August 23, 2014

Adamawa guber race:

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2 NEWS

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OUTH-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, yesterday said another four years for President Goodluck Jonathan will not bring down the country.

Clark, who confirmed the President’s interest to contest in the forthcoming 2015 presidential election, also said Jonathan merited the second term because of the enormous work he had done, adding that nobody can stop him.

The First Republic minister, who spoke yesterday in Abuja while playing host to a delegation of northern women in politics under the aegis of “Northern Women Mass Movement for President Jonathan 2015 Ambition” posited that it is the tradition for sitting presidents to seek a second term.

He said: “Jonathan will contest in 2015 because of two things; one, he is qualified to do so under the law and secondly, he has performed well to the extent that those who voted him in 2011 are willing to do so again.

“Nobody has a right to stop him from contesting. Every president who has ruled this nation spent two terms. We voted for Alhaji Shehu Shagari as President in 1979 and 1983 respectively.

“Everybody in this country is created equal, no matter the tribe, gender or background as long as such a person is a Nigerian and educated.”

Clark, who also spoke on the kidnapped Chibok secondary school girls, assured the northern women that the girls will come back to join their fellow women to build the nation.

He further explained that “if the President had used force to free the girls, some of them would have died and the same people will still shout that Jonathan has killed our girls.

“Those girls will come back to join us to build the nation.”

Chief Clark, who chided the Northern Elders Forum who recently accused

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

Jonathan ‘ll run in 2015 —Edwin Clark

Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja

Jonathan of not doing anything for the North, said: “This is the first time in the history of the nation that two Inspectors General of Police from the North were appointed consecutively.

“When people who are close to Jonathan advised him to appoint someone from the South South as IGP, he said no. This is because he is not sentimental.

“He appointed two heads of service consecutively who are from the North. He created 10 new federal universities in the Northern region.

“It is a feat that has not been achieved by anybody. He built al-majiri schools in the North; the rail system has been rescusitated.

“Some people say Jonathan is parochial; that he is developing his own people. We say no. Those of us in the South South are even complaining.”

Speaking earlier, the leaders of the delegation, Hon. Halima Tukur from Kebbi State and Chief (Mrs.) Paulen Tellen, former deputy governor of Plateau State, had told Clark that they were on a visit to show the solidarity and support of all northern women to the 2015 ambition of President Jonathan.

They, however, promised their support and commitment to the actualisation of having Jonathan back as the President for another four years.

Responding to them, Chief Clark commended them for taking the bold initiative to support Jonathan come 2015.

He urged them to appeal to other Northerner women to give their full support to President Jonathan.

He stated that they should not allow anybody to mislead them, including their

...declare now, ex-militants’ leaders tell President

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X-MILITANT leaders in the Niger-Delta yesterday challenged President Goodluck Jonathan to formally declare his interest in seeking re-election next year,immediately.

The Niger Delta Youth For Democracy led by ,Roland Abanara, Figbele Joseph and Austin Aboh, said Jonathan has done so well in his first term in office that nothing should obstruct him from returning for a second term.

The militants,at a press conference in Benin, vowed to resist any plan aimed at frustrating his second term campaign, and declared that alleged politicization of the Boko Haram insurgency is designed to portray him as incapable of leading the country.

Abanara also made a case for an Ijaw as the next governor of Delta State.

They said former Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Elder Peter Godsday

OSemwengie Ben OGBEMUDIA, Benin Orubebe ,fits the bill.

President Jonathan’s t r a n s f o r m a t i o n agenda,according to him, has affected the nooks and crannies of the country and was optimistic that he has the ability to take the country to a new height.

He added: “those who are capitalizing on the insecurity challenging confronting the nation to discredit the President should remember that terrorism as being witness today never started with the emergence of President Jonathan and the government is not relenting in bringing an end to it. We all know that terrorism is a global challenge, it is sad that it is only in Nigeria that opposition are playing politics with it.

Decrying alleged marginalization of the Ijaw in Delta State,Abanara said wondered why no Ijaw has been allowed to rule the state since its inception.

•Ijaw leader says four more years will not sink Nigeria

husbands.

“I really commend the Northern women. We just finished the national conference, and for the very first

time, I saw a large number of Northern women who participated brilliantly. It shows there is a dawn of a new era. I am so happy that

a new Nigeria has been born.

“You can all testify to it that Jonathan is gender-sensitive.

During his reign, more women have been ap-

pointed into positions of power and he is still promoting the affairs of women.

Very soon, the Chibok girls will be released.

•Some new Special Advisers to the Acting Governor of Adamawa, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, taking oath of office in Yola ... yesterday PHOTO:NAN

Adamawa guber race: PDP, Presidency in dilemma over Ribadu F ORMER chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu may not get a smooth sail with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for the Adamawa governorship by-election after all.

Indications emerged yesterday that 13 other aspirants in the race have ruled out consensus option through which Ribadu is expected to emerge as the party’s flag bearer.

The aspirants, The Nation gathered, have insisted on having a free and transparent primary election with a level play ground for all the contestants in the race.

The PDP has fixed the primary election for September 6.

Ribadu had, on August 16, announced his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP. He obtained the party’s governorship nomination form on Tuesday, three days after he joined the

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•13 aspirants reject consensus option Gbade OGUNWALE, Assistant Editor, Abuja

party.

Prominent among the aspirants jostling for the ticket are a former Minister of State for Health, Dr. Idi Hong; Adamawa State Acting Governor, Umar Fintiri and former political adviser to the President, Ahmed Gulak.

Also in the race are a former Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Ahmed Moddibo; son of the immediate past national chairman of the PDP, Awwal Tukur and former Lagos State Military Administrator, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa.

They have all paid the mandatory N11 million the party demanded for the nomination and expression of interest

forms.

Our correspondent further gathered that the 13 aspirants and their backers are said to have cautioned the leadership of the PDP and the Presidency of the dire consequences of ceding the ticket to Ribadu through a consensus arrangement.

A highly placed power broker at the Presidency said on Friday that the permutations on the Ribadu candidature have continued to take new dimensions, with new calculations emerging from the various camps.

The source, who craved anonymity, said: “The race in the coming days is likely to be very interesting, but we have all resolved to be very careful because in politics, you cannot take chances, especially ones that are likely to jeopardise the

chances of your party.

“When the issue of Ribadu first came up, some indices which we are witnessing now had not come up then. For instance, no one knew that the Acting Governor was going to be interested in the race.

“Also, the impression was created that all other aspirants were going to step down for him (Ribadu) on the intervention of a mutual friend of most of them who brought the Ribadu option.

“But right now, the President has insisted that he cannot support any of the aspirants against others since there appears not be a consensus among them; more so that the hurdles we thought could be cleared for Ribadu are not just there but they are still waxing stronger.

•Continued from Page 11

Confab: New group emerges

NEW presure group, Initiative for National Consensus, has emerged from the justconduced National Conference.

More than eight pressure groups were formed during the four-and-a-half-month conference, but none announced its continuity beyond the conference.

The group, according to its conveners, is a non-partisan advocacy association of politicians, academia, professionals and other interests.

Refuting insinuations that the composition of the conference was intended to boost President Goodluck Jonathan’s political ambition towards 2015, members of the group said they were not working for the President.

Addressing journalists shortly before the closing ceremony of the conference yesterday, the Protem Chairman of the group, Remi Olatunora, noted that most of the del-

•Denies working for Jonathan

Onyedi OJIABOR, Assistant Editor and Dele ANOFI, Abuja egates to the conference were not politicians.

He said: “It must be made clear that we are not formed to work for the political aspirations of the President. Of course, it was insinuated before the beginning of the conference that it was meant to boost President Jonathan’s chances against 2015.

“But I want to say that this group is not about President Jonathan.

Besides, the composition of this group is such that even most of the politicians that are members of this group are not in the same political camp as the President.

“Moreover, the President has over 3,000 groups working for him, so there is no need for us working for him.”

According to him, the sur-

vival of the country and the implementation of the recommendations of the conference was the driving force behind the formation of the group.

“The main reason behind the formation of this group is to ensure that the report does not end up on the shelves as white paper like the ones before it.

“We realised that so much efforts were put into the production of this document and as all Nigerians can see, dialogue and consensus prevailed in bringing about the report.

“It is our determination that we do all we can to see that what we recommended see the light of day.

“We reasoned that to succeed in that task, we have to come together as a formidable group.

“It was unanimously agreed by the conference that a group be formed that would relate

with the Presidency on the implementation of the report, but we don’t want to take anything for granted, and that is why we are forming this group.

“As I said earlier, we have to hit the ground running. Knowing very well that we are going into an election year, time constraint may be a factor for the Presidency and the National Assembly. So, it is our belief that we should be proactive by contributing our own quota to national development.”

On how the group intends to accomplish the set task, Olatubora said members of the group would liaise with the Presidency, the National Assembly and others policy makers on how to go about the implementation of the report.

He also said the 25-member group is open to all delegates to the 2014 conference.

“It is not a closed group. We are just the conveners. The group is open to all and ready to take off.”

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

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POUSES of two Ebola victims who had primary contacts with the late Patrick Sawyer, the index case of Ebola in Nigeria, are the latest victims of the deadly virus in the country, the Federal Government announced yesterday.

Sawyer, a Liberian-American, flew into Nigeria with the virus last month and infected 11 others before he died, including the male and female caregivers who subsequently died of Ebola.

The federal authorities had initially denied fresh cases of infection when the Lagos State Government raised the alarm earlier in the week.

But in a u-turn yesterday, Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said the fresh cases brought the number in the country to 14.

Five deaths have been recorded while five other patients were discharged after recovering from the disease.

Four are currently receiving treatment.

Among the dead is Dr.Stella Adadevoh, senior consultant at the Lagos private hospital where Sawyer was rushed to on arrival in Lagos.

The minister said yesterday that the federal government would honour Dr. Adadevoh for the sacrifice she made in ensuring that Ebola did not spread beyond Lagos.

He also promised that the Federal Government would continue to work with the Lagos State Government and other partners with a view to maintaining vigilance and strengthening “our containment activities.”

NEWS 3

Two Ebola patients’ spouses contract virus •Minister says victims are first set of secondary contacts •FG to honour late Adadevoh

Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja, Wale ADEPOJU, Lagos and Khadijat SAIDU, Birnin Kebbi At a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr.Jide Idris, said that five new suspected Ebola virus cases were brought to the isolation ward of the Yaba Mainland Hospital in Lagos on Tuesday.

He said that two of those five cases were from secondary contacts linked to Sawyer. ”Till date, we have recorded eight suspected cases, five of which came in yesterday (Tuesday), 12 confirmed,” said Idris.

“On the whole, five have died (including the index case).

We are currently following up 213 contacts, and 62 have completed the two-day follow-up.”

But barely two hours after the press conference ended, Health Minister, Chukwu, issued a terse statement telling the public to “disregard” Idris’ figures.

Receiving a delegation of the Association of Private Medical Practitioners in Abuja yesterday, Chukwu said of the planned honour for Adadevoh: “Very soon, you will hear about her honour.

Very soon, the number one citizen will say something about it.”

Bayelsa takes campaign against Ebola to NYSC camp

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AYELSA State Government has taken its campaigns against Ebola virus disease (EVD) to corps members at the Kaiama Orientation Camp of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), warning corps members against making contacts with persons that show symptoms of the disease.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ayibatonye Owei, who led members of the state’s Anti-Ebola Task Force to the camp on Friday, appealed to the corps members to be vigilant.

He asked them to look out for persons showing symptoms of the disease and avoid contacts with them.

Explaining the Ebola virus and its deadly nature, the commissioner asked the youths to join other Nigerians in fighting the disease like a wounded lion.

He told the corps members that all Nigerians that had shown symptoms of the disease were persons who had direct contacts with the late Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer.

He, however, said the fear of Ebola should not affect interpersonal relationship among the corps members since the virus could only be transmitted by persons that show its symptoms.

“It can only be transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person. It is one of the conditions that can easily be prevented. When the person is not sick, he is incapable of transmitting it,” he said.

He said corps members must avoid secretions of sick persons and maintain high level of personal hygiene.

He said the task force had distributed sanitisers, washing soap and water across the camp and appealed to the youths to

Mike ODIEGWU Yenagoa wash their hands from time to time.

“We are not saying that you shouldn’t shake hands, but don’t do it with sick people.

Don’t eat bush meat because some of them are carriers. Ensure that any meat you eat is well cooked,” he said.

He said the National Council of Health had cancelled the movement of dead bodies from one place to another.

Describing the corps members as the foot soldiers, he asked them to carry Ebola message to other parts of the state.

Earlier, the State Coordinator, NYSC, Mr. Ekeocha Anthony, told the corps members that the Ebola virus was deadlier than HIV/AIDS. “We know what is in vogue now. We know the disease that is in the air, which is more severe than the HIV/AIDS. This is the reason why the commissioner has come to sensitise us,” he said.

Meanwhile, Owei in a separate event said the Bayelsa State Government had taken delivery of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Speaking while declaring open a one-day training and sensitisation workshop for about 300 health and medical personnel in Yenagoa on Friday, he insisted that the government was ready for Ebola.

He said: “The government has provided enough funds and we have just taken delivery of personal protective equipment.”

He said the trainees were expected to go to the various local government areas and train other health personnel and community people.

Chukwu noted that the role of First Consultant Hospital and the late Dr Adadevoh was very crucial in ensuring that the virus did not spread like in other countries.

He said that the role of private medical practitioners has become sacrosanct, ”particularly now when doctors are on strike.”

“You have lost one of your colleagues, Dr. Adadevoh.

We mourn her and all Nigerians who lost their lives to Ebola. We will ensure that her bravery, courage and patriotism will not go unnoticed,” he added.

Also yesterday, the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN)

hailed government’s response to the outbreak of Ebola disease.

President of the association, Dr Steven Oluwole however called for better protection for the health personnel in the forefront of the fight against the disease.

“That the control of Ebola

virus disease is receiving appropriate attention by the government; closure of Nigerian boarders and grounding of flights are not justified at the moment given the level of threat and that greater priority should be given to protection of hospital staff that are caring for Ebola Disease patients,” he said.

•Some Bring-Back-Our-Girls campaigners in peaceful protest in Abuja yesterday to mark Day 130 of Boko Haram’s abduction of school girls from Chibok, Borno State

WHO draws up 6-9 months strategy to combat Ebola

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ENEVA (Reuters) The World Health Organisation (WHO) has drawn up a draft strategy plan to combat Ebola in West Africa over the next six to nine months.

In effect,the organisation does not expect to halt the epidemic this year.

More than 1,300 people have already died this year from the virus in the worst ever outbreak and WHO has faced criticism, including from medical charity

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Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), that it has done too little too late to fight the disease.

“WHO is working on an Ebola road map document, it’s really an operational document how to fight Ebola,” WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told reporters yesterday.

“It details the strategy for WHO and health partners for six to nine months to come,” she said.

Chaib, asked whether the

timeline meant that the United Nations health agency expected the epidemic now raging in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to continue until 2015, said: “Frankly no one knows when this outbreak of Ebola will end.”

Ebola will be declared over in a country if two incubation periods, or 42 days in total, have passed without any confirmed case, she said. Nigeria is the fourth

NBA confab: Imo to screen lawyers

HE Imo State Government yesterday declared that lawyers attending the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Owerri, the state capital, would be screened as part of measures to check the spread of the deadly Ebola virus disease (EVD).

Briefing newsmen at the Government House, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Justice Chukwumah Machukwu Umeh, said the state had put strategies in place to ensure that all the

•Govt dispels stay-away order

people coming for the NBA Conference scheduled to commence on Sunday are screened at the entry points to the state.

According to him, “the state government is ready to host the NBA Conference and all measures necessary are being taken to ensure that those coming to the state are comfortable and also to check the spread of Ebola.

“We have opened centres

at the airport and other entry points where the visitors will be checked for any sign of Ebola before they are allowed into the state.

“This has become necessary because Imo has no record of Ebola and we are careful to avoid any incident.”

Umeh also dispelled the stay-away order on the venue of the conference by Gee Plaza Ltd, a company laying claim to the plot of

Death toll in epidemic rises to 1,427 – WHO

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ENEVA (Reuters) - The Ebola epidemic in West Africa has led to 1,427 deaths out of 2,615 known cases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said yesterday.

In its latest update, the WHO

reported 142 new laboratoryconfirmed, probable or suspected cases of Ebola and 77 more deaths from four affected countries - Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

Earlier, the WHO said the

scale of the world’s worst Ebola outbreak had been concealed by families hiding infected loved ones in their homes and the existence of “shadow zones” that medics cannot enter. It is due to issue a global strategy plan towards the end of next week in Geneva.

Unidentified fever ‘kills 13’ in DR Congo in 10 days

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country with known cases.

“So with the evolving situation, with more cases reported, including in the three hot places - Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia the situation is not yet over,” Chaib said.

“So this is a planning document for six to nine months that we will certainly revisit when we have new developments.”

The WHO expects to issue details of the plan early next week, she said.

INSHASA - A fever of unidentified origin has killed 13 people in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo since August 11,according to the health minister.

“All 13 people who have died suffered from a fever, di-

arrhoea, vomiting and, in a terminal stage, of vomiting a black matter,” Dr Felix Kabange Numbi said late Thursday.

So far, about 80 people who came into contact with the deceased are being monitored at their homes, he added.

But a World Health Organi-

zation (WHO) official and the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said yesterday it was too soon to tell whether a haemorraghic fever caused the deaths, while an epidemic of often fatal and highly contagious Ebola raged in West Africa to the north.

land where the International Convention Centre was built.

According to him, ”Gee Plaza has no right to warn NBA not to step into the venue of the occasion. The property on the said land still belongs to the state government after the company reneged on its contractual agreement.

“The state government had entered into an agreement with Binez Hotel Ltd in 2005 to invest a sum of N500 million in the property (Imo Hotels), which was situated in the premises where the IICC is now standing, to have a 60 per cent share of it. Unfortunately, it reneged,” he said.

He further explained that due to the breach in terms of the contract by the company, despite another three years extension, the present IICC structure was erected by the state government.

He noted that the Company claiming the property was brought into the agreement hurriedly by the immediate past government of Chief Ikedi Ohakim in 2011, but the contract agreement was not met.

THE NATION

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HE grand finale of the annual Osun Osogbo festival was on Friday marked in low key, as part of the efforts to curtail the spread of the dreaded Ebola Virus disease.

It will be recalled that few days to yesterday’s celebration, the Osun State government had invited stakeholders, including the traditionalists, the Osun devotees and worshippers to advise them to reduce the scope of the

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

Osun festival marked low key Adesoji ADENIYI, Osogbo event becuase of the fear of the spread of Ebola.

The government said it would introduce a crowd control measure and also restrict people from outside the state from participating in the festival.

This year, the usual pomp

Mimiko set to dump LP for PDP

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PECULATION was at its peak yesterday that the Ondo State

Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko may, any moment from now, announce his official defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the ruling Labour Party (LP) in the state.

Already many chieftains of the LP, including some former aides of the Governor had been defecting to the PDP since the beginning of the year.

It was reliably gathered that the Governor had indicated his interest in joining the PDP, as he had reportedly met with the national leadership of the party in Abuja, during which the issue of when and how he would come back to his former party were discussed.

However, yesterday evening, it was gathered that the Governor met with the leadership of the ruling LP at the 18 local government areas of the state on the development.

But no official information was available on the matter as at press time.

Damisi OJO, Akure

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor (CPS) Eni Akinsola could not confirm nor deny the story.

According to him, “If such thing is happening, you journalists will be the first to get informed, “he said.

However, a close associate of the Governor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that the Governor was already out of the LP, noting that at the national level, he had concluded the arrangement, adding that he was still consulting with stakeholders at the state level.

“As I am speaking to you right now, Oga is already in the PDP. He will meet the leaders of LP from the 18 local government areas today (yesterday) to inform them and fashion out how they will all move, because if he moves out, definitely all of us will follow him, “he said.

According to an observer, the movement of the governor from the LP may mark the death of the party in the state

Osun election: Coalition commends INEC

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OALITION of Civil S o c i e t y Organizations in Nigerian, an umbrella body of over 120 registered prominent civil society groups in Nigeria, committed to strengthening democratic values within the African continent who were amongst the numerous accredited observers of the just concluded Osun State governorship election has commended President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for allowing a level playing ground and the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega

for a job well done. The group also applauded security agencies for providing a secured and peaceful environment for the election.

Leaders of the groups, Comrade Bassey Ewa Ekamon, Country Director of International Network Against Corruption in Nigeria,, Mr. Victor Kalu Team Secretary and Hon. Abdullahi M. Jabi who were In Osogbo, the Osun State capital however congratulate the winner, His Excellency Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging him to run an inclusive governance.

and pageantry associated with the traditional festival was avoided, as only the Osun devotees and traditionalists from within the state took part in all the programmes of the festival.

However, all traditional rites associated with the festival were carried out under the supervision of the renowned Ifa priests, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon.

Also, a cross-section of medical experts in the state had called for the postponement of the festival to avoid the spread of Ebola virus to the state.

But, the Osun Osogbo 2014 advisory committee insisted that the festival would hold at the scheduled date in accordance with the tradition and culture of Osogbo land.

However, Osun devotees who went to the groove yesterday went through serious medical scrutiny as medical

experts stationed at the main entrance of the groove performed series of tests on the devotees.

Vehicles are not allowed beyond the major entrance of the groove while occupants of such vehicles were made to come down for screening and allow in one after the other.

The medical team of about 80 health personnel led by the Director, Primary Health Care and Disease Control in the state Ministry of Health, Dr. Kayode Ogunniyi, said 200 infra red thermometers were supplied by the state government for screening people before entering into the groove.

According to him: “more than 600 people had been screened around 12.30 pm.”

He disclosed that there was no record of anyone testing positive to the devise, saying the focus of the health workers were on those who appear

•Chief Akani- Aluko flanked by Arisekola's son, Idris ( in white) and Alhaji Atanda Hassan and Chief Perry Aluko

I collapsed when I heard about Arisekola's death— Akanni-Aluko •Says we were friends for over 50 yrs

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T was an atmosphere charged with emotion when the publisher of the defunct Third Eye newspapers and a childhood friend of the late Are Musulumi of Yorubaland , Alhaji AbdulAzeez Arisekola Alao , Chief Akani Aluko relived how he collapsed in his London residence when the news of Arisekola’s death was broken to him.

Chief Aluko who has been managing stroke for over 15 years also narrated how he was later revived by family members who were around to console him.

The business mogul who described Alhaji Arisekola Alao’s demise as a great shock spoke yesterday when he paid a condolence visit to the family of Arisekola who were on hand to receive him and members of his entourage at the Bashorun Ibadan home of the late Ibadan business man.

He relived the fond memory of his friend’s rich sense of humour , and how they usually sing together the music of Sunny Ade and Chief Ebenezer Obey and dance

Ikale communities in the proposed Ijebu State would further perpetrate injustice suffered by the affected communities.

According to him, arising from the factor of their ethnic and cultural affinity with Ilaje-Ikale in Ondo State, these communities in Waterside Local government Area of Ogun State have suffered utter neglect.

He said: “Over the years, the Ikale-Ilaje section of Ogun State has been given such names as ‘special area’, ‘inaccessible area’, ‘rural area’ among others by successive

administrations to describe the degree of neglect of that area.

“Presently, it is only the Ikale-Ilaje section of the local government that has no tarred road. The terrible condition of the roads during rainy season can only be imagined.

“There is no pipe borne water, no electricity, available schools are totally neglected with decaying infrastructures. There is no hospital while the available health care centers are without equipment and personnel.

The area lacks everything.

Oseheye OKWUOFU, Ibadan

Ondo communities in Ogun kick against proposed Ijebu State

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KALE and Ilaje communities in Waterside Local government of Ogun State have dissociated themselves from the proposed Ijebu State and wished to be merged with their kith and kins in Ondo State.

Representatives of the communities who were at the closing ceremony on Thursday said they presented a memorandum to the National conference where gross injustice they have been subjected to over the years as a result of their current location were highlighted.

The group was led by

Onyedi OJIABOR, Assistant Editor and Dele ANOFI, Abuja Prince Abejoye OlowoniyiAdeniyi, Mr Funmi Alaka, Chief Netufo Kolawole, Chief I O Isheyemi and Iyaromi Adeniyi Some of the over 25 affected communities i n c l u d e I t e b u Manuwa, Ayila, Ayede, Ayematura, Igbo-Edun, Yeyeye, Bagbe, Poluke, Eba, Bolorunduro, Ijako and Elefan.

Olowoniyi-Adeniyi noted that the inclusion of Ilaje and

sick and weak.

The health workers and security operatives at the event were wearing gloves to protect themselves from contacts with people in the crowd.

It was gathered that the security operatives arrested a middle aged man at the groove for allegedly carrying arms.

Speaking at the festival, the Director General, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs Sally Mbalefo expressed the readiness of the Federal Government to develop all tourist centres across the country.

She said the Federal Government would ensure that the Osun Groove was developed to attract foreign tourists.

However, despite the restriction order by the state government, some Osun worshippers still came from from many states to partici-

pate in the celebration. ýAmong whom were the Lagos- based Mr. Adeola Oshuniyi, who has been attending the festival for the past 40 years ago and Mrs. Abosede Modinatu-Ojo, a arts theatre practitioner.

They said they could not afford to miss the festival urging people to be conscious of the disease.

The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun thanked the state government, worshippers of Osun and people of the state for their efforts towards ensuring the success of the celebration.

In attendance were the representatives of the Federal Government, Mrs. Sally Mbanifor who is the Chairman of the Nigeria Tourism Development corporation as well as representative of the Osun state Government.

The presence of the state government was not felt at the event as there was Noone repenting the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

anytime they met and had good time together, all these ,he said would forever be remembered.

“I just arrived from London and as a very close friend of over 50 years I must come to condole you though we all shared the pains, sadness and agony of his demise”, he said.

The publisher ,described the late Arisekola as a down-toearth personality who radiates love and show understanding to everyone.

“His death hit me so bad. I spoke to him barely 24 hours to his death. He was so much of his usual self when we spoke on phone. He had volunteered to see me that day, but I told him I would rather visit him.

“I arrived to meet his son.

He told me they had just finished praying and Arisekola is tired and asleep in his room. So I was discussing with Luqman, his son on very enlightening issues till about 1pm when he excused himself to check on his father.

“He later told me Arisekola said I should go home and expect his visit the next day.

He said he needed more rest.

His death came as a great shock to me”.

The octogenarian finally

urged the children to emulate his good examples and uphold his good legacy.

His wife, Alhaja Basirat Arisekola during the visit described her late husband as a rare gem, saying he was a humble and peaceful man, who worked hard to become great.

She prayed that peace continue to reign in the family, pleading that Chief Aluko remain closer to the family for support and advise .

Reacting , the late chief’s son, Idris Arisekola, thanked Chief Aluko and other visitors for their love and concern .

His words:”We Thank you very much for coming sir. We have known you as a very good friend of our father since childhood. That friendship has extended to us your children.

May you live long.

“I am only grateful to God that our late father lived his life for Allah. His last words were praises to Allah, he kept mentioning the name of Allah on his bed until he breath his last “.

Among the guests were former Managing Director of the defunct Third Eye, Mr. Joe Abiola and his wife; Chief Perry Alabi Aluko and Alhaji Atanda Hassan.

THE NATION

NEWS 5

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

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HE police yesterday launched a search for more than 100 mobile police trainees who are missing as a result of the attack on Thursday by Boko Haram on the Nigeria Mobile Police Academy in Gwoza.

There were indications that some of the fleeing trainees were sighted in Yola and Mubi in Adamawa State.

The lucky ones were said to have made calls to their colleagues on their safety.

The whereabouts of most of the trainees could not be accounted for as at press time.

There was anxiety that some of the mobile police trainees might have been captured by the sect.

But a reliable source in the police, however, confirmed

100 trainee policemen missing Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation that a roll-call of those on training was being conducted last night to ascertain the actual number and list of those in the academy.

The situation appeared tense yesterday following the blockade of all routes leading to Gwoza by Boko Haram insurgents.

The police could not gain access to Gwoza to reclaim the academy where the insurgents have hoisted their flags.

According to a reliable source who is central to the

...after Boko Haram’s attack on academy management of how to retake the academy, none of the trainees could be located.

The source said: “Preliminary findings showed that the insurgents invaded the school in the morning when most of the mobile police trainees were in their training shorts and vests.

“We are talking of more than 100 trainees missing. If the academy is at its full capacity, it can take up to 1,000 policemen either trainees or those for in-service training.

None of the police trainees has officially got in touch.

“They overran the academy, burnt some parts of it and hoisted their flags. All those in the school fled and we cannot account for their whereabouts.

“Yesterday some of the trainees were said to have been sighted in Yola and Mubi where they got in touch with their superiors and relations. We are suspecting that some of these trainees might

have also managed to escape to their squadrons.”

Responding to a question, the highly-placed source said: “We cannot rule out if any of the trainees had been captured or not by the insurgents because it was a sudden invasion and the topography is hilly.

“As I am talking to you, neither the military nor the police could gain access to Gwoza, either to reclaim the town or the academy.

“Boko Haram insurgents have taken over the entire Gwoza and mounted block-

ade to deny the police and other security agencies access to the place. The insurgents are in charge of the place now.”

The source said the police management has ordered a roll-call of those nominated for training in the Academy to “at least get a list of the trainees.”

“We have started the search for them from the rollcall. We will now get in touch with their superior officers, colleagues, relations or nextof–kin if they have heard from them.”

NAFDAC condemns unscrupulous ethanol’s importers

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without any precise sense of a rescue operation because in the case of abduction, what we know around the world is that people try to rescue through a military operation

or they try to rescue through negotiation and and they try to sometimes have a mix of those two options.

“Each time that we have listened to statements from

government, including from the President, it has seemed to dismiss any of these options and so that leaves us asking, what exactly is going on 130 days since these girls were abducted.

Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Lateef Busari, who led his management team on a courtesy visit to the agency as part of efforts of engaging relevant stakeholders in the implementation of the Nigerian Sugar Master plan (NSMP).

The NAFDAC boss argued that if Nigeria was producing its own alcohol locally, it would be cheaper, cleaner, free of contaminants and easy to regulate and use in the food industry.

He said: “Local development of sugar will solve a big problem for Nigeria in the area of food, especially in the production of ethanol. This is because one of the problems we are facing as a regulatory agency is the issue of ethanol fraud.”

He added: “We are all for the development of local sugar industry. For us, we want to ensure that sugar is adequately fortified with Vitamin A. We are in total support for the implementation of this master plan.”

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“Ameyo was both my relation and pal.

“Inspite of her upper class background, Ameyo was very down to earth and full of compassionate empathy for the disadvantaged and poor.

“Even when she was a medical student at LUTH, she used to tell me and my friends

about the plight of some of her brilliant, but very poor school mates. She was one of my favourites among the younger generation of our cousins.

“Ameyo's father, the late Professor Kwakwu Adadevoh, was the grandson of Herbert Macauley.

Kwakwu's mother was

Herbert Macauley's daughter.That made Ameyo Herbert Macauley's great grand daughter.”

Professor Adedavoh wasat different times, Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos and Director-General, Nigerian Institute for Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos.

•Devotees defied Ebola...at the Osun Osogbo groove...yesterday

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ARENTS of the ab ducted Chibok girls have told President Jonathan and the Nigerian Army to go ahead and end Boko Haram, even if it endangers the lives of the girls.

They said they are ready to turn their daughters into sacrificial lambs, if it will end insurgency and the terror that Boko Haram has being carrying out.

Four months after the captivity of their daughters, the parents are now ready for the military to invade the Sambisa forest no matter the outcome.

Chairman of the Chibok community in Abuja, Hosea Tsambido, stated that he had been in contact with the parents who had given up hope of their daughters returning alive and are only asking that the government return with their bodies so that they can be given proper burial.

He stated this in Abuja during the protest by members of the BringBackOurGirls the movement to mark 130 days after over 200 girls were abducted from the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok.

Tsambido stated that the Chibok culture requires parents and family members of missing persons to bury their loved ones, if they have been missing for over four months, adding that after three to four months the families must perform the burial ritual and assume that the persons are dead to enable them move on with their lives.

His words: “Culturally in our area, when our child or a person is missing for three to four months and you do not hear anything about the

•See story on Page 4

HE National Agency for Food and Drug Admin istration and Control (NAFDAC) has condemned the antics of unscrupulous importers of food grade ethanol (alcohol) who in attempt to evade the proper payment of tariffs on absolute alcohol denature it to pay lower tariffs.

The Agency’s DirectorGeneral, Dr. Paul Orhii, who described the practice as potentially harmful, said the importers denature the alcohol with any substance which can cause health problems.

Orhii made this charge while receiving the Executive

‘Chibok parents ready to sacrifice their girls to end terrorism’ Grace OBIKE, Abuja person, we will arrange for the burial ceremony and to take it as if the person is dead and we will perform the burial ritual and forget about the person and try to forge ahead with life.

“Now the parents are saying that it is better for them to bring the girls back, even if it means the corpses so that they will bury them properly.

“Let the girls be the sacrificial lambs, that is what they told me. I` spoke with them last night on the issue and their opinion is that the army should go into Sambisa. If some of the girls are saved, die or abscond, so be it than all this trauma that the parents are going through right now.

“They are saying that let the government go into the forest and bring back the corpses of the children so that they can bury them properly.

Leader of the movement, Oby Ezekwesili, has asked the government to tell the group and Nigerians what is being done to rescue the girls after 130 days.

Her words: “This is 130 days after they were abducted and we are no where closer as to knowing the fate of those girls and having any information on their rescue.

“The challenge that we have is the fact that we are told that a rescue operation is going on but when you connect the dots in the statements that are made, it leaves you within the logical frame

How to honour Adadevoh,by Azikiwe’s son

HE Owelle of Onitsha, Chief Chukwuma Azikiwe, wants a permanent memorial established in honour of Dr Stella Adadevoh who lost her life to Ebola after treating LiberianAmerican Patrick Sawyer.

Azikiwe, a cousin of the late Dr. Adadevoh, also said she should be given the highest national honour and the positive aspects of her character and life be disseminated.

In a tribute in Onitsha,the son of Nigeria’s first President, Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe, described her as “very kind, caring, and selfless.”

“She also had discipline and steely determination,” he said adding: “I am not surprised that her selfless compassion and steely discipline would make her restrain Sawyer from escaping the hospital to probably spread the Ebola virus to epidemic proportions.

This she did at risk to her life.”

Throwing light on the family background of Adadevoh, he said: “Her mother, Mrs Deborah Adadevoh,nee MacIntosh, is my cousin.

Deborah's grandmother, Okwuegbunam, nee Azikiwe, is the immediate senior sister, same father same mother, of Obed Azikiwe, Zik's father.

FRESH’s deregistration: INEC takes case to Court of Appeal AWYERS of the Fresh

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Democratic Party, FRESH, Dr. Fred Agbaje and Kola Dopamu, yesterday made available to the media, a new notice of appeal/affidavit dated July 17, 2014 filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, against the court verdict that voided the commission’s deregistration of the party.

INEC deposed in the said affidavit: “The delay by the Appellant/Applicant in compiling and transmitting the records was occasioned by the fact that the Appellant/Applicant was engaged with numerous appeals emanating from pre and post election cases.”

The FRESH lawyers said that the new notice of appeal effectively debunked the false claims that INEC officials have

been making all along, that they have appealed the verdict which was why FRESH has not been recertified as required by law.

It will be recalled that FRESH won a court verdict against its deregistration by INEC at Federal High Court, 5 Abuja division, presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole on July 29, 2013. But the commission has refused to obey the court order to recertify the party on the grounds that it had already appealed the verdict.

According to Barr.

Dopamu, “With the latest expose, viz the newly filed notice of appeal, FRESH was correct when we alleged that, no appeal was ever filed by INEC; a notice of appeal it initial entered was abandoned long

time ago, only for the agency to re-file it and plead for a waiver by the Court of Appeal rule that bans any appeal after 90 days of a delivered judgment from a lower court.”

Mr. Dopamu said FRESH, a party founded by Rev. Chris Okotie, would respond to INEC’s latest legal somersault, when a hearing date is given for the commission’s affidavit.

He, however, added whimsically, “we hope Prof.

Attahiru Jega (INEC Chairman) and his people would have the courage to pursue the notice this time, as the Presidential election is drawing nearer.”

The lawyer asserted that Rev. Okotie would surely contest the 2015 presidential election, as the pastor-politician previously declared.

THE NATION

6 NEWS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

‘Civil Defence boss escaped being killed

by Police Inspector’ •It didn’t happen —Police

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HE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) yesterday said its Commandant-General, Dr. Ade Abolurin, narrowly escaped death when a Police Inspector attempted to open fire on him.

The Inspector and some policemen were said to be angry over the arrest of some suspected vandals and oil thieves.

A statement by the Civil Defence Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Okeh, said it was unclear if the suspected officer was working on a written script by a superior authority or just acting in his own capacity as a vandal in uniform.

The statement said: "The Commandant-General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr Ade Abolurin, who, on an inspection and assessment tour of disposable forfeited items along with other committee members from the Nigerian Army, EFCC, ICPC, Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, among others, came under siege when a suspected Police Inspector attempted to open fire on them at Ikorodu, Lagos State.

"The attack was orchestrated by the arrest of some suspected vandals and oil thieves on the waters in possession of petroleum products in several jerry cans, including two big Cotonou boats.

“The suspected police team who came in an unmarked Danfo bus carrying AK47 riffles challenged the CG that they are in charge; so, he has no right to visit the area because it belongs to the police.

"The committee, which the CG, NSCDC is the chairman, was constituted by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and has, for some time now been on assessment tour of the country for disposable forfeited items, used for vandalism of critical infrastructure.

"However, attempt by members of the committee to caution the officer was rebuffed by him and members of his team claiming that they are on a mission here so everyone should steer clear.

"Further investigation revealed that a distress call was put across to the suspected police team by the arrested vandals and upon arrival, their aim was to set them off the hook of NSCDC by threatening to shoot the CG who masterminded the arrest of their partners in this illicit business and secondly to prevent the committee from confiscating the recovered items LOSS OF DOCUMENTS This is to notify the general public on the loss of title documents including the approved building plan of the land located at No. 8, Adeyemi Street, Baba Olosa, Mushin, Lagos belonging to Christ the Saviour’s Church (Aladura).

These documents got lost in transit and all efforts made to locate it proved abortive.

Signed: PASTOR (PRINCE) A. ADEJARE Chairman, Building Committee

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation and Jude ISIGUZO which have become exhibits in event of prosecution.

"It is however unclear if the suspected officer was working on a written script by a superior authority or just acting in his own capacity as a vandal in uniform.

"What is however clear is that, this is the umpteenth time that officers and men of the corps have been brazenly harassed, molested, assassinated or maimed by officers of the Nigeria police in recent time in the cause of carrying out their legitimate assignments.

"Still fresh in our memory is the killing of two men of the anti vandal squad of the Lagos State Command of NSCDC namely AIC Gabriel Adaji and IC Innocent Akegbe by the police in 2013.

Force spokesperson, Emmanuel Ojukwu, a Deputy Commissioner (DCP), denied the incident when The Nation called him on the phone.

He said: "If he was shot at, he would either have been dead or hospitalised. But anyway, nothing like that happened".

•Apostle Daniel Aderemi Adebiyi of the Christian Ministers’ Welfare Initiatiaves (CMWI)presenting the Ambassador of Peace Certificate to Chief Mrs. Oluremi Adiukwu, the Grand Matron of the CMWI, at an event in Abuja recently.

2015: APC women want vice presidential slot

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OMEN in the All Progressives Con gress, under the auspices of the All Progressives Women Group, want the party to zone the position of the party’s Vice President to women in the party.

In a statement signed by the President and General and Public Relations Officer of the group, Hajia Larai Kolo and Victory Senes respectively, the

Tony AKOWE group said as the people with the highest number of votes, the women deserve better treatment.

According to the group, it is common knowledge that women have done creditably well in their chosen professions both nationally and internationally and should, therefore, be given due recognition by the

party.

The statement, which was made available to The Nation in Abuja Thursday reads: “We, the women in the APC, under the auspices of All Progressive Women Group, are strongly advocating and insisting for a female vice-president in Nigeria. Our reason is not to be at loggerheads with men folk, but rather to consolidate the role of women leadership and nation

building.

“Today it is glaring that women, both at national and international levels, are doing very well in their areas of assignment. Therefore, we can match and compete with men in various leadership roles.

“The unique governing style that the APC is proposing can only be achieved, if women are given the right of place in the polity.”

Why I kept data about my next of kin secret — Obasanjo

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ORMER President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday registered for the National Identity Card (NIC) and kept the information about his next of kin away from the prying eyes of hordes of reporters and camera lens bent on capturing all personal data about him.

According to him, this would help to prevent undue "publicising of it" by the media.

Obasanjo, who arrived the National Identity Management Commission(NIMC) office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, at 1:35pm and received by the

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Ernest NWOKOLO, Abeokuta

NIMC's officials led by the Director of Identity Card Database(DICD), Engr. Aliu Azeez(Abuja Office), quickly had his height measured and fingerprints also taken.

But when it got to the column requiring information regarding next of kin, the former President picked a piece of paper, covered it with his hand, wrote the name of the person and handed it over to the NIMC.

Turning to the direction of the curious reporters and surging television cameramen, Obasanjo said: "I have decided to keep my next of kin

secret and away from you. If you should know it, you will go about publicising it."

Obasanjo, who spoke with reporters later, expressed con-

Sagay, Sonaiya , others move to save Nigeria

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OREMOST legal lumi nary, Professor Itse Sagay(SAN), and social crusader, Professor Remi Sonaiya, are joining forces with other patriotic Nigerians and groups to save the ship of state from sinking.

At a forum in Lagos, where three books authored

by Professor Sonaiya namely

“Day Break Nigeria – This Nation Must Rise”, “Trust to Earn”, and “Igniting Consciousness – Nigeria and other Riddles” were launched, there was a consensus by the various groups and notable individuals present decrying the sorry state of the Nigerian nation.

‘Unite to develop Nigeria’

HE Nigerian Ambassa dor to Austria, His Ex cellency, Abel Adelakun Ayoko, has called on Nigerians resident in Austria to come together and work for the unity of Nigeria.

Ayoko, who was speaking at the launch of the Oodua People’s Union (OPU) in Austria, held at the Centenary Hall, Vienna, Austria, advised Nigerians to form a solid union and work for the interest of Nigeria, irrespective of their ethnic background.

He commended the organizers of the OPU for their foresight, urging the members and other Nigerians in Austria to be good ambassadors of Nigeria in their daily activities.

“I am happy that the OPU is a socio-cultural organization. The truth is that if you don’t have a culture, then you don’t have an identity. I call on all of you to be good ambassadors of our great

Segun AJIBOYE country by engaging yourselves in activities that will promote the image of Nigeria and ensure that we are indeed a country to be reckoned with in the world.”

In his welcome address, the Chief Promoter of the OPU, Otunba Gani Adams, said the organization was established to create a platform for Yoruba sons and daughters to unite and work for the progress of Yoruba people across the world.

