Sun 09 Mar 2014

S U N D A Y NEWSFEATURE 28

COVER 21

Spillage: The Endangered Terrain Called Ijegun Imore

Contemplating Total Emergency Rule In North East

E D I T I O N

Fuel Scarcity:

Seme: A Community Begging For Lifeline

BUSINESS 30

CITYFILE 6

Time To Clean Up The Crisis

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Vol. 30, No. 12,855

N300

www.ngrguardiannews.com

Presidency, APC Trade Tackles Over Confab

SUFFERING AND SMILING IN DIRTY AREAS OF MAKOKO

By Marcel Mbamalu and Tunde Akinola HE failure of the national T headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to nominate two delegates for the forthcoming National Conference is now a subject of controversy between the party and the Presidency.

It was a war of words between Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, and Acting National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, over what Okupe described as “Chameleon-styled political inconsistencies” of the opposition regarding the dialogue.

Mohammed told The Guardian yesterday that the Federal Government would wait “till kingdom come” if they expected the APC to nominate their members to the confab.

Yet, the Okupe in a text message, said APC’s planned boycott of the conference would neither prevent its takeoff nor have any impact on the out-

Faced with Lagos State Governmnent’s threat of demolishing their schools due to poor sanitary conditions, pupils of primary schools in Makoko community seems to be happy against all odds.

PHOTO: CHARLES OKOLO

‘Nigeria Not At War With Boko Haram’

By Marcel Mbamalu, News Editor

S the dreaded Boko Haram Islamic sect runs rings around the Northeast states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, the Federal Government has been advised to explore options beyond the military.

The most effective approach, according to security expert, Umaru Aliyu Babangida, would be a blend of political, social and military strategy. “ The present challenge,” he said, “will be addressed on three fronts: Social, Political and Military; what we do not achieve socio-politically, can-

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• Security Expert Declares Politicians ‘Guilty’ • Says Sect Thrives On Ethnic, Religious Discord • How The Military Can Win The ‘War’ not be reached with military might alone; what is achieved socio-politically will only require minimum military action and attendant costs to enforce.”

The Boko Haram members, who have engaged the Nigerian military on guerilla warfare since 2010, has, in recent weeks, killed over 160 civilians, including 59 stu-

dents of the Federal Government College Buni Yadi, Yobe State, for which Nigerian women took to the streets in Rivers and Lagos a few days ago. The women wing of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Lagos also protested the Yobe killings yesterday as part of activities marking the Women’s Day. In an exclusive electronic

exchange, Aliyu Babangida, an ex—army officer, certified protection officer and intelligence practitioner, noted that, although what is happening in the Northeast could not be described as war; “it’s an internal security situation, or insurgency, in which the rate of losses — human, material and collateral — is worrisome.”

He, however, stated that the

military would contain the problem only if it received the required backing from Nigerians to do a multi-faceted task. According to him, “our collective disposition and support across board will play key role in what will, or will not, be achieved.

“I dare say (that) the mastermind of the insurgents, the Boko Haram, has since perceived this, and exploits it to gain ground; it is called propaganda, in psychological operations. That we are beginning to doubt our capacity to contain the situation, is just one of such leverages, of propaganda, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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Dilemma Of Oath Taking In Anglican Communion NEWS 3

Armed Men Storm Enugu Govt House NEWS 3 International Women’s Day:

Protesters Decry Boko Haram Killings NEWS 2

Obi Leaves N75bn In Treasury, Invests N25bn NEWS 3

Telecoms Firms Pay N647m For

2 | NEWS Sunday, March 9, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

NEWS Security Expert Declares Politicians ‘Guilty’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 which their operations is eliciting from us, albeit unconsciously.”

Aliyu Babangida told The Guardian that “prolonged acts of irresponsible socio-cultural, ethno-religious and political behaviour, spanning decades, made Nigeria comfortable for terrorism.

Blaming politicians for the Boko Haram menace, Aliyu Babangida said persons, who initiated irresponsible acts and inadvertently provided the “triggers,” that were swiftly exploited by terror prospect seekers to launch a platform in Nigeria, abuse the liberties of democracy.

The ex-army officer, however, assured that the situation could be managed “if and only when our collective national psyche of national security transcends the ethnic, regional, religious and other allied mentalities, as we know them today. The foundations of a return to the status quo ante, when Nigeria remained an unlikely breeding ground for terrorist cells can thus be rebuilt.”

But Chief Tunji Alapini, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, however, thinks the remedy to the killings in the Northeast lies in full military actions. He advised the Federal Government to evacuate Nigerians in the area and unleash total war on Boko Haram areas.

“The situation on ground, as far as the menace of Boko Haram is concerned, does not require talk of democracy. It is a drastic situation that requires drastic measures.

You have to go through the difficult path of evacuating the area to pave way for a full military operation,” he said.

“Plead with people to voluntarily leave, if they don’t make it compulsory; and, if that dos not work, make it mandatory, and anyone remaining after that is an enemy,” said Alapini.

MOSOP Faults Exclusion Of Ogoni From Confab From Kelvin Ebiri, Port Harcourt HE Movement for the T Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has expressed concern at the exclusion of the Ogoni ethnic nationality from participating in the National Conference scheduled to be inaugurated in Abuja on March 17, 2014.

President of MOSOP, Mr.

Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, said the Federal Government has has also sent a deliberate message that Ogoni is not recognised. “The exclusion is unfortunate. Coming on the heels of the just-concluded Nigeria’s centenary celebrations, where the famous writer and environmentalist, Ken Saro-Wiwa was deliberately omitted from the centenary awardee list that even contained the

names of acknowledged corruption magnates, coupists and their likes, this exclusion is undoubtedly an indication of the Jonathan administration’s continuous war of exclusion of the Ogoni people from the scheme of things in this country.”

“We recall, and evidence abound, that the Ogoni people have fared far worse under the present Federal Government

than other elected regimes in this country since 1999.

“The attitude and response of the Jonathan administration to clearing the names of Ken Saro-Wiwa and others of a sham trial of which their innocence have been globally acknowledged and instead rewarded those that facilitated their illegal executive murder; to the government’s failure to implement recom-

mendations of the UNEP environmental assessment report on Ogoni as well as the refusal to appoint Ogonis into offices, strengthen our conclusion that the Jonathan administration has unpretentiously declared war on Ogoni,” he said.

He explained that MOSOP would be organising an Ogoni National Congress as part of consultations that would generate appropriate decisions on what next to do.

International Women Day in Lagos: Women Committee of the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC), Lagos State Chapter, protest killing of children and innocent students in Yobe by the Boko Haram sect... yesterday.

PHOTO AYODELE ADENIRAN

Obi Leaves N75bn In Treasury, Invests N25bn

By Marcel Mbamalu

• Okonjo-Iweala, Dangote, Achebe Praise Actions

HE outgoing governor of T Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, yesterday, said his admin-

Iweala, former SecretaryGeneral of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Business Mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the Obi of Onitsha, Alfred Achebe, and former governors of the State, including Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife. Bianca Ojukwu, ABC Nwosu, Bishops Valerian Okeke, Hilary Okeke, Aleaxander Ibeziem, many others, also attended the public presentation.

Obi said the state, under his administration, invested in specific projects currently being executed. They include N3.5 billion in INTAFACT, N9 billion in Nigeria Independent Power Project; N4 billion in Orient Petroleum Resources Plc, N1 billion in Onitsha Hotel; N1billion in Agulu Lake Hotel; N0.9billion in Awka Shopping Mall, and N350 million in quoted investment portfolio, among others.

The Anambra state governor

istration would be leaving N75 billion in savings for the people of the state.

The Governor made the disclosure during the public presentation of his End of Tenure Report (ETR) at the Women Development Centre, Awka, the supporting document of which was made available to The Guardian last night.

According to the governor, the savings also include N25 billion investment.

In a comprehensive breakdown of the figures, Obi said that expected bank balances as at March 14, 2014 would be N11.5billion; Federal Government of Nigeriaapproved refund is N10 Billion; Foreign Currency Investment of (US$155m) N26 billion.

At the event were Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-

disclosed that his administration received N620 billion from Federal Allocation and interventions from Donor agencies and development partners.

The low revenue profile of the state notwithstanding, Obi stated that he completed over 801 kilometres of roads, which opened up the rural areas, even as the synergy with churches boosted Education and Health sectors He said strategic planning, prudent and transparent management of resources, and manageable cost of governance achieved engendered integrated development across all sectors “without borrowing or owing anybody.” He said he was pleased that his government built strong foundation for sustainable development.

According to him, Anambra is not cursed; rather, the people were the cause of its previous challenges.

Chief Willie Obiano, the governor-elect, who will be taking over the mantle of leadership on March 17, 2014, promised to tread the path his predecessor trod, especially in the area of education, health and partnership with the Diaspora.

According to him, he would build bridges with investors to set up businesses in the State, just like Obi did. , Chief Anyaoku, who hails from the State, it was a “celebration of success in governance that brought recognizable transformation in all sectors through indisputable prudent and judicious use of public resources.” Chief Anyaoku chaired the occasion.

According to him, Obi scored high in all indices of measuring performance in leadership, and has left a legacy of “holistic approach in developing the State.”

For Okonjo-Iweala, Obi’s achievements should make any right thinking person

proud. She commended his passion, saying that the Federal Government is now trying to adopt his education policy. Okonjo-Iweala disclosed that government at the centre is exploring means of keeping the outgoing Anambra governor close to itself.

Dangote, said Governor Obi had earned the respect and admiration of Nigerians and noted that no state had saved so much money and made such investments in addition to mass infrastructural development as that of Governor Obi. Alhaji Dangote said the Governor’s commitment and dedication should be emulated by other leaders to entrench principles of good governance across the country.

In the same vein, Igwe Alfred Achebe, and Dr. Dozie Ikedife said that Governor Obi had rescued the State Earlier, at the inter-denominational service, Prof. Ben Osisioma said Governor Obi was a blessing to the state.

Controversy Over APC Nominees For Confab CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 come. According to him, while the party’s leadership talks tough, its governors were falling over themselves nominating six delegates for their states, instead of three as stipulated.

When The Guardian raised issues over the matter in a text message yesterday, the following electronic exchange ensued: The Guardian: Good day sir.

What significant impact would APC’s failure to nominate delegates have on the Confab? Is the Presidency engaging the leaders ahead of the inauguration?

Thanks in anticipation of your prompt response…

Okupe: Haba, what impact? 2 nominees out of over 400!

Please obviously nil impact.

Besides, who is APC fooling?

They are not sending 2 delegates @ national level but all their state governors are sending 6 names instead of the prescribed 3 per state! Nigerians are neither fooled nor impressed by this chameleon styled political inconsistencies.

The Guardian: But is there concern that APC as the main opposition party not participating at the national level could rub off negatively on the integrity of the process…

Okupe: How can? Listen to yourself. Who are the people at the national level? How many are they? Are they not the same folks at the state level? All politics is local Why bother about APC’s hypocrisy?

But APC’S acting scribe, in response to Okupe, posited that the fact that the party’s governors submitted names of delegates to the conference did not change the party’s stance on the issue.

“What nonsense is this?

Haven’t we made it clear that we won’t be participating in the so-called conference? Our governors have the right to

send delegates to the conference if they like but our party has made it clear that we will not send anybody to the conference,” Mohammed said in his angry text.

Some of the delegates from the APC states include; Professor Akin Oyebode (Ekiti), Sule Yahya Hamma (Kano), Fola Adeola (Ogun), Mohammed Lawal (Nasarawa), Tunde Samuel (Lagos), Adeniyi Akintola (Oyo) and others.

The APC had criticised the motive behind the confab, describing it as “Greek gift” and “major distraction” considering the timing of the proposed dialogue.

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

NEWS ‘Anambra Committed To Improved Services’ From Uzoma Nzeagwu, Awka OVERNOR Peter Obi has G said one of the legacies he would leave is the need for continued infrastructure improvement in Anambra state.

Speaking during the presentation of three heavy-duty waste disposal vehicles to the Anambra state Waste Management Agency (ASWAMA), yesterday, at Government House, Awka, Obi said the procurement is in line with the policy of his administration to give every sector adequate attention.

He said the vehicles include one pay-loader, bulldozer and a Mac-truck, maintaining that effective sanitation is critical to healthy environment.

Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, (left); Regional Director, M-net West Africa, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu; Chairman, MultiChoice Nigeria, Adewunmi Ogunsanya; and Managing Director, M-net Africa, Biola Alabi during the AMVCA Pre-Award Cocktail for the nominees held at Eko Hotel and Suites Lagos… on Friday.

One Killed, Three Injured As Armed Men Attack Enugu Govt House From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu RMED men, about 50 in number, attacked the Enugu State Government House in the early hours of yesterday, the Chief Security Officer to the Governor, Fidelis Ogarabe, has said.

Ogarabe told reporters yesterday in Enugu that the armed men struck at the about 4.30am and attempted to force their way into the premises. He said one person was killed while three others sustained injuries.

“I left Government House at about 2am and was in my house when I received a call from my men around 4am, alerting me of the presence of some armed invaders at Government House. I drove to the place immediately and saw some persons numbering about 50, armed with machetes at the gate, trying to force their way into the premises.

“I ordered my men to move into action immediately and one of them was gunned down while three others were arrested. The others threw away their machetes and escaped,” he said.

He said his men recovered machetes, flags and insignia

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linked to a cult group.

Ogarabe said a member of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps suffered machete cuts while a military patrol vehicle was also attacked as the men tried to force their way in. He said that those arrested were handed over to the nearby New Haven Police Station.

Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, said, “no fewer than three persons have been arrested by operatives of the (police) command as investigations into the incident have commenced in full scale.”

A resident, who lives close to Government House, said he heard about 50 gunshots in

the vicinity around 4.30am.

The resident, who pleaded anonymity, also said he sighted some youths shouting and running along Nza street, Independence Layout area.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that Governor Sullivan Chime was in his country home at Udi when

the men struck.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Chukwudi Achife, confirmed the report while the Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, could not be reached as his cell phone was switched off.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Adamu Abubakar, has already visited the scene.

International Women’s Day:

Protesters Decry Boko Haram Killings From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu (Benin City), Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi (Jos), Charles Coffie Gyamfi (Abeokuta), Gbenga Akinfenwa and Ayodele Adeniran (Lagos) S part of activities marking A World Women’s Day, various women groups under the aegis of the Nigerian Women Mourn, yesterday, took over streets of Benin City in a peaceful march to protest the recent killings of school children by insurgents suspected to be Boko Haram militants in parts of Yobe State.

Dressed in all black attire with various banners and

‘We Are Not Fighting For Equal Pedestal With Men’ Mrs Amosun Empowers 300 HIV Positive Women placards, the women in their hundreds said they have become uncomfortable with this ugly development where “our children who are supposed to bury us and our husbands are being killed indiscriminately,” spokesperson of the groups, Ronke Ojeikere, told journalists when they marched into the premises of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Also in Lagos, women came out en masse at various locations to protest killings by the sect. Dressed in black attire,

they marched from Alagutan Iyana Ipaja area of Lagos to valley Estate Egbeda area of Lagos as early as 10am.

Meanwhile, Women For Women International Nigeria organised a sensitisation programme for women at Garba Daho Memorial Secondary School, Mista Ali in Jos, where the Plateau State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Sarah Simi Yusuf, said women are not saying that they should be placed on the same pedestal with men.

Yusuf, who was represented at the occasion by the Director in charge of Women Affairs in the ministry, Mrs. Charity Dimlong, said what women are asking for is that men should admit that women complement whatever they do.

According to her, “We are not talking of equality. That is what most men don’t understand. It is not to say, ‘a man is here; I must be there’. No. What we are saying is that we complement each other.

What a woman can do better, allow her to do it and what a man can do better, let him do it. If a man can cook better, I will allow him to cook.

Lagos’ World Bank Loan For Secondary Schools Hits $137m

By Marcel Mbamalu NEW $42 million credit to A the Lagos’ Eko Secondary School Project, as announced by the World Bank at the weekend, has brought its total credit financing for the state’s secondary education programmes to $137m in just five years. The Bank’s Board of Executive Directors, Friday, approved new IDA credit of over $42 million to the EKO Secondary School Project, in addition to an original credit of $95 million.

Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly,

the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, said the original financial support, which was spread over 2009 to 2013, had “systematically benefited 620,000 students a year in 667 public secondary schools in Lagos State.” In a statement made available to The Guardian, he explained that the new credit would “further support secondary education programmes in Lagos State. This will allow strong results to be sustained and evaluated in hundreds of secondary schools, and expanded to others.”

With the new financing, the project will now extend the school development grants to the original beneficiary schools until 2015, track the performance of beneficiary students in public examinations, and continue professional development activities for teachers and school management.

The World Bank stated that the “gesture” would also increase the number of poor children accessing quality secondary education, and helping technical college graduates from low-income

backgrounds find well-paying jobs.

It said significant results are already being achieved under the project, as student learning has improved dramatically in the Basic Education Certificate examinations with student scores from beneficiary schools going up from 30 to 70 percent in English, 31 to 45 percent in Mathematics, and 27 to 65 percent in Basic Sciences.

The results of the June 2013 West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate external examinations showed that 41 percent of students from beneficiary

schools passed five credits and above, as compared to just over 18 percent before the project was implemented.

According to Marie-Nelly: “When students from poor families have the opportunity to go to secondary school and acquire sound knowledge and skills, they stand a fair chance of getting a good job or accessing economic opportunities later in life, this contributes to eliminating extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity, in furtherance of the World Bank’s two main goals.”

Jonathan Kicks Off Summit On Universal Health Coverage

By Chukwuma Muanya and Chijioke Iremeka N support of the drive for I(UHC) Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) will hold a stakeholders’ meeting.

The objective of the meeting themed, ‘creating an enabling environment for the sustainability of pro-poor healthcare financing models in Nigeria’ is to build consensus and develop broad strategies towards increasing awareness and understanding of UHC in Nigeria.

The meeting is also part of a line-up of activities preparatory to Nigeria’s Presidential Summit on UHC, to be presided by President Jonathan on March 10, 2014.

At the end of the meeting, it is expected that participants will have a consolidated understanding of what UHC entails and recognise the role of key players, particularly state governments, at improving access to health-care for all, especially for the poor, through various pro-poor health-care financing models, including Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI).

Sokoto Revamps Policy On Indigenization HE Sokoto state governT ment said it has abolished bias on the basis of indigenization in the state, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). It added that it has also scrapped the nomenclature from correspondences within the civil service.

The state’s Commissioner for Information, Danladi Bako, made this known in a statement in Sokoto yesterday.

He also disclosed that the state government commenced free education for all residents of the state in 2007.

The statement stressed that the free education policy covered primary and secondary schools and all residents, irrespective of their state of origin.

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Sunday, March 9, 2014

NEWS Group Tasks Akpabio On Handover ‘Promise’ CROSS RIVER From Inemesit Akpan-Nsoh, Uyo HEIbibio Elders’ Forum has T urged Governor Godswill Akpabio not to renege on an alleged promise to hand over power to the Ibibio.

Chairman of the Forum, Dr. Okon Uko, made this call during a chat with reporters in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital.

The call might not be unconnected with pronouncements by the governor that Eket senatorial district should produce his successor.

Uko said: “As Ibibio leaders, we wish to state that we accept the position canvassed

by Akpabio in 2007 and in 2009 that the Ibibio will produce the next governor in 2015. The Ibibio are not against other groups in the state producing the governor.

We demonstrated this in 2007 and in 2011 when we voted for Akpabio.

President, National Association of Niger-Delta Students, Comrade Lucky Emonefe (left); Executive Vice Chairman, Ibru Organisation, Olorogun Oskar Ibru and Executive Director, Guardian Newspapers Ltd, Mr. Tive Alex-Ibru during the presentation of the Niger-Delta Personality Award of the Year 2013 to Olorogun Oskar Ibru in Lagos.

We Are Marginalised Despite Oil Resources – Urhobo From Chido Okafor, Warri HE Urhobo nation on Friday expressed support for the national conference scheduled to begin this month in Abuja.

The Urhobo converged at the still-to-be completed Urhobo cultural center at Uvwiamuge, Delta state, to scrutinise the draft report of the Urhobo Progress Union’s (UPU) 16-man committee on the national conference, chaired by Prof. G. G Darah, especially on issues for presentation at the national conference.

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Several of the leaders and traditional rulers from all the Urhobo clan, who attended the meeting, expressed support for the conference, especially as they saw it as an opportunity to present the Urhobo demands to the Nigerian state, and their alleged marginalisation, despite hosting many oil wells and contributing to the nation’s economy.

The Urhobo agreed that the national conference “is a courageous and patriotic initiative taken by President Jonathan’s administration to

KOGI rescue Nigeria from protracted crisis”; and that the conference offers opportunity for the diverse peoples and nations of Nigeria to exchange ideas and proposals on how to build a democratic and equitable federal system of government.

They equally agreed that the outcome of the conference would strengthen the unity and solidarity of Nigeria and promote social justice, economic development and democracy.

It would be recalled that on October 28, 2013, the Urhobo Progress Union presented a memorandum to the Presidential Advisory Committee at its consultative meeting in Benin City, Edo state, where they documented the Urhobo people’s struggle for freedom, equity, and justice.

They noted that from the imposition of the British colonial rule in the late 19th century, the Urhobo nation has relentlessly fought against political oppression and economic exploitation; that the lands and waters of

the Urhobo nation are richly endowed with natural resources. Processed natural gas from Urhobo fields account for 25 per cent of electricity supply in Nigeria. The Urhobo gas is piped to other states and to the ECOWAS region.

The Urhobo natural resources generate enormous wealth for theNigerian economy.

The Urhobo memorandum stated further that in spite of the numerous contributions of the Urhobo, they are not adequately recognised and compensated at the federal and state levels of government.

Police Nab Apprentice For Killing Colleague From Kolawole Timothy, Lokoja 19-year-old automobile apprentice, Dauda Musa, has been apprehended by the Kogi state police command for allegedly killing his colleague, 12-year-old Abdulsalami Isah.

The incident followed a misunderstanding between the accused and the deceased.

The police also paraded one

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David Ojile Onoja, 42, of Adokpe-Ette village of Olamaboro local government area of Kogi state for allegedly killing his friend, Joseph Adeyemi, in an attempt to steal the deceased’s Toyota Camry car.

Parading the suspects before newsmen in Lokoja, the state capital, commissioner of police, Saidu Madawaki,

said Musa and Isah, both apprentices under one Abdulsalami Abdullahi of Bako quarters, Adavi local government area of the state, fought over a spanner. During the scuffle, the deceased hit the suspect with a stick. Musa in turn hit the deceased on the forehead with a shaft. Isah sustained injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital.

He died the third day.

On Onoja’s case, Madawaki said the accused lured Adeyemi from Abuja to his village. He, subsequently, took the deceased to an isolated place. And while Adeyemi slept, Onoja struck him with a hammer, leaving him in a pool of blood. The police got wind of the incident, rushed to the scene,

and found the deceased who managed to make helpful disclosures, leading to the arrest.

Also, some suspects who specialised in robbing their victims with toy guns were paraded before reporters.

The police said all the suspects, following completion of investigations, would be charged to court.

54 Million Nigerian Women Lack Access To Safe Toilets, Says Report From Joke Falaju, Abuja S the world commemorates International Women Day, a report has said over 54 million Nigerian women lack access to safe toilets, while 17 million go to toilet in the open.

WaterAid country representative, Mr. Michael Ojo, who reeled out the figure in a statement in Abuja disclosed that nearly seven in 10 women in Nigeria have no access to safe toilets.

Lamenting the trauma women who lack the basic amenity face daily, he said: “Every year, nearly 100,000

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mothers in Nigeria would lose a child under the age of five because of a disease brought about due to a lack of access to safe sanitation and clean water.”

He said: “As we mark International Women’s Day at WaterAid, we are focusing on the 1.25 billion women and girls around the world without proper toilets, and the associated burdens. This is a crisis of massive proportion in health, in education, in economic development and in gender equality that simply cannot continue.”

Ojo pointed out that with

NATIONAL the theme for the year, ‘Inspire Change’, the NGO is working hard to inspire change for women in some of the world’s poorest countries that still bear most of the burden caused by lack of safe water and sanitation.

He noted that life without access to clean water and toilets is tough for everybody. But the consequences of not having these basic services affect women and girls the most.

He said eliminating the burden, and giving girls time and opportunity to focus on edu-

cation, would ultimately lead to healthier, better-educated families, who have a better chance of working their way out of extreme poverty.

To overcome the challenge, Ojo urged national, state and local governments to stick to their words and implement commitments they have made on sanitation and water.

“The Nigerian government has pledged to increase the rates of sanitation access from 31 per cent currently to 65 per cent, and water access from 61 per cent to 75 per cent by 2015. These are very ambi-

tious targets, particularly considering that Nigeria is one of the few African countries where rates of access to sanitation are actually falling, from 37 per cent of the population in 1990 to 31 per cent today.

“The good news is that the economic benefit to Nigeria would be huge. The World Bank has estimated that every $1 invested in sanitation generates an $8 return for the economy. This is probably one of the most – if not the most – effective investment that Nigeria can make to grow its economy and its women.”

Global Money Week: Credit AwarenessSets New Agenda In Lagos LAGOS REDIT Awareness, in partC nership with Ajapa World, has planned activities in Lagos to mark this year’s Global Money Week.

The celebration of the week, which begins tomorrow, March 10 and ends March 17, 2014, has the Central Bank of Nigeria as official anchor.

Project manager of Credit Awareness, Ms. Nneka Eneli, in an electronic exchange with The Guardian, said the Global Money Week is an annual awareness celebration set aside to engage children worldwide in learning about how money works, savings, creating livelihood, gaining employment and entrepreneurship.

Tomorrow’s activities, as planned by the organisation, include a Global Money Week Walk from the Freedom Park, Lagos Island to the Central Bank, Lagos office, as well as visit of bank staff or executives to schools to provide enlightenment on benefits of saving money. Others are supermarket shopping spree and a monopoly tournament.

Verdant ZealHolds Third ‘Innovention Series’ ONCERNED with the need C to foster inclusive growth and development through purposeful leadership in the country and Africa at large, leading marketing communications firm, Verdant Zeal Marketing Communication has chosen, ‘Growing Leadership Innovation – Lessons for Africa’ as the theme for the third edition of its annual “Innovention Series”.

Billed to hold on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, the programme will have as special guest of honour and keynote speaker, frontline Ghanaian politician and statesman, and former presidential candidate, Mr. Nana Akufo-Addo.

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THE GuArDIAn www.ngrguardiannews.com

nEWS

Three Telecoms Operators Pay n647m For Poor Service NATIONAL

• SIM Cards Sales, Promos Remain Banned, Says Regulator

By Adeyemi Adepetun HE major GSM operators, including MTn nigeria; Airtel and Globacom, that were slammed with n647.5 million being fine for failing to meet key performance indicators in January have paid the penalty to the nigerian Communications Commission (nCC).

The operators were said to have made the payment on Friday, which was the deadline set by nCC for the operators to complete payment, failure of which would attract extra fine of n2.5 million daily.

Also, nCC has maintained that the ban on sales of new SIM cards and the running of promotions by affected networks remain till end of the month.

Confirming the payment to The Guardian, yesterday, Head of Media and Public relations

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Catholic urges Christians To Pray For nigeria, Security Agencies HE Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of T nigeria (CSn), rev. Fr raph Madu, has called on Christians and nigerians in general to use the Lenten season to intensify prayer for the nation and the security agencies for a lasting peace in the country.

Speaking at media Launch of the national Lenten Appeal, the cleric said the season should serve as time to reflect on the commandments of God, which define our relationship with neighbours.

He said: “It is time for spiritual rejuvenation; we need to work to achieve peace and reduce the problem of insecurity in the country. We need to intensify prayer, fasting and almsgiving and also shun acts that would endanger the lives of others. Christians are encouraged to fast and give up the savings from their fast to the poor.”

Senator Hails Second niger Bridge Project From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja HE construction of a second bridge across river niger, which groundbreaking ceremony has been slated for tomorrow in Onitsha in Anambra State, is a renewal of the commitment to the country’s unity and greatness.

Vice Chairman, the Senate Committee on Health, Margery Okadigbo, who also represents Anambra north, said in an interview yesterday the groundbreaking plan puts an end to the political slogan around the project.

T

Orogun Grammar School Old Students Meet In Lagos rOGun Grammar School, O Orogun, Old Boys Association meets today at Block 138, Flat 3, LSDPC Medium Estate Phase 4, Ostrictch Park, Ogba, Lagos. Time is 2pm.

Call 08033314364 for further information

at nCC, reuben Muoka said the three affected operators made their payment yesterday (Friday).

“You know yesterday (Friday) was the deadline given to them and as at evening before the close of work, I learnt they have all paid. They paid n647.5 million as they were sanctioned respectively,” he stated.

Muoka, however, said the ban placed on sales of SIM cards and all forms of pro-

mos on the affected networks remain, stressing that it would be on till the end of March as stated in the sanction letter earlier addressed to the operators.

He disclosed that the commission is monitoring the ban, stressing that any operator caught flouting the rule will be dealt with.

It will be recalled that the nCC had in letters dated February 19, 2014, addressed to each of the affected compa-

nies, said that after collating statistics from the network operating centres of the operators in the month of January, discovered that the services provided by MTn, Airtel and Globacom fell below the KPI published by it in 2013.

A breakdown of the sanctions indicated that Globacom was penalised, n277.5 million for three breaches, while MTn and Airtel got sanctioned n185 million each for two breaches.

According to nCC, only Etisalat got a clean bill as it met all the set KPIs. The regulator explained that four critical KPIs were set by it – Call Setup Success rate (CSSr), Drop Call rate (DCr), Traffic Channel Congestion (TCHCOnG) and Stand Alone Dedicated Control Channel Congestion (SDCOnG).

With a target of 98 per cent for CSSr, MTn, Airtel, and Globacom failed to meet the target in January. They scored 96.85 per cent, 96.99 per cent and 96.89 per cent respectively.

nCC set a target of 1 per cent in the DCr category. The audit report referred to by nCC in its letter stated that for the month of January, MTn and Globacom failed to meet the target, while Airtel exceeded the target with a score of 0.84 per cent.

For the SDCOnG KPI, with a target of 0.20 per cent, Airtel and Globacom failed to meet the target, scoring 0.40 per cent and 0.58 per cent respectively, while MTn exceeded the target with a score of 0.17 per cent.

rivers’ Community Decries neglect By Agip

By Ann Godwin (Port Harcourt) uMuEME community in r Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of rivers State has decried alleged marginalisation by the nigeria Agip Oil Company (nAOC).

To register their displeasure, chiefs and elders of the host community recently took their complaints to the gate of the company.

Spokesman and Secretary of rumueme Council of Chiefs, Minikwu Chukwu, said: “Agip has been here for over 35 years, yet nothing has been done for the community, which serves as its (Agip’s) major operational base. In-

RIVERS stead, it gives jobs, contracts and scholarships to other people who are not indigenes of rumueme. Agip should point out what it has done.

Even our last MOu, signed two years ago with them, has not been implemented.”

The Public relations department of nOAC in Port Harcourt declined comment, as at the time of filling this report, referring the reporter to its Abuja office.

Chukwu lamented that although the community has several skilled and employable graduates, none of them have been considered for good jobs.

He said: “We have written to Agip, several times, because we believe in dialogue. We have been very patient and peaceful, believing the company will do the right thing, but they kept snubbing us. no oil-producing community will exercise the type of patience we have had or tolerate neglect for over 35 years. To worsen matters, in rumueme, there is no Community Liaison Officer (CLO) to Agip and that is very unfair.”

He said: “Go to rumibekwe and rumumasi and see what Shell is doing; those people feel the presence of the oil company. But here, things are different. Since its

Lagos Denies Withholding Former Deputy Governor’s Entitlements

By Kamal Tayo Oropo AGOS State Government has debunked an allegation credited to former deputy governor of the state, Mrs. Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, that her entitlements are withheld.

Bucknor-Akerele had reportedly claimed in a newspaper report (not The Guardian) that: “all my entitlements have never been given to me.”

L

LAGOS But in a statement, at the weekend, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, said all entitlements due to BucknorAkerele paid as and at when due on monthly basis.

The commissioner explained that the government was compelled to react to the former deputy governor’s claim to set the records

straight in the interest of the state and posterity.

According to Ibirogba, a Toyota Prado Jeep and one Pickup truck were recently delivered to the former deputy governor as parts of her entitlements.

He, however, pointed out that the area of contention with the Bucknor-Akerele was her insistence on the monetisation of services rendered by her personal staff.

existence, we have never disturbed the company. There is no community without bad people, but we have just been maintaining calm, hoping that the company will change.

Omoku, Egbema, Okirika people will not tolerate this. It is not because we are weak, but we just want to maintain calm.”

On the way forward, Chukwu said: “Agip should discuss with the community. We have able youths, women and men who do nothing. An idle hand is the devil’s workshop. Had we, the chiefs, not been intervening, Agip would not have continued operation in our community. The youths are angry.”

Council Chairman Denies Endorsing Ihonvbere For Senate From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, EDO Benin City HEAD 2015 elections, an A Edo council chairman, Emmanuel Momoh of Etsako Central Council,, yesterday, denied media reports that he has supported the senatorial ambition of Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Julius Ihonvbere.

The denial comes on the heels of endorsement of Domingo Obende for second-term in the Senate by political leaders and market women, including the Edo north Market Women Association and (EnMWA) and the Okpameri Women Association (OWA).

Momoh, who spoke in Benin denied the purported endorsement, adding that Gov. Admas Oshiomhole, as the leader of the party in the state, would, at the right time, give direction on the matter.

“I am shocked that the visit of SSG is generating tension in Etsako Central, what I did as the Council boss was to welcome him. Ihonvhere is somebody I have known for a very long time and I have enormous respect for him for what he has done in Afemai people. I did not, in any way, endorse any candidate,” he said.

TheGuardian

6 Sunday, March 9, 2014

www.ngrguardiannews.com

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Cityfile

ary ...side view of Methodist Prim

School

… part of Seme border post

One of the classrooms in Methodist Primary School, Ashipa, Seme.

Seme: A Community Begging For Lifeline

By Gbenga Salau

S

EME is a flourishing town lying at the border of Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.

Known for its commercial activities, especially the sales of foreign goods, people from different parts of West African sub-region inhabit here and also do their businesses. Due to its closeness to the Republic of Benin, the settlement serves as one of the routes to come in and go out of Nigeria by road, and also to bring in goods of all kinds, including contrabands, to the country.

As important as Seme is to Nigeria’s economy and as the largest market in the West Africa subregion, it is, however, abysmal to note that it lacks necessary social infrastructure that makes life worth living.

For instance, a first-time visitor to the border post, a long stretch of road, could easily mistake it for a rowdy bus stop. The whole stretch, occupied by Nigerian officers attending to documents and goods coming in and out is not tarred. Mounted barricades are in the form of big metal drums with either a rope or a long stick laid on top to stop people and vehicles for checks. Aside these barricades, there is also another group of people in uniform and plaincloth that harasses visitors and travellers crossing the border. They extort various sums of money from the travellers. These touts stand at different positions around the clearance points and pounce on their victims just when they think they are free to commence their journey.

The irony of it all is that after checking, even when the documents are complete and okay, the clearance officers would still demand money. The method they use to do this is by

making the unsuspecting traveller feel that his/her documents are not complete and as such need to settle or forego the journey.

While the officers are at one corner doing their business, the touts throw caution to the winds and openly extort cash in the form of Naira notes or foreign currencies from anyone desiring to cross the border. Indeed, most times, it is the touts that are on duty, while the officers sit under a makeshift building observing what is happening.

So porous is the border that anyone willing to part with huge sums of money would be allowed to bring in anything into the country; the language those manning the borders understand, is money.

To have an easy go through the border, some of the travellers have devised ways of beating the officers. They dress in a not too fashionable way, which is intended to make the touts and officers not pay too much attention to them. With this, they evade the selective process often used to extort various sums of money from people. This was adopted, when it was discovered that these illegal toll collectors are more prone to stopping those that are neatly or corporately dressed. Most times, when the person walking across the border is shabbily dressed, they look the other way, probably thinking they cannot get money from him/her.

Even while processing their papers, motorists often park in a very disorganised manner, making the whole place look disorderly.

Describing the situation at the border, the editor, Travel and Business News, Mr. Ewos Iroro, said, “Seme border needs to be overhauled and completely restructured to treat

… Seme border checkp oint

travellers more humanely and to allow for speedy clearance of documents and goods.”

For him, the border does not potray Nigeria in a good light to visitors. “More facilities for the officers manning the borders need to be installed to make them carry out their official duties and put things right,” Iroro said.

If the border post is in very poor state, the Seme community hosting the border is not faring any better.

Findings revealed that the community has not enjoyed electricity supply in the last seven years. Efforts to ensure that they enjoy power supply even if not constantly have not yielded fruit.

…a tout interacting with motorist about to cross the border

According to him, many businesses have closed down because of non-availability of power supply, which have made people ESIDES Methodist Primary School, Ashipa, needing it to go for generator sets.

He pleaded with the Federal and state govthe only primary school serving the communities, is in a deplorable state and not con- ernments to intervene, so that the community can begin to enjoy electricity supply. ducive for teaching and learning. When The An hotelier said he spends nothing less Guardian visited, some of the pupils were sitthan N120, 000 on diesel monthly, which ting on bare floor because there were not eats deeply into his profit. enough seats. It was gathered that the case Captain Usman Umaru (Rtd), leader of the was worse until recently, when a legislator came to donate some chairs and desks to the Hausa Community, noted that the borehole provided by government could not cater for school. the whole community and that they are The buildings were in shabby state with faced with the the challenge of fund to buy sandy floors because the concrete had worn out. Some of the buildings were without win- diesel for the generating set that powers the dows. The room designated as the library has pump since the community does not enjoy electricity supply from the national grid. been turned to a store, where class teachers’ He also disclosed that some Nigerians livtables and chairs are kept because the classing in Seme on the Nigerian side have relorooms have no doors.

Speaking on the challenges in the commu- cated to Cotonou because of lack of nity, Chief Emmanuel Adeyemo, leader of the electricity supply to run their businesses. He, therefore, appealed to the state government Yoruba Community, Seme Border, said, “it is for help in the areas of water supply, healthpathetic the way the community is treated, despite the fact that government makes huge care facilities and the upgrading of the school facilities. sum of money from the town.”

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

7

CITYFILE

Mile 2-Oshodi Expressway: Centre Of Chaos

By Chuks Nwanne, Chijioke Iremeka and Paul Adunwoke

W

HEN last did you ply the Mile 2-Oshodi Expressway? Have you observed that the service lane has become almost useless to motorists? From car dealers to traders, commercial buses and bad spots, both lanes have became reckless zones and a source of revenue for Area Boys and local council officials, who seem to have illegally allocated portions of the road for commercial activities.

The Mile 2-Oshodi Express remains an important road in Lagos. Aside being used by heavy trucks conveying goods from Apapa Wharf to other parts of the country, the road also leads to both the local and international wings of the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Ikeja. Until the Federal Government, through Julius Berger Construction Company, commenced the on-going maintenance on the road, the service lanes were practically impassable, as pedestrians struggled with vehicles to have a right of way. And with gaping potholes on several spots, traffic is usually pushed to the express, causing gridlock.

However, with the construction work, Julius Berger seems to be salvaging the service lanes, as the unscrupulous merchants have been pushed backwards, using the walkway as barrier; that’s from Mile 2 up to Cele Bus Stop. After Cele down to Oshodi, the impunity continues, as the touts allocate spaces to traders on the road; but nobody knows where the money goes.

Immediately after the newly constructed Ijesha-Okota Bridge, coming from Mile 2, the service lane is gradually vanishing, with furniture dealers gaining ground, just by the edge of the lane. There’s also a bamboo merchant on that stretch, who has since cornered a section, making it difficult for motorists to park.

But the worst culprits are the car dealers, especially those selling earth moving equipment; they have since extended to the service lane. Immediately after MAO Filling Station, there are trailers, containers, abandoned trucks and caterpillars littering the stretch; the place has simply become a nightmare to users. Yet, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officials and even men of the Nigerian Police continue to patrol the area, but they are only on the lookout for private cars to arrest.

On the other side of the express, going from Oshodi to Mile 2, the case is the same— cars, kiosks and traders have taken over, leaving pedestrians at the mercy of reckless drivers.

The fact that Police Stations exist on this same road makes the case even more pathetic. Indeed, the Ilasamaja Police Station, just after Iyana Itire Bus Stop, is contributing to the bad situation, with impounded vehicles on its frontage.

By Ilasamaja Bus Stop on the same side of the road, Keke NAPEP operators plying Ilasa-Isolo route, have turned the service lane to a terminal; they are the kings on that spot, doing their business without any obstruction. Both sides of the Ilasa Bridge have been taken over by traders, who sometimes display their wares on the road.

Up to the Champion Newspapers’ premises, car dealers are in control, displaying vehicles almost on the expressway, without giving thought to motorists’ wellbeing. Yet, LASTMA officials and men of the Mushin local council area would tow any private car parked just metres away from the service lane.

Have you ever wondered why no one dares to park along Five Star Bus Stop down to the former premises of The God Bless Nigeria Church? Well, touts from Mushin local council have opened ‘office’ on that axis, targeting mostly private cars and not the commercial buses popularly called danfo; members of this group are ‘staff’. If in doubt, just try parking your car around this area and see what happens. Except you are ready to part with some thousands of naira, you will be taken to the local council.

By the former Toyota Company, just after Ladipo Junction, trucks, containers and all sorts of roadside mechanics are having swell time, while motorists groan. Proceeding to Charity Bus Stop up to Oshodi is usually tough, with fierce-looking military officers al-

Rainbow Junction ways battling the danfo drivers to give way on the service lane.

However, aside from avoidable obstructions by lawless Lagosians, poor maintenance of the service lanes also contributes to the problem.

Until recently, when some of the potholes were filled with granites just to make it a little motorable, it was always difficult using the lane. The worst part seems to be the Ilasamaja spot, where acidic water flows from an unknown source. From Iyana Isolo to Five Star, down to Toyota Bus Stop, the potholes are gradually eating deep, making it difficult for motorists to have a smooth ride, especially with the rains coming.

Interestingly, danfo drivers seem to have distaste for designated bus stops, as they rarely use them. They prefer picking passengers on the expressway, thereby obstructing movement and also exposing passengers to risk.

Commuters on their part have since jettisoned the use of bus stops on that axis, which has been taken over by traders and beggars.

Except when it rains, no one uses the bus stops.

While the ongoing maintenance on the expressway is laudable, it is important for government to also review the erection of shops by the road, as well as call the car dealers to order. Again, men of the Mushin local council should be encouraged to target the real traffic violators and spare innocent motorists of unnecessary harassment. And if this proves difficult, then the service lane should officially be declared car marts and exploitation ground.

… A Repair Taking Too Long The Mile 2/Oshodi Expressway is noted for its gridlocks, stress and waste of precious manhour on daily basis. In most cases, the traffic stretches from First Rainbow to Mile 2 and beyond, and then from Iyana Isolo to Oshodi for those coming to Oshodi. And whenever it rains, all hell is let loose, as the gridlocks become longer, resulting in as much as 100 per cent fare increase from Mile 2 to Oshodi and that is, when the commercial bus drivers don’t break the journey. When Federal Government awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the road to Julius Berger, motorists and commuters had heaved a sigh of relief, thinking the nightmare would be over in no time. But as the work drags, resulting in the blockage of major parts of the road, motorists have resorted to using the service lanes to create different level of stress for commuters.

Speaking on the slow pace of work, Mr. Idowu Bakari, a motorist, said, “I usually leave home

Ilasamaja Bus Stop as early as 6am and don’t get to my office until 9am some times and when I leave office at 6pm, I do not get home until 10 or 11pm. This road is for every Nigerian and even those travelling to Cotonou or Ghana by road use it.

“Besides, vehicles parked by the roadside are causing a lot of nuisance with pickpockets using them as hideout to carry out their mischief. This contributes to further narrowing of the road. It would be good for government to order their removal,” he said. …Government’s Stand Several attempts to get the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Comrade Kayode Opeifa to speak on some of the ugly development on the road proved abortive, as he neither picked his calls nor responded to Short Message Service (SMS) sent to him.

However, the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lateef Aderemi Ibirogba said the state government is doing everything possible to ensure that all roads are free for users, whether it is Oshodi-Apapa or OrileBadagry Expressway.

He noted that government has always done this, which is the reason LASTMA is towing vehicles parked on the roads and blocking free flow of traffic and in doing this, the agency re-

lies on the Lagos State Traffic Law. Regarding car dealers on the road setbacks along Mile 2/Oshodi Expressway, he said: “Times without number, the Governor has warned all those car dealers to get a space in proper places because the road setbacks are not the place for car dealers to display and sell their vehicles.”

He said these dealers have colonised the road for their own selfish purposes, saying that actions are on the way to ensure that they are checked and order restored.

Ibirogba stated: “the Law has stipulated punitive measures to be taken against anybody that breaks the law. I wouldn’t mention the part that deals directly with that, but it has control over things we do — the attitude of people parking on the roads or making phone calls anywhere has to stop because the roads are shared asset.”

Speaking on the under-utilisation of the service lanes on the same road, he said, “If the road is designed to run that way, then, there is nothing anyone can do about it. But if that is not the design, then, we have to apply the law to make people behave the way they should.

There is a shared responsibility between the state and Federal governments on the road.

So, it’s good each party understands its role

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CITYPEOPLE

BALOGUN:

The Great Banker Still Standing Tall At 80 GE, they say, is just a number. For some, in the A class of Otunba Olasubomi Balogun, it is about the quality of days gone by, a reflection of

Subomi

‘

It serves as a lesson to everyone that in all things, mortals may have their say, but in the final analysis, the Almighty God will have His way. That encapsulates my whole journey

how things have played out to shape the outcome. But how else can age be counted in the real sense, except when others bear witness that it actually impacted positively on them? This is the story of the 80-year-old founder of the First City Monument Bank Plc, a legacy that embodies his thought process and achievements, while impacting on others, especially the Nigerian economy. From a humble beginning, the bank has grown to establish close to 300 branches throughout the nation with a branch in the United Kingdom.

Born on March 9, 1934, at Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State, Balogun had his secondary education at Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos. He obtained the Cambridge School Certificate Grade 1 in 1952 and worked as a Secondary School teacher before proceeding to the London School of Economics to read Law in 1956. He was called to the English Bar in December 1959. Under the sponsorship of the then Western Region Government, he was the first Nigerian to receive special training in Legal Drafting in Whitehall and the City of London with particular specialisation in financial legislation, instruments and agreements.

As a civil servant, he was a Crown Counsel in the Ministry of Justice of the then Western Nigeria, Assistant Parliamentary Counsel in the Federal Ministry of Justice in Lagos, first Principal Counsel and Company Secretary to the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank (NIDB) for nine years. He received training from leading stockbrokers, investment and merchant banks in London and New York.

He was the Director of Operations of ICON Securities Limited, a subsidiary of NIDB, Executive Director, ICON Ltd. (Merchant Bankers.) In 1977, he set up City Securities Ltd.- the first firm to combine Issuing House and Stockbroking businesses.

In 1982, he founded the First City Merchant Bank (FCMB), which metamorphosed into First City Monument Bank, surviving two major banking reforms with unbroken records of successes in the acquisitions of other banks.

Looking back with gratitude and fulfilment at the age of 80, he said: “I want to spend the rest of my life giving service to God and humanity. I want my God to give me the opportunity of showing my appreciation. I am not asking for anything again, as God has given me all the beautiful things of life. I now have a duty to devote the rest of my life to serve God and humanity and to continue to do things like what I have done with the Otunba Tunwase National Paediatric Centre, because at the end of the day, none of us will drive a Rolls Royce or carry a house to the grave. When the final call comes, you just open your hands and say, ‘God, here I am.’”

Reflecting on the origin of the financial institution, with its Lagos headquarters known as Primrose Tower, he said it is a “dedication to the glory of God and an embodiment of a young man’s faith in his own destiny, despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles. It is also a monument of a young Nigerian’s determination to succeed and prove that given the opportunity, he has the mettle to attain the commanding heights in the management of a finance institution. It serves as a lesson to everyone that in all things, mortals may have their say, but in the final analysis, the Almighty God will have His way. That encapsulates my whole journey.

“I had a dream, a vision. I was cheated, as an employee of another institution affiliated to Nigeria.

There were Americans expatriates, but I was the brain behind the whole thing. I went on a course to the United States and came back with the idea that we should set up a merchant bank, as we called it in those days. The whole of Nigeria was aware that I was behind it. But when it came to the selection of chief executive officer, I was told, despite all my efforts, that because my basic training was in law, I would not be the chief executive officer. I was 42 years then. They brought a young man of 32 years with little or no experience from America to be my boss.

“One of the gifts God gave me is courage, tenacity of purpose and so, I decided to fight it out, starting with petitions. That was what gave birth to my dream and my vision. In having a vision or a dream, only an individual can do the dream, while others can only join later. That was the intention behind setting up the First City Group.

Many institutions that have become large and universal were started by individuals too.”

