The Nation Aug 18, 2013

Presidency blasts Kwankwaso, Wamakko, Lamido, other govs

South East demands reparation over civil war

Okupe alleges plot to unseat Jonathan –PAGE 4 Labels Amaechi tyrant

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Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

Vol.08, No. 2581

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

SUNDAY

AUGUST 18, 2013

N200.00

OLO OMIDAN BATA •Members of the Nigeria Society for the Blind during a charity walk through Surulere to the National Stadium, Lagos to mark the 8th anniversary of the White Cane Day...yesterday.

Jonathan, PDP fret as opposition consolidates

President’s associates fear APC, PDM alliance PDP to probe ex-VP Atiku’s role in new party –Page 2 Jonathan highly vulnerable

First female Nigerian ‘Bata’ performer set for the top –PAGE 43

The story of the unknown Liz Dafinone PAGE 64

EGYPT MAY OUTLAW MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD

–Page 11

NEWS

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

Jonathan, PDP fret as opposition consolidates T

HERE is disquiet in the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following what some associates of the President term “consolidation by the opposition” towards 2015 poll.

To the associates, the newly registered Peoples Democratic Movement may collaborate with the main opposition coalition, All Progressives Congress, to unseat President Goodluck Jonathan. The development is said to be causing unease for the President.

Our correspondent learnt that the permutations of Jonathan’s strategists on 2015 poll are no longer adding up due to the birth of APC, emergence of PDM, recalcitrance of five PDP governors, the likely split of PDP as a result of internal stress and the crisis in Rivers State where about 2.3 million votes are at stake.

A reliable source, who does not want his name in print, said: “We are aware that the opposition is consolidating in different forms. Initially, APC is being tackled but it seems the mega party, as the promoters call it, is just an eye opener of what the opposition is up to.

“The emergence of PDM is a new challenge, it is no doubt adding to the political headache posed by the APC. It is apparent that the opposition is firing from different flanks in readiness for a coalition.

One will not be surprised if another strong party from the opposition emerges tomorrow.

“The presidency and the PDP have started weighing options; trust that we will devise means of curtailing the opposition” Another source said: “The President has done everything to secure at least five out of the six states in the SouthSouth and four out of the five states in the South-East to neutralise the huge votes the opposition is likely to get in the North-West.

“If there will be any setback, it will be in Rivers. The battle in Rivers State is crucial to the Presidency because about 2.3million votes are at stake. Loss of Rivers State to the opposition could wipe away the votes from other five states in the South-South.

“Even the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) had always had its victory determined by the old Rivers State.”

Although the President is banking on votes from the six states in North-Central, he is unsure of support from Niger, Kwara, and Nasarawa States.

While he can take the situation for granted in Plateau and Kogi, it is slippery in Benue State with strong opposition coming from APC. Many believed that the Action Congress of Nigeria, one of the parties in APC, was robbed in 2011 in the state and with other opposition parties now in APC, Benue will be a battleground state.

A PDP chieftain said yesterday: “The President knows

•Rainbow coalition imminent as PDM may collaborate with APC •Atiku under PDP watch

•Lagos State Governor, Raji Fashola and his deputy, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, in a group photograph during a visit by the US State Department Assistant Deputy Secretary, Ms. Eunice Reddick and Director, African Affairs, White House, Ms. Leanne Erdberg, in his office… at the weekend FromYusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

that the threat from the opposition is real. And the consolidation of the opposition through the PDM is causing tension in the PDP.” He said the PDP is particularly worried by the political development because forces behind the PDM had played a crucial role in the formation

O

PPONENTS – within and outside the ruling party – are undercutting President Jonathan’s authority as he prepares for the 2015 elections Two factors – rampant factionalism in the governing People’s Democratic Party and a coherent opposition alliance are changing the calculus in Nigerian politics. For the first time in 14 years, the PDP could lose power at the centre in credible national elections. The PDP has never been a solid structure.

Formed as an alliance of convenience by some leading politicians and their patronage networks in 1998, the party nearly broke apart in 2007 and was fractured badly before the 2003 and 2011 elections. However, on each occasion, party bosses corralled the squabbling politicians with a mixture of coercion and co-option – and delivered a victory, boosted by the party’s control of state security and attendant vote-rigging.

Successive presidents have used their access to oil export earnings of nearly US$100 billion a year, combined with the threat of highly selective anticorruption investigations and prosecutions, to reimpose the party’s political dominance. Divided opposition parties have also helped the PDP tremendously.

Various reincarnations of

of PDP. He said PDP leaders believe that ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had a hand in the formation of PDM, despite his denial of being the brain behind it.

To checkmate PDM, some stalwarts of PDP and forces in the Presidency, it was learnt, are pushing for deregistration of Atiku from the ruling party.

The PDP, it was further learnt, will do everything possible to find out if Atiku is the financier of PDM.At an appraisal meeting at the weekend, some PDP leaders were said to have declared that there is no difference between Atiku and his associates who formed the PDM. It was alleged that Atiku merely came up with Plan B

through his associates to avoid being humiliated in PDP as was the case in 2011 when he was stranded after he was defeated by President Goodluck Jonathan in the presidential primary.

It was learnt that some PDP chieftains and forces in the Presidency rated the formation of PDM as an attempt to divide PDP by Atiku and

Inside the presidential fight ANALYSIS the historic Lagos-based and Yoruba-dominated left-of-centre parties with their roots in the anti-colonial struggle have vied for control of the southwest, steadily strengthening their grip. Northern-dominated parties have taken a few states in the north-east or the north-west but in total, opposition parties have struggled to win more than a third of the total 36 states.

That has changed with the opposition party merger under the flag of the All Progressives’ Congress. At the same time, President Goodluck Jonathan looks increasingly vulnerable within the PDP, where he faces an all-out rebellion by the powerful state governors, who control local politics and whose cooperation is vital to win a presidential poll. Much of the dissension comes from the President’s undeclared plan to run for re-election in 2015.

Jonathan, from the Niger Delta, took office after President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, a northerner, died in 2010. Since the constitution says an individual can twice be elected president for four-year terms, Jonathan’s allies insist that he is

still eligible to run in 2015. Yet that would give him an unprecedented decade in office because he served out President Yar’Adua’s last two years as well.

The cheated north Northern factions in the party already felt cheated out of office after Yar’Adua’s untimely death and pushed hard to have Jonathan stand aside in 2011. Under the PDP’s regional principle, the major offices are supposed to rotate between north and south. However, Jonathan broke this rule in the 2011 election and the prospect of his running for a second term in 2015 has further angered northern leaders.

If Jonathan has foes in his own party, his popularity with the general public has also declined. The growing middle class in the main towns and cities combined with the youth vote to help him win the last election. Indeed, he could have won in a straight vote, even without the widespread rigging in PDP strongholds.

Since then, frustration has grown about the President’s unwillingness or inability to tackle political and business corruption. The turning point came quickly in January 2012 when his government ended the fuel

subsidies, regarded as one of the few mass benefits of oil production.

The cut sparked nationwide protests under the banner of Occupy Nigeria. For two weeks, professionals, civil activists, trades unionists, students, musicians and even civil servants held mass protests and brought the country to a standstill. A planned strike by oil workers finally forced Jonathan to reinstate about half of the subsidy.

To the protestors, the government had revealed itself as weak and vacillating in the face of organised opposition. Activists also began to pick open the corrupt rackets and their links to political sponsors that were part of the subsidy. It emerged that the arrears on subsidy payments owed to fuel importers in 2011 amounted to $18 bn. or more than half of the federal budget of $28 bn. Given that 2011 was an election year, activists quickly linked the largesse to the country’s biggest fuel importers and party campaign contributions.

Initially, the legislators in the National Assembly fared best from the fuel-subsidy crisis.

Continued on page 5

his associates.

Some party leaders felt it would be dangerous to continue to have Atiku in PDP when his heart is in PDM. A renowned member who spoke in confidence said: “There is no doubt that PDM came as a result of a plot to divide PDP. Some aggrieved members of the party are behind the new party.

“PDP leaders are unhappy that some leaders will be pretending to be in the party and at the same time, they will undermine it. The emergence of PDM has thrown a challenge to PDP to look for these dissidents or rebels in its midst because if they continue like this, they will be spying the ruling party for PDM. “So, the involvement of some PDP members in the formation of PDP is being looked into. Such members or leaders might face disciplinary action if necessary.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “I think some of our leaders are of strong opinion that Atiku allegedly had a hand in PDM. They alleged that Atiku had done a similar thing in 2007 when he found solace in Action Congress (AC) to contest the presidential poll.

“The ex-VP had denied the allegation but the PDP is investigating a few things on how PDM emerged. But there is no way PDP will harbour members of another party in its midst. This will be tactically dangerous. We are looking into many options to keep the PDP intact from intruders.”

But the PDM yesterday unfolded its mission and vowed to tackle the security crisis facing the nation.

It also said it has placed priority on national unity, economic reforms, the rule of law, public accountability, human rights, democracy and the legitimacy of dissent.

The PDM has unveiled its mission statement in a release in Abuja by its National Secretariat.

The party it in its Mission Statement said: “In the last decade, Nigeria has witnessed an unprecedented decline in its social, economic and political fortunes.

“The recent lingering political and security crisis has magnified the cleavages in the nation’s multi-ethnic society and pushed our national psyche into a state of confusion, uncertainty and helplessness. “ The nation is now faced with a rapidly deteriorating situation of human deprivation and economic stagnation which is threatening the nation with an ultimate structural collapse.

“This needs not be the plight of Nigeria and the Nigerian people because our nation is endowed with a large, quality population, abundant natural resources and a unique geoeconomic location.”

It promised to reposition the country and restore its lost glory.

Perspective

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

Talakawa Liberation Herald (26)

Okonjo-Iweala on the ASUU strike: please speak truth, not technocratic sophistry to the nation!

BY BIODUN JEYIFO Sophistry: 1. A subtle, tricky, superficially plausible but generally fallacious method of reasoning. 2. A false argument; sophism.

Dictionary.com (Online)

A

T present, ASUU wants the Federal Government to pay N92bn in extra allowances, when the resources are not there, and when we are working to integrate past increases in pensions. We need to make choices in this country as we are getting to the stage where recurrent expenditures take the bulk of our resources and people get paid, but can do no work.

Dr. (Mrs.) Okonjo-Iweala, Address to the National Council on Finance and Economic Development, Minna.

In March 2012 shortly after the nationwide strike against the oil subsidy removal by the Jonathan administration in which she is a key cabinet member, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala made a revelation in an article that was published in the March 3, 2012 issue of that iconic newsmagazine of British and global finance capitalism, The Economist. The revelation considerably startled the writer of the article. It certainly startled me, so much so that I have never forgotten it. What was this revelation? It was a bluntly stated assertion that corruption and waste were so endemic to Nigerian politics and governance that she, Ngozi OkonjoIweala, would be satisfied if by the end of her current tenure in 2015 as the nation’s Finance Minister she would have cleaned up as much or as little - as 4% of the waste, mismanagement and corruption in the affairs of the Nigerian government. 4%? Yes, 4%.

When I came across this figure of the pace in which our Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minster for the economy thought corruption and mismanagement could realistically be cleaned from Nigerian governance, I read and re-read the article, thinking that, surely, there was an irony, a hidden meaning or perhaps a playful signification on the usually inflated claims of the statistical sciences intended in that 4% target. But there was no irony, no sarcasm and no ludic intent of any kind in the bar Dr. Okonjo-Iweala had set herself. This is because, as totally absurd as it may seem to ordinary folks like you and me, in the reified calculus of the technocratic gurus that run the nations and business conglomerates of the world, 4% of trillions upon trillions of naira especially in the context of the monumental swampland of Nigerian corruption - is very consequential. You and I might think that the 96% that remains after 4% might have been reduced means that so much has been taken out of our national coffers that could have considerably made life easier for millions of Nigerians now and in the years head. But the technocratic mind - or more precisely the kind of technocratic mind embodied by our Minister of Finance - does not see things the way we see it. You may call it a form of cynicism that expresses itself as a professional ethos, but to the kind of technocratic rationality we encounter here, 4% recovered in five years is good enough.

This, I suggest, goes to the heart of OkonjoIweala’s presuppositions in her strident attack on the ASUU strike earlier this week. In the justifiable rush to condemn the Finance Minister for her intervention the ASUU-Government negotiations, I suggest that it is in our best interest to pay attention to where Dr. OkonjoIweala is coming from, specifically to the kind of technocratic sophistry that underpins her reasoning and conclusions. But before getting to this point, a full disclosure of the sources and nature my interest in the matter is necessary, for I am far from being an intellectually detached observer or a dispassionate commentator on the case.

As perhaps some of the readers of this column know, I was the National President of ASUU some 30 years ago, precisely between 1980 and 1982. And when I was succeeded by the late Mahmud Modibbo Tukur, I served as ASUU’s Immediate Past President (IPP) between 1982 and 1986. Moreover, between 1984 and 1987, I served as ASUU’s representative on the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). I mention all of this background not only to show and

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•Okonjo-Iweala

declare my strong connections and solidarity with ASUU but also to indicate that in the course of my work in ASUU, I came across many bureaucrats and technocrats, in government, among employers of labour, in the universities and other tertiary institutions themselves - and even within the rank and file of ASUU membership!

I mention this last point deliberately because I think it would be a mistake not to recognise that the likes of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala do not constitute an aberration but are, rather, a part of the corps of elite bureaucrats in charge of the management and administration of the affairs of this world. The word “technocrat” is indeed an appropriate indication of the elite status of this corps of bureaucrats. Dear reader, look at the suffix “crat” in the following terms: democrat; plutocrat; aristocrat. In all of these cases, that suffix lends a seal of respectable identity and pedigree to each term. In the particular case of technocrats, they are - and are regarded as - the cream of the bureaucrats that run the nations, business empires and international organisations of the planet. And we must recognise this: within this demographically tiny elite group in our world, Okonjo-Iweala is among the most celebrated, the most sought after, a fact that she never lets anyone, her fellow cabinet members included, forget. What Okonjo-Iweala does not recognise, what in fact we must not let her and technocrats like her ever forget, is the fact that technocrats and technocracy often get things horribly wrong in our world at the cost of a lot of needless hardship and suffering of hundreds of millions of ordinary folks.

To speak to this last claim, think of the following fact that has almost entirely been missed in the justifiable outrage that the Finance Minister’s intervention in the ASUU strike has caused: the very day before OkonjoIweala made her statement about the federal government’s impossibility of meeting ASUU’s demands, she held a press briefing at Abuja in which she informed the world and the nation of the efforts – the technocratic efforts, I might add – that her Ministry had been making to

reduce corruption, waste and mismanagement in those arms of government and parastatals known as the MDAs (Ministries, Departments and Agencies). In that press briefing, she was very sanguine about the successes that her Ministry was beginning to make, against all the odds. She mentioned that she had set up two bodies that henceforth would ensure the full rationalisation of the operations of all the MDAs, all the personnel of these government units, together with their activities.

Here are the names of these two bodies, both reeking with a maximum of technocratic smarminess: IPPIS - which stands for Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information Systems; and GIFMIS - which in turn stands for Government Integrated Financial Management Information Systems. [Watch out all you government employees! IPPIS and GIFMIS are watching you!]

In the press briefing, Okonjo-Iweala also said that the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) had hired 53 consultants that would verify the accuracy and probity of revenue generating MDAs like the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) in their collection of revenues and remittances of parts thereof due to the government. To cap it all, Okonjo-Iweala at this press briefing last Monday announced that so far, 46000 ghost workers had been discovered and the sum of N53 billion naira had been saved through the work of all these technocratic instruments she had put in place. Hallelujah!

Quite apart from the fact that at this press briefing Okonjo-Iweala did not mention the name of a single public official or MDA that had been responsible for misdeeds and/or incompetence, the figure of N53 billion naira “saved” is worse than a joke; it is the expression of a kind of intellectual fraud and professional complacency that technocrats routinely perpetrate around the world, especially in the poor countries of the global South. Last year alone, an Ad Hoc Committee of the Senate on the oil subsidy scandal of 2011 found that the colossal sum of N2.58 trillion had been si-

“This alliance of Harvard and MIT - or Cambridge and LSE educated technocrats with thieving, mediocre and unpatriotic politicians is, by the way, not unusual in the developing countries of the world. Since 1999 when our current failing experiment in democratic governance began, it has indeed been part of the justificatory myth of the ruling party at the centre that notwithstanding all the unending crises we have gone through and are still going through, the “experts” have been recruited and will guide us to our destiny as one of the biggest economies in the world by the year 2020”

phoned from the national treasury. As I observed in this column a few weeks ago, that sum represented more than half of the national budget for the entire country that year. The oil marketers that were illegally paid this humungous sum are not “ghost workers”; they are known, their names were published, together with how much each real or fake marketer was paid. And yet to date, not a single kobo has been paid back by these looters and not one of them has been arrested, let alone sent to jail. As far as I am aware, Okonjo-Iweala has said and done nothing to recover any of that N2.58 trillion naira. Neither has she nor her Ministry gone after the huge pension funds scams that rocked the country last year and earlier this year. N53 billion saved; meanwhile the N2.58 trillions looted in the oil subsidy scam stand unrecovered and are perhaps are unrecoverable in the scheme of things.

In her defence, it could of course be argued that Okonjo-Iweala had told us exactly what to expect from her. She had told us that by 2015 to expect no more than 4% reduction of the monumental waste and corruption plaguing the land.

To argue the case for this “defence” it could be said that technocrats are not police detectives; they are not enforcers of the law; and they are not moral crusaders. Their work is to make the machinery of governance work smoothly and efficiently, every cog in the wheel of management and administration moving along its apportioned groove. Pressing the case for this “defence” further, we could accept the fact that in the modern world, we cannot do without technocrats; and Nigeria in particular needs able and conscientious technocrats to counter the deadweight of entrenched mediocrity and incompetence in the corridors of power and the halls of governance in our country. But the great flaw in the worldview of the OkonjoIwealas of this country and this earth is the idea, the belief that to be a good technocrat you must be “realistic”, you must content yourself with the 4% that you can reduce, leaving the moralisers, the idealists, the romantics and the would-be messiahs to worry about the 96% that remains. This in effect means keeping quiet about and acting as if unconcerned with that lion’s share of 96% that the looters get away with.

In conclusion, we need to anchor these generalised reflections in the specific case of Okonjo-Iweala’s extremely unconscionable intervention in ASUU’s negotiations with the federal government over the ongoing strike. Here, once we see clearly that the Finance Minister is basing herself on the assumption that only 4% of what is looted, wasted and mismanaged is recoverable, then we can perceive the fact that her assertion that “the resources are not there” is completely bogus and untenable. For only by a very sophistical reasoning in which ASUU’s demands are reduced to the purely technocratic formulation of “recurrent expenditure” can Okonjo-Iweala assert that the resources are not there. In this case, the gap between sophistry and truth is bridged by the fact that her brand of technocracy is perfectly compatible with all the scams, all the looting going on in the administration of which is a major player in an alliance of technocrats with kleptocrats.

This alliance of Harvard and MIT - or Cambridge and LSE - educated technocrats with thieving, mediocre and unpatriotic politicians is, by the way, not unusual in the developing countries of the world. Since 1999 when our current failing experiment in democratic governance began, it has indeed been part of the justificatory myth of the ruling party at the center that notwithstanding all the unending crises we have gone through and are still going through, the “experts” have been recruited and will guide us to our destiny as one of the biggest economies in the world by the year 2020. This is of course a fantasy. To make it a probability, we need to adequately fund our universities and their teaching and research staff. How ironic then that the one member of the present administration that embodies this justificatory myth more than any of her colleagues should be the one to whom the task is delegated to say, quite untruthfully, that the “resources are not there” to resuscitate our universities!

Biodun Jeyifo bjeyifo@fas.harvard.edu

SNOOPING AROUND IS ON VACATION

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News

S

ENIOR Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, yesterday accused Governors Sule Lamido (Jigawa State), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) of plotting to block President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid in 2015.

He said the governors’ visits to some past leaders ostensibly to defuse the tension created by the crisis in Rivers State were nothing more than a smokescreen to shield their true intention.

Okupe spoke on the Kadunabased Liberty Radio.

Dismissing the governors’ peace initiative as a joke, he wondered why they failed to show the same zeal over the Boko Haram insurgency happening at their door steps.

He said while President Jonathan has not told anyone of his intention to seek re-election in 2015, the governors are already gripped by fear that he would contest.

According to him, “Jonathan has not told me and has not told anybody that he wants to run again. But all this heat that is in the country is because of the fear that he would run. But normally nobody should stop anybody from exercising the right that is guaranteed under the constitution.

“If Jonathan wants to contest and you are not happy about it, go to the poll and defeat him....Nigerians must wake up.

What is four years in the life of a country? Is it worth burning a country? Is it worth destroying our democracy?”

Okupe, who was apparently reacting to the statement made on the same radio a week ago by former FCT Minister, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, on the same programme, said: “you heard about five governors who said they were motivated to go round the whole country because of Rivers crisis. Is that not a national joke? It is like watching Africa Magic.

“What is the crisis in Rivers?

Who is Amaechi and what is the issue that the whole country is being disturbed because of something that happened at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).

“What is Nigeria Governors’ Forum to the destiny of this country? What has it got to do with us? The Rivers crisis is something that people just latch unto to fan the embers of this anti- Jonathan emotion and to continue to promote hatred against Goodluck Jonathan.

“And of course, Amaechi is

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18 , 2013

Presidency blasts Kwankwaso, Wamakko, Lamido, other govs From Tony Akowe, Kaduna

a willing tool, very rich and is very useful to the opposition.

What you are seeing is an overdramatisation of the preparations for 2015. Period.

“These governors that were so motivated, so passionately concerned about the ultimate destiny of Nigeria, were not motivated when the Boko Haram crises were raging in the north to go round the north and plead on how to solve the problem.

“They were not concerned enough for the thousands of people that were being bombed, killed in their mosques and churches in their domains, under their nose. I feel like crying, people are opening their doors to hypocrites.

“Let them leave the Rivers State police commissioner alone. I don’t know how people got my number. I have text messages from ordinary people who are not politicians, people whose families have suffered grave injustice in the hands of Amaechi in Rivers. I am telling you this, God Almighty is my witness, I will show you these text messages so that you can confirm it.

“Amaechi used the police and power to harass, intimidate and punish people unjustly.

Mbu has refused to be a tool in the hands of Amaechi and has refused to bend to his unjustified high handedness. However, because he is supported by the opposition, he now presents Mbu as a villain. It is not true. He is a professional; he is a man of dignity who has remained steadfast......

“People must find the truth.

The Holy book says you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Nigerians are becoming too gullible, they swallow anything hook, line and sinker. I am glad that Chief Obasanjo as an elder statesman is trying to mediate; he has mediated in many international conflicts and has recorded successes, but in his own country people cannot listen because the stakes are higher than Obasanjo’s intervention. People are looking for power in 2015.

“So am not surprised that there is no result. How will

Campaigners accuse Shell over weapons

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HELL lobbied the government to send millions of pounds of weapons to Nigeria that may have fallen into the hands of militants guilty of human rights abuses, a report has warned.

Oil theft in Nigeria cost Shell some £160million in its last set of quarterly results and the Anglo-Dutch firm has sought Government help to deal with the fragile security situation in the county.

But sending weapons to Nigerian security forces risks further destabilising a dangerous situation, said campaign group Platform.

The UK has spent close to £12million in military aid to Nigeria since 2001, according to a Freedom of Information request, including on machine guns and other weaponry.

SPDC, Shell’s joint venture with the Nigerian government, also provides

funding to the Joint Task Force, a military-police squad that helps protect its pipelines and rigs. And according to Platform, Shell lobbied the UK and US governments to increase military aid to Nigeria.

Minutes of a meeting between Shell’s Malcolm Brinded and the Foreign Office in 2006 state that Shell was ‘keen to see HMG [Her Majesty’s Government] looking for further opportunities to assist Nigeria with Niger Delta security and governance’.

The amount of military aid from the Government to Nigeria subsequently increased, helping offset Shell’s own costs in Nigeria.

But Platform warned that no measures were put in place to prevent arms falling into the hands of militant warlords and human rights abusers.

Source: The Mail of London

• Okupe alleges plot to unseat Jonathan • Labels Amaechi tyrant

these five governors be at a meeting and they will not rally round Obasanjo and solve the problem.

The elite in this country are only after their own interest.”

While admitting that there are lots of challenges facing the country, Okupe said “yes there are a lot of challenges in the country: there is high unemployment; there are insecurity issues. There is no doubt about that. But to say that nothing is being done about them is absolute nonsense. It is not true, it is not correct.

“It is just fiction. These are the people who, two years ago, told the whole country and the world that Goodluck Jonathan was clueless. If you say Jonathan is clueless, he is fixing the economy. Today our indices are the best in Africa. Today Nigeria is number one for foreign direct investment.

“The Nigerian railway system that has been abandoned for decades is coming up. Before, we were generating 2800 megawatts of electricity, today, we have

more than doubled that. Yet they said the man is clueless.

“There was insurgency that engulfed about 11 states of the federation, today it has been reduced to three states and yet the man is clueless. There was a time when bombing was a daily occurrence, people were dying in numbers. It was impossible to do anything in the northern part of the country. All that is gone.

For the first time in four years, a durbar was organised to celebrate Eidel Fitri in Borno State”.

Okupe denied that President Jonathan awarded ex-militant Tompolo a contract to police the pipelines, saying “I don’t know of any deal or contract between Tompolo as a person. I am not aware. Whether Tompolo is involved in a company that is operating security issues on the Nigerian waters is a different matter and I will not comment on something that is fallacious.

“I have heard so many things that Asari Dokubo, Tompolo and people who have contracts on oil pipelines, it is a fallacy. It was the late President Yar’Adua, as part of his good will for the Amnesty programme, who felt that it was better to use people who are local, people who know the terrain rather than outsiders to police those terrains. So he gave those guys those contracts.

“The contracts expired during the time of President Jonathan and up till today, those contracts were never renewed.”

•African refugees from Lampedusa taking part in a demonstration for the right of residence in Hamburg, northern Germany, yesterday.

AFP PHOTO

How Nigeria can move forward, by Ribadu

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ORMER Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday, said Nigeria needed strong institutions to move forward as a nation from its present decadence.

He also asked youths not to lose hope of rebuilding the country but said that they required a strong will and incorruptible life to salvage the nation.

Ribadu, who spoke at a “Mentor Me Forum” for youths organised by Group of Patriotic Corpers in Abuja, said he has no regrets for fighting fraudsters as the chairman of the EFCC. “What Nigeria needs to realise its potentials is, unfortunately, not a mere change of leadership. We don’t need anyone from outer space to come organise our polity,” he said.

“We need ourselves—our virtues and belief in a collective struggle for good governance.

What we need are functional institutions; we need institutions that pander to the principle of honesty and that socialise successions of citizens who will extol this principle.

“We need leaders for whom the sufferings of the masses are immediate concerns, not jokers that insult the yearnings and honest observations of the elec-

•Says no regrets over EFCC years From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

torate. We need institutions in which the lawmakers gather to discuss the plight of their constituents, not losing their sense of our realities in the luxuries of the state and federal capitals.

“We need a judiciary that exerts its independence and resist any prejudice in the discharge of justice. We need a civil service that does not ask for bribes to do that for which they receive salaries. We need institutions! We need functional institutions to restore the lost glories and trust that make a sane nation.”

He pointed out that the real problem of the country “is principally the collapse of our institutions. Our potentials are lost in our civic decadence, which stares at us in the face wherever we go: we see the decadence in

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the eyes of the policeman flipping through our particulars, we see the decadence in the eyes of the university registrar demanding for bribes to grant or facilitate admissions, we see the decadence in the eyes of every citizen who has lost hope in Nigeria.”

On his EFCC assignment, he said he has no regrets for fighting fraudsters to a standstill.

His words: “My appointment as Chairman of the EFCC, for instance, was a turbulent task in which I had to follow the statements of my previously written will to serve in a country where, for lack of functional institutions to check mismanagements of public funds and related criminal misconduct, trust in public institutions had become demolished and perpetrators went about wearing their crimes like

badges of honour.

“I was given an appointment to stand in the way of these celebrated fraudsters—without an office and funds to launch my operations. My success at the EFCC, especially in resisting all tempting offers and calls to bend the rules, was a direct result of my vow from when I was like you that I will never be corrupt.

I resented corruption not by lips of mouth but by personal conduct. I refused to be bribed or compromised throughout my public service career. Yet, I am ever happy with myself.

“I have no regrets that I don’t have mansions all over the world or own a private jet.”

The ex-EFCC chairman said although the decadence in the country is not the fault of Nigerian youths, they should develop a strong will to save the nation.

ICPC presents Law report

HE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is to present its maiden edition of ICPC Law Report

(ICPCLR) on Wednesday, August, 21.

It is to hold at its Headquarters in Abuja at 10am. A former Attorney-General of

the Federation and Minister of Justice Kanu Agabi (SAN) will review the Report while the Guest Lecturer is Dr. Biodun Layonu (SAN).

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

News

5

Seven Boko Haram suspects killed in Gombe

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HE Police in Gombe State on Friday shot dead seven suspected members of the Islamist sect,

Boko Haram, during a clash.

The clash lasted two hours, according to the Gombe Police spokesman

Fwaje Atajiri.

However, the claim could not be independently confirmed.

The clash came 24 hours after members of the sect swooped on Damboa, Borno State, killing 11 people.

The terrorists, according to a report, attacked soldiers, burned shops and killed residents.

A military source said: “More troops have been dispatched to the area to confront the insurgents.

They sneaked away towards the bush leading to parts of Yobe and Gombe states.”

Around 50 gunmen in cars and motorbikes

stormed the rural town, forcing hundreds of residents to flee to hide in nearby farms, locals said.

The insurgency was initially weakened in the weeks immediately following the declaration of a state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe in May, but remains active and there has been an uptick in violence in the past month.

Four Thais released after Rivers kidnap ordeal

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•Yoruba traditional rulers at the meeting on unity held at Premier Hotel, Ibadan at the weekend.

Continued from page 2

They summoned the leading fuel trading companies to the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Management to explain who was benefiting from the subsidy system and how. Then the credibility of the members of parliament nose-dived when it emerged that Committee Chairman Farouk Lawan had been caught in a sting operation, demanding bribes from billionaire fuel importer Femi Otedola.

Reform trio Although the fuel-subsidy crisis deeply undermined the government, some resolute optimists still put faith in the credentials of its reform trio: Coordinating Minister of the Economy Ngozi OkonjoIweala, Agriculture Minister Akinwumi Adesina and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Aminu Sanusi. Former colleagues at the World Bank (where many had backed her last year to become its president) say that Okonjo-Iweala has pushed through detailed technical reforms in public finance management which will make grand corruption and the diversion of state revenue much more difficult. She complains that these important changes have gone largely unrecognised by the local and international media.

Yet sceptics say that even the redoubtable OkonjoIweala has made little progress in securing greater accountability over the oil revenue managed by the Department of Petroleum Resources under the aegis of the Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, a key ally of Jonathan. Although Adesina is widely praised for boosting farm productivity, crop storage and transport, in addition to rationalising seed and fertiliser distribution, there are periodic reports that he will be reshuffled. Adesina and his colleagues see the rapid development of agriculture as the next main economic

Inside the presidential fight focus; in terms of Nigeria’s market share, it could outpace oil and gas. There is, too, a wave of new interest in farming from investors, whom Adesina has wooed assiduously on the conference circuit.

The term of the much feted CBN Governor Sanusi ends next year and he has made it clear he will not seek a second one. Sanusi is best known for his bold reform of the financial sector and pioneering financial support for agricultural development schemes, his departure could significantly weaken the reformists.

Powerful merger The biggest development shaking the political system is the merger of four opposition parties into the APC. In the past four elections, opposition parties joined only ad hoc alliances that had often unravelled by election day. The APC, however, is a credible merger into a single party, formed from the south-west’s Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); the small northern-based All Nigeria People’s Party; the leading party in the south-east, the All Progressives’ Grand Alliance; and Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change.

The APC controls 13 governorships and could seriously challenge the PDP across the country.

The key architects of the APC have been Buhari and the ACN leader, former Lagos Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He has rebuilt the old Yoruba political machine after it was reduced to holding only one state in 2003. By 2011, the ACN controlled nearly the entire south-west and one Niger Delta state.

Tinubu and Buhari tried to form an alliance in 2011 but the arrangement collapsed over their inability to agree on who would occupy the top of the ticket. This year, however, the two reached a com-

promise that forms the foundation of the APC. The exact terms of the agreement have not been made public but one aspect is clear: Tinubu has agreed that the presidential candidate will be a northerner and that he will not be the vice-presidential choice.

Less clear, however, is Buhari’s future in the APC. He lacks a strong political organisation but he is tremendously popular on the streets of the north – and among some southerners – for his anti-corruption credentials. Buhari is without doubt one of the most popular politicians but big questions arise about his role in an opposition organisation.

Under the terms of the APC merger, Buhari appeared to have agreed to stand down in 2015, leaving himself and Tinubu as kingmakers. Now, Buhari says he plans to run again. He might again withdraw. At the same time, members of the Tinubu camp say that they could work with Buhari as their candidate if they could play the leading role in developing the new opposition coalition. In any event, they may have to.

Buhari has name recognition and grassroots popularity but he has no viable political organisation, even in the north.

The APC’s prospects for 2015 also depend upon whether or not a significant number of the northern PDP governors can be convinced to cross the floor. The current tally suggests that six to nine PDP governors, most but not all in the north, are considering decamping to the APC. Sokoto imbroglio The Jonathan-controlled PDP leadership has suspended the party’s governor in Sokoto and is threatening others (the governor’s suspension has since been lifted). Open warfare has broken out between Jonathan’s camp and Rotimi

Chibuike Amaechi, the PDP Governor of Rivers State, over control of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. Amaechi has faced down Jonathan’s efforts to oust him as Chairman and has won strong backing from all the opposition governors and several from Jonathan’s party. An articulate and lively advocate of political change, Amaechi is due to address London’s Royal Institute of International Affairs this month.

By contrast, Buhari cuts a more sombre figure. He also frightens most of the political establishment, particularly those involved in corruption.

Previously, he has talked of the need to gaol many from the political class as a way of cleansing the system.

Uncharacteristically, he has made quiet overtures in recent months, suggesting that he might be willing to overlook past corruption if it stops when he takes office. Indeed, Buhari’s alliance with Tinubu and his patronage machine suggests that he is open to more pragmatic tactics. Many leaders – even retired military officers such as Ibrahim Babangida and Aliyu Mohammed Gusau – who have crossed Buhari, worry that they would still remain targets.A mass exodus to the APC is unlikely right away, perhaps not until mid-2014. The northern governors will continue to undermine Jonathan within the PDP at first, working with former President Obasanjo and other disaffected members to win control of its machinery.

The third way Their chances of success are slight, given the massive resource advantage of the presidency and their fears of an APC led by Buhari. The northern PDP governors are now discussing a ‘third way’ option of forming their own party. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and other senior politicians have entertained

OUR Thais held in an apparent ransom kidnapping in Rivers State have been freed unharmed, a spokesman for the kingdom’s foreign ministry in Bangkok said yesterday.

A gang of armed kidnappers seized the four Thais and two Nigerians on a waterway while they were on their way to work at a state-owned fish farm in the state a week ago.

“All of them are released,” ministry spokesman Manasvi Srisodapol said of the Thai nationals.

“The Thai Foreign Minister has talked with one of

them. They are fine and will continue to work in Nigeria,” he added, without confirming whether a ransom was paid or the exact time of their release.

One of Thai hostages spoke to Thai television yesterday and said he believed the kidnap was linked to rivalry between competing fish farms.

“They took us as hostages and used us as a bargaining chip,” Somchoke Panpinij told Thailand’s Channel 7. “We will not return to Thailand yet... I came here to help them to develop their country.”

similar notions. Such developments would be a major blow to the PDP but would also present the APC with some difficult choices. For now, it looks the least likely route for the northern governors, if only because it would require a solidarity among them that they have yet to demonstrate.

The APC’s fortunes depend above all on its presidential candidate. Although Buhari dominates discussion at the moment, other strong candidates are quietly testing the waters, some of whom have reformist credentials. If the APC can produce a presidential flagbearer who is sufficiently credible to attract both elite and wider electoral attention, as well as encapsulating the frustrations of the north, the party could gain a good number of PDP governors and supporters as well as tap into the vast well of public exhaustion with corrupt PDP rule.

If the APC is able to construct a sufficiently national organisation to challenge the PDP in most of the 36 states, two additional factors will work in the opposition’s favour. Firstly, the large coalition of civil society groups that came together under Occupy Nigeria remains fairly organised and could throw its weight behind the opposition. That would help election monitoring and street protests if the 2015 elections are close. Trades union leaders, however, have long relationships with the PDP that will make their role uncertain.

Secondly, the Independent National Electoral Commission is headed by a reformer, Professor Attahiru Jega, who has been battling to break the grip of the politicians on the election system. Unfortunately, the INEC is structured so that that he does not control its state or local offices, so that the local political machines were able to alter many results in 2011 after the results left the polling stations and before they

reached the federal level.

Jega is considering several ways to get the actual polling station results directly to the INEC leadership and to the public, but he faces strong resistance from political networks.

Recipe for an APC win APC leaders express private doubts about whether Jega is really independent.

Nevertheless, his efforts at INEC, combined with civil society support, could provide the required ingredients for an APC victory if the party gains backing from the northern governors to give it the national organisation it needs.

Yet the hurdles are high.

First and foremost stands the remarkable ability of the PDP to reinstall a modicum of party discipline, typically fuelled by the deep pockets of the presidency. Jonathan still has time to reach out to northern leaders and negotiate a new deal with enough governors, although that could be difficult. PDP organisers could take advantage of the heavy military presence in the north-east to interfere with election outcomes there.

All this focussing on the presidential election, however, obscures other issues for the APC and its countrywide reach. The opposition now has enough organisations in many of the states to contemplate a more comprehensive strategy. If it does not employ all its energy on winning the presidency, the APC could prepare a Plan B in case Jonathan outmanoeuvres it in 2015. It might add more state governorships and reach 18 or 19 states. That would give it a powerful base from which to take the presidency in 2019.

Such advance planning would be untypical of senior politicians but if they can stitch together a viable opposition, they will need a far more strategic approach from now on.

Culled from Africa Confidential

6

News

Mother pleads for release of 19-yearold daughter From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

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RS. Nike Folarin, mother of a missing 19- year- old girl, Tope, has appealed to whoever is in custody of her daughter to kindly release her.

She said the daughter disappeared after boarding Keke NAPEP on her way to their residence on Atiken Road, Sabon Gari, Kano last Wednesday.

Folarin explained that she sent her daughter on an errand to the popular Yankura Market before her sudden disappearance.

She disclosed that Tope is a member of First Baptist Church on France Road, Kano, adding that she speaks English, Yoruba and Hausa languages fluently.

The missing girl, she wailed, lost her father at a tender age and had just concluded her secondary school education.

Tope reportedly made a phone call from her abductors’ den last Thursday, explaining the NAPEP owner took pity on her.

Though the man promised to release her the following day, Tope was yet to be seen as at yesterday.

Folarin pleaded with her abductors to release Tope, stating the family is struggling and not rich at all to pay any ransom.

Those who know Tope’s whereabouts can reach Reverend Ebenezer Osadeyi of Baptist Church, Sabon Gari on 08036854055.

FG seeks increased cocoa production

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HE Federal Government will soon install state-of-the-art machines and equipment at its laboratory Produce Inspection Service to carry out residual analysis on cocoa products designated for export in all warehouses and seaports across the nation. It also directed governors of cocoaproducing states to set up State Cocoa Development Committees saddled with the responsibility of increasing production and ensuring high quality of cocoa.The Minister

From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, stated these at a farmers’ sensitisation workshop on mitigation of harmful effects of pesticide residues in Cocoa in Akure, capital of Ondo State, at the weekend. He said these efforts would enable Nigeria’s cocoa comply with the prescribed international regulations on pesticide residues.

He added that government would collaborate with

National Project Steering Committee of the SPS Cocoa Africa Project in the training of Laboratory Personnel that would be capable of conducting pesticide residue analysis of cocoa and other food products.

Aganga, who was represented by Mr. Napoleon Abalaka, noted that the overuse of pesticides on cocoa by majority of farmers had led to rejection of the product in the international market.

He said: “As a major producer of cocoa, our primary

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013 goal is to secure a sustainable market for our cocoa and cocoa products and we cannot achieve this if we ignore the growing international concern for food safety and the treats of pesticides and contaminants to human health.”

Aganga assured that his ministry will collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to monitor pesticides and other agro-chemicals smuggled across borders.

The President, Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN), Mr. Sayina Riman, noted people all over the world have health concerns over the foods they consume.

“The world has come with the minimum standard within the section of what they will allow for Cocoa and this is called Minimum Residues Limit (MRL),” he stated.

Mark, Saraki condole Lamido, Suswam From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

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RESIDENT of the Senate, David Mark, yesterday commiserated with the government of Jigawa State over the death of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, Alhaji Inuwa Ringim.

Ringim died in an accident along the Kano - Ringim road.

Mark also sent a message of condolence to the government and people of Benue State over the untimely death of the Special Adviser to Governor Gabriel Suswam on Security Matters, Patrick Gwar in Makurdi.

In separate messages to Lamido and Suswam, Mark lamented that both Ringim and Gwar died in their prime when their “services were most needed by their families, their states and the nation at large.”

He specifically regretted that Ringim departed with his rich and deep legislative experience needed to build a strong legislature and strengthen our democracy.

Mark urged the government of Benue State to take hearts over the demise of the Special Adviser to Governor Suswam on Security Matters, Patrick Gwar.

He noted that the security expert left a positive footprint on the sand of time.

He noted the expertise of late Gwar on security issues during his tenure.

Senator Bukola Saraki (Kwara Central) also said he was sad over the death of Ringim.

“No doubt, his death is a capital loss, not only to the people of Jigawa State alone but to Nigeria as a whole.

“I heartily pray that Almighty Allah grant the state and his family the strength to bear the loss,” he stated.

•L-R: Toyosi Onaolapo of Coalition Against Tobacco; Akinbode Oluwafemi, Director Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN); Auwal Rafsanjani of CISLAC; Hilda Ochefu of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Gbenga Adejuwon of the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance at a media dialogue on the National Tobacco Control bill in Lagos… at the weekend.

Kano blast: Three kids buried in Anambra

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HE remains of three kids from the same parent brutally killed at the July 29 multiple bomb blast, which rocked the Sabon Gari area in Kano have been laid to rest.

They were buried in their home town, Uga in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State at the weekend.

Chinemerem (14), Chiamaka (12) and Nmesomachukwu (10) died

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

in the blast at Sabon Gari predominantly occupied by the non-indigenous community with an estimated population of three million.

Sources close to the bereaved family stated that their father, Nnamadi Ezebuala, a Kano-based businessman, is still lying critically ill at the Mallam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) following inju-

ries sustained in the blast.

No fewer than 20 persons died in the terrorists’ attack believed to have been carried out by the radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram while other sustained severe injuries.

It was gathered the victims were attending service at the Salvation Church when the terrorists struck.

Chinemerem and two of his younger sisters were in Kano to spend the holiday with

their Kano-based parents.

Family sources stated that the corpses were conveyed to their home town for burial by a delegation of the Uga Improvement Union in Kano.

The corpses were retrieved from the Mallam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital mortuary.

Two members of the delegation, Samuel Ezeamaka and Bassey Ezeugo, said doctors are battling to save the life of Ezebuala.

tions in the oil and gas sector: challenges and stakeholders expectations at Abuja, he noted that most of the sources used in these practices are itinerant, causing higher oversight challenges for regulators.

the NNRA has an uphill task for the safe application of sources given the increased demand for its services and oversight.

This, he explained, is because the agency’s primary interest is to ensure safety, radiation protection of personnel, public and environment.

He added that NNRA interest is also in the security of radioactive sources and facilities where they are used as well as the cost of oversight activities.

He called for good synergy among stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of programmes for physical security, radiation protection and emergency response.

NNRA’s Acting Director General, Dr. Martins Ogharandukun, explained that though Nigeria has not recorded any calamity resulting from misuse of radioactivity, the meeting was to avoid such disaster.

‘Oil sector uses 80% of imported radioactive sources’ meeting on regulating applicaVER 80% of all imEgbogah also stated that

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ported radioactive sources are used in the oil and gas sector, the former alternate chairman, Nigeria Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), Dr. Emmanuel Egbogah, stated yesterday.

From John Ofikhenua and Chioma Onyia, Abuja

According to him, the radioactive sources are used for industrial radiography, nuclear gauging and radiotracing.

Speaking at the technical

Jonathan has vision for Nigeria, says Morro

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HE Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Morro, has said that President Goodluck Jonathan has vision for Nigeria.

He advised those aspiring to his office to tell Nigerians what they would do rather than instead of criticising the President.

Speaking to reporters at his Ugbokolo country home in Okpukwu local government area, Morro noted with concern the vicious criticisms aimed at Jonathan by aspirants.

He said past office holders, and not Jonathan, were responsible for the total collapse of public institutions like Railway, Nigeria Airways and re-

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

fineries.

According to him: “We found ourselves in this rot because those who were at the saddle of leadership failed to do what they were supposed to do and President Goodluck Jonathan inherited his, the situation and is doing the best.”

The minister appealed to past leaders to borrow a leave from America and Britain where no past office holder openly criticise a sitting President.

He added: “Have you seen any of them criticise their predecessors in office like what some past leaders are doing

now in the country?”

Morro distanced himself from reports linking him to the 2015 governorship race in Benue.

He maintained that Jonathan has entrusted him with internal security, adding that it will be foolhardy of him to be talking about the race while serving as a minister.

According to the minister: “I am not interested in the 2015 governorship race in Benue, which is two years away.

“I have a huge task of supporting Mr. President who has a vision for Nigeria. I cannot be talking of 2015 and be a Minister again so count me out.”

