Wed 22 May 2013 The Guardian Nigeria

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Archbishop of Canterbury, Ghanaian president, others for Achebe’s burial tomorrow From Kodilinye Obiagwu, Lawrence Njoku (Enugu), Chijioke Iremeka (Ogidi) and Uzoma Nzeagwu (Awka) BOUT four foreign presiA dents and other dignitaries, including Ghanaian President John Mahama and the Archbishop of Canter-

• UNN Senate holds special session bury, Most Rev. Justin Welby, are expected to attend the burial of literary icon, Prof. Chinua Achebe, in his hometown Ogidi, Anambra State, tomorrow. Highlighting the burial arrangement which com-

menced a week ago, the Anambra State Secretary to the Government (SSG), Oseloka Obaze, announced that it was a partnership involving Anambra, the Federal Government and the Ogidi community.

ture at the university. For the academics, the special senate, the 369th senate session of the university in honour of Achebe was a solemn confirmation that their revered colleague, “our compatriot who rose to become a citizen of the world, has come to an end.”

Besides, for about an hour in the main auditorium of the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC), the academ-

Elegy by Wole Soyinka – P.3 ic community paid tributes to the late Achebe, an emeritus professor of English Litera-

Achebe’s end was further confirmed when he failed to answer to his name when the Registrar, Mr. Anthony Okonta, took the roll of the over 20 emeritus professors of the institution. All the professors answered to their names. And then Okonta called, “Emeritus CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Vol. 29, No. 12,564

N150

www.ngrguardiannews.com

London police arrest two Arik cabin crew members over alleged drug trafficking • Airline may be fined, NDLEA begins probe By Wole Shadare WO workers of Arik Air T were yesterday arrested at London Heathrow Airport in connection with alleged drug trafficking. Both the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and Arik Air are investigating the circumstances that led to the drug trafficking by the duo said to be cabin crew members of the airline. The airline, however, said it would wait for the outcome of the investigation before it could come out with a statement on the situation. There are indications that Arik Air may be fined if the suspects are found guilty of the illicit act in line with aviation practice. The frequency of drug trafficking aboard Brazilian national airline, Varig, was one of the reasons the carrier ceased Bishop of the Niger, Rt. Rev. Owen Nwokolo (middle) and others praying for the remains of Prof. Chinua Achebe at Nnamadi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja… yesterday. PHOTO: PHILIP OJISUA

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Senate, Reps okay emergency rule From Laolu Akande (New York), Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Bridget Chiedu Onochie, Adamu Abuh (Abuja) and Emmanuel Ande (Yola) ITHOUT any dissent, all W 100 senators present at the Senate yesterday voted in favour of the state of emergency declared by President Goodluck Jonathan last week in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states. But the voting was preceded by an hour of a closed-door session where the lawmakers expressed their views on the emergency rule and eventually agreed to support it. Besides, Nigeria’s renewed confrontation with Boko Haram terrorists will form the kernel of a meeting next week in Addis Ababa at the African Union (AU) between President Goodluck Jonathan and United Nations (UN) SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon, just as more details have emerged on

• Want democratic structures to stay • Urge army to operate within rules of engagement • Jonathan, Ban to discuss Boko Haram at AU meeting • ‘Why Obama may not visit Nigeria’ • Curfew relaxed in Adamawa why the United States (U.S.) President Barack Obama is leaving Nigeria out of his second trip to Africa. At the resumption of the open plenary, the President of the Senate, David Mark, enumerated the points of agreement reached at the closed-door session which were immediately put to vote and endorsed formally by all senators. However, the method of voting was slightly different.

Against the expectation of practical division and headcount method, the Senate adopted the voice-vote method. Mark announced that after taking the count, there were 100 senators present and merely put the question to voice vote. The constitution requires that at least two-thirds of the total number of senators should vote in favour of the declaration before the state of

emergency could be considvalid. as ered Announcing the decision of the Senate, Mark said that the House insisted that all democratic structures should be left to operate in the three states. He said: “In a closed-door session, we extensively discussed some of the issues that we think are very important to this proclamation of state of emergency. We want to emphasise very emphatically

that all the democratic structures must be left in place and must be allowed to operate fully and actively and they must also be involved in all the efforts that the Federal Government is putting up to bring this ugly situation to an end.” Mark also stated that it was the opinion of the Senate that the armed forces be made to adhere strictly to their rules of engagement. “We also would like to emphasise that the armed forces are issued a proper code of conduct where they are humane and benevolent and make sure that all citizens are treated with utmost respect so that they do not lose their respect as human beings,” he said. On the issue of amnesty, the Senate President said: “We are

Rescuers search for survivors after massive tornado kills dozens in U.S. –Page 9

conscious of the fact that the government is taking this step as a last resort but alongside that, we want to encourage the government to also urge the committee on amnesty to work alongside the current functions that are put in place to bring this to an end so that at the end of the day, government can concentrate on their efforts to win the hearts and minds of the people in all the states that are affected. “We are conscious of the fact that there was lawlessness, there was anarchy and mayhem in most of the places that are involved in the declaration of state of emergency and we appreciate the fact that government must take every possible step to bring this to an end as quickly as possible with minimal loss of lives and materials.” “The Senate urged President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure CONTINUED ON PAGE 2


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