The setting up of the bank was not a little challenge and was accomplished by a ‘can do’ spirit, an audacious personality trait that is rare in many, especially at a time when no individual could say he was setting up a bank and even if one wanted to do so, there had to be an expatriate leading the team. “Yes, there were skeptics, who thought the bank would fail. The same still applies now. There may be problems, but I have great hopes about the future of the industry because it is the mainstay of the economy. Without an effective banking system, the economy cannot be oiled. I am still optimistic that we are only scratching the surface, we have not gone far. It is part of my ‘can do’ attitude. I don’t believe that anything is impossible with God on my side. This is what is happening in the institution that God helped me to establish,” he said.

And he is still very much interested in the industry even though he has retired. “It’s just like a mother, who even though can no longer control the adult child, her mind and eyes will still be there. She will want to see that the child grows, develops and able to meet up with his peers. So, even though I have retired, I’ll continuously give advice when asked and always draw the attention of the management if I observe anything,” he said.

Explaining how he came to be called the Grandmaster and expressing his views on the sustainability of the institution after retirement, he said: “I had just retired from the bank, when suddenly we were told to raise our share capital to N25 billion. I told my people in the bank that I was going to lead the campaign to raise the capital and I also told a revered statesman that I wanted to come and see him to sell some of our shares to him. He said: ‘You have been selling other people’s shares, now you are coming out of retirement to sell your own? Do you play chess?’ I replied that I don’t play chess. Then he said: ‘That is what we call the Grandmaster.’

“I liked the name and I asked that T-shirts be made for all my workers and relations with the name printed on them. We went about town with the T-shirts and that was how the name stuck.

Many people did not give us any chance, but our shares were oversubscribed. We ended up acquiring six banks. Later, we acquired Finbank, which was an amalgamation of four banks. These are some of the wonderful things God has done for me,” he said.

Philanthropy is also a part of him and he has been impacting on other people’s lives through it. “I did not start philanthropy after I became a banker. I was about 36 years, when I set up some scholarship funds to train students in some schools in Ijebu. I gathered that at the last count, about 300 university graduates have benefitted from the scholarship. It is one of the schemes in honour of my mother and there is another in honour of my father. But why particularly am I showing interest in children? Many years ago, the management of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, saw the dilapidated condition of their equipment and the whole environment, and they started inviting some distinguished Nigerians for help.

“On the day I was invited, the late Chief Adebowale of Adebowale Electrical Industries, and Chief Michael Ibru were also invited. We were being taken round the Hospital and my cousin, Prof Olumade Adeuja, a physician said: ‘Brother, come and look at the children’s ward. On getting there, I saw a few things that brought tears to my eyes, particularly the children’s beds, which were an eyesore. I swore I would spend the rest of my life looking into the welfare, survival and healthcare of children. So, I adopted the wing and refurbished it. It is still one of the best wings of the department of the university college. Years later, to my surprise, I got a letter from Prof. Osuntokun, the then Medical Director that the university council and then Minister of Health, Prof Olikoye Ransome-Kuti had agreed that they should name that wing of the UCH after me.

“My dress code is God-given. People talk about my always wearing white. For me, I just felt at a point in life that I wanted to be pure and the nearest colour to purity is white. So I chose white as my colour. My houses, cars and everything else are white. Style has to do with being enlightened.

It is something unique to the individual and that can be ascribed to him/her alone.”

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Sunday, March 9, 2014 9

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NOTEBOOK

Taraba Goofs As EFCC Rejects N10m Greek Gift

By Itunu Ajayi, Abuja T was an embarrassed Speaker of Taraba State Iquickly House of Assembly, Josiah Sabo Kente, who retracted his words of donating the sum of N10m each to EFCC and ICPC, the two leading anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria.

The event was the 2013 transparency, accountability and good governance integrity heroes award held in Abuja Friday evening. The acting governor of Taraba, Garba Umar had earlier delivered his goodwill message and excused himself in order to attend to other matters, but not before instructing the Speaker to hold forte for him while he was gone.

Although one cannot really say what transpired between the acting governor and the Speaker or the line of their discussions, when the latter saw him off to his convoy outside the Sheraton Hotels and Towers, but it was an excited speaker that mounted the podium at the event arena after the acting governor departed and announced that N10m each would be made available to the EFCC and ICPC as the state’s assistance to them in the fight against corruption. Said he: “The acting governor has asked me to announce N10 million donation

to the ICPC and the EFCC, as our support for fighting corruption.”

The Speaker may have been over excited because the foundation doling out the award had earlier awarded the acting governor the most transparent governor in Nigeria.

But in a swift reaction and barely allowing the Speaker from taking his seat, Kayode Oladele, Chief of Staff, office of the EFCC Chairman, who represented the EFCC Chairman at the event, mounted the podium and out rightly rejected the N10m gift. According to Oladele, the anticorruption agency would be more fulfilled if corruption were brought to a standstill in all the states of the federation.

His words: “We appreciate the effort of the acting governor of Taraba State, but we would like to respectfully decline the donation. The only support we accept is for all state governors to continue to be transparent in their dealings”.

This declaration created a kind of melodrama, as its implication was not lost to the Speaker, who had realised by then that EFCC had refused to have its hands tied behind its back, as a result of an unsolicited gift.

As much as one may not want to pre-empt the Taraba State Speaker, the possibility cannot be

ruled out that maybe the ‘kind gesture’ was borne out of the fact that the EFCC, towards the end of 2013, told the whole world that it had N2m or less in its account. And so, the question is, how does an anti-corruption agency with such a ridiculous amount in its bank account fight corrupt policy makers with billions and trillions of naira at their disposal and even domiciliary accounts spread all over the globe?

ICPC Chairman had told The Guardian in an interview not long ago that if his Commission had an office as comfortable as the National Assembly complex, he and his team would work extra hours. Apparently, the Taraba Spokesman may have added all these together and in sympathy decided to help the agencies.

So what if the EFCC had accepted the gift and then tomorrow, the acting governor or a ‘big someone’ in Taraba runs foul of EFCC law? The bargain would have been a walk over. The only requirement would have been for the state to remind EFCC of an earlier ‘kind gesture’. After all, to whom much is given, much is expected and one good turn, they say, deserves another.

So, let’s assume this painted scenario comes to play, how then does Nigeria fight

corruption?

EFCC is already overwhelmed by the snail pace movement of the Nigerian judiciary.

What it does not need right now is to be encumbered with an allegation of the acceptance of a Greek gift somewhere in Abuja sometimes in the past.

So, at the seeming embarrassment at Oladele’s stand, the Speaker returned to the podium and instructed the anchor to announce that the N10 million earlier announced for EFCC and ICPC would instead be given to the Foundation for transparency and accountability, the convener of the award.

Trust givers of awards in Nigeria, the Foundation quickly keyed into the gesture. It was its luck so to speak. After all, everyone desires good luck in Nigeria. Ordinarily, Taraba would not have made a N20m donation to a foundation for giving its acting governor an award and maybe a paper certificate that would not add anything to the credentials of the acting governor.

And of course, the said N20m would have sunk some boreholes in some communities in Taraba. At three boreholes per million, N20 million would have given 60 boreholes gushing with clean water to millions of Tarabians.

many Senior Advocates of Nigeria of our time would now enter the court with his wig and all other regalia in defence of Ifa? In those days, when ifa was in the remotest part of the South-West, no one would have needed to defend it because then it was believed that the farther a herbalist is into the bush, the more potent his juju was. But now that Ifa itself is in city centres, staying inside air-conditioned houses and hotels, it is evident that it needs to be defended. My paternal grandfather was an Ifa priest Trust him, he would have evoked some spirits and those denying Ifa its rightful place in the national conference would have dried up, while standing. But the man is dead now and no one among us is capable of doing what he could do then.

The only reasonable reason someone would use another and deny or dump the fellow is if the person so used did not play the game right. In the Yoruba setting, especially in those days, when a king died and the Ifa priest

was consulted to perform divination in order to know who the next king among the princes would be, the priest did whatever he had to do without fear or favour, but not anymore.

Ifa is capable of taking bribes now both in naira and dollars just for the highest bidder to ascend the throne at all cost. The traditional institution has so much been politicised that a governor could afford to dethrone a king and appoint whosoever he chooses. No governor dare tried that with my grandfather or else, he would have learnt his lesson the hard way.

So why do traditionalists no longer command respect? They have left their first love and are neither here nor there. No wonder there are so many cases of traditional rulers in court— Mr. A contesting the enthronement of Mr. B in the law court abound. Where was Ifa, when A was chosen to be king? Until traditionalists returned to doing the needful and stop taking bribes on behalf of Ifa, politicians would continue to visit them in secret, use them and then dump them.

Wanted: Counsel To Ifa

By Itunu Ajayi, Abuja OW that the names of those that would N dialogue on behalf of the close to 200 million Nigerians have been made public by the Presidency, one cannot say categorically if the association of traditionalists in Nigeria eventually made the list.

If President Goodluck Jonathan did not make any amendment to the list, which initially triggered complaints from the traditionalists, then that implies that the court action threatened by the association would kick-start in earnest, and what a celebrated case it would be.

The association had accused those in the corridors of power of using them and dumping them. They claimed the big shots in the society usually consult them secretly for solutions to their problems and when it was time for their association to be made relevant in the scheme of things in the country, everyone treats them like lepers.

While one is not disputing the claims of the association, the one thing that is sure about the entity called Nigeria is that if the claim were to be something political, opposition or the accused party would have dared the socalled aggrieved party to name those that visit them in secret just to discredit such claims or the accusers themselves would have pointed accusing fingers to some set of people. But in this case, the accusers did not give names of their patrons and those on the other side of the divide are silent too. Does that give credence to the saying that whatever is done in secret is sin? This case is like two people, who are not supposed to be sleeping together but do so and each party continues to deny the union.

I don’t know of other parts of the country, but in the South West especially, the most prominent traditional believers are that of Ifa, the deity of divination adherents. Given the fact that the person that made the claim of the secret visit is a South westerner, who among the

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Givers Never Lack

Man Mus Whak

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Sunday, March 9, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Backlash Abraham Ogbodo

08055328079 (Sms only) abogbodo@yahoo.com

Peter Obi The Good Boy AR is more about brain rather than brawn. In other words, he needed to prepare for a manW This is what Peter Obi, the outgoing governor date renewal even when he had not used up to a of Anambra State, has shown in the eight years he third of the subsisting mandate in real terms. The has been governor, according to President Goodluck Jonathan. The man became governor in very turbulent circumstances. He had fought through the polls to the courts to emerge on March 17, 2006 after the Court of Appeal in Enugu sacked the usurper, Dr. Chris Ngige and pronounced Obi the rightful winner of the April 2003 governorship election in Anambra State.

He managed in the end to burst a long-standing tradition in Anambra politics. He fought and won the great battles all by himself without the support of a greedy godfather in the background. So to say, the man came from nowhere to become the governor of Anambra State. It was unprecedented and it explains why the man has been his own man since becoming governor. He took good time to survey the crude terrain of Anambra politics and crafted his own set of survival strategies.

At home, he was encircled by enemies who were still thirsty for more blood after they had drained the life out of Ngige. The state legislature was entirely peopled by cronies of those who were bent on dictating power in Anambra State. His All Progressives Grand Alliance didn’t even have a slot. It was a PDP House. Obi must therefore literally dine with the devil to get by. It wasn’t an easy task. For the second time, the mandate to govern the people was snatched from him when the House of Assembly impeached him on November 2, 2006.

But Peter Obi refused to endorse the obituary announcement foisted on him. Like the proverbial cat with many lives, he went down the familiar path of the judiciary to pick a fresh breath of life.

The Supreme Court reinstated him on February 9, 2007, saying his impeachment violated relevant sections of the constitution that deal with such issues. This was less than four months to the May 29 terminal date of the 2003 – 2007 dispensation.

coast therefore was still not completely free of storms for a smooth sail. As a wise man, he sought good counsel and was told what to do. He refused to participate in the 2007 general elections, insisting the 1999 Constitution entitled him to a full tenure of four years and that the three or so years usurped by Ngige could not count as part of his tenure.

Notwithstanding, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) went ahead to conduct governorship election in Anambra State alongside other states on April 14, 2007 and returned Andy Uba as new governor. Technically, Obi had lost yet another life. But in the unending intrigues, Obi was always a step ahead his traducers. The Supreme Court sacked Uba after only 17 days in the State House Awka on June 14, 2007 and reinstated Obi to finish his four-year tenure as elected governor. That tenure ended on March 17, 2010 and Obi once again offset tradition when he got re-elected for a second tenure; the tradition in Anambra was for an elected governor to finish a tenure amid extreme turbulence and then go home.

Obi has successfully finished his race and he is going to hand over next week Monday (March 17, 2014) to the governor-elect of Anambra State, Dr Willie Obiano. How he survived amid sharks and storms and sustained sail for eight years is a study in strategy. And it is that strategy that President Jonathan was trying to explain to the rest of the world the other day in Aso Villa. Obi who studied philosophy at the university might have picked somewhere along the line that ultimate strength lies in the spirit and not in the hands.

He took the battle a notch higher than the plan of the enemy. While the other side relied on brute force and associated weaponry, all of which are expendable in the protracted battle of life, Obi drove

on the indomitable soul force and in the end, almost like the struggle between evil and good, the latter would always triumph. He was eminently focused on his vision which was to remain in the Government House Awka, anyhow, and use the opportunity of his office to impact society, even as he completely understood the set of strategies needed to keep that vision alive.

Now, he is relinquishing the tenancy of the Government House on his own terms. Much as they tried, nobody was able to push him out before his time. This is real strength because the ultimate warrior is he who fought and returned home to tell the story of his exploits in the frontlines. He that reportedly fought gallantly but lacked the wisdom to survive the war to witness peace is a fool. He has no story to tell.

Peter Obi is not only leaving Government House Awka after an unprecedented eight years, he has also managed to appropriate the privilege of deciding the next tenant of the house. And Obi is taking the new tenant through useful lessons and quarters that could make the period of his tenancy worthwhile. That was why Obi went to Aso Villa to present Obiano to President Jonathan.

It was also a thank you visit by Obi. He is not an ungrateful servant. He knew that the battle of Awka would have been rough if the Presidency had acted differently especially in his re-election bid in 2010.

He effectively tamed the power hungry PDP and even domesticated the President as an APGA supporter. And he did not do this standing tall. In fact, his ability to remain unconventional in many regards constitutes his Unique Selling Point (USP).

Like the python, he hides his real strength in a velvet facade. He talks as if burdened and projects a vocal identity that pushes him closer to Mrs Margret Obi than otherwise.

Actually, the man tries most times, to run away from the suffocating official paraphernalia as if not interested in being a governor. No excessive protocol; he carries his brief case and phones all by himself. He owns no private jet; moves about in commercial flights and spends only when the economics of cost and benefit is right. For instance, if it makes better economic sense to have lunch in a buka for say N3000 than give N10000 to a light fingered chef at the state liaison office in Abuja to prepare the food, Obi would act appropriately. He has a sharp utilitarian sense that removes anything that does not serve good purpose from his list of needs.

Some say the man behaves that way because he is a businessman who understands the cost of money.

We can also add that Obi understands the cost of power in the circumstances he finds himself. He did the right exchange and got a good offer. He is

HEN President Jonathan first proposed the W idea of a national confab sometime last year, a good number of Nigerians did not believe

SUNDAY NARRATIVE

him, particularly those of the opposition. There were reasons for that.

First, Jonathan did not look like the kind of person who would upset the apple’s cart. Nigeria, for many years had become a delicate structure that had stopped working many years ago, except for members of the political class, who are serviced by about 75 percent of the annual budget. This is the class Mr. President belongs to and it is not a class that exhibits traits of those who desire change. They feed fat on the present obsolete structure and have no reason to want a change, the kind that could come from a serious national debate.

President Jonathan’s party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has never pretended to be proconfab of any kind. This party, for more than ten years had the opportunity to work for the people and make them forget their individual and group sorrows within the geographical space called Nigeria. But instead, through poor governance, greed and extreme corruption, the PDP has continued to remind the people of the opportunities they missed when the military disrupted civil rule in 1966 and the huge burden the country has become ever since. More than at any other time, the people of Nigeria have been forced to yearn for an alternative structure and type of government that could make life and living more meaningful. A good place to canvass change is through a national confab and many did not believe that Jonathan and the PDP understand what a confab is all about.

It was, particularly so, because leading opposition leaders had been the ones who champion structural reorganisation of the polity over the years. They had been the ones who advocate the idea of a national conference. It had been so over the ages; that the Action Group of the old, the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria and the abandoned Alliance for Democracy (AD), used to be the platforms that encouraged the demanded for a national debate, supported here and there by a few like minds in other geo-political regions.

It was therefore with fury that the opposition denounced Jonathan’s call for a confab. At that time, the emerging All Progressives Congress (APC), spared no language, to deride the proposition. They said it was diversionary and a ploy by the ruling party to regain momentum after it was visited by a self-inflicted pestilence. At that time, the PDP was indeed, bleeding profusely from internal injury. It was fighting in Rivers,

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

dated in the charters and agreements that were signed should now have the opportunity to make demands and get properly accommodated in a new Nigeria. All the constitutional arrangements since 1960 have to be revisited, especially the one of 1999, which does not guarantee good governance and does not protect anybody. In spite of express provisions, the 1999 constitution does not protect life and property.

It does not guarantee better life and therefore, it is a fraudulent document. This is the time accommodate all segments, including those who are killing innocent Nigerians in the Northeast. submitted in December and if all is well by toLet them come to the confab and state their morrow, the confab will be inaugurated under case. Let kidnappers and other displaced youths the chairmanship of retired Supreme court Juscome out and demand a workable social chartice, Idriss Legbo Kutigi. ter from the political class.

From its largely discredited outing in 2013, what This is the time to free Nigeria. This federal syslooked like a ‘Jonathan Confab’ has gained credi- tem that allocates huge sums to pay good bility to become one of the major events of 2014. salaries and provide good accommodation for a It is not clear when and how the confab was able few in Abuja cannot be said to be working. What to win more and more sympathisers from the the federal government allocates to itself is too opposition camps, particularly the APC, the much and wasteful, compared to what states good thing is that the party’s governors have take home. The federal government has no businamed their states’ representatives for the talks. ness controlling agriculture, whereas, agriculEven though the APC is still posturing as a politi- tural lands are in the states. There is a federal cal entity, the progressive governors as they ministry of water resources that collects monies label themselves have now embraced the talks. on behalf of water projects located in states. Too For me, there is no difference between the party many ministries that are based on quota system and the governors. have no business where they are. This is the It is for this and other reasons that the talks time to force the Federal Government to shed must not fail. These opposition governors deweight. serve my commendation, for bending backInterestingly, many opposition governors outwards to embrace national dialogue as a side the Niger Delta have summoned courage to platform where Nigeria would be put on the canvass fiscal federalism. It might be painful table. If Jonathan and his party had other sinister and difficult to ask states to generate own remotive behind the confab, they need to trash sources for now, but ultimately, states have to them. be encouraged to generate own resources to After 100 years of rigmarole, this is the time to take care of citizens within their territories. The redraw Nigeria and force her to work for all of us. idea of going to Abuja to collect monies that are A few conservative elements are still fixated with hardly accounted for can no longer be tolerated. the idea of one ‘big for nothing’ Nigeria, proThe idea of a presidential system has to be revisvided it grants them access to oil money, which ited. This system is too costly and if it must be they do not utilise to transform their people. presidential, we do not need two houses of the Such characters are everywhere, particularly in National Assembly. The present NASS is a huge the North, where every idea to restructure the mistake and must be disbanded and the strucpolity is translated to mean an attempt to contures converted to a hospital. We need a trim natrol resources and deny them access. In spite of tional government that is not attractive to rent enormous natural and human resources located seekers. The change Nigeria needs desperately is in all the geo-political zones, some people are not change of government, it is a structural too scared to venture into the world of knowloverhaul. edge economy and have instead, held the counMany people see this confab as a good opportutry hostage for decades. nity to rescue Nigeria. The country has shown Nigerians who are not satisfied with the symptoms of failure and the confab could resarrangement drawn by the colonialists in 1914 cue her. And I see hope in the calibre of delenow have the opportunity to seek more friendly gates, great men/women who would not like terms. Generations that were not accommohistory to shame them.

Why This Confab Must Not Fail Adamawa and all over. Bamangar Tukur was still in charge, but the party was leaking under him. That was what the opposition saw and reached the conclusion that the confab was contrived to buy time for the party to recover itself.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, leader of the APC and a long time proponent of a national conference, was tending a knee ailment in far away London when the confab debate broke. When he returned to the country around October 2013, apart from seeing the idea of a confab as some kind of ‘stolen intellectual property’ by the PDP administration, his other grouse was that there wouldn’t be sufficient time to do a rigorous national debate and still have time for the 2015 elections.

The entire APC did not like the idea and that was a big minus. But Jonathan seemed to mean business and was not deterred. He set up an advisory committee, headed by former senator, Femi Okurounmu, to work out the modalities.

The committee went round the country in order to market the idea and harvest opinions of critical stakeholders. At one of its stakeholders’ meeting in Benin City, Edo State, Gov. Adams Oshiomhole, apparently failed to read the mood of his South-south audience and was bent on putting down confab, in line with the APC agenda.

The South-south crowd is not the conservative type that would not want to debate Nigeria, so they heckled the governor. That was the moment Tony Nyiam, a former colonel of the Nigerian Army and an advocate for a better Nigeria, who was a member of the Okurounmu-led advisory committee lost his cool and joined the crowd to heckle Oshiomhole. Nyiam became the first casualty of the fury against the Jonathan Confab. He had to be sent home to purchase some credibility for the committee and the proposed conference.

The committee proceeded to do fairly good job of collecting views and memoranda from groups and individuals across the country, which it collated into a report. That report was

the longest serving governor and has served all the presidents in this dispensation without running into trouble. By every assessment, Obi has served well his masters (I do not know about the people of Anambra) and President Jonathan did not hide the fact when Obi visited with Obiano.

Like a father to a good son, the President opened up: “Peter Obi worked very hard as a governor, very friendly to the (Federal) government... A number of politicians feel that the best thing to do is to be abusing Mr. President, abusing the Federal Government and so on. You are elected to develop your state. I think the best thing is to have a good relationship with the centre, whether you have a pin or you don’t have, but one day, it will come. Wearing boxing gloves, jumping into the boxing ring to face Mr. President does not help the development of any state.”

Those who have faithfully followed recent developments between the centre and some state governors would agree that what was not said registered louder than the proclamation itself. If the interpretation of the President’s endorsement is stretched beyond the textual to the contextual, it could be rephrased this way: “Governors should emulate Peter Obi instead of that stubborn boy called Rotimi Amaechi who thinks the best way to receive attention is to abuse me and my wife Patience.”

Gradually, Nigerians are getting to know the secrets of good governance. The President is telling us not to be deceived; that federalism cum democracy in Nigeria has not developed to a level to guarantee that kind of rascality in Rivers State.

Like Obi, a few other governors have since come to the beautiful realisation that knowing the President is far more important than knowing what to do as governor. It explains why some governors spend more time in Abuja and around Aso Rock than they spend in their state capitals.

With barely two weeks to bow out, Obi the good governor felt obliged to take Obiano to Abuja for initiation. The incoming governor has heard all (permit the cliché) from the horse’s mouth. It is assumed that he heard well and he understood well equally. It is left for him to follow the steps of his master, Peter Obi, and end up successfully. But since it is a democracy, he can choose to go on adventure and challenge his chi to a wrestling match like that other governor in Rivers State.

If the latter happens, Obi shall have no blame. He has done the needful by surrendering Obiano to the Presidency for protection. It is left for Obiano to pay the right price which includes absolute synergy with Aso Rock to sustain the protection contract or risk being blacklisted and marked for liquidation.

TheGuardian

www.ngrguardiannews.com

Sunday, March 9, 2014 11

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Outlook Maggots In Our University Kolanut

By Steve Ekundayo

I

WRITE this letter to all literate Nigerians, particularly ASUU, NANS, NUC, Education Ministers, Chancellors, Vice Chancellors, Senates and Councils of Nigerian universities, to draw attention to some invidious maggots which are ravaging university education from within the system, a case of the enemy within. There is a proverb or aphorism of many variants in our indigenous languages that capture the tragic irony of the enemy within. In Yoruba, it is often rendered as ‘kokoro tin jobi ara obi lowa.’ In Ibo it is ‘oti na-ata oji di n’ime oji’ and in Nigerian Pidgin it is ‘magot wey de chop kola de insaid kola’.

The English gloss is ‘the maggot/s which eat/s kola nut live/s in the kola nut.’

Certain counter-productive rules and measures are allowed to flourish to the detriment of the system in particular and Nigeria in general. Some of them like ‘blocking’ or ‘sorting’, sexual harassment and open sexual abuse, truancy, insouciance, cultism, insane dressing habits, etc are notorious topical issues. However, there are some invidious maggots, which have been ravaging standard in our universities, weakening performance and ‘wiping off smiles’ from the faces of students, using a fine phraseology by Tanure Ojaide in Matters of the Moment. The maggots in question operate in the form of rules and manifests in certain assessment practices in the universities. Simply stated, there exist in our university system some unfair, questionable and objectionable established scoring methods, invidious assessment and feedback habits and rules, which harm students and lecturers consistently. One of such habits or rules examined here is the withholding of marked examination scripts from students. The other related ones will be addressed in due course.

In our universities, students do not get their scripts back, as a rule, after they have been assessed so that they can see how they performed, why they scored high or low and why they failed in order to learn from them and improve in their next test or examination. I may be wrong in my assertions and thinking, which is why I write this letter so that I can learn from the reactions of more experienced Nigerians, senior scholars and educationists. Are there any genuine grounds why the system sustains such a practice of little or no value to the system?

Student victims of the practice sometimes remonstrate about it, but they and their lack-luster students’ union governments do not engage the authorities seriously on the matter. When the results of the previous examination are released on a general notice board for students, they prefer to weep, curse and agonize with tear coursing down their cheeks because they have failed or performed very poorly in a course or some courses in which they were expecting a high grade: “Ah, ah! How come I failed this course?” “What? “But I wrote well, didn’t I?”

CONversation

“God will punish these wicked lecturers” “I wish I could see my scripts!” Henceforth, they react in several ways. Some become demoralized, reading with a dampened spirit.

Some others work harder, yet repeating the same mistakes and errors and having the same grades. At times, some of them take a bold step to confront or consult the lecturers for explanations.

Now, the response of a lecturer to a demand for a script or explanation by an aggrieved student depends on a number of variables. The first is the nature and orientation of the lecturer. If s/he is in a good mood and sympathetic to the student’s cause and has the time, s/he may listen to the complainant. The second consideration is whether the script is immediately reachable because lecturers mandatorily return scripts and examination scores to their departments after they have been assessed. To look for a student’s script thereafter and get it out from the piles of Annual Script Assemblies in designated offices is time consuming and strenuous. Often, if the lecturer is sure of his/her assessment of the script, s/he will call the bluff of the student or advise them to write officially for the script to be re-assessed by another examiner. To achieve this, the student has to pay at least ten thousand naira, an amount of money huge enough to discourage (poor) students from contesting their scores. Another factor may be the manner in which the student makes the request. Is s/he confrontational or respectful? The third is the university rule on the handling of students’ scripts, for in most universities, scripts are treated as sacrosanct materials that must be under the custody of the department and university, not to be given to students and must be handled with caution. So, students do not have unfettered access to their scripts, an access for which their academic souls and spirits crave. Should students not be entitled to see their marked scripts, as a standing rule, fundamental educational rights, or privilege, so to speak?

Paradoxically or ironically, in all the departments, lecturers spend long hours, days and weeks marking students’ scripts for mistakes, errors, out of point (OP), good points, etc. Eventually, the students for whom the corrections in red inks are meant never get to see them. This practice damages the system in many ways. First, students do not get to see their mistakes and errors and correct them. So, they keep on committing them from year to year, and at last, they graduate with the same errors, which they repeat during interviews, teaching practice, industrial attachment and in their careers and jobs. Second, the practice damages or weakens the trust that students repose in their lecturers, for the withholding of scripts from students gives the impression that lecturers have something to hide. Indeed, it conceals the many instances of generosity, leniency and upgrading, on the one hand, and over strictness, oversight

and sometimes ‘mark downs’ on the other hand, which some lecturers may pen with red ink on a student’s script. Because students do not see their marked scripts, they believe that lecturers do deliberately fail them or refuse to give them deserving marks. Some statements have now become clichés and slogans on students’ lips on campus, such as “that lecturer is fond of marking students down”, “He gave me an F in his/her course”, “That lecturer is too hackeous,” etc.

In a micro study of 5,000 students of the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State and the University of Ado-Ekiti from 2006 to 2012 (Ekundayo, forthcoming), all the students interviewed stated that in one way or another, lecturers have a way of either marking students down or failing them. The questions asked them were Do you think that lecturers mark students down or fail them outright? and How can you prove that lecturers do this if your answer is yes?

Five hundred lecturers (four hundred male and one hundred female lecturers) in the universities were asked this question: Have you ever failed a student who ought to have passed your course? Most of the lecturers wrote ‘NO!’and even added further that they do pad up students’ scores generously, sometimes jettisoning their marking guides. However, forty–six lecturers (thirtysix male and ten female) admitted failing a student in error of mix-ups, haste or carelessness at one time or the other, which they later corrected when the students affected made a bold effort to complain about the performance. Between students’ general belief and lectures’ claim is a clear contradiction. Why do students massively believe that lecturers mark them down or fail them outright? And why do lecturers claim that they never mark students down and fail them straight?

Students do not get their scripts back, as a rule, after they have been assessed so that they can see how they performed, why they scored high or low and why they failed in order to learn from them and improve in their next test or examination. I may be wrong in my assertions and thinking, which is why I write this letter so that I can learn from the reactions of more experienced Nigerians, senior scholars and educationists.

Students interviewed raised five major points to support their claims: (i) ‘lecturers do not ever allow students to see their scripts after exams because they know what they have done and so do not want to be exposed to ridicule… that is where there power is;’ (ii) ‘some lecturers come to class to boast that no student can have A in their course, that C is for the intelligent students, B is for the genius student and A is for God’! (iii) No feedback and revelation about how lecturers score students;’ (iv) ‘lecturers don’t care whether students fail or pass so long as their salaries are paid…’ (v) ‘Whenever a student calls for a reassessment, they are asked to pay a huge sum from their pockets! Why? It is a deliberate obstacle to discourage students from asking for a reassessment of their scripts’.

The implications of these are grave for both students and lecturers. If lecturers do not really fail students but students believe that lecturers fail them, then it is ironical indeed.

However, if students deserve to fail and they are marked fairly and accordingly but they conclude that lecturers fail them, it is also ironical. The tenacity with which each side sticks to its point is also ironical. It is difficult to convince students that lecturers do not fail them deliberately, except for some isolated cases of malicious lecturers or genuine cases of mistakes and mix-ups. That this mismatch of positions and attitudes toward teaching and learning will continue is certain, and this is also ironical. Really, what does the system want to achieve by hiding students’ scripts? It is ironical that lecturers take pains to mark and comment on students scripts, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses, but students never get to see them for improvement simply because there is a rule that forbids giving scripts to students.

Against this backdrop, I move that ASUU, NUC, the Ministry of Education, Chancellors and Vice Chancellors should now-now make a standing rule that empowers students to have their scripts back permanently or provisionally to check on their performances and correct their inadequacies. Such a rule will impinge positively on our university system in several ways. First, it will stop students’ bogus claims of deliberate victimization by lecturers. No student can claim that he was victimized or denied of this or that grade because his/her script now in his/her possession can prove it all. Second, it will save the time, efforts and money spent on the reassessment of protesting students’ scripts.

Third, it will reduce sexual harassment to its lowest level. Further, it will build mutual trust and respect between students and lecturers. Above all, it will enhance educational standard and performance of our graduates whom both local and international employers of labour look down on and necessarily subject to more rigorous in-training. Scripts should be given back to students permanently or at least temporarily. However, it should be methodically done, an aspect that I shall address in another article.

• Ekundayo wrote from Benin City.

By Obe Ess

TheGuardian

www.ngrguardiannews.com

12

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Editorial Decency Is Just That: Decent HE recent move by the Lagos State government to sanction indecent dressing in the state’s civil service is a welcome quest for a return to sanity and decency in individual conduct. In a rapidly changing cosmopolitan environment and with guaranteed freedom of living, carrying the fight far beyond the service may not be totally successful in the immediate sense but that effort by the government to stamp out a certain social malady is worth it, at least to save the institution and the dignity of its workforce.

So much perversion is being perpetrated in the name of fashion by many women who, in the process, offend public sensibilities with their nude culture. This is rather unfortunate and should not be allowed. It is un-African and very unethical.

Rolling out a dress code for its female workers who have been banned from wearing mini-skirts or clothes that expose cleavages, body shape or other female body parts, the government cited worsening cases of indecency among female public servants at the state secretariat. It is instructive that there are extant civil service rules and regulations subsisting on proper or indecent dressing. So why were they being flouted with impunity before this intervention? That is a pointer to slack enforcement, which, it is hoped, would not be the basis of the new directive.

The new dress codes for female civil servants stipulate “skirts which are of knee level, have moderate slits and are not bodyclinging”. If a female worker must wear a pair of trousers, it must neither be tight nor revealing and must go with a jacket.

Complete native wear is allowed for all cadres of public servants.

Thankfully, the directive is not skewed in favour of men. The dress codes stipulate suits and ties “as professionals” for administrative officers; other officers could wear suits and ties or French suit. Junior and clerical staff members can do with shirts and trousers or French suit. It is an understatement to say that African cultures stress positive public outing, revealed through dressing. The unwritten rule is respect when a man or woman has to interface with the public, especially on special occasions.

So, why would people dress so indecently?

It is given that man is imbued with the presence of mind to cover all nakedness, meaning “moderation in dressing”. How does it feel for a married woman or lady to venture out in public in jawdropping apparel, exposing her body in ways that offend all sensibilities? What manner of dress sense would lead a young man to take his trousers far below the waist, revealing his under-pant or ‘sagging’ the said trousers to deliberately aid a freefall from his body?

These anti-social behaviours find very weird expression in contemporary entertainment world, among celebrities who ordinarily ought to be role models, among students on campuses and commercial sex workers at nightclubs (a culture that has even developed into strip clubs to entertain perverse minds).

Such appearances are definitely at variance with work ethics as is being reaffirmed by the Lagos government. Indecent dressing can safely be traced to but not limited to poor parenting, peer pressure and fading values. Beauty, it must be said, is not expressed with nudity.

About 18 months ago, a group of lecturers at the University of Jos sent a petition to the Mass Communication department to warn its students over provocative, indecent public appearances. Some male students were also appearing ‘naked and intimidating’, according to the petition. A girl in skimpy skirt in Abuja was once thoroughly disgraced by an irate mob, just as a lady on a commercial motorbike tasted the wrath of a task force in the State of Osun (Swift Action Squad) eager to enforce the ‘Omoluabi’ ethos.

Lagos State has made a good statement of intent to tackle the problem. Other states may not have seen the propriety of this yet but can take a cue from its positivity. Wayward adults are much more difficult to handle, so it is incumbent on parents and seniors to remain moral exemplars and instructors. The mass media must be in the vanguard of the fight for reforms too. A deficit of morals is obvious across the country and now is the time to fight for decency.

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LETTERS

Marking A Centenary Without Lokoja IR: The government decision lowering of Royal Niger Lokoja for final centenary celebraS‘amalgamation’ to celebrate 100 years of Company and the hoisting of tion would have afforded them of both south- Union Jack flag. All these ern and northern protectorates may have laid the fragile foundation the country still grapples with at the present, although such period calls for celebration by any government and its people. The committee set up to organise the centenary has done a lot towards giving the country a befitting celebration that would be remembered for a very long time. But it has failed to recognise properly some areas that played significant roles in the merger.

The case in point is Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State, which was overlooked by the centenary celebration committee. The people of Lokoja were not aware of any centenary celebration, what we saw is just the beautification of some historical monuments by the state government. The state owned radio station may have rolled out some jingles to enlighten the populace, but how many people do listen to the radio station to update themselves on current developments.

Lokoja is reputed as the first capital of Nigeria, where Lord Lugard settled, it’s the same Lokoja that is blessed with the confluence of rivers Niger and Benue, and later the idea of unification of this country.

Lokoja was opportune to play greater role of witnessing the

make it imperative for Lokoja town to host the grand finale of the centenary celebration.

The committee also failed to give the town a special mention, let alone honouring any individual from the town by President Goodluck Jonathan during the final event.

The coming of foreign heads of state and dignitaries to

the significant role Lokoja played in the unification of this country.

Also building the centenary city at Abuja is a misplaced priority because Abuja has seen enough infrastructural development. We hope the present government would ensure Lokoja played greater role in any future anniversary of how Nigeria came to be.

• Bala Nayashi, Lokoja.

Of Churchill, Jonathan, Nazism And Boko Haramism IR: I read the caption “I SNigerian won’t preside over a break up” credited to President Goodluck Jonathan in The Guardian of February 25, 2014. It was echoing then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill who quite confidently, on November 10, 1942 said, “as the King’s first Minister I am not going to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire.”

Churchill lost the elections that followed in 1945 and by 1947 with India the “Crown Jewel” of the British Empire granted Independence, we saw the beginning of the “Liquidation of the British Empire.” The truth is Nigeria is just like an Empire. So many small countries tied together.

I observe that Churchill and

Jonathan are Black Hat (Bowker and Fedora) wearing leaders belonging to the conservative school of politics and they are both November children, having been born November 30, 1874 and November 20, 1957 respectively.

Churchill was in the midst of the Second World War (against the Nazis) and Jonathan the Boko Haram War. Some would say placing Jonathan besides Churchill is silly but the tools available to Jonathan were not in existence during the times of Churchill. Churchill would have been prepared to kill to get a smart phone of today. I hope things will go well after the general elections of 2015.

• Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth,

Sunday, March 9, 2014

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ENTERPRISE

By Geraldine Akutu OR Tolu Samaiye, life is all about realising one’s goals with all the innate talents.

It is also about recognising opportunities when they come and making the best of them. So, when in 2011 before her Youth Service she couldn’t secure paid employment, she decided to go into baking rather than wait endlessly for a white-collar job that wasn’t forthcoming.

The boredom, arising from a fruitless search for employment, became unbearable at a point. And so, Tolu started toying with some ideas regarding her next move. Should she continue with the search for a job or simply take time to do other things in the meantime? “I actually thought of going to a makeup school to learn makeup artistry, but a friend, who organises exhibitions, advised me to go into the baking of cupcakes instead.

I gave it a try and realised I could really do it.

I started full operation in February 2012 and added desserts alongside the cakes I make,” she says.

Interestingly, the building technology graduate from Covenant University did not go for any proper training but learnt how to bake and do related things through surfing the internet, watching video of people that do this on-line and sometimes reading cookery books.

“When I went into the business, my mum thought it was just a hobby and encouraged me to do it with the belief that after Youth Service, I will get a job and go for my Masters.

As I continued, however, my parents noticed that after my NYSC, I wasn’t looking for a job.

They felt bad and asked me why I was doing this but I held on to it. With time, they saw I was excelling and gave me the full support.

It has really been an eye-opener and a wonderful experience for me,” she recalls.

The brain behind Melting Moments, located in Berger area of Lagos, informs that the name of her outfit came from a company in the United Kingdom. “Initially, I gave it Baby Cakes because I was making cupcakes, which were smaller cakes but later as I progressed and incorporated other things, I felt the need to change the name.

So, I consulted my elder sister, who lives in UK and she told me there is a company there that wanted to c l o s e down business.

M y sis-

F

SAMAIYE: The Dessert Chef With Good Finishing ter went to speak to them on my behalf.

After negotiation, I bought the company, their machines, website and every other thing that had to do with Melting Moments and shipped them to Nigeria.

“I must say that my big sister has been my backbone because she is a motivator, who believes so much in me. She kept on telling me ‘you can do it; you don’t need to work for somebody to make money. I’m glad I took that bold step. I’m also delighted that I have found fulfilment in this job because it’s lucrative. I was in the business for only one year, when I got nominated for one of Dessert Company Of The Year at the Wedding Industry Award. Although, I didn’t win, all the same, I felt it was a good achievement for me because it shows that people appreciate my work. I try as much as possible to put in my best in everything I do,” she says excitedly.

Amidst competition Samaiye says she is coping very well. in“The

dustry is getting saturated because a lot of people are coming in. I think it’s all about individual’s marketing strategy and knowing how to get one’s customers, on-line presence and everything that has to do with management. I play around with my creativity a lot. My business is unique in the sense that I am diet conscious, as I easily add and lose weight. When my clients order for cakes, the first thing I ask them is: ‘Do you want it low fat or full fat?’ This is so to meet their tastes or preferences. You see, people do tell me they like cake but it is too fattening.

So, I always tell them I can make it low fat a n d they

agree. At Melting Moments, we treat our clients with care and quality service,” she says.

So, what motivates her? “The fact that I am in the kitchen with shorts and T-shirts doing what I love to do without dressing to impress anybody gives me so much joy, because I am in my comfort zone. For instance, when you call me by 12 o’ clock and order for a cake for 9 a.m. I will wake up by six in the morning because I know I have to get out of bed with my pyjamas and get the job done.”

Reminiscing on her childhood, Samaiye informs that it was a sweet experience because her mum, now retired, was a diplomat. “I grew up mostly with my mum.

We were always travelling from one country to another, meeting people and learning from different cultures. Basically, all this has affected me positively. My dad, on the other hand, runs a wood finishing company. He has always been based in Nigeria and visits us from time to time. As a matter of fact, I was literally considered my mother’s handbag.”

On how she manages work and social life, she is quick to say that she is a workaholic and hardly finds time to rest. “I don’t joke with my work. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I went to see a movie. If I have the opportunity, I think I would go to the spa to relieve the stress, go on a holiday or relax with friends to cool off.”

What is her style like? With a wide smile on her face, she choruses, “I am a jeans and Tshirt person. I like wearing jeans with Tshirt and blazers but if I am wearing dresses, I go for simple but classy ones. I am not really a heavy jewellery person because my ears react to it. I love looking good because it makes me feel good and confident about myself. You see, impression matters a lot because what you wear says a lot about you.”

For those that want to go into her line of business, she advises: “Life is not a bed of roses. So, don’t expect it to be a smooth journey. You are going to start and fail so many times. When I first started, I got calls from people saying I don’t like the cake you delivered. I felt bad but I kept working and improving on my work. Now people tell me, ‘O my God I love the cake you baked’ and they recommend me to others. If I had stopped because of what a client said, I would probably not be where I am today. You have to keep pushing no matter what.”

14 Sunday, March 9, 2014

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NEWSFEATURE LIFE AFTER SPILLAGE: Ijegun Imore Remains Endangered Terrain

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P/28 BUSINESS Fuel Scarcity: Time To Clean Up The Crisis

P/30

EKE-CHARRIE: A Passion For People Living With Disabilities

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SPOTLIGHT

EKE-CHARRIE: A Passion For People Living With Disabilities by donating lands for the rehabilitation of disabled persons in their respective states.

What are the programmes you have for people living with disabilities in Nigeria?

The programmes shall be strategic and in line with the outcome of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the realisation of the MDGs and other internationally agreed development goals for persons with disabilities, which is deeply rooted in the goals of the United Nations Charter and the Universal DecWhat is the International Association of Applied laration of Human Rights. It is imperative that Psychology (IAAP) all about? we make diversity and inclusion a reality in T is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) the private sector too. accredited at the United Nations with the Eco- For example, through my Chair at the UN, Dr nomic and Social Council (ECOSOC). We advo- Judy Kuriansky, I have had contact with IBM cate with governments, member states, UN through its Diversity and Inclusion Procommissions and agencies and other stakehold- gramme Manager (West Africa), Shuyao Kong, ers about the importance of psychology to the at- to assist the young through middle-aged tainment of the MDGs and the overall global PWDs (with ICT background) gain internships agenda. We currently span all the issues of the and permanent employment, even though millennium development goals (MDGs) and emerging sustainable development goals (SDGs) with focus on disabilities, poverty eradication, peace and women and collaboratively bring the issue of psychology to United Nations deliberations.

How does being a professional affiliate of the body benefit Nigerians?

Being a professional affiliate definitely has its benefits in the sense that it provides a platform and opportunity to help my country attain some of the important UN goals and social issues that it is interested in and focused on achieving. Civil Society is a ‘trusted partner with governments of the UN and has a voice’, says the President of the General Assembly, John Ashe.

By this affiliation, I am afforded the total support of PCUN/IAAP to initiate, develop and collaborate on diverse projects that have absolute relevance to the overall UN agenda. Only last December, with the kind influence of the Consul-General, Ambassador Habib Habu, I was able to facilitate a meeting between the Psychology Coalition at the United Nations (PCUN) and Ambassador Usman Sarki, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations in New York City.

I made a case that if our advocacy, as a body, was going to be launched, it had to begin with Nigeria and I am elated to say that this meeting was very successful and has metamorphosed into something bigger. We are indeed humbled and by the graciousness of the DPR, we have just begun partnering and collaborating with a Nigerian government NGO, namely, the Federal Civil Service Staff with Disabilities Multipurpose Cooperative Society, which has Alhaji Abdul-Rauf as the National Coordinating Chairman/CEO at the helm of affairs. He has such a large heart and the best of intentions for the PWDs. Mind you, any collaboration at the international level requires significant communicating, commitment and reporting, and that is my job.

I am passionate about disabilities issues because I happen to have witnessed it first-hand through a very close relative.

So, I can speak authoritatively about the trauma on the psyche, which is affected during a trying period such as this. You must keep assuring and reassuring, mentoring and gently insisting the individual does not fall into or dwell in a state of self-pity and hopelessness, which can be very detrimental to the mental state. Should this occur, one is then virtually on presently, they can only employ two persons a the brink. I was basically a caregiver for over year as the department is still embryonic. seven years.

We are currently sieving through CVs of In addition, the emphasis placed on PWDs PWDs in various disciplines, as we are set to today, is commendable. Sincere appreciation meet other private sector organisations that goes to General Ibrahim Babangida, who laid the would commit to partnering with us to enfoundation in 1993, following General Olusegun sure that our physically challenged loved ones Obasanjo and now President Goodluck Ebele succeed, as anyone else. Mentoring is going to Jonathan, who is very committed to the plight of be gradual and comfortable, as we shall set PWDs and has taken it many steps further by es- out to give them a sense of well-being and the tablishing the National Commission for Persons confidence to chart their lives, once the opporwith Disabilities to serve as the platform for the tunities are availed them. enforcement of all provisions of the Disability For those wishing to be entrepreneurs, skills Act. acquisitions programmes are in the works We must also appreciate and recognise the and shall be made available. Since many of the voices in the National Assembly including Abike physically challenged are found in the villages, Dabiri-Erewa, who propagated and sponsored word is being put across to them through the Bill on Disabilities, as well as activists such as their local governments, village heads and imCosmas I. B. Ikoli and Jake Epelle, who are conmediate communities to identify themselves stantly canvassing support for the vulnerable for data compilation to address these issues. and physically challenged. We are also thrilled We understand the fact that data compilathat our governors have keyed into this project tion, even in developed countries can be quite

Grace Eke-Charrie is a United Nations Peace Ambassador and a professional affiliate to the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP.) She recently spoke with TUNDE AKINOLA on her passion for people living with disabilities and how she intends to use her influence within the UN body to bring about positive changes.

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daunting, but better to start from somewhere with what we have, than not at all. Persons with disabilities need to be included in everything and should face no limits. There should be equality in education, employment and healthcare. They have a higher suicide rate and so must be taken care of. This is a global agenda and we must go with the flow.

You are also an official team member of Psychology Coalition at the United Nations. Is there any synergy between the body and IAAP? Yes, there is a strong synergy between the body and IAAP. The PCUN is a group of psychology NGOs accredited at the United Nations with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the IAAP is one of those. We recently submitted statements to the recent UN high-level meetings on persons with disabilities, the just concluded Commission for Social Development and the forthcoming 58th Session of the Commission of the Status of Women (CSW) holding

this March.

Why do you think Nigeria is still lagging behind in the area of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other programmes that are crucial on the global agenda?

Personally, I would not say Nigeria is lagging behind in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. We should resist comparing ourselves with developed countries, which have had their policies neatly put in place years ahead of us and are abiding by them to the letter, although it is good to do so once in a while as a yardstick, to measure how far we have gone or not going.

We should constantly be reviewing our goals and going back to the drawing board again and again, to re-strategise. It’s what the big boys do.

However, there are gaps between the blueprint, policy-making and implementation. Once government can bridge these gaps, things shall fall into place. Nigeria is faring reasonably well in

terms of promoting women empowerment, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

We must prioritise the issue of poverty eradication. The emphasis on climate change must be upped a further notch by putting more measures in place that would cushion the effects of extreme rainfall and desertification and most importantly, there must be environmental stability in the Niger Delta.

How would you describe the reception of the Nigerian government to this initiative?

The Federal Civil Service Staff with Disabilities Multipurpose Cooperative Society has been very receptive to the need to collaborate with the PCUN to improve the lives of PWDs and we recently held meetings with the Board, under the Chairmanship of Alhaji Abdul-Rauf, to begin working out modalities to this effect. The meetings are on-going, cordial, successful and onpoint.