Adams, who received tumulus ovation from the crowd, said in view of the current challenges confronting Nigeria, the time has come for all Yoruba to join hands and work for the common interest of their race.

“The launch of the OPU in Austria today is a fulfillment of the determination of some positive-minded fellows among us to ensure that there is a generational platform

fidence that the National Identity Card project, if sustained, would help tackle many security challenges facing the nation.

for Yoruba sons and daughters, wherever they may be, to rekindle those spirits that made us stand out among others in the past.”

Earlier, OPU Coordinator in Europe, Akogun Banji Ojo, called on Nigerians in the Diaspora to unite and support the Nigerian government to overcome all the

challenges confronting it.

Other dignitaries at the well-attended event include Mr. and Mrs. George Alaba, the parents of Nigerian-born Bayern Munich defender; Chief Chucks Ugbor; Mr. Valentine Ogunya, Patron, Oodua and OPU coordinators in France, Holland, Germany, Norway and Finland among others.

Post UTME: UI awards scholarships to six candidates

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HE Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan (UI), Prof Isaac Adewole has approved scholarship awards for six best candidates that sat for the university’s post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) last Saturday.

The six candidates are Animashaun Olukayode Daniel, Ajari Erioghene Esther, Oteri Efeturi Deta,

Ojo Olawale Oluwadmilare, Omitoyin Oluwaferanmi and Aremu Matthew Oluwadamilola.

Prof Adewole disclosed this yesterday while addressing journalists on the summary of the 2014/2015 post UTME result.

According to him, Animashaun Daniel was the overall best candidate who scored 90, while the other five candidates scored 80.

In a communiqué described as “ The Royal Hall Declaration”, it was stated that people of integrity, patriotism and like minds, irrespective of organizations, callings or political affiliations as nation builders have agreed to merge with a socio – political group “Movement for Fundamental Change (MFC) and identify other individuals and groups as well as proper political vehicle that shall deliver to Nigerians quality dividends of democracy.

In the statement jointly signed by Professor Itse Sagay, chairman at the occasion, and Oloye Adegboyega Adeniji, chairman of the MFC, it was observed that each time Nigerians come together as a one united people to fight genuine cause of nation building, whether it is the termination or military rule or term elongation, the will of the people had always prevailed.

Other prominent members of the group that endorsed the document included: Professor Remi Sonaiya, convener of the forum, Chief Martin Onovo, Head of Movement, Alhaji Galtima Limma, co-founder of movement, Mr. Achike Chude, secretary of movement, Professor Alozie, co-founder, and Mr. Bunmi Oni, former Managing Director of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, amongst others.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

COMMENTARY

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In Britain the issues we are discussing today created a dispute between the Church and the state, a familiar tussle in the evolution of parliamentary democracy in that former colonial empire

Global terrorism, religious freedom and democracy RAISE the Lord and pass the ammunition‘ was a favourite quotation of mine in my younger days when I found it heroic and a sign or clarion call of valour and virtue, in the face of troubles and challenges. Nowadays that feeling has taken a good hiding or a back seat in my estimation. This was inevitable given the advent of religious violence and militancy prevalent in various parts of the world especially Nigeria nowadays. Frankly, I do not think I will be amused in any way, if anyone shouted that favourite phrase of praise in my vicinity nowadays. This is because in the real world of religious intolerance and Islamic militancy threatening world peace today, one should indeed flee, bolt and take cover or vamoose into thin air in a jiffy, if any religious slogan is shouted near you as the speaker could as well be a suicide bomber - or worse still a young lady- as had happened in many bloody Boko Haram bombings that have claimed many innocent lives in Nigeria in recent times.

In Nigeria, the 200 abducted Chibok girls are still in the violent captivity of Boko Haram whose leader boasted that they would be sold into a marriage market he said existed after their conversion to Islam. For now, nobody, not even our government, can confirm if he had carried out his threat or not as nobody knows their where about, months after they vanished into thin air like the Malaysian plane carrying about the same number of passengers and crew that have equally not been found.

Yet in Nigeria it has been business as usual. Indeed tomorrow Nigeria’s Under 20 female team, the Falcons, the same age group with the 200 Chibok girls will play in the finals of the Fifa Soccer Competition and will be rewarded amply by the Nigerian government and people win or lose. Yet the Chibok 200 girls are still missing. Of course the Chibok girls, missing or even found, are no threat to world or Nigerian peace or security. For now the greatest threat to Nigerian peace is the 2015 elections and the threat by Northern elders that the incumbent President should stop his mobilisation of Nigerians in the 6 geopolitical zones to launch his re election bid.

Which showed that the Northern elders really like to back at the moon. Or else it should be apparent to them that if a Commander in Chief can successfully mobilise federal might to secure state elections then he should be more than capable to secure his own re election, the protestations or warnings of the Northern elders not withstanding. I say this boldly because I find it insensitive of the Northern elders who have tasted and wielded power - Aso rock power for that

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matter, and known its potency as an intoxicant, to dare their successor who now wields the same power, if not more, with such impunity. They are really marching where angels fear to tread and must be prepared for a bitter surprise available to only those who survive standing in front of a moving train as the late MKO of June 12 would have said. Of course the irrepressible late MKOa great man of many proverbs once told his presidential running mate that a bird does not tell another when a stone is coming. That surely would be good advice for Northern elders as they face an incumbent president who like them sees the 2015 elections as infinitely more important than the fate of the 200 abducted and still missing Chibok girls.

With regard to the US, Iraq, and Britain, the threats posed by terrorism to religious freedom and democracy, as shown from events in those nations this week, are quite revealing and educative especially with how they are being confronted. This is because in Nigeria we treat these issues like the proverbial ostrich with its head buried in the sand thinking that nobody is seeing it whereas its problems will not go away and will be there when it un buries its head. That explains why right before our eyes Boko Haram is becoming a state within a state and has this week seized a training academy for anti riot police near Gwoza in the NE of Borno State where there is state of emergency to contain the same Boko Haram insurgency. Serially and with speedy impunity Boko Haram has killed and maimed Nigerians and Nigerian soldiers such that the valor and bravery of our troops had to be defended by the military spokesman, a General who took pains to explain the difficult situation of soldiers wives in barracks protesting that their husbands will not fight unless they are well equipped against Boko Haram.

In the US the Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel came out this week to identify the terror group IS – Islamic State as the greatest threat to US Security today. Yet the IS is fighting to unseat the government of Iraq in Baghdad, so far away from the US Homeland. But the Americans nowadays under President Barak Obama have no stomach for any war as the situation in Iraq could have been avoided if the US had done what it is doing in Iraq today - with air strikes to save minority Christians and Yazidis from the murderous terror of IS -in Syria when President Bashir Assad used chemical weapons against the Syrian opposition calling for the overthrow of Assad. The US dithered then and Jihadists infiltrated the Syrian Opposition crystallising in the emergence of first the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq – ISIS- and now, IS led

by Sunni militants heading towards Baghdad before US airstrikes stopped them. Now the US Chief of Defence Staff has said that IS cannot be defeated unless its head-

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quarters in Syria is destroyed. Which, added to the warning by the US Defence Secretary simply means that the Americans must return to their vomit in Syria and execute the air strikes or red lines they averted in Syria over chemical weapons, this time to guarantee their own security in their own backyard or homeland in the US. What a long and treacherous journey back for US Middle East Foreign Policy!

In Britain the issues we are discussing today created a dispute between the Church and the state, a familiar tussle in the evolution of parliamentary democracy in that former colonial empire. The Bishop of Leeds the Right Reverend Nicholas Baines recently wrote a letter to the British PM David Cameron accusing him that his government’s policy on religious freedom was not dynamic enough to protect Christians being persecuted in their thousands in Iraq. The bishop who said he had the endorsement of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Church of England on the letter, asked how many Iraqi Christians have been offered asylum in Britain based on their plight of utter persecution by the IS in Iraq.

Which is a pertinent question which unfortunately puts the British PM in a quandary because the British people are in no mood for any war after they crucified Tony Blair his predecessor over the Iraqi Invasion of 2003 with the former US President George Bush, over weapons of mass destruction. That the British have a long memory and to show that the anti Iraq war coalition is not dead in Britain, was shown the way Parliament voted across party lines to restrain the PM , David Cameron from going to deal with Assad in Syria when the issue of use of chemical weapons surfaced at the beginning of the Syrian uprising. Now David Cameron is still handcuffed by the fury of the Iraqi anti war coalition and the Church of England seems to be compounding the impotence of a PM caged by a Parliament and a people that have lost the stomach for foreign wars. This is made worse by the fact that David Cameron himself has once declared as useless ‘multiculturalism ‘which his predecessor used to fight the dangers of terrorism in post colonial Britain. Sadly the British PM can only wring his hands in embarrassment as the Church of England tries to prod the state to find its balls on religious freedom in good, old Britain over the fate of Iraqis in far away Iraq. Really the British are seeing how fast the chicken have come home to roost after colonialism and now globalisation and I am not too sure that they for now really know how to cope. All the same I honestly wish them the best of luck which seems very scarce in old democracies such as theirs in today’s turbulent politics of global Islamic militancy.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

COMMENTARY

The trial of Nuhu Ribadu (…and a recant) Back then on August 9, 2008 on Knucklehead… ’ll be blunt: this government has not given the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, his deserved respect and honour. Regardless of the grouses some of us nursed against his style while he reigned as the czar of the anti-graft body, he remains a distinguished police officer. My worry has nothing to do with the politics surrounding last Tuesday’s announcement of his demotion from the rank of an Assistant Inspector General to that of a Deputy Commissioner of Police. It has to do with our queer way of rewarding those who commit their lives to doing that which is right at all times. By every standard, Ribadu is not a perfect human being, but he rightly belongs to the category of Nigerians that should be treated with utmost respect. He does not deserve to be nailed on the barn door and left in the sun to dry. Somehow, that is exactly what the President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (as he then was) administration is doing—it is kicking Ribadu in the groin and, at the same time, asking him to ignore the pain. How callous!

When, early this year, Azubuike Ishiekwene, Executive Director Publications (as he then was), in The PUNCH stable came out with a book detailing Ribadu’s travails at the hands of the powerful forces attempting to muzzle the anti-corruption campaign and get the lawyer turned crack police officer off the swinging chair of the EFCC, I had dismissed it as a needless cry. My argument then was (and still is) that the operations of the EFCC should not be tied to the apron strings of one man. I had also poked fun at those who expressed fears over Ribadu’s selection for a capacity building course at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State. By the way, I still hold firmly to this belief.

In what has turned out to be a blind trust in the ability of Mr. Yar’Adua to walk his talk about fighting corruption and caging the rampaging wolves in the system, I said it was not only patently disingenuous but also jejune for anybody to "gloat that Ribadu’s nine-month stint at the NIPSS could spell the death knell for the fight against corruption or that it was designed as an exit point for a man who remains a shining symbol of hope in a country where leadership is corrosively corrupt." Well, I eat my words. I was wrong on one point. It is clear to me now that Ribadu’s exit and subsequent humiliation was choreographed from the top and the script handed to hirelings to execute!

It is not enough for the Police Service Commission to include 139 other names, including the late Haz Iwendi, a most distinguished gentleman, on the list of demoted officers. And I do not buy the argument that Ribadu was not the target of the exercise. It is even curious that the PSC has promised a post-humous elevation for Iwendi after publicly downgrading a man who died in active service and buried with full honours as Commissioner of Police. Is the PSC expecting Iwendi’s family to be gratified by the news of a sudden demotion of the rank of its late breadwinner and a ridiculous elevation to a rank that he was last addressed with on earth? It’s a clear case of ripping a man naked in public and covering him with an expensive robe thereafter. What a wicked insensitivity!

He might have been passionate about his job but, like I once wrote, Nuhu Ribadu overreached himself in many ways just like

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Knucklehead With

Yomi Odunuga E-mail:yomi.odunuga @thenationonlineng.net SMS only: 07028006913 his bosom friend, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai. That was why I never flinched in condemning him for turning into a monster in an attempt to nail the corrupt elements in the system. That mortal affliction reached its zenith when Obasanjo deployed him as his rabid attack dog ferreting for incriminating evidence against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. He trampled on people’s rights and, occasionally, spoke like the demi-god that had Ribadu’s balls at Aso Rock. That was bad.

He did many other condemnable things which had been documented. For example, he made a song and dance of the arrest and prosecution of corrupt governors and, in a show of double standard, discreetly withdrew and resold the two hundred million shares his boss’ firm bought in Transcorp. He dehumanized notable personalities allegedly involved in corrupt practices and trampled on the rule of law and due process. And he is yet to explain how some known crooks, including close aides to the former president, escaped the searchlight of his agency. Today, these persons strut the streets insulting our sensibilities with their sudden wealth.

But beyond that, Ribadu is an icon that should not be allowed to be rubbished by cheap politics. He it was who put his precious life on the line, battling the powerful forces that daily raid our collective inheritance with impunity. If he got promoted rapidly in the police force, it wouldn’t be because he influenced such promotions.

He was simply good at his job and those who demoted him cannot deny that fact. Some of these facts are contained in Azu’s book where he states that: "From 419 kingpins to ‘yahoo’ fraudsters and political bigwigs, and from ranking police officers to retired generals, Ribadu has stepped on many powerful toes. Out of the 400 or more of its cases that are in court, the EFCC has secured over 120 convictions, including that of a former IG and a former state governor. The agency has helped to recover over $5 billion in four years."

Azu’s book titled ‘The Trial of Nuhu Ribadu’ which, I must point out, is essentially pro-Ribadu, also reminds us that the former AIG initiated the "investigations that led to the smashing of the Emmanuel Nwude case—the biggest 419 case in history." And these fine points come to mind each time I think about the sacrilege of last Tuesday by the Mr. Parry Osayande-led PSC. The commission’s argument that the advancement of the affected officers violated stipulated criteria simply cannot wash. It is also doubtful if the PSC can push to a logical conclusion its veiled yet silly excuse that

Ribadu does not qualify to be selected for accelerated promotion based on its "special" criteria which stipulate, among other things, that the officer must have a record of exceptional performance; must have displayed exceptional act of gallantry and bravery outside the routine police duties. The point is simple: if Ribadu’s activities in the EFCC have been found to fall short of the stated criteria, then only someone from outer space stands a chance of getting accelerated promotion in the Nigeria Police Force!

The demotion of Ribadu, if I must add, will serve as a major source of de-motivation for younger police officers who once saw him as a hero. And I assure you such young officers are many. You can only imagine their collective disappointment with the Nigerian system. It is a big shame that heroes don’t live here anymore. It would have been better if Ribadu had been asked to resign as AIG with full honours and move on to other things if the tin gods that want him out are not up to a needless mischief. But because it is a season of long knives out there, common sense has taken a flight and the nation has been, once again, exposed to international ridicule. This is not just about Ribadu. It is about the wrong signal that we may be sending to the international community that, when it comes to fighting corruption, we simply do not have the guts to walk the talk. And that is the real shame in all this!

And now, August 23, 2014 on Knucklehead…

I wonder if I had not made a grave error in placing all my cards on the table and vouching for a man that was merely unfolding in a country in dire search for a true hero. No, this is not just a sudden burst of outrage against Ribadu because he has decided to move to a camp where his bread will surely be buttered. Even when he had joined the Action Congress of Nigeria and later emerged the party’s presidential candidate, some of us had wondered if that was not a perfect example of marriage of strange bedfellows. There was just something not right about this man jumping into the murky waters of politics, warts and all. He looked too clean, too decent, too aloof and too urbane for that kind of gang. So we thought.

Well, it turned out that we were wrong all the time. Ribadu is right. He is, like the rest of us, talking from both sides of the mouth, all noise without rhythm. He must have realised time was running out and he couldn’t beat them. The only available option is to join them. And that was exactly what happened. He owes no one, not even himself, any excuse for opting to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party in “pursuit of a good cause and never out of any selfish interests as portrayed by a section.”

Just this unsolicited advice for a man who has decided to throw all away on the altar of political expediency: Instead of thanking us, his admirers, for “bearing with me on this decision, and for those who have been in solidarity with my struggles and still giving me the benefits of the doubt, I’m most grateful. I’ll never let you down,” he should have simply explained off his fresh romance with those that hounded him into professional and political irrelevance in 2008 on the tested saying that, in politics, there are no permanent enemies but permanent interests. That’s all!

It’s not just the new face of politics in Nigeria. It has always been the only face of political prostitution that has left us in a quagmire.

There are no heroes. It’s just a jungle of pretenders!

Udiroko Festival: Dawn of a new year S the earth revolves in its orbit once in every 365 days, the ancient city of Ado would be agog on the 23rdof August 2014 to celebrate the annual Udiroko festival at the piazza of the Elizabethan opulence palace of Ewi of Ado Ekiti , Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe. The festival ushers in a new traditional year in the calendar of the people of Ado kingdom.

Udiroko festival like Ojude Oba in Ijebu Ode, Eyo in Lagos etc, is a festival with great deal of décor, dialogue, action and music. It is also an avenue for the gathering of the citizens to showcase their various cultural and social activities.

Indigenes put down their stakes while social and non political organisations such as Egbe Omoibile, Ado Acephalous, non-political organisation, Obasitu Reformers Club, Egbeomo Ewi, Ado Dynamic Club and the famous Erukulele Group feature prominently in the global mode.

Unit heads of traditional guard called Elegbe Oguro and their men in regalia, the array of oloris, and the Efa chiefs, i.e the traditional police also take up parade with serene satisfaction. The events sometimes impose a culture of silence on strangers as the oba’s wives adore with musical baritone of ancient drums orchestrated in textual lines the pragmatic praise songs of the king. Rulers of satellite towns, political office holders also converged with Indigenes to pay homage to Kabiyesi Ekun Obarisa, the Ewi of Ado Ekiti. Indeed it is a collective extravaganza extended with its routine and toleration to every parts of the country. It sometimes transcends traditional conventions as elite and nobility are included.

If truth be told, Ado Ekiti is a place to visit at Udiroko festival, a city with aesthetic beauty punctuated by outcroppings of gunmetal rocks,and green acres. Indigene distinguished their monarch in boastful and blatant demagogue witty remarks of an earthly viceroys held in awe and respect; Un Ewi Ayebati ‘wiLegbaOrun‘gba. Satellite towns sometimes become weary of expedient conversion as they quarrelled with their gods to accept the reasons while Ado should remain at the centre of the solar system with others as its orbit. Ewi continues to live a dignified life as a shadow or reflection of god’s rule in the universe, hence, whatever he pronounces as the generic title holder at the apex of the strata, the gods of cosmos affirm. This also confirmed some of his fore sires’ feats worthy of record and their central political roles in important events.

The modern day Udiroko festival is celebrated with pomp and ceremony heralded by the speech from the throne, highlighting the happenings in the outgoing year, the plans and activities in the new year also delighted in the new distinctions. Without intention to cast aspersion, Ado people

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• Oba Adeyemo

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Ayo FAJANA

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demonstrate classical egotism as they guilefully averred in a flattering glib of cultural preference to their monarch – EwibemiUdiroko, OlitajibemiEsunsueinko se olojameji ma buseEwiAalo. In a loose mode of speech, it is an expression of unity in diversity and self portrait of consistent voice of the ancient progeny.

In the old, Ewi’s terrestrial authority knows no bounds; Princes who are rulers of tributary communities rendered their stewardship and pay annual tributes.The present ruler of Ado-Ekiti (Elewi) is said to be among the sixteen original sons of Oduduwa and the title was given by Oduduwa the ancestor of Yoruba race to his son Ewi whom he regarded as the Prince ‘who spoke truly’. However, the ancient kingdom has come under increasing criticisms as an archaic relic, badly in need of an overhaul until the British colonial administration and the arrival of the white missionaries. Hurricane of fresh air blowing through the oldest secular institution inevitably brought calls for reasons, ADO became the political headquarter of Ekiti since the last two centuries. The traditional institution now becomes less stuffy, less high-bound by protocols and traditions and more people-friendly in a

vague kind of way that few could precisely define until Ekiti state was created with Ado as the capital city in 1996. The time changes and we must not forever look backward merely to glorify the past. Ado people do not want to abolish their monarchy, they just want to feel closer to it. Ado monarchical system is about people and its worth is judged to a large extent by the character of Ewi as the principal player at any given time. Even when Oba Adejugbe does not exist to be the anchor in Ekiti politico’s soap opera for the public entertainment, he is the traditional head of the ancient Ado kingdom including those survived to be adapted and those been forced not to adapt again to his suzerainty.

His faultless conduct in that role as often, is obscure in the last century by the trails and follies of Ado cousins across the rivulets of Omosuo Adanun, Ogbese and beyond. Today, Ado has much to contend with the buffoonery of vassalage to the acrimonious parting of some villages from Ado kingdom, but in long time to come; these foibles will be seen as no more than minor death in the side of the throne. Debates and the significance changes involved whether the cumbersome apparatus of the monarchy perceived by the vassalage to be too big, too out -of- touch with his subjects is giving the kingdom value for its long history. That the debate is taking place at all is partly a result of the revolt. The fresh approach of live and let others live cast sympathetic shadows on Ewi and the royal family by the time of local government separation of most towns and villages in the old Ekiti Central in 1996. The situation therefore raised questions about the existing structure of the monarchy and its style- Is the Oba making enough contacts with his humbler subjects? Does his court really have to be run by chiefs with little knowledge of democratic governance? Is the monarchy soaking up too much revenue?

Must a dozen or more of the chiefs really have to be supported with good salaries?

Ado kingdom has a long political history, its origin is usually traced to the time Ewi Gberubioya magnanimously dispersed nation of princes and princesses around 1630 but still recognised as the sovereign over Ado kingdom. The kingdom has survived because it has constantly adapted or been forced to adapt to all that takes to govern a vast empire. Ewi Arutawekun 1710 -1722 lost his throne and life to his abductors during the 17th century because he would not change his style of rule. The crown has long been stripped of most of its real powers and almost entirely symbolic. Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe undoubtedly exercises discreet degree of influence that comes from such a long reign and accumulation of expe-

• Continued on page 9

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

COMMENTARY

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Ebola? Close the borders...Now!!! (2) •Continued from last week So, as we continue to groan and moan about the late Patrick Sawyer’s lack of good judgment in deciding to travel to Nigeria despite his infection and the Liberian government’s ‘worthlessness’ of letting a man who had been known to have contact with a victim of Ebola travel out, Nigeria’s lack of full-proof preventative measure is now posing, to other countries, the same threat Liberia posed to us.

The arrival of Ebola in Nigeria should be of great concern to every nation in the world. No country deserves the curse of Ebola, but the one country in Africa that Ebola does not need to find a base is Nigeria. With a population of approximately 170 million people, with a community so overcrowded and clustered, with an environment so overwhelmed with pollution, with borders so porous that insurgents navigate it at will, with hundreds of International flights leaving the country weekly, Nigeria would be a most dangerous hub for Ebola to fester.

The Nigerian authorities must understand that, with such an epidemic, the domestic and global situation cannot be kept separate because any lapse we have domestically can have dire global implications. Nigeria must appreciate the weight of the world to ensure the complete eradication of Ebola from within its borders that is presently resting on its shoulders. The very nature of Nigerian communities and family structures, the overcrowding, lack of access to health care and our over imaginative superstition, all provide a viral breading ground for a disease like Ebola.

Nigeria has a duty to its citizenry, the same duty Guinea failed its people, the same duty Liberia failed its people, and the same duty Sierra Leone failed its people, by shutting its borders, not only to protect our country from Ebola-prone countries but also to protect other countries from us, until the epidemic can be controlled. Failure to carry out this preemptive and decisive action would further render the world vulnerable and susceptible to a global pandemic.

It must be said that the Lagos government has done an extra ordinary job in trying to contain the virus. The rapid response of the authorities in Lagos, in setting up quarantine centers, creating awareness, providing the required equipment and constantly updating the public with information has been remarkable. If such a heavy burden and responsibility had to be imposed on any of our governments within the country, it is somewhat of a relief that it lay on the most organised and competent authority in Nigeria. However, even with that, as the ground zero of Ebola in Nigeria, Lagos State should also consider shutting its borders for the duration of the stipulated incubation period while continuing with the awareness campaigns enlightening the populace of the effects of the Ebola virus and the importance of reporting any suspected case within the period that lives can be saved. This should also apply to any state where a case of Ebola is found. Once people understand that the only way to stop the virus is to prevent it and the only way to save the life of an infected person is to treat the symptoms early after infection, one would believe that people would cooperate and come forward when symptoms occur. If the virus is not contained and eradicated within Lagos and is allowed to get out of the state, the consequence would be extremely colossal for a population of 170million people and, by extension, for the world.

For the future, African countries have got to try and improve the capacity of its various hygiene and medical systems to respond to all these health emergencies, whether it is Ebola, Lassa fever, Marbug, Cholera or any other disease. However, for now, sanitary gloves, disinfectants, sanitizers and face-masks (the likes of which I am displaying) should be made available to people in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria in sensitive environments such as hospitals and laboratories to further help in curbing the spread of the virus. The basic protective gear, such as masks and gloves, will primarily benefit those in high-risk envi-

ronments but it’s not necessary for every day or domestic use.

Also, decisive action has got to be taken on some very worrying and emerging elements of this disease. Since news of Ebola broke, government authorities and medical experts have been battling misinformation and folktales with the capacity to worsen the situation. In one such incident a prank about ‘salt’ having the ability to kill Ebola was started by an attention seeking young woman who later sent a ‘salty’ confession to the media, if only to reinforce that desperation for attention. (Her gloating confession can be read on the following link: http://ynaija.com/site/this-lady-says-she-started-the-salt-andwater-ebola-joke-read/). ‘But-for’ the fact her antics allegedly lead to the death of, at least two people and 20 others being hospitalized for consuming an excessive quantity of salt in order to protect themselves from the virus, she could have been known as a trifling-little-fool. But now, she is something much worse.

And one would hope that she understands the high price that has been paid and the shocking tragedy that has come from her quest for her five-minutes of fame.

Government must clamp down on those promoting false theories on, not just salt, but bitter kola as well. Equally, authorities must vehemently warn Muslim and Christian clerics and traditionalists from utterances that suggest an alternative to conventional medicine. Faith and spirituality is, no doubt, the most important component of any struggle and challenge, but we must ensure that it is channelled in a way that will help our communities follow the instructions of medical experts to contain and eradicate the disease as opposed to hindering efforts to try and get it under control. All religious leaders and herbalists must be given the explicit order not to make public statements on Ebola that may have dire results.

Another necessary target group for the authorities to clamp down on are the people who continue to insist on hunting and eating bush meat, despite the stern warning of the danger it may carry. Handling uncooked bat with the virus strain and eating bush meat are some of the ways experts suspect that the Ebola virus has been transmitted from the animal world to the human one, after which human-to-human contact then becomes possible.

Since the outbreak of the disease, several countries have banned the hunting or trading of bush meat. But unfortunately in most of those countries, many have ignored the ban and continued to expose themselves and the larger community to the risk of contracting the virus through their ingestion of bushmeat. In an Al Jazeera news interview (which can be seen on the following link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZohUJXRECQ *recommended to watch*), the chairman of the Nigerian National Association of Hunters, Olasehinde Afolabi, insists that he will continue eating bush meat. In the clip, when the reporter interviews him, Mr. Afolabi lividly declares, “It’s a lie… It’s a beyond lie! If they don’t want bush meat, they should not eat it, but we the hunters… they cannot say we should not eat it and they cannot tell the public not to be eating it.’ …Now, wait, wait, what? Did Mr. Afolabi just allude to the fact that he will continue hunting and eating bush meat, no matter the threat posed? Wow! One is inclined to think that this rep-

rehensible attitude that Mr. Afolabi is displaying may somehow constitute a weak link in the national effort to contain and overcome Ebola! Maybe if he could, just for a minute, put his seemingly insatiable avarice for, ‘poached monkey’s brain pepper soup,’ ‘smoked bat and armadillo orishirishi’ or anything even remotely edible aside, he would understand that the struggle to protect and save the world population is much more important than satisfying his over-active taste buds and filling his belly!

Here we are, in a race against time, trying to get under control a ginormous threat to humanity and there is the chairman of the Nigerian National Association of Hunters, risking the lives of every single one of us just so that he and his hunters can enjoy a piece of unidentifiable animal part. At this point the Nigerian authorities should take the threat that is posed by the actions of every gluttonous, carnivorous, bush-meat-eating biped very seriously and completely ban the hunting, trade and congestion of bush meat, until further notice. And in the mean time, the burly-men in the black suits and black ray bans from the official ‘relevant authorities’ might just consider paying a little visit to this overzealous meat eater and having a wee word with the ravenous Mr. Olasehinde Afolabi! Maybe if he saw the images of the pain and suffering of Ebola victims or heard the tears of the families of those who have died, he would know how serious this issue is and how reckless his actions are. It is advisable for us to be cautious.

We have already partaken in the blunder of the century by allowing Ebola to come into Nigeria. Back in March and April, as soon as it was widely publicized that there was an Ebola virus outbreak in the West African region and it had begun spreading to other countries other than Guinea, where it originated from, the Nigerian government should have closed all air and land borders from affected countries or, at the very least, screened all the people coming into Nigeria from those locations. And the blame does not only lie on the government. Nigerian citizens have also failed to spread awareness and learn about this disease till now.

I have followed this Ebola story religiously since May of this year and I often speak about the disease on my social media pages. Some weeks ago, when I learnt that there was a suspected case of Ebola in Ghana, I wrote a full op-ed on it. The feedback that I received from readers on my e-mail and social media pages were very negative and disappointing to me. A lot of readers suggested that I had ‘misplaced priority’ by writing and speaking out extensively about the Ebola virus and the Gaza situation, which were not problems that Nigerians were dealing with. They suggested that I should have concentrated all my efforts ‘solely’ on writing about the return of our Chibok girls because that was the domestic issue that was plaguing us. I was quite appalled with the response and although I could understand where they were coming from, I could honestly not appreciate their rationale.

•To be continued next week

Re: Ebola? Close the borders…Now!!!

In an Article published last Saturday titled “Ebola?

Close the borders…Now!!!” our columnist, Hannatu Musawa wrote that Patrick Sawyer, a victim of Ebola, may have travelled from Liberia to Nigeria because of a directive from his employers, ArcelorMittal SA. In fact, ArcelorMittal SA had no knowledge of his travel and did not send Mr Sawyer to Nigeria. They had referred Mr Sawyer to the Ministry of Health to be held in quarantine with daily monitoring and had requested him not to return to work until he had safely passed through a 28-day period. We apologise for the error.

— Editor

Udiroko Festival: Dawn of a new year • Continued from page 8 rience. Almost his every royal acts is done on the advise of his traditional chiefs, he summons and dissolves committee of the palace, appoints his chiefs on the advise of the respective clans, declares war against the erring and disloyal title holders, gives royal assent to lawful dethronement, consents public office holders of good character, pardons the convict at his royal courts and confers honours to desirable ones.

Oba Adejugbe has always appointed astute and professional people to run the monarchy with ruthless efficiency. A major factor in the Oba Adejugbe’s enduring success and popularity is his perfect understanding of his constitutional role and his refusal to ever been drawn into active politics.

His true function is above politics, he is the embodiment of the nation state and the guarantee that the kingdom shall continue to exist.The role grows in importance as the ancient Ado kingdom surrenders major decision making to the government of Ekiti State, same time offers a degree of self government to its constituent parts. To retain its validity, the Oba must still court popularity and be seen to be a proper representative of his people otherwise it would come to be regarded as irrelevant in a larger traditional societytussling his rightful position among the sixteenth Ekiti Pelupelu.

Ado has always dispelled an image that it is stock in the past of old privileged aristocracy. Ewi- in council has long sensed and been quietly told by some handwriting on the wall that there is a desire to beef up effective monarchy without completely destroying its colour, ceremony and tradition.

Changes since the Morgan chieftaincy commission of 1978 have been significant and far reaching. Morgan has taken away some rights and privileges particularly the right of

annexation. Once a community is being recognised by the government, their Baale wears the crown all about. Even if a village has few houses with some handful population, the head of the place becomes an Oba with paraphernalia. Some aberrant princes with pet ideas taking the advantage to word off over lordship or probably to avenge bruised ego now struts about with air of importance having the support of the government to insult contemptuously some first class Obas simply because of the rejection of their ancestors’ deft historical manipulation. The traditional institution presents a paradox; appealing for its grandeur and panoply of symbolisms.

Yet it is repelling for near impotence in the power structures of the modern state. Ado tradition could hardly blend now with the pride of Ado la ti a jewi or the delight of Amosoroun o eh by the realities of our environment. Obas have been completely reduced, they must not have feelings, beliefs and opinions, and if they do they must not express them. Yet, they are expected not to take preference, even though the policy and the actions of those in power may affect them like every other person. Worst still, they are forced to dance to the drum beat of whoever is in power even if the Obas and the vast majority of their subjects hate the sound and find the beat undanceable. They must not descend so low as to be full time players in the profane world of business. They must on the contrary wait for their manna to drop from heaven and that heaven can be pure hell if it is occupied by a hostile government.

There have been token attempt to insert more down- to earth tourist visits into the Ewi’s palace. The Nigeria Breweries, MTN service provider and the foreign attaché from the embassies had set the pace and it is left for the

palace to utilise every opportunity to conserve and to re-dedicate. The palace needs a museum, a standard library, newsletters or royal dispatch, royal diary and a palace historian who will logically and timely follow up the work of the late griot, Monseigneur Anthony Oguntuyi who had contributed immensely to the history of Ado Ekiti.

Oba Adejugbe is at heart a traditionalist and it is hardly unlikely at his life time thathe would make sweeping changes to the kingdom’s style of monarchy, for example; Olorunborun Day popularly known as Udirokois like Halloween holiday in Europe. The day was symbolically associated with the period of praise worship when prayers were offered to the heavens. Like the eve of All Souls days which were observed to purify the spirit of the dead in Rome.

Ado war chiefs are led by Bafonin an all night jamboree following the assemblage of other military commanders and mercenaries to give an annual post war reports.

Oba Adejugbe Aladesanmi III knows that continuity in the crown is the strongest suit; significant change of approach must wait till the next century. The true legacy of the preceding Ewis; Odundun Anirare Aladesanmi II and Oba Samuel Adeyemi Adelabu were not minor shuffling of the royal engagement diary to satisfy some vague personal desires.

The royal precursors had given the kingdom its long time future in the intelligent, Dr. Adeyemo Adejugbe Aladesanmi III. CON ,JP. I prayerfully wish him, the entire household and all citizens of Ado Ekiti a prosperous new traditional year and I say floreat collegium.

•Fajana writes from Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State

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THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

THE NATION

NEWS 11

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

Women centre inducts 215 trainees

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HE Director General, National Centre for Women Development, (NCWD), Lady Onyeka Onwenu,

has once again reiterated the fact that Nigeria is a land of opportunities where a wide range of services can be rendered to its over 160 million people.

Onwenu made this assertion while addressing the new batch of students admitted into the various skills acquisition programmes of the centre, at an orientation ceremony held recently.

She stated that the decisions made by the students to enrol for the programmes was a wise one and that “it was also a good step towards the realisation of their potential in order to contribute to the growth of the society, not only by empowering themselves but also by aiming to be employers of labour.”

She urged them to find a niche for themselves in the service industry where the needs of the country’s population are too numerous to be saturated.

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MOSOP accuses Wike of planned mayhem in Ogoni

HE Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) yesterday alleged plan by the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, and his supporters in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to unleash mayhem in the four Ogoni Local Government Areas of Khana, Gokana, Eleme and Tai in Rivers State, today.

The alleged mayhem

Bisi OLANIYI, Port Harcourt

,according to MOSOP ,will be preceded by a protest against the agigation by the Ogoni to produce the next governor of the state.

Wike,an Ikwerre ,is believed to be interested in the 2015 governorship race.

MOSOP President , Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, said the Minister was ‘desperate’ to cause trouble

PDP, Presidency in dilemma over Ribadu •Continued from Page 2 “So, the situation as it is now, means that all the aspirants would have to carry their various ambitions on the strength of their structures because it is obvious we cannot afford to toy with Adamawa.

“The former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is from there and there are intelligence reports that he is waiting in the wings to lure any of the PDP aspirants with the APC ticket in case we force them to step down for Ribadu.

“But far more fearful is the fact that some of the aspirants, we learnt, are already ganging up to raise a legal issue out of the manner in which Ribadu registered as a member of PDP. “The truth is that Ribadu was not expected to register through a proxy. We expected him to go to his state and do such personally.

But now, our problem is simple- what if any of the aspirants heads to court and insists that Ribadu did not join the PDP through due

process? It is really intriguing, I can say for now.

“So with all these developments coming up daily, Mr President has instructed that no one should brandish his name on the issue any longer, especially as it affects the issue of Ribadu.

“We all thought the deal could sail through, but from all indications, we at the level of the party’s apex leadership and the Presidency have to be very cautious on this matter because we cannot afford to entrap our party for the sake of an individual.”

Speaking with reporters at the PDP secretariat on Thirsday, one of the aspirants, Auwal Tukur, admitted that there have been pressure on other aspirants to step down for Ribadu, but he vowed never to bow to the pressure.

“I have not stepped down for Ribadu and I don’t intend to step down for him or anyone else,” he said. “I have come here this afternoon to pick up my

form. That alone is an indication that I am in the race.

“We are all going to face the primary election. I am not aware of any consensus arrangement centred around Ribadu. I have paid my dues as a politician and I will not be a party to any undemocratic agenda.”

Gulak also warned the party leaders against any attempt to impose Ribadu on other aspirants, saying such moves could have a disastrous effect on the chances of the party at the election.

He recalled that the former Adamawa Governor, Murtala Nyako, who was impeached a few weeks ago, was imposed on the PDP by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2007.

“That experience is enough to deter whoever is contemplating a similar idea to have a rethink, because any aspirant sure of his popularity among the people should be confident enough to face primary election. ”When our party’s NWC released the time table, I was

the first to pick my forms, and today, I am sure I am the first to submit. This clearly shows that I have prepared for this election. ”In this election, there are serious aspirants, pretenders and spoilers. I believe our party can accommodate them all. But suffice it to say that I am dead serious on my aspiration.”

Marwa, who also submitted his completed nomination form, told reporters that there was every reason to be careful with the consensus option, saying there must be total agreement among all the aspirants for such consensus to stand.

Marwa said: “The issue of consensus is to be contemplated. There is absolutely nobody who wants to go through the rigours of all this stress. But having said that, I know the PDP is a party that wants the electoral process to be properly followed.

“You all know that this was what happened in Ekiti and Osun states, and there is no reason why the same process should not be followed in the case of Adamawa State”.

in Ogoni which he considers as the only obstacle to his governorship ambition.

Pyagbara said the alleged planned protest was “ to divide and destabilise, adversely affect cohesion and jeopardise the opportunity for the Ogoni to work with unity of purpose and concertedly to actualise the project 2015, as it relates to adequate political representation in the state.”

MOSOP warned that the approach “would only serve to hurt the cause of the aspirant (Wike) and deepen Ogoni resolve against political subservience.”

It added: “ We are also warning the mastermind (Wike) and his internal collaborators to immediately desist from implementing the plan, as the Ogoni people will not fold their arms, while their communities are thrown into turmoil.

“MOSOP is concerned that

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS

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ello Viewden, am a regular follower of your column and I must confess that I’m impressed with the way you help people solve their sexual problems. I’m a 58 year old man, who has been diabetic for 20 years and hypertensive for 15 years. I have used many drugs to treat these conditions and I guess that’s why I have NO erection at all. I recently remarried and my new wife is expecting so much from me. Kindly give me the range of your products that can help me -BJ Hello sir, I perfectly understand what situation you are in and the kind of pressure you are under. Firstly, I would say you should take it easy on your self by relaxing cos solution is here. I would advise you try either Vimax, Plant Vigra or Xzen 1200. Either of these herbal supplements will really help you by giving a strong erection on demand within minutes of using them. Plant Vigra especially works within 30 mins of usage causing the rush of blood to the penis and so also is Vimax which helps correct weak erection especially if the erectile problem has persisted for long.

One of my friends got Vigrx plus from you guys for penile enlargement and he recorded about one and half inch to the length after taking about 3 packs of Vigrx plus. I learn that as you grow older, your penis shrinks more which happen to be my case. My penis is so small compared to before and I’m older than my friend that used the Vigrx plus. Can I use it? Will it work for older people like me? Cos I’m 61 years ,is it safe to use without side effect?- Chief Uba Hello Chief, yes it’s true your penis shrinks as you grow older and yes Vigrx plus is safe for enlargement at any age. Like you said in your comment, your younger friend used 3 packs and thats for 3 months , for him to get one and half inch added to the length and we have recorded more length with people that used more than the 3 packs. Vigrx plus is herbal and increases both the length and thickness of the penis; but result varies with individuals and initial size of the penis.

( FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 13)

I have taken Prosolution pills and I now last longer on my woman. How long do I have to take it? I don’t want it to be addictive and I’m afraid if I stop, i’ll go back to experiencing premature ejaculation again. I also want to try Plant Vigra For very strong erection cos i’ve heard a lot about it. Can I try it? Abey Prosolution pills really helps correct premature ejaculation, but in most cases you don’t have to take more than 2 packs to totally correct premature ejaculation and after that you don’t need to take Prosolution again. It is not addictive cos the effect will last for a very long time provided you live a healthy lifestyle. And yes Plant Vigra is very effective for giving rock hard erection on demand.

Hello there, I’m a sexually active woman in my early 40’s. I want to spice up my relationship, what Novelties can you advice to make my man go crazy- Lilan Hello Lilian, start by getting yourself in the mood with Germany sex drops and then you adorn yourself with either the vibrating crotchless panty and pasty set or any other sexy costume - something different from you regular wear. Get some Rose petals to put on the bed or on the floor to set the mood. You can also give him a treat by getting the furr cuffs for bondage play and some sex games, not forgetting your pheromones to attract him to you and you can start the night with a dinner for two.

Try experimenting new forms of sexual plays with the aid of sextoys and you can also get educational dvd like Couple’s sexploration Thank you so very much Viewden. I’m now a better man with the help of Vimax. Will order another one as soon as the first one is exhausted -Billy Thanks for your compliments Jake, you are always welcome anytime These are all we can take for this week. Adults who needs any of these aphrodisiacs can cal 08034666358, 07059294782 or place your order at www.viewden.com.

For further enquiries,send an email to us at: vieweden@yahoo.com, viewden@ymail.com. Kemi Fawole (MD )

this man (Wike) is attempting to export violence into Ogoni, just to scuttle the Ogoni’s ambition, while he is busy organising his community to achieve electoral success.”

It asked those mobilised for the protest to “rise above parochial and partisan sentiments,” adding: “ What we understand is that the love of the governorship aspirant for Ogoni is hate.

Hence, we are warning that Ogoni people will resist every attempt to squeeze us into political oblivion. We also vow that we will act against any cancerous stand against our collective interest, be it internal or external.”

Chief Wike could not be reached yesterday for his reaction.

Wike’s spokesman, Simeon Nwakaudu,did not respond to several calls to his line .

