December 13, 2014 by The Nation

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THE NATION

NEWS

OLLOWING the ratification of President Goodluck Jonathan by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as its presidential candidate, prominent northern leaders have resolved to adopt the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), as its consensus candidate for 2015. Both the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) yesterday said before the presidential primaries that produced Jonathan and Buhari, the North had resolved to support a northern candidate, and since APC has fielded a northern candidate, they have no they have no choice but to support him. Indeed, they opined that President Jonathan ought not to be in the race if the principle of zoning created by his party and the constitution was respected. In an interview with our correspondent, the Chairman of ACF, IGP Ibrahim Coommasie (rtd), said: “First of all, the APC presidential primary and PDP convention have clearly shown those who are ready to practice democracy. APC’s primary was held smoothly without any rancour, and all of them have come out to accept the result. “That is a good omen for our democracy, and I hope

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

Buhari is North's candidate —Coomassie, Ango Abdullahi •’Nigeria'll be at risk without free, fair presidential election’ Abdulgafar ALABELEWE, Kaduna that INEC will emulate that. “So, we are congratulating Gen. Muhammadu Buhari who has been winning primaries all through. Only when it comes to the general elections is he rigged out. We have also seen what happened in the other party. “I am the Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and we have said it before, but we are still reiterating it, that we are going to support the Northern candidate. APC has voted a Northern candidate, so we are going to support him 100 per cent. So, Buhari is our candidate for the 2015 election.” He was however quick to add that if Governor Rochas Okorocha had won the APC primary, they would still have supported him because he was born and bred in the North and has shown interest in the development of Nigeria and the region in particular.

Coommasie said: “In 1998, the politicians decided that power should go to the South, and because of June 12, the South-West was favoured and it fell on (Chief Olusegun) Obasanjo. And they said that power should return to the North after eight years. Unfortunately, Obasanjo even wanted to do three terms but he couldn’t. “Eventually, Obasanjo reluctantly brought Yar’adua who, unfortunately, did half of his first term and died. And by constitution, the number two man took over. So, many people argued that, since it was the tenure of a Northern candidate, after completing the first tenure, Jonathan should have stepped aside and allow another Northern candidate to take over and complete the tenure. But it wasn’t so. “He said he wanted to contest. He contested and won and now, he wants to

continue.” In the same vein, the spokesman of Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Prof. Ango Abdullahi, told our correspondent that “the implications of the PDP and APC primaries have spoken for themselves. One, as it was said, was a coronation; not an internal democracy. “The other one was true democracy on display, where aspirants refused to step down for each other and they decided to go and slug it out at the primaries. That was what happened in the case of APC. “But in the case of the other party, there is no internal democracy. In fact, those who showed interest were intimidated and coerced to submission to withdraw their candidature. “So, what the PDP did the day before yesterday was already described by some commentators as a coronation rather than a process

where people are given their democratic right to choose their candidate. The implication is that, if the ruling party would insist on not respecting the democratic process within itself, the fear is that in an interparty competition where they are in charge of affairs, the machinery of government, security forces and others, there is the risk that, they may go back to a situation whereby they will not like competition for their candidate. “There is already a lot of warning from respected Nigerians that the best thing that must happen to this country is free and fair election in 2015, otherwise, the country will be at risk. “Jonathan shouldn’t be in the contest in the first place if the principle of zoning that was created by his people and the constitution is respected. He shouldn’t be a candidate by now.

“Secondly, there is the problem of incompetence. Everybody from Wole Soyinka to Obasanjo has observed that this is the most incompetent administration the country has ever witnessed. “Thirdly, there is the legal aspect of his eligibility. By my simple reading of the constitution of Nigeria, Jonathan cannot contest the election because he would be a president that would be in office in excess of eight years.” Prof. Abdullahi however commended other aspirants who contested against Gen. Buhari in APC primaries for accepting the outcome of the primaries. “Each one of them has spoken that they respected the outcome of the primaries and they will honour the pledge that they are going to work together to ensure that the party records victory in the forthcoming 2015 election.”

APC commends security agencies, media, Lagosians for successful convention

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed its gratitude to the security agencies, the media, party members/ supporters and the entire people of Lagos for their immense contributions to the runaway success of the party’s two-day national convention that saw the emergence of its presidential candidate without rancour In a statement issued in Lagos on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said going by the efforts and perseverance of these groups, it is now clear that Nigerians are ready to make the necessary sacrifice for change. It said the military, police, DSS, Civil Defence and the various Lagos State security agencies, among others, went beyond the call of duty in carrying out their assigned tasks during the two days that the convention lasted. ‘’What this shows is that with proper political leadership and guidance, our security agencies can be the best in the world. We are indeed gladdened by their sacrifice,’’ APC said. The party said the media also did not disappoint, as many journalists reported at the venue from 9 am on Wednesday and did not leave until the results of the voting was announced at about 6 pm the second day, all the while reporting the event as it happened. ‘’As always, the Nigerian media played their watchdog role with a rare commitment and impressive profes-

sionalism. They were there for us all through,’’ it said. APC said the entire people of Lagos made a great sacrifice by bearing the inconveniences imposed by the convention without much complaints. ‘’For a city prone to gridlock, there is no doubt that the convention brought about extra inconveniences for the residents as they moved around to perform their daily duties. “But based on the feedback we have received from across the state, the people believe that whatever inconveniences they suffered while the convention lasted were just a little of the sacrifice they have to make in the collective efforts to build a new Nigeria. We appreciate this very much,’’ the party said. It said the party’s members and supporters, especially the delegates who came from all over the country, were simply outstanding in their contributions to the success of the convention, a development that has given the party much hope and confidence that it can always count on its core group (members and supporters) for support APC said with the fairness, transparency, violence-free and the overall success of the convention, the party has shown that it is indeed ready and able to bring the muchneeded change to Nigeria and make the country, once again, a proud member of the comity of nations. ‘’In the tough task ahead, we have no scintilla of doubt that we can always count on all those who have made our convention a success,’’ the party said.

•From left: PDP BoT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih; Vice-President Namadi Sambo; President Goodluck Jonathan; PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu and Senate President David Mark at the inauguration of PDP National Campaign Council in Abuja on Thursday.

Saraki, Aregbesola, Ajimobi hail Buhari's emergence as APC presidential candidate

ORMER governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his Oyo State counterpart, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, have hailed the election of of former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In separate statements yesterday, they described Buhari’s election as the culmination of a new dawn not just for the party but the country as a whole, noting that the election had raised the bar of internal democracy, transparency and fairness in the party. Saraki, a chieftain of the APC, described the primaries

Adekunle JIMOH, Ilorin as a watershed in intra-party democracy. In an electronic mail, the senator representing Kwara Central added that the just concluded APC presidential primaries had it all—procedural integrity, free expression of the will of the people, fairness and competition. Said he: “For me, this reflects the fact that APC is in tune with what is missing in our democratic culture: tolerance and accommodation. The party has shown by this primary that we are in tune with the mood of the nation and the yearning for a more inclusive and less divisive leadership.

“The APC delegates have by voting for and choosing Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as its flag bearer in the 2015 general election declared that it wants to change Nigeria. It has by so doing declared that it can no longer be business as usual. “Aside the uncommon level of transparency apparent throughout the convention, it is worth pointing out the level of sportsmanship and togetherness exhibited by all the contestants for the party’s premium ticket. It was one of the finest moments of our political party history. “It is not happenstance. Rather, it shows that it is easier for people to take a fall if they know that the fight was fair

and the rules applied generally. The feeling of fairness and deference to the will of the people and loyalty to the party then follows. “Never in the annals of party presidential primaries in Nigeria has there been such infectious atmosphere of novictor-no-vanquished. These eminently qualified Nigerians put aside personal loss and ambition for the greater vision of a changed Nigeria. This reflects the unflinching and collective resolve of the APC to see Nigeria rescued from the abyss this current administration has plunged her into. “You will agree with me that the quality of the ideas •Continued on Page 3

THE NATION

NEWS 3

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

2015: Buhari's running mate emerges Monday

E N E R A L Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate in next year’s presidential election will likely emerge on Monday or Tuesday, it was gathered yesterday. General Buhari was picked to fly the flag of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the party’s national convention in Lagos on Thursday following which leaders launched into strategic meetings to decide on his running mate. The meetings continued last night. There are indications that the party may concede the VP slot to the South-West, contrary to speculations that South-East or South-South would clinch it. Shedding light on why the South-West may be favoured for the slot, a reliable source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Hopefully, Buhari’s running mate will emerge on Monday or Tuesday. We will make our position known by then. “We are building consensus on the South-West as the zone to produce the vicepresidential candidate. “You may be hearing of some names being dropped, we have not finalised discussion on who should be chosen. Our leaders are weighing the options on who to pick and they are extremely careful.” Responding to a question, the highly-placed source added: “The slot is for the South-West, based on strategic political calculations. “And if you look at the power sharing ratio in the country today, the SouthWest is short-changed. Even the Senate presidency zoned to the South-West was denied it at the last minute in June 2011.” Another source in the camp of Buhari, said: “I think by all implications, the mate of the presidential candidate

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation may be from the SouthWest. “We have left the SouthWest chapter of the party to decide on who the cap fits.” Meanwhile, a jittery Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Presidency have been forced by the emergence of Buhari as the APC presidential flag bearer to return to the drawing board with a view to reviewing their strategy on how to stop the APC. It was gathered that the fears over Buhari border on likely block votes for him from the North, especially North-West and North-East. The ruling party was also disturbed that it might lose some states in North-Central including Kwara, Benue, and Niger. It was learnt that the party might initiate reconciliatory moves in some states in the North where primaries have created division. A source said: “The PDP was working on the permutations that ex-VP Atiku Abubakar would emerge as APC candidate because of his war-chest. The party had also envisaged that Atiku’s choice might create an implosion in APC with PDP as the utmost beneficiary. “The election of Buhari as APC presidential candidate has forced the Presidency and the PDP to return to the drawing board on how to win all the zones in the North. “Buhari has really unsettled everyone in spite of all moves by the party to underrate his emergence as APC candidate. The PDP has realised that the scenario is different from that of 2011. “Our leaders have been meeting on how to checkmate Buhari. Apart from issuing a statement that Buhari has not offered anything

•PDP jittery over ex-Head of State’s emergence •Huge loss of Northern votes likely for PDP new in his acceptance speech, the PDP might engage in some propaganda as soon as APC choice of running mate is announced.” Already the South-East APC has asked the Igbo to join the Buhari bandwagon instead of putting all their faith in the PDP. The South-East APC made the plea in a statement through its spokesman, Mr. Osita Okechukwu. He said the result of “the free, fair and transparent

APC’s presidential primary, clearly reflects a nationwide broad based acceptance of GMB. The result has shown that GMB is a man of the people.” He also described “the celestial bond between him and the Nigerian masses and the middle class, in particular. Hence the vintage Buhari-Bandwagon for salvation. “We join GMB in declaring Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Governors Rabiu Kwankwaso and Rochas

Okorocha and Sam NdaIsaiah as co-winners of the presidential primary for their robust campaign, understanding and sportsmanship displayed. “ In fact their candour and solidarity with the winner is uncommon and highly commendable. “We salute Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led national executive committee and Dr. John Kayode Fayemi led national convention committee for conducting a free, fair and transparent presidential

primary. “It is historic and most likely will remain a benchmark of measuring future presidential primaries for a long time to come. “South-East APC makes bold to state that the success of the presidential primary has demonstrated that APC chances of wining the 2015 general election is very high. “It is a prelude to regime change which Nigerians earnestly yearn for and a measure of internal democracy in action.

•From left: FRSC Corps Marshal, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi; representative of the Vice President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and Chairman,Board of FRSC, Mr Felix Chukwu, at the 12th national summit of special marshals in Abuja… yesterday

Saraki, Aregbesola, Ajimobi hail Buhari's victory

•Continued from Page 2

that were put forth in the various manifestos by our aspirants showed truly the APC is bringing change not for a few but change for all Nigerians to move us together, forward. The oneness in which our aspirants conducted themselves should tell every Nigerian that despite the naysayers’ predictions, the APC is united, strong and ready to reclaim the soul of our nation. “I call on all the aspirants who fought the good fight and the entire party leadership to rally behind our candidate, Gen. Buhari, so that we may give all Nigerians, irrespective of their language, religious creed, sex and place of birth, the people-oriented leadership that we need to get past these difficult times.” He called on all Nigerians, “especially those who have suffered under the failed years of President Jonathan; those who have not benefitted in anyway under the nepotistic programmes conducted by this government; those that do not want their children growing up in a failed Nigeria where rampant insecurity and blatant corruption is the norm - to get in line and fall in place

to help elect General Muhammadu Buhari as our next President.”

Choice of Nigerians –Aregbesola Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, said that the emergence of the former Head of State is the best democratic pill to galvanise Nigerians towards the needed change. He said the former Head of State is not just the candidate of the APC but that of the entire Nigerians who have been yearning for a dramatic and total change. Aregbesola said the decision by all party men and women to elect the former head of state demonstrates the commitment to presenting a candidate who would not only win the presidential election but go ahead to rescue Nigeria from the present quagmire anti-democratic and antidevelopment elements had brought her into for more than a decade and a half. Aregbesola, in a statement signed by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, was quoted as

speaking shortly after the declaration of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as the presidential candidate of the APC after a keenly contested primary held in Lagos. “We must congratulate Nigerians for the emergence of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as the presidential candidate of our party. The excitements, commendations and jubilations that have greeted the election and consequently the announcement of Gen. Buhari are clear demonstrations of the fact that Nigerians have been anxious and now poised for an immediate change in Nigeria. “It is clear now that Nigerians are determined to jettison their religious, tribal, partisan and other mundane interests to rally support for our candidate. Gen Muhammadu Buhari, I can confidently say, is not just the candidate of the All Progressives Congress but the popular choice of entire Nigerians,” Aregbesola was quoted as saying. Reminding Nigerians of the urgent need to fix the country, Aregbesola said the outcome of the primary election itself confirmed that the APC has taken transparency, the fight against corruption and

graft to a new height. “People have chosen the best man for the job regardless of all other less edifying considerations. Buhari represents the face of the required battle against corruption. He represents openness and commitment to good governance. “For those who consider the awful impact of corruption on our country, the choice of Gen Buhari would easily translate to the readiness of Nigerians to battle against the most debilitating scourge against the country’s growth,” Aregbesola said. Listing the challenges that lay before an APC government at the centre, Aregbesola reminded Nigerians that the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party at the centre has spelt economic doom, political complications and social morass. “We have witnessed the most horrendous crimes against the soul of this country. There has been a mindless rape of the country by a gang of looters who have made Nigeria a laughing stock in the comity of nations. “There is needless hunger in a country with many untapped opportunities. All the critical sectors have been bled

•Gen. Buhari

to states of coma and what we have left as a country is a fractured entity gasping for breath. “With the election of General Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerians are assured that a new Nigeria is possible.”

Election is proof of internal democracy —Ajimobi In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr.

Festus Adedayo, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State congratulated the APC for the successful organisation of the presidential primary election, saying: “The emergence of Gen. Buhari as the presidential standard bearer of our great party in a free and fair primary election was a further attestation of the high regard which our party has for democratic process and internal democracy,’’ the governor said. Governor Ajimobi also noted that with the successful completion of the primary in a convivial atmosphere, APC was now set to take over power at the centre from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through the ballot box and take the country to greater heights. The governor also commended the spirit of sportsmanship exhibited by other contestants by accepting the outcome of the primary in good faith and congratulating the eventual winner. Governor Ajimobi thanked the Chairman of the Convention Committee, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and other members of the committee for being fair and just in the handling of the onerous assignment.

THE NATION

4 NEWS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

PRIMARIES

Ajibola, Ishaku pick Kwara, Taraba PDP guber tickets

three-term senator representing Kwara South, Simeon S. Ajibola, yesterday emerged the governorship candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State just as the immediate past Minister of State for Niger Delta, Darius Ishaku, won the governorship primaries of the party in Taraba. The primary election in Kwara State, held under heavy presence of security personnel, went on till the wee hours of yesterday without any hitch. The state Commissioner of Police, Salihu Garba, personally superintended over the security of the venue to prevent breakdown of law

Adekunle JIMOH, Ilorin and Faith YAHAYA, Abuja and order. The governorship primary was shifted from December 8 to yesterday following protest by 11 of the 12 aspirants alleging plan to impose a certain candidate on them. A total of 680 delegates were accredited out of the overall total of 709 delegates. Senator Ajibola polled 144 votes to emerge as the overall winner, followed by the 2011 governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), who polled 132 votes

to beat 2011 governorship candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Senator Gbemisola Saraki who scored 113 votes. Other aspirants are former special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on National Assembly Matters, Senator Suleiman Ajadi (107); former chairman Federal Character Commission (FCC), Prof. Shuaib Abdulraheem (58); ex-minister of transport, Alhaji Bio Ibrahim (45); son of late governor Mohammed Lawal, Hakeem (33); Deacon John Dara (27); Industrialist, Engr. Jani Ibrahim (16) and Engr.

Sunday Babalola (three votes). Others are former land and housing commissioner under the then Governor Bukola Saraki, Kale Belgore (one vote) and Alhaji Abdullahi Sanusi (nil vote). Ishaku clinched the Taraba governorship ticket after the governorship primary that was conducted on Thursday night at the PDP national secretariat, Abuja. Ishaku hails from Takum Local Government Area of Taraba. The election was conducted under the supervision of the national leader-

ship of the party. It was delayed for almost five days, following the crisis over zoning. Earlier in the week, Taraba PDP leaders and stakeholders had met with the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, to inform him of the existence of an agreement signed in 2011 by PDP leaders in the state where it was agreed that the Taraba South Senatorial District will produce the PDP candidate in 2015. According to them, Taraba North had served for a total of 10 years while Taraba Central where the incumbent

Governor Dambaba Suntai hails from will complete eight years in power in 2015. Following the complaint, Muazu directed the PDP leaders, who gave him a copy of the resolution, to also provide a copy of the minutes where the zoning arrangement was reached. He assured them that the PDP national leadership will respect their decision saying "zoning is local." As a show of respect for the agreement, the former acting governor of the state, Alhaji Garba Umar, and another aspirant, Musa John, stepped down from the race.

Benue APC settles for Ortom as governorship candidate

ORMER Minister of Trade, Investment and Industry, Chief Samuel Ortom has emerged as the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Benue State. Chief Ortom emerged after other governorship aspirants stepped down for him at the end of a close door meeting brokered by the senate minority leader, Senator George Akume, in Makurdi. APC governorship aspirants who stepped down for Chief Ortom are Mike Iordye, Akange Audu and Emmanuel Jime.

Uja EMMANUEL, Makurdi Chief Ortom will now face PDP candidate Terhemen Tarzor in the general elections. In the last one week the Senate Minority Leader, Dr. George Akume, has admitted PDP bigwigs into APC family in Benue State. First to dump PDP for APC is a former National Chairman of the PDP and BOT member, Chief Barnabas Gemade, who also picked the Benue North East senatorial seat ticket and will face Governor Gabriel Suswam.

Stop PDP, INEC from accepting any other candidate, Ayogu Eze asks court

ENATOR Ayogu Eze yesterday asked the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja not to accept any other name as governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) other than himself. In a suit number FHC/ ABJ/CS/2014 filed by his Counsel, Yusuf Ali, SAN, Eze also asked the court to restrain the PDP, the National Working Committee (NWC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), by themselves, agents, officers, officials, privies or representatives and other person whatsoever deriving authority from them from submitting, forwarding or sending the names of any other person other than himself, as their duly elected governorship candidate for 2015 governorship election in Enugu State, pending the final determination of the substansive case. ''To restrain INEC, its agents, privies, or representatives from recognising, accepting or giving effect to the name of any other person other than himself as the governorship candidate of the the PDP and the NWC of the party for the Enugu State governorship election in 2015 as well as such further or other orders as the court may deem fit to make

in the circumstances of this case.'' The plaintiff said that the PDP and NWC conducted ward congresses in Enugu State on November 1, 2014 as a result of which a list of delegates for the conduct of primary election for the governorship candidate of the party emerged, consisting names of the elected delegates. According to him, the list was sanctioned and authenticated by the Federal High Court, Abuja, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/816/2014, which judgement was delivered on November 24, 2014. Eze further said that he emerged as the governorship candidate of the party based on the correct delegates list sanctioned by the same court, adding however that the defendants were bent on sending another person other than his name to INEC as their chosen governorship candidate for the said 2015 election. He added that ''if the defendants were not restrained from doing so, pending the the determination of this case, the judgement of the court will be rendered nugatory.'' He further said that granting the application would not in any way prejudice the defendants herein.

