The Nation July 07, 2012

I'm flattered I still get passes from men at 51 ter Yeni

- Fela’s daugh PAGE

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VOL.07 N0. 2179

Repair works on Third Corps members in camp free to seek Mainland redeployment from Bridge begin today 6 troubled northern PAGE

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NYSC DG

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Edo governorship poll

INEC confirmed PDP bought voters’ cards, says Oshiomhole PAGE 4 3,500 soldiers deployed Police: we’re ready for poll fraudsters

Alleged $620,000 bribery scandal:

Defence team under pressure to dump Lawan Counsel convene session to review audio tapes

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Mother of four beheaded in Ekiti

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Jagaba back from South Africa, police set to quiz him on bribe money

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

NYSC members in camp free to seek redeployment from troubled northern states, says DG

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.The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (left), in a chat with the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Monsurat Jumoke Sunmonu, at the ongoing Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) African Region conference in Gauteng, South Africa. PHOTO: Speaker's Media Office

Supreme Court sacks three National Assembly members

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HE Supreme Court yesterday declared Lady Margery ChubaOkadigbo, widow of the late former Senate President, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, as the senator representing Anambra North.

It affirmed her as the authentic candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the April 16, 2011 election.

Dismissing the appeal filed by Mr. John Emeka, the apex court agreed with Yusuf Alli (SAN) that she polled the highest votes at the lawful primaries conducted by the party.

The Court also upheld the judgment of the Court of Appeal which declared Mr. Solomon

•Declares Ewuga, Okadigbo's widow senators •Formers Reps’ spokesman, Eyiboh, sent home Kamarudeen OGUNDELE, Abuja Ewuga of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) as the senator representing Nasarawa North and dismissed the appeal filed by Yusuf Musa Nagogo who claimed to have won the party’s primaries.

In a third ruling yesterday, the apex court, in a decision delivered by Justice Bode RhodesVivour, declared Mr. Bassey Dan Abia as the PDP flagbearer for and winner of the House of Rep-

resentatives election in Eket, Akwa Ibom State.

It dismissed the appeal filed by former Chairman of the House Committee on Media, Mr. Eseme Eyiboh, for lacking in merit.

The court agreed with Dan Abia’s counsel, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), that only a political party can determine or conduct a primary to choose its candidate in an election.

The Supreme Court affirmed the unanimous judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which

held that “the primary of the PDP held on the 7th and 8th January, through which Dan Bassey Abia emerged as the party’s candidate for the April elections, is hereby upheld as it was the primary that was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission and annexed in the suit.

“The trial judge erred by saying that the name of Abia be removed and replaced with that of Eyibo. The party primary is the exclusive right of a political party as the party determines who its candidate in an election should be.”

Disquiet over Oteh’s appearance at Aso Rock session T

HERE was disquiet in the Federal Civil Service yesterday over the appearance of the suspended DirectorGeneral of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms. Arunma Oteh at a session of the Economic Management Team at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday.

Some top civil servants claimed that no suspended permanent secretary or director has enjoyed such a privilege. They also alleged that Oteh’s appearance was a violation of the Public Service Rules (2008 Edition).

According to findings, all permanent secretaries and directors suspended for one offence or the other have not been allowed access to their desks.

One of the aggrieved top civil servants cited the cases of such directors and permanent secretaries as Abubakar Kigo, Esai Dangabar, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, John Yakubu Yusufu, Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula and Sani Habila Zira.

Other names cited by the source include Dr. Shuaibu Teidi, Phina Ukamaka Chidi, Aliyu Bello, Garba Abdullahi Tahir, Mohammed Katun Ahmed, Emmanuel Olanipekun, Abdullahi Omeiza, Udusegbe Eric Omoefe and Franklin Okey Nwankwo.

The source said: “I think the government is trying to shift the goal post, contrary to what the

•Bureaucrats say her action violates Public Service Rules

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation Public Service Rules say. Go and read it, because Oteh is not expected to be part of any official function at all.

“This will be a bad precedent in the civil service. The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, said Oteh has not been indicted. But many other civil servants are on trial and none of them has been recalled to attend any meeting.

“Can a minister on suspension be allowed to attend the Federal Executive session?”

Another source added: “I think the Public Service Rules are fluid on this case. I think you should go through sections 030404 to 030406 of the rules. The President must have been guided before allowing Oteh into the meeting. My only grudge is that many top officers had been unjustly dealt with.”

A third officer said: “This is a good development because the government is saying that any public officer on suspension can be at his or her desk or preside over crucial meetings in his ministry or agency.”

According to a copy of the

Public Service Rules (2008), which our correspondent obtained exclusively yesterday, Oteh should not have attended any public meeting.

The said sections 030404 to 030406 read: “When an officer is interdicted, he/she shall cease to report for duty. In the letter informing the officer of his/her interdiction, it shall be indicated that the proportion of emoluments he/she is to receive while on interdiction shall be 50% of his/her emolument “If proceedings under Rule 030404(i) reveal that he/she is not guilty of the charge made against him/her, the officer shall immediately be reinstated and shall receive the full amount of his/her emoluments denied him/her while he/she was interdicted “If the officer is found guilty but is not dismissed, he/she may be refunded such portion of the emoluments denied him/her as the Commission may determine.

“An officer who is under interdiction or suspension shall notify his/her Permanent Secretary/Head of Extra-Ministerial Office of his/her intention to leave his/her station. He/she shall however not leave the

country without the specific approval of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

“An officer under interdiction is also responsible for keeping his/her Ministry/Extra-Ministerial Office informed of the address at which instructions to him/her can be delivered.

“If he/she fails to comply with the instructions delivered to him/her at such address within seven days of such delivery, he/ she will be regarded as absent from duty without leave.

“Suspension should not be used as a synonym for interdiction. It shall apply where a prima facie case, the nature of which is serious, has been established against an officer and it is considered necessary in the public interest that he/she should forthwith be prohibited from carrying out his/her duties.

“Pending investigation into misconduct, the Federal Civil Service Commission or the Permanent Secretary/Head of Extra-Ministerial Office (if within his/her delegated powers) shall forthwith suspend him/her from the exercise of the powers and functions of his/her office and from the enjoyment of his/ her emolument “The ultimate penalty for serious misconduct is dismissal.

An officer who is dismissed forfeits all claims to retiring benefits, leave or transport grant, etc subject to the provision of the Pension Reform Act 2004.”

he Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Nnamdi Okore Affia, declared in Kano yesterday that corps members already in camp, who seek redeployment from troubled northern states, would be allowed to move to places of their choice.

The NYSC boss made the declaration at the NYSC Camp at Karaye, Kano while addressing corps members posted to the state. He, however, assured assured the youth corps members that adequate arrangements have been made for the security of their lives and property.

Brigadier-General Affa’s declaration came on the heels of the fears being expressed by some corps members from the southern part of the country over the insecured nature of Kano State as a result of the Boko Haram insurgence.

He said the commission’s decision followed the House of Representatives resolution which called for the redeployment or stoppage of corps members serving in perceived volatile states in the northern part of the country.

The Director-General’s views were made known to reporters through the Scheme’s Head of Public Affairs Department, Mrs. Bose Aderibigbe, who was on an assessment visit to the NYSC

Kolade ADEYEMI, Kano camp in Kano.

Affa argued that the insecurity in Kano State has nothing to do with the corps members, stressing that the Scheme was collaborating with the Police, State Security Service, traditional rulers and other community leaders to ensure adequate security for the serving youths within and outside the camp.

Meanwhile, the NYSC Director-General has ordered immediate relocation of nursing mothers in the NYSC camp in Kano, saying the environment is not healthy for children.

Expressing his displeasure when he visited the camp yesterday, he described the presence of nursing mothers in the camp as an eyesore and ordered that the two nursing mothers should be allowed to relocate to any state of their choice.

The NYSC boss warned the corps members to shun acts that are capable of pitting them against members of their host communities, urging them also to shun religious fundamentalism.

Earlier, the state coordinator of NYSC, Alhaji Bashir Yakasai, thanked the NYSC DG for his visit, saying the corps members were happy to be in camp.

Alhaji Yakasai disclosed that out of the 2,650 corps members deployed to the state, about 2,500 had resumed.

Terrorism may hinder foreign investment, Linda Chalker warns Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja

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HE Coordinator of Honorary International Investors Council (HIIC), Barroness Lynda Chalker, has warned that the security challenges could have a long term effect on investment in the country if not checked.

Speaking with newsmen at the end of the Council’s two-day meeting at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Chalker said it is the responsibility of the government to arrest and persecute the people who are trying to tear the country apart.

She said although terrorism had not in any way affected the flow of investment into the country, the government needs to arrest the situation.

“I don’t think terrorism, however, worrying it is, has actually stopped any major investment yet. But If it is not dealt with, and the bunkering of oil, if these things are not dealt with, they will have a long term effect. And that is why, listening to the President this morning, he said he will take specific actions to assist.

“Already, he has a new National Security Adviser and new Minister of Defence. Their job is with the best of hope that can be given by the friends of Nigeria to stop these acts before they happen; to arrest the people; to punish, through the courts, the people who are seeking to undermine your country.

They are Nigerians. I don’t think there are outsiders among them.

They may get their armaments from outside, but these are Nigerians. What are they trying to do? Tear up the future for their children and their grandchildren?”

Chalker, who briefed State House correspondents alongside the Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga and Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, further charged government on the need to show transparency and accountability in its dealings so as to avoid negative reports.

She stressed that negative stories only undermine the country despite the huge opportunities that are available.

Exam racketeers make N25bn annually ––NOA

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XAMINATION fraudsters in Nigeria are making as much as N25 billion annually, it was learnt yesterday.

Director General (DG) of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, disclosed this in Abuja during a press conference on the collaborative project between NOA and the Exams Ethics Marshals International (EEMI) on the restoration of integrity in the conduct of examination in Nigeria.

Omeri said the exam racketeers have raked in N375 bil-

Gbenga OMOKHUNU, Abuja lion in the past 15 years.

Reports prepared by the Exam Ethics Project, a nongovernmental organisation (NGO), according to Omeri, show that an average of 12 per cent of candidates who sit for senior secondary school certificate examinations are involved in one form of examination malpractice or the other.

He said the average examiContinued on Page 5

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

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Edo poll: INEC confirmed PDP bought voters’ cards, says Oshiomhole •It’s one man, one vote- PDP candidate Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

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OVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State said yesterday that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), at a close-door meeting, confirmed the involvement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the buying of voter’s cards ahead of next Saturday’s governorship polls in the state.

Oshiomhole, who is flying the ACN flag for re-election, spoke in an interview with journalists in Abuja after a six-hour meeting of stakeholders convened by INEC in respect of the election.

He said those caught in the act are already facing trial. He stressed that such people should be convicted to deter others.

He said: “This has shown that INEC is very serious. The chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, is doing everything possible to reassure the stakeholders that votes will count. And he is also conscious of the fact that INEC has had a very notorious image in the past.

“What we got today is to address all the issues the different political parties and stakeholders have raised and they have addressed them and I think substantially, we all agreed at the level of policy, at the level of acting on information, we are satisfied. I am satisfied at least.

“He has also established that people are buying voters cards.

PDP is buying voter’s cards in Edo State and they are being prosecuted in court and we expect that people will get convicted because it is criminal for people to buy voter’s cards and he said that much in the open. And the good news is that those who have been caught are already being tried.

“We deliberated on a variety of issues and the right thing is that he recognises that in Edo State, he has to ensure that the right thing is done because our people will not accept rigging. I expect that the election has to be free and fair. The idea of go and rig and the others will go to court, we have gone beyond that. Nobody is going to be able to rig.

“The people are determined. I am determined and Edo people are determined. I am assured by Jega’s management of all the issues that have been raised, that he is determined to deliver a credible election. But remember, determination is one thing…. I think that everybody involved in the Edo project recognises that they just must do the right thing.”

Also speaking with reporters, the National Chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Prince Tony Momoh, expressed satisfaction with INEC’s preparations for the election.

His words: “It was a very friendly meeting and all issues were cleared. The fears of the different parties were addressed by INEC and this is very commendable thing because the INEC chairman detailed all the allegations and gave very extensive replies to them.

“But one thing is that everybody is interested in a free, fair, transparent election in Edo State and there is no other option.

The promise of INEC is that the election they will conduct in Edo state will be the best they have ever conducted. I am happy with the declaration, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

The PDP governorship candidate, Major-Gen. (rtd) Charles Airhiavbere said: “The meeting has a beautiful outcome. INEC has told us that they are ready for the July 14 governorship election in Edo State and that there would be a level-playing ground for everybody. Don’t forget the electoral laws are well defined and with what we have seen today, they are ready for the July 14 election despite the challenges.

On the allegation that PDP is planning to stuff ballot boxes, he said: “It can’t happen and Nigeria is growing in democracy. I can assure you that there will be a level-playing ground for everybody. One- man, one-vote, one-woman, one-vote, one-youth, one- vote and the votes must count.”

In his opening remarks before the closed door meeting started, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said it was called to trash out all the allegations and counter-allegations from the various candidates for the election.

Chief Press Secretary of INEC,Mr. Kayode Idowu, in a statement at the end of the meeting, said :”A meeting of the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with Edo State political stakeholders ended on Friday, July 6, 2012, with a re-commitment by all political parties to a peaceful governorship election on July 14.

“The six-hour long meeting at the INEC headquarters in Abuja pooled national and state chairmen, secretaries and governorship candidates of seven political parties taking part in the imminent poll. At the forum, the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Jega, tabled and laid to rest all allegations that had been mutually levelled by the parties against one another, to the avowed satisfaction of all stakeholders.

“The participants rose from the meeting with renewed assurance in the determination of INEC to conduct free, fair and credible governorship election on July 14. They also reaffirmed their commitment to playing by the rules in order to ensure peaceful and successful election.”

The leadership of the parties in the election signed a commitment in the communiqué to uphold all the provisions of the code of conduct signed by all the political parties.

•From left: Chairman of ACN Lagos State, Prince Herny Ajomole, representing Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and the Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly at the Lagos State 8th Executive-legislature’s parley held at the Golden Tulip, Festac, Lagos... yesterday PHOTO: Omosehin MOSES

Emergency rule: Security Council may decide fate of 15 LGs Monday

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OLLOWING representations by northern leaders, the National Security Council may decide the fate of 15 local government areas in the North on Monday.

Fresh facts also indicated that the Tuesday bomb explosion in Abuja was targeted at a plaza owned by Abba Dasuki, who is a brother to the National Security Adviser, Mr. Sambo Dasuki.

President Goodluck Jonathan had declared a state of emergency on December 31, 2011 in 15 Local Government Areas for six months in Borno, Yobe, Plateau and Niger states.

The affected local governments are Maiduguri Metropolitan: Gamboru Ngala, Banki Bama and Jere in Borno State; Damaturu, Geidam, Potiskum, BuniyadiGujba and Gasua-Bade in Yobe State; Jos North, Jos South, Barkin-Ladi and Riyo in Plateau State and Suleja in Niger State.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the NSA dropped the hint of a review of the state of emergency on Wednesday at a session with stakeholders in Jos, one of the hotbeds of violence.

It was learnt that the state of emergency dominated discussion between the NSA and stakeholders in most of the states he had visited.

A reliable source said: “Some stakeholders claimed that the emergency rule has crippled the economy of their states.

“Others also complained of restriction of movement and harassment by security agents.

Some alleged that they have not seen any difference.”

A source at the session with the NSA in Jos said: “We in Plateau State unanimously sought an end to the state of emergency in some local gov-

•Bomb explosion targeted at NSA’s brother’s plaza Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation ernments in the state. We are just tired of it.

“Some stakeholders complained about undue interference in the internal affairs of the state by security agencies.

They said such interference had been fuelling crisis in the state.”

On the state of emergency , one of the stakeholders in Jos quoted Dasuki as having responded as follows: “We will hold a National Security Council meeting on Monday in Abuja. I will table your request and if the council is convinced, it will be reviewed.

“I am positive the government will look at your demand. Also under my administration, I will not tolerate a

situation whereby security chiefs will interfere in the affairs of the state.”

But a government source added: “Whatever might be the complaint of some stakeholders, the emergency situation has reduced violence in the affected areas.

“The government will consider the request on merit and not sentiments because the security of all Nigerians in the 15 LGAs will be a priority.”

A member of the House of Assembly, Hon. Timothy Golu, who was at the session, in Plateau State, said: “We really appreciated the man. We were all happy that for the first time, an NSA was coming to the state to appreciate the position of the people.

“Before, NSAs were like masquerades. Everybody felt

relieved that solution is in sight.”

Meanwhile, there was apprehension that the Tuesday bomb explosion in Abuja might be aimed at the NSA because the targeted plaza is owned by his brother.

It was learnt that security agents have been trying to identify the motive and mission of those who planted the bomb.

A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The bomb was planted opposite the plaza owned by Abba Dasuki, who is a cousin or brother to the NSA. They are from the same father but different mothers.

“In spite of the fact that there was no loss of life, security agents have started investigating the motive and mission of the fleeing suspects. “

Acquit yourselves creditably, Tinubu charges ACN lawmakers

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ATIONAL Leader of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday called on lawmakers representing the party at the National Assembly to give a good account of themselves as well as ensure quality representation for the people they speak for.

The former governor of Lagos State spoke at the 8th Executive -Legislature’s parley held at Golden Tulip Hotel, Lagos.

Tinubu, who was represented by the Lagos State ACN Chairman, Otunba Henry Ajomale, charged the lawmakers and elected politicians to serve people instead of pursuing selfish agenda.

“It is unfortunate today that there is so much scandal going on within the National Assembly and that has become scandalous in the international forum.

“But I must congratulate ACN members for distinguishing themselves and doing what is expected of them as opposition and giving

Miriam NDIKANWU them a run for their money; don’t join the bandwagon and soon, we would get to our destination.”

On his part, the State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the implementation of the party’s manifestoes and the ten-point agenda which is in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

He said the parley would provide avenue for the executive and legislature to interact, plan and strategise on policies and programmes that will help the course of democracy, saying the possibility of frictions among the two arms is reduced via such meetings.

Governor Fashola added that the focus now is on implementing the Power, Transportation and Housing (PATH), which are recommendations from the last economic summit.

...3,500 soldiers deployed for Edo election

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TOTAL of 3,500 soldiers are to be deployed to ensure adequate security for next week’s governorship election in Edo State .

Commander, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Obi Umahi, who disclosed this at an

Osagie OTABOR, Benin interaction with journalists, said it was part of the decisions of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubike Ihjirika, to make the election peaceful.

Umahi said 60 Hilux vehicles

for response patrol have been brought to the state, while the soldiers would be placed in different locations to monitor the election for security purposes.

Brig.-Gen.Umahi said the patrol trucks would be distributed to various local govern-

ments and constituencies in the state.

Also speaking at a stakeholders meeting, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5, Hashimu Salihu Argungu, said the police is prepare for any politician who may

want to use money to lure voters, adding that anybody caught would be treated as a criminal.

Hashimu Salihu stated that any person who wears uniform that is not recognised by the law enforcement agencies will be

treated as an armed robber and political thug.

The AIG, who appealed to the electorate to come out and vote, said any person who attempts to hijack electoral materials will be seen as an enemy and be treated with immediate judgment.

News 5

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

Accountant-General okayed CBN/NNPC accounts, says apex bank Collins NWEZE THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said it secured the approval of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) for the opening of the CBN/Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Crude Oil & Gas Account.

The apex bank, in a statement signed by its Director of Communications, Ugochukwu Okorafor, said allegations at the public hearing of the Senate Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) and Appropriation and Finance, that the CBN operates a secret foreign bank account is not correct.

He said that as banker and financial adviser to the Federal Government and its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the actions and activities of the CBN fall within the principles of banker-customer relationship.

“The CBN does not and cannot open any account for government and its agencies unless and until clear and specific instructions, approvals or mandates are issued by the appropriate authorities. We wish to state clearly that the CBN/ NNPC Crude Oil & Gas Account was opened on 16th May, 2002, on the express instruction of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) vide a mandate ref: No; CS/5385/S.23/94/DDF, dated 15th May, 2002,” he said.

Okorafor explained that the CBN/NNPC Gas Account was opened on 3rd February, 2009, following a similar instruction from the OAGF vide mandate ref. No. FD/5385/S.71/1/178/ DF, dated 28th January, 2009.

He said that the two accounts, which were opened as domiciliary accounts, are backed by the appropriate mandates of the OAGF, adding that in operating the said Accounts, the NNPC on monthly basis issues instructions to the CBN on how much should be paid as Joint Venture Cash Call (JVC) and how much should be monetised and transferred to the Federation Account for distribution to the three tiers of government. Besides, it said that a minimum balance of $10 million is always left in the revenue account.

According to him, on the CBN/NNPC Gas Account, the NNPC issues monthly mandates to enable the CBN to monetise and transfer the balance in the account to the Federation Account, leaving a minimum balance of $5 million.

Okorafor said all movements of funds out of the accounts are duly authorised by NNPC, adding that the role of the CBN, as banker to Government and MDAs, is limited to ensuring that lodgments/deposits into the accounts are consistent with their requisite mandates; providing customers with the statements of accounts.

In the case of the accounts in question, he said that the NNPC and OAGF are provided the statements of account on a weekly basis, ensuring that accounts are reconciled regularly.

In the case of the said accounts, this, he explained, is done with both JP Morgan Chase and NNPC while the OAGF is availed with monthly reconciliation reports on the accounts.

“The CBN wishes to reiterate that in the light of the verifiable facts presented above, there was no truth in the allegation insinuating that the CBN is maintaining secret foreign accounts,” he said.

Alleged $620,000 bribe: Defence team under pressure to dump Lawan C OUNSEL to embattled member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Farouk Lawan, are said to be under pressure from some forces to back out of the alleged $620,000 bribe scandal.

Lawan, the suspended chairman of the Ad hoc Committee of the House on Fuel Subsidy Management, is being separately investigated by the security agencies and the House Committee on Ethics in respect of oil merchant, Mr. Femi Otedola’s claim that the Rep extorted $620,000 from him for the purpose of removing the names of his oil companies from the list of firms indicted for collecting subsidy for fuel not supplied.

A source close to Lawan’s defence team said: “Some of these forces have cunningly come up with such sentiments as ‘Why are you the one defending Lawan?’, ‘Have you not considered the ethical and moral aspects?’, ‘What will you gain by doing that?’, ‘Don’t you think you are running against public

•Jagaba back from South Africa, police set to interrogate him on bribe money Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation opinion?’

“But we have maintained that it is the constitutional right of any accused person to be defended. Section 36 of the Constitution guarantees the right to be defended. If Otedola has his own team of lawyers, why can’t Lawan?

“Any lawyer who has sworn to an oath cannot back out of a case because of the opinion of a section of the public. There are many Nigerians who have supported Otedola and many who are backing Lawan.

“We have told these forces to allow the court to have the final say. It is the court that will de-

termine who is guilty or not.

And the case cannot affect our integrity in any manner.”

The lawyers have also convened a special session to review the audio tapes on the alleged $620,000 bribery transaction between Lawan and Otedola.

The tapes were aired last Monday and Tuesday by Channels television with Lawan claiming the second part was animated.

The lawyers’ session to review the tapes will be held in Abuja on Monday or Tuesday.

Investigation revealed that the airing of the audio tapes prompted the lawyers to return to the drawing table with a view to looking for forensic and le-

gal loopholes in the bribery saga.

Members of the team are Rickey Tarfa (SAN), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Israel Olorundare (SAN), Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and Sam Ologunorisa (SAN).

One of the counsel said: “The airing of the tapes has raised the stake. We in the defence team are meeting on Monday or Tuesday in Abuja on forensic and legal issues emerging from the tapes.

