The Nation June 13 ,2012

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

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TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

VOL. 7, NO. 2155 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

N150.00

THE JUNE 12 ANNIVERSARY...PAGES 3 - 5 & 58

•Youths at the 19th anniversary of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola held at LTV 8, Ikeja,Lagos...yesterday

Maduekwe, Ojukwu’s wife, 91 others get letters From Yusuf Alli and Vincent Ikuomola Abuja

F

ORMER Foreign Affairs Minister Ojo Maduekwe is back on the beat, deployed to Canada as Nigeria’s ambassador. The Peoples Democratic Party Continued on Page 2

WHO GOES WHERE •Dr. Dalhatu Tafida (UK) •Prof. Ade Adefuye (US) •BiancaOdumegwu-Ojukwu (Spain) •Ojo Uma Maduekwe (Canada ) •Akinyele Oladipo Fayomi (France) •Assam Ekanem Assam ( Russia ) •Omolade. Oluwateru (UAE) •Fidelis Njeze (Switzerland) •Nonye B. Rajis Okpara (Singapore) •Eric Tonye Aworabhi(Italy) •Taofeek Arapaja (Jordan)

•Biodun Olorunfemi (Namibia) •Yemi Farounbi (Phillipines) •Abubakar Shehu Bunu(Saudi Arabia) •Mr. Haruna Ginsau (Algeria) •Mr. Chive Kaave (Argentina) •Felix Edobor Awanbor (Belgium) •Lawrence Obisakin(Benin Republic) •Mr.David Bala(Burkina Faso) •Okwudili Obidigbo Nwosu(Burundi) •Mr. Hadiza Mustapha(Cameroon) Continued on Page 2

PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES

Tinubu, Fashola, activists, others unite for Abiola

F

ORMER Lagos State Governor and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, his predecessor, Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and human rights activists yesterday insisted on the immortalisation of the late Chief Mos-

By Miriam Ndikanwu

hood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 election.

It was at the event organised by the Lagos State Government to mark the Continued on Page 2

Otedola tells police how he gave Lawan $620,000 Rep gets 24 hours to show up or be declared wanted

B •Otedola

USINESSMAN Femi Otedola yesterday told the police Special Task Force (STF) all he knows about the $3million cash-for-clearance scandal involving the Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime, Farouk Lawan.

The Zenon Oil chairman spent about

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

one hour, writing a statement, which contains details of how, according to him, he gave Lawan $620,000.

He reportedly told the •EDITORIAL Page 19 police to insist that Lawan must bring the exact dollar bills he (Otedola) gave

him. The businessman said the State Security Service (SSS) marked the cash.

Lawan has refused to tender the money, saying it is his proof that Otedola tried to bribe him.

The lawmaker is yet to show up, but the authorities have reached out to the leadership of the House to prevail on him to appear before the STF on or be-

fore Thursday of face “the full wrath of the law”.

It was learnt that Lawan might be declared wanted if he does not honour police invitation, which has been pending since June 7.

Otedola met the STF, headed by Commissioner of Police Ali Amodu, Continued on Page 2

•SPORTS P23 •NEWS EXTRA P25 •LIFE P29 •POLITICS P43•MONEYLINK P55

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

NEWS

•President Goodluck Jonathan (eighth right), Foreign Affairs Minister Olugbenga Ashiru (seventh right) with the ambassadors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja...yesterday

Maduekwe, Ojukwu’s wife, 91 others get letters Continued from Page 1

(PDP) chief got his letter of credence yesterday in Abuja.

So did Bianca, the late Igbo leader Emeka OdumegwuOjukwu’s wife. She is posted to Spain.

Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States Prof. Ade Adefuye and the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Sarki Tafida, are retained, according to the postings made available by Foreign Affairs Minister Olugbenga Ashiru.

“In all, there are 62 ambassadors although 93 people were deployed yesterday.

Of the lot, 86 were posted out. The remaining seven, who are ambassadors in-situ, will remain at home. Of the 86 posted out, 62 are Ambassadors; 24 are Deputy Heads of Mission. Among the ambassadors are 11 women 10 of whom are Heads of Mission.

WHO GOES WHERE Continued from Page 1

•Roland Omowa (Central African Rep) •Mr. Garba Abdu Zakari(Chad) •Victoria Onipede (Congo Brazaville) •Katherine Uyok Okon(Czech Rep) •Grant Ehiobuche (Republic of Congo) •Mr. Lawan Gana Guba( Egypt ) •Sunday Bassey (Equatorial Guinea) •Mr. Ademola Onafowokan (Ghana) •Mr. Ayodeji Ayodele (Greece) •Mr. Ahmed Adams (Guinea Bissau) •Mr. Eddy Onuoha (Hungar ) •Mr. AbdulRahman Sallahdeen (Indonesia) •Mr. Tukur Mani (Iran) •Olatokunboh Kamson (Jamaica) •Mr. Solomon Oyateru (Kenya) •Mr. Haruna Garba (Kuwait) •Chigozie Obi-Nnadozie (Liberia) •Mohhammed Lawan Gana (Malawi) •Iliya Ali Duniya Nuhu (Mali) •Mr. Zhiri James Gana (Mexico) •Matilda Kwashi (Mozambique) One is a Deputy Head of Mission.

President Goodluck Jonathan, who handed the letters of credence to the ambassadors at a ceremony at the

•Mr. Aliyu Isa Sokoto(Niger) •Mr. Alexander Nwofe (North Korea) •Mr.Dauda Danladi (Pakistan) •Mr. Samuel Wodi Jimba (Poland) •Mr. Sani Saulawa Bala (Qatar) •Mr.Abba Tijjani (Romania) •Mr.Ayibakuro Ogidi-Oke (Rwanda) •Kayten Catherine Jackden (Senegal) •Mr. Harold Augustus Koko(Serbia) •Mr Eyo Asuquo (Sierra Leone) •Mr. Dedan Madugu (South Sudan) •Mr. Femi Rotimi (Sri Lanka) •Mr Haliru Shuaibu (Sudan) •Mr Adamu Ibrahim (Syria) •Mr Chukwudi Okafor (Thailand) •Mr.Mathew Sunday Adoli (Togo) •Mr.James Shuaibu Barka (Tunisia) •Mr. Frank Ngozi Isoh (Uganda) •Mr.Ibrahim Auwalu (Ukraine) •Mr.Francis Okeke (Vatican) •Mr. Mathias Ojih Okafor (Vietnam) •Mrs Sifawu Momoh (Zambia)

Presidential Villa, urged them to properly project Nigeria.

He said: “You are posted to your designation to represent the president and not your state or your ethnicity and

project Nigeria as united and indivisible nation. You must encourage Nigerians abroad to have a solid union.”

Continued on Page 57

Tinubu, Fashola, activists, others unite for Abiola Continued from Page 1

19th anniversary of the annulled poll. The event featured a lecture with the theme: Challenges and Prospects of True Federalism, Political Legitimacy and National Security.

The ceremony, which was held at the Lagos Television, Ikeja was attended by prominent Nigerians among whom are ACN National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande, former Governor of Kaduna State Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Lagos State ACN chair Henry Ajomale, founder of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) Chief Frederick Fasehun and traditional rulers.

Tinubu said renaming University of Lagos (UNILAG) Moshood Abiola University, Lagos,was no longer unique, adding that the choice of UNILAG gives an impression that Abiola was a sectional leader.

He said that mandate was a national mandate, and I support the call that since the President has known the result of the annulled election, Abiola should be recognised post-humously as the nation’s second democratically elected president and declare either his birthday or June 12 as a national holiday as it was done for Martin Luther King in the United States. ‘’This is a man who struggled and died for this country. That is the minimum that we will demand from the Federal Government.”

In Tinubu’s view, the country has deviated from practising democracy. “If anybody says that we had democracy in 1999 when we started, I will say ‘yes’. But now we do not have democracy, justice and freedom.

The danger is here.

Continued on Page 3

Otedola tells police how he gave Lawan $620,000 bribe Implement report, sayACN, NLC, activist

Continued from Page 1

between 10am and 11am in Room I.D. 068 on the First Floor of the Force Headquarters. He was in his trade mark white short sleeve shirt and trousers.

Amodu led the team that unearthed the $180million Halliburton scam.

It was gathered that the police treated Otedola with courtesy. They demanded for his account of the bribery allegation. He was said to have tendered the video and audio evidence of the allegation – that Farouk blackmailed him into parting with the cash.

A source said: “The oil magnate walked in quietly this morning to make his statement and we obliged him. He wrote a lengthy statement and insisted that the $3million bribe was demanded from him by Lawan. He told us clearly that he has evidence to back up his allegation.

“He also explained how he gave out $600,000 to the affected member of the House and why he chose to play along.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “For now, we only took Otedola’s statement.

We need to get the statement from the other side(Lawan).

The source expressed regrets that Lawan was yet to respond

T

HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has warned that the allegation of bribery involving the chair of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on fuel subsidy management, Hon. Farouk Lawan, should not be allowed to scuttle the implementation of the committee’s report.

In a statement in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity, Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party expressed deep concern at the timing of the allegation to coincide with the period that Nigerians expect the government to be dealing with the issues raised in the report.

The ACN said Nigerians generally believe, going by published reactions to the report, that the committee carried out a thorough job in exposing the massive mismanagement and the sleaze involved in the fuel subsidy issue. ‘’Therefore, the allegation of bribery making the rounds should not be used as a reason not to allow all those indicted by the report to have their day in court,’’ ACN said.

The party said while the bribery alleto the invitation extended to him by the STF since June 4.

The source said the last communication with Lawan was on Monday when a Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the National Assembly was asked to get in touch with him.

gation must be thoroughly investigated and anyone found culpable dealt with according to the laws, any attempt to cast aspersion on the report, to say it has been tainted by the bribery allegation, should be resisted by the House of Representatives. ‘’We are concerned that this case is eerily similar to what happened after the House’s probe into the $16 billion reportedly spent in the power sector during the Obasanjo regime.

Instead of implementing the report of the committee, the man who presided over the probe was slammed with corruption charges. Till today, that report was never implemented and Nigeria remains in darkness.’’

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Rights activist Shehu Sani also said the bribery allegation should not be an excuse for government not to implement the report of the subsidy probe.

The NLC in a statement by its acting President Kiri Mohammed said: “For us, we believe that Nigerians should not be overburdened with an

The source added: “We asked Lawan to appear before our team of investigators on June 7 but he has not honoured our invitation. We are following the due process.

“We have reached out to the leadership of the House of Representatives to prevail on

issue that should strictly be the burden of appropriate security agencies, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC).

“Whether or not the Chairman or the entire members of the ad hoc committee solicited for and received gratifications to compromise the outcome of the committee’s investigations though quite disturbing, the final report of the committee still contains names and details enough for thorough and transparent investigation. The report, which has been submitted to the executive arm, must be subjected to proper investigation and prosecution of all those indicted.

“We saw in the report a confirmation of our position. We have, since the mid eighties, insisted that subsidy do not exist in the petroleum sector, rather it has always been a conduit for a few cronies of successive governments with interest in the petroleum sector to siphon public funds for their private businesses.

“For us, we believe criminal matters

Lawan to respect the Police.

“We will, however, give him up till Thursday to come for interaction with the STF or we will apply the law. Do not forget that we can either declare him wanted or secure a bench warrant from a court for his arrest.

Continued on Page 57

On further enquiries, the source said: “Otedola came to the Force Headquarters voluntarily. He said he felt as a responsible citizen, he should come and throw more light on his allegation against Lawan which is in the public domain.

“I can tell you that he gave

us much information with many bends for our investigation. But, apart from the statement, we did not retrieve anything (either video or audio tape) from him.

“We are going to do a thorough job. We want to hear from all the parties before we begin to collect documents or evidence.

Pressed to explain if Otedola was released on bail, he added: “We are not treating anybody as a suspect, so there is no need for bail at all.”

“You can see that we released Otedola after making his statement. Lawan has nothing to fear.”

Ali’s last correspondence to Lawan on June 4 is titled “Investigation activities: Letter of invitation in a case of criminal conspiracy and attempt to pervert the course of justice by offering gratification.”

The letter reads: “I refer to a letter dated 31st May, 2012 addressed to this office by Hon. Farouk Lawan, the Chairman of House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Monitoring of the Subsidy Regime on the above subject matter (copy attached) and to inform you that the Inspector General of Police has directed a detailed criminal investigation into the matter.

Continued on Page 57

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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NEWS JUNE 12 ANNIVERSARY

Tinubu, Fashola, right activists , others unite for Abiola •Continued from page 2 “We had the rule of law until a few years ago when the National Assembly amended the Constitution and took our rights away through the back door. We were able to retrieve a stolen mandate in Osun, Ekiti and Edo states. But immediately they noticed it, they went ahead to amend the Constitution to limit the right of Nigerians to fair hearing to 180 days.”

He urged Fashola and other lawyers to challenge the amendment in court, adding that allowing the trend to stay will mar future elections and plunge the country’s perceived democracy into total illusion.

“Constitutionally, if only we must amend that, we must have more members to sign on it. The rigging galore is possible now.

Once they announce the result of a fake election, you have no more call. And then they ask you to wait for 180 days. But one way or the other, we will fight for our right.

The trenches are not over. We are back to the trenches, for our liberty and rights in this country”.

Tinubu, who backed Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s position against rigging of the 2015 election, said: ‘’If you take my rights, you are asking me to resort to self-help, and this is dangerous for this country.”

Alhaji Balarabe Musa,who chaired the occasion, noted that since the beginning of the remembrance of the anniversary of the annulment of the elections, the statement of Chief Humphrey Nwosu, the electoral umpire of the

By Miriam Ndikanwu

June 12 elections admitting that MKO Abiola clearly won and the recent move by President Goodluck Jonathan in renaming the University of Lagos after Abiola has justified the continuation of such remembrance.

But the former Kaduna governor said the late Abiola deserved more than getting a university renamed after him . He called on the Federal Government to establish a judicial commission of enquiry to find out the circumstances that led to the annulment of the elections and punish those responsible for it.

“This is the only way we can ensure that this does not happen in the country again. The Federal Government should also establish a national monument to preserve the legacies of the late philanthropist”, Musa said.

Fashola said there is need for Nigerians to have hope and exhibit patriotism towards changing things that presently stand against our collective will.

He said: “I like to remind us that we should tell those who say we cannot stand together, irrespective of our tribe, that they are lying. I like to remind those who say we are so religiously divided that we cannot have a second voice; that on June 12 we stood together; Nigeria resolved to cast their lots behind a team they thought would take them out of poverty. That is what June 12 must mean to us at the time that Abiola decided to claim back his mandate. It was a position that he took against all odds. He did not have an army; yet, he stood up against a military regime, that

•Asiwaju Tinubu (second right), Chief Akande (left), Fashola (second left) and Musa at the ocassion...yesterday PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES

until Nigerians, who voted for him, asked him to step back, he was their President-elect and would continue to fight for their mandate.”

Fashola added that the events of June 12, 1993 elections should “inspire all of us to have courage at the time Abiola stood up to claim his mandate.

“Let me remind us that the few journalists who stood to stand by him were detained. But today, despite our imperfection, we have left that stage. Let me remind us too that at that stage, our laws were full of decrees, that we could not even go to court. But Abiola stood up in those difficult times and we can afford to do no less today. We can afford to be no less patriotic than he was. If must change those things that we do not accept.”

The founder of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Chief Fredrick

Fasheun, suggested that Federal Government’s plan to introduce N2,000 denomination should carry the portrait of late MKO Abiola as well as rename the Abuja National Stadium after him.

He said he was less optimistic of a change in Nigeria, adding that democracy has become a mirage because of the insecurity and lack of social justice in the land.

According to him, this has seen the incessant killings by the radical sect, Boko Haram gain ground daily.

Corroborating him, a rights activist, Comrade Femi Obayori, expressed pessimism about a likely change in the fortunes of the country except a Sovereign National Conference is converged to discuss the way forward.

The guest lecturer Professor Adigun Agbaje said the halting of the democratic processes after June

Aregbesola: Let’s prevail on Jonathan to honour MKO UBLIC lectures were held yesterday in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, to mark the 19th anniversary of the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

The lectures were organised by the state government and three pro-democracy and human rights groups.

Guest Speaker at the state government-sponsored lecture entitled: “Regionalism and Federalism: Panacea to Nigeria’s Underdevelopment”, Mr. Ayo Opadokun, said the truth is that the colonial and successive military rulers violated the cardinal rules meant to ensure a balanced federation.

He said the cardinal principle of federalism is that a federation must be predicated on the result of negotiations and compromises among the federating units.

Opadokun said before the military struck on January 15, 1966, each of the country’s four regions operated its own constitution, adding that each region also had its own diplomatic office in London and other strategic headquarters of the world.

Also at the lecture organised by the state chapter of the Civil Societies Coalition (CISCO), Lagos lawyer Femi Falana declared as illegal, all the Federal Council meetings conducted by past military rulers.

In his lecture entitled: “June 12: Democracy and Development”, the activist-lawyer said only the past and present civilian presidents, including Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo are qualified to sit at the meeting.

He urged Governor Rauf Aregbesola, not to hesitate in probing any past leader in the state, including his

P

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

immediate predecessor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, known with evidence to have plundered the state.

Aregbesola’s Chief of Staff, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, said the essence of organising the annual public lecture on June 12 is to enlighten the people on their civic duties and rights as well as inform them on the state of the nation.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Environmental Matters, Bola Ilori, said the fight for recognition of June 12 as Democracy Day is not based on narrow interest.

He said: “The late MKO Abiola, though was a Yoruba man, we are supporting him and fighting his cause to let the government know that it is an injustice to deny him his deserved position in the history of this country. He won the 1993 presidential election but was denied the rights to assume office as president.”

Aregbesola, who made brief appearance at the venues of the three lectures, urged eminent Nigerians to join the clarion call on the Federal Government to declare June 12 as MKO Abiola Day in honour of the winner of the 1993 presidential election.

The governor said the late business mogul won a pan-Nigerian mandate in an election acclaimed globally as the freest and fairest but annulled by the military administration of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).

Aregbesola said his administration has declared the day as MKO Abiola Day, promising that a Bill will soon be sent to the Assembly to back the declaration with the force of law.

The governor said declaring the day as MKO Abiola Day would amount to a nominal gift in hon-

our of a man who offered his money, name and subsequently paid the supreme price so that we could have the democracy now being enjoyed.

According to him, it took America close to 50 years before the black nationalist and human rights crusader, Martin Luther King, was recognised and a day declared in his honour throughout America.

The governor said: “For this country to be on the right track, certain things must be corrected. June 12 is a watershed in the political history of this country.

“That day, all Nigerians spoke with one voice by voting for Abiola as the president of this country. June 12 must be recognised as our Democracy Day and it must be declared Abiola Day all over the country.

“No one can pay the price the late Abiola paid for us to have democracy that we have now. He paid for this democracy with his money, name and life.

“The complete result of that election must be released and Abiola declared as President instead of referring to him as the presumed winner of June 12 presidential election.

“He must be announced as president with his photo hung proudly beside those past leaders of this country. Then, he must be accorded a posthumous presidential honour. Until this is done, the people’s agitation will not stop.

“For us in Osun, June 12 is the fountain head of events that cascaded into democracy for us. We have therefore decided to institutionalise it by declaring it MKO Abiola Day and making it a public holiday every year.

“We are glad that other states in the Southwest have done the same

and we urge all to follow suit. It is the least we can do in the memory of the great man and the historic date.”

Aregbesola also said that the state supports outright the renaming of University of Lagos (UNILAG) as Moshood Abiola University, Lagos.

He urged politicians, human rights activists and students not to revolt against this name change as the late Abiola deserved more than that for having stood and died for the cause of the masses.

Aregbesola said: “I call on those who are protesting against the renaming of UNILAG as Moshood Abiola University, Lagos to have a rethink and support the change because of Abiola.

“We are also relieved that official recognition has come the way of the late Abiola from the present administration, who last month renamed the UNILAG after him. We support this gesture and implore all those protesting to see the positive side of the action.

“However, the expected decision from the Federal Government is recognition of the fact that the late Abiola won the June 12, 1993 presidential election. To that end, he should be recognised as a former president and given all paraphernalia of that office, posthumously.

“The President must go further to recognise Abiola’s victory in that election. That is the only way we can sincerely justify our efforts in building a lasting democracy.”

Aregbesola also called for the harmonisation of the June 12 celebration, saying by holding celebration in many venues simultaneously equates to doing a great disservice to the man being celebrated; thereby watering down the significance of the day.

12 by forces of retrogression signposted the abortion of the promises that the day held for Nigerians and their country.

He listed the erased promises to include a permanent end to unconstitutional rule in all forms and colours; a bitter adjusted and organic federation; emergence and sustenance of a new PanNigerian; patriotic political elite with strategic vision to reconstruct and re-channel Nigeria politics, economy and society to serve the public good rather than private selfish interest of a few.

He, however, noted that there is much reason not to lose hope because events have underscored the possibility that Nigerians are increasingly leaving their leaders behind in their search for meaningful federalism, development, justice, equity, peace and security.

NSCIA demands release of poll results From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

N

INETEEN years after the administration of military President Ibrahim Babangida annulled the results of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) yesterday asked the Federal Government to release the full results.

It also demanded the post-humous declaration of Chief M. K.O. Abiola as the winner of the election.

The NSCIA made the demands in a statement last night by its Secretary-General, Dr. Abdullateef Adegbite.

The statement reads: “June 12 is once more with us .We recall most passionately the glory of that date, June12, 1993. It is lamented however, that the Nigerian Authorities are yet to accord due recognition to the historic day.

“I therefore, humbly urge President Goodluck Jonathan, whose election as President last year was the closest in cleanliness to that of MKO Abiola’s election of June 12 1993, to kill several birds with one stone, by taking the following actions: · Release officially the results of the presidential elections of June 12,1993. · Declare Chief MKO Abiola the winner of the election. · Confer posthumously on MKO Abiola all the honours due to an elected President of Nigeria , including the award of the National Honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR). · Declare June 12 of every year, MKO Abiola Day, which shall be observed as National Holiday, It will replace May 29 as Democracy Day.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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NEWS JUNE 12 ANNIVERSARY

Declare Abiola president,

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YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi yesterday echoed the call on the Federal Government to give official recognition to the late Chief MKO Abiola as a former president.

Besides, Ajimobi urged the authorities to post-humously confer the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election with the highest national honour – the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFR).

The governor, who spoke through a release in Ibadan by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, said the nation should by now have recognised the late business mogul as a sym-

Osun State Rauf Aregbesola being welcomed by Lagos la wyer Mr. Femi Falana to the celebration of June 12,organised by the Osun State Civil Society Coalition at the Royal Spring Hotel, Osogbo...yesterday

bol of democracy and the martyr, who laid down his life for the democracy being enjoyed today.

He said: “To have continued with this perennial silence on the democratic feat that Abiola wrought through his sheer bravery and belief in Nigeria would show to the whole world that we are an ungrateful nation.

“But for Abiola and his bravery in choosing to die, rather than allow his mandate to be exchanged for the biblical mesh of portage, we would perhaps still be in the bondage of military rule and crying out for democratic salvage.”

While commending President Goodluck Jonathan for seeking to name the University of Lagos

Amosun leads pro-democracy •Family decries neglect by Fed Govt

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•Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, his wife, Funsho, Deputy Governor Segun Adesegun (left), Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa and National President, Campaign for Democracy, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin during the Democracy Walk in honour of the late Chief MKO Abiola in Abeokuta...yesterday

OVERNOR Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State yesterday led an array of rights’ activists pro -democracy groups and members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in a road walk on major streets in Abeokuta, the state capital.

The walk was to commemorate the June 12, 1993 presidential election, adjudged as the freest and fairest ever, but annulled by the administration of former military President Ibrahim Babangida.

The presidential candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), the late Chief MKO Abiola, was believed to have won the election.

Amosun led the Democracy Walk, which began at about 7:40am at the June 12 Cultural Centre,

•Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) founder, Dr. Frederick Fasehun (right), Senator Biyi Durojaiye and Comrade Linus Okoroji (right) at an event to mark June 12 anniversary at LTV 8 premises, Lagos...yesterday

Kuto, through the newly built six carriage Ibara/Totoro/Oke Sokori road, terminating at the MKO International Stadium, Kuto.

There was a stop-over at the MKO Abiola’s family house in Gbagura area of Abeokuta.

For about half an hour, the activists joined the Abiola’s kinsmen at the family compound to observe a special Islamic prayer for the continued repose of the soul of the late politician, whom they said, though dead, but lives on in the consciousness of Nigerians and lovers of true democracy, 19 years after the annulment of the presidential election he was believed to have won.

PDP has not allowed democracy

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•Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, his wife, Bisi and others during the Democracy Walk commemorating the 19th anniversary of the June 12, 1993 presidential election in Ado-Ekiti... yesterday

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

KITI State Governor Kayode Fayemi yesterday berated the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP)-controlled Federal Government for not allowing democracy to thrive in the country.

He accused the party of failing to inspire useful changes in the lives of the people since the country returned to democracy in 1999.

The governor, who made the sweeping remarks while giving his Democracy Day talk at Okeyinmi junction in Ado-Ekiti, capital of the state, noted that the opposition of the Federal Government to true federalism has frustrated true democratic gains.

He assured the people that the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) administrations would continue to lead the vanguard for the actualisation of true federalism which he said, remains the best way to achieve the much-needed progress.

Fayemi observed that the people voted on June 12 not only for the late MKO Abiola, but more for the future of their childern, adding that the unrest triggered by the annulment of the election of June 12, 1993, almost led to “the annulment of the Nigerian nation itself” According to him, “the struggle about June 12 is not merely about the celebration of a day but about the pursuit of a conviction and a cause which is generally held as only way to cause meaningful changes in the lives of the people.”

Restating the achievements of his administration in free health programmes, free education up to the final classes in secondary school, monthly payment of N5, 000 stipends to the elderly through the social security team, and other programmes, the governor stated that beneficiaries do not have to be an ACN card-carrier to partake in any of the

Adegbite, Mamora,

T

HE Secretary General of the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Dr Abdulateef Adegbite, yesterday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to declare June 12 a national holiday.

Adegbite spoke while laying wreath at the late Abiola’s graveside to mark the 19th anniversary of the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, won by the publisher of the defunct Concord.

Other prominent Nigerians who urged the president to make June 12 a national holiday are: , Lagos Assembly Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Senator Olorunibe Mamowora, Chief Supo Sonibare, Alhaja Ganiyat Fawehinmi, Chief John Nwodo, Prof. Ropo Sekoni, Mr. Mohammed Fawehinmi, Prof Niyi Onasanya, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, Mr. Tony Uranta, Mr. From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

programmes.

His words: “You do not have to be an ACN candidate to be a benefiaciary of the free health programme; or of the free education programme our programmes are for all residents within the state.”

Urging the Federal Government to move beyond the superficial renaming of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) after Abiola to a more ennobling and enduring recognition, Fayemi described the late Abiola as the sacrificial lamb of 1993 that watered the way for the emergence of 1999 democratic dispensation.

“It was the struggle faced by Ni-

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

5

NEWS JUNE 12 ANNIVERSARY

Ajimobi urges Fed Govt (UNILAG) after the late politician, Ajimobi said that naming a school after “this icon of democracy” was too much of a token when placed side by side the battle the late Abiola fought to have democracy enthrenched.

Ajimobi said the advantages of recognising the late Abiola as a former president, posthumously, far outweighed its disadvantages.

The governor said: “Many of our children, born post-June 12, 1993, today do not know whom MKO Abiola was. Such a recognition of the man would, first, show us as a grateful nation, grateful to a man who paid the supreme sacrifice for our today; second, it will naturally bring out more patriotic Nigerians

out of our people and third, it would write the name of the present government in gold in the annals of governance in Nigeria.”

Taking into consideration it constitutional limitations, the Ajimobi administration has decided to make June 12, rather than May 29 as Democracy Day for his state, because, according to him, ‘no sacrifice is too much for the living to pay for a man who paid the supreme sacrifice for us to live’”.

Buttressing his definition of the annulled election as a watershed in Nigeria’s history, Ajimobi said the country had, for 19 years, salivated for another free and fair election.

groups’ road walk for MKO Addressing the people, Amosun described the late Abiola as a “strongman, a nationalist and a representative of all Africans in the universe.”

The governor noted that the reason behind the public holiday declared yesterday and the attendant celebration is to re-awaken to the consciousness of Nigerians and future generations to the import of the struggle for democracy which the late politician courageously fought and died for .

“Abiola is not about one political party, he is a nationalist. He represented the good people of Nigeria, let us know that truly he still exist,” Amosun said.

He said the benefits of the late Abiola’s role in the nation’s march to democracy cannot be quantified and advised that a day should be set aside in his memory in recog-

nition of his heroic struggle and death.

Speaking on behalf of the family, the head of the family, Alhaji Bashiru Abiola, lamented that despite the acknowledgement of the late Abiola’s electoral victory in 1993, the Federal Government neglected the family.

Bashiru urged the Federal Government to declare Abiola as a former President since it has been acknowledged that he was the winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election.

According to him, MKO Abiola should be immortalised the proper way.

“We want the Federal Government to realise that this man won the election and he should be declared as a former presidential of this country. This is what we are looking for,” he said.

•From left: Lagos State Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs. Oluranti Adebule, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Chairman in Lagos State, Chief Henry Ajomale, ACN National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Deputy Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Kolawole Taiwo at an event to mark the 19th anniversary of June at LTV 8, Lagos...yesterday PHOTO: MOSES OMOSEHIN

•Prof. Adigun Agbaje...yesterday

From left: Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Najeem Salami and Chief Ayo Opadokun at a lecture in commemoration of June 12 held at Local Government Service Commission, Osogbo...yesterday

to work in Nigeria, says Fayemi Ikuforiji seek June 12 as national holiday Segun Aka-Bashorun, Mr. Lucky Akabueze, Joseph Evah, Mr. Wale Okuniyi and Mumuni Abiola Adegbite said: “I, therefore, humbly urge President Goodluck Jonathan whose election as president last year was the closest in cleanliness to that of M.K.O Abiola’s election of June 12, 1993 to declare a national holiday in his honour.”

He maintained that the conferment of posthumous presidential status on the late business mogul would impact on the democratic process and raise the stake for the country internationally.

Adegbite added: “Declare June 12 of every year M.K.O Abiola Day which will be observed as national holiday. It will replace May 29 as the Democracy Day. This gesture will compare to that extended to

Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr in the United States of America.”

Ikuforiji said Abiola signified unity, because Nigerians, irrespective of religion, ethnic background, voted for him in the freest and fairest election ever held in the country.

He said: “Abiola paid the supreme price for Nigeria’s unity and democracy. Did Abiola die so that we can have the type of government we have in Nigeria today? We know very well why Abiola presented himself to be our president. He did so for the poor masses of this country but we have far less than what he had bargained for the people.”

“I call on the Federal Government; particularly the National Assembly to set aside a National Holiday in honour of the late Abiola as it was done for Martin Luther King Jnr.”

gerians between ’93 and ’98 that culminated in the exit of the military on May 29, 1993,” he said.

The governor urged Nigerians to rededicate themselves to ensure continued survival of democracy, saying “the fact that we can gather here today without the military coming to mow us down or the police coming to intimidate us is a product of that struggle.”

He said: “We must not play any game with the freedom that we have today. That freedom may not be tangible; it may not be immediate food on our tables; it may not be all that we all want, but we are beginning to see the result of that freedom.”

Fayemi urged the Federal Government to hang the portrait of the late Abiola at the President’s Office, State

House, Abuja.

Meanwhile, the capital city stood still for almost three hours yesterday as the governor, accompanied by his wife, Bisi, and members of the state executive council, joined by, thousands enthusiastic citizens, embarked on a democracy walk.

It was to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the annulment of Nigeria’s freest and fairest ever presidential election by the military administration of former President Ibrahim Babangida.

As early as 7.30am, the governor, spotting in a branded T-Shirt and a cap, led thousands of pro-democracy activists for the Walk that took off from Fajuyi Park through the streets to Okeyinmi junction where the governor addressed the crowd.

By Musa Odoshimokhe

• Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly Adeyemi Ikuforiji (middle) being assisted by son of the late Chief MKO Abiola, Mumuni, and Wale Okunniyi to lay a wreath at Abiola’s gravesite...yesterday PHOTO: RAHMAN SANUSI

• From left: Dr. Lateef Adegbite, Mrs. Ganiyat Fawehimi, Vice-chairman, Mosan-Okunola Local Council Development Authority, Princess Opeyemi Akindele, her Ikosi-Isheri counterpart, Princess Abolanle Bada Onikosi and Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora at the late Chief Abiola’s Ikeja home ...yesterday PHOTO: RAHMAN SANUSI

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

6

NEWS THE DANA AIR PLANE CRASH

Orphans’, widows’ tears may never dry Former BBC Correspondent in Lagos SOLA ODUNFA looks at how the loss of 153 lives in the Dana Air crash in Lagos sparked an outpouring of mourning and grief.

N •President Goodluck Jonathan presenting a letter of credence to Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu at the Banquet Hall PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN of the Presidential Villa, Abuja... yesterday. Mrs. Ojukwu is posted to Spain.

•Vice-President Namadi Sambo (left), discussing with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar and Air Commodore Atiku Jalingo during the inauguration of the Inter-agency Maritime Operation Coordination Committee at the Presidential Villa, Abuja ...yesterday

•Anambra State Governor Peter Obi (second right), President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote (left) , Chairman, Zenon Oil Femi Otedola (second left) and Minister of Works Mike Onolememe discussing at a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja ...yesterday

O one in Nigeria was prepared for the horrific tragedy which occurred near Lagos on the 3 June.

It has been a long, long time since the entire nation was so thrown into genuine grief by a single incident.

From the south to the north, east to west, sorrow engulfed the country as if each household nationwide was mourning a private loss.

This is the quality of our common humanity.

I decided to spend that Sunday as quietly as possible, alone, watching television comedy and amusing myself with suitable entrees on Facebook.

All was well until late in the afternoon when the BBC correspondent Will Ross came in clutching his laptop as usual.

In his relatively short time in Nigeria, Will seems to have dropped the British impersonal “hello” and has instead imbibed the Nigerian tradition of greeting people heartily.

He said the proper “Good afternoon, Sola” but hurried into his office.

I responded appropriately and followed him into his office to at least find out more about the big story that was chasing him on this happy day.

Will looked grey and could not talk as he set up his laptop.

He flapped his arms momentarily and dropped them.

“A plane crash.”