•Fellows Social Science Academy of Nigeria, Dr Bosede Oladunni (left), Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, Olorogun Kenneth Okpara and Prof Olayiwola Erinosho during the third investiture ceremony of the academy in Abuja... yesterday PHOTO: Abayomi FAYESE

PDP primaries: Shagari's supporters condemn exercise, accuse Bafarawa, PDP chair Mu'azu

UNDREDS of placard carrying supporters and loyalists of Mukhtari Shehu Shagari, Sokoto State Deputy Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant before last Monday’s primaries, Thursday evening besieged his campaign office protesting the result of the election. Turning out in their hundreds from the 23 local government areas in the state, the protesters, mainly women and youths, stormed the campaign office to reject the election process which they said gave an undeserving victory to Ambassador Abdallah Wali. Some of the placards read: “ Bafarawa is an unrepentant political destroyer. He has betrayed us and PDP in Sokoto”; “we reject the outcome of the fraudulent primaries”; “Mukhtari is the bona fide and deserving winner”; “ there was no primaries in Sokoto”, “PDP should cancel the election and conduct a fresh exercise”; “ no Mukhtari, no PDP in Sokoto State”; “Sakkwato, sai mai Ruwa adalin shugaba”, meaning Sokoto State can best be represented by PDP with a justand trusted leader in Mukhtari as its flag bearer for governorship.” The protest under the watch of security agents was carried out peacefully in total condemnation of the exercise, urging the leadership

Adamu SULEIMAN, Sokoto

of the party to reconsider the issue with utmost fairness and order a fresh exercise. Speaking shortly after Mallam Yusha’u Mai Shayi performed an opening prayer, Chairman and Coordinator, Mukhtari Shagari Campaign Organisation, Bello Buhari Dange, described last Monday’s governorship primaries of the

party in the state as unrealistic, manipulated and undemocratic in view of its fraudulent nature. Dange said: ”There was no election in Sokoto and we are calling on the party’s leadership to speedily reject it by cancelling the self centred outcome. “It was no less an imposition to discredit the party and pre-empt its failure in the

state by the former governor,” he said. Also, a former member of the House of Representaives, Sa’idu Gumburawa said they were not accepting any act of deceipt and undemocratic process of picking governorship candidate for the party. “We will not entertain 419 exercise,” he added.

Gaya, Yusuf pick APC senatorial tickets in Kano

ENATOR Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya yesterday retained the Kano South senatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in a keenly contested primary held in Rano town, Rano Local Government Area. Senator Gaya, currently the Chairman Senate Committee on State and Local Government Administration, floored his opponent, Yahaya Isa Zarewa in a land-

Kolade ADEYEMI Kano slide victory by polling 4,121 against Zarewa’s 723. The former Kano Gtate governor is bidding for the Senate chamber for the third time. In his acceptance speech, he said it was another opportunity for him to serve the people of his senatorial district consisting of 16 local government areas. He appealed to whoever might have been offended during

the primary election to bury their hatchet. He also appealed to those who lost the primaries to joint hands with him in building Kano South Senatorial District. In the party’s primaries conducted in Kano Central Senatorial District, the present Kano State Commissioner for Works and Housing, Abba Kabir Yusuf, emerged winner of the primary election, polling 2,690 votes to beat Usman Halilu who got 280.

Accord Party picks don, Ex-Ondo NUJ scribe as candidates HE immediate past General Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Ondo State Council, Ebenezer Adeniyan, and a Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education, Adeyemi College ofEducation, Ondo, Dr. Abiodun Ambode, were among the candidates that emerged from the House of Assembly and National As-

Damisi OJO, Akure sembly primaries of the Accord Party (AP) in the state yesterday. While Adeniyan emerged as the candidate for the House of Assembly in Akure South Constituency 1, Ambode emerged as the candidate for the House of Representatives in Ondo East/ Ondo West Federal Con-

stituency. At a peaceful primary election held at the state secretariat of the party in Akure, the state capital, in the presence of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agents, delegates of the party ratified the nomination of the candidates, all of who were unopposed from their constituencies.

THE NATION, SATURDAY DECEMBER 13, 2014

News 5

PDP loses bid to sack Ameachi, Kwankwaso, others •Court strikes out party's suit T HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suffered a momentary loss in its bid to unseat the governors who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) A Federal High Court in Abuja struck out yesterday the suit filed by the PDP with which it sought to sack the four governors who defected from the party. Justice Gabriel Kolawole, in a ruling that lasted about two hours yesterday, held that the suit's originating processes were invalid, on the grounds that they were wrongly issued and served on the defendants. The PDP had last December sued the governors, including former Adamawa State governor, Murtala Nyako, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asking the court to declare the defecting governors' seats vacant, and for INEC to conduct elections for their replacement. Nyako's name was removed from the suit shortly after his impeachment.The remaining four are Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara). The party had, upon an order of court, served the originating processes on wrong address, which it claimed was the headquarters of the APC. The service was faulted by the defendants, forcing the court to set it aside. On June 27, the party again obtained an ex-parte order for substituted service of the originating processes through newspaper publication which it published on July 3 in Thisday newspapers. The defendants again faulted the procedure adopted by the PDP in serving them, arguing among others, that the plaintiff failed to first obtained the leave of the court to serve through substituted means, and that the originating processes were not endorsed as required under the Sheriff and Civil Processes Act (SCPA). Justice Kolawole's ruling yesterday was on the applications filed by Ameachi, Kwankwaso and Ahmed. He upheld the governors’ argument that the originating processes, issued in the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, and meant for

Eric IKHILAE, Abuja

service outside jurisdiction ought to be endorsed as required under Section 97 of the SCPA. He held that the plaintiff acted in violation of the provision of Section 96 of the SCPA as it ought to have applied for and obtained the court's leave before engaging in substituted service. The judge rejected the argument by lawyer to the PDP, Alex Iziyon (SAN) to the effect that the the governors could be served through their new party's address. Justice Kolawole held that it was "preposterous, audacious and breathtaking" for the plaintiff to argue that the defendants, sued individually in personal capacity, could be served through the office of the party to which they defected to. He further held that having been described as governors of Rivers, Kano and Kwara states, who carryout most of their functions in their states' capitals, it was wrong to assume, as argued by the plaintiff, that they reside or operate from the APC headquarters in Abuja. The judge also held that since APC was not a party in the suit, which was meant to sack the governors, it was wrong to provide the APC's address as the place where the governors could be served. On the plaintiff's argument

that the defendants had exceeded the seven-day limit for them to challenge the order for substituted service, the judge held that the provision of Order 26 Rule 11 of the Fed-

the provision. He consequently declared the originating summons filed by the PDP invalid by virtue of its not being endorsed as required by law.

"This suit is struck out as this originating summons has been declared invalid," the judge held. He also extended his findings to cover Wamakko, who he noted, had equally filed similar application.

•A section of the congregation at the Shiloh 2014 of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, aka Winners’ Chapel, at the church headquarters, Canaanland, Ota, Ogun State...yesterday. Inset: Presiding Bishop, Dr. David Oyedepo ministering in one of the sessions

Cameroon kills 180 Boko Haram insurgents

AMEROON soldiers have killed no fewer than 180 militants suspected to be members of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, in the north of the country, a military source said yesterday. The insurgents were eliminated during an attack at Amchide in the north bordering Nigeria Thursday night around 8p.m., the Chinese news agency, Xinhua, reported. About 400 militants allegedly attacked the defence and security forces. The source said there was no casualty on the Cameroon side. The attack, which has not

•Jonathan blames internal, external saboteurs for sect’s activities yet been officially declared by the authorities, came nearly two months after around 200 suspected Boko Haram militants were killed by the army in Amchide and Limani, another part of northern Cameroon October 15 and 16. Since then, the security forces have strengthened their positions in the north by increasing the number of personnel to around 6,000. The militants are active in the north of Cameroon, and they often attack villages in the area, pillaging properties of the villagers and sometimes taking

2015: Nigerians told to reject PDP pressure group, the APC Volunteers (APCV), has called on Nigerians to vote against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general elections. The group, which promotes the interests of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the PDP and its government under the leadership of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan had thrown Nigerians into sorrow through problems created as a result of gross incompetence. In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja and signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Barrister Olusegun Bamgbose, Nigerians were advised to vote for the APC described as the only party with solutions to the nation’s serious challenges. The statement reads in part, “ It is becoming increasingly obvious from political developments that the possibility of the PDP surviving the 2015 general elections is very slim. The party has fallen from grace to grass. The party has been battered by

eral High Court Civil Procedure Rules does not apply in view of the fact that the order made on June 27 for substituted service was an ex-parte order which is not covered by

many internal crises. “Considering also the political mood of the nation and the people eagerly yearning for a change, the PDP’s chances of retaining power at the centre may be elusive. The time has come in the history of Nigeria when we must tell ourselves the whole truth. The PDP under the Jonathan administration has only succeeded in underdeveloping Nigeria. It is a case of outright failure on the part of the government. “Jonathan has failed to properly address the problem of insecurity to the satisfaction of Nigerians. The rate of unemployment has consistently been on the increase. The infrastructural development has not been encouraging. “After careful appraisal and analysis of the Jonathan administration for almost six years, it has become very clear that Jonathan lacks what it takes to move this nation forward. His best is not good for Nigeria. He is not competent

to govern Nigeria beyond 2015. “It is then proper to submit that with what we have on ground now, the opposition will likely form government in 2015. It will amount to be a political gamble to give the PDP another four more years to govern Nigeria. “Our unity and peaceful coexistence as a nation are seriously at stake. The PDP government has succeeded in bastardizing the enviable image of our country both locally and internationally. It will be economically and politically injurious to permit the PDP to rule Nigeria for another four more years. Our unity has never been so fragile as we have it now. “It is, therefore, politically expedient to kick out the PDP in 2015. One needs to understand that the PDP is terminally ill. It would, therefore, be politically suicidal to allow the PDP to govern Nigeria beyond 2015. Nigeria will certainly be in ruins should that happen.”

Augustine EHIKIOYA, Abuja foreign and local people as hostages. Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday maintained that internal and external sabotage is greatly responsible for the onslought of the violent Islamic sect in Nigeria. He made the remark when the Creative Professionals of Nigeria led by Segun Arinze visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Stressing that his administration is working hard to tackle terror in the country, he was optimistic that terrorsim will soon be overcomed in Nigeria. He said: "We have challenges at present even in our infrastructure, but we are committed to expanding it in transportation, aviation, ports, roads, power infrastructure, among others. "One of our greatest challenges is this security challenge. But we are working very hard;

we have our frustrations; we have issues of sabotage, internal and external, but we are working very hard and by the grace of God we will overcome the problem," he said. He pointed out that the artistes have been a blessing to Nigeria, as they not only help to boost the image of the country, but have been contributing greatly to the Nigerian economy. He said: "But you are even appreciated more outside this country. And for those of us you placed here within this period, we know the value you have been bringing to us, to governance and social issues in this country. "Most of us, politicians, are just busy generating negative issues. Everyday, they talk about corruption, governance and other issues. It is you that pomp the positive news into the system." He promised that the government would continue to provide funds to assist the artiste. Speaking on behalf of the

group, Segun Arinze said that never in the history of Nigeria had any President given the creative community the attention Jonathan had given. He said: "Never in the history of Nigeria has any leader given us the respect you have given us. Never in the history of Nigeria has any leadership given us the support you have given us. Today, as one, we have come to say a big thank you." According to him, the uncommon transformation of the government has made them to travel to the best film schools around the globe to receive training. "We have received grants to make better films whereas we could not previously access loans. Under your administration, many of our members have received national honours. Many of our members have got political appointments. Under your leadership, many of us are now venturing into politics, something never before heard of for artistes in this part," he said.

Abuja to have world-class heart hospital soon

BUJA, the Federal Capi tal Territory, may soon have a world-class hospital for heart related issues. This hint was dropped by a humanitarian group based in the United Kingdom and the United States made up of Nigerian doctors abroad. The group is already in the country for free surgical operations for a week in collaboration with Garki Hopsital. According to Pauline Odeyemi, Project Manager of the Hospital For Humanity (HFH), the group is preparing

Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja to establish a hospital mainly for heart-related issues in Abuja as a way of bridging the health gap in the country. Odeyemi told journalists that the group was ready to move in and commence work towards establishing the specialist hospital. Odeyemi hinted that the group was prepared to mobilize Nigerians abroad to come home and work in the hosptal, thereby saving the country a huge sum of money spent on

foreign medicals yearly. Odeyemi who is a specialist in Medical ICT in the United Kingdom observed that majority of the people who troop abroad for medical care,do so mainly for specialist needs. Addressing journalists on the importance of the cardio thoracic surgeries to be performed by specialists on 19 patients in the first phase of the exercise, Odeyemi said that the move became necessary to save the lives of the patients whose parents could not afford the cost of a heart surgery.

THE NATION, SATURDAY DECEMBER 13, 2014

6 News

HE kidnapped Chibok girls were yesterday listed by the French Press agency , AFP, as among the most influential people of 2014. Russian President Vladimir Putin tops the list in a year marked by seismic conflicts in Europe and the Middle East and scarred by episodes of extreme brutality. The leader of the Islamic State group Abu Bakr alBaghdadi also features prominently among the key personalities, reflecting the rise of militant groups with agendas even more radical than AlQaeda. The extraordinary dignity showed in the face of deep suffering by the parents of murdered American journalist James Foley was also recognised in the list, which was compiled by senior edi-

Chibok girls make AFP’s 10 most influential 2014 figures in the world tors after a consultation with more than 370 AFP journalists around the world. Diane and John Foley never ceased campaigning for their son, an AFP contributor who was the first Western hostage to be executed by the Islamic State group. The horrific video of the killing was posted online and contributed to the outrage that brought the US military into the Iraq and Syria conflicts. AFP last year published a list of the most influential people of 2013 led by Edward Snowden, who revealed the extent of US intelligence surveillance, Iranian President

Hassan Rohani and Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, laureate of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Here, in order, are the 10 people judged to have had the greatest influence on events in 2014: VLADIMIR PUTIN: With the Ukrainian conflict and Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, East-West relations have been plunged into their deepest crisis since the fall of the Berlin Wall. At 62, Putin is the key player in a confrontation that threatens to open a new Cold War. ABU BAKR AL-

BAGHDADI: The Iraqi leader of the Islamic State group, born in 1971, is at the heart of a major upheaval in the Middle East. He proclaimed himself caliph of the territory his fighters have overrun in Syria and Iraq, over which he reigns without mercy. A USled coalition has been formed to confront him. NIGERIAN SCHOOLGIRLS: The Boko Haram group kidnapped the 276 schoolgirls from Chibok,Borno State, in mid-April, shocking the world. On social networks, people launched a campaign, #bringbackourgirls. The girls

Nigeria sinks below Zimbabwe’s stock valuations on oil rout

The Boko Haram insurgency, tumbling oil revenue and a looming presidential election have turned Nigeria’s stocks into Africa’s biggest laggards. The country’s main equity index lost 25 per cent this quarter after tumbling to a 22-month low, the continent’s largest retreat. The Nigerian measure dropped to 8.1 times estimated earnings December 11, falling below Zimbabwe for the first time since Bloomberg started tracking the southern African

nation in 2010. Tension in Nigeria is escalating before polls in February pitting President Goodluck Jonathan against former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, with attacks by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram killing at least 450 people in November. Crude’s plunge below $65 a barrel has deepened the rout as

Nigeria needs a price of $126 to balance its budget, more than any other major developingnation producer bar Venezuela and Bahrain, according to Deutsche Bank AG. The Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index (NGSEINDX) decreased 2.5 per cent to 30,299.50 at 11:40 a.m. yesterday in Lagos, the lowest level since January 2013. The gauge,

HIV/AIDs not death sentence —Expert

ENTRE for Integrated Health Programme (CHIP) Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Bolanle Oyeledun, has said that HIV/AIDs is not a death sentence. She said this as she warned against stigmatization and discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDs. Speaking to newsmen shortly after commissioning the Kagarko General Hospital renovated and upgraded by CIHP, Dr. Oyeledun said the organisation had trained about 22,000 service providers to assist in the fight against HIV/ AIDs virus in Kaduna State. According to her, the group

Abdulgafar ALABELEWE, Kaduna

has tested over 350,000 people in Kaduna State, including about 300,000 pregnant women out of which over 12,000 HIV positive had been given treatment and over 5,000 children were equally handled by the organization. "We have also been supporting over 20,000 vulnerable children in the state. We are paying their school fees from primary to secondary schools. We have also trained and equipped some of them after secondary school in vocational business. "We all know that you don't

catch HIV/AIDS by touching, sharing utensils and/or sleeping on the same bed with people who are positive. We are all aware of ways through which people can contract HIV in Nigeria: through blood transfusion, sharing sharp objects, unsafe sex and all that. "We have been working with state Ministry of Health and KASACA in order to provide comprehensive quality HIV treatment services to the people of Kaduna State," she said. Dr. Oyeledun however explained that they renovated the hospital as part of their contribution to provide qualitative health care service to the people.

Islamic leaders kick against closure of Egypt’s consulate

SLAMIC leaders, under the aegis of the League of Imams and Alfas in SouthWest, Edo and Delta states, have expressed their dissatisfaction at the move to close down the Lagos Consulate of the Egyptian Embassy in Nigeria. The group, in an open letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Arab Republic of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry, titled, ‘Proposed Closing of Lagos Consulate said “the proximity of South-West and South-South to Lagos cannot be compared to Abuja where the embassy has another consulate and therefore asking people from these areas to travel down to Abuja will amount to putting their lives at risk as a result of bad road networks in some parts of the country.” The group, in the letter signed by Grand Imam, State/President, League of Imams and Alfas, Sheik Haroon Shuara, and the Publicity Secretary, Sheik Habeebullahi Adam AlIlory, also noted that the proposed shutdown of Lagos Consulate will affect vast majority of Nigerian Muslims and will also inconvenience many Egyptians living in Lagos and other South-West states. It, therefore, urged Shoukry

to borrow a leaf from embassies, which apart from allowing online application, still maintain consulates in Lagos and Abuja. The letter reads in part: “Since some of the applicants may not have relatives in Abuja, they will need to provide their own accommodation for a night or two or even more depending on the appointments given to them by the embassy. It is a known fact that accommodation is very expensive in Abuja. “It will also interest you to know that Egyptians have heavy commercial presence in Lagos which is the commercial hub of Nigeria. This explains

why construction giant, Arab Contractors, has its headquarters in Lagos. It is not by mere coincidence that Egypt Air, one of the pioneers of direct flight operations between Nigeria and the Arab world still maintains its headquarters in Lagos. “Also, the vast majority of Nigerian traders who do business with Egypt receive their goods either through Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, or through Lagos sea port.” The letter was also sent to Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo and Delta states.

Madam Olemoh for burial December 19

HE burial of Mother-in-Is rael of Eternal Sacred Or der of Cherubim and Seraphim, Odi-Igbala Mount Zion, Okota, Isolo, Lagos, Madam Adenike Okunyemi Olemoh (Nee Adewusi), comes up Friday, December 19, at Ikoyi Cemetery after a funeral service at Dolphin Open Ground, Badagry Way, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos. According to Mr. Olanrewaju

Olemoh, the ceremony will start on Thursday, December 18 with a Christian wake at her residence, Block 3, Flat 5, Isolo Road, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi by 6pm. Reception follows immediately after the interment at Open Ground, Badagry Way, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos. Madam Olemoh died on December 5 at the age of 80. She is survived by children and grandchildren.

which has dropped almost 30 per cent from this year’s high in July, is down 9 per cent this week, the worst five-day decline since the week through November 7. Its fall is the fourth-biggest among 93 stock gauges tracked by Bloomberg worldwide this quarter through December 11. The last time Nigeria held general elections in 2011, stocks declined 1 per cent in the six months before the April poll to end the year 16 per cent down. Jonathan’s victory triggered riots across the north that killed more than 800 people and led to the burning of churches, mosques and homes and was challenged by the runner-up. Investors are more concerned this year as increased attacks by Boko Haram “make these elections particularly fraught,” Nnamdi Obasi, a senior analyst for West Africa at Brussels-based International Crisis Group, a conflict resolution organization, said in a report last month.

became a symbol of the atrocities committed by the group, which has proclaimed its support for the Islamic State group. Of the kidnapped girls, 219 remain in the hands of Boko Haram with no sign of how, when or if they may be freed. POPE FRANCIS: Chosen as pope in 2013, it quickly became clear that Jorge Bergoglio was a new style of pontiff. He confirmed that this year, reaching out to divorced couples albeit without taking any concrete steps. He has strongly defended Christians living in the Middle East and has urged Islam's intellectual leaders to condemn jihadist violence. MALALA YOUSAFZAI: The Pakistani teenager became a global icon after she was shot in the head and nearly killed by the Taliban on October 9, 2012 for insisting that girls had a right to education. At 17, this year she became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner in history, jointly awarded the honour alongside the Indian campaigner Kailash Satyarthi. JOSHUA WONG: At 18, he is one of the faces of the prodemocracy movement that swept Hong Kong this year in defiance of the Chinese leadership. The "umbrella revolution" appears to have been halted or at least interrupted. But Joshua Wong and other leaders believe their demands for true democracy can no longer be ignored. DIANE AND JOHN FOLEY: Their son, James Foley, an American freelance journalist kidnapped in Syria in November 2012, was the first Western hostage to be executed by the Islamic State

group. During their son's captivity, they were confronted by the US authorities' categorical refusal to enter into any talks with his kidnappers. With courage and dignity, they have kept his memory alive. OSCAR PISTORIUS: A Paralympics star, he was the main character in the trial of the year, a case that transfixed South Africa and television viewers around the world. Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine's Day 2013. After a televised trial, the judge sentenced him to jail for five years for manslaughter. Prosecutors have now appealed and are seeking a murder conviction. THOMAS PIKETTY: The French economist's weighty tome, Capital in the 21st Century, has racked up hundreds of thousands of sales in France, the United States and Britain, where his academic theories about growing economic inequality have struck a chord among readers. Along with this year's Nobel Economics Prize laureate Jean Tirole, Piketty testifies to the vitality of economic thinking in France at a time when, paradoxically, the economy itself is in crisis. JACK MA: The emblematic figure of Chinese entrepreneurship, Jack Ma is the founder of internet giant Alibaba, which combines services similar to those of Amazon, eBay and Google. Alibaba shares began trading on Wall Street in September in the biggest listing in history. The 50year-old former English teacher is the richest man in China.