What were you doing before venturing into this project; do you have other future projects to enhance the dignity of Nigerians?

I have been involved in many causes, one of them being the clamour for the upcoming National Conference in the last two years, through the Nigerian National Summit Group (NNSG) of which I am a founding member, with eminent personalities such as Dr. Patrick Utomi and Mr. Tony Uranta as conveners. Our efforts eventually paid off. I am also putting together a social enterprise, which shall be unveiled in due course. We shall spread our tentacles to the grassroots for our loved ones to benefit immensely from the initiatives we will be putting in place. We shall also be partnering with the public and private sectors and other well-meaning persons.

Once the structures are in place, we shall do a launch.

Background/growing up I am Efik and hail from Calabar, Cross River State. I am a United Nations Peace Ambassador and social entrepreneur with an educational background in Marketing from the Kensington College of Business in London and an additional background in project management.

I attended Corona School, Victoria Island, St. Mary’s Private School, Broad Street and Holy Child College, Obalende, Lagos. I went to St. Andrew’s Private Tutorial College, Cambridge, England for my A-levels. I proceeded to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria for a while before my dad withdrew me due to the insurgency at the time.

My parents, Chief Bassey and Princess (Chief) Mrs. Emilia Nsefik Eke of blessed memory, were distinguished civil servants. My dad was a seasoned diplomat and a chartered accountant, who served his country diligently and was finally posted to the Ministry of Defence as Chief Accountant, from where he retired. My Mum was an accomplished public administrator and a chartered secretary until she became a Director at the Nigerian Ports Authority, Marina, Lagos from where she also retired.

Growing up in Ikoyi then was pure innocence and total fun. I had a lot of friends and cousins, even though, as time went by, I learned to enjoy my own company, which is reflective of how I live as an adult today. My daughter refers to me as ‘the social introvert.’

My dream has always been to make an impact in peoples’ lives, as we don’t have to have a lot to do the little we can. My Mum was my role model and a few of my very close aunts, one being the late Chief Afi Ekong, a prolific artist and entrepreneur. My Mum was dedicated to the creation of Cross River State, a struggle that was greatly supported by some patriotic Cross River indigenes living in Lagos in the 70’s. She also dedicated her service to the emancipation of women through the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Lioness Club and Esop Nka Idorenyin in Lagos. As a royal princess from Adiabo in Cross River State, she was conspicuous in all palace activities.

My parents dedicated their service to God through the support given to the building of the Yaba Presbyterian Church in the 70s. I guess I have the combination of dad’s diplomatic skills and mum’s demure social activism. No doubt, it is these activities that birthed my passion for social issues today with emphasis on persons living with disabilities. (PWDs).

Progress in our societies will be meaningful, when it provides dignity to all and is inclusive.

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Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Junior Guardian WORD POWER GAME

POEM Superhero

Tether a) tie b) hold c) shape d) dot Meander a) wander b) cross c) ride d) weigh

I’m a super hero The world’s greatest So powerful and mighty Full of strength to carry on never relenting in my efforts Towards being a success Yes! Heroes do that I will do that too I will reach out to the world And make it a better place Touching the lives of people Making the world better and simple — Solomon Folasayo Ocean Crest School, Lekki

Gloom a) shine b) darkness c) pale d) narrow Moat a) ditch b) wall c) curve d) dry Tantrum a) cry b) outburst c) laughter d) beat Banter a) Teasing b) dancing c) clapping d) racing Lather a) soap b) climb c) wear d) poor Splendid a) fine b) brave c) doubt d) clear Haughty a) proud b) bold c) naughty d) dirty

SOLUTIOnS TO BRAIn TEASER (21) BRIGHT WInnER

COnCEIVE AnnOUnCE

PROMInEnT EnCOURAGE

IMPOSE FRUSTRATE

RIDDLES What eats with the king and does not greet the king?

It’s easy to bring me out of my place but very difficult to return me. What am I? I’m a fat woman in the midst of big thorns. What am I? Ans: The housefly A strand of hair The tongue

By Isaac Mohammed, Ilorin

UAC Unveils Gala Tinkies For Kids HILDREn and propriC etresses from schools in Lagos State recently gathered for the unveiling of the new Gala Tinkies produced by UAC Foods nigeria Ltd held at Balmoral event cEntre.

Speaking at the event, the MD of UAC, Mr. Tawanda Mushuku said that the new snack is specifically designed for children, especially those between age 5 and 12 years in response to the yearnings of their consumers and relevant stakeholders. He noted that the new Gala Tinkies is enriched with vitamins and minerals, which will give the children nutritious snacking experience. The newly launched gala was beautifully packaged and comes in different flavours ranging from strawberry, fruity, to peanut.

The General marketing Manager, Mrs. Joan Ihekwaba explained that the product came after many months of research, experimentation

Pupils at the event

and evaluation with the consumers. She noted that the snack is hygienically manufactured to excite the taste and imaginations of the children, while still meeting their fill-need.

She further said that the launch of the product will further stamp the leadership and authority of the gala brand in the nigeria snack market, as it remains number one sausage roll in nigeria.

The Chairman, Scientific and Technical Committee of the nutrition Society of nigeria Dr. Bartholomen Brai commended UAC for the initiative that will create new nutritious experience for the nigerian child.

In her remarks the propietress of Kiddies Kingdom Private School, Mrs. Iwucku expressed optimism that the variants of the new gala Tinkies would be attracted to the children.

— Paul Adunwoke

D-IVY College Holds Inter-House Sports n an effort to develop the spirit of sportsIthemanship and healthy competitions among students, the MD of D-IVY College Mr.

Students of Anchor Springfield at the end of the year party at Ileri Oluwa Estate, Ota, Ogun State COMPILED BY KIKELOLA OYEBOLA

Oluleke Ilo, has advised schools to use sports as a tool to enhance physical fitness and mental alertness among students.

Speaking last weekend at the 3rd Annual Inter-house Sports competition of the school, the director said that it’s part of the school life to engage students in sport competitions. He noted that over concentration on the cognitive affective domains would only produce an academically sound child.

But a combination of the cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills would ensure a thorough bred youth, who will not only be knowledgeable and disciplined, but also be able to steer the course of the country as a great leader in future.

Said he: “To build a total child, schools must set a day apart, when children leave their everyday academic life of the classroom for a while to attend to the demands of their physical well being” He stressed that apart from

the sport activities, the school also engages the students in music debating and other extra curricular activities.

Principal of the school, Mrs. Ayodeji Obayemi said that physical exercise gives strength and mental alertness to the body and as a result, the school management sets a day apart for them to showcase their God-given talent.

The sports coordinator of the school, Mrs. Folashade Erinle explained that the competitions would not only bring out the best in them but also offer them opportunity to compete.

“The school inter-house sports competition makes a good and responsible leader a team player that listens to the yearning of his people and respect their feelings.”

Blue House emerged the winner of the competition, while Yellow House was second with nine gold, eight silver and 10 bronze medals. The 3rd position went to Green House.

— Gbenga Akinfenwa

TheGuardian

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Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Cover Boko Haram: Monstrous Terrorists Vs Military In Decline

By Armsfree Ajanaku RRESPECTIVE of what was agreed to be the sordid state of national affairs following those lost decades, when soldiers intervened in the political space under the guise of correcting the follies of politicians, the myth about the bravery and valour of Nigerian military remained intact. Common street lore gives a pride of place to military men based on the assumption that they are more disciplined than their counterparts in the police.

Even some religious leaders, especially those in the Pentecostal fold don army camouflage and other military apparel in allusion to the notion of the capability of the armed forces when warfare is the matter at hand.

Remarkable reports of excellent performance by Nigerian troops, who took part in various peace-keeping missions around the world further served to burnish the image of the Nigerian military. In Burma, Liberia, Somalia, the Congo and Sierra Leone amongst a long list of other peace keeping exertions, Nigerian troops won accolades so much so that one of the premise on which Nigeria is staking a claim for a permanent seat at the United Nations is on the contribution in peace keeping around the globe.

Within Nigeria, the adulation that accompanied the exploits of the military in peace keeping operation across various troubled spots further served to cement their general perception.

In fact, the Army, Navy and Air Force personnel were so cocksure of their prowess that one of them, Major General Victor Malu, took issues when the United States sometime in 2002 offered to train Nigerian troops to further boost their skills in ground combat operations. Malu was livid with rage that the United States which came back from a special operation in Somalia with a bloodied nose, was offering to teach Nigerians a thing or two in ground combat. In the proud eyes of the then Nigerian army chief, it was the United States that had more than one thing or two to learn from the Nigerian military, which had experiences from series of campaigns across the globe under its belt.

All of these precipitated the notion that the military would be adept at dealing with any forms of threat to the nation’s territorial integrity. The thinking was that if Nigeria could use its manpower, as well as financial resources to ensure the return of peace in trouble spots such as Liberia (where the Nigerian Army intervened first in 1989 and later in 2003), and Sierra Leone, it should logically have the wherewithal to completely annihilate any internal or external aggressor that attempts to assail the nation’s territorial integrity.

As if to blow these assumptions to smithereens, and remind

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both nationals and the international community of the clay feet on which the Nigerian state is resting, Boko Haram terrorism is almost making a joke of the military’s myth of invincibility.

Now, the images assailing the minds of traumatized Nigerians is that of Nigerian soldiers commencing a quick dialogue with their feet whenever the blood thirsty Boko Haram hounds come to town to maim, and cheapen the value of life, limb and property. Flustered by his increasing role as chief mourner of dead citizens mowed down by the unending blood spilling, Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, recently lost his composure, declaring that the insurgents were better armed and motivated than the military. He said: “Boko Haram are better armed and are better motivated than our own troops. Given the present state of affairs, it is absolutely impossible for us to defeat Boko Haram.”

What can be inferred from Shettima’s protestation is that soldiers detailed to stop insurgents driven by hate, and the urge to spill blood to score cheap points, have to truly believe in the duty they have to do. In the other area of armament or superior fire power needed to teach the insurgents a bitter lesson, the trend in budgeting for the Ministry of Defence in the last few years would suffice. Many are beginning to wonder if it is not time to revisit Nigeria’s defense spending to see if state resources have actually been deployed to put the Nigerian military in a state of combat readiness.

For the period the militancy in the Niger Delta lasted, the ready excuse used to explain away daring onslaughts of the militants was the geography of the oil bearing region, made of interminable creeks crossing the length and breadth of the Delta. In the case of Boko Haram however, there are no creeks, which the enemies of the state could use in beating a retreat after launching attacks. Trumatised Nigerians have heard about a certain Sambisa forest where the insurgents have made their base. The Federal Government recently mulled over the idea of training forests guards to take on the outlaws hiding there.

The operation against the insurgents in the North East is an affair on land, with some measure of air surveillance. Even when some have conceded that the conflict is by nature unconventional, due to the tendency of the insurgents to strike and melt back into the population, many Nigerians expect that those in charge of the campaign would have been able to devise the sort of soft power, the intelligence gathering capacity needed to vanquish this mindless and blood thirsty adversaries.

Expectedly, with the realities of the despicable acts carried out by the terrorists, including the brutal spilling of the blood of innocent school children, and the unceasing attacks on defenceless citizens, an outpouring of tears and emotions is forcing a reassessment of the Nigerian military as an institution, its strate-

gy in this crucial Nigerian war against terror, as well as its overall outlook. The questions requiring urgent answers from worried country men and women include: can the military win this war against the insurgents with the same set of strategies it has deployed in the last four years, which seems to have placed more emphasis on hardware in terms of boots on the ground, than the dimensions of soft power, particularly intelligence, and political engagement? In the face of the constancy of the attacks by the enemies of state, in spite of the state of emergency in place, is it not time to declare full emergency, and crack down on this audacious challenge to state authority?

Naturally, the first point to begin the scrutiny of the military is in the area of defence spending, which has been on the rise since 2009 in response to the escalation of the conflict in the North East.

However, the spike in defence spending has not translated to better security on ground, leaving many citizens with the worrisome status of being refugees in their own country due to the raging conflict. In 2010 for example, figures from the Nigerian Budget Office showed that the Ministry of Defence got N232 billion. Interestingly too, that particular year N192 billion of the amount went into recurrent expenditure, while capital projects took about N40 billion. The few provisions that could be said to have had an impact with respect to equipping troops included such ventures as the “development for land, sea and air application,” which took N40 million of the year’s budget. The 2010 budget of the ministry also talked of providing “a production line for riffles with similar characteristics as the AK 47 riffle.”

Beyond these few and far between provisions for actual hardware needed in this time of war against terrorists, majority of the budgets went into paying for personnel costs and other related overheads. In 2013, N297 billion was budgeted for the ministry, while the sum of N340 billion was proposed in 2014. The worry according to analysts is that all of these huge sums have not translated into the expected peace.

So where does all the money go? In a 2012 analysis of the Ministry of Defence budget proposal, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el Rufai sought to make sense of the N396.5billion (about $2.56billion) proposed for spending by the armed forces – the Ministry of Defence Headquarters, the Army, Navy, and Air Force, their recurrent and capital costs, training, welfare and internal operations. One of the conclusions reached by the former Minister was that a large percentage of the major equipment of the Army including battle tanks, reconnaissance vehicles, personnel carriers, Howitzers, CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

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UMAr AlIyU BABANgIDA: How To Fight Terror In Northeast • Insurgency Feasts On Decades Of Ethnic, Political Misbehaviour Niger State-born Umar Aliyu Babangida, a Certified Protection Officer and Member of the International Foundation of Protection Officers (IFPO), is an ex-Army Officer, who commenced his career as security and intelligence practitioner. Having graduated from the Nigeria Defence Academy, where he majored in Political Science and Defence Studies, he was posted to the Military Intelligence Arm of the Nigerian Army. Post Army, he had various work engagements in a number of notable corporate entities, local and multinational; with passion for business security; enterprise environment-related risks; project management and executive protection (bodyguards). The national/homeland security enthusiast, in an email exchange with MARCEL MBAMALU, speaks on the How would you describe Nigeria’s security challenges across the country (Southeast, Southsouth, North Central and Northeast; are these challenges really peculiar to Nigeria?

HE security challenges across the country, as we know them today, are not a peculiarity to our national space and people.

Democracy comes with its benefits, not less so, challenges. Having so opined, I must hasten to say that security, or the lack of it, remains essentially what we, as a nation and people, make of it. Suffice it to say that the challenges we face today are results, or feedback if you like, that our co-existence as a people needs to be reviewed; properly done, we could all emerge from these dire times, stronger, wiser, better, as a nation.

Does the Nigeria military really have the capacity to contain the Boko Haram menace, talk less winning the war?

Permit me to say (that) it is not a war; it’s an internal security situation, or insurgency, in which the rate of losses — human, material and collateral — is worrisome.

The capacity to contain the problem is not in doubt; more like, the capability is where the issue lies. Capability here refers to the required backing, in every sense of the word, which the military needs, to do their part of a multifaceted task. Try as they may, our collective disposition and support across board will play key role in what will or will not be achieved.

I dare say, the mastermind of the insurgents, the Boko Haram, has since perceived this, and exploits it to gain grounds… it is called propaganda, in psychological operations. That we are beginning to doubt our capacity to contain the situation, is just one of such leverages, of propaganda, which their operations is eliciting from us, albeit unconsciously.

Could the insurgency have been avoided? yes indeed; this could have been avoided.

T

recall that terrorism has been ongoing globally, in forms that were referred to as, but were not limited to, ethnic separatism, left-wing terrorism; Islamist terrorism, etcetera.

This dates as far back as 1945. In all those years, Nigeria, as a nation, came about in 1960 and has so existed without acts of terrorism in the nature of which we have seen since 2009.

What has made home and country a lucrative platform for terrorism as of today, remains the immediate and remote effects of prolonged acts of irresponsible socio-cultural, ethno-religious and political behaviour, spanning decades; the liberties of democracy were abused, by persons who initiated acts, the triggers which were swiftly exploited by terror prospect seekers, to launch a platform in Nigeria. Having said this much, the situation can be managed if and only our collective national psyche of national security transcends the ethnic, regional, religious and other allied mentalities, as we know them today.

The foundations of a return to the status quo ante, when Nigeria remained an unlikely breeding ground for terrorist cells can thus be rebuilt.

What major capacity challenges does the Military have now?

Talking about capacity, the Army, and her challenges, I cannot speak to you from an informed position per se; the Army is best suited to comment on her capacity challenges.

However, with the benefit of having served, and considering the Army’s history of feats in military operations at home and abroad, I dare say that the issue is not a question of capacity (which is already there) but a rearticulating of the military’s capacity to operate proficiently; the resource for which abounds. let’s not forget that the military outside of its traditional role has also been co-opted into internal security tasks, in various flash points nation-wide, the collective nature of which is manpower heavy to say the least.

What Nigeria requires as we speak is a reserve force, a homeland security custodian, that can free up most of what the Army is doing presently hence allow for focus and concentration of forces where the need arises. This is the practice, globally. The increasing ethnoreligious crises, terrorism, kidnapping, proliferation of arms, oil pipe vandalism, smuggling and oil theft are politically, economically and socially threatening the very existence of Nigeria as a nation. The occurrences seem so overwhelming that our regular forces, by their

presence in the affected areas, are helplessly becoming the confirmers rather than the preventers of the incidents. The situation is apparently a challenge to the nation in her ability to provide for national security. To overcome such a challenge, nations keep and activate their reserve forces to augment their regular forces.

A reserve force is an organisation composed of citizens of a country who combine a military role or career with a civilian career. They are not normally kept under arms and their main role is to be available to fight or render services when a nation mobilizes for war, defence against invasion or during emergencies in peacetime to aid civil authorities, as in our case presently. reservists can also be civilians who undertake basic and specialized training in parallel with regular forces while retaining their civilian roles. They could be former military members who reached the end of their enlistment or resigned their commission.

Indeed, in many nations, retiring military and Para-military personnel are required to serve in the reserves for a number of years after leaving active service.

There is no doubt that, since the declaration of the State of Emergency, the armed forces has made giant strides especially at dislodging the insurgents and denying them hitherto freedom of operation. Nevertheless, the nature of the warfare coupled with the high demand for troops for other Internal Security duties has stretched the capacity of the troops beyond limits. At this stage, there is the need to build capacity for our troops, through all legitimate means. Nations usually fall back on their reserve Force for capacity building. regrettably, the issue of reserve Force for Nigeria has always only remained on paper. Furthermore, raising a reserve Force is a process that requires time and resources, which the present exigency does not give room for. Therefore one of the best options, for now, is to engage the services of our retired personnel in an organized manner. retired personnel, world over, have remained the immediate and valuable source of ready trained manpower for military assignments and deployments. Hence, to support regular forces, countries have had to employ the services of private military and security companies (PMSCs), in sourcing appropriate retired personnel.

In Afghanistan for example, there are over 14,000 PMSC personnel (higher in number than the fighting troops) supporting the American forces across all spectrum of operation. This number does not include those offering logistic support and private security for other countries or contractors. PMSCs take up support roles, thereby freeing-up the regular forces to carry out their primary assignments of directly engaging the adversaries.

We could also adopt this method by delegating combat support roles to private military companies while direct combat remains the prerogative of our national armed forces.

This method may be unconventional and unfamiliar to us, so also is the war against insurgency. We must accept the fact that we are being confronted with stark reality, and if the nation is to survive, we have to be coura-

...Monstrous Terrorists Vs Military In Decline CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

field guns and rocket launchers, as well as anti-tank guns and surface to air missiles were aged and out of service and need urgent updating and replacement.

He also observed that “the total budget of the Army (in 2012) is N122.4billion, nearly a third of the total defence budget but only N5.77billionis for acquisition of equipment and weaponry, while N116.7billion is for recurrent needs. The average direct cost per head of our soldiers and men is some N1.61 million compared with between N7 and 10 million for the Air Force and Navy (see below) indicating an urgent need to right-size the Army to free up resources for operational equipment, tools and training.” In other words, the hunch has been that the misplacement of priorities could be an area to look at and address if the will is there to reposition the military and make it better prepared for the exigencies of the times.

Some security experts have also noted the absence of a coherent defence policy, as one of the things that must be addressed

to confront challenges like the Boko Haram madness. The last policy that was crafted with the key drivers of planning in mind was the one produced during the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo in 1979. The main objectives of the policy was the “defence of our sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, the creation of the necessary political and economic conditions in Africa and the rest of the world, which will facilitate the defence of independence and territorial integrity of all African countries, while at the same time fostering national selfreliance and rapid economic development.” Others include promotion of equality and self- reliance in Africa and the rest of the developing world, as well as the defence and promotion of world peace.

Other factors to consider if Nigeria is to win the war against the mindless Boko Haram terrorists, is the fact that there needs to be an increasing and functional synergy between all of the security services. A soldier deployed in some remote terrain of the Northeast without intelligence is akin to a man groping in

geous enough to employ all conventional and unconventional relevant and legitimate means of national power to meet the challenges. Our retired personnel (who happen to number way beyond the serving ones) should be seen as a source of national power, and also (like all Nigerians) should contribute to national survival in their areas of relevance.

After all, if the “Civilian JTF” could provide a form of relevance, how much more those trained with huge resources and constitutionally earmarked for this purpose?

With the extensive utilis1ation of the armed forces for IS tasks, the military is also being outstretched. Try as they have, there are still frequent reoccurrences of communal clashes, killing of security agents and terrorist acts in their areas of responsibility. From the foregoing, there is no doubt that our regular forces are overstretched by the present security situation and the nation requires a reserve force.

However, the organization (constitution, administration, maintenance, mobilization and training) of a reserve force is complicated because it involves all strata of the society in the contingency plan. It is easily operated in developed and integrated societies where availability of personal data and other information is a normal societal life. We therefore need to build a reserve force by gradual approach. A public private partnership (PPP) approach can provide the time, follow up and continuity, which the present preoccupation and staff turnover of the Service would not allow.

Do you think it can really match the Boko Haram?

Matching the Boko Haram, to use your words, is not a function of Army or no Army; it is more like a systematisation of varied specialties across board; the Military is just one of such specialities. The Media has a role to play, the civil populace, political, social, religious, ethnic, pressure and interest groups all have a role to play; only then can the threat be matched, and suppressed.

How have defence budgets over the years justified the present capacity of the Nigerian Army in men and facilities; is the 2014 allocation to that ministry really adequate, considering the Boko Haram challenge?

Budget allocations are informed by propositions and institutional requirements; there is, however, a correlation between what is approved and what is achieved with the allocations.

I want to believe that a more prudent approach to dispensing with these allocations is what we need to encourage in any case. Trying to gauge performance vis-à-vis the size of financial allocation can at best be superficial. Fiscal allocation and cost efficiency with regards to running a State of Emergency is better understood where a military assignment like the one in question is project-based.

Military operations like the SOE are simply put, military projects, if you like. They are meant to achieve a set of deliverables; these deliverables are expected to be achieved on time, on budget and to specification. This thus brings to the fore the need to road-map and benchmark the task ahead, which also means the entire resource and financial alloCONTINUED ON PAGE 27

the dark. That is why security experts have called for closer and mandatory collaboration between all concerned agencies.

The insurgency in the Northeast, has taken too many lives, while creating the impression in the international community that Nigeria is a country of savages, where children, in spite of their innocence, can be mowed down without perpetrators being brought to justice. Already, the new Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice Marshall Alex Badeh, has promised that the insurrection will end before April. Not many Nigerians believe him on that score. But there are those who would readily agree with him, when he recently said of the military men: “we are not custodians of democracy but we are defenders of democracy; we are to ensure that democracy thrives, so that everybody can go about doing their business.’’ How well he stays true to his words by stopping further mindless bloodletting will define his and the legacy of all of those in the top military brass donning those well starched uniforms and the uncountable gleaming epaulets.

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BOKO HARAM: Gusau Takes Up The Gauntlet As Defence Minister

By Madu Onuorah, Abuja Bureau Chief

Despite continuing big military offensives, the militant sect “People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad,” better known by its Hausa name Boko Haram (BH) has continued to conduct killings, bombings, kidnappings and other attacks that has resulted in numerous deaths, injuries, and the widespread destruction of property. Efforts to contain the violence have been the major challenge pre-occupying the Nigerian military. And as part of the continuing search for solution, President Goodluck Jonathan threw in a major human resources arsenal in the person of the new Minister of Defence, Lt Gen Aliyu Mohammed Gusau. The retired three-star resumed two days ago (Friday) at Ship House headquarters of the Ministry of Defence.

EN. Gusau, the first substantive Minister of Defence since July 2012 when Dr Bello Haliru Mohammed was relieved of duties, is taking over the political leadership of the Nigerian military with intimidating credentials. A former Chief of Army Staff, he was a former Director of Military Intelligence (15 April 1980 – 08 January 1984) and the country’s first Chief of Defence Intelligence (January 1895 – August 1985). But it was the record number of times and years he was in charge of national security that he is well known. He occupied the citadel of the nation’s top intelligence officer from September 1985 – June 1986 as Acting Director General, National Security Organisation), Coordinator on National Security (August 1986 to December 1989), National Security Adviser (January 1993 August 1993, 29 May 1999 – 1 June 2006 and 8 March 2010 – September 2010).

He is coming in with the job caught out for him as Boko Haram has emerged as the major threat to the existence and peace of the Nigerian State. It has even begot a faction, the “Ansaru,” which has close ties with Al’Qaeda in Maghreb (AQIM). To contain the scourge in June 2012, President Jonathan appointed a new National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) with the mandate to improve the Nigerian government’s coordination, communication, and cooperation on counterterrorism matters, both domestically and internationally. The NSA retained the lead as coordinator of the Nigerian government’s counterterrorism strategy.

Despite the new mandate to the National Security Adviser and upsurge of troops in the North East, defence and security forces have failed to contain the Boko Haram insurgents. To compound matters, efforts embarked by the federal and state governments to address grievances that may have contributed to the escalation of violence including high unemployment and lack of basic infrastructure have failed. Essentially, the employment of a comprehensive security strategy that combine the use of force and addressing economic and political marginalisation of majority of the Northern poor have both failed.

To find further solution, the Nigerian government has actively been cooperating with the United States and other international partners to prevent further acts of terrorism.

The government embraced the UN CounterTerrorism Implementation Task Force which launched three projects under the Integrated Assistance for Counter-Terrorism initiative to support Nigeria. With the three projects not giving immediate solution, Nigeria did what it was first reluctant to do – to formally request assistance from the United States to develop an intelligence fusion centre that would be able to streamline coordination and information sharing on counterterrorism matters among key agencies, including the State Security Service (SSS), the intelligence agencies, the national

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police, and the military. Yet, the Boko Haram harassment of the Nigerian State has continued unabated.

But why then has the defeat of the insurgent group defied projections by both President Jonathan and the military high command?

Truly, there have been both minor and major challenges confronting the military in its fight against the Boko Haram. But don’t expect them to be quoted discussing them. The first challenge is the nature of insurgent warfare itself.

With no pitched battles and defined rules of engagement, all Boko Haram needs to keep its war alive is major attacks on “soft targets” including students and vulnerable defenceless civilians. And it has been so good at it recently.

And the military is hamstrung in that they don’t choose the place to fight the “unseen” insurgents. The insurgents do. And with every successful killing or violence, it rubbishes the great efforts of the defence and security forces on ground.

The Battle Front Is Vast And Undefined Another challenge is the vast territories occupied by the three States currently bearing the brunt of the insurgency and under a state of emergency – Adamawa, Yobe and Borno. The other is the porous unmanned borders of Adamawa and

Borno with Cameroon and the nature of the terrain. The land mass is so large that it is difficult to policed effectively per square metre by the number of troops on location. The terrain itself makes policing “very tough” as anyone with a 4-wheel drive vehicle can create his own road by driving through the open Sahel sand, avoiding the major roads manned by troops. The insurgents know this and use the terrain as advantage, avoiding the main thoroughfares. This makes for uncontrolled inflow of goods, weapons and persons into the area.

As part of the strategy to tackle this, especially along the borders with Cameroon, Commander, 23 Armoured Brigade, Brig Gen Rogers Nicholas announced that in exercising emergency powers, the military has to sealed the border between Cameroon and Nigeria. Gen Nicholas said during a press conference that “it was imperative to completely seal-up the borders against illegal movement in and out of the country. The borders were a bit closed and miscreants were coming in from the other country. So, I felt one of the best things to do was to totally close the borders.

What I did was to completely seal up the borders, no going in, no going out. The authority is on the strength of the state of emergency declared by the president.

“So I decided to make the closure so effective

and with that, we have been able to curtail the influx of miscreants, terrorists and other bad eggs moving in from the other country into Nigeria. We have passed adequate information to traditional rulers and the stations along the border areas. Other security agencies like the Customs, Immigration Services have been told. Our soldiers and police are also there working together to ensure that nothing crosses into Nigeria through the borders.”

There is also a ready supply of recruits into the Boko Haram insurgency because of the large pool of unemployed young men. In the area, the government is the major employer.

Bereft of major private sector unemployment, there is a large pool of ready young hands that are ready to try their hands at anything. Over time, Boko Haram recruiters come along, offering employment and large sums of money that neither government nor businesses have, to lure young men into their fold. They most often succeed.

Operationally, there is the problem of command and control within the military. At the onset, the war against the Boko Haram sect was under the Defence Headquarters controlled Joint Task Force (JTF) and involved troops of the Army, Navy and the Air Force.

But in August last year, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika, created the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army with Area of Responsibility (AOR) for the North East. It effectively took over the command and control of the war against terror. Sources said this did not go down well with the other Services (Navy and Air Force) as the JointServices (Defence) Headquarters lost control of the operations and was asked to take up a “supervisory” role. This caused bad blood between former Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim and Gen Ihejirika.

The issue remained unresolved and lingered till the retirement of Admiral Ibrahim and Gen Ihejirika on 16 January 2014.

Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Kenneth Minimah and Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, both members of Course 25 of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) are using the personal chemistry and friendship they garnered over the years as course mates to manage the challenge. The duo have been conducting joint operational visits and addressing issues as they arise. But the intriguing issue is why the joint service coordinating centre, the Defence Headquarters is not leading an operation involving the three Services of the military – Army, Navy and Air Force. What then is the use of DHQ? Boko Haram Massive International Funding Is An Issue There is also the issue of increased funding and other logistics support for the Boko Haram insurgents. Sources told The Guardian that last year, the terror franchises under the Al Qaeda banner organised an international fundraising in order to consolidate and expand on its business of violence. Part of the fund raised by the Al Qaeda in Maghreb (AQIM) was funnelled to its Nigerian affiliate, the Boko Haram. Most of the new fund was used to pay for new weapons including its weapon of choice – Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) and other anti-aircraft guns.

These weapons are exclusive of their new supply of more RPGs, sub-machine guns and other major rifles flowing in from Libya.

The RPGs are used freely by all strata of the terror group in destroying villages and any target they fancy. But for the Nigerian troops, RPGs are used only sparingly in Internal Security Operations because of its devastating effects on lives and property. And in a war where the enemy is not clear-cut, the military believes that the use of such weapons by its troops may earn it condemnations from the public and the international community.

This may explain why Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima told journalists at the Presidential Villa last month that Boko Haram is better armed than Nigerian troops.

To an extent, Gov Shettima was right on the calibre of weapons (RPGs, anti-aircraft guns and major assault weapons) used by the terrorists vis-à-vis the conventional weapons used by the military.

In addition, weapons are frequently smug-

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COVER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 gled from Al Qaeda linked Libyan armed gangs to Boko Haram. Such weapons are also coming into the hands of the insurgents through Central African Republic which shares common borders with Cameroon and has had unstable centralised government for some time now. They use all means to bring in the weapons.

Nigerian troops have frequently been intercepting large cache of sophisticated weapons tied and hidden under the belly of large herds of cattle crossing into Nigeria. In addition to ferrying weapons, Boko Haram is also getting help from its Al Qaeda affiliates through supply of fighters. Sources said the current set of Boko Haram insurgents who are “more battle-tested and bloodthirsty” are believed to have joined them from Libya and Mali, where lawless armed gangs still hold sway. They have joined them through mainly the Cameroonian borders and are now directing the attacks with support of the local insurgents.

Politicians Are Not Helping Matters Also worrisome to the military is the posture of the political elite. They are taken aback each time opposition parties criticize or question the continued conduct of the operation against the terrorists without giving alternatives.

For the military, this looks like tying their hands as it shows there is no oneness of purpose by all Nigerians to root out the insurgents. The military expect widespread support and not discordant tunes. Complaints by the opposition is being interpreted as impugning that the war is that of President Jonathan and his party. The opposition is already saying that the war will come to an end immediately they get to office, some have said in the first 100 days in office. This limits their options as they cannot come hard sometimes as they should for fear of being dragged into the political arena.

The military also links the attacks on its war efforts in the North East to the lack of a national mobilisation of resources for it to get the needed weapons to root out the insurgents. For it, the political class has been treating the on-going offensive as business as usual issue that needs no special treatment. Many in the military believe this war on terror cannot be won with routine budgetary provisions. The military expects special allocation to procure new platforms, replace used munitions and tackle other welfare needs of the troops. In the same vein, the military does not see the needed support from the elders of the North East area as they have been call-

Boko Haram bombing

‘New Defence Minister And War On Boko Haram’ ing for either pulling out of troops from their area or replacing some commanders they don’t fancy.

Privately, defence and security officials would want them to borrow a leaf from elders in the Niger Delta who led the efforts to bring the militants from their fighting camps in the Niger Delta creeks to the negotiating table.

In addition, the military and security forces also worry about the commitment of sections of the media to the war against terror. Some point to the security measure of rounding up foreigners from Niger or Chad whose mission cannot be easily ascertained.

They shudder that any Nigerian would slant such report as being a systematic rounding-up of Northerners in the Southern part of the country.

Again, Cameroon Is In The Terrible Tale Of Horror But by far, the major stumbling block to winning the war against Boko Haram is the uncooperative attitude of Cameroon. Though Chad and Niger is cooperating with the war against the Boko Haram sect, the same cannot be said of Cameroon. Diplomatic sources told The Guardian that in recent times, Cameroonian top officials have been avoiding any forum where they will meet their Nigerian counterparts as they fear that the issue of fight against terror will surely be brought up. For example, during Nigeria’s centenary celebrations, Cameroonian President, Paul Biya was conspicuously absent. And he did not send his next in rank to represent him.

And the situation is not helped by

their internal contradictions in the Cameroonian polity whereby top officials take decisions involving security without clearances from President Biya.

But as things stand, Nigeria is considering the adoption of the policy of hot pursuit whereby its military will chase the insurgents into their hideouts in Cameroon and flush them out. This is the reason it has been prodding Cameroon to join the Nigeria, Niger and Chad MultiLateral Joint Task Force which conducts joint policing of their common borders against trans-border criminals and insurgents. But the Cameroonian answer has been at best ambivalent.

For now, the policy of hot pursuit is fraught with risk. On January 15, 2014, Nigerian troops allegedly pursued the insurgents into the localities of Bankili and Amchide in Cameroon’s Northern Province.

Cameroonian media celebrated this as proof of Nigeria’s violation of its sovereignty. But Director, Defence Information, Maj Gen Chris Olukolade had told The Guardian: “Yes, there was a clash between our troops and a band of terrorists. But it did not occur in Cameroonian territory. There was no incursion into their territory. What happened was that some members of the Boko Haram terrorists regrouped inside Cameroon and were moving into Nigeria to unleash violence.

However, they were pushed back from the Nigerian territory up to the Bankili Bridge. This is the bridge

Also worrisome to the military is the posture of the political elite. They are taken aback each time opposition parties criticize or question the continued conduct of the operation against the terrorists without giving alternatives.

between Nigerian and Cameroon.

We cannot call the bridge Cameroonian territory. They crossed into Nigeria and we chased them into the bridge and fought them there. We have no business crossing into another country’s territory.” Since then, the alleged incursion has become a diplomatic issue between Nigeria and Cameroon who allege violation of its own sovereignty.

The Nigerian military had in the past complained of the porous nature of the country’s border with Cameroon, saying terrorists who have been attacking Nigeria in recent times had infiltrated from Cameroon. Nigerians and foreigners kidnapped by the terrorists have always been kept in the Northern region of Cameroon. Cameroon claims it had reinforced security in its northern border with Nigeria, Chad and Central Africa Republic with the setting up new military, gendarmerie and police units. But consistently, unlike Niger and Chad, fleeing Boko Haram terrorists have always found safe haven in the Northern Cameroon area. There appears to be an unwritten understanding between the Boko Haram members and Cameroonian security forces that they can operate from bases within their borders as long as they don’t launch attacks within Cameroon.

At the centenary international conference on Human Security, Peace and Development: Agenda for 21st Century Africa held in Abuja, President Jonathan, obviously with this in mind, had canvassed that countries should be allowed to chase fleeing terrorists to other nations. Said he: “Our architecture must recognise the fact that transborder criminals don’t respect boundaries, while law enforcement agencies are compelled to respect our international boundaries. There must be compromise on this if we must wipe out criminality and trans-border crimes. While we respect our national boundaries, terrorists move in and out of our borders, it’s now time that we agreed as African leaders that an act of terror against one nation is an act of terror against all nations.”

In a veiled reference to Cameroon, the President said, “We must not allow our countries to become safe

havens for terrorists. We must cooperate maximally beyond political boundaries and adopt protocols that allow other countries to pursue terrorists to their safe havens in other nations. While we cannot redefine our borders we can redefine our collective approach in fighting trans-boundary insurgencies.’’

Clearly, Cameroon has a history of harbouring criminals who its territory to destabilise Nigeria. For example, the 1906 Mahdist rebellion in Kano has an imprint of pseudo Islamic teachers whose roots were in Northern Cameroon. Again, in 1962, Mallam Muhammadu Marwa (aka Maitatsine), a Fulani native of Marwa, in Northern Cameroon was driven from the northern commercial city of Kano back to Cameroon by the Emir of Kano. But in 1966, the same Maitatsine returned to Nigeria as a Quranic teacher, stayed in Nigeria and continued recruiting and indoctrinating gullible young men until he led the Maitasine insurgency in the 1980s.

In a few instances, Nigerian Air Force fighter jets had reportedly destroyed a bridge between the two countries as they pursued the Boko Haram insurgents fleeing into Northern Cameroonian villages for cover. Such direct attacks have in recent times infuriated Boko Haram leaders who lash out at Cameroon for allowing Nigeria attack them while they were fleeing. After an attack by Nigerian troop on Boko Haram base at Limani town in Cameroonian, a leader of the militant group threatened to start attacking Cameroon. The leader, whose name was given as Imam Ibn Muhammad Abubakar is reported to have written a letter to Cameroonian President Paul Biya to complain about the attacks. A Cameroonian newspaper, Camer be, said the militant leader who Nigerian intelligence officers suspect lives in Cameroon, threatened to unleash terror on Cameroonians if it continues to support the Nigeria’s military campaign against the Boko Haram.

Sources told The Guardian that in meetings between Nigerian and their Cameroonian defence and security counterparts, the Cameroonians have always been reluctant to make any clear commitment to assist in the fight against Boko Haram outside the diplomatic finesse of pledging cooperation that doesn’t usually come.

The Call For International Support But international support for Nigeria in its war with Boko Haram has not been lacking. During Nigeria’s centenary celebration, French President Francois Hollande said France would always be ready to help to combat extremism in the defence of democracy. He said at the International Conference hosted by President Goodluck Jonathan to mark the centenary. According to Hollande: “Your struggle is also our struggle. We will always stand ready not only to provide our political support but our help every time.”

The United States and British governments have always been solidly behind Nigeria in providing massive supports in the areas of capacity building and intelligence sharing. US Secretary of State John Kerry, in condemning the recent wave of violence, reiterated Washington’s support for the authorities in Abuja, which includes providing “counter-terrorism assistance. The people of northern Nigeria deserve to live free from violence and from terror.”

That is the task that needs the experience and stature of Gen Aliyu Mohammed Gusau to make real.

During his taking over formalities at the Ship House, he had few words. In a short speech, he stated that “the security challenges are evidently daunting but surmountable and we will aim to give Nigerians the confidence that the country is a safe zone.”

That is the hope.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Sunday, March 9, 2014

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COVER Until recently when he decided to join the All Progressive Congress (APC) Dr. Garba Abari was of the Department of Political Science, University of Maiduguri, Borno State. Fielding questions from KAMAL TAYO OROPO he maintains that the uncoordinated approach by the authorities led to the festering of the Boko Haram activities.

PART from your position as member of the opposition and academia, you often appear so passionate when it comes to the activities of the outlawed militant group, Boko Haram. Why is this so?

My deep commitment to peace and peaceful coexistence is derived from my experiences from living in societies, which have been devoid of peace for long.

I am from Potiskum in Yobe State. The town is the commercial hub of Yobe State. It’s a town afflicted by so many Boko Haram attacks with devastating socio-economic consequences.

Secondly I live in Maiduguri. As a matter of fact, while I was born in Potiskum, my home literally speaking is Maiduguri, because this is where I have lived since 1980.

Maiduguri, though not where the Boko Haram phenomenon started, later became the sanctuary of the insurgents. Thirdly, my larger, extended family lives in Jos. I need not remind you of how peace has eluded Jos for a long time. So for all practical purposes, I have lived, experienced and suffered from the major conflict spots of the north. And experience they say is the best teacher. I have seen it and continue to see it all.

Many still cannot place definite fingers on how this horrible phenomenon started. From your experience, how did it all begin? How did it spiral out of control?

In 2001-2002, a group of young men had stationed themselves along Damaturu-GashuaGaidam road for upwards of seven to eight months in the full glare of everyone. They refused to go neither into Damaturu nor into Gashua, but instead chose to remain in the outskirts, preaching among themselves and undertaking physical exercises. Not long after, this group attacked the Divisional Police headquarters in Geidam and the Yobe State Police Command headquarters in Damaturu. They killed Policemen, and carted away a lot of arms.

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Abari

ABARI: How Boko Haram Festered, Military Became Almost Helpless • Full State Of Emergency Will Not Work They styled themselves the Yobe Talibans and named their camp, Kandahar, after the famous base of Mullah Umar, the second in command of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan.

Since then, the group has metamorphosed into Ahlis Sunnah liddawa’ati Wal Jihad (aka Boko Haram). BH is the name given to them

by Hausa service of VOA and BBC and later adopted by the Nigerian Press. The group has never called itself Boko Haram and uses whatever opportunity that comes its way to take exception to being referred to as Boko Haram.

The response of the government through sustained military operation did not seem to help matters basically because the Joint Task Force from the very beginning did not operate according to professional terms of engagement. Instead, it operated like an occupation force hanging the toga of collective guilt on every member of the community.

The repressive conduct of the JTF alienated the wider population whose cooperation is vital in intelligence gathering. As a matter of fact, the conduct of the JTF won more converts to the insurgents, thereby compounding the circle of violence.

Since the insurgency started, the massive loss of innocents lives, the destruction of places of worship, the disarticulation of economic activities and its attendant consequences are not considered worthy of attracting the Federal Governments attention, talk less of assuring visits by the top most level of government. Even in war, a loss of over 100 lives in a battle can ignite sufficient concern from the highest command. Not in this case.

Lives continued to be lost, bombs kept exploding, fundamental human rights were wantonly abused and the people were increasingly getting impoverished. All the Federal

Government could do was to send an occupation force that brutalised and extorted from the people their meager resources.

Initially, conspiracy theorists started to interpret the attack as targeted against Christians and southerners. True, churches were bombed and Christian clergy were killed. But even then, more Muslims and more mosques had been killed and destroyed. The leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) clearly playing to the gallery, went to town with all sorts of provocative, divisive and inflammatory speeches. Not until the Shehu of Borno, the Emir of Fika and the Emir of Kano escaped death by the whiskers that the loquacious CAN president started to mellow down.

Truth is, in this senseless circle of violence, no religion or ethnic group is spared.

At the beginning, the group were practicing their own version of Islam, as they understood it in their camp and not in anyway disturbing the peace. But in addition to their religious engagements, they were also engaging in inhouse preaching and occasionally undertaking physical, actually, military-like exercises.

They stayed there for close to a year.

Certainly, a serious nation should have collected sufficient intelligence information on this group, and adequately profiled its leadership. Not until they attacked the Yobe State Police Command Headquarters, and subsequently Tarmuwa and Bursari Local Governments did both the Yobe State and Federal Governments start to show interest in this group, which they initially dismissed as a bunch of irritants.

Bad governance, bad governance and bad governance serially over a long period is responsible for what we are experiencing today. This bad governance is responsible for the depth of poverty, which has led to hopelessness and lack of self worth among the teeming youths that are now Boko Haram.

From a localized group of rebels who were getting killed almost everyday as they tried to assemble Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), these boys owing to sheer failure of the state have now linked up to international terror groups and have acquired capacities and competences beyond what the Nigerian-state can handle.

Before Boko Haram, criminal elements have at different times in this country driven the Nigerian-state under. The Niger Delta militants had done that. The MASSOB boys had also done that. Now Boko Haram, in a more daring manner, is driving the Nigerian-state under.

Would you allude to what Borno State governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, said about the group being better equipped than the military?

What Governor Kashim Shettima said about Boko Haram being better equipped and better motivated is the truth; nothing but the truth.

As the attacks got more incessant and ferocious, both the civil and security population ran for cover. Soldiers, policemen and other Para-military components of the Joint Task Force as attested to by the people not only take to their heels but also remove their uniforms, their symbol of authority with a view to hiding their identities when these boys come calling.

This is a recurring phenomenon.

Surely, the Nigerian armed forces need to be commended for all the efforts they have put and are putting to restore peace, order and to protect lives and property under very difficult circumstances. But truth be told, they too, are not spared the crisis of the Nigerian state which has robbed it of all capacities and capabilities.

Elsewhere, science and technology would have been leveraged to identify the camps and track the movements of these insurgents. Not in Nigeria. Just take a look at the sequence of attacks as they melodramatically took place.

Kawuri village less than 20 kilometers outside of Maiduguri, then Konduga, then Bama, then Izge, then Michika/ Madagali, then Buni Yadi, then Mainok and then Jakana. All these attacks took place a day after the other with close to 500 lives and property worth billions of Naira lost in just a span of two weeks. Yet not a single arrest. While the military is trained to contain his enemy and remain alive, the insurgents go in search of death for ‘in it lies a better tomor-

row’ or so they are made to believe.

Otherwise, does it not beat anybody’s imagination why the battle was taken to the doorstep of the armed forces and many of them had to take to their heels? The insurgents attacked the 33 Artillery Brigade at about midnight in December 2013. They remained there for hours and ‘did what they wanted to do’, to borrow the words of Governor Shettima.

Having had their fill of their atrocities they crossed over to the Air force Base, destroyed the building and burnt down all the aircrafts within the vicinity.

Of course, the spokesman of the defense Ministry said the destroyed aircrafts were decommissioned. Commissioned or de-commissioned, is it not bad enough that the insurgents had access to the military facility almost unchallenged? The Nigerian armed forces need to be pitied for they are confronted with a situation that is rather novel and for which the nation was not prepared. The over a trillion Naira budget for 2013 for security alone does not seem to address the issue. Given Nigeria’s penchant for non-budget implementation, it won’t be surprising if cash receipts stop only at 30-40 per cent.

But their strategy of handling the issue speaks volumes about the capacity of the Nigerianstate to deal with it, in the same way as it speaks volumes about the seeming lack of depth in the way the government understands, or better put, does not understand the phenomenon.

Nothing underscores this better than the lackluster, perhaps non-challant attitude exhibited recently by the Federal Government.

At a time when the sand on the graves of our children was still fresh, at a time when the rest of the world was grieving for Nigeria over the loss of such innocent children killed in cold blood by these murderous elements, the Federal Government was busy in Abuja wining, dining, dancing and throwing fireworks in the name of some misplaced centenary celebrations.

The government has taken many steps towards addressing the issues and one of such was the partial state of emergency imposed in the three most volatile states in the Northeast.

Apparently, this has not solved the problem.

Would you advocate for full state of emergency?

Certainly it is not. A state of emergency has been imposed on Yobe, Adamawa and Borno States; in the case of Borno and Yobe, twice.

What have we seen? Nothing beyond subjecting the citizens to double jeopardy.

Emasculation of their fundamental rights as enshrined in the constitution, the UN charter and Africa’s Charter on people’s Rights. The craziest idea is what was making the rounds penultimate week in the media that the Federal Government was contemplating removing the democratically elected Governors and replacing them with Military administrators starting first with Borno.

The 1999 constitution is very clear on how to remove an elected governor. I am not a lawyer, but lawyers have interpreted the provision of the Constitution as it relates to this issue to the effect that the President has no power to do that.

Funnily, the state of emergency by its very nature presupposes the removal of all security powers from the governor and placing same in the hands of Military authorities. If lives, in spite of that, keep being lost, if property keep being destroyed, if rights including the right to life are daily being taken away, then it is the Federal Government and its agencies that should be held responsible and accountable. It is the President that needs to be removed and not any other person.

Initially, there was some move towards finding a political solution to this crisis. The government did not take all the suggestions contained in both the Sheikh Ahmed Lemu and Ambassador Usman Gaji Galtimari reports. If government had been proactive, perhaps by now, the insurgents must have been yanked off their international connection, perhaps the supply of superior small arms made easily available to them by the international partners perhaps, Al-Qaeda or ANSARU would have been stopped.