I got the message.

“Where?” I shouted.

“Lagos.”

I noticed that his eyes were red.

I ran out to the outer office and tuned the TV to a domestic news station.

Who would not shed tears at the news that a party of 10 girls from Lagos, who were radiant bridesmaids at a society wedding in Abuja the previous day, all died in the crash?”

The tragic news was streaming at the bottom of the screen.

I became agitated and without thinking, I started working the epileptic phone, seeking information from officials, colleagues and friends with appropriate connections.

The Dana airplane, which took off with 153 passengers, including 12 children from Abuja, crashed into a street in the densely populated Iju town just outside Lagos.

Watched by scores of horrified residents in their houses and on the streets, the screams of trapped passengers, their unspeakable terror in the burning fuselage.

One’s imagination had no limits.

Gaping spectators

•The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive, Notore Chemical Industries Limited, Mr Onajite Okoloko (left) and Ambassador of Netherlands to Nigeria/Permanent Representative to ECOWAS Mr Bert Ronhaar at the “Enhancing agriculture value chain for economic prosperity summit” held at Eko Hotel, Lagos .

As expected, thousands of residents and their Sunday visitors rushed to the scene.

They got there alright, but all they could do was gape at the horror before them and wail.

They were not medics, they were not trained rescuers, they were merely there to satisfy their curiosity.

Their best response was to throw water in buckets and plastic sachets at the periphery of the fire.

Indeed, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

The huge crowds were officially, at best, a nuisance - for when the search and rescue teams arrived, all

‘

In the Ikeja capital of Lagos State, a cake ordered by the children for their father’s birthday is sitting on the dining table at their residence.

Their father and mother died in the Sunday crash, 48 hours to his birthday. How many orphans and widows did the crash create?

Their own tears may never dry

‘

the access roads to the area were blocked by rock-solid human walls.

The officials were incapacitated for hours during which the inferno played itself out over its 153 human victims.

The area was secured the following morning for the rescuers to work seriously but by then there was no-one to be rescued.

By Monday morning, internet social media sites and cell phones were filled with mourning texts by friends of the victims.

The victims were listed with their full descriptions.

No accident in Nigerian history has ever been given such coverage by citizens.

Lost promise Most of the victims were young upwardly mobile persons, they were well educated, they were in jobs which gave them social exposure.

They were lively, they were symbols of the new generation of Nigerians in the professions.

I did not know anyone of them personally but who would not shed tears at the news that a party of 10 girls from Lagos, who were radiant bridesmaids at a society wedding in Abuja the previous day, all died in the crash.

Who would shrug off news of the gruesome death of a young family of six on the same flight?

And in Lagos, a woman who has completed all arrangements for her daughter’s wedding in September is asking sympathisers to her residence: Who will wear her wedding gown now?

And in the Ikeja capital of Lagos State, a cake ordered by the children for their father’s birthday is sitting on the dining table at their residence.

Their father and mother died in the Sunday crash, 48 hours to his birthday.

How many orphans and widows did the crash create?

Their own tears may never dry.

•Culled from www.bbccom

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

7

NEWS THE DANA AIR PLANE CRASH

Two families fight over corpse at LASUTH mortuary •Relative attacks officials with cutlass

T

WO families yesterday clashed over a body pre-

sumed to be theirs among those of the victims of the ill-fated Dana Air plane crash deposited at the Lekan Ogunsole Mortuary, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.

The family of the late Mr. Jones Ifekanwa, who died in the crash, was told that another family who refused to disclose their identity to reporters, have also identified the body as theirs.

A forensic expert and Chief Medical Examiner, Lagos State, Prof.

John Obafunwa, invited the Ifekanwa family to identify his body, which they did but with some difficulties. This, the family confirmed, was unlike last week when they were able to identify at first sight.

The second family, it was gathered, picked the same body.

As a result of the inability of the two to clearly identify the body, Obafunwa was forced to stop both families from taking it. He advised them to wait for the DNA result that will be available in about 4 weeks.

Enraged, the two families engaged themselves in a verbal war that could have resulted in a brawl but for the timely intervention of security men at the mortuary.

It was gathered that while the Ifekanwas appeared sure of the body they identified as their late brother’s, the contending family

Agbakoba to institute class action against DANA

F

ORMER President of the Nigeria Bar Assosciation (NBA) Mr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) yesterday announced plans to institute class action on behalf of victims of the DANA Air plane crash against the airline.

In a statement in Lagos, Agbakoba stated that his chambers, Olisa Agbakiba and Associates has been consulted by some victims to represent them in enforcement of their rights and claims emanating from the crash.

He said: “A data base of all persons affected in whatsoever manner by the air accident is being compiled to present a comprehensive claim. “ This is a complementary public interest litigation and advocacy initiative by the Firm to support those who have suffered varying degree of losses. The suit will be commenced soon’’ he stated.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in response to the crash of Dana Air flight 992, which killed 153 people on board and more on the ground, the

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha and Wale Adepoju

told Obafunwa they were not sure that the body was actually theirs.

The Ifekanwa family, however, complained of the deplorable state of their alleged brother’s body.

They said it was getting worse with time.

Mrs. Jennifer Enanana, elder sister of the late Ifekawa, said: “I am testifying just for my brother, Mr Jones Ifekawa. He was identified at the crash site. He wasn’t burnt.

He had his identity card with him and some other documents in his pockets. With that, they identified him.

“When we were there last Tuesday, it did not take them up to five minutes to get him to us. They even told us that we were very lucky.

So, they wrote his name on the

Nigerian government has assembled a nine-person panel to investigate the technical, legal and financial operations of the country’s aviation industry.

Agbakoba and his Patner, Mrs Bisi Akodu have written to the Chief Coroner, Ikeja Division, Lagos state, requesting that an inquest be convoked as required by the Coroners law of Lagos State.

According to him, the names of the deceased persons as contained in the flight manifest were also attached in the letter to the Chief Coroner.

“The crash caused collateral damage resulting in fatalities in residential accommodation located at IjuIshaga.

“Pursuant to s. 15 (1) of the Coroners System Law 2007 of Lagos state which provides thus: The Coroner shall hold an inquest whenever he is informed that the death of a deceased person lying within his Coroners District was a result of death in a violent, unnatural or suspicious situation” he further stated.

body bag he was in. When we went in there, we identified his clothes and birth marks on him and everything was okay.

“They told us that within 48 hours he will be released. But that was not to be because they said they wanted to do DNA. “So, on Saturday, we went back to check if he was properly taken care of, we found out that he was getting worse. His face was peeling off; he was deteriorating and I showed my grievances and I said to them that’ I don’t like this’ and asked them when they were going to release his body to us.

“Luckily enough, Fashola said we should meet him on Sunday, which most of us did. The place was packed full with people. It was agreed there that all identified bodies should be released.

Can you imagine as at Friday last

week they had released six bodies without us knowing? Meanwhile they were claiming that they needed DNA to release bodies but they were releasing bodies without people knowing. Six bodies have gone out. It was yesterday that we got to know about it.

“So, this morning, my family and I came to claim the body of our relation that has been identified by them and confirmed by us to be him, only for us to get there and be told we can’t have him again. Prof. Obafunwa took us in again, traumatising my family to re identify the body that had already been identified by them and confirmed and identified by us.

“They took us in and they wrapped him up as if it was a gift pack showing just his face, not his ears, not his head and wrapped

him up; can you imagine? And we were telling them that this is our brother whom we have identified.

“He has a mark on his lips and on his forehead somehow; it is just a unique feature of him and all that. Surprisingly, another family went inside and identified the same Jones’s body.

“A body that has been identified by them and confirmed by us twice. They took another family to go and identify the body. The family was already devastated and the girl came out. Because she wasn’t sure of the body, she asked him to bring out his hands because their own person has a mark on his hands. The professor refused.

“The professor came out to tell us that there was a problem on our own body, that there is a contention on the body. He said because of this he will not release the body.

“That means they did not store the bodies properly; that means there is something fishy going on.”

In another development at the mortuary yesterday, an angry relative of one of the deceased attacked LASUTH officials with a cutlass but the assault was interrupted by a special squad of the Rapid Respond Squad.

The angry relative shouted: “You people can eat my brother’s body, if you want, since you don’t want to release him to us.”

The police has stationed a special squad to provide security at the mortuary because of rising tempers.

Two more bodies were claimed yesterday by two families, bringing the number of claimed bodies to eight.

Falana: victims’ families deserve more than $100,000

L

AGOS lawyer Mr. Femi Falana yesterday said families of the victims of the Dana Air plane crash deserve compensation in excess of $100,000.

Falana, in a statement, said Dana’s management would be unfair to pay only $100,000 to each family.

The statement reads: “Last week, the Management of Dana Airline announced that compensation of $100,000 would be paid to the dependants of each of the passengers killed in the tragic crash which occured in Lagos on Sunday, June 3, 2012 in accordance with the provisions of the law. Since the statement does not represent the correct state of the law it is pertinent to state as follows: “The said sum of $100,000 is the first tier payment otherwise known as Special Drawing Right under Article 17 of the Montreal Convention. It is not an extra payment but a strict liability amount payable under the Convention which has been domesticated in Nigeria.

“The dependants of the deceased are also entitled to special and general damages, which may not be less than N100 million per passenger depending on the responsibilities borne by each of them in their lifetime. Such amount of money for loss of expectation of life is payable by Dana Air for gross negligence arising from the plane with defective dual engines and the Federal Government for failure to enforce the relevant regulations, failure to provide emergency landing for the plane and the inexplicable delay in providing the fire service equipment and medical services and other acts of gross negligence which led to the avoidable death

•A group of Chinese men at LASUTH to claim a crash victim’s body... yesterday

of the passengers and the crew.

“The dependants of the members of the public who were killed at the site of the crash are equally entitled to a greater amount of compensatory damages because the deprivation of the fundamental right to life of such persons is illegal and unconstitutional.

“The owners and tenants of the houses that were burnt or touched by the fire that gutted the aircraft are entitled to have them rebuilt or replaced by Dana Air and the Federal Government. I have confirmed that the provision of

dehumanising accommodation for them in dormitories at a refugee camp at Agege in the outskirts of Lagos has increased the mental and psychological trauma unleashed on such innocent victims. If the accident had occured in Ikoyi or Victoria Island would the Lagos State Government have taken the victims to a refugee camp at Agege?

As the occupants are entitled to have their houses rebuilt they should not be kept in transit camps but in hotels or decent houses whose expenses should be borne

by Dana Air and the Federal Gov-

ernment. In other countries passengers whose flights are cancelled are always lodged in hotels by defaulting airlines. Why then should the occupants of the houses destroyed by the Dana inferno be turned to beggars or refugees as a result of the avoidable tragedy?

“In view of the foregoing, the Federal Government and the Management of Dana Airline should embark on the payment of just and fair compensation to the dependants of the passengers and crew in the aircraft, the members of the public who were killed as

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE

well as the people displaced as a result of the crash. Having requested the Lagos State Chief Coroner to set up an inquest into the tragic crash we shall press for payment of adequate reparation to all the families of the crash victims by the Federal Government and Dana Airline. Just recently the Coroner directed the Dangote Sugar Company to pay compensation to the dependants of those who were killed in the ghastly motor accident caused by the driver of one of its tankers on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on August 16, 2010.”

‘

8

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

THE NATION WEDNEDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

9

NEWS

Why ACN wants to govern Ondo,

by Aregbesola O SUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola yesterday said the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) wants to govern Ondo State in order to foster unity in the Southwest and protect the interest of the Yoruba race.

He said the late Chiefs Adekunle Ajasin; Obafemi Awolowo; Abraham Adesanya; and other frontline progressives were able to develop the Southwest because they formed a common political platform.

Aregbesola spoke at IleOluji, Ondo State, while receiving some Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, who defected to ACN. He said it is high time the Yoruba people united and spoke with one voice in the interest of future generations.

Aregbesola, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on General Duties, Mr. Manase Ehile, said the ACN is ready to take over Ondo State through genuine

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

democratic practices.

Expressing delight that politicians of high repute were defecting to the ACN, he said their political experiences would brighten the party's chances in the October 20 governorship election.

Aregbesola urged residents to vote for ACN in the election and ensure that desperate politicians do not force them to vote against their wishes.

He was positive that ACN would win the election by a wide margin, which he said would make it difficult for any party to challenge the result.

Aregbesola said: “For a nation to progress, the people must be united and speak with one voice. We are, therefore, urging you to be determined and speak with one voice.

“Give your votes to the ACN candidate because your

‘Give your votes to the ACN candidate because your vote is your power and your power is the victory of our party’ vote is your power and your power is the victory of our party.”

ACN chairman in Ondo South Senatorial District, Mr. Wale Akintimehin, urged the defectors to be proactive.

He told them to return to their wards and work for the success of the party.

Akintimehin said the battle to wrest power from the

Governor Olusegun Mimiko administration is a task that requires the collective effort of all members.

He urged the defectors to abide by the rules and regulations of the party.

The spokesman of the defectors and Coordinator of Igbaotun Peoples Congress (IPC), Mr. Bajewolu Julius, said they joined the ACN because of Chief Adewale Omojuwa, who they described as a good leader.

Over 4,000 people, including traders, former councilors, council supervisors and youth groups were received into the ACN. Many chieftains of the party from within and outside the state were at the event.

They included the party's State Chairman, Mr. Noah Adesoji; former Minister of Defence and governorship aspirant Dr. Olu Agunloye, and former Chairman of the State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) Chief Adewale Omojuwa.

Youths back Boroffice for governor

T

HREE thousand members of a group, the National Solidarity Youth Alliance (NSYA), in Ondo State yesterday backed the governorship aspiration of Senator Ajayi Boroffice.

Boroffice is seeking the governorship ticket of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Members of the group, led by the Chairman, Mr. Adewumi Olufemi (a.k.a Ayerounfe), and Women Leader Mrs. Abimbola Temikotan said Boroffice is the best candidate for the job.

Speaking at Boroffice’s campaign headquarters in Akure, the state capital, Olufemi said: “We have been conversant with Boroffice’s activities before he was appointed the Asiwaju of Akokoland. He is a credible

Oyo to prosecute sacked workers From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

T

HE Oyo State Government will prosecute the 3,000 workers that were sacked last Sunday for alleged certificate and age forgery, it was learnt yesterday.

A government source told The Nation that they would be charged to court and anyone found guilty would be made to refund the salaries he/she has received from the government.

Our source, who pleaded for anonymity, said the government was compiling the list of those to be prosecuted.

The official said: “This government is bent on instilling discipline and it has indicated that the culprits will not go free.”

The governor’s media aide, Dr. Festus Adedayo, did not confirm the development, but said he was aware that the list of the affected persons had been compiled.

He said: “I cannot say whether the government will institute criminal proceedings against them or retrieve salaries illegally collected by them.”

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

personality.

“Our group of over 3,000 members comprises various professionals, including Timber Sellers Association, market women, artisans, road transporters, motorcyclists and others, and we have resolved to support Boroffice.

“We need to follow some-

body, who can deliver us from the slavery we are witnessing now in the state.

Boroffice is a man of God, who has dedicated his life to the betterment of humanity.”

He said the group, which cut across many states, would work from house-tohouse to ensure Boroffice’s victory.

The group was received by

the Director of Strategy, Borrofice Campaign Organisation, Mr. Henry Akinriboye; Director of Mobilisation Jimmy Adekanle and State Liaison Officer Olusola Aturu, among others.

Akinriboye thanked the group for believing in the senator and assured them that Boroffice would not let them down, if he is elected.

Ondo ACN aspirant donates relief materials to rainstorm, fire victims

G

OVERNORSHIP aspirant of the Action Congress of Ni-

geria (ACN) in Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Abraham, yesterday donated relief materials and cash to over 25 residents of Akure South and North local government areas, who lost their homes to rainstorm and fire.

Abraham said it was his way of celebrating the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the late Chief MKO Abiola.

Each of the victims was given N20,000 and five bundles of roofing sheets at Abraham’s Campaign Office in Akure, the state capital.

The aspirant, who was represented by the State Coordinator of his campaign team, Dr. Aidi Abass, said the gesture was to relieve the suffering of the victims.

Abass said: “Abraham is giving out these relief ma-

From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

terials to celebrate the late Abiola. Though it is painful that you are victims of tragic incidents, we are here to wipe your tears away.

“Dr. Abraham is already showing you the type of leader he would be, if he becomes governor.”

One of the victims, Mrs. Ronke Sefunmi, whose home in Gloryland community, Akure North, was destroyed by a rainstorm thanked Abraham and urged Nigerians to emulate him.

She said ACN aspirants have proved that the party is truly progressive.

Mrs. Abiola Adesanmi, whose apartment at Arikawe Street, Akure South, was razed last Sunday, said: “We lost drugs worth N3 million and recharge cards worth N500,000 to the fire, but we are happy for the relief ma-

•Abraham

terials given to us by the ACN aspirant. At least, they will help us relocate to another apartment.”

The aspirant, through the Abraham Foundation, has been giving scholarships to indigent students in the last 10 years.

Ekiti promotes 16,000 workers VER 1600 workers have been promoted by the Ekiti State Government in the last one year.

Chairman of the State Civil Service Commission Alhaji Afolabi Ogunlayi made this known yesterday at a forum in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

Describing the Governor Kayode Fayemi administration as “workerfriendly”, Ogunlayi said that the Civil Service Commission, under his leadership, has cleared arrears of the 2009 and 2010 promotion inherited from

O

By Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

the immediate-past administration He said Fayemi has directed that workers be promoted as at when due.

Ogunlayi said the era of notional promotions is over and urged workers to be productive.

He advised them to get copies of the Financial Regulations, Civil Service Rules and other relevant documents that will enable them understand the running of the Civil Service better.

Ogunlayi urged civil servants to always fill their Annual Performance Evaluation Returns (APER) forms to facilitate their promotion.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

10

NEWS

• Front: Asiwaju Tinubu (second left); Oba Akiolu (third left); Chief Akande (second right); Chief Ajomale (left) and Chief Olusi. Back: Senator Tinubu (middle); Mrs Orelope-Adefulire (third right); Mrs Fashola (third left); former Deputy Governor Mrs Adebisi Sosan (left); Mrs Ajomale (second left); Mrs Adebule (second right) and Mrs Adeyinka...yesterday

•Chief Akande opening the office in Yaba, Lagos Mainland. With him are: Senator Tinubu (second right); Mrs Orelope-Adefulire (right) and Mrs Fashola...yesterday. PHOTOS: NIYI ADENIRAN

Senator Tinubu renders account in Lagos Central

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MID fanfare, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande yesterday inaugurated the Lagos Central Constituency Office of Senator Oluremi Tinubu in Yaba, Lagos Mainland.

The ceremony, which preceded the senator’s third Town Hall meeting at Rock View Hotel, Apapa, was part of her first year anniversary programmes.

Senator Tinubu is representing Lagos Central District, which has 13 local government areas and local council development areas (LCDAs).

Six hundred and twenty four students received N10,000 bursary each from the senator under her Post-Primary School Scholarship Scheme (PPSSS) to defray the cost of textbooks.

•624 students get bursary at third Town Hall meeting

By Emmanuel Oladesu Deputy Political Editor

The gesture was applauded

by ACN leaders in the district.

Twenty thousand naira each was given to 624 traders under the senator’s Petty Traders Empowerment Capital Scheme (PETECS).

While disbursing the cash, the senator urged the youths to work hard to succeed in life.

Statesmen, foremost politicians, monarchs, religious leaders and numerous admirers defied the downpour to attend the event, which started at 10.30am with an opening prayer by Pastor J. F. Odesola of the Redeemed Christian Church of

God (RCCG).

At the historic ceremony were top party and community leaders, including ACN National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; her predecessor, Princess Sarah Adebisi Sosan; Lagos monarch, Oba Rilwan Akiolu; Lagos Central ACN Leader, Prince Tajudeen Olusi; wife of Lagos State governor, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola; ACN state chairman, Otunba Oladele Ajomale; Mainland ACN Leader, Olawale Oshun and former Finance Commissioner, Mr. Olawale Edun.

Others include: former Min-

ister of State for Defence, Chief Ademola Seriki; Commissioner for Education, Mrs Funmilayo Oladunjoye; Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs.Oluranti Adegbule; Kosofe ACN Leader, Alhaji Abiodun Sunmola; Works Commissioner, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Assembly, Mrs. Lola Akande; Otunba Tayo Oyemade, Alhaji Moshood Tijani, Mrs. Abba Folawiyo, Mrs. Bintu Tinubu, Alhaji Mutiu Are, Mrs. Yetunde Arobieke.

Also there were: Chairman of Yaba Council, Jide Jimoh; his Apapa and Surulere counterparts, Mr. Ayodeji Joseph and Mrs. Akinyemi Obe; Prince Rotimi Agunsoye, Mrs. Folake Vaughn; former Deputy Speaker Mrs. Toun Adediran; Alhaji Yakubu Balogun; Local Government and Chieftaincy Commissioner Ademorin Kuye; Home Affairs Commissioner Oyinlomo Danmole, Mufutau Egberounmu, and Lagos white cap chiefs.

Akande noted that the constituency office, which Senator Tinubu christens ‘Rehoboth House’, will serve as a meeting point for her and her constituents to examine ideas, articulate senatorial interests and collate constructive suggestions for her legislative duty.

The former Osun State governor said Mrs. Tinubu is a good wife, a devoted mother and a First Lady before she became a senator.

He added that she is a woman of impressive capability.

Akande said: “Senator Oluremi Tinubu is a generous person and very accommodating. She has been involved in mobilisation efforts as a first lady and her New Era Foundation, which produced one-day governors in Lagos, expresses her care for the welfare of youths.”

He emphasised the importance of the parliament in democracy, saying the setting up of the constituency office is in tune with modern practice of establishing a link between the legislator and constituents.

Mrs. Fashola, who was the Mother of the Day, hailed Mrs. Tinubu for her activities at the National Assembly and her poverty alleviation programmes in Lagos Central District.

She said: “Mrs. Tinubu has been a good senator to emulate. She has given scholarships to many youths and she has been holding Town Hall meet-

ings regularly in her district. I urge the constituents to lodge their complaints and make good suggestions in aid of her legislative activities through this constituency office.”

Olusi, a member of the House of Representatives in the defunct Second Republic, noted that Mrs. Tinubu has justified the confidence reposed in her as a politician and senator.

He said she has not let the people of Lagos Central District down.

Senator Tinubu thanked God, party leaders and constituents who gave her the mandate a year ago.

To Akande, who she said had steered the party in an exemplary way, she said: “By the grace of God, we will berth on the shores of that great harbour in 2015.”

The senator told her constituents that the inauguration marked the fulfillment of one of her responsibilities as a senator representing the district.

She said: “We are open to you five days in a week; Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 5pm. I will personally be attending to some requests every two weeks on Fridays, between 10am and 2pm.”

Mrs Tinubu said she was motivated to inaugurate the office on “June 12 Day”.

According to her, the day reminds ACN members of the price paid for the restoration of civil rule 13 years ago.

Senator Tinubu added: “Our struggles and commitment hold true to the saying by Thomas Paine that ‘if there must be trouble, let it be in my day that my child may have peace’. June 12, 1993 was a day that those of us who experienced it would never forget. Our nation rose as one to speak with one voice through an election adjudged as the freest and fairest ever in Nigeria’s political history.

Sadly, the result was annulled by military fiat on June 26, 1993, bringing the entire nation to a standstill.”

She noted that despite its inherent weaknesses, democracy has remained the best framework for representative and accountable government. The lawmaker urged Nigerians to rededicate themselves to the protection of popular rule.

Mrs Tinubu added: “On my part, I will continue with my relentless pursuit of those policies on education, gender rights and social security for the aged and free and fair elections that will be of benefit to the great number of the people.

“The opening of this office will aid us better in understanding the position and agitation of our people. I promise again to do my best to serve and uphold the ideals of our great party, especially our populist democratic objectives, as entrenched in our great party’s manifesto, at the federal and state levels.”

At yesterday’s parley, where the senator gave account of her stewardship, Ibeju Lekki/EtiOsa ACN Leader, Prince Murphy Adetoro, praised Mrs. Tinubu for living up to expectation as a senator and role model.

He noted that if she sustains the tempo, she may become the first female governor in the state.

The wife of the party chairman, Mrs. Toun Ajomale, advised women to participate in politics to prove the point that they can make a difference.

She said: “Senator Tinubu has shown that women can make a difference in politics and administration. Women are not supposed to be on-lookers but stakeholders who should participate effectively in politics.”

Tendering her scorecard, Mrs Tinubu spoke of her activities as a member of eight committees in the Senate. They are those of Employment, Labour and Productivity, of which she is Vice-Chairman; Education, Marine Transport, Trade and Investment, Millennium Development Goals, Womens Affairs and Youth Development as well as Constitution Review.

She said in furtherance of her commitment to women empowerment, she has sponsored a Bill to affirm the rights of women to employment by expunging Section 57 of the Labour Act, 2004, which “potentially limits the participation of women in certain ventures and industry”.

The senator also said she has submitted the names of 50 constituents to the National Directorate of Employment for vocational training, adding that another constituent’s name has been submitted for consideration in the NIMASA Seafarers Development Programme.

Mrs. Tinubu added that as a member of the Education Committee, she has objected to the “casualisation of teachers” by advocating that casual teachers should be given full employment, if they meet stipulated requirements.

The senator said Lagos Central District would benefit from the Millennium Development Goals’ (MDDGs’) programmes of climate change, skill acquisition and street lighting.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Naira eases to 22-week low on dollar demand

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HE naira weakened to a 22-week low against the United States’ dollar on the interbank yesterday, following strong demand for the greenback that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) could not meet at its foreign exchange auction the previous day, traders said.

The naira eased to N163.68 against the dollar on volatile trades at the interbank market yesterday. It had closed N162.95 to the greenback on Monday.

The CBN sold $300 million at N155.90 to the dollar on Monday, without meeting demand for the US currency, dealers say, and lower than the N155.85 it sold the greenback at its last auction on Wednesday.

The bank did not disclose the amount of dollar demand at its window.

“The demand for the US dollar is not being met at the central bank window. So, we have all the oil importers as well as foreign investors exiting short term government securities exerting pressure (on the naira),” one dealer said.

“These two pressures are basically why the naira is weakening,” he told Reuters.

Stuart Culverhouse, a chief economist at London-based brokerage firm Exotix, said heightened risk aversion across global markets and concerns about global growth particularly in the Eurozone, meant foreign investors were pulling out from frontier markets into safe havens.

“Nigeria has been impacted ... that has caused some investors to exit the T-bill market,” he said, adding that his firm had a buy recommendation on Nigeria six-month treasury bills yielding 16 per cent.

The goal of the National ICT policy is to provide a framework for streamlining the ICT sector and enhancing its ability to help address some socioeconomic and development challenges.

- Mrs Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication Technology

SEC removes eight appointees on NSE Council

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HE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) board has okayed the removal of eight of its members in the Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Stockbrokers have insisted on wresting their institution from government’s control.

The NSE is a self-regulatory organisation (SRO), a private company limited by guarantee, owned by many individuals and institutional bodies, especially stockbrokers, who form the majority of the NSE members.

SEC’s appointees in the NSE Council include the Interim National President, Mallam Ballama Manu; Emmanuel Ikhazoboh, Mrs Yemisi Ayeni, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), Abimbola

•Oteh barred from office •Brokers hail action Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

Ogunbanjo, Bismarck Rewane, Mrs Dorothy Ufot (SAN) and Hassan Usman.

The national council is the governing body of the NSE. It consists of 21 members, including 13 individual ordinary members, one institutional member and seven dealing members.

The Secretary to the Commission, Edosa Aigbekaen, confirmed the development, said the board took cognisance of the stability of NSE and approved that the process of disengagement should begin.

SEC’s Board, however, directed the NSE Council to

ensure that legal issues affecting the effective functioning of the council are addressed. It also urged the management of the Commission to work out the modalities for the disengagement.

The decision to remove the appointees coincided with the order of the board directing SEC DirectorGeneral, Ms. Arunma Oteh to proceed on compulsory leave to enable an independent investigation of the Project 50 programme, which was executed by the Commission last year.

SEC’s Executive Commissioner, Operations, Ms. Daisy Ekineh will act in her absence.

The Audit and Finance

Committee of the board of SEC had recommended investigation of the sources and uses of funds for the event, a brainchild of Oteh, which has been embroiled in allegations of corruption and mismanagement.

Oteh was barred from her office yesterday as the office was locked. She was said to have protested to superior authorities about the way she was being treated by the board.

Oteh has been embroiled in a feud with members of the board in the last few months.

This was evident in the way senior officials of the commission said she did not carry them along in some of the decisions taken

NCAA suspends Air Nigeria for audit

By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

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DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil - $123.6/barrel Cocoa - $2,686.35/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢95.17pound Gold - $1,800/troy ounce Rubber - ¢159.21pound MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE JSE NYSE LSE

-N6.503 trillion -Z5.112trillion -$10.84 trillion -£61.67 trillion

RATES Inflation -12.6% Treasury Bills -7.08% Maximum lending22.42% Prime lending -15.87% Savings rate -2% 91-day NTB -14.18% Time Deposit -5.49% MPR -12% Foreign Reserve $34.6b CFA EUR £ $ ¥ SDR RIYAL

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FOREX

0.2958 206.9 245 156.4 1.9179 241 40.472

by her during the public hearing by the House of Representatives ad hoc committee.

Meanwhile, some capital market operators have described the compulsory leave served on Oteh as long overdue. The Chief Executive Officer, Lambeth Trust and Investment Company Limited, David Adonri, said the decision did not come as a surprise.

It is what brokers have been clamouring for, he said.

Also, the Chairman of the Association of Stock brokering Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), Emeka Madubike, said the decision was good.

Outgoing President, Chartered Institute of Stock brokers (CIS) Mike Itegboge said SEC Board did the right thing.

•From left: Managing Director, Intercontinental WAPIC Insurance, Segun Balogun; Chairman, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, Ephraims Akamihe at the just concluded 53rd Annual General Meeting of the firm in Lagos.

Bread price to go up from July

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ONSUMERS of wheat products, especially bread, will pay more as prices are expected to increase from July 1 when the import duty on the wheat grain will go up by 15 per cent. This will bring the duty to 20 per cent.

Financial Derivative Company (FDC), a Lagosbased economic and financial advisory firm, disclosed this in its economic report for this month which was made available to The Nation.

The Managing Director of the company, Mr Bismark Rewane, said based on the volume of wheat imports, the price of flour, which was N5,700 per 50kg bag, is expected to increase to N6,555 by the time the 15 per cent levy is imposed.

The report said Nigeria ranks as the largest im-

By Toba Agboola

porter of wheat from the United States, with data suggesting that the country imported 123 million bushels of wheat from the US in 2010, more than any other country.

The rising appetite for wheat has been linked to the growth in consumer demand, which has in turn spurred the expansion of flour milling plants.

The biggest beneficiary, according to the report, is Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, which controls 60 per cent of the market. The company is also said to have total control of the flour millers and Master Bakers Association. There is fear that this may lead to oligopoly that is, few suppliers, many buyers.

The report added that

flour millers are stocking up on inventory from 60 to 120 days in readiness for the new regime on wheat imports in June.

Their action, according to the report, was bound to translate into higher carrying and storage costs, which could either be transferred to consumers or borne by the millers through reduced margins.

The likely outcome, according to the FDC , would entail the full cost of the increase in carrying and storage (80 per cent) being passed on to consumers. It means the price of bread will increase by 15 per cent from N200 to N230 per loaf.

If this happens, the burden will be passed on to consumers, while the millers will smile to the bank as they will automatically maintain their profit mar-

gins.

The report, however, noted that the impact of the 15 per cent levy imposed by the Federal Government should not necessarily affect the price of a bag of flour, and in turn, bread and other end products made from flour, given the 26 per cent decline in global wheat prices this year to $259, down from $354.47 per metric ton in May 2011.

It noted that Nigeria spends N635 billion ($4.1 billion) per annum on wheat importation.

Early this year, President Goodluck Jonathan announced that from July 1, wheat grain will attract a 15 per cent levy, which would bring its duty to 20 per cent, while a 65 per cent levy on wheat flour will be introduced to bring the duty to 100 per cent.

HE Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the flights of Air Nigeria to enable it to audit the carrier.

The suspension is coming after pilots and engineers in the carrier called off their one week strike to protest their welfare and other matters.

Confirming the development yesterday, NCAA spokesman Sam Adurogboye said: “It is a routine action to enable us look at the airline’s operations before allowing it to go back to operations again, having been on strike for days. This is normal.”

Members of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) have called off their strike, which has been resolved by the airline management.

NAAPE President Isaac Balami said: “I want to announce here officially that the strike was called off and our members went back to work and the airline was not grounded due to safety reasons as we did communicate to the press, but due to welfare package.

“We believe that if we did not intervene or come into the issue, it could lead to incident or accident and we all know why there was a delay because the management of Air Nigeria did not agree with the association on the issues that were on ground.

And because of that, it took us a lot of time before the Chairman of Air Nigeria addressed our members. So, the strike has been called off.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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BUSINESS NEWS

Rep slams Agric minister for absence at forum HE Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, Hon. Mohammed Mogunu, yesterday stated that the Minister of Agriculture, Akinwunmi Adesina’s attitude to an agricultural forum cannot assist the Federal Government in its transformation agenda.

Mogunu was unhappy that the minister, who was said to have been invited, was absent from the interactive forum on agriculture and sensitisation workshop on AgZyme-organic soil conditioner.

The seminar was organised through a collaboration between Zenith Energy Enzymes Limited and Nitag Consult Limited in Abuja.

The committee chairman, however, said: “It is this type of gathering we must attend for the transformation agenda of the government to be achieved. It is only by attending these types of events that the government can achieve its policy on agriculture.”

On the organic soil conditioner, the lawmaker urged the farmers to

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From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

apply the proper soil supplement in order to increase their produce since other countries have had a paradigm shift from the use of fertiliser to organic soil conditioner.

He sought for investment in the agricultural sector to arrest the prevalent migration from rural areas to the cities.

The chairman of the occasion, a former Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Shetimma Mustapha, who said he has been in the agricultural sector in the past 45 years, added: “Not only that, this product has been around, but it has also been proved to be worthy.”

He noted that it is better for farmers to test the soil to know the particular fertiliser that is suitable for it.

Meanwhile, the Kano State Chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria Mohammed Tukur Bello said the results of the application of the product have been very encouraging.