THE NATION,

News 7

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

Cynthia: Court knocks off attempt to stay proceedings

TTEMPTS by one of the defendants to stay proceedings in the alleged murder of Facebook lover, Cynthia Osokogu before a Lagos High Court, Igbosere, yesterday suffered set back with the trial judge’s refusal to grant the prayer. Counsel to Nonso Ezike, the third defendant, Michael Ajayi, had at the commencement of the day’s trial, prayed the court to stay proceeding pending the outcome of an interlocutory application he filed at the Court of Appeal. “I humbly request that the

•Prime suspect denies requesting hard drug, Ryhophynol

Precious IGBONWELUNDU proceedings of this honourable court be stayed pending the outcome of an appeal filed at the Court of Appeal.” He said. However, the prosecutor and Attorney-General of Lagos State, Ade Ipaye, however, opposed Ajayi’s application for a stay in the proceedings. ”There cannot be a stay of proceedings in a criminal trial on account of an interlocutory

appeal.” Ipaye noted. Their submissions prompted the judge to rise in the matter that did not commence till about 1pm, in order to rule on the application for stay of proceeding In her ruling, Akinlade rejected Ajayi’s application on the basis that justice must be served speedily. “A stay in this case, will cause unnecessary delays in court proceedings.” She subsequently ordered the continuation of trial.

As the matter proceeded, prime suspect, Okwumo Nwabufo under cross-examination by one of the defence counsel, Chris Obiaka said:”I never asked the third defendant (Orji Osita) to buy any drug for me neither did I purchase any drug.” Other defendants in the alleged murder of Osokogu on July 22, 2012 at Cosmilla Hotels in Festac Town, Amuwo Odofin are Olisaeloka Ezike and Osita Orji. Nwabufo also told the court

•From left: Rector, The Polytechnic Ibadan, Prof. Olatunde Fawole, Governor of Oyo State. Senator Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi; and Commissioner for Education, Oyo State, Prof. Oladipupo Olaniyonu at the 30th Convocation Ceremony for the Award of diplomas, certificates and prizes for 2013/2014 graduands of The Polytechnic, Ibadan held at Conference Center The Polytechnic, Ibadan... yesterday PHOTO: Femi ILESANMI

HE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has carried out a major operation across the South West and South South and North Central States of Ekiti, Edo, Delta and Kogi. The intelligence-led raid code named Operation Weed Eater led to the arrest of a-36-year-old suspected drug baron, and operational head of a cannabis syndicate known as Akunnubas, Uche Destiny Obi also known as ‘The King Maker’ along with seven other members of the cartel including two truck drivers. Cannabis weighing a total of 1,514,278kg with an estimated street value of 15.1 billion naira was also intercepted. During the operation, cannabis plantations were raided and destroyed at Ise Forest Reserve in Ise/Orun Local Government Area, Ode camp in Gboyin Local government area both in Ekiti State and Utese Forest Reserve in Edo State. One hundred officers drawn from various state commands participated in the operation that lasted for twelve days. Uche Destiny Obi is the Vice Chairman and operational head of the Akunnubas, a group that specializes in cannabis cultivation and distribution. He is called the ‘King Maker’ because of his overriding influence in determining appointment of other executive members as well as execution of punishment on erring members and foes. The criminal group is believed to have a growing influence and operational stronghold in South West and South South states of the country. NDLEA investigation reveals that the Akunnubas is responsible for over eighty

NDLEA arrests suspected drug baron, storms cannabis farms Kelvin OSA OKUNBOR percent (80%) of cannabis production in the country. The syndicate hires cheap labour including school age children to work at cannabis farms. They use motorcycles in conveying processed cannabis from the farms to a temporary covert warehouse from where trucks are later used in taking the drug for inter-state distribution. According to the NDLEA Director of Operations and General Investigations, Mr. Olugbenga Mabo who coordinated the specialized operations, the raid was to eradicate drugs from the country. In his words, “this is a specialized raid operation cutting across different state commands. The operation which lasted for twelve

days led to the seizure of 1,514,278kg of cannabis, and the arrest of a suspected drug kingpin and seven others. In Ekiti State, cannabis weighing 1,483,200kg was destroyed in two cannabis plantations. In Edo, 9,300kg of cannabis was intercepted, in Delta, 19,675kg was intercepted in a truck while two trucks containing 2,103kg of cannabis was seized in Lokoja, Kogi State. The cases are under investigation”. He also commended officers that participated in the operation for their tenacity, dexterity and zeal. “The interception of a truck with registration number EKY948XB Lagos, carrying a forty =40= footer container loaded with 19,675kg along Amai road Obiaruku – en route Abbi, Delta State by Delta State Command officers and two trucks containing 2,103kg of

cannabis by Kogi State command is impressive” Mabo added. Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade described the arrest of Uche Destiny Obi as a reward for painstaking investigation. “The suspected drug kingpin Uche Destiny Obi was placed under investigation by the agency for several months. This is an era of protracted and diligent investigation that will expose illicit drug activities of suspected drug barons who will soon be caught in the dragnet of the NDLEA. I am delighted with the success of the painstaking surveillance carried out by officers in Operation Weed Eater” Giade stated. The NDLEA boss stressed that the agency “is poised to dismantle drug trafficking syndicates and put an end to their criminal activities.”

Osun APC aspirant justifies party leaders’ position on primary poll

N aspirant of the All Progressives Congress(APC) for Osun Central Senatorial district, Dr. Kunle Oyeyemi, has justified the position of the party leadership on the just concluded primary elections into the State and National Assembly. Speaking with reporters in Osogbo, the state capital, Oyeyemi urged co-contestants to reason with the party leadership in returning some of the incumbent

Adesoji ADENIYI, Osogbo lawmakers, both in the state and the national assembly. He advised that the wisdom of the party leaders, whom he said had made the APC an attractive platform for him and others to further their ambitions, should be respected. Oyeyemi maintained that whatever the party leaders are doing now, no doubt, will be in the best interest of the generality of members of

the APC in Osun State in the long run. “I agree that if a wrong candidate is allowed to emerge and the party loses at the general election everyone is a loser and if the right candidate is made to face the poll, we are all the better for it if he wins. On my own part, I have sent out a congratulatory message and even called the winner in the Osun Central senatorial district. I bear no grudge against anybody and the party.”

that the reason he had late Osokogu’s Blackberry phone in his possession was that she gave him her phone to repair and sell for her. “Cynthia asked me to repair and sell her Blackberry phone for her and I gave the phone to the fourth defendant (Ifechukwu). He did not

know that the phone belonged to Cynthia.” He added. When it was time for Ajayi to cross-examine Nwabufo, he told the court that he was not prepared in view of the outcome of the ruling. The matter has been adjourned to January 16, 2015 for continuation.

Lagos orders partial closure of Oworo-Ogudu bridge

AGOS State government has announced the partial closure of the Oworo-Ogudu bridge on Sunday. This is due to the repair works that would be taking place on the damaged expansion joint on Oworo-Ogudu bridge on the Ibadan-bound carriage along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, who disclosed this yesterday said the repair works would be carried out by the contractor, China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC), between the hours of 9am and 11am. As part of the traffic management strategies during the exercise on the Bridge, vehicular movement from Oworonsoki/ Ifako would be restricted to two

Adeyinka ADERIBIGBE

lanes for the short period of the maintenance exercise. According to him, vehicles moving inward Lagos from Ketu – Ojota interchange/ Ogudu would not be affected during the exercise. He urged motorists and other road users to use alternative routes to avoid delays occasioned by the partial closure of the bridge. The government appeals for caution and co-operation from all road users by obeying all traffic regulations and ensure traffic flow during the maintenance period. He said all relevant agencies have been deployed to the area to ensure free flow of traffic and reduce the pains of road users while the exercise lasted.

Kwara council pensioners want implementation of pay rise

OCAL government pensioners in Kwara State under the umbrella of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) have urged the state government to implement their 2010 and 2011 pay rise. The pensioners also lamented the dichotomy between the state and local government pensioners’ pay in the state. In a statement jointly signed by the chairman and secretary of local government pensioners association, Alhaji Isiaka Akanbi and Alhaji Oladimeji Saidu, the aggrieved pensioners urged the state government ensure fairness, equity and justice in the allocation of funds to both the state pension board and the local government staff pension board. The statement reads:

Adekunle JIMOH “Despites the various challenges facing all local government pensioners in the state, the local government pensioners remain steadfast to the corporate existence of the state and are solidly behind the current administration of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed. “We call on the state government to source for fund to pay the backlog of arrears of local government gratuities arising from August 2008 till date pointing out that the state pensioners are receiving theirs as and when due. “It also appeals to the state to rise up to her sacred responsibilities by ensuring she maintains the course of justice, equity and fairness as what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.”

APC aspirant congratulates candidate

LAGOS House of Assembly aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ifako/Ijaiye Local Government, Hon.Mutairu Balogun, has congratulated the winner of the Federal House of Representatives primary of the party, in the Ifako/Ijaiye Federal Constituency, Dr. Elijah Adewale popularly called Dr.Jah. Balogun also pledged his unflinching support and loyalty to the party and the National Leader, Asiwaju

Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He said: “The victory of Dr. Adewale is a reflection of his hardwork and popularity within the party. I therefore wish him and the party a resounding success in the forthcoming elections. “ I also want to use this opportunity to call on Lagosians and Nigerians in particular to vote for our great party in the 2015 elections as APC remains the only credible party that will usher in the much desired change Nigerians have been yearning for.”

Zion Baptist Church holds quarterly meeting

HE Abundant Life Baptist Association holds her 4th quarterly meeting of the year today at Zion Baptist Church Magbo, Ogijo in Ogun State by 9:00am prompts. The new moderator, Rev. Chaplain Abiodun Oladejo, will take over the mantle of office from the pioneer moderator, Rev. Chaplain I. O. Okewale of First Baptist Church, Ogijo. According to a press release by the church, issues affecting the association and member churches will also be discussed.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

8 COMMENTARY

‘

Nowadays Egyptians feel safer and more secure because their government is protecting them from terrorists and anarchists who hijacked the street demonstrations of 2011 in Egypt

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Change, old warriors and the challenge of history HE primaries of the ruling and major opposition parties in Nigeria held this week have thrown up again the candidates who contested the last presidential elections in 2011. These are incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan for the ruling PDP and retired General Muhamadu Buhari for the APC. To an outsider it may seem Nigerians are a very conservative and predictable lot, very averse to change, and in way that could be right. Except that this time it is not just so in spite of a recurring decimal of presidential candidates. The route to the emergence of the two candidates was quite circum locutus and mazy, but the circumstances, issues and challenges leading to the emergence of the same two candidates for 2015 presidential elections were quite different from their last tussle won by the incumbent president. Even though the two candidates sounded very moved by their elections the need for a different way of doing things and governing Nigeria was very much the mood at the two primaries. Even the incumbent promised to do things differently while not acknowledging responsibility for being in charge of the dismal situation that has made his rival look and sound very much like a breadth of fresh air or what Shakespeare would have called ‘A Daniel Come To Judgement‘ as in the celebrated play Merchant of Venice. Definitely the two candidates are poised for a gargantuan battle for the salvation and soul of the Nigerian state and people. But Nigerians are not only befuddled that the battle is between familiar candidates, figures and faces but are non plussed at how this came to be right before their eyes and with them in possession of their cognitive and thinking faculties. Never the less there is a pervading sense of hope and expectation that some thing has to give in this 2015 election if Nigeria is not to plunge down an abyss of insecurity, poverty, joblessness and lack of safety of life and property which have been the distinguishing hallmarks of the present government and administration in Abuja . Indeed one can borrow an expression from former US Democratic presidential candidate Jesse Jackson who on losing that nomination bid, consoled himself by saying that he was confident that God was not finished with him yet. For Nigerians a la Jesse Jackson, a change of government in 2015 at the presidential elections will show that God is not really finished with Nigeria and vice versa. Which throws the ball firmly in the court of the APC‘s brand new presidential candidate former Genera Muhammadu Buhari as the beacon of hope for Nigerians for a better and more secure future given our present political equation emerging from the presidential primaries. I say this without sarcasm and certainly without bitterness as some text from readers have advised, given the fact that I was rooting for the Man From Kano, Governor Rabiu Musa who came second and for whom one can certainly say God is not finished with, as work in progress in the future governance of our nation. Today I examine the prospects of a

Buhari Presidency and the challenges of hope inherent in it against a backdrop of the General’s military background and the shared experience of leaders like him who have seen and taken power in and out of uniform culminating in the very edifying spectacle of the taciturn military general from Daura basking in the glory and pomp of democratic acclamation at the stadium in Surulere this week. It was a celebration of peoples democracy that even Plato or Arisrotle never foresaw for this part of the world. It was a scene that would have made Abraham Lincoln green with envy and he defined democracy as government of the people by the people and for the people. Which really was what the well organised APC presidential primary was all about. Anyway, before General Buhari takes on the ruling party’s strangle hold on the Nigeria polity as the credibIe alternative before the Nigerian electorate, l want to draw his attention to the experiences of former military leaders globally like him who tried to rescue their nations from the sort of plight Nigerians are facing in the build up to the 2015 elections which many Nigerians are praying he will win, to bring the required respite from our present sea of problems, calamities and insecurity. The leaders are from two nations in Asia and Africa namely Pakistan and Egypt both Muslim nations facing Islamic militancy similar to that of our present plight with the blood thirsty Boko Haram pillaging and murdering Nigerians with impunity in the vast North East of our nation. The leaders are former General and President Pavez Musharaf of Pakistan and Nawaz Sharif that nation’s present PM who is trying to get Musharaf tried and jailed for treason over offences he purportedly committed while in office as Pakistan’s military ruler. From Egypt I bring in the example of former President Housni Mubarak and Egypt’s new President and former Military boss Al Fatah Sissy who also is trying the former elected president of Egypt Mohammed Morsi for treason for offences committed during his brief democratic tenure. Again the morale here is to show the newly elected APC presidential candidate that Nigerians believe he has the capacity and boldness to contest this election and see it through just as these foreign leaders took bold steps at one time or the other to maintain stability and order in their nations, sometimes at great personal risk to their lives and property. Take the famous Musharaf - Nawaz Sharif contemporary tango for starters. Very briefly Musharaf deposed Sharif as PM in a military coup in 1999 then wanted to become a civilian president in uniform and the Pakitani Supreme Court ruled against that. Musharaf had to resign to contest while lawyers demonstrated against him all over Pakistan. Musharaf was Pakistan’s 10th president from 2001 to 2008. He allowed politicians in exile especially Benazir Bhutto to return and contest. Bhutto was later assassinated but Nawaz Sharif came to Pakistan to contest at great risk to his life but his plane was diverted to Medina by the Musharaf regime. When Nawaz Sharif’s party won control of Parliament and formed the government

the former General Musharaf was in self imposed exile in the US. He nevertheless came home to form a political party and his erstwhile enemy Nawaz Sharif seized the occasion to put him on trial for treason. The issue here is that both gentlemen don’t see eye to eye on the concept of justice and ways and manner of governance. Yet they are united in fighting the Taliban anywhere in their nation of Pakistan from where the girl activist Malala came to collect the Nobel Prize that the Taliban has already condemned even as the two leaders are united against the terror of the Taliban. It is such patriotism that I know that their Nigerian counterpart and flag bearer of the APC in the 2015 has in abundance that makes their example worthy of emulation as we approach 2015 presidential elections in Nigeria. Again let me dilate on the example of Egypt and the lessons to be learnt from the fate of Housni Mubarak, Mohammed Morsi and Al Fatah Sissy, the present president of Egypt. Housni Mubarak must be rated politically as a rare Egyptian cat with the legendary nine lives. When the street riots started in 2011 just as we were preparing for our presidential elections in Nigeria then, Mubarak knew his time was up. He could have mowed down the demonstrators at Tahrir Square in Cairo but obviously the Americans, French and English flashed the diplomatic red card and democracy won and Mubarak was being brought to his trial in a cage while Mohammed Morsi was elected President of Egypt. Today a court has freed Mubarak of charges that he wanted to kill demonstrators in 2011, and Mohammed Morsi, formerly elected on the platform of the Muslim Brotherhood as Egypt’s president is on trial for treason, while the Muslim Brotherhood has been banned as a terrorist organisation in Egypt. The former army chief Al Fatah Sissy became so popular in the way he resisted the new Islamic Militancy of Egypt under Morsi, that he Sissy won the next presidential election in Egypt and Egypt has been fighting the Brotherhood and other Islamic Militia in the Sinai and anywhere ever since. Nowadays Egyptians feel safer and more secure because their government is protecting them from terrorists and anarchists who hijacked the street demonstrations of 2011 in Egypt. That really is what Nigerians expect of the new APC candidate when he wins power as he should as his opponent has not been able to guarantee the territorial integrity of Nigeria in the North East and now in Jos this week and Kano. As the Archbishop of Jos reportedly lamented after 30 people were blown up in that city, Government must protect the lives of poor Nigerians because they have nothing to protect themselves. That is the Buhari Challenge because he brings in impeccable credentials as a champion of the masses of this nation . It is a well deserved challenge because he comes well prepared for it and we wish him success. As for his opponent , we recall the Yoruba adage that says - we say we want to offer our daughter to a man with a strong back, a hunchback offers himself. That is not the sort of back we meant. Really, enough is enough. Ride on General.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

Blessed is Tambuwal without police escort Saturday There is every reason for caution If a man who ordinariFlakes ly would not even acknowl-

N his popular Yoruba weekly programme, Nkan Mbe, the late TV presenter, Kolawole Olawuyi, once aired the story of an Inspector of Police who suffered deformity and eventually died after slapping a physically challenged man he met at a mechanic workshop in Lagos. Chauffeured by his younger brother, the physically challenged man had taken his car to the mechanic workshop for repairs. The mechanic was already working on his car when the Police Inspector drove in and asked the mechanic to attend to his car. Seeing that the police officer was in haste, the physically challenged man told the mechanic to suspend work on his own car and attend to the Inspector. When the mechanic had finished work on the Inspector’s car, he put the car in the reverse gear as he made to leave. But the physically challenged man, who sat on a bench behind the car, feared that the officer might be unaware of his presence and quickly warned him to be careful not to hit him, “so that you would not incur a debt you are not prepared for.” The police took offence at the statement. He promptly alighted from his car, walked up to the physically challenged man and gave him a dirty slap. Rather than react angrily, the physically challenged man kept his cool and calmly told the police officer not to repeat what he had just done. The officer became angrier and responded with another slap that was dirtier than the first. Again, the man shook his head and simply told the police officer not to try doing it the third time. By now, the seeming defiance of the physically challenged man had moved the police officer to high dudgeon. He lifted his thick hand the third time and struck his face even harder. The third slap turned out to be tragic. It was the last physical exercise the Police Inspector did before departing the world. He had fallen to the ground after slapping the cripple the third time and could no longer move his hands and legs. His speech also became impaired and saliva poured ceaselessly from his mouth. Within a few days, he had become mere vegetable and all the spiritual homes to which he was taken had no answer to the problem. Two weeks after the encounter, he gave up the ghost. In a chat with Olawuyi, the physically challenged man admitted that he had acquired

COMMENTARY

With

Vincent Akanmode vincentakanmode@yahoo.com SMS only: 08034426263

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apparatus of the Speaker, there is a more potent alternative that can be drawn from the Oodua P e o p l e ’ s Congress (OPC), the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), the Egbesu Boys and the Ombatse, among other militia groups across the country. These groups have proven not only to be more potent than the police in many cases but even more dependable. Many Nigerians are living witnesses to the ignoble role the police played in the assassination of consummate politician and former Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, who was murdered at his residence in Ibadan on December 23, 2001 while, by some strange coincidence, all the three policemen who were supposed to guard him went away in search of food at the time his killers came calling! With threat of impeachment hanging over Jonathan since the condemnable invasion of the National Assembly by policemen on November 19, Abba appears to have realised the danger in his open demonstration of contempt for the Speaker. Knowing that he would not be spared by any whirlwind that sweeps Jonathan off his seat, the IG is subtly seeking to appease the Speaker by restoring his police escort. He found in the Speaker’s emergence as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Sokoto State an opportunity to reverse his action. The Speaker would, however, be smart enough to be wary of the IG’s motive after his public show of hatred. There is every reason for caution If a man who ordinarily would not even acknowledge your greetings suddenly sends you a request to be his guest in a private room.

edge your greetings suddenly sends you a request to be his guest in a private room

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the programme on television a few years ago, I was one of the people who never believed in the efficacy of charms. But all that changed after the telecast. And the goings on in the North East, where it has taken the intervention of amulet wielding hunters to expel the Boko Haram sect whose fire power could not be resisted by soldiers, has reinforced my belief that some charms are more effective than guns. But oblivious of the foregoing and grossly overrating the indispensability of his men, the • Abba, IGP • Tambuwal Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, is living with some spiritual powers when he was about to leave his home the belief that the power of life and death rests town in Ekiti State to seek greener pastures in with them. In his overzealous bid to impress his paymasLagos. Some family members who feared that he could be maltreated by some callous ter, therefore, he recently announced the withLagosians hit on the idea of arming him with a drawal of the security detail of the Speaker of charm that would guarantee his safety against the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu would be oppressors. The police officer turned Tambuwal; a move he thought would force the out to be one of them and paid greatly for it. Speaker to pander to the promptings of “Unfortunately, I don’t have the power of tal- President Goodluck Jonathan and force him to itha cumi like Jesus. I would have run away and renounce his recent defection from the Peoples prevented him from slapping me the third time Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives if I knew that her wife is such a nice woman,” Congress (APC). Lost on the police boss is the fact that for every he said. Before the the inimitable Olawuyi presented policeman that is withdrawn from the security