Build strong economic ties, RMAFC tells North-East

By Nduka Chiejina (Assistant Editor)

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HE Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has challenged states in the North-East region to build strong economic ties through collaborations.

Its chairman, Engr. Elias Mbam, made the call while speaking with reporters at the weekend ahead of the Zonal Advocacy Workshop from 1920 August in Gombe with the theme “Economic diversification for sustainable development”.

He tasked the states to explore areas of comparative advantage and develop infrastructure while enhancing security to boost economic activities.

According to Mbam: “The governments in the zone should strengthen all necessary legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks to provide the enabling environment to attract local investors and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) that would boost the non-oil sectors”.

He also advised critical stakeholders in the region to shift attention to the real sectors, especially agriculture, solid minerals, manufacturing and tourism that have greatly declined over the years.

These, he said, “are capable of generating substantial revenue earnings to reduce the deficit budgeting and financial challenges being faced by all tiers of government.”

He noted that states in the region “have high potentials in agriculture, solid minerals, tourism and industrial development waiting to be harnessed.

“We must diversify the productive base of the economy to ensure sustainable means of funding our national development and reduce the over-dependence on revenue from oil and gas”.

Tears as foundation doles out over N30m Zakat

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

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HE first set of beneficiaries of Zakat proceeds were yesterday moved to tears as they received cheques and other materials worth N5.2 million for accommodation, empowerment and medical aid.

The second set, mainly for medical assistance, would receive the remaining N25.7 million in few weeks.

Over 46 beneficiaries, including two Christians, received the assistance courtesy of Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation (ZSF), a faith-based charity organisation.

The presentation took place at the corporate Head Office of the organisation in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Onikan.

While many battled to control their emotions, it was not so for Mrs Risikatu Lasisi and a Christian, Mrs. Toyin Oluwatosin, as they received deep freezer, generator, stabilizer and cheque respectively.

The traders betrayed their emotions and thanked the foundation for giving them new lease of life.

ZSF Executive Director, Imam Abdullahi Shuaib, told reporters that the foundation was inundated with distress calls and requests.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

We've been vindicated on Daniel, says Ogun PDP

By Kunle Akinrinade

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HE Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it has been vindicated with the appointment of the former state governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, as the "life patron" of the Labour Party (LP) in the state.

The party said the confirmation of Daniel's membership of the LP by the State Chairman, Olabode Simeon and its Secretary, Sunday Oginni, has "put paid to all the denials, intrigues and subterfuge of the OGD Group. " In a statement by the state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Waliu Oladipupo, the party said, "With Daniel's exit from our great party, a big political albatross and liability has been taken off the PDP. Now, our people can now take our word for it that we are building a new PDP in Ogun State; a PDP that is devoid of violence, brigandage, bloodbath and other ignoble acts."

The party appealed to its national leadership to withdraw all the goodwill and patronage that had hitherto accrued to Daniel courtesy of the PDP-led Federal Government, adding that it was aware that some slots were given to him as a result of the dummy the former governor allegedly sold to the top hierarchy of the PDP that he was still a member of the party.

It urged the leaders of the party such as President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, to wade into the matter.

It described Daniel as "an inconsistent politician who is always looking for a platform to feather his own nest. “

‘Registration of APC will redefine politics’

By Oziegbe Okoeki

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MEMBER of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mrs. Omowunmi Olatunji-Edet, has said that the registration of All Progressives Congress (APC) will redefine the politics of the country.

She stated this while delivering a speech to mark her 40th birthday at the Town Hall in LSDPC Estate, Iyana Isolo.

As part of the activities to mark her birthday, the lawmaker donated a borehole to the SOS Village at Isolo and other items to 180 people in her constituency.

Items donated included 80 refrigerators, 60 generating sets, sewing machines, pop corn making machines, deep freezers amongst others.

Speaking on the donation, Edet said, "I am somebody that wants to do things for the people that cannot pay me back or people that cannot give me anything in return.

News

Aregbesola, Tinubu, Oritsejafor, pay last respect to Obadare

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T was a moment of celebration as thousands of Christian faithful gathered at the burial ceremony of foremost Evangelist, Pastor Timothy Obadare, at The New World Soul Winning Evangelistic Ministry (WOSEM) International Conference Ground in Ilesa, Osun State.

Obadare, who is the General Evangelist of Christ Apostolic Church, Worldwide and Director of WOSEM died on Thursday, 21st March, 2013 in the United States of America after a brief illness.

The burial ceremony started at 10am with an opening prayer by Pastor J. Komolafe.

Souvenirs such as cloths,

From Soji Adeniyi and Adeola Ogunlade, Osogbo

handkerchiefs, calendars, books, jotters of the Obadare were available as thousands of people from far and near thronged the venue to pay their last respect to the late evangelist.

The deceased's body was led to rest at 2.09pm Speaking at the event, Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola said Obadare lived a good life, a virtue he noted should be emulated by everyone.

Aregbesola added that the life of the prophet is that of dedication, selfless service, which he said are very germane for national transformation.

He said, "Prophet Obadare

has shown to us that there is nothing that can draw you back from the fulfillment of your life's dreams and aspiration whether in ministry, or hand work because with preparation and selfless service, you will always get there."

The governor further noted that the burial ground will remain a tourist attraction and economic centre for the state.

In his speech, the National President of Christian Association Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor also extolled the virtues of the Obadare, describing the deceased as a man of integrity who knew his God and was ready to defend the course of Christ on earth.

Orisejafor said, "We are not here to mourn, but to celebrate a man of God who had turned the nation around for Christ".

On her part, Senator Remi Tinubu said, "I am sad, but in a way also happy as Prophet Obadare touched many lives in spite of his physical disability, which is a lesson for every one of us that whatsoever we do must add value to our nation."

Men of the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDS) and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) were on ground to ensure a hitch-free event, with thousands of people present to catch a glimpse of the late evangelist.

•Sympathisers struggling to touch the casket bearing the remains of the founder of the Soul Winning Evangelistic Ministry(WOSEM), Prophet Timothy Obadare, shortly before his interment yesterday in Osun State.

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O fewer than six persons including four women were killed yesterday with 21 others critically injured following multiple accidents at Osuponri stretch along the Abeokuta-Lagos expressway.

Among the three vehicles involved in the crash is Iveco Turboster truck with registration number (LAGOS) GGE 200 XC. The Itori Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr. Fatai Bakare, identified a Mazda pick-up van with registration number XA 626 AAW and a blue coloured Nissan pick-up van marked (LAGOS) XZ 19 EKY as two other vehicles involved in the crash.

Six killed, 21 injured in Ogun road crash From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

According to Bakare, 27 persons who included 20 males and seven females were

involved in the crash which was allegedly caused by loss of control on the part of one of the drivers of the vehicles.

He added that the remains

DMO meeting FG's borrowing needs-DG

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HE Debt Management Office (DMO) has disclosed that the domestic debt market attracted $5.112billion from foreign investors' holdings in Federal Government securities at the end of December 2012 compared to $500million as at end of January of same year.

By Bukola Afolabi This was made known by the Director General of the DMO, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, at a retreat for members of Financial Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) held in Lagos, weekend, titled: "Opportunities for the Private

"Stop merging Ugbo with Mahin over Oil issues"

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HE proposed plan to merge Mahin with Ugbo community in Ilaje local government area of Ondo State over oil related issues is causing tension in the state.

Already, the Mahin Traditional Council of Chiefs (MKTECC) at the weekend rejected the proposed merger.

Its youths numbering over one thousand also protested in Akure, the state capital against the plan.

The traditional council insisted that the state government and

of the deceased have been deposited at the morgue of the General Hospital in Ifo, while the injured were taken to the same hospital for treatment.

From Ojo Damisi, Akure

multinational oil company, Chevron, should relate with the Joint Oil Mineral Umbrella Bodies Executive Committee (JOMUBEC) on behalf of Mahin kingdom on oil issues.

A letter sent to the state governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko and signed by the Yasere of Mahin Kingdom, who is the Prime Minister and Chairman of Council of Chiefs, High Chief Ola Balogun and the Secretary, Chief Atari Omosuyi, urged the state government to direct Chevron

to issue an official letter of recognition to Mahin Kingdom as host of Opollo field in OML 95 without further delay.

It reads, "We are also reminding the governor of our demands during your electioneering campaign tour to Ode Mahin that our sons and daughters should be appointed as Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) commissioner or chairman of Ondo State Oil producing Development Commission (OSOPADEC)."

Sector from Public Debt Management Achievements."

According to him, the domestic debt market moves have yielded to increase in the relative share of foreign investors' holding in government securities.

He added that while foreign investors accounted for near zero percent in Q1 of 2011, their share had increased to 19.52 per cent as at the end of 2012.

He stated that with the historic Paris and London Club exit, the DMO has continued to explore the domestic debt management strategy to raise finance in meeting government's borrowing needs at prudent degree of risks.

He re-affirmed that the Federal Government was not crowding out the private sector, as the DMO would continue to create more borrowing space for other domestic borrowers to access funds in the local market.

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NUJ mourns veteran journalist, Sowemimo From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

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HE Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Council, has commiserated with the family of Chief Soniran Oluwole Sowemimo, a veteran journalist who died last Friday at the age of 71.

In a statement by the state Chairman, Mr. Wole Shokunbi, NUJ said the "demise of Chief Sowemimo fondly called SOS by professional colleagues and admirers came as a shock, because we had looked forward to August 19 to join the journalism icon in yet another memorable birthday celebration. But who can query the work of almighty God? "We, however, take solace in the fact that Sowemimo lived a fruitful life and bequeathed a worthy legacy to the younger generations. A veteran journalist, prolific teacher, consummate administrator and notable socialite, the late Sowemimo served as Chief Press Secretary to five former governors of Ogun State between 1982 and 1989. He was also a three-time commissioner in the state under different administrations.

"Our SOS was also a renowned unionist; he served as the state NUJ Chairman between 1979 and 1981 and was the Chairman, League of Veteran Journalists, Ogun State Chapter from 1995 till his death.”

Nigeria in dire need of functional education-ExAmbassador From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo

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ORMER Nigeria's Ambassador to Gambia, Dr. Moses Oyedele Ogunlola, has said Nigeria is in dire need of well educated people, who can use their intellect to develop themselves and the society.

The former diplomat, who stated this at an enlightenment forum in Oyo town, however, expressed worry that the current educational system is not skewed to achieve this objective.

He noted, "Unfortunately, the nation's educational system is so fatally flawed that the educated ones show little or no appreciation to the society, even though the opportunity of having that education has been provided by both their parents and the society at large.

"Rather, the system has concentrated too much on what the individual can get out of education, instead of emphasising the utility value of education in developing the society."

While commending Governor Abiola Ajimobi for bringing to bear his intellect and experience in his administration of the state, Ogunlola urged political office holders to come up with a vision that will propel the country into a new era that will integrate her into the global system.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

News

Obi seeks sustained partnership with EU

Southeast wants reparation on Civil War

From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Onitsha

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•Sets up committee on crusade

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HE Southeast is crusading for the payment of reparation and royalties to the zone on account of sufferings by the Igbo during the Civil War. The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisationOhanaeze Ndigbo-yesterday set the machinery in motion to realise the objective.

Heading the committee is First Republic Minister, Chief Mbazulike Amechi.

The Ohanaeze also set up 20 other committees on various issues requiring its attention.

These include those on Planning and Strategy headed by Admiral Allison Madueke (rtd); Outreach headed by Senator Hope Uzodimma; and Finance headed by Chief Alex Oti, Managing Director of Diamond Bank.

Meanwhile, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo yesterday issued a stern warning to its affiliates to desist from making statements on behalf of the organisation without clearance.

At the meeting chaired by the President General, Chief Gair Igariwey, members decried the unwholesome attitude of state branches, especially branches in Kano and Lagos states, fond of issuing press statements on behalf of the parent group.

The group also called for payment of compensation to the families of the Kano bomb victims, most of who were of Igbo extraction.

44 public officers, others bag productivity awards From Chris Oji, Enugu

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HE Enugu State Government has honoured 44 public officers and two private firms in the state with the productivity merit awards in recognition of their outstanding performances in the state.

The awards were presented to Wilson Nigeria Limited, Demacco Optimum Service Limited and the 44 public officers during this year’s National Productivity Day celebration 2013 held at the Michael Okpara Square Enugu.

Governor Sullivan Chime noted that the cardinal objectives of the celebration was to inculcate the ethics of hard work, discipline and selflessness among workers in the country and also ensure a high level of effectiveness and efficiency in the implementation of private and public policies and programmes.

The governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Amechi Okolo, said the event also reflected government’s efforts and commitments towards attaining and entrenching the culture of efficiency and transparency in the state.

•From left: President General, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Gari Igariwey, Chairman South-East Traditional Rulers Council, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya and Enugu State Chairman of Ohaneze, Chief O.A.U Onyema during Ohaneze Ndigbo Ime Obi forum yesterday. PHOTO: OBI CLETUS

Anambra: INEC to prosecute 72 voters for multiple registrations

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HEAD of the Anambra gubernatorial election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that it will prosecute 72 out of 93, 000 electoral fraudsters apprehended.

Making this known yesterday was the State Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Prof Chukwuemeka Eze Onukaogu who disclosed that the fraudsters used different dress codes to do multiple registrations during the voters’ card registration in 2011.

The INEC boss who said commission has since commenced revalidation of voters register for those who were not up to 18 years in 2011, warned against multiple registrations.

“What happened was that people were registering with different dresses and when the data was consolidated we discovered those with multiple registration and by Wednesday we are going to arrest and prosecute the first batch of 72 people out of 93,000 multiple registrations we had. We are gradually going to get all of them and arrest them to deter others.

There were so many anomalies in the past but it won’t

•To conduct fresh voters’ registration From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Onitsha

happen again this time. I have already submitted their names to the police commissioner and by Wednesday we will start arresting them,” he declared.

Onukaogu also announced that the commission will start a fresh registration process for 53 polling units in Awka South having delineated 34 centres across the entire state.

He further appealed to those whose names were in the voters’ register already not to come for fresh registration even as he craved the cooperation of those with useful information about names of dead people on the register to come so that such names could be wiped off the register.

“But if not registered at all come to us we will capture you at ward level because this exercise is not for those who have registered before. Then if your card is lost, kindly go to court and swear an affidavit that will state what happened and how it happened as well as where you regis-

tered, before going to the police for an extract. Then go to your Electoral Officer in your area where you registered and submit a letter of application for a duplicate copy of your voter’s card which will be forwarded to me for an approval

of a duplicate. I have to warn that it is no longer business as usual because our machines are very sensitive and it would indicate any manipulation. No politician will manipulate the system now as they did in 2011", he stressed.

’Make your votes count’

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ROM the Campaign for Democracy (CD) Anambra State Chapter, has come a clarion call to the electorate: “For your votes to count, you have to actively participate in the voter’s revalidation exercise as well as your polling units which is already in progress by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”

The Chairman of CD in the state, Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme gave this charge at a lecture delivered in Onitsha.

Tagged: ‘Godfatherism: The Bane of Nigerian Politics’, the lecture drew participants from the civil society, academia and others.

Ezekwueme who recalled that Anambra State was once under the vice grip of godfathers who led the state astray,

warned that “godfatherism makes the electorate irrelevant as puppets are imposed on the people as their leader.

This time our people should vote the candidate of their choice and also be close to the poll booths and collation centres to protect and defend their votes. The people’s mandate had been restored in most states in the South-West. The same feat had been achieved in Anambra and Edo states previously, and recently in Imo State.”

Anambra electorate, he warned, should follow their conscience in the November 16th governorship election and not be deceived by moneybag politicians out to jeopardise their future.

mittee set up to pursue amnesty for the sect members should be disbanded as such approach is tantamount to encouraging the terrorists to continue to unleash mayhem on innocent and defenceless Nigerians,” the group

stressed.

The group insisted that Ndigbo will produce the next President of Nigeria in 2015, and expressed its resolve to support a political party that will present an Igbo candidate for the presidential polls.

From Chris Oji Enugu

ror are that at the date of the judgment, the appellants have not stated their defence. That the court foreclosed them in their defence when they had a motion for stay of proceedings of that court pending in the Court of Appeal.”

The judge ruled that the evidence relied on by the learned counsel for the respondent taken together in the circumstance of the appeal could not prove a conspiracy against the appellants and could not justify the conviction of the appellants.

From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Onitsha

Group tasks Jonathan on 2nd Niger Bridge

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ORLD Ndigbo Youth Movement (WNYM), a pan Igbo organisation, yesterday rose from a twoday summit in Enugu with a call on President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure the fulfilment of his promise on the completion of the 2nd Niger Bridge in Onitsha, Anambra State.

While describing the bridge as a gateway to the East, the movement wondered why the Federal Government would want to isolate the 2nd Niger Bridge for its experiment on public private partnership (PPP), instead of the outright award of the project as it has done in other parts of the country.

In an eight-point communiqué signed by the leadership of the group, including the National President, Ndubuisi Igwekani and Secretary General, Sunday Ibeatu,

From Chris Oji, Enugu

the youths body also urged the Federal government to immediately end the excesses of Boko Haram.

“We support the position taken by the CAN President, Ayo Oritsejefor, that the com-

Land dispute: Court acquits pastor

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N Enugu High Court has quashed the judgment of an Enugu Magistrate Court that convicted the General Superintendent of the Christian Victory Prayer Ministry, Enugu, Pastor Dan Obinegbo, over a land dispute.

Pastor Obinegbo has been in a land feud with Chief J.C Ugwu , Chief Mark Ngene and Nicodemus Ogbodo, all of Umu-Ugwu Aku, Awkunanw, Enugu, in the past eight years.

Justice Frederick Chukwumemeka Obieze de-

livering judgement in the appeal filed by the clergy said the lower court erred in law when it convicted the appellants on an incompetent charge and for which he had no jurisdiction.

Justice Obieze said that the magistrate erred in law when he convicted the appellants (1st and 4th accused persons) without the court hearing their defence and thereby deprived them of fair-hearing.

“Those particulars of er-

NAMBRA State governor, Peter Obi, has stressed the need for the future administration in the state to sustain the existing partnership with the European Union and other development partners.

Obi spoke during a cultural night organised in honour of the outgoing EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr David MacRae, at the Governor’s Lodge, at the weekend.

Governor Obi noted that the partnership had enabled the state to fill budgetary gaps overtime; he therefore reiterated the need for incoming administration to ensure prompt payment of counterpart contributions, prudent and transparent management of resources to achieve the set goals.

The EU Ambassador, who lauded the governor for laying a solid legacy of good governance through successful implementation of the multi-sectorial programmes, observed that Anambra today stands out among the six focal states benefiting from the EU programmes and expressed the hope that the governor’s successor would maintain the partnership.

Speaking, the Commissioner for Public Utilities, Water Resources and Community Development, Mr. Emeka Nwankwu, said the Obi administration had, among other things, provided over 400 boreholes in secondary schools and health centres and rehabilitated 29 of 73 collapsed water schemes across the state.

The State Authorising Officer for EU Programmes and Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Prof.

Chinyere Okunna, said the state’s collaboration with EU has brought tremendous gains to the state.

Abia SURE-P empowers 3,500 youths, others From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia and Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

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BIA State Chairman/ Coordinator of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), Sir. David Nwokocha, said the scheme has created a total of 3,500 job opportunities for the youths, women and the indigent in the society in the 17 council areas of the state.

Nwokocha spoke in Umuahia when he led the top management of the scheme to pay a courtesy call on Governor Theodore Orji, in Umuahia, the state capital.

Responding, Governor Orji described the SURE-P as a project initiated by the Federal Government to intervene in all states to reduce unemployment and is yielding results in the state, assuring that the state chapter will be provided with the basic necessity in order for them to succeed.

Meanwhile, SURE-P has inaugurated committees that would provide primary health care facilities to enable sufficient and qualitative service delivery in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

The Facilitator, SURE-P Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Conditional Cash Transfer, Southeast, Dr. Isa Jida, who disclosed this during the inauguration of the committee in Abakaliki, said it was aimed at placing Nigeria on track to achieve the 4th and 5th MDGs as well as contribute to the save a million lives.

NEWS REVIEW

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

Furore over Ibadan flyover

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YO State governor, Abiola Ajimobi, is consistently scoring points through the several developmental projects he has been executing since he came to the saddle in 2011. But one of his predecessors, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, who is the opposition leader in the state, would not let him be. The butt of the former governor's criticism is the Mokola flyover which he disparaged, accusing Ajimobi of inflating its cost.

The Mokola Roundabout is a popular spot at the centre of the bustling city, linking Queen Elizabeth Road with Adamasingba and Dugbe, the city's central business district. It also links University of Ibadan Road, Sabo, Oniyanrin and Queen Elizabeth Road on which the sprawling University College Hospital (UCH) is located. Until now, it was a spot dreaded by motorists due to consistent traffic gridlock. Most motorists would rather take other routes to get to Dugbe on one side and other parts of Ibadan on another side. It is so centrally located that it cannot be ignored by any governor that wants to transform the economy of the city.

The criticism and the defence But when Ajimobi took the bull by the horns by flagging off the construction of the bridge, it was an innovation coming right on the one hand, particularly to the ordinary people who want to enjoy public utilities and see the hands of government made visible in important ways but a white elephant project on another, to people who thought the governor had bitten more than he could chew due to the inability of his predecessors to accomplish such.

The flyover is the first constructed by any civilian governor since the state was created on February 3, 1976.

Ajimobi drew more criticism even from some ordinary people when the construction dragged beyond the expected time of completion as it complicated traffic in the entire Mokola area aggravated by the destruction of bridges and roads by the August 26, 2011 flood that ravaged the city.

However, when things began to take shape with the governor receiving kudos, the opposition took him up on the cost of the bridge, arguing that the Ajimobi administration fleeced the state by over-inflating the contract sum.

They compared the cost with that built by Ogun State in Abeokuta for N1.5 billion as against the N2.9 billion the Mokola flyover gulped.

Ladoja also criticised the barriers erected at both entrances of the bridge. According to him, it was a sign that the bridge is weak and could not carry the weight of heavy duty vehicles. He cited Lagos where there are so many of such bridges and disparaged the Mokola flyover as a poor job.

Ladoja had said: "Only one bridge has barrier in Lagos and it was done by the Lagos State Government, and most of them, the Federal Government pulled down many times. Do you need a technician to tell you that if somebody puts a barrier on a bridge, a big vehicle should not pass there? Does that not connote a

Since December 22, 2011 when Governor Abiola Ajimobi inaugurated the construction of a flyover bridge at the popular Mokola Roundabout, Ibadan, to address the traffic snarls usually experienced by motorists, the opposition party faulted the project till it was commissioned in June this year. BISI OLADELE examines the facts, figures and the gladiators involved in a simple developmental project that turned political.

•Mokola bridge fear that the bridge can collapse?"

But for Ajimobi, it was a dream realised. At the commissioning on June 25, he stated with glee: "I remember that on December 22, 2011, when we flagged off the construction of this fly-over bridge, we provoked the unbelief and disdain of cynics and political opposition. To them, the construction of the bridge was akin to building the biblical Towers of Babel, with its impossible tendencies. Even when the bridge was being constructed, we became the butt of jokes of the opposition who, either out of mischief, naivety or their well-known cynicism, mocked the absence of an erect bridge, months after its flag-off."

A group, Oyo Development Initiative, later mocked Ladoja in a newspaper advertorial where it showed that several bridges in Lagos have barriers. The group listed the bridge fixed with barriers to include the "Masha-Kilo Flyover, Ikeja Flyover, Amuwo OdofinFestac Town Link Bridge and the Mobolaji Bank Anthony, Ikeja Flyover."

In an interview, Special Adviser on Infrastructure to the Governor, Kayode Adepoju, a civil engineer, took Ladoja to the cleaners while reacting to his criticism. He said: " I think the opposition is deliberately misguiding the people about the bridge and some other projects, because what they have alleged are not correct and its far from the truth, a lot of misinformation has been dished out. They even compared the bridge to that of Molete which was built 35 years ago. They do not understand the

• Jadesimi

•Ajimobi difference between a bridge and a flyover. A bridge is one that is built over a river that allows all types of vehicles to crossover it, while a flyover is built intentionally to solve traffic problems which are on a level, and it will segregate part of the traffic which used to be at the same level to another level so it will flyover that level. That was what was done at Mokola Roundabout.

The percentage of traffic that needs to fly-over at Mokola intercession is relatively small, less than 20 per cent of the traffic that cause weaving, that is traffic that are undirected or uncoordinated. That percentage needs to be flown over, so we were compelled to do a single lane dual carriage way, which means you have a single lane of dual carriageway which is 10 metres wide and we are sure that it will last a long time before it needs maintenance."

He argued that the Ladoja

•Ladoja administration had been negligent."

As far back as 2005, a single carriageway was designed then during Ladoja's administration.

But we improved on it based on the traffic analysis that we did.

Common sense dictates that if you have a single carriageway you should not allow any disruption on top of the bridge, and so we were compelled to put that barrier which would totally remove the traffic that has that history of breaking down, rolling back and causing accident. It is normal that if we have a single carriageway we should not allow anything that may cause traffic on it, and that is why we sent off those heavy articulated trucks from climbing it."

The strength of the bridge Adepoju said the flyover is strong and solid. "The government would not have spent billions and not make it strong. There is also an

argument on why there are no barriers at Molete. I believe there is no need for it because if a vehicle breaks down on it, it has a lot of space to manoeuvre before the towing vehicle comes up but you cannot allow that on Mokola single carriageway. Also comparing it with that of Abeokuta, it will be wrong for anybody to say that he wants to compare two structures that are not in the same place just like you can build a borehole in this place now and some 10 metres away you could say there is no water found there because of the underground strength. If we must compare now, the foundation at Abeokuta is completely different in terms of the ground structure from what is here.

Abeokuta, as you know, is relatively a rocky area. This place it is not like that."

He dismissed allegations that the construction company has any link with any member of the party in the state. Adepoju said: "I will only say only drunkards can say that. How would we in our right senses have awarded a contract to someone who is not a contractor?

CCECC is a Chinese government company, and not a private company, so it does not relate with any politician or individual."

In all, while politicians play politics with the bridge, motorists, and businesses around the Mokola axis as well as the central business district and indeed all residents are as plying the beautiful bridge that has not only brought a new lease of life to them and their businesses but which is also a mark that Oyo State now has a responsible and visionary governor.

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World News

HE land of the Nile has become a pool of blood. As things stand, only a miracle will prevent Egypt from descending to the very portal of civil insurrection and war.

The tragedy now gripping Egypt is of immense portion. Two years ago, Egyptians of all stripes protested to rid themselves of a haughty, arrogant dictator who sought to turn his evil fortune into a perpetual family dynasty.

Yet, a terrible omission was committed. Now, the county pays the dear costs of this error. In ridding themselves of the dictator, the people thought they were also ridding themselves of the dictatorship and the political culture upon which it was founded. They mistakenly thought the man was the institution. He might have personified the system but he was not the system. They tossed him and began to celebrate. The work was but half done. The dictator had been removed but the system upon which his arbitrary tenure was built remained intact.

For all of their novel, internetsavvy political activism and old-fashioned street protests, the agents of civil society were either naïve about the intricacy of their political system or were exhausted from the exertion already made. They relaxed after merely achieving the removal of one man from office. To their current lament, they left unharmed his political structure and the aura of power that structure had acquired.

In beginning this revolt, the secular political activists gave Egypt hope.

In not being disciplined, visionary and sufficiently organized to bring the revolt to conclusion, they unwittingly placed the people in a harsh vise that now taxes and tolls them. Payment is being demand and is being demanded in lives and blood.

It is a terrible disgrace not to combat injustice. Yet, it is almost as hapless to fight it incompletely. As such, Egypt serves as a fine lesson how to start a modern protest as well as a terse manual on how not to finish one. What began as a political awakening has quickly transformed into a national wake, a mournful dirge heard in all corners of the ancient nation.

The architects of the Egyptian dawn are mostly invisible now. The manner in which they constructed a diffuse, loosely organized protest movement made it difficult for the authorities to contain the protests. But it also made it impossible for the organizers to transform this amorphous group into a political movement with positive, soundly-defined objectives. Because of this fault, the political ground was ceded to people and groups who had something other than democracy at heart.

Put another way, there were three main groups in Egypt on the day of Mubarak’s exit from power. There was this inventive but disorganized assemblage of civil society and secular organizations. Then there was the military, the most organized and powerful governmental institution. The people erred, thinking Mubarak had made the military when it was the military that had made the strongman. Without the military, Mubarak was an infirmed old man. The military without Mubarak remained its powerful self. Third, there was the Muslim Brotherhood and its large universe of supporters.

By virtue of its lack of political organization and funding, secular civil society disqualified itself from seriously competing for national leadership. Civil society proved adept at causing disruption such that Mubarak was troubled out of office. United about whom it did not want, civil society was incapable of forming a solid coalition around what and whom it wanted to fill the political vacuum civil society had authored.

Battle for control of the nation boiled down to a contest between the military and the Muslim Brotherhood.

The present crisis is a turf war between these two politically unimaginative, power-oriented rival groups that care little for the condition of the general population. Both groups seek for national power. Neither cares for democracy.

From the beginning of the crisis, the military saw itself as the only truly

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

Egypt: From flame to fire •Revolts are rarely won by those who start them

•A supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood and of ousted President Mohamed Morsi runs past a burning vehicle during clashes with security officers close to Cairo's Ramses Square, on Friday.

AFP PHOTO

BRIAN BROWNE

national institution. Its generals also had too many significant political and economic interests to cede national leadership to any group uninitiated in their ways and inimical to their interests. Given its very nature, the military, in its most charitable disposition, was inherently hostile to democracy.

However, after Mubarak’s ouster, the group decided to play coy, like a venomous snake pretending to slumber.

Yet, at the right moment, it would strike.

The dominant wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, symbolized by ousted President Morse, also cared too little for democracy. A conservative, pragmatic lot, they played the game of ballot and vote, understanding their established organizational spread and power gave them a distinct advantage in the early elections that had been scheduled. They exploited the advantage and won. Although rising to power through democracy, they were too willing to clip the very democracy that had just taken them to the place of power.

Last November, President Morsi decreed a usurpation of legislative and judicial power. If taken literally, the decree made him a 21st century pharaoh. What further undid him was his conservative economics. If a leader is to quickly curtail the people’s newlyacquired freedom, at least give them cheap bread. To remove both is to call forth disaster. Morsi did this by imposing a dire economic austerity on the pained nation. Morsi ran into trouble not because of Islam or of brotherhood. His trouble was that his mindset led him to classical economic policies when progressive, at least Keynesian, policies were the only logical escape from calamity. As such, he became more the brother of conservative western economists than of the average Egyptian. Again, there was no innate problem with the Brotherhood as a political force. Islam, as a religion, does not detest democracy or progressive economics. The tragedy is that the particular leaders of the Egyptian franchise of the Brotherhood proved too undemocratic and economically conservative for the exigencies they faced.

Had the Muslim Brotherhood selected more progressive economic and political policies, their man might still be in power and the streets moving more toward tranquility than anomie.

Ironically, the conservatism of the Muslim Brotherhood is a by-product of the very state it has been fighting the past eight decades. Although it has been the main organized opponent of the military government, the Brotherhood also has been allowed to exist, even if sometimes on the fringes of legality, because its leadership is not so unlike the military’s. This has made it part of the nation’s institutional establishment, meaning it has been inculcated into the governing system more than it would admit. As such, the Brotherhood leadership, in many ways, is the un-uniformed mirror image of the military’s general class. Save for one thing.

The military’s leadership is politically more adroit. In comparison to the Brotherhood’s leaders, one group looks like a gang of experienced, cynical men while the other appears to be a cackle of adolescents. After Mubarak’s departure, the military’s objective was to regain power. Their strategy would be that of driving a wedge between the Brotherhood and secular society.

The Brotherhood won the election. Begrudgingly, civil society accepted the results and decided to give Morsi a chance. However, this was not the making of an alliance or even a gentlemen’s agreement. In effect, civil society had placed Morsi on probation.

Not wanting to push civil society and Morsi together, the military kept its powder dry at the time. As Morsi gained power, the military entered agreements with him protecting their base but also tacitly encouraging him to nip the frail democracy by arrogating power to himself. Exploiting Morsi’s clumsiness, the wedge was driven between him and secular society.

Encouraged by the military, civil society took to the streets. What was done to Mubarak, the groups now did to Morsi. The military deceived the civilians that their coup would be a temporary corrective, saving democracy from the paddle-handed Morsi. The civilians swallowed the bait because they never liked Morsi and because they entertained the fantasy of gaining the upper hand in new elections if the Brotherhood were duly disgraced if not completely shackled.

The civilians gave the military their blessing. Nobel Prize winner

Mohammed el-Baradei allowed ambition to get the better of him by agreeing to join the caretaker government the military established. This lent civilian color and legitimacy to what was a military coup against an immensely unpopular Morsi.

Had the civilians been wiser, they would not have accepted the military’s gift. They should have realized the military is not in the business of giving more than it takes. Had they not accepted this easy route, enough people might have been amassed to force Morsi’s exit or his change of ways.

In a series of adroit if immoral maneuvers, the military exploited the differences between civic society and the Brotherhood to grab power.

Recognizing the importance of strong institutions, the military is not satisfied with clipping Morsi. They seek to decimate the Brotherhood. In this way, the military believes it will not face another organized rival for decades. Within the space of two years, the military has serially duped the civil society and the Brotherhood, getting what it wanted as a result: It controls the levers of national government. However, this comes at high price that continues to increase. Hundreds die by the day and night.

The military’s strategy has proven successful. They have civil society in their hip pocket and now dragoon the Muslim Brotherhood. Their goal is to drive the Brotherhood toward violence. The more violent the Brotherhood’s reply to the government’s muscle, the more the military shall crackdown, claiming the Brotherhood is terror inspired. This dynamic will lessen the already slim chance of a rapprochement between the Brotherhood and civil society. The Brotherhood would deem civil society responsible for the suppression in the first instance. Moreover, secular groups now fear the Brotherhood might become more radicalized due to the violence. Secular groups will fear a more vengeful Brotherhood’s inclusion and participation in politics and governance.

The military has succeeded in reshaping the political landscape to fit its narrow interests. Politically, the nation is fragmented and the military is the only coherent institution to be found. Secular society is reeling, not yet fully understanding how massively it has been hoodwinked by the men in uniform whom they thought were bumbling fools. The Brotherhood is fragmented between those who want to fight and those who futilely believe an armistice with the military is possible. The pacifists hope against reality. The fighting is not because something has gone awry. This is all part of the grand design of the military’s return to power.

By violently polarizing the situation, the military seeks to limit the options of the international community, especially the Western powers,

to two. Either stand with the known entity, the military, or walk the unfamiliar path with the unknown entity, the Brotherhood. America had already tacitly endorsed Morsi’s ouster when its top diplomat proclaimed the military was trying to “restore democracy.” President Obama issued a recent statement deploring the military crackdown. But all the American did was cancel a nonessential joint military exercise. He did not and likely will not suspend military assistance in any significant degree.

Clearly, America frets more about the Brotherhood and its ilk than about the military. American love for democracy in the Middle East ends when a purported “Islamicist” wins a national election. At that point, the hidden caveats and conditions for American support for democracy surface. Do not be taken by public statements by Obama Administration officials and Republican Party leaders such as Senators McCain and Graham. In public, they condemn the military’s street war.

In private, they likely signal their acquiescence to the dirty campaign.

America has not fought dreaded Islamicists in far away, isolated Afghanistan to watch them gain a foothold in the most strategic nation in the Arab world. The Suez Canal, that vital international military and commercial shipping route and dual gateway into the Mediterranean and toward the Persian Gulf, is an Egyptian artery. This is one of the most important channels of water in the world.

America would rather it held by those to whom it gives billions of dollars of military aid than by a more radical version of Morsi. Without a cooperative Egypt, Israel’s geopolitical exposure increases exponentially. This cautious American president will do nothing that will be construed by conservative critics as impairing Israel.

Moreover, America has seen what a mess they made of Libya by executing an established strongman. Thus, although the Egyptian military is killing people at a much faster clip than Gaddafi did, the cries that the military is “killing their own people’ are predictably absent. If the choice is between a possible more radicalized, vengeful Brotherhood and the military, the West will dance and wed the military. General el-Sisi knows this.

He shepherds the situation toward this result that suits his personal and organizational interests. In other words, Egypt might have gone through these last two years of protests, crashed hopes, rising frustrations and now crimson tragedy just so an old dictator can be replaced by a more acrobatic and strategically clever one.

In this, sober lessons abound.

Incomplete reform quickly leads to complete regression. There will always be a backlash against reform.

Ironically, the less vigorous the reform in altering the power equation between rival national institutions, the more potent shall be the conservative backlash.

While anger may stir the people to protest, they must be careful. Quick resort to violence never serves the people. It serves those who wield the instruments of destruction. Last, a political or social movement must have a positive final goal. In Egypt, the movement only had a negative initial goal: the removal of Mubarak.

After that, the people’s movement dissipated. Establishment operatives were allowed to seize the reins; they guided things back to the way they were. In the next weeks and months, violence will likely be the way of Egypt. The nation moves from the possible dawn of a new day into the darkness of nights already long passed.

The violence and death are sad. Sadder still is the likelihood that these losses come only to install a dictator perhaps more agile and dangerous than the one first deposed. Getting rid of the strongman is but a half remedy.

A viable democratic alternative must be the final, purposeful objective. In the absence of such a destination, the people run into the danger that the strongman they bind may be replaced by one they cannot bind.

08060340825 (sms only)

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German tourist dies in gondola crash in Venice

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GERMAN tourist was crushed to death yesterday after the gondola he was riding in collided with a larger boat ferrying passengers along Venice's Grand Canal, authorities said.

The crash occurred around noon near the highly trafficked Rialto bridge, one of the most picturesque and popular spots of the lagoon city, which is overwhelmed by tourists this time of year. Venice's mayor promptly convened a panel of experts to look into worsening congestion in the city's waterways.

Police spokeswoman Erika Veronica Di Francesco said the vaporetto, or the public "water bus" that plies Venice's canals, was docking and apparently didn't see the nearby gondola, which was carrying five members of a visiting German family.

She said the father of the family was believed to have been crushed to death in the crash. The family's 3-year-old girl was hospitalized in Padua with facial and head injuries.

Contrary to earlier reports, none of the gondola's occupants fell into the water, she said.

Both the gondola and the vaporetto were sequestered by police, and prosecutors have opened an investigation, she said.

Police declined to identify the victim.

Venice Mayor Giorgio Orsoni sent his condolences to the family and said he was convening a panel of experts to resolve Venice's traffic woes.

"The problem of water traffic congestion, in high periods and in particular areas of the center, is real," he said in a statement.

WORLD NEWS THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

Egypt may outlaw Muslim Brotherhood

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GYPTIAN authorities are considering disbanding the Muslim Brotherhood group, a government spokesman said yesterday, once again outlawing a group that held the pinnacle of government power just more than a month earlier.

The announcement came after security forces broke up two sit-in protests this week by those calling for the reinstatement of President Mohammed Morsi, a Brotherhood leader deposed in a July 3 coup. The clashes killed more than 600 people that day and sparked protests and violence that killed 173 people Friday alone.

Cabinet spokesman Sherif Shawki said that Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi, who leads the military-backed government, assigned the Ministry of Social Solidarity to study the legal possibilities of dissolving the group. He didn't elaborate.

The Muslim Brotherhood group, founded in 1928, came to power a year ago when its Morsi was elected in the country's first free presidential elections. The election came after the overthrow of autocrat Hosni Mubarak in a popular uprising in 2011.

The fundamentalist group has been banned for most of its 80-year history and repeatedly subjected to crackdowns under Mubarak's rule. While sometimes tolerated and its leaders part of the political process, members regularly faced long bouts of imprisonment and arbitrary detentions.

Since Morsi was deposed in the popularly backed mili-

Scotland Yard probes new information on Princess Diana's death

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RITISH police are looking into new information that has surfaced in connection with the 1997 deaths of Princess Diana and her companion Dodi Al Fayed, Scotland Yard said yesterday.

"The Metropolitan Police Service is scoping information that has recently been received in relation to the deaths and assessing its relevance and credibility," Scotland Yard officials said today in a statement. "The assessment will be carried out by officers from the specialist crime and operations command.

"This is not a re-investigation and does not come under Operation Paget," the statement said.

Operation Paget looked into conspiracy theories surrounding Diana's and Al Fayed's death in 1997.

The car carrying the couple was traveling more than 85 miles per hour when it hit a concrete pillar head-on in the Place D'Alma underpass,

•Princess Diana in Paris, on Aug. 31, 1997.

Both were killed, along with the driver, Henri Paul who was later proven to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time.

The main probe into Diana's death was conducted in 2007-08, and ended up with a verdict of "unlawful killing" and "grossly negligent driving" by Paul and also cited the pursuit of the limo the couple was riding in by photographers contributed to the princess of Wales and Al Fayed's deaths.

Scotland Yard said it was not releasing any more information at the moment.

tary coup, the Brotherhood stepped up its confrontation with the new leadership, holding sit-ins in two encampments for weeks, rallying thousands and vowing not to leave until Morsi is reinstated.

On Wednesday, security authorities swept through the two protest camps, leaving hundreds killed and thousands others injured. The violent crackdown sparked days of street violence across the country where Islamist supporters stormed and torched

churches and police stations.

In the most recent standoff, Egyptian security forces exchanged heavy gunfire Saturday with armed men at top of a minaret of a Cairo mosque. The security forces fired tear gas, stormed the mosque and rounded up hundreds of Islamists supporters of Morsi who had been barricaded inside overnight.

The confrontations Friday - around a Brotherhood call for a "Day of Rage" - killed at least 173 people, said Shawki, the

Cabinet spokesman. He said 1,330 people were wounded in the protests.

Egypt's Interior Ministry said in a statement that a total of 1,004 Brotherhood members were detained in raids across the country and that weapons, bombs and ammunition were confiscated with the detainees.

Among the dead Friday was Ammar Badie, a son of Brotherhood spiritual leader Mohammed Badie, the group's political arm said in a

statement.

Also yesterday, authorities arrested the brother of alQaida chief Ayman alZawahri, a security official said . Mohammed al-Zawahri, leader of the ultraconservative Jihadi Salafist group, was detained at a checkpoint in Giza, the city across the Nile from Cairo, the official said.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorized to brief journalists about the arrest.

•Army officers escort Islamist women out of Cairo's Al-Fath mosque where Islamist supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi held up yesterday. The standoff at al-Fath mosque in central Ramses Square began on Friday, with security forces surrounding the building where Islamists were sheltering and trying to convince them to leave.

AFP PHOTO

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TTACKS on security checkpoints in central Iraq killed nine soldiers and wounded five yesterday, officials said.

The killings were the latest in a rising tide of violence across the country since a deadly crackdown by government forces on a Sunni protest camp in April. Security forces are often targeted by insurgents who seek to undermine the Shite-led government.

Police officials said that the deadliest of the day's attacks took please early in the morning when gunmen opened fire on an army checkpoint just south of Baghdad, killing four soldiers and wounding four others.

In an attack on a checkpoint attack near Muqdadiyah, a town 90 kilometres (60 miles) north of Baghdad, three soldiers were killed and one was wounded, police said.

In the city of Tikrit, 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of the Iraqi capital, police said gunmen opened fire on an army checkpoint, killing two soldiers.

Also, a car bomb exploded in the southern port

Attacks on checkpoints in Iraq kill nine soldiers city of Um Qasr, said Anmar al-Safi, the media official at the port. He added that the explosion caused no casualties.

In other violence reported by police officials yesterday, attackers deto-

nated explosives late Friday on a key oil pipeline linking Kirkuk to the Turkish port of Ceyhan near the northern town of al-Shura, disrupting crude oil exports.

Teams have started work to repair the damaged pipe-

line, the police said.

Medical hospital officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists.

guilty of the murder late last year of reporter Hassan Yusuf Absuge, who worked for Radio Maanta in Mogadishu. During his trial Abdi was accused of belonging to the al-Qaida-linked extremist rebels of alShabab, who have staged multiple terrorist attacks across Somalia in a bloody campaign to seize political power. The rebels were pushed out of Mogadishu in Aug. 2011, but they continue to carry out targeted killings there and elsewhere in Somalia.

The Abdi case was the first to be actively pros-

ecuted by the Somali government, coming after years of condemnations from rights groups who urged Somali authorities to do more to establish the rule of law and end the killings of journalists.

The killings of media workers often happen in the government-controlled areas that journalists generally consider safe, and reporters must watch their backs for attacks from extremists and criminals and fight through judicial inaction and even outright hostility from the government.

Somalia executes man guilty of killing journalist

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OMALIA'S government yesterday executed a man who was convicted of murdering a journalist, a military official said, the first such execution in a country where those who kill media workers often evade justice.

Aden Sheikh Abdi was killed by firing squad early Saturday in the capital, Mogadishu, according to Col. Abdullahi Muse Keyse, a spokesman for Somalia's military court.

"His execution is a new chapter for Somalia," he said.

Last month a Mogadishu military tribunal found Abdi

Continued on page 62

12

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

13

COMMENT and ANALYSIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

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UR indulgence in illegality, lawlessness and complete disregard for town planning, has made demolition a necessary pre-condition for urban renewal and regeneration. Though this environmental abuse still persists, the degree of violation during military rule was of an unprecedented dimension. Possibly because of their I-can-do-whatever-I-like mentality, the khaki guys tore law into shreds, imposing whim as the rule and caprice as the order.

Being strangers to urbanity, these gun-boys virtually turned everywhere to "mammy markets" by allowing their wives, girlfriends, relations and cronies to construct shanties and other nihilistic dens of lubricious retreat on highways and in urban centres. The remnants of civility in them were inadequate to avail them any conjectured refinement.

Exploiting this cronyism caused by the activities of the military rulers and their accomplices, other people of insignificant identity joined in the shanty fiasco. Officials of ministries of Lands and Environment saw this as an avenue for fraudulent operations. They gave official approval for illegal constructions in decent places after some monetary inducements. People now went gaga and littered the whole town with all sorts of shanties and frightful structures. They built on highways. They built on waterways.