•Governor, Kaduna State, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa (right) welcoming Director, Jaiz Bank PLC, Alhaji Umaru Kwairanga (middle) and MD/CEO, Alhaji Mohammed Mustapha Bintube, to his office during a courtesy visit to the Governor by the bank's directors in Kaduna.

Tough times ahead if youth employment fails, says Okonjo-Iweala

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HE Federal Government has warned that the country will face challenges if it fails to tackle youth unemployment.

The Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala stated this at the launch of the Community Services, Women and Youth Employment component of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) in Yola, Adamawa State.

A statement from the Federal

From Nduka Chiejina Assistant Editor, Abuja

Ministry of Finance yesterday said that is why job creation is central to the economic strategy of the Jonathan administration.

Okonjo-Iweala said the administration has declared that given the peculiar challenges facing the country, job creation is not just an economic issue, but a challenge, which has great implications for the wellbeing and security of the country.

On the implementation, OkonjoIweala said: “The scheme is designed to deliberately target unskilled, unemployed and poor women and youths, as well as other vulnerable members of the society, with no meaningful of livelihood.”

She explained: “Selection of the target beneficiaries will be community or grassroots-based and will be done by already established and recognised community-based associations, which are better positioned to know the poor among

them. Furthermore, we believe that involving the people in decision making at that level, will strengthen partnerships around the scheme and contribute to project success.”

The community services project, according to the statement, will create 370,000 jobs for unskilled youths in the country. The jobs will be created in areas such as improving public, social and economic infrastructure in environmental sanitation and beautification; afforestation

and desertification/erosion control; road and institutional-buildings’ maintenance and rehabilitation and community vigilante services among others.

She commended the Adamawa State government for its focus on agriculture and skills acquisition in its development drive.

Okonjo-Iweala described the partnership between the states and the Federal Government as critical to realising the objectives of the government in job creation.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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Taxation

Tax Administration in Nigeria 2.5.5 To provide economic stabilisation Nigeria should use its tax system to minimize the negative impacts of volatile booms and recessions in the economy and also to help complement the efforts of monetary policy in order to achieve economic stability.

·

2.5.6 To pursue fairness and equity Nigeria’s Tax system must be fair and shall institutionalise horizontal and vertical equity.

·

Horizontal equity ensures equal treatment of equal individuals. The Nigerian Tax system should therefore seek to avoid discrimination against economically similar entities. Vertical equity on the other hand addresses the issue of fairness among different income categories. In this regard, the Nigerian Tax System shall recognise the ability-to-pay principle, in that individuals should be taxed according to their ability to bear the tax burden. Individuals and entities that earn high incomes should pay a corresponding high percentage of tax. The overall tax system shall therefore be fair, so that similar cases are treated similarly.

Having set out the general guiding principles for the stakeholders, we proceed to a discussion of their roles and responsibilities as follows: 3.1 The Executive Arm The Executive Arm of Government encompasses the organs of Government at all levels, which are involved in the implementation and enforcement of tax laws. We have set out each organ’s roles and responsibilities;

·

3.1.1 Presidency The Presidency is the organ of Government that is responsible for initiating policy and implementation and enforcement of laws at the Federal level. The Presidency also oversees the activities of Government agencies at the Federal level. In this regard, the Presidency would be required to provide leadership and direction on all tax matters to the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Nigeria Customs Service and other relevant revenue generating agencies involved in tax administration in Nigeria.

In addition, any ambiguity or conflicting provisions in the law shall be resolved in a manner as to ensure fairness to the taxpayers and the tax authorities.

2.5.7 To correct Market Failures or Imperfections One of the objectives of the Nigerian tax system is the ability to correct market failures in cases where it is the most efficient device to employ. In this regard taxes may be reviewed upwards or downwards as may be necessary to achieve Government’s intentions.

Market failures which the Nigerian tax system may address are those that are as a result of externalities and those arising from natural monopolies.

2.6 Features of the Nigerian Tax System This section provides the fundamental features that taxes in the Nigerian tax system must exhibit. Accordingly any tax that substantially violates these fundamental features should not be part of the tax system of Nigeria.

2.6.1 Simplicity, Certainty and Clarity Taxpayers should understand and trust the tax system, and this can only be achieved if Nigerian tax policy keeps all taxes simple, creates certainty through considerable restrictions on the need for discretionary judgements, and produces clarity by educating the public on the application of relevant tax laws.

It is therefore imperative that the Nigerian Tax system should be simple (easy to understand by all), certain (its laws and administration must be consistent) and clear (stakeholders must understand the basis of its imposition).

2.6.2 Low Compliance Cost To enable a high level of compliance, the economic costs of time required, and the expense which a t&:’ payer may incur during the procedures for compliance, shall be kept to the absolute minimum at all times. Furthermore, taxpayers should be regarded as clients with the right to betreated respectfully.

The convenience of the taxpayer and minimal compliance cost should guide the design and implementation of every tax in Nigeria.

2.6.3 Low Cost of Administration A key feature of a good tax system is that the cost of administration must be relatively low when compared to the benefits derived from its imposition. There must therefore be a proper cost - benefit analysis before the imposition of any taxes and the entire machinery of Tax Administration in Nigeria should be efficient and cost-effective.

2.6.4 Fairness Nigeria’s tax system should be fair and as such observe the objective of horizontal and vertical equity as mentioned above. Based on the foregoing, there must be overwhelming reasons for granting tax incentives and concessions to some preferred sectors over others within the economy. Otherwise incentives and concessions shall as much as possible be general and apply to all tax-payers.

2.6.5 Flexibility Taxes in Nigeria should be flexible enough to respond to changing circumstances. Prevailing circumstances should also be considered before’ the introduction of new taxes or the review of existing ones.

2.6.6 Economic Efficiency The Nigerian tax system shall at all times strive to minimise the negative impact of taxes on economic efficiency by ensuring that the marginal tax rates do not distort marginal propensity to save and invest.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR STAKEHOLDERS - ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE STAKEHOLDERS Stakeholders are those persons I entities that contribute to and derive benefits from the country’s tax system. This broad definition therefore includes every Nigerian citizen and resident, corporate entities, Government at all levels and government agencies as stakeholders in the country’s tax administration. However, for the purpose of the National Tax Policy, certain groups of persons have been identified as relevant stakeholders. It is therefore necessary to identify these relevant stakeholders before discussing the guiding principles, which would be applicable to them.

The relevant stakeholders in the Nigerian tax system can be broadly categorized into the following:

provision of specific and general feedback by all stakeholders, in a proactive manner on issues and developments that are relevant to tax administration in Nigeria; ensuring that the principle of good faith is observed by all stakeholders, especially between the taxpayer and tax authorities on one hand and the government and authorities on the other; fairness in the treatment of all stakeholders by each other. This is particularly relevant in the allocation of resources and consideration of each party’s viewpoints.

• ALHAJI KABIR MOHAMMED MASHI, AG. EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, FIRS

“Given that the NCS is made up of distinguished and experienced persons such as former Presidents and Chief Justices of the Federation, current State Governors, the President of the Senate and Speaker of the National House of Assembly, it is expected that the NCS would provide deep and varied insight on the matters upon, which it would be called to advice the President.” (i) The Executive Arm (a) Presidency (b) Federal Executive Council in general and the Ministries of Finance, Information and Education in Particular (c) National Economic Council (d) National Council of States (e) State Governors (f) State Executive Council in general and the Commissioners of Finance, Information and Education in particular (g) Local Government Chairmen (h) Local Government Councils (ii)

Legislative Arm (a) National Assembly (b) State Houses of Assembly

(iii)

Judiciary

(iv)

Tax Authorities

(v)

Joint Tax Board

(vi)

Tax Payers

(vii)

Professional Bodies, Tax Practitioners and Consultants

As earlier stated, the National Tax Policy shall be guided by the provisions of Nigerian’s Constitution in respect of all fiscal issues.

Accordingly the following shall be the guiding principles of the Stakeholders in the Nigerian tax system: (i) adherence to Constitutional Federalism and the Rule of Law at all times; strict adherence to Constitutional provisions relating to fiscal matters; (ii) adherence to the concept of Fiscal Federalism and separation of powers in relation to fiscal matters; (iii)recognition and respect for the rights and powers of each level of Government in relation to collection and control of revenue within its jurisdiction; (iv)strict adherence to the provisions of tax legislation in the administration of taxes; (v) commitment to the enforcement of tax laws in a legal and Constitutional manner, commitment to the peaceful resolution of all disputes and respect for judicial pronouncements on disputes submitted for adjudication; (vi)commitment to the creation and sustainable development of a stable, secure and workable tax system for Nigeria; and (vii)commitment to the Unity, Development and Progress of One Nigeria. In the acknowledgment that the Tax System can be used as a major pivot for achieving National Developmental Goals.

Further, there are certain universal principles which are necessary to ensure cordial interaction between stakeholders in the administration of taxes in Nigeria. These principles include: · affirmation and acknowledgement of the importance and contribution of all stakeholder in the administration of taxes in Nigeria;

The Presidency shall provide necessary approvals (or assist in obtaining such approvals from the relevant bodies), funding and be responsible for the appointment of competent personnel to head the relevant agencies and also initiate the process of drafting tax legislation for enactment by the” Legislature.

The Presidency would also be responsible for signing and implementing all International a Regional treaties entered in to by Nigeria.

In addition to the above, the Presidency shall be responsible for moderating the relationship between the different organs of Government and provide all the necessary tools for effective and efficient tax administration in Nigeria.

3.1.2 National Council of States The National Council of States (NCS) is created by the Nigerian Constitution and assigned the responsibility of advising the President on the exercise of his powers with respect to certain matters specified in the Constitution. While taxation or fiscal issues are not specifically listed in the Constitution as matters upon which the NCS can advise the President, the Constitution however provides that the NCS may advise the President on such matters as the President may direct. Accordingly, when required, the NCS shall provide relevant advice to the President on matters pertaining to tax and fiscal issues.

Given that the NCS is made up of distinguished and experienced persons such as former Presidents and Chief Justices of the Federation, current State Governors, the President of the Senate and Speaker of the National House of Assembly, it is expected that the NCS would provide deep and varied insight on the matters upon, which it would be called to advice the President.

3.1.3 National Economic Council The National Economic Council (NEC) was created by the Nigerian Constitution and assigned the responsibility for advising the President on economic matters. Given that taxation plays a major role in the economy of the country, the NEC would be required to deliberate on and identify policies, which can be implemented and assist the President draw up road maps for the development of the Nigerian economy with particular emphasis on taxation and other fiscal related issues. The NEC would also be required to co-operate with similar advisory bodies to ensure the consistency of advice provided to the President on fiscal issues.

3.1.4 State Governors State Governors are expected to playa similar role to that of the Presidency at State level. They would be responsible for the development of State Tax Policy which shall be complementary to the National Tax Policy. In addition, they are responsible for the enforcement of Federal and State tax laws in the States and carry out general oversight functions on tax and revenue authorities at the State and Local Government level. State Governors would be required to provide guidance and direction to the State Ministries of Finance, the State Boards of Internal Revenue Service and other relevant revenue generating agencies involved in tax administration in the States. They should also ensure adequate funding and autonomy is provided to these agencies in the discharge of their functions.

State Governors would be expected to ensure co-operation among State Boards of Internal Revenue, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Nigeria Customs Service and other revenue agencies for the development of the Nigerian tax system in areas such as information sharing, improved structure and efficiency in tax administration, elimination of multiple taxation and adoption of a nationwide Unique Taxpayer Identification Numbering (U-TIN) system.

State Governors could also be required to provide advice to the Federal agencies and bodies responsible e for tax policy, legislation and administration in the country. Overall, it is expected that State Governors shall provide additional oversight in respect of all tax and fiscal matters at State and Federal level.

• To

be cotinued

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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EDITORIAL/OPINION EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

COMMENT

Another distraction •The Lawan probe must not undermine the integrity of the subsidy report AROUK Lawan, veteran lawmaker and long serving member of the House of Representatives is facing perhaps the greatest political battle of his life. The diminutive but highly raucous and gutsy lawmaker brooked no nonsense as chairman of the just wounded-up House ad hoc probe committee on management of fuel subsidy funds. His committee uncovered alleged fraud of over N1trillion that was perpetuated by oil marketers, individuals and institutions of government in-charge of fuel subsidy management in the country.

The report of the committee shook some powerful stakeholders in the oil sector to their bone marrows. Indeed, President Goodluck Jonathan has just sent the report to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further scrutiny and subsequent action. But such damning report may not have come and gone without its personal and systemic repercussions.

One of its fallouts is the $620,000 bribe allegedly taken by Lawan from Mr. Femi Otedola, Chairman of Zenon Oil and Gas to influence the report of the fuel probe ad hoc committee he presided over. Yet, the committee’s report, to us, remains one of the most revealing and fêted in the nation’s recent history.

The allegation has been followed by accusations and denials. The security agencies reportedly availed the House leadership a video footage displaying

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a caricature of Lawan’s person in the bribe saga. The man in the centre of it all was purportedly shown the clip of where he allegedly collected the bribe that he reportedly, ab initio, insistently denied. He was reportedly shocked to have watched himself in the video footage, secured ostensibly through a video pen.

We found as disgusting the regale of the public with how Lawan purportedly collected personally, $500,000 from the oil magnate at his Maitama residence while the committee’s secretary later collected$120,000 that was later handed to him (Lawan). A balance of the agreed $3million allegedly tore them apart. At a time when the country should be told of what the outcome of that report is, it is a shame that this sore of shame is being festered.

The whole scenario looks so scandalous. For example, we wonder why Lawan would have kept the money for 60 days before formally alerting the House. Also, would he have informed them at all if the bubble had not burst?

At the same time, the fact that he kept the marked money intact for that long and was ready to lay them before the House untouched, at a point, means that he was aware of the mischief that the money could and is generating now - maybe he played along with the oil baron as he claimed.

While sting operations are standard practice in unveiling crimes, we wonder if the Lawan sting was not cho-

reographed to slur the integrity of the oil subsidy report widely accepted as genuine.

We would rather wait to see what comes out of a thorough investigation of the matter. However, beyond the hullabaloo of the yet-to-be ascertained bribe saga, we want to state without equivocation that the travails of the legislator should have nothing to do with the sanctity of that report which exposed the phantom called fuel subsidy. Those who have been fleecing the state through the fuel subsidy scam are probably the ones playing this last but dangerous game. While Lawan must be ready to face the consequence of his action if found wanting, the fuel subsidy probe report must not be diminished. It remains a public document that the executive arm of government must holistically be willing to pursue to a logical conclusion. The Nigerian public is watching and will definitely not tolerate any official rigmarole on this matter.

‘While sting operations are standard practice in unveiling crimes, we wonder if the Lawan sting was not choreographed to slur the integrity of the oil subsidy report widely accepted as genuine’

Two tyrants, same fate •The jail terms for Mubarak and Taylor show there is always a day of reckoning

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OHAMMED Hosni El Sayed Mubarak (Born 4 May 1928), former president of Egypt; and Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor (Born 28 January 1948), former president of Liberia, are dictators bound by the same tragic fate. Both would probably spend the rest of their lives in jail.

Mr. Mubarak, 84, and ailing with a combination of heart disease and cancer, probably has a few years to live. But he has hanging on his frail neck a life sentence, courtesy of a June 2 verdict, from an expeditious trial that started August 3, 2011.

He was found guilty of premeditated killings of anti-Mubarak protesters in the streets of Cairo. He was however acquitted on corruption charges, on which trial he stood with his two sons, Gamel and Alaa. But Mr. Mubarak’s acquittal on

‘That two former African presidents are cooling their heels in jail, in rich global Technicolor, ought to distress the continent, as it demeans the highest state institution on the continent. But if the highest offices in the land have been hijacked by crooks and allied hustlers, then this shock treatment is good for Africa – at least for the toiling hoi polloi, who are always the grand victims of misrule by greedy power elite’.

corruption charges has provoked a fresh round of protests in Egypt.

Mr. Taylor, 64, on the other hand, earned 50 years in jail in a see-saw trial that first opened at the International Criminal Court for Crimes Against Humanity in The Hague, Holland, on June 4, 2007, adjourned till January 7, 2008 for a fresh start, and ended with a verdict on April 26, 2012. For being guilty of all 11 charges of war crimes and criminal enslavement during the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) reign of terror during the Liberian Civil War, Mr Taylor got a 50-year sentence on May 3.

Though Mr. Taylor’s lawyers have said they would appeal both the verdict and the sentence, the former president’s future seems assured in a British jail, which is just as well, given his life of serial criminality. Under the Liberian government of Master-Sergeant Samuel Kanyon Doe, Mr. Taylor embezzled US $1 million. The atrocities that led to his current conviction were committed when Mr. Taylor, as sitting Liberian president, sold rogue arms to the RUF anarchists in exchange for what the literature of the era has referred to as “blood diamonds”.

This twin-tragedy must sober every African, particularly the parasitic and unconscionable ruling elite, to whom power is a corrupt end in itself to reap unearned riches; and not a means of serving their people with focus, honesty and dedication.

Mr. Mubarak ruled his country with iron fist for 30 years, from 1981 to 2011.

Yet, as an 84-year-old and former air general, he is ending his life in well earned ignominy. His sentence for causing his compatriots so much pain is solitary winter years spent in a jail house. Mr. Taylor’s bloody reign was mercifully brief: August 2, 1997 to August 11, 2003.

Though he was on the surface “democratically elected”, his was the Biblical maxim of ‘he who lives by the sword dies by the sword’. He battled his way into the Liberian Presidential Palace. But the same booming guns that propelled him to the presidency made him to scurry from it. Now, he is where he should have been for a life of serial criminality – jail!

That two former African presidents are cooling their heels in jail, in rich global Technicolor, ought to distress the continent, as it demeans the highest state institution on the continent. But if the highest offices in the land have been hijacked by crooks and allied hustlers, then this shock treatment is good for Africa – at least for the toiling hoi polloi, who are always the grand victims of misrule by greedy power elite. If the Mubark-Taylor well-earned personal tragedies help to chasten the irresponsible African ruling class, then there may yet be hope for the continent.

The message for Nigeria in all these is clear: as in Egypt, corruption and allied political trials need not take a lifetime.

Mr. Mubarak’s conviction is proof. It could well be argued that Mr. Mubarak fell because his government fell. But that is precisely proof that there is always a day of reckoning for misgovernment.

Congress’ war on leaks

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AWMAKERS understandably are concerned about secret government information being published by the media, but the use of that information by journalists serves the public interest.

An angry Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is calling for a special prosecutor to investigate leaks he says are designed to portray President Obama as a strong leader on national security issues. Without going that far, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, says that recent leaks “endanger American lives and undermine America’s national security.”

She is proposing, among other things, that Congress provide “additional authorities and resources … to identify and prosecute those who violate various federal laws and nondisclosure agreements by revealing highly classified information.” Although she did not advocate prosecuting journalists, the senator probably spoke for many of her colleagues when she told CNN that part of the problem was that “we have an enormously smart constituency of journalists … who piece things together.”

So far most of the outcry has been directed at the administration, not the media, but in similar controversies in the past, critics have not been so discerning. So we would urge Congress — and the administration — not to criminalize the reporting of information that may have come into the possession of the media because a government official was indiscreet.

It’s understandable that McCain, Feinstein, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and other members of Congress are disturbed by a New York Times story in which unnamed officials described how Obama directed cyber-attacks on Iran’s nuclear program. That the United States and Israel had been targeting computers in Iran was widely suspected, but confirmation of the operation creates a diplomatic problem for the U.S. (It seems less plausible that this and other recent disclosures — for example, that Obama was personally involved in ordering U.S. drone attacks — threaten American lives.)

But it’s also clear why the New York Times, having obtained information about the administration’s actions, chose to publish it: to foster debate about what one of the paper’s editors called “two significant, history-making programs … the rise of cyber-warfare and the rise of drones.”

There has evolved in this country an effective if sometimes untidy division of labor: Government may strive to keep information secret, but once the media have information about matters of public concern, they may share that information with readers without fear of prosecution. It may sound like special pleading for a newspaper to urge that the campaign against leaks stop at the reporter’s door. But society as a whole benefits from public-spirited journalism that, in some cases, depends on the willingness of a government official to scale a wall of secrecy.

– Los Angeles Times

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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EDITORIAL/OPINION

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Y heart and prayers go out to the family of victims of the Dana plane crash and the nation as a whole. Thoughts and emotions run through my mind 19 to the dozen as I think of my native country Nigeria, who like a prodigal child continues to squander its opportunity for the love of money, greed and corruption. There is a clear difference between the inevitable and the avoidable. A lot of the disasters that are befalling the nation can be classified as avoidable. Bad roads leading to multiple fatal accidents, poor maintenance and inadequate emergency services leading to fatal crashes, collapsed buildings due to defective construction are but a few of the avoidable tragedies that have befallen the nation.

I will never forget the plight of the students who lost their lives in the ill fated Sosoliso plane crash on December 10, 2005 in Port Harcourt.

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Again and Again and Again….Never Again I keep remembering when my husband, Ambassador Carrington laid the foundation stone for the Jesuit College which they attended on April 1, 1995 in Abuja and gave an address titled “Hope reborn on the field of dreams”. How as he looked over the empty fields he saw hope reborn in the dreams and bright future the school would offer the students who attended it, but he feared what lay in wait for them once they left the college and entered into the harsh reality outside. In his speech, he said in part:

“But, I must also frankly say, that as good as my long-range vision may be, my vision dims when I try to gaze beyond the confines of the school. The horizon is much hazier, and I don’t think it is just a case of the lingering winds of harmattan. Because the great challenge for all of us, after the Jesuits have done their job of bringing in children from all parts of Nigeria, educating them, giving them strong values, is what happens when they graduate and leave?

What will the picture be outside of the walls of this college? Will the

society they return to be nurturing and accepting of the values they learn here?”

“Let us pray that these students matriculate into a society in which getting rich quickly is no longer a cherished value; in which corruption is to be shunned and not envied. A society in which freedom and democracy flourish.”

Unfortunately the answer to his question revealed itself when those innocent children became victims of a corrupt nation that cuts corners regardless of the cost to its citizens. A

Hunting Farouk Lawan

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IR: The architects of divide and dominate have successfully strategised and executed a most baleful plan from their arsenal of vindictiveness and corrupt shenanigans. Farouk Lawan is their prey, and the ordinary Nigerians the unfortunate pawn in this chess game of greed.

This time we must not allow the laughable allegation of 600 thousand United States (US) dollars against Lawan distract us from the original sin of subsidy funds embezzlement perpetrated by unconscionable and phony fuel marketers. By now, some of us are too smart to be hoodwinked by this media propaganda campaign aimed at discrediting the damning fuel subsidy probe report of Farouk Lawan.

To call a spade its name, the alleged video recording showing Farouk Lawan accepting bribe is nothing but a tool of blackmail Femi Otedola and the subsidy cabal and their political cronies intended to use as a clog in Lawan’s wheel. But they failed because, unless Nigerians want to act in their hasty and undiscerning manner, Lawan was actually setting up those who intend to eternally impoverish us.

Actually, Otedola has implicated himself by admitting he bribed so truth can be perverted. In saner climes, this parasite will be coolingoff in prison for his brazen temerity.

That fuel subsidy funds were looted is common knowledge. That Lawan indicted certain bigwigs,

including the same Otedola, in his report is true. That indicted bigwigs made frantic efforts to suppress the report from going public is a fact.

That Lawan was lobbied to doctor the report against pro bono interests and his life subsequently threatened for refusing to play ball is an established truth that proves he did not sell his soul to the devil.

That Lawan informed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of the bribe offer in April has also been established but the EFCC has remained silent so far.

The facts are laid bare for any astute person to piece together. It does not take a genius to work out that this allegation is a last-ditch maneouvre by pathological fraudsters to rubbish the subsidy report and soil Lawan’s character

for his staunch patriotism in service of his nation. This is classic hunter becoming the hunted and the phenomenon is not alien to us. It happened with Ndudi Elumelu power probe and recently with Herman Hembe Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) probe to name a few. In both cases, intervening irrelevancies were pursued over substance and truth sacrificed eventually. Amazingly, the extent of official connivance and complicity in such cases goes high up the chain.

Farouk Lawan’s report has been with the President for some time now and he has dilly-dallied with taking appropriate actions; in fact, President Jonathan’s Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, has said due investigations must be done so

innocent people are not persecuted.

Adoke’s position is untenable and Jonathan’s lukewarm attitude suspicious particularly as there is sufficient evidence to work with.

Perhaps this is a ploy to prevent closer scrutiny of the 155 billion naira underhand deal the President allegedly facilitated for Dan Etete’s Malabo Oil and Gas. It is terrible that the executive has not demonstrated resolve to punish indicted subsidy criminals but worse that Farouk Lawan’s colleagues in the House of Representatives seem to have disowned him. The representatives must look beyond the ruse before crucifying their colleague.

• Ogunsanya Akintayo Adesoji Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.

crash that when it happened lives could have been saved if proper emergency and rescue services where in place. After all did Captain Sullenberger of U.S Airways not land a plane on the Hudson River in New York and all its passengers were rescued?

We remember the students not as individual but en mass as a group but to their loved ones, friends and family, their names are forever individually engraved in their hearts while that pain continues to linger on. On the other hand we remember the names of the VIPs because theirs are headlined in the media when they are a victim of a disaster. Their positions are then filled with new people who promise heaven and earth.

In our quiet moments let us examine our hearts and minds and ensure we are not guilty of omission or commission. In a democracy it is the right and duty of the people to make certain that those governing are accountable to those being governed.

The people’s fundamental basic human rights for life, liberty and freedom must be put above corruption and greed. Some of the people in the building the Dana plane crashed into may never have flown before, living on the precipice of poverty but became victims and lost their right to life.

Again and Again and Again each time there is a catastrophic disaster we hear the words: “Never again will this be allowed to happen”. Let us stop kidding ourselves, unless it is backed up by the necessary action, such as accountability in all sectors, good governance, transparency and an end to corruption or at least consequences for corruption….the sad truth is “Never Again” becomes empty words.

•Dr Arese Carrington United States

Ignore Nasir El Rufai on Anambra

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IR: I really can’t understand why Nasir El Rufai’s patently partisan article on Anambra State should attract such spirited rejoinders as we’ve seen so far even from some quarters. Why is there so much hysteria over this futile political move by El Rufai? Does it then mean that not many of us could decode his motive, which has a lot to do with his personal determination to position himself for the race to Aso Rock in 2015?

Every discerning reader of the crafty politician’s write-up published Friday June 8, on the back page of ThisDay cannot fail to deduce his game plan. El

Rufai was simply out to start tarnishing the public image of all those he currently perceives as his challengers to the post of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ahead of the 2015 general elections. Otherwise, why was he so eager in his commentary to give the incumbent governor of Anambra State such a thumbs-down and why did he have to describe Jonathan’s administration as “incompetent”? Of course, all these go to show where the ruthless politician is coming from as well as where he is heading.

Nasir El Rufai is obviously out to rubbish the good records being set by

the high-performing leaders like Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra State - a potential candidate for the Presidency of Nigeria.

El Rufai’s strategy is to cleverly couch his so-called analysis of this year’s budget of some states of the federation in uncomplimentary terms so that people will begin to think negatively of the target of his criticisms. His ingenious approach is as understandable and predictable as it is wicked, gratuitous, and self-serving.

But he certainly can’t pull the wool over our eyes. His tactic has failed him woefully.

So, there is no need for any serious-

minded individual or group to lose any sleep over such a calculated attempt to deceive the reading public. El Rufai’s desperation to lead Nigeria by all means – fair or foul - is now manifesting itself gracelessly. I think it is better for him to realize that for anyone to make a significant inroad into the heartland of Igboland, that person must pursue his or her inordinate political ambition in a more responsible, sincere, and gracious manner than what we have seen of him in this disastrous gambit.

• Engr. Jimbuoy Okoye (Akalanze Nimo) Nimo, Anambra State

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

EDITORIAL/OPINION

FG N6.1b textbooks; Aregbesola’s Donation vs.

Advert ; Suffering Cost; EFCC pen cameras, pls

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EDERAL Government should not be ‘celebrating’ the N6.1billion for text books. It is not enough.

Nigeria’s students have been in empty schools Tony for ever. Our children Marinho deserve an apology.

What have they been reading? Such ‘celebrations’ reveal the shallowness of government. Government must negotiate an unbreakable publishers/ government contract’ to give all schools enough books immediately and pay for them over the next two+ years. Badly educated children become problem adults.

Governor Aregbesola should spread his ‘Donation vs. advert’ way of celebrating political and personal anniversaries among governors and at party level. The Aregbesola Way’ will ‘miraculously’ uplift NGOs. Imagine the impact of N350,000-N500,000, the cost of one advert, being donated to your local Motherless Babies Home. Many NGOs will benefit from a redirection of funds for congratulations adverts to the needy, library books or computers for your old school.

On government’s Democracy Day, we had 60 pages of adverts/newspaper by cash-strapped LGAs, ministries and individuals totaling N25-30,000,000/newspaper. Imagine what that sum in units of N50,000 -1,000,000 would do for 30-1,200 proven NGOs nationwide. Governor Aregbesola gave the advice but some followers refused the advice. No other country allows its political citizens to spend N350,000 on one advert. Maybe Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, should introduce a ‘Congratulatory Advert Tax of 10-50%’ or National Assembly could initiate a law asking for a compulsory counterpart donation to charity. Thank you Governor Aregbesola, but will the other 35 governors follow? Adverts attract a 10-20% “finders’ fee”. Such obvious assaults on the people’s sensibilities should be stopped immediately just as the IGP Abubakar stopped police checkpoint corruption by abolishing them. We must abolish congratulatory adverts with government money.

No nation has ever been ruled by such an incompetent and greedy group of people, so lacking in speed of execution of

any vision and so content in their snail pace including the last 13 years of high expectation and dashed hopes. Today, with bombings, shootings and planes dropping out of the sky, Nigeria is paying for 30+ years of abandonment of basic survival facilities and minimum contentment of the people. The quantum of ‘suffering’ in all spheres of endeavour inflicted on the citizen by the Corruption, Incompetence, Negligence and Selfishness, CINS, of Nigerian governments must be calculated by NISER. Compare the trip to Ibadan from Lagos with Ogere cleared and with Ogere blocked. Compare the trip to Benin with and without the hundreds of police checkpoints. The citizens have saved N12billion/month from checkpoint closure.

Travel times have been greatly reduced except when there is a robbery on the road. What is the difference in cost to the nation of being able or not being able to switch power on and off in the home for reading or work? What is the economic and social cost of being able or not being able to get water from the water tap? What is the economic and social cost of being able or not being able to travel on pothole-free roads? What is the economic and social cost of being able to travel freely or to be stuck in Ogere traffic for 1-5hours?

Multiply those cost nationwide. But what is the real quantifiable cost of this national failure in naira and kobo, in lost man and woman hours, in emotional trauma terms, in lost opportunities, in lost jobs, in missed appointments, in lost livelihoods, in missed aspirations, in wasted trips, in avoidable injuries and thousands of injuries and deaths. Do not underestimate the influence of a bad scene on a child –like a FRSC person or LAWMA personnel or a police man taking a bribe. NISER and Social Science departments should be able to calibrate this ‘CINS’ phenomenon, quantify the negative effects and report to the nation the amount of economic and social losses incurred as a result of this multifaceted suffering.

Politicians thought it was a joke as they fought among themselves for the spoils of political victory. Now we are seeing the bloody results. Sirens will not save them. We are in this together. We are learning that the people matter.

There is no excuse for the bombings and shootings. But could they have been prevented if politicians, living and dead had done their work properly? Are we so backward, even with

9,000 FRSC personnel and maybe 300,000 police personnel that we cannot keep Nigeria’s main roads open and safe for economic and social business? Poorly parking trailers and an army of uncontrolled okada motorcycles causing chaos and murder on the road are not landmark achievements but a recipe for chaos, disaster and a fire consuming hundreds of vehicles. Fires have blocked the expressway twice last week.

Already people are becoming violent in reaction to bombings and traffic chaos.

With the new power tariff for no power, where will the Nigerian be financially by December 2012 –dilapidated or dead but not electrocuted as there is no power? Nigerians should demand cash-back or ‘Free Fuel Vouchers’ from the ‘phantom fuel subsidy’ and ‘Free Airtime Units’ from penalized communication giants.

Hurray, we welcome the first EFCC sting operation, $600,000, against a NASS member. We request a sting operation against LASTMA at the Allen Avenue roundabout and the Maryland interchange, Lagos for luring drivers into a traffic light trap! This criminal gang extortion behaviour demands EFCC attention! EFCC, please give out 1000 pencameras to recruited secret operators and post the videos on the web.

‘But what is the real quantifiable cost of this national failure in naira and kobo, in lost man and woman hours, in emotional trauma terms, in lost opportunities, in lost jobs, in missed appointments, in lost livelihoods, in missed aspirations, in wasted trips, in avoidable injuries and thousands of injuries and deaths’

‘Haunted’ by Dana’s Crash

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HAT Sunday afternoon, I was on my desk writing my column for the week when the phone rang. The person on the other end was Professor Steve Azaiki, my good friend and brother.

The message was brief: “There is a plane crash.” I immediately cut in: “Yes, I am aware. It happened last night in Ghana. The accident involved a Nigerian cargo…” “One has just happened now in Lagos,” Azaiki interrupted and stopped me in my irrelevant track.

From then on, everything changed as both of us observed that “it could have been anybody”. Two days earlier, Azaiki travelled to Abuja on one of Dana’s Flight 991.

It was scheduled for 6.30pm, but the flight didn’t leave Lagos until around 9pm. It is only in Nigeria that airlines will schedule and reschedule flights as many times as possible until such flights are eventually cancelled, leaving the passengers stranded.

For me, Azaiki and many others, Dana had been our preferred airline since they entered Nigeria’s airspace. Now, the bubble has burst. In the last few days, I have spoken to a lot of people over this crash and they have different things to say. Many of them expressed dismay over the incident. Quite a good number too, confirmed that they had flown on Dana’s aircraft before on their numerous trips. A particular woman, a provost in one of the nation’s tertiary institutions, who is married to a retired general, told me a nasty experience she had with the airline in the recent past. That

experience, she said, changed her perception of the airline.

She said she flew one of the aircraft from Abuja to Lagos recently and discovered that when the aircraft took off, the pilot was finding it extremely difficult to gain altitude. According to her, she noticed that the pilot tried hard to ascend but after some time, he gave up and the aircraft was flown lower than the usual height. Luckily for her, the aircraft landed safely at destination. Since then, she said she had avoided the airline like a plague.

