June 06, 2015 by The Nation

THE NATION

NEWS 3

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

Regrettably, PDP opts for amoral politics

Although, no life was lost, by the time the fire was quenched, fortunes in millions had been lapped into ruins. The residents, though grateful to providence that they didn't have to bury anyone, they have since been sulking, counting their losses. This is the crux of the matter

ESIDENTS of Lawal, Bakare Jafojo and other adjoining streets around the popular Iyana-Ipaja park and market in Lagos went to bed last Tuesday with high expectations that a good night sleep would refresh their nerves and calm their tenseness after a hard day's hustle and bustle which Lagos life entails. Many of the residents, who are traders, had locked their shops hoping to resume their daily routine of keeping body and soul together the following day. But the peace of the eerie night soon snapped. Somehow, loud wails of sorrow, tears and regrets soon shattered the night, tearing the expectations of the residents into pieces. A petrol tanker had fallen off the cliff of the overhead bridge, spilling its 33-li-

tre content all over the place. The torrent of the inflammable liquid in a matter of minutes coursed through the drainage, caught fire and seeped balls of flame into the streets, consuming houses, vehicles and shops in its trail. Bedlam! The sleepy residents came alive and began to run helter skelter in confusion. Some tried to salvage their belongings. Many others had to scale fences and tear through their roofs to escape the looming danger. Although, no life was lost, by the time the fire was quenched, fortunes in millions had been lapped into ruins. The residents, though grateful to providence that they didn't have to bury anyone, they have since been sulking, counting their losses. This is the crux of the matter. •PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 13

HERE does not seem to be an end to the deeply mortifying practices emanating from the former ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). These practices betray their poor understanding of the terrible electoral defeat they suffered in March and April, not to say their equally poor appreciation of the essentials of democracy. During a retreat for PDP members-elect of the National Assembly in Port Harcourt on Monday, leaders of the party showed how very poorly they read national affairs, democracy, and the organisation and operations of their party. Rather than reform and rebuild, as their humiliating and unprecedented losses demand, they have regrettably opted for a defiant form of amoral politics, a course of action equally illustrative of their many years of bungling and dithering in power. What was clearly evident again in Port Harcourt on Monday is the party’s continuing inability to produce insightful leaders and political and party philosophers. Former president Goodluck Jonathan is widely believed to be a third-rate politician of contradictory secular and non-secular emotions, but when he led the party, notwithstanding the existence of a national chairman, he imposed some semblance of order and focus. With his exit, and the ochlocratic overthrow of the more urbane Adamu Muazu as party chairman, fifth-rate politicians, so fickle as to be devoid of every known political virtue, have taken over the levers of party power. They now run the party and, more egregiously, think for it: they who can hardly think why one plus one should be two now find themselves conceptualising complex scenarios and game theories for the PDP. While many other topics were examined during their Port Harcourt retreat, one major topic acutely indicative of just how abysmally the party’s leaders have sunk on the ethical scale was their position on Governor Ayo Fayose’s endless buffooneries in Ekiti State. It is hard to think anyone, except of course the stupefied Ekiti governor himself, could offer any coherent explanation to defend the madness in that state, but PDP leaders have managed to exceed even their own appalling standards. Uche Secondus, the party’s acting chairman, and Olisah Metuh, the party’s publicity secretary, have both embraced sensationalism and ochlocracy in defending Mr Fayose and deconstructing democracy — positions they stuck to in Port Harcourt and during a solidarity visit to Mr Fayose in Ekiti early in the week. Sadly, too, they have also adopted the tool of emotional blackmail to restrain President Muahammadu Buhari and to defend the states they won by force and farce in the last polls. Hear the imperious Mr Secondus: “As you are aware, the leadership of APC and the lawmakers have ganged up to illegally remove the governor. The court order of April 23 given by Justice E. S. Chukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja is still effective. As of now, Dr Adewale Omirin is not the authentic Speaker and can’t tell the chief judge to set up a panel to try Fayose. Even as we speak, the governor has not received

any letter from the lawmakers. We call on the Federal Government that democracy is in danger in Ekiti. We owe it a duty to protect the rule of law. Should they go ahead to illegally impeach the governor, the consequences will be anarchy, crisis and violence...PDP will not allow anybody to return Nigeria to autocracy. Fayose is a performer and he should be allowed to develop this state.” Mr Metuh was equally intemperate and scathing: He says: “We wish to state in very clear terms that we would not condone any more move by the rejected APC lawmakers to subvert the will of the people of Ekiti state as expressed in the mandate freely given to Governor Fayose. These outgoing APC lawmakers, whose mandate have already been withdrawn by the people should watch their steps and not in any way take our civility

and Governor Fayose’s deportment for peace, unity and harmony for granted. We issue this as a final warning. Our members and supporters in Ekiti State are able, willing and ready to defend our mandate using all available instruments granted by the law. We have the capacity and will have no other option unless the APC lawmakers retrace their steps and embrace peace. Enough is enough.” It is not clear how jurisprudentially the April 23 order by Justice Chukwu should be interpreted. But by that date, Adewale Omirin was still the Speaker, for he could not have been impeached by seven lawmakers when 19 legislators supported him. But what is even more important are the threats and blackmail by Mr Secondus. On one hand, he wants President Buhari to defend democracy, and on the other hand he threatens brimstone and anarchy should Mr Fayose be impeached. The real threat to democracy is an acting party chairman that holds such violent and rebellious views. If indeed President Buhari had been minded to defend democracy, it is clear how he should have proceeded and in whose favour. For, notwithstanding the shocking description of Dele Olugbemi, leading six other Ekiti lawmakers, as Speaker of the House of Assembly by a section of the media, in the eyes of the law, both Mr Fayose and the obstreperous Mr Olugbemi should be in jail for usurpation of the constitution and promotion of lawlessness and violence.

It is indeed shameful that neither Mr Secondus nor Mr Metuh holds noble views on democracy and the rule of law. Both party officials are a throwback to the 1960s, when the rule of law concept was used interchangeably with the rule of the sword and the gun. The consequence of the Buhari government failing to act decisively and urgently on the Ekiti crisis is that an opportunity to set the right and unmistakable tone for the defence of democracy may have been lost. PDP leaders and Mr Fayose may run away with the impression that no matter how viciously they break the law, all it requires to sustain their lawless acquisitions is to project physical and emotional threats. No matter who is doing the interpretation of the Ekiti crisis, Mr Fayose actually committed impeachable offences, and he should have been impeached. President Buhari should have ensured maximum security in Ekiti, enable the majority lawmakers and the judiciary to do their work, and if Mr Fayose is impeached, as he most likely would have been, still ensure adequate security for Mr Fayose’s deputy to take over the reins of office. The point was not for the APC to take over power, but to ensure the observance of the rule of law, and to establish once and for all that no one, not even a rabble-rousing governor, is above the law. The opportunity of making that point is now lost with the end of the 7th Assembly. Importantly, too, as the Rivers State PDP retreat showed, not to talk of the foolish threats by Mr Secondus, Mr Metuh, and other visiting PDP national leaders in Ekiti, the new opposition party still needs to urgently purge its ranks, especially its leadership, of the charlatans that hold sway in the party. The men who run the party now are unfit to run even a local government-based party. Their ideas are archaic, abusive, destructive and counterproductive. They seem to believe that if they keep a few ‘rich’ states, such as Rivers and Akwa Ibom in their kitty they would have the financial muscle to run their party — as if the survival and success of a party depend more on funds than on ideas relevant to the people’s real transformation. During the same Port Harcourt retreat, Governor Seriake Dickson spoke glowingly of the essentials of democracy and the new role of the PDP, but disapprovingly of the violent and unlawful style of other political parties: “That is not the brand of our politics,” he cooed. “That is not going to be the nature and character of the opposition from PDP. We are going to mount a systematic, well-coordinated, constructive and nationalistic opposition supporting the constitution and the laws of the country.” If the PDP will be capable of assuming the lofty role vouchsafed them by the Bayelsa governor — that systematic, constructive and nationalistic opposition he talked animatedly about — it is impossible that the present PDP leadership, not to talk of their wanton style as personified by Mr Fayose, can drive that change, or in their own futile parlance, produce the needed transformation.

Request for ministerial nomination Why didn't Fayose fight for Governor Kayode Fayemi to allow him suggest Ekiti ministerial nominees for President Goodluck Jonathan when the former President was appointing his ministers? We hope Fayose will, for once, strike a sane chord in his public conduct and stop hallucinating about the right to nominate candidates for Ekiti ministerial slot.

I shall be happy to nominate a worthy and competent professional who can always ? oblige your Excellency and your cabinet the benefit of a second opinion in the serious business of governance. —Ekiti Governor Ayodele Fayose •Fayose

—Ekiti APC spokesman Taiwo Olatubosun

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News

ARELY a few hours after President Muhammadu Buhari’s shuttles to Niger and Chad, battle-ready troops are being deployed in strategic areas to curtail Boko Haram insurgents. Also, it was learnt that the President made telephone calls to President Paul Biya of Cameroon as part of ongoing talks on regional partnership to check the insurgents. The President, who will visit Biya soon, has also welcomed the US offer to assist Nigeria in fighting Boko Haram. But the Defence Headquarters however yesterday said troops have killed two suicide

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

Troops set for massive assault on Boko Haram ...aftermath of Buhari’s shuttle to Chad, Niger •President opens talks with Cameroonian President Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor and Barnabas MANYA with Agency Report bombers and score of Boko Haram insurgents. According to a reliable source, multi-national troops have started mobilizing to strategic areas after the conclusion of talks between Presi-

dent Buhari and his Chadian and Nigerien counterparts. The source said: “I can tell you that action has started because troops are already being mobilized to all necessary areas. There will be no hiding place for Boko Haram insurgents again. “When the President went to Chad and Niger Republic, the main agenda was how to rid the region of Boko Haram in-

surgency. And the eagerness with which President Buhari’s initiative was accepted gave a ray of hope that the menace will soon be tackled. “As a matter of fact, the President by now might have concluded his telephone talks with President Paul Biya of Cameroon on the same issue. “He will also be in Cameroon soon for talks with President Biya on this Boko Haram chal-

•From Left: Director, Lawyers For Human Rights, Pretoria, South Africa,Mr Jacob Van Garden;South Africa Philantropist, Mrs Seline Phoko; Nigeria's Consul General In South Africa, Amb. Uche Ajulu-okeke And President, Nigerian Union In South Africa, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, At The Inauguration Of The National Secretariat Of Nigerian Union In Pretoria, South Africa .. yeaterday. Photo: NAN

IENNA — The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has decided to keep its oil output target on hold and predicted prices would remain low for the foreseeable future — good news for both oil-hungry international industries and consumers at the gas pump. The cartel said yesterday that its output level would remain at 30 million barrels a day despite the fact that prices are still low compared with a year ago. It left it to member states to restrain any overproduction, an acknowledgment of the cartel’s inability to enforce its own limits as it struggles to control world supply and prices. With non-OPEC oil producing countries ready to ramp up production if prices go much

OPEC keeps oil output target on hold, predicts low prices

above present levels, OPEC’s secretary general said the cost of crude will stay relatively low for a while. “The reality now is that we cannot have these S100 (prices) anymore,” Abdullah al-Badri told reporters. The international price of crude was down $1.62 at $62.10 after yesterday’s announcement, having traded above $115 a barrel in 2014. While the OPEC accounts for over a third of the world’s oil, its power to determine supply and demand has been steadily eroding as outsiders capture large shares of the market. It

gave up imposing quotas on individual members four years ago after these were consistently ignored. That has led to an overhang in recent months of more than 1 million barrels a day of OPEC production beyond the target. But the likelihood of continued overproduction persists. OPEC powerhouse Saudi Arabia is fighting to keep market share against U.S. shale oil, Iran plans to increase production in anticipation of an end to sanctions that have crimped its crude exports and other countries are trying to

compensate for low prices by selling more. “OPEC realizes that it is now in a highly competitive market, in which its own members will compete against each other and collectively against non-OPEC producers, and in particular shale producers,” said John Hall of Alfa Energy in London. Announcing the decision to keep the present target, an OPEC statement urged members “to adhere to it.” But al-Badri, the secretary general, acknowledged that, as in the past, countries had only been assigned “indicators” — not quotas — in attempts to new to the target.

Tariq Aziz, Saddam’s trusted PM dies waiting for execution

AGHDAD — Tariq Aziz, the debonair Iraqi former deputy prime minister who made his name by staunchly defending Saddam Hussein to the world during three wars and was later sentenced to death as part of the regime that killed hundreds of thousands of its own people, has died in a hospital in southern Iraq, officials said. He was 79. Aziz died yesterday after he was taken to the alHussein hospital in the city of Nasiriyah, about 320 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, according to the provincial governor, Yahya al-Nassiri. Aziz had been in custody in a prison in the south, awaiting execution. Aziz ,the highest-ranking Christian in Saddam’s regime was its international

face for years. He was sentenced in October 2010 to death for persecuting members of the Shiite Muslim religious parties that now dominate Iraq. A Baghdad government official confirmed the death of Aziz. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. Al-Nassiri, the governor of Dhi Qar province where Nasiriyah is the capital, said Aziz’s wife Violet had visited him on Thursday in prison and spent about an hour with him. Aziz had suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure for a long time, and he was a chain smoker, the governor added. Local Iraqi authorities yesterday told the family it could take Aziz’s body from the hospital

morgue. The only Christian among Saddam’s inner circle, Aziz’s religion rescued him from the hangman’s noose that was the fate of other members of the top regime leadership. After he was sentenced to death, the Vatican asked for mercy for him as a Christian. Iraq’s president at the time, Jalal Talabani, then refused to give the death sentence his required signature, citing Aziz’s age and religion. Al-Nassiri said that Aziz was immediately taken to the hospital when the heart attack occurred. “The medical staff did their best to rescue him, but they failed. It is God’s will,” he added. Even before he was sentenced, the ailing Aziz appeared to know that he would die in custody. He had had

several strokes while in custody undergoing trial multiple times for various regime crimes. “I have no future. I have no future,” Aziz told The Associated Press, looking frail and speaking with difficulty because of a recent stroke, in a jailhouse interview in September 2010. At that stage, he had been sentenced to more than two decades in prison. “I’m sick and tired but I wish Iraq and Iraqis well,” he said. Elegant and eloquent, Aziz spoke fluent English, smoked Cuban cigars and was loyal to Saddam to the last, even naming one of his son’s after the dictator. His posts included that of foreign minister and deputy prime minister, and he sat on the Revolutionary Command Council, the highest body in Saddam’s regime.

lenge.” As at press time, Buhari has welcomed the offer by the US to assist the nation to join the fight against. Boko Haram The Senior Special Assistant on Media to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu, who spoke with our correspondent, said: “We are very happy to hear that the US will be assisting us in order to reset the relationship between the two countries. “We are eager to collaborate with the US accordingly.” Maj. Gen. Olukolade.in a statement said: “Two suicide bombers leading a band of terrorists were among over a score of those of them who died as troops succeeded in repelling the terrorist attack on Shetimari in Borno State yesterday (Thursday) evening. Over 12 rifles and 1 machine gun were captured from the terrorists group as the attack was repelled. “Also recovered from the group were rocket propelled grenades and some bombs. Troops conducting mopping up operation are still combing the area while others are in pursuit of those who are on the run. “Incidents of suicide bomb attacks were also recorded in Jimeta Yola and Maiduguri yesterday evening. Details are still forthcoming. “The offensive operations in Sambisa and other forest enclaves of the terrorists are continuing with intelligence activities, aerial surveillance and highly coordinated air bombardment backed by ground assaults. Details as operations progress.” Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari last night welcomed the offer from the US Government to assist the new administration in tackling

Boko Haram. Meanwhile, the death toll from Thursday’s suicide bombing at the Jimeta market,Yola rose to 45 yesterday, authorities said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but it bore the hallmarks of the terror group, Boko Haram. “Ten more people died this morning,” police spokesman Othman Abubakar told Reuters, adding to the 35 bodies that a senior policeman, who wanted to remain anonymous, earlier said he had seen at the bomb scene. Around 40 people were wounded, said Abubakar. The police have cordoned off the area and diverted motorists plying the route. The police also confirmed a suicide bomber was behind the blast. The scene of the blast is very popular for night buyers and sellers of meat, cooked food and other foodstuffs. Boko Haram has waged a six-year insurgency to try to set up a “caliphate” in the Northeast , but government counter-offensives this year have retaken much of the territory held by the jihadists. But bomb attacks have resurged in the last one week, with 80 people killed in a series of attacks over the past few days. In his inaugural speech penultimate Friday, President Muhammadu Buhari promised to eradicate the “mindless, godless” group and rescue hundreds of women and children held captive by the jihadists, including 200 girls taken from Chibok a year ago. Buhari visited his counterparts in Niger and Chad earlier this week to discuss strategies against Boko Haram.

Buhari must prosecute crimes by insurgents, army -U.N

ENEVA - The United Nations’ top human rights official,Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein, yesterday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate reports of horrifying crimes by Boko Haram terrorists and alleged abuses by the military. Al-Hussein said he had seen allegations of mass executions, rape and amputations of children by Boko Haram - a day after two blasts killed more than 30 people in Maiduguri and Yola. Amnesty International (AI) had accused the armed forces of mistreating people detained on suspicion of belonging to the group, he added. “Civilians in northeast Nigeria have been living through horrifying acts of cruelty and violence by Boko Haram. These include wanton killings, summary executions, forced participation in military operations – including the use of children to detonate bombs, forced labour, forced marriage and sexual violence, including rape,” Zeid said in a statement. President Buhari said in reaction to the AI allegation that the matter would be investigated. The Defence Headquarters in a separate reaction dismissed the allegations as a blackmail. Zeid, citing eyewitness testimony gathered by his office on atrocities committed by Boko Haram, said: “We have reports

of children who were suspected of theft and had their hands amputated, of a man stoned to death on accusations of fornication, mass executions of captives whose hands and legs were bound and who were dumped into rivers and wells.” At least 1,000 people, “possibly many more,” were brutally killed by Boko Haram in Mararaba Madagali in Adamawa State in late 2014, the statement said. Other witnesses described how insurgents asked villagers in Kwajafa in Borno state in April to gather to hear them preach. “When the villagers gathered, the insurgents opened fire. The U.N. Human Rights Office has also received a video recording of an execution, allegedly of a girl who refused to convert to Islam.” Zeid, referring to “extremely worrying reports” that had emerged about the conduct of Nigerian armed forces, said one man testified about his ordeal when he was mistaken for a Boko Haram member and detained by the military in Yola in Adamawa. “The man said he spent five days without food or water, as detainees drank the urine of others to quench their thirst. He claimed that there was an average of five deaths per day in the facility,” he said.

THE NATION, SATURDAY JUNE 6, 2015

News 5

Senate presidency: Buhari tasks APC leaders as party meets senators-elect today

President Muhammadu Buhari has a big task for the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of today’s meeting with the party’s Senatorselect: ensure that the choice of Senate President creates no crisis in the rank and file. Two prominent members of the party – Alhaji Ahmed Lawan and Dr.Bukola Saraki are locked in a tricky battle for the position. Each side claims more support in the Senate than the other. Buhari has declared that he will not take sides with any of the candidates or pick a

•Lawan, Saraki intensify lobby •Reconciliation tops agenda of meeting Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation preference because "they are two brothers." Party sources said last night that reconciliation will top the agenda at today’s meeting. Senators Lawan and Saraki are intensifying their cam-

paign ahead of the election of the president of the 8th Senate. The Senate is scheduled for inauguration on Tuesday. A source said the race for the Senate Presidency featured at the recent meeting between Buhari and APC leaders. "You know the President

met during the week with APC leaders. Although the meeting was behind closed doors the issue of Senate Presidency came up,” the source said. "At the session, Buhari charged the leaders to get a few things done in such a way that it will not lead to rancour

between the candidates. He said after all, ‘they are two brothers.’ The source added: "At the meeting with APC leaders, Buhari insisted that he will not point at any of the two candidates and dictate who should be the President of the Senate. "But he told them a few things to do to make peace between Lawan and Saraki." It was also gathered last night that the APC leadership in prioritizing reconciliation at today’s meeting had been working on the LawanAkume and Saraki groups to attend the heart-to-heart session in Abuja. One of the two groups has agreed to take part in the shadow election planned by the party,while the other is not favourably disposed to it. Investigation revealed that the party leadership was uncomfortable with the possible negative effect the wrangling over Senate Presidency may have on the unity of the party. The party's leadership was said to be touched following

the latest development which has led to governors, elders and APC chieftains being divided along partisan lines. A highly-placed source said: "There is too much tension in the party on the choice of the next President of the Senate. The APC leadership will not join the fray instead, it will broker peace. "So, as we prepare for the session, reconciliation is top on the card. We want to appeal to the Lawan-Akume and Saraki groups to consider the contest as a "family issue." "What you should expect on Saturday (today) is a troubleshooting session. We want the 8th Senate to convene in peace." Responding to a question, the source said: "If we are able to reconcile, we will go to the inaugural session of the 8th Senate as a united party." Another source said: "The party's reconciliatory intervention became necessary following the rejection of shadow primaries by one of the two groups. "So, we do not want these differences to widen ."