They built on setbacks. They built on drains. They built on footpaths. They built on walkways. Our cities were turned into jungles as if we were human beasts. Open spaces for recreation were converted into domiciles by children of vanity. Open spaces in various Government Residential Areas (GRAs) were given to "Ogas at the top" to build mansions. It was a carnival of weird humanity.

They choked the environment with eyesores.

They allowed no space for oxygen by felling all the trees of life that can prolong human life.

Breathing became a stressful activity for both man and mammal. Everywhere was hot. Our response to climate change was awful. We had no creative program to manage global warming or "greenhouse effect" - an obvious threat to human existence. Nobody planted trees. But everybody was uprooting trees to create space for buildings forgetting that trees breathe life into us while buildings only return our heat back to us. People no longer complied with rules and regulations.

Highways had their rules but people flouted them. Waterways had their regulations but people violated them. The rules on road setbacks were also discountenanced. There were regulations on drains but these were also despised. The footpaths and walkways were equally violated and abused beyond comprehension. There was no policy or program on beautification because the military boys understood little or nothing about greening and the philosophy behind it.

The whole scandal became messier with approvals being given to all and sundry for the building of petrol stations here and there without sparing some thought for the safety of the people. Every street, every road, every crescent, every estate, every highway, every avenue became licensed with a petrol station without taking into cognizance the distance between those petrol stations and fire station. It was a horrible stampede of the moguls of oil and gas in the midst of society's dregs.

The new crop of educated and enlightened leaders that succeeded the military rulers, and later the PDP usurpers, especially in the South West, took umbrage at this kind of negative attitude towards the environment. They saw that urban renewal, urban development and urban regeneration were more environmental friendly than the nuisance of the past. They came up with the idea of first reducing the heat in the air by embarking on extensive beautification program involving tree planting and some greening project that will clean up our atmosphere. This project entailed the demolition of some of the illegal structures that were products of historic blunders. These new leaders also thought of constructing new roads where illegal structures had been erected as well as creating space for the expansion of existing ones. This also would compel demolition. Besides, as a result of heavy flooding and the havoc it had wreaked, these leaders felt they needed to open up the canals and the waterways to reduce the tragedies of tsunamis in our society. Consequently, some, if not all, these illegal structures on the waterways had to go.

For the purpose of adding value to properties and human life, urban development and renewal had become imperative. Therefore, all the shanties that seemed to have devalued properties in the urban centers had to go.

These are some of the reasons that had compelled demolition in some of the States. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State wanted to regenerate

Demolition, governors and compensation

Do we want school or education?

By Robert J. Burrowes S our world continues to unravel in response to the impact of our uneconomic activities on ecological systems, it is obviously worth asking searching questions about the nature of modern society. By doing this we can make intelligent decisions about the direction in which we should move as we thoughtfully respond to the interrelated crises we face.

For many people, the central question is this: Will tinkering with human society be enough to get us out of this mess? Many people think not and I am one of them. For the moment, however, rather than focus on the nature of the economy, political systems or other aspects of modern societies, I would like to discuss the issue of education.

For a long time, people in different parts of the world have struggled to expand access, including access for girls, to school. This struggle still takes place in many countries. But I want to add my name to the list of people who question whether school is the best way to get an education.

And there are many reasons why I believe it is not.

In essence, schools are designed to teach a disintegrated set of 'knowledge' and skills that are useful to those businesses and corporations which provide employment, however menial, in the mainstream economy. This schooling is taking place even now when there is little evidence to suggest that the mainstream economy is capable of providing full employment and, more importantly, there is a great deal of evidence to suggest that this economy will need to be utterly transformed if we are to survive the interrelated ecological threats to our survival.

Let me briefly state some problems with school: it is highly damaging physically, sensorily, intellectually and emotionally.

Schooling requires the child to spend six hours each day sitting in a school classroom, for up to 13 years. Physically, the classroom utterly destroys posture and movement patterns because the human body is designed to move regularly. If you have ever witnessed the grace of movement of a village African who has never been to school, then you know this too.

Sensorily, the best classroom is devoid of stimulus compared to nature and this exacts a heavy cost by dramatically curtailing the child's learning opportunities as well as stifling the development of its sensory capacities themselves. Have you ever been awestruck by what an indigenous person raised in a natural environment can learn from a smell, a touch or a breath of wind, or how they can track an animal?

Intellectually, the school classroom offers a mind-numbingly boring and incredibly limited range of topics all taught in lock-step as if each child was identical and had the same interests and learning rates.

Most importantly of all, however, the school classroom helps to destroy children emotionally because it requires the child to be submissively obedient to its teachers. This means it must consciously and unconsciously, all day, every day, fearfully suppress its awareness of the feelings that evolution intended would guide its behaviour at that time, including those that would guide its self-directed learning.

Do you remember being stuck in a classroom, feeling utterly bored while staring out of the window wishing you were running around free outside?

The problem is that as we grew older our fear made us learn to suppress our awareness of our feeling of boredom, which was telling us an important truth about how we were spending our time. But this feeling of boredom (as well as the fear that suppressed it and the anger that it 'acceptably' represented) still lives deep in our unconscious playing an unconscious part in shaping our behaviour even today (including by making us able to 'tolerate' a host of other boring activities, including those at work).

Full text online www.thenationonlineng.net

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•Demolished house

By Dapo Thomas Okirika by buying the houses, shanties and illegal structures in that locality in order to end the environmental assault on the pupils of a primary school in the vicinity, nevertheless, Patience Jonathan was impatient to understand the motive for the demolition. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State was visibly angry with the people of Olorunda who had built houses on waterways thus causing the flood at Dalemore that swept a little boy into eternity; he ordered the immediate demolition of all those illegal structures. Some people thought it was a political suicide knowing that the next election was fast approaching, the governor would however, not play politics with the lives of his people and stuck to his decision. If flood swept away all his people, who was he going to govern? Babatunde Fashola was interested in tackling the crimes of Lagos State from the source and this was why he and his troops invaded Badia, a notorious showroom for sodomy. Abiola Ajimobi of Ibadan felt that the good people of Ibadan needed some breathing space, so, he decided to demolish illegal structures at Onireke, Dugbe, Golf Club, Eleyele, Jericho and Aleshinloye.

The latest of all these demolitions is the one going on in Osun State where Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is contending with 'certain political forces' that are determined to frustrate his urban renewal/development program. The specific areas affected by this demolition exercise for now include Olaiya, Okefia, Road Safety Road, OgoOluwa, Fakunle and Government House Annex.

What makes the Osun episode look complicated is the caliber and status of those affected by the exercise. One of the major victims is the Governor of the State himself whose campaign office lost its fence to the demolition. The police had also lost a number of structures in the exercise.

And of note is the PDP secretariat. But its members had vowed to resist the demolition with the last drop of their blood. I think the PDP was only being mischievous because the demolition is not about the party secretariat but just the extension of their frontage which contravenes the setback rule. If the police and the governor had allowed the demolition of their own structures, why should the PDP create a scene about the demolition of its own fence? Why do we like heating up the polity in this part of the clime?

I admire the courage of the governor for doing this just few months to another election. It shows how confident he was of his re-election and also the massive support he enjoys from the people of the state for his urban renewal program. The demolition, aside from the theatrics of the PDP, has not generated much furore as one would have anticipated. This cooperative attitude of the people may have encouraged the governor's decision to set aside ?600 million as compensation for the victims of the demolition on "compassionate grounds."

My quarrel is not with the payment of compensation but the fact that not all the victims deserved to be paid. Those who should be compensated are those who were granted approval by the state either by default or administrative lapses. The government should be held responsible for its officers' dereliction of duty. Is the state also contemplating the payment of com-

Photo: MUYIWA HASSAN

pensation to those who extended their frontage beyond what is prescribed by the law? I am sure the government will not do this for the obvious reason that the governor's campaign office falls into this category. And it is politically inexpedient for the governor and his team to play into the hands of their political opponents. Besides, the governor and his campaign team do not need the compensation since their office was never affected beyond its frontage fence. But others who, of their own volition, decided to build structures on government land deserved no compensation.

But is it not strange that instead of prosecuting people who had committed illegalities, we are appeasing them with compensation? First, they had used state facility (land) to generate personal income for some years without the consent of the state. Second, they had caused the state to spend huge resources that should have been expended on some other social services, on the demolition exercise. Three, they had, through their activities, encouraged others to engage in such illegalities hence the proliferation of the shanties. Four, compensation will not allow them to feel the guilt of their action. Five, compensating them will create the impression that government had acted wrongly.

Government should at all times let its citizens know that if they operate outside the confines of the law, they would be penalized and not compensated. Indiscriminate construction of buildings and structures outside government regulations will drastically deface the landscape architecture of the state. Citizens who act lawfully have nothing to fear but those whose actions are inimical to the system will always run into trouble. For instance, the Western Avenue/ Barracks road was four lanes until recently. The road had houses on both sides. And this had been like that since 1957 or thereabout. When the Tinubu and Fashola administrations decided to expand the road to its present ten lanes (including the two BRT corridors),they did not have to demolish any structures nor pay any compensation because nobody had trespassed on the setback.

The issue of compensation is also very complex. Experience had shown that some victims of demolition usually collected compensation more than once. Having collected compensation from a previous administration that intended to use the land for a project that was put in abeyance, the compensated family never returned the money to the government. When a new government comes to demolish their structures, they make fresh demand for compensation keeping silent on the one they had collected in the past. Though government has a way of finding this out, some smart ones had beaten the government to this by not being detected.

The beautiful landscape architecture of a state, its urban renewal and regeneration, its road infrastructure, the dynamic elements of its atmosphere and the serenity of its environment remain the fundamentals of every government's philosophy. But the attainment and the capacity for their sustainability require the cooperation and understanding of every citizen that desires progress for his state. It is not compensation nor compassion that stimulates compliance but government's political will to inspire obedience in all its citizens.

14

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

Comment & Analysis

Obasanjo and the younger generation I

T was vintage Chief Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo at it again while giving a keynote address on Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at the fourth Annual Ibadan Sustainable Development Summit organised by Centre for Sustainable Development, University of Ibadan, in collaboration with African Sustainable Development Network. In the course of his presentation, he seemingly threw caution to the wind when he sordidly and haplessly declared: “Then we are jinxed and cursed; we should all go to hell.” It was like the erstwhile President who was highly favoured to lead Nigeria twice in a rather bizarre and unprecedented fashion: first, as a military Head of State and second, as a two term democratically elected President. The erstwhile president even went as far as saying that Nigeria as a country is apparently failing in producing outstanding leaders from the young generation almost 53 years after obtaining independence from Great Britain!

Is Nigeria, made up of about 160 million (guess-estimated, no one is really sure; part of Chief Obasanjo’s albatross as a leader whose government failed to conduct credible and acceptable population census) people unable to produce real transformational, charismatic, servant, visionary, exemplary, strategic or ethical leaders as other climes boast of theirs? While the erstwhile President was having a field day castigating the likes of his erstwhile Vice President for eight years, Alhaj Atiku Abubakar; former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; former Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaj Salisu Buhari; former Bayelsa State Governor, Mr Deprieye Alamieyeseigha; former Governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion; and others as younger generation of leaders, the former president seemingly, in the content of his keynote address exonerated himself! He behaved like a peacock that perched on a high tree standing alone in Utopia-like savannah vegetation while in his Olympian height disdained and looked down on other birds perching on the elephant grasses that are being carried hither-

By John Ekundayo

thither by the harmattan breeze!

From the outset, I want to state that there were certain impacts of Obasanjo years especially as a democratic president. I will highlight a few here. He was able to brace all odds in giving Nigerians the Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication in 2001. Today, Nigeria boasts the largest market in Africa with hundreds of thousands of jobs and many more still coming. In addition, it was his government that really erected institutions such as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to fight corruption. Even though accused of being selective in using these institutions to harm, hunt and hack his perceived enemies, many Nigerians could attest to the fact that corruption was checkmated though not crippled during Obasanjo years compared with this era of impunity reigning unchecked as both the EFCC and ICPC seem to have gone to sleep! Which public officer, past or present, has been prosecuted for corrupt practices during this present administration of Dr Jonathan Ebele Goodluck? People who are more knowledgeable can help me out! However, there were equally some things that were left unattended to in the Obasanjo era. I do not want to open the Pandora Box here as that will be out of the context of what I want to address in this piece. Nevertheless, one cannot but mention issues like the failed power projects with attendant billions of dollars down the drain! Equally, it was the Obasanjo era that saw the sitting President and his Vice supposedly owning private universities while the mass of Nigeria’s docile followers saw nothing wrong!!

To this author, who has resided in the South East Asia nations of Singapore and Malaysia for seven years, Obasanjo, had the singular opportunity to do more from 19761979 (three years) and 1999-2007 (eight years); altogether making 11 years! The duo of Obasanjo’s friends, Lee Kuan Yew (Sin-

gapore) and Dr Mahathir Mohamad (Malaysia), led their nations through troubled times to achieve titanic transformational strides. These were contemporary leaders with him who braced all odds to make their countries enviable in the comity of nations.

Today, Singapore, a nation of less than five million people, is a first world (developed) country, that was once referred to by Indonesia as “tiny dot in the sea and fishing village”. If there is anyone in Nigeria’s chequered history so positioned and peddled up to inculcate and institutionalise many transformational changes, I opine it was Obasanjo.

In the Ibadan summit, there are lots the erstwhile president touched on relating to leaders, leadership, followers and followership within the Nigerian context.

As a researcher, with keen interests in servant, leadership and followership, whilst still chewing and ruminating over Obasanjo’s keynote address at the Ibadan summit, I cannot but be challenged to engage him and other elders who are in the same school of thought with him. In the Yoruba custom, it is often assumed that elders are always right, or that they can invariably not be faulted.

The notion is that grey hairs should exhibit or exemplify wisdom. Ironically, it is the same Yoruba wise saying that states: “Omode gbon, agba gbon la fi da Ile Ife” (meaning, the combination of wisdom of the children and elders led to the establishment of Ile-Ife, the acclaimed origin (source) of the Yoruba race)! In leaning on this wise saying and pleading with Baba Obasanjo to painstakingly read, ruminate and respond roundly to these salient and succinct questions I will want to ask as a child even though I am in my early fifties: How many leaders, whether at state or federal level, have given opportunity to teenagers and youths for leadership development, succession, role modelling and mentoring a la Singapore, USA, Malaysia, etc?

Chief Obasanjo castigated Asiwaju Bola

Ahmed Tinubu and others while excluding himself from the lot; has Obasanjo, as a self styled exemplary leader sitting aloof on high pedestal, modelled the way in having a visionary leader to succeed him as Tinubu did in Lagos in discovering Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) like one will discover gold in the rubble?

If one is not from a renown or elite family or possessing enough cash to prime his/ her way up politically, what chances can one have at getting to leadership positions in Nigeria despite possession of unique leadership traits, values and virtues?

In the game of football, potential best footballers are scouted for all over the globe irrespective of race or colour, when Obasanjo was in power, was there an institution established to scout for, empower and unleash the youths into the public service of this nation to groom them and prepare them for vintage leadership positions in the future?

In conclusion, I will want Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and other leaders who saw nothing good in the young generation to carefully and conscientiously answer these questions. I hope that Baba Obasanjo is not surreptitiously or clandestinely selling his candidate come 2015 to Nigerians by firing this salvo at the seemingly failed young generation of leaders. I believe that there are many Nigerian youths who are hungry and thirsty to serve but have been denied access as most appointments these days are not by merit; rather they come as a result of connections. The old generation has not changed from recycling non-performing elders and their relatives instead of reinventing servant leadership to better the lots of yearning and longing followers.

Can we scout for our leaders as footballers are scouted for globally?

Dr Ekundayo, a leaderhip/management consultant and researcher writes from Lagos; he can be reached through his email: drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

Comment & Analysis

15

Obasanjo’s pontification The former president does not understand the relationship between age and leadership

I

F there was any fog concerning former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s psychological condition, it was illuminated by his remarks at the Fourth Annual Ibadan Sustainable Development Summit organised by the Centre for Sustainable Development (CESDEV), University of Ibadan (UI), in collaboration with African Sustainable Development Network (ASUDNET). He seized the platform for self-glorification, and by the time he was done, it was unmistakable that he desperately desired worship. His keynote address at the forum on “Leadership in Africa’s Quest for Sustainable Development” turned out to be an enthusiastic exercise in hitting a straw man just to expand and extend his own overdressed conceit.

Demonstrating that consuming affliction commonly recognised as delusion of grandeur, Obasanjo sought to achieve the impossible image of a flawless hero, whereas quite a few would question the basis of his self-perceived greatness. It is ironic that the momentous episode, perhaps unwittingly, served the purpose of providing an opportunity for the public to, once again, focus on his years in power.

In what amounted to a lamentable abuse of logic, Obasanjo argued that the “younger generation” was to blame for leadership failure in the country and, by extension, on the African continent. Specifically, in the case of Nigeria, he referred to an alleged “failed generation of leaders,” and listed some names. On his list was former Vice President in his administration, Atiku Abubakar, and former House of Representatives Speaker, Salisu Buhari. He also named former Bayelsa State governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha; former Edo State governor, Lucky Igbinedion and former Delta State governor, James Ibori, among others.

Although it is true that these individuals were linked with unflattering controversies, Obasanjo’s classification betrayed his confusion and prejudice when, in one revelatory moment,

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which, however, does little to obscure them, he may need to be told in the clearest terms that good leadership is not necessarily a question of age, and that the world has left behind such promotion of gerontocracy suggested by his comments.

Interestingly, it is relevant to note that the world considers as a sour entertainment the recent re-emergence of 90-year-old Robert Mugabe as President of Zimbabwe. Indeed, it suggests that, contrary to Obasanjo’s thesis, gerontocratic leadership may well be the bane of the continent.

In addition, his position fails the test of logical validity by sweepingly implying that leadership by the under-50 is doomed to fail. This is a primitively outdated idea inspired by a mechanical gambler’s fallacy, which erroneously assumes that because some leaders who were under-50 allegedly failed, therefore, no such leader could succeed. His is an example of a pessimistic blanket judgement informed by sterile thinking.

With the benefit of hindsight, it is reasonable to link Obasanjo’s infamous 2007 effort to seek an unconstitutional third term in office with his expressed thoughts on age-based leadership. By his twisted logic, good leadership is a function of age; therefore, the older one is, the more likely one would be a success at leadership. To go by his latest performance, this irrationality would appear to have motivated his move to sit tight.

It is striking that Obasanjo, 76, was civilian president for eight years from 1999 to 2007, after a period as military head of state between 1976 and 1979, yet he seems unable to appreciate that the leadership question is less about age and more about vision and integrity. It is no secret that, even though he came to the presidency at over age 50, specifically at age 62, his track record is not particularly complimentary. Indeed, he is faced with the charge of “wasted years”, which he ought to tackle with humility and honesty, rather than engage in pompous pontification.

LETTERS

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HENEVER the history of the banking industry in Nigeria is written in future, the tenure of the present Central Bank Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi Lamido, would go down as one with a remarkable difference when compared with the previous holders of the office. He has taken steps in the past to check the rot in the banking system and his latest directive, as broadcast during the 9.30pm news hour on the Murhi International Television on Monday, 5th August, 2013, to the effect that all banks in the country should compile the list of issuers of dud cheques and forward same to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for necessary action. It is indeed another milestone in the string of laudable achievements recorded by him since his taking over the control of the Apex bank in 2008.

It would be recalled that a day after this directive, the case, among several ones previous reported in the newspapers, was that of a 29-year-old hairdresser, Mrs. Joy Jegede, who was sent to prison in Ilorin over issuance of a dud cheque to the tune of N620,000, as reported on page 3 in the P.M. News edition of Tuesday,06 August, 2013.

There is no doubt that this is the first time that this ne-

he also reportedly mentioned former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a top opposition figure who is acclaimed as a positive example of purposeful leadership. This glaring case of incorrect inclusion put a huge question mark on Obasanjo’s leadership standards.

It is noteworthy that Obasanjo was quoted as saying, “We had some people who were under 50 years in leadership.” His age specification with regard to his definition of “younger generation” was not only unfairly limiting; more important, it also constituted a retrogressive and individualistic attempt to determine for society what age bracket its leaders should belong to.

He needs to be reminded of the fact that the country’s constitution accommodates leaders who are under his prescriptive magical age of 50 years. Such reminder, it must be said, is a sad commentary on his memory.

Furthermore, while it is unclear how he arrived at his age of leadership suitability, it is important to point out that there are sufficiently positive present-day examples of leaders who reached the political apex before age 50, especially in leading Western democracies. Two instances will suffice: US President Barack Obama who at age 47, in 2008, became the first African American to attain that exalted height; and British Prime Minister David Cameron who in 2010, at age 43, became his country’s youngest leader since 1812.

Given that Obasanjo is evidentially contemptuous of these instructive histories

Kudos to CBN Governor on dud cheques farious action that has continued to add to the already dented image of our country is being brought to the limelight and addressed. The Central Bank Governor is, however, enjoined to nip in the bud any possibility of circumventing or frustrating this laudable directive by providing a means through which victims of issuance of dud cheques can reach him directly. By doing so, the room

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for any cover up or collaboration with any bank customer by any of the banks in the country would have been closed. In addition, the directive should cover the period the last five years since he began the cleansing of banks nationwide. He should borrow a leaf from the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, who out of an act of exemplary leadership, volunteered the direct email ad-

dress through which he can be reached by the public all in a bid to sanitise the Nigeria Police Force, an effort that is no doubt yielding good results.

The CBN Governor is also advised to go a step further by publishing the names of issuers of dud cheques in the newspapers as was done in the past when the identities of chronic bank debtors, bank directors and defaulting companies that wrecked some Nigerian banks

were unmasked to the public at the beginning of his tenure in office. In addition, any branch of any bank that is found to have compromised the directive in any way should equally be exposed to the public and sanctioned accordingly.

Odunayo Joseph Tel: 08053488121 Email: odunayo_ joseph2006@yahoo.com

Towards improving supply of power by PHCN

NDEED, Nigeria, manacled in total darkness, ravaged by the cosmic power of this dark age, personifies all the poetry in noise-making, vanity, necromancy and mysticism.

Is the PHCN epileptic power supply not enough challenge to elicit a brain storming that could end the nightmare of inefficiency in the power sector? Many challenges besetting this country ought to pre-occupy the attention of our engineers, individually and collectively. Had

this been the case, Nigeria won’t be swimming in darkness of underdevelopment up untill now. Our engineers are not sleeping on how to swim out of the quagmire, instead they are throwing unprofitable challenges to their innovative rivals. Hear Thomas Edison, a renowned American Electrical scientist: “Everybody steals in commerce and industries, I have stolen a lot myself, but I know how to

steal.” (Thomas Edison, 1847 1931). Many Nigerian scientists trained abroad through government and community scholarships. What did they bring back to Nigeria, either by way of transfer of technology, copying or even stealing, as Thomas Edison averred?

There is even an Edison Medal of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers for outstanding scientists. Nigerians are dying and falling sick due

to emission from generator fumes and noise. Let our engineers sleep on this challenge and come up with a solution once and for all. The ASUU should please end their strike now as our children are suffering. Some legendary inventors died in penury without any government assistance in funding their research work.

Self-sacrifice is the key to solving most of the challenges in Nigeria today.

John Jimoh Ijebu-Ode Ogun State

Kogi West not for the highest bidder

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OGI West Senatorial District is one of the state’s political hotbeds politically, therefore all politicians in the area want to represent it at the National Assembly, hence the glamour by all characters of politicians to want to vie, for any elective position to represent the area.

But of recent some funny and comic politicians have been indicating their desire to have a go in seeking for the senatorial seat come 2015 general elections.

Some politicians whose antecedent of not having to shown the impact they made on the people when they held sway in the previous dispensation are now seeking another way of making themselves relevant.

The district is not for highest bidder and cannot be swayed by some failed politicians who did not identify with the aspirations and general needs of not only the area but the entire state.

The representation Kogi West needs in 2015 should be centred on robust, articulate and highly purposeful contribution that would show case the area as the people who presented their best eleven to bring the best for the senatorial district.

Bala Nayashi Lokoja.

SEND TYPEWRITTEN, DOUBLE SPACED AND SIGNED CONTRIBUTIONS, LETTERS AND REJOINDERS OF NOT MORE THAN 500 WORDS TO THE EDITOR, THE NATION, 27B, FATAI ATERE ROAD, MATORI, LAGOS: sundaynation@yahoo.com

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Ropo Sekoni ropo.sekoni @thenationonlineng.net

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ENERAL OlusegunObasanjo stood sociology on its head a few days ago when he posited that the younger generation (younger than his own) failed Nigeria and Africa. As reported in The Nation, Obasanjo theorised "that his generation led the way with purposeful, progressive, visionary leadership marked by accountability and probity while the younger generation of leaders failed to continue with the good legacy that his (Obasanjo's) generation left." It is what Obasanjo has refused to acknowledge that raises questions about his own sociological knowledge or imagination, more specifically, about what is expected in all societies to be the responsibility of the older generation in the development of the younger generation.

Now that Obasanjo has identified the generation that has damaged the chances of Africa to grow and compete with the rest of the world, it is pertinent to ask some questions. How were the members of the generation after Obasanjo socialised? What is the role of Obasanjo's generation in the socialisation of the generation that has, in the words of Obasanjo, become a generation of deviance from the norms embodied by Obasanjo's generation? Who are the examples in Obasanjo's generation that represent the norms subverted by the generation that succeeds Obasanjo's?

Historically, Obasanjo's generation came to power on account of

Femi Orebe femi.orebe @thenationonlineng.net 08056504626 (sms only)

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

Comment & Analysis

IME was 1983 and the NPN had just rumbled through the country courtesy its ignoble 'moon slide' victory of that year and, like Dr Reuben Abati just did, talking down to Chief Bisi Akande, the interim Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Chuba Okadigbo, himself then a presidential spokesperson, was waxing lyrical, calling both Zik and Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim, the highly regarded GNPP leader, unprintable names and asking them to shut up or be summarily dealt with.

It was in that circumstances, the Avatar, the ever clairvoyant Awo, made the prediction, a whole 30 years ahead, which is today uncannily unfolding before our very eyes.

Summarising the events of that year's general elections, one in which the writer was an active observer-participant, Awo made it clear that by its own hands, the then ruling NPN has self-destruct by acting like the thief who took far more than the owner. NPN had then just rummaged through the length and breadth of Nigeria, even claiming to have won in Oyo and Ondo states, both in Awo's impregnable Western Region.

Consequently, at a well attended congress of the UPN in Abeokuta on Thursday, 15 December, '83, he declared as follows: 'The goal of dialectic process is perfection. It aims at the perfect attainment of all the virtues embodied in it. Whether we like it or not, all human beings are inescapably involved in the binary compounds of thesis and antithesis of the dialectical procession. In other words, all of us in the UPN and those of them in the NPN and other parties are already in the thesis-antithesis

Obasanjo's sociology zero zero zero?

Who are the examples in Obasanjo's generation that represent the norms subverted by the generation that succeeds Obasanjo's?

fighting corruption perpetrated by members of the generation before his own or of members of his own generation who happened to have had access to political power. Is this an indication that the generation before Obasanjo was also bad or did Obasanjo's generation lie to citizens when they accused their predecessors of corruption? The regime that succeeded Obasanjo in 1979 was led by people in a generation older than Obasanjo. Again, this group was removed from power by members of Obasanjo's generation on account of what they called corruption under the presidency of Alhaji Shehu Shagari.

Shortly after, another group from Obasanjo's generation booted out the regime that was manufactured by members of Obasanjo's generation to replace ShehuShagari, and the rest is history.

Sociologists and anthropologists all over the world believe that it should not be easy for a generation to castigate the generation after it for not acting normatively. It is generally believed that no generation emerges on its own into a cultural space. Each generation is groomed directly or indirectly by the generation before it. Each citizen is believed to be a product of socialisation or enculturation. This process includes the transfer of values from one generation to the one coming after it. This is done through schooling, through transfer from the older generation of what is considered acceptable and unacceptable behaviour in society. In addition, mem-

bers of the younger generation learn by imitating the actions of those before them. In effect, apart from whatever is induced by genes, enculturation accounts significantly for what a citizen does or fails to do in his adulthood. While some section of a citizen's behaviour or misbehaviour can be blamed on genetic inheritance, so much of it is blamed on the values in circulation when a citizen is growing up.

Going by elements of sociology and anthropology with respect to the role of an older generation in the moulding of the generation after it, members of Obasanjo's generation cannot be absolved from dereliction of duty with respect to the values or lack of values passed to the generation after them, even if we have to accept without incontrovertible evidence the claim that Obasanjo's generation was saintly and stellar as rulers of their countries.To beef up Obasanjo's claim that the generation after his own prevented Africa in general and Nigeria in particular from growing up, it is important to examine the kind of legacy that the generation of the saints left behind.

Under General Obasanjo's supervision, the constitution of Nigeria was changed from a federal constitution to a quasi-unitary one. This meant that powers and responsibilities including moral supervision of politicians by citizens, possible under the regime of devolution of powers in the years preceding the coming of Obasanjo to power, were with-

drawn from regions and concentrated at the centre. The centre with no direct relationship with citizens became at the instance of Obasanjo the locus of power and resources, and the site of corruption and impunity. Institutions of learning, a major agency in the business of socialisation, were summarily transferred from the supervision of regional authorities to a federal one that had no known values to protect and promote. Moreover, members of Obasanjo's own generation also introduced a policy that prevented older politicians from seeking power, on account of their understanding that older politicians were attached to the cultures of the nationalities that constituted Nigeria before the coming of military autocracy and the imposition of a unitary constitution. The new breed political class was a creation of the type of military oligarchy presided over by General Obasanjo.

Apart from General Obasanjo's proclivity to praise himself, and by extension, his generation in politics, the matter of why Nigeria or Africa is in a mess today cannot be explained via generation bashing. It has to be viewed as a systemic failure. Mugabe belongs more to Obasanjo's generation than Dariye does, just as Mandela belongs more to Obasanjo's generation than Tinubu does. Generation bashing is an over simplification of the problems besetting governance in Africa. It is like profiling or stereotyping. Nigeria and

most of Africa have had their own share of good and bad old and young politicians.

If age is everything, Obasanjo would not have picked Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as vice president to UmaruYar'Adua in 2007, as there were many much older politicians with interest in becoming the vice president at that time. Not including President Jonathan in his list of young people who have failed Africa is an indication that, though Jonathan is one of the youngest presidents in the world, he is still considered a good choice bequeathed to Nigeria by Obasanjo.

Sociology or Anthropology 101 links older and younger generations in the preparation of citizens for socially adjusted citizenship at all levels; for nurturing by the older generate of the younger generation to sustain the values that keep societies going and predispose them to improvement; for members of an older generation to accept their duties and obligations in the failure of members of the younger generation after them for any moral decline, caused by failure to transfer right values to the new generation. Social continuity in all societies does not derive from a saintly father having a satanic son to succeed him or from an angelic mother raising a devilish daughter.Social continuity thrives on a sociological understanding that comes to terms with the existence of an umbilical cord between generations. To praise a good father under whose nose a bad son has grown is to promote Sociology zero zero zero.

APC, Awo’s predicted synthesis, must walk the talk The starting point for the new party, therefore, is to ask: what do Nigerians want and what vision of this sleeping giant does it see a few decades down the line? war. When the war is over, only the best of us will be accommodated in the synthesis, with the best in the antithesis in complete dominance'.

Going forward, Papa said: 'I do not hesitate to aver, in all sincerity and solemnity, that the NPN, together with its political regime and all that it stands for, symbolises the thesis, and that the UPN together with all those who are conscientiously and honestly opposed to the NPN, symbolizes the antithesis. The war between the two is already being waged with vehemence and inflexible resolve. Sooner or later, I believe much sooner than later -the figurative 'explosion' will occur in which the forces of the thesis and the antithesis, in their original forms, will disappear. Then the synthesis will appear which will embody the best in the NPN (thesis) and the best in the UPN (antithesis). But the dominant feature of the synthesis will be the best in the UPN'.

As those words rang out that historic morning in the historic Olumo city at which the writer was present, what they poignantly brought back to me , especially when Papa talked of the 'figurative explosion', were my classes in Dialectical Materialism at the great university of Ife, IleIfe, as taught by one of the very best in the business, my teacher per excellence, Dr Segun Osoba.

How prescient Chief Awolowo remains was beautifully captured by Chief Jide Awe, the Ekiti state interim Chairman of APC, as state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, hoisted the APC flag in the state to the great admiration and acclamation of a huge crowd of jubilating leaders, members and supporters of the brand new party on Monday, 12 August, 2013 at Ado-Ekiti, the state

capital.

In a recent article in The Nation of Monday, 12 August, 2013, entitled :' History, civil war and haunted house', The Chairman of The Nation's Editorial Board, Sam Omatsheye, wondered aloud as to how today's events uncannily mirror the immediate pre civil war events in our country.

One good example of things remaining largely the same, apart from the crass insecurity that envelopes the country, was how egregiously the PDP, like NPN before it, rigged the 2011 presidential elections especially in states in the North where the CPC actually won and, to cover up, found a solution in discrediting a just and redoubtable Judge who they never wanted to head the Presidential election Tribunal which they knew would have exhumed their electoral malfeasance. The very first thing the reconstituted Election Tribunal did, therefore, was to upturn all the reliefs the earlier panel had granted Buhari , including access to election materials and presentation before it of the database of the voters' register.

That, however, belongs to history and what must now concern us is a determination not to let our inability to learn from history repeat itself. Not many believed that APC's registration would ever see the light of day and what did PDP not do to make it impossible? Working through agents external, and lackeys within the top echelons of the Electoral Commission, all manner of spurious, wannabe political parties with the acronym APC sprung up, one of them hurriedly filed by a self-confessed baby lawyer. It would later go to court hoping that its sponsors would be able to orchestrate the type of legal shenanigans that ensured Justice Salami's matter was permanently

before the courts. Like baby Moses in the holy writ, everything was done to abort APC but it is now here and about. It is now it's bounden duty to shoulder those critical responsibilities Awo foresaw in what he called the Synthesis.

The starting point for the new party, therefore, is to ask: what do Nigerians want and what vision of this sleeping giant does it see a few decades down the line? The Yoruba say, if you do not know where you are coming from, you will, at least, know where exactly you are headed.

PDP, as a party and government, has taken Nigeria through a rudderless decade and a half and if Nigerians do not vote right, come 2015, this visionless party may just achieve its hopedfor 60 years and more.

Without a doubt, circumstances in the country today are much more perilous than in the days of Awo and his contemporaries as, though a civil war we may have fought, nothing compared then to today's Boko Haram which, as Abuja slept away until Obasanjo reminded them of something called carrot and stick, had carved out for itself, swathes of territory in a part of the country. Indeed nothing, not our epileptic power situation, nor the ravaging unemployment, more poignantly demonstrates the utter vacuity of the Jonathan administration than what Boko Haram has done, and continues to do to this country. Without peace, no government can embark, talk less of achieving, any meaningful economic development. Today, both Syria and Egypt are in shambles and one needs no rocket science to know that programmes for economic development must have taken a back seat in both countries.

There is, obviously a crying need

for infrastructural development, for stable power to jump start industrial and other economic activities just as unemployment, especially among our young graduates has to be tackled head-on. Corruption too has become so systemic that some concerned Nigerians are now planning to go on demonstrations in both the U.K and the U.S to draw international attention to our circumstances as the federal government has proved completely incapable of fighting it since it is actually its mainstay and hope for 2015.

In order to make meaningful corrections and achieve much more, however, leaders of the new party must realise that they have the daunting task of going far beyond the merger. Reactions to my last week article were replete with accusations of lack of internal democracy -they called it imposition of candidates, of religious extremism and ethnicity, amongst the leaders of the merged political parties just as many felt sure the party will most probably collapse on the altar of uncontrollable self-interest, especially when it comes to choosing its presidential candidate.

These are all very weighty matters and although thus far, these leaders have demonstrated considerable self abnegation, much more will- power will be needed in subsuming self interest for the good of this very unhealthy country. Ego must be scrupulously kept in check and the leaders must ensure unimpeachable process of choosing its candidates for all elections, state, federal and presidential. As I concluded in my article under reference, APC has a distinct, indeed, very good chance of, not only re-engineering, but completely rebranding Nigeria.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

Tunji

Adegboyega tunjade@yahoo.co.uk 08054503906 (sms only)

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HERE must be a mix-up somewhere. In 1984, Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka dismissed his generation as a 'wasted generation'. Soyinka, in a scathing essay in The Punch entitled 'The Wasted Generation' examined Nigeria's historical travails and concluded, in a damning sentence: "After a quarter of a century of witnessing and occasionally participating in varied aspects of social struggle in all their shifting tempi, dimensions, pragmatic and sometimes even ideologically oriented goals, I feel at this moment that I can only describe my generation as the wasted generation, frustrated by forces which are readily recognisable, which can be understood and analysed but which nevertheless have succeeded in defying whatever weapons such 'understanding' has been able to muster towards their defeat."

Another eminent Nigerian, Prof Chinua Achebe, had said Nigeria's problem was basically leadership.

Achebe declared, in The Trouble with Nigeria, published in 1983, that "the trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a problem of leadership" and of the inability or unwillingness of leaders to rise to "the challenge of personal example."

Both Achebe and Soyinka had refused national honours in protest against the decadence in the country and the caricature of a nation that Nigeria had become under various despotic regimes. These are the hallmarks of great men. In Nigeria, all kinds of characters usually end up on the national honours lists. So, many men of honour and proven

Postscript, Unlimited!

By

Oyinkan Medubi 07057012862 (SMS only) puchuckles7@gmail.com OMETIME ago, I had the privilege to take a young man, no older than eighteen, to task on some of his country's political policies which bordered on the treatment of a minority group in that country.

As best, if not as testily, as he could, the young man defended the country with the excuse that the group refuses to budge from its old, traditionsoaked seats. I know many people who won't budge from their tradition-soaked seats either, and no one dares ignore them. Yes, yes, I am talking about our great grandpas and grandmas in the parties.

As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by myself, my interviewee had emigrated, temporarily, from his country just to meet and know someone in another, that's all.

He was on a mission to satisfy his curiosity regarding the individual and had then set out. He met the person, stayed a while doing odd jobs for survival before going back home. He was on a kind of pilgrimage to satisfy a longing in his soul.

Now, no one can completely take care of all the longings on his/her soul, I grant, but sadly, it would appear that many Nigerians, particularly at the top, either do not have or have lost their souls. You know what they are, don't you, souls I mean? They are

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Comment & Analysis

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The sermon, by Saint Obasanjo The former president mounts the pulpit on leadership crisis! integrity must be weary of wearing the same emblems as the unworthy characters who sometimes populate the lists.

However, more than 30 years after Achebe and Soyinka had narrowed down the country's problem to a dearth of leadership, former President Olusegun Obasanjo came up with his idea of the younger generation as the cause of the country's leadership crisis. The former president spoke at the 4th Annual Ibadan Sustainable Development Summit organised by the Centre for Sustainable Development (CESDEV), University of Ibadan (UI), in collaboration with African Sustainable Development Network (ASUDNET).

Obasanjo listed former Bayelsa State governor, Dieprieye Alamieyeseigha; former Edo State Governor Lucky Igbinedion, former Delta State Governor James Ibori; his counterpart in Abia State during the last dispensation, Orji Uzor Kalu, former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as some of the young leaders who have failed the nation.

"It is sad that after 53 years of independence, we have no leader that we can commend. The problem in Africa is that when one person takes over, he would not see any good thing that his predecessor did. Let us condemn but with caution," the former president was quoted as saying by the online news medium,

Premium Times.

Trust the former president; he also seized the opportunity to sing his usual song of self-glorification: "In 1979, we had 20 new ships specially built for Nigeria. When I came back 20 years after, the national shipping line had liquidated". He was talking about his first time as military head of state and 1999 when he returned as civilian president. Has he forgotten too that the government he handed over to in 1979 was as inept and corrupt as it could be and in less than four years, that government had done sufficient damage to the economy and other sectors of the economy. That begot the dictatorship of General Muhammadu Buhari, then Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha before General Abdulsalami Abubakar came and organised elections that threw up the Obasanjo government in May, 1999. So, what did Obasanjo expect the scenario to look like in the circumstance?

Characteristically, the former president was economical with the truth when he said he did not want to hand over to his former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar because he (Atiku) was a betrayer. "I wanted someone who would succeed me, so I took Atiku. Within a year, I started seeing the type of man Atiku is. And you want me to get him there?" Does Chief Obasanjo think we have forgotten that Abubakar was

“Chief Obasanjo should not be deceived that because he owns a leadership forum, then he is eminently qualified to mount the pulpit to pontificate on leadership, whether in Nigeria, worse still, in Africa. It is just one of the many contradictions of the man, Olusegun Obasanjo ... His sermons can only make sense if he tells us to do as he says and not necessarily as he does - born again only above, but steep in the world down below!

Another contradiction?�

content with being governor in his Adamawa State when Obasanjo approached him to be his deputy? Has Obasanjo forgotten too how he reportedly cringed before this same Abubakar to get his party nomination for second term? Worse still, if Obasanjo, despite his experience in government (at least he had been head of state in the '70s) could have a faulty sense of judgement in choosing his deputy, what right has he to lampoon the socalled younger generation for incompetence in leadership positions?

But can we really blame Chief Obasanjo for giving us these homilies? I do not think so; rather, it is his colleagues and others who have been running Africa aground that are still honouring him with invitations to deliver lectures, oversee elections and stuff like that who are still giving him a false sense of importance. Even at the summit on leadership failure in Africa in question where the former President gave the keynote address, he was the least competent to speak on the issue.

We remember the many illegalities that were committed during his regime. We saw how governors were impeached without quorum; a thing his political godson experimented in Rivers State with the speaker of the state house of assembly; we saw how he (Obasanjo) used the anticorruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to haunt his enemies. There are too many buts about his administration that we can't go on counting. Yet, his colleagues keep calling him to deliver lectures and monitor elections, a question of birds of the same feather flocking together?

If there is any leadership lacuna in Nigeria, it is to Obasanjo's wasted generation that we should turn for explanation. If Nigeria is jinxed with

leadership crisis, then that must have been due to the activities of the Obasanjos in leadership positions. It is not even sweet in the former president's mouth to say the country is jinxed. The country is jinxed, yet Obasanjo was head of state from 1976 to 1979; the country is jinxed, yet Obasanjo made himself available for the presidency in 1999 and was president for eight years. The country is jinxed, yet Obasanjo wanted a third term, a thing alien to our constitution and Jagunlabi would have gladly become a sit-tight president but for Nigerians' resistance to the satanic plot.

But it is one slave that makes one abuse many other slaves. The truth is that there is no correlation between age and leadership. Obasanjo, at least officially, was born on March 5, 1937.

He is therefore 76 years old. Achebe was born November 16, 1930. He died March 21, aged 82. Soyinka on his part was born July 13, 1934, which means he is 79 this year. Officially, therefore, Obasanjo is the youngest of the trio.

Much as we can say that Obasanjo cannot be said to have given Nigerians good leadership, both Soyinka and Achebe are renowned worldwide. How it is only the wrong people that get into leadership positions in Nigeria is what one cannot fathom.

Chief Obasanjo should not be deceived that because he owns a leadership forum, then he is eminently qualified to mount the pulpit to pontificate on leadership, whether in Nigeria, worse still, in Africa. It is just one of the many contradictions of the man, Olusegun Obasanjo. In better run societies, no one would touch his forum, not even with a long spoon.

His sermons can only make sense if he tells us to do as he says and not necessarily as he does- born again only above, but steep in the world down below! Another contradiction?

Just see how this country is stealing the youth of its Youths those little things men and women carry around with them in the pockets of their shadows. Say what, shadows don't have pockets?! You could have fooled me.

Anyway, let me tell you what happens when we lose our souls. No; contrary to popular belief, we do not gain the whole world; it would just appear so for a while. Believe me, the feeling soon palls, particularly when you get the bill. I can give you so many examples of people who got the bill of losing their souls in exchange for the whole world and soon realised they did not want the whole world, just their souls. There was Dr. Falstaff, the figure that looms in English literature as a classical example of the soulless man and his deep, deep regrets; then there was Fraser's Bedazzled and his deeper and deeper regrets; then there are Nigerians...

Nigerians sure constitute one classical group of the soulless. It's only in Nigeria you can find someone prefer to pack the nation's billions into his account like one crazy winner at a poker game, not to do anything in particular with it, but for the sheer pleasure of seeing it there. It's only in Nigeria you can get old, tottering politicians insisting on staying in power to continue to wreak havoc on a hapless nation. It's only in Nigeria you can get an ineffective government but tall on excuses insisting on remaining in power so it can continue to make the people miserable. And it's only in Nigeria you can get youths so beleaguered they have no youth to speak of.

Nigeria is guilty of a lot of things, but the most heinous to me is still the

Nigerian youths have been shown by the adults that it is no use having any youth if you do not have cash backing fact that it has stolen the innocence of its youths. First, it forgets to draw up a programme of development for this group so that each one can find his/ her solid identity as a Nigerian whichever part of the country he/she may come from. Guilty. Next, the country builds a large nest, for its own youths to copy, of the worst kinds of examples anyone can possibly lay down for his/her children: lack of patriotism, murderous politics, selfish soldiery, gingham-like patterns of reckless unaccountability and irresponsibility, unabashed national selfishness, and other things for which names have not been invented. Guilty.

Then, it steals the future of its own children. Imagine that. Because of the irresponsibility of the adult group, Nigerian youths now have anxiety syndromes over what may become of them in the country. How does it manifest? It manifests in the rabid dream of every Nigerian child to run to the United States of Heaven... sorry, America. How do I know this?