“We have more than 50 posers to raise on the audio tapes.

That is why we are going to hold a technical session.”

The Police Special Task Force has already raised a team to quiz the Chairman of the House

of Representatives Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Mr. Adam Jagaba, on the alleged bribe.

Jagaba, who travelled to South Africa for a conference, has been mentioned as being in possession of the $620,000. He has denied it.

Said a police source: “We are set for Jagaba, based on the assurance of the Speaker that the affected member will appear before the police next week.

“We have a standby team that will quiz him. We hope that he will not have an excuse to ignore this latest invitation.”

Jagaba had in a response to a letter from the Speaker of the House of Representatives said: “I wish to categorically and unequivocally state that there was never a time I was in possession of the sum of $620,000 or any other exhibit (in my personal capacity or official capacity as Chairman, House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes) relating to the subject matter of the above investigation.”

Exam racketeers make N25 billion annually ––NOA Continued from Page 2 •Gov. Peter Obi (right), shortly after the meeting with the United Nations Development Programme Country Representative to Nigeria, Douda Toure (left) in Abuja yesterday.

Why Jonathan can’t fight corruption –Falae

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ORMER presidential candidate, Chief Olu Falae, has declared that President Goodluck Jonathan is not only soft on corruption, he also lacks the capacity to fight it.

Special Adviser on Media to the President, Dr.Reuben Abati, had said in a statement on Sunday that his principal had been living up to his promise of zero tolerance for corruption. Abati said some reports, comments and agitations on the issue were politically motivated.

But speaking on the phone with our correspondent, Falae conceded that corruption has been around in the country for long. But he regretted that the situation has worsened since the advent of the Jonathan administration.

Falae said: “I think it is true that corruption has been with us for a long time. But it has become alarming since 1999, and it has got much worse every day since the beginning of this government.”

According to the former Minister of Finance in the administration of General Badamosi

Segun AJIBOYE Babangida, corruption has become systemic in the country, making President Jonathan helpless and unable to do anything about it.

“The issue of corruption is so fundamental in Nigeria that I don’t see this government or the president doing anything about it. Corruption has become systemic in the country.

“I am scared of going to any government agency to do business because they will surely ask you for money. From the political appointees down to the officials, there is no difference. It has become part of the culture.”

Falae insisted that President Jonathan’s failure in the battle against corruption is down to his party, the PDP, which in his words is “completely rotten”.

“Unfortunately, there is nothing the President can do about corruption because he belongs to a party that is completely rotten. It is a party I described in my 2004 book as opportunistic gang-up for power. So, what can he do? He can’t do anything be-

cause he is a prisoner under his party.

“When Obasanjo passed the anti-corruption bill in 1999, I said congratulations, because I knew he could not implement it. The reason is because he was produced by a corrupt system, by a corrupt party. How can he turn around to undermine his godfathers, his own political foundation?”

On what President Jonathan could do to prove to Nigerians that he is serious about the war against corruption, Falae said the President should make up his mind to forget about his desire for a second term.

Chief Falae maintained that Jonathan cannot confront the party bigwigs even if he wants to fight corruption.

“If he really wants to fight corruption, he should forget about a second term. The truth of the matter is that he cannot confront the people who will give him a second term ticket. Something has to give. You cannot give something for nothing.

“So, if he really wants Nigerians to believe he is serious about

the war against corruption, he should forget the second term ticket.”

Also speaking on the government’s fight against corruption, constitutional lawyer, Fred Agbaje, described as laughable the statement by the President that he is fighting corruption.

Nigerians, Agbaje said, “ don’t believe in the President’s commitment to the battle against corruption.

“It is true that the President has said that he is fighting corruption in the country. But the question is: do Nigerians believe the President that he is really fighting corruption?

“Nigerians know that corruption is growing in leaps and bounds every day, every minute, to the extent that it has become the 37th state of the federation, drawing monthly allocations from the federation account.”

For Nigerians to believe in the sincerity of President Jonathan’s commitment to fighting corruption, Agbaje said the President should make a bold start by making examples of members of his cabinet who are indicted for corruption.

nation malpractice index (EMI) ranks Nigeria unfavourably in the world.

Examination malpractice, Omeri said, has become a serious organised crime, as evident in some private schools that pride themselves as virtual magic centres, “sale of marks, grades and degrees in tertiary institutions; outright theft and forgery of certificates; extortion of money from candidates by school administrators, supervisors and invigilators, among others.

“Exam malpractice has become so lucrative in Nigeria that it boasts of a street value of N375 billion in the past 15 years or N25 billion per annum.

“These statistics, no doubt, are nothing to be proud about. Rather, they call for retrospection towards the cause of these unfortunate realities with a view to retracing our steps and finding lasting solutions.

“Indeed, the reason for the malaise of examination malpractice in our nation is not farfetched. The root cause lies in the gradual but constant erosion of our values as a people over the years.

“Having elevated mundane pursuits, mediocrity and mere paper qualifications above other considerations, we have forced integrity, merit and hard work to resign to the back seat of affairs in our society. Ultimately, the philosophy of the end justifies the means (whether the means is morally justifiable or not) has taken the centre stage of our thinking as a people.”

Nigerians, Omeri said, have for long sacrificed what is right on the altar of “our selfish ambitions. Hence, the decay of the fabrics of our educational system, low quality of labour turnover, endemic corruption, huge annual economic loss in excess of N315 billion, increase in criminal activities, inefficient human capital for national development and poor international image have been some of the many prices we have had to pay for it.”

6 NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

Repairs on Third Mainland Bridge begin today

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RAFFIC diversion on the Third Mainland Bridge will start on Sunday as the repairs of eight weak expansions joints along the longest bridge in Africa starts today.

At an interactive session involving all interested parties held in Lagos yesterday to mark the official commencement of the repairs, the Minister of State for Works, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda said "there will not be total closure of the bridge, but there will be restricted access during specific hours."

According to the communiqué issued at the end of the interactive session, the condition survey and investigation conducted in 2007 by the Federal Ministry of Works revealed that "12 expansion joints were in need of repairs with four in very critical condition. The joints exhibited advanced decay of the sheer connectors linking adjacent decks and required urgent attention."

The repair works, awarded to Borini Prono & Co (Nigeria) Ltd on December 14, 2011 at a sum of N1.055bn, will take four months, that is, from today to November 6.

Borini Prono did the repair of the four critically weak joints in 2008.

The minister said the incessant

•Traffic diversion takes effect tomorrow rain witnessed in Lagos in the last two weeks forced the suspension of the repairs which ought to have started on July 2.

The Managing Director of Borini Prono, Gianfranco Albertazz, during a technical presentation on the methods and stages of repairs, promised to finish on the deadline.

The company completed the earlier repairs as scheduled from August 2 to October 2, 2008 and it believes the earlier experience will prove useful towards a timely and successful completion of the current repairs.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Kayode Opeifa, assured Lagos residents of a well-managed traffic, while the repairs last and advised them to always listen to the state-owned Traffic FM on 96.1 for periodical information on traffic management plan.

The Third Mainland Bridge is the most important bridge in Lagos, Nigeria's economic centre, with an average of 180 vehicles accessing it every minute, according to a Federal Ministry of Works data. Therefore, residents are apprehensive of a possible traffic standstill that a closure of the bridge will cause.

Mr.Opeifa said: "In 2008, we had it difficult because many roads, including some of the alternative routes, were under construction, but those roads are good now. Oshodi is now passable. Muritala Muhammed Way was completed with a functional BRT lane. Therefore, we expect a lighter challenge now."

He further said: “Minor repairs are ongoing on many of the alternative routes, some busy bus stops that may cause traffic build-up are being reviewed,and 700 traffic officers are on standby to ensure hitch free man-

agement of the needed traffic diversion”.

Mr.Opeifa said there will be three diversion points along the bridge at UNILAG waterfront, Oworonshoki and Adeniji Adele Interchange.

The repairs will be carried out in two phases to allow for limited access to the bridge. Motorists going towards Lagos Island will have unrestricted access to the bridge between 12midnight and 12noon because it is expected that more traffic will flow towards the Island during that period, while those moving towards the mainland will be diverted to Iddo and Ijora.

Between 12noon and 12 midnight, motorists moving towards the mainland will have unrestricted access to the bridge, while those moving towards the Island will be diverted to the Ikorodu Road and Muritala Muhammed Way.

Man, 21, arrested with hard drugs at Kano Airport Kolade ADEYEMI, Kano

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PERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport Command have arrested a Malaysia-based Nigerian student, Umar King George, with substances suspected to be dangerous drugs.

The 21-year-old man was arrested with 500grams of substances believe to be methamphetamine at the Kano International Airport on June 26.

The Airport Commander of the agency, Ambrose Umoru, who paraded the suspect yesterday said his arrest coincided with the day set aside by the United Nations for countries all over the world to sensitize the general public on the dangers of drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

"The suspect had envisaged that with the attention of the command focused on the activities marking the U.N antidrug day, he would beat security and board the aircraft unnoticed". Umoru stated.

He said luck, however, ran out on him as he was nabbed during the outward screening of passengers of Egypt Air, flight number MS 880, en-route Cairo to Kuala Lampur, Malaysia with the substances neatly concealed in the pair of shoes he was wearing.

On interrogation, the commander stated that the suspect, who claimed to be a student Bosston Web College, Kuala Lampur, revealed that he had hoped to sell the drugs to his friends and mates to enable him raise money so as to pay his school fees, adding that investigation is in progress.

Alaafin commends Bashorun community

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HE Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi 111 had described the Bashorun community in the Atiba Local Government Area of the state as a grateful people.

He made the commendation when members of the community trooped to his palace to thank the traditional ruler for the kind gesture of Oyo State and the local government in reaching out to members of the community that were victims of rainstorm.

The Bashorun people were led to the Alaafin’s palace by the Bashorun of Oyo, High Chief Yusuf Akinade . He thanked the state government under the leadership of Senator Abiola Ajimobi and the Atiba council area for their efforts in alleviating the difficulties of the rainstorm victims.

Wife of the Osun State governor, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola, presenting an educational material to Jekayinjesu Toluwalase during the Spelling Bee Competition organised by the Odo Otin Local Government. With them are, from left, Managing Director, Sammya Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Frank Brown; Olokuku of Okuku, Oba Oluronke Oyebode; one-day Executive Secretary of the Odo-Otin Local Goverment Area, Miss Blessing Laoye; and Hon. Tope Adejumo ... Thursday

T

Suspected thief arrested at Ogun Governor’s Office

HE Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ogun State Command yesterday arrested a 32-year-old lady, Abigail, while attempting to steal money from a car parked at the Governor's Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

The female suspect was said to have used a master key to open the door of the Mazda 626 car with registration number: (Lagos) CV 243 MUS. There was N98, 000 in the car.

The car owned by Mr. Imran Oke was parked at the portion of the Governor's Office housing the NSCDC and the State Universal Ba-

Ernest NWOKOLO, Abeokuta sic Education.

The NSCDC's Public Relations Officer, Kareem Olanrewaju, said the suspect trailed the owner of the Mazda from one of the new generation banks in Oke-Ilewo where he had carried out cash withdrawal.

Olanrewaju noted that the suspect came from Egan-Igando in Lagos State to carry out the criminal act in Abeokuta.

According to him, the arrest was made possible by the vigilance of the NSCDC operative on duty who had thought Abigail was the owner of the car considering the ease with which she opened the doors of the car.

The items recovered from her included two Nokia phones, a wallet containing the sum of N3, 610, one wrist watch and a waist belt.

The suspect was immediately handed over to the police.

Ajimobi flags off job fair, promises fair deal with Oyo youths

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OVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has flagged off a Job and Entrepreneurship Fair for the teeming youths in the state, with a pledge that his administration will continue to tap the potential in youths for the development of the state and the country in general.

The fair, the first of its kind in the history of the state, was aimed at creating an enabling environment for youths, particularly tertiary institution graduates, to interact with employers of labour, with a view to getting them employed.

Speaking at the occasion held at Kakanfo Inn, Ibadan, the governor lamented the neglect of youths by successive administrations over the years, saying that this had resulted in mass employment.

Governor Ajimobi, who said that since becoming governor he had seldom stood away from any event

that had to do with youths, pointed out that the leadership of Nigeria must bend over backwards in accommodating them and projecting their future. ``Our projection is that within these youths who roam about the street, is located great potential that can be tapped for the benefit of our country and our state in particular.

The youths of today are a highly respected and venerated category.

Writer David Wright, for instance, sees them as a ‘globalized generation’ who are also often referred to as the Millennial Generation.

“Within them is trapped the greatness of our country. In their restlessness lies world-class innovation and in their brains, unencumbered by the worries of adulthood, lie the potential to conquer the world, even with the sheer crudity of their bare hands,'' he said.

The governor added that the goal

of the programme was to reduce the bane of unemployment in the lives of the lucky selected youths and to tap their potential for the growth and development of the state and the country.

He recalled that since the inception of his administration, the wellbeing of the citizens had been on the front burner of his agenda. ``Towards this end, this administration, in her transformation drive, has sought to address the issue of unemployment with vigour that before now was absent in governance,'' he said.

Governor Ajimobi also pledged that his administration would not relent in the task of providing succour for youths, adding that no matter how daunting the challenges might be, he would continue to prioritize the issue and affairs of youths to whom the mantle of leadership would be handed over.

Mother of four beheaded in Ekiti Sulaiman SALAWUDEEN, Ado Ekiti

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RAMOKO-Ekiti in the Ekiti West Local Government Area, Ekiti State was a theatre of disaster Thursday morning when a mother of four was beheaded on the farm in the town.

Mrs. Bose Edijana Lucky was discovered murdered on the footpath which leads to the farm of her husband, Mr. Nnaefenwa Lucky, around 9:3am.

The incident was believed to have happened when the woman was taking food to her husband who was working on the farm.

Chief Samuel Okorefe, the chairman, Urhobo Community in Aramoko-Ekiti, told newsmen at his residence at the Amututu area of the town that he was contacted on the phone that a serious incident had happened which forced him to come home.

He explained that the victim was said to have gone to the market in the morning to buy condiments to prepare soup and after she had cooked food, she headed for her husband’s farm to give him food.

Shortly after Bose had gone to the farm, her husband was said to have come to town calling for help, informing other Urhobo natives that his wife had been beheaded by some unknown people suspected to be ritualists.

The community leader with other elders went directly to the palace of Alara of Aramoko, Oba Olu Adeyemi, and reported the matter.

They informed the police and a team of policemen drove to the scene of the incident and removed the remains of the victim.

The cops were shocked to discover that the head, neck and arms had been cut off.

The husband was taken to the police station where he made a statement.

He was later detained.

Fake DSP nabbed in Lagos Ebele BONIFACE

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middle-aged man, Adewole Femi, from Ilolufu village in Ondo State, has been nabbed by policemen attached to Igando Police Station.

Femi was arrested for impersonating a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and defrauding people in Lagos.

His arrest followed his encounter with one of his many victims (name withheld) who was promised an admission into Customs Training College, Ikeja.

His victim was made to part with N30,000 as an admission fee.

When the admission was not possible as promised, his victim contacted the Igando Police Station where it was revealed to him that he had been defrauded by a fake DSP. Femi was later arrested, and during an interrogation, he confessed that he was the leader of a five-man gang operating in Igando.

He later said he bought his police uniform, rank, shoe, cap and others seven thousand naira, and he had been defrauding people for the past five months.

He said the police uniform was sold to him by one Sergeant Okiki with the assistance of one Juliot Abdullahi.

Parading the suspect on behalf of CP Umar Manko, the command image maker, DSP Ngozi Braide, said the other suspects still at large would soon be arrested.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

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ANY nations and institu tions sit uncomfortably on the horn of a dilemma created by a curious combination of culture business and politics.

Such nations and institutions capture our attention today.

Kenya, Nigeria and Mali are in the global news today with regard to the three while Britain and the handling of the Barclays interest rate rigging under the ruling coalition in that nation, provide another insight and dimension to today’s topic.

Culture itself is the way of life of any nation or institutions; its beliefs, mores and traditions as practised and recognized by its social institutions. It is with regard to religion especially the clashes common nowadays between Christians and Muslims that I want to discuss both Nigeria and Kenya; while I take on the problem of the destruction of the ancient and revered tombs of Timbuktu in Mali in an intra-Islamic context.

Starting with Kenya , the news this week was that some churches were attacked last Sunday in Garussa, a Kenyan town on the border with Somalia. Before this, Kenya had sent troops to Somalia to flush out the Islamic militant group al Kabab which has been destabilizing Somalia and fleeing to Kenya. Last Sunday some elements sympathetic to Al Kabab burnt churches in Garussa and the reaction of the Muslim community there was decisive and firm. In an interview the Head of the Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims, Adan Wachu said the Muslim community will set up vigilante groups to protect Muslims in Garussa’s 30 churches henceforth.

Adan Wachu who also happens to be the Chair of the Inter Religious Council of Kenya was quite remarkable when he said that Kenyan Muslims will not allow some people in Kenya to make a Nigeria of Kenya. He said after a meeting of the Council that since Muslims were a minority, the inter Religious Council of Kenya decided that they should be protected by the Muslim majority. The implication of the Nigeria comparison is that in Nigeria churches are burnt with impunity and there is no protection for Christian worshippers in Nigeria. In addition the Kenyan Muslim leader asserted that anyone burning churches in Kenya is a terrorist and is involved in terrorism and the Muslim community is going to do some thing about it. That really was the first part of Kenya’s dilemma this last week.

The second is that Kenya also from last Sunday has decided not to buy oil from Iran not because Iran is a sponsor of Al Kebab the terrorist group tormenting Kenya’s security, but because the US sanction on penalties for nations trading with Iran over its violation of UN directives on acquisition of nuclear power came into effect last Sunday July I. In effect then, Kenya is forced to fight terrorism on two fronts by proxy - as Iran is a supporter of Al Qada which is allied to al Kabab and by protecting Churches being attacked by al Kabab sympathizers. While the decision to look for new oil vendors by Kenya may be a hard nosed business one, it is propelled by fear of diplomatic and trade sanctions while the one on Church protection is a democratic decision based on respect for the rights of the minorities in Kenya which in the border town of Garussa happened to be Christians being attacked in Churches.

Either way the Kenyan nation

Culture, business and politics

and its religious and economic institutions provide a good dual example of pragmatism and humanity in handling delicate social and diplomatic problems.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said of Nigeria and that is why one cannot take up the Kenyan religious leader who said Kenya can not be allowed to go the way of Nigeria. What is the Nigerian way with regard to culture, business and politics I dare ask? It is tragically unlike the Kenyan way of preventing attacks on Churches. It is a way dominated by the rising profile of incessant bombing of churches in the north

by Boko Haram while the south looks the other way because the bombing is still far away and has not reached the south. It is as some will tell you not expected to reach the south as that will be carrying things too far.

Even religious institutions in the south down play the murder and mayhem in bombed churches in the north so as not to spread panic in our churches and mosques and thus reduce attendance and planned budget revenue and estimates to keep the religious fire burning without the threat of Boko Haram bombs in the south. But then that is really playing the ostrich with its head buried in the ground and that is not good enough as the same

blood flows in the veins of all Nigerians either Christians or Muslims, either Northerner or Southerner.

It has even been said in some quarters that the south can keep its oil as the north can live comfortably on its agricultural produce. But that is just plain idle talk because while the best lucrative mechanized farms in Nigeria may be in the north, the consumers and customers are in the south and the trailers will always have to carry farm produce to the markets in the south timeously else they rot and waste and the bubbling mechanized farms will ultimately collapse.

Fortunately Nigeria’s commercial and economic land scape is so intertwined, interdependent and so invisible that Boko Haram bombs can not see let alone bomb it like churches. Which explains while in spite of Boko Haram bombs southerners born in the north have stuck to their guns and kept their place in the only place they know as home. Such Nigerians need protection like the Kenyans have given to their Christian minorities in the border town of Garussa in the hostile border with Somalia.

Next is Mali whose situation is similar to the Nigerian divide being exploited by Boko Haram except that in Mali’s case an intra

Islamic cultural divide is imminent and palpable. The Tuareg Arabs who have seized northern Mali are Muslims and Mali is a Muslim nation. But what is clear now is that how some Arabs practice their religion is different from how black Africans do. The tombs bring destroyed by the Arab invaders of Mali are the ancient tombs of respected African Muslims in the ancient town of Timbuktu.

This is really a sacrilege but the Arabs say Islamic tombs should not be more than a certain height and anything above that should be destroyed. Yet the African culture and Islamic tradition have coexisted for ages in Mali hence the veneration of the buried saints in the ancient tombs in which the Arabs in the north of Mali found them.

Really I think the time has come for Africans being recruited into Boko Haram, al Shabab and AL Qada to do a rethink and know that Africa is being turned into a battle ground by people fleeing here from the Middle East. These are armed migrants who have an axe to grind with the US over its war on terror and are now exploiting religious affinity, weak governments and social institutions on the ground in Africa to achieve their dubious objectives.

The development in Mali over the destruction of the Islamic tombs in Timbuktu is clearly racist and that is a situation that should be condemned and stopped by ECOWAS and African Union and not left to UNESCO which is just a cultural institution alone to bark at. What happened in the North of Mali can happen in the northern part of any member nation of ECOWAS . Like the Kenyans have shown a stitch in time saves nine.

Lastly in Britain, the Question

time last Wednesday in the British Parliament spoke volumes on today’s topic over the Barclays issue. One thing was clear and that was that Barclays was never going to get out of its interest rate rigging ordeal unscathed in terms of its corporate culture and public standing. Already its CEO Bob Diamond has resigned immediately and later faced a parliamentary hearing at which he said he was revulsed at what his staff did.

But that was not enough. He was reminded that those who founded Barclays founded it on the culture and principles of honesty, integrity and plain dealing and not on jumbo perks and outrageous bonuses for bank executives like the Barclays CEO earned, which has become the order of the day in the banking industry.

Obviously, Barclays has played into the hands of British politicians and is going to be the big fall guy and scapegoat for the huge financial bailout European and US governments gave banks on the principle that they are too big to fail. Even British political leaders quarreled play fully in Parliament over who had been responsible for Barclays perfidywith David Cameron teasing the Labor leader Ed Milliband that Labor was in power for 13 years while Barclays rigged interest rates and was now crying foul belatedly after the horses have bolted from the stables.

Definitely Barclays and indeed banks globally, by their greed and fat earnings have collected dirt and opprobrium on themselves and have allowed politicians of all ilk and nations to make merry with their embarrassment . Which really is a pity for a business founded on a simple culture of trust and integrity.

10 COMMENTARY

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

Would NYSC have sentenced our innocent youths to death?

vincentakanmode@yahoo.com

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T is gratifying to hear that the authori ties of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have had a change of heart over their earlier insistence on sending some Batch B members of the scheme to the guillotine in Borno, Yobe, Kano and other northern states controlled by a sect that operates on the principle that human life is worth less than toilet paper. It is no exaggeration that the Jonathan administration has conceded the North East region of the country to the Boko Haram sect, and the sect has foisted on the region a worse condition than the one Thomas Hobbes captured in the state of nature, where life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short. In the past one year, the sect has dispatched thousands of innocent souls to early graves in Maiduguri, Potiskum, Kano, Gombe, Kaduna, Bauchi, Suleja and even Abuja, the federal capital, and there appears no end in sight to the mayhem.

Conscious of the foregoing, the affected youths, their parents and other concerned individuals, organisations and interest groups were worried that some fresh graduates had been posted to the volatile states.

If they had thought that the decision to send the hapless youths to the lion’s den was an oversight on the part of the managers of the scheme, they soon realized how mistaken they were on Tuesday when in spite of the pleas and protestations, the media manager of the NYSC, Mrs Abosede Aderibigbe, issued a statement directing prospective corps members posted to the volatile states to report to camp.