‘New govt should give traders, artisans fair deal’

•From left: Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State; Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Muhammadu Bashar; Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III; Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Mera and Emir of Zuru, Alhaji Sani Sami, at the 10th anniversary of the coronation of Emir of Gwandu in Birnin Kebbi ....yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

HE Supreme Court yes terday put an end to the 18-year old dispute over the appointment of Ado Ibrahim as the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in Kogi State. The court, in a unanimous judgment, upheld Ibrahim’s appointment as the paramount ruler of Ebiraland on June 2, 1997 by the then Military Administrator of the state, Colonel Bzigu Afakirya. The Supreme Court, in a lead judgment delivered by Justice John Okoro, upheld Ibrahim’s argument that the Kogi High Court and the Court of Appeal, Jos were without jurisdiction when they heard the cases and gave judgments in favour of those opposed to the choice of Ibrahim. The court upheld Ibrahim’s appeal and set aside the concurrent judgments by the High Court and the Court of Appeal. Some Ebira indigenes led by Maigida Lawal, who were dissatisfied with Ibrahim’s choice, had challenged his appointment at the state’s High Court on March 6, 1998. In its judgment on April 3, 2006, the High Court, among others, voided Ibrahim’s appointment on the ground that it violated Edict No. 3 of 1997. Ibrahim appealed to the Court of Appeal, Jos division, but lost, prompting him to appeal to the Supreme Court. In upholding the appeal yesterday, the apex court held that the two lower courts were wrong to have assumed jurisdiction over the case instituted six months after the cause of action arose, as against within three months allowed under the Public Officers Protection Act. “Having appointed the appellant (Ibrahim) on June 2,

Supreme Court upholds Ibrahim’s appointment as Ohinoyi of Ebiraland Eric IKHILAE, Abuja 1997 and, the 1st to 4th respondents becoming aggrieved of the said appointment, their cause of action arose with effect from June 2, 1997. ”Section 2(a) of the Public Officers Protection Act states that such an action, prosecution or proceeding ‘shall not lie or be instituted unless it is commenced within three months next after the act, neglect or default complained of. ”The effect of the Public Officers Protection Act, like any other statutes of limitation, is to deprive the court of jurisdiction to entertain an

action filed outside the time prescribed in the statute. “The first to fourth respondents did not file their suit until March 6, 1998, clearly about nine months after their cause of action arose. That action, in my estimation, ought to have been filed not later than 2nd September, 1997. “Let me state again for the umpteenth time that where a law prescribes a period for instituting an action, proceedings cannot be instituted after that period,” Justice Okoro said. The judge held that the Kogi State High Court, having been robbed of the jurisdiction to entertain the suit, “in the same vein, the lower

court (Court of Appeal) had no jurisdiction to hear and determine the appeal, arising from a judgment generated from the High Court which had no jurisdiction to entertain same. ”Accordingly, both the judgment of the High Court of Kogi State delivered on April 3, 2006 and that of the court below (Court of Appeal) delivered on January 12, 2009, are hereby set aside,” the Justice Okoro said. Other members of the panel, including Justices Ibrahim Mohammad, Muhammad MuuntakaCoomassie, Olabode RhodesVivour and Sylvester Ngwuta, agreed with the lead judgment.

Broron Oil to set up diving school in Lagos

RORON Oil and Gas Lim ited, an indigenous com pany with speciality in subsea and marine services, and its technical partners, MOS Marine Offshore Services of Singapore are joining hands to setup a diving school in Lagos. The Singaporian company, which has been in partnership with Broron Oil and Gas Limited since 2011, offers services in the area of mobilization and demobilization of diving and ROV equipment; lashing facilities offshore equipment vessels and barges; engineering designs and fabrication works; procurement services for diving systems, among others. At a joint media parley held in Lagos, the CEO of Broron Oil and Gas Limited, Chief Henry Ojogho, said the diving school,

which will be sited in Lagos, will offer training in air/saturated diving systems and subsea intervention and maintenance services to Nigerians and get them more involved in offshore operations to become beneficiaries of the local content law. Chief Ojogho, whose company also offers services in sea engineering, offshore installation, offshore vessel services, construction and commissioning services as well as manpower supply services, added that the initiative to set up the diving school in Nigeria was also borne out of the determination to expand the manpower capacity and technical indept of younger Nigerians to be able to compete favourably with foreigners in offshore engineering services.

He called on the Nigerian government to keep creating the enabling environment for indigenous companies in the oil and gas sector, particularly those in the offshore services for them to enjoy equal treatment, if not more than the foreign service firms which currently enjoy more patronage from International Oil Companies, courtesy of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Chief Ojogho lamented a situation whereby the local content law, which was meant to benefit indigenous companies, has continued to deprive them of business deals in the oil and gas sector, while their foreign counterpart are getting better patronage at the expense of local firms.

LL tiers of government in the country have been called upon to ensure that traders and artisans are given fair deal by their various administrations at the local, state and federal government levels, as they constitute over 60 per cent of the entire population. The Direct-General of Police Assistance Committee/Association of Tradesmen and Artisans, Dr. Martins John-Oni, who made the call, noted that various governments in the country have not been paying due attention to the welfare of traders and artisans through initiated packages that could bring dividends of democracy to them directly, except to use them during campaigns towards elections, and later dump them after the elections, even though they are non-partisans or politicians, but always willing to cast their votes for their choice candidates. The PAC/ATA Director –

General, who made this observation while addressing their members at a one-day orientation programme in Abuja, said it was regrettable that traders and artisans are mainly considered useful by the politicians during buildups towards elections only to be dumped and neglected after the elections. He stated that traders and artisans are the backbone of any economy as their economic contributions cannot be overlooked, and, therefore, should deserve better treatment through government policies that will give direct benefits to their socio-economic developments. He suggested that various trade/artisans associations should be well mobilized and be properly incorporated into getting direct assistance through soft loans under the Small Medium Enterprises scheme (SME) for the growth of their businesses.

Wapic unveils motor, group life policies

APIC Insurance Plc is set to transform the insurance landscape with the recent unveiling of its revamped motor insurance. Similarly, its life subsidiary, Wapic Life Assurance Limited, has also launched its revamped group life insurance policy. The motor insurance policy called”Moov” and the group life policy we re-deigned to offer comprehensive cover for the insuring public as they hedge against the impact of risks and sudden losses. According to the Deputy Group Managing Director, Wapic Insurance Plc, Mr. Bode Ojeniyi, “the MOOV motor insurance policy comes with four options, MOOV, MOOV Plus, MOOV Prestige and MOOV Luxury. Within each option, there is a menu of covers to choose from to suit your needs and budget.

Collins NWEZE “The name ‘Moov’ is a compelling message which conveys the yearnings of our customer for progress in all spheres of life. At Wapic, we identify with the customers’ passion for progress,” he added. Speaking on the group life product, the Managing Director, Wapic Life Assurance, Mr. Niyi Onifade, stated that the group life insurance policy offers the Wapic advantage of affordability, early disability benefits, statutory compliance and prompt claims settlement. Speaking at the launch, the company’s Group Managing Director, Mr. Ashish Desai, stated that “MOOV our motor insurance product has been redesigned to address the yearnings of customers for budget and life style flexibility.”

THE NATION

NEWS

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

38 die in Rivers after consuming local gin •Victims include nine women •Govt bans substance N

O fewer than 38 persons have died in Rivers State after consuming locally made gin. The tragic incident occurred barely two months after a similar one in OdeIrele, Ondo State, where 18 people died in April after consuming locally made gin. The Permanent Secretary of Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr. Somieari IsaacHarry, confirmed the incident in a chat with newsmen in Port Harcourt, the state capital, yesterday. Isaac-Harry said 42 cases had so far been recorded. Of the number, he said, 29 are males and nine females while four others survived. He said the victims died as a result of the presence of methanol in their drink.( The Permanent Secretary urged members of the public to re-

Rosemary NWISI, Port Harcourt main calm and desist from further consumption of the substance, pending the tracing and removal of the contaminated products from circulation.( He said the ministry’s surveillance team is already in communities and villages across the state to educate and sensitize dwellers on the need to stop further intake of alcohol until the bad batch was stopped from circulation.( He said the state governor, Nyeso Wike, was deeply pained by the tragic development, and appealed for the cooperation of members of the public to rid the state of the product.( Isaac-Harry said: “We had a call on June 3 from Woji town

in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state on the sudden death of some people who ate dog meat and drank local gin. “However, what really caused the death of those who consumed the illicit gin was methanol alcohol and not the dog meat.( “The victims presented symptoms like abdominal pain, vomiting, sudden blindness, speechlessness, fast breathing and confusion.( “Despite rushing many of them to hospitals, we still recorded a lot of mortalities. “Eleven cases were recorded in Woji, 10 died, in-

cluding a woman, while one survived. “In Bonny LGA, 18 cases were recorded, 17 died, including 11 males and six females, while one survived. “In Gokana LGA in Ogoniland, 13 persons were affected, 11, including two women, died, while two survived.”( “The mortality rate is very high and we wish that we tell our people to stop taking this illicit alcohol. It is not the right type we were taking before. This is an industrial alcohol that is highly poisonous to the body.( “The governor is very angry that this level of

mortality could be recorded in the first week of his administration “Meanwhile, our surveillance teams are in the 23 LGAs educating and sensitising people to stop intake of alcohol, at least for now.”( The news had broken on Sunday evening of some residents of Woji in Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area of the state, who died after feasting on dog meat delicacy at their usual joint in the area.( It was later said that those who died of the dog meat also drank Kaikai. It is difficult to ascertain the actual cause of the deaths,

following the Ondo State saga.( The mysterious death later spread to Bonny Island. In Bonny and Gokana LGAs, all the deaths were linked to kaikai consumption while the victims reportedly presented the same symptoms of abdominal pain, vomiting, sudden blindness, speechlessness, among others.( He called on traditional rulers, youths and women leaders in communities to talk to their members to stop taking the chemical substance until the bad/contaminated ones were traced and removed from circulation.

Kano to enact anti-divorce law

…as Governor warns teachers against laziness Kolade ADEYEMI Kano

ORRIED by the spate of divorce cases in the state, Kano State governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, yesterday said that the state government would enact a law to check the menace. He made the assertion while meeting with some agencies, including Hisbah guards, vigilance groups, Vehicle Inspection Officers and civil society organisations at Coronation Hall, Kano Government House, yesterday. Ganduje directed the state Hisbah Board to discuss the issue with Islamic scholars and other contemporary Islamic students with a view to advising government on how the law would be implemented from the Islamic perspective as well as who to implement it. The governor, who described the rising cases of divorce in the state as worrisome, noted that government would take appropriate actions to stop the menace. He appreciated the effort of Hisbah Guards towards institutionalising Islamic tenets in the state, assuring that his government would continue to support them to work effectively. In another development,

Governor Ganduje yesterday warned teachers in public schools in the state against dereliction of duty. Ganduje, who gave the warning during a visit to some public schools in the Kano metropolis, said the teachers must act as epitomes of character and learning. The governor said his government intends to make teaching a job that people would be proud of. The schools he visited included Government Girls Secondary School (G.G.S.S.), Magwan; Government Day Science College, Kofar Nassarwa; Government Technical College, Kano; G.G.S.S.S. Shekara; Government Senior Secondary School, Kofar Nassarawa and Kofar Nassarawa Model Primary school. Ganduje said: “We want to bring change in this important sector, but that is not possible unless teachers regard what they are doing as a profession. “Teachers should not come late; that is not acceptable. They should be disciplined in order to command respect and inspire discipline in their students He advised the teachers to be more practical in their jobs and

•Continued on Page 68

•From left: Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Mr Kayode Aderanti; Gov. Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos and the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello, during the governor's working visit to the police command in Lagos

Don't expect 24-hour electricity, distribution company tells Nigerians

OLLOWING consumers’ protests against power failure, an electricity distribution company (DISCO) has told Nigerians not to expect 24hour supply of electricity any time soon. The Benin Electricity Dis-

Osemwengie BEN OGBEMUDIA, Benin tribution Company (BEDC), which made the declaration yesterday, said the hopeless situation is due to low generation of megawatts by the generation companies (GENCOs).

I'll make my findings on Suswam's handover note public, says Ortom

HE Governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom, has said he would scrutinise the handover notes of his predecessor, Dr Gabriel Suswam, and make full disclosure about the financial status of the state. He spoke at a thanksgiving service held at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mega Parish, Makurdi to conclude the week-long activities organised for his inauguration as governor and that of his deputy, Engr Benson Abounu. He said the disclosure became necessary because the figure of N9.3 billion which former Governor Suswam gave as the debt profile of the state was not a complete reflection of the state of affairs, as it did not include arrears of salaries, allow-

•Governor signs agreement with Chinese firm on airport, roads, others •Orders immediate supply of Meanwhile, the governor, water to NYSC camp

ances, retirement benefits, as well as commitments to contractors and other obligations. The Governor promised to fight corruption and block all conduit pipes in order to conserve funds to develop the state and meet its financial obligations. According to him, the powers that were dominant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had opposed his candidature because he was a born again Christian who would not tolerate womanising, drunkenness and wild parties in Government House.

He expressed happiness that his rejection and that of Senator Barnabas Gemade from the PDP drove them into the bosom of Senator George Akume, who he said paved the way for what they had become. Dignitaries at the service included Senators Akume and Gemade, the immediate past deputy governor of the state, Chief Steve Lawani, other elected representatives at the state and national levels, captains of industry, academics, religious leaders and politicians.

on behalf of the Benue State Government, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China Railway and Airport Construction Company for the execution of infrastructural projects in the state. The projects over which the agreement was signed, according to Governor Samuel Ortom’s Special Adviser on Media and ICT, Mr. Tahav Agerzua, include airport, roads, power plants, agriculture and housing. The ceremony, which took place at the Peoples’ House, Makurdi, yesterday, saw

•Continued on Page 64

The Head, Corporate Affairs of BEDC for Edo, Delta Ondo and Ekiti states, Curtuis Nwadei, said in spite of the 9 per cent allocation from the national grid, the zone also grapples with the problem of high indebtedness from both state and federal government agencies, including military and paramilitary agencies, energy theft and assaults on its staff. Nwadie, who spoke in Benin, however said that BEDC had commissioned over 20 injection sub-stations and took delivery of over 400 transformers to improve on it services to the states under its jurisdiction. He also lamented vandalization of its transformers and cables by hoodlums in some communities in the zone. He said: “The distribution company (BEDC) is at the end of the value chain. We have generation, transmission, and distribution which we are. If you don’t generate, you cannot distribute, and that is the truth. “As I speak to you today, the generation level of Nigeria is very low. It is not even enough for a state in

Nigeria. “As at this morning, the highest generation we have is 3, 409 megawatts for a population of over 170 million people, and what we can take out of that is less than 2,500 megawatts and BEDC only gets 9 per cent of the entire generation in Nigeria. “Which means our allocation is between 150-160 megawatts for a company that requires 900 megawatts. So you discover that there is a large shortfall from what we need. “With this, there is absolutely nothing BEDC can do, because we don’t generate. “Most of the protests you see are sponsored. Because if you ask them now, they will tell you they want 24hour supply and nobody in Nigeria can get that with the present generation. “That is not to say we have not done a lot on our own.” At the time of filing this report, aggrieved electricity consumers from Irhiriri area of Benin, Edo State capital, had blocked the entrance to the headquarters of the BEDC located on Akpakpava Street in Benin, demanding improvement in electricity supply to their area.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

Buhari, globalisation and regionalism HE fact that the first official visit of Nigeria’s new president was to neighboring Niger Republic and Chad generated the topic of today. We will look at this topic in the context of the anti - corruption reputation that President Muhammadu Buhari brings to his high office and the pointed contents of his Inaugural speech that referred to our cherished ancestors as Nigerians as well as to the laudable achievements of Nigeria’s first set of political leaders at Independence in 1960. These issues hook into the ongoing corruption scandal at FIFA leading to the election and resignation of FIFA ‘s President Sepp Blatter and the denial by S Africa that it paid a $ 10m bribe to FIFA to host the 2010 World Cup in that nation. It is important and necessary to read meanings and draw inferences and insinuations on the actions and inactions of new leaders as they assume office and claim power especially after winning elections and President Muhammadu Buhari who won Nigeria’s much anticipated 2015 presidential elections cannot be an exception. Events that happened globally and locally at his emergence as Nigeria’s new president cast a shadow on what to expect as his reaction to them, in line with his perceived orientation and track record as well as the expectations of the electorate that put him in power. It is our contention here that the visits to Niger and Chad showed clearly the importance that the new president attaches to the issue of security and Boko Haram as this is the area of Nigeria bordering the two nations and this is where Boko Haram has been operating with impunity for some time. The fact that the Nigerian president has directed the military to move its operational headquarters to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state and the nagging target of Boko Haram’s incessant bomb blasts again showed the concern of the new president as well as the direction of Nigeria’s foreign policy on regional security in the global fight against terrorism generally and Boko Haram in particular. Given the new president’s antecedents and military background this must have been a carefully calculated, orchestrated move and military strategy involving near humiliating albeit pragmatic considerations. The saying that if the mountain does not move to Muhammed, then Muhammed must move to the mountain could very well have been applied for this visit and it could not have been an easy decision to pay the two visits so quickly. This is because the Nigerian visitor and president was a general in the Nigerian army that of recent made the armies of the two neighboring nations shake and quaver at the mere mention of its name, not to talk of its approach in the entire Sahel bordering the Sahara desert or even the entire ECOWAS region. That reputation of the invincibility of the Nigerian army during his time must have weighed heavily on the mind of the Nigerian president as he contemplated going to Chad and Niger for help on Boko Haram but he swallowed his pride, ate the humble pie and allowed regionalism to overshadow nationalism in the pursuit of both national and regional security. That surely is a step in the right direction. While one may describe the visit as a pragmatic and realistic approach one should also look at the way the same president used nationalism to garner support for his crusade against the many ills he must confront successfully and as soon as possible if he is not to lose his honeymoon with Nigerians in the shortest possible time. While acknowledging that he knew where the shoe pinched Nigerians in his Inaugural speech especially on lack of electricity, fuel scarcity, youth unemployment, and insecurity, the president reminded Nigerians that they were offsprings of great rulers who ruled empires that the Europeans carved out into the present African nations. He recalled our great leaders at Independence and literally challenged that if

those leaders could lead that well in their time there is no reason why Nigerians should lose confidence that all will be well during his tenure. To me that is using our history and pedigree positively to galvanise Nigerians into a type of positive nationalism that Nigeria as a nation expects every Nigerian to do his duty. That again to me is the rationale for his quoting Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar that there is a tide in the affairs of men. To that I add another Shakespearean injunction this time from Henry the Fifth on the eve of the Battle at Agincourt where the English troops faced overwhelming odds as they were outnumbered by the French but yet were able to achieve a famous and historical victory. Henry the Fifth rallied his troops by saying that ‘when the blast of war blows in our ears then imitate the action of the tiger’. He urged his troops on by saying –‘Now attest that those whom ye called fathers did beget you’. ‘Be copy now to men of lesser blood and teach them how to war.‘ What I am saying in essence is that Buhari’s Inaugural speech was a call to arms for all Nigerians to play their part in helping him to confront the cancers of unemployment, power failure and fuel scarcity by playing their part as bona fide and well bred Nigerians with an illustrious past and history –just like Henry the fifth did and rallied his troops to victory even when vastly outnumbered by the French army at the Battle of Agincourt ages ago. However in the regionalism or regional diplomacy that the new Nigerian president has embarked on, he must be prepared for meeting a new French interest different from the one that the English defeated at Agincourt. In fact the scenario is different nowadays in the way the British and the French are reacting to the Boko Haram terror in our midst or terrorism in Africa generally. While France has been active militar-

