the CJN, because that is the kind of legacy I want to leave for my society. I don’t want my children to live in a society where they think that even the CJN is beyond criticism. No, that is not a democracy, what you must not do is to use disparaging language or to be abusive to such exalted offices because sometimes they can make mistakes. They are human beings, they are also not infallible but the truth is that whenever they make mistakes, it is our duty to let them know that what they have done is wrong.

Because if we don’t do that, for example, the Supreme Court is the only body that corrects itself, they will continue to repeat this error and I don’t want to live in that kind of society.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

70 LAW

LawPeople Profile

By Joseph Onyekwere HIEF Mobolaji Olukayode Ayorinde, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), is a lawyer passionate about his job. He goes about the law business with great gusto. On a day he is not in the Courtroom, he would be in his office, attending to myriad of visitors and clients with almost an equal warmth and kindness. It is not in doubt that he loves his job, not minding the suffocating pressures that go with it. And this is made manifest in the aplomb with which he handles either personal legal assignments or other national call of duty.

Through litigation, dispute resolution, published and unpublished legal monographs as well as administrative assignments such as board membership of Institutions, he has contributed immensely to the development of law in Nigeria and even beyond.

For instance, he is a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy and has since May 2012 become the Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Legal Aid Council.

As the chairman of the Board of that council, Ayorinde has contributed in providing succour to the -privileged.

A lot of families who could not have afforded the money to hire private lawyers now continue to enjoy access to legal aid. With his wealth of knowledge, contact, skills and experience, Ayorinde is working to ensure that the council keeps faith with its mandate.

A firm believer in transparency and prudence in handling of public resources, Ayorinde is of the opinion that governors engage in corruption because of the enormous wealth under their control. He is of the opinion that if award of contract is taken away from the governors and other public officers, the issue of corruption would be effectively tackled.

“I have always advocated that the award of contracts and disbursement of funds should be taking away from the governors. Then, we will see a few people who would be interested in becoming the chief executive of their states. The government should only make policy pronouncements. After that, that directive should go to service agencies registered with government to procure goods and services on behalf of government. They are international agencies known all over the whole world. They can register with the Federal Government, State governments and local councils. It is the procurement agency that will call for suppliers and contractors; it is the agency that will go to the ministry of finance”, he declared.

What will then be the function of the Due Process office created by the Public Procurement Act? He said: “Working with the Public Procurement Act provisions, you are still doing things within the public service and the civil service. You must take contract completely out of the government and give it to independent body. If KPMG is a procurement agency, they cannot be involved in corruption because if they are corrupt in Nigeria, they will be punished in America for being corrupt in Nigeria. Then you begin to see the differences between the billions that are being mentioned and what is on ground. Even whoever is the governor or the minister will have rest of mind because nobody will put pressure on them. The contractor too will have rest of mind because nobody will demand a kick-back. The legisla-

C

“Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”

Bernard M. Baruch

Ayorinde: A passionate lawyer tor who is performing oversight function will also peace because he is going to inspect a project that he has no relationship with.

Everybody will be free and there will be no money to steal. You cannot allow a man to steal N23 billion first and then you begin to pursue him. You must do your best to make sure that the money is not available for him to steal in the first place; so no medicine after death.

Make sure that there is no money available for him to steal. We tend to confuse public fund as government money; no, it is the public money, it is our commonwealth.

The money belongs to all of us and we must protect it from being stolen. Not to be fighting to recover it after it has been stolen. So take the award of contract and disbursement of funds out of government then you will be surprise at the few number of persons that will be interested in coming into the public office because then, you are restricted to only your salary”, he stated.

Ayorinde was born into the Ayorinde family of Ajimajasan compound, Agbakojo Ibadan, Oyo State.

His father is the Honourable Justice Timothy Adebayo Ayorinde, former Chief Judge of Oyo State, while his mother is Chief Mrs. Christiana Adetokunbo Ayorinde.

He attended Sacred Heart Private School, Ring-Road, Ibadan for his primary school education between 1966 and 1974, where he obtained his Primary School Leaving Certificate in 1974.

He then proceeded to Government College, Ibadan in 1974 and obtained his West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) ordinary level certificate grade 1 in 1979. He also attended the International School, University of Ibadan in 1979 and obtained his General Certificate for Education (GCE) advanced level certificate, international Baccalaureate, A Levels Certificate in 1981.

The same year, he proceeded to the University College Buckland, Oxfordshire England, United Kingdom for his University education and obtained the University of Oxford, GCE certificate in law, intermediate LLB in 1983. He thereafter, in 1983 attended the prestigious Holborn Law Tutors, Rouphell Street, London for his University of London Bachelor of Law LLB Hons Degree certificate and graduated in 1985. He, thereafter, proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1985 for the compulsory law school training. At the law school, he obtained the Council of Legal Education Certificate of Call to Bar in 1986. Having completed his law school programme, he listed for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and was mobilized to take part in the programme in 1987. He was posted to Lagos State and attached to the Private Law Firm of Messrs Akin Delano, legal practitioners. During the period, he served as a junior counsel in the law firm. He worked directly under the principal, Chief Akin Delano (SAN) and in 1989 and was later seconded to take charge of the Lagos office of the Chambers due to his skills, industry and focus. The firm is renowned for its commercial practice spanning for a period of over 30

On a day he is not in the courtroom, he would be in his office, attending to myriad of visitors and clients with almost an equal warmth and kindness.

Ayorinde (SAN) years. He worked for the firm until 1990 when he decided to venture into personal firm. He subsequently set up his own law firm known as B. Ayorinde and Company. The firm now has offices in Lagos, Ibadan and Abuja FCT. Ayorinde was appointed Notary Public for Nigeria on November 25, 1994 under the Notaries Public Act Cap 331 by Honourable Justice Mohammed Bello, GCON, former Chief Justice of Nigeria(CJN). For his contributions to the development of law in the country, Chief Ayorinde was elevated to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) on September 26, 2005. Two years later in 2007, he was appointed ProChancellor, Chairman Governing Council of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State of Nigeria. He is also a consultant to Anthony and Associates, New York since 1995 till date. In addition, he is also a Director in Fundiciones Kerenski Ltd, Promogroup Limited, Crest People Publications Limited, Metrocops Limited, TMT Systems Limited, Timothy and Christy Limited, Smayo Energy Limited and Medical Global Services Limited.

Ayorinde is outstanding in all his areas of practice. They are general civil litigation, commercial litigation, company law, family law, property and land law. Others are banking, insurance and liquidation law, arbitration, maritime and shipping law, public advocacy and parliamentary counseling services.

He is also author of various publications such as Securing and

Enforcing Maritime claims, Juriscope, 1st edition- 2001 series, Wills and Testamentary Disposition paper delivered at the Notary Club of Ikeja in 2006 and Judicial precedent, law reporting and the need for regulation. Among his latest literary works include “The Rashidi Yekini case and the State of Mental Health Law in Nigeria”.

Ayorinde is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), International Bar Association (IBA), Nigeria-British Chamber of Commerce, Nigerian-Belgian Commercial Information and Documentation Centre, Commonwealth Lawyers Association, council member, Section on Public and Development law (SPIDEL) of the NBA, chairman, finance committee, NBA, Ikeja Branch as well as a member of the body of senior advocates of Nigeria.

Apart from membership of professional organizations, Ayorinde is a devout Christian and is deeply involved in religious activities. He is a member of the constitution drafting committee of the Diocese of Lagos West, Anglican Communion.

He is also a member of various societies in the Church among which are the Christian Unity Band of Nigeria of the All Saints Anglican

Church, Ikosi, Ketu, Youth Christian Society of the Cathedral of St. James the great, Okebola, Ibadan, Fountain of Hope Society, African Church Cathedral Bethel, Lagos and honourary member, Christian Guild of the African church Cathedral Bethel.

He is also very vivacious and amiable. These qualities perhaps define his involvement in other social organizations. He is a member, Omo Ajorosun Club, Ibadan, member, Island Club 1938, Lagos, member Metropolitan Club 1959, Lagos.

Besides, Ayorinde also has some awards in his collections. He is a holder of the Ghana 2006/2007 outstanding African Nations Builders Gold Award, Society of Security Practitioners of Nigeria award 2005/2007, Augustine Nnamani chambers, faculty of law, University of Ibadan distinguished personality award 2008, LAUTECH Alumni award for excellence in leadership and administration 2007, federation of Oyo State Students Union Platinum award of excellent leadership award 2008 as well as the 2010 award for professional excellence by the Central Council for Ibadan Indigenes (CCII).

He has participated as a facilitator at several international and local law conferences and seminars. He is mar-

Do you know…

To Issue

“ to make something known formally”.

Waade Investment Nigeria Limited & Anor. v. Trade Bank Plc. [2005] 17 NWLR (Pt.955) 519 at 542, [C.A].

LAW 71

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

LawReport Where affidavit of service is challenged, oral evidence is mandatory In the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, in the Akure Judicial Division, holden at Akure, on Monday , December 3, 2012 Before Their Lordships: Kudirat M. O. Kekere-Ekun, Justice, Court of Appeal, Chima Centus Nweze, Justice, Court of Appeal, Chinwe Eugenia Iyizoba Justice, Court of Appeal CA/B/12/2010 Between: Mrs. Comfort Akinmosin — Appellant And Mrs. Ajoke Makinde Mrs. Lakunle —Respondents HERE, as in this case, the affidavit W of service is challenged, oral evidence is mandatory. The deponent, in such situations, becomes a vital witness. As such, when such a deponent (as the bailiff in this case) is not called, grave doubts arise as to whether or not service was, actually, effected. So held the Court of Appeal, Holden at Akure in a unanimous leading judgment delivered by his lordship, Chima Centusn Nweze (JCA) his learned brothers Kudirat M. O. Kekere-Ekun and Chinwe Eugenia Iyizoba (JJCA), concurring while upholding the Appellant’s appeal.

The Appellant was represented by O.Ogunnowo while the Respondents were represented by O.O.J. Shemudara.

The facts are as contained in the body of the judgment.