Perhaps, there would not have been the buckpassing between Governor Shettima and

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

COVER

ALAPINI: Evacuate Everyone And Unleash Full Military Actions On Boko Haram Areas • No One Has The Federal Might Chief Tunji Alapini retired from the Police Force in 2009 as Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone XI, Oshogbo. In a chat with KAMAL TAYO OROPO he said, for an enduring solution to the menace of Boko Haram in the country, democracy has to give way to full military operation.

HE menaces of Boko Haram in Northeast appear unrelenting. Many had offered advices, but the problem seems to be evading solution. What will you suggest as a way of getting out of this debacle?

People whose business it is to proffer solution to the crisis have proved that they don’t listen to advices and there is no point in one wasting his energy. I have done my bit after serving the country for 35 years of my life. Frankly, if they need my services, I should be sitting down in my house and somebody coming to knock on my door; it’s not for me to be running up and down.

However, it is my country and one should not sit around watching as it falls apart. We all have to continue doing our best to hammer on what needs to be done. We call those in government often to give them one or two insights, but what you get is always, ‘don’t worry oga. We are on top of the situation.’ While the truth is that the situation is clearly on top of them. The deduction from such responses is that one should just keep quiet.

Sometimes, some of us in retirement see something and we try to bring it to their knowledge, you meet a stone wall when the response you get is, ‘don’t worry sir, we are on top of the situation’.

And when you say the situation is on top of them, they accuse you, ‘oga why are you talking like this now?’

The situation in the northeast is such that gives the impression that the partial state of emergency rule imposed has not been able to resolve the crisis. What next should be done? Is it time for declaration of a full state emergency?

Every ailment deserve the kind of treatment you can accord it that will not cause damage to the other part of the body. If you have ringworm and you decide to use sandpaper to scrub it first before applying ointment, you should do that by all means. But if you have the ointment that can heal the skin without scrubbing it first; by all means you do that! If you have a gangrene leg and it is going to affect your eyes or other part of the body, you may have to cut the leg off. There is also no harm in cutting off a cancerous part of the body if by doing so, other parts would be saved from being afflicted and life is prolonged. We see often how women breasts are removed because of cancer growth. They cut off one breast so that the other breast and the rest of the body can stay healthy.

But the situation where you allowed yourself bogged down by lip-service to democratic norms,

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the deeper you get into the type of embarrassment the Boko Haram has come to represent.

Yes, we want democracy and the rule of law; no doubt about that. But we must be able to define terms. We can have home grown democracy that is most suitable to the challenges of our time and clime.

For example, some of us have kids at home and when you talk to them you would observe that you don’t often get the same kind of responses and understanding from each and everyone of them. Some listen to you easily, but some you have to bring out the cane before they listen to you. That does not mean that you don’t love or love less the one you are caning than the ones you talk to, but caning is the only method the particular child can understand. Somebody would now tell you that you are being harsh on this boy; no, that is what that boy deserves.

The situation in the northeast has gone beyond application of international democratic standards or norms.

Even at that, we have seen in the United States of America that when they want to address certain challenges, they first appeal to the people to leave the particular area. After some time and there are still people unwilling to yield to the appeal, they graduate to telling the people that ‘this is compulsory evacuation’. And if the problem still persists and some people are still unwilling to yield to pressure to evacuate they come to mandatory evacuation. Mandatory evacuation is such that you must leave because if you insist on staying put, you would be endangering the lives of even those who are coming to rescue the situation. Invariably, you are committing a crime against those with statutory responsibilities.

Book Haram crisis has gotten to the point of compulsory evacuation of the people; there is no two ways about it now. And the sooner we realized this, the better for everyone. After the mandatory evacuation of the non-combatant from the place, there would be no cases of kidnapping and killing of school children. Once it is mandatory, if you are not Boko Haram you will move away from there, so that when the military, or whoever that is going to intervene, goes into the place, anyone seen there is an enemy.

After clearing the place, you can now start replacing and bringing people back to their regular settlement. For now, it is has come to the level where people must be mandatorily evacuated from the area and the military going in full force.

This is no more a matter of ‘I am a Muslim or Christian. Or about I am a northerner or not.’

This is about the country. We want to keep that part of the country as part of this country. And the only way we can do it is mandatory evacuation paving way for full-scale attack by the military. People must understand that this is the

only way this problem can be resolved.

Do you think there is sufficient political will from the authorities?

I am not interested in politics or political leaders, I am talking strictly on what I believe should be done to bring peace to a suffering part of the country.

The bottom line of what I am saying is that drastic situation requires drastic action.

What exactly do you mean by homegrown democracy?

What I mean is that we should not allow ourselves to be restricted fully by the international practice. We can evolve a practice that should work for our peculiarities, especially as required by the situation on the ground.

The situation on ground as far as the menace of Boko Haram is concerned, does not require talk of democracy. It is a drastic situation it requires drastic measures. You have to go through the difficult path of evacuating the area to pave way for a full military operation.

Plead with people to voluntarily leave, if they don’t make it compulsory and if that does not work, make it mandatory and anyone remaining after that is an enemy.

By the time you level the whole place and have finished whatever you want to do and all is clear, you can start resettling the people for normal life. The primary responsibility of government is protection of life and property by all means necessary.

Still have to take you back to political will to do this. Do you think those in the authority have the will to carry out this action you are proposing?

And like I said, I am not a politician and I don’t know about their political will. I am just giving an advice on one of the possible ways out; and I

have given a way out based on my understanding of the situation and experience in policing. If it is something they can pick up and act upon, good.

It’s like when you open your refrigerator and having various drinks there and someone says he wants coke, someone else wants fanta and the other wants sprite, you just go and pick as appropriate. Mine is just an advice in addition to the much others have been giving. If they like, let them utilize it; but I believe it will work. If they think it cannot work, they should pick other advice that is more valuable.

Be that as may be, from you experience as a Federal Government security agent, do you think it is possible for any group of people within the country to have the capacity to challenge the federal might militarily? In terms of weaponry or communication or intelligence gathering?

Nobody. I repeat, nobody! Except there is a mole in the federal authorities. Nobody or group of people can muscle that might to fight the Federal Government. Of course, unless and unless within the Federal Government there are enemies within, who are trying to thwart the effort of the Federal Government. Nobody or group of people has the capacity or might to suppress the Federal Government. It is not possible. No one has the capacity to confront the Federal Government.

Of course, the only time they can do that is when there exists within the Federal Government enemies of the state or a mole or people within the system who are drawing the hands of progress backward, people who are willing to sabotage the effort of the Federal Government.

Do you suspect something like that happening under the current situation?

Do you want me to play God? If I tell it is possible, I would be playing God.

‘There Is Outright Failure Of Intelligence Gathering’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 President Goodluck Jonathan. With the atrocities committed by Boko Haram, they have already squandered every bit of opportunity for a political solution.

Some still believe that political solution is the best way to resolving the crises. Can there be a political solution? What exactly is your panacea to peace?

From whatever angle it is looked at, everyone, but especially those communities directly affected by the current security challenges are getting fatigued. Despondency is beginning to set in. Naturally, whenever there are direct challenges to the authority of the state, the first and most immediate response is to deploy force to nib the problem in the bud after which, other options aimed at addressing the problems from the roots will be explored. In the case of the security challenges especially in the North East, the sheer incompetence of the Nigerian-state is what has gotten us to where

we are today.

There is the outright failure of intelligence gathering or the inability of security agencies to use whatever information that is generated to address the problems.

The answer to a political solution is yes and no. No because both the insurgents and the general population do not trust the government, at both state and Federal levels. Any move at finding a political solution, if it is initiated by the government, may be rebuffed. It has been rebuffed severally. In the case of Borno State, the immediate or perhaps remote cause of the insurgency was essentially political- breach of trust between the government of Ali Sherriff and the Yusufiyya movement.

You may wish to recall that Buji Foi was a Commissioner in Sherriff-led government. He was among those extra judicially killed by security forces alongside Muhammad Yusuf. There was also the high-handedness of the then security outfit named Operation Flush which opened fire on a group of Boko Haram ele-

ments going to bury some of their dead as a result of a road traffic accident for not wearing crash helmets. Most of the high profile victims were politicians of the ANPP stock.

The government that is in place today is seen by the insurgents as an offshoot of the Sherriff government and therefore not trustworthy.

This mindset of the insurgents is what polarised the Borno Elders along the lines of pro and anti JTF if you may recall.

While the ANPP government insists on retaining the JTF, elders, mainly of the PDP stock keeps calling for its removal. Of all the Borno elders, Late General Shuwa was the closest to Ali Sheriff and the Chairman of the ANPP Elders Committee.

Yes, there could be political solution of some sort. But one, that for a start, will exclude government or its agencies. The initiators should be the local ‘ulama’. They know the leaders and their links and can reach out to them only if the hands of government is not seen at the very beginning. This is one layer.

The second layer is through the leadership of the various trade groups to which the insurgents were linked. Remember that part of the attraction of the youths to the Yusufiyya movement is its economic empowerment program, which does not attract interest. They provided members of the movement with soft loans to start businesses and with tools for vocational trades like plumbing, metal work and carpentry, something the government could not do.

The security agencies know such groups. The previous attempt to factionalise them by government, led the complete wiping out of the faction that consented to talking to government and a serious house- to-house visits by the leadership of the insurgents to the leaders of these trade groups asking them to either stay away or get killed.

Now that the insurgents have squandered all the opportunity for dialogue or political solution, the only way out is to confront them militarily. But whether the military has what is required by way of morale and ammunitions

THE GUARDIAN

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Sunday, March 9, 2014 27

COVER

List Of Boko Haram Attacks In The North July 2009: After launching its military campaign for Islamist rule, the Boko Haram killed hundreds in Maiduguri, in Northeastern Borno State, when members razed churches, a police station and a prison.

The uprising was eventually crushed by police and military assault, with hundreds dead and the sect’s headquarters and mosque left in ruins. Boko Haram’s leader, Mohammed Yusuf, was captured by the army and handed over to the police for interrogation. He died in custody.

September 2010: The group freed 721 prisoners, including 105 suspected sect members, from a Bauchi jail in northern Nigeria in runup to the presidential elections.

December 2010: the sect regrouped under a new leader, Abubakar Shekau, bombed Jos, killing 80 people. There was also a New Year Eve attack on Abuja barracks.

June 2011: Police headquarters in Abuja was bombed, killing six people. United Nations headquarters in the capital were targeted just two months later, destroying the lower floor of the building. Eighteen people killed and dozens injured.

November 2011: The motorcade of the Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, came under bomb attack in Maiduguri as he returned from a foreign trip. About 150 died in co-ordinated attacks on police facilities in Damaturu and Potiskum in Yobe State. In a botched attack, two suicide bombers blew up themselves outside military headquarters in Maiduguri.

December 2011: Multiple bomb attacks on Christmas Day killed dozens, including 35 at St Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, near the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. A second explosion shortly afterwards hit a church in the central city of Jos, where a police officer

was killed by gunfire. Three attacks in northern Yobe state kill four people. Two further attacks hit the town of Damaturu, and a third struck Gadaka.

January 2012: Bombing killed at least 180 people in Kano, the deadliest attack to date.

June 2012: Offices of ThisDay newspaper are bombed. Later in the month, more than 100 people died in attacks on three churches in Kaduna, a city on the border of the Muslim north and the predominantly Christian south. Channels Reporter was also killed.

July 2012 massacre: Attacks on multiple northern Nigerian villages killed 100 people In August 2012, the sect attacked Deeper Life Church Okene and killed 19 people.

September 2012: The group attacks mobile phone masts belonging to nine telecommunications companies. The army announces it has killed at least 35 suspected members of Boko Haram.

December 2012: Maiduguri and Potiskum were attacked leaving 27 Nigerians dead.

April 2013: Baga, Borno massacre snuffed life out of 228 people July 2013: Yobe State School shooting at Mamudo government Secondary School killed 30.

September 2013: Gujba College Massacre killed 50 February 2014 Borno Massacre: 39 victims February 25, 2014: Federal Government College Buni Yadi attack claimed 59 lives

‘...Nigeria Not At War With Boko Haram’

February 28, 2014: Adamawa attack killed 25.

Can this war ever be won by the military as currently constituted?

As earlier said, it is not a war; a state of war cation can be measured and appraised vis-àcomes after the State of Emergency, Martial vis the operational plan or project plan, as it Law, and mobilisation stages in that order. unfolds.

The challenge at hand does not warrant a Presently, I don’t think this is the case. The declaration of war, in the professional sense challenges the Army is facing in its role are of the word. Can the State of Emergency more systemic than anything else; it is in my come to an end with only military involveopinion a question of the right approach, methodology and skill sets. More allocation or ment as we see it now? Regretfully, no. The less will not yield required results if these key challenge at hand requires a holistic approach and action, as compared to just factors are not properly addressed. military engagements. Much needs to be How would you describe Nigerian Military’s defence capabilities at the moment in view of done, for which the available resource and skill sets are not entirely military. the ‘guerrilla attackers’ it is facing in the The sociology of terrorism and its proper Northeast? How does the Military compare management is not an exclusively military with its peers in Africa? matter; it involves a nexus of specialities and Answering your question in person will solutions across board. amount to a bias of sorts; you would agree with me that a dispassionate rating of ours in Africa, can best be sought outside our citizenry and nation; best way forward to answer your question thus remains to extrapolate the Good news is: these solutions and skill sets are available; what is required is the will to contributions of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other allied security agencies to the secu- tap into them. Organisations and people rity and defence of our West Africa sub region resource, which can positively impact the and Africa at large, and, from there, get a pulse going on our state of emergency abound.

The question remains will we reach out, or shot of our place amongst our peers.

This may give you a glimpse of suitable rating go the old way of thinking public offices and service arms are a repository of solutions? of ours on the continent?

What is the major strength of the Boko What strategy would you recommend?

Haram sect?

The present challenge will be addressed on Basically, none; the Boko Haram simply three fronts: Social, Political and Military; that which we do not achieve socio-politically can- exploits the gaps our collective misgivings and un-doings, as a nation and people have not be reached with military might alone. created over the past years, to deal very costWhat is achieved socio-politically will only ly blows on us. They draw their strengths require minimum military action and attenmainly on our self-imposed weaknesses. dant costs to enforce.

Bitter as this pill may be to swallow, we The finer details of this strategy, time and must realise that the one thing this sect has space will not permit me to illustrate here. I, however, want to hint that they would require seemingly done well, is to understand the fabrics of our national psyche as it informs a good measure of critical-thinking-ability; religion, ethnicity and politics, then leverage non-stereotype but informed methodology on the accruing systemic deficits of these approaches; and metacognition. age-long schisms to operate. They deliberateIs it time for total State of Emergency in the ly throw punches that make us react in ways whole of Northeast? that further set us apart, so they can advance A SOE already is in place, partial or total as you may think; beyond a state of emergency is their cause with ease… think about it.

Much has been left undone, the fallouts of Martial Law, the need of which is not neceswhich fuels their cause, and leverages their sary yet, as this would mean the automatic modus operandi. suspension of all civil rights, as you know them.

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Compiled by Marcel Mbamalu

28 Sunday, March 9, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

NEWSFEATURE

LIFE AFTER SPILLAGE: Ijegun Imore

The region the pipe got burst

By Gbenga Salau HOUGH Lagos has not been able to discover T crude oil within its geographical space, yet over the years, different communities within Lagos have had to grapple and are still grappling with the crisis of oil spill and burst pipelines.

One of such communities, which have suffered consistent loss, environmentally and economically, in the last few years is Ijegun Imore, in Oriade Local Council development Area of Amuwo Odofin Local Government.

Besides incidents of the past, between January and now, the Ijegun-Imore community has experienced two cases of petroleum products spilling into the community from burst pipelines of NNPC conveying petroleum products through their community. The first incident in January 2014 had petrol gushing out from a burst pipe and the latest incident, some days back, bore diesel in the pipe.

On the two occasions, the community was lucky that no life was lost; while physical properties were not damaged due to fire explosion, as there was no explosion on the two occasions in this year.

Despite this, the community has been negatively impacted, since many living within that vicinity must have inhaled some chemical substances from the polluted air caused by the spill.

The area mostly affected is the swampy region, which has many buildings surrounded by swampy water. This water was further contaminated with fuel and diesel floating on its surface.

It gathered that when the first incident occurred, it was PMS (Premium motor spirit also known as petrol) and highly inflammable, concerned residents had to form themselves into vigilante group, monitored the spots, until the Police and the NNPC officials arrived at well past two midnight to take control.

It was slightly in the second incident. It was diesel and the residents knew diesel was not as

inflammable as petrol. This, it was learnt, made it possible for some people to scoop the product for personal use.

It was further learnt that many of the residents continued scooping the diesel after the NNPC contractor, which came to repair the burst pipeline had treated the water. It was reported that the contractor had evacuated truckloads of diesel in the process of cleaning up the area. Findings also revealed that the Police at a point was interested more in bribe offered by those scooping the diesel.

A resident disclosed that she and her husband had to relocate to a family friend’s house during the first incident this year because their little baby was having difficulty breathing freely. She said even as adults they had that challenge. According to her, the smell of petrol filled the air, choking the residents and making it difficult to breath in fresh air.

She recalled that during the first incident her husband stayed late outside till around 2.00 am midnight with other residents, who guarded the place till the Police came to take over from them.

Also, when the first incident happened, many dead aquatic animals floated on the surface of the water. Probably, all the aquatic lives within the water around that area died, which was why, when the pipe got burst again and diesel flowed into the water, no dead animal was seen afloat.

Different types of plastic containers that

might have been used in scooping the diesel were still scattered around the place.

Despite the treatment; the air around the place is still filled with the odour of the diesel.

Some of the tools used by the contractors, who came to evacuate the spilled diesel were also still on site.

Commenting on the incident, the Executive Director, Environmental Rights Action, Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, noted that the major problem is that some of the pipelines are too old and poorly maintained, apart from the security issues.

For him, the agency in charge of pipelines ought to have an integrity check of all the pipelines including having equipment to check the pressure on the pipelines. This, Bassey said, is important so that when there is any small breach, they would be able to detect it before it becomes a major problem, as the case in hand now.

“The other issue is that it would appear because the problem is recurring; everybody knows how dangerous it is to the environment because of the pollution.”

He explained that petroleum products are very toxic, harmful and negatively affects ground and surface water besides the health of the people. According to him, when it leads to explosion, it destroys human lives and properties.

Bassey observed that when the incident keeps happening despite a lot of money is invested into pipeline security, then there is

The area mostly affected is the swampy region, which has many buildings surrounded by swampy water. This water was further contaminated with fuel and diesel floating on its surface. It gathered that when the first incident occurred, it was PMS (Premium motor spirit also known as petrol) and highly inflammable, concerned residents had to form themselves into vigilante group, monitored the spots, until the Police and the NNPC officials arrived at well past two midnight to take control.

need to do a very careful check on the personnel who are in charge of this pipelines, otherwise, the country would keep moving in circles.

Speaking more specifically, he said that when occurrence like this happened, the impact and the challenges are very well known because there are standard things that will happen.

“The environment is poisoned and the soil is destroyed. What needs to be done is an immediate investigation and audit, not just of the cause of the problem, but also what could trigger it in the future. And then experts should be the ones to handle the remediation and that is not just to clean but also to restore the environment.

“You have to clean it properly and restore it. If you read the UNEC report on the environment, it said the land is polluted in some places up to a depth of five metres and then it said it would take five years to clean up the land.

According to him, when the incident like this happened, it has to be studied scientifically by experts, so that the cause of the problem is known in order to find the best solution to remediation.

‘It is a big shame that some of our pipelines are not well protected; it is a scandal.”

He said people would have harvested the dead fishes and eaten them which he described as dangerous. “When aquatic animals are touched by petroleum products spill, it is dangerous for humans to consume them because they are already poisoned by the elements from the petroleum products, which is also not good for consumption,” he said.

After the treatment, it was learnt that some people continued scooping and selling the diesel to interested buyers. Commenting on the implication of this, he said that poverty is why people would engage in such activity, noting that one of the problems is that some of the communities affected, are never told about the impact of even the clean up.

“This is because when you use chemicals to attack the petroleum products through spraying, people ought to know what those chemi-

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Sunday, March 9, 2014

29

NEWSFEATURE

Remains Endangered Terrain cals are, what the impacts are and how best to protect themselves and the environment.

“This is because some of those things could touch food crops and people will eat them. This has wider implications. So, it is not just cleaning the spill and getting it out of sight. These are big challenges to people who live near pipelines and are near locations where these things happen.

“Unfortunately, poverty is the main reason people will scoop such product and sell. It is also poverty that makes people to buy them. And it is a big indictment on the economic plight of Nigerians in the mist of plenty.”

Immaculate Ifunanya Nwokoro, an Associate Professor at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Lagos, said that the impact of exposure to petroleum products both on the environment and residents cannot be overemphasised because oil spills often result in both immediate and long-term environmental damage.

“Some of the environmental damage caused by an oil spill can last for decades after the spill.

Usually, When there is a spill caused by burst or leakage from oil pipelines those around there depending on the length of exposure can have diseases associated with the nervous system like headache, nausea, and dizziness, as well as respiratory irritation.

“The longer the exposure, the more severe the impact, in some cases, it may lead to death. Very high exposure can cause coma and death. If there are people that have come in contact with the liquid, as it is always the case, it could cause irritation to their skin.

“In the event of a fire outbreak, all those within a close range of the spill get burnt beyond recognition. The air pollution that is associated with this is quite toxic and can lead to respiratory diseases.”

She added that, in case of animals, which have been exposed to petroleum products, they could develop liver and kidney tumours as well as death in some cases.

“If the oil spills into water bodies, it begins to sink into the marine environment and start having some damaging effects on fragile underwater ecosystems, killing or contaminating many fish and smaller organisms that are essential links in the global food chain.

“The long-term damage to various species, and to the habitat and nesting or breeding grounds those species depend upon for their survival, is one of the most far-reaching environmental effects caused by oil spills. Of course, the supply

of these sea dependent foods is reduced.

“However, the severity of environmental damages caused by a particular oil spill depends on many factors, including the amount of the oil spilled, the type and weight of the oil, the location of the spill, the species of wildlife in the area if it spills into a water body, the timing or breeding cycles and seasonal migrations, and even the weather at sea during and immediately after the oil spill.”

According to the university don, one regular factor anytime an oil spill occurs; no matter the type is the story of pain and loss, severe negative impact on man and its environment.

“Clean up and recovery from an oil spill is difficult and depends upon many factors, including the type of oil spilled, the temperature of the water (affecting evaporation and biodegradation), and the types of shorelines and beaches involved. Spills may take weeks, months or even years to clean up. A spill that affects a home or business may affect the health of people who live and work there. Thus, every spill or leak should be stopped and cleaned up,” Nwokoro said.

The Public Relation Officer of Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, (PPMC), Mr. Naisr Imosagbe, said the PPMC has not aban-

doned the community because the clean up exercise is a continuous process.

He attributed the frequent burst of the pipelines that were installed in 2010, to handiwork of vandals and not the installation of inferior pipe as some residents claimed.

“As I speak to you right now, they are still vandalising the pipelines, few metres away from the section we are talking about, they attacked the pipe. In the whole of that region, all the people who are there, are illegal occupants, that is pipeline right of way.

“They should tell you who gave them permit to build houses in those places. They are engaging in illegal activities, that place is becoming a notorious point for us. The vandals are not spirit, they do not come from the blues, and they live among us.”

When he was told that there are two security posts some metres away from each other, he said, “Now, you are talking of security posts; look at the points where the pipes were vandalized, is it not far a distant to the posts.”

The Chairman of New Site CDA, Ijegun-Imore, Mr. Benjamin Taiwo, however disagreed that the burst pipe was the handiwork of vandals.

“That is not true, after the first incident, NOSRA and PPMC came here to investigate about

three weeks ago. We have the report; the spillage was attributed to equipment failure and not third party interference that it was purely equipment failure and rupture.

He maintained that the people living within the area would not take the risk knowing that their properties and families are endangered in the event of any explosion that may result from the burst pipes.

He also said that to ensure the safety of the pipes, the community has a vigilante group that monitors the pipes. “And if there is anything we notice that is wrong, we call NNPC through Atlas cove or Mosimi stations,” Taiwo said.

He insisted that there are no vandals within the community. He revealed that the frequent bursting of the pipes could be because the pipes were left in salty water for about 10 years before they were installed in 2010.

“To secure the pipes, different security agencies had been deployed by NNPC. From Navy to Army, Police, OPC and sometimes they used joint forces; the question is why have they been changing them?” he asked.

According to him, during the first incident, which spilled petrol into the community, the community leaders had to ensure that the residents did not cook or use anything that could spark fire.

The link road to the spot the pipe got burst, showing the rubber pipe used by PPMC contractor in evacuating the spilled fuel

PHOTOS: GBENGA SALAU

GOODPEOPLE

Ikoyi Metropolitan Rotary Donates To Support Rape Victims who go to Mirabel Centre to obtain emotional, psychological and materiT was burden lifted for rape victims al supports as the Rotary Club of Ikoyi and sexually abused young girls, Metropolitan donated a range of lab-

By Chijioke Iremeka

I

Ikoyi Metropolitan Rotary club members and officials of Mirabel Centre during the donation of materials

oratory equipment to the centre to enable victims diagnosed and treated free.

Situated at the Lagos State University

Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Mirabel Centre is a project of Partnership for Justice with support from Justice for All Programme (J4A) of the Department for International Development (DFID).

The items donated include laboratory blood mixer, vortex machine, Olympus microscope, bucket centrifugal machine, DRL strips, MacConkey agar and petri-dishes among others.

According to the President of the club, Mr. Kelvin Ofili this is a way of partnering with centres that have good course. “We discover that they offer free medical, laboratory, psychological and material services for the victims of rape as well as the pregnant ones resulting from rape and we needed to empower them to do more.”

He noted that they would always empower those who are doing good jobs for the humanity. “This is one cause we believe in. This donation will go a long way to give boost to what they are doing. Rape is a terrible thing that we don’t wish to continue because it makes our women weird.”

He continued: “We were told that the centre spends a lot trying to run a number of medical tests on the victims to ascertain extent damage the

rape had caused them but we have come to assist in this little way. This will ensure that the victims do not die from undiagnosed and untreated diseases after rape.”

The managing partner, Partnership for Justice, Itoro Eze-Anaba said rape affects a person’s physical health, psychological and emotional well-being.

“A person that is raped is at risk of having physical problems including death, sexually transmitted infections, injuries and unwanted pregnancy among others.”

She stated that the centre is a safe, friendly and conducive place, where one can get free help after going through the trauma of a rape or sexual assault.

“Our major goal is to provide holistic and quality services as well as support to survivors of sexual assault in a compassionate and caring manner, where each individual’s specific needs, and rights to make choices on how to address those needs, are respected and met,” she said.

The visiting Ghanaian counterpart, John Attah said that the Nigeria and Ghana are always in a good friendly relationship that Rotary will be ready to work with them. “Rape is a crime against the state and should be treated with seriousness.”

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30 Sunday, March 9, 2014

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Business

Go slow? No way... just vehicles on queue for fuel.But when will this madness stop?

Fuel Scarcity: Time To Clean Up The Crisis

By Gregory Austin Nwakunor N Ifelodun Road, Ejigbo, Jamiu Asubiojo trod the tarred road that had known over a thousand feet. His house is on Daniel Street, but since he moved in there, in 2012, the number of days that he saw light in the house could be counted. This evening, as Jamiu walked the long road, he entered the market, hoping to get kerosene. But he couldn’t, as there was scarcity.

The thick lines of scar tissue on his face were immediately visible.

Staring ahead, he saw a cluster of people on queue, the crowd of consumers struggling through the intense heat to buy fuel. Something occurred to him, pains playing soulful melody. No light in the house. No kerosene to cook. No fuel to move around, what a huge energy crisis.

The ever-increasing demand and meagre supply of energy in Nigeria has been a great challenge to the country’s development. This situation is becoming critical by the day with increasing population and the inadequate energy development programme.

For several years now, the country has been entangled in embarrassing fuel crisis that have crippled national economic activities and increased the cost of doing business, over-andover. Globally, energy projection stipulates that between 2002 and 2025, energy needs may rise by over 34 per cent with that of developing countries like Nigeria doubling this percentage.

In the last decade, the country has not confronted the challenge headlong making many to wonder whether Nigeria would be able to meet its energy needs in the next decade.

For the major part of last week, commuters in the metropolis of the country, from Abuja to Kano, Lagos to Owerri, Nnewi, Umuahia and so many cities faced hard times following fuel scarcity that crippled business activities.

Long queues of vehicles persisted in filling stations across the country, as fuel supply tightened, especially those operated by the major and independent marketers claiming to be out of stock of products.

This was not the first time that Nigeria experienced disruption in the economy over fuel scarcity. Such was a feature of the (Ibrahim) Ba-

O

• Increasing Demand, Meagre Supply • When Will Government Rehabilitate Refineries? bangida, (Sani) Abacha and (Olusegun) Obasanjo administrations. In fact, this perennial scarcity had, years back, led to the flooding of the market with adulterated products.

With scarcity, almost every aspect of a Nigerian’s life is made more costly and uncomfortable. People cannot pay for transport to work or school and the shops and markets can’t function because they rely on generators for power. It is a vicious cycle. The price of fuel is a critical factor in the lives of the people.

With the country’s refining industry suffering from low margin and low utilisation rates, logistical constraints remain the challenge of the industry. It is no surprise that recent events in the petroleum sector have shaken people’s confidence.

According to experts in the industry, “the chaos of last week is a bye product of the gale of corruption and mediocrity in the system, which have even made it harder for the country’s four refineries — Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna —to work. The sector seems rudderless, with inconsistent policies that has made it squander the goodwill it enjoyed.”

A Tale Of Two Regulators

OWEVER, the Department of Petroleum H Resources (DPR) attributed the shortfall in supply to the non-renewal of contracts of some independent marketers to import the product.

The DPR, which disclosed this at its budget defence before the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), also alleged that nonpayment of subsidy fund to the marketers by government had hindered the importation of the product, resulting in shorfall in supply.

In his presentation to the Committee, the Director of the DPR, who was represented by the zonal operations controller, Abuja, Aliyu Halidu, said that marketers were uncomfortable with the current pump price of N97 per

litre.

According him, the marketers had complained that the operational cost had seriously eaten into the pump price, making it difficult for them to break even at the current price.

Halidu also noted that the shortage in supply of the premium motor spirit (PMS) was equally affected by the increased activities of illegal bunkering in the country.

The DPR Director, George Osahon, who led a team for inspection tour of petrol stations in Kaduna, said, “the general public should not panic because there is no fuel scarcity. There are enough products in stock but the marketers are the ones causing these long queues.”

He attributed the long queues to a chain reaction by the marketers and the public over the rumour of a pending increase in pump price.

“The situation could be brought under control if there is proper coordination because we will soon introduce an electronic system to effectively monitor fuel distribution in the country,” Osahon retorted.

However, petroleum products’ marketers disagreed with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that they were hoarding the product and attributed the scarcity to the delay in the release of the first quarter import allocation, which resulted in late import orders.

According to them, the tight supply is expected to continue until the marketers begin to bring in the product. Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the Lagos zonal chairman of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), has, however, urged Nigerians “to exercise patience for government to get itself properly back on track.”

He said, “it was government’s inability to give approval for importation paper on time before the expiration of last quarter that created the unnecessary crisis. What we are saying is that NNPC needs to supplement the shortage pending the time the approvals given to marketers arrive the country.”

For years now, the World Bank and the Interna-

tional Monetary Fund (IMF) have been putting pressure on African governments to liberalise oil markets and deregulate products’ pricing. Both institutions have also tied loans agreements to deregulation of the oil sector and privatisation of refineries.

December, the Presidency said the LanyAST Federal Government had no plan to sell of the nation’s refineries contrary to the news making the rounds about the imminent sale of the facilities.

Recall that the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and NUPENG had threatened to embark on an industrial action if government refused to drop the idea of selling the refineries.

In declaring the date for the commencement of the strike, National President, PENGASSAN, Babatunde Ogun, had said, “if between now, and December 24, 2013, the government failed to cancel the planned privatisation of the refineries, we would wait for the Yuletide period to come and then mobilise between that time and the first week in January 2014; the entire oil and gas workers in Nigeria will go on a total strike and shut down the economy.”

The Presidency noted there was no endorsement for the planned sale of the refineries. “The Federal Government will not sell the refineries. There is no authorisation for anybody to do so; there is no presidential endorsement. Even the minister does not have the powers to sell government’s property.”

The Head, Public Communication, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Chigbo Anichebe, had said, through a statement issued on December 20, 2013, that Jonathan had approved the constitution of a steering committee for the sale of the nation’s four refineries.

Many have argued that deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector is the only solution. Deregulation refers to the reduction or removal of government control, rules and regulations that restrain free oper-

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Sunday, March 9, 2014 31

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

BUSINESS

Nigeria’s Refining Capacity, The Quest For Self-SuffiBy Roseline Okere OR more than five decades, Nigeria has been involved in the exportation of crude oil with the aim of making the lives of its citizens better. However, in the equal number of years, there has been gradual slide in people’s standard of living as a result of corruption, despoliation and deaths associated with the industry.

Suffice it to say that since the country began to refine its crude oil in 1965, there has never been a more challenging inadequacy as now. The country’s four refineries are not functioning up to their normal capacity such that Nigeria spends a large percentage of what it earns on importation of what, in the first place, it should have in abundance.

Nigeria currently imports about 38.298 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) daily into the country, thereby, spending over N146.9 billion on fuel importation every month.

According to the approve prices of PMS issued by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) for February 2014, landing cost is N127.89, ex-depot price, N87.66; regulated price, N97.00; expected open market price, N143.38 while government pays subsidy of N46.38 per litre.

PPPRA’s figures showed that in terms of quantity, the country gets an average daily provisional of 38.298 million litres of PMS. Going by this, the country may be consuming an average of about 3.446 billion litres of petrol in three months. At the official pump price of N97 a litre, the sum of N334.34 billion must have exchanged hands between consumers and oil marketers within the period of three months.

F

Subsidy payment HE Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said recently that Nigeria spent N971 billion on fuel subsidy T payments in 2013. In 2012, the amount spent was N950 bil-

lion, compared with N2.2 trillion in 2011. The figure was nonetheless equivalent to about a fifth of the country’s budget. Spending on fuel subsidy is expected to continue this year with N971.1 billion provided for it in the budget.

In 2006, subsidy cost on petrol was N151.9 billion, N188 billion in 2007, N256.3 billion in 2008 (from January to July); in 2009, N421.5 billion was spent, N673 billion in 2010, and N1.3 trillion spent in 2011 was revised up to 2.19 by the Ministry of Finance, after arrears were paid in 2012 for PMS consumption in 2011.

In 2012, the sum of N888 billion was allocated for subsidy payments in the budget for petroleum product importers, but in December a supplementary budget of N161.6 billion for payment of arrears of fuel subsidy was submitted by the president and later approved by the National Assembly.

Already, the Federal Government’s fuel subsidy for January 2014 has fallen from N1.6 billion per day in December 2013 to N1.4 billion per day.

This is based on the estimated daily consumption of 36 million litres of the product.

The current PPPRA statistics released showed that government’s subsidy, which stood at N46.63 per litre in December 2013, had fallen to N44.94 per litre in January.

achieved within four years if the privatisation and structural reforms recommended for the refineries and the supply and distribution infrastructure, as well as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Greenfield Refinery initiative, are implemented vigorously and faithfully.

In addition to the above supply driven measures, the committee said that there are plausible demand side instruments available for bridging the supply gap and enhancing self-sufficiency in conventional petroleum products.

The committee, therefore, recommended that options such as LPG and CNG should be promoted vigorously to substitute DPK and firewood as domestic cooking fuel and PMS and AGO as transport fuel, respectively.

“Development and blending of bio-fuels such as ethanol and bio-diesel into PMS and AGO respectively could also be plausible options. Given the right investment incentives, these initiatives can be 100 per cent private sector driven.

In addition, fuel efficiency and consequent reduction in demand can be achieved with deliberate government policy in such areas as promotion of use of Bi-Fuel vehicles, fuel-efficient cars, light trucks and mini-buses.

The Federal Government can lead by example by insisting on such vehicle specifications, as part of its own fleet procurement policies, particularly for mass-transit transportation.

Also, the Director, Membership Services and Public Relations of Nation Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), Nerus Ekezie attributed the present fuel scarcity to the country’s inability of to be self-sufficient in petroleum refining.

He said: “It is an embarrassment for the government to continue to import fuel when the country is a major producer of crude oil with four refineries. We cannot arrest the problem until we begin to refine our products. Government should set policies that will encourage private refineries. Government should create the platform to allow for micro refiners by putting up a regulation that will create room for illegal refineries to become micro refineries in the country.”

Any hope For Private Refineries?

HE Federal Government, since 2002, has issued T over 39 licences to private operators to establish refineries of various capacities in the country, to lift the profile of local refining capacity from the current 445,000 barrels per day (bpd), a result of ill-maintained low capacity utilisation of four facilities owned by the government.

Special Taskforce On Nigeria’s Refineries HE National Refineries Special Task Force was set up by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to advise governT ment on how best to achieve self-sufficiency in petroleum

products within a strong commercial framework, in the shortest possible time.

The taskforce identified some challenges confronting the nation’s refineries to include poor operational performance; maintenance neglect; organisation and government issues.

The Task Force found that all the refineries — Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna — had failed to meet the normal international benchmarking standards; namely 80 to 90 per cent capacity utilisation and 90 per cent on-stream time efficiency for continuous operation.

Apart from the volume shortfalls, it was also discovered that the refineries have consistently been making lopsided products, with a skewed yield towards heavier fuels at the expense of light products, especially Premium Motor Spirit, which is in very high demand.

According to the taskforce, visits to the refineries revealed a very poor physical state of the plants and some critical equipment. For example, the old Port Harcourt Refinery was found to have been shut down for over seven years as a result of maintenance related reasons. Similarly, the Lubes Plant in Kaduna Refinery was also largely idle on account of both shortfalls in crude oil supplies and maintenance constraints.

The committee noted that there were many organisational and governance issues facing the refineries. It pointed out that many reasons were given for the frequent and extended periods of shutdown resulting in the poor performance by the management of each of the three refineries during the refinery visits. These include: Irregular and inadequate supply of crude oil, the main feedstock, unstable and inadequate power supply and inability to carryout Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) on schedule.

Headed by Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, the task force believes that self-sufficiency in petroleum products can be readily

Warri Refinery

But so far, only the Niger Delta Petroleum Resources, located in Ogbelle, Rivers State, with Dr. Layi Fatona as the promoter, has commenced production of 1,000bpd of refined oil.

Also, Orient Petroleum Resources Plc. has completed the detailed engineering, sourced the modules of its refinery and completed site acquisition, perimeter and topographical surveys, geotechnical, geological and hydro-geological surveys, site civil engineering works prior to construction of internal roads and reinforced concrete plinths for installation of refinery equipment.

But it is yet to start production.

Indeed, virtually all the licensed operators had serially defaulted on their respective deadlines to commence production, leading to licence withdrawals on their part, with even increased reluctance for mandate renewals as stipulated in the enabling law.

Factors cited as challenges for the takeoff of the various projects by the licensees included huge upfront start-up fee; lack of sovereign guarantees to secure cheaper loans from the international finance market; and uncertainty over guarantee of free market pricing policy.

Despite government’s reconsideration of the start-up fee in favour of the licences, the investors still failed to show serious commitment, thereby truncating initial objective of the private refineries’ initiative. However, a source at the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) told The Guardian that the agency had already processed new applications for private refineries and that they were now awaiting approval from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

On the upfront start-up fee, DPR sources noted, “ultimately, government reconsidered and accordingly reduced the fee in line with investors’ expectation; in spite of this concession, the investors still failed to show serious commitment; raising funds locally was obviously a problem, as bank interest rates of 20 per cent and above would make borrowing for such a project a suicidal mission!

“On the other hand, much cheaper foreign loans required certain sovereign guarantees that government did not consider necessary. Other investors demanded a free market pricing policy that eliminated subsidies, as the uncertainty and time lag related to subsidy refunds could jeopardise the ultimate success of such ventures.”

When it became evident to DPR in 2007 that the majority of the 18 oil refinery licences in Nigeria did not have either the financial resources or engineering expertise or the zeal to follow DPR’s specific guidelines, it cancelled all the outstanding licences and only a few reapplied under more strenuous guidelines.

A top official of an International Oil Company (IOC), who spoke on the condition of anonymity, tied the company’s participation in investing in private refinery to the quick deregulation of the downstream sector.

He said that a deregulation policy was the best solution to petroleum scarcity in the country, stating that it was the only condition on which the company would invest in building private

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BUSINESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 refineries in the country.

According to the source, “we believe that deregulation is the best way forward for the oil and gas industry and the country because if the sector is deregulated, private operators would be able to build new refineries and there would be healthy competition.

“We cannot go into refining because the business environment is not conducive right now. The banks are not ready to give out loans for such investment and we cannot approach our shareholders. There are so many loopholes. We do not know the quantity of fuel being brought into this country. Smugglers are smuggling fuel into this country on daily basis and how do you think we would be able to make it? It will not be easy competing with big refineries outside the country. We are selling off some of our refineries around the world because of its inability to compete.”

He stressed that if the issue of subsidy continued to drag; it would be difficult for practitioners in the industry to build a new refinery. He said the company would continue to operate as a profitable and resilient organisation, able to compete effectively in a fully deregulated downstream industry.

Failed Greenfield Refinery Initiative HE Federal Government had signed a N51.8 billion (N8.1 trillion) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) T with various local and international investors between 2011 and 2012 to build 10 refineries across the country, which is expected to save the country from fuel importation.

But the Federal Government has not been able to achieve much progress, as some investors have not been able to meet deadlines and progress to the next level of negotiation.

In 2010, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a $28.5 billion project to construct three new refineries, as well as a petrochemicals plant.

The refineries, which were to be situated in the Lagos Lekki Free Trade Zone, Bayelsa and Kogi states, were expected to come online in 2017, with combined capacity of 750,000bpd. However, plans were subsequently scaled back, reducing the total to 400,000bpd.

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China was to provide 80 per cent of the $11.3 billion equity finance. Up till now, there has not been much progress in this regard, according to information from NNPC. Also, the Federal Government signed an MoU in 2012 with United States -based Vulcan Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian Company Petroleum Refining and Strategic Reserve (PFRS).

The agreement envisages six new refineries with a total capacity to refine 180,000 bpd and an investment of $4.5 billion. All the six refineries were to be on line within 30 months, two in a single year. All the funding was supposed to be secured from outside of Nigeria.

Again, the Federal Government recently signed an MoU with Epic Refinery and Petrochemical industries for a project at Oporoma in Bayelsa State, to be carried out as a joint venture between Epic and its partner Sino Asia Energy Group.

Aside from a 180-outlet filling station chain, petrochemicals facility and 500mw of electricity capacity, this project would involve a 100,000bpd oil refinery and investments of $7.5 billion.

NNPC Group Managing Director, Andrew Yakubu, had attributed part of the challenges to the take off of the refinery projects to regulation of the downstream petroleum industry.

He said: “There are quite a number of things that are wrong, no investor will come and invest in a regulated environment. Today, the petroleum products are regulated and there are quite a number of things we need to do upfront to ensure that the business environment is conducive for investors to come and invest.

“So it is not about Chinese or any other person bringing money; nobody is going to bring free money.”

Yakubu argued that for these projects to take off, the business models must be right and this cannot be achieved under a regulated system. He, however, said that discussions were on-going to establish investors’ confidence, as current refining capacity from the nation’s four refineries with combined template of 445,000 barrels per day can barely meet local consumption.

Yakubu noted that in view of population explosion and increased economic activities, local demand for fuel has more than doubled over the years, but this has not been met with corresponding refining increase.

For these reasons, he said the Greenfield refineries have become imperative, especially as current output from the refineries is a little above 10 million litres.

According to him, “our consumption is over 35 million litres on daily basis, and current in-country capacity is about 17 million litres; there is no doubt that we need the Greenfield so that we can make progress in this critical aspect of our energy requirements. But we must get the business model right.”

Stressing the importance of increasing capacity, the NNPC boss said that steps were being taken to rehabilitate the old refineries, which have started yielding results with the recovery of 10 million litres last week.

Rhythm of jerry can in a filling station

Emergence Of The Downstream Sector I N 1959, when the nation’s crude oil productions reached 500,000 barrels per day, the need for building a refinery began to be justified. Consequently, experts were invited to conduct survey and studies at the end of which, Alesa-Eleme near Port Harcourt was recommended for the siting of a refinery.

Prior to 1960, crude oil produced in the country was exported while refined products supply was mainly through imports by multinationals such as Shell, BP, Mobil (Socony vacuum Oil Company) and Texaco. However, with the expansion of marketing business in the mid 70s, companies such as AP, Total, Noichem (National), Agip and Esso (Unipetrol) joined in the distribution of petroleum products.

In 1960, Shell BP petroleum refining company of Nigeria was formed and charged with the responsibility of constructing and running the Eleme refinery. The Nigeria Petroleum Refining

Company (NPRC) Ltd, was formed in 1962 when Federal Government signed an agreement with Shell BP. Government equity share in the company as at then was 50per cent; leaving the remaining 50 per cent to Shell BP. The refinery was built and became operational fully in 1965 with an initial capacity to process 35,000 barrels per-day.

The capacity was later increased to 60,000. In 1971, the country established the National Oil Corporation (NNOC).

The NNOC was vested with the responsibility of overseeing both the upstream and downstream activities of the petroleum industry.

In 1973, Nigeria acquired an average of 60 per cent participating interest in the operation of the oil companies. The action was in line with OPEC resolution, xvi, Article 90 of June 1968, which enjoined all member countries to acquire majority participation in the operation of the oil companies.

With the expansion of economic activities in the country after the civil war, demand for petroleum products increased leading to shortages. This prompted the government to expand refining capacity at the Port Harcourt plant to 60,000 barrels per day, which was still insufficient to meet local demand. To help solve the problem, government ventured into petroleum products distribution and marketing.

In 1973, the government introduced uniform pricing of petroleum products through out the country. To arrest the problem of transportation cost arising from products distribution, the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) management board was established in 1975 by decree No. 9.

Three other refineries were subsequently constructed in Warri, Kaduna and Eleme in Port Harcourt in 1978,

CONTINUED ON PAGE 35

... Time To Clean Up The Crisis CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30 ational activities in the sector.

This, however, does not mean a complete elimination of the laws that govern smooth operations of activities in the downstream oil sector. Rather, the role of government in this sector is limited mainly to providing regulatory oversight.

Government had noted that deregulation of the downstream oil sector will improve the efficient use of scarce economic resources by subjecting decisions in the sector to the operations of the forces of demand and supply. This will attract new sellers, buyers and investors into the market, thereby increasing competition, promoting overall higher productivity and, consequently, lowering prices over time.

In a statement by the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), “deregulation further reduces economic waste and lightens social burdens caused by government control. On many occasions, and in many parts of the country, particularly outside of the big cities and towns, a majority of Nigerians have been forced to buy petroleum products at 300 per cent higher than their original price.

“Deregulation of the downstream oil sector promises to be the way forward in expanding opportunities for economic growth and a competitive downstream petroleum sector if regulation in the downstream sector is limited to oversight and supervisory functions, aimed at guaranteeing quality of products and preventing consumer exploitation, then the process of deregulation could help achieve greater cost-effectiveness.”

A source in the petroleum ministry said in a sector that has been seized by a deepening mood of decline in investment, this is ‘practically unachievable’ because of the corruption in the system. According to the source, “a true, efficient NNPC will not create opportunity to siphon funds. He said, “why is it that colossal sums of money keep missing in NNPC account. Remember the N2.8 billion that the late music icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, sang about?”

Government had noted that rehabilitating the refineries is part of the strategy for deregulating the downstream petroleum sector. But many wonder why this effort has remained elusive. Before now, there was boundless confidence, especially in terms of return on investment.

Ogun attributed the low level of productivity of the nation’s refineries to neglect by successive administrations. He said the performance of the refineries had become poor because of lack of deserved attention to their maintenance.

The unionist urged the Federal Government to take the issue of the Turn Around Maintenance of the refineries more seriously by engaging credible firms to handle them. He also said that the delay in the commencement of the Turn Around Maintenance of the refineries had made the nation to depend on imported refined petroleum products.

He lamented the alarming drop in the production capacity of the refineries, which is put at 25 per cent of their installed capacities and urged the government to embark on urgent steps to remedy the situation.

The late Abacha awarded twice, the contract for the TAM, but nobody did anything, thus, making the four refineries become cash cow and conduit pipes for people to loot the economy.