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That reputation of the invincibility of the Nigerian army during his time must have weighed heavily on the mind of the Nigerian president as he contemplated going to Chad and Niger for help on Boko Haram but he swallowed his pride, ate the humble pie and allowed regionalism to overshadow nationalism in the pursuit of both national and regional security. That surely is a step in the right direction

ily in Africa driving out the Tuaregs and saving the sovereignty of Mali and having military bases in Chad and Niger, the British have been luke warm in helping Nigeria on Boko Haram. In fact the rise of negative nationalism and xenophobia in Europe has rubbed off on Britain and that explains why David Cameron had to stay at home to campaign and that has paid off in the victory of the Tories in the May general elections in Britain. The brutal truth however is that France has stood by its former colonies in providing military support against Islamist terrorism generally in Africa while Britain has diplomatically looked the other way because it feared a political backlash at home where it is crippled by the policy of multiculturalism which does not allow its leaders to play a leading role as before in world politics today. Which, considering Britain’s diplomatic and military pedigree, is a great shame indeed. Lastly the eventual resignation of FIFA’s President Sepp Blatter after his earlier controversial election as Fifa’s president exemplify the inherent nature and qualities of today’s topic. President Buhari has a no nonsense, zero tolerance reputation for corruption and Nigeria is a member nation of FIFA, which is a global organization enjoying the goodwill of soccer which is the most popular sport seen all over the world, thanks to the emergence of globalization and the breakdown of trade and national barriers through communication and information technology. But Fifa under Blatter presents a unique case of using multiple and organized nationalism in one body to thwart the efforts of those involved in the global effort to eradicate the cancer of corruption in society. At FIFA according to the US investigators officials take bribes to enable FIFA stage its competitions in some nations. If that is the case that should stop. The fact that FIFA under Blatter has done a lot for sports development in African and Asian member nations does not make corruption right at FIFA. Indeed it turns FIFA into a type of modern day robber baron or Robin Hood. Thievery or robbing the rich to pay the poor has never been a sustainable moral platform in any age or time. It is certainly in order to suspect the British or the Americans of sour grapes in losing their World Cup hosting bids to Russia and Quatar and hoping to use charges of corruption against FIFA under Blatter to have them back. That too is a form of corruption that should be examined and condemned if found to be so. That however does not make it right for Asian and African nations to turn a blind eye to charges of corruption in Fifa under Blatter because of his official magnanimity and largesse to the soccer federations in Asia and Africa. Certainly two wrongs do not make a right and the globalized effort to contain and create zero tolerance to corruption should be sustained and not circumscribed because of FIFA’s current president’s generosity which has feet of clay in terms of transparency and probity. Anyway in Nigeria’s case there is no need to warn anybody as the new president has said that he belongs to every body and belongs nobody and his reputation on zero tolerance on corruption has preceded him into office and Nigeria is a member of FIFA. A word is surely enough for the wise.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

COMMENTARY

Now that Buhari is President... Knucklehead

P until the early hours of May 29, 2015, Nigeria had a president known more for his trademark fedora and, some say, easy-going ways. Today, the mantle of leadership has changed hands and Muhammadu Buhari, a retired Army General and disciplinarian, is the man of the moment. He took the oath of office and oath of allegiance at a colourful ceremony at the Eagles Square, Abuja. Party over, Buhari needs to sit his bum down to tackle the accumulated multifarious challenges that continue to cripple the Nigerian nation. Clearly, he would be deluding himself and putting his reputation up for a bashing if he thinks Nigerians would exercise endless patience for him to plot his way through the landmines planted by the outgone government of Goodluck Jonathan. The exit of that administration sets the alarm bell for Buhari to hit the ground running. The populace has gone far beyond listening to any tendentious excuse about how bad the situation was before the May 29 handover date. All they want to see are visible nuggets that stand as roadmaps to recovery, especially by an administration that rode into power singing the change mantra. It may be tough, yet it is Buhari’s cross to deal with! No matter how awry things have gone, excuses are simply not enough. Expectations are high that Nigeria’s real Mr. Fix It is in the saddle to bring the much-needed relief and put a smile on the faces of the long-suffering masses. Regardless of the humongous $63bn debt profile contained in Jonathan’s handover notes, the public expect Buhari to find the magic wand to revitalising the critical sectors of the economy. Chief among these is the energy sector, which has inflicted the gravest pains on the psyche of Nigerians in spite of the multi-billion dollar investments. There are also the nagging issues of institutional corruption and infrastructural decay. I guess it bears another repetition that Jonathan got voted out not only because the electorate grew tired of seeing his dull face giggling back at their penury. No sir. He was thrown out because he spent far longer time fiddling with his plethora of paper achievements while everything was collapsing all around him and over the heads of citizens. Aside his sloppy handling of the security situation in the country, he simply failed to show leadership when it mattered most. And, as days ran into months, the electorate grew tired of the perplexing lethargy he wrought on governance. Besides, Jonathan was far too removed from the people to share in their pains and anguish. Without much to show in terms of genuinely praiseworthy productivity, he appeared immersed in the captivating allure of power. His hordes of court jesters entranced him with shibboleths of deceit and fairy tales of unprecedented strides. They said he was the next best thing to have happened to Nigeria after God. Some called him god. He relished the moment. They thanked him on our behalf for an endless mirage of ‘achievements’ whose impact the ordinary citizens have not really felt building roads, improving education, providing quality health care system, introducing a template for uninterrupted power supply, stabilising the energy sector and securing lives and property. They propped him up as a symbol of the country’s perennial battle against corruption. He lapped it all without stepping out of his comfort zone to feel the pulse of the people. It took reality of credible election to nudge him to the vacuity of his action. He was held captive by power until the same power deserted him. The emperor was cut to size by the thumb and overnight, he came tumbling from his high horse! Now that Buhari is President, he cannot afford to fall into the same potholes that eventually swallowed Jonathan’s second term bid. Thankfully, Buhari is not a neophyte, neither has he given anyone the impression that he is one to be swayed by the genuflections of palace wannabes. With his age and experience, he should know what he was walking into when he decided to, once again, have a shot at the presidency after three failed attempts. To demonstrate

With

Yomi Odunuga E-mail:yomi.odunuga @thenationonlineng.net SMS only: 07028006913 that capacity and understanding, he told a group of editors in a recent interview in the Sunday Trust that he was prepared to be his own man and find a way out of the exotic 'cage' that the Aso Rock Presidential Palace was to Jonathan. "I asked for it (to be President in Aso Villa)', so whatever I meet there I cannot complain. I know, of course, that there is a lot of work to be done. The important thing is to make sure that the structures on ground are made to function; people are made to do their work and develop the capacity to supervise," he had said. Some have suggested that Buhari may not nurse a second term ambition. Well, you never can tell with politicians. Whatever happens, the fact remains that on his lean shoulders lie the future and fortunes of the ruling All Progressives Congress in subsequent elections. His four-year tenure offers a make-or-mar opportunity for the APC. No one is saying that it is going to be an easy task battling entrenched interests in a queer political system. It is just that Buhari has no option other than to walk his talk. There is no better time for him to display that courage, competence and capacity than now. Good enough, he has started on the right template by insisting on being his own man. That’s my reading of his ‘somebody’ and ‘nobody’ statement. For, if the truth must be told, Jonathan’s numb tactlessness and weakness in dealing with issues of urgent national importance contributed to his failure. Perhaps, Buhari has learnt a big lesson from that and he has opted to be solely responsible for his action. However, Mr. President ought to understand that being his own man would surely come with a price even right within his own inner circle. His success would largely depend on how he employs wisdom in dealing with both the centripetal and centrifugal forces within and without. That, by the way, was the cage reality former

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Now that Buhari is President, the buck stops right on his desk. When he points the finger at Jonathan's People's Democratic Party for being an economic and political disaster in the last 16 years of our democratic journey, I just hope he understands that the remaining four fingers point right back at him

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President Jonathan was talking about. This subsequently beclouded his ability to stop the systemic rot. Now that Buhari is President, the buck stops right on his desk. When he points the finger at Jonathan's People's Democratic Party for being an economic and political disaster in the last 16 years of our democratic journey, I just hope he understands that the remaining four fingers point right back at him. Therefore, he needs to, in the next four years, display the strength of character that would bring drastic change in the state of the economy and infrastructural development. In that Sunday Trust interview, he said his focus would be on education, healthcare, security, infrastructure, fighting corruption and blocking the various leakages, which resulted in the multi-billion dollar losses that found their ways to personal pockets of our rapacious, fleecing elite. Good talk. But then, didn't they say talk is cheap? Is there really anything new in this that Jonathan did not vow to confront when he was inaugurated on May 29, 2011? Just this reminder though: In the year 2011, former President Goodluck Jonathan inspired the nation to a frenzy of great expectations. He told them he was one of them; a man of simple means who rose to power from the backwaters of Otuoke in Bayelsa State. When he got into power, that poetic cadence metamorphosed into vain triumphalism. Drowned in the exhortations of the countless court jesters around him, Jonathan simply forgot to do a reality check at the footstool of the ordinary Nigerian who holds the ace to his fate as long as his continuous stay in that exotic ‘cage’ is concerned. If only he had taken the liberty to peep out of that cage occasionally to measure the pulse of his subjects, maybe he would not have suffered such a crushing blow. You do not throw your chin up for such a long time, ignoring informed clamour that you walk your talk and expect to reap a whirlwind of electoral victory. That's why he is out there somewhere, wishing things had been done differently. Now, Buhari is waltzing lyrical and sending waves of romantic sound bites into our ear lobes. We know about his legendary Spartan living and we can vouch for his stance against corruption. What we really do not know is if that would still be applicable immediately he gets giddy with the allure of that exotic cage which he is yet to move into as I write this. We really cannot fathom how he handles the pressures and sweet-coated offerings of the men in the corridors of power. Like I once admonished in an earlier piece, Buhari needs to hold himself to the mirror because he does not have the luxury of tendering excuses for any failure. Nigerians voted for good governance and not good luck. They heeded his call and it is now time for him to remember his promises. For the avoidance of doubt, I’ll list the some of the promises. He told us of his strategic plans to ensure that we now enjoy constant electricity; tame the cabal in the petroleum sector and reduce petrol price; return the naira’s lost glory against foreign currencies; give one free meal a day in all public schools; open a vista of opportunities for Nigerians to access better living conditions; create employment for the millions slapping the streets in dejection; fight corruption head-on and ensure the safety of lives and property. Surely, Buhari could not have forgotten so soon that quotidian living has become such a hellish reality that the citizens’ patience could not stand another bumbling whining from any government that is long on canticles and short on delivery. Now that Buhari is President, the time ticks for him. He should rest assured that no one wants to hear his lamentations about his experience in the gilded cage called Aso Rock. Let him fix his gaze on the voices from the market place – the ones whose hopes and votes earned him an indisputably popular passage to the highest position in the land. That, by the way, is the constituency that he belongs. He is definitely not island of somebody and nobody! We just hope he remembers, hopefully!

50-year economic legacy - efficient ineffectiveness SK anyone anything revolutionary about our economy over the past 25 years and the sectors that mostly pop up as having been truly transformed are banking, telecoms, aviation and entertainment. But truly transformed for whose benefit? Have they really revolutionised our economy? Take out entertainment - can one really say the same about the other sectors? In the 70s and 80s our population was less than a hundred million. Economically, we were a mono-cultural economy dependent on oil for most of our foreign exchange, up to ninety percent sometimes. Three decades plus after, we have doubled in size, with faster technologies and all what not, but what have we got? – Structurally, we are exactly still the same. And what would be the contribution of the banking sector to this? No need to go far for this as it is the sector meant to lubricate the economy. Question is, lubricate what? Take away the petrochemical sector, corporate and governmental institutions’ accounts, what is left? Even better, what about the wider Nigerian economy, the importers and exporters – which one is guaranteed easier access to funds and loans? A graduate banker gets a good banking job in a top notch bank, is able to access funds for the bank’s portfolio, sanctions loans to an importer to bring in products from abroad, pays back the loan with exorbitant interest as is the in-thing and ultimately fuels the bank’s profits. While the graduate banker is well-paid living a good life on invariably imported products, the bank’s profits impressive to the shareholders also living on, what else but imported products – they have all contributed nothing to Nigeria Plc. The technology – online banking, ATM, and other similar modern infrastructure have only made them more efficient and faster but hardly achieved anything for Naija Inc. And you think the telecoms sector fits this pattern? But of course! How else would we be connected? We now have all kinds of communication connections, gadgets, instruments, devices, etc., to all and sundry for all intents and purposes. Not likely anyone has ever asked the contents of our communications if of any productive contribution to our economy. There was the saying a long time ago that once we sort out our communication challenges, our economy would be revolutionised. Now the sector has indeed been reformed – thank heavens since I doubt anyone misses NITEL– but the economy? We are now better connected and more efficiently but with nothing productive to engage in rather than being better equipped to speak faster irrelevancies hardly offering anything of meaningful contribution to Nigeria Plc. Then no point querying role of the aviation sector here. Better not. It isn’t any better. Few decades ago, you would have to be part of the wealthy upper class to take a flight around the country. One needn’t

Dele OWOLOWO bother then, considering the inconvenience, archaic planning and logistics it entailed. Nowadays, in our current state of perceived improvement, you can simply wake up any morning and swoosh to Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt or any other city you fancy and hey presto we have moved mountains. The problem is, mountain of progress or regression? If you are sitting in the business class, you can safely take a bet that only a tiny miniscule minority are actually paying from their pockets, the vast majority are being paid for by one corporate body, governmental institution or establishment. If you are among those who pay from their pockets, the real economy movers in the ‘cattle’ class, then it is highly likely you are chasing one contract or another to import some product, consultancy service from abroad for the Abuja crew, arranging some importation papers to clear goods from the Lagos ports or engaging in helping the foreigners to prop us up in Port Harcourt. All these activities innovatively and ingeniously contribute to the ‘expansion’ of our economy much faster. Inevitably and deceptively, these are what define our current GDP which is said to be the biggest in Africa. What has not been added is

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A foreigner/foreign firm comes to Nigeria, gets a loan from our banks, imports needed resources from their home country, aids in the ‘expansion’ of our economic activities, we pay with our scarce foreign exchange, we consume and by the blessings of the stars we are on cloud nine! And who is in control of the economy - you or the foreigner

that they illustrate an increase in faster and more consumption dominated activities being held up by foreigners in the oil and gas sector, few in the agro-industrial firms, add those of the governmental agencies and top that with the banks where we of course dominate with our pen and paper shuffling retinue. To those interested in the real productivity of Nigerians, try researching for more information on our GNP or Gross National Product or for ease of understanding what I call gross Nigerian productivity – what exactly do we, as Nigerians, contribute to our economy from our activities? A foreigner/foreign firm comes to Nigeria, gets a loan from our banks, imports needed resources from their home country, aids in the ‘expansion’ of our economic activities, we pay with our scarce foreign exchange, we consume and by the blessings of the stars we are on cloud nine! And who is in control of the economy - you or the foreigner? Lo and behold, this is the revolutionary contribution of the banking, telecom and aviation sector to the Nigerian economy – efficiently ineffective – or to look at ourselves in the mirror, we have simply developed the modern tools to run faster - to nowhere. Surely, there has to be a way out of this. In Nigeria?! Why would you want to change such a consumption oriented system when you are making a ‘good’ living out of it. If creatively determined enough, then we would have to be really revolutionary in our orientation – both educationally and economically. Who do we decide to invest more in – Those who can think, talk and write or those who can produce, manufacture or grow things? For starters, let us take the already well-known tie and dye ‘Adire’ textile market in Abeokuta. Sellers are in abundance there, traditional centuries’ old technology available which agro-technical students can improve if we are bent on planting the roots of technical-vocational education, market which can be expanded and products exported – hopefully supported by the financial institutions - and then we earn foreign exchange for the nation. Extend this to already existing traditional sectors of the economy and we can witness how fast this generates employment and income for the citizens while earning revenue for the local economy. Any chance of this happening soon enough? The results – we would definitely contend with. Whether it would be determined by us or for us is another matter. That, right now, are the choices we have. • Dele Owolowo, Author ‘Nigeria’s Odyssey…’, is an Educationist, Trainer and Rural Entrepreneur with widely travelled background. H Y P E R L I N K "mailto:owolowo.dele@gmail.com"owolowo.dele@gmail.com

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

NEWS

Consul General inaugurates Nigerian union secretariat South Africa IGERIA’S Consul General in South Africa, Amb. Uche Ajulu-Okeke, on Friday inaugurated the secretariat of the Nigerian Union in Pretoria, describing the association as a rallying point for Nigerians in South Africa. Speaking at the inauguration in Pretoria, South Africa, she urged Nigerians resident in South Africa to register with the union to ensure easy access to the Nigerian mission in that country. Okeke also urged smaller associations to affiliate with the union, saying it remains a platform for interface between the mission and Nigerians. She said the mission was in touch with Nigerians resident in South Africa through the network of the union’s branches in the country during the xenophobic attacks. ‘’ In government records, successive Consul Generals have said that the Nigerian Union provides the most veritable umbrella to deal with and interface with Nigerians. ‘’ It was exemplified during the xenophobic attacks that we were able to have a touch of everywhere because of the wide spread reach of the Nigerian Union. ‘’ So, we do not have a viable alternative to the Nigerian Union. `` However, because the Nigerian constitution guarantees freedom of association, anybody can belong to any association they like,’’ she said. Okeke also said the plans by the union to introduce a national identity card for all Nigerians in South Africa was commendable. She said that the mission would inform all the Provincial

Commissioners of Police about the project in order to give it recognition. The Consular General’s office, she added, would provide a photo copying machine, a computer set and a television set to the Secretariat. The President of the Nigerian Union, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene,

said the union was formed in 2008 and has chapters in nine provinces and 58 wards in South Africa. ‘’ The union’s objectives are to promote unity among Nigerians in South Africa while supporting and promoting growth among Nigerians in the areas of trade, learning and culture,’’ he said.

Anyene said other objectives were to advance and project the corporate image of Nigeria and to support healthy relationship between Nigerians, South Africans and other nationalities in trade, commerce, learning and culture. He commended the consular general for working closely with

the union and assisting it to meet the needs of Nigerians in South Africa. `` The national secretariat will be a rallying point for all Nigerians in South Africa. `` It will coordinate the activities of all the chapters to make it work as an organised unit,’’ he said.

Anambra oil tanker disaster: APGA chieftain seeks relocation of motor parks member of APGA Board of Trustees, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, has urged the Federal and Anambra State governments to relocate motor parks to less crowded areas in the state. He spoke against the backdrop of the May 31 fire incident involving a tanker laden with 33,000 litres of petrol which claimed 69 lives at Upper Iweka axis on Onitsha-Enugu road. The accident also left more than 50 people with various degrees of injuries. Ezeonwuka told the reporters in Oba, near Onitsha, on Friday, that in most civilised countries, parks were located far from major roads. Ezeonwuka symphathised with the families of victims that lost their lives in the accident, and prayed God to give them the fortitude to bear the loss. ``Yes, this park on the centre of the road is wrong. ``I believe that government has to do a lot of things to regularise where parks are supposed to be. ``A park don’t supposed to be on the centre of the road; that of Asaba (park) is on the centre of the road. ``The (government) need to use the opportunity now to re-organise where the parks are supposed

to be and where a park supposed not to be. ``That loading and off-loading on a highway is wrong to be a park. ``So this time around, something had happened for something to be corrected; so this (Onitsha tanker accident) is an eye opener. ``And on this note, I sympathise with all the families that lost their dear ones in this inferno

and this tragedy.’’ . Cue out audio The APGA chieftain commended the state government for its swift response and care for the victims. ``I must commend Gov. Obiano for taking care of the medical bills of the wounded victims of the incident, not minding that most of them are residents of Delta State,’’ he said. Ezeonwuka also commended

President Muhammadu Buhari for showing great concern over the incident through his consoling words to the victims, Anambra people and government. ``Indeed, President Muhammadu Buhari sending the vice president to Upper Iweka, shows that every Nigerian matters notwithstanding place, time and political inclinations,’’ he said.