Obasanjo: Flawed memories, unending ego faults Knucklehead L OVE him. Hate him. Mathew Aremu Okikiola Olusegun Obasanjo is not one that can be ignored. This former President and Nigeria’s longest serving leader is a newsmaker any day. The contents of his bag of mischief are inexhaustible. This selfacclaimed dogged fighter for Nigeria’s unity not only relishes a fecund courtship with controversy, he is, by all forms and shades, controversy personified. Even his occasional silence breeds the kind of tempestuous peace that pervades the graveyard. When he throws punches, his targets should expect nothing less than bareknuckled killer jabs. He is not one to spare his sparring partner neither does he have the patience to hearken to that nonsensical cant which forbids combatants to hit the below the belt. To him, all is fair in the battle for political martyrdom. All obstacles, or a semblance of it, must be pulled down. The man that many perceive as a Wily Old Fox, pseudo-scholar and the Unforgiving One would stop at nothing to project himself with a suspicious fragrance of integrity and exemplary leadership while he defines every other person as egocentric, corrupt, inept or unfit to occupy public office. Now that should not come as a surprise. With an ego seemingly larger than an entire nation and everyone in it, Obasanjo believes that Obasanjo knows it all. After all, those who have meticulously followed his trajectory would readily admit that Obasanjo sees himself as the best thing to have happened to Nigeria after God! Personally, Knucklehead would have been pleasantly startled if Obasanjo’s latest book on his 8-year stewardship as a democratically elected President had sneaked into our bookshelves, unheralded by the pettiness that goes with governance in this part of the world. That would have been ‘un-Obasanjoic’ in all sense of the word. In fact, those who vilify him for ignoring a Federal High Court’s injunction restraining him from publishing his three-part autobiography titled ‘My Watch’ miss the point. Even as a serving President, he once threatened to walk out of the late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa-led Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission’s sitting, whimsically announcing that he was too big for any small lawyer (Femi Falana) to “put anything to me.” The date, I remember vividly, September 11, 2001—the day terror visited America in broad daylight. Obasanjo walked out of that panel and he never went back to testify. Since then, there have been scores of such orders and judgments by courts of competent jurisdiction that were either flagrantly disobeyed or completely ignored under Obasanjo’s watch. Therefore, Obasanjo was merely playing to his name by justifying the clear disobedience to constituted authority. But then, that is a minor issue. Of greater interest to this writer is the content of Obasanjo’s book. If newspapers reports were anything to go by, Obasanjo, as usual, condemns everybody but himself for everything that was wrong with the nation and his government. With the gloves off, he unleashes the deadliest attack on some personalities including his estranged deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, his imposed successor, the late Umaru Yar’Adua and the ultimate beneficiary of the electoral heist supervised by the Obasanjo administration in 2007, President Goodluck Jonathan. Although I am yet to read the book, I would not be surprised if this man refuses to take responsibility

With

Yomi Odunuga E-mail:yomi.odunuga @thenationonlineng.net SMS only: 07028006913 for the role he played in ensuring that this nation remains one big joke, trapped in the endless web of a dream deferred. While this Nero was busy chasing ‘traitors’ to their homes and forcing them to resign their appointments, hardly did he realise that this burning Rome was borne out of the dire consequences of his petty fiddling. Now, the rotten legacy he bequeathed on the ever-suffering populace has come to haunt him and there is no way he can exculpate himself from this sickening madness of crying incompetence. How long would Obasanjo play the ostrich by 'bombing' his estranged godsons and political rivals? When will he step out and be counted as a true leader who, like every other human being, has his strong points, weaknesses and foibles? So, Atiku, his once-powerful deputy who had a firm grip of the nation's economy during their first tenure, is a "blatant and shameless liar?" The late President Yar'Adua is an "ingrate" who tried to return Obasanjo's gift of a presidential slot with an attempt to implicate him on corruption related offences. Likewise, without alluding to any evidence aside his gut feelings, it was Obasanjo's belief that the former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is corrupt. If over 200 Chibok girls had not been abducted, I doubt if Obasanjo would have realised how incompetently clueless the man he foisted on Nigeria as Yar'Adua's spare tyre and anointed successor, in the eventuality of death or incapacitation through health, has become. Now, he tells us that the same Jonathan he queued behind in the 2001 general election is not only inept but also ineffective, clueless, careless, insensitive and callous. So, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, one of Obasanjo's favourite ministers and author of "The Accidental Public Servant,” is a brilliant character who is economically defective in saying the truth to the point that Obasanjo had to reveal how he had been making one of his guest houses available for a friend and a married missus? Hmnnn....the things these clowns in positions of authority do! Anyway, this is not about what Obasanjo said but more about those things that were, at the most, barely mentioned or completely left to our imaginations. Based on his grey-haired wisdom and a seeming determination to say it as it is, I would have expected the former Army General to tackle the issues raised about his own indiscretion within his family. At least we know quite a few touchy ones circulating out there. However, like the book's reviewer, Mr.

Patrick Okigbo, noted in his comments, it is amazing that Obasanjo characteristically dismisses "the more personal family scandals such as the allegations made by his first wife or daughter as personal issues that are being handled within the family." I grunted when Okigbo criticised how this Oracle of Politics (apologies to Governor Aliyu Muazu of Niger State) "exonerates himself from any responsibility or blame for the failed leadership despite the fact that he was the principal architect of the Yar’Adua/Jonathan Presidency that resulted in the current administration." Okigbo would go on to ask this poignant question: “So, is Obasanjo a saint or a sinner? For me, Obasanjo is nowhere close to a saint even if I am the least qualified to tag him a sinner. No matter what he says in that book, available records indicate that he ran his government with vindictive gusto. For him, shooting down the enemy within and without is a vocation. This man, who rants endlessly about Jonathan's inability to dissect the truth from the garbage of lies he is being fed with by the throng of "greedy hangers on or hungry lacklustre characters interested only in their mouths and their pockets", is also guilty of a graver sin of ruthlessly hounding hangers-on who erred by telling him the truth he passionately abhors. It is laughable that he has chosen justify the sacking of Chief Audu Ogbeh as the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party on an alleged close affinity with Atiku and a plot to embarrass his Presidency. Well, that could be his reading of events then. But, as a reporter in The Presidency at that time, I still recollect the celebrations that greeted Ogbeh’s exit. Then, it was an open secret even among Aso Rock cleaners that Ogbeh had to get the boot because of the discomfiting truth he detailed in a personal letter addressed to Obasanjo. The message was hard on the President and the despicable role he was playing in the humiliation of former Governor Chris Ngige by the Uba brothers? Question is When Obasanjo got Ogbeh's letter, what did he do? Did he give Ogbeh a pat on the back for being man enough to caution him on the need to tread softly or did he visit Ogbeh's house for an unplanned last supper after which he demanded and got a resignation letter? It is somewhat comical to read Obasanjo castigating Jonathan for lacking the capacity to pick “aides sufficiently imbued with the qualities and abilities to help him out.” It is benumbing that Obasanjo could voice his frustrations that most of the aides were too busy “manoeuvring and strategizing” on how Jonathan could realise his dream of second tenure in office such that it would be difficult for the revered statesman to “buy the idea of presidential innocence!” Can you just beat that? Obasanjo was expecting Jonathan to call his aides to order when he did nothing other than pleading innocence each time he was asked his take on the controversial, money-gulping tenure elongation agenda that was eventually quashed by the National Assembly! How many of his key aides did he punish for supporting and funding the Third Term Agenda when, as he once said, it was not part of the favour he sought from God then? Did he do anything to his close aides whom an erstwhile governor, Saminu Turaki claimed to have delivered billions of Naira for Baba’s Third Term project?

THE NATION SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

COMMENTS

HDP’s judicial victory as fresh hope for de-registered parties LERGYMAN cum politician, Rev. Chris Okotie, has not ceased to be in the news since his Fresh Democratic Party (FRESH) squared up with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the de-registration of the party in December, 2012. Although it was not the only party that came under INEC’s hammer for alleged failure to meet certain regulations of the electoral body, FRESH succeeded in getting its ban upturned by Justice G. O. Kolawole of the Federal High Court 5, Abuja Division. Also recently, Hope Democratic Party (HDP) secured a separate but similar victory at Justice Ademola Adeniyi’s Federal High Court, Abuja. FRESH supporters are upbeat that the latest verdict would help the cause of the flamboyant man of God who is billed to host his annual GRACE programme, which highlights the popular KARIS awards, on Sunday, December 14,. While the street of Household of God Church, Oregun, Lagos is already being decorated with Christmas lights in preparation for the pastor’s biggest annual feast, the struggle for FRESH’s recertifcation remains the biggest issue on the lips of his supporters. Just as FRESH top shots are hopeful that the party would be recertified before the general election, Pastor Okotie is ever optimistic he will be one of the presidential contenders come Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2015 elections. Even his fiercest critics agree that the pastorpolitician has gained tremendous following over the dogged manner he has been pursuing his political project since 2003. Now, a note of caution: institutions like INEC, at this period of electoral politics, must work towards the preservation of our political process. Every structure in the polity should uphold the tenets of democracy—free speech, liberty, justice and self-governance—to salvage the credibility of our democracy which has been bastardised by a select group. Following the recent voiding of HDP’s de-registration, the disregard of the judicial process which INEC is engaging FRESH cannot but be viewed as a reign of impunity. Since July 2014, when INEC filed a notice of appeal challenging FRESH’s victory in the judgment Justice Kolawole delivered to void the deregistration of the party, the Commission has neglected the appeal it notified the court about nine months after the legally stipulated time. Justice Adeniyi was reported to have queried INEC’s refusal to comply with Justice Kolawole’s judgment, stating: “…the provisions of the law made it mandatory for court judgments to be given immediate enforcement… The orders must be obeyed. No selective

Lukmon ADEROGBA

• Jega

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• Okotie

Taking advantage of the opportunities offered INEC by the HDP verdict will help correct the error of the earlier disobedience of the FRESH court ruling. But when such opportunities are ignored, it leaves the wrong impression that justice matters only when it benefits the strong

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obedience. The orders must be complied with immediately”. Although he warned INEC to immediately comply with his judgment, it is left to be seen if the agency will comply with this latest directive, by relisting the FRESH party in time for it to participate in the 2015 general election. Taking advantage of the opportunities offered INEC

by the HDP verdict will help correct the error of the earlier disobedience of the FRESH court ruling. But when such opportunities are ignored, it leaves the wrong impression that justice matters only when it benefits the strong. The PDP and the smaller parties are locked in bitter dispute over the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended). The belief in certain circles is that it is targeted at small radical parties like FRESH which is hoping to shift the paradigm of our static, corrupt polity. Unfortunately again, the class of citizens who ordinarily should challenge the status quo see elections as the time for quiescent at home from the dreary tedium of work-life, rather than stand under the rain or sun for hours to vote for candidates whose credibility cannot be vouched for, particularly as they do not believe that the votes will count. It means that the control of elections is left to a cadre of people who, due to their economic deprivation, will readily hawk their votes for pecuniary inducements. There is also the air of anxiety, uncertainty and apprehension that pervades the atmosphere during these periods. The atmosphere has, over time, been created and sustained by the antics of political hoodlums who latch onto the umbrella of protection by their political lords to create a sense of fear in the people with vicious scare tactics. Let’s hope the 2015 experience will be different. The ruling cabal is placing too much faith in Nigeria’s famed preference for turning the other cheek in the face of the debasement of our political emancipation which has caused the present political dysfunction. This prolonged disruptive process and ‘degenerative democracy’ has left the masses groping for light at the end of the tunnel, hence the relevance of Okotie’s quest for a new paradigm. The odd alliance of business and political cronies, who favour the stability of an atmosphere of corruption, a well-funded and organised network of hoodlums aptly called youth wing, continue to take advantage of Nigerians’ apathy to the repeatedly rigged political power. True change in our government spells doom for the economic lifeline of Nigerian politicians. Sharing of government allocations, over-invoicing, diversion of funds, money laundering and other sources of leakage would be plugged, hence the ruling cabal will fight this change with the last drop of their blood. •Aderogba, a public affairs analyst, wrote in from Akure

THE NATION SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

SOCIETY

THE NATION, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

At UNILAG Alumni Award dinner in Lagos PHOTOS: Biodun ADEYEWA

• Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Rahamon .A. Bello and Chief (Mrs.) Betty Ubeku at the Distinguished Alumni and Award Dinner to mark the 52nd anniversary of the university held at the institution’s Multipurpose Hall Akoka, Yaba, Lagos ... Thursday night

• Director, Academic Planning University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin .T. Ogundipe (left) and Commissioner for Transportation, Lagos State, Mr. Opeifa Kayode Isiak

•National President, UNILAG Alumni Association, Dr. Olorogun D.F. Kuku (left) and Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Wellspring University, Benin City, Daniel Chiegile Isimoya

• From left: Joseph Obla, Chief Godwin Obla,Dr. Bunmi Omosehindemi and Barr. Victor Eija

• Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Research), UNILAG, Prof. Babajide Alo (left) presenting an award to the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Barr. Tunji Bello, at the event

• Former Pro-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Chief Wale Olanipekun (left) and Executive Chairman, Greenlife Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Dr. Obiora .A. Chukwuka

• From left: Registrar & Secretary to Council, UNILAG, Dr. (Mrs.) Taiwo Folashade Ipaye; Pastor Oluleke Jacob Akinola and Chairman, UNILAG Alumni Association Lagos Branch, Dr. Ayodele Ogunleye

• From left: Chief Wale Taiwo, Barr. Taiwo Ajala, Mrs. Adetutu Olakanmi, Barr. Jide Olakanmi, Dr. Bunmi Omodehindemi and Mr. Bello Kamoru

PEOPLE SOCIETY ROMANCE ENTERTAINMENT SPORTS

THE NATION SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

A mother's agony (4)

Are you a main chic or side babe?

Being na誰ve is being inexperienced and inexperience can make you walk into a relationship as the side babe, thinking you are the main chic

THE NATION, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

A view of Alaba International Market, Lagos... Home to established Igbo traders

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

THE NATION SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

A view of Idumota market, Lagos

“ Loveth

Chief Anyaegbu

Chief Maduka

Continued on Page 48

THE NATION, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

Boko Haram victim cries out:

Where are my seven children and their mother? man in his early 40s is frantically searching for his wife and seven children. He has not sighted them for more than three months after their Vi village in Adamawa State was invaded by the deadly Boko Haram sect on September 7. Matthew Zira said he had conducted all the search he could without the luck of finding any of them alive or dead. Now, he is roaming the streets of Jos, the Plateau State capital, frantically searching for his beloved family members. Narrating his ordeal to our correspondent in Jos, Zira said: "My name is Matthew Zira. I am from Vi village in Minchika Local Government Area, Adamawa State. I was living comfortably with my family until that fateful Friday. “Before that day, there had been rumours that Boko Haram would attack the village, but no one knew when they would come. So on that day, as usual, I went out of the house to look for my daily bread. I ride commercial motorcycle in the village, I am also a farmer, and did the commercial motorcycle work when farm work was over. "So, I left home as early as 6 am on the 7th of September 2014 on my motorcycle to commence the business of the day. But at about noon, I started hearing gunshots and everyone said Boko Haram had arrived town. I immediately rushed back home to go and evacuate my family, but before I got home, they had fled along with other villagers to an unknown destination. “I went round town looking for them but could not find them. I went to the police station, hospitals and everywhere but could not find them. Before the evening of that day, Boko Haram had already taken over the entire village com-

n Yusufu AMINU IDEGU, Jos n

pletely. I was advised not to go back home because all the houses in the village had been razed by Boko Haram. "I fled to Minchika to continue the search for my children. Later, we had to flee to Yola when we heard that Boko Haram would attack Minchika. I spent one month in Yola searching everywhere for my children but I could not find them. Those of us who escaped from Vi village and other surrounding villages were camped at the NYSC camp in Yola. I thought of meeting my children there in the camp but they were not there. "I had to come to Jos because I was told that thousands of Adamawa people ran to Jos. But I have searched all the IDP camps in Jos since the 5th of November when I arrived, I can't still find them. There is even no iota of information about where I could find them. “Others who lost their families during the rush to escape have found their people, but in my own case, I'm still searching in vain. It is only God that will reveal to me what happened to my family. So, I am only looking up to God now because I have done all that is humanly possible. "I am really in trauma; at night I can't sleep, I keep thinking of my children. At times, if I am eating and the thought of the whereabouts of my children came to my mind, I will not be able to eat any longer, from that moment I will lose appetite. "I am pleading with any Nigerian who knows where I can locate my children to contact me on my phone – 07037728905. My wife’s name is Tinana Mathew. My seven children are Rita, Ziramatu, Tumbamatu, Kwata, Racheal and one-yearold Doris. Please, I am eagerly waiting for any information on their whereabouts."

•Distraught Zira

Agony as 78-yr-old disappears without trace HREE weeks after 78-year-old Chief Gbadamosi Fakoya disappeared from his residence in Soyindo area of Sagamu, Ogun State, his whereabouts still remain a mystery. The septuagenarian was said to have left home for an undisclosed location at about 4pm three Thursdays ago but has not returned home. Chief Fakoya was said to have dressed up on the fateful day for an unknown destination. Those who saw him while leaving his compound thought he wanted to take a

•Chief Fakoya

n Kunle AKINRINADE n stroll, without knowing that he would not return home. Family sources said the missing septuagenarian is a traditionalist and a devotee of the Agemo deity. “Baba (Fakoya) does not leave home anyhow. He only goes to his farm in Iperu and doesn’t like attending parties or social gathering at all. We have launched a search party for him but our effort has not yielded any fruit. We have also taken his photograph to some police stations in Sagamu Local Govern-

ment, all to no avail, said a source who spoke in confidence. It was gathered that the family had also sought the help of men of a local vigilance group in Sagamu, in their quest to find their missing patriarch. The group, it was gathered, spread its searchlight on Pa Fakoya’s whereabouts to Ijebu and Ibadan, but their intervention has not produced positive result to date. For information on the whereabouts of Pa Fakoya, his distraught family can be reached on 08036971105.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

CRIME

HE Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has disclosed that it recorded revenue of N6 billion in 2014. Addressing journalists during the end of the year briefing in Idiroko,Ogun State, the Area Controller, Mr Haruna Mamudu, attributed the impressive performance in the command’s revenue generation drive and anti-smuggling campaign to the diligence and commitment of his men. He said: ” In detailing the activity for the period under review (December 2013-November 2014), the command collected N6,467,642,587.83, as against N5,390,662,512.53 collected same period in 2013. This shows a difference of N1, 076,980,075.00 and it is remarkable because this kind of revenue mark has never been attained in the command. “In the anti-smuggling canpaign, the command recorded 1,482 seizures between December 2013-November 2014, with Duty Paid Value(DPV) of N1,568,533,843.00 as against 1,226 seizures with duty paid value of N1,142,018,383.00 the command recorded in the same period in the year 2013. This shows a progressive seizure difference of 256 seizures with DPV of N426, 515,460.00.” He attributed the huge success recorded to the “quantum leap of the imported vehicles on which import duties were collected, which hitherto were smuggled into the country without payment of import duties and taxes. The unscrupulous importers are now reconditioned by the effective anti-smuggling campaign since I took over the affairs of the command in December 2013.” Mamudu explained that the anti-smuggling measures of the command had forced smugglers to resort to lawful declaration of imports and subsequent duty payment instead of risking seizure of their goods. He disclosed that five new operational vehicles have been given to the command to boost and enhance its operations. “It is noteworthy, that the present dynamic Nigeria Customs Service (NIS) is doing its very best to take the service to the next level. I am, therefore, delighted to announce to you that five new Hilux vehicles were recently allocated to the command for its operations and I want to thank the Comptroller General of Customs, Mr Dikko Abdullahi Inde, for this gesture. Let me use this forum to sound a note of warning to smugglers in Ogun State that we are now more equipped to tackle them, unless they renounce their illegitimate business of smuggling.”

olukunle87@yahoo.com

‘I graduated from pickpocket to robbery because I felt more secured as a robber’

n Kunle AKINRINADE n

n Rukayat JIMOH n O curb the spread of infectious diseases through hand washing, a non- governmental organisation, Thomas O. Women Network (TOWN) has distributed free soap empowered women and children in Ikate community, Lekki, Lagos State. Over 1000 rural dwellers were given soaps and other household items at the event tagged "Bathe a child, preserve a life". The brain behind the initiative, Mrs Thomas Ogboja said:” TOWN manufactured soaps and we also collect used soaps left by guests in hotels to reproduce new soaps. Even though soaps usually contain antibacterial ingredients that kill germs, we will also recycle them so that they do not pose as health hazard to our beneficiaries. “TOWN is not selling the recycled soaps but distributing them to people free. We intend to educate less-privileged women in the society on the importance and benefit of ensuring they and their children maintain good hygiene.’’ She noted that with regular hand washing with soap, 1.4 million deaths can be prevented each year and mortality rate will drastically be reduced. Foodstuffs, including rice, salt and clothes were later donated to the beneficiaries during the event.

