July 05, 2013

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

President, governors to lose immunity NEWS

Page 5

•Reps seek Constitution amendment

Masqueraders’ mayhem in Ibadan NEWS

Page 8

•Many injured, vehicles damaged

www.thenationonlineng.net

VOL. 8, NO. 2537 FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

W

ORRIED by the row over the 2013 budget, some senators and members of the House of Representatives met yesterday in Abuja on the next line of action.

They may ask President Goodluck Jonathan to be more forthcoming on the state of the economy, a source said last night.

Besides, the two chambers of the National Assembly may pass a joint resolu-

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

Lawmakers to demand more facts on economy From Yusuf Alli, Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

tion on their position on amendment to the budget and their evaluation of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Some senators and House members are insisting that the “true state of the nation’s

economy” has not been revealed to Nigerians.

The lawmakers met for about two hours yesterday.

A source at the meeting, who spoke with our correspondent, said: “Many members of the National Assembly are still in the dark on the real picture of the nation’s economy because the Minister did not provide a convinc-

ing conclusion.

“On one side, we are talking of $1billion bond or increase in foreign reserves, but on the other, the Minister said the Federal Government might not be able to pay salaries of civil servants by September.

“When we met today, we asked ourselves that if a government cannot pay salaries

by September, doesn’t it amount to a crisis at hand?

Some House members asked whether the government was laying the blame for the shortfall in recurrent expenditure on the National Assembly or the economy.

A Senator said some members of the Upper Chamber were urging Senate President David Mark to allow mem-

bers summon the minister to speak on the state of the economy.

“Discussing with her might reveal a lot and whatever is our obligation, we will want to discharge it,” the source said.

“I could recall that what we are experiencing now is similar to a warning given by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1981. The administration of ex-PresiContinued on page 4

CRISIS IN RULING PARTY

Jonathan, PDP chiefs attack Amaechi at Villa meeting Governor warns Obuah: watch your tongue Senator Abe flays meeting

W

ITH its brawling leaders talking tough, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be far away from the peace it desperately desires.

The President warned yesterday that the “new

A situation where somebody is in a particular political party but his faith is in another political party…

For those who are not holding political offices, yes you can excuse…But if you are holding an elective office... —Jonathan From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

PDP” would not condone indiscipline, after accusing some of its leading lights of fraternising with the opposition.

He said: “In a situation where somebody is in a particular political party but his

World condemns Egypt’s coup •Jonathan, Obama, Cameron, UN: restore democratic rule

T

HE world yesterday condemned Wednesday’s ousting of Egypt’s first democratically-elected President after a week of protests.

President Goodluck Jonathan joined the United Nations, Unied States President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron and other world leaders, to demand the reversal of the military coup that removed Mohammed Morsi.

Mr Adly Mahmud Man-

sour was yesterday sworn in as interim head of state. He vowed to “preserve the system of the republic, and respect the constitution and law, and guard the people’s interests”.

Deposed President Morsi SEE ALSO PAGES 2 &3

was being detained at a military facility. Warrants of arrest have been issued for more than 300 members of his Muslim Brotherhood party.

United Nations Secretary

We are pained ...that the main champion of opposition against Mr. President and indeed the Federal Government is our own son, Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. This is indeed shameful —Obuah

faith is in another political party… For those who are not holding political offices, yes you can excuse…But if you are holding an elective office, you won’t be in that party and be working for another party. Otherwise, why are you there?”

It was all at a meeting with some PDP leaders from Riv-

ers State at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Although, he did not mention his name, it was clear Dr. Jonathan was referring to Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, whom he greeted warmly last Saturday at the Port Harcourt Airport – a scene many read as the end of their perceived misunder-

We do not need to remind Mr. Obuah that Governor Amaechi, during the doctrine of necessity, was in the forefront, insisting that the then Acting President, now Mr. President, should immediately take over —Amaechi’s aide

standing.

Amaechi is suspended from the party. He got yesterday a condition to return – he should apologise.

The factional chairman of the Rivers State PDP, Prince Felix Obuah, announced the condition while speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting of elders

and leaders of the state with the President.

But Rivers State Commissioner for Information Ibim Semenitari told Obuah to refrain from making unguarded statements.

And a Rivers State Senator, Magnus Abe, dismissed

the meeting as a one-sided afContinued on page 4

•The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim SuluGambari, being seen off by Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (left) and ACN’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, during his visit to Tinubu’s Lagos home to console him on the death of his mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji …yesterday

Continued on page 4

•DELTA ATTACK DEATH TOLL RISES P56 •UDUAGHAN SACKS COMMISSIONER P56

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

2

NEWS

Obama to Egypt’s

P

•Group Managing Director/CEO, Skye Bank Plc Mr. Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti (second right); Executive Director, Treasury/Southeast Mrs. Amaka Onwughalu (left); Managing Director/CEO, JP Morgan (Sub Saharan Africa) Mr. John Coulter (second left); and the Managing Director, JP Morgan (Nigeria) Mr. Tosin Adewuyi when the management of JP Morgan visited Skye Bank’s Headquatres in Lagos...yesterday.

• From left: President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Chief Kola Jamodu, Minister of National Planning Dr. Samsudeen Usman and Executive Director, Corporate Communications and Government Relations, Dangote Group Monsur Hamed discussing at the 41st Annual General Meeting of MAN in Lagos...yesterday.

• Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer , Ecobank Nigeria Plc Mr. Jubril Aku (right), Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer, Corporate and Investment Banking Mr. Albert Essien (left), Executive Director, Corporate Banking Mrs. Foluke Aboderin and Guest Speaker and Managing Director, Financial Derivative, Mr. Bismark Rewane (second left), during Ecobank's Corporate Forum on ‘Oil Price Volatility and Value of the Naira in the second half of 2013’ in Lagos...yesterday.

PHOTO: NIYI ADENIRAN

•From right: Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) Wu Hongbo; Managing Director/CEO, Galaxy Backbone Limited Gerald Ilukwe; Chairman, House Committee on ICT Ibrahim Gusau; Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation Ambassador Alhassan Gana and Director, United Nations Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) at the United Nations Public Service Awards Ceremony at Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.

,

RESIDENT Barack Obama yesterday urged Egypt’s military to hand back control to a democratic, civilian government without delay, but stopped short of calling the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi a coup.

Obama said he was ‘deeply concerned’ by the military’s move to topple Morsi’s government and suspend Egypt’s constitution.

He said he was ordering the U.S. government to assess what the military’s actions meant for U.S. foreign aid to Egypt.

Under U.S. law, the government must suspend foreign aid to any nation whose elected leader is ousted in a coup d’etat.

The U.S. provides $1.5 billion a year to Egypt in military and economic assistance that is considered a critical U.S. national security priority.

British foreign secretary William Hague said he had sent a rapid deployment team of diplomats to reinforce its embassy in Cairo, the Egyptian capital. The team is expected to give additional support to British nationals and prepare for any possible evacuation if the situation deteriorated.

Mr Hague said the military coup in Egypt sets a ‘dangerous precedent’ for the country’s future.

Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, he said the British government did not support the deposing of President Morsi. We don’t support military intervention as a way of resolving disputes,’ he said.

‘There’s a dangerous precedent to do that. If one president can be deposed, then so can another in the future. But it’s happened, so we have to recognise the situation will move on.

‘We have to work with whoever is in authority in Egypt for the safety of British citizens - there are so many British companies over there.’

‘We make our views clear. This is a military intervention but it’s a popular intervention; there’s no doubt about that. We have to recognise there was enormous dissatisfaction with the government. Stability in the long term comes from democracy.’

Late Wednesday night, the supreme leader of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood was arrested over the killing of eight protesters during the uprising which toppled President Mohamed Morsi, security officials revealed yesterday.

Mohammed Badie was detained late Wednesday night in the Mediterranean coastal city of Marsa Matrouh, near the Libyan border, where he has been staying in a villa owned by a businessman with Brotherhood links.

He was flown to Cairo in a military helicopter, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

He, and his powerful deputy, Khairat el-Shater, are wanted for questioning over their role in the killing this week of eight demonstrators in clashes outside the Brotherhood’s Cairo headquarters.

A report by the official news agency gave no further details, but Mr Badie and Mr el-Shater are on a wanted list of more than 300 Brotherhood members and leaders of other Islamist groups.

The BBC Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen reporting from Egypt tweeted that a chant secular Egypt loves to hear at demos is: ‘No more beards’, in relation to the beard-wearing Muslim Brotherhood.

Badie and el-Shater have been widely believed to be the source of real power in Egypt during the rule of Mr Morsi.

Morsi himself, the Brotherhood veteran who a year ago became Egypt’s first freely elected president, has been held in an unknown location since the generals pushed him out yesterday.

The Brotherhood announced it would boycott the new military-spon-

•Badie

sored political process and called on its supporters to restrain themselves and not use violence.

“We declare our uncompromising rejection of the military coup staged against the elected president and the will of the nation and refuse to participate in any activist with the usurping authorities,”said the statement, which the group’s mufti AbdelRahman el-Barr read to the Morsi’s supporters staging a days-long sit-in in Cairo.

The arrest came as the chief justice of Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court was sworn in as the nation’s interim president, taking over hours after the military ousted the Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Celebrations took place across Egypt all on Wednesday night after the head of Egypt’s armed forces issued a declaration suspending the constitution and appointing the head of the constitutional court as interim head of state.

Gehad el-Haddad, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood party, said Morsi was under house arrest at a Presidential Guard facility where he had been residing, while 12 of his aides were also being held.

Earlier, the chief justice Adly Mansour took the oath of office at the Nile-side Constitutional Court in a ceremony broadcast live on state television.

According to military decree, he will serve as Egypt’s interim leader until a new president is elected. A date for that vote has yet to be set.

In his first remarks, Mr Mansour praised the massive street demonstrations that led to Mr Morsi’s removal.

He also hailed the youths behind the protests that began on June 30, saying they embodied ‘the nation’s conscience, its ambitions and hopes’.

‘The most glorious thing about June 30 is that it brought together everyone without discrimination or division,’ he said. ‘I offer my greetings to the revolutionary people of Egypt.’

Dressed in a dark blue suit and blue tie, Mr Mansour said the revolution must continue ‘so we stop producing tyrants’.

‘I look forward to parliamentary and presidential elections held with the genuine and authentic will of the people,’ he said.

‘The youths had the initiative and the noblest thing about this glorious event is that it was an expression of the nation’s conscience and an embodiment of its hopes and ambitions.

‘It was never a movement seeking to realise special demands or personal interests.’

Mr Morsi was Egypt’s first democratically elected president but was overthrown by the military on Wednesday after just one year in office.

The military, in a statement read by army chief General Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi on Wednesday night, also suspended the Islamist-drafted

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

3

NEWS

military: hand back control to democratic govt

•Some Egyptians excited at Morsi’s exit

•Mansour taking oath of office ...yesterday.

Election to rejection: Why Morsi was thrown out after just a year... and what happens now Why was President Morsi ousted?

When Mohamed Morsi became Egypt’s first freely elected president in June 2012 after the removal of dictator Hosni Mubarak, he promised to lead a government ‘for all Egyptians’.

But critics argue he has failed to deliver during a turbulent year in office which has seen increasing polarisation in the country.

Opponents blame him for allowing Islamists to dominate the political scene by concentrating too much power in the hands of his Muslim Brotherhood movement.

He is also accused of mishandling the economy and going back on his pledge to protect rights and social justice.

His opponents say the mass turnout on the streets over the past few days showed the nation had now truly turned against him.

How did it end?

The protests prompted the military to impose an ultimatum on July 1 ordering him to satisfy the public’s demands for fresh elections or it would impose its own ‘roadmap’ within constitution and called for new elections. Mr Morsi has denounced the action as a ‘full coup’ by the generals.

Millions of anti-Morsi protesters around the country erupted in celebrations after the televised announcement by the army chief.

Fireworks burst over crowds in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, where men and women danced, shouting, ‘God is great’ and ‘Long live Egypt.’

But clashes erupted in several provincial cities when Islamists opened fire on police, with at least 14 people killed, security officials said.

Fears were also growing of further unrest as Islamists took to Twitter

K

tary carried out its threat.

He is now being held under house arrest along with 12 of his aides, while warrants are out for 300 of his Brotherhood men.

What happens next?

The Egyptian military is not hanging around in implementing its ‘roadmap’ for the country.

What was unveiled by General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in full uniform, flanked by politicians, officers and clergy, was a plan to wipe clear a slate of messy democratic reforms enacted since Mubarak fell.

The constitution was suspended and within hours of President Morsi’s downfall, the senior judge in Egypt’s supreme constitutional court, Adly Mansour, pictured, was sworn in as interim president earlier today.

A technocratic interim government will be formed, along with a panel for national rec•Morsi onciliation and the constitution will be re48 hours to end the crisis. viewed.

But president Morsi showed no signs of backAs yet there is no timetable for new elecing down, so on Wednesday night, the mili- tions.

to organise a series of rallies to coincide with Friday prayers.

The fact that Egypt’s interim president comes from the Constitutional Court adds a symbolic sting to Mr Morsi’s removal.

The Islamist leader and his Muslim Brotherhood backers had repeatedly clashed with the judiciary while in power, accusing the judges of being loyalists of former autocrat Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in a 2011 uprising, and saying they seek to undermine Egypt’s shift to democratic rule.

The judges, meanwhile, had repeatedly challenged the Brotherhood’s policies and what

many in Egypt considered the group’s march to power. The Constitutional Court dissolved the Islamist-dominated parliament in June, last year, saying it was illegally elected.

Even with an interim leader now in place, Egypt remains on an uncertain course following Mr Morsi’s ousting, and the possibility of further confrontation still looms.

Beyond the fears over violence, some protesters are concerned whether an army-installed administration can lead to real democracy.

The army took control of state media and blacked out TV stations operated by the Muslim Brotherhood,

Liberal chief negotiator Mohamed ElBaradei, a former U.N. nuclear agency chief, said the plan would ‘continue the revolution’ of 2011.

Many hope they can have more electoral success than last year, when the Brotherhood’s organisation dominated the vote.

What isn’t certain, however, is whether the party will take part or whether they will even want to.

Morsi won 5.7million votes in the first round of his elections and 13.2million in the second, while the Brotherhood secured more than 10million in the parliamentary elections.

So they may argue why they should bother being involved in the process if they cannot win by democratic means.

In any case, its own ability to fight back democratically may be limited by the arrests of its leaders.

They face accusations of inciting violence, while Morsi may also face charges after his opponents accused him this week of fomenting ‘civil war’ by defying Sisi’s ultimatum.

while the head of the Brotherhood’s political wing was also arrested.

Social media continued to function normally, however, with both the former president’s aides and the opposition using Twitter and Facebook to provide updates.

‘Egypt remains online. So far no repeat of 2011,’ said Internet monitoring company Renesys in a Twitter message late Wednesday, according to IDG news service.

It was a far cry from the upheaval in January 2011 when President Hosni Mubarak ordered service providers to shut down all international connections to the internet.

Mr Hague insisted that the gov-

ernment did not make a mistake in supporting the original uprising and said Britain would continue to support Arab countries pushing for democratic reform.

‘Across the Middle East there’s a general debate taking place about the role of religion in the state, new political parties are being formed.

‘But it may well take a generation and there will be upheaval, there will be turbulence so we have to have the strategic patience. They are having debates we had in Europe hundreds of years ago.

‘I don’t think we should lose faith.

Autocracy cannot be the way of the future in the 21st century.’

A timeline of events from Morsi’s election to rejection

EY events from when the Arab Spring began to the current protests: Jan. 25-Feb. 11, 2011 - Egyptians stage nationwide demonstrations against the rule of autocrat Hosni Mubarak, who led the country for nearly three decades.

The 18-day ‘revolution,’ launched by secular and leftist youths, draws in a wide spectrum, including the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists. Hundreds of protesters are killed as Mubarak and his allies try to crush the uprising.

Feb. 11 - Mubarak steps down and turns power over to the military. Two days later, the body of top generals, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, dissolves parliament and suspends the constitution, meeting two key demands of protesters.

June 16-17 - Egyptians vote in the presidential runoff between Morsi and Shafiq. The generals issue a ‘constitutional declaration’ giving themselves sweeping authorities and limiting the powers of the next president. Morsi emerges as the victor, with 51.7 percent of the vote.

June 30 - Morsi takes his formal oath of office before the Supreme Constitutional Court, a day after reading a symbolic oath in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, birthplace of the revolution.

Aug. 12 - In a bold move, Morsi orders the

retirement of the top Mubarak-era leadership of the military and cancels the military’s last constitutional decree, taking back the powers that the generals gave themselves. The move was seen as way to curb the military’s role in political affairs but it also gave Morsi the power to legislate in the absence of parliament.

Nov. 22 - Morsi unilaterally decrees greater authorities for himself, giving his decisions immunity from judicial review and barring the courts from dissolving the constituent assembly and the upper house of parliament. The move came just ahead of court decisions that could have dissolved the bodies. The move sparks days of protests, with clashes between Morsi’s supporters and opponents. At one point, some 200,000 people rally in Tahrir Square, with some of the first chants for Morsi to ‘leave.’

Dec. 4 - More than 100,000 protesters march on the presidential palace, demanding the cancellation of the referendum and the writing of a new constitution. The next day, Islamists attack a peaceful anti-Morsi sit-in outside the palace, sparking all-out street battles that leave at least 10 dead. Days later, Morsi rescinds his initial decrees, but maintains the date of the referendum.

Jan. 25, 2013 - Hundreds of thousands hold protests in Tahrir Square and nationwide against

Morsi on the 2-year anniversary of the start of the revolt against Mubarak, and clashes erupt in many places.

Jan. 26 - Residents of the city of Port Said stage protests, angered by a court ruling convicting and sentencing to death a group of local soccer fans for a 2012 stadium riot. Police crack down hard in Port Said, killing more than 40 protesters, and in outrage the city and others nearby go into near revolt.

Much of the anger is focused at Morsi, who praised the police for their crackdown.

Feb.-March - Protests continue in Port Said and other cities for weeks, with dozens more dying in clashes, and some police units around the country go on strike. Brotherhood youths and their opponents fight in the streets outside the group’s main Cairo headquarters.

June 23 - A mob beats to death four Egyptian Shiites in their home in a village on the edge of Cairo. Morsi condemns the attack, but critics blame virulent anti-Shiite rhetoric by his hard-line Islamist allies, fueled by Syria’s civil war. A week earlier, Morsi shared a stage with hard-line clerics at a rally, sitting silently as they denounced Shiites as ‘filthy.’

June 30 — Millions of Egyptians take to the streets in Cairo and other cities calling

for Morsi to step down in a massive display of anger and frustration with the Islamist leader.

The demonstrations are largely peaceful, although 16 people, half of them in clashes outside the Muslim Brotherhood’s Cairo headquarters, are killed in protest-related violence nationwide. Organisers vow to keep up the protests until Morsi resigns.

July 1 - Demonstrations continue and Egypt’s military issues an ultimatum for the two sides to come to a resolution within 48 hours or it will impose its own solution.

July 2 - A night of clashes outside Cairo University sees at least 16 people killed, with unofficial sources saying that more than 23 people died.

July 3 - Egyptian media reports that President Morsi will either be sacked or forced to stand down as the army’s deadline for a resolution approaches.

July 3, 6pm - The head of the Egyptian army, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi declares on national TV that Morsi has been ousted from power, prompting a wave of celebrations across the country.

July 4 - Judge in Egypt’s supreme court, Adly Mansour, sworn in as interim president in Cairo.

4

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5 , 2013

NEWS Budget: Senators, Reps in talks Continued from page 1 •From left: Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha Province, Archbishop Maduka Okeke; Principal Consecrator, John Cardinal Onaiyekan; and Bishop Emeritus Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Francis Okobo, during the installation of the Bishop of Nsukka Diocese... yesterday PHOTO: NAN

World condemns Egypt’s coup Continued from page 1

General Ban ki Moon urged “speedy resumption of civilian rule.”

President Jonathan’s demand for immediate restoration of democratic order was made through a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.

The statement said: “The Federal Government of Nigeria has received with grave

S

concern, news of the overthrow by the Armed Forces, of the democratically elected President of Egypt, Mr. Mohammed Morsi and the suspension of the country’s constitution.

“This is a truncation of the aspiration of the Egyptian people to freely express themselves through the ballot box “This unfortunate development is a gross violation of the Construction Act of the Afri-

can Union, which prohibits unconstitutional change of government.

“It constitutes a serious setback of the remarkable progress which Africa has made in fostering the culture of democratic governance in the continent.

“Nigeria calls for the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Egypt and urges the Egyptian Armed Forces to allow the democratic cul-

ture to thrive in the country.

“Nigeria also calls on the Egyptian people to exercise utmost restraint in the peaceful pursuit of their legitimate grievances.”

President Barack Obama said: “We believe that ultimately the future of Egypt can only be determined by the Egyptian people. Nevertheless, we are deeply concerned by the decision of the Egyptian armed Continued on page 58

Senator Abe: visit won’t bring reconciliation

ENATOR Magnus Abe (Rivers Southeast) described yesterday’s visit to President Goodluck Jonathan by Rivers State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Part (PDP), Chief Felix Obuah and his delegation, as one-sided.

He said the current leaders of the PDP in Rivers state, including himself, were not invited.

Abe, a former Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG), in a telephone interview last night, declared that the visit would not bring peace and reconciliation.

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

The senator said: “The visit to President Jonathan in Abuja by Felix Obuah and his cotravellers will not help the PDP in Rivers state. It will not being peace and reconciliation.

“President Jonathan is the Chairman of the PDP reconciliation committee. Reconciliation cannot be one sided. I am a leader of the PDP in Rivers state and I was not invited. Current leaders of the PDP in Rivers state were not invited for the visit to the Presi-

dent. Their actions will not help PDP in Rivers state.

“PDP leaders ought to be very careful. The people who visited President Jonathan in Abuja are very desperate. The want to divide the PDP. They want to drive people out of the party. I am surprised that the President could receive Obuah and others who want to destabilise PDP and cause confusion in Rivers state.

“Persons who visited the President in Abuja were chieftains of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), not PDP leaders. They brandished ACN in the last elections.

“The visit should be condemned by all leaders of the PDP all over Nigeria and lovers of democracy and good governance worldwide, who are clamouring for peace amd reconciliation. What Obuah and his supporters are doing will not help the party in the long run.”

Abe, who is a former Rivers State Commissioner for Information, urged the peace-loving people of the state to remain calm and law-abiding, while continuing to support Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

dent Shehu Shagari, which denied any economic drift, later put austerity measure in place.”

A member of the House at the session said the suspicion is that the economy is being run according to the dictates of some western financial institutions because the fiscal policies we are runing are not peoplefriendly.”

It was gathered that the members who met later decided to return to their chambers on their decisions.

The decisions are: •to ask President Goodluck Jonathan to be more forthcoming to the National Assembly on the state of the economy; and •to ask the President if he feels the economy is being better run than when he took over •to pass a joint resolution on 2013 budget and release an evaluation report on the Minister of Finance.

Also yesterday, the House of Representatives would not consider the new version of the budget amendment bill for-

warded by President Goodluck Jonathan unless it is a supplementary document.

The lawmakers also allayed fears over the alleged seizure of N100b constituency projects vote by the Minister of Finance, stating that she has not told the National Assembly of that decision.

The decision on the form of the new version of the 2013 Budget Amendment Bill will however, wait until the lawmakers examine it.

The lawmakers are due to embark on an oversight function from next week and proceed on a two-month recess later this month.

Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Zakari Mohammed (PDP, Kwara), briefing reporters at the National Assembly, said the position was anchored on the fact that the Appropriation Act is time specific and cannot be amended like any other law.

He also stressed that rather than insist on a wholesome approval of the 2013 budget proposal, the Presidency Continued on page 58

We won’t allow indiscipline in PDP, says Jonathan

P

RESIDENT Jonathan told the Rivers PDP delegation that indiscipline would no longer be tolerated in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said: “Rivers State is a key state to Southeasterners. It is a key state that needs very strong, focused, committed leadership and maximum political unity and stability. Otherwise, anything could happen and affect the whole country.

“For us to have a stable democracy, we have to have a strong political party. And that is why we get worried when we notice some of the indiscipline in some of the political parties.

And the new PDP that we are all working together for will no longer tolerate indiscipline.

“All over the world, parties are supposed to build on ideological differences. These may be close. If you look at the classical case of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC) that were created by the military, their ideologies were a little to the right and a little to the left.

“That is the essence of politics.

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

But, in a situation where somebody is in a particular political party but his faith is in another political party… For those who are not holding political offices, yes you can excuse…But if you are holding an elective office, you won’t be in that party and be working for another party.

Otherwise, why are you there?”

Jonathan added: “I have listened to the introductions and being a Rivers person, I know key political actors in Rivers State; the who’s who in Rivers State; and they are here. I want to thank you for building this political structure for the state, for the interest of Rivers State and to position Rivers State in the politics of the country.

“To me, I have been working with people of Rivers State for quite some time before I got here. I have had a robust relationship with my brothers and sisters in Rivers State. They are very reliable people who I believe will not speak with both sides of their mouths.”

Jonathan, PDP chiefs attack Amaechi at Villa meeting Continued from page 1

fair. Only one member of the National Assembly from the state attended.

Responding to a question on Amaechi’s threat to leave PDP, Obuah said: “Everybody is entitled to his own opinion. He has been suspended because of antiparty activities. So, I don’t want to refer to Amaechi’s matter because it is with the NWC of the party. So he has all to say with the party and not me. If he wants to remain in the party, he has to show respect. If he wants to leave, I cannot stop him.”

“That is why we are here. In any case, he has gone to court. If he shows remorse and goes to the party and apologises, we will call him back, but if he still remains recalcitrant and refuses to change, we are not begging for everybody to be in PDP. That is the essence of multiple party democracy. If he wants to remain, fine. But if he wants to leave, nobody will stop him. Well, as he leaves, two will come to PDP. That’s a plus for PDP.” Stressing that there is no crisis in Rivers PDP, Obuah said: “We want to assure the President that there is no crisis in the party. We

G

Governor to Obuah: watch your tongue

OVERNOR Rotimi Amaechi, has declared that he remains a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and has no plan to defect to another party or to destabilise the PDP, as alleged by Rivers’ factional Chairman of the party, Chief Felix Obuah.

He insisted that he had not constituted himself into an opposition to President Goodluck Jonathan or antagonising the President, as insinuated by Obuah.

Rivers State Commissioner for Information Ibim Semenitari said: “We have made it clear where we stand. Governor Amaechi is a member of the PDP. As governor of Rivers State, the party’s constitution recognises him as the leader of the party in the state.

“Mr Obuah is an individual, who has a right to his opinion in a democracy. The only

are committed members of the PDP and we remain committed.

We also assured him that whoever that is not disciplined and who is not in support of our programme should be left out. At every point in time, we let people realise that the party is supreme and the President is the leader of the party and we have come to show our commitment and loyalty to him.”

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

thing is to remember that he needs to be guarded in his speaking, because his right to freedom of expression stops where the right of the other person begins and he must not, in an attempt to seek relevance, do so by fomenting trouble.

“He has the right to his opinion, but he has to express it within the confines of decorum and appropriate behaviour.

“Mr. Obuah must stop grandstanding, in his attempt to seek relevance. He can seek relevance through other means, not by casting aspersions on any individual. Governor Amaechi is not in opposition to Mr. President and has never been.

“Governor Amaechi recognises the President as the leader of the PDP, the party he belongs. I do not think that Governor

“We have come to solidarise with the President and we want to pledge our support to his government. We support his transformation agenda. We also thank First Lady for her recent visit to the state and the empowerment programme for women in all the local government areas in our state. Ordinary, this is the first time the leadership of the PDP is paying a courtesy vis-

Amaechi, under any guise, constitutes himself into an opposition and people must remember history.

“I hope that we do not need to remind Mr. Obuah of the position that Governor Amaechi took during the doctrine of necessity and the fact that this was a governor that was in the forefront of insisting that the then Acting President, now Mr. President, should immediately take over, to avoid a vacuum in the national interest.

“It is Mr. Obuah that is destabilising the PDP. Was he in Nigeria when the Rivers state PDP held its congress? The person we should be accusing of destabilising the PDP is the man who did not stand for an election and he went to the court to say he did. Mr. President did not complain to Mr. Obuah.

So why is he grandstanding?

it to the President. We used the opportunity to appreciate him and wish him well.”

According to a copy of the speech read by Obuah at the meeting, he said: “We are pained and our heart bleeds today that the main champion of opposi-

tion in the country against Mr. President and indeed the Federal Government of Nigeria is our own son, Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. This is indeed shameful.”

“We do not know what has come over the young man. Is it

CORRECTION Prof Olabisi Ugbebor is not the first woman professor of Mathematics in Nigeria as reported in The Nation on Wednesday, July 3, 2013.

Continued on page 58

•Amaechi

that he wants to destabilise the PDP before his eventual movement to his new party, having been handed over the ACN/ APC structure in Rivers State?

Continued on page 58

ADVERT HOTLINES: 08023006969, 08052592524 NEWSROOM: LAGOS – 01-8962807, ABUJA – 07028105302 COMPLAINTS: 01-8930678

THE NATION FRIDAY JULY 5, 2013

5

NEWS

Reps committee recommends removal of immunity for President, VP, Governors, Deputies

T

HE President, the Vice President, governors and their deputies should lose the immunity they enjoy, the House of Representatives Constitution Review Committee has recommended.

Also proposed by the Committee headed by Deputy Speaker Emeka Thedioha, is the scrapping of the Joint States-Local Government Accounts and the elimination of the States Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).

The committee recommends that local government councils should maintain their own special accounts to be called Local Government Council Allocation Account into which shall be paid directly allocations made to the local government from the Federation Account.

The committee said no request for creating of state

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

was valid. It deleted if from its recommendations.

It agreed to a proposal that independent candidates be allowed to contest elections.

The Report of the Committee was laid before the House yesterday.

Ihedioha, who is Chairman of the ad hoc Constitution Review Committee read out the report and its recommendations and laid it before the House at plenary.

According to him, over 200 memoranda were received which covered a wide spectrum of issues, including Fiscal federalism, Financial autonomy and independence of State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Councils, Mode of Altering the Constitution, Citizenship and indigeneship question.

Other aspects, he said, were: Making aspects of the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy justiciable, Devolution of powers from the federal to the states, independent candidacy in elections, Removal of immunity clause for President, VicePresident and Governors, Creation of States, Establishment of State Police, etc.

He said from the memoranda, key issues were formulated into a 43 item Template of Issues which the Committee put before Nigerians during the Peoples’ Public Sessions on the Review of the Constitution which was held simultaneously in all the 360 federal constituencies in Nigeria on 10 November 2012.

“The House of Representatives referred 25 Bills to the Committee for further legislative actions, after they had been read the second

time following debate,” he added.

All the amendment bills are to be collapsed into a single bill under the title: “A bill for an act to further alter the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999; and for other matters connected therewith,2013.”

The report highlights important aspects of alterations carried out by the ad hoc committee Ihedioha said the Ad hoc Committee has done its job in line with the mandate given to it by the House and in response to the yearnings of Nigerians and has produced a Report to take the process forward.

He added: “In this regard, the Ad-hoc Committee recommends: The proposed alterations to the Constitution attached to this Report should be adopted by the House; the process of consid-

eration of the alterations to the Constitution proposed by this Committee needs to be expedited to enable us achieve its passage. The House should expedite the process of alteration of the Constitution requiring collaboration with the Senate and the State Houses of Assembly.”

Ihedioha got an applause from the members as he laid the report before the House.

Speaker Aminu Tambuwal praised the members of the committee for the effort they have put into the review. He said the possibility that the report would be considered in the next few days would be examined.

“We shall consult with the leadership and look at the possibility of considering the report before the recess,” adding that copies will be made available to the members immediately in order for them to study.’’

Police warn against sms from 7411 From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja

T

HE police authorities have alerted the public to a short message service (SMS) from a short code number 7411 asking them for security information for a dialing rate of N50 per minute.

A statement by the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba yesterday said the police have nothing to do with authors of the message.

Mba said the message emanated from a gang of con- artist out to swindle unsuspecting members of the public, adding that the Police never had such arrangement with any individual or organisation.

He said the police have begun investigation into the activities of a company suspected to be circulating the said online and unsolicited SMS to members of the public posing as agents of the police.

Mba said the investigation was with the view to establishing the persons, institutions and other circumstances surrounding the spurious and suspicious messages, some of which requesting citizens to dial a short-code number so as to obtain information on general and specific security issues, among other things.

One of the messages currently in circulation reads: “The Nigeria Police is aware of fake men, posing as real policemen! Avoid falling prey. Dial 7411 now to get ways in identifying real policemen. Call charges N50 per minute”.

The police added that authors of the SMS also encourage people to reach them in case of emergency or distress and to also pass confidential information through them to the Nigeria Police.

Mba said: “The Nigeria Police Force wishes to state categorically that it has neither commissioned any person or group of persons to receive distress calls or information on its behalf nor has it outsourced such duties to any organisation.’’

•From left: Alara Of Aramoko, Oba Adegoke Adeyemi; Leader, Yoruba Obas conflicts resolution committee, Oba Obateru Akinruntan and Ajero Of Ijero, Oba Adebayo Adewole, at the Yoruba Obas conflicts resolution committee meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State...yesterday

Troops keep security in 28 states, says NSA

T

HE National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki, has said that terrorism and other security challenges in the country have forced the military to embark on joint operation with other para-military outfits in 28 states.

He pleaded with Nigerians to accept military presence in the society which is becoming a routine pattern.

He, however , admitted that military intervention in internal security is affecting its professionalism.

He said terrorism has raised the flag of security demands to levels higher than the nation had witnessed since the civil war.

Dasuki, who spoke at a session on National Civil-Military Dialogue in Ajuji Hotel, Abuja, urged Nigerians to assist the military to provide information which could assist in the fight against insurgents, terrorists and all other forms of criminality.

He said: “The past decade has witnessed multiple forms of unrest-from armed robbery,

•Explains why military is intervening to quell insurgency, armed robbery From Yusuf Alli,

Managing Editor, Northern Operation, Abuja

kidnapping, electoral, communal to ethno-religious violence.

“Currently, we are battling with insurgency and terrorism. This has raised the flag of security demands to levels higher than we have witnessed since the civil war. It has meant that the military are seeing more deployments in aid of civil authority than anticipated.

“While it is the function of the military to assist civilian authority to handle civil disobedience, it is assumed that such rules would be carried out only when the capacity of the police is overwhelmed. Policing the domestic arena is not the duty of the military, whose training is directed against external enemies of the State.

“However, our recent history has seen the military in

joint activities with other para-military outfits currently in about 28 states. In addition, the military is involved in checking armed robbery and other crimes on interstate roads.

“From mere intervention to assisting the police quell domestic violence; the military is now fighting the scourge of insurgency and terrorism.

Thus, the military presence in our society is becoming routine. While this affects the level of professionalism of the military, it also generates new dimensions of conflicts between the military and civilian populace.”

Dasuki advised Nigerians to cooperate with the military to provide adequate security for lives and property.

He tasked the civilian populace to provide information which could assist in the fight against insurgents, terrorists and all other forms of criminality.

He added: “You can therefore see why this National Civil-Military Dialogue is timely and essential. We must create new bridges of understanding between the military and civilians in order to enable us provide adequate security for lives and property.

“It will be tragic to have wide communication gaps between the military and the civilian population in our struggle against insurgency and terrorism, not to mention criminal acts of kidnapping, armed robbery and others.

“It is my belief that the military can provide desirable assistance to civilians wherever they operate, while the civilian populace can reciprocate this in many other ways. Their vigilance and provision of information enhances the efficiency of the security agencies in the fight against insurgents, terrorists and all other forms of criminality.”

Six court officials sacks for leaked judgment From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

THE Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) has kicked out five Supreme Court workers and one official of the Court of Appeal, Abuja division for their alleged complicity in the leakage of an undelivered judgment.

Russell Ndenu, Nathaniel Abraham , Olayinka Abiodun, Bada Kayode and Festus Ilurimi and Stephen Izonebi of the Court of Appeal were sacked over the leakage of the judgment in the case between Senator Alphonsus Uba Igbeke vs Lady Margery Okadigbo and three others.

The FJSC also requested the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation to investigate the motive behind the leakage and take all necessary legal action against Senator Alphonsus Igbeke and Collins Okechukwu, for allegedly masterminding the leakage.

A statement by the Chief Registrar, the Supreme Court, Sunday Olorundahunsi, reads: “The six judiciary workers were found through internal and the Nigeria Police investigation to have conspired amongst themselves and allegedly with two outsiders, i.e. Senator Alphonsus Igbeke and Mr Collins Okechukwu to leak out the judgement before it was delivered on May 31, 2013.

“Senator Igbeke put up a paid advert on page 42 of the Daily Sun of May 30, 2013 alleging that the said judgement had leaked which forced his counsel in the matter, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) to write to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to dissociate himself from the publication as well as withdrawing his service to Senator Igbeke on the matter.

Two Nigerians get German Africa award From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

TWO Nigerians, Dr Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa and Pastor Dr. James Movel Wuye have been listed for award in Germany.

They will be honoured with German Africa Award by the Deutsche Africa Stiftung, a German Africa Foundation.

According to a statement by the Embassy of Germany, the honour is bestowed annually, on outstanding African personalities who have contributed in a remarkable way to peace, democracy, human rights, development and culture on the African continent since 1993.

The award will take place on December 12.

“In 2013, the German Award for the first time goes to Nigeria to honour Imam Dr. Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa and Pastor Dr. James Movel Wuye from Kaduna.

Since the mid 90s, the two spiritual leaders encourage the peaceful co-existence of people and actively work for overcoming ethnic, economic and religious conflicts,’’the statement added.

6

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

NEWS

Fed Govt to decide on compensation for Boko Haram victims T HE Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North has said the Federal Government will soon decide on the compensation for Boko Haram victims.

In a statement yesterday in Abuja by its Secretary, Esther Gonda, the committee said con-

From Bukola Amusan, Abuja

trary to some reports, it never ruled out compensation for victims of Boko Haram insurgency.

The statement explained

that what the committee’s Chairman, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki said was that the committee would look into the issue of victims’ support and not to cancel compensation for them.

The statement added: “The

chairman did not, in any way say or infer that compensation will be given to only the security operatives. Rather, he emphasised that the committee will make appropriate recommendations to the government

to support all victims of the insurgency.

“Based on the committee’s terms of reference, we will constructively engage key members of Boko Haram and define a comprehensive and workable framework for resolving the crises in the North and develop a framework for amnesty.”

National honours: Belgore, NBA oppose amendment

A

FORMER Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Alfa Belgore, has opposed the removal of the exclusive powers of the President to award national honours to deserving Nigerians.

Belgore’s position was supported by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), among other stakeholders.

The former CJN, who is the Chairman of the National Award Honours Committee, also disagreed with the exclusion of serving public

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

office holders from getting national awards, as proposed by the amendment.

Belgore spoke yesterday at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Governmental Affairs on two bills seeking to amend the National Honours Act. One of the bills seeks to subject the confirmation of any award on the National Assembly as well as powers to revoke it because of the misconduct of the awardee.

The bill also seeks to prohibit serving public officers,

elected or appointed, from being conferred with the award and increase the fine payable upon conviction from N100 to N1 million.

Justice Belgore urged the lawmakers to shelve any attempt at stripping the President of the powers to award the national honours on those he deemed fit.

“It is not done anywhere in the world. It is the exclusive of the President and not the National Assembly. I don’t think this amendment is necessary, because everywhere in the world, it is the prerogative of the President to preside over this award,” he said.

The retired CJN also disagreed with the exclusion of serving public officers from the award.

He said: “Why not? The award is meant to recognise those that are deserving and, if those serving merited it, they should so be recognised.

“It is for recognition, and being so recognised would serve as an impetus for others to want to contribute their quota to nation-building.”

The NBA aligned with Justice Belgore on the two issues.

It noted that limiting the number of awardees to 100 would not be fair to deserving Nigerians.

The association said the

•Justice Belgore

current 450 limit should be left open.

But the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) agreed with the amendment that the powers to confirm the award should reside with the National Assembly.

BA gets Britain’s first Airbus superjumbo

A

SUPER-JUMBO aircraft arrived in the United Kingdom (UK) yesterday with the delivery to Heathrow of British Airways’ (BA’s) first A380.

The airline is the first UK carrier to take delivery of the double-decker, which is the world’s largest commercial jet. British Airways is also the first airline in Europe to operate both the A380 and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the first two of which landed at Heathrow last week.

The airline announced today that the first long-haul flight on the A380 to Los Angeles would be on September 24, 2013.

Keith Williams, British Airways’ CEO, said: “We are delighted to welcome the first of our A380s to the fleet, joining our new 787s.

“These aircraft are the start of a new era for British Airways. Over the next 15 months, we will take delivery of new aircraft at the rate of one a fortnight as we put ourselves in the forefront of modern aviation. The A380 is a fantastic aircraft and an excellent showpiece for British engineering. Our customers are going to love the space, light and comfort on board.”

British Airways’ A380s will accommodate 469 customers across four cabins.

Customers in First Class will be seated at the front of the main deck. The cabin will offer 14 seats and is evolved from the current First Class with 30 per cent more personal space and 60 per cent more personal stowage.

Club World (Business Class) customers can choose from 44 seats on the main deck, or 53 seats on the upper deck. These upper deck seats will feature a new 2:3:2 configuration across the cabin.

The 55 World Traveller Plus (Premier Economy) seats will be located on the upper deck while World Traveller (Economy) customers can choose seats on both the main and upper deck.

Unity schools’ cut-off: ‘we don’t admit poor pupils’

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

K

ING’s College’s Head Teacher, Otunba Del

Olney, has said the school does not admit pupils with low marks.

Contrary to the impression that Federal Government colleges, or unity schools, take candidates with poor scores via the discriminatory cut-off mark admissions policy, the head teacher said King College’s cut-off mark for the 30 per cent admitted on merit into the Junior Secondary School (JSS1) for the 2013/ 2014 academic session is 174.

This is well above that of any state in this year’s National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE).

When The Nation perused the admission list of the school, which was released yesterday to the public, there were 112 pupils on the merit list; they scored between 174 and 193 in the NCEE. The highest score of 193 belonged to Chinomso who hails from Enugu State. Others on the Merit list were from various states in the Southeast, Southwest and South-South regions. Benue and Plateau were the only states from the North with candidates on the merit list.

‘Reverse execution order’

T •From right: Prof Akin Oyebode, member of the House of Representatives, Opeyemi Bamidele and Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, during the distinguished management lecture of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos.

PHOTO: NNEKA NWANERI

Nigeria, China to sign pacts on defence, trade, others

N

IGERIA and China will, next week, sign at least four major agreements when President Goodluck Jonathan leads a high-powered team of governors, members of the National Assembly and key ministers on a five-day state visit to China beginning July 9.

The pacts are expected to boost bilateral relations between both countries.

The agreements, which will be signed after high-level talks between President Jonathan’s delegation and President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and other senior Chinese Government officials, include an Agreement on Defence Cooperation between Nigeria and China.

Others are: an Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation; an Agreement on Finance for the Zungeru Power Plant and Airport Terminals; and an Agreement on Mutual Visa Exemption for Holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports.

Also to be tabled for discussion during talks between both

countries is an agreement for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to invest in China’s Inter-Bank Bond Market through the Peoples’ Bank of China, and an agreement for the prevention of the theft, illicit import and export of cultural property.

The successful conclusion of the pacts and other memoranda of understanding for increased bilateral cooperation in the development of public infrastructure, oil and gas, power supply, agriculture, communications and tourism, among others, is expected to consolidate the already cordial political, trade and economic relations between Nigeria and China.

A statement yesterday by presidential spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati, said President Jonathan would also seek additional Chinese investment for the Mambila Hydro Electric Project, rail modernisation, road construction and agricultural development.

“The President will be accompanied to China by Governors Theodore Orji (Abia State); Isa Yuguda (Bauchi); Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe) and Peter Obi (Anambra).”

HE African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, The Gambia, has requested President Goodluck Jonathan to reverse his directive to the 36 governors, asking them to execute prisoners on death row.

The commission’s order was confirmed yesterday to the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) by Commissioner Zainabo Sylvie Kayitesi as well as the Chairperson of the Working Group on Death Penalty and the Secretary of the African Commission, Dr Mary Maboreke.

SERAP also said the order had been sent to President Goodluck Jonathan through the Ministry of External Affairs.

The commission is the body charged with overseeing state parties’ compliance with their legal obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to which Nigeria is a state party.

African Commission’s order followed a petition by SERAP, through its solicitor, Mr Femi Falana (SAN).

NLNG offers out-of-court settlement with Adoke, NIMASA

T

HE Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) yesterday told a Federal High Court in Lagos that it wished to settle its dispute with the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Adoke (SAN), the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and others out-of-court.

Adoke had filed a Motion on Notice on June 27, asking the court to vacate or discharge an ex-parte order, which NLNG alleged the defendants violated.

By Joseph Jibueze

He sought to discharge it on the grounds that it was made against NIMASA, which was not joined as a party to the suit.

The order was made against Adoke, Global West Vessel Specialists Nigeria Limited and its Managing Director, Mr Romeo Itima.

NLNG alleged that they disobeyed an order which Justice Mohammed Idris made on June 18. It filed a contempt charge against them.

The judge made the order of

interim injunction restraining the defendants, either acting for or deriving authority from the Federal Government, including NIMASA, from charging three per cent of gross freight earnings, tax, charges or dues, among others, on all NLNG’s international-bound and outbound cargoes, owned by it or its contractors or subsidiaries, pending the hearing and determination of the motion for interlocutory injunction.

But the plaintiff’s lawyer Wole Akoni (SAN) said the parties had discussed terms of set-

tlement, adding that NLGN’s board of directors and shareholders had not authorised the terms.

The case was first called in the morning for contempt proceedings and hearing of Adoke’s application to begin.

However, the matter was stood down till noon after Akoni said he needed to confirm further details of the agreement with his clients.

When the court sat again at noon, the lawyer expressed regret at being unable to conclude the discussions.

“We have not been able to finally come to terms on the order to be proposed to be put before your Lordship. Given a bit more time, this issue will be resolved,” he said.

Akoni, therefore, applied for a short adjournment to enable him conclude with his clients.

The AGF’s lawyer, Dr Fabian Ajogwu (SAN), did not oppose the application for an adjournment.

Justice Idris adjourned till today for the report of settlement.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

BEATS CITY Union to run BRT

CITYBEATS LINE: 07059022999

S

OME security operatives were allegedly assaulted yesterday by casual workers of a company in Matori, a Lagos surbub. they were protesting what they call “unfavourable working conditions.”

The protesters, who paralysed social and commercial activities on Fatai Atere Way and its environs, allegedly attacked policemen drafted to the scene.

But for the quick intervention of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), the workers, it was learnt,would have injured the first team of officers that arrived on the scene.

The Nation learnt that the RRS operatives shot into the air to prevent the aggrieved workers from damaging the company's facilities.

For over three hours,workers barricaded both ends of the ever busy Fatai Atere Way with bonfires made of disused tyres chanting war songs.

Motorists and commutters were forced to change routes.

The workers said they were protesting against poor salary, nonconfirmation of appointment of those who have spent over seven years in service, non-provision of industrial accident insurance and non-payment of over time allowance. They also alleged that the firm owed them seven months salary.

One of them said: "We have casual workers, contract workers and confirmed staff. Anyone employed will first come in as a casual worker. After some donkey years, he would be promoted to contract worker and only God knows how many years one will stay to become a confirmed staff, yet they are owing some workers seven months salary.

"They even call us black mon-

By Yinka Aderibigbe

• The protesting workers ... yesterday

Protesting workers assault policemen

By Ebele Boniface and Biodun-Thomas Davids

keys; they are from Asian countries- the Koreans. We are paid wages but they put 15 days as number of days to get our basic salary which they put at N13, 000 per month but we are demanding N1, 500 per day."

Another worker said: "For store workers, we want to be paid N2, 000 per day with bonus of N1, 500.

We work from 8am to 6pm and 7pm at times. Some have worked for five to six years without being converted to permanent staff."

Efforts to contact the management failed, as an official told our reporter: "You have to come back."

A statement by the contract employees reads: "The entire contract

T

HE Chairman, Ojodu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, Julius Oloro has denied allegations of corruption and high-handedness levelled against him by a group, Agenda for

T

staff of OK Sweets of Olam is strictly aggressive with the way the company is handling the increment of contract staff and salary and their promotions.

"An agreement was made between the National Union of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) and the company in 2010 that contract staff will be in appointment for three years after which he or she would be given confirmation."

The Nation gathered that the basic salary for a contract worker is N8, 000 but the workers are de-

manding that it be increased to N15, 000.

They alleged that a factory worker and a National Youth Service Corps member died working for the company but no compensation has been paid the bereaved families.

It took the police teams from Operations Department of Police Headquarters at GRA Ikeja and patrol teams from Area D and policemen from Olosa Division to restore peace and free the road for motorists. The security operatives also rescued some officers who were seized by the workers when they attempted to stop them from blocking the roundabout at the Ladipo market end of Fatai Atere way.

Council chief denies fraud allegation

By Seun Akioye

• Oloro

Good Governance (AGG).

The Chairman said there was no truth in the allegations, describing them as a design to destroy his person and administration by his political opponents.

"I know where these allegations are coming from, there is no truth in all the allegations and my administration has been open and transparent in all we have done. I have invited the general public to come to Ojodu to verify if there is any substance in what my critics are saying before they judge me guilty or innocent," Oloro said.

In a widely circulated report, the AGG accused Oloro of financial recklessness, gross incompetence, disrespect to party leaders and physically assaulting two workers of the council Deji Ogunlana and Wale Olusesi.