Nigerian youths have no dreams regarding the country. They do not lie awake thinking of that age-old question: ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country. They cannot dream for the country because they have not been handed any tools to work with: no housing system, no credible transportation system, and no food that can satisfy the average greedy person. So, the youths do not dream for this country, they dream about leaving this

country. This should make each of us stand trembling before the mirror, look ourselves in the eyes and ask the mirror: how did I contribute to killing the ability of the Nigerian youth to dream?

There is worse yet. Many youths there are whose only goal in life is to make money, at any and at all costs and too many adults there are ready to teach them. Oooooooh, this troubles me so. The baffling thing is that many of them have no idea why they want to make money except that they have noticed that their papas and mamas worship at the foothill of money every day. They have seen too many adults in their environment listen to what the rich man says (that's why they say money talks); consult the rich people in their lives (money is powerful); or obey what the rich man commands in the family (money can do anything). They have seen that to bury any family member, people wait for the rich; chieftaincy titles go only to the rich; obaship succession chains change only for the rich; to take someone to the hospital, grown men wait for the rich in the family; and sometimes to eat, people go cap in hand to ... Yes sir, the youths have seen the fear in the eyes of their hapless parents and have found a solution: get rich quick.

Nigerian youths have been shown by the adults that it is no use having any youth if you do not have cash backing. So, they have taken to either running out of the country if they

want to keep their souls or staying in the country and pursuing money into the hole by hook or crook (quick, cross yourself for those who pursued it to the last hole) or by turning their family members into money. Somewhere in the east, a young man was said to have killed his mother as part of making money rituals, and somewhere in the west, a young man killed his mother for reportedly being 'behind' the fact that he was not 'progressing' in life. Those who are not killing are either militants (north, south) or in one religious vanguard or the other. Oh yeah, they are also killing.

Nigeria has turned the youths in its charge into ravenous wolves, hungry to consume all the money they can find in their paths. In effect, the poor youths have lost the sanctity of their youths: the zest for knowledge, the beautiful experiences that define life in its purest form, or searching for the kind of associations that show the true meaning of existence. They have not been taught that real enjoyment does not lie in holding a gun to a helpless person's head, or in spraying walls or people with bullets, or in some mindless pursuit of bawdiness.

Nigeria must teach its youths to pursue happiness, love, beauty, and self fulfilment in ways that are in complete harmony with nature. The country must teach its youths how to reach deep within them and bring out their tucked-away talents to help the society. It is not too late. If it is never done, that is when it will be too late.

18

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

Comment & Analysis

T

HOSE that call me a tribalist are simply misguided. Perhaps they do not know the meaning of the word or its true import. Those that know me well can confirm the fact that I am not a tribalist, a racist or a bigot and that I consider such sentiments as being unworthy of a man of class, good breeding and culture. I abhor hate and violence and I would be the last to incite others to hate their fellow Nigerians. I am however a firm believer in the propagation of truth and I appreciate the value and importance of history. Sadly many of our Igbo compatriots do not believe in that. For them history consists of only one thing- how other Nigerians have always marginalised them and treated them badly.

If only they knew their own history, where they are coming from, what they used to be, where they were 100 years ago and what their forefathers did to the rest of Nigeria over the last 80 years they would know why they have always had such a hard time in this country.

Sadly because they don't know any of these things they cannot learn from them. And if they cannot learn from them they will continue to make the same mistakes. That is why they can come to another man's land and territory and call it their own and when we say ''no'' they tell us to shut up, call us tribalists and ask for our arrest.

I was not a tribalist when I wrote a tribute to Colonel Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu after he died or when I condemned the '60's pogroms that took place in the north in which their people were slaughtered. I was not a tribalist when I wrote against my good friend Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima and child marriage in the north. I was not a tribalist when I wrote essays defending the rights of the Igbo and every other Nigerian nationality to exercise their right of self-determination and leave Nigeria if that is what they wanted to do. I was not a tribalist when I consistently wrote that Nigeria must have a Sovereign National Conference where the rights and obligations of all its various nationalities would be clearly defined and agreed upon. I was not a tribalist when I fought and spoke up for the establishment of true federalism in Nigeria. I was not a tribalist when I employed more Igbo people as a Presidential spokesman and a Minister of the Federal Republic than even my own Yoruba. I was not a tribalist when I wrote an essay extolling the virtues of Igbo women and telling the world about their sudden and meteoric rise and how far they had gone in the power circles of this country in the last 10 years. I was not a tribalist when I condemned the bombing of predominantly Igbo and catholic churches and the killing of the Igbo and others by Boko Haram in the north over the last three years.

I was not a tribalist when I risked my life by consistently writing against Boko Haram and

What I am not

By Femi Fani-Kayode

urging our President to do a better job at protecting the lives of all Nigerians even though I live in the north. I was not a tribalist when I wrote against political Sharia in 2001 and I participated in protracted and sometimes acrimonious debates with Islamic fundamentalists and Islamists. I was not a tribalist when I was in NADECO and when we fought against military rule in Nigeria. I was not a tribalist when I fought for a President from the south-south or the south-east. I was not a tribalist when I wrote in defence of the Igbo when it came to the abandoned property issue.

I was not a tribalist when I wrote about the excesses of the Federal troops during the civil war. I was not a tribalist when I commended Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe and the virtues of the NCNC in Nigerian history. I was not a tribalist when I wrote that it was unfair and wrong for the Federal Government of Nigeria to leave the Igbo with only 20 pounds each after the civil war. I was not a tribalist when many years ago I attended and gave my life to Christ in a church called TREM which was established by a great Nigerian of Igbo extraction by the name of Bishop Mike Okonkwo. I could go on and on.

Yet now I am a tribalist because I spoke the truth about our history and who the Yoruba are.

These people have very short memories and anyone that does not agree with them all the time or that says one word against them at any point in time is labelled a tribalist for life. They called Chief Obafemi Awolowo a tribalist, an Igbo-hater, a genocide maniac and a child-killer simply because the man refused to join sides with them in the civil war yet they forgot that on one of the occasions that Awolowo ran for the Presidency his running mate was from the east and not from the north. They called Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh, Chief S.L Akintola and Sir Ahmadu Bello Igbo-haters and tribalists simply because they saw through the Igbo agenda at a very early stage in our history and sadly they marked and killed them all for it. They called General Yakubu Gowon a genocidal maniac, a child-killer, an Igbo-hater and a tribalist simply because he opposed Biafra, stood up to Ojukwu and insisted on keeping Nigeria together and even though he declared that there was ''no victor and no vanquished'' at the end of the war.

They accused President Olusegun Obasanjo of being a tribalist and an Igbo-hater even though he appointed an Igbo man as the first GOC in the Nigerian Army since 1966 and even though he appointed more Igbo into key positions in his government than any other President before

him. They accused President Shehu Shagari of being a tribalist and an Igbo-hater even though he pardoned Ojukwu and allowed him to return back home after a long period in exile. They accused the Nigerian people of being tribalists and Igbo-haters simply because we have not had an Igbo President since 1966 forgetting that Nigeria was magnanimous in victory and that she not only gladly welcomed them back into the fold after the civil war but that she also gave them the Vice Presidency of the country only ten years later. They have labelled the northerners as tribalists and Igbo-haters simply because the north has refused to tolerate their excesses and accept their complicated ways. They have labelled the Niger Deltans as tribalists and Igbo-haters simply due to the ''abandoned property issue'' and because historically many of them have always resisted the idea of Igbo domination.

They have labelled the Yoruba as tribalists and Igbo-haters simply because we have refused to accept their claims to our land and territory and even though we were more charitable, hospitable, accommodating and generous to them than any other nationality in Nigeria after the civil war. The Yoruba particularly have been very kind and gentle with them. That is the problem. They see our liberal and accommodating nature as stupidity and weakness. That is why they always call the Yoruba cowards forgetting that the history of the Yoruba proves otherwise. It is now time to tell the truth. If speaking these bitter home truths and yearning and fighting for a better Nigeria where life would be better for all makes me a tribalist then it is a toga that I would be happy to wear. I will not sit by quietly and allow my people, the Yoruba people of south western Nigeria, to be rubbished, insulted and cheated by anyone no matter how aggressive and given to extremities that anyone may be. I make and offer no apology for any of my views. My numerous assertions stand and they will stand till the end of time.

Meanwhile, I have read all sorts of strange submissions in various newspapers and blogs that have held themselves out as rejoinders to my two articles titled "Lagos, The Igbo and the Servants Of Truth" and "The Bitter Truth About The Igbo". Since this debate began two weeks ago my staff have read no less than eleven formal responses which have come in the form of essays. Sadly other than the usual abuse and unedifying clap-trap not one of them has been able to address any of the issues that I raised in either of the two articles, answer any of the questions that I posed in them or successfully challenge my presentation of historical facts.

How I wish the masters like Gbolabo Ogunsanwo, Adebayo Williams, the late Megaforce, Chinweizu and Sad Sam could give them a few lessons in being refined and polite yet clinical and devastating in their approach. If they had one of those great writers in their corner I would have offered my surrender long ago.

Yet sadly they don't.

The bellicose nature and sheer crassness of these so-called rejoinders goes to prove two things. Firstly that those that I have described as being collectively unrestrained and crude in all their ways really are all those things and a lot more and secondly that they cannot put up any reasonable or serious argument to discredit or refute the message so instead they are attempting to destroy the messenger.

Unfortunately for them, the message is clear and it is already out there. It cannot be called back in. The horse has bolted from the stable and the falcon has left the nest. No matter how hard those that are attempting to intimidate us into silence may try it will not work and we will not be cowed. The genie has already slipped out of the bottle. The child has already been born. Those that seek to continue to denigrate and belittle the Yoruba and lay claim to what is rightfully theirs should desist from doing so.

They should grant us our peace and give us our due respect and they will get the same in return.

If they do not do so those things surely will elude them.

Meanwhile, when anyone reads a rejoinder that addresses the issues that I raised in either of my two essays and that has some level of scholarship and intellectual content they should please let me know and I may well dignify it with a response. The shameless and emotional thrash and disjointed verbiage that have been published and described as rejoinders so far are just not up to scratch. They are bereft of any logic, reason or rhyme. They also invoke pity in me for the individuals that wrote them and those that they claim to be representing. When my adversaries find a real champion that can cross swords with me and give me a good run for my money either in a literary debate or a verbal one someone should please let me know. And I am not referring to any of those excitable individuals whose emotions have beclouded their thinking and who have called me a ''scallywag'' and all manner of other interesting and unsavoury names and who have said that I ought to be in jail or in a drug rehabilitation centre. Please don't tell me that those are your champions. I am itching for a real debate with a worthy adversary on this issue.

Like the great Achilles I feel that I have no match. Are there no Hector's out there? Sadly it appears that my accusers and haters cannot find one. All they have is their hate, their ignorance, their insults and their inbred crudity and vulgarity.

Re: Igbo presidency and the Yoruba example READ the article with the above title by Dapo Thomas in The Nation Newspaper of Sunday 21st July 2013 with a lot of trepidation, and I am particularly at a loss to the generational dispensation this commentator belongs to. The essay read like some kind of road map for the Igbo race, the dos and don'ts that will give the Igbo the much sought after Nigerian presidency - the crowning glory of Nigerian politics. He made the quest for this trophy sound like the proverbial gold medal of excellence in the murky and often treacherous path to the most coveted prize in the land.

Part of my worry stems from the fact that history and truth was liberally doused with a fair sprinkling of half truths and outright fiction to say the least. The office of president was made to look like it belonged to any specific tribe or ethnic group for that matter. The allusion is that there is an Ijaw presidency for the minorities, the Obasanjo -Yoruba presidency and the Umaru Yar Adua Hausa-Fulani presidency. Far from it, we need to begin to look at the Nigerian presidency beyond the musical chair formula whereby the lucky person serendipitously stumbles on the prized chair.

As an individual, I think the Igbos stand eminently qualified to occupy the Aso Rock villa any day. More so, there are so many men and women of Igbo extraction who have distinguished themselves in the service of the motherland. It is equally important to state that, so also is any other Nigerian with the mental capacity and other attributes desirable in a Nigerian president. The present template for aspiring to the most exalted office in the land sounds like a sharing of pie which is done turnby-turn. This being the case, Nigerians cannot

I

By Chukwuemeka Otuchikere really demand for much from the man or woman who gets the pie. The reasoning becomes -after all, it is our communities turn to 'enjoy' what your people enjoyed before!

As a Nigerian who had my formative years in the post-civil war era, and raised in a multicultural and plural ethnic environment, my affinity for any particular ethnic world-view is tinted by the other cultural influences of my growing up days. Therefore I look at the postulations and counsel of the writer to be quite out of sync with the present realities and global trends. The advise to my Igbo brothers is to embrace a bigger Nigerian dream that transcends your ethnicity. A Nigeria or world where everyman like Martin Luther King saw many years ago, will not be stereotyped and confined to any ethnic straitjacket with its numerous encumbrances. Dapo Thomas may have expressed genuine concerns about the frustrations of a richly endowed group like the Igbos, failing to utilize their abundant skills and resources to claim the presidency 43 years after the civil war. The means and method he advocates runs against the grain of the typical Igbo man and indeed the political ideology of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (Zik). Zik never preached tribal politics, but embraced a politics of nationalistic inclusion which saw him building bridges across Nigeria's diverse ethnic divide.

For the records, the Igbos never set out to divide the country through a war, due to any perceived neglect or marginalization. The Igbos and others of southeastern extraction were visited with a pogrom in northern Nigeria as a result of a coup d'etat lead by Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. After the counter coup which ousted General Aguiyi Ironsi, it appeared as if there was a latent agenda to

eliminate all Igbos in parts of the then northern Nigeria. The police and security organizations appeared hapless in the face of the heinous crime of terror unleashed on my fellow Igbos.

The Igbo was left with no option than to flee from the north as their safety was no longer guaranteed. The sense of insecurity within the Nigerian state led to the declaration of Biafra and subsequent decimation of over 1 million easterners and southeasterners. The rest is history like they say.

Nigerians should advocate for a country built around ideologies rather than individuals and ethnicity. Ideas outlive men. I must admit that Awoism is primarily about an idea, not about Awo the man. What the Awoist need to sell to Nigerians is the ideology. The Igbos and any other ethnic group for that matter can embrace any progressive idea that can better their lot within the federating states of Nigeria, in as much as that idea does not promote ethnic dominance over national interest. The ideological platform should guarantee equal access to the highest office based on ability and capability to lead.

The Igbos will become ultra suspect if they go ahead to create a definitive pro-Igbo agenda, I will like the Igbo to come up with ideas that can embrace all Nigerians irrespective of tribe, tongue, gender or religion. That way they can begin to shed the weigh of suspicions and prejudices that has dogged their every move and pronouncement since the civil war.

What this generation of Nigerians need is to promote a Nigeria where the best are recognized and rewarded rather than a patronizing kind of politics that promotes tribal candidates over more qualified and capable leaders.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr. Azikiwe reigned in a totally different era. The writers

claim that the Igbos has not been able to produce an Igbo politician with the intellect, clout and credibility of Zik is a distortion of truth to a near seismic proportion. You can as well say the same for India since Mahatma Gandhi. The Igbos has suffered all type of prejudices within the Nigerian state. Suffice it to say that the dynamics of Nigerian politics has moved beyond the traditional tripod of north-eastwest. Failing to read the handwriting on the wall will be a major political miscalculation on the part of any politician vying for relevance at the centre.

The road map for the Igbo and any Nigerian interested in leading Nigeria in the future is to make a firm commitment to work with the rest of Nigeria help create one indivisible Nigeria where everyman can be evaluated based on the content of his character rather than the state-of-origin. The dispensation of 'kparakpo' politics will soon be consigned to the museum of political relics.

MKO Abiola I must equally state for the records did not single handedly win a mandate like the Dapo Thomas insinuated. Easterners and northerners lined up behind him and the then Social Democratic Party (SDP). He MKO did not sell himself as the Yoruba candidate, he worked with other Nigerians, and his ability to carry others along gave him overwhelming appeal at the polls. We should not forget that his running mate Babagana Kingibe was equally a formidable force in the north and Nigerian politics. This helped to sway the core north to endorse MKO. To give the impression that MKO Abiola was a tribal candidate diminishes the myth of that sacred mandate and the man himself.

- Otuchikere, a geologist and businessman writes from Calabar

19

POLITICS THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

Will Obasanjo give up on PDP?

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo recorded abysmal failure in his latest efforts at resolving the many troubles of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this piece, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, x-rays the former president’s attempts at saving the party, leading to speculations over his personal agenda, and wonders if the retired General would soon give up the fight?

F

ORMER President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, stepped out from the meeting in very low spirits. An Aso Rock staff, who caught a glimpse of the retired army general at the end of the stalemated meeting, said he has never seen him in recent time “so demoralised, so exasperated.”

“Even his strong, unemotional face could not fully hide his anger or disappointment,” the staff added.

That was on Tuesday night, August 13, 2013, after Obasanjo’s meeting failed to reconcile the governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who have been divided over the leadership of Nigeria Governors Forum and other crucial issues within the party, ahead of 2015.

Before the crucial Tuesday meeting, which held in Aso Rock, the seat of the federal government, the former president had, according to inside sources, taken it for granted he had finally resolved the crisis threatening the party.

He based his assumption on some promises he allegedly got from the warring governors in some of the earlier meetings he held with them and some other stakeholders.

“For example, after the meeting he held with the 23 PDP governors on Monday, Obasanjo was in high spirits. On Tuesday morning, he cited the openness of the governors at the meeting as a proof that the matter would be resolved that day.”

So, the sharp disagreement on Tuesday night, was to Obasanjo, to the other leaders of PDP and to the presidency, most disturbing.

The Nation learnt that the Presidency had reckoned on using the parley to ease out Rivers State’s

Governor Rotimi Amaechi as the chairman of NGF. This project was considered a necessary prelude to the grand scheme of recapturing the party’s straying soul. So, the presidency was said to be elated

by Obasanjo’s consensus candidate dummy, which, they said would require resignation of the contending parties to the chairmanship of NGF, Amaechi and Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, and then the installation of a neutral leader.

But unimpressed by the argument of installing a consensus candidate “in the interest of peace and reconciliation,” Amaechi, who won the NGF election with 19 votes against Jang’s 16, refused to resign his position.

For Obasanjo, who The Nation gathered may have a personal agenda of using the reconciliation process to regain control of the party ahead of 2015, it was a hard set back. A PDP national official in Abuja confirmed in confidence that the former president was not just involved in this project because of President Jonathan but also because of his special interest in the leadership and control of the party. “He and some of his associates are worried that PDP may be finally destroyed if they fail to resolve the current face-off between governors and Mr President. So, he considered this project as a personal task not just an assignment to help Mr. President,” the source said.

Why Obasanjo?

It would be recalled that this last effort was the second time the former Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees would undertake a failed bid to reconcile the governors with President Goodluck Jonathan.

•Obasanjo

Also, since the founding fathers of PDP, like former vice- presidents, Dr. Alex Ekwueme and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, lost control of the party to the then incumbent president, Olusegun Obasanjo, he (Obasanjo) and many of his followers and some elders of the party have continued to view him as the supreme leader. So, whenever there is a crisis, both at the national and state levels, he is usually invited by his followers to intervene.

For example, five months ago, when the crisis in the South-West chapter of the party was at its peak, Obasanjo had to hold a closed door reconciliation meeting with some leaders of the party in the zone at his Hilltop residence in Abeokuta.

Although the reconciliation move was rather stillborn because of the curious absence of some key members who had the support of the party’s national secretariat, some observers insist it helped to moderate the crisis. Those in attendance at the four-hour meeting included Segun Oni, a former PDP National Vice-Chairman, SouthWest; Jubril Martins Kuye, a former Minister of State for Finance; and Sarafa Ishola, a former Minister for Mines and Steel Development and some others.

Kuye had explained after the meeting that the development was part of the moves to reposition the party ahead of the 2015 General Elections. He said intra-party crises had caused a lot of setbacks to the party in the state, adding that it was necessary for elders of the party to come together and “mend broken fences,” to move the party forward.

He added that “the former president is an embodiment of peace and a rallying point of the

party both in the South-West and at the national level.”

It was this point of view that has primarily facilitated the choice of Obasanjo. But critics of the former president said his involvement in the peace project is part of the major problems of the party.

“This great party lost bearing the day Obasanjo, with the aide of associates like Chief Tony Anenih, pushed out the founding leaders in order to instal himself our monarch. That is the root cause of the PDP crisis. So, how can you expect success when you ask such a man to preside over reconciliation meetings? It won’t work because the man has his personal agenda,” said a PDP chieftain who begged not to be named.

His personal agenda Although close associates of Obasanjo and some aides of the five northern governors, who first took the matter to Obasanjo, denied that the former president has any personal agenda in the current reconciliation moves, our investigation shows that Obasanjo, who has since begun preparations to protect his political interests during the 2015 elections, is desperate to take back the control of the party.

When the late President Umar Yar’Adua and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan were to be voted into power, Obasanjo was in firm control of PDP. But he lost out completely after the emergence of Jonathan as President.

The first official public confirmation of this fact was during the well publicised laying of the foundation stone of a mosque at the multi- million naira Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) complex. Although mem-

bers of the National Assembly and top PDP chieftains attended the event, Jonathan shunned it and could not send a representative.

The matter got worse when it was alleged that Jonathan had stopped picking Obasanjo’s calls and dipped further when Obasanjo himself became a major critic of Jonathan’s government.

For example, both at local and international fora, he reportedly took a swipe at the Jonathan administration for wasting the country’s foreign reserve, put at about $35 billion in 2007. Obasanjo had been quoted a saying, “We left what we call excess crude, let’s build it for rainy day, up to $35 billion; within three years, the $35 billion disappeared. Whether the money disappeared or, like the governor said, it was shared, the fact remains that $35 billion disappeared from the foreign reserve I left behind in office. When we left that money, we thought we were leaving it for the rainy day… But my brother said the rain is not falling now. But the fact is that when the rain is falling, we will have nothing to cover our heads with because we have blown it off. The Chinese do not think that way.”

As the relationship deteriorated to that level, Jonathan, who is a political godson of Obasanjo, also demonstrateda resolve to be his own lord. But because PDP’s very survival is now seriously threatened, the presidency has allegedly reconciled with Obasanjo and actually depended on him to help save the party. Insiders, however, said Obasanjo, who still feels rubbished, is bent on showing his political might in 2015.

Another personal agenda •Continue on Page 26

20

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

Politics

A

S if he was reading my mind, an analyst, in the Nigerian Tribune, “On the Lord’s day”, 4 August, 2013, p.17 wrote: “I dare to say that whoever the APC picks as its presidential candidate and running mate will, however, go a long way to determine its success or failure in 2015”. The war of words between the APC and the presidency through its media aide, Doyin Okupe, may not help the PDP as a political party.

The senseless bold face of Doyin Okupe and his accompanying uncouth language appears to me a contradictory supposition.

In one breath, he dismissed APC as no threat to the PDP, and in another breath, he displayed the attitude of a man who was so jittery about the appearance of the new party on the political scene that he began to attack the APC viciously, like an Alaska dog! But everybody knows that Doyin Okupe’s boast –an empty one”is a cover-up for the underlying fears of the presidency and the PDP on the glorious emergence of the APC. However, the APC has something to gain from the PDP’s doublespeak. First, it should enable them to develop a strategy of negative thinking. By this I mean, they should take the boasting aspect of the PDP’s strategy and work on it. Working on it is not to take things for granted. Not taking things for granted is to adopt the hypothesis of the possibility or probability of losing the election in 2015 while the PDP holds on to an unjustified belief and confidence of winning the same election in 2015 at all costs.

As of today, the a priori probability of either of the two parties winning or losing the election in 2015 is 50:50. The party that may likely lose the election is the one that boasts of winning, and this may be as a result of illusion or overconfidence. With such an illusory confidence, the PDP may write off, to its own peril, as Doyin Okupe and the presidency have done, the APC and so do not bother to work hard on the electorate but rely solely on rigging in order to raise their probability of winning beyond 50 out of the 50:50. In this way, they are open to an element of surprise, more so as rigging of election may not be easy or even possible in 2015, owing to the general awareness of the electorate on the national issues at stake, the underlying grievances of the masses who have endured the ruling party’s drunken orgy of corruption, the obscene divide between the stupendously rich PDP politicians and an equally obscene neglect of the poor masses they are supposed to serve and service. Added to this is the general sophistication of Nigerians, young and old, men and women, in this age of the internet when rigging activities of elections can easily be captured by various electronic gadgets.

While the PDP dreams away in their positive thinking of winning the election, the APC should adopt negative thinking, i.e., think about the possibility, or even probability, of losing the election. It is this negative thinking that would do the magic, as their strategies and activities would be seriously focused on the opposite of losing, which is winning. When a man wants to cross from one side of the road to the other side, his first thought is a negative one, i.e., that he/she may be crushed by an oncoming vehicle from either side of the road if he/ she jumped into the road without looking right and left. It is this negative thinking that makes him look right and left before he/she crosses the road. He/she is afraid of instant death, just as the fear of death makes people take their drugs religiously. In this case, I dare say, it is the fear of death (negative thinking) that keeps people alive! So, the APC should think about the possibility or probability of losing. That will make them do the things that would not make them lose. And if they do not lose, then they win.

What is going on now is APC playing a game with an agent i.e. the PDP. In playing this game the APC has to adopt some of the principles of Games and Decision Theory.

First, you must think that your opponent (PDP) is not a fool or unintelligent. You must also think that they are rational, smart, and capable of doing many things and anything to win the election. You then research into all the things – possible or actual – they can do and incapable of doing and then go on to neutralise what you think they can do by means of a superior strategy. To do this, you have to maximise your expected utility or gain and minimise your loss. Maximisation of expected utility would help you make a choice between the uncertainty of alterna-

•Akande

APC: A possible winning formula

By Moses Akinola Makinde

tive outcomes .i.e., winning or losing. It is at this stage of maximisation of expected utility or gain that we propose our possible winning formula for the APC, bearing in mind our quotation at the beginning of this piece, and the fact that ours is a mere proposal or an intelligent guide only.

It is everybody’s belief that APC would prefer victory to defeat. Imagining defeat would force them into working for victory, and this must force them into making a choice under the uncertainty of the outcomes of the election. The following is probably a good, although may not be the best, option, taking into consideration the past and present political situations, alignment and realignment of forces in the political equation. We shall assume that the APC is not a coterie of selfish politicians. And we must remember that there are more than 50,001 positions to be filled by party faithful at the federal and state levels. Obviously, the first and most important office is the presidency.

The APC seems to have settled for a Northern President (from the North-West, NorthEast or North-Central). This is inevitable, since the incumbent president is bent on going ahead to contest. Other things to be considered are a confluence of zonal, religious and ethnic balancing, which are necessary to capture votes from all the zones of

the federation. This, at least, is to give every zone a sense of belonging.

At present, the South-South parades Jonathan as the president. By our political calculation, their counterpart, the SouthEast, should automatically fill the position of the Vice-President as part of the presidency. The natural choice of candidate may come from Imo State which has worked hard for the APC and is now body and soul in the new party. The state should be rewarded for its loyalty and steadfastness. The third position is the Senate President which, by our formula, should automatically go to the South-West. The fourth and fifth positions of Speaker and Secretary to the Federal Government should be up for grabs by the SouthSouth, North-East or North-Central. The Chairmanship of the party should go to the South-West for obvious reasons, while the position of Publicity Secretary is a readymade one for Alhaji Lai Mohammed from the North-Central. He is a tested Publicity Secretary, always a thorn in the flesh of the PDP, with his quick and brilliant responses to issues that he always backed with copious researches. To me, he is somebody that the APC must retain as Publicity Secretary from the defunct ACN. The positions of National Secretary, Treasurer and Legal Adviser should be shared by two of the North-East, North-West and South-South states depending on which zones got the

Speaker and Secretary to the Federal Government. For the position of Chairman of Board of Trustees, one of the hard-working leaders of the merging parties should be favoured.

The positions of Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker would emerge with the realisation that the zones that produced Senate President and Speaker cannot produce the Deputies. By all means, the APC should maximise its expected utility or gain by refusing to play the selfish cards. If they win, all members of APC win. If they lose, all of them lose, and that would be disastrous to all of them without any remainder.

The APC should make adequate use of high technology, more so as the party is made up of intellectually sophisticated people. For a start, it should embark on an aggressive on-line registration of electorate throughout the country, making sure it captures a greater percentage of the three categories of electorate, viz, the youth, men and women, of voting age. It should then go for the undecideds.

The party should also go into romance with the academics, students and workers of different descriptions. Although they are not as many as the poor masses, the industrialists, entrepreneurs, corporations, captains of industries and influential individuals in the society should be courted with popular programmes that would appeal to the working, low, and middle classes, and the general masses of Nigerians whose improved purchasing powers and standard of living would be to the advantage of the big businessmen and industrialists who would find a ready market to sell their products. If APC can win the hearts of workers, students, the academics who make up the low and middle class and make the entire womenfolk fall in love with the party, the undecided could easily fall into line of the progressive voters. The party should have Zonal and National Think Tanks and Shadow Cabinet to monitor the activities of all members of Jonathan’s cabinet.

Gladly enough, the APC is already known for its popular progressive ideology of the greatest good of the greatest number, or the greatest happiness of the greatest number, prosperity and life more abundant for all, as opposed to the ideology of the greatest good and happiness of a few privileged Nigerians by which the PDP has cornered the wealth of the entire nation to themselves, as researches into local and international newspaper reports and other publications on outlandish corruption, scams and criminal embezzlement of public funds have shown from 1999 to date, not to talk of the incredibly huge bank accounts, indecent styles of living and the fantastic number of houses they have got in places like Abuja, Lagos, Dubai, Britain, USA, Continental Europe and other corners of the globe. If the moon were to be habitable by now, many of them would have used their stolen money to build houses, and stash their stolen money on the moon!

The APC must tell Nigerians what they would do to stop the selfish and criminal looting and waste of public funds for individual and family gains only. If this alone could be achieved, Nigeria would have more than sufficient money for education (no more ASUU strikes), health, infrastructure, roads, rails, creation of jobs to curb the present unmitigated unemployment, fight corruption and the endless insecurity to a standstill, better wages and improved condition of service and living, cheaper electric tariff and reduced fuel price even before the building of refineries that would spring up in every zone of the country under the APC administration. In the end, many Nigerians who had fled the country in pursuit of Golden Fleece would like to come back to contribute their quota to the development of their country.

Just as the PDP has found it impossible to do these good things for the nation in 14 years, the APC should find it easy to do these good things through political will, integrity and good governance in its first two years of administration. The fulfillment of these promises without remainder would amount to a total change from the past, and the dawn of a shinning light hovering all over the nation. It most certainly would be the birth of a new Nigeria, the kind that the good people of Nigeria have been praying for over the years. So help APC and the rest of us, O God! — Professor Makinde is the DG/CEO, Awolowo Centre for Philosophy, Ideology and Good Governance, Osun State, Osogbo

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

Politics

Reconciliation possible in Governors Forum - Orji

Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State was one of the governors embroiled in the recent crisis that has torn the Governors Forum apart. Taiwo Ogundipe, Associate Editor and Okwy Iroegbu, Assistant Editor, took him up on this and other issues.

•Orji

T

HE recent Governors Forum’s election seems to have polarised the nation’s body polity. Some believe it portends danger for the general elections in 2015. Some observers are saying that people like you who had been pushing the idea of consensus selection should not have taken part in the election that eventually led to the dispute. What does this portend for 2015?

The point about the issue of the Governors Forum is that we’ve always had consensus candidates. Can you mention to me since the inception of the Governors Forum any one chairman that had emerged by election? It has been concession all along and that is the tradition we wanted to maintain rather than people just emerging from nowhere to spoil the tradition. If it has been concession all along and the Governors Forum has been doing well, why should some people insist there should be election?

But your faction should have opted out if you strongly believed that?

We didn’t vote. Go and look into the process of voting they’ve been touting. It’s been concession all along. Anything outside concession is not acceptable to us.

Is there a possibility of reconciliation?

Of course, this is politics. Anything is possible. We can work at reconciliation.

Some observers are of the opinion that the emergence of the APC is a threat to your party, the PDP? No, they cannot be a threat to PDP. It’s even the PDP that is a threat to them. APC is coming together as a conglomeration of parties to tackle the PDP because they are afraid of us.

Are you aware that their coming together makes them bigger?

Why are they coming together when the constitution allows for many parties? PDP is stronger and will always defeat them in elections. No matter how many of them come together, they will be no match to the PDP. Your predecessor in office, Orji Uzor Kalu, has persistently berated your government, what is your response to all of that?

I’m not interested in what he has been saying or what he would say. I mind my business. He can be saying anything to you people and you believe him. I cannot be interested in what he says. My business is to govern Abia very well and that is what I’m doing.

Now that you are talking about business, some of your critics believe it is a failure on the part of your government to have allowed a number of the major industries in the state, especially Golden Guinea Breweries and Modern Ceramics to remain moribund till date? What is your reaction to this?

Modern Ceramics Industry was ceded to the Catholic Church through their business arm known as UCL Resources and Investments Ltd. The state government went into partnership with them to revive the ailing industry. They, at a point, started production but I think they are experiencing some hitches now. Regarding the Golden Guinea Breweries, we are making progress.

We have an investor now. What delayed him before now was lack of funds but thankfully he has gotten money and he is Germany bound to get new machines as the machines there are out of use. He wants to replace all

the machines. Before 2015, the brewery, one of the legacies left behind by Michael Okpara as the pride of Umuahia in particular and Eastern Nigeria in general, will come back to life. They used to have some popular brands such as Bergerdoff and Eagle Stout.

The investor will invest his money and also recoup it in his time.

Some are of the opinion that you have not paid due attention to the businessminded people of Aba. What is your government doing to encourage the SMEs in Aba? Aba is very important to us. It’s only in that town that you will not find somebody who is not unemployed. Every person in the city is in employment. It’s either you are an artisan, trader or you are learning a trade, even the civil servant finds time to try his hand in one business or the other. We are getting more markets for them. For instance, a company known as ABIC is building more markets for them just behind Osisioma Motor Park. There is another market springing up in Ukwa West very close to Aba for wholesale goods, for packaging and exporting. We are also organising them into small cooperatives to enable them access money to help themselves. From time to time, experts are brought in to brush them up on their technique in manufacturing. They are doing very well. What we are concerned with is the brands. We want to ensure that what is made here is as good as in any other place. We are sensitising people to know that what comes from Aba is as good as what comes from Germany and Hong Kong. Our strategy or goal is to proudly say that this product is made in Aba. In Aba, you find experts in

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wears, leather shoes and bags. We want to expand the town and make the groups of business people into clusters to move the state forward industrially. It’s just like what we have done in the state capital, Umuahia.

Our aim is to build industrial towns.

In spite of these claims, some people still seem to be sceptical of your intentions. How do you want to get them to believe that you mean well for them?

We are building new markets outside Aba. And by so doing, we are expanding their operational bases. If the one in Osisioma takes off, a lot of people will move from Ariara to that place. And they will form a cluster and build houses around the area.

And that is the same thing we are doing in Ukwa and Umuahia to expand the markets . In Umuahia we have built industrial market away from the city. And the place is experiencing real development. We are about relocating the market at the centre of the town on the way to Isuikwuato. And the idea is to drive real development which we are already achieving.

In Nigeria, people believe a government is performing when they see roads and bridges being constructed. A number of people are agitating that there are no roads being constructed in the state generally. What is your reaction to this?

It is a fallacy for some people to say that we have not constructed roads in the state.

We have done roads in all the senatorial zones; we took it as a policy that every local government must feel our touch. For instance, in Isuikwuato Local Government, we are doing over five major roads. We are doing the Acha Road from Isuikwuato to Afikpo with about three bridges. We took up the contract with the Nigerian Army but we are funding it. We did the Nunya Road.

NDDC though is also doing some roads. In Aba, we are doing almost all the roads. In December last year, l gave out contracts for 18 roads to be done, by February, we realised 10 of them. Currently, we have realised all of them. We also did a new road leading into Geometrics where you have the power plant. For us, road construction in Abia is normal and we don’t celebrate it. In any case, building roads is not a legacy project. When I’m talking of legacy projects, I don’t bring in road construction because it is given. We believe in constructing roads where it never existed before. In Umuahia Local Government, for instance, there is a place we call Amaege. The people had never seen a caterpillar before. People used to leave their cars at a distance to walk to the place and its environs. We have built a road for them. We build roads that are essential but neglected.

How far have you gone with your muchpublicised legacy projects? Are you experiencing challenges or success?

We are doing well with the legacy projects. I’m sure you know why we name them legacy projects? They are projects that will stand the test of time, such as the Secretariat. The first phase is almost completed.

The High Court complex is almost ready.

We commissioned the Ministry of Justice building a few weeks. The Government House is progressing very well. The International Conference Centre is 80 per cent completed. Our e-Library has reached advanced stage. We are also doing a secretariat for the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs where the traditional chiefs will be accommodated. The governor’s residence has reached an advanced stage.

What efforts are you making to increase the IGR of the State?

We are doing very well in terms of our IGR. Our IGR started from N250 million and now it has gone up and we are still working on a further increase.

Have you not thought of raising bonds like some other state governments are doing?

I don’t believe in leaving a burden for the person coming after me.

The issue of ‘baby factories’ is bringing the state into the news in recent times. What steps have you taken to arrest the ugly trend?

We have taken serious steps to contain the situation. The truth is that where these ‘baby factories’ are germinating now are those cosmopolitan areas like Aba and the environs. When kidnapping started, it was around that area also. The same thing that is also happening now is one of the challenges of urbanisation. Our strategy is to ensure that it is stopped because it is not good for our image.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

Politics

• Uduaghan

The uncertainty that has characterised the race for the Delta State government house in 2015 seems far from being over with the speculated interest of presidential aide, Professor Sylvester Monye, reports Remi Adelowo

D

ELTA State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, seems to be in a fix of sorts.

The dilemma of the medical doctorturned-politician may not be unconnected to the schemings among leading political stakeholders and powerful interests within and outside the state to determine who succeeds him in 2015.

In the last six months when political discussions in the state have centred on Uduaghan’s likely successor, the governor on his part has remained coy on the subject.

Sources disclosed that so tactful has the governor been in discussing the issue that in both private and public functions, he has kept insisting that only God and the people of Delta State will determine his successor in 2015.

•Monye

• Ochei

Delta 2015: Monye’s entry changes equation With the vociferous agitation by Delta North senatorial zone (Anioma) that it is its turn to produce the next governor of the state, coupled with the increasing number of governorship aspirants from the other two senatorial zones, observers fear that the contest for the exalted position, particularly in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may turn out more acrimonious than imagined.

At the last count, over 15 aspirants from across the three senatorial zones in the state have reportedly signified their interest to contest for the 2015 PDP governorship ticket.

They include the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Victor Ochei; Senator representing Delta North, Ifeanyi Okowa; former acting governor of the state, Sam Obi; Chief of Staff to Governor Uduaghan, member of the House of Representatives, Ndidi Elumelu and Festus Okunbor (Delta North).

Making the list from Delta South where the incumbent governor hails from are the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe and former minister and businessman, Kenneth Gbagi.

The new mega party, the All

Progressives Congress (APC) is also not short of governorship hopefuls. Vice Chairman, Standard Alliance Group, O’tega Emerhor took not a few people by surprise when he announced his ambition via newspaper advertorials to rejoice over the emergence of APC. He hails from Delta Central.

In the north senatorial zone, a retired Airforce sports and physical education instructor, Ben Williams, has also signalled his desire to vie for the APC ticket.

And back to the intrigues in the PDP for the governorship ticket. A few weeks ago, news filtered out that the Special Adviser on Performance Monitoring and Evaluation to President Goodluck Jonathan, Professor Sylvester Monye, may have also thrown his hat into the ring.

That his entry created quite some buzz within the Delta State political terrain was understandable.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who hails from Ogwachi Uwku like Monye and former CEO, United Bank for Africa and now helmsman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, have been mentioned as some of the powerful individuals rooting for the presidential aide.

In the calculation of Monye’s backers, selling his candidacy to the president will not be too much of a problem, it was further learnt.

This group, according to insiders, believes that the next governor Delta State needs is a proven technocrat who is not tied to the apron strings of the old order. Monye, it was argued, perfectly fits the bill.

If the president succumbs to the pressure to back Monye’s aspiration, it is believed that the task of installing him as the next governor of the South South state is halfway accomplished.

The heavyweights behind Monye The Nation reliably gathered that some prominent indigenes of Delta State of Anioma extraction are reportedly backing the governorship ambition of Monye.

Can Delta North reach a consensus?

Like in most states in the country where the issue of zoning of the governorship seat •Continue on Page 26

Anambra 2013: Is Ubah Obi’s nightmare?

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HERE is no doubt that it would be a Herculean task wrestling the Ananbra State governorship seat from whomsoever Mr. Peter Obi decides to support in the November 2013 governorship election in the state. This has to do with the awesome “power of incumbency” at the disposal of Obi as the sitting governor of Anambra State. In Nigeria, “power of incumbency” has, unfortunately, come to mean the ability of a sitting president or governor to manipulate state institutions (electoral and security) to rig elections.

The story is there in the streets that the powers-that-be in Anambra State may deploy the state resources at their disposal to influence electoral and security institutions to do their bidding in the November 2013 governorship election.

It is equally believed, rightly or wrongly, that Obi, as an ardent supporter of Mr. President in the Southeast geo-political zone, may

By Nkemjika

manipulate the services of the police, which in normal times behave as if the loyalty of their men is to a sitting president rather than the nation, to achieve his intended goal of anointing his successor to the seat of Government House Awka. Of course, whether these political god-fathers will succeed in their alleged grand design for the November 2013 governorship election will depend on whether the people will allow them manipulate the state institutions and resources to determine the outcome of the forthcoming electoral contest.

However, it seems the main obstacle to the realisation of the gubernatorial ambition of whomsoever becomes the anointed candidate of Mr. Peter Obi in the 2013 gubernatorial election in Anambra State is the publicly declared interest of Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, the Chairman of Capital Oil & Gas Indus-

tries Ltd, in the race. This is because most people resident in Anambra State believe that Ubah is the candidate to beat in the electoral contest. They hinge their position on a recent development where almost all the members of the Anambra State House of Assembly, most traditional rulers, presidents- general of town unions, including the main influential stakeholders in the affairs of Anambra State that cut across political persuasions, abandoned a state-sponsored tree-planting exercise by Obi to attend the wedding ceremony of Ubah’s younger sister in far away Lagos. Other reasons why the most important stakeholders in the politics of Anambra State snubbed Obi, a sitting governor, are not far-fetched.

Most women in Anambra State who are likely to vote in the election are said to be rooting for Ubah because his Kero-Direct Scheme ensures they buy kerosene at the subsidised price of N50 per litre. Majority of

Okada and Keke NAPEP transporters are said to be behind Ubah because he has been supplying them free fuel for their business concerns every Monday of the week for the last five years. In fact, traders, who arguably constitute the largest segment of the voting population in Anambra State, see Ubah as their unassailable choice for the tenancy of the Government House, Awka, in 2014, because of the many life-saving assistance and philanthropic gestures he has extended to them over the years.

Now, if these traders, women, students, artisans, farmers, transporters, etc, chose to defy Obi during the governorship election, could they be a grimmer nightmare?

As a matter of fact, most people (teachers, professionals, workers, etc) are said to see Ubah as the only man with the demonstrated capacity to embark on the industrialisation of Anambra State, as well •Continue on Page 26

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

Politics

ripples

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Political Politics turf

with Bolade Omonijo boladeomonijo@yahoo.com

2015: The new calculations, permutations

I 2015: Cross River What’s governorship Lanlehin race still hazy •Imoke

•Lanlehin

up to? U

A

FEW days ago, the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held its inaugural rally at the ancient Mapo Hall in Ibadan. But conspicuously absent, at the event were some stalwarts of the party, most particularly the Senator representing Oyo South, Femi Lanlehin. The lawmaker, sources allege, has a nolove lost relationship with the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, over issues not unconnected to personal ambition. Ripples learnt that Lanlehin, who is also interested in ruling the state, may have commenced informal talks with the leadership of the Accord Party in the state having allegedly got wind that the governor may not support his political ambition in 2015.

NLIKE in some states where the race for the next governorship election has begun in earnest, activities within the political terrain in Cross River State, as regards who takes over from Governor Liyel Imoke in 2015, has been subdued, to say the least. This is in contrast to the pre-Imoke era, with the succession plan clearly defined and known to the major political stakeholders in the state.

But the question is: will Imoke hand over to Gershom Bassey, the Chairman of the State Water Board, to complete the 24-year succession plan allegedly crafted by the trio of ex-Governor Donald Duke, Imoke and Bassey?

Suswam set for showdown with Gemade

A

•Suswam

FTER weeks of speculations, Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, is set to finally declare his interest to contest for the Benue North East senatorial seat. His ambition will surely pitch him against the former National Chairman of the PDP, Barnabas Gemade, who currently occupies the seat. With Gemade insisting at several fora that nothing will stop him from contesting for another term, it remains to be seen how the party leadership will resolve the issue between these two heavyweights.

•Gemade

Amosun solidifies political base

T

HE recent stakeholders’ meeting of the Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has finally put to rest reports that leading members of the party in the state are up in arms against the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. The meeting, which was attended by all the three serving senators in the state, Gbenga Kaka (Ogun East), Gbenga Obadara (Ogun Central) and Akin Odunsi (Ogun West) was intended to send a strong signal to opposition parties who are hoping to capitalise on the perceived rift within the APC for electoral gains that all is well between the governor and other leading party members.

•Amosun

N another one year, perhaps, a fuller picture of what to expect at the polls in 2015 would emerge. At the moment, the jostling has started. First, it was the emergence of irreconcilable differences among the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains. Since the party was founded in 1999 and helped to power by the ruling military faction of the power elite, it has known no peace. The contraption had threatened to unscramble at every opportunity. As an agglomeration of fragments, the specks are beginning to fly about again.