Many others have said some other things about their unpalatable experiences with the airline. Apart from the now rampant delays and rescheduling of flights, I have not had any bad experience with the airline. Perhaps, that is why I am still in shock and utter bewilderment about what happened to those 153 passengers and crew who met their untimely death that “black Sunday”.

We all had one or two people we either knew or had met or something in that ill-fated aircraft. Senator Dipo Odujirin, principal partner in the law firm of Odujirin & Adefulu, lost his amiable daughter, Tosin Anibaba, in the crash. For such a cultured, quiet man whom I respect so much, one can only imagine his state of mind at this moment after the loss.

Ike Abugu, who lost his life in the accident, was returning to Lagos from Abuja where he had gone to make arrangement for the Nigerian alumni of Russian schools in Minna. He had spoken with Azaiki

“At any rate, this is the time to really go the whole hog to properly sanitise the aviation industry as most of the aircraft in their fleet are flying coffins”

that afternoon before boarding the ill-fated flight. Now, Azaiki and the rest of them are mourning his sudden exit.

Also, my friend and neighbor, Abdlrasaq Shittu, lost a number of close associates and one old school mate. Olukayode Okikiolu, an engineer with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, died in the crash. Shittu described Okikiolu as a brilliant student at their Alma Mater, Comprehensive High School, Ayetoro, Ogun State.

That is now history.

It is a sad thing that all these people had to go in one fell swoop the way they did. It is even more pathetic that some other people who were on ground and who had nothing to do with the aircraft were also consumed in the tragedy. So, when Shakespeare said “Life is short, nasty and brutish,” we need not go far to find the real meaning of those three piercing words.

A lot have been said and written about the crash. But none has been close enough to give a graphic detail of what really happened. In the absence of accurate facts, we all have been engaged in apocalyptic guesswork. The other day, I watched Jacky Hathiaramani, the CEO of Dana Air, shedding tears on national television. If only his tears could bring back the dead…

Perhaps, because of the age-long stigma that Indians, especially Indian businessmen, are smart alecs, the tendency to jump to conclusion is always there. There is hardly anybody who has worked in an Indian company that has spoken well of them. They pay their staff paltry salaries and even evade taxes. They are reputed to be good at using and dumping people at will. However, my argument has always been that behind every unscrupulous Indian businessman is an equally unscru-

pulous Nigerian. It is worse if the Nigerian is a highly placed officer in the public service or in the private sector, particularly in the banks and other financial institutions.

More often than not, they collude with these Indians to bend the rules or to defraud. And everybody is pointing accusing fingers at the Indians.

Dana Air cannot be immune from sharp practices as long as it is run

by Indians with their Nigerian collaborators. This is the more reason why the government must dig deep in order to unravel the true circumstances behind this mishap.

My only fear is that those who will probe this crash are Nigerians. That may amount to something else.

It is still amazing how a mere onehour flight could develop a terrible fault that could lead to such fatalities. And that has been the pattern of accidents in the aviation sector in Nigeria. The one that claimed the life of Sultan Maccido had barely taken off when it crashed around the vicinity of the airport in Abuja some years back.

I believe there is something wrong with the regulating authorities who are likely to be heavily compromised. Come to think of it, often times, when they decide to do their jobs, the equipment is not readily there. In this case, they have to fall back on the airlines to foot the bills. This is not as if funds may not have been approved and released for the purpose in the first instance. The money simply grows wings and end up in private pockets to the detriment of aviation standards and safety.

What we might have to deal with is corruption; I mean endemic corruption that has permeated all strata of our national life. We only pay lip service to fighting corruption while we are all involved from

Dele Agekameh top down - from the Presidency to the ordinary man in the street who plays much premium on what he would get and not what is in the interest of the nation or his fellowmen. Herein lies the bane of the aviation industry and all facets of our national life.

Perhaps, we have now reached a stage where we need to check ourselves, where we need to tell ourselves the gospel truth, where we need to move from rhetoric to concerted action to free our nation from the shackles of poverty, hopelessness and avoidable disasters. It cannot continue like this. Otherwise we are doomed forever.

At any rate, this is the time to really go the whole hog to properly sanitise the aviation industry as most of the aircraft in Nigeria are flying coffins. The visual shots of the ill-fated Dana aircraft are not pleasant to see at all - just a pack of junk engines falling atop one another like the features of a disused mechanic workshop. We have recorded far too many air disasters in Nigeria to gloss over this particular one. Enough is enough!

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

22

EDITORIAL/OPINION ‘The fact unbeknown to Nigerians is that the country is at war waged upon it by the “leaders” with themselves as accomplices for choosing to remain docile. No doubt there is genocidal war going on in Nigeria, with the most potent weapon in use being corruption. When the time comes, we shall find out that corruption is responsible for the Dana crash, for, someone must have compromised to cut corners for a mess of porridge. We make noise when it is air disaster; but the sad facts are that more people are killed in road accidents; by inadequate healthcare system, government-induced hunger, poverty-induced hypertension, bad standard of living due to non-provision of basic living infrastructure. Anonymous’

•MKO Abiola

For Segun Gbadegesin All the people agitating against the change in name of UNILAG to MAUL should bury their heads in shame. We all asked for it, honouring MKO for his role in democratic Nigeria, and we got it. Let us commend President Jonathan for a job well done. He is a real patriot. Anonymous MKO gave N5million to AWO Foundation and N19million to each of the 19 versities at Liberty stadium that day. IBB was also there.

From Olumakinde Recognising Abiola as 1993 President-elect and declaring a national holiday in his name will not only be the most befitting legacy, it will also assuage Yoruba feelings as well as endear President Jonathan to the people for ever. I hope for a change that he will do something that will rekindle our hope in Nigeria.

From Tokunbo Ajasin The article is timely, lucid and balanced.

Late MKO Abiola in no small way made good effort to build a new Nigeria. But old institutions like UNILAG remain the identities, beauty and synonymous with our start—independence hence, the product of our pioneer activists and political light bearers. Renaming the university to anything speaks volume. We lack creativity or ideas on how to make new structures to write the names of our present and future achievers in gold. That our common identities and applause soon fade with time. If the baton is remembrance, then in Nigeria, time will come when it becomes a Will by leaders not to be immortalised for transience. Again, new wineskin fits new wine. From Barr. T. Okafor IGARRA, Edo State If our president is provincial and petty in his outlook, one hopes that NASS will be able to connect with the US and the honour that country’s white President gave the slain black human right activist Martin Luther King .

Hope our NASS will borrow a leaf from US. The least the NASS can do to the memory of MKO is to declare him the winner of the election, make June 12 a national holiday and award him GCFR. From Olumakinde Sir, I really appreciate what our President did on that Democracy Day, this is what they (former presidents) were surposed to have done but they did not, they only fought for their own benefits. My advice to all Nigerian is to sit down and think seriously about Jonathan’s questions which are: “Are we one? and what type of country is Nigeria?” I expect Nigerians to appreciate him and ask for more from President Goodluck Jonathan to honour late MKO Abiola more. I do not know why we are murmuring and disturbing the intellegent leader. Anonymous To recognise the good intent of Mr. President and the respect of the former Federal Capital, let us settle for Moshood Abiola upon University of Lagos. May Mr President, NASS and we the UNILAG community view consensus as barometer of not only civilized but also traditional peace building behaviour in African history and culture, a core subject

at UNILAG. Cheers! From Ita Ekpott, Alumnus.

Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Sir, Abiola deserves more honour. We are grateful to Jonathan for his courage to change the UNILAG name. Those students should go and face thier academic studies. Thier lecturers were not packed neither was the school subvention withheld. The old students that are making the branding noise, what have they done to give UNILAG a face lift? Mr. President go ahead and name other national monuments after Abiola in all the geo-political zones . Lagos is not for the Yorubas alone. People should stop reading political meaning to every policy. From Chief J. C. Uwaga, PortHarcourt You Yoruba people are the ones full of mischief not Jonathan. You control virtually all sectors of the Nigerian economy yet no progress for us and now that a Niger Deltan is in charge you want to come with bad belle.

You can deceive Buhari not Nigerians in general. Is the West under ACN better? I do not think so. Anonymous Let anyone who is not in the dreamland be aware that Sovereign National Conference is the only way out of the ineptitude of governance the present maladministration has put us in. Only God knows where the so called egg heads in this government got their degree(s) from! Even Abacha faired better in his days.

Let Jonathan put his Goodluck to test by allowing the Sovereign National Conference to hold to decide whether we are truly one indeed. I am really sorry for the masses of this Lugard contraption called Nigeria. Please every peace loving people should be an apostle of SNC. Look at what happened on Sunday with the DANA Airline crash, no clear Emergency procedure in place in Nigeria.

God save us from this contraption named Nigeria. Anonymous Yours is the most balanced of all the reactions to the name change. However, the fact still remains that public hatred for the President is not the way to go about it. Moreso, a south westerner was on the Presidential seat for eight years! Anonymous Uncle Segun, your article was very good but you and others condemning it must remember that there are illustrous Yoruba sons and daughters in Jonathan’s government who were aware of the name change. Hope you do not expect Jonathan to seek advice from ACN? UNILAG is just adequate for MKO! From Tom, Abuja For Olatunji Dare The mark of a nobel is to thank his enemy when he favours him. I thought you should be among the first to aplaud gej on this name change. You wrote a book in favour of June 12. If we appreciate GEJ on this, he will do more. OBJ and IBB did nothing on MKO’s memory. From Harris Dear Tunji, your piece titled ‘Coming to terms with June 12’ was fantastic but you failed to profer an alternative object suitable enough to imortalise MKO. You only gave Mr. President a knock for not adhering to what you called due process, you did not tell us if the choice of UNILAG was right or wrong. Sincerely you sounded like a man hiding behind a finger, not wanting to toy with his meal. Dare, please hit the nail on the head and unveil your true identity. Thank you. From Larry

Razaq-Lawal Nigeria is in shackles and manacles of die hard conservatives, so Jonathan is just a dotted white line in the darkest cloud. I take solace in the fact that without any man made recognition and designation, MKO was a story well told, a portrait highly portrayed; he had revered himself in life and death better than any tokenistic gesture. As long as Nigeria continues to exist, MKO with his beauties will continue to be revelant, even like a haunted ghost, will always refuse to be silenced no matter the level of attempt at being despised.

From Akintoye Olaide, Ado Ekiti To what do we ascribe those who fought for MKO Abiola to be elected President, were they anti-democrats? I take exception to those who foist on us the notion that democracy began and ended with him.

The man was fighting for power not democracy. From Nasty,Jos I enjoyed your “Coming to terms with June 12”, but can’t we leave the past and forge ahead? Are we going to posthumously designate Awo too? From Kola.

Naija is simply a theatre of the most absurd. It is simply mindboggling how Shonekan could be a member of Council of State without election or coup. Yet, it shows they know how to pick the worst amongst the Yoruba. From AP Thanks Dr. Dare. On your “Coming to terms with ‘June 12’”, I cannot agree more.

You have said it all, especially to those who felt the renaming belittled the institution. If anything the ‘gift’ smacks of tokenism, MKO deserves more! Fromn Ilom Chukwuji, Lagos Your piece on ‘June 12 and Abiola’ is rich and educating. The only missing link is your failure to cite even a single instance of the kind of consultations you and others of that ilk wanted Mr. President to have done. To do less is to lend credence to the accusation of political motivation the opposing views raise. It is not yet late to educate the public on this vital missing link.

Failure to do so may be taken for consent.

From OldAbbey, Ilorin Your piece on ‘June 12’ was educative, historical, and informative that one wonders whether the like of soyinka thinks before blowing grammar. Jonathan erred on procedure but we should think of the intent objectively rather than reading our subjective meaning and pouring venom.

Afterall those critics are no saints. Personally, I see an average nigerian as egocentric, and destructive. imagine university student naked on lorry-top. it shows what we are-black ape! from balogun. a., ife Re: coming to terms with ‘June 12’. We need to show gratitude or appreciation in the South! Why do we like to behave as if we are the best of the Unionists? If President Jonathan is not performing to our satisfaction, I am pleased with him with his thought and gift on late MKO Abiola Moshood Abiola University, Lagos. How many Heads of governments have passed without anything for Abiola? Even all the AD/AC regime, what did they use to symbolise the late MKO? None. If anybody is ready to protest against renaming UNILAG, count me out. President Jonathan, thank you and thank you. From Lanre Oseni, Lagos

• Charles Taylor

For Tunji Adegboyega It is sad that any Nigerian can write about Charles Taylor’s crimes and atrocities without a mention of the two Nigerian journalists Taylor murdered – Chris Imodibie of The Guardian and Tayo Awotusin of Champion.

From Vincent Ekwurumadu, Owerri.

The conditions that Hosni Mubarak and Charles Taylor find themselves now is clear indication that the days of wicked leaders are over; but it is time for the masses to stop the sit-tight syndrome or I must die in office or my children will replace me attitude in Africa. From Gordon Chika Nnorom.

But will other leaders learn? Good piece but let’s face facts, GEJ is on top of corruption in Nigeria. What with all the scams he is unearthing? Give credit to who deserves it. GEJ shall transform Nigeria to the shame and anger of bad belle people. From Bisong, Umuahia.

There is sense in what the angry piece is saying about Mubarak and Taylor. The two are not one. The Taylors have been in Nigeria since flag independence. The unfortunate thing is that the foreign powers that would have taken them away have been doing brisk business with them. I ask; how many Nigerians will be alive to see the day they will see The Hague since the people cannot come together and fight for justice? From Amos Ejimonye, Kaduna.

Tunji, it is more than likely our leaders in Africa will continue to commit the same blunders and atrocities that Taylor and Mubarak committed and are paying for, after all, we have had examples before. Even when the law had not caught up with past corrupt leaders, so many have died in ignominy, usually in forced exile. Some have been executed even. These have not served as a deterrent.

So, why will Hosni Mubarak and Charles Taylor teach any lessons? Someone once said that the greatest lesson history teaches is that we never learn from the lessons of history.

From Mazino Obaro Ikime.

To answer your question, if other leaders will learn, African leaders will never learn.

We have one right with us. Thanks. From Valentine Ojo, Maitama, Abuja.

Tunji, you must be a coward to use Abacha’s name and left IBB’s name out on the murder of Nigerians over June 12. From Harris.

The fact unbeknown to Nigerians is that the country is at war waged upon it by the “leaders” with themselves as accomplices for choosing to remain docile. No doubt there is genocidal war going on in Nigeria, with the most potent weapon in use being corruption.

When the time comes, we shall find out that corruption is responsible for the Dana crash, for, someone must have compromised to cut corners for a mess of porridge. We make noise when it is air disaster; but the sad facts are that more people are killed in road accidents; by inadequate healthcare system, government-induced hunger, poverty-induced hypertension, bad standard of living due to nonprovision of basic living infrastructure.

Anonymous.

HEALTH

TOOLS

FACILITY

Research council stresses fruit intake

Govt donates maize threshers

Community celebrates heart-tracking device

Kwara

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Kaduna

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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Anambra

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Page 25

Email: news_extra@yahoo.com

We want basic amenities, not court, say villagers in FCT

R •Mrs Omowole, hands out gift items to villagers

ESIDENTS of Gbau-Kushi, a village in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have expressed their preference for basic amenities that will enhance their well-being, rather than a customary court built in their community.

The village located behind the AMAC Housing Estate in Lugbe, Abuja, lacks every basic amenity but boasts, instead, of an impressive customary court.

The village contrasts sharply

By Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu

with the comforts of AMAC Estate, and even more so with the opulence of the seat of power.

It lacks potable water and could not has no health clinic of any kind, nor electricity. Sanitary conditions are poor.

Maternal death in the village is almost a daily occurrence, while the issue of teenage mothers have long seized to be a surprise.

But a customary court has been built in the village to the cold comfort of its residents.

A non-governmental organisation, Mothers of Charity, was just surprised to see the gigantic court building in the village.

To commemorate the Children’s Day and Democracy Day, the NGO visited Gbau-Kushi to felicitate with the villagers and consider ways of improving •Continued on Page 26

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HE Emirate of Daura in Katsina State has registered its warm impressions of the administration of Governor Ibrahim Shema.

His Royal Highness Umar Farouk Umar, the Emir of Daura, applauded the quality of leadership and gains recorded in education, agriculture, human capital development, security and infrastructure under the Shema administration.

The Emir also honured the governor with the Sarkin Yakin Hausa title, which was originally reserved for warriors. But in confering the title, the Emir was convinced that Shema was a worthy recipient, having changed the profile of the state in his five years at the helms.

The conferment was marked by the traditional turbaning ceremony, which attracted a wide range of people from the state and beyond.

Many traditional rulers turned up for the event, including an Emir from Niger Republic. Business mogul, Aliko Dangote was there.

So were representatives of the governors of Kaduna, Kano and Niger states.

Others present were members of Shema’s cabinet as well as Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Yau Umar GwojoGwojo and his colleagues.

The Emir of Daura who was the chief host, beamed with a smile, as did the newly installed Sarkin Yakin Hausa.

Royal performers, sundry melody makers and dancers kept the audience in good spirits.

The Daura monarch thanked the Daura people for their constant support.

Umar said: “Governor Shema (CON) in his untiring effort has brought contentment to leadership, peaceful co-existence among the people and development to Katsina state”.

“The title of Sarkin Yakin Hausa is enviable and is meant only to those warriors that have rendered selfless service to humanity in ancient days which is now being given to Governor Ibrahim Shema, having satisfied the re-

•Governor Shema rides the horse to the Daura countryside

Emirate hails growth in Katsina From Idris Isah, Katsina

quirements.

“Governor Shema through good conduct, hard work and sincerity, has brought development to every nook and cranny of Katsina State and Daura Emirate.

“Therefore after due consultations with my chiefs in Daura Emirate, the chiefs of seven traditional Hausa states and my family, I hereby today confer on Governor Ibrahim Shema (CON) the title of Sarkin Yakin Hausa, the first to be so honoured with the title in the Emirate.”

In time, Shema descended from the

Shema conferred with title rostrum to mount his horse, whereupon the crowd broke into loud cheers. He rode to the countryside.

Admirers who spoke to Newsextra praised Governor Shema for a well deserved honour.

Senior Special Assistant on Diplomatic and Society Relations, Hon. Salisu Sada Ruma said: “The turbaning of Governor Ibrahim Shema as the first Sarkin Yakin Hausa in the history of Daura Emirate has gone a long way to explain the high quality of transparent leadership,

selfless service and care for the people of Katsina State.”

“This leadership of Sarkin Yakin Hausa, as we know, goes with the highest responsibility of advising the Emirate on how the Hausa as a race can make progress, how sincerity of the Hausa man can increase, how peaceful co-existence among the people can be advanced.

“More so, Sarkin Yakin Hausa is to seek how to bring the Hausa race to the front burner and how to improve peoples’ welfare and achieve

holistic development for the Hausa people and the Emirate. On our own part, we will continue to support Sarkin Yakin Hausa in rendering selfless service to the people more than he has ever done”.

The Chief of Staff to the governor, Hon. Yusuf Majigiri said the conferment of the title is one of the greatest blessings and honours done not just to the governor but to the people of Katsina State.

“Governor Shema has gone beyond being governor of Katsina State [to being] national leader •Continued on Page 26

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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Emir hails growth in Katsina •Continued from Page 25 whose love and developmental zeal transcend Katsina State”.

“Katsina, the ancient centre of learning and peace has the reputation of producing caring leaders, leaders that know what people want and Governor Ibrahim Shema has become one of the symbol of that leadership”.

The Special Assistant on Press Affairs, Alhaji Lawal Ahmed Matazu said Governor Ibrahim deserved the title of Sarkin Yakin Hausa, noting that his hard work and sincerity have won him similar honours in the past.

“Naturally, when somebody is giving his best, he needs some encouragement and I think this kind of honour definitely will ginger him to do more than he has been doing,” he said.

“There is no gainsaying that his achievements in Katsina State are all over the place in every sector including education, agriculture, health care delivering, youth development and infrastructural development, among others.

Alhaji Ahmed Marafa from Zamfara State said: “I am elated to be part of the success story of Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State as he is turbaned today. I appreciate him and I pray other northern gov-

ernors emulate him and we from other states gathering here today hope to benefit from his success in the near future.”

A politician from Kano State, Alhaji Aminu Dan Agundi said: [Shema’s] “turbaning by the Emir of Daura today is a testimony to his leadership qualities and we came in solidarity with him, to witness the honour being bestowed on him and may God continued to lead him as he tries to do more for his people.”

Shema expressed joy for the recognition and honour.

“My belief is that nothing happens that is not predestined by Almighty Allah and is known only to Him...I have always said from the beginning of my campaign days since 2007 to date that politics should be viewed as a vehicle for service, service to humanity, service to the people of this nation and service to our dear country Nigeria”.

“On the issue of development in Katsina State, in the past five years things are on the ground for people to see. Whenever we talk of development, education is our number one priority, then agriculture, human capital development, resource and mineral development, youth empowerment and job creation in all the areas of governance and human activities.

Whenever we talk of development, education is our number one priority, then agriculture, human capital development, resource and mineral development, youth empowerment and job creation in all the areas of governance and human activities •Continued from Page 25 their lot.

In her speech, the coordinator of the NGO, Mrs Ifeyinwa Omowole, hoped that someday the villagers would feel the presence of government in the community.

She said the issue of mothers dying continuously just to bring a new life into the world was indeed heartbreaking.

She, however, said the NGO would liaise with the relevant government agency to ensure that a primary health care centre is built in the village.

Omowole said there was no reason why a village that was so close to the city centre would lack such

•Katsina Deputy Governor, Mr Abdullahi Garba Faskari (right), with Emir of Daura, HRH Umar Farouk Umar and other dignitaries at the event “This administration has tried hard must be on deck and we did our best. processing among others things” to make sure we make a difference “In youth development, we set up “In the field of education, the adin the lives of our people and you ministration has never left any stone Youth Craft Village which is traincan see the impact if you go through unturned because education no ing about 2,000 youth annually in the length and breath of Katsina doubt provides a society, a commu- different fields including computer State”. nity, a local government, state and maintenance and repairs, telephone “Administration at the local gov- the nation an opportunity to move maintenance and repairs,, auto-meernment, at the state and as a nation forward. chanics, auto-electronics, tye and and even that of your family, is al“In agriculture too, we recently dye, name it. We also have 19 Basic ways a challenge and I am glad the signed an agreement as the first state Skills Acquisition Training centrer challenge in Katsina like anywhere in Nigeria with Songhai farmers in in the local governments for trainin Nigeria, has not been insurmount- Benin Republic and they have al- ing of our youth”. able. ready commenced farming opera“We discover large deposits of “We realised that the issue of pov- tions in three different sites: in Funtua kaolin in the state, so we have set up erty, unemployment, infrastructural at Maru Dam site and in Daura at two cottage industries in each local decay that requires attention, the is- Sabke dam site, also in Katsina at government for production of paint sue of educational standard that re- Zobe Dam. We will also try to build and chalk and they are employing 50 quired uplifting, agriculture and live- capacity, train youths in modern ag- youths in each local government. We stock and security and all that re- riculture, expand productivity of our have constructed about 38 major quires attention means all hands farmers and introduce agro-allied roads across the state.”

We want basic amenities, not court, say villagers in FCT important amenities as primary health centre and potable water.

She said further that the NGO would also liaise with other NGOs as well as government organisations to ensure there was potable water in the village and also train the women and youths to acquire different skills.

On the issue of teenage motherhood and child labour, Omowole appealed to the chief of the village to address the situation, adding that under-aged pregnancy could lead to serious diseases.

The community leader, Mallam Ibrahim Bawa who was full of

praises for the NGO, said the village was in urgent need of a health care facility.

He confirmed that a lot of women died at childbirth in the community, while the children also die as a result of minor illnesses, due to ignorance and lack of health care facility.

He lamented that in the past several promises were made to the community without results, and prayed that the visit of the NGO would not be one in the series of empty promises.

He thanked the NGO for the food, drinks, clothes and other materials, which it brought for the villagers,

praying that God would bless and provide for the organisation.

Also, Pastor Idowu Aderemi of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in the village thanked the Mothers of Charity, for coming to the village at the request of the church.

He expressed hope that with the citing of the church in the village, light would come to the people of the village not only spiritually but also in terms of basic amenities and infrastructure.

The Mothers of Charity expressed surprise at the presence of a gigantic building in the heart of the village, built to house the customary

court, even in the absence of a primary health centre.

Omowole wondered how politicians still find their way to the village to campaign for elections leaving the villagers with a big basket of empty promises, only to return in another four years with yet a bigger basket of imaginary dividends of democracy.

“As Nigeria celebrates Democracy Day, there is thus need for inter-agency collaboration and for government officials as well as the FCT administration to come to the aid of not only Gbau-Kushi village, but also other villages around the FCT.

Omowole wondered how politicians still find their way to the village to campaign for elections, leaving the villagers with a big basket of empty promises, only to return in another four years with yet a bigger basket of imaginary dividends of democracy

•The customary court

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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Research Council stresses fruit intake

T

HE Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) and Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN), Kwara State, has stressed the importance of regular intake of fresh fruit.

Speaking at a-one day training workshop on fruit production and processing by the state branch of RMRDC, Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed said regular consumption of fruit juice would enhance optimal functioning of the body chemistry.

Ahmed who was represented by the state Commissioner for Industries and Solid Minerals, Mallam Umar Aliyu said that “now we are concerned with the health benefits of juice than a sunny start to our day.”

His words: “Health improvement can only be done by drinking fruit juice than conventional soft drinks.

Disease such as obesity, especially among children, is partly due to the high consumption of conventional soft drinks. The ultimate solution is to avoid conventional soft drinks replacing them with fruit juice.

“Kwara state’s unique climatic condition between the high forest of south and the savannah of the north gives the state the potentials

T

HE Chairman of Oriade Local Council Development Area Hon. Ibrahim Tunde Sanusi has said Nigeria must provide quality education for children if it must have a secure future.

He therefore advised parents, guardians and teachers to “show great commitment to the education of their children and wards.”

Sanusi gave the advice at this year’s Children’s Day celebration held at Ijegun-Egba Nursery and Primary School.

Represented by the Vice-Chairman of the council Hon. Gbolahan Dauda, he said the Children’s Day celebration is organised annually in appreciation of the important place children and youths occupy in the country’s search for greatness.

He advised children to avoid being misled into any form of violent activity against constituted authority, assuring that both the council and Lagos State Government are committed to providing quality education for all children of school age.

The council chief added that for a special day to be set aside to celebrate them indicates that they occupy a prime position in any country’s development, adding that any

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

to produce crops like cocoa, kola nuts, oil palm, sugarcane, yam, cassava, plantain, maize, guinea corn, millet, rice, beans and cowpeas.

“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to private investors to take advantage of this workshop to equip themselves on necessary knowledge towards investment in fruit processing and production.”

In a remark, the President, MAN, Kwara state branch, Princess Lola Olobayo listed advantages inherent in fresh fruit juice in-takes, saying that “drinking fresh fruit is wellknown method to bring the necessary vitamins and minerals to the body.”

Olobayo added that “when we cook food, the micro nutrients found in the fresh products are being destroyed. If our diet is rich in organic fruits and vegetables, which is being promoted abroad now, and we consume daily the right quantity of micro-nutrients, we will have a healthier, happier and more productive body to live a better life.

“With the possibility of reducing the risk of having all sorts of illnesses/diseases; another benefit of

•From left: President, Manufactural Association of Nigeria, Princess Lola Olabayo; representing the DG, Prof.

Azikiwe Peter Onwualu and CEO, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Mrs Angela Uboh; Kwara State Commissioner for Industry and Solid Minerals, Mallam Umar Bayiwa Aliu who stood in for the State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his Permanent Secretary, Mrs Bose Orunmuyi, at the workshop fresh fruit is that it is easier to digest, so as to eradicate the issue of indigestion. Fresh fruit intake is associated with reduced risk of many cancer types, a good example is lemon which prevents breast can-

cer, Kiwi also helps to build blood sugar level, pumpkin juice is great for people with heart diseases, kidney and liver diseases.

“Water-melon helps to build up iron and treatment of cold espe-

cially as we grow older, fresh fruit helps to retain our build. It can reduce the level of cholesterol and also the heart pressure. Grape juice has also anti bacterial, laxative, diuretic effects on our body.”

‘Show commitment to children’s education’

By Chinaka Okoro

society that is not committed to the physical, social and mental development of its young ones is preparing for its disastrous future.

He said: “Our children need peace, love, care and healthy and serene environment. They also need adequate healthcare, good nutrition and protection from killer diseases for appropriate physical and mental growth. Over and above these, they need quality education which is catalyst for societal development.”

Continuing, Hon. Sanusi said: “It is in recognition of the above that the Oriade LCDA has made frantic efforts towards improving its education sub-sector. For instance, the council has rehabilitated several blocks of classrooms at almost all the primary and secondary schools in the council area. This aimed at providing environment conducive enough to teaching and learning.

“It has purchased and distributed text and exercise books, provided bursary awards to indigents but brilliant students and had provided

magnetic boards for all public primary schools,” he stated.

He also said that the council has made tremendous progress in the areas of health, infrastructural development and campaigns on the need for healthy environment.

He pledged that the council will continue to focus on policies that will enhance the welfare of the people, especially those that affect children.

Expressing delight in the success of the day’s event, the Head of Department Education at the council Mrs Sherifat Anifowose said that unlike last year’s celebration which was marred by heavy rain, the weather was clement which allowed the children to enjoy themselves. She said the Oriade LCDA is making frantic efforts towards improving the education sub-sector, even as she pledged her department’s commitment to ensuring that the attained standard does not decline.

In her speech, the chairperson of Association of Public Schools Heads of Nigeria Amuwo/Oriade wing Mrs Elizabeth Olufunke Daso

thanked the council chairman for his commitment to enhancement of education in the area. She urged the pupils to “read your books and be committed to your academic careers so that you would excel in all your examinations.”

She frowned at the practice of parents not allowing their children to finish primary six before they gain admission into secondary schools.

Reminding parents that age is not a barrier to education, Mrs Daso urged them to “give children the solid foundation on which secondary schools will build. Do not take them to secondary schools from Primary Four or Five. By so doing, we are contributing to the falling standard of education in Nigeria.”

Despite the intense sunshine, the pupils were cheerful as they exuded joy in celebrating a day earmarked for them. They marched, danced and played in the heat.

More than 26 primary and secondary schools participated in the march-past, choreography, and cultural display which were features of the celebration.

At the primary category, Local Authority Primary School Kirikiri 11, Oyewole Nursery/Primary School, and LASA United Primary School Ibesa Town came first, second and third respectively in the march-past exercise while Satellite

Town Senior Secondary School, Navy Town Junior Secondary School and Ivory Senior Secondary School took first, second and third positions respectively in the march-past involving secondary schools.

In choreography, LEADS Group of Schools, Oyewole Nursery/Primary School and Navy Town Primary School came first, second and third respectively.

Some of the pupils who spoke to Newsextra on the significance of the day expressed their worries over some inhibiting factors to children’s development. They wished life could be a bit simpler and easier.

They also wished that they could have all their rights enforced.

For Miss Mary Micah of Jakande Nursery/Primary School 1, Nigerian children are deprived of their rights. She was more concerned about the plight of pupils from poor homes and government’s lack of commitment to address their situation.

“Government has not done much for children. Those from poor homes find it very difficult to go to school because their parents could not pay their fees. Government should provide every child the opportunity of getting good education since they say we are leaders of tomorrow,” she pleaded.

Government should ensure that the future of the leaders of tomorrow is secure. It should also ensure that children are not exposed to the current grave insecurity in the country. Government should nip in the bud any situation that would endanger the future of children

•Hon. Dauda in a handshake with a pupil

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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150 cataract patients get free eye surgery

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•From left: Sen. Olorunimbe Mamora; Mr Innocent Okuwosa; Mrs Comfort Eyitayo; Mr Adedoyin Idowu Owolabi, the new Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) president and Mr Chidi Ajaegbu; 1st Deputy president at a reception in honour of Mr PHOTO: RAHMAN SANUSI Owolabi at the airport Hotel, Ikeja-Lagos

Parley on new electricity tariff

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PUBLICITY campaign parley jointly organised in Badagry, Lagos by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has urged consumers to co-operate with the government on the new electricity tariff.

The meeting held at the Conference Hall of Badagry LGA, was attended by the representatives of NERC, NOA and Community Development Associations (CDAs) discussing poor power supply in the area.

The representatives of the CDAs protested the introduction of new tariff, saying “there is no justification as power supply is epileptic”.

But Mr. Adewale Onifade , Business Manager, Agbara/Badagry Unit of the Power Holding

Company of Nigeria (PHCN) appealed to the residents to co-operate with the government in its bid to reform the energy sector.

“Just like what happened when former President Olusegun Obasanjo privatised the telecommunication sector which now makes it affordable for the common people to use the telephone, the same thing will happen to the energy sector with the new reforms,” he said.

He urged residents owing up to N25,000 to pay up or negotiate payment terms.

The business manager who said that transformer and meter installation are free, however, said payment would be made for connection.Corrupt PHCN officials, he said would be sacked.

BOUNT 150 cataract patients have benefited from free surgery as part of activities to mark the 70th birthday of former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.

The surgery which was held at the IBB Specialists’ Hospital Minna was coordinated by Dr Amina Abubakar, daughter to the former Nigerian leader.

She told the patients that the free surgery was offered to indigent patients by the Abdulsalami family to enhance access to healthcare services to the needy.

“We want to show appreciation to Almighty Allah for the good health bestowed on our father, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, who will clock 70 years on Wednesday, by assisting the less fortunate members of the society.

“Cataract is a treatable eye disease, but ignorance and poverty had resulted in those affected by it going through diffi-

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HE Borno State government said that it planned to make the state the world’s largest exporter of Gum Arabic soon.

Alhaji Hassan Mustapha, the Commissioner for Environment, made the plan known in an interview with journalists in Maiduguri.

Mustapha explained that the plan was part of the government’s policy to harness the full potential of the state.

He said the Ministry of Environment had raised 20 million assorted seedlings of the plant for planting toward the attainment of the target.

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“Our ultimate target is to become the world’s largest exporter of gum Arabic in the next few years. We believe we have all it takes to attain the goal because of our numerous potential.

“Already, more than 20 million seedlings have been raised across the state for planting during the rainy season,’’ Mustapha said.

He said that apart from Gun Arabic, the ministry had also acquired different seeds, including

•Governor Aliyu Babangida tioned to provide “excellent medical services at affordable rate”, adding “we are presently providing dialysis service to the public in order to curb the penchant for foreign trips for medical treatment

Acacia Senegal and other economic trees for planting across the state.