A’Ibom assembly passes 23 bills, 75 resolutions in 4 years HE Speaker, Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, Mr Samuel Ikon, on Friday said the fifth Assembly, under his leadership, passed 23 bills and 75 resolutions in four years. Ikon disclosed this at the valedictory session in Uyo to mark the end of the assembly term. The assembly was inaugurated on June 6, 2011. The speaker said that during the period under review, the house received 35 bills most of which were privately sponsored. ``I thanked all of you for the support given me during my tenure as the Speaker of this honourable House. ``My journey would have been dismal without your coopera-

tion. ``We passed 23 bills out of the total of 35 bills received, most of them were private-member bills,” Ikon said. The Speaker described the outgoing assembly members as men of proven integrity who put in their very best to deliver dividends of democracy to their constituents. ``We did not allow self interest to override our collective decisions,” he said. Ikon solicited support from the legislators of the forthcoming sixth assembly to the new executive to ensure affective and efficient governance. He urged the incoming lawmakers to do their best and sur-

passed the fifth assembly by making laws that would bring benefit to the good people of Akwa Ibom. NAN also reports that the sixth assembly would be inaugurated on June 8, with 25 members under the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and one member under the All Progressives Congress (APC). Six members from the fifth assembly would return to the sixth assembly as ranking members. In contrast, only one female member, Mrs Felicia Bassey, (PDP-Okobo), is returning as against three female members that were in the fifth assembly.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

â&#x20AC;˘Mrs Oladunjoye

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

Jubilation in Abuja community as The Nation report fetches residents potable water

•Residents of Passeli 2 fetching water from the borehole

OR the people of Passali 2 community in Kuje area council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it was a dream come true. The Rotary Club of Asokoro brightened up their faces by sinking a borehole for them. The community has been without potable water for several years and their cries to successive governments had yielded no result. The Nation had in a report published on March 7, 2015 drew attention to the plight of the community and several others within the FCT which had to drink water from wells and ponds despite government claim of providing water for several communities. Before Monday, June 1, 2015, residents of the largely agrarian community were forced to drink from a small pond which they had to share with cattle and other animals. They also washed their clothes and had their baths in the stream. The situation of the residents was so pathetic that the head of the community, Joseph Makerri was quoted as saying, “We drink from the river, and the river is not good. You will find it difficult to wash or bath with the water •The stream where they used to get water we drink. We are farmers and there is no other source of water in the community that we can drink from. We do not Tony AKOWE, Abuja care to boil the water before drinking, though some peodo this Rotary year is to provide potable water to an ple have been digging wells". under-served community, especially a community that The Nation report entitled "We Struggle with Cows to does not have water. So, we had to carry out a need Get Drinking Water" however caught the attention of assessment and started looking for the best place to do Rotary Club of Asokoro who found it hard to believe this project. that there are communities in the FCT whose residents “We had a place in mind, which was a carry-over still drink water from the pond in the 21st Century. from another Rotary year. But by the time we got to The President of the club, Barrister Ogechukwu them, we noticed that they had already been provided Ochuba, told The Nation that it appeared strange to with potable water. Even though they still had one, they members of the club that there are still communities in felt that it would be good if they had another water the FCT whose residents drink water from ponds. point. Fulfilled that during her tenure as President of sRotary “So, we felt that since we have this one chance to do Club of Asokoro, the club could put a smile on the faces this project somewhere, it is better if we go to a place of the people of the community, she said: "One of the projects that our club, Rotary Club of Asokoro, set out to where they don't have potable water at all. We started

carrying out research and we found this community, Passeli 2, in Kuje Area Council. It was very strange to find that there is a community in the FCT whose residents actually drink from a pond. I had to search for the meanings of pond, stream and river. What we saw there cannot be called a river, so I call it a pond. “We were very worried about that and we decided that this is the place where we will carry out this project. That was basically how it started. “Today, thank God, they now have potable water and the villagers are very happy about it, especially the women, because they were the ones who had to be going to the pond to get water and find ways of purifying it. As a matter of fact, we found that they actually drink this water the way it is. You would not believe it, but they actually drink the water like that, and that

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

‘

This is a big relief for us. As you can see, the government forgets about us. They come here to campaign during elections, promising things they have not been able to do. But these people who don't even know us have come to put smiles on our faces. At least we can now drink quality water like other communities, and we will no longer have to struggle with cattle to get water to drink

‘

•Eikhomun (2nd from left), Ikechukwu (second right) with students and other participants at the event

ECOWA establishes nonviolence club for boys YETUNDE OLADEINDE reports on the efforts of Echoes of Women in Africa Initiative to stamp out violence against women and girls, seizing the opportunity of the last Children’s Day. CHOES of Women in Africa Initiative (ECOWA), a non-governmental women human rights organisation commemorated this year’s Children’s Day celebration in a unique way, when it organised a one-day workshop for boys on non-violence. The organisation also used the opportunity to establish a club on non-violence, as part of a preventive strategic plan on ending violence against women and girls. School boys from different schools between the ages 14 and 16 years participated in the workshop. Papers were also presented, the first being ‘Understanding Sexual Violence’, by Louisa Ono Eikhomun, Executive Director of Echoes of Women in Africa Initiative. She explained the various forms of sexual violence as rape, with sub forms such as incest, statutory, transactional rape and pornography. In trying to get the understanding of the young participants, she presented some common myth surrounding sexual violence, such as ‘only bad girls get raped;’ ‘rape is an uncontrollable act.’ Interestingly, the boys supported these stereotypes until the facts were explained to them that there is no justification for rape

•Children of the community in a group photograph with members of Rotary Club of Asokoro

They come here to campaign during elections, exposes them generally to sicknesses and dispromising things they have not been able to do. eases. But these people who don't even know us have “Water and sanitation is actually one of the six areas of focus of Rotary, and the prevention of dis- come to put smiles on our faces. At least we can now drink quality water like other communities, eases. Thankfully, we think we have been able to and we will no longer have to struggle with cattle avert that for that community." to get water to drink." Expectedly, the people of Passeli 2 were initially Another resident, Maimuna Mohammed, said: suspicious of the real intention of members of the "I thank God that this borehole is here now. I will club when they first visited. They thought that they were from the government. Barrister Ochuba no longer have to go to the stream every day to fetch water for our daily needs. All we need now told The Nation that "the reaction is to come here and get water. from the people was quite inter“However, I want to appeal to the esting. Initially, they were very government to remember skeptical about our mission to us and give us another their village and where we were borehole so that this one coming from. So, we had to will not be over-used. If “We painstakingly explained it is over-used, it will to them that we are a non-governmental organisation break down easily and (NGO) and that we have that is what we don't identified a need in their want. community and have come “We are grateful to those to contribute our little quota people who remembered us to addressing that need. We and came to give us good had a grant from our water to drink. At least, this District, Rotary Club will reduce incidence of District 9125. We applied water borne diseases." for a grant from the disThe predominantly Gbagyi trict and got it. After our community turned out in their needs assessment, we numbers to appreciate the gescame to the conclusion ture at the commissioning of the that what they need in borehole with rich cultural disthat community would play. Members of the Rotary be a motorised boreClub of Asokoro, who also visited hole." the pond where the villagers get Some members of water to drink, have given back to the community who the people one priced asset they spoke with our corwill cherish for a long time. respondent expressed In the words of Yohana Musa, gratitude to the Rotary Club for they will cherish the borehole for a remembering them. •Bromide of The Nation story long time, especially because the A resident, who identified himauthorities of the Federal Capital self as Aminu Isah, said: "This is a big relief for us. Territory and the Kuje Area had done nothing to As you can see, the government forgets about us. lessen their suffering.

‘

Interestingly, the boys supported these stereotypes until the facts were explained to them that there is no justification for rape and that dressing should never be an invitation to rape, as young children, boys and girls under two years have been victims of rape and older women of up to 75 years have also been raped

and that dressing should never be an invitation to rape, as young children, boys and girls under two years have been victims of rape and older women of up to 75 years have also been raped. She thus concluded that sexual desires are controllable because rape is an act of power over vulnerable victims. The Second paper on ‘Youth and Drug Abuse’ was presented by Isaac Ajayi, a final year student of the University of Ibadan and a volunteer in ECOWA. In his definitions, a child is anyone under 18 years and a minor is anyone under 16 years (UNICEF), while youth is anyone from 18-25 years. He explained the various forms of hard drugs from heroin, cocaine, meth, marijuana, Colden and the dangerous effects of such social habits which include addiction and crime. Isaac further explained the dangers of cultism and encouraged the boys to avoid cultism which has led to the death of many undergraduates in the universities. A third paper was presented by a Police Superintendent O. Ikechukwu of Magodo Shangisha Police Division under Area H, Lagos. He explained the role of the police and the different ways it uses to address violence, which include arrest, detention, investigation and prosecution. Young boys he said are not exempted from the law and when a crime is committed by a boy, the matter is charged to a juvenile court after investigation. He advised the boys to be law abiding, and inform the police of any act of crime in their neighbourhood. Group work and presentations were used to test the boys’ understanding of the issues. Thereafter, participants who showed commitments and leadership qualities were nominated for an election as ECOWA Peace Ambassadors. Six boys were elected by the participants to commence a peace club in three communities of Magodo, Isheri and Shangisha in Lagos State, with the objective to mobilise, organise and educate young boys against violence and violence against women and girls.

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

At over 65, it is not unusual to find Juju maestro, Admiral Dele Abiodun, mounting the stage for an eight hour musical performance at society events, a performance that involves singing, dance moves, playing of the guitar and other musical instruments. Prior to this time, when night parties were the vogue, he used to perform from 7pm till 5am. Dele Abiodun was once the Vice President of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) and later the President of the musical body. In this interview with PAUL UKPABIO, Admiral Abiodun opens up on family life, the values that kept his family intact through his early musical sojourn, the troubled musical industry and his life style as a grandfather. Continued on Page 30

How I avoid

scandals

-Ex-PMAN President Dele Abiodun

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

Continued on Page 35

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 6 , 2015

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

Continued from Page 31

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

Adefuye, Okunrounmu, others grace Gen Diya’s son’s wedding in Lagos T

•Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya and wives, Chief Mrs. Josephine Diya and Chief Mrs. Folasade Diya at the Mr. & Mrs Oyefolarin Diya’s wedding service at the United African Methodist Evangelical Chruch Cathedral, Abule Ojo, Yaba, Lagos.

•The newly wed, Mr. & Mrs Oyefolarin cutting their Wedding cake at the 10 Degrees Events Centre Ikeja, Lagos.

•Bride’s parents, Mr Segun Fatuase and wife Funke

•From right: Senator Anthony Adefuye; the groom’s father, Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya and Senator Femi Okurounmu •Officiating ministers at the event wore a white jacket on black trousers, white shirt and a black tie. Their parents wore uniform green and cream lace; guests wore either the lace or the ankara fabric chosen for the occasion. Fatuase walked with Temitope hand-in-hand into the church, amid the hymn, “Praise my soul the king of glory”. The church’s Vicar and Archdeacon, The Ven Sunday Ayodele joined the couple after they exchanged marital vows and rings.. Ven Ade George from the Anglican Church in Ikorodu told the couple to respect each other. He said marriage is a gift of God, a symbol of God’s grace, adding that it requires love, patience and endurance. The cleric prayed for the union. A retired Director in Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs Agness Betiku, presented the couple their marriage certificate. The couple left the church amid the hymn, “Lead us heavenly father, lead us”. The groom’s parents were the first to be ushered into the Bishop Adelakun Howells Memorial Church Hall in Surulere, where the reception was held. The bride’s parents came next, with family members and friends. The couple entered, dancing to hit songs by Hues Disc Jockey. Prophet Ayotunde Falebita from Cherubim and Seraphim Headquarters in Ikotun said the opening prayer. The chairman on the occasion, Mr Tunde Osho, Deputy Director, TVC News, urged the couple to focus on the things that brought them together and stay the course. He described the bride as his daughter, urging the groom to take good care of her. The Master of Ceremony, Godwin Okoli aka Mal-

‘I’m nothing without her’ Online Editor, National Mirror Mr Segun Fatuase has given out his daughter, Temitope in marriage to Adeyinka, son of a retired service coordinator at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Adedayo Bademosi. The ceremony held at the All Saints Anglican Parish Church in Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos, last Saturday. OLATUNDE ODEBIYI reports. IKE her father, she is a journalist. Temitope, daughter of Mr Segun Fatuase, formerly of The Punch and Daily Independent, and now Online Editor of National Mirror, got married in Lagos last Saturday. Temitope, a producer with the wave-making private broadcast station, Television Continental (TVC), and her beau, Adeyinka, an accountant, were joined in holy matrimony at the All Saints Anglican Parish Church in Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos. The couple met at the Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo. Temitope wore a white wedding gown; Adeyinka

L •Groom’s parents, Mr Adebayo Bademosi and wife Oyinlade

HE former Chairman of the defunct National Confab Advisory Committee, Sen Femi Okunrounmu and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress( APC), Sen Anthony Adefuye, were among high profile guests that witnessed the recent solemnisation of marriage between the son of former Chief of General Staff, Lt.Gen Oldipo Diya, Oyefolarin and his wife, Agniezka, held at the United African Methodist Evangelical Church, Abule Oja, Yaba, Lagos. The guest preacher, who is also the Bishop of South-East of the First African Church Mission, Rt. Revd David Adedeji

lam Ali, led the couple to cut the cake after the spelling of J-E-S-U-S. The bride said she was happy the day had come, adding that she got married to the love of her life. She described her husband as nice, loving and caring. The groom said he was excited, describing his wife as God-fearing, loving and caring. He said she is his world and salt, adding that he is nothing without her. He said what attracted him to her was her concentration while reading, pointing out that she is disciplined, determined and puts God first in everything. The bride’s father, Fatuase, said he had given his daughter the right foundation which she should build on. He urged the couple to be patient and understand each other to overcome the challenges in marriage. “Both of them must not be angry at the same time and you must settle all quarrels before you go to bed.” He said he would miss his daughter because they do everything together. “We talk and play games together, she calls me old school and I call her new generation.” Fatuase said his daughter is stubborn and focused like him. The groom’s father, Bademosi, said he would miss his son during the early morning prayers and his constant check on him to “know how he feels.” He advised them to be prayerful, listen to each other, settle their quarrels without a third party and learn from his own marriage. The groom’s mother, Mrs Oyinlade Bademosi, a retired nurse, urged the couple to put God first in everything they do. She said she was happy that she now has a daughter. The bride’s mother, Mrs Funke Fatuase, a businesswoman advised the couple not to allow a third party to interfere in their marriage. “They should hold themselves together and be at peace with each other.” She described her daughter as pleasant, humble and filled with all good things. “I don’t want to cry, I love my daughter and I will miss everything about her,” she said.

Sogbamu, urged the couple to cultivate the fear of God, transparency and have mutual respect for each other. Guests were later hosted to a lavish reception at the 10 Degrees Event Centre, Ikeja. Looking gaily in their cream colour lace attire, the couple beamed with winsome smiles throughout the event. The couple later cut their beautiful wedding cake to the admiration of guests and family members. In his remarks, Gen Diya, thanked everyone for honouring him with their presence at the occasion.

•The groom’s mother, Chief Mrs. Josephine Diya flanked by her in-laws at the event

•Mrs. Dorcas Shade, one of the 15 assisted widows being presented with a grinding machine by Mrs Abimbola Oladinni, proprietress, Diadem Academy, Lekki along with the propritress of Virtuous World School, Gbagada, Mrs. Laide Ogunbekun, to mark the Virtuous School Charity/Children Day Celebration in Lagos.

A union of lovebirds

•Bride’s parents, Mr Kayode Odunewu and wife Oladunni

•Groom’s parents, Mr Olubunmi Omotunde and wife Funmi

•The couple, Ayoola Omotunde and wife, former Miss Omowunmi Odunewu during their engagement ceremony at Orile Agege Local Government Development Area, Agege, Lagos

with Email: bineharriet@gmail.com

Escapades of fun-loving city ladies Co-ordinated by Patience Saduwa 08023201831 (sms only) psaduwa@yahoo.com

Family Forum with Pastor Faith Oyedepo

Tel: 01-7341546-8 Email: counselling@faithoyedepo.org

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

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

TOP SCORERS

ENGLISH BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE

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Team Chelsea Man City Arsenal Man Utd Tottenham Liverpool S’ampton Swansea Stoke City C.Palace Everton West Ham West Brom Leicester Newcastle Sunderland Aston Villa Hull City Burnley QPR

P 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38

W 26 24 22 20 19 18 18 16 15 13 12 12 11 11 10 7 10 8 7 8

D 9 7 9 10 7 8 6 8 9 9 11 11 11 8 9 17 8 11 12 6

L 3 7 7 8 12 12 14 14 14 16 15 15 16 19 19 14 20 19 19 24

GF 73 83 71 62 58 52 54 46 48 47 48 44 38 46 40 31 31 33 28 42

GA 32 38 36 37 53 48 33 49 45 51 50 47 51 55 63 53 57 51 53 73

GD 41 45 35 25 5 4 21 -3 3 -4 -2 -3 -13 -9 -23 -22 -26 -18 -25 -31

Pts 87 79 75 70 64 62 60 56 54 48 47 47 44 41 39 38 38 35 33 30

Player Aguero Kane Costa Austin Sanchez Hazard Giroud Berahino Benteke Silva Pelle Rooney Ings Ulloa Diouf Chadli Cisse Bony Eriksen Sakho Toure Persie Lukaku

Team Goals Man City 26 Tottenham 21 Chelsea 20 QPR 18 Arsenal 16 Chelsea 14 Arsenal 14 West Brom 14 Aston Villa 13 Man City 12 S’ampton 12 Man Utd 12 Burnley 11 Leicester 11 Stoke City 11 Tottenham 11 Newcastle 11 Man City 11 Tottenham 10 West Ham 10 Man City 10 Man Utd 10 Everton 10

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

NATION S P O RT

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

With OZOLUA UHAKHEME

Email: ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com 08023058761

NEWS

CRIME

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

OTHER STORIES

Bizman assaults commercial sex worker over fee n Stories: Rukayat JIMOH n

35 -year- old businessman, Arinze Nnachi, has appeared before an Ebute Meta Magistrate Court for allegedly assaulting a commercial sex worker, Patience Sunday, he had slept with. He is charged with unlawful assault and stealing. The offences according to the police prosecutor , Inspector Asu Feddy, are punishable under Sections 172 and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The accused is alleged to have picked Patience from a hotel on May 19, 2015 and took her home for sex for a fee of N5, 500. Trouble however started when,business over, Arinze allegedly offered Patience N2, 000 instead of the agreed N5, 500. Patience insisted on taking her N5,5000. A heated argument soon ensued and degenerated into Arinze punching Patience. Two other men,now on the run,allegedly joined Arinze in beating up Patience and forcibly stripping her naked. Patience claimed to have managed to escape from the scene after suffering injury on her right eye, and having her wallet, handbag, clothes and mobile phone worth N45,000 allegedly stolen by Arinze and his accomplices. She then went to lodge a complaint with the police. The presiding magistrate, E.O Ogunkanmi, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N20, 000 and a surety in the like sum. The case was adjourned to June 30 for mention .

Man stabs friend to death, arraigned 25 year old man,Akeem Alabede,has been charged before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate's Court for murder. Alabede allegedly killed his friend, Azees Lawal, during a scuffle at Sunday Sonola Street , Mafoluku-Oshodi, Lagos, on April 26, 2015. The accused is said to have engaged the deceased in a fight in the course of an argument shortly after they returned from a party on the fateful day at about 10.30pm. Alabede allegedly killed the victim by stabbing him with a broken bottle on his neck. His plea was not taken . The charge sheet reads: "That you Akeem Alabede 'm' on the 26th day of April 2015, at about 10:30 pm at Sunday Sonola street , Mafoluku-Oshodi Lagos , in the Lagos Magisterial District , unlawfully killed one Azeez Lawal 'm' by stabbing him with a broken bottle on his neck and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.” The police prosecutor, Inspector Asu Feddy, asked the court to remand the defendant in prison custody pending legal advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). The presiding magistrate, E.O Ogunkanmi, ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody pending legal advice from DPP’s office. The case was adjourned to July 2.