But, this is not about the PDP and its shenanigans. It is about the Nigerian political landscape. The All Progressives Congress (APC) is now registered. And, with that, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), have ceased to exist as political entities. This is a major development that could become a game-changer.

Then, just before going to press, there was the news that the old Yar’Adua political machine had started gathering and could soon seek registration. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has confirmed this and hinted that those who put it together were indeed his political associates.

Could that be a hint of the direction Atiku may be moving in the months ahead? It is an indication that the political system in 2015 could be characterized by two or three parties.

The on-going court battle on the limits of the power of the electoral commission in relation to registration or deregistration of political parties and another possible contest of the commission’s power to regulate the political parties, candidates and parties may further determine how well the elections are conducted and the influence of political players on the system.

Tepid meetings are already being held towards determining who holds what post and what platforms are available for hire or genuine prosecution of ambitions. Have Nigerian opposition leaders learnt enough lessons after 14 years of the Fourth Republic ? Have they realised that there is wisdom in the saying that there is strength in unity?

A study of the political scene across Africa shows that opposition parties have only succeeded in making strong impacts in states where the race has been narrowed to two political parties or alliances. In 2007, when the All Peoples Congress (APC) sought to dethrone the ruling Sierra-Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), it had to position itself as a credible alternative. Four years earlier, when the APC’s Bai Koroma tested his strength against the incumbent President Tejan-Kabbah, he fell flat. In 2007, APC had perfected its act. Vice President Solomon Berewa moved up the ladder as the ruling party’s official candidate. No winner emerged on the first ballot, but, in the run-off, Koroma won with 55 per cent of the votes to SLPP’s 45. A third party, the Peoples Movement for Democratic Change mopped up 14 per cent of the votes. None of the others could muster two per cent.

The political scene was thus redesigned. Four years later, the APC had consolidated its hold on power, but the SLPP retained its relevance. While the APC won at the first ballot with almost 59 per cent of the votes, the SLPP retained the confidence of 37 per cent. The PMDC was the clear loser as people were not willing to sit on the fence. Many of those who had support it in 2007 crossed over to APC’s side with PMDC managing to hold on to only one per cent of the electorate.

The Kenyan example is not much different. A fractured opposition lost to a rampaging ruling party when multiparty democracy was introduced for the first time in 1992.

However, ten years later, the opposition had learnt its lesson, with Mwai Kibaki presented as flag bearer in the 2002 presidential election, the candidate of the ruling Kenyan African National Union (KANU), Uhuru Kenyatta, was narrowly defeated. Kibaki had 50.51 of the votes to Kenyatta’s 43.70 per cent. A distant third candidate, Musala Mudavadi managed to scoop only about four per cent of the votes.

Kibaki realized that the country was sharply divided and responded to the situation by forming a Government of National Unity. The experience in B enin Republic and Congo Democratic Republic is not much different.

It is too early now to say how things would turn out in 2015. Would it be a two-cornered or three-cornered fight?

Can the allies hold on to the very end? Would the ruling party finally implode before the next general elections?

How bitter is the North and what is it up to this time? Who would make the critical concession in the bid to wrest power from the ruling PDP? Honestly, for now, without the support of an octopus or a crystal ball, I cannot manage to answer any of the questions, let alone all. I remain a keen watcher of developments on the scene.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

THE SUNDAY INTERVIEW

Power reform is on course – Dagogo-Jack Reynolds Dagogo-Jack is the Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Power as well as member of the Presidential Action Committee on Power. He spoke with Steve Osuji in Lagos recently shortly after the federal government divested control of major unbundled electricity generating companies. Excerpts:

“

these facilities, you don’t have to go and wake them up in the night to do their reform and their readjustment The truth of the and reorganisation. It’s something that you should presume that it will matter is that until happen. They borrowed money, the you have moved the banks are on their back, you don’t need government to tell them to ownership and the give us light tomorrow; light now management of the becomes cash to them. Electricity sector into the prisupply is now their cash flow, you vate hands and undon’t need to teach a businessman til the private how to make money. They are faced with a situation of no electricity, no people have configcash; this is what we have been trying to communicate to the people ured their business for some time now. It is a step-wise agenda, created the thing, we move from one step of additional capital progress to another so we need that they need to repeople to understand that it can’t cover the lost cahappen overnight, we need people to understand that we can’t take our pacities in our grid, eyes off the ball, we have to move changed manin one direction no matter how slow power, retooled that may seem but we have to move forward one step at a time.

ICT, start to do I still think my point stands, I those businesses understand your explanation but the way private this a strategic asset, there still must be some oversight, there must be a people do business perspective on all these and I am instead of governsaying that all these taken together, ment, those things six months down the road, we expect so and so hours or quality of power cannot be catasupply in so and so areas of the pulted; there is so country…? much speed you I get you and I also think that Nigerians are very knowledgeable can run in that people, very knowledgeable. Such space. times when you want to hold down to a projection, it’s always good to caution yourself; sometimes it’s good to use benchmarks which will tell you whether you can approximate to it. This is because if you ask the people who did the telecoms reform to give any kind of projection as to where Nigerians will be in terms of teledensity, access to telephone, what they delivered and what they could have projected are miles apart. But you see a lot of pressure from Nigerians to kind of lock in a particular prediction whereas it is not scientific because to predict a market, you can only do so knowing the fundamentals.

Yes our fundamentals are right; we are 167 million people and we need light and there is a market waiting to be tapped; we have capacity to pay and pay even more as we have seen in the telecoms sector in a relative sense as many have two or three handsets. So ability to pay is not the problem, availability of the population is not the problem as there are 23 to 24 million households in Nigeria.

So, the demand is there. So are you saying that you will set the right platform for the private sector and the right tariff and the private sector will not cash in on it? So let us be faithful on the things we know which is to allow the private sector to take leadership here. By what you are asking, you are still trying to bring government into the mix. You need to support us to take government out then we go to the next step.

“

I

F there is any timeline to the power sector reform programme (PSR) you must know about it; please can you tell us where we are right now?

The power sector reform programme was started by President Goodluck Jonathan in June, 2010 to that extent it is about three years old. The focus of the PSR is market reform, change of the current ownership, attracting new investment in generation into the market, expanding the transmission capacity to increase the ability to wheel more power and then transfer of the distribution companies to private sector to reduce losses, to increase efficiency, to increase metering penetration. Now it’s all these efforts that will combine to produce electricity. So pretty much we have been focusing on the electricity supply profile more than we should be focusing on the critical steps that must be taken so that the market reform will be concluded. Where we are now is that the market reform has come to an advanced stage. As at end of July, the last remaining assets - the generating company at Afam and the distributing company in Kaduna - the preferred bidders were announced and soon the National Council on Privatisation will declare whether these bidders have succeeded and will be given the offer to buy. So to that extent, in the sense of the elements that will drive us to a sustainable electricity market, a lot of work has been done.

But it just so happens that Nigerians want to measure the progress on the number of hours that we have and the quantum of power that they have which will come when the structural changes take root. So we have two challenges, first is to change the market, bring in private sector players. That of course takes some time to deliver.

As we all know, just getting labour to come with us so that they will play their own role till new owners come has been one long round of negotiations, but until the new owners come, the expected efficiency will not come, until the efficiency comes, the supply cannot ramp up. Therefore, structural change of the market is more critical than power output because one leads to the other. But because we know that Nigerians will not appreciate it if we say we are doing a structural change and power is dropping everyday government has deployed resources to keep supply at the level we met it if we cannot add more but not to allow it to drop. That is what we call the service delivery leg of the reform. That is working but that has more challenges than the structural changes because that one requires people to continue to be as committed even knowing that there is a change of ownership. That one requires funding the sector even when you have sold some of these utilities. So that is slightly more difficult to manage but in the transition window, we are doing our best to make sure that we achieve a balance between changing the market and also sustaining the service level.

You are saying in effect that we are at the crossing over point of the transition. So how soon are we going to begin to reap results?

The truth of the matter is that until you have moved the ownership and the management of the sector into the private hands and until the private people have configured their business agenda, created the additional capital that they need to recover the lost capacities in our grid, changed manpower, retooled ICT, start to do those businesses the way private people do business instead of government, those things cannot be catapulted; there is so much speed you can run in that space.

But is it left solely at their whims, are there not some timelines no matter how loose?

Yes but let us look at it this way, you have sold them the assets.

You cannot reprobate and approbate as the lawyers say. You can’t sell them an asset and the set a timeline for them as if it is not theirs.

No. Remember they are profit driven people, they know the cost of

Labour matter is a major challenge. What is the situation right now?

Labour union has played a very critical role in the PSR. As most people know, we have reached the point when payment will start and as soon as that happens, the process of concluding this whole transaction will be pretty much assured. We believe that from the recent press release from the Honourable Minister’s office and from all the signals we have had from the Ministry of Power, payment will start very soon and that will be a major milestone and hurdle that we would have crossed. Let me also say that in terms of the cost of privatisation as relates to labour settlements, Nigeria is about to record one of the highest levels of financial settlement packages in order to reform power and move forward, but it’s a price the president is willing to pay because he clearly understands that there is no price you can place on darkness.

What are the figures?

It’s in the works, the Ministry has the accurate figures and it is better we get it from them but it’s slightly under N400 billion.

What is the gas situation now, we know that has always been a problem, is that problem solved now?

Okay, gas is a fuel for the generating plants just like all other elements in the value chain. They are moving targets. As we speak, molecules are being explored by the oil companies, pipelines are being built by the Nigerian Gas Company. So, every new capacity that is being added by way of molecules or pipelines increases availability of gas to the power plants. But to address your point, the truth is that in the past, the relationship between the gas owner and the generating plants was not contractual, it was what we call best endeavour. It was vertically integrated, government owns everything, if you are able to bring, bring, if you are not able to bring, don’t bring. We are moving away from all that. Part of this reform is that there will be a contractual relationship between the owner of the gas and the owner of the thermal plant. Such contractual relationship will be the basis for investment in gas; the basis for paying for gas that has been delivered without anyone saying that it is the government that owns them both. All of that is tightening up the system for efficiency. So, if the oil companies know that there is a contract, they know too well what a contract means. So, all of that are being put together and contracts are being signed as we speak.

Apart from gas, are we exploring other fuel options?

Yes, Nigeria is blessed with fuel sources but each source has a technology relationship and each fuel and technology matrix comes with construction time constraints. For instance, water, a typical medium to large hydro plant will require not less than six years before you have electricity, whereas a thermal plant, effectively delivered by a good project team will take about two and half years to realise. Of course, we could export coal if we want because we have a huge deposit of coal, but to convert coal to electricity will take a minimum of five years to realise. There has been a little bit of oversimplification of what is required to have electricity. Though there are other shorter sources, the renewable like sun which is technology-heavy. So, the cost of that is way higher than gas, way higher than coal and way higher than hydro, but again with improving technology, the prices are depressing. So we are looking at it. We have a lot of sun in the north and even in some places down south. Wind is another source of energy. We have a lot of wind and our wind map is very strong with potentials for wind turbines. So, all this will kick in when you see that the private sector has taken over the space. Even they will know well not to put their investments in one source but all this have to be market decisions. And because

•Continued on Page 25

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

THE SUNDAY INTERVIEW

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labour ought to be working as one with us because if they understand where we are going, they would know that this place In Rivers State, will explode and they are the it is clearly a case ones to reap the immense benefits of - both the of filling the skills gap, they will be the ones to be given crash people who training programmes to take new grandfathered the vantage positions. governor and Finally is the regulatory concern. This market can only those that he work through strong regulation. appointed into his We have NERC (National own cabinet are Electricity Regulatory Commission) in place. It is well talking in constituted and has very capable different tones people. So constantly, we have to with him – is that keep looking out for areas where we will continue to make the work of the adjustments in the process so that president? The both the customer and the people who made investor are happy. These are basically the core issues we have him who he is in our eyes on in order to wrap up politics and the the PSR. people he made Let me drag you into a bit of politics. By virtue of the fact that are in the same you are from Rivers State and room saying also by virtue of the fact of your something position, what is your take on the crisis in Rivers State? different from Yes, being an indigene and a what he is saying, stakeholder who is impacted by was it the what is going on, if you ask my honest opinion, what is going on president that is pathetic. But the more you look sent them? at it, you see in it, a deliberate agenda by the opposition, if you ask me, to distract the Goodluck Jonathan administration. It seems like a carefully orchestrated agenda to make sure that the president takes his eyes off governance because it is only governance that will yield the concrete milestones upon which the 2015 narrative will be engaged. We can’t go into 2015 in Nigeria talking about tribes or talking about zones. In 2015 we are talking about deliverables, what did you drop on the table while you are there?

And that people know that the narrative of Nigeria is changing from tribe and region to performance, so if they can take his eyes off performance, when we get to 2015, the only thing that will be on the table is tribes and regions. This is the agenda of the opposition. Now what is upsetting people like us is that why should the people allow the opposition to define an agenda like that and suck them into the vortex of it.

But the president doesn’t have to be distracted, he doesn’t have to be concerned about the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) for instance, he has his duties well cut out for him in bundles?

You are right but do you know that when somebody thinks that his strategy will work, he doesn’t care if the strategy is actually working or not, he just works at it. But the strategy is obviously not working. The president is an administrator, he has line managers, some of the best, in finance, in agriculture, in trade and commerce. Look at the ministers there, they are top-ranked people, they are doing their job and they are delivering for the president.

But because these other people’s interest is in the president and the presidency, so they come up with all this agenda, thinking that they are distracting the president but it is not working because they have to be distracting the whole executives; they have to stop them from working. But people are working 24/7. So, when it comes to 2015 will they realise that their strategy is not working.

And you know most of these things people are saying it doesn’t come from the president, you know how it works.

In Rivers State, it is clearly a case of - both the people who grandfathered the governor and those that he appointed into his own cabinet are talking in different tones with him – is that the work of the president? The people who made him who he is in politics and the people he made are in the same room saying something different from what he is saying, was it the president that sent them? So, for me it’s a dysfunctional setting and it is unfortunate because it is the state’s resources that are suffering, it is the focus that should have been put in Rivers State that is being expended in Abuja, in other places and sometimes abroad. It is a loss of focus; it’s a loss, loss for us. We tackle somebody we shouldn’t tackle because we are thinking of politics, then you use all the energy you should have used to do your work to do something else and everybody loses, that is not on.

There are a lot of issues and we can debate it from now till tomorrow, so let’s look at resolution. How can the Rivers crisis be resolved?

To be honest with you, if the activities in Rivers State are a part of a grand opposition strategy, it will go on in one form or the other because it is an opposition strategy. But if it is as a result of a misunderstanding within a political family, it can be resolved, it is not too complex to resolve.But if it is a grand opposition agenda to needle the president and make him lose attention and focus until it is time for the next election, then it is an opposition strategy and you cannot tell the opposition not to play their game now. So, until we decode exactly what the problem is, to design a solution around it will be a nullity.

You see a lot of people are giving different dimensions to this problem, there is a programming of public opinion to talk about David and Goliath; there is a programming of public opinion to make it seem like a big man is trying to crush a small man which is all not true.

Which is why I ask again, can’t this small man be ignored?

No, the small man cannot be ignored if being in this position gives him visibility, relevance, importance, national narratives, drama – these are the values that are being played out. There has never been a debate as to take Nigerians to the next level in any of the areas of our national endeavour, it’s who should be governorgeneral and all that; that is all we have down there now.

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•Dagogo-Jack •Continued from Page 24 of our fundamentals which include heavy demand, and mark you, the population I told you is just home consumption, we have not factored in industrial needs large and small.

At the end of the day, even the There is also industries that relocated to Ghana the challenge of will return because in Ghana you produce and bring it to Nigeria to serious technical sell, so why don’t you produce gaps. PHCN for where you have the market. So, we 20 years has not expect an explosion of a dimension that we cannot quite stay here and employed yet we project; it has to be methodical. want to grow our Talking about Ghana, how come they seem to have gotten there current capacity power right over these years while from 4000 megawe lag?

No, that is not quite correct. watts to 20,000 Ghana is about 20 million people; megawatts. So it is about one fifth of Nigeria in that is a ratio of land area. So, their transmission cost is almost zero compared to five. These megaNigeria’s. To transport power from Port Harcourt, for instance, to Yola, watts we are talkyou know what that means. And ing about are after all the money you must have equipment which spent, it gets to Yola at half current so we are not in the same league. will be manned We supply them gas to fire their by human beings. turbines. Ghana currently produces fewer than 2000 So, we have a megawatts. When it produces up huge skills gap. to 2500 megawatts the whole country will have power for 24 hours uninterrupted but we are on 4000 and we haven’t started.

So are there any more challenges to realising the complete reform of the sector in the next two years?

Yes some of the major issues which we need to keep our eyes on and close-mark in order for us to totally realise the power reform agenda include gas, which you raised earlier. But we are talking about gas disruption through vandalism, some people have argued that there can be some sinister motives to frustrate our progress or whatever their motives might be, so you see gas lines breached for no reason because we know that it is the tapping of crude oil and condensate pipes that we knew but now they are bombing gas lines.

You can’t even take the gas, so again we are worried as the rate is growing. If we continue to have that challenge, there will be no gas

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to fire the plants and we can’t get the electricity we are designing; people are right now building massive generation plants in the hope of using this gas. So, vandalism is a major concern. As we do our utmost best, we also appeal to Nigerians to show some sense of patriotism and respect and safeguard our national assets for the good of us all.

The Second challenge is labour. We need to close out on labour issues. We need the whole Nigerians to impress it on labour that it cannot get a better deal than we are offering them. Besides, after all this money is paid, the people will not go to China to pick the workers for these plants, most of them will come back the next day to continue work because there are no other people to do this work apart from them. Only those who have reached retirement age or those who think they can venture out with the money in their hands may opt out. Every other worker who decides to roll over has a good chance to roll over. So the earlier they put the issue of severance behind them, the better for everybody.

The third challenge is transmission. As we work on generation, we must put transmission in view because it is the only aspect of the three segments that government is still holding as an asset for reasons of national security and issues of skill. We are doing that through the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). So, there need to be conscious investments in this area in the short, medium and long terms.

Are you saying transmission cannot be privatised?

There is nothing that cannot be privatised but national grids in most countries are not privatised but can be concessional. But what we did is to bring in a management contractor, Manitoba, to manage it but the typical thing is to concession.

The other challenge is distribution losses. The distribution companies are the ones yielding the money, they are the customer interface. It is the distribution company that puts meter in your house and comes to bill you so we have to ramp up efficiency in that area. Currently, because they are government companies, the losses are very high; we have to bring them down. When the losses come down, the tariff comes down and the customer is protected from increases in tariffs. When the new distribution companies take over, they then begin to deploy the tools for bringing down the losses including metering; there are still a lot of people who are not metered.

We have to spend money to even bring the losses down. So I am telling you those areas we have to be efficient in so that this light that you and I want so badly will materialise. As you know, Nigerians are just interested in light, light, light – About time too – But it is also important to know how the light will come. It is like someone saying he must go to Lagos but he doesn’t have any idea where Lagos is or how to get there. There is also the challenge of serious technical gaps. PHCN for 20 years has not employed yet we want to grow our current capacity from 4000 megawatts to 20,000 megawatts. So that is a ratio of five. These megawatts we are talking about are equipment which will be manned by human beings. So, we have a huge skills gap. What that means is that

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

Politics

Monye and the Delta equation •Continued from Page 22 has taken the front burner, Delta State is not an exception.

The unwritten zoning policy which favours the North senatorial district to produce Uduaghan’s successor may have informed the high number of aspirants from the zone, a development observers fear, may prove the achilles heels of the area to actualise this objective.

Before Monye’s governorship ambition became public knowledge, the Delta North boasts of aspirants with the clout and resources to run a good race.

Leading the pack was the youthful Speaker of the House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, an engineer; Okowa, who before his election as a senator was a former commissioner and Secretary to the State Government; Okunbor, a former Commissioner for Information during the administration of ex-Governor James Ibori and the current Chief of Staff.

Before his current appointment, Okunbor served as the Deputy Director-General of the the governor’s campaign organisation, a position that reportedly brought about his

close relationship with the governor.

For Okowa, his supporters claim that he deserves to be chosen as the consensus governorship candidate of PDP from Delta North based on his political antecedents as a former local government chairman, commissioner, SSG and now senator. They are also quick to refer to his loyalty to the party, having stepped down for the current governor in 2007 despite reportedly winning the PDP governorship primaries.

Ochei’s camp is also optimistic of his chances. A Fellow of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), the speaker who also boasts an MBA from the University of Benin, a degree in law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and certificates in leadership and goverance from Oxford and Havard Universities in the United Kingdom and United States respectively, has been busy holding consultations across the state on his speculated ambition.

Within the governor’s camp, there are unconfirmed reports that he is favourably disposed to Okunbor’s aspiration. However, this notion was quickly dimissed

by other sources who insist that the governor will throw his weight behing whoever emerges the candidate of the party.

With the calibre of the aspirants from Delta North, observers say the earlier the zone sorts out the issue of the consensus candidate, the better for the zone, as aspirants from Delta Central and Delta South are waiting to catch in on the perceived disunity among the aspirants in the Delta North once the battle for the governorship

race gets under way.

Does Monye fit the bill?

A greenhorn in politics, Monye is, however, a technocrat of high standing.

Said to have attained his professorship in his late 30’s, the presidential adviser was a former Director of Marketing at the Nigeria Development Tourism Corporation (NDTC) during the tenure of Mrs. Omotayo Omotosho as the Director-General.

Is Ubah Obi’s nightmare?

•Continued from Page 22 as developing its crude oil resources for the employment and empowerment of the teeming idle hands in the state’s labour market.

Interestingly, the living representative of the late Eze Gburugburu of Ndi-Igbo, Emeka Ojukwu Jnr, has this to say about Ifeanyi Ubah : “I see in Ifeanyi Ubah, hope for Anambra State. To have an idea of what a man is capable of doing, one has to look

at his antecedents. This is a man who, by any measure, has been immensely successful in business, a man who is a philanthropist and a man, who has dedicated himself to addressing the needs of the downtrodden.

With living testimonies on how sitting governors rig elections for their anointed candidates at the disposal of the teeming masses of Anambra State, it may well-nigh be difficult for Obi to stream-roll his preferred candidate in the election into Gov-

Ekiti PDP: In search of elusive peace

By Abiodun Atere

•Fayose

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HE genesis: To keen observers, the crisis bedevilling the PDP in Ekiti State started when it lost the governorship seat to the Action Congress of Nigeria. From then on, the party lacked a clear leader.

The composition of the executive This was the situation when the election into the state executive council was to take place. The jostling tendencies within the party saw this as an opportunity to affirm their supremacy. At this time, the major tendencies were those of former governor Segun Oni and those of former Governor Ayodele Fayose. During the election into the exco, a lot of intrigues played out.

At the end of the day though, the Fayose group had the upper hand.

Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe emerged the Chairman while Dr. Tope Aluko emerged the Secretary.

Oni and his supporters lost out and had since then been asking that the executive council should be harmonised.

The situation since then had been just manageable. The exco was doing its best to contain the various groups and to keep a united front. It was while this was going on that the race for 2014 entered a higher gear. Aspirants threw their hats in the ring immediately. As at the last count, there were at least 25 of such aspirants.

As things were calming down

and it seemed that there was going to be a competitive primary, tension was on the rise again as Engr. Segun Oni’s case at the Supreme Court was ripe for judgement. As May 31, 2013 beckoned, Engr. Oni’s supporters in the state had started a quiet celebration in anticipation of his ‘soonto-be-declared victory’ by the Supreme Court.

It would be recalled that the Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin Kwara State had on October 15 2010 ruled that Kayode Fayemi was the legitimate winner of the 2007 election and the re-run election held in the state in 2009. The Court further directed that Fayemi be sworn in immediately.

But dissatisfied with his removal and alleging that there was inappropriate communication between the President of the Court of Appeal and ACN chieftains, Oni had filed an appeal at the Supreme Court, alleging bias against the Appeal Court Justices that delivered the ruling.

But Fayemi argued that the apex court had no jurisdiction to hear the case because it was a governorship election matter which litigation must end at the Appeal Court as the rule then was. The governor also stated that the allegation of bias against the justices was investigated by the National Judicial Council, which found them not guilty.

The case, having dragged on for some time now, was finally ready for judgement with Friday, May 31, 2013 as the judgement day. The whole state waited with bated breath. Would Oni come back?

Would he not? It was Oni’s last game.

He is also a former Permanent Secretary of the National Planning Commssion (NPC) and also currently serves as the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Port Reforms.

With the speculation that Monye may allegedly be imposed as the PDP 2015 governorship candidate gathering momentum, it remains to be seen how the party will navigate through the attendant crisis that will likely trail this decision.

Then came the consensus arrangement and argument. The President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who is the national leader of the PDP had suggested that because of the various bad blood that always flow after major election primaries, the party should adopt the consensus approach in picking its candidates in major elections.

Only one or two aspirants, particularly Fayose were opposed to this presidential directive.

The Ogundipe executive, working based on the support of the majority, was set to do the right thing. However, a visit to the secretariat of the PDP in Ikere Road by a serving minister in the state would change everything. After the visit, Ogundipe released a list of the consensus committee members.

The list was perceived by some as containing mostly the names of supporters of the minister. Supporters of a former governor and anticonsensus aspirant were alleged to have overrun the secretariat while the chairman ran for cover.

A faction of the exco led by Tope Aluko would later announce the suspension of Ogundipe.

Ogundipe, on the other hand, would come back from Abuja where he temporarily sought refuge to also announce the suspension of Tope Aluko, Fayose and others.

The national chairman of the PDP, Alh Bamanga Tukur, declared Fayose’s suspension null and void. The Southwest zone of the party held the same position.

But rising from a hurriedly – called meeting same week, a group of 16 aspirants led by Caleb Olubolade declared support for the suspension of Fayose. They also supported the

ernment House, Awka.

In fact, with the determination of many civil society organisations to discreetly monitor the activities of INEC, the police, SSS, Peter Obi’s government functionaries, including the judiciary, to ensure that no rigging takes place during the November 2013 governorship election in Anambra State, it is clear to all and sundry that any annointee of Governor Obi will depend only on the people’s votes to win or loose. This being the case, such an aspirant will only be a non starter in the presence of grassroots philanthropist like Ubah.

- Mr. Nkemjika is a research writer and media consultant.

Will Obasanjo give up on PDP? •Continued from Page 19

•Oni

consensus arrangement.

Some in the Group of 16 aspirants are privately regretting their action. They confided in their aides that they felt they have been used.

According to them, the better thing to have done would have been to stand independently and take a stand like Sen. Gbenga Aluko and Hon. Bisi Omoyeni. Aluko was quoted recently by The Guardian of August 4, 2013, as stating that the consensus arrangement remains the better option for picking the candidate.

He also urged the party leadership as represented by Ogundipe to wield the big stick against any aspirant whose activities undermine the authority of the President.

The Way Forward Although the Seriake Dickson committee was said to have sent some people to Ado Ekiti to observe the sitting of the Executive Council in Ado, many PDP stakeholders in Ekiti believe peace is still a long way off for the Party. According to them, the serving minister is using his office to cause disharmony in the system. Although he wanted to be governor, he has refused to relinquish his seat at the FEC to give another Ekiti son or daughter the opportunity to serve. Yet he has not used his office to benefit Ekiti State in any way.

•Atere writes from Ado Ekiti

Obasanjo may be pursuing, which has allegedly led to the failure of the peace moves, is the project of saving the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. Ironically, while the opposing PDP governors see Tukur as the major problem of the reconciliation moves and are bent on his removal, Obasanjo’s loyalists see Tukur’s survival as non- negotiable.

Can Obasanjo give up?

Although Obasanjo told the governors at the end of Tuesday meeting that “the door is neither closed nor opened,” a top PDP source said on Friday that the former president is getting tired of the hard posture of all the stakeholders in the PDP crisis. “Unless the principal actors in the current face- off change tactics and agree to the spirit of give and take, I do not see Chief Obasanjo accepting to chair another peace meetings that everybody knows will crumble again. The way Baba spoke after the last moves indicate he my be getting pissed off with the whole intrigues. We should not be surprised if he chose to give up on the reconciliation path. As a general, he may, from now, prefer adoption of military tactics and that may mean anything for the party and the polity,” the official said.

As the key actors of the PDP crisis return from the Abuja’s latest peace effort, observers are wondering what Obasanjo’s next step would be. Will he give up on PDP? The drama’s final curtain is yet to be drawn.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

INSIGHT 47

•Rochas Okorocha

•Bisi Akande

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OUTH-EAST geo-political zone, which of late was split between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance ( APGA) began as a traditional PDP zone.

The emergence of APGA, helped greatly by the influence of the late Eze Gburugburu Ndigbo, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, changed the political equation slightly, as Anambra State first became an APGA State, followed by Imo. Today, with the demise of Ojukwu, compounded by the recent leadership crisis in APGA, the political future of the zone has emerged a central issue. This explains the attention of political strategists before and after the registration of the All Progressives Congress ( APC).

Coming at the time APGA was embroiled in a leadership crisis, with the governor of Imo State, Okorocha, emerging as a pioneer APC member, there is fear within the PDP and APGA that APC may have come to battle for the political soul of the South-East zone.

This is even as South East people are alleging that they are yet to experience federal attention and good governance, compared to other zones in the federation. They have therefore alleged that they have suffered greatly and are in search of change.

The primary allegation for the quest for change has remained that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has dominated the politics of the zone since 1999, has been unable to resolve, satisfactorily, the deep feeling of marginalisation amongst the people.

Even the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), which many of the people saw as their own, had been stalled by continuous internal crises and intrigues, thus leaving the zone largely naked, politically.

Given this reality, a majority of SouthEasterners, especially those dissatisfied with the status quo, see the emergence of APC as the long awaited opportunity for political deliverance.

The Nation’s investigation reveals that such electorates and political stalwarts have enthusiastically embraced the new party even before the conclusion of the registration process.

Besides the people’s dissatisfaction with the status quo and the need for a more viable change, our investigation shows that the growing influence of the APC in the geo- political zone is also attributable to the influence and acceptability of most of the politicians that are leading the new party in the zone.

In most of the South-East states, APC seems to have a lot of political figures,

•Annie Okonkwo

APC and the South-East challenge Emergence of All Progressives Congress (APC) as a registered party has raised several issues, including the strength of the new party in the South-East zone and what the party would offer Ndigbo, reports Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, who also takes a look at the leaders of the party in the zone. who are comparatively adjudged, by the electorate, as both progressives and radical and therefore more welfarist in ideology.

Some of the leaders in the states include: Imo State:

Leading the APC in Imo State and other parts of the South-East zone today is Governor Rochas Okorocha. Okorocha, who was elected governor of Imo State on the platform of APGA, stood out in the historical gathering in Lagos, where APC was given birth to.

Not encumbered by the disagreement over his party’s participation in the merger, Okorocha has remained steadfast in the new political process and is widely considered as the major force behind APC in Imo and indeed the entire South-East zone.

Apart from Okorocha, there are also other political heavyweights in the state, whose association with APC has served as a major boost for the party in the state.

They include former governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa, former CPC governorship candidate, Chief Mike Ahamba, who, before the registration of APC, defected to ACN in a grand style with many supporters, put by some reports as numbering over 3000.

Even before the emergence of APC, ACN, led in the state by Chief Charles Ubah, has attracted other powerful politicians.

It would be recalled that in 2011, some of the major politicians from the state, who were associated with ACN, included Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, who then had governorship ambition under ACN. If these political heavyweights join hands, it would seem difficult to snatch the state from the APC. Abia State Abia State, a neighbouring state to Imo State, is said to be greatly influenced by the political revolution going on in Imo, where the state governor has not only turned the state to on APC state but has emerged a leader of the party in the entire South-East zone.

Already, Governor Okorocha has promised to support APC members in the Continued on page 48

What is in it for the zone?

A

S the APC launches it’s mobilisation campaigns in the zone, one major argument has been what the zone stands to gain by voting for the party?

In the recent meeting held by some APC leaders in Enugu, the political association said it wants PDP out of power because the latter’s administration at the federal level has been deceiving the people of the South-East geo-political zone who have been voting massively for it since 1999.

It listed three projects initiated by the PDP administration in the South-East but which it claimed have not been executed.

The projects are Onitsha Sea Port, Second Niger Bridge, and 3-D Seismic Survey for Enugu Coal-Fired-Plant.

It said, “We are bidding good- bye to the PDP because the South-East since 1999

had voted massively for the PDP at every election and none of the promises made has been fulfilled. What we witnessed is ‘April fool’ fanfare launching of Onitsha Sea Port by President Goodluck Jonathan and six months down the line no boat not to talk of sea vessel had berthed in the so called port.

“In another make belief few weeks ago we were told that the Second Niger Bridge has been awarded and we ask – where is the design of the bridge? Where is the environmental impact assessment? Where is the property valuation report? What is the cost of the contract?

“Thirdly, the 3-D Seismic Survey’s money budgeted for Enugu Coal-FiredPlant initiated by Professor Barth Nnaji in the 2012 Budget ; we understand has

grown wings and flew into the pockets of very important officials of President Jonathan administration,” they alleged.

Already, besides the mere clamour for change, leaders of the party in the SouthEast are alleged to have claimed the zone will, under the APC, get at least the vice presidential ticket in 2015 and other influential political positions.

But Chief Israel Ukaukwu, an APC chieftain in Abia State, in his reaction to the claim, to.d The Nation, “We are not even crazy of top political positions for now.

What is of more importance to us is that we want governors that will transform all South-East states the way the current APC governors are doing in the South-West, Edo and in Imo. That is enough conviction that we should consider APC. “

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

INSIGHT Continued from page 47

state to take over power in Umuahia.

When he played host to a delegation under the platform of Igbo Rescue Mission from Abia State that paid him a solidarity visit in Government House, Owerri, Okorocha said, “There is political bondage in Abia State which the people needed to be liberated from. This is the time to awaken our people, as Igbo people are now free. This is the time to embrace the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

Ben Udensi, the leader of the group said they came to visit Okorocha in acknowledgment that he is the “true leader of the Igbo people.”

Investigations conducted at the grassroots show that APC is also poised to uproot the PDP in Abia. The Nation learnt that the new party will be led mainly by young but radical politicians.

Aside the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) flag bearer in the 2011 gubernatorial election in the state, Prince Paul Ikonne, ANPP member of Board of Trustees, Dr. Francis Egu, had, according to some sources, been pencilled down to play leading roles in the APC 2015 campaigns in the state.

Enugu State In Enugu State, the APC has also commenced active mobilisation for 2015 elections. In one of its earliest public gatherings, the association said the PDP has been deceiving the South East geo-political zone.

Arising from a recent one-day stakeholders’ preliminary meeting last Friday, the party alleged that PDP has not only failed the nation in the last 14 years, but has also squandered over N50 trillion of the nation’s wealth and should, therefore, be dislodged from power, come 2015.

APC in Enugu also alleged that the second tenure of the Governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chume, has become a disaster, alleging that “it is riddled with corruption while the economy has become stagnant.”

These allegations are contained in a communiqué jointly signed by the representatives of the four merging political parties.

I

•Ogbonnaya Onu They include Val Nnaedozie of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN; Emma Eneukwu of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Peter Okonkwo of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and Osita Okechukwu of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

Even before the registration of the APC, the party has made some in-roads in Enugu.

Amongst the leaders of the party in the state include,the coordinator of APC in the state, Chief Osita Okechukwu who was the gubernatorial candidate of the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) in 2011, Maj.-Gen. Josef Okoloagu (retd.) of ACN. The Nation learnt that the party’s recent campaign for the next governor of the state to come from Nsukka zone has made it a major political force to contend

•Achike Udenwa with.

While other parties are still debating over the issue, the new party has formally zoned Enugu State governorship position in 2015 to the Enugu North Senatorial District, known as Nsukka.

In a press release, Okechukwu said the decision to zone the position to Nsukka was taken at a meeting in Enugu.

He therefore appealed to credible aspirants from Enugu East and Enugu West to support the decision in the spirit of brotherhood.

“In 1999, Dr Chimaroke Nnamani from Enugu East became governor in Enugu State and he ruled for eight years.

Sullivan Chime, who hails from Enugu West, took over in 2007 and by the time his tenure comes to an end in May 2015, he must have ruled for eight years. So, we believe in the APC that

for equity, fairness and justice to prevail, the next governor should come from Enugu North, which is Nsukka zone,” he noted.

This move, we gathered, has already put other political parties, especially the ruling PDP on its toes.

Ebonyi State In Ebonyi State, the National Chairman of All Nigeria People’s Party ( ANPP), Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, who is one of the principal founders of APC, is already leading the campaign for APC in the state henceforth.

A former governor of old Abia State, Onu will be working with other leaders in all the parties that merged to battle the ruling People’s Democratic Party.

Even before the merger, opposition political parties in the state had shared common ambition of uprooting the PDP in the state.

APC’s break through in Anambra

T was historic weekend in Anambra State as a former presidential aspirant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2007, Rev Dr Emma Obianagha, led over 3,000 members to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This is coming as the APC urged Governor Peter Obi to start packing his briefcases as the party would take over Government House March next year. APC insisted that its structures are better on ground than any other party and would match the government in power and out do it with correct and accurate political strategies to win the governorship election after coasting to victory in the local government elections slated for October 5th this year.

Obianagha was received by the Deputy National Chairman, South APC, Senator Annie Okonkwo and governorship aspirant of the APC, Mr Goddy Ezeemo, at an impressive rally to inform the state that the APC has been formally registered at Emmaus House, Awka.

He told the mammoth crowd of the APC that he renounced the PDP on Saturday in his country home Ogidi , Idemmili Local Government Area and was welcomed by Mr Edwin Okonkwo, ward One Ogidi Chairman of APC and other thousands of APC. He added that PDP has failed Nigeria and that there is nothing that would be an obstacle for the APC to win Anambra State in 2015, describing it as a party with human face. ‘’APC will govern Anambra State in 2014 because the election will be won by APC . I saw that and willingly decided to leave PDP which is at comatose now. If you are not in the APC, you are in trouble. I urge those in APC who are still hiding to come out boldly. ‘’Nigeria is drifting because of the PDP and it is only APC that can resolve the problem of Nigeria. The party in power which I am a member is in shatters. I am candidly saying that things have fallen apart in PDP. ‘’Let us not make a mistake to vote any other party but APC. Any mistake would be disastrous and spell doom for this country. Only APC candidate will win election in Anambra and at the center. PDP can’t win elections here again and

From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Nnewi since I have joined APC, you will start seeing the real mess in PDP. Those who joined PDP because of me in some states of the South-East are already decamping to APC. ‘’Let me warn all of you to be vigilant because PDP believes in the rigging machinery but it won’t work again. They don’t care about the vote and condition of people at the grassroots but that is where they got it wrong. PDP government has no grassroots agenda. Urban gorillas have hijacked PDP,” he said.

Addressing the crowd, Senator Annie Okonkwo and Mr Goddy Ezeemo warned against people who are in the party but working against the party to have a rethink as it is dangerous to be a blackleg when nobody is looking in one’s direction.

Ezeemo appealed to all members to ensure that a free and fair registration exercise of party members of APC is embarked on starting from Tuesday to ensure all party members are accommodated by discarding the earlier registration said to have been done before the registration since it is now contentious in some quarters to give every aspiring member the chance to join.

He warned those intimidating members by dropping names to stop since the party is large enough to accommodate all interests in line with party rules and regulations. ‘’We agreed to inform you to discard the previous registration in the name of APC. We agreed to discard that one to enable everybody register and be happy to enable us forge ahead to win Anambra with one mind, one voice and anybody intimidating the party members should have a rethink because this is a brotherly contest for us to win the local government election and state government election. ‘’Let us be accommodating one another and tell ourselves the truth and work together to enable us win elections and nothing else. We are not in the party to show off or to harass one another but to win the election, so all hands should be on deck to enable us win.

Ezeemo said everybody should prepare to

•Chris Ngige vote for whoever they want to govern them . ‘’I am not desperate to be governor but APC has come to stay in Anambra State. We all should join hands to take the state to the next level through APC.” On his part, Okonkwo appealed to members not to close the door for fresh members like those who defected from PDP, led by Obianagha, but to welcome new members to enable them ride to the Government House, Awka.

He told the crowd that against the rumour being spread across the state that he is no longer contesting the governorship of the state under APC, he is still much more in the race until otherwise stated. He urged members to disregard the rumour. ‘’APC will reclaim Nigeria and APC is the new face of Anambra State. We will embark on infrastructure upgrade, employment, just name it and anybody telling you that APC is anti-Igbo should be ignored.

As at now, most of the national officers come

from Igbo land. What other justification do you need to understand that the party is not anti Igbo but pro Igbo in all its ramifications. APC is organised and we are assuring that APC will have a free and fair primary election.

Although Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige has not attended any of the rallies by APC, he is a contender in the APC governorship ticket.

Okonkwo had earlier announced the appointment of former All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Pat Orjiakor, as APC’s interim Chairman in Anambra State, to make sure the party is not a sheep without a shepherd. ‘’The party found out that the only person to lead the party pending ratification of every other thing is Orjiakor. The gentleman is a vibrant person with vision, and for our party to move ahead of others, we have to appoint him before a substantive chairman emerges. ‘’APC cannot be allowed to operate in a vacuum, it has been like sheep without a shepherd, so we cannot continue like that.

Okonkwo informed that he has resigned his poistion as the National Interim Deputy Chairman to contest for the governorship of the state .

He reminded that there is no provision for imposition and godfatherism in APC as everybody dreaming to be governor will subject himself or herself to the party primaries. ‘’Go to your wards and local governments to be fishers of members. God wants to use APC to liberate the people.

In his remarks, Orjiakor said only God should be given the glory of the actualisation of victory of APC registration and assured he would do his best to stir the party to victory. APC has no provision for a consensus candidate, the party has no provision for imposition of anybody as its candidate. Some people are looking forward to impose themselves as demi gods, it will not work in APC. ‘’It is the handiwork of God for me to lead the eminent persons in APC, but what I am promising members is that I will not fail them. ‘’This is the era of truth , I will not lead any member astray,but one thing is sure and that is APC is going to take over from Governor Peter Obi on march 17, next year.

BUSINESS THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

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‘Work for me is like playing tennis’ -- Page 54

T

HE Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has stated that the collection of excess cargo charges from some category of passengers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, is in line with the authority’s Aviation Revenue Automation Project (ARAP).

The ARAP, the General Manager, Corporate Communications of FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati said, is predicated on rich data gathering methods by the authority that would lead to consistent and accurate statistics on its operations.

Dati explained that the authority in its continuous bid to ensure efficiency, transparency and fair play, has put in place measures aimed at ensuring that excessive baggage that are not personal effects which are destined for commercial objectives are not camouflaged to pass through carousels without the payment of the mandatory tariff.

FAAN clears air on excess cargo charges

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

He said the authority has observed that traders and importers rather than send cargo through the appropriate terminals prefer to travel with their goods under the cover of personal effects thereby subjecting the airport facilities and fellow passengers to untold hardship and delays.

The FAAN spokesman who was speaking against the background of statements credited to the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) on moves

by the authority to block areas of revenue leakages, stressed that: “The issue of collection of excess cargo tariff at the point of departure is not a new development as a concessionaire was handling this before the automation of revenue points of the authority. The goal is in line with the Aviation Revenue Automation Project (ARAP) which is predicated on rich data gathering methods leading to consistent and accurate statistic.”

The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) had last week protested

the reported attempts by officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to force passengers arriving the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Lagos to pay a N2000 charge on all checkedin luggage.

The Council, in a letter signed by its Director General, Mrs. Dupe Atoki, drew the attention of FAAN to the consumer outcry that greeted the indiscriminate implementation of the luggage charge, urging it to urgently review and take decisive steps to assuage the situation.

Customs seek timely cargo clearance C USTOMS Consultative Committee (CCC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Office of the Comptroller General, has charged the trading public in the maritime sector to comply with rules and regulations in order to enjoy the Pre-arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), initiative being embarked upon NCS. Speaking through its secretary, Jude Maduka, at a recently held discussion forum with the Agriculture Union trad-

F

IRST Bank of Nigeria Limited has announced the appointment of Mr. Adetokunbo Mukhail Abiru as Executive Director, Corporate Banking Business.

The appointment of Abiru, who until recently was the Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, is to enrich the capacity of the Executive Management and Board in the area of corporate governance culture.

“I am pleased to welcome Tokunbo back to the FirstBank

By Biodun-Thomas Davids

ers at the International Building Materials Market, Orile, Lagos, the committee informed that while fully in operation the initiative would afford importers the opportunity of clearing their cargos within 24 hours of arrival at the sea ports.

Maduka however, emphasised “compliance with rules and regulations” as the only clause That could guarantee the smooth sail of this proactive initiative. “Learn to do

it right, lend your voice without hiding items from vessels to destination,” he added.

Echoing similar sentiments, a member of the committee, Comrade Christopher Okpala, hinted that they were an interface between the NCS and the trading public in the maritime sector that might not be able to reach NCS directly with complaints.

In his own remark, the Committee, Chairman, Progressive Auto Deal-

ers Forum, Comrade Chinedu Ukatu, stressed that: “Clearing of vehicles in the border is a great challenge that the committee was mandated to help in addressing and bringing to the notice of the Customs challenges faced by importers in the cargo clearance process by removing bottlenecks in trade facilitation as well as ensuring that importers give honest declarations, and pay requisite duties on their consignments.”

First Bank appoints Abiru Executive Director family. His track record while he was here as the Group Head, Corporate Banking and as finance commissioner in Lagos State typify FirstBank’s value system which is anchored on dependability, entrepreneurship, integrity, resilience, dynamism, and service excellence. I have no doubt that the experience garnered while on Leave of Absence in Lagos State public

service, though brief, will have the expected impact in his new responsibility as we make progress with the Bank’s focused transformation for sustainable growth,” said Bisi Onasanya, First Bank’s GMD/CEO. Abiru who has extensive experience in banking and consulting spanning over 20 years, is a Fellow of the Institute of

Chartered Accountant of Nigeria and Honorary Senior Member, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (HCIB).