The statement reads: “This is to inform all 2012 Batch ‘B’ corps members and the

general public that state governments and the NYSC operators have put in place measures to guarantee the security to lives and properties of corps members deployed to camps for the on-going orientation course.

Prospective corps members should, therefore, proceed to their respective camps for induction into the noble scheme.

“However, those who have genuine reasons to seek for relocation out of their states of posting should register first in their states of deployment and then submit application there for consideration. The two grounds for consideration remain marital (for those who are married) and health (for those with extreme medical ailments).”

But in a seeming volte-face on Thursday, the Director-General of the NYSC issued a statement directing prospective corps members posted to Yobe and Borno states to proceed to the NYSC camps in Nassarawa and Benue states respectively for their orientation. Those that were deployed to Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau, Kano and Kaduna states, who had received their call-up letters but were yet to report, were also asked to report at the NYSC Directorate Headquarters in Abuja for redeployment.

The turnaround by the managers of the scheme cannot but be appreciated. Yet it must concern every well-meaning Nigerian that the commission had to be pressurised with protests from the House of Representatives, the Lagos State House of Assembly, university students and other concerned groups and individuals to realise that they were treading the path of mass murder with their insistence that the innocent youths should proceed to zones dreaded even by policemen and soldiers for the sake of national service. Not even the commission’s pledge to provide adequate security for the youths posted to the trouble spots can rationalise the insensitive and cruel decision. Who would have provided the so-called security when the dreaded sect has been killing soldiers and policemen deployed in the zone to checkmate their activities?

The pledge of security constitutes an in-

•Youth corps members on parade

sult on our collective memory. We are living witnesses to the attacks on police stations in Bauchi, Maiduguri, Kano, Abuja and other parts of the country. No fewer than two people died in the attack on the Police Headquarters in Abuja in June last year. Even the Inspector General of Police only escaped death by a whisker.

Where were security agents when hapless youth corps members were murdered in hundreds during the bloody post-election protests that broke out in parts of the North last year? The distinction should be drawn between patriotism and foolhardiness. Volunteering to serve in parts of the country where indigenes are fleeing on account of grave insecurity to their lives is foolishness. Or what wisdom is in dying serving your fatherland for a few months when you can avoid untimely death and serve it meritoriously for decades?

The law establishing the NYSC scheme needs to be respected, but not in situations where it constitutes a threat to the life of the

‘This thing we are doing…’

THESPIANS call this thing unfolding before our very eyes a theatre of the absurd. No Nigerian drama has been able to attract the kind of viewership which programmes like ‘Cock Crow at Dawn’ and ‘Village Headmaster’ enjoyed like the on-going box-office tragi-comedy titled ‘Femi and Farouk bribe and egunje’ series. The illuminating film, co-produced by oil magnate, Femi Otedola, and serial-lawmaker, Hon. Farouk Lawan, is one flick that does not require age restrictions or the imprimatur of the Nigerian film regulatory board. It is a perfect flick for every family that can afford a few newspapers, television set or log on to any internet mass media channel. Though there is that strong suspicion that one of the parties is a reluctant co-producer, it does not in any way diminish the fact that this two-man thriller is probably the most-watched programme on any local television station in recent times. It is also hot on the trending lists, as many internet users seem to have taken up the responsibility to share its twists and turns, on different portals after the original show on Channels Television.

As I write this, only two episodes of what is said to be a 17-part audio (telephone conversations) and 6-part video recordings had been aired by Channels TV. For now, the cast appears to be on recess, warming up for the next episode.

The two principal characters in the drama were purportedly involved in an under-the-table negotiation involving a $3m bribe, which would ensure the removal of Otedola’s firms from the list of indicted companies in the fuel subsidy probe that was once chaired by Lawan. The sub-plot is quite simple. Otedola blew the whistle that he had given out $500,000 to Lawan in two tranches during a sting operation by security men. Lawan, on the other hand, said he collected the money as ‘exhibit’ when Otedola was pestering him with phone calls and veiled threats. Otedola faulted this argument, stating that he could not have offered any bribe to the Lawan committee since his firms had nothing to hide from the committee set up to unravel the callous gang-rape of our collective wealth by a cabal in the oil sector through a questionable oil subsidy regime. He spoke of blackmail and rip-off, hence the sting operation. Lawan, through his lawyers, said Otedola was lying through his billionaire’s glowing teeth as he visited Lawan in his hotel room to deposit an initial $250,000 sometime on April 23.

They challenged Otedola to make public the video and audio tapes, which he claimed were in his possession. Of course, all this is without any prejudice to the outcome of on-going police investigations.

As things turned out, it was one open challenge that Otedola would not take lying low. Besides, the public had been put in the dark for too long over the existence and authenticity of the bribe tapes. Maybe it was time to wet

our eyes and whet our throats with some snippets, someone thought. Therefore, on Monday, July 2, the first audio recording was premiered on Channels TV with pomp and ceremony.

It was meant to be breaking news but the long delay in airing the audio tape tasked our patience. The suspense was terrifyingly discomfiting as we waited with bated breath.

Any good student of Literature will readily admit that suspense is a powerful tool in the work of art, especially theatrical performances. Most great storytellers employ it to captivate their audience. Readers become enthralled in its grip when employed by some of the best writers across the globe.

Lovers of Mexican tele-novellas that appear to have taken over most of our national screens today are held captive by the suspense-filled dramaturgy. From one hanging action to the other, viewers of a particular programme keep on asking for more even if eager to see the end of the unfolding plot.

There are instances where this symbiotic relationship continues for years. Suspense, a good use of it that is, is the stimulant that keeps the beat going. Those folks at Channels TV employed it to the fullest!

When the first tape was eventually aired, it was an anticlimax of some sort. It is not so much that people doubted the voices but the fact that the tape left many questions than answers. There was that hanging question about the initiator of this particular call. Who initiated the egunje matter and who was prodding the other to collect the money? What is this ‘lot of money’ meant for? All these talks about airport, aircraft and China trip, how did they crop into the discourse? Did Lawan deliberately refuse to mention money and why did Otedola made reference to a $2.5 million balance when he had initially given out $620,000? Was somebody getting his calculations wrong? Who was fooling whom between these strange bedfellows? One even referred to the other as “my brother” during the broadcast. Well, that was what great movies are made of. Maybe, those answers would be answered in Series 1, Part 2 of this engaging drama. Or so we thought.

Unfortunately, the second audio tape was nothing short of sound and fury—no rhythm, no substance. Like the first, the conversation started midway. We heard about how Otedola’s text messages saddened Lawan. Then Lawan, or a voice purported to be his, advised Otedola to jealously guard “this thing we are doing…otherwise, you will make things difficult for us.” Then, the same voice raised the alarm that what was being plotted in the dark had been leaked. In spite of that, they still agreed to make the leaked information a ‘top secret!’ We were given the impression that a deal was struck as Lawan promised to ‘spring a surprise on the floor of the House’ in order to dab the satanic plot with a fragrance of credibility. Someone spoke of ‘crying’ whenever he hears the other’s voice. Haha! Otedola was all thanks as curtain falls on

youth corps member. Didn’t Christ say the law is made for man and not man for the law? It is not enough to work with the letters of the law, its spirit is even much more important. If not posting youth corps members to states that have been excised by Boko Haram is the opportunity we have to convey the message to northern leaders that the activities of the sect constitute a clear and present danger to the future of the region, why not employ it? Pretending that all is well in the region when even the indigenes are fleeing in droves, is nothing but an act of hypocrisy from which the region or the nation will benefit nothing but self-deception.

It is time we stopped using our innocent youths as guinea pigs in the continued bid to justify our pretence that all is well with the contraption called Nigeria. It will not solve the myriad of problems concerning the nation’s unity. Only a national conference will do.

•See reactions to this column on Page 49

Knucklehead With

Yomi Odunuga E-mail:yomi.odunuga @thenationonlineng.net SMS only: 07028006913

the stage. Still, the real questions were never answered. And they may never be answered.

Like every other concerned Nigerian, I am beginning to suspect that this latest scandal about high-wired corruption may just go the way of many others—in the trash can. While at it, the greater issue of how some persons connived to fleece us of a whopping N1.4 trillion is left hanging. Like magic, N1.4 trillion matters have receded into the background while the egunje drama dominates the Nigerian horizon. Could this be the real script? Suddenly, we have found ourselves at a junction where we all dread to talk about——the road leading to nowhere. Could this be a sting operation gone awry?

Was Lawan truly playing along in order to nail Otedola as his lawyers argue? How, where, when and why was the money given and collected? Who initiated the move and how many persons were involved? Where are the marked dollars and who released the money? If Otedola insists that he is telling the truth and Lawan sticks to his gun that he would be vindicated at the end of the day, who then breaks the ice and brings the shameful liar between these two to justice? Will the other tapes throw more light on these questions?

Well, as they say in Nollywood, the plot thickens and it is not yet time for that popular encore —To God be the Glory.

However, if you ask me about ‘this thing we are doing’, who do I ask? Dis mata get as e be o! As the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti once sang, ‘Confusion don break bone, na double wahala for dead body.’ This macabre dance in the market place, will it ever end? For now, I can only rely on Otedola’s parting shots when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges probing the matter. He was quoted as saying: “Anything done in darkness will come to lightness.” That, in my mind, is all we crave for—a light at the end of this dark abyss. Can they save us from this killing suspense so that we can address the more important matter of the billions of naira that went into private pockets in that cesspit of corruption called the Nigerian oil sector?

Michael O’

Furore over Police Inspector shot dead in rescue operation CRIME / 15-16

I’m flattered I still get passes from men at 51 -Yeni Kuti

LIFE & STYLE/ 41

INTERVIEW/22

‘We’re focused on development, not on our detractors’

Weekend

PEOPLE THE NATION, Saturday, JULY 7, 2012

I had to disguise to look like a man to get passengers 60-yr-old retired female teacherturned-Okada rider

Relat io

nship

11

12

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

•Mrs Disu inside her tricycle

The storms of life that turned me into okada rider —60-yr-old retired female teacher H

ERS is a story of adversity turned into advantage.

Impelled by the cruelty of nature, she ventured into a trade considered too strenuous for a woman. Hanatu Disu functions as a commercial motircycle rider and enjoys the unique reputation of being the only female member of the Plateau State chapter of the Association of Commercial Motorcycle Riders of Nigeria (ACCOMORON).

Before she lost her husband about four years ago, the 60-yearold Berom woman had worked as a teacher in a primary school in Gangeri, a community in Jos North Local Government Area, having obtained a Diploma in Primary Education Administration and Supervision. But she had to retire after serving for 35

Yusufu Aminu IDEGU, Jos, years. Unfotunately, her polygamous husband died, leaving her with three children at a time she no longer enjoyed a regular income. Being a polygamous family whose late patriach left no assets behind, each of the widows had to fend for her own children.

The efforts the widow made to start a new life after her husband’s death saw her going through a series of misfortunes.

In the face of the misfortunes, however, she remained resolute in her determination not to give up. At a point, the only means of survival available to her was to operate commercial motorcycle.

That she did until the Plateau State Government recognised

her efforts and offered her a tricycle, which she now rides around the city of Jos, proud of her ability to fend for herself.

Recalling the circumstances that prompted her to venture into a trade considered the preserve of the menfolk, she said: “I was a teacher before my husband died about four years ago. I taught for the mandatory 35 years. As the date of my retirement approached, I took a loan from a bank to start a business.

“I got a loan of N400, 000 from one of the commercial banks in Jos. That was when my life began to witness series of misfortunes.

While I tried to start the business, my husband fell ill and asked me to lend him a part of the loan. I have no option but to do so, because I wanted him to live.

•Mrs Hanatu Disu

‘

It was not easy doing the odd job as a woman. People were mocking me. I became a laughing stock in town. Many would not ride on my bike.

Only a few summoned the courage to do so. I had to disguise myself to look like a man.

That was how I wooed many people to ride on my bike, because many of them never knew I was a woman...

,

“Apart from the part of the loan I gave my husband for his treatment, I also made my own contribution by spending more money for him to get well. But in

spite of all the efforts, my husband died of the ailment. That was the beginning of my misfortunes.

“The house I lived in while I

17

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

M

R. GIDEON Bluff Ovikpokpo, an engineer, was a promising young man in 2008. He had just graduated with a second class upper degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and had secured his first employment with Poliod Engineering Services Limited in Warri, Delta State. Then, he was felled sang froid (in cold blood) by a police bullet.

The date was September 8, 2008 and the time was 7pm. The young engineer was on his way home after the day’s work when death called at Sedeco Junction in Kolokolo area of Enerhen, near Warri. The dream of the young man was cut short barely two months before his marriage to his heartthrob, who had stood by him during his studies.

He was shot by a team of mobile policemen, led by an Assistant Superintendent of Police attached to the Quick Response Squad (QRS). His gruesome murder sparked off wild protest by residents of Kolokolo area and his family members who decried his demise.

In a swift reaction, the Committee for Defence of Human Rights, led by its then Chairman in Delta State, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi, joined in the protest and met with the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Enerhen, CSP Adamu Muazu. Ikimi described Ovikpokpo as “a victim of police extra-judicial killing, which has now become the trade mark of our grossly ill-trained, incompetent and moribund or comatose Police Organisation.”

Recalling the circumstances surrounding his horrific death, the CDHR said, Ovikpokpo “was returning home after the close of the day’s job when he joined other commuters waiting for a vehicle at Sedeco Junction, Kolokolo Area when suddenly a pickup van with an open back stopped at the police checkpoint by the said junction and some commuters attempted to board same.”

In the ensuing struggle for the few available seats in the bus, a physical combat occurred. This attracted the police, who immediately rushed to the scene. On arriving the scene, one of the policemen shot the deceased on his right lap as he stood holding a black cellophane bag containing pawpaw and oranges.

In the melee that ensued, the mobile police team fled the scene after firing into the air to scare off residents and eyewitnesses who were already protesting the dastardly and unprovoked act.

The victim was left in a pool of his own blood.

Some sympathisers tried to save his life by taking him to Delta Clinic along Sedeco Road and thereafter to Mena Clinic along Udu Road, Ovwian, where doctors confirmed him dead.

The sympathisers had no option but to return his corpse to the place where he was murdered by the Police.

Some of the sympathisers and residents later contacted members of his family. After arriving the scene, the family reported the incident at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Enerhen before policemen, led by its Divisional Police Officer, came with other re-enforcements to remove the corpse at midnight.

The following day, Tuesday September 19, 2008, the CDHR team met the Divisional Police Officer, Enerhen Division, CSP Muazu in his office.

Recalling the meeting nearly four years after, Ikimi said the DPO claimed that a three-man robbery gang robbed and shot an

‘

The family of the late Engr.

Gideon Afoke Bluff Ovikpokpo are beneficiaries of our legal aid programme. He was unlawfully and gruesomely murdered by mobile policemen on Monday, September 8, 2008 at about 7pm at a police checkpoint by Sedco Junction, Kolokolo Area of Delta State, barely two months to his wedding, under the pretext that he was an armed robber. They finally got justice on June 7, 2012...

,

Shola O’NEIL occupant of a pickup van by Sedeco Junction, Kolokolo, adding that this attracted the attention of the mobile police team that mounted a checkpoint in the area. In the process, they shot the deceased, who was an armed robber, while escaping the scene.

Apparently unimpressed by the robbery story, Ikimi wondered how a man could rob with pawpaw and oranges. He also queried the timing of the said ‘robbery’ when the victim left the office barely 30 minutes earlier.

Consequently, the legal practitioner launched a legal battle that culminated in a high court judgment, which awarded N20 million to the deceased’s family last week.

Speaking on the ruling, Ikimi, who is now the National Coordinator, Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, said the family of the late Engr. Gideon Afoke Bluff Ovikpokpo are “beneficiaries of our legal aid programme. He was unlawfully and gruesomely murdered by mobile policemen on Monday, the 8th day of September, 2008 at about 7pm at a police checkpoint

by Sedeco Junction, Kolokolo Area of Delta State, barely two months to his wedding, under the pretext that he was an armed robber. They finally got justice on the 7th day of June, 2012.”

He said the High Court, OtorUdu, Delta State, Nigeria, presided over by Hon. Justice F.N Azinge (Mrs) delivered judgement in favour of the Bluff Ovikpokpo family in Suit No: OUHC/33/2009 Between PA.

Police ordered to pay N20m to family of engineer killed two months to wedding BLUFF OVIKPOKPO & ANOR VS. MR.KINGSLEY UKIM (SP), COMMANDER QUICK RESPONSE SQUAD, OGUNU & 4 OTHERS as follows: ’’Based on my finding and reasoning above, I have come to the irresistible conclusion that the two issues formulated by the claimants must be resolved in their favour and I so resolve same. The claimants are therefore entitled to the relief claimed.

“The unlawful and gruesome murder of the late Engr. Gideon Afoke Bluff Ovikpokpo by the defendants and/or mobile policemen under their control, supervision and employment on Monday the 8th day of September, 2008 at about 7:00pm at a police check point by Sedeco Junction, Kolokolo Area on the pretext that he was an armed robber is a wrongful act and ultra vires the powers of the Defendants.

“An order is hereby made directing the defendants to tender an unreserved apology to the claimants and the Ovikpokpo family resident at Ekete Inland Ekete, Delta State in the Vanguard Newspapers absolving the late Engineer Gideon Afoke Bluff Ovikpokpo of being an armed robber.

“I hereby award a sum of N20,000,000 (Twenty million naira only) to the claimants to be paid by the defendants jointly and severally being damages suffered by the claimants as a result of the wrongful, unlawful and gruesome murder of the late Engr.

Gideon Afoke Bluff Ovikpokpo by the defendants and/or mobile policemen under their control, supervision and employment on Monday, the 8th day of September, 2008, at about 7pm, at a police checkpoint by Sedeco Junction, kolokolo Area of Delta

State.”

B. Ugege, Esq and Oghenejabor Ikimi, Esq, both counsel from the FJHD represented the claimants while C. Bob, Esq, a police lawyer and the O/C legal section of the State C.I.D, Delta Police Command Headquarters, represented the defendants.

Ugege said: “We believe that the judgment will serve as a deterrent to blood-thirsty policemen in Nigeria.”

A sibling of the deceased, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our reporter that the family “is happy that the case is finally over.”

He added that the family’s joy was not in the compensation “because no amount of money can replace Gideon,” but that the police are ordered to tender an unreserved apology exonerating their late brother of armed robbery allegation.

THE NATION, Saturday, July 7, 2012

18

Clock, kick starter and sardine can used as IED/bomb

•IGP M.D Abubakar

n Ebele BONIFACE n HE intelligence policing being promoted by the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, is yielding fruits with the discovery of bombs disguised as harmless items like milk, clocks and beverages. That much was disclosed by the Commissioner of Police in charge of Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD), Mr. Foluso Adebanjo, who said the transformation agenda of the IGP has helped his command a lot in unveiling the tricks and tactics adopted by anti-social elements, particularly the Boko Haram sect, in planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at target spots to waste innocent lives and destroy property.

Displaying some recovered IEDs before reporters on Monday, CP Foluso said in addition to the equipment used to detect bombs, with the cooperation of members of the public, his officers and men are now effectively employing surveillance, monitoring and clear observation to uncover most of the tricks societal deviants apply to cause unnecessary waste of human lives and property in parts of northern Nigeria, especially Maiduguri, Bauchi, Kano, Jos, Kaduna

T

Mineral cans used as IED/bomb

planting them. “Are the IEDs planted in a vehicle with the intention of later moving them to their targets?

Where do they operate from and where do they retire to after carrying out the destruction of lives and property?”

He explained that people are sometimes asked to switch off their mobile phones at public places like churches, filling stations and NNPC depots for security reasons best known to the police. For example, he said, it could be to prevent an accident at a filling station because a fire outbreak can occur if a mobile phone rings close to a pump discharging fuel into a vehicle.

Asked how participants in the anti-IED training programme were selected, CP Foluso said it is voluntary, except that the command makes sure that anyone that would be admitted for the training must be grounded in science and technology to be able to meet up with challenges during the training and at their place of postings.

He commended members of the public for becoming more securityconscious, a development he said had helped the EOD Command to discover and destroy more IEDs in Kano, Damaturu and Jos. He noted that the situation where people did not bother about strange objects on roads, streets, public places and even their premises was not healthy.

How we detected bombs disguised as clocks and beverages

and Damaturu.

Among the recovered IEDs he on display to journalists were wall clocks, liquid milk tins and cans of beverages like soft drinks, malt and juice. Although they appeared harmless on the surface, a close look at them showed that they contained more than beverage. There were also pomade and cream containers containing IEDs properly sealed and waiting to be detonated at targeted areas and buildings.

Tins of engine oil, tomato, sardines, powder and insecticides were also discovered to have been used to conceal bombs. There were also others that appeared like babies’ feeding bottles.

These, he said, were not usually carried openly by miscreants because the rings at their tips make them look like real bombs and can be easily detected by security agents. Hence, they plant them in places where they cannot be easily noticed.

—OED CP, Foluso Adebanjo Adebanjo’s deputy, Mr Kehinde Eboka, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) said the force was also focusing on the factories where IEDs are fabricated; the people used in planting them; their networks; how they are planted and the purpose for

Body lotion plastic and milk cans used as IED/bomb

THE NATION, Saturday, July 7, 2012

Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi is Vice Chairman Senate Committee on Interior. In this interview with ONYEDI OJIABOR, Assistant Editor, Adetunmbi who represents Ekiti North Senatorial District spoke against the backdrop of massive fraud unearthed in the pension administration, the scary security challenges facing the country. He also addressed the issue of a pending bill on local government autonomy.

HOULD local councils enjoy autonomy from states as being proposed in some quarters and for which there are bills on the floor of the Senate and House of Representatives?

There is a strong proprietary thinking, and rightly so, that local governments are part of the jurisdiction of states for which the Federal Government through financial autonomy wants to take out of the control of states.

If states are currently groaning under the weight of an over federalised government with a bloated and ineffectual Exclusive List at the center, and yet there is a bill asking for autonomy of local governments where states have limited say in its day to day affairs, what then will be the role of states in our federation?

I mean what will be the political and administrative jurisdictions of state governments in the context of autonomous local government areas?

The truth is that further autonomy to local governments will erode the political jurisdiction and make nonsense of states as the primary components of our federation.

What we have on our hands is a subtle attempt by the Federal Government to increase its direct control •Senator Adetunmbi of local governments without much emphasis on their roles and responsibilities. The constitution is silent on their roles and therefore makes it subject to multiple interpretation. acknowledge that the If local governments are politically autonomous and states are where the financially beholding to the Federal Government, who rubber meets the road; supervises them and what will be the role of state that is where people government that is expected to have with executive power and the leadership with state wide jurisdiction? productive capacities A fundamental question then arises; what are the units of the economy reside. of our federalism? Are they states or local governments or Therefore, the goal and both? Can we have two layers of federating units in states aim of the federal and local governments all sucking up to a “King Kong” government should be Federal Government? to make sure that it’s Any attempt to whittle down the power of states over making life easier, and local governments will precipitate the worst, though not harder for states. avoidable constitutional crisis ever known in the history The senate is of Nigeria. investigating massive In a behemoth state like Nigeria, you don’t destroy fraud in the intermediate structures of political supervision. This is administration of our country, we own it wholly. So, the Federal pension in the Government should not divide states and local country. What is your governments in order to rule them. take on the emerging Is the problem of local governments really that of scenario? political control or that of service delivery and When President performance management? That is food for thought.