The fact that subsidy would be removed would create better market incentives for the old refineries to be fixed and new ones to be built. Indeed, once the downstream oil sector is deregulated, government will have no need to invest in the refineries. That becomes the responsibility of private local and foreign investors, leading to a permanent solution to the perennial poor functioning of the refineries, which, in fact, has been cited for the reluctance of private investors to invest in them and raise the nation’s refining capacity despite the fact that 18 licenses have been granted for new refineries by the Federal Government.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Sunday, March 9, 2014 33

BUSINESS

How Adulteration, Racketeering Take Kerosene Away From Homes

By Geoff Iyatse HE ongoing enquiry into kerosene subsidy merely reveals perennial fraud at both whole and retail segments of the commodity market. In the past two weeks, The Guardian sought to know why the challenges have not subsided despite official moves to tame them.

At the wholesale level, the market contends with layers of challenges. First, the blending of kerosene with diesel to form an adulterated version of the latter has been a major threat to efforts to make the product available. The problem has taken a more threatening dimension since diesel has been deregulated. The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has repeatedly sensitised the public on the alarming rate at which unscrupulous dealers tamper with the product for commercial gains.

SON’s claim is that 95 per cent of the diesel in the market is mixed with House Hold Kerosene (HHK).

Last week, a major petroleum product importer, who claimed to have thorough knowledge about diesel adulteration, said kerosene and diesel are mixed into rice and beans (as it is called in local parlance), under the glare of security operatives.

He said the menace is more serious than many people, including those in government, imagine, noting that it is done by well-coordinated syndicates with the connivance of the security operatives and government officials. He alleged that almost all government-owned depots operate adulteration centres side-by-side with the legal facilities.

Investigations show that adulterated diesel depots are code-named (by the operators and truck drivers) for cover-up. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)’s operated depot in Benin, Edo State, has 10 loading bays. But, according to a source, there is another that goes with the code name ‘Bay 11.’

The source said tankers deliver imported kerosene at ‘Bay 11’ for mass adulteration activities that are carried out under the watch of security operatives. The source noted that a row of tankers, in turn, also lift adulterated diesel from the point, which is believed to be the most popular among the loading bays in the city. The fake product is hauled to different dealers in Edo, Delta as some other neighbouring states, “who are eagerly waiting to receive the products.

“It is a lucrative business for individuals, who have no form of principle and are ready to do anything for money. Those who do it are not ordinary people; they are renowned individuals who are ready to go to any length to achieve what they want.

Security operatives and government officials know where the activities are carried out and those behind them. But why is it so difficult to stop them?

“Under such circumstance, how would kerosene ever reach end users at regulated price, considering the wide price margin between the product and diesel? Users of petrol engines should count themselves lucky that adulterating premium motor spirit (PMS) is not as lucrative as that of diesel. And that is also because PMS is available at filling stations. But for this, more than half of cars on roads would have been driven by petro-sene.

“The leadership of Tanker Drivers Union in Lagos berated the police and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) over their inaction on a notorious adulteration yard in the state some years ago. They dared the consequences and confronted fellow tanker drivers, whose hands were soiled in the fake product business. Today, little is known about what became of the matter. And if you bring such report before the police, be prepared to hear the usual, ‘we need a search warrant from the court to enter the compounds’ where the illegal business is done,” noted the source.

Another source said the adulteration

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NNPC headquarters, Abuja ‘business’ is jointly carried out by NNPC employees and dealers. According to him, kerosene products are diverted from source to adulterated posts with the dealers who “pay slightly above the pump price to retain the business.” In some cases, he added, corrupt NNPC officials operate the adulterated centres, which are managed by cronies.

T was leant that many filling stations are diIularrectly linked with adulterated depots for regsupplies. A source said the practice is more common with filling stations located in remote areas since “regulatory authorities rarely visit those places.” Alternatively, some marketers alternate adulterated product with clean diesel.

Apart from the wholesale end, diesel adulteration is also carried out by black market vendors. This is the most common form of diesel counterfeiting. Wondering what is wrong in blending the two products into rice and beans, an individual suspected to have occasionally engaged in the act told The Guardian that kerosene can perfectly do the work of diesel.

“There is no difference between the two products. Kerosene can power diesel engine just as diesel can also be used to cook. The first time I

It is a lucrative business for individuals, who have no form of principle and are ready to do anything for money. Those who do it are not ordinary people; they are renowned individuals who are ready to go to any length to achieve what they want. Security operatives and government officials know where the activities are carried out and those behind them. But why is it so difficult to stop them? Under such circumstance, how would kerosene ever reach end users at regulated price, considering the wide price margin between the product and diesel? Users of petrol engines should count themselves lucky that adulterating premium motor spirit (PMS) is not as lucrative as that of diesel.

experimented it was when I mistakenly poured kerosene into my oga’s diesel generator; it worked till the following morning without any problem. Subsequently, when I was driving a bus, I used kerosene occasionally to top up the diesel. It worked perfectly,” he claimed.

A source close to an adulteration syndicate said to operate from Olodi-Apapa, Lagos, gave further insight into the process. Unlike the popular method of blending the two products to get a hybrid, he said many retail operators turn kerosene into diesel without adding any quantity of the target product.

“They only change the kerosene to diesel with the help of chemical. Of course, some of them still add some quantity of diesel. But most of them don’t do that any longer; once they pour the chemical into the kerosene, the colour changes. Then, they can sell it as diesel to unsuspecting people,” he argued.

Some retail adulterators source kerosene from filling stations except that they do not buy at the exorbitant price the product is sold to the public. They get the product from few petrol station that sell at pump price.

Findings show that a large percentage get the ‘raw materials’ from corrupt fuel attendants, who also share much of the quantity supplied for sale among themselves. It was learnt that attendants, involved in the shoddy deal, sell kerosene to diesel adulterators at N70 to N80 per litre.

Since the product comes once in a long while, the diesel merchants, it was learnt, buy the volume they need for the entire period they presume their suppliers will be out of supply and store in drums in their hideouts.

NTERESTINGLY, much of the kerosene adulIfrom terated in remote areas of Lagos comes depots. For instance, Mobil Road area of Ajegunle, Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government Area, is famous for adulteration. Adulteration activities in the area are fueled by its proximity to Apapa jetty, the same reason black market fuel trading thrives in the community. A source said that those operating

within the axis rely on stolen kerosene sold at give-away price at the jetty.

According to findings, a 50-litre gallon of kerosene goes for as low as N2000 whenever kerosene cargo berth at the jetty.

Trading on kerosene from the jetty is done as early as 5am to avoid suspecting eyes. A former civil security supervisor at the jetty said even officers of the Nigerian Navy participate in the kerosene business just as in the case of PMS. But because it is difficult to say when kerosene will be available at the Boundary black market, since it is not as predictable as PMS, fake diesel dealers operating within the area also get supply from popular sources (filling stations).

There are also speculations that imported HHK, which is slightly different from Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK), also find its way into the aviation market. ATK, which is also referred to Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) when it is adoptable for both aviation and household uses, is a higher grand of HHK. Hence, it can perfectly blend with diesel. But cooking kerosene, because of its inferior quality, can only replace ATK or diesel at the risk of the engine it powers.

But that fact does not stop aviation operators from looking at kerosene to cut running cost. Even the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Mr. Reginald Stanley, acknowledged that aviation fuelling is among the channels imported household kerosene is diverted from homes. He disclosed this while speaking to journalists on the complexity of the kerosene value chain recently.

But a source at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was not sure if aircraft owners still go to the extreme of substituting HHK for aviation fuel. He, however, said the N150 plus difference in per litre prices of the products is capable of induc-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

34 Sunday, March 9, 2014

BUSINESS

Alison-Madueke, minister of Petroleum Resources

Audu, NNPC boss

Kerosene Subsidy: So Much… So Little “NNPC is supposed to be selling kerosene at N40.90k per litre, but marketers are made to part with some money. At EROSENE has become a luxury commodity in the coun- least N30 per litre is paid to government officials.” Adding, try. As a result, the goal of switching from firewood to “this payment will entitle such marketer to get the proHouse Hold Kerosene (HHK) has almost become a pipe forma invoice. You will then hire a ship incur additional dream, even as the price of the product continues to rise. cost apart from what you spend on storage and operation.

With the price increase by about 150 per cent in several You can now see why kerosene cannot be sold at N50.” states due to its high demand and short supply, the pain of Faced with sharp practices at filling stations, Nigerians the consumers is no less grievous. From Lagos to Kaduna have turned to black market operators for kerosene for through Abuja, the story is the same. While the country is their cooking. Though black market remains a source of yet to recover from the scarcity of gas, the scarcity of worry to government, business usually booms whenever kerosene has left many homes in a lurch while the forest re- there is scarcity of petroleum products, especially fuel or sources also bear the brunt. kerosene in the country. And operators take advantage of Though kerosene is officially sold for N50 per litre, most the scarcity to rip off Nigerians. However, the business conmarketers and retailers, including some filling stations, extinues to enjoy huge patronage even when petroleum cept the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) products are available at filling stations. before now, sell above N100 per litre.

Mrs. Barry, a housewife and fashion designer in Mafoluku, Late last year, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Asso- said: “Kerosene is an essential commodity, and it is central ciation of Nigeria (IPMAN) launched a massive distribution to our living. There is nothing we can do since the product initiative under the kero-direct project beginning from Lais not available at the filling station. Government is less gos. Its National President, Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadri, said concerned about the masses, which is the reason they want the association had secured huge quantity of the product us to pay high prices for petroleum products. for distribution at the cost of N50 per litre.

“It is not that we have enough money to afford the black He had urged all members, who were allocated the prodmarket price; if you go to the filling stations you will get, uct, to ensure they sell at approved price. However, a month and even when they have, they sell to those people selling after the flag off, Lagos and its environs began to experience on the streets. Buying from petrol stations is better than acute shortage. Where available, marketers sold it between the black market because if you buy a five-litre gallon there, N110 and N130 per litre. you know it is truly five litres. The street sellers prefer sellThe Guardian checks in some parts of Lagos, including ing with small paint bucket and some of the buckets are ofMafoluku and Oshodi, revealed that a litre of kerosene goes ten reduced to four litres.” for N150, representing close to 150 per cent increase. A fiveFor Temitayo, a teacher, “I can’t remember the last time I litre gallon, which ordinarily would be filled with N250, now bought kerosene from a filling station, even though I use sells for N750. more of gas because kerosene is relatively unavailable. The On why many marketers do not sell at pump price, a scarcity has forced many people to depend on black marsource at the Major Marketers Association of Nigeria, said: ket.”

Alhaja, a retailer in Eyinogun Street, Mafoluku, says, selling the product has helped her in training her children. “This is what I do for a living. I sell a five-litre gallon for N700, while Cocoa-Cola bottle goes for between N120 and N130. People come here to buy, and if you can stay until evening you will see the number of people that come here to buy kerosene.

They must cook. I don’t tell people how and where I buy it from,” she said.

At Egan in Igando, a retailer known as Mama Samson, who sells in drums denied getting the product for N50 per litre.

According to her, she procured the product at N110 per litre, and this makes her sell five litres for N700. “I buy from some independent marketers, and they sell to me at N110 and N120, per litre. This makes me sell to people at that price. If I buy at cheap rate, I sell at cheap price as well,” she said.

In Abraka, Agbor, Asaba, and Onitsha, The Guardian gathered that residents, aside groaning over the high cost of kerosene, also lament non-availability of the product. A litre in the area sells for between N120 and N150.

Mrs. Nnoye Chukwuma, an Onitsha-based housewife, spends close to N3,000 monthly on kerosene. “Sometimes I buy five litres for N800 or N850. There is no month I spend less than N3,000 on kerosene, because I have to cook for my family everyday and doing that, kerosene is needed. So, kerosene is now too expensive,” she lamented.

Josephine, a student of Delta State University, Abraka said the situation has not been favourable to students. “I buy five litres, which I sometimes use for a month at the rate of N700. Here in Abraka, a bottle sells between N180 and N200, while at the filling stations, if there is at all, it sells at N150 or N170. There was a time it was sold for N180.

Another student of the institution, Omono, said the high cost of kerosene sometimes made her forego meals because she did not have enough money to buy kerosene, even though she had food to cook.

station, said attendants connive with the supervisors to devise a ‘quota system’, which they use to allocate supply to themselves immediately it is delivered. She said people queue for hours without getting the products just for the underground tankers to be emptied before the following day.

She said: “Kerosene provides an opportunity to make money here. They have mastered the trick they use to dispense it so that many people will not be able to buy when they are selling. In the daytime, they really don’t want to sell much; hence, they find a way to slow down the process.

Sometimes, they stop halfway for hours under the excuse that those queuing to buy are disorderly. By the time they enter the second day, the tankers would have been emptied.

“The least attendants make is N100,000 in two or three days when they have kerosene. They just put money together and empty the product into drums from where they eventually sell it to those who will retail the products or use it for something else. That is why household users rarely get kerosene directly from filling stations,” she explained.

The kerosene racketeering is more common at NNPC-operated stations, it was learnt. Understandably, attendants at private filling stations are more monitored than their coun-

terparts at NNPC mega stations. Segun Adebisi, who said be buys from NNPC stations regularly, said the attendants, who he said earn peanuts, pay themselves from kickbacks they get from kerosene deal.

Perhaps, kerosene faces the most complex value chain in the country. The subsidy policy is design such that NNPC supplies independent marketers where consumers are expected to get the product at N50 per little. But the product changes hands between four and six times before reaching the end user. It is even worse in rural areas. Between a local market and a typical village household, kerosene is sold and resold two or three times before an end user receives it.

And, at every stage, the price goes up.

Apart from the multiplicity of purpose kerosene serves, Stanley, PPPRA’s boss, revealed that part of the volume imported at subsidised rate also finds its way to neighbouring countries.

With the regulatory bodies admitting that they are aware of the couple of threats militating sufficient supply of kerosene, the only question that has not been answered is why is it practically impossible to address the problem. This and related questions on the subsidy saga were forwarded to Spokesman for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Omar Farouk Ibrahim, last week on request.

At press time, no response was received.

By Daniel Anazia

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••• Adulteration, Racketeering Take Kerosene Away From Homes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 ing such decision. “But that is after it is certified that it will have no harmful effect on engines of the aircraft,” he said.

Amid divergent and growing demand for kerosene, the quantity that eventually reaches filling station at NNPC’s N4.90 per litre ends up in the drums of retailers. An attendant at a branch of Oando Plc said: “We sell at pump price when we have supply. But I can’t remember the last time we sold kerosene. It may be over a year.”

But Bisi Akinyede, who runs a shop behind another filling

Sunday, March 9, 2014 35

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

BUSINESS

Debate… And Its Many Controversies

By Geoff Iyatse and Daniel Anazia EROSENE subsidy was conceived as part of the country’s social welfare package.

But while that of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) achieved fair success, the huge spending on kerosene subsidy by the Federal Government seemed to have gone into private pockets while consumers pay dearly’ for bottles of the essential commodity.

The recent revelations by suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, at the Senate Investigative Public Hearing on un-remitted oil revenue, opened a can of worms on the historical shenanigan by cabals who have been feeding fat on the supposed subsidy package.

The revelation appears like the shoddier version of the January 2012 debate on fuel subsidy, where billions of naira was discovered to have been diverted from the Federation Account to private pockets under the guise of subsidy on yearly basis.

Sanusi, at the hearing removed the lid on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), claiming that it has been paying subsidy on kerosene, contrary to a standing presidential order by the late Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration that it should be removed.

But, on the contrary, Goodluck Jonathan, during his presidential media chat two weeks ago, said the administration, which he served as Vice President, only toyed with the possibility of removing it. The President said the idea was dropped following objection from the labour that if the international price of crude appreciated, kerosene subsidy removal would spell hell for the poor.

Sanusi had accused the NNPC of lying about the disclosure that it paid kerosene subsidy with part of the $20 billion alleged to have missed from the oil sale proceeds.

He insisted that the said sum was unremitted to the Federation Account by the NNPC between January 2012 and July 2013.

Late last year, at a seminar organised by

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the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Dakuku Peterside, described subsidy as a cover for corruption.

“Kerosene subsidy is a network of corruption; it is a network of fraud. When you ask major marketers they tell you that the monopoly of NNPC is the reason we don’t have access to kerosene… This is as a result of the inefficiency of our government because we are not holding people responsible; we are not asking the right questions,” he said.

Peterside said the country spent N110.07 billion to subsidise kerosene in 2010.

“This is not the cost of kerosene but the cost of subsidising the product alone. In 2011, it got worse when government spent N324.09 billion on kerosene subsidy. Although we are yet to reconcile the figure but N200 billion was spent in subsidising kerosene in 2012,” he noted.

It would be recalled that in 2012, Chairman and governorship candidate of the Labour Party at the 2013 Anambra Elections, Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah, flagged off Kero-Direct Scheme, through a collaborative effort with NNPC and his company, Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited. It help in 10 states – Ondo, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Abia, Taraba, Adamawa, Plateau, Kano and Jigawa.

According to reports, the Kero-Direct Scheme was to ensure the product was available to vast majority of Nigerians while creating more jobs.

Ubah noted that, while Capital Oil commenced sale in10 states, the NNPC/Kero-Direct scheme would spread throughout Nigeria with distribution of kerosene to end users at N50 a litre.

He noted that the issue of middlemen was completely taken care of, as the sale would be restricted to 25 litres to each household, adding that sale of the product would be judiciously distributed to Nigerians as stipulated by the guidelines.

“It is in response to this that the company came up with this innovation of deploying mobile filling stations with standard dis-

pensing pumps to deliver kerosene at N50 per litre to Nigerians,” he said.

Ubah noted that the scheme would afford consumers access to the product with a view to reducing the use of charcoal and firewood, which are hazardous to health.

Ubah was not the only oil magnate that made fame from kerosene at N50 campaign. About six years again, Femi Otedola’s African Petroleum (now Forte Oil) also launched kerosene at N50 at a time the product was selling for between N80 and N90 per litre. When the AP’s cheap kerosene campaign started running, the skeptics were eager to see the magic Otedola would perform.

Eventually, AP kicked off sale of kerosene at the regulated price. But it was shortlived.

Recently, there was jubilation in the entire Ilorin and Ibadan when it was reported that the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) mobilised its members to sell the products for N50 per litre. Selling at that price has been idealistic campaign by the association for years.

The public excitement and somewhat disbelief that trailed Otedola’s/Ubah’s kerosene generosity exposed, first, the frustration of Nigerians over the rising cost of the product. The commendation that came from public agencies also demonstrated the helplessness of government.

At the opening of an investigative hearing by theHouse of Representatives, the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, represented by his deputy, Emeka Ihedioha, decried the mystery kerosene surrounding subsidy.

According to Tambuwal, the house had, on November 27, 2013, unanimously resolved to carry out full investigation on the expenditure, supply, distribution and subsidy on kerosene.

He noted that kerosene has become the most topical issue in Nigeria today for several reasons. He observed that, at least, 30 per cent of households depend on the product for cooking.

“About 56 per cent of our population still depend on firewood due to lack of access to kerosene. The implication is that about 80 per cent of our population will most likely depend on it as source of domestic fuel.

Whatever affects 80 per cent of the population affects the entire country,” he said.

Tambuwal also admitted the Nigerians have easier access to gas and PMS than kerosene.

“The scarcity of kerosene has become a national embarrassment. It is so serious that the seventh House of Representatives, in its first legislative year, invited the Minister of Petroleum Resources to explain to the public what the problem was. Since that time, not much has improved in the area of supply and distribution of kerosene.

“Worse still, when kerosene is available, it is sold at such an exorbitant rate that Nigerians pay with their blood to get a litre. This, obviously, is not acceptable and cannot be in the best interest of the people. The country has spent, at least, N1 trillion over the past four years to subsidise kerosene; yet, the product is neither available nor sold at regulated pump price.

“The masses are in no way benefiting from subsidy on kerosene, thus NNPC needs to explain to Nigerians how it spent part of the $8.9 billion, $10.8 billion or $20 billion CBN accused it of failing to remit to the Federation Account.

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, said diversion of kerosene to neighbouring countries, industrial use, aviation fuel, sharp practices by middlemen and pipeline vandalism are reasons the product is not available for domestic consumption.

He maintained that incessant pipeline vandalism and diversion of the product to road construction make kerosene virtually inaccessible to end users.

“There are quite a number of competing demands for kerosene and until these are addressed by other relevant agencies, the issue of kerosene …will continue to reoccur every now and then,” he stated.

Emergence Of Downstream Sector CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32

Dignitaries, brand ambassadors and staff of Promasidor Nig. Ltd, at the official cake cutting to launch Onga cube variant in Lagos…

Thursday

Promasidor Launches New Product ROMASIDOR Nigeria Limited, maker of Cowbell into the company’s brands.”

P Milk, has launched Onga cubes into the Niger- He said the new cube would come in four grammes and two other variants, which could be used for any ian seasoning market. This follows a successful penetration of Onga powder, which was introduced 10 years ago.

Its Executive Director, Commercial, Mr. Kachi Onubogu, said in Lagos last week: “After almost two years of insightful and innovative work by the Promasidor team, I am happy to welcome Onga

type of dish.

He said that Onga in cubes is a completely different formulation from the existing Onga powder because “we did a complete reformulation from scratch, paying attention to what the consumers want in an ideal brand of seasoning cube.”

How To Search For Jobs On Google INDING a job can be difficult. While looking through access to sites, resources, and possibilities that may Fbersnewspapers and asking’ highly placed family mem- not have been considered.. for referrals worked in the past, it has become So how does Google Search make it easier to find

harder today with more people competing to get the available jobs.

Unlike the past when classified sections of newspapers were the primary means of finding job openings, online search today plays a more crucial role in helping to connect people to jobs. The Internet stretches connections across local, state, and even national borders and gives

jobs?

Google helps people find things – whether it’s a rare African book, a blog for breast cancer survivors, an image of Tafawa Balewa, a Spoon video, or a map and driving directions to Obudu in Calabar. It is believed that more information means more choice, more freedom and ultimately more power for people.

1980, 1989, respectively, increasing Nigeria’s refining capacity to 445,000 bpd. Despite the demands of the rapidly growing Nigeria’s economy, Nigeria’s refining capacity has remained unchanged more than two decades after the last plant was built.

To reduce the cost of transportation, the government constructed pipelines, linking all the nations’ depots. Many industry watchers also blame the persistent crises on the vandalisation or failure of these pipelines some of which are very old. By 1979, a total of 3,001 km of pipelines linking 16 storage depots to the refineries had been constructed all over the country.

As at today, over 5,000km of pipelines have been constructed to link the refineries and 21 storage depots nationwide. The introduction of independent market scheme by the government in 1978, led to the establishment of independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).

The major marketers namely Oando, Mobil, Conoil, Total, AP and Texaco control substantial share of the country’s oil market in terms of products supply and distribution. The major marketers presence is felt more in the major cities.

Similarly, the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMA) play significant role in products procurement and distribution in the country Still more, the over 5,000 Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) control a fairly large share of the oil market. IPMAN operations are felt more in the hinterland compared to the majors who dominate the cities.

State of the refineries Old PH Refinery: This plant was built in 1965, with an original installed capacity of 35,000 BPD. It was subsequently debottlenecked in 1972 to 60,000 bpd. It is

essentially a straight distillation unit with very little upgrading facilities for enhancement of yield of PMS. New PH Refinery: This Refinery was commissioned in 1989, with an installed capacity of 150,000 BPD and a mix of units to enhance the yields of PMS and light products. Crude oil supply to the refinery is by pipeline from the SPDC Bonny Terminal, while evacuation of products is designed to be by a combination of pipeline, marine vessels and trucks.

The products slate consists of the standard fuels from a refinery: LPG, PMS, DPK, AGO and Fuel oil.

Warri Refinery: Warri Refinery was commissioned in 1978, with a throughput capacity of 100,000 bpd. It was subsequently de-bottlenecked in 1987 to a capacity of 125, 000 bpd. Crude oil is obtained from CHEVRON and supplied by pipeline from the PPMC Escravos Terminal or from Shell Petroleum Development Company through their Ughelli Quality Control Center (UQCC). Similar to Port Harcourt, products evacuation is by pipeline, marine vessels and trucks.

Kaduna Refinery: (Fuels Plant) Originally commissioned in 1980 with a throughput capacity of 50,000 bpd, the plant was expanded in 1986 to 60,000 bpd capacity. It is designed to process Nigerian light crude supplied by pipeline from the PPMC Escravos Terminal in Delta State into fuels. (Lubes Plant) The Plant was commissioned in 1983 with a capacity of 50,000 BPD to process imported heavy crude into fuels and other heavier products, such as lubricating base oils, asphalt and waxes. The imported crude oil is discharged into a receiving facility at Escravos, Delta State and similarly delivered by pipeline to Kaduna via the Warri Refinery.

36 Sunday March 9 2014

THE GuArDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

BuSINESSAGro

SurE-P Supports Kebbi Fish Farmers With Fingerling Production HE National Association of Fish Farmers T in Kebbi State says it will partner with the state SurE-P on the establishment of fingerlings production centre and packaging of fish after harvest.

Chairman, Alhaji Hussaini raha, said that the partnership would enhance commercial fish production. raha said the association would also partner with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and rural Development and National

Institute for Freshwater Fisheries research, New Bussa, on the management of fish farms, According to a NAN report. raha said that an update of the membership records revealed 12,050 members located in Argungu, Birnin Kebbi, Bunza, Bagudo, Shanga, Yauri and Ngaski local government areas, producing tilapia and catfish.

According to him, the association has also registered 9,000 artisans and 300 cooperative societies.

He said that the association would strive to meet international standard in the production of smoked and fresh fish.

The association would also upgrade from artisan level of fish farming to modern and commercial level that would be economical and environment friendly”.

He denied allegations that the state government was not assisting fish farmers, stressing that the government had been assisting the union with feeds, fingerlings

and other accessories. raha said the new agriculture policy of the state government would facilitate the association’s access to feed, fingerlings, fishing nets, kiln for drying the fish and storage facilities.

He said the association would ensure that fish farming emerged a major employer of labour with a view to boosting food production and ending poverty.

Flour Mills Gives N50m Projects To Niger Communities

By Fabian Odum lour Mills of Nigeria Plc has handed over projects worth over N50 million to help develop Kaboji and Sunti, rural communities in Niger State.

Director of Corporate Affairs and Company Secretary, Alhaji olakekan Saliu, revealed that the gesture was in line with the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSr) programme.

In Kaboji, for instance, he said, the community got a block of four classrooms at Government Day Secondary School; another block of two classrooms at Central Primary School and the comprehensive Primary Health centre received a borehole with overhead tank and 20KVA Perkin generator.

Saliu said a Police post has also been constructed and handed over to the people to ensure improved safety of lives and properties.

For the Sunti community, host to the company’s Sunti Golden Sugar Estates limited, Saliu said a new clinic has been built while the 32- kilometre Mokwa-Sunti road, which had hitherto been impassable has been graded. He added that work on strengthening of the existing bridges on the road would commence soon to assist passage of heavy-duty trucks attracted by the farm and local community.

But more than that, he said the ultimate is to lay asphalt on the road to make for easy movement of goods and commuters in the area.

“We have a policy that we try to maintain a harmonious relationship with our communities and this is why we give something to our host communities and the society at large,” he said.

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Women fisherfolks on duty at the R.Benue in Taraba

PHOTO: NAN

reasons Nigeria Has Influx of Imported Frozen Food Mr. Onallo Akpa is the Director-General, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN). He spoke with JOKE FALAJU extensively on why Nigeria is still awash with imported frozen chicken despite government deliberate ban policy, and the unfavorable local production environment.

N increasing influx of Frozen poultry product We are into poultry production to satisfy the market locally without much dependence on imported frozen chicken. That is the vision and the objective of the association, and we are so happy that government placed a ban on the importation of frozen chicken in the country for quite some years now.

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That has helped to galvanize local production in the country, building the capacities of farmers, their income and their general livelihood. It has also been able to boost the contribution of agriculture to our Gross Domestic Product.

The imported poultry products in the market are not legitimate. The import prohibition ban is still in place as part of the fiscal policy of Nigeria and this policy is still effective.

They are being brought into the country through smuggling and in last few years, we have had good working relationship with the Nigerian Customs Service. It has done the best possible to see that those people involved in smuggling have their products confiscated.

But because of the porous borders, most

of the smugglers carry on with their illegitimate activities. on sourcing products by consumers, eateries Most of the processors of broilers are the suppliers to the major eateries, but because of the cost of the imported frozen chicken vis-à-vis the local ones, imported chicken are preferred because they are cheap.

They are cheap, not relatively compared to the local chicken produced in terms of real cost of production. The parts of the chicken imported are rejects from Europe, America and Brazil.

In most of the advanced countries, people don’t eat some parts of the chicken; they put high premium and prices on the ones that they eat, and the ones that they don’t eat are the ones our people ship down here as imported frozen chicken. But relatively the cost of chicken been smuggled is cheaper than the local chicken. Because most of them have their cold chain being broken, in course of smuggling, they are preserved with different kinds of things. our producers are supplying most of the eateries but if due to cost some of them buy the smuggled one, we are not in a position to know; it is free market economy, when you go to the market, it is what you see that you buy. on high cost of poultry products It is because of the high cost of production. Most of the farms are run on generators and poultry has gone beyond the traditional method people know.

In a closed controlled environment, most of the hen now cannot stay without light, but there is no public electricity supply, so most of the farms are operating on generator everyday and they are using diesel at a high cost.

Also there is no public water, every other person who does intensive poultry production has to provide his own water. The cost of fund too, some banks

are offering 20-22 per cent interest rate!

That is too high, we cannot afford it.

In Europe, it’s between 5-6 per cent interest rate so the cost of borrowing is also responsible for the high cost of poultry product. More so, the government is not giving any subsidy to the subsector. The government technocrat says no subsidy, but in Europe and America they subsidise agriculture heavily, the farmers can still afford to be in business and produce at low price that is affordable but not here. What you see happen in the poultry sector is complete private sector driven; there is no single support from the government. on total ban on importation of poultry product Poultry products consist of live birds and frozen poultry product. There is a ban on the importation of live birds and the ban came into effect when we had outbreak of avian influenza. There was a deliberate policy that live birds should not be imported into Nigeria so that the diseases would not be transmitted.

The ban on the importation of poultry products has been on since 2003; that ban include import any processed poultry product, either chicken or turkey into Nigeria from Europe, America or Brazil. These are the three major poultry producing nations of the world and that is done deliberately to build the capacities of poultry production locally, because we cannot afford to close our local poultry production and depend on importation. The essence of the ban is to stop the spread of diseases, because up till today there is still the outbreak of avian influenza in China. on meeting demand of consumers We can meet the demand, a lot of people are going into poultry production and others are expanding capacity, because of the demand. You can comfortably put in your money to expand your production capability, because there is demand to take off your pro-

duce. on the association’s benefit from the Agricultural transformation Agenda The ATA is not an agenda of dashing money by the government, the transformation is saying let us do business in another way, and part of the transformation is the maintenance of policy on ban, so there is no way that we would say the ATA has not impacted on us. If it is not helping, probably they would have removed the ban and the country would be awash with imported poultry products.

Government is not providing any subsidy; there is no part of Agriculture that is being subsidised by the government.

Even with the Growth Enhancement Scheme, if I have 100,000 laying birds and each consume 125g of feeds everyday, that is the birds would be consuming 500bags (16metric tones) of feeds daily, and to enhance my growth you give me 10 bags of feeds, what have you done for me.

And at the age the birds and there are different nutritional requirements, so the input from the 10bags of feeds from GES may not fit into their need.

Instead of giving feeds, why not translate it into policy that would help reduce the cost of production.

For instance, if it cost N2,500 to buy a bag of feed, to reduce the cost of production, the government can ship in one trailer load of feed probably at N100m and get the association to pay N50million and distribute it to the members.

With that the cost of production will come down and it would invariably affect the price of poultry product, and it would affect the price of meat. Then everyone will be able to afford to buy it.

Sunday, March 9,

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

37

IBRUCENTRE

Anglican Communion: The Dilemma Of Oath Taking To further entrench its belief, especially as it concerns homosexuality and lesbianism, the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), last Sunday in Abuja, subjected members wishing to hold key positions in the church to take an oath of allegiance to God by denouncing whatever connection they have or may have in future with homosexuality. This expression of faith is commendable, especially now that the Western world is bent on promoting gay and lesbianism as a culture. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the public denunciation took place at St. Matthew’s, Maitama, during the swearing-in of new members of the Parish Church Council (PCC). The Vicar of the Church, Ven. Ben Idume, who administered the oath said: “The church recognised that those with such sexual orientation would not be allowed to hold any position in church.”

But is oath-taking Biblical? And if there are members practising homosexuality and/or bisexuality, can the oath prevent them from carrying on these activities? Is the oath strong enough to checkmate what members do in secret?

And if a member is caught, what will the church do? CHRIS IREKAMBA and ISAAC TAIWO took up the issue with some Anglican Bishops.

‘In Anglican Church, Nigeria, Oath Taking Is Essential’ (Rt. Rev. (Dr.) Michael Olusina Fape, Anglican Bishop of Remo, Ogun State) ATH TAKING is a Biblical practice, which is more pronounced in the Old Testament. An early example is found in Genesis 24:9, where Abraham wanted his servant to do his bidding by making sure that a wife was found for his son Isaac from among his people. Later on, we also find an instance of oath taking between Laban and Jacob in Genesis 31:43-53. The purpose of oath taking in either of these two cases is to ensure that the truth prevailed. Later in Acts of the Apostles, we find some Jews, who swore to an oath not to drink or eat until Paul was killed (Acts 23:21).

However, in the New Testament, Jesus simply charged his followers to let their ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and their ‘no’ be ‘no’ (Matthew 5:33-37). In other words, oath taking should not be the way to establish the truth in Christian life. It is true that in the Anglican Church in Nigeria, oath taking is essential for those aspiring to occupy leadership positions in the church by way of determining the level of their commitment to the Christian faith. It can be said that every Christian is bound with an oath of allegiance to Christ at the point of baptism.

But the fact that an individual was baptised does not necessarily make him a committed Christian. There are nominal Christians in the church today—those with unconverted hearts claiming to be Christians, but who are not. Otherwise, there ought not to be homosexuals or members of secret cults in the Church of God today. Oath taking is to instill some spiritual sanity into the Church. Some may think it does not matter, and therefore, go through it with deceit or impunity. However, it has grave consequences for perjurers.

Many, who swore to an oath deceitfully, have incurred the wrath of God. The consequences of such have served to checkmate others. There have been cases of those that incurred the wrath of God on account of false oath taking. They confessed and were prayed for, to receive forgiveness and restoration. In all, what is important as Christians is that we should be honest and truthful, knowing fully that all our actions are known to God and nothing is hidden from Him, whether we take an oath or not.

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‘I Subscribe To Oath Taking Because Of The Nature Of Man’ (Rt. Rev. Isaac Nwaobia, Bishop of Isiala-Ngwa South) HE Bible says we should let our ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and ‘no’ be ‘no.’ Human beings, by virtue of their depraved nature are thick skinned when it comes to respect for law and order. We know we are operating under the grace, but it becomes very necessary to tighten up by providing ‘Oath of Allegiance’ for individuals to make public commitment over issues similar to the one in question. I subscribe to it because of the nature of man, especially in this 21th century. In the scriptures, we can premise the commitment the Church requires of the clergy. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ dialogued with Peter when He asked him, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?” This question the Lord continued to ask Peter and despite being affirmative in his reply, the Lord kept on asking him until Peter became grieved and said, “Lord, you know I love you” and the Lord finally told him, “Feed my sheep.”

Secondly, we involve the priests because they are Church leaders and fathers. A pilot is expected to operate correctly. A battalion or squadron leader is expected to act correctly for his followers to follow him. Priests are leaders in their roles.

Since they are in the lead and ahead of the congregation, they need to get their bearings right and taking ‘Oath of Allegiance’ goes a long way in keeping them on their toes as role models.

Thirdly, immorality has crept into the house of God. We have several cases of homosexuals in the chamber of God. It is not as if they are being unnecessarily suspected, but in reality, so many pastors and leaders have been dismissed because of their involvement in obscene cases. As leaders, they

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place themselves under curse as number one in the congregation of the Lord, should they deviate and be found in the ungodly act of homosexuality. The case is not limited to the married, as several times, married men and women have had cause to complain of being abandoned by their spouses. Finally, the declaration of ‘Oath of Allegiance,’ instills fear in any perpetrator to subtly withdraw. This will also force those in the dastardly act to repent, while those contemplating getting involved will be gripped with fear and the end result is that there will be sanity in the house of God, which is the ultimate goal of the Church. If any member were caught as a perpetrator, pastoral care would first of all be administered, but if the person proves stubborn and unrepentant, he/she will be excommunicated from the Church until he/she repents.

‘Oath Taking Is Biblical With Strict Conditions’ (Barr. Abraham Ndana Yisa, Registrar, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion) HERE are references to oath taking in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. Luke 1:73 “The oath he swore to our father Abraham” Mark 6:26. And the King was exceedingly sorry, but because of His Oaths and His guests, he did not want to break his word to her. See also Jeremiah 38:16; 28:5; 11:5; Isaiah 48:1; 45:23, 2 Kings 6:31. Genesis 24: 1-4 Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed Him in every way. He said to the Chief Servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh. I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of Heaven and the God of Earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.”

In the New Testament, Christians are admonished to let their ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and their ‘No’ be ‘No’ rather than take oath Mathew 5:33-37 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord. But I tell you, do not swear at all either by Heaven, for it is God’s throne or by the Earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’ Anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” James 5:12 “But above all my brothers, do not swear – not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no’, or you will be condemned.”

My understanding of both Old and New Testament references to oath taking for Christians is that the words of Christians are like the oath. They should be as good as an oath. The question is: Is this applicable to the generality of the people that call themselves Christians today or even those of old?

What of Ananias and Sapphira? What is the mischief provision relating to oaths seeking to address? What of oath taking prescribed by secular laws such as the Constitution, Evidence Act and other secular legislations, when giving evidence in courts or oaths of office? Oath taking, in my humble opinion, is Biblical with strict conditions. That means it should not be taken lightly, or in vain, it is not to be broken if taken, a born-again Christian’s word should be as good as oath, among others. Also in the provisions of the Constitution and Canons of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 2002 as amended can be found in Canon XVIII headed Of Declarations and subscriptions. These oaths are: the Declaration of belief; the oath of submission; the oath of allegiance to God i.e. not belonging to any secret society; the oath on Human Sexuality, among others.

Aside these oaths, Anglicans subscribe to oath at Baptism, before the officiating priest, at confirmation, before the Bishop and at marriage between the spouses before the officiating ministers. Clearly, affirmation of truth, vow or oath is not restricted to only those aspiring to positions in the church. Every Sunday, all Christians affirm their faith in the words of either the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed. So far, in our Church, we have not had any member that confessed or claimed to be homosexual or bisexual though a few cases of allegations are yet to be proven. However, we have seen and heard of Nigerians, who have claimed to be homosexual or have homosexual orientation. In the Church of Nigeria and happily under our secular law, these are now clearly criminal offences that attract penal sanctions. One of the greatest problems the Communion is today faced with, especially in the U.S.A, Canada and Europe is one of human sexuality and revisionism. We are not about to wait for it to infiltrate our Church and incur the wrath of God against clear and unambiguous Biblical injunctions. Sanctions are

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provided to check; address and often times punish the mischief behind such acts.

‘In Bible Days People Are Not Installed Kings Or Commissioned Priests Unless They Take Oath’ (Prof. Dapo Asaju, Bishop Theologian, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion/Dean, Crowther Graduate Theological Seminary, Abeokuta) ERIOUS problems always demand severe response and solutions. In Sodom and Gomorrah, people were active homosexuals and how did God treat them? He rained fire and brimstone and sulfur and burnt them to ashes. People today cannot romance with homosexuality, as God has not changed. What the world is witnessing is a satanic rebellion against God, the Bible and everything ethical. We are in the end-time or why else would Western governments, built upon Christian foundations and values, be promoting homosexuality today? It has pervaded every area of life silently.

They’ve entered the church and even risen to the rank of Bishops and primacy. Anglican Communion is involved in this trouble like all other churches, we are talking, but none of them is talking.

During the time of Primate Peter Akinola, the Church of Nigeria spearheaded the battle against the whole Western world on this issue of homosexuality. Unfortunately, it is not the church that is promoting homosexuality now, but the governments of Barack Obama of America and Cameron of U.K. They have the audacity to threaten Nigeria and Uganda for passing laws against homosexuality. Darkness is all over the land and all we can do now is to protect ourselves. We are part of the Anglican Communion, but we hate homosexuality and we will fight against it with the last drop of our blood.

We are aware that the Western governments are using money to export homosexuality to Africa and Africans because they think that poverty; vulnerability and corruption will make us succumb easily. We must not sleep but ensure that something severe is done to prevent our priests, bishops and members from being lured into this terrible sin and atrocity. This is where oath taking comes in. There is nothing wrong with an individual taking oath. For instance, before you give testimony in the law court, you have to take an oath that you are going to say the truth and nothing but the truth.

And in the Bible, people are not installed kings or made commission priests unless they take oath. When we were to be ordained, we took oath that we were going to obey God, and subject ourselves to the Bible. So, we should avoid technicalities and rather look at the problem and what we need to do.

The way you treat headache is not the way you treat cancer, which needs chemotherapy or the complete removal of the affected part.

Homosexuality is a cancer that is coming to Nigeria. Many rich people, musicians and young ones are being lured by American money and they are embracing this evil, but we don’t want to become another Sodom and Gomorrah. The Bible-believing orthodox Anglican churches, especially Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), which held in Jerusalem in 2008 and in Nairobi 2013, therefore, took a decision that all of us must subject our ministers and leaders to oath to ensure that they don’t go the sinful way. So, it is important to let them vow never to become members of secret societies or embrace homosexuality, and if they go against it, they put themselves the judgment of God. During the Primacy of the late Bishop Abiodun Adetiloye, secret cults was a big issue all over the Church of Nigeria, and people were not given any position unless they took oath that: ‘I am not a member of any secret cult and I will not join any secret cult. If I go against this oath, I put myself under the judgment of God.’ That had put a check on people. In those days, many people belonged to the Ogboni fraternity and other such cult, but now sanity has been reinstated. People should please commend the Anglican Church for spearheading this revolution. We should avoid these technicalities of whether to take an oath or not. If too much liberty is allowed, the devil will creep in and take over this church and if the church is finished, the country is finished. The House of Bishops has approved the oath and it will be administered to everybody taking up offices in the church. Members should also be made to take the oath and other churches should join us. It is very Biblical. Whether anybody has openly confessed to be homosexual? I am not aware of any. They may do it secretly without anybody knowing. If they do, then it becomes a personal issue and if the church is aware of such, it will deal with them severely. If any member is caught, the church will expel him/her and after the expulsion, if the person is avail-

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38 | Sunday, March 9, 2014

IBRUCENTRE

Sunday School Discerning Of Spirits Memory Verse: “And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” - 2 Kings 6:17.

Bible Passage: 1 John 4:1-4 Introduction The spiritual world exerts tremendous influence on the physical realm. There are diversities of spiritual being but only one Holy Spirit. Matt. 10:1 talks about unclean spirits. 1 Tim. 4:1 mentions seducing spirits. 1 Kgs 22:23, talks about lying spirits. 1 Jn 4:6 talks about the spirit of error and 1 John 4:3 mentions the spirit

... With Pastor Enoch Adeboye

of the antichrist. Therefore, discerning of spirits is a very important gift.

Discerning of Spirits This is the supernatural ability to identify spirits, 1 Cor.2:11-15. It is divine ability to differentiate between good and evil spirits. It shows the active spirit behind a course of events, 2 Cor.11:14. It reveals the identity of the spirit at work, 1 Tim.4:1; 2 Pet.2:1-2. It confers the ability to hear the inaudible and see the invisible, Lk.1:26-37.

Purpose of discerning of Spirits God can cause any of the following to happen through the gift of discerning of spirits • To see into the spirit realm and be informed of important up

Caring For The Flocks ELOVED, the good Lord has entrusted B many souls into our hands of which we must render account whether we like it or not, whether we are too busy taking care of ourselves, families or businesses and as such never cared for the divine assignment handed over to us, for God is not interested in all those mundane things of the world, which we occupy our lives with. His concern is the faith of the souls entrusted in our hands. Ezekiel 34:6-10 says, “My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them 7.

Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; 8 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my

flock; 9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; 10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.”

Many Christians are troubled about many things without minding the work of God. But through the above passage God has made us to know how little He regards Christians, who made much of themselves without taking care of His flocks. We can see how displeased God is at the (shepherds) Christians that allowed God’s flock to become a prey to the deceivers that drew them to idolatry, and then to the destroyers who carried them into captivity. These shepherds (Christians) took no care to prevent the flocks from such danger and therefore, God says He will require His flocks from

Forbidden Sexual Practices

By S.K Abiara HE word of God is the roadmap to life of success and this is why every aspect of how to live spiritually and morally upright lives is carefully written for everyone to read meditatively and follow. Today’s society is filled with several detestable activities such as having sexual affairs with close relatives, committing adultery, offering children as sacrifices, having homosexual relations and having sexual relations with animals.

These practices were common in pagan religions and cultures, and it is easy to see why God dealt harshly with those that followed them. Such practices lead to disease, deformity and death. They disrupt family life and society and reveal a low regard for the value of oneself and of others. Today, society takes some of these practices lightly and even tries to make them acceptable. But they are still sins in the sight of the Lord. If you consider them acceptable, you are not judging by God’s standards.

God prohibited marrying relatives for physical, social and moral reasons. Children born to near relatives may experience serious health problems. Without these specific laws, sexual promiscuity would have been more pronounced, first in families, then outside. Improper sexual relations destroy family life.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say this to your people, the Israelites: I, the Lord, am your God. So, do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you.

You must not imitate their way of life. You must obey all my regulations and be careful to keep my laws, for I, the Lord, am your God. If you obey my laws and regulations, you will find life through them. I am the Lord. “You must never have sexual intercourse with a close relative, for I am the Lord. Do not violate your father by having sexual intercourse with your mother. She is your mother; you must never have intercourse with her. Do not have sexual intercourse with any of your father’s wives, for this would violate your father.

“Do not have sexual intercourse with your sister or half sister, whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was brought up in the same family or somewhere else.

“Do not have sexual intercourse with your granddaughter, whether your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter; that would violate you. Do not have sexual intercourse with the daughter of any of your father’s wives; she is your half sister. Do not have intercourse with your aunt, your father’s sister, because she is your father’s close relative. Do not have sexual intercourse with your aunt, your mother’s sister, because she is your mother’s close relative.

Prophet Abiara, General Evangelist, CAC Worldwide. skabiaraofciem@yahoo.co.uk

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their hands. They had a commission from God to feed the flocks and be rewarded accordingly, but they were not interested in the assignment and rather pursued their selfish interest.

It is not having the name of shepherds or Christians that will engage God to reward us, if we do not the work enjoined us, and be not faithful to the trust reposed in us. Christians that have no business in soul winning should know God is against them and they shall be made to account for the manner in which they have discharged what was entrusted to them because God has said He will require His flock at their hands. Christians, who neglect this commission of caring for souls will face the wrath of God on the Day of Judgment. If you are a Christian and by extension a shepherd, you must work as one, who must render account of his stewardship to his Master and ignorance of this fact will be regretted on the last day. God has purchased the souls

and coming events e.g. Zacharias in Lk.1:11-17; Mary, Lk.1:26-37.

• To receive a clear and prolonged insight into the realm of the spirit e.g. John on the Island of Patmos, Rev.1:10-20.

• To know in advance the coming judgment, Gen.18:17-22.

•To give special instructions to people, Josh.5:13-15, Judges 13:3-4.

• To assure God’s people of His presence with them at the time of grave danger, 2 Kgs.6:14-17; Acts 27:21-24.

• To expose the motive and spirit behind people’s actions, Acts 16:16-18.

Conclusion Have you been able to discern the spirit behind that extra ordinary course of events? Through the gift of discerning of spirits, Satan’s hold over God’s people is broken. Covet the gift today.

Living Waters

By Pastor Lazarus Muoka with His precious blood and is jealous of them. We are the shepherds of those He purchased with His blood for He has committed them into our hands to bring them to heaven at last. Any Christian that fails in this duty will lose his right of eternal life.

The mind of God is that we should regard these souls as our wives and be jealous about them despite their weaknesses, inclination and disposition. It does not matter their insult, debt owed or evil meted to us, what is utmost important to God is that you should endure all their malicious acts and bring them to heaven, because for this reason Christ died and for same reason you are converted. If, therefore, as a Christian you have not gotten one of these souls to present to God, consider yourself not a Christian because the primary purpose of your conversion is not only to make heaven, but to use it to save others. Let us care for the flocks committed into our hands if we are to be assured of the Master’s reward.

We Are Called To Repentance No More Delay (1)

By Gabriel Osu T this season of lent, we are called to repentance. God calls each and every one of us to repent from our sins and draw near to Him. We are called to change our ways. Change is very difficult for most humans to accept. But we must change, whether we like it or not. Indeed, we change every second. We can never remain the same. But we have a choice to change for either good or bad. If you have been languishing in a particular sin for too long, you can decide that enough is enough.

In several portions of the Bible, God calls His people to repent of their sins and return to Him. In the book of Ezekiel 18:30, we hear God called out through the prophet saying: “Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offences; then sin will not be your downfall.”