A graduate of Economics from Lagos State University, Abiru has attended various executive management programmes in top rated business schools including Lagos Business School and Harvard Business School.

Winners emerge at “33” Export promo T HE eight-week long “33” Export lager National Consumer Promo has ended with winners carting cash prizes among other consolation prizes.

Among the lucky few is the trio of Olatunji Odusanya, Sunday Edobor and Henry Emama who emerged the third set of winners and earning a whopping N3million after successfully cracking the code of friendship by combining their crown corks, to form the sentence “Code of Friendship.”

The latest set of friends has increased the number of grand prize winners so far to nine since the promo commenced on June 7.

Presenting cheques of N1m each to the latest winners at Lafost Bar, Ofin Sagamu, Ogun State, last Thursday, Brand Manager, Consolidated Breweries Plc., Mr. Dare Olateju expressed appreciation to loyal consumers of “33” Export for making the promo a huge success.

“We at Consolidated Breweries Plc will continue to engage our consumers with promo ideas that they find truly rewarding and beneficial to them. This latest promo

Briefs Rotary stresses commitment to polio eradication

R

OTARY International has stressed the need for all tiers of government to commit funding towards the eradication of polio across the country.

District Governor Rotarian Olugbenga Olowu mooted this idea at a public forum in Lagos recently.

According to Olowu, the fight against polio has remained one of the major assignments embarked upon by Rotary International over the years in its commitment towards ensuring a polio-free society.

Echoing similar sentiments, Rotarian Tunji Funsho Vice Chairman said, efforts by Rotary International is already yielding fruits.

He said polio was the only disease that could be eradicated, adding that after the pilot project commenced in 1985, the process was about eradicating polio from the world.

He, however, noted that the funds expended so far comes from respective donors abroad and that just recently, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had given $1.3billion in the fight towards eradication of the polio, through massive immunisation, among others.

Expatiating, Funsho said Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan were the only countries where the polio scourge was still endemic.

He said 98% of the funds spent on the eradication of polio is from donors abroad. He urged the Federal Government, corporate bodies to come together and help in eradicating the polio disease, adding that it was a national and worldwide problem, which means the campaign against polio, should continue.

The chairman of the planning committee, Rotarian Yemi Oshilaja said they were planning something big in the country ahead of the World Polio Day, which comes up in October.

Part of activities to mark the day, according to Oshilaja includes cycling to raise funds among others, with banks, telecos as potential sponsors.

FBNH, others lead stock

T

•From left: Grand Prize Winners - Mr. Henry Imama, Mr. Sunday Edobor, Regional Commercial Manager, (Western Operations), Consolidated Breweries Plc, Mr. Aderemi Adetona and another winner, Mr. Olatunji Odusanya, at the cheque presentation to the winners, in the just ended Crack the code "33" Export Lager National Promo, at Lafost Bar, Sagamu, Ogun State…recently

further drives home our belief in friendship and “33” Export being a good enabler of good times for buddies,” Olateju stressed.

Vincent Nwawueze, Chibuike Oguamanam and Ahamaeze Ikechukwu from Owerri were the first set of three friends to win the

grand prize, while the second set of friends from Lagos are Oladejo Dayo, Kayode Olumuyiwa and Adefemi Ojo.

HE bears resumed their strong hold on Friday with near flat All Share Index closure, as the ASI lost 34 bps while volume traded was 272million, driven majorly by activities in the banking sector with large crosses from FBNH (54m), Access Bank (32m) and Diamond Bank (27m) while traded value was N3.58billion.

Besides, oil and gas sector was a major driver, as the sector lost 113 bps. According to analysts, the sectors performance could be attributable to negative market reaction to Oando’s half year 2013 result released. This escalated to other companies in the sub sector. Oando share price fell by N0.60 to close at N12.20.

Across board large volumes were offered with bargain hunters witnessed at the very low price levels, this position might likely be sustained at this week’s trading session.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

BUSINESS

•Agricultural products

Growing food imports bill There are widespread fears that the astronomical rise in food importation in the country spells doom for the nation’s economy, reports Bukola Afolabi

T

HAT Nigeria is an import dependent country is not in doubt. But what is worrisome is that the nation spends hugely on the importation of food, a development, many discerning Nigerians argue, does not bodes well for the economy.

Damning revelation The country imports over 70 metric tons of tomatoes at an estimated cost of N11 billion annually, when it is supposed to be the world’s largest producer of tomatoes after Egypt.

Rice imports consume half a trillion naira each year. Palm oil is imported from Malaysia, the very country that took its first palm seedlings from Nigeria in the early 1970s.

Echoing similar sentiments, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, while decrying the lack of attention given to agriculture by Nigerians, recently reiterated that no one can sabotage the government’s efforts at making the country agriculturally self-sufficient.

“There was a time Nigeria had the largest market in cocoa production, but today, other countries have taken over. Ghana today produces 1 million metric tones of cocoa, Ivory Coast produces 1.2 million, Nigeria is at 250,000 metric tones in cocoa production.

However, this shouldn’t be so.”

Adesina further informed that: “In 2010 alone, Nigeria spent N635 billion on import of wheat, N356 billion on im-

port of rice, N217 billion on sugar importation and despite the huge marine resources spent N97 billion importing fish. This is not fiscally, economically or politically sustainable. Nigeria is eating beyond its means. While we all smile as we eat rice every day, Nigerian rice farmers cry as the imports undermine domestic production. Our farmers sow in hope but reap in tears, as cheap food imports dash their hopes of better prices or incomes.”

The amount of money expended on importation of foreign food items in one year alone should make everyone to hide their face in shame.

Adesina, however, believes that the time to turn the tide in the crisis in the sector is now. “We must turn Nigeria into a bread basket — a power house for food production. To do so, we must make a fundamental paradigm shift. Agriculture is a business, not a development programme. It must be structured, developed, resourced and financed as a business. We will revamp our cocoa and oil palm sectors and regain the lost glory in the commodities.

We will revamp cotton production, as well as onions and tomatoes. We have also targeted major improvements in production and markets for livestock, fisheries and aquaculture.”

Government’s ineptitude In the view of Wale Adekanye, an agric economist, “Everything has con-

spired against our own capacity to produce food for our population. We have the land but many people sneer at the idea of farming. We have natural resources and the weather appropriate for farming but who wants to be a farmer. This situation has persisted because government has not taken agricultural production serious enough to encourage mass participation in farming. Currently, farmers have to contend with a range of problems such as unstable electricity supply, poor network of roads, lack of support through provision of fertilisers, breakdown of law and order, and more important, the disdainful attitude of a population that places high value on foreign produced goods and services.”

Expatiating, he argued that: “Importation of foreign rice is a guaranteed killer of our local rice industry. When we spend so much money on importation of foreign-produced rice, wheat and sugar, we signal our preference for overseas food products. By importing massively from overseas countries, we boost foreign economies and undermine our own local agriculture. It is absurd that Nigeria imports agricultural products when it can produce the same locally.”

The only panacea to achieve a hunger-free Nigeria is through an agricultural sector that drives income growth, accelerates achievement of food and nutritional security, generates employment and transforms Nigeria into a leading player in global food markets to grow wealth for millions of farmers, Adekanye stressed.”

Giving a fresh perspective, Olu Aderibigbe, a medi-

cal doctor, argued that there is need for government to weigh in on the rising food imports because of the adverse health implication of imported foods. “Nowadays we just diagnose a lot of disease that we cannot find the cause yet but finding shows that it can be as a result of this imported food.”

Cankerworm of corruption Like other facets of the economy, the agric sector also pines under the yoke of corruption with a huge industry built around contract awards, among others.

But it is heartening to note that the story is fast changing.

For instance, fertilizer subsidy, hitherto an avenue for corruption has been removed from the hands of politicians, with the voucher wallets in place. Now farmers receive text messages of subsidy vouchers directly to their mobile phones so they can recoup from fertilizer sellers, a policy used in Kenya’s farming reforms.

Besides, 75 per cent of farmers now receive subsidized fertilizer and seeds, compared with 11 per cent under the corrupt programme previously run by state governments. Production of rice, cassava, wheat, sorghum, and corn are rising and cocoa, Nigeria’s most important export crop, looks set to go up by more than a third this season.

Farmers’ lamentation Expectedly, farmers have been at the receiving end of the bad policy in the sector. Olu Adewakun a member of Farmers Association of Nigeria, confided in The Nation that the Federal Government has made a lot of promises on loan to no avail.

“We don’t have access to

loans. If we get there they will be telling us stories or we should go and bring impossible collateral. They told us that the CBN has loans for farmers but we only get to read about them on the pages of newspapers. We don’t have access to them.”

Echoing similar views, Dr Victor Inyama, a cocoa farmer, lamented that all tiers of government are not doing enough to encourage agricultural production, especially empowering the youths. According to him, “Government can create jobs true farming because everybody cannot do white collar jobs, we need youths in farming. If this government want them to participate, they should create a good environment for them to come in.”

Analysts believe banks are turning down loan proposals from farmers due to cash crunch.

Some operators, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the banks do not have enough cash to lend to the farmers.

Confirming the development, the Chairman, National Association of Microfinance Banks (NAMBs), Southwest, Mr Olufemi Babajide, said many farmers who opened accounts were finding it difficult to access credit.

He said virtually all the banks are afraid of taking the risk of lending to farmers because they are not sure of when CBN will release NIRSAL funds.

He said many of the banks are not liquid, and therefore, not ready to advance credit to a sector where they are not sure of recouping their money immediately. He said the idea runs contrary to the provisions

of the NIRSAL. He said: “Under NIRSAL, microfinance banks are expected to contribute 15 per cent, farmers (10 per cent) while NIRSAL provides the balance. The total would be handed over to the banks for lending to farmers. The agreement stipulates that each farmer will get 10 times whatever they have in their accounts with the banks. If, for instance, a farmer opens an account with N10,000, he is expected to get N100,000 as loan.

Though CBN has promised to release the N75billion for lending to the farmers, the money is not forthcoming.”

The Managing Director, Best Foods Limited, Mr Emmanuel Ijiwere said agricultural sector has suffered a lot in the hands of the banks.

Ijiwere said the level of credit to the sector is less than 1 per cent, arguing that the issue is having a telling effect on the sector. He said farmers have been trying to access credit for operations, but in most cases have their proposals rejected by the banks.

Farmers registered under Goshen Potato Farmers Cooperative said there is no way they can access the Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme if the Federal Government does not review the conditions for borrowing.

The farmers who are members of the Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria (POFAN) said all their efforts to access the said credit scheme yielded no result as the banks were not willing to co-operate with them.

Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Chief Dan Okafor, the president of POFAN ex-

Continued on page 51

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

BUSINESS

51

Experts stress empowerment of persons with disability P •Adesina

Growing wage bill of food imports Continued from page 50 plained that the group tried some banks but they refused to lend. He said the explanation he got was that only N40 billion was set aside for small scale farmers and they are not permitted to start disbursing the money because the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has not yet given them guidelines on how to distribute the sum meant for small scale farmers.

Chief Okafor said that the farmers were met with very stiff conditions for borrowing when they went to the banks to access the loan as the banks are now saying the money is meant for big commercial farmers.

“Our members have very big farmlands in Nyanya, Mararaba and many other places but they said we cannot get this loan. So the Federal Government needs to do something if they really have us farmers in their heart.”

“We had a meeting with First Bank on the issue of the loan and it is clear that the government has not gotten it right and we would continue to worry them hoping that things would change,” he said.

Role of organised private sector Analysts hold the view and very strongly too that the reason why the agric subsector has not grown substantially is because of the absence of real investments from the organised private sector.

Lending credence to the foregoing, Mr. Remi Adedamola, an agro-allied manufacturer, said: “Without popular participation in farming, without support from private businesses and government, the national goal of increased food production will be hopeless. What led to the disappearance of the great groundnut pyramids of Kano could confront our palm oil industry. Importation cannot be a readymade answer to our indolence and the low esteem we have for farming and farmers.”

Speaking further, he said: “Food production is not just government business alone.

Big businesses have to step up their support. But, to what extent do big businesses in Nigeria support research and investment in agricultural production? We have research institutes such as the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, and the Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER).”

All these agencies and the private sector, he stressed, has to form a synergy of cooperation for meaningful development in the sector.

Cheery news A few success stories nonetheless give cause for opti-

•Inyama

mism. Mustapha Aliu, a farmer says he made $1,350 per hectare from his harvest after paying back private firm Doreo Partners, which runs the Babban Gona project, compared to previous years where he earned $200 per hectare.

Thankfully, in 2012, agriculture exports rose by N128 billion ($788 million) and food imports fell by N850 billion.

The World Bank is putting in $100 million into agriculture, while British and U.S. aid projects pump in tens of millions.

Meanwhile Ecobank Nigeria says it will grow its agriculture support loans to over N50billion in the next one year.

This according to the bank is in line with its policy to support the growth and development of the agriculture subsector of the economy, this being its own contribution to the agricultural transformation agenda of the Federal Government.

Ecobank Country Head, Agric and Export Finance, Abel Ajala who disclosed this said the bank has introduced concessionary interest rates for its agriculture finance scheme, as well as created a robust Agriculture and Export units adequately manned by professionals for easy loan risk assessment, ensuring that beneficiaries utilize fund given to them judiciously.

Ajala noted that Ecobank is currently supporting the agriculture value chain that comprises the producers, the processors and markets/exporters of agricultural products.

In a related development, the African Development Bank has granted Nigeria a $500m loan facility in support of its agricultural activities.

The Task Team Leader, AfDB-supported Fadama II Programme, Mr. Danladi Eba, said this in Jos during a courtesy call on Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State recently.

Eba had noted in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria that, “The first phase of $190m, now under processing, will be released to the Ministry of Finance by December towards supporting the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the present government. The grant is aimed at test-running our new project, coupled with the ATA of this country.’’

Eba added that the purpose of the visit was to know “how well the National Fadama II Project has been implemented. The project is one of the projects sponsored by AfDB which came on stream in December 2003 and implemented in six states, including Plateau. Plateau is one of the leading states with 16,000 participants.’’

Despite the concerted efforts by governments and multilateral agencies, analysts hold the view and very strongly too that the level of support for the agric sector is too little too late.

ERSONS with disability have a lot to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.

As such, they need to be empowered in order to be able to harness their potentials.

This was the submissions made by a cross-section of experts who took part in a breakfast forum hosted by Theseabilities Foundation in Lagos recently.

Tagged: ‘Employability: Creating a win-win situation for the Disability and The Business’, the forum drew participants from the organised private sector including banks, telecoms sector, civil society, multilateral agencies, media, among others.

Justifying the need for the forum, in his welcome address, Mr. Boye Abioye, Executive Director, Theseabilities Foundation, said the breakfast session was part of activities of the Foundation to galvanise the interest of stakeholders towards addressing the plights of persons with disabilities, in terms of integrating them properly into the society.

According to him, “Expe-

rience has shown that persons with disabilities can contribute substantially to the socio-economic growth of the country in different spheres of the economy. But due to social stereotypes, many persons with disabilities are not able to clearly contribute their quota to the system. This forum is therefore aimed at bridging the gap.”

Speaking earlier, Pastor Peter Ighodalo, chairman, Theseabilities Foundation, said, “There is definitely a need for better quality of life for people with disabilities because they are people faced with all sorts of stigmas in society already.”

Continuing, he said: “Such effort must be driven by a group of people with passion and empathy for persons with disabilities working along with persons with disabilities.

Because you need to work with them so that you can also understand how they think, what their issues are and what needs to be solved. And that’s what we’re trying to do with Theseabilities Foundation.”

In a keynote address deliv-

ered by Ms. Sina ChumaMkandawire, Director, ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Gambia and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, she stressed the need for collective support for persons with disability at the workplace.

According to ChumaMkandawire, who was represented by Pius Udoh, she observed that “Around the world, approximately one billion people or 15 per cent of the population has a disability. Estimates indicate that disabled persons experience unemployment rates as high as 90 per cent in some low-income countries. Despite social stigma and exclusionary practices, people with disabilities have become increasingly proactive in asserting strength and confidence in their own abilities to lead self-reliant and independent lives. One area where equal opportunity is important to enable this self-determination is the world of work.”

In its quest to ensure a even workplace, the ILO boss said, “the ILO has established

the ILO Global Business and Disability Network which is comprised of representatives from multinational enterprises, employers’ organisations and business networks, and selected non-governmental and disabled peoples’ organisations to assist companies include people with disabilities in the workforce from the perspective of business and human rights cases. The ambition of the ILO Global Business and Disability Network is to foster the development of a workforce culture that is respectful and inclusive; promoting the hiring, retention and professional development of people with disabilities. It has a vision of being recognised by international organisations, multinational enterprises and employers’ organisations as the global reference network to address disability in the workplace by 2015.”

Also at the forum was Mr. Aruosa Osemwegie, Enable Africa, Dr. Gabriel Soje of the Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C, among others.

•From left: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Oyo State, Mr. Kunle Adeduntan; Community Relations Manager, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF), Mr. Solomon Ogundele; Executive Director BATNF, Mrs. Oluwasoromidayo George and Commissioner for Agriculture Oyo State, Mr. Peter Odetomi during a courtesy visit by the BATNF team to the Ministry of Agriculture in Ibadan, recently

Civil society, NERC host energy conference

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HE Journalists for Democratic Rights, (JODER) in collaboration with the civil society groups across the country will next Friday host the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, (NERC) in an interactive session aimed at broadening understanding between the two sectors so as to deepen grassroots input towards effective energy provision in the country.

The event is being held under the auspices of the DEMOCRACY FORUM which JODER began in 1997.

In a statement issued on Friday, JODER’s Programme Officer, Mr Kehinde Adegbuyi said the Chairman of NERC, Dr Sam Amadi will be the Guest speaker at the event slated for Freedom Hall

located in Lagos, near the Chambers of the human rights activist, Mr Femi Falana. Corporate groups and representatives of the manufacturing sector are also expected at the one day event.

The JODER statement said that “the Chairman of the

NERC will be speaking on Energy Provision, Human Development and Grassroots involvement in Economic Transformation.

This interactive session will enhance the civil society content of governance.” Mr Adegbuyi added that Dr

Amadi was a member of the civil rights movement and had played a major role in the campaign against military rule adding that this is the first time he will be interacting with the civil society drawn from across the country.

Firm offers job opportunities in forex trade

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AT pay cheques can be guaranteed from trade in e-forex, the financial researcher with the eTechOne International, Mr. Ayoola Ayodele Shina has said.

He made this disclosure at a forum in recently in Lagos.

According to him, there are social trading platform that can generate a lots on income to take care of the financial and social needs of the

By Adeola Ogunlade

unemployed and underpaid employees in Africa.

He said that the firm created an online platform through its Social Forex Trading that enables someone to connect with traders around the world, that is, traders from USA, UK, among others countries, in a platform known as OpenBook.

He stressed that one can make huge profits by riding

on the success of the best financial traders in the world using OpenBook, a fantastic social trading platform.

Shina, who said he makes about $500 to $700 weekly, said there is need for the youths to plug into the opportunities in forex trading.

“You can even earn from 5,000 to over 10,000 dollars per month depending on how effective one use the method and how much one invest,” he said.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

‘Investment in education is discouraging’ Beyond

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O you think state governments are investing enough in edu-

cation?

My answer to that question is yes, partially. And I must commend them for their effort because there has been a lot of improvement and innovation today in most public schools, looking at Lagos State, Ogun State, Akwa Ibom to mention but a few. They have brought in the modern teaching facilities, trying to move the schools to a higher standard but then there is still room for improvement by employing more qualified hands into the school and bringing in more facilities.

The activities should be spearheaded by the society of professional teachers and the objective of this society would be to contribute to the development of education with the help of engineering field, science and technology.

What role can the organised private sector play towards addressing the malaise in the education sub-sector in Nigeria?

There is need for the private sector to make an immense contribution towards the education sector in Nigeria because the Federal Government has failed beyond expectation. Now lets take a look at the private sectors in other countries, like Ford Foundation, Bill Gate Foundation, they all support one worthy cause or the other. In Nigeria, we have not gotten there yet. Having said that, I can say without any fear of contradiction that in SDS, we have recorded some modest achievements, especially in the area of providing solutions to problems affecting the nation’s education sub-sector in the last 14 years. Today we have what we call the three major solutions, such as Development and Sustenance of Decent Hand writing (DHW), Establishment and Encouragement of Good Reading Habit (GRH), Expansion and supporting the Intelligent Quotient of the student (IQ).

Talking more on Decent Hand Writing, you will agree with me that 50 percent of the WAEC examination failure recorded so far this past years is as a result of poor or bad hand writing. When an examiner finds it difficult to read and understand what the student has written on his/her answer script it becomes difficult to ascertain whether the answer is correct or wrong, with this the student stands a great chance of failing that subject already.

Secondly, students no longer cultivate the habit of reading. Briefly, habits are things we do regularly. After school hour students should endeavour to revise what they did in the school that day, draw up a personal reading schedule and paste it in a conspicuous place as a reminder, they can as well cut down the number of hours spent in front of the T. V. set, face book or internet chat. It is high time we devout our time to teaching them the right thing such as what would add value to their education and making their brain active. Students fail when they prefer a life of convenience, convenience studying has never and will never produce great result. The road

Mr. Isiani Anthony Nwachukwu is the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Schools Development & Support International Limited, a technology solutions company providing services to schools at all levels. In this interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf, he speaks on germane issues affecting the nation’s education subsector

•Nwachukwu

INTERVIEW to a brighter future is not always easy and smooth, it requires sacrifices because there is bound to be hurdles. But hard work, effective study habits and focus will surely catapult one to a greater height.

Can you expatiate more on the IQ of student?

The Intelligent Quotient (IQ) is all about keeping the brain of the student alive; in this we include what we call “Extended Visual Engagement” (EVE). Constant sighting of an object registers the picture in the students’ mind, which enable them to recall easily what they had seen or known. What we mean here is providing teaching aids or facilities that can help them to maintain long lasting memory capacity. There should be an innovation or facilities that can be used to achieve this aim. Bringing technology into teaching like the modern world will go a long way. Today the world is gradually becoming a global village in all works of life.

Let us as a nation join the train of those countries that has created impact in education sector.

The last WAEC results and recent past results leaves nothing to cheer about. As an education engineer, what do you think can be done to address this?

Failure in WAEC examinations is a national disgrace.

This year has proven to us that our expectation has been cut short even as the result released this year has showed us that 2011 WAEC result was better compard to this year.

It has also been argued that tutors and teachers hardly contribute to efficient teaching and learning these days due to absence of training and retraining. What is your take on that?

It is high time we focus on the type of teachers that teach Mathematics and English language. In most of the schools the teachers are not qualified to teach in kindergarten or nursery section but you see them teaching in the secondary section. What we need is qualified teachers and right teaching materials.

Improvement of teaching materials and method of implementation is a perfect or most suitable way of teaching in the right direction. The school needs the right facilities in their classroom to teach with so that they can excel. Impacting knowledge to the student in an ideal way using the right teaching facilities and method require a combined effort of human and teaching aids in an engineering viewpoint.

The education system needs to be responsive and adapt to the changing demands. Subsequently, as the education sector expands, there emerge needs for technology development which only the education engineering can offer this solution.

To what extent has your company been able to achieve its vision?

At the risk of sounding immodest, I can say we have been able to achieve our vision to a large extent, as far as providing value-added services to our clientele. One way we have been able to do that is through the application of science and technology to improve efficiency in the classroom using what I

call our classroom model.

Can you expatiate on what you mean by the classroom model?

When we talk about the classroom model, it is what the teacher needs in a particular class looking at the curriculum, it is not a onesize fit all capsule in a sense.

This is because the curriculum of a particular class, for example, the nursery class, is different from what the primary class needs and what the secondary class needs and vice versa.

The first time a child comes to a school what he needs to know is how to identify letters and numbers.

Anything you do from the nursery class to the university, all we are looking at is either letters or numbers. But you have to identify it before writing it.

In the exam of today, especially in this part of the world, you have to put everything down in black and white. May be in the future, exam can go electronic, but today writing still takes preeminence over other means of assessment. Let’s take a hypothetical situation, as a scholar if your handwriting is not decent, your examiner cannot understand you, and in that process you lose a valuable friend as far as that exam is concerned. But when you have a decent handwriting, you get a friend as an examiner. Immediately he opens your paper he tries to get the point you are trying to make and scores you appropriately.

However, if your handwriting is not decent and the examiner cannot understand you, then it becomes a problem for him to assess you accordingly.

As a company, what we have done is to fill this yawning gap by making handwriting a culture that can be sustained rather than as a mere subject being taught in the lower classes. We have designed different kinds of boards to aid the student so that as he or she progresses, the culture of good handwriting can be sustained to a large extent.

I give you another example: If you look at the number of students taking mathematics during most examination these days, you discover that only a few of them take graph option, many of these students are all shying away. But the graph option ironically, is more practical than anything. But students are all running away because there is a failure in the facility provision. In most of these classrooms, there is no efficiency in transferring this knowledge to the students because the teachers don’t have graph boards to better illustrate whatever points he wants to make. But in a case where the teacher has a graph board, the transmission of this knowledge becomes rather seamless.

Talent

By Adetayo Okusanya Email: adetayookusanya@hotmail.com

What to look for in a manager

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HERE are two things that are important to me when choosing a job. These are manager capability/chemistry and job content. Manager capability/chemistry simply refers to the ability of my manager to lead me in accomplishing personal and organizational goals, andhis capacity to build a trust-based working relationship with me. Job content refers to the degree of intellectual stimulation, challenge, and development opportunity that a job will provide me. Sometimes, the job content may not be an exact fit, however the leadership and management capabilities of my manager can compensate for what is lacking in job content. Outlined below are the qualities I look for in a boss.

Qualities I believe will keep me in committed and loyal.

Work Ethics: My manager should always set a good example for me to follow. He should arrive at work earlier than most and leave on time, to maintain a good balance between life and work. He should not deliver sub-standard work outputs; neither should hetolerate it from members of his team. Quality and stakeholder satisfaction should be important to him and he should make it a team priority. He should instil in me the mindset that as a professional, my credibility is established when my work is accurate and well trusted, and I can speak with insight about my area of expertise.

Communication: My manager and I should have a great working rapport.

He should keep me informed of organizational priorities and b u s i n e s s changes and ensure that I understand how these impact our team.

We should have regular formal one-toone meetings, yet he should still occasionally stop by my office to “catch up” and “synch”, rather than rely on phone calls or emails only. He should take the time to clearly communicate his expectations of me and provide me with prompt feedback on my performance. I should never feel that my manager is hiding important information from mebecause that would diminish my trust in his leadership.

Effective Delegation: I want a boss who is great at assigning more responsibility to me and giving me opportunities to stretch my capacity and strengthen my skills. He should give me the opportunity to establish my credibility and build a solid track record of success. I want my manager to give me autonomy and authority to own and drive my projects. He should not micromanage me, rather he should allow me to innovate and make tactical decisions as I see fit.

A great manager will assign me to lead key team or organizational initiatives and develop me from an individual contributor to a business leader, which is in line with my career plans.

Participatory Decision Making: I have feel great deal of respect and appreciation for managers who ask for my input in matters that affect me, and give me the freedom to make my choice without fear of repercussions. My manager should sufficiently coach and mentor me, such that he is confident that I will evaluate situations appropriately and make the right decisions. I find it extremely demotivating when a manager makes decisions that significantly impact me, without the courtesy of a consultation.

Recognition: This is a key driver of my motivation and commitment to deliver high quality work. I expect my manager to always recognize and appreciate the effort I put into my work, and make sure that the leadership team isalso aware. My manager should be an advocate of my brand,and my personal and professional brand should be enhanced under his leadership.

Becoming a high performance team can be likened to a collaborative sport that requires the combined commitment and dedication of all members of the team. A symbiotic relationship between you and your manager is a critical success driver for you, your manager and your organization. Clearly communicate your expectations to your boss and have him do the same as well. With this shared understanding and clarity of expectations, you and your manager can begin for forge a stronger trust based relationship that will enhance your joint performance and effectiveness.

• Okusanya is CEO of ReadinessEdge

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

BUSINESS

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Flour Mills profit slides for third year MARKET FLASH Bukola Afolabi

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LOUR Mills Nigeria recorded a marginal decline in profit in its financial year ended March 2013.

This has sustained the company’s falling profit records for the third year running. The company’s last quarter performance was disappointing, as the full year profit figure dropped below the third quarter mark. Rising cost keeps slashing profit margin, which is down to its lowest level in four years.

The company’s full year report shows a slip of 0.5% in after tax profit at about N7.73 billion, which is a continuing fall from N7.76 in 2012, N10.09 billion in 2011 and N13.37 billion in 2010. The company had posted an after tax profit of N8.17 billion at the end of its third quarter on the basis of which the full year profit was expected to be in the region of N13 billion.

The declining profit trend is against healthy growth in sales revenue, meaning that rising cost is claiming significantly increasing share of earnings. The company raised turnover by 16.9% to N301.94 billion in 2013 after a rise of 59.6% in the preceding year.

This means that of the additional sales revenue of N43.67 billion generated in the 2012/ 13 financial year, not a kobo of it reached the bottom line.

Profit margin has maintained a downslide for the fourth year running. After the company restructured its operations in 2010, it lifted net profit margin from 1.6% in 2009 to a peak of 8.5%. Net profit also rose to a peak of N13.37 billion in the same year. Since then, net profit margin has been declining at 6.2% in 2011, 3.0% in 2012 and further to 2.6% at the end of the 2013 financial year.

Earnings per share has been equally declining along with the falling trend in profit.

The company earned N2.91 per share in 2013, a sustaining decline from N3.08 in 2012, N5.03 in 2011 and the N9.92 peak earning in 2010. Apart from declining profit, bonus

issue and the merger with Nigerian Bag Manufacturing Company last year, have contributed to the decline in earnings per share in recent years.

The company has declared a cash dividend of N2.0 per share for its 2012/13 operations, improving from N1.60 paid in the preceding year. The dividend amounts to a payout ratio of 68.7%, which has improved from about 52% in the preceding year.

Low profit margin is a normal feature of the flour milling business but Flour Mills Nigeria measures well below Honeywell Flour’s records.

While Honeywell Flour also recorded a decline in net profit margin over the past two years of operations, it maintained far higher margins at 6.2% in 2013 and 7.1% in 2012.

Flour Mills’ profit weakness follows significant increases in costs. Virtually all major cost lines rose far ahead of sales revenue in the just concluded financial year. Cost of goods sold grew by 20.9% to N263.93 billion compared to the increase of 16.8% in turnover. Its share of sales revenue therefore rose from 84.6% in the preceding year to 87.4% in 2013. That caused a decline of 4.3% in gross profit, as gross profit margin declined from 15.4% to 12.6% over the review period.

Selling and distribution cost rose at a much higher margin of 34% in the year and also claimed a lot more sales revenue than in the prior year.

Adding selling and distribution expenses to cost of sales shows that it cost the company 90.74 kobo to produce and sell each naira of its products in 2013, compared to 87.53 kobo in the preceding year.

Administrative expenses, the only major cost item that moderated relative to revenue, grew by 8.6% to N15.20 billion during the year. Despite its moderation, operating profit dropped by 12.7% to N18.15 billion. A favourable development in the year is the advancement of 130.3% in investment income during

the financial year to N5.46 billion. This seemingly windfall event was the singular factor that prevented a bigger fall in profit during the year.

The highest cost increase in the year came from interest expenses, which rose by 34.3% to N11.41 billion. This claimed an increased share of sales revenue and caused a decline of 5.4% in pre-tax profit at N11.46 billion.

The high rise in interest charges follows rising balance sheet debts of the company as well. Total debts at the end of the year stood at N128.28 billion made up of short- and long-term borrowings and bonds. Short-term borrowings grew by 47.2% to N39.86 billion in the year and long-term debts also grew by 35.7% to N53.88 billion. Short and long maturing bonds totalled more than N34.5 billion.

The company’s cash flow position remains under pressure while some steps have been taken to balance cash deficits. These include a new term borrowing of N42.28 billion, a cut down on investing activities and a big leap in net

cash flow from operating activities from N6.67 billion in the preceding year to N18.66 billion in 2013. A build-up of suppliers’ credit from N25.13 billion in the prior year to N45.50 billion in 2013 was the main factor in the improvement of cash flow from operating activities.

The company’s first quarter result as at the end of June is being expected. Critical developments to watch on the company for the current financial year are the strength of revenue growth and whether costs will moderate to permit a gain in profit margin. The company needs a reasonable improvement in both sales revenue and profit margin to be able to prevent the falling profit trend from extending into the fifth year.

However, the company is on track towards achieving a new profit peak in the current year, having reported a decline of 6.0% in after tax profit last year. It will also sustain profit for the fourth year running after returning to profitable operations in 2010.

Union Bank announces N11.3bn half-year profit

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NION Bank of Nigeria Plc made a profit after tax of N11.3bn in the half-year period ended June 30, 2013.

A statement from the bank on Thursday said the figure represented a 52 per cent increase from the N7.5bn it reported for the same period in 2012.

The bank’s Head, Corporate Affairs, Mr. Francis Barde, said in the statement that the bank recorded the gross earnings of N48.1bn in the period under review, up by five per cent from N46.0bn made in the same period in 2012; while the group earned gross earnings of N56.2bn.

It added that the bank’s profit before tax was N11.6bn for the first half of 2013, indicating a 54 per cent rise from

what it made in the first half of 2012, while group profit before tax was N9.8bn. Group profit after tax was N9.4bn.

The Group Managing Director, Union Bank, Mr. Emeka Emuwa, was quoted as saying, “In the second quarter of 2013, Union Bank stayed the course of profitability. We are pleased with this continued profitability as we manage the many elements of our transformation programme and work hard towards achieving our goal of building a reliable, customer-focused institution.”

The Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Oyinkan Adewale, said the second quarter profitability was due to a combination of cost management measures and certain non-recurring items

obrijo4u@gmail.com

Company News NSE: Market capitalisation, index close on high

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TOCKS on the Nigerian Stock Exchange rallied on last week to prevent the equity market from falling for the seventh consecutive session.

At the end of trading activities on the floor of the Exchange, investors had traded 255.574 million shares worth N5.026bn in 5,420 deals, with analysts explaining that gains by some highly capitalised equities such as UACN Plc, Guiness Nigeria Plc and Nigeria Breweries Plc, spurred the rally.

The market capitalisation of the listed equities rose marginally by 0.02 per cent or N3bn to close at N11.752tn, while the NSE’s All-Share Index gained 7.97 basis points or 0.02 per cent to close at 37,111.64.

The NSE-30 rose by 0.3 per cent or 5.8 basis points to close at 1,738.60 points.

Analysts say that the release of Zenith Bank’s half-year results for 2013 was one of the factors that led to the rally.

The banking sub-sector maintained its lead on the activity chart, accounting for 53 per cent of total turnover traded.

In the sub-sector, 135.519 million shares, valued at N1.375bn were exchanged by investors in 1,791 transactions.

Trading in the shares of Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc and Sterling Bank Plc drove volume in the subsector.

Other companies that recorded high turnover in the subsector are Fidelity Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Unity Bank Plc. A total of 37 stocks recorded price appreciation, while 28 stocks recorded price depreciation.

Multi-Trex Integrated Foods Plc led the price gainers’ chart, rising by 10 per cent or six kobo to close at 66 kobo per share. Jos International Breweries Plc followed closely on the chart, rising by 9.28 per cent or nine kobo to close at N1.06 per share.

Trans-nationwide Express Plc and UACN Plc gained 9.09 per cent and 8.56 per cent to close at 96 kobo and N61.89 per share respectively, while Mansard Insurance Plc added 8.53 per cent or 18 kobo to close at N.2.29 per share.

CAP Plc led the price losers, shedding 10 per cent or N4.85 to close at N43.65 per share; followed by International Energy Insurance Company Plc, which fell by 9.78 per cent or 22 kobo to close at N2.03 per share.

Academy Press Plc and NPF Microfinance Bank Plc shed 9.74 per cent and 9.09 per cent to close at N1.76 and 80 kobo per share, respectively, while Flour Mills Nigeria Plc fell by 8.97 per cent or N7.74 to close at N78.56 per share.

FirstBank raises $300m from international markets

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BN Holdings Plc has announced that its com-

mercial banking subsidiary, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd. (FirstBank), has concluded a debt capital raising exercise in the international markets through a US $300 million subordinated Tier 2 transaction.

FBN Holdings, which offers a broad range of products and services across commercial banking, investment banking, insurance and microfinance business in seven countries, said the proceeds from the capital raising would be used by First Bank for general banking purposes.

According to a statement from the bank, the institution has chosen this route to ensure that it remains well capitalised with an improved total capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of 22.5per cent up from 20.1per cent as at the end of March 2013, and supports loan growth over the near term which is in line with FirstBank’s capital management strategy .

In addition, the transaction further diversifies and extends the maturity of the Bank’s foreign currency funding.

The Tier 2 capital transaction, the bank explained has a seven-year maturity and is callable on the 5th anniversary

of the issuance date, even as the issue carries an initial coupon of 8.250 per cent on the nominal par amount, which resets at the call date to a new fixed rate (no step-up) until maturity.

It added that the Tier 2 capital treatment amortises over the last five years prior to maturity.

The successful offering was achieved within the context of volatile debt capital markets, especially for emerging market borrowers.

This transaction is FirstBank’s second Tier 2 capital raise, following on its debut 2007 US $175 million Tier 2 capital raise which carried a 9.750 per cent coupon rate and which was called by the institution in 2012.

‘This makes FirstBank the only Nigerian banking institution to carry out not only one, but two consecutive subordinated Tier 2 capital raising transactions in the international debt markets.”

FBN Capital, the investment banking and asset management subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc, served as financial advisers with Citigroup and Goldman Sachs International also acting as advisers and Joint Lead Managers to FirstBank on the transaction.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY

AUGUST 18, 2013

– Mike Awoyinfa Former editor of Weekend Concord and Managing Director at The Sun Newspapers, Mike Awoyinfa is more or less a legend in Nigerian journalism. His powerful human-angle stories and editorials in the days of Weekend Concord certainly gave him a name and an opportunity to influence millions of opinions. He is also one media executive, who has never steered a failed ship. Recently, he and his age-long partner and friend Dimgba Igwe birthed Entertainment Express, and it just seems like the duo are at it again. -By Gboyega Alaka.

Awoyinfa

Adebola

PHOTO: Muyiwa Hassan

WORSHIP

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

'Nigeria has looters, not leaders' Church growth consultant, Dr Francis Bola Akin-John, has been organising conferences for thousands of church leaders across the world for years. He spoke ahead of another forthcoming conference on girl-child marriage, the new Lagos Domestic Violence Law, church leadership and sundry issues. Sunday Oguntola was there.

•Akin-John

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HIS year's conference is on leaders lift, what is the big deal about that?

First, it was the Lord that led me to choose that theme. It is basically to explain that leadership is about lifting others. I believe it is not for personal benefits. From my research as a consultant to churches and ministries, I have seen that that is not our idea of leadership. Leaders are not lifting but limiting people. The idea is to remind church leaders that we are there to lift people.

That is the fundamental, primary, basic and most important reason for leadership. Leaders must lift people emotionally, financially, spiritually and economically.

From your observation, do you think we have really had such leaders in this country?

I am afraid I am going to say no, with the exception of a very few people. Rather, we have looters and not leaders in the church and the nation. We also have rulers and not leaders. Our rulers do not have the skills, capacities and motivations to serve others.

We can all see how people who were so poor suddenly become billionaires once they get to the positions of leadership. They serve themselves and their cronies. I say it a lot that the only curse on Nigeria is that of leadership.

We have everything else except good leaders across board. We lack leaders that can lead us through vision, sacrifice, personal examples and integrity to the Promised Land.

There was point in this country when even government agencies and officials asked churches for nominees. At what point did the church lose out in providing leadership in the country?

Oh, that was when we deemphasised training. When we deemphasised going to Bible schools. There was this crop of leaders that emerged

in the late 70s without attending Bible schools. They had secular training and good degrees but lack biblical training. In those days, the church emphasised biblical teachings on integrity, honesty and hard work.

Churches were not flamboyant then but there were wellgroomed leaders in the church.

These secular-trained church leaders started anointing rich, successful Christians to become pastors without good foundations.

Churches became rich, popular and full but lack good foundations. That was the point we lost it. Today, pastors misbehave and you are really saddened. They lack consistent walk with the Lord when popularity, prosperity and pressure come. Until the church goes back to emphasise discipleship, godly living and biblical instructions, we'd remain in the doldrums.

How would you assess a growing church?

I'd judge a growing church by its health. There are many growing but unhealthy churches. Many think every church with thousands of worshippers is really growing.

You can have money, popularity and fame and yet remain unhealthy. I'd be interested in knowing the quality of life by those attending those churches.

Many today are in churches to receive from God, they want to use Him. They want Him to

pander to their caprices. They just want to pray and receive miracles without pleasing God or walking with Him. Many preachers focus on testimonies, prophecies and miracles that will bring people without discipleship. Churches like that are not healthy but growing.

So, I will look for the moral lifestyles and value systems of the people. I'd look for their willingness to please God and efforts to follow Christ. So, I won't be deceived by money, size or fame of the church but quality of life exhibited by the members.

What is responsible for the rising spate of domestic violence?

I will put it down to loss of values. When the church no longer teaches values and people lack the fear of God, things will really fall apart.

When we lack the fear of God, there is nothing you cannot do.

That is why we have girl-child marriage and domestic violence. People are just looking for how to fulfill their lust. Someone argued his religion allows him to marry teenage girls.

For God's sake, how can you marry a girl? How can you be violent on your wife or spouse? How can you bear to be sleeping with a 13-year-old girl? It means there is no fear of God or value for human lives.

The Lagos State Government just signed the Domestic Violence bill into Law. How do you respond to such government interventions in marital affairs, considering what happens in the West?

That law, to some extent, is praiseworthy but lopsided.

And I want to sound a note of warning that we are treading the path that the Europeans walked. That is why there countries have become females' nations where men are

endangered species. I know women that beat their husbands. I know many men that dare not talk. Does the law cover that? If not, then it is lopsided.

My fear is that we might have just licensed women to become more daring to walk out of their matrimonies. The rate of single parenthood is rising just like divorce. Most of our Nollywood stars are having children without men.

This law has the tendency to encourage that. They can walk out under the slightest challenge.

In Europe, men cannot even raise their voices. The women will call 911 and the police will show up. They will walk the husbands out and jail them. They believe whatever the women say, whether or not they are lying. That way, many homes are breaking. The government had better tread softly there so that we are not taking two steps forward and ten steps backwards.

Don't you think the high unemployment among men will further encourage women to provoke them and invoke the law?

Sure. You know I teach marriage and I know many women lose it once their husbands get out of jobs. Only a few women can be bread winners and not misbehave. I want to say that men must not wait for government jobs. To me, it is foolish to be a graduate and not have a job for five years. I have not travelled much but we can start a business and if you are intelligent and hardworking, you will break even in five years. The market is there and the opportunities. I don't think we should blame the government but ourselves.

I believe we must return to learning crafts and skills. If

NEWS

Adelakun celebrates 37th year on stage

A

MONA tete mabo exponent, Pastor Joseph Adelakun, is set to celebrate his 37th anniversary in the gospel music industry.

The thanksgiving service holds today at the multipurpose Hall of Lagos Television by 12 noon.

Adelakun said: "It is a

way to do what God wants us to do. Since we could not mark the 35 years of the ministry in 2011 because I was outside Nigeria then, God has impressed it on our heart to offer an altar of praise and thanksgiving to Him." He further explained that the service will attract all

lovers of God and music for the celebration.

The Lagos State First Lady, Dame Abimbola Fashola, will be the special guest while Pastor Ade Popoola of Real Pharmaceuticals will be the chairman of the occasion.

Bishop Wale Oke will minister at the service.

men remain at homes, waiting for jobs, they will lose their authority at home. We are all after the get-rich syndrome but that will not take us far. School is to prepare people for life but we must be street wise to survive.

Can you marry out your 13-year-old daughter?

God forbid. Even if I am not a Christian or a pastor, it will not happen.For God's sake, a 13-year-old is not ready for marriage. Some people say once a girl is menstruating, she is ready. But they fail to tell us that once an adult forces himself on a girl that is not ready, it leads to VVF. That is why the only four hospitals that treat VVF are in the north.

I put it down to selfindulgence and lust. If you are a mature father with senses, how can you be forcing yourself on a 13-year-old? She is a girl, not a bride. She is not ready for marital responsibilities. To me, it is a product of our warped minds.

Those who advocate for it are

only done with older women and want to finish off our girls.

That proposal should be thrown out like we rejected same-sex bill. Like we arrest rapists, we should also arrest those sleeping with girls.

Otherwise, our future is in jeopardy. Our girl-children have become endangered species. It is frightening that older men now believe they can rejuvenate themselves by sleeping with girl-children.

What do you imagine would have happened after the conference?

I expect that our church leaders would learn skills on how to become lifters. I believe only spiritual men can lead the church to the next level of impact. So, we are talking on practical skills on how to lift people.

We are empowering them on how to change lives and transform the societies. We want them to be in touch with God and become agents of change. We want to deemphasise motivational preaching and encourage leaders to teach and cite only the Bible.

xxx

AD E R T S U 50 M N NIGERIAAN I CHRIST R S AUTHO Are you a Christian author? Are you bothered about poor exposure at bookshops and limited patronage?

The Nation is offering you an unbeatable opportunity to showcase your books and talk about your passion.

The 2-in-1 project involves an advert supplement backed with a profile story on each participant.

Kindly contact Sunday Oguntola on 08034309265 or shinystarontop@gmail.com for advert details and participation.

You will be glad you did!

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

Worship

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COLUMNS

Every family a fountain (1)

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God has a purpose in mind when he created the family. Some families are fulfilling that purpose on earth for which God created the family earth, while others are disappointing the purpose on earth.

But Joshua's family had a Godly leadership and therefore a Godly family was raised. And this Godly family provides us the good example of a family with God's purpose for creating the family.