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PEOPLE SOCIETY ROMANCE ENTERTAINMENT SPORTS

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WARRI: •One of the bus stops of the ongoing BRT project, which is still under construction

•The ever-busy Airport Road in Warri

Rolling mill of aristes, comedians •Ogunu Road

Warri metropolis is an unusual place not just because of its infrastructural development but because of some other factors that determine everyday life in the city, writes BOLAJI OGUNDELE. HERE is a widespread belief that the Delta region is full of varieties of gold. It is also believed that the area that constitutes the present Delta State is more endowed than other parts of the region not just in terms of the prized natural resource but also in terms of human capital. For instance, the state boasts many intellectuals and sports men and women with the agility of a horse. The state is a

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major producer of crude oil and gas and has in recent years worked to harness the bit left by the Federal Government in the energy sector for other sectors to maximise.

But numerous as the resources of Delta State are, one ‘export’ that seems to have transcended and outshone all others is the Waffi (another name for Warri metropolis) factor.

Warri is regarded as the economic headquarters of the state even though it was not made the capital at the creation of Delta State. These, combined with its natural roughness and social upheavals, make it a city that neither the state nor the Federal Government would want to joke with. Although Warri is small in size, it is heavily populated because it hosts most of Delta-based business concerns from which the state government derives a lot of revenue. Besides, it is home to three of the critical ethnic groups in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

Warri is basically made up of three council areas, namely Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-West. But in actual sense, the part of Warri that residents regard as ‘Warri City’ is constituted by Udu, Uvwie, parts of Ughelli South and Okpe local government areas. The Warri metropolis, as it is today, is a sort of shadow of its old self, considering the bubbling commercial centre it was before the infamous Warri crisis. Those who lived in the city before it was ravaged by the well documented ethnic crisis would vow that the city had no par before the crisis. It was the preferred destination for most visitors to Delta State, particularly those who wanted to relocate to the Niger Delta region.

But the city has recovered greatly from the injuries of the communal strife and the bubbly life for which it used to be known is gradually creeping back. Hence it still remains a place many people look forward to visiting for various reasons. One reason for which a visitor to the city would keep going back to the city is its special delicacy—starch with banga or owho soup. While there are varieties of meals that are original to Warri people, either of these soups, going

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e p a

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with starch, is a highly cherished meal. The popular delicacy cannot only be obtained from local joints around the city, a number of popular and classy eateries also cite it on their menu lists.

Night life was one aspect of Warri that was badly affected by the crisis. It was as if the crisis just rolled the night clubs, bars and joints off the ground like a rug. The spots that were known to provide a lot of fun simply closed shop during the crisis and they never returned.

Recalling the ugly period and the good times that predated it, Mrs. Jacinta Odiwe, a restaurant owner in Warri, said: “There used to be a fun spot called Caravan 4 around Ejemudaro with a branch on Odion Road. It closed down.” According to her, new fun spots have emerged with the resurrection of the city and the once beleaguered night life has returned to a large extent. Now places like the 911 Sports Bar at Ugbangue, The Range at Ajamogha, The Pub at Okumagba, Oxygen at the Airport Junction and the Warri Night Club at NPA are some of the places where night life is now flourishing.

Warri is also a city of awesome hotels. In fact, it would seem to a commercial mind that besides the natural gift of oil and gas, the next set of asset would be the hotels that dot the city. Among them is Wellington Hotel, a four star facility that has hosted numerous dignitaries and memorable events since it was commissioned. There are also multinational hotels like Golden Tulip and Protea, just as there are well planned and well equipped local ones like Kayriott and Excel, both situated on Refinery Road.

At the moment, the cinema is not the in-thing in Warri. But the popular Nigerian cinema franchise, Silverbird Galleria, has managed to break the ice by extending its tentacle to Warri, using a hall in Golden Tulip Hotel, along the busy NPA Expressway, by PTI Junction.

However, what the city lacks in cinemas and theatres, it adequately has compensated for with comedy shows. It is an undisputable fact that the Nigerian comedy club is mainly populated by Warri-grown comedians. Most of the well-known names in that entertainment genre are ‘Warri brought-ups’ like I Go Die, Gordons, AY, I Go Save,

Akpororo, Bovi Ugboma a.k.a Akpos, and many others who are yet to be known beyond the shores of the city but make their living from comedy. Warri is also home to music sensations like Oritsefemi, Omawumi, Sunny Okposo, Harrisong and so many others.

Besides the social allures of the city, places to visit and recreational activities to relish, the state government, from the James Ibori administration to the current Emmanuel Uduaghan regime, has not ceased to invest in infrastructural facilities aimed at making life better for residents of the city.

One of the good things about the city is that it is never in short supply of access roads, including dual carriage highways, streets, bypasses and laybys. The Effurun/Sapele Road, Warri/Sapele Road, Jakpa Road, Airport Road, the Refinery Road, Ajamogha Road, Okere Road, Esisi Road, Deco Road, Okumagba Avenue, Ogunu Road and Edjeba Road are just a few of the stretches of the web-like network of roads in the city, connecting all parts of the three major council areas that make up the greater Warri metropolis.

Not even a negligent observer would fail to see the state government’s modest effort at reducing the stress being experienced by commuters on the roads with the building of a Buses Rapid Transport (BRT) scheme along the Effurun/Sapele Road. Although the project is still under construction, the demarcation is already being used by impatient road users who would not wait for traffic jams to ease off.

Writing about the ‘Waffi Factor’ would be incomplete without a mention of the rich and sometimes rambunctious cultural composition of the city. Warri, they say, is a small town, populated by at least three tribes claiming aboriginal ownership of the city. Warri is the city of the Itsekiri, the Ijaw and the Urhobo. It is also the abode of other tribes, who although do not claim to be aboriginals still believe that they co-own the city.

Within Warri city, there is the Olu of Warri, who is Itsekiri by tribe and the Ovie of Uvwie who is Urhobo. It is this tribal heterogeneity that has from time to time fuelled the ethnic crises, which have over the years restricted its growth.

•The Angle Park Roundabout

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It is an undisputable fact that the Nigerian comedy club is mainly populated by Warri-grown comedians. Most of the well-known names in that entertainment genre are ‘Warri brought-ups’ like I Go Die, Gordons, AY, I Go Save, Akpororo, Bovi Ugboma a.k.a Akpos, and many others who are yet to be known beyond the shores of the city but make their living from comedy

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Our next competition and probably the toughest of the year is the World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from the 7th - 14th of September, 2014. We have ensured that the athletes are in a secluded and secure location for their preparations. Because wrestling is a contact sport and there are fears about Ebola, we have ensured that they virtually have no contact with the general public.

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SPANISH LA LIGA..SPANISH LA LIGA...SPANISH LA LIGA....

PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS...PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS...PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS...PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS...PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS...

ENGLISH BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE Pos Team P 1 Chelsea 1 2 Man City 1 3 Arsenal 1 4 Liverpool 1 5 Swansea 1 6 A/Villa 1 7 Hull City 1 8 Tottemham 1 9 Everton 1 10 Leicester 1 11 Sunderland 1 12 West Brom 1 13 Crystal 1 14 Man United 1 15 Southampton 1 16 Q PR 1 17 Stoke City 1 18 West Ham 1 19 Burnley 1 20 Newcastle 1

W 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

GF 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0

GA 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 3 2

GD 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -2 -2

Pts 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

MAN CITY FACE LIVERPOOL

in early season blockbuster

FIXTURES Sat 23 Aug Málaga v Athletic Club Sevilla v Valencia CF Granada CF v Deportivo Almería v Espanyol Sun 24 Aug Eibar v Real Sociedad Barcelona v Elche Celta de Vigo v Getafe Levante v Villarreal

FIXTURES

Sat 23 Aug Hannover 96 v FC Schalke 04 E/Frankfurt v Sport-Club Freiburg Hertha BSC v SV W/Bremen 1. FC Köln v Hamburger SV Hoffenheim v FC Augsburg Dortmund v B/Leverkusen Sun 24 Aug SC Paderborn 07 v 1. FSV Mainz 05 Mönchengladbach v VfB Stuttgart

AKINLOYE

AT LARGE

08050246155 atlarge84@yahoo.com

39 THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

STORY ON PAGES 42&43

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with KAYODE ALFRED

E-mail:kayflex2@yahoo.com Tel:08116759807 08035733605

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E-mail:kayflex2@yahoo.com TEL:08116759807

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The Deputy Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Robinson Nname Ewor, represents the Ahoada East Constituency One in the Rivers West Senatorial District. Recently, he suffered the misfortune of having his aged mother abducted by kidnappers. He recalls the ugly experience in an interview with BISI OLANIYI and speaks on the crisis in the House of Assembly, stating that the self-acclaimed speaker of the assembly, Evans Bipi, and the five legislators supporting him do not conduct themselves as the honourable members.

Ewor insists that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will win the 2015 elections in Rivers State on account of the performance of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. Excerpts:

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Continued on Page 48

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Crime Stories -

Okorie

Kunle AKINRINADE

Other

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CRIME & OTHER STORIES

‘How I managed to evade arrest for •Continued from 45

•Obinna

The suspect was also said to have a particular telephone line dedicated to communicating with those that worked for him. To avoid the prying eyes of security agents, he would not drink at a public place and not even his members knew the hotel he would lodge in at any particular time. He made sure that he did not deal directly with the drivers he hired to transport the goods he had hijacked to their final destinations.

To checkmate police surveillance, he did not allow only one driver to drive a hijacked truck from the point of collection to the final destination. He was said to have appointed supervisors who monitored the hijacked trucks and ensured that they followed the right track and to know if they were being trailed by policemen. None of the drivers ever met him, and he was said to have big warehouses in Cameroon, Kano and Onitsha where he took the stolen containers to.

Obinna was said to also have a gang of robbers who wore army uniform and pretended to be members of the federal task force on road monitoring.

The police source said: “Their mode of operation is very unique.

When they want to operate, they divide themselves into groups. The role of the first group was to go to where the truck was loaded, survey the place and come up with the plan on how to hijack the loaded truck.

“Then the group that would do the robbing proper would be in military uniform. The leader of the gang would order a member of the gang to arrest the driver, demand for the documents, order the arrest of the driver and conductor, asking them who told them to evacuate such goods and where they were taking them to.

“They would later handcuff the driver and the conductor while their members take over driving and conducting and the remaining members would sit in their operational bus to escort the truck to the destination they wanted.

“On the way, they would ask the driver and the conductor to alight. They would undress them so that they would be completely naked. They would then flog them thoroughly and order them to remain at the spot.

“Even when the bandits had departed, the driver and conductor would not be able to raise the alarm because people would that they were madmen and would not like to listen to

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switched off his phone and changed his line. He later dropped all his lines and left only the one with which he was transacting business some buyers he was expecting money from because they were owing him millions of naira for the goods he had supplied to them.

Unfortunately for him, SARS operatives monitored the only line he was using and traced him to Onitsha where he was due to meet a customer he wanted to collect money from. As soon as he emerged to collect the money from the man, SARS detectives arrested him at the motor spare parts market, Nkpor, near the flyover.

Obinna confessed to being the sponsor of two forty-feet containers containing tyres belonging to one Alex Oluwa. The tyres, he said, were taken to Cameroon through Calabar. He also confessed the hijacking of two containers of food supplements known as Forever Living Products. The food supplements were said to worth N33.6 million while the two containers of tyres were valued at N19 million. Their last operation was said to involve an industrial chemical of high density Poly PVC valued at N12 million and belonging to one Alhaji.

Speaking with our correspondent, Obina said: “I was not using charms and I was not disappearing. I was only smarter than the people that were looking for me. When I went into hiding, most of the robbers, who had been in hijacking business before I joined them, started mentioning my name.

“They were not telling the truth. They knew that if I came out, the police would arrest me.

So, whenever they were arrested, they would tell the police that I am their sponsor. I am not there to defend myself.

“I don’t have a girlfriend. I don’t want to marry because the police would come to where I am doing wedding or traditional marriage to arrest me once they hear that I want to marry. SARS operatives might come to my wedding to arrest me. That is why I don’t want to marry until my case is over.

“Again, I have many, agents, drivers and conductors working for me. I don’t trust any of them, so I never allowed any of them to come close to me. Everyone has a role to play.

Once you play your role, you are paid off.

Some of them have never seen my face. If they see me, they cannot recognise me because I do not deal directly with them. Out of the 60 people who work for me, not up to four have seen my face.

“If I want to travel, I do so alone. If I am going to Benin City, I will first stop at Asaba and lodge in a local hotel. I do not make straight journeys. A journey of two days can take me one week. And I spend a lot because such a life style is expensive. But it is good for me for security reasons. I can spend N500,000 lodging in a hotel for a few weeks, just for security reasons.

“I do not womanise because that is the easiest way for the police to capture me. I don’t even have a girlfriend or a particular boyfriend, especially since the time the police started looking for me. I did not save money from the loot. I only managed to build a storey building in my village before I went into hiding.

“I don’t sleep in my house at Ngozika Es-

I have many, agents, drivers and conductors working for me. I don’t trust any of them, so I never allowed any of them to come close to me.

Everyone has a role to play.

Once you play your role, you are paid off. Some of them have never seen my face. If they see me, they cannot recognise me because I do not deal directly with them. Out of the 60 people who work for me, not up to four have seen my face them. The only thing on their minds in the bush where they were abandoned would be to look for something to cover their naked bodies so that people would not think they were mad.

“After that, they would start begging for free ride or money with which they could return to Lagos. They usually operated in commercial bus popularly called danfo and painted in Lagos commercial bus colour.”

Obinna’s gang was said to have at different times abandoned six danfo buses kept at different police stations in Festac, Ikeja, Itire and Kirikiri. But each time the police arrested some members of Obinna’s gang, he would form a stronger one.

For instance, a gang led by one Timothy was said to have been smashed and he (Timothy) died during an exchange of gunfire.

Obinna allegedly raised money and bought a Toyota Hilux for a new gang he formed. He allegedly bought police uniforms for the gang and painted the vehicle in police colour. A SARS team led by SP Kyari was said to have smashed the gang and arrested one Jude Mmadu and six others and charged them to court, but Obinna later arranged for their release and they were released on bail. The same gang later went for a robbery operation but met their waterloo.

One of the gang’s members, who was lucky to escape, later contacted Obinna on the phone and he helped him to recruit new members, including one Sunday Ozor a.k.a.

Sony Hot, who is now in Kirikiri maximum prison. All the suspects were said to have identified Obinna as the chairman and sponsor of the gang, as well as the receiver of all the goods the gang stole.

Before he joined a robbery gang in 2006, Obinna was said to be selling motor spare parts at Ladipo Market, Mushin, Lagos. And after his involvement in several robbery operations, particularly hijacking container trucks, he made enough money with which he started sponsoring robbers.

Immediately they robbed a truck carrying container, they would call Obinna on the phone and he would arrange trucks from Iddo Park in Lagos to go and take the containers to Onitsha. He was said to have received 15 different containers carrying various items like electronics, refrigerators, and computers.

He was said to have once hijacked four trucks carrying expensive chemicals and another six trucks carrying rice and tin tomatoes.

Asked how Obinna was arrested, the source said the operatives of SARS, led by Kyari, arrested one Edwin along with six fake soldiers, all members of Obinna-sponsored gang. But when they tried to use them to track Obinna down, he

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47 olukunle87@yahoo.com

years’

Ogun customs seize nine bags of Indian hemp, 15 bags of ammunition n Kunle AKINRINADE n PERATIVES of Ogun State Customs Area Command have intercepted nine bags of Indian hemp and 1,480 cartridges of live ammunition concealed in 15 bags of rice from smugglers along the Abeokuta-Igboora road.

The Area Comptroller of Ogun command, Mr. Haruna Mamudu, explained that the items were abandoned by the smugglers who fled into the bush when his men were advancing towards their base.

Mamudu said: “At about 2.30 am on Thursday August 14, 2014, our operatives on patrol in a bush path along Abeokuta-Igboora road proactively intercepted 1,480 cartridges of live ammunition concealed in 15 bags of rice.

“However, the smugglers of this ammunition got wind of our ambush, abandoned and fled into the bush. In addition, nine sacks of Indian hemp were also seized at the same Imeko area of Ogun State. We are closing up on them and they will soon be brought to justice.

“This is one of the tactics being adopted by smugglers, which we are already aware of. Quite recently, we made the same type of seizure of ammunition at Imeko area.”

He said the command had stepped up its anti-smuggling campaign

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in the light of security problems caused by insurgency in the country.

“Given the security challenges in the country occasioned by insurgency, the command has re-arranged its anti-smuggling strategy and the result is what you are seeing today,” he said.

Mamudu said the ammunition would be handed over to the government agency concerned with arms and ammunition.

He stressed that the command was more than prepared to combat smuggling activities in the state, saying:”Let me sound a note of warning to those that are into this illicit act; that no matter the tactics they employ to deceive our men, they cannot escape, as our officers are now better motivated to face the obnoxious business of smuggling.”

The Principal Staff Officer in charge of intelligence at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Ogun State, Mr. Abdullahi Sardauna, said the narcotic drug would soon be destroyed.

He said: “We have a good working relationship with the Nigeria Customs Service and other law enforcement agencies, and that is why we have been called to attend this briefing.

“Each of the bags of Indian hemp weighed eight kilogrammes. If you multiply that by eight, you will have about 72 kilogrammes.

“I can assure you that the drug will soon be destroyed in public.”

•Obinna tate, Awka, Anambra State, because I knew that the police would be there always to see if I would surface for them to arrest me.

“I was arrested on February 24 this year at Nkpor Express Way near new auto parts market in Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State when I came out to meet somebody who owed me N300,000 and wanted to give it to me, not knowing that SARS operatives had captured him.”

Asked why he took to sponsoring armed robbers, he said: “I was in primary school when my father died in 1997. I made a distinction in the Primary Six examination, but I had nobody to give me scholarship or sponsor me. Then I went to Onitsha and started doing smuggling business.

“When I had got enough money, I started going to Cameroon to smuggle tokunbo (fairly used) shoes, clothes, earrings and chains. Later, I went to Lagos to serve a relation who was selling electronics parts when my father died in 1997. It was at Ladipo Market that I met some guys who lured me into hijacking containers.”

•The seized Indian hemp

•Customs men removing ammunition from the bags of rice

How pastor allegedly raped 32-yr-old lady during prayer session n Kunle AKINRINADE n HE Ogun State Police Command has revealed how a 37 -year-old pastor of a white garment,Segun, allegedly raped a 32 -year-old lady at the church premise in Odogbolu,Ogun State.

The victim alleged that the pastor forcibly slept with her during a prayer session where he asked her to hold some candle sticks together.

The pastor was apprehended by the anti-crime team attached to Odogbolu Division, when the victim and her relations stormed the Police Division to notify the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the division about the pastor's misdeeds.

The spokesman of the Ogun State Police Command, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the story, said: “The woman alleged the pastor asked her to hold on to some candle stick and forcibly pulled off her wears before he had a carnal knowlege of her right in the church.

“The matter is presently at the AntiHuman Trafficking and Child Labour Unit of the Department of Criminal Investigation Abeokuta. Medical reports so far received on the matter confirmed that the pastor actually committed the offence and he has since confessed to the crime.

The matter will soon be charged to court.”

Adejobi also disclosed the arrest of two

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suspected robbers at Denco Petrol Station along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway on Monday.

The suspects were nabbed by anti-crime patrol at about 11.40 pm when they blocked the expressway in an attempt to rob commuters and road users of their belongings.

“The suspects arrested included one Usman Sunday, 28, of Sabo Dantajira area of Sagamu and Richard Olabode, 27, of the same address.

Usman, who hails from Apa Local Government in Benue State, is married with two children and attended Agbele Commu•The suspects nity High School, while Richard who hails from The suspects had been handed over to Iree in Osun State attended Methodist the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Comprehensive College, Sagamu and Sagamu Division, Mr. Adebowale Lawal, dropped out from the Department of Sofor preliminary investigation before the ciology and Anthropology, University of matter will be transferred to the DepartCalabar. ment of Criminal Investigation, Elew“Items recovered from them include eran, Abeokuta as directed by the one locally made pistol, many live and Commissioner of Police (CP) Ogun State, expended cartridges, knife, cutlasses, Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye, for further investihand gloves and assorted charms.” gation.”

Poly student arraigned for stabbing prostitute n Rukayat JIMOH n student of Wolex Polytechnic, Lagos, Shola Eguajole, has been dragged before an Ebute Metta Chief Magistrate’s court for allegedly stabbing a commercial sex worker, Joy Osazuwa.

The 26 year-old student allegedly met 24-year-old Osazuwa at Star Hotel, Oyingbo, Lagos, where he was said to have stabbed her with a knife.

The incident happened at about 3 pm on August 12, 2014 when Shola allegedly claimed that he was not satisfied with Joy’s service after paying her N1000.

He was said to have forcibly collected his money back after which he stabbed Joy on the breast during an affray.

He was arrested and arraigned in court on one count charge but he pleaded not guilty.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Moses Uademuibo, told the court that the defendant committed an atrocity punnishable under Section 243 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

The presiding magistrate, K.O. Ogundare, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200, 000 and two sureties in like sum.

He adjourned the matter till September 24, 2014.

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THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

Adejunmobi

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Email: counselling@faithoyedepo.org

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

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GOVERNOR AJIMOBI

UNIUYO VICE-CHANCELLOR

Release my post-UTME result

Reconstruct Olayiwola Owolabi Road

GOVERNOR WADA

Give us electricity at Ankpa

Prof. (Mrs) Comfort M. Ekpo, Vice-Chancellor, Uyo University, Uyo, Cross River State

GOVERNOR JANG

Gov Amosun

Gov Wada

Stop motorcycles from operating at Barkin Ladi

GOVERNOR FASHOLA

I need a scholarship

Gov Jang

Gov Fashola

Innocent DURU

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

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Ebola: Colleagues raise questions as NMA prepares to honour Adadevoh n Paul UKPABIO n RIBUTES poured endlessly during the week soon after Dr. Stella Adadevoh’s death became public. The Senior Consultant Physician at First Consultants Medical Centre Ltd gave up the ghost after she was infected by the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) by the late Liberian diplomat, Patrick Sawyer.

While the now famed late female doctor’s life-style was likely to have been largely a private affair, her colleagues have thrown their weight behind her even at death, and declared her a heroine.

According to the Vice Chairman of the Lagos State Medical Guild, Dr. Oseni Salau, he did not know her (the late Dr. Adadevoh) nor did he interact with her. “She worked at First Atlantic Consultants, while I work with the Lagos State Government.

Our path never crossed. But as a colleague, I feel her death is an unfortunate one.

Those doctors that are rendering medical services to these Ebola victims should be declared heroes. That is because they are the ones that have made it possible for us to be able to at least try to contain the disease.

She, particularly, I mean the late Dr. Adadevoh from what I heard, resisted all entreaties from the Liberian Embassy for late Liberian Dr. Patrick Sawyer to be released from hospital.

“If the Liberian had been released, he would have spread the disease all over the place. So the reality here is that, she and her colleagues were the first to attend to him and were vigilant to ensure that he does not leave the hospital to spread the virus.”

On his part, the Secretary of the Nigerian Medical Association, Lagos State, Dr. Babajide Saheed told us that he did not know •The late Adadevoh her personally, but he knew she was a Consultant with First Consultants Medical Centre. “I wish she is alive,” said the doctor, “As far as I am concerned, the family of those affected should be compensated because they are actually the ones that have contained the spread of Ebola disease this far. If they had allowed the man to move out, it would have been a worse situation now. Dr. Adadevoh is a hero but a big loss to her family.”

As regard honour for the late Adadevoh, Dr. Salau, the Vice Chairman of Lagos State Medical Guild, said: “Well, she will be honoured. It will more likely be the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) that will do that. But as a guild, that may come up later when we have got full details of what has taken place and so on. But in the meantime, most of my colleagues and I agree that she is a heroine based on the fact that she prevented the man from spreading the disease around to the general public as he the Liberian Patrick Sawyer, intended.

“Yes, we are already working on a befitting honour for her,” said the Sec•Dr. Babajide •Dr. Oseni retary of the Lagos NMA, Dr. Babajide Saheed. “My colleagues and I will come up with something soon.” most especially life insurance.

But while that arrangement is going on, the doctors are It is sad that people do not understand this matter that doccalling attention to more hair-raising issues about the outtors are fighting for. The doctors presently at the Ebola Cenbreak of Ebola in the country and its management. tre are okay. They have gone through test and have been For instance, Dr. Oseni Salau believes that the on-going found negative. But from the study, they have to be monidoctors strike has really been a blessing in disguise because tored. Though they are said not likely to come up with the “if the strike was not on, Sawyer would probably had been disease because they now have a defence mechanism against taken to LASUTH. And I can bet you that not less than 10 the disease. But they still have to be monitored for about 60 doctors would have come in contact with him. There would days. And that includes their blood and so on. After the 60 also have been the possibility that the Medical Director of LASUTH would have come in contact with him and even the days, they can then be wholly confirmed to be negative. That life insurance has not been done by the government even as Lagos State Commissioner for Health too would have had to come in contact with him at the hospital because of his diplo- at today. It is very unimaginable that we are working without life insurance at this period in time.” matic nature. They would have contacted it.

Dr. Oseni Salau absolved the late Adadevoh of any negli“And if we had got one patient that had it there in LAgence in protecting herself from the disease. “I do not think SUTH, with the least information on Ebola as it were then, the thing would have gone around like wild fire. The truth is in any way that it was her fault to have contracted the disease. A doctor does not wear a glove for all patients, espethat, government should not blackmail us with resuming becially when there were no epidemic diseases in circulation. cause of Ebola. The reality is that the lesser the number of At the time the late Dr. Sawyer came around, when he was people that get in contact with the Ebola patients, the better. being interviewed, he denied ever coming in contact with For all those that are being cared for right now, they do not any Ebola victim. He denied that he had ever interacted with need more than five doctors to take care of them. So saying anyone that has such. There was another issue about him that the strike should be called off because of that is not reurinating indiscriminately. lated at all. Also, even if the strike is called off, what do we “But the reality is that until now at hospitals, doctors were have on ground to prevent or protect us from the patients not really wearing gloves for all patients, unless of course when they come to the hospital?” they have their suspicions. Moreover, Ebola starts like “This is exactly what the NMA is fighting for,” added Dr. Babajide Saheed. “Doctors deserve to have better allowances, malaria. Most doctors will not ordinarily wear gloves be-

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If the strike was not on, Sawyer would probably had been taken to LASUTH. And I can bet you that not less than 10 doctors would have come in contact with him.

There would also have been the possibility that the Medical Director of LASUTH would have come in contact with him and even the Lagos State Commissioner for Health too would have had to come in contact with him at the hospital because of his diplomatic nature

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cause they want to attend to a patient that has malaria. Even when you wear gloves, how about sitting on a seat that someone with Ebola has sat down or laid down on the bed that someone with Ebola has laid? So all those risks are always there.

“There is also the possibility that Sawyer might have decided to pass the disease to those who did not let him go after all entreaties from his country’s embassy had fallen on deaf ears.

The possibility is there. They resisted it and made sure he didn’t leave. Don’t forget that it is said that the man was urinating indiscriminately and even said to have spilled blood around. If that was the case, there is the possibility of deliberate attempt to unleash the disease on those that took care of him at the hospital. And you know, there were a thousand and one possibilities of how he could have passed it to late Dr. Adadevoh.

“That is why we insist and ask for personal protective equipment. If the man had urinated on them, they probably rinsed it with water, not knowing that it was a tragedy. It was only much later that the awareness became more and people got better informed about Ebola.

“The necessary gadgets should be made available for those that are caring for the patients. The government says that it has the protective gear, but we have not seen it. All we see are those shots of it taken in countries outside Nigeria. Where are the protective gadgets? Please, let the government bring out what they have and let those caring for those people use it. The Lagos State Government says it has 20 and the Federal Government claims it has 1,000. Are the Ebola victims in Abuja or Lagos? Let them (FG) send it down here. “ From the normal operations of that place, you need 30 per day. So, if we have 20, where do we stand? I must tell you, it is not good enough. I have not been able to go in there, and they have not shown to us any of the patients that are there. Our people have been volunteering. Some of them are even working in there. A lot too are presently involved in advocacy and so on.

“We have a committee in the NMA and in the Guild working on that. But those having direct contact with the patients must be well protected. We are not sure that they are well protected. Nobody is giving us that information. Right now, as I am talking to you, neither I nor the NMA Chairman has seen any of these patients. It shouldn’t be so. We are professionals; we are ready to do our work. We are also saying that the government should protect us too.”

Dr. Babajide Saheed, the NMA Secretary, insisted that the Minister of Health lied when he recently said that the resident doctors are not part of those caring for the Ebola victims. “The minister lied that resident doctors are not part of those caring and managing the patients. That shows that the minister is not in tune with what is happening with Ebola response treatment. If he knows what is happening there, he wouldn’t have made such comments. It is unfortunate that a minister and a doctor should say such about his colleagues.

He was once a resident doctor before he became a consultant and a minister. With that comment, he has successfully made the resident doctors working there to be devastated. He is trying to discourage a lot of people from responding to the volunteer call for eradication of Ebola.”

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

NEWS

Obi remains face of APGA in Nigeria —Aide HE Media Assistant to Mr. Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, has described his boss as the face of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Nigeria.

He made this remarks yesterday while speaking to the press at the burial of the wife of the late traditional ruler of Adazi-Enu, Nwakego Iloghalu.

Obienyem said that besides being presented as such by Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Obi’s steadfastness made the chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, to honour him with the APGA Most Faithful Party Man of Our Time Award in September 2003.

“Obi has not changed. He has continued to make legendary sacrifices for the growth of the party against the wishes of those that saw the party as an instrument of merchandise. The most recent of his many sacrifices was his rejection of a ministerial appointment, rather than join another party as was requested of him,” Obienyem said.

When asked to comment on the statement credited to Chief Victor Umeh’s Assistant on Media, Mr. Stan Okeke, that the claim of Obi’s sacrifice for the party was a ruse, Obienyem said: “I do not want to make comments on what Victor Umeh or his assistant said.

Louis Odion named NGE Fellow

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Dust to dust rites tear Anambra community apart HE controversial dust to dust rites by women during funeral ceremonies in communities across Anambra State, is raising concern in Awka community, as the elders and youth of the area have threatened to sack the President General of the town’s union for alleged disobedience.

The people accused the President General of Awka community, Engr. Tony Okechukwu, of allowing 0his mother to perform the dust to dust rites during the burial of her husband yesterday.

It will be recalled that the same issue had pitched the Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church in Awka against the people of Umudioka in May 2013, leading to a serious fight that several people injured, while 15 men detained for challenging the decision of the church.

Yesterday in Awka, the traditional title holders (ozo) and the youth vacated the arena, alleging that a taboo had been committed by the woman.

In an interview with our correspondent yesterday, an elder, Ozo Uchenna Onyejiaka, described the action of the woman as a taboo.

Also, the leader of the youth in the 20 villages in Awka, Comrade Obi Ochije, called for calm, saying the community would not want to engage in any fracas.

Describing the incident as sacrilege, he said that the community should go back to its constitution to determine what punishment to apply.

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DO State Commissioner for Information, Louis Odion, yesterday, added another feather to his already studded cap, when he was announced as a Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).

In a statement yesterday, the NGE said the nomination of Louis Odion is in recognition of his sterling contributions to media practice in Nigeria as an editor.

His investiture as Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (FNGE), which is an induction in the nation’s media hall of fame, will hold in Katsina on August 30, as highlight of the NGE national convention.

Perhaps in recognition of his sterling leadership qualities, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos named Louis Odion the Lagos State Ambassador for Environment in 2009.

The following year, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) also decorated him as Celebrity Special Marshall.

That same year, the Akure Police College considered him fit and proper to be given a Merit Award for Excellence.

After leaving the Sun Newspapers as Editor, Sunday Sun, Louis teamed up with like minds to float the National LIFE Newspaper in July 2008 and was its Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief till July 2011 when he was invited by Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State to serve as Commissioner for Information.

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•Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, exchanging pleasantries with Bishop Maxwell Anikwenwa at the burial service of Prof. Chukwuedu Nwokolo in Oraifite, Ekwusigo LGA...Friday

Abia NSDC arrests suspected fake cement dealers PERATIVES of the Abia State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps [NSCDC] have arrested seven men, suspected to be experts in the adulteration of cement at the Asa Umunka in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area of the state.

The suspects were arrested with over 40,000 bags of suspected fake cement, including several empty bags of different types of cement brand, ranging from Dangote, Eagle, Unicerm and Ibeto cements among others.

Speaking with newsmen in Umuahia over the arrest, the state Commandant of the NSCDC, Andy Dateer, said that his men swooped on the culprits and arrested the suspects after weeks of surveillance on the compound.

Dateer said that the command is alert to its responsibility in ensuring that the society is free from criminallyminded people.

He said his men confiscated bags of suspected fake cement and empty bags of different brands of cement during the

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Ugochukwu UGOJI-EKE, Umuahia

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raid.

“Different brands of assorted types of cement were seen, including empty bags they intend to use for their dastardly acts.”

The Abia NSCDC boss

explained that he decided to parade the suspects in order to create awareness and alert the public on the activities of the criminals.

He said, “This state, which is a God’s own state, has never witnessed or heard of any incident of collapsed building. But if these type of people are allowed to operate

Save us from extinction, Delta community begs state, federal govts HE people of Polobubou (Tsekelewu) community in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State have pleaded with the state and Federal Governments to take steps to save their community from extinction.

The plea was contained in a ‘Save Our Soul’ memo to the Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, over the activities of oil and gas companies in their community, which they alleged have caused adverse effects on their environment.

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Bolaji OGUNDELE, n Warri

The memo, by the Polobubou (Tsekelewu) National Council (PNC) and signed by its National Chairman, Chief Ebilate MacYororki and General Secretary, Midwest Kukuru, alleged that the activities of two oil companies have killed the natural aquatic bliss of their environment.

According to the memo, which also urged the Federal Government to take actions, the opening up of the community to the Atlantic Ocean

Oshiomhole commissions 10-km roads in air force barracks OVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has commissioned a 10-kilometer network of roads rebuilt by the state government in the Nigerian Air Force Barracks in Benin City, Edo State.

While commissioning the roads, which are complete with walkways for pedestrians, Oshiomhole commended the role the Nigerian Air Force plays in the maintenance of security in the country.

Oshiomhole, who was in company with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adeshola Amosu and other top officers of the force, said, “I know that this is a very busy period for the Nigerian Armed Forces and as the Chief of the entire Air Staff, I need not be educated on your own specific challenges with regard to providing air cover to our men and women under arms who are

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this fake business, then we should be ready to start seeing buildings collapse here.”

In an interview with newsmen, one of the suspects, 65year old Sunday Nwokeneme said his late son was doing the business of buying and selling of cement before his death, adding that it was the late son that bought the empty bags.

confronting insurgency in the various parts of the country.

“Many of us, a few years back, would have sworn that Nigerians love life so much that even the poorest among us would not want to go and wire himself or herself to pay a price of no just cause. Even when there was a just cause, we were not sure that Nigerians would be willing to make such sacrifices.

“But this has become part of our recent history and like everything that has a beginning, I believe with concerted efforts, this insurgency will be brought to an end.”

Speaking further, Oshiomhole maintained, “For too long, Nigerians, myself inclusive, probably never appreciated the role of the Armed Forces and we took the role of the Armed Forces in securing the territorial integrity of the country and even inter-

nal security for granted. We in Edo State appreciate the sacrifices being made by the officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces and I know a few who have paid the supreme price just to ensure that we are safe.”

The Governor urged the officers and men of the armed forces, particularly the Nigerian Air Force, to continue to rededicate themselves to securing the territorial integrity of the country and of course as a strong pillar for democracy.

He extolled the cordial relationship between the Nigeria Air Force and the people of Edo State and sued for its sustenance.

Earlier, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Amosu, accompanied by other top officers, had paid a visit to the Governor at the Government House, where he said:

by CNL has resulted in the gradual drowning of the entire community land below sea level, just as the salty sea water from the canal into the community had killed all natural fresh water life.

“The communities, which were originally fresh water swamp with different types of economic trees for lumbering, canoe carving, boat building and other purposes, are now left with only the Atlantic Ocean grasses due to oil prospecting activities and the opening up of the communities to the Atlantic Ocean, which saline water has overpowered the fresh water ecology, turning it into a mangrove swamp with very high level of salt content.

“Presently, there are no trees, rivers and creeks due to the continual siltation of the environment. The peak of the dry season (January to March every year), no engine-powered craft can ply the waterways “The opening of the communities to the Atlantic Ocean

by Chevron Nigeria Limited in the 1970s was vehemently opposed by the indigenes, which led to the arrest and detention of our people by the almighty Chevron, with the backing of the Federal Government, until the canalization was completed.

The community urged the Delta state and the Federal Governments to prevail on Chevron to block the canal, which they claimed had brought misery to its people, as well as compel Chevron and NPDC to execute the dredging of the Polobubou River.

• Louis Odion

Alleged anti-party activities: PDP places two lawmakers under watch in Anambra n Nwanosike ONU, Awkan EMBERS of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State have placed two lawmakers under watch for alleged anti-party activities.

The decision was taken yesterday in Ayamelum Local Government Area of the state after the executive and stakeholders meeting in the area.

The lawmakers, The Nation gathered are a member of the Federal House of Representatives and his state Assembly counterpart, both from the area.

Confirming the development, the PDP Chairman in the area, Chief Nnamdi Ikeomor, said the two lawmakers were being monitored following alleged anti-party activities leveled against them by members of the party in their constituents.

He said the lawmakers have been placed under watch over the alleged offence, adding that after thorough investigation, the affected lawmakers would be punished if found guilty.

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THE NATION

NEWS 59

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

APC's modified primary election excites Atiku

Nasarawa rated fourth in HIV/AADS prevalence

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asarawa State has become the fourth highest in HIV/ AIDS prevalence in the country having been rated 8.1 The state deputy Director of the AIDS Control Agency, Abdulsamad Salihu and the Executive Director, Dr. Zakari Umar said this during a media briefing .

The agency said that the campaign against the disease would soon get underway in the state .

Umar explained that the campaign would be carried out in nine local government areas in the state- Lafia, Doma, Obi, NasarawaEggon, Akwanga, Wamba, Keffi, Kokona and Karu.

According to Umar, the agency has already made arrangement to embark on a

Johnny DANJUMA house to house intensive campaign so as to bring about, the knowledge, prevention and reduce stigma in the state.

He said the campaign would gulp about N20 million and would involve stakeholders from the AIDS Control Agency, Ministry of Health, the media, civil society organizations, local government service commission and traditional rulers.

He added that the campaign is also aimed at sustaining the campaign towards accepting people living with the disease and increase uptake of Prevention from Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) services in the state.

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ORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has welcomed the modified direct primaries introduced by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party intends to adopt the option for its Adamawa State governorship primaries, as well as other primaries, including the presidential primaries coming up at a later date.

In a statement yesterday by his media office, the former Vice President said the modified direct primary is the best under the circumstances and nearest to the best under ideal democratic setting.

Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

Atiku appealed to APC leaders to make Adamawa State a model for the conduct of free, fair and credible electoral process in the country.

He promised to lead the party leaders in the state to create a level-playing ground for all aspirants with such transparency that would set a standard for genuine democratic principles of fair play for all states to copy.

He assured that he would not interfere with the choice of candidate the people of Adamawa will be making.

The former Vice President also appealed to leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to avoid the dangerous political tactics of playing up sentiments aimed at polarising the people for political gains.

He stated that the APC is a party for all Nigerians and that it is not a party for Muslims or Christians.

The APC chieftain warned that divisive politics would not take Nigeria anywhere.

He advised PDP leaders in Adamawa to save the state and the rest of the country form the divisive tactics as a

means of getting power.

“Unlike many of its neighbours, our state has enjoyed relative peace and stability and we don’t want them to bring divisions among our people who had lived peacefully with one another”, Atiku said.

He enjoined Nigerians to focus on how good governance can change their lives for the better instead of paying attention to the religion and ethnicity of elected public office holders.

According to him, good performance has nothing to do with one’s religion or ethnicity.

Fulani/farmers crisis Emir to head committee

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EWLY elected Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Mohammad Kirowa, who is also the Sarikin Fulani Zuru in Kebbi State, has said that arrangements have been concluded to appoint the Emir of Argungu in Kebbi State, Alhaji Mohammed Ismaila Mera as the chairman of the committee that would end the crisis between Fulani and Farmers across the country.

He disclosed this yesterday in Argungun, Kebbi State during a visit to the Emir of Arugungu by the commitee. The committee had paid a condolence visit to the Emir over the death of a staunch politician from the town, the late Hassan Kangiwa.

Kiruwa added that the Emir was the only person who would used his wisdom and position to assist

Khadijat SAIDU in the Fulani/Farmers feud across the country.

He described the emir as a leader who has all the potentials and talents to address the issues and bring peace back to those communities that were involved in the crisis in most parts of the country.

He pointed out that throughout his tour round the country as the National Chairman, it is only Argungu emirate that has not recorded any cases of Fulani/ farmers’ crises, he therefore commended the monarch for making peace a must in his domain.

In his remark, the emir of Argungu assured the committee of his support to ensure that the Fulani/farmers clashes become a thing of the past. The monarch also urged them to enroll their children in western education and also live in peace with one another.

First Borno Chief Judge, Justice Anya dies at 93

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ORMER Appeal Court judge and first Chief Judge of Borno State,

Retired Justice Kalu Okpan Anya has died. According to a family source, the late Justice died in his country home at Amaekpu Ohafia, Abia State on Wednesday, August 13, after a brief illness.

The late Justice Anya came into national prominence in 1977 when the military government of General Olusegun Obasanjo made him chairman of the tribunal that looked into the burning down of Fela’s Kalakuta Republic and murder of his mother, the late Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti.

The tribunal came up with a verdict that the atrocities were committed by an ‘unknown soldiers.’

As the Chief Judge of Borno State, the late Justice Anya had a running battle with the first civilian governor of the state, Alhaji Mohammed Goni of the Great Nigerian People’s Party (GNPP). He was accused of supporting the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). Anya was consequently removed by the Borno State House of Assembly. However, in a

twist to the case, the late Justice Anya sat on his own case and quashed the ruling, leading to a serious face-off between the governor and the state judiciary.

He retired from the judiciary in 1984 after the Buhari-Idiagbon coup.

The late Anya was born in 1921. He attended the Hype Park College, London from 1951 to 1954 and Council of Legal Education, London also from 1951 to 1954. he was called to the bar in 1954.

•Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State (right) exchanging pleasantries with .Amb.Micheal Arrion of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, who paid a vist to the Government House, Dutse.

Flood kills 7-yr- old girl, damages bridge in Kaduna

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SEVEN year- old girl, Theresa James, was in the early hours of Friday killed by flood occasioned by heavy down pour on the Anguwar Yelwa community in Chikun Local Government area of Kaduna State.

The flood also brought down some parts of the Anguwar Yelwa Sabo bridge, cutting away some parts of the community from the Kaduna metropolis.