•Kelechi and the child

•Awurum

•The child, Samuel PERATIVES of the Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command, have arrested a 47-year-old man for allegedly selling his two-year-old son for N300,000. Kanayo Awurum, a native of Ikeduru, Imo State, allegedly committed the crime without the knowledge of his 28-year-old wife, Kelechi. He, however claimed that he did it in order to give Kenechi some of life’s luxury. According to the police, Kanayo impregnated Kenechi as his girlfriend, resulting in the birth of the baby that was allegedly sold. Kanayo later absconded on account of financial difficulties, with Kelechi having no knowledge of his whereabouts. Two years later, he returned and apologised to Kelechi who accepted him again and the reunion resulted in another pregnancy. When things became extremely difficult for Kanayo to the extent that he

I only used him as actor accused of n Ebele BONIFACE n

could no longer pay the rent or feed his pregnant wife and son, he relocated with them from Imo to Lagos in April this year and put up with a friend in Ikotun area of the city. Another friend, Emmanuel Ibe, however advised him to use whatever he had, including his three-year-old son, as collateral for a loan of N300,000 from a female money lender based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Ibe said upon repayment of the loan and a token as interest within a stipulated time, Kanayo would have his son back. Kanayo told Kelechi that he wanted to take their son to stay with one of his relations in Imo pending the time he would be able to secure an accommodation in Lagos. Kelechi became worried when she did not hear from Kanayo for a long time and there was

no information about her son. She told Kanayo’s friend in Lagos, Gerald Leonard Uche, about her worries and he advised her to report the matter to the police. Kelechi reported the matter to the police in Ikotun, Lagos, and after a discreet investigation, Kanayo was tracked down and arrested. Unknown to Kelechi and Uche, Kanayo’s friend, named Ibe, was said to have contacted one Mrs. Ogechi in Port Harcourt, who paid N300,000 for the baby named Samuel on April 2. Ibe handed the money to Kanayo and got a commission of N50,000. In his confession, Kanayo said: “I am a painter and a movie actor. I acted in Feast of Vengeance, Destiny child, Rough Chase, among others. I acted the boss in Feast of Vengeance. I knew my wife when we were both in Amakaoha Comprehensive Secondary School. Her

Customer accuses bank of complicity customer of the Union Bank Plc, Mrs Tejumade Adeyemi, has accused the bank of complicity in the alleged illegal withdrawal of the sum of N251, 447 from her account with the Oba Akran, Ikeja branch of the bank. Adeyemi threatened to take legal action against the bank, if her money was not refunded. She said that she received sms alerts from the bank on May 4, 2015, notifying her of unauthorised withdrawal of the sum of N30,000 from her account through ATM. She said she immediately rushed to the Iju branch of the Union Bank to report the matter and was advised by officials of the branch to further report the incident at the Oba Akran, Ikeja branch where her account was domiciled.

n Kunle AKINRINADE n On her visit to the Oba Akran branch on May 5, Adeyemi said she was shocked to discover that the illegal withdrawals actually started on May 2 and May 3 and that she was not notified by the bank to date. Adeyemi explained that even after she instructed the bank to suspend further transactions on her account, she was utterly shocked to receive sms alerts indicating that the remaining balance in the account had been withdrawn by unknown persons. She said:” On May 4, 2015, I received an alert indicating that the sum of N30,000 had been withdrawn by unknown persons from my account. I quickly went to the nearest branch of

Union Bank at Iju Road, Ifako-Ijaiye, from where I was advised to visit the branch where I opened the account on Oba Akran Road, Ikeja, after I explained to the officials of the bank that my ATM card was with me and that its details were not in anyway compromised by me. The next day, May 5, I visited the Oba Akran branch and I asked that further transactions be suspended on the account until further notice. When I asked for the details of the transactions, I was shocked to discover that the illegal withdrawals started between May 2 and May 3, wherein about N45,747.35 had been taken from my account and no alert or notification was sent to me till date. I also discovered that there were other illegal withdrawals totaling N180, 000 made on May 4, yet the bank did

NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

olukunle87@yahoo.com

( 08167164657 or 08023910970 )

Customs charges Lebanese, Nigerian accomplice to court n Innocent DURU n HE Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service on has charged two accused persons, Mr. Fares Chawich,a Lebanese and his Nigeria accomplice, Chief Emmanuel Ekong, to the Federal High Court, Ikeja, for tampering with Customs’ seal placed on five exotic vehicles in their premises for clearing discrepancies. The Controller, Turaki Usman Adamu stated that the Unit was compelled to charge the accused persons to court following the illegal act of breaking Customs’ seal in violation of Section 145(5) of the Customs and Excise Management Act Cap C45 laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004. He pointed out that intelligence activity led to discovering that the exotic vehicles parked in the premises of the accused in Ikeja GRA were grossly undervalued in clear violation of the Federal Government import policy. He said: “The Unit had written a letter to the accused following intelligence information that the vehicles did not comply with standard import procedure in terms of due diligence. The documents of the vehicles were eventually subjected to system check at the Unit and was discovered that the vehicles were grossly undervalued. “In line with Service’s procedure and in our quest to recover appropriate duty accruable to the vehicles, we placed them on Customs’ seal after raising a detention notice which one Mr. Fares Chawich who stood as surety had undertaken to pay.” The Controller regretted that instead of the first accused coming forward for regularization of duty, he chose to brake the seal and removed the vehicles. The Controller added that it was intelligence activity that led to the discovery of one of the vehicles in Victoria Island area of Lagos. “The total amount of outstanding duty from the vehi-

•From left: The nurse, the fake mother and husband's sister

collateral, says selling his son name is Ugo Kelechi. “I tried to marry her. I went for introduction but they refused me. I arranged for the bride price and they rejected it. I loved my wife and my wife loved me, hence we continued to live together till God blessed our marriage with a son. “I only used my son as collateral to borrow money and to have him back when I pay the money. I did it to give my wife comfort and get good education for my child. “Unfortunately, last year, I had an accident. I did not run away. When I came back, I had no money. I looked around for help and it was only Emma Ibe that I saw. He advised me to use what I have to get what I want. Ibe collected N50,000 from the money.”

When I could not see him again, I started taking care of his family. At a point, I observed that something was wrong and advised the wife to report him at Ikotun Police Station. “I was not satisfied with the answer the wife was giving me each time I asked her when he would come back. To make matters worse, he was not telling the wife the truth about her son, because the last time I saw him, he promised to come back with the son. He was giving unfounded excuses why he could not bring the son back. “When he was arrested and transferred to SARS, he told the police the truth. He told the police how he sold his son but added that he wanted to use him as collateral to borrow money and to collect the son back when he had paid back the money.” The police Public Relation Officer, Ken Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, efforts were being made to get Ibe, adding that the suspect would be charged to court at the end of the investigation.

His wife, Kelechi, said: “I am a caterer. He got me pregnant three years after our secondary school. I confronted him and told him that I must keep the baby. “I don’t intend to continue staying with him. I wanted to manage him, but having seen that he is heartless to the point of selling our son, I will not stay with him again.” Uche, Kanayo’s friend, who was said to have exposed the deal by advising Kelechi to report the matter to the police, said: “I am a national instructor on marshal act and I train police officers at the Police College, Ikeja. I was in my house around April and Kanayo told me that he wanted to relocate to Lagos. “When he came with the wife, I was happy and I helped them.

in alleged ATM fraud not notify me.” “I was assured by both the manager of the bank and the Head of Customer Service that further transactions on my account will be suspended including ATM. As at then, I was having about N25,190 as balance in my account. The money was still in my account as at May 14, when a statement of account was given to me and I was surprised to receive further notification concerning illegal withdrawal of the remaining balance a few days later. I immediately called the secretary to the manager of the branch on his mobile phone and I was assured of prompt remedy that has not been fulfilled to date. In all,

N251, 447 was illegally withdrawn from my account and I strongly suspect an insider in the bank is behind the illegal withdrawals from my account. The bank has refused to take blame for its complicity in this fraudulent withdrawal of my money and I am going to consider a legal option if the bank refuses to refund my money.” When contacted, the Head of Media and Special Projects of Union Bank Plc, Francis Barde, via an email, initially said, “Thanks, Kunle for your patience and understanding on this issue. I will thoroughly investigate and revert to you.” Barde, however, did not make

categorical comment in his official response via another email he sent to our correspondent on Wednesday. He said:”Kindly note that Union Bank values the relationship of every customer and it is our goal to handle all customer relationships with utmost integrity. Therefore, Union Bank does not divulge details of customer relationships and transactions to third parties for privacy issues. The bank has a clear and documented process for investigating and resolving claims of fraud on customers’ accounts and will work to ensure that all claims are addressed and resolved in an expedient manner.”

•Some of the exotic cars

cles stands at N232,964,169.00,” he said. A five count charge bordering on intent to defraud the Federal Government of unpaid duty totaling was N232,964,169.00 was slammed on the accused. Meanwhile the Controller confirmed that some other exotic vehicles evacuated from the same facility were still being investigated with a view to ascertaining the appropriateness of the clearing procedure. He stated that: “The case is before Justice Saliu Seidu of the Federal High Court Ikeja who granted the accused bail with stringent conditions. The accused person has been remanded in Ikoyi Prison pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions, while the second accused Emmanuel Ekong, now at large, is being tracked. Investigations are still ongoing to unravel the circumstances and source(s) of importation.” The Service’s Headquarters Monitoring Team at Idiroko Axis, while acting on a tip off also intercepted vehicles, poultry products, 413 bales of used clothing and other general goods, suspected to have been smuggled through unapproved routes recently. The team leader, Deputy Comptroller Yahaya Biri Usman, who led the operation, confirmed that his team had a stiff battle with the smugglers before they were eventually subdued. He stated that he had mounted surveillance along some of the unapproved routes and he is very optimistic that the anti-smuggling strategies being carefully articulated by his team will always yield desired results. “Our team maintains overwhelming presence at the nooks and crannies particularly the unapproved routes. We have been in close collaboration with other Customs formations to ensure amputation and decimation of the smugglers supply chain as he assured that efforts are being made to sustain the ongoing anti-smuggling campaign.”

H EALTH MATTERS

T is not until a person runs wild in the street in tattered clothing and disheveled appearance that such a person could be said to be having mental health issues. Yet, mental health issues as a phrase can embody an array of concepts ranging from every day worries and challenges that are common (stress, depression) to more serious forms of mental disorders such as psychotic disorders, personality disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia. This is the reason why it may be hard to dismiss the statistics of the World Health Organisation (WHO) which estimated that about 20 per cent of Nigerians suffer from mental illnesses. Yet, even with this large number of Nigerians with this problem, the issue of mental health has attracted little attention in the country. Experts believe the neglect of this vital sector needs to change, with more investment in mental health issues. This has led to the call on government to increase investment in mental health as well as pass the Mental Health Bill like some African countries have done. When can a person be said to have mental health problems? Dr. Boladale Mapayi, a Senior Lecturer and Consultant Psychiatrist/Clinical Psychologist at the department of Mental Health, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, le-Ife, answered that a person can be said to have mental health issues when there are challenges or stressors that have overwhelmed the individual’s ability to cope or adapt with stressful events in their lives. “At that point, the individuals may begin to have a myriad of unusual experiences which include symptoms of specific mental disorders. These mental disorders usually affect thinking and behaviour and can lead to a wide variety of abnormal behaviour which will usually show the individual's inability to function in everyday life. This is easily noticed by neighbours, colleagues and family and forces them to seek help. Unfortunately, the pathway to care for most mentally ill individuals in Nigeria is still winding, through the spiritual and traditional centres even though mental illnesses are medical conditions that are well managed with scientifically grounded therapies." Reacting to the factors that might have led to increase in mental health issues among Nigerians, Dr Mapayi said the factors may be in two folds as the increase may not be true since mental health illness has always existed but people have labelled them wrongly due to ignorance. However, she added that the myths and barriers are being broken

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

On the other hand, we all know that in recent times the level of stress in the society has increased. Fuel scarcity, terrorist attacks and frequent kidnappings, internally displaced people in conflict situation, struggling small and middle businesses, underemployment, failing naira to the rest of the global economy, falling oil prices, rapid urbanisation, climate change are but a few of the factors that increase the risk of vulnerable people to mental illnesses

How to avoid

Mental

health , problems

n Paul UKPABIO and Hannah OJO n

down as people are now willing to ask for help while those suffering from mental illness are now finding acceptance. “On the other hand, we all know that in recent times the level of stress in the society has increased. Fuel scarcity, terrorist attacks and frequent kidnappings, internally displaced people in conflict situation, struggling small and middle businesses, underemployment, failing naira to the rest of the global economy, falling oil prices, rapid urbanisation, climate change are but a few of the factors that increase the risk of vulnerable people to mental illnesses”, she said. In the midst of the demand of daily life necessities which may expose many to mental health illness, Dr. Mapayi said there are preventive measures that can be adopted to avoid

mental health issues. The preventive measures she said can focus on reducing risk factors and enhancing protective factors. “Practical steps towards prevention would include paying attention to the warning signs and talking to a therapist when one feels overwhelmed, getting routine medical care, taking good care of your body and mind, adequate exercise, good diet, enough sleep, a vacation now and again, stress reduction exercises and staying away from drugs and alcohol (sorry too be a spoilsport)”, she added. Unlike the past when mentally challenged individuals are often shackled and beaten, mental health disorders is no longer a sentence to isolation as medications such as physical methods of treatments and psychotherapy are now available in hospitals with mental health professionals.

‘Economic hardship, poverty causing Dr Amosun Sunday is a Consultant Psychiatric, Neuro Psychiatrist hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State. In this interview with PAUL UKPABIO, he throws light on mental disorders, the different types, causes, treatment and other issues. Excerpts: What is mental health all about? Before we talk about metal health, it is better to know what health is generally. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines it as not a mere absence of disease and infirmity, but a state of complete emotional, physical, social, spiritual and mental health. It means that somebody could be free of physical problem but may still not be healthy. He could be known to be fighting everybody in sight or not relating well with people around. At that point, we then know that something is wrong. That definitely is not a complete state of health. So, when we say mental health, it means an individual, in relation to the society, the environment as a whole. Therefore, someone with good mental health is one who is at peace with himself and others. So, because he is at peace with himself, he will not commit suicide, and because he is at peace with others, he will not be aggressive towards them as to commit manslaughter, homicide or whatever. So, somebody who is mentally healthy will be able to think straight, has

good judgment and be able to take good decisions. And you would be able to see that his judgment is right. You will also be able to see that individual in good relationship with the people around him and his environment. If an individual has that balance, then he can be said to have good mental health. But if he cannot do that, then we say he has a bad mental health, which means that something is wrong with the person. Bad mental health could be looked at in relation to mental disorder. You do not need to be a nurse or doctor to know that someone has a mental disorder. How do we know? Sometimes, it is just by observation. When somebody suddenly starts to misbehave, you know that something is wrong. Normally, he is gentle, easy going. But suddenly, he begins to flare up, gets violent, then we know something is wrong. Again, if suddenly, he starts sitting alone, he talks to self, laughs to himself and says that he is hearing voices and wonders why others are not hearing the voices. He says he is seeing strange things and wonders why others are not seeing it.

At that point, you don’t need somebody to convince you that the person is suffering from mental disorder. Types of mental disorders This cuts across, for instance, there is the one of child and adolescence, adults and then the geriatric, the old age. Among the adults, we can talk about schizophrenia, which is a common mental disorder. It is also believed that at least one percent of the population has this type at any given time. But how many people go to the hos•Vegitables pital? It has to do with the way that adult thinks, they hear voices, believe that These are mood disorders. It is an expeople are talking about them, people are treme form of sadness, as to lose sleep hating them and they want to attack peoand not be able to function very well. A ple, believing that people want to attack man suffering this form of mental disorthem. der doesn’t have interest in previous Adults also have depressive disorder.

H EALTH MATTERS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

Commenting on the methods on treatment, Dr. Mapayi raised optimism on the effectiveness of methods used by trained professionals. “They are very effective and give clients the ability to live a productive life and engage with society effectively.� These treatments can be given in most good hospitals that have mental health professionals although the global acceptable standard that we are still aiming to achieve is to be abler to treat these disorders in all primary care centres, we are not there yet”. Advising Nigerians on how they can maintain good wellbeing, Dr. Mapayi admonished Nigerians to learn to relax by taking a minute or two to stare into space or make out time to do what they enjoy. She however warned that these should not include alcohol, drugs, violence and other maladaptive coping mechanisms. “Increase your physical activity, take an evening stroll,

read for leisure, cultivate friendships, add humour to your life, pick up a hobby, volunteer, treat your body right. Build your self-confidence, pat yourself on the back from time to time, manage your stress or get help, live within your means, accept yourself and your limitations”, she stated. Another expert on mental health, Mr Femi Agberotimi, Clinical Psychologist, Psychiatry Department, Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso is of the opinion that it is important to make some clarifications on the term mental health, especially the way it is used in Nigeria and the stigma it attracts. “Just like human physical health can be described in terms of how various parts of the human body function, mental health can be described as the way human mental faculty (brain) functions which can be measured/understood in terms of how we think, feel, and behave. What I describe as the ABC (Affect, Behaviour, and Cognition) of human being," he said. He added that as the human body temperature can be said to be normal at 37C, there are certain parameters which are looked out for to say an individual’s mental health is normal. Such parameters include standard of acceptable behaviour set by a society over a period of time, statistical definition of normality by which normal mental health is regarded as such that is experienced by the major-

ity in a given context. “When an individual’s mental health does not conform to any particular standard of what is regarded to be normal in a society, such is said to have “issues” – what is regarded in technical term as mental illness or abnormal behaviour. To be put concisely, a person is said to have mental health issue when the way he/she thinks, feels, or behaves is not as expected in a given society and at a given point in time. For instance, a grown up person who wanders the street aimlessly dressed in rags will be regarded to have mental health issue. However, mental health issue varies largely in types and severity and across human developmental stages”, he added. On the factors that may be responsible for mental health challenges, Mr Agberotimi said it can be summed up into two which are the nature (genetic and hereditary) and nurture (environmental). However, he was quick to add that in Nigeria, the recent increase in incidence and prevalence of mental health problems may be attributed to environmental factors which include stress and issues that can easily trigger anxiety, mood disorder like depression, sleep disorder like insomnia, somatic disorders and even more complicated mental illness like schizophrenia which is understood as madness. On ways to prevent medical illness, he admonished Nigerians to go for psychological assessment with qualified psychologists and psychiatrists. “Just like regular medical check-up is important, a lot of mental health issues will be prevented and a lot will be better managed”, he added. Also speaking on the issue, Dr Leonard Okonkwo, a psychiatrist with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Lagos, noted: "Lifestyle is important, by avoiding triggers of mental illness; there are different factors that lead to mental disorder. There is an increase as it is, but then one can also say that there has been an increase in awareness, more and more people have been coming out to the hospital as against in the past when the mentally ill were kept at home or taken to the supposed native doctor. More and more people are coming out for treatment so that is why it could also appear like there is an increase in the number of those who are mentally ill in the country. Advising Nigerians on how they can take care of their mental health, Agberotimi is of the firm belief that there is a need to first seek the right information concerning mental health. “Ignorance is the deadliest disease. Knowledge of one’s mental status and any vulnerability is highly important. Furthermore, because mental illness incapacitates any individual who has it, its cost is huge on the entire society. It is therefore crucial that each person takes his/her mental health serious by refraining from any form of treatment that is not by experts in the field, because any wrong treatment modality can result into a serious and irreversible damage”. He made an appeal to the various levels of governmental and non-governmental agencies as well as individuals to intensify efforts by embarking on laudable and wellfunded projects and programmes to combat the menace of mental illness in the society at large."

increase in mental health disorders’

It depends on the particular mental illness but generally we talk about bio-socio-psycho approach. The first has to do with the drugs, if the person is depressed we give anti-depressants, if the person is suffering from psychosis, we give anti psychosis treatment. Also most of the time, somebody with psychological problems could also have personality disorder, or traits which means psychotherapy will have to be involved along with counselling and so on

pleasurable exercise. Sometimes, they may even want to commit suicide or write suicide notes. Then, there is also the one called mania. The extreme pole, where someone laughs excessively, talks excessively, dance with-

out music and you start to wonder whether the person has won a jackpot. Then, there are those who have bipolar, that is one pole of being sad, and the other pole of being unnecessarily happy. They fluctuate. Today he is sad, he may maintain that form for even three months, then suddenly goes to the other side. These are common in middle age of adulthood. In the old age, we talk about dementia, old people who do not remember anything, forget their names and those of their relations and if you change their environment, they get more confused. A lot of causes for dementia, including alcohol, deficiency in vitamins can cause this too. Among children, this could be autistic disorder. These are psychiatric child disorders. Some may even have cerebral palsy. Perhaps as a result of labour not being smooth. When a baby didn’t cry spontaneously, what is likely to result is delayed developmental milestone, he is not able to talk, walk or run when he is supposed to do so. Everything will be slow, compared to other children. Sometimes we differentiate between mental ill heath through psychosis and neurosis. Psychosis is major mental disorder and the hallmark is delusion and hallucination. It is a false belief that everybody is against him, that is paranoia. He feels he is a doctor, he is a president, he is a very important person, even when he has not been to school. It is also

called grandiose illusion. Some could even have a nihilistic delusion; they could say his brain is not there, he could even think that he is a woman or say that his stomach is rotten. The doctors will run tests and they will not see anything bad in the stomach. And this could be serious in terms of affecting the person in the activities of daily living. Though it may be difficult to say that the person is mad! It is common among those that are depressed. Hallucination is response in the absence of stimulus, seeing what no other person is seeing. He hears voices that are not there. Avoiding mental illness One, it can be hereditary. Therefore, it is better not to encourage two people who have mental illness to get married because in that situation, the chances of their children inheriting the illness triples. In terms of alcohol use and drug abuse, it tilts them into mental illness after some time. So, for such people, we discourage them from drug abuse by education and enlightenment. Treatment It depends on the particular mental illness, but generally, we talk about biosocio-psycho approach. The first has to do with the drugs. If the person is depressed, we give anti-depressants, if the person is suffering from psychosis, we give anti

psychosis treatment. Also, most of the time, somebody with psychological problems could also have personality disorder or traits, which means psychotherapy will have to be involved along with counseling and so on. Then, the social aspect is that which needs the patient to interact back with his society and environment. For instance, he may need to return to work, or get married, or be integrated back to his family. These are also treatments. But most is stress. We cannot really say that everybody is stressed, though we know that because of the economic situation, more people are affected and on the increase. Virtually all kinds of pressures lead to one sickness or another. Someone has mental illness, he wants to buy medication and he can’t afford it, he gets home and somebody provokes him, or he can’t get a job or wife, things like that affect people in the long run. Government's role Let the government improve the economy. When people are less stressed, when life is less stressful and there is space for leisure, making hospitals affordable, all those things will help in the long run. Also, advocacy and enlightenment on drug abuse, having more and more treatment centres, all these should be made accessible to the people.