Goodluck Jonathan There are growing arguments that further autonomy was responding to will bring development to communities. How true is critics who ac¬cused this? him of tardiness in Politics is local and so it is for development. Our new decision-making, he constitution has no business with local government cried out rather autonomy. It should be left for states to deal with as they helplessly that the deem fit, subject to a broadly defined guideline which is system has collapsed jointly developed by the three tiers of government. and he insisted that he In my view, local governments should simply be was making institution administrative units of states and should not be a build¬ing one of the constitutional tier of the federation. Don’t forget that pillars of his transformation agenda, though we are yet to governors are politicians, they need local governments see any significant transformation. structures to deliver policy, manifesto and service What more evidence do we need to prove the lack of delivery as well as for political purposes. capacity in our public institutions other than the shocking The best the constitution can do is to define the role of revelations of the various legislative oversight probes in local governments. We need to depart from this the 7th Senate starting from the probe of the Bureau of amorphous residual approach to the functions of local Public Enterprise to fuel subsidy and now Pensions governments. probe?

The time has come to codify them into specifics to The events and findings corroborate the President’s ensure appropriate matching of resources with assertions and raises the question - has Nigeria fared responsibility in a measurable and monitorable way. better since the beginning of the 4th republic when the Let’s redefine the roles of federal, state and local biggest party in Africa came into office? This same party governments and agree on mechanisms and instruments under whose watch these colossal hemorrhage occurred to make things happen. wants to rule Nigeria forever.

The Federal Government must recognize and What could be the real problem that this level of

S

19

INTERVIEW

fraud as exposed by the Senate investigative panel could take place in the country’s public service?

The real problem Nigeria faces is that of weak and unaccountable institutions that cannot keep the machinery of government running effectively.

The absence of strong institutions in itself breeds corruption. When systems and procedures are clear and transparent with mechanisms to challenge malfeasance, corruption is less endemic than we currently have.

The Obasanjo-led Peoples Democratic Party Federal Government gave us a new pension framework which was established in 2006 to solve old problems, but it appears the scheme has opened up the vista for greater fraud, the result of which we are debating.

How was it possible for what has been described as wily ring of crooks in and outside government to put illegal persons on pensions and criminally denied thousands of retired workers of their legitimate pension income after service to the nation and thereby diverted about N300 billion into private pockets?

This amount represents 120 months cover for Ekiti State at the current rate of federal allocation of N2.5 billion per month.

All of this took place curiously, despite the existence of services of the office of the AuditorGeneral of the Federal Government and oversight functions of the National Assembly.

How can the country come out of all these problems?

Given the realities of our experiences on this matter, there are three clear issues, which in my opinion, the Federal Government and the Senate must look into in order to address the problem. First is the systemic failure in government, especially the need to recreate operational and internal control processes and; second is comprehensive reforms to address the collapse of public institutions like Security and Exchange Commission, PenCom, BPE, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, just to name a few.

Last but not the least is the need for sustained capacity building, skill and performance-based measurement to address the low productivity of the human resource of our public institutions.

These three things must engage the attention of all layers of government.

Central to addressing these anomalies lies the challenge of the legislature, we must reflect on and address gaps in the enabling laws of our sensitive public institutions and ensure they are adequate.

We are a country suffering from the failure of regulatory institutions, a situation that makes operators get away with culpable infractions due to negligence and complicity by regulators.

I am so sure that if our regulatory institutions work well enough and follow through the checks and balance mechanisms in our public system and make them effective, a lot of the maladies in our country will not exist.

Our regulators must stop their criminal rent seeking behaviour and acts as patriotic enforcers of our laws. We must also demand that the office of Auditor-General become financially independent of the Federal Ministry of Finance and have a first line charge directly appropriated by the National Assembly.

I say this based on what I know as an active member of the Public Accounts Committee. Finally, legislative oversight function is currently weak and not quite effectual. It must be revved up to deal with these issues

We must act fast to prevent popular uprising – Ekiti Senator Adetunmbi

Continued on page 21

THE NATION, Saturday, July 7, 2012

20

U M U A S U K P U W AT E R S I D E :

A community on the verge When an erosion control project funded

by Shell Petroleum Development Company was awarded in Umuasukpu Community in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, the people rejoiced that development had come. However, the good deed has turned into a nightmare for the community. SHOLA O’NEIL and ROSEMARY NWISI report MUASUKPU Waterside, a sleepy community located on the fringe of the Umuasukpu/Omiri River, in Igbo-Etche of Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State was relatively unknown till devastating gully erosion forced the community into the pages of local and national news dailies in 2010 rainy season.

Over two years after the buzz, the peaceful community of hardworking and friendly inhabitants are yet to get their community back. Rather, several inches of their land are being eroded and washed into the river, which they depend on for their livelihood and drinking water.

The settlers, who traced their origin to the popular Uranta family, of Opobo Town, in Opobo /Nkoro LGA, of Rivers State are successful farmers, fishermen and traders. But this serious ecological disaster is not only washing away their homes and business, it has also separated them from their kiths and kin.

Speaking with our reporter, who made several trips to the community in the course of this report, 70- year-old Timipri Uranta, a fisherman, lamented that the

•1-4: Some of the erosion sites

U

1 erosion is eating deeper into the community and spreading towards his residence. He appealed for quick intervention before it becomes too late. He particularly expressed fear that his house and others in the community may eaten up by the gully before the end of this season, if help does not come their way quickly.

The septuagenarian noted that the erosion has cut off the main entrance to their compound and stream. He said fishing, which is their source of living, faces a bleak prospect because of lack of access to the river.

Speaking in the same vein, Mr. Senibo

2

Uranta, blamed the prevailing dangers on an uncompleted concrete drainage project initiated by Anglo Dutch oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), in the community in 2010.

He said the contractor was awarded to an indigene of the community (names withheld).“The job specification was that the drainage should be channelled into the river to enable the entire flood from the community flush into the river.

Regrettably, rather than completing the job, the contractor stopped halfway after he had connected the rest of the community to the water channel, which is the effect of what we (waterfront

dwellers) now suffer.”

Consequently, Senibo, a younger sibling of Timipri Uranta, said with nowhere to go, the water force its way through chewing up chunks of the community’s land as if out of anger. “The flood continues to increase in strength, weight and speed as it makes its way into the river. Unfortunately, when it got to a point it lost sense of direction and since the direction it met at this point is a mere surface which is helpless to the speed and weight of the flood current, instead of flowing smoothly it eats deep and continue to expand with the time, creating the life-threatening gully around our

3

THE NATION, Saturday, July 7, 2012

21 Continued from page 19

of extinction

4 residence.”

While conceding that flood and erosion had been constant threats before the SPDC’s project, Senibo insisted that the waterfront-community never had it so bad. “Our fathers came to settle in this waterfront in 1902, because they were fishermen, farmers and traders, which they bequeathed to us, they never had any erosion problems and we have never had one prior to the construction project,” he lamented.

Mrs. Chinyere Uranta, a farmer and mother of seven children, expressed distress over the fate of her children, livestock and properties. Speaking in a voice that both betrays her desperation and resignation, she said: “Our greatest fear is that it (washing away of their homes) may happen at night while people are sleeping, in such situation we will not be able to save ourselves let alone our belongings.

“You have seen the speed with which it is coming, and how close it has gotten to our houses. We no longer sleep with our eyes closed both at night and in the day, anytime it starts to rain our hearts sink into our stomach, and worse of it is that we no longer confidently allow our children to go to school especially as the rains have become very seriously,” she lamented.

She made a desperate appeal to the wife of the state governor, Dame Judith Amaechi, and that of Etche LG council, to as “mothers, appeal to their husbands to intervene in our plight because we are completely helpless, except by their interventions.”

Also speaking, the Umuasukpu Community Development Chairman (CDC), Mr. Ephraim Onyebuenyi, concurred that if help does not come their way quickly, residents of the waterfront would be “evacuated by the aggressive anger of nature.”

The CDC chairman revealed various desperate efforts to address the problem: “We first approached the contractor who responded that that was how much the contract funds could go. We then alerted SPDC that the project has led to severe erosion problem in our community as a result of the uncompleted construction.

Last March, SHELL sent a delegation from Lagos to investigate the report.

“When the team came I conducted them round the erosion site, and they confirmed that the situation demands urgent intervention. By that time the gully had not gone so deep and wide as it is now even as serious as it is now. They took photographs of the sites and left, with a promise that they will get back to us, but till now we have neither seen them nor heard from them again.”

Looking unto SHELL for help, he said SOS was sent to the Niger Delta Development Commission, through the state’s commissioner, on February 1, 2012, adding, “The letter was received from us with a firm promise that our plight would be looked into. Since then, we have been following it up, nothing has yet come out of it.

“We know that help will certainly come our way one day. Our concern now is the speed with which the gully is spreading, especially around our brothers living at the waterfront and on the road to the stream - our only source of drinking water.”

Reacting to the report, SPDC’s spokesperson, Mr. Precious Okolobo, denied that the contract was awarded by the company. He said, “It is not true that SPDC awarded a drainage contract in the area. Umuasukpu is a family name in Umeh Community that is represented in Etche 1 G-MoU (Global Memorandum of Understanding).

Okolobo, said in spite of the fact that the project wasn’t an SPDC’s venture, he took the pain to inquire about the circumstances surrounding the drainage project.

“On inquiry, the CT (Community Trust) Chairman, Mr. Anthony Amadi, informed us that the only drainage project in the community was done by them, using the G-MoU apparatus to execute and the project has been completed,” Okolobo added.

He further explained that the G-MoU involves the state government, a cluster of communities and SPDC, clarifying that “we (SPDC) provide the money for project, which are chosen and executed by a cluster of communities of communities.”

before they become totally unmanageable.

What is to be done about the staff that were found to have committed obvious offences?

Asset seizures of those found to have stolen public funds is a good starting point, but definitely not enough. These people must be prosecuted and we hope that the law will take its course and punish those guilty of the alleged infractions.

The media scream of the cases of fraud is good social therapy for the public, but more important is what we do to improve the functioning of our policies, institutions, systems and processes that did not proactively detect and stop these massive frauds.

That is the sustainable and systemic solutions that we must collaboratively work at. The answer to these issues and not the sensational news value of this mindless looting of public funds constitute the real solutions that the electorate demands from us as politicians. Until then, this circus show of feeding scandals to an entertained crowd will continue.

What are the real issues behind the security crisis and threats of instability? And could the review of resource allocation formula be the panacea to the security challenge?

The problem of this country has moved from allocation of resources into containing, resolving and managing the conflict created by the inequitable and non-strategic utilisation of our commonwealth.

Unfortunately, the scale and diversity of this conflict has enveloped the country and become hydra- headed such that the capacity of the resources may no longer cope with the avalanche of the determined demand and has now a violent demand for access.

Accompanying this social and economic degeneration over the years is a near complete rupture of our education and primary production capacity that is characterised by massive unemployment and despondency among our youths.

The current situation in the country reminds me of the conflict of orders between the plebeians and the patricians of post-monarchy era of ancient Rome.

Plebeians were Rome’s working class like their Nigerian counterparts – farmers, bakers, builders or craftsmen – they worked hard to support their families. The plebeians had little individual power but when grouped together, they became a potent force or what was referred to as the Roman mob uprisings that shook the Empire.

Despite the studies done by our planning institutions in Nigeria, we know very little about daily life for the struggling and working class, such that in challenging times, and periods of political unrest like we are currently in, there was always the risk of the masses’ rioting or rebelling against the perceived oppression of the political class.

That is the real issue that we are faced with as a country and which we must recognise and address in an equitable and just manner. This problem has manifested itself in the Niger Delta as militancy, in Lagos and South West as area boys and OPC, as AlmanjIri and Boko Haram in the North.

Don’t forget, it is this same plebeian uprising that engulfed the Maghreb states consuming Morocco, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Egypt and still brewing. It also drove away and killed Nicolae Ceauşescu in Romanian

uprising. I hope Nigeria will act fast to address the need of the plebeians before they organise and federate into a national resistance. That will be calamitous for Nigeria and indeed the black world.

Your analysis is scary, what must be done to prevent this impending breakdown of social order?

The Federal Government must take on less of the obvious responsibility of states as currently defined in the Exclusive Legislative List and allow states to play their rightful role. Of course, a new resource allocation formula that matches responsibility for service delivery must follow.

Next is that we must enter into a new era of national, regional and state development planning to serve as a basis for a rolling annual budget by states, local and the federal governments. The National Planning Commission has begun a state GDP estimation process; this is good to establish baseline for a planned growth agenda on the basis of comparative advantage and economies of scale in states and collaborating geo-political zones.

The National Planning Commission should move faster and more aggressively in promoting this and be a facilitator rather than a doer. The states and not the Federal Government must become the drivers of economic growth in their jurisdictions.

The Federal Government should be much more responsive to states’ fiscal needs by promoting massive stimulus package containing significant aid to states. For example, for flood in the littoral states, massively debilitating erosion in the east, and frightening 1.5 kilometer annual desertification rates in the Sahelian north and security challenges everywhere.

The Federal Government should deploy more use of grants and special intervention funds as the primary means of influencing states to adopt poverty reduction spending and deploy more the use of matching funds principle instead of direct interventionist approach in traditional role of states in a federation.

Also, federal power and resources should be used to promote job creating and poverty reducing- set of policy goals, as currently being done regarding value-chain-based commercial agriculture. I think we need more of this in education and health service delivery and energy conservation, water resources and environmental protection.

Needless for me to stress the centrality of power generation and distribution to all these. Also, the banking sector needs to be further incentivised through special funds to focus more on the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector.

On the state side, we need more single-minded and courageous states to serve as incubators of innovative solutions to our economic problems.

This spirit of ingenuity and doggedness is required to evolve a demand side of developmental federalism.

It’s only when this type of spirit is prevalent in most of the political leadership in our 36 states and 774 local governments that we can truly aspire to a true federalism that we all talk but do little about. One where states and local governments are generating ideas, where Abuja is investing in what works, and where the Federal Government and states are working together in partnership not in competition and control on behalf of an enduring citizens of this nation.

‘How to stem massive corruption’

THE NATION, Saturday, July 7, 2012

22

For Honourable Yusuph Olaniyonu, being the Commissioner of Information and Strategy in Ogun State has become an eye-opener. Having worked for over 24 years in the newsroom as a journalist, his duties, among other things, had been to serve as a watch-dog of the government and government activities and mirrors same to the general public. And in the course of his duties, he had had cause to tell government(s) bluntly how things ought to be done, and where it had failed woefully even when he may not have known all the challenges such governments faced and what manner of resources were available at such times. Now in the saddle, Olaniyonu says he feels differently now about some government activities. In this interview with PAUL UKPABIO, he gives an insight into the mind of his principal, the Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and talks about the challenges of governance and how the state has been weathering the storm of development. Excerpts: OW has the journey been after leaving the newsroom for political office?

I thank God for His mercies and then let me also thank the captain of our ship Senator Ibikunle Amosun who has been providing able leadership and for considering it fit to choose me as the spokesman for the state. If you look at it very well, Ogun State is unique in the sense that in every household, every family or even nuclear family can boast of a graduate or somebody who can equally be chosen to be a commissioner.

So, if you are selected in Ogun State to be a commissioner, it only means that you are fortunate to be so selected because so many others could equally do your job.

The fact that one is leaving the newsroom to come into the arena of politics and governance is not something that I personally planned for.

It was a challenge that the governor decided that I should take. And right now, I am experiencing it. It has not been easy because for somebody like me who had spent over 24 years in the newsroom, that certainly was my comfort zone. All my life, I had been working in the newsroom. So I have left my comfort zone for a new environment and this new environment, I had to learn new things and learn how to work with other professionals who were also coming from different spheres of life. I am now in a system that also has a political undertone and a political base. I am speaking for a government that has 4.8 million people and also speaking on behalf of a government that was popularly elected, a government that has its power base in the people. So because of that, one really needs to be •Olaniyonu careful about what is said and also careful not to say things that will raise the sentiment of all the millions of people who voted for the governor.

These are the challenges. it’s not like the news room where if there is breaking news and you want somebody to go and cover it, you just tell the MD and money is provided. In that case you can act within few minutes and things are done. You can use initiatives the way you like. Not so now, you have to follow a process, you have to be part of a team and function like part of a team and within a team, and then you will also have to read the body language, and verbal directive of political situations before you act.

These are some of the differences between what happens in the newsroom and what happens in what we can call the executive room now.

Journalists generally are known to be critics of the government of the day. You decisions they take. I also now see the challenges they face have once worked as a critic of the government but now that sometimes the governor or the leader of the team or that you are an insider, do you feel differently about the entire team wants to run as fast as possible, but only to criticizing the government from the other side of the see so many things that will constraint them. Now you fence? must mix idealism with pragmatism and reality, and then I It is a lot different. Even if you spend just a week in this can also now see that there are so many other things that position that I am presently, you'll know that it is different prevents even a leader from putting up his best or from being in the news room and saying or writing that appearing to put up his best. I now see the challenges that this is how it ought to be done or that is how it ought to be people in leadership face. You can imagine that at 3am, the done. It is different from what I see on ground now. It is different because I now see the constraints government has governor is usually still up in meetings with people or calling on phone. If he needs to call you at anytime in the and the considerations they go through before taking the

H

night, he does so. Though in the newsroom that is expected too as news breaks but that happens once in a while in the newsroom: but in government, that is a regular occurrence.

With what you now know, will you then make a case for governments in Nigeria as regards the slow pace of development and growth, being that the constraints are so much and that a lot of things are always taken into consideration that slows down decision making?

I will not sit here and make a case for failure of government to perform its responsibilities. I don't think that will be good or be of service to my principal or anybody in government. In Ogun State for instance, if you see the pace at which the governor wants to move, his passion, the genuineness of his intention and his interest in development and desire to make the state take the giant leap, but then he also has to take into consideration the resources available to him. He knows for instance that there are roads to be fixed and he has been fixing roads, but you see, he can't go further than the resources available to him.

Sometimes also, there is the need of balancing, for instance, ten roads are bad in Abeokuta here, but sometimes he can not go and fix all the ten at once, even when he passes there every other day, because, there could also be three bad roads somewhere in Yewa and somewhere in Ijebu area in Ogun East. So he has to do the balancing act.

Perhaps he does three over here, does another three over there and another four somewhere else. But one cannot go about explaining such to the public that may not be quick to see such balancing act. Then there are also the constrains of the fact that there are people who are bent on distracting your attention, creating obstacles in your way and they think that doing that is a way of asserting themselves as opposition. That is also there. For example, in Ogun State, there are a set of people who used to be in government but are now no longer there, but are now very rich and have nothing doing other than to plot mischief against the incumbent government. This is a government that was not given a chance of survival. Our detractors were so sure that the government will pack up within a month or be forced to take a bond which the previous government was not allowed to take. And the government has survived for over a year without taking that bond. But even then, I won't make any excuse for failure because there is no reason why any government should fail. Like Governor Ibikunle Amosun always says, "people did not elect him to come and tell stories about this or that or about lack of fund or lack of resources to make positive change." He says it that people elected him knowing that he is capable of making positive change even in the midst of these problems and challenges.

So he is struggling daily to make this big difference and we can see that differences are now showing in the area of education, agricultural projects, health care, housing program and so many other areas. Students have text books given to them free, and school bags about to be distributed too. School fee is free here. And fees at tertiary institutions reduced drastically. Physical structures of schools are being addressed. He is presently working on harmonizing all these new developments and putting this state where it can take the burden off Lagos State and provide a buffer for Lagos which is now over saturated with business and commerce. Investors are looking for alternative location and Ogun State should be prepared to provide an alternative developed state other than Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt, and that is what we are trying to achieve.

Investors are coming in now and we are providing land incentives and other incentives as well.

Critics say Ogun state is seen as a political upbeat considering the role played by its political gladiators, and the governor's pressure on these political gladiators.

Does this reflect in your job?

The focus of the government is encapsulated in the motto of the government which is to rebuild, we are

We're focused on development, not on our detractors

–Ogun Info Commissioner Olaniyonu

Continued on page 51

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ntertainment

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012, 2012

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How my dad lured me into acting

窶年ollywood actress, Adesola Kosoko

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

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VICTOR AKANDE E-mail: victor_akande@yahoo.com Tel: 08077408676 (SMS only)

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The Lagos flood in cinema

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NE of the things that thrill me about the scope of most film festivals is the fact that they give attention to human interest issues in all spheres of life, and thus mirroring them through the cinema medium. At the Durban International Film Festival last year, I witnessed similar feat in some environmental related flicks, one of which was Paul Watson's celebrated movie, entitled Eco-Pirate.

The film traces Watson's early career as a frontline activist in Greenpeace and his subsequent more militant approach with the Sea Shepherd Society, critiquing the failure of governments to enforce maritime laws that they created and agreed to, Watson says, “somebody has to do it!”

Speaking broadly about ocean life he states bluntly: “If the oceans die, humanity dies.” No doubt, Watson has an astute understanding of how news stories impact public opinion and the film shows his adept optimization of key media opportunities.

To this end, Time Magazine called him one of the 20 environmental heroes of the 20th century. The Guardian (US) mentioned him as one of 50 people who could save the planet. These are some of the numerous accolades bestowed on Paul Watson which also include honourary citizenship, environmental, animal rights and human rights awards.

It may amount to an over kill if I say that in environmental appreciation and consciousness, the Nigerian government and experts have failed woefully; because indeed, we have heard them paying attention (lip services as they may be) to issues that have to do with cutting down of trees and desertification.

But like Watson rightly accused the government of his country, they too have failed to enforce the laws effectively. However, my thought on this issue may betray a critique's intention and render this piece a criticism if I do not mention the effort of private individuals like Newton Jibunoh, an environmentalist who undertakes series of expeditions across the Sahara desert.

Jibunoh, the founder of a nongovernmental organisation called Fight Against Desert Encroachment (FADE), started the expedition with 60 other persons in partnership with the Lagos State government with a reality show tagged The Desert Warriors.

Knowing the efficacy of the media to issues of human interest, the expert had employed this subtle documentary and broadcast entertainment method to get the attention of people on the evil of desert encroachment,

Because the challenges of governance are numerous, it is important that the people rise with social responsibility projects that will keep government on its toes at all times. A filmmaker's tool of social responsibility is his camera otherwise called desertification.

Giving insight into possible causes resulting from cutting down of trees, burning of bushes, lack of rainfall and coincidentally and ironically is the fact that lack of rainfall is caused by desertification. Because for a fact, as they say, when you burn trees, you increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and when there is global warming, the ice in the polar regions melt, the sea level rises and when it rains, there is a lot of flood which washes away houses and people.

This brings us to the issue of last year's Lagos flood; a supposed five days rain pouring within 24 hours and causing death and untold hardships -the same being replicated in Ibadan same year, and within the last few days in Lagos. Whatever lessons were learnt from those occurrences, I don't know, because indeed, as typical Nigerians, we forget so easily.

But as it seems, only those affected by this flood havoc would remember. Including me, whose car was drowned in motion around Ikoyi. However, in recognition of the medium of film as a documentary evidence of our experiences, it would have been worth our while if in no distant time, our filmmakers will begin to make issues of national importance a priority in their story telling career like this model called Paul Watson.

Jibunoh may have done his bit

I heard that Prince Jide Kosoko is about cooking up a docudrama titled 'The Battle for Life' which seeks to examine core issues on Climate Change, as it relates to Nigeria's peculiar setting. Good effort, I must say

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with the Desert Warriors reality, the Lagos State government may have also thrown its weight behind him and helped with public enlightenment on the matter, because as Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola once said; “it is a national security problem, and not only are we already facing the burden of high migration and exploding population in Lagos, but that burden will be further exacerbated as more people lose their houses and their homes to the desert, the underlying currents that informed the support of the state government to the venture in the light of the global environmental threat across the world which is currently manifesting in floods, hurricanes, monsoons, heat waves.”