“Sudan is currently the world’s largest exporter of gum Arabic.

“We believe we should be able to overtake Sudan as the largest exporter of the commodity going by our strategies and plans,’’ Mustapha said.

WARE Local Government Council in Sokoto State has spent more than N119 million on the construction of various capital projects in the last nine months, its Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Zamau, has said.

Zamau told journalists in Sokoto that the council had also paid N77.2 million to various contractors handling the projects.

He said the projects included roads construction, provision of healthcare facilities and construction of Ismaliya schools and mosques across the area.

The chairman explained that three rural feeder roads and 43 mosques were also constructed while 18 cemeteries were fenced in different parts of the area.

Zamau said the council embarked on the projects to improve on the standard of living of the dwellers irrespective of political party differences.

He said that more development programmes had been initiated for implementation in all parts of the local government area.

Zamau called for support from the people by living in peace to ensure rapid development.

Kwara to encourage cocoa production

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Church holds programme

•From left: Managing Director, BD Consult, Mr. Tola Bademosi; Chief Operating Officer, The La Casera Company Limited, Mr. Prahlad Gangadharan; General Manager-Marketing, Mr. Dave van Rensburg during the launch in Lagos

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OVERNOR AbdulFatah Ahmed of Kwara State has called on the Chairman of Cocoa Producing Local Governments in the state to encourage massive cocoa production among the farmers.

Ahmed made the call during a courtesy visit by the Executive members of the Kwara State chapter of Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN).

The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr Peter Kisira, described cocoa farming as a lucrative business that could turn the economy of the state around.

He advised CFAN and cocoa producing local governments to join hands together and aggressively work towards ensuring the expansion of cocoa production in the state.

Ahmed also appealed to the association to, as a matter of priority, encourage the young

exciting stories for a chance to win great prizes.

According to him, consumers will have the chance to participate in special radio hypes on the La Casera®‘Apple Story’ during select popular Radio Phone-in programmes on leading Radio stations in key cities in Nigeria for a period of four weeks.

Rensburg added that a prize will be given out daily on each radio station to the consumer with the most exciting story while the three overall most interesting stories will be selected for grand prizes at the end of the four-week duration of the hypes.

KINGS in Christ Power Ministries International will hold a four-day deliverance programme from Thursday, July 5 to Sunday July 8. The theme is: This pot of God is mine.

The programme takes place at 18/20, Osolo Way by 7/8 Bus-Stop, Ajao Estate, Lagos by 8am on Thursday with a vigil on Friday (from 10pm) and the grand finale on Sunday at 8.30am. The General Overseer of the church Rev. Chidi Anthony said the programme would set free everyone that attends.

Sokoto

Borno may become largest exporter of Gum Arabic Borno

Firm evolves marketing strategy ACASERA Company Limited has introduced a new campaign, tagged, ‘Apple Story Thematic Campaign’ as part of efforts to enhance interaction between the brand and its consumers.

The campaign, anchored on a rhetorical question, “What’s your apple story?”, encourages consumers to share personal and exciting apple stories for a chance to win great prizes.

Speaking during a media boat cruise for the inauguaration of the campaign in Lagos, the Chief Operating Officer of the company, Mr. Prahlad Gangadharan, explained that the objective of the campaign was to promote the existing connection between the brand and the consumers in exciting ways.

Gangadhran added that the campaign was in furtherance of the company’s 10th year anniversary celebration pivoted on three intrinsic values that include fun, excitement and energy, the major brand offerings of the apple drink.

He said: “The apple thematic campaign for La Casera is a continuation of our 10th year anniversary and it is another means La Casera is connecting with its numerous consumers. What is your apple story? The story of La Casera is that of fun, energy and refreshment.

Also speaking at the event, the General Manager Marketing, Mr. Dave van Rensburg, described the campaign as an exciting and expandable platform that will build an emotional connection with the consumers by encouraging them to participate by sharing personal and

Local govt spends N119m on projects

Niger cult times as they could not afford to pay for the surgery, hence the reason for our intervention“, she said.

She said the family had last year sponsored corrective surgery for cleft patients and others with various eye ailments.

Abubakar praised the medical doctors and other health personnel involved in the surgery as well as the state government, for collaborating to ensure the success of the exercise.

Also speaking, the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Mohammed Makun-Sidi, commended the former Head of State for the humanitarian gesture.

He said the hospital and its staff would continue to partner with him and other well meaning Nigerians in providing health services to the people.

He assured that the hospital had been re-posi-

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Kwara ones in cocoa farming to see it as a means of livelihood.

He assured the association of the government’s support and assistance whenever the need arose.

Earlier, Alhaji Mohammed Issa, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, said that CFAN was in the Governor’s office to intimate government on its efforts to expand cocoa production in the state.

Also, the Secretary of CFAN, Elder Olagunju Aina, said the association was striving hard to boost cocoa production in the state.

Kaduna donates maize threshers •From left: The Vice-President Ladipo Market Mr Ultimate Durueze, Hon. Adepitan, Chief Animalu and the Area Commander Area ‘D’ Mr Uwem at the inauguration of the Akinwunmi/ Odo/Ladipo road link bridge,Mushin,Lagos

Council seeks partnership with traders NE of the best ways to bring rapid growth and development to communities is for well meaning individuals to partner with governments in order to fast track infrastructural growth’.

These were the words of the Executive Chairman of Mushin Local Government Hon. Olatunde Adepitan, at the commissioning of Akinwunmi/Odo Link bridge in Ladipo Auto Spare Part Market recently.

Adepitan expressed his happiness with the leadership of the umbrella body of all the traders in the market, promising to encourage more of such partnership.

The bridge which links Limca/Odo/ Ladipo road has been damaged for years until Hon. Ikechukwu Animalu became the president-general of Ladipo market and in partnership with the local government, the link bridge has been completed and commissioned for use.

Speaking at the event, Adepitan charged the traders to use their strength to fast track rapid growth of the community in the area of road construction, security, waste management and others. He promised to work closely with market leaders that are prepared to promote peace and unity. He called on all the traders in the market whether Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa to promote peaceful co-existence, pay all legal rates and avoid any act of hooliganism.

“O

He advised them to stay away from the roads, in order to allow for free flow of traffic.

Briefly

Union gives welfare package AS part of efforts to cater for the welfare of the members of staff of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, (OAGF), Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), OAGF Unit, Federal Branch, Abuja, has given out essential commodities to its members at grossly subsidised prices.

The essential consumable commodities such as packs of sphagetti, macaroni, indomie, sugar, semovita, salt and milk were given to the staff for the first time in the history of the union and the OAGF. Chairman of the union, Mr. Orisamuyiwa Oladele, said the reason behind the exercise is not only to fulfill his one of his promises during campaign for the election but to show his concern with the well being of the staff. He praised the Accountant General of the Federation, AGF, Mr. Jonah Otunla for his exemplary leadership, which has enhanced good labour/management relationship.

Like Oliver Twist, one of the beneficiaries, Mr. Godwin Adadu, wants more of the welfare packages from the union in the future.

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HE Kaduna State Agricultural Development Project (KADP)has donated 18 maize threshers to nine communities in the state.

Malam Ahmed Abubakar,the KADP Gubuchi Site Manager said this in a statement in Zaria, Kaduna state. The KADP is under the National Programme for Food Security in the state Abubakar said that the threshers were to encourage small scale farmers across the state for enhanced food security.

“Each participating community will get two units of the machines,’’ the statement quoted him as saying.

He urged the beneficiaries to make proper

Kaduna use of the machines to improve their lots to justify the confidence reposed in them.

Abubakar observed that the essence of the machine was to cut down drudgery and hard labour during harvest.

Mallam Yakubu Bello, who responded on behalf of other beneficiaries, lauded the state government for the gesture and assured of maximum utilisation of the machines.

The beneficiaries included farmers’ groups at Gubuchi, Likoro, Turuwa, Ungwar Kanawa, Buruku, Iri station, Jagindi, Karshin-Daji and Fadan-Atakar.

` • Education Secretary, Ifako-Ijaiye Local Education Authority, Com. Taiwo Balogun (second right) with the staff of the council cleaning the environment during the last sanitation exercise PHOTO: BOLA OMILABU

Residents seek governor’s intervention

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ESIDENTS of Ilado-odo Inagbe Island area of Lagos state have called on Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola to intervene in the chieftaincy title given to a non indigene of the village to avoid blood shed in the area.

The residents made the appeal while protesting their grievances on the outcome of the court on the issue of the rightful traditional ruler in the village.

The present ruler of the village Prince Adisa Agunbiade Aberuagba said the people who are coming from nowhere to claim chieftaincy title in the village have nothing to show that they are true indigene of the area.

According to him “Those who are fighting to become the traditional leader here have no house in this vilage, they have no family here, they have no land here, and people can not even identify them here. We are surprised that the court pronounced them as the land owner but we have appealled against the judgement of the court. We want the governor of Lagos state to help us see to the case and ensure that truth prevail.

“Meanwhile, I have been the elected traditional

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graduates. This is the only way to address security challenge facing this country. The Federal Government should provide at least 1 million jobs”.

The forum said the reform agenda of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan should be supported by all patriotic citizens of this country. The forum also urged the Federal Government to ensure improvement in the education sector in the interest of the future of the nation.

It also called for the sack of lazy ministers. The ex-NANS Presidents and other stakeholders however passed a vote of confidence on Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Bello Adoke.

leader of this village for the past 18 years, so how could somebody come from nowhere and claim the chieftaincy title of this village? I want justice and I know that it will surely prevail on this mater.

“The most annoying thing here is that they see the truth but they could not address it. We are now calling on the Lagos state governor to come and help us out of the problem so as to avoid blood shed in the area.

“Because we even heard that they are planning to use some hoodlums to come and invade the area. Those people have been grooming their thugs in CMS area of the state, but if they dare it, that may resulte to another crisis in this area and that is why we are calling on the government to come to our aid to avoid more causality in Lagos.

In his own contribution the youth leader of the village Ayodeji Sanusi said the State governor should come and rescue them from the people who are planning to invade the area before the issue becomes tragedy. He said the youth are ready for any face off that comes up as a result the issue.

NOA cautions electricity consumers

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HE Director, National Orientation Agency, Lagos State (NOA), Mr. Waheed Ishola has said the improper use of electricity by consumers are responsible for some of the problems working against the smooth running of the operation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

Islola made this known recently at a Public Enlightenment Campaign organised by NOA in collaboration with National Electricity Regulation Commission at the Mushin Local Government, Lagos.

He said: “There is electricity in the country but people are not properly taxed, some people leave the light on even when it is not in use.

Some leave their appliances on when they are leaving home making the power that would have been conserved wasted.”

The Lagos State NOA director maintained that given the new electricity regime those who leave their appliances on when not in use will have to pay for them, people should learn to

Forum seeks one million jobs AST Presidents of the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) and students’ union leaders have called on governments at all levels to create jobs for unemployed graduates as a panacea to the problem of insecurity.

In a communiqué issued after a Special Leadership and Evaluation Meeting in Lagos, signed by two past presidents of NANS, Mr. Etuk Bassey Williams and Mr. Yemi Success, the forum urged the Federal Government to address the security challenge facing the nation by creating at least 1million jobs.

The communiqué said: “We call on the federal, state and local governments across the country to make sure that they create jobs for Nigerian teeming youths, especially the

By Jeremiah Oke

•Participants at the event

By Musa Odoshimokhe

conserve light. “It is going to be a regime of pay as you go, just like what is obtained in the telephone sector.”

Speaking at the occasion, the Chief Executive Officer of the Eko Distribution, Mr Oladele Amoda, noted that in the last two years since the emergence of the distribution companies, efforts have been made to put the sector in good stead.

“We have been constructing lines, sub-stations, replacing obsolete equipment and distributing transformers. These are attempts to put the necessary facilities on ground before the companies are unbundled.”

He stated that the workers of the distribution companies have been given the necessary orientation on how to deal with customers because things have changed and must embrace the new culture in customer care.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Life

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Text only: 08023058761

THE DANA AIR PLANE CRASH

Losses••• all the way •70 -year-old widow rendered homeless ‘I am a widow. I don’t have anywhere else to go to. They came, saying they are helping to pack our properties; but we can’t find any of the properties.

They stole all my money I kept inside the rubber. I can’t sleep in this room. I am suffering, please help me’ –SEE PAGE 35

- SEE PAGE 35

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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Nollywood actress Ifeoma Okeke is a woman of many parts. Besides acting, her pet project, Purple Campaign, establishes her as a voice for the abused. In this interview with EVELYN OSAGIE, she speaks about the project.

‘Our culture allows for stigimatisation of the violated’

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HAT is Purple Campaign all about?

Purple Campaign is about campaign against domestic violence, which involves violence against children and youths such as child abuse, molestation, rape, rejection of teenagers due to unwanted pregnancy and human trafficking.

And we are saying that domestic violence is common in the society. It is not something hidden. We hear about it in the media. The campaign is in its second season. The first, which held last June with schools from Amuwo Odofin in attendance, earned me the African Youth Achievers Award. In this year’s edition, we called attention to sexual molestation and some things that can lead to it such as indecent dressing. So, while encouraging decent dressing, aside the seminar, talks, debates and drama, we also had a show by fashion houses.This year, participants came from across the state. Participants of both editions were given certificates of participation.

What group is the campaign targeting?

Most times when we hear of domestic violence, we associate it to a husband beating the wife, but it goes beyond that to child abuse, molestation and so on. And on hearing about rape, you picture a young lady being raped but it goes lower than that. If what we are reading in the media is anything go by, our little ones are going through all sorts of molestations daily. That is why we are starting with the ages of nine and to older ones because these are the ones the adult molest.

What is the cause of domestic violence?

I think it has to do with the environment where people grew up in. It is something that builds up over time; and is nurtured. A girl that was raped as a child, imagine psychological trauma she would grow up with. You cannot imagine the number of people it would affect. A friend’s son was molested when he was six. When she heard of campaign, she connected to it immediately. Without psychological counselling, you can imagine the psychological trauma the child may grow up with. This is what makes victims of molestation vulnerable. He may even take it out on women. Some of these abused children find it difficult to come to say they are abused because they may be stigmatised. Others do not even know that they are been abused. That is why to further drive home the point, we encouraged the pupils to come out with the own scripts campaigning against domestic violence and all forms of molestations. The plays were be supervised by movie directors to bring out the right story lines and create more awareness on issues the campaign is raising. And prizes were awarded for the dramatic presentations by participating schools to encourage them.

This is a different side of the Ify we know on screen. What inspired the project?

I have people that have experiences. A friend of mine was raped when she was nine: she is 45 years old and she is not married. And because of the trauma, she has never gone into any relationship. She is still going through the trauma. But she doesn’t speak about it. She has not really spoken about it because of culture. People who are violated are often stigmatised. It made me think critically about the issue. I have also seen children abused whether as house helps, who are violently battered and abused or those abused by adults or their mates. Sometimes children are even raped in the homes by uncles or aunts or house helps. And in most cases, the mother, who should be the vigilant one, is not. She is busy with work.

If they are not occupied with work; they are being too strict.

And so, they are not able to notice when something changes or is not right with the child. The offshoot of all these is abandoned babies on the streets. Because it is often difficult for people to come out, speak out so that they can get counselling and help, we have decided to be a voice for them.

And the campaign is meant to motivate the youths to speak out. To let them know that it is okay to speak out. And to do

•Ifeoma

ADVOCACY

‘A friend of mine was raped when she was nine: she is 45 years old and she is not married.

And because of the trauma, she has never gone into any relationship. She is still going through the trauma. But she doesn’t speak about it’ that would also need to understand what it entails. That was why we encouraged them to come up with the scripts and dance and in whatever form they can express themselves.

Our desire is to reach as many schools as possible. So that is how it started. We have a lot of celebrities that are ambassadors of the campaign such as Ali Baba, Alimat Abubakar, Caroline Danjuma, Sussane Peters, Alex Ekobo, Brian Okpara, among others. Together we are standing up against all forms of domestic violence and abuse.

Before Purple Campaign, have you been involved in any

charity before?

I do not like saying the things I do, especially when it is charity because I don’t want to take the glory. But I have been involved in the Down Syndrome Foundation Nigeria (DSFN).

I partnered with some of my friends in Nollywood like Tonto Dike that spearheaded a yearly charity shower for the less privileged at Ojez. And what we are saying is that we do not want to eat and make merry in our homes alone. We want to put smiles in the faces of the less-privileged; and sharing with them felt so fulfilling.

Are there other sides of Ify we do not know about?

I am a jolly good fellow. I am a selfless human being. It is all about people. It hurts me sometimes but I can’t change it.

I don’t want to sing my praises but my philosophy is ‘I love people for their flaws’. I don’t judge people. I love people for their flaws and because we are imperfect beings I expect it much from people. I carry people’s cause. It is all about charity.

What part of your growing up inspired the person you have become?

I have a close knitted family. I am from a family of five: I have a sister and others are boys. I am the second child but loved by all. I look like my grandmother. I love my father so much that I can even give my life for him. So, he is my inspiration. Through thick and thin, he was there. The story of how I grew up is the story that has made me who I am today.

It is a story of from grace to grass and grass to grace.

Many have stories about how they came into Nollywood.

What’s your story?

I did not know I would act one day. I have two degrees. I studied nursing and business administration, I also have a professional certificate in marketing and computer science.

They had nothing to do with acting. But aside being in a drama group where we acted in the church, I was a chorister in church and a member of the Legion of Mary in SS Mulumba and David Catholic Church, Lawanson, Lagos. And we usually have our Legion meeting at Nkem Owoh’s office. And he used to taunt me about my sense of humour, saying I should come into professional acting. That was in 1998. That was when I came into the industry. From where I come from, people believe that actors are usually wayward. My aunt was one of them. And since I was staying with her, it was not so easy at the time. But when Owoh and Okey Bakassi were shooting Yogo Pampam, Owoh invited those of us in the Legion. And that was how it all started. The next time I got better roles; and a major character in Moments of Sorrows, Samadora etc.

So, you started without earning a dime?

Nothing! Not even my transport money to that event. A major turning point in my career came at a screening in which Florence Onuma and Theodore Anyanji were in charge.

Onumah said, ‘why are you acting, you should go back to the hospital theatre. That challenged me. I told them both jobs are humanitarian in nature. One is treating you in the hospital and the other you are being treated at home. From there I became Chief of Staff of Actors Guild under Segun Arinze.

From nothing you started earning thousands and perhaps millions?

No, I have not started earning millions. In the industry, we have not started earning what we deserve. If the government can support the industry, I am sure things would change for the better.

Why do you like playing funny roles?

I think the directors feel I am good at it. I have also played strong and serious roles.

What lessons have you learnt from those roles?

I have learnt all kinds of life’s lessons from each. As actors get into their characters, they also feel what they feel.

Presidential museum ‘not to worship leaders’

T •Usman

HE Director-General of the National Commission for Museum and Monuments (NCMM), Malam Yusuf Abdallah Usman, has said the proposed Presidential Museum is not intended to worship past leaders.

He urged Nigerians to see the museum as an inspiration to the younger generation.

“Nigerians will have a place where we remember our heroes that have provided a road map that can keep us in perspective the different leaders that we have and we shall be able to get our heroes. “ It has always been said that we are a people without heroes, now with this presidential museum we can document and show clearly the contribution of these leaders,“ he said.

He said Nigerians would be in position to show who did what and how that leader made a difference in the lives of Nigerians so that true heroes could emerge.

The director-general said the commission was pleased with the pronouncement of the President on the building of a museum in his May 29 Democracy Day speech to the country.

He said the pronouncement came when the country was looking for ways of projecting the image of its leaders. ‘’We are excited ,very happy and pleased that the president

is making this pronouncement at a time when we are looking at ways and means of projecting the image of our leaders and documenting our history and making it available for study and enjoyment’’ He said the museum would serve as a functional facility that could serve as a tribute to the country’s past and present leaders where their works and contributions would be documented.

According to him, it will enable the country to showcase the works of the leaders, so that the people will no doubt appreciate their contributions to the country.

He said the museum would “conceptualise, design and put together a comprehensive exhibition that will capture the essence and values of true leadership and promote it into a solemn temple for reflection and appreciation by all’’.

According to him, the museum is going to provide Nigeria a place where they can reflect on what is true leadership and how they can help in building what is true leadership on the roles of individuals as the country leader He added that it would help to put in perspectives the different leaders that emerged in the country, stating that the country would be able to know her heroes and know who did what.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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Can reading boost books sales?

With the President and some governors reading to pupils, there is hope that the practice may translate to more revenue for authors. EVELYN OSAGIE writes.

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UTHORS may soon begin to smile to the banks if the government shows more commitment to its reading campaign, Bring Back the Book,

launched in 2010 funfair.

At the event, President Goodluck Jonathan, who also presented his book entitled: My Friends and I, said the campaign was meant “to promote a reading culture and accountable governance.”

But, two years after, authors are left to battle with low sales, illiteracy rate and piracy. Yet, they are not the only ones affected. As award-winning writer Tolu Ogunlesi observed: “The objectives of Bring Back the Book project might not be achieved because of neglect the publishing industry has faced”.

He noted that reading culture, extends beyond the availability of books or the existence of a flourishing culture of book production and distribution. “At the root of the matter are two basic issues: economy, and literacy. In a country where more than half of the population is estimated to live below the poverty line, and where a paperback will consume a chunk of the average monthly income, book-buying remains a luxury, and piracy a major problem.”

And the low level of literacy has worsened the fallen standard of education.

Hence, the former President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Odia Ofeimun, said: “You cannot be talking about bringing back the book if there is no literacy in the country, adding: “we have an educational system, which gives poor education to poor people,” which subsequently keeps them poor and unmobilisable. The derailment of public education, the dearth of libraries in schools and local governments, and the fall in the bookshop culture, he said, has consequently lead to poor results in the West African Examinations Council.

But can the trend change? Critics are of the view that it can. “If the government commits policies and funds on projects that would boost literacy and the standard of education,” says ANA Lagos chair, activist Daggar Tolar, “It must not conduct itself as NGO, but encourage and commit policies and funds to NGOs committed to promoting literacy and literary projects. This will also go a long way to affect the general reading culture.”

Also, others believe that if dignitaries, especially top public office holders/ governors in the country should borrow a leaf from their Rivers and Lagos states’ counterparts, who are passionate about the campaign that the trend might begin to change. They have gone a step further in taking the campaigns to schools, reading with the children with the mind of igniting the reading culture in them. “This trend would affect the reading culture positively,” says ANA Rivers State chair, Obinna Nwodim.

“Imagine, having a governor read to you as a child. Indeed, such an experience would not only ignite the reading appetite of any child, but also leave behind a mark for life,” a professor once said. That was the scenario that played out the day Governor Rotimi Amaechi visited as guest teacher and marked his birthday with pupils at the State School Mgbuitanwo, Rivers State, on Children’s Day, which fell on the same day.

They will not forget the experience in a

BOOK hurry as he read to them from Gabriel Okara’s book entitled: Little Snake and Little Frog. The book narrates the friendship between the little snake and the little frog and how it was shattered due to the deceptive nature of beings.

The session was handled by the founder of the Rainbow Book Club and organisers of the Rivers State Reads campaign, Mrs Koko Kalango. When asked what they thought of the story, the children, many not more than 10 years old, were said to have responded, saying they learnt the importance of obeying their parents. And the governor shared his understanding of the story, saying it was about conflict and survival which was not necessarily a bad thing, pointing out, for instance, that the snake needs to eat to survive just like the frog wouldn’t play with food if it were hungry.

Motivated by the reading, children took on the governor in an interactive session, asking him: “Did you ever dream of being a governor? Do you like being a governor? Why did you decide to celebrate your birthday with us?”, among others.

Impressed by their confidence and boldness, Governor Amaechi filled them in with the answers, recounting that he rose from a humble background to becoming governor, while challenging the children to aspire to greater heights. The event, witnessed by the Commissioner Education, Dame Alice Lawrence and other dignitaries, ended with over 300 bags of books donated to the children by the governor.

For pupils, that gesture will surely live a lasting impression, but what does it mean to writers? Critics said if it becomes regular, it may boost the income of the writers’/ publishers whose books are picked, “but it may stop there without impacting on the literati in general.”

Nnodim stressed: “To have a governor read: such reading can become a motivating factor, in that it can also impact on the reading by the public if it is encouraged and becomes a continuous trend. It would motivate the students and teachers and the public who see him read to want to emulate him in that regards. If a governor declares his interest in a person’s book, the author may benefit financially. Aside from what he may get at that moment, it may encourage the public to go get and read the book, which will lead to more sales of the book. And if that happens, then, it will really affect the income of the writer.

But it may stop there if it is not made a

‘To have a governor read: such reading can become a motivating factor, in that it can also impact on the reading by the public if it is encouraged and becomes a continuous trend. It would motivate the students and teachers and the public who see him read to want to emulate him’

•Governor. Fashola and some pupils

•Governor. Amaechi and Mrs Kalango reading to some pupils

•Children reading at the event

continuous thing. To really address the general reading culture in our society, which is very low, the g o v e r n m e n t must be committed to sponsoring and supporting literary programmes openly.”

Tolar restated Nnodim views, say-

ing dignitaries reading: “is a bit welcomed but should be beyond the public s how, which is usually politically inclined,” asking “how much of their private time is committed to encouraging writing and reading? How much of their time do they spend reading or buying books?”

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ARTS

Sleek African prints is it

By Evelyn Osagie

B

OLAYANG Ethnic Furniture has showcased the sleek nature of African prints. For the Chief Executive Officer of Bolayang, Bukola Tajudeen Owoyemi, art is African and African prints are beautiful artistic pieces worthy of celebration. The thought inspired the exhibition at the Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Arts and cultural advocates and enthusiasts were treated to the beauty of African prints at Bolayang’s aesthetic exhibition. African prints came in various blends as clothing, interior furnishings, upholsteries, curtains.

Bolayang gave cultural touch to her pieces.

According to Bukola, Bolayang seeks to enthrone the centrality of the African ideals, cultures and values. She said: “Bolayang is about artistry and aesthetics. It is about the passion and creativity of unique works of arts with cultural and ethnic tone. And what better way to showcase Africa’s uniqueness than through her printed materials of all forms and shapes. Ours is an artistic style that enthrones the African ideals and values as expressed in the highest forms of African cultures with the mind of activating that consciousness as a functional aspect which translates into arts pieces. The display show how interior furnishings, upholsteries, curtains could be given a cultural touch.”

At the event were Prof. Duro Oni; the wife of the Legal Adviser of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) - Dr. Muiz Banire - Funmi; Prince Toye Oyinlola, among others.

Bukola is a graduate of Creative Arts, the University of Lagos (UNILAG), and Buckinghamshire Chilterns University and London Metropolitan University, London where she studied Performing Arts and later Business Administration, to sharpen her business acumen. She also studied Make-Up Artistry at Essex School of Beauty. All these she brings to bear in her designs and art pieces.

Born in Kaduna, aside her formal training, Bukola she discovered creativity early. This, she said, prompted her choice of the discipline.

•Part of the village

Three years on, Osogbo

•Mrs Banire and Bolayang

BOOK ON THE SHELF

Words of Assurance amid storms of life

By Adebayo Adesola

T

HROUGH his book, Words of Assurance, Ayodeji Ayopo, a public relations specialist, has rekindled the hope of people to believe that tomorrow will be better.

He seeks to instil hope in people and inspire them to have unshaking confidence in God and in his words.

The collection of inspirational and spiritual nuggets is the latest addition to the growing generation of motivational books. It is no exaggeration to state that inspiration is key to the continued existence of human beings. This is because people seek inspirational books to forge ahead with their everyday lives.

With its colourful and attractive packaging, which depicts someone expecting to of receiving something from above stirs the readers interest through it simple and direct language.

His maiden book Higher Realms is a collection of motivational and inspirational thoughts for everyday living.

The book is a collection of 100 writings, which the author posted Facebook, a social media network. The author stated that he was divinely inspired to develop his postings on Facebook into a book to add value and be a source; of blessing to peoples’ lives.

The book opens with a prologue telling the reader they need assuring words to live in today’s complex world. The first writing is entitled The Raging Storm and through this, the author inspires readers to be calm despite the tribulations of life. The author also goes ahead to tell readers that Your Story Will Change despite all problems and afflictions.

The reader is further comforted that weeping may endure for a night bur joy comes in the morning.

It was planned to be built in 12 months when the project started in 2009, but three years on, the Artists’ Village is still a dream, ASSISTANT EDITOR, GBENGA ADERANTI and EVELYN OSAGIE report.

I

T was a sunny Friday afternoon in the ancient town of Osogbo, the Osun State capital. But there was nothing bright about the day’s activities to the owner of Alade Arts Gallery, Adewusi Alade. He could not hide a frown as he applied wax to the print spread across the table. He has been there hoping for more patronage to no avail. And as a visitor walked in, his face lit up. “Welcome, we have nice tops that would fit your size,” he said.

When the reporter introduced herself, the smile disappeared. She quickly assured him that she was there to purchase one of the tops. How has sales been generally? He lamented the lack of sales, saying except on festival days sales are usually very low. He said: “It is not news that there are no sales anywhere because of the situation of things. It is even worse for artists because people will first think of the stomach before thinking of fancy clothes. We are grateful to God; at least, we still make ends meet, and that we still get patronage in spite of the economic situation. But it is not as we want. But the festivals are usually very rewarding: they increase sales because of the foreigners in attendance.”

Another way out of the low sales, he noted, is to have a place set aside for artists where arts would thrive. The place may not remain a wishful dream of the artist because it actually exists. It is the proposed Artists’ Village meant to promote local arts and artists to international markets and tourists. Not far from Alade rickety-looking shop is the four-hectare of land in which when completed is going to be multi-purpose artists’village. It is close to Osun river and the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology. It is

not only adjacent to the grove, it is, in fact, part of it, it was learnt. Hence, a visitor will find the carvings of some Osogbo artists, who worked with Susanne Wenger inside it. The eerie ambiance welcomes the visitor to its ghostly abode. As at the time The Nation visited the place, it had been taken over by weeds and big trees.

The first time the idea was voiced was when Wenger was alive, it was learnt.

And for a long time the dream has remained alive in the hearts of the local artists such as Alade.

“We (artists) are actually aware of the proposed village, and we are hoping and praying it becomes a reality because it will improve on the sales of our works and pieces.

The site was launched about seven years ago during the former administration; we were all there along with Chief Jimoh Buraimoh. But nothing was done since then. “ To the Principal Co-ordinator of Osun Festival, who is also an artist, Chief Jimoh Buraimoh, the idea of an Artists’ Village is imperative more than before because most of the first and second generations artists died with their experience and work. Buraimoh, a high chief in Osogbo, who is passionate about the project, said: “We have lost most of the first and second generations of Osogbo artists such as Rufus Ogundele, who died about 11 years ago, Tijani Mayakiri and Afolabi Jacob. Recently, the world acclaimed artist, Twin Seven Seven joined the fold.” Establishing the village, he noted, will help preserve art in its original form.

According to him, the foundation of Artists’ Village was laid by the late Ataoja, Oba Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi III by giving artists land in 2007 on the part of buffer zone of the Osun grove.

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FESTIVAL

Festival of plays opens in Abuja

A

WEEK-LONG theatrical feast by the Abuja-based theatre outfit, Arojah Royal Theatre tagged The Festival of Barclays Ayakoroma’s Plays has opened in Abuja.

It is meant to honour the Dr. Ayakoroma for his contributions to the theatre sub-sector. It will run till Saturday at the French Cultural Centre, Abuja.

During the festival the outfit will be staging two of his plays, Castle in the Air and Beyond the Camp, while the Department of Theatre, Nasarawa State University, would put up Dance on his Grave.

According to the organisers, the festival will be chaired by Hon. Jerry Alagbaoso, a playwright and member of the Federal House of Representatives from Imo State; with Senator Suleiman Adokwe as guest of honour.

President, Society of Nigerian Theatre Arts (SONTA) and Head of Theatre Department of the Nasarawa State University Prof. Emma Dandaura will deliver the keynote address entitled: The Theatrics of Barclays Ayakoroma, taking a look at the societal value and relevance of Barlays Ayakoroma’s theatrical offerings.

The Director of Arojah, Jerry Adesewo, said the feast is part of the group’s contributions to the development of theatre in the country as well as honour Ayakoroma for his contributions to Nigeria’s theatre industry. He calls for the support of theatre and culture enthusiasts.

“Dr. Ayakoroma has contributed immensely to the Nigerian Theatre Industry. This is just one of such series of mini-theatre festival. Another will come up before the end of this year. In 2013, Arojah Royal Theatre hopes to stage the first-ever Abuja International Festival of Theatre (ABUFEST); so for us, this is more of an opportunity to test-run and see what it feels like,” he said.

•A building inside the Artists Village

•Ayedun

•Buraimoh

Artists’ Village ... yet a reality

•Scenes of Ayakoroma play

Activist scholar goes home

By Opakunbi Rachel

Having a place that would gather various guilds and artists will help monitor artworks and monuments theft, lamenting that some Nigerian artifacts that could not be found in Nigeria are in many museums all over the world is as a result of the fact that the. “It is very important and compulsory now to preserve Osogbo art against the future. The work could be used as reference for younger generations to come,” he said.

Noting that the initial plan was to complete the village in 12 months, he lamented that lack of funding has left the place in its epileptic state. The artists have, therefore, turned to the Osun State Government for assistance. For Buraimoh, it is a generational legacy. “We can not do it alone; we need the support of the state government to come to our aid so as to achieve our aims and objectives. We are trying to leave behind a legacy as part of the first generation artists who have their own studios and galleries,” said Buraimoh.

On his part, Alade said the government should go beyond supporting the project and provide funding for the artists which will subsequently result to their expansion.

“The government should also provide funding to artists to expand their business and create an opportunity to express ourselves to our hearts desires as they support the project.

Right now because of lack of funds we cannot express ourselves to the level we want. When it is finished, everyone the government, artists and indigenes – will benefit,” he said.

According to the state Commissioner for Tourism and Culture, Mr Sikiru Ayedun, the government has plans to make the village a reality.

He said: “We are committed to developing it. And we are working on it. It is not just only about creating an artists’ village where arts would thrive but also a recreation. The village would have art studios, exhibition centre, and a vocational centre where up-coming artists would be trained, etc. Tourism is now a big business. Focus is shifting from mineral resources: nations of the world are breaking away

from dependency on oil. We are also going to unveil our plans soon on the development of all the sites in the state.