OTHER STORIES

Ogun customs posts N6b revenue, reads riot act to smugglers

Group distributes free soap to rural dwellers

THE NATION, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

robbery suspect arrested by the Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command, Ugochukwu Felix Nebuwe (28), has said that he started as a pickpocket before he graduated into armed robbery. The suspect said after only narrowly escaping being lynched together with his other members of his pickpocket gang, he decided to change from pickpocket to armed robbery. Nebuwe and three of his gang members who are now at large were said to have gone to a night club at Tin Can, Apapa area of Lagos and as they were returning home the following day, they saw a man trying to start his car. They rushed towards the man, forcibly took his car key and drove off. Unfortunately, by the time they got to Mile 2 area, information had gone to the police whose men mobilised and began to pursue them. They, therefore, abandoned the vehicle and fled. Unfortunately, Ugochukwu ran in a different direction and some boys in the area arrested him. Before handing him over to the police, they gave him the beating of his life. Nebuwe, who spoke with our reporter, said he hailed from Mgbidi village in Imo State and traded in refrigerators and electronics at the Alaba International Market.

•Nebuwe

n Ebele BONIFACE n He added: “I used to stay with my parents at Igando (Lagos). My father retired as a chief driver at Futuro Construction Company. I stopped my secondary school education at Senior Secondary School 2 because I was too stubborn. I did not use to listen when they told me to stop fighting with people. “May be it is somebody that is doing this to me. I stopped schooling at SS 2 because of my stubbornness. I used to be too aggressive and when elders told me to stop fighting each time I had a little misunderstanding with people, I would not heed their advice. “It is a spiritual problem caused by somebody to undo my family because at times, after participating in armed robbery operation, I would begin to regret. Another thing that would show you that the hand of an enemy is in what is making me to behave like this is that if I want to sleep, I sleep in a tokunbo (fairly used) vehicle displayed for sale. The owner does not see me because before day break, I would go out, have my bath and go to the market to hustle.” Asked how he became a guest of the police, he said: “I started as a pickpocket. We used to be two or three doing it at clubs, bus stops, market places and even stadia. That was around 2004. My pickpocket

counterparts were mostly Igbo and Edo boys. Some of them are dead while some are in prisons or police cells. Some of them died during police raids. “At Tin Can side of Ajegunle, I met a gang of ‘one chance’ robbers at a place we used to smoke. They were Obi, Stephen, Lukman and Okey. There is also one we call Ochari, a very short boy but very wicked. He was the one that usually pushed out victims from the moving vehicle. “They used to cheat me and would not give me raw cash when we were shairing our loot. They would tell me to wait until I mastered the work. They used to give me phones. Some of the members like Okey and Lukman, are dead now. As for the rest, I don’t know whether they are dead or in prison. “Every morning, they would call me to join them. We would call passengers like other commercial buses, but when we had got enough passengers, we would rob them and go home. “Our routes include Iyana-Iba, Mile 2, Tin Can and Mile 12. I used to sell the phones for N2,000 each, no matter the make or quality, because I didn’t want them to remain with me to avoid being tracked down through them. The moment I got the phones, I would remove the SIM cards and throw them on the main road. “I later left the gang when the police started tracking them down. Even some of them were arrested and charged to court. But after some months, I was down financially. The only option left for me to survive was to join a robbery gang. “I went back to the club because armed robbers liked to go there. There I met one Azubuike and another boy called Ijebu and IK. There was also a boy they called Afo. They told me that my suffering had ended and very soon I would get enough money to help myself. “On that fateful day, I did not know that they had already planned to rob on the way. As we left the club in the morning, I thought that they would drop me at Mile 2. We were all inside our operational Danfo bus. Immediately they saw a man washing his car in front of his house, which had no gate, they stopped, rushed towards the man and pointed a gun at him. ‘’The man shouted and area boys came out in great number and pursued us. They abandoned the car and ran away in the Danfo bus. I could not meet up with them hence they escaped and left me behind. “When the area boys saw me, they said I was one of them and started beating me. They would have left me when I tried to tell them that I was not one of them. But they got to the car they abandoned and discovered that one of the gang members had left his gun. They became annoyed and started pounding me. They later took me to Tolu Police Station.”

Mrs Ikuforiji (2nd left) with other officials of the council on inspection visit to Ajakaiye road

Lagos council tackles traffic congestion, rehabilitates feeder roads O reduce the incessant traffic congestion on the Abule Egba axis of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, the Agbado/Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area of Lagos State has embarked on the rehabilitation of some feeder roads in the council area. The initiative, according to the Council Manager of Agbado/Oke-Odo LCDA, Mrs Mayowa Ikuforiji, became imperative following the hassles which traffic gridlock on the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway had caused in recent time. “As a responsible council development area, we have decided to alleviate the plight of motorists and commuters who have been subjected to long hours of delay in traffic on the ever busy Abule Egba axis of the Lagos-Abeokuta High-

n Kunle AKINRINADE n way, hence, we are rehabilitating feeder roads in the council area. “After the rehabilitation of Samuel Ajakaiye road, we shall move to other feeder roads, including Idowu Adeniji road, in order to reduce traffic gridlock to its barest minimum. We will ensure that we deploy part of our limited resources toward actualising this initiative which will no doubt go a long way to alleviate the suffering encountered daily on the highway.” A cross section of residents, who spoke with our correspondent, hailed the step taken by the council manager and her team for giving road rehabilitation premium attention since she took charge of the council administration.

I shaved my long beard to avoid being recognised by those who know me as a cleric – Suspect A

50-year-old suspect, Ramoni Adeleke, arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command for allegedly duping many people has said that he shaved his long beard and moustache to avoid being recognised by people who know him as a cleric. Also arrested are other members of his gang, including 70year-old Alhaji Lekan Lanlegu a.k.a. Baba Toyota and 60-year-old Kolawole Odenide. A police source, who revealed how the three aged suspects were arrested, said the Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Kayode Aderanti, had got a hint that they were involved in robbery and receiving of stolen cars. The CP promptly directed the Superintendent of Police in charge of SARS, Mr. Abba Kyari, and his team to get the three men and the stolen cars. SARS operatives, therefore, disguised as car snatchers who wanted to sell a stolen car to the gang. One of them came forward to collect the car. He had entered into negotiation with the SARS operatives before he realised that they were policemen. Meanwhile, Kyari and his men had cordoned off the spot and promptly arrested the would-be receiver. Lanlegu said it was one Kolawole

n Ebele BONIFACE n

Odenide, who supplied him with a stolen car. His arrest also led to the arrest of Adeleke at a private mosque he used as an office to dupe people and receive stolen cars. A cleric he was said to have employed to teach people in the mosque and lead prayers was said to have scaled the fence and ran away on sighting policemen. Adeleke, who described himself as a native of Ade village, Ade South Local Government Area, Osun State, said he was a transporter. He said he built a mosque and employed an alfa (Islamic cleric) to manage it. He said: “I live in Iba Estate near Lagos State University (LASU) along Badagry Road, Lagos. I am happily married with five children. I built a storey building at Iba and a mosque which I built with N300,000. I built the mosque to honour God and pray to him five times a day. That was 10 years ago. “In the year 2000, I started thinking of how to make quick money by stealing cars. I was jobless and had no money to feed my family. The man who lured me into car stealing died four years ago. I went to his

house to seek advice on how to survive hunger and he taught me how to steal cars. “He told me that he survived by stealing cars and for 10 years, I stole cars and my poverty disappeared. We would go to a place where a car was parked and used a screw driver to open the door. We would dismantle the wiring and use the starter wire to start the engine. “While he drove the stolen car, I would drive his own car behind him to wherever he was going to sell, usually a place around Idimu, to an old man called Fatai, who is now late. After selling it for N100,000 then, he would give me N5,000 as my own share. “The late Fatai had a mechanic workshop, and it was there that I went to meet him that I needed money and he told me about stealing cars. “When Fatai died five years later, one Shina brought Kola Adeniji to me as a partner in crime. We operated more than five times before we were arrested. There was no gang leader between us. We were a twoman gang and anyone could bring a job. “Our last operation was at Oyigbo, Ebute Meta, Lagos around July this year. We stole one Pick-Up Hylux vehicle and sold it to

one Alhaji Lekan for N700,000. I had to shave my beard in the cell to avoid people identifying me as a cleric. “I bought three commercial buses which ply Ijora-Obalende route, and each of them makes N4,000 return every day except Saturday and Sunday. I was arrested at Atede in Osun State while going to mosque.” The second suspect, Kolawole, said: “I am from Abeokuta, Ogun State. I am a property dealer in Ikorodu, a suburb of Lagos. I have two wives and seven children. I met Adeleke in Idi-Iroko, Ogun State when I was doing smuggling. I knew him through a friend called Shina. “I learnt about stealing cars about seven years ago. Whenever we opened a car door, tore the starting wire and it refused to start, we abandoned it in the belief that it had a security system. But at times, once you start the engine, the security system becomes useless. “I was once arrested and taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti. I was charged to court and remanded in prison for one week. I had gone on nine operations and stopped before I started again in January because of the economic situation in the country.”

•Adeleke

Edited by: VICTOR AKANDE

Tel: 08051101822

E-mail: victor_akande@yahoo.com

SNAPSHOTS

PAGE 22

RE ELNEW S

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Continued on page 24

THE NATION, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

38 Alhaji Tunde Badmus is the Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland and Chairman of Tuns Group, owner of Tuns Farm Nigeria Limited, one of the biggest poultry farms in the South West. His home, a vast compound in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, regularly hosts religious leaders, politicians, business moguls, and the atmosphere was not any different the day he spoke with GBENGA ADERANTI about his venture into poultry business, the challenges facing agric business in Nigeria, his views on insurgency and other issues of national importance.

•Badmus

Arisekola are too –Asiwaju Musulumi Yorubaland Olatunde Badmus Now that Alao-Arisekola is gone, the responsibility of his office will be yours… HAT is not correct. You see, Arisekola was made the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland and I was made the Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland. And because the Almighty God blessed the late Arisekola, he was able to carry that position of Are Musulumi of Yorubaland far beyond the level anybody could think of. I cannot equate myself with one per cent of what he did because God blessed him to the extent that he had money to do that, though nothing stops me if I have the money to promote this Asiwaju to any level. So, the responsibility of Aare does not come to me at all. I know I cannot fit into that generosity. That is why I don’t equate myself with the Aare. But in my own little part as the Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, I play my own part, but not to equate myself with the Aare. As the Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, how have you been able to reach out to other Muslims outside Osun State, especially those in the North and other parts of the country? The Yorubaland is my territory. Who are the contact people out there? The chief imams of these states are

my immediate contacts. You know there are hierarchies. You know that I cannot just move to the North. The people who I know and who turbaned me as the Asiwaju Musulimi of Yorubaland are the chief imams of Yorubaland. They know me and I know them. Why do I have to go to the North? Boko Haram is getting daring by the day. As the Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, what is your comment about their violent activities? Boko Haram does not represent Muslim thoughts. People have condemned them all over the world. What they are practising is not Muslim injunction; they are on the extreme side. As you said, almost all the major cities they put their flag have been taken over by the Nigerian military. They shouldn’t have been a threat to us if we as a nation had taken up the challenge immediately the way we should, but because of the Nigerian method of doing things. If the money spent on fighting the war had been well utilised to fight Boko Haram, I don’t think they will exist up till today. There are people who are benefitting from this crisis, and that is why it has escalated up till now. But I’m sure with the world focusing on Nigeria that we must do something about it, maybe very soon we may not have Boko Haram threat again. At the worst, their activities will be skeletal. Like you can read from the American point, they suspected that there had been corruption. If the money government had been giving to the military had been used in fighting Boko Haram, there

wouldn’t have been Boko Haram anymore. That was perhaps why the Americans refused to sell us some aircraft. A United States envoy recently visited your farm. What was the purpose of his visit? Our relationship with the US Embassy has been on for more than 20 years. They recognise us as one of the major stakeholders in agriculture. Besides, I was the national president of the Poultry Farmers’ Association of Nigeria for about six years. I was also the chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) for about four years. All the policies that related to agric, in one way or the other, I happened to be involved. And when I am involved, the farm is also involved. The policy has made us to know what Nigerians expect of agric and what agric should be in the future. It also enables the various embassies in Nigeria to know the role we are playing in agric. The stakeholders all over the nation know who we are and what the farm also is. A US envoy comes here every year. In fact, this is the first time the agric attaché would come. Their Consular-General is always on the farm because we compare notes on what Nigeria is all about on agric and what we are. Basically, every year, they train about four of our staff on food security and safety. They bring experts from the US and at times they take us to The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Oyo State or they remain in Lagos. Also, every January, we have what we call annual agric show in Atlanta. They also organise some programmes whereby our staff go there to benefit. In terms of training, they train a lot of our personnel. There was a time the Association of Poultry Farmers was championing the cause of egg consumption in Nigeria. How much impact did this have on poultry business? It did, though egg production in Nigeria is more or less going down. But if it goes down, that does not mean that we cannot produce enough to feed the nation. The egg we are producing in Nigeria is enough to feed every one of us. What has not been available now for the past two years is glut because there used to be a period when out of the 52 weeks in a year, between 10 and 12 weeks are regarded as a glut pe-

THE NATION, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

Alao’s shoes big for me ,

riod, particularly when guinea fowl eggs are coming out. But because of lack of investment in this product, we have not been witnessing a glut. A lot of people are not going into egg production as one would have expected. There was a time about three farmers were targeting to have one million birds to be laying on a daily basis. Obasanjo, in fact, constructed a facility that could have up to one million laying birds, but because of the glut thing, I think they had to scale the production down to meet the national requirements. The excesses would have gone through egg powder machine but egg powder machine required 10 million eggs per day and we couldn’t have 10 million eggs per day. That was why it was discarded. So, nobody is importing eggs. The eggs we produce here is what we consume. What encouragement did you get from government in terms of egg production? There was no encouragement. The government regarded it as a private business. I don’t know of any government incentive in egg production except recently when I was made to understand that the Federal Government had introduced a programme whereby they would give between 150 and 200 birds to individuals with some bags of feeds.That was what happened recently from the federal level. Poultry business is wide but you only talked about eggs. There are other aspects of poultry business. For instance, in Osun here, broiler meat production is what we are doing now. We have an agreement with the Osun State government whereby the government is responsible for 50 per cent of the cost of feed to the farmers while we are responsible for the balance of 50 per cent. We are also responsible for the release of day-old chicks to the farmers. So, on every farm for instance, if the total investment is about N2 million, Tuns Farms will have about N1.4 million, the Osun State government will have N6 million. Before this time, the Osun State government had about 60 per cent of the equity or about N1.2 million. But because we are paying back the Osun State government investment every year, that is why their investment is reducing. By next year or the year after, it is going to be zero investment and we will now be responsible for the deal. What the government did was to jump start business for individuals in the state. We have a lot of families who have benefitted from this. The farmers have made about N270 million now as profit from this scheme and every month, Tuns Farms pays between N1.2 million and N1.3 million as tax to the government. It is another source of internally generated income for the government. Aside poultry, is there any other area of agric that Tuns Farms is involved in? Poultry is a large business. The investment there is more than N8 billion, and it is not going to stop. What we are doing now is to change the concept. In the past, people used to talk about frozen chicken. Now we are adding value to chicken. We are now going into ready-to-eat products, and that is what we are going to introduce from next year. We will soon partner with some foreigners to achieve this. We are going to build ultra modern facilities here, which will include bakery

I cannot equate myself with one per cent of what he (Arisekola) did because God blessed him to the extent that he had money to do that... So, the responsibility of Aare does not come to me at all. I know I cannot fit into that generosity. That is why I don’t equate myself with the Aare. But in my own little part as the Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, I play my own part, but not to equate myself with the Aare

•Badmus

and biscuit making, all ready-to-eat food. What you eat in the aircraft, some of those things will be produced here. We are two poultry producers in the world that are certified to supply KFC, the number one eatery in the world. We are one of their suppliers. There are two of us in Nigeria, no other farm can do. It depends on the facilities that you have. What would you say are the prospects of agriculture in Osun State and Nigeria? Well, I cannot answer that question because it depends on government policy. But what I know is that the governor has a very good intention to transform Osun State. He may not have the best practitioners to assist him in doing that. The governor wanted a situation whereby Osun people will be able to feed themselves. He wanted a situation whereby Osun could be exporting its products like

we are doing now. Our total production is not up to 15 per cent of what is being consumed in Osun. If not for the government programme of feeding students tagged ‘O Meal’ in which we are involved, what they will be buying will be something like two per cent. In that case Osun is exporting chicken across the country. It is an advantage to the government but there are other areas that the government has good intention of doing. Agric has more than 50 commodities and the one that can add immediate value is the one of the meals, because in our own case, to feed our chicken, we need to buy between N400 million and N500 million worth of feeds every year. You can imagine if that money is in Osun here and we don’t have to buy from the North. That is another stage we can integrate. We don’t need to buy meals. That money will circulate in Osun and it will also be a benefit to us in Osun here and the consumers because the cost of transport locally will not be as high as bringing maize from Funtua. But the problem is that the governor may have good intention, it now remains those who can help him to achieve this. So as far as Osun is concerned, I’m aware the governor has good intention on how to transform Osun. As I told you, when you have a situation where in a project, the framers are paying taxes, they are remitting about N1 million every month to government’s coffers, you can imagine other commodities. That is another source of income to the government. Osun is lucky to have somebody like the present governor who has zeal for agriculture. Like I said, it is one thing for the governor to have an idea, it is another thing for him to have somebody to implement those ideas. But in the nation, I don’t think we are promoting agriculture. What we are doing is that we are more or less a trading company, unlike when Obasanjo was there when virtually everything we consumed as far as agric was concerned was locally made. Go to the market now, you will see Turkey from every part of the world. You will see chicken from every part of the world. You will see apple from every part of the world. I’ve not seen any Federal Government impact in agric as far as I’m concerned. They will tell you all the theories of life but in reality, go to any supermarket, you will see imported agric products being displayed. What you are saying in essence is that these imported frozen foods are threats to your business… They are not paying duties. They are smuggled into the country. You cannot see their records in the Central Bank. You cannot see their records with the Customs. All agricultural products brought into this country, there is no one that comes through the border. Tell them to bring their papers. There is no agricultural product that is in this country today that is legitimately brought into the country. You mentioned the figure you spend on your farm on a monthly basis and I wonder why an investor would risk his money on such a risky business. Frozen foods business requires a tough skin. For you to be a successful poultry farmer, you either have GPS, that is grandparents that cost hundreds of mil-

lions of naira. If you cannot get GPS, you should start with parent stocks. That also costs hundreds of millions of naira. That investment alone, with the current situation, the worth of birds that are laying now or about to lay is not less than N400 million. So, you need to have that, not to talk about the infrastructure you need to have. Like our farm now, the birds are being reared under climatically controlled houses. Those houses cost more than N200 million each. Imagine if you now have 40 of those houses because you want to control the quality of the day old chick you are producing. That is why you need to have parent stock because you will not have quality eggs that will go into hatchery. Hatchery is another one entirely. Our hatchery is capable of producing 500,000 day-old chicks on a daily basis. We have the intention of expanding it to one million now. And because you want to control the quality of the day-old chick you want to give to farmers to rear, you think of feed mill. If you are to feed about 500,000 birds every month, you must have materials and other things that will cost N500 million to feed those birds. It is an expensive project. That is why you continue to improve. After doing that, the world is now changing. Like the chicken we are eating now, what you need to do is to boil it for about five minutes and then season it and microwave, and it becomes something ready-made rather than something you freeze. This is the area we are moving to and it is going to cost a lot of money. At what point did you decide to embrace agriculture? I was a trader. I was trading in television equipment. I was selling television equipment to some TV stations in the country. It got a stage when former President Ibrahim Babangida, made a law that if you don’t have a farm, you cannot have import licence. I struggled and had to come back to Osogbo here to acquire some land, did feasibility studies, and eventually when they gave me import licence to bring agricultural chemicals and additives to Nigeria which I did not know anything about, I was looking for something to do, I had to import those things. After importing them, I could not get buyers. I had to convert them to feed mill. At times, I would supply the farmers the feed and they would come and tell you that it was the feed that killed their animals and that they would not pay. That was why I said let me also have some chicken to use my feed to feed them. That was how I started poultry business. It was a gradual integration. What were the challenges you faced in the first and second businesses and how were you able to stabilise? I’m still looking for money; I’ve not stabilised. There is no stability but uncertainty in poultry. I told you that the Obasanjo regime was centered on production. He wanted Nigerians to produce and feed themselves. But we now have another government that believes it wants to attract investment, and attracting investment is to bring everything you can think of into the country. So, whatever you get, you just have to manage and survive within the system. And you know the banks are not on the side of anything agric. They run away from there. There is no accessibility to fund. But what has made us survive is that we have been able to have turn key projects of which we control about 80 per cent of input into what we are doing. If it were to be a single line, it would have been very difficult. But because we are the ones that have the parent stocks that lay the egg, we are the ones to hatch the day-old chicks, we are the ones to rear the birds on the farm, we are the ones to slaughter the birds and we are also the ones to provide the feeds and market the final product. So you can see about 10 stages it has to go through. So, even if you lose money at one stage, you can get it at another.