In a swift response, Oloro said the allegations were "wicked fabrications by my detractors", who are bent on

destabilising the peace of the local government. " I know the two people they alleged I assaulted, please you need to also ask them if there is any iota of truth in the allegations that I beat them up. They will testify whether it is true or not. I do not understand why people will go to this extent to destroy another person. My administration is open and transparent, I have hidden nothing from anybody, my priority is to do the work Ojodu people have given to me and they are the ones who can judge my performance," Oloro said.

He said the empowerment of the youth in his council was of paramount importance adding that is why his administration initiated some empowerment programmes on coming to office in October 2012.

"Today, we are empowering 40 people in our local council with the sum of N10, 000 each. This is to enable them engage in small scale trad-

ing. We discovered that there are people who can start businesses with as little as N2, 000. So we thought if they could do that, we should provide the sum of N10,000 and after six months we will evaluate the success of this project and know the way forward," he said.

He said his council engaged youths positively through skill acquisition and sports through the 'Oloro Football Tournament'. " In the area of education we have encouraged our teachers through the provision of teaching materials. As you know the winner of Spelling Bee competition is from our council and even the second prize winner who is a Primary six student."

The winner Boadley JuwonAfolarin is a Senior Secondary(SS2) pupil of Omole Grammar School while the second prize winner is 10 year old, Olayinka Ogunenika, a primary six student of Estate Nursery &Pry School, Oke-Ira.

ACN warns against extortion of contractors

HE Action Congress of Nigeria, (A C N), has condemned the harassment and extortion of contractors working in various parts of Lagos by communities and area boys. This, the A C N said, was inimical to the growth and progress of the state.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary Joe Igbokwe, the party expressed worries over persistent complaints of increasing harassment and extortion of contractors handling roads,drainage,bridges by communities in collaboration with street urchins.

"In recent times, we have been receiving worrying reports of unrestrained harassment by contractors working for the Lagos State government; that host communities where they are working are putting undue pressure and impediments on their works and this has got to a stage that government projects are stalled as a result of the inability of contractors to meet the indecent demands of the host communities," Igbokwe said.

7

He added: "An agency of the Lagos State government in charge of optic fibre technology has reported consistent running battles with communities, area boys, Community DevelopmentAssociations (CDAs), resident associations, estates and even prominent Lagos residents that impede on its works in their areas, which involve laying

C

of facilities for improved network, until certain fees are negotiated and paid. " We have a letter from the Magodo Residents' Association to the Telecoms Infrastructure Development Limited, a contractor handling the laying of fiber optic cables for MTN Nigeria. The Magodo Residents' Association is demanding

N500,000 for work permit to lay fibre optic cables in the state."

"Lagos ACN warns those engaged in this act to desist henceforth as the government is taking due cognizance of this and will come down hard on any group or community sabotaging the realization of the lofty dreams of the Lagos State government for Lagosians,"the party warns.

said the creation of an electoral body to conduct the forthcoming election was a novel idea geared towards ensuring that only committedpeople were elected as the people’s representatives.

This step, he added became necessary because CDA was established by law, as the fourth tier of government that will serve as a link between the people and government at both local and state levels.

"In order to ensure that the people's interests are well pre-

sented to government, there is need to ensure that the people who will be saddled with the responsibility of making the presentation are credible and selfless community leaders", Bamigbetan said.

Members of the commission include : Miss Hontonnu Mary Senapon, as the Chairperson, Remi Gbadegeshin, Mrs Yemisi Alashe, Mrs. Anike Shobowale, Hassan Rabiu and Chief Steven Onadeko. Others are Rt. Captain Olusesan Akanbi and Mrs Adenike Arajo.

Local Govt gets electoral commission

HAIRMAN of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Kehinde Bamigbetan has inaugurated an eight man electoral commission that will supervise the conduct of elections into various executive committee positions in the 74 Community Development Associations (CDA) and Community Development Committee (CDC) of the council.

Addressing the commission’s members shortly after their inauguration in his office, Bamigbetan

THE Lagos Chapter of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), has obtained a franchise from the state government to operate Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

Also, its secretariat located on the Igando-Lagos State University (LASU) Road is almost completed, according to its chairman, Adefowope Olorode.

Olorode, who made the disclosure in his office, said the association embarked on the new secretariat as part of its repositioning efforts.

He, however, said the union was yet to begin operations on the listed routes because it had not met set conditions, adding that the union was ready to support the state government's efforts to expand transportation system in the state by encouraging public sector transportation.

He praised the government for granting transport unions loans and other facilities, which they used to improve transport system in the state, adding: "When we assumed office some years back, some of the things we promised to do had been completed and we have maintained peace in our association," Olorode added.

IT’ll create jobs

By Paul Oluwakoya

DEALERS in Information Technology support service in Lagos State under the umbrella of the Amalgamated Computer, Stationeries and Allied Trade Association of Nigeria (ACSATAON) has called on the Federal Government to re-strategise its commitment towards improving the nation's dwindling economy through the Information Technology (IT) sector.

The President of the Association, Anselem Obasi, who made the call at the inauguration of new executive board, said the woes that have befallen the country's economy could be linked to the non-chalant attitude and lack of political will of leaders in public offices towards creating productive platform for human capital develpment in the sector.

Obasi said government was narrow minded about how to fully harness human potential and capacity building, stating that Nigerian youths are able to industrialize the nation's economy but a good number of them are jobless while few survive by doing menial jobs at the market.

"Information Technology support service can in a long way contribute significantly to the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and as well reduce the rate of youth unemployment if the federal government would invest in the IT local market by creating an international market in Lagos," Obasi said.

Clerics beg govt AN association of Islamic scholars, Islamic Leadership Forum has sought for understanding from the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) on the use of outdoor amplifiers for worship centres.

The Forum, a committee set up by the Council of Ulamau and Alfas in Mushin Local Government and OdiOlowo Local Council Development Area said, LASEPA's instruction to worship centres to remove externally placed speakers is an impediment to the regular call to prayers.

Chairman of the forum, Alhaji Sulayman Salahudeen at a press briefing said the purpose of using external speakers goes beyond calling worshippers for prayers as it acts as a deterence to evil spirits.

On the issue of noise pollution, the cleric said amendment has been put in place to ensure that various worship centres within the vicinity do not inconvenience the residents.

"We have held three seminars for various mosques since our last meeting with LASEPA in April on the usage of the external speakers. Aside this, a Disciplinary Task Force has also been set up to ensure adherence because we understand that a healthy society is for the benefits of all," he said.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

8

NEWS

Yoruba monarchs confident of peace

Masquerader’s supporters ‘attack’ T Ibadan residents S UPPORTERS of the popular masquerader in Ibadan, Oyo State, Oloolu, yesterday allegedly attacked residents of Popoyemoja and Bode in Ibadan South West Local Government.

Sixteen vehicles were allegedly damaged in the violence.

Residents were also injured as the hoodlums attacked them with dangerous weapons, such as cutlasses, guns, knives, clubs, sticks and others.

A source said the incident occurred between 4:30pm and 5pm after the masquerader had visited two prominent Ibadan chiefs.

The Nation learnt that the supporters, who wore T-shirts with the inscription, Odun Esan, meaning Year of Revenge, on arriving at the area, attacked the residents with dangerous weapons despite the presence of policemen.

Our source said the resi-

J

•Damage 16 vehicles

From: Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

dents decried the attack, saying it was carried out as a reprisal following what happened during the festival last year when hoodlums allegedly attacked the masquerader, killing one person and injuring others.

Besides dispossessing the people of their valuables, such as money and mobile phones, the hoodlums allegedly broke into shops and houses, stealing items.

Confirming the incident, police spokesperson Olabisi Ilubanafor said some hoodlums, who were prevented from attacking the masquerade, caused the violence.

She said the hoodlums shot into the air to scare people.

She confirmed that vehicles were vandalised, adding that the owners were yet to be identified as nobody had reported the incident.

The police spokesperson said three people, namely: Ibrahim Isiaka, Yakubu Isiaka and Fatai Bakare, have been arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).

Some of the vehicles vandalised included a Volkswagen Jetta car with registration number AG 483 SHK, AA 893 SHK, Toyota car with registration number AB 470 AAB (Ogun), MUS 952 BE, Merzedez Benz with registration

Court grants dismissed DPO bail

USTICE Olabisi Akinlade of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, yesterday granted bail to the dismissed Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Pen Cinema, Agege Police Station, Mr. Segun Fabunmi.

He was arraigned before the judge for the alleged killing of a protester, Adedamola Daramola, during last year’s protests on fuel subsidy removal.

Justice Akinlade granted bail to Fabunmi in the sum of N250 million with two sureties in like sum.

Granting the defendant’s application, the judge held that Fabunmi would be in need of a special medical attention, which he might not

By Adebisi Onanuga

get in prison if denied bail.

She held that a medical report issued by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, which showed that the defendant is suffering from renal (kidney) failure, was sufficient to grant him bail.

She said the defendant provided sufficient material upon which his bail application could be considered.

“What is important in granting bail is for a defendant to place sufficient materials before the court.

“It is when a defendant has done this that the burden of proof will shift to the prosecution, who will show why

the defendant should not be granted bail,” Justice Akinlade said.

She held that the medical report attached to the bail application as an exhibit was sufficient to grant bail to the accused.

The judge, however, barred Fabunmi from travelling outside the country during the trial.

She directed him to deposit his passport and other travelling documents with the chief registrar, who is to appoint a police officer to verify the documents.

Justice Akinlade ordered that the police officer to be appointed by the chief registrar must swear to an affida-

300,000 Lagos pupils break world-record

H

ISTORY was made yesterday in Lagos as 300,000 pupils from across 600 public schools broke the tooth-brushing record in an attempt to enter into the Guinness Book of Records.

The pupils achieved the feat by brushing their teeth simultaneously for one minute across 326 locations in the state.

The world record before now was set by India with 117,000 brushing their teeth at the same time.

At the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, which served as the centre point of the challenge, about 20,000 pupils gathered to take part in the event.

At 2.15pm, the Founder of HEIT Solutions, Dr. Lawal

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

Bakare, convener of the toothbrushing challenge project, signalled on the pupils to begin brushing and told them to stop at 2.16pm.

The pupils were each given a tooth brush and toothpaste provided by Unilever Nigeria Limited, one of the event sponsors.

He said the new record is subject to verification by officials of the Guinness Book of Records after the report from the locations are collated.

Bakare said pupils were chosen for the project because they were still at a stage they could embrace new behaviour and attitude.

He said: “You are the essence of this challenge. We

gather here because we believe you are supposed to have better oral health. Most of you do not know that when you don’t have your teeth, you would not grow as you ought to. So we are trying to make you remember three things- brush twice a day, brush using the appropriate technique and visit the dentist regularly.”

Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina, congratulated the pupils for being part of the feat. She said it was historic for their generation.

Brand Manager, Unilever (Close Up), Mr. Kester Abiola, noted that less than 50 per cent of Nigerians brush their teeth twice a day. He said that was not good enough.

Ede youths alert Osun ACN on Assembly poll

Y

number EJ 161 ABC (Abuja), Merzedez Benz with registration number MS 194 AAA (Lagos), AA 768 TUN (Ekiti), Ford car with registration number AJ 191 YNF (Oyo) and AA 102 RRU (Edo), Honda car with registration number EPE 452 BH (Lagos), AM 59 KSF (Lagos) and AR 19 NRK (Oyo).

A food-seller, Mrs. Oguntoyinbo Bilikisu, said the hoodlums destroyed her utensils and stole her money.

A 60-year-old man, Godwin Aneke, said he was attacked and his money and mobile phone stolen.

One of the owners of the vandalised vehicles, Mr. Foluso Abiodun, said he was at home when the hoodlums arrived and ordered that he should stop washing his car.

He alleged that in the presence of policemen, the hoodlums vandalised his car and others in the compound.

OUTHS in Ede North State Constituency, comprising 11 wards, have said the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Osun State may lose in the 2015 House of Assembly election in the area to an opposition party.

They are protesting against the alleged domination by one of the wards, Ologun/ Agbaakin, in producing candidates into the House of Assembly in the last 16 years.

The youths under the aegis of ‘Kose Je Mogun Group’, alleged that within the 16 years, the Ologun/

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

Agbaakin Ward 3 had produced member of the House of Assembly more than three times in which the member served as a Minority Leader and later as Speaker.

The group, in a statement by its Chairman, Ayoade Adetoberu (Oloba Atapara Ward 1) and Secretary, Okunolanje Gafar (Asunmo Ward 10), urged the leadership of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Osun State to intervene in the matter to avoid losing the state constituency

in the forthcoming poll.

The youths said the opposition party is planning to take advantage of the development.

They said: “For about 16 years, none of the 10 remaining wards has produced the representative to the House of Assembly. The immediate Speaker of the House, Adejare Bello, was from Ologun/ Agbaakin Ward 3. Also, a member of the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003, Alhaji Kola Isiaka Aliyu, is from the same Ologun/Agbaakin Ward 3.

vit of verification after completing the exercise.

Another bail condition given by the judge is the two sureties to be provided by the defendant must be resident in Lagos and possess three years tax clearance.

She said one of them must have a landed property worth N100 million. The other must be a director in either the state or federal civil service.

Justice Akinlade fixed July 16 for commencement of trial.

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

HE Chairman, Yoruba Obas Conflict Resolution Committee, Oba Frederick Obateru Akinruntan, yesterday expressed confidence that the committee will achieve unity and peace among the Yoruba.

He said the cry of neglect of the Yoruba may not end until the traditional rulers unite the people.

The royal father spoke yesterday at a meeting of the Yoruba Obas Conflict Resolution Committee at Alakia, Ibadan.

Lagos House decries Egypt coup

L

AGOS State House of Assembly has decried the military coup deta’t in Egypt, which occurred on Wednesday.

Spokesman for the House and Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity, Segun Olulade, yesterday described the coup as not only an ugly development, but also a threat to democratic sustainability in neighbouring African countries and other democratic countries of the world.

He stressed that the Egyptian military led by General Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, should not have indulged in a military fiasco, but rather, should have called for regional interventions to persuade President Mohammed Morsi to tread the path of reason in ending the nation’s endemic

T

By Oziegbe Okoeki

violent situation or demand international sanctions when and where necessary.

The lawmaker said that democratic options had proved over time to be the best strategies in bringing solution to problems in a democratic setting, adding that military coups would only deepen the wounds and worsen the existing animosity among warring political factions.

Olulade recalled that Egypt was the first country in Africa, which witnessed military take-over of the reins of government in post-colonial Africa, as led by Gen. Abdel Nasser. He said African democrats and their military counterparts should apply caution in the way and manner they handle sensitive issues of paramount concern.

UN Centre graduates 282

WO hundred and eighty-two people have graduated from the United Nations Development Programme Vocational Skill Acquisition Centre at Oshodi, Lagos.

The centre, situated inside Oshodi/Isolo Local Govern-

By Rofiat Salami

ment, is maintained by the council.

Speaking at the 10th graduation ceremony, the council Chairman, Mr. Bolaji MuseAriyoh, emphasised the need to promote vocational training among Nigerian youths.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

9

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

10

NEWS

Osun ACN urges police to tighten security •Attack is barbaric, says Senator From: Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo, Onyedi Ojiabor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

T

HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Osun State has alerted the public, especially the indigenes, that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has allegedly started violence in Ife East again.

It said this is reminiscent of what they did from 2007 to 2010 when the court nullified the stolen victory of the ACN and brought the owner of the mandate, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to power.

The party alleged that the PDP on Wednesday attacked its members, who were holding a meeting, injuring six including the ACN Chairman in Ife East.

According to the party’s Secretary, Prince Gboyega Famodun, PDP is unleashing terror on Ile-Ife as a dress-rehearsal of what they intend to do during next year’s governorship election.

Osun ACN urged the police command to tighten security, otherwise one of the PDP aspirants in Ile-Ife may cause mayhem.

It enjoined Osun indigenes to defend their rights, adding that they should not allow a few criminals, who are desperate for power, to intimidate them.

The Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter- governmental Affairs, Senator Babajide Omoworare, yesterday said the alleged attack by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) thugs on members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Osun State was an attempt to create crisis in the state.

Omoworare, who represents Osun East (Ife/Ijesa), decried the attack and described it as barbaric.

He said it was an attempt to create a chaotic political environment “under which Osun PDP thrives.”

Omoworare went on: “Since the days of Chief Bisi Akande as Governor of the state, through the 2007 elections, the struggle to claim the stolen mandate of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, up till this moment, PDP in Osun has not desisted from the violent ways of playing politics. This is their stock in trade.”

•From left: Former governor, Otunba Adebayo; representatives of Aramoko-Ekiti Development Association; Governor Fayemi; Deputy Governor Prof. Adelabu; and wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi, during the distribution of cheques to Town Unions/CDAs, for Self-Help Projects, at Oye-Ekiti... yesterday.

Fayemi gives N300m to 82 communities

E

IGHTY-TWO communities in Ekiti State yesterday got cheques totalling N300 million to undertake projects under the Self-Help Programme of the state government.

Presenting the cheques to the communities in Oye- Ekiti, Governor Kayode Fayemi said the gesture is in fulfilment of the resolutions reached with the community leaders in the state during the stakeholders’ meetings held last year.

He added that the self-help project is in line with the government’s commitment to embarking on development projects with the people.

Representatives of the benefiting communities and their traditional rulers were in a joyful mood as they filed out to receive their cheques. Many of the town unions defied the early morning rainfall, came out in full traditional regalia and masquerades, which turned the ceremony into a carnival.

Governor Fayemi, who presented the cheques, assisted by the National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Bisi Akande and a former governor, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, said the com-

•Govt undertakes N3.2b rural development projects From: Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

munities had at the meetings submitted their priority selfhelp projects for grants and are getting the N300 million grant for the completion of the ongoing, abandoned and uncompleted self-help projects as well as provision of boreholes, access culverts, among others, in the benefiting communities.

He assured that every community in the state, no matter the population, would benefit from the grants-in-aid programme of the administration before the end of the year.

He said the Ministry of Rural Development and Community Empowerment was created to focus on development in the rural areas.

Fayemi said: “As part of the efforts of the present administration to bring development to the rural communities where over 75 per cent of the populace live, the Ministry of Rural Development and Community Empowerment was created in January.

“Unlike the previous admin-

LAMATA unfolds plans to restore BRT efficiency

T

HE Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has unveiled a plan aimed at returning the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) operations to an efficient state.

LAMATA’s Managing Director, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, who spoke in his office, said the Lagos State Government was not unaware of the challenges commuters are facing.

He said steps were being taken to ensure the restoration of efficient and effective service delivery.

Mobereola said part of the plan was the introduction of new buses, adding that the operator (the First BRT Cooperative) has concluded arrangements for the acquisition of 50 new buses, the refurbishment of 100 serviceable ones and a restructuring of its management team.

He said these plans would be concluded by the end of the third quarter.

Said he: “The Lagos State Government through LAMATA is working with the operator of the BRT System, the NURTW First BRT Cooperative, to ensure a turnaround. As a regulating agency, we are working behind the scene to ensure that the ideals of the BRT system at conception and launch are not lost.

“Very soon, the change that commuters expect will be evident. The operator has placed an order

By Yinka Aderibigbe

for 50 new buses as part of the process of refleeting the system.”

Mobereola noted that the introduction of eticketing payment solution through a payment card called the Lagos connect, which is due for launch on July 9, would afford commuters, who use the BRT system, lots of benefits.

He said with the Lagos Connect e-payment system, “commuters will pay as low as N20 per trip instead of N70. They will not need to struggle for balance or lose their money. The system is safe and convenient.”

The Lagos Connect card is based on a contactless smartcard technology called the Tap-in, which provides for automated fare collection.

When fully on stream, the card will also be used for other modes of transportation, such as rail and water transport.

On the BRT lanes, most of which are riddled with potholes, Mr. Mobereola said work would begin shortly on them.

He also said the process for increasing passenger queuing capacity and creating bus passing lanes at BRT bus stops has begun. This, the LAMATA chief said, is to enhance the experience of riding on the BRT buses.

istration, all the stakeholders in the state were involved in the preparation of the year 2013 budget, and we have adopted the zero budgeting method as is being practised all over the world.

“The opinions of the various strata/segments of the people in the state were sought before the 2013 budget was prepared, using a dynamic bottom-up approach.”

The governor asserted that besides the grants being handed out to the 82 communities, government is undertaking other rural development and community empowerment projects to the tune of N3.2 billion spanning rural access roads to farm settlements, another round of 5km roads in each of the 16 local governments, ultra-modern markets, provision of hand dug wells and solar operated boreholes as well as construction of bridges and culverts.

Fayemi added that the government is revitalising cooperative development by entering into partnership with the Bank of Agriculture with a view to using the cooperative feder-

alism model as an alternative vehicle for reaching grassroots communities and local socioeconomic activities.

To this end, the government would shore up the cooperative societies with N300 million, the Bank of Agriculture would provide another N300 million.

On the self-help projects, the governor appealed to stakeholders in the communities, especially the traditional rulers, to supervise, monitor and evaluate the projects in their communities and report as appropriate to the relevant government officials, who are expected to supervise and monitor the projects on a regular basis.

He urged them to see the projects as their own, saying this concept of communal ownership is a fulfilment of his promise to do government “with the people and not for them.”

The representative of Osi Ekiti, one of the benefiting communities, Mr. Peter Agbelusi, lauded the Dr. Fayemi administration for embarking on the self-help

programme, which he said has not only given communities the sense of participation in government but also facilitated the execution of their priority projects “without going around to beg for assistance.”

Agbelusi, who described the gesture as unprecedented, assured that his community would make judicious use of the grant on the renovation and completion of the town hall.

Benefiting communities got grants between N2 million and N7.5 million, depending on their proposed project.

The programe, which was dubbed, Ajose Eyiyato, was attended by the Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu; wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Speaker of the House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin; former governor, Otunba Adebayo; National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Akande; Deputy Speakers of Houses of Assembly in the Southwest, members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, members of Ekiti State Executive Council, traditional rulers and chairmen of local governments.

Slain traders: Oyo Assembly directs YO State House of As- govt to protest to Fed Govt sembly yesterday

O

urged the state executive to send a protest letter to the Federal Government on last week’s killing of traders from the Bodija market in Ibadan.

The House also demanded compensation for the bereaved families from the Federal Government.

The motion was raised under matters of urgent public importance by Mr. Olusegun Olaleye (Ibadan North) and unanimously agreed by the House.

Contributing, Mr. Ibrahim Bolomope (Egbeda), reminded the Assembly of a similar incident on May 5.

He added that it was no longer safe for anyone to travel to the North due to insecurity.

The lawmaker said the Federal Government’s grains re-

•Urges traders to suspend trips to North From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan and Jeremiah Oke

serve at Kolapo Ishola in Ibadan could be made functional and traders could go there and buy grains.

Other lawmakers, including Yisau Azeez (Oorelope), Adeshina Adeyemo (Ibarapa) and Waliu Adekunle (Atiba) supported the idea. They expressed fears about insecurity.

Adeyemo said: “The traders should organise themselves and liaise with the commissioner of police to give them escort when travelling. We use this medium to urge Southwest governors to invest in agriculture. Government should mechanise farming.”

The Speaker, Mrs. Monsurat

Sunmonu, who presided over the plenary, called for voice votes. The lawmakers voted in its support.

The state government was, therefore, directed to write a protest letter to the Federal Government and demand compensation.

A lawmaker in the House of Representatives representing Ibadan North Federal Constituency, Abiodun-Dada Awoleye, described the killing of Bodija traders as the effect of bad governance and lack of security.

He sympathised with the bereaved families and the deceased’s colleagues.

The legislator decried the killings and urged Nigerians to condemn it.

BUSINESS

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Govt gets 60-day ultimatum to stop oil theft

By Akinola Ajibade

O

IL workers, acting un der the aegis of Petro leum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), have given the Federal Government a 60-day ultimatum to tighten security around oil and gas installations, especially pipelines in the country.

In a communiqué issued yesterday after the Joint National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the unions, the two bodies said the ultimatum became necessary to save the economy from dangers.

“In view of the obvious looming danger to the survival of the oil and gas industry and by extension the aation’s economy which has become so endemic, with high sense of responsibility and patriotism, we have resolved to issue the Federal Government of Nigeria, a 60day ultimatum to effectively and holistically address and find a lasting solution to massive crude oil theft debacle,” the communiqué read.

Speaking on the issue, the Presidents of the PENGASSAN and NUPENG, Comrades Babatunde Ogun and Igwe Achese respectively, condemned the helplessness of the Federal Government in combating crude oil theft.

11 At the moment there is an average of about 18 hours per day of constant power supply to different parts of the country. This feat was brought about by the implementation of the integrated power sector reform programme anchored on the power roadmap.

- Minister of Information, Labaran Maku

Nigeria spends N674b on importation of rice, others N

IGERIA spends a whopping sum of N674 billion annually on rice, sugar and fish importation, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, has said.

Adesina who disclosed this yesterday in Idofian, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State during the flagoff of the Cassava Mechanisation and Agro-Processing (CAMAP) project, said the country spends N360 billion on rice importation while N217 billion and N97 billion is spent on sugar and fish importation respectively.

He decried the huge bill on food importation, lamenting that these food item could be produced locally.

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

“These acts are hurting farmers, displacing local production and creating unemployment,” he said.

The minister said the CAMAP project is capable of generating about 600, 000 metric tons of raw cassava roots from farmers and an expanded market of over 150, 000 metric tons of high quality cassava flour from agro processor when fully implemented.

National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who was the chairman of the occasion, said Africa has no reason to be poor, adding that

the Nigerian small holder farmers have suffered and faced enormous challenges due to lack of access to inputs and tools to advance their efforts from susbsistence farming to commercial production.

Tukur therefore urged governments and rich individuals in Africa and Nigeria to support organisations like the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF) which he said is making strides to support agriculture through access to appropriate technology capable to guaranteeing better yields for farmers.

Also speaking, the execu-

tive director of National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM, Engineer Ike Azogu, said CAMAP is expected to increase cassava yields from the present average of less than 15 tons per hectare to about 30 tons per hectare with minimal manual labour by farmers.

Azogu also said the CAMAP initiative is a further boost to the government policy on cassava flour inclusion in wheat flour.

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, said 100 cassava farmers in the state and 50 others in Osun State are benefitting from the initiative. He commended the AATF and its partners on successes already recorded.

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$107/barrel Cocoa-$2,686.35/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢95.17pound

MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE JSE NYSE

-N10.6 trillion -Z5.112trillion -$10.84 trillion

RATES Inflation -9% Treasury Bills -7.08% Maximum lending -22.42% Prime lending -15.87% Savings rate -2% 91-day NTB -15% Time Deposit -5.49% MPR -12% Foreign Reserve $48b FOREX CFA -0.2958 EUR -206.9 £ -242.1 $ -156 ¥ -1.9179 SDR -238

From right: Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Folayele Akinkuotu; Managing Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engr. Nnamdi Udoh and Director of Administration, NCAA, Mr Aba Ejembi during an interactive meeting with Airline and Genral Aviation Operators at the NCAA Training Centre, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE

Finance minister urges FIRS to ensure easy access toTIN

T

HE Coordinating Min ister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has charged the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to put in place administrative mechanisms that will make it easy for people to access Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).

She said this would in turn fast-track clearance of goods at the nation’s sea-ports as well as the issuance of Tax Clearance Certificates (TCC) to deserving taxpayers.

Okonjo-Iweala made the call in Abuja yesterday at a oneday sensitisation workshop for Local Staff of Embassies on Pay as You Earn (PAYE), Withholding Tax (WHT), Value Added Tax (VAT) on contracts, and TIN. Director, Communications & Liaison Department, Mr. Emmanuel Obeta disclosed this in a statement that the minister was represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Kefas Danladi, at the forum.

The minister said: “Everybody wants development but

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

nobody wants to pay tax that fuels development. The importance of taxation cannot be over emphasised, especially in the wake of dwindling income from oil revenue.

“Any efforts by the FIRS to grow the revenue base of the country are welcome and everybody must contribute his or her share, especially, when somebody is earning taxable income. You cannot escape tax and claim to be a responsible citizen of that country. Once you pay tax, you can now have the benefits that come with payment of taxes. Tax payment is the backbone of any country.’’

The minister added that efforts to grow the nation’s revenue base remain a step in the right direction, most especially, in the face of the dwindling oil income.

According to the statement, she commended the European Union (EU) for the remittance of PAYE of its local staff since 2012.

The workshop is to facilitate

partnership and collaboration between FIRS and foreign missions, international organisations to deduct and remit their local staff PAYE to the relevant tax authorities.

Diplomats and ambassadors are exempted from payment of taxes by Article 23 of the Vienna Convention though such exemption does not cover their local staff, local contractors and vendors.

She equally urged FIRS to consider birth certificate and registration for taxation purposes as obtained in South Africa and Namibia, where tax registration and TCC are being linked to birth certificate.

Earlier, the Acting Executive Chairman of FIRS, Alhaji Kabir Mashi, said the workshop was organised to ensure appropriate understanding of the provisions of the Personal Income Tax (PIT) Act as amended.

He said such understanding was primarily in the areas of computations, deductions and remittances of PIT through the PAYE Scheme as well as how embassy and diplomatic mission staff could obtain VAT

refunds and their roles in WHT deduction and remittances.

“Another area of focus is the TIN registration. FIRS and the Joint Tax Board (JTB) have been going about this project for some years now. Our intention is to have eligible tax payer, be it corporate or individual in our database.

“The TIN project has enjoyed a huge patronage by the financial institutions in the country, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as the non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

“We are pursuing the ‘No TIN No Business’ agenda and we hope you will cooperate with us in this direction,’’ he said.

The workshop facilitated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was organised by the FIRS in conjunction with the JTB to seek the collaboration of embassies and diplomatic missions on remittances of PIT through the PAYE Scheme as well as how embassy and diplomatic mission staff could obtain VAT refunds and their roles in WHT deduction and remittances.

‘Concessions targeted FAAN’s liquidation’

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

T

HE Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said that most of the airport concession agreements signed between the authority and some firms in the past were packaged by some persons in government to liquidate the authority.

Its General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr Yakubu Dati, said the agency has now embarked on revocation of some of the concessions to keep its operations afloat.

Dati listed the concession agreements skewed against the interest of its 34,000 workers to include the build, operate and transfer agreement between it and Bi- Courtney Aviation Services Limited, Terminal Zero and AIC Hotels Limited.

In a swift reaction, Public Relations Officer of Bi Courtney Aviation Services Limited, Mr Steve Omolale Ajulo, described FAAN as an organisation that has problems complying with the law.

Ajulo said : “ I would not have glorified such watery defence for FAAN’s impunity with a response, but we need to set the records straight. FAAN should tell Nigerians from which Act or law did it derived its socalled autonomy? Iit should tell us which National Assembly and the date of the Act establishing FAAN was amended that now gives it freedom to act with impunity under its management.”

General Manager, AIC Hotel Limited, Mr Niyi Akande, also accused FAAN of not keeping to the terms of its agreement.

He wondered why FAAN will take over the land concessioned to it since 1998, without abiding by the provisions of the law.

He accused FAAN of not respecting court judgement, insisting that it was wrong to deploy earth moving equipment to the land belonging to AIC Hotel Limited, when the judgement, FAAN is flouting around does not in any way suggest so.

But Dati insisted FAAN had to stop the lopsided concession agreements which were aimed at stifling it out of existence and hand the parastatal over to individuals who had connection at the high places in the Presidency at the time.

FAAN said that the concession agreements were forced on the agency by the highest political body in the country at the time.

Dati stated that the activities of FAAN was at that time being directed by the Presidency and as a government organ, because the management of FAAN did not have any choice but to abide by the directive to recognise the agreement, even though it was grossly tilted against the interest of the agency and the people of Nigeria.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

12

BUSINESS

Abuja-Kaduna railway project gets $500m lifeline

T

HE Federal Govern ment has successfully negotiated and secured a concessionary loan facility of $500 million from the Chinese Government to finance the Abuja – Kaduna railway project, the Vice President, Arc.Namadi Sambo, has said.

The vice president disclosed this at the official commencement of the gauge track laying ceremony yesterday in Abuja.

He said the loan will be used to complement funding of ongoing rail projects adding that Federal Government had also directed Subsidy Re-investment Programme (SURE-P) to support envisaged financial challenges that may likely affect successful execution of the project.

The project, which commenced in 2010, will cost the Federal Government $874 million and is expected to be completed before the end of this year.

“Arising from the segmentation of the projects as highlighted, Federal Government signed the contracts for Abuja (Idu)Kaduna in December, 2010, in the sum of $874, 308, 704.

00 with a completion period of 36 months…..the Federal Ministry of Finance successfully negotiated and secured a concessionary loan of $500 million from the Chinese government to part finance

From: Olugbenga Adanikin, Abuja

the Abuja (Idu) –Kaduna segment,” the vice president said.

According him, the project which was initially signed in 2006 for execution and slated to be completed within four years suffered set back and was suspended in 2008 due to paucity of funds.

In his remarks, the Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar, said The Federal Government was committed to its 25 years Strategic Rail Vision where it will provide the country with adequate and sustainable railway networks.

He said the Abuja-Kaduna rail modernisation project was the first segment of the Lagos to Kano standard gauge railway line while the double track Lagos to Ibadan segment of the rail line will commence before end of 2013.

The minister disclosed that the Federal Government had completed rehabilitation of the existing Lagos-Kano narrow gauge line which has distance of 1,124km.

Speaking on status of the Abuja-Kaduna project, Umar said the project is 68 per cent completed, adding that it will be completed on schedule. According to him, the project, when completed, will enable people to

live in Kaduna and work in Abuja while it will also have culminating effect on the high cost of rent in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He said: “Earthworks for the project is 92 per cent completed, hydraulic structures have attained 87 per cent completion, out of 24 railway bridges to be constructed, 17 have been completed to substructure leve.

One out of 25 overpass bridges has been completed while works on the remaining 24 are at various stages of completion.

“The Overrall physical completion level so far for the project is 68 per cent.”

Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Sen Sahabi Y’au, said if the construction company can complete about 1.5 kilometre daily, it was possible to complete the AbujaKaduna rail project by the end of this year.

He pledged the support of the Senate in realising the 25 years action plan.

The Managing Director, China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC), Shi Hongbing, said about 4,000 employees were engaged in executing the project.

He commended officials of the ministry for their supports adding that the project, when completed, will be the first modernised railway project in the country.

PPPMC resumes loading of petroleum products

T

HE Nigerian National Petroleum Corpora tion (NNPC), Group Managing Director (GMD) Engr. Adrew Yakubu, said the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) has resumed loading of petroeum products after the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) ended its strike.

He said: “I want to assure Nigerians once again that we have enough volumes to go round. I can confirm that PPMC depots have commenced loading and we are doing everything possible to normalise the system.”

According to him, the NNPC has enough volume of petroleum products to stabilize the system after the 48 hours strike action by

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

NUPENG. In a statement, NNPC also explained that in a move aimed at promoting industrial harmony in the oil and gas industry, stakeholders on Wednesday at a meeting in the NNPC Towers, Abuja adopted a 12-point resolution aimed at addressing the issues raised by the industrial unions in the petroleum industry.

The meeting which was jointly conveyed by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, had in attendance: the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Re-

sources, Mr. Godwin Onwughalu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. O.Iloh.

Also present at the forum were the National President of NUPENG, Comrade Igwe Achese, his counterpart in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Batunde Ogun, the National Deputy President of the National Association of Road Transport Owners, (NARTO), Chief Ayoola Sadiq as well as the representative of the International Oil Comapnies (IOCs) under the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) which is an arm of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI).

My priorities for aviation, by NCAA DG

T

HE immediate priority of the new director gen eral of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Folayele Akinkuotu, is to effect a radical change in the regulatory vision of the aviation industry.

Akinkuotu who disclosed this at a stakeholders’ forum for input gathering at the NCAA Annex, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, said it is only radical changes in the way civil aviation busness is carried out in the country that would bring about sustainable progress for the industry. He affirmed that the goal of safety and security for air travel will be pursued vigorously.

He said before the end of this month, the passengers bill of rights would be implemented to guarantee the protection of the rights of consumers.

The NCAA DG said the passengers bill of rights is imperative because of the need to protect the rights of passengers , whose patronage has kept airlines in business .

He said a new directorate of General Aviation has been created at the NCAA to cater for the needs of corporate, charter, private jets and helicopters in the country.

The DG said the new directorate has become imperative in view of the safety and compliance issues arising from that arm of the industry requiring radical steps to move the industry forward.

He called for stakeholders’ input to move the industry forward, stressing that the

.To enforce passenger bill of right

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

radical change that will be implemented may brew enmity by operators who are not taking seriously issues of compliance with aviation rules and regulations.

Besides, he spoke of plans to achieve a solid aviation sector that is driven by global change in the sector. He said Nigeria cannot be left behind in adhering to new trends that would transform the sector.

Akinkuotu said his focus would be on aircraft pilots and engineers, who understand the rules and regulations of civil aviation but are reluctant to ensure compliance.

He promised to address the concern of unemployment Nigerian pilots numbering over 120 would be addressed to ensure they are engaged into airlines in the industry.

Akinkuotu also affirmed that the support he desires from industry players would be sustained if operators do what is right.

The NCAA director general urged airlines to do what is right by ensuring that they acquire aircraft that is safe for flight operations in addition to abiding by extant regulations.

He challenged operators to always comply with the rules, affirming that if there is no broken trust between NCAA and them, the business of aviation regulation could be carried out in a friendly atmosphere.

He said: “ Going forward,

we expect changes to occur. I am sure this is no surprise to any here, as changes are, and have become a natural corollary of life. Progress is a nice word, but change is its motivator, and change has its enemies”. That we are today witnessing far more flights, domestic and international is progress, that there are far more private jets and their operations in Nigeria today is evidence of progress, this progress was motivated by changes, both at home and internationally.

The progress will only be meaningful and fully taken advantage of if we also make the required changes. The international landscape of the industry and how it operates is changing, and it behooves on us to get up to speed in being nibble and dynamic to respond appropriately.

This, as you will rightly conclude informs the need for, and establishment of a Directorate of General Aviation, and creation of rules to play by for all. As such, I doubt I bring you any news when I say expect changes from time to time. What will be ideal is that we are the joint agents and drivers of the change, and I hope for, and count on you for that.”

Among the issues raised by industry players, including the president of AviationRoundtable, Captain Dele Ore borders on the issues arising from the civil aviation policy, which he said the regulatory agency should address.

Ogun , BoI train 1000 unemployed youths

T

HE Ogun State Govern ment and Bank of In dustry (BoI) have successfully trained 1000 unemployed graduates on entrepreneurial skills as well as the basic knowledge they need to run and manage successfull small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of their own.

Also, a total of N250 million was disbursed as loan facilities to the 1000 partcipants during the conclusion of the one-day workshop organised by the state government and BoI yesterday in Abeokuta, the state capital.

The loan facility was given to them at 7 per cent interest rate.

Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr Bimbo Ashiru, said the entrepreneurial training and development skills is aimed at

. Disburse N250m loan facilities Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

tackling unemployment scourge in the state by transforming the youths from job seekers to employers of labour.

Ashiru said it was also an avenue to impact basic knowledge of generating good business ideas, writing good business plans, starting businesses, modern marketing strategies, book keeping and accounting on the beneficiaries.

The Commissioner explained that beneficiaries of the loan facilities were youth known to belong to verifiable cooperatives with certificate of attendance at the oneday workshop and had a good business plan among

others.

He advised the beneficiaries of the loan to show sincerity and determination towards the success of the scheme and equally charged them to demonstrate a high sense of diligence, goal-oriented and take advantage of the opportunities presented by workshop.

Managing Director of BoI, Mrs Elveyn Oputu, who was represented by the bank’s General Manager, Mr Muhammed Ganiu, assured that BoI is ready to assist the youth in anyway to actualise their goals.

According to her, the youth should see the programme as an opportunity to impact positively on their lives and others in their community.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

13

AGRO-BUSINESS

A

Fed Govt saves N25b under growth scheme

BOUT 10 million farmers are to benefit from the Federal Government Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme, in this session, it was learnt.

The Nation learnt that the farmers will be those who participated in the just concluded nationwide farmers’ registration exercise undertaken by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

A document obtained by The Nation showed that genuine farmers will be separated from those described as political farmers.

It reads : “We registered about 10 million farmers for the 2013 GES programme which took place across the country.

“With the GES scheme government has ended four decades of corruption in the seed and fertiliser sectors within 90 days.”

It said the Federal Government saved N25 billion last year through the scheme.

“About N15 billion worth of fertiliser was sold directly to farmers

From Olugbenga Adanikin, Abuja

via e-wallet system. N1.5 billion worth of seeds was sold directly to farmers via the e-wallet while commercial banks lent N3.7 billion to seed companies and agrodealers,” the document said.

Under the scheme farmers get fertiliser, improved seeds, farm mechanisation service as well as free weather information to promote good farm yields.

Participating farmers pay 50 percent cost of input after receiving an alert through their mobile phones and Cellulant, while the Federal and state governments provide the remaining 50 per cent.

But, with the security situation in Yobe, Adamawa and Borno states, there are indications that the scheme may not achieve expected results.

Residents of the states are predominantly farmers made up largely of women and children.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr.

Akinwumi Adesina said “the exercise would be jointly supervised by him and the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Bukar Tijani.”

No fewer than 4.5 million farmers were registered under the scheme last year.

The government plans to register 20 million farmers by 2015.

While these farmers are to benefit from various farm inputs, the Ministry is expected to add additional 20 million metric tons of food to local food production.

During a briefing on Fertilizer Delivery to Small Holders Farmers last year in Abuja, Adesina said the support was aimed at achieving food sufficiency and national security.

“This scheme is designed as a vital component of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) and it seeks to achieve at the micro level, food security for the farmer and national security at the micro level,” he said.

Invest in rural agribusiness, govt told

I

S INVESTMENT in rural agro businesses vital to the country’s economic rebirth?Yes it is ,says the Programme Co-ordinator, Farmers Development Union (FADU), Oyo State, Victor Olowe.

He said if the government stepped up investment and support for the rural areas, it would have impact on the economy.

Government,he said, should intensify efforts to improve outputs from the land to ensure a more sustainable and diverse rural market.

By Daniel Essiet

He called policies to support business developments in rural areas and empower commercial farmers interested in expanding production.

Olowe, who is Oyo State FADU Co-ordinator, said these should involve numerous innovative programmes that bring investment into sustainable agriculture systems throughout the country.

Through public investments, he said, the government would ensure that rural farmers gained access to

important seed capital, enterprise financing and technical assistance. The rural areas,he said, had job potentials which could be tapped through investment The unpredictable weather,he said, was capable of denting farmers’ bottom line.

Olowe called for adequate preparation for emergencies as farming was not immuned from the vagaries of weather.

He warned that inclement weather would continue to affect farmers’ finances.

•From left: Permanent Secretary,Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives,Dr Olajide Basorun; World Bank, Commercial Agriculture Development Project, Task Team Leader,Dr Lucas Akapa; State Project Coordinator, Commercial Agriculture Development Project, Lagos State, Mr. Kehinde Ogunyinka and Programme Manager, Enugu Agricultural Development Project(ADP) Mr Onyem Nwodo, during a review meeting in Lagos .

K

Kebbi spends N1.4 b on fertiliser

EBBI State government has so far spent N1.4 billion on fertiliser, Governor Saidu Dakingari has said.

He spoke during the launch of fertiliser sales in Jega, where he was represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu.

He said the assorted fertiliser would be sold to farmers at subsidised rates and urged the local

government chairmen to involve traditional and community leaders in the sale, to prevent diversion of the commodity.

The governor said additional incentives would be made available to farmers, to ensure food security and encourage commercial production of crops.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy

Affairs, Alhaji Rabiu Koko, said that local government would receive allocations according to their financial contribution.

He said a bag of the commodity would cost N1,700 and urging the councils to ensure equitable distribution.

Some farmers described the sale as timely, urging the councils to ensure fairness in the distribution of the commodity.

‘Review land tenure for farmers’ benefit’

•Ghebru

F

ORMALISATION of land rights will have major impact on investment and boost food production, an expert, Hosaena Ghebru, has said.

Ghebru,of the Division of Development Strategy and Governance, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, United States, who was addressing a research seminar of the Ni-

geria Strategy Support programme (NSSP) in Abuja, said formalisation would secure land tenure and stimulate growth in agriculture.

To help farmers,he urged government to solve the problems of land tenure security.

Ghebru urged the government to respond to farmers’ demands for more secure land tenure certificates of occupancy, land use rights certificates, iso as to promote agricultural and economic development.

According to him, tenure security reforms should clarify rights of land users, recognise and expand their rights to use and transfer property, manage potentially conflicting claims of property users and create more effective dispute resolution processes.

Ogun gives councils 2,500 water pots

T

HE Ogun State Government has distributed 2,500 ceramic water filter pots, known as “Omilero pots”, to the 20 local government areas,the Commissioner for Rural Development, Mr Falilu Sabitu has said.

Sabitu said the pots would end water-borne diseases, such as dysentery, cholera and diarrhea.He said that the pots would also help to decimate pathogens, which breed typhoid and other water related diseases. The commissioner said the state Governor, Mr Ibikunle Amosun, was committed to the provision of necessary basic

amenities to make life more abundant for rural dwellers and also put an end to rural-urban migration.

“Our plan is to develop the rural areas to city standards, make life more meaningful to the people in the rural areas even as we carry out renewal of the urban centres,” he said.

The commissioner said that the ministry would provide 440km of roads across the three senatorial districts in the two years.He, however, urged residents of the state to pay their taxes and levies to enable the government implement the project.

UNILORIN, firm collaborate on commercial farming

T

HE University of Ilorin is to partner with Vegefresh, an agricultural firmon commercial farming to promote food security.

The Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Abiodun Adeloye, said this at a meeting on the proposed collaboration with a team from the company.

He expressed the determination and willingness of the university to ensure the success of the project, adding that it will provide food security and income for the country as a whole.

The ‘Vegefresh’ team leader, Mr Olumide Ojo, said his organisation was committed to implementing the project.Ojo said that team would perfect its strategies, to facilitate the smooth take-off of the project,

T

stressing that it would focus on production, marketing and research.

He said that the company was prepared to present a model that would be a platform for national agricultural development.

According to him, the company is proposing a meeting with vice-chancellors on ways to move agriculture forward in the country.

He added that the UNILORIN was being proposed to host the meeting.

Meanwhile, Prof. Abdul Ganiyu Ambali, the Vice-Chancellor of the university has described the venture as a good collaboration, saying that it is in line with the institution’s goals of teaching, research and community service.

Dutse Abattoir begins milk production

HE Dutse Abattoir in Jigawa State wil soon start the producing milk for sale,the management has said.

The Manager of the abattoir , Malam Muhammad Ibrahim, said in an interview in Dutse that the company would start with various brands of yoghourts.

He said the company had commenced test production and market analyses on the acceptability of the product to consumers.

“What we are doing now is

just a test production; we are now waiting for take off grant from the state government to start mass production,” he said.

According to him, the diversification from meat sale to milk production would boost the company’s revenue and enhance its sustainability.

Ibrahim also said that the abattoir would engage in the production of hides and skins as well as minced and dry meat, as part of its business expansion programme.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

14

AGRO-BUSINESS

Farmers decry high fertiliser cost

D

ESPITE the introduction of the Growth Enhancement Support (GES), farmers are still complaining of lack of cash to buy fertiliser.

They are expected to get the commodity at a subsidised rate under the scheme,but it appears it is not so.

The Akwa Ibom State Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr Dennis Etong, said fertiliser was available in the state, but farmers cannot afford it.

According to him, a bag of fertiliser is sold for N3,150 but farm-

Stories by Daniel Essiet

ers cannot afford the price.

Etong said the government had subsidised the price of fertiliser, adding that in previous years a bag was sold for N6,000, and farmers were buying it for N1,800 per bag because of the subsidy.

“Fertiliser is available through GES but farmers complain of lack of money to buy the commodity.“ We appeal to the government to come to our aid and subsidise the input for farmers to boost food production in the state,” he said.

Etong said 300,000 farmers were registered with GES during the

last exercise.

He said the exercise would be rewarding if the government would use it to supply farm input to farmers on time.

AFAN hailed the Nasarawa State government on prompt distribution of fertiliser AFAN Chairman, in Nasarawa State, Ahaji Mauzu Ishaq, also praised the government for prompt distribution of fertiliser to farmers.

Ishaq said: “The subsidy on fertiliser and other farm inputs by the state government to farmers in the state would go a long way

in boosting food production.

“Timely distribution of these commodities is an indication that the CPC Umaru Al-makura-led administration is extremely committed to the wellbeing of its citizens,” he said.

He said the association constituted a monitoring team to go round the distribution points across the state to ensure fairness and equity in the process.

According to him, wherever it is discovered that there is no fairness in the process, the association will report back to the government for proper action to be taken.

Ishaq advised those responsible for the distribution to ensure there is no diversion of the commodity so that the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda would not be sabotaged.

‘Dearth of maize seeds worrisome’

T •Head of Accounts,Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi(FIIRO), Mr Joshua Oderemi; Director – General, Dr Gloria Elemo and Head, Department of Project Development and Design, Dr Patrick Irabor, at a workshop in Lagos.

Expert warns yam growers against premature N agriculturist, Dr Lambe indicate that new yam is yet to harvest Oginni, has cautioned be seen at Atakumosa market in

A

farmers, especially yams growers, against harvesting their yields prematurely.

Oginni said in Ilesa, Osun State, that early rainfall contributed to the rapid growth of yam this year.

He said this might tempt farmers to believe that their yields are matured enough for harvest.

According to the expert, who is also the Director of Oginni Farms in Ilesa, some farmers have a fixed period for harvest irrespective of the maturity of the crop.

He said such practice may result in shortage instead of gain.

“The rush for new yams in the market also account for premature harvest; farmers should not rush to harvest but watch out for signs that the yams have matured before digging.

“Even when yams are mature, there is need for farmers to be careful in digging yams so that the tubers are not bruised,” he stated.

Oginni said the high demand for yam in the country coupled with the early rainfall would make farmers to have bumper harvest and record a profitable season.