The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life. The Bible describes sin as the breaking or transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4). It is also defined as disobedience or rebellion against God (Deuteronomy 9:7), as well as independence from God. Sin entered into the world through Adam and Eve. It brought with it total estrangement of man from God. But because of His love for us, God gave us another chance to reconcile with Him through Jesus Christ. During His earthly journey, Jesus was always hammering on repentance. He said that he had come to set the captives free. Who are the captives? All who continue to wallow in sin. When we continue to commit sin, we drive the spirit of God away from our heart. And when the Holy Spirit departs, you become empty and vulnerable to all forms of attacks by the enemy.

The reason it is important that we all repent is that we do not know the time or hour, when we shall be called. We all see how lives are cut short these days due to acts of terrorism. Some sleep and never wake up. Anything can happen any minute. Why take the risk of staying away from God? You may say in your heart that my sins are too much to be forgiven. You are wrong. God is always ready to take you back, as long as you are truly sorry and ready to change for the better. God is very patient. He says in the book of Isaiah: “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

Just like the toddler that tries to walk, falls and struggles to rise again, we too are expected to rise again when we fall into sin.

That is why we are encouraged to go to confession always.

Very Rev. Msgr. Osu, Director, Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos

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By Seyi Ogunorunyinka N Daniel 10, we are told that Daniel prayed for 21 days, refusing to leave the spot until his prayers was answered. However, the anIswer to his prayers did not come until the 24 day. Someone th

somewhere, who was preventing it from reaching Daniel, delayed the answer. A lot of people have been praying for a while and because there has been no answer to their prayers, they come to the conclusion that God has abandoned them. Little do they know that the answer to their prayers has been held up somewhere.

The life of a Christian is a life of success; God wants all Christians to live successfully and that was why He sent Jesus as our role model. It is up to us to decide how we want to live our lives. If we refuse to be aggressive and claim what is rightfully ours, God will regard us as unserious people, not ready for the blessings He has purposed for us. The book of Isaiah tells us that God is waiting for us to cry unto Him, so that He may be gracious unto us. David had been ordained for 15 years before he entered into his calling and became a king. Moses had to wait for 80 years before he entered into the purpose for which God had created him, while Abraham had to wait for 25 years. All these men did not give up. As Christians, we must wait and pray and God will surely answer us. The delays that you may be experiencing in receiving the answer to your prayers may be because you have not prayed enough. You should not give up and put your life in bondage. The fact that you may be experiencing delays does not mean you should stop praying and begin to take decisions without a go-ahead from God; you must not under any circumstances run ahead of God because it will only lead to disaster. There is no alternative to that which God has purposed for you.

If Daniel had left the presence of God, it would have been a tragedy, but he was focused on God. The closer you move to God, the less it becomes about you and more about God. Your flesh will die and your spirit resurrect and that is why you need to get to the level where you get close to God in the spirit and kill your flesh.

When someone begins to travel far from God, then trouble is on the way. If you give up on your prayer life because you are experiencing delays, then it means you are not really walking with God. Prayer is basically a spiritual and not a physical exercise.

John 4:24 states, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” You must not worship God in the flesh, or look at your circumstances in the flesh. Hebrews 12:9 further states, “Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?”

Pastor Ogunorunyinka, General Overseer, The Promisedland Restoration Ministries, Surulere, Lagos. pastorseyiogunorunyinka@gmail.com

Sunday, March 9, 2014 39

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

IBRUCENTRE

Problem Of The Church Today Is Politics, Says Obembe The man, College of Bishops often refers to, as Bishop of great grace, Joseph Olanrewaju Obembe clocked 58 on Monday, February 24, 2014. The event, which coincided with the church’s Monday morning service, held at the headquarters in Ikoyi, brought together members from various branches of the church in honour of a man, who has impacted so much on them. In this interview with CHRIS IREKAMBA, the General Overseer of El-Shaddai Bible Church, Lagos, bares his mind on some key issues.

Your 58th birthday coincided with the service of today. What is the significance?

HERE is always a divine factor in the life of everyone, no matter how highly placed the person may be. We need God’s constant direction, His constant empowerment and intervention. So, “the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong…” but God Almighty is a factor of elevation, He’s a factor of inspiration in our lives.

The benefit of coming into His presence cannot be quantified because in His presence so many things happen. When you come into God’s presence, you receive a touch that completely eradicates whatever challenges, that would have taken so many years. When people have challenges in their businesses and they come to God, He intervenes. And in our lives, as family members, we’ve seen His mighty Hand being displayed. He has been good to us, and we are grateful for the privilege of constantly coming into His presence. My life has been filled with God’s unmerited favour. And of course, among the College Bishops, they always refer to me as a Bishop of great grace in the light of so many things that God has done in my life. Not only on the platform of human ability or of human capacity. When you look at the definition of grace is underserved, unmerited unqualified favour, has permeated my life since I was born. In theological definition of grace, it is divinity stooping down to humanity so that humanity becomes supernatural divinity. The Bible says Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and he was spared of the impending destruction of the entire human race. So, my life has been that of supernatural bending of God towards my humanity.

That is why I’m very grateful to Him for what He has done.

What is the significance of celebrating or marking birthdays?

Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” Now, must we mark our days?

The Bible says we should mark our days. Why do we mark our days? Five powerful things happen as a result of applying our hearts unto wisdom. Annually, we are to come before God and do what I call ‘annual general meeting of your life,’ a reflection of where you were and where you are. It’s a process of evaluation because without this, there is no barometer for measuring whether you are making progress or not. So, to just go through life without taking stock to know where you were and where you are to see if there was any marginal difference is not good. Of course, even the cells in our bodies must have undergone some metamorphosis. So, there must be that process of evaluation. When we do evaluation

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and appraisal, it leads to appreciation that by and large, some people who were with you last year are probably no longer with you. And you have enjoyed 365 days of oxygen, you are not in an intensive care unit, you are not in the mortuary of men, but in the sanctuary of God — you are alive. This should lead not only to evaluation, but also to second thought of appreciation, thanking God, Who has given you what money, cannot buy.

Rich men as well as sinners and saints have died. It is the magnanimity of the Lord that has kept us alive.

As we number our days, it’s also a process of dedication.

God who kept you alive last year, there is need to run to Him. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it and he is saved (Proverbs 18:10) and “he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” David said: “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge, my fortress…” So, after dedication, He leads us to a new direction. As you are in God’s presence, He will begin to talk to you, as He has spoken to me. I have been involved in pastoral ministry. He has moved me up to AMPE — Apostolic Market Place of Evangelism. I will be more in reaching out to different tribes that have been isolated. So, we apply our hearts to wisdom based on the biblical instructions and not for unnecessary jamboree. Any meaningful birthday must be on the platform of evaluation, appreciation of the grace and the mercy of God that has kept one alive, because God is good to us, and we cannot say we are actually good to God. Apart from the church service with your members, any other way you want to celebrate it?

We are reaching out to the less privileged; we are sending materials to the motherless babies homes. We have a programme under the AMPE. He (God) has mandated us to feed the poor; so we are going to have food and fellowship programme this month. So, many people are jobless in the society and if we can provide a meal for at least 1, 000 people weekly or thereabout with whatever grace that God will give us in all our centres; it will go some way in helping them.

What’s the most challenging or embarrassing moment of your life?

In life, there are certain historical landmarks that help you to know certain things that have happened in the entire Christian community. For instance, I was approached by all the leaders for whom I have great respect, to take the leadership of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) in Lagos State, and there was no election. Initially, I objected. I felt it’s a great honour for people like Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the first president of PFN, the late Apos-

tle James Boyejo, and others to call on me for such. They said they had unanimously decided and I had to accept. The major challenge I had was that our unity as a group was fluid. It was so disturbing that looking at our numerical strength, a lot could have been achieved. And the challenge was that if one of the arms of PFN churches had a programme in the national stadium, the whole place would be packed but all of us put together when we held programmes the place would not be packed.

It was a challenge to me to see that kind of pseudo unity because if we were together, it Obembe would be different.

In Lagos, we know all the big bad. I have never seen that churches, whose congregation kind of thing. I knew how can affect elections, choice of much our church and mincandidates because democracy istry contributed to bring is global and a game of num- Benny Hinn and his staff here. ber. If all churches including There was an audit of the exthe Anglican put our resources penditure. All expenditure was together, we would be able to at the instance of Benny himdecide who goes into the state self and his staff that were preshouse. So, I was concerned and ent in Nigeria. So, it was very when I had the privilege of shocking to know that when meeting the then President, you are serving, people may Olusegun Obasanjo, he said, deliberately say things that are ‘man of God…’ I remember not correct and it’s a big lesson that the late Archbishop I have learnt. brought Benny Hinn to Nigeria So you are saying that the alleand since that time no one has gation was baseless It was, obviously and I don’t brought him again. So, I appealed to Obasanjo, who obvi- want to dwell upon it, as God ously is a God-fearing man asked me not to go over it notwithstanding what any- again. I could have bought body has against him. He fears pages of newspapers to serve God and honours Him. He is my purpose. It was what they one the great leaders that asked him (Benny Hinn) to say Africa has ever produced. He that he said. He didn’t undersaid ‘ah, that is a small thing,’ stand that this is a very heterothat if I wanted Benny Hinn to geneous environment, where come to Nigeria, we should you have different kinds of prepare the letter and immedi- people. Some have not eaten ately it was ready. I took the let- and you are mentioning four ter at my own cost to US to million dollars. So, they started invite Benny Hinn. If I were a calculating and I think, as at narrow-minded leader, our that time it was N160 against church could host him be- the dollar. That was in 2005. It cause he was a good brand. But was all manner of calculations I went to the General Overseer and some people didn’t have of the Redeemed Christian facts. But it’s not an issue that I Church of God, and he said ‘my want to talk about yet. It was an experience for me, even son the camp is available...’

But do you know what came though as anointed as some of out of that? Some people felt us are, money is still a strong we should not be the one issue in the life of so many. doing the crusade. They never Wherever there is money, peospoke about the number of ple are ready to do anything. souls saved or about miracles Are you saying there is no or the synergy that was built. It unity among the churches in was not the typical street evan- Nigeria? gelism. People that graced the Our unity is fluid. It’s political. event were from top echelon of It’s a big challenge for me and I commerce, bank directors and thought we could do a lot tomore than 57 bank MDs. Wives gether. We had so many proof many state governors and grammes in PFN; plans laid governors of states from West out for the development of African countries came, but no- pastors, some of whom have body spoke about that. They never travelled. We had relajust kept saying ‘the man said tionships with the embassies he spent about four million for them to travel outside the dollars. We had told him that country. The empowerment we are the ones that should do programmes and some of crusade in Nigeria.’ And I was those things we started, some looking for unity of the church. other associations copied. We He said he spent and then had Pentecostal estate in Ikonewspapers began to carry the rodu, which was sold by the news that he gave me the landowners that gave us after I money. But he spent is quite left office. They were taken to different from he gave me. And court by EFCC for selling the then he said he just bought property. three million dollar worth of There were things we thought equipment, high definition could bring us together, which cameras, television equipment we wanted to do, and the cruand most of the pastors agreed. sade I thought should be one He bought that equipment of them, as well as internaand left them with me. All tional relations and welfare kinds of publications said that programmes. Pastors are the Bishop Obembe ate four mil- most abused; you may not lion dollars. It was so bad. I did know that, particularly when not commit adultery; rather, I you look at the demographic did a crusade for the benefit of analysis we do. If there is any everyone. But I learnt from that problem of the church today, event. Then the challenge of it is politics. And politicians misinformation, malicious use that against us. propagation of events and deliberate distortions, it was that

Springs Of Wisdom

By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi

The Lord’s Prayer RAYER is crucial in our relationship with God. It is the mode by which we commune with Him, make requests, P and receive answers from heaven. No wonder, the Lord considered it necessary to teach believers how to pray and how not to pray. “When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are,” He admonished. “When ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do.” Rather, as you pray, “enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.” In giving us the pattern of prayer, the Lord said: “After this manner therefore pray ye: “Our Father ...” Ordinarily, as believers, “We know not what we should pray for as we ought”. This then explains why the disciples pleaded, “Lord, teach us to pray”.

In the Lord’s prayer, He has given us the pattern or model of prayer. The prayer is brief and compressed in few words.

Though it has only 66 words in its original Greek version, it is so encompassing that none else but the Son of God could have given us such a model.

The Lord’s Prayer is not meant to be repeated every time.

Neither Christ nor His disciples repeated or recited the prayer before or after Pentecost. The prayer is to guide us on how to pray and what to pray for. “After this manner therefore pray ye ...” From the very first words and throughout this model prayer, we learn that effective praying demands fellowship and relationship with God. Starting from “Our Father which art in heaven”, and learning to understand one phrase after another, we see Christ’s emphasis on a Fatherchild relationship, Deity-worshipper relationship, a Sovereign-subject relationship, a Master-servant relationship, a Benefactor-beneficiary relationship, a Saviour-sinner relationship, and a Guide-pilgrim relationship. Having a right relationship with God is, therefore, essential and indispensable in prayer. Prayer is not just a religious duty; it is a family privilege. In Christ’s teaching and in the Christian life, prayer is not mechanical but spiritual. In saying, “our Father, our daily bread, give us, forgive us, lead us, deliver us”, it shows that we should come to God with an unselfish spirit, a dependent spirit, a penitent spirit, a humble spirit.

Praying with concern for “Thy Name, Thy Kingdom, Thy will, Thy glory”, we see the need for a childlike spirit, a reverent spirit, a loyal spirit, a submissive spirit, a confident spirit in prayer. Such fellowship with God as Father demands faith, exultation, love, loyalty, obedience, worship, submission, humility, intimacy, praise. Prayer, then, as Jesus taught and demonstrated, comes from the heart, not just from the head or merely from our lips. Starting with God’s praise and priority and ending with God’s power and pre-eminence, with everything within the prayer, this model prayer concentrates and focuses on God. God’s honour and glory have always been the concern and focus of true believers in prayer. When Abraham prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah, the righteousness and glory of God was his focus. In the prayers of Moses for Israel, pleading for His mercy on the nation, the honour and glory of God’s name before all other nations was the central and strong point in his plea. As Joshua prayed with great burden and fervency, his heart was focused on God’s glory. He said: “O Lord, what shall I say, ... and what wilt Thou do unto Thy great Name?”

David likewise strongly desired God’s glory in presenting his personal requests before God. “And now, O LORD God, ... do as Thou hast said. And let Thy Name be magnified for ever”. Elijah’s notable prayer was a self-effacing plea for God’s glory and exaltation only. “Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that Thou art the LORD God”.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is our model and perfect Example. In all things and particularly in prayer, the glory of God was His aim, goal and desire. Even when He was in deep sorrow, His mind was fixed on God’s glory in prayer. He said: “Now is my soul troubled. Father, glorify Thy Name”. More than anything else and more than anyone else, our Lord Jesus Christ emphasised the Fatherhood of God in prayer. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My Name, He may give it you”. He, Himself, always prayed to God as Father and He has given us the same privilege.

We become the children of God and He, then, becomes our Father when we repent of all our sins and believe in Christ as our Saviour and Lord. God is not a Father to all people who live on earth. He is the Creator of all people but sinners, living in sin and in enmity against God, are children of Satan. Repentance and faith in Christ reconcile us to God and tear down the middle wall of partition between us and God. Our sins are forgiven and the power of sin is broken and destroyed; we are no longer slaves of sin or captives of Satan. We no longer live like children of Satan; we are no longer controlled by the overpowering influence of sin. God imparts His nature to us and we live in newness of life.

Christ “is not ashamed to call us brethren” and God is not ashamed to call us His children. Now, we can pray confidently and with joy: “Our Father which art in heaven”.

Matthew 6:9-13; 1 John 1:3-7; Psalm 94:19,20; 1 Corinthians 10:20,21; Ephesians 2:12-19; 1 Corinthians 1:9; and Joshua 7:6-9 among other Bible References. (All scriptures are from KJV).

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

40| Sunday, March 9, 2014

IBRUCENTRE

By Ernest Onuoha

From The Rector

‘For thou art a holy people unto Jehovah thy God: Jehovah thy God hath chosen thee to be a people for His own possession, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth, Deut. 7v6.

Ibru International Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor HE Old Testament idea of the election of the T people of Israel by God was based on His love. They were a treasured group of people, very dear to God’s heart. He stated their election was not based on number for He had said: they were the fewest of all the families on the face of the earth. Yet, He chose them maintaining the oath He swore to their forefathers to give them a future and a hope. They were, therefore, to serve as a vehicle of blessing to all the people on earth.

It is interesting to note that God chooses men and women for His work. In Acts 9v1-19, we read how Saul had his conversion on the road to Damascus. It was there that he was made a chosen instrument to be a vanguard in the ministry of reconciliation, bringing perishing souls to the shelter of the Lord’s house. Conscious of this fact, Saint Paul set out clearly to achieve it.

Paul, the chosen instrument, could boldly say

Chosen For A Purpose in the course of his ministration: ‘I decided to know nothing among you except Christ crucified,’ I Cor. 2v2. He was not ashamed to talk about Christ and the cross. Being convinced, he also said: ‘for me to live is Christ and to die is gain,’ Philip. 1v21. With this picture, we can appreciate that Paul knew that he was chosen to preach Christ and Him crucified to the perishing world. Yes, he was focused and never distracted throughout his ministry.

People of God, it is God that still chooses men and women for His work. From diocese to diocese and in different ministerial

locations, people are called, chosen to do the work of ministry and the aim always is to win souls for the kingdom of God. That purpose must be fulfilled. However, those who are called should take not according to Jesus: ‘you did not choose me but I chose you to go and bear fruits,’ and more importantly He added: ‘…Apart from me, you can do nothing,’ Jh. 15v5.

It is but sad to note in today’s ministry that some among those chosen for the great ministry of reconciliation have lost the essence of the call and many have allowed themselves to be distracted. Today’s distractions include but are not limited to: materialism—worldliness,

CCC Head Declares Porto-Novo As Headquarters Of The Sect

By Isaac Taiwo HE National Co-ordinator and Head of Nigeria Diocese, Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) Most Supreme Evangelist, Maromipin Oluyi Adeniyi, has sued for peace and unity among the Nigeria Diocese of the sect, reminding every member that the Diocese is part of many dioceses and not the home country of the sect, adding that the birthplace of the sect is PortoNovo in accordance with the constitution.

Speaking in Lagos, Adeniyi made reference to the Constitution of the Church, Second Schedule, with the subject

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“The Church,” which reads: “The Name of the Church is “Celestial Church of Christ (Nigeria Diocese). Celestial Church of Christ (Nigeria Diocese) is part of the one spiritual, world-wide, united, indivisible Holy Church …”

The National Coordinator also said that in accordance with section 1 and 107 of celestial constitution, “…All power in Celestial Church of Christ worldwide is vested on the supreme Headquarters in Porto-Novo Republic of Benin, formerly Dahomey, the birth place of Celestial Church of Christ and that the seat of Pastor of Celestial Church of

Christ worldwide is PortoNovo and not Ketu, Eleko, Osoroko, Ijeshatedo, Imala, Iju Station and Ikorodu among others. He referred to CCC constitution page 3, section 6, which declares anyone parading himself as pastor of Celestial Church of Christ worldwide in Nigeria as an impersonator.

He also made reference to the meeting at the instance of the Founder, Papa Oschoffa when he appointed Rev. B.D. Agbaossi to head Porto-Novo, Supreme Headquarters, Republic of Benin (the seat of Pastor), Superior Evang. S.O. Ajanlekoko to Head Nigeria

Diocese, Superior Evang. P.H. Ajose to head the overseas diocese and Senior Evang.

Christopher Oke to head Benin diocese among others.

Adeniyi disclosed that in accordance with Section 111 and Section 6 of the Church Constitution, Agbaossi appointed to the office of the Pastor, Rev. B.A. Adeogun before his demise on April 13, 2010, and the latter has been occupying the office of the Pastor and performing the function of the spiritual Head of the Church worldwide ever since.

He implored every member to embrace the truth and shun illegalities.

them because they were their relations. But, look at what is happening here. The same relations that were favoured in the past have now decided to come against their own. Betrayal! That is the world for you.

Sometimes, enemies come from unexpected quarters; from the same people you have helped in the past or those you trust and love; from close ones; friends, relations, colleagues, associates, etc. And these kinds are the most dangerous of enemies because they know your strengths and weaknesses. They know where and when to best attack and destroy you.

Are you facing this kind of challenge today? Know that it is not new or peculiar to you. Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah were there. Others have also been there before you, and I want you to know that you will

come out victorious in Jesus’ name! Yes, I’m not saying that the threat is not real. It is! But God will use this particular situation to show you that He is the Master of all situations. He will rescue you from this present trouble. You will surely see it. Let’s just read this from the Bible. “...A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already in Hazazon-tamar...” 2 Chronicles 20:1-2.

Yes, like they marched against Jehoshaphat, they are today marching against you. They come with some known and unknown plans. But don’t panic. Your God will definitely show up. He is still that indefatigable Field Marshal.

Rev. Agbo is a minister with the Assemblies of God Nigeria. gabrielagbo@yahoo.com

Challenges Of Life (1) using divine instruments and OBODY is immune to the strategies. Now, let’s start with challenges of life. The godly, this great man called Jeungodly, black, white, young hoshaphat. He is one of my heand old goes through them. roes in the Bible. When he was And they come in various forms king of Israel, three nations and levels. Mine may be differ- came against his country. Mesent from yours. Sometimes sengers ran to him and told him they come one after the other. that these well-armed enemies Other times in droves, chains or were already very close, fully prequick succession and can be pared to overrun Judah. Real overwhelming. No matter how and imminent danger!

Before we discuss how Jethey come, the truth remains that they are never palatable. hoshaphat responded to this They come to task your faith, great threat, let’s first briefly see endurance, focus, ability to who these enemies were. They adapt and advance, courage, in- were Moabites, Ammonites and tegrity, spirituality and some- Meunites i.e. the Edomites. The times, can actually threaten first two are the descendants of your very existence. But, what Lot and the last descendants of determines whether you be- Esau. You already know that come a victor, a victim or a loser these were relations of Israel. in these situations is how you And remember God had warned the Israelites, as they respond to them.

So, we will be discussing how were marching to the Promised to deal with these challenges Land, not to touch or harass

By Gabriel Agbo

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Oritsejafor Tasks FG On Religious Crisis HE National President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has lamented the systematical elimination, on daily basis, of Christian members by the Islamic fundamentalists, Boko Haram with a view to turning the country into Islamic nation.

Addressing Christian leaders in Lagos, last weekend, the cleric noted “presently, Christians were being murdered in thousands all over the nation.

Places of worship of Christians were burnt or destroyed. Their homes and business locations were will-

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fully and intentionally destroyed. Shall we continue to watch, until it gets to us!

Should we not be proactive and prayerfully begin to take preventive measures?’’

Oritsejafor further asked: “As a nation, would we be justified to say that there is no one that can be held responsible and accountable for these inhuman treatments of Nigerian citizens all over the North?

If there is no response from the church, these atrocities shall continue until every citizen in the nation is affected.’’

He called on the Federal Government to act fast to avoid re-

ligious war in the country.

The CAN President also blamed the Christian leaders for disunity among themselves and said: “Doctrinally, we have become over-excited about messages of comfort and prosperity to the detriment of raising genuine disciples. It is time for us to establish balance in our doctrines and resume moral and integrity sermons in our churches.’’

In same vein, the Southwest CAN Chairman, Archbishop (Prof.) Magnus Adeyemi Atilade has listed a number of incidents when Christians

were killed. He said; “Our responses as ministers of the gospel and key leaders in the church will determine whether the church in Nigeria shall survive and continue to thrive and flourish to fulfill the purpose of the Almighty God, or the Church shall be exterminated.’’

He emphasised lack of unity among the Church leaders, while denominations, ministries, and ministers of the gospel were at loggerheads. He added: “Jesus Christ warned us that a house that is divided shall not stand.”

competitive spirit, the quest for power and positions. In 2 Tim. 4v10, we saw how Demas fell in love with the present world and never made it to the ministry. In I Timothy 6v10, we saw the condemnation that: ‘too much love for money is the root of all evils. And many in pursuit of it have pierced their souls with many a sorrow. But it should not be so.’

Ven. Ernest Onuoha Rector, Ibru International Ecumenical Retreat Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State. www.ibrucentre.org

PFN Advises FG On Exploring Multilateral Efforts To Fight Terrorism HE Pentecostal Fellowship fundamentalists, whose overT of Nigeria (PFN) has con- riding objective is to force demned the recent spate of their extremist brand of relivile and barbaric acts of terrorism that occurred in the last few weeks in the Northeastern part of Nigeria.

In a statement signed by the National President, Rev. (Dr.) Felix Omobude, the body said: “We are appalled at the effrontery and callousness of this murderous gang, in unleashing their venom on innocent young Nigerians, whose only crime was opting to better their lives and the future of the country by embracing education. It is inexplicable that such an egregious crime against humanity took place, with a group of men invading a boarding facility for students, killing many, maiming others and burning down a school owned and managed by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“We mourn the loss of these courageous Nigerians, felled in their prime. We pray for comfort and solace for the grieving families, friends of the departed and the generality of Nigerians. It is a huge shame that at a time, when the nation is celebrating 100 years of its coming together as an entity, some elements can so cavalierly descend on helpless children and kill them. The carnage at Buni Yadi, followed in rapid succession by other killings in Borno and Adamawa states speak of the network and audacity of the terrorists. We contend that what Nigeria is faced with is a gang of internationallytrained and regionally-supported religious

gious idiosyncrasies on the country.”

While calling on the Federal Government to take drastic measures to forestall further occurrence, Omobude said, “The time has come to go beyond routine verbal condemnations, and activate forthwith the necessary international legal and diplomatic protocols that will lead the perpetrators of this crime to be appropriately designated as war criminals. The need to engage other countries in the region to be able to cut off supply and support for the terrorists has become absolutely necessary.

Where needed support is not forthcoming from across the borders, Nigeria must begin to engage multilateral platforms that will assist in this regard, with the caveat that a unilateral action to take out terrorists is an option on the table.

The body appealed to the government to be mindful of its primary responsibility of securing the lives and property of all Nigerians, while guaranteeing their freedom to practise their religions and live in peace.

World Leadership Conference Holds March 13 HE 2014 World Leadership T Conference of End-time Generals holds on March 13 to 15 at Guiding Light Assembly, Layi Ajayi Bembe Street, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The convener of the programme is Dr. Adewale Adeyeye.

Gowon, Others For ‘Success Summit’ From Oludare Richards, Abuja HE former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon and Senator T Oluremi Tinubu are among eminent Nigerians expected to grace this year’s “Abuja Success Summit” holding in the Federal Capital Territory from March 14 to15. Others include Dr. Christopher Kolade and Prof. Yemi Osinbanjo.

Organised by The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Harvest House Parish, Kings Court Estate, Abuja, and according to the convener of the summit, Muyiwa Adebayo, “The enlightenment of the Nigerian youth, especially through motivational sessions and initiatives, should be a constant occurrence. It is only in the mindfulness of the fact that it is in response to that inner urge and yearning to be the best and to excel at whatever honest endeavour one’s mind is set that success can be achieved.” The Summit is an annual interactive session aimed at showcasing value change in Nigerians, particularly the younger generation through the shared experiences of successful models, who have excelled in their chosen careers.

EMPOWERNIGERIA /47 niCholAs oKoYe’s

strategy for national development

CAREER / 45

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Things You should Be doing if You Are unemploYed

mondAYs–fridAYs in The guArdiAn

SUNDAY, MARCH 9, 2014 CAREERS/43

Youth & Graduate Jobs

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AKIN ESO Face of M.U.N 2011

‘TOBI In A Wed lock jist With Pamela Green

WINFREY

TWO WORDS /42

OKOLO

Fill It..

Face of M.U.N 2012 - Fashion

unilAg: students to Assess lecturers Begins 24-hour library service s part of continued effort to ensure quality service delivery in the university, and putting the institution global pedestal as obtained in other climes, university of lagos (unilAg), through its Quality Assurance and servicom unit, regularly conduct assessment of lectures delivered to students to ascertain their performance. under a new development, students are to assess their gains from courses taken every semester before writing examinations. This will provide a platform for students to offer their opinions about all their courses and the lecturers who handled the courses. in appraising the lecturers, students are required to log on to http://qas.unilag.edu.ng/? page id=223 to fill and submit online the lecturers’ assessment form.

Also, ahead the second semester examination, university library unit has begun a 24hour service at the Akintunde ojo library extension (uppermost floor and Basement).

Face of M.U.N 2012

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All For Miss LASU

unn Cult Clash: first Year student, driver And one other Killed As Cultists Clash ndubuisi eze (aka Tafa) was shot dead by by name ndubuisi eze (aka Tafa).

Life Campus gathered that the rival cult an unidentified cult group, and his head T wAs wAr and blood letting on groups have been on the watch out for cut off. The deceased had been on the monday, when two rival cult groups one another for several years, maiming wanted list of the rival cult group for in the university of nigeria nsukka and hacking to death each other reprisal over two years. (unn), nsukka Campus, enugu state, attacks and what seems to be in the Life Campus gathered that prior to his Vikings and Black Axe, clashed and death, ndubuisi had absconded from slightest simmering differences. killed three people including a first year According to sources in the campus, at nsukka over alleged involvement in sevstudent, a driver attached to enugu the Achara road in urban nsukka, one eral killings, kidnaps, and robberies state Transport Company, enTrACo and one other notorious cult member, NEXT WEEK: EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF THE OSCARS, LONDON

By Daniel Ananzia

i

among others. But he sneaked into town having fled enugu, where there was alleged brawl between the Vikings cult group and Black Axe for days. unknown to him, the rival group had ambushed him at nsukka.

According to the sources, ndubuisi had gone to charge his phone, and on his way back to his house around 7pm, a

CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

42 Sunday, March 9, 2014

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YOUTHMAGAZINE MAPOlY Matriculates 5,000, Rector warns Against Cultism

CAMPUS

By Daniel Ananzia Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOlY) Abeokuta, Ogun State, has warned the newly admitted students to shun all forms of social vices. The Rector of the institution, Professor Oludele Itiola, stated this during the matriculation and oath- taking ceremony for 5, 000 new intakes for the 2013/2014 academic session.

According to Itiola, plans are atop gear to provide students with conducive hostel accommodation and the hostels might be built along what he tagged ‘build, operate and transfer’ system in partnership with the organised private sector.

He noted that the polytechnic was in need of more lecture hall, adding that new members of staff would soon be employed. He also stated that the polytechnic’s library would be rehabilitated to meet world standard and aid the students in their academic pursuit. “we need more classrooms and we need to provide some facilities in the library. Also we are in the process of providing hostels for the students. Apart from creating a good academic community, it will also give us a good leverage on the way people move around on campus,” he said.

He added, “we are going to provide hostels. we may have to use for the most part the system of build, operate and transfer (BOT) but over the next twelve months, you will see a lot of changes.”

The Rector, commended the governor and the state government for providing the school with reg-

UNN Cult Clash

ular subvention, which he said had assisted in the overall development of the polytechnic.

However, it has been sad moments for Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife as one of its 400-level law student, Ige Dipo, committed suicide at his residence outside the university campus, few days after his lover broke up with him.

Life Campus gathered, Dipo, an above average academic student as described by his colleagues, was found dead in his apartment at Asherifa area, a stone’s throw from the campus, on Monday, after he allegedly ingested some substance later discovered to be poison.

The member of Christ Apostolic Church Campus Fellowship before his death was said to have met the lady last year. And in the suicide note left for his father, he wrote: “Father, while reading this message, I would have been gone.”

It was gathered that the lover had been supporting his education financially for over eight months of their relationship before calling it quits with him. The lady, also a member of the same fellowship, was said to have broken up with Dipo because of his poor background and could no longer cope with him.

This development, sources in the campus said, subjected the deceased to emotional trauma. He was said to have threatened to commit suicide should his lover remain adamant on her decision before he finally took his life.

The untimely death has been

described many in the campus, especially the students as a mystery, but urged the police to conduct thorough investigations to unravel the circumstances surrounding his death.

Most students, who knew the late Dipo, expressed shock over his sudden death. while some describe him as a person who lived a lonely life, others said his studious life should be emulated.

Female Student Cultist Nabbed Over Arranged Friend’s Gang Rape

TWO WORDS

By Daniel Ananzia wARA STATe POlICe Command has arrested and paraded on Friday, a female student of the College of Technology, Offa, Miss Mary Awolola, alleged to be a cultist, for luring her friend to be gang-raped by five of her cult members.

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Federal Polytechnic Nekede Warns Against Fraudsters Awolola, during her confession at the state command headquarters in Ilorin, said she was a victim of gang rape by four boys before she was initiated into the cult group. She said she lured her friend to be raped by her cultist friends because she refused to join them in spite of the pressure mounted on her. while regretting her action, she said, “I did not gain anything from cultism. I regret all my actions.”

According to the state Commissioner of Police, Ambrose Aisabor, Awolola was arrested on February 22, at Rondo area in Offa, where five boys of the same school gang-raped a student victim (names withheld).

Aisabor said: “Two suspects were arrested, they confessed to the crime while efforts are still on to arrest other fleeing suspects.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Polytechnic

Nekede, Imo State, has warned students and members of the public against fraudsters who try to dupe people by posing as officials of the school offering fake admission.

According to the institution’s Registrar, Mr. I.M. Aligbe, “it has come to the notice of management of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede that some fraudsters have resorted to issuing fake admission letters and receipts to unsuspecting candidates.”

He added, “The Management of the institution, therefore, wishes to advise all candidates who applied for admission into the school to follow official channels (especially the Polytechnic websites – www.federalpolynekede.net) in checking and printing their admission letters. Members of the public are also advised to follow official channels in their dealings with the institution

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uki@poisenigeria.org,

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41 group of fierce looking men shot him. Sensing danger, he reportedly ran with the gunshot wound. The gang, in a hot chase, followed him to a point where he fell down, and they pumped bullets into him before beheading him. while fleeing through Amukwa village in the university town, the gang also accosted one ebuka Asogwa, a first year student of the premier institution while sitting in front of his hostel. They reportedly questioned him and in the process, shot him dead.

Life Campus learnt ebuka had been a car wash attendant along University road for years only to gain admission this year and was killed in front of their compound.

Also, the killer cult group entered a popular relaxation joint — Casablanca — in Odenigwe area, where students were watching football and shot severally into the air. while students and residents of the area scampered for safety, the group robbed of their mobile phones that were being charged at the time.

Meanwhile, a driver attached to enugu State Transport Company, eNTRACO, whose identity could not be ascertained, was shot dead at about 6.30pm along Achara road on Thursday night. According to reports, the driver was allegedly an old member of a rival cult group and took part in several operations of his group.

He was said to be returning from work when the rival cult group accosted him and killed him instantly. According to an eyewitness, the rival group shot indiscriminately into the air to scare passersby to escape.

Fill It..

Ukinebo Dare Experience is the best teacher, but the tuition fee is very high. I am Uki Dare, C.E.O of Poise’ Graduate Finishing Academy, mother of two and wife of one. I will share with you lessons I have learnt from my experiences around transforming from a young lady with big dreams to a young C.E.O with massive goals. I won’t bore you with long prose and philosophical arguments I promise to be real and answer all your questions in just TWO WORDS. Hi guys, ever asked these questions: what ON eARTH are employers looking for? How do I determine my worth? why doesn’t anyone appreciate my value?

I have a short story for you.

Ikona was village facing extreme famine, everyone had run out of food and water was a scarce com-

modity. There was no hope anywhere around and no one knew how to solve this problem. even the king was so hungry that he couldn’t carry his staff and wear his crown. One day the village woke up to sad news, the king had died leaving no successor. with their thirsting throats and aching bellies they buried him and began the search for a new king.

A stranger heard of the King’s death and rode into town in an entourage of flashy cars and bags of money hoping to immediately be recognized as the most valuable option and be chosen as their King.

They didn’t give him a second glance. He hired dancers from far and wide to come and put up a show hoping to impress the people but the people did not laugh and cheer, they didn’t even come out of their houses. He was perplexed.

The next day, determined to be their King, he carried bags of gold to every house, they threw the gold at him asking what a dying men needed with gold. He couldn’t figure out what kind of ungrateful people rejected gold? Someone had even threatened to kill him if he ever showed up in his compound again with useless things.

Just before giving up, he decided to ask someone what was going on and she said “leave me! I am too

hungry to talk, please go away.”

Then it hit him! These people are starving!

He drove all night to a far-away town and used his gold to buy all kinds of food, fruits and drinks. He hired people to go into the village and begin to prepare a feast before he arrived. He then instructed them not to tell anyone who was coming but to say their master was just passing through the village and would only spend one night. early the next morning, the villagers were awaked by the sweet almost forgotten aroma of delicacies which they had lost all hope of ever eating. The children breaking palm kernels were stopped in their tracks as the aroma of meat being fried enveloped them. “everyone harassed the cooks. “who is your master? what can we do to make him live with us? will he share his food with us? Is he from our land?” No answer then an announcement. “The Master is almost here! He will spend the night and continue his journey tomorrow.” “what!” Immediately the elders discussed, “Surely anyone one who could find such bounty in this wilderness we call home, must never leave this land.”, “what should we do?” Immediately, they sprang into action, they got the King’s robe, staff and crown, stood

at the entrance to their city waiting for him and began to sing “long live The King!”. we have a saying at Poise’ Graduate Finishing School. “employers know what they want, if they see it and they recognize it, they will acquire it.” Your value does not come from your environment, but it can will only be recognized in an environment where it is needed.

Sometimes, the thing you are searching for is searching for you so don’t be discouraged. Ask yourself this very important question: “what do my goals, require of me?”

Here is my advice to you in TwO words.

If you are knocking on a door and it refuses to open – Ask Questions If you have sent out your resume out 20 times and have never been called for a test – Edit IT If the job you want requires experience - Go Volunteer If you are being undervalued – Solve problems In summary, if there is a gap between your current capability and the requirements of your dreams and aspirations – FIll IT

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44 Sunday, March 9, 2014

JOBS & CAREERS

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46 Sunday, March 9, 2014

JOBS & CAREERS

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YOUTHMAGAZINE powered by

FROM THE DESK OF THE CEO

National Development Strategy NICHOLAS OKOYE, Founder EMPOWER NIGERIA Initiative, Nicholas Okoye’s The Nine Pillars of National Development

Pillar One: Government Policy (paper 10)

TRADE AND INVESTMENT CONTINUED AST WEEK I defined Trade and Investment and gave you a clear indication of how important they are to National Development. If I were to choose which of the areas of Government policy requires the most attention and requires the most strategic input it would be trade and Investment. Anyone that reads my

L

CHICKEN HOUSE (Broiler)

CHICKEN house or broiler house is a building to keep chickens inside consisting of four walls and a roof with ventilation openings in the walls and feed and water equipment inside. Sounds simple and it is simple. Still there are many ways to fill in this broad sketch.

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The purpose of a chicken house is to protect chicken/broilers from bad weather - hot, cold, wind and rain. The house should be built to provide the chicken/broiler with thermoregulation, which helps protect the chicken/broiler from cold weather. One method to protect the broiler/chicken is to put an isolation material between two layers of wood or bricks. Because chickens don’t like heat, windows should be oriented in a way to prevent overheating. Proper ventilation is also important.

Another purpose for chicken coops is to protect the hens from predators or prevent them from escaping. The fowls can be released into an enclosure by daylight but should be locked in the house at night because predators hunt at night.

Chicken houses are overwhelmingly important in Poultry farming as well as other important equipment such as Incubators or hatchers. They are very affordable and easy to clean.

To find out about this and other business ideas, visit our showroom at W2, THE ARENA Army Shopping complex, Bolade Bustop, Oshodi, Lagos. You could also contact our sales representative at +2348033028638.

columns will recall that I have placed Job Creation as the single most important element to Nation building and development. This is because as the population grows, you have to create opportunities for your young people so that as many people as possible can be engaged in meaningful effort. And if job creation is the most important thing to National Development, then it is the ability to trade both locally and internationally, and the ability to attract investment or stimulate local investment that is drive the creation of new jobs. It is all tied together. If you cannot stimulate investment and you cannot promote trade then you will not only fail to create new jobs you would lose the jobs you already have to other Nations.

And sadly this is what is happening in Nigeria and many other African Nations.

Local Trade: in Nigeria our local trade is happening by default, not because we have implemented some grand design or strategy to stimulate local trade. So we buy our fresh food in Lagos from the North, big deal. This is about as far as we go when it comes to local trade relations. Since we are not really producing much in Nigeria a lot of the trade we do locally is as a result of on selling of imported items brought into Lagos or Port Harcourt. Take a simple survey of the fast moving consumer goods markets around the country and you will see that we are inundated by imported items. The few products that are manufactured in Nigeria are mostly foreign brands or owned and managed by foreign companies. Every Nigerian I know owns and wears a pair of jeans but there is no notable Nigerian brand of jeans. Even the ones made in Aba, are labeled with the foreign labels because the producers are all too familiar with the Nigerian demand for foreign goods. So we do not build capacity and we cannot build world class brands. In the Information and Communications sector Zinox and Omatek bravely put their foot down to become the Nigerian brands of that field. However it took a Federal Government directive for Government departments to buy the local brand, and in the last ten years we are still where we were in the beginning with the international brands controlling over 70% of the market and the local brands trying to build capacity. If we really want to create Jobs for our millions of young people that are passing out and joining the

unemployment line every year then we will have to take some very drastic measures about local trade. I remember twenty years ago when India first made an Indian car. It was very ugly, heavy and did not drive well. However the Indian Prime Minister rode it with pride. And when the international press asked him, why are you and the Indian Government officials driving this ugly car his response was

and they are really getting there, however people will say all sorts of things in order to justify not buying the car. And even with the new National Automotive Policy which promises to stimulate car production in Nigeria, we are waiting for the foreign brands to set up their plants in Nigeria, rather than support our own.

I see no reason why every Government Official should not be using the Innoson jeeps, instead of the Toyota Land Crushers. And if the standards are not up to the Toyota’s standards then let us help Innoson and get it right for Nigeria.

Bridges to Trade: in order to take local trade to another level in Nigeria we will need a full blown strategy on engagement of entrepreneurs all over the country. I am not talking about made in Nigeria trade fairs or anything like that. I am talking about getting our spending power to work in favor of Nigeria manufactured goods, as long as the goods meet international standards. I have a friend that builds houses for a living, he builds and sells. He presented one of his houses to me in Lagos the other day. I liked it and I asked him about the finishing, the tiles and so on. He said

“ ……oh I do not buy anything in Nigeria, I import everything, I only buy my tiles, lights and finishing from Italy, France or England.”

Really I replied, so you a Nigerian refuses to buy anything Nigerian but you want me, a Nigerian, to buy your house? I told him there must be something wrong with him and that I will not do business with someone that thinks in the way he talks. I asked him to go seek buy“…………… it may be ugly but it is Indian, some ers for his houses in the same Italy, France or day we will get it right but we have to start some- England and not in Nigeria. You see we have it where”. all wrong. If we refuse to buy from our fellow countrymen we then do not have the right to And fast forward to present day the TATA group has dominated the world with the Indian made cars and trucks, they are now effectively competing with the Koreans. And the Koreans in turn are stepping up their game to compete with the Japanese, who in turn learned from the Americans. So the circle goes on and on.

Why are Africans and more so Nigerians always ready to play the last fiddle? Innoson Motors is doing its best to produce a Nigerian made car

seek that any of our fellow country will buy from us. And that goes even for services. So if you are one of those that buys only foreign goods but you happen to be a lawyer practicing in Nigeria, getting paid by Nigerian companies and Nigerian clients, then you should stop. You must have some integrity, and some self respect.

If you will not buy Nigerian then why are you accepting Nigerian cash for your goods and services? And I hear some of them have stopped accepting Nigerian Naira anyway, many homes in Ikoyi and Victoria Island are priced in US dollars as if we are operating in a dollar economy. If you buy your goods and services in US dollars such as in the Oil industry then you deserve to price in dollars. However for buildings that the cement, the blocks and the labor are all Nigerian, the land is Nigerian, the rental prices should be in Naira and nothing else. The solution is for us to build a bridge to Trade with ourselves all over the country. Every region, and we should do this based on regions not states, every region should outline the goods and services that they are most competitive in. And the professionals in Government or Consultants working for government should prepare a comprehensive value chain which clearly outlines the entire value process for these strategic items and what it will take to get us to produce these goods or services at World Class levels. I include services because there are many Nigerian companies that are providing services in the Oil and Gas industries for instance that can export their services to other Nations if they are supported to build capacity. Take a look at Africa for a second, with over $350 billion in importation of consumer goods demonstrates the huge potential for pursuing an industrial strategy in Nigeria with an African focus. Local Trade within Nigeria can be extended to mean local trade between Nigeria and other African Nations. I do not see why anybody is not taking about this. I have written many times on the opportunities in Africa as presented by the consumer markets across the continent, and that was the basis for my write up on the strategic business model for Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp plc). The opportunities I talked about then still exist today, all be it in much larger volumes.

International Trade: Another word to use here will be exportation.

We must build a Nation of Exporters, it is that simple and there are many reasons for this. I will go into the reasons and offer some solutions in paper 11.

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EMPOWERNIGERIA

GUIDE TO PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

By Nicholas Okoye

nokoye@empowernigeria.com VERY INDUSTRY is divided into three segments. The Upstream, the Mid-Stream and the Down Stream. These terms are used a lot in the Oil and Gas Industry but they can be applied to every industry. In the Oil and Gas industry, the Up stream is referred to as the exploration and production activities of the industry. These are the Risk takers, they put up the initial cash, they bring the entire team together and they make things happen. These companies are in turn sub divided into four groups, these include the International Oil Companies (IOCs), the mid-sized players, the Local Content partners and the marginal field operators. The Mid-Stream is made up of large, medium and small service providers which may include shipping companies, pipe laying, drilling Rig operators, dredging, top side fabrication of the FPSO, etc And the downstream we are all too familiar with which is the filling station operator. These operators are themselves sub divided into large, medium and small or one station owner who can sometimes be called independent filling station operators.

This three segment structure is replicated in almost every industry. Lets look at housing and construction, the upstream players are the Developers, their role is to explore and produce an estate, a complex, a project. They originate the project by bringing together the design team provided by the architects, the engineering drawings and all the planning required for the development of a project. These developers are sub divided into private or government. In both cases they must issue a contract to a contractor or a builder who will build according to the design set forth and approved by the Developer. This makes the contractor the midstream player. Once again as in the oil and gas industry the mid-stream players are equally sub divided into small, medium and large.

The downstream players in this industry are the retail folks, the estate agents who sell the property, the quantity surveyors, and so on.

Guess what we can also divide every human being in this world into this same structure of upstream players, mid-stream players and down stream players. And if you have not determined where you are by now then you need to do so as soon as possible.

All Entrepreneurs are Up Stream Players. They conceive the ideas, they take the risks, and they make it happen. The cash, the opportunities, the angles the positioning are all as a result of the Entrepreneur. Many corporations having grown so big are still looking for an Entrepreneurial type of candidate for their Chief Executive in order to reclaim the magic of the start-up. The mid-stream players in the life of business are the people who supply us with our needs. The Teachers, Researchers, Barbers, Hair Dressers, Clothes Makers, Drivers, Taxi Drivers, Airplane Pilots, Restaurant Waiters/ Servers, Cooks Plumbers, Electricians etc. Whereas the downstream players are our day to day managers in small, medium and large firms. These are retail players, they are the ones who feel where the rubber hits roads.

They manage people, manage resources, and deliver on the results. Even the largest of our corporations with hundreds of thousands of staff and managers are run effectively only because each manager understands his or her individual role in the large establishment and once he does his part the wheel keeps turning.

Are you an Upstream Player? The ENTREPRENEUR

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Are you a Mid-Stream Player? The SUPPLIER Are you a Downstream Player? The MANAGER

YOUTHMAGAZINE CASE STUDY

GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURAL LEADER

AKIN ESO

By Pamela Green

A Nigerian Going Places...

KIN ESO is a young entrepreneur with a passion for weddings.

In under five years, he has managed to carve his own niche in Nigeria’s wedding industry and achieve much fame and success along the way. It all began with WED magazine, a publication that quickly became the comprehensive wedding bible for contemporary brides and wedding industry vendors. Going a step further, he launched WED Expo tagged Nigeria’s largest wedding exhibition.

Entrepreneurship, for him did not just start yesterday; “I’ve always loved small businesses” he confesses when I ask about his motivations. “It was all about the opportunity. I would say my interest in wanting to be my own boss and of course my love for weddings.

There was an opportunity for me coming home from the U.S in 2010 and I saw that this was an industry that was still growing but had a lot of small businesses so I would say my business side and my love for weddings met each other and that was it”.

He is a Computer Science graduate of the University of Benin. He talks about his early days at the University where he sold everything ranging from contact lenses to perfumes to other students.

He is nostalgic as he recalls using his pocket money to buy and resell various items for a profit. Enterprising and resourceful even then, Akin Eso’s foray into business began on no large scale. “Some people just look at it like he just came from nowhere to accomplish all this, but I’ve done quite a lot to get to this point. It’s part of entrepreneurship, you just have to be able to take the risk and recognize opportunities”.