THE NATION SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

with KAYODE ALFRED

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

High society set for Rita Emerhor's 50th birthday

THE NATION SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

41 with KAYODE ALFRED

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

Another Femi Otedola's daughter goes into music

THE NATION, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

SENATOR OMOWORARE

GOVERNOR SUSWAM

Help us complete our town hall

I’m in need of scholarship

IGP ABBA Save us from Fulani herdsmen

Omoworare

GOVERNOR AKPABIO Reconstruct Mbiaso-Nto-Edino Road

Gov. Suswam Sulaiman Abba

GOVERNOR FASHOLA Repair Olori Road in Ikorodu

Gov Akpabio

Gov Fashola

THE NATION SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

SOCIETY

‘She is flesh of my flesh’ The wedding between Olatunbosun Olaleye of Airtel Nigeria and Temitope has been solemnised at the Ijamido Town Hall in Iganmode, Ota, Ogun State, writes IBRAHIM ADAM

ATURDAY November 22 will always be remembered by the families of Mr Ebenezer Oladipupo and Chief Olalekan Olaleye as they became one following the union of their children, Olatunbosun of Airtel Nigeria and Temitope, a student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG). Family members and friends turned out in large numbers to rejoice with them at the Ijamido Town Hall in Iganmode, Ota, Ogun State. Many of the guests were in the teal green and coral lace Aso Ebi with matching caps and headgears; some wore choice traditional attires. The hall was filled. It was decorated in white, teal green and coral satin to match the chairs set round tables with flower vases on them. Guests exchanged pleasantries before the event started. The groom arrived in a blue Toyota Camry. He looked good in cream lace buba and sokoto with carton colour Aso Oke as Agbada and a befitting cap. The bride was a beauty to behold. She came in Ash Acura MDX Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). She was in teal green buba with carton colour iro, ipele, headgear, and a pair of shoes. Her neck and wrist beads complemented her beauty. The couple were the cynosure of all eyes. Olatunbosun and Temitope took turns to prostrate and kneel down for blessings from their parents. They later exchanged rings following which the gathering stretched their hands to bless them. At the reception followed, Samy Rock Music band led by Samuel Odusola entertained guests. Dare Daniel anchored the reception. He in-

•Groom’s parents, Chief Olaleye Olalekan and his wife, Janet

•The couple, Olatunbosun and Temitope

•Bride’s parents, Mr Ebenezer Oladipupo and his wife, Olamide

•The couple, Olatunbosun and Temitope

troduced some guests and called for the entry of the couple. They were cheered into the hall amid

songs, standing ovation and photographs by guests. Olatunbosun had changed his cloth to a ash coloured

suit, white shirt and lemon tie while his beau changed to a white flowery gown with veil. They danced for some minutes and were sprayed new naira notes. The chairman on the occasion, Pastor Samuel Owatunde in his remark, thanked God for both families. Pastor Owatunde said marriage is honourable, sacred and a covenant. He urged Olatunbosun to take his wife as his best friend. He told the bride to respect her husband. “Marriage is a wonderful thing to

God and man. It is honourable to God and not optional,” he said. The emcee led the couple to cut the cake. Both fed each other and sealed it with kisses before the dance floor was thrown open. The bride described her husband as loving and caring. The groom said Temitope is caring and understanding. The groom’s father, Chief Olaleye enjoined the couple to read the word of God at all times. The bride’s father, Mr Oladipupo advised them not to allow third party but to love themselves.

MUHARRAM GET-TOGETHER ORGANISED BY THE MUSLIM CONGRESS (TMC) AT TAFAWA BALEWA SQUARE, ONIKAN, LAGOS

•TMC Amir, Alhaji Luqman AbdulRahem (right) and Managing Director, Comprehensive Project Management Services Limited, Mr Kadri Adeola

•Executive Director, Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation, Imam Abdullaih Shuaib (left) and Alhaji Abdu Abba

•Acting HOD, Actuarial Science, University of Lagos, Dr Tajudeen Yusuf

•TMC Secretary-General, Alhaji AbdulWasiu Bangbala (left) and Chairman, Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation, Prince Sulayman Olagunju PHOTOS: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE

•Olojodu of Ojodu, Oba Sikirulahi Obatula

•Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) Senior Lecturer, Dr Ismail Bidmus

THE NATION SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

Top & bottom: Scenes in Idumota and Onitsha markets respectively

Continued from Page 47

THE NATION SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

How to practise Godliness in your home (2) body system is set at an imbalance which ultimately destroys your health. A researcher is quoted as saying that one minute of depression suppresses your immune system by six hours, whereas one minute of laughter boosts your immune system by twenty-four hours. So, take heed to God's Word and learn to destroy every root of bitterness and offence, before it gets a chance to destroy you. You will not be destroyed in Jesus' name! Are you born again? If your answer is 'No', why not ask God for forgiveness of your sins, repent and make Jesus Christ your Lord and personal Saviour today. If you are ready to be born again, please say this prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. I cannot help myself. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. Deliver me from sin and Satan to serve the living God. I believe You died for me and on the third day, You rose that I might be justified. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom. Congratulations! You are now born again! Till I come your way next time, please call or write, and share your testimonies with me through: E-mail: counselling@faithoyedepo.org, Contact@faithoyedepo.org; Tel. No: 08141320204; 07026385437. For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all the Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Making Marriage Work, Marriage Covenant, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

Diabetes

Coping with Diseases

Email: counselling@faithoyedepo.org

ear Reader, compliments of the season! It is a great joy to share God's Word with you, one more time on this column. Last week, I shared with you the place of parents in practising godliness in the home. This week, I want to talk about Unforgiveness. Forgiveness simply means to decide not to punish someone for a wrong or to cancel debts owed. Forgiveness is the character trait of God. He is all-forgiving. The Word of God says: To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him (Daniel 9:9). Ever since the first man, Adam, man has lived in rebellion against the Almighty God. Yet, because of His mercies, God has always pardoned our iniquities, the ultimate being the price paid at Calvary: Jesus Himself was nailed to the cross, not for anything He did, but for our sins. The Word of God says: … Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do… (Luke 23:34). I believe that aside from forgiveness coming out of His merciful nature, the sacrificial death of Jesus also made Him to forgive. He looks back at the cross and remembers how much Jesus suffered for our iniquities; He sees the shed blood and it moves Him to forgive. If we are to forgive one another, then we must be prepared to exercise patience because God is not through with working on us as individuals. The Word of God says: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32, 5:1). Unforgiveness is one major problem in many families today. It causes couples and other members of the family to hold on to issues, offences, misunderstandings and various hurts of the past; before long, there is a rift which tears the family apart. That shall not be your portion in Jesus' name! Don't carry a mentality of offence against God or people; if you do that, it will surely affect your character. Don't get offended in God, if you do, tell me who will help you? God is your Helper. Never you question God why some things were allowed to happen to you. Forgive yourself and your fellow men. Don't carry hatred and bitterness around. Whatever anyone has done to you is past and gone. The Word of God says: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind,

•From left: Assembly Pastor, Oluwadare Folorunsho; Baba Ijo, Kola Akinlade; General Evangelist, Christ Apostolic Church, Worldwide, Prophet Samuel Abiara; Iya Ijo, Mrs Adetoun Bolarinwa; and secretary, CAC, Agbala Itura, Mrs Fowowe Komolafe during the 29th anniversary/thanksgiving service of CAC Agbala Itura, Oke Odo, Lagos

fracture of the base of the skull or surgery in the pituitary area can also cause Diabetes insipidus. In addition, there is a rare inherited form of Diabetes insipidus where the production of Anti-Diuretic Hormone is normal, but the kidneys do not respond to the circulating hormone. As earlier stated, in Diabetes mellitus, an organ in the body (called the pancreas) is found not to be functioning properly. Insulin is a hormone produced by the Beta cells in the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Insulin is carried by the blood to all parts of the body. The body's cells use glucose (blood sugar) as their fuel. They have receptors to which insulin becomes attached. This binding of insulin enables the cells to use glucose by converting it into energy or storing it as fat. Any defect in this process, either in the pancreas, where insulin is being produced, or at the sites of attachment of insulin to the cells, would interfere with the body's use of fuel to produce energy. Apart from the malfunctioning of the Pancreas, one other cause of this disorder is unbalanced diet. Most of us consume denatured food in one way or the other. Also, food additives and unhealthy drinks, whether soft drinks, teas, coffee or liquor may predispose one to metabolic imbalance. The symptoms of diabetes include: frequent urination, loss of flesh, inordinate appetite, constant hunger, mental depression, progressive weakness, great thirst, dry tongue and impaired vision. The person could be irritable, restless and morose. The loss of energy is due to the loss

Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome in which the basic defect is the absence or shortage of the hormone called insulin. This hormone is carried by the blood to the kidneys, where it limits the outflow of water in the urine. The great majority cases of Diabetes insipidus are due to a tumour or inflammation in the region of the pituitary gland, thereby suppressing ADH production. Physical damage in form of

he term diabetes, when not specified, refers to Diabetes mellitus, a serious metabolic disorder characterized by defects in the body's use of carbohydrates. The other kind of diabetes is Diabetes insipidus, which is quite a different and relatively rare condition, in which an individual passes large quantities of pale, dilute urine, with consequent dehydration and excessive thirst.

and reaching forth unto those things which are before (Philippians 3:13). The reason why so many people find it difficult to forgive their fellow men, is that they hardly forget what that fellow has done to them. They carry all the hurts of the past in their minds thereby hurting themselves. If you want to practise godliness, you must learn to forgive. Unforgiveness has caused a lot of trouble in families today. In most cases, it is the hidden factor behind separation and divorce. It is refusing to pardon something one's spouse or any member of your family has done. Below is a testimony that proves that forgiveness is very important. “Today marks three years since I started attending this church. What brought me here was my spiritual lack, not material lack. I was born again five years, before I came here and was attending a living church. Since I started worshipping here, God has given me the spirit of understanding in the Word of God, and my faith has been on the increase. Most importantly, there has been captivity turnaround in my life, particularly in my marriage. My marriage technically broke down on the wedding day, at the reception table! But I stayed on it for almost a decade. It was a thorn in the flesh. Eventually, I had to leave. Right inside my matrimonial home, I got a SAN to prosecute the divorce. I got born again after then, but the Word never came to me until I got to this church. There was a teaching on forgiveness one day, which made me realize that I had been living in selfrighteousness all along. I forgive, but don't forget. I got this corrected in my mind and through the anointed book, Marriage Covenant, anointed preaching of the men of God and anointed counselling, my marriage got miraculously healed and right now, I'm having a honeymoon.” - Olaleye Has someone offended you? Why not let him or her go? It may be the reason why you are still where you are right now. I liken unforgiveness in families to cancer. I call it family cancer. Just as cancer eats up the body, many families have been eaten up and torn apart by unforgiveness. It is a medical fact that when you are angry, bitter or live in unforgiveness, your

Professor Dayo Oyekole,

Ph.D. (Ibadan), NMD, FNCP. Tel: 0803-330-3897 Website: www.holisticlifecare.com E-mail: kolemetric@yahoo.com

of sugar, which is needed to generate the energy for daily activities. In Holistic Lifecare, it is strongly advised that imported styles of living (i.e. cooking, eating & drinking) must be looked into especially on the use of food additives and colourants in fast foods and so-called take-away. Heavy starchy foods should be cut down drastically, if they cannot be avoided, pending total recovery from the ailment. As we make efforts to repair a malfunctioning pancreas, there are some fruits and vegetables known to be helpful. These include carrots, paw-paw, cucumber, onions, garlic and lettuce, combined with soya-milk mixed with guinea-corn pap or porridge. Control: The Holistic remedy that has been popularly suggested for the control of Diabetes is a combination of the natural extracts of some herbs scientifically called Anchomanes difformis, Pergularia daemia, Vinca rosea and Viscum album. For further information and consultation on Holistic Lifecare research and services, especially on Blood Infections, Infertility, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Chronic Debilitating Conditions as well as mental and social problems, please call on: 0803-330-3897 or visit: Mosebolatan Holistic Lifecare Centre, Adeyalo Layout, Ogbere-Tioya, Off Olorunsogo Express Bridge, Ibadan. Website: www.holisticlifecare.com. Distance is no barrier, we can send remedies by courier if need

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

THE NATION SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

NEWS

My deputy will not betray me — Kwankwaso Kolade ADEYEMI, Kano ANO state Governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso said he is optimistic that his deputy, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje who emerged as the state APC gubernatorial candidate would not betray him when he becomes elected governor of the state in 2015. He gave the assurance yesterday, while answering questions from journalists in a live Radio and television interview at Kano Government House, adding that over 90 percent of present administration’s programmes were initiated with Ganduje. Kwankwaso noted that many committees constituted by this administration were headed by him, pointing out there is no way his deputy would turn his back on him, “considering the fact that even when I was Minister of Defence, Ganduje was my adviser”, he added.“He (Ganduje) knows this administration’s policies more than any other person,” Kwankwaso noted, assuring that his deputy would continue with all the projects initiated as well as to continue with the APC and Kwankwaso’s plan for the state. He then advised his deputy to continue with the open door policy of his administration in order to sustain the transparency and purposefulness of the Kwankwasiyya administration. Governor Kwankwaso lamented that the immediate past administration had criticized his 1999 - 2003 tenure, pointing out that now he has returned and erased all that negative perception from the public and even wrote his own history with gold, by transforming Kano.

• A Red Cross official assisting one of the victims of the bomb explosion at the Terminus Market in Jos with first aid on Thursday night PHOTO: NAN

Emir of Mubi returns to damaged palace HE Emir of Mubi, Alh Dr Abubakar Isa Ahmadu, has returned to the plundered Palace of the Mubi Emirate Council two months after Boko Haram invaded the town and destroyed its economic livewire and burning down of the Mubi

Barnabas MANYAM, Yola

International Market along with 28 Churches, some which were built around 1920s. Joy overwhelmed the people of Mubi town in Adamawa State, who were jubilant on Friday following the return of

their Emir, after the military recaptured the town from insurgents. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Isa was in Saudi Arabia as the state Amirul Hajj when insurgents attacked the town in October 12th 2014. The Boko Haram had renamed the town of Mubi

to Madinatul Islam and installed an Amir who had moved into the palace of the Emir of Mubi during the dark days of the town. The residents lined the streets of Mubi and waved to the emir as he headed for the Mubi Central Mosque. The residents chanted

JDPCA, CHRICED, Hisbah harp on almajiri labour exploitation in Kano HE Justice Development and Peace/CARITAS Advocate (JDPCA) and Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), in collaboration with the Kano State Hisbah board, have described labour exploitation of almajirai as a menace that could be confronted with a view to making them responsible members of the society. Speaking to newsmen at a stakeholders forum

Kolade ADEYEMI, Kano

in Kano, yesterday, the spokesman of the two non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Mr Mark Asu-Obi, said the issue of exploitation of almajirai in the society has become a recurring decimal, stressing that the task of injecting sanity in the way and manner children in the society should be treated are made to be ordinarily irrelevant. According to him, the two NGOs, saw the

Another Boko Haram attack in Borno, 13 killed N overnight attack by Boko Haram at Gajigana ,Borno State , killed at least 13 people, a security officer said yesterday. The attackers stormed the town, 45 kilometres north of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno late Wednesday and raided the town till early Thursday, the security officer said on the condition of anonymity, Xinhua reported. "They set fire to houses and this forced people to flee the town," the source said, noting that the insurgents shot sporadically on the fleeing residents. A survivor said that the heavily-armed attackers invaded their town in open vans, adding that children and women were part of the casualties. "More corpses may still be lying undiscovered in the surrounding bushes, and some burned houses. Many others were injured," the fleeing resident said.

need to commission researchers to investigate the labour exploitation of almajirai by the society with a view to de-escalate insecurity in Kano State. He said “we deem it fit to collaborate with you in our effort to achieve this all-important objective. Your role in the dissemination of information and opinion moulding in the society cannot be over emphasised." He further revealed that society has a long history of incessant religious and political violence with serial records pointing to the role of unemployed and illiterate youth groups in violence and cross border insurgency. He stressed that the children must not be exposed as to be conscripted into antisocial activities, by persons of dubious interests. He commended the state government for its tireless effort to rehabilitate the almajiri through various policies aimed at developing and empowering them to be relevant in the society. "The NGOs are not oblivious of the enormous work the Kano

State government has done in terms of rehabilitation of street children, adding that, the establishment of Almajiri school in the provision of modern islamic schools and clearing of beggars from the street of Kano was a commendable step in that direction". He said He expressed the hope that, with good policy on the eradication of child labour and abuse adopted in purposefully pursued by all stakeholders in Kano will improve the social prospect for the children, in addition to providing quality human resources for the nation's economy.

songs to welcome back the Emir. Buba Ibrahim, who was among those that, trooped out to welcome the Emir, said “This is one of the happiest days of my life and I pray things have normalized for the better.” Hajiya Hauwa Umar Mohammed, who was also excited by the return of the emir, said the emir’s return was symbolic. “This historic return symbolizes that Mubi has been liberated from the insurgents,” Umar said. The Emir, who joined other Muslim faithful’s to observe the Jummat prayers at the Mubi Central Mosque, urged the residents to take what happened as the will of God. Isa called for sustained prayers for lasting peace in the emirate and the nation in the general. The town had been under attack by members of the Boko Haram sect since October 12th 2014, when the dreaded gunmen overran the town forcing people in thousands to flee across the hills to escape death. Calm has returned to the town except for the restriction of vehicular movement by the military, many routes were cordoned off while life has started at a small level.

Shinkafi picks Zamfara PDP guber ticket ORMER Governor of Zamfara, Alhaji Mamuda Shinkafi, has again emerged the winner of the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election for the 2015 general polls, according to a news agency of Nigeria source. The party’s governorship primary, which held on Tuesday, is said to have been characterized by petitions and complaints, and aspirants alleged foul play had taken place. A rescheduled primary was then rescheduled on Thursday by the National Headquarters of the party with three out of the five aspirants, including the former governor and Rep. Ibrahim Bakauye and Sen. Bello Matawalle. Alhaji Bashir Adamu and Alhaji Sagir Hamidu, were known to have withdrawn from the contest to align with Shinkafi before the contest. At the end of the second leg of the exercise, which was concluded on Friday, Shinkafi scored 295 votes while Matawalle and Rep. Bakauye scored 270 and five votes respectively. Speaking after the election, Amb. Adamu Waziri, urged members of the party to support the flagbearer, to ensure that the PDP returned to power in the state in 2015.

United States condemns bombings in Jos, Kano HE United States has strongly condemned in the strongest terms the December 10th and 11th bombing attack in Kano and Jos respectively. The twin attacks which had seven people killed in Kano and dozens said to have died, was in a statement issued in Abuja, stated to be, a “senseless attack on the innocent in Jos’s commercial

Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja

Terminus district.” This was followed on the heels by another bombing attack in Nigeria’s second largest city of Kano on December 10, in which four persons were killed and seven injured when two female suicide bombers attacked the Kantin Kawari Textile Market.

The United States according to the statement, “offers its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the persons killed and injured. The United States remains committed to supporting the people of Nigeria in their struggle to stop the depraved actions of Boko Haram and associated terrorist groups."

NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

PFN donates to Boko Haram victims ENTECOSTAL Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has distributed relief materials worth over ten million naira to internally displaced persons in Adamawa and Borno States respectively. Several thousands of internally displayed persons (IDPs), particularly the Boko Haram victims benefited from the PFN relief materials which were distributed between November 20 and November 21, 2014. The relief materials are mainly food items and clothing materials. The relief materials distribution teams were headed by prominent leaders of the PFN such as Apostle Emmanuel Kure, Evangelist Matthew Owojaiye and Bishop Ransom Stephen amongst others. Interestingly, the PFN philanthropic gesture was enjoyed by displaced people irrespective of their religious affiliations. Speaking to journalists in Benin, the head of the team, Apostle Kure said the gesture was in accordance with the directive of the PFN national president, Dr. Felix Omobude. Also in a press statement endorsed by the media officer to the national president of PFN, Deacon Ralph Okhiria stated that the Permanent Secretary of NEMA, who is in charge of IDPs, witnessed the massive distribution of relief materials to the Boko Haram displaced per-

•Cross River State Governor, Sen Liyel Imoke (left) and the CBN Governor Mr. Godwin Emefiele at the opening ceremony of Bankers Committee retreat in Calabar...yesterday.

We cannot continue to allow incessant bombings, insurgency –Rivers Varsity don HE Dean of the Faculty of Law of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Port Harcourt, Prof. Nlerum Okogbule, has stated that incessant bombings and insurgency must not be allowed to continue in Nigeria, while calling for change to move forward. He also expressed surprise that rather than improving on elections and electoral activities, things were getting worse, with the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) unable to get things right, especially the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and the Continuous Voter Registration. Okogbule stated these yesterday at the Democracy and Change Advocacy Forum organised by the Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (IHRHL), in collaboration with Doing Democracy Movement (DDM) at Rukpokwu near Port Harcourt in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. The forum, which had as theme: “Restoration of Citizens’ Sovereignty and the Role of Youths in Democratic Elections,” also had in attendance Dr. Sofiri Peterside of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) and was chaired by Ezenwa Nwagwu,

the Chairman of Abuja-based Partners for Electoral Reform. The Executive Chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), Debo Adeniran; the National Coordinator of Ogoni Solidarity Forum, Celestine Akpobari; and the Executive Director of IHRHL, Anyakwe Nsirimovu; among other eminent personalities, were also in attendance. Okogbule said: “As Nigerians, we have to fight for our rights and speak up, for our views to be heard and our positions well articulated. When will the youths be allowed to attain leadership positions, when Chief Tony Anenih of over 80 years is still playing active politics? “The voices of the youths must be heard. They will not get power on a platter of gold. Our destiny is in our own hands. We must stand up and work collectively, for Nigeria to move forward. “How is amnesty money being managed today? The Federal Government is encouraging the youths to embrace violence, leading to the Boko Haram insurgency, with the youths carrying arms.” The Dean of RSUST’s Faculty of Law also reiterated that the 1999 polls presented a semblance of elections, because Nigerians were eager to have democracy, in view of

the many years of military rule. Okogbule admonished the youths to always place emphasis on qualitative education and be ready to take up the challenge of leadership. Peterside, who is of the Department of Sociology, UNIPORT, also described the civil society as an arena of struggle and that Nigerians must get involved in democracy, but lamented the monetisation of the system, with politicians wanting to capture power, not for service to the people. The UNIPORT don said: “It is very unfortunate that politicians are desperately manipulating the youths. The culture of impunity in Nigeria is now very high. Nigeria’s democracy is being threatened. “Change will come with pains. There are early warning signals that things are not well with Nigeria. Rule of law is taking the back seat. Corruption is endemic. We need to rise and mobilise our people.” Peterside also stated that there would be the need for Nigerians and the government to place premium on human lives. Adeniran urged Nigerians to always stand up for their rights and be partakers in democracy, to make the country a better place, while admonishing the youths to strive to assert themselves.