Eyewitnesses told The Nation that, the flood which was as a result of two days heavy downpour washed away houses and property.

Speaking to our correspondent, a resident of the area, Solomon Daye said they were fast asleep when

Abdulgafar ALABELEWE, Kaduna

suddenly they discovered that water was rushing into their home. Before they could jump up the whole place was flooded and the water got to his shoulders in a matter of minutes.

According to him, “In the morning when the rain subsided, there was my neighbour who went to a vigil and left her four children at home. Three of the children slept on the bed while the other one slept on the floor and since they are little children,they could not escape the flood.

So, when the flood came the three children who were on the bed were rescued while the one on the floor; Theresa James, could not escape.

“When some residents

arrived to rescue the children, they didn’t even know that there were four of them in the house, it was when the water subsided that they found the body of Theresa,” he said.

Similarly, the Shepherd in-charge, Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement, Rachel Olaoye, called on Kaduna State Government to come to their aid, adding that this was not the first time residents would experiencing flooding.

“In the evening yesterday around 1a.m. when the rain started, we thought it was a normal rainfall, but before we could do anything the gutters and our homes were filled with water. It’s unfortunate we lost a child to the flood.

Accordingly, the state government has designated Nagari College and Abdullahi Fodio Islamic Centre as temporary resettlement camps for those in Birnin Kebbi while the two Councils Chairmen Argungu and Dandi were directed to provide settlement for displaced persons in their areas.

Meanwhile, a team from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara Zonal office led by Sa’ad Ibrahim Bello has arrived the state capital, Birnin

Kebbi to assess the extent of damage caused by the flood.

NEMA provided rapid relief materials worth millions of naira to the affected victims. Bello encouraged people to always render service to the victims apart from the government assistance.

The areas mostly affected by the flood within Birnin kebbi metropolis include: Fati Lami Section of Sir Yahaya specialist Hospital, Rafin Atiku, Badariya, Adamu Aliero Quarters, Shiyar Sarakuna, Bayan Kara, Tudun Wada and Gesse phase one.

Kebbi governor blames community for flood

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OVERNOR Sa’idu Usman Dakingari of Kebbi State has lashed out at the residents of Bayan Kara and those living around the water ways for refusal to evacuate the area, following the recent flood that ravaged the state as a result of a heavy downpour that lasted for several hours.

The governor made his feelings known when he received a 25-man committee at the government House Birnin Kebbi, headed by the Wazirin Gwandu Alhaji Abdullahi Umar to assess the extent of destruction and property lost as well as those

Khadijat SAIDU affected by the flood.

He lamented that for several years, residents of the Bayan Tasha area have been experiencing the menace of flooding simply because they blocked the waterways and refused to evacuate from the dangerous area.

Governor Sa’idu Dakingari, however, assured people affected by the flooding that the government would provide them with immediate assistance and temporary shelter as interim measure to assist the displaced persons.

“A similar incident that happened last year, prompted me to seek for a loan of N670,000 to erect this concrete wall you are seeing today. This has helped to reduce the influx of water into this part of the bridge that did not collapse . It is because the bridge collapsed that was why this flood entered our homes.

“Because of this erosion problem, three years ago I visited the State House of Assembly, asking them to help us see what they could do concerning erosion but to no avail,”she said.

In the same vein, Youth Leader of Anguwar Yelwa, Mr. Gabriel Adams attributed the collapse of infrastructure in the area to the fallen bridge.

However, residents in the area said flood was becoming a yearly occurrence that had pushed them to the wall, and they had vowed not to vote for political office seekers in Kaduna State unless respite was given to them.

As at the time of filing this report, men from Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) were seen around the place trying to assess the level of damage, while stern looking security personnel were on ground to guard the officials.

THE NATION

NEWS 59

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

APC's modified primary election excites Atiku

Nasarawa rated fourth in HIV/AADS prevalence

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asarawa State has become the fourth highest in HIV/ AIDS prevalence in the country having been rated 8.1 The state deputy Director of the AIDS Control Agency, Abdulsamad Salihu and the Executive Director, Dr. Zakari Umar said this during a media briefing .

The agency said that the campaign against the disease would soon get underway in the state .

Umar explained that the campaign would be carried out in nine local government areas in the state- Lafia, Doma, Obi, NasarawaEggon, Akwanga, Wamba, Keffi, Kokona and Karu.

According to Umar, the agency has already made arrangement to embark on a

Johnny DANJUMA house to house intensive campaign so as to bring about, the knowledge, prevention and reduce stigma in the state.

He said the campaign would gulp about N20 million and would involve stakeholders from the AIDS Control Agency, Ministry of Health, the media, civil society organizations, local government service commission and traditional rulers.

He added that the campaign is also aimed at sustaining the campaign towards accepting people living with the disease and increase uptake of Prevention from Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) services in the state.

F

ORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has welcomed the modified direct primaries introduced by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party intends to adopt the option for its Adamawa State governorship primaries, as well as other primaries, including the presidential primaries coming up at a later date.

In a statement yesterday by his media office, the former Vice President said the modified direct primary is the best under the circumstances and nearest to the best under ideal democratic setting.

Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

Atiku appealed to APC leaders to make Adamawa State a model for the conduct of free, fair and credible electoral process in the country.

He promised to lead the party leaders in the state to create a level-playing ground for all aspirants with such transparency that would set a standard for genuine democratic principles of fair play for all states to copy.

He assured that he would not interfere with the choice of candidate the people of Adamawa will be making.

The former Vice President also appealed to leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to avoid the dangerous political tactics of playing up sentiments aimed at polarising the people for political gains.

He stated that the APC is a party for all Nigerians and that it is not a party for Muslims or Christians.

The APC chieftain warned that divisive politics would not take Nigeria anywhere.

He advised PDP leaders in Adamawa to save the state and the rest of the country form the divisive tactics as a

means of getting power.

“Unlike many of its neighbours, our state has enjoyed relative peace and stability and we don’t want them to bring divisions among our people who had lived peacefully with one another”, Atiku said.

He enjoined Nigerians to focus on how good governance can change their lives for the better instead of paying attention to the religion and ethnicity of elected public office holders.

According to him, good performance has nothing to do with one’s religion or ethnicity.

Fulani/farmers crisis Emir to head committee

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EWLY elected Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Mohammad Kirowa, who is also the Sarikin Fulani Zuru in Kebbi State, has said that arrangements have been concluded to appoint the Emir of Argungu in Kebbi State, Alhaji Mohammed Ismaila Mera as the chairman of the committee that would end the crisis between Fulani and Farmers across the country.

He disclosed this yesterday in Argungun, Kebbi State during a visit to the Emir of Arugungu by the commitee. The committee had paid a condolence visit to the Emir over the death of a staunch politician from the town, the late Hassan Kangiwa.

Kiruwa added that the Emir was the only person who would used his wisdom and position to assist

Khadijat SAIDU in the Fulani/Farmers feud across the country.

He described the emir as a leader who has all the potentials and talents to address the issues and bring peace back to those communities that were involved in the crisis in most parts of the country.

He pointed out that throughout his tour round the country as the National Chairman, it is only Argungu emirate that has not recorded any cases of Fulani/ farmers’ crises, he therefore commended the monarch for making peace a must in his domain.

In his remark, the emir of Argungu assured the committee of his support to ensure that the Fulani/farmers clashes become a thing of the past. The monarch also urged them to enroll their children in western education and also live in peace with one another.

First Borno Chief Judge, Justice Anya dies at 93

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ORMER Appeal Court judge and first Chief Judge of Borno State,

Retired Justice Kalu Okpan Anya has died. According to a family source, the late Justice died in his country home at Amaekpu Ohafia, Abia State on Wednesday, August 13, after a brief illness.

The late Justice Anya came into national prominence in 1977 when the military government of General Olusegun Obasanjo made him chairman of the tribunal that looked into the burning down of Fela’s Kalakuta Republic and murder of his mother, the late Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti.

The tribunal came up with a verdict that the atrocities were committed by an ‘unknown soldiers.’

As the Chief Judge of Borno State, the late Justice Anya had a running battle with the first civilian governor of the state, Alhaji Mohammed Goni of the Great Nigerian People’s Party (GNPP). He was accused of supporting the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). Anya was consequently removed by the Borno State House of Assembly. However, in a

twist to the case, the late Justice Anya sat on his own case and quashed the ruling, leading to a serious face-off between the governor and the state judiciary.

He retired from the judiciary in 1984 after the Buhari-Idiagbon coup.

The late Anya was born in 1921. He attended the Hype Park College, London from 1951 to 1954 and Council of Legal Education, London also from 1951 to 1954. he was called to the bar in 1954.

•Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State (right) exchanging pleasantries with .Amb.Micheal Arrion of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, who paid a vist to the Government House, Dutse.

Flood kills 7-yr- old girl, damages bridge in Kaduna

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SEVEN year- old girl, Theresa James, was in the early hours of Friday killed by flood occasioned by heavy down pour on the Anguwar Yelwa community in Chikun Local Government area of Kaduna State.

The flood also brought down some parts of the Anguwar Yelwa Sabo bridge, cutting away some parts of the community from the Kaduna metropolis.

Eyewitnesses told The Nation that, the flood which was as a result of two days heavy downpour washed away houses and property.

Speaking to our correspondent, a resident of the area, Solomon Daye said they were fast asleep when

Abdulgafar ALABELEWE, Kaduna

suddenly they discovered that water was rushing into their home. Before they could jump up the whole place was flooded and the water got to his shoulders in a matter of minutes.

According to him, “In the morning when the rain subsided, there was my neighbour who went to a vigil and left her four children at home. Three of the children slept on the bed while the other one slept on the floor and since they are little children,they could not escape the flood.

So, when the flood came the three children who were on the bed were rescued while the one on the floor; Theresa James, could not escape.

“When some residents

arrived to rescue the children, they didn’t even know that there were four of them in the house, it was when the water subsided that they found the body of Theresa,” he said.

Similarly, the Shepherd in-charge, Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement, Rachel Olaoye, called on Kaduna State Government to come to their aid, adding that this was not the first time residents would experiencing flooding.

“In the evening yesterday around 1a.m. when the rain started, we thought it was a normal rainfall, but before we could do anything the gutters and our homes were filled with water. It’s unfortunate we lost a child to the flood.

Accordingly, the state government has designated Nagari College and Abdullahi Fodio Islamic Centre as temporary resettlement camps for those in Birnin Kebbi while the two Councils Chairmen Argungu and Dandi were directed to provide settlement for displaced persons in their areas.

Meanwhile, a team from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara Zonal office led by Sa’ad Ibrahim Bello has arrived the state capital, Birnin

Kebbi to assess the extent of damage caused by the flood.

NEMA provided rapid relief materials worth millions of naira to the affected victims. Bello encouraged people to always render service to the victims apart from the government assistance.

The areas mostly affected by the flood within Birnin kebbi metropolis include: Fati Lami Section of Sir Yahaya specialist Hospital, Rafin Atiku, Badariya, Adamu Aliero Quarters, Shiyar Sarakuna, Bayan Kara, Tudun Wada and Gesse phase one.

Kebbi governor blames community for flood

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OVERNOR Sa’idu Usman Dakingari of Kebbi State has lashed out at the residents of Bayan Kara and those living around the water ways for refusal to evacuate the area, following the recent flood that ravaged the state as a result of a heavy downpour that lasted for several hours.

The governor made his feelings known when he received a 25-man committee at the government House Birnin Kebbi, headed by the Wazirin Gwandu Alhaji Abdullahi Umar to assess the extent of destruction and property lost as well as those

Khadijat SAIDU affected by the flood.

He lamented that for several years, residents of the Bayan Tasha area have been experiencing the menace of flooding simply because they blocked the waterways and refused to evacuate from the dangerous area.

Governor Sa’idu Dakingari, however, assured people affected by the flooding that the government would provide them with immediate assistance and temporary shelter as interim measure to assist the displaced persons.

“A similar incident that happened last year, prompted me to seek for a loan of N670,000 to erect this concrete wall you are seeing today. This has helped to reduce the influx of water into this part of the bridge that did not collapse . It is because the bridge collapsed that was why this flood entered our homes.

“Because of this erosion problem, three years ago I visited the State House of Assembly, asking them to help us see what they could do concerning erosion but to no avail,”she said.

In the same vein, Youth Leader of Anguwar Yelwa, Mr. Gabriel Adams attributed the collapse of infrastructure in the area to the fallen bridge.

However, residents in the area said flood was becoming a yearly occurrence that had pushed them to the wall, and they had vowed not to vote for political office seekers in Kaduna State unless respite was given to them.

As at the time of filing this report, men from Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) were seen around the place trying to assess the level of damage, while stern looking security personnel were on ground to guard the officials.

60

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

NEWS

Adamawa governorship: APC seeks suspension of curfew for good turn out of voters HE All Progressive Congress (APC) Thursday asked theFederal Government to temporarily suspend the curfew imposed on Adamawa state to enable the people of the state to come out and exercise their civic right during the forth coming Adamawa governorship election.

This was part of the decisions taken at the inaugural meeting of the National Executive Council meeting of the party attended by National Officers of the party as well as former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

The party was however silent on the zoning formula for the 2015 elections, while also expressing concern over the role of security agents and other officials of government whom the party said has openly become partisan.

Addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting which was also attended by five Governors, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the party was concerned that if the current stage of emergency will deprive many people in the state the opportunity to cast their vote.

He said: "The highlight of the discussion with regard to the elections in Adamawa is that the party is very worried and concerned about the neutrality of certain public officials.

"I think that one thing the party insisted on is that with the state of emergency in Adamawa state today, for an election to be free and fair, the party will insist that the curfew imposed on the state be lifted temporarily during the elections.

"I don't want to be misquoted, I don't want to be misunderstood.

We are not saying that they should lift the state of emergency. We are saying that the curfew must be

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AKOWE Abuja

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suspended for the period of the election.

"In the northern part of Adamawa for example, by 6.00pm, the curfew is on. We are not confident that under such a condition, you can have a free and fair election. So, we are asking the federal government to lift temporarily for the period of the election, the curfew in all parts of Adamawa state".

Mohammed stressed that the party is not worried about the recent defection of the former Chairman of ten Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to the PDP saying that the party has since moved on.

He said: "You see, the beauty of politics is the freedom of association. No party would want to lose any of its members. But we believe that the APC is such a strong brand with a strong follower-ship in Adamawa and all over Nigeria that the defection of one person will not adversely affects our fortune and we have moved on since his defection" He said: "This is the inaugural meeting of the National Executive Committee meeting of the party since it was elected. This is because immediately after the national convention, we had to battle with the elections in Ekiti, we had to contend with the impeachment threat in Adamawa and Nasarawa and we had to face the elections in Osun.

"Of course, this is not to say that we have not been meeting informally. But today's meeting is the inaugural meeting. In today's meeting, we discussed the forthcoming elections in Adamawa, Niger and the local government

elections in Delta state. We also discussed the guidelines for the primaries of the party.

"We had the governor of Osun who came not only to thank the party for its support, but also warned that the party must be prepared for the monstrousity and viciousness of the opposition political party in subsequent elections.

"The party discussed guidelines on primaries and principally, the party has decided that the primaries will start as early as October.

We would want to ensure the participation of a large section of our people and so, we have opted for what we called a modified direct primary for the party.

"INEC says that you either do a direct or indirect primary and we have opted for the direct. In other words, we have opted for a method that will ensure the participation of the largest number of our members.

"We called it modified because we are also aware of certain constraints of getting all your 20 million members or thereabout to queue for election especially in areas where we have security challenges like Yobe,Adamawa and Borno. We are working out a formula that will still enable the largest members of our party to participate.

"But I want to say that we are not settling for delegate elections. We want to get people from the grass root to be involved in our primaries because we want to show the world that we are different and that our party and our primaries would not only be grass root inspired, it will be transparent and free.

"Don't forget that we are going to have more than one primary election. Everybody seems to be focussing on the presidential pri-

mary. There will also be primary for members of state houses of Assembly, National Assembly and governorship election. We are going to have separate primaries staggered over a period of time.

The party did not discuss anything about zoning".

Speaking on the renewed move by members of the Nasarasa state House of Assembly to impeach the state governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, The APC spokesman said "I think that the constitution of the country is very clear on this issue.

"You cannot try a person twice for the same offence and the members of the Nasarawa state house of Assembly should know that they are a product of a constitution and that it is the same constitution that they invoked in trying to impeach the governor.

"So, they can't go outside that constitution again to impeach him. What they can do in law is very simple. They should find a new sets of allegations if there are any, follow the same procedure.

Most importantly, they have no liberty to ask a vacation judge to go and and set up a panel.

"They must go back to the same Chief Judge to empanel the impeachment committee. I think that they should understand that Nigerians are tired of this era of impunity because what they want to embark upon is just impunity.

"They are saying that they are going to resubmit the same sets of allegations which has been dismissed and they are going to take advantage of the vacation and ask a vacation judge to come and set up a panel., that will be blatantly illegal. For us, it is nothing but noise".

Speaking on the conduct of public officers, he said "Honestly, we are concerned about the neutrality

of certain public officials in the last couple of month. Institutions which ought to be neutral have today taken partisan roles in elections.

"We are very concerned that institutions which ought to be for the entire country have in recent times behave as if they are for a particular political party. We would in a few days elaborate on his because we are going to come out with a very powerful statement especially on the role of security agencies.

"We are encouraged by the statement of the INEC chairman yesterday that hoarded security personnel are not needed for any election. It is a sign of transparency for a security man who is coming to enforce laws must be transparent and the citizens have the right to know who he is, and the organization he represents and t also see his face.

"Jega was quoted as saying that some INEC officials were arrested by some over zealous security officials. The story of Osun election has not been told completely because the kind of monstrosity and viciousness the PDP embarked upon is better imagined.

"We have records of hoodlums who were given uniform of various security organizations. When an election gets to a level where federal institutions are now subverted and are made to work in favour of a particular political party, I think it is very dangerous not just for one election, but for the institution itself and the country as a whole.

"We know that ministers and some security personnel have thrown caution to the wind and have openly identified with the PDP in the conduct of elections.

This is not good for the country".

Senate and INEC's belated appeal HE recently concluded Mundial in Brazil like most soccer games present a unique problem: Referee error. The problem which FIFA and league managers face is how to rectify the umpires’ faulty judgment, especially when it can be cited as a likely reason for a team’s loss. Such decisions are irreversible during the game, and even afterwards when it has become obvious that there had been an erroneous decision by the referee.

For an electoral umpire, the scenario is different. While in soccer, the imperative of immediacy poses a limitation to rescinding faulty decisions, as it would be tantamount to allowing constant and sometimes spurious stoppages and replays to ascertain and rectify issues. Here, such immediacy does not exist, as the luxury of time and hindsight make it easy and possible to correct anomalies. But pride of office and the deferment to benefactors and higher powers makes it a difficult undertaking for a quango like INEC to rescind on its error. It begs for an explanation in finding the Commission’s logic in exorcising parties from the electoral process, only to advise them to re-register if they meet the same criteria they had previously met, and then possibly de-register them again; thus continuing the circle of musical chairs. If the constitution and Electoral law does not exclude them from participation based on the de-registration, then what is the point in doing so in the first instance.

In continuation of its avowal to stop de-registered parties from contesting in all forthcoming elections, the Electoral Agency continued to bandy the claim of a purported appeal of Justice Kolawole of the Federal High Court’s quashing of its de-registration of the Fresh Democratic Party, FRESH. But no such appeal exists as the agency is now trying to smuggle in a belated appeal after more than a year since the judgment was delivered. This is an appeal it had consistently claimed it had filed. It had earlier secured a re-amendment of the voided section of the Electoral Act at the National Assembly, as part of its attempt to entrench its illegality.

In a response to a petition sent by FRESH’s legal consultant, Dr. Fred Agbaje to the Senate President, David Mark, he said the matter has been referred to the Constitutional Review Committee. But the fact that the bill was hurriedly passed just a few days after the response, without input from the Committee or even the summoning of the affected parties and Prof. Jega to explain his disregard for an

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Bukola ADEGBENRO

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extant court judgment clearly shows that he had no intention of entertaining the petition which highlighted several negative and legal implications of the tone of the re-amendment. This curious re-amendment of that section of the Electoral Act by the lawmakers did not take into account the fact that the National Assembly is a respondent in the case, and cannot therefore be an impartial arbiter.

The creaky machinery of Nigeria’s government and politics is greased with the oil of injustice, and the summation of the Nigerian problem is its professional politicians, whose corrupt and oligarchic tendencies mean that they have to hold on to power at all cost, only hand over to cronies who ‘protect their interest’. Nigeria’s lucrative politics is a fattened cash cow, in a country where salaries are nothing to write home about, minimum wage is appallingly low, and numerous pensioners have not been paid for upwards of four years.

Otherwise, why wouldn’t it be an incredible thing that the National Assembly, which is unperturbed by this system refuses to amend applicable law to redress the legal lop-sidedness of a situation where a crony who embezzles billions from the government coffers, pension funds, police trust funds, parastatal allocations, are let off the hook with a plea bargain to refund of a paltry fraction of the booty as fines and light sentence ‘in absentia’, while a petty thief languishes in harrowing custody for years, subjected to duress and brutality, sometimes without trial, yet it can speedily re-amend a law which was voided by court verdict to which it was a respondent, without batting an eye lash?

This abuse of the rule of law and disregard for a court judgment brings out the spite which the political big-wigs harbour against the judiciary’s tendency to truncate executive and legislative acts of illegality. In approaching the court to seek redress, FRESH obtained a judicial answer to a political question. The norm is to bootlick the powers that be, feigning subservience, or to engage in acrimonious acts which will eventually become an albatross on the heels of the party, but the party refuses to tow this path.

“FRESH which promotes a paradigm shift philosophy, and respect for the law, will not be coerced by the ruling class, into engaging in any un-toward act, in their bid to find character flaws and loopholes in its ideological stance”, according to its lawyer, Barr. Kola Dopamu. “The party will not be tacitly enmeshed in any odium or unconstitutional means in enforcing its court victory. The party and its supporters will sustain this demand for the respect of this court order and rule of law, guided by the provisions of our sacred Constitution” he added. If that is the party’s contribution to the growth of our democracy and the building of a virile nation, then it is well worth it. But there will be no letting up till INEC recertifies the Party.

The process of economic and political emancipation means that INEC must distance itself from any act that could misconstrue it as being partisan. Politics is not a game of life or death. Like the late Lady Diana once said; “I won’t go quietly”: Fresh Democratic Party won’t be hushed up, and definitely go quietly. So, in the spirit of the moment, why shy away from justice? A little ‘fair-play’ in Nigeria’s politics, please.

• Adegbenro wrote from Abeokuta.

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THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

EQUITIES

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 22-08-14

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Equities lose N67b as downtrend persists

HE stock market closed yesterday with a loss of N67 billion as the downtrend at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) entered the third consecutive day.

Aggregate market value of all quoted equities on the NSE closed the last trading session of the week at N13.724 trillion as against its opening value of N13.791 trillion yesterday.

The composite index at the NSE, the All Share Index (ASI), dropped from its opening index of 41,767.33 points to close at 41,564.19 points, representing average decline of 0.49 per cent. The decline yesterday further depressed the average year-to-date return to 0.57 per cent.

The negative overall market situation was driven by both the preponderance of losers to gainers and the losses suffered by some highly capitalised stocks.

With 27 losers to 24 gainers,

By Taofik Salako, Capital Market Editor

the downtrend was exacerbated by losses suffered by Forte Oil, Nigerian Breweries, Guaranty Trust Bank, Zenith Bank and Access Bank Plc. Forte Oil led the losers with a loss of N6.80 to close at N231.20. Nigerian Breweries dropped by N3.41 to close at N175.54. Mobil Oil Nigeria lost N2 to close at N175.

Lafarge Africa declined by N1.70 to close at N118.31.

UAC of Nigeria dwindled by N1.50 to close at N59. Northern Nigeria Flour Mills dropped by N1.10 to close at N21. Guaranty Trust Bank lost 35 kobo to close at N28.53.

Zenith Bank declined by 28 kobo to close at N24.70. Access Bank lost 11 kobo to close at N9.64 while Ecobank Transnational Incorporated dropped by 10 kobo to close at N16.50 per share.

The level of activities at the secondary market remained

below average as investors continued to hold on to largevolume transactions. Aggregate turnover stood at 174.95 million shares worth N1.45 billion in 3,944 deals. Resort Savings and Loans Plc was the most active with a turnover of 24.47 million shares worth N12.24 million in three deals.

Access Bank Plc followed with a turnover of N23.47 million shares valued at N225.69 million in 119 deals. Transnational Corporation of Nigeria recorded a turnover of 13.50 million shares valued at N76.61 million in 206 deals.

On the upside, MRS Oil and Gas led the gainers with a gain of N4.49 to close at N58.49.

Berger Paints placed a distant second with a gain of 34 kobo to close at N9.20. Ashaka Cement rose by 29 kobo to N34.

Premier Breweries added 14 kobo to close at N1.58 while National Salt Company of Nigeria gained 10 kobo to close at N9.90 per share.

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 22-08-14

THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

62

ANAMBRA_IMO RIVER BASIN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, OWERRI

ENGR. LUKIYUS BARGUMA

With great shock and deep sense of loss, the Board, Management & Staff of Anambra Imo River Basin Development Authority mourn the passing of our Staff Engr. Lukiyus Barguma who died on 31st July 2014.

Kind and humble, he was an exemplary Staff whose memory will remain indelible in the minds of our Staff.

We express our deepest condolences to his wife, children and the entire family.

May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.

Signed: MANAGEMENT

THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

63

SPORT EXTRA

Calling coaches’ bluff • Continued from back page

•Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria (C) celebrates a goal during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Canada 2014 Semi Final match between Korea DPR and Nigeria at Moncton Stadium on August 20, 2014 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

AHEAD WORLD CUP FINAL

I wanted France—Dedevbo

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ALCONETS’ chief coach, Peter Dedevbo says he would have preferred playing France in Sunday’s final of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup because it would have been an opportunity to seek revenge.

Dedevbo, while in charge of the U-17 women’s team lost to France in the knockout stage of the FIFA Women’s competition in 2012.

“That is football, it is a game of battle all the way. Some of the players in the present French team were in Azerbaijan two years ago. So, l do not think it would have been out of place to meet them,” he told NationSport at the team’s Sheraton hotel in Montreal.

Since there will be no such opportunity, Dedevbo is fully concentrated ahead of the final

From Ejiro Femi-Babafemi, Canada match of the competition against Germany.

“That is a match every body is looking forward too because

of the pedigree of both teams which is a repeat of the 2010 final, another opportunity for Nigeria to avenge their loss,” he said.

The team trained yesterday morning with more attention

given to set pieces and penalties with each player taking their turn.

Nigeria has conceded six goals in the tournament but have scored 11 with three in the record books for the fastest.

From Ejiro Femi-Babafemi, Canada behind us at this stage due to our outing. It shows how sweet success is,” said the player who two years ago wept when the team lost the third place match to Japan.

It will be remembered that the pre training tour of the team to Canada was disrupted by the suspension on Nigeria as they could not travel at the scheduled time.

Also, the team were always

at the receiving end anytime Super Eagles are involved in the world cup as they are usually given little or no attention by the FA. In 2010 shortly after the world cup in South Africa, the girls traveled to Germany unannounced but reached the finals before losing to the host side.

It is the same scenario this year which has further been worsened by the elections into the NFF executive committee.

Nobody believed in us—Oshoala

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LAYER of the moment.

Asisat Oshoala has revealed that prior to the commencement of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, nobody believed the Falconets will get this far.

She told Sporting Life that it was based on this that the players resolved to give their best and as such put the challenges behind them.

“We are happy that we have been able to get Nigerians

Ideye in line for EPL debut

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IGERIA striker Brown Ideye is in line to make his English Premier League debut at Southampton today.

Ideye, who is so far the biggest Nigeria signing in Europe this summer, was an unused substitute when West Bromwich Albion drew 2-2 at home with Sunderland on the opening day of the EPL last weekend.

Compatriot Victor Anichebe played the full game against Sunderland.

Ideye missed Nigeria’s cut for the recent World Cup, but he cost ‘The Baggies’ a club record fee of about 10 million pounds when he moved from top Ukrainian club Dynamo Kiev.

Fellow Nigeria stars Nwankwo Kanu and Osaze Odemwingie made a success of their time at WBA. A delay in the issuance of his entry visa and work permit meant he missed West Brom pre-season build-up.

He has also featured in Switzerland and France.

•Ideye

Omeruo focuses on Sheffield game

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ENNETH Omeruo has stressed that the team must continue to work hard this season and believes that Boro owe Sheffield Wednesday one after the controversial game at Hillsborough in February.

“Sheffield is a game we have to

•Omeruo

win,” said Kenneth.

“We deserved to win the game last season when Jacob’s (Butterfield) goal was disallowed but it’s a new campaign now so we have to be focused.”

Despite a busy summer in Brazil at the World Cup with the Nigeria squad, Kenneth insists he is fresh and believes he’s returned to Boro a better player after the experience.

He said: “I’ve had some time with family and friends to rest, but I’m focused now and ready for us to keep going.

“I think the World Cup was a good experience for me, I learnt a lot playing against top strikers,

constantly having to read what they’re thinking and it’s helped my confidence knowing what to do in those situations.”

Kenneth was a huge hit with the fans during his loan spell in the last campaign, and he believes that signing for Boro on a seasonlong loan has been positive for his settling in period.

“I think I’m more settled this time, I’m in no hurry and I can take every game as it comes,” said Kenneth.

“The fans have been great telling me they love that I’m here and that helps knowing they’re behind me and the team so I can give my best.”

Falconets arrive Montreal

N

IGERIA U-20 Women Team, the Falconets are in Montreal ahead of their final match against Germany.

The Falconets qualified for the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after beating Democratic Republic of Korea 6-2 in their quarter final match played on wednesday in Moncton.

The team left Moncton thursday for Montreal where the finals will take place.

The Nigerian delegation are currently staying at Sheraton Hotels Montreal.

All players are in good condition with no case of injury.

They are having two training sessions today as part of preparations for the finals.

Nigeria defeated Korea Republic 2-1, England 2-1 and drew 1-1 with Mexico.

The Falconets also thrashed New Zealand 4-1 in the quarter finals to proceed to the semi finals where it edged out Democratic Peoples Republic of korea 6-2 to advance to the finals.

Nigeria and Germany met four years ago in Germany and they lost 2-0 to the Germans.

The finals comes up on sunday by 7pm thats 12 mid night in Nigeria.

who wasn’t listed in the 23-man squad had lost form.

What struck me was that Keshi may not have forgiven Osaze Odemwingie who is also dropped. The noise of Osaze not playing to instruction in Nigeria’s first game in Brazil against Iran may be the reason. One could be wrong. Who knows, Osaze may have quietly resigned from playing for Nigeria. We will surely get Osaze’s response in the coming days.

Keshi also told a radio station this week that he picked the 23-man squad in consultation with the Eagles secretary Dayo Enebi. What this simply shows is that Keshi picks his players without consulting his assistants. If I were in NFF, I will offer the job to Daniel Amokachi for N3 million and call the Big Boss’ bluff for the two games against Congo and South Africa.

Reading through all the stories in the media concerning the renewal of the contract, the problem appears to be the coach’s insistence on having more than the N5 million monthly pay. His demands are legitimate, except that the NFF is saying that it went through hell paying the N5 million monthly and wouldn’t want that scenario to repeat itself.

There were suggestions that the NFF men toyed with N10 million, which one of the negotiators to the coach described in the media as “slavish”. I don’t want to believe that anyone would say so. If indeed he said that, the NFF had better pull out of the discussion and quickly announce a new coach.

Stephen Keshi has done well for Nigeria. His records with the Eagles are a clear testimony of his hard work. I know that Keshi is a patriot. He also has a right to make such demands. But where there is a stalemate, Keshi should let everyone know what he wants. Keshi doesn’t need to send negotiators for a new deal. After all, when he signed the first one, he came alone. Many have argued that there was no written document between the coach and the NFF in the first deal.

So, has Keshi learnt lessons from what happened the first time with his bosses? Of course he has. But would the NFF want to do business with a coach who doesn’t think that his employers have a right to supervise his work? Are the NFF chiefs willing to have an employee who has unfettered access to big men in government on their payroll? Shouldn’t the NFF men use this platform of a new deal to include a code of conduct, telling the coach his contracts dos and don’ts?

One is glad that the minister has stayed out of the discussion. We need to know the true employers of the coaches, if we hope to stop the show-of-shame in foreign land where the players and coaches refuse to honour our international matches until their dues are paid.

Other countries strike deals with the players and coaches which terminate with the World Cup before the qualifiers begin. This idea of paying players and coaches match bonuses and allowances isn’t in sync with global best practices. The Germans who won the 2014 World Cup diadem were paid $400,000 each. The players and coaches didn’t get a dime for the qualifiers because they knew that their contracts terminated with either winning the World Cup or crashing out of it. They chose the profitable option, with many of them donating their cash to charity homes.

Little wonder many of the Germans are being chased by big clubs in Europe.

Nigeria joins the ignoble league of protesting nations like Ghana and Cameroun who have paid appearance fees to their players and officials, simply because many of them feared that they would not get theirs if they had to leave.

What most people don’t understand especially those in government is that FIFA lays bare what players’ and officials’ entitlements are. Any country that breaches laid down rules will be compelled to fulfill its obligations or have such cash deducted from its earnings.

Magicians in Canada Anytime our girls excel in international competitions, I describe them as magicians. These girls don’t play the game here, like boys do. Their league matches are played in far flung areas. No television coverage. I’m sure these girls can’t be tagged professional players.

For the girls in Canada, qualifying for the women U-20 World Cup is a feat worthy of celebration. Assiat Osholala is the highest goal scorer, with seven goals. Courtney Dike scored the fastest goal of the competition. My fervent wish is that Nigeria becomes the first African country to lift the women World Cup at the U-20 level.

When these girls return, their lives will change for the better. New deals struck with European clubs, increased income and sufficient cash to change their families’ lives for good. One only hopes that President Goodluck Jonathan can give the girls $100,000 each, like he gave the boys, a national honour and perhaps ask the First Lady to donate a trophy that the girls will compete for yearly. The First Lady should use her influence to get Nigerians and companies to bankroll the competition such that the girls can live their lives as true professionals, not the eyesore that we have now in the few places where they play on empty stomachs.

No matter what anyone says, the Maigari-led board has added another feather to its cap. Why some people want Maigari out of the NFF remains to be seen. Honestly.

TOMORROWPUNCHLINE IN THE NATION

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.9, NO. 2947

On the road to Damascus Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor and nemesis of the early Christians, became Paul, the rock who would later serve as the foundation on which early Christianity was built —Biodun Jeyifo

I

N his classic essay titled "Case For Ideological Orientation", Chief Obafemi Awolowo declared that "In any theatre of life with which he is identified, every one of us has an orientation…If you meet a politician who is unwilling or unable, to declare and, as precisely as possible, describe his position in relation to the cardinal points of political compass, you will feel strongly tempted to denounce him as a fraud, a total misfit or a hopeless drifter". Affirming his own commitment to the ideology of democratic socialism, the sage contended further that "…the aim of any progressive government must include social justice, equal opportunity for all, respect for human dignity and the welfare and happiness of all, regardless of creed, parentage and station in life". Thus, in concrete policy terms, the parties led by Awolowo in the first and second republics the Action Group (AG) and Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), respectively, were committed to the provision of free education, free health care, full employment, rural integration and development as well as massive development of infrastructure. The more conservative inclined parties such as the Northern People's Congress (NPC) and the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) of the first and second republics were less inclined to utilise state resources for the provision of social welfare services for the vast majority of the people.

They rather preferred policies that would help cultivate a viable business class and thriving private sector capable of spurring economic growth believing that the masses would ultimately benefit from the 'trickle down' effects of such policies.

Despite the existence of a multiplicity of political parties, there has always been the tendency towards a broad-based two-party system in Nigeria. Thus, in the first republic, the party system was systematically coalescing into two broad alliances, the conservative Nigerian National Alliance (NNA) comprising the NPC and its allies and the more progressive United Peoples Grand Alliance (UPGA) made up of the AG, NCNC and smaller parties from the Middle Belt and Calabar, Ogoja and Rivers (COR) provinces.

This tendency was replicated in the second republic when two broad party alliances emerged - the NPN and its allies as well as the Progressive Parties Alliance (PPA) comprising the UPN, NPP and the more radical factions of the PRP and the GNPP. It was obviously the manifestation of this two party tendency that informed the formation by the Babangida regime of two state-created parties, the 'little to the left' Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the 'little to the right' National Republican Convention (NRC). Of course, IBB's novel attempt at political engineering crashed as a result of his own vaulting ambition to perpetuate himself in office, which led to his disastrous annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

True, the phenomenon of political vagrancy - the tendency for political actors to move opportunistically and arbitrarily from one party to another irrespective of their ideological disposition - has been a feature of

Ribadu and the spectre of political vagrancy

‘

•Ribadu Nigerian politics right from the first republic.

With each successive dispensation, political parties have become less of vehicles for the articulation and implementation of public policies based on distinct ideological platforms and more of veritable vote-harvesting machines through which political actors acquire power largely for the criminal and primitive accumulation of wealth. The more the role of ideology has been de-emphasised in Nigeria's politics, the more politicians across board have tended to prostitute themselves moving embarrassingly from one party to the other in their quest for power, devoid of principle. This problem has considerably worsened in contemporary Nigeria where we now have two major parties, the entrenched People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the emergent All Progressives Congress (APC) made up of a merger of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). The rapid movement of political actors from one of these parties to the other and back to their former abode has been quite dizzying and stupefying. As it were, this seems to mark,

But then, if there is no real difference between the two major parties, should Ribadu not more logically have refused to cast his lot with either? Now that he has cast his lot with the PDP, those he has fought vigorously all his life will do everything to abort his ambition. Are we likely to witness the premature eclipse of an otherwise promising political career? Time will tell

’

finally, the 'end of ideology' in Nigerian politics.

The latest example of political vagrancy on display is that of the movement of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu from the APC to the PDP. This development has left many disappointed and dismayed. As head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during the Obasanjo presidency, the fear of Ribadu was the beginning of wisdom. He fought corruption with unprecedented passion and ferocity. His detractors have accused Ribadu of having gone only after Obasanjo's perceived political foes. But no one has been able to prove that even a single one of the corrupt elements whom Ribadu single-mindedly prosecuted and got convicted was innocent of the crime of corrupt enrichment. Ribadu won national and international acclaim for his anti-graft offensive. It was this solid character and anticorruption record of Ribadu that the defunct ACN sought to profit from when it fielded Ribadu as its presidential candidate in the 2011 presidential election. While most knowledgeable Nigerians readily admit that corruption is the greatest menace threatening Nigeria's progress and very existence, they

were reluctant to give Ribadu their votes at the polls. Most of those who voted for General Muhammadu Buhari, the CPC candidate, who also has an impeccable anti-corruption record, did so more for religious and ethnoregional rather than ethical reasons. There is no reason to believe that even now, corruption is a serious issue with the average Nigerian voter.

Indeed, the ACN saw that a bloc- vote for Ribadu in the South-West in the 2011 election, could lead to a stalemate with no candidate being able to secure the necessary constitutional requirement to emerge as winner in the first ballot. The result would be a likely run-off between President Jonathan and Buhari. The ACN leadership, given the perceived contempt with which it was treated by the CPC did not feel inclined to give the CPC such a helping hand. This resulted in the voting pattern in the South-West that aided Jonathan's victory on the first ballot. Against this background, can anyone really blame Ribadu if he sees the PDP as offering him a more viable and feasible platform to emerge as governor of Adamawa State given the current socio-economic and political realities of Nigeria? Can anyone fault Ribadu if he has become tired of battering his head in futility against a rock solid wall of the corrupt Nigerian establishment? If he is able to hold a prominent political office on the platform of any party, will Ribadu not be in a vantage position to demonstrate practically the anticorruption values he has consistently and vigorously espoused? Of course, the downside is that once he is helped to power by the very forces of corruption he has so fiercely and viciously denounced, he may no longer have the moral authority to lead any battle against corruption. For, those who helped him up the power ladder can also readily engineer his downfall if he attempts to play any game of self-righteousness.

Justifying his defection to the PDP and obtaining the party's nomination form for the Adamawa state governorship election, Ribadu reportedly contended that there is little or no difference ideologically and morally between the PDP and APC. This may be true to some extent. However, most APC governors have undoubtedly provided more inspirational, visionary and productive governance in their respective states than the PDP has done at the centre since 1999. Yet, it is difficult to distinguish between the bankrupt neo-liberal economic policies of the PDP at the centre and those of the state governments including those controlled by the APC. This is why reactionary elements of the PDP particularly in the SouthWest have been able to mischievously position themselves as champions of the common man without articulating any coherent programme for the liberation of the latter from misery and poverty? But then, if there is no real difference between the two major parties, should Ribadu not more logically have refused to cast his lot with either? Now that he has cast his lot with the PDP, those he has fought vigorously all his life will do everything to abort his ambition.

Are we likely to witness the premature eclipse of an otherwise promising political career?

Time will tell.

Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com

Calling coaches’ bluff

W

HAT is the trouble with our football?

When will those seeking offices in the Glasshouse learn how to obey the FIFA statutes in actualising their ambitions? Who is responsible for the Wednesday morning NFF secretariat carnage that left key offices in ashes? Why do people like to attract attention to themselves for the wrong reasons? Which other body owns the beautiful game aside FIFA? How come nobody has called to order the faction of seven that still meets under a perceived NFF umbrella, after FIFA’s ruling which the sport minister has obeyed? Or is the minister no longer the final authority in sports?

One had thought that with FIFA’s verdict on August 4 and the minister’s compliance, the last of the crises at the Glasshouse had

been heard. But, like a thief in the night, the fire came suddenly, destroying everything in the General Secretary’s office, the accountant’s office and some adjoining offices.

But the good news is that NFF men are saying no document was destroyed; all plans will go on without any hindrance. So, the theory of the fire being a happenstance raises hope of a new dawn at the place.

Will this be the end of the wahala in NFF? I don’t think so because the police will begin investigations that will soon unveil a lot. The police must get to the root of the carnage.

Those found culpable must face the sanctions.

What this writer doesn’t understand is the refusal by the body’s first vice chairman to accept that FIFA’s verdict is final. He is still bickering. He has refused to present Aminu Maigari’s resignation letter. One will love to

ask the vice chairman how a man that was impeached, dismissed and asked to leave the meeting hall could return with a resignation letter. If the vice-chairman, in his then capacity as president of the body, accepted Maigari’s purported resignation letter, he has no business being the face of our football. We want knowledgeable people in such exalted offices.

Maigari returned to the NFF presidency because FIFA annulled the process that removed him from office. In the eyes of FIFA, the meeting where Maigari was impeached, dismissed and asked to walk out never held.

In other climes, the vice chairman won’t be allowed to contest. A man who was impeached and dismissed has no basis to resign from a non-existent office. FIFA’s “Statutes” is the rule book for soccer globally. Our soccer chiefs must sit down and read it prop-

erly. We are tired of repeated FIFA interventions. I digress!