Work has already started.”

On another visit, the Co-ordinator of the project, Mr Isaac Ojo Fajana, was optimistic about the project. When taking The Nation round the site, he said, the artists in Osogbo are involved in the monitoring and execution of the project, “from the beginning to the final stage to ensure prudence and efficiency, because, we are all major stakeholders in the project.”

He spoke passionately about their contributions, saying that when completed it would be a major tourist centre in the state and beyond, noting that a part would reserved for artistic plants and more.

Indigo Farm He complained about dearth of raw materials that artists use in their activities and in view of this, a portion of the artistes’ village has been marked out for indigo farm. By the time the village is completed, the question of artists sweating to get materials for their work will be a thing of the past.

Herbal section However, the village will not only be about arts and artistic materials. According to Fajana, “Africans are fast losing the important herbs which had sustained them in the past. A special place has been designated for planting and preserving these herbs.

Exhibition halls “When completed, we will have the following: hall for permanent display of all Osogbo artists works both dead and alive; a hall for monthly exhibition; 11 studios for different kind of media, such as oil painting, mixed media, draw from the back, wood sculptures, metal works, stone sculptures and appliqué; hall for performing art. The hall will be constructed with traditional materials.”

OBITUARY

T

HE activist scholar, Prof. Otas Ukponmwan is dead.

He was aged 61. The academia would miss the rounded scholar, who straddled the disciplines of Pharmacology, Physiology and Medical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. He died late last month after a brief illness.

He was one of the few African experts in Sleep and Dream Studies. Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Prof. Bamitale Omole, in his tribute to the fallen hero said: “The sudden death of Prof. Ukponmwan is a big loss to the university community and the entire academic world for he was an outstanding scholar worthy of respect”.

Ukponmwan was at various times the ViceChairman and Chairman of the Academic Staff Union •Prof Ukponmwan of Universities (ASUU), OAU, Ile-Ife branch; member, OAU Council, and the Head of Departments of Pharmacology and the Physiological Sciences.

He was known for his deep activist and intellectual roles in OAU; and defended with vigour and committment the interests of both workers and students of the university in particular and the nation.

Ukponmwan is survived by a wife, Catherine and daughter, Eki, and an elder brother, Dr. Igie Ukponmwan, among others.

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•Tolu

•Ogunlesi

•Tara

•Ohimai

In search of more young leaders

T

HE quest is on to reward young and innovative leaders who will lead Africa in the future as activities have kicked off for the Seventh Season of the Future

Awards.

The organisers of the award, meant to reward young leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators, who have distinguished themselves in various areas such as business, charity, media, entertainment and invention, also revealed that nominations have begun in earnest and will end on June 30.

According to its Head of Central Working Committee, Atafo, who anchored the launch of the Seventh season, they have continued to champion the search which seeks to reward over 1,000 Positive Role Models (especially out side of entertainment) in Nigeria and Africa.

“The award has succeeded in establishing faith in the country especially among

By Ahmed Boulor

AWARD blocs of young people. There is a growing mass of young people that are positioned as further leaders and whose collective influence can change the leadership equation for an evolving nation. Nigerians are viewed as leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs. We are taking the initiative further and we will continue to champion the campaign in search of young positive role models in Nigeria and Africa as a whole,” he said.

The theme of this year’s edition is Tear down these walls, emphasising how far and how hard young people have worked to build a new system of innovation and values in Nigeria and Diaspora.

Atafo said: “There will be town hall meetings in the six geo-political zones; we will also have special town hall meetings to spotlight innovation in specific fields,

there will of course be the nominees reception for charity, all leading to the awards which will hold on August 26,” he added.

The launch was also attended past winners and judges of the awards including Tara Fela Durotoye (Entrepreneur of the Year and Young Person of the Year), Uche Nnaji (Style Entrepreneur of the Year) and Tolu Ogunlesi (Journalist of the Year) who interacted with the media on the impact and influence of the awards.

Referred to by the World Bank as “Nobel Prize for Young Africans”, the Future Awards is turning out to be one of the most influential and popular youth platforms on the continent. It identifies young people who have excelled at their work, celebrates their achievements, and showcases them as role models to inspire a generation of Africans to believe in themselves and the

future of their countries.

With outreaches to Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa and having visited at least 24 states, the award has also been described by respected leaders as “Africa’s biggest youth event”.

It has produced 126 winners and over 1,000 nominees in the seven years of its existence.

Over the years, the award has created authentic made-in-Nigeria superstars, outside of entertainment, fashion and the media.Winners include female farmer and face of youth entrepreneurship in Nigeria, Mosunmola Umoru; international author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, NASA scholar, Tosin Otitoju; founder of the Dustbin Estate Children’s Foundation Tolu Sangosanya; investor of the one-second power change-over based in Ajegunle, Otejiri Oghoghorie; and the winner for Young Person of the Year, farm technology entrepreneur and Rolex Award winner, Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu.

Artist with a difference

B

Y December 15, this year Michael Audu from Ogori, Magongo Local Government Area of Kogi State, will be 30 years old. Despite his young age, this tall, ebony black, young man has done more good things than some of his elders.

He is a youth corps member at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, where he has carved a niche for himself as an artist with a difference.

Already, he has put up a catalogue, which he said, is an example of the transformation of artistic endorsements into life work tagged “No Art, No Life”.

According to him, “It is a combination of various colourful art expressions, carefully selected from my archive to showcase the beauty of art work”.

Audu held a visual art exhibition at the ETF building classroom at the Federal Polytechnic Oko between May 14 and 19, 2012 entitled “Colour expression”.

At the event, the Chairman of the occasion, Mr Tony Otikpa, who is also the Anambra State Chairman of Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), described the young man as an exceptional talent.

Also, the special guest of honour and the Deputy Rector of the institution, Dr. Don Muo, said soon the Nigeria nay the world would have a leader in Art in Audu.

The young artist told The Nation that he took into Art because of the passion he has for it since his childhood days and that he also wants to impact on the younger ones positively.

Apart from the Visual Art exhibition at the polytechnic, the graduate of Kogi State

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

VISUAL ART Polytechnic, Lokoja had earlier participated in other art exhibitions in Kogi and Abuja.

For instance, he took part in BATFAD art Gallery Kogi State between August 2003 and November 2003, Jaja Art Gallery, Kogi State on part-time between June 2005 and June 2008; Maruo Graphic Art Studio between June 2008 and June 2011 in Kogi and National Visual Art Exhibition in Abuja organised by the Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism July 30, 2008.

Besides art, Audu indulges in acting, singing and painting while his objectives had remained to pursue excellence and precision at all time, according to him, in all positions and circumstances.

Otikpa said: “When Audu attended one of the sessions of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), Anambra State chapter mid-last year and subsequent interaction with other artists of the chapter, he mirrored a multi-talented artist waiting to explode his creative energy”.

“At the time, SNA had received ‘anointing’ after her renaissance of October 1, 2012 fired by the fervor of over 60 artists, who featured in that solemn occasion when the spirits of great patriots of modern Nigerian art masters, both living and dead, who are from Anambra State joined in the chorus of praise of SNA National for the “Rebirth” of Anambra chapter as appropriately titled” “As a corps member serving with the Fine and Applied Arts department of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, he was a witness to the synergy which

•Audu

“Growth”, SNA second celebration of her renaissance represented, of whichAudu’s was part of as ‘exhibition guide”.

“Although Audu’s work was not part of the exhibits in that SNA visual art exhibition, the young talent, like the cat, seemed to have waited for the right moment to get at his target in a devouring leap, and the adequate exposure and

experience for the big catch”.

The Dean, School of Arts, Design and printing Technology, Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Mrs Fidelia A. Onwusoba, told The Nation that some of Audu’s colleagues move about unprofitably and engage themselves in various vices, but that the young man carefully and painstakingly has proved to be different.

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Losses••• all the way Ten days after the Dana Air plane crash, there seems to be no end to losses by residents of IjuIshaga, reports EVELYN OSAGIE.

I

T came with a bang. Like a scene in a horror movie, Dana aircraft, penultimate Sunday, crashed into a densely-populated suburb in Lagos, killing 153 on board the Air MD-83 with Registration No. 5NRAM and about 10 suspected to be residents last week, leaving six missing.

But that was not all. A week after, people are still counting their losses.

The incident left behind heavy hearts, gloomy faces and all kinds of trauma.

Many were rendered homeless and parentless, spouseless.

Mrs Grace Adekunle is one. With tears in her eyes, the widow recounted how the incident had left her and family homeless and hapless. Crying out, she said: “Opo ni mi, mi o ni ibikibi lati lo o. Mo sun ka kiri. Ejo o, mo n j’iya o.

Wan wa pe wan fe ba wa ko eru, aari eru wa mo. Wan ti ji mi ni owo, mo fi owo oja mi sinu ike. Mi o le sun ni bi o. E ran mi lowo, meaning, I am a widow, I don’t have anywhere else to go to. They came, saying they are helping to pack our properties; but we can’t find any of the properties. They stole all my money I kept inside the plastic. I can’t sleep this room. I am suffering, please help me.”

Despite her loss, Mrs Adekunle is none the less fortunate, unlike Abayomi Adeolu, who lost his brother, Bolaji to the crash.

Since October 29, 2006 plane crash, which claimed 96 lives, including the nation’s top spiritual Muslim leader, the Iju crash is another major air plane disaster. And like most disasters, the crash has left behind unanswered questions as to what went wrong. Yet, experts say it is too early to tell the cause of the crash, but “hoped that Nigeria will continue reforms it started after series of fatal crashes more than five years ago.” The residents, like Mr Favour Ifeadi, whose family narrowly escaped the crash, want the issue resolved soon. The crash has come with its own burden. “Up till now, we have not been able to sleep well because people continue to troop here. Some are of good intension while many are of ulterior motive,” he said. As expected, the crash has also set the spotlight on the site, turning it and its environs into a tourist site of a sort.

“Uptil today, people continue to come from far-away to see for themselves. It has reduced now unlike the week it happened. Initially, my family and I had to run away for some days because of smell, smoke and bad boys. Now, we are praying that some bad people won’t use the situation to do evil here.

If not for the police, we don’t know what would have happened; still we are still very vigilant. My neighbours and I will hold a party soon when everything is over to thank God,” he said.

He added: “My wife and I had gone out and left our four children and two relatives in the house. They called us around 3pm that a plane almost fell on our house while trying to land on that open ground in that church compound; but the trees in our compound caught its wing and it headed and crashed there. I almost fainted and my mouth went dry. By the time we got back the

•The Matogun site

•Oladunjoye

HUMAN INTEREST whole place was filled up with people.

It was very difficult to get to our house.”

When The Nation visited the site, it was discovered that many had come from in and outside the state “to see things for themselves” as he put it. For ‘tourists, it is still a major shocker.

Some were of the view that if there had been an emergency landing site around, perhaps the disaster would have been averted without knowing that such a site existed not too far from the crash site. The mention of Iju brings to mind the water works but not too far away is the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency airfield that, a source said, serves as an emergency landing site. The place is located at the road to

•Mrs Adekunle

a border town, Matogun.

According to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Smart Adeyemi, “Every airport is supposed to have an open field, which can be used for emergency landing. We understand that the one meant for Lagos Airport is located in a place called Matogun Road in Ogun State but close to the border between Lagos and Ogun states.”

When The Nation visited the site, it was discovered as the Senator rightly observed in a recent report in The Nation that: “it is now overgrown with weeds.”

A fiery looking security man and a dog caged by the gate greeted this reporter when she visited the place. After getting there through a jagged and pothole-filled road leading to the

‘They came, saying they are helping to pack our properties; but we can’t find any of the properties. They stole all my money I kept inside the plastic. I can’t sleep this room. I am suffering, please help me’

PHOTOS: EVELYN OSAGIE

place, she was not allowed to explore the facility; and attempts to get information on the place from him, and who is in charge, was not successful.

A source said the place was used as a signal station. But, according to a telecoms engineer, Mr Adeolu Oladunjoye, who resides close to the Matogun landing site, “the place is now a dumping ground.”

Like the site, several such abandoned emergency landing sites are located across the state: in Kirikiri, Ibiyi/Magbon on the Badagry Expressway, among others, it was learnt.

On his part, Senator Adeyemi said if the site had been in good order the casualties, perhaps may have been reduced. He called for investigation and reactivation of such landing sites for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, saying that the government should also ensure that all airports have emergency landing sites.

On the poor state of the place, he said: “The minister should investigate this, because if the pilot had located that place, we would have saved lives.” Attempts to reach the management of NAMA were not also successful.

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THE DANA AIR PLANE CRASH

Army of sharp shooters Photojournalists at the Dana plane crash site at IjuIshaga, Lagos.

PHOTO: ISAAC AYODELE

Crash site new ground zero

PHOTO: EVELYN OSAGIE

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Foundation caters for women, the needy FOUNDATION, dedicated to the welfare of women and the needy, has taken stock of its activities in Lagos.

Called the Blessed Fruits Foundation (BFF) and founded by veteran actor and lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts and Music of the Lagos State University, Dr Sola Fosudo, the organisation has assessed its impact on the society in the three years of its life.

At its fourth Annual General Meeting (AGM), Fosudo urged the general public to help the needy, saying that widows, children and other less privileged individuals in the society need assistance.

Speaking at the event which held at the Choicest Place Festac Town, Lagos, Fosudo thanked all in attendance which include patrons, donors, friends, guests, well wishers beneficiaries, among others, for their efforts in making the organisation fulfill its mandate over the last four years.

Fosudo announced that the Business empowerment scheme, one of the offshoots of the organisation, has recently been taken up by the First Bank Micro-finance Bank (FBNMFB) with greater financial outlay, which he added has helped the foundation to provide interest-free loans for 19 widows in two batches valued at N1.4 million

A

Fosudo said the foundation has distributed foodstuff and other consumables to over 120 widows, and has continued to give monthly assistance to patients in order to help them buy drugs

By Adegunle Olugbamila

in the year under review.

“Apart from facilitating the loan and standing as guarantors to the widows, the foundations continues to bear the cost of all the interests accruing on the loans as well as full payment of the principal and interest for any defaulting widow,” he said.

Fosudo said the Foundation, in the year under review, also held its annual Welfare packages distributing foodstuff and other consumables to over 120 widows.

•Dr Fosudo (middle, in white) with HRH Oba Gbenga Sonuga Fadesewa of Simawa Makun, Ogun State, Mrs Olujumu (second right) with guests and widows at the event

He said BFF continues to give monthly assistance to one Mrs Gloria John, a diabetic patent, to enable her buy drugs. This, he added, is in addition to assistance given to widows with housing problems and other financial challenges.

Fosudo said the foundation in the past has given school materials such as bags, exercise books, rulers, erasers, sharpeners, and

Lagos lawmaker provides kerosene for constituents T

HE lawmaker representing Lagos Island 1 constituency at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hakeem Masha has distributed 15,000 liters of kerosene free of charge to his constituents.

The event took place at a town hall meeting Masha organised in his Lagos Island constituency.

He said the gesture was in fulfillment of his promise to reduce poverty among his constituents. “The kerosene, apart from alleviating their current challenges in this area, is also a way to appreciate them for being there for us,” he said, adding that each beneficiary got five litres.

The cooking fuel has very expensive, posing a major challenge to Nigerians.

But one of the ways to reduce this challenge, Masha said, is “to ensure that many of the constituents had it no matter how small the quantity of the product may be.”

By Oziegbe Okoeki

The lawmaker said he distributed the product free of charge so that the people would realise that he shared their problems and would always do so.

The lawmaker said he was always conscious of the fact that he was sent by the people to represent them at the House, and as a result, he had no option but to return home to give account of his stewardship so far especially in representing the interests of his constituents.

“After about 366 days in office, it is important for a lawmaker like me to come back home, even though I do that often, to ensure that the people understand what I am doing where they sent me and to make

them know that they have not made the wrong choice in asking me to represent them at the State Assembly.

The Community Development Committees and the Community Development Associations in the constituency, the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Muslim community also benefited from Masha’s gesture.

He assured that the gesture would be an annual one and that this would not affect other dividends of democracy which he had promised to make available to the constituents.

One of the chieftains of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) at the event, Prince Oluyole Olusi, described the gesture and meeting as timely especially at a period when the product had become very scarce.

mathematical sets were distributed to primary and secondary school pupils in the foundation’s Back to School programme; ditto for annual intercessory prayer for widows as well as payment of school fees with book allowances for the BFF scholarship awardees.

Earlier, BFF’s Vice-President Mrs Patricia Olujumu who also thanked various donors, said the foundation plans to widen its horizon in the current year by accommodating more widows and lessprivileged children in its fold.

Olujumu therefore appealed for more donations from good Nigerians and corporate bodies.

Aside the usual celebrations and wining and dining, the event also featured, among other things,

Sokoto NLC trains workers From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

•Wamakko

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•Hon. Masha (right) and kegs of kerosene he distributed

award presentations to worthy donors in the outgone year, cultural performances and various testimonies from beneficiaries.

The BFF started in September 2007 through the divine inspiration of God to the founder Dr Fosudo to seek and raise widows and their children. The direction of the vision became clearer to him a month after during harvest celebration of the Saint Michael, Raphael and Gabriel Church Satelite Town where Fosudo himself worships. Thereafter, he decided to use his 50th birthday anniversary to kickstart the foundation with a vision to “improve the quality of life of widows and their children orphans and other vulnerable children in the society.”

OKOTO State council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has begun a 12-week training workshop for its members.

The exercise is a basic element in human capacity building and also in conflict resolution.

Representing the state Chairman, Alhaji Bello Danyaro Tambawal while declaring the workshop open in Sokoto, the Vice Chairman, Comrade Aminu Umar Ahmad said the essence of organising the workshop was to train their members on how to acquire basic skills to negotiate skillfully and successfully.

Ahmad said the workshop would afford members the opportunity to interact and identify some of the problems and challenges being faced by sister organisations and how to address

them fruitfully. ‘’The training has been designed in such a way that it would improve human capacity building and every member would be satisfied at the end of the day,” he said, adding that thorough negotiation allows for collective decisions.

Ahmad explained that the programme would be held every Wednesday for a period of 12 weeks, adding that members would be trained on different modalities in order to apply them during negotiations.

However, the Comrade called on chairmen of representative organisations to take into consideration the quality of their nominees before sending them to other out, noting that each member of any organisation in the union has been advised to produce a minimum number of two and maximum of four representatives.

Also, the facilitator of the workshop, Hajia Kulu Nuhu explained that the programme was organised to empower members of the body to negotiate for their rights, welfare, working conditions and other necessary issues that affect workers, particularly those under the canopy of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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Lawmaker donates to schools

N his determination to improve the quality of education in his constituency, the Deputy Leader of the Legislative arm of Oriade Local Council Development Area Hon. Aregbe Babatunde Saliu has floated Aregbe Babatunde Education Support Initiative (ABESI).

The initiative, he said, aims at boosting education in his area through donation of exercise books and other learning materials to schools.

In line with this, he has visited two primary schools where he donated 1, 500 exercise books and other learning materials. The primary schools were Salvation Army Primary School Irede and Local Authority Primary School Iyagbe all in Ward H in the riverside area of the council.

“My love for education and passion to empower the young ones mentally informed the establishment of the initiative,” Aregbe said. He promised to sustain the initiative.

He urged parents and teachers to inculcate the reading culture in their children.

He stressed the need for parents to spend quality time with their children during which parents will encourage the children to read. This, he said, is better started from the formative years of one to five so that the children will grow up with the idea that reading is part of life.

Hear him: “It is the duty of all parents to ensure that their children im-

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HE Lagos State government has emphasised the need to protect children from vio-

lence.

Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs. Risikat Akiyode, made the call at a special party organised for children in commemoration of 2012 Children’s Day. Akiyode who was speaking against the backdrop of wanton violence in some parts of the country, said drastic measures must be put in place to safeguard children who are often victims.

“The initiators, masterminds and executors of violence are predominantly adults and thus the solution must be proffered by adults. Chil-

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HE Rotaract Club of Jos, Shere Hills, has donated items worth thousands of naira to the Archbishop Ganaka School for Inclusive Education and the Aisha Mana Orphanage home, both in Jos, the state capital.

Making the donation, the club appealed to public-spirited individuals and groups to support schools for special children which train them so that they do not end up becoming a burden on the society but rather con-

By Chinaka Okoro

bibe reading as culture. They should sit down with their children to read with and for them. It is unfortunate that these days most parents don’t spend quality time with their children to monitor their academic progress. The craze for materialism on the part of parents tends to trivialise the important function of parents bringing up their children the right way.

“We are not saying that parents should not provide the basic necessities of life for their children, rather, we are emphasising the need for parents to see the proper upbringing of their children as being of greater importance.

“Some parents do not care about the kind of friends their children keep. Some do not care about how their children spend their leisure time and the periods they watch television. Today, children are much more interested in watching television even late into the night and surfing on the net. There seems to be lack of parental guide on the kind of films to watch and what periods to do certain things. In such situation, less and less time is being devoted to the book and reading.”

He therefore called on government, parents, teachers, and all

•Hon. Aregbe and the pupils hoisting their exercise books stakeholders in education to take decisive steps towards ensuring that the country, in future, is not populated by semi-illiterate individuals; a situation which, he said, would impinge negatively on the country’s quest for development.

Hon. Aregbe urged government to urgently embark on fundamental reforms of the education system which touches on curriculum, teaching and learning. He also advised

government not to leave the provision of books for the students to the parents alone but should provide schools and students with books on a regular basis, even as he said government should establish libraries in all primary and secondary schools and stock them with the relevant books.

Expressing their gratitude to the lawmaker for the gesture, the head teachers of Salvation Army Primary

Lagos seeks children’s protection

By Miriam Ndikanwu

dren are but innocent members of the society; they must be spared from this evil”.

She said the celebration of this year Children’s Day was unique as it addresses the insecurity that is currently bedeviling our nation.

“It is common knowledge that children are vulnerable and are always on the receiving end when calamities strike or the unexpected happens.”

She stressed that in the wake of this insecurity and religious violence characterised by bombing, mili-

tancy, ritual killings, kidnapping, child sexual abuse, and child domestic violence, amongst others, drastic measures must evolve to safeguard and protect the children who are often victims.

“It must be emphasised that the social cost to the nation not only lies in the wanton destruction of lives and property as being presently witnessed, with far reaching consequences on the social cultural development of the future leaders of the country.

She urged children to report cases of abuses on them by the parents or relatives.

She added: “You must shun vices and not get entangled in crime because you owe your family, community, state, nation and the world at large a duty to be responsible and law abiding”.

She explained that the state government has gone to great lengths to promote and enhance the total well-being and safety of children.

“Part of the strategy adopted is the passage of the Child Rights Act into law, the circulation of the zero tolerance to all forms of child abuse and instant prosecution of perpetrators of the dastardly act,” Akiyode said.

School and Local Authority Primary School Messrs J. A. Sanyaolu and Alhaji Lawal Bashiru Aremu respectively thanked Hon. Aregbe for coming to the aid of the pupils and by lifting some burden off the shoulders of their parents, even as they noted that the exercise books given to the pupils would go a long way in solving the problem of parents buying such books for some time.

It is common knowledge that children are vulnerable and are always on the receiving end when calamities strike or the unexpected happens

Students, club donate to needy kids From Marie-Therese Nanlong, Jos

tribute their quota to national development.

Donating the items which included sewing and knitting machines with their accessories, beds, mattresses,

pillows, among other things, to support the orphans and children in their studies, the President of the club, Nancy Uche said the gesture resulted from their belief in helping the lessprivileged.

She added that they could not meet the stated needs of the school and orphanage but only contributed what

they had to alleviate the plight of the children maintaining that it would be very beneficial if people could support the helpless children in achieving their dreams in life.

Explaining the situation after receiving the items on behalf of her school, Rev. Sister Calista Umeh appreciated the gesture, saying that the school caters for children with diverse needs as some of them are deaf, dumb, blind, mentally retarded, slow in learning, physically challenged, down syndrome among other and the school try to meet each need to making provision for the children to excel in areas where their ability can cope.

Her words: “We appreciate the efforts of the Rotaract club be-

cause what they think is a little gift is so big to us. If every person and group contributes like this, it would go a long way in meeting the needs of these children. We have among these special children those that can write with their legs and their mouths; some of them have down syndrome, some deaf, blind, dumb, some are slow in learning, mentally retarded.

“We try them out in different skills like sewing, knitting, hairdressing, shoe-making, and in conventional lectures and where they fit in, we allow them to grow there knowing that they would improve and contribute their quota to national development”.

Also speaking, the Assistant Director of the Orphanage home, Mrs. Helen Itse reiterated the need for immense help to the less-privilege by those with the wherewithal maintaining it pays to put smiles on their faces and God’s blessings to the donors.

We try them out in different skills like sewing, knitting, hairdressing, shoe-making, and in conventional lectures and where they fit in, we allow them to grow there knowing that they would improve and contribute their quota to national development •Rotaract members hand over the donated items to a representative of Aisha Mana Orphanage

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

What the Federal Polytechnic Oko is doing today is what is required of every higher institution. Health delivery is very important in achieving the MDGs which cannot be achieved without such facilities. The centre will not only benefit the polytechnic community but also the host community, the local government area and the state

•Former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, (sixth left), traditional ruler of Oko, Prof Laz Ekwueme (fourth left) and other dignitaries at the inauguration of the heart monitoring device

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HE Federal Polytechnic Oko Anambra State has established a cardiac monitoring centre, reckoned to be the first in Africa. Some Israeli experts were at the Polytechnic to mount the cardiac monitoring device.

Also, officials of Sharda University Greater Noida, India were at the polytechnic on a resource inspection for the establishment of the first School of Renewable Energy in the world.

The inauguration of the Cardiac Centre being housed by the Polytechnic’s diagnostic centre, was witnessed

by Governor Peter Obi, former VicePresident of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Minister of Health Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu, Israeli Prime Minister’s Adviser on Emergency/ Disaster and Coordinator of Israeli National Resilience Centre, Lt. Col. Giora Rana and the Coordinator Israeli National Paramedic Institute Avi Hirsch, among other dignitaries.

Explaining the functions of the equipment, Hirsch said the Federal Polytechnic Oko was the first in Africa to acquire and install the device, adding that the device can help detect anomalies in the heart with a view to preventing severe cardiac problems.

Obi, while inaugurating the centre that houses the Cardiac Monitoring

Community celebrates heart-tracking device From Adimike George, Onitsha

Device, Digital Haematological Analyzer and other equipment in the Centre said the polytechnic has been repositioned to complement the efforts of the federal and the state governments in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Governor Obi, who was overwhelmed by the development said: “What the Federal Polytechnic Oko is doing today is what is required of every higher institution. Health delivery is very important in achieving the MDGs which cannot be achieved without such facilities. The centre will not only benefit the polytechnic community but also the host community, the local government area and the state. With the good road network in the state, accessing the facilities will be a lot easier. I inaugurate this believing that the people of the state will benefit from it.

“I thank the Rector of the polytechnic Prof. Godwin Onu for the judicious and prudent use of the internallygenerated revenue (IGR) with which

the centre was established and equipped. I commend him for being creative. We implore people in management positions to explore avenues of extending frontiers of service without waiting for the government. We are committed to building a better Anambra State,” Obi stated.

The Minister of Health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu, who was represented by a Director in the ministry, Dr. Mich Arene said that the current national security challenges in parts of the country have strengthened the resolve of the Federal Government to put in place structures, processes and procedures that would address medical emergency from the household, community, institutions, local governments and states to the national level.

Arene, at a workshop on “Enhancing Emergency Medical Preparation and Response in an Academic Community” as part of activities marking the inauguration explained that one of the measures was the Integrated National Emergency Ambulance Services ( INEAS), where all ambulance services in the country were brought under one roof for coordina-

•From left: Kokou Amegadze of Friends of the Earth (FoE) Togo, Noble Wadzah (FoE, Ghana) with Mr Chima Williams and Betty Abah of ERA Friends of the Earth Nigeria

tion and improved effectiveness and efficiency.

He commended the management of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko for setting the ball rolling in the Southeast geo-political zone by embarking on capacity building for its staff through overseas training in collaboration with the world-renowned Trauma Centre in Israel with the facilitation of a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

He said: “The management of Oko Polytechnic is investing in the future now. With what we are witnessing, the Polytechnic may well become the pillar that would shelter the incubator of paramedics and other cadres of medical emergency team in the Southeast.

“The Federal Ministry of Health intends to meet with the relevant MDAs such as the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Board for Tech-

nical Education, (NBTE), to explore the feasibility and availability of setting up centres for training some cadres of emergency medical team in the nation’s polytechnics.”

Rector of the polytechnic, Prof.

Godwin Onu said the management of the institution was expanding its health facilities to be able to improve healthcare delivery in the polytechnic.

He said the decision to expand the health facilities was in fulfilment of the pledge he made when he assumed office, adding that the idea was to provide effective health service in the area.

“Today, we are proud to announce that the Polytechnic is the first to establish a medical centre with a sophisticated Cardiac Monitoring Unit with the help of some Israeli experts, Global Medical Horizon Israel and their joint venture partner, Plusfactor International.”

Ekiti warns on flooding

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KITI State Emergency Management Agency (EKSEMA) has alerted residents of the state on the possibility of flooding this year.

The agency therefore urged residents to clear blocked drainages, avoid dumping refuse in water channels and even consider moving away from flood-prone areas.

EKSEMA suggested drying and burning up waste, rather than casting it into the drains.

The agency at a two-day sensitisation workshop for stakeholders titled “Flood Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness Sensitisation which attracted participants from the 16 local government councils of the state, said there is need to alert residents on the consequences of flooding as warned by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET).

Southwest Zone Coordinator of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Iyiola Akande, who represented the Director-General, Alhaji Mohammed Sanni-Didi, said there is need to be proactive in counteracting and mitigating expected consequences.

He said: Following the release of the NIMET 2012 prediction, the NEMA sent a formal letter to state governments to draw attention to

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

needs for measures to curtail incidences.”

The Acting General Manager of SEMA, Mr. Femi Osasona said the state government is well disposed to joining forces with the federal agency to counter the effects of flooding.

Professor Funso Isolaoluwa Afolabi observed that certain held beliefs, customs and practices aid rather than curtail flood disasters.

These include fatalistic assumptions that whatever happens is preordained

by God; that if we don’t acknowledge hazards, we will not be liable for damages; that government cannot tell us what we should do with our land, among others.

The scholar opined that some measures necessary to curtail flood disasters include family size reduction to reduce pressures on available space including flood channels and water banks; educating everyone on how to manage the environment.

The professor also suggested prompt jingles, adverts and news items in both print and electronic media; text messages in respect of imminent flood hazards to warn the people of the predicted weather conditions.

OTHER SPORT...OTHER SPORT...OTHER SPORT...OTHER SPORT...OTHER SPORT...

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

Governors and elected leaders of the Northern states have been meeting to decide on the panacea to the security challenges confronting the region. After a meeting in Kaduna, governors of the 19 states are reported to have mapped out plans to contain the raging fire. Correspondent TONY AKOWE reports the outcome of the meeting, the moves and fresh efforts to tackle the menace.

How Northern governors plan to tackle insecurity

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OMBING, explosions and gun attacks have become the regular news menu from most parts of the North.

A region once known for innocence and tranquility has been serially gang-raped through violent attacks. From Jos and other parts of Plateau State, to Niger, Borno, Yobe, Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Adamawa, Taraba and Gombe states, the story is the same. Daily, reports are filed where innocent souls are dispatched out of the earth by gun wielding men yet to declare their grouse against the state.

So far, all efforts by the federal government, using the security agencies to tame the monster, have failed. A state of emergency in 15 local government areas on the last day of last year has not prevented mass murders and suicide bombings. Even armed robbers now have free reign in the region.

Those who expected a strong worded statement from the Northern States Governors’ Forum after their recent meeting in Kaduna were disappointed when the governors failed to take a definite stand on the issue even though, according to Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, they discussed it extensively during their recent meeting in Kaduna. While not disclosing steps being taken by the governors to address the situation, he said “at the meeting (Northern State Governors Forum), we seriously discussed the security challenges in the north and we took very far reaching decisions to address it. But you will agree with me that what is happening now is an emerging phenomenon in the North. We must look at where we have gone wrong, why we have moved from one extreme to another. It is very strange to see that people are bombing in the North; it is strange that we now have armed robbery and criminality in the North”.

Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and Niger State Governor, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu said it was unfortunate that the security situation in the country has not abated, rather, it is worsening and attaining very alarming dimension with attendant negative implications for the economic growth, development and image of the nation. The nation, he admitted, was passing through a very difficult phase in her history, “a period that put our patriotism, nationalism, sincerity and responsibility collectively to test. This is the period that we have to demonstrate individually and collectively our abiding faith in our nation when we must confront the common enemies of the nation, those who are sworn to destroying the spirit of nationhood through wanton destruction of lives and property”.

He was however more concerned about the security implication of the statement made by former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari about the 2015 elections. Even though he was quick to caution leaders against unguarded utterances, Aliyu saw nothing wrong in Buhari’s statement that if the 2015 elections are not free and fair, there will be bloodbath, adding that inflammatory statements by eminent Nigerians is capable of affecting the nation’s fragile unity and security saying that all Nigerians must be concerned about the unity and development of the country in all its ramification.

He argued that even though people have different ways of communicating their opinion, the statement of the former Head of State should be taken in its own value, adding that the central message of the former Nigerian leader is that stakeholders should strive to ensure that there is free and fair election. He stressed that all those involve in the process of conducting election must be careful in whatever they do so that the outcome will have a semblance of good in it.

However, Governor Aliyu was silent on the threat of bloodbath if the elections are not free and fair in the now popular dogs and baboons parable. He said “in a democratic system every individual has his ways and there are many of us whose ways of communication is quite different from others. Give the same statement to somebody else; he may have used different vocabulary. Again, certain facts are under-

• Aliyu

stood; that if this happens, that would happen. I think it is a natural thing to do. May be those who may be too concerned have not looked at what other eminent Nigerians have been talking about. I saw one that said Nigeria is going to be Somalianized, I saw another one who has been talking like there would be war tomorrow. So, for me, that statement should be taken on its own value. Do not go and do bad election. I think that is the thing I will take from there. All of us who are involved in elections, political parties, contestants and voters themselves, we must all be careful so that whatever we do, the semblance of good will be there. But, again, like I said, certain people are in a position that certain vocabularies they use, they should be careful about. So, both ways let us take it on our own stride and ensure that future elections are seen to be transparent and are seen to be good”.