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

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

NEWS 62

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

Marketers vow to end fuel queues next week

HE Federal Government yesterday announced that marketers have agreed to ensure that fuel queues are cleared from the country by next week.( It, however, directed members of independent and major oil marketers to move 700 trucks of PMS to Abuja with immediate effect.( The government and marketers reasoned that one of the major constraints to distribution is the traffic jam on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway where more than 2000 trucks were waiting to load fuel at the depot. The decisions were taken in

•FG orders movement of 700 trucks to Abuja Uyoatta ESHIET, Uyo

Abuja during the meeting between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and her agencies and stakeholders in the oil industry.( The parley was aimed at finding a lasting solution to the fuel queues in the country, hence it was tagged “queue must go.”( The petroleum products marketing company, in conjunction with marketers, both major and independent, have agreed to move products or

Resident doctors threaten nationwide strike over unpaid wages in eight states •Issue 14-day ultimatum

HE National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened to embark on nationwide strike to protest unpaid wages of its members in eight states. The President of the association, ýDr Dan-Jumbo Prince, stated this yesterday while addressing journalists in Ibadan on the healthcare situation at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital (LAUTH). “Some state governments are owing our members their wages in Abia State ýfor 12 Months, Osun State for eight months, Oyo for six months, Benue for six months, Lagos for two months, while in Rivers, Kogi and Plateau states, they are owing them four months salaries,” he said. Prince wondered how the governments of the affected states expect doctors to deliver safe, quality and effective healthcare to the people in the face of economic hardship. The NARD boss said: “Embarrassment has been our lot

Tayo JOHNSON, Ibadan in our children’s schools, from our landlords and even in the market because we have no money for food or for means of transport to work.” Using the situation in Oyo State as a case study, he said: “Our members in LTH, Ogbomoso are yet to receive any salary since the beginning of this year, culminating in over five months unpaid salaries. With this, the Oyo State Government is deliberately and systematically killing LTH, Ogbomoso. “We therefore appeal to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, well-meaning citizens of Nigeria and human rights organisations to wade into the ugly situation at LTH, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, so as to ensure adequate healthcare for the citizens of the state,” he said. He gave the state governments that are owing NARD members two weeks to pay up, failing which the association will embark on a nationwide strike.

Reps passed 143 bills, 259 resolutions in four years

HE Seventh House of Representatives has passed a total of 143 bills, 259 resolutions, the outgoing Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Albert Sam Tsokwa, has said. While giving a summary of bills progression in a briefing yesterday, the lawmaker said 767 bills were introduced within the period in review and that they were made up of 70 executive bills, 679 private members’ bills and 19 Senate bills. Of these bills, 143 were passed, 23 negative/with-

Victor OLUWASEGUN and Dele ANOFI, Abuja drawn, while 34 bills were awaiting consideration and 140 other bills pending in committees and 348 awaiting second reading, he said. On motions, Sam-Tsokwa said 868 motions were Introduced, 259 passed as resolutions, 558 referred to committees. 23 negatived and 28 withdrawn. According to him, a total of 112 petitions were presented to House, 86 considered and 27 still awaiting consideration.

Ayade orders payment of May decision salary to clear the one

ROSS River State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade has ordered that the one month backlog of salary owed civil servants for the month of May be paid on or before Tuesday, June 9th, 2015. Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Christian Ita, Governor Ayade said the

month backlog of salary was in keeping with his policy of ensuring that workers are paid salaries on the 25th of every month. Governor Ayade, who on assumption office, had vowed to make prompt payment of workers’ salaries one of his priorities, said “a labourer deserves his wages.”

increase the level of supply to all retail outlets nationwide with immediate effect.( The communique on the meeting, which the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Taiye Haruna, released to journalists, said the stakeholders resolved to ensure that they clear loading logs before June 23.( It added: “We have also agreed that efforts will be made to clear

this long jam before the end of 23 June.( “We have agreed to work with the Lagos State Government Petrol Tankers Driver and NARTO to clear the long jam at Apapa( “Trucks are at papa to load products but could not get products. But we fashioned out a modality to clear the long jam in conjunction with other stakeholders mentioned earlier so that we can

start moving product out of the depot( “We have enough stocks that can last for the 23 days. Also we agreed to set up the committee of stakeholder to monitor the loading and delivering of products nationwide.”( The communique also noted that Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF) will track all the trucks from Apapa, using the Aquila project to avoid di-

version of the products.( According to the communique, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) is to ensure that products are delivered and selling price should not be more than N87 per litre.( It added: “All stakeholders have agreed to clear the queue before the end of next week.( “It was also agreed that a task force comprising all stakeholders should look into the distribution of PMS nationwide.”

Obama to meet Buhari at G-7 Summit

RESIDENT Barack Obama is to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari next week on the sideline of the forthcoming G-7 summit in Germany. The summit takes place at Schloss Elmau, a 100-year-old castle-turned-resort nestled in a national forest in the Bavarian Alps. Obama is scheduled to spend tomorrow and Monday with Buhari and the leaders of Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, as well as leaders from Iraq and Tunisia. Nigeria,Tunisia and Iraq are

attending a portion of the meetings dedicated to outreach partners. That meeting will include a discussion about terrorism. Obama and Buhari are expected to discuss the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast. The meeting is a follow up to that between Buhari and the US Secretary of State,Mr.John Kerry, shortly after the inauguration of the Nigerian President penultimate Friday. Officials in Washington D.C. said during the week that the USA will be dispatching

a team to Abuja soon to assist in the war against Boko Haram. Boko Haram has increased its attacks and suicide bombings in the wake of the vow by Buhari to crush the ‘mindless’ and “godless” group. The Washington Post reported yesterday that while the US is eager to defeat Boko Haram, it is being cautious of offering a large increase in military assistance to Nigeria before the armed forces are restructured. It quoted an unnamed senior US official of saying:“I think we might be seeing the end of

the large battlefield phase of this, but if Boko Haram goes back to hit-and-run tactics, it could be even harder for Nigerian military forces.” The paper said the United States is trying to navigate ways to support Nigeria’s new leader, without violating American legislation that prevents it from giving aid to human rights abusers. An Amnesty International report during the week accused the hierarchy of the Nigerian military of human right abuse in the course of the war against Boko Haram. President Buhari has promised to probe the allegations.

•CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, planting a tree to mark the World Environment Day in Abuja… yesterday. With him are officials of the bank. PHOTO: NAN

Wike appoints Jonathan's minister as SSG

IVERS State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has appointed the immediate past Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Kenneth Kobani, as the Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG). Kobani, a former Rivers State Commissioner for Finance, who was in the cabinet of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for about three months, hails from Bodo-Ogoni in Gokana Local Government Area of the state and he is succeeding George Feyii, also an Ogoni. Wike, a former Minister of

Bisi OLANIYI, Port Harcourt State for Education, also appointed an ex-Chairman of Emohua LGA of Rivers State, Emeka Woke, an engineer, as the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt. He succeeds Chief Tony Okocha. Wike was two-term Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA, Rivers State the same period Woke was at the helm of affairs in Emohua LGA, and both of them were known to be close friends. The immediate-past governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, had

shortly after his Supreme Court victory on October 25, 2007, appointed Wike as Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt. But with his appointment as a minister in 2011, Wike recommended Woke as his successor, but Amaechi, then the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), kicked against the choice and opted for Okocha. Wike also appointed the publisher of a Port Harcourtbased tabloid, Hard Truth, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, as his Special Adviser on Media & Publicity. Other persons appointed

by Wike included Dr. A. J. Beredugo as Senior Special Assistant on Research and Documentation; Gilbert Nria and Imeh Fubara, as Senior Special Assistants, office of the Deputy Governor. The new Rivers governor had earlier appointed the state’s Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Felix Obuah, as Sole Administrator of the Rivers State Waste Management Authority. Wike gave the new sole administrator 72-hour ultimatum to clear all the refuse in the state.

Kidnapping: IG deploys 350 policemen in Kogi

HE Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, has deployed 350 policemen in Kogi State to assist the state's police command in its effort to combat the menace of kidnapping and other crimes in the state. The Kogi State Commis-

James AZANIA, Lokoja sioner of Police, Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, disclosed this yesterday while parading 13 robbery suspects arrested between May and June this year at the State Police Command headquarters in

Lokoja. Among those paraded were those the CP described as notorious criminals, including two from a gang that allegedly killed two policemen and another that allegedly pulled the trigger that killed Mrs. Lolo Alassan, a

director with the Kogi State Civil Service, and Mr. Gbenga Kekere, a saxophonist. Alassan and Kekere met their untimely death in April while returning from a missionary trip to Bassa Local Government Area.

THE NATION, SATURDAY JUNE 6, 2015

News 63

ICPC to prosecute officials persecuting whistle-blowers

HE Independent Cor rupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday said it would investigate and prosecute officials or heads of ministries, departments or agencies (MDAs) that victimize their staff members who expose corruption in the MDAs. The commission made the disclosure in a statement in Abuja against the backdrop of increasing persecution of

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation whistle-blowers in government. The statement said: "The commission’s decision to tackle the MDAs over victimization was based on the many petitions from staff of government agencies that they are being victimized for ex-

posing various forms of corruption in their work places. "Recently, a member of staff of the Federal Ministry of Defence sought the assistance of the ICPC against victimization for exposing corruption at the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC). The staff claimed

that the FCSC has denied him promotion because he reported to the ICPC, a case of demand for bribe from a staff of the commission before his file could be worked on. "The staff's travails began in 2013 when his file was sent to the commission for regu-

larization and promotion. "The petitioner alleged that following the prosecution of the indicted FCSC staff in an Abuja High Court by the ICPC, his file was left unattended to and has now disappeared from the records of the FCSC. In addition, he has

been named an enemy of the civil service and was disqualified from the 2015 promotion exercise. "The ICPC has written to the Chairperson of the Federal Civil Service Commission, requesting her to intervene in the matter and ensure that the matter is resolved."

Ambode okays improved insurance compensation for policemen in Lagos

OVERNOR Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State yesterday rolled out a new deal for policemen who lose their lives or suffer permanent disabilities in the course of duty in the state. The governor, on a visit to the State Police Command, Ikeja, announced his approval of the upward review of insurance compensation for such officers. Under the new deal, senior police officers are entitled to N5million; inspectors, N3million and rank and file N2million up from N2million, N1.5million and N1million respectively. Ambode told Divisional Police Officers and Area Commanders during the visit that the gesture was borne out of the hazards associated with policing. The old compensation came into effect 16 years ago and the governor said it had become grossly inadequate. The governor sought the support of the police in enforcing the Lagos State Law on Protection Against Violence, 2007 and the Criminal Laws of Lagos, 2011 as part of the effort to wage war against domestic violence against women and rape. “By doing that, we will be sending a strong signal of zero tolerance to such barbaric acts and also conveying a message of assurance to our women of our commitment to their protection”, he said. He thanked the command for keeping the peace in the state. He was particularly delighted by the command’s role in ensuring the peaceful conduct of the last elections in the state. The State Police Commissioner, Mr.Kayode Aderanti,

Miriam EKENE-OKORO/ Ebele BONIFACE who received the governor, described the visit as a testament to the commitment of his administration to make the security of lives and property a top priority in the state. The CP said it was the first visit by any governor of the state. “The visit is not only historic because it is your first, but more so the speed at which you visited,” he said.

•From left: President, Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Dr Taiwo Akinbile; National President of NARD, Dr Prince Dan-jumbo and Secretary-General, Dr Daniel Gbujie, at a news conference on non-payment of Doctors' salaries in Ibadan... yesterday PHOTO: NAN

Oil spillage: Supreme Court orders Shell to pay Delta communities N30m

HE Supreme Court has or dered Shell Development Company of Nigeria Limited to pay four Delta State communities N30,288,681 compensation earlier awarded against it in 1997 by the then Bendel State High Court for damages caused oil spills linked to the company. The communities – Obotobo, Sokebolo, Ofogbene (Ezon Burutu) and Ekeremor Zion (Ezon Ase) – had sued Shell separately in 1983 at the Bendel State High Court over the series of oil spills recorded in the communities around that period. The court consolidated the four cases in 2005. The trial court, in a judgment on May 27, 1997, held in favour of the plaintiffs and in granting damages, awarded N4,095,085 to Obotobo; N13,278,306 to Sokebolo; N7,392,589 to Ofogbene (Ezon Burutu) and N5,522,701. Shell appealed the judgment at the Court of Appeal, Benin, an appeal the court dismissed on May 2000 for lacking in merit. It further appealed to the Supreme Court, which was again dismissed yesterday. In a unanimous judgment by a panel of five yesterday, the

Eric IKHILAE, Abuja Supreme Court aside from upholding the decisions of the trial and lower courts, awarded N500,00 cost against Shell and in favour of each of the communities. Justice Kumai Bayang Akaahs read the lead judgment. On the objection to the award of damages in against it, the Supreme Court upheld the conclusion of the Court of Appeal to the effect that the “direct compelling and largely uncontradicted evidence available to the learned trial judge, I am convinced that the damages awarded by the learned trial judge are not baseless or erroneous or in any event, as that offensive as the awards are amply supported by evidence.” The apex court added that the respondents’ right to fishing in the creeks was affected and the payment of compensation was made to each of the various communities for loss of income suffered by the community members who have a right to fish in the creeks located in the community to the exclusion of other members who are not members of the particular community. “The award is for the tempo-

Govt advised to make education development-focused

HE Federal Government has been called upon to make our education system development-focused in order to bring about solutions to our national problems. The Vice Chancellor of the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Professor Charles Akorede Ayo, made the call on Thursday, while delivering a lecture at the 2015 Learners' Forum organized by the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development at the NECA House, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. The lecture, entitled "Education in the National Development Plan: The Challenges and the Way Forward", highlighted problems militating against development-focused education as inadequate quantity and quality of teachers; inadequate funding; inadequate infrastructural facilities; old and

obsolete curricular; poor curriculum delivery and poor reading culture. The don gave a redemption plan which consists of the curriculum redesign for relevance and national development; incorporation of entrepreneurial education, retraining of faculty; proper funding; improved research facilities; improved teaching facilities, phased development of public schools; provision of enabling environment for use of ICT; planned access for higher education; establishment of national quality assurance system and massive improvement of the reading culture. Professor Ayo mentioned the objectives which must be incorporated into our education system in order to make it development-focused. He said: "For our education

system to be development-focused, the following objectives must be incorporated into it. It must aim at developing individuals for better appreciation of our traditional and cultural values; developing individuals with the ability to appreciate, relate and interact with people of different cultural and religious beliefs; developing individuals with the creative ability to embrace socio-political, economic and technological change; developing individuals with a sense of nationalism and patriotism and developing individuals with a high sense of entrepreneurial spirit, among others." Earlier, the 1st Vice-President of the institute, Rev. Tunde Salawu, made the opening remark. The 2nd Vice-President, Mrs J.I.K. Jolaoso, gave the closing remark.

rary loss of fishing right caused by the oil spillages. The second issue is resolved in favour of the respondents and against the appellants on the principle that the rights of common fishery in tidal waters is a public right both under the Common Law and Natural Law, and was not affected by Section 3(10 of the Minerals Act, which was first enacted in 1916.” The Supreme Court also faulted Shell’s argument that the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the cases in view of the promulgation of the Admiralty Jurisdiction Decree no.59 of the 1991, the Federal high Court (Amendment) Act 1991 and the Constitution (Suspension and Modification) Decree No. 107 of 1993 on the ground that the cause of action arose before the enactment of the laws. “There is a strong leaning

against the construing of a statute so as to oust or restrict the jurisdiction of the superior courts. Where a cause of action accrued before the advent of an alteration of the law governing the same, the applicable law is the one which was in operation at the time when the cause of action accrued, unless the subsequent legislation manifestly and unambiguously provides that the altered laws take retroactive effect. “This being the case, since the state High court had jurisdiction to entertain admiralty cases begun in 1983, it was right to proceed with the trial leading to the judgment in 1995 after the promulgation of Decree No. 107 of 1993. “The concurrent findings of fact made by the two courts are not perverse. I find that the appeal totally lacks merit. It was fought principally on the as-

sumption that the Admiralty jurisdiction is exclusively vested on the Federal High Court, and the consolidated suits which were commenced in 1983 before the then Bendel State High Court ought to have abated after the promulgation of the Admiralty Jurisdiction Decree No. 59 of 1991, the Federal high Court (Amendment) Decree No. 60 of 1991 and 16 of 1992 and the Constitution (Suspension and Modification) Decree No. 107 of 1993. “This appeal is, therefore, dismissed in its entirety and I award costs of N500,000 to each set of respondents in the consolidated suits against the appellant,” Justice Akaahs said. Justices John Fabiyi, Clara Ogunbiyi, Kudirat KekereEkun and Chima Nweze, who were on the panel that heard the appeal, agreed with the lead judgment.

Okonjo-Iweala warns successor of tough year

ORMER Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said her successor would face a “difficult” year because of plunging oil revenues and the fact that the economy needs expert management to weather the storm. “We have a serious situation with a cash crunch,” she told Bloomberg in an interview in Cape Town at the World Economic Forum on Africa. “But fundamentally, the economy is

Collins NWEZE strong. If we can get through the cash crunch, manage the way through, build on some of the assets we have, by next year, things will be better.” Nigeria is struggling in the face of a 40 per cent slump in crude prices in the second half of last year, which forced authorities to scale back budgeted spending and devalue the

School empowers widows

IFTEEN widows have been presented with grinding machines as an empowerment working tools by Virtuous World School, Gbagada, Lagos in commemoration of the school's Charity Day celebration. The empowerment programme powered by the school authority in collaboration with parents of pupils also coincided with this year' Children's Day which the school proprietress, Mrs. Laide Ogunbekun, said was done as a way of giving back to the society. Mrs. Ogunbekun said the

Charity Day celebration, which has been going on since 2013, was initiated by her with the approval of parents with the pupils as a way of identifying with the less-privileged in the society, recalling that many orphanages had benefitted from the programme in the last three years. On the celebration of this year's Children's Day, the proprietress enjoined parents to remember the displaced children most of whom might have lost their parents to the Boko Haram insurgency, ravaging the North Eastern states in Nigeria and prayed fervently for their rehabilitation and survival.

naira as foreign-currency reserves fell. The government relies on oil for about 70 per cent of its income. The next finance minister needs to focus on “a strong policy, the fiscal consolidation path that we have and looking towards diversification of revenue resources,” OkonjoIweala said. President Muhammadu Buhari, who was sworn into office last week, has yet to appoint his cabinet. OkonjoIweala, a former managing director of the World Bank, was finance minister under Goodluck Jonathan from 2011. “We are all waiting” for the new finance minister to be named, she said. “Nigeria is full of talented people so they will find someone.’ The economy is forecast by the International Monetary Fund to expand 4.8 per cent this year, down from 6.3 percent in 2014. The naira has weakened 7.7 percent against the dollar this year and was trading at 198.73 on the interbank market as of 7:26 a.m. in Lagos, the commercial capital.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

Impeach me, risk political death, Fayose warns Ekiti Speaker as he inaugurates 5th Assembly

OVERNOR Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State yesterday warned the new speaker of the State House of Assembly and the legislators against ganging up to impeach him . He told them to steer clear of “mindless power struggle” as no one can impeach him and those who did so “the other time have died politically today.” He was apparently referring to his impeachment during his

first term in October 2006 . The Supreme Court recently ruled that the impeachment was unconstitutional. “I am a man destined for greatness and with the power of God, nobody can bring me down. I have defeated my enemies during elections and now I defeated impeachment,” Fayose boasted yesterday as he inaugurated the 5th Ekiti State Assembly in Ado Ekiti.