GOD'S PURPOSES FOR CREATING THE FAMILY 1. It is to create God centered relationship and fellowship.

2. It is also to create a God centered character.

3. The 3rd purpose of a family is to serve God and honour God on earth.

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15 Your purpose is more than money. Your purpose is more than the job you do.

That is why you must understand the purpose for your family because; Purpose not discovered cannot be pursued and Purpose not pursued with focus cannot be possessed. You shall not miss your purpose on earth in Jesus name. Your family shall not miss God's purpose in Jesus Name.

You need to understand also that EVERY FAMILY IS A FOUNTAIN In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man

Archbishop Sam Amaga

Family Heritage thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

John 7:37-38 When the gift of the spirit comes on any believer 1) He experiences God's overflowing life which is the Holy Spirit imparted upon believers.

2) This believer will flow out to others with the fountain of God's saving power and God's healing touch.

3) The family or the believer saturated with God's presence becomes an out flow of the life of God to others.

He or she becomes the out flow of God's vitality and revival of real abundant life to others.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10 When you encounter the Holy Ghost, your life becomes the outflow of God's larger life to everyone you meet. To encounter God's larger life - you must be God saturated

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5 Families - you are bigger than the small issues that are troubling you and tearing you. If you are God and Holy Ghost saturated, you will overflow in love, care, ministry, serving God and you overcome the devils together.

THE BLESSED LIFE When your life is saturated by the Holy Spirit, you become the blessed life. The life burst out to others as a result of the over flow of God. Your life is distinct by God's precepts, love, character, obedience to the word and separation form fellowship with the world.

Your desire is not doing things to get the fame just as the world does. Your desire becomes doing things to bring honour to God. The life and the family saturated by the Holy Spirit can be recognised.

1) By the things they do not do 2) By the places they will not be found going 3) By the kind of people they do not hang out with.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Psalm 1:1 Contact: Archbishop Sam Amaga @ Foundation Faith Church (Salem Family Worldwide) Life Camp Extension, Kado - Abuja.

E - m a i l : salemmissionhouseabuja@yahoo.com Phone: 08023018836; 08074450763

NEWS

Don't set Nigeria on fire, Uka warns politicians

T

HE Prelate of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Most (Rev) Prof. EmeleUka, has urged the political class to conduct its affairs with responsibility and decorum to avoid plunging the nation into crises.

The Prelate gave this advice during the 50th anniversary of the Lagos Presbyterian Church, Yaba last week.

He said the church has noted with concern the impunity with which politicians are issuing threats and other unpatriotic statements laden with ethnic and regional sentiments.

Such statements, according to him, are capable of creating undue tensions across the nation.

He said the crisis in Rivers State should not be overlooked by stakeholders because it is a stain on the nation's political class.

He urged President Goodluck Jonathan and other stakeholders to step into the crisis with a view to resolving the matter amicably as the festering development

By Sunday Oguntola could give negative signals to the 2015 general election.

Uka frowned at the proposed girl-child marriage bill in the senate, saying such development was tantamount to child abuse.

The Chairman of the anniversary, former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon(Rtd), who was represented by former Minister of Health, Dr. Julius Adelusi, congratulated the Lagos Presbyterian Church and enjoined members to continue to live their values and walk their talk.

Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, a former Minister for Finance, congratulated the church for coming this far and advised members to continue to

propagate the gospel to the nooks and crannies of the country.

He enjoined Nigerians to imbibe the virtues of peace and tolerance, stating that religion shouldn't brew division but be a harbinger of peace among the adherents.

The minister-in-charge, Rev NnannaOdege, said the Presbyterian Church is more determined than ever to break new frontiers in the South-west geopolitical region and take advantage of the emerging doors in the zone.

He added that with concerted efforts through the power and enablement of the Holy Ghost, the church must make the anniversary count by winning more souls for the Kingdom of God.

Awesome worship experience holds

A

N awesome worship experience organised

by Father's House, Mega City, holds on August 31st by 4.30pm.

The concert takes place at Transformation Avenue opposite Omapet filling

station, Ofada Road in Obafemi-Owode Local Government of Ogun State.

The church host, Pastor Israel Udoh, said some of the activities lined up include total praise and worship and thanksgiving prayers.

Living Faith

By Dr. David Oyedepo

Enjoying divine visitation (3)

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ELCOME to your regular column.

Last week, I taught on divine ideas as one of the ways through which God blesses a person. Ideas are mental virtues accessible mainly by thinkers. I also gave some examples of those who enjoyed divine visitations through divine ideas.

This week, I will show you how to access divine idea. You have learnt how divine ideas can make you enjoy divine visitations. The question now is: How do we tap into divine idea? The Word of God says: And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming (Genesis 24:63).

Meditation is one of the vital breeding grounds for inspiration. That is why we see Isaac go out to the field to meditate. Understanding does not just drop on people; it comes through the conscious process of meditation.

Meditation is staying mentally focused on an issue, until the nitty gritty of it is unfolded to you.

It is time for us in the developing nations to become the toast of the world. But this can only happen when we trigger the potential in us, by the insight communicated through the Spirit of God. Insight about facts of life relevant to our individual and collective pursuit is what makes all the difference.

It is time to change our orientation as this is the only way to enhance the beauty of our destination. We cannot stay with tradition; else we will become victims of stagnation. It is time to move and take steps in the right direction.

You will soon lose rel-

evance except you become a contributor to the society you live in. You will soon become a nuisance except you are adding value to your community. Remember, when you are a child of God, you are the light of the world and salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14). You are to endeavour to influence the society where you are through divine ideas.

Investing time: Time is the principal raw material needed in the factory of ideas.

Ideas answer to only those who have time for it. Without setting time apart to reason, your rising is not in view.

Jesus, during His earthly ministry, went to the mountain top and just sat down there. He was not praying, but reasoning (Matthew 15:29). If you don't have time to reason, it is not your turn for a change, as time is where it begins. Ideas are the products of reasoning, with the evidence of added value.

Time, therefore, is of utmost essence in the school of ideas.

There is a separation required for illumination. Having separated himself, a wise man begins to seek and reason out a solution. "There must be a way out here," he tells himself.

Everyone is equally allotted 24 hours daily. Time is, therefore, an asset of universal equality. No matter how busy you are, you are not entitled to more than 24 hours in a single day no matter who you are. Therefore, no one person has more time than the other. The difference is that while some are spending their time, others are investing theirs. You don't know true investment, until you learn time investment.

The more time you have

for reasoning, the more insight you gain, and the greater results you command in our family. The mobile phones you carry about, most of the time, are working against you. When an idea is coming, they ring. By the time you finish answering the calls, the idea had flown away.

Time is an invaluable asset. Unfortunately, most people are abusers of time. The West has no more time than the East, neither has the South more time than the North; but one is wiser in his investment of time than the other. We must begin to redeem our time from traditional pollution, cultural bastardization and from unrelated issues scrambling for our time during business hours. That is the only way to get moving.

When you go out for eight hours, you must be accountable for at least six hours. So, stop spending time, start investing it! Every time investor invariably ends up an inventor.

The top is open and free, but you have to make your way there. If you want to be a partaker of this outpouring of divine ideas, you need to set time apart to calmly sit down and calculate your options, and chart a course towards a destination. Organize ways of getting to where you are going, and programme for results. Re-organize your office hours to include a reasoning time. Call it, "Planning time" or whatever you may wish to call it.

When you organize your time this way, it will make you think better. Thinkers invent things that bring improvement. So, every time you are committed to thinking, what you are actually doing is programming for improvement.

Friend, the power for quality meditation and time investment is the preserve of those who are connected to God. You get connected by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. If you are set for it, please say this prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You, Jesus. Now, I know I am born again! I will conclude this teaching next week.

I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

Celebration of miracles at church's anniversary

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T was a celebration of signs and miracles last weekend at the 14th annual conference of the God's Mercy Revival Ministry headquarters in Ikotun-Idimu, Lagos.

The conference with the theme from destination to destiny attracted over 15, 000 worshipers from Nigeria, The Gambia, United Kingdom, and South Africa.

For over three hours, worshippers testified to the power of God, eliciting thunderous applause and shout of joy among the congregation.

Mr. DawoduAkintunde spoke of how the miraculous power of God delivered him from an attempted suicide

By Adeola Ogunlade because of his joblessness and other challenges.

He asserted that God has turned things around for him and got a car gift recently at his place of work.

Also, a founding member of the church, Pastor Odiaza Joseph, who was excited at the blessings a of God upon his life, said: "I came to this church 14 years ago as a bus driver but today I’m a managing director with over 60 staff working for me.

Ministering at the event, the general overseer, Pastor James Akanbi, said that God's power is still at work to bless, heal the sick, save

and deliver the oppressed with implicit trust in Him. He said that God's mercy represents the essence of the New Testament in which the church through apostolic ministration reached out to break every yoke of men all around the world.

"We are serving a God that cannot fail and His promises so sure that we can all rely upon it to change every situation that makes our heart bitter," he stressed.

He implored church leaders to shun sins and remain faithful to God and ministry that the Lord has placed in their hands because they will one day account for their stewardship.

THE ARTS

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

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HAT does this conference on D.O. Fagunwa mean to you and to Nigerian Lit-

erature?

The conference is titled Fagunwa: Fifty Years After. It is basically a conference to commemorate the 50years of D.O. Fagunwa’s death. It is also an opportunity for scholars to come together and reflect on Fagunwa’s contribution not only to the indigenous language literature in Africa, but to African literature generally. D.O. Fagunwa was a pioneer writer who adopted the Yoruba language as his mode of communication. It wasn’t that he was not proficient in English.

He was a teacher, a grade two teacher who then used the opportunity to travel to several parts of Africa. So, he was also exposed.

So, he wrote in Yoruba and was survived by five major novels. They include Ogboju Ode Ninu Igbo Irunmole, Igbo Eledumare, Ireke Onibudo, Irinkerindo Ninu Igbo Elegbede and Aditu Eledumare. Some of these works have been translated into English, at least four of them. Some also have been translated into French. So a pioneer writer like this deserves the honour and also further critical writing and studies on his contributions to African studies, African philosophies, African cultures and his reflections on literature, language and so on. This is why this conference is being organised by Fagunwa Study Group in collaboration with the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), also supported by the Ondo State government. So this is why we are holding it in Akure.

Ordinarily, Oke-Igbo, the hometown of the author , would have been ideal for it. But since the state government decided to host it, we have to be here for it. It is part of the state government’s contribution to the promotion of our culture. So that’s the major aim of our having to be here for the conference.

Your topic is on the Memorandum of Understanding or Misunderstanding Fagunwa and the Adaptations. What does this mean?

Well, my paper is looking at these works of Fagunwa that have been translated into English. Somebody has translated the Ireke Onibudo into French. But I am not literate in French. I have to limit myself to the four that have been translated into English. These include Forest of a Thousand Demons by Wole Soyinka, In the Forest of Olodumare by Wole Soyinka, Dapo Adeniyi’s Expedition to the Mount of Thought and Olu Obafemi’s The Mysteries of God which is the translation of Aditu Olodumare. I want to look at the works and see how a nonspeaker of Yoruba will be able to understand the culture, the issues and so on that are being discussed in the translations. I identified the problems and the indigenous contributions of these people to the understanding of these issues. The translators are themselves writers and they are bringing to bear their own individual styles in the translation. So, I looked at it as translation by experimental and made my own evaluation as a literary scholar.

How does the story of IgboOlodumare of Oke-Igbo relate to the larger forest that is Nigeria today?

Well, the forest was just a screen for Fagunwa’s dissection of his contemporary society. He used it to make moral judgment and moral comment. Apart from entertaining, generating the necessary humour, the story is meant to impart morals on those who read the books. Don’t forget, he was a school teacher, and a Christian who grew up in the Bible tradition. He saw his writing as an extension of that moralising plat-

Literature better in indigenous language Gbemisola Adeoti is a professor of English Language at the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) Ile-Ife, Osun State. He is also the director of the Institute of Cultural Studies of the same institution. In this encounter with Edozie Udeze, he bares his mind on the place of traditional literature in Nigeria and why fifty years after the death of D.O. Fagunwa who wrote in Yoruba language, his works are still relevant not only in Nigeria but across the globe. The conference on Fagunwa was organised by Fagunwa Study Group and the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), in Akure, Ondo State, last week

•Adeoti

form, a platform also offered by the church. In those forests, you have creatures like human beings, like comic, like trees that behave like human beings and so on. The inhabitants of those forests have human attributes. But the books also contain the laziness of some characters there and some of the issues you can find in our society these days. All these were represented in human and nonhuman elements and creatures so that people who read those works can stand back and look at what befalls those who radiate those excesses and learn from them.

So, Fagunwa as a writer made it; oh, this is the misfortune that would befall you if you do so and so in life, especially people who are greedy.

Therefore, you need to avoid it and be of good conduct. These forests are jungles but are critical comments on our society. Don’t forget that the values being preached, the virtues being exposed are of universal essence. They are still relevant today.

In fact, you get to some situations that remind you of the foolish people in Irinkerindo Ninu Igbo Elegbede, people whose values are upside-down. There, fathers prostrate to their children, wives send

their husbands on an errand and so on. It is therefore a reversal of normal values in a society and that is what we are having in Nigeria today.

Then, what is the responsibility of a traditional literary writer in a society like ours today?

The problems we have today are getting bigger and bigger than the period under Fagunwa. When Fagunwa was writing, the colonialists were here. Then there was the hope that with independence, things would get better. Several years after, that has not been done; things have not got better.

And so, the writer should dwell in that tradition, producing works not only to entertain people but to have clear, sharp commentaries on issues so that may be one day, somebody will learn one lesson or two from the book. Apart from that, I also think writers should look at the issue of directly engaging politics and make that difference in terms of their comments and so on.

It is now clear that social media has been affecting the standard of English among students. What is your comment on this?

The reality is there…But the

thing about us from this part of the world is that we always want to borrow from the West, from Europe and so on. Rather than emphasising the values or merits of what we borrow, we use it to destroy. Often, we use such for our own retrogression. In the first place, even before the advent of social media, people were not learning the language very well. They did not have the passion for it. So now, social media has come out and they are still catching in on it to worsen the situation.

Whereas the social media, when properly applied, is supposed to aid the English Language; all we have now is the reverse. The students have to sit up and that’s the only way they can learn the English very well and speak it fluently.

Do you have conscious programmes in the universities to encourage students to show maximum interest in mother tongues?

Yeah. I think that is the essence of this conference. We need to start now to show the interest. People like Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and Fagunwa have shown that it is better to be proficient in your local language as a literary person. However, in the first year we have a course, an introduction to fiction. In the first year, I have insisted on teaching Fagunwa’s texts.

Thank God, we have more translations now. It is not as difficult now to teach his works. Every year, I would like to teach one of those texts, because this is the only opportunity to teach this sort of traditional writing which people have adopted.

There are also other courses that equally encourage the interest in local language and literary appreciation. Even in drama, I also emphasis interest in local and traditional languages that can also lead to the development of drama. Yes, in our own little way, we try to do that, although the challenges are overwhelming by the day. But, we can’t resign to fate; we need to keep pushing because it is our duty to do so.

The level of reading culture has declined. What do you think can be done to redeem the situation?

The development has to start from the beginning. You do not develop reading habit from age twelve or so. It is what you cultivate from age four or five. I think the parents, the family and so on, owe it a duty to encourage their children to read.

You can allow them to watch television, time them, but then there has to be time for reading. It is the duty of the father or the mother to draw such a time table to enable the children have time enough to read and still watch TV. Reading therefore should be formalised, it should be a habit from the family and then we should also acquire books for them or encourage them to visit places where they can see and feel books. Children can also be encouraged to learn how to buy books by themselves. I think if we do that, we begin to make an impact. And it doesn’t have to be in English alone. There has to be books in indigenous languages too, to encourage them start from that level.

You cannot be a better speaker of a foreign language when you are deficient in your mother-tongue.

POETRY

A Rose of Poetry

By Joshua Idowu Omidire

W

E move with grace Plucked from time primordial From a dateless mother tree And that heavy redolence Hits our olfactory bulb I hold the helm And you the stem As ambivalently coloured butterflies Chased our frisky feet as we walloped in the greenish scenery In the furious bid to wrestle our rose I’m shy So shy your eyes prickle me Enraptures in love-smitten smiles And life-laden laughter She eyes my pupil and yet claims a childish shinity I know we are swallowing a hard hot pill of maturity We shut our eyes, firm our lips and wash it all down with all sincerity In this ship of kinetic consanguinity The wind blows us through The labyrinth of thorns of horns and scorns Honey is sweet but it has a hive Orogbo is bitter but there is bile From this castor life has sprinkled our fair share But my eyes are glistening with tears My heart rocks with fears My knees ache in pains As I soil them beside your hospital bed With this bling bling big bang rose in my shivering hands Open your eyes, dearie, and take from me this rose of poetry For that is all I have A mansion I could not erect for you A city I could not name your name Instead of a pyramid of currencies and a priceless pearl I have brought forth This rosy rose of poetry This country of stone-graven words With which we construct Our kingdom of reality Get up, Friend, rise for your rose I remember the seasons When you called me Lord And my head muscles grow in manifolds I’m yet to forget how and when you called me sacred and father Can you stand the tears of your father?

Get up now and feel the taste of my pen, my petal The whiteness of my blackboard, the vase And my mind’s form that shapes the objects of my desire, the poetry Please friend Let me be slothful in trivial matters For that is all that matters Let this rose be your balm Let its beauty make you calm This is my gift A rose of poetry For you For us For all you stand for Stretch forth your hand and hide it in your breast

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

Arts/Reviews

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HE issue of encouraging children to fall in love with their mother tongues dominated discussions at the just concluded conference organised to celebrate 50 years of the death of Daniel Olorunfemi Fagunwa. Fagunwa was an author who devoted his entire writing career to the promotion of Yoruba language, literature and culture.

Part of the discussions as espoused by Professor Tunde Babawale of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), which he equally made known to the conferees, was that parents and guardians owe it a duty to ensure that their kids and wards are taught in the local languages right from the moment when they are born.

“It has to start from their kindergarten year,” he said.

This advocacy to stamp the language early enough in the minds of the kids is one of the primary reasons why it is usually said that when they grow up they will neither forget nor depart from it. Babawale said, “If this is done over time, they will develop this habit to be able to read these languages on their own. If they continue to read all these foreign novels, they will not develop that habit. Children who speak their local languages very well, are known to be more proficient in other foreign languages. And they can communicate better.

This has been proved to be true over the years,” he said.

“It is because we have neglected our duty to train the children and show them how and where to go that we are in this mess we are in today. What do they learn from foreign novels? Why have we chosen to expose our kids to everything foreign, values that do not lead them or even we, any-

•L-R: Kunle Ajibade, Executive Editor, The News, Babawale and Jimi Solake, veteran artiste and TV personality at the conferPHOTO: EDOZIE UDEZE ence in Akure, Ondo State.

‘What Fagunwa’s works mean to us’

By Edozie Udeze

where?” asked Babawale.

To him, this state of anomie and the total anarchy besetting our culture today are caused by our inability to do the right things by our kids. “The only way is to depart from this situation,” Babawale further stated, “and go back to the basics. Then make available today the basic books and literary materials to read so that they will begin now to catch up. It is not only for them to read and write but

to have the cognate knowledge to face the world and be the best in whatever they do. It is through this way that they can grow up to be better human beings and

true citizens of the world.”

The question of why parents do not take their kids to the villages both for sightseeing and holidays, still form part of the wrong

“Children who speak their local languages very well, are known to be more proficient in other foreign languages. And they can communicate better. This has been proved to be true over the years”

orientation being given to them. The perception that kids become more modern and more civilised only when they go to the cities is also misdirected. In this regard, Babawale, a professor of political economy and a seasoned culture technocrat, said, “You can see that the Soyinkas and Okigbos of this world have been able to impact meaningfully on the world due to their total exposure to the rudiments of their cultures. Because of the background such writers have in their festivals

and other celebrations of their people, they have been known to be on top of their game.”

Generally, it was noted that students perform poorly in most subjects in tertiary institutions due to their disinterest in what is their own. Professor Femi Osofisan, who teaches playwriting at the Obafemi Awolowo University, (O.A.U), Ile-Ife, Osun State, was one of those who was so piqued by the development, having seen many generations of students who never got it right due to this apathy. He said, “it is so annoying that these students come least prepared to face the academic rigours. In the first place, they don’t have the appropriate background to fit into the academic world,” Osofisan bemoaned, shaking his head.

He went on. “They are not only too lazy to read, they do not also know how to speak either their local languages or the English language. This becomes worrisome because you discover you are teaching people who are deficient in their language of communication. And language, as you know, is the tool for learning. If you do not know it, then of what use are you to yourself and to the academic world?”

Owing to this, the Ondo State government has decided to make the reading of all D.O. Fagunwa texts compulsory in schools in the state. Governor Olusegun Mimiko said, “this is to enable us bring back the values we have lost. It is not too late to start now. So we will go back to the use of literary materials in our local tongue to help our kids master them. This way and with time, we will make progress.”

2013 NLNG Poetry Prize:The return of the Diaspora

A

S the excitement which followed the announcement of the long list for the 2013 NLNG Poetry Prize continues, the selection of the three names that would eventually be announced for the short list will revitalise an age long debate in the Nigerian literature community: the debate is where better literature is sourced from.

In 2009 no winner was announced as none of the over 200 poetry works submitted were deemed befitting of receiving the $100, 000 Prize. As expected, the decision raised a dust as to the restriction placed on Nigerian writers from the diaspora against their home based counterparts. The rule then was that only those residents at home were fit to enter for the coveted prize.

Perhaps the 2009 hiatus could be said to be the major reason validating against the argument barring writers residing outside the country. With the dust settled to allow writers from the diaspora to put in entries, Chika Unigwe, a writer based in Belgium emerged the first Nigerian in the Diaspora to clinch the prize with her novel On Black Sisters Street in 2012.

The standing of the 11

Last week the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas announced the long list for the Poetry Prize, Hannah Ojo takes a look at the list

•Promise

•Afam

•Eke

•Raji

poets whose work were long listed for this year’s prize out of the over 200 entries received gives the premonition that the selection of the short list and the eventual winner would be a keenly contested affair. Almost all the writers have to their credits works which have enjoyed rave reviews and won

awards and recognition at home and abroad. There is a strong posing from the academia as two great writers from the world of ‘chalk and blackboard’ would also test their wit among the constellation of stars aiming for this year’s honour. Prof Remi Raji’s Sea of my Mind and Femi Osofisan’s Seven Sta-

tions up the Stairways (with the pen name Okinba Launko) are the referencing points in this regard.

Sexist in writing also comes to the fore as two female poets have their eyes etched on the prize. A debutante, Iquo Eke made the long list with her entry Symphony of Becoming which Lola

Soneyin describes as “reflective lines that stir and delight”. Eke is also alumnus of the Ebedi International Writers Residency Programme in Iseyin, Oyo State.

For Ogochukwu Promise with her entry Wild Letters, winning the prize will further reinforce her stature as a poet of no mean standing,

her gender notwithstanding. The University of Ibadan alumnus has won prizes and fellowships both locally and overseas. She is a well-travelled writer who has toured countries in Europe, Asia and America.

Other home based writers whose profound scribbled verses stood them in the ring this year include Tade Ipadeola (The Sahaba Testament), Egbewo G’ebinyo (Marsh Boy and Other Poems), Gomba Obari (Length of Eyes) and Nnadi Amu’s Through the Windows of a Sandcastle.

If the pendulum swings to any of the trio of Ede Amatoritsero (Globetrotter and Hitler’s Children), Afam Akeh (Letter Home and Biafran Nights) and Obi Nwakanma (Birth Cry) then Buchi Emecheta’s statement in an interview in 1986 that “writing coming from Nigeria sounds quite stilted while that of a person who is from diaspora is enjoyable because it sounds academic and perfect” stands to be proven. As the journey to the selection of the final three and the eventual winner closes in in a matter of weeks, then it is apt to say that this year’s win will go a long way in affirming or debunking her assertion.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

63

The devil’s brew?

—PAGE 55

Murdered because of phone charger A few weeks to his wedding, Adegbeso met his death over a phone charger. Taiwo Abiodun reports

F

OR Dele Adegbeso,33, his plan to marry his heartthrob Adesewa and settle down has been shattered for life. His friend snuffed life out of him in a gruesome manner on the July 28.

The exact motive behind the killing is still shrouded in mystery. And now for the residents of Ijebu –Ife, Ogun State, they will not know peace until the suspect, one Muyideen Olowolayemo (aka Tintiyo) who has been giving them sleepless nights is brought to book. In the last three weeks the ancient town has been in enveloped in confusion while some of the community members are relieved that the suspect had been taken away from their midst yet many still nurse fear as they sleep with one eye open for the fear that he might come back to continue his alleged atrocities.

On what could have caused the feud between the two friends -Adegbeso and Olowolayemo- some sources said, Adegbeso was allegedly killed by his friend over a handset charger while another said he was killed for exposing his friend, Olowolayemo who is alleged to be a robber in the town. The two friends lived in the same vicinity.

Miss Adesewa, the fiancée of the deceased said she was on her way to her sister’s place on the fateful day when she heard about the death of her lover. According to her, “On that fateful Sunday, July 28, after leaving the church, I was on my way to my sister’s place when I heard wailings and gnashing of teeth that my fiancé had been killed. I saw many people running and screaming that somebody had used knife and broken bottle to kill my husband-to-be.

When I got to his house I saw him in a sitting position at a corner and in a pool of his own blood while some blood were splattered on the walls, blood was on the ground. It was terrible; I saw broken bottles and knife buried in his neck.”

Who dun it On what could have caused the misunderstanding, Adesewa said “I know that there was a misunderstanding between them. There was a time when the police raided our house and the suspect’s (Tintiyo) house but the suspect did not allow the Vigilante and policemen to search his room. My husband then challenged him but when the Vigilante left Tintiyo now turned on him in a fury and vowed to kill him for having the guts to dare him. He boasted that he would drain his blood in a calabash but we thought it was an empty boast or threat but it is now very unfortunate that we now know better. I saw the knife he dipped into his neck, it broke into two while he left the remnants there in his neck. This is callous”, she said as she bursts into tears again.

When the reporter visited Adesewa who has returned to her parents’ home where she is still mourning the loss of her fiancé, she looked devastated and confused, surrounded by sympathisers. Asked whether they had consummated their marriage, Adesewa replied ‘’we were still planning for that. It was in the pipeline and everything was in full gear until this ugly incident. I don’t know whether I am pregnant now ‘’ she said, sobbing. Àdebayo Adegbeso, the younger brother to the late Dele could not control himself, he broke down and wept profusely saying his mother had four children and one died some years ago and now Dele was gone too. He said he came from Lagos to see his mother in Ijebu -Ife but as he was preparing to go back on that fateful Sunday he was tricked to his brother’s

•Adesewa, Dele’s fiancee

•The late Dele

house that he was calling him, “Three of my brother’s friends tricked me that my late brother was calling me and I went with them but at the entrance of the house they now revealed to me that he had been killed by his friend who had once threatened him.”

He, however, gave another version, “They said they fought over a handset charger and that was why he was killed. When I got there he was already dead while I learnt that the suspected assailant had run away. The caked blood on the ground and on the walls was frightening. We lost our father many years ago and now our mother is getting old. What kind of life is this?”,he asked rhetorically as he broke down and burst into tears.

But Yinka Kowobari said both the suspected assailant and the deceased were members of

the town’s vigilante group. While Tintiyo was suspected to be an alleged armed robber a fact which many the residents are all aware of but afraid to face because they said he had turned himself into a terror. “Tintiyo was a suspect and he was very tough as no man can challenge him. He goes about doing what he likes. I learnt they quarrelled over phone charger, I told the late Dele to buy another one for Titinyo if it is the charger that the suspect was after. Well, I know that the late man sent me on an errand to go and buy another for him but on my return he had killed his friend. I saw people running to his house shouting and screaming that Tintiyo had killed him. But funny enough I saw the suspect coming out from the building and I challenged him, asking why he was stained

•Tintiyo, the suspect

with blood and what he was doing with knife and broken bottle he had in his hands. In fact, I did not know he had allegedly killed Dele. I asked again the type of animal he killed in the compound not knowing he had committed murder. But seeing how he was fuming, I then suspected he must have done a terrible thing. Then, I screamed that he had killed his friend, he later ran away.” He continued, “when I entered the house where my friend was killed, I found blood, broken bottle, knife left in the neck of the deceased. It was a horrible sight. I could not believe my eyes. In fact, I was even calling him not knowing that he had finally gone.

This is terrible. I can’t believe I would not meet Dele who sent me to go and buy another charger.

I don’t know what to say.”

Investigation revealed that the suspect who lived in the same vicinity visited his victim, and grabbed him from the back and allegedly stabbed him several times with a knife and cutlass; he later buried the broken knife in his neck. The suspected assailant who was said to be a butcher killed the man professionally. There was a big gap in the neck while he cut the oesophagus clinically, there is no way the victim could have survive it.

Caught at last Immediately the suspect carried out his nefarious act, he quickly went into hiding in the bush near the house but cries of Dele in the death throes attracted the neighbours. But many people were afraid of the suspect and therefore alerted the police. His hiding place in the bush was exposed when a 10 year-old boy went there to defecate. It was the boy who spotted him and raised an alarm.The suspect was eventually caught and handed over to the police.

According to Jimoh Moradejo (aka Akeweje of Ijebu Ife), “Immediately we heard of the case we quickly spread our security dragnets , some of us went to the express road while others went to the nooks and crannies of the town searching for the suspect. But thank God that he did not escape.”

The mother of the boy refused to allow anyone speak with his son over fear that the suspect might come back to harm him. A resident observed, “The woman was afraid thinking her son’s life is not safe so she has to be hiding him from the public.”

•Continued on page 68

64

E

Life

LIZABETH Oghenorvbo Dafinone, a United Kingdom- based lady recently in a press statement claimed to be the ‘first born, albeit illegitimate, child of the renowned patriarch of Nigeria, Senator David Omueya Dafinone.’’

According to the birth certificate she presented, she was born to the head of the renowned family of accountants by her late Scottish mother, Joan Helen Mackay, in Hull, U.K in June 1955.

Senator Dafinone’s family is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the family with the most chartered accountants with his three sons and two daughters qualifying as members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales between 1986 and 1999. Senator Dafinone also qualified as an accountant in the UK in 1963.

However, contrary to Elizabeth’s claim, no mention was made of her or her mother in the chapter on Dafinone’s sojourn in England in the authorised biography of the second republic senator entitled Dafinone; An Uncommon Life by Udu Yakubu.

Elizabeth, a trained nurse and graduate in French and Italian, said though Senator Dafinone has never denied paternity, and even paid for two years of her secondary education and gave 1000pounds for initial university fees, her alleged father ‘failed miserably in his paternal obligations towards me.’

She said, ‘I was brought up in poverty. We moved from one tiny, cockroach infested, bedsit to another, in a freezing 1950’s London.

Sometimes, we were so poor; we lived on custard for a week at a time. A stew would last us for at least a week. At no point did my father help. Not a birthday or Christmas card, let alone a present, was forthcoming. My mother embarked on a campaign of appeal writing to him and the Nigerian High Commission in London, begging for some compassion, but it was to no avail. I suspect that this campaign caused my father to resent my mother greatly andpossibly explains some of his subsequent behavior.’

She continued ,‘Throughout my life, all I ever wanted from my father was some love and care.

But my story has been that of survival without a loving family, without a home, without protection and without respect from the human being who created you.

‘It tells of the effects of illegitimacy and of rejection, as well as of the consequences of unrequited love, humiliation, distress and poverty, both emotional and physical.’ According to Elizabeth, she once travelled to Nigeria in search of her father and stayed with her grandmother in Sapele.

All efforts to speak with Senator Dafinone proved abortive as he was said to have travelled abroad and no family member could say when he would be back.

One of his sons, Chief Ede, who was mentioned in Elizabeth’s statement, did not pick calls to get his reaction. He also failed to respond to a text sent to his phone.

Senator Dafinone was, however, quoted by an online publication as saying that Elizabeth was trying to blackmail him.

However, The Nation succeeded in speaking with a member of Dafinone’s extended family who was willing to speak about Elizabeth’s relationship with the well-known family. Insisting on anonymity, he stated that she is a member of the family and that there is no controversy at all about Elizabeth’s paternity, adding that she once came to Nigeria from Brit-

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

My untold story, by Elizabeth Dafinone How true is the claim by a 58- year- old lady that she is the first child of renowned accountant, Senator David Dafinone? Lekan Otufodunrin and Adekunle Yusuf write

•Elizabeth

•Elizabeth and Senator Dafinone

•Elizabeth birth certificate

‘I was brought up in poverty.

We moved from one tiny, cockroach infested, bedsit to another, in a freezing 1950’s London.

Sometimes, we were so poor; we lived on custard for a week at a time.

A stew would last us for at least a week.” ain and spent time with other members of the family.

Commenting further on Elizabeth’s allegation that she was not formally recognised as Dafinone’s daughter, he wondered, “What is her problem now?

I don’t think there is any issue about that.”

However, reacting to information the following day that some online publications have published Elizabeth’s claims, he said, “Let them publish it. She is not a small girl; she is an adult. I don’t want to be disturbed by this 419 thing who just wanted to blackmail somebody. I know what is going on; they just want to blackmail the guy for nothing. She knows the family; she knows the home because she has been here before. She was accepted. She lived with everybody and she was happy. What does she mean by official and unofficial recognition?”

Elizabeth, however, denied that her motive was blackmail, saying, ‘’Firstly, the word ‘blackmail’ means that someone has something to hide and another person is asking them for money to keep the story quiet.’’ ‘’My father obviously has something to hide. Me, his first born child. However, I have never asked him for any money to keep the story quiet. Secondly, I have been silent, respectful and very tolerant over the past 50 years and I think the Dafinone family has taken advantage of my discretion.”

Elizabeth said she decided to speak out following an alleged encounter between her daughter and Senator Dafinone, adding that she was greatly upset by the incident.

According to her, ‘Up until my father was so rude to my daughter a few weeks ago, all I ever wanted from him was a bit of love and care.

I have shed many tears wanting my father but if someone is rude to your child, things change overnight.

‘It was simply the last straw when he told my child to “go back to the hell she came from” before she even had a chance to say why she was ringing.’

However, she is hopeful that there might be reconciliation someday, and that she would eventually enjoy the recognition she has always desired.

Etcetera

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

65

SUNNY SIDE

Cartoons

By Olubanwo Fagbemi deewalebf@yahoo.com 08060343214 (SMS only)

POLITICKLE

Towards tranquility •Or ‘The quest for happiness’

CHEEK BY JOWL

OH, LIFE!

THE GReggs

EVERYONE or nearly everyone may daily cultivate wellbeing to the point of joy, bliss, euphoria, or nirvana even, whether by means justifiable or not. But only by the latter approach could happiness be considered exclusive. As anyone who has ever seen a child, chin lifted and arms stretched out on a food-packed, fun-filled evening, exclaim “I’m happy!” would agree, expression of the basic human emotion is by no means restricted; priceless, but not limited.

Encouraged by innocence, the child clearly enjoys a head-start in pursuit of happiness while, hindered by food, water and power supply shortage in a developing society, adults strain to thumb similar sentiment.

But hope springs eternal. One route to happiness is to constantly tread the sunnier paths of life. That may be no simple rule to life, but it enhances a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle. Is laughter, after all, not the best medicine?

Tense adults often think simple appraisal of events and conditions unrealistic. Some, indeed, seek constantly to defuse the momentary impact of spontaneous enjoyment demonstrated by children. They may be missing the point. Trapping and relishing the fleeting pleasures of life should be second nature to man.

For effect, let them reminisce: that memorable birthday party from childhood; wasn’t it something else? Or the end-of-year holiday with family at the village when they skipped barefoot from a friend’s house to a cousin’s favourite play spot? Nor should any forget, as long as they live, the thrill of gorging on jollof rice and chicken in the festive season, parading the streets in new clothes, and playing with inflated balloons and dolls or toy guns. Oh, the joy of it all!

And how sweetly did ice-cream quell thirst from frolicking in the hot afternoons of rather short school breaks? What about the ecstasy that shot through the body system upon Father’s unveiling of that longdesired bicycle, only bettered by riding the two-wheel ‘wonder’ around the neighbourhood to the patronage of cronies and envy of playground rivals? Joy of all joys!

Surely, the teenager who seals his platonic relationship with the girl next door with a first kiss knows a thing or two about happiness. The afterglow eclipses all want. Even the best dish from Mother’s kitchen poorly rivals the ensuing euphoria.

For many though, Graduation Day from a higher institution secures a pleasant spot in the mind possibly topped by advanced qualification upon years of scholarly labour and expenditure. Beyond conferring intellectual status on individuals, the masters or doctorate degree affords a life-long meal ticket that may be upgraded according to resources and inclination.

For the working bachelor or spinster is the bar raised. The first pay packet often stimulates sweet sensation. For either, however, arrival of the first car probably delights more. The ‘new baby’ interrupts sleep, evokes tenderness and commands reverent driving. And words may poorly describe the blessing a first baby brings to a couple’s home afterwards.

Greater success in life lifts the standard. Following attainment of regular employment or lucrative business connections, chase of the ‘first million’ pushes many to the edge of obsession. Further, in an economy characterised by persistent inflation, freedom from the antics of exploitative landlords defines bliss. Built painstakingly from scratch or bought outright depending on financial might, house ownership, for most, guarantees contentment and fetches reckoning. It confers the muchdesired status of ‘Landlord’ on the achiever and generally engenders serenity.

It may be difficult, ultimately, to determine the most satisfied individual or the most agreeable circumstance, but the writer ventures to conclude that if this piece heightens a sense of satisfaction, the reader deserves tranquility — everyday.

QUOTE

Jokes Humour

Eating Colours OVER dinner, a mother explained the health benefits of a colourful meal to her family. “The more colours, the more variety of nutrients,” she said. Pointing to the food, she asked, “How many different colours do you see?”

“Six,” said her daughter. “Seven if you count the burned parts.”

Higher Grades AN English lecturer was well known for being a fair, but hard, grader. One day he gave a student B minus on a term paper. In hopes of improving her grade and in the spirit of the valentine season, she sent her an extravagant heart-shaped box of chocolates with the pre-printed inscription: “BE MINE.” The following day, she received in return a valentine card from the don. It read: “Thank you, but it’s still BE MINEUS.” Impromptu Card MARK and his pal work in a warehouse distributing lawn-mower parts. Somehow Mark got the idea that his wife did not

want a card on Valentine’s Day, but when he spoke to her on the phone he discovered she was expecting one.

Not having time to buy a card on his way home, he was in a quandary. Then he looked at the lawn-mower trade magazines scattered around the office and got an idea.

Using scissors and glue, he created a card with pictures of mowers, next to which he wrote: “I lawn for you mower and mower each day.”

Different Meaning AS Josiah helped his elderly neighbour clean out his garage, he stumbled upon an ax in the corner. “That was my grandfather’s,” the neighbour said, picking it up and running his fingers along the blade.

“Of course, it’s been through three new heads since he last used it.”

The Diagnosis MATT accidentally swallowed all the tiles from his Scrabble set.

Doctors said the problem would work itself out, but not in so many words.

•Adapted from the Internet

S

Tranquil pleasures last the longest; we are not fitted to bear the burden of great joys.

—Christian Nestell Bovee

TOPPING Writer’s Fountain COMMON ERRORS: How do you keep your about which hand or leg or finger or foot is readers in your story, happily enthralled and doing what, unless it’s relevant or necessary turning every page? Fiction writing is all for understanding.

Too much detail distracts the reader and about sucking your readers in and keeping them eagerly turning the pages to find out may amuse or irritate. It’s good to know what happens next, so be careful not to put what’s going on and what the characters feel, any roadblocks or speed bumps in their way. but you don’t need a highly detailed, Here are some tips for keeping the story anatomical description of every little gesture and movement. flowing: Consider the following example: Don’t get too technical.

‘He stroked her left forearm and wrist Whether writing an action scene or a love scene, avoid getting too technical or clinical with his right index finger, while his left thumb brushed aside a strand of hair from Sundry facts: her right eye and tucked it behind her right •Bumping foreheads with a handshake is ear.’ the traditional greeting in Tibet.

All that precision is totally unnecessary •Eggs sink in water when they are fresh and too distracting. There’s nothing that kills and float when expired. a love scene faster than detailed, clinical •Carrots have zero fat content. descriptions of exactly which of various •Dynamite contains peanuts. appendages and other body parts are doing •“Anything that can go wrong, will go what, in what order, and how. wrong” is Finagle’s Law, not Murphy’s Law. Similarly, in an action scene or a fight, •Each banana plant bears only one stem of unless readers really need to know, for fruit. To produce a new stem, only two logistic reasons, which hand, arm, or leg is shoots known as the daughter and doing what, do not bother specifying, as it granddaughter are allowed to grow and be slows down the action and can be distracting, cultivated from the main plant. even annoying.

66

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013 CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME ADEBISI

I formerly known and addressed as Adebisi A. Adelokiki, now wish to be known as Adebisi A. Vaughn. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

Gbenga

AYENUSI

I formerly known and addressed as Ayenusi Henry Crescence, now wish to be known and addressed as Emmanuel Henry Inioluwa Crescence. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ADESANYA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Olubukunola Faosat Adetutu Adesanya, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olubukunola Adetutu Aina. All former documents remain valid.

Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, Pharmacist Council of Nigeria and general public please take note.

GOMBA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Patience Gomba, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Patience Gomba Okori. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

MARADESA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Maradesa Adedamola Nurat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olusanya, Adedamola Nurat. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OMOTUENMHEN

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Violet Iwanehi Omotuenmhi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Violet Iwanehi Oyarekua. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

LEGBO

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Keziah N. Legbo, now wish to be known as Mrs. Keziah Legbo Gana. All former documents remain valid. Ministry of Defence HQ, NAF and general public please take note.

TUBI

I formerly known and addressed as Tubi, Oluwatoyin Omolabake, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Shokunbi, Oluwatoyin Omolabake (Nee Akinsete). All former documents remain valid.

National Commission For Museums and Monument and general public please take note.

YUSSUF

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Yussuf Ayoola Khadeejat, now wish to be known and addressed asMrs Ayoola, Luis Michael. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

ENOMA

I formerly known and addressed as Enoma Abel Edokpaigbe, now wish to be known and addressed as Osarenmwinda Abel Edokpaigbe.

All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

OYIKWU

I formerly known and addressed as Oyikwu Gabriel Oyikwu, now wish to be known and addressed as Anebi Gabriel Oyigocho. All former documents remain valid.

Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State and general public take note.

ANYAOGU

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Anyaogu, Oluchi Blessing, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oluchi Blessing Chukwuemeka Ajiri. All former documents remain valid.

Midwifery Council of Nigeria and general public take note.

JACOB

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Ugbonma Jacob now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Josephin Ugonwanyi Nwigwe. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

OKAFOR

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Okafor, Oluchi Florence, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ejiogu, Oluchi Florence. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

ANGIOHA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Angioha, Roselyn Ukedem, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Obu, Roselyn Uche-Raymonds. All former documents remain valid.

University of Calabar and general public take note.

KEREAKEDE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Kereakede B. Florence, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Saya, Bolouboere Florence.

All former documents remain valid.

Universal Basic Education Board, Okolobiri, Bayelsa and general public take note.

BRIGGS

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Otonye Briggs, now wish to be known as Mrs. Otonye Ajiola. All former documents remain valid.

Nigerian Immigration and general public please take note.

UWAKWE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Uwakwe, Onyemaechi, now wish to be known as Mrs. Ochiagha Onyemaechi Caroline. All former documents remain valid. S.O.N. Mbano, School of Midwifery AwoOmama, School of Post Basic Cardiothoradic Nursing UNTH Enugu, IMSUTH Orlu, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and general public please take note.

BRIGGS

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Otonye Briggs, now wish to be known as Mrs. Otonye Ajiola. All former documents remain valid.

Nigerian Immigration and general public please take note.

ADENEKAN

I formerly known and addressed as Adenekan, Olubunmi Toyin, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adebayo, Olubunmi Toyin.

All former documents remain valid.

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CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to confirm that Olohungbebe Saliu Ibrahim is my correct name but in some of my documents they mispelt names as Olohongbebe Soliu Ibrahim. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

ADELEYE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Adeleye, Ifedolapo Mary, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Shotade, Ifedolapo Mary. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ADENIYI

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Adeniyi, Folasade, now wish to be known as Mrs. Oladipupo Folasade. All former documents remain valid. Osun State College of Education and general public please take note.

NKANKA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Nkanka Blessing Ozoma, now wish to be known as Mrs. Manyawo Blessing Ozoma. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ADENIYI

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Adeniyi, Adefunke Esther, now wish to be known and addressed asMrs Otesile, Adefunke Esther. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

OLOWE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Olowe, Adesoye Felicia Oluwaseun, now wish to be known and addressed asMrs Ayodele, Felicia Oluwaseyi. All former documents remain valid. Civil Defence Authority and general public take note.

OGUNTUASE

67 CHANGE OF NAME ADETIFA

I formerly known and addressed as Adetifa, Mosurat Mercy, now wish to be known as Ajiwoye, Mercy Mosurat. All former documents remain valid. Federal Medical Centre, Owo and general public please take note.

AYODELE

I formerly known and addressed as Ayodele Olamide Olubunmi, now wish to be known as Todowede Olamide Olubunmi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OFONIME

I formerly known and addressed as Mr. Ofonime Etuk, now wish to be known as Mr. Precious Etim Etuk.

All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

IBRAHIM

I formerly known and addressed as Okey Anthonious Ebipuruonwu, now wish to be known as Ibrahim Mohammed. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OKE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Oke Titilayo Margaret, now wish to be known as Mrs. Olayioye Titilayo Margaret. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OLALUDE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Olalude, Margaret Yetunde, now wish to be known as Mrs. Olowolayemo Margaret Yetunde.