Akpobari, while also speaking, urged Nigerians, especially the parents and guardians, to place emphasis on qualitative education, in order not to allow thieves to take over the government or become the representatives of their people, as lawmakers. The executive director of IHRHL, in his remarks, noted that only people who are ready, could then be liberated, while urging more Nigerians to be united, in order to effect the desired change in 2015. Nsirimovu also stated that the implementation of the recommendations contained in the reports Niger Delta Technical Committee, of which he was a member, would be a step in the right direction. He also admonished the youths not to allow themselves to be used by desperate politicians as thugs, while their children are overseas, studying in the best institutions. The IHRHL’s executive director also noted that end must quickly be put to impunity in Nigeria, in order to move forward. Earlier in his welcome address, the chairman of the forum declared that no government in Nigeria had been as corrupt as the administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

Gelegele seaport will work in my time, APC senatorial candidate ENATORIAL candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Edo South and Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. Samson Osagie yesterday pledged to work collaboratively with other lawmakers from the state towards the realization of the popular Gelegele seaport that has become the subject of past politicians who represented the state and senatorial zone at the National Assembly. He said the port if properly harnessed can launch the state to an economic and commercial hub for other states in the South-South geo political zone and neighbouring northern and eastern states to tap from in the country. Speaking during a press conference to appraise his victory and the party’s primaries held on Monday at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin the state capital, he stated that with the emer-

n Osemwengie BEN OGBEMUDIA n gence as the APC flag bearer, his attention would be focused towards ensuring that the party wins at all levels come 2015 general elections. Osagie urged citizens and the electorate not to take next year’s polls as a battle ground as it is about the future of the state and the Nigerian nation as well as its people. He expressed the resolve to ensure a positive synergy between the state and other stakeholders such that the imbalance that scheme the state out from getting what are due to it ends. The lawmaker commended all the APC delegates, leaders and members of the national body of the party, security agencies and the media for their contributions, support and commitment which led to the success of the exercise,

stressing that he was poised to defend the cause and ideals of the party, the Edo south senatorial district, the state and the country at large as well as attract development to the area. While appealing to those who lost out during the contest and other aggrieved members not to leave the fold, he said, “politics should not be seen as that which when you lose the ticket, you leave the party.” On the question of anointed candidates and being threatened by anybody, he stated that, “For me, when I accept any political contest, I give my all. I am usually not bothered because I know power resides with the people. And I know even you are an anointed candidate or you have been anointed by somebody, you need the people to endorse or ratify that through their votes; so I wasn’t threatened in any way.”

sons. The NEMA Permanent Secretary, who lauded the fellowship for the kind gesture, appealed to well-meaning individuals and organizations to emulate the example of the PFN by reaching out to the internally displaced persons with relief materials. Some beneficiaries of the PFN kind gesture described the massive relief materials distribution as, ‘historic’, even as they commended the PFN members for showing them human kindness in their moment of need. They however appealed to their benefactors not to let their Godly gesture be a once and for all affair. Meanwhile, the national president of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Dr. Felix Omobude has thanked all those who have contributed and made donations to the PFN welfare purse and further called on all and sundry to always show kindness to the needy in the society. Dr. Omobude stated that the recent demonstration of love to the internally displaced people in Adamawa and Borno States was just the beginning of such Godly gesture, noting that efforts were being made to also send relief materials to the Boko Haram victims in Yobe. He disclosed that the PFN had earlier in the year sent a whopping seven million naira (cash) as aid to the Boko Haram victims in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.

Edo Cultural Festival kicks off today n Osemwengie BEN OGBEMUDIA n HE Edo Festival of Arts, Culture and Tourism (EDOFEST) begins today Saturday 13th December, 2014 and ends, Saturday 20th December, 2014. Briefing newsmen in Benin City on preparation for the Festival, the Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Hon. (Mrs.) Anena Jemitola said it will begin with a bonfire/Variety night at the Oba Akenzua II Cultural Centre, she said the personality of the year will be revealed who will light the bonfire. Sunday 14th December, 2014, there will be a Food Fair/Arts & Culture exhibition, including drama presentation and highlife musical night. Mrs. Anena Jemitola added that a number of companies have indicated their willingness to take part in the food festival.

SURE-P GIS trains 100 graduates in Edo NE hundred graduates recruited under the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) component of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) have been trained on how to develop work habits. The employability orientation training was organized by the Federal Ministry of Finance to enable interns optimize their internship period by developing useful skills and positive work habits. Also trained were 10 firms where the graduates would be deployed to. National Project Director of SURE-P GIS at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mr. Peter Papkar who was represented by Assistant Director of Finance in the Ministry, Mr. John Terver Adzer said the training was to provide comprehensive instruction on personal and team effectiveness, skills, etiquettes and ethics of the workplace. Adzer urged the interns to adapt to the workplace, acquire financial literacy and examined performance management as well as career path development. He promised that the Federal Government would sustain the use SURE-P GIS as a bridge builder between school and the labour market and to provide the graduates with something to do and somewhere to go for a sustainable living. In a remark, Head of Operation of SIGADEP Foundation, Mr. Noah Nelson Alilu, urged the participants to educate others to embrace the scheme as it provides a free opportunity for competency enhancement, management development and opportunity to share ideas with other firms.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

NEWS 59

Confusion as aspirants besiege party in Anambra HERE was confusion yesterday in Awka, Anambra state when the Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) held its state primaries with Nollywood actress, Kate Oby Okafor emerged as the Central Senatorial candidate of

n Nwanosike ONU, Awka n the party. Others who were elected by the party to fly its flag for the 2015 general election are Chukwuemeka Chukwuma for South, a lawyer and Lady Patricia Uba for North.

The party primary was held at its state headquarters in Awka, with full trucks of police, Department of State Service (DSS) and other security outfits in attendance. The exercise was monitored by the Independent

National Electoral Commission (INEC). Also, eleven others were elected for the House of Representatives for their constituencies and 30 candidates for the state house of Assembly. Members of the other po-

litical parties who failed nominations in their parties besieged the ACD office for different positions with the party members disagreeing for new entrants to be given tickets. The ACD primary was chaired by Lady Okwukweka Muoneke, while Oscar Nneze was the secretary. Speaking with reporters

yesterday in Awka, the chairman of the primaries committee, Lady Muoneke described the exercise as organized and peaceful. The Chairman of the party in the state, Oby Okafor who took the central senatorial zone tickets, told the Nation that ACD was ready and prepared for the general elections in the state.

‘Attributes next Rivers governor should possess’ group, Rivers Consolidated Forum (RCN), has urged the electorate to base their choice of the next governor of the state on the core attributes of competence, integrity, courage, initiative and focus. In a meeting held in Port Harcourt to discuss the political future of the state, the zoning arrangement and to assess the physical, social and institutional infrastructural provisions in the state, the group extolled the uncommon virtues of Hon. Dakuku Peterside, describing him as pragmatic and winsome. “Dakuku is suitable for the governorship job. He has devoted his life to humanitarian and philanthropic services. He has provided employment opportunities for the people, especially the youths. He has been one of the most supportive and committed leaders of the people”. Spokesperson of the movement, Mrs. Ibifuro Thompson Tatua said Dakuku would galvanize the people to self-development, energize the economy and also raise the standard of living of the people through adequate inter-village communication such as good road network, electricity, pipeborne water, recreational facilities, etc. “Dakuku will increase the material wealth of the people, establish capacity-building institutions, increase rural output, create employment opportunities and root out cases of poverty, diseases and ignorance”. The groups also said Dakuku would stimulate rural industries and show the necessary leadership by matching words with action through evolving workable development approaches, proper co-ordination and funding. “Dakuku has strategies to banish unemployment and insecurity. His government will bring about sustainable development and progress” the group said. Over 1,000 members across the 23 local government areas stormed the venue in representative capacity. Hon Dakuku Peterside represents Andoni/OpoboNkoro Federal Constituency. He is also the Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream).

•Musiliu Obanikoro addressing reporters in his GRA, Ikeja office...yesterday

Obanikoro sues PDP over Lagos primary ORMER Minister of State for Defence and a contestant for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Lagos governorship ticket, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, to compel authorities of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to abide by the guidelines of the party. Obanikoro said he took the party to court, to compel the authorities to expedite action on a petition he filed in respect of what he described as the rigged governorship primary that returned Jimi Agbaje as the party’s candidate. He gave this indication yesterday while addressing his supporters at his campaign office in Ikeja, Lagos. He had on Tuesday peti-

n Raymond MORDI n tioned the party’s leadership over the governorship primary held on Monday. Alluding to why he resorted to the legal action, he said: “Our position is that the primary must be cancelled and repeated. We filed our petition on Tuesday, thinking that the authorities would abide by the guidelines of the party. But, they have not responded as I speak to you.” According to the former Minister of State for Defence, he rejected the result of the election because of a controversy over the difference in the number of accredited voters and the number of votes cast. He said all sorts of persons were brought into the arena where the primary

took place as delegates. Obanikoro said he and his supporters were aware of what was going on, but they felt they had enough delegates on their side and that they could still win the contest. “The result of the primary cannot stand. Anyone who chooses to change Lagos for the better must stand by the truth. The election must be cancelled,’’ he said. Obanikoro, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Ghana and a former Minister of State for Defence, urged his supporters to remain steadfast. He declined comments on whether he would leave the party if the result was not cancelled. He said he remains thankful to the Lord

for what he has achieved in life today and that his decision to take the party to court is not about himself, but to get the authorities to live up to the slogan of the PDP, which says that power belongs to the people. “I tell you, nobody can come and beg me to allow injustice to thrive. I have fought so many battles to get to where I am today in life. So, we are going to stand on the path of truth; nobody is going to intimidate us. The election that took place on Monday must be cancelled and repeated,” he said. Obanikoro reportedly polled 343 votes to emerge runners up in the controversial primaries in which Agbaje was declared winner with 432 votes.

PDP Rep candidate commends Imoke for promoting internal democracy HE House of Representatives candidate for the Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency in Cross River State, Michael Etaba, has commended the peaceful conduct of state's primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. Etaba noted that the success of the exercise was as a result of the level playing filed provided by Governor Liyel Imoke. Etaba, who emerged from a field of 17 aspirants to pick the PDP ticket for the seat currently occupied by Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, John Owan Enoh, told journalists that "‘Senator Liyel Imoke deserves a special mention for the transparent manner he supervised the entire process that led to the emergence of all our party’s candidates for the forthcoming general elections; from the House of Assembly to the House of Representatives, the Senate and the Governorship. ‘Imoke allowed internal democracy to flourish by creating the platform for all aspirants to interact and sell their visions

n Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja n and intentions to the electorate through the Party Caucuses at Ward, Local Government, Constituency, Senatorial and State level. This has, in no small measure, deepened the entire democratic process. The process was transparent and credible as caucus members were given the liberty to grill the aspirants and score them as they saw fit. This process eliminated rancour and led to the emergence of a strong field of quality candidates for our party in the State’. Etaba also congratulated the party’s guber candidate, Prof. Ben Ayade; the three senatrial candidates (Gershom Bassey, John Enoh Owan and Rose Oko) and all other candidates for their victory at the primaries. The House of Represnetatives hopeful also said President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has delivered on his electoral promises to Nigerians and would therefore easily win a second term in office in February 2015.

His words: ‘The Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan has borne fruit and Nigerians are the better for it. Some of the success stories include the restoration of rail services which have been moribund for decades. He has sanitized the procurement machinery of government and improved transparency; has cut down corrupt practices in government contracts; transformed the Nigerian economy to become the biggest in Africa, and has not interfered in activities of INEC thereby paving way for free elections in states like Edo, Ekiti and Osun’. ‘There’s visible improvement in the road and aviation sectors. The president established Almajari Schools and new universities to ensure that every state now hosts a Federal University, eliminated fertilzer fraud, made Nigeria selfsufficient in food production through better financing of the Agricultural Sector, introduced free healthcare for pregnant women, and fight against insurgency, and oil theft, among others’.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

THE NATION SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 12-12-14

25-07-14 DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 12-12-14

Nigerian stocks drop below one-year low A LL through the week, Nigerian equities sustained consecutive decline, rounding off yesterday with average loss of 0.96 per cent, about N99 billion. The decline yesterday pushed equities below their one-year low, which had climaxed the downtrend in earlier trading session. With more than three losers for every gainer, the overwhelming bearishness at the market was further evidenced by substantial losses recorded across the sectors. Losses ran into four to three digits as against few points recorded by gainers. The downtrend pushed average year-to-date loss at the equities market to -25.57 per cent. The All Share Index (ASI), the composite index that tracks prices of all quoted equities, dropped from its opening index of 31,062.03 points to close at 30,763.38 points. Aggregate market value of all quoted equities also dropped to N10.156 tril-

Story by Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

lion compared with its opening value of N10.255 trillion, indicating a loss of N99 billion. Market analysts have attributed the decline to selling pressure across the sectors as investors scrambled to exit equities and lock up funds in fixed assets. Analysts cautioned that investors may still witness further depreciation as likely market drags at the moment outweigh the positive. However, bargain-hunting for lowpriced value stocks could stimulate the market next week. Forte Oil topped the 36-stock losersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; list with a drop of N10.92 to close at N207.58. Nigerian Breweries followed with a loss of N7.66 to close at N145.59. Guinness Nigeria placed third with a loss of

N6.45 to close at N122.61. Presco Plc dropped by N1.34 to close at N25.59. Okomu Oil Palm slipped by N1.33 to close at N25.37 while Lafarge Africa dropped by N1.02 to close at N72.98 per share. Total turnover was on the average with the exchange of 390.61 million shares valued at N4.68 billion in 3,684 deals. Financial services sector remained the most active with turnover of 259.93 million shares worth N1.55 billion in 2013 deals. Diamond Bank was the most active stock with a turnover of 60.43 million shares valued at N278.21 million in 98 deals. On the upside, Total Nigeria recorded the highest gain of N3 to close at N158. Dangote Cement followed with a gain of N2.01 to close at N160. Stanbic IBTC Holdings rose by 29 kobo to N28.50. Nestle Nigeria added 22 kobo to close at N775 while CAP Plc rose by 12 kobo to N26.22 per share.

THE NATION SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

SPORT EXTRA

Pillars planning big to excel in Africa

ANO Pillars are leaving nothing unturned in their bid to make a meaningful impact on the continent with the club's commencement of rigorous training exercise aimed at getting new players to beef the current squad. The Sai Masu Gida are also planning a foreign tour in a bid to keep the would-be new players properly blended to the team ahead of the 2015 CAF Champions League. The Media Officer of the Kano side, Idris Malikawa told NationSport that the coaches are looking at some new players that have indicated interest to team up with the club and he went ahead to state that the club's management would open

From Tunde Liadi,Owerri transfer negotiations with those that the head coach has certified worthy. Pillars have crashed out before the group stages of the Champions League in the last two years since their semi final performance in their debut campaign in the same competition in 2009 and efforts are being intensified to ensure that another early exit is not repeated in 2015. Malikawa also pointed out that the club's management would soon meet to decide on some crucial issues including the position of Pillars regarding when the league season should resume and what they should do to ensure that they go as far as possible on the continent next year.

• Under - 23 Coach Samson Siasia during the screening of players at the FIFA Goal Project in Abuja recently

Siasia wants foreign tour for home based players T

• Kano Pillars players celebrate their trophy

Rangers want league to start January 21

HE General Manager of Enugu Rangers, Paul Chibuzor Ozor has stated that the Flying Antelopes would root for a quick start of the Premier League season and has voted for it to kick off on January 21, 2015. Ozor, in an interview with NationSport, highlighted that an early kick off of the league would be of immense help to clubs on the continent because it would aid their preparations as they seek an impressive outing next year. He noted that ensuring that the league commences before the start of the general elections which kicks off mid February, 2015

From Tunde Liadi,Owerri would be key to having a hitch free season. The LMC proposed January 21 date would see league games taking place in weekend and midweek to help tune up the clubs who will represent Nigeria in next year's CAF Champions League and the Confederation Cup. The league will then go on a compulsory hiatus for the general elections between February 14 and 28. The other option is for the league to begin on March 7, which will allow for clubs to meet up club licensing requirements and the clubs to clear any outstanding payables.

OML 58 football tourney kicks off

HE 13th OML 58 Football tournament kicked off on Thursday at the Okeh Grammer School, Elelewon Okinali Rivers State after a colourful opening ceremony with dance and culture on display. The opening match was between Idu FC and Akabta FC. Sixteen teams, drawn from OML 58 host communities of TOTAL and representing their respective communities, will vie for honours in the competition. Speaking at the inauguration of the 2014 organising committee in Obite, the Rivers State Community Affairs Services Manager, Okechukwu Obara charged players of the participating teams to put up good performances, be of good character and be good ambassadors of their communities. Obara said:"Be reminded that this annual competition is a veritable shopping window for talented players who desire to pursue a career in professional foot-

ball. Scouts will be present during matches, and over the years, players discovered from this tournament are enjoy blossoming careers afterwards". Chairman, Organising Committee, Goodnews Mbonu tasked the participating teams to compete within the context of fairplay, sportsmanship and friendship. Some players discovered from past editions of the tournament who now play professional football abroad include Nkemka Onuogba, Aginebu James, Chinonye Ogbugo and Chidiebe James Otto who all play professional football in Romania. Apart from the winners trophy for champions, there will also be individual honours and prizes for tournament's Most Valuable Player and the Highest Goal Scorer.Also,players who display exceptional talents and good character will be assisted to pursue professional careers in the game.

HE head coach of the U23 national team, Samson Siasia has asked for the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) to organise foreign tours for the home based players so as to help them get the necessary exposure and experience. The country has qualifiers for the All African and Olympic Games next year and with the African version of the Olympics

From Tunde Liadi,Owerri not recognised by the FIFA calendar, it may be tough for the U-23 team to get foreign professionals to honour the competition. Owing to this, Siasia has urged the NFF to ensure that the home based players who will no doubt form the bedrock of the All African Games' squad have the opportunity of foreign tours so as to get the requisite

exposure and the experience needed during competitive matches. The team's Media Officer, Timi Ebikagboro, who expressed the mind of Siasia said:" Siasia wants foreign tours for the home based players so they can get exposure ahead of the campaign ahead. The home based players will form the core of the team for the All African Games because the

NFF may struggle to get the foreign professionals for the competition since it is not recognised by FIFA. It is the sole reason the head coach has clamoured for the overseas tour so as to get the players ready for the task ahead." Not less than 35 home based players are left in the camp after rigorous training sessions where the coaches have been able to weed out over 1,700 players to a sizeable number.

Adeleke confident of Club World Cup

EYI Adeleke has expressed his confidence that Western Sydney Wanderers will defeat Cruz Azul when both teams face off in the quarter-final of the Club World Cup. But the form guide suggests that the Asian champions are underdogs going into the tie at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah, having failed to win any of their opening nine matches in the A-League, a statistic the defender chose to ignore. “I won't admit that we are the underdogs. It's only that we had some hard luck in front of goal in our last five matches,” Adeleke said to SL10.ng. “Since we arrived in Morocco we are all motivated because we know that this competition happens to players once in a lifetime. If one is lucky it might be twice, and it

is the best FIFA competition in the world.” Ahead of the clash on Saturday, Wanderers manager Tony Popovic has been analysing the Mexican opponents by electronic means, and he has highlighted the team's weaknesses to his players. “With the video clips our technical crew showed us, we have seen their lapses. And in our training we've been working on how to hurt them,” added Adeleke. “I think we can win the game because every player that made the list is doing fantastic in training ahead of the match today.” If Western Sydney Wanderers continue their fairy tale-run in international club competitions by defeating Cruz Azul , they will square off with European champions Real Madrid next Tuesday in the semi-final.

• Adeleke

Warri Wolves' mgt, coaches for crucial talks on Monday

ARRI Wolves' management will on Monday meet with the technical crew of the Seasiders where crucial matters pertaining to the club's activities in the

From Tunde Liadi,Owerri CAF Confederation Cup, premier league and others next year. Wolves ended last season in third position with 61 points

• Warri Wolves’ duo of Stanley Dimgba and Gbolahan Salami

from 38 matches and this ensured their qualification for the Confederation Cup for the third straight season. The Seasiders have failed to get to the group stages of the second tier African club competition in their last two year's participation and a top official of the club revealed to NationSport that the club would make adequate preparations for the 2015 outing. The official noted that top of the agenda would be for the coaches to submit their plans for the new season and to also prune down on the 37 players under the payroll of the Seasiders. He also added that at least 10 players would be shown the exit doors while quality players spotted from Sunshine Stars, Dolphins and northern clubs would be brought in to fill the

void left by those departing. The source said:" We are going to meet on Monday to deliberate on the way forward. The coaches have been invited to submit their programmes and they have been told to prune down on the list of players we presently have. Imagine some players that didn't play up to two games for the club last season still want the club to retain them for the new season. "The club has been told in clear terms that if they fail to perform on the continent next year, no one will take them seriously and that they will be considered just like the politicians that change parties every year because of what they would get. "It is the sole reason we have decided to hold a meeting where many issues would be unearthed for us to have a good season in the league and also on the continent,"the source said.