According to him, desert encroachment adds to climate change imbalance which increases water levels, and as a coastal state, Lagos will be the most impacted.

This foresight is impressive, but because the challenges of governance are numerous, it is important that the people rise with social responsibility projects that will keep government on its toes at all times. A filmmaker's tool of social responsibility is his camera and techniques of motion picture reportage. But one of the problems of Nollywood is lack of foresight and sensitivity of its filmmakers to issues of national importance, because commercial value takes the topmost place in their calling. Foresight here also relates to their readiness to capture 'spontenous' incidences like the Lagos flood for archival reason and subsequent use.

I heard that Prince Jide Kosoko is about cooking up a docudrama titled 'The Battle for Life' which seeks to examine core issues on Climate Change, as it relates to Nigeria's peculiar setting. Good effort, I must say.

I recall my piece of February 1, 2009 on this platform which says: May the old Oshodi not be lost Forever. In that article, the story of filmmaker Yinka Ogun was told about how it was almost impossible for him to lay hands on the footages of Maroko, a Lagos settlement where about 10,000 houses were flattened and 300,000 people displaced in July 1990 by the then military regime of Lagos State headed by Colonel Raji Rasaki.

Does anyone, including the broadcast media, have the footage of last year's Lagos flood?

What about that of Ibadan? Is any filmmaker thinking of replicating the woes in abstract form of the cinemas, because it is only this type of films that could outlive them. Then again, just so the government would remember its promises of better life and security for the populace.

Do you watch Nollywood movies? What do you think of the Nigerian motion picture industry? Send your review of any movie or short essay on any topic of your choice about the film industry in not more than 200 words. Send entries by e-mail to: victor_akande@yahoo.com or SMS your short comments to 08077408676

Stanley Nzediegwu

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wants a break from typecast

TANLEY Nzediegwu is a fast-rising Nigerian actor whose face is becoming regular both in movies and on TV. With his first role in the soap opera, Private sector, he began his acting career professionally. Though his name does not readily strike a chord, followers of MNet produced Tinsel will be quick to recall Ohakanu, Telema's soldier in the sitcom.

With roles in popular TV series like About to Wed, Phamous Five, Bella's Place and others, Stanley says he is not just a soap opera actor. He has also featured in some home videos like Hoodrush, Quarantine Zone, and Heavy Beauty. He recently landed the lead role in a new TV series, The Benjamins. Stanley has also done some stage play while in the university.

Aside acting, the artiste says, he models and does voiceovers.

To his credit, he has voiced countless Nollywood Jingles and

he just completed a job voicing a KeyStone Bank radio jingle.

“One of the major challenges I face is breaking the stereotyping barrier in Nollywood. I get roles based on what I have played in the past and what producers think I can do, but the truth is that I am a versatile actor and I am hungry for challenging roles,” Stanley said.

The young, graduate of computer science from Nnamdi Azikiwe University says that he owes his acting success to the Stella Damasus Art foundation.

“I am really grateful to Stella Damasus for putting me and everyone at the Stella Damasus Foundation under her tutelage.”

He hopes to have an Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) to his credit, produce at least two movies and have his acting school running full time in the next three years. Stanley, who hails from Nnewi South in Anambra, is the first child of five kids.

Blessing Egbe hunts for Lekki Wives

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OLLYWOOD actress cum producer, Blessing Egbe whose movie Two Brides and a Baby was among the highly rated movies of 2011 is set to hit location again.

The producer, we learnt, has already fixed an audition date for her next flick which she calls Lekki Wives. According to the filmmaker, August 1 and 2, 2012 have been slated for the audition of cast for the movie which she says will require about 80 actors.

“We expect over 80 characters between the age bracket of 24 and 60 to make up the cast,” she said.

In the league of female producers in Nollywood, Blessing ranks high. Her latest film, Two Brides and a Baby which parades the likes of Stella Damasus and OC Ukeje among

others speaks for itself. The movie, it would be recalled, was premiered in Nigeria and America.

•Blessing

Messi will help me improve

— JORDI ALBA

By

Harry Iwuala

EURO TRANSFERS...EURO TRANSFERS

Messi will help me improve

— JORDI ALBA

EURO TRANSFERS...EURO TRANSFERS

JULIO CESAR: I'M NOT LEAVING INTER

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Mo Abudu hibernates

Fifi Ejindu back to base

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onder no more if you are still wondering about the whereabouts of Fifi Ejindu, the high queen of the Nigerian social scene. The woman of means is back to work after her superlative celebration.

It will be recalled that she recently took high society on a roller-coaster ride to Dubai on the occasion of her birthday. The ceremony was one of those starstudded affairs that broke the records of most expensive, glamorous and classy events.

Fifi's party had taken place on the 27th floor of Burj Al Arab, a Dubai-based hotel in the United Arab Emirates. No cost was spared as many prominent and wealthy Nigerians stormed the party.

The Abuja-based businesswoman, who is into real estate and architecture, is back at work after a couple of weeks.

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Benny Obaze at it again

s the saying goes, there is a time for everything. For Mo Abudu, it seems the time has come for her to take things easy.

It is no news that the versatile TV presenter and host of the television programme, Moments with Mo, has lately become scarce on the social scene. For a while now, she has taken things slow and seems to have gone into hibernation.

While she was visible, she wowed her fans with her creative ambience and Queen's English. Many envied her while others admired her.

A woman of many talents, she has made her marks in various fields, including the corporate world where she functioned as an executive in Exxon Mobile for nearly a decade. She was also the brains behind Protea Hotel Oakwood Park, where she remains a shareholder and director.

She was the founder of Vic Lawrence & Associates, one of Nigeria's leading HR consulting firms, and, most recently, the creator, executive producer and hostess of Moments with Mo. She is also the creator/executive producer of The Debaters and Naija Diamonds.

A power dresser with a wardrobe that houses the best couture, Mo Abudu never fails to amaze even fashion icons.

Her absence is certainly felt, but some say she is on her way back from hibernation.

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enny Obaze, the fashion dude behind Bevista and Rivista and, later, Jevista, is at it again. He has never been one to relent in his pursuit of excellence and has what it takes to keep competitors on their toes.

He recently opened a new outlet in Asaba, Delta State; a move he said was necessary to cater for the interests of fashion freaks in the eastern part of Nigeria, who have all the while had to journey to his other oulets for his products.

The city clothier is in a state of euphoria as his business expands steadily. His new outlet, Jevista, a brand name he launched some years back, is Nigeria's first hat centre for men.

Babatunde Okewale set to launch five-star hospital

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VF expert, Dr. Babatunde Okewale, is set to launch a new five-star hospitlal. The joy of helping women to have babies had been the reason he returned to Nigeria to start an IVF clinic. And with St. Ives Hospital, which contains an IVF unit, Okewale, the Chief Medical Director, has brought smiles to the faces of many women.

Happenstances gathered that in a couple of weeks, his new five-star hospital at Maitama Sule Street, Ikoyi, will open for business.

With state-of-the-art equipment already flown into the country for that purpose, the top notch hospital is certain to rival leading IVF centres around the world.

Dolapo Adeyemi plans big for 40th birthday Lovely daughter of the Alaafin of Oyo, Princess Dolapo Adeyemi, walks, talks, acts and dazzles like the princess that she is. Combining her beautiful face with a clear, fair skin, Dolapo is the toast of many.

It would come as a surprise to many that the resplendent, young looking princess is set th to celebrate her 40 birthday.

But that is the truth: Dolapo is indeed 40 and she plans to celebrate in a big way.

Happily married to her Italian 'Romeo', Dolapo is the envy of many ladies and her royal bearings help her to take it all in her strides.

For her 40th birthday, friends and family are planning a twotiered celebration; one in Italy and the other one in Nigeria.

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Jim Ovia's new looks

Roli Adeniyi lies low

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Bigwigs gear up for Akinruntan's multi-million naira hotel launch

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he Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom, Ondo State, Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinrutan, is set to open his new ultra modern hotel in Ode-Ugbo.

The frenzy of the epoch-making event has caught the who-is-who in the social milieu.

The hotel, Febson International Waterside Hotel in Ode-Ugbo, Ondo State, is an edifice worthy of a king. After months of hard work by the best of professionals, the new project is a wonder to behold.

Those who should know revealed that several millions of naira were invested in the ultra modern edifice.

Oba Akinruntan sits atop a business conglomerate with interests in petroleum, shipping, construction, fishery, tourism, hospitality, water purification and production.

The opening ceremony promises to be a gathering of the high and mighty in the nation's socioeconomic and political hub.

etired CEO and co-founder of Zenith Bank International, Jim Ovia, is one man who understands the language of style.

That much is evident in his graceful strides and regal appearance.

Many would remember his exploits in the banking industry before he retired as the chief executive of Zenith Bank International. He strategically positioned the bank.

As the CEO and co-founder of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia commanded one of the largest companies in West Africa. Under his stewardship, Zenith Bank grew to include Zenith Insurance, Zenith Bank Securities, Zenith Pension Custodian, and more.

Jim Ovia is also the founder of Visafone Communications Limited.

He is the Chairman of the Nigerian Software Development Initiative (NSDI). He is also the Chairman, National Information Technology Advisory Council (NITAC). He is a member of the Honorary International Investor Council as well as the Digital Bridge.

After two decades of leadership, which positioned Zenith Bank as one of the largest and most profitable banks in Africa, the erudite banker is now enjoying life with new zest and zeal.

A philanthropist, he was recently appointed Chairman of the Committee on Nigeria PolioImmunisation Action Group. The committee, in collaboration with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, seeks to eradicate the scourge of the dreaded polio disease in Nigeria.

Judging by his new looks, one can simply say that life has been good to Jim Ovia and he is savouring it all.

Not a few people who saw him at Oby Ezekwesili's mother's birthday party admired his well groomed moustache.

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Where is Remi Babalola?

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n recent times, not much has been heard of former Minister for Special Duties, Mr. Remi Babalola, who was believed to have voluntarily resigned his position as minister. In a country where public office holders hardly quit on their own, many were surprised at his resignation.

It will be recalled that he had functioned as the Minister of State for Finance before a minor cabinet shake-up carried out by President Goodluck Jonathan saw him moved to Special Duties.

His resignation from Jonathan's cabinet at the time was said to be on health grounds. He was said to have gone on a lengthy vacation after he resigned.

Now, his whereabouts are shrouded in controversy.

Some say the erstwhile minister is on his sick-bed while others insist that all is well with the dark-skinned dude, even though he has been off social radar for a while.

New baby for the Aikhomus

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eeks after the death of Ehime Aikhomu, son of former Nigerian number two man, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, in the Dana plane crash that occurred in Lagos on June 3, the Aikhomu household is celebrating the addition of a new baby to the family.

It is a great moment of relief for the family that had lost its patriarch, Augustus Aikhomu, barely a year before the plane crash. He was aged 72.

Ehime's death in particular constituted a big blow to the family. But a silver lining has appeared behind the dark cloud with Ebi Aikhomu, the fun-loving princess of the Aikhomu clan, delivered of a baby girl.

Currently the CEO/Designer at Out of Space Concepts, Ebi has brought real joy to the family with her new baby.

Kola Abiola climbths Mount Everest to mark 50 birthday

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bdul-Lateef Kolawole Abiola, eldest son of the late business mogul and winner of the 1993 presidential election annulled by the military regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Bashorun MKO Abiola, clocked 50 years on Sunday.

For the auspicious occasion, Kola proceeded to Saudi Arabia to thank the Almighty Allah for His blessings. After observing the Umrah (Lesser Hajj) in Saudi Arabia, he proceeded on an expedition to Mount Everest, having already 'conquered' Mount Kilimanjaro.

He has had to shoulder a lot of responsibilities for most of his adult life. He is one of those men who have done in 50 years what they should do in 80 years.

oli, the pretty exwife of Prince Adeniyi, in her heyday bestrode the social scene like a colossus. No social event could be said to be complete without her presence. Her later marriage to PDP chieftain, Chief Bode George, ensured her continued mention in society journals and national dallies.

Luck did not seem to favour her venturing into politics. Roli, under the umbrella of PDP, contested for a seat in the House of Representatives but lost. She has since then retreated from public events.

A model in her younger days, Roli was a natural mixer. She was the life of the party, and her pretty looks won her the attention of many.

Right now, the reverse appears to be the case as she rarely ventures out of the haven which her husband's home provides her. She has had a taste of the humble pie. Still, there are many who believe that like a cat with nine lives, Rolly will bounce back at the appropriate time.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

Call her a ‘chip off the old block’ and you wouldn’t be wrong.

Overtly stubborn and opinionated, Yeni Kuti, first child of late afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, is living to type as an offspring of the legendary Kuti family.

In this exclusive chat with SEGUN AJIBOYE, Yeni speaks on several issues, ranging from her childhood, Fela, romance and marriage, among others.

Y

‘As Fela’s children, we didn’t even have spoons, not to talk of silver spoons’

OUR younger brother, Femi marked his 50th birthday re-

cently. Don’t you have the feeling that you’re already an old woman?

I already feel like an old woman (prolong laughter) But you don’t look it at all.

How can you say that? Look at my white hair. You can’t say that I don’t look old with all these white hair!

But there are several younger people with more white hair. What really is the secret of your looks?

I think smiling a lot is one of the secrets. Being happy is another one, and of course, getting my eight hours of sleep every day, though I find it difficult getting it these days. I don’t succeed much in getting the eight hours of sleep these days, but I try my best to make sure that I get some good sleep every day.

You are trendy. So what determines your fashion?

You mean I am trendy for a 51-year old?

But the truth is that you are trendy…

I just dress the way I feel. I love to match my colours. And that is why I cannot say that I am poor because I can afford to buy my shoes, clothes and other things. Luckily, I think I have enough to satisfy my appetite for clothes. Buta I don’t follow what they call trend. I wear my own things and I love to match my colours.

But your jewelries also set you out in the crowd.

Yes I love huge earrings that are round. For me, it is the bigger the better.

Another thing is the way you wear your hair. Is this your natural hair?

Yes it is my hair. It is not as long as it used to be. I think it is breaking off as I grow older.

Your sense of fashion, who did you take after between your mom and dad?

It is definitely after my father. Fela was a powerful dresser. Whatever he wore, the colour, all down to the shoes, must be matched. I think I was either born into it or I imbibed it watching him. He was always impeccably dressed. I loved his simple style. So you can say I am the female side of his fashion sense. Yes I am the female side of Fela.

Do you ever get angry?

Sure! I think as a human being, you cannot totally avoid getting angry.

But what are those things that would make you angry?

The number one thing that gets me angry in Lagos is the Okada riders. These people, they scratch your car left, right and centre. And of course, their big brother, the Danfo drivers, they too can make an angel angry. To make matters worse, they would block your way to pick passengers. For me, that smacks of selfishness. That really makes me angry. I really don’t mind them overtaking my car and move on. But the Danfo drivers would overtake your car, then block you from going until they are through with what-

•Yeni

ever they are doing, either dropping off or picking passengers. That is bad.

You talked about selfishness. How does it make you feel when you have to deal with a selfish person?

That is exactly what I am saying. I only used the Danfo drivers as an example. It is something that has pervaded every part of Nigerians. You can imagine if such a Danfo driver becomes a leader, he would definitely display that selfish character. It is the same mentality with our leaders, they will block you from making progress while they want to move on. Our leaders, they know how to talk the talk without doing the work.

Imagine the president travelling with more than hundred people, is he invading that country? The same person would do a similar thing if he were a Danfo driver.

I believe you are aware of the Farouk Lawan case.

What is your take on it?

I am not surprised in any way. But they cannot tell me that they are not settling themselves. I am even sure that the Farouk Lawan case has turned out this way because they want to get him. They go after who they want. What are we talking about?

What do you think Fela would be saying at this time if he were alive?

Fela would be saying all that we are saying now.

But I think he would be saying it differently because his voice would be louder than yours.

Yes, his voice would be louder. But that is even if the media want to carry his report.

How many newspapers do you think were writing all he was saying before he died? Though a few newspapers were carrying his reports, but many others just ignored him. Those few guys were those who believed in him. His last eight songs that were not released treated all these matters. One of his last songs was ‘chop and clean mouth like say nothing happened is another name for stealing’. This song was composed during the Babangida era. Has the stealing stopped? Of course the answer is No! You hear stories about tailors with oil blocks. It is painful because the thing is spreading like cancer without any cure.

Look at the government at the center, despite being in power for 12 years, they cannot find any solution to most of the problems confronting the country. It is particularly painful to me because they only need to do a little to write their names on the sand of history. The people are not asking for too much, just a little. That is the reason why Lagos people are singing the praises of Governor Babatunde Fashola. I must confess that I am not his fan, but the truth is that the man is doing some things and the people are happy. Yes, Fela had his excesses, but he was a very just man who stood up against injustice in the land at a time when it was too dangerous for anybody to speak.

You are a dancer with the Positive Band.

What else do you do aside from dancing?

I run the Shrine. Though we have managers who do the day to day business, but I oversee the entire business. I also run a dancing school now.

Did you attend any dancing school?

I didn’t attend any dancing school. And maybe I should add that the only dance I teach is afro beat.

But you dance very well. Was it that you learnt dancing as a member of Fela’s band?

No. I think what happened was that as a child, around four or five years old, my father had a beautiful dancer called Dele. She was a beautiful dancer. She would teach me and my sister, Busola. She taught us good dancing skills. So when I got to secondary school, I belonged to the dance troupes all through my secondary school. I was a very good fan of the South African dancing troupe, Ipi Tombi. But I draw my inspiration from many different sources.

But at what point did you realise you were going to be a professional dancer?

As a teenager, my father had wanted to send me to a dancing school, but he could not afford to send me.

You mean Fela could not afford to send you to a school?

Yes. But that was the truth. At that time, they had burnt his house and he was really broke.

He had overdrawn all his accounts trying to live. Don’t forget he was feeding about 70 people

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

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Which silver spoon? We didn’t even have spoons... It was only because our father was popular. For example, people look at me as a very wealthy person simply because I am Fela’s daughter.

Though I am not saying I am broke, at least I can eat my three meals, wear clothes and all that. But there are things that I would love to do that I cannot do. In the same way, we were not rich in those days...

’

who lived with him.

Does this make you feel bad in any way?

It does not make me feel bad in any way. I know my father was broke, so I just accepted it. And of course, if you were well brought up, you’ll understand whatever your parents tell you. Also, don’t forget that Fela was not a good funds manager. He couldn’t manage his funds. He was only an artiste, and it is very rare to find an artiste who manages funds very well. So Fela would blow his money. Even those around him who were supposed to manage the funds were the ones who would steal the money. Sometimes he would just get to the bank and would be told he was broke. It is then he would shout, ‘How did I spend the money?’ In some cases, some would even forge his signature to steal his money. Not just his money, but his mom’s money as well.

But you grew up as children of a rich man. I mean children with silver spoon …cuts in. But that was not true. We were not rich. Which silver spoon? We didn’t even have spoons.

•Yeni

But people looked at you as children of a rich man.

It was only because our father was popular. For example, people look at me as a very wealthy person simply because I am Fela’s daughter. Though I am not saying I am broke, at least I can eat my three meals, wear clothes and all that. But there are things that I would love to do that I cannot do. In the same way, we were not rich in those days. Even before we left that house, we were already owing two years rent.

As a child, who were you closer to Fela or your mom?

I was close to my mom in the way a child

was supposed to be close to the mom. And I was close to Fela in a way a child is supposed to be close to the father. Don’t forget that we lived with my mom, so I was close to her. But at the same time, I was close to my father because I was the first daughter. There were things that I could tell my father that I couldn’t tell my mother. There were also things that I could tell my mother that I couldn’t tell my father. So for me, it was a balanced relationship with my parents.

But why were your parents not living together?

My mom was sick at the time, and the doctor advised that Fela’s house was too rowdy for her, and she moved out. But that was when Fela began to bring different kinds of women to the house and there was no way she would move back to the house.

What did you miss by your parents not living together?

We really didn’t miss anything because Fela was always with us in our house. He came to visit us all the time. So we didn’t really know that we were not living together.

Was there any time that Fela scolded you for doing anything wrong?

I did many things that attracted punishment.

But one particular one that I remember was when my mom reported us to him. Back then, the three of us, me, Femi and Busola used to fight a great deal. It got to a point that my mom reported us to Fela. He called the three of us together and built a castle with match sticks.

He removed one of the match sticks and all the other sticks simply collapsed. He now asked us why the match sticks collapsed, and we told him it was because he removed one. That lesson taught us a lot during our formative years.

Maybe that is why you cannot touch any of my siblings and expect me to stand by and watch you. I will fight to the last drop of my blood.

Fela had many wives. What effect did Fela’s polygamy have on you the children?

You remember that Fela always had women even before he married his other wives.

But at the beginning when it was just Fela, your mom and you the children…

Even at the beginning, I remember my mom saying stories of me telling her I saw Fela with some women in the car driving past.

You mean Fela had his women even when it was your mom alone?

Fela always had his women. There was this particular woman that would always come to make trouble with my mom. She would tear his shirt whenever she fought him. Even at shows, this woman would sit behind my mother and abuse her from head to toe. She thought my mother was not a Nigerian, and so she would say, ‘Go back to your country’! It got to a head one day when Fela had a show at the City Hall.

I went to the place to complain to Fela about the woman, and he just said, ‘Leave her alone jare.’

How old were you then?

I think I should be around eight at the time.

That means you started playing this your motherly role long time ago?

(General laughter) I really don’t know about this.

Each time I look at the Kutis, I see this stubborn countenance in all of you. Are you stubborn?

I don’t know what you mean about being stubborn. But let me tell you this story. Not long ago, I was robbed. The armed robbers took my car.

But at that moment, I hated myself because I failed to lock my doors. If I had locked the doors, there was no way they would get me out except they break the glasses and shoot me. But even after they dragged me out of the car, I was still fighting them. At a point, I said to myself, ‘Stop fighting, these people can shoot you’. But I

couldn’t just stop fighting and kicking. They beat me silly, tore my shirt and dragged me on the ground. I bit one of them and he punched me hard. So, if you call that stubborn, maybe. But I shouldn’t have fought them. I should simply have given them the key. I believe that God works in mysterious ways. Imagine if Femi had been with us, I am sure he would have given them a fight, and they might have used their guns. I thank God Femi was not with us in the car. So if that is what you call being stubborn, then I think it is true.

Your daughter is already a graduate. You know what, I wouldn’t be too wrong to call you a granma.

Yes o. I would be happy if you call me a grandmother so that she can quickly get married. I’m praying for her to get married soon.

There were some reports in the papers not too long ago linking you with a new man. Shortly after that, there was another report that the relationship has broken down. Is this true?

The only thing that I can tell you now is that I have a partner with whom I have been going out for five years now.

And the two of you don’t have plans for marriage?

We are happy together and we don’t need to be married to be happy.

This is another thing that I talked about the Kutis. You’re always doing things your own way not minding how the society views such thing.

But that is the only way to be happy. If you live your life according to the dictates of the society, it means you are not living your own dreams. You are living the lives of other people and you’ll surely run into problem because you are always running and trying to catch up with other people. I am to please myself and not the society. I am here to do those things that I believe are right.

Things like not being a thief or a government thief. What if I am married and still unhappy? You see lots of married women who are unhappy because you see their husbands with different kinds of women every day.

But you said the two of you are deeply in love. If he proposes marriage to you, would you accept?

What I am saying is that the two of us are happy with the way things are for now. I believe problems might start if we get married. We are very content with the way we are. You know what couples are like, making demands of each other.

With the way you look, I’m sure you still attract passes from men on a daily basis.

How true is this?

(Prolong laughter) I really don’t know, but I believe I still get my own fair share of toasters. I am flattered that I still get toasters at my age.