All former documents remain valid.

Matna Foods Company and general public please take note.

ADELEKE

I formerly known and addressed as Mrs. Adeleke, Roselyn Aina, now wish to be known as Mrs. Adeyanju Roselyn Aina. All former documents remain valid. Ondo State SUBEB and general public please take note.

OGUNBOLUDE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogunbolude Yetunde, now wish to be known as Mrs. Adegbenro, Motunrayo Yetunde.

All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

AINA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Aina, Oluwatosin Oluwaseun, now wish to be known as Mrs. Erinle, Oluwatosin Oluwaseun. All former documents remain valid. Ekiti State Ministry of Local govt. Affairs and general public please take note.

AKINYEMI

I formerly known and addressed as Akinyemi, Kayode Augustus, now wish to be known as Akinyemi Kayomide Augustus. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AKINYEMI

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Oguntuase, Motunrayo Odunayo, now wish to be known and addressed asMrs. Ogunseemi, Motunrayo Odunayo. All former documents remain valid. Ekiti State Local govt. Service Commission, Ado-Ekiti and general public take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Akinyemi, Omolola Adedolapo, now wish to be known as Mrs. Akosile, Omolola Adedolapo. All former documents remain valid. Ekiti State Judiciary and general public please take note.

MANNAH

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Babalola Temitade Toluwaleke, now wish to be known as Mrs. Omotoun Temitade Toluwaleke. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Lucinda Jacob Mannah, now wish to be known and addressed asMrs. Lucinda Esau Elemi. All former documents remain valid.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and general public take note.

ODEY

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Odey, Comfort Ohiuma, now wish to be known and addressed asMrs. Egbe Comfort Ohiuma. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

OMEZERE

I formerly known and addressed as Omezere Godian Odife, now wish to be known and addressed as Aliosus Godian Odife. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

OMORODION

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Omorodion, Oluwatosin Osamudiame, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ituah, Oluwatosin Osamudiame.

All former documents remain valid.

Enterprise Bank and general public take note.

HASSAN

I formerly known and addressed as Rhoda Hassan, now wish to be known as Rhoda Solomon Badama.

All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

BABALOLA

ADEBAYO

I formerly known and addressed as Adebayo Yusufu, now wish to be known as Mathew-Adebayo Awoyemi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OWORU

I formerly known and addressed as Akinboye Oyeyinka Oworu, now wish to be known and addressed as Akinboye Ifeoluwa Oyeyinka Oworu. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

EFUNKOYA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Oluwadamilola Oluwabusola Efunkoya, now wish to be known as Mrs. Oluwadamilola Oluwabusola Aina. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

SYLVA

I formerly known and addressed as SYLVA NWAKAEGO PATRICKUMEH, Now wish to be known as SYLVA NWAKAEGO PATRICKOGBONNIA. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

HASSAN

CONFIRMATION OF NAME Isaac Segun and Isaac Oluwasegun is the same person as Isaac Oluwasegun Seun. All documents bearing the above names remain valid. General public please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME Akinyoyenu Silifat Oluwakemisola and Akinyoyenu K. Silifatu is the same person as Akinyoyenu Silifat Kemi. All documents bearing the above names remain valid. General public please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME Omoleye Temitope is the same person as Omoleye Temitope Peter. All documents bearing the above names remain valid. General public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Hassan Adijat mojisola, now wish to be known as Mrs. Apatira Adijat mojisola. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OSADIAYE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Osadiaye Eunice omorotionmwan, now wish to be known as Mrs. Ero Eunice Omorotionmwan. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EZEIKE

I formerly known and addressed as Ezeike Sunny, now wish to be known as Ezeike Prosperity Enoch. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

EZEIKE

I formerly known and addressed as Ogunmola Ibrahim , now wish to be known as Ogunmola Olu Ibrahim. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria and general public please take note.

FADERIN

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Faderin Moyosore Omotara, now wish to be known as Mrs. Lalemi Moyosore Omotara. All former documents remain valid.

First Bank of Nigeria and general public please take note.

KAYODE

CONFIRMATION OF NAME Ajayi Bukola is the same person as Ajayi Bukola Oyenike. All documents bearing the above names remain valid. General public please take note.

AREMU

ADEKOYA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Adekoya Odunayo Rebeccah, now wish to be known as Mrs. Shobayo Odunayo Rebeccah. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

ADELEYE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Adeleye Esther Oluwatosin, now wish to be known as Mrs Dahunsi Esther Oluwatosin. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

AMODU

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Amodu Fatimoh Olabisin, now wish to be known as Mrs. Amodu Fatimoh Olabisi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ADETIMIRIN

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Adetimirin Comfort, now wish to be known as Mrs. NsiEnodien Comfort. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I,Tiamiyu Taiwo is the same person as Osuolale Taiwo. My correct name is Tiamiyu Taiwo. All former documents remain valid. Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and general public please take note.

ADETIMIRIN

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Adetimirin Comfort, now wish to be known as Mrs. NsiEnodien Comfort. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME Ige Anuoluwapo Titilayo and Ige Mary Anuoluwapo is the same person as Ige Anuoluwapo Mercy.

All documents bearing the above names remain valid. General public please take note.

ADEWALE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Adewale, Sade Olufunke, now wish to be known as Mrs. Ojokuku Sade Olufunke. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AKPAIKPE

OGUNLADE

UKPABI

I formerly known and addressed as Miss. CHIKA UMEOBIERI BRIDGET, now wish to be known as Mrs. EZEAFULUKWE CHIKA BRIDGET. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogunlade, Taiwo Oluwakemi, now wish to be known as Mrs. Johnson Taiwo Oluwakemi. All former documents remain valid, general public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Adejonwo, Sa’adah Funmilola, now wish to be known as Mrs. Balogun Sa’adah Funmilola. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS AREMU TAWAKALITU OMOTAYO, now wish to be known as MRS ABOABA TAWAKALITU OMOTAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OGBONNA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss. CALLISTA OGBONNA, now wish to be known as Mrs. CALLISTA NJOKU. All former documents remain valid, general public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as RITA OMASIRICHI CHUKWU, now wish to be known as VICTORY OMASIRICHI JAMES. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

ODEDINA

MADU

OKPO

I formerly known and addressed as Miss. ARIT ESEKAK OKPO, now wish to be known as Mrs. RITAARIT GODWIN URANTA. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

ATUMA

I formerly known and addressed as ANOZIE ATUMA, now wish to be known as ONYEMACHI CHINEDUM ANOZIE. All former documents remain valid, general public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Ajaegbu Moses Ukpabi, now wish to be known as Ajaegbu Moses Ugochukwu. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Madu Rebecca Chigozie, now wish to be known as Mrs. Okonkwo Rebecca Chigozie. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AGBAEZE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss. FLORA IKPO AGBAEZE, now wish to be known as Mrs. FLORA IKPO NWOKORO. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Miss. IDARESIT AKPAIKPE. Now wish to be known as Mrs. IDARESIT EKOMOBONG. All former documents remain valid, general public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Kayoed Folakemi Morenike, now wish to be known as Okwuzi Folakemi Morenike. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Odedina Oluwaseun Tunde, now wish to be known as Owolabi Oluwaseun Tunde. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

ADEJONWO

OGORI

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Esther Ogori Ogba, now wish to be known as Mrs. Esther Ogori Oguchukwu. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EKPU

I formerly known and addressed as Edikan Ray Ekpu, now wish to be known as Edikan Ray Osho. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

OBI

I formerly known and addressed as Martin Elochukwu Obi, now wish to be known as Martin Elochukwu Emoka. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OYABOADE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Grace Olajumoke Oyaboade, now wish to be known as Grace Olajumoke Olufunmilayo. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

ADEGOKE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Adegoke, Tawakalitu Adunni, now wish to be known as Mrs. Emmanuel Tawakalitu Adunni. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OLAYISADE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Olayisade, Mosimiladeoluwa Adebimpe, now wish to be known as Mrs. Odeyemi, Mosimiladeoluwa Adebimpe. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

HANSON

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Esther Akpan Hanson, now wish to be known as Mrs. Esther Hanson-Eduok. All former documents remain valid. NASRDA, ASTAL, CBSS and general public please take note.

ESEZOBOR

I formerly known and addressed as Karen Olohigbe Esezobor, now wish to be known as Karen Olohigbe Mukoro. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AWOLUMATE

I formerly known and addressed as Awolumate Rahmon, now wish to be known as Babajide Bidemi Rahmon. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CLARK

I formerly known and addressed as Grace Edewede Clark, now wish to be known as Grace Edewede Emmanuel. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OKOH

I formerly known and addressed as Jennifer Chiamaka Okoh, now wish to be known as Jennifer Chiamaka Obot. All former documents remain valid. ABU, ZariaGeneral public please take note.

CHUKWU

CHIKA

IKECHUKWU

I formerly known and addressed as Miss. KALAGBOR IKECHUKWU CHIBURUOMA VIVIAN, now wish to be as Mrs. ONUKEM CHIBURUOMA VIVIAN. All former documents remain valid, general public please take note.

DURU

I formerly known and addressed as Miss.

DURU EUNICE CHINEZELUM. Now wish to be known as Mrs. OKORO EUNICE CHINEZELUM OLUCHI. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, FURO BIRIYAI SUOYO and FURO BIRIYAI SUOYE refers to one and the same person, now wish to be known as FURO BIRIYAI SUOYE. All former documents remain valid general public please take note. 3

AKPAN

I formerly known and addressed as FRANCES UCHE ETUK AKPAN, Now wish to be known as FRANCES UCHE OGBECHIE All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OZOCHIWETALU

I formerly known and addressed as OZOCHIWETALU LINDA CHIOMA, Now wish to be known as MMADUBUIKE LINDA CHIOMA. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

SALAMI

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Zainab Atinuke Saalami, now wish to be known as Mrs. Zainab Atinuke Odele. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EMAH

This is to confirm that Emmanuel Etuk Emah and Emmanuel Sydney Emah refers to one and the same person, and now wish to be known and addressed as Emmauel Etuk Emah. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

WARRI CENTRAL MOSQUE NURSERY/PRIMARY SCHOOL, WARRI Formerly Warri Central Mosque Nursery/Primary, School, Warri, now wish to be known as Iqra Nursery/Primary School, Warri. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

ADVERT: Simply produce your marriage certificate or sworn affidavit for a change of name publication, with just N4,500. The payment can be made through FIRST BANK of Nigeria Plc. Account number - 2017220392 Account Name - VINTAGE PRESS LIMITED Scan the details of your teller to advert and gbengaodejide@yahoo.com or thenation.advert@hotmail.com. For enquiry please contact: Gbenga on 08052720421, 08161675390, Emailgbengaodejide@yahoo.com or our offices nationwide. Note this!

Change of name is now published every Sundays, all materials should reach us two days before publication.

68

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

WORDSWORTH M

Ex-editor Aragbaiye buries mum

EBERE WABARA

08055001948

ewabara@yahoo.com

Posers for Oguntunase “I N his weekly column in Daily Sun entitled ‘Mind Your Language’, Mr. Bayo Oguntunase said on page 36, February 17, 2005, that the use of the word ‘upliftment’ as a NOUN was inappropriate, a stance shared by me, Wordsworth columnist Ebere Wabara, Mr. Stanley Nduagu and others.

For Mr. Oguntunase to now say ‘upliftment’ is an elongation for ‘uplift’ which, according to him, is a shorthand form baffles me. Does shorthand exist in formal writing? Why this about-turn?

“Also in the same column, he wrote that ‘impact’ should be used only as a noun, but its use as a verb has gained global acceptance.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (New Edition) for Advanced Learners states on page 79 that ‘impact’ as a verb is ‘to have an important or noticeable effect on….’

“Similarly, Mr. Oguntunase said in his March 3, 2004 column, page 36, that ‘to author (write) a book’ was wrong.

However, the Longman dictionary on page 97 defines ‘author’ (VERB) as ‘to be the writer of a book, report etc.’

“Much as ‘look something up’ is a correct phrasal verb, ‘check’ (page 274 of the same dictionary) is also appropriate, as it means ‘to look at something carefully and thoroughly in order to make sure it is correct’.

“On the word ‘about’, it is an adverb which means ‘a little more or less than, a little before or after’. It denotes approximation, estimation, or aggregation and not specificity, exactitude, exactness or preciseness.

Why would someone approximate figure 12 when he could conveniently count the items, unless he is unsure?

Besides, the Word Economy rule comes into play here.

“Most of us were taught to recognize ‘beehive of activity’ as appropriate, but in the contemporary world, a ‘hive of activity’ (the same Longman dictionary, page 834) is correct and is shorter than the former.

‘Hive’ and ‘beehive’ are synonymous, though.

“Lastly, I maintain my stance on the incorrect use of ‘witch-hunt’. It is NEVER a verb (page 2014 of the Longman

dictionary and page 1370 of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary refer) For Gov. Rotimi Amaechi to claim that ‘the PDP is witch-hunting me’ is wrong because ‘witchhunting’ is used here as a verb.

“I am not a dilettante, intellectual thug or an illiterate as suggested by Mr. Oguntunase (vide Wordsworth of August 4). I am neither a guttersnipe who uses foul language.

With two years into my post-service retirement, I have not relapsed into senility and do not suffer from academic arrogance, mental void, intellectual somersault or virtuous inanity. Thanks.” (From Kola Danisa/07068074257) “‘IT is howlers galore’ is incorrect. We say or write: ‘There are howlers galore’!” (Input: Baba Bayo Oguntunase/08029442508) Wrong: A small accident; right: a minor accident; Wrong: A good advantage; right: a big or real advantage “The Commissioner of (for) Education, but Minister of Education” DAILY SUN of August 14 fumbled copiously: “Encomiums as dead journalist was laid to rest in Ibadan” Two things: would it have been a living journalist? And this: replace ‘was’ with ‘is’! So, a rewrite: Encomiums as journalist is laid to rest in Ibadan “The bill has already being (been) introduced in (to) the Senate.”

“Ex-lawmaker canvasses more (another) state for S’East” Wrong: bossom; always spell-check: bosom “FG loses N80bn to tax evading firms” Business TODAY: tax-evading firms “Welcome our patriotic and progressive governors to the maiden governors (governors’) forum meeting in Nasarawa State…Congratulation (Congratulations) for (on/ upon) being part of Nigeria’s political history” (Full-page advertisement signed by Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, Governor, Nasarawa State) THE GUARDIAN World Report of August 13 launched the publication in the hall of infamy: “…declaring only that the decision was intended ‘to breathe a new dynamic (dynamism) into the cabinet.”

“Court declares New York police’s ‘stop and frisk’ (stop-and-frisk) tactics illegal”

“Pupils of Achievers (sic) School during their end of session (end-ofsession) party in Lagos.”

Now The Guardian Editorial: “…just as a one-time Senate president had also been charged for (with) corruption.”

“NEITI assures of credibility of audit report” Who did the initiative assure? ‘Assure’, by the rules of lexis and structure, compulsorily takes an object.

“University of Abuja, Abuja, 2012/2013 Post UTME Screening Exercise” A rewrite: …Post-UTME Screening (take note of the hyphenation and the removal of ‘exercise’— which is otiose!)

“Presidency faults AfDB’s assessment of poverty reduction (poverty-reduction) efforts” “MTN Foundation invests N7 billion on (in) projects” “Only courts can restore sanity in (to) Rivers’ Assembly” Lastly from THE GUARDIAN under review: “The recent political upheaval in Rivers State, which led to a free-for-all fight in the State House of Assembly has continued to attract reactions from various stakeholders.” Law: yank off ‘fight’ which is encompassed in ‘free for all’! (Et tu erstwhile flagship of Nigerian journalism?)

THE NATION ON SUNDAY of August 11 goofed right from its front page banner to inside pages: “Governors (Governors’) Forum: Jang, Amaechi resume battle” The two governors had never sheathed their swords— so, technically, resumption of battle does not arise as it had always raged!

“Okorocha…has become one of the most talked about (mosttalked-about) politician (politicians) in Nigeria.” “…an agency he helped nurtured (nurture) from birth to maturity….”

“In a summon (summons) sent to all the g o v e r n o r s … . ” (THISDAY, THE S A T U R D A Y NEWSPAPER, August 10) Singular: summons; plural: summonses DAILY SUN of August 7 rounds off this edition: “Don’t bite the fingers that fed you…”

This way: Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

ADAM Comfort Aragbaiye, who died on April 28, 2013 in Owo, Ondo State at 90 is to be buried on August 24.

Madam Aragbaiye is the mother of the former editor of the defunct Sketch Newspapers, Ibadan and Press Secretary to the late Chief Adekunle Ajasin (former Ondo State governor), Elder Bola Aragbaiye.

Her remains will be buried at St Patrick’s Anglican Church, Owo. There will be Ajabue traditional dance round the town on Thursday, August 22 at 9am.The corpse leaves the Federal Medical Centre Owo mortuary for lying in state on Friday, 23 at her residence, 26

•Madam Aragbaiye

Idimepen Street, Owo, while Christian wake keep will hold at the same venue.

Service of songs takes place at St. Patrick’s Anglican Church, Ijebu -Owo on Saturday 24August. Interment follows immediately.

There will be entertainment of guests at Imade College Ground, Owo. The late Aragbaiye is survived by sisters , brothers, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, among them are : Yeyesa Adenike Ogunoye, Elder Bola Aragbaiye, Lady Evangelist Margaret M. Dare, Dr.(Mrs) Esther O. Lambo, Mr. Samuel Olu Aragbaiye, Mrs Stella Olufunke Aragbaiye -Ajidahun, Alex Akin Aragbaiye, Mr.Dare Aragbaiye , Mrs.Evelyn Bose Abiodun and others.

Murder so brutal

•Continued from page 63

not safe so she has to be hiding him from the public.”

Tintiyo, the terror In Ijebu Ife, the fear of Tintiyo is the beginning of wisdom for all. This seems to be last crime he committed among the many he had allegedly did in the past. According to Omolara Shiitu, the town live in fear of Tintiyo. According to her, “We all fear him here. He once beat a policeman when he was arrested.

The suspect also stabbed an okada man on the cheek while trying to evade arrest.” While many are blaming the police for their refusal to bring to the suspect to book, others are blaming the residents for being afraid of him.” The police often release him and what do we do? We are helpless, the police are guilty and we believe they are being settled for his release.”

While searching his room according to Adesanya Ola, a note in which he allegedly wrote the names of his marked enemies to be killed was found under his mattress.”The suspect while he was being arrested was screaming that he could recognise our faces and would come back to revenge. If he comes back we are in trouble. In fact, a piece of paper where he wrote down names of his marked enemies was found. We saw about 19 names he had marked and targeted.”

Game is up However, Titinyo’s cup seemed to have been full this time when he was caught soaked in blood as he was trying to escape from the scene of incidence. He is cooling his heels at Eleweran Police Headquarters, Abeokuta singing like a tormented witch.

According to some accounts, the suspected as-

•The house where Dele was killed.

sailant was said to be jobless and had been having a running battle in the community. According to one of the townsmen he was warned several times to desist from the dirty job until his friend later reported him to the Vigilante Group in the community.

However, when the reporter got to No 2, Isale Isapodo, Ajalorun in Ijebu - Ife the building where the incident happened, he met an empty dilapidated two storey buildings. The buildings have no windows and doors.

The room where the late Dele was killed also has no window or door, while the walls and floor were bloodstained.

Investigation revealed that the two houses where both the assailant and the victim lived are owned by the same person. However, it is suspected that the two houses which are unkempt harbour people of questionable characters.

“These two houses had been deserted since

this incident happened.

The two houses are abandoned and area boys smoke Indian hemp there,” a man who does not want his name to be mentioned said.

All efforts to get the suspect’s family members failed, according to the community members, the suspect’s parents had fled the town to avoid being attacked by an irate mob When contacted, the police confirmed the incident and that the case had been transferred to Eleweran, Abeokuta, while the victim’s remains is in the mortuary at the General Hospital, Ijebu Ode. What could have made a friend stab and kill his childhood friend? What could have caused the disaffection that led to the killing? Who could have thought the friendship between the two friends could end up on such a bitter note? Why did it take the murder of Dele before Tintiyo was arrested? Ijebu Ife is asking.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013

69

70

C

News

RISIS is brewing in the eight local government areas in Bayelsa State following a decision by the state government to tinker with the composition of the senior cadre of the system , investigation by The Nation has revealed.

Senior officials of the local councils are at loggerheads with the government over the decision which they described as a contravention of the existing rules in the civil service.

Investigations revealed that the government adopted a policy of removing senior officials of the local councils and replacing them with junior workers.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18 , 2013

Rumbling in Bayelsa LGs over redeployment of senior officers

By Mike Odiegwu Yenagoa

The senior officials from grade 14 and above were withdrawn from their offices and directed to report at the headquarters of the Local Government Civil Service Commission in Yenagoa.

Directors, heads of personnel management and treasurers were said to have been

mostly affected by the development.

It was learnt that their offices were immediately occupied by junior workers from grade level nine.

One of the aggrieved officials who was removed as a Director of Finance accused the government of high-handedness.

The official, who pleaded

anonymity for fear of victimisation, said it was an insult to allow a grade level nine worker take over his office.

“This is an insult. This kind of thing has never happened anywhere. Right now, l don’t have any work to do despite my wealth of experience, “he said.

But a beneficiary of the new policy who was elevated as a

Head of Personnel Management defended the civil service commission, saying it acted within their mandates.

But the policy, it was observed, had unsettled the system with the aggrieved officials calling for the intervention of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees.

Acting on numerous calls and Save our Soul (SoS) messages by the workers, the national secretariat of NULGE sent a team to investigate the

matter.

Members of the team, led by the union’s Vice-President, South-south, Dr. Jones Offunne, were said to have stormed Yenagoa to probe the alleged irregularities.

Ofunne, told The Nation that the team had concluded its investigation.

He condemned the action of the commission and said it acted without respect to the laws governing the civil service.

When contacted, the permanent secretary in the commission, Chief Suru Oyarede, described the deployment as mere posting, which he said was in line with the mandate of the commission.

APC set to take over Akwa Ibom, say Udoedehe, others

T

•L-R Chief of Staff to the President, Mike Ogiadomhe, Governor Godswill Akpabio of AkwaIbom State, exchanging pleasantries with former military heads of state, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar at a public function in Abuja during the week.

HE Chieftain of Action Congress of Nigeria in Akwa Ibom State, Senator James Udoedehe, yesterday vowed that the newly registered All Progressives Congress (APC) will takeover the mantle of leadership in Akwa Ibom State in 2015.

Udoedehe, a former Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory, who was the ACN governorship candidate during the 2015 general elections in the state, spoke at the inaugural meeting of the party in Uyo, the state capital.

Members of the defunct ACN, Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), and All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) met to chart a new course for APC in Akwa Ibom State.

They called on all to bury their differences and see to the success of APC in Akwa Ibom State in 2015. He was represented at the event by Prof.

Godwin Umoh.

Speaking in the same spirit, the governorship

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

candidate of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2011 governorship election in the state, Group Captain Sam Enwang, said APC has a good arrangement to carry everybody along.

Enwang, who was twoterm Military Administrators of Rivers and Ogun states, charged members to go back to their different wards and work assiduously for the success of the party in 2015.

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in 2011, David Ekanem, said APC has come to cure the state and nation, all its ills, calling on the people to come out and join the party for their future emancipation.

Others who gave solidarity messages at the meeting included, Ani Asikpo, Joe Ukpong, Prof.

Ekeng Anamdu, Perry Ntuk, Abai Nsima Umoh, Dr. Amadu Attai, Idongesit Udokpo, Dr. Efiok Akpan, Dr. Samuel Atang, among others.

Amaechi rejects judgment restraining commission of inquiry

T

HE Rivers State Government is taking steps to appeal Friday’s judgment which restrains from further sitting, the members of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the July 9 and 10 crises in the Rivers House of Assembly.

The Rotimi Amaechi’s administration also rejected the judgment outright, declaring that it was not well reasoned.

The presiding judge, Justice Iyaye Lamikanra, of the Rivers State High Court, Port Harcourt, described the Justice Biobele Georgewill-led commission as illegal and unconstitutional, ordering it to stop sitting forthwith.

One of the five antiAmaechi lawmakers, Victor Ihunwo, who represents Port Harcourt III Constituency, instituted the suit, stating that the executive had no right to dabble in the affairs of the legislature, under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Ihunwo described Amaechi as an interested party, with his presence in the hal-

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

lowed chambers of the Rivers House of Assembly on July 9, and could not be a judge in his own case, while alleging that some members of the commission were the governor’s loyalists and relatives.

Ihunwo’s counsel, Dike Udenna, also stated that by the doctrine of separation of powers, the legislative arm of government is different and distinct from the executive arm, while the executive could not set up any inquiry to investigate the internal workings of the legislature.

The commission’s lawyer, Olusola Dare, on Friday, said his clients accepted the judgment “for now,” but would further consult his clients.

The Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, in an online statement yesterday, on behalf of the Rivers State Government, declared that the Lamikanra’s judgment would not stand.

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THE NATION SPORT SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

Van Persie inspires Man United in opening win

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REMIER League, the Liberty Stadium Swansea 1 (Bony 82) Manchester United 4 (Van Persie 34 & 72, Welbeck 36 & 90+2) Braces from Robin van Persie and Daniel Welbeck helped Manchester United go top of the nascent Premier League with an impressive 4-1 win at Swansea City.

Two goals in quick succession towards the end of the first half gave the visitors a commanding 2-0 lead, Van Persie hooking in a clever finish and Welbeck tapping in from close range after a low cross by Antonio Valencia.

Swansea had dominated possession until that point, although they had gone off the boil before those goals.

Michael Laudrup responded with the half-time introduction of new signing Wilfried Bony, who had been left on the bench due to jet-lag.

Swansea improved with his power and pace but, with Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic solid at the back, there was no way through.

Van Persie added his second and United's third with a fantastic shot into the roof of the net after dummy runs from substitute Wayne Rooney and Welbeck.

Bony netted a late consolation on his Premier League debut with the score 30, but United were never going to be denied as Welbeck completed the rout with a fantastic chip from Rooney's pass.

Trabzonspor target 5m Euros-rated Kalu Uche

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IVE million Euros-rated Kalu Uche is wanted by Trabzonspor after they ended the pursuit of exLiverpool star Milan Baros.

Trabzonspor will have to cough out 5.3 million Euros to lure the Nigeria striker away from fellow Turkish club Kasimpasa. Uche was a smash hit with Kasimpasa last season, where he scored 19 goals to emerge as second top scorer in his debut season in Turkey.

According to fanatik.com, coach Mustafa Akçay is desperate to land a striker before the transfer window closes and the Nigerian is now his main target and so Trabzonspor will begin negotiations as •Uche soon as possible.

Mexico 2013

Nigeria flops, as Ohuruogu leads Britain to bronze in 4x400

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IGERIA'S chances of adding to her medals at the ongoing Athletics World Championship in Moscow faded yesterday with the 4x400 women relay team finishing in sixth place.

Nigerian born Britons; Christine Ohuruogu and Margaret Adeoye however helped Britain secured a bronze medal in the relay won by Russia.

The Russian and US quartets were neck-and-neck after three

F

INLAND-based sports agency, TOPSPOT Development, and Technology and Management have declared their interest to partner the 7th edition of the Akpabio U-18 Unity Championship.

Their representative in Nigeria and ex international Hilary Azodo informed that they are partnering the championship with the sole aim of picking the best players and to also present equipment like footballs and tracksuit.

The former Iwanyanwu Nationale (now Heartland FC of Owerri) striker lauded the organisers of Governor Godswill Akpabio tourney for sustaining the tournament for the past six edition.

The tournament coordinator Hon.John Ekpenyong thanked Mr. Hilary for the gesture, thus informing that the championship on record has made history by been the best organised and longest youth football tournament in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, 20 others and four countries have confirmed their participation in the championship.

The host state Akwa Ibom, Abia, Kano, Rivers, Lagos, Plateau, Bauchi, Delta, Edo, Kastina, Bayelsa, Sokoto, Oyo, Anambra, Ebonyi, Gombe, Niger, Cross River, Benue, Ondo, Zamfara and Kadauna State while the four countries are Ghana, Togo, Cameroun and Benin Republic.

However, the tournament is expected to kick-off from 14th- 22nd September, 2013 at Uyo Township Stadium.

GLO PREMIER LEAGUE

SUNDAY FIXTURE

Sharks, Enyimba target home wins

Tottenham Crystal Palace vs vs Hull City Chelsea

S Agali tips Eagles striker to thrash Malawi F 2014 WCQ

ORMER Super Eagles striker Victor Agali is confident that the Super Eagles will beat their Malawian counterpart in next month's crucial World Cup qualifier in Calabar, reports futaa.com The gangling striker said he has so much confidence in the Coach Stephen Keshi tutored side, adding that he also expects that other Nigeria soccer fans will have such belief in the team, most especially

Golden Eaglets mark milestone with victory

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laps, but Russia's Antonina Krivoshapka powered ahead of Francena McCorory to send the home fans into a frenzy of delight.

Ohuruogu took the baton for the final leg for Britain after Margaret Adeoye, Eilidh Child and Shana Cox had combined to leave her neck-and-neck with the French team, but around 25m behind the leading pair.

Gold from so far back was too

much to ask for the newlycrowned world 400m champion, but Ohuruogu never looked in any danger of missing out on bronze to collect her second medal of the championships and the fifth World Championships medal of her career.

Rollins shocked Australia's Olympic champion Sally Pearson to win in 12.44 seconds, with Pearson second on 12.50 and Porter clocking 12.55 to come third.

•Robin van Persie waves to fans after Manchester United's /Swansea match (PA Photos)

AHEAD 2013 U-17 WORLD CUP

ITH exactly two months to the kick off of the 2013 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in the UAE, the Golden Eaglets marked the milestone on Saturday with a 1-0 win against Tempbol Soccer Academy -a Cross River State's Amateur League team-at the practice pitch of the U.J Esuene Sport Stadium in Calabar.

The game against Tempbo, that incidentally lost 3-0 to the National Under-17 team last year, was another opportunity for coach Manu Garba (MFR) to see how some of his new recruits are faring in the face of sturdy challenges.

Garba made a wholesale change by resting the regular faces with the exemption of attacking midfielder, Musa Yahaya, who was handed the captain's band and defender, Zaharadeen Bello.

The new boys showed they are learning fast with gritty play right from the start of the game with stand-in captain, Yahaya, at the heart of most actions. Yahaya could have, however, put the Eaglets in

By Taiwo Alimi

SPORT EXTRA Finland Sports agency partners Akpabio Cup

the lead almost at the half-hour but he failed to convert from the penalty spot as his kick ricocheted off the post with the goalkeeper Life Effiong rooted to the spot.

But Yahaya proved to be a captain fantastic when he pounced on a cross from Chigozie Obasi to finally give the Eaglets the curtain raiser towards the end of the first half. Yet the Eaglets could not add any other goal despite spirited efforts and near domination of the opposition to end the fist stanza 1-0.

Tempbo, however, came strongly in the second half as they matched the Eaglets power-for-power.

Nevertheless, it was Eaglets' newcomer, Jacob Njoku-the former Under-15 left-footed midfielderthat nearly added his name to the scorer's sheet when he struck a volley that was parried over the bar

by Effiong who was very impressive in goal. Njoku was back in the hunt again some minutes afterwards yet his best effort graced the post for another respite for Tempbol.

as they proved every one wrong to win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

“Our chances are always bright and I believe the Eagles will beat Malawi,” stated the former international.

He continued: “I will like people to start having more confidence in the team. After

winning the Nations Cup our players have gained more confidence and I believe the fans should have more confidence now in the team.”

The Eagles take a two-point lead into the last match of this phase of the qualifiers and only need to avoid defeat to make the final play-offs phase.

EPL: ‘Soccer fans in for a roller-coaster’

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FTER over two months of break, and to the relief and delight of millions of Nigerians, the Barclay Premier League resumed yesterday to customary fireworks.

In Lagos, Laceyourboot.com: a blog that offers platform for a lighter side to football commentary, upped the tempo at an event to host English Premiership League (EPL) legend and former manager of Chelsea, Roberto Di Matteo, at the Super Sports studio in Lagos yesterday.

Commenting on the new English Premiership League (EPL) season, the chief Blogger at Laceyourboot.com, Jide AllDay, says: “the consensus is that it is

By Joe Agbro Jr.

Chelsea's season with The Special and Happy One, Jose Mourinho, straddling the Chelsea dug-out, while David Moyes, the new Manchester United coach, will try to fill the monumental shoes of the retired Sir Alex Ferguson in continuing United's trophy dominance,” AllDay who is die-hard Manchester United fan adds, “Arsene Wenger continues to draw the ire of Arsenal fans for a lot of movement but no traction in the transfer market, and Manuel Pellegrini, the new Manchester City gaffer, has invested £90m in four new signings to bolster his side.”

According to AllDay, “this is arguably going to be the most contested EPL season and soccer fans are in for a roller coaster of emotions.”

Laceyourboot.com is a platform that offers a lighter side to football commentary.

EPL RESULTS

•AllDay, Blogger-In-Chief, laceyourboot.com and former Chelsea coach Roberto Di Matteo (left) in Lagos Friday 16th Aug.

HARKS defender, Yinka Adedeji, is optimistic they would beat Lobi Stars when they meet at the Sharks Stadium today.

The former Nigerian youth international believes their away victory over Dolphins in midweek was the perfect way to build up to the Glo Premier League Week 26 clash.

He said Sharks would approach the game confidently and insisted their chances of beating Lobi Stars are bright.

"We have been working towards maintaining our current form, so we are expecting the three points against Lobi Stars," he reportedly told superspor.com Said."We have put together a good run of games recently and I don't see Lobi Stars disrupting our rhythm.

"It is good for our confidence that we were able to beat a very strong Dolphins side in the Port Harcourt derby in our last match.

"I was disappointed by Dolphins physical approach, but against all odds we won the match and I feel it has prepared us well for this game.

"We are the favourites to win, and I don't see Lobi Stars escaping defeat at the Sharks Stadium."

Sharks are 12th in the premier league with 33 points, one more than Lobi Stars, who are 17th. Both teams have played 25 matches.

In another game today, Enyimba striker Bishop Onyeudo is adamant they would not have any problem seeing off Kaduna United when they meet in the premier league in Aba The Peoples Elephant have amassed an impressive 12 points from a possible 18 since the start of the second round of the league, and Onyeudo feels they have hit top form and are virtually unstoppable.

He therefore reasons that Kaduna United, who have an awful away record, would be on the receiving end at the Enyimba International Stadium.

QUOTABLE “Forget about the country disintegrating in 2015, I cannot see it happening.

Nations don’t just go into disintegration. Two, three years before that, the signs would have been ominous. Certainly there are no such signs today and those talking about disintegration are people I think do not know Nigeria.”

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL. 8, NO. 2581

— Former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, dismissing fears that Nigeria could disintegrate after the 2015 general election.

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan’s media adviser, Reuben Abati, is not sure whether to categorise the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman’s memorable putdown of the president’s leadership style as libellous and defamatory or as indecorous, hypocritical and unpatriotic vituperations. Whatever it is, the APC chairman, Bisi Akande, obviously ruffled the feathers of the presidency when he dismissed Dr Jonathan’s style, perhaps even the president himself, as kindergarten in grappling with national issues and problems. Dr Abati’s fiery and florid rebuke of Chief Akande, for reasons only the press can explain, received even wider publicity than the original attack, now famously dubbed the ‘kindergarten insult.’

It is not known whether Dr Abati initiated the reply to Chief Akande on his own or whether he was prompted by the president. If the former, it is a depressing indication that the normally urbane and cultured media adviser has become infected with the melancholy permeating the humourless Nigerian presidency since the unsmiling and sensual Gen Sani Abacha took the reins of power, after an annoying hiatus, from the deceptively friendly Gen Ibrahim Babangida’s military presidency.

But if the latter, it is a mere confirmation that redeeming Aso Villa’s deeply ingrained humourlessness may be an impossible mission.

A smart president would have punned kindergarten and deployed it against Chief Akande.

The APC chairman had two Saturdays ago described the Jonathan presidency in the following words: “I have my reasons not to admire President Goodluck Jonathan. I have not found him to be a serious-minded leader.

Jonathan is Nigeria’s problem today. He is not a thinking leader. I have had two meetings with him since 2011. I have had a long telephone conversation with him. I have written him twice discussing the serious challenges facing the country, but he has not found the courtesy to reply. He has reduced governance to kindergarten level. He is not seriousminded.” It takes exceptional literary skills to turn this fairly harmless, albeit wounding, but descriptively accurate statement into a denigration of the Jonathan presidency. And the accomplished Dr Abati, as everyone knows, has more than a passing knowledge of literary facilities.

Hear Dr Abati: “We urge Chief Akande and his fellow travellers to remember that there are laws against libel and defamation of character in this country even if there are no legal impediments to indecorous, hypocritical and unpatriotic vituperations. It is certainly rude, ill-mannered, uncharitable and hypocritical for Chief Akande to falsely and cavalierly

Kindergarten insult in humourless Aso Villa

•Jonathan

•Akande

allege that a President, who toils tirelessly every day of the week, evolving and implementing workable solutions to Nigeria’s problems, is handling national issues with levity. Also, nothing else but gross ignorance and lack of consideration could have led Chief Akande to refer to a President who, having served as deputy governor, governor, vice-president and president, has far more experience of governance at the highest level than him and his preferred “candidates”, as a kindergarten leader.”

Dr Abati was not only a respected columnist, he was a leader writer and, if I am not mistaken, at one time a teacher of literature. He knows very well that describing a president’s style as kindergarten, while it may injure his pride and the collective pride of those paid to advise him, is certainly not unpatriotic, let alone amount to denigration. I could prove over a few paragraphs that Dr Jonathan’s style has truly reduced governance to kindergarten level, but why do I want to repeat Chief Akande or expose myself unnecessarily to allegations of defending the APC? I think it is sufficient to merely restate the indisputable fact that the Jonathan presidency has not offered a cerebral

approach to Nigeria’s problems, just as Chief Akande poignantly concluded.

Dr Jonathan is perhaps hard-working, as his media adviser said, and may even be toiling day and night to look after the welfare of Nigerians. The problem, however, is that his exertions, like Olusegun Obasnjo’s before him, have been altogether futile when not misplaced, and vainglorious when it manages a modicum of relevance. I recognise that in the face of the predatory invasion of his turf by the less scrupulous and more voluble Dr Doyin Okupe, a presidential assistant, Dr Abati has an increasing need to justify his relevance, if not his pay. But as a former columnist, and a brilliant one I dare say, Dr Abati ought to have his eye on history. He has the greater burden of sustaining the character of a fine writer and analyst, and the morality of one who has tried over the years as a leader writer to build himself into an agent of social change. Already, however, he has flip-flopped so precariously on account of his responsibility as a presidential adviser that neither he nor our long-suffering selves can recognise where he once stood, or understand where he now stands. He

The Lagos deportation saga and 2015 politics

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IVEN the irresponsible and remorseless exploitation by Bode George and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of the controversy that arose from the ‘deportation’ of some Anambrarians from Lagos recently, it is guaranteed that the matter will linger well into the 2015 general elections.

Even if we ignore the fact that the so-called deportation, or resettlement as Lagos described it, has been going on in some states for a while, the problem is sufficiently serious enough to alert the country’s leadership and all patriotic Nigerians to the potentially explosive problem of how to define an indigene of a state, and what his rights and obligations are. The problem has been left dangerously unattended to for far too long.

I think the Lagos State government was not sensitive enough to the implications of resettling those it described as destitute. It must find ways of making amends, whether it meant well in taking the action or not, or whether others had done it before or not. But Anambra and all those prattling about the rights of the destitute must also understand the security concerns of Lagos, the limited resources at the disposal of the state, the fact that the federal government has irresponsibly not made any special allocation to assist Lagos in tackling its worsening social and economic pressures, and the fact that there is a limit to how Lagos can cater for the jobless and the dispossessed within its borders. In any case it is hard to see how resettling a little over a

dozen people constitutes a deliberate and wideranging policy of discrimination against anyone or state, let alone an ethnic group.

It is indeed a reflection of the unresolved national question, an issue that is worsening as the years go by, that the Igbo somehow inexplicably and hysterically rose up nearly in unison to attack Lagos for discriminatory practices.

Very incendiary remarks have been made, and there are threats of political backlash against the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.

There has also been incredibly silly and inaccurate talk of Lagos being a no man’s land, especially by its nature as a former federal capital.

In the past one decade or more, and as Lagos began to rebuild its collapsed infrastructure, it has become a magnet for millions of Nigeria, thus further putting pressure on its limited resources. The challenge before the state is how to cope with these pressures; and its dilemma is how to define the Lagosian within the ambit of the constitution.

Lagos State is undisputedly the navel of the former Western Region. There is no conceivable ethnographic argument that will make it less so. Indeed, in the light of the crisis in Plateau State, it is irresponsible that any group could hint directly that it would introduce and even actively nurture ethnic politics in the 2015 elections in Lagos. This indicates that the controversy over definition of a state indigene in Nigeria is too urgent to be postponed or left to resolve itself. Time will not resolve it.

In my numerous contributions on the Pla-

teau crisis, I had suggested it was unrealistic, as the National Assembly has unwisely tried to do, to define a state indigene as the Americans do. Nigerian ethnic groups have an unbreakable and fanatical attachment to their lands and languages. It is pointless to make it otherwise. Unlike the Americans and Australians who shoved aside indigenous populations and virtually rewrote their histories afresh, Nigerians are unlikely to ever admit to that kind of novelty. I go as far as to suggest that linguistic affinity should be the basis of Nigeria’s federal arrangement if we really want to settle the national question and achieve peace.

I sympathise with Lagos and appreciate the dilemma it faces in trying to provide the good life for its indigenes and all taxpaying Nigerians resident and working in the state. It should patiently and cautiously approach the problem and do its best to resolve all lingering issues and disagreements within the framework of a united country. It must learn to ignore peddlers of hate ideology as it strives to build a multicultural megacity and work out ways to resist and defeat those who try to exploit ethnic differences. The problem is, however, not Lagos alone, or first, to resolve. The initiative must come from the centre, and the problem must be tackled holistically. Sadly, the Jonathan government and the unconscionable leaders of the PDP in the state, as the last political campaigns showed, are more eager to fan ethnic hatred for political gains than provide the leadership these dangerous times need.

has purged himself of virtually every conviction in the service of a vacillating and equally unconvincing president that he would be lucky to recognise his own face in the mirror after he leaves the president’s employ.

To the critical question of whether Chief Akande’s remarks constituted an insult or, as Dr Abati unabashedly and exaggeratedly put it, amounted to a denigration of the presidency, surely he has read wide enough to know that comparing the Jonathan style to kindergarten is tame in the extreme. It is obvious that in these parts, many unlettered and untraveled people regard the presidency as a sacred institution, and fawn over it with the impressionable boyishness of a primary school pupil. What if Chief Akande had described the Jonathan presidency as inept, a remark that would have been both appropriate and accurate? Dr Abati cites the president’s anti-insurgency efforts as remarkable and gutsy. Absolute nonsense.

What was the president looking at as the insurgents raised their flags from one local government to another until they got to 10?

But much more crucially, and in spite of our cultural sensibilities, I think that not only was Chief Akande mature and restrained in his ‘kindergarten insult’, Nigerians have indeed been extremely tolerant of their leaders’ indolence and ineffectiveness. This column is of course an exception. Palladium may not describe Dr Jonathan as kindergarten, or denounce him as inept, but he has used enough words and left no one in doubt, idiom by idiom and word for word, that Dr Jonathan’s puny talents are completely unsuited to a modern government, and that he himself is evidently anachronistic. Would Dr Abati consider me uncouth? What would he say then of the Chicago Times which deprecated Abraham Lincoln’s now oft-quoted Gettysburg address in the following terms?: “We did not conceive it possible that even Mr Lincoln would produce a paper so slipshod, so loose-joined, so puerile, not alone in literary construction, but in its ideas, its sentiments, its grasp. He has outdone himself. He has literally come out of the little end of his own horn. By the side of it, mediocrity is superb.”

What umbrage would Dr Abati take if he had been media adviser to former United States president Warren Harding when journalist H.L. Mencken described him unflatteringly as follows?: “He writes the worst English that I have ever encountered. It reminds me of a string of wet sponges; it reminds me of tattered washing on the line; it reminds me of stale bean soup, of college yells, of dogs barking idiotically through endless nights. It is so bad that a sort of grandeur creeps into it. It drags itself out of the dark abysm of pish, and crawls insanely up the topmost pinnacle of posh. It is rumble and tumble. It is flap and doodle. It is balder and dash.”

Or what would he say to e.e. cummings’ description of the same president as “…the only man, woman or child who wrote a simple declarative sentence with seven grammatical errors is dead.” With what exuberant phrases would Dr Abati denounce Benjamin Disraeli’s notable putdown of former British prime minister Robert Peel as someone whose smile is like the silver fittings on a coffin?

What of Winston Churchill’s description of Lloyd George as “The Happy Warrior of Squandermania”; Clement Atlee as “A modest little man with much to be modest about”; and Aneurin Bevan as “someone who will be as a great curse to this country in peace as he was a squalid nuisance in time of war”?

Contrary to what Dr Abati thinks, I observe that we have been exceedingly charitable to our leaders. While it is true that there are many ways to skin a cat, politicians and writers have a responsibility, in spite of the gruffness and menaces of the Okupes and Abatis, not to so inoculate their phrases as to become ineffective in accurately portraying the indolence, incompetence and chicaneries of poorly endowed leaders.

But here is a question for the APC chairman: if Dr Jonathan now runs a melancholic kindergarten, and Chief Obasanjo ran a medieval monarchy of Ottoman proportions, and Gen Abacha ran, well, a gigantic brothel and bazaar complete with paedophile rings, what kind of leaders should we expect from Nigeria’s leadership nursery in the coming years?

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ISSN: 115-5302 E-mail: sunday@thenationonlineng.net Editor: FESTUS ERIYE