THE NATION SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

SPORT EXTRA

Nigeria beat Ghana 7-5 in Copa Lagos • Ejor hails spirited Sand Eagles

HE Super Sand Eagles began their title defence with a 7-5 hard fought victory over Ghana at the Copa Lagos 2014 on Friday. New invitee Musa Najare starred as Nigeria avoided an opening day defeat against their neighbouring West African side at the Eko Atlantic city, Victoria Island, Lagos. Nigeria opened a three-goal lead in the first period, but slipped after the break due to loss of concentration as the lead was reduced to two in the second stanza. The encounter saw the visitors levelling up at the end of the second period for 4-4 as Najare even from the spot and Babatunde Badmus were notably denied a scoring chance. However, Najare redeemed his miss from the spot as he

fired the hosts back in front on resuming the third round before Ebenezer Laryea equalised to make it 5-5. Goal hungry Najare sealed the victory for Nigeria after Badmus restored the lead to ensure a 7-5 victory for the three-time winners. Speaking after the game, coach Adamu Audu Ejor, praised the determination and resilience of his players, though he insisted there is room to do better. Ejor urged Nigerians to sustain their prayers and support just as his side will remain focused not to disappoint. "Well, it was a tough game, we had today. No doubt they (Ghana) gave us a good fight. We have seen some of our mistakes and will improve on them in our remaining game," Ejor said. "It won't be easy, but we are

• Ejor determined to win the trophy) for Nigerians. We also want their support too," he concluded. Meanwhile, holders Nigeria, will face Ivory Coast in their second game in the 4th edition of the International Beach Soccer Championship today.

Yobo dismayed by AFCON miss

• Yobo

ORMER Nigerian captain, Joseph Yobo, has expressed pain at the Super Eagles' failure to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) in Equatorial Guinea. The 34-year-old defender, who called time on international football after featuring for the African champions at the

2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil, is shocked that the Nigerian team will not be at the AFCON. He added that he called it quits from international football to allow younger players take charge after a 13-year spell with Nigeria's Super Eagles. Yobo, however, does not believe that his quitting international football played a part in Nigeria's failure to qualify for the continent's biggest football competition. "It is quite disappointing that the team will not be at the Nations Cup. It is disappointing for the country as a whole. But we have to recover from this quickly. "I spent about 13 years with the national team and I don't think it is a matter of if I was there that this could have happened or it couldn't have happened. But I left the scene for younger players to have the chance to play at the biggest

level because I also started while I was a young player," he told journalists in Abuja on Thursday while watching the training session of Nigeria's Under23s. The former Everton man also stated that he felt that after 13 years of his time with the Super Eagles, it was time for him to give his family undivided attention. "I also had to take into consideration that I had to spend more time with my family in quitting the national team. But the memories will be there with me, and I am thankful for being able to serve my country," said Yobo. Yobo is the first Nigerian footballer in the men's national team to reach the 100-game milestone after an international career that spanned through 2001 to 2014. The former Nigerian captain was part of the squad that won the 2013 AFCON in South Africa.

Chinese club set to open talks with John Ogu

CCORDING to leaks gathered by allnigeriasoccer.com’s editorial staff, a Chinese Super League club are exploring ways to sign Hapoel Be’er Sheva midfielder John Ogu. The Nigeria international joined Hapoel Beer Sheva in the summer transfer market on a 1 +3 year deal, but he could depart the club less than four months after pledging his future to them, as he is attracting concrete interest from China.

In order not to put a spanner in ongoing negotiations, the identity of the Asian club is termed classified information for now. Should John Ogu and Hapoel Be’er Sheva agree terms with the mysterious club, his annual wages will increase four - fold, bearing in mind that he pockets $150,000 per season now. A product of Flying Sport Academy, the central midfielder previously defended the colours of teams in Slovenia, Spain and Portugal.

• Ogu

Ahmed Musa on vacation for one month

• Musa

DO State - born Nigeria international Ahmed Musa, 22, has been permitted by CSKA Moscow to proceed on vacation. As a result of the winter break, the Muscovites will not resume training until the next one month, the official website of the Russian champions has reported. CSKA Moscow have mandated that every player in the first team

must return to the Russian capital before January 11, 2015, the date the team will leave for Spain to hold a training camp. And two more training camps will be held before the resumption of the Russian Premier League in the first week of March. In the first stanza, Ahmed Musa scored seven goals in 17 matches for CSKA Moscow, who are second on the table.

Amaju, watch your back (4) <<<<<<<<< Continued from back page to it by renowned academy coaches. I’m also glad that Siasia has plans for the grassroots talents. They may not have been exposed to proper training like their Europe-based mates, yet they could learn from them and what Siasia teaches them in training. The bottom line is that the pool of players to pick future Super Eagles players from would be increased. The difference between our grassroots rookies in the hinterland is that they are raw, energetic, determined, but lack the finesse which comes with good coaching, which is found in the developed football communities where these Diaspora players come from. Indeed, if the NFF are serious in their drive to get boys whose ages they can vouch for, then they must consider getting foreign coaches to come here on exchange programmes to train our coaches and provide the template to routinely train the good ones. This is the only way we can make our coaches to improve and get them to teach the young boys the techniques of the game at younger ages. These young boys coming for the developed leagues in Europe are discovered as early as ages 5-12. They are taught the rudiments of the game and taken through competitions until they have perfected their skills for the bigger clubs. Besides, these young boys are exposed to competitions and most times they get to play weekly league matches to show how well they have imbibed what they were taught in training. These routine competitions and league matches provide the platform for the country’s football federations to collate data on the kids. From these competitions, the exceptional ones are encouraged to join bigger clubs’ academies until such a time when they would have mustered the courage to play in the tougher leagues with the bigger boys. It’s from the data collated from the competitions that such countries pick their national team players across the board. Indeed, the NFF must get all our domestic clubs to have age grade players, preferably from ages 6-10. You don’t need to study rocket science to know a six-year-old. Where there are doubts, checks could be made on when he first went to school, if his birth records are also doubtful. The cheapest game to run is football. What we need to sustain this campaign is for the NFF to create a unit whose leadership must be passionate in getting the kids to embrace the game and play it properly. It’s about time the NFF created a platform to redefine how we should play at the national team levels. This robust approach to reinvigorate the domestic game is all that we need with the NFF to effectively monitor how it pans out. Except our coaches are challenged with these holistic programmes, we would never be able to grade them and reward those who are eminently qualified to handle the national teams.

No Mourinho, no!

I admire Jose Mourinho. I like his can-do spirit. I also identify with his penchant to be the best of any team that he handles. I like his love for African players. I may not be a fan of Chelsea FC of London, but I follow the game and know what each player, team and coach does weekly. It is on this score that one is forced to disagree with Mourinho’s insistence that Super Eagles midfield pearl, John Mikel Obi, was chiefly responsible for Chelsea’s 1-2 loss to Newcastle last weekend. Mikel did his best, although many have joined Mourinho in his views. Yet, a cursory look at the two goals conceded by Chelsea against Newcastle showed that England international Gary Cahill’s poor clearance caused the first goal and not Mikel’s mistakes. It is true that Mikel missed a header inside Newcastle’s six-metre box before the goal was conceded, yet many players have missed clearer chances than what Mikel missed and never got Mourinho’s flak. Mourinho has never beaten Newcastle. So, why does he think that Mikel’s mistakes caused the team’s defeat because Nemanja Matic didn’t play? Chelsea is lucky in the preceding game against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Had Sunderland predatory strikers, such as Cisse in their team, they would have been the first to beat Chelsea not Newcastle. If Mourinho knows that he doesn’t want Mikel any longer, he should say so, rather than make the Nigerian the laughing stock. Such despicable utterances go a long way to limit the chances of Mikel in getting another club. I’m looking forward to the day when Chelsea is beaten with Matic playing. Now that Mikel has shamed Mourinho by scoring in Wednesday 3-1 victory, I hope the coach will have the courage to applaud the Nigerian as much as he derided him over last Saturday’s loss to Newcastle.

Special talent indeed The news from the blue side of Manchester in England where City plays in the Barclays English Premier League is heartwarming. Reports on Wednesday night suggested that the management of Manchester City have submitted a request to the Home Office in the United Kingdom (UK) for the work permit of Nigeria’s kid sensation, Kelechi Iheanacho, who dazzled the world at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Ihenanacho was the best player in the series, culminating in several requests for his services despite his age. Many a pundit quarrelled with Iheanacho’s decision to join Manchester City as a kid, citing the laughable fact that the English side isn’t renowned for grooming talents. What these uninformed few didn’t understand is that youth academies are ingrained into the system for any club of Manchester City’s

Belgium clubs eye Kayode

COUTS representing Belgium clubs will be in the stands this weekend for the game between Maccabi Netanya and MS Ashdod, according to reports in Israel. Their subject of interest is ex

Flying Eagles striker Olarenwaju Kayode, who was scouted earlier this month by another Jupiler League side Gent. Statistically, the 21 - year - old is among the top 10 attackers

stature. Now the club has shown that they know how to use a good player and have subsequently sought to use the Special Talent clause in the British game to get Ihenanacho to play for the senior team. Again, like John Mikel Obi in the past, Iheanacho will be playing at the senior level for his club instead of his country. Soon, we would expect Iheanacho to pick Nigeria ahead of Manchester City when there is a fixture clash. Iheanacho’s loyalty will be to the club than Nigeria. It is for this reason that Mikel hardly played for Nigeria in the past.

God bless Emenike Emmanuel Emenike is my most admired footballer. He understands what it takes to give back to the society when the need arises. Emenike’s philanthropy is phenomenal. The beauty about his ability to assist the needy is that he doesn’t like it advertised. He stands out as the only Super Eagles player who kicks against some of the shameful acts of the squad and makes his views known. But that isn’t the reason for this short take on him. Emenike spent $50,000, yes you are free to convert it to naira to buy bags of rice and other foodstuff which he wants distributed to motherless babies homes, orphans and to the widows across Imo and Anambra states. 550 bags of rice have been taken to Imo State. Otuocha (in Anambra State) will have 300 bags with other undisclosed items. The star spent $60,000 last year while giving out to widows, orphans and the less privileged in the eastern zone of Nigeria, has mandated his family to distribute over 900 bags of rice to some local government areas in Imo and Anambra states as part of his annual charity work. Apart from the donation, a football match will be played in Anambra State to honour the Super Eagles star. Each year, Emenike quietly shares his wealth with the needy. In fact, one fan, who was told of Emenike’s magnanimous acts, cornered him at the Nnnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and showed him photographs of his distressed wife in the hospital. Desperate to prove his innocence, the crest-fallen husband made a video call to his wife in the hospital, where her plight was highlighted to the Eagles’ start by excited hospital staff. Emenike immediately gave the bewildered husband $10,000; his winning bonus in the game that he came for. He also exchanged telephone numbers with the husband. Emenike bought a piece of land in Enugu worth N30 million, which he wanted to use for a football academy. But that matter is in the court because some funny men in the Enugu state government want to acquire the land by force. God will not allow them achieve this. This is a promise. I will find out how far the matter has gone and relate it in subsequent columns. in the Israeli top - tier, having netted five goals in 11 matches. Kayode was linked with a transfer to Scottish champions Glasgow Celtic recently. Everything indicates that he will be sold in the January transfer window in order to improve Maccabi Netanya’s cash flow.

TOMORROWPUNCHLINE IN THE NATION

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.9, NO. 3061

If we were to use the atrocities of former military regimes to exclude people from participating in the political process, then a large swathe of powerful figures in the land today would be disqualified - everyone from Obasanjo to Babangida, David Mark and others who participated in the annulment of the June 12 election results, or who rubberstamped death sentences arising from trumped-up coup plotting allegations —Festus Eriye

EMI Aribisala, who writes for the Vanguard newspaper on Tuesdays, is one of the most interesting, entertaining and amusing columnists in Nigeria today. Aribisala is a most curious and intriguing persona. He is a professor, a supposed intellectual, whose primary vocation ought to be the pursuit and advocacy of truth. Yet, he often employs hefty bodyguards of lies to protect the falsehoods he so regularly parades as sacred truths. He audaciously dispenses with logic and common sense in his peddling of prejudice, petty sentiment and malicious bias. Aribisala is also a pastor of sorts. He maintains a Christian religious column with The Vanguard. This strange pastor desecrates the Bible, for instance, by describing the account of the historic encounter between David and Goliath as a complete and untrue fabrication. The only person that Femi Aribisala hates, attacks and insults more than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos State and a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is the legendary and incomparable Saint Paul, the lawyer, scholar, evangelist and unrepentant apostle of Christ who wrote over half of the new testament. Pastor Aribisala has variously described Saint Paul as a liar, incorrigible sinner, demented mind, anti-Christ and much worse. Yet, here is a man who is an intellectual, spiritual and moral Lilliputian compared to Saint Paul. In any case, can a man who has scant respect either for God or one of his most revered servants such as Saint Paul be expected to show any regard for an object of his obsessive hatred such as Tiinubu? What is becoming alarming,, however, is that Aribisala’s admittedly once brilliant mind is beginning to roam beyond the safe boundaries of rationality all because of his morbid hatred for one man. When the APC demystified and disgraced the dubious concepts of stomach infrastructure and invincible federal might with Ogbeni Raufu Aregbesola decisively winning the last Osun governorship election, Aribisala’s response was a column titled ‘ How APC lost Osun’. Before the last APC governorship primaries in Lagos State, there had been fears that the party would not survive the predicted cataclysm arising from the exercise. Against all expectations, the party held the most transparent, credible and rancour free primaries in the history of the state. This newspaper’s ace columnist, Professor Tunji Dare, last week wrote with characteristic linguistic felicity and cerebral clarity of ‘ The implosion that never was’. Aribisala’s commentary on the event was a scandalously scurrilous column titled ‘ Time to get rid of Tinubu’s cronies in Lagos’. Of course Aribisala’s offering was the same stale salad of verbiage against Tinubu that has become the standard poisonous fare of his column week after week. I will only examine here a few of the mendacious claims about Lagos politics and the APC primaries as contained in Aribisala’s column. Firstly, Aribisala accuses Tinubu of “commandeering of the political processes” of Lagos for too long. For a professor of the social sciences, this kind of imprecise use of language and conceptual ambiguity is embarrassing. As far as I know, Tinubu has been involved, directly or indirectly, in keenly contested

Femi Aribisala: A disturbed mind?

‘

The truth is that in terms of his interaction with and adding value to the Lagos State public space over the last three decades, no candidate matches Ambode’s pedigree

•Ambode elections in Lagos in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011. All of these elections were conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a federal agency. Security for the electoral process was always provided by federal agencies - the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the military and security operatives. In what way then has Tinubu ‘commandeered the political process as alleged by our professor? During the Babangida regime’s aborted transition program of the Third Republic, Tinubu was elected Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District with the highest number of votes in the country. He played a critical role in the emergence of Chief MKO Abiola as presidential candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) and his victory in the June 12, 1993 election that was later annulled. Tinubu’s political stature in the South West grew tremendously because of the selfless and front-line role he played in the protracted struggle against the annulment and military rule that resulted in today’s democratic dispensation. As governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007, Tinubu remained consistent and dogged in his defence of the rule of law, human rights, true federalism and the rights of states. His government with the indefatigable Professor Yemi Osinbajo as Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice won at least 13 major court cases against Obasanjo’s imperious Federal government with significant implications for federalism in Nigeria. In 2003, when Obasaanjo launched his vicious electoral blitzkrieg against the South West, it was only Tinubu’s Lagos that

’

remained an impregnable fortress for conservative ‘mainstreamers’. Even after leaving office in 2007, Tinubu has played a critical and incomparable role in the revitalization of progressive politics in the South West and the emergence of a solid and viable national opposition to the PDP. Of course, it is understandable that all these relevant factors cannot feature in an analysis ofTinubu’s politics by a mind as jaundiced as Aribisala’s. Secondly, Aribisala asserts that Tinubu has ‘enslaved’ all politicians in Lagos and that as a result of his “godfatherism candidates for public office of his political party are not elected by popular vote but selected from Tinubu’s bedroom on Bourdillon Road and then imposed on the party.” There is first the conceptual problem of understanding what Aribisala means by Tinubu ‘enslaving’ politicians. Is this through hypnotism or juju? If so, why was Tinubu’s preference for Babatunde RajiFashola as his successor fiercely opposed by some of his closest associates within the then ACN in 2007? Even as Aribisala himself states, a key party officer and close confidante of Tinubu like Muiz Banire was openly critical of his political mentor in the run up to the last APC governorship primaries. It was alleged before the primaries that Tinubu preferred a Christian candidate from the Lagos East Senatorial District to succeed Fashola. Yet, this purported preference was not imposed on the party. Rather, the primaries were contested by 12 Christian and Muslim aspirants from the three Senatorial Districts. What then do we make of Aribisala’s professorial hogwash of Tinubu imposing candidates from his bedroom?

Thirdly and most absurdly, Aribisala insinuates that the APC primaries were manipulated and lacking in transparency. He contends that the delegates should have been chosen on the basis of 20 and not 57 Local Government Councils. Yet, the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) have had elected Chairmen, councillors and party executives since they came into being! In Aribisala’s view, the APC should have held direct primaries in the different local government areas and not indirect primaries where delegates were allegedly “given voting instructions’. The delegates, he alleged, were not known to the aspirants before the primaries. In the first place, Aribisala is not a member of the APC and may thus be unaware of the party’s constitutional provisions. His failure to undertake the requisite research in this regard confirms his antecedents as a lazy and unresourceful academic. Otherwise he would have known that the APC constitution provides for 5391 delegates comprising 12 members of the ward executives, local government party executives and clearly stipulated statutory delegates. In any case, would the knowledgeable and illustrious APC aspirants, most of them more accomplished than Aribisala, agree to participate in the kind of patently unconstitutional exercise he falsely depicts? Would the APC aspirants have campaigned as vigorously as they did without knowing those whose votes they would need? This is kind of reasoning smacks of professorial absurdity. Fourthly, Aribisala contends that the APC candidate, Mr AkinwunmiAmbode “ is not a politician, and he is an unknown political quantity in Lagos”. Ambode is one of the most accomplished Nigerians of his generation. He holds B.Sc and M.Sc degrees in Accounting from the University of Lagos. He is an alumnus of such illustrious world class institutions as CranfieldSchooll of Management, Cranfield, England, the Institute of Management Development, Lausanne, Switzerland, the Harvard Kennedy School of Management and the Wharton Business School Advance Management Programme. Apart from this, Ambode is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accounts of Nigeria (ICAN) as well as a Hubert Humphrey in Accounting and Finance from Boston University, Massachusetts, United States. This solid academic and professional background served as the foundation for Ambode’s 27 year meritorious career in the Lagos State public service, which saw him rising from the local government cadre to becoming the state Auditor General for Local Government, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and ultimately Accountant General of the state. The truth is that in terms of his interaction with and adding value to the Lagos State public space over the last three decades, no candidate matches Ambode’s pedigree. In any case, I look forward to reading Aribisala’s view on the Lagos PDP’s indirect primaries that saw an admittedly credible Jinmi Agbaje emerge from an intra-party process totally lacking in credibility and integrity and which is being vigorously challenged by his main opponent, Senator Musliu Obanikoro. In the magical PDP primaries, there were 806 accredited voters but 863 cast votes. Is it any wonder that guns boomed and blood flowed at the Oregun venue of the exercise?

Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com

Amaju, watch your back (4)

HEN jerry cans bearing urchins run after vehicles on Lagos streets, one thing seems certain - it is Christmas time. In December, you find roughnecks selling petrol in Lagos. They are the ones who buy the products at odd times, most times when we are sleeping. These yoyos run this racket with petrol attendants while the suffering masses wait hours at bus stops for vehicles to take them to work. Worst hit are owners of vehicles who have the misfortune of patronising these hawkers. They end up losing the car engines because the petrol that these hooligans sell is often

adulterated, most times mixed with water or kerosene - or both. Sadly, here we are having another panic buying season, largely because there is always a cabal waiting for rumours of either a looming scarcity or price hike to unleash their devilish acts. Did I hear you say, “is this sport?” Well, pardon my digression. It’s just that I feel the pain, like others. Who will fix Nigeria’s problems? It appears Samson Siasia wants to rebuild another future Super Eagles squad with the assemblage of truly young boys for the country’s U-23 Olympic Games side. Siasia has invited 47 foreign-based kids for screening. There is the temptation to question this decision and the number. But the caveat that

they would pay their way to Nigeria for the trials raises the hope that such boys are eager to play for their fatherland, even if they have never been here before. It is good that a deliberate attempt is being made to ensure that those who will play for Nigeria at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil are not more than 22 years old. What this simply means is that a lot of them will graduate into the Super Eagles and would have at least eight productive years for the senior team. The present bunch of Eagles cannot do better than what they exhibited at the Brazil 2014 World Cup when the next edition holds in Russia in 2018. We need a new team. We need players who understand what it means to play for the country. We don’t want play-

ers who think of what they can get and not how they can win matches to enliven Nigerians’ hearts. Some members of the current Eagles are no longer interested in playing the game at that level. Having won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013, most of them are no longer hungry for glory. We need determined, dedicated and hungry boys to wrest the Africa Cup of Nations for Nigeria in 2018 and then shock the world in Russia later that year. Perhaps the biggest advantage in Siasia’s new vision is the fact that those who will make the team will be well grounded in the basics of the game, having been introduced

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