Which is your best food?

I love pounded yam. But I have cut down on it now. I really love African foods.

What is your best colour?

For clothes, any good colour would do for me.

How do you pick your jewelries?

I pick my jewelries according to the colour of my clothes. I don’t wear gold, not because I don’t like it, but because, you see, I don’t see myself flaunting gold in the face of the abject poverty in the land. Why would I spend so much money on gold when more than 80 per cent of the people are living below the poverty line?

How are you managing Fela’s estate?

There are three administrators, and we are all friendly. So there is no problem at all.

You know Fela’s estate is very vast, not in terms of liquid cash, but in terms of his works, image and other things that can be turned into cash.

Your siblings, everybody now looks up to you as the ‘mother’ of the family. How are you coping?

I am doing my best and they all give me that respect as the head of the family, and I try not to spoil it. I try as hard as I could with everybody. They all give that respect as the oldest sibling.

If you had to live your life over again, are there changes you’ll like to make?

I might make some few changes, but life would still be relatively the same. I probably wouldn’t have gotten married.

What exactly do you have against marriage?

I really don’t have anything against marriage. I’m sure it can be fun for those it works for.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

Sisi Oge: Pride of Africa 2012 T

HE much-anticipated beauty pageant with a difference, the Sisi Oge beauty pageant, the sixth in the series, was held at the prestigious event centre-Civic Centre, Ozomba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos fortnight ago. It was a gathering of who-is-who in the Nigerian fashion and entertainment industry, as the event centre threw its doors open for the sixth edition of the Sisi Oge beauty pageant.

The show is the only regular African beauty pageant, and it is aimed at exposing and celebrating African beauty, traditions, value, cuisines and the creativity of African designers using local fabrics and by so doing promoting African culture.

Shikeola Olowe was crowned the Sisi Oge, the Pride of Africa 2012, while Jamia Tijani and Funmilayo Rebecca were crowned as the 1st and 2nd runners-up respectively.

The whole hall was filled to the brim. Popular fashion designers, artistes, stand-up comedians, showbiz personalities and media gurus were all there. It was indeed a night of glamour filled with fun, where the best of African cuisines and fashion were showcased both on and off the runway.

Apart from the beauty contest, some designers also showcased their independent collections. Those who did included Jona Josephine and Larry Aglaria.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

Put them on Omowumi OGUNTUASE Fashionable glasses are fashion items and a necessity.

Choosing glasses involves more than going for trendy frames that follow the latest styles. When shopping for fashion glasses, it can be fun to try on a variety of styles, but when it comes down to finding the right pair of fun glasses for you, your face shape will determine the best fashion glasses for you.

People with an oval face shape are lucky as there are multiple types of frames and types of glasses that complement an oval face shape. Therefore, it makes shopping for fashion glasses easy. If you are shopping for fashion glasses, and you have a square facial shape than round or large curved shape, such as aviator sunglasses look great on those with a square facial shape and add balance to the facial shapes.

Aviators, round and oval lenses and frames are recommended for those that have a square facial shape.

Going for the dark will be better outside and if you feel you must put one on when you are at a function, you should probably go for the geek glasses or transparent ones. You should also know that as a lady, the way your hair is will decide whether or not the glasses will look good on you. Whatever it is that you are wearing, fashion glasses are neutral and will keep the sun out too.

Curvies rule with JPkingdom JPKingdom whose target audience is plus size women from the age 18-45 launched its online retail business amidst glitz and glamour with series of events. The website went live on June 8 at a private masquerade ball on Victoria Island, Lagos, hosting celebrity curvies and dignitaries in the fashion and media industry.

Davido was the performing act. A runway show followed on June 9 at Silverbird Galleria. The CEO, a delectable curvy, Temi Abs-Owo, said: “Our brand is all about perception and courage.

Curvies need to break out and show their personality in how they dress. They need to be daring and accept their God-given beauty�.

JPKingdom aims to launch their t-shirt line and stylist service late 2012.

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SOCIETY

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THE NATION SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

When Imo indigenes celebrated peace festival in Lagos T HE indigenes of Mgbidi in Oru West in Imo State recently celebrated Owu festival in Lagos. The festival, which was an annual event, was held at L.A Primary School, Aga Hausa, Ajegunle, Lagos.

The occasion afforded the indigenes the opportunity to reunite and discuss issues relating to the de-

Gbenga KUTELU

velopment of the town.

Dressed in their traditional attire, the chiefs sang and danced to the admiration of the people on the occasion. Masquerades also entertained guests

with drumming and dancing.

Speaking on the occasion, the president of the union, Mr Nwafor, described the event as a festival of peace and unity.

He advised people on the need to preserve their culture for the benefit of coming generations.

•From right: Innocent Nwafor, President, Mgbidi Peoples’ Union, Lagos; Chief Emeka Udegbulem and Chief Ejimofor (Akuzuonu-Mgbidi)

•The first dance symbolising the commencement of the festival.

•Representatives of Eze Ndigbo of Mushin

•From right: Chief Festus Ola Arowojolu, Baale of Otunlara Ilaje; Chief Garuba Akintunde and Smith John.

Rep lifts indigent constituents

WHAT

&

WHERE

•From right: Daniel Okemiri, H.R.M. Emmanuel Okolie (Ikenga Orsu), Jude Ohanusi (Nze Ome Ifezuo), Chief Peter Ezenwa and Nze Sabastine Umeh

•Miss Nkiru Obiwanne receiving her GCE form from Hon. Adenekan THE lawmaker representing the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Taiwo Adenekan, has distributed poverty alleviation items to residents of his

constituency.

Speaking during the distribution of GCE forms and poverty alleviation items to indigent constituents held at LA Primary

•Masquerades dancing

School complex, Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area.Lagos State, Hon Adenekan explained that he was ready to provide more dividends of democracy to residents.

“Let me seize this opportunity to assure residents that I would strive to provide them with more dividends of democracy that would turn their lives around and strengthen development of our great constituency.”

Various items such as sewing machines, hair dryers, soft drinks, among other provision items and GCE forms were given out to artisans and students while 40 aged residents also got N20, 000 allowance for their upkeep.

•Lagos State Coordinator of Fadama III Project, Mr. Folu Ajijola (middle), and members of North-West Zone of State Project Coordinators on working visit to Lagos.

FAMIL Y HEAL TH AMILY HEALTH

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

53 Coping with diseases with Prof. Dayo Oyekole

Reducing cancer risks with lifestyle changes

R

ECENTLY, a top so cialite, who was a regular face on the Lagos social circuit, died abroad reportedly from cancer. She’s not the only one as in recent years, the cancer scourge has continued to ravage the world resulting in a high death toll that has made health experts look for other means of curbing the ailment. One of these is preventative measures, which experts believe will help bring down the number of people exposed to cancer risks and thus reduce the statistics.

This is especially important in a country like Nigeria with a high cancer rate particularly breast cancer. A recent study by doctors at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, for instance, noted that 116 out of 100,000 Nigerian women have breast cancer. With the number of oncologists in the country put at about thirteen, there are fears that existing healthcare facilities and health personnel might be grossly inadequate to cope with the disease.

Prevention is better This is where the issue of preventive measures come in.

To Babasanya Babatunde, Registrar, Family Medicine, UCH, being aware and observant are important factors in pushing

Experts believe that adopting preventive measures will go a long way in reducing the number of cancer cases

back the cancer menace.

Said he: “Prevention is different from treatment.

When you treat, it means that the cancer is present in the body while preventive measures are another thing completely. People can be observant when it comes to cancer.”

“It’s also good that one does not put his body under stress, by over indulging in alcohol, smoking and junk food. Women who have had breast cancer in their family have a high chance of getting it so it is important that they carry out self examination of their breasts. Generally, once there has been someone who has had one type of cancer, the chances of getting it cannot be ruled out.

It’s important to maintain

a healthy lifestyle.”

The food factor To health experts, preventive measures like good nutrition should be a major focus of the health ministries’ at federal and state levels, as well as the various cancer associations and foundations in the country.

Stated Dr Babatunde: “Good food is like good medicine. It is important to eat healthy food and take less of junk food. Healthy food nourishes the body and helps repair the body. If you eat a balanced diet it helps boost immunity. Fresh fruits like oranges can help the body against cancer. Foods that contain Vit. E and C can also help protect the body against cancer. In case of breast cancer, mammogram is expensive, breast self examination

is far cheaper. A healthy lifestyle like I said before is the key.”

Speaking further on other preventive steps to take in reducing cancer risk, he said, “To prevent primary liver carcinoma (liver cancer), it is important to reduce the intake of alcohol. This cancer can cause hepatitis. Once the eyes begin to turn yellow it is important to see a doctor immediately. For lung cancer, it is obvious that cigarette smoking can cause it, so one should not only stop smoking but also avoid places where people smoke a lot.”

An ancient disease battles modern man Though cancer has been around as long as mankind, it was however, only in the second half of the 20th century that the number of cases exploded. Contributing to this explosion are the excessive amounts of toxins, chemicals and pollutants we are exposed to. Others are stress, lifestyles that put strain on the immune system, poor quality junk food that’s full of pesticides, genetically modified foods, lights and just about everything that was not around several centuries ago.

All these weaken the immune system and alter the internal environment in the body to an environment that promotes the growth of cancer.

Ten easy tips to help cope with arthritis pain (1)

L

IVING with stiff, swol len, and painful joints caused by arthritis can be overwhelming. Caused by the breakdown of boneprotective cartilage in your joints, osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and typically affects the hands, knees, and hips.

Anti-inflammatory drugs are mainstays of osteoarthritis treatment. But what you eat, how you move, and how you handle stress can also make a big difference in how you feel. The following are 10 suggestions to help you persevere when dealing with the difficult aspects of arthritis pain.

Wellness & pain One way to reduce your pain is to build your life around wellness, not pain or sickness. This means thinking positive thoughts, having a sense of humor, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, surrounding yourself with positive people and enjoying activities with friends and family.

Good posture - less stress Good posture is key to minimizing the stress on your joints as well as the spine. To stand with good posture keep your feet 12 inches apart, with the outside of your feet forming two parallel lines. As you stand, keep your weight evenly distributed between both feet and keep your shoulders

drawn back and down to lift and broaden your chest.

Your chin should be parallel with the ground. To help keep good posture imagine a string attached to the top of your head gently lifting you up.

Your weight and your knees Losing weight can take pressure off of your knees.

Every time you take a step the force, or pressure, across your knees and hips is two to three times your body weight. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, when you walk your knees and hips are shouldering the burden of closer to 450 pounds – a particular handicap for someone whose joints have deteriorated. To put it another way, if you gain 20 excess pounds your knees carry a burden of up to 120 extra pounds. The more weight you carry the more pressure there is on your joint.

The more pressure on the joint the more pain you may have, and the faster the joint deteriorates. Losing just 10 pounds can take about 30 pounds of pressure off the knees when you walk.

High heels hurt Women with arthritis may want to reconsider wearing high heels. Researchers at Boston’s Spaulding Rehabilitation

Hospital found that the movements of women who frequently wear high heels of at least two inches high (including thick heels) increases

torque (twisting force) at the knee, straining the joint near the back of the kneecap. This stress can increase wear and tear and lead to or worsen osteoarthritis.

Being overweight puts pressure on the joints, causing pain

T

Diabetes

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

Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome in which the basic defect is the absence or shortage of the hormone called insulin. This hormone is carried by the blood to the kidneys, where it limits the outflow of water in the urine.

The great majority cases of Diabetes insipidus are due to a tumour or inflammation in the region of the pituitary gland, thereby suppressing ADH production. Physical damage in form of fracture of the base of the skull or surgery in the pituitary area can also cause Diabetes insipidus. In addition, there is a rare inherited form of Diabetes insipidus where the production of Anti-Diuretic Hormone is normal, but the kidneys do not respond to the circulating hormone.

As earlier stated, in Diabetes mellitus, an organ in the body (called the pancreas) is found not to be functioning properly.

Insulin is a hormone produced by the Beta cells in the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Insulin is carried by the blood to all parts of the body. The body’s cells use glucose (blood sugar) as their fuel. They have receptors to which insulin becomes attached. This binding of insulin enables the cells to use glucose by converting it into energy or storing it as fat. Any defect in this process, either in the pancreas, where insulin is being produced, or at the sites of attachment of insulin to the cells, would interfere with the body’s use of fuel to produce energy.

Apart from the malfunctioning of the Pancreas, one other cause of this disorder is unbalanced diet. Most of us consume denatured food in one way or the other. Also, food additives and unhealthy drinks, whether soft drinks, teas, coffee or liquor may predispose one to metabolic imbalance.

Symptoms: Having explained the primary causes of diabetes, let us consider the symptoms. The symptoms of diabetes are frequent urination, loss of flesh, inordinate appetite, constant hunger, mental depression, progressive weakness, great thirst, dry tongue and impaired vision. The person could be irritable, restless and morose. The loss of energy is due to the loss of sugar, which is needed to generate the energy for daily activities.

It must be noted that it is not in every case that all the symptoms are present in a patient. Therefore, it is most helpful to do tests in hospitals and diagnostic centers, in order to confirm whether a patient is diabetic or not. Luckily, there are simple kits now available for routine tests in this case.

Treatment: Having touched on some causes and symptoms of diabetes, let us see how we can remove the causes and help quicken recovery where the disease is already there, or how one can prevent it in healthy bodies. One thing is obvious, that is, we must turn to NATURE. In Holistic Lifecare, it is strongly advised that imported styles of living (i.e. cooking, eating & drinking) must be looked into especially on the use of food additives and colourants in fast foods and so-called take-away. Heavy starchy foods should be cut down drastically, if they cannot be avoided, pending total recovery from the ailment.

As we make efforts to repair a malfunctioning pancreas, there are some fruits and vegetables known to be helpful. These include carrots, paw-paw, cucumber, onions, garlic and lettuce, combined with soya-milk mixed with guinea-corn pap or porridge.

Many of us might say that there is no time to embark on natural lifestyles, forgetting that the time required is less than the time we would spend at the clinic when we fall sick. The choice is yours.

Control: The Holistic remedy that has been popularly suggested for the control of Diabetes is a combination of the natural extracts of some herbs scientifically called Anchomanes difformis, Pergularia daemia, Vinca rosea and Viscum album.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

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Boston is not only famous for its rich history and the great universities, it has the oldest constitution in the country, according to locals.

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•Boston skyline

America, their America

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HE Murtala Muhammed Inter national Airport, Lagos was crowded, stuffy and noisy as usual.

Frustrated by the discomfort while on the lengthy, slowmoving queue, passengers began to lament the Nigerian system which refuses to work in almost all sectors. I was among those boarding a direct flight to Atlanta in the United States of America (USA) in the evening of June 12. There were others on the queue heading for other destinations and over 95 per cent

of us were Nigerians. The crowd of passengers moving at a snail speed neutralized the cold air oozing out of the few standing air conditioners at the boarding passage.

“Why is this queue not moving now? I wonder what these uniformed people are doing that they are delaying us like this. It’s too stuffy here. Don’t these people visit other countries and see how they run their airports? We call this an international airport. Yet, passage is this punishing and uncomfortable.

All we hear are that billions

of Naira are being sunk here yearly. We don’t see any meaningful change,” lamented a frustrated middleaged man amidst several similar complaints, particularly by most women on the queue. As usual, it all ended with “Only God can help us in this country.”

After 12 hours in the air, the plane landed at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia. Described as the second largest and beautiful airport in the US, the sprawling airport is one huge business

centre where excellent services meet with beauty and technology. The feel of the strength, power and excellence of the US is strong here.

The beckoning of the country is simply irresistible.

From Atlanta, I connected another flight to Boston, Massachusetts, venue of the fourday conference for which over 2,000 investigative journalists from over 42 countries gathered to exchange ideas and learn from one another. It was another opportunity for members of the pen profession to explore

ways of pursuing investigations in coming years. The Executive Editor, New York Times, Jill Abramson, who delivered this year’s keynote address, spoke on how the investigation of the Watergate scandal by journalists drew her into journalism. Emphasizing that this year’s conference by the Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) was significant because it marks the 40th year of the scandal, Abramson urged investigative journalists across the world to do more to expose corruption of all types in the society, stressing that such successful investigations make the world a better place.

Boston, the city chosen for the conference, houses arguably America’s two best universities - Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Known as the Spirit of America, the state of Massachusetts has a rich history as much as it offers tourists much to see and relish. At the city’s business hub, known as Downtown in every city in the US, magnificent buildings of different shapes and ages adorn the streets. As you stand in awe relishing the strength, beauty and history of some of the structures, one is always confounded every time you discover that some of such buildings have been standing for over 300 years, yet they remain magnificent and attractive. Such is the experience with hotels, libraries and churches. As with many American cities, Boston is home to many other nationals who have their ori-

gins in other countries of the world. That makes everyone feel at home here. A former president, John F. Kennedy, hailed from Boston. The state of Massachusetts was also among the original 15 states that came together as the United States of America at independence.

Aside the Constitution Centre, the Massachusetts State House is tucked in the heart of the city of Boston. Its location right in the residential area of the city, sharing fence with residential houses, makes it clear that the governor here lives within his people of mixed classes. He must be seeing actual life everyday the same way the ordinary citizens see and experience it.

Riding on a Boston Duck Tour vehicle with other tourists from within the US and others from Europe, Asia, and South America, I had the opportunity to sail on the Charles River, the water that separates Cambridge, part of Boston that houses Harvard University. The 34-seater vehicle, built in form of a duck, sailed the river for over 30 minutes with the driver and tour guide, Mallard Storm, sharing exciting history of the city, including some of the wars fought against Britons on the soil of Boston as we cruised on the 120- kilometre long river. With normal vehicle tyres with which it moves on the road, the vehicle using bio-fuel engine also has propellers with which it sails on water to give tourists a rich and exciting experience. Boston is not only famous for its rich history and

Tourism News J

UDGES and members of the Nigerian Seven Wonders expedition team were hosted to a dinner this week by the Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe.

It was an opportunity for back-slapping and congratulations for a job well done. The team in a period of one and two months traversed the different parts of the country to visit tourism sites and collate the materials and put them before Nigerians to choose the seven most compelling natural or man-made sites in the country.

At the end of the search, the winning sites chosen were the kano Walls, Benin Moat, Edo State; War

Naija Seven Wonders team gets award

• Runsewe (left) presenting certificate of merit to Mr. Nkereuwen Onung

Museum, Umuahia, Abia State; Obudu Cattle Ranch, Cross River State; the Idanre Hill, Ondo State; Osun Grove, Osun State and the Sukur ancient

kingdom, Adamawa State.

The NTDC boss commended the participants for the sacrifice, despite the difficulties and succeeded in coming out with a result.

In his speech, one of the judges and the managing director of the Hotel Support Group, Mr Ayo Olowoporoku, said the expediation, despite the challenges, was an eye opener.

He thanked the NTDC for supporting the project and commended the organisation’s boss for developing tourism more than any of his predecessors.

The president of the National Association of Tour Operators, Mr. Nkereuwen Onung, also one of the judges, commended the project team, saying it was publicprivate partnership. He said it was a journey that

had njust started.

He said: “This is a vision, and one of the things keeping us going is the focus of Ikechi Uko, the project director.

Every time you have a vision, you must believe in it even if others do not believe it.”

Ikechi Ukoh, the project director and initiator of the project, said having completed the first phase, the team would soon embark on the second stage of the project.

Aero commences flight ope from Uyo to Abuja

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ERO Contractors, Nigeria’s leading regional airline, has announced that on Monday the airline will commence flight operations between Uyo and Abuja.

The flight from Abuja to Uyo and Uyo to Abuja, which will be operated with a Boeing 737, will depart at 12:45pm daily from either location.

Over the years, Aero has become the first airline of choice offering excellent value for money and making travels easier and convenient through its electronic products like book and pay online, online check in, online insurance, vouchers for on-line transactions and other numerous offerings.

“We are very excited to be

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55 Nigeria, UAE travel press to partner

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012 the great universities, it has the oldest constitution in the country, according to locals.

Evolution of Boston Boston is one of the most historic cities in the US. Older than the country itself by more than a century, Boston has been the site of some of the most significant events in U.S. history. As one of the country’s biggest cities and the centre of the New England region, Boston will surely play host to many other historic events as the U S proceeds well into its third century.

Boston was founded in 1630 by the pritans. The puritans were a group of breakaway English protestants who had the backing of investors in England hoping to import goods and natural resources from the so-called “New World” of North America As England’s North American colonies became larger and more profitable, the English government began to exert more and more control over its colonial inhabitants.

This eventually led to the revolution that founded the US. The “Boston massacre,” in which British soldiers fired at an unarmed group of protesters in downtown Boston, helped to crystallize revolutionary sentiment throughout the U.S. Shortly thereafter, to protest a tax on tea levied by the English government, Bostonians dumped boxes of English tea into Bos-

•Ikechi Uko (middle), project director, Naija Seven Wonders presenting a gift item to one of the journlists from UAE •Public park in Boston

ton Harbor in what is known as the “Boston Tea Party.”

This was one of the key events that led to all-out war between the US and England.

The Harvard University is a historical monument on its own and a pleasant place to be. The oldest university in the US, Harvard, which was established in 1636, was renamed after a British clergy, John Harvard, in 1939.

Harvard was said to have willed one third of his possessions as well as his personal library to the college.

The school today has a modern 210-acre main campus.

The university is located just northwest of Boston and has a student body of approxi-

mately 22,000 students.

For its fame and rich history of producing some of the very best leaders and innovators in the world, including former presidents John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt, the honour earns the institution visitors from all over the world. Judging by the one hour I spent at the institution, Harvard receives tourists and academic visitors from Europe, Americas, Africa, Asia and indeed all continents every five minutes. Different nationals either as individuals or clutching together in groups swarm the campus with their big photo cameras as they navigate through the cam-

•The Nation’s Bisi Oladele (second from right) and some participants

pus. The effigy of John Harvard and a board on which visitors sign their names to add to the history of the university seemed the two important places never missed by tourists.

Travelling by road to Columbus, Ohio, another state with over 500-kilometre distance to Boston, I enjoyed the privilege of traversing a good part of the country.

Driving through Connecticut to New York, the centre of world’s trade and politics, to New Jersey and Pennsylvania to Ohio, a view of America reveals the cities with massive road connection, rivers, lakes and countless bridges, massive tree plantations and technology at its peak.

The large plantations of maize and arable crops which occupy both sides of the roads, reveal the reason America is able to feed her citizens conveniently. Farms are really big here. Some are so large they measure the size of an actual city - yet owned by only one farmer.

No wonder American farmers are among the richest in the country.

At the National Museum of the United States Airforce, Dayton, Ohio, visitors cannot beat the challenge posed by great innovators and the country’s World War heroes.

From the first ever aircraft produced by the Wright brothers and seen by the American government in 1907 to the war heroes who stood against the holocaust, visitors cannot but think of becoming heroes in one’s calling.

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XCHANGES of members of the travel press from the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria have commenced with the aim of establishing a bilateral relationship on tourism reportage and correcting some of the negative perception of Nigeria within the international media.

The initiative is an effort by the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation under the auspices of Ethihad Airways which recently launched operations in Nigeria.

The essence of the two-way tourism and travel initiative, according to the Director-General of NTDC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, is to broaden the scope of tourism and travel reportage while propagating the message that peace and tourism opportunities abound in both countries.

Introducing the visiting journalists to their Nigerian counterparts drawn from several prominent media, Runsewe used the platform to announce to the world that the negative media reports about Nigeria by some foreign media are totally false, saying that every country in the world has its own challenge and that the onus lies on the country to turn misfortune into opportunity, citing as an example, 9/ 11 in the United States which has been turned into a tourist attraction.