Investigation carried out by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Ilesa.

But some yam sellers, who spoke with NAN said the farmers would begin to harvest the crop by the end of June. “ Though the prices will be on high side, some consumers have started demanding for new yams, Mrs Felicia Aluko, a seller said.Another yam seller, Mrs Bolajoko Adege, said they would not display new yams until traditional rites welcoming the arrival of new yam are performed.

Adege advised yam consumers to be patient till the end of June before looking for new yams.

How to grow local dairy industry

T

HE local dairy industry can generate millions of naira in revenue and thousands of jobs, an expert, Dr Ademola Adeyemo has said .

Adeyemo, of the Department of General Administration, Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) in Ilorin, Kwara State, said there was a surge in milk production and robust domestic demand for dairy products.

He added that consumer demand has absorbed the larger milk supplies.

Adeyemo said local producers need to provide consumers with abundant and wholesome supply of milk and nutritious dairy products daily.

The demand, he said could be sustained by addressing heifer supplies, forage problems, and hot weather.

He said the producers lost money on milk as a result of lack of power to refrigerate it till point of sale.

The unreliable electricity, Adeyemo said affected production processes and other products that depend on cold chain distribution and storage such as pasteurised and fermented dairy products, meat and meat products and fish among others.

According to him, prolonged black out accompanied with unfavourable tropical condition for microbial growth result in great loss to the processors, wholesalers, retailers, consumers or the entire supply chain system.

He said poor storage facilities do not only lead to product spoilage, but also may present health risks to traders as well as to the consumers.

Local producers, he said, must increase the number of cows and expand operations, adding that such a step require finding enough heifers to increase capacity.

The sector,Adeyemo said, of-

fer Nigerians a lot,adding that it needs new entrants, skilled labour market, nearby supply of quality feeds, processing power and beneficial climate.

He said producers must operate in a business climate that encourages them to be an important part of the future.

Adeyemo said the complexities of food supply chain impose enormous challenges to the processors.

He said the government in collaboration with the food industry need to address seriously all of the challenges impeding the sector from catching up with the fast growing competitive market.

According to him ,the absence of technology, professionalism, capital investment, managerial skills, and physical infrastructure play a major role in hindering the growth and contribution of the food industry towards the country’s economic growth.

HE Federal Director of Agriculture in Abia State, Mr Simeon Oziri, is worried over scarcity of improved maize seeds in the state.

In an interview in Umuahia, the state capital,after reviewing the implementation of the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) in the year,Oziri said the shortfall in supply of improved seedlings to farmers in the state is worrisome.

He expressed delight that 65,000 farmers had received either fertiliser or seeds as at June 14, adding that the number might have increased.

“Unfortunately, the seeds have been in short supply and this can be attributed to the seed companies,” he said.

Oziri said the situation had affected farmers in Abia as the quantity of seeds supplied to the state was far below what was expected.

“We have only received 145 tonnes of maize out of the 881 tonnes earmarked for Abia farmers, but the supply of rice seeds have been completed,” he said.

Oziri described the supply of 97 tonnes of rice seeds, to farmers in the state as not encouraging.

“The GES is supposed to be of benefit to peasant farmers and lift them from peasantry,” he said.

Oziri said the input arrived late and at a time farmers were harvesting their crops.

He said the same problem occurred in last year, adding that they had expected it to be addressed in 2013.“In 2012 the farm input arrived late when farmers had already started harvesting their crops and government had made efforts to address that challenge.”

He said the problems in the scheme could be blamed on bureaucracy and challenges faced by farmers, which are caused by telephone service providers.

“The GES is based on e-wallet where farmers are expected to receive alerts in order to take delivery of their inputs.

“We have observed that it takes time for the service providers to activate the farmers, otherwise we would have recorded more success,” he added.

Bakers lament lack of support

C

HAIRMAN, Lagos Branch of Association of Master Bakers and Caterers (AMBCN), Mr Jacob Adejorin, has said poor support from the government affects productivity of bakers across the country.

Adejori said this in Lagos.

“Bakers are facing the challenge of low productivity due to inadequate support from the Federal and state Governments.

“We have not even enjoyed the Federal Government’s policy direction on cassava bread.

“Just as farmers are being empowered to produce more cassava, bakers ought to be empowered too to attain our projected gross bread production level,“ he said.

He said members of the association needed assistance in the area of access to capital and credit facilities.

Adejorin appealed to flour manufacturers to offer credit facilities to large scale bakers as consumption of bread and confectionery is on the increase.

“The nature of our business is that we sell most times on credit, if not, we will not sell at all.

“So, we appeal to flour manufacturers to extend credit facilities to bakers as they do to their distributors.

“We also want the Federal Government to hasten its policy to encourage cassava inclusion in bread making as that will help the nation save up to 80 per cent import duty on wheat,” Adejorin said.

Support for cassava farmers

T

HE Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has fixed July 1 to roll-out special input support for cassava farmers under its Growth Enhancement Support scheme (GES).

The Director of Procurement in the ministry, Mr Sonny Echono, said in Jos that the cassava farmers would receive cassava stems of high variety free.

“They will also receive two bags of special blended fertiliser, particularly developed to increase the yield of the cassava stem also free of charge under the growth enhancement support scheme.’’

He called on cassava farmers to brace up for a bounty harvest this year, stating that steps had already been taken to make cassava farming profitable.

Echono said issue of market had been addressed and that the Federal Government evolved a scheme to buy off all cassava that would be produced in the country.

“We are promoting cassava bread. We are also promoting cassava chips and we have contracted people to export it to China, Southern Africa and other locations.

“There is a huge demand for cassava and we want to meet this demand.

“So, we are encouraging our cassava farmers to come out and redeem these high variety cassava stems, plant them, harvest the produce and we will buy it all from them, “ he said.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

15

16

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

INTERVENTION

MONITORING

CARE

Lawmaker rehabilitates infrastructure

Elechi warns medicine dealers

Aregbesola fights poverty with O’Meal

Plateau

46

Ebonyi

FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

T

HE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is the latest law enforcement outfit to benefit from Anambra State’s generosity.

The Governor Peter Obi administration has given out over 500 vehicles to security agencies in the last seven years.

“We have given the police over 300 vehicles,” the governor said. “I have also given to the Army, Navy, schools, and many others.”

Now, the NDLEA has taken its turn, receiving five brand new vehicles (four Hilux pickup vans and one 18-seater

47

Osun

48

Page 17

Email: news_extra@yahoo.com

Anambra’s largesse lifts NDLEA From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Nnewi

bus from the state. The agency’s chairman, Alhaji Ahmadu Giade received the vehicles.

That was not all. Obi also handed over a N10m cheque to Giade, saying the gesture was to assist the anti-drug agency in its task in the state.

He lamented the consequences of hard sin the society, noting their correlation with crime. The governor added, though, that

bank robberies have become a thing of the past in the state while kidnapping, he said, has also reduced drastically.

He, nevertheless, stressed the need for every tier of government to support the NDLEA in fighting trafficking and use of hard drugs.

The governor assured that he will personally carry the campaign against hard drugs to all Nigerians in various parts of the world.

He urged the people to join the

battle to save the country from menace of drug addiction.

Obi responded to remarks that his administration is presenting vehicles to organisations and individuals in the twilight of his tenure.

He said that before his administration, Ministries in the state had no vehicles and that he started buying vehicles for different groups in the state over six years ago with a view to serving the people.

The elated chairman of

NDLEA, Alhaji Giade said the governor has made history by being the first in the country to give such support to the Agency since it came into existence.

Giade added that Obi had set an example which governments at all levels should emulate.

He said that despite the lean resources of the state, Obi still saved a lot of money to do extraordinary things while meet•Continued on Page 45

T

HERE is a lift in the profile of Cross River State communities. Several towns without electricity have been connected to the national grid. Water is running in places where it did not. Roads are fixed and dwellers are happy. But there is also another way the Governor Liyel Imoke administration wants to develop the state’s grassroots: building and rehabilitating rural schools.

The state Community and Social Development Agency or CRSCSDA, established in March 2009, has been helping to implement the grassroots development plan. The World Bank is partnering the state government in growing the rural communities.

The General Manager of the agency, Mr Victor Ovat, said a bottom-up approach to development. Under this arrangement, the beneficiaries at the community level are in the driving seat by identifying what their priorities are. They design it and contribute at least 10 per cent to the cost to its funding, while the agency provides technical support and funding to the tune of 90 per cent of the entire cost of the project.

Ovat said the agreement with the World Bank is that the state government would provide N100 million annually to the project. But due to the success of the programme and its passion for the rural people, the present administration amended the law establishing the agency to provide additional funding for it by giving it 0.5 per cent of local government and 0.5 per cent of the state government allocations, amounting to 1 per cent of government funds.

Identifying quality education as a major weapon to combat poverty and other ills in the society, the state government, through the CRSCSDA has helped in bridging the literacy gap in poor communities in the state by over 90 per cent, Ovat said.

Using the community-driven

•Pupils in a science class at Community Secondary School, Gabu in Yala Local Government Area, one of the partnership projects

A boost in Cross River communities World Bank partners state on rural schools From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

development approach, where the beneficiaries drive their development agenda by identifying, designing, part-financing, implementing and managing the assets upon completion, he said the agency supported communities to construct 149No classrooms, rehabilitate 51No classrooms and provided furniture including desk

(2650No), tables and chairs seating 7275 pupils/students. In line with the State Government vision to build science and technology base in the state, Agency provided funds to poor communities with which the construction, furnishing/equipping of 6No science laboratories, and 2No ICT centres was achieved.

“These efforts have been deeply appreciated by beneficiary communities as such science and tech-

nology inclined education facility never existed before intervention.

The benefits of these facilities are far reaching bringing a positive change in the knowledge and skill levels of both students and teachers alike. Agency also assisted some communities with construction and furnishing/equipping of library facilities thus stimulating reading culture of students in ben•Continued on Page 45

•Mr Victor Ovat

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

18

Ebonyi warns medicine dealers

Kwara builds 400 classrooms

T

•Governor Abdulfatah-Ahmed

E

Council harps on good health TI Osa East Local Council Development Area in Lagos State has held a weeklong free medical programme for its resi-

dents.

Speaking at the flag-off at the council secretariat, the Chairman, Alhaji Owolabi Yisa, represented by his Vice, Hon Funmilayo Fiddi, said that the maternal, neonatal and child health week is a high profile initiative put together to improve the health status of mothers, newborn babies and children.

She said the programme is to create awareness and promote the various primary health care services rendered within the council.

“During this one week programme and even beyond , we will be providing ante-natal services, family planning and counseling, immunisation for under five-year-old children, free distribution of insecticide nets for pregnant women and general health”, she said.

T

HE Chairman, Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Lanre Daibu says the state government has spent over N2 billion on the construction of 400 classrooms Daibu told newsmen in Ilorin that government had also renovated dilapidated classrooms and fabricated 4,000 pieces of furniture in the last two years.

He said that the projects were spread across public schools in the three senatorial districts of the state.

Daibu also said that students enrolment in public schools had improved, attributing this to the support and commitment of the state government.

He expressed delight at the rise in female enrolment in schools, saying this would

She added that the six primary health centers within the council are functional and delivery services are also provided at Ajah and Badore centres.

According to the Vice Chairman, the administration had built a standard laboratory at Ogombo and renovated Addo- Langbasa Primary Health Centre in collaboration with Millennium Development Goals.

Dr. Adeshina A.A, who represented the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, added that in years past, people did have the present opportunity and therefore appealed to mothers to always come with their babies for the vaccines.

Present at the event were , the Secretary to the Local Government, Engr. Opeyemi Abodunrin, Council Manager Mrs. Sanyaolu A.L., Supervisor for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Patience Adepoju and some dignitaries within the council.

FRSC trains children on safety

HE Unit 2.19, Oshodi Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), has begun ‘Catch Them Young’ campaign to curb road accidents in the state as a way of ensuring that children are enlightened on safe road use.

The Commander, Mr Samuel Ogundayo, who stated this during an awareness campaign on road safety for school children, said the sector embarked on the campaign so as to enlighten the children on safe road use.

Ogundayo, who noted that children are the worst victims of road crashes either directly or indirectly said children, when properly educated would be inclined to easily draw the attention of elders to observe acts of negligence or misbehaviour on the road.

He said the command used the occasion of the children’s day not only to celebrate children but to draw awareness to road safety issues, adding that his command held training on zebra crossing and the use of seat belt because findings have shown that many fatal crashes have occurred by neglecting the rules.

His words: “Even when they are not involved in crashes, the untimely death of their parents or guardians in road crashes will definitely affect

E

BONYI STATE Patent and proprietary medicine dealer found stocking or selling regulated drugs in the state would be prosecuted Ebonyi State government warned yesterday.

The Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Health, Mr Hyacinth Oteh, gave the warning in Abakaliki during a one-day sensitisation workshop for patent medicine dealers organised by the state government in conjunction with National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

He said that controlled or regulated drugs have potential for abuse, adding that this necessitated the regulation of their use.

According to him, controlled drugs require a doctor to prescribe and a pharmacist to dispense.

greatly reduce the level of illiteracy in the state.

Daibu gave an assurance that government would not renege in the provision of welfare packages to teaching and non- teaching staff to ensure optimum productivity.

The SUBEB boss also said the board procured 27 vans, with one allocated to each of the 16 local government areas for monitoring activities.

He further stressed that education was free in the state and directed that no pupil should be sent out of school on account of non-payment of school fees.

Briefly

Council to retrieve tractors THE Chairman of Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, Mr Lucy Omogbon said the council has set up an investigating team to unravel and retrieve stolen tractors and bulldozers belonging to the council.

Omogbon, also disclosed that since her assumption of office she was shock to discover from available records that properties belonging to the people of the locality can be converted to personal use and in most cases stolen.

Speaking on her mission in an interview with newsmen stated “Im here on a mission to retrieve what locus have eaten, for those who are familiar with the Council you will know that a lot need to desire in the Council.

Without castigating anybody, am here to reclaim what belongs to our people. Looking at the handing over notes of various from all the department I discover that some properties of the Council was missing in particular bullzoders and tractors belonging to the Council”

• The Chairman, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Hon. Justice Abdul Fatai A. Adeyinka (rtd) (left) and the Chairman, Ikeja Local Government Area, Hon. Wale Odunlami during a stakeholders' forum on delineation of wards and polling units in the council .

‘Heavy weather caused shipwreck’

A

S operatives from the Marine police are investigating the accident of May 26, involving Jascon 4, an offshore oil servicing tugboat owned and operated by West African Venture Limited (WAV), it has been confirmed that 11 out of the 12 crew members on board died.

The ship said to be working for Chevron Nigeria Limited capsized with 12 crew members on board while undertaking tanker operations for the company and only one survivor was rescued 63 hours after the tragic accident.

By Yinka Aderibigbe

their future. It has, therefore, become imperative to reach out to children and acquaint them with traffic rules and safety measures.

“This will make them safety conscious and imbibe the culture of learning traffic rules before they advance in age.”

He also warned children against the use of ear-phones while on the roads, to avoid being knocked down by careless drivers, stressing that such practices would distract and prevent them from hearing the sound of oncoming vehicles.

In her contribution at the occasion, one of the Road Safety Ambassadors, Miss Folakemi Adekunle, appealed to parents to always abide by traffic regulations for the sake of their children.

Miss Adekunle called on motorists to always take the issue of pedestrians’ safety serious and refrain from acts that could endanger the lives of commuters.

Not less than 500 school children were present at the TY Danjuma hall of the Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (AFRC), venue of the event, where they entertained themselves before officers of the command educated the children on various measures on road safety.

By Jude Isiguzo

Police investigator said that the only survivor, Harrison Okene, had told the police that the accident occurred about 5.00a.m and that the vessel was one of the three assisting a tanker to its crude oil loading point when the accident happened.

Okene told the police that the sea was very rough and the massive wave was beating against the vessel’s hull and super structure whilst the wind was very strong which usually was the case during the rainy season.

“This condition caused the tension rope to snap without warning which immediately unbalanced the vessel causing it to capsize and sink very quickly to the bottom of the sea.’

A police source said, while the investigation of the incident was ongoing and the exact sequence of events was still being compiled, “It was now clear that during tanker loading operations, the heavy weather caused the loading tanker to break free from the single point mooring bouy and subsequently started to drift without control. Oil loading operations had earlier been suspended before the tanker broke free but it was still connected to the oil loading lines connected to the bouy”.

Lawmaker hails Ajimobi over projects

A

MEMBER of the House of Representatives from Ibadan North, Hon. Abiodun Awoleye, has applauded Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State for his developmental strides in the state.

He said the infrastructural revolution of the government would restore its lost glory.

The lawmaker, who spoke shortly after Ajimobi commissioned a flyover bridge at Mokola roundabout and three other major projects in the state, said the governor has demonstrated leadership by example.

He urged all other political office holders in the state and the nation in general to emulate the governor in their quest to fulfil their electioneering promises.

His words: “I specifically hail governor Ajimobi for embarking on developmental projects in my constituency. This bridge commissioned today falls within my constituency; it is in addition to the completion of the dualised Mokola – Agodi Gate Road which was completed last year, Awolowo Junction Bridge, now known as restoration bridge. It was also commissioned in February this year and other projects in my area” “Governor Ajimobi is not just a manager of a high repute but an administrator par excellence. He is an achiever, an actualiser of dreams, a technocrat of high distinction, a man of good mission and vision who has

From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

“Since patent and proprietary medicine vendors are neither doctors nor pharmacists, the simple logic is that they have no business with the sale of controlled drugs.

“Any patent medicine vendor found to be stocking or selling those products is breaching the law and needs to be prosecuted,” he said.

Ote explained that a vendor was expected to confine himself to the sale of the ‘Over the Counter drugs’.

“Abuse of drugs may lead to psychological and physical dependence,” he noted.

Mr Ralph Igwenagu, Ebonyi Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency advised medicine vendors to avoid been used as a tool in the distribution and sale of illegal psychoactive substances.

Oyo

By Jeremiah Oke

brought good programmes and policies to the state through his people-oriented programmes “Governor Ajimobi has proved to his critics that the essence of government is to ensure protection of lives and property, provision social amenities for the betterment of the citizens.

The lawmaker who highlighted some of the achievements of the governor said it is an indication that everybody in the state has benefited from the present government in the last 24 months that he assumed office.

Awoleye, therefore, urged residents in the state to continue to give absolute support to the government.

• Governor Elechi “This warning has become necessary because of your proximity to the people. You must resist this temptation at all cost.

Church progamme ACTIVITIES marking the ninth anniversary of Christ Apostolic Church, Purity and Power Assembly which began on June 24, continue with events on July 5 and 12 with vigils. The grand finale comes up on July 14. The programme which has Mainfesting Your Royalty as its theme, takes place at 16-18 IbunkunOluwa Street, end of Orisunmibare Street, Mowe, Ogun State.

Speaking on the programme, the host, Pastor Dele Ajibola described it as an annual revelation from God, assuring that this year’s event guarentees freedom from bondage.

Court urged to accelerate hearing

T •From left: Tian Dong, Zonal Director, Startimes, Ego Ihedioha-Owelle, Advert Manager, and Qvuozourie Macaulay, Secretary to State Government, Delta State during the presentation of award to StarTimes as Best Performing Cable & Satellite Television in Nigeria 2013 by Nigeria Advancement Award of Excellent and Motivation in Abuja.

PHOTO: SOLOMON ADEOLA

I

• Ogundayo taking the school children on zebra crossing drill

47

Free medicare for constituents

T was praise galore recently from about 600 residents of Ikorodu Federal Constituency in Lagos State who benefited from Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa’s free eyes test, treatment and surgery.

The two-day free medical exercise organised by the federal lawmaker was in partnership with the Global Alliance Eyes Foundation Centre, according to her “is in line with my electioneering promise to take good care of my constituents through constituency projects and through other means within my capacity.”

The envisaged number of beneficiaries, according to Dabiri-Erewa, was put at 250 for Ikorodu Central Local Council venue for the first day and another 250 for the Ijede Palace ground for the second day. The turnout, however, was about 350 in Ikorodu and almost the same number at Ijede second venue of the exercise.

Speaking with The Nation at the event, the lawmaker lamented the plight of eye patients who lost their sight because they could not afford just small amount of money to tackle the problem at inception before it became a major case that would require surgery.

She explained that “there are some categories of patients here,” saying “they include minor ailment that requires just medication or just eye glasses while some require surgery either to correct some eyes anomalies or to stop blindness entirely.”

HE Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has been called upon to give accelerated hearing in the suit between the family of Ahmed Martins and Bristol Hotel Limited over a disputed property on Martin Street, Lagos.

Counsel to the Martins family, Mr. Bayo Bello in a formal petition, explained that the matter which has been at the Appeal Court was being prejudiced.

He said: “The subject matter of the said appeal which is the property comprising the

By Musa Odoshimokhe

defunct Briton Hotel has been forcefully entered into by some people acting for the management of Wemabod Estate Limited.”

He expressed the belief that if the process was not prevented, the property which is under litigation will be demolished and reconstructed.

“We hereby pray your lordship to grant an accelerated hearing of the said suit so thatthe right of the claimants is not seriously and negatively affected by the action of one of the defendants,” Bello said.

By Emmanuel Oladesu

She was almost in tears when about 25 children, who were school pupils with eyes problems were brought to her. “I fought back tears with great efforts so as not to suggest to the pupils that their case is beyond redemption,” Dabiri-Erewa confessed during an interaction later.

The cost of a surgery, according to a medical expert, is between N100,000 and N120,000. And at the end of the two-day exercise, 68 patients went for surgery in the first batch while 24 others had theirs in the second batch bringing the total surgery patients to 92 all successfully done.

An Assistant Director, Eye Foundation Centre for Prevention of Blindness, Dr. Akinwale Akinfe, one of the consultants at the event told The Nation that “cataract and Glaucoma are major causes of blindness if not tackled at inception.”

He however assured that eyes surgery was not as scary as people believe, adding that “when it is handled with experts and not quacks, the success is always at very high percentage.”

At the end of the exercise, two elder beneficiaries, Mrs Abimbola Adeyinka (87 years), and Apostle Kilani Olisa (84 years), whose operations were successful were full of praise for Abike Dabiri-Erewa “for her thoughtfulness and constant humanitarian gestures towards the young and the old alike.”

• From left: Deacon Akin Omolere, Chairman Convention Planning Commitee, Rev. Akin Akeju, District Overseer, Alaka District;Deacon Churchill Peter Ayerume, National President, Council of Foursquare; Brother Chuks Victor Anitche,National Secretary, Council of Foursquare Men and Deacon Sam Ojukwu,Regional Vice President, Lagos during the press conference on the National Convention of Council of Foursquare Men at the Foursquare City,Ajebo,Ogun State

•Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Education, Otunba. Fatai Olukoga unveiling the plaque on a block of X-Ray laboratory at Crescent University Abeokuta. With him are Mr Ademola Ajibola, Registrar, (left) and Alhaji Alabi Misbaudeen, Chief Internal Auditor

A

ACN chieftain advises youths

N Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) chieftain in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State,Hon. King Tony Gboms, has said that All Progressives Congress (APC) will sanitise the state, if voted into power.

King Gboms stated this during an ACN meeting on June 21, adding that the party stands for total change in all spheres of life. He called on party faithful to exercise their freedom and stand on their rights to effect positive change in the society.We stand for change, we are ready to fight for the change, not to destroy but to stand for justice. You all have the power to change the entire system” he declared.

The Obio/Akpor party leader warned youths to shun all changes through violence.

He reminded them that changes effected through violence do not stand the test of time, adding that any wound inflicted will always leave a scar. He urged party members to capitalise on the opportunity of the crisis rocking PDP to woo more members.

In his address, the party chairman in the local government, Mr Godwin Nwosu, called on members to remain loyal to party leaders, warning that the full weight of the party constitution shall fall heavily on disloyal members who engage in anti-party activities.

Nwosu declared the council’s support on the decision of the state leadership in suspending five erring members. He reaffirmed his total

Rivers support and confidence on Hon. Esuku M. Esuku-led state executive council.

Also present was Mr. Brown W. Isaac, the Chairman of the Emohua Local Government delegate. In his speech, Mr Brown said the EMOLGA youths suffer from unemployment because the current leaders lack the potentials to plan and create jobs for youths. As a result of this and other deprivations suffered ,the youth have pledged their support for well meaning leaders whose primary objective agenda is to deliver the best to the society.

The chairman said that their visit to Hon.Gboms is because of his proven ability to be a Ground Patron of youths in the state in the past 14 years, and has contributed greatly in the development of youths through scholarship of various kinds. • Gboms

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

19

COMMENTARY FROM OTHER LANDS

EDITORIALS

Veiled trouble •Suddenly, armed women in purdah has further complicated the country’s anti-terror campaign

T

HE apprehension of two women in purdah with assault weapons concealed under their dresses introduced a disturbing new dimension to the terror war in Borno, one of the three states under emergency rule. This incident, without doubt, has implications for the two other states, Yobe and Adamawa, which may also be theatres of such unexpected feminine involvement.

In addition, the episode reflects, though negatively, the dynamism and inventiveness of the terror champions, the most prominent of such groups being Boko Haram. There is no denying the fact that this latest terror approach presents a fresh challenge not only to the security forces, but to the civilian populace as well.

It is significant that the arrest, carried out by a group of volunteer youths known as Civilian JTF (Joint Task Force), happened at the Bulabulin entrance to the Monday Market in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, a fact that raised important questions as to why the women were taking hidden arms into the marketplace, among other posers. Were they simply couriers on a mission to deliver the weapons to some contact? Or did they have an assignment to cause mayhem in the market? Were they coerced into the act, or were they willing tools? How were they recruited, and by whom? What is the source of the weapons?

Their dramatic capture, as narrated by a member of the vigilance group, Malam Usman Ibrahim, speaks volumes about the providential circumstances, meaning that the women could well have suc-

ceeded in gaining entry into the market.

Who knows what might have followed?

According to Ibrahim, “We were on a routine checking at the gate when these women came with heavy veil. At first, we did not bother to look at them, but we realised that one of them was shivering, we said something must be wrong.”

Then, he said, “We found that each of them concealed an AK 47 rifle, a pistol and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) in their veil. We were surprised at the discovery, so we took them to officials of the Joint Task Force (JTF) on ‘Operation Restore Order’ (ORO) for investigations.”

Interestingly, the use of women in purdah for such unholy purpose demonstrates how easily debasing conflict situations can be, for the action defeats a sacred idea, in the Islamic sense. It is sad indeed that these people carried their imagination to such an extent, all in a bid to achieve evil goals. By attempting to employ the sacredness of the veil to further destructive ambitions, they have, regrettably, opened otherwise innocent women to suspicion. For, from now, every woman in purdah would likely be viewed with doubt by security operatives in those areas. Furthermore, when such women routinely become targets of security searches, this could trigger a crisis based on the perception that it constitutes a violation of the very principle of purdah in Islam, which essentially is about seclusion of women from public observation.

Also, it is ironic that women, who along with children are regarded as vulnerable groups in the context of conflict, have in this case played the undignified role of

co-perpetrators of violence. This happening mirrors the extent of the possible radicalisation of women, and even children, in the structures of terror groups. It is a distressing signal.

Fundamentally, the development compels another look at the terror war, and further highlights the centrality of local cooperation with the security forces, if the desired defeat of the anarchists is to be achieved. It is commendable that volunteer youths displayed effective alertness on this occasion, but there is no doubt that the collaboration should involve the entire communities for even greater results. The unmistakable lesson here is that the enemies of society are thinking, and the security forces must rise to the challenge to outwit them.

‘By attempting to employ the sacredness of the veil to further destructive ambitions, they have, regrettably, opened otherwise innocent women to suspicion.

For, from now, every woman in purdah would likely be viewed with doubt by security operatives in those areas. Furthermore, when such women routinely become targets of security searches, this could trigger a crisis based on the perception that it constitutes a violation of the very principle of purdah in Islam ...’

Again, Nigeria tops from the rear

F

•UN report indicts the country for poor showing in mother-to-child prevention of HIV/AIDS

ROM the United Nations came another damning report on Nigeria; and, as usual, it is about the bad and the ugly. The issue, this time, is HIV/AIDS, in which Nigeria is rated first in the world with the largest number of new HIV infections among children. In the report titled “2013 Progress report on the global plan: Towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive”, the country was indicted for not doing much, especially since 2009, to improve prevention of mother-to-child transmission that is responsible for the alarming infections.

According to the report, “Nigeria accounts for one third of all new HIV infections among children in the 21 priority countries in sub-Saharan Africa: the largest number of any country. Progress here

‘Of course, the recommendations will not be complete if we do not mention the issue of corruption which is the main reason why the impact of many of the interventions, either by donor agencies or even the governments in the country has not been felt as it should.

As President Goodluck Jonathan himself noted, the issue has gone beyond provision of free test kits and anti-retroviral drugs to fight the disease’

is therefore critical to eliminating new HIV infections among children globally.

What we are talking about in statistical terms is that Nigeria accounts for about 60,000 new cases of infections in 2012. Perhaps more worrisome is the fact that other African countries are making steady progress on the matter. For examples, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia, according to the UN report, witnessed a 50 per cent decline in new HIV infections in children, while the United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe are very close to achieving the target.

Amidst these grim circumstances, the UN has every cause to be concerned about the prevalent state of HIV among Nigerian children. This is especially so as combating HIV/AIDS is an essential component of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which 189 member nations of the UN agreed alongside some 23 international organisations to eradicate by 2015. And 2015 is just about two years away.

We wonder why the government should allow this kind of situation. We also note with dismay, the reaction of the DirectorGeneral of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Professor John Idoko, to the UN report, to the effect that things are not as bad as painted by the report but that the country’s problem is its inability to collect data that would have shown the progress made as a result of some interventions put in place since 2009.

We shudder at the NACA boss’ statement that PMTCT (preventing mother-to-child transmission) is one of the greatest

challenges of the HIV national response.

Why is it not a problem in other African countries that are making progress on it?

Again, why would Nigeria be complaining of inability to collect statistics to back up its claim if really it has done much to tackle the challenge since 2009?

All said, it is clear that lack of education and proper enlightenment constitute the greatest challenges to Nigeria in the fight against children infection by HIV/ AIDS. We therefore recommend intensification of these if they are currently ongoing and starting of campaign if this is not being done now. It is also important that the governments begin to find lasting solutions to the question of poverty that is prevalent in the country which is also a contributory factor to the HIV/ AIDS mess.

Of course, the recommendations will not be complete if we do not mention the issue of corruption which is the main reason why the impact of many of the interventions, either by donor agencies or even the governments in the country has not been felt as it should. As President Goodluck Jonathan himself noted, the issue has gone beyond provision of free test kits and anti-retroviral drugs to fight the disease.

The government should therefore show more concern in this matter if only for the simple fact that the children (unlike adults) infected with HIV/AIDS contributed nothing to their plight. Their only misfortune, perhaps, is the source through which they were born.

Obama needs to support democracy, oppose a coup in Egypt

O

NE OF THE FEW things that has been clear about the tumultuous situation in Egypt this week is the plummeting prestige and influence of the United States. Antigovernment demonstrators in Cairo’s Tahrir Square have been carrying placards and chanting slogans denouncing the U.S. ambassador; meanwhile senior government officials, anticipating a possible military coup, are already blaming the Obama administration for green-lighting it. A country that for decades has been the the United States’ closest Arab ally — and one of the largest recipients in the world of U.S. aid — appears united only in its disregard and contempt for Washington.

The Obama administration is not entirely responsible for this situation: In Egypt’s polarized and chaotic political environment, conspiracy theories and false perceptions of the United States have become commonplace. But the administration has helped to foster the growing anti-Americanism — if not the growing chaos in Egypt — through its mishandling of the Islamist government of Mohamed Morsi. For months, as the Morsi government has taken steps to consolidate power, quash critics and marginalize independent civil society groups, President Obama and his top aides have been largely silent in public. No effort was made to use the leverage of U.S. aid to compel a change of policy. Instead, the government was lauded for its help in preserving peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and U.S. policy focused on helping Egypt win aid from the International Monetary Fund.

An attempt by the ambassador in Cairo, Anne W. Patterson, to “set the record straight” in a public speech two weeks ago only exacerbated the problem. Ms. Patterson bluntly questioned the opposition’s strategy of attempting to organize a popular uprising to overthrow the government, saying “my government and I are deeply skeptical” that “street action will produce better results than elections.” She added: “Egypt needs stability to get its economic house in order.” That could have been an appropriate message if the ambassador balanced it by addressing with equal directness the government’s quasi-authoritarian measures, such as its plans to strip non-government organizations of funding or its attempts to impose one-sided election rules. But there was no mention of Mr. Morsi’s excesses.

On Monday, Mr. Obama belatedly called Mr. Morsi to say that “democracy is about more than elections” and encouraged him to be “responsive” to the opposition, according to a White House statement. He said publicly that the United States was not taking sides in the standoff. But while saying that “the current crisis can only be resolved through a political process,” the president and administration spokesmen did not take an unambiguous stand against a military coup.

This was another omission: The White House should make clear in its public statements as well as in private communications that Egypt’s armed forces will put U.S. military aid at risk if they remove a democratically-elected government by force or seek to reconstitute the autocratic regime that misruled Egypt until a year ago. A military takeover will not end Egypt’s political crisis, and the United States should neither be complicit in one, nor allow itself to be blamed for it.

– Washington Post

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Kunle Fagbemi •Editor, Online Lekan Otufodunrin •Managing Editor Northern Operation Yusuf Alli •Managing Editor Waheed Odusile

• Executive Director (Finance & Administration) Ade Odunewu

•Deputy Editor Lawal Ogienagbon

•Advert Manager Robinson Osirike

• Gen. Manager (Training and Development) Soji Omotunde •Chief Internal Auditor Toke Folorunsho •Senior Manager (sales) Akeem Shoge

•Deputy Editor (News) •IT Manager Adeniyi Adesina Bolarinwa Meekness •Deputy Editor (Nation’s Capital) Yomi Odunuga •Press Manager •Group Political Editor Udensi Chikaodi Emmanuel Oladesu •Group Business Editor Ayodele Aminu •Sport Editor Ade Ojeikere •Editorial Page Editor Sanya Oni

•Manager, Corporate Marketing Hameed Odejayi • Manager (Admin) Folake Adeoye

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

20

CARTOON & LETTERS

S

IR: The recent report that the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution had completed its assignment and released its long awaited recommendations is a welcome development Some of the highlights of the committee’s recommendations are bound to elicit even more serious debates on the entire process of constitutional amendments.

Some of the committee’s recommendations include: The separation of the office of the Federal Attorney General from that of the Minister of Justice; abolition of joint account of the states with the local governments; creation of the office of Mayor for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The committee

S

EDITOR’S MAIL BAG

SEND TYPEWRITTEN, DOUBLE SPACED AND SIGNED CONTRIBUTIONS, LETTERS AND REJOINDERS OF NOT MORE THAN 800 WORDS TO THE EDITOR, THE NATION, 27B, FATAI ATERE ROAD, MATORI, LAGOS. E-mail: views@thenationonlineng.net

On Senate committee’s report on constitutional review also rejected requests for creation of new states on the ground that none of the numerous requests met the constitutional requirements for their creation. It also rejected the idea of state police among others.

The committee’s most controversial recommendation in its report was on the issue of a single six year term of office for the President and Governors. This most unpopular

recommendation is to say the least, ill-conceived, retrogressive and self-serving.

It is regrettable that after expending valuable time and enormous resources, the Senate Committee failed to address the fundamental issues that had greatly impeded the socio-economic cum political development of the nation since independence. It deliberately shied

away or ignored to address the endemic problems currently confronting the nation such as: perennial political instability occasioned by lack of adequate constitutional framework for the operation of true fiscal federalism as obtainable in advanced democracies of the world.

The committee seems to have ignored the popular agitations for urgent restructuring of the country

the quoted poet did NOT write that poem! (The subtle tautology in the structure of the said question is even more worrisome: …the use of repetition as it is used…)

John Donne, the English 16th century metaphysical poet, wrote ‘The Sun Rising’ and not ‘The Soul’s Errand’!

Obviously the item writers and whosoever has the statutory responsibility within NECO to oversee the vetting of (Literature in English) questions have done a ‘good’ job of overlooking two vital elements: the referencing and the structure. Could the number of candidates who got confused in the examination be quantified?

Could the question of the NECO

corporate image be rectified?

Would the confused candidate be liable for this error? Could a poor grade or outright ‘failure’ in that paper be modified? (That question alone carried 30 marks!) Within academia, could the embarrassment this misadventure might cause be measured? Are these items standardised or worthy of being re-tested by teachers across the nation, and beyond the Nigerian waters? Won’t many other prospective candidates be further misled because it is the practice in many schools that teachers rely on ‘past questions’ for their internal assessments? This calls for a re-think.

The other matters centre on NECO and public (dis)trust, depending on

the perception one takes. If we limit ourselves to item writing for examinations alone, the language and literature backgrounds of any seasoned teachers would have given them the opportunity to compare the phrasing and content (task achievement and response) of test items prepared by similar bodies across the world. It is in the interest of the NECO’s corporate governance and image to attain this level of social service and public trust. It is also in their interest that experienced item writers, examiners, and sundry employees involved with examinations are recruited and remunerated well and promptly.

• Adeodu Aanuoluwapo Abuja.

enhanced allowances by the Federal Government.

In 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan had approved the upward review of salaries of federal civil servants including pensioners. In fact, while flagging off the payment of outstanding arrears, the president had directed the Minister of Defence to ensure that military pensioners be included in any future review.

Expectedly, federal public servants including serving military personnel have been receiving this new remuneration since July 1, 2010. The sad thing however, is that majority of us, including retired Army, Navy and Air force personnel, who have paid their dues for the country, have been left in the lurch.

To say the least, we are seriously agonizing over the non-payment of our accumulated pension arrears three years after it was approved for payment by the Federal Government.

But we are however at a quandary as to why the Federal Government is behaving like the proverbial ostrich and pretending as if everything is on the mend, when trouble is indeed brewing.

At different interface and discussion sessions with fellow service men under the aegis of Retired Army, Navy and Air Force Officers Association of Nigeria (RANAO), we are usually regaled with sad tales of our men who have fallen on evil days and can’t find peace at home as they grapple with one intractable problem or

When NECO came short in integrity test

IR: Examination bodies of worth always contract a group of seasoned teachers, and, or subject specialists within the academic or educational sectors to write items for immediate or future use for the examinations that they (the bodies) organise and administer. By extension, they are obligated to draft (with reference to our national and sub-regional scopes and with the highest regard for confidentiality) the questions for prospective examination candidates.

This rigorous academic and professional activity is expected to pass through a quality control process of phrasing, editing, vetting, re-drafting, approval, and archiving. Somehow, a pre-testing of the items might be required for the purpose of standardisation. This process serves an important purpose: errors are detected and corrected before the administration of the said items.

In Section IV, the NECO June 2013 Literature in English Paper II booklet contained this as its 11th question: Explain the use of repetition as it is used to build the theme of John Donne’s ‘The Soul’s Errand’.

To the reader who might not be a literary person or might not be familiar with the pattern of examining, the literature papers have I, II, and III respectively. Paper I tests the literary skills, unseen texts, and Shakespeare using the multiple choice objective pattern. Paper II tests drama and poetry, and paper III tests the prose titles. The ‘question’ above was set in paper II and it carried a misleading referencing:

S

as already demanded by majority Nigerians during its public hearings held across the country as well as numerous memoranda submitted to the committee by patriotic Nigerians. It is instructive to observe also that some of the so-called amendments as recommended by the committee were purely administrative in nature and as such ought not to have been made constitutional issues in the first place.

The distinguished members of the National Assembly should not miss this golden opportunity to write their names in gold by urgently and decisively effecting radical changes in the 1999 constitution which was never approved by the people but simply the product of the despotic and authoritarian military regime that was totally ill-equipped in constitution making process. The National Assembly therefore, should as a matter of national priority embark on some radical and far reaching changes in the country’s constitution which will surely promote the spirit of true nationalism as well as the socio-economic cum political transformation of the country as a potential economic power house within the African continent and beyond.

It is needless to emphasize the point here that for the country to take her rightful place as a major player in world affairs, certain bold and courageous actions must be taken urgently to restructure the country.

• Nze Nwabueze Akabogu (JP) Enugwu-Ukwu, Anambra State.

Mr. President, military pensioners are starving

IR: Only an individual burning with patriotic fervour would readily lay down his life for fellow countrymen and indeed fatherland.

But the irony, however, is that in Nigeria, patriots, who have devoted the better part of their lives in defence of their country have either died unsung, and for the lucky few still alive, pine under the yoke of poverty simply because they just can’t afford the basic necessities of life, no thanks to an uncaring but spineless system!

The foregoing anecdote, if you may, becomes apposite in describing the plights of Nigerian military pensioners, who for over three years, are still waiting to get the much promised

the other in their daily lives.

As we ponder over the problem of unpaid arrears, here are some posers for the authority to peruse carefully.

Does the Federal Government want us to take up arms against the state as some aggrieved individuals are wont to do before they will accede to our request? Are we being plain silly for asking for our rights and seeking for what to my mind, are our dues? Is it a crime to have served our fatherland at the time we did?

As a government which prides itself as an apostle of the rule of law, the time to act is now to prevent any untoward happening.

• Major Yusuf Abdulkadri (rtd.)

Lagos

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013 16

21

COMMENTS

Niggers with attitude (4) • (Portrait of the Nigerian as a ‘black’ ant)

W

E live to a devastating stereotype. Like fattened ducks, we waddle against the walls of institutionalized pigeonholes as the ram thrashes in its soul at the descent of the butcher’s jackknife. But we are no ducks neither are we cattle of any kind. We are humans, learning to live as livestock, because we think it’s shrewd and fashionable to do so.

Freedom has a thousand charms to show, that slaves, however contented, never know, writes Cowper and quite truthfully too. The tragedy is in the details. And the details are all around us, in our past glories and defeat, infinite quirks and measured sobriety. It is in our fabled heritage and defunct humanity, colourful history and grand inadequacies.

It’s what separates our foibles from what we term fate. And what symbolizes our mental inferiorities and political expediencies.

But necessity, like William Pitt the Younger, would say, is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants and the creed of slaves. Slaves like the Nigerian nigger.

A 27-minute video among other things, distinguishes a select few of Nigeria’s pioneer statesmen from the gangs of glorified eejits – if I

may insult poor eejits by comparing them to the country’s ruling class – that currently occupy the country’s corridors of power. The video is of the July 1961 visit of Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to the United States of America (USA).

Great thanks to Farooq Kperogi, a Nigerian scholar resident in the USA; after he stumbled on the video on the website of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, he promptly shared it with friends on Facebook. The video is intense with charm and instructive with lessons in manhood, desirable pride, poise and refinement epitomized by the league of extraordinary statesmen that served Nigeria at independence.

Between July 25 and 28, Kperogi, enthused and I confirmed in the video, the late Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and a modest entourage of about 10 key government officials visited the United States on the invitation of the late President John F. Kennedy during which Tafawa Balewa visited major historical landmarks in representative parts of the United States and addressed a special joint session of the United States Congress that was convened in his

‘The Nigerian leadership today could be likened to men gifted with the mentality of the hyena and the sensibility of the guinea fowl. The same may be said of the Nigerian citizenry. Our lust for unearned riches, acclaim and the west’s approval illustrates the shallowness and weakness of the Nigerian adult’s ignorance and awfully preadolescent mind. It reiterates a very shrill cry for help that’s at once self-seeking, infantile and retrograde’

R

IVERS State governor Chibuike Amechi and his Akwa Ibom counterpart, Godswill Akpabio, who are the leading dramatis personae in the feud which has engulfed the Nigerian Governors Forum since May, have at least one thing in common: they both have private jets. A number of Nigerians seem not have issues with the acquisition of executive jets for the exclusive use of the Rivers and Akwa Ibom governors because both states earn so much revenues from Nigeria’s oil sales. True, these states are reaping fortunes from unearned income or what economists call transfers from the federation account. But neither Rivers nor Akwa Ibom is as rich as Lagos State which makes money from truly productive ventures and regenerative endeavours.

Interestingly, the Lagos State governor has no private jet or even a helicopter. And there are no plans to get one in the foreseeable future.

The stark difference in the lifestyles of the Lagos State governor and his counterparts is no happenstance. It is fundamental. It is revealing of their mindsets. Apart from Peter Obi of Anambra State, Babatunde Fashola of Lagos is the only governor in Nigeria who goes about with no siren blaring away or long motorcades complete with a platoon of fierce-looking and heavily armed security officials. He is the only public officer since the restoration of democratic rule in 1999 who has bluntly refused to accept any kind of award, including the national honour, because of the conviction that honours should be bestowed on office holders only after they have left office. In a country where high office holders use stupendous public resources to bribe and lobby for accolades the Lagos governor has provided us all food for thought.

Fashola marked his 50 th birthday on June 26 and, characteristically, there were no squandering of public funds on any razzmatazz. There is in him a deep belief that every high public officer is a servant of the people, and not their conqueror who must at all times lord it over them. In other words, leadership is all about service. In the language of the Scriptures, the son of man has “come to serve, and not to be served” (Matthew 20:28).

Very few things illustrate the profound failure of leadership in Nigeria at every level as the rash of private aircraft at our airports in the midst of growing mass misery and collapse of infrastructure as well as ruination of institutions. Whether in the private or public sector, our people equate leadership with ostentation and vanity rather than service and sacrifice.

This is why Nigerian evangelical pastors, whose congregations are overwhelmingly poor, would consider it infra dig to fly on anything less than a private jet while the Pope, who leads the world’s biggest and wealthiest church, always travels by Alitalia. Why should the Taraba State

honor.

Only a select few, as Kperogi noted, “are accorded the honour of addressing a joint session of the United States Congress. Certainly no Nigerian head of state has been accorded this honour since Tafawa Balewa.” According to the website of the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, since 1874 when the King of Hawaii first addressed a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress, there have been only 112 such privileges granted to foreign leaders and dignitaries.

Watching the video was as enchanting as it was delightful; Balewa’s address to the joint session was persistently “punctuated” by thunderous, standing ovation. In all the cities he and his entourage visited, Americans came out to wave at them hospitably, and U.S. government officials bowed very respectfully when they shook hands with the Nigerian Prime Minister. Thus was the depth of respect the pioneer Nigerian leader and nationalist inspired in 1960s America.

Men like Balewa and his contemporaries at the period in the persons of the late Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe to mention a few, personified the infectious grandeur, unimpeachable character, progressiveness, patriotism, depth and selfassurance that remains the prime requirements of statesmanship that Nigeria and the African continent deserves. These men, despite their shortcomings, were no Nigerian niggers. The same can hardly be said of incumbent Nigerian leadership and citizenry.

The Nigerian leadership today could be likened to men gifted with the mentality of the hyena and the sensibility of the guinea fowl. The same may be said of the Nigerian citizenry. Our lust for unearned riches, acclaim and the west’s approval illustrates the shallowness and weakness of the Nigerian adult’s ignorance and awfully

preadolescent mind. It reiterates a very shrill cry for help that’s at once self-seeking, infantile and retrograde. It is what makes Nigerian leaders pilfer and deplete the nation’s treasury to embark on idiotic trips abroad to learn westerneuropean governance styles to be ineffectually applied back home. It is what makes Nigerian leaders throw their doors open to every visiting foreign cub reporter even as they deny seasoned journalists back home, similar opportunities. During such interviews, such characters persistently expose themselves to ridicule, presenting themselves as inveterate idiots by their comportment and utterances which are tailored to glorify the disturbing plots and agenda of the foreign newshounds.

The citizenry is guilty of the same inanity as indicated by the widely broadcast documentaries on Niger Delta militancy, the insidiously “professional” and manipulative “This is Lagos” and “Law and Disorder in Lagos” documentaries on Lagos which glorifies the city’s shanty and street urchin (area boys) culture and malaise. Such media fare reveals contemptible plots to fulfill derogatory news agendas to the delight and pitiful acquiescence of the news subjects.

I am yet to see a Nigerian journalist travel to the United Kingdom or the US for instance, to enjoy similar courtesies and stupidity from the countries’ leadership and citizenry.

It’s even more worrisome to note that the incumbent Nigerian leadership has never enjoyed and will never enjoy the kind of respect accorded the late Tafawa Balewa, Obafemi Awolowo and their ilk at independence. It is impossible for the average Nigerian to enjoy such courtesies and honor given the inexplicable greed, complacence, degeneracy, shallowness of thought and character characteristic of majority of the Nigerian people.

The kind of inferiority complex projected by the ruling class and passed down to generations of Nigerian youth affirms the western belief that we are not as mentally proficient as they are. Consequently, they see us as irredeemably ignorant, inept, corrupt and susceptible to inexplicable violence and inferiority complex. Unfortunately, the average Nigerian’s sociability and prodigal nature manifests to further serve as evidence of a collective idiocy and inferiority complex of a crude race that recognizes and accepts its intolerable limitations.

That we are very accommodating and hospitable like Akin Akindele rightly noted shouldn’t make us “bend over backwards to impress any white or yellow man more than we would any other ordinary person.” But the import of such admonition is lost on us; mediocre and highly incompetent foreigners come to Nigeria and are immediately regarded as ‘expatriates.’ Yet many brainy and exceedingly talented Nigerians are treated with contempt and suspicion at home and abroad. Abroad, they are despised for being Nigerians based on bigoted generalizations about the average Nigerian’s fraudulence and deadliness. At home they are despised for being different and capable of evolving the process that would lead to that progressive and prosperous socio-economic system that we seek.

If we are to be judged by indigenous mores of morality or what Greek philosopher, Pythagoras, deems the human measure of all things, we shan’t fare excellently well, not by a smidgen. We have fared diffidently for too long; that is why local and international idiots as fragile as clay toys have evolved into outsized heroes and gods, on our watch. To the rest of the world, we are just a bunch of contemptible niggers; still.

• To be continued...