I had my fears about our September 6 and 10 ties because of the stipulated 14 days notice to foreign clubs to release players to their national teams for approved international matches and friendlies. Now that the Glasshouse men have beaten the 14-day clause by naming 23 players for the two matches against Congo in Calabar on September 6 and South Africa in Cape Town on September 10, the question to ask is who picked the players? Is it the NFF or the chief coach? If it is the coach’s list, why all the talk of unresolved contract details? If it was NFF’s list, is it a pointer to the fact that they have given up on the coach’s demands and intend to announce a new helmsman? If yes, they better do it now, if they are sure that the coach’s contract has lapsed.

But a story in one of the online networks quoted Keshi as saying that Victor Moses,

•Continued on Page 63

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Adamawa guber race:

www.thenationonlineng.net

INSIDE

2 NEWS

S

OUTH-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, yesterday said another four years for President Goodluck Jonathan will not bring down the country.

Clark, who confirmed the President’s interest to contest in the forthcoming 2015 presidential election, also said Jonathan merited the second term because of the enormous work he had done, adding that nobody can stop him.

The First Republic minister, who spoke yesterday in Abuja while playing host to a delegation of northern women in politics under the aegis of “Northern Women Mass Movement for President Jonathan 2015 Ambition” posited that it is the tradition for sitting presidents to seek a second term.

He said: “Jonathan will contest in 2015 because of two things; one, he is qualified to do so under the law and secondly, he has performed well to the extent that those who voted him in 2011 are willing to do so again.

“Nobody has a right to stop him from contesting. Every president who has ruled this nation spent two terms. We voted for Alhaji Shehu Shagari as President in 1979 and 1983 respectively.

“Everybody in this country is created equal, no matter the tribe, gender or background as long as such a person is a Nigerian and educated.”

Clark, who also spoke on the kidnapped Chibok secondary school girls, assured the northern women that the girls will come back to join their fellow women to build the nation.

He further explained that “if the President had used force to free the girls, some of them would have died and the same people will still shout that Jonathan has killed our girls.

“Those girls will come back to join us to build the nation.”

Chief Clark, who chided the Northern Elders Forum who recently accused

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

Jonathan ‘ll run in 2015 —Edwin Clark

Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja

Jonathan of not doing anything for the North, said: “This is the first time in the history of the nation that two Inspectors General of Police from the North were appointed consecutively.

“When people who are close to Jonathan advised him to appoint someone from the South South as IGP, he said no. This is because he is not sentimental.

“He appointed two heads of service consecutively who are from the North. He created 10 new federal universities in the Northern region.

“It is a feat that has not been achieved by anybody. He built al-majiri schools in the North; the rail system has been rescusitated.

“Some people say Jonathan is parochial; that he is developing his own people. We say no. Those of us in the South South are even complaining.”

Speaking earlier, the leaders of the delegation, Hon. Halima Tukur from Kebbi State and Chief (Mrs.) Paulen Tellen, former deputy governor of Plateau State, had told Clark that they were on a visit to show the solidarity and support of all northern women to the 2015 ambition of President Jonathan.

They, however, promised their support and commitment to the actualisation of having Jonathan back as the President for another four years.

Responding to them, Chief Clark commended them for taking the bold initiative to support Jonathan come 2015.

He urged them to appeal to other Northerner women to give their full support to President Jonathan.

He stated that they should not allow anybody to mislead them, including their

...declare now, ex-militants’ leaders tell President

E

X-MILITANT leaders in the Niger-Delta yesterday challenged President Goodluck Jonathan to formally declare his interest in seeking re-election next year,immediately.

The Niger Delta Youth For Democracy led by ,Roland Abanara, Figbele Joseph and Austin Aboh, said Jonathan has done so well in his first term in office that nothing should obstruct him from returning for a second term.

The militants,at a press conference in Benin, vowed to resist any plan aimed at frustrating his second term campaign, and declared that alleged politicization of the Boko Haram insurgency is designed to portray him as incapable of leading the country.

Abanara also made a case for an Ijaw as the next governor of Delta State.

They said former Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Elder Peter Godsday

OSemwengie Ben OGBEMUDIA, Benin Orubebe ,fits the bill.

President Jonathan’s t r a n s f o r m a t i o n agenda,according to him, has affected the nooks and crannies of the country and was optimistic that he has the ability to take the country to a new height.

He added: “those who are capitalizing on the insecurity challenging confronting the nation to discredit the President should remember that terrorism as being witness today never started with the emergence of President Jonathan and the government is not relenting in bringing an end to it. We all know that terrorism is a global challenge, it is sad that it is only in Nigeria that opposition are playing politics with it.

Decrying alleged marginalization of the Ijaw in Delta State,Abanara said wondered why no Ijaw has been allowed to rule the state since its inception.

•Ijaw leader says four more years will not sink Nigeria

husbands.

“I really commend the Northern women. We just finished the national conference, and for the very first

time, I saw a large number of Northern women who participated brilliantly. It shows there is a dawn of a new era. I am so happy that

a new Nigeria has been born.

“You can all testify to it that Jonathan is gender-sensitive.

During his reign, more women have been ap-

pointed into positions of power and he is still promoting the affairs of women.

Very soon, the Chibok girls will be released.

•Some new Special Advisers to the Acting Governor of Adamawa, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, taking oath of office in Yola ... yesterday PHOTO:NAN

Adamawa guber race: PDP, Presidency in dilemma over Ribadu F ORMER chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu may not get a smooth sail with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for the Adamawa governorship by-election after all.

Indications emerged yesterday that 13 other aspirants in the race have ruled out consensus option through which Ribadu is expected to emerge as the party’s flag bearer.

The aspirants, The Nation gathered, have insisted on having a free and transparent primary election with a level play ground for all the contestants in the race.

The PDP has fixed the primary election for September 6.

Ribadu had, on August 16, announced his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP. He obtained the party’s governorship nomination form on Tuesday, three days after he joined the

A

•13 aspirants reject consensus option Gbade OGUNWALE, Assistant Editor, Abuja

party.

Prominent among the aspirants jostling for the ticket are a former Minister of State for Health, Dr. Idi Hong; Adamawa State Acting Governor, Umar Fintiri and former political adviser to the President, Ahmed Gulak.

Also in the race are a former Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Ahmed Moddibo; son of the immediate past national chairman of the PDP, Awwal Tukur and former Lagos State Military Administrator, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa.

They have all paid the mandatory N11 million the party demanded for the nomination and expression of interest

forms.

Our correspondent further gathered that the 13 aspirants and their backers are said to have cautioned the leadership of the PDP and the Presidency of the dire consequences of ceding the ticket to Ribadu through a consensus arrangement.

A highly placed power broker at the Presidency said on Friday that the permutations on the Ribadu candidature have continued to take new dimensions, with new calculations emerging from the various camps.

The source, who craved anonymity, said: “The race in the coming days is likely to be very interesting, but we have all resolved to be very careful because in politics, you cannot take chances, especially ones that are likely to jeopardise the

chances of your party.

“When the issue of Ribadu first came up, some indices which we are witnessing now had not come up then. For instance, no one knew that the Acting Governor was going to be interested in the race.

“Also, the impression was created that all other aspirants were going to step down for him (Ribadu) on the intervention of a mutual friend of most of them who brought the Ribadu option.

“But right now, the President has insisted that he cannot support any of the aspirants against others since there appears not be a consensus among them; more so that the hurdles we thought could be cleared for Ribadu are not just there but they are still waxing stronger.

•Continued from Page 11

Confab: New group emerges

NEW presure group, Initiative for National Consensus, has emerged from the justconduced National Conference.

More than eight pressure groups were formed during the four-and-a-half-month conference, but none announced its continuity beyond the conference.

The group, according to its conveners, is a non-partisan advocacy association of politicians, academia, professionals and other interests.

Refuting insinuations that the composition of the conference was intended to boost President Goodluck Jonathan’s political ambition towards 2015, members of the group said they were not working for the President.

Addressing journalists shortly before the closing ceremony of the conference yesterday, the Protem Chairman of the group, Remi Olatunora, noted that most of the del-

•Denies working for Jonathan

Onyedi OJIABOR, Assistant Editor and Dele ANOFI, Abuja egates to the conference were not politicians.

He said: “It must be made clear that we are not formed to work for the political aspirations of the President. Of course, it was insinuated before the beginning of the conference that it was meant to boost President Jonathan’s chances against 2015.

“But I want to say that this group is not about President Jonathan.

Besides, the composition of this group is such that even most of the politicians that are members of this group are not in the same political camp as the President.

“Moreover, the President has over 3,000 groups working for him, so there is no need for us working for him.”

According to him, the sur-

vival of the country and the implementation of the recommendations of the conference was the driving force behind the formation of the group.

“The main reason behind the formation of this group is to ensure that the report does not end up on the shelves as white paper like the ones before it.

“We realised that so much efforts were put into the production of this document and as all Nigerians can see, dialogue and consensus prevailed in bringing about the report.

“It is our determination that we do all we can to see that what we recommended see the light of day.

“We reasoned that to succeed in that task, we have to come together as a formidable group.

“It was unanimously agreed by the conference that a group be formed that would relate

with the Presidency on the implementation of the report, but we don’t want to take anything for granted, and that is why we are forming this group.

“As I said earlier, we have to hit the ground running. Knowing very well that we are going into an election year, time constraint may be a factor for the Presidency and the National Assembly. So, it is our belief that we should be proactive by contributing our own quota to national development.”

On how the group intends to accomplish the set task, Olatubora said members of the group would liaise with the Presidency, the National Assembly and others policy makers on how to go about the implementation of the report.

He also said the 25-member group is open to all delegates to the 2014 conference.

“It is not a closed group. We are just the conveners. The group is open to all and ready to take off.”

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

S

POUSES of two Ebola victims who had primary contacts with the late Patrick Sawyer, the index case of Ebola in Nigeria, are the latest victims of the deadly virus in the country, the Federal Government announced yesterday.

Sawyer, a Liberian-American, flew into Nigeria with the virus last month and infected 11 others before he died, including the male and female caregivers who subsequently died of Ebola.

The federal authorities had initially denied fresh cases of infection when the Lagos State Government raised the alarm earlier in the week.

But in a u-turn yesterday, Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said the fresh cases brought the number in the country to 14.

Five deaths have been recorded while five other patients were discharged after recovering from the disease.

Four are currently receiving treatment.

Among the dead is Dr.Stella Adadevoh, senior consultant at the Lagos private hospital where Sawyer was rushed to on arrival in Lagos.

The minister said yesterday that the federal government would honour Dr. Adadevoh for the sacrifice she made in ensuring that Ebola did not spread beyond Lagos.

He also promised that the Federal Government would continue to work with the Lagos State Government and other partners with a view to maintaining vigilance and strengthening “our containment activities.”

NEWS 3

Two Ebola patients’ spouses contract virus •Minister says victims are first set of secondary contacts •FG to honour late Adadevoh

Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja, Wale ADEPOJU, Lagos and Khadijat SAIDU, Birnin Kebbi At a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr.Jide Idris, said that five new suspected Ebola virus cases were brought to the isolation ward of the Yaba Mainland Hospital in Lagos on Tuesday.

He said that two of those five cases were from secondary contacts linked to Sawyer. ”Till date, we have recorded eight suspected cases, five of which came in yesterday (Tuesday), 12 confirmed,” said Idris.

“On the whole, five have died (including the index case).

We are currently following up 213 contacts, and 62 have completed the two-day follow-up.”

But barely two hours after the press conference ended, Health Minister, Chukwu, issued a terse statement telling the public to “disregard” Idris’ figures.

Receiving a delegation of the Association of Private Medical Practitioners in Abuja yesterday, Chukwu said of the planned honour for Adadevoh: “Very soon, you will hear about her honour.

Very soon, the number one citizen will say something about it.”

Bayelsa takes campaign against Ebola to NYSC camp

B

AYELSA State Government has taken its campaigns against Ebola virus disease (EVD) to corps members at the Kaiama Orientation Camp of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), warning corps members against making contacts with persons that show symptoms of the disease.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ayibatonye Owei, who led members of the state’s Anti-Ebola Task Force to the camp on Friday, appealed to the corps members to be vigilant.

He asked them to look out for persons showing symptoms of the disease and avoid contacts with them.

Explaining the Ebola virus and its deadly nature, the commissioner asked the youths to join other Nigerians in fighting the disease like a wounded lion.

He told the corps members that all Nigerians that had shown symptoms of the disease were persons who had direct contacts with the late Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer.

He, however, said the fear of Ebola should not affect interpersonal relationship among the corps members since the virus could only be transmitted by persons that show its symptoms.

“It can only be transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person. It is one of the conditions that can easily be prevented. When the person is not sick, he is incapable of transmitting it,” he said.

He said corps members must avoid secretions of sick persons and maintain high level of personal hygiene.

He said the task force had distributed sanitisers, washing soap and water across the camp and appealed to the youths to

Mike ODIEGWU Yenagoa wash their hands from time to time.

“We are not saying that you shouldn’t shake hands, but don’t do it with sick people.

Don’t eat bush meat because some of them are carriers. Ensure that any meat you eat is well cooked,” he said.

He said the National Council of Health had cancelled the movement of dead bodies from one place to another.

Describing the corps members as the foot soldiers, he asked them to carry Ebola message to other parts of the state.

Earlier, the State Coordinator, NYSC, Mr. Ekeocha Anthony, told the corps members that the Ebola virus was deadlier than HIV/AIDS. “We know what is in vogue now. We know the disease that is in the air, which is more severe than the HIV/AIDS. This is the reason why the commissioner has come to sensitise us,” he said.

Meanwhile, Owei in a separate event said the Bayelsa State Government had taken delivery of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Speaking while declaring open a one-day training and sensitisation workshop for about 300 health and medical personnel in Yenagoa on Friday, he insisted that the government was ready for Ebola.

He said: “The government has provided enough funds and we have just taken delivery of personal protective equipment.”

He said the trainees were expected to go to the various local government areas and train other health personnel and community people.

Chukwu noted that the role of First Consultant Hospital and the late Dr Adadevoh was very crucial in ensuring that the virus did not spread like in other countries.

He said that the role of private medical practitioners has become sacrosanct, ”particularly now when doctors are on strike.”

“You have lost one of your colleagues, Dr. Adadevoh.

We mourn her and all Nigerians who lost their lives to Ebola. We will ensure that her bravery, courage and patriotism will not go unnoticed,” he added.

Also yesterday, the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN)

hailed government’s response to the outbreak of Ebola disease.

President of the association, Dr Steven Oluwole however called for better protection for the health personnel in the forefront of the fight against the disease.

“That the control of Ebola

virus disease is receiving appropriate attention by the government; closure of Nigerian boarders and grounding of flights are not justified at the moment given the level of threat and that greater priority should be given to protection of hospital staff that are caring for Ebola Disease patients,” he said.

•Some Bring-Back-Our-Girls campaigners in peaceful protest in Abuja yesterday to mark Day 130 of Boko Haram’s abduction of school girls from Chibok, Borno State

WHO draws up 6-9 months strategy to combat Ebola

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ENEVA (Reuters) The World Health Organisation (WHO) has drawn up a draft strategy plan to combat Ebola in West Africa over the next six to nine months.

In effect,the organisation does not expect to halt the epidemic this year.

More than 1,300 people have already died this year from the virus in the worst ever outbreak and WHO has faced criticism, including from medical charity

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Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), that it has done too little too late to fight the disease.

“WHO is working on an Ebola road map document, it’s really an operational document how to fight Ebola,” WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told reporters yesterday.

“It details the strategy for WHO and health partners for six to nine months to come,” she said.

Chaib, asked whether the

timeline meant that the United Nations health agency expected the epidemic now raging in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to continue until 2015, said: “Frankly no one knows when this outbreak of Ebola will end.”

Ebola will be declared over in a country if two incubation periods, or 42 days in total, have passed without any confirmed case, she said. Nigeria is the fourth

NBA confab: Imo to screen lawyers

HE Imo State Government yesterday declared that lawyers attending the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Owerri, the state capital, would be screened as part of measures to check the spread of the deadly Ebola virus disease (EVD).

Briefing newsmen at the Government House, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Justice Chukwumah Machukwu Umeh, said the state had put strategies in place to ensure that all the

•Govt dispels stay-away order

people coming for the NBA Conference scheduled to commence on Sunday are screened at the entry points to the state.

According to him, “the state government is ready to host the NBA Conference and all measures necessary are being taken to ensure that those coming to the state are comfortable and also to check the spread of Ebola.

“We have opened centres

at the airport and other entry points where the visitors will be checked for any sign of Ebola before they are allowed into the state.

“This has become necessary because Imo has no record of Ebola and we are careful to avoid any incident.”

Umeh also dispelled the stay-away order on the venue of the conference by Gee Plaza Ltd, a company laying claim to the plot of

Death toll in epidemic rises to 1,427 – WHO

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ENEVA (Reuters) - The Ebola epidemic in West Africa has led to 1,427 deaths out of 2,615 known cases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said yesterday.

In its latest update, the WHO

reported 142 new laboratoryconfirmed, probable or suspected cases of Ebola and 77 more deaths from four affected countries - Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

Earlier, the WHO said the

scale of the world’s worst Ebola outbreak had been concealed by families hiding infected loved ones in their homes and the existence of “shadow zones” that medics cannot enter. It is due to issue a global strategy plan towards the end of next week in Geneva.

Unidentified fever ‘kills 13’ in DR Congo in 10 days

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country with known cases.

“So with the evolving situation, with more cases reported, including in the three hot places - Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia the situation is not yet over,” Chaib said.

“So this is a planning document for six to nine months that we will certainly revisit when we have new developments.”

The WHO expects to issue details of the plan early next week, she said.

INSHASA - A fever of unidentified origin has killed 13 people in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo since August 11,according to the health minister.

“All 13 people who have died suffered from a fever, di-

arrhoea, vomiting and, in a terminal stage, of vomiting a black matter,” Dr Felix Kabange Numbi said late Thursday.

So far, about 80 people who came into contact with the deceased are being monitored at their homes, he added.

But a World Health Organi-

zation (WHO) official and the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said yesterday it was too soon to tell whether a haemorraghic fever caused the deaths, while an epidemic of often fatal and highly contagious Ebola raged in West Africa to the north.

land where the International Convention Centre was built.

According to him, ”Gee Plaza has no right to warn NBA not to step into the venue of the occasion. The property on the said land still belongs to the state government after the company reneged on its contractual agreement.

“The state government had entered into an agreement with Binez Hotel Ltd in 2005 to invest a sum of N500 million in the property (Imo Hotels), which was situated in the premises where the IICC is now standing, to have a 60 per cent share of it. Unfortunately, it reneged,” he said.

He further explained that due to the breach in terms of the contract by the company, despite another three years extension, the present IICC structure was erected by the state government.

He noted that the Company claiming the property was brought into the agreement hurriedly by the immediate past government of Chief Ikedi Ohakim in 2011, but the contract agreement was not met.

THE NATION

4 NEWS

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HE grand finale of the annual Osun Osogbo festival was on Friday marked in low key, as part of the efforts to curtail the spread of the dreaded Ebola Virus disease.

It will be recalled that few days to yesterday’s celebration, the Osun State government had invited stakeholders, including the traditionalists, the Osun devotees and worshippers to advise them to reduce the scope of the

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

Osun festival marked low key Adesoji ADENIYI, Osogbo event becuase of the fear of the spread of Ebola.

The government said it would introduce a crowd control measure and also restrict people from outside the state from participating in the festival.

This year, the usual pomp

Mimiko set to dump LP for PDP

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PECULATION was at its peak yesterday that the Ondo State

Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko may, any moment from now, announce his official defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the ruling Labour Party (LP) in the state.

Already many chieftains of the LP, including some former aides of the Governor had been defecting to the PDP since the beginning of the year.

It was reliably gathered that the Governor had indicated his interest in joining the PDP, as he had reportedly met with the national leadership of the party in Abuja, during which the issue of when and how he would come back to his former party were discussed.

However, yesterday evening, it was gathered that the Governor met with the leadership of the ruling LP at the 18 local government areas of the state on the development.

But no official information was available on the matter as at press time.

Damisi OJO, Akure

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor (CPS) Eni Akinsola could not confirm nor deny the story.

According to him, “If such thing is happening, you journalists will be the first to get informed, “he said.

However, a close associate of the Governor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that the Governor was already out of the LP, noting that at the national level, he had concluded the arrangement, adding that he was still consulting with stakeholders at the state level.

“As I am speaking to you right now, Oga is already in the PDP. He will meet the leaders of LP from the 18 local government areas today (yesterday) to inform them and fashion out how they will all move, because if he moves out, definitely all of us will follow him, “he said.

According to an observer, the movement of the governor from the LP may mark the death of the party in the state

Osun election: Coalition commends INEC

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OALITION of Civil S o c i e t y Organizations in Nigerian, an umbrella body of over 120 registered prominent civil society groups in Nigeria, committed to strengthening democratic values within the African continent who were amongst the numerous accredited observers of the just concluded Osun State governorship election has commended President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for allowing a level playing ground and the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega

for a job well done. The group also applauded security agencies for providing a secured and peaceful environment for the election.

Leaders of the groups, Comrade Bassey Ewa Ekamon, Country Director of International Network Against Corruption in Nigeria,, Mr. Victor Kalu Team Secretary and Hon. Abdullahi M. Jabi who were In Osogbo, the Osun State capital however congratulate the winner, His Excellency Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging him to run an inclusive governance.

and pageantry associated with the traditional festival was avoided, as only the Osun devotees and traditionalists from within the state took part in all the programmes of the festival.

However, all traditional rites associated with the festival were carried out under the supervision of the renowned Ifa priests, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon.

Also, a cross-section of medical experts in the state had called for the postponement of the festival to avoid the spread of Ebola virus to the state.

But, the Osun Osogbo 2014 advisory committee insisted that the festival would hold at the scheduled date in accordance with the tradition and culture of Osogbo land.

However, Osun devotees who went to the groove yesterday went through serious medical scrutiny as medical

experts stationed at the main entrance of the groove performed series of tests on the devotees.

Vehicles are not allowed beyond the major entrance of the groove while occupants of such vehicles were made to come down for screening and allow in one after the other.

The medical team of about 80 health personnel led by the Director, Primary Health Care and Disease Control in the state Ministry of Health, Dr. Kayode Ogunniyi, said 200 infra red thermometers were supplied by the state government for screening people before entering into the groove.

According to him: “more than 600 people had been screened around 12.30 pm.”

He disclosed that there was no record of anyone testing positive to the devise, saying the focus of the health workers were on those who appear

•Chief Akani- Aluko flanked by Arisekola's son, Idris ( in white) and Alhaji Atanda Hassan and Chief Perry Aluko

I collapsed when I heard about Arisekola's death— Akanni-Aluko •Says we were friends for over 50 yrs

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T was an atmosphere charged with emotion when the publisher of the defunct Third Eye newspapers and a childhood friend of the late Are Musulumi of Yorubaland , Alhaji AbdulAzeez Arisekola Alao , Chief Akani Aluko relived how he collapsed in his London residence when the news of Arisekola’s death was broken to him.

Chief Aluko who has been managing stroke for over 15 years also narrated how he was later revived by family members who were around to console him.

The business mogul who described Alhaji Arisekola Alao’s demise as a great shock spoke yesterday when he paid a condolence visit to the family of Arisekola who were on hand to receive him and members of his entourage at the Bashorun Ibadan home of the late Ibadan business man.

He relived the fond memory of his friend’s rich sense of humour , and how they usually sing together the music of Sunny Ade and Chief Ebenezer Obey and dance

Ikale communities in the proposed Ijebu State would further perpetrate injustice suffered by the affected communities.

According to him, arising from the factor of their ethnic and cultural affinity with Ilaje-Ikale in Ondo State, these communities in Waterside Local government Area of Ogun State have suffered utter neglect.

He said: “Over the years, the Ikale-Ilaje section of Ogun State has been given such names as ‘special area’, ‘inaccessible area’, ‘rural area’ among others by successive

administrations to describe the degree of neglect of that area.

“Presently, it is only the Ikale-Ilaje section of the local government that has no tarred road. The terrible condition of the roads during rainy season can only be imagined.

“There is no pipe borne water, no electricity, available schools are totally neglected with decaying infrastructures. There is no hospital while the available health care centers are without equipment and personnel.

The area lacks everything.

Oseheye OKWUOFU, Ibadan

Ondo communities in Ogun kick against proposed Ijebu State

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KALE and Ilaje communities in Waterside Local government of Ogun State have dissociated themselves from the proposed Ijebu State and wished to be merged with their kith and kins in Ondo State.

Representatives of the communities who were at the closing ceremony on Thursday said they presented a memorandum to the National conference where gross injustice they have been subjected to over the years as a result of their current location were highlighted.

The group was led by

Onyedi OJIABOR, Assistant Editor and Dele ANOFI, Abuja Prince Abejoye OlowoniyiAdeniyi, Mr Funmi Alaka, Chief Netufo Kolawole, Chief I O Isheyemi and Iyaromi Adeniyi Some of the over 25 affected communities i n c l u d e I t e b u Manuwa, Ayila, Ayede, Ayematura, Igbo-Edun, Yeyeye, Bagbe, Poluke, Eba, Bolorunduro, Ijako and Elefan.

Olowoniyi-Adeniyi noted that the inclusion of Ilaje and

sick and weak.

The health workers and security operatives at the event were wearing gloves to protect themselves from contacts with people in the crowd.

It was gathered that the security operatives arrested a middle aged man at the groove for allegedly carrying arms.

Speaking at the festival, the Director General, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs Sally Mbalefo expressed the readiness of the Federal Government to develop all tourist centres across the country.

She said the Federal Government would ensure that the Osun Groove was developed to attract foreign tourists.

However, despite the restriction order by the state government, some Osun worshippers still came from from many states to partici-

pate in the celebration. ýAmong whom were the Lagos- based Mr. Adeola Oshuniyi, who has been attending the festival for the past 40 years ago and Mrs. Abosede Modinatu-Ojo, a arts theatre practitioner.

They said they could not afford to miss the festival urging people to be conscious of the disease.

The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun thanked the state government, worshippers of Osun and people of the state for their efforts towards ensuring the success of the celebration.

In attendance were the representatives of the Federal Government, Mrs. Sally Mbanifor who is the Chairman of the Nigeria Tourism Development corporation as well as representative of the Osun state Government.

The presence of the state government was not felt at the event as there was Noone repenting the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

anytime they met and had good time together, all these ,he said would forever be remembered.

“I just arrived from London and as a very close friend of over 50 years I must come to condole you though we all shared the pains, sadness and agony of his demise”, he said.

The publisher ,described the late Arisekola as a down-toearth personality who radiates love and show understanding to everyone.

“His death hit me so bad. I spoke to him barely 24 hours to his death. He was so much of his usual self when we spoke on phone. He had volunteered to see me that day, but I told him I would rather visit him.

“I arrived to meet his son.

He told me they had just finished praying and Arisekola is tired and asleep in his room. So I was discussing with Luqman, his son on very enlightening issues till about 1pm when he excused himself to check on his father.

“He later told me Arisekola said I should go home and expect his visit the next day.

He said he needed more rest.

His death came as a great shock to me”.

The octogenarian finally

urged the children to emulate his good examples and uphold his good legacy.

His wife, Alhaja Basirat Arisekola during the visit described her late husband as a rare gem, saying he was a humble and peaceful man, who worked hard to become great.

She prayed that peace continue to reign in the family, pleading that Chief Aluko remain closer to the family for support and advise .

Reacting , the late chief’s son, Idris Arisekola, thanked Chief Aluko and other visitors for their love and concern .

His words:”We Thank you very much for coming sir. We have known you as a very good friend of our father since childhood. That friendship has extended to us your children.

May you live long.

“I am only grateful to God that our late father lived his life for Allah. His last words were praises to Allah, he kept mentioning the name of Allah on his bed until he breath his last “.

Among the guests were former Managing Director of the defunct Third Eye, Mr. Joe Abiola and his wife; Chief Perry Alabi Aluko and Alhaji Atanda Hassan.

THE NATION

NEWS 5

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

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HE police yesterday launched a search for more than 100 mobile police trainees who are missing as a result of the attack on Thursday by Boko Haram on the Nigeria Mobile Police Academy in Gwoza.

There were indications that some of the fleeing trainees were sighted in Yola and Mubi in Adamawa State.

The lucky ones were said to have made calls to their colleagues on their safety.

The whereabouts of most of the trainees could not be accounted for as at press time.

There was anxiety that some of the mobile police trainees might have been captured by the sect.

But a reliable source in the police, however, confirmed

100 trainee policemen missing Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation that a roll-call of those on training was being conducted last night to ascertain the actual number and list of those in the academy.

The situation appeared tense yesterday following the blockade of all routes leading to Gwoza by Boko Haram insurgents.

The police could not gain access to Gwoza to reclaim the academy where the insurgents have hoisted their flags.

According to a reliable source who is central to the

...after Boko Haram’s attack on academy management of how to retake the academy, none of the trainees could be located.

The source said: “Preliminary findings showed that the insurgents invaded the school in the morning when most of the mobile police trainees were in their training shorts and vests.

“We are talking of more than 100 trainees missing. If the academy is at its full capacity, it can take up to 1,000 policemen either trainees or those for in-service training.

None of the police trainees has officially got in touch.

“They overran the academy, burnt some parts of it and hoisted their flags. All those in the school fled and we cannot account for their whereabouts.

“Yesterday some of the trainees were said to have been sighted in Yola and Mubi where they got in touch with their superiors and relations. We are suspecting that some of these trainees might

have also managed to escape to their squadrons.”

Responding to a question, the highly-placed source said: “We cannot rule out if any of the trainees had been captured or not by the insurgents because it was a sudden invasion and the topography is hilly.

“As I am talking to you, neither the military nor the police could gain access to Gwoza, either to reclaim the town or the academy.

“Boko Haram insurgents have taken over the entire Gwoza and mounted block-

ade to deny the police and other security agencies access to the place. The insurgents are in charge of the place now.”

The source said the police management has ordered a roll-call of those nominated for training in the Academy to “at least get a list of the trainees.”

“We have started the search for them from the rollcall. We will now get in touch with their superior officers, colleagues, relations or nextof–kin if they have heard from them.”

NAFDAC condemns unscrupulous ethanol’s importers

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without any precise sense of a rescue operation because in the case of abduction, what we know around the world is that people try to rescue through a military operation

or they try to rescue through negotiation and and they try to sometimes have a mix of those two options.

“Each time that we have listened to statements from

government, including from the President, it has seemed to dismiss any of these options and so that leaves us asking, what exactly is going on 130 days since these girls were abducted.

Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Lateef Busari, who led his management team on a courtesy visit to the agency as part of efforts of engaging relevant stakeholders in the implementation of the Nigerian Sugar Master plan (NSMP).

The NAFDAC boss argued that if Nigeria was producing its own alcohol locally, it would be cheaper, cleaner, free of contaminants and easy to regulate and use in the food industry.

He said: “Local development of sugar will solve a big problem for Nigeria in the area of food, especially in the production of ethanol. This is because one of the problems we are facing as a regulatory agency is the issue of ethanol fraud.”

He added: “We are all for the development of local sugar industry. For us, we want to ensure that sugar is adequately fortified with Vitamin A. We are in total support for the implementation of this master plan.”

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“Ameyo was both my relation and pal.

“Inspite of her upper class background, Ameyo was very down to earth and full of compassionate empathy for the disadvantaged and poor.

“Even when she was a medical student at LUTH, she used to tell me and my friends

about the plight of some of her brilliant, but very poor school mates. She was one of my favourites among the younger generation of our cousins.

“Ameyo's father, the late Professor Kwakwu Adadevoh, was the grandson of Herbert Macauley.

Kwakwu's mother was

Herbert Macauley's daughter.That made Ameyo Herbert Macauley's great grand daughter.”

Professor Adedavoh wasat different times, Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos and Director-General, Nigerian Institute for Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos.

•Devotees defied Ebola...at the Osun Osogbo groove...yesterday

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ARENTS of the ab ducted Chibok girls have told President Jonathan and the Nigerian Army to go ahead and end Boko Haram, even if it endangers the lives of the girls.

They said they are ready to turn their daughters into sacrificial lambs, if it will end insurgency and the terror that Boko Haram has being carrying out.

Four months after the captivity of their daughters, the parents are now ready for the military to invade the Sambisa forest no matter the outcome.

Chairman of the Chibok community in Abuja, Hosea Tsambido, stated that he had been in contact with the parents who had given up hope of their daughters returning alive and are only asking that the government return with their bodies so that they can be given proper burial.

He stated this in Abuja during the protest by members of the BringBackOurGirls the movement to mark 130 days after over 200 girls were abducted from the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok.

Tsambido stated that the Chibok culture requires parents and family members of missing persons to bury their loved ones, if they have been missing for over four months, adding that after three to four months the families must perform the burial ritual and assume that the persons are dead to enable them move on with their lives.

His words: “Culturally in our area, when our child or a person is missing for three to four months and you do not hear anything about the

•See story on Page 4

HE National Agency for Food and Drug Admin istration and Control (NAFDAC) has condemned the antics of unscrupulous importers of food grade ethanol (alcohol) who in attempt to evade the proper payment of tariffs on absolute alcohol denature it to pay lower tariffs.

The Agency’s DirectorGeneral, Dr. Paul Orhii, who described the practice as potentially harmful, said the importers denature the alcohol with any substance which can cause health problems.

Orhii made this charge while receiving the Executive

‘Chibok parents ready to sacrifice their girls to end terrorism’ Grace OBIKE, Abuja person, we will arrange for the burial ceremony and to take it as if the person is dead and we will perform the burial ritual and forget about the person and try to forge ahead with life.

“Now the parents are saying that it is better for them to bring the girls back, even if it means the corpses so that they will bury them properly.

“Let the girls be the sacrificial lambs, that is what they told me. I` spoke with them last night on the issue and their opinion is that the army should go into Sambisa. If some of the girls are saved, die or abscond, so be it than all this trauma that the parents are going through right now.

“They are saying that let the government go into the forest and bring back the corpses of the children so that they can bury them properly.

Leader of the movement, Oby Ezekwesili, has asked the government to tell the group and Nigerians what is being done to rescue the girls after 130 days.

Her words: “This is 130 days after they were abducted and we are no where closer as to knowing the fate of those girls and having any information on their rescue.

“The challenge that we have is the fact that we are told that a rescue operation is going on but when you connect the dots in the statements that are made, it leaves you within the logical frame

How to honour Adadevoh,by Azikiwe’s son

HE Owelle of Onitsha, Chief Chukwuma Azikiwe, wants a permanent memorial established in honour of Dr Stella Adadevoh who lost her life to Ebola after treating LiberianAmerican Patrick Sawyer.

Azikiwe, a cousin of the late Dr. Adadevoh, also said she should be given the highest national honour and the positive aspects of her character and life be disseminated.

In a tribute in Onitsha,the son of Nigeria’s first President, Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe, described her as “very kind, caring, and selfless.”

“She also had discipline and steely determination,” he said adding: “I am not surprised that her selfless compassion and steely discipline would make her restrain Sawyer from escaping the hospital to probably spread the Ebola virus to epidemic proportions.

This she did at risk to her life.”

Throwing light on the family background of Adadevoh, he said: “Her mother, Mrs Deborah Adadevoh,nee MacIntosh, is my cousin.

Deborah's grandmother, Okwuegbunam, nee Azikiwe, is the immediate senior sister, same father same mother, of Obed Azikiwe, Zik's father.

FRESH’s deregistration: INEC takes case to Court of Appeal AWYERS of the Fresh

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Democratic Party, FRESH, Dr. Fred Agbaje and Kola Dopamu, yesterday made available to the media, a new notice of appeal/affidavit dated July 17, 2014 filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, against the court verdict that voided the commission’s deregistration of the party.

INEC deposed in the said affidavit: “The delay by the Appellant/Applicant in compiling and transmitting the records was occasioned by the fact that the Appellant/Applicant was engaged with numerous appeals emanating from pre and post election cases.”

The FRESH lawyers said that the new notice of appeal effectively debunked the false claims that INEC officials have

been making all along, that they have appealed the verdict which was why FRESH has not been recertified as required by law.

It will be recalled that FRESH won a court verdict against its deregistration by INEC at Federal High Court, 5 Abuja division, presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole on July 29, 2013. But the commission has refused to obey the court order to recertify the party on the grounds that it had already appealed the verdict.

According to Barr.

Dopamu, “With the latest expose, viz the newly filed notice of appeal, FRESH was correct when we alleged that, no appeal was ever filed by INEC; a notice of appeal it initial entered was abandoned long

time ago, only for the agency to re-file it and plead for a waiver by the Court of Appeal rule that bans any appeal after 90 days of a delivered judgment from a lower court.”

Mr. Dopamu said FRESH, a party founded by Rev. Chris Okotie, would respond to INEC’s latest legal somersault, when a hearing date is given for the commission’s affidavit.

He, however, added whimsically, “we hope Prof.

Attahiru Jega (INEC Chairman) and his people would have the courage to pursue the notice this time, as the Presidential election is drawing nearer.”

The lawyer asserted that Rev. Okotie would surely contest the 2015 presidential election, as the pastor-politician previously declared.

THE NATION

6 NEWS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

‘Civil Defence boss escaped being killed

by Police Inspector’ •It didn’t happen —Police

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HE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) yesterday said its Commandant-General, Dr. Ade Abolurin, narrowly escaped death when a Police Inspector attempted to open fire on him.

The Inspector and some policemen were said to be angry over the arrest of some suspected vandals and oil thieves.

A statement by the Civil Defence Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Okeh, said it was unclear if the suspected officer was working on a written script by a superior authority or just acting in his own capacity as a vandal in uniform.

The statement said: "The Commandant-General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr Ade Abolurin, who, on an inspection and assessment tour of disposable forfeited items along with other committee members from the Nigerian Army, EFCC, ICPC, Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, among others, came under siege when a suspected Police Inspector attempted to open fire on them at Ikorodu, Lagos State.

"The attack was orchestrated by the arrest of some suspected vandals and oil thieves on the waters in possession of petroleum products in several jerry cans, including two big Cotonou boats.

“The suspected police team who came in an unmarked Danfo bus carrying AK47 riffles challenged the CG that they are in charge; so, he has no right to visit the area because it belongs to the police.

"The committee, which the CG, NSCDC is the chairman, was constituted by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and has, for some time now been on assessment tour of the country for disposable forfeited items, used for vandalism of critical infrastructure.

"However, attempt by members of the committee to caution the officer was rebuffed by him and members of his team claiming that they are on a mission here so everyone should steer clear.

"Further investigation revealed that a distress call was put across to the suspected police team by the arrested vandals and upon arrival, their aim was to set them off the hook of NSCDC by threatening to shoot the CG who masterminded the arrest of their partners in this illicit business and secondly to prevent the committee from confiscating the recovered items LOSS OF DOCUMENTS This is to notify the general public on the loss of title documents including the approved building plan of the land located at No. 8, Adeyemi Street, Baba Olosa, Mushin, Lagos belonging to Christ the Saviour’s Church (Aladura).

These documents got lost in transit and all efforts made to locate it proved abortive.

Signed: PASTOR (PRINCE) A. ADEJARE Chairman, Building Committee

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation and Jude ISIGUZO which have become exhibits in event of prosecution.

"It is however unclear if the suspected officer was working on a written script by a superior authority or just acting in his own capacity as a vandal in uniform.

"What is however clear is that, this is the umpteenth time that officers and men of the corps have been brazenly harassed, molested, assassinated or maimed by officers of the Nigeria police in recent time in the cause of carrying out their legitimate assignments.

"Still fresh in our memory is the killing of two men of the anti vandal squad of the Lagos State Command of NSCDC namely AIC Gabriel Adaji and IC Innocent Akegbe by the police in 2013.

Force spokesperson, Emmanuel Ojukwu, a Deputy Commissioner (DCP), denied the incident when The Nation called him on the phone.

He said: "If he was shot at, he would either have been dead or hospitalised. But anyway, nothing like that happened".

•Apostle Daniel Aderemi Adebiyi of the Christian Ministers’ Welfare Initiatiaves (CMWI)presenting the Ambassador of Peace Certificate to Chief Mrs. Oluremi Adiukwu, the Grand Matron of the CMWI, at an event in Abuja recently.

2015: APC women want vice presidential slot

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OMEN in the All Progressives Con gress, under the auspices of the All Progressives Women Group, want the party to zone the position of the party’s Vice President to women in the party.

In a statement signed by the President and General and Public Relations Officer of the group, Hajia Larai Kolo and Victory Senes respectively, the

Tony AKOWE group said as the people with the highest number of votes, the women deserve better treatment.

According to the group, it is common knowledge that women have done creditably well in their chosen professions both nationally and internationally and should, therefore, be given due recognition by the

party.

The statement, which was made available to The Nation in Abuja Thursday reads: “We, the women in the APC, under the auspices of All Progressive Women Group, are strongly advocating and insisting for a female vice-president in Nigeria. Our reason is not to be at loggerheads with men folk, but rather to consolidate the role of women leadership and nation

building.

“Today it is glaring that women, both at national and international levels, are doing very well in their areas of assignment. Therefore, we can match and compete with men in various leadership roles.

“The unique governing style that the APC is proposing can only be achieved, if women are given the right of place in the polity.”

Why I kept data about my next of kin secret — Obasanjo

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ORMER President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday registered for the National Identity Card (NIC) and kept the information about his next of kin away from the prying eyes of hordes of reporters and camera lens bent on capturing all personal data about him.

According to him, this would help to prevent undue "publicising of it" by the media.

Obasanjo, who arrived the National Identity Management Commission(NIMC) office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, at 1:35pm and received by the

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Ernest NWOKOLO, Abeokuta

NIMC's officials led by the Director of Identity Card Database(DICD), Engr. Aliu Azeez(Abuja Office), quickly had his height measured and fingerprints also taken.

But when it got to the column requiring information regarding next of kin, the former President picked a piece of paper, covered it with his hand, wrote the name of the person and handed it over to the NIMC.

Turning to the direction of the curious reporters and surging television cameramen, Obasanjo said: "I have decided to keep my next of kin

secret and away from you. If you should know it, you will go about publicising it."

Obasanjo, who spoke with reporters later, expressed con-

Sagay, Sonaiya , others move to save Nigeria

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OREMOST legal lumi nary, Professor Itse Sagay(SAN), and social crusader, Professor Remi Sonaiya, are joining forces with other patriotic Nigerians and groups to save the ship of state from sinking.

At a forum in Lagos, where three books authored

by Professor Sonaiya namely

“Day Break Nigeria – This Nation Must Rise”, “Trust to Earn”, and “Igniting Consciousness – Nigeria and other Riddles” were launched, there was a consensus by the various groups and notable individuals present decrying the sorry state of the Nigerian nation.

‘Unite to develop Nigeria’

HE Nigerian Ambassa dor to Austria, His Ex cellency, Abel Adelakun Ayoko, has called on Nigerians resident in Austria to come together and work for the unity of Nigeria.