The first batch of travel journalists from the UAE were led by Damian James of Ethihad Airways and will be on tour in Nigeria to report her diverse tourism potential to the world after which travel journalists from Nigeria will visit the UAE to return the gesture.

Addressing the travel journalists Raddison Blu Hotel, Lagos, Runsewe explained that both countries stand to gain massively from the cooperation of the media as a veritable aspect of tourism promotion.

Fielding questions from the journalists during the interactive session, Runsewe noted that government was doing a lot to make travelling experience to Nigeria hassle free citing the introduction of the tourists’ master card which enables cashless transactions in the country and the new visa regime for tourists as examples amongst several other measures aimed at making Nigeria a destination of choice.

The NTDC boss revealed that tourists’ traffic from around the world to Nigeria is very impressive and the corporation has viable statistics to support the assertion just as he reassured the visitors that although grading and classification of hotels in the country is capital intensive, it is of interest and will be done in line with international standards.

Speaking further, the NTDC boss maintained that Nigeria was making positive contact with the global community, saying major international brands in the construction and automobile industry were opening shop in Nigeria as a result of its hugely impressive market potential.

Asked about the status of the rail transport system in Nigeria, Runsewe revealed that it will commence this year while the high speed train project executed by the federal government will be operational by 2014 promising also that the government is planning to reintroduce a national carrier.

Tourism News

es flight operations buja launching these new routes and frequencies which give our customers even more travel options to and from Uyo,” said Captain Akin George, Aero Managing Director. “In addition, the launch of these new routes and added frequencies further underscores the importance of our interest in the dynamic city of Uyo and our commitment to its growth,”he said.

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URAMO Beach, Lagos is currently undergoing cleaning and repositioning for tourism business.

The beach, established in 1999, was turned into the prostitutes and hoodlums’ den.

It has just been shut down by Iru Victoria Island Local Council Development Area.

The Vice Chairman of the council, Hon. Olusegun Ajiboye, said kuramo would be shut for a week.

“This is to allow the LCDA demolish illegal structures, clean the environment and transform it to allow beach users enjoy themselves.

“We cannot fold our hands and allow things to degenerate to a level of insecurity and disorderliness,”Ajiboye said.

He said the essence of repositioning the beach is to ensure kuramo regains its touristic glory as a tourism destination in Lagos.

Council to develop Kuramo Risikat RAMONI He stated that the demolished structures are the attachments built to the cabins. The cabins are legal structures that were approved by the state government.

“We can advise the cabin owners to restructure them so it can meet the tourism standards in other parts of the world,”he said.

At the beach, various security agents were sighted.

“Some of the hoodlums are now in a police station, others are with the environmental task force ,” said Stephen Water, the chief security officer of the beach.

In addition, the secretary

•Bulldozers at work at Kuramo Beach

to the Kuramo Beach Tourism Investors Association, Mr Onuwaja Michael, said the association ensured all

those residing on the beach were moved out and the illegal structures were pointed out for demolition.

The council special adviser on security and traffic matters, Mr Sam Iyere, said over 10,000 people were living on the beach. They included drug dealers and Indian hemp smokers.

Iyere noted that the rate of crime was high and that was why the place was emptied.

He added that the few structures left would be sufficient for the beach users.

“Immediately after the cleaning and repositioning, there will be a proper in-house security organ that will monitor and check the movement of people in and around the beach, so that hoodlums and criminals will not turn the tourist site into a criminals’ lodge.”

TRIBUTE

56 NEWS

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HE nature of urban and rural road transportation problems in Nigeria as at today can be best appreciated by looking at the trend of its development since Nigeria came into existence as a nation with the land area of about 923,773km. Road transportation system, as it was then, is still largely inefficient and grossly inadequate, even after 50 years of becoming independent from colonial rule. Successive governments have abdicated their responsibilities in terms of construction of motorable roads within cities.

And those who went into transport business were basically at the mercy of little resources and miserable lanes. This is one of the reasons why an individual who goes into the business of transportation does not usually survive, except in a few cases. This explains the travails of a one-man business in Africa which stems from the obvious fact that such businesses easily wither upon the demise of the original owners. So, there is hardly any business, especially in Nigeria, that ever spans through the third or fourth generation of the pioneer of the enterprise.

The reasons are not far-fetched either. The problem, in essence, is lack of enduring entrepreneur tradition and a culture of waste and abandonment.

Nigeria as a country at the least barely appreciates institution building and that is the reason why almost always we choose to construct our houses from the roof top! And because a people cannot be greater than their teacher, businesses die with the founding owners who find it intrinsically difficult to institutionalise their companies in accordance with the standard norms acceptable in civilised climes. It is increasingly obvious that no business succeeds and stands the text of time without coordinated planning and wellthought out vision.

This is exactly the void that Mr. Chidi Ajaere, the 25-year-old MD/CEO of God is Good Motors, is trying to fill by bringing to fruition those lofty ideas capable of bringing about necessary changes needed for the uplift of road transportation in Nigeria. He has breathed an innovative air into the sector which people regarded as a venture for dropouts before.

Since the demise of his father, Deacon Edwin Ajaere, the founder of God is Good Motors, the young Chidi, who celebrated his 25th birthday on June 28, has overtly rejuvenated the company and other conglomerates founded by his late father with the help of his mother, three brothers and the entire management of the company.

The acumen of Chidi is typically that of a responsible leader, communicator, decision maker and a manager who takes high-level decisions which have put God is Good Motors and other conglomerates in the limelight.

He has also used this quality to motivate his employees, a situation that has brought in all the noticeable changes in the company.

Also, Chidi has successfully managed to coordinate his other businesses - Ziuss Nigeria limited that deals in petroleum marketing; Lordwin Holding that deals in micro credit scheme; Lordwin Estate; Lordwin Capital which gives out loans to young entrepreneurs with good business ideas and Edwin Ajaere Foundation that caters for the less-privileged in the society.

His words: ‘‘Part of the success in running the business is having capable hands and a very supporting family. My brothers have been a source of inspiration, my mother a pillar of support and most of all the employees understand the vision and where we are trying to take the business to and they have keyed into it. My advice to younger entrepreneurs is have a vision of where you want to be, focus on it, back it with hard-work and a passion for what you are doing or where you want to go. Basically, vision is your map that shows your destination, hard-work is the car to get you there, focus is basically staying on course the road that gets you to your destination and passion is the fuel or gasoline that gets you to your desired destination.

I love what I do, I love making a difference and contributing to humanity.’’

He listed the innovative strategies that influenced the company’s monumental growth thus: ‘‘We have first class services comparable or better than some airline services in Nigeria; we serve snacks to our customers/passengers when they board our vehicles; and we send our managers abroad for training.

Our dress codes are better than some of the airlines’. Every year, we develop and set up a 10-Point Agenda to enable the members of staff and management understand the vision for the company and work towards its actualisation. We usually hold monthly meetings with senior managers to review where we are and where we are going. This enables us achieve success in our defined goals. We encourage our employees by recognising

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

Garland for an innovative transporter at 25

•Chidi Ajaere Dave Ikhide DAVE dedicated and exceptional members of staff yearly. We also try to enhance their dress sense by providing wardrobe allowances for all employees upon appointment, as well as encouraging productivity by awarding yearly bonuses.”

Chidi, who was just 21 when he was saddled with the responsibilities of taking over the management of the family business, vividly narrated some of the obstacles he had surmounted. Many employees of the company were cynical that the young Chidi could manage affairs of the company, but today, the company is a success story.

He attributed the company’s success story to his father who was a friend and mentor.

He said his late father raised them with utmost humility and the fear of God. He said: “People are surprised to see a young man making changes. We have well over 900 staff with direct full-time employment in our group and about 60 part-time workers. In the few years of running the group, I have met with top business leaders, politicians and heads of institutions. They are surprised upon the knowledge of my age.

Most or basically all my workers should be older than me. When I preside over our group meetings, I am usually humbled and at the same time very grateful for having an opportunity to make a difference, to change things, to have a vision and try to explain it to people.

“I am most grateful to God and my parents (father and mother) for giving me the opportunity to contribute to humanity and give back to the society. I see my folks work so hard and tirelessly. They come from a very humble background and I know what it is not having enough. What gives me joy is the opportunity to manage people and help to add value to the society.”

Chidi, who studied International Business Administration at Griffith University in Australia and Business Management at Niagara College in Canada, said as a young man, many of his father’s workers kicked against some of the initiatives he introduced, but he had to push them to see where he wanted to take the organisation to. He said his late father started sending him on transport seminars when he was 15 and that most discussions he had with his father were about the vision of the company.

His words: “Once my father left us, it was easy for me because he had built that confi-

dence in us. I started managing the business when I was 21. They taught I was too young at that time. I told people around me that I was confident and that the only thing I was going to miss was the presence of my father.

As for the business, I was very confident. We are not there yet. But we have moved very fast.

“It was easy to blend in when I took over because I had already learnt the rope my father and mother had taught me. My mum was very active in the business. She still is. I usually seek advice from her and she is always there to support me. My father was open; he showed us how things were to be done. I know where he wanted to take the business because I was always with him.

Even when I was schooling, I always had at least an hour conversation with my father every Saturday. In our conversations, two things we talked about were God and the business.

“It was easy to follow that same line of vision. But now I try to pursue it aggressively.

People always say how our customer services are first class, how our transport terminals and buildings are world class. It gives me a lot of joy seeing other transporters doing the same thing. I love competition. In most African countries, people in business don’t believe in competition. They see competitors as enemies. Competition is good for a vibrant CEO and the customers. It puts the CEO on his toes and he will want to always be ahead.

I don’t see competition as a negative factor but an opportunity to actually grow.”

Chidi was moved to tears when asked what he would do to his father’s killers if he met them. He simply said he would tell them “I have forgiven you,” even when he had so much bitterness at heart. He tried not to go into the subject of his father’s death which he described as painful.

“Whatever I do as a human being in this life, my inspiration is from God and my father and mother. I know God as a forgiving God and my father as a forgiving human being. I had so much bitterness in my mind that I cannot tell you the things I wish to do to them. Most of the perpetrators were caught at that time. One or two of them are still on the run. If I see them now, I will forgive them because I have the spirit of God in me and the mentorship of my father,”he said.

On the challenges he faced managing the business, Chidi listed electricity, roads, security challenges, rising cost of fuel and re-

sources which he described as human capital. Chidi, however, debunked allegations that transporters were working towards crippling the rail transportations saying government should invite young people like him for a way out of the moribund rail sector.

He said: “The running of the railway in the country rests upon our government. Nobody from the government has called my attention to actually see what can be done on railway.

It should take the government courage to charter leadership course in railway transportation. Government can do the public-private partnership and invite people like us and give that assignment.

“We study in this country and outside this country. It is practically impossible for a government body to handle transport business successfully in this part of the world. When it is left in the hands of private institution, they will make it a profitable venture and take it beyond visions of what government people will be able to do. I expect that by now whether in road or railway transportation, government should be able to invite young leaders to chart a course instead of leaving it for government body. Most companies left to public leadership don’t always succeed as when it is left with private individuals because most public employees are interested in what they can keep for themselves. They are interested in their pockets.”

On how he was able to turn around the company, Chidi said he was implementing the visions of his father and that he discovered that customer services were poor in Nigeria and wanted to change that.

“The things happening now are the visions of my father and mother. I sat with my father and he talked about how he wanted to create a niche in the transport industry using first class customer service. Customer service is the engine of growth for any service business and we are focused on constantly improving this aspect of our business. I usually tell my employees to see the customer as the king and to act as though the customer was their mother.

“I started thinking how to provide first class customer services and I found out that in most transport companies, the customers are in dirty public places, they step on dirt and you find touts or what they refer to as agbero dragging them. I also found out that transport companies outside Nigeria have befitting bus terminals that can cater for their customers. There is a place they can sit, a place they can eat, a place they can work in and get good customer service delivery. I decided to bring those things to my company and make sure that our customers are satisfied.

“We started by rebranding. We employed more graduates. 95 per cent of our administrative staff are graduates and they have training once in three months. When other transporters saw there was a point in what we are doing, they started changing their business model as well, buying better buses and building new terminals. We are one of the leading transport companies in Nigeria, charting the course right now in road transportation in Nigeria. I can humbly state that we are one of the top five in the country. We have about 400 buses and at least 350 buses are active on the road every day. When I took over, we were doing about 100 buses, but three years down the road, we have moved up to that capacity and revenue wise as well.

We are expanding our routes and we want to be the pioneers of modern transport service in Nigeria with a sense of outstanding customer service.

“As things stand, government is not making enough effort to alleviate the problems bedevilling road transport system to ease off network of commuters from place to place; not even with the SURE programme of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Public and private partnership is non-existence in the area of provision of transport services within cities and those that would link cities. The government is not looking in the direction of macro-economic policies that would appreciate the naira and turn round the transport sector dramatically.

“There is no doubt that if the naira appreciates, importation of vehicles and spare parts will become cheaper. Thus, more vehicles would be bought, and more spare parts would be available to make lifespans of vehicles longer. By so doing, enough vehicles will be provided for both intra and inter-urban services. Until then, Nigerians will continue to carry the burden of the stunted transport sector and the paucity of both intra and inter-urban services.” he said.

•Mr. Dave, a public affairs analyst, wrote in from Benin, Edo State.

, Dave Ikhide

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

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THE NATION, SATURDAY 7, JULY 2012

76 oil wells: Cross River files fresh application in Supreme Court

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ROSS River State is seeking the reopening of hearing in the dispute between it and Akwa Ibom State over the ownership of 76 oil wells.

Although the Supreme Court is scheduled to give judgment in the case on Tuesday, July 10, Cross River approached the apex court on Thursday with fresh applications to re-open the case.

The premise of its case this time around is that the map tendered before the court by the National Boundary Commission (NBC), and on which the court would rely for its judgment, is a forgery.

Counsel to Cross River, Mr. Yusuf Ali (SAN) and Mr. Paul Erokoro (SAN) listed ten grounds for the matter. One of the grounds reads that: “Surveyor Alhaji Basir Shettima fraudulently concealed the fact that Exhibit NBC 1 (map) attached to his affidavit deposed to in this court on 11/05/2012, was not an authoritative map, but was merely a sketch and proposal made by the National Boundary Commission and was never approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria or even the National Boundary Commission itself at a plenary session.

“Surveyor Alhaji Bashir

•Accuses boundary commission of forgery •Nigeria may lose more territory to Cameroun Shettima fraudulently concealed the fact that Exhibit NBC 1 was made without the input of the office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, the authority empowered to make maps delineating boundaries within Nigeria.

“Surveyor Alhaji Bashir Shettima fraudulently concealed from the court the fact that the letter from the National Boundary Commission forwarding Exhibit NBC 1 (map) to the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission clearly stated that the map cannot be used for the demarcation of the boundary between Akwa Ibom and Cross River.”

Exhibit NBC 1(MAP), according to Cross River “is illegal and cannot be presented as a foundation for legal claims, as it is void, not having received the approval of the National Assembly and not conforming to the requirements for boundary adjustment outlined in Section 8 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999,” and adding that “the seaward boundary of Cross River State as shown in

Exhibit NBC 1 (map) is contrary to the decision of this Honourable Court in A.G. Cross River V A.G. Federation & Anor (2005) 15 NWLR (Pt. 947) 71, as well as the decision of the International Court of Justice in the Bakassi case.”

It also accused the NBC boss of fraudulently concealing “the fact that the maritime boundary between Nigeria and Cameroun has not yet been fully demarcated and that the Cameroun-Nigeria Mixed Commission (of which Surveyor Alhaji Bashir Shettima is a member) is still in the process of demarcation even now with its next meeting scheduled for the 12th of October, 2012.”

Cross River State is therefore praying for an order to re-open hearing in the matter to enable it adduce evidence “in proof of conspiracy and fraud in the affidavit of Surveyor Alhaji Bashir Shettima deposed to in this Honourable Court on the 11th of May, 2012.”

It also wants an order compelling the NBC boss to be present in court at the next adjourned date for cross examination.

AAU students demand apology from Edo PDP candidate

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HE Student Union Government (SUG) of the Edo State-owned Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, has demanded a public apology from the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Major-Gen. Charles Airhiavbere, over comments that the institution produces ‘criminals and goats’ as graduates.

The student’s body said the apology should be published in not less that four national dallies and three national television stations, failure of which they threatened to mobilise against him.

President of the student’s body, Comrade John

•I didn’t call them armed robbers— Airhiavbere Osagie OTABOR, Benin Ologie, who spoke on behalf of the students at a press conference, described the comments as ungodly and highly provocative.

Comrade Ologie said such comments were a great disservice to the people of the state, especially from a man who wants to lead them as governor.

He noted that the PDP candidate should have known that AAU produces the best law graduates and medical students in Nigeria.

According to him, “As representatives of our stu-

dents, we totally frown on the use of such derogatory language to describe our students cum alumni by the PDP candidate who lacks ideas to marshal out his points on what he will do if elected as governor of Edo State during the live broadcast.

Reacting, Airhiavbere said he didn’t call them armed robbers or criminals, and explained that what he meant to say was that Governor Oshiomhole’s alleged unfriendly policy towards the university could make life harsh for students and discourage would-be students from attending the institution.

Besides, it wants an order permitting it to call the counsel to Akwa Ibom, Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN) as a witness in these proceedings: “Give evidence on the speech he made in Cross River State when part of Bakassi was being handed over to Cameroun in which he assured the people that the handover would not affect their rights in relation to oil wells and other resources.

“Give evidence on the advice he gave in 2006 that formed the foundation of the political solution agreed upon by parties contained in the Plaintiff’s Exhibit C dated October 31, 2006.

“Give evidence on the alleged finality of the handover of Bakassi to Cameroun in the light of new evidence showing that the

demarcation of the boundary is still being undertaken by the Cameroun Nigeria Mixed Commission, with its next meeting scheduled for 12th of October, 2012.”

Meanwhile, as the Supreme Court prepares to deliver judgment in the boundary dispute between Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, there is palpable fear that Nigeria may lose more of its territory to Cameroon, depending on which way the judgment goes.

Speaking in an interview with The Nation, Ani Esin, Coordinator, Save Bakassi People of Nigeria, said the land involved is huge, adding that the country might “shrink by several hundreds of square kilometers, almost the equivalent of a state, and this is a vital territory in the

oil-rich Bakassi region of the gulf of Guinea.”

He said under international law, “Nigeria has greater control over its internal waters than the territorial sea; the internal waters are considered part of the nation’s land territory, but the territorial waters are not. Other countries have some navigational rights over Nigeria’s territorial waters without prior permission, but cannot enter the internal waters unless with the prior approval of the country. So moving the baseline inward as the NBC has done is actually ceding a vital part of Nigerian territory; changing the status of this strategic estuary from internal waters to territorial sea. This greatly compromises the security of the country beyond the economic implications.”

60

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

News 61

THE NATION, SATURDAY 7, JULY 2012

Illegal bunkering: Navy impounds vessel in Port Harcourt

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WELVE crew members of a vessel, MT Rockfish, allegedly involved in illegal bunkering of petroleum products, suspected to be AGO (70, 000 litres), were yesterday handed over to officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Rivers State.

The handing over took place at the Nigerian Navy’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Bonny Island, headquarters of Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The vessel was impounded at the government Jetty in Bonny with the petroleum product.

The EFCC team later took samples of the AGO for further investigations after the official handing over.

The twelve crew members were immediately moved amid very tight security in a naval gunboat to the EFCC’s zonal headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, where they are being detained,

•70,000 litres of fuel seized •12 crew members handed over to EFCC Bisi OLANIYI, Port Harcourt pending when they will be charged to court.

The Executive Officer of FOB, Bonny, Commander, Bob-Manuel Effiong, while speaking with newsmen, said the vigilance of the naval personnel led to the arrest.

Effiong disclosed that the directive to hand over the vessel, its content and the twelve crew members to the anti-graft agency, came from the naval headquarters in Abuja.

The naval commander said: “The vessel was arrested on April 1, 2012, off the coast of Brass in Bayelsa State by naval personnel of NNS Thunder of the Eastern Naval Command and handed over to FOB, Bonny, with the 12 crew members and 70,000 litres of AGO.

PUBLIC NOTICE ODIHILI

PUBLIC NOTICE

I, formally known and addressed as MRS KAFAYAT MOHAMMED ODIHILI now wish to be known and adresss MISS BOLAJI OLANIYAN.all formal document remain valid. general public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. ESTHER FAN ODU now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ESTHER FAN ORIJI. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

ODU

PUBLIC NOTICE THIS IS TO NOTIFY THE GENERAL ABOUT AN ACRE OF LAND SITUATED AT BEULAHVILLA AYODELE-SHITTA/ALHAJI MUKAILA STREET OFF ABOGUNLOKO STREET, IKOTUN, LAGOS. BELONGING TO MR. MICHEAL OSHUNBAYO AND MRS. OLASUNBO OSHUNBAYO. TRESSPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED. BUYERS AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

PUBLIC NOTICE FINGER OF FIREHEALING MINISTRY This is to inform the general public that the above mentioned church has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: Pastor (Mrs.) Funmilayo Mercy Toluwalase Mrs. Rebecca Rukewe Mrs. Ajoke Awonuga Mr. Akinola Daniels Aims and Objectives • To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ • To proclaim the liberty of God to the captives.

Any objection to the above should be forwarded to the registrar General corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street, maitama, Abuja. within 28 (twenty eight) days of this publication.

Signed: Pastor (Mrs.) Funmilayo Mercy Toluwalase 77, Ijegun Road, Ikotun, Lagos 08035821116

PUBLIC NOTICE TEAM NEHEMIAH CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named body has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: Tonye Cole Susan Okungbowa Adeolu Adeboye Onari Duke Emmanuel Dania AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To sustain philanthropic activities through provision of basic needs (water, food, shelter and health services) to the less privileged.

2. To promote, encourage and empower youths in Nigeria and beyond for self – reliance and self sustenance.

3. To ensure that the less privileged youths in society are not discriminated against and to ensure that they enjoy justice, fairness and equity in all respect.

4. To establish skills acquisition centers to train and develop the youths and the less privileged in entrepreneurial skills.

5. To raise partners and volunteers who will be trained in carrying out the objec tives of Team Nehemiah Charitable Organization.

Any objection should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja not later than twenty one days after the publication.

Signed: J.O. Ladejo & Co (Solicitors) 52, Coker Road Ilupeju Estate Lagos. Tel: 08023189468

“The vessel had approval given by NNS Pathfinder, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, but when arrested, the approval had expired, making naval officials at FOB, Bonny to have doubt over the legality of the approval since there is no refinery in Brass.

“When vessels want to lift petroleum products, they get approval from the naval headquarters in Abuja, while NNS Pathfinder will also give approval to ensure proper monitoring of the activities of the vessels and their crew members.”

Effiong added that the FOB had zero tolerance for oil theft, illegal bunkering of petroleum products and other criminal activities, while urging the people, especially vessel owners and captains to always follow due process.

The captain of the vessel, Bode Albert, allegedly claimed he had “just” 50 tonnes of AGO for “steaming,” when he was arrested by the naval personnel at coastal Akassa in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State.

Albert noted that he was “steaming” from Bonny to Lagos and had engine problem for over a month.

He said he was on his way to Lagos to repair the vessel.

According to him, “At the time of the arrest, I told the naval men that I had approval, but they said the vessel would be taken to Bonny for verification. The approval expired seven days earlier and they detained us since April 1, 2012.

“The AGO was taken from MT Philadephia, outside Bonny. If not for the engine problem, I would have renewed the approval. We are not involved in illegal bunkering of petroleum products or oil theft. 50,000 tonnes of AGO is steaming fuel. We have contacted our lawyers and we are going to court. We work for Toscana Nigeria Limited.”

Albert also stated that he was shocked over the arrest and detention in the last four months. He described his detenetion inside the vessel as dehumanising, humiliating and uncalled for.

The Head of the EFCC team, Mr. Olayinka Macaulay, who received the vessel, AGO and the twelve crew members from the naval commander, noted that investigations would continue.

Macaulay stressed that if at the end of the investigations, the crew members were found culpable, they would be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others, adding that the suspects would still be detained at the EFCC’s office in Port Harcourt pending when their bail would be perfected.

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THE NATION SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 6-7-12

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NSE ASI sustains northward growth

HE market at the close of business yesterday, sustained bullish tempo culminating into the establishment a four day consecutive upward rally this week.

The bullish run on Friday was boosted by gains posted by some mid and highly capitalised stocks; First Bank (0.99 per cent), Nestle (5 per cent), Access Bank (0.54 per cent), UBA (1.23 per cent), Oando (4.19 per cent), Dangote Flour (4.97 per cent), Presco (4.19 per cent) and Zenith Bank (1.33 per cent).

Consequently, the lead indicator, All-Share Index gained 61.61 absolute points, representing 0.28 per cent appreciation to close higher at 22,110.91 points. Similarly, the Market Capitalisation of all listed equities gained N20 billion representing 0.28 per cent appreciation, to close higher at N7.059 tril-

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

lion.

The building materials sector was bearish yesterday with Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) and Ashaka Cement shedding 0.7 per cent and 2.7 per cent respectively; bids for Dangote Cement were also stacked at the lower end, though recording no change at the close of the session, due to a dearth of volumes. Lafarge Wapco was however, divergent to this trend-inching up slightly.

In the conglomerates sector, UACN and PZ Cussons lost 1.6 per cent and 4.3 per cent respectively. Offers for Unilever remained scarce, in spite of healthy demand subsequently closing flat. A.G Leventis recorded the lone gain in the sector as it ral-

lied with a 4.2 per cent gain.

In all, investors traded 161.586 million shares worth N1.485 billion in 3,315 deals. The Financial Services sector was the most sought after with 108.844 million shares worth N624.701 million in 1,855 deals. This was followed by the ICT sector with 20.701 million shares worth N10.396 million in just seven deals.

Others with relatively high volume were Consumer Goods, Conglomerates, Services and Oil & Gas with 9.551 million shares, 7.967 million shares, 4.676 million shares and 4.047 million shares.

Also, a total of 46 equities recorded price change with 24 recording price appreciations while the losers were 22 in number. Nestle led the gainers list with an increase of N23.71 to close at a N498.04 while Dangote Flour followed with a gain of N0.31 to close at N6.55.

Also on the list were Custodian and Allied Insurance, Ikeja Hotel, Cutix, Livestock, AG Leventist, Presco, Evans Medical and Gold Insurance.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 7-7-12

THE NATION SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

63

SPORT EXTRA WIMBLEDON OPEN

Federer beats Djokovic to qualify for final • Federer

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WISS tennis great Roger Federer has turned in a virtuoso performance to reach an unprecedented eighth Wimbledon final.

Federer defeated the world number one and defending champion, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-3 in the first men’s semi-final.

Hailed as the greatest player in history this week by legendary Australian champion Rod Laver, Federer will face fourth-seeded British hope Andy Murray in the final.

Federer, who said after the

•To face Murray game that he was ecstatic, could now equal the record of seven Wimbledon crowns, held jointly by William Renshaw and Pete Sampras.

After the first two sets were shared in less than an hour, the match came alive in the third set.

Serving at 4-5 Djokovic blazed a smash long at 15-30 to give Federer two set points.

Djokovic saved the first with a forehand but Federer seized his

Kazan blocks Martins’ EPL return

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EST BROMWICH Albion’s attempt to sign Obafemi Martins on a loan deal has been blocked.

The player’s current club, Rubin Kazan will only be ready to sell the 27-year-old striker and for a fee of £3 million, it has been reported.

Also, West Brom are unable

to meet the wage of Martins believed to be around £40,000 per week.

It is not the first time that the Baggies are swooping for the Nigerian forward as they had moved for him in January 2011 before Birmingham City snapped him up.

The relationship between Martins and Rubin Kazan

Akpoborie sees Liberia as X - N I G E R I A stern test international, Jonathan

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Akpoborie, has warned that the Lone Star will not be push-overs.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will face the Lone Star over two legs in the final round of games in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification in September and October.

Akpoborie told SuperSport.com that the game will prove to be “a good test” for Stephen Keshi’s team.

However, the former VfB Stuttgart striker believes that the Nigerian team can win against Liberia provided they “work very hard for it.”

“No it’s not (going to be an easy game for the Super Eagles),” began Akpoborie while talking to SuperSport.com.

“But it will be a good test for the Nigerian team. It is ‘win-able’ for our team, but they have to work very hard for it.”

In February this year, a home-grown Nigerian side defeated Liberia 2-0 in Monrovia in a friendly game with Warri Wolves’ striker, Sunday Mbah scoring a double.

Tough FA cup draw for Enyimba

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OUTHEAST rivals, Enyimba and Heartland have been drawn against tough opponents for this year’s group stage of the Federation Cup. Losing finalists in the Cup competition in 2010 and 2011, Enyimba will come up against fellow Premier League sides, Warri Wolves and Lobi Stars.

Modest outfit from Enugu, Samba FC complete the quartet.

The People’s Elephant defeated Kogi United before reaching this stage.

Cup holders, Heartland will have their hands full as they have been seeded in Group D to confront Gombe United, Plateau United and Nasarawa United.

Plateau United will definitely pose a huge threat

to the Cup champions after seeing off Premier League champions, Dolphins and Ranchers Bees in earlier rounds.

Nasarawa United, who will play in the top flight next term, also thrashed Caf Champions campaigners, Sunshine Stars 30 to prove that they are to be reckoned with.

However, Bauchi, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Lokoja will play hosts to the group stage of the Federation Cup. The semifinals will hold at the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar and the Ilorin Township Stadium.

The 2012 Federation Cup final will come up at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on July 20, according to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Kwara finalise plans to host AYC qualifier

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OP Kwara State government officials have met with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over staging a 2013 AYC qualifier next month.

Ilorin is set to host the Flying Eagles qualifier for next year’s African Youth Championship against Tanzania on August 11.

“We have met with the

Kwara government officials to finalise on plans to host the return leg match against Tanzania in August,” disclosed NFF technical department director, Emmanuel Ikpeme.

The Nigeria U20 team will take on their Tanzanian counterparts in a first leg clash on July 28 with the return leg a fortnight later.

have reportedly grown cold and the Russian team are ready to sell him for £3 million after signing him two years ago for •17 million from VfL Wolfsburg.

Martins has struggled at the Russian club especially last year in which he suffered a broken fibia and lost his elder brother, Oladipupo, who died on August 8, 2011.

The striker, who has played at Newcastle United in the past, wants to return to England.

chance, winning a sensational 20-stroke rally with a smash to move within a set of the final.

Djokovic could not recover and dropped serve early in the fourth set as Federer rolled to his first final at the grasscourt slam since he beat Andy Roddick in 2009.

Federer held his nerve when he served for the match, sealing it after two hours and 19 minutes of high-octane action when Djokovic netted a forehand return.

“I played a great match today and it’s been a tough tournament for me really,” Federer said after walking off court to huge applause.

“But I was able to play some fantastic tennis today and I thought Novak played good too ....It was a lot of fun out there today.”

His effort in reaching an eighth final at the All England Club surpassed the seven of Sampras, Boris Becker and Britain’s 1908 London Olympics dual gold medallist Arthur Gore.

It will also be Federer’s record-extending 24th grand slam final appearance as he strives to land his first major since the 2010 Australian Open.

Eguavoen happy with AFCON draw

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ORMER Nigeria manager, Austin Eguavoen has said it is advantageous that the Super Eagles are drawn against Liberia’s Lone Star in the final round of the 2013 Afcon qualification.

CAF on Thursday in Johannesburg, South Africa conducted the draw for the biennial football fiesta holding in South Africa next January.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will travel to Monrovia on the weekend of September 7 and 9 to face the Lone Star of Liberia, while the reverse fixture holds in the weekend of October 12 and 14.

Eguavoen told SuperSport.com that Nigeria will only have themselves to blame if they do not book a place at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

“We have a bigger advantage of qualifying for the 2013 AFCON with Liberia as our opponents.

“We played a friendly game with them recently in Monrovia which we won. We know them and equally know how they play the same, too, applies to them.

“In football there are no minnows, our boys are hungry having missed out from the last edition in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

“I’m happy we are drawn

against Liberia,” the Enyimba head coach said.

However, the former Nigerian player would want the Eagles’ manager, Stephen Keshi to consider for shirts, players who are dedicated and hungry.

“Every player given the nod to play for Nigeria knows that the opportunity increases his market value.

“Willingness to play must be the key. I think we have it in the domestic players.

“We want the AFCON ticket more than any other country because we didn’t qualify for the last edition.

“We had control of the ball in the encounter against Rwanda only that we didn’t find the net earlier.

“The coach needs to work on the low spot of his strikers, if that is perfectly done Nigeria will be far ahead of its competitors,” said the Enyimba manager.

• Eguavoen

Farewell to jamboree • Continued from back page the Games’ torch during the opening ceremony.

Going overseas for sporting events is not unusual, but as one checked in on June 29, the feeling was different. My mind raced through the 300 metres’ distance for the exercise.

I had conquered the fright associated with big time events, having played competitive cricket. But my anxiety bothered more on the will to run the race, than having the ability to do it.

Passing through Immigration, one glared at the ticket and noticed a first-class option. I reclined seat 7A after the pilot had authorised movement. My mind raced through various strategies. Soon, my head began to ache. I asked for cold water and then slept off. The air hostesses didn’t bother to wake me up. They did when the aircraft began its descent into the Heathrow Airport in London.

Formalities concluded at the Immigration, one realised that he was in the nine-man squad that had Nwankwo Kanu, Nnamdi in Slot, Lagos, Wazobia FM’s Yaw Yaw; Nollywood actress Funke Akindele; Miss Alabi (a.k.a Sasa); Banky W et al. Inside the bus that took us to Coventry, the striking thing was the clear skies, even when the time was 9.20p.m. My mind raced back to Nigeria, but I quickly buried the thought. It was drizzling outside as we drove past. Yet, the effect dawned on us when we arrived in Coventry.

We brought out jackets, yet our teeth were grinding from the cold. Welcome to Coventry, said the Samsung ushers, who did their jobs creditably. We took light dinner. Then, we went through the torch relay’s rules, especially the key words and their meanings.

Interestingly, the torch relay package on Saturday brought forth our excitement when our guide from Samsung informed us that we were heading for Williams Shakespeare’s birth place in Stratford-on Avon.

The English know how to celebrate their heroes and heroines. Stratford-on-Avon is a tourists’ attraction. The relics of Shakespearean times are there, but there is the deliberate attempt to modernise without distorting the original concepts.

Visitors walked into a little room, the walls of which have images of Shakespeare or his landmark works, most of which appeared in his hand writing. You are ushered into a room where verses of Shakespeare’s works bellowed out from films of his plays.

“Turn left” is the last instruction from the television footage and you are led out to well-kept gardens in medieval time buildings. To your right is Shakespeare’s birth place.

An old wooden building firmed with patches of cement. Inside is Shakespeare’s’ pantry, with preserved food. But the most striking is the preserved dead duck, said to be his favourite pet.

Next are his study, library and living rooms depicting his consummate lifestyle. His bed is still laid with a lit candle by the leg side. Out of curiousity, this writer laid on the bed, which is made of grass, the type I slept on in Warri House, Government College, Ughelli from 1972 to 1975 when foam beddings were introduced. Those grass mattresses were known as Kolosha at GCU. I digress.

Leaving Shakespeare’s bedroom upstairs, the guide led us downstairs into another modernised library where all his works are in their initial forms and others updated. Stratford-upon-Avon is the literary minds’ heaven, although littered now with shops where visitors could shop as well as see Shakespeare’s works.

There was a little girl called Juliet, who shocked visitors with her perfect recitation of Shakespare’s works. Indeed, each time she stopped, thunderous ovation came from the visitors. Juliet was calm. Her theatrics belied her small frame as she recited favourite Shakespeare verses.

We were taken to other treasured relics, but none had Shakespeare’s birth place’s attractions.

Back at Coombe Abbey Hotel, built in 1150AD, we settled down for dinner, ready for the relay day on Sunday. We had our departure times. Boarding the bus at 8.30am Sunday, one didn’t panic because the white track suits with canvass shoes (Serebo) reminded me of my cricket days.

The briefings we got from Samsung personnel were plenty. They helped in taking us through the process without rehearsals.

We took turns, dropping at designated points, which had the torchbearer’s number. Mine was 090.

The English are respecters of time. We were told that the assignment would be done in five minutes after being dropped at your point. And it was done.

My adrenaline pumped whilst alighting from the bus as if one was walking towards the crease to take his stand in the cricket oval.

Driving through the streets and all through the time that I ran the race, one admired the patriotism shown by the British people. The aged, parents, kids and the physically challenged lined the streets, excited. They struggled to take photographs with torchbearers.

But the greatest spectacle for me was on Broadway Street. I saw a building named dogs-on-parade and they came out too. All shades of dogs lined that path. They wagged their tails as if to say that they understood what was going on.

My moment of history came at 12.49pm on Sunday. I lit the torch. I did the 300 meters race much to the admiration of one of the dispatch riders, who also posed for a photograph with this writer.

SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.7, NO. 3079 •Segun, after one year in office, is this the right time to pressure Mr. President to declare his assets? Moreover, if he has done it before, is that not enough yardstick? Let us stop this negative halo effect that makes us to see almost everything Mr. President does to be wrong. God bless Nigeria. Don Ezeala, Port Harcourt, 08064843000.

•Mr. Ayobolu, public declaration of asset is optional. The President decided not to make it public, which is lawful. Why are you trying to provoke him by smearing his image? Your choice of words are not deserving for the Commander-In-Chief. Be objective and unbiased in your write-ups and let us be the ones to decide.

Henry Amaefule, Port Harcourt, 08068627674.

•Much as it is quite unJonathan to employ such unexpected phrase of ‘I don’t give a damn’ in his response to so sensitive a question of national importance, I must, however, say that I am by no means surprised about that. The inability of the children of a seemingly sluggish and uninspiring father to see anything good coming from him, no matter how much he tries, it needs no telling has the capacity of introducing undue hardness in such a father in his response even to the most critical situation in the family, which is of course quite unbecoming of a family head. But then, if Jonathan cannot declare his assets publicly because he is not legally compelled to do so, as he would want us to understand, let him at least do so for the fact that even the very process he is trying to put in place for good governance equally calls for that. Emmanuel Egwu, Enugu, 08037921541.

•You have said it all: Why must he give a damn when we voted for him based on sentiment and his fabled good luck…If he can get to the top on a platter of gold, why must he give a damn? Kola Alao, Lagos, 08030839228.

•This article this time is full of innuendoes and rhetoric. If the irreducible minimum stipulated by law has been met, which the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) can confirm or deny, why must he do so publicly if he doesn’t feel so? One day you guys will ask him to tell us how often he sleeps with Dame or if he still does? Your argument is faulty because he is still entitled to some personal space, if within the law. You sounded too cynical, let it be better next time. A.A. Kadiri, Abuja, 07037380280 •Mr. Journalist, there are many stories you can even write about yourself but please, our President deserves respect. Thanks. F.P, Ebonyi State, 0802561099.

•Segun! What a sensible and realistic pointer in your article of June 30th.Keep it up! Very Godly of course. 08034985699 •Thank you for your article of 30th June. It revealed the picture of a President who never dreamt of becoming a President but became one through the manipulations of the so-called ‘largest party in Africa’. But believe me; he will not rule us again! Tony, Abia State, 08060908070.

•Why must he give a damn? Thank you for the upright piece. God bless you for the struggle we have ahead of us because, believe me, in another two years, the President may DENY that he didn’t say he schooled as a young man without shoes. Presidential enjoyment na joke?

Job, Ibadan, 08034122042.

Tomorrow in THE NATION PUNCHLINE Was it not the same ‘Mr Fix It’ who took it upon himself to be the caretaker in 2003, and announced that there was ‘no vacancy in Aso Rock’? Anenih’s metamorphosis is reminiscent of something; that when a king has to remind his subjects that he is still their king, then that king is finished

—Tunji Adegboyega

Re: Why must he give a damn?

‘

•President Jonathan •Mr Ayobolu, thank you for your back page comment in yesterday’s (June 30) edition of ‘The Nation’. Judging by all the President’s actions and attitude, it’s quite amazing to observe his zeal to emulate the evil practices and tendencies of his benefactor while he was in office.

Nigerians were deceived into believing that Jonathan represented a new breath of fresh air.

But he has turned out to be a huge disappointment. His government may definitely end up as the worst in the nation’s history in terms of impact on socio-economic well-being of the people. 08035095322.

•‘This man has no human face and Nigeria is going into turbulent times with him in the presidency’. This was a statement I made to fellow roommates in one of the nation’s ivory towers in 2009. I am afraid that President Jonathan may leave the Villa worse than he met it because the change (transformation) he has promised is non-existent in the entire system. Bernard, 07032712440.

•Splendid write-up! Indeed, why must he give a damn? Our opinions really don’t count.

Truly we have as President a fellow whose intellectual credentials badly need a PhD as well.

Good article – at least a departure from your perennial fixation with issues and personalities from the South West. Remarkably, there

During the media chat, I saw a different Goodluck – totally different from the humble, selfless one we voted for in the last elections.

The President must remember that vulgarity is not our way of life. Even in the American society where the ‘damned’ word originates, you don’t find the President using it to talk about state issues. GEJ should start giving a damn ‘coz Nigerians ain’t happy meahn!’

08101264463.

’

was no mention of the “late sage”. Good morning. Obilo, Port Harcourt, 07064070852.

•Re – ‘Why must he give a damn?’ He must give a damn to listen to other people’s opinion.

He must give a damn to further demonstrate democracy to Nigerians. He must give a damn to shun his negative critics. Not giving a damn might be explaining fidgets by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. The President must show actions and excellence rather than annoyance! Lanre Oseni, Lagos, 07030303636.

•Most Nigerians are victims of slavish criticism without knowing the facts. Everything is politics. What the President said was – ‘I will not make public declaration of my assets’, not that he won’t declare. Emphasis is on public declaration, which is not the law. Dan Williams, Benin, 08056066735.

•I am afraid Nigerians will have to live with Jonathan as their President for the next three years for exhibiting total lack of intelligence by voting GEJ into power despite glaring shortcomings of the man and the ineptitude of the party he represents. 08159697053.

•Yes, no be siddon GEJ siddon when we say make dem come become President? This is a country of foolish people who don’t learn. Masochists they

are; People who could not look back and see that a vote for Jonathan means a vote for PDP and more of the same if not worse services.

Why are Nigerians complaining? They should wait until 2015 to repeat the mistake by voting PDP or redeem themselves by voting wisely.

For now, they can enjoy the misery and the punishment they voted for. 08064286736.

•How do you expect a canoe carver’s son who could not afford shoes to publicly declare his assets? Why bother himself about corruption when it is the system that put him in place?

Why give a damn and fail to jet out of the land when the people being killed are mere minorities who chose to belong to an “unpopular” faith in the north? He will answer God who gave him victory at the expense of the same people who fasted, prayed and spilled their blood for him to be enthroned. You are too brilliant to bother yourself on these issues!

Anonymous, Kaduna.

•Segun, must you give a damn about what a President says, a President that never expected to be one? Nice piece for Nigerians to note.

Education is the best asset. School must go through you and not just you going through school. Harry Nwana, 08033105361.

•Your piece was well founded in rhetorics but mere criticism as it appears would never, and I repeat, can never lead this country anywhere. It’s just a bundle of what Fela calls ‘babanla nonsense’. Please let’s move Nigeria forward. 08139210901.

•Segun, I know that Jonathan is not ready to fight corruption because no sooner was he sworn in than he started a war against the very people who gave him overwhelming support to make him President. So why should he give a damn to the suggestion that he should have declared his assets publicly. Alhaji D. Ade Lawal, 08034648879.

•The Nations’ journalism sounds like Iranian propaganda news channel with the main objective of reporting negativities. President Jonathan’s performance is not too wonderful but Tinubu’s while in office was not too good either. George, Owerri, 08037112059.

•Oh son of Ayobolu, where were you when Albert Einstein said “A man should look for what it is and not what he thinks should be”.

Therefore, you must be suffering from the tragic proclivity for sanctimoniousness if you think Mr. President must publicly declare his assets to win the war against corruption. Ehis, 08076823815.

•Segun, thank you, the only wise one for reminding us that voted for Jonathan that we are not only dumb but deaf also. Incidentally, if the only thing you heard of all that the President said is “damn” in relation to assets declaration, I wonder then who is really deaf and dumb as this is for you wise ones who twisted OBJ’s now famous ‘do or die ‘for your own ends.

08055061807.

•During the media chat, I saw a different Goodluck – totally different from the humble, selfless one we voted for in the last elections.

The President must remember that vulgarity is not our way of life. Even in the American society where the ‘damned’ word originates, you don’t find the President using it to talk about state issues. GEJ should start giving a damn ‘coz Nigerians ain’t happy meahn!’ 08101264463.

Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com

Farewell to jamboree

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has scored a back-breaking goal. Not on the football field, but right there at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday.

With 20 days to the opening of the London 2012 Olympic Games, our sports chiefs looked towards another jamboree, a revelry that never ends. Dr Jonathan stopped all that. Our sports administrators have pruned the number of events in which Nigeria would field athletes, to seven. Yet, the number of officials has remained. Even those of events where we would not be fielding athletes were set for the London trip.

Soon there will be an army of lobbyists, emergency experts, party chieftains and big

men to press the president to reverse this decision. Don’t, Mr. President; it’s one of the best you have ever taken.

Curiously, during budget defence on the floor of the National Assembly, our representatives on the two floors painted the picture of sports being the headquarters of corruption.

They shouted to the roof top that they had uncovered scandalous stories of corrupt practices. We waited in vain for those indicted to face the music. They never did.

Instead, these Assembly chiefs became stakeholders, who were taken to sports assignments. They were given all manner of estacode and privileges accorded their lackeys. Having drunk from the poisoned chalice, they developed clay feet. Budgets that they initially queried scaled through, untouched.

The President’s ban, though late, underscored why the Super Eagles failed at the 2010

World Cup in South Africa.

The Presidential Task Force (PTF), rather than complement the NFF, became a distraction to the Eagles whilst some of its members used the platform to settle scores with the GlassHouse eggheads.

The President’s decision will stop cases like when he reversed the decision to withdraw Nigeria from football competitions, after reading all the sides to the raging issue as presented by worried Nigerians on the social network platform, Facebook. PTF men misled the President to announce the country’s withdrawal from soccer global competitions.

Indeed, Nigeria became the laughing stock among FIFA chiefs in South Africa, following repeated visits by government officials seeking the removal of the Sani Lulu-led NFF, even when the Eagles were yet to be eliminated

from the Mundial.

The PTF, the Federal Government delegation and, indeed, some NSC people distracted the Eagles. Their clandestine activities were reported in the media, with FIFA warning about likely ban due to government interference.

One hopes that the President can be courageous to probe the accounts of all the bodies that handled cash for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

A weekend in England July 1 is a watershed in my life. It marked the beginning of global recognition, having been chosen to be among the 8,000 distinguished men and women who carried and lit the London 2012 Olympic Games’ torch, courtesy Samsung Electronics, sponsors of the event.

The torch rally began on March 19th in the ancient city of Greece. It would continue until July 27 when it will be used to light up

•Continued on Page 63

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