He seized every opportunity he got including becoming a member of AIESEC. I soon learnt that AIESEC is an international non-profit organization that provides students with leadership training and internship opportunities. AIESEC, comes from the French acronym for Association internationale des étudiants en sciences économiques et commerciales (English: International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences).

The AIESEC network includes over 90,000 members in 124 countries and territories. It is the largest student-run organization in the world. “With AIESEC I was able to get involved in a lot of entrepreneurship drives and I took on

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leadership roles. I rose to become the president of AIESEC in Uniben and that gave me the confidence to know that I could do a lot of things by myself. I never had any formal business education but an organization like AIESEC definitely influenced me”.

Akin tells me about the aspects of his job that he enjoys the most; “I would say it’s more about making an impact. Of course, everybody’s dream is to be able to make an impact. So for the wedding industry we’ve made an impact because I would say it pretty much changed the landscape of the way things are done. We’ve brought in a lot of new ideas, we’ve encouraged a lot of new businesses with our exhibitions because with our exhibitions, I’ll tell you this we still have a pretty good percentage that are new businesses. People visit the exhibitions and think that wow, I can start something too like the exhibitors they see. That’s why every year we keep getting bigger and bigger and the wedding industry is our culture so it really has no end”.

For a young male, in the female-dominated industry, I’m curious about how he has coped so far but he is amazingly undeterred by it and he responds; “That’s the most frequent question I get but to be sincere I’ve always seen myself as being in an advantageous position by standing out as a guy in the wedding industry”. “What did you want to be when you were growing up?” I ask. He says; “When I was much younger, I really wanted to do I.T and that was why I went for Computer Science. Along the line, I knew that I had to be more of a business person. To be sincere, I wouldn’t say I thought of being in the wedding industry since I was young, but along the line I knew I had to do business”.

If he wasn’t an entrepreneur, Akin says that he “...Would have been doing a lot of consulting work like small business consulting”. In fact, his passion for establishing and supporting small businesses has led him to an idea that could radically change the wedding business in Nigeria. “We are currently working on WED Academy which will be more like a training school for people that want to get into the wedding industry. WED Academy is going to be a wedding institute, that would be able to give certificates on different aspects of the wedding industry we would start with wedding planning and decorating and we would have other courses included gradually. It’s not just for beginners, we want to be able to bring in trainers to train existing entrepreneurs on business techniques and strategy, branding, etc We are going to do everything possible to make sure what we have in the wedding industry becomes a lot more standardized and improve on the quality of entrepreneurs”.

With wisdom and foresight well beyond his years, he gives advice to aspiring young entrepreneurs; “What everybody would say now is that the wedding industry is saturated but I always tell them that there’s still a lot of opportunity because a lot of people are still not doing things right. In the wedding industry you have to have a passion for what you’re doing. A lot of people have gotten into the wedding industry with the wrong motivations. You have to have passion and you also have to be able to package yourself which could be the key. Some people have passion but they don’t know how to package themselves so that when the real client comes, they really can’t defend what they can do or sell what they do. You have to be a people person because you’re going to be dealing with brides in the wedding industry. You also have to be patient to relate with people you will be working for”.

On taking risks; “I took a risk because I foresaw a future in which it could work. I had the passion for it so it was just about packaging it well.

Entrepreneurship is risk; if you are sure of something 100% then that means you are too late, meaning someone else has already done it successfully and you want to copy it. If you are scared of taking risks then you are not an entrepreneur, you are just a person doing a business”.

He loves all forms of social media and he describes it as; “Easy marketing without a budget”. Despite being criticized on numerous occasions for sending too many BBM broadcast messages, Akin has no plans to relent; “I tell people if you cannot exhaust your free marketing then you shouldn’t be thinking of your paid marketing yet. When I started WED magazine which was our first brand in 2011, the first publicity we did was... I had like 5000 friends on Facebook. I knew I was going to use my facebook account for business so I never rejected anybody. So the first publicity we did, was to tag everybody on my friend list to a picture of the cover of WED magazine and that went extremely far. I also started getting vendors from my Blackberry and then there were a lot of groups, so I created wedding groups all while in the U.S, not knowing anybody in the industry here. So I would say my business has been built more online than any other thing”.

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50 Sunday, March 9, 2014

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Birthdays OKOYE, Prof. Joy Ifeoma, MB.BCH, FMCR, FWACS, Professor of Radiology was 60 yesterday. She was born on March 8,1954 in Enugu as the first daughter and second child of the family of the late Mr. Odogwu Godwin and Mrs. Grace Nwokike. Head, Radiation Medicine Department at the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu Campus (UNNEC), and University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku Ozalla. She attended Christ Church, Uwani Enugu; Queen’s School Enugu; Federal Government College, Kano; University of Nigeria College of Medicine, Nsukka. Fellow, Nigerian Medical College of Radiologists, and West African College of Surgeons; Member, Faculty Board of Radiology of the Nigerian Medical College of Radiologists; Examiner at the Postgraduate College of

Cancer Prevention Advocates, Charting a Course for Clinical Trials in Nigeria, Understanding Prostate Cancer: Questions and Answers (In Press) and literary work, Our Story.

Founder/Chairman, Association for Good Clinical Practice in Nigeria (AGCPN) and ‘Breast Without Spot’ (BWS)’ initiative.

Okoye

Obasi

Nigeria; Past Clinical Dean, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Dentistry of the College of Medicine; UNNEC, Past President, Association of Radiologists of West Africa, HOD of Department of Radiology, UNTH; Advancement Officer, College of Medicine; Supervisor of Master’s Program at UNNEC Postgraduate School;

Chairman, UNTH Resource Foundation (URF).

Editor, West African Journal of Radiology and Journal of Medical Sciences and Hospital Management; Author, Promoting Health Research Capacity in Nigeria, Enthroning Early Detection of Breast Cancer In Nigeria, Living A Vibrant And Healthy Life Inspite Of Diabetes, Training Manual for

OBASI, Chino brand strategist and chief thinker was 50 Thursday, March 6, 2014. A graphic designer by training, Chino is also a contributing cartoonist in The Guardian, public commentator and dramatist.

He is an accomplished advertising practitioner spanning over two decades and an associate registered practitioner in advertising (arpa) of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON).

Compiled by Gbenga Akinfenwa gbengaherkin@yahoo.com

The Group Managing Director of UBA, Mr. Phillips Oduoza (left) during a working visit to the President/Vice Chancellor, Babcock University, Prof. James A. Kayode Makinde

Omoikhojie Ojeikere (left), Nike Ojeikere (daughter in-law), Amaize Ojeikere Ehurimeton Ojeikere, Mrs Isagua (friend of the family) widow, Mrs Ojeikere and daughter, Odafen Ojeikere at the Burial Mass in honour of their father, Pa Okhai Ojeikere at St Michael’s Catholic Church, Demurin Street, Ketu, Lagos.

PHOTO: CHARLES OKOLO

Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina(left); Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris and the Chairman of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area, Kamal Bayewu during a town Hall Meeting on the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality at Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area.

Chief Operating Officer, Norvatis Pharma Nigeria, Thomas Kowallik (left); Executive Vice President and Head, Malaria Initiative, Norvatis Pharma Nigeria, Dr. Linus Igwemezie; Director General, NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, and Country Group Head, Norvatis English West Africa, Vera Nwanze, during the launch of Coartem 80/480 at the Sheraton Hotels in Abuja... last week.

Prince Sunny Adewoyin (right) and his wife, Adesola with Reverend Zachariah Olabisi (middle) during the church service to celebrate their 33 years matrimony at Christlife Baptist Church, Ejigbo, Lagos.

President, Federation of Construction Industry, Solomon Ogunbusola (middle), Executives of Service Department, West African Ceramics Ltd., Sachin Katare (left) and Kunche Surendra (right) during the Building Construction & Mining Mart 2014 Expo at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Akobada Ayomide of Oduduwa House (Red) and parents receive the overall best athlete trophy during the 36th Yearly Inter-House Sports Competition of Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos… last week.

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Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Opinion How The US Can Help US WISH to congratulate the government of the United States, which last week announced the freezing of an additional $458 million in Sani Abacha loot, Nigeria’s assets appropriated during his tenure by the man and his accomplices.

The announcement came one week after President Goodluck Jonathan embarrassingly honoured the late Head of State for “his contributions to the nation.”

The US Justice Department said the money had been stashed away in bank accounts in Britain, France and Jersey.

The announcement also came at a time that some of Abacha’s children, emboldened by the “national honour” conferred on their infamous father by Mr. Jonathan, were finding the courage to insult Nigerians who were disgusted by the award.

Acting US Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman called Abacha “one of the most notorious kleptocrats in memory, who embezzled billions from the people of Nigeria, while millions lived in poverty,” and the $458m “the largest civil forfeiture action to recover the proceeds of foreign official corruption ever brought by the department.”

That citation reminded Nigerians of what they have known for many years: Abacha, his son; their associate and others “systematically embezzled billions of dollars in public funds.”

Ms. Raman said that the confiscation sent a “clear message” that the United States was “determined and equipped to confiscate the illgotten riches of corrupt leaders who drain the resources of their countries.”

That is where the people of Nigeria have several problems.

The first is that, over the years, a certain fiction has grown by which the looting of Nigeria has come to be understood as the looting by Abacha.

There is no longer any doubt that Abacha openly and wildly looted Nigeria blind. Some of the money has been recovered, but some of it appears to be so “safe” that his children have begun to lionize their father. It comes down to Nigeria’s blurred philosophical boundaries where criminals are in power, not prison.

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Two, the impression is being given by Nigeria and foreign governments that asset recovery is possible, or perhaps necessary, only when the thief is dead. If this assumption is false, then it is unclear why our major thieves are walking free, and only Abacha repeatedly comes up for dishonorable mention.

Three, there continues to be very little interest, especially within Nigeria, about the whereabouts of the “recovered” funds. When the question is raised, as I did here three weeks ago, it is either ignored by the authorities, or casually dismissed, as Economy and Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, tried to do. Last week, in response to her feeble response, I opened the lid a little more; predictably, she has retreated into the normal “ignore” mode.

She had “explained” that the recovered Abacha funds, put at about N500m by her, were deployed into “rural projects.”

They probably were, but where are those projects? Why doesn’t the government, if it is confident about its claims, seek to convince the sceptics and boost its image by publishing a list of the projects on which that $500m was spent?

Four, last week I established that far more than the N500m claimed by the government has been recovered from the Abachas, a position, which is backed up by the US announcement about its action.

The questions, therefore, continue to mount.

Where is the rest of the money? Why doesn’t a government, which claims to possess a Transformation Agenda publish a clear statement and put up a website to enable the world to appreciate transparency in action, including what has been recovered and when; what is being negotiated and where; and how the funds are being transformationally spent?

Five, last week’s announcement by the US reminds us there is still a lot of money out there that Nigeria can still recover. The US has not indicated, for instance, how it intends to treat the $458m; does Nigeria intend to claim it, as it should?

The announcement returns the limelight to the many cases listed by the Stolen Asset Recovery (STAR) initiative to be active.

To be sure, one of them relates to an Abacha.

In 2010, the Anti-corruption Forum of the United Kingdom confirmed that Yves Aeschlimann, a Geneva magistrate, convicted the Abacha of corruption and sentenced him to a suspended prison term. He also ordered confiscation of $350m in funds being held in Luxembourg and the Bahamas. sonala.olumhense@gmail.com As of October 2013, that case had yet to be Twitter: @Sonala.Olumhense concluded. The $350m cannot, therefore, be considered to be part of anything that has been recovered, returned or re-looted, let ects in health and education, as well as for alone spent on some rural projects in infrastructure (roads, electricity and water Nigeria. supplies) to benefit poor and rural populaBeyond Abacha, the STAR narrative also tions. Switzerland and Nigeria agree that includes at least two wealthy former Heads there should be complete transparency about of State who are alive and in great partying, the way in which the funds are spent. Both award-receiving health. sides are currently holding discussions on the Those records include a convicted but details of monitoring how the assets are Goodluck Jonathan-pardoned former gover- used.” nor over whom the United States in June 2012 Similarly, let us situate the US announcement obtained two default judgments for a house in the context of the $1 billion agreement in Maryland valued at over $700,000, and signed between Nigeria and the European another case in Massachusetts for a Fidelity Union in November 2009 to combat corrupinvestment account worth nearly $400,000. tion and promote peace in the Niger Delta.

On that day, that account and all assets conThe European Commission said in a statenected with it were forfeited to the United ment the agreement would help Nigeria to States “after all those parties with potential tackle challenges in governance, trade and claims to the funds were notified but did not peace between 2009 and 2013. respond.”

If the objective of the US is to help the people How many cases around the world are like of Nigeria, it needs to bear in mind that the this in which the assets of Nigeria’s impover- challenge of recovering looted funds, indeed ished people are being hidden, forfeited or of assembling resources for Nigeria’s developsimply thrown away? ment, has become inferior to implementing It is important to recall how reluctant the policies that would ensure those resources go Swiss were to repatriate recovered funds to into development.

Nigeria because of this, leading to a curious The place to begin is to help identify, while press statement by that country’s Federal they live, those who have looted blind the Office of Justice in February 2005. poor people of Nigeria, and to freeze their It said: “Both President Olusegun Obasanjo assets, and deny them travel visas and opporand Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala tunities. assured the Swiss authorities in spring 2004 To do the right thing after these infernal that, once transferred to Nigeria, the Abacha hoodlums have died or can neither be assets would be used for development proj- shamed nor denied is an insult to the con-

A Nation Gripped By Fear

By Zainab Usman N most cultures of the world, a word exists for a frightening creature or the bogeyman. In Hausa for instance, it is the dodo. A fiendish entity, other-worldly, yet beastly in its aggression and human in its scheming prowess, the dodo lurks, stalks and terrorises. Stories of the bogey man are used strategically by parents to whip misbehaving children back into line, because no one knows quite what the bogeyman is - it is everything and nothing.

In Nigeria’s Northeast, the heart of the Boko Haram terrorist insurgency, the bogeyman may have traversed the realm of fantasy into cold reality. Boko Haram militants lurk at night, to murder school children while they sleep. In the last few days, we have been held spellbound by the brutality unleashed on defenceless school children in Borno and Yobe. Forty-three young people were killed in the attack on a secondary school in Buni Yadi, Yobe. About 20 female students were abducted by the militants from a school in Konduga, Borno.

Survivors have recounted spine-chilling stories of dormitories set on fire and of escapees gunned down. The few that evaded gunfire were chased, and slaughtered like cattle. Photos of charred remains of adolescents and of bodies drenched in blood from sliced throats and bullet wounds have flooded the Internet. The massacres occur daily. The bogeyman has come to life - it spares no one in its violent wake.

Naked fear is firmly embedded into the spines of most. The fear in part stems from the realisation that regardless of class or economic status, no one is safe. The ‘unknown gunmen’ who routinely terrorise others are hardly ever caught and prosecuted. The murders of prominent citizens such as Bola Ige, Saudatu Rimi and Sheikh Jafar are yet to be resolved years after, not to mention crimes against faceless and nameless ‘commoners’ in Bama or Baga. The Police, the Civil Defence Corps and the Army seem to be out-gunned, out-motivated and overwhelmed. In a country with massive economic and social inequalities, this collective insecurity is one area where all Nigerians are equal.

Mostly, this fear comes from confronting a deadly enemy, which appears fluid, formless and extremely vengeful - a bogeyman. Boko Haram is a rapidly changing, complex and fragmented movement. Its doctrine is as fast changing as it is con-

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tradictory - anti-democracy, anti-secularism, and anti-establishment. Yet it liberally employs internet enabled smartphones and other tools of modernity and western education to perpetrate attacks. Any criticism of the group’s approach by ordinary citizens, Imams or traditional rulers in the North draws a swift and vicious response.

The eccentric pre-2009 hermetic ragtag sect, avenging the death of their slain leader Muhammad Yusuf from 2010, have quickly metamorphosed into a highly sophisticated terrorist group with deep local and global networks. From laying siege on police stations and army checkpoints, they have attacked churches, brothels, prominent Islamic clerics, mosques, northern traditional rulers and now they’ve added the murder of helpless school children to a blood-drenched résumé. It’s difficult to project what tactics they will adopt next.

So little credible information about the group is available. Boko Haram itself thrives on secrecy. The Army bragged about the leader, Abubakar Shekau’s death in August 2013 only for his taunting videos to resurface shortly. Whenever an evident victory is proclaimed by the authorities, a more daring attack is perpetrated. The insurgency has become like the monster in Greek mythology, Scylla - when one head is sliced off, three more sprout up in its stead. As the rise of the ‘yan Gora or the Civilian Joint Task Force - the youth vigilante fishing out suspected insurgents from the community - is celebrated, Boko Haram ferociously retaliates against such communities working with the authorities.

Where little information is available, speculation thrives.

Where speculation is rife in the midst of unbridled fear about a formless enemy, conspiracy theories fill the gap. In Nigeria, these conspiracy theories are as numerous as they are destructive: Boko Haram is a creation of “disgruntled northern politicians to destabilise Goodluck Jonathan’s government”. “Boko Haram is a creation of the Federal Government in Abuja to destroy the North for political advantage”. The group “is a creation of the West to fulfil their prediction of a disintegrated Nigeria by 2015”. Some of these toxic opinions neatly overlap with people’s innate prejudices particularly in the wake of the divisive 2011 elections.

While these conspiracy theories are mostly ludicrous, anecdotes of suspicious events give them weight. According to the Yobe state governor, the soldiers guarding the school in Buni

Yadi were mysteriously withdrawn from their duty posts a few hours before. The traditional ruler of Bama bemoaned that while the town was sacked and torched over several hours in February, frantic efforts to call local Police and Army chiefs were futile as they were all mysteriously unavailable. Ground troops, whose courage must be appreciated, are known to be severely under equipped relative to the sophisticated weaponry carried by Boko Haram despite the over one trillion naira allocated to security in the national budget.

Most troubling is that recently, Reno Omokri, the President’s Special Assistant on New Media was identified as the author of a malicious article falsely alleging that the ‘suspended’ Central Bank Governor Sanusi Lamido is a Boko Haram financier. Many such unexplained events have planted suspicion in the minds of many in the Northeast, and allow for dangerous conspiracy theories to flourish.

The reality is that fighting such an entrenched insurgency anywhere will be a gruelling and bloody war of attrition. The difficult experiences of America in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, despite being a highly militarised super power are instructive. In this trying period, it is necessary to ensure that some semblance of national cohesion against the insurgency exists.

For a start, genuine efforts must be made at restoring the trust of residents in the Northeast in the Federal Government. Symbolic gestures by the President to sincerely console victims of brutal murders would alleviate some of the widespread sense of alienation in the region. Greater efforts must be made to address lapses and incompetence by the security agencies in order to lay conspiracy theories to rest. Proper investigations of leakages in the security infrastructure must be made to understand why combat troops in the firing line are under-paid and under-equipped.

President Jonathan must as a matter of urgency, take decisive and punitive action against the despicable act of his aide- Reno Omokri, failure of which would send the message that the frame up attempt was sanctioned by the Presidency.

Finally, Nigerians must be commended for the resilience and the solidarity in expressing collective outrage in the wake of the recent escalation of violence in the entire Northeast. Despite the prevalence of fear and the sense of helplessness, we have to believe that Nigeria will somehow endure and emerge stronger from this all.

• Usman is based in the United Kingdom.

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Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Opinion Trouble And The Queue F the cosmos doesn’t care about us, why does it go out of its way to provide the human race with so much support?

Where does all that fresh air come from? And how come we never get a bill for it? And that’s to say nothing of sunlight, water and all that this causes to grow? And the universe doesn’t just want us to survive. It wants us to thrive, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually.

That’s why it goes to such lengths to create so much beauty and wonder. You will yet have reason to consider yourself blessed today.” All this from Trouble’s Star Horoscope of the day!

Sometimes he was sceptical about these star things! Someone somewhere looking out to put the best spin on this oh so difficult world!

Like Benjamin, the Donkey in George Orwell’s Animal Farm who usually made cynical remarks like “God had given him a tail to keep the flies off, but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies. Alone among the animals on the farm Benjamin never laughed. If asked why, he would say that he saw nothing to laugh at.” Yet Trouble felt and saw that there was a lot to laugh at in the world and especially in Naijiria (Nigeria). More than any other place on earth, Naijiria conspires to solve all and every problem it throws at you.

Wait until you meet the incredibly varied, incredibly talented and incredibly connected members of the Ways and Means Committee.

Naijiria works and its works through the members of the ways and means committee, and their motto is: “If we no die, do no finish!”

But today is not for the W & M Committee. But we need one of their says which goes thus: “If better dey come, make he no tay!” And to ensure that better does not delay, they hurry it up. One way, Trouble discovered, to hurry better to come to Naija, is to set up a company

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named Queue Consultants Naijiria Ltd. What is the motivation for this company?

Trouble realised, with the help of his young friend Alaba, that there was no patience in Naijiria. Oh yes, many females and wives are named Patience but they are the last to show patience with anything or anybody.

Ask Amaechi about the patience of Mrs. Jonathan. And because there is no patience in the country, everybody is in a hurry. Giragira, voom-voom and in time everybody hits – blockage. But you find that when you get to the spot on the road where everybody is stuck, there is no blockage, only the hurry of everybody stops everybody!

But you can blame nobody. In an environment where Trouble’s turn will never come, why should he be patient and wait when his turn will never come? You queue patiently and wait for your turn only if you know that your turn will come. But how do you know your turn will come if you have no knowledge, no information as to what is in front of you? What if you queue for a bus that never comes? What if you queue for a parcel or a letter which the post office never deliver because the post office has been closed for six months because the staff have not been paid for a year and they (staff) had gone on strike leaving letters in ponds and rivulets and dunghills?

Queue Consultants Naijiria Ltd will, of course, queue for you. They will queue for you at Passport offices, visa places, yellow fever card replacement points, airport check in counters, hospital appointments and dispensaries to pick up your prescriptions. They will queue for you anywhere within Naijiria and outside Naijiria, at a cost. But this is the most elementary, low-

lying fruits to pluck engagement that the Queue Consultants will do for you. After all, if you could get these simply ordinary chores accomplished without destroying your body and soul in the process, you would feel better about life in Naija.

How many times have you heard someone close to you say ‘Had I known’ I would have done so and so. Or ‘had-I-known’ I would not have done so and so. The second and far more important duty that Queue Consultants will do for you is to ensure that you never say ‘had-I-known’ ever again.

Queue Consultant will provide you with knowledge and information about everything including knowledge and information about yourself! Everything that you need to know to be your best is here in Naijiria and is here around Naijiria and is here anywhere in the world and can be sourced and made available for you to be your best. Queue Consultants have set up call centres around the country. You are never more than twenty-five kilometres from a call centre. Ask and you will be answered. Seek knowledge and information and you will find it. Knock at the door of the Ways and Means Committee and every door and any door will be open to you in Naijiria and anywhere else in the whole wide world. Imagine if you don’t ask or seek or knock and you go about complaining

that nobody answers you, you can find nothing and there are no doors where to knock except the newly built doors at carpenters’ shops! And we all know that those doors lead nowhere!! Yet. Besides the call centres, Queue Consultants has satellite communications all over the country, collecting and collating information and knowledge for the call centres.

Especially along the high ways of the country, there are helicopters counting the number of potholes between one town and another, between one village and another. If you know how many potholes you will encounter in the process of a journey from Abuja to Lokoja, from Kano to Sokoto, you are more likely to prepare your car tyres, your shock absorbers to dodge them or go into them with the adequate speed possible. Or you are likely to tell your driver of your taxi or your bus to take note of how many potholes make a journey between Lagos and Ibadan. But nothing beats the final service that Queue Consultants provides. They have formed brigades of enforcers all over the country. Forget about OPC or Boko Haram or the ever slumbering vigilantes of the Rivers. These are enforcers of Naijiria and thanks to the Ways and Means Committee; they will ensure that Queue Consultants deliver services to you.

Una go see!!!

Still On University Of Ibadan Toilets

By Olatunji Oladejo

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ANY people have reacted, negatively or positively, to the photo-documentary on University of Ibadan’s “dirty toilets” by one of the institution’s alumni, which recently went viral on the internet. Ibukun Babarinde, “a former student of the University who graduated in 2008 could not believe what he saw at Mellanby Hall of Residence at Nigeria’s premier University”, saying that “the general sanitation is an eyesore.” Sonala Olumhense’s elegant write-up in The Guardian of Sunday, February 16, 2014 on the matter is well noted. He contended rather forcefully that during his studentship in the University, the facilities were exquisitely maintained. “I do not recall toilet facilities, in any hall, library or faculty that you hesitate to walk into.” The situation has not significantly changed.

Babarinde, Olumhense and other stakeholders in the UI Project deserve some explanations on this matter. We cannot pretend that we have five-star toilet facilities in our halls of residence. However, the logic of absolute generalization is always not exactly clever. Although, they are aging, it does not mean that the toilets are not clean or cleaned. As a public institution and pride of Nigerian academia, we cherish the culture of maintenance. We continue to strive for excellence in service delivery and in the provision of functional physical infrastructure. Any visitor to

JAW JAW By Didi Onu

our University will be impressed with the clean environment, and part of the reasons for this is that the cleaning service is outsourced.

In the last three years that Prof. Isaac Adewole has been the Vice-Chancellor, he has shown a lot of commitment to students’ welfare. Added to this is the management’s dedication to improvement in the University’s teaching and learning environment. Specifically, he has done everything possible to restore the dignity of studentship in the halls of residence, laboratories, lecture theatres, etc. This has been a period of consolidation, in terms of the development and revision of academic programmes, and in the maintenance of infrastructure.

The issues of toilets and other allied matters are of serious concern to the University of Ibadan management. It should be noted that a huge amount of recurrent expenditure is devoted each month to cleaning services in the 13 halls of residence as well as other residential, academic and administrative zones of the campus. Despite this expenditure and the outsourcing of the cleaning of halls, the quality of service may still not be satisfactory. Lamentably, the idea of costrecovery is not a popular item before our student body and their parents/guardians. For instance, whereas a UI undergraduate pays N14,000.00 per session for on-campus lodging, other undergraduates pay between N70,000.00 and N100,000.00 at private hostels located in neighbouring areas of Agbowo, Samonda, Bodija and Ojo. This means that a huge subsidy is being injected into maintaining those

facilities on which there is a lot of pressure owing to high student population.

In a recent interview, Prof. Adewole said: “the interest and comfort of the students are paramount in our hearts. We will spare no efforts in ensuring that an atmosphere conducive for learning is made available.”

We view the criticism of these stakeholders in good faith. The usual slip of not to “give a damn” is alien to our lips. It is a wake-up call for more work in the proper management of our facilities. Indeed, there is evident correlation between a clean environment and conducive learning.

Having said this, we charge our alumni to apply themselves to cooperating with us in addressing the challenges of underfunding for which the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) recently went on strike. The path to meaningful legacy in higher education is working together.

Working to expand the frontiers of knowledge is the responsibility of all. Seeking for the cooperation of our alumni to assist their alma mater is an article of faith in other civilized parts of the world. Regrettably, it appears that some of our alumni have not got the message yet.

Our alumni, especially, Mr. Sonala Olumhense, Ibukun Babarinde and other stakeholders are invited to the University for a Facility Tour. The Vice-Chancellor will be very much pleased to receive all those stakeholders who are genuinely interested in moving the university forward.

• Oladejo is the Director of Public Communication, University of Ibadan

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PORTRAIT

Tambuwal: The Dividends Of Fence Sitting

By Armsfree Ajanaku F his calm mien, that inscrutable demeanour, as he wields the gavel, is anything to go by, one is likely to conclude that this man is caught in the deep tango of the ultimate calculation. The thesis of the ultimate calculation speaks to the enormity of Nigeria’s presidential politics, as well as the quicksand alliances, and of course, the brinkmanship that would define the emergence of the helmsman of the world’s most populous black nation.

It is, therefore, in the fuzzy nature of this political terrain that less than a year to the big match up, the exact shape and character of the man, who would trade tackles with Goodluck Jonathan for the big prize up for grabs in 2015, is still very unclear. The stakes are astronomically high, and it will take those that can truly withstand the heat to come near this red-hot kitchen of presidential politics.

Yet, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal leaves no one in doubt that he is well cut for these sorts of high stake exertions. In a season, when body language seems to possess more clarity in political communication than a multitude of spoken languages, the Speaker of Nigeria’s lower house of parliament, is using the unspoken mode to project what is believed to be a presidential ambition already being pushed to the fore. Under the spotlight, Tambuwal goes through all the motions in ways that are more than politically correct. So, whether his opponents consider it an asset or a benumbing part of the guile needed in this season, he does a real good job in political positioning.

He has been so adept at this game that despite refraining from an outright declaration, his name has consistently come up as one of those the All Progressive Congress (APC) is considering propping up to give President Jonathan a bloodied nose in 2015. Already, he has demonstrated he has no qualms going for the presidential jugular by taking potshots at the Aso Rock incumbent.

Last year, Tambuwal forced the Presidency to scramble for a counter narrative, when he accused Jonathan of allowing corruption to fester under his watch, due to an alleged permissiveness, conveyed in his (the President’s) body language. While not many can readily remember what the presidency’s riposte to that charge was, the fact that the speaker’s charge stuck, at least in memory, shows a thing or two about Tambuwal’s ability to leverage on the perceptions about those on the opposing side.

The big irony is that the Reps Speaker, who seems to be positioning himself within the context of a counterpoise to Jonathan, is supposed to be a member of the President’s party. On paper, that is the way things stand, but in reality, Tambuwal thrives in the House of Representatives, in spite of his own party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

After the 2011 elections, the self-acclaimed largest party in Africa in its normal elements was busy making zoning deals, one of which would have seen the position of Reps Speaker go to the South West. A certain Mulikat Akande was primed to get the job. But Tambuwal worked closely with opposition lawmakers from the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to torpedo the designs of the ruling party. The bile his action precipitated from enraged party elders notwithstanding, Tambuwal has gone on to consolidate his position, and has periodically harassed the presidency from his forte, but not without consequences. In essence, the speaker succeeded in going to battle with the party that sponsored him, and he came out triumphant. For the worried elders in the PDP, the story degenerated to one of a House of Representatives, which was effectively being influenced by the opposition.

In the recent imbroglio on the directive by the APC to its lawmakers to block the passage of the 2014 budget, Tambuwal stayed out of the fray.

Even during the quarrelsome pushover claims by the APC that it had attained majority status in the house, the Speaker smartly avoided any explicit motions that would have painted him in the divisive light of belonging to one of the partisan groups. He curtly brought the hasty Femi Gbajabiamila back to earth, when the latter referred to house majority leader, Leo Ogor, as the “minority.” However, there are those that hold the view that Tambuwal literarily adopted a siddon look approach until the storm blew over. But from the reluctant way with which he reined in the vociferous Gbajabiamila, onlookers could tell where his persuasions were.

Close watchers say it is all presidential modus, an implementation of the ‘do-all-you-can to look like a president order’ that some kingmakers might have whispered to the speaker. Tambuwal now

I

cuts the picture of an astute political operative that gives all it takes behind the scenes to reap the bountiful fruits of harmony, when the green chambers gets out in the fullness of public glare.

However, on the campaign trail, Tambuwal has some weaknesses that would constitute what may be called his soft underbelly, which opponents would likely exploit, even in the run up to the making of the APC Presidential ticket.

One is what looks like his peripatetic disposition, when it comes to his relationship with political parties. His politics and political journey have been charaterised by a routine switch

of parties. As such, he had stints with the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) as well as the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) before berthing in the PDP. What informed these many switches, principles or personal interests? Tambuwal started learning the legislative ropes from 1999 to 2000, while working as Personal Assistant on Legislative Affairs to Senator Abdullahi Wali, the then Senate Leader. In 2003, he decided to run for a legislative seat as representative of the Kebbi/Tambuwal Federal Constituency. He was elected into the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

Few months to the 2007 general elections, he

The moral albatross needed to sink Tambuwal and his leadership of the house could have come from the Farouk Lawan subsidy scandal, but only the man who dons a long cap, once mistakenly called Mr. Integrity bore the brunt of the $620, 000.00 bribery scandal. There are those who suspect that this was an attempt to even scores, and give the speaker the boot. But that plan fell through leaving the man’s position strengthened.

So, as the clock ticks down to 2015, that attempt to even scores with Tambuwal still leading could be very much in the agenda of his opponents.

However, the speaker will have to wait for permutations within the APC over who gets the presidential ticket to play out

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

Now, Wamakko, his bosom political companion is now with the APC. The logic would be that the Speaker would follow suit again. This constant motion from one political party to the other does not project the kind of stability many would want to see in a presidential material. It could instill some fear in the APC elders, who might view such nomadic tendencies, as a sign of a man who would get off the leash, when he eventually has the prize on his lap.

Nonetheless, Tambuwal’s management skills would have benefitted a lot from the fact that it has been his lot to undertake the delicate business of piloting the house, a turf where intrigues woven by a motley crowd of 308 representatives, all wanting to stamp their presence in the political space, find expression.

The other thing to think about is in the realm of strategy, especially with the speaker’s careful positioning. If one were to succumb to the temptation of using football analogy, Tambuwal in the 2015 equation is taking the position of a ‘false’ number nine, popularised by the tiki taka football philosophy of the now floundering Barcelona Football Club.

It is a deft tactical set up wherein a midfielder, who should normally be a distributor of the ball, pops into attacking positions on a consistent basis to score the vitally needed goals.

The logic behind this tactic is that all attention will be on the natural number nine, as the defenders try to rein him in. This leaves the false nine with the space to run in from deeper positions to do damage.

This analogy, in relation to Tambuwal, explains why many in the presidency get uneasy when they see him in his elements, flashing those wellmanufactured political smiles. It is also pertinent to note that smiles, frowns and other forms of facial expression need to be deployed with a certain reality in mind in this season of highwire politics. In fact, smiles tend to be zoned geo politically in order to assuage the feelings of all of the crucial tendencies that may make or mar positioning, as the D- day comes nearer.

Similarly, it is a time of utmost vigilance by the gladiators, a time when those contemplating a run must watch their every motion. It is such that those, who have thrown their hats into the political ring, have to now choreograph their motions so as not to run foul of the dynamics.

Muckraking is fair part of the game, so it is understandable when gladiators try to be one extra step ahead of would-be detractors.

Again, in all of these, the Speaker has been up to the game. The result is the great capacity he has shown in absorbing the political environment, blending so perfectly well, irrespective of the realities. But while the rest of Nigerians wait for the speaker to make the next move that would put him in the open regarding his ambition in 2015, presidency watchers who are not amused by his deft stratagems are keeping a close watch.

While Tambuwal’s body language validates the notion of how a huge chasm could exist between the location of the body and the spirit, he still needs to come out in the open to be taken seriously.

The moral albatross needed to sink Tambuwal and his leadership of the house could have come from the Farouk Lawan subsidy scandal, but only the man who dons a long cap, once mistakenly called Mr. Integrity bore the brunt of the $620, 000.00 bribery scandal. There are those who suspect that this was an attempt to even scores, and give the speaker the boot. But that plan fell through leaving the man’s position strengthened.

So, as the clock ticks down to 2015, that attempt to even scores with Tambuwal still leading could be very much in the agenda of his opponents.

However, the speaker will have to wait for permutations within the APC over who gets the presidential ticket to play out. There are many big masquerades in the race for the party’s ticket. It is such that for Tambuwal who has proved to be adept at the waiting game, it is time to call on the inner strength needed to wait things out, understand the exact nature of the political waters, before taking a plunge. For once, sitting on the fence in order to get a clear picture of things, doesn’t seem a reprehensible idea, especially in the shark infested waters of 2015 politics.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Sunday, March 9, 2014 | 57

GRASSROOTS

Council Poll Stirs Controversy PLATEAU

By Gbenga Akinfenwa HE ruling Peoples DemoT cratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State has swept the entire elective positions in the local government election held in the state.

This ‘feat’ is a replica of the winner takes all syndromes in states where council elections have been held. In over 23 states, where elections have taken place, ruling parties won virtually all elective positions.

This practice has prompted reactions from individuals and groups who had challenged Nigerians to put pressure on state governments to conduct free and fair elections, devoid of imposition of candidates, monopoly of electoral space by ruling parties, and disenfranchisement of electorates.

Of the 15 council areas that participated, the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) declared only 14 councils’ results on Friday, February 28, with the declaration of a re-run in the 15th council area slated for Monday, March 3, 2014.

According to PLASIEC chairman, Mr. Peter Dalyop, results of 17 out of the 18 wards were collated, while election in Jat

• Court Stops Re-run ward in Lagtang North local government was inconclusive, which made it impossible for acceptance by the electoral body.

Of all 17 council areas of the state, 15 participated in the exercise after two councils-Jos North and Wase, were excluded over security concerns.

Despite several postponements due to security concerns, the election was not devoid of irregularities.

For four consecutive times, it was rescheduled. It was earlier slated for December 7, 2013, later December 21, 2013, then January 30, 2014 before the February 25, 2014 date was finally picked.

Report has it that many of the electorates were disenfranchised due to omission of names in voters’ list in their wards. Former Governor Joshua Dariye was one of those whose names were not found in the register.

Despite Governor Jonah Jang’s depiction of the election as the most peaceful local government election the state ever had, reports revealed that party agents destroyed electoral materials at Tunkus market square polling unit. At Islamia Pri-

mary School Anguldi polling unit, 1,200 people registered but less than 400 ballot papers were made available by PLASIEC, with many other voters registers missing.

In Mubudi/Langtang South areas, major hitches were quickly nipped in the bud as

metropolis, two ballot boxes were allegedly snatched until security personnel intervened, while at Abattoir, there were low turnout of people due to late arrival of PLASIEC officials and materials for election.

Election in Langtang, Kanam, Shendam, Quaan, Mikang and

Jang youths were allegedly caught thumb-printing ballot papers at a secret location and were almost mobbed by angry youths before military men intervened.

In some parts of Jos South

North Central plateau experienced mild irregularities, as voting did not take place in some polling units.

As a result, the state government set up election petition and appeal tribunals to re-

ceive complaints from aggrieved individuals and political parties.

The trial tribunal headed by Helina Dlu, with Jacob Lombin and Emmanuel Akhaire as members in accordance with Section 97(4) and Section 98(3) of the Plateau State Local Government Election Law of 2013, is expected to attend to election petitions and appeals arising from the decision of the lower tribunal.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) has condemned the electoral body, saying it suspected foul play in the poll. Chairman of the party, Dauda Azi, noted that the council area declared for re run, where PLASIEC cited non-remittance of complete results in all wards that made up the council, was where it recorded highest for its candidate.

Azi told journalists that it was obvious that the Returning Officer (RO) disappeared with the result of only one ward, which could have given the party victory. According to him, the party had already won in all the 17 wards, which result had been declared by PLASIEC officials.

He, however, expressed confidence that its candidate would emerge victorious

when the re run is conducted.

But against all expectations, PLASIEC announced the cancellation of the re-run election, claiming its action was in obedience to court order.

Dalyop said some of the candidates of PDP in the election had obtained a Jos High Court order to stop the re-run.

He said the Commission was served with the order at the weekend, which it had to obey by suspending the conduct of the poll.

The PDP chairmanship candidate in Langtang North, Mr. Godwin Kumzhi, and councillorship candidate for Jat Ward, Nandul Takdum, and the PDP had sued for cancellation of the re-run in Jat ward.

The defendants in the suit are PLASIEC, its chairman, Dalyop, the Local Government Returning Officer for Langtang North, Mr. Fabian Ntung, and the Ward Returning Officer, Jat Ward, Mr Nandon Pyendang.

In a motion ex-parte, the PDP candidates prayed the court not to allow conduct of fresh election in Jat Ward.

They also urged the court for an order to compel the local government and Ward returning officers to declare the result in their possession for the February 25 polls.

Community Flays Monarch Over Inciting Comments ARIGBAJO CIOMMUNITY

By Gbenga Akinfenwa NDIGENES of Arigbajo, a IEwekoro sleepy community in Local Government Area of Ogun State, have condemned, in strong terms, a derogatory statement credited to the monarch of Itori, Oba Fatai Akamo, over his alleged surrogate authority, describing it as inciting and capable of causing communal crisis in the area.

In a petition sent to Olowu of Owu, Oba Olusanya Adegboyega Dosunmu, by Arigbajo Sons and Daughters’ Union signed by its Secretary, Hon. Gbolahan Famuyiwa, the monarch was quoted in an invitation card circulated

for his 10th anniversary that some villages were under Itori, where he had installed some Baales that have been upgraded to Obas like AgaOlowo, Onigbedu, Oluke Orile and Arigbajo.

Said he, “This statement is seen by Arigbajo community as seriously inciting, insulting and annoying. It can create rancour between the Kabiyesi and Arigbajo community. Arigbajo community in a clear language is an Owu settlement. It is under the auspices of the Olowu of Owu kingdom and Owu custom has not changed.”

The union claimed that no prudent leader would disorganise other communities by exercising a surrogate authority in an attempt to as-

sassinate other people’s custom in his false claim to be purportedly ruling to the displeasure of the communities.

“After Oloriokos and 13 Baales, all installed by various Olowus who reigned peacefully, the present Olowu of Owu enthroned Oba Oluwagbemileke Alade Babajide SP (Rtd), Mamoolo 1 as the Alaigbajo of Arigbajo land, along with others on March 31, 2006.

“After one year and five months of his successful reign over Arigbajo and other Owu settlements like Ejio, Abese and Apomu, among others, some disgruntled youths installed another Oba in a nearby bush on Friday, August 17, 2007, who was later approved by former governor Gbenga Daniel on political

Town Union President Tasks Kinsmen On Unity, Cooperation IDUMUESAH COMMUNITY

By Gbenga Akinfenwa HE President of IdumueT sah Clan Union (ICU), Lagos, Mr. James Oghonim, has enjoined his kinsmen to foster a sense of cooperation and unity within themselves, to move the community forward.

Oghonim, who spoke at the annual get-together and Cultural Day of the union held last Sunday in Oshodi, Lagos, noted that the event was to unite Idumuesah people in Lagos to engender development in their community.

He noted that such gathering enabled them share ideas and take meaningful deci-

sions.

“You can agree with me that it is when we come together that we can share ideas and move our community to greater heights. I solicit your cooperation to achieve the goal of this occasion,” he said.

In his welcome speech, chairman of the planning committee, Mr. Gabriel Erumunyi, charged sons and daughters of the community in Lagos to pool their resources and energies together to build better Idumuesah community.

He noted that when the committee was constituted, it was given the mandate of raising fund and uniting members in Lagos, by employing all strategies that could bring the people together as one, especially

those who have not been associating with the union in the past.

Erumunyi advised all participants to supply accurate information about themselves to the secretariat, saying the planning committee hopes to follow up on all prospective members after the occasion.

Idumuesah is located in Ika North-East local government area of Delta State. It has neighbours like Owa-Oyibu, OwaAlero, Ute Aliohen, Ute-Okpu and Abavo. Its major occupation is farming and it prides itself as the biggest producer of yam, cassava, okro and palm oil. A recent unofficial census put the current population of the community at 1.5 million scattered all over the globe.

arrangement perpetrated by some politicians of then,” the petition read.

They claimed that it is the same perpetration that happened in places like AgaOlowo, Onigbedu and others, which had left those commu-

nities in an uneasy calm till date.

“We, therefore, appeal strongly to Owu kingdom, Olowu and Balogun Owu, former President Olusegun Obasanjo to please urge the Egba Traditional Council to

order the Olu of Itori to allow these communities to enjoy our Owu customs, which has been known age-long and to put up a rejoinder for all his false claim that Arigbajo is under Itori for the purpose of perfect peace,” they pleaded.

Commissioner Warns Monarch On Looming Communal Clashes IPARA-REMO

By Gbenga Akinfenwa N a bid to avert communal INorth crisis in Ipara Remo, Remo Local Government, Area of Ogun State, the state government has cautioned the head of the community, Oba Fatai Sorinola, to embrace peace with aggrieved residents.

The admonition came at a peace meeting held between the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bashorun Muyiwa Oladipo, Oba Sorinola, Onipara of Ipara, his Council of Chiefs and Omode Ilu-in-Council in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

The communal crisis was said to have begun as a result of alleged hegemony between the Monarch and Chief Matthew Sorinola, the Oluwo of Ipara, who alleged that the Monarch had barred him from performing his traditional duties as head of Osugbo cult.

Due to protracted crisis in the last 14 years, which continued in 2012 when the Monarch was installed, Omode Ilu in council had to

take over the administration of Iledi (Office of the Osugbo) as well as that of the Market, the action that led to serious internal crisis and cold war among stakeholders.

The commissioner noted that the crisis would have been resolved if the monarch embraced peace with the aggrieved factions, adding that, with the calibre of prominent personalities in his cabinet, the monarch should have develop the community by tapping from their wealth of experience.

Oladipo warned that the present administration would not fold its arm, and allow what happened in Ado-Odo community to repeat itself considering the huge sacrilege on Yoruba tradition.

He added that all stakeholders should embrace peace and work for the socio-economic development of the community.

The commissioner enjoined the monarch to see himself as the father of all and forget what transpired over 14 years ago in the selection process that eventu-

ally favoured him.

He, therefore, directed the monarch to convene a peace meeting with Chief Yemi Ogunbiyi, Balogun; Chief Yemi Ajayi, Asiwaju and Chief Mathew Sorinola, Oluwo to amicably resolve all disputes creating internal discord in Ipara Community within one week.

Amosun

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

58 | Sunday, March 9, 2014

POLITICS

‘The Cost Of Governance In This Country Is Something That Should Cause Every Right Thinking Nigerian Very Great Worry’ Last week, the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba was honoured in Lagos by the Hallmark Newspaper as the Lawmaker Of The year, at their yearly award ceremony held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island. The lawmaker, who was honoured alongside other dignitaries, including the recently suspended Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi and former Police IG Mike Okiro, was selected for his contributions to the development of the legislative arm of government in Nigeria. In an interview with CHUKS NWANNE before the ceremony, NdomaEgba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, spoke on the importance of the award to the legislature, defection saga in the National Assembly, crisis in the PDP, high cost of governance in Nigeria, 2015 elections and his political future.

How do you feel being selected for this award out of all the lawmakers in the National Assembly?

ELL, it’s a humbling experience, but more importantly, it’s a fact that the Legislature is being recognised. Previously, newspaper awards had always been for the Executive with the Legislature seemingly unappreciated.

Paradoxically, it is the Legislature that symbolises democracy, but it is the least appreciated institution.

What is your take on the defection saga in the National Assembly? As leader of the House, you are supposed to be the man for everybody. How are you coping with the situation, especially as your party members insist on moving to the opposition party?

Fortunately, the matter has been made easy; the case is still in court, so our hands are tied. We are obliged to wait for the outcome of the matters pending in court. But I would like to say that these movements are to be expected in a political year. And because every politics is local, what informs movement in Abuja is at the local circumstances.

Have you ever been caught in the middle of the defection saga?

Of course, as the manager of the floor, one is at the centre of it. We had to advise ourselves about the reality of the movements. The fact is people want to move, but again, we also have to balance it with the reality that the matter is still in court.

But people are of the opinion that the Senate leadership was just trying to buy more time by insisting that the matter is still in court. To them, it’s like a delay tactics…

To achieve what?

Don’t forget that the Senate leadership is dominated by the PDP? Let me give you the sequence. First, those that wanted to leave PDP went to the court earlier, when you had the ‘New PDP’ to say, ‘we want pronouncement that we are the authentic PDP.’ In other words, there are two factions of PDP and they were the ones that went to court. But the court said, ‘no, that the authentic PDP is the one, whose convention was supervised by INEC,’ i.e. the Bamanga Tukur-led convention. This means they did not succeed in getting the court to say that there was a faction in the party.

When they did not get that, they went back to the court, seeking an order restraining the Senate President and the Speaker from declaring their seats vacant. The court in its wisdom said, ‘maintain status quo.’ So, it is the people that are trying to defect that have consistently gone to court. We had nothing to do with buying time; we had no interest in the matter. Ours was just to ensure that the law was properly applied.

As a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, are there possibilities that these people could still retain their seats after moving?

We will be bound by what the court says. My personal opinion or professional position doesn’t count because the matter is in court. I hold a personal view about this, but it’s totally irrelevant.

So, whatever the court rules will be the authentic position.

We’ve always had people leaving their parties for PDP. Why is this one different?

Section 68 is clear and it says people cannot leave. The only time they can leave is if there’s a faction in their party. Whether or not there’s a faction is a question of fact and law.

Personally, how do you feel seeing party members and friends leave the PDP? I started by saying that every politics is local. It’s the local circumstances that determine what happens at the centre.

But do you sometime feel that some of these challenges could have been managed properly?

In their constituencies, yes, but its all politics; interests keep changing.

As a party that wants to remain in power beyond 2015, what’s the state of PDP right now?

Firstly, let’s realise and appreciate that crisis has always been a feature of PDP right from 1998; so, it’s nothing new. But the important thing is that PDP has always been versatile and resilient enough to survive each crisis; I don’t see this being any different.

But the worry many people have about PDP now is that some of its founding members are having issues with the present leadership, what’s your

W

Ndoma-Egba

take on that?