“Whoever thinks he could impeach his governor and the Deputy for him to become the Acting Governor always end being destroyed. You have to learn from history. Those who impeached me the other time have died politically today.” He deplored moves by the last Assembly to remove him from the office. He called the moves by 19 APC members of the House as “crude and barbaric,” say-

ing their action enjoyed no support from President Muhammadu Buhari. Fayose claimed that security report available to him revealed that Buhari was never part of the plot . He said: “The President has said that he has no enemy to fight. He said he has put the past behind him and why were the APC lawmakers still bent on impeaching me? What is there own in this matter?

•From left: Mr. Felix Ho, Operations Manager, Marine Offshore Services Limited, Singapore (MOS); Mr. Elijah Odigie, Operations Manager, Broron Oil and Gas Limited; Mr. Goddy Oki, Executive Director, Broron Oil and Gas Limited; Chief Henry Ojogho, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO ,Broron Oil and Gas Limited; Mr. Sam Yeo, CEO, MOS; Mrs. Elizabeth Yeo, Director, MOS and Mr. Jerimy Yeo, an official of MOS at a partnership meeting of both companies in Lagos.

Ambode okays improved insurance compensation for policemen in Lagos •Vows war against domestic violence

O V E R N O R Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State yesterday rolled out a new deal for policemen who lose their lives or suffer permanent disability in the course of duty in the state. The governor ,on a visit to the State Police Command,Ikeja, announced his approval of upward review of insurance compensation for such officers. Under the new deal Senior Police Officers are entitled to N5million; Inspectors, N3million and Rank and File N2million up from N2million, N1.5million and

Miriam EKENEOKORO and Ebele BONIFACE N1million respectively. Ambode told Divisional Police Officers and Area Commanders during the visit that the gesture was borne out of the hazards associated with policing. The old compensation came into effect 16 years ago and the governor said it had become grossly inadequate. The Governor sought the support of the police in enforcing the Lagos State Law

on Protection Against Violence, 2007 and the Criminal Laws of Lagos, 2011 as part of the effort to wage war against domestic violence against women and rape. “By doing that, we will be sending a strong signal of zero tolerance to such barbaric acts and also conveying a message of assurance to our women of our commitment to their protection”, he said. He thanked the Command for keeping the peace in the state. He was particularly delighted by the command’s

role in ensuring the peaceful conduct of the last elections in the state. The State Police Commissioner,Mr.Kayode Aderanti who received the governor described the visit as a testament to the commitment of his (Governor) administration to make the security of lives and property in a state a top priority. The CP said it was the first visit by any governor of the State. “The visit is not only historic because it is your first but more so the speed at which you visited,” he said.

The governor promised to work with the new Assembly and advised the legislators to operate as members of one family. He said: “I believe all of you, I mean lawmakers, know that whoever attacks the new speaker is attacking Fayose? I think you know that?” All the 26 members of the Fifth Assembly were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) . The lawmaker representing Moba 1,Mr. Kola Oluwawole, was elected as Speaker while the member from Ekiti West 1, Segun Adewumi, emerged as Deputy Speaker. Other principal officers elected yesterday are Tunji Akinyele (Oye 2), House Leader and Sunday Akinniyi (Ikere 2) as Chief Whip. The new speaker, Hon Oluwawole who was Fayose’s Chief of Staff during the governor’s first term said the legislature would not go beyond its bounds in the discharge of its duties. His words:”The separation of powers between the executive and the legislative arms , is not meant to be taken to the extremes as some people opined. “Separation of power is a mandatory requirement of government. These roles are enacted in such a way that harmony can reign. The executive and the legislature are one PDP family. “Morbid critics of the Fifth Assembly will fail woefully. The two institutions are to operate one single government.

‘I’ll make my findings on Suswam’s handover notes public’ •Continued from Page 8 Governor Samuel Ortom signing on behalf of the Benue State Government, while Xu Dongsheng, the Deputy General Manager, China Railway and Airport Construction Company, signed on behalf of the Chinese firm. In his remark, Governor Ortom expressed the readiness of his administration to provide an enabling environment for China to partner with the government and people of the state to achieve maximum development, especially in provision of critical infrastructure. The governor maintained that Benue has great potential and can provide great opportunities for willing investors, adding that the land mass and favourable climate were suitable for all engagements. Earlier, Dongshen had as-

13 jostle for Deji of Akure as selection exercise begins

O fewer than 13 Princes from the Osupa ruling house, Akure have signified their intention to occupy the vacant throne of the Deji of Akure in Ondo state. The nomination for the position of the Deji became open following a letter written by the state government through the Akure South Local Government Area of the state and addressed to the head of Osupa ruling house, Akure. The ruling house commenced nomination among contestantsfor the position of the Deji, after which the name of the successful can-

Damisi OJO, Akure didate will be forwarded to the kingmakers in line with the tradition of the ancient town. At the meeting held at the residence of the head of the Osupa ruling house, Dr Ade Ogunleye, under the supervision of officials of Akure South Local Government Area, 13 Princes from the ruling house signified their intention to occupy the vacant stool. The meeting was held under tight security of armed police men numbering over 50.

The contestants include Samuel Adegboro; Kayode Oluwole;Adegbola Adelani; Kayode Adegbite; Femi Adejuyigbe and Adeolu Adepoju. Others are Patrick Aladetoyinbo; Leye Agbebi; Ojo Awimoro; Oluyemisi Bello; Damilola Adeyemi; Oluwole Oguntuyi and Ade Falodun. However, the deposed traditional ruler of the city, Adesina Adepoju who is still interested in the throne has dragged the ruling house to court seeking an injunction restraining the state government, the ruling house and the kingmakers from ap-

proving any candidate for the stool pending the determination of his suit. The deposed monarch who is also from the Osupa ruling house claimed that he was still entitled to the throne as according to him he was wrongly removed from the stool. Adepoju who is currently sojourning in the United Kingdom headed to the Appeal Court in Akure when his case was struck out at an Ondo State High court, and judgment has been reserved in the suit at the Appeal Court. It would be recalled that the state government dethroned Adepoju on June 10,2010 for

“They are expected to operate as independent arms of the same government. It is rather one of the shared powers , than separation of powers.” Fayose ,riding on a motorcycle had led a procession of his supporters round Ado Ekiti to celebrate his escape from impeachment by the last assembly. The procession took off from Ijigbo-Matthew Roundabout and moved through Mugbagba, Old Garage, Okeyinmi, Okesa, Secretariat Road before terminating at the Assembly complex. Addressing the people during the victory procession, Fayose said: “you have really proved that you gave me the mandate to serve you. You defended me and proved that Ekiti will continue to speak with one voice. “PDP is an opposition party and we have accepted that, but we will resist any attempt to muzzle the opposition here in Ekiti. “You may not like my style , but the people here say they like it. I am a local politician and I will continue to work for the people. “I won’t do whatever Ekiti people won’t like . I am your boy-boy here. I am not a governor who uses power to oppress his people. “The last seven months have been more of distraction for me because of the impeachment threat. With this inauguration, we have to settle down for governance and kick the ground running , so that we won’t disappoint the people.”

allegedly assaulting his wife, late Mrs Bolanle Adepoju However, Mrs Adepoju later died in 2012 after confessing through the media that the incident that led to her husband banishment was exaggerated. The development led to the installation of late Oba Adebiyi Adesida from Ojijigogun ruling house who was installed in 2010 as the 46th Deji of Akure, but died on December 1,2013 after reigning for three years. His daughter, Princess Adetutu Adesida is presently occupying the throne as the regent of Akure Kingdom.

sured that the projects would be financed and effectively executed with the cooperation of the new government in the state. In another development, Governor Ortom has directed the immediate restoration of water supply at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Wannune, Tarka Local Government Area. Ortom gave the directive during the swearing-in of Batch A Stream Two at Wannune. The Governor noted that it was difficult for the corps members to operate without water, which he said is a basic necessity. He promised that his administration would address some other challenges at the camp as soon as the economic situation of the state improves. The governor, who also read President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech at the occasion, said the President acknowledged the numerous achievements of the NYSC scheme which was established 44 years ago, and particularly commended youth corps members for their role in the conduct and delivery of credible elections in the country. Also speaking, the Acting Chairman of the NYSC Governing Board in the state, Mr. Vincent Shabu, advised corps members to participate actively in every event so as to leave the camp better prepared to serve the nation. He said the corps members would find their period of service in the state rewarding

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

El-Rufai inherits N73bn debt N Kaduna State, the immediate past government left N73,933,104,923.22 billion external and internal debts for Malam Nasir El-Rufai led administration. Even though, the new government inherited the sum of N8.6billion left in the state's treasury as against empty treasury earlier speculated, ElRufai has announced that his team have to make a lot of sacrifices to stabilise the state and work for its development. The former Governor while presenting handing over note to El-Rufai said, "I joined the Kaduna state government as a Commissioner for Finance. And I know the real financial status of the state. People are more concerned about insinuation that we are leaving behind N109billion debt. Well, they may be right or wrong. "Inspite of the numerous people oriented projects executed by the outgoing administration, a

n Abdulgafar ALABELEWE, Kaduna n total cash balance of N8.6 billion would be left in various accounts as at 28th May,2015. "The current debt position of the state as at 28th May, 2015 is a total debt stock of N73,933,104,923.22 which comprises of external and internal debts", Yero stressed. Yero further informed that the external debt stands at N46.062 billion while the internal loans which include bond, contractors arrears, gratuity arrears and CBN MSMEDF stands at N27,870 billion. "The state government awarded 82 No contracts for the construction/rehabilition of roads, culverts, drainages and bridges with a distance of 327.93km. "In the same vein, 32No road projects have also been completed with 67.50 kilometres surface

dressed finished and 75.798 kilometres with asphaltic wearing course finish. "The remaining other projects are at various stages of completion. The contracts were awarded at the cost of N61,108,376,239.09 of which the sum of N30,949,987,696.67 has been paid", added Yero. Meanwhile, ?Governor El-Rufai within the week said, he had discovered a lot of wasteful spending in the previous government activities. He said, over, N3billion was being spent on salaries an allowances every month out of the N4 billion realised monthly in the state. He also lamented that the Yero administration was spending N3 million ?monthly for food in government house alone. He however promised that his government will cut down on unnecessary expenses to enable it deliver dividends of democracy to the people of Kaduna State.

•From left: Managing Director, Capital Oil and Gas Industries Ltd., Chief Ifeanyi Uba; Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr Obafemi Olawore; Executive Secretary, Petroleum Product Pricing and Regulatory Uthority (PPPRA), Farouk Ahmed and Managing Director, Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Prince Haruna Momoh, at a stakeholders meeting to address the Photo: NAN current petrol scarcity in Abuja...yesterday

Kano to enact anti-divorce law Continued from Page 8 to encourage students’ participation in their lessons. He assured that his administration would, in spite dwindling resources, continue to increase access to education, with special emphasis on science and technical as well as girl-child education. The governor warned schools’ heads against living their schools’ environment dirty, noting that such action negates the essence of education and wholesome living. He also advised students to pay more attention to sound ideals and learning, adding that they must work hard to secure good grades and become respectable leaders tomorrow. At Kofar Nassarawa Model Primary School, the governor was particularly impressed with the practical teaching methods of the teachers in the two classes he entered. He promised that government would provide teaching and games facilities for the early classes in the school. He, however, expressed dismay over the poor sanitation condition at Government Senior Secondary School, Kofar Nassarawa, particularly the school’s toilets. The governor warned that the government would not tolerate filthy environment in any school because of the potential danger it poses to the lives of students and teachers. Governor Ganduje was accompanied during the inspection by the state’s Head of Civil Service, Malam Auwalu Muhammad Na’iya, and other key government officials

Contractors defy Wike as PDP chair takes over refuse agency HE new Sole Administrator of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), Bro. Felix Amaechi Obuah resumed work on Friday and held meetings with top management of the agency, refuse contractors as well as the union of staff under the aegis of AUCPTRE. Addressing the refuse contractors in the meeting which held at the Conference Hall of the agency, Bro. Felix Obuah who is also the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expressed dismay at the refusal of the refuse contractors to return to work even after Governor Nyesom Wike directed them to do so last Wednesday. The RIWAMA Boss hinted that the recalcitrant behaviour of the contractors necessitated his appointment by the Governor to take charge of the affairs of the Agency with a view to return Port Harcourt to its Garden City status. He said the Governor personally took a surprised tour of the streets of Port Harcourt on Thursday and described what the Governor saw as an eye-

sore. The Sole Administrator said that following the development, the governor had directed that the city must be cleaned up within 24 hours and that any contractor who contravened the directive would have his contract terminated. Obuah added that his mandate was not just to return the city to its lost glory, but to instill a culture of cleanliness on residents as well as visitors. Bro. Obuah said Governor Wike was not oblivious of the fact that the contractors were being owed as much as four months backlog by the outgone administration of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and assured that with their cooperation, he would do everything possible to clear all outstanding. “We are aware that you are being owed millions of Naira by the past administration. But you are also aware that we just came on board and met an empty treasury. “For us to succeed, we need you to succeed but if you are not willing I want to assure you that there are thousands of contractors ready and willing to

provide this service” he stated. The Sole Administrator warned that he would not hesitate to show those unwilling to do the job the way out but urged those willing to do the work and not to entertain fears, as he had not come to victimize any one. “We have not come here to look at your party affiliations. We are here as Rivers State people. If you do your work genuinely, I will be the first to encourage you and pay you your money. But if you are not ready to do your job, no matter your personal relationship with me, I will make sure I terminate that contract and give it to those ready and willing to work” he said. Some of the contractors who spoke at the meeting assured that they would comply with the directive by the Sole Administrator. They itemized some challenges which mitigates effective disposal of refuse to include deplorable state of roads leading to the respective dump sites and called on the Governor to fix the roads to ease movement of the trucks.

Promotion to directorate cadre in civil service subject to vacancy –FCSC n Vincent IKUOMOLA, n Abuja

ROMOTION in the directorate cadre in the federal Civil service is no more automatic, it was learnt. Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission, Deaconess Olatoyosi Ayo disclosed that promotion is subject to vacancy. Ayo who stated this while addressing 61 newly-promoted staff of the Federal Ministry of Health to directorate cadres, said the era where promotion is tied to success in examination was gone. “I am standing here confidently among all of you and I thank God, in the Federal Civil Service Commission, we have stopped the corrupt practices whereby people pay to pass promotion exam,” she stressed. Explaining further she said: “You wrote the promotion exam and you scored 60 percent. We didn’t say you scored 60 percent and automatically you are promoted. If there is no vacancy and there is no way we can do it, there is nothing we can do. This is what happens in many establishments the world over.” She further explained that world over, promotion is tied to vacancies, and that the Commission had delayed this year promotion examination because of absence of vacancies in the public service. She appealed to the staff to be dedicated and be forthright in their service to fatherland. In his remark, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Linus Awute, advised the employees not to relent in their quest for more knowledge and selfdevelopment; and that they should shun self-rejection. He said: “You people should read more books to develop themselves and subscribe for literature that would enhance their selfdevelopment.” Speaking on the test that led to the promotion of the workers, Awute said civil servants should not shun examination, adding that it enhances promotion, hard work and discipline. He further informed that experiences of the workers would prod them to work hard and also make others to emulate them. Awute also charged the staff on the need to promote harmony in the sector. He urged them promote productivity and not perennial face-off between employees and government in the nation’s health sector.

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 5-06-15

Nigerian equities drop by 1.9% over uncertainties

IGERIAN equities dropped by about 1.88 per cent this week as investors continued to wait for the macroeconomic directions of the new government. The All Share Index (ASI), the benchmark index that tracks prices of all quoted equities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), recorded a week-on-week decline of 1.88 per cent to close the week at 33,664.91 points as against its opening index of 34,310.37 points. Aggregate market value of all quoted equities on the NSE declined by N168 billion from N11.659 trillion to N11.491 trillion. Analysts said the market performance was moderated by the uncertainties over the macroeconomic policy directions of the new government as President Muhammadu Buhari assembles his economic team. “Additionally, foreign portfolio investors whose participation in the Nigerian market accounted for over 55 per cent from 2011 to 2014 appear to have remained on the side line amid uncertain-

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

ties on exchange rate and economic reforms,” analysts at Afrinvest Securities stated in post market review yesterday. Total turnover stood at 1.22 billion shares worth N16.96 billion in 19,847 deals this week in contrast to a total of 1.8 billion shares valued at N22.11 billion that were traded in 17,337 deals two weeks ago. Financial services sector remained the dominant sector with a turnover of 935.23 million shares valued at N9.26 billion traded in 11,066 deals; representing 76.58 per cent and 54.58 per cent of the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The trio of Zenith International Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc jointly accounted for 357.004 million shares worth N4.03 billion in 3,021 deals, representing 29.23 per cent and 23.77 per cent of the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. Analysis of price trend indicated that 27 stocks appreci-

ated while 47 equities depreciated. “With five days since his ascendency, the only noteworthy action taken by the president relates to insecurity and ending insurgency in the country. Nevertheless, we believe the President must set the tone for the market by making a clear pronouncement on critical concerns in the economy. Chief among these include the oil and gas sector and subsidy removal, exchange rate and the framework for monetary policy, addressing the power sector crisis and the future of infrastructure in Nigeria,” Afrinvest securities stated. According to analysts, political risk, credit risk, re-investment risk, interest rate risk and exchange rate risk are the main factors that continue to define investors’ actions. Analysts noted that recent considerations by the United States of America to raise interest rates may divert funds from the Nigerian capital market, hence a likely reduction in the rate of foreign participation in the bond market.

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 5-06-15

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

SPORT EXTRA SECOND ROUND TICKET ORDER

NFF demands more from Falcons

A • Salami

Salami sure of Wolves’ victory

ARRI Wolves striker Gbolahan Salami says he believes they will beat Congolese side, AC Leopards and overturn a 3-0 deficit suffered in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup clash. The Nigerians had suffered a surprise 3-0 bashing in Kinshasa a couple of weeks ago, meaning they suffered their first defeat of the competition this year, but Salami is adamant they will scale through. “I’m sure we will pull through,” he said, “I believe we will not just beat them, we will also overturn the 3-0 deficit we suffered in their home ground. “There were several issues in the first leg, which conspired to make us lose the way we did and that was our first loss of the competition. “Here in Nigeria, we know we’ll get a fair officiating and also the support of our home fans so I am very confident. “Given the quality of players at our disposal also, I have absolute confidence we will get it right and we will score as many goals as required to qualify to the next round,” he said. The Wolves need to score at four unreplied goals to advance, or must at least.

Free entry for Wolves fans

OCAL football fans have received a major boost after Warri Wolves pledged free entry to supporters wearing the team’s regalia for the clash against visiting AC Leopards. Wolves host the Democratic Republic of Congo side in the second leg of the Confederation of African Football Associations (CAF) Confederations Cup at Warri Stadium on Saturday. “There will be free pass for all fans that putting on Warri Wolves replica jersey or blue Tshirt to Warri City stadium on Saturday June 6th to cheer the team to victory. Come support your darling team to victory,” the host team stated ahead of the crucial match. Wolves’ chances were recently boosted when the coach of the senior men’s national team, Stephen Keshi, released the side’s players that are part of the Super Eagles contingent currently on national assignment. Meanwhile, AC Leopards are now in Warri for the CAF match. According to the Publicity Unit of Wolves, the Congolese side arrived on Friday through Port Harcourt for the weekend’s clash. Leopards lead 3-0 from the first leg.

S the Super Falcons kick off their quest for World Cup glory in Canada this weekend, scribe of the NFF, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, has revealed that the players are injury-free and are in a good competitive mood ahead of the tournament. Speaking with www.footballlive.ng, Ikpeme stressed that the team’s top priority as spelt out by the football Federation is for the Edwin Okon-tutored side to advance beyond the group stage. ‘ Its been good they’re going there as African champions, they’ve had a wonderful precompetition preparation. They were here at home and went to

Canada to further prepare, we thank God there’s no injury. Secondly, the training is progressing well. ‘ Thirdly, the players themselves are in a very good, competitive mode, it was good we gave them that friendly against Canada at least they have an idea of their likely opponents and what’s expected of them. ‘I want to be very realistic here, overtime the Super Falcons will always qualify for the World Cup but they have never gone beyond the group stage, perhaps just once and it was a long time ago. So between them and the Federation we have said that they must go beyond, at least the group stage,’ Dr Ikpeme stated.