Ayoko, who was speaking at the launch of the Oodua People’s Union (OPU) in Austria, held at the Centenary Hall, Vienna, Austria, advised Nigerians to form a solid union and work for the interest of Nigeria, irrespective of their ethnic background.

He commended the organizers of the OPU for their foresight, urging the members and other Nigerians in Austria to be good ambassadors of Nigeria in their daily activities.

“I am happy that the OPU is a socio-cultural organization. The truth is that if you don’t have a culture, then you don’t have an identity. I call on all of you to be good ambassadors of our great

Segun AJIBOYE country by engaging yourselves in activities that will promote the image of Nigeria and ensure that we are indeed a country to be reckoned with in the world.”

In his welcome address, the Chief Promoter of the OPU, Otunba Gani Adams, said the organization was established to create a platform for Yoruba sons and daughters to unite and work for the progress of Yoruba people across the world.

Adams, who received tumulus ovation from the crowd, said in view of the current challenges confronting Nigeria, the time has come for all Yoruba to join hands and work for the common interest of their race.

“The launch of the OPU in Austria today is a fulfillment of the determination of some positive-minded fellows among us to ensure that there is a generational platform

fidence that the National Identity Card project, if sustained, would help tackle many security challenges facing the nation.

for Yoruba sons and daughters, wherever they may be, to rekindle those spirits that made us stand out among others in the past.”

Earlier, OPU Coordinator in Europe, Akogun Banji Ojo, called on Nigerians in the Diaspora to unite and support the Nigerian government to overcome all the

challenges confronting it.

Other dignitaries at the well-attended event include Mr. and Mrs. George Alaba, the parents of Nigerian-born Bayern Munich defender; Chief Chucks Ugbor; Mr. Valentine Ogunya, Patron, Oodua and OPU coordinators in France, Holland, Germany, Norway and Finland among others.

Post UTME: UI awards scholarships to six candidates

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HE Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan (UI), Prof Isaac Adewole has approved scholarship awards for six best candidates that sat for the university’s post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) last Saturday.

The six candidates are Animashaun Olukayode Daniel, Ajari Erioghene Esther, Oteri Efeturi Deta,

Ojo Olawale Oluwadmilare, Omitoyin Oluwaferanmi and Aremu Matthew Oluwadamilola.

Prof Adewole disclosed this yesterday while addressing journalists on the summary of the 2014/2015 post UTME result.

According to him, Animashaun Daniel was the overall best candidate who scored 90, while the other five candidates scored 80.

In a communiqué described as “ The Royal Hall Declaration”, it was stated that people of integrity, patriotism and like minds, irrespective of organizations, callings or political affiliations as nation builders have agreed to merge with a socio – political group “Movement for Fundamental Change (MFC) and identify other individuals and groups as well as proper political vehicle that shall deliver to Nigerians quality dividends of democracy.

In the statement jointly signed by Professor Itse Sagay, chairman at the occasion, and Oloye Adegboyega Adeniji, chairman of the MFC, it was observed that each time Nigerians come together as a one united people to fight genuine cause of nation building, whether it is the termination or military rule or term elongation, the will of the people had always prevailed.

Other prominent members of the group that endorsed the document included: Professor Remi Sonaiya, convener of the forum, Chief Martin Onovo, Head of Movement, Alhaji Galtima Limma, co-founder of movement, Mr. Achike Chude, secretary of movement, Professor Alozie, co-founder, and Mr. Bunmi Oni, former Managing Director of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, amongst others.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

COMMENTARY

7

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In Britain the issues we are discussing today created a dispute between the Church and the state, a familiar tussle in the evolution of parliamentary democracy in that former colonial empire

Global terrorism, religious freedom and democracy RAISE the Lord and pass the ammunition‘ was a favourite quotation of mine in my younger days when I found it heroic and a sign or clarion call of valour and virtue, in the face of troubles and challenges. Nowadays that feeling has taken a good hiding or a back seat in my estimation. This was inevitable given the advent of religious violence and militancy prevalent in various parts of the world especially Nigeria nowadays. Frankly, I do not think I will be amused in any way, if anyone shouted that favourite phrase of praise in my vicinity nowadays. This is because in the real world of religious intolerance and Islamic militancy threatening world peace today, one should indeed flee, bolt and take cover or vamoose into thin air in a jiffy, if any religious slogan is shouted near you as the speaker could as well be a suicide bomber - or worse still a young lady- as had happened in many bloody Boko Haram bombings that have claimed many innocent lives in Nigeria in recent times.

In Nigeria, the 200 abducted Chibok girls are still in the violent captivity of Boko Haram whose leader boasted that they would be sold into a marriage market he said existed after their conversion to Islam. For now, nobody, not even our government, can confirm if he had carried out his threat or not as nobody knows their where about, months after they vanished into thin air like the Malaysian plane carrying about the same number of passengers and crew that have equally not been found.

Yet in Nigeria it has been business as usual. Indeed tomorrow Nigeria’s Under 20 female team, the Falcons, the same age group with the 200 Chibok girls will play in the finals of the Fifa Soccer Competition and will be rewarded amply by the Nigerian government and people win or lose. Yet the Chibok 200 girls are still missing. Of course the Chibok girls, missing or even found, are no threat to world or Nigerian peace or security. For now the greatest threat to Nigerian peace is the 2015 elections and the threat by Northern elders that the incumbent President should stop his mobilisation of Nigerians in the 6 geopolitical zones to launch his re election bid.

Which showed that the Northern elders really like to back at the moon. Or else it should be apparent to them that if a Commander in Chief can successfully mobilise federal might to secure state elections then he should be more than capable to secure his own re election, the protestations or warnings of the Northern elders not withstanding. I say this boldly because I find it insensitive of the Northern elders who have tasted and wielded power - Aso rock power for that

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matter, and known its potency as an intoxicant, to dare their successor who now wields the same power, if not more, with such impunity. They are really marching where angels fear to tread and must be prepared for a bitter surprise available to only those who survive standing in front of a moving train as the late MKO of June 12 would have said. Of course the irrepressible late MKOa great man of many proverbs once told his presidential running mate that a bird does not tell another when a stone is coming. That surely would be good advice for Northern elders as they face an incumbent president who like them sees the 2015 elections as infinitely more important than the fate of the 200 abducted and still missing Chibok girls.

With regard to the US, Iraq, and Britain, the threats posed by terrorism to religious freedom and democracy, as shown from events in those nations this week, are quite revealing and educative especially with how they are being confronted. This is because in Nigeria we treat these issues like the proverbial ostrich with its head buried in the sand thinking that nobody is seeing it whereas its problems will not go away and will be there when it un buries its head. That explains why right before our eyes Boko Haram is becoming a state within a state and has this week seized a training academy for anti riot police near Gwoza in the NE of Borno State where there is state of emergency to contain the same Boko Haram insurgency. Serially and with speedy impunity Boko Haram has killed and maimed Nigerians and Nigerian soldiers such that the valor and bravery of our troops had to be defended by the military spokesman, a General who took pains to explain the difficult situation of soldiers wives in barracks protesting that their husbands will not fight unless they are well equipped against Boko Haram.

In the US the Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel came out this week to identify the terror group IS – Islamic State as the greatest threat to US Security today. Yet the IS is fighting to unseat the government of Iraq in Baghdad, so far away from the US Homeland. But the Americans nowadays under President Barak Obama have no stomach for any war as the situation in Iraq could have been avoided if the US had done what it is doing in Iraq today - with air strikes to save minority Christians and Yazidis from the murderous terror of IS -in Syria when President Bashir Assad used chemical weapons against the Syrian opposition calling for the overthrow of Assad. The US dithered then and Jihadists infiltrated the Syrian Opposition crystallising in the emergence of first the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq – ISIS- and now, IS led

by Sunni militants heading towards Baghdad before US airstrikes stopped them. Now the US Chief of Defence Staff has said that IS cannot be defeated unless its head-

‘

quarters in Syria is destroyed. Which, added to the warning by the US Defence Secretary simply means that the Americans must return to their vomit in Syria and execute the air strikes or red lines they averted in Syria over chemical weapons, this time to guarantee their own security in their own backyard or homeland in the US. What a long and treacherous journey back for US Middle East Foreign Policy!

In Britain the issues we are discussing today created a dispute between the Church and the state, a familiar tussle in the evolution of parliamentary democracy in that former colonial empire. The Bishop of Leeds the Right Reverend Nicholas Baines recently wrote a letter to the British PM David Cameron accusing him that his government’s policy on religious freedom was not dynamic enough to protect Christians being persecuted in their thousands in Iraq. The bishop who said he had the endorsement of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Church of England on the letter, asked how many Iraqi Christians have been offered asylum in Britain based on their plight of utter persecution by the IS in Iraq.

Which is a pertinent question which unfortunately puts the British PM in a quandary because the British people are in no mood for any war after they crucified Tony Blair his predecessor over the Iraqi Invasion of 2003 with the former US President George Bush, over weapons of mass destruction. That the British have a long memory and to show that the anti Iraq war coalition is not dead in Britain, was shown the way Parliament voted across party lines to restrain the PM , David Cameron from going to deal with Assad in Syria when the issue of use of chemical weapons surfaced at the beginning of the Syrian uprising. Now David Cameron is still handcuffed by the fury of the Iraqi anti war coalition and the Church of England seems to be compounding the impotence of a PM caged by a Parliament and a people that have lost the stomach for foreign wars. This is made worse by the fact that David Cameron himself has once declared as useless ‘multiculturalism ‘which his predecessor used to fight the dangers of terrorism in post colonial Britain. Sadly the British PM can only wring his hands in embarrassment as the Church of England tries to prod the state to find its balls on religious freedom in good, old Britain over the fate of Iraqis in far away Iraq. Really the British are seeing how fast the chicken have come home to roost after colonialism and now globalisation and I am not too sure that they for now really know how to cope. All the same I honestly wish them the best of luck which seems very scarce in old democracies such as theirs in today’s turbulent politics of global Islamic militancy.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

COMMENTARY

The trial of Nuhu Ribadu (…and a recant) Back then on August 9, 2008 on Knucklehead… ’ll be blunt: this government has not given the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, his deserved respect and honour. Regardless of the grouses some of us nursed against his style while he reigned as the czar of the anti-graft body, he remains a distinguished police officer. My worry has nothing to do with the politics surrounding last Tuesday’s announcement of his demotion from the rank of an Assistant Inspector General to that of a Deputy Commissioner of Police. It has to do with our queer way of rewarding those who commit their lives to doing that which is right at all times. By every standard, Ribadu is not a perfect human being, but he rightly belongs to the category of Nigerians that should be treated with utmost respect. He does not deserve to be nailed on the barn door and left in the sun to dry. Somehow, that is exactly what the President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (as he then was) administration is doing—it is kicking Ribadu in the groin and, at the same time, asking him to ignore the pain. How callous!

When, early this year, Azubuike Ishiekwene, Executive Director Publications (as he then was), in The PUNCH stable came out with a book detailing Ribadu’s travails at the hands of the powerful forces attempting to muzzle the anti-corruption campaign and get the lawyer turned crack police officer off the swinging chair of the EFCC, I had dismissed it as a needless cry. My argument then was (and still is) that the operations of the EFCC should not be tied to the apron strings of one man. I had also poked fun at those who expressed fears over Ribadu’s selection for a capacity building course at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State. By the way, I still hold firmly to this belief.

In what has turned out to be a blind trust in the ability of Mr. Yar’Adua to walk his talk about fighting corruption and caging the rampaging wolves in the system, I said it was not only patently disingenuous but also jejune for anybody to "gloat that Ribadu’s nine-month stint at the NIPSS could spell the death knell for the fight against corruption or that it was designed as an exit point for a man who remains a shining symbol of hope in a country where leadership is corrosively corrupt." Well, I eat my words. I was wrong on one point. It is clear to me now that Ribadu’s exit and subsequent humiliation was choreographed from the top and the script handed to hirelings to execute!

It is not enough for the Police Service Commission to include 139 other names, including the late Haz Iwendi, a most distinguished gentleman, on the list of demoted officers. And I do not buy the argument that Ribadu was not the target of the exercise. It is even curious that the PSC has promised a post-humous elevation for Iwendi after publicly downgrading a man who died in active service and buried with full honours as Commissioner of Police. Is the PSC expecting Iwendi’s family to be gratified by the news of a sudden demotion of the rank of its late breadwinner and a ridiculous elevation to a rank that he was last addressed with on earth? It’s a clear case of ripping a man naked in public and covering him with an expensive robe thereafter. What a wicked insensitivity!

He might have been passionate about his job but, like I once wrote, Nuhu Ribadu overreached himself in many ways just like

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Knucklehead With

Yomi Odunuga E-mail:yomi.odunuga @thenationonlineng.net SMS only: 07028006913 his bosom friend, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai. That was why I never flinched in condemning him for turning into a monster in an attempt to nail the corrupt elements in the system. That mortal affliction reached its zenith when Obasanjo deployed him as his rabid attack dog ferreting for incriminating evidence against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. He trampled on people’s rights and, occasionally, spoke like the demi-god that had Ribadu’s balls at Aso Rock. That was bad.

He did many other condemnable things which had been documented. For example, he made a song and dance of the arrest and prosecution of corrupt governors and, in a show of double standard, discreetly withdrew and resold the two hundred million shares his boss’ firm bought in Transcorp. He dehumanized notable personalities allegedly involved in corrupt practices and trampled on the rule of law and due process. And he is yet to explain how some known crooks, including close aides to the former president, escaped the searchlight of his agency. Today, these persons strut the streets insulting our sensibilities with their sudden wealth.

But beyond that, Ribadu is an icon that should not be allowed to be rubbished by cheap politics. He it was who put his precious life on the line, battling the powerful forces that daily raid our collective inheritance with impunity. If he got promoted rapidly in the police force, it wouldn’t be because he influenced such promotions.

He was simply good at his job and those who demoted him cannot deny that fact. Some of these facts are contained in Azu’s book where he states that: "From 419 kingpins to ‘yahoo’ fraudsters and political bigwigs, and from ranking police officers to retired generals, Ribadu has stepped on many powerful toes. Out of the 400 or more of its cases that are in court, the EFCC has secured over 120 convictions, including that of a former IG and a former state governor. The agency has helped to recover over $5 billion in four years."

Azu’s book titled ‘The Trial of Nuhu Ribadu’ which, I must point out, is essentially pro-Ribadu, also reminds us that the former AIG initiated the "investigations that led to the smashing of the Emmanuel Nwude case—the biggest 419 case in history." And these fine points come to mind each time I think about the sacrilege of last Tuesday by the Mr. Parry Osayande-led PSC. The commission’s argument that the advancement of the affected officers violated stipulated criteria simply cannot wash. It is also doubtful if the PSC can push to a logical conclusion its veiled yet silly excuse that

Ribadu does not qualify to be selected for accelerated promotion based on its "special" criteria which stipulate, among other things, that the officer must have a record of exceptional performance; must have displayed exceptional act of gallantry and bravery outside the routine police duties. The point is simple: if Ribadu’s activities in the EFCC have been found to fall short of the stated criteria, then only someone from outer space stands a chance of getting accelerated promotion in the Nigeria Police Force!

The demotion of Ribadu, if I must add, will serve as a major source of de-motivation for younger police officers who once saw him as a hero. And I assure you such young officers are many. You can only imagine their collective disappointment with the Nigerian system. It is a big shame that heroes don’t live here anymore. It would have been better if Ribadu had been asked to resign as AIG with full honours and move on to other things if the tin gods that want him out are not up to a needless mischief. But because it is a season of long knives out there, common sense has taken a flight and the nation has been, once again, exposed to international ridicule. This is not just about Ribadu. It is about the wrong signal that we may be sending to the international community that, when it comes to fighting corruption, we simply do not have the guts to walk the talk. And that is the real shame in all this!

And now, August 23, 2014 on Knucklehead…

I wonder if I had not made a grave error in placing all my cards on the table and vouching for a man that was merely unfolding in a country in dire search for a true hero. No, this is not just a sudden burst of outrage against Ribadu because he has decided to move to a camp where his bread will surely be buttered. Even when he had joined the Action Congress of Nigeria and later emerged the party’s presidential candidate, some of us had wondered if that was not a perfect example of marriage of strange bedfellows. There was just something not right about this man jumping into the murky waters of politics, warts and all. He looked too clean, too decent, too aloof and too urbane for that kind of gang. So we thought.

Well, it turned out that we were wrong all the time. Ribadu is right. He is, like the rest of us, talking from both sides of the mouth, all noise without rhythm. He must have realised time was running out and he couldn’t beat them. The only available option is to join them. And that was exactly what happened. He owes no one, not even himself, any excuse for opting to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party in “pursuit of a good cause and never out of any selfish interests as portrayed by a section.”

Just this unsolicited advice for a man who has decided to throw all away on the altar of political expediency: Instead of thanking us, his admirers, for “bearing with me on this decision, and for those who have been in solidarity with my struggles and still giving me the benefits of the doubt, I’m most grateful. I’ll never let you down,” he should have simply explained off his fresh romance with those that hounded him into professional and political irrelevance in 2008 on the tested saying that, in politics, there are no permanent enemies but permanent interests. That’s all!

It’s not just the new face of politics in Nigeria. It has always been the only face of political prostitution that has left us in a quagmire.

There are no heroes. It’s just a jungle of pretenders!

Udiroko Festival: Dawn of a new year S the earth revolves in its orbit once in every 365 days, the ancient city of Ado would be agog on the 23rdof August 2014 to celebrate the annual Udiroko festival at the piazza of the Elizabethan opulence palace of Ewi of Ado Ekiti , Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe. The festival ushers in a new traditional year in the calendar of the people of Ado kingdom.

Udiroko festival like Ojude Oba in Ijebu Ode, Eyo in Lagos etc, is a festival with great deal of décor, dialogue, action and music. It is also an avenue for the gathering of the citizens to showcase their various cultural and social activities.

Indigenes put down their stakes while social and non political organisations such as Egbe Omoibile, Ado Acephalous, non-political organisation, Obasitu Reformers Club, Egbeomo Ewi, Ado Dynamic Club and the famous Erukulele Group feature prominently in the global mode.

Unit heads of traditional guard called Elegbe Oguro and their men in regalia, the array of oloris, and the Efa chiefs, i.e the traditional police also take up parade with serene satisfaction. The events sometimes impose a culture of silence on strangers as the oba’s wives adore with musical baritone of ancient drums orchestrated in textual lines the pragmatic praise songs of the king. Rulers of satellite towns, political office holders also converged with Indigenes to pay homage to Kabiyesi Ekun Obarisa, the Ewi of Ado Ekiti. Indeed it is a collective extravaganza extended with its routine and toleration to every parts of the country. It sometimes transcends traditional conventions as elite and nobility are included.

If truth be told, Ado Ekiti is a place to visit at Udiroko festival, a city with aesthetic beauty punctuated by outcroppings of gunmetal rocks,and green acres. Indigene distinguished their monarch in boastful and blatant demagogue witty remarks of an earthly viceroys held in awe and respect; Un Ewi Ayebati ‘wiLegbaOrun‘gba. Satellite towns sometimes become weary of expedient conversion as they quarrelled with their gods to accept the reasons while Ado should remain at the centre of the solar system with others as its orbit. Ewi continues to live a dignified life as a shadow or reflection of god’s rule in the universe, hence, whatever he pronounces as the generic title holder at the apex of the strata, the gods of cosmos affirm. This also confirmed some of his fore sires’ feats worthy of record and their central political roles in important events.

The modern day Udiroko festival is celebrated with pomp and ceremony heralded by the speech from the throne, highlighting the happenings in the outgoing year, the plans and activities in the new year also delighted in the new distinctions. Without intention to cast aspersion, Ado people

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Ayo FAJANA

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demonstrate classical egotism as they guilefully averred in a flattering glib of cultural preference to their monarch – EwibemiUdiroko, OlitajibemiEsunsueinko se olojameji ma buseEwiAalo. In a loose mode of speech, it is an expression of unity in diversity and self portrait of consistent voice of the ancient progeny.

In the old, Ewi’s terrestrial authority knows no bounds; Princes who are rulers of tributary communities rendered their stewardship and pay annual tributes.The present ruler of Ado-Ekiti (Elewi) is said to be among the sixteen original sons of Oduduwa and the title was given by Oduduwa the ancestor of Yoruba race to his son Ewi whom he regarded as the Prince ‘who spoke truly’. However, the ancient kingdom has come under increasing criticisms as an archaic relic, badly in need of an overhaul until the British colonial administration and the arrival of the white missionaries. Hurricane of fresh air blowing through the oldest secular institution inevitably brought calls for reasons, ADO became the political headquarter of Ekiti since the last two centuries. The traditional institution now becomes less stuffy, less high-bound by protocols and traditions and more people-friendly in a

vague kind of way that few could precisely define until Ekiti state was created with Ado as the capital city in 1996. The time changes and we must not forever look backward merely to glorify the past. Ado people do not want to abolish their monarchy, they just want to feel closer to it. Ado monarchical system is about people and its worth is judged to a large extent by the character of Ewi as the principal player at any given time. Even when Oba Adejugbe does not exist to be the anchor in Ekiti politico’s soap opera for the public entertainment, he is the traditional head of the ancient Ado kingdom including those survived to be adapted and those been forced not to adapt again to his suzerainty.

His faultless conduct in that role as often, is obscure in the last century by the trails and follies of Ado cousins across the rivulets of Omosuo Adanun, Ogbese and beyond. Today, Ado has much to contend with the buffoonery of vassalage to the acrimonious parting of some villages from Ado kingdom, but in long time to come; these foibles will be seen as no more than minor death in the side of the throne. Debates and the significance changes involved whether the cumbersome apparatus of the monarchy perceived by the vassalage to be too big, too out -of- touch with his subjects is giving the kingdom value for its long history. That the debate is taking place at all is partly a result of the revolt. The fresh approach of live and let others live cast sympathetic shadows on Ewi and the royal family by the time of local government separation of most towns and villages in the old Ekiti Central in 1996. The situation therefore raised questions about the existing structure of the monarchy and its style- Is the Oba making enough contacts with his humbler subjects? Does his court really have to be run by chiefs with little knowledge of democratic governance? Is the monarchy soaking up too much revenue?

Must a dozen or more of the chiefs really have to be supported with good salaries?

Ado kingdom has a long political history, its origin is usually traced to the time Ewi Gberubioya magnanimously dispersed nation of princes and princesses around 1630 but still recognised as the sovereign over Ado kingdom. The kingdom has survived because it has constantly adapted or been forced to adapt to all that takes to govern a vast empire. Ewi Arutawekun 1710 -1722 lost his throne and life to his abductors during the 17th century because he would not change his style of rule. The crown has long been stripped of most of its real powers and almost entirely symbolic. Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe undoubtedly exercises discreet degree of influence that comes from such a long reign and accumulation of expe-

• Continued on page 9

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

COMMENTARY

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Ebola? Close the borders...Now!!! (2) •Continued from last week So, as we continue to groan and moan about the late Patrick Sawyer’s lack of good judgment in deciding to travel to Nigeria despite his infection and the Liberian government’s ‘worthlessness’ of letting a man who had been known to have contact with a victim of Ebola travel out, Nigeria’s lack of full-proof preventative measure is now posing, to other countries, the same threat Liberia posed to us.

The arrival of Ebola in Nigeria should be of great concern to every nation in the world. No country deserves the curse of Ebola, but the one country in Africa that Ebola does not need to find a base is Nigeria. With a population of approximately 170 million people, with a community so overcrowded and clustered, with an environment so overwhelmed with pollution, with borders so porous that insurgents navigate it at will, with hundreds of International flights leaving the country weekly, Nigeria would be a most dangerous hub for Ebola to fester.

The Nigerian authorities must understand that, with such an epidemic, the domestic and global situation cannot be kept separate because any lapse we have domestically can have dire global implications. Nigeria must appreciate the weight of the world to ensure the complete eradication of Ebola from within its borders that is presently resting on its shoulders. The very nature of Nigerian communities and family structures, the overcrowding, lack of access to health care and our over imaginative superstition, all provide a viral breading ground for a disease like Ebola.

Nigeria has a duty to its citizenry, the same duty Guinea failed its people, the same duty Liberia failed its people, and the same duty Sierra Leone failed its people, by shutting its borders, not only to protect our country from Ebola-prone countries but also to protect other countries from us, until the epidemic can be controlled. Failure to carry out this preemptive and decisive action would further render the world vulnerable and susceptible to a global pandemic.

It must be said that the Lagos government has done an extra ordinary job in trying to contain the virus. The rapid response of the authorities in Lagos, in setting up quarantine centers, creating awareness, providing the required equipment and constantly updating the public with information has been remarkable. If such a heavy burden and responsibility had to be imposed on any of our governments within the country, it is somewhat of a relief that it lay on the most organised and competent authority in Nigeria. However, even with that, as the ground zero of Ebola in Nigeria, Lagos State should also consider shutting its borders for the duration of the stipulated incubation period while continuing with the awareness campaigns enlightening the populace of the effects of the Ebola virus and the importance of reporting any suspected case within the period that lives can be saved. This should also apply to any state where a case of Ebola is found. Once people understand that the only way to stop the virus is to prevent it and the only way to save the life of an infected person is to treat the symptoms early after infection, one would believe that people would cooperate and come forward when symptoms occur. If the virus is not contained and eradicated within Lagos and is allowed to get out of the state, the consequence would be extremely colossal for a population of 170million people and, by extension, for the world.

For the future, African countries have got to try and improve the capacity of its various hygiene and medical systems to respond to all these health emergencies, whether it is Ebola, Lassa fever, Marbug, Cholera or any other disease. However, for now, sanitary gloves, disinfectants, sanitizers and face-masks (the likes of which I am displaying) should be made available to people in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria in sensitive environments such as hospitals and laboratories to further help in curbing the spread of the virus. The basic protective gear, such as masks and gloves, will primarily benefit those in high-risk envi-

ronments but it’s not necessary for every day or domestic use.

Also, decisive action has got to be taken on some very worrying and emerging elements of this disease. Since news of Ebola broke, government authorities and medical experts have been battling misinformation and folktales with the capacity to worsen the situation. In one such incident a prank about ‘salt’ having the ability to kill Ebola was started by an attention seeking young woman who later sent a ‘salty’ confession to the media, if only to reinforce that desperation for attention. (Her gloating confession can be read on the following link: http://ynaija.com/site/this-lady-says-she-started-the-salt-andwater-ebola-joke-read/). ‘But-for’ the fact her antics allegedly lead to the death of, at least two people and 20 others being hospitalized for consuming an excessive quantity of salt in order to protect themselves from the virus, she could have been known as a trifling-little-fool. But now, she is something much worse.

And one would hope that she understands the high price that has been paid and the shocking tragedy that has come from her quest for her five-minutes of fame.

Government must clamp down on those promoting false theories on, not just salt, but bitter kola as well. Equally, authorities must vehemently warn Muslim and Christian clerics and traditionalists from utterances that suggest an alternative to conventional medicine. Faith and spirituality is, no doubt, the most important component of any struggle and challenge, but we must ensure that it is channelled in a way that will help our communities follow the instructions of medical experts to contain and eradicate the disease as opposed to hindering efforts to try and get it under control. All religious leaders and herbalists must be given the explicit order not to make public statements on Ebola that may have dire results.

Another necessary target group for the authorities to clamp down on are the people who continue to insist on hunting and eating bush meat, despite the stern warning of the danger it may carry. Handling uncooked bat with the virus strain and eating bush meat are some of the ways experts suspect that the Ebola virus has been transmitted from the animal world to the human one, after which human-to-human contact then becomes possible.

Since the outbreak of the disease, several countries have banned the hunting or trading of bush meat. But unfortunately in most of those countries, many have ignored the ban and continued to expose themselves and the larger community to the risk of contracting the virus through their ingestion of bushmeat. In an Al Jazeera news interview (which can be seen on the following link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZohUJXRECQ *recommended to watch*), the chairman of the Nigerian National Association of Hunters, Olasehinde Afolabi, insists that he will continue eating bush meat. In the clip, when the reporter interviews him, Mr. Afolabi lividly declares, “It’s a lie… It’s a beyond lie! If they don’t want bush meat, they should not eat it, but we the hunters… they cannot say we should not eat it and they cannot tell the public not to be eating it.’ …Now, wait, wait, what? Did Mr. Afolabi just allude to the fact that he will continue hunting and eating bush meat, no matter the threat posed? Wow! One is inclined to think that this rep-

rehensible attitude that Mr. Afolabi is displaying may somehow constitute a weak link in the national effort to contain and overcome Ebola! Maybe if he could, just for a minute, put his seemingly insatiable avarice for, ‘poached monkey’s brain pepper soup,’ ‘smoked bat and armadillo orishirishi’ or anything even remotely edible aside, he would understand that the struggle to protect and save the world population is much more important than satisfying his over-active taste buds and filling his belly!

Here we are, in a race against time, trying to get under control a ginormous threat to humanity and there is the chairman of the Nigerian National Association of Hunters, risking the lives of every single one of us just so that he and his hunters can enjoy a piece of unidentifiable animal part. At this point the Nigerian authorities should take the threat that is posed by the actions of every gluttonous, carnivorous, bush-meat-eating biped very seriously and completely ban the hunting, trade and congestion of bush meat, until further notice. And in the mean time, the burly-men in the black suits and black ray bans from the official ‘relevant authorities’ might just consider paying a little visit to this overzealous meat eater and having a wee word with the ravenous Mr. Olasehinde Afolabi! Maybe if he saw the images of the pain and suffering of Ebola victims or heard the tears of the families of those who have died, he would know how serious this issue is and how reckless his actions are. It is advisable for us to be cautious.

We have already partaken in the blunder of the century by allowing Ebola to come into Nigeria. Back in March and April, as soon as it was widely publicized that there was an Ebola virus outbreak in the West African region and it had begun spreading to other countries other than Guinea, where it originated from, the Nigerian government should have closed all air and land borders from affected countries or, at the very least, screened all the people coming into Nigeria from those locations. And the blame does not only lie on the government. Nigerian citizens have also failed to spread awareness and learn about this disease till now.

I have followed this Ebola story religiously since May of this year and I often speak about the disease on my social media pages. Some weeks ago, when I learnt that there was a suspected case of Ebola in Ghana, I wrote a full op-ed on it. The feedback that I received from readers on my e-mail and social media pages were very negative and disappointing to me. A lot of readers suggested that I had ‘misplaced priority’ by writing and speaking out extensively about the Ebola virus and the Gaza situation, which were not problems that Nigerians were dealing with. They suggested that I should have concentrated all my efforts ‘solely’ on writing about the return of our Chibok girls because that was the domestic issue that was plaguing us. I was quite appalled with the response and although I could understand where they were coming from, I could honestly not appreciate their rationale.

•To be continued next week

Re: Ebola? Close the borders…Now!!!

In an Article published last Saturday titled “Ebola?

Close the borders…Now!!!” our columnist, Hannatu Musawa wrote that Patrick Sawyer, a victim of Ebola, may have travelled from Liberia to Nigeria because of a directive from his employers, ArcelorMittal SA. In fact, ArcelorMittal SA had no knowledge of his travel and did not send Mr Sawyer to Nigeria. They had referred Mr Sawyer to the Ministry of Health to be held in quarantine with daily monitoring and had requested him not to return to work until he had safely passed through a 28-day period. We apologise for the error.

— Editor

Udiroko Festival: Dawn of a new year • Continued from page 8 rience. Almost his every royal acts is done on the advise of his traditional chiefs, he summons and dissolves committee of the palace, appoints his chiefs on the advise of the respective clans, declares war against the erring and disloyal title holders, gives royal assent to lawful dethronement, consents public office holders of good character, pardons the convict at his royal courts and confers honours to desirable ones.

Oba Adejugbe has always appointed astute and professional people to run the monarchy with ruthless efficiency. A major factor in the Oba Adejugbe’s enduring success and popularity is his perfect understanding of his constitutional role and his refusal to ever been drawn into active politics.

His true function is above politics, he is the embodiment of the nation state and the guarantee that the kingdom shall continue to exist.The role grows in importance as the ancient Ado kingdom surrenders major decision making to the government of Ekiti State, same time offers a degree of self government to its constituent parts. To retain its validity, the Oba must still court popularity and be seen to be a proper representative of his people otherwise it would come to be regarded as irrelevant in a larger traditional societytussling his rightful position among the sixteenth Ekiti Pelupelu.

Ado has always dispelled an image that it is stock in the past of old privileged aristocracy. Ewi- in council has long sensed and been quietly told by some handwriting on the wall that there is a desire to beef up effective monarchy without completely destroying its colour, ceremony and tradition.

Changes since the Morgan chieftaincy commission of 1978 have been significant and far reaching. Morgan has taken away some rights and privileges particularly the right of

annexation. Once a community is being recognised by the government, their Baale wears the crown all about. Even if a village has few houses with some handful population, the head of the place becomes an Oba with paraphernalia. Some aberrant princes with pet ideas taking the advantage to word off over lordship or probably to avenge bruised ego now struts about with air of importance having the support of the government to insult contemptuously some first class Obas simply because of the rejection of their ancestors’ deft historical manipulation. The traditional institution presents a paradox; appealing for its grandeur and panoply of symbolisms.

Yet it is repelling for near impotence in the power structures of the modern state. Ado tradition could hardly blend now with the pride of Ado la ti a jewi or the delight of Amosoroun o eh by the realities of our environment. Obas have been completely reduced, they must not have feelings, beliefs and opinions, and if they do they must not express them. Yet, they are expected not to take preference, even though the policy and the actions of those in power may affect them like every other person. Worst still, they are forced to dance to the drum beat of whoever is in power even if the Obas and the vast majority of their subjects hate the sound and find the beat undanceable. They must not descend so low as to be full time players in the profane world of business. They must on the contrary wait for their manna to drop from heaven and that heaven can be pure hell if it is occupied by a hostile government.

There have been token attempt to insert more down- to earth tourist visits into the Ewi’s palace. The Nigeria Breweries, MTN service provider and the foreign attaché from the embassies had set the pace and it is left for the

palace to utilise every opportunity to conserve and to re-dedicate. The palace needs a museum, a standard library, newsletters or royal dispatch, royal diary and a palace historian who will logically and timely follow up the work of the late griot, Monseigneur Anthony Oguntuyi who had contributed immensely to the history of Ado Ekiti.

Oba Adejugbe is at heart a traditionalist and it is hardly unlikely at his life time thathe would make sweeping changes to the kingdom’s style of monarchy, for example; Olorunborun Day popularly known as Udirokois like Halloween holiday in Europe. The day was symbolically associated with the period of praise worship when prayers were offered to the heavens. Like the eve of All Souls days which were observed to purify the spirit of the dead in Rome.

Ado war chiefs are led by Bafonin an all night jamboree following the assemblage of other military commanders and mercenaries to give an annual post war reports.

Oba Adejugbe Aladesanmi III knows that continuity in the crown is the strongest suit; significant change of approach must wait till the next century. The true legacy of the preceding Ewis; Odundun Anirare Aladesanmi II and Oba Samuel Adeyemi Adelabu were not minor shuffling of the royal engagement diary to satisfy some vague personal desires.

The royal precursors had given the kingdom its long time future in the intelligent, Dr. Adeyemo Adejugbe Aladesanmi III. CON ,JP. I prayerfully wish him, the entire household and all citizens of Ado Ekiti a prosperous new traditional year and I say floreat collegium.

•Fajana writes from Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State

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Women centre inducts 215 trainees

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HE Director General, National Centre for Women Development, (NCWD), Lady Onyeka Onwenu,

has once again reiterated the fact that Nigeria is a land of opportunities where a wide range of services can be rendered to its over 160 million people.

Onwenu made this assertion while addressing the new batch of students admitted into the various skills acquisition programmes of the centre, at an orientation ceremony held recently.

She stated that the decisions made by the students to enrol for the programmes was a wise one and that “it was also a good step towards the realisation of their potential in order to contribute to the growth of the society, not only by empowering themselves but also by aiming to be employers of labour.”

She urged them to find a niche for themselves in the service industry where the needs of the country’s population are too numerous to be saturated.

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MOSOP accuses Wike of planned mayhem in Ogoni

HE Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) yesterday alleged plan by the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, and his supporters in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to unleash mayhem in the four Ogoni Local Government Areas of Khana, Gokana, Eleme and Tai in Rivers State, today.

The alleged mayhem

Bisi OLANIYI, Port Harcourt

,according to MOSOP ,will be preceded by a protest against the agigation by the Ogoni to produce the next governor of the state.

Wike,an Ikwerre ,is believed to be interested in the 2015 governorship race.

MOSOP President , Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, said the Minister was ‘desperate’ to cause trouble

PDP, Presidency in dilemma over Ribadu •Continued from Page 2 “So, the situation as it is now, means that all the aspirants would have to carry their various ambitions on the strength of their structures because it is obvious we cannot afford to toy with Adamawa.

“The former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is from there and there are intelligence reports that he is waiting in the wings to lure any of the PDP aspirants with the APC ticket in case we force them to step down for Ribadu.

“But far more fearful is the fact that some of the aspirants, we learnt, are already ganging up to raise a legal issue out of the manner in which Ribadu registered as a member of PDP. “The truth is that Ribadu was not expected to register through a proxy. We expected him to go to his state and do such personally.

But now, our problem is simple- what if any of the aspirants heads to court and insists that Ribadu did not join the PDP through due

process? It is really intriguing, I can say for now.

“So with all these developments coming up daily, Mr President has instructed that no one should brandish his name on the issue any longer, especially as it affects the issue of Ribadu.

“We all thought the deal could sail through, but from all indications, we at the level of the party’s apex leadership and the Presidency have to be very cautious on this matter because we cannot afford to entrap our party for the sake of an individual.”

Speaking with reporters at the PDP secretariat on Thirsday, one of the aspirants, Auwal Tukur, admitted that there have been pressure on other aspirants to step down for Ribadu, but he vowed never to bow to the pressure.

“I have not stepped down for Ribadu and I don’t intend to step down for him or anyone else,” he said. “I have come here this afternoon to pick up my

form. That alone is an indication that I am in the race.

“We are all going to face the primary election. I am not aware of any consensus arrangement centred around Ribadu. I have paid my dues as a politician and I will not be a party to any undemocratic agenda.”

Gulak also warned the party leaders against any attempt to impose Ribadu on other aspirants, saying such moves could have a disastrous effect on the chances of the party at the election.

He recalled that the former Adamawa Governor, Murtala Nyako, who was impeached a few weeks ago, was imposed on the PDP by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2007.

“That experience is enough to deter whoever is contemplating a similar idea to have a rethink, because any aspirant sure of his popularity among the people should be confident enough to face primary election. ”When our party’s NWC released the time table, I was

the first to pick my forms, and today, I am sure I am the first to submit. This clearly shows that I have prepared for this election. ”In this election, there are serious aspirants, pretenders and spoilers. I believe our party can accommodate them all. But suffice it to say that I am dead serious on my aspiration.”

Marwa, who also submitted his completed nomination form, told reporters that there was every reason to be careful with the consensus option, saying there must be total agreement among all the aspirants for such consensus to stand.

Marwa said: “The issue of consensus is to be contemplated. There is absolutely nobody who wants to go through the rigours of all this stress. But having said that, I know the PDP is a party that wants the electoral process to be properly followed.

“You all know that this was what happened in Ekiti and Osun states, and there is no reason why the same process should not be followed in the case of Adamawa State”.

in Ogoni which he considers as the only obstacle to his governorship ambition.

Pyagbara said the alleged planned protest was “ to divide and destabilise, adversely affect cohesion and jeopardise the opportunity for the Ogoni to work with unity of purpose and concertedly to actualise the project 2015, as it relates to adequate political representation in the state.”

MOSOP warned that the approach “would only serve to hurt the cause of the aspirant (Wike) and deepen Ogoni resolve against political subservience.”

It added: “ We are also warning the mastermind (Wike) and his internal collaborators to immediately desist from implementing the plan, as the Ogoni people will not fold their arms, while their communities are thrown into turmoil.

“MOSOP is concerned that

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS

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ello Viewden, am a regular follower of your column and I must confess that I’m impressed with the way you help people solve their sexual problems. I’m a 58 year old man, who has been diabetic for 20 years and hypertensive for 15 years. I have used many drugs to treat these conditions and I guess that’s why I have NO erection at all. I recently remarried and my new wife is expecting so much from me. Kindly give me the range of your products that can help me -BJ Hello sir, I perfectly understand what situation you are in and the kind of pressure you are under. Firstly, I would say you should take it easy on your self by relaxing cos solution is here. I would advise you try either Vimax, Plant Vigra or Xzen 1200. Either of these herbal supplements will really help you by giving a strong erection on demand within minutes of using them. Plant Vigra especially works within 30 mins of usage causing the rush of blood to the penis and so also is Vimax which helps correct weak erection especially if the erectile problem has persisted for long.

One of my friends got Vigrx plus from you guys for penile enlargement and he recorded about one and half inch to the length after taking about 3 packs of Vigrx plus. I learn that as you grow older, your penis shrinks more which happen to be my case. My penis is so small compared to before and I’m older than my friend that used the Vigrx plus. Can I use it? Will it work for older people like me? Cos I’m 61 years ,is it safe to use without side effect?- Chief Uba Hello Chief, yes it’s true your penis shrinks as you grow older and yes Vigrx plus is safe for enlargement at any age. Like you said in your comment, your younger friend used 3 packs and thats for 3 months , for him to get one and half inch added to the length and we have recorded more length with people that used more than the 3 packs. Vigrx plus is herbal and increases both the length and thickness of the penis; but result varies with individuals and initial size of the penis.

( FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 13)

I have taken Prosolution pills and I now last longer on my woman. How long do I have to take it? I don’t want it to be addictive and I’m afraid if I stop, i’ll go back to experiencing premature ejaculation again. I also want to try Plant Vigra For very strong erection cos i’ve heard a lot about it. Can I try it? Abey Prosolution pills really helps correct premature ejaculation, but in most cases you don’t have to take more than 2 packs to totally correct premature ejaculation and after that you don’t need to take Prosolution again. It is not addictive cos the effect will last for a very long time provided you live a healthy lifestyle. And yes Plant Vigra is very effective for giving rock hard erection on demand.

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this man (Wike) is attempting to export violence into Ogoni, just to scuttle the Ogoni’s ambition, while he is busy organising his community to achieve electoral success.”

It asked those mobilised for the protest to “rise above parochial and partisan sentiments,” adding: “ What we understand is that the love of the governorship aspirant for Ogoni is hate.

Hence, we are warning that Ogoni people will resist every attempt to squeeze us into political oblivion. We also vow that we will act against any cancerous stand against our collective interest, be it internal or external.”

Chief Wike could not be reached yesterday for his reaction.

Wike’s spokesman, Simeon Nwakaudu,did not respond to several calls to his line .