No, I don’t think it’s any different. The entire crises have always involved the ‘founding members’ migrating. This is not the first wave of migration we are experiencing in PDP. Let’s not forget that once upon a time, a sitting Vice President elected on the platform of the PDP also migrated and returned. I’ve always said that PDP is like the Catholic Church; you leave and return.

This gale of defection makes it look like politics in Nigeria is no longer about ideology. Do Nigerian politicians still bother about ideology?

We have to be careful with the issue of ideology, as it has developed its own nuances; it is no longer as iron clad as it was in the days of capitalism and socialism. Ideology today is about development and there are now different routes to achieve development. So, for political parties, ideology cannot be that clear-cut.

What’s responsible for the change?

It’s because communism has collapsed and capitalism is wearing a human face. So, those ideological distinctions of capitalism, socialism and communism have all melted in a pot. Right now, it’s all about development.

As a top-ranking member of the PDP, do you feel the party will be able to resolve these challenges before 2015 elections?

Of course, the party has always done so. Let me ask you, do you think the problem is still as severe as it was four to five weeks ago? The temperature is coming down; we now see movements into PDP. Let me say that these defections do not affect PDP structurally, as it still remains the only political party in Nigeria that has party structure in each ward, local government and state. Whether it is a PDP-controlled state or not, each ward in all the states has a PDP party executive. So, structurally, PDP remains very, very sound.

Don’t you think it’s because PDP is still in control of the federal power?

No, I think it is the PDP’s structure that gave it control of the federal power; it’s the other way round.

If anything happens and PDP is no longer in Abuja, will the structure still stand?

That will be hypothetical because I think that it is the PDP’s structural penetration that gave it power at the centre.

‘I Would Like To Contribute To The Stability And Maturity Of The National Assembly’ Ahead of 2015, some people think President Jonathan should not contest, while some say he has the constitutional right to contest. The North is asking for power to return there, yet Mr. President wants to run. Looking at the situation that brought him to power, do you think Jonathan should run in 2015?

The operative question is: Does he have the constitutional right to run? If yes, he alone can waive that right, and I personally do not see why he should do so. In Nigeria, one party that has been consistent with the issue of power zoning is PDP. That same power sharing formula brought Mr. President to power. Why is the party not coming our clearly to resolve the issue?

Has the South-South had the opportunity before? So, fortune zoned the presidency to South-South. Having been zoned there, whether by man or God, does the incumbent have the constitutional right for another term? The answer is yes; another four years is not eternity.

Some years back, the Igbos talked about taking over power in 2015; that was the projection in PDP that time. But right now, it looks like the South East has gone into the minority because, if the South-South continues in 2015, what happens to Ndi Igbo after Jonathan? Is it not going to be another long wait for a major tribe like the Igbos to taste power years after the Civil war?

I think the Southeasterners should make their case themselves, but the point that I made is that President Jonathan has the constitutional right to run. If he runs for another four years, South East will not go into extinction. Power is not giv-

en on a platter of gold; the only power that is donated is the power of attorney, but political power should be struggled for. No amount of sentiment would grant political power. So, if the South East wants it in 2019, they can go for it.

Some years back, the Niger Delta region complained of marginalisation. Did you ever envisage that the region would be in control of Nigeria?

Nature ensures justice and I’ve always known that even the smallest, the weakest in this country will someday have equal access to the opportunities that the country offers every Nigerian.

And democracy guarantees that access to opportunities; that’s why a minority person like me can be Senate Leader today. It’s only in a democracy that you have such opportunities. As our democracy deepens, so will even the weakest in Nigeria be reassured that they also have access to the opportunities and resources of this country.

Was there a conscious effort politically by the South-South leaders to take over power in the centre?

There was this South-South peoples’ Assembly clamouring for a South-South president; they were having meetings and going round. That was why even in the election that brought in President Yar’Adua, you had South-Southerners also participating in the process. People like Peter Odili and Donald Duke were part of that process. So, the zone had worked for it in the sense that people from there came out to contest. And don’t forget that fortune favours the vigilant.

With the timetable for the 2015 elections made public, do you think INEC is ready?

I can only hope that they are ready because I don’t work there. But what we have tried to do is to give them every support they require, which has always been through legislative intervention. Each time they asked us to look at certain provisions of the law, we tried to do so as expeditiously as possible. Each time they made financial requests, the National Assembly has tried as much as possible to ensure they are accommodated almost to the very last kobo of their need.

So, they have been given all the support to conduct free and proper elections. If they are unable to do so, then the reason will not be because of defaults by the National Assembly; we have giv-

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Sunday, March 9, 2014 59

POLITICS NATIONAL CONFAB: ‘I’ve Always Said That PDP Is Like The Catholic Church; You Leave And Return’ Well Cut For Kutigi en them all they require. big organisations dealing with infraIn Anambra, for instance, peaceful structural development. All the particielection was marred with irregularipants from the 18 countries had just ties to the extent that even INEC offione secretary servicing all of us. cial were involved…

So, we would be in a queue trying to Nigerians are sour losers. I was in make calls, as there was no GSM then.

Anambra to conduct the PDP primar- One secretary handled all our calls and ies with governor Ibrahim Shema of appointments, as well as typed all our Katsina State. Even then, we put our documents. But in Nigeria, just pick ears to the ground and asked quesone public functionary, there is an SA tions. Within the PDP, there were to carry newspapers and another to some major problems— the person carry the bags and all that. It’s somethat emerged at the primaries was dif- thing we have to address. Take for ferent from the one that emerged instance the Steve Orosanya Report in through court judgment. And which he identified over 440 parasbecause there were very many court tatals with quite a number of them judgments, there were judicially duplicating what three or four others ordained candidates. So, the PDP’s are doing; that’s cost of governance. So, house wasn’t in order. we must restructure government; The outcome of the elections in reduce the size and its cost.

Anambra was consistent with what Does this also apply to the National we were told. It did not come as a sur- Assembly? prise that APGA was going to win, giv- Let’s do some arithmetic. Last year, the en the situation. But everybody has national budget was N4.9 trillion. This gone to court, challenging INEC year, it’s N4.6 trillion without the SUREbecause one or two names did not P component. By the time you add the appear in the register; nobody is talk- SURE-P component, it will still be about ing about the names that appeared.

N4.9 trillion. The National Assembly’s So, I think that the irregularities and budget is around N150 billion out of the Anambra elections are grossly the national budget of N4.9 trillion, exaggerated. which is less than three per cent. So, Tony Nwoye, PDP’ s candidate in even if the National Assembly is Anambra State came out to say that scrapped, less than three per cent is he, his parents and siblings couldn’t being saved. vote because their names were not in Where exactly is the money going? the register. Yet, PDP in Abuja congrat- Take the kerosene subsidy for ulated INEC for conducting the best instance. We are talking about one election in Anambra… point something trillion. Take fuel subTony Nwoye emerged from the prisidy also and you are talking of two maries we conducted, but there were point something trillion. I don’t think others, laying claims to the party’s the National Assembly is the cause of ticket. People went to court, got differ- our problem. There’s this fixation ent orders that say, ‘I’m the candidate.’ about the National Assembly and the At the end of the day, you had several reason is simple— for almost 30 years, PDP candidates. But I didn’t hear that when we were under the military rule, Nwoye didn’t vote, so, I can’t comthere was no national Assembly and ment Nigeria still moved on.

In Idemmili North and South LGAs, So, Nigerians are used to government the INEC Chairman was on air to say without the National Assembly and his officials were compromised. then it comes and they go, ‘oh, look we Nigerians are asking if there will be a did without you guys for 30 years. So, repeat of such in 2015 you are the cause of our problems.’ The For as long as there are human National Assembly is receiving 97 per beings conducting election, there will cent of the attention, whereas 97 per be irregularities. We can never have a cent of the budget is receiving three perfect election, so let us not deceive per cent of the national attention. ourselves. That’s why the law is not The thing is that a lot of Nigerians find concerned about whether the election it difficult to understand what exactly was perfect or not, but whether there the National Assembly is doing for has been substantial compliance.

Nigeria; they wonder why the lawmakHas the National Assembly thought of ers are earning so much for just sitting changing the current process? in Abuja?

There is need to keep fine-tuning the I don’t know why the salaries and process. You conduct an election and allowances of lawmakers irritate see the shortcomings, then go back Nigerians because a senator earns and look at the law to see how to twist about the same as a minister, who is an the law to take care of certain shortappointee; same as a Supreme Court comings.

Justice. And in some corporations such Some people feel option A4 is still a better option for Nigeria?

But it is still an election. Is somebody not going to do the counting?

Is cost of governance in Nigeria high?

I agree that the cost of governance is very, very high and people have tried to implicate our democracy as the reason for that. Each time I hear this, I tell them that many years ago, I was a commissioner in a military regime, when we had 19 States. Even then, there was this debate about the cost of governance. It was said then that the cost of building a kilometre road in Nigeria was the highest in the world.

The cost of governance in Nigeria is something that should cause every right thinking Nigeria very great worry. My personal suggestion is that we should look at the issue holistically, in a very strategic manner with a view to bringing down the high cost of governance.

The retinue of aids of public officers in Nigeria is not seen anywhere else. I did a programme many years ago and we had participants from about 18 countries. And in terms of status, I think I was the least because I came from the private sector. Every other participant was either a minister in charge of economic planning for his country or a director general of some Ndoma-Egba

as the NNPC, what a manager earns is three of four times what a senator earns.

So, why are the earnings of the National Assembly members irritating Nigerians?

Go and find out what a manager earns in NNPC, PTDF, Federal Inland Revenue Service, NIMASA and NPA. All these are government establishments.

What’s you position on the current budget?

I’m still studying it, but my immediate concern is the unacceptable ratio between the recurrent and capital. You cannot have ratio of 26 per cent for capital and 74 per cent for recurrent. The economy cannot grow that way.

What’s the National Assembly doing about that?

I don’t know whether we can improve on the ratio right now, because if you look at the budget process, there has been this argument for a long time, as the constitution says the President should submit estimates to the National Assembly. So, it is the responsibility of the President to submit proposal, and the constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly to appropriate. But the argument is, can we appropriate outside the proposal made by Mr. President? My answer is yes. But can you just throw away the President’s proposal entirely? That’s the issue. For now, I don’t foresee a situation, where that ratio would change dramatically.

Kutigi You said earlier that what’s happening at OLLOWING the appointment of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice the centre is as a result of what’s going Idris Legbo Kutigi as chairman of the National Conference by President on at the grassroots. What’s the situation Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, opinions have been divided as to whether or in Cross River State? not he (Kutigi) can properly pilot the conference. While many feel he lacks It’s calm and quiet. Politics in Cross River State has always been unique. You the political experience to chair such a confab which would host the best don’t hear all the noise and violence you in Nigeria’s political space, others feel that the same reason puts him on the best pedestal to midwife the ideas that will arise from the convolution hear elsewhere and that’s because we of the political class, pressure groups, professional associations, etc. learnt our own lessons early in this democracy. We found a way of being col- It’s therefore appropriate to do a little background check on the confab’s chair. Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, born December 31, 1939, was the Chief legiate in the way we deal with issues Justice of Nigeria (CJN) from January 30, 2007 until 30 December 2009. On and situations. So, it’s one large family and we try to engage ourselves as often the road to reaching the pinnacle of his career, Justice Idris, born in Kutigi, as possible and try to reach a consensus Niger State, attended elementary school in that town and middle and secon issues. Our circumstances are totally ondary school in Bida from where he proceeded to Government College different. In fact, Cross River State is polit- (now Barewa College). He was at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria before leaving for England, where he studied at the School of Oriental and ically peculiar.

African Studies, University of London and the Gibson and Weldon College What’s your next plan in terms of poliof Law. Kutigi returned to round off his legal education at the Nigerian tics?

Though the National Assembly symbol- Law School in Lagos.

After cutting the right depth in legal practice, Kutigi rose to serve as the ises our democracy and is the most pivotal arm of government in a democracy, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Niger State. He was appointed a high court judge in 1976. He joined the Supreme Court in 1992 it still remains the weakest given our political history. Each time the military and served 10 years before taking the ultimate seat of Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) following his appointment by former President, Chief struck, the first act was to dissolve the Olusegun Obasanjo and confirmation by the Senate.

National Assembly. So, the National Assembly has not had the opportunity of Clearly, from the profile of the eminent jurist, there can be no debate as to consistent growth, unlike the Executive his fitness for the job. Professor Itse Sagay did not mince words while or the Judiciary that has been there and speaking on Kutigi’s choice as the confab’s chair. Sagay said: “I do not has grown consistently and developed know his political lineage or ideological orientation but professionally its own internal mechanism for reacting and in terms of status and achievement, he is quite entitled. He is a retired Chief Justice of the country, he was called to the bar 50 years ago and did to political developments. quite well as Chief Justice of Nigeria. He left with an impeccable reputation. Since he retired, nothing negative has been heard about him, so, I think he is qualified, he is quite okay.”

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Minister of Finance, Chief Olu Falae was of no less a view when he stated thus: “Kutigi is a retired justice of the Supreme Court, he is a Nigerian and I believe he is eminently qualified to preside over such a meeting. Although I do not know him personally, but based on his qualification and career profile, I think he is qualified to preside over the meeting.”

However, can these well considered views of two eminently placed Nigerians vitiate the controversy that arose in Kutigi’s last day in office as the Chief Justice of Nigeria when he swore in his successor, Justice Aloysius Iyorgyer Katsina-Alu? Many felt the conservative Judge deliberately skewed his interpretation of the Oath Act to justify his action when he claimed that it empowered the President and or the out-going CJN to swear in an in-coming CJN. That ceremony was indeed as controversial as it was historic.

The Guardian edition of December 31, 2009 had captured the scenario with a front-page banner: Kutigi Makes History, Swears-in Katsina-Alu. The newspaper went further, no doubt in amazement: “HISTORIC, Really historic. That is the way to describe the swearing-in of Justice Iyorgher Aloysius Katsina-Alu as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) by the outgoing Chief Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi. Reason: For the first time in the century’s history, two Chief Justices occupied that office, albeit for 12 hours.”

The question that naturally arises is - why did Kutigi decide to court such a controversy? Why did he not let the President swear in Katsina-Alu? At that time, the then President, Alhaji Umar Musa Yar’adua was ill and out of the country and the nation could not have afforded the luxury of allowing that office to be vacant. Therefore, uncharacteristic of a conservative Judge that Kutigi had always been, he accepted to put himself on the firing line; that is ‘misinterpreted’ the law - The Oath Act in order to avoid what might have been a monumental vacuum in the top echelon of the Nigerian judiciary. He knew he would get bruises for doing so, but he was ready to make the necessary sacrifice for the only profession he has lived for.

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

60 Sunday, March 9, 2014

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Disturbing Signals From Ukraine!

By Oghogho Obayuwana, Foreign Affairs Editor HEN we take a look at the events unfolding in Ukraine, several pictures come to mind. A people’s struggle for self determination, a regional power’s flexed up muscle and a high measure of global trepidation.

Moscow and Kiev, two former sisterly cities under the old Soviet Union are now centres of suspense confrontation as the people of Crimea (with predominantly Russian ethnic elements) in Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula entertain the idea of pulling away from Ukraine to become part of Russia.

But what are the implications of the Crimea regional parliament’s vote on Thursday to join Russia now that it’s the Moscow-backed government that has set a referendum on the decision in seven days? Once again, there is tension in the area and the worry of the West threatens to give a wider dimension to the conflict.

When Ukraine became independent in 1991, then Russian President Boris Yeltsin agreed that Crimea could remain in Ukraine, with Russia’s Black Sea fleet remaining at Sevastopol under lease. That lease was only in recent years extended to 2042. Under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, the US, Russia, Ukraine and the UK agreed not to threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine. They also pledged never to use economic coercion to subordinate Ukraine to their own whims.

The bottom line of what the world is witnessing in Ukraine has to do with a people’s demand. There are many paradigms in this regard but we take two as the world grapUkraine protests: a division over future ples with the issues in Ukraine. What is playing itself out in Ukraine still has to do with some form of demand or the other. already enjoys a degree of autonomy from Kiev, until now. The announcement from Remembering Musharaf And Edrogan Crimea’s parliament comes as EU leaders’ ECENTLY it became known that former meeting in Brussels to discuss how to respond Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf had to Russia’s troop deployment on Ukrainian refused to undergo heart surgery in Pakistan soil broke up. This was before Russia and wanted to travel abroad for treatment. announced its troops withdrawal starting Musharraf is also currently being tried. The from the country’s eastern border. noose on his neck borders on treason for But as far as the West is concerned, in the last abrogating the Constitution and imposing one week, Putin has trampled on norms that an emergency in November 2007. What hap- govern the international order and estabpened then? Musharraf “merely” sacked the lished dangerous precedents that go far country’s most senior judge Iftikhar beyond Ukraine. Analysts think that the Chaudhry and all hell was let lose. The govUkrainian citizens who protested in Maidan ernment said an inquiry would investigate may be saying they did not drive out a home“numerous complaints and serious allegagrown autocrat only to be held in by one next tions” against him, including alleged misuse door. Many of the youths on the streets of of authority. But the people demanded Donetsk and Kharkiv, in the Russian-speaking Supreme Court Judge Chaudhry’s reinstateeast, are as eager to belong to a sovereign ment. In the end, it was Musharraf who lost Ukraine as are their compatriots in Kiev and out and could not escape a trial.

Lviv. They know that under Russia’s sway, As for Turkey, the people made another Ukraine would be weak and dependent. They demand. They demanded that the governlook westward to Europe, which offers their ment of Recep Tayyip Erdogan rescind its country its best hope of overcoming chronic decision to build a mosque in a public corruption and bolstering the economy. square, the Taksim. The fuss in Ankara is Geo-political experts in the region have subworth closing up on. Turkey is a secular state mitted that Crimea seems inclined to turn with nearly 99 per cent Muslim population! eastward instead; and that if its people vote The plan to build the mosque had then con- for an orderly secession, it may well get the tentious because the people felt it would fur- backing of the outside world and Putin will ther shrink the green spaces in Istanbul’s appear justified in his claim that the Kremlin city centre. Prime Minister Erdogan had has a duty to protect Russians and Russiandeclared: “I am not going to seek the permis- speakers wherever they may be. This actually sion of the (the opposition) or a handful of resembles the logic that Hitler used when he plunderers,” but after sustained exuberant seized parts of Europe in the 1930s. If the West protests in Taksim Square, Erdogan’s govern- implicitly accepts this line, Mr Putin will have ment backed down. a pretext for intervening to protect Russians scattered across the former Soviet Union, A Crisis Is Born In Ukraine HO would blink in the real sense in Ukraine? The often glossed over kernel of the crisis in that country began last November when Its President Viktor Yanukovich, under Russian pressure, turned his back on a trade deal with the EU and accepted a $15 billion bailout from Moscow.

That prompted three months of street protests leading to his overthrow last month. The Russian government of President Vladimir Putin swiftly denounced the events as an illegitimate coup and refused to recognise the new Ukrainian authorities.

By Thursday last week, the Parliament of the Southern Ukrainian region of Crimea has voted to formally become part of the Russian Federation. The MPs said the decision would be put to the Crimean people for their verdict in a referendum next Sunday.

Pro-Russian and Russian forces had been in de facto control of the peninsula, which

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should be able to put up a better performance than tiny Georgia’s armed forces did when the Russians moved onto the offensive in 2008” Already, given the divisions inside the country, there must also be question marks about the loyalty of elements of the Ukrainian military to the new interim political authorities in Kiev. According to documents with the British Broadcasting Corporation, with an elite contract, Russia has been exercising some 150,000 troops in military districts bordering eastern Ukraine.

Moscow could also deploy elite Interior Ministry forces whose training and equipment might be ideally suited to this kind of mission.

The Ukrainian military is believed to have inherited a significant quantity of former Soviet military equipment at independence.

So if push becomes shove, some Ukrainian units are adjudged very ready to take on the Russians. There is an ethnic Russian majority in Ukraine’ province of Crimea. Russia’s Black Sea fleet is based at Sevastopol, where much of the population have Russian passports. But the US insists there is no legal basis for the Russian move, accusing Moscow of acting unilaterally in violation of Would There Still Be A Fight?

EFENCE veterans have made submissions its commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty.

The G7 group of leading economies agrees to the effect that the Ukraine military with this position. looks credible on paper although it is Under the terms of its agreement with numerically inferior to the Russian armed Ukraine, Russia is entitled to have 25,000 forces - Moscow having about four times as many active troops and twice as many tanks troops on the peninsula but currently has an estimated 16,000 deployed there. as Kiev. One of the scholars argued “On the Analysts say the starting point is to recogface of things, if Russia were to move into nise reality, however unpalatable. Said one eastern Ukraine, then the Ukrainian forces commentator: “Let Putin keep the Crimean peninsula, It has a Russian-speaking majority and was anyway part of Russia until 1954.

As for Ukraine as a whole, Russia is bound to dominate it, because it cares more about the country than the West does. America and the European Union must of course protest, but they would do well to avoid a useless confrontation that would harm their own economies, threaten their energy supplies and might plunge Ukraine into war” All said, the tough questions of the day still yearn for answers. Can interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk cope with the slippery grounds? Has Putin really offered what can be considered a way out? And should the West accept and work with this offer, which translates to accepting that Moscow has a right to protect ethnic Russians in Crimea? Maybe, just once again, respecting the popular will of the people would be the way out of the debacle.

from Central Asia to the Baltic.

Now chief global policeman, the United States (US) and its President Barack Obama are leading European Union and Ukrainian criticism of the proposed referendum, saying it would violate international law.

Secretary of State John Kerry has continued to talk tough. Also, the 28-nation EU condemned Russian actions in Crimea as illegal, voiced support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity but took only minor steps suspending talks with Moscow on visas and a new investment pact while warning of tougher steps if there is no negotiated solution within a short period.

European history tells us that Russia’s historical links with the peninsula go back to Catherine the Great in the 18th Century, when it conquered southern Ukraine and Crimea, taking them from the Ottoman Empire. In 1954, Crimea was handed to Ukraine as a gift by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who was himself halfUkrainian. Only 10 years earlier, Joseph Stalin had deported Crimea’s entire Tatar population, some 300,000 people, allegedly for co-operating with Hitler’s Germany.

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Russian-speaking east, are as eager to belong to a sovereign Ukraine as are their compatriots in Kiev and Lviv. They know that under Russia’s sway, Ukraine would be weak and dependent.

They look westward to Europe, which offers their country its best hope of overcoming chronic corruption and bolstering the economy. Geo-political experts in the region have submitted that Crimea seems inclined to turn eastward instead; and that if its people vote for an orderly secession, it may well get the backing of the outside world and Putin will appear justified in his claim that the Kremlin has a duty to protect Russians and Russianspeakers wherever they may be.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Sunday, March 9, 2014 61

FOREIGNNEWS

Asian States Search For Missing Jet MALAYSIA LANES and ships from SouthP east Asian states have joined forces to search the South China Sea for a Malaysia Airlines jet, missing with 239 people on board.

Flight MH370 vanished at 18:40 GMT Friday (about 02:40 local time yesterday) after leaving Kuala Lumpur for Beijing, where it was expected at 22:30 GMT. The aerial search has been halted for the night, but sea operations

continue.

No wreckage has been reported by the airline, but Vietnamese planes reported seeing oil slicks in the sea.

The Vietnamese government said two slicks, about 15km (9 miles) long, were consistent with those that could be left by an airliner and had been detected off the coast of southern Vietnam.

However, there is no confirmation the slicks relate to the missing plane.

Separately, it has been reported

that two passengers who were listed on the plane’s manifest an Italian and an Austrian - were not actually on the flight but had had their passports stolen in the past two years in Thailand.

Distraught relatives and loved ones of those aboard are being given assistance at the airports.

“We are doing everything in our power to locate the plane,” Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

A relative of Norliakmar Hamid and Razahan Zamani, passengers on a missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 plane, cries at their house in Kuala Lumpur… yesterday. Malaysia and Vietnam lead a search for the jet, as fears mounted over the fate of the 239 people aboard.

PHOTO: AFP

Ex-Military Chief Ilker Basbug Freed From Jail FORMER Turkish army chief who A was sentenced to life for his role in a plot to overthrow the government has been freed from prison in Istanbul.

A local court ordered the release of Gen Ilker Basbug, a day after Turkey’s constitutional court overturned his sentence citing a legal technicality.

General Basbug, who was in charge of the Turkish military from 2008 to 2010, was sentenced to life in August

TURKEY 2013.

Dozens of people were charged over the alleged plot.

Gen Basbug was found guilty of leading a shadowy network of hard-line nationalists known as Ergenekon.

The group was said to have plotted to topple the current government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip

Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

But Gen Basbug, who has always denied the charges, walked free on Friday.

Turkey’s constitutional court ruled on Thursday that General Basbug’s imprisonment had violated his rights.

The court trying him had failed to publish a detailed verdict on the case, it said.

President, Cabinet To Take Pay Cut KENYA ENYAN President Uhuru K Kenyatta has announced that he and his cabinet will take a pay cut to help bring down the govern-

ment’s wage bill.

President Kenyatta said that he and his deputy William Ruto would take a 20 per cent cut while other ministers would have their pay reduced by 10 per cent.

Foreign trips, he said, would be

Rebels Load Oil On To North Korea-Flagged Tanker LIBYA EBELS who seized oil ports in eastern Libya say they have loaded oil on to a North Koreanflagged tanker.

The Morning Glory docked at Sidra port early yesterday, after a failed attempt to dock on Tuesday.

“We started exporting oil. This is our first shipment,” a rebel spokesman said. The rebels demand more autonomy - and oil wealth - for Libya’s east.

Libyan officials confirmed to the

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BBC the Morning Glory had docked.

They said the rebel move was an “act of piracy”.

Analysts have said it is more likely the ship is sailing under a North Korean flag of convenience, than being controlled from Pyongyang.

They say it is extremely unusual for a North Korean-flagged oil tanker to operate in the Mediterranean.

Libya’s state-owned National Oil Corp (NOC) had warned tankers against approaching the port, and two others in Libya’s volatile east that are also controlled by armed groups.

kept to a minimum.

President Kenyatta also urged Kenyan MPs, who are among the highest paid in Africa, to accept cuts.

The issue of politicians’ pay is a highly sensitive issue in Kenya.

President Kenyatta said the government was spending close to $4.6bn (£2.7bn) in salaries, leaving only $2.3bn for development.

DR CONGO’S CRISIS

Conviction Of Germain Katanga: A Mixed Verdict

By Kamal Tayo Oropo HE Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday convicted Germain Katanga for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2003.

The infamous warlord from DRC was found guilty of contributing to the crimes of murder, attacks against civilians, destruction of property and pillaging, committed during the attack of the village of Bogoro, in Ituri, early 2003. He was, however, found not guilty and acquitted for the charges of rape, sexual slavery and use of child soldiers. The International Federation of Human Rights FIDH and its member organisations in DRC, ASADHO, LE and GL, call upon the ICC and the Congolese authorities to engage in a wide outreach programme in order to explain this judicial decision in DRC and in particular to affected communities.

“After Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, this is the second conviction in a case related to the conflict in the DRC, highlighting the gravity of the crimes that the Congolese population has endured, and reminding us that the suffering of victims should not go unheard” , said Patrick Baudouin, FIDH Honorary President. “The ICC should engage in a communication and outreach strategy to explain to victims and affected communities the meaning of this decision and its consequences in DRC”, said Karim Lahidji, FIDH President.

“With some relief we can go to the Congolese communities and confirm that what happened to them was recognised as the most serious crimes, amounting to crimes against humanity and war crimes, and should never happen again” , declared Dismas Kitengue, President of Groupe Lotus and FIDH Vice-President.

“Although the Court recognises the commission of crimes of rape and sexual slavery and the presence of child soldiers during this attack, the acquittal of the accused for these crimes is particularly disappointing.

The Lubanga case, which failed prosecute crimes of sexual violence, failed the victims of these crimes and women’s rights organisations.

Today’s verdict brings further disillusionment. It is urgent that the Office of the Prosecutor draws the necessary conclusions and takes them into account in its new strategy on investigations and prosecutions, as well as in its policy on crimes of sexual violence, so as to avoid new defeats for victims”, said Sheila Muwanga, FIDH Vice-President “The trial of Germain Katanga has opened our eyes even more to the consequences these crimes have on victims and their lives, and the importance of justice for their deterrence. The international community and DRC should continue this long fight against impunity” , stated Paul Nsapu, President of the Ligue des Electeurs and FIDH Secretary General.

FIDH and its member ogranisations underline that it is of paramount importance that the international community, but also Congolese authorities, continue their efforts to bring the perpetrators of the most serious crimes, committed during the conflict afflicting DRC for two decades, to justice. DRC should urgently promote the establishement of independent and effective specialised mixed Chambers in the courts of DRC to try crimes of international law being committed in DRC, that could not be tried at the ICC. Moreover, the reform of national law is essential to facilitate victims access to Congolese courts and reduce the prohibitive costs of these national proceedings.

This conviction will be followed by a decision on the sentencing and proceedings to establish measures of reparation for the victims, reparation that victims of international crimes never obtained in DRC. Our organisations are calling all States Parties to contribute to the ICC Trust Fund for Victims and cooperate with the Court in ensuring that victims receive adequate and comprehensive reparations.

“We will try to ensure that the victims will receive the reparations to which they are entitled after suffering the consequences of such grave crimes”, said Jean Claude Katende, President of ASADHO. Germain Katanga was on trial before the ICC as part of the proceedings related to the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He is the alleged commander of the Force de résistance patriotique en Ituri (FRPI), and has been prosecuted for the crimes committed in the village of Bogoro in the Ituri district of Eastern DRC from January to March 2003. The trial against him and Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui (the two cases were joined in March 2008) started on November 24, 2009. They were accused of three counts of crimes against humanity, namely murder, sexual slavery and rape and seven counts of war crimes. These included: using children under the age of 15 to take active part in hostilities; deliberately directing an attack on a civilian population as such or against individual civilians or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities; wilful killing; sexual slavery and rape; destruction of property; and pillaging. The two cases were later severed and Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui was acquitted on December 18, 2012.

On March 7, 2014, Germain Katanga was found guilty of four counts of war crimes and one count of crime against humanity. The Trial Chamber, by majority, proceeded to the recharacterization of the mode of liability of Mr. Katanga, initially charges as a principal, on the basis of Article 25(3)(d) of the Rome Statute, considering “it has not been proven, in light of the evidence found credible, that… he had the material ability to issue and ensure compliance with orders or, furthermore, that he had the power to punish commanders from various camps”.

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Ukraine Crisis Created Artificially, Says Moscow USSIAN Foreign Minister Sergei R Lavrov has said the crisis in Ukraine was “created artificially for purely geopolitical reasons”.

He confirmed Russia had contacts with Ukraine’s interim government but said Kiev was beholden to the radical right.

Russia, he said, was open to further dialogue with the West if it was “honest and partner-like”.

Meanwhile, Russia’s deputy foreign minister has held talks with Ukraine’s ambassador in Moscow.

RUSSIA The foreign ministry gave no details but said yesterday’s talks between deputy minister Grigory Karasin and ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko were held in an “open atmosphere”.

Earlier, Ukraine’s interim Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya said he saw hopeful signs Russia might engage in talks.

In related developments, Russian news agencies carried a statement

from a defence ministry official saying that Moscow was considering halting foreign inspections of its strategic weapons arsenal designated under international arms control treaties - as a result of US and Nato responses to the Ukraine crisis.

Poland’s foreign minister said the country’s consulate in Sevastopol had been “reluctantly” evacuated as a result of “continuing disturbances by Russian forces there”

TheGuardian

www.ngrguardiannews.com

62 Sunday, March 9, 2014

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Sports Bolaji Abdullahi: A Fall

Abdullahi

Immediate past Minister/Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Bolaji Abdullahi, escaped the first major cabinet reshuffle of the Goodluck Jonathan administration. On the day the cabinet reshuffle took place, Abdullahi was receiving encomiums from his boss for a job well done as Blessing Okagbare, who won silver medal in 200 metres final at the 2013 World Athletics Championship in Moscow was being honoured at the Presidential Villa. As a lucky chap, he escaped the second. Sadly, the nominee of the former Kwara State governor, Senator Bukola Saraki (who is now in the All Progressives Congress) was singled out in the third. Evidently, his sack is not because he was found wanting in the discharge of his official functions, but because his heart still lies with his former boss, while his head lies with the present one. ENO-ABASI SUNDAY writes that Abdullahi must have eased himself out of job owing to his continuous desire to serve two masters, and a failed attempt to discharge the duties assigned to him by both masters pari passu. rAgedy as a form of drama is based on intense pains and T immense human sufferings and almost always having an unhappy ending, which usually brings about the downfall of the main character-hero or heroine. greek philosopher, author and poet, Aristotle, who was born in Stagirus, northern greece, in sharing his view of what makes a tragic hero in his Poetics, suggests that a hero of a tragedy must evoke in the audience a sense of pity or fear, saying: “The

change of fortune should not be from bad to good, but, reversely, from good to bad.”

The sage further wrote that the tragic hero has to be a man “who is not eminently good and just, He must be one who is highly renowned and prosperous and whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty.”

In this direction, he went on to give examples such as Oedipus

and Thyestes,” both legendary figures in greek Tragedy.

Love him, despise him or fall somewhere in between, immediate past Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi will not go down in the history of Nigerian sports as a dot in the footnotes of history books, but as one who did his best for his country.

Unfortunately, however, he was not schooled in the fine art of paying political obeisance to the momentary paymaster. And like the tragic hero, which Aristotle described, Abdullahi’s frailty (political naivety) has led to his downfall. Thankfully not death.

Now, his above average performance for the real paymaster notwithstanding, his devotion and loyalty to his political godfather has punctuated his cruise, which was several thousand feet above sea level, forcing him to crash land with a thud after just two years, 11 months and 18 days.

Since coming on board, Abdullahi, an award-winning journalist and former education Commissioner in Kwara State, came along with a measure of determination to excel where his predecessors failed. He pursued his vision with a view to achieving his mission with religious zeal.

But his failure to cultivate the right strategy in our peculiar political environment; his refusal to stoop in order to conquer when it was overwhelmingly necessary to do so and his decision to play the role of a professional, where he ought to have played a politician, cost him his plum job.

In the first instance, Abdullahi, many say, will not claim to be more professional than the likes of Finance Minister, dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Agriculture Minister, Prof Akinwunmi Adesina and Trade and Commerce Minister, Olusegun Aganga, who all play their political roles, any time the need arises and switch into their professional apparels, when the occasion is right to so do.

What has made this scenario more interesting is the fact that while Bolaji’s heart was still with his former boss and political godfather, Senator Bukola Saraki, and his head with his new boss, President goodluck Jonathan, his successor, Tamuno danagogo’s head and heart had departed from his former boss, governor rotimi Amaechi, the moment the latter decided to jump ship and romance the opposition. danagogo served as commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs and later as commissioner for Urban development in the rotimi Chibuike Amaechi’s administration in rivers State.

He resigned his appointment as a commissioner in december when he told the governor that he would not join him to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He ended up beating two former deputy speakers, Chibudum Nwuche and Austine Okpara to the ministerial slot.

His former boss, Senator Saraki, nominated Abdullahi as minister. And his first appointment as Minister of youth development was in 2011. He was later saddled with the task of supervising the Sports Ministry and appointed substantive Sports Minister in March 2012.

Before now, Abdullahi’s godfather had initially shown interest in squaring up against Jonathan in the 2011 presidential contest. He later backed down and gave Jonathan his support during the 2011 poll.

Since joining the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) along with his supporters including the state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, he also became an ardent critic of the President, a development that sparked the rumours that his political godson could soon be shown the exit door.

Since that did not happen then, many tied Abdullahi’s continued stay in office to the successes recorded by the country in sports since he took charge of the ministry.

Abdullahi’s luck apparently ran out recently when Jonathan visited Kwara to welcome decampees to the ruling Peoples democratic Party (PdP). during the visit, a reliable source informed The Guardian, that the minister, who had failed to move ahead and spearhead preparations for the visit, did not feature prominently in the picture, as has always been the case when the President is visiting the home state of a serving minister.

In addition to this, during the rally, Abdullahi’s people, who are of the opinion that he is still tied to the apron string of the former governor, complained about his attitude towards them alleging that the biggest problem they were grappling with in the party at the state level was disloyalty.

Furthermore, prominent decampees including the governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011, and Senator gbemisola Saraki, a sibling of Senator Bukola Saraki, allegedly told the President that they couldn’t work with Abdullahi in Kwara.

Another reliable source also informed The Guardian that against tradition, Abdullahi was not given any role to play in the President’s visit hence his decision to travel to the state in Jonathan’s entourage instead of moving ahead of it.

The afore stated reasons, and Abdullahi’s failure to show enough political sagacity as well as his inability to expressly choose, which of the two masters to give his all, many say

Sunday, March 9, 2014 SPORT 63

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Success Cannot Hold made him the sacrificial lamb.

Since assuming the reins on March 23, 2012, Abdullahi has recorded some significant strides as Nigeria won several laurels in sports. This includes a beautiful outing at the London 2012 Paralympics Games, where Nigeria won six gold, five silver and one bronze medals.

Nigeria finished in third place at the 2012 Senior African Wrestling Championship in Morocco; was the overall winner at the 2012 Senior Africa Weightlifting Championships in Kenya and Nigeria male basketball team, D’Tigers, qualified to represent Nigeria at the London 2012 Olympics.

In February 2013, Nigeria’s Super Eagles won the African Cup of Nations after 19 years while the Golden Eaglets won the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which took place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The home-based Super Eagles won the bronze medal at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in the country’s maiden outing there, while the Nigerian cricket team, also for the first time ever, made it to the highest cricket league in Africa League Five.

Same year, Blessing Okagbare ended the country’s nearly two decades wait for a medal at the IAAF World Championships.

She won the silver medal in the long jump event at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia, and the Nigerian weightlifting team to the Commonwealth Championship in Malaysia, returned home with three trophies late last year. Apart from topping the overall medals table in the female category, Nigeria also won the Overall Best Lifter of the championship, both in the senior and junior categories. The country’s medal haul at the championship stood at nine gold, two silver and three bronze medals.

On the flip side, apart from the country returning emptyhanded from the London Olympics, Abdullahi also presided over a sports ministry that nearly pushed some sporting disciplines into extinction owing to poor funding and the failed concessioning of sports federations.

Another sore point of his administration was the heavily criticised re-grassing of the main pitch of the Abuja National Stadium for over N90m. The needless re-opening ceremony, which gulped millions of Naira are also part of his blunders.

Seen largely by some administrators and athletes as a nice guy, Abdullahi attended all major athletics events, interacted and even had dinner with teen athletes in Warri, Delta State before the commencement of the African Youth Championship (AYAC), and was with the Nigerian team in Porto Novo, Benin Republic, during the Senior African Athletics Championship, and at the last IAAF World Athletics Championship in Moscow. He attended all editions of the All Nigeria Athletics Championship in Calabar, Cross River State.

When asked to comment on Nigeria’s unprecedented run of victories in sports, which some said boiled down to luck, Abdullahi, in an interview with The Guardian had this to say: People try to explain the unprecedented run of victories in different ways. Some say it is luck. But I think it isn’t exactly correct to ascribe our run of success to just luck. Yes, in every aspect of life you need a bit of luck, but saying it is just luck is not only incorrect, but it is also unfair to those who have worked very hard to get us to where we are. It is like saying

that the reason we failed in the preceding years was because those in charge then were unlucky. When we say that we close the door to hard work, we close the door to responsibility, we close the door to accountability.

“I would not say it is luck. I think that what has happened is that we have managed to build a system that is beginning to show results, and at the head of that system is leadership at all levels- whether from the part of the President, who convened a retreat and thereby managed to mainstream sports in national consciousness or within the dynamics of national policy and governance. That in itself is a remarkable act of leadership. It sent signals immediately that this government is serious about sports.

“Or from the minister, who has sat down to ask so many questions, that is what we journalist do, and use the response from those who know to begin to construct a system that deliver results. It could be in the way we manage relationships; in the way we organise people; in the way we deploy resources and in the way we resolve problems. What determines whether an athlete performs well goes beyond what happens in 90 minutes of football or within the seconds of a 100-metre dash. You have so many people across a broad range of areas working together efficiently to make this kind of result that we have seen possible. This is how I can explain what has happened and I am very proud to be part of that process.

“I will not say it is luck. People can take credit at different levels and deservedly so. For me, I don’t bother about taking credits because long ago, I realised that there are two categories of people at a work place: those who want to do the work and those who want to take credit. And the lesson I have learnt is that it is better to be in the first category because there is not much competition there. Anybody who wants to take the credit can take the credit, but I know that we have been able to organise ourselves in a way that we had not organised ourselves in the past and that is why we are getting the kind of result we have now.”

Asked what specific steps he took, and how Nigerian sport has been so tightly organised to ensure that results were pouring in, without him having much pedigree in sports, he responded thus: “Thank you for this compliment. I will say that before I joined the Ministry of Sports, I never had any interest in sports beyond watching football on television like every other Nigerian. But, what you need to run Ministry of Health, for example, is not your proficiency as a medical doctor. What you need to run the Ministry of Agriculture is not your expertise in planting crops. I ran the Ministry of Education in my state for four years and I never studied education.

“What you need is your ability to manage public policy process. If you are able to manage public policy, from planning to execution, be able to put a team together and understand clearly how the process relates to the final outcome, then it does not matter what your disciplines are, what your orientations are. And I am privileged to have had a graduate education in governance that has really helped me. I brought into the job experience in management sector. I have been in the public service now for 10 years. I was special adviser, I was special assistant, I was Commissioner of Education and I understand that most of the time the critical element that is missing is leadership. And that mindset for problem solving is

Abdullahi presents the FIFA World Cup trophy to President Goodluck Jonathan in Aso Rock

Abdullahi during Puma launch in Lagos very important.

“It is easy to go to work and just push files, talk to people and award contracts. Those who work with me know that the least of my interests is awarding contracts. I never met any contractor in my life as a public officer, whether as a commissioner or as a minister; I am not interested.

Again, you can’t find a single file on my desk. The moment it comes in, it goes out because the job of a minister or leadership is the ability to imagine what is possible, focus on what really matters and be clear about what outcomes you want to get and then knowing the people that are critical to achieving those results and mobilising them to achieve those results.

That is very important. It may sound trivial, but it is very important.

The glaring political undertone of Abdullahi’s sack has provided the opposition with the cannon fodder to fire at the Jonathan administration. The Kwara State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) was the first to fire the salvo, describing the sack as the “triumph of politics over excellence.”

According to the local interim Publicity Secretary of the APC, Sulyman Buhari in a statement: “While we concede the fact that Mr. President reserves the powers to hire and fire, in the exercise of such powers however, international best practices demand that excellence and competence should not be traded on the altar of politics. That a President could sack a performing Sports Minister three months to the World Cup speaks volume of the quality of Nigerian Presidency. This nature of politics is anti-people and anti-development.

“It bears repeating that the achievements of Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi are known to Nigerians and can hardly ever be captured by any book. As the Minister of Sports, he steered the ministry’s ship to stardom and catapulted the Nation’s sports sector to world class standard.

“Mallam Abdullahi is the most successful Sports Minister in recent times and arguably the best Minister in the Federal Executive Council (FEC). By this sack, the President Jonathan administration has lost what is remaining of its credibility.

“Though, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi is not a member of our party but as an indigene of Kwara State, we are proud of his great achievements at the Ministry of Sports.”

While in office, Abdullahi has always publicly declared support for the Jonathan administration, alongside his other role as Senator Bukola Saraki’s loyalist. Now out of job, his true political hue is expected to manifest soon.

TheGuardian

www.ngrguardiannews.com

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

IAAF World Indoor Nigeria Women Push For Medals, As Men Flop In Poland

By Gowon Akpodonor with Agency reports S-based Nigeria female sprinter, Gloria Asunmu made it to the semifinal in the 60m event of the IAAF World Indoor championship yesterday, after running a season’s best time of 7:19secs.

Also, the Nigerian women qualified for the final of the 4x400m event, as one of the fastest times in the two heat races. They would, however, need an extra push in today’s final to get a medal, as they face an uphill task against the American ladies who set a new world leading time of 3:29:06 second, and Jamaica, whose ladies set a National Indoor Records of 3:29:43 second yesterday.

While the women remain in the competition, the men have fallen apart, as Nigerian Shot put thrower, Stephen Morzia, was unable to make it from the preliminary stage of the event.

In the 4x400m relay, Nigeria’s men team, spearheaded by the duo of Noah Akwu and Tobi Ogunmola could not pull through, despite setting a new Africa Indoor record of 3:07:95secs.

Running in the Heat 2 yesterday, the Nigerian men finished behind Great Britain and Russia who posted a time of 3:06:09secs and 3:06:63secs respectively.

The ongoing World Indoor Athletics Championships in Sopot, Poland, will end today. Nigeria’s participation in the lest two editions were without any medal.

U

I Want To Be Barca’s Boss, Says Xavi ARCELONA midfielder B Xavi says he wants to take over as the Catalan club’s head coach after he retires from playing.

The Spain international, 34, has spent his whole career at Barca, making 700 appearances and winning 22 trophies.

zArsenal’s French striker Olivier Giroud (Left) celebrates with German midfielder Mesut Ozil after scoring the fourth goal against Everton in yesterday’s English FA Cup quarterfinal match at the Emirates Stadium in London. Arsenal won 4-1.

Photo: AFP

Rampaging Gunners Humiliate Everton In FA Cup Man United Overrun West Brom In League Game RSENAL stayed on course A to end a trophy drought stretching back to 2005, as they secured a place in the FA

Cup semi-finals at Wembley with victory over Everton at Emirates Stadium.

In the EPL, Manchester

United kept their slim hopes of a top-four Premier League finish alive with victory at lowly West Brom.

2014 Okpekpe Road Race: Top World Runners in Battle For Entries

By Gowon Akpodonor ITH less than two W months to this year’s Okpekpe International 10kilometre Road Race in Edo State, top runners from different parts of the World are said to have flooded the office of the organisers with entries.

The maiden edition of the race in April last year attracted thousands of local and international road runners as well as top officials of IAAF and AFN to Okpekpe, a sleepy town famous for its hilly scenery. Okpekpe is 25km from Auchi and the race, which winded around the hills, attracted huge amount of cash prizes for the winners (both local and international athletes).

The 2014 Okpekpe Road Race is listed as event No 13 on AFN

programme for the year and it will hold on May 3.

A declaration by the race promoter, Mike Itemuagbor, last year that the second edition would make the IAAF road race label events list, is said to have generated much interest from top road race runners from East Africa and other parts of the World. They are said to be waiting anxiously, counting down to the event.

Edo State Commissioner for Sports, Christopher Okaiben told The Guardian yesterday that so many investors are also queuing to be part of the

event this year, following the success it recorded last year.

“Not many people thought the maiden edition last year would record such a huge success. So many investors have signified their interest for this year’s edition and it is going to be a big sports celebration in Nigeria,” Okaiben said.

This year’s Okpekpe road race may be in three categories: Gold, Silver, and Bronze, if the IAAF grants it as one of the Label Road Races.

Traditional rulers, elders and people of Okpekpe and its environs were full of praises

for the initiator of the competition, Itemuagbo and Governor Oshiomhole last year for bringing life and economic activities to the people of Edo North.

Kenya’s Moses Masai won the race last year, returning in a time of 29. 39 seconds to pocket the 20,000 dollars first prize.

Governor Oshiomhole who also participated in the race alongside the immediate past sports minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, and other VIPs, including top Nollywood actors, came 131st in a time of 59 minutes, 3 seconds.

In a quarter-final that was closer than the emphatic final scoreline suggests, Mesut Ozil gave Arsenal an early lead, but Romelu Lukaku tapped in from almost on the goalline to equalise for Everton before half-time.

Arsenal finally exerted their superiority through Mikel Arteta’s twice-taken penalty after 67 minutes following Gareth Barry’s injudicious challenge on Alex OxladeChamberlain.

Substitute Olivier Giroud then struck twice in the last 10 minutes to give the hosts a winning margin that was harsh on Everton, who were in the game for so long - but there can be no question Arsenal deserved to win.

In their league game yesterday, Manchester United secured a 3-0 victory away against West Brom.

A Rafael header was tipped onto the crossbar before United took the lead when Phil Jones powered in a header.

The Baggies exerted some pressure in search of an equaliser and striker Victor

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Anichebe angled a shot wide.

However, United secured the win when Wayne Rooney headed in from close range and Danny Welbeck provided a cool finish after a wellworked move.

It was a comfortable victory for the visitors as they restored some pride after the 2-0 Champions League defeat by Olympiakos in their previous game, and avenged a 2-1 defeat by the Baggies in the reverse fixture in September.

The Red Devils are nine points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, who have two games in hand, and 11 adrift of both Liverpool and Arsenal, who - like United have played 28 matches.

West Brom, meanwhile, are still searching their first win under Pepe Mel, who after seven matches in charge sees his side only one point and one place above the relegation zone, having won just once in 18 league games.

Premiership Results West Brom 0-3 Man United Cardiff City 3-1 Fulham Crystal Palace 0-1 Southampton Norwich City 1-1 Stoke English FA Cup Arsenal 4-1 Everton