• Kadeisha Buchanan of Canada, gets tangled up with a Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala in front of the Nigerian bench during their friendly match against Woodgate team recently

Manu admits team yet to hit top form

LYING Eagles’ coach Manu Garba has admitted his team not yet at its best despite hammering North Korea 4-0 to get their U20 World Cup campaign in New Zealand back on track on Thursday. Two goals by Godwin Saviour and goals too from Kingsley Sokari and Isaac Success condemned North Korea to their second thrashing at Stadium Taranaki in New Plymouth after they crashed 1-5 to Hungary on Monday. But Manu insists his team still isn't in their best form. “We have not got into our groove yet, we are only picking up gradually,” Manu admitted at a press conference after the win over the Asians. The former Golden Eaglets coach also praised the Koreans for stepping up their game against the African champions after they fell woefully to Hungary on Monday. “They gave a good ac-

• Garba

count of themselves, they were lot better than they were against Hungary as they possessed the ball very well, but they have to improve in their finishing,” he remarked. Manu said he would have loved to have more than four goals on Thursday. The winners and runnersup in Group E could well be decided on goals difference after Hungary trounced the North Koreans on the opening day and Brazil are expected to massacre the Asians on Sunday in Christ Church. “I would have loved that we won this game (vs Korea) by six, seven goals,” lamented Manu. “All the same, the victory was most important for us. “And on Sunday our final group game against Hungary will be a must-win,” he concluded.

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

SPORT EXTRA

QPR, Brentford seek Omeruo loan Kanu scolds Mikel? R ELEGATED Queens Park Rangers and English Championship side Brentford are among the clubs who are keen to sign Nigeria defender Kenneth Omeruo on loan from Chelsea. This past season, Omeruo, who is currently with Nigeria for an AFCON 2017 qualifier against Chad, ended another loan spell at English Championship side Middlesbrough. AfricanFootball.com has now gathered that QPR, who finished bottom of the English Premier League, and Brentford, who fea-

tured in the promotion playoffs in the Championship, are among a list of clubs who would want to have the central defender on loan in the new season. Brentford lost home and away to Middlesbrough, where Omeruo featured last season on loan, in the promotion playoffs. However, Omeruo looks more likely to rechart his career path by jumping at an offer to join French Ligue 1 side Lille. Lille new coach Herve Renard is a long-term admirer of Omeruo and has already swung into action to sign him.

• Omeruo

Falcons 2017 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIER Enyeama expects tough challenge arrive Winnipeg S for Sweden

IGERIA’S senior women’s national football team, the Super Falcons have touched down on Winnipeg with high hopes of doing well at the FIFA Women’s World Cup which kicks off this weekend in Canada. The African Champions arrived Winnipeg on Thursday at about 11:25pm Winnipeg local time which is 5:25pm Nigerian time and were received on arrival by FIFA officials and jubilant Nigerian fans at the airport. They had a 3 minute-drive from the airport to their Hilton Winnipeg Airport Suites. On arrival, coach of the team, Edwin Okon spoke on the need to remain focused on the task at hand, reminding them that it was not an appearance tournament for Nigeria, but an event to properly compete in. “You all know why we are here and I implore you to remain focused on the task at hand. We have put in so much to prepare you and now is the time to show the world that you can be the best. We are African champions and we must behave as one,” Okon was quoted through official channels. The team had a light shake up around 5:30pm as training commences today, June 5th at 8am

• Enyeama

UPER Eagles’ captain Vincent Enyeama has stated the he expects a ‘tough challenge’ from Chad’s Le Sao when both teams trade tackles in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier next weekend in Kaduna. The Lille Metropole of France goalkeeper says even though he and his teammates expect to win, he acknowledges it won’t be an easy ride through. “I expect that they will give us a tough challenge,” he said, “We expect to win as that is the only acceptable result for us but we must acknowledge it won’t be an easy ride thorough for us.

“They will also be hoping to get a win and we have to show strength and character and not get carried away,” he said. The 32-year old also adds that with most of the Super Eagles’ players still fresh from playing for their respective clubs, there shouldn’t be a case of match rustiness. “Most of us are coming off a very competition season from our various leagues and I think it’s a good thing because we shouldn’t have a case of match rustiness because most of us are still in competitive spirits.” The Super Eagles will leave Abuja for Kaduna, venue of the match on Sunday.

Moses Simon rejects Dortmund, Fenerbache

IGERIA international Moses Simon has told AfricanFootball.com he turned down several European clubs including Borussia Dortmund, Fenerbache and Liverpool in the EPL to stay put at Belgian champions Gent. Simon, who is currently at the FIFA U20 World Cup in New Zealand with Nigeria, told AfricanFootball.com he wishes to stay at least another season at Gent before he would decide his next destination. “Fenerbache, Dortmund and Liverpool were among the clubs who were interested in signing me, but I wish to stay at least an-

other season at Gent before I decide what is next for me,” he revealed. “I still have three more years left of my contract with Gent, but the league in Germany or England would interest me at some point.” Simon’s immediate target will be next season’s UEFA Champions League. “We are all looking forward to featuring in the Champions League after against all odds we won our first Belgian championship in 115 years,” he told AfricanFootball.com. “It’s a big stage for all of us and we wish to make the most of it.” The left winger scored seven goals after he joined

up with Gent in January. It was a performance that saw him as the second best African player in the Belgian top-flight league this past season.

• Simon

Ifeanyi Matthew misses Flying Eagles’ training again

IDFIELDER Ifeanyi Matthew has again stayed out of the Flying Eagles’ training ahead of a crunch U20 World Cup Group E match against Hungary on Sunday. El Kanemi Warriors’ star Matthew suffered a foot injury during an opening group game against Brazil and he may again miss his second match against the Hungarians.

• Matthew

He missed Thursday’s win over North Korea on account of the injury. Both Nigeria and Hungary are battling for second place in the first round group after Brazil

won their second game on Thursday. On Friday, the Flying Eagles trained at Inglewood Stadium at 5pm local time, which is 6am in Nigeria.

The training was lively after the 4-0 win over North Korea the previous day and it was for an hour. All players except for Matthew trained under chilly conditions.

Musa, Samuel keep Eagles waiting

HINA-BASED striker Aaron Samuel and Ahmed Musa of CSKA Moscow are the only players yet to join the Super Eagles’ camp after they were granted permission by coach Stephen Keshi to attend to “some personal issues”. The Eagles are to head out to Kaduna, where the AFCON qualifier will be played, tonight ahead of the June 13 encounter. Seventeen players trained on Thursday inside the mainbowl of the Abuja National Stadium as Nigeria continued their build up to the AFCON qualifier against Chad. The number swelled from 11

to 17 following the arrival of more invited foreign based players including captain Vincent Enyeama, Geoffrey Oboabona, Kenneth Omeruo and Rabiu Ibrahim. The 13 foreign-based players trained with the four homebased in camp after quartet of Azubuike Egwuekwe, Daniel Akpeyi, Solomon Kwambe and Gbolahan Salami left the team’s camp on Wednesday to join their teammates for a CAF Confederation Cup playoff match. They are expected to feature in Wolves against AC Leopard of Congo Brazzaville on Saturday at the Warri City Stadium.

• Samuel Nine foreign-based players, including Leon Balogun, Ogenyi Onazi, Odion Ighalo, John Ogu, Steve Ukoh, William TroostEkong, Babatunde Michael and Anderson Esiti had arrived the team’s camp on June 2.

<<<<<<Continued from back page European clubs respect. was nothing at stake. They The other cynical school of played as if they knew the result thought that Nigeria uses and of the match. They were sluggish dumps such foreign-based on-and-off the ball. They had the players in their twilight stands temerity to make short passes logic on its head because most among themselves deep inside of those dropped are not playing our penalty box. At some point in Europe any longer. In fact, in the game, I kept asking where European clubs don’t joke with Kelechi Iheanacho was until he players who are internationals was substituted. in their countries. They have a What happened to limited quota for foreigners, Iheanacho? Where was Taiwo hence they insist on having the Awoniyi? What was the best players at all times. Football coaches’ strategy to effectively is big business. It is the platform utilise their skills? Are NFF to showcase excellence, not to technical study group members celebrate mediocrity. You are in New Zealand? either good or past it. Whenever The Flying Eagles struggled a player loses his form, he gets through the first 45 minutes. the chop no matter how good They did better in the second he was in the past. half, although much of it had to The problem with our players do with the players’ fighting is that they don’t inform the NFF spirit. At the World Cup level, about their contracts before talents alone don’t win matches. signing them. If they do, like Strategies do. The coaches must others, such clauses which be prepared to adopt strategies would address the problem of which should change as the club vs country clashes would be game rolls through its course. resolved amicably. We have seen Football is a game of wits and it where countries and club is the team with best thinking coaches have an understanding coach that wins. Luck only on featuring key players in their comes in when the game is on national teams and for club its seams. And it doesn’t come assignments. It is just a telephone often. call away, once the deal is struck. Who better than Sir But would the NFF punish Mikel for shunning the coach’s Alex Ferguson? calls? It is clear that Mikel He needs no introduction. He wanted to play Chelsea’s postis easily the most successful season matches. It would be manager in England even unjustifiable if he returns to the though a Scot. He made Eagles without an apology to the Manchester United FC of coaches. Mikel dares not ignore England a global brand. Jose Mourinho’s call. If Mikel sees This column stumbled on this Mourinho’s missed call or hears revealing detail in the “Times” the coach’s voice on the of London; it is, perhaps, meant answering machine, he will to teach young managers how reply immediately; that is if he to build a successful team. Of doesn’t go to the manager’s course, no other manager than house to explain why he missed Sir Alex Ferguson has such the call - if Mourinho will permit tactical savvy to share with the such a defence. younger ones. Enjoy Ferguson’s Flying Eagles’ lesson.

banana peel I wonder what Nigerian coaches tell our players at halftime. Do they surrender the pep talk sessions in the dressing room to top Nigerian officials, who know nothing about the game? Or do they just urge the players on without telling them their mistakes? Sitting through Nigeria’s shambolic 4-2 loss to Brazil on Monday morning, one thing was clear – the team whose coach x-rayed the first half won the game in the second half. It was apparent from the moment the Brazilians scored their first goal in the fourth minute that the Flying Eagles defence would be its albatross. In fact, the defence’s left side was turned into an apian way by the Brazilians, culminating in two second half goals. Put simply, the Nigerian side wasn’t organised. It showed that our coaches didn’t study tapes of their opponents. If they did at all, they offered the wrong therapy. Equally disappointing was the awful appraisal of the Brazilians with the way we prosecuted the second half. We lost to Brazil because our coaches went to sleep. A more responsible technical crew would have replaced the team’s left full back or at best get the winger on the left side to always fall back to assist the defender, anytime we lost the ball. Goalkeeper Enaholo had an off day. His absentmindedness gave the Brazilians very cheap goals. He ought to have been the first substitute, especially when he couldn’t hold on to the ball effectively. Forget the nonsense that wet balls forced him to concede those goals. Our boys played as if there

Eight Rules for running a football team by Alex Ferguson When Ferguson became Manager of United in 1986 the team hadn’t won the league in 20 years. By the time he retired in 2013, they had won 13 titles. Rules: 1. Start with the foundation. Bring in young players and build a youth system that will sustain the club for years rather than signing veterans for short-term success. 2. Dare to rebuild your team. Don’t be afraid of being fired, make decisions based on what the team will look like in four years. 3. Set high standards and hold everyone to them. 4. Never, ever cede control. Get rid of an employee if he’s creating discord, even if he is the best player in the world. Don’t worry about whether employees like you. 5. Match the message to the moment. When to criticise players and encourage players depends on the context of the situation. 6. Prepare to win. If you are down 2-1, you might as well put on an extra offensive player and lose 3-1 rather than play conservatively and lose 2-1 anyway. 7. Rely on the power of observation. Delegate managing practices to assistant coaches so you can simply watch and observe each player. 8. Never stop adapting. I believe that you control change by accepting it.

TOMORROW IN THE NATION PUNCHLINE

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.10, NO. 3237

Within the next few weeks, one expects that the policy thrust of the new government would be crystallising. Already, nine days are gone out of the four-year tenure. That is how time flies. So, President Buhari should know that the ball is now in his court. He has talked the talk; he should now walk the talk

—Tunji Adegboyega

ATCHING him intently from a respectable distance at the venue of his parley with media executives this week, I could not but feel that a change had come over the new Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode. There is something tangible, yet ineffable about power. Power can have a transcendental quality. It can also endow its new votary with a transformational aura. Sometimes it is a new found air of hubris. Power is mistaken as substituting for superior knowledge. The charisma it exudes intoxicates. The inevitable orchestra of the ever present army of sycophants distorts mental perception and affects the quality of judgement. But to the deep, philosophical and introspective mind, the attainment of power can also be profoundly humbling. It was this deepened sense of humility and modesty borne out of a new sense of heightened responsibility that I saw or sensed in the face, demeanour, carriage and candour of Ambode. Particularly striking was the amity and chemistry among the governor, his deputy, Dr (Mrs) Idiat Oluranti Adebule and the Secretary to the Government, Mr Tunji Bello, himself a veteran journalist, within such a short time. This is not to leave out the linguistic felicity and relational fluidity of the new Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Habib Haruna, both with his boss and the government team as well as his media constituency where he has built solid support and fraternity over the years. From my observatory, it appears that Mr Ambode does not intend to be just a boss. He desires to be a team leader. He described himself as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lagos as an on-going business concern. Of course, as we all know, the best CEOs are not slave drivers but team leaders. Although he did not say so, he came across as someone who, through his varied and rich experience over the years has cultivated the habits and attitudes of a servant leader. He does not want to strike the pose of a giant among intellectual and psychological Lilliputians – the leader who revels in and basks in all the glory of successes while others take the blame for failure and lapses. He suffers from no inferiority complex to necessitate the adoption of such a supercilious posture. It struck me that right from his inaugural speech on being sworn in as governor, Mr Ambode has shown a deep sense of gratitude both to those who campaigned for or voted for or even against him. As he spoke to us that evening, he even found the graciousness to thank his main opponent, the highly regarded Mr Jimi Agbaje of the PDP for joining him in achieving a paradigm shift in the tone and tenor of campaigns in the state. Yes, there were a number of inevitable heated moments generated largely by overzealous supporters. Yet, the 2015 governorship campaigns in Lagos State focussed more on issues and were largely devoid of insults and mudslinging.

Ambode: Demystifying governance in Lagos

‘

Here then lies the challenge for Mr Ambode as the next governor of Lagos State. It is to return governance to the people and make them the beall and end-all of development. It is to make the people take control and be the prime drivers of the development process through effective, functional, productive, efficient and accountable Local Government Councils

’

•Ambode As the questions rained down hard and fast as expected in a gathering of journalists, Mr Ambode demonstrated that he is in tip top shape mentally and psychologically. The questions ranged from the proposed fourth mainland bridge, problems with the Lekki-Epe Expressway, the Apapa traffic gridlock, massive youth employment, decrepit inner city roads, the state’s humongous debt profile and much more. Ambode did not strike the pose of a magician with solutions to all problems. He promised an inclusive government in which all stakeholders would jointly contribute to finding solutions to the intractable problems of Lagos as Africa’s emergent model mega city. Is this stance an abdication of leadership? Most certainly, no; it is rather the all-knowing ‘strongman’ perception and practice of leadership in Africa that has been the major cause of the continent’s stagnation in virtually all spheres. Mr Ambode anchors the key goals of his administration on two principal pillars: Making life simpler for the people and making life

happier for the people. This is without doubt informed by the timeless utilitarian values of the necessity of government pursuing the greatest happiness of the greatest number of the people. Towards these goals, the new governor has already effected some institutional changes. These include establishing a new Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment Generation while eliminating the extant Ministry of Rural Development and devolving its responsibilities to other relevant agencies of government. Similarly, he has upgraded the Office of Civic Engagement in the office of the governor to more fully tap the potentials of civil society in governance while also up-scaling the Office of Global Investment, which will now be a key responsibility of the Office of the Deputy Governor. The objective, clearly, is to enhance the quality and impact of governance while reducing the associated administrative costs. It is equally instructive that within the very short period since being sworn-in, Governor Ambode has met with key publics including

civil servants, members of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) as well as the staff of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI). The administration’s aim is thus not just structural administrative adjustments to elevate the quality of governance but also attitudinal re-orientation of public officers for more positive engagement with the populace. It was indeed in this spirit that the engagement with the media was organised. Stressing the constitutional oversight role of the media, Mr Ambode described the press as the ‘control valve’, which has a responsibility of speaking truth to power and pointing out where government is going wrong. Mr Ambode has been in the business of serving the public for at least 27 years of an eventful professional life. He comes better prepared than anybody in recent memory to steer the affairs of Lagos to new heights. Yet, in his inaugural address, Ambode paid fulsome tribute to his predecessors such as Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson, whose historic mission was to lay the foundation of the new state, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, the first civilian governor of Lagos State, who opened new vistas in the development of the state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who drew up and planted the seeds of the resurrection of Lagos from the ruins of years of military depredation as well as Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), the ‘skilled mechanic’ who tied the nuts and bolts necessary towards actualizing Tinubu’s grand vision for Lagos State. Governor Ambode obviously realizes that he stands on the shoulders of giants in his bold bid to expand the frontiers of human possibilities in Nigeria’s Centre of Excellence and commercial nerve centre. During his campaigns, Mr Ambode consistently pledged to return governance in Lagos to the people. As someone who began his public service career at the local government level and rose to the peak of the Local Government Service, he certainly knew what he was talking about. As Mwalimu Julius Nyerere once said, it is only a given people that can develop themselves. Development cannot be imposed on people by an all knowing monarch from the top. Development is nothing if it is not selfdevelopment. Here then lies the challenge for Mr Ambode as the next governor of Lagos State. It is to return governance to the people and make them the be-all and end-all of development. It is to make the people take control and be the prime drivers of the development process through effective, functional, productive, efficient and accountable Local Government Councils. This calls for nothing short of a revolutionary devolution of governance from ‘super star’ imperial governors to the grassroots governments at the local level in accordance with the spirit of developmental federalism. This surely is Ambode’s historic mission. His utterances and body language that evening demonstrated that he understands this.

Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com

Kanu scolds Mikel?

OT many Super Eagles’ players would make the kingdom of God if the divine gate’s password is patriotism. Tales of our players’ untoward attitude to national team invitations are legendary. From late arrival to the camp and holding the country to ransome over unpaid entitlement to choosing matches that they want to play, the stories are bad. Nothing shocks me about the Eagles. But they may yet disappoint me – if, for instance, they refuse to collect their entitlements. And that seems unthinkable, largely because many of them are benchwarmers. Even routine things, such as helping their former Nigerian teams with cash or kits, look like tasting the forbidden fruit. Yet, their contemporaries have made it a habit to give back to the system which produced them. So, when Nwankwo Kanu advised John Mikel Obi to show more commitment to the

national team’s assignments, I chuckled because it sounded strange. First, Kanu isn’t one to chastise his ex-mates in the media. Even in the report credited to him, he wasn’t talking directly to Mikel. But the timing was such that made newshounds celebrate it, since it was coming after the story of Mikel not picking the Eagles chief coach’s telephone calls. Again, I’m not sure Kanu has the moral right to scold Mikel, except he is a poor student of history. Kanu showed more commitment to national team assignments than Mikel, yet not many have forgotten how he ditched the country’s Sydney 2000 Olympic Games squad to play for Arsenal. Kanu couldn’t muster the courage to tell the Dream Team II coaches that he had agreed a deal with Gunners’ Arsene Wenger not to go to Sydney. He kept reassuring Nigerians that he would be there. So strong was Kanu’s promise then that he was included

in the squad, yet he didn’t show up at the Olympic Games city. It is a one-off stuff but that in itself disqualifies Papilo from talking about any player who picks his European club ahead of Nigeria’s matches. “One thing they (players) always forget is that the Super Eagles, and by that I mean the national team, is bigger than a club side. And I think it is high time we let whoever comes in to understand the importance of wearing that National shirt,” he told SL10.ng. “They have to understand that whenever they do that, they are carrying the hopes and expectations of 170 million Nigerians on their shoulders, which is a very big task. We don’t ever want to come second because it is not a good mentality and that is the way we can get them to get results for us. “Whoever is coming in there, has to understand that wearing that National jersey is bigger than wearing your club colours. Whoever you are and wherever you are

coming from, even if you play for the biggest clubs in the world because the National Team is bigger than that and there is pressure there,” he said in an apparent reference to the Mikel situation. Good talk Kanu. Let’s hope that those concerned will imbibe the message and turn a new leaf. Indeed, most of our big players enter top European clubs with little pedigree. Those with big feats, such as Kanu, refuse to include the clause of playing for Nigeria instead of the European clubs, if there is a clash of fixtures. The cheap talk most times is that these European clubs pay them bigger wages which they strive to protect. What those in this school fail to appreciate is that most of these stars emerged in the foreign scene playing for Nigeria. They are the privileged few, which doesn’t make them the best. Nigeria didn’t pick them after playing for European teams. Interestingly, other nationals, especially Africans who are big, do have such clauses inserted in the contracts which these

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