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PEOPLE SOCIETY ROMANCE ENTERTAINMENT SPORTS

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WARRI: •One of the bus stops of the ongoing BRT project, which is still under construction

•The ever-busy Airport Road in Warri

Rolling mill of aristes, comedians •Ogunu Road

Warri metropolis is an unusual place not just because of its infrastructural development but because of some other factors that determine everyday life in the city, writes BOLAJI OGUNDELE. HERE is a widespread belief that the Delta region is full of varieties of gold. It is also believed that the area that constitutes the present Delta State is more endowed than other parts of the region not just in terms of the prized natural resource but also in terms of human capital. For instance, the state boasts many intellectuals and sports men and women with the agility of a horse. The state is a

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major producer of crude oil and gas and has in recent years worked to harness the bit left by the Federal Government in the energy sector for other sectors to maximise.

But numerous as the resources of Delta State are, one ‘export’ that seems to have transcended and outshone all others is the Waffi (another name for Warri metropolis) factor.

Warri is regarded as the economic headquarters of the state even though it was not made the capital at the creation of Delta State. These, combined with its natural roughness and social upheavals, make it a city that neither the state nor the Federal Government would want to joke with. Although Warri is small in size, it is heavily populated because it hosts most of Delta-based business concerns from which the state government derives a lot of revenue. Besides, it is home to three of the critical ethnic groups in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

Warri is basically made up of three council areas, namely Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-West. But in actual sense, the part of Warri that residents regard as ‘Warri City’ is constituted by Udu, Uvwie, parts of Ughelli South and Okpe local government areas. The Warri metropolis, as it is today, is a sort of shadow of its old self, considering the bubbling commercial centre it was before the infamous Warri crisis. Those who lived in the city before it was ravaged by the well documented ethnic crisis would vow that the city had no par before the crisis. It was the preferred destination for most visitors to Delta State, particularly those who wanted to relocate to the Niger Delta region.

But the city has recovered greatly from the injuries of the communal strife and the bubbly life for which it used to be known is gradually creeping back. Hence it still remains a place many people look forward to visiting for various reasons. One reason for which a visitor to the city would keep going back to the city is its special delicacy—starch with banga or owho soup. While there are varieties of meals that are original to Warri people, either of these soups, going

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e p a

c s y

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with starch, is a highly cherished meal. The popular delicacy cannot only be obtained from local joints around the city, a number of popular and classy eateries also cite it on their menu lists.

Night life was one aspect of Warri that was badly affected by the crisis. It was as if the crisis just rolled the night clubs, bars and joints off the ground like a rug. The spots that were known to provide a lot of fun simply closed shop during the crisis and they never returned.

Recalling the ugly period and the good times that predated it, Mrs. Jacinta Odiwe, a restaurant owner in Warri, said: “There used to be a fun spot called Caravan 4 around Ejemudaro with a branch on Odion Road. It closed down.” According to her, new fun spots have emerged with the resurrection of the city and the once beleaguered night life has returned to a large extent. Now places like the 911 Sports Bar at Ugbangue, The Range at Ajamogha, The Pub at Okumagba, Oxygen at the Airport Junction and the Warri Night Club at NPA are some of the places where night life is now flourishing.

Warri is also a city of awesome hotels. In fact, it would seem to a commercial mind that besides the natural gift of oil and gas, the next set of asset would be the hotels that dot the city. Among them is Wellington Hotel, a four star facility that has hosted numerous dignitaries and memorable events since it was commissioned. There are also multinational hotels like Golden Tulip and Protea, just as there are well planned and well equipped local ones like Kayriott and Excel, both situated on Refinery Road.

At the moment, the cinema is not the in-thing in Warri. But the popular Nigerian cinema franchise, Silverbird Galleria, has managed to break the ice by extending its tentacle to Warri, using a hall in Golden Tulip Hotel, along the busy NPA Expressway, by PTI Junction.

However, what the city lacks in cinemas and theatres, it adequately has compensated for with comedy shows. It is an undisputable fact that the Nigerian comedy club is mainly populated by Warri-grown comedians. Most of the well-known names in that entertainment genre are ‘Warri brought-ups’ like I Go Die, Gordons, AY, I Go Save,

Akpororo, Bovi Ugboma a.k.a Akpos, and many others who are yet to be known beyond the shores of the city but make their living from comedy. Warri is also home to music sensations like Oritsefemi, Omawumi, Sunny Okposo, Harrisong and so many others.

Besides the social allures of the city, places to visit and recreational activities to relish, the state government, from the James Ibori administration to the current Emmanuel Uduaghan regime, has not ceased to invest in infrastructural facilities aimed at making life better for residents of the city.

One of the good things about the city is that it is never in short supply of access roads, including dual carriage highways, streets, bypasses and laybys. The Effurun/Sapele Road, Warri/Sapele Road, Jakpa Road, Airport Road, the Refinery Road, Ajamogha Road, Okere Road, Esisi Road, Deco Road, Okumagba Avenue, Ogunu Road and Edjeba Road are just a few of the stretches of the web-like network of roads in the city, connecting all parts of the three major council areas that make up the greater Warri metropolis.

Not even a negligent observer would fail to see the state government’s modest effort at reducing the stress being experienced by commuters on the roads with the building of a Buses Rapid Transport (BRT) scheme along the Effurun/Sapele Road. Although the project is still under construction, the demarcation is already being used by impatient road users who would not wait for traffic jams to ease off.

Writing about the ‘Waffi Factor’ would be incomplete without a mention of the rich and sometimes rambunctious cultural composition of the city. Warri, they say, is a small town, populated by at least three tribes claiming aboriginal ownership of the city. Warri is the city of the Itsekiri, the Ijaw and the Urhobo. It is also the abode of other tribes, who although do not claim to be aboriginals still believe that they co-own the city.

Within Warri city, there is the Olu of Warri, who is Itsekiri by tribe and the Ovie of Uvwie who is Urhobo. It is this tribal heterogeneity that has from time to time fuelled the ethnic crises, which have over the years restricted its growth.

•The Angle Park Roundabout

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It is an undisputable fact that the Nigerian comedy club is mainly populated by Warri-grown comedians. Most of the well-known names in that entertainment genre are ‘Warri brought-ups’ like I Go Die, Gordons, AY, I Go Save, Akpororo, Bovi Ugboma a.k.a Akpos, and many others who are yet to be known beyond the shores of the city but make their living from comedy

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Our next competition and probably the toughest of the year is the World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from the 7th - 14th of September, 2014. We have ensured that the athletes are in a secluded and secure location for their preparations. Because wrestling is a contact sport and there are fears about Ebola, we have ensured that they virtually have no contact with the general public.

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SPANISH LA LIGA..SPANISH LA LIGA...SPANISH LA LIGA....

PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS...PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS...PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS...PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS...PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS...

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W 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

GF 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0

GA 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 3 2

GD 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -2 -2

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in early season blockbuster

FIXTURES Sat 23 Aug Málaga v Athletic Club Sevilla v Valencia CF Granada CF v Deportivo Almería v Espanyol Sun 24 Aug Eibar v Real Sociedad Barcelona v Elche Celta de Vigo v Getafe Levante v Villarreal

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Sat 23 Aug Hannover 96 v FC Schalke 04 E/Frankfurt v Sport-Club Freiburg Hertha BSC v SV W/Bremen 1. FC Köln v Hamburger SV Hoffenheim v FC Augsburg Dortmund v B/Leverkusen Sun 24 Aug SC Paderborn 07 v 1. FSV Mainz 05 Mönchengladbach v VfB Stuttgart

AKINLOYE

AT LARGE

08050246155 atlarge84@yahoo.com

THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

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STORY ON PAGES 42&43

40

THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

with KAYODE ALFRED

E-mail:kayflex2@yahoo.com Tel:08116759807 08035733605

THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

41 with KAYODE ALFRED

E-mail:kayflex2@yahoo.com TEL:08116759807

42

THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

The Deputy Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Robinson Nname Ewor, represents the Ahoada East Constituency One in the Rivers West Senatorial District. Recently, he suffered the misfortune of having his aged mother abducted by kidnappers. He recalls the ugly experience in an interview with BISI OLANIYI and speaks on the crisis in the House of Assembly, stating that the self-acclaimed speaker of the assembly, Evans Bipi, and the five legislators supporting him do not conduct themselves as the honourable members.

Ewor insists that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will win the 2015 elections in Rivers State on account of the performance of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. Excerpts:

THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

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Continued on Page 48

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THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

Crime Stories -

Okorie

Kunle AKINRINADE

Other

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

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CRIME & OTHER STORIES

‘How I managed to evade arrest for •Continued from 45

•Obinna

The suspect was also said to have a particular telephone line dedicated to communicating with those that worked for him. To avoid the prying eyes of security agents, he would not drink at a public place and not even his members knew the hotel he would lodge in at any particular time. He made sure that he did not deal directly with the drivers he hired to transport the goods he had hijacked to their final destinations.

To checkmate police surveillance, he did not allow only one driver to drive a hijacked truck from the point of collection to the final destination. He was said to have appointed supervisors who monitored the hijacked trucks and ensured that they followed the right track and to know if they were being trailed by policemen. None of the drivers ever met him, and he was said to have big warehouses in Cameroon, Kano and Onitsha where he took the stolen containers to.

Obinna was said to also have a gang of robbers who wore army uniform and pretended to be members of the federal task force on road monitoring.

The police source said: “Their mode of operation is very unique.

When they want to operate, they divide themselves into groups. The role of the first group was to go to where the truck was loaded, survey the place and come up with the plan on how to hijack the loaded truck.

“Then the group that would do the robbing proper would be in military uniform. The leader of the gang would order a member of the gang to arrest the driver, demand for the documents, order the arrest of the driver and conductor, asking them who told them to evacuate such goods and where they were taking them to.

“They would later handcuff the driver and the conductor while their members take over driving and conducting and the remaining members would sit in their operational bus to escort the truck to the destination they wanted.

“On the way, they would ask the driver and the conductor to alight. They would undress them so that they would be completely naked. They would then flog them thoroughly and order them to remain at the spot.

“Even when the bandits had departed, the driver and conductor would not be able to raise the alarm because people would that they were madmen and would not like to listen to

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switched off his phone and changed his line. He later dropped all his lines and left only the one with which he was transacting business some buyers he was expecting money from because they were owing him millions of naira for the goods he had supplied to them.

Unfortunately for him, SARS operatives monitored the only line he was using and traced him to Onitsha where he was due to meet a customer he wanted to collect money from. As soon as he emerged to collect the money from the man, SARS detectives arrested him at the motor spare parts market, Nkpor, near the flyover.

Obinna confessed to being the sponsor of two forty-feet containers containing tyres belonging to one Alex Oluwa. The tyres, he said, were taken to Cameroon through Calabar. He also confessed the hijacking of two containers of food supplements known as Forever Living Products. The food supplements were said to worth N33.6 million while the two containers of tyres were valued at N19 million. Their last operation was said to involve an industrial chemical of high density Poly PVC valued at N12 million and belonging to one Alhaji.

Speaking with our correspondent, Obina said: “I was not using charms and I was not disappearing. I was only smarter than the people that were looking for me. When I went into hiding, most of the robbers, who had been in hijacking business before I joined them, started mentioning my name.

“They were not telling the truth. They knew that if I came out, the police would arrest me.

So, whenever they were arrested, they would tell the police that I am their sponsor. I am not there to defend myself.

“I don’t have a girlfriend. I don’t want to marry because the police would come to where I am doing wedding or traditional marriage to arrest me once they hear that I want to marry. SARS operatives might come to my wedding to arrest me. That is why I don’t want to marry until my case is over.

“Again, I have many, agents, drivers and conductors working for me. I don’t trust any of them, so I never allowed any of them to come close to me. Everyone has a role to play.

Once you play your role, you are paid off.

Some of them have never seen my face. If they see me, they cannot recognise me because I do not deal directly with them. Out of the 60 people who work for me, not up to four have seen my face.

“If I want to travel, I do so alone. If I am going to Benin City, I will first stop at Asaba and lodge in a local hotel. I do not make straight journeys. A journey of two days can take me one week. And I spend a lot because such a life style is expensive. But it is good for me for security reasons. I can spend N500,000 lodging in a hotel for a few weeks, just for security reasons.

“I do not womanise because that is the easiest way for the police to capture me. I don’t even have a girlfriend or a particular boyfriend, especially since the time the police started looking for me. I did not save money from the loot. I only managed to build a storey building in my village before I went into hiding.

“I don’t sleep in my house at Ngozika Es-

I have many, agents, drivers and conductors working for me. I don’t trust any of them, so I never allowed any of them to come close to me.

Everyone has a role to play.

Once you play your role, you are paid off. Some of them have never seen my face. If they see me, they cannot recognise me because I do not deal directly with them. Out of the 60 people who work for me, not up to four have seen my face them. The only thing on their minds in the bush where they were abandoned would be to look for something to cover their naked bodies so that people would not think they were mad.

“After that, they would start begging for free ride or money with which they could return to Lagos. They usually operated in commercial bus popularly called danfo and painted in Lagos commercial bus colour.”

Obinna’s gang was said to have at different times abandoned six danfo buses kept at different police stations in Festac, Ikeja, Itire and Kirikiri. But each time the police arrested some members of Obinna’s gang, he would form a stronger one.

For instance, a gang led by one Timothy was said to have been smashed and he (Timothy) died during an exchange of gunfire.

Obinna allegedly raised money and bought a Toyota Hilux for a new gang he formed. He allegedly bought police uniforms for the gang and painted the vehicle in police colour. A SARS team led by SP Kyari was said to have smashed the gang and arrested one Jude Mmadu and six others and charged them to court, but Obinna later arranged for their release and they were released on bail. The same gang later went for a robbery operation but met their waterloo.

One of the gang’s members, who was lucky to escape, later contacted Obinna on the phone and he helped him to recruit new members, including one Sunday Ozor a.k.a.

Sony Hot, who is now in Kirikiri maximum prison. All the suspects were said to have identified Obinna as the chairman and sponsor of the gang, as well as the receiver of all the goods the gang stole.

Before he joined a robbery gang in 2006, Obinna was said to be selling motor spare parts at Ladipo Market, Mushin, Lagos. And after his involvement in several robbery operations, particularly hijacking container trucks, he made enough money with which he started sponsoring robbers.

Immediately they robbed a truck carrying container, they would call Obinna on the phone and he would arrange trucks from Iddo Park in Lagos to go and take the containers to Onitsha. He was said to have received 15 different containers carrying various items like electronics, refrigerators, and computers.

He was said to have once hijacked four trucks carrying expensive chemicals and another six trucks carrying rice and tin tomatoes.

Asked how Obinna was arrested, the source said the operatives of SARS, led by Kyari, arrested one Edwin along with six fake soldiers, all members of Obinna-sponsored gang. But when they tried to use them to track Obinna down, he

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

47 olukunle87@yahoo.com

years’

Ogun customs seize nine bags of Indian hemp, 15 bags of ammunition n Kunle AKINRINADE n PERATIVES of Ogun State Customs Area Command have intercepted nine bags of Indian hemp and 1,480 cartridges of live ammunition concealed in 15 bags of rice from smugglers along the Abeokuta-Igboora road.

The Area Comptroller of Ogun command, Mr. Haruna Mamudu, explained that the items were abandoned by the smugglers who fled into the bush when his men were advancing towards their base.

Mamudu said: “At about 2.30 am on Thursday August 14, 2014, our operatives on patrol in a bush path along Abeokuta-Igboora road proactively intercepted 1,480 cartridges of live ammunition concealed in 15 bags of rice.

“However, the smugglers of this ammunition got wind of our ambush, abandoned and fled into the bush. In addition, nine sacks of Indian hemp were also seized at the same Imeko area of Ogun State. We are closing up on them and they will soon be brought to justice.

“This is one of the tactics being adopted by smugglers, which we are already aware of. Quite recently, we made the same type of seizure of ammunition at Imeko area.”

He said the command had stepped up its anti-smuggling campaign

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in the light of security problems caused by insurgency in the country.

“Given the security challenges in the country occasioned by insurgency, the command has re-arranged its anti-smuggling strategy and the result is what you are seeing today,” he said.

Mamudu said the ammunition would be handed over to the government agency concerned with arms and ammunition.

He stressed that the command was more than prepared to combat smuggling activities in the state, saying:”Let me sound a note of warning to those that are into this illicit act; that no matter the tactics they employ to deceive our men, they cannot escape, as our officers are now better motivated to face the obnoxious business of smuggling.”

The Principal Staff Officer in charge of intelligence at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Ogun State, Mr. Abdullahi Sardauna, said the narcotic drug would soon be destroyed.

He said: “We have a good working relationship with the Nigeria Customs Service and other law enforcement agencies, and that is why we have been called to attend this briefing.

“Each of the bags of Indian hemp weighed eight kilogrammes. If you multiply that by eight, you will have about 72 kilogrammes.

“I can assure you that the drug will soon be destroyed in public.”

•Obinna tate, Awka, Anambra State, because I knew that the police would be there always to see if I would surface for them to arrest me.

“I was arrested on February 24 this year at Nkpor Express Way near new auto parts market in Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State when I came out to meet somebody who owed me N300,000 and wanted to give it to me, not knowing that SARS operatives had captured him.”

Asked why he took to sponsoring armed robbers, he said: “I was in primary school when my father died in 1997. I made a distinction in the Primary Six examination, but I had nobody to give me scholarship or sponsor me. Then I went to Onitsha and started doing smuggling business.

“When I had got enough money, I started going to Cameroon to smuggle tokunbo (fairly used) shoes, clothes, earrings and chains. Later, I went to Lagos to serve a relation who was selling electronics parts when my father died in 1997. It was at Ladipo Market that I met some guys who lured me into hijacking containers.”

•The seized Indian hemp

•Customs men removing ammunition from the bags of rice

How pastor allegedly raped 32-yr-old lady during prayer session n Kunle AKINRINADE n HE Ogun State Police Command has revealed how a 37 -year-old pastor of a white garment,Segun, allegedly raped a 32 -year-old lady at the church premise in Odogbolu,Ogun State.

The victim alleged that the pastor forcibly slept with her during a prayer session where he asked her to hold some candle sticks together.

The pastor was apprehended by the anti-crime team attached to Odogbolu Division, when the victim and her relations stormed the Police Division to notify the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the division about the pastor's misdeeds.

The spokesman of the Ogun State Police Command, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the story, said: “The woman alleged the pastor asked her to hold on to some candle stick and forcibly pulled off her wears before he had a carnal knowlege of her right in the church.

“The matter is presently at the AntiHuman Trafficking and Child Labour Unit of the Department of Criminal Investigation Abeokuta. Medical reports so far received on the matter confirmed that the pastor actually committed the offence and he has since confessed to the crime.

The matter will soon be charged to court.”

Adejobi also disclosed the arrest of two

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suspected robbers at Denco Petrol Station along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway on Monday.

The suspects were nabbed by anti-crime patrol at about 11.40 pm when they blocked the expressway in an attempt to rob commuters and road users of their belongings.

“The suspects arrested included one Usman Sunday, 28, of Sabo Dantajira area of Sagamu and Richard Olabode, 27, of the same address.

Usman, who hails from Apa Local Government in Benue State, is married with two children and attended Agbele Commu•The suspects nity High School, while Richard who hails from The suspects had been handed over to Iree in Osun State attended Methodist the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Comprehensive College, Sagamu and Sagamu Division, Mr. Adebowale Lawal, dropped out from the Department of Sofor preliminary investigation before the ciology and Anthropology, University of matter will be transferred to the DepartCalabar. ment of Criminal Investigation, Elew“Items recovered from them include eran, Abeokuta as directed by the one locally made pistol, many live and Commissioner of Police (CP) Ogun State, expended cartridges, knife, cutlasses, Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye, for further investihand gloves and assorted charms.” gation.”

Poly student arraigned for stabbing prostitute n Rukayat JIMOH n student of Wolex Polytechnic, Lagos, Shola Eguajole, has been dragged before an Ebute Metta Chief Magistrate’s court for allegedly stabbing a commercial sex worker, Joy Osazuwa.

The 26 year-old student allegedly met 24-year-old Osazuwa at Star Hotel, Oyingbo, Lagos, where he was said to have stabbed her with a knife.

The incident happened at about 3 pm on August 12, 2014 when Shola allegedly claimed that he was not satisfied with Joy’s service after paying her N1000.

He was said to have forcibly collected his money back after which he stabbed Joy on the breast during an affray.

He was arrested and arraigned in court on one count charge but he pleaded not guilty.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Moses Uademuibo, told the court that the defendant committed an atrocity punnishable under Section 243 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

The presiding magistrate, K.O. Ogundare, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200, 000 and two sureties in like sum.

He adjourned the matter till September 24, 2014.

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THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

Adejunmobi

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Email: counselling@faithoyedepo.org

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

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GOVERNOR AJIMOBI

UNIUYO VICE-CHANCELLOR

Release my post-UTME result

Reconstruct Olayiwola Owolabi Road

GOVERNOR WADA

Give us electricity at Ankpa

Prof. (Mrs) Comfort M. Ekpo, Vice-Chancellor, Uyo University, Uyo, Cross River State

GOVERNOR JANG

Gov Amosun

Gov Wada

Stop motorcycles from operating at Barkin Ladi

GOVERNOR FASHOLA

I need a scholarship

Gov Jang

Gov Fashola

Innocent DURU

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

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Ebola: Colleagues raise questions as NMA prepares to honour Adadevoh n Paul UKPABIO n RIBUTES poured endlessly during the week soon after Dr. Stella Adadevoh’s death became public. The Senior Consultant Physician at First Consultants Medical Centre Ltd gave up the ghost after she was infected by the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) by the late Liberian diplomat, Patrick Sawyer.

While the now famed late female doctor’s life-style was likely to have been largely a private affair, her colleagues have thrown their weight behind her even at death, and declared her a heroine.

According to the Vice Chairman of the Lagos State Medical Guild, Dr. Oseni Salau, he did not know her (the late Dr. Adadevoh) nor did he interact with her. “She worked at First Atlantic Consultants, while I work with the Lagos State Government.

Our path never crossed. But as a colleague, I feel her death is an unfortunate one.

Those doctors that are rendering medical services to these Ebola victims should be declared heroes. That is because they are the ones that have made it possible for us to be able to at least try to contain the disease.

She, particularly, I mean the late Dr. Adadevoh from what I heard, resisted all entreaties from the Liberian Embassy for late Liberian Dr. Patrick Sawyer to be released from hospital.

“If the Liberian had been released, he would have spread the disease all over the place. So the reality here is that, she and her colleagues were the first to attend to him and were vigilant to ensure that he does not leave the hospital to spread the virus.”

On his part, the Secretary of the Nigerian Medical Association, Lagos State, Dr. Babajide Saheed told us that he did not know •The late Adadevoh her personally, but he knew she was a Consultant with First Consultants Medical Centre. “I wish she is alive,” said the doctor, “As far as I am concerned, the family of those affected should be compensated because they are actually the ones that have contained the spread of Ebola disease this far. If they had allowed the man to move out, it would have been a worse situation now. Dr. Adadevoh is a hero but a big loss to her family.”

As regard honour for the late Adadevoh, Dr. Salau, the Vice Chairman of Lagos State Medical Guild, said: “Well, she will be honoured. It will more likely be the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) that will do that. But as a guild, that may come up later when we have got full details of what has taken place and so on. But in the meantime, most of my colleagues and I agree that she is a heroine based on the fact that she prevented the man from spreading the disease around to the general public as he the Liberian Patrick Sawyer, intended.

“Yes, we are already working on a befitting honour for her,” said the Sec•Dr. Babajide •Dr. Oseni retary of the Lagos NMA, Dr. Babajide Saheed. “My colleagues and I will come up with something soon.” most especially life insurance.

But while that arrangement is going on, the doctors are It is sad that people do not understand this matter that doccalling attention to more hair-raising issues about the outtors are fighting for. The doctors presently at the Ebola Cenbreak of Ebola in the country and its management. tre are okay. They have gone through test and have been For instance, Dr. Oseni Salau believes that the on-going found negative. But from the study, they have to be monidoctors strike has really been a blessing in disguise because tored. Though they are said not likely to come up with the “if the strike was not on, Sawyer would probably had been disease because they now have a defence mechanism against taken to LASUTH. And I can bet you that not less than 10 the disease. But they still have to be monitored for about 60 doctors would have come in contact with him. There would days. And that includes their blood and so on. After the 60 also have been the possibility that the Medical Director of LASUTH would have come in contact with him and even the days, they can then be wholly confirmed to be negative. That life insurance has not been done by the government even as Lagos State Commissioner for Health too would have had to come in contact with him at the hospital because of his diplo- at today. It is very unimaginable that we are working without life insurance at this period in time.” matic nature. They would have contacted it.

Dr. Oseni Salau absolved the late Adadevoh of any negli“And if we had got one patient that had it there in LAgence in protecting herself from the disease. “I do not think SUTH, with the least information on Ebola as it were then, the thing would have gone around like wild fire. The truth is in any way that it was her fault to have contracted the disease. A doctor does not wear a glove for all patients, espethat, government should not blackmail us with resuming becially when there were no epidemic diseases in circulation. cause of Ebola. The reality is that the lesser the number of At the time the late Dr. Sawyer came around, when he was people that get in contact with the Ebola patients, the better. being interviewed, he denied ever coming in contact with For all those that are being cared for right now, they do not any Ebola victim. He denied that he had ever interacted with need more than five doctors to take care of them. So saying anyone that has such. There was another issue about him that the strike should be called off because of that is not reurinating indiscriminately. lated at all. Also, even if the strike is called off, what do we “But the reality is that until now at hospitals, doctors were have on ground to prevent or protect us from the patients not really wearing gloves for all patients, unless of course when they come to the hospital?” they have their suspicions. Moreover, Ebola starts like “This is exactly what the NMA is fighting for,” added Dr. Babajide Saheed. “Doctors deserve to have better allowances, malaria. Most doctors will not ordinarily wear gloves be-

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If the strike was not on, Sawyer would probably had been taken to LASUTH. And I can bet you that not less than 10 doctors would have come in contact with him.

There would also have been the possibility that the Medical Director of LASUTH would have come in contact with him and even the Lagos State Commissioner for Health too would have had to come in contact with him at the hospital because of his diplomatic nature

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cause they want to attend to a patient that has malaria. Even when you wear gloves, how about sitting on a seat that someone with Ebola has sat down or laid down on the bed that someone with Ebola has laid? So all those risks are always there.

“There is also the possibility that Sawyer might have decided to pass the disease to those who did not let him go after all entreaties from his country’s embassy had fallen on deaf ears.

The possibility is there. They resisted it and made sure he didn’t leave. Don’t forget that it is said that the man was urinating indiscriminately and even said to have spilled blood around. If that was the case, there is the possibility of deliberate attempt to unleash the disease on those that took care of him at the hospital. And you know, there were a thousand and one possibilities of how he could have passed it to late Dr. Adadevoh.

“That is why we insist and ask for personal protective equipment. If the man had urinated on them, they probably rinsed it with water, not knowing that it was a tragedy. It was only much later that the awareness became more and people got better informed about Ebola.

“The necessary gadgets should be made available for those that are caring for the patients. The government says that it has the protective gear, but we have not seen it. All we see are those shots of it taken in countries outside Nigeria. Where are the protective gadgets? Please, let the government bring out what they have and let those caring for those people use it. The Lagos State Government says it has 20 and the Federal Government claims it has 1,000. Are the Ebola victims in Abuja or Lagos? Let them (FG) send it down here. “ From the normal operations of that place, you need 30 per day. So, if we have 20, where do we stand? I must tell you, it is not good enough. I have not been able to go in there, and they have not shown to us any of the patients that are there. Our people have been volunteering. Some of them are even working in there. A lot too are presently involved in advocacy and so on.

“We have a committee in the NMA and in the Guild working on that. But those having direct contact with the patients must be well protected. We are not sure that they are well protected. Nobody is giving us that information. Right now, as I am talking to you, neither I nor the NMA Chairman has seen any of these patients. It shouldn’t be so. We are professionals; we are ready to do our work. We are also saying that the government should protect us too.”

Dr. Babajide Saheed, the NMA Secretary, insisted that the Minister of Health lied when he recently said that the resident doctors are not part of those caring for the Ebola victims. “The minister lied that resident doctors are not part of those caring and managing the patients. That shows that the minister is not in tune with what is happening with Ebola response treatment. If he knows what is happening there, he wouldn’t have made such comments. It is unfortunate that a minister and a doctor should say such about his colleagues.

He was once a resident doctor before he became a consultant and a minister. With that comment, he has successfully made the resident doctors working there to be devastated. He is trying to discourage a lot of people from responding to the volunteer call for eradication of Ebola.”

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

NEWS

Obi remains face of APGA in Nigeria —Aide HE Media Assistant to Mr. Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, has described his boss as the face of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Nigeria.

He made this remarks yesterday while speaking to the press at the burial of the wife of the late traditional ruler of Adazi-Enu, Nwakego Iloghalu.

Obienyem said that besides being presented as such by Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Obi’s steadfastness made the chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, to honour him with the APGA Most Faithful Party Man of Our Time Award in September 2003.

“Obi has not changed. He has continued to make legendary sacrifices for the growth of the party against the wishes of those that saw the party as an instrument of merchandise. The most recent of his many sacrifices was his rejection of a ministerial appointment, rather than join another party as was requested of him,” Obienyem said.

When asked to comment on the statement credited to Chief Victor Umeh’s Assistant on Media, Mr. Stan Okeke, that the claim of Obi’s sacrifice for the party was a ruse, Obienyem said: “I do not want to make comments on what Victor Umeh or his assistant said.

Louis Odion named NGE Fellow

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Dust to dust rites tear Anambra community apart HE controversial dust to dust rites by women during funeral ceremonies in communities across Anambra State, is raising concern in Awka community, as the elders and youth of the area have threatened to sack the President General of the town’s union for alleged disobedience.

The people accused the President General of Awka community, Engr. Tony Okechukwu, of allowing 0his mother to perform the dust to dust rites during the burial of her husband yesterday.

It will be recalled that the same issue had pitched the Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church in Awka against the people of Umudioka in May 2013, leading to a serious fight that several people injured, while 15 men detained for challenging the decision of the church.

Yesterday in Awka, the traditional title holders (ozo) and the youth vacated the arena, alleging that a taboo had been committed by the woman.

In an interview with our correspondent yesterday, an elder, Ozo Uchenna Onyejiaka, described the action of the woman as a taboo.

Also, the leader of the youth in the 20 villages in Awka, Comrade Obi Ochije, called for calm, saying the community would not want to engage in any fracas.

Describing the incident as sacrilege, he said that the community should go back to its constitution to determine what punishment to apply.

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DO State Commissioner for Information, Louis Odion, yesterday, added another feather to his already studded cap, when he was announced as a Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).

In a statement yesterday, the NGE said the nomination of Louis Odion is in recognition of his sterling contributions to media practice in Nigeria as an editor.

His investiture as Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (FNGE), which is an induction in the nation’s media hall of fame, will hold in Katsina on August 30, as highlight of the NGE national convention.

Perhaps in recognition of his sterling leadership qualities, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos named Louis Odion the Lagos State Ambassador for Environment in 2009.

The following year, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) also decorated him as Celebrity Special Marshall.

That same year, the Akure Police College considered him fit and proper to be given a Merit Award for Excellence.

After leaving the Sun Newspapers as Editor, Sunday Sun, Louis teamed up with like minds to float the National LIFE Newspaper in July 2008 and was its Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief till July 2011 when he was invited by Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State to serve as Commissioner for Information.

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•Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, exchanging pleasantries with Bishop Maxwell Anikwenwa at the burial service of Prof. Chukwuedu Nwokolo in Oraifite, Ekwusigo LGA...Friday

Abia NSDC arrests suspected fake cement dealers PERATIVES of the Abia State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps [NSCDC] have arrested seven men, suspected to be experts in the adulteration of cement at the Asa Umunka in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area of the state.

The suspects were arrested with over 40,000 bags of suspected fake cement, including several empty bags of different types of cement brand, ranging from Dangote, Eagle, Unicerm and Ibeto cements among others.

Speaking with newsmen in Umuahia over the arrest, the state Commandant of the NSCDC, Andy Dateer, said that his men swooped on the culprits and arrested the suspects after weeks of surveillance on the compound.

Dateer said that the command is alert to its responsibility in ensuring that the society is free from criminallyminded people.

He said his men confiscated bags of suspected fake cement and empty bags of different brands of cement during the

O

n

Ugochukwu UGOJI-EKE, Umuahia

n

raid.

“Different brands of assorted types of cement were seen, including empty bags they intend to use for their dastardly acts.”

The Abia NSCDC boss

explained that he decided to parade the suspects in order to create awareness and alert the public on the activities of the criminals.

He said, “This state, which is a God’s own state, has never witnessed or heard of any incident of collapsed building. But if these type of people are allowed to operate

Save us from extinction, Delta community begs state, federal govts HE people of Polobubou (Tsekelewu) community in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State have pleaded with the state and Federal Governments to take steps to save their community from extinction.

The plea was contained in a ‘Save Our Soul’ memo to the Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, over the activities of oil and gas companies in their community, which they alleged have caused adverse effects on their environment.

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n

Bolaji OGUNDELE, n Warri

The memo, by the Polobubou (Tsekelewu) National Council (PNC) and signed by its National Chairman, Chief Ebilate MacYororki and General Secretary, Midwest Kukuru, alleged that the activities of two oil companies have killed the natural aquatic bliss of their environment.

According to the memo, which also urged the Federal Government to take actions, the opening up of the community to the Atlantic Ocean

Oshiomhole commissions 10-km roads in air force barracks OVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has commissioned a 10-kilometer network of roads rebuilt by the state government in the Nigerian Air Force Barracks in Benin City, Edo State.

While commissioning the roads, which are complete with walkways for pedestrians, Oshiomhole commended the role the Nigerian Air Force plays in the maintenance of security in the country.

Oshiomhole, who was in company with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adeshola Amosu and other top officers of the force, said, “I know that this is a very busy period for the Nigerian Armed Forces and as the Chief of the entire Air Staff, I need not be educated on your own specific challenges with regard to providing air cover to our men and women under arms who are

G

this fake business, then we should be ready to start seeing buildings collapse here.”

In an interview with newsmen, one of the suspects, 65year old Sunday Nwokeneme said his late son was doing the business of buying and selling of cement before his death, adding that it was the late son that bought the empty bags.

confronting insurgency in the various parts of the country.

“Many of us, a few years back, would have sworn that Nigerians love life so much that even the poorest among us would not want to go and wire himself or herself to pay a price of no just cause. Even when there was a just cause, we were not sure that Nigerians would be willing to make such sacrifices.

“But this has become part of our recent history and like everything that has a beginning, I believe with concerted efforts, this insurgency will be brought to an end.”

Speaking further, Oshiomhole maintained, “For too long, Nigerians, myself inclusive, probably never appreciated the role of the Armed Forces and we took the role of the Armed Forces in securing the territorial integrity of the country and even inter-

nal security for granted. We in Edo State appreciate the sacrifices being made by the officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces and I know a few who have paid the supreme price just to ensure that we are safe.”

The Governor urged the officers and men of the armed forces, particularly the Nigerian Air Force, to continue to rededicate themselves to securing the territorial integrity of the country and of course as a strong pillar for democracy.

He extolled the cordial relationship between the Nigeria Air Force and the people of Edo State and sued for its sustenance.

Earlier, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Amosu, accompanied by other top officers, had paid a visit to the Governor at the Government House, where he said:

by CNL has resulted in the gradual drowning of the entire community land below sea level, just as the salty sea water from the canal into the community had killed all natural fresh water life.

“The communities, which were originally fresh water swamp with different types of economic trees for lumbering, canoe carving, boat building and other purposes, are now left with only the Atlantic Ocean grasses due to oil prospecting activities and the opening up of the communities to the Atlantic Ocean, which saline water has overpowered the fresh water ecology, turning it into a mangrove swamp with very high level of salt content.

“Presently, there are no trees, rivers and creeks due to the continual siltation of the environment. The peak of the dry season (January to March every year), no engine-powered craft can ply the waterways “The opening of the communities to the Atlantic Ocean

by Chevron Nigeria Limited in the 1970s was vehemently opposed by the indigenes, which led to the arrest and detention of our people by the almighty Chevron, with the backing of the Federal Government, until the canalization was completed.

The community urged the Delta state and the Federal Governments to prevail on Chevron to block the canal, which they claimed had brought misery to its people, as well as compel Chevron and NPDC to execute the dredging of the Polobubou River.

• Louis Odion

Alleged anti-party activities: PDP places two lawmakers under watch in Anambra n Nwanosike ONU, Awkan EMBERS of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State have placed two lawmakers under watch for alleged anti-party activities.

The decision was taken yesterday in Ayamelum Local Government Area of the state after the executive and stakeholders meeting in the area.

The lawmakers, The Nation gathered are a member of the Federal House of Representatives and his state Assembly counterpart, both from the area.

Confirming the development, the PDP Chairman in the area, Chief Nnamdi Ikeomor, said the two lawmakers were being monitored following alleged anti-party activities leveled against them by members of the party in their constituents.

He said the lawmakers have been placed under watch over the alleged offence, adding that after thorough investigation, the affected lawmakers would be punished if found guilty.

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THE NATION

NEWS 59

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

APC's modified primary election excites Atiku

Nasarawa rated fourth in HIV/AADS prevalence

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asarawa State has become the fourth highest in HIV/ AIDS prevalence in the country having been rated 8.1 The state deputy Director of the AIDS Control Agency, Abdulsamad Salihu and the Executive Director, Dr. Zakari Umar said this during a media briefing .

The agency said that the campaign against the disease would soon get underway in the state .

Umar explained that the campaign would be carried out in nine local government areas in the state- Lafia, Doma, Obi, NasarawaEggon, Akwanga, Wamba, Keffi, Kokona and Karu.

According to Umar, the agency has already made arrangement to embark on a

Johnny DANJUMA house to house intensive campaign so as to bring about, the knowledge, prevention and reduce stigma in the state.

He said the campaign would gulp about N20 million and would involve stakeholders from the AIDS Control Agency, Ministry of Health, the media, civil society organizations, local government service commission and traditional rulers.

He added that the campaign is also aimed at sustaining the campaign towards accepting people living with the disease and increase uptake of Prevention from Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) services in the state.

F

ORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has welcomed the modified direct primaries introduced by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party intends to adopt the option for its Adamawa State governorship primaries, as well as other primaries, including the presidential primaries coming up at a later date.

In a statement yesterday by his media office, the former Vice President said the modified direct primary is the best under the circumstances and nearest to the best under ideal democratic setting.

Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

Atiku appealed to APC leaders to make Adamawa State a model for the conduct of free, fair and credible electoral process in the country.

He promised to lead the party leaders in the state to create a level-playing ground for all aspirants with such transparency that would set a standard for genuine democratic principles of fair play for all states to copy.

He assured that he would not interfere with the choice of candidate the people of Adamawa will be making.

The former Vice President also appealed to leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to avoid the dangerous political tactics of playing up sentiments aimed at polarising the people for political gains.

He stated that the APC is a party for all Nigerians and that it is not a party for Muslims or Christians.

The APC chieftain warned that divisive politics would not take Nigeria anywhere.

He advised PDP leaders in Adamawa to save the state and the rest of the country form the divisive tactics as a

means of getting power.

“Unlike many of its neighbours, our state has enjoyed relative peace and stability and we don’t want them to bring divisions among our people who had lived peacefully with one another”, Atiku said.

He enjoined Nigerians to focus on how good governance can change their lives for the better instead of paying attention to the religion and ethnicity of elected public office holders.

According to him, good performance has nothing to do with one’s religion or ethnicity.

Fulani/farmers crisis Emir to head committee

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EWLY elected Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Mohammad Kirowa, who is also the Sarikin Fulani Zuru in Kebbi State, has said that arrangements have been concluded to appoint the Emir of Argungu in Kebbi State, Alhaji Mohammed Ismaila Mera as the chairman of the committee that would end the crisis between Fulani and Farmers across the country.

He disclosed this yesterday in Argungun, Kebbi State during a visit to the Emir of Arugungu by the commitee. The committee had paid a condolence visit to the Emir over the death of a staunch politician from the town, the late Hassan Kangiwa.

Kiruwa added that the Emir was the only person who would used his wisdom and position to assist

Khadijat SAIDU in the Fulani/Farmers feud across the country.

He described the emir as a leader who has all the potentials and talents to address the issues and bring peace back to those communities that were involved in the crisis in most parts of the country.

He pointed out that throughout his tour round the country as the National Chairman, it is only Argungu emirate that has not recorded any cases of Fulani/ farmers’ crises, he therefore commended the monarch for making peace a must in his domain.

In his remark, the emir of Argungu assured the committee of his support to ensure that the Fulani/farmers clashes become a thing of the past. The monarch also urged them to enroll their children in western education and also live in peace with one another.

First Borno Chief Judge, Justice Anya dies at 93

F

ORMER Appeal Court judge and first Chief Judge of Borno State,

Retired Justice Kalu Okpan Anya has died. According to a family source, the late Justice died in his country home at Amaekpu Ohafia, Abia State on Wednesday, August 13, after a brief illness.

The late Justice Anya came into national prominence in 1977 when the military government of General Olusegun Obasanjo made him chairman of the tribunal that looked into the burning down of Fela’s Kalakuta Republic and murder of his mother, the late Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti.

The tribunal came up with a verdict that the atrocities were committed by an ‘unknown soldiers.’

As the Chief Judge of Borno State, the late Justice Anya had a running battle with the first civilian governor of the state, Alhaji Mohammed Goni of the Great Nigerian People’s Party (GNPP). He was accused of supporting the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). Anya was consequently removed by the Borno State House of Assembly. However, in a

twist to the case, the late Justice Anya sat on his own case and quashed the ruling, leading to a serious face-off between the governor and the state judiciary.

He retired from the judiciary in 1984 after the Buhari-Idiagbon coup.

The late Anya was born in 1921. He attended the Hype Park College, London from 1951 to 1954 and Council of Legal Education, London also from 1951 to 1954. he was called to the bar in 1954.

•Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State (right) exchanging pleasantries with .Amb.Micheal Arrion of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, who paid a vist to the Government House, Dutse.

Flood kills 7-yr- old girl, damages bridge in Kaduna

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SEVEN year- old girl, Theresa James, was in the early hours of Friday killed by flood occasioned by heavy down pour on the Anguwar Yelwa community in Chikun Local Government area of Kaduna State.

The flood also brought down some parts of the Anguwar Yelwa Sabo bridge, cutting away some parts of the community from the Kaduna metropolis.

Eyewitnesses told The Nation that, the flood which was as a result of two days heavy downpour washed away houses and property.

Speaking to our correspondent, a resident of the area, Solomon Daye said they were fast asleep when

Abdulgafar ALABELEWE, Kaduna

suddenly they discovered that water was rushing into their home. Before they could jump up the whole place was flooded and the water got to his shoulders in a matter of minutes.

According to him, “In the morning when the rain subsided, there was my neighbour who went to a vigil and left her four children at home. Three of the children slept on the bed while the other one slept on the floor and since they are little children,they could not escape the flood.

So, when the flood came the three children who were on the bed were rescued while the one on the floor; Theresa James, could not escape.

“When some residents

arrived to rescue the children, they didn’t even know that there were four of them in the house, it was when the water subsided that they found the body of Theresa,” he said.