Speaking on the struggle for the 2015 elections which appears to have begun, the Niger State governor expressed worries about what he called the emerging trend in distractive political activities ostensibly to prepare ground for the actualization of some people’s political ambition in 2015.

He said “my fellow colleagues, it is very disturbing to note the emerging trend of distractive political activities in the nation ostensibly to prepare the ground for the actualization of some people’s political ambition in 2015. Whereas it is legitimate for anybody to aspire to any leadership position subject to the provision of our constitution, we must remember that 2015or any date for that matter belongs to Almighty Allah (SWT) who decrees what happens to individuals or society at any given period. We should therefore leave 2015 or beyond unto Almighty Allah to do as please Him. “We should recognise that the interest of the people is paramount and we must use the political party platform to promote such interest in fulfillment of the campaign pledges made to the people. We need to rededicate ourselves to the service of our people, especially the underprivileged in the society. This is contingent on the fact that we have the mandate of the people and that Allah will hold us accountable for our actions and inactions. Let us resist the temptation to be drawn into issues that may only cause us to lose focus in serving the people or gaining the everlasting favour of our creator. If our present opportunity as governors and leaders cannot earn us paradise, it should not send us to hell. Above all, we must do everything possible to ensure that we enter 2015 as a peaceful and unite constituent Nigeria”.

The federal government has continued to assure the people that it is doing everything to address the security challenges.

Many have however faulted the intelligence gathering of the nation’s security agencies, arguing that its failure has been largely responsible for the insecurity in the country.

But Suswam contends that intelligence gathering can only

‘Kano is gone, Kaduna is gone, Jos is gone.

These are the three most vibrant cities in the entire North. All of them are gone. Nobody wants to live in Kaduna; nobody wants to go to Kano and trade, who will go on holiday in Jos? We have a very serious situation that affects us all, it is not about leadership; so let’s not be pushing it on leadership’

• Suswam

work with the support and co-operation of the people. He noted that the people must be prepared to provide credible information to security agents since those behind the bombings were not spirits, but live among the people, saying “people must assist in intelligence gathering because these people are not spirits, they live in homes, the live in the community. They do their trainings in homes. We need to have information at the level of leadership, otherwise, the North as it were, is being decapitated economically and there is nothing that we, as leaders alone, can do, except we collaborate”.

Governor Suswam is not comfortable with the call for dialogue, wondering how it is possibly to dialogue with people who have remained faceless without defined leadership. He is of the belief that, to address the security challenges currently being experienced in the North, the government would need the support of the people to tackle security challenges occasioned by the activities of Boko Haram. He argued that efforts at addressing the security situation in the region were being frustrated stressing that it will be impossible to hold any discussions with the perpetrators unless they come out in the open and state their demands.

Suswam said: “If it is a situation where you have a defined leadership from the people causing this problem and you can seat at a round table and discuss with them, then it is understandable.

But in this case, these people are not known! They are not articulating any demand, so it is something that is totally different. If you look at terrorists from across the world, especially in places like Afghanistan, they articulate what their issues are. But these people are not saying anything and that presents a very difficult situation for the leadership, so it is not just about leadership. We are doing our best at our own level, but we can’t even see the people who are doing this, they are not ready to come to the table for discussion, so what do you do? We have to go into intelligence gathering it is the people that provide the necessary information to security agents. We are calling for the support of all Northerners to help us by providing information because if you look at our situation, Kano is gone, Kaduna is gone, Jos is gone. These are the three most vibrant cities in the entire North. All of them are gone. Nobody wants to live in Kaduna; nobody wants to go to Kano and trade, who will go on holiday in Jos? We have a very serious situation that affects us all, it is not about leadership, so let’s not be pushing it on leadership. Yes, the leadership; has a large chunk of the responsibilities, but we need to come together and see it as our collective problem and not a leadership problem”.

In spite of measures which the governors said they have taken, there is still a growing level of insecurity in the region with constant bombing of places of worship and reprisal attacks as well as communal clashes. Another militant group is however emerging with a warning to Fulanis to leave southern Kaduna or be eliminated. But the Kaduna State government has asked the Fulanis to ignore the threat and go about their normal duties as the government will ensure that they are well protected. There is no gainsaying the fact that all these will have adverse effect on the 2015 elections if they are not addressed now. Like the Arewa Consultative Forum has constantly said, 2015 is still far away and there should be attention right now on governance issues. But the reality is different.

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EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 12-6-12

Cement stocks sustains market recovery

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HE Nigerian stock market sustained its recovery yesterday as aggregate market value of all equities rallied a modest gain of N18 billion, in spite of a noticeable downtrend among several stocks.

Total market capitalisation of all quoted companies inched up to N6.780 trillion as against its opening value of N6.762 trillion. The All Share Index (ASI) also rose slightly by 0.27 per cent to 21,239.52 points as against its opening index of 21,183.34 points.

The gain further pushed the average year-to-date return at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) to 2.45 per cent.

With 23 losers to 16 gainers, highly capitalised stocks remained the growth driver for the overall market position. Dangote Cement, NSE’s

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

most capitalised stock, led the bullish rally with a gain of N2.50 to close at N108.

Ashaka Cement followed with a gain of 42 kobo to close at N8.98. Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) rallied 24 kobo to close at N5.11.

Other top gainers included Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, which added 17 kobo to close at N10.99; Learn Africa rose by 11 kobo to close at N2.40, Red Star Express gained 10 kobo to close at N3, May and Baker Nigeria gathered 9.0 kobo to close at N1.95. RT Briscoe and Transnational Incorporated added 6.0 kobo each to close at N1.50 and N1.33 respectively while Skye Bank

and Dangote Sugar Refinery rose by 5.0 kobo to close at N2.85 and N3.64 respectively.

On the other hand, Guinness Nigeria topped the losers’ list with a loss of N1.92 to close at N227.08.

MRS Oil Nigeria dropped by N1.82 to close at N34.68.

UACN Property Development Company lost 51 kobo to close at N10.07. Berger Paints declined by 47 kobo to close at N9.08. Dangote Flour Mills dwindled by 28 kobo to N5.32. Zenith Bank lost 25 kobo to close at N13.25 while National Salt Company of Nigeria dropped by 22 kobo to close at N4.29 per share.

Total turnover stood at 139.33 million shares worth N1.29 billion in 3,339 deals.

Banking subsector remained the most active with a turnover of 89.66 million shares valued at N626.19 million in 1,820 deals. Conglomerates subgroup staged a distant second with a turnover of 13.29 million shares worth N38.12 million in 109 deals.

Food products subsector ranked third with 11.24 million shares worth N68.40 million in 313 deals.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 12-6-12

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MONEY LINK

Global economy’ll remain volatile, says World Bank

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HE WORLD BANK has urged developing countries including Nigeria to prepare for a long period of volatility in the global economy, saying they should focus mediumterm development strategies.

In a statement, titled: Global Economic Prospects (GEP), the bank said such countries must prepare for tougher times in view of the current economic development across the world.

Stories by Akinola Ajibade

It said a resurgence of tensions in high-income Europe has eroded the gains made during the first four months of this year, adding that the issue has resulted in a rebound in economic activities and an easing of risk aversion among investors.

It said the developing and highincome countries stock markets have lost some 7 per cent, while at the same time giving up two-

thirds of the gains generated over the preceding four months.

The bank noted that most industrial commodity prices are down, with crude and copper prices down by 19 and 14 per cent respectively.

According to the bank, developing country currencies have lost value against the US dollar, as international capital fled to safe-haven assets such as German and U.S. government bonds.

It said the conditions in most developing countries have not de-

teriorated as much as in the fourth quarter of 2011, adding that their credit default swap (CDS) rates have remained well below their maximums from the fall of 2011.

“Global capital market and investor sentiment are likely to remain volatile over the medium term – making economic policy

ACAMB urges traders, merchants on PoS terminals

NYSC, College commend Unity Bank on CSR

U

NITY Bank Plc has been commended for donating an 18 seater bus to the College of Education, Azare.

While presenting the documents of the bus to the school, the Bauchi Regional Manager of the bank, Yahaya Aliyu Lere, said the vehicle is meant to ease the school’s transportation problems and further ensure effective administration.

He advised the school community to take advantage of the Aim, Save and Win Savings Promo the Bank is currently running to enable them win nu-

merous prizes, including a brand new car.

Receiving the donation, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the college, Alhaji Aliyu Umar Misau, said the vehicle would be well utilised. He called on other institutions to follow the footsteps of the bank Also, the bank has been commended for its contribution towards the development of health care sector in the country.

The Director-General, National Youth Service Corps, Brig. Gen Nnamdi Okore-Affia, made the commendation

setting difficult.

In this environment, developing countries should focus on productivity-enhancing reforms and infrastructure investment instead of reacting to day-to-day changes in the international environment,” said Hans Timmer, Director of Development Prospects at the World Bank.

T

HE Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks(ACAMB) has advised merchants, traders, supermarket operators and owners of filling stations to approach their banks for Point of Sales(PoS) terminals to facilitate electronic payment services nationwide.

The association in a statement, issued after its one-day retreat in Lagos, said the banks have acquired sufficient capacity in the areas of manpower and infrastructure to run a seamless cashless economy.

It advised customers among other stakeholders, to avail themselves of opportunities in the industry to promote their businesses.

after receiving a donation the Bank made for the construction of the camp clinic at the Permanent Orientation Camp, Asaya, Lokoja in Kogi State.

In a letter signed by the NYSC’s PRS, Midala M.S, the DG said the gesture would go a long way in improving healthcare delivery services in the camp, as well as fostering stronger ties between NYSC scheme and the bank.

The Head, Media & External Communications of the Bank, Sani Zaria, said the bank supported the projects as part of its corporate social responsibility objective.

The body said the traders who are reluctant to try the PoS can still walk to their banks, and do transfers.

It said: “Customers can also insist on transfers to their accounts by meeting the banks. Banks operating in Nigeria have invested billions of naira to acquire hundreds of thousands of PoS and allied facilities to service customers better in the new cashless era”, the association’s president, Tunde Shofowora.

He said the new cashless policy is expected to promote and ease payment transactions, eliminate risks associated with carrying cash and reduce high cost of cash processing borne by all entities across the value chain.

Firm launches Retail Health Insurance Scheme in Ibadan

R

ETAIL Health Insurance Scheme (RHIS), another health insurance product, was yesterday added to the health insurance scheme in Nigeria.

Unveiling the new product at the Ibadan Hypertension Centre, Iyaganku Quarters, Ibadan, the Vice-Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer of the company, Dr Kayode Obembe, said the product addresses health insurance needs of Nigerians who seek to enjoy health insurance at the individual level.

He explained that the product launch

enhanced benefit package due to the nature of their jobs.”

He pointed out that apart from removing the difficulties involved in government schemes, the retail health insurance scheme is very affordable for all classes of Nigerians as it starts with as low as N200 per month depending on the package being enrolled for.

Obembe stressed that the new product explains the mission of Premier Medicaid, which is to work towards ensuring that every Nigerian has

• Product targets Nigerians in Diaspora From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

was necessitated by requests from the Nigerian populace who want to join the health insurance scheme at the personal level without passing through their organisations and who are not willing to be saddled with the bureaucracy and bottleneck in the existing system.

“All the previous schemes were either crafted to suit particular groups,

catchment areas or bogged down by bureaucracy and bottlenecks which the ordinary prospective clients found difficult to overcome,” Obembe said, adding that the new scheme is useful to Nigerians living abroad who are interested in purchasing health insurance for their relatives in Nigeria.

He said: “It is also beneficial to employees of banks, finance houses and industries who demand for and deserve

FGN BONDS

DATA BANK

Tenor

Amount N

Rate %

M/Date

3-Year 5-Year 5-Year

35m 35m 35m

11.039 12.23 13.19

19-05-2014 18-05-2016 19-05-2016

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM Amount Amount Offered ($) Demanded ($) 150m 150m 138m 138m

MANAGED FUNDS Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

NIDF NESF

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

7.9-10% 10-11%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2011 “ 14-04-2011

GAINERS AS AT 12-6-12 SYMBOL

WAPIC CCNN IASHAKACEM MAYBAKER LONGMAN TRANSCORP RTBRISCOE NEIMETH LAWUNION REDSTAREX

O/PRICE

0.60 4.87 8.56 1.86 2.29 1.27 1.44 0.75 0.54 2.90

C/PRICE

0.63 5.11 8.98 1.95 2.40 1.33 1.50 0.78 0.56 3.00

113m

NGN USD NGN GBP NGN EUR NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N) (S/N) Bureau de Change (S/N) Parallel Market

Current Before

C/PRICE 1.52 5.32 34.68 1.72 9.08 4.29 10.07 2.00 2.65 2.33

CHANGE 0.08 0.28 1.82 0.09 0.47 0.22 0.51 0.10 0.13 0.10

29-2-12 27-2-12

113m

155.7

22-2-12

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

147.6000 239.4810 212.4997

149.7100 244.0123 207.9023

150.7100 245.6422 209.2910

-2.11 -2.57 -1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

152.0000

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

153.0000

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

DISCOUNT WINDOW Feb. ’11

July ’11

Dec ’11

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

12%

Standing Lending Rate ,, Deposit Rate ,, Liquidity Ratio Cash Return Rate Inflation Rate

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00% 12.10%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00% 12.10%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00% 12.6%

NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

NSE CAP Index

27-10-11 N6.5236tr 20,607.37

Date

Rate (Previous) 4 Mar, 2012 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

Rate (Currency) 6, Mar, 2012 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

28-10-11 N6.617tr 20,903.16

% Change -1.44% -1.44%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

LOSERS AS AT 12-6-12

SYMBOL O/PRICE AIRSERVICE 1.60 DANGFLOUR 5.60 MRS 36.50 ACADEMY 1.81 BERGER 9.55 NASCON 4.51 UAC-PROP 10.58 HONYFLOUR 2.10 ETERNAOIL 2.78 DIAMONDBNK 2.43

Exchange Rate (N) 155.8 155.8

CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Year Start Offer

CHANGE

0.03 0.24 0.42 0.09 0.11 0.06 0.06 0.03 0.02 0.10

113m

Amount Sold ($) 150m 138m

EXHANGE RATE 6-03-12 Currency

INTERBANK RATES OBB Rate Call Rate

facilitated access to efficient, effective and qualitative healthcare anywhere and at all times.

Also speaking at the launch, the Chairman of the company, Prof. Ladipo Akinkugbe, stated that most Nigerians would learn to start patronising health services as health facilities are being improved upon, adding that health insurance would actually help more people to appreciate the level of improvement made so far in the health sector over the years.

Offer Price

Bid Price

ARM AGGRESSIVE 9.17 KAKAWA GUARANTEED 1.00 STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE 124.28 AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND 105.00 THE LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL 0.75 BGL SAPPHIRE FUND 1.08 BGL NUBIAN FUND 0.95 NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. 1,710.94 PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND 8.95 CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST 1.39 CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST 1.87 STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY 7,446.88 THE DISCOVERY FUND 193.00 FIDELITY NIGFUND 1.67 • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED • STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND

9.08 1.00 124.16 104.34 0.73 1.08 0.93 1,703.76 8.51 1.33 1.80 7,250.53 191.08 1.62

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK Previous 04 July, 2011

Current 07, Aug, 2011

Bank

8.5000

8.5000

P/Court

8.0833

8.0833

Movement

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

56

NEWS

‘Mushroom’ politicians cannot win Governor, minister bicker over roads Edo for PDP, says Oshiomhole A

By Emmanuel Oladesu, Deputy Political Editor

E

DO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole yesterday said ”mushroom” politicians cannot win the state for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the July 14 governorship election.

He was reacting to statements credited to two former ministers, Chief Ebenezer Babatope and Mrs. Kema Chikwe, that the PDP would reclaim Edo. Babatope told reporters in Benin City that the national leadership of the PDP would ensure its victory at the poll.

The governor, who described them as expired politicians, said Babatope and Mrs. Chikwe lost in their wards in last year’s elections.

Oshiomhole said it was regrettable that a party which admitted to failing the people in the past would now have the courage to cam-

Osunbor campaign team to join ACN From Osagie Otabor, Benin

THERE are indications that the campaign machinery of former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, would join the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Osunbor’s supporters have joined the ACN while Osunbor has been absent from the PDP campaign tours.

The campaign machinery, Restoration Project 2012, yesterday decried the state of affairs in the PDP, especially the handling of the July 14 governorship election.

The group said this showed lack of seriousness of purpose in the party.

Its Coordinator,Nosa Omorodion, said the PDP leadership appeared not to consider its relevance to the success of the party in the election.

•’Jonathan’s transformation must reflect’ paign for their votes.

He said: “They brought Babatope who has expired.

They could not even win in their wards and now they are boasting that they want to

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

win the state.

“They are “mushroom” politicians. Edo people are ready for one-man-one-

vote.”

“I do not believe that the forces of darkness will push Jonathan to sacrifice Edo for one man.

“They want to use federal might. The President cannot return us to godfatherism after we voted for his promised transformation agenda.

“This election is a major test for his transformation agenda.”

Oshiomhole, who spoke at a meeting with members of the state Correspondents Chapel, said the President’s transformation agenda must reflect in the political process and how elections are conducted.

“I know that Mr President will not allow his personal interest override the people’s.

“I know that Mr. President will not use his office to undermine the will of the people.”

VERBAL altercation has ensued between Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Minister of Works Mike Onolememen over who is responsible for the rehabilitation of some federal roads in the state.

Onolememen, in a statement,claimed that Oshiomhole never rehabilitated any federal road.

But a group, Bini Truth Movement 2012, said the minister was distorting the state’s historical facts.

In a statement by its spokesman, Efosa Edosa-Osazuwa, the group said:“We have noticed this orchestrated approach, especially in the countdown to the July 14 governorship election.

According to Edosa-Osazuwa, “Edo people are wiser than these PDP chieftains. We know Oshiomhole is working on a lot of federal roads in the state such as Dawson Road/Urubi/ Ugbowo federal roads.

“For me, there is no controvesy about the ownership of the road; the Benin-Ore Road begins from Dawson Road through Urubi road, Uselu-Ugbowo Road onto Oluku then to Ekiadolor Junction towards Ohosu (Ofosu), which is the boundary with Ondo State.”

N14m ‘disappears’ from bank vault

S

OME bank workers and policemen have been arrested in Effurun, Delta State, following the “mysterious” disappearance of N14.1 million from a bullion van in transit.

It was gathered that the cash was being moved from the Ef-

Amnesty Office trains 11,512

T

HE Presidential Amnesty Office yesterday in Abuja said about 11,512 ex-militants have been enrolled in universities and training centres within and outside the country.

The Office’s Head of Media, Daniel Alabrah, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the figure was out of the 26,358 who were granted amnesty.

He said the remaining 14,846 are yet to be deployed for training.

Alabrah said some

beneficiaries are in four Nigerian universities while others were admitted in 19 universities in nine countries.

According to him, some of them are studying electrical, computer and petrol-chemical engineering, radio information, mass communication, biological sciences, physics, chemistry and mathematics.

“Some are being trained in 27 onshore centres in the country and 27 offshore centres in 20 countries across four continents.

•Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole with Nollywood actress Mrs. Patience Ozokwor when some members of the Women Society visited the Government House, Benin...yesterday

From Shola O’Neil, Warri

furun branch to a branch in Warri Refinery when it got missing.

A source said: “The money was loaded into a van in the morning to be sent to the Refinery branch after which the van was locked and the double entry key holders went back to their work.

“Afterwards, the driver and dispatch took the van to its destination and the double entry key keepers came to open the van and unload the cash only to find that the box was gone.”

It was gathered that the drama got even more complicated when the police said the cash was not tampered with in transit and security guards at the bank did not report seeing anybody move the money.

Police spokesman Charles Muka said the police are investigating the matter.

It was gathered that the suspects, including the bank’s Chief Security Officer, have been moved to the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters in Alagbon, Lagos .

Why Edo commissioner was sacked

F

ACTS emerged yesterday on why Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole sacked the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Inumidun Idehen, on Monday.

Sources said Mrs. Idehen was sacked, following allegations that she diverted gifts meant for orphanages for personal use.

The source said the governor was peeved when a cleric complained about the activities of the commissioner.

A statement by Oshiom-

•’I was tired of the office’ From Osagie Otabor, Benin

hole’s Special Adviser, Tony Iyare, said the commissioner was sacked to “enable an administrative panel investigate allegations of gross misconduct against her, including unauthorised closure of orphanages and interference in the running of other charities”.

But Mrs. Idehen said she was “sick and tired” of her job. She said she was accused of working for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

N2.4b loan for Calabar media city From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

T

HE Cross River State House of Assembly has authorised the government to guarantee a N2.4billion loan for the building of the Calabar Media City in partnership with Ebony Life.

In a May 31 letter to the Assembly, Governor Liyel Imoke said the facility will boast of an entertainment channel.

The governor said the media city has secured the patronage of MultiChoice and that N2 billion is expected from the company in the first year of operation.

Lawmakers want suspect re-arrested

L

AWMAKERS in Delta State yesterday passed a resolution requesting the re-arrest of the officer-incharge of the Police AntiKidnapping Unit, Dickson Osamwonyi.

Osamwonyi was arrested and detained on the orders of Acting Inspector-General of Police Abubakar Mohammed for allegedly colluding with kidnappers.

Deputy Majority Leader Johnson Erijo urged President

From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

Goodluck Jonathan “to immediately direct the IG to re-open investigation into allegation against some police officers led by Osamwonyi”.

Majority Leader Monday Igbuya argued that “we are aware that a senior police chief related to Osamwonyi has been using him to disturb the state because he was denied a contract by the government.

The ex-commissioner said: “The truth of the matter is that the governor has been behaving funny by transferring all matters relating to finance in the ministry to the non-existent office of the First Lady.

“The office doesn’t mean anything to me anymore. I

was not involved in fraud involving party campaign funds.

“I did not know how they arranged it. I did not get any money. I was only asked to address the women. All these allegations are summarised in the fact that they are accusing me of wanting to work with the PDP. I don’t know whether I will even work for the PDP.”

Bayelsa Speaker re-instated From Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa

T

HE embattled Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Kombowei Benson, has been reinstated.

It was gathered that President Goodluck Jonathan and the State Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) intervened in the impasse of his removal.

Aggreived members of the opposing groups in the house gathered in Benson’s house on Monday to resolve the crisis.

Benson said: “The party leadership brokered peace between the two groups. The issues that were raised are being looked into. The House is one.

“It is on record that we are the best Assembly in Nigeria and that is because of the hardwork and peace that has been existing in the House.

“There is no victor; no vanquished. I have always preached peace and cooperation.”

The leader of the opposition group, Fini Angaye, said: “There was no power tussle; it’s only the beauty of democracy. You can see we are in the Speaker’s house ; this shows that we have resolved the matters and are ready to work together for peace.

“We had differences and later resolved them. Our tomorrow is more important; we must move forward; that is why you are seeing me in the Speaker’s house –to show that we are together for peace.”

A Government House statement also confirmed the development. It reads: “Governor Seriake Dickson has resolved the crisis in the House of Assembly after a four- hour peace meeting with the feuding parties.”

But a source said the President ‘s visit to the state was to resolve the crisis. “President Jonathan installed the governor and his wife the Speaker, so there is no way the couple would allow them to be impeached.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

57

NEWS

PDP Publicity Secretary Metuh admits to problems in party

Implement report, sayACN, NLC, activist Continued from page 2

as serious as bribery should be what the police or EFCC should take very serious interest in and not politicize the issue through unnecessary diversionary tactics. We therefore urge the EFCC to implement the report of the committee, which President Jonathan was reported to have forwarded to the agency now. Sani, President of Kaduna-based Civil Rights Congress (CRC), said in Kaduna that the bribery allegation is “an attempt to discredit the report and sweep it under the carpet.”

Sani said that the scandalous fraud perpetrated by oil companies acting in Cahoots with oil bureaucrats and politicians must not be swept away in the name of bribery, adding that “Hon Lawan and Mr. Otedola should be arrested, investigated and tried in a court of law.”

He urged President Goodluck Jonathan to revisit the Oputa panel report and officially apologise to the nation for the unjust arrest and in-

carceration of Chief Moshood Abiola and other political prisoners pushed into exile.

The statement by Sani reads: “June 12 is Nigeria’s genuine Democracy Day. It is a day of unity and true reflection of Nigeria’s history of struggle for democracy.

Without the June 12 struggle Nigeria could not have realize civil rule. President Jonathan Goodluck is a direct beneficiary of the June 12 struggle. Without June 12 there could not have been zoning system or the principle of rotation of power.

“Nigeria’s democracy is today hijacked by kleptocrats. The 13 years of civil rule has been a period of waste, misgovernance, violence and monumental corruption. Systemic looting of the treasury at the Federal, state and local government and pervasive insecurity is today the order of the day.

“The amount of revenue accrued to the nation in the last 13 years is not commensurate with the level of development in the country.

From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja

•Tukur

T

HE National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, yesterday said there has been a frosty relationship between the party’s National Chairman, Alhjai Bamanga Tukur, and the Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

He described the friction as a part of “administrative lapses”.

The PDP chieftain noted that

the differences have been resolved through the party’s internal conflict resolution mechanism.

Addressing reporters in Abuja, Metuh said: “In the past few days, there were reports of divisions or problems between Alhaji Habu Fari, the Chief of Staff to the National Chairman and the National Secretary, Prince Oyinlola, over administrative matters.

“We admit that there were administrative errors, as you all know that this is a new set of National Working Committee (NWC), just like in other parties and companies. It takes some time before everyone settles down properly.

“We admit that we made mistakes, but we have resolved the matter amicably.

We have learnt our lessons

and we will not allow it to happen again. We will not allow millions of Nigerians and the people who elected us to be so embarrassed again.

“We have accepted where we went wrong and it has made us more united than before. There is no division in the NWC because we are all united under the leadership of the chairman and the direction of President Goodluck Jonathan.”

He was, however, not specific on the real cause of the friction.

Metuh said he would not divulge the party’s internal conflict resolution mechanism to the opposition and the public.

He ruled out disciplinary action against any of the parties in the dispute, saying: “In such situations, you don’t

2015: ‘Jonathan shouldn’t run for peace’s sake’

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan should stop nursing the ambition to run for a second term in 2015, if he wants peace for Nigeria, the Anglican Bishop of Badagry, Rev. Babatunde Adeyemi has said.

The cleric urged the President and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to tread with caution in their ambition to retain power in 2015.

He said they should consider the country’s future before taking any decision.

Adeyemi advised the President to toe this line to keep Nigeria together in peace.

He said: “The President should just complete his tenure and go, so that peace can reign in Nigeria. Posterity will judge all.”

The cleric spoke at the second session of the third synod of the Diocese of Badagry Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).

Adeyemi recalled that the church, during the 2010 synod, advised the President against running for the Presidency in 2011.

He said instead, Dr Jonathan listened to those urging him to run.

“Now, the consequences are slapping us in the face,” the bishop said.

On the rising insecurity in the country, the bishop warned the

By Joseph Jibueze and Nneka Nwaneri

President against holding direct talks with militants, as some people have been suggesting.

He said this could endanger his life.

According to him, those making the suggestion “should meet with the militant themselves, since one of them and several others in government have been accused of belonging to the group”.

The cleric said righteousness is key to the nation’s unity and progress, adding that it exalts a nation, upholds the throne, elevates the people’s minds and qualifies nations for God’s favours.

Adeyemi said: “The ship of the country is already grounded by evil forces and if it is forcibly moved forward, water will start gushing in through the cracks.”

The bishop decried unstable electricity supply, potable water, bad roads, collapsing health sector, sick education sector, and widespread corruption across the land.

According to him, many projects are abandoned or badly executed because they were awarded to party faithful who know next to nothing about the job.

Adeyemi noted that societal

ills, such as kidnapping, drug trafficking, political killings, assassination and armed robbery, have been on the increase.

The “persecution of Christians” through bombing of churches and targeting of them in market places, he said, are thought-provoking.

The cleric hailed the Lagos State Government for its developmental projects and for freeing the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway of obstructions that impeded vehicular movement.

Guests at the synod include the Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Rural Development, Mr Babatunde Hunpe; representative of the Akran of Badagry; Chancellor of Diocese of Badagry, Justice Olusola Hunponu-Wusu (rtd); representatives from Cathedral Church of St. Thomas, among others.

Continued from page 2

cause the police are after the retrieval of the bribe sum to enable them arraign Lawan in court.

“We are suspecting a premeditated plot to rope Lawan in because Otedola admitted that he was part of a sting operation of the State Security Service(SSS). By implication, he has said that he is a state agent.

“That is why it will be more convenient for us to meet in court to tender the money exhibit than to give it to the police or any security agency.

“If it was a sting operation, the onus lies on those behind it to provide evidence and not Lawan. When we meet in court, the world will hear what they never heard.

“Lawan’s legal team is already on standby for his defence.”

When pressed further, the associate said: “The police cannot claim ignorance of the fact that after the receipt of the June

Maduekwe, Bianca, 91 others get postings Continued from page 2

“Today, we live in an international environment that is characterized by rapid change, intense competition, and driven by knowledge and technology. It is an exciting world in which only the best succeed. In such an environment, only a dynamic, confident and proactive Foreign Service can effectively and efficiently serve Nigeria’s interests.

Maduekwe, who responded on behalf of the ambassadors, said: “Since foreign policy is an expression of domestic environment.

Our current challenges should not deter us from serving. We will begin to present opinions before we leave. This country has a future. We will be the little Jonathan wherever we are. We will meet a more secured, more save and more prosperous nation by the time we come back.”

Abdulsalami is Nigeria’s reference to good governance, says NGF •Ex-Head of State is 70 today

T

HE Northern Governors’ Forum (NSGF) yesterday said former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, is the nation’s global reference

Police quiz Otedola over $600,000 subsidy probe bribe “Consequently, the Hon. Speaker is requested to ask the Chairman, Hon. Farouk Lawan and the Secretary of the Committee to have a meeting with the under-signed on Thursday 7th June, 2012 at 100hrs at Force Headquarters, Room I.D 068, First Floor, Louis Edet House, Abuja .

“This is to enable detectives to conduct further investigation into the matter. While awaiting the Hon. Speaker’s kind consideration of this request, do accept the assurances and esteemed regards of the Inspector- General of Police, please.”

As the police await Lawan’s response, some of his friends and close associates have assembled a five-man legal team to defend the lawmaker.

Members of the legal team include two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) with high reputation.

An associate, who spoke in confidence, said: “We are set for a major legal battle ahead be-

punish anybody.”

The PDP publicity chief dismissed insinuations that the crisis was caused by divided loyalty among members of the NWC, where former President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan are pitched at different camps.

Reports have said while Tukur is in the Jonathan camp, Oyinlola is in the Obasanjo camp.

But Metuh said the PDP had resolved that Tukur is at liberty to delegate administrative responsibilities to any of his aides or whoever he chooses.

The friction between Habu Fari and Oyinlola was a buildup to conflict of roles in which the former considered the latter as usurping his responsibilities as an elected official of the party.

Oyinlola is an elected officer while Fari is an appointed aide.

4 letter, Lawan and some highly-placed members of the House were at the Force Headquarters on June 6.

Already, curious members of the House have cut short their one-week recess to return to Abuja watch the video tape or listen to the audio tape of the alleged bribe saga in Abuja.

An excited member of the House, who listened to the audio tape, said: “I have heard what transpired; it is just unfortunate, I am sad. But as you people are doing your job, we will keep on enjoying the drama until we resume.”

Another House member said: “I have watched the video. It looked more real than a make-up. But when we come back, we will hear from Lawan before we crucify him. “ A member of the Ad Hoc Committee said: “Just let the world know that it was a oneman show. Members of the committee had nothing to do with it.”

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

point to good governance, diplomacy and conflict resolution.

The governors eulogised the former military leader on his 70th birthday today.

They described the former military leader as the father of the nation’s current democracy.

The governors also hailed him for remaining a worthy ambassador of Nigeria and the rest of the world.

The Chairman of the forum and Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu spoke on the former Head of State in Minna, Niger State capital, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Danladi Ndayebo.

The governors said it is proud of the former military leader’s achievements and leadership qualities.

They said Abubakar has these virtues in accelerating the growth and development of Nigeria and Africa.

The governors referred to Abubakar’s commitment to ethical rebirth by handing over power to democratically elected civilian government in 1999.

According to them, this opened a new vista of hope for a dynamic and vibrant generation of our people and nationbuilding.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

58

NEWS

Pastor allegedly defiles 11-year-old R

A

PASTOR has been arrested in Onitsha, Anambra State, for allegedly having unlawful carnal knowledge of an 11-year-old girl.

Sources said the pastor, who is being detained at the Central Police Station (CPS), Onitsha, has confessed to the crime.

It was learnt that the victim’s mother, Mrs. Chioma Onyeji, who lives in Asaba, the Delta State capital, was invited by her friend to a programme at the pastor’s church on Tasia Road, Inland Town, Onitsha.

Mrs. Onyeji attended the

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as MISS MEDINA TAHITE NADOMA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS MEDINA TAHITE AGHAS. All former documents remain valid. Immigration services and the general public should please take note.

From Okodili Ndidi, Onitsha

programme with her daughter, who was pronounced to be possessed and would die within five days, if she returned home.

The pastor told the woman to pray and fast, but Mrs. Onyeji said she could not because she was expectant. It was learnt that the pastor insisted that the girl should stay back with him for prayers.

Mrs. Onyeji said: “I left my daughter with him, but whenever I went there to pick her up, the pastor was always giving me excuses.

Sometimes he would say she went out with his wife.

When I was eventually allowed to see my daughter, she was bleeding.”

She said her daughter told her that the pastor spread a white cloth on the

PUBLIC NOTICE THE PREVAILERS CHURCH INT'L This is to inform the General Public that the above named Church has applied for Registration under Part "C" of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. 1 of 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Rev. Christian Elechi 2. Pastor Mrs. Peace Christian 3. Pastor Chidi Akataobi 4. Evangelist Gloria Azubuike 5. Pastor Raphael Chinwendu Elechi 6. Pastor Collins Ikono

-

Senior Pastor/Founder Co-Founder General Secretary Treasurer Financial Secretary Prayer Secretary

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To preach the gospel and to serve as a fore-runner of the second coming of Christ Jesus by creating awareness of His coming.