How Fashola defines service

By C. Don Adinuba governor insist on a private aircraft when American governors, for example, drive themselves to work daily because their states cannot afford to procure the services of official drivers?

Olusegun Obasanjo, who popularized “low profile” in Nigeria in the 1970s when he was the military Head of State, was regrettably the person who, as Nigeria’s democratically elected president between 1999 and 2007, led an assault against the concept. By the time Obasanjo returned to office in 1999, Peugeot which Obasanjo made the official car from the mid 1970s was still the official brand for public officers. It was assembled in Nigeria. But Obasanjo quickly jettisoned it in favour of Mercedes and very expensive Japanese SUVs imported into Nigeria by a handful of Indian traders and Nigerian merchants. Ministers and state governors followed in his footstep. Consequently, the Peugeot Assembly of Nigeria (PAN) is now moribund, with the local engineers and the other employees and consultants and suppliers out of work. The same fate befell ANAMCO, the Mercedes truck assembly plant in Enugu.

In his world famous memoir, Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew expresses shock at the sight of presidents of poor nations like Nigeria and Kenya arriving at the 1980 Commonwealth summit in Canada with presidential planes. Some of the African rulers were at the summit to solicit for aid from countries whose leaders came by commercial planes! Not long ago, the King of Swaziland, a tiny and very poor country in the belly of South Africa, insisted before Parliament on the acquisition of a presidential jet, arguing ferociously that he needed it to fly around the world in search of aid for his kingdom which depends on foreign assistance for survival. It does not matter to African rulers like this king that the prime ministers of prosperous nations like the United Kingdom and Singapore have no presidential jets, even though Britain is a major aircraft manufacturer. The Fokker brand, used widely in Nigeria and elsewhere, is British. And Rolls Royce of the UK is a key manufacturer of plane engines worldwide.

The false consciousness of Nigerian—nay African—rulers is the primary reason why development has over the decades eluded us. Therefore, it gladdens the heart anytime one sees a leader like Fashola who is in a different mould; he is

purpose-driven. Fashola understands that leadership is about service to the people, and not self aggrandisement. His performance in office has been sterling and inspiring.

Lagosians, who are historically difficult to govern because of the robust tradition of activism, have been star-struck, charmed. At the President Goodluck Jonathan’s launch of Road Map for Power Sector Reform at Eko Hotel in Lagos on August 26, 2010, the governor made other top government officials look very unpopular, almost making them cut the image of personae non grata. Immediately Fashola was called upon to speak, the large audience comprising leading entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bank executives, manufacturers, international and local media went into a long frenzy of adulation. The master of ceremonies could not stop the audience. It even took the governor himself time and effort to stop the fawning audience. The first sentence President Jonathan uttered when he got up to speak was “I can see clearly that the people of Lagos State are very happy with their governor”. And the audience responded enthusiastically as one man, “Yes oh!”, followed by another sustained round of applause.

The inimitable thinker, Obafemi Awolowo, has said it all: “The greatest legacy a leader can bequeath is to etch his name in gold in the hearts and minds of his people”. As I happily and proudly welcome my great friend and brother, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN- a Nigerian without bile, a Nigerian not held hostage by the errors of the past or by such primordial sentiments as regionalism, ethnicity or religion—into the golden age, I say: Not even the sky will be your limit. Ad multus annos.

• Adinuba is head of Discovery Public Affairs Consulting.

‘The false consciousness of Nigerian—nay African—rulers is the primary reason why development has over the decades eluded us.

Therefore, it gladdens the heart anytime one sees a leader like Fashola who is in a different mould; he is purpose-driven’

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

22

COMMENTS “For the sake of Egypt and for historical accuracy, let’s call what is happening by its real name: Military coup,” —— Essam al-Haddad (President Mohammed Morsi’s foreign policy adviser on his Face book page.)

UST some few days ago, Egyptians witnessed a new political reality when their military overthrew the country’s first democratically elected president whose government was only a year in office. President Mohammed Morsi’s government was a consequence of a 2011 Arab Spring uprising in Tahrir Square that upstaged the dictatorship of embattled and ailing Hosni Mubarak.

Tahrir Square is the epicentre of the globally famous 2011 uprising.

As customary in every coup d’état situation, the new military hegemony suspended the constitution while the head of the constitutional court has been sworn-in as interim president to lead a ‘temporary civilian government’ sequel to a new transition to electoral democracy. The absurdity of the entire process in Egypt is how to reconcile a scenario where a country with a suspended constitution will be led by Adly Mansour, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court. This is another military concocted aberration that manifested some days after President Barack Obama left the African soil after an official visit to some countries in the continent. The question: Can an army-installed administration lead to real democracy?

What the military has done in Egypt is synonymous with what the military in Nigeria were used to doing in their aberrant hey days in government. The Babangida administration at the twilight of its reign came up with a contraption called Interim National Government(ING) that was headed by a Babangida hand-picked person and that man was mischievously surrounded by inordinately ambitious military generals that included late General Sani Abacha. This scenario is the type that is unfurling in Egypt today and its unpalatable consequence awaits Egypt in her new found system that in political parlance is designated diarchy. This abracadabra is being done at the expense of genuine democracy. How forgetful are Egyptians with an ambitious military that were incharge when Hosni Mubarak was removed but could not do anything meaningful with power until global outcry compelled them to conduct an election in which Morsi was

J

L

ET me first raise a mug of my favorite beer (no brand name dropping now) to our dear governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF) on his turning 50 last Friday. I welcome him to our club, the golden age of gray and wisdom; a great club if you know how to live it. Great guy yea; and the song has been sung ad nauseam, I bet even he doesn’t want to hear it anymore.

But suffice it to articulate in a few words what one considers to be the BRF essence. He stands out clearly as the best governor in Nigeria today and perhaps the greatest leader of this age first because he has remained unaffected by power and second, he has exhibited leadership by sheer force of personal example more than any one else among his peers. Put differently, bewildering grace under the enormous influence of power and such transparency that is self-accounting, selfevident and that seems to ring through and true. Let us add a work ethic that is alien to today’s leaders. He has indeed been the real breath of fresh air in a Republic that is suffused with charlatans and power hogs.

We are daily embarrassed by governors and political leaders who seem to have no clue as to why they are in office, who are so excited by the office they occupy that it has become an end in itself and indeed, the end of the world for them. Many show such manifest greed that you can see currency notes sticking out of their ears and dangling from the neck of their spouses and family members. While BRF has managed to put a handle on power, most of his contemporaries are virtually being storm-tossed in the rise and tide of power. And the tragedy is that they are not aware of that fact. But while a book could be written on the BRF paradigm in this murky ocean of mis-governance, here are a few things not quite right in Lagos today.

LGAs AS ROAD TO NOWHERE: perhaps the most tragic phenomenon blighting the country today is that we have turned our local council governments into a mere concept.

Our LGAs have become an endless, worthless and mischievous argument while the hapless inhabitants languish. All over the country – from Sokoto to Borno, from Bayelsa to Anambra, Edo, Ondo, one cannot find any

07011117777

Egypt as incorrigible scapegoat

•Obama democratically elected as president by the people.

Whether in Egypt, Senegal or Nigeria, the military institution is the same. They are always very greedy and tenacious when it comes to the issue of power. Yet, our people in the African continent have refused to learn from history as they erroneously see their interventions in power from the messianic prisms. And in tandem with people’s regrettable reactions during such periods, jubilant opposition in their millions celebrated the latest Egypt’s putsch with fireworks at Cairo’s Tahrir Square, where men and women reportedly danced with shouts of “God is great” and “Long live Egypt” renting the air.

Nigerians once toed this path. However, while this was going on, President Morsi’s Islamist supporters equally embarked on ral-

lies in support of their ousted leader said to be under house arrest at a Presidential Guard facility. These noticeable divisive power blocs may for a long time mar the peace of Egypt.

Quite typical of the tyrannical military during such misplaced interventions, the Egyptian army took control of state media and sealed up Television stations operated by the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood TV station and Islamist TV networks forcefully went blank. Security forces also stormed the studio of Al-Jazeera Misr Mubasher and detained the staffers there. This is just a tip of an unpleasant appetiser that further clampdown of the media is imminent.

Yours sincerely agrees that Egyptians have a right to despise a situation where rather than squarely tackle their country’s economic woes, Morsi was reportedly busy concentrating power in the hands of his Muslim Brotherhood and others. But is military coup that has bastardised the polity of virtually all African countries the solution? Is it not apt to ask whether there was an external influence that goaded the military to upstage Morsi?

The question becomes pertinent especially when president Barrack Obama of the United States (the US being Egypt’s military’s greatest ally since the 1979 Israeli-Egypt peace accords) visited the African continent? What an ironical coincidence! Why then is it so difficult for the US government to call a spade by its original name by publicly acknowledging that what happened in Egypt was nothing but a coup d’etate against the electorate of that Arab country.

The hypocrisy of the US clamour for global democracy would become glaring if it could

EXPRESSO STEVE OSUJI

SMS O8181624757, email:steve.osuji@yahoo.com

Five things Gov. Fashola ain’t getting right glittering example of a 3rd-tier administration at work. What we have now range from the most opaque system to sheer brigandage. And the result across the country: extreme impoverishment of the larger population which yields itself to extreme crimes like violent robberies, kidnapping, cultism, human trafficking, militancy and terrorism.

Because hardly any economic activities go on in our local administrative units, large swathes of our people and territory are left bare and barren.

This is the case in Lagos under BRF as it is in most parts of the country. This explains why the more BRF does, the more he has left undone. For every one facility he provides, there are about 57 others thus the need to work in tandem with the 57 administrative units for Lagos to lift from its morass of decay, crimes and slumhood. While one does not wish to be embroiled in the constitutional debates and politics of it, the point remains that BRF has not been able to device a mechanism that would make the local councils work.

ONE MAN SHOW? Another point to ponder about the BRF era is a lack of robust delegation of responsibilities to cabinet members and aides. Though it is a national affliction of Nigeria’s leadership and not peculiar to BRF, we long for the day when our governors, presidents and heads at all levels would retreat to the background, to the quiet cran-

nies where concepts and ideas reign while the aides are allowed ample initiatives to play the field. I look forward to the day when a works commissioner for instance, would own his projects, run his projects, sell it to the people and commission it without the governor ever showing his face. Most governors are busy building roads, culverts, gutters, classroom blocks and flyovers that they miss the most important point which is governing.

OTHER POTENTIALITIES OF LAGOS: There is a notion that Lagos State is so fortuitously situated; that indeed the gods had provided all the food the state needs and that she only needs to prepare it. That is true to some extent. The revenue templates are there for instance and the dough would stream in in billion unhindered, no matter who is in the Round House. The BRF government has particularly perfected taxation as its main stream of revenue (you won’t believe that one has been taxed off one’s pants!). We have not seen this government pursue the other economic potentialities of the state other than taxes and rents. For instance, tourism, her aquatic splendor which is largely dormant, agric export, ICT and entertainment could be catalyzed to be huge revenue machines.

REAL SECTOR IN REGRESS: Lagos State used to be the thriving hub of manufacturing and industrialization. Today, though there

not muster the desired courage that is necessary for her to suspend the huge yearly foreign aid of $1.3 billion in military and $250million in economic assistance to Egypt as a form of sanction. Afterall, the US law permits the country to give aid to nations that are democratically governed-not one administered by military coupists and few hand-picked collaborative civilians such as Mohammed El-Baradei, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the former head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency; Sheik Ahmed elTayeb, a top Muslim cleric, Mahmoud Badr, one of two representatives of Tamarod, that youthful group that organised the current uprising and Coptic Pope Tawadros II, as well as opposition activists and some members of the ultraconservative Salafi movements.

The precedent had been set by the US in this regard. When Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in June 2009, Washington temporarily suspended aid, but did not cut about $30 million in assistance for that country until more than two months later. In April 2012, the United States suspended at least $13 million of its $140 million in annual aid to Mali following a coup in the West African nation. That of Egypt should not be different until Morsi returns to power to complete his term in that Arab country.

What is unfolding in Egypt today is the beginning of a chain of events, the end of which no one can predict. The world should keep tab on that country’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abdel-Fattah El-Sissi that announced the coup to see whether indeed he or one of his close military allies would not forcefully transmute into a civilian president. The way he dished out ultimatum of 48 hours to defiant 62-year-old Morsi to relinquish the legitimate mandate given him by 51.7 percent of Egyptians in June 2012 was despicable. It is sad that a democratically elected government, against the provisions of the constitution, can be removed via military ultimatum. This is a sad commentary in not only Egypt but Africa’s political history.

Military men that remove elected officials of government are nothing but coupists, and contrary to El-Sissi’s conjured postulations, can not be truly acting on the will of the people to clear the way for a new leadership in Egypt or in any other country. What manner of leadership can a military leadership give birth to? The sad Nigerian military example is a classical lesson that incorrigible Egypt is not ready to learn from. are still some machines rolling but they seem cranky, exhausted while many have simply packed up. Recently no fewer than 70 companies were delisted from the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE); these were hitherto thriving entities mostly based in Lagos, providing quality jobs and impacting the state’s economy. A drive through Oba Akran Avenue/Henry Carr axis of Ikeja Industrial estate is sure to make your heart sink – vast industrial complexes have been converted to miracle churches.

Apart from picking juicy taxes from companies, when was the last time government engaged organized business groups with a view to ameliorating their challenges and ensuring their continued existence? How many new major real sector operators have berthed in the state in recent years and what are the strategies for attracting and sustaining businesses?

HIGH-MINDED and HIGH-HANDED? BRF’s obvious high mind seems to naturally breed high handedness and this has largely defined his style of governance. It is a style that earns bounteous results but it also draws its flaks. Examples abound: the doctors’ strike palaver could have been better managed knowing that we are dealing with the high end of our society that could not be banished.

The reverse case is the commercial cyclists (okada) who were off-handedly banished just because we could do so. With a little more circumspection, they could have been better managed and contained to the benefit of all.

The okada affair is ironically, to the benefit and ruination of the police in the state today.

The state university affair is also a point to note. The state must never be perceived to be profiting from public education. If subsidies are banished, if fee must be charged, it ought to be just enough to run well. The suspended bridge toll too could have been priced at half the current rate and the economy of the state would never have collapsed in September or even the near future. If we have paid for the bridge to be built, why do we have to pay even more to use it?

Having made these points, we reiterate that BRF remains the best among his peers by miles.

FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

Pages 25

Website: http://www.thenationonlineng.com

•The late Egbe (third left), his wife (fourth left) and children before his untimely death

Chevron boat mishap: Victims’ families demand answers

Richard Egbe’s death is perhaps the most inopportune of the 11 victims in the calamitous Jascon 4 boat accident. He was enjoying his mandatory two-week off when he was recalled for a special task on May 22. Four days later, he went down with the boat. He left an expectant wife, six children, an aged, recently widowed mother, unfulfilled dreams and tons of responsibilities. Joy Esigbemi and other members of the Ogbe family spoke exclusively with our Southsouth Regional Editor SHOLA O’NEIL.

A

T the Ubeji residence of the Egbes, signs of unfinished businesses are visible everywhere: his children lay on sofas; his wife - heavily pregnant and groaning - sat on a threadbare mattress in a sparse bedroom; his younger brothers - Amaju and Oritsema - sat on the cold bare floor, all bedraggled, all garbed in black.

Outside the bungalow, an attached store under construction stood desolate. One of his siblings said Richard had meant to complete the building and set up a provisions shop for his wife so she could stay at home and take care of

Inside

the growing family.

“He had also built one for my mother and was yet to stock it before his last journey,” Oritsema rued.

Richard was one of the 12 men who went on tension tow expenditure at the Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) #3 of Chevron Nigeria Limited aboard the Anchor Handling Tugboat, Jascon 4 on Sunday, May 26.

All but the cook of the vessel returned in body bags.

The event leading to their deaths on that fateful morning of May 26 is still a mystery, but the grief and pains of the families, like the Egbes, are real.

The management of West Af-

rican Ventures (WALVIS), a subsidiary of Sea Truck Group and Chevron on whose duty the fatal accident occurred have kept mum so far.

When Mrs Egbe spoke to our reporter, her voice was low and burdened by sorrow.

There was also unmistakable bitterness and anger as she recalled how her spouse was “dragged to his death”.

“He was on time off when he was recalled by his employer. He was asked to relieve someone who had to leave. It was the last time we saw him; if they had allowed him complete his rest period at home he would still be with

Man ‘buries lover in shallow grave’ Page 39

us.

“It was my mother-in-law who called me to break the sad news. When I got to the house, she was crying. I was curious because she called to send me on an errand. When they told me what happened, I said it was not possible because my husband just went to work on Wednesday.

“See (pointing) that is his eldest son, he had just gained admission. When my husband was going to work, he asked him to come later for money to get the things he needs. Look at the daughter; she is in SS3 and preparing for her WAEC, the second son is

about to learn a trade and he needs money to start off.”

Still, as painful as his death was, the family lamented that the treatment of WALVIS, on whose duty their breadwinner died, made the pain unbearable.

Displaying a certificate of long service given by WALVIS, Mrs Egbe said the late Richard, a boson, had served the company for over 17 years, first as a casual worker before his employment was ratified. She said he was due for another honour later in the year before his unfortunate end.

Crisis looms in Edo community Page 28

•Fish farmer Ufuoma Idama

The untold story of the millionaire fishermen Page 40

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

Widowed a week after wedding Page 27

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

26

NIGER DELTA REPORT They are the new face of construction in Delta State.

Women - young and old standing out against their male counterparts in concrete mixing and other arduous jobs.

Report by OKUNGBOWA AIWERIE

A

MOTLEY gang of artisans laboured under the enervating mid-day sun at a building site. The pace of work was frenetic as the workers raced to meet their daily quota of work. The size of work done at the end of the day largely determines their pay.

A steady stream of helpers with head pans served blocks and mortar to masons perched precariously on scaffolds.

Women made up a sizable number of the workers at the building site as was the case at another site just down the road. Unlike their barechested male counterparts, the women wore loose fitting dirty gowns. They cut a comical sight as they dug, shovCONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

Amaju, a younger brother of the deceased, said: “Even the death of an animal does not deserve the kind of treatment meted on us and other victims’ families by the company. They acted as if our brother was a fowl that died.”

He lamented that the family got no formal information about the accident until the corpses were deposited at the morgue of a private hospital in Warri.

“They (WALVIS) called us to come and identify the body so that we would collect them for burial. They want to get the matter over with as soon as possible and they think that getting the corpses out of the mortuary is one way to do this.”

Speaking in the same vein, Mrs. Egbe said: “I feel aggrieved because since the incident, I have not heard from the company. This makes me feel very bad because my husband gave 17 years of his life to the services of this company and when he died they did not have the sensibility to come and inform us about what happened.

“Since I got the news I have been sitting here and up till this moment there has been no official response or visit from the company. There has been no condolence visit or even a letter to say, ‘sorry about your loss’. This is most callous and irresponsible.”

Besides, some of the deceased’ families are furious about the perceived slow rescue operation. Amaju said the late Egbe and some other colleagues would have survived

Amazons of Delta’s

•Women at work at a building site

elled, and served mortar.

Christiana Aki, 53, a mother of nine, led the womenfolk engaged as casual labourers at this building site in Owvian community Udu Local Government Area.

With over 15 years experience in this type of work, she was the undisputed leader at this site and she was proud.

She straightened up, drew a thumb across her face and flicked sweat away; then resumed her bent posture while expertly mixing a bag of cement into a heap of sharp sand.

Another woman dumped

•Amazons doing their thing

a head pan at her feet into which she shovelled mortar.

Underneath a nearby avocado pear tree, a couple of malnourished children in underpants played games, awaiting their mothers engaged at the building site.

At all building sites in the urban centres of Warri, Effurun, Ughelli and Udu in Delta State, women make up a large percentage of the casual labour force, a hitherto male- dominated profession.

While having not made inroads into the skilled professions of carpentry and masonry, they more than hold

their own as unskilled labourers at most building sites.

Aside the routine task of serving mortar and blocks to masons, women were in charge, though with the active participation of young men, of mixing the concrete slurp used on decked buildings.

According to Mrs. Aki, the necessities of making ends meet led them to this tasking job.

Speaking in pidgin English she said, “Why we dey do this work, you known say life don pass like that, so we Warri

women we dey help our husbands. With nine children I noh fit leave them education for only my husband. My husband’s salary cannot take care of all our needs in our home. We dey do this work to help our husbands.”

Mrs. Aki says she is accustomed to the after effects of a hard manual job, stressing that occasionally she resorts to self- medication.

To counter the effects, she says she resorts to the services of a masseur once a month, especially on weekends.

“After the day’s job when I

reach house I go take medicine, but I noh dey take medicine every day, because the work don master me. But once a month I go go massage.”

For her and her gang of labourers, they cannot afford rest days, except when there is no work at the sites in the neighbourhood.

They are undeterred by the hard work that comes with manual concrete mixing; pointing out that with no other choice they are condemned to mix concrete manually.

The large percentage of casual labourers in the building

Chevron boat mishap: victims’

•Mrs. Egbe if the company had reacted as soon as they got the boat’s distress call.

Although his assertion could not be independently confirmed, he said information available to the family indicated that rescue operation did not start until about 24

•The late Egbe’s son hours after.

“My brother did not drown, he died of suffocation. Drowning would have left his skin messed up but it was dry and normal when we saw his body; no bodyorpse will stay in a salt water and come out the same. We are riverside

dwellers and we have seen the bodies of persons who drowned,” Amaju said.

Another sore spot for the family is the autopsy. His wife said they were unimpressed that they were not notified or represented when the postmortem was carried out. She

said the posture indicated that the company hadn’t told the whole truth about the accident.

The Warri Base Manager of the company, Mr. Prince Ebhodaghe, who was contacted by our reporter on telephone, refused to comment.

He became very hostile when our reporter asked for information about the accident and allegations about his firm’s conduct.

“Do you know who I am?

Do you know the person you are talking to?” he thundered repeatedly before hanging up.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

27

construction sites

•A casual labourer at work in Udu

industry in the Delta South senatorial district, have led the women into forming unions, though not in the strict sense of the word.

The unions are not only for socialising among the womenfolk who engage in casual labour, but also for negotiating favourable deals.

For this particular union, the women christened it “Ekiverere Union” which loosely translate to “a business that admits no loss” or “profitable business”.

Aside the need to assist their husbands in the upkeep of the home, some of the ca-

•Mrs Aki

sual labourers believe it is better than trading.

“Chemo”, as Aki is fondly called, says she abandoned trading long go because trading is capital intensive, pointing out that meager returns are often diverted to other financial needs of the family resulting in bankruptcy.

Curiously, Mrs. Aki is happy with the job despite its tasking nature, pointing out that often she starts her day without a kobo but goes home after a hard day’s job with her pocket filled.

She says a labourer may go home with N2000 to N4000

daily.

“Chemo” admonishes women who virtually depend on their husbands for all their needs to assist their husband by engaging in productive ventures. “My advice to women na make them hustle.

Dem noh dey stand dey look man to provide for the home, make dem hustle as we dey hustle so. If you wait man to provide money for everything, then nah you send him go thief”.

Robinson Diebromah, a mason, at the building site praised the womenfolk for their industry.

His words: “These women are doing a good job, they are trying. We always work with them. Their job consists of mixing concrete for the foundation job, after that serve masons with blocks and mortar.”

While conceding that women may not have the strength of their male counterparts, Diebromah said they were reliable and dependable.

On the downside, he admits that as women, they throw tantrums occasionally, adding that when this occurs, they are often coaxed with soothing words.

families demand answers ‘ the In line with

agreement they (dead staff) signed with our company, they will get 350 percent of their annual salaries as compensation. Apart from that we also paying for the coffins, transportation, burial rites and others

The late Egbe Before Ebhodaghe’s telephone meltdown, our reporter had spoken with a top management staff of the company who assured that there is a package already in place for the grieving families. Our source, who asked not to be named until the package is official, said West

African Ventures was picking the bills for the burial rites of the 11 victims, including a Ukrainian, whose remains had long been ferried to his home country.

“In line with the agreement they (dead staff) signed with our company, they will get 350

percent of their annual salaries as compensation. Apart from that we also paying for the coffins, transportation, burial rites and others,” the source added.

But angry relatives of the victims seemed unimpressed.

Ochukor Idolor, a sibling of

‘

Basil Idolor accused the company of valuing money more than the deceased and the families they left behind.

“WALVIS said they do not have life insurance policies for their staff, yet the sunken boat has insurance. Strange, is it not?”

NIGER DELTA REPORT

Widowed a week after wedding

L

From Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

IFE will never be the same for Samson Otabor’s family.

The 72-year-old cattle dealer in Upper Uwa, Benin City, Edo State, lost his 35-year-old son, Aimawosa, to a bullet - allegedly fired by the victim’s childhood friend - after a minor argument.

The unfortunate incident occurred barely one week after Aimawosa tied the nuptial knot with his heartthrob of many years. Family sources said the traditional marriage ceremony was delayed by the death of the bride’s family recently.

Narrating her heartbreaking story, Amaize, who is pregnant with the couple’s third child, said the death of her husband has robbed her the love and protection of a friend.

“It was only last week that we did our marriage; my father who died sometime ago is still in the mortuary waiting to be buried after we formalise our marriage. I lost my mother long time ago.”

When our reporter visited the one-storey building family house of the deceased, sympathisers gathered consoling the family members. The couple’s two children, Clinton, 4 and Anabel, 2, sat on her grandfather’s laps, as the septuagenarian gave a vivid account of the misfortune that befell the family.

“Last Sunday, May 19 was the last time I saw my son. He came here about 7am because he had some money which he needed to pay through me to some persons. We met and he gave me the money. I came back around 7pm, took my bath and wore my night dress preparing to go to bed.

“Suddenly I heard a cry downstairs; some people were shouting, ‘he is dead; he is dead’. Lucky Amadasun shot my son. I was wondering if it was my son they were talking about? So, I came downstairs and I met people holding the mother, who was wailing. “ I immediately sent my brother to go and check the house of the alleged killer of my son. When my brother got there, they told him that they had just carried the body of my son to Osuyi Hospital. The hospital said they could not handle it until they called the police.”

He said as at the time he spoke with our reporter, the alleged killer was hiding at a house in the •The widow Amaize Government Reserve Area (GRA) of Benin. He said the police were there because the Divisional Police Office asked his men not to leave the area.

The only “The people there (owners of the house) consolation for me refused to open the door. now is to see the As I was at the station, the police men came back to killer of my ask for a search warrant husband face the because they said without the warrant they could not full wrath of the force the door open.” law for making The old man said his late son was a friend to his me a widow at the killer and wondered what pushed the alleged killer time I needed the to turn around and kill his support of my friend of many years.

Pa Otabor said about husband to train four persons witnessed the children the argument that led to his son’s death. He said he was told that the problem started when argument ensued between one of the witnesses, simply identified as Ogbesia, and the alleged killer.

“He (Lucky) brought out a gun threatening to shoot Ogbesia and my son shouted ‘Ogbesia is your friend; please don’t kill him’. He further pleaded with him to drop the gun. But my son’s intervention cost him his life as he shot at him at the chest. He fell to the ground and died at the spot”.

He appealed to the police to apprehend his son’s killer, noting that the alleged killer had been calling and threatening to unleash mayhem on his (Otabor) family.

The deceased wife, whose account of the story was punctuated by intermittent wail, said: “My only hope in life has been taken away, leaving me with two little children to cater for. My husband grew up in the same area with him (alleged killer). I wonder why he had to take the life of my husband. “ The only consolation for me now is to see the killer of my husband face the full wrath of the law for making me a widow at the time I needed the support of my husband to train the children.”

Edo State Police Public Relation Officer Moses Eguavoen said the police have launched a manhunt for the alleged killer.

‘

‘

‘

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

28

NIGER DELTA REPORT

•The rotting equipment on the farm

•Delt-R Farms

Crisis looms in Edo community over farmland

A 6,000 hectares of farmland that was supposed to create jobs as well as boost food production in the country has become a source of conflict between Agbede community and a company, the Delt-R Farms that supposedly bought the land. OSAGIE OTABOR reports.

Y

OUTHS and leaders of Agbede community in Estako West Local Government Area of Edo State are spoiling for war. They have vowed to resist any attempt by a company, Delt-R Farms, to evacuate them from over 3,000 hectares of the land they are cultivating for farming.

Tension was heightened over alleged plans by Delt-R to sell the farmland to another investor. The road leading to the farmland is being graded and a new billboard was recently erected.

The farmland popularly known as the Agbede/Warrake farms was established by the military administration of Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia in 1971 in the defunct Midwest Region.

It was equipped with mechanised farming facilities, an air-strip, workshop, weigh bridge, silos, harvesters, tractors amongst others.

It started as Midwest Farm Settlement and later became Bendel Food Production Board. A German firm took over its management before the military administration of Colonel John Inienger sold it to Delt-R Farms for N3 million.

Delt-R was to, among other conditions, pay an annual rent of N67,034, maintain existing infrastructures in the land as well as not leave it fallow for a period exceeding six months at any time or eight months in a year.

It was expected to use the land solely for agric purposes and not erect any building other than those covenanted to be erected by virtue of the certificate of occupancy.

A recent visit to the farm showed that the villagers have cultivated large portion of the land, built up some parts and were preparing other parts for the new farming season.

The administrative building of the farm was dilapidated and overgrown by weeds. There was only one harvester and three tractors.

Head of Aviele Vigilante Squad, Isah Yahaya, who took our reporter on a tour of the farm, said the villagers started the land grab after the company failed to cultivate the land since it bought it. He said the land was meant to be cultivated to provide jobs and food for Agbede and

other villages around.

He alleged that no recompense was paid for the acquisition of the land, adding that its long abandonment made the villagers to start farming on the land.

“Where will these people go? The farm was moving fine then. Whatever you think of, maize, cocoa, water melon and other crops were produced there.”

Documents obtained by our reporter showed that in 2007, an Aviele clan head and the Oba of Agbede, HRH Alhaji M. S Momoh wrote to the state government informing it that farming activities stopped on the farmland.

The letter noted that “the land is the only mineral wealth of the community. Agbede clan should not be allowed to suffer in the midst of their untapped natural resources. The community has been putting up with this hardship for almost two decades and signs of youth and community agitations over this avoidable waste are evident in this clan.”

In another letter dated 14th January, 2008, the Oba sought to know if the Agbede farmland was listed as a property under the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The Oba, in the letter, said they were prepared to utilise the farmland to enhance the community’s economic growth, adding ‘the land is wasting away.’

The state government, in its January 28, 2008 reply, said the retrieval process of the Agbede farmland from its present owners was being addressed, promising “efforts will be made to ensure that the Agbede Farm project is committed to productive use again as soon as possible.”

In February 2008, Oba Momoh ordered the management of Delt-R Farms to remove all movable machinery from the farmland as the community was prepared to take over the farmland from March that year.

He advised Delt-R to stay away from the farmland for the purpose of peace, stating, “your negative activities have killed the economic and social development of Aviele com-

‘

Where will these people go? The farm was moving fine then. Whatever you think of, maize, cocoa, water melon and other crops were produced there

‘ munity and have aggravated wildspread unemployment of our people.”

In 2011, the Edo State House of Assembly stepped in following a petition by Mr. Sylvanus Oninkena on behalf of the community.

The lawmakers asked the state government to revoke the instrument of sales including C-of-O and Deeds of Assignment to Delt-R Nigeria Limited for failure to abide by the terms of agreement.

It also urged the government to take possession of the farms, adding that all serviceable machinery including tractors, harvesters removed by the firm should be recovered.

The member representing Agbede in the House of Assembly, Hon Abdul-Razak Momoh, in an interview with The Nation, said Delt-R bought the farm for speculative purposes and not for farming.

•Oroh

He said investigation had shown that Delt-R was asking for $6.6m from an investor who wanted to acquire the farmland.

He said:“When the House of Assembly committee went there, they met about five harvesters and tractors but when we went there, we met only three. Part of the condition was that the land should not be left without cultivation. They have not cultivated that place for the past 20 years. The infrastructure they met there has been stripped.”

The lawmaker said the path for peace and avoidance of legal tussle was for the state government to honour the resolution of the House of Assembly.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Abdul Oroh said: “When you go there now, you would weep. There used to be an airstrip. Plane could land there. There were good

mechanised equipment at that time.”

He explained that the company it over obtained a loan from the bank and there was a foreclosure to recover the loan, which led the farm being sold to another investor.

“If there is another investor, the community should tell us. If any investor comes, we will refer them to the owner of the farm for discussion,” Oroh added.

He said the government would resolve the issue this year.

Investigation showed that several investors have indicated interest to buy the farmland in pieces. Some are demanding 500 hectares for cassava farms, others are demanding 2,000 hectares for rice cultivation and other crops.

Management of the Delt-R Farms could not be reached for comments.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

29

PEOPLE THE NATION

A FOUR-PAGE SECTION ON SOCIETY

Old students of Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo State, have held their yearly dinner and award night at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja, reports SEUN AKIOYE .

NNUMERABLE lights dazzled the

I

eyes as one stepped into the expensively furnished banquet hall of the Lagos Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja, venue of the yearly dinner and awards night of old students of Olivet Baptist High School, Olivet Heights, Oyo State, last Sunday.

The alumni association has eight chapters Lagos, Ibadan, Osogbo, Abeokuta, Abuja, Kano, Delta and the United Kingdom.

At the right corner of the hall stood a small band, which played evergreen highlife music.

Men and women stood in small groups exchanging pleasantries and engaging in discussions, which were intermittently followed by hearty laughs, pumping of hands and tight hugs, especially by friends who had not seen for long.

As more people arrived, the groups expanded, with the new comers taking their seats. Some were elaborately dressed, others modestly.

The Olivetians - as the old students call themselves - are from diverse backgrounds but are united by a common belief which they hold to passionately: that their alma mater is the best secondary school in Africa.

At the gathering were captains of industry who had made their marks in their fields; politicians, legal luminaries and media gurus.

The alumni's brazen display of love and affection for their alma mater delighted the nonOlivetians present.

After the exchange of pleasantries and with all seated, the school anthem was sung by Lola Odele.

"The foresight of God's own people, a new school created…by the highway stands the school, breaking, moulding, preparing for the future. Olivet Heights my school, oh my school," brought back old memories.

The association’s President, Mr Olusegun Ahmadu, an engineer, said the dinner was organised to bring old students together, identify and celebrate those who have excelled at their professions. He said the dinner provided a platform to draw attention to the beloved Olivet Heights.

"We have rehabilitated the famous Jubilee Hall; we have also upgraded and dualised the road leading to the principal's office. We donated a Toyota Coaster bus for the use of the students," Ahmadu said to the delight of the gathering.

But he warned that a lot still need to be done to develop Olivet High School and education in Nigeria. " We need to partner to develop education in this country. These days you see students roam around streets at a time they should be in classes. They have little parental care. They go to bars and restaurants and share things with adults. We appeal to the government to allow us to partner to develop education," Ahmadu said.

Seven distinguished alumni were honoured for their contributions to the school and the society.

Leading the group was Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly Hon. Monsurat Jumoke Sunmonu.

Others were Dr. Olasupo Ayokunle; Registrar,

•From left: Alhaji Muhammed (left) and Hon Ikuforiji

•From left: Mr Ahmadu assisted by Prince Afonja to present a plaque to Prof Jega

Their school, their pride

Samuel Adegboyega University in Edo State, Mr Adeleke Adeboye; Permanent Secretary, Osun State Civil Service, Chief Bidemi Agbedahunsi; a lawyer, Mr. Biodun Laniyonu; Ayo Shamond an architect and a law Professor at the University of Lagos, Taiwo Osipitan (SAN).

The event was not just about singing and dancing. The former students also charted a way for the development of Nigeria. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega was the guest speaker.

Jega decried the state of education as he identified 'chronic underfunding' as the critical factor militating against the sector. He praised the industry of Olivetians, saying two old students of the college work at the management

level at INEC. "I am proud to associate with you; your ambassadors at INEC are proud examples of your industry," he said.

While he praised the Olivetians for what they have achieved for their beloved alma mater, he urged them to continue in their efforts to lift education. The INEC boss also listed some of his programmes to ensure free and fair elections in 2015.

He assured that even if corrupt politicians get hold of the voter's cards it will be impossible to use them.

"Even if politicians' succeed in buying these cards, on voting day in 2015, God willing, it will be useless. We believe this is an important step forward that can add to the credibility of

the electoral process."

As the evening wore on and the heavens opened up, the Olivetians continued their celebration. Toasts were given, speeches made and banters shared. Senior students mingled with the juniors, sharing drinks and discussing latest business trends. There was no discrimination, just a common love for Olivet Heights.

Olivet Baptist High School was founded by American Southern Baptist Mission on January 29, 1945. The school became a force in the 1960s when it excelled in inter-school academic competitions and sports, earning its place in the hall of greatness.

Some of the notable old students include Ayoola Oba Otudeko; former governors of Ekiti and Oyo states Ayodele Fayose and Rasheed Ladoja; Chairman, First Bank of Nigeria and Chairman of the event Prince Ajibola Afonja; businessman and Chairman, Bi-Courtney Ltd, Wale Babalakin; Director-General, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, Ayo Shamonda; President, Nigeria Baptist Convention, Revd.

Olasupo Ayokunle.

Others at the event were Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji.

•Hon Tunde Sunmonu and Hon Sunmonu

PHOTOS: SOLOMON ADEOLA

•Continued on page 26

30

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

SOCEITY Politicians gathered in Jattu, Estako West Local Government Area of Edo State for the funeral of Pastor Francis Shaibu, father of Majority Leader of the House of Assembly, Hon Philip Shaibu. OSAGIE OTABOR was there.

H

E was described as a prayer warrior and a music lover; a good organiser of men and women; a man who believed in the welfare of others.

These were some of the tributes paid to the late Pastor Francis Shaibu, father of Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, Philip Shaibu.

Pastor Shaibu died on June 23, and the funeral took place within one week in accordance with his wish that his remains should not be kept in the mortuary before interment.

Those who spoke at the funeral service said the late Pastor Shaibu had a premonition of his death. He was said to have paid all his dues at the Estako Progressive Union in Kaduna; asked for forgiveness from those he offended and requested his children not to mourn him for long.

The death of Pastor Shaibu, according to his son, Philip, came to the family as a surprise as there were moves to relocate him from his Kaduna base to his Jattu hometown. Philip said his father promised to return by December but returned home much earlier.

The funeral began with a service of songs and lying-in-state at his Jattu residence. It was well attended by Philip's political associates.

Pastor George Okpebholo and a close friend of the deceased urged the gathering not to be sorrowful but to thank God for the life of the late Pastor Shaibu.

He recounted their days in the ministry and urged the children to follow in their father's footstep.

Politicians of different political leanings stormed Jattu for the funeral. All hotels at Auchi and its environs were fully booked.

At the service held at the DPS Event Centre, Jattu, the hall, which was decorated with blue and white was filled to capacity. Many sympathisers could not gain entrance; others stood till the service ended.

Children and grand-children of the deceased wore white and were in a sorrowful mood. Dignitaries came from Kaduna to attend the funeral.

Revd. Godwin Isah, who delivered the ser-

A prayer warrior goes home

•From right: Governor Oshiomhole; Dr Odubu and Hon Shaibu

mon, urged the congregation to do good at all times, bearing in mind what people would say after their death.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole, in his tributes, recounted how the late Pastor Shaibu encouraged him to further his studies in Kaduna. He said the deceased helped to organise Estako Women Union in Kaduna and served as the secretary.

Oshiomhole said: "I knew our late brother much more than people understand. Francis encouraged me to further my education. He introduced me to where I enrolled as an ar-

chitectural draughtman. Our brother helped me and encouraged me to grow."

The governor urged the sympathisers to always tell the truth at all times, saying Nigeria was in trouble being led by men and women who try to bury the truth.

Philip described his father's death as a shock because they were preparing for his return home.

"A week before he died, he told my brother that if he died he should be buried where people are being buried and that he should not be kept in a mortuary," he said.

Guests at the event included Edo State Deputy Governor Dr Pius Odubu; Commissioner for Works, Hon Osarodion Ogie Oluwole Iyamu; South south Vice Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu; members of Edo State House of Assembly led by Speaker Uyi Igbe; Hons Paschal Ugbome, Garuba Zakawanu and Godwin Imoudu; ACN Women Leader Modina Emovon, Director of State Security Service Bakori Bello-Tukur, among others.

Inner Wheel Club has held its yearly general meeting in Lagos. Two new clubs were presented with their charter certificates on the occasion. BUKUNMI OGUNDARE reports.

Inner Wheel gets two new clubs

T

HE Vocational Training Centre of the International Inner Wheel District 911, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos State, was a beehive as members gathered for the yearly general meeting and presentation of certificates to new clubs.

The twin events featured the presentation of charter certificates to two new clubs in Lagos and Ogun states.

Members and friends of the club trooped into the venue as early as 10 am.

Most of them shone in native attires; a few were on English wears.

The decoration of the hall spoke volume. It was beautifully done in various colours, with blue and yellow standing out.

Welcoming guests, the club’s President, Mrs Taiwo Adisa, thanked all for their support over the years.

After her speech, chartered certificates were presented to Igbe, a suburb of Ikorodu and Olumo in Abeokuta, Ogun State as new clubs.

“The clubs were presented with the certificates because they have been up-to-date with their financial obligations,” Mrs Adisa said.

There was excitement when the new clubs were presented with their certificates. Receiving the certificate as Chartered President for Igbe Ikorodu, Mrs Wemimo Olasanya, praised the club for its foresight in granting certificates to the two clubs, saying it will open new opportunities for the club to extend its hands of

•From right: Mrs Adisa; Mrs Olasanya; Mrs Doyin Otuyalo and Mrs Veronica Lawal

fellowship to more members of the society in providing them relief materials and making available projects that will better the lives of the host communities and Nigeria at large.

She said the presentation of the certificate is a dream come true.

“It has being a long time dream for me, but I was only waiting for the appointed time.

When the time came, I quickly swung into action by forming Inner Wheel Igbe Ikorodu Club. They are already well-informed because we meet once in a month to look at the club’s programme and discuss its progress. Thank God we are granted the certificate today,” she said.

She said she had been able to introduce the Inner Wheel Club core objectives and programmes to the members and they promised to work in accordance with the the constitution and for service to humanity.

Guests on the occasion include Vice Chairman, Inner wheel, Mrs Yemisi Alatise; Mrs Lanre Olomofe Kufeji; former Chairman Mrs Zainab Ikheloa; Victoria Ikogwe; Meg Adegoke; Mrs Sumbo Osunbayo and Mrs. Joe Ebo.

•Mrs Ikheloa (left) and Mrs Alatise

PHOTOS: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

SHOPPING

31

THE NATION

FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

e-mail: shoppingthenation@hotmail.com

Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.net

07035302326 Shopping@thenationonlineng.net

Stores, markets alive for Ramadan Four days to Ramadan, Muslims are stocking up on foodstuff and fruits, despite the hike in prices. In the same spirit, retail stores and markets have filled their stalls.

TONIA 'DIYAN and TAIBAT IDOWU report.

I

N preparation for this year’s Ramadan, Muslims are storming markets and stores for foodstuff and other goods. The demand for foodstuff and other items increases a few days to Ramadan as Muslims, according to the tenets of their religion, buy items to distribute to the needy.

Major markets in Lagos - Mile 12, Oyingbo, Ojuwoye-Mushin, Badagry, Ketu - as well as retail stores like Shoprite, Spar, Grocery Bazaar, Justrite and Pep have become busier in the last few days. Shoppers troop in and out.

The prices of foodstuff such as garri, rice, beans, tomatoes, pepper, stock and fresh fish, soup ingredients, vegetable and palm oil of various sizes, plantain, yam have skyrocketed in markets and stores. This is because during the period, most producers of these goods would take a break, fasting.

The costs of goods have lowered the expectations of many who would have loved to share love tyhrough giving this Ramadan.

Traders and shoppers have expressed displeasure over the rising prices of foodstuff and fruits.

In all the markets and stores visited, food prices were high and likely to remain so until the end of Ramadan.

At Badagry Market, Mr Fatai Akojenu, the Babaloja, said some traders hoard non-perishable goods till a few days to the fast when there will be a rush, as many wait till the last minute to make their purchases. According to him, traders inflate prices to maximise profit.

“Our market has been busier in the last one week with patronage increasing because the Ramadan fast will soon begin. Sales are up with more crowds and items on display. That is usually the spirit of the season, bringing the market alive,” he said.

According to this market leader, farmers in the southwest have ensured that pepper, tomatoes, onions, garri, yam and other food items are made available in abundance in markets, bearing in mind that many of the farmers from the North might not supply enough during the fast because of their involvement in it.

Similarly, the Centre Manager, Ikeja City

• Retail store preparing for Ramadan.

Mall, Mr Sander Norman, said foodstuff, ranging from fresh, smoked, canned, fried and packed are available in large quantities in stores and malls.

He affirmed that the demand for food items rise a few days to the fast because Muslims cook more food than usual so as to distribute among their neighbours and the needy.

At the Ojuwoye Market, the story is similar; traders are pleased with what they call ‘the Ramadan rush’. One of them, Mrs Rukayat Amusa said: “If you don’t have someone to assist you with selling, you might not be able to cope with the rush. I sell fresh fish. My daughter who is on holiday is here, helping with the cutting of the fish and packing. While I bargain and collect money from customers.”

A shopper, Mrs Mulikatu Shuaibu, said: “We couldn’t stock perishable items before now because of power-failure, so, I waited till now.”

People expect prices of food items and fruits to return to normal after the Ramadan, but, in most cases, it is not so.

Mrs Adenike Taiwo, who sells beans in small and large quantities at Daleko Market, complained that a bag of Oloyin beans which cost N13,000 is now N18,000, because of the fast, which is about to begin. Olotu sells for N15,000, a tin of Olotu costs N 3,200 while the same measurement of Oloyin goes for N 4,500.

At Mile 12 market, a wheelbarrow of yam is between N8,000 and N15,000, depending on the sizes of the yam. An average tuber of yam costs N300, a big basket of onions cost N7,500, an average basket cost N4,500; while a small basket goes for N1,500. A 5kg bag of rice goes for N1,000, 10kg-N1, 800, 12.5kgN2,000; 50kg is between N10,000 and N18,000, depending on the brand.

At Okearin Market, 1.8kg of Ayoola Poundo Yam costs N800, 0.9kg sells for N400 while 4.5kg sells for N2,000, a sachet of Knor Chicken cube goes for N340, ordinary knor costs N320, a sachet of Suppy-N220, Maggi Star - N250, Crayfish - N480, a sachet of Chicken Flavour - N60.

A pack of Thyme and Curry sells for N1,450, 2200gm of Gino tomato paste sells for N700, 2200gm of Rosa costs N 600 while 400gm goes for N150.

At the beverage section, 12 tins of Peak Milk cost N1,400 and N1,600, 12 tins of Three Crown Milk sell for N1,200, Luna - N1,200, 380ml of Luna - N2,400 while 12 tins of Olympic Milk are N900.

At the soup ingredients section, 25 litres of vegetable oil is N6,100, 10 litres -N3, 000, 5 litres - N1,700 while 3 litres is N1,200, Dangote Semovita sells for N1, 700; 5kg bag of Dangote Semolina is N2,000, Honeywell Semolina N1,900 while Golden Penny Semolina costs N1,800.

In stores, prices of food items are as follows:Real Butter Salted/ Unsalted 100g each: N229,Whole Frozen Chicken per kg: N699, Olden burger Instant Milk Powder 900g: N1,049,Cocacola/Fanta /Sprite 500ml each: N84, 70g each of Indomie Instant Noodle: N29, Nestle Golden Morn Cereal 1kg: N679, Mc Cain Frozen Mixed Vegetable /Garden Peas 1kg each: N899, 500g each of Golden Penny Pasta: N109, Lipton Yellow Lable Tea :N119, Maggi Stock Cubes 100x4g: N249, 400g of Frozen Fish Fingers: N699, Gala Sausage Rolls 80g each: N39 Mc Nichols Family Sugar Cubes 90’s: N159, Ritebrand Tomato Sauce 2e: N589, Gino Tomato Paste 70g each: N34, Ritebrand Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce 41g: N149, Nutella Hazelnut Spread 35g: N629, Stewing Beef per kg: N 1,299, Suya Beef Sausage per Kg: N 999, Pork Shoulder Chops Per kg: N1, 199, Assorted Hamburgers : N449, Assorted Salads per kg: N 999, Jollof Rice per kg: N899, Grilled Whole Chicken per kg: N1,699, Sunola Soya Cooking Oil 3e each: N1229, Nestle Pure Life Still Water 1,5e each: N 84, Chi Exotic Juice Assorted 1e each: N 249, Cadbury Bournvita 500g each: N599, Assorted Doughnuts: N 79, Large French loaf each: N 189, Mandeira Plain Slices 95g: N119, Hot Dog Rolls 6’s each: N249.

According to the Secretary of Mile 12 Market, Alhaji Muhammed Abdul, “in the past, the one-month Ramadan fasting period of the Muslims caused scarcity and increase in prices of food items. This time, it is not different, but it will not stop bringing to the fore, the need to shop for the less-privileged.”

He further said: “Though as Muslims throughout the country prepare for Ramadan and because of soaring prices of food items, they are cutting down on their purchases.”

A trader at Daleko Market, Mushin, Lagos, Mrs Titilayo Adewunmi, said: “Things are always expensive during Ramadan because most people who transport them from the North would also observe the fast and would not be able to work as much as they do when not fasting.”

Mrs Hamdalat Ogunlana is a customer of Mrs. Adewunmi. She said: “That is the reason they always give us. After the fast nko…will you bring down the prices? No you would not. But Mrs Adewunmi remained on the defensive, saying: “Madam, don’t be angry with us, it is not our fault.

We sell the way we buy.”

At Oyingbo Market a foodstuff seller, Mrs Ayomide Bakare, told The Nation Shopping that people are mandated to fast, as such they should be encouraged, adding: “we are fair with the prices of food items we sell, though now things are slightly more expensive than they should be, because of the Ramadan. It is a normal thing and our customers are used to it.”