Similarly, the Shepherd in-charge, Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement, Rachel Olaoye, called on Kaduna State Government to come to their aid, adding that this was not the first time residents would experiencing flooding.

“In the evening yesterday around 1a.m. when the rain started, we thought it was a normal rainfall, but before we could do anything the gutters and our homes were filled with water. It’s unfortunate we lost a child to the flood.

Accordingly, the state government has designated Nagari College and Abdullahi Fodio Islamic Centre as temporary resettlement camps for those in Birnin Kebbi while the two Councils Chairmen Argungu and Dandi were directed to provide settlement for displaced persons in their areas.

Meanwhile, a team from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara Zonal office led by Sa’ad Ibrahim Bello has arrived the state capital, Birnin

Kebbi to assess the extent of damage caused by the flood.

NEMA provided rapid relief materials worth millions of naira to the affected victims. Bello encouraged people to always render service to the victims apart from the government assistance.

The areas mostly affected by the flood within Birnin kebbi metropolis include: Fati Lami Section of Sir Yahaya specialist Hospital, Rafin Atiku, Badariya, Adamu Aliero Quarters, Shiyar Sarakuna, Bayan Kara, Tudun Wada and Gesse phase one.

Kebbi governor blames community for flood

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OVERNOR Sa’idu Usman Dakingari of Kebbi State has lashed out at the residents of Bayan Kara and those living around the water ways for refusal to evacuate the area, following the recent flood that ravaged the state as a result of a heavy downpour that lasted for several hours.

The governor made his feelings known when he received a 25-man committee at the government House Birnin Kebbi, headed by the Wazirin Gwandu Alhaji Abdullahi Umar to assess the extent of destruction and property lost as well as those

Khadijat SAIDU affected by the flood.

He lamented that for several years, residents of the Bayan Tasha area have been experiencing the menace of flooding simply because they blocked the waterways and refused to evacuate from the dangerous area.

Governor Sa’idu Dakingari, however, assured people affected by the flooding that the government would provide them with immediate assistance and temporary shelter as interim measure to assist the displaced persons.

“A similar incident that happened last year, prompted me to seek for a loan of N670,000 to erect this concrete wall you are seeing today. This has helped to reduce the influx of water into this part of the bridge that did not collapse . It is because the bridge collapsed that was why this flood entered our homes.

“Because of this erosion problem, three years ago I visited the State House of Assembly, asking them to help us see what they could do concerning erosion but to no avail,”she said.

In the same vein, Youth Leader of Anguwar Yelwa, Mr. Gabriel Adams attributed the collapse of infrastructure in the area to the fallen bridge.

However, residents in the area said flood was becoming a yearly occurrence that had pushed them to the wall, and they had vowed not to vote for political office seekers in Kaduna State unless respite was given to them.

As at the time of filing this report, men from Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) were seen around the place trying to assess the level of damage, while stern looking security personnel were on ground to guard the officials.

THE NATION

NEWS 59

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

APC's modified primary election excites Atiku

Nasarawa rated fourth in HIV/AADS prevalence

N

asarawa State has become the fourth highest in HIV/ AIDS prevalence in the country having been rated 8.1 The state deputy Director of the AIDS Control Agency, Abdulsamad Salihu and the Executive Director, Dr. Zakari Umar said this during a media briefing .

The agency said that the campaign against the disease would soon get underway in the state .

Umar explained that the campaign would be carried out in nine local government areas in the state- Lafia, Doma, Obi, NasarawaEggon, Akwanga, Wamba, Keffi, Kokona and Karu.

According to Umar, the agency has already made arrangement to embark on a

Johnny DANJUMA house to house intensive campaign so as to bring about, the knowledge, prevention and reduce stigma in the state.

He said the campaign would gulp about N20 million and would involve stakeholders from the AIDS Control Agency, Ministry of Health, the media, civil society organizations, local government service commission and traditional rulers.

He added that the campaign is also aimed at sustaining the campaign towards accepting people living with the disease and increase uptake of Prevention from Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) services in the state.

F

ORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has welcomed the modified direct primaries introduced by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party intends to adopt the option for its Adamawa State governorship primaries, as well as other primaries, including the presidential primaries coming up at a later date.

In a statement yesterday by his media office, the former Vice President said the modified direct primary is the best under the circumstances and nearest to the best under ideal democratic setting.

Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

Atiku appealed to APC leaders to make Adamawa State a model for the conduct of free, fair and credible electoral process in the country.

He promised to lead the party leaders in the state to create a level-playing ground for all aspirants with such transparency that would set a standard for genuine democratic principles of fair play for all states to copy.

He assured that he would not interfere with the choice of candidate the people of Adamawa will be making.

The former Vice President also appealed to leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to avoid the dangerous political tactics of playing up sentiments aimed at polarising the people for political gains.

He stated that the APC is a party for all Nigerians and that it is not a party for Muslims or Christians.

The APC chieftain warned that divisive politics would not take Nigeria anywhere.

He advised PDP leaders in Adamawa to save the state and the rest of the country form the divisive tactics as a

means of getting power.

“Unlike many of its neighbours, our state has enjoyed relative peace and stability and we don’t want them to bring divisions among our people who had lived peacefully with one another”, Atiku said.

He enjoined Nigerians to focus on how good governance can change their lives for the better instead of paying attention to the religion and ethnicity of elected public office holders.

According to him, good performance has nothing to do with one’s religion or ethnicity.

Fulani/farmers crisis Emir to head committee

N

EWLY elected Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Mohammad Kirowa, who is also the Sarikin Fulani Zuru in Kebbi State, has said that arrangements have been concluded to appoint the Emir of Argungu in Kebbi State, Alhaji Mohammed Ismaila Mera as the chairman of the committee that would end the crisis between Fulani and Farmers across the country.

He disclosed this yesterday in Argungun, Kebbi State during a visit to the Emir of Arugungu by the commitee. The committee had paid a condolence visit to the Emir over the death of a staunch politician from the town, the late Hassan Kangiwa.

Kiruwa added that the Emir was the only person who would used his wisdom and position to assist

Khadijat SAIDU in the Fulani/Farmers feud across the country.

He described the emir as a leader who has all the potentials and talents to address the issues and bring peace back to those communities that were involved in the crisis in most parts of the country.

He pointed out that throughout his tour round the country as the National Chairman, it is only Argungu emirate that has not recorded any cases of Fulani/ farmers’ crises, he therefore commended the monarch for making peace a must in his domain.

In his remark, the emir of Argungu assured the committee of his support to ensure that the Fulani/farmers clashes become a thing of the past. The monarch also urged them to enroll their children in western education and also live in peace with one another.

First Borno Chief Judge, Justice Anya dies at 93

F

ORMER Appeal Court judge and first Chief Judge of Borno State,

Retired Justice Kalu Okpan Anya has died. According to a family source, the late Justice died in his country home at Amaekpu Ohafia, Abia State on Wednesday, August 13, after a brief illness.

The late Justice Anya came into national prominence in 1977 when the military government of General Olusegun Obasanjo made him chairman of the tribunal that looked into the burning down of Fela’s Kalakuta Republic and murder of his mother, the late Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti.

The tribunal came up with a verdict that the atrocities were committed by an ‘unknown soldiers.’

As the Chief Judge of Borno State, the late Justice Anya had a running battle with the first civilian governor of the state, Alhaji Mohammed Goni of the Great Nigerian People’s Party (GNPP). He was accused of supporting the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). Anya was consequently removed by the Borno State House of Assembly. However, in a

twist to the case, the late Justice Anya sat on his own case and quashed the ruling, leading to a serious face-off between the governor and the state judiciary.

He retired from the judiciary in 1984 after the Buhari-Idiagbon coup.

The late Anya was born in 1921. He attended the Hype Park College, London from 1951 to 1954 and Council of Legal Education, London also from 1951 to 1954. he was called to the bar in 1954.

•Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State (right) exchanging pleasantries with .Amb.Micheal Arrion of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, who paid a vist to the Government House, Dutse.

Flood kills 7-yr- old girl, damages bridge in Kaduna

A

SEVEN year- old girl, Theresa James, was in the early hours of Friday killed by flood occasioned by heavy down pour on the Anguwar Yelwa community in Chikun Local Government area of Kaduna State.

The flood also brought down some parts of the Anguwar Yelwa Sabo bridge, cutting away some parts of the community from the Kaduna metropolis.

Eyewitnesses told The Nation that, the flood which was as a result of two days heavy downpour washed away houses and property.

Speaking to our correspondent, a resident of the area, Solomon Daye said they were fast asleep when

Abdulgafar ALABELEWE, Kaduna

suddenly they discovered that water was rushing into their home. Before they could jump up the whole place was flooded and the water got to his shoulders in a matter of minutes.

According to him, “In the morning when the rain subsided, there was my neighbour who went to a vigil and left her four children at home. Three of the children slept on the bed while the other one slept on the floor and since they are little children,they could not escape the flood.

So, when the flood came the three children who were on the bed were rescued while the one on the floor; Theresa James, could not escape.

“When some residents

arrived to rescue the children, they didn’t even know that there were four of them in the house, it was when the water subsided that they found the body of Theresa,” he said.

Similarly, the Shepherd in-charge, Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement, Rachel Olaoye, called on Kaduna State Government to come to their aid, adding that this was not the first time residents would experiencing flooding.

“In the evening yesterday around 1a.m. when the rain started, we thought it was a normal rainfall, but before we could do anything the gutters and our homes were filled with water. It’s unfortunate we lost a child to the flood.

Accordingly, the state government has designated Nagari College and Abdullahi Fodio Islamic Centre as temporary resettlement camps for those in Birnin Kebbi while the two Councils Chairmen Argungu and Dandi were directed to provide settlement for displaced persons in their areas.

Meanwhile, a team from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara Zonal office led by Sa’ad Ibrahim Bello has arrived the state capital, Birnin

Kebbi to assess the extent of damage caused by the flood.

NEMA provided rapid relief materials worth millions of naira to the affected victims. Bello encouraged people to always render service to the victims apart from the government assistance.

The areas mostly affected by the flood within Birnin kebbi metropolis include: Fati Lami Section of Sir Yahaya specialist Hospital, Rafin Atiku, Badariya, Adamu Aliero Quarters, Shiyar Sarakuna, Bayan Kara, Tudun Wada and Gesse phase one.

Kebbi governor blames community for flood

G

OVERNOR Sa’idu Usman Dakingari of Kebbi State has lashed out at the residents of Bayan Kara and those living around the water ways for refusal to evacuate the area, following the recent flood that ravaged the state as a result of a heavy downpour that lasted for several hours.

The governor made his feelings known when he received a 25-man committee at the government House Birnin Kebbi, headed by the Wazirin Gwandu Alhaji Abdullahi Umar to assess the extent of destruction and property lost as well as those

Khadijat SAIDU affected by the flood.

He lamented that for several years, residents of the Bayan Tasha area have been experiencing the menace of flooding simply because they blocked the waterways and refused to evacuate from the dangerous area.

Governor Sa’idu Dakingari, however, assured people affected by the flooding that the government would provide them with immediate assistance and temporary shelter as interim measure to assist the displaced persons.

“A similar incident that happened last year, prompted me to seek for a loan of N670,000 to erect this concrete wall you are seeing today. This has helped to reduce the influx of water into this part of the bridge that did not collapse . It is because the bridge collapsed that was why this flood entered our homes.

“Because of this erosion problem, three years ago I visited the State House of Assembly, asking them to help us see what they could do concerning erosion but to no avail,”she said.

In the same vein, Youth Leader of Anguwar Yelwa, Mr. Gabriel Adams attributed the collapse of infrastructure in the area to the fallen bridge.

However, residents in the area said flood was becoming a yearly occurrence that had pushed them to the wall, and they had vowed not to vote for political office seekers in Kaduna State unless respite was given to them.

As at the time of filing this report, men from Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) were seen around the place trying to assess the level of damage, while stern looking security personnel were on ground to guard the officials.

60

THE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

NEWS

Adamawa governorship: APC seeks suspension of curfew for good turn out of voters HE All Progressive Congress (APC) Thursday asked theFederal Government to temporarily suspend the curfew imposed on Adamawa state to enable the people of the state to come out and exercise their civic right during the forth coming Adamawa governorship election.

This was part of the decisions taken at the inaugural meeting of the National Executive Council meeting of the party attended by National Officers of the party as well as former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

The party was however silent on the zoning formula for the 2015 elections, while also expressing concern over the role of security agents and other officials of government whom the party said has openly become partisan.

Addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting which was also attended by five Governors, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the party was concerned that if the current stage of emergency will deprive many people in the state the opportunity to cast their vote.

He said: "The highlight of the discussion with regard to the elections in Adamawa is that the party is very worried and concerned about the neutrality of certain public officials.

"I think that one thing the party insisted on is that with the state of emergency in Adamawa state today, for an election to be free and fair, the party will insist that the curfew imposed on the state be lifted temporarily during the elections.

"I don't want to be misquoted, I don't want to be misunderstood.

We are not saying that they should lift the state of emergency. We are saying that the curfew must be

T

n Tony

AKOWE Abuja

n

suspended for the period of the election.

"In the northern part of Adamawa for example, by 6.00pm, the curfew is on. We are not confident that under such a condition, you can have a free and fair election. So, we are asking the federal government to lift temporarily for the period of the election, the curfew in all parts of Adamawa state".

Mohammed stressed that the party is not worried about the recent defection of the former Chairman of ten Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to the PDP saying that the party has since moved on.

He said: "You see, the beauty of politics is the freedom of association. No party would want to lose any of its members. But we believe that the APC is such a strong brand with a strong follower-ship in Adamawa and all over Nigeria that the defection of one person will not adversely affects our fortune and we have moved on since his defection" He said: "This is the inaugural meeting of the National Executive Committee meeting of the party since it was elected. This is because immediately after the national convention, we had to battle with the elections in Ekiti, we had to contend with the impeachment threat in Adamawa and Nasarawa and we had to face the elections in Osun.

"Of course, this is not to say that we have not been meeting informally. But today's meeting is the inaugural meeting. In today's meeting, we discussed the forthcoming elections in Adamawa, Niger and the local government

elections in Delta state. We also discussed the guidelines for the primaries of the party.

"We had the governor of Osun who came not only to thank the party for its support, but also warned that the party must be prepared for the monstrousity and viciousness of the opposition political party in subsequent elections.

"The party discussed guidelines on primaries and principally, the party has decided that the primaries will start as early as October.

We would want to ensure the participation of a large section of our people and so, we have opted for what we called a modified direct primary for the party.

"INEC says that you either do a direct or indirect primary and we have opted for the direct. In other words, we have opted for a method that will ensure the participation of the largest number of our members.

"We called it modified because we are also aware of certain constraints of getting all your 20 million members or thereabout to queue for election especially in areas where we have security challenges like Yobe,Adamawa and Borno. We are working out a formula that will still enable the largest members of our party to participate.

"But I want to say that we are not settling for delegate elections. We want to get people from the grass root to be involved in our primaries because we want to show the world that we are different and that our party and our primaries would not only be grass root inspired, it will be transparent and free.

"Don't forget that we are going to have more than one primary election. Everybody seems to be focussing on the presidential pri-

mary. There will also be primary for members of state houses of Assembly, National Assembly and governorship election. We are going to have separate primaries staggered over a period of time.

The party did not discuss anything about zoning".

Speaking on the renewed move by members of the Nasarasa state House of Assembly to impeach the state governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, The APC spokesman said "I think that the constitution of the country is very clear on this issue.

"You cannot try a person twice for the same offence and the members of the Nasarawa state house of Assembly should know that they are a product of a constitution and that it is the same constitution that they invoked in trying to impeach the governor.

"So, they can't go outside that constitution again to impeach him. What they can do in law is very simple. They should find a new sets of allegations if there are any, follow the same procedure.

Most importantly, they have no liberty to ask a vacation judge to go and and set up a panel.

"They must go back to the same Chief Judge to empanel the impeachment committee. I think that they should understand that Nigerians are tired of this era of impunity because what they want to embark upon is just impunity.

"They are saying that they are going to resubmit the same sets of allegations which has been dismissed and they are going to take advantage of the vacation and ask a vacation judge to come and set up a panel., that will be blatantly illegal. For us, it is nothing but noise".

Speaking on the conduct of public officers, he said "Honestly, we are concerned about the neutrality

of certain public officials in the last couple of month. Institutions which ought to be neutral have today taken partisan roles in elections.

"We are very concerned that institutions which ought to be for the entire country have in recent times behave as if they are for a particular political party. We would in a few days elaborate on his because we are going to come out with a very powerful statement especially on the role of security agencies.

"We are encouraged by the statement of the INEC chairman yesterday that hoarded security personnel are not needed for any election. It is a sign of transparency for a security man who is coming to enforce laws must be transparent and the citizens have the right to know who he is, and the organization he represents and t also see his face.

"Jega was quoted as saying that some INEC officials were arrested by some over zealous security officials. The story of Osun election has not been told completely because the kind of monstrosity and viciousness the PDP embarked upon is better imagined.

"We have records of hoodlums who were given uniform of various security organizations. When an election gets to a level where federal institutions are now subverted and are made to work in favour of a particular political party, I think it is very dangerous not just for one election, but for the institution itself and the country as a whole.

"We know that ministers and some security personnel have thrown caution to the wind and have openly identified with the PDP in the conduct of elections.

This is not good for the country".

Senate and INEC's belated appeal HE recently concluded Mundial in Brazil like most soccer games present a unique problem: Referee error. The problem which FIFA and league managers face is how to rectify the umpires’ faulty judgment, especially when it can be cited as a likely reason for a team’s loss. Such decisions are irreversible during the game, and even afterwards when it has become obvious that there had been an erroneous decision by the referee.

For an electoral umpire, the scenario is different. While in soccer, the imperative of immediacy poses a limitation to rescinding faulty decisions, as it would be tantamount to allowing constant and sometimes spurious stoppages and replays to ascertain and rectify issues. Here, such immediacy does not exist, as the luxury of time and hindsight make it easy and possible to correct anomalies. But pride of office and the deferment to benefactors and higher powers makes it a difficult undertaking for a quango like INEC to rescind on its error. It begs for an explanation in finding the Commission’s logic in exorcising parties from the electoral process, only to advise them to re-register if they meet the same criteria they had previously met, and then possibly de-register them again; thus continuing the circle of musical chairs. If the constitution and Electoral law does not exclude them from participation based on the de-registration, then what is the point in doing so in the first instance.

In continuation of its avowal to stop de-registered parties from contesting in all forthcoming elections, the Electoral Agency continued to bandy the claim of a purported appeal of Justice Kolawole of the Federal High Court’s quashing of its de-registration of the Fresh Democratic Party, FRESH. But no such appeal exists as the agency is now trying to smuggle in a belated appeal after more than a year since the judgment was delivered. This is an appeal it had consistently claimed it had filed. It had earlier secured a re-amendment of the voided section of the Electoral Act at the National Assembly, as part of its attempt to entrench its illegality.

In a response to a petition sent by FRESH’s legal consultant, Dr. Fred Agbaje to the Senate President, David Mark, he said the matter has been referred to the Constitutional Review Committee. But the fact that the bill was hurriedly passed just a few days after the response, without input from the Committee or even the summoning of the affected parties and Prof. Jega to explain his disregard for an

T

• Mark

n

Bukola ADEGBENRO

n

extant court judgment clearly shows that he had no intention of entertaining the petition which highlighted several negative and legal implications of the tone of the re-amendment. This curious re-amendment of that section of the Electoral Act by the lawmakers did not take into account the fact that the National Assembly is a respondent in the case, and cannot therefore be an impartial arbiter.

The creaky machinery of Nigeria’s government and politics is greased with the oil of injustice, and the summation of the Nigerian problem is its professional politicians, whose corrupt and oligarchic tendencies mean that they have to hold on to power at all cost, only hand over to cronies who ‘protect their interest’. Nigeria’s lucrative politics is a fattened cash cow, in a country where salaries are nothing to write home about, minimum wage is appallingly low, and numerous pensioners have not been paid for upwards of four years.

Otherwise, why wouldn’t it be an incredible thing that the National Assembly, which is unperturbed by this system refuses to amend applicable law to redress the legal lop-sidedness of a situation where a crony who embezzles billions from the government coffers, pension funds, police trust funds, parastatal allocations, are let off the hook with a plea bargain to refund of a paltry fraction of the booty as fines and light sentence ‘in absentia’, while a petty thief languishes in harrowing custody for years, subjected to duress and brutality, sometimes without trial, yet it can speedily re-amend a law which was voided by court verdict to which it was a respondent, without batting an eye lash?

This abuse of the rule of law and disregard for a court judgment brings out the spite which the political big-wigs harbour against the judiciary’s tendency to truncate executive and legislative acts of illegality. In approaching the court to seek redress, FRESH obtained a judicial answer to a political question. The norm is to bootlick the powers that be, feigning subservience, or to engage in acrimonious acts which will eventually become an albatross on the heels of the party, but the party refuses to tow this path.

“FRESH which promotes a paradigm shift philosophy, and respect for the law, will not be coerced by the ruling class, into engaging in any un-toward act, in their bid to find character flaws and loopholes in its ideological stance”, according to its lawyer, Barr. Kola Dopamu. “The party will not be tacitly enmeshed in any odium or unconstitutional means in enforcing its court victory. The party and its supporters will sustain this demand for the respect of this court order and rule of law, guided by the provisions of our sacred Constitution” he added. If that is the party’s contribution to the growth of our democracy and the building of a virile nation, then it is well worth it. But there will be no letting up till INEC recertifies the Party.

The process of economic and political emancipation means that INEC must distance itself from any act that could misconstrue it as being partisan. Politics is not a game of life or death. Like the late Lady Diana once said; “I won’t go quietly”: Fresh Democratic Party won’t be hushed up, and definitely go quietly. So, in the spirit of the moment, why shy away from justice? A little ‘fair-play’ in Nigeria’s politics, please.

• Adegbenro wrote from Abeokuta.

61

THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

EQUITIES

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 22-08-14

T

Equities lose N67b as downtrend persists

HE stock market closed yesterday with a loss of N67 billion as the downtrend at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) entered the third consecutive day.

Aggregate market value of all quoted equities on the NSE closed the last trading session of the week at N13.724 trillion as against its opening value of N13.791 trillion yesterday.

The composite index at the NSE, the All Share Index (ASI), dropped from its opening index of 41,767.33 points to close at 41,564.19 points, representing average decline of 0.49 per cent. The decline yesterday further depressed the average year-to-date return to 0.57 per cent.

The negative overall market situation was driven by both the preponderance of losers to gainers and the losses suffered by some highly capitalised stocks.

With 27 losers to 24 gainers,

By Taofik Salako, Capital Market Editor

the downtrend was exacerbated by losses suffered by Forte Oil, Nigerian Breweries, Guaranty Trust Bank, Zenith Bank and Access Bank Plc. Forte Oil led the losers with a loss of N6.80 to close at N231.20. Nigerian Breweries dropped by N3.41 to close at N175.54. Mobil Oil Nigeria lost N2 to close at N175.

Lafarge Africa declined by N1.70 to close at N118.31.

UAC of Nigeria dwindled by N1.50 to close at N59. Northern Nigeria Flour Mills dropped by N1.10 to close at N21. Guaranty Trust Bank lost 35 kobo to close at N28.53.

Zenith Bank declined by 28 kobo to close at N24.70. Access Bank lost 11 kobo to close at N9.64 while Ecobank Transnational Incorporated dropped by 10 kobo to close at N16.50 per share.

The level of activities at the secondary market remained

below average as investors continued to hold on to largevolume transactions. Aggregate turnover stood at 174.95 million shares worth N1.45 billion in 3,944 deals. Resort Savings and Loans Plc was the most active with a turnover of 24.47 million shares worth N12.24 million in three deals.

Access Bank Plc followed with a turnover of N23.47 million shares valued at N225.69 million in 119 deals. Transnational Corporation of Nigeria recorded a turnover of 13.50 million shares valued at N76.61 million in 206 deals.

On the upside, MRS Oil and Gas led the gainers with a gain of N4.49 to close at N58.49.

Berger Paints placed a distant second with a gain of 34 kobo to close at N9.20. Ashaka Cement rose by 29 kobo to N34.

Premier Breweries added 14 kobo to close at N1.58 while National Salt Company of Nigeria gained 10 kobo to close at N9.90 per share.

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 22-08-14

THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

62

ANAMBRA_IMO RIVER BASIN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, OWERRI

ENGR. LUKIYUS BARGUMA

With great shock and deep sense of loss, the Board, Management & Staff of Anambra Imo River Basin Development Authority mourn the passing of our Staff Engr. Lukiyus Barguma who died on 31st July 2014.

Kind and humble, he was an exemplary Staff whose memory will remain indelible in the minds of our Staff.

We express our deepest condolences to his wife, children and the entire family.

May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.

Signed: MANAGEMENT

THE NATION SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

63

SPORT EXTRA

Calling coaches’ bluff • Continued from back page

•Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria (C) celebrates a goal during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Canada 2014 Semi Final match between Korea DPR and Nigeria at Moncton Stadium on August 20, 2014 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

AHEAD WORLD CUP FINAL

I wanted France—Dedevbo

F

ALCONETS’ chief coach, Peter Dedevbo says he would have preferred playing France in Sunday’s final of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup because it would have been an opportunity to seek revenge.

Dedevbo, while in charge of the U-17 women’s team lost to France in the knockout stage of the FIFA Women’s competition in 2012.

“That is football, it is a game of battle all the way. Some of the players in the present French team were in Azerbaijan two years ago. So, l do not think it would have been out of place to meet them,” he told NationSport at the team’s Sheraton hotel in Montreal.

Since there will be no such opportunity, Dedevbo is fully concentrated ahead of the final

From Ejiro Femi-Babafemi, Canada match of the competition against Germany.

“That is a match every body is looking forward too because

of the pedigree of both teams which is a repeat of the 2010 final, another opportunity for Nigeria to avenge their loss,” he said.

The team trained yesterday morning with more attention

given to set pieces and penalties with each player taking their turn.

Nigeria has conceded six goals in the tournament but have scored 11 with three in the record books for the fastest.

From Ejiro Femi-Babafemi, Canada behind us at this stage due to our outing. It shows how sweet success is,” said the player who two years ago wept when the team lost the third place match to Japan.

It will be remembered that the pre training tour of the team to Canada was disrupted by the suspension on Nigeria as they could not travel at the scheduled time.

Also, the team were always

at the receiving end anytime Super Eagles are involved in the world cup as they are usually given little or no attention by the FA. In 2010 shortly after the world cup in South Africa, the girls traveled to Germany unannounced but reached the finals before losing to the host side.

It is the same scenario this year which has further been worsened by the elections into the NFF executive committee.

Nobody believed in us—Oshoala

P

LAYER of the moment.

Asisat Oshoala has revealed that prior to the commencement of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, nobody believed the Falconets will get this far.

She told Sporting Life that it was based on this that the players resolved to give their best and as such put the challenges behind them.

“We are happy that we have been able to get Nigerians

Ideye in line for EPL debut

N

IGERIA striker Brown Ideye is in line to make his English Premier League debut at Southampton today.

Ideye, who is so far the biggest Nigeria signing in Europe this summer, was an unused substitute when West Bromwich Albion drew 2-2 at home with Sunderland on the opening day of the EPL last weekend.

Compatriot Victor Anichebe played the full game against Sunderland.

Ideye missed Nigeria’s cut for the recent World Cup, but he cost ‘The Baggies’ a club record fee of about 10 million pounds when he moved from top Ukrainian club Dynamo Kiev.

Fellow Nigeria stars Nwankwo Kanu and Osaze Odemwingie made a success of their time at WBA. A delay in the issuance of his entry visa and work permit meant he missed West Brom pre-season build-up.

He has also featured in Switzerland and France.

•Ideye

Omeruo focuses on Sheffield game

K

ENNETH Omeruo has stressed that the team must continue to work hard this season and believes that Boro owe Sheffield Wednesday one after the controversial game at Hillsborough in February.

“Sheffield is a game we have to

•Omeruo

win,” said Kenneth.

“We deserved to win the game last season when Jacob’s (Butterfield) goal was disallowed but it’s a new campaign now so we have to be focused.”

Despite a busy summer in Brazil at the World Cup with the Nigeria squad, Kenneth insists he is fresh and believes he’s returned to Boro a better player after the experience.

He said: “I’ve had some time with family and friends to rest, but I’m focused now and ready for us to keep going.

“I think the World Cup was a good experience for me, I learnt a lot playing against top strikers,

constantly having to read what they’re thinking and it’s helped my confidence knowing what to do in those situations.”

Kenneth was a huge hit with the fans during his loan spell in the last campaign, and he believes that signing for Boro on a seasonlong loan has been positive for his settling in period.

“I think I’m more settled this time, I’m in no hurry and I can take every game as it comes,” said Kenneth.

“The fans have been great telling me they love that I’m here and that helps knowing they’re behind me and the team so I can give my best.”

Falconets arrive Montreal

N

IGERIA U-20 Women Team, the Falconets are in Montreal ahead of their final match against Germany.

The Falconets qualified for the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after beating Democratic Republic of Korea 6-2 in their quarter final match played on wednesday in Moncton.

The team left Moncton thursday for Montreal where the finals will take place.

The Nigerian delegation are currently staying at Sheraton Hotels Montreal.

All players are in good condition with no case of injury.

They are having two training sessions today as part of preparations for the finals.

Nigeria defeated Korea Republic 2-1, England 2-1 and drew 1-1 with Mexico.

The Falconets also thrashed New Zealand 4-1 in the quarter finals to proceed to the semi finals where it edged out Democratic Peoples Republic of korea 6-2 to advance to the finals.

Nigeria and Germany met four years ago in Germany and they lost 2-0 to the Germans.

The finals comes up on sunday by 7pm thats 12 mid night in Nigeria.

who wasn’t listed in the 23-man squad had lost form.

What struck me was that Keshi may not have forgiven Osaze Odemwingie who is also dropped. The noise of Osaze not playing to instruction in Nigeria’s first game in Brazil against Iran may be the reason. One could be wrong. Who knows, Osaze may have quietly resigned from playing for Nigeria. We will surely get Osaze’s response in the coming days.

Keshi also told a radio station this week that he picked the 23-man squad in consultation with the Eagles secretary Dayo Enebi. What this simply shows is that Keshi picks his players without consulting his assistants. If I were in NFF, I will offer the job to Daniel Amokachi for N3 million and call the Big Boss’ bluff for the two games against Congo and South Africa.

Reading through all the stories in the media concerning the renewal of the contract, the problem appears to be the coach’s insistence on having more than the N5 million monthly pay. His demands are legitimate, except that the NFF is saying that it went through hell paying the N5 million monthly and wouldn’t want that scenario to repeat itself.

There were suggestions that the NFF men toyed with N10 million, which one of the negotiators to the coach described in the media as “slavish”. I don’t want to believe that anyone would say so. If indeed he said that, the NFF had better pull out of the discussion and quickly announce a new coach.

Stephen Keshi has done well for Nigeria. His records with the Eagles are a clear testimony of his hard work. I know that Keshi is a patriot. He also has a right to make such demands. But where there is a stalemate, Keshi should let everyone know what he wants. Keshi doesn’t need to send negotiators for a new deal. After all, when he signed the first one, he came alone. Many have argued that there was no written document between the coach and the NFF in the first deal.

So, has Keshi learnt lessons from what happened the first time with his bosses? Of course he has. But would the NFF want to do business with a coach who doesn’t think that his employers have a right to supervise his work? Are the NFF chiefs willing to have an employee who has unfettered access to big men in government on their payroll? Shouldn’t the NFF men use this platform of a new deal to include a code of conduct, telling the coach his contracts dos and don’ts?

One is glad that the minister has stayed out of the discussion. We need to know the true employers of the coaches, if we hope to stop the show-of-shame in foreign land where the players and coaches refuse to honour our international matches until their dues are paid.

Other countries strike deals with the players and coaches which terminate with the World Cup before the qualifiers begin. This idea of paying players and coaches match bonuses and allowances isn’t in sync with global best practices. The Germans who won the 2014 World Cup diadem were paid $400,000 each. The players and coaches didn’t get a dime for the qualifiers because they knew that their contracts terminated with either winning the World Cup or crashing out of it. They chose the profitable option, with many of them donating their cash to charity homes.

Little wonder many of the Germans are being chased by big clubs in Europe.

Nigeria joins the ignoble league of protesting nations like Ghana and Cameroun who have paid appearance fees to their players and officials, simply because many of them feared that they would not get theirs if they had to leave.

What most people don’t understand especially those in government is that FIFA lays bare what players’ and officials’ entitlements are. Any country that breaches laid down rules will be compelled to fulfill its obligations or have such cash deducted from its earnings.

Magicians in Canada Anytime our girls excel in international competitions, I describe them as magicians. These girls don’t play the game here, like boys do. Their league matches are played in far flung areas. No television coverage. I’m sure these girls can’t be tagged professional players.

For the girls in Canada, qualifying for the women U-20 World Cup is a feat worthy of celebration. Assiat Osholala is the highest goal scorer, with seven goals. Courtney Dike scored the fastest goal of the competition. My fervent wish is that Nigeria becomes the first African country to lift the women World Cup at the U-20 level.

When these girls return, their lives will change for the better. New deals struck with European clubs, increased income and sufficient cash to change their families’ lives for good. One only hopes that President Goodluck Jonathan can give the girls $100,000 each, like he gave the boys, a national honour and perhaps ask the First Lady to donate a trophy that the girls will compete for yearly. The First Lady should use her influence to get Nigerians and companies to bankroll the competition such that the girls can live their lives as true professionals, not the eyesore that we have now in the few places where they play on empty stomachs.

No matter what anyone says, the Maigari-led board has added another feather to its cap. Why some people want Maigari out of the NFF remains to be seen. Honestly.

TOMORROWPUNCHLINE IN THE NATION

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.9, NO. 2947

On the road to Damascus Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor and nemesis of the early Christians, became Paul, the rock who would later serve as the foundation on which early Christianity was built —Biodun Jeyifo

I

N his classic essay titled "Case For Ideological Orientation", Chief Obafemi Awolowo declared that "In any theatre of life with which he is identified, every one of us has an orientation…If you meet a politician who is unwilling or unable, to declare and, as precisely as possible, describe his position in relation to the cardinal points of political compass, you will feel strongly tempted to denounce him as a fraud, a total misfit or a hopeless drifter". Affirming his own commitment to the ideology of democratic socialism, the sage contended further that "…the aim of any progressive government must include social justice, equal opportunity for all, respect for human dignity and the welfare and happiness of all, regardless of creed, parentage and station in life". Thus, in concrete policy terms, the parties led by Awolowo in the first and second republics the Action Group (AG) and Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), respectively, were committed to the provision of free education, free health care, full employment, rural integration and development as well as massive development of infrastructure. The more conservative inclined parties such as the Northern People's Congress (NPC) and the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) of the first and second republics were less inclined to utilise state resources for the provision of social welfare services for the vast majority of the people.

They rather preferred policies that would help cultivate a viable business class and thriving private sector capable of spurring economic growth believing that the masses would ultimately benefit from the 'trickle down' effects of such policies.

Despite the existence of a multiplicity of political parties, there has always been the tendency towards a broad-based two-party system in Nigeria. Thus, in the first republic, the party system was systematically coalescing into two broad alliances, the conservative Nigerian National Alliance (NNA) comprising the NPC and its allies and the more progressive United Peoples Grand Alliance (UPGA) made up of the AG, NCNC and smaller parties from the Middle Belt and Calabar, Ogoja and Rivers (COR) provinces.

This tendency was replicated in the second republic when two broad party alliances emerged - the NPN and its allies as well as the Progressive Parties Alliance (PPA) comprising the UPN, NPP and the more radical factions of the PRP and the GNPP. It was obviously the manifestation of this two party tendency that informed the formation by the Babangida regime of two state-created parties, the 'little to the left' Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the 'little to the right' National Republican Convention (NRC). Of course, IBB's novel attempt at political engineering crashed as a result of his own vaulting ambition to perpetuate himself in office, which led to his disastrous annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

True, the phenomenon of political vagrancy - the tendency for political actors to move opportunistically and arbitrarily from one party to another irrespective of their ideological disposition - has been a feature of

Ribadu and the spectre of political vagrancy

‘

•Ribadu Nigerian politics right from the first republic.

With each successive dispensation, political parties have become less of vehicles for the articulation and implementation of public policies based on distinct ideological platforms and more of veritable vote-harvesting machines through which political actors acquire power largely for the criminal and primitive accumulation of wealth. The more the role of ideology has been de-emphasised in Nigeria's politics, the more politicians across board have tended to prostitute themselves moving embarrassingly from one party to the other in their quest for power, devoid of principle. This problem has considerably worsened in contemporary Nigeria where we now have two major parties, the entrenched People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the emergent All Progressives Congress (APC) made up of a merger of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). The rapid movement of political actors from one of these parties to the other and back to their former abode has been quite dizzying and stupefying. As it were, this seems to mark,

But then, if there is no real difference between the two major parties, should Ribadu not more logically have refused to cast his lot with either? Now that he has cast his lot with the PDP, those he has fought vigorously all his life will do everything to abort his ambition. Are we likely to witness the premature eclipse of an otherwise promising political career? Time will tell

’

finally, the 'end of ideology' in Nigerian politics.

The latest example of political vagrancy on display is that of the movement of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu from the APC to the PDP. This development has left many disappointed and dismayed. As head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during the Obasanjo presidency, the fear of Ribadu was the beginning of wisdom. He fought corruption with unprecedented passion and ferocity. His detractors have accused Ribadu of having gone only after Obasanjo's perceived political foes. But no one has been able to prove that even a single one of the corrupt elements whom Ribadu single-mindedly prosecuted and got convicted was innocent of the crime of corrupt enrichment. Ribadu won national and international acclaim for his anti-graft offensive. It was this solid character and anticorruption record of Ribadu that the defunct ACN sought to profit from when it fielded Ribadu as its presidential candidate in the 2011 presidential election. While most knowledgeable Nigerians readily admit that corruption is the greatest menace threatening Nigeria's progress and very existence, they

were reluctant to give Ribadu their votes at the polls. Most of those who voted for General Muhammadu Buhari, the CPC candidate, who also has an impeccable anti-corruption record, did so more for religious and ethnoregional rather than ethical reasons. There is no reason to believe that even now, corruption is a serious issue with the average Nigerian voter.

Indeed, the ACN saw that a bloc- vote for Ribadu in the South-West in the 2011 election, could lead to a stalemate with no candidate being able to secure the necessary constitutional requirement to emerge as winner in the first ballot. The result would be a likely run-off between President Jonathan and Buhari. The ACN leadership, given the perceived contempt with which it was treated by the CPC did not feel inclined to give the CPC such a helping hand. This resulted in the voting pattern in the South-West that aided Jonathan's victory on the first ballot. Against this background, can anyone really blame Ribadu if he sees the PDP as offering him a more viable and feasible platform to emerge as governor of Adamawa State given the current socio-economic and political realities of Nigeria? Can anyone fault Ribadu if he has become tired of battering his head in futility against a rock solid wall of the corrupt Nigerian establishment? If he is able to hold a prominent political office on the platform of any party, will Ribadu not be in a vantage position to demonstrate practically the anticorruption values he has consistently and vigorously espoused? Of course, the downside is that once he is helped to power by the very forces of corruption he has so fiercely and viciously denounced, he may no longer have the moral authority to lead any battle against corruption. For, those who helped him up the power ladder can also readily engineer his downfall if he attempts to play any game of self-righteousness.

Justifying his defection to the PDP and obtaining the party's nomination form for the Adamawa state governorship election, Ribadu reportedly contended that there is little or no difference ideologically and morally between the PDP and APC. This may be true to some extent. However, most APC governors have undoubtedly provided more inspirational, visionary and productive governance in their respective states than the PDP has done at the centre since 1999. Yet, it is difficult to distinguish between the bankrupt neo-liberal economic policies of the PDP at the centre and those of the state governments including those controlled by the APC. This is why reactionary elements of the PDP particularly in the SouthWest have been able to mischievously position themselves as champions of the common man without articulating any coherent programme for the liberation of the latter from misery and poverty? But then, if there is no real difference between the two major parties, should Ribadu not more logically have refused to cast his lot with either? Now that he has cast his lot with the PDP, those he has fought vigorously all his life will do everything to abort his ambition.

Are we likely to witness the premature eclipse of an otherwise promising political career?

Time will tell.

Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com

Calling coaches’ bluff

W

HAT is the trouble with our football?

When will those seeking offices in the Glasshouse learn how to obey the FIFA statutes in actualising their ambitions? Who is responsible for the Wednesday morning NFF secretariat carnage that left key offices in ashes? Why do people like to attract attention to themselves for the wrong reasons? Which other body owns the beautiful game aside FIFA? How come nobody has called to order the faction of seven that still meets under a perceived NFF umbrella, after FIFA’s ruling which the sport minister has obeyed? Or is the minister no longer the final authority in sports?

One had thought that with FIFA’s verdict on August 4 and the minister’s compliance, the last of the crises at the Glasshouse had

been heard. But, like a thief in the night, the fire came suddenly, destroying everything in the General Secretary’s office, the accountant’s office and some adjoining offices.

But the good news is that NFF men are saying no document was destroyed; all plans will go on without any hindrance. So, the theory of the fire being a happenstance raises hope of a new dawn at the place.

Will this be the end of the wahala in NFF? I don’t think so because the police will begin investigations that will soon unveil a lot. The police must get to the root of the carnage.

Those found culpable must face the sanctions.

What this writer doesn’t understand is the refusal by the body’s first vice chairman to accept that FIFA’s verdict is final. He is still bickering. He has refused to present Aminu Maigari’s resignation letter. One will love to

ask the vice chairman how a man that was impeached, dismissed and asked to leave the meeting hall could return with a resignation letter. If the vice-chairman, in his then capacity as president of the body, accepted Maigari’s purported resignation letter, he has no business being the face of our football. We want knowledgeable people in such exalted offices.

Maigari returned to the NFF presidency because FIFA annulled the process that removed him from office. In the eyes of FIFA, the meeting where Maigari was impeached, dismissed and asked to walk out never held.

In other climes, the vice chairman won’t be allowed to contest. A man who was impeached and dismissed has no basis to resign from a non-existent office. FIFA’s “Statutes” is the rule book for soccer globally. Our soccer chiefs must sit down and read it prop-

erly. We are tired of repeated FIFA interventions. I digress!

I had my fears about our September 6 and 10 ties because of the stipulated 14 days notice to foreign clubs to release players to their national teams for approved international matches and friendlies. Now that the Glasshouse men have beaten the 14-day clause by naming 23 players for the two matches against Congo in Calabar on September 6 and South Africa in Cape Town on September 10, the question to ask is who picked the players? Is it the NFF or the chief coach? If it is the coach’s list, why all the talk of unresolved contract details? If it was NFF’s list, is it a pointer to the fact that they have given up on the coach’s demands and intend to announce a new helmsman? If yes, they better do it now, if they are sure that the coach’s contract has lapsed.

But a story in one of the online networks quoted Keshi as saying that Victor Moses,

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