By their application dated January 23, 2006, the plaintiffs (the respondents in this appeal) entreated the High Court of Ondo State, Okitipupa Division, with a supplication for an order for the issuance and service of the writ of summons on the defendant (now appellant) in an address outside its jurisdiction. That address was given as No 66 Adeoye Street, Bariga, Lagos. On January 31, 2006 the said court (hereinafter referred to as the lower court), granted the order as prayed.

It would appear that attempts to effect a service on the defendant proved abortive, hence, the plaintiffs (respondents herein) moved the lower court for leave to serve the defendant (appellant0 by substituted means. On May 16, 2006the lower court granted the said application.

The plaintiffs/respondents’ account was that the bailiffs of the lower court and of the Lagos High Court, duly, posted the said processes at the entrance of he appellant’s house (supra). A proof of service of the process was prepared and filed in court.

On January 9, 2007, upon the application of the plaintiffs/respondents, the matter was set down for hearing. By order of court, the case was adjourned to January 22, 2007 for trial. It is clear from page 17 of the records that the court did not order the issuance of hearing notice for service on the defendant at the close of its proceedings for January 9, 2007.

At the close of plaintiff’s case, the court reserved its judgment. Again, no hearing notice was issued for service on the defendant. On May 2, 2007, when the judgment was delivered, the defendant was absent. She was not represented either, (page 19 of the record). It is clear, therefore, from pages 17, 18 and 19 of the records that no hearing notice was ever issued for service on the defendant. From those pages of the records, it is evident that none was ever served on her for the hearing of the case. From the same

pages of the record, it is, equally, clear that she had no notice of the date of the delivery of the said judgment.

About two weeks after, the defendant/appellant beseeched the lower court with an application to set aside the said judgment.

In its ruling of May 27, 2009, the lower court dismissed the application; hence, it declined the invitation to set aside the said default judgment.

Aggrieved by that ruling, the defendant/appellant appealed to this court.

From her five grounds of appeal, she distilled inter alia the following issues for the resolution of her appeal.

Whether the trial judge was right when it (sic) refused to set aside its own default judgment on the ground that there was no counter affidavit in rebuttal of affidavit of service?

Whether filing of affidavit of service is a conclusive proof that the appellant was served with the court processes in view of the salient facts deposed to by the appellant in its rebuttal?

Whether the trial judge did evaluate the affidavits evidence before him and gave reasons for his decision before he arrived at his ruling?

Whether the trial Judge was right when it (sic) refused to set aside its own default judgment on the ground that there was no counter affidavit in rebuttal of affidavit of service?

When this appeal came for hearing on October 10, 2012, learned counsel for the appellant, adopted and relied on the brief of argument filed on behalf of the appellant on February 15, 2010. In the said brief, it was explained that the lower court refused to set aside its default judgment on the ground that the bailiff’s affidavit had not been controverted since there was no counter affidavit in its rebuttal, citing Nigeria Navy v Madaki (2006) 4 NWLR (pt 969) 69, 80.

Counsel submitted that the lower court was in grave and serious error of law in its view that the said affidavit of service had not been rebutted because the appellant did not file a counter affidavit.

On this issue, learned counsel noted that the lower court placed heavy reliance on the said affidavit of service in deciding the case completely oblivious of the appellant’s supporting affidavit.

He submitted that failure of the lower court to evacuate the averments in the said affidavit in support of the application had robbed it of the opportunity of a fair assessment of the case. The mere presence of the affidavit of service in the file was not a conclusive proof that the appellant was served with the court processes.

In his estimation, the court was in grave and serious error when it failed to evacuate the averments in both affidavits before arriving at its decision.

Whether the failure of the trial judge to set aside its (sic) default judgment denied the appellant her fundamental right to fair hearing and possession of property and thereby occasioned a miscarriage of justice?

On this issue, it was contended that the lower court’s failure to set aside its default judgment affected the appellant’s rights to fair hearing and right to possess property.

Whether the trial judge did offend the provision of the 1979 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria when it (sic) delivered its (sic) judgment outside the statutory period provided by the constitution?

It was explained that the lower court delivered its ruling one year after the addresses of counsel. No reason was offered for the delivery of the said ruling on May 27, 2009: a ruling that was reserved on May 22, 2008. Counsel

Justice Bulkachuwa (Acting PCA) observed that, at the interval, the respondents had, already, taken over possession of the appellants’ property and were enjoying the rents accruing from it. This has occasioned a miscarriage of justice of the appellant.

The court was urged to hold that the aforesaid delay was in breach of section 294 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

Whether or not the application of the appellant asking for the judgment given in the default satisfied the conditions upon which a court set aside its judgment in default?

Counsel for the respondents, also, adopted and relied on the brief filed on March 2, 2010. He noted that the only issue for determination was whether the lower court was right in declining the invitation to set the above default judgment and, consequently, discountenancing the appellant’s entreaty to be allowed to file her Statement of Defence. He canvassed the view that the power to set aside a judgment given in default is discretionary.

This discretion must be exercised judiciously guided by the principles in Williams and Ors v Hope-Rising and Voluntary Funds Society (1982)1-2SC 145.

He canvassed the view that the best evidence of service of court process is the affidavit of service deposed to by the bailiff of the court, Nigeria Navy v Maraki (2006) 4 NWLR (pt 969) 69, 80.

He took the view that a party demanding that a judgment or ruling in default be set aside must show that he has a good defence. He contended that, without the appellant showing a supportable defence, the court would not set aside the judgment. Thus, the affidavit evidence must disclose a good defence.

He noted that in practice, a copy of the proposed Statement of Defence is, usually, attached to the motion to set aside the default judgment. The appellant, in his view, failed to do so. The consequence was that the court could not determine whether the appellant had a defence on the merit or not. This rendered, in his submission, the appellant’s application worthless, citing F. Nwadialo, Civil Procedure in Nigeria (second edition) 455.

In the instant case, the lower court found as a fact that the court process was, duly, served on the appellant.

More importantly, the appellant’s affidavit in support of her motion to set aside the judgment did not disclose any defence much less a defence on the merit. He urged the court to disallow this appeal.

The appellant’s brief distilled five issues for the determination of this appeal. In our humble view, issues onefour, sufficiently, capture her grouse against the ruling of the lower court.

The four issues, and the fifth issue, can be, conveniently, taken together. The main agitation of the appellant is the complaint of non-service which runs through the four main issues. We shall, therefore, resolve all the above issues together. Her case is that she was not served with originating processes at the lower court: an omission which was not only a breach of her constitutional right to fair hearing, but which, ipso facto, occasioned a miscarriage of justice.

With regard to issue one, the appellant impugned the ruling of the lower court, particularly, its reasoning that she did not file a counter affidavit to challenge the averment of the bailiff who, allegedly effected the order for substituted service.

From all indications, the lower court lost sight of the fact that the said counter affidavit (to be found on pages 32-34 of the records) was a reaction to the averments contained in the antecedent affidavit in support of the application.

Clearly, there were divergences in the depositions in the appellant’s affidavit in support on the application and in the bailiff’s affidavit of service.

It cannot be gainsaid that the question whether the service of a court process has been effected or not is a question of fact. In our view, oral evidence was only appropriate means of ascertaining the true position with regard to the alleged service, Mohammed v Mustapha (1993) 5 NWLR (pt 292) 222, 232.

Where, as in this case, the affidavit of service is challenged, oral evidence is mandatory. The deponent, in such situations, becomes a vital witness. As such, when such a deponent (as the bailiff in this case) is not called, grave doubts arise as to whether or not service was, actually, effected, Anyaoha and Ors v Chukwu (2007) LPELRCA/PH/203/2001; (2008) 4 NWLR (pt) 1076.

We agree that, as a general proposition, it would be correct to assert that where there is proof of service, by means of an affidavit of service, sworn to by a bailiff or an officer of court, the party concerned ought to swear to a counter affidavit to controvert that affidavit of service, Fatokun v Somade (2003) 1 NWLR (pt 802) 431, 447; IBWA v Sasegbon (2007) LPELR/CA/L/457/2005.

It must, always, be remembered, as settled on the authorities, that the object of the service of all originating processes is to notify the defendant of the pendency of a suit against him.

The aim is that he would not be taken by surprise. If he is served, he would be, sufficiently, equipped to prepare his defence, if he wishes to do so.

As a result, failure to serve him with such a process, where service of a process is legally required, in accordance with the law, is fundamental flaw. A person affected by any judgment, eventually from an un-served process, is entitled, ex debito justitae, to have it set aside as a nullity, Obiomonure v Erinosho (1996) 1 All NLR 250; Mbadinuju v Ezuka (1994) 10 SCNJ 109; Sken Consult v Ukey (1980) 1 SC 6; Adeigbe v Kusimo (1965) MMLR 284.

In effect, the default judgment of the lower court awarded the said property to the respondents herein even when, as contended by the appellant, she was not served with the originating processes.

In all, we find considerable merit in the appellant’s complaint in this issue. We, accordingly, resolve it in her favour.

With regard to the second issue, it was contended that the lower court’s

failure to consider the appellant’s affidavit had robbed it of the opportunity of a fair assessment of the case. At page 44, the lower court agreed with the respondents’ submission that “where, in a proceeding, the question arises whether or not the processes of the court have been served it will be a strange thing to ignore the proof of service afforded by its own record in the proceeding and hold that such processes have not been served.

True, indeed, there are authorities for the proposition that an affidavit of service in the court’s record is prima facie proof of service. As such, the court can even take judicial notice of it and its contents, AG Anambra and Ors v Okeke and Ors (2002) 12 NWLR (pt 137)130. However, the appellant’s averments in her affidavit in support of the application to set aside the default judgment, she had put the authenticity of the bailiff’s affidavit of service in issue, see, per Ayoola JSC in AG Anambra and Ors v Okeke and Ors (supra) at page 12 paragraphs A-C. Thus, the oral evidence of the bailiff was imperative.

After all, the issue as to whether a court process was served or not is a question of fact. Being a question of fact, therefore, oral evidence of it ought to have been given, Kaduna L.A v Makudawa (1971) 1 NMLR 100; Mohammed v Mustapha (supra). In our view, the lower court was in error to have stamped the bailiff’s affidavit with the imprimatur of cogency or irrefutability, Wappah v Mourah (2006) 18 NWLR (pt 1010) 18, 45.

As we noted earlier, it is clear from pages 17, 18 and 19 of the records that no hearing notice was ever issued for service on the defendant.

For the benefit of the lower court, and other lower courts, we re-iterate the position that the issue of service of the processes in a matter, including hearing notices on a day to day basis for a party that was not in court, without its fault, is an essential aspect of our procedural law.

From the above position, we entirely endorse the contention of the appellant with respect to the third issue that the lower court erred when it wished away the affidavit in support of the application to set aside the default judgment. The appellant’s submission is well taken that the lower court was bound to evaluate the depositions in the affidavit before it.

From our finding that the lower court was in error to have glossed over the affidavit in support of the appellant’s application, we entertain no doubt that this was in breach of the appellant’s right to fair hearing as ordained in section 36 (1) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Adigun v AG Oyo State (1987) 1 NWLR (pt 53)678; Akinfe v State (1988) 3 NWLR (pt 85) 729.

With regard to issue five, we note that the appellant did not show in what respect the delivery of the ruling almost one year after the final addresses had occasioned a miscarriage of justice on her, section 294 (5) of the constitution.

From all we have said above, we find considerable merit in this appeal. We are, therefore, under a binding duty to allow it, appeal is, hereby, allowed.

We set aside the above judgment and the said ruling. We enter an order directing that the matter be remitted to the Chief Judge of Ondo State for reassignment to another Judge of the High Court who shall hear the matter de novo. N30, 000 costs in favour of the appellant.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

72 LAW

FamilyLaw

“The enduring rapture with magic and fable has always struck me as latently childish and somehow sexless (and thus also related to childlessness).”

Christopher Hitchens

Legal problems of childlessness in Nigeria HILDLESSNESS generally results C from problems associated with infertility.

As a perennial human problem, it is estimated that 10 to 15 per cent of all marriages are infertile. In fact, the desire of infertile persons to seek treatment and alleviation of their reproductive failure has been heard of since Abraham and Sarah in Biblical times.

A combination of factors has been fingered as being responsible for infertility. They can be classified as environmental, physical or psychological.

If a couple finds that their union is infertile, there are a number of options open to them. These are (a) to remain childless; (b) for either or both partners to have intercourse with someone else with a view to having a child and bringing it up as their child; (c) to adopt or foster a child; (d) to adopt any of the measures acceptable to prevailing customary practice; and (e) to seek medical advice and treatment.

Only the last two of these solutions will be considered in this lecture.

Solutions under customary law Early attempts such as medical and

surgical interventions were unsuccessful in providing the desired curative measures for childlessness. If a couple is childless, there is a little medically they could do about it and traditionally, societies generally consider it a ground for divorce and this naturally leaves the man to marry several wives or the childless couple may adopt an orphan of a relative.

Barrenness has never been considered to be a man’s fault. Under the Benin custom, it is important to remind ourselves that such a woman is referred to as Agan, who passively accepts the verdict and spends the rest of her life seeking out one prospective healer after another, native and orthodox.

However, under the Ishan custom, a childless woman who desires to raise a family is allowed to “marry” another woman on the payment of dowry and thereafter, lay claim to any offspring begotten by such a woman.

The case of Helina Alika v. Iyere Alika (Unreported) High Court of Bendel State, Ubiaja Judicial Division, Suit No. U/24A/79 – Reviewed in 1 Nig. Bulletin.

Contemp. Law 1985), is worth reproducing here. The plaintiff (respondent) in this case, being childless and by virtue of the said custom, “married”

the defendant when she (the defendant) was about 10 years old.

At the age of 20, the defendant fell in love with a male school-teacher and became pregnant by him. This event took place with the consent of the plaintiff, who, in fact, was responsible for the hospital bills as was customarily demanded. A baby boy was born and was duly named in accordance with the custom.

Some 18 months after the birth of the child, the father was transferred to another school district taking the child with him. Appalled by the act, the plaintiff brought an action in the Customary Court seeking a return of “her” son. It is to be noted that traditionally, such a demand is justified under the Ishan custom. The Customary Court held for the plaintiff and the defendant appealed. Counsel

for the appellant argued that the decision of the Customary Court was repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience. He further submitted that a woman could not marry a woman and it would be inconsistent with the dictates of justice to declare the child as the plaintiff’s child.

While agreeing with the learned counsel’s submission, Ohiwerri. J said: “It is an odious custom to permit a woman to marry a woman. It is equally atrocious and against public policy to deprive unwilling natural biological parents, for any reason, of their child and vest the same on childless parents or childless man or woman as if the child was a chattel.

This ugly Ishan custom is distinguishable from the system of child adoption, which primarily is for the welfare of the child” (Italics supplied).

The learned judge, therefore, held and declared the Ishan custom repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience. Thus, the judgment of the Customary Court was set aside and the order for the return of the child was also set aside.

Culled from Otedo.com

YOU AND THE LAW —-With Dupe Ajayi Fundamental human rights: Freedom of association Scenario Madam Iyaniwura bakes good, delicious bread, an act she learnt from her mother when she was a little girl. She also got into the habit of making gifts of her loaves of bread to friends and neighbours as birthday gifts and on other festive occasions.

In appreciation of the her generosity, her neighbours also returned her kindness by asking her to bake bread for them, for a little cost, much lower than they would pay for similar but less delicious bread in the market.

Thus started the home bakery of Madam Iyaniwura, which she limited to her kitchen and which she sold only to her immediate neighbours. Orders, however, started to come from other neighbours far and wide, purely for the good taste of the bread and her inexpensive charges.

The orders for more bread was also followed by requests from the Association of Bakery Owners in the neighbourhood that she must join their association or stop baking. She refused to join the association, saying that her bread was not in commercial quantity and that bread baking was just a hobby she loves, just as she equally enjoys to make people happy with her surprise gift.

The members of the association have visited her house twice and created quite a scene. Interventions and pleadings by her neighbours did not impress the warring members.

What should Madam Iyaniwura do?

The Legal Opinion HE basic question here is whether Madam Iyaniwura is at liberty to join or not to join. Put differently, can the association of Katakara compel Madam Iyaniwura to become its member?

To start with, it is appropriate to draw attention to the fact that freedom of association is one of the categories of rights, which are enshrined in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, as amended. These categories of rights are referred to as fundamental human rights. They are socalled because of the importance attached to them. They are so basic and germane to the peaceful co-existence of men and the entrenchment of an egalitarian society.

The constitution has put in place adequate mechanisms to ensure that any threat of violation or actual violation of any of the rights affords

T

the affected person the right to approach the court and seek redress in form of either an order of the court to refrain the impending violation or in case of actual violation, to pronounce the violation unlawful and award damages.

In addition to the constitution, some of these rights are enshrined in international instruments such as African Charter on Human and People’s Rights etc.

With respect to freedom of association in particular, section 40 of the 1999 constitution as amended, provides, every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons and in particular, he may form and belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interests.

Similarly, section 10 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, provides, every individual

shall have the right to free association, provided he abides by the law.

Subject to the obligation of solidarity provided for in article 29 of the Charter, no one may be compelled to join an association.

Article 11 provides, every individual shall have the right to assemble freely with others. The exercise of these rights shall be subject only to necessary restrictions provided for by law, in particular, those enacted in the interest of security, safety, health, ethics and freedom of others.

The provision of section 40 above has been a subject of judicial pronouncement in a plethora of cases.

The courts have held that the right to associate does not imply a correlative duty on any person to agree to associate with any other person.

Similarly, any law, which seems to compel anybody to associate with

another is in violation of the provision of section 40 of the constitution and to that extent, it is null and void.

In Civil Liberties Organisation v Federal Republic of Nigeria (communication no 129/94) the African Commission on Human Rights held that the Legal Practitioner’s (Amendment) Decree 21 of 1994 which sought to remove the management of the affairs of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) from the General Council of the Bar in which it is vested, to the Body of Benchers contrary to the wish of the NBA, is an infringement of the above quoted provisions of the Charter. See also the case of Williams v Akintunde (1995) 3 NWLR (pt 381) p. 101.

It should be noted that fundamental human fights are not only

enforceable against the government and its agencies, they are enforceable against private individuals and bodies. In Agbai v Okogbue (1991) 7 NWLR 391, the respondent was a Jehovah’s Witness, residing in Aba but hailed from Abriba in Abia State. The kinsmen of the respondent formed a union, an age grade of people from Abriba for the purpose of community development. The Union invited the respondent to join them (the Union) but the respondent declined. The Union members then requested him to pay some amount of money being contributed by members of the Union for the purpose of building a hospital at their village, the respondent also refused to pay. The representatives of the Union then forcibly entered the shop of the respondent and took away his sewing machine. The Supreme Court deprecated the conduct of the Union and declared that no matter how noble the objectives of an association may be, nobody can be compelled to join the association.

The above position applies to trade union membership with equal force.

The underlying principle in trade union membership is voluntarism.

This position is put beyond doubt by the provision of section 5(3) of the Labour Act, 1944, which provides that, upon the registration of a trade union, the employer shall make deductions from the wages of all employees who are eligible to be members of the union and remit same to the union.

This provision creates a caveat that an employee who does not want a deduction from his wages should indicate so in writing. This simply implies that such an employee can opt out of the union so registered.

In the light of the foregoing, it our view that Madam Iyaniwura cannot be compelled to join the Karakata Union against her wish.

LAW 73

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

‘Peace and justice: Challenges of modern society’ (2) Lecture

By Peter O. Wanogho vEN within the Christian community, there is no peace and justice.

Among the Christian community, we have self-proclaimed “Saints” who claim that it is only in their houses that Christ visits and eats on earth, that Jesus Christ is subservient to them by getting up from chairs to allow them sit on and openly proclaim that they are the bishops of the whole world. Within the Christian community, we have founders and general overseers whose vogue is acquisition of private jets, while some members of their congregations cannot afford one square meal a day. There are exhibitions of injustice, which are antithetical to justice.

We are now in a society ruled by defective value system. Traditional rulers confer chieftaincy titles on criminals, who are reverend because of their illgotten wealth. We are in a society where people do not question the sources of emergency wealth of its members, who openly flout such wealth. We are in a society in which wealth is worshipped.

So-called men of God no longer preach salvation and moral uprightness, but raise Sodom and Gomorrah to a status of virtue, by preaching prosperity, material wealth and encouraging same-sex (gay) marriages.

Only last week, the U.K. Parliament passed same-sex (gay) marriage law.

Only last week too, the sentence of a socalled man of God to death for murder, was confirmed by the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal. That so-called man of God, who took laws into his hands and committed heinous crimes, is “Rev. King”.

From the immediate home to the community levels, through local government area levels, to state levels, proper and upright moral behaviour is now the exception rather than the rule.

Moral decadence is an antithesis to peace and justice in modern society.

Corruption One of the major and teething problems confronting the Nigerian society and militating against peace and justice is the monster called corruption.

The Nigerian criminal justice system that uses kid gloves in punishing senior and executive corrupt criminals is not helping matters in the so-called war

E

against corruption. If not for the provisions of the law, which give discretion to a judge in punishing big-time criminals, who corruptly steal public funds, running into billions of naira, it is most morally reprehensible.

How do you sentence a man who corruptly stole above N25 billion to two years’ term of imprisonment, with an option of fine of less than one million naira? It should be noted that corruption is not only in the public sector but also in the private sector. It is often forgotten that both the private contractor who offered bribe to a public officer and the public officer who corruptly received the bribe are equally guilty of the offences of bribery and corruption.

The judiciary is often described as the last hope of the common man.

Corruption in the judiciary is not limited to money exchanging hands Wanogho between litigants and presiding judicial officers. Anything that affects the the Niger Delta are either agents of mind of a judge in reaching a pervasive generals (serving or retired) of the decision or judgement is corruption Armed Forces of Nigeria or agents of big-time politicians, with their tapand same is injustice.

Another form of corruption that is an roots in the seat of government, Abuja.

Banditry and terrorism are now comantithesis to peace and justice is the mon occurrences in most parts of concept of Federal Character and quota system. Due to the operation of the con- northern Nigeria, particularly Borno, cept, merit is sacrificed at the alter of Yobe, Adamawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Kano mediocrity. A student seeking admis- and Kaduna states and Abuja. Suicide sion to Federal Government College, bombing, until recently, was alien to who scores 58 per cent, if he hails from Nigeria, but today, due to religious Delta State, would fail the entrance misorientation and infiltration of examination, whereas another student aliens and Al’Aada into Northern from Kebbi State, who sits for the same Nigeria, suicide bombing of churches, entrance examination and scores 35 police stations and other public instiper cent, would be offered admission. tutions and telecommunications Also in appointments to Federal mast, are a daily occurrence. These Government positions, applicants brazen acts of criminalities, daily perfrom Delta State with a degree lower petrated by criminals in Nigeria, are than 2nd Class Lower Division can all antithetical to peace and justice. never be appointed, and whereas Unemployment An idle mind, they say, is the devil’s another applicant from Jigawa State with a pass degree for the same posi- workshop. Any society in which more tion, is ably qualified. These are consti- than 60 of its able-body workforce is tutionally and legally recognised injus- unemployed, should be prepared to live with the exigencies of unemploytice. ment and criminality.

Criminality The governments at all level in Due to bad leadership that breeds insecurity of lives and property, heinous Nigeria are not creating jobs, by not offences of assassinations, kidnap- establishing industries, agro-allied pings, armed robberies are the order of industries and agricultural farms and the day in our modern society, particu- settlements.

The few white-collar jobs available in larly the South-South and the SouthEast geo-political zones of Nigeria. Nigeria are the exclusive preserves for Criminality breeds insecurity that is an the politicians and their cronies, who antithesis to peace. It is also an open in turn reserve such positions for their secret that majority of oil-bunkerers in children, relations and even sell the positions at cut-throat prices to the

Due to bad leadership that breeds insecurity of lives and property, heinous offences of assassinations, kidnappings, armed robberies are the order of the day in our modern society, particularly the South-South and the South-East geo-political zones of Nigeria. helpless unemployed applicants.

These are all hallmarks of injustice and antithetical to peace in modern society.

Solutions and suggestions From the above analyses, Nigeria is a failed nation. A failed nation cannot know peace and justice. It is not enough for the government to praisesing itself that contrary to predictions by the so-called prophets of doom, Nigeria will not disintegrate in 2015.

Presently, Nigeria is only cosmetically intergraded as nation, with several destinies. The following three suggestions are put forward as solutions to the present insecurity, injustice and lack of peace, ravaging our modern Nigeria society.

This is the most appropriate time, in the history of Nigeria, to convoke a Sovereign National Conference of the various ethnic nationalities and ethnic groups that make up Nigeria, to re-define the basis, fundamentals and conditions for the continuous existence of Nigeria as one-nation state.

Celebration of centenary is diversionary. In such Sovereign National Conference, if it is found that the various ethnic nationalities that make up the geographical expression called Nigeria, are no longer compatible or strange bed-fellows, there is nothing wrong in peacefully declaring that “to your tents O! Nigerians! There is no basis in pretending to exist as one nation without actual national integration. If the Sovereign National Conference so resolved that Nigeria must remain as one nation, then all the ethnic nationalities that make up Nigeria must consciously strive to achieve national integration where peace and justice will reign.

There must be a spiritual rebirth of the entire citizens of Nigeria, particularly the leadership class, whereby the present most defective value system of Nigeria is changed for a nationalistic and developmental agenda that would foster peace and justice.

The moral decadence pervading the

modern Nigerian society requires a moral re-orientation from the family to the community, from community to local government area and from local government area to states and from states to national levels, so as to foster a true national identity and sense of belonging in the citizens, in the interest of peace and justice in the society.

Conclusion In the Bible, book of John 16:33, Jesus Christ said: ‘These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace, in the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.”

In the Bible, book of Deuteronomy 32:4, God said: “He is the Rock. His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He”.

In the words of Prof. Whole Soyinka in his book: The Man Died: “The man dies in him who keeps quiet at the face of tyranny.”

Also in the words of Franz Fanon: “The future will have no pity for those men who possessing the exceptional privilege of being able to speaks words of truth to their oppressors but have taken refuge in an attitude of passivity, of mute indifference and sometime of cold complicity.”

Finally in the word of idol, the living legend, Nelson Mandela: “During my lifetime, I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against White domination and I have fought against Black domination. I have cherished the ideal of free and democratic society, in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunity. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and achieve but if the need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

• Wamego, a renowned lawyer delivered the lecture at the 2013 Laity Week activities of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, West-End, Asabi, Delta State.

Justice Araka, astute jurist goes home Tribute

By Bertram Nwannekanma USTICE Emmanuel Oseloka Jtional Araka, who bore the tradititle of Nnayelugo, has passed on. He was a wellknown jurist, whose judgments affected many lives and expounded the nation’s jurisprudence especially in property and constitutional law.

Apart from his legal sagacity and erudition in the courts, Justice Araka was one of the few Nigerian lawyers that put in 62 years of distinguished post-call before his demise on January 21, 2013 at the ripe age of 87, at his home town at Onitsha, Anambra State.

For his death, the reputable jurist would have, on March 27, 2013, recorded 63 years of postcall experience, having been enrolled as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria by the Chief Justice of Nigeria in March 1951.

Record showed that he was only the fourth Nigerian lawyer that had achieved the remarkable feat of reaching 60 years post- call.

Before him was late Chief FRA Williams SAN QC, who was called to Bar in 1943 and had the final court session in 2005 after 62 years of active battle in the court room, then the late Chief Theophilus Sobawale Benson, who made 61 years

post-call in 2008 having been called to Bar in 1947 and died in 2008, the ultimate solicitor, Chief Chris Ogunbanjo joined the rank in 2010, having been called to Bar in August 1950.

One of the finest minds in the nation’s judiciary, Justice Araka was in the class of such notable Nigerian jurists such as Justices Kayode Eso, Anyaebgulana, Godfrey Ubaka Agbakoba and A. N. Aniagulo, who were reputable to have contributed immensely to the nation’s legal space.

A legal colossus, the distinguished jurist was reputed to have delivered many landmark judgments that had enriched the nation’s judicial landscape.

One of such landmark judgments was that of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe V. The Federal Republic of the Nigeria. In that matter, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe faced disqualification for the presidential election in 1979 over the issue of tax. The issue was whether Dr. Azikiwe paid his tax as at when due to enable him contest the presidential election.

Lawyers at both side of the divide worked hard to sway the decision of the court in their favour, but Justice Araka showed industry and brilliance and decided the case in favour of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe of then National Party of Nigeria (NPP), and he contest-

Justice Araka ed the presidential election.

In the judgment, which was a piece of social engineering and has remained a locus classicus in election matters, he held that one cannot be alleged to have failed to pay his tax when the tax officials had not requested for it.

Another contentious case, he handled was the case involving the former governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo and his chief challenger, Chief C. C. Onoh in 1983.

Born in September 16, 1925 at Agbor, Delta State to the Araka family of Odoje Quarters, Inland Town Onitsha, Anambra State, the late Justice Araka, whose father was a schoolteacher attended the prestigious Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar for his secondary education between January 1939 and 1942. He was to finish his sec-

ondary education at Ilesha Grammar School in 1943. His classmates include the late Justice Eso, F.A. Ajayi (SAN) and Ambassador Adedokun Haastrup. In 1946, he went to Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland and graduated in 1950.

He was enrolled as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria by the Chief Justice of Nigeria in March 1951.

In I962, he was a member of the Federal House of Representatives under the NCNC. He was elected after the revered Chike Obi resigned his position as a result of a disagreement with the party and the position became vacant.

He contested and won the seat.

The late jurist set up his legal practice in his hometown of

Onitsha and became a member of the Inner Bar in 1963 having been conferred with the rank of Queens Counsel QC (forerunner of SAN).

On February 2, 1972, he was sworn in as a Judge of the High Court of East Central State.

Others sworn in with him were Justices Rowland Okagbue, Francis Omenye Nwokedi, A. I Aseme, Abai Ikwechegh and T.C Umeezinwa. In 1978, he was sworn in as the Chief Judge of Old Anambra state now Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi States. As Chief Judge, he held an admirable tenure until his retirement in March 1985. In 1983, he was conferred with the honour of commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by president Shehu Shagari.

As a judge, several cases he

handled stand out. His legal mind was legendary and always a point of reference. He went into successful legal consultancy after his retirement, which he maintained until his demise.

Noted for his modesty and charitable dispositions, the late jurist was a rallying point in Onitsha politics and an ally to such heavy weights such as he late Chief Matthew Mbu, Justice Chukwudufu Oputa and G.C.N Onyiuke (SAN).

He is survived by eleven children and 14 grandchildren among other relatives.

He will be buried in April in his hometown after a valedictory court session at Onitsha High Court on April 12.

He will be remembered for his modesty and various pronouncements as seen in vari-

NBA to sanction lawyers over practising fees HE Nigerian Bar Association T NBA has called on Nigerian Lawyers to pay their Bar Practising Fees before March 31, 2013 as contained in the Legal Practitioners’ Act (LPA) saying it is an offence and professional misconduct under the law for any lawyer not to pay the fee before the March 31, date.

Some lawyers in Lagos had gone to court to challenge the increase in practising fees, but following the intervention of NBA President, Okey Wali (SAN), the original fees announced by

the Council was reduced by 50 per cent, which necessitated the NBA call on all lawyers to pay their fees to beat the March 31 deadline.

According to Wali: “It is an offence under our law for any lawyer not to pay his practising fees before the March deadline. The NBA will sanction any lawyer who fails to pay his fees within the stipulated time because that is the position of the law, it is a creation of the statute and there is

no going back on it”.

On the recent call by a faceless group, which called itself MARSAN that lawyers should not to pay the fees because the matter is in court, Wali said: “That is immaterial because there is no order of court or injunction that people should not pay practising fees, so any lawyer who fails to pay the fees is on his own and does so at his own risk. The NBA will definitely wield the big stick after March 31, 2013”.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

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Sports Ahead Brazil 2014 World Cup

Delta Governor’s Cup teams rock Asaba, Ughelli

Ejide, Michael, Ogude arrive, as Eagles begin training in Calabar ECOND choice goalkeepSBabatunde er, Austin Ejide, Michael and Fegor Ogude were the first foreign-based stars to join the Super Eagles camp in Calabar yesterday as the team began its final preparation for the Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifier against Kenya on Saturday.

The trio were among the 12 out of the 23 players expected to feature for the national team against the Harambee Stars of Kenya that started training in Calabar yesterday in the Canaan City.

Ogude flew into Calabar with the team from Abuja, while Ejide teamed up with the others at the Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel about an hour after the team’s arrival.

Michael was just on time to hop into the team’s bus for the day’s training session.

The team departed for training at about 3:30pm at the Abraham Ordia Sports Complex inside the University of Calabar and will repeat same tomorrow and all through the days

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have offers from Europe.

“So, I would rather wait till the summer and make the right choice instead of rushing into any move.”

Sunshine Stars has already put a price tag of one million Euros on its versatile skipper.

Oboabona was outstanding in the heart of the Eagles defence at last month’s Nations Cup as he played every minute as Nigeria clinched a third AFCON title in South Africa.

His partnership with Kenneth Omeruo, especially in the games against Cote d’Ivoire and Mali, ensured that Nigeria’s defence was rated as one of the best knit in the AFCON.

By Gowon Akpodonor HE Afisere Grammar School play-ground in Ughelli and St. Patrick College Asaba, will be on fire this afternoon, as the second set of quarterfinal matches of the maiden Delta State Governor’s Cup soccer competition holds.

Yesterday in Asaba, Comprehensive Secondary School, Ogwashi-Uku qualified for the semi final, beating Community Secondary School, Ogume, 3-0.

In one of today’s games, Gbenoba Grammar school Agbor, will trade tackles with Alegbo Secondary School, Effurun in Ughelli at 2pm, just as Edjekota Secondary School confronts Baptist High School, Oreropke for the other semifinal slot.

The winner of yesterday’s game, the Comprehensive school, which played the opening game in November last year had topped the Agbor Zone after winning all its two matches, including an 11-1 defeat of Ugbolu Secondary School in its first game and a 1-0 victory over Niger Mixed Secondary School of Asaba last week.

Some of the players, who distinguished themselves in the Comprehensive school team include Anene Ugo, who scored the only goal against Niger Mixed Secondary School last week and midfielder, Felix Oseme.

They may have played themselves into the Delta State Academicals team, which Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has mandated the Prof. Patrick Moubaghare-led Local Organising Committee (LOC) to set up after the competition.

The winner of the maiden Delta Governor’s Cup will get a school bus and foreign trip, as well as, a cash reward of N2 million, while the second position get a school bus and cash of N1 million. The third position will get cash reward of N500, 000.

Meanwhile, the Principal of Gbenoba School, Emmanuel Onyeugbo, is praying for god of soccer to see his boys through in today’s game in Ughelli.

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leading to the match against Harambee Stars.

Head Coach, Stephen Keshi says he expects a full house by this morning, adding that training will be the same time and all players expected should have been in, as he needs a good number of training sessions for the team to jell against Kenya.

“We would have a full house for Tuesday’s evening training and from there we see how ready the players are for the task at hand,” he declared.

The team had a light training session with the UNICAL Football team before it went into its own session that was supervised by Keshi and his assistants.

The nine Nigeria Premier League stars in the team are Chigozie Agbim, Godfrey Oboabona, Azubuike Egwueke, Gabriel Reuben, Sunday Mba, Solomon Kwambe, Benjamin Francis, Obinna Nwachukwu and Gambo Mohammed.

Oboabona hopes to join one of Europe’s top leagues OUTH Africa 2013 African Nations Cup star, Godfrey Oboabona says he hopes to move to one of the top five leagues in Europe in the summer.

The Sunshine Stars of Akure defender in an exclusive interview with MTNFootball.com stated that he already has offers from Spain, England, Germany, Italy and France.

“I already have offers from the top five leagues in the world. But as you know the transfer window had closed by the time the Nations Cup ended,” he stated.

“If I want to make any move now then it would be to an African country. And I don’t want such a move when I

Comprehensive school hits semi final, wins 3-0

Super Eagles’ Ogenyi Eddy Onazi (left) outpaces Prejuce Nakoulma of Burkina Faso during their 2013 Orange African Cup of Nations final match in Johannesburg, South Africa. Onazi is one of the foreign-based players expected to team up with the Super Eagles in Calabar…today.

PHOTO: AFP.

Calabar fans mob Eagles, pledge total support against Kenya From Anietie Akpan, Calabar

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HE Super Eagles yesterday arrived the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, to a rousing welcome from an appreciative crowd, who waited anxiously as the team filed out of the airport.

Struggling to get a glimpse of the Nations Cup heroes, the fans cheered when the players and their officials trooped out of the airport en route the city for the final preparation of their World Cup qualifier against Kenya on Saturday.

Calabar hosted the Eagles qualifiers before the Nations Cup and the fans believe the victory in South Africa justi-

fied the national team’s stay in the Canaan City.

Some of the fans, who came to welcome the team at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, said they would be at the Stadium to cheer the Eagles to victory.

One of the supporters, Samson Okon said the performance of the boys in South Africa was enough for them to support the team and the stadium will be filled to capacity to cheer the team to victory.

He said, “they did us proud in South Africa, so we are looking forward to cheering them to victory on Saturday.”

Another supporter, Aniefiok Udoh also said the team

would be giving a rousing reception by fans, adding, “they are our heroes; so will give cheering ovation.”

The team, which arrived in Calabar aboard Arik Air, came in the company of the Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, who coincidentally boarded the same flight.

The team’s Media Officer, Ben Alaiya disclosed that 10 players, comprising one foreign-based and nine homebased, were on the flight, which came in about noon.

“We are also happy that Governor Imoke of Cross River was on board our flight. The players will win Saturday’s match for the soccer loving governor and Nigerians.”

Algeria 2013 African Youth Championship

Obuh, players still upbeat despite opening loss to Mali LYING Eagles Coach, John Fteam Obuh, yesterday said his had put behind its 0-1

Godfrey Oboabona will join a European team in the summer.

loss to Mali in the ongoing African Youth championship in Algeria.

In a statement by the team’s Media Officer, Samm Audu, after the match, Obuh said he was now focused on tomorrow’s must-win match against Gabon.

“We can’t afford to dwell on the defeat by Mali. We just must be strong mentally for our next game against Gabon, so that we can win it and stay on in the competition.

“It was unfortunate that we lost as we did not plan to do

so, we knew they will come out strongly against us, we must now look to our next game,” Obuh said.

The statement, however, added that Obuh bemoaned his team’s poor finishing in the game, which it dominated from start to finish.

“We had every opportunity to win this match, but we lost scoring chances. We just needed to score one goal and we would have gone on to win the match.

“We were too much in a hurry in front of goal, but I believe we will correct this problem before Wednesday.”

Players of the team also

pledged to do better in their next games against Gabon and DR Congo, who battled to a goalless draw in their opening game.

The statement quotes the team’s Captain, Abduljaleel Ajagun, as saying, “we will do a lot better in our next game against Gabon on Wednesday, the early goal Mali scored against us, unsettled us and we were just too much in a hurry to equalise.

“We now know what we have to do on Wednesday.”

Another player, Moses Orkuma of Lobi Stars, said the team would utilise every opportunity in its next

match to make up for the defeat.

“We have realised our mistakes and we are now condemned to win our next two matches, which should qualify us for the World Cup. We created over 30 chances against Mali, but could not put the ball in the net, they got one chance and they scored.

“It was disappointing to lose but it’s not over till it’s over.”

Orkuma added that they now have to struggle to qualify for the next stage of the competition, stressing that “I believe we will go on to retain our trophy,” he said.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

SPORTS 75

Come to my rescue, coach Igwe pleads with Okorocha

By Gowon Akpodonor ENOWNED Athletics Coach, Tobias Igwe has called on Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, to save his family from the embarrassment of ‘living from hand to mouth,’ following his disengagement by the government of Abia State over 18 months ago.

Toblow, as he is known in the sports circle, was sent away when Abia carried out a massive disengagement of non-indigenes from the state’s civil service.

His wife, who was working at Ohafia Local Council of Abia State was equally swept away during the exercise. It was the second time Igwe would suffer such calamity in the hands of his employers, as he was earlier disengaged by the government of Enugu State about 15 years ago.

Igwe’s contribution to the success story of Nigeria’s sports, especially athletics, remains unbeaten, having discovered the best crop of athletes at different times for the land and led the nation to victories at various continental championships, including the Olympic Games, Commonwealth, All Africa Games and the Afro-Asia Games.

On the other hand, Coach Igwe has had more troubles in the hands of his employers, especially in his native Igbo land.

Speaking with The Guardian at the Dipo Dina International Stadium, Ijebu-Ode, during the first leg of the AFN relay, which is part of the build up to the World Championships in Russia, Igwe said, “I am surviving by the grace of good Nigerians, especially my athletes. But for how long should I continue in this great mess? I am leaving from hand to mouth on daily basis, practically begging for food. I am begging my state governor

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Says I’m tired of living from hand to mouth (Okorocha) to come to my rescue.

“I have served this nation well and I have been a good ambassador for the entire Igbo race. I don’t deserve this treatment from my people. What the government of Enugu and Abia State did to me was torture and it is unfortunate.”

Igwe discovered and nurtured some of Nigeria’s great athletes to become world stars. These include Mary Onyali, Tina Iheagwam, the Ezinwa brothers (Desmond and Osmond), Uchenna Emedolu and Clement Chukwu. Even former quartermiller, Faliat Ogunkoya, went through his tutelage.

“It is so sad that instead of being celebrated, my people from the same Igbo race are subjecting me to maltreatment from year to year. When I was disengaged by Enugu State in 1997, I stayed for one and half year without salary before Abia State gave me a job. And since my disengagement by Abia State, I have stayed without salary for another one and half year. My wife was also affected. “ At times, some of my athletes would give me N2, 000 and N3, 000 to feed. That was how I have been surviving. I have written to Imo State to be absorbed through the Government House and I pray things work out fine,” he said.

Igwe revealed that he ‘wasted’ virtually all the money he made from athletics in Abia State. “When we returned from the African Athletics Championship in Kenya, President Goodluck Jonathan hosted us and gave me N1.5 million. Last year, I sponsored 25 Abia athletes to the Pastor D.K Olukoya U-18 in Lagos with my personal proceeds from that reception in Abuja.

“In that junior competition in Lagos, Abia State athletes

National Youth Handball Championship

Lagos’ Ibrahim is under 15 boys MVP

By Adeyinka Adedipe State’s Dikko LtheAGOS Ibrahim was adjudged Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the under 15 boys category at the National Under 12 and Under 15 championship, which ended at the weekend in Isanlu. Kogi State.

Although Ibrahim could not lead his team to the first three places, his good play caught the eye of the judges who were convinced that he did enough to be named the MVP. He was instrumental to his team’s good moves and propelled the team when down.

Coach Anthony Idalor commended his teams and predicted a bright future for the players. He said most of them would become better players if they continue to play at tournaments.

In the under 12 girls category, Juliet Sunday of Kogi emerged the MVP, Usman Mohammed of Niger State was the Under 12 boys MVP, while Susan Iheanacho of Kano was adjudged the Under 15 boys MVP.

Also adjudged the best goalkeeper were Aishat Adio of Kwara in the Under 12 girls, Mustapha Shettima of Borno of Borno State in the under I2 boys, Asomkase Doolumun of Benue State in the under 15 girls category and Usman Ahmed of Sokoto State in the under 15 boys category.

Muinat Yusuf of Kwara, who scored 22 goals emerged the highest goal scorer in the under 12 girls, Ibiteye Eniolorunda of Kogi with 26 goals ended up as the highest goalscorer in the under 12 boys category, while Kaanan Mercy and Nuru Abdulahi emerged the highest goal scorer in the under 15 girls and boys category respectively.

Special awards also went to Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Bolaji Abdulahi, Governor of Kogi State Capt Idris Wada, Patron of Handball Federation of Nigeria Hon. Kayode Obaro and Joseph Moru, Director Locoal G o v e r n m e n t Administration, Yagba East Local Council.

won five gold, three silver and three bronze medals.

Chukwudike Harry won the 100m and 200m to emerge the fastest boy. In the Senior Open, they won laurels.”

“I also used part of the money to take 11 Abia athletes to the All Nigerian Open Championship in Calabar in 2011. I camped them in hotel for four days and fed them.

Till this moment, I have not gotten my money back from Abia State,” he stated.

Igwe, who fought as a Biafran soldier at the age of 16, was part of Nigeria’s team to Barcelona ’92, Atlanta ’96 and Sydney 2000 Olympics. He returned home with medals at the three Olympics.

He was also part of Nigeria’s team as a coach to three Commonwealth Games (Auckland ‘90, Manchester 2002 and India 2010). He was also two times African coach in the World Cup and Afro Asia Games, winning medals in all these competitions.

Coach Tobias Igwe (right) with Bukola Abogunloko at the Nairobi 2010 African Championships.

Olowora looks beyond Nigeria, urges support for long distance athletes

By Olalekan Okusan IGHTEEN year-old Aminat Olowora once again reaffirmed her intention to popularise long distance race in Nigeria after winning the 3,000metre event at the first leg of the national relays organised by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) in Ijebu Ode at the weekend.

Olowora, who claimed three gold medals at the last 18th National Sports Festival tagged: Eko 2012, says she would be glad if AFN can also give adequate attention to long distance runners in the country.

“I don’t know why attention is not given to athletes that are running long distance races because Nigeria is blessed with quality athletes in the event and for me, we need support for us to compete favourably with our counterparts in the continent,” the former student of Aunty Ayo Comprehensive Senior High School said.

“For me I am looking for that opportunity to hone my skills outside this country because there is nothing for

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me to prove in Nigeria having defeated some of the best athletes in the country. So my aim now is to go out there and showcase my skills and also improve myself,” she added.

The 1500, 5000 and 10000metres champion, however canvassed for support for long distance runners, charging the AFN to given them chance in major competitions outside the country.

“Most of us lack support and

this is what we need for us to prove ourselves. I took part in the last World Junior Championship in Barcelona, Spain and I finished 20th because it was the day we got to Spain and we ran the race.

The experience I got in Barcelona will surely help me at the next competition in United States in 2014. But my main target is to hoist Nigeria’s flag at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil,” she

boasted.

Before venturing into athletics, Olowora was part of the Nigeria contingent to the 2008 Africa Table Tennis Junior Championship in Alexandria, Egypt, while she also took part in the prestigious football tournament for schools in Lagos ‘Principal’s Cup. But her decision to embrace athletics was inspired by her passion for running.

Nigerian coaches mourn Ominu, as ailing Jossy Lad cries for help HE Nigeria Coaches T Association (NCA) has commiserated with the family of its founding Chairman, late Emmanuel Ominu, over the death of their patriarch.

In a release signed by the NCA Secretary, Solomon Ogbeide, the association described the demise of the respected coach, after a brief illness, as a big loss to Nigerian football, especially

the coaching profession.

The NCA scribe said, “the death of Coach Ominu is painful considering his contributions to the development of the game in the country. He is one of our elders we run to for advise on regular basis and it is sad he will no longer be available to offer us the progressive advise he’s known for.”

According to the scribe, the NCA will be involved in

Olowora (left) with former national champion and Obudu International Mountain Race national winner, Delta’s Deborah Pam, during the 1500metre final at the last 18th National Sports Festival tagged: Eko 2012.

PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

the burial arrangement of Ominu, “because he’s our founding chairman.”

The former coach Julius Berger Football Club of Lagos died last Saturday after a brief illness.

Meanwhile, family and friends of former Super Falcons and Shooting Stars Coach, Joseph Ladipo, popularly known as Jossy Lad, have cried out to government and well meaning Nigerians to save their beloved from the clutches of death.

Speaking with newsmen at Narl Clinic, where Ladipo is receiving treatment in Ibadan, his first son, Wale Ladipo said his dad was diagnosed more than a month ago with heart related ailment and since then he has been visiting hospitals, but the situation worsened last week.

Wale added that the family wants to move the former Leventis United sweat merchant to a better hospital where he is likely to require a surgery at the cost of N2 million.

Also appealing for Ladipo is the secretary of Ibadan Football Association, Ibrahim Adeniran Adeyemo, who said, “we should not allow Jossy Lad to go the way of Rashidi Yekini, Joe Appiah and Samuel Ojebode, who all passed away within a year.”

76 SPORTS

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Milan wants to win all remaining Ronaldo focuses on trophy hunt C games, says Balotelli ARIO Balotelli has M stressed that AC Milan wants to win all of its remaining games this season as the club is gunning for automatic qualification for the Champions League.

The Rossoneri sit third in the Serie A table at the moment after a difficult start to the 2012-13 campaign, yet Balotelli is hungry for more and believes the team can climb to second spot in the

table if it keeps up its current form.

“We have to think one game at a time and not look at any of the other teams. We want to win all our matches from here to the end of the season,” Balotelli was quoted as saying on the Milan website.

“I’m here to win and I have to do all I can to make sure this team wins. If I play I try and score and if I don’t play, I try and build up my teammates, some of them are even younger than me. I settled in immediately here as soon as I arrived. I’m working well, I’m improving and by working hard I’m sure I can improve a lot.”

Balotelli has netted seven goals in six Serie A appearances so far for Milan.

RISTIANO Ronaldo has reiterated his ambition to win a trophy with Real Madrid while refusing to comment on whether he will remain at the Bernabeu.

The Portuguese has been the subject of rumours throughout the last few months that he may leave the Spanish giants with former club Manchester United and Paris St Germain both linked with the player.

The 28-year-old has been consistently scintillating and would surely win all possible accolades were it not for the existence of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

At a ceremony to receive the Alfredo Di Stefano Trophy, awarded by Spanish newspaper Marca to the top player in La Liga last season, Ronaldo did not break his silence on what his future holds.

Instead, he spoke of his

hopes for Real, who stand second in the Primera Division - although 13 points behind leaders Barcelona with a Copa del Rey final against city rivals Atletico and Champions League lasteight clash with Galatasaray looming.

He said, “much remains. We are in the cup final and we have taken a major step in the Champions League. The league is difficult but we

must fight to the end. Things personally with me are going well but what I want is to win a major trophy with Madrid.”

On receiving the award from the Real Madrid legend, Di Stefano, Ronaldo added, “it is an honour to receive this award from the hands of Alfredo Di Stefano and I want to thank everyone.”

Di Stefano said, “he is a great player and a team player. I am very happy.”

Totti targets record in Serie A Totti has set his FA’sRANCESCO sights on becoming Serie all-time leading goalscorer

Totti

after moving up to second on the list.

The Roma legend netted his 226th top-flight goal in a 2-0 win over Parma to go ahead of Gunnar Nordahl, who had spells at AC Milan and Roma.

Only Silvio Piola, who scored most of his 274 goals for Roma’s bitter rivals Lazio, is above him, 48 in front.

“Now my goal is to exceed Piola,” the 36-year-old said on www.gazzetta.it.

The victory moved Roma level on points with fifthplaced Inter Milan and boost hopes of European qualification.

“I’m happy with the win,” Totti added. “I think it was the wonderful evening we all

wanted. We were so many points behind Inter, now we are level on points.”

Roma boss, Aurelio Andreazzoli appointed until the end of the season following the departure last month of Zdenek Zeman, praised Totti’s influence.

“Totti? It’s always much easier with him around, he makes difficult things look easy,” he said on the club website.

Totti also wants Andreazzoli to remain in charge beyond the end of the season. “He has said that if we continue like this he’d like me to continue as coach next season?” added the boss.

“The captain buying into it is very important, of course, but he’s biased, he’s my buddy.”

Ronaldo

My future is in Bayern’s hands, Gomez insists ARIO Gomez has insisted M he is content with life at Bayern Munich and says it is up to the club to decide whether he will stay or leave at the end of the season.

The Germany international has been linked with a move away from the Bundesliga leader - despite signing an extension to his contract in April last year - after having lost his starting place, but he is not thinking about a summer transfer just yet.

“I do not like all the questions about my future. My job is to play football. The people in charge at Bayern are the ones who decide where my future lies,” Gomez told Tuttosport.

“I’m only a player and I do not have the power to decide whether I will stay here or be sold. The club has already stated that I’m going nowhere, so there’s not much more to say on this topic.

“I am happy at Bayern Munich and I would not have signed a new contract if I didn’t feel that was the right choice.”

The striker then went on to dismiss claims he would not fit new head coach Pep

Gomez

Guardiola’s football philosophy.

“Guardiola’s Barcelona approached me a few years ago, but I decided to stay with Bayern instead. I think that first of all he will assess the squad and then he will decide how to play and whether Gomez has a role to play,” he continued.

“Obviously, if Messi were to come here and keeps scoring like he does now, Bayern would not only not need Gomez, but no other attackers at all...”

‘Beckham can still play for 90 minutes’ ARLO Ancelotti has voiced C his satisfaction with David Beckham’s performance in Paris Saint-Germain’s 2-2 Ligue 1 draw against SaintEtienne on Sunday.

The veteran midfielder, 37, featured for the full 90 minutes for the first time since his move to PSG back in January, and Ancelotti feels Beckham’s display against ASSE was confirmation that he is still in fine shape physically.

“Beckham started for the first time in the league. He showed that he can play consistently for 90 minutes and that he’s in good physical condition. He played a key role in directing play,” Ancelotti said at the press conference.

PSG gave away a two-goal lead at the Geoffrey Guichard, but Ancelotti was nonetheless quite pleased at full time.

“The final result is rather good. A five-point lead at this stage of the season is very good. After this encounter with a dangerous opponent, it’s good for us,” he added. “It was a physical game with a lot of contact. It was no doubt difficult for the referee to always make the right decision.”

PSG sits top of Ligue 1 with 58 points from 29 games.

SPORTS 77

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Nadal comeback continues with win at Indian Wells AFAEL Nadal continued R his successful comeback with his third title in four tournaments, and Maria Sharapova broke through, too.

Nadal rallied to beat Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and win the BNP Paribas Open after Sharapova claimed her first title of the year, 6-2, 6-2 over Caroline Wozniacki in the women’s final on Sunday.

Nadal improved to a career-best 17-1 on the year, including 14 straight match wins since returning in early February after a sevenmonth layoff because of a left knee injury.

He’s won three titles - two on clay while runner-up in another on his favorite surface - and now his first on hard courts since Tokyo in October 2010. He had lost six previous finals on the surface. ‘’That’s makes emotional week for me,’’ he said. ‘’Very important victory for me, winning against the best players of the world on a surface that is good for them.’’

Sharapova, runner-up here last year, won her first Indian Wells title since 2006. She and Nadal each earned $1 million. ‘’It’s nice to hold up that trophy after so many years,’’ she said.

The victories moved up both players in this week’s rankings. Nadal is No. 4 and Sharapova is No. 2 behind Serena Williams. ‘’Number 1 is a great number,’’ Sharapova said. ‘’But I think at this point in my career, titles and Grand Slams are just a bigger priority.’’

Nadal won his 600th career match and broke a tie with Roger Federer for most career ATP Tour Masters 1000 titles with his 22nd.

Nadal defeated Federer in straight sets in the quarterfinals, then took out Tomas Berdych in two sets in the semis. Against Del Potro, Nadal rolled to an early lead in a match that was marked by several momentum swings.

Nadal served three love games in the third set, capping his last one with a 123mph ace that gave him a 5-3 lead.

Del Potro came from love40 down and fought off three match points to hold at

5-4. But Nadal served out the match, dropping just one point in the final game of the 2 1/2-hour match in the desert heat. ‘’I try to put the match in a little bit slower rhythm and waited for the right moments to go for the point and worked well,’’ he said. ‘’Del Potro is a fantastic player, so it’s not easy to change the dynamic of the match like this.’’

Del Potro saved three break points to lead 1-0 in the third.

Nadal held at love, taking three games in a row for a 3-1 lead that he never gave up.

After falling behind 3-0, Del Potro won eight of the next nine games to claim the opening set and take a 2-0 lead in the second. ‘’I was wrong in strategy for moments, something that for me is not usual, because normally I can have mistakes with the shots,’’ Nadal said, ‘’but with the tactics and how I have to manage the points, how I have to play the points, normally I am right.’’

Del Potro went up 3-1 before Nadal won the final five games and the set 6-3 on a 105mph ace that capped a love service game.

After Nadal picked himself up, he hugged Del Potro, then trotted behind the baseline to clasp hands with billionaire tournament owner Larry Ellison of Oracle Corp. before falling to his knees near the net and raising his arms in celebration. Nadal playfully took a bite out of the Baccarat crystal trophy.

Del Potro came up short in his bid to beat three Top-10 players in the same tournament for the second time in his career. He defeated No. 3 Andy Murray and No. 1 Novak Djokovic in three sets apiece in becoming the second Argentine since Guillermo Villas in 1977 to reach the final here.

Sharapova dictated from the opening game, when she broke Wozniacki at love with groundstrokes that had the Dane running from side to side. Sharapova faced just two break points on her serve in the nearly 1 1/2-hour match. ‘’I always felt like I was always a foot ahead, especially with the breaks,’’ she said. ‘’I was able to serve well today, and that helped me.’’

The victory gave Sharapova at least one title for 11 straight years dating to 2003.

Rafael Nadal of Spain with the championship trophy after defeating Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina in three sets on Sunday in Indian Wells, California, in the men’s tennis final at the BNP Paribas Open.

PHOTO: AFP

I didn’t play well for Argentina, Messi admits Messi says he has LtheIONEL not always performed to best of his ability for Argentina, but refuses to take full responsibility for the underachievement of the national side at the last two World Cups.

The Barcelona star has been in outstanding form for his club so far this season, but has not always replicated his domestic feats on the international stage, and he admits there is still room

Neymar targets dream move EYMAR has admitted N he dreams of playing in Europe for Barcelona,

Messi

for improvement in his performances for the Albiceleste.

“I knew I didn’t play well for Argentina but I wasn’t the only one,” the 25-year-old told The Sun. While the Barca star rejected taking all the blame for Argentina failing to fulfill its potential at both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, but revealed his sorrow in the aftermath of exiting both tournaments.

Real Madrid or Chelsea.

The Santos star has been widely tipped to make the move to Europe for some time with a host of top clubs chasing his signature.

Santos are thought to be readying a new deal in a bid to keep Neymar, but the forward admits he would consider moving to Barcelona, Real Madrid or Chelsea if they came calling.

“I dream of playing in Europe, for a big club like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea,” Neymar told Esporte Espetacular.

“Who wouldn’t dream about playing alongside (Lionel) Messi, Xavi and (Andres) Iniesta? They’re all great players.

“But there’s no point in speculating when I’ll leave Santos. I’ll leave when I want to. I don’t know where I would fit in if I joined Barca but I know my place is at Santos right now.”

Donald falls short at Tampa Bay Donald fell short in his LBayUKE bid to retain the Tampa Championship after a final round of 69.

England’s world number three finished on six under par, four shots behind the winner, American Kevin Streelman.

Boo Weekley’s final round of 63 moved him into contention but Streelman held his nerve for his first PGA Tour win.

78 SPORTS

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Uzoenyi banks on Apam to shine in Rennes UPER Eagles winger, Ejike Smake Uzoenyi says he hopes to Dike denies demotion to LA Blues a success of his stint at Rennes with the help of compatriot, Onyekachi Apam.

“I am very happy to be here and I hope to do well,” Uzoenyi told the Rennes official website.

“Having Apam, this is an opportunity. I knew him before. He is a big player in Nigeria and this will facilitate my adaptation.

“Stade Rennes club are very well structured. I feel I can grow here. I would first like to show what I can do and then why not win a trophy!”

Courted by several Ligue 1 clubs, including Marseille, the exciting 21-year-old left winger opted for the Brittanybased outfit.

He has signed a six-month loan deal at the French Ligue 1 outfit with an option for a permanent move should he i m p r e s s .

It was the same arrangement that former Enugu Rangers defender, Apam, used to make his breakthrough in France first with OGC Nice.

Meanwhile, Bright Dike has told MTNFootball.com he has not been shipped out on loan to a U.S.A lower league team, the Los Angeles Blue.

Dike is undergoing rehabilitation after he suffered a knee injury in a pre-season game for Portland Timbers against Seattle Sounders last month.

“My attention was called to a story in Nigeria that I have been demoted by Portland Timbers to Los Angeles Blue. It is not true,” the Eagles striker s a i d .

“I was loaned to Los Angeles Blue in the first half of last

year, 2012, and I returned to Portland Timbers for the last half of the season 2012.

“I am still here with Timbers and I got injured while playing in a pre-season game for them against Seattle Sounders in February ahead of this season. I am a Portland Timbers player and there is nothing like demotion or being loaned out.”

Dike scored five goals for

Portland Timbers in the final half of last season after returning from loan spell at Los Angeles Blue. He said his rehabilitation is coming t h r o u g h .

“My rehabilitation is on course, I am biking and kicking a ball now. The doctor here told me that I am ahead of time. But I know I won’t play till around July, August,” Dike disclosed.

Uzoenyi

I’m ready to coach Nigerian athletics, says Osheku

By Gowon Akpodonor ORMER U.S-based Athletics Coach, Tony Osheku has hinted that he is ready to head the Nigerian athletic coaching team.

Osheku, who coached former Olympic bronze medalist, Falilat Ogunkoya, has just turned down ‘big’ offer from oil-rich Saudi Arabia to lead its athletics. He said his decision to reject the Saudi Arabia job was because of his love for sports in his native country, Nigeria.

Speaking with The Guardian at the weekend in Ijebu-Ode during the 1st AFN national relay competition, Osheku said, “to be sincere to Nigerians, I had a job oppor-

F

AFN reads riot act to ‘lazy’ ones tunity from Saudi Arabia with all incentives and other things attached, but I said what is my gain after improving athletics in other lands and my country lags behind. I had to turn down the job.

This is my country and I am always ready to serve the nation.”

Osheku had a stint in Libya athletics where he turned a 47m runner to 44.8m in 400m. “My stay in Libya was fun and career fulfilling until the war broke out. The crisis ended and the people wanted me back on my job and I said no, my country must be my next destination.”

He frowned at the absence of top Nigerian athletes, especially the quarter-milers at the 1st AFN national relay competition, which was held in Ijebu-Ode at the weekend.

“This attitude of our athletes to this competition is not the best because the World Athletics Championships in Russia is just four months away.

Athletes in other top countries like U.S.A and Jamaica are using this type of competitions as build up to the game and I commend the AFN for putting these programmes in place for our athletes.

BOA Lawyers League Week Five

Olisa Agbakoba, Falana & Falana held, Lagos Ministry wins IGH Riding Olisa H Agbakoba & Associates and Falana & Falana were held to draws in the on-going Bankole Olumide Aluko Football Tournament, also known as Lawyers League, but the Lagos State Ministry of Justice continued its steady upwards race at the AstroTurf, Ikoyi, venue of the competition.

In the first game of the Week 5, Lagos Justice Ministry defeated Ricky Tarfa by 2-0 with Ola getting the goals in the 13th and 17th minutes to give the Lagos lawyers a strong hold on the Group B table with 12 points.

Group A leaders, Olisa Agbakoba & Associates, could only draw 1-1 with Aelex,

whose Ugoji equalised leveled scores in the 16gth minute after Agbakoba’s Owolabi had opened the net in the seventh minute.

The game between Group B bottom-placed team, Babalakin & Co, and Banwo & Ighodalo could not hold, but the match points were awarded to Banwo & Ighodalo after some technical considerations.

The competition continues this weekend at the AstroTurf, which is fast becoming the biggest home of corporate football.

So far, Olisa Agbakoba and Falana & Falana are topping the Group A table with eight points apiece, with the same +2 goals difference, but

Agbakoba is leading the chart owing tom its superior goals scored (4 to Falana 3).

Aelex Partners and SPA Ajibade & Co are third and fourth respectively with five points apiece, +1 goal aggregate, but Aelex scored more goals (4) than Ajibade (3).

Aluko & Oyebode has no point as it has won no game.

In Group B, Lagos Justice Ministry tops the table with 12 points, followed by Probitas Partners/B. Ayorinde & Co with nine points, Banwo & Ighodalo with six points, while Ricky Tarfa & Co. has three points to occupy the fourth position.

Babalakin & Co., which has no point, occupies the last spot on the table.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

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TheGuardian

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Chuks Valentine Augustus EFLECTING on the picture and stories we were told about slavR ery in Africa, I keep asking myself, “Are we actually free from slavery?”

Daily events and activities happening in the country today are capable of getting even a historian of very high standing confused. If our leaders are truthful to themselves, the country and to their Creator, I am sure they will agree with me that we are still slaves, dependent and under indirect colonial rule even after claiming to have gotten Independence from the British in 1960. I believe that even our colonial masters would wish they were still directly our masters, considering what is happening in the country over 50 years after our Independence.

Independence, as much as I know, connotes sovereignty, autonomy, self-rule, self-determination, freedom, liberty, and so on. In Nigerian perspective today, I am convinced what we have is paper independence. I stand to be corrected otherwise how does one explain the fact that almost everywhere you turn, all you see is a colonial master milking Nigeria dry.

Back in 1997 when I just left secondary school, I wished to come down to Lagos with a close childhood friend of mine who was a year ahead of me in school and age. I had always heard that Lagos was a land of opportunities, though I had never been there. Then, the story my friend told me gave me the first impression that we were still under some colonial rule and slavery. He and a friend of his had worked for a Chinese company – No, I would rather say laboured for a Chinese company, whose boss, a Chinese, had no regard for the Labourers who were Nigerians. They were made to do hard labour, paid far less than they deserved if their input was taken into account. They faced sack whenever their boss wanted to dispense with their services– all with the connivance of a few Nigerian officials in the organisation.

Yes, for the sake of international friendship, mutual benefits and economic development of our dear nation, we heartily want foreigners to invest in Nigeria; but must they enslave us the second time? Must our own brothers, sisters and leaders sell us to them again?

One of the slavery days’ stories we heard is that these white people came here, gave our fathers mirrors so they could see themselves

If our leaders are truthful to themselves, the country and to their Creator, I am sure they will agree with me that we are still slaves, dependent and under indirect colonial rule even after claiming to have gotten Independence from the British in 1960. I believe that even our colonial masters would wish they were still directly our masters, considering what is happening in the country over 50 years after our Independence

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Refined slavery and colonialism: The Nigerian perspective

Emeka Wogu, Minister of Labour and Productivity

through it, in exchange for our brothers and sisters. I can imagine the joy of the founding fathers of our nation and indeed every Nigerian of that time when Her Majesty, the Queen of England, proclaimed Independence. I can imagine the shout of “free at last!” on the lips of Nigerians on the streets of

Nigeria, rejoicing over freedom from slavery and colonialism. Little could they have foreseen that the yoke of enslavement would return sooner than later in another guise.

Today, the larger part of our wealth, which is oil, is controlled by Europeans, represented by their companies which, with the help and

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OLOJA

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ABC (ISSN NO 0189-5125)

However, here in Nigeria, contract employment is done with impunity. Business organisations employ capable brains, make them work for several years without promotion, no improved benefits of any kind, yet they make them believe they are doing them a favour.

What is worrisome is that our government has not deemed it right and necessary to enact laws that will protect its people and put an end to this Refined Slavery co-operation of our government, politicians and capitalists, like our fathers in the days of yore, through their uncompromising corrupt practices, take our crude oil to their countries to refine. They decide for us the quantity we would get and how much we should buy something that belongs to us. They never cared to develop their host communities. No wonder the Niger-Delta militants have been so unrelenting in their campaign for justice. To make matters worse, our government sees nothing wrong with this dastardly act.

Another and a worse agonising situation is the fact that even we Nigerians still enslave ourselves.

Oligarchy and unbridled capitalism have taken over our coveted democracy. The issue of contract employment in our labour market today calls for probation. Although, I have never been to Ghana, stories I hear are that their government is sternly against contract staffing, on the argument that their people cannot be slaves in their own country.

However, here in Nigeria, contract employment is done with impunity.

Business organisations employ capable brains, make them work for several years without promotion, no improved benefits of any kind, yet they make them believe they are doing them a favour. What is worrisome is that our government has not deemed it right and necessary to enact laws that will protect its people and put an end to this Refined Slavery. There is a Yoruba adage that says, “The son of a meat seller shouldn’t be eating bones”; also, “the son of a cloth seller shouldn’t be putting on rags”. Issues like this have made us suffer want when we actually have plenty such that this has led to brain drain from our great country. Many of our youths no longer find hope of making a success of life in their own country, consequently leading to many seeking succor beyond the borders of Nigeria. We have lost a good number of our best brains in this process.

It is high time our government did something about these problems bewildering the good, loyal and patriotic citizens of our country. It is high time something was done to totally free us from this slavery and colonialism.

In as much as I love and will always love my country and be a good citizen, I still believe we are slaves in our own country.

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