According to another Muslim scholar at mile 12 market, Dr Umar Abdulahi, Ramadan is a very significant period for the Muslims. He said: “If you have enough money, you could buy food items such as garri, rice and beans, cassava flour, among others and give to those who can’t afford to buy them. You could add money and cloth-

• Continued on page 32

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

32

SHOPPING

Do you know that there are clothes or accessories that must be used during the holy month? They enhance the beauty of the season. TONIA ‘DIYAN and TAIBAT IDOWU write.

B

Accessories for Ramadan

UYING of Hijab, Tesbihs, Jalamia, scaffs and Al- Qurans cannot be over emphasised during Ramadan. They provide cover and make Muslims look stylish. They come in different sizes, colours, designs, grades and inches.

Muslim accessories have become fashionable over the years. The hijab is a head cover for Islamic women.

It represents modesty, privacy and morality. It is an Islamic woman’s way of dressing modestly outside the home. It covers the entire head as well as half of the face.

Muslim women are encouraged and obliged to wear the hijab, they are required to cover not only their head but their faces as well, because according to muslims, the face of a woman is a source of corruption for men not related to her.

They are of different types; chiffon, the cape hijab, the long hijab, the office hijab, velvet hijab, etc. It is suggested that Muslim women should wear the hijab to emulate Prophet Muhammad’s wives, who are referred to as “Mothers of the Believers” in Islam, It is worn in many different styles, to fit the top of the head, covering the face and saving the eyes. The veil is cultural as well as religious. Few women, especially younger ones, have taken to wearing transparent, colourful and very loose Hijabs. The colour of the hijab varies; it is mostly black.

Some Muslim sisters spoke on their choices of the hijab, where to buy them and how affordable they are.

Mrs Amudat Shuibu, “a banker said, I am always joyful and confident each and every day I wear my ‘office hijab,’ especially this Ramadan period. I realise that I remain pure and never will walk in shame when I am wearing it. I bought this office hijab I am wearing from Baytuzzeenah stores at Tafawa Balewa square for only N3,500. The store also has their branches at Victoria Island and

Ikeja. I learnt the office hijab is most expensive compare to the other types such as the cape type, the long hijab and the Pashmina hijab” she explained.

“Allah will keep evil and punishment away from me. This hijab is there in my life for security.

I love and value my faith, which is why I cover my head said Alhaja Alaran Muritala . The hijab I am wearing is called the Pashmina Hijab. I bought it for N1, 800 from Arabel Stores, at Allen Avenue, Ikeja. Generally, prices of Hijabs range from N500 to N5,000 and even more depending on your pocket.

“Feeling hot wearing my long hijab means nothing to me; It is the hell fire which is extremely scary” I rather wear it here on earth and feel hot. I don’t want to go to hell.”

Alhaja Tawakalitu Bakare, an Imam’s wife said. “This long hijab is sown to match my dress. I bought the material and gave to my tailor to make for me. It looks nice on me, doesn’t it?” she asked.

“I have realised that loving Allah can put me in such a wonderful position. I am wearing my Cape Hijab for the first time ever and feeling so proud and to Allah I am a hidden treasure. My cape Hijab costs N800 only” said Afusat Ibrahim of government girls’ college Ipaja.

“The love I have for my religion is making me cover my head. Islam has given me so much respect I know that Allah will bless those who follow Islam and wearing my Hijab, I know that I will be safe from any harm. My Hijab cost only a thousand naira. Said Barakat Usman ,a student of the same college.”

“The hijab may be worn for a variety of purposes, such as for warmth, for sanitation, for fashion or social distinction; it is most commonly used by Observant Muslim women. It is worn for religious pur-

•Male Jalamia

•Jalamia for women poses. One reason for Muslim women wearing the hijab would be to allow a woman to be judged by her morals, character, and ideals instead of her appearance,“ said an Islamic scholar Imam Suliaman Abubarkar.

At Balogun market, the small plain hijab costs N200, the one that has stones costs between N500 and N1, 500. Big plain hijab cost N500 and N1000. The big size hijab with stones sells for N1,500 and N3000 depending on its quality.

Other accessories are Tesbih, Jalamia, Scaffs and Al- Qurans. They can be bought at every central mosques, around, especially the big mosques such as Anser- Ud- Deen Central Mosque at Odo-Eran Itire, Ijeshatedo Central Mosque, Ilupeju Central Mosque, Itire Central Mosque at Otun-Oba along Lawanson road, and Lagos Central Mosque at Lagos Island to mention few. You can also get them at big markets such as Oshodi, Lagos Island and Mushin. It is advisable to go to Lagos Island market to buy in bulk because it is cheaper there than the other markets.

Tesbih: This accessory comes in various sizes, colours and inches with price range of N50 to N1, 500. The plastic

type cost N50, while the glittering beads type goes for N100, N150 and N200 depending on how lengthy it is. Tesbih inches could be up to 50balls or more than hundreds balls.

Jalami: This accessory is unisex and varies from N500- N1000 according to its quality. A male Jalami cost between N1000 to N5000. A female Jalami falls within the same price range.

Scarf:

Muslim scarf cost N200, N500 irrespective of the design. Scarfs are made of different materials. Those made with chiffon cost N200, the plain cotton types are N500, while the once that has shinny stones on the cotton cost N2, 000 and more.

The Al- Quran, The holy book is sold according to how big it is. However, the cheapest is N500; others go for N1000, N1, 500 and more.

• Pink Hijab

• Hijab pin

• Tesbihs

• Continued from page 31 ing or any other item you can afford”.

He continued: “People often offend God, despite the fasting period, as such; the gift to the poor was introduced as another act that could make people do the will of God. Alms giving are a major feature of the Ramadan period.”

Perhaps it is the result of this need to buy food items by various families that has often resulted in hike in food prices when the holy month is few week away. In many cases, the prices go up due to high demand said a trader at Iyana Ipaja market, Mrs Sherifat Sanusi.

Dr Umar Abdulahi, a muslim scholar, explained the whole Ramadan process. According to him, food stuffs are bought and stored in excess in every Muslim home before the commencement of Ramadan, to cater for not just the immediate family, but also to the less privileged neighbours and the needy.

Meals are prepared lavishly twice daily to go round everyone. Early in the morning, be-

Stores, markets alive for Ramadan tween 3am and 5am, all Muslim must wake up to take early light meals called saari, after observing Noflats (early prayer) before Subuhi (general first prayer of the day). People who cannot afford meals but who wish to observe the fast are generously fed by families who can afford it. The same goes for the break of the fast at seven o’clock in the evening.

Fruits are donated and served freely at the mosque to all Muslims who have come to worship and pray to Allah. The less privileged are usually taken care of with food or food stuff, or given money to take dinner and Saari the next morning.

However, some Muslims have decided to cut down on their budget this Ramadan saying the prices of food items are not favourable to them and that the poor economic condition of the country is not helping matters

either.

A shopper Mrs. Alihamin Barakat, who was at the Daleko market buying a bag of rice, said she would have loved to buy beans too, but for its exorbitant price. Instead, she bought beans. “Beans have become too expensive; a bag of Oloyin beans used to be N13, 000. It now goes for N18, 000. Rice is cheaper, let me stick to it, it cost N10,000,’’ she said.

Miss Orelope Ganiyat, a student of University of Lagos, said she ate rice more last season but this year, she prefers to eat more of Ayoola poundo yam when breaking her fast in the evening because it is more affordable for her as a student.

Ms Afusat Okunola said she prefers to feed on fruits during Ramadan to cut cost. “ Everything seem to be too expensive, I will not hesitate to make my both meals fruits, because for

me, it is cheaper and satisfying. After all, I am suppose to be fasting, why will I want to spend all my life savings buying foodstuffs.”

Alfa kauzim Ayinde is a muslim scholar sited at cele bus stop, he said he hasn’t bought foodstuffs for the fast because he is waiting for their prices to drop. But will prices drop until after Ramadan?

“I have not bought anything yet because my wife told me things are more expensive than last year. N500 pepper can no longer be enough for us to cook, a bowl of tomato is now N200 instead of the regular N100, a bowl of pepper is N100, no longer N50, “ he complained.

The Holy month is one of the five pillars of Islam and it is made compulsory to all Muslims except for the pregnant women, travelers and people with health challenges.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

33

Brandnews Panasonic introduces new air conditioners PANASONIC has unveiled its new range of room air conditioners. Speaking at the event in Lagos, the Promoter, Panaserv Nigeria Limited, franchise owners of Panasonic in Nigeria, Mr Suraj Rupani, said the new Econavi room air conditioners with AVS feature not only enables the air conditioner to operate on a wider voltage range of 185V-260V, but also prevent the compressor from being demaged by switching it off when there is a surge or drop in voltage.

“If the compressor is switched off, the airflow in the room is continued. The cooling operation automatically restarts when the voltage returns to inside of 185V to 260V,” Rupani added.

Mr Dipendu Goon, Country Manager, Panasonic in Nigeria, said: “The key challenge which we have overcome through this new range of air conditioners is that we have a product designed to meet the challenging voltage conditions and is capable to reduce power consumption by up to 35 per cent without compromising on the comfort of the users. With just one touch of the button the user is able to save power without any extra effort.”

ADVAN to hold Marketers’ Evening July 13 • From left: Managing Director, Ogun-Oshun RBDA, Bayo Alayande, who represented Minister of Water Resources; CEO, Revelations Water Technologies Inc, United States, Ron Moser; Prof Oladapo Afolabi; Ambasador Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu and Senior Special Adviser to the President, Prof. Dan Adebiyi, at the launch of Primeau Water Filter at Onikan, Lagos.

Star Lager rewards consumers

S

TAR Lager beer has kicked off the reward of 32, 179 lucky consumers with customised Ipads, DVDs and headphones. The winners emerged from its ‘Text and Play’ activation promo.

The items will be delivered free at the doorsteps of winners.

During the activation, the brand doled out N500 recharge cards each to over 7, 000 participants.

The brand invited some of the league leaders across different states to exclusive gigs with international singing superstar, Tuface and other A-list music artistes.

The exclusive party took place in Lagos, Abuja, Benin, Enugu and PortHarcourt. The league leaders were able to have an interaction with Tuface and friends.

While it lasted,the Star League ‘Text and Play’for many consumers across the 36 states, including Abuja to dis-

Stories by Wale Alabi

play their creativity while engaged in an exciting battle to accumulate the highest number of points on the specially created league table.

Consumers were expected to look under the crown cork of their Star beer bottle for a code and SMS the code under with their full name, age and state of residence to a short code 30383.

The consumer will receive a feedback, stating the number of points the consumer has earned. The SMS system worked with major telecoms operators.

The mobile phone number used to send the code was used to register the consumer on the Star website.

Consumers had the unique opportunity of checking their “standing” on the “Star League Table” at (www.star-nigeria.com), where they will see their position on the state

League table compared to other consumers.

Points were accumulated over the period of the promo, using the registered mobile number.

The simplicity of the promo was, indeed, evident as everyone stood a good chance of winning something.

The number of points accumulated was not necessarily based on the amount of Star lager beer a consumer consumed. For instance there were a lot of consumers who accumulated less than 10 points but still won headphones!

Brand Manager, Star, Mr Omotunde Adenusi, said: “Star Lager Beer, the No.1 beer in the country has continued to keep its consumers actively engaged all year round through its exciting consumer engagement platforms that cut through music, football and exciting promotions and reward programmes.”

THE Advertiser Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) will hold its 15th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on July 15, in Lagos.

It is tagged: “Marketers’ evening”.

According to ADVAN Executive Secretary, Ediri Ose-Ediale, the evening is a platform for industry professionals to learn, network and socialise She said theevent is aimed at advancing marketing decision-making by disseminating unique insights to ADVAN members, as well as bringing members together with industry thought leaders to develop new ideas and facilitate industry-wide networking. The evening will be attended by leaders in the nation’s marketing industry.

Dulux campaign enters phase two THE campaign by the Chemical and Allied Products (CAP) Plc., a subsidiary of UAC of Nigeria Plc (UAC), tagged ‘Dulux Mobile Room Make-Over Activation’ has entered its second phase.

According to the Managing Director, Chemical and Allied Products (CAP) Plc., Mrs. Omolara Elemide, said the campaign promises to be more exciting for the target consumers as the activation methodology will change from roving van to stop over approach in which the activation team will stop over intermittently at different consumer touch points such as Housing Estates, Shopping Malls etc.

“The second phase of the Dulux Mobile Room Make Over activation campaign will be more engaging and interactive because the consumers would have the opportunity to interact with the activation team during stop overs in their neighbourhoods to enhance the ambience of their homes,” she said.

Firm to unveil table water tomorrow TREBET table water will be unveiled tomorrow in Warri, Delta State.

According to the Managing Director of Trebet, Justina Ikpea, “Once you do the right thing, an agency such as NAFDAC becomes a friend and an alliance. Some operators are only afraid because they cut corners. However, for Trebet, our identification with the objectives of NAFDAC is done with passion. That is why we left no stone unturned in going for the very best available globally.”

The immediate past president, Nutrition Society of Nigeria Prof I. A. Onimawo will deliver a public lecture at the event, titled: Clean and safe water as an important part of good family nutrition.

Several dignitaries including leading practitioners in the hospitality sector, supermarket owners, corporate chieftains and leaders of various regulatory bodies among others have also been invited to grace this special occasion in Warri.

Mouka donates mattresses to NYSC

• From left: Marketing Director, Cadbury West Africa, Mr. Dele Anifowoshe; Moskofian and Marketing Manager, Mrs. Chioma Afe, during the launch of Cadbury Bournvita new 500G SKU in Lagos.

C

Cadbury introduces 500g Bournvita

ADBURY Nigeria Plc has introduced 500 gramme pack of Bournvita into the mar-

ket.

The pack, according to the organisation, will complement other sizes of the food drink.

Speaking during the unveiling of the Cadbury Bournvita 500g, the

Managing Director of Cadbury Nigeria Plc., Emil Moskofian, said: “This upsizing to 500g pack is aimed at adding more vitality to our consumers, giving more value with every purchase of Cadbury Bournvita 500g jar and 500g refill pack.”

Cadbury Bournvita has been part

of the fabric of the society over the last five decades, providing nourishment and vitality to generations. Recently after reconfirming its nutrition credentials, Cadbury Bournvita was endorsed by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria making it the only food drink endorsed by the society.

MOUKA Limited has donated mattresses for the next batch of corps members who are expected at the camp this month, during the company’s management visit to the Lagos National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camp.

The Managing Director, Mouka Limited, Mrs. Peju Adebajo, said the donation is part of its contributions to youths, education development, and national development.

She said in time past, Mouka benefited from NYSC, while Corps has also benefited from the firm’s generosity.

“Mouka is dedicated to supporting the NYSC in the little way we can, within our limited available resources. We shall continue to identify with the scheme as we see both institutions as partners in progress,” she said.

Adebajo further explained that NYSC is a platform where graduates are given the opportunity to learn, discover, have fun and make lifelong friendship. She stated that graduates should make the most of the opportunity the service year by discovering what they are good at, understand their strengths, weaknesses and also meet people from different cultures.

Responding for the organisation, the Lagos State Coordinator of NYSC, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, expressed the gratitude of the organisation to Mouka for identifying with it and promised to judiciously use the mattresses.

34

COMMENTARY

I

T never rained but poured in November last year when Nigerian Press stirred up brouhaha over the declaration of one day Hijrah holiday in the State of Osun by Governor Rauf Aregbesola. A particular Southwest newspaper went completely off the track over the issue and exhibited untold ignorance in a manner of a king dancing naked in a market place by writing an editorial on the matter thereby subjecting itself to public ridicule. It was a display of blatant ignorance shamelessly celebrated by some other newspapers of the like.

Shortly after that episode, another Governor of a Southeast state (Imo) declared six weeks holiday for Christmas against the constitutional tradition of two days that Nigerians are familiar with.

And the same newspapers that earlier sparked brouhaha kept mute in what confirmed unbridled sectarian hypocrisy typical of shamelessness in Nigerian professional journalism. The connotation of their silence in the second case cited above is that the declaration of one day Hijrah holiday was wrong because it was not inherited from the colonialists whilst the six week Christmas holiday was right because it tallied with their religious interest even if it was unjust and contradicted the norm of conscience. That is the extent of slave mentality in Nigeria as often exhibited in the name of religious chauvinism.

FEMI ABBAS ON Femabbas@yahoo.com 08122697498

Why not Hijrah holiday? doorways and beginnings. February from ‘Februs’ is the Roman god of purification.

March from ‘Mars’ is the Roman god of war. May from ‘Maia’ is the Roman goddess of growth and spring season. April from ‘Aprilis’ is the month of the goddess of love and beauty. June from ‘Juno’ is the sister, the wife and coequal of Jupiter, the supreme Roman god. July named after Julius Caesar and August after Augustus Caesar. The months of September, October, November and December indicate 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th respectively in the old Roman calendar. These last four months are a misnomer in the order of numerals within the calendar. For 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th in numerals to represent 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th months in the calendar are incomprehensible. But they were retained for sectarian sentiment.

Succinct assessment

Taking a retrospective assessment of the two above-mentioned scenarios after six months (last May), a well known Professor of Medical Biochemistry, Abdul Kareem Hussain, decided to chronicle the historical background of all the known calendars in the world as a way of tutoring some ignorant, self-arrogated Nigerian journalists on the essence of Hijrah holiday for mankind. Though a Medical Biochemist, Prof Hussain’s intellectual wellbeing has never restricted him to any straight jacket enclave of literacy because he knows the difference between literacy and knowledge. To him, literacy is merely a means of documentation of events and occurrences while knowledge is like a farm where all necessary crops must be planted and harvested for the assured survival of the farmer.

Yours sincerely first had an encounter with this intellectual colossus in 1984 when he delivered a public lecture on Hijrah calendar at the Yoruba Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos, where many Nigerians first got the idea of Hijrah calendar. In that lecture, he did such a thorough analysis of the subject that he thereafter became a reference point for most researchers on Hijrah and the use of calendar. The summary of what he said on that occasion, according to my records is as follows:

Experienced narration

After many millennia of incessant wandering in search of sanity and reason man was able to sight the crescent of civilisation. While he advanced along with his new crescent, he reflected on his past wanderings and thought of sharing the experience of this with his successors in order to leave a mark of guidance on the threshold of life. Civilisation, therefore, taught man to chronicle the experiences of his peregrination on earth by the means of calendar. And today, the chronology of events and the human evolutionary development are traceable only to the beginning of the use of calendar.

By definition calendar is a system of reckoning time in which the beginning, the length and divisions of a year are arbitrarily defined. It is a table that shows the months, the weeks and the days available in one specific year. It is a schedule especially one arranged in chronological order as of the case on a court docket.

Types of calendar

Since the discovery and the use of calendar as an aid to historical records the world has journeyed through various stages of reckoning events through time and space. The use of calendar itself is a pointer to the earlier civilisation of the races or communities which made use of it. One of the earliest calendars which have helped in piloting human history

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

The Julian calendar

through the millennia is the Chinese calendar which is supposed to have begun in 2379 B.C. In this Calendar, years are reckoned in cycles of 60, each year having a particular name that is a combination of two characters derived schematically from two series of signs, the celestial and the terrestrial. Months are also reckoned in cycles of 60 that are renewed every five years and each month consists of 28 to 30 days.

There is also the Jewish calendar used by the Hebrews which engaged in the reckoning of time from the year of creation as based on a periodic cycle of 19 years with the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th year of each cycle designated leap years.

This is followed by the Hindu calendar which began in about 400 CE. It is Lunarsolar in nature and the Hindus believe so much in it even till date. In this calendar, the solar year is divided into 12 months in accordance with the successive entrances of the sun into the signs of the Zodiac, the months varying from 29 to 32 days.

Another calendar is the one called Roman calendar which is an ancient lunar calendar designating the days of the new moon as the ‘calends’ and the days of the full moon as the ‘ides’ while the 19th day before the ‘ides’ are designated as the ‘nones’. The original Roman calendar, introduced about the 7th century bc had 10 months with 304 days in a year that began with March. Two more months, January and February, were added later in the 7th century bc but because the months were only 29 or 30 days long, an extra month had to be intercalated approximately every second year. Thus, the days of the month were designated by the awkward method of counting backward from three dates: the calends, or first of the month; the ides, or middle of the month, falling on the 13th of some months and the 15th of others; and the nones, or 9th day before the ides. This rendered the Roman calendar hopelessly confused especially when officials to whom the addition of days and months was entrusted abused their authority to prolong their terms of office or to hasten or delay elections.

Pagan origin of Roman calendar

Most of the months in the Roman calendar were dedicated to various gods of the Romans. The calendar, though got the blessing of the Christian leadership and was refined by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 CE, as polytheistic token. For instance, January from ’Janus’ is the Roman god of

Also in 45 BC, Julius Caesar decided to use purely solar calendar on the advice of Sosigenes who flourished in the 1st century. This calendar, known as the Julian calendar, fixed the normal year at 365 days, and the leap year, every fourth year, at 366 days. Leap year is so named because the extra day causes any date after February in a leap year to “leap” over one day in the week and to occur two days later in the week than it did in the previous year, rather than just one day later as in a normal year. The Julian calendar also established the order of the months and the days of the week as they exist in present-day calendars.

In 44 BC, Julius Caesar changed the name of the month Quintilis to Julius (July), after himself. The month Sextilis was renamed Augustus (August) in honour of the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus, who succeeded Julius Caesar. However, some authorities maintain that Augustus established the length of the months we use today. The Gregorian calendar which puts January as the first month of the year was adopted by England and America in 1752. It is the calendar now commonly used throughout most parts of the world.

Other calendars

Yet, there are other known calendars which include the Roman ecclesiastical calendar used by the Catholic sect, the French revolutionary calendar introduced

by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1793, the Gregorian calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 CE. But by far the most authentic of them all is Hijrah calendar because of its uniqueness and eventfulness as authenticated by its clear historical background. The idea of putting this calendar into use was suggested by Caliph Umar Bn Khattab in Madinah as a historic landmark for Islamic religion. And it has since been in use throughout the Muslim world especially in determining the beginnings and ends of every lunar month as well as Muslim festivals.

Qur’anic source of Hijrah calendar

Of all the calendars mentioned above, Hijrah alone, which is the Muslim divine calendar, is unique for its eventfulness and clear historical background. Its dating began on the 16th of July 622 CE a day after the migration of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from Makkah to Yathrib (Al Madinah). After a non-such persecution and threats to his life by the Makkah pagans, the messiah of mankind had to migrate for the safety of his life and, by implication, for the rescue of humanity from the wildness of inchoation.

Whereas every month of Hijrah calendar has spiritual importance apart from the universality of its blessings for mankind, its effect from 622 CE is only symbolic of modernity as it actually came into existence over 5,000,000 years ago when it was decreed and its months were christened by Allah Himself. The Qur‘an testifies to this as follows: “Surely, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in one year in Allah’s decree since the day when Allah created the Heavens and earth. Of these months four are sacred (Muharram, Rajab, Dhul- Qa‘dah and DhulHijjah). This is the only straight and righteous path”. (Q. 9: 36). No other calendar can be so referenced in any revealed Book other than the Qur’an. The twelve months mentioned are Muharram, Safar, Rabi‘ul Awwal, Rabi‘uth-Thani, Jumadal ’Ula, Jumadath-Thaniyah, Rajab, Sha‘ban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhul Qa‘dah and Dhul Hijjah. Thus, the significance of Hijrah calendar is manifest not only in the eventfulness of its historical background but also in the divinity of its months.

Unlike other calendars which were imposed for the purpose of worshipping material gods or to subject people to psychological subservience, Hijrah calendar is an evidential indication of human salvation. And besides, it has divine sanction. Nigeria is for us all and no one should think of creating an environment of subservience for a major chunk of the populace.

Conclusive tutorial

In his conclusive submission, Professor Abdul Kareem aims at educating Nigerian media to the effect that Hijrah was not peculiar to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as some other Prophets had preceded him in emigration. For instance Prophets like Nuh, Ibrahim, Lut, Ismail, Ishaq, Ya‘qub, Yusuf, Shu‘ayb and Musa, all emigrated from place to place before finally settling down. Of all these, only Prophet Muhammad’s Hijrah has a direct bearing on the practice of Islam. And since no Muslim has ever objected to the declaration of any public holiday for the adherents of other religions in Nigeria, it will be foolhardy for any responsible person to constitute himself into a cog in the wheel of Islam in any part of the country by opposing a declaration of Hijrah holiday constitutionally for Islam. In a sane society whatever is considered good for the goose must equally be good for the gander. But those who take their hatred for Islam as a hobby should know that no amount of barking even by millions of dogs can ever halt a surging train.

Watch out As traditional of ‘The Message’ column, a daily column to be called RAMADAN GUIDE will be published for 30 or 29 days during the coming sacred month of Ramadan. It will contain a thorough exposition of some verses of the Qur’an as well as analyses of some Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) plus jurisprudential explanation of some hitherto ambiguous areas in all possible ramifications. Watch out! This may be your greatest means of becoming authentically familiar with Islam. And besides, it may provide an opportunity for pious Muslims to trade with Allah by sponsoring the 3x2 space earmarked for that purpose.

Muslims hold conference on democracy The popular Premier Hotel, Ibadan, will be playing host to a conglomerate of Muslim clerics and laity from all parts of Nigeria between July 6 and 7, 2013. The conference will afford such people the opportunity to discuss Nigerian democracy as it affects them and their faith.

The objective is to further examine the compatibility of democracy with Islam and be better informed about it. The conference will create a good avenue for participants to know the role expected of Muslims in it to enable them disseminate same to others.

This is the first time a conference of this nature is being held in Ibadan. Abuja was its venue in the previous years.

Attendance is strictly by invitation.

35

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

S OCEITY

•From left: Mallam Ribadu; Sheikh Akinbode and Mr Ali (SAN).

•

•From right: Alhaji Ganiyu Adetola Kaseem; Prof Abdul Fatah Mabadeje and Alhaji AbdulHakeem Abdul Lateef

T

HE downpour did not prevent many from attending the event.

They walked all the way to the auditorium from the park.

Guests came in exotic cars. Security officials and ushers stood in and outside the hall to ensure that guests were comfortable.

The hall was decorated in pink, blue and cream. Many of the guests were in traditional attires; many women donned hijabs.

Men sat on the right, women on the left.

It was the 19th pre-Ramadan lecture organised by the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni with the theme: Corruption and justice in Nigeria.

Dignitaries, members of the association and well-wishers converged on the main auditorium of the school last Sunday for the event.

The event started with the opening du’a and recitation from the holy Quran. It also featured the award of postgraduate scholarships to some applicants. Six doctorate and 12 Masters students were given scholarship.

The association’s Deputy President and Chairman of the Scholarship

•From left: Prof Bello; Dr Banire and Alhaji Kosoko

•Alhaja Muibat Abbas (left) and Prof Saidat Madaneje

For a corrupt-free society

The University of Lagos Muslim Alumni (UMA) held its 19th PreRamadan lecture last Sunday in Lagos. OLATUNDE ODEBIYI was there.

Committee, Dr Khalid Adekoya, said the scholarships were given to encourage Muslims in their academics.

In his welcome address, the President of the association, Alhaji Lere Alimi, said “corruption is the main reason for the decay in our educational system, health facilities, security system and infrastructure.

“Funds that are supposed to be used to provide amenities by the government have been either embezzled, misapplied or misappropriated,” he said.

Chairman on the occasion, Alhaji Yusuf Ali (SAN) said: “Doing away with corruption will benefit the entire country. Ramadan is a time to renew our minds and set the pace for others.”

The first guest speaker was the

former chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. He argued that corruption is the major factor undermining the nation’s independence, economy and politics.

He expressed concern over the level of corruption in Nigeria, saying so many corrupt people get away with their acts, largely because of their relationships with heads of institutions that ought to counter or expose their abuse of office.

He added that the National and State Assemblies, independent and incorruptible judiciary, the law enforcement agencies have to be enhanced to win the war against corruption.

National Missioner, Nasrul-Lahi-

L-Faith Society of Nigeria (NASFAT), Sheikh Abdullah Akinbode, enjoined Muslims to be faithful and trust worthy.

Sheikh Akinbode urged them to do that which is right and to shun evil.

“We should reconstruct ourselves and redefine our strategies, renew our minds to achieve the life Allah wants us to live. This is what we should ensure during Ramadan,” he said.

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant on Religious Matters (Islam), Hakeem Kosoko, said Ramadan is a time for Muslims to be steadfast in the teachings and practise of Islam.

“We are expected to be of good conduct, good behaviour and do what will be beneficial to people

•Alhaji Alimi

around us in and out of Ramadan,” he said.

Justice Habeeb Wale Abiru of the Court of Appeal, described Ramadan as a time to unite and understand what it takes to be a human being He enjoined religious leaders to shun corruption, saying that when we have a corrupt-free nation, everyone will benefit.

He noted that the proceed from the fund raiser would be used for the common good of the people.

Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof Rahaman Bello, said Ramadan is a season for spiritual engagement.

Action Congress of Nigeria National Legal Adviser Dr Muiz Banire said Ramadan teaches mankind how to be generous and be one’s brothers’ keeper.

“We must watch over our neighbours and ensure that they are happy with us. It is a season to share with others because some people do not have at all. Religious leaders should not just preach, but must set good examples for others in their behaviours,” he said.

BIRTHDAY OF MRS ADEOLA YESUFU IN LAGOS

•From left: Very Revd and Mrs Euler-Ajayi; the celebrator Mrs Adeola Yesufu and Mr and Mrs Kunle Owuye

•From left: Lady Debola Williams; Mrs Lamide Adegbenro; Mrs Damola Akran and Prof Adebayo Williams

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

36

S OCIETY ARCO Petrochemical Engineering Plc held a dinner on Thursday last week in Lagos to honour the President, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) International and Chairman, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) Sir Egbert Imomoh, reports NNEKA NWANERI.

COMMUNICATE YOUR IDEAS Persuasive Speech (5) How to Persuade reluctant audience

W •Mr Imomoh and wife Pat

•Mr Momoh (right) and Mr. Aku

•Mr Etiebet •Mr Okoigun

•Dr. Ralu Onyemeliukwe and Chief Faloughi

S

IR Egbert Imomoh has entered the Guinness Book of Records as the first black and African to become the President, Society of Petroleum Engineers International.

"His future was predicted by the headmaster of Immaculate Conception High School, Enugu, because he was studious and intelligent.

The prophecy has come to pass. He has made us proud nationally and internationally by erasing the negative perception the world has about Nigeria," said former Minister of Petroleum Chief Don Etiebet, who has been a friend and colleague of Imomoh since their primary school days.

Last Thursday, his colleagues gathered at the Sky Restaurant, on the topmost floor of Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, to felicitate with him.

As guests stepped out of the elevator, they were greeted by a waiter, who handed them a glass of wine during the cocktail before the dinner.

The hall was conducive.

While they drank and chatted, old friends caught up recent happenings.

The view was stunning.

The Atlantic Ocean was seen through a glass. The scenery was enchanting and guests were relaxed.

Saxophonist Yemi Sax

T

AGM

HE Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (READAN) will hold on Monday at the Yar’Adua Conference Centre, Abuja.

A

Burial

LYING-in-State for Pa Ademola Adewunmi Odutola will hold today at Onibudo House. Funeral will take place at Adeola Odutola Anglican Church Ijebu-Ode. Interment follows at Adeola Odutola Church Ground and reception at Onibudo House,Odutola Street, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

Honour for a ‘diligent’ man

played scintillating tunes.

Two hours after cocktail, guests were ushered into the restaurant, where the tables were already set for dinner.

It was segmented by shiny crystal decorations.

Frank Edoho of Who Wants to be a Millionaire anchored the ceremony.

Hon Uduimo Itsueli prayed to the kick start the event.

Chief Executive Officer of ARCO Petrochemicals Alfred Okoigun, in a welcome address, said the honour for Sir Egbert was well-deserved, adding that being the second Nigerian to become Deputy Director of Shell Exploration after Mr Godwin Omene earned him the name 'Mr Shell'.

He added that it took Imomoh six months to agree to the dinner date. He thanked him for excelling in the global arena and making the country proud.

A similar dinner was hosted last year by ARCO for former minister of Power Prof Barth Nnaji and Dr Henrietta Ugwu, in London, for excelling in science and technology.

"He has distinguished him-

self in the true sense of it, considering what the world thinks of Nigerians. He has exhibited his nationalism and changed the industry to be of world class through his intellectualism", Okoigun said.

He appealed to Sir Egbert to come back after his tenure to help develop the country.

Every speaker poured encomiums on Sir Egbert. He was in the spotlight.

To Ademola Adeyemi Bero, Sir Egbert is a friend, confidante and a living example.

One of Sir Egbert's sisters, Mrs Gloria Aiyegbusi relieved how they lost their father at a tender age and were educated by an illiterate mother.

"All I can say is that with God, all things are possible," she said.

Sir Egbert was short of words to respond to all that was said about him. He said though he studied Mechanical Engineering for his first degree, he has never practised. With stories to illustrate, he told his friends and associates of how he renews his passport every 18 months because he travels often.

"People now call me VIPP-

PHOTOS: OLUSEGUN RAPHEAL

meaning Visa in Previous Passports. I have gone to places I never dreamt of and met people I never thought I will meet. I have no home; I sleep in hotels and aeroplanes. All I do is seek good and do what is right," he said.

Giving an insight into what he hopes to do when he retires in October, he said: "I will rest and enjoy my life with my wife and children who are scattered all over the world."

Sir Egbert was born in 1945.

He hails from Agenebode in Edo State. He attended St Patrick and St Theresa Primary Schools, in Zaria, Kaduna State. He graduated from the University of Birmingham in 1968 and he bagged a Doctorate Degree of Science from the University of Port Harcourt in 2012.

He is a Knight of the Order of the Knights of St Mulumba.

At the event were: Managing Director of Ecobank, Jubril Aku; Chairman of Channels TV, John Momoh; The Nation Editorial Board Chairman, Mr Sam Omatseye; Chairman ICMG Securities Ltd, Michael Osime; Rev Anthony Fadairo of Divine Mercy Catholic Church, Lekki; Chairman, Sovereign Trust Insurance Ltd, Ephraim Faloughi.

Also present were some students.

WHAT AND WHERE Conference

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan will today lead dignitaries to the Chartered Institute of Administration Annual Conference at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

Dignitaries expected on the occasion include former Secretary-General, Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, past President of the institute, Prof Aloy Ejiogu and Chairman, Nigeria-American Chamber of Commerce, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa.

Wedding

T

HE Nikkah between Aminah Animashaun and Abdul Hakeem Adejokun will hold tomorrow at State High School, Mulero Agege, Lagos.

O

Lecture

N Sunday, The Companion, an association of men in business and profession, Lagos District will hold its joint Usrah (family gathering) at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mosque.

Founder of Al-Huda Quranic Education Service, United Kingdom Ustaz Ibrahim Yahya will deliver lecture on “Developing the Muslim personality This Ramadan and beyond’’.

Obsequies

T

HE remains of Madam Eugenia O l e m a c h i

Onyekuru will be interred today at her family house in Okwu Uratta Owerri, Imo State.

T

Burial

HE wake of Prince Adeniyi M a g n u s Elumaro will hold today at the late Oba Elumaro Compound Ajagba, Local Government Area, Ondo State.

E have been having a nice time talking about persuasive speech. We are deliberately spending quality time on this type of AMODU LANRE OLAOLU speech because it is what I will like call an “action (Ph.D) sospeak2lanre@yahoo.com. speech.” While I was in 07034737394 school, I often wondered how applicable some of the things I was learning were. What is the relationship between theory and practice? If, for instance, I studied business management in school, does that mean I can go right ahead and manage a business? Well, information alone has the tendency of leaving us hanging if we don’t know how to convert it into useful activities. Hence, persuasive speech always aims at showing its audience an action path, how to walk therein and the time to start, which is now!

Last week, we examined some of the challenges a persuasive speaker is likely to face, which are making the audience to listen, dealing with attitudes towards commitment and dealing with ethical challenges. Today, we shall be exploring the ways we can persuade reluctant listeners. The strategies we shall be discussing are very important and they can make a difference when you really need success. Now, let’s check them out: • Win goodwill early: you cannot possibly speak to people who have not accepted your person. Your listeners must accept you before they accept you ideas. So, at the very beginning of your speech, you must win the hearts of your listeners. One of the most effective ways to do this is to associate with them. Look for what you have in common with them- culture, past experiences, values, mutual respect for an iconic person known to your audience, etc. Simply put, start on a friendly note.

It is easier to persuade friends than to persuade enemies.

• Begin with areas of mutual agreement: you will be making a terrible mistake if you begin your speech on sensitive and controversial issues. You will be killing the cow before milking it. If you want to make a presentation about improving management efficiency in your organization, you don’t begin by condemning current practices and blaming people for the situation. You have to begin by appreciating efforts made so far, and then go on to talk about there always being room for improvement. Who would disagree with that? To persuade people, you should look for areas in which you agree, and then you can move gradually towards your point.

Always respect your audience.

• Present your points instead of rejecting theirs: focus your attention on explaining your points with as much clarity and facts as possible. If your preoccupation is to disabuse their minds, you will spend more time arguing. You will end up getting yourself into situations that are better avoided.

• Cite authorities accepted and respected by your audience: this is a very good means of winning the goodwill of your audience. If your talk is on the prevention of HIV/AIDS through abstinence, for instance, and your listeners are youths, you may want to cite a movie star, musician or fashion legend as an example. If they truly respect and accept that individual, they will also respect his/her views.

• Don’t aim too high: it may amount to a tall dream if you expect that the entire (formerly unsympathetic) members of the audience would simply “fall at your feet” at the end of your speech and accept all you say. While this happens easily in movies, real life is something else.

Don’t set goals that are too high for yourself. If they listen to you enough to consider your points as being realistic, you have achieved a lot already. If they are willing to listen to you again sometime in the future, it means they may buy your idea after more clarification. And if they are willing to act according to your suggestions, then congratulations!

• Make a balanced presentation: throughout your speech, your listeners should be able to see that you are mindful of all sides of the argument. You shouldn’t focus on your own points alone so that you don’t seem narrow minded. Your audience must believe that you have considered all sides before taking your stand.

Above are some strategies that will help you to convince your reluctant audience. These are just few points, and I suggest you read more on the topic. With this, we have come to the end of our adventure on persuasive speech. But, hey, we are not done yet! There are other types of speeches to explore and I’m sure you’ll really enjoy them. Watch out.

Dr. Amodu teaches at the Department of Mass Communication, Covenant University, Ogun State.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

37

NIGER DELTA REPORT

Joy as NDDC’s 1km bridge links 30 A’Ibom communities

T

HE people of IwuoachangIbeno Council Area of Akwa Ibom State are rejoicing, following the completion of a one-kilometer bridge, which links over 30 communities in the area. The bridge was built by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The communities were hitherto separated by the spanning mangrove, which has now been conquered by the bridge described as an architectural wonder by indigenes of the benefiting communities.

These oil-rich communities had been grappling with transportation challenges as the only means of movement had been hand-paddled canoe, which they had to take across the dense, unfriendly mangrove. But with the completion of the 6.8 kilometre road/bridge project by the NDDC, the fortunes of the people of this area have changed for the better.

However, the project was not without drama. It was gathered that the Iko, Atab, Rikang, Akata, Opolom, Ikot-Enwang, Okoroutip, Iwuochang road was awarded by the NDDC to a local contractor – Viche Resources Nigeria Limited after several foreign firms had baulked. NDDC sources said all the former contractors simply abandon the site and refund the mobilization fees they are paid in full, ostensibly because of the difficult terrain.

That was before the contract was awarded to Viche Resources, an indigenous construction company, by the Dr Christian Oboh-led board of the NDDC. An indigene of the area, Mr. James Edem from Ikot Ewang, said the people had suffered untold hardship because of the lack of access road/ bridge to the outside world.

He said: “It is even worse in the time of emergency, especially when it involves women who are in labour pains and need to get to better health facility outside the community, because the only means to get out of this community is by canoe. Many people have drowned in the river as a result of regular boat mishaps.

“This place is really blessed with oil. In fact, the Mobil Oil company has its flow station not far from here but yet the people of this community have continued to suffer. Even the government has not been able to construct a bridge over this river because of the difficult terrain. We are very

•New bridge, new life for the people

•New bridge, new life for the people From Okodili Ndidi

happy because before the construction of this bridge, you cannot get to the other communities except through a canoe and when the tide rises, it is even more dangerous to cross over.

“So, we are grateful to God and President Goodluck Jonathan and the management of the NDDC for giving us a new lease of life and this is the most important dividend of de-

mocracy that we have ever seen”.

The paramount ruler of Ibeno, His Royal Majesty, Dr. Effiong Bassey Archinga (JP),the Owong of Ibeno, said the rate of canoe accident was very high in the area before the bridge was constructed.

The monarch noted that though the community produces about 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day, the Ibeno people had it very rough because of the lack of access roads.

Another indigene and the repre-

sentative of the youths, Simon Peters, said: “While this project was on we ensured that the workers were protected because it was in the best interest of the communities to ensure that this road/bridge project is realized”.

The youth leader further noted that the major cause of militancy in the Niger Delta region is the of lack of developmental projects of this nature, stressing that, “when the people see genuine efforts on the part of both

government and the oil firms to better their lives, such efforts would be supported by the communities”.

Miss Jane Martin-Udoh from Okoroutip, a student in a school in one of the neighboring communities, attributed the lack of basic amenities, including schools in the area, to lack of access roads. She expressed optimism that with the bridge and a good road network, more infrastructure would come.

Amaechi: Greater P’Harcourt City project on course R IVERS State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has expressed satisfaction with the progress recorded by the Greater Port Harcourt City project, describing it as a reality.

Speaking after receiving the authority’s end-of-term project report (May 2009 – May 2013) in Port Harcourt, the governor commended the Board of Directors for ensuring proper functioning of the organisation and implementation of the projects with a human face.

Amaechi, who was represented by the Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG), Mr George Feyii, said: “We are happy for the development so far, and despite all the issues involved, you ensured proper functioning of the authority and implementation of the project which you also made efforts to put in place.

“We want to emphasiSe the point that, the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority is a reality and there is no doubt that the project is on-going. The project has gone to a point where it is irreversible, even though some investors wonder if the project will go on when Governor Amaechi’s tenure of office comes to an end; there is no such doubt at all.”

He said the report would be

Feyii (left) receiving the end of term report from Alabraba City. With them is the Administrator of the Greater Port Harcourt City Authority Dame Aleruchi Cookey-Gam From Clarice Azuatalam, Port Harcourt

carefully studied and issues of importance would be addressed to ensure the organisation develop.

He said: “It has been noted and observed that the pace of

development in the new city have not been fast as expected because it takes a lot to plan and we appreciate the fact that, so much time has been put into the project to ensure effective planning that will guarantee success.

“We believe that every necessary

step has been taken to ensure that proper planning have been done, and we expect it to be smoother than it has been and we very much appreciate that.”

The governor said the submission of the three years (2009 – 2011) audited financial report was a clear

demonstration of the actualisation of his vision, which places priority on accountability and transparency, in every public institution.

He urged investors to use the opportunity and engage in Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the Rivers State government to drive the new city project to its expected destination.

Board Chairman of Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba recalled the commitment of the governor when he assumed office in October 2007 to renew the urban decay, over stressed and degraded infrastructure, unsightly living conditions, the dysfunctional utilities, traffic congestion, breach of planning regulations and inadequate recreational facilities that were never given concrete measures.

“As the pioneer Board of the new authority, we stated everything from scratch, putting in place the necessary institutional framework for effective take-off and smooth running of the authority, while at the same time ensuring that adequate planning and design of the infrastructural facilities to international standards become our primary focus,” Alabraba said.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

38

NIGER DELTA REPORT

Who destroyed Asaba Sports Club?

T

HE Asaba Sports Club, established in 1864, was a simple, cream bungalow with brown trimmings.

What it lacked in architectural grandeur, it compensated for adequately in its rich historical antecedents. Its well-manicured lawns and the giant mango trees dotting its expansive grounds create a wholesome counterpoint to the bustling Asaba city. Its scenic view of the ancient River Niger in its lazy southward course was alluring and picturesque.

All that is no more; the club house lies in ruins. Consigned to the dustbin of history is its revered, time honoured traditions and practices. The 150-year-old recreation centre was on November 5, 2011 brought down and the clubhouse flattened. The destruction was like a scene from Apocalypse.

The once-revered Mecca of sporting activities is in the news, not for sporting reasons, but the subject of a tripartite legal battle between a Lagos-based businessman, Dr John Jedeowon, the Umuezei community of Asaba and the Delta State government.

Asaba Sports Club, founded by Capt E. C Scott, District Officer and host of several sporting tournaments from the colonial era, is no more. Unknown persons with earthmoving equipment rumbled through its hallowed grounds, reducing it to rumbles.

Genesis It all began in 1998 when New Millennium Investment Limited, owned by Dr. Jedeowon, purportedly purchased a parcel of land from UAC. The Umuezei community went to court to stop the sale, stating that the land leasehold had expired.

Mr. Obi Adimkpaya, image-maker of the Asaba Sports Club, said the club predated the UAC lease from the community, whose agreement was drawn in 1896. He cited a copy of agreement contained in the Nigeria Transfer Ordinance Cap 8486 to back his assertion.

According to Adimkpaya, as at 1998 when the UAC allegedly sold the land to Dr

•The club after its destruction

From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

Jedeowon, the 99-year lease had expired. He said the attempted sale was scuttled when the Umuezei community got an interim injunction from the Federal High Court.

The late Justice Akin Boko restrained the UAC from selling the land.

Adimkpaya said the Umuezei community permitted the club to remain on the land. He added that efforts by the New Millennium Investment Limited to get a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) from the Ministry of Lands, Surveys and Urban Development was scuttled by an objection by the club’s solicitors, Azinge & Azinge.

But the drama assumed a new twist at about 7:30pm on November 3, 2011 when a black Sports Utility Vehice

(SUV) drove into the club premises.

Adimkpaya recalled: “I rushed to the scene after the security man called me. I made an unsuccessful call to the then Delta Police Commissioner, Mr. Mamman Tsafe, to inform him of the goings-on. A large contingent of policemen stormed the club at 5.30 am. I called Mrs. Grace Longe, ex DP O “A” Division, a stone throw from the club, and she told me she did not order the deployment of police to the club. I saw men from the Delta State Police Command Anti-robbery section led by DSP Alex Gwazah who was the O/C anti-robbery squad. They had a field day, destroying the monument, the tennis court, and carted away an LCD television and other valuables.”

An embittered Adimkpaya said despite several petitions

to the former Delta Police Commissioner, the matter was not investigated. Not even a petition to the IGP yielded any result.

Jedeowon has alleged complicity by the government to dispossess him of his property. In his petition to the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) dated April 3, Jedeowon said his company acquired the property located on River Niger Waterfront from UAC of Nigeria in 1998.

He said the purchase of the property was consummated by the issuance of both a Deed of Assignment and an irrevocable Power of Attorney by the UAC. His words: “ At the time of the purchase too, UAC issued the sitting tenants –Asaba Sport Club –a notice to deliver vacant possession and my company followed with a quit notice. An appeal was

made to me at that time to let them continue use of the tennis courts and club house until I was ready to develop the property.

“Sometime in 2005, I discovered that the club had surreptitiously applied to the Ministry of Lands ,Survey and Urban Development the said land to it but the Ministry responded by declaring that the ownership of the property was not in doubt and that they should dialogue with me if they want to continue to stay.”

Jedeowon named a top government functionary, who, according to him, sponsored the incorporation of the board of trustees of Asaba Sports Club and was made Grand Patron of the club.

The government said Jedeowon did not have a C of O for the property. It said

it had acquired the disputed land for overriding public interest, warning trespassers of being liable to payment of fine or one-year imprisonment upon conviction.

Delta Commissioner, Lands, Survey and Urban Development Sir Patrick Ferife said: “He (Jideowon) does not have a C of O. How can the government revoke a C of O when he was not issued one? I do not have much to say on this matter because the matter is still in court, but the government has taken over the land for overriding public interest.”

Ferife said THE government invoked the Land Use Act and took over the Asaba Sports Club, adding: “We have documents of transaction in our registry dating back to the colonial times. I feel sad that someone will use a bulldozer to destroy a

‘Community policing is answer Mr. Onoriode Sunday Eromedoghene is the Transition Committee Chairman of Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State. In this interview with POLYCARP OROSEVWOTU, he speaks on his administration, especially on the security challenges.

W

HAT was the most pressing challenge you faced when you came to office as transition committee chairman?

It was the issue of security, a very serious one that gave not only me but my entire executive serious concern.

But with the assistance of the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan who has peace and security as one of his 3-Point Agenda, the Army, police, State Secu-

rity Service (SSS) and of all the local vigilante groups, we were able to reduce the security tension and other related vices drastically to the barest minimum.

So do you support community policing?

Yes, but the must be under the supervision of the police or other security agencies. I saw the need for community polcing because of the recent security problem and noticed that they know the area more than ev-

ery other person and they were so helpful. It was with the support of the Okpara vigilante and others that we could douse the tension in the area. So, l appreciate all of them and will always support community policing if they are under the control of the police.

Your Local Government has been tagged as the den of kidnappers by the Commissioner of Police. What is the financial implication of tackling the trend?

You cannot separate financial implication from most security issues but the only thing l would say was that it did not deviate my focus, as l was still doing what l ought to be doing since my governor was there for me, implementing some of his order to see that there is relative peace in the area.

It only slowed the speed of my developmental work.

How has the ban on motorcycle affected your people?

It is true that the ban on motorcycle was from the state government. It was because of the incessant kidnappings and other vices in my local government, but all the same, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan did marvelously by donating 20 tricycles to the Delta State University Management to cushion the effect of the ban.

He did this by considering the fact that Abraka community is a university community housing the state uni-

versity and he saw that the effect will be too much for the university and donated 20 tricycles to the university and gave another 30 to the local government, which was handed over to the union and without wasting time they went straight to work.

The local government has also purchased over 30 tricycles and we are still expecting another 15 for different interested persons. And we giving this tricycles out

39

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

NIGER DELTA REPORT

Man ‘kills’ lover in bitter quarrel

It was a turbulent end to a very tumultuous relationship: the remains of Adaukwu Godspower were retrieved from a shallow grave after she was allegedly murdered by her live-in-lover. PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA reports

I

•The signpost of the club pulled down by vandals

national monument which the Asaba Sports Club, built in 1864, was.”

Plot Thickens The controversy surrounding the ownership of the property assumed a new dimension when Jedeowon accused the Delta Police Commissioner, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, of planning to kill him, pointing at an incident in Lagos where the police attempted to arrest him despite not producing a warrant of arrest.

He said Aduba ordered the arrest of his lawyer on March 22 in the court premises, an act which he described as “reckless”.

Aduba said his interest was to ensure that the truth of the matter was upheld. He said he inherited the case from his predecessor, Mr.

Mamman Tsafe, but has diligently pursued the matter, especially when the IGP recommended prosecution for anyone involved in the illegal demotion of Asaba Sports Club.

He said: “The parties are in court over the disputed land.

The demolition was illegal and unlawful. We have written our report and the IGP has approved our recommendation to prosecute anyone found culpable. Anyone behind the destruction should be charged for malicious damage.”

Aduba said those crying foul were those unhappy about how he had diligently handled the matter.

But while the search for the destroyers of Asaba Sports Club continues, a legacy which captures the rich tapestries of life of a people has been irrecoverably lost.

T was an unfortunate end to a fractious love affair in Okprowo Community of Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State. A 32-year-old man was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend of many years.

The lives of those who knew and loved Adaukwu will never be the same, particularly her widow-mother, Mrs. Jakoja Godspower.

When our reporter visited Okprowo, an uneasy calm pervaded the community.

Indigenes of the town were seen discussing the “murder”. What was in the open was that the suspect (Chinemezu Ewo), during a usual fracas, allegedly pulled out a kitchen knife and stabbed Adaukwu to death.

To cover the act, he allegedly threw the body of the woman he had lived with for years outside the fence of their apartment and dug a shallow grave, where he wanted to bury her remains.

The late Adaukwu was of Edeoha village. Chinemeze hails from Okprowo community where they lived together. Members of the deceased family told our reporter that the suspect took away their daughter without their consent.

When The Nation visited Okprowo community, residents said the death of the woman drew the curtain on years of quarrelling and brawling like sworn enemies.

In fact, one of the indigenes told of how a month before the “last fight”, the two lovers engaged in an open brawl, which ended in Chinemeze stabbing Adaukwu on the head with a sharp object.

“If she had taken a firm decision to leave him after that fight, she would still be alive today. But she would not listen to advice. She continued to stay with him, until death finally put them apart,” the source told our reporter on condition of not being named.

It was gathered that nem-

esis caught up with the abusive lover when a neighbour saw him dumping the remains of his lover over the fence before proceeding to dig a shallow grave.

“It was when he was trying to dig the grave in a swampy forest that he was apprehended by some good Samaritans who handed him over to the police,” the source added.

Our reporter’s visit to the deceased’s compound in Edeoha, showed why the deceased apparently stayed on,

in spite of the abuses she suffered in the hands of her man. One relation said the family was so poor that they were almost grateful that Chinemezu took the deceased off their hands.

“He inherited Adaukwu without the consent of her family or paying a kobo on her head.”

The mother of the deceased, Mrs. Godpower, was under medication when our reporter visited her because her blood pressure shot up after she heard of the fate of

her daughter.

Speaking with our reporter in her dialect, interpreted by one of her sons, the sobbing widow said: “Since he (Chinemezu) started befriending my daughter, it has been one quarrel or the other; each time they quarreled he would injure her.

“I pleaded with her to leave the man, but she refused. They were not legally married, the man had never visited us to say ‘I want to marry your daughter’ but the two of them were living together. I decided to overlook them; the man didn’t listen to me because he felt I was not in support of the relationship.”

“I was not aware of the last fight; I was in the house when I received a message that my daughter was dead.

I then rushed to Okprowo community, where people took me to the bush where my daughter was buried.

“I was there when the police came and took away the body and till now I am not aware of what police is doing. I don’t have money and I don’t know people, but I want the police and government to teach Chinemezu and other abusive men a lesson.

“My body system has totally changed from the day I saw my daughter’s remains.

The doctor said it is high blood pressure and other sicknesses he mentioned. I have not paid for the little medication he gave to me.”

Elder Francis Ojoro, a relative to the deceased, said the family was awaiting the body of Adaukwu to perform some traditional rites before her burial.

“When police release her remains before we bury her; we will perform a traditional ritual so that her spirit will continue to fight whoever killed her.”

Rivers State police spokesperson Mrs. Angela Agabe confirmed the incident.

She said: “I have contacted Ahoada Police Station and they told me investigation on the matter is going on. They want to know the real cause of her death.”

part of your plan to contest the local government election?

Well, l don’t know what to say but l think what happened was that in one of our stakeholders meetings in the residence of our leader, Chief Bernard Edewor, l spoke extensively on the journey so far since l assume office as the Ethiope East Transition Committee Chairman and l did not go there with the knowing that somebody was going to applaud me or passed a confidence vote on me but l was surprised that after l gave details of my stewardship within the space of time, they were so happy and passed a confidence vote on

me.

I really was happy because l never expected it but it goes a long way to show that anything anybody is doing he or she should do it well because people are out there watching.

What would you count as your achievement so far?

Though short, but within this period, my administration has done a lot; though Ethiope East is a rural local government and we do not expect so much from Internally Generated Revenue, we depend solely on allocation coming to the local government and with that we have been able to stabilise the local government in terms of meeting up our statutory obligation.

•Eromedoghene

•Adaukwu after the last fight before her death

•Adaukwu after the last fight before her death

to kidnapping, other crimes’ to the cyclists at a subsidised price of N350,000 and we have gotten about 100 tricycles in the last three weeks.

What is your assessment of the administration of Dr. Uduaghan for over six years? l will say he is a quiet achiever, excellent and a proactive governor, who knows what to do at every given time. l must tell you that the things the governor is doing today that we are seeing are not projects for the next twenty years to come but lasting projects that our children will enjoy.

I believe many of us will not know the developmental projects Governor

Emmanuel Uduaghan is putting in place until after 10 years and that is when we start appreciating him. We wouldn’t have had a better governor than Dr. Uduaghan who has taken his time to ensure that the state is not behind in the scheme of things.

We should not forget that if he is not the only one he should be among the few that have embarked on this free maternal health care from zero to five years of age, giving them free maternal health care from his inception of office till date.

This is aside the enrolment of students in the Senior Secondary Schools; scholarship scheme to study abroad and

other skill acquisition programmes where some of our Delta indigenes have been trained on different fields of endeavour and are today self-employed with equipment generously given to beneficiaries to start life of their own.

All these we are saying are not part of the dualisation of the Ughelli Asaba road, Eku - Asaba dualisation, the Asaba Airport and a lot of road work that the state government has embarked on both Asaba and other major cities of the state apart from the ones being carried out by the Direct Labour Agency.

The PDP in Ethiope East recently passed a vote of confidence on you. Is this

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

40

NIGER DELTA REPORT

The millionaire fishermen of Delta ‘ W ITH over 14,500 ponds spanning five clusters located on miles of swampy land, the Uvwie Fish Farmers Multipurpose Society in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta owns what is arguably one of the biggest fish farm settlements in the West African sub-region.

About six to nine tons of catfish is produced daily from the ponds, owned by over 6,500 members. This fish flood the markets of Effurun, Warri and other neighbouring towns.

This has helped stabilise the price of fish in the past three years.

The Chairman of the society, Deacon Henry Ogbodu, told a team of United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) recently brought in by the Delta State Ministry of Poverty Alleviation that with technical support and assistance his members could produce catfish to feed a good percentage of the nation’s population.

Already, he said the intervention of the Delta State Government through the Commissioner, Dr. Antonia Ashiedu in the past four years has boosted production from barely over 1,000 pounds in Ekpan to its present capacity.

Interestingly, the farm is owned by thousands of hitherto unemployed locals, who decided to take their destinies in their own hands instead of waiting for government to provide job. These entrepreneurs now employ thousands of youths from Ekpan and other communities in Uvwie Local Government Area.

This has in turn reduced the restiveness in the crisis-prone kingdom.

Ufuoma Idama, an Industrial Mathematics graduate of the Delta State University, owns six large ponds. He told our reporter that he gave up on job hunting after several years of scouring the ‘Wanted’ pages of newspapers for opening and hundreds of job interviews ending with promises of “We will get back to you” that never materialised.

When The Nation visited the massive farm located off Ufuoma Street in Ekpan recently, the young man was bustling with confidence.

Why not? He owns six ponds, some of which are ripe for harvest that could yield profit of up to N500,000 each after six just months.

“It is not all rosy; it takes a lot of hard work because this business is really cabbage in cabbage out. You must invest money, time and your attention to get the best of the farm,” he told our reporter.

Ogbodu told the team led by UNIDO’s Senior Industrial Development Officers/Chief Rural Entrepreneurship and Human Security Unit, Aurelia Calabro-Bellamoli that fish produced from the farm were as tasty as those from the river because they are bred with water from the nearby river, which is channelled or piped through webs of canal through the ponds. He explained that the six-hourly high and low tide of the river fill and drain the ponds, eliminating stagnancy which is harmful to the fish.

He commended the government for its support, particularly in the area of providing infrastructure, including tarring the road leading to the farm; technical and manpower development training, which saw the training of over 200 members at the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) in a train-the-trainers programme that has benefited thousands of its members.

The most viable support, he said, was the micro credit loans given to member, which led to production leaping by over 1,400 per cent in the past four years. The loan, which has grown to tens of millions over the past two years, he said, has helped members expand to no end.

Yet, the fish farmer said the society was not without challenges. He listed some of the tests facing his members to include fund for expansion, technical support, particularly in the area of fingerlings, value addition through packaging, smoking and marketing of their products.

He said: “We need technical support to produce feed to reduce our cost of production. We also need funds for new and improved fingerlings, water treatment. We also need value addition because the local women who buy from us cannot cope with the volume of fish we produce. We want to be able to export to other states and possibly outside Nigeria.”

He further added, “For instance, our members cannot produce optimally in order not to

We need technical support to produce feed to reduce our cost of production. We also need funds for new and improved fingerlings, water treatment. We also need value addition because the local women who buy from us cannot cope with the volume of fish we produce. We want to be able to export to other states and possibly outside Nigeria

‘

•Fish farmer Ufuoma Idama

•Ogbodu (with the microphone) speaking when the UNIDO team visited.

•One of the fish ponds From Shola O’Neil, Port Harcourt

create glut in the market. We can only harvest about nine tons daily, even though we have the capacity to produce up to 15tons.”

Of the nine tons of fish produced daily, he said about 10 - 20 percent were smoked by women who have located their businesses in the heart of the farm to provide ready services to consumers.

However, Ogbodu, whose ponds have increased from two to 200, recalled a sad period when crude oil from a leaky barge wiped ponds

of his members in 2011. He said efforts to get the alleged pollutant - neighbouring Chevron Nigeria Limited - to compensate his members who lost millions of naira failed.

“What was lost as a result of that incident put so many of us out of operation. Credit facilities that were taken for cultivation went down the drain. The issue remains a very bitter experience for us, but we believe that one day justice will be served,” he added.

Calabro-Bellamoli commended the leadership of the farmers, noting that “in those days the big fish eats the small one, but with coop-

eration, the small fishes now eat the big ones.”

While urging the coops member not to sleep, the UNIDO team leader assured that it will work with the Delta State Government to bring the fish farmers “a little ahead through value addition that is sustainable.”

Other members of the team include Frank Hartwich and Jesse Ojobo, agric experts as well as Jaroslav Cabak, who is a leather product expert. They promised to have more interactive sessions with the farmers in order to find the best form of help to offer them in the areas listed by Ogbodu in his address.

42

Friday, July 5, 2013

POLITICS

FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

43

THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

Afenifere Leader Senator Abraham Adesanya passed on five years ago. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU writes on the legacies of the elder statesman and the effects of his demise on the pan-Yoruba socio-political group.

F

Adesanya: Five years after

IVE years ago, the news of his demise reverberated across the six geo-political zones. The incident marked the depletion of the Awoists, who have faithfully propagated the ideals of the sage, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. At 86, he died a fulfilled politician after a protracted illness, although he often lamented that civil rule, and not democracy, was restored in 1999, following a protracted battle against the military by the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).

Abraham Aderibigbe Adesanya, successful transporter, astute lawyer and shrewd politician was a member of the old order. The Yoruba chief from Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, was, until his demise, the National Leader of Afenifere and chieftain of the now weakened Alliance for Democracy (AD). It was not a salaried position.

When one of his aides, a journalist, asked him to mobilise the Southwest functionaries in government to contribute salaries for the leader, thereby converting he position into a lucrative one, Adesanya, who was in the same car with him, kept mute.

On getting to a market in Yaba, Lagos Mainland, he asked the aide to get down and approach the masses there for the reward he had in mind for Afenifere. He said to him: “Get down from the car and go to these people in the market and ask for the salary for Afenifere leader. They are the people we are serving”. The aide was rebuked by that explanation. When the governors of the Southwest later presented a jeep to him, he was not excited. He requested for small ladder, which he would climb to get to the vehicle.

As the Afenifere leader, he canvassed the national question. He favoured a return to parliamentary system. He was also an advocate of true federalism, state police, restructuring and decentralisation of power. At the recent anniversary lecture in his memory at the Afe Babalola Hall, University of Lagos, Akoka, eminent Nigerians, including Lagos State Governor Babatunde (SAN), who was represented by Regional Integration Special Adviser Rev. Tunji Adebiyi, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) elder, Aremo Segun Osoba, and Oodua peoples Congress (OPC) founder Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, described him as a great nationalist who served his nation and country creditably. The event was organised by the Ogun State Students Association.

A lecturer from the Department of International Relations, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof.

Alade Fawole, who spoke on “The place of the Yoruba in Nigerian politics and development”, said that Adesanya took a cue from Awolowo by being a good citizen of Yoruba before being a good citizen of Nigeria. “In his several endeavours and engagements, his life was defined by integrity, honour, the Omoluabi concept, selflessness, unwavering commitment to principles, loyalty to the people and their cause, and commitment to ensuring the greatest happiness for the greatest number of the people”, he added.

Adesanya was a role model and mentor to many politicians who relished values and principles. For him, contentment was a great virtue. Thus, as a regional legislator in the First Republic, senator in the Second Republic, and NADECO Leader during the dark days of the military rule, his watchword was service to humanity.

He loathed avarice, materialism,

• From left: Dr Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu; Mr Tunde Adelaja, Rear Adm. Adetoye Sode (rtd) and former Minister of State (Defence), Mr Modupe Adelaja, at the lecture.

primitive accumulation and other acts of political indecency. He objected to lateness to meetings. Thus, he was perceived as a moral voice moderating the activities of the progressive Yoruba actors who were ultimately divided by the scramble for power at the federal, state and local governments.

That stiff competition for political offices took its toll on the umbrella organisation he led till he passed on.

The signs of strains were visible, owing to the cracks in the fold since the late Chief Ganiyu Dawodu opposed the candidature of Senator Bola Tinubu for the Lagos State governorship and the late Chief Bola Ige and Chief Oluyemisi Falae clashed at D’Rovans, Ibadan, during the controversial AD presidential primaries. Although he managed, to a large extent, to unite the two caucuses, it was evident that the group only wobbled on into a perilous future. Following his departure to the great beyond, Afenifere broke down.

During his burial at Ijebu-Igbo, the rivalry and division came to the fore.

The two factions of Afenifere led by Chief Rueben Fasoranti and Senator Ayo Fasanmi were in the ancient town to pay their last respects and score political points. The death of their leader failed to unite them. Up to now, reconciliation has proved difficult. The acrimony, observers contend, is not only a disservice to the memory of Adesanya, but also to the memory of Ajasin and Awo. For Adesanya, politics was not a profession. It was a vocation. Before he joined the fray, he had established himself as a businessman and lawyer.

He successfully ran a transport business. He was also not a failure at the bar. But he entered politics as a rebel, who was estranged from the party tradition of the time. He questioned the voice of political leadership, which advised him not to contest election into the Western Regional House of As-

sembly in 1956. When he acted contrary, he lost his deposit at the poll.

Adesanya was already a household name in his Ijebu-Igbo Constituency before independence. The people were rooting for him. However, the ruling Action Group (AG) advised him to opt out of the contest, promising to reward him with the seat in 1960. He jettisoned the advice and contested as an independent candidate. He suffered the same fate like the young lawyer from Akure, Akinola Aguda, who despite his popularity, lost to the AG candidate. But in 1960, Adesanya bounced back. He retraced his steps to the AG, contested for the same seat on that platform and won resoundingly.

Since then, he treasured the doctrine of party supremacy.

The Ijebu-Igbo politician loved his leader, Awo. But he always refrained from playing to the gallery.That lack of flair for frivolities endeared him to his leader. Whenever he visited the sage, the old man would instantly grant him an audience because he believed that Adesanya must have come for an important business. When the AG split into two factions, following the AG crisis, which reached the peak at the rancorous Jos Congress in 1962, he rejected the entreaties from Premier Ladoke Akintola to dump Awo’s AG for the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), which was derisively referred to as ‘Demo Party’.

Adesanya was present at the court throughout the treason felony trial of Awolowo. As a young lawyer, he had the privilege to carry the gown of the British legal icon, Dingle Foot, to the court. The trial was window dressing as the leader of the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) and Premier of the Northern region, Sardauna Ahmadu Bello, Prime Minister Abubakar Balewa and Akintola had made up their minds that Awo should be liquidated. When the judge, whose hands were tied, Justice Soniran Sowemimo, sentenced the Leader of Opposition to

ten year imprisonment, the AG members wailed inside and outside the High Court.

WO was unperturbed. He surveyed the court, looking for a faithful whose eyes were not soaked with tears. Adesanya, who he fondly called ‘Ajantala’, was the man.

Awo wanted to give him a parting note for his wife, Hannah Idowu Dideolu. But as he handed over the note to him, he too burst into tears.

Awo, who had refused to be seized by emotion, rebuked his faithful disciple.

“What do you want me to be doing now when you are crying?”, he asked.

Immediately, Adesanya wiped away his tears.

In the seventies, Adesanya was a strong member of the Committee of Friends, which metamorphosed into the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). He was elected a senator in 1979 and reelected in 1983. Up to now, that parttime legislature remains the best.

Adesanya, who was not a bench warmer, contributed to robust debates on the floor. He also rendered valuable legal services to his party when the notorious National Party of Nigeria (NPN) rigged elections in some parts of the country. When the military sacked the legitimate authorities from power in 1983, the Adesanya’s parliamentary career ended on that note.

In the Third Republic, politicians were in disarray. They were tossed around by former military President Ibrahim Babangida, who, through his dubious political experimentation, extended the handover date. Initially, Adesanya heeded Awo’s advice to the progressives that they should learn to wine with the devil with a long spoon.

But when the proscribed Social Democratic Party (SDP) aspirant, the late Chief Moshood Abiola, showed remorse and pleaded with the Yoruba establishment to endorse his candidature, Adesanya was one of the delegates who elected him as the candi-

A

‘When the AG split into two factions, following the AG crisis, which reached the peak at the rancorous Jos Congress in 1962, he rejected the entreaties from Premier Ladoke Akintola to dump Awo’s AG for the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), which was derisively referred to as ‘Demo Party’

date in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

The annulment of the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election won by Abiola threw up Adesanya as an activist in his old age. Following the death of the Afenifere Leader, Chief Adekunle Ajasin, he was selected as the new leader at Ibadan by Yoruba stakeholders. Ige became his deputy.

He also doubled as the NADECO leader at the home front, when the late Chief Anthony Enahoro escaped abroad. He suffered bruises in the hand of the military. When he escaped death by whiskers when his vehicle was attacked, he earned the appellation, Apamaku. He was unwavering in his staunch support for the enthronement of democracy to the end.

Adesanya and other Afenifere leaders, including Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, played an active role in the emergence of Tinubu as the governor of Lagos State in 1999.

The Third Republic senator had expressed his desire to return to the Upper Chamber. But, in their wisdom, the Yoruba leaders advised him to run for the governorship, a move that enraged their colleague, Dawodu, a member of the Afenifere Controlling Leadership, who resisted their decision, but without success.

How to bring Tinubu and Dawodu to a truce was a challenge. Also, it was difficult to fully reconcile Ige with Adebanjo and Ajayi, who he believed moved against him at D’Rovans. Ige accepted to serve as minister under President Olusegun Obasanjo without consultation or clearance from the umbrella group. He never returned alive. Up came the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), which tended to reduce Afenifere’s influence. The first President was Ven. Emmanuel Alayande. The secretary was Justice Adewale Thompson, who was a day older than Adesanya. When Alayande shunned Afenifere meeting, he fired salvos at the Afenifere leader. “Is it because we (AG) leaders asked him to carry the gown of Dingle Foot that he now thinks that he is the leader?”, he asked. At domestic level, Adesanya’s daughter, Mrs. Dupe Adelaja, was also appointed as a minister. She was divided between loyalty to her father and husband. Her father, Adesanya enjoined her to reject the offer, saying: “If she is a daughter of his father, she will not accept it”. But other relations thought differently.

Former Governor Tinubu felt threatened when Dawodu, the Lagos AD chairman, indicated that he could not be persuaded to support him for a second term. Tinubu moved swiftly.

He objected to Dawodu’s continuation in office as the chairman, preferring Prince Abiodun Ogunleye for the position. He offered other big appointments to the god of Lagos. Adesanya was torn between Tinubu and Dawodu. He could not abandon his friend of AG and UPN days. Yet, he understood Tinubu perfectly. He even received bashing for not permitting other members of the Controlling Leadership to descend on the former governor during the initial reconciliation. The Afenifere leader strategically allowed a committee chaired by Ajayi to suggest a power sharing formula, ahead of the 2003 elections. The committee came up with the controversial 60:40 formula. Also for strategic reasons, Tinubu camp rejected the proposal.

Under Adesanya’s watchful eyes, Afenifere was on the brink. Dawodu •Continued on page 44

44

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

POLITICS Imo State United Progressives Party (UPP) governorship aspirant Dr Osmond Ukanacho spoke with AUGUSTINE AVWODE on his plans for the state, zoning principle and other issues.

‘Owerri Zone should produce Imo governor’ W

HY did you dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the United Peoples Party (UPP)?

It is because I have a vision and I need a suitable platform through which I can realise that vision. After a careful consideration of what the United Progressives Party (UPP) stands for, I came to the conclusion that it is more suitable for the vision than the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). So, I think that with the UPP, I can achieve that vision. And why do I think so? The UPP as a party has a wonderful manifesto. It is the manifesto of the party that actually attracted me to it. The truth of the matter is that, if you look at the PDP, as a party, it has never implemented its manifesto and I think it is not a good idea. It is the deviation from the party’s manifesto that informed why the party has continued to perform very poorly.

But how would you respond to critics if they say you left PDP because you have no chance of achiving your ambition at the party?

I will tell them that it is not true, that it is not because I won’t be able to secure the ticket of the party that made me to dump it. The truth of the matter is that everybody knows that the party has never adhered to its manifesto. I say this with all sense of responsibility that PDP has not adhered to its manifesto all through these years; their promises to people all through these years have not been delivered. I am pretty sure that if I should contest on that platform and win, it will still be business as usual. It is not a question of not being able to get the ticket, I don’t agree with that.

Apart from the manifesto of the UPP, what else attracted you to the party?

The party has clear cut progressive tendencies and as a progressive myself, it is only just natural for me to find it attractive.

The general perception is that Governor Rochas Okorocha is doing well. What do you want to offer Imo State that is different from what the incumbent is doing now?

When you look at Imo State in the past 12 years, you will see that there are still a lot to be done. Imo produces the largest number of graduates in Nigeria and it has been so annually. So, the primary concern of any government should be how to engage these graduates. For me, therefore, the first thing will be how to absorb this number of graduates into the system through gainful employment? Besides, the rate of insecurity in Imo State is something else. It is very alarming. And I think we cannot continue like this, a solution has to be found, which I cannot tell you now for obvious reasons.

There is the question of infrastructural decay that requires urgent attention. If you look at what is happening in the developed world and in developed democracies, you will agree that those developments were made possible by human beings and not spirits. And those things can be replicated here through good governance. So these are some of the reasons why I want to govern the state.

Given that UPP is a new party, do you think it stands any chance?

I don’t think it would be difficult to wrest power from the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in the state. I strongly believe that it will be very simple. Don’t forget I run a foundation known as Osmond Ukanacho Foundation with my own

• Ukanacho

little resources. We will leverage on the fact that in these past years, we have touched many lives in Imo State and indeed, Nigeria at large. For instance, sometime last year in Benue State, where I delivered a lecture to some disabled students in the higher institutions, we gave out more than 43 wheelchairs and 43 clutches to disabled students; we also gave out scholarships to them as well. Those things and others that we have done in Imo State would speak for us.

Come to think of it, government should be for the people; it is for those who cannot put food on their tables. It should not be for the wealthy. But increasingly, the government that we have today in the country is for the rich. The common man has no place or position in the present set up. The gap between the rich and poor is too wide. We are coming out to tackle that by bridging the gap between the rich and the poor.

What do you have to say about the agitation for power shift from Orlu to Owerri zone?

Power shift among the three zones in the state, namely: Okigwe, Owerri and Orlu zones is very important. It is called, Imo Charter of Equity. Okigwe has done it, Orlu did it and it was the turn of Owerrri. But, that lasted for just a year and four months. It was during the tenure and reign of the late Senator Evans Ewerem. He ruled for only one year and four months. As a matter of fact, the equity did not say it must be eight years or it must be two years, or one tenure. But unfortunately, Okigwe couldn’t do it for eight years the second time, they did for four years. It was supposed to get back to Owerri before it went back to Orlu. It is the turn of Owerri to produce the governor of Imo State. That is why we are saying; it has to return to Owerri for us to complete our own agreement on equity.

‘It is true that politics in Nigeria has been highly monetised by money bags. But I want all Nigerians to know that money is not everything.

That is not to say we are not ready, we are very ready. We have done our home work and very prepared to give this project our very best’

What are your strategies to wrest power from the incumbent?

You would be surprised when you get to the state and see the kind of crowd that is following me. These are people who believe in what we have done so far. We have touched the lives of the people with our own resources. And I think that if we have a level playing ground and quality legislation, we can do better. Like I said, the youths in the state desire a change. The present situation in the state is like what it was in 2011. Back then, the people desire a change and they got the change. Anybody could have won the election because the people desired a change. Today, the people are yearning for change and they will get it.

Are you saying your party is fully on ground in the state?

Of course,yes. Don’t forget, the fight is not just for one or two local governments. We have 27 Local Government Areas in the state and we are on ground in all of them. We have offices in each of the council areas and there are people running the affairs of the party in those local government areas. As a matter of fact, I must let you know that the founder of this party, UPP also founded the ruling party in Imo State today, I mean the APGA. So, the spirit of APGA has left the party as is now in UPP. What is your plan to tackle the challenges posed by insecurity in the state?

There is no place in any part of the world where there is no crime. We are talking about minimizing it to the barest minimum. Our plan is to ensure that the 27 local government areas are monitored from the Government House at the snap of a finger. With modern day technology, we can see all the local governments in Imo State from the Government House at all time. That is what we are going to do, and we will ensure that insecurity is reduced to the barest minimum through that method.

What are your programs?

I want to revive the educational sector in the state. We would ensure that the internally generated revenue in the state is increased. I know that in Imo State, we are going to look at the area where we have comparative advantage, like the area of oil palm produce. This is one source of revenue for the government that has been grossly neglected and we would revive it. We will tackle the issue of unemployment, and erect industries and meaningful infrastructure. As everybody knows, Imo state is the highest producer of palm oil and we can go back to that area and do things right. The whole of Imo State, there is no factory that makes maximum use of farm produce in the state. At least, we can do something about that and create more employment for the youths.

Politics is capital intensive. How would you finance this ambition?

It is true that politics in Nigeria has been highly monetised by money bags.

But I want all Nigerians to know that money is not everything. That is not to say we are not ready, we are very ready.

We have done our home work and very prepared to give this project our very best. However, when President Obama contested in the United States, he did not have the amount of money that everybody expected a presidential aspirant to have. But he was able to raise the money he needed for the campaigns. In the same way, we are going to rely on our friends, associates and business partners to be able to meet all the financial obligations of this project. But I must sound it right away that we are not going to be part of the politics of money where people just share money for the sake of it, no. That is not in our vision.

Our vision is to leave a legacy of change.

We want to make sure that there is total and complete change in the state.

Abia 2015: Group endorses Anyim for governor

A

From Sunny Nwankwu, Aba

GROUP, the New Abia Movement, has adopted Dr. Nyerere Anyim for the 2015 governorship election in Abia State.

Speaking at the end of its meeting held in Aba, the chairman of the group, Mr. Onyebuchi Okorie, said that Anyim is the best aspirant.

He said that the APGA chieftain possessed the wherewithal and administrative qualities to effect the desired change in the state.

Stressing the need for a private sector governor, Okorie said: “We have assessed several aspirants for the position, but found Chief Nyerere Anyim fit to govern Abia state. He is a private sector person who boasts of a track record of achievements in all the endeavours he has found himself. So, we are of the view that private persons should be given the chance to govern the state.

“We have tried core politicians but they have continued to disappoint us.

So, Anyim fits the bill. It is not a partisan thing. We carried out our survey on people of all political parties. We call on the people of the state to support his ambition in 2015.”

The group berated the PDP’s style of leadership stressing thatit has ruined the country.

The group expressed optimism that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would provide Nigerians the opportunity to experience a new style of leadership.

“We have lost faith in the PDP, they have been in power for years but the people have continued to wallow in abject poverty in the midst of wealth. It is clear that the salvation of Abia state and the country cannot come from the party.

“We are hopeful that the registration processes going on between INEC and APC will not be delayed. APC will give Abians and Nigerians the opportunity to taste good governance and enjoy the dividend of democracy to the fullest.” the group stated.

Adesanya: Five years after

•Continued from page 43

pulled his supporters out of the political family and took refuge in PAC. On the eve of the 2003 election, he directed his supporters to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, the late Funso Williams. At that stage, Afenifere’s influence has been weakened, because while the five governors it supported in Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti states were displaced by the PDP, Tinubu of Lagos survived the earthquake.

HEAD of 2003, there were pressures on the group to support Obasanjo, based on ethnic sentiment. Opinion was divided. Previously, Afenifere was said to have interceded for a prominent Yoruba captain of industry in the banking and communication sectors, who had fled the country, following victimisation by the federal Government. The mission to Aso Rock failed. So, Adesanya expressed reservations about any pact with Obasanjo.

Former Ogun State Governor Osoba and his Oyo State counterpart, the late Alhaji Lam Adesina, thought otherwise. When Osoba, Adesina, Ade Adefarati, Adebisi Akande and Adeniyi Adebayo were allegedly rigged out, it was evident that Afenifere had been reduced to a toothless bulldog which could only bark but not bite. Between 1999 and 2003, there were also complaints that Afenifere was losing its grip on the governors. Its monitoring activities in the six states were allegedly resisted.

The crises in the six chapters of Afenifere/AD in Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo, and to some extent, Ekiti, took their tolls on the group. Fed up with the rift between governors and their deputies, the lieutenants of Awo , who had witnessed similar feuds between Awo and Akintola, Ige and Sunday Afolabi and Ajasin and Omoboriowo, asked the deputy governors who could not cooperate with their bosses to resign. Thus, Senator Kofoworola BucknorAkerele and Iyiola Omisore, who had become estranged with Tinubu and Akande had to leave the administrations. Also, scores of the AD chieftains defected to the PDP, firing salvos to their former camps. Yoruba was also being marginalised, although their son was the President.

These were not Adesanya’s making. But these tragedies, especially the loss of power to their conservative rivals, were too heavy for the leader to bear.

Afenifere warriors refused to listen to his fatherly counsels, which he offered in words laced with proverbs. Soon, the leader succumbed to illness. There was no succession plan. Ige, his deputy, had died and there was no replacement yet. At that twilight of life, chieftains from Ijebu axis started to jostle for the position of leader. But the younger elements like Dayo Adeyeye, Niyi Afuye and Jimi Agbaje advised Adesanya to nominate Fasoranti as the Acting Leader to halt the insinuation that Afenifere was ‘Ijebu Mafia”. He did not recover from the illness.

The first test for his successor, Fasoranti, as it were, was the crisis in the AD. Two members of Ige camp, Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa and Akande, were jostling for the national chairmanship of AD. Two parallel congresses were held in Abuja and Lagos where the rival chairmen emerged. But during the meeting of Afenifere at Akure, Fasoranti recognised Akinfenwa as the chairman, claiming that the convention that produced him complied with the guidelines. The majority, which backed Akande at the Lagos convention rejected the Akure Declaration, accusing Fasoranti of bias. At the meeting of Afenifere in Jibowu, Lagos, those opposed to him proclaimed Fasanmi as the deputy leader. Since then, efforts to reconcile the camps by the members of the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) led by Hon. Wale Oshun, has proved abortive.

Adesanya left behind a divided Yoruba race. He did inherit a fully united race as leader. In post-Adesanya era, progressives in Yorubaland have continued to work at cross-purpose. They have refused to rise beyond the personality clashes of the past.

Although the 80th birthday of Adebanjo should have provided the opportunity for reunion, it was bungled. Certain progressives even prefer to work with the conservatives, ahead of the 2015 elections.

Fawole however, charged them to remember that their strength lies in the progressive creed bequeathed by Awo and sustained by Ajasin and Adesanya. He urged Yoruba to defend its legacies in education. The don also called for support for the integration agenda mooted by the ARG and implemented by the Southwest •The late Senator Adesanya governors.

A

45

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

•A new block of classrooms with pupils in session at Community Secondary School Afrike, Ikahor-Bekwarra Local Government Area •Continued from Page 17

eficiary schools. This intervention stimulated school enrolment recording a marginal increase of 23.39 percent for secondary school and 185.03 per cent for primary schools. It is also promoting reading habit at that level,” Ovat said.

In Cross River State, like in most other parts of the developing counties, most people with some level of education prefer to live in towns and cities. This is so because of the perceived opportunities that abound. Another reason for this may be connected with the presence of social infrastructure like electricity, potable water, good roads, etc. These made it difficult for providers of social services like teachers to show commitment when deployed to rural areas. In line with this, Agency assisted communities who had similar challenge of accommodating teachers posted to their community schools, to construct staff

A boost in Cross River communities

quarters with complementary facilities as water and VIP toilets in some cases. This holistic provision of facilities at the rural level has helped teachers to accept their posting or deployment to such schools, thereby improving student access to teachers and by extension attendance.

An outcome survey of CSDP intervention in the state was conducted by an independent consultant in December 2012 for CSDP

beneficiary communities in the state to investigate changes if any that may be attributed to CSDP intervention.

The analysed results of the report revealed that secondary school enrolment increased from 2775 before intervention to 3424 after intervention. This amounts to over 23 per cent increase. The survey also revealed that primary school enrolment increased from 294 before intervention to 838 af-

The enrolment of wards in schools is essential to eradicate poverty due to ignorance. It is also an empowerment process that prepares the children and youths for future leadership

ter intervention accounting for over 185 per cent increase in school enrolment in CSDP beneficiary communities in the state.

There has also been a positive change in the number of students studying science subjects in schools with a record increase of 58 per cent enrolment.

Ovat said CSDP currently has intervention in 192 communities in the state with education incline projects contributing over 26.2 percent of the total number of micro projects supported. This is a pointer to the fact that the state was in dire need of educational development.

His words: “The enrolment of wards in schools is essential to eradicate poverty due to ignorance.

It is also an empowerment process that prepares the children and youths as future leaders. The good thing is that CSDP intervention is

needs based and thus has potential for sustainability. In Cross River state, over 98 percent of support has gone to rural and indigent communities with evident need for development and poverty reduction. Some of the beneficiary communities had no school of theirs before intervention but rather trek to distant communities to attend schools. Others had school but never had science laboratories for study of science subjects. This affected their enrolment for certificate examinations like West African Examination Council (WAEC) or National Examination Council) NECO thus, science students during period of examination had the choice of discontinuing or enrolled in another school distant from the community. There was therefore an evident problem of access that CSDP has since corrected in such communities.”

Anambra’s largesse lifts NDLEA •Continued from Page 17

ing up his other responsibilities.

The NDLEA chief noted that the vehicles and financial support will boost the operational capacity of the Agency. He thanked the governor for his support.

Gisade explained that all heinous crimes including armed robbery are associated with hard drugs and called for collective effort to win the war.

The NDLEA boss disclosed that the Agency is sharing intelligence with other countries of the world resulting in many arrests and convictions.

The state Commander, Momodu Sule described the vehicles and cash donation as a huge boost in performing more diligently, effectively and efficiently in his duties than ever.

He said all efforts are geared towards trying to make the state drug-free, stressing further that that it has arrested 195 drug peddlers in Anambra, convicted two convicted even as several other cases are ongoing in the Federal High court.

Momodu told Newsextra that

•Governor Peter Obi (right) presenting the N10m cheque to NDLEA chairman Alhaji Ahmadu Giade at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia

PHOTO: ODOGWU EMEKA ODOGWU

they could not do anything without information from the members of the public, adding that cocaine, heroine and cannabis are rampant in Anambra. He said that they discovered in

Nanka, Orumba North Local Government Area of the state a facility where one of the most potent but illicit drugs in the world-Metaphytamin- was being manufactured.

Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Anambra State, Mr Egwuoyibo Okoye, in his remarks, commended Obi for his magnanimity in granting financial aid

and also giving utility vehicles to federal agencies and parastatals in the state. He said the vehicles would aid the agency in their task to keep the society free of hard drugs.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

46

•From left: Alhaji Kamal-ud-deen Akintunde, National President of National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO); Comrade Jude G. Imagwe, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youth and Student Matters; Mr. Izi Faafa of Dan Etete Foundation; Pastor Timothy Ademola, Coordinator, Inter-religious Dialogue and Peace Network; Patriot Simon Dolly, National President of Youth Wing Christian Association of Nigeria and Miss Kenoye Edughom, Regional Eckankar Youth Council President during the first Nigerian Inter-religious Youth Summit in Abuja

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has advised Nigerian youths to use religion to foster peace and unity in the country, even as religious youth leaders blamed the spate of societal decadence, especially violence, on the failure of religious leaders to impact teachings geared towards tolerance, peace and national unity in their followers.

Speaking in Abuja at the first Nigerian Inter-religious Youth Summit, President Jonathan, who noted that the summit could not have come at a better time than now, said religion should be more than going to churches or mosques every day.

Jonathan, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Youth and Student Affairs, Jude Imagwe said: “We have to be tolerant of others if we must move our society forward.

When went wrong? There was a time in this country when we used to wait eagerly for exchange

Jonathan advises youths on tolerance

From Dele Anofi, Abuja

of gifts from our neighbours, Muslims and Christians during Sallah and Christmas. We have to start preaching peace, but to achieve peace, we must work for peace.”

The convener of the summit, Timothy Ademola said the blame of the present rot should be directed at religious leaders, saying: “It has been argued that if religious teachers and scholars can come up with sacred identity constructs that outline more peaceful world views, the world will, to a large extent, be made much better.

“Given the fact that youths constitute the most active segment of any religion when it comes to the implementation of its sacred identity constructs, it goes with-

out saying that such constructs become more socially-accommodating and productive.

“The youth that adopt the will become more socially accommodating and productive. At this level, religion actively becomes an instrument for youth empowerment and constructive change.”

The President of Youth Wing

of Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), Simon Dolly urged understanding between religious faiths.

He said: “We need to understand each other, work together and build bridges. We should build on our strength rather than look at our weaknesses.”

In his presentation, the National President of National

We need to understand each other, work together and build bridges. We should build on our strength rather than look at our weaknesses…Since religion, as a concept, means different things to different people, we should then strive to make it an agent of stability. This is more so because religious intolerance has cost the country so much in our socio-political and economic development

Plateau lawmaker revives infrastructure

The Speaker has no official powers to allocate projects but he is already doing that in his personal capacity, in an effort to put a smile on the faces of his constituents; we will ever remain grateful

A

LAWMAKER in Plateau State, Hon Clark Dabwan representing Mangu South constituency at the state House of Assembly, has lifted the spirits of his constituents.

After noting the extent of infrastructural decay in the area he responded with practical help.

When he visited, he brought with him building materials including bundles of roofing sheets to rehabilitate some dilapidated facilities there. He also knew exactly which facilities needed urgent attention.

It was a pleasant surprise gift to the people.

Dabwan is the Speaker of the House, serving his second term.

He presented the items to his constituents at the palace of the district head, Magajin Gari Mangu Mr Michael Hirse.

There, he told them his mission was provide the materials so that the community could fix some of its run-down structures. He also spoke of his appreciation of the support the people have given him.

The speaker said: “I have only come back with these items as a mark of my appreciation to my people. It is my own way of saying thank you for the confidence reposed in me and the mandate you gave me to represent you at the Plateau State House of Assembly.

“As your spokesman in the House, I have tried as much as possible to present your needs to the state government. While some of our needs in this community [have been] solved by the state govern-

Council of Muslim Youth Organisation (MACOMYO), Kamaldeen Akintunde regretted that hypocrisy on the part of religious leaders has contributed, in no small measures, to the spate of violence in the country.

“Since religion, as a concept, means different things to different people, we should then strive to make it an agent of stability.

This is more so because religious intolerance has cost the country so much in our socio-political and economic development.

While he canvassed for constitutional regulation of religious activities, the youth leader urged political, religious and community leaders to be cautious when making comments on religious issues.

The representative of Eckankar said the solution to violence in the country is peace.

•Hon Dabwan hands over roofing sheets to District Head, Hirse From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

ment, some others are already receiving government attention as indicated in the 2013 appropriation Act. But I feel it is necessary to make my own personal contribution in appreciation of the mandate you gave me.

“To show my appreciation, I have come with 35 bundles of aluminum roofing sheets, 10 of them will be for Alohom community for the roofing of theirs primary school, the remaining 25

bundles of roofing sheets should be used for the renovation of the maternity clinic in Mangu.

“I will make funds available for the purchase of wood for the roofing as well as for other relevant materials and to take care of labour. This maternity clinic is very dear to my heart and I will want the project completed in 30 days from now.

“The people of Lahir village, I was told, are also contributing money for electrification project of their community. I have here a cash

sum of N150,000 as my personal contribution to their electricity project. ”Most importantly I will not forget my party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on which platform I was elected; I have here a station wagon Peugeot car to assist them in carrying out party functions.”

Hon Dabwan asked the people of his constituency to continue to support the redemptive government of Governor Jonah David Jang so that the community will

continue to benefit from the administration.

Chair of the management committee of Mangu Local Government Area, Hon Isa Shikven who witnessed the presentation, said, in his remarks, that the local government and the people were proud of the Speaker.

Hon. Shaken said: “Our representative at the House of Assembly has not only represented us well; he is heading the legislative arm of government in the state.

This is why we are so proud of him.

“The Speaker has no official powers to allocate projects but he is already doing that in his personal capacity, in an effort to put a smile on the faces of his constituents; we will ever remain grateful.”

The Magajin Gari Mangu (District Head) who received the building materials on behalf of the community, expressed his gratitude .

He said the items will go along way in alleviating the suffering of the people particularly at the maternity clinic.

FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

48

To ensure that the programme is sustained, we have encouraged our farmers to go into massive production of fish and chicken with which to feed the pupils

T

HERE were grim statistics for Nigeria from the recently released “State of School Feeding Worldwide Report”, compiled by the World Food Programme (WFP).

The report, launched at the United Nations headquarters in New York, indicated that only one out of five school children get a healthy school meal in developing countries.

The report also presented a gloomy picture of Nigeria’s school feeding programme highlighting that less than 500,000 school children get a decent meal in school. In that report, Nigeria and Cameroon shared the ignoble position of coming last.

In 2004, Nigeria began a pilot project of Home Grown School Feeding and Health Programme (HGSFHP) which was part of the Universal Basic Education Programme. It was designed to feed pupils in elementary public schools. But out of the 13 states that participated in the programme, only one state remained committed to the continued implementation and improvement of the project: The state is Osun.

The state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been developing a simple theory with his re-organised school feeding programme in the state. For him, providing nutritious and healthy meals in schools has a direct link to mental development and the eradication of poverty.

Therefore when in April 2012, he decided to review the school feeding programme with a bigger and better menu, he targeted not just the children but also the farmers in the state.

The Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O’Meals), which was the result of the new thinking in the state has since surpassed most of its main objectives.

One of the cardinal points of O’Meals is to increase enrollment and retention of school children in state primary schools. Within four weeks of the commencement of the pro-

•Deputy Governor Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori (right) with some of the caterers

•Pupils being served their meal

Aregbesola fights poverty with O’Meal

By Seun Akioye

gramme however, school enrollment has jumped about 25 per cent in government primary schools. By June 30, 2012, enrollment increased from 155,318,000 to 194,253 from primaries 1-3.

Basking in the euphoria of this success, the state government promptly widened the scope and included primary 4 in the scheme. The state now feeds a total of 252,793,000 students daily at the annual cost of N3billion.

From the report of the WFP, Osun State accounts for more than half of the total number of children getting healthy and nutritious school meals in Nigeria.

The operation officer of O’meal, Mrs. Bunmi Ayoola, said the programme has achieved and surpassed its objectives of increasing school enrollment in the state. She said the government also ensures that the food is

prepared in a healthy and neat environment.

“Balanced diet helps in developing the brain’s capacity as well as cognitive response index of each child and it plays a major role in ensuring that children assimilate learning instructions fast and well,’’ she said.

Fighting poverty and increasing enterprise But increased enrollment was not the only intention of the Osun State government; reduction of poverty and boosting small and medium scale enterprise were also key points in the school feeding programme. According to the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, the rebirth of the school feeding programme has had a positive impact on farmers.

“As part of six points integral action plan of the state government to banish hunger, create employment and education for all; the school feed-

ing programme has increased the enrollment of the pupils by 25 per cent within the two weeks of re-introduction, allowed farmers to engage in massive food production and encouraged learning in primary schools. Let me tell you that 80 per cent of food production by the farmers in the State will be used for feeding of our kids in the programme”.

The deputy governor revealed that over 900 cocoyam farmers have been empowered by the government.

“In order to ensure that the programme is sustained, we have encouraged our farmers to go into massive production of fish and chicken with which to feed the pupils. We have also directed our farmers to go into massive production of plantain, banana and very soon we are thinking on the possibility of going into massive production of rice and establish rice mills across the state to encourage our farmers,” she said.

‘Don’t panic on Lagos roads’

By Dada Aladelokun

•Mr Hamzat

T

THE Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, has said that the administration of Babatunde Fashola is committed to the development of infrastructural facilities in the state.

Hamzet, who was fielding questions from reporters on why the state is seemingly struggling to get the infrastructural development of the metropolis right, said: “We are not struggling. We have the master-plan that we are implementing, which, of course, can’t be exhausted magically in a calendar year, given the enormous challenges inherited by this administration. The state believes that improved infrastructure is a major pivot on which poverty eradication can rest,” he said.

Citing the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Isheri-Oshun-Jakande Road, now fully awarded to Hitech Construction Company to complement the bridge works that started some time ago, and the Blue Rail Line

project as examples, Hamzat said “the ultimate target of the administration is to develop sufficient infrastructure portfolio across the state for a competitive business environment.”

On residents’ fears about the deplorable state of most inner roads, especially in the suburbs, the commissioner stated: “Across the state, some roads are federal while some belong to the state. It is important that the major roads are made fully motorable before we fix a good number of the inner roads. But the state government has fixed a lot of the federal roads, thus reducing its financial ability to fix most state roads.”

He, however, hinted that the state had constructed a lot of major roads, adding, “others are currently under construction across the state. Last year, we started the construction of 156 roads, mostly, inner ones. And importantly, we are being careful with the number of roads being con-

structed at a time to prevent gridlock.” Continuing, he said: “We use the same approach in the rural areas-to rehabilitate as much as we can, bearing in mind that we can do all in a short while. However, many are resurfaced to bring relief to users.

Such include the Isuti and Powerline roads in Ifako Ijaiye, Oke Agbo Street in Ojo Council Area and many others.

“It is to allow for motorable roads because it will be a traffic nightmare if we shut down all the roads at a time for rehabilitation or construction.”

On the crippling effects of vehicles that ply the roads daily, especially, oil tankers, heavy-duty and articulated ones, he said: “The load on our roads is very heavy; thus causing faster deterioration. Ninety-three per cent of containers coming into Apapa Port travel through Lagos roads. They are important to the economy of the state, since as a nation, we don’t have a standard rail infrastructure. The state traffic law regulates the movement of these vehicles to certain time of the day for the safety of road users.

Across the state, some roads are federal while some belong to the state. It is important that the major roads are made fully motorable before we fix a good number of the inner roads. But the state government has fixed a lot of the federal roads, thus reducing its financial ability to fix most state roads

The commissioner further said that it was good to develop satellite towns and it comes with standard and auxiliary roads. But, it is important that we take care of the existing roads.

Now, the state is renewing the blighted areas such as Badia, Ajegunle and Sari Iganmu. A typical example is the housing construction at Badia with the accompanying auxiliary infrastructure.”

When reminded that most of the roads deteriorate easily, he said: “Some of the biggest threats to the roads are willful damage, conversion of roads to mechanic shops and car wash. Hence, the advocacy that we must as a community, take ownership of our roads. Also, we see concrete is an option; hence, we constructed the road leading to Gbagada hospital in Kosefe Local Government Area with concrete.”

Hamzat revealed that the state’s plan was to build infrastructure that can cater for 40 million people. He further said: “The state has also expanded its capacity for water transportation. Also, the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) is on top of our waste disposal. Lagos State is making good progress on all fronts.

As a mega city, there are unique challenges such as transportation, refuse disposal and others. Our approach is to tackle these challenges one after the other.”

Calling on the Federal Government to carry out its responsibilities in Lagos, he said: “Our prayer is for the Federal Government to take care of its responsibilities by fixing the Airport Road, Lagos-Abeokuta Express-

More than 3,000 women in the state have also been empowered to serve as the food vendors. The vendors are well kitted with modern cooking utensils and bowls at the cost of N152 million to the state government. One of the vendors, Mrs. Esther Ogundipe said the programme has empowered her family. “Aregbesola has added value to my life; I am no more a housewife,’’ she said.

Today, according to the state government, 15,000 whole chickens are sourced weekly from local poultry farmers; 254,000 eggs sourced weekly; 35 heads of cattle purchased weekly from local cattle farmers and 400 tonnes of catfish purchased weekly from local fish farmers.

Even though some have criticised the enormous cost of the programme, the WFP said even in developed country, the amount spent by government on school meals is a worthy investment for the future. way, Apapa-Oshodi Road and other such infrastructure. Importantly, the Federal Government should allow the states to control these roads, but that must come with the resources that will allow them to carry out this responsibility. In essence, the Federal Government must shed weight and focus on security, immigration , and general aviation policies.

Drawing a comparison between Lagos and some states in the United States, the commissioner said: “The infrastructural availability in New York is far higher and the federating states in the US are truly independent and can control their destinies.

That is not the case in Nigeria. We must practise true federalism. Lagos will continue to build infrastructure that will give us a competitive advantage to be a knowledge-based economy. We are already on the rise; we just need to keep the momentum going. We continue to focus on our developmental strategy of Power, Agriculture, Transportation and Housing.

“It is important that the two components in the budget, the revenue and expenditure, perform optimally.

As a state government, we have focused on the capital expenditure which is why we have been able to achieve the type of infrastructural upliftment we have seen in the state.

The revenue and the expenditure components must perform for the state to deliver people’s infrastructural needs. The revenue must be fully enhanced and reliable for us as a state to continue to uplift our society. So, we as people, must pay our taxes to build roads, sustain our hospitals, schools and so many other social amenities for people to enjoy better life.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

49

50

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

51

52

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

53

NEWS

Policeman gets four-bedroom bungalow for gallantry From Johnny Danjuma, Lafia

A

•From left: Yero, al-Makura, former Nasarawa State Governor Adamu Abdullahi, Elechi and Aliyu, at the inauguration of the building in Lafia...yesterday.

•INSET: The four-bedroom bungalow.

Police recover body of slain officer in Langtang

T

HE Plateau State Police Command has recovered the body of the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO), who was declared missing during the recent invasion of Langtang communities by suspected Fulani militia.

The command has also dismissed two of its officers for allegedly aiding manufacturers of local arms.

They are: Constable Emmanuel Dakol and Corporal Joseph Dakup. They were reportedly dismissed, arrested

Fromm Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

and detained on the order of Police Commissioner Chris Olakpe.

Addressing reporters yesterday in his office in Jos, the state capital, Police Commissioner Chris Olakpe said the body of the slain police officer, Tarfa Wuyep, has been discovered.

Olakpe said: “On a very sad note, I wish to let you know that the body of the police of-

ficer, who was a victim of the attack in Langtang South Local Government Area, was found early yesterday. His body was discovered in a bush near Karkashi village, one of the villages raided by the gunmen.

“His body was riddled with gun wounds and machete cuts.

He was identified by the uniform he wore before the attack.

We wish to use this opportunity to condole with his colleagues in the police and his family for this sudden death.

“We have made high pro-

‘Allow Suntai to recuperate’

A

NON-governmental organisation (NGO), the Taraba Peace Assembly, yesterday urged Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam and others to allow Taraba State Governor Danbaba Suntai to recuperate.

Suswam, on return from his visit to Suntai in a hospital in the United States, said the ailing governor nicknamed him “Alhaji Suswam“ while he (Suswam) called him “Mallam Suntai“.

The group in a statement by its executive Director, Rev

Joshua Adiame, said: “Alhaji Suswam is putting further strain on the fragile health of Mallam Suntai. Our governor is undergoing a painfully slow rehabilitative procedure.

“Medical experts are unanimous that when somebody is brain-damaged or injured, putting extra stress on him further worsens the patient‘s condition. Little stress can further complicate their medical state.

So, what neurosurgeon experts recommended is for such patients to be kept under constant nurturing with minimal

T •Suntai

exposure to energy-sapping activities...”

North’s governors donate N100m to families of slain security operatives

T

HE Northern Governors Forum (NGF) yesterday donated N100 million to widows of police and security officers, who were ambushed and killed by suspected cultists at Lakyo, Nasarawa State.

Forum Chairman and Governor of Niger State, Dr Babangida Aliyu, announced the donation at the Government House, Lafia, the state capital.

Aliyu led his counterparts from Jigawa, Kaduna and Katsina states to commiserate with the families of the slain officers, the government and people of Nasarawa state on the incident.

He said: “We are in the state to condole with and express our support to our counterpart in the quest to find the killers of the security operatives who died on active service.

“There is no state in the

country that is not presently experiencing one form of security challenge or the other.

“What happened in Nasarawa is pathetic because those that were chosen to protect the citizens were the ones attacked.

“In other countries, no one dare kill anyone with authority and go scot free. When nations allow that to happen, then, they are questioning the foundation of governance.”

He commended his host, Governor Umaru al-Makura for setting up a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the killings.

He urged the governor to do everything necessary to ensure that the culprits were brought to book, saying it remained the only way to ensure that the soul of the departed did not die in vain.

file arrests in connection with the attack. We will not want to disclose their names now until investigations are concluded.”

On the two policemen, who were dismissed from the Force, Olakpe said: “In the quest of the command to rid the state of criminals, it has recorded a major breakthrough with the arrest and dismissal of two policemen serving with the command.

“The policemen were accused of aiding and abetting manufacturers of local arms in

His words: “The NGF delegated us to condole with the families of the slain officers, the government and people of the state over the unfortunate incident.

“We are also asked to talk to you and also encourage you to continue with the good work you are doing for your people.

“So, we implore you not to do anything because of the next election, but for the good of the people of the state.”

He urged his Nasarawa counterpart to use the powers vested on him by the Constitution to ban any organisation that undermines the security of the state.

He also urged residents to join hands with the government to confront the menace, saying, “evil only triumphs when good people keep quite...”

Barkin Ladi Local Government Area. Preliminary investigation showed that the accused have direct links with some suspected manufacturers of arms, who are also in our custody. They have manufactured all sorts of guns for criminals.

“We have always pointed at proliferation of light weapons as a major influence in the violence and most of the criminal activities in the state. We never knew that men of the Police Force could be involved in such act...”

Cleric preaches love

HE Provincial Superior, Northwest Africa Province of the Society of Jesus, has urged Christians to showcase the virtues of love, obedience and discipline.

Odiaka said this at the thanksgiving celebration of the Feast of St John the Baptist by Knights of St. John International, St Francis Commandery 726 Idimu, Lagos.

Odiaka, who described love as an antidote for national development, urged Nigerians to express genuine love to one another.

He said that love was capable of conquering any form of crisis, including those that posed threats to national security.

“I want to re-emphasise the fact that love conquers everything and we need to show love in everything that we do.

“Love for ourselves, love for humanity and for the society at large.

“I believe that love is the antidote to most of the societal problems that we have in the country today.

“The crux of the matter is that love is missing in our country today, but when we love one another, we will not engage in the societal ills that are tearing us apart today,’’ he said.

Brig. Gen Kola Olowu, immediate Past President of Knights of St. John International, said that youths should become instruments of change by challenging the current socio-economic status, thereby making the country vibrant.

Kwara Poly expels 29 students for ‘exam malpractice’

A

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

UTHORITIES of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, have expelled 29 students for alleged examination malpractice during the last semester examinations for the 2012/2013 academic session.

In a statement in Ilorin, the state capital, the Head, Information and Publication Division, Alhaji Moshood Amuda said: “The Governing Council of the Polytechnic recently approved their expulsion from the school for contravening the matriculation oath they swore to.”

The students are: Haruna Abdullahi, Ajagbe Abosede Sherifat (Architecture Department); Onifade R. Bisola (Urban and Regional Planning Department); Balogun Adeoye Ridwan (Mineral Resources Department); Issa Abdulganeey Olamilekan (Agric Engineering Department); Lameed Olanrewaju Mustapha (Mechanical Engineering Department); Amogbonjaiye Samuel Sunday (Mineral Resources Department); Adedire Abimbola Adekunle (Civil Engineering Department) and Babatunde Oluwashegun Sunday (Department of Electrical Electronics).

NASARAWA Stateborn police corporal, David Ishaya Ishaya, yesterday got a four-bedroom bungalow for killing nine bank armed robbers when he was serving in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.

Ebonyi State Governor Martin Elechi presented the house to the policeman at a brief ceremony in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.

Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Almakura attended the ceremony.

Elechi donated 100 bags of rice to the widows of the 100 police officers who were killed at Alakyo, a village in the state.

The gift to the slain police officers’ wives, the governor said, was a token to show love and concern to the widows.

He urged the widows to take solace in God, adding that only Him can fill the vacuum the death of their husbands caused.

On the four-bedroom bungalow reward to the policeman, Elechi said: “The state’s attitudinal change programme encourages reward for good deeds and sanctions evil.

“This is one of such good acts, in appreciation for a job well done.”

The bungalow, the governor said, would also remind the officer that his gallantry touched so many hearts, besides saving several lives.

Other northern governors at the event are: Ramalan Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State; Babangida Aliyu of Niger and Katsina State Deputy Governor Abdullahi Faskari.

They were in Lafia to condole with al-Makura over the police officers who were killed in Alakyo.

One of the police officers’ wives, Mrs. Afiniki Daniel, thanked Elechi for the gift.

She urged the government to assist the children of the slain policemen, who she said have graduated but were looking for jobs.

Fidau for community leader

A

LHAJI Shakirudeen Adegboyega Raheem is dead.

He was 60.

He died on last Friday, June 28, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, and was buried the following day at the Abari Cemetery, Epetedo, Lagos Island, according to Islamic rites.

The third day fidau was held on July 1 at Ago-Ijaiye Compound, Badagry.

The seventh day fidau and final burial ceremony will hold today at 4pm at Eko Club, Bode Thomas, Surulere, Lagos.

A reception will also be held at the same venue.

A 40th day fidau will be held on August 10 at Lane 4, House 5, Rupkowu Market Junction,

by Mgbuchi Pipeline, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The late Raheem is survived by Victoria Raheem (wife) and children: Mubeen, Kabir, Ramlat and Shina Raheem.

His grand-children include Kikelomo, Kolade and Konyinsola.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

54

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 4 - 07-13

High-cap stocks spur equities’ rally

T

HE bulls rallied against the downers at the Customs Street yesterday as highly capitalised companies boosted a widespread rally that left investors with capital gains of N177 billion.

While the market has remained on a topsy-turvy in recent days, gains by highly capitalised stocks set a stronger momentum for recovery yesterday, adding a daily average gain of 1.56 per cent to push the average year-to-date return to 30.03 per cent.

Aggregate market value of all equities increased from its opening value of N11.385 trillion to close at N11.562 trillion.

The All Share Index (ASI) trended upward from its indexon-board of 35,949.01 points to close at 36,509.64 points.

With 35 advancers against 19 decliners and turnover of 511.03 million shares, the market was overtly bullish. Nestle Nigeria led the advancers with a gain of N20 to close at N970. Nigerian Breweries followed with a gain of N6 to close at N163. Lafarge Wapco Cement Nigeria added N5.60 to close at N89.60.

Dangote Cement rose by N2.38 to close at N182.38 while Guaranty Trust Bank added 66 kobo to close at N25.16.

Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) remained the most active stock with a turn-

•SEC picks Conoil for margin lending

By Taofik Salako

over of 344.46 million shares valued at N479.6 million in 236 deals. Total turnover stood at 511.03 million shares valued at N2.36 billion in 4,961 deals.

Meanwhile, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has selected Conoil as one of the 32 stocks that investors who wish to engage in margin lending activities could consider for their transactions.

The margin lending list comprises of stocks that the apex capital market regulator adjudged to have enough liquidity and fundamental strengths to serve as margin securities.

In a statement announcing the margin list, SEC stated that the list was based on its rules and guidelines and was in line with its efforts to forestall margin-lending bubbles.

According to the Commission, the regulation of margin lending will ensure that the market is founded on the principles of risk-based supervision.

Market analysts said the selection of Conoil among the 32 stocks for margin lending, out of some 200 companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), underlined the profile of the company as one of Nigeria’s foremost petro-

leum products marketing companies.

According to analysts, Conoil’s performance and sustained profitability and good returns over the years have made it a reliable and stable stock that could sustain value in spite of the vagaries at the stock market.

Analysts noted that liquidity and stability are key requirements for margin securities adding that Conoil’s expansive storage capacity and retail network and leading positions in aviation fuel, lubricants and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) provide reassurance on its prospects.

Besides Conoil, other stocks on the margin list include Nigerian Breweries, Cadbury Nigeria, Guinness Nigeria, Julius Berger Nigeria, Okomu Oil Palm, PZ Cussons Nigeria, Unilever Nigeria, Flour Mills of Nigeria, Ashaka Cement, International Breweries, Lafarge Cement Wapco Nigeria, National Salt Company of Nigeria, Nestle Nigeria and Dangote Cement, among others.

It would be recalled that the unprecedented stock market decline in 2008 was fuelled by excessive speculative activities and unsupervised use of margin loans to fund investment in listed equities among other factors.

How we achieved strong performance increase its 2P reserves and in 2012, by Tinubu best estimate contingent resources to 235mmboe and

G

ROUP Chief Executive Officer, Oando Plc, Mr. Wale Tinubu has attributed the performance of the group to strategic steps taken to diversify its higher margin business segments and increasing efficiency of its cost management strategy.

Oando achieved commendable growths across key performance indicators in 2012 as the company rode on the back of increased cost-efficiency to grow net profit by 527 per cent.

Basic earnings per share increased by 532 per cent from 75 kobo in 2011 to N4.74 in 2012. Net profit stood at N10.79 billion in 2012 compared with N1.72 billion in 2011. Profit before tax rose from N12.97 billion to N17.55 billion. Gross profit had risen from N65.83 billion to N81.62 billion. Turnover stood at N673.18 billion in 2012 as against N571.31 billion in

2011. Based on the performance, the directors have recommended a dividend of N5.1 billion, translating to 75 kobo per share.

Tinubu said the 2012 results reflected positive steps taken in the implementation of the group’s strategic focus to build its diversified higher margin business segment.

He stated that in the upstream division; the group listed Oando Energy Resources (OER) on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) in Canada and increased its production capacity through successful drilling campaigns on OML 125, the Ebendo Field (OML 56) and the Qua Iboe Field (OML13).

He added that the group also paid a 25 per cent deposit of $435 million for the acquisition of ConocoPhillips Nigeria business, which will add 43kboe to the group’s daily production and substantially

237mmboe respectively.

He noted that Oando Energy Services (OES) completed a number of successful drilling campaigns on various drilling rigs just as the group’s fourth rig is currently undergoing refurbishment with a view to deploy it in this second half.

According to him, the midstream division witnessed a 35 per cent growth in gas supply, largely from the newly commissioned 128Km EHGC pipeline in the South East.

“We look forward to the completion of our other midstream projects; our second power plant, the Alausa Independent Power Plant (IPP), our maiden compressed natural gas project as well as our third pipeline franchise and the Central Horizon Gas pipeline in Port Harcourt, Rivers State,” Tinubu said.

He reiterated the commitment of the group to increasing the potential and efficiency of its downstream business noting that the group is in the final stage of construction of a jetty in Lagos that will berth larger vessels and substantially reduce demurrage and lightering costs.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 4 - 07-13

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

55

MONEY LINK

Mobile payment transactions value hits N74b, says CBN

T

HE total value of mobile payment transactions has risen from N9.99 billion in November 2011 to N74.26 billion in May 2013, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said.

CBN Director, Banking and Payment System, Oladipupo Fatokun made this known yesterday at ongoing Finance Correspondents & Business Editors seminar in Umuahia, Abia State.

He also said that the number of agent banks grew from 4,031 to 51,095 during the same period.

Fatokun, who was represented by Mr Chai Gang, Manager, Payment Policy and Oversight Department, said that the number of operators in the payment scheme was 18 in May 2013.

He said that number of mobile payment users also stood at 5.73 million in May. He explained that agent banking and mobile payment deployments had demonstrated that effective agent network was key to the

By Nduka Chiejina and Collins Nweze

growth of any economy.

Fatokun said that the CBN was working with some stakeholders in solving some challenges affecting mobile payment transactions. He listed some of the challenges to include public enlightenment, epileptic power supply and poor telecommunication connectivity.

He explained that mobile payments are payment services operated under financial regulation and performed from or via a mobile device. “It is a payment transaction where the mobile phone plays a key role in the initiation, authorization and/or consummation of the transaction. Mobile payments are a substitute or a replacement for cash payments. Instead of paying with cash, check or credit cards, a consumer can use his mobile device to pay for a wide range of services and receive payments,” he said.

Fatokun said the platform is the

Entrepreneurs laud Diamond Bank

E

cheapest means of accessing financial services with lower transaction cost, adding that the service is closer to customer’s immediate environment even as he also enjoys longer opening hours.

He said the initiative is also more accessible for less educated, the very poor and less privileged who might feel intimidated in traditional bank branches, adding that there are also benefits of greater economic development to isolated communities.

He said that in the last decade, there has been an explosion of different forms of remote access to financial services, beyond branches.

These, he said, have been provided through a variety of different channels, including mobile phones, Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs), Point-of-Sale (POS) devices and agent banking.

He said that in many countries, these branchless channels have made an important contribution to enhancing financial inclusion by reaching people that traditionally,

• CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido

branch-based structures would have been unable to reach.

“One of the main obstacles to financial inclusion is cost: both the cost to banks involved in servicing low-value accounts and extending physical infrastructure to remote rural areas, and the cost incurred by customers in remote areas to reach bank branches,” he said.

The CBN Director noted the rapid growth of mobile telephony and the need to leverage existing business network infrastructures as a practical and well thought out strategy for driving financial inclusion of the unbanked in Nigeria.

Standard Chartered plans African expansion

S

TANDARD Chartered Bank has indicated interest in investing over $100 million on 110 new branches in Kenya, Ghana and, Nigeria Reuters report said.

This will be done alongside five other core markets over the next three years, as well as making substantial hires across both the Wholesale and Consumer Banking business, including over 900 sales

staff in the Consumer Banking business.

Diana Layfield, Standard Chartered’s CEO for Africa, set out her vision for the African franchise over the next five years against a backdrop of how far the business has travelled to date.

The bank said investment spend will also be accelerated in mobile payments technology, physical in-

frastructure, staff hires, establishing new onshore presences and deepening existing ones.

The bank currently covers 37 markets in the region – 15 on a full presence basis and 22 further markets on a transaction basis following its clients; providing extensive reach across the continent, thereby covering 92 per cent of sub-Saharan African Gross Domestic

Product (GDP).

The Group will expand its geographic reach to establish new onshore presences and deepening existing ones. It intends to open new Wholesale Banking office locations in South Africa and invest in new products in Islamic banking and Mortgages, as well as establishing an onshore presence in Mozambique.

DATA BANK

FGN BONDS Tenor

Amount N

Rate %

M/Date

3-Year 5-Year 5-Year

35m 35m 35m

11.039 12.23 13.19

19-05-2014 18-05-2016 19-05-2016

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM Amount Amount Offered ($) Demanded ($) 350m 150m 350m 138m 350m 113m

MANAGED FUNDS Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

NIDF NESF

OBB Rate Call Rate

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

INTERBANK RATES 7.9-10% 10-11%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2012 “ 14-04-2012

GAINERS AS AT 4-07-13

SYMBOL CHAMPION PORTPAINT EVANSMED DNMEYER UBCAP ROYALEX RTBRISCOE CORNERST WAPCO CONTINSURE

O/PRICE 6.43 5.44 3.09 1.34 1.10 0.55 1.54 0.50 84.00 1.22

C/PRICE 7.07 5.98 3.39 1.47 1.20 0.60 1.67 0.54 89.60 1.30

CHANGE 0.64 0.54 0.30 0.13 0.10 0.05 0.13 0.04 5.60 0.08

EXHANGE RATE 6-03-12 Currency

Year Start Offer

Current Before

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

NGN USD NGN GBP NGN EUR

147.6000 239.4810 212.4997

149.7100 244.0123 207.9023

150.7100 245.6422 209.2910

-2.11 -2.57 -1.51

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N) 149.7450 (S/N) Bureau de Change 152.0000 (S/N) Parallel Market 153.0000

ETERNA FIDSON PRESTIGE WAPIC IPWA AFRIPRUD ABCTRANS JBERGER AIRSERVICE UNITYBNK

O/PRICE 3.75 2.27 0.62 0.89 0.68 1.81 1.16 66.49 4.60 0.62

C/PRICE 3.38 2.05 0.56 0.81 0.63 1.73 1.13 65.00 4.50 0.61

DISCOUNT WINDOW Feb. ’11

July ’11

July ’12

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

12%

Standing Lending Rate ,, Deposit Rate ,, Liquidity Ratio Cash Return Rate Inflation Rate

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00% 12.10%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00% 12.10%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00% 11.8%

CHANGE 0.37 0.22 0.06 0.08 0.05 0.08 0.03 1.49 0.10 0.01

NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

Rate (Previous) 4 Mar, 2012 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

Amount Sold ($) 150m 138m 113m

Rate (Currency) 6, Mar, 2012 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

Movement

Exchange Rate (N) 155.2 155.8 155.7

Date 2-7-12 27-6-12 22-6-12

CAPITAL MARKET INDEX

NSE CAP Index

27-10-11 N6.5236tr 20,607.37

28-10-11 N6.617tr 20,903.16

% Change -1.44% -1.44%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

LOSERS AS AT 4-07-13

SYMBOL

NTREPRENEURS from the Middle-Belt region of Nigeria have applauded Diamond Bank Plc for constantly encouraging and supporting them with soft loan facilities to improve their businesses.

In a statement, the bank said it received the recognition at a one day Business Xpress Enterprise series seminar organised by the bank for its small and medium scale business owners in Jos and other states in the Middle -Belt region. The participants also commended the approach of the bank in educating them on how they should manage their finances.

Managing Director, NENMAC Ideal Quality Base Limited, Micheal Dachom, one of the participants at the event described Diamond Bank as a business friendly bank that the business community in Plateau could do business with at all times.

He encouraged other banks to “emulate Diamond Bank in giving facilities to owners of small and medium scale businesses in the zone to encourage business boom in the area. “If a small and medium scale business concern begins to make head way in the economy, more jobs will be created for the unemployed youths in the country,” he said.

In his speech, Head, MSME Propositions, Diamond Bank, Mr. Chima Nnadozie said: “This seminar is part of the non financial services which is included in the Diamond Bank plans for MSMEs. The aim of the seminar is to help build the managerial capacity of the MSME customers because we recognize that a lot of people who are running businesses today are not formally trained. Some are engineers running business and there is that gap in running the business that the seminar is to address.”

ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH KAKAWA GUARANTEED STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE INVE AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL BGL SAPPHIRE FUND BGL NUBIAN FUND FBN MONEY MARKET FUND FBN FIXED INCOME FUND NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY • ARM AGGRESSIVE

Offer Price

Bid Price

9.17 1.00 139.05 156.04 0.80 1.17 1.12 100.00 1,000.00 1,827.80 13.66 1.39 1.87 11,051.83

9.08 1.00 138.58 154.70 0.78 1.17 1.11 100.00 1,000.00 1,817.40 12.99 1.33 1.80 10,722.79

• KAKAWA GUARANTEED • STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUNDARM AGGRESSIVE • OPEN BUY BACK

Bank P/Court

Previous 04 July, 2012

Current 07, Aug, 2012

8.5000 8.0833

8.5000 8.0833

Movement

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

56

NEWS Delta removes finance commisioner

NULGE chair tackles council boss

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

A

FREE-FOR-ALL was yesterday averted at the secretariat of Egor Local Government Area of Edo State when the Chairman of the National Union of Local Government Employees, Uyigue Ekpen, forced open the gates of the secretariat.

The council chairman, Victor Enobakhare, locked the gate because workers came late to work but Uyigue forced the gates open and asked the workers to go to their offices.

Political appointees of the council boss were peeved and attempted to beat Uyigue up but Enobakhare appealed for calm.

Uyigue said the council boss had no right to lock out the workers.

Some of the workers were initially afraid to go to their offices but were forced to by Uyigue.

When contacted, Enobakhare said the workers were not in support of the action and that many of them had apologised for coming late to work.

Bauchi suspended member: Falana applies for extension of time From Austine Tsenzughul, Bauchi

L

AGOS lawyer Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) yesterday prayed a Bauchi High Court, presided over by Justice Aliyu Baba Usman, not to give the Bauchi State House of Assembly and its Speaker another chance to commit what he called more legislative lawlessness.

Falana, the counsel to Mrs Rifkatu Samson Danna, the member representing Bogoro, applied for an extension of time on the case between Mrs Dana and the Assembly.

The lawmaker has been on suspension for over a year for opposing the relocation of a local government’s headquarters.

Falana said: “There was a material placed before the court upon which the court’s exercise of its discretion will be predicted.”

The lawyer cited several legal authorities to buttress his position.

Falana’s application for the extension of time was in response to a motion on stay of judgment filed by the Speaker and the Assembly. It was delivered by Bauchi State Chief Judge (CJ), Justice Ibrahim Zango, on May 30, in favour of Mrs. Danna.

The frontline lawyer told the court that the Speaker and the Assembly had not shown any exceptional circumstance to warrant the grant of a stay of execution of judgment.

He also said the defendants/applicants had not invoked any law or rule that empowered them to place an elected member of the Assembly on an indefinite suspension, “thereby denying her constituency any representation”.

Citing a Supreme Court case, Falana expressed fears that Mrs Danna’s tenure would finish before the Court of Appeal determines her case because of congestion at the Appellate Court in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

T

•Winner of the Bill and Melinda Gate Immunisation Leadership Award Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State (left) receiving the award plaque from the Minister of State for Health, Dr Muhammed Ali Pate, in Calabar... yesterday.

Death toll rises to 13 in Delta attacks

T

HE death toll from attacks on Itsekiri communities in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State increased to 13 yesterday as more bodies were recovered from the bushes.

The victims include a couple, two brothers, an aged man and an infant, who were killed in the various communities razed by the rampaging Ijaw group, Egbema Radical Group.

The Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) said their kinsmen won’t retaliate.

Speaking when various Itsekiri youth groups visited him in his home in Warri, INYC Chairman David Tonwe said: "I appeal to you not to be used to foment trouble; we are not prepared to fight.

"We have lost 13 of our brothers and sisters; let's all ensure that it does not escalate.

"We have just come out

•Jonathan urged to intervene •Kuku condemns violence From Shola O'Neil and Emmanuel Oladesu

from a crisis (Ijaw/Itsekiri) and we are not prepared to take that road again. Nobody who witnessed that crisis would encourage what just happened.

"So, I want to appeal to everybody to remain calm and hope that the law will take its course."

An Itsekiri chief, Mrs. Rita Lori-Igiebor, urged Ijaw leaders, President Goodluck Jonathan and Chief Edwin Clark, to stop the carnage.

She told reporters in Lagos that the neglect, repression and onslaught against the Itsekiri were worrisome.

The Itsekiri chief said the solution to the persistent clashes is the creation of Itsekiri state.

She dismissed the claim by

the restless Ijaw youths that the Itsekiri were the main beneficiaries of the oil block allocations in the Niger Delta.

The Itsekiri chief said: "The allegations are not true. The Itsekiri did not benefit from the oil blocks.

“They were not the big contractors. They were not the big, illegal bunkerers. They were not the petty oil thieves.

I advise the Ijaw youths to concentrate and get meaningful sources of living.

"The solution is the creation of an Itsekiri state. We are a minority blessed with oil and two ports. The President is Ijaw. The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs is an Ijaw. All the ministries and agencies are managed by the Ijaw man.

They have the money to take care of the Ijaw. They should not make life uncomfortable for others."

The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Kingsley Kuku, also condemned the attacks.

In a statement in Abuja, Kuku urged security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

He called on Itsekiri and Ijaw leaders to intervene to avert an escalation of the crisis.

The Special Adviser appealed to security agencies to restore peace in the area.

"The violence in Warri North is a sad development and we are very concerned.

This is so because it affects youths of two ethnic groups that have a long history of fraternal and marital relationships.

"We will work with the state government to ensure that the crisis does not escalate. I implore the aggrieved parties to sheathe their swords while the issues are being addressed," Kuku said.

Court orders Rivers PDP committee to stay action A RIVERS State High Court in Port Harcourt has urged the State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) evaluation committee, led by Chima Boms, to stay action on the proposed investigation into the performances of Governor Rotimi Amaechi and other party members.

The PDP leadership, led by Felix Obuah, constituted a Performance and Evaluation Committee to probe some of their members who had held or is holding political office within and outside the state from 2003.

Those to be investigated included governors, commissioners, lawmakers, governor’s aides, among others.

Amaechi, however, got a court injunction to stop the committee from conducting

From Rosemary Nwisi, Port Harcourt

the investigation.

The governor sued the party, Boms, Obuah and the party secretary, Ibiba Walter.

The defendants filed processes challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter.

Justice GodPower Aguma yesterday urged all parties to maintain the status quo, until the issue of jurisdiction is determined.

Obuah’s counsel Dike Udenna insisted that the subject matter was a party affair, adding that the court has no powers to entertain it.

But Amaechi’s counsel Ife-

I suspect arson, says Oshiomhole

E

DO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said the fire which gutted a building at the Ministry of Education might not be unconnected with on-going investigation into mismanagement of teachers’ salaries, especially in the primary schools.

The governor spoke when members of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) visited him.

The building contained archival documents, examination master-list and reference materials dating back to the

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

1950s.

All the materials were destroyed in the fire which started at about 5am.

Oshiomhole said he suspected that it was because of the investigation that made some people burn down the archives in the ministry.

He said his administration has set up an investigative panel in the 18 local governments to take an audit of the schools, number of teachers, their qualifications and the salaries and allowances paid to them.

dayo Adedipe argued that the court has the power to hear the matter.

Justice Aguma said: “When a suit is brought before the court, the court is empowered to be in control, until the issue of jurisdiction is determined.

“The law says that when a matter is in court, parties should not go ahead to do anything. My views about issues of jurisdiction are that when it is raised in a matter and it is not first determined before going into the main case, the essence of coming to court would be an effort in

T

Southwest PDP hails Jonathan

A

S President Goodluck Jonathan launches the reconstruction and expansion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Southwest Organisation and Mobilisation Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday praised him for keeping to his electoral promise.

In a statement by its Chairman, Prince Buruji Kashamu, the committee said the feat would have a multiplier effect on the nation’s socio-economic life.

“This is yet another milestone in keeping faith with a key component of the Transformation Agenda – Infrastructural Development,” it added.

The committee urged the people to troop out en masse and give the President a rousing reception.

Edo closes school •Amaechi

futility.

“All parties should maintain the status quo, until the issue of jurisdiction is determined.”

He adjourned the case till July 30.

R.T.Briscoe: Properties investment yields N101m profit

HE investment of Messrs R.T. Briscoe Nigeria Plc in property and real estate business has started yielding positive results.

The company posted a profit of N101 million for the 2012 financial year.

Known for the sales and service of Toyota and Ford vehicles, technical equipment including forklifts, industrial compressors, mining and drilling equipment and generating sets, the firm recently acquired property arm.

Shedding more light on the company’s divestment, it’s Chairman, Mr Clement

HE Delta State Government yesterday carried out a cabinet reshuffle, following the sack of its Commissioner for Finance, Bernard Okumagba.

No reason was given for his sack.

The minor reshuffle was confirmed in a statement from the office of the Secretary to the State Government, Ovuozorie Macaulay.

The statement added that Ken Okpara, Commissioner for Economic Planning, has been reassigned to the Ministry of Finance.

Also, the Commissioner for Special Duties in charge of the State Liaison Office, Abuja, Ms Gloria Okolugbo, has been directed to return to Asaba for reassignment while the Head of Service is to post a Director to head the office forthwith.

Similarly, the Overseas Development Agency in the Ministry of Economic Planning has been returned to the Ministry of Finance.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Planning will take charge, until a new commissioner is appointed.

Olowokande, told shareholders that the investment in property business has been yielding fruits.

According to him, the company acquired Briscoe Properties Limited as a fully owned subsidiary in 2011.

“The acquisition has already started yielding the desired results. For the year ended December 31, 2012, Briscoe Properties Limited recorded a turnover of N886.4 million and a net profit after tax of N101.3 million, a significant increase over performances for the same period in 2011,” he said.

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

T

HE Institute of Technology and Management (ITM), Usen, Edo State, has been closed for two weeks, following a protest by students.

The leadership of the Students Union Government led students to protest that they be allowed to write examinations without paying school fees.

Commissioner for Secondary, Technical and Tertiary Education Washington Osifo, in a statement, said the decision to close the institution was to ensure the protection of life and property.

It said all students involved in the disruption of the examination are to face disciplinary action while all National Diploma II students, who have not paid their school fees as at June 18 are to pay N5,000 damage fee and present a sworn affidavit to be of good conduct.

It added that all students are to write their examinations from home.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5 2013

57

NEWS

Imo rerun: Controversy as PDP, APGA lay claim to victory

T

HE controversy trailing the rerun election in Oguta Constituency, which was held last weekend, has continued to mount as both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) are claiming victory in the election.

But the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the election inconclusive.

Both parties, relying on results with different figures allegedly signed by INEC officials, insisted that their candidate won the election and should be issued Certificates of Return.

They accused each other of bribing officials to falsify the result.

Governor Rochas Okorocha was the first to congratulate the APGA candidate, Walter Uzonwanne, for emerging the winner after he was said to have scored 9,595 as against the

•No winner yet, INEC insists PDP blames APGA for violence

THE leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State yesterday accused the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)-led government of disrupting the Oguta by-election.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Hope Uzodinma (Imo West) spoke at a briefing organised by the state branch of the PDP in Abuja.

Uzodinma accused APGA of importing thugs, who allegedly unleashed mayhem on the electorate during the election.

He said following the action, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the poll inconclusive.

Uzodinma said: “At the start of the election, the conduct was orderly and peaceful, except Osemoto ward which was taken over by government’s thugs and hoodlums.

“However mid-way, apparently sensing impending defeat, the APGA-led government unleashed thugs and hooligans on all the wards in Oguta Local Government Area.”

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

PDP candidate, Eugene Dibiagwu, who got 7,584 votes.

But the PDP insisted that it won the election with 7,585

votes. APGA got 7,241 votes, it said.

At a media briefing, the governor, who displayed a result sheet allegedly signed by the Returning Officer, Dr Cynthia Oguike, ordered the

Commission to declare Uzonwanne the winner and issue him a Certificate of Return.

But the PDP leadership, which also congratulated its candidate, insisted that the party won the election, despite what it called intimidation and harassment by security operatives.

The State Chairman, Eze Duruiheoma, alleged that weeks before the election, traditional rulers and senior civil servants in the area were directed to deliver the APGA candidate or lose their positions.

Duruiheoma also alleged that even commissioners were assigned areas to deliver in the election or risk dismissal.

The PDP boss lamented that the development had ridiculed the state.

Duruiheoma said the result presented by the PDP was based on the valid result of the votes cast.

From left: Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Science And Technology, Isiaq Akinlade; DirectorGeneral, National Space Research And Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr Seidu Mohammed and his wife, Aisha, during the reception in honour of the Director-General in Abuja ...yesterday PHOTO:NAN

Court acquits ex-Labour Minister, other of money laundering charges

R

EPRIEVE came the way of former Works and Housing Minister Hassan Lawal and another yesterday as a Federal High Court in Abuja discharged and acquitted them of charges of conspiracy and money laundering.

Justice Adamu Bello, in a ruling, held that the prosecution failed to prove the “essential elements” of the charge proffered against them.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2011 arraigned Lawal and an official of the United Bank of Africa (UBA), Adesanya Adewale before Justice Bilikisu Aliyu on a 10-count charge of conspiracy and money laundering.

The case was later reassigned to Justice Bello because Justice Aliyu was transfered outside the Abuja division. The charge was amended to 11 counts.

Upon the challenge of some portions of the charge by Lawal and Adewale, the court on June 22 last year, struck out counts three, six and nine on ground of duplicity.

Yesterday, Justice Bello upheld the arguments by Lawal and Adewale on the nocase submission they made shortly after the prosecution closed its case, having called five witnesses and tendered seven documentary evidence.

Lawal had argued that the money paid on four occasions into his account with UBA were in repayment of a loan he acquired from the bank to buy a residential property in Asokoro from the EFCC. The property on 34 Mamman Nasir Street, Off T. Y. Danjuma Street was one of the properties seized from convicted criminals by the EFCC which were later sold to public officers.

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

The judge, who queried the quality of investigation conducted by the EFCC, held that the commission failed woefully to prove its case against the accused .

They were accused of conspiracy and laundering about N43.4million into Lawal’s UBA account between 2008 and 2010.

The judge held that, to prove the crime of money laundering, they ought to establish that the source of the money allegedly laundered was from crime or illegal act.

Justice Bello held that having failed to prove that the various sums paid into the account were from criminal or illegal acts, the charge of money laundering can not hold.

The judge noted that even when Lawal stated in his statement that the monies were from the sale of some of his assets, the EFCC’s investigators failedto investigate the claim.

The judge also noted that most of the payments were made while Lawal was the Minister of Labour and Productivity, hence the claim that he laundered funds meant for a contract awarded by the Ministry of Works and Housing could not be true.

The court having held that the EFCC failed to provide sufficient evident to prove its case, Justice Bello discharged and acquitted Lawal and Adewale from the remaining eight counts in the charge.

“There is therefore no evidence before me to prove the offence of money laundering brought against the accused persons.

“I have no need to call on them to enter their defence. They are entitled to be discharged. They are hereby discharged and acquitted,” Justice Bello held.

Chime drops five commissioners

Governorship poll: Presidency, PDP propose consensus candidacy for Anambra, Ekiti, Osun

T

he Presidency and the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have urged its members in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states to put their houses in order, ahead of the next governorship elections.

President Goodluck Jonathan, it was learnt, has enjoined the warring chieftains in the troubled chapters to reconcile and present consensus candidates to prevent post-primary crises that may abort their victory in the proposed polls.

The proposal, which is part of efforts to ensure cohesion and foster peace, trailed the call for automatic tickets for governors by the Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih.

Insiders, however, said that the President set some criteria for the emergence of the consensus candidates. These include integrity, track record of performance in his profession and previous political appointment, popularity and grassroots appeal.

The tenure of the Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, expires in March, next year and the governorship election is expected to hold in the last quarter of this year. Also, governorship elections will hold

By Emmanuel Oladesu, Group Political Editor

in Ekiti and Osun states next year.

Sources said that Dr. Jonathan and many PDP national leaders told a delegation of party elders and leaders from Anambra State, who visited them in Abuja last week, that the next poll is very important to the party in many ramifications. At the meeting with the President were the members of the state executive commitete, BoT members, party elders, former presidential aides and federal legislators from the state.

According to the sources, the President reminded them that the PDP lost the governorship to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) due to protracted party crises, advising them to work for unity.

Other leaders were said to have also counselled the Anambra chapter to rebuild the party and attract the aggrieved APGA members to the fold, as part of the strategies for building a strong platform.

No fewer than 10 governorship aspirants are competing for the ticket in tthe state. They include Senator Andy Uba, Mr. Nicholas Nkachukwu, Godwin

Ezeemo, Prof. Charles Soludo and Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, who is allegedly holding consultations with the PDP, APGA and Labour Party (LP).

The aspirants on the queue in Osun State include former Youths, Sports and Culture Minister, Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi, former Secretary to Government Chief Fatai Akinbade, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, and former House of Representatives member Hon. Wole Oke. In Ekiti State, the aspirants include former Governor Ayo Fayose, former Deputy Governors Bisi Omoyeni, Abiodun Olujimi and Abiodun Aluko, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Senator Ayo Arise, Senator Gbenga Aluko, Hon. Aribisala, Mr. Yinka Akerele, and Mr. Bimbo Owolabi.

A PDP chieftain in Anambra State said: “The President is passionate about Anambra State. He believes that it is fundamentally, a PDP state, but the party lost to APGA due to protracted crises. It is generally believed that the 2015 race will start with the governorship election in Anambra. The party is not united there and this is a concern to the President.

“It is the thinking of the

President and our national leaders that , if we queue behind a condidate that can unite the party and appeal to all the stakeholders in the state, PDP can still make it. He (President) has advised us to go and put our house in order. My understanding is that the President, who is the national leader of our great party, wants us to avoid post-primary crises which usually affect us during elections. It is up to us to take this advice, if we want to win power in the state”.

Also, during his meeting with the Ekiti PDP delegation, the President advised them to rise above their differences, warning that a divided house cannot dislodge the ruling party.

Ekiti PDP has been polarised, following the last congress which led to the emergence of the Makanjuola Ogundipe-led executive committee, which members are said to be loyal to the Fayose group. But attempts to raise a parallel executive by chieftains opposed to the former governor failed. The group also fought back, criticisising the congress that produced the former governor, Mr. Segun Oni, as the PDP National Vice Chairman (Southwest).

E

NUGU State Governor Sullivan Chime yesterday dropped five commissioners in a minor reshuffle.

This was contained in a statement in Enugu by the Secretary to the State Government, Amaechi Okolo.

Those affected are Prof. Martin Anikwe (Agriculture); Dr Simon Ortuanya (Education), Dr Fidelia Ugwu (Health), John Egbo (Environment) and Charles Ajah (Water Resources).

The former commissioners are to hand over to their successors, who were sworn in on Wednesday.

The new commissioners are Prof. Chris Okoro (Education), Dr George Ezeh (Health), Dr Nnaemeka Chukwuone (Environment), Michael Eneh (Agriculture) and Michael Nwachukwu (Water Resources).

New Catholic bishop for Nsukka •Jonathan urges practical Christianity

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said practical Christianity and collaborative effort were needed to develop Nigeria.

He said he believed that with good Christians, the nation would enjoy peace.

Jonathan spoke in Nsukka at the Episcopal ordination and installation of Prof Godfrey Igwebuike Onah as the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese.

The Catholic Archbishop, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, was assisted in the consecration by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha, Rev. Valerie Okeke and the Bishop Emeritus of Nsukka Diocese, Rev. Francis Emmanuel Okobo.

Jonathan, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Inter-party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi, called on Nigerians to pray for peace in the country.

Jonathan said: “I pray that the Almighty God will grant you wisdom to lead His flock in the right direction. I also pray that your tenure will

From Chris Oji, Enugu

bring prosperity and peace to the diocese.”

In a remark at the service, which was attended by Senate President David Mark and Governors Peter Obi (Anambra) and Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Governor Sullivan Chime (Enugu) urged the bishop to employ his vast experiences toward the development of the diocese.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Sunday Onyebuchi, said he believed that the bishop’s tenure would bring peace to the diocese “and his reign will strengthen and deepen the partnership between the diocese and the government of Enugu State”.

The President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, Rev. Ignatius Kaigama said the emergence of the new Bishop “is not by accident but a fulfillment of divine providential order”.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

58

NEWS PDP chiefs attack Amaechi at meeting with Jonathan Continued from page 4

Unfortunately, he has repeatedly rebuffed every effort by us and well-meaning Nigerians to make him show remorse and respect for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

“Mr. President Sir, we sincerely apologise to you and the First Lady on this sad situation. We appeal that as the saying goes, ‘you do not visit the sin of the father on the son’ and implore your Excellency, to remember us in prayers.”

He went on: “To demonstrate that Rivers people are not with Governor Amaechi in this hostile attitude against Mr. President and our great party, we shall continue to support his suspension from the PDP by the National Working Committee, until he retraces his steps from engaging in anti-party activities.”

“Your Excellency, Governor Amaechi is not only showing disrespect to your office, he is also attacking the Nigeria Police, his grouse that the Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu is not doing his bidding as perhaps, some before him did by being used to terrorise innocent Rivers men and women, including his perceived political opponents. Your Excellency, Mr. Mbu is a God-sent Commissioner of Police who has refused to be used to arrest and harass political opponents of Governor Amaechi and charging them to court on trumpedup charges. We are very proud of his impartiality and we join well-meaning Nigerians in Rivers State to celebrate him as a core professional.”

“It is for this reason that our governor has been doing everything, including instigating commission of crimes to ridicule and blackmail the Commissioner of Police. Governor Amaechi desperately wants Mr. Mbu out of Rivers State and has publicly threatened to lead a street protest in Port Harcourt with hired persons and non Nigerians. The idea of the protest, we understand, is to further press for the removal of the patriotic and self-

less Commissioner of Police in Rivers State.”

Obuah also thanked President Jonathan for giving many Rivers State indigenes the opportunity to hold federal appointments.

“Finally, as a party, Mr. President, we in Rivers State assure you that we will continue to support you, the Transformation Agenda and all your policies. As our son-in-law, we guarantee that you can go home and sleep with your two eyes closed, believing that at all times, we will massively support and stand with you, come rain come shine.”

Also speaking with State House correspondents, the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike said: “The governor is suspended, so he can’t come.

It is only when he comes back to the party, then he will join us.

You can see the men of timber and calibre, the leaders of the party. So, it is not a question of what The Nation or The Sun will publish. I am happy that The Nation and Sun reporters are here and I hope they will publish correctly.”

“Tomorrow, you will see on the front page that a faction of the state PDP...; there is nothing like faction in the PDP. This is the chairman of the party; he led the members of his exco; all the party chairmen and other stakeholders are here.”

On the moves to bring back aggrieved members, Wike said: “We cannot shut our doors to anybody. That is why it is politics. If you are willing to come back, you will do so. The chairman of the party has said so but there are rules which we must comply with and if you cannot comply with the rules, you can’t come back. There must be party discipline. If you don’t want to belong to party A, you may go to party B. “As I have said before, this issue of threatening does not hold water. It even favours us because people will now see who actually controls the votes in Rivers State. We are on ground and we have the grassroots.

Money does not solve all problems.”

He, however, maintained that there is no misunderstanding between him and Amaechi, saying: “There is no misunderstanding. What you should understand is that in every political process, you expect some disagreements. Some people see it as if there is a personal misunderstanding. There is none.”

“One thing you must understand is that Nigerians do not easily accept change and when change comes, it takes some people some time to accept, but it is change that has come to stay.

That the governor does not have the party structure does not make him comfortable. So, all that you are seeing is a reaction to that and we believe that you cannot build a party around a personality.”

“The party is meant for the people and the people make the choice and the choice they made, they were denied and people went to court to get their mandate. It is like a tribunal; if you lose election, you go to tribunal and the tribunal will tell you if you won or lost. Then you can go on appeal; that is the way it is. So, there is nothing personal; rather it is a political activity that is going on.”

Denying the reports that he was shunned by the President last week, Wike said: “First of all, there is nothing like face-saving.

If Mr President came on Friday and I received him and when he came back on Saturday, I was the one who mobilised the people and Mr President was quite happy. You can see me with Mr President in the pictures.”

“What you saw was a syndicated job. That is why I am saying and I will continue to say that journalists are supposed to report the truth. Some people stay in government house and write a story and send to you and you publish. You could see that they cut my picture just to prove that I was not there or that Mr President was not happy with me.”

“How would I have mobilised the entire people to see Mr President and he will now say Mr President should not see me. In fact, it is a humiliation to the governor; it is as a result of that humiliation that he went to the

church the following day to now say I am a betrayer. It was that anger.”

The former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odilli, harped on respect for authority and discipline in the party.

He said: “There is no human problem without a human solution. What is important is for us to recognize that at any point in time respect for authority, respect for the rule of law, discipline is the guiding principle that will make us run whatever system or societies we are running in an orderly, disciplined fashion, in a way that will be inclusive for all stakeholders to contribute maximally to the well being and purpose of the organisation.”

Optimistic that the crisis in the state will soon be a thing of the past, Odili said: “My assurance to you on behalf of the new leadership of the party of the state is that you will see an end to this exchanges that put Rivers State PDP in bad light. The end will be for the family to resolve the matter in a way that will reflect the discipline and the proper organisation of the party.”

On the meeting with Jonathan, he said: “The leadership of the Rivers State PDP came with its executive to meet the leader of the party in the nation. And it was a very cordial meeting and a reunion, if you like, because for quite sometime the party in the state has not interfaced with the leadership at the centre. It was a very warm and cheerful meeting.”

Among those who attended the meeting yesterday were the Acting National Deputy Chairman of PDP and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudum Nwuche, Uche Secondus, Austin Opkara, Senator Lee Maeba, Fred Kpakol, Ama Pepple, and Walter Opuene.

Others are former Transport Minister, Abiye Sekibo, Senator George Sekibo, Sergeant Awuse, Kenneth Kobani, Timothy Nsirim, Doris Fisher, Toru Ofili, Boma Iyaye, Evans Bipi, Hope Ikiriko, Vincent Nemieboka and Elemchukwu Ogbowu.

Budget: Senators, Reps in talks Continued from page 4

should make do with what was in force and, if not satisfied, make amendments through a supplementary proposal.

Stressing that the House cannot reject a money bill, Mohammed said: “We have made it abundantly clear that on procedure, Section 81 sub-section 1, 2, 3 of the constitution, which specifically deals with money says that we have course for the president to lay before the National Assembly the budget of that year, and that has been done.

“Before Christmas 2012, we were able to pass it before we went on break. When we came back, the drama started unfolding. The amendment came as if no job had been done.

“The level we are now is putting things right. If the budget, according to the Executive, has issues, there are provisions for it to come in form of supplementary budget.”

He, however, noted that it has become imperative to remind Nigerians that there is a duly signed budget running because the issue is turning to blackmail of the legislators by the Executive.

“I want to correct the notion that the budget has not been passed. It has been passed and

duly signed. There is an Appropriation Act already; so, any other thing should come in form of a supplementary budget.

“For instance, we are concerned the envelope system in our budgeting process that has been a hindrance and roll-over of unspent fund that we advised but jettisoned, sadly enough.

“That is why we see abandoned projects all over the place. Our position is, let us look at how to tackle that, we are only interested in how the budget will work”.

On the N100b constituency project fund, Mohammed explained that the vote has little impact on the implementation of the budget.

He, however, added that being grassroots-centered projects, such as bore holes, street lights, among others that required no extensive engineering designs, the Minister has no cause to seize funds meant for such projects.

“The Constituency project allocation is less that 10 per cent of the total budget and it was meant to galvanise activities at the grassroots as dividend of democracy.

“The Minister has not come out to tell us that the projects would not be funded.”

Uproar in Senate over alleged possession of firearms by Senators

T

HERE was uproar in the Senate yesterday over the allegation that more then half of senators own firearms.

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South) made the allegation while contributing to a motion on “The plan of the Zamfara State Governor to arm vigilante groups in the state with rifles”.

Ndume, who opposed the motion, noted that the problem in Zamfara State is that gunmen attack communities while the communities look helpless.

He noted that if gunmen know that communities and villagers are armed, they would think twice before planning attack.

He said: “Most senators are now clamouring for state police. Who will be in charge of state police if not governors?

If there is state police, is it not the governors that will be in charge?

“The state police will be a glorified vigilante group. It will be an improvement of

From Onyedi Ojiabor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

vigilante groups.

“Why is it that we are complaining when almost half of us senators own guns.”

Immediately Ndume said that almost half of the senators own guns, there was uproar in the chambers.

Most the Senators demanded that Ndume should withdraw the assertion because it was harmful to the lawmakers.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, described the assertion as “dangerous.”

Ekweremadu said it was dangerous for Ndume to assume that senators own firearms.

Insisting that there was no basis for the conclusion, Ekweremadu added: “I myself, I don’t have.

“Please withdraw it. I don’t have myself,” Ekweremadu said.

Ndume said: “Thank you, Mr. President. I withdraw that statement, assuming that we don’t own arms.”

Appeal Court sacks Obong of Calabar

O •Pupils of Lagos State secondary schools at the world toothbrushing challenge in Lagos…yesterday

World condemns Egypt’s coup Continued from page 4

forces to remove President Morsi and suspend the Egyptian constitution.

“I now call on the Egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process, and to avoid any arbitrary arrests of President Morsi and his supporters.”

British Prime Minister Dav-

id Cameron’s spokesman said: “We don’t support military interventions as a way to resolve disputes. We always condemn military intervention in democratic systems. What we want and what we support is a democratic future for Egypt.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu,said: “Only can you be removed from duty through elections, that is, the will of the people. It is unacceptable for a government, which has come to power

through democratic elections, to be toppled through illicit means and even more, a military coup.” German Guido Westerwelle, the foreign minister: “This is a major setback for democracy in Egypt. It is urgent that Egypt return as quickly as possible to the constitutional order. There is a real danger that the democratic transition in Egypt will be seriously damaged.”

But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua

Chunying,said “China respects the choice of the Egyptian people. We also hope that all parties concerned in Egypt can avoid using violence and properly solve their disputes through dialogue and consultation and realise reconciliation and social stability.” Mansour said he would safeguard “the spirit of the revolution” which removed Hosni Mubarak from power in 2011, and would “put an end to the idea of worshipping the leader”.

BONG of Calabar Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V lost his stool yesterday. The process that enthroned him as the Calabar monarch was nullified by the Court of Appeal sitting in the Cross River State capital.

The court also ordered that a fresh selecting process that accommodates the participation of all qualified applicants, including Otu, be conducted.

It is in line with the principle of natural justice, the appellate court held.

Yesterday’s development was the latest episode in the litigation crisis that has plagued the stool since 2008, when a contender to the Obongship stool, Etubom Anthony Ani, approached the court to seek redress.

Ani felt he was wrongfully disqualified from the selec-

From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

tion that brought Otu to the throne.

Ruling on January 30, 2012 in suit No. HC/102/2008, brought by Ani, Justice Obojor Ogar of a Calabar High Court voided the process that brought Otu to the throne.

Justice Ogar called for another selection.

The conclave of Etuboms, chaired by Etubom Cobham Mkpang Boco, in early February 2012, organised a fresh selection process for Otu and Ani and Otu emerged amidst controversies.

The decision of the Calabar High Court was appealed by one Etubom Essien Ekpenyong Efiok and two others in a case with Suit No: CA/C/97/2012 in which Otu was joined as the 6th respondent.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

59

FOREIGN NEWS

Statue of Liberty reopens as US marks July Fourth

A

S America marks 237 years of independence, thousands of Americans gather on the National Mall to watch a 17minute fireworks display and listen to performances

by Glover, Barry Manilow, Neil Diamond and John Williams conducting music from the movie “Lincoln.” Thunderstorms were in the forecast for the July Fourth celebration in Washington.

The Statue of Liberty finally reopened on the Fourth

of July months after Superstorm Sandy swamped its little island as Americans across the country celebrated freedom and President Barack Obama urged citizens to live up to the words of the Declaration of Independence.

The reopening was a sign of recovery as the nation used the day to celebrate its independence in a wide variety of ways — from a solemn fireworks tribute to fallen firefighters to tradi-

tional parades and concerts to competitive hot dog eating.

In New York, a large crowd gathered for the holiday and ribbon-cutting ceremony at Liberty Island with federal officials and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Lines stretched blocks long for the boat, which left from Battery Park in Manhattan.

Rodney and Judy Long, of Charlotte, N.C., were the first people in line for the boat called Lady Liberty. They

couldn’t get tickets to climb to the top of the statue, but they were just glad to be there for the big reopening, they said.

“It’s perfect timing for it to reopen. It’s really a symbol for what the country is all about,” Rodney Long said.

In Arizona, sober tributes were planned for 19 firefighters who died this week battling a blaze near Yarnell. Boston prepared to host its first large gathering since the marathon bombing

Nelson Mandela family feud deepens

T

RAGIC drama is nothing new in the Mandela family but the bitterness in the views expressed by Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla, is the strongest public evidence of deep division and mistrust in the famous familiy.

The feud is reopening at a time the former president is in a critical condition at a South African hospital.

In the aftermath of the remains of three of the former president’s children being exhumed on a court order from the graves at his homestead where he had them buried, Mandla Mandela has accused family members behind the legal action of wanting to take revenge against him.

But he also clearly wanted to counter the impression that his own status and authority within the Mandela family has been undermined by his defeat in court.

His message was that he had been groomed for leadership and service by Nelson Mandela and he would not be bowed by any campaigns against him.

President Jacob Zuma issued a statement after visiting the hero of the fight against white minority rule in a Pretoria hospital.

“Madiba (Mr Mandela’s clan name) is receiving the best medical care from a multi-disciplinary team of health professionals who are at his bedside around the clock,” he said, again urging South Africans to celebrate his birthday later this month.

Correspondents say there has been a long-running battle over Mr Mandela’s legacy, but it has intensified as his health has deteriorated.

S

J

UST weeks after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s election victory in 2005, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Hasan Rowhani stepped down from the post after quarrelsome meetings with the new president.

The decision cemented Rowhani’s reputation as a moderate who rejected Ahmadinejad’s combative approach in world affairs in favor of the more nuanced philosophy of Ahmadinejad’s leading political foe, former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Rafsanjani was rejected

by Iran’s election guardians from Friday’s presidential ballot. But for many reformists and liberals in Iran, the 64-year-old Rowhani is somewhat of a mirror image of the elder Rafsanjani by reflecting his outlook that Iran can maintain its nuclear program and ease tensions with the West at the same time.

PUBLIC NOTICE

•Statue of Liberty, a donation by the French for American pursuit of democracy and justice

US to Nigeria: address conflicts, strengthen democracy •Says Nigeria remains indispensable ally in Africa

F

OR United States (U.S.) Ambassador to Nigeria Terence McCulley, Nigeria must tackle conflicts to remain of the track of prosperity.

The advice came even as the envoy described Nigeria US’ indispensable ally in Africa.

He also noted that the various differences in the country must be embraced alongside promotion of unity.

McCulley,who spoke yesterday during U.S. National Day celebration in Abuja, was also positive that Nigeria will find a way forward despite the challenges.

He said: “And for Nigerian democracy to continue to prosper, conflict must be addressed, differences must be embraced and unity must be promoted as a core value.

“I for one, am optimistic. I am confident that Nigeriadespite the challenges, will

New leader for Syria opposition

YRIA’s fractious opposition coalition met yesterday under pressure to name a new leader and prove to its Western and Arab backers it can be trusted with advanced weapons to beat back a concerted offensive by President Bashar alAssad.

The opposition’s inability to unite has made Western countries reluctant to send weapons, even as Assad’s forces have seized the initiative in recent months and Washington and its European allies have vowed to aid his enemies.

Rebels are under siege in

that killed three and injured hundreds, and Philadelphia, Washington and New Orleans planned large holiday concerts.

Competitive eating champions Joey Chestnut and Sonya Thomas hoped to defend their respective men’s and women’s titles at the 98th annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest.

On Liberty Island, Heather and Chris Leykam marked the holiday at the statue with their three kids: Avril, 7, Delilah, whose 6th birthday is Thursday, and Finn, 1. The family thought it would be fitting to celebrate Delilah’s birthday at the Statue of Liberty.

“This to us, Liberty Island, is really about a rebirth,” said Heather Leykam, whose mother’s home in Breezy Point was destroyed during Sandy. “It is a sense of renewal for the city and the country.”

Some repairs to brick walkways and docks are ongoing but much of work has been completed since Sandy swamped most of the 12 acres of the national landmark.

Who is Hasan Rowhani, Iran’s new president-elect?

the strategic city of Homs and trying to hold on to swathes of territory across the country, while the opposition in exile has been unable to exert authority on the ground and halt strides toward radical Islamism.

The Syrian National Coalition has been without a leader for months after its head quit over disagreement about potential talks with Assad’s government. It aims to agree on a new unified leadership at its talks in Istanbul.

Coalition insiders say its international backers want to avoid a repeat of a near de-

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

find a way forward, as Nigerians have always done.

“Our own president has said that” we must find a way to reconcile our evershrinking world with it’s ever-growing diversity. Diversity of thought, diversity of culture, diversity of belief.

Inshore, we must find a way to live together as one human family.

“In America and in Nigeria, the common issues we face, the common hope we have, are all human issues, all human hopes. We seek stability in our lives. We desire positive action from our leaders. We expect transparency in governance. We seek economic opportunity. We demand high quality education for our children.

“And we work to protect the environment so that our

children and our children’s children can enjoy the benefits of this bountiful planet.

“I am convinced that America and Nigeria share these common goals. And I am proud to say that we are friends whose relationship spans critical issues of global and regional import. And as friends, we have had some difficult conversations of late, about corruption, about human rights. But I wish emphasize to you that our strategic relationship remains as strong as ever, that the bonds that link our two nations remains solid, that Nigeria remains, for America, our indispensable ally in Africa.”

CHANGE OF NAME ANOSIKE I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. ANOSIKE BLESSING NGOZISINACHI now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ADOGAH BLESSING NGOZISINACHI. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

GENERATOR FOR SALE Pekis_Mikano 100 KVA in excellent working condition.

Asking price:2.2m Contact for inspection 08182173364, 08033507948, 08037216776

LOSS OF DOCUMENT

•Bashar bacle a month ago when lastminute intervention by senior officials from Turkey and Western and Arab countries was needed to keep it from disintegrating.

I, Moses Adeola Anifowose hereby inform the general public that the certificate of occupancy with registration No 62/62/2004E and the original receipt of purchase of the building at no 18 Ademola adefuye street, Egbeda,lagos belonging to me were stolen.All effort to trace proved Abortive.general public take note.

INCORPORATED TRUSTEES OF MOUNTAIN OF REVIVAL AND RESTORATION INTERCESSORY MINISTRY I, Christian Edwin James Ile hereby formally notify the general public that with effect from Monday, July 1st 2013, I formally resigned as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Trustees of Mountain of Revival and Restoration Intercessory Ministry, 15 Deeper Life Road, Rumuodomanya, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, please, take note.

Signed: Christian Edwin James Ile

PUBLIC NOTICE JUST MEN FELLOWSHIP Notice is hereby given that the above named Organization has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act L.F.N (Cap 20), 2004.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Mr. Barine L.D Gbosi President 2. Mr. Oluwafemi Olayiwola Oluwole Secretary 3. Mrs. Olubunmi Cecelia Gbosi Member 4. Dr. Damilola Onasanya Member THE OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. To challenge men to live right, lead right and show light 2. To raise men of integrity to build families and effect lives for kingdom expansion 3. To enable and empower to be the husband, fathers and leaders God want them to be.

4. To build men who are role models and examples and known for industry and integrity.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: TITILAYO T. AKINBIYI (MRS.) GREEN & AKINBIYI, SOLICITORS #16B AGIP ROAD RUMUEME, PORT HARCOURT (0803-317-0774)

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

60

NATION SPORT

WILLIAMS-MILLS

O

After cancer, I wished my husband would still love me...

N June 25 2012, Novlene Williams-Mills was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She told no-one apart from her husband of five years, Jameel, family and friends and then won the 400 metres at the Jamaican Senior National Championships that weekend in 50.60 seconds, booking her place in the Olympic team.

Williams-Mills finished fifth in the 400m at London 2012 and won a bronze medal in the 4 x 400m relay.

Three days after the Games surgeons removed a small lump in her breast. She then had a double mastectomy, a further operation to cut out the remaining cancerous cells and reconstructive surgery. Her final operation was on January 18.

Last week Williams-Mills lay on the track as the Jamaican 400m champion after qualifying for the World Championships in Moscow this August by running 50.01secs.

‘I’m back,’ she thought. ‘I’ve still got it.’

Until now, Williams-Mills has told nobody outside her close circle about her devastating illness. She did not want any sympathy; she just wanted to concentrate on winning the most difficult race of her life.

Williams-Mills is 31 years old, a five-time world and three-time Olympic medallist. Athletes like her

are not supposed to get breast cancer.

She just happened to mention she had found a small lump at a routine gynaecologist appointment and her life changed for ever.

‘It feels like your own body has betrayed you, like I’ve been stabbed,’ she says, tears forming in her eyes.

‘I’m an athlete. I work out, I train. It can’t be possible.’

Ovarian cancer also took WilliamsMills’ older sister, a mother of three, at the age of 38 in 2010.

Cancer is a word the Jamaican utters rarely, when she spits it out in disgust.

She thinks competing must have been a welcome distraction; an injection of normality in a suddenly chaotic world.

Williams-Mills talks about the Olympics in the same detached way, describing it as the outsider looking in on a remarkable woman fighting not just to win a race, but to wrestle back her own body.

‘I competed at the Olympics, I got fifth in the 400 and third in the 4 x 400,’ she says. ‘Was it crazy? Yes. ‘That’s everybody’s dream, to run at the Olympics. But I was thinking about my hurdles that I have to come back to fight. I was thinking: “Am I going to survive this?”

‘My team-mates in the relay did not know. But I was standing on the

podium and I didn’t know if I would ever run another race.’

There is no training programme for fighting cancer. Williams-Mills, a ‘stubborn, competitive’ spirit, can only laugh at the lack of control she felt; an uncomfortable journey for anyone, let alone an elite athlete.

It was dread that convinced her to have both breasts removed when the initial lumpectomy returned inconclusive results. She could not live in fear of ‘what if?’.

Yet even then the ordeal was not over: she had a further operation to remove more cancerous cells; a moment when she felt like ‘the devil had control’.

‘It’s a very high-risk, aggressive cancer and I had to approach it aggressively,’ says Williams-Mills.

‘A double mastectomy eliminated my chance of getting it from 99 per cent to maybe three per cent.

‘They said I could have six weeks of radiation or maybe an hour and a half of surgery. I take the hour and a half. I wanted to win and I had to fight with every single possible thing that I have.

‘Like Angelina Jolie, my chance of having it was way high. But I had choices to make. A lot of people don’t.’ The tears start to fall.

‘The mastectomy was scary because this is what makes me a lady. What

am I going to look like?

‘It was very difficult. I want to have kids one day and you see all those mothers out there nursing and I’m not going to be able to do that.

‘There were days I didn’t know if I could make it. I was in so much pain.

I cried because they tell me that tears are a language that God understands.

‘I hoped my husband still loved me the same. We met when I was like this and now he’s seeing a whole different person. But I didn’t have to worry about him. He was my nurse, my rock.’

Williams-Mills’ sassiness suddenly returns. She laughs mischievously as she notes how people who do not know about her illness have commented that her breasts are now ‘a tiny bit bigger’.

‘I run the 400,’ she says, smiling. ‘I can’t carry no extra load. I’m a little petite girl.’

An athlete’s kit offers no hiding place, but Williams-Mills is relaxed about performing in front of a public audience. She ran 51.03secs in Birmingham on Sunday to finish third at the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix and insists she ‘doesn’t feel any different’. She giggles: ‘They’re not shaking! I feel great. If people ask I just say it’s a push-up bra.’

Running, after all, is what

Williams- Mills does. She missed it, and found herself edging back towards the track, returning to full training in March.

Her first competition was on May 5, when she finished third in Kingston in 51.05secs and smiled as people criticised her relatively poor start to the season.

Williams-Mills knows she will get ‘some heat’ for keeping her illness a secret, but insists she did not want people feeling sorry for her.

She is bravely speaking out now to stress that early detection is what saved her life. This competitor wants to show that a disease that has no respect for age, fitness or talent can be beaten.

‘My friend, a breast cancer survivor, said, “So you’ve just run in front of how many millions of people at the Olympics? And this is what you’re afraid of? Just think of your competitors that you hate the most and love to beat.”

‘For some people, being diagnosed with breast cancer means their world ends. But you’re still that same person. A piece of you is taken away but it doesn’t mean life is over.

‘I’m still one of the top 400m runners in the world and I want to see what I can do. Moscow will be for all the breast cancer survivors out there. I want them to know it’s still possible.’

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

PREMIERSHIP

NATION SPORT

P

61

Cech: I want Rooney at Chelsea

ETR Cech would welcome Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney at Chelsea.

Rooney has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford, with showdown talks between the England international and boss David Moyes believed to be taking place this week.

Stamford Bridge has been mooted as a possible destination and Cech believes it would be a good move for the 27-year-old.

"I could see him in a Chelsea shirt. Players can change shirts and obviously he had a fantastic career with

Manchester United and sometimes players need new challenges," the Czech goalkeeper told Sky Sports News.

"So if that happened, obviously he is a fantastic player and he will be welcomed to our squad, but now we are only in the moment of speculations about it so we will see what this week will bring."

Securing Rooney's services would certainly underline Chelsea's ambition to claim the Premier League title, a feat they achieved twice under Jose Mourinho.

Cech feels that the returning

boss has strong ideas about how he wants to make the squad his own and insisted that plenty of players would be tempted by the opportunity to play for him.

"I could see anybody in a Chelsea shirt, it depends if Jose Mourinho wants to see those players in the Chelsea shirt," he continued.

"So I believe that he has his own ideas about the team, he knows exactly what he wants in the team. And as I said, now the transfer window opens and we will see what will be the movement in our squad in reality."

Rodgers delighted with Gerrard´s progress

L

IVERPOOL manager Brendan Rodgers insists that Steven Gerrard will remain 'integral' to his plans for years to come.

•Rodgers

The Reds captain missed the final two games of the 201213 season through injury but was back training with his team-mates on the first day of pre-season and is set to continue a key role.

"He's 33 now but Steven is still an integral part of what I'm trying to do here and will be for the next few years," Rodgers told reporters.

"He had his operation towards the end of the season and the plan was for him to continue his rehab over the off-season."

The injury that prevented Gerrard from appearing in the final games of the season

resulted in surgery, prompting fears that the midfielder might miss the start of this season, but Rodgers is confident that his talisman will be ready.

"It's a big credit to him - he's worked tirelessly over the summer," the 40-year-old enthused. "He won't be too far away. He looks great and is in great condition."

Gerrard, a product of the Liverpool youth academy, has made more than 400 appearances for the club.

Liverpool will play Melbourne Victory at the MCG on July 24 as part of a three-match Asian tour.

•Rooney

Phelan: Rooney keen for fresh challenge

F

ORMER Manchester United assistant Mike Phelan believes Wayne Rooney may want a 'fresh challenge' at a different club.

The striker has been linked with a move away from the English Premier League champions, with Arsenal one of several clubs believed to be interested in his services.

Rooney, 27, reportedly asked to leave the club at the end of last season, the second time he has requested a transfer.

Phelan, who was a trusted assistant of Sir Alex Ferguson's, said it could be time for the England striker to move on.

"Wayne is at the greatest club you can be at," Phelan told the BBC. "Why would you want to jeopardise that, unless you want a fresh challenge and you feel that challenge isn't being met at Manchester United."

Rooney is expected to meet United manager David Moyes on Wednesday for further

discussions about his future.

Phelan, who left the club in May, said he had no idea where Rooney would end up, or if he would stay at United.

"What will be will be. I haven't got a clue," he said.

Phelan said Ferguson was desperate to keep Rooney when he first requested a transfer in 2010, and the sriker signed a five-year deal.

"Every player is entitled to express a desire to want to move on. Any player can do that at any time," he said.

"In Wayne's case, in the first instance in 2010, he took a lot of advice and got steered towards making that call, but the manager was terrific.

"He talked to him and asked why would he want to leave the club.

"The press conference Sir Alex gave was a bit of a tearjerker and it was genuine.

There was an element that he'd chased this boy and paid big money. He was the boy that could change United."

Arsenal struggles to agree Higuain fee with Real

A

RSENAL'S bid to sign Gonzalo Higuain has stalled as they struggle to agree a fee with Real Madrid, Goal understands.

The Londoners are reluctant to pay above •25 million for the striker, while the Spanish giants hold out for •30m.

The two clubs remain locked in negotiations but Arsene Wenger is now understood to be eyeing up an alternative

proven striker at a cheaper price.

Goal reported in June that an Arsenal delegation flew out to Madrid to finalise the Higuain deal with their Madrid counterparts.

However, the talks did not result in an agreement and, despite Arsenal's confidence that a deal can be secured, Wenger is now considering a fall-back option.

Arsenal have agreed the terms

Bent left in limbo by Villa's £8m price tag

D •Phelan

ARREN Bent is being forced to train away from the Aston Villa first-team and is worried he is being priced out of a move away from the club, sources close to the striker have told ESPN. Bent, 29, has been ostracised at Villa Park since return for preseason training as Villa seek to encourage buyers to meet their £8 million price tag.

The former England international has been informed he will not be considered for selection for any of the club's pre-season friendlies and will not be included in any squads if he remains at Villa beyond the close of the summer transfer window.

Bent has made it clear he would like a fresh start away from Villa Park, but it is understood he feels he is being priced out of a move by the club, who are determined to hold out for the fee they set several weeks ago.

The player feels Villa and boss Paul Lambert should be prepared to be more flexible and realistic over their price tag as they look to shed his £65,000-aweek salary from their wage bill.

Newcastle United and Fulham have both made it clear they would be interested in doing business with Villa for Bent, but both clubs have no intention of paying £8 million for a striker who barely kicked

a ball last season.

Bent is training alongside fellow outcasts Stephen Ireland and Alan Hutton, who have also been told they will be allowed to leave the club this summer if buyers can be found.

•Gonzalo Higuain

of a contract with Higuain that will start with a salary of •116,000-a-week, which will bring him in line with the club's top earners Theo Walcott and skipper Thomas Vermaelen.

Higuain will pocket a bumper pay rise if he completes a move to the Gunners as he is believed to be earning a relatively modest •75,000-a-week at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Juventus have also made the prolific forward an offer but are unwilling to pay a •20m-plus fee after signing Carlos Tevez and unveiling fellow forward Fernando Llorente on Tuesday.

Arsenal remain in pole position to capture Higuain, who has his heart set on a move to Emirates Stadium but has to remain patient while negotiations continue.

Wenger has prioritised the signing of a top forward this summer and retains a concrete interest in Wayne Rooney, who is keen to sever his ties with Manchester United.

The Higuain deal is regarded as easier to secure even though it would break the •23m transfer barrier and comfortably smash the club's transfer record.

Arsenal began their summer recruitment drive on Monday after completing the signing of Yaya Sanogo on a free transfer from Auxerre.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

62

SPORT EXTRA

Ameobi commits future to Super Eagles

N

EWCASTLE striker and one of the longest serving players at the EPL side, Shola Ameobi, has again pledged his international future to the Super Eagles, declaring that the clause that prevented him from the Nations Cup, has now been amended.

Team Scribe, Dayo Enebi Achor, broke the cheery news to Head Coach, Stephen Keshi during lunch in Kaduna where the national team is

•Keshi excited presently preparing for a crunch African Nations Championship (CHAN), qualifier against the Elephants of Cote D’ Ivoire.

There have been reports that Ameobi may not play for the national team following the insertion of the controversial clause in his contract at

Newcastle. “He said the clause has been removed and he will be ready to play for the Super Eagles anytime he is called upon”, Achor said. He also quoted the vastly experienced striker as saying “I will love to play for Nigeria under Stephen Keshi because he is a good coach, above all, I

am very proud to be a Nigerian and will always grab the opportunity to don the green white colours of my fatherland.

An excited Keshi has already said he will talk to the player to reassess his u-turn in the national team and will invite him anytime he was needed in the national team.

“He is no doubt a good player and the national team can make do with his experience anytime we call upon him.

•Shola Ameobi

Omeruo continues rehabilitation in England

C

HELSEA of England and Super Eagles' defender, Kenneth Omeruo would be fit before the July 24th expected arrival at Stamford Bridge for pre season, a close source of the Nigerian has told NationSport.

Omeruo is presently in

•Omeruo

•Chelsea's medics take charge of player's shoulder injury •Nigerian to hit Stamford Bridge on July 24 From Tunde Liadi,Owerri England under the supervision of the Chelsea's medics recovering from the shoulder injury he copped during Eagles' 0-3 loss to World Champions Spain at the Brazil,2013 FIFA Confederation Cup. One of the player's representatives has revealed that the result of the scan Omeruo did when he got to England showed that the injury was not as serious as earlier imagined. He added that with adequate rest and the player's strict adherence to the programme laid down towards his quick recovery,

Omeruo should be ready to fight for shirt with the rest of Chelsea players from July 24th.

The source said:"Kenneth is in England as we speak recuperating from the shoulder injury he had at the Confederations Cup in Brazil.

The injury is not as initially feared and within days he should be back.

"Chelsea have sent doctors to him with a strict programme of recovery to follow and if he is able to do according to the schedule, he should be ready for Chelsea from July 24th. He needs to rest the shoulder and from what I heard of him from our last discussion, he is making remarkable

improvement."

Omeruo was bought by Chelsea from Standard Liege of Belgium in 2011 and he was immediately farmed out to Holland to play for ADO Den Haag where he stayed for about two seasons before he earned a recall to the former UEFA Champions League winners.

The Abia born defender is a product of the U17 competition and he made his first bow for the Super Eagles against Spanish regional side, Catalonia in January this year. He was in the team squad to 2013 AFCON in South Africa and also featured for Nigeria at the just concluded FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil.

Cote d'Iviore ‘ll be tough, Eguma warns

F

ORMER national U23 coach, Stanley Eguma has warned that the Super Eagles must be psychologically and physically ready to face a tricky Ivorien side in the first leg of the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifying match billed for Kaduna.

Eguma in a brief chat with NationSport noted that a convincing win for the Eagles would be the only option to bring back smiles to the faces of Nigerians who are still saddened by the unimpressive performances of the country in the Brazil,

T

•Urges Eagles to beat the Ivoriens From Tunde Liadi,Owerri

2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the Turkey, 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup competitions.

The current boss of Dolphins of Port Harcourt therefore charged the Eagles not to be complacent but that they should see the affair as one which they need to give all concentration and attention since Nigerians would not like to be absent again at the next year's CHAN competition slated

for South Africa.

"Nigerians are presently not happy with the results we got in Brazil and Turkey and what can make them glad again is a good win against Cote d'Iviore. The Ivoriens are also deeply rooted in the politics of the game just like us hence the need for us to be more than 100 percent focused for the task at hand.

"We need to instill the nation's confidence in the team and the only way is by winning well. There

won't be room for errors at all. Our league is now very competitive and some of the products of the league are now in the senior national team. It will be a big dent to the game in the country if we fail to qualify again for the CHAN competition," Eguma said to NationSport.

The Eagles are seeking their maiden appearance at the competition earmarked for players that are playing in their respective leagues.

Tunisia is the defending champions after thrashing Angola 3-0 in the final held in Sudan in 2011.

Ex-pro footballers honour Obaseki

HE Association Of Professional Footballers Of Nigeria led by the Secretary General Austin Popo along with The Edo State FA honoured Pioneering Chairman of the Nigeria Premier League and Nigeria Football Association, Onyuiki Jackson Obaseki with a merit award.

In his speech, secretary of APFON, Austin Popo gave reasons why they decided to honour the foremost chairman of the Nigeria premier league which he enumurated as financing the league with his own money.

According to Austin Popo he said, “its when players die that we celeberate them,we have decided to honour you sir for what you have done to the Nigeria Premier League, football is a global game governed with global rules and as people bend rules to favour them selves you have decide to do otherwise”.

From, Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin Austin Popo further highlighted the issues palquing the league which he summarized as debts owed to players and coaches hence it was militating agianst the success of the league because the league lacks an arbitration panel to address all these issues.

Popo further paid tribute to

F

Chief Obaseki saying that “Chief Obaseki you have succeeded in raising a solid foundation of the Nigerian Premier Leaguethus the need for you to be honoured”.

In his response, Chief Obaseki, thanked APFON for recognising his achievements “I taught I have been forgotten and since I laid the foundation of the Nigerian Premier League, I increased Refeeres

indemnity and I make bold to say that the Nigerian Premier League kicked off on January 15th January, 2005”.

On the Benin Arsenal, Chief Onyuike further said that the club greatest impediments was money.”The governor does not love sports, he hates football with passion”. He pleaded with the governor not to allow Bendel Insurance to die.

the ministry, Abiola Awonuga said the gesture is to encourage the sports officers, whom she described as 'foot soldiers', to discharge their duties efficiently.

"Your duty is to go to the grass root to discover those hidden talents that are still young, because the younger they are the better. It is in line with the determination of this administration to return to the grass root and discover talents

that will bring the country back to its glory days in sports.

"When these athletes are discovered, we have mechineries in place to monitor and develop these athletes. The cameras will help your work and the stories you have to tell. We will also be giving out modems so that you will also be sending on the sport information that will help us plan ahead," she said.

Inyama carpets NRA on corruption, bad officiating

N

IGERIA National League boss, Emeka Inyama has cried out that the Nigeria Referee Association is the one killing the game of football in the Nigerian leagues.

The Nigeria Football Federation Board member told NationSport shortly after NNL’s Board meeting held at the NNL’s Secretariat in Abuja yesterday that if the Nigerian leagues are to be transformed and function well, the men of the whistle should have a change of behaviour and rescue the league by shunning bribes from club officials and officiate well.

“So it is very wrong for Ahmed Maude (President of Nigeria Referee Association) to have alleged that poor remuneration as regards the payment of N14, 000 indemnities of the referees are responsible for corruption among the referees.

“This is not the first time we are paying this sum of money.

The question is who are those bribering the referees? Is it Emeka Inyama? Who are these clubs and are they the one bribering the referees?

“I went on air last month to say that the problem of our league is referees. A top former referee official wrote me a letter and said I shouldn’t have said so. We shouldn’t support this because a

Lagos donates equipment to officers

OLLOWING its resolve to discover and nurture budding talents from the grassroots for the future, the Lagos State Ministry of Sports , yesterday donated 57 digital cameras to the sports officer representing the 20 Local Government and Local Council Development Areas.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony held at the office of the ministry in Alausa, Ikeja, the Permanent Secretary of

•Emeka

From Segun Ogunjimi, Abuja corrupt person is a corrupt person. What of the billionaires and still stealing money. Is it because they are getting a little?

That is not true.

“So it is wrong for Maude to have said that. Because of the amount that it is not much we have encouraged neighbourhood officiating. So there is no referee that goes from Kwara to Maiduguri. For instance Akwa Ibom referee handles a match in Umuahia because it is close by. They don’t pay fro accommodation and feeding. So the money we pay is just allowance. We have encouraged them to have their jobs because this refereeing is just a passion and hobby.

“A corruption does not have to do with the amount or the quantity. In any case if there is anybody that inducing corruption in the league all clubs must look at themselves. When we held a seminar I begged and begged that clubs should stop giving bribes to referees. If club A and club B refuses to give bribes to referees, we are surely going to witness fair officiating in our leagues.

“We do not appoint referees and we do not also discipline them. We don’t appoint match commissioners ands we don’t also discipline them. Can’t you guys have pity on us and see how difficult it is to run a good league in this circumstance. You will say this referee has done badly and before two weeks you will see same referee handling another match after we have done a report that he should be dropped.

“The league will only work 100 percent when the league body has a very big say in the appointment and punishment of referees. For control purposes it may not be given to us otherwise we will be accused of fixing referees and match commissioners. But let us have representatives in these committees for the sake of balance and information. That is the way to go” Inyama advised.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

63

SPORT EXTRA Turkish club to pay big for Ike Uche Anichebe excited to work under Roberto Martinez A

E

VERTON striker Victor Anichebe believes that he and his teammates are about to embark on an "interesting" new era under manager Roberto Martinez.

The former Wigan Athletic boss took the reins at Goodison Park following David Moyes's decision to end his 11-year stint at the club for a new challenge at Manchester United.

•Victor Anichebe

"When I heard that [Martinez] became my manager I was happy," Anichebe told Everton TV. "I was sad to see David Moyes go because I have been with him for so long and he is the one that brought me through, but we have brought in a great young manager who plays great football.

"It's going to be a really exciting time for us and we are going to be playing completely differently. It's going to bring a

Martins sets club record in USA

N

IGERIAN striker Obafemi Martins is already attaining a legendary status with his MLS side in America The Seattle Sounders.

In 636 minutes of action, Martins has netted six goals a feat no player has ever achieved the club colours.

The brace from Martins in their latest game in the early hours of Thursday also helped his team extend their unbeaten home run to 6 matches ; 4 wins and 2 draws which is tied for fifth-longest streak in MLS this season.

Martins who made a switch from Levante in Spain to the MLS has been an instant hit since arriving the God's Own Country and has thus cornered praises not only from his coach

APFON sets up committee to coordinate Oliha’s funeral

A

SSOCIATION of professional footballers of Nigeria yesterday set up a committee to coordinate the burial activities of the late Thompson Oliha which the date has been fixed for 26th July, 2013 in Benin City.

Austin Popo, Secretary of APFON in a press release to NationSport in Benin have Julius Ogunro, Special Adviser to the Minister of Sports/ Chairman, Nation Sports Commission, Dr. Chris Omerua of the NFF, Taju Disu, director of ex-players, Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Deputy National Secretary, SWAN, Ayo Oliha, representing the Oliha family, Duze Olufemi, APFON

•Kwara delegation in Benin today From, Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin Chairman, Edo state and Victor Edokpayi, FA Secretary, Edo state.

The committee is also expected to work with any other committee that may be set up by Federal Government, NFF, Edo and Kwara state Government.

Meanwhile, the Kwara state government delegation will arrive Benin today to meet with its Edo counterpart to discuss modalities of how the two states and possibly Federal government can give the late Thompson Oliha a state burial.

This was disclosed yesterday by the elder brother to Thompson when the Edo state commissioner for Sports, Lady Omorede Osifo paid the family an official condolence visit on behalf of the state government.

Lady Omorede who expressed shock over the dead of Thompson on behalf of Oshiomhole, the state government and people of Edo told the family that, the state will actively participate in the burial arrangements, moreso, after holding a meeting with Kwara state delegates that are coming to hold discussion with them.

‘Potential weightlifters are in market places’

T

HE Chairman of the Lagos State Weightlifting Association, Kunle Komolafe has said that potential weightlifters can be found in the market places.

In a chat with NationSport at the Owode Onirin market during the association’s talent hunt programme, the ace sports administrator said the essence of the competition is to discover those with potential that will be refined and groomed to represent Lagos State in future competitions.

He said it was informed by the resolve to approach the situation differently from the past necessitated the initiative which is targeted at the labourers in the various markets with the raw strength that can be refined to become world beaters.

He said: “We have just started with the Owode-Onirin market

By Innocent Amomoh and you can see how enthusiastic they are participating in the competition. We will do the Iddo, Ladipo markets on the 6th of July.

“As members of this current board, we noticed the potential in most of these individuals lifting heavy consignments in the various market places to earn a living. We want to discover those that have the potential to become good weightlifters that can represent Lagos and Nigeria in the future.

"The essence is to make better people out of them and discover world champions. This is the first time such an initiative will be conceived and you can see excitement. I intend to make the most of it," he said.

The talents discovered from the three-day competition will be

new breath of fresh air to everyone.

"Everyone has got a great chance and has to compete. There are no guaranteed starters because it is a completely different manager. It's going to be an interesting season."

Meanwhile, Everton could begin the new campaign without full-back Leighton Baines following reports that United are trying to poach the England international.

drafted into the Lagos State weightlifting team and taken through the rudiments and technicalities of the sport.

"Take for instance anybody that lifts a bag of rice weighing 50 kg with ease is a potential weightlifter. We feel these energies can be transferred to get the desired result. They will be taught basic techniques that can make them world champions.

After the competition, talents discovered will compete with the existing Lagos State weightlifters for the final selections.

“We are trying to move from where we are to where we have never been. From this voyage we are embarking on, who knows where it will take us?

Security and a medical team are in place in case of injuries,” Komolafe declared.

Sigi Schmid but also from his teametaes and fans alike who enjoy the back flip celebration of the Nigerian striker each time he nets in a goal.

It is left to be seen if the national team handlers will give Martins another shot at a shirt in the Eagles after the consensus that the weakest link in the team is the attack.

•Martins

MBITIOUS Turkish club Bursaspor are keen to snap up Nigeria international striker Ikechukwu Uche for a fee of about three million Euros.

According to media reports in Turkey, Bursaspor are ready to break the bank for the 29year-old free-scoring striker, whose older brother Kalu Uche was an instant hit in his first season in Turkey as his finished as second highest scorer for Istanbul club Kasimpasa.

Last season, ambitious Bursaspor finished fourth and could now feature in the UEFA Champions League following the recent ban of Fenerbache and Besiktas for match fixing.

The younger Uche was a 2013 African Nations Cup winner with Nigeria and scored 14 goals in 32 games to propel Villarreal back to La Liga in Spain this past season.

•Ike Uche Ike Uche has been in Spain for 11 years during which time he has played for Racing Ferrol, Recreativo de Huelva, Getafe, Real Zaragoza and Granada.

The little striker, who has scored 18 goals in 44 games for Nigeria, is deadly inside the box and can take on his markers.

However, since the AFCON he has been overlooked by Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi.

Lille refutes John Utaka story

L

ILLE manager René Girard has distanced the club from reports linking them with striker John Utaka in the summer transfer window.

Earlier, there were speculations that the former Montpellier coach was keen on his former pupil.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Rene Gorard said: ''John Utaka? This is a great man. This is a Mister John. It is true that he is a great player and a player who could come and play for LOSC. ''But for now, he does not matter. There is Salomon Kalou and many other very good players still in place in Lille. For

the moment the spots are already occupied.''

31 - year - old John Utaka technically became a free agent on Monday, July 1.

In reality, he has been linked with Besiktas and unnamed clubs in China and Qatar.

•John Utaka

TODAY IN THE NATION

FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

‘The Nigerian leadership today could be likened to men gifted with the mentality of the hyena and the sensibility of the guinea fowl. The same may be said of the Nigerian citizenry’ VOL.8 NO.2,537

C OMMENT & D EB ATE EBA

I

T has not always been well with tradition. There have been serious philosophical objections to the idea of tradition and its sacredness. Utilitarian thinkers, for instance, tell us that traditions are not self-justifying, or that moral traditions can frustrate the moral progress of societies and individuals. In the wake of our own struggle for independence, traditional authorities were denounced by nationalists and progressives.

Recently, however, both in intellectual and political circles, there have been a renewed respect for tradition and its values. And while the requirements of democracy have generally been pitted against tradition, a number of philosophers from Alasdair McIntyre to Alain Locke and David Gauthier have raised questions about the narrow-mindedness and absence of self-examination that inform ordinary thinking about democracy as well as the lack of self-examination that limits the diffusion of democratic ideals.

Tradition is a customary way of doing things that is unique to a group. It is what is handed down from generation to generation.

To borrow a religious language, it is the acceptance of the faith of our fathers. As renowned sociologist Shils puts it, the “decisive criterion (of its traditionalism) is that having been created through human actions, through thought and imagination, it is handed down from one generation to the next.” Of course, being handed down does not entail being accepted. A tradition is a tradition only because it is accepted by the next generation that also passes it on. The continued acceptance of a tradition is the basis of its endurance.

It is important to note that the acceptance of a traditional idea, belief, or practice is subject to what the people it serves make of it in terms of their well-being. The notion that a tradition has a suffocating grip on a people is, therefore, misleading. It depends on the moral weight that the people accord it. This is what Kwame Gyekye has in mind when he notes that “the continuity or survival of a tradition depends on the normative weight it can carry with (a) generation” that accepts it and “much of the authority of an inherited tradition is said to have derived from the evaluative activities of a recipient generation.”

What goes into the evaluative activities of a recipient generation? How do individuals and communities come to the conclusion that a way of life that they inherited from their forebears have meaning for them and is good for their well-being? These questions assume that we really have a choice in the matter.

And to some extent, we do. After all, we can choose to ignore or even eradicate those traditions that we find unacceptable for various reasons. The limitation has to do with the

RIPPLES HONOUR AGREEMENTS WITH UNIONS– Senate tells Fed Govt

AGREEMENTS? When GOVT says YES, it means NO

SEGUN GBADEGESIN gbadegesin@thenationonlineng.net

Tradition endures ‘It is therefore incum-

•Oba Adeitan

bent on the political leaders nationally and locally to approach their mission with the fear of God, with the understanding that even the backwoods of the nation are endowed with living humanity that deserves justice’

fact that a recipient generation is not completely isolated from the giving generation.

Unless a whole generation of potential receivers collectively commits patricide, they will have their parents for the better part of their lives. So did those parents have their own parents. There is therefore an interlocking and intersecting relationship of givers and receivers with givers interested in and monitoring the receivers’ attitude to the tradition of their parents and grandparents. In general, we are obedient and loyal offspring of the community that seers us.

The foregoing thoughts came to mind as I gleefully watched the excitement, love, affection, and respect with which the Okeho community in the United States of America and their friends welcomed the traditional ruler of Okeho, HRH Oba Rafiu Osuolale Mustapha Adeitan II and his amiable Olori Taibat Omotola Mustapha during their recent visit to Washington. From the time they landed at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport to their departure three weeks later, the admiration of the people was palpable. And their royal couple did not disappoint expectation. They comported them-

selves with utmost dignity, and an apparently natural penchant for decorum that distinguishes the royalty, including gentle reminders from Kabiyesi about proper dress code and dignified outing.

As appropriate to his status as the father of all, Kabiyesi was comfortable in the mosque as well as in the church and endeared himself to both the Jumaat and the Congregation. Thus, the royal couple participated in the worship service of Alafia Baptist Church in Maryland, and Kabiyesi’s address to the Congregation on the theme of unity felt very much like a sermon, a point that the Pastor noted with appreciation.

At the civic reception in their honor, Oba Mustapha Adeitan II reminded his audience, mainly Yoruba in the diaspora of their origin with the observation that “a river that forgets its fountain will soon dry up” and “eniti o sole nu, o sapo iya ko” (the loss of one’s origin is tantamount to the recovery of a load of suffering). He also noted with satisfaction the laudable programs and projects that a good number of folks had embarked upon in the homeland all of which had impacted the lives of people positively.

HARDBALL

I

F a country’s budget is in a mess, it is straight, simple logic that the country’s economy, if not the entire polity, could become one stretch of quagmire. Seventh month of the year yet the country’s most important working document, 2013 Appropriation Act, is dog-eared and in tatters. Not from handling it in the bid to diligently carry out its legitimate mandate, but from unyielding contentions and bare-faced chicanery. This allimportant document is being wizened not in order to determine the fine points and delicate nuances of its requirements for the utmost good of the citizenry, no. It’s all about personal interests, turf fights between the executive and the legislature.

The budget, the budget, it’s the budget, stupid. How we long for the day when we will get a grip on the federal budget once again.

Most state budgets we have lost forever as they are disbursed from the shirt pockets of the big men. Local government budgets are long dead and interred thanks to the undertakers of the local council system. The federal budget, therefore, represents the last frontiers of budgeting in this vast, receding polity. Let’s save the budgeting system, if only to help our children learn the nebulous, arcane art of planning, projecting, juxtaposing, virements, project execution, monitoring and implementation.

Budget brouhaha But budgeting has become a dying art in Nigeria and the 2013 budget is in utter ruins.

By the time the 2013 Appropriation Act eventually emerged from the National Assembly (NASS) early in the year, it was already half dead hanging only on life support. For about a month, the President would not accent to it.

When he eventually did, it was a conditional accent. Don’t ask Hardball if he appended half of his signature on it but he promised to return it to NASS. A few weeks later, on March 14, precisely, President Goodluck Jonathan returned the Act to the NASS. On June 26, the NASS threw it back at him. Ding, dong, like ping, pong our budget goes.

The first tragedy here is that this matter is as complicated as the budget itself to the point that Hardball cannot help you to unravel it (sorry). The lesser tragedy (since we are entranced in delirious ignorance) is that they are playing ping-pong with your life. The final tragedy is that since they have befuddled our lives so much, that puts them at liberty to brand us ignoramuses who cannot understand basic economics and there ends the matter till the next season of (budget madness).

As it stands, two quarters have passed yet we don’t know how much of the budget has

OLA TUNJI OLOLADE AT

Okeho is a small community with concerned individuals with very big heart who are committed and dedicated to its progress and development. And, consistent with his emphasis on the theme of origin, Kabiyesi did not forget to place on record his heart of gratitude to all Okeho indigenes including those in the diaspora, especially those that are resident in the United States for finding time to visit Okeho from time to time. For this helps to ensure that they are aware of not only the condition of their people but also of their needs and aspirations for which the privileged ones can be of assistance to the community.

Among those individuals who have been of tremendous help to the progress of the community are Mr. Jacob Moyo Ajekigbe, the former Managing Director of First Bank Plc and Kabiyesi did not forget to appreciate him as he had done at every occasion in the last several years. Another is Alhaji Moshood Raji Bomodeoku who after an illustrious career in the Federal Civil Service relocated to his community and set up businesses, including a tourist centre, Moshra Gardens.

What is the relevance of all this to national discourse?

I started out as an integrationist, one that believes in the idea of a one indivisible nation. I still do, but I now firmly believe that all conditions for integration must be satisfied. One such condition is that this belief must be shared by all and no one part is made to bear the burden of unity while others loaf around. With this is the moral need for equitable distribution of resources and amenities. It used to be the case that some were regarded as drawers of water and hewers of wood. Do we serious still want to believe this? I hope not. It is therefore incumbent on the political leaders nationally and locally to approach their mission with the fear of God, with the understanding that even the backwoods of the nation are endowed with living humanity that deserves justice.

Finally, for me it is important for us to understand that the building blocks of a united nation are the communities that make up the nation. It is for a good reason that the Yoruba suggest that if the living room is not healthy, the entire city is nothing more than a slum. Therefore, we have to ensure that our hometown is healthy. All politics is local is the famous axiom attributed to late U.S. Speaker O’Neil. Therefore, if you have not already been actively engaged in your community, even if you are not a politician, it is important to assume that responsibility of community involvement. It is the least that you can do as a human being.

•For comments, send SMS to 08111813080

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above been actualised. The NASS accuses the executives of seeking to amend an already approved budget instead of sending in a supplementary. The executives in turn insist NASS is balking so much on the matter because it had not released a N100 billion constituency projects cash. For your information, our representatives are passionately fighting to execute about 469 capital projects in constituencies across Nigeria for our edification. Without being prompted, they insist they will have no hand in the projects since the Ministry of Special Duties would handle them. And they are thoroughly piqued that the executives through the instrumentality of the Finance Minister who doubles as the Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy (CME) is sitting on their project cash (sorry on the project cash).

Where in our constitution is this position of the CME, some have asked angrily?

Don’t ask me if I have seen a constituency project before in my constituency. You could jolly well count your teeth with your tongue.

Don’t ask me if the Ministry of Special Duties is the new Ministry of Works and whether it has the capacity to execute 469 projects across Nigeria. Please ask no more questions because I am as confounded as you are. Please let’s move forward…it is at times like this that you appreciate the strictly Nigerian idea of moving forward.

Published and printed by Vintage Press Limited. Corporate Office: 27B Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Lagos. P.M.B. 1025,Oshodi, Lagos. Telephone: Switch Board: 01-8168361.

Editor Daily:01-8962807, Marketing: 01-8155547 . Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. Tel: 07028105302. Port Harcourt Office: 12/14, Njemanze Street, Mile 1, Diobu, PH. 08023595790. WEBSITE: www.thenationonlineng.net E-mail: info@thenationonlineng.net Editor: GBENGA OMOTOSO