Any objection to the Registration of the above named Church should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

M. E. Nwosuegbe, Esq. 08036082373

PUBLIC NOTICE

U-TURN GOSPEL MISSION Jawuke, Ogun State

The above named organization has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration as a Christian ministry under the Companies and Allied Matters Acts No. 1 of 1990.

NAMES OF BOARD OF TRUSTEE: 1.

Dr. Onyechuku Aghawenu 2.

Mrs. Joy Aghawenu

President Vic. President

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: 1) To preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ 2) To promote religious peace etc.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Maitama, P.M.B. 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: TRUSTEE

floor and allegedly raped her three times.

A police source said the pastor confessed that he raped the girl once.

Mrs. Onyeji alleged that there have been attempts by some powerful people believed to be connected to the pastor to scuttle the case.

She called on the Federal Government and civil society groups to come to her aid.

Mr. Emma Ewuzie of the

Human Rights Volunteer Corps alleged that Mrs. Onyeji was offered N100,000 to drop the charges.

When contacted on phone, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr. Abdul Yusuf, said he was not at his desk and would get back to us, but a police officer, who pleaded for anonymity, confirmed the incident and said the pastor would soon be charged to court.

ESIDENTS of Odekpe, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, have sent a Save Our Soul (SOS) to President Goodluck Jonathan over incessant flooding of the community.

They urged the Federal Government to come to their aid, stressing that floods have claimed human lives and property.

In the SOS signed by the President of Ogbaru Stakeholders’ Forum, Sir Peter Okala, the residents said they have notified the authorities, but nothing has been done about it.

They said over 11 pupils were drowned and about 80

Lagos needs strong legislature, says Ghana VP ashould national holiday and INEC HANIAN Vice Presdeclare Abiola the

G

ident John Dramani Mahama has said Lagos State needs a strong legislature that will reflect societal ideals and hold the government accountable.

Mahama was delivering the special parliamentary session to commemorate the first anniversary of the seventh Assembly and June 12, at the Chambers of the House of Assembly. The lecture entitled: “The imperatives of a virile legislature in the socio-economic development of a state,”was delivered on his behalf by Ghana’s Minister of Information Haruna Idrisu.

Attributing the development crisis in Africa to governance and accountability, Mahama said: “For elected governments to deliver on their promises of socio-economic development to their people, there must exist a strong legislature with powers to check the executive and provide space for civil society to participate in governance.”

According to him, the state must create an enabling political and legal environment for economic growth and promote equitable distribution of the national cake.

“A virile legislature will ensure that government policies are designed to deliberately attack poverty,

EFCC stalls ex-NIMASA chief’s trial

By Eric Ikhilae

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HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday stalled hearing in the trial of a former DirectorGeneral of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Raymond Omatseye.

The commission was expected to call fresh witness in continuation of the trial before the Federal High Court, Lagos, but it told the court of its intention to amend the existing 11-count charge.

Though yesterday’s proceedings took place in the judge’s chambers - as Justice Fatimat Nyako summoned parties into her chambers before the 1pm scheduled for hearing - it was learnt that the request of the EFCC prompted the court to adjourn the matter till July 11.

The anti-graft agency, which had called three witnesses, was expected to call the fourth yesterday.

By Oziegbe Okoeki

promote education, health and social safety nets. A democratic state also tackles corruption head-on and ensures that it does not impede development and the ability of governments to reduce poverty,” Mahama said.

The activities of the legislature, Mahama stressed, have a direct impact on the political environment and contribute directly to the entrenchment of democracy, rule of law and human rights, which collectively promote sustainable human development.

Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji, criticised the renaming of the University of Lagos after the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola.

He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should posthumously declare Abiola winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, so that his name would be included among the nation’s past presidents.

Ikuforiji also urged the Federal Government to declare June 12 a public holiday.

He said: “The naming of the University of Lagos after MKO Abiola is not enough; giving his enormous contributions to the emergence of the current political dispensation. The Federal Government should declare June 12

winner of the 1993 presidential election and put his name among the past presidents of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, because the Chairman of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, whose office was not recognised by the Constitution, is addressed as a past president of Nigeria.”

In a paper entitled: True federalism as panacea for national development and integration: The role of the Press, the Head of Department, Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye, said the press, as the fourth estate of the realm, should discharge its duties dispassionately in order to promote national development and integration. He said there was need for courageous reportage of events, if Nigeria must have true federalism.

He said: “National development comes from knowing people and the press in this regard, have a responsibility to help build and strengthen the other estates.

“All other estates must partner with the press, as journalists must write dispassionately in order to promote national development and integration. There is the need for courageous will if we must have true federalism.

Anambra community seeks help From Okodili Ndidi, Onitsha

buildings submerged last year during the rainy season.

The residents said the floods were not natural and were caused by the closure of the water channel that passes through the community.

They said the channel was closed by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) during the construction of a high tension tower.

Okala said: “We have petitioned the Minister of Power and other agencies, but have not got any positive response.”

Andy Uba mourns plane crash victims

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ENATOR Andy Uba (Anambra South) has commiserated with the nation and the families of the victims of the June 3 Dana plane crash.

The senator, who also lost his mother recently, said: “The Dana plane crash is not only a tragedy to the families of the victims, but the country at large.

“I condole with the families of the victims and President Goodluck Jonathan. I pray that the good lord would console the bereaved and avert such tragedies in our country.

“This incident touched the life of every Nigerian, because we all either know someone that died in the crash or friends and family of the victims.

Coming at a time when the president is battling with security issues, it is one tragedy too many.”

Uba said beyond the panel set up to probe the causes of the crash, some changes must be made in the aviation sector to make our air space safe.

Youths occupy Ibadan for Abiola

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CORES of prodemocracy activists yesterday took to the streets of Ibadan in commemoration of the June 12, 1993 presidential election believed to have been won by the late Chief MKO Abiola of the defunt Social De4mocratic Party (SDP).

They called on President Goodluck Jonathan to declare the winner of the election recorded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest ever as president.

Former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) annulled the results of the election in controversial circumstances.

The procession which began at about 7.45am started at Mokola through the Agodi premises of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) to Splash FM and terminating at the Felele Ibadan home of Alhaji Lam Adesina, the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the Pacesetter State.

The mainly-youth procession carried placards

•Ajimobi seeks GCFR titles forn Abiola From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

with various inscriptions such as ‘M.K.O. Abiola should be declare president now’; ‘Abiola is our hero’; ‘Jonathan should confer on M.K.O. Abiola with GCFR’ amongst others.

ACN member of the House of Representatives, representing Ido /Ibarapa East Federal Constituency, Sunday Adepoju, who led the procession, urged President Jonathan to posthumously declare the late politician president and give him all the honour due Nigeria’s expresidents.

The lawmaker stated that June 12 has become a national issue in the country, which he noted cannot run away from its history. On the reason for the procession, Adepoju said: “We are doing this to keep the hope of the June 12 alive in appreciation

for the self sacrificing death of Abiola that made it possible for Nigeria to return to democratic rule.”Without this, we will not be enjoying the fruits of democracy, we would have been under autocratic rule by our despotic military rulers.

But we thank God that we have people like the Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the Chief Abraham Adesanya, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the Chief Bola Ige, the Anthony Enahoro and a host of other members of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), who sacrificed everything to give us what we have today.”We want to keep the memory of those who died as martyrs. We want people to know that democracy is the best way of government ,even though we are not practicing it the way it ought to be , and we want to tell our people that one day true fiscal federalism will be here.”

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NEWS

Gunmen kill six in Kano

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UNMEN have shot dead six persons at Rimin Kebe in Tudun Murtala, Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

An eyewitness told NAN in Kano yesterday that the incident, which occurred about 10pm on Monday, left

•Police: only three died many people seriously injured.

The eyewitness said the gunmen stormed the area in a Honda Civic car.

The witness said the victims were sitting in front of a house when the gunmen opened fire on them.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Rilwanu Dutse, confirmed the incident.

But he confirmed that only three persons were killed.

“The incident occurred between 9:30 pm and 10pm on

•The late Degubi

HE police authorities have refuted media reports indicating that the Federal Government College, Kano was attacked by gunmen.

A statement by the police spokesman, Frank Mba, yesterday said there was no gun attack or any form of security breach within or around the school premises.

The statement reads: “The attention of the Police High Command has been drawn to the rumours being peddled that the Federal Government College, Kano had been attacked by gunmen.

“We wish to state that the story is false in its entirety and that no gun attack or any form of security breach occurred within or around the school premises.”

It appealed to users and subscribers to social media

Abubakar Aliyu, House speaker, Adamu Dala Dogo, lawmakers and top government officials attended the funeral.

U

Monday and three persons were killed,” Dutse added.

He said investigation had begun and security had been tightened in the area.

The police command has denied that Government Secondary School, Yar’tofa in Warawa Local Government was attacked.

“The school was not attacked,” the PPRO said.

Yobe deputy majority leader killed

NIDENTIFIED gunmen yesterday killed the Deputy Majority Leader of the Yobe State House of Assembly, Adamu Abubakar Degubi.

Degubi, until his death, represented Nangere Constituency in the Assembly.

The gunmen, according to an eyewitness, came to his house at Tandari in Potiskum about 8am when his driver was preparing for a journey to Damaturu.

The witness said the driver

U

From Duku Joel, Damaturu

was sitting inside the car and did not know when the suspected assassins entered the compound.

Our source said when the deceased’s wife and driver heard gunshots, they rushed into the house only to find Degubi in a pool of his blood. They took him to the Potiskum General Hospital where he later died.

The Chairman of Nangere Local Government, Alhaji Adamu Dazigau, confirmed the incident.

Police spokesman Salihu Adamu who also confirmed the incident, said he is still expecting the details from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Potiskum.

The lawmaker has been buried according to Islamic rites.

Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, his deputy,

5,000 ghost workers discovered in Bauchi councils

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AUCHI State Local Government Service Commission has announced the discovery of over 5,000 ghost workers in the 20 councils in the state.

The Chairman of the commission, Ibrahim Musa, who spoke at a briefing at the Ministry of Information, Abubakar Umar Secretariat, Bauchi said the commission also uncovered N11 million worth of salaries paid to the ghost workers.

From Austine Tsenzughul, Bauchi

He said: “Bauchi State Local Government Service Commission last year set up four committees to verify the staff strength at the local government level. The committees are made up of 166 members who have toured the 20 local government areas of the state and discovered ghost workers.

“The committee also found out that some of the workers have reached retirement

age but are still in the service, while some have bad records.”

Musa said the reports of the committees are being studied by the commission with the aim of implementing them. He added that due process would be followed to avoid litigation.

He said of the 890 workers of the local governments who sat for the promotion examinations organised by the commission this year, 717 passed, 99 failed and 74

were absent.

The chairman said the commission has approved the appointment of 138 local government workers to serve in various cadres, and also recruited 714 trained personnel.

According to him, he regretted the lack of dedication by some employees, and described the situation as a national problem occasioned by the type of leadership that existed in the civil service.

Judge steps down from EFCC- Doma case

J

USTICE Marcel Awokulehin of the Federal High Court, Lafia has stepped down from the case between the Eco-

Wamakko revokes N94.3m contract From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

SOKOTO State Governor Aliyu Wamakko has revoked the N94.3 million contract for the construction of Romon Liman PHC primary in Tambawal Local Government Area.

The revocation was announced yesterday by the governor during an inspection of projects.

Wamakko, who was on a working visit to the local government, said in a statement signed by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Press Affairs, Abubakar Dangusau, that it was baffling that the project could not be completed.

The governor was quoted as saying that “I wonder why the project has not been completed since 2007.”

He directed the commissioner for works to tar the road from Kebbe to Romon Sarki within one month.

Wamakko also instructed the commissioner for local government to renovate the palace of the district head of Gindi, just as he directed Tambuwal Local Government to construct a feeder road from Romon Sarki to Romon Liman.

From Johnny Danjuma, Lafia

nomic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the former governor of the state, Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma. He has asked the Chief Justice of the Federation to reassign it.

The EFCC spokesperson, Uwa Uwajuren, was said to have been quoted in a publication that Justice Awokulehin ruled that Doma had a case to answer when he (Awokulehin) was yet to rule on the matter.

This followed the two letters written by counsel to Doma, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN). One was addressed to the chief justice and the other to the chief judge, alleging subjudice. They were read in the court by Justice Awokulehin.

The letter addressed to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court seeking transfer to another judge drew the attention of the judge to the publications, which he alleged was a calculated at-

tempt to put the judge in a corner by pre-empting his ruling.

Counsel to Doma in the letter said no matter what direction the judge ruled, he would be accused of taking side.

He sought for the transfer of the matter.

Justice Awokulehin said after digesting the contents of the letter and in the interest of justice, he decided to transfer the case to the Chief Justice.

Plateau CAN decries attacks on churches HE Plateau State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said government at all levels and security agencies should protect Christians and churches from attacks.

It said this is necessary to ensure the nation’s peaceful co-existence.

The CAN leaders spoke in Jos yesterday in reaction to Sunday’s attack on the Christ Chosen Church of God, Rukuba, Jos where many people were killed and injured.

T

From Marie-Therese Nanlong, Jos

Briefing reporters, the CAN President, Rev. Mwalbish Dafes, commiserated with the pastor and members of the church as well as the victims at Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa Nigeria (EYN) in Biu, Borno State.

He urged the government to compensate the victims of terrorists’ attacks.

The youth wing of CAN in Plateau State in a statement signed by Johnson Bistu and Joshua Ringsum, Chairman and Secretary, enjoined churches to strengthen their security, to prevent attacks.

Boko Haram : ‘Nigeria will not disintegrate’

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CLERIC, Prophet Wole Shitta of St. Theresa Church of Christ (Cherubim & Seraphim), Mushin, Lagos, has said despite the Boko Haram insurgency, Nigeria will not disintegrate.

He added that the nation will celebrate the centenary independence in 2060 and many independent anniversaries.

Shitta, who spoke to reporters in Lagos, said although the country would not disintegrate, Nigerians should be more prayerful to get out of the current difficulties.

Police deny gun attack at Federal Govt College, Kano

He said: “We need divine intervention to solve insecurity and other problems we are facing. This is why we have to be more prayerful. If we do this, Nigeria will not disintegrate. The nation will remain strong and united.

“The United States of America still remains strong and united in spite of its heterogeneous population. Nigeria can be like this if we move closer to God. We cannot single-handedly solve the Boko Haram problem. It has become a national disgrace. We need God’s assistance to overcome it. This is why we should be more prayerful.”

T

From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja

and other forms of mass communication to exercise restraint and display high sense of responsibility, particularly when such information touches on issues of national security.

“We wish to advise the public to always cross-check their information with the police authority before going to the press to avoid spreading fears and other psychological trauma associated with such false stories.”

Mba said the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, had ordered the strengthening of security and had directed zonal and state commands to ensure that security is tightened in and around Federal Government Colleges.

Nasarawa clash: UBA donates N10m to victims NITED Bank for Af-

rica (UBA), Nasarawa State branch, yesterday donated N10 million to the victims of last week’s communal clash between the Alago and the Eggon at Assakio in Lafia East Devel-

opment Area.

Disagreement broke out between the two ethnic groups when the Eggon disagreed with the imposition of “tithe” on their farm produce by an Alago monarch.

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NEWS Alao-Akala, others shun Adedibu’s annual prayer From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

•The protesters in Abuja...yesterday.

Corruption may cause Nigeria’s collapse, says ICPC From Augustine Ehikioya in Abuja

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HE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday said Nigeria may collapse under the weight of massive corruption at all the tiers of governments in the country.

ICPC Chairman Ekpo Nta spoke in Abuja at the inauguration of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) anti-corruption and transparency unit (ACTU).

He was represented by the Head of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department, Barnabas Gaji.

Nta noted that unless something drastic is done, Nigeria may not survive the consequence of massive corruption across the land.

He called for strategic steps to review operational procedures in governance to return the nation to the path of virtue.

Nta said: “We all know that too much damage has been done to the corporate culture in the public service. It is only by constantly reminding ourselves of our ethical and professional responsibilities as public officials that the desired change can be effected.

“Corruption has so devastated our economic, political, social and moral structures that the nation runs the risk of total and irredeemable collapse, if immediate and drastic action are not taken.

“Thus, the time has come for all Nigerians to join hands together to halt this onslaught.”

The Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Mobolaji Johnson, noted that the establishment of the antigraft in NCC would set a new tone for accountability and transparency as well as ensure optimum service delivery.

She said: “The inauguration of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit is a significant preventive measure for the commission to work towards the provision of services required of the unit, as demanded

by ICPC laws.”

The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Mr Eugene Juwah, said: “Corruption within the public service is widespread and involves common occurrences of delayed files, making wrong claims, favouritism, truancy, outright demand for bribes and abuse of office, which are all systemic in nature.

PHOTO:ABAYOMI FAYESE

Pensioners protest non-payment of allowances M EMBERS of the Abuja chapter of the Nigerian Union of Federal Civil Service Pensioners yesterday protested the non-payment of their allowances.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, marched to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

Some of the placards read: “Pay us our pension allowances”; “Pay us our 53 per cent pension arrears”, among others.

Alhaji Seriki Amuda, the Chairman of the union, told NAN that the action became necessary following the alleged “withholding and

unlawful deduction from our pension allowances”.

He said some members were being owed up to five years’ allowances, adding that those who were lucky to get paid were being shortchanged through illegal deductions.

The pensioners’ chairman said efforts by his colleagues to get their allowances had yielded no result.

Amuda said the warning protest was to give the Head of Service time to respond to their complaints.

He said if the authority failed to accede to their demands within the next three weeks, they would embark on a nationwide protest.

Amuda said: “This is a warning protest by the senior citizens of this country. We have been suffering in silence.

“The man in charge normally goes to the media to say that he is doing well for pensioners, yet we are suffering.”

He urged the Head of Service to look into their plight.

Some pensioners claimed that they had been captured since 2010 but have not received any payment “hence we decided to embark on a peaceful protest”.

Deputy Chairman of the Abuja chapter of the Nigerian Union of Federal Civil Service Pensioners Comrade Omezie

Sunday said the union had written several letters to the Office of the Head of Service of the federation but that nothing had been done.

He said: “On its part, the office of the Presidential Task Team on Pension Reforms has been telling us that they are working on our records but nothing has been done.”

Another pensioner, Mr Antony Gale, said since 2004, when he retired, he had only been paid his gratuity.

He added that he was yet to receive his monthly pension allowance.

Efforts by reporters to get the reaction of the Pension Reform Task Team proved abortive, as they were turned back by security men at the gate.

Ogun PDP berates Oyinlola over face-off with Tukur

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HE Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has berated the National Secretary of the party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, for his power tussle with the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

In a statement, the Director of Organisation of the party Mr. Segun Showunmi said it was laughable that Oyinlola could accuse some other persons of having no regard for the rule of law and the party’s constitution when he has run foul of such illegalities.

The party said: “It is the height of double speak for a man who unabashedly encourages the disobedience of

court orders and judgments to accuse our National Chairman and his aides of not having regard for the laws and constitution of the party.”

It noted that Oyinlola and his godfather have continued to over-reach themselves against the judgment of a Federal High Court, which nullified the Southwest zonal congress of the PDP. The statement added: “The court not only nullified the zonal congress, which also produced Oyinlola, it also sacked Mr. Segun Oni as Vice-Chairman of the party as well as Mr. Bode Mustapha as the National Auditor of the party. “…Mustapha is not an ac-

countant, even when the constitution of the party says the National Auditor shall be an accountant. Yet, Oyinlola and his godfather have kept this man in office despite the express judgment and directive of the court that the man be removed from office.

“Indeed, if there was anybody that was causing disharmony within the party in his home state of Osun, the Southwest and at the national level, it is Oyinlola.

With less than three months in office, he has perpetrated a number of illegalities.

“He unilaterally issued letters to people, appointing them as caretaker commit-

tee members for the Ogun State PDP, even when there is a validly elected State Executive Committee (Exco) endorsed by the party’s monitors, certified by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and affirmed by the courts.”

The party noted that by Oyinlola’s conduct, he is acting out a script, not just to destabilise the party but also the PDP-led Federal Government.

It urged the Presidency to be wary of the former governor and stop him with his godfather before they plunge the party into a crisis and derail the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Ekiti teachers’ test: Truce meeting deadlocked

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MEETING by Ekiti State royal fathers, religious leaders and other stakeholders to resolve the face-off between the government and teachers on the contentious Teachers Needs Assessment Test (TDNA) has ended in a stalemate.

The Principal Secretary of the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Chief Wale Oyeniyi, told reporters on phone that the meeting was inconclusive. He said nothing could sway the teachers to rethink their position.

By Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

At the meeting were the Chairman of the state’s Council of Traditional Rulers and Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Adedeji Gbadebo; Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe; Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti, Oba Joseph Adewole; Oluyin of Iyi Ekiti, Oba Ademola Ajakaye; Olomuo of Omuo Ekiti, Oba Noah Omonigbehin, among others.

Members of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), who attended the meeting, included Bishop Femi Felix Ajakaye (Christian-

ity) and Alara of Aramoko, Oba Olu Adeyemi (Islam).

It was learnt that after the teachers had explained their position, the representatives of the religious bodies and other stakeholders fought vainly to persuade the teachers to shift ground.

The government was not represented at the meeting.

The Nation learnt that the conveners set up a special committee, comprising three representatives of the mediators and the feuding parties.

The teachers were reportedly mandated to state in writ-

ing “their positions, demands and suggestions to the committee and with a promise to convey similar information to the government”.

The government and the NUT have been at loggerheads over the TDNA, which the latter have vowed its members would not take.

To prove their seriousness, the 16,000 teachers in primary and secondary schools in the state stayed off the 39 designated centres on June 4 when the government asked them to take the examination.

PROMINENT members of the Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including former Governor Adebayo AlaoAkala, his erstwhile deputies, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi and Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja, yesterday shunned the annual fidau for the late Chief Lamidi Adedibu.

The strong man of Ibadan politics, as Adedibu was called, died four years ago.

In 2006, he sponsored and backed the impeachment of Governor Rashidi Ladoja and enthroned Alao-Akala in 2007.

The two-day fidau prayer sessions started on Monday and ended yesterday with the widow of the deceased, Bosede, and a former chairman of Ibadan South East Local Government Area, Hakeem Ige, being the most prominent faces at the event.

Adedibu died on June 11, 2008, a few days to his 82nd birthday, following health complications.

He was later rushed to the University College Hospital (UCH) where doctors claimed that he was brought in dead {BID}.

He was buried the second day which coincided with the June 12, 1993, anniversary.

There has been an annual fidau for him. But the ceremony began to pale out since last year when his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost the April 26, 2011 polls.

On Monday, one of his children, Dr. Abass Adedibu, who is a Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Education, led members of the family to hold the prayers in the sitting-room of the late politician.

Dr. Adedibu told reporters that he was representing his siblings at the fidau.

UI post-UTME registration ends tomorrow CANDIDATES who chose the University of Ibadan (UI) in the last Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have until tomorrow to upload their data on the university’s website ahead of the post-UTME screening later this month.

A statement by the university’s Director of Public Communication, Mr Olatunji Oladejo, quoted the Chairman of the Undergraduate Admissions Committee, Prof Joseph Anthony Woods, as saying that shortlisted candidates would be invited for the screening through email and SMS once their names are uploaded on the website by June 22.

Woods, who said the candidates would be examined in the same subjects they entered for in the UTME, added that UI will invite about 5,000 more candidates this session than it did last year.

He said: “It is anticipated that the university will invite between 9,000 and 10,000 candidates, using the JAMB criteria of Merit, Locality and Education Less Developed States (ELDS) to write the examination this year. Last year, approximately 5,000 candidates wrote the examination. UI is increasing access to all candidates by this phased increase in the postUTME participation examination.”

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‘At any rate, this is the time to really go the whole hog to properly sanitise the aviation industry as most of the aircraft in their fleet are flying coffins’ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL.7 NO.2155

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

H

IS was the perfect metaphor for destiny; on the very day he was to have been sacked from his post as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), he was elevated by his colleagues into the highest job in the land.

Indeed the story of how General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar (GCFR), who is 70 today, became Nigeria’s military head of state on June 9, 1998 was the stuff of best-selling thrillers.

The journey to that momentous day for the man begun in 1962 – that is, discounting the day he was born on June 13, 1942 - when he finished from Government College, then Provincial Secondary School, Bida, one of the oldest secondary schools in Northern Nigeria, if not in the entire country.

That year he and twenty one others graduated after their admission into the school in 1957 (secondary schools then ran for six years).

About nine of them were dragooned into the army by then junior minister of defence (Army), the late Alhaji Tako Galadima Bida.

Two of them – Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and the subject of this tribute – rose to become the country’s military heads of state, ending their military careers as four-star generals. One – Garba Duba – retired as a three-star general, i.e. Lieutenant General. Four – Muhammad Gado Nasko, Sani Sami, Mamman Magoro and late Mamman Vatsa – left as two-star generals i.e. Major-Generals. One – Sani Bello, presently President of Bida Old Boys Association (BOSA) - retired as Colonel and military governor of Kano State. Another –Muhammed Ndakotsu Dokotigi, a promising military engineer, died in service in the early seventies as a Lt. Colonel in a road accident on Kaduna-Zaria highway.

Chances then are the Class of ’62 of Government College, Bida, holds the record as the class which has produced the single biggest number of senior officers of the army. All the officers served their country well during the country’s civil war between 1967 and 1970, two of them, Babangida and Bello, sustaining lifethreatening wounds they have had to live with since. All of them also held political offices as governors, ministers, etc.

All, that was, except General Abubakar and Dokotigi who died in mid-career. From the day the general became an officer in 1966 until he became head of state on June 9, 1998, he never held any political office. Instead, he held virtually every command post in the army from platoon level till he became its commander-in-chief. Thus, he was, without question, your quintessential professional soldier.

The circumstance of his elevation to head of state, was, as I said, the stuff of best-selling thrillers. At that time he was CDS, officially number three in the country’s military hierarchy but for all practical purposes, the number two because Lt-General Oladipo Diya, the Chief of General Staff and the official number two, had fallen from grace to grass, having been tried and convicted for an attempted coup against his boss, General Sani Abacha.

Abubakar had been CDS since 1995. For some seemingly inexplicable reason some elements in Abacha’s kitchen cabinet began to question his loyalty to Abacha, especially after the man’s undeclared but apparent agenda of swapping

I

T is well documented how irresponsible political leaders from the North have plundered their region, as the Boko Haram Islamist sect has repeatedly alleged. But now, armed robbers have joined in inflicting pain and misery on a people already economically, religiously and culturally harassed. On Monday, 27 people were reportedly killed by armed robbers on a revenge mission in Dangulbi and surrounding villages in the Dansadau Emirate of Zamfara State. The robbers were said to have moved from door-todoor clinically and cold-heartedly shooting villagers, and in some cases slitting their throats.

Cynically, according to reports, the robbers took nothing from their victims, evidently confirming that the killings were a reprisal for the recent security and vigilance raid on criminal hideouts in the emirate.

Such attacks undermine economic activities.

Farming and trading are already obviously curtailed, while poverty is worsening. Late last year, robbers reportedly raided the village of Lingyado killing some 19 people in reprisal raid. Early this

People and Politics By MOHAMMED HARUNA ndajika@yahoo.com

Abdulsalami Abubakar at 70: a metaphor for destiny

•Gen Abubakar

his khaki with mufti as the country’s leader gathered steam. By early 1998 Abubakar had concluded that he had fallen out of favour with Abacha enough for him to quit before he got an unceremonious shove.

Accordingly he packed his bag and baggage out of his official quarters at the then Fort Ibrahim Babangida (now Niger Barracks) and confided in a few of his friends of his decision to leave. One of them, Gidado Idris, then Secretary to Abacha’s government, advised him to tarry a while. He would, he said, intercede with Abacha to heal any rift there was between the two.

Alhaji Gidado’s intercession apparently proved futile; Abacha, it seemed, had decided his CDS must go on June 9, 1998. Abacha, as we all know, died the day before in somewhat mysterious circumstances.

The details of what transpired on June 8 is so well documented, they need not detain us here. Suffice it to say Abacha’s much dreaded Chief Security Officer, Major Hamza AlMustapha, took charge, and with former Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Commassie, and Alhaji Gidado, the SGF - the first two he invited to the Villa upon realising that his boss had died - made sure that Abacha was replaced without rancour.

The choices of head of state before the top military brass that had fully assembled in the

Villa by noon of June 9 were three: Lt-General Jerry Husseini, the most senior military officer, minister of the Federal Capital Territory and by common consent, Abacha’s closest confidant; LtGeneral Ishaya Bamaiyi, the most powerful service chief by virtue of being the army chief; and Lt-General Abubakar, number three in the military hierarchy as CDS. The second in command, Lt-General Diya, then cooling his heels in prison for a coup attempt, was obviously not in contention.

General Husseini reportedly showed some interest but Bamaiyi reportedly chose to respect military hierarchy and threw his weight behind the CDS. The rest, as they say, is history.

General Abubakar took charge with a one-item agenda; a quick, and hopefully, permanent exist of the military from politics. By then the soldiers had been in government for about 15 years after their second intervention in the country’s politics and they had proved themselves no better managers of the country than the civilians they had overthrown in 1983. One of his first announcements was that the military will remain in power for all of only eleven months, the shortest transition to civilian rule in the country.

The general’s greatest achievement was that, for the first time since the military first usurped our politics in 1966, a head of state honoured his word on handing over power to civilians without hesitation; on May 29, 1999, exactly eleven months to the day he came to power, he handed it over to an elected General Olusegun Obasanjo.

Before him, General Yakubu Gowon had changed his mind in 1974 about handing back power to civilians in 1976. After Gowon there is evidence to show that General Olusegun Obasanjo, who had succeeded General Murtala Mohammed, assassinated in a coup attempt barely six months after he had overthrown Gowon, was not exactly keen to go by the 1979 date his regime had promised. However, hedged in by a three-some of Major-General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, his chief of staff, Lt-General T.Y. Danjuma, his army chief, and Inspector-General of Police M.D. Yusuf, all of whom were determined to return the military to the barracks after 13 years in politics since it overthrew the First Republic in 1966, the man had no choice but to leave on October 1, 1979.

Major-General Muhammadu Buhari who over-

DELE AGEKAMEH

threw the Second Republic on December 31, 1983, was widely accused of having no transition program at all before he was in turn overthrown by his army chief, Babangida.

Babangida, on his part, stood accused of bad faith in implementing his eight-year old transition programme, the longest, bar Gowon’s, in the country’s history. Abacha, the next military ruler, was on the verge of successfully shedding his khaki for a mufti when he died.

If General Abubakar kept his word about getting the military out of our politics, it was not because there were no attempts within and outside the institution to convince him that his transition programe was too hasty. If nothing else, there were leading kinsmen of Obasanjo who tried to convince the general that if Obasanjo was the only Yoruba his government had as possibly the next civilian leader, they were prepared to support him to extend his stay until a more agreeable Yoruba was identified.

Abubakar not only eventually kept his word in spite of pressures not to, his first acts in office included freeing all those Abacha jailed for coup attempts in 1995 and 1997, and inviting all those in self-exile to return home unconditionally. It was also on record that even though the man got as bad a press as any military head of state – hardly a week passed when one newspaper or the other did not accuse him of looting the treasury, of grabbing oil wells for himself and his friends and of generally ruining the economy – not one reporter was ever harassed let alone jailed.

It was therefore one of those ironies of life that of all our military heads of state, he was the one that got dragged to a Chicago District Court in America in 2007 for abuse of human rights. Those who sued him were the late Chief Anthony Enahoro, Dr Arthur Nwankwo and Hafsat Abiola, for detention and exiling of opposition elements and even for the murder of Hajiya Kudirat Abiola, wife of Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the presumed winner of the !993 presidential elections annulled by the military. This was even though Kudirat had been killed long before Abubakar came to power.

If Abubakar’s word eventually and admirably proved to be his honour and if his human rights record was also respectable in spite of the fact that Chief Abiola died in detention mysteriously under his watch, the same thing could, alas, not be said of his personal integrity; since he left office 13 years ago this has been tainted by allegations that, like Abacha before him and Obasanjo after him, he had been implicated in the global Halliburton scandal. A couple of companies he is associated with have also been named, fairly or otherwise, in other financial scandals.

These, however, do not seem to have dimmed his standing as a much sought after broker of peace in international conflicts by the United Nations, the African Union and ECOWAS, thanks, no doubt to the fact that he was a man apparently destined by fate to get the military out of the politics of the most populous black and African nation for good.

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HARDBALL

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

Avengers of the North

political and business elites share in the blame too. All groups must urgently come together to find a way out of the morass. Nobody else will do it for them. They must recognise that the North is unravelling faster than the slothfulness of public officials can cope with. Indeed, northerners cannot wait until power returns to their region before creative and intelligent measures are devised to revive and rebuild their beleaguered society.

It is time to restore peace and confidence in the North, and time to also renew the hopes of the region’s iconic leaders who strove to build oases of sectarian tolerance, political and economic advancement, and centre of learning and culture in the 1950s and 1960s. Future generations will blame this generation of northern leaders if they fail to find a way out of the cul-desac, if they fail to stanch the flow of blood, bury petty differences, reach out to men of goodwill everywhere in the country, and rise to the challenges of the moment. It is time to cut the Gordian knot.

year, robbers in Zamfara also attacked traders returning from a market in Katsina State killing about 15 people. In early May, another revenge killing took place at the Potiskum international cattle market in Yobe State when robbers bombed and shot their victims for lynching a member of their robbery gang. More than 30 traders died in that attack that was said to have lasted for about three hours. But much worse for economic activities in the North is the fact that the cattle market hosts traders from Cameroun, Chad and Niger Republic.

Disaster looms in the North, a disaster that is unlikely to spare the rest of the country. The federal government has sometimes seemed to underestimate the impending calamity; but northern states and their political elite have considerably worsened the problem by refusing to be proactive in dealing with the crises inundat-

ing the region. The governments and the elite are unable to tackle Boko Haram, the Islamist sect that has morphed into a terrorist organisation. Not only is the sect on rampage and the governments clueless, the problem has reached a point where the authorities are sadly and shamelessly pleading for dialogue. The government is desperate, and the people themselves are consumed by fear.

The ubiquitous and now almost unstoppable Boko Haram attacks have a withering, alienating and radicalising effect on the local population. If the sect’s attacks are combined with the truncation of economic activities, recurrent armed robbery attacks and revenge attacks, a feeling of hopelessness, if not helplessness, pervades the region. The federal, state and local governments may carry the larger share of responsibility for the worsening situation in the North, especially because of their longstanding dereliction of duty